The next day, Chiga returned to Navy Headquarters with Nami and Nojiko.
For the sisters, it was their first time setting foot inside Chiga's palace. They couldn't help feeling shy at first, though Robin was there to guide them. With her calm presence, the two quickly adapted to the new environment.
Ever since Chiga's return, Yamato had also taken up residence here. She had been relentless, pestering him constantly about wanting to visit the other world—the shinobi world of Naruto.
The moment Yamato saw Chiga, she brought it up again. This time, her persistence actually paid off. After all her nagging and clinging, Chiga sighed and agreed to take her there for two days.
Yamato practically leapt with joy, wrapping her arms around him in excitement, smothering his face with what she called a "hug," but which felt more like a forceful face wash.
Chiga chuckled, hugged her back, and then opened a dimensional gate. Together, they flew through.
The place they emerged was Chiga's home in Konoha.
Hearing the commotion, Kaguya came out of the house. When her eyes fell on Chiga, a faint warmth lit up her face. But when her gaze shifted to Yamato, she froze.
Yamato's white hair, curved red horns, and golden eyes made Kaguya pause in confusion.
"Master," she asked softly, "is this your daughter from that side?"
"..."
Chiga blinked, utterly baffled, while Yamato exploded.
"What are you saying?! I'm not his daughter! I'm his most adorable, strongest disciple!"
Kaguya tilted her head slightly, then gave a graceful bow. "So you are a disciple. My apologies. I misunderstood."
Though her words were polite, Yamato's attention had already shifted. She noticed Kaguya's slightly rounded stomach.
"You… you're pregnant?" she blurted out.
At once, Kaguya's hands moved tenderly to her abdomen. A blissful smile spread across her lips. "Yes. This is Master's and my child."
"N-NANI?!"
Yamato spun toward Chiga, her expression a jumble of shock, disbelief, and something she didn't want to name.
Another pie chart moment, Chiga thought irritably. He flicked her forehead. "What kind of face is that? I'm not a young man anymore. Isn't it normal to have a child?"
"Normal, maybe, but it's so sudden! And why hasn't Sister Kalifa or the others given birth yet?"
As King, Chiga's partners at the palace—Kalifa and the others—were considered his consorts. Yet until now, no children had been born. Yamato had always found that strange.
She was no longer as naive as before either. She'd learned what Ain had once tricked her about under the guise of "special training." The memory still left her blushing whenever it crossed her mind.
Chiga gave the excuse that Kaguya's bloodline was similar to his, which made conception easier. It was a fabricated explanation, but Yamato bought it—Kaguya truly did resemble him in many ways.
Almost without thinking, Yamato touched her own white hair and her horns. Her face turned scarlet. "M-Master, don't you think our bloodlines are a little… similar too?"
Her attempt to stay calm failed miserably. The flush rising to her ears gave her away immediately.
Kaguya hid her chuckle behind her sleeve, watching the flustered girl.
From within that sleeve, Black Zetsu's mocking voice emerged. "Your thoughts as a disciple are hardly pure. Your face is red like a monkey's backside."
Exposed in an instant, Yamato's embarrassment boiled over into fury. She drew out her massive spiked club and shouted, "Who said that? Come out and face me!"
Unfazed, Black Zetsu oozed from Kaguya's sleeve like tar, reforming into a small feminine figure entirely black from head to toe.
Yamato narrowed her eyes. "Who are you supposed to be? You're completely black."
Black Zetsu lifted her chin proudly. "What do you mean 'completely black'? How rude. I am Black Zetsu!"
"Don't call me a little girl! I'll smash you flat!"
"Ha! You think I'd fear a big idiot waving around a club with no spikes?"
Yamato's face darkened. She slammed her weapon lightly against the ground, splitting the earth with web-like cracks. For the first time, Black Zetsu faltered.
This girl… really was strong.
Step by step, Yamato advanced, gripping her weapon tightly. "Want to test it? I'll let you feel this 'spikeless' club right now!"
In a flash, Black Zetsu darted away and clung to Chiga's side, pointing at Yamato. "Dad! She's bullying me!"
The words hit like a thunderclap.
Everyone froze. Except for Kaguya, Chiga, and Yamato, jaws dropped.
Chiga pointed at himself. "What did you just call me?"
"Dad!"
Clang!
Yamato's spiked club slipped from her hands, hitting the ground. Her eyes went wide. "Wait… is Master's child supposed to look like that?"
Kaguya, however, didn't seem concerned. To her, Black Zetsu was her child, which naturally made her Chiga's child as well. The logic felt entirely reasonable to her.
Black Zetsu leaned against Chiga with the air of a spoiled child. His eyebrow twitched violently, his mood torn between irritation and disbelief.
The most sinister manipulator of the shinobi world… calling him "dad."
Chiga didn't even know how to process it. Thankfully, Kaguya broke the tension.
"Master, let's go inside. And this…"
She glanced at Yamato, realizing introductions hadn't been made.
Yamato quickly straightened. She couldn't be rude to Kaguya, who was not only pregnant but also essentially her Master's wife. "I'm Yamato. Please take care of me!"
Kaguya inclined her head. "Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. The pleasure is mine, Miss Yamato."
The two white-haired women bowed politely to one another, creating an unexpectedly harmonious scene.
Yamato hurried to support Kaguya. She couldn't allow a pregnant woman to bow so deeply. What she didn't realize, however, was that this "fragile" woman carried enough power to destroy the shinobi world itself.
Her thoughtfulness, though, earned her Black Zetsu's favor. The dark creature apologized for her earlier mockery.
Yamato wasn't one to hold grudges. Puffing out her chest, she declared that from now on, they were sisters, and she would protect Black Zetsu from anyone.
Chiga could only sigh. Putting his arm around Kaguya's shoulders, he exchanged a smile with her. The two of them then walked into the house together, while Yamato and Black Zetsu trailed behind.
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