"If Gaia Consciousness could truly be awakened," Kazuki asked, frowning slightly, "would that really allow us to defend the shinobi world against the Ōtsutsuki Clan? Even if this planet is special, the Ōtsutsuki are a race capable of traveling the universe…"
Kaguya gently shook her head.
"Kazuki, the Divine Tree has been planted on this planet for over a thousand years—and it's only barely managed to absorb half of the energy from the surface…"
"But the surface is just a small portion of a planet's total power. Most planets never develop consciousness at all. So even if they contain immense potential, they remain unaware—and are simply drained and butchered by the Divine Trees without resistance."
"If this planet awakens a Gaia Consciousness and chooses to recognize me… then as long as I continue to fight here—recognized and accepted by its living beings—I'll be able to easily defeat even the elite members of the main clan."
Kazuki fell into deep thought…
Was what Kaguya said about the Gaia Consciousness really true?
To him, it didn't seem like a lie.
Given her typically awkward speech and the fact that she'd just been beaten into submission by him, her explanation about Gaia Consciousness came across surprisingly fluent—much more natural than when she'd twisted the tales of the Sage of Six Paths and Hamura earlier.
And beyond that...
Kazuki had long held a vague suspicion—ever since initiating the final bonds with the major hidden villages.
'The Heart of Kirigakure', 'The Calamity of the Wind', 'The Rampage of Lightning', 'The Destruction of Stone'…
Each of these final bonds had awarded him special gifts—contracts representing various forms of natural energy.
And based on what Kaguya had said…
Gaia Consciousness was essentially the product of a planet's organic lifeforms aligning in thought toward a single individual.
In Kazuki's view, these special gifts were just like fragments of collective will—bestowed upon him by small group consciousnesses.
But one crucial piece was still missing—Konohagakure.
"Not just Konoha," Kazuki thought. "Kirigakure and Konoha acknowledge me, but Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure regard me with fear. From a broader perspective, these emotions are still far from unified…"
"I need to create a major event. Something that, after I've completed their final bonds, can make the emotions of all hidden villages converge on me—and align in unity."
Kazuki found himself deeply intrigued by the Gaia Consciousness.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan were like silent hunting hounds, drifting through the stars—using the Divine Trees to steal energy from lush, unconscious worlds, one after another.
And once the planet awakened, those bandits would no longer be a threat…
For someone like Kazuki—who already manipulated emotions as part of his strategy—the conditions for triggering Gaia Consciousness aligned perfectly with his own logic and actions.
In short, it meant binding the emotions of all living beings in the shinobi world to Kazuki in complete unison.
"So… did you succeed back then?"
Kazuki asked Kaguya, "Was mutual understanding enough to give rise to a collective consciousness?"
Kaguya awkwardly shook her head. Honestly, she hadn't thought it through at all back then.
Besides, the awakening of a planet's Gaia Consciousness was an exceedingly rare event, even among the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
Those who encountered such planets were wise enough to steer clear.
The truth was, Kaguya had only brought it up as an excuse—to deceive Kazuki.
"At the time, I had already established the Shinobi Sect, and most people had placed their trust in me…"
She hesitated for a moment. "If those two ungrateful sons had cooperated with me, perhaps in another hundred years… there might've been a chance…"
Kazuki nodded slightly, falling into deep thought.
"Kazuki," Kaguya continued, "this planet has already delayed things for a millennium. The clan must have sensed something unusual. By now, the pursuers may already be on their way. We no longer have time to slowly awaken the Gaia Consciousness…"
Seeing how intrigued Kazuki was by the concept of Gaia Consciousness, a sly gleam flickered in Kaguya's eyes. Then she quickly composed herself and said solemnly, "We have to consider other options! It's all Hamura and Hagoromo's fault…"
Trying to awaken Gaia Consciousness through normal means was no longer feasible.
If they wanted a shortcut...
Then only one path remained before Kazuki—one he already knew: Infinite Tsukuyomi.
