Isshiki noticed the anger in Kaguya's eyes.
Even though she'd already said it outright, he still found it laughable and jarringly absurd.
Since when would the Otsutsuki clan ever grow fond of humans?
"Kaguya, you've fallen."
Isshiki raised both hands, his right eye flickering madly.
Dojutsu—Daikokuten!
The storm of fists slowed slightly as they reached him.
Then, behind him, space began to ripple.
Vast amounts of chakra poured into his ocular-space.
But Kaguya now outclassed him in power.
A complete devour was impossible for Isshiki.
In an instant, chakra detonated from his body as the center, flooding and drowning everything around him.
The glacier underfoot shattered at once, spraying shards of ice.
Kaguya remained completely unaffected, her snowy-white eyes fixed on the center of the blast.
Moments later, Isshiki hovered in the air in a sorry state.
Cracks covered his body, though they were constantly knitting back together.
"Damn it."
Isshiki couldn't help but curse under his breath.
He was at a total disadvantage.
A sheer gap in power he could hardly bridge.
Things looked very bad.
Gritting his teeth, Isshiki summoned his black rods again.
He burst forward, launching an attack on Kaguya.
A sea of chakra surged around him, sending out huge ripples as if the very space was trembling.
Kaguya stood her ground without the slightest intent to dodge.
As the black rod closed in, her palms slapped down on Isshiki's wrists.
Her chakra turned to needles, stabbing deep inside.
"Ah!"
Isshiki screamed, a wave of unbearable soreness ripping through his arms.
On reflex, he loosened his grip. The black rod fell and sank into the glacier.
Kaguya did not stop attacking.
Her palms hammered down toward his neck, then she kicked out, striking him square in the face.
Isshiki was hurled away.
The ground split open, rolling up waves dozens of meters high.
"Kaguya!"
Humiliated and enraged, Isshiki rose again, his face so mangled his original features were unrecognizable.
Kaguya frowned slightly.
So ugly.
Nothing like Natsume at all.
She raised both hands, intending to end the fight.
If this dragged on, Natsume might start to worry.
All-Killing Ash Bones!
Two finger bones emerged in her palms and shot forth at blistering speed.
Isshiki's face twisted into a snarl.
He couldn't match her power, nor her technique.
His defeat was already written.
But he refused to accept it.
In his eyes, Kaguya was nothing but a lowborn.
If she hadn't stolen the God Tree's fruit, she would've died a thousand, ten thousand times by now.
Damn it!
Resolve flashed in his eyes.
He didn't dodge. The bones hit him, and his body began to collapse.
"Kaguya! I'm taking you with me!"
His right eye burst in an instant.
All his chakra and ocular power gushed out like a vast sea, filling that space in a heartbeat and spilling outward.
Kaguya's heart jolted. She immediately used Amenominaka to shift into the Starting Sphere Space.
She grabbed Natsume and left at once.
…
Outside, above the Land of Demons—
She suddenly noticed space had been locked.
Two opposing black lids appeared above her head and beneath her feet.
At the same time, Isshiki's chakra and ocular power actually broke through the Amenominaka.
They appeared in the sky, rapidly swelling and solidifying into a soil-like substance.
"What is that?"
"Such a huge sphere!"
"Is that a new version of the Skynet?"
"Form up, quickly!"
The Land of Demons was in an uproar.
Under their astonished gazes, the gigantic black-and-white sphere soared into the sky until it disappeared.
Natsume didn't know how the outside world was reacting.
He was a little troubled.
Kaguya's strength far exceeded his expectations.
Isshiki at seventy percent power had been virtually powerless before her.
That blew up his plan.
He was already considering whether, given his relationship with Kaguya, he could just run off with her.
Fortunately, Isshiki hadn't given up—he detonated at the end!
How delightful.
Natsume was rather moved.
He looked around.
The interior was very empty.
Judging from the black lids earlier, this should be the sealing kettle Isshiki used in the original story.
But it was different.
Clearly stronger.
After all, he'd burned up his chakra and dojutsu power at the end.
"Don't worry."
Kaguya glanced at him and raised her hand.
Yomotsu Hirasaka!
A black portal appeared.
But in the next instant, it fractured.
Kaguya's face remained calm as she clenched her fists.
Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!
Countless fists landed in an instant.
The entire sphere trembled.
But it still had no effect.
Kaguya's expression stiffened.
She felt the thorniness of the situation.
Amenominaka!
The Rinne Sharingan on her forehead glowed.
The nearby space was immediately torn open.
