Kaguya had already said something so touching that Aoba didn't know how to respond for a moment, so he could only express how he felt through his actions.
"Mmh!"
Kaguya couldn't help letting out a muffled sound.
She only felt a current shoot straight from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
———
Time soon came to the next day.
After Aoba finished dealing with today's work, he contacted Otsutsuki Hagoromo using the method Hagoromo had given him. Before long, the two brothers appeared in front of him and Kaguya.
It couldn't be helped. Shizune, Konan, and the others had all gone to prepare for the wedding, so naturally all the work had fallen back to him.
But compared to arranging the wedding venue and things like that, Aoba felt work suited him better.
When the Otsutsuki brothers saw that Kaguya was there as well, they were both clearly stunned. Soon, a trace of awkwardness inevitably appeared on their faces.
"Mother..."
"Mhm."
Kaguya only gave them a faint nod.
Aoba had already told her yesterday that the two of them would be coming as well, so she remained fairly calm. She didn't even let go of Aoba's hand.
It just felt a little strange.
After all, Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura both looked to be in their seventies or eighties now. Being called "Mother" by two old men somehow made her feel old too.
'Will Aoba grow old in the future too?'
'Probably not. That Yin Seal seems able to keep a person forever young.'
'Besides, even if Aoba does grow old, he will probably be one of those handsome old men, not ugly like Hagoromo and Hamura.'
Aoba had no idea just how wild Kaguya's thoughts could be beneath that cold exterior.
Seeing that the Otsutsuki brothers had arrived, he simply squeezed Kaguya's hand, bringing her back to her senses.
"Kaguya, it's time to go."
"Mhm."
Kaguya nodded.
There was no need for Aoba to form hand seals. A circle of black markings appeared beneath their feet, and the four of them disappeared.
When they appeared again, they were already inside a somewhat dark and damp room with a metallic feel to it, something like a laboratory.
Looking at the surroundings that hadn't changed in ten thousand years, Aoba didn't really know what to say.
Orochimaru could actually operate openly now.
It was just that he liked this kind of environment.
As for Black Zetsu, he was now inside a cage in this laboratory. Like a salted fish that had been dried out, he lay motionless in the cage.
Black Zetsu himself no longer knew how long he had been locked in this cage.
After all, there was nothing in this underground laboratory that could tell him the time.
The lights stayed dim day after day. He didn't need to sleep or eat, so all he could do was lie there.
Waiting for Orochimaru to come over and take a tiny bit of body tissue from him that didn't really matter.
Black Zetsu was the only one here.
Aoba had already informed Orochimaru beforehand.
He was only bringing Kaguya over to have a look. They would leave after that, so there was no need to prepare anything else.
"Black Zetsu?"
Kaguya naturally recognized the figure inside the cage as Black Zetsu.
Although his appearance had completely changed, she still recognized that pitch-black figure.
She also understood why she hadn't been able to sense him. This cage must have been made by Aoba and blocked her perception.
"?"
The first ones with question marks over their heads were Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura.
They had come to see this so-called younger brother. They had thought he would be an old man about their age, but why was he this black thing?
"Hm? Why do I feel like I just heard Mom's voice? Have I been locked up so long that I'm hallucinating?"
Hearing the voice, Black Zetsu, who was lying in the cage, also failed to react at first.
"It's not a hallucination, Black Zetsu," Aoba led Kaguya a little closer.
"Hm?"
Hearing this voice again, young Black Zetsu immediately sat upright.
But before he could get excited, he saw the two of them holding hands, and behind them stood Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura with constipated expressions.
"In a few days, Kaguya and I are getting married. I thought it would be better to come tell you," Aoba said with a smile.
"Wha... what?"
Black Zetsu froze on the spot.
His face was filled with the confusion of "Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?"
'How long has it been? They are already getting married?'
'Sure enough, this has to be a hallucination.'
Black Zetsu found an answer to deceive himself with, then lay back down again.
"..."
Seeing Black Zetsu like this, Aoba couldn't help shaking his head in disappointment.
He had been the mastermind plotting behind the ninja world for nearly a thousand years, yet his mental fortitude was this poor.
"?"
Kaguya tilted her head, not understanding what was wrong with Little Black.
"Aoba, what's wrong with Black Zetsu?"
"Maybe he's just so happy to see that you've finally broken free of the seal and found your own happiness that he got too excited and fainted."
Aoba explained.
"Is... is that so?"
Kaguya tilted her head the other way, looking a little puzzled. No matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem to be because of that.
But since Aoba had said so, she quickly gave up thinking about it any further.
"..."
Black Zetsu sat back up again. There was something he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure whether he should.
Looking at this somewhat silly mother of his, he really wondered if he had been locked up for so long that decades had actually passed outside.
Otherwise, why would his mother listen to this bastard so obediently?
With his little soybean-sized eyes wide open, he glared at Aoba.
'This bastard must have done something. No, those two guys, Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura, are here too. It has to be something those three bastards has done.'
"Aoba! And you two bastards, Hagoromo and Hamura! What exactly did you do to Mother?"
"..."
Before Aoba could even speak, Kaguya became a little unhappy, "Black Zetsu, is that any way to speak to Aoba?"
"Mother..."
Black Zetsu immediately panicked again and hurriedly explained, "You don't know! This guy's a scumbag and a pervert! He doesn't spare anyone, from girls of his age all the way to old women in their fifties and sixties! You have to stay away from him!"
Aoba: "..."
Hiss!
The Otsutsuki brothers both sucked in a sharp breath.
'Little Black is brave.'
'For that courage alone, we acknowledged him.'
Kaguya also fell into thought. She thought about everyone back at home...
What Black Zetsu said actually seemed to be true.
She became a little unhappy.
Kaguya put on a stern face.
"I know that. But no matter what, Aoba and I are getting married very soon. From now on, you're not allowed to speak to Aoba like that anymore."
"..."