The so-called Infinite Tsukuyomi was the ultimate genjutsu that would drag all living beings in the shinobi world into an endless dream. Wasn't that, in a way, another form of mental unification?
Of course, this method was forcibly imposed and didn't meet Gaia Consciousness's requirement of naturally harmonized emotion. But how could Kazuki know that?
Kaguya was confident—someone as clever as Kazuki, now captivated by Gaia Consciousness, would inevitably think of a new interpretation of Infinite Tsukuyomi…
And once Infinite Tsukuyomi was activated, and Kazuki had gathered the chakra of all the Tailed Beasts marked with her seal—
That would be the moment to turn the tables.
She would resurrect—through Kazuki.
I must be patient… I can't be the one to suggest Infinite Tsukuyomi. He has to come to that conclusion on his own…
Kaguya kept a neutral expression, steadying herself. After calculating everything carefully in her mind, she looked at Kazuki and spoke in a low voice: "The current situation is extremely dangerous for the shinobi world."
"Ōtsutsuki Isshiki is still alive. Hamura and Hagoromo weren't fully sealed away by Asura and Indra. The fact that they can monitor me now proves they already possess the strength to act."
"Right now, it may look like you've sealed me, making the Ōtsutsuki believe we're enemies… but this deception won't last."
A shadow passed through Kaguya's eyes, and a trace of fear crept into her voice: "Take Isshiki, for example… I once ambushed him and nearly killed him. With his power, if he activates his Kama and goes all out, there's no way I could beat him in my current state…"
"I know you couldn't beat him. You couldn't even beat me, and I'm just a mortal," Kazuki quipped at just the right moment.
[From the target Otsutsuki Kaguya: You have obtained the technique - Rabbit Hair Needle!]
Kaguya gave him a bitter look, then continued grumbling: "That's why you need to collect the chakra of the Tailed Beasts. I can help you control it. You won't even need the Gedo Statue to recreate the Ten-Tails and become its jinchūriki…"
Kazuki blinked and replied with a grin: "But that chakra originally belonged to you, didn't it? Wouldn't it make more sense for you—the noble goddess who cares so deeply about the shinobi world—to wield your own power again?"
Kaguya rolled her eyes hard in her mind.
Did she want the Tailed Beast chakra?
Of course she did!
But if Kazuki grew suspicious now, all would be lost.
And having just been thoroughly beaten by him, Kaguya was smart enough to know where she stood.
Besides, as long as Kazuki absorbed enough of the Tailed Beasts' chakra, it wouldn't be any different from her absorbing it herself.
So long as he wasn't a true-born Ōtsutsuki, Kazuki would never be able to withstand the Ten-Tails' power. Sooner or later, he would lose control—and at that moment, she would seize his body and be reborn.
The outcome would be the same.
"Kazuki, I don't truly care about chakra," Kaguya said, her tone softening into sincerity. "All I want is for the Ōtsutsuki Clan to stop invading this planet—and for me to finally have a place where I can live in peace."
For a moment, her voice was almost genuine.
Once, she had been born into a branch family of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, gifted with power far beyond any mortal's imagination. But what good had it done her?
In the end, she had only been raised to serve as a tool—to be fed to the Divine Tree and hasten its growth.
If losing that power meant she could live freely, without fear… Kaguya wasn't entirely opposed to the idea. She had dreamed of it, more than once.
But the experience of creating Hamura and Hagoromo had taught her a painful truth—
Trust and mutual understanding were the rarest things in this world.
"Kaguya, there's actually something I forgot to tell you," Kazuki said, clearing his throat.
"At the time, I assumed you were the Sage of Six Paths. So, just in case you had some secret plan left behind in the shinobi world… before summoning and sealing you, I went ahead and killed all the Tailed Beasts—except for the Nine-Tails."
"What?!"
Kaguya's composure instantly shattered.
She grabbed Kazuki by the arm and shook him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You killed the Tailed Beasts?!"
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