But in the next moment it rapidly mended.
Locked in a stalemate of destruction and rebirth, Kaguya's chakra drained quickly.
Moments later, her face paled, and her heart sank.
Isshiki's dying seal was tougher than she'd imagined.
Breaking it might take a long time.
Kaguya glanced at Natsume instinctively, a trace of guilt flashing in her eyes.
Whenever she faced trouble, Natsume helped her.
Now it was the other way around—she was powerless.
If she'd known, she wouldn't have agreed to his request; she would have made him stay in the Land of Ancestors.
Natsume saw all her attacks fail.
He couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying will of the world, forcing things back to the starting line.
Kaguya sealed; the history of the ninja world officially begins.
The only difference was that the ones to act weren't Hagoromo and Hamura, but Isshiki.
That might be the only change since Natsume crossed over.
But for him, the situation was just right—perfectly aligned with his plan.
He no longer needed to rack his brain to persuade Kaguya.
"Lady Goddess."
Natsume stepped forward, took her hand, and said, "I have a way out."
"You?"
Kaguya stared at him, disbelief filling her snowy eyes.
If even she couldn't leave, how could Natsume, who was weaker, possibly have a way?
"Lady Goddess."
Natsume hesitated, then said, "There's something I lied to you about."
Kaguya tilted her head, a bit puzzled.
Mainly because she didn't feel she'd suffered any loss—she hadn't even noticed being lied to.
"See for yourself."
Natsume transmitted a filtered set of information to her via chakra.
Kaguya's expression changed.
Natsume being from the future was surprising but acceptable.
After all, he'd always been unusual.
And she didn't think he'd done anything wrong.
Everyone has secrets.
So did she—such as not telling Natsume that she was the one to be sacrificed, not Isshiki.
What shocked Kaguya was that there was no trace of her in the future.
Either she left the planet, or she was sealed.
The former was unlikely—she still had to plant the God Tree and hadn't considered leaving.
Most likely the latter.
She was undying, so sealing was the only option.
Isn't that exactly what's happening now?
Kaguya instinctively squeezed Natsume's hand. "Sorry," she said.
Huh?
Natsume blinked.
I lied to you, and you're apologizing to me?
How does that make sense?
After a moment's thought, he understood.
There was no Kaguya in the future, yet she existed now.
That meant she would encounter disaster—be sealed.
He'd crossed into the past and kept helping her grow stronger.
In her view, he was clearly trying to change the fate of her being sealed.
But they had failed.
Not only failed—he'd been dragged into it and sealed along with her.
So adorably silly.
Natsume looked at the tight-lipped Kaguya before him and leaned in, gently nipping her lower lip with his teeth, teasing the soft flesh just enough to draw a faint gasp from her.
His hands slid to her waist, pulling her closer until their bodies pressed together, the heat of her skin seeping through their clothes.
Kaguya's arms wrapped around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as she pulled him in deeper. She returned the favor with fervor, her lips crashing against his in a hungry, open-mouthed kiss.
Their tongues met in a slick, urgent dance—hers sliding against his with bold strokes, exploring the warmth of his mouth while she nipped back at his upper lip.
Natsume's hands roamed lower, gripping her ass firmly, kneading the curves as he deepened the kiss, his tongue thrusting in rhythm with the subtle movements of their bodies, tasting every inch of her desire.
The world around them blurred—the air thick with the wet sounds of their mouths devouring each other, saliva mixing in messy, unapologetic passion.
A long while later—
They separated, both panting, faces flushed and lips glistening with shared saliva. Kaguya suddenly smiled.
With Natsume by her side, even being sealed felt acceptable.
"You don't believe I have a way, do you?"
Natsume pinched her cheek with a smile.
Kaguya didn't mind his touch, but stared at him with doubt.
Clearly, she didn't believe it.
"I crossed over because of the Dragon Vein."
Natsume improvised. "Before I traveled, I left a marker. Now I can use that marker to cross back."
Kaguya blinked, her clear gaze fixed on him.
No matter how she thought about it, it didn't seem reasonable.
A marker still working after a thousand years?
"In any case, we'll know if we try."
Natsume squeezed her hand. "Lady Goddess, would you come back with me?"
Kaguya thought for a moment, then nodded.
She couldn't break the seal now anyway—might as well go to the future with him.
Besides, her goal was to plant the tree.
Where she planted it didn't matter.
As for Hagoromo and Hamura—she was a bit reluctant, but they weren't absolutely necessary.
In her heart, Natsume ranked a little higher.
