Chapter 22: Kaguya and Minamikawa Yuu
"It's not quite what you think."
Yuu shook his head, then spoke softly, "I love your mother. There's no doubt about that."
"But loving someone doesn't mean blind obedience."
"Correcting someone's mistakes in time, pulling her back from the wrong path, that's also a form of love."
He looked at them gently.
"And the same goes for you."
"Naive children grow up eventually, just like you did."
"Since you already have your own ideas, then go do it."
"Letting go and doing it yourselves is a necessary part of growing up."
"Father…"
Hagoromo and Hamura were moved. For a moment, neither of them knew what to say.
"Go do whatever it is you want to do," Yuu said with a smile. "Just don't forget this is your home."
"While you're working hard out there, don't forget to come back and visit once in a while."
"Yes."
The brothers nodded respectfully, then quietly withdrew and left.
Yuu remained where he was, watching their backs as they departed.
Only when their figures disappeared from sight did he let out a long sigh.
"Are you really just going to stand there and watch, and do nothing?"
At some point, he turned his head and spoke toward the side.
A white haired woman was standing there in silence.
Her hair fell like snow, and two horns rose from her head. She gazed into the distance just like Yuu did.
Within her Byakugan, the departing figures of the Hagoromo brothers were still reflected. She hadn't looked away.
"What should I do?" Kaguya asked indifferently. "They don't want to see me."
"That's because you won't talk to them," Yuu said, helpless. "You miss them in your heart, so why not take the initiative and go to them?"
Kaguya said nothing, standing there without a word.
Yuu stepped closer from behind and slowly wrapped his arms around her.
His body pressed against hers, as if he were carefully feeling her presence, measuring her breathing, sensing the faint chill that always surrounded her.
"Yuu…"
Kaguya lowered her head. Her eyes softened little by little.
So many years had passed, yet she seemed unchanged from the beginning.
Only in front of Yuu did she show this side of herself, no longer as cold as she was toward everyone else.
"In any case, the children have their own goals, and they're willing to work hard for them," Yuu said quietly. "That's a good thing."
"The other Ōtsutsuki from beyond the heavens will come eventually. Instead of waiting until then to start struggling, it's better to give them a goal now."
"At least they won't waste their time."
"It's useless," Kaguya replied calmly. "No matter what they do, it won't matter."
"They cannot surpass me."
Her confidence in her own power was absolute.
No matter how hard Hagoromo and Hamura trained, no matter how long they struggled, they could never defeat her.
Even if they shared Ōtsutsuki blood, whether or not one had consumed a chakra fruit was a crucial dividing line.
An Ōtsutsuki who had not consumed a chakra fruit could not defeat her. On that point, Kaguya had no doubt.
More than that, the Ninja World's foundation was profound. The chakra fruit she had consumed was far higher in quality than an ordinary fruit.
Under those conditions, even if Hagoromo and Hamura joined forces, they could never be her match.
"I think that's hard to say," Yuu said with a smile. "If you keep believing that, maybe they'll surprise you."
In the original course of history and in other possible futures, Kaguya was always defeated and ultimately sealed by the brothers after their training.
And in many versions, the brothers didn't just defeat Kaguya after she consumed the chakra fruit. They defeated an even stronger Kaguya, one who had sealed the Ten Tails within her and become its jinchuriki.
That alone proved the brothers' potential was terrifying.
If it could be drawn out, it would be enough to overcome Kaguya, the Progenitor of Chakra.
Compared to that version, the Kaguya before him had only consumed the chakra fruit. She had not yet extracted and sealed the Ten Tails inside her.
In terms of absolute strength, she was actually somewhat weaker.
As long as Hagoromo and Hamura could reach the level they once had in those futures, defeating her would not be impossible.
Of course, at this moment, Kaguya did not believe any of it.
No one can imagine what they have never seen.
To Kaguya, the idea of growing powerful through training alone was too unbelievable.
Within the Ōtsutsuki Clan, the fastest path to power was consuming chakra fruits, or devouring other clansmen.
As for forging strength through one's own practice, she had never witnessed it.
Because of that, she could not imagine what kind of ceiling an Ōtsutsuki who truly trained could reach.
"There is still a long time ahead," Yuu said, taking her hand. "Let's wait and see."
Kaguya nodded and said nothing more.
Yuu was about to continue, but his face suddenly went pale, and he began to cough violently.
In an instant, the color drained from him. Layers of seals surfaced across his entire body, crawling over his skin like a net.
"The Karma is starting to backfire…"
Worry rose in Kaguya's eyes.
Karma could slowly transform another person, but the risks were extremely high.
Kaguya had already been careful, yet Yuu's body was still too weak. Even bearing a portion of Karma's power was pushing him past his limits.
That was why it rebounded, and his condition looked terrible.
Of course, there was a way to solve it.
"The chakra fruit…"
Kaguya stood in place. In her Byakugan, the image of the God Tree appeared clearly.
Even though Yuu's compatibility with Karma was low, the long term transformation had still given him a faint, fragile Ōtsutsuki constitution.
If he consumed a chakra fruit, that thin trace of Ōtsutsuki blood in him could be fully awakened, turning him into a true member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
When that happened, the problems with his body would be resolved, and he could obtain an immortal life just like Kaguya.
That was why she was so anxious for the second chakra fruit to ripen as quickly as possible.
If the God Tree's fruit could not mature before Yuu's lifespan ran out, the outcome would be unbearable.
As those thoughts surged, she turned slightly, countless calculations flashing through her mind.
"Don't overthink it."
Yuu's voice sounded beside her.
He stood there, looking at Kaguya, and shook his head.
.....
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