Being struck by the All-Killing Ash Bones would cause one to instantly undergo hundreds or even thousands of years of time erosion, leading to the complete disintegration of the body. Because the amount of time lost far exceeded the limit Kaede could rewind, even he would be placed in a very troublesome situation if hit by such an attack.
He probably wouldn't die,
But restoring himself would take a long time.
Kaguya stared at Kaede coldly. Another Ash Bone formed in her palm and shot toward him once more.
But this time, Kaede simply tilted his body slightly and easily avoided the strike.
"That technique is indeed dangerous to me," he said calmly, "but if it doesn't land, then it means nothing. A large portion of your body is still under my control, what exactly do you think you can do to fight me?"
Kaede stood there with quiet composure.
Even though his Tenseigan and Rinnegan were still in the middle of merging and temporarily unusable, making this an imperfect state for him, Kaguya's condition was far worse.
A portion of the Ten Tails' body was under Kaede's control, and she was unable to activate Infinite Tsukuyomi. In this moment, her power wasn't even on par with Six Paths Madara.
The Ash Bones she fired were a threat, but their flight speed was so slow that even without sight, Kaede could dodge them effortlessly through sheer perception.
To him, they moved no faster than a moth fluttering slowly past his face, utterly non-threatening.
"This kind of power…"
"So you really are…"
Kaguya narrowed her eyes at Kaede, not with anger, but with visible apprehension. With her highest-grade Byakugan, she could clearly see that Kaede's speed of movement did not match the level of his chakra or physical body at all.
And his method of preventing her from controlling the Ten Tails was just as strange. She could see her own spiritual power dispersing the moment it entered that area, not being shattered, but reverted to its previous, unformed state.
Time reversal.
Time acceleration.
This was a power that manipulated time!
And within her vision, Kaguya could faintly glimpse something deep within Kaede's soul, shrouded in a golden mist, glowing faintly. Though she couldn't see it clearly, it filled her with an overwhelming sense of dread.
That power… did not belong to this world.
Kaede was an outsider.
Just like her, a being from beyond this world!
After confirming this, Kaguya's heart sank completely. She could tell that Kaede was not a member of the Otsutsuki main family, but he had absorbed a considerable amount of power from her, meaning he must be eyeing the Chakra Fruit as well.
"To think I'd be resurrected in such circumstances…"
"Hagoromo… Hamura…"
Kaguya cursed inwardly.
Had she returned at her peak, she wouldn't be forced into such a passive situation. But the seal left by Hagoromo and Hamura, in order to protect the humans of this world, had kept her imprisoned for so long that she was now forced to face another otherworldly being while in a weakened state.
Fortunately, Kaede wasn't from the Otsutsuki clan. Otherwise, the Chakra Fruit would've already been stolen in full.
Zzzt…!
As Kaguya clenched her jaw, her left hand opened and released a gravitational pull, drawing a mass of black substance into her sleeve.
"Mother, his eyes still aren't usable. Can't you just reclaim the Ten Tails' power now?" came Black Zetsu's voice from within her sleeve.
Kaguya's gaze turned grim. "He has another power interfering. With the strength I can currently use, I can't land any meaningful blows on him."
"What?!"
Black Zetsu sounded shocked. "The Ten Tails is your body, reclaiming control should be easy! Once you use Infinite Tsukuyomi, you'll recover all your power. Why is it like this? Don't tell me… could it be that he…"
Power from this world should not have been able to stop Kaguya from reclaiming the Ten Tails. On top of that, Kaede had repeatedly shown abilities far beyond its expectations. A terrifying suspicion began to form in its heart.
Could Kaede be from beyond this world?
"No… that's impossible. He's the son of a Konoha ninja. I don't know the full details, but all historical records check out. He didn't appear from nowhere, and his strength grew little by little…" Black Zetsu said, struggling to believe it.
Kaguya's eyes darkened. "Is that so? Then it's likely he arrived here in a weakened state… and is trying to recover by absorbing my power."
Troublesome.
This is very troublesome.
Her words sent tremors through Black Zetsu's mind. As it stared at Kaede standing not far away with a faint smile, its heart sank like a stone.
If Kaede had been a shinobi of this world, then Kaguya's resurrection should've meant total victory. But if Kaede was from beyond, then this was an entirely different story.
No wonder.
No wonder it had never been able to fully understand his powers!
Either Kaede had disguised himself as a shinobi from this world and climbed his way up step by step…
Or perhaps he truly had started with nothing, cast into this world as a fragment of will, just like how Black Zetsu itself had been created by Kaguya.
And as a shinobi, Kaede had gradually restored himself, step by step… until he reached his current strength.
"Damn it…"
Realizing this, Black Zetsu gritted its metaphorical teeth.
It had no idea.
It had been completely unaware!
If it had known, it should've eliminated Kaede early on, back when his power was still weak.
But now it was too late…
Kaede had already reached this level of strength, and was even beginning to steal the Ten Tails' power, reaching toward the Chakra Fruit.
"Mother, this can't go on… He's absorbed the Rinnegan's ocular power. His eyes are evolving to an even higher level, if the process finishes, we're finished."
Black Zetsu's voice trembled.
Kaguya's expression turned intensely grave. "I know…"
Shhhhk!
She raised her left hand, and fired another Ash Bone.
But this time, the bone wasn't aimed at Kaede, it was fired into the empty space beside her.
That space suddenly tore open, revealing a pitch-black rift that swallowed the Ash Bone whole.
Yomotsu Hirasaka!
Shhhhk!
A dark rift opened behind Kaede, and the Ash Bone suddenly shot out of it, aiming straight for his back, ready to pierce through his body from behind!
"Please hit…!"
Kaguya stared at him, tension at its peak.
Given the little strength she could currently draw upon, using All-Killing Ash Bones while also activating Yomotsu Hirasaka was already her limit. She couldn't use other powers like Amenominaka, so this attack had to land.
It had to work!
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria