A wish from the past

A figure hidden in the shadows clenched its teeth whistle turning its back on the tall tree that stood behind, drenched in light. The rest of the chamber however, seemed to be nothing but surrounded by darkness. As if nothing else was there, but empty space.

One couldn't even be sure if you could call it indeed a chamber, given how everything looked. All void of… everything.

"You won't grow more nor bloom here, will you? No matter how many moons have passed, nor how many shall, you just won't do it," the figure voiced its frustration, before turning its back to it, as if he wanted to leave the place.

In the next moment, the figure transformed its mass into what seemed something intangible, like you could run your hand through it, and disappeared from the enclosure.

Then, the same figure appeared in what seemed to be a throne room, with stained glass placed circularly from where light entered all around, with big piling from the door to the stairs before where two thrones sat.

"Fukanōna, any developments?" An elder figure stood on one of the thrones. The other one was empty. Like the rest of the room, which made the elder's voice that had already a bass sounding tone, be heard twice as strong and imposing as it hit the walls.

"I'm sorry, Hisashī Heika," he said lowering his head. Fixed his eyes on the ground, as his spirit started trembling under the realization another failed mission. The weight of such realization was definitely heavy.

"The result is still the same," he said. He kept his head lowered as the discussion went on.

"What about Kaguya and the tree from the other realm? Any developments on that side?" the white-haired elder asked him. That's when the tension on Fukanōna's face increased. His accomplishments kept diminishing, whereas his failures on the other hand, kept growing.

Ever since the old god approached what seemed to be the end of his existence, all the Otsutsukis were on the verge of an existential crisis. Even for gods. For they had though that once this form of existence was attained, their life would be infinite. However, they eventually found out that it wasn't as such. Even the life of a god ends. It's just a matter of time… and karma.

"Her body seemed to be unsealed, that is why we felt her presence, but… by the time I got to the other realm, she got sealed again. The humans seem to be a lot more powerful than aeons ago,' he said.

"As for the tree of the other realm we also saw, well… it got cut down. Testament to their new found power."

"Tsk! All our plans seem to go to waste!" He wasn't thrilled by the news he was hearing. The urgency of his finite form of existence caught up to him more and more. Who would've thought that even gods meet their end? With all the might, power and long life they are bestowed, it's still not enough, for they are not eternal.

But there wasn't any time for philosophies as such right now. They had to think and move fast.

"Well then, all that's left then is to try our ultimate solution. Try to replant the tree on their realm," Hisashī said to him in his commanding tone, yet old and seemingly worn out.

"I have to find a way to break free of this, for all of us to do it! Otherwise, our existence will forever be bound and trapped! If there is no tree on earth from where we can get the necessary energy to finally break from this, then all of it has been in vain. Her sacrifice as well. My beloved Kaguya's sacrifice…"

"I… would advise against such idea, Heika," Fukanōna quickly said. "Humans no longer see the tree as they did many aeons ago. For them, now, the tree is a source of doom."

Advise against such an idea? But why was that? He couldn't help wonder. After all, the tree had meant so much to the humans back then.

He couldn't help but ask. "What changed? Weren't they very fond of that tree?"

"Yes, they were… but, you see, Your Highness, the tree seems to have undergone many changes since we last saw it. It's probably the reason why the one we have here is acting against everything we knew about it," he said.

"Then what do you advise Fukanōna?" the god king asked. He hadn't waited more than two millennia for the plan to fail when he was nearing his end. "If the God Tree in our realm doesn't grow and we cannot plant another one on the human realm, how can we get that plan to work?"

"I… have another way to make that plan work, Your Highness. Please, allow me to tell you the details. I believe it will be better than trying to plant the tree back on the human realm," he said with much confidence in his voice, as he prayed for the god king to just listen to him.

"You're allowed to approach", Hisashī said gesturing to Fukanōna.

As he heard the command, he lifted his eyes from the ground and went closer to the throne, stopping right near its stairs, without daring to climb on them.

He kneeled again and started talking, while Hisashī Ōtsutsuki listened to his idea with great interest.

What he was being told didn't sound bad, but what it did was to sound extremely complicated. The risks undergoing such a mission were great. What could entail its success if simpler operations posed so many complications?

Was this going to be a successful mission or not? Should he trust the one in front of him when the latest operations he underwent seemed to be nothing more than failures or shouldn't he? But… at the end of the day he didn't seem to have much of a choice now, did he? If it were for that goal to ever come to fruition.

Not to mention, he still had one more trick up his sleeve to use if the mission would indeed end-up being a failure.

