The moment the Nine-Tails sensed the Ten Tails' chakra that Arima had brought, its eyes widened in shock.
"This is definitely Ten Tails chakra!" the beast exclaimed.
"I've encountered it once before, back when I was with the Sage of Six Paths! It's been thousands of years... I didn't think the Shinobi World would still harbor a Ten Tails!"
Arima spoke calmly, "I know the Nine Tailed Beasts were created from the Ten Tails, and that the Sage of Six Paths was once its jinchuriki.
But now, there's a foreigner in the Shinobi World strong enough to threaten everyone, and he has a Ten Tails sealed under his control.
As long as that creature exists, I have no chance of taking him down. That's why... can you tell me more about the Ten Tails?"
The Nine-Tails shook its head helplessly.
"When the Sage created us, he was already nearing his end. He avoided speaking about the Ten Tails... but I did pick up some things from others over the ages."
Arima pressed eagerly, "What did you learn?"
The beast furrowed its brow in thought for a long moment.
"It's been so long... I've forgotten most of it. But I vaguely recall someone once saying that long ago, a goddess named Otsutsuki Kaguya appeared on the earth.
She brought peace to chaos through force, accepted the blessings of the people, and bore two sons, the Sage of Six Paths and his younger brother.
Eventually, the goddess became obsessed with power, and the two brothers sealed her away... on the moon."
Arima blinked. "You're certain? The moon?"
Rather than answer, the Nine-Tails asked, "You've awakened the Rinnegan, haven't you?"
Arima nodded and revealed the Rinnegan in his left eye.
The Nine-Tails gazed at it, nostalgic. "The Rinnegan, the eye that governs life and death. Then you must know how to use Chibaku Tensei."
"I do," Arima confirmed. "But... what does that have to do with the moon?"
The Nine-Tails explained slowly, "The moon... was created by the Sage using Chibaku Tensei."
Arima instinctively found the claim hard to believe. Yet, hearing it directly from the Nine-Tails, who had no reason to lie, he could no longer dismiss it as fantasy.
He asked again, "Do you know where the Otsutsuki clan came from?"
The beast bared its massive fangs and grumbled, "Trying to get more out of me, huh? But I'll tell you.
After all, there are still a number of old-timers in the Shinobi World who know of that clan, you'll find out eventually."
Arima hazarded a guess, "You mean the other Tailed Beasts... and the three sages?"
The Nine-Tails looked slightly disappointed.
"You're a lot more cunning than you look, much sneakier than your grandfather ever was. That wooden-headed Hashirama only knew how to punch things.
But you? You remind me of that bastard Uchiha Madara, too clever for your own good. Still... I've suffered more at the hands of the Otsutsuki's descendants than I'd like to admit."
Arima continued, "So, are the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga clans all descended from the Otsutsuki?"
The Nine-Tails blinked, impressed. "You've uncovered quite a bit."
It turned to glance at Uzumaki Mito, who had been silently listening. "Her Uzumaki clan too. And also the Kaguya clan from the Land of Water."
Mito's eyes widened. "So that's why the Uzumaki and Senju have always been close allies. I suppose the Otsutsuki's legacy has long since faded into legend."
The Nine-Tails snorted.
"The Sage's younger brother, Otsutsuki Hamura, inherited the Byakugan from their mother.
His descendants are today's Hyuga. But their blood's long been diluted. If they still carried pure blood, the Tenseigan could rival even the Rinnegan."
Arima asked, "Are there any places in the world where pure Byakugan bloodlines remain?"
The Nine-Tails shook its head. "One day, Hamura took a portion of his descendants and vanished from the Shinobi World. Some say they went to guard their mother's seal."
Arima murmured, "That explains a lot..."
The Nine-Tails heard his muttering and asked, "What was that?"
Arima shook his head. "Nothing. Just a theory I need to test."
The Nine-Tails, feeling at ease with Arima, spoke idly, "Now that you've got the Rinnegan, is there anyone in the Shinobi World who can stop you?"
After all, Arima had no hostility toward it, and the Nine-Tails had grown bored over the centuries, constantly captured, sealed, and imprisoned.
Arima replied, "There's one person. I suspect he came to this world alongside the goddess. But why has he stayed hidden for so long... I don't know yet."
The Nine-Tails snorted, "I've never seen anyone in all these centuries who could match the goddess. She was the mother of the Sage. Immortal and undying."
Arima approached the beast and transformed into Isshiki's likeness. "Have you ever seen this man?"
The Nine-Tails shook its head. "I've seen too many humans over the millennia. Can't remember them all."
"He claims to have lived for over a thousand years," Arima pressed. "You're both ancient. Surely your paths have crossed?"
"Never," the Nine-Tails replied flatly. "If someone like that had appeared, I wouldn't have forgotten."
Arima rubbed his chin.
"Maybe Jigen doesn't care about the Nine-Tails. Makes sense, he already has a Ten Tails. But... if that's true, why hasn't he come for the other one?"
The Nine-Tails offered, "You could ask the Toad."
"The Toad?" Arima asked, puzzled.
"The one from Mount Myoboku," the Nine-Tails said. "Always mumbling prophecies and pestering people with fortune-telling."
"What about the Slug Sage?" Arima asked.
The Nine-Tails scoffed, "She's an old neighbor. I used to drop by her place, her mushrooms are delicious. But that snake freak from Ryuchi Cave? Ugh. I can't stand her or her slimy offspring."
Arima found himself smiling. Despite its fearsome reputation, the Nine-Tails wasn't so hard to talk to after all.
