**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the quote below. I just own Sintary ^^ Also I do not own the other OC Kokuro. He's my friend's.
Hey guys, so sorry I missed the anniversary yesterday! I tried really hard, and met to put this up this morning, but got called into work. Anyway, I won't stall you for long!
Thanks again! Ko and Sin
"Love and loyalty runs deeper than blood"
-Richelle Mead
Chakra raced from the earth bursting from the ground, streams of it poured into Madara. Black Zetsu had betrayed him, and began to swallow his body, shrouding his life with the will of another. The Uchiha legend let out a shrilling scream of pain, one that reminded Sakura of when Sasuke had been marked with the Heaven Curse Seal all those years ago. The medic knew the pain had to be excruciating for a powerful, seasoned shinobi to cry out like that, and it sent a shiver down her spine to hear it.
Sasuke's mismatched eyes narrowed. "Naruto, all of Madara's shadows have disappeared." He commented on edge.
The ground started to tremble with need as the blue energy started exploding like geysers from underneath them. It swirled like tornadoes before plunging into their enemy
"Where is all this chakra coming from!?" Sakura exclaimed as she rode a rock through the earthquake.
"It's coming from those trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi." Sasuke informed her, a bit annoyed by a pointless question. In his mind, it didn't matter where it came from; it was where it was going that was his concern.
"This thing's energy," Naruto spoke as he analyzed Madara's painful form, "it's more monstrous than the Ten-Tails. Sasuke, we have to stop this thing!"
Electricity hummed as the young Uchiha molded lightning into a katana form. "Already on it."
The pair launched towards their ballooning enemy, trying to attack from the sides with their chosen weapons. They were halted short as white, hair like protrusions wrapped around them like steel.
"Now, I'm going to suck all the chakra from you two and finally end you pests," Black Zetsu said.
"If he drains our chakra and along with everyone else's, we're all going to die!" Naruto exclaimed towards Sasuke.
"Oh, don't worry," Black Zetsu told them smugly. "Mother's not a cold-blooded murderer. You see, she'll preserve those resting peacefully."
Naruto blinked his frog-like eyes. "You mean… everyone will become one of those white things…?"
"Who is this 'mother' you speak of Black Zetsu?" Madara demanded.
The thing was quiet for a moment as it continue oozing onto its host's expanded form. "I've been around a lot longer than you, Madara - eons even. I've had enough time to make some… adjustments to Hagoromo's stone tablet. The jutsu you claimed that made you a savior does not just confers peaceful dreams. It's true purpose is to absorb enormous amounts of chakra in order to bring back my true creator, Kaguya Otsutsuki."
Madara's retorts of betrayal were squashed as black tar overcame his form.
"At this rate, he's going to explode!" Sasuke yelled to Naruto over the howling wind.
"Annoying humans," Black Zetsu called as the ballooned form started to take shape instead of bursting.
Sakura and Kakashi saw the black figure take the appearance of a long kimono. It started to shrink to a proper size as the top of it became grey. The Copycat ninja became alarmed as he saw the Rinne-Sharingan pop out of the black slime in the middle of this creature's forehead along with two protruding horns. The face became more defined with two, white, round circles as eyebrows above thick lashed eyes; a nose and thin, red lips finished the otherwise angelic face.
"Kaguya Otsutsuki." Sasuke sneered; remembering what the Sage of Six Paths told him earlier.
Her lids slowly opened revealing distant, pearl-white eyes. Her expression remained vague and solemn as she glossed over Naruto and Sasuke. Nothing gave away her reasoning for suddenly violently throwing the duo in the ground. She let on nothing as she began to ruthlessly attack the young Uchiha with her weapon of hair. He summoned lightning to his aid as he began to cut away at her hair. Striking deliberately, he noticed his chakra wane for a brief second before he was encased it in and tossed again. Unbeknown to him, Naruto was thrown next to him again; both going past Kakashi and Sakura.
Their pink headed teammate called out to them in worry, moving to help them, but freezing as a dark chill overcame her. The brave and brash kunoichi was suddenly filled with fear and utter dread; she didn't want to even turn her head to see what could possible startle her this bad. But she had to; her shuishou taught her better than to fear the enemy. Slowly, green eyes glanced to her right, just in time to see the white goddess float mere feet apart from her towards her fallen teammates.
Naruto and Sasuke had risen to their feets as Kaguya approached them, mumbling to herself. All they could hear was her neutral voice saying the names: Hagoromo, Hamura, Indra, and Asura. The two tensed as she spontaneously produced the Byakugan, fearing for an attack, only there was none.
"Just like Kokuro," Sasuke muttered under his breath.
"What is your purpose?" Kakashi called from behind the celestial maiden.
Kaguya's expression remained neutral as many feelings bombarded her on the inside. She felt sadness upon seeing descendents of her two sons; the two people she gave everything to - including her chakra. Here they were in front of her; her lineage tainted with hatred. That angered her, but what ired her more was her beautiful grove was destroyed. While she had walked this land, it flourished. She had also been kind enough to share such a wonderful place with the humans, but in her absence, they had ruined it all. She could feel the devastation, the pain, the miserable seeping from the place she had called home. Her heart sank as she could only imagine the tragedy it must have endured; the suffering these shinobi caused.
"It is pointless to talk to you people about my purpose. All you do is taper with chakra without knowing its truth… you destroy everything you touch, just like you have ruined my nursery."
"It was Madara and that thing lurking in your sleeve that caused this destruction!" Naruto protested.
"You weren't even at peace before I interfered. Your kind has always been fighting against one and other." Black Zetsu pointed out. "You will never know peace without mother's help."
"What do you know about peace!? You just want to turn everyone into soulless vessels to use as your own use! That's not peace!" The blond continued to argue.
"Enough," Kaguya didn't raise her voice, but her tone commanded silence. "Let us stop fighting," she proposed, catching the heroes off guard. "Here."
A new world surrounded them in seconds. The barren land that had been standing on gave anyway to a burning black and red inferno. Solid ground was ripped from underneath their feet as the group started falling towards the bubbling lava.
Sasuke was the first to react, summoning Garuda to his aid. The giant hawk then circled towards Naruto, catching the blond in his talons.
"Teme! The others!" He called up towards his black-haired teammate.
He merely glanced as he saw his sensei use a scroll as a rope, catching Sakura in the process. Another look showed that Obito was securely pinned to cave wall.
"Naruto…" Sasuke started as he slipped back into his old avenger demeanor. "Only you and I can seal away Kaguya. If something happens to us, the world is done for; including Sakura and Kakashi. Both can save themselves; therefore, we cannot afford to lose sight of our goal. Do you understand?" His previous 'me or them' mentality was easy to go back to; it was a survival instinct that he had been forced to adopt at a very young age.
Naruto slowly nodded. "Yeah… I guess so…" He said not wanting to agree with that logic, but he knew right now, he had to. He didn't have another plan; in fact, dangling from Sasuke's hawk, he felt rather useless. He couldn't even stand on his own two feet in this… wherever they were. How could he possible save his friends then?
The sound of burning paper echoed throughout the magma chamber. Kakashi's makeshift rope tore apart due to the intense heat causing them to start falling again. Naruto gasped, his arm reaching out as if he could possibly grab them. His chakra acted on his behalf, extending a yellow arm out to catch his fallen teammates. Frog like eyes blinked with pure relief as he suddenly started to feel hopeful again. He could do something. He could protect those he loved; even if it was an entire nation.
In that moment, Kaguya chose to strike. A wall of white, hair needles came barreling at them. Purple, chakra armor appeared in front of them, blocking most of the attack. The Rabbit Goddess was a manipulator of her chakra; she controlled where the needles struck and managed to hit some of the flying bird's tenketsu. The group started falling again as Garuda disappeared.
'Think, Naruto, think,' The blond shinobi echoed as he tried to think of a way to save everyone. He glanced over at Kaguya as she watched them fall. She was floating so effortless. 'If she can fly… does that mean one of us can too?' He wondered and closed his eyes in concentration.
"Naruto? You can fly?" Kakashi asked a loud, shocked.
The ninja in questioned opened his eyes and blinked seeing three chakra arms holding Sasuke, his summon, and his other two teammates. He grinned triumphantly as he created a clone to take care of Kakashi and Sakura.
'It makes sense…' The silver headed shinobi thought watching his pupil. 'He has the chakra of the Six Path. Madara was also able to levitate when he was in this state…'
Kaguya narrowed her eyes hearing Kakashi's thoughts. "You think having chakra makes you special?" She muttered. It was what had made her special all those millenia ago. The human race worshipped her for her gifts; and they had been grateful for all her sons could do with it. Now, they had a part of her; and she wanted it all back. "I will take back all I have given and reunite all chakra once more."
The white-haired goddess launched her attack against the duo. Naruto acted first this time, trying to counteract her chakra fists with his tailed beast chakra fists. The sheer force of their chakra colliding shook the dimension to its core. The lava began to bubble more rapidly around them, rising ever so slightly. The impact engulfed everyone involved in a white, blinding light. Even Sasuke with his Rinnegan couldn't see past it to the otherside. Nonetheless, Kaguya smirked as she felt herself cutting through their defenses, and landed a chakra enhanced punch on the blond. She didn't even speculate where the other one was; she knew all.
"Sasuke, now!" Naruto yelled as he spun, much like Kokuro had done in space when fighting Tsuki.
The dark-haired shinobi summoned his Susanoo, launching a purple arrow at his enemy. He then replaced the weapon with himself using the Rinnegan and made his ultimate defense appear again. If he could just catch her off guard, they might be able to seal this demon away from their world.
The Otsutsuki Matriarch didn't even bat an eye as she rose a chakra encapsulated hand towards Indra's reincarnation. Her expression turned sad as she thought about all this fighting. It reminded her of when she had to battle against her own sons; it was too much hate to bear. She barely felt as his attack melt when it came in contact with her blue hand. They were foolish to think that they could take down she, the mother of chakra, again. She would not be outdone by her sons again.
The blast propelled Sasuke towards the red and yellow magma beneath them, no longer having anything to keep him afloat. He heard Naruto call out to him, the buffoon still swirling in midair. The motion made it hard for him to concentrate, but he managed to teleport himself behind the blond, slamming into him to stop the spinning. However, without something to stand on, Sasuke began to fall again. Naruto called his name in alarm when he felt something grip his ankle.
The blond stared into his friend's two colored eyes, seeing emotions dance before him. It was like when they were children all over again. Naruto could see the disappointment coursing through Sasuke upon realizing his greatest weapon didn't work. He saw it turn into self hate - the usual 'I'm not strong enough' glare took hold.
All this made Naruto feel nervous, just like it always had when Sasuke's plan failed. How could they defeat this foe if even Sasuke couldn't land a hit? What chance did they truly have?
'Do not forget, Naruto, you are the hero of this story,' a deep voice came to him.
His heart swelled at hearing the words of his deceased sensei; the one who he owned his namesake too. The frog sannin was right, Naruto decided. He had battled countless foes without Sasuke before, and he had beaten all odds. But he had never, ever accomplished it alone like his counterpart always tried to do.
"Sasuke," Naruto called down to his troubled friend. "You said it was going to take both of us to seal her away, right? Well, that means we have to stop acting individually. This tag teaming gig simply isn't going to work. We need to combine our strengths and take her down together. You got me, right?"
The dark-haired shinobi blinked, hearing the one he always considered to be a doofus speak such wise words. He watched as a black orb came down and flatten for him to stand on. They had both benefited from the Six Paths' chakra. The sage had given both of them half of his chakra. The crescent moon on his left hand symbolized that he was only half the puzzle, and Naruto, with the sun on his right, was the other part.
"The abilities the Six Paths gave us will be pointless unless we defeat her…." Sasuke started turning towards the Rabbit Goddess. "And we will, together."
The air around them suddenly dropped despite the intense heat beneath their feets. Fear encased the two warriors. It reminded the duo of their first, real mission against Zabuza when they first encountered him and were exposed to the cruel reality of the shinobi life. The idea of two ninja preparing to clash with the intent to kill… that alone had been chilling. Now, to be up against yet another foe completely out of their league… it was deja vu for them.
Kaguya reached out to the pair, tenderly wrapping her fingers under their chins so she could get a better look at them. Tears started spilling from her eyes as she remembered the love she felt for her own two sons. She had shared everything she had with them, and all they did was caused hatred that dragged through the millenia down to their two current descendents.
"My beloved children…" She whispered, her sorrow choking her own words. "It's time to come back to your mother."
Sasuke tried to move away from this deranged alien, but found he couldn't move. There was nothing the duo could do as black shadows spilled from her billowing sleeves and encased half of each of them. Zetsu metabolized over them, a red eye indicating his presence.
"You remind mother of her children." He grumbled in his liquid form. "The very children that sealed her away."
Naruto blinked. "What do you mean? Why would Six Paths Super Gramps seal his own mother away?"
"Who and what are you exactly Zetsu?" Sasuke bit out harshly as he felt his chakra slowly getting sucked away.
"I am Kaguya's child." He claimed. "I have recorded and shaped all history for her so that when she returned. The tale of the shinobi is the tale of restoring Mother."
"What do you mean… 'shaped'...?" Sasuke asked.
Zetsu chuckled. "Let me tell you the story of mother and her wretched children."
"Dammit," Kokuro muttered as he came upon another empty dimension. "Genbu, how are we supposed to find Kaguya like this?"
"It's hard to pinpoint here when she's not teleporting, moonblood." The Ten-Tails explained as he got a spark. "Hurry, she's using it."
The young Otsutsuki activated his own dimensional portal and traveled through, following his bijuu's lead. He felt a pulse come from him, signifying that Genbu had pulled up a dimension for them to go through. A slit opened up revealing bright light. Kokuro felt the heat immediately and braced himself for the attack, but there was none. The blinding light gave way to a red and black field that reminded the young shinobi of the Tsukuyomi realm. His eyes focused on the iridescent yellow and glowing white. Kokuro saw Naruto in the cloud of yellow, half of him covered in black. Next to him was Sasuke, also partly covered in black. Ringed eyes followed the path of darkness leading to the figure shrouded in white. They narrowed as they saw similar features to himself; the horns, white hair, the Rinne Sharingan in the middle of her forehead.
"Kaguya Otsu-WOAH!" Kokuro exclaimed as he suddenly felt himself start to fall head first. He instantly figured out what the source of the smothering heat was coming from: the lava down below.
'Ignorant boy! Do something!' Genbu roared within him.
'Do something, right. Um,' the jinchuriki flustered as barreled down.
Kokuro braced himself for the burning sensation, but was stopped just before reaching his fiery death. His face inches from the yellow and red liquid. He blinked his silver eyes, a bit confused.
'You were always the slower part of us,' he heard Tsuki resonant within. 'Don't you remember how we fought in space? You control gravity; make it your bitch.'
A grin slid over Kokuro's pale face as he righted himself. 'Thanks, Tsuki. I'll keep your words of wisdom in mind as I kick this goddess's almighty ass.'
Kaguya gazed over at the white-haired boy. "Is that him?" She asked her Black Zetsu.
"Yes, mother, that is Kokuro Otsutsuki. Your one, true descendent." It replied back to her.
"He's but a boy." She murmured watching as he figured out his levitation again.
"Do not be fooled mother. He was created when you first ate the chakra fruit." Her will warned her. "He grew from the chakra fed to the tree from all your hard work. When his growth reached its apex with the Uchiha fueling it, he was born. He has power unmatched and mostly unheard of because these ignorant humans had forgotten all you had accomplished. He will not be easy to defeat, mother."
Suddenly, Kokuro was in front of Kaguya, in between Sasuke and Naruto. "A mother who loved her children would not fight them; even if he was considered her enemy," he stated grabbing a hold of Zetsu's black form and ripping him away from the two shinobi.
The Rabbit Goddess pulled back, activating her Byakugan. While the ones on her left and right were merely halves of Hagoromo, this boy in front of her was also irrefutably hers as well. Her chakra ran pure through his veins, but there was something else there as well… something more powerful than her chakra.
"Genbu," she muttered in disgust. His presence reminded her of a time when she was weak; a mere concubine in this world-a woman who actually believed in love. When she bonded with him by eating the chakra fruit, she could see all he had already experience. It was then that her heart started to blacken. The wise rabbit sage had tried to convince her that their combined power could still bring peace and love into this world, but she wanted nothing to do with love. Love was weak and dead to her. Kaguya had cast Genbu away from her, but stole some of his chakra for her own, thus casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
"Hey, Kokuro, we're great that you're here and all, but, um, what exactly is your part in all this?" Naruto probed.
"We're all pieces to taking down Kaguya," Kokuro responded to the blond. "In order to make sure she is never reborn again, she needs to be killed, not merely sealed away."
"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Sasuke asked the white-haired shinobi. "She's immortal."
The young Otsutsuki looked down at his hand, the mark of the God Tree spreading across it. "You guys aren't the only ones with new mystical abilities." He fisted his hand and glared up at Otsutsuki. "We need to create an opening."
"Guys, I have an idea," prompted Naruto. "I have to use that jutsu."
A set of ringed eyes glanced at the knuckle headed ninja. "What do you mean 'that' jutsu?"
"You can't be serious," Sasuke grumbled, unsure of his comrade's tactic.
"Hear me out," the blond pleaded. "It might just give us the opening we need."
"If there's any chance of that, we need to take it."
Kokuro looked between the two who seemed to suddenly developed a twin like telepathy. "What are you two scheming? What jutsu is going to take place?"
"Don't worry, Kokuro, I've been practicing this more than the Rasengan. It's gotta work."
He glanced at the stoic Uchiha. "And you're just going along with all this?"
Sasuke shrugged, keeping his eyes on Kaguya. "I'm currently out of ideas since she can absorb all our attacks. If it can catch her off guard, we can strike."
The older shinobi slowly nodded, refocusing on his mother. "Alright, what do you need me to do?"
"You'll know when to strike," the Uchiha stated vaguely. "I'm ready, Naruto."
Kokuro watched as Amaterasu was thrown at the goddess. He frowned, not understanding the purpose of the attack given they just said she was absorb it. The blond shinobi floated towards Kaguya, ready with an attack. Shadow clones appeared around Naruto as he built up chakra. Even his advance ocular prowess couldn't predict the next move.
"Sexy Jutsu: Reverse Harem Jutsu."
"Holy shit…" Kokuro muttered, as stunned as Kaguya with all the beautiful men surrounding her. He gulped and prayed to the gods that Kiba wasn't watching this.
As quickly as the clones appeared, they were gone, and Kaguya was sent flying with a bruised cheek.
"Sasuke! Kokuro! Now!" The blond called, pulling Kokuro from his daze.
He saw the Uchiha spring into action, moving in synchronization with his Uzumaki counterpart. They were moving too quickly, he needed to seal her chakra before they could seal her away. It wasn't going to work. As Sasuke transported Kaguya between them, Kokuro moved to get in front of her; to try and make his move before they made theirs. His fingers touched her kimono briefly, Naruto and Sasuke mere centimeters from reaching her, when he suddenly felt very cold.
Kokuro found that he couldn't move much. His eyes circled around the best they could, piecing together that they were encased in ice. How could that possibly be? They were just surrounded by a fiery tomb, and now, his skin was burning from the cold of this realm instead.
'She just rewrote the entire world right before our eyes…'
'Do not act so shocked child, you did the same for the mother of your children. You created a safe haven for her and your family at a moment's notice.' Genbu reminded him.
Kaguya opened another portal, away from all her enemies, and teleported out of their icy prison. Her tears longed dried, she approached again with Black Zetsu in her sleeves. She would absorb the reincarnations of Hagoromo and Hamura, then, she would take down her own transmigration.
Kokuro saw her coming for them. He wouldn't allow anything to happen to two he considered his younger brothers. No one attacked his family. He activated his own Amaterasu and harnessed its power to cut them from of their confinements. Kaguya floated back, preparing for another attack from them.
"Sorry my jutsu didn't work, guys," Naruto sighed.
"I didn't really expect that type of jutsu to work anyway." Sasuke told him, brutally honest as always.
"It was worth a shot," Kokuro stated. "Now, let's go with my plan. You guys ready to put your backs into it?"
The duo nodded, preparing for their next move.
"Children are very annoying, aren't they mother?" Black Zetsu chooed up to her. "I think it would be better if you separated the team; take them on individually."
The goddess said nothing as she opened a portal and reached in. The team had little time to react as Sasuke was yanked by his collar into another dimension.
"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed as he reached to try and force the portal open.
'Genbu, what do I do?' Kokuro panicked on the inside. He could see desert as the portal started to close up.
'It will be nearly impossible to find him in such a short time frame,' the rabbit god explained gravely. 'You might have to proceed without them; neutralize the enemy before sealing her away.'
'I can't just leave Sasuke there! As far as we know, he has no water, and hello, it's a desert! How long can he really survive those conditions?'
'They will find him, moonblood. You currently have bigger fish to fry.' Genbu pointed out as a wave of ice and snow came barrelling towards them.
"Goddamn." Kokuro muttered as he summoned his own portal and got out of range. He appeared on top of it, looking for his mother. It took awhile for her pale face to show again, but when she did, Kokuro was ready. He teleported to her with lightning speed, shoving her back into whatever dimension she was in. He fell through as well and the portal sealed without her control.
Kokuro looked around at the new domain. It was mountainous; jagged and sculpted. He could feel chakra oozing from it though.
'You're in Kaguya's core dimension,' Genbu explained. 'Here she can heal rapidly and pull chakra from those trapped in the God Tree's roots. This is not a place you want to take her on.'
'So, I need to get her out of her own dimensions…'
'Keep her off guard. So long as you remain in control, you might actually have an opportunity to stop her.'
"You made a poor choose in coming here, boy," Black Zetsu chuckled. "Mother's power is infinite here. You do not stand a chance."
