Realizing she had no advantage fighting Senshi in the Lava Dimension, Kaguya once again used her Amenominaka.
"Amenominaka!"
This time, she shifted into the Ice Dimension, a space where she could control all natural forces of ice and snow. Not long after Kaguya arrived there, a familiar vortex—dark-red and black hole–like—opened not far away.
Seeing that portal, Kaguya reacted at once, launching a sneak attack.
"All-Killing Ash Bones!"
She fired several gray-white bone spikes aimed straight at Senshi. If even one of those spikes scored a hit, the victim would crumble to pale-gray dust.
Facing Kaguya's All-Killing Ash Bones, Senshi chose total elementalization to dodge the damage. The spikes pierced through the lightning aura of his elemental form and shot off into the distance, failing to harm him.
As soon as Senshi canceled his elementalization, Kaguya appeared in front of him, reaching out her hand for his forehead.
"Temporary Paralysis Technique!"
In that split second—just as Senshi left elemental form—Kaguya's slender fingers were about to brush against his forehead. Yet right at the critical moment, time for her and time for Senshi diverged again.
In that instant, armed with Godspeed, Senshi could do a great many things. Kaguya saw only a flash of gold before he vanished. By the time her surroundings returned to normal, she realized that Senshi's palm was resting gently on her smooth forehead. Unfortunately, Senshi lacked any jutsu to paralyze or siphon chakra, so nothing came of it.
Kaguya—shaken by his speed—instantly backed off, using her jutsu again.
"Yomotsu Hirasaka!"
Her body vanished behind a series of dark, rectangular portals, reappearing far away. Then, in her direction, a storm of icy spikes rained down on Senshi from every direction. The intense barrage of attacks at last gave her a small breather. Eyes shining, she watched him carefully.
Black Zetsu sighed in resignation. "Mother, please stop fighting him! Senshi is a mercenary—if we pay him enough, he could ally with us!"
Kaguya's response was succinct: "I have no money."
Black Zetsu hastily added, "I do, though. I've got plenty, so can you two please not fight?"
He had never imagined that right after reviving his mother, she would pick a fight with Senshi. Yet as he pleaded with them, a fiery red beam of energy melted all the icy spikes in one fell swoop. Senshi's real body now appeared clad in the Destroyer Armor, which offered him perfect protection.
Because Senshi was already enormously powerful on his own, using the Destroyer Armor made him even more formidable. Realizing that the forces of the Ice Dimension were ineffective, Kaguya abruptly changed her tactic.
"Tailed Beast Transformation!"
In the blink of an eye, Kaguya turned into a pure-white, rabbit-like beast—her personal form of the Ten-Tails' power.
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"
Upon transforming, the white rabbit's mouth began gathering a pitch-black sphere of chakra. It was a mass of raw energy growing ever larger—a fearsome ball of ruinous power. Moments later, the bomb whooshed straight at Senshi.
Senshi promptly raised the Destroyer Armor's built-in energy cannon. A blood-red beam clashed violently with the Tailed Beast Bomb.
Boom—!
Rumble—!
A tremendous shockwave rippled through the entire Ice Dimension, radiating outward from the point of impact. The surrounding ice shattered, avalanches roaring in every direction.
Just as Kaguya prepared a second Tailed Beast Bomb, a golden flash streaked out from inside the Destroyer Armor. With the Infinity Gauntlet on his fist, Senshi unleashed a savage punch into the snowy rabbit's abdomen, sending her flying like a kite with its string cut.
If the Infinity Gauntlet had its full set of gems, that blow would've done serious damage. Even so, Kaguya decided not to drag him into the Gravity Dimension or another pocket dimension again. She reverted to her human form, apparently wanting to talk. The recent fight had firmly convinced her that she was no match for him, and that Black Zetsu's intelligence must be correct.
Back in human form, Kaguya stared at Senshi with a composed but chilly gaze. "So you're a mercenary?"
Removing the Infinity Gauntlet from his right hand, Senshi answered offhandedly, "Yes, Aunt Kaguya. Do you and Zetsu-bro have some new assignments for me?"
She pondered a moment and said, "Not at the moment, but there will be some in the future."
This answer didn't surprise him; she had a rather naive personality, and the brains of her was clearly not at Black Zetsu's level. Seeing no further reason to keep fighting, Senshi used his Kāma warp to exit the Dimension altogether.
Alone in that realm, Kaguya let out a long sigh of relief. She'd nearly been done for—thank goodness Black Zetsu's intel was right. Now that Senshi was gone, she turned to Black Zetsu. "Explain everything you know about him."
He nodded. "Gladly. Senshi's a mercenary you can trust. Just pay him enough and he can handle practically anything. I originally schemed to manipulate Indra's reincarnation into awakening the Rinnegan, but his progress was too slow, so I spent some money to hire Senshi to help rescue you, which is why you were able to revive so quickly."