"Ok, Fukanōna. I will agree with this plan of yours," the god king said. His serious tone continued to echo in the chamber, as his eyes fixated his subordinate. "But remember one thing. If this ends-up being a failure like your other missions, you know which one we are talking about, it's your karma I'm using. You know what will happen to your existence then, don't you?" Hisashī asked, lowering his voice even more to instill the urgency in his subordinate's spirit. The same one that he too, felt.

This wasn't a joke to him and ironically, now, time was of the essence. So, he didn't want to lose any more of it. He needed his subordinates to understand the gravity of the situation. If they were ever going to reach a degree of existence unbound by the laws of their current level of existence, they had to see their ultimate goal through.

"If we ever hope to get into Ryōkai, so we can no longer be bound by Samsara's rules, we need this to happen. We need me to be alive as much as possible, for it is I the one who sees so far as the gates to Ryōkai," he continued insistently while keeping his white hollow eyes continuously fixated on the man in front of him.

"I completely understand, Hisashī Heika" he replied, bowing his head once again. "And I will gladly give my karma to you if needed be, for us to complete our ultimate goal and this mission," he added, letting himself be carried by the same conviction that he felt earlier. Like that of a soldier ready to sacrifice his life for the greater cause.

"But I assure you Heika, there will be no need. This time, I will complete the mission to its end. I will allow no failure to happen and the mission will be a success!" Fukanōna said, as excitement embraced his spirit. This could be observed in his slightly raised tone compared to earlier. The voice betrayed the cool appearances he was trying to keep.

As the two exchanged their promises to one another, from the back of the room, the sound of firm heels against the granite floor started to become more and more apparent.

Those steps were of the one person everyone in the Heavenly realm could recognize, so Fukanōna knew exactly who it was. Out of habit, he did turn his head to confirm his suspicions. It was right there in front of him: hair long that reminded him of Kaguya's, slim silhouette that made you wonder how she carried the pair of long horns she possessed – part of their trademark, the cold piercing white eyes that could freeze a soul and an expression even more terrifying than that of the one he had spoken with up until now.

"Heika-sama," the man said bowing his head once more as she passed next to Fukanōna.

"What are you two doing here?" the god queen asked, as she stepped up the stairs and prepared to take her seat next to her husband's.

"My Queen," Hisashī said, slightly bowing his head. "Fukanōna here has a way to aid us in our goal completion, my beloved," he continued as he followed her silhouette getting on her throne and fixing her attire, so as her impeccable looks be disturbed by no crease. She had always been like this. Her attire, her gestures, her look. All had to breathe perfection. If the words perfect goddess had an image, it would've been her.

She looked inquisitively towards Fukanōna and raised a brow.

"Is it true what my husband says, Fukanōna? Are you closer to bringing us at the doors of Ryōkai?" she asked on a sharp tone, that of which you could feel cutting through every bone of your being, as if to check if you were true to your words or not. That kind of tone to which, if your words were to be a lie, there would be no way to hide it, and you would end-up confessing.

That was the kind of presence Naora Ōtsutsuki was and what her tone was like. No wonder she was Hisashī Ōtsutsuki's wife. She was the 1 degree that was missing in the 359 degrees field of vision the Byakugan possessed. She always had her husband's back. There was nothing, nothing, that could stop these two.

But if one were to be that fool to think that she was just the female counterpart of the King of Gods, being nothing more than just that one degree, they would been oh so wrong about her. Her one degree made up for the whole rest of 359 with everything that she was and she had done.

Hisashī Ōtsutsuki might've been the one you saw confronting you in the light, but she was the one hiding in the dark. You would've needed your vision not for him who took you head-on in the light, but for her. She, who would stay quietly, in the dark, waiting for her prey. Like a predator.

"Absolutely, Naora Heika!" Fukanōna replied quickly to the queen goddess.

"Then why are you here, and not out there fulfilling whatever you told my husband you will do, to bring us closer to our desired goal?" she asked, keeping the same piercing effect to her questions as before. The look as well,

Upon hearing the second question, Fukanōna's body was caught by a thrill. The queen goddess was as inquisitive as always.

"I'm on my way, Your Highness," he answered. "Just finished discussing the latest details with His Highness," he said as his eyes moved from hers to his while responding to the question.

"Well then, if you're done, then you may leave us and attend to your business, while my beloved here tells me all I need to know about this new plan of yours to get us closer to our goal."