Relaxing, he chuckled. "Jiraiya has Mount Myoboku, Orochimaru has Ryuchi Cave, and Tsunade and I have Shikkotsu Forest.
Each of us has signed a summoning contract with one of them. My name's even recorded in the forest's ledger, that's how young Tsunade found out I was still alive."
The Nine-Tails grunted, "Those old relics love choosing talented humans to act as their champions.
You're just another in a long line. Though, I will say... they seem unusually fond of your Konoha bunch this time around. Maybe it's that babbling toad's prophecy again."
"Did the Great Toad Sage know the Sage of Six Paths?" Arima asked.
"Of course," the Nine-Tails said. "The Sage visited it several times before he died.
That toad told me, 'A great bloodbath awaits you one day.' Hah. I never bought into its nonsense, but that idiot Shukaku did!"
Arima blinked. "Who's Shukaku?"
Realizing it had said too much, the Nine-Tails grumbled something and pretended to fall asleep, refusing to speak another word.
Arima sighed, "Guess I'll visit again next time, Nine-Tails."
The beast lazily flicked its tails, acknowledging him.
Arima and his grandmother, Mito, exited the shared consciousness space.
Back in the real world, Arima stood from his chair and said, "Grandma, I'm going to look for Jiraiya. I'll come back soon."
Mito patted his hand gently. "Go, but be careful. That enemy of yours sounds dangerous. Don't be careless."
Arima smiled, "I understand. First, I'll visit Nawaki. I haven't seen him in a while."
Mito laughed. "That boy talks about you nonstop. Hurry along, he'll be thrilled!"
Just thinking of the little brat Nawaki made Arima smile. He took his leave and made his way to the courtyard where Nawaki and Natsuka were playing happily.
Tsunade sat nearby, sipping tea and nibbling on sweets.
The peaceful, carefree atmosphere eased the heavy burden in Arima's heart. For once, he let himself relax and sat on a nearby bench, gazing up at the drifting clouds.
Tsunade noticed. She knew this was his way of unwinding when he was exhausted. She didn't disturb him, only sat quietly at his side, feeding him dried fruit from time to time.
At first, she did so dutifully. But when she saw Arima absentmindedly chewing like a hamster, his cheeks stuffed full, she couldn't help but giggle.
Trying not to laugh out loud, she playfully slipped her finger into his mouth.
Arima was completely lost in thought, replaying the conversation with the Nine-Tails.
He was certain the moon held secrets buried for millennia, perhaps answers to questions he hadn't even dared to ask.
He recalled the Uchiha clan's stone tablet, which claimed the Infinite Tsukuyomi was the key to saving the world.
But now, after what he'd learned, Arima began to question the tablet's authenticity, especially since he could alter it himself using Yin-Yang Release.
That led him to remember a mysterious man who once attacked him in the Uzumaki clan's ancestral shrine.
'Maybe that stone tablet was tampered with,' he thought. 'But why? What was his goal?'
Just then, a sharp pain tugged him back to reality, and the metallic taste of blood touched his tongue.
Arima looked up. Tsunade sat before him, holding her bleeding finger, eyes wide and watery.
Understanding instantly dawned.
He gently pulled her into his arms, cradling her waist and drawing her wounded finger to his mouth. "Silly girl. What ninja doesn't bleed?"
Even as he said it, guilt and tenderness filled his heart.
Without hesitation, he activated his Tenseigan Chakra Mode and, using Yin-Yang Release, healed the wound in the blink of an eye.
To make it up to her, he drew a flower seed from the nearby greenhouse, planted it in the soil, and used Yin-Yang Release again to instantly grow it into a radiant seven-colored bloom.
He deactivated his Tenseigan, plucked the flower, and offered it to her. "Here, freshly grown, just for you. This flower's one of a kind in the entire world. Forgive me?"
Tsunade, stunned by his miraculous technique, had long forgotten the pain. "Arima... your Tenseigan really can create something from nothing. It's amazing!"
Arima smiled. Seeing her so delighted made his efforts worthwhile.
The two children, curious about the commotion, ran over.
Nawaki raced up with tiny steps, shouting, "Brother-in-law! I want a magic flower too!"
Tsunade flushed red at the term, flustered by Nawaki's innocent outburst. She quickly returned to her seat.
Arima pulled the kids into his arms and laughed. "Alright, alright. I'll show you a little trick!"
He used Yin-Yang Release to craft two necklaces, each holding a crystal with the image of the flower embedded inside. The gems glowed with a clear sky-blue light.
The children were ecstatic and kissed Arima on both cheeks in gratitude.
Rubbing their heads fondly, Arima said, "Take good care of those necklaces. They'll protect you in my place."
In truth, he had sealed one of his space-time dojutsu techniques into each necklace. If either child was ever in danger, they would still be protected.
Nawaki, proudly wearing his necklace, ran back inside with Natsuka to show off their treasure.
Once they were gone, Arima turned to Tsunade and handed her a ring. "And here's your gift. Do you like it?"
Tsunade lit up with joy, nodding vigorously. She slipped it onto the middle finger of her left hand and said cheerfully, "I'm wearing it here, Arima! You'd better not go back on this!"
Arima chuckled, "So I'm stuck with you for life, huh?"
Looking around to make sure the kids weren't watching, Tsunade threw herself into his arms and kissed him deeply.
Inside the house, Mito watched the children animatedly describe the magical flower they had just witnessed. She suddenly smiled knowingly.
"These two really know how to have fun. Hmph, Hashirama was such a blockhead back in the day."
Looking at the excited kids, her expression softened with nostalgia.
"Hashirama... the children have finally grown up. I'll be joining you soon."
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