As an ACG enthusiast, Yuki was naturally somewhat familiar with this world of ninja. While not a die-hard fanatic, he remembered the backgrounds and story arcs of most major characters.
He knew perfectly well that Hiashi Hyuga didn't have a son named Yuki—only two daughters, Hinata and Hanabi.
It seems my existence as a "bargain son" is due to some shift in the world line... After realizing this, Yuki frowned momentarily but quickly shook it off.
Since things were already like this, there was no point obsessing over it. He might as well enjoy his next life...
"Alright, we're here. Go inside."
"Huh?"
Before Yuki could finish pumping himself up, his "cheap dad," Hiashi, stopped at a corner in the deepest part of the estate and pointed toward a dark, small cave opening.
"I have to go in there... for what?"
Looking at the somewhat creepy cave, fine beads of sweat formed on Yuki's forehead. Frankly, he didn't want to step foot into such a place.
"Didn't I tell you? According to clan law, the eldest son must enter at age three for a three-hour ritual to pray for the ancestors' blessings."
"Oh, so I have to stay in there alone for three hours?"
"No, no, no. Strictly speaking, you have to kneel and worship for three hours."
As he spoke, a hint of teasing appeared in Hiashi's eyes—eyes that usually looked cold due to his advanced case of "cataracts."
Clearly, as the eldest son of his own generation, Hiashi had suffered through this ordeal as a child. He fully understood his son's feelings.
Fine... I'll go in. It's not like I have anything better to do.
Realizing he couldn't talk his way out of it, Yuki nimbly walked into the cave, heading toward the heart of the ancestral hall.
The cave was ancient, but the passage was incredibly deep. Walking through it felt like traversing a time tunnel, entering a world from centuries ago.
"Whoa, this isn't entirely boring after all," Yuki marveled once he reached the interior.
The hall contained a life-sized statue made of white jade. It appeared to be carved from a single solid block, rendered so vividly that it was clearly the work of a master craftsman.
The statue's features were clear—a handsome face that radiated an intense, domineering aura. This was undoubtedly the "ancestor" Hiashi had spoken of.
"Too bad they've got it all wrong. The Hyuga ancestors are actually those aliens currently on the moon, and they definitely don't look this normal."
Yuki chuckled wickedly. He, after all, knew the true origins of the Hyuga clan.
Of course, it wasn't just the Hyuga. The Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki clans were all descendants of those aliens. One could arguably describe this world as "Otsutsuki Amusement Park" without much exaggeration.
"Wait, if that's the case, does that mean I'm also a descendant of those aliens?"
Yuki looked at the statue and then at the prayer mat in front of it. His mouth twitched.
Kneeling for three hours... which generation's clan head decided on this? Their kids must have been real troublemakers, so they came up with this specifically to mess with them.
"I might as well just take a nap. I doubt anyone is monitoring this place."
Yuki looked around. The small hall had only one door and one passage; every other side was sealed tight, with various seals carved into the walls.
In other words, once the door was closed, people outside had no way of knowing what was happening inside. Even if he slept, no one would be the wiser.
Satisfied, Yuki stood up. To him, these ancient rituals held zero binding power. Only a fool would kneel before a statue for three hours.
"Ahem, this spot looks good. Seems comfortable."
The small figure lay down on the ground, closed his eyes, and began to sleep.
"Goodnight, Ancestor-bro."
Curled up behind the statue, Yuki drifted off.
In his dreams, he saw glimpses of the "future"—the descent of the massive God Tree, and a monster that looked like a three-eyed, white-haired witch appearing in the world...
"Otsutsuki... Kaguya."
Mumbling in his sleep, Yuki uttered that familiar name. The three-eyed witch certainly left a deep impression—plus, she was technically his legitimate ancestor now.
"..."
The moment those words left his muddled lips, a faint light suddenly flickered in the dim chamber. Simultaneously, Yuki felt as if a pair of eyes were watching him!
Even though he hadn't opened his eyes, anyone who has been stared at knows that specific sensation. It's hard to mistake.
Who? No, that's not right. I should be the only one here. But this gaze, and this aura...
Startled by the sudden change, the groggy Yuki snapped awake.
He cautiously opened his eyes and turned his head back as slowly as possible. And then...
"Eeeek!!!"
Seeing the "figure" behind him, Yuki couldn't help but let out a yelp! His childish voice echoed through the hall, feeling like a scene straight out of a horror movie.
"?"
While Yuki was jumping out of his skin, the newly appeared figure—who was roughly the same size as him—merely tilted its head. It wore a look of confusion, seemingly unable to understand why its master was reacting this way.
This... this is...
However, once he saw what this tiny figure actually was, Yuki froze again. The "creature" that had mysteriously appeared was actually a very cute little girl.
Yes, a very cute loli.
She looked to be about three or four years old, but her classically elegant face already showed the traces of a legendary beauty. Her distinctive round eyebrows added a touch of refined charm, and she wore a loose white robe.
Most striking of all was her pure white hair, which flowed like a waterfall onto the floor yet remained spotless. Two rabbit-ear-like protrusions rose from her head. The whole look made her resemble a human Moon Rabbit...
No, why do I think she looks like a rabbit? No matter how I look at it, she looks like... what?
Yuki stared at the little girl for a moment, and then realization hit him. He turned away to think for a second, turned back to look at her again, and began clapping his hands.
"Right! Instead of saying you look like a rabbit, it's more accurate to say you look like Otsutsuki Kaguya! Hahaha... SPARE MY LIFE, GREAT GODDESS!!!!"
Finally understanding what was standing in front of him, Yuki hit the floor with a thud, executing the strongest secret technique of his life: the "Majestic Tiger Landing!"
The "Majestic Tiger Landing" (Dogeza) involves mimicking a tiger pouncing from a cliff—dropping the body rapidly, hands hitting the floor, and begging for mercy with maximum intensity!
Generally speaking, using this move ensures your life is spared. In other words, it's a super-technique that grants a form of immortality!
"???"
But even though Yuki had unleashed such a high-level move, the child-version of Kaguya showed no intention of doing anything. She simply floated there, watching him. That was all.
Eh? She seems to have no idea what's going on. What is this...
Seeing that Child-Kaguya wasn't going to do anything to him, Yuki grew bolder. He slowly looked up at the figure.
Wait? Something's not right. Why do I feel such a sense of kinship with her? It's like there's a connection between us.
After observing her for a few seconds, Yuki plucked up his courage and reached out his hand.
In response, Child-Kaguya also raised her slender, pale little hand, reaching out to meet Yuki's.
"Hiss! This is!"
The moment their fingertips touched, a surge of information rushed into Yuki's mind like an electric current!