As soon as the words fell on his ears, he knew he was being invited outside the chambers. Naora and her usual not so subtle ways. It was all part of her style. She didn't have to tell you precisely to do a thing or the other. Her statements would let you understand that your services are no longer needed, or that, like in this case, you are dismissed and you must give the two the privacy they needed to talk about the matter at hand.

He excused himself and bowed to the two of them one last time, after which he started going towards the door's direction. As he moved away from the two, he phased out into millions of pieces of particles and disappeared from the throne room.

Reappearing in his chambers, Fukanōna massed in and took a seat on the armchair that stood right in front of the window, facing outside. It was one of his favorite spots in the room, from where he would watch through the other realms.

That is from where he first peaked into the human realm when he sensed Kaguya's presence once more after such a long period. Now, it was time to visit that realm once again.

"Now, let's see where you are," he said.

"Tengoku no Byakugan!" Fukanōna shouted as eye strains appeared on his face and started immersing in the waves of energies from the human realm.

His eyes switched angles as he tried to pinpoint the person he was looking for. It took him quite a while to find his target. After all, he might have been a god himself, but he had to search through a whole realm.

"Ahah! There you are!" Fukanōna said, rising up from his arm chair. "Time for you and I to have a chat."

He looked down the window for one last time, before leaving the room. Memories from the times he used to travel on the human realm passed through his eyes.

But… there was no time to reminiscent on the past. He decided to go and inform the God King and God Queen that he had identified his target.

Once he arrived in front of their door, he knocked hard three times. The only times where he would phase out of the that room was when he had business with the chambers of the tree. It was confined in a special kind of space where only he could enter due to his special abilities.

The knock was quickly recognized by the Ōtsutsuki king. He invited Fukanōna inside.

"I have come to inform you, King Hisashī that I have located the target in the human realm. I am preparing to leave to that realm," he said.

"Very well, Fukanōna. You know what you have to do," the God King said, looking him straight in the eyes.

Fukanōna nodded. After that, he bowed in respect one more time in front of the two before preparing to leave.

As soon as he was ready, he chanted. "Tenrai Chōetsu," he said as his body got filled with light and phased out in a multitude of beaming particles.

"And he's gone," Naora said. "I sure hope he knows what he's doing," she added as she rose from her throne. Stepped down on the chairs and headed towards the high stained-glass windows. Put herself next to them, looking up with her arms crossed.

"Otherwise, we'll have to find another way to break into Ryōkai," she said, turning her head back at her husband to face him.

"We must do this fast my beloved. You don't have much time left and I don't want to see you gone from my side," she said. "I'd rather wreak havoc in all the realms of existence than see that happen. You have brought us to where we are now, it is only right we all enjoy it together with you, for the rest of all eternity."

Hisashī looked at his wife with veneration in his eyes. She spoke so highly of him, and he couldn't consider himself luckier to have someone like her next to him.

"But could I have done any of this it wasn't for you, my beloved?" he said, getting up from his throne as well, gesturing at the whole room they were in. He followed his wife to the windows.

"I wouldn't be half the God I am today if not for you, my beloved Naora. I told you and I'll tell you over and over again, for the eternities we shall live together. I may be the power, but you are the way. I would be nothing if not for your guidance and care," Hisashī said. After that, he wrapped his hands around his wife in a strong embrace and they both enjoyed the moment of silence together.

Back on the human realm, Fukanōna massed in upon arrival and started the search for his target. It was always a bit tricky with Heavenly Transcendence, as it didn't always transfer one from a realm to another on the exact same spot you'd need to be. Not when Heavenly Byakugan had been just used earlier before. The two techniques took a great toll on one's body, even if we were talking about a God's one.

But as a wielder of Byakugan, that sufficed for issues like this one. A simple Byakugan usage on the human realm asked a lot less than what you'd need in the heavenly one. Hundreds of kilometers or more in the human one was nothing but a piece of cake.

For this reason alone, Fukanōna used his Byakugan tuned to earthly usage in order to identify and pinpoint his target. He looked around for a couple of minutes before finding it.

"Soo, 20 kilometers from here then? This shouldn't be problem," he said. Next, he changed his body size to just the right amount to go unnoticed and levitated up in the air.

"Off we go to you, my dear target," he thought to himself, flying towards his destination.

Being able to change the mass of his body was one of Fukanōna's useful abilities. That is why he was the one who used to do the travelling from one realm to the other. Not that it was impossible for the others. No. They could travel as well. After all, their existence was godly. It's just that it required more of them to do it, compared to him who could phase out, mass in and change the size of his body at will.