Black Zetsu laid out everything he knew about Senshi. Once he was done, Kaguya followed him out of the First Pitch Dimension into the ninja world itself. By now, she had a much better grasp on Senshi.
Outside, she saw that Senshi had canceled his Six Paths mode, reverting to normal. Realizing he wouldn't resume hostilities, she resumed Infinite Tsukuyomi, hoping to build her White Zetsu Army. But Senshi called out at once to stop her.
"Hold on, Aunt Kaguya. Making more White Zetsu is pointless."
She glanced at him. "Oh?"
"White Zetsu won't stand a chance against the clan's pursuers," he explained. "But I have a plan to bring new light to this world: the Perfect Ninja World. We'd resurrect the strongest ninja in history, so they can fight alongside us when the Ōtsutsuki come."
Kaguya: (O_O)???
That suggestion left her wide-eyed. Indeed, reassembling powerful ninja of the past was far better than cultivating thousands of single-purpose White Zetsu. The only downside was she wouldn't be able to reclaim all of her chakra from everyone. People all across the ninja world were, in some sense, originally part of her chakra. She hesitated, and Black Zetsu stuck his head out of her robe.
"Mom, Senshi's exactly right. Next, we can just commission him to create a perfect ninja world, which'll help us fight off the clan. Simple!"
Kaguya frowned slightly. "Is it really that straightforward?"
Before Black Zetsu could respond, Senshi (off in the distance) rubbed his hands together. "Aunt Kaguya, that's absolutely doable! What do you think, Zetsu-bro? Are we issuing the mission?"
Full of pride, Black Zetsu said, "I follow my mother's orders—and the money I've stashed underground is all hers anyway!"
After a brief pause, Kaguya turned to Senshi. "Then, Senshi, I'll use the funds Black Zetsu has hidden in the underground vault to hire you. Build a Perfect Ninja World—and protect me from the Ōtsutsuki clan."
[Commission Accepted
[Client: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki]
[Goal: Build a Perfect Ninja World and defend Kaguya from the Ōtsutsuki pursuit]
[Payment: 100.067 billion ryō]
[Rank: S]
[Bonus: 100,006,700 Employment Points]
Hearing that, Senshi was floored.
Senshi: (ΩДΩ)!!!
Though he knew Black Zetsu was into some massive deals, he'd never guessed the underground hoard was worth over a hundred billion ryō.
His previous record high was a bit over thirty billion, so this was more than triple that.
Meanwhile, now that Kaguya was revived, the 300-some billion–ryō mission was technically complete. Senshi had over 40 million Employment Points to burn on gacha pulls, sure to unlock advanced features.
And once he built that "Perfect Ninja World" and repelled the clan, he'd gain an even bigger paycheck—enough, perhaps, to gather all Infinity Stones.
After that, he might even talk Kaguya into another mission: "Attack the Ōtsutsuki's homeworld." Then both the ninja world and the Ōtsutsuki would be "sitting at the same table."
Happy with the new task, Senshi cheerfully spoke. "Alright then, Aunt Kaguya. Go ahead and deactivate Infinite Tsukuyomi. From now on, all these shinobi are your allies."
After a moment's thought, Kaguya used her Rinne Sharingan to release the Infinite Tsukuyomi illusion. The moon's crimson hue, with its nine black tomoe, returned to normal. And the God Tree—formerly Gedo Statue—withered back, shrinking into a small Ten-Tails that Kaguya cradled in her arms.
Senshi couldn't help thinking of a meme: Kaguya hugging baby Ten-Tails, telling it, "Look, that's the real boss."
Kaguya had no idea about such humor. She was already using Yomotsu Hirasaka to teleport near Narusuke (Naruto + Sasuke fused). Upon seeing them, her eyes showed confusion. She could sense that these were two of her descendants, yet for some reason, they'd fused into one person.
Having Kaguya suddenly appear among them made all the nearby shinobi tense up. Her chakra presence was overwhelming. Narusuke felt an odd mix of soul-deep closeness and alarm. But Senshi's Wood-Style clone immediately explained, "Don't worry, everyone—this is Lady Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, our new Alliance consultant."
So they learned that this impossibly powerful being was on their side, though nobody quite knew where she'd come from. Kaguya gazed at the fused Naruto and Sasuke for a moment, then turned to Senshi's clone.
"Why did my descendants merge like this?"
He shrugged. "It's from a special ninjutsu. It'll wear off eventually."
He added, "Plus, Aunt Kaguya, you can probably resurrect Hagoromo and Hamura as well. They, too, are vital to the Alliance in resisting the clan."
She looked uneasy. After all, her two sons had once sealed her away. She wasn't sure she wanted to reconcile. Senshi gently nudged. "And your two grandsons. Resurrecting Asura and Indra would also help fend off the Ōtsutsuki threat."
Asura was the ancestor of the Senju and Uzumaki; Indra was the ancestor of the Uchiha. Senshi himself was of Asura's lineage—though his soul came from another dimension. At that suggestion, Kaguya simply nodded. "Yes, I want my grandsons back."
