[From the target Otsutsuki Kaguya, you obtain the technique—Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!]
Kazuki looked at the furious Kaguya with slight embarrassment and explained, "You know… I'm just a mortal. When facing someone on the level of the Sage of Six Paths, I have to consider all the possibilities..."
"He managed to alter the Uchiha Stone Tablet even after being sealed, so I was worried. Maybe—just like you created Hagoromo and Hamura—he might've left behind some living being or a representative. After I seal myself away, they could stir up trouble in the ninja world..."
"Maybe I'm just being overly anxious. I hope you can understand—I have to think ahead for the sake of the entire shinobi world."
Kaguya opened her mouth, wanting badly to say: Wow, that's... eerily accurate!
Even the Sage of Six Paths probably couldn't have imagined that this mortal named Kazuki would somehow pierce through a thousand years of time and space to predict the final contingency she had left behind.
Her heart was pounding.
There was something deeply unsettling about being seen through so completely.
Kazuki's pitch-black eyes seemed to hold some kind of x-ray vision—like they could see not just through her body, but into her soul.
Yet from another angle, Kaguya—despite having the upper hand in knowledge—was shocked to realize that she had successfully misled Kazuki... and had even gained his trust?
Looking back carefully, she could only chalk it up to the actions of those two traitorous sons!
'After sealing me away back then, they must've gone to great lengths to cover up my existence...'
That was Kaguya's theory, and to her, deceiving someone as talented as Kazuki was a first.
Still, the unease of being seen through and the strange thrill of manipulating him tugged at her emotions in equal measure.
'Whatever the case, I've managed to plant a positive image of myself in Kazuki's heart—that gives me the upper hand...'
Forcing herself to stay calm, Kaguya brought the topic back to the matter of the Tailed Beasts being killed: "If they were killed... it's not actually that big a deal. The Tailed Beasts are just fragments of the Ten Tails, born from natural energy. They likely have a self-restoration function."
"Compared to other Ōtsutsuki, I can sense the Tailed Beasts more easily, since they were mine to begin with. If you can use my power to mask our presence, then we just need to go into hiding and wait for them to revive!"
A strategy began to form in Kaguya's mind. She spoke confidently: "Once we gather all the Tailed Beasts, there'll be no need to fear Ōtsutsuki Isshiki—or those two traitors. With your combat ability, Kazuki, we'll have nothing to worry about!"
It all sounded so perfect in Kaguya's head.
After getting thoroughly pummeled by Kazuki's 'personality correction fists', the lonely and half-mad Kaguya had finally calmed down and reflected on her fighting ability…
Even with the power of the Ten Tails, if she had to face the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hamura, or Isshiki—
Would she really win, just because her stats looked better on paper?
Hard to say.
Even Kazuki, a mere mortal, had managed to completely outmaneuver her. When it came to combat, Kaguya had no real confidence left.
Her will had been thoroughly broken by Kazuki's fists.
So instead, she decided to win through strategy.
Let Kazuki carry her power, wipe out those troublesome enemies, and then—when the time was right—she'd return using Kazuki as the medium. That way, she could avoid direct confrontation altogether...
Kazuki shot Kaguya a sidelong glance and chuckled inwardly.
Isn't she just treating me like her power-leveling stand-in?
Truth be told, her idea wasn't bad...
If, in the original timeline, Kaguya had hidden within Uchiha Madara's body and lent all the chakra gathered from Infinite Tsukuyomi to that shinobi shura instead of trying to possess him right away—
The ending might've turned out quite differently.
At the very least, Uchiha Madara, facing someone who looked so much like Izuna—like Sasuke—would have still been able to wield his blade…
Unlike Kaguya, who blanked out the moment she saw a Reverse Harem Technique.
"Well then, let's head out from the seabed first… I'll return to the village and explain the misunderstanding. Then we can mobilize more forces to monitor the ninja world—so we can detect the moment the Tailed Beasts begin to revive."
Kazuki pressed his hands together, preparing to undo the Blackwater Nine-Dragon Coffin.
But Kaguya hurriedly grabbed his hands again, exclaiming urgently, "Kazuki, you mustn't!"
Seeing the confused look in Kazuki's eyes, Kaguya explained gravely, "Kazuki, while your skill and my power may be enough to shield us from the perception of Ōtsutsuki Hamura, Hagoromo, and Isshiki…"
"But if your actions—or those of others in the shinobi world—expose my existence, or show any unusual interest in the Tailed Beasts, they'll immediately sense something's wrong."
"And just as you suspected before, it's highly possible that Hagoromo left behind some kind of contingency in the shinobi world. Whether through the creation of a lifeform or some hidden technique, it's very likely he's still monitoring the ninja population!"
"We should quietly leave the seafloor, go into hiding, and wait for the Tailed Beasts to revive. I promise you—I'll be able to sense them before anyone else."
Her eyes were filled with urgency.
After witnessing Kazuki's cunning firsthand, Kaguya's thinking had become more nuanced…
Of course—if she could create Black Zetsu to secretly infiltrate the shinobi world, then couldn't her two rebellious sons or even Isshiki do the same?
For all she knew, there could already be Ōtsutsuki informants hidden within Konohagakure at this very moment.
And the moment they discovered Kazuki's seal had been broken, Hamura and Hagoromo would definitely suspect something. They might assume Kaguya had taken control of him—or convinced him to join her. Either way, they would not sit idly by.
Isshiki, especially, filled Kaguya with dread.
Though she had successfully ambushed him, she had always lived in fear of him. As a member of the branch family constantly suppressed by the main house, that fear ran deep.
She had lost the Ten Tails… and wasted a thousand years on the moon. But Isshiki—he had endured and sharpened his strength over a thousand years within the shinobi world.
Hamura and Hagoromo might still hesitate to kill her—but Isshiki? He would not hesitate to grind her bones to dust and flay her alive.
All these concerns made Kaguya desperate to stabilize Kazuki's position and keep him by her side. As long as the two of them waited quietly for the Tailed Beasts to return, that would be enough…
Kazuki furrowed his brow slightly but replied patiently: "Kaguya, the Ōtsutsuki are terrifying, yes—but you mustn't underestimate the power of mortals. I believe in my comrades. Even if the Ōtsutsuki come knocking, they'll protect me."
Kaguya shook her head firmly.
"That's impossible, Kazuki! Even if Isshiki, Hamura, and Hagoromo are weakened for various reasons, an Ōtsutsuki is still an Ōtsutsuki. Mortals can never truly resist them!"
Kazuki gave a small cough and pointed to her arm.
There, the deep red marks left by the Adamantine Chains' restraints stood out clearly against her pale skin.
Kaguya scowled and gave him a hard slap. She pouted angrily and said, "You're different! You think I've never seen mortals before? If all mortals fought like you, then I wouldn't have had to—"
She stopped herself abruptly.
Her next words were going to be: I wouldn't have had to turn them all into White Zetsu.
But just before speaking, Kaguya realized what she was about to reveal. She shut her mouth tightly.
"What wouldn't you have had to do?" Kazuki raised an eyebrow, watching her with amused curiosity.
When Kaguya failed to answer—her internal CPU clearly overheating—Kazuki answered for her, "I get it. Back then, in your effort to awaken Gaia Consciousness, you probably saw mortals more as your vassals than as comrades, didn't you?"
"You wanted to protect them—but you never truly trusted their strength. Am I right?"
Kaguya's eyes lit up with surprise.
She hadn't actually thought of it that way, but now that he said it—it was the perfect excuse!
She nodded quickly, putting on a slightly embarrassed expression.
"Yes… truthfully, I've never placed much faith in mortal strength."
"My real intention was to form an agreement with this planet. I would protect it from Ōtsutsuki invasion, and in return, the planet's Gaia Consciousness would provide me with power. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement."
The way she framed her motives caught Kazuki a little off guard.
This was a tactical retreat—softening her stance.
Instead of stubbornly insisting she was the divine protector of the shinobi world, she had shifted her explanation toward mutual interest and shared benefit.
Although her image hadn't exactly become more virtuous, it had become more believable.
Kaguya, with her long lifespan, wasn't just some naive and clueless airhead—she had a certain clumsy cunning to her.
But overall, if you compared her to the standards of Konohagakure, her level of scheming wouldn't even qualify as higher than a genin or maybe a low-tier chūnin. She wouldn't stand a chance against the likes of Sarutobi Hiruzen, master of philosophical taijutsu, or Shimura Danzo, the king of scapegoating. Honestly, even Uchiha Fugaku would see through her in a heartbeat.
But then again, it wasn't her fault—Kaguya had never studied the Will of Fire.
"Kaguya, maybe this is why you failed to awaken the Gaia Consciousness back then…" Kazuki shook his head and said seriously, "From the way you described it, Gaia Consciousness seems to require a convergence of emotions and strength drawn from the hearts of people—not just a large amount of chakra."
"With a mindset like yours, one that never truly merged with the shinobi world, it's only natural that this planet never chose you as its guardian."
"And let me emphasize this: even without drawing on the vast emotional potential of the human spirit, mortals—if they possess unwavering will and train with discipline—can unleash strength that rivals the gods."
"Do you believe that?"
Kaguya rolled her eyes at him and muttered under her breath, "I believe it. You're the mortal who managed to match me, a goddess, aren't you?"
Kazuki had teased her with that line countless times now!
"That's not it, Kaguya. You still don't truly understand mortals," Kazuki sighed, then continued gently,
"I'll agree not to contact anyone for now. What you said about Isshiki and the Sage of Six Paths leaving behind contingencies makes sense—we should indeed proceed with caution."
"In that case, while our location may seem exposed, we'll actually be operating from the shadows. If they ever launch an attack, we can strike back with a surprise attack of our own—just like when you ambushed Isshiki."
Kaguya hesitated, then said softly after a long pause, "Actually… there are differences among the Ōtsutsuki."
"I only succeeded in ambushing Isshiki because I got lucky. His combat skills are top-tier—far better than mine, at least."
"And in terms of current condition, Isshiki, Hagoromo, and Hamura are all in far better shape than I am…"
Kaguya was throwing away her pride just to make sure Kazuki understood how powerful the Ōtsutsuki truly were.
Don't lump me in with the others, Kazuki!
She was one breath away from pointing at her own nose and saying: Kazuki, I, Kaguya, am the shame of the Ōtsutsuki Clan—don't treat me like the standard or you'll end up with a completely wrong idea!
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