This made out of him a good spy if you were to think about it. And that was the reason why it was him the one tasked with missions like these more than any other Ōtsutsuki. That is why it was him the one who travelled to the human realm back then with Kaguya, too. He was the one who could go back to the realm fastest and easiest, in order to share the newly acquired knowledge.

After his small travel, Fukanōna got to the destination. Once he arrived, he checked the surroundings with his Byakugan. His target seemed to be accompanied so he held off a bit his desire to phase into his chamber.

After he made certainly sure that his target is completely alone for a longer while and doesn't leave his chamber, he phased out from where he stood and massed into the target's room.

"Greetings, human!" he saluted, as the curious face turned to see who was the voice that he had just heard.

It wasn't like him to get surprised easily, but given the entrance this other person had just made, it was hard not to be surprised. He thought how to approach this, if with an attack or to be on the defensive.

For various reasons he decided to act cold and calculated like he always did. Not to mention that he wasn't yet ready for a full-blown attack. So, for now, he just replied back with a salute of his own.

"Greetings…" he said. He turned his face to the side and looked closer to the man in front of him, throwing an inquisitive look.

Fukanōna understood that look. The man in front of him wanted to know who to address.

"Oh, how impolite of me," Fukanōna said while bringing his hands closer to his chest.
"Fukanōna Ōtsutsuki is my name and I am here to offer you a deal."

Both brows on the man standing across the other side of the room rose. A deal? What deal? With what purpose? Also, Fukanōna… Ōtsutsuki? He had heard that name once before… in the war. But what would someone named Ōtsutsuki would have to do with him? He was definitely intrigued… The last time he had felt this level of intrigue was back when the attack on Konoha happened. But that was such a long, long time ago…

"I can already see that deep inside you, you are wondering a great deal of things. Like why I am here, why you," the Ōtsutsuki said, whistle walking through the room, under the fixed look of his target.

He asked, looking his target in the dead cold eyes: "And especially, what's in it for you, am I right?"

"Most certainly," Orochimaru hissed, keeping his cold stare fixated on the man that was walking through his room like he owned the place. "What would an Ōtsutsuki have to do with me? A mere mortal among gods, nonetheless."

"Ooh, buy you aren't a mere mortal now, are you?" Fukanōna said staring at him even longer. Orochimaru was intrigued. The one in front of him was speaking about him like they had been knowing each other for ages. Yet this was the very first time when the man was seeing him.

"Ah, granted, I may have had my tumultuous past, but… that's all there now. All in that specific past," Orochimaru said, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

He wasn't sure who was he trying to convince though. The god in front of him or himself? He has had some changes of heart in the war. And maybe somewhere deep down inside him, he wanted all those things he had said. After all that he had seen though while he's lived through the others. After all that has happened to Jiraiya and the things he had witnessed in the war. After his ambition has killed him and after being forced to live inside his students, witnessing the things that had happened to him made Orochimaru question his ways a bit. Made him want to join the 'other side' in the war and be of support. A lot of questionable decisions for someone who was once known as an international terrorist.

But can some people truly change? Can they truly change the nature they had been born with? Can they be above their being's heaviest cravings and desire? He was about to get an answer to that pretty soon, as Fukanōna asked him the next question.

"So, you want to tell me that you've given up your long-life quest to learn about all the jutsus in the world and where they come from?"

Even the cold blood inside Orochimaru started to raise its temperature and he could feel his heart beat rising upon hearing that question. He knew about that? But how? How could an Ōtsutsuki know about that particular aspect of his life? This wasn't general public knowledge. Only known by the ninja world, but that was about it. How could a god like him know something like that? Were there more Ōtsutsuki on the human realm than anticipated? But the legend said that only Kaguya existed. What was the missing piece here that was missing from this big puzzle? His researches would've definitely mentioned something about him by now. But they didn't. Yet the one in front of him seemed to know so many details.

Fukanōna smiled insolently. He had the upper hand on this matter and he knew it. He also had the element of surprise.

The next moments happened fast as Orochimaru tried to use his biting technique on the man in front of him, in what seemed to be an intended attack.

"So, the snake finally bites," he said while phasing out, leaving Orochimaru puzzled. He wasn't sure how he had first appeared in his room as he was taken by surprise. Therefore, he had to test a bit the waters to see who he was dealing with. Not to mention, he didn't want to show submission, even if we were talking about a god.

"What if I told you there is another way to find out the secret behind everything, like you once wished, without you having to possess the Sharingan?" Fukanōna asked while he massed in again.

Tension continued to raise to different levels inside Orochimaru. How was it so possible of him to know so many things? That puzzled him to no end. Which made him wonder… Was he truly a changed man like he thought he would be? Knowing the secret behind all the jutsus in the world was one of his deepest desires.

The man in front of him was right. Well, the God. Probably that was the reason why he knew? But everything aside, it was true. To know the secret behind all jutsus in the world was his soul and body deepest craving. But not having the Uchiha eyes was the biggest set-back for him. He wanted those eyes so much because having them, according to his old hypothesis, would've meant so much more than being able to put a target under genjutsu so the body can be overtaken. Or so that tablet implied.

But now, there was another way? How?

He looked at the God standing across the other side of the room as he retreated his long neck back to his place. Certain information was lacking from his data research, definitely.

He had run all his life believing that there is no way to do that without a Sharingan and now he was told that there is? How can he even resist such temptation?

"Well, you seem to know a lot of things," Orochimaru said. "Why don't you first tell me how that is possible, and then I can tell you if I will take your offer or not."

"Oh, but we both know what kind of person we're talking to, don't we?" Fukanōna said. "Who is to say that after you find out what I need, you won't try and do it without me? You do have a history of betrayal in your past" he said. "One way or the other. It's who you are. You've always been like this" Fukanōna said to Orochimaru to riddle him even more.

Orochimaru's right side vein pumped even more and more blood to his head. Curiosity was making him want to know already what's that solution this god was talking about.

"Here's how we'll do to make sure we don't betray each other. Let's call it a two-way street, shall we?" Fukanōna asked while heading towards Orochimaru.

"We'll be linked by this" he said while stretching out his hand towards Orochimaru. At first, the latter was suspicious and hesitated.

"One of the benefits of being bound to me is that you won't have to worry for your body's lifespan for let's say… at least the next hundred years," Fukanōna informed the man. He knew very well the problems Orochimaru had kept coming in contact with that hindered his path towards his goal. His mere mortal body. But… with a long life that one possesses as a God, some one hundred years to spare for this objective was nothing for Fukanōna.

"A token of appreciation from me to you" he said. "I know very well that out of every human on this realm, you must be the least trusting one. So, allow me to make the first step towards what I hope to be a fruitful cooperation with nothing but remarkable results for both of us. Allow me to start with this gift."

When Orochimaru heard those words, he couldn't help but continue to be intrigued. Lots of thoughts puzzled his mind. After all, this proposal sounded so good to be true. But, to be rewarded with at least one hundred years of life? To not have to worry about his body's mortality for such a long time? That surely presented itself as an opportunity he wouldn't want to miss.

But what would the catch be? Would it be worth it? Did he have a choice right now? Could everything function like his cursed seals? Because those cursed seals ate away at someone's chakra, so at the end of the day, you had to pay with something to get something else out of it.

So, what was the catch here? What did he need to be weary of at the end of the day?

Could he allow himself that luxury of being picky, given the current state of political affairs that was going around the ninja world right now? It's not like he could easily get a newer body to be able to pursue all his interests. With the five grand nations now allies, conducting his experiments that easily would definitely be impossible.

So, in the end, he was pretty much left with no choice but to accept the deal. Who would he be lying to, anyways? His curious mind always wanted to know what is behind everything. And now he had the chance. Without having to resort to his old ways even. This was a chance once in a lifetime that you don't want to miss. Especially after you've been brought back to life.

A second chance, at a life that no longer requires your old methods, but one that still offers you the answers you sought for your entire life? Orochimaru definitely didn't want to miss this.

'Very well" he said. He stretched his hand towards the god in front of him as well. When the two shook hands, Orochimaru felt like an electrostatic energy grabbed onto his whole being, a shiver went down his spine and physically for seconds it felt as if someone was ripping the internal organs outside of him. His soul energy felt the same.

"What's this?" he asked. His face betrayed terror for a few moments.

"I'm sorry for that", Fukanōnas said. "It's a slightly temporary feeling you get when the linking happens." And he was right. After those few moments the sensation went away and Orochimaru started feeling revigorated and reenergized.

"So, this is what it means to be linked to a God?" He said as he pulled his hand out of Fukanōna's, throwing his both in the air.

With them up in the air, Orochimaru couldn't help but notice in the middle of his palm a very familiar symbol: a diamond-looking seal.

"This…" he said in amazement, as he brought his palm closer to his face.

"This means you and I are now linked" the Ōtsutsuki god told him.