Senshi: (O_O)???
What's with that double standard, ignoring her own sons but resurrecting her grandsons? Is she still mad at them?
While he mulled over that, Kaguya performed the jutsu:
"Outer Path: Rinne Tensei!"
Boom—
Rumble—
A giant King of Hell with Rinnegan eyes burst from the ground, opening its massive jaws to spit out two green lights.
At the same time, Naruto and Sasuke—who had just unfused—felt something leave their bodies. Right then, Asura and Indra, who'd been dead for almost a millennium, found themselves revived, utterly confused.
Seeing their grandmother, Kaguya, they jolted in alarm, totally clueless about what was going on. Soon after, Kaguya gently placed her hand on their heads, looking genuinely happy. Asura and Indra remained frozen, freaking out inside.
All around, the crowd realized Kaguya truly could bring back legendary figures once thought lost forever. Hence Senshi's Perfect Ninja World Plan was no mere pipe dream. If even Asura and Indra could return, no doubt countless other shinobi from the Warring States era onward could be revived as well.
That realization sparked a wave of motivation across the ninja world, as large and small factions started discussing who to resurrect first.
Once Kaguya left with Asura and Indra, the Ninja Alliance's conference resumed, more smoothly than ever. Now that resurrection wasn't just some illusionary promise, the group had to seriously plan how to distribute revival slots.
They also needed to figure out how to manage so many returning shinobi and avoid a Fourth Great Ninja War. And many were also still chatting about the now-ended Infinite Tsukuyomi and Kaguya's sudden appearance, suspecting unknown goings-on behind the scenes.
From how Senshi's Wood-Style clone had acted, it was obvious he'd played a critical role in all of it, though nobody quite understood the details.
As the Alliance's meeting continued, Senshi's real body never showed. He and his other Wood-Style clones were busy handling more pressing matters. Besides, the Alliance was already on a good track. Until Yahiko came back, Nagato could handle it.
…
Amegakure – Uzumaki Clan District
Within the Uzumaki's domain stood a new "Kaguya Mansion." Apart from Asura and Indra, now it contained two more figures: Hagoromo and Hamura Ōtsutsuki. Kaguya had decided to reconcile with her sons at last, not caring to dredge up the past. Instead, she showed keen interest in her many descendants.
She turned to Hagoromo. "These two are your children?" she asked, pointing at Asura and Indra.
Hagoromo nodded. "Yes, Mother."
Kaguya next looked at Asura and Indra. "Those Uzumaki outside—descendants of Asura. So where are Indra's descendants?"
Scratching his head, Indra said, "Grandmother, I should have some, but I sense them very faintly."
Realizing he basically had far fewer living descendants than his younger brother Asura was humiliating to Indra. Meanwhile, Kaguya glanced at Hamura. "And your descendants?"
Hamura replied awkwardly, "Mother, I left them on the moon."
Kaguya eyed the moon, her expression strange. "Then why is there only…one descendant left?"
Hagoromo: (O_O)???
Asura: (O_O)???
Indra: (O_O)???
"One descendant? If that single line fails, there'll be none at all." In fact, far away on the lunar surface, Toneri Ōtsutsuki had no clue his ancestor was revived—or that his clan had dwindled to just him.
Trying to smooth things over, Hamura said, "Mother, I can sense a few more distant heirs in the ninja world, too."
The Hyūga clan, for instance, also descended from Hamura. With that, he more or less sidestepped the question.
Meanwhile, Black Zetsu hid in Kaguya's wide sleeves, silently relieved that Kaguya hadn't asked him about his lineage.
He was a special existence without any way to reproduce unless his mother whipped up a female version of Black Zetsu for him.
…
In the aftermath of Infinite Tsukuyomi and Asura/Indra's revival, the Alliance conference progressed at an unprecedented pace. Each hidden village received a certain number of spots for Rinne Tensei revivals and also Edo Tensei revivals. Countless factions began internal discussions about who to bring back first.
Meanwhile, Senshi's real body was gleefully burning through those 40+ million Employment Points he had accumulated.
…
Konoha – Hokage's Office
Gathered were the F3 elders, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Kabuto, Naruto, and Sasuke. Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to everyone.
"Konoha has five opportunities to use the Outer Path—Rinne Tensei. My suggestion is to decide according to their contributions to the village, resurrecting our fallen heroes in that order."
Mitokado Homura added, "Yes, but we also need to consider who their descendants are, and Senshi's input as well. For instance, Lord Uzumaki Ashina of Uzushio wasn't a Konoha shinobi per se, but he contributed to us—and he was also an ancestor of Senshi."
Koharu Utatane nodded. "Agreed. But the Uzumaki clan can presumably use their own resurrection slots for him. For Konoha's initial five, let's pick the First Hokage, Lady Mito, the Second Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina."