Confusion flickered across Kaguya's pale features. After a thousand years sealed within the moon, even freedom felt strange. Foreign.
The world beyond her prison seemed... wrong somehow. Unfamiliar in ways she couldn't articulate. Like returning to a childhood home after decades away—the roads looked the same but felt different, memories lingering like ghosts over a landscape that had moved on without you.
Her gaze settled on Black Zetsu, frozen in place by her technique. The incarnation of her will. A rushed creation, born in panic when her sons' betrayal had given her no time for proper crafting.
A work made in desperation, she thought with distaste. Of course it looks like that.
The irony wasn't lost on her. Hagoromo and Hamura—conceived using Yin-Yang Release and her own chakra—perfectly matched Ōtsutsuki aesthetics. Beautiful, powerful, divine.
And they'd betrayed her.
While this ugly, rushed creation had spent a millennium trying to free her.
Her mind drifted to the beginning. When she'd first arrived on Earth to plant the Divine Tree, boredom had led her to help the primitive humans with her power. They'd loved her for it. Worshipped her.
And she'd enjoyed that love. Cherished it.
Life shouldn't just be planting trees and harvesting fruit. There should be poetry. Beauty. Connection to something beyond duty.
Kaguya had fallen in love with Earth.
So when the time came to return to the Ōtsutsuki clan and resume her role as a mere tool, she'd made a choice. She'd eaten the Divine Tree's fruit without authorization, gaining invincible power.
With that strength, she'd unified the entire world, brought peace to its warring tribes. The people called her the Rabbit Goddess, the Moon Goddess. They built shrines, sang songs, told stories of her benevolence.
But she knew the truth. The Ōtsutsuki clan would come eventually. They always came to collect their harvest.
So she'd prepared. Given birth to Hagoromo and Hamura, raising them as weapons against the inevitable invasion. Only Ōtsutsuki could truly fight Ōtsutsuki. The humans of this world were insects compared to her people's power.
To further ensure victory, she'd created the White Zetsu army. Tens of thousands of soldiers bound to her will.
With all this, she'd believed herself safe. Believed she could protect this world she'd grown to love.
Success became failure for the same reason. Because she was Ōtsutsuki, her sons were powerful. Because she was Ōtsutsuki, they feared what she might become.
They'd sealed her.
Her own children.
A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye and the eternity of solitude. Now, freed at last, Kaguya understood nothing about this changed world.
Especially that thousand-meter golden giant. The one Black Zetsu had apparently brought with him.
She couldn't read it. Couldn't sense what kind of chakra flowed through its form. It registered as human, yet utterly alien at the same time.
While Kaguya lost herself in memory, Black Zetsu remained frozen, his heart shattering into pieces. Mother won't even hug me? Her love for me is gone?
Then Naruto's voice cut through the moment.
"Ōtsutsuki Kaguya! Let's be friends!"
Kaguya's attention snapped from Black Zetsu to the golden giant. The thousand-meter height puzzled her deeply. She studied it for a long moment before speaking her first words since freedom.
"Where do you come from?"
The question wasn't unreasonable. In a thousand years of imprisonment, she'd sensed every chakra signature in the shinobi world. Never had she encountered anything like this golden colossus.
If Isshiki and I could come to this world, others from different dimensions could too, she reasoned.
Naruto smiled. "I'm from the shinobi world. I helped Black Zetsu rescue you because I want to be friends."
"Impossible. You cannot be human. Humans aren't this large." Her tone brooked no argument.
"Oh, I see the problem."
The Indestructible Body Form dissipated. Naruto returned to his normal six-foot-three height, golden hair settling around his shoulders as the divine radiance faded.
"Now do you believe I'm from the shinobi world?" He gestured at Black Zetsu. "If you don't trust me, ask your loyal son."
Black Zetsu could only watch helplessly, still immobilized.
"Fine. I believe you." Kaguya's voice remained cold. "You wish to be friends with me?"
A thousand years of betrayal had taught her the value of trust. She believed in nothing except her own invincible strength now.
Besides, the Ōtsutsuki clan possessed instinctive pride. She was a goddess. How could she possibly befriend a human?
Reading her expression, Naruto felt excitement build in his chest. Perfect. She has principles. Strong ones. The best kind of friend was someone who maintained their convictions even through a dozen friendly exchanges.
"Yes. I want to be friends with you."
"I do not wish to be friends with you." Kaguya's tone softened slightly. "However, for rescuing me, I will grant you one wish."