"Don't worry, Lady Goddess."
Natsume let out a breath. "In the future, we can still carry out the Skynet plan."
In fact, planting the tree would be easier in the future.
By then, the whole world would be ninja—both their number and quality vastly improved.
Even the nine Tailed Beasts would have matured.
In the original, they'd been tiny at birth.
It was Sage of Six Paths—Hagoromo—who found the right places to strengthen them.
The three great sanctuaries as well.
The future Great Toad Sage was in no way inferior to the Sage of Six Paths.
Just… much fatter.
Kaguya would harvest chakra; he would harvest Fate Points.
A perfect match.
With their strength, sweeping the ninja world would be no problem.
But then, they wouldn't be able to gather enough Fate Points.
Natsume still owed the Ring of Fate two thousand points, after all.
Kaguya said nothing, merely squeezed his hand in return.
Natsume understood her meaning and smiled.
Five thousand Fate Points vanished in a flash.
As space twisted, their bodies turned into motes of starlight and left this world completely.
…
Meanwhile, atop the sealing kettle—
A strange pulse flickered.
Moments later, it condensed into a black blob.
It had a nose and eyes, like a puddle.
It looked toward the kettle, as if trying to see through the thick seal at the man and woman inside.
"I'll be back!"
Isshiki's voice rang out.
It leaped and sped toward the Land of Demons.
He was far too weak now.
And his main body had been sealed as well.
To resurrect, he had to undo the seal, but that would free Kaguya too.
So he needed a foolproof plan.
For example, using Hagoromo and Hamura.
…
Land of Ancestors.
When the moon rose that night, Hagoromo's sense of dread peaked.
Could something have happened to Mother and Teacher?
But with their strength, how could that be?
In mounting unease, he waited for the next day.
Still no sign of either of them.
Hagoromo immediately thought of the letter Natsume had left and opened it at once.
Moments later, he collapsed to the floor.
Naturally, Natsume hadn't told him the truth.
He only said he went to deal with Isshiki. If he didn't return, he'd been sealed.
Hagoromo and Hamura were to follow the instructions in the letter.
"I haven't even called you…"
Tears ran from Hagoromo's eyes.
But soon he stood, determination on his face.
He would save his parents!
Even if he couldn't now—
He and Hamura were only two years old; they would grow stronger.
One day, they would break the seal and free their parents.
Even if it meant cooperating with the three great sanctuaries, he would not hesitate.
…
Land of Wind, Rōran Dragon Vein.
Light flashed.
Amid the sweeping yellow sands, two figures appeared.
Kaguya's eyes widened on instinct.
They had actually escaped Isshiki's seal?
Unbelievable.
She looked over the Dragon Vein before them.
So this was the reason for the time travel?
But it was nearly exhausted now.
A bit of a pity.
If there were enough energy, she'd have liked to try traveling back again to fight Isshiki anew.
[Because of your actions, Kaguya's fate has changed. You gain 100 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Isshiki's fate has changed. You gain 99 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Black Zetsu's fate has changed. You gain 99 Fate Points.]
The sudden prompts stunned Natsume.
Ninety-nine?
Isshiki isn't dead?
Then what about Black Zetsu?
Natsume fell into thought.
In the original, Kaguya created Black Zetsu to plot for a thousand years and free her.
Now Natsume had run off with her.
By rights, there should be no Black Zetsu.
But ninety-nine Fate Points meant, like Isshiki, it hadn't died.
So… "Black Zetsu saves Mother" becomes "Black Zetsu saves Father"?
If Kaguya could create Black Zetsu, then Isshiki certainly could too.
Could this be the so-called corrective force of the world?
Natsume came back to himself and noticed Kaguya staring at him. He smiled.
"Lady Goddess, welcome to my world."
Whatever the case, his goal had been achieved.
Kaguya was his.
Ahem.
Not his—his partner.
"Lady Goddess, can you sense Isshiki?"
Natsume pointed at the moon and asked.
"You mean he's not dead?"
Kaguya pondered briefly, then raised her head.
The Rinne Sharingan and Byakugan activated together.
Hm?
An Otsutsuki descendant?
But far too weak.
Kaguya glanced past that and probed deeper into the planet.
Inside, she sensed Isshiki's aura.
Weak, but alive.
If the seal were undone and he obtained sufficient energy, he could return to his peak.
Worse yet, the seal was protecting him.
To kill him, she would have to forcibly break the seal.
That would be enormously costly.
But if she didn't kill him, she couldn't rest easy.