"Evolution isn't the only path for our clan," Ryūshiki said quietly. "If you look at things as they are now, it's actually a road to ruin."
"When the so-called Supreme God is born, that's the end of the clan. The entire world—billions of living beings—will be sacrificed for evolution."
"To keep pushing forward, knowing it will fail, is just foolishness."
"Maybe accepting imperfect genes, learning to coexist with the world and with humans… that's our real way to survive."
He glanced at Kaguya, voice gentle but firm. "That's just my view, not the standard answer or the only solution. You'll have to find your own answer."
"Only by living can you discover it."
Ryūshiki laid his heart bare, sharing every thought with Kaguya.
That night, Kaguya couldn't sleep. She replayed Ryūshiki's words over and over—about the hope hidden within Karma, about the dead end of the clan's evolution.
It shook her to her core, but it also sparked something new: inspiration.
Ryūshiki had sensed her intent to end her life as a Ten-Tails sacrifice. Patiently, he steered her away from despair.
He succeeded. Kaguya abandoned thoughts of self-sacrifice and began to consider what she could do—what she could become.
She made a quiet vow: to survive in this cruel clan, to carve out her own path.
Under flickering candlelight, Ryūshiki was busy repairing the little turtle 'Ri' when Kaguya stepped out of her room.
He looked up. "Still awake?"
For the first time, Kaguya spoke her heart: "I want to become stronger. Can you help me?"
Ryūshiki seemed unsurprised. He set down Ri, smiling. "So you're not planning to end it all anymore?"
Kaguya nodded. "I've decided to survive in this clan. But I'm too weak. Without power, I can't stand on my own."
Ryūshiki got up. "That's true. In Takamagahara, you can get away with having no shame, but you can't survive without strength. Come with me."
He led her out into the courtyard, where the moon hung high and the stars were sparse.
In the garden stood a tree—not a Divine Tree, just a simple fruit tree.
Ryūshiki climbed up, picked two fruits, popped one into his mouth, and tossed the other to Kaguya. "Try it."
Kaguya studied the fruit. It looked like an acorn, soft and springy.
She took a bite. Sweetness flooded her mouth, but it was chewy, stubbornly sticking to her teeth no matter how much she chewed.
Ryūshiki grinned. "See? That's how you play with it…"
He stuck out his tongue, letting the chewed skin coat the tip. Then, with a puff of air—
Whoosh!
A bubble formed, perfectly round. This time, he pulled it back without making a mess.
Ryūshiki winked. "Pretty good, right? I cultivated these 'Heavenly Rubber Fruits' myself. Tasty—and great for working your jaw muscles!"
Kaguya chewed harder. "Will working my jaw muscles make me stronger?"
Ryūshiki laughed. "Well… maybe, maybe not. But try blowing a bubble."
Kaguya mimicked his technique. The bubble grew—bigger and bigger—until it was larger than her face.
Bang! The bubble burst, splattering all over her.
Kaguya froze.
Ryūshiki couldn't help teasing, "This has nothing to do with training. I just wanted to see you mess up."
Kaguya shot him a glare.
He handed her a handkerchief, still smiling. "Just kidding. Wipe your face."
As she cleaned up, Ryūshiki eyed the top of her head.
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask—what happened to your horns?"
Kaguya answered honestly, "I broke them off myself when I left that place."
Ryūshiki winced, touching his own horns. "Ouch… That's where our nerves are most concentrated. The pain would make it impossible to gather chakra, even for a moment!"
Kaguya's voice was soft but firm. "Compared to the pain in my heart, that was nothing."
Ryūshiki spread his hands. "Princess body, servant's fate…"
Kaguya kept a straight face. "Can you teach me now?"
Ryūshiki stroked his chin, pretending to think. "Hmm… How about this—call me 'big brother' and we'll start your training. Deal?"
Kaguya's eyes instantly dulled. She turned to leave. "I'll just go."
"Wait, wait, I'm kidding!" Ryūshiki hurried after her, thinking, Making her laugh is harder than climbing a mountain. My comedy needs work.
He sobered. "If you won't laugh now, don't cry when we start training."
Under the little tree, they sat face to face.
Kaguya asked, "We're training here?"
Ryūshiki shook his head. "No, somewhere else. Look into my eyes."
Buzz—
Ryūshiki's Byakugan shifted, revealing Rinnegan irises with Mangekyō patterns!
The moment their eyes met, Kaguya's world changed.
The sky was dark red, clouds swirling, a crimson moon looming overhead.
Ryūshiki himself appeared as a small red silhouette.
Kaguya gasped. "Where… are we?"
Ryūshiki explained, "Tsukuyomi's world. I've brought your spirit and chakra here. Time flows a thousand times faster—one day outside equals a year here. Any faster, and your mind couldn't handle it."
Kaguya tried channeling chakra. "It feels just like the real world…"
Ryūshiki nodded. "Let's start your battle training."
Kaguya listened intently.
Ryūshiki taught by example. "There's no fixed style in battle. Personality shapes technique, but the key is to use your own strengths…"
Kaguya considered. "What are my strengths?"
Whoosh!
Ryūshiki appeared behind her, lifting her long hair.
"See? This is a weapon unique to women. Would be a waste not to use it."
Kaguya asked, "You know techniques with hair?"
Ryūshiki smiled. "Nope. But that's the fun—let's create some."
He moved in front of her. "Try imagining your hair as part of your body. Use chakra to control and extend it."
Kaguya focused. Three hours later, she managed to extend her waterfall-like hair, wrapping it around Ryūshiki.
He smiled, caught in her hair. "Nice! But it's too soft. Good for binding, but not much damage. Next—try hardening it."
Kaguya kept at it. Two days later, she succeeded.
Ryūshiki pointed out another flaw. "Now it's strong enough, but long hair can be turned against you. Like this!"
He grabbed her hair and, with a bang, slammed her to the ground—leaving Kaguya half-buried, like a root vegetable.
She struggled out, expressionless, and started analyzing the problem.
Three days later, she could fire her hair like a rain of senbon needles.
Ryūshiki danced through the barrage, impressed. "Excellent! Now you have range and coverage. But precision matters more than random attacks. Next—use your Byakugan to optimize your aim."
With Byakugan, Kaguya's accuracy soared.
Ryūshiki blocked the strands with his hand, then lowered it. "Against other clan members, killing with hair isn't realistic. But if you seal their chakra points, you'll get surprising results…"
Optimize, optimize, optimize!
After intense training, she mastered a divine technique—using Byakugan and hair to strike chakra points: the Rabbit Hair Needle.
It took a month in Tsukuyomi's world. In that time, Kaguya's Byakugan grew sharper than ever—one month's effort equaled ten years in the real world.
A good teacher makes all the difference. Of course, environment and mindset matter too.
Ryūshiki nodded. "You've got your signature move. That technique is best at long range, and the Byakugan-taijutsu combo is deadly up close. But you need a finishing move for close combat… What should I teach you?"
He considered. "Most of my taijutsu is built on a diamond-hard body—something you can't master quickly. But there's one you might handle: I'll teach you the 'Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.'"
It's late—thank you notes will come with tomorrow's chapter. Goodnight, everyone.
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