"Oh, it seems I won't see your sincerity this way. Then let me show you mine."
Naruto moved.
One instant he stood ten meters away. The next, he'd closed the distance entirely, fist already in motion toward Kaguya's face.
"You wish to fight me?" A sneer curved Kaguya's lips. Foolish child. I'm invincible in this world. Fighting me is suicide.
But for rescuing her, she'd decided to spare his life. Just immobilize him with a gentle technique, teach him respect without permanent harm.
The mercy of a goddess, she thought.
Naruto's fist reached her. Kaguya activated her immobilization jutsu while simultaneously using Yomotsu Hirasaka to appear behind him.
She raised her hand to strike his back, deliver a lesson in humility.
Naruto spun with impossible speed, fist crashing into her chest.
WHAM.
The force and weight of the blow sent Kaguya staggering backward. Surprise flashed through her pale eyes—the immobilization technique hadn't worked. At all.
Worse, that punch carried something beyond mere strength. High-frequency vibrations rippled through her chest, leaving the entire area numb and tingling.
How inappropriate, some distant part of her mind noted with embarrassment.
Naruto didn't pause. His fists and feet became a blur, each strike carrying that same devastating combination of power and vibration as he pressed his advantage.
Kaguya possessed an immortal body. She could avoid this disgraceful close-combat situation entirely. She activated Yomotsu Hirasaka repeatedly, teleporting away from his attacks.
But every time Naruto caught even a piece of her clothing, the portal technique failed. He'd yank her back into melee range before the dimensional rift could complete.
WHAM. WHAM. WHAM.
His entire body became a weapon. Shoulders. Elbows. Knees. Forehead. Even his chest and back muscles seemed to flex independently, delivering strikes from impossible angles.
Kaguya's body slammed into the lunar surface. Shame and fury warred in her chest—the first time she'd ever tasted defeat. The first time anyone had pressed her, beaten her, made her feel... small.
And worse, Naruto was male. Being attacked so thoroughly by a man, in such close quarters...
Her pride, carefully maintained for millennia, crumbled into dust.
WHAM. WHAM. WHAM.
Naruto's speed defied comprehension. Thousands of strikes per second, golden fists blurring as they rained down on Kaguya's face and body.
"Stop!" Kaguya's voice cracked with anger and something else. "For rescuing me, I'll become your friend!"
She couldn't endure another moment. The vibrations from his attacks were doing something to her body—threatening to break something she hadn't experienced in over a thousand years.
"Wait," Naruto said cheerfully. "I haven't seen your sincerity yet."
WHAM. WHAM. WHAM.
Two hours later, Naruto finally stopped, stepping back from Kaguya's prone form with obvious satisfaction.
"Okay! Now you're my friend, Naruto."
Kaguya rose slowly from the ground, shooting him a look of profound shame. Fortunately, her immortal body had already healed the swelling from Naruto's beating. Her features had returned to their pure, ethereal beauty.
"You're very powerful," she admitted quietly.
"You're also very strong." Naruto's praise sounded genuine. "I'm very satisfied. You're the most sincere friend I've made so far."
"Wait here." Without further explanation, Kaguya turned and vanished.
Naruto watched her disappear without concern. They were friends now. Kaguya would never abandon a friend.
Kaguya's figure materialized in the lunar castle's interior. She walked directly to the bathroom, entered, and closed the door.
Several minutes later, she emerged.
For over a thousand years, she'd never needed to use a toilet. She was the Rabbit Goddess, the Moon Goddess. Deities didn't have such mundane requirements.
But under Naruto's relentless assault, her thousand-year principle had shattered.
Kaguya gritted her teeth, Naruto's image flashing through her mind.
He's genuinely strong though, she admitted.
The corner of her mouth curved into an involuntary smile.
Naruto stood beside the still-frozen Black Zetsu, waiting patiently for Kaguya's return.
Black Zetsu's mind was in turmoil. He'd always believed Mother was the strongest being in existence, invincible and eternal.
But Naruto had defeated her. Thoroughly. Decisively.
My entire worldview is collapsing, Black Zetsu thought miserably.
A portal opened. Kaguya stepped through, her expression returned to its cool, detached serenity. She glanced at Naruto, then waved her hand casually.
The spell binding Black Zetsu dissolved.
"Mother!" He immediately cried out, voice thick with emotion.
Kaguya nodded. "My son. Thank you for your hard work."
"Everything was worth it for you, Mother!" Black Zetsu's excitement dimmed as he remembered her defeat. His shoulders slumped.
"Come," Kaguya said simply. "Let us return."
Kishimoto City
In Naruto's residence, Kaguya sat kneeling on the tatami in traditional formal posture. She sipped tea while Naruto explained the changes that had transformed the world during her millennium of imprisonment.
When he finished, Kaguya studied the young man across from her. "You're truly exceptional. Even among the Ōtsutsuki clan with their innate advantages, few possess your strength. When my people inevitably come to this world, you'll be able to handle them."
Despite herself, her mind drifted back to their battle on the moon. Her pulse quickened slightly at the memory.
"This world is full of my friends," Naruto said naturally. "I'll protect it."
"Mother." Black Zetsu's voice interrupted the moment. He looked at Kaguya with obvious hesitation. "I have a question I need to ask."
Kaguya's expression softened. However ugly he appeared, he was still her son. Her creation. "Ask."
"Why are Hagoromo and Hamura tall, handsome, and fair-skinned, while I—also your son—look so... unsightly?" His voice carried a thousand years of accumulated resentment.
Understanding his pain, Kaguya smiled gently. "Black Zetsu, at the time of your creation, I didn't have enough time. You were a rushed product, made in panic. Of course you turned out this way." She reached out, placing her hand on his shoulder. "But now I can fix that. Make you match them."
Energy flowed from her palm into Black Zetsu's form. His entire being seemed to undergo rebirth—darkness fading, features reshaping, proportions adjusting until he perfectly matched Ōtsutsuki aesthetics.
"There. Look at yourself now." Kaguya withdrew her hand.
Black Zetsu's hands trembled as he pulled out a small mirror. The reflection showed someone he'd never imagined being—beautiful, refined, worthy of the Ōtsutsuki name.
"Thank you, Mother!" Tears of joy streamed down his transformed face.
Over the following days, Naruto showed Kaguya around Kishimoto City. She observed the people—all of them smiling, laughing, living peaceful lives filled with simple joys.
It reminded her of those early years on Earth, when people had loved her and she'd basked in that affection.
I like this kind of world, she realized. I always have.
That long-forgotten warmth seemed to return to her heart, thawing centuries of frozen isolation.
Kaguya decided to stay in Naruto's residence in Kishimoto City. At least for now.
The Next Day
"Naruto, we succeeded!" Sasuke burst into the room with Nagato close behind, both radiating excitement. "Using Kurama as a continuous power source prevents chakra exhaustion. Yesterday we resurrected someone successfully!"
"Really?" Naruto shot to his feet. "Then let's go to the ranch right now. I want to see this myself."
The group vanished, reappearing moments later in what used to be Konoha Village—now transformed into pastoral farmland.
"Lord Naruto! You're here!" Zabuza looked up from carrying a load of fertilizer, genuine surprise on his scarred face.
"Yeah, don't let us interrupt your work, Zabuza. We're just testing something." Naruto led Nagato, Sasuke, and Kurama to an empty clearing.
"Naruto, are you planning to resurrect your parents?" Sasuke's voice carried excitement mixed with something more complicated. He wanted to revive the Uchiha clan too. And his brother. But the two goals seemed incompatible, given their history. The internal conflict had been tearing at him.
"Wait," Naruto said firmly. "Let's see how the resurrection works first. Make sure there are no complications. Don't be rash."
"Naruto is right," Nagato agreed. "We should resurrect others first, verify the process is stable, then bring back the people who matter most to us."
"So who do we resurrect next?" Nagato asked.
Naruto thought for a moment. "Let's resurrect Senju Hashirama first. I want to be friends with Konoha's creator, the First Hokage, the God of the Shinobi World."
"Understood."
When everything was prepared, Nagato activated the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. Kurama placed his forepaw on Nagato's shoulder, ready to supply chakra continuously.
The technique activated. The King of Hell materialized before them, its massive form towering over the clearing.
The King of Hell's mouth opened wide. A soul emerged—translucent, glowing faintly.
Slowly, flesh materialized around the spirit. Color returned. Substance formed from nothing.
Senju Hashirama stood before them, eyes closed, body fully restored.
His eyes opened. He began looking around, taking in his surroundings with obvious confusion.
Then a clear, enthusiastic voice cut through his disorientation.
"Senior Senju Hashirama! Let's be friends!"
Hashirama turned toward the voice. His gaze landed on...