To prove his point, Kaguya summoned a massive True-Seeking Ball. Kokuro gripped his fists, imagining all the people she just sacrificed to summon that. He would not let their lives go to waste. His hand became coated in his Heavenly Chidori. As Kaguya launched her attack, Kokuro flung himself at it head on. He felt another presence wrap around his hand; Genbu was there, enhancing his lightning. He felt the impact of the collison. He was fighting against the very lives of innocent people.
'They're sacrifice will not be in vain.' Kokuro thought as he shattered through the black ball.
Blue chakra flood the dimension, shaking it to its very core. Mountains and peaks began to crumble. Kokuro stood in the middle of it, the blue force wiping violently around him, even going as far as to draw blood. It was like all the hate and pain in the world, trying to crush anything that opposed its path. The young shinobi did what he did to all his personal pain: he embraced it. The life force began to shift around him; instead of attacking him, it moved around him, swirling endlessly. He had tamed the beast within, calming it, soothing it, accepting it.
"How did you defeat my Truth-Seeking Ball?" Kaguya demanded, angered he had bested her.
"You don't seem to get it do you?" Kokuro asked her, calm like the eye of a hurricane. "It all makes sense now… your bitterness, your hatred, that's what corrupted humans. Black Zetsu, in his pursuit to revive you, spread the evil that you calm destroyed the world. He pushed Indra on this path of hatred, in which caused even more suffering. Battles waged on over this; wars that ruined your so-called precious nursery! You don't care for this place! You care about being in control, and that lust for it caused people to lose their loved ones over it. There is an entire clan corrupted because of you! They love the most, and therefore, have the most to lose at the cost of power. It consumes them, closing their hearts off from the world just like Indra. They were nearly exterminated because of this curse of hatred that you sent upon the world. So, if anyone's to blame because of this destruction, it's you and that little black shit hiding in your sleeve."
Tears streamed down the young shinobi's face as he thought off all the pain he endured… that Itachi faced… that Sintary suffered. All because they were caught in this endless loop. Despite all that, they had survived. "My friends and I are victims of your ideology… my soul nearly shattered because you played on the hatred within me…" He sniffled as his fists clenched tightly. "You asked how I was able to defeat your Truth-Seeking Ball… I did it the same way all of Ashura's reincarnations did: with the strength of my bonds. I accepted that there is hatred and suffering in the world; every human being has the capability of darkness, but that's something that unites us instead of separating us from everyone we care about. I accepted my darker half; Tsuki is apart of me, and there's no changing it. He has shaped who I am, and further my growth. I got there because I had friends and a family that care for me. No matter what evils I faced or, even became, they stood by my side. When I was torn to pieces, they put me back together, and showed me it was okay to rely on them. It was their love that taught me to accept myself; I learned self-love was important, too. And by setting aside my painful path, I was able to unite with Genbu as his friend, not his superior like you.
I shattered that dark void with the very thing you lack: love. That is how you and I differ. I may be your descendant, but I am in no way like you-mother."
The hardened goddess flinched at his words. Here she was again, being betrayed by her own blood. She hadn't even raised him, he didn't even know her or her own suffering; yet, he hated her.
She narrowed her pearl eyes at him. "If this love you proclaim is so strong, then you, my son, should be able to forgive your mother as a son should."
Kokuro watched her with an opened mind. If he could forgive all the horrors he faced, and all the horrendous people who caused it… he could forgive Kaguya. However, he couldn't risk endangering the world. People who plan to destroy and take power… rarely change. Take Danzo for example; he destroyed Kokuro to try and hone in on his Kekkei Genkai - to claim it as his own. He died as he was born: a bastard from hell. Only years after his death could the young Otsutsuki truly forgive the man who ruined him. So, he didn't doubt his ability to pardon Kaguya; instead, it was rather would his kindness be thrown back at him and used.
"Kokuro," she called out to him, her voice danty and formal-like royalty. "You are my flesh and blood. I am your family. Isn't that what you always wanted? To have a mother by your side? You can still have that, just join me. After all the chakra is reunited, another chakra fruit will form. You can eat it, and we can rule over this land together-forever. As mother and son."
"Your goal was to gather all the chakra into yourself; so, you, along, had all the power."
"I wish to purify the world again. This idea of Ninshu has poison it all. I wanted to take it back so the humans could live human lives without the burden of chakra. You and I are not human. We come from the stars. We can handle the power unlike the humans. Kokuro, you could be the savior of this world. That is your destiny."
Kaguya's words sparked a memory inside Kokuro of when Itachi had given him a scroll on her almost a year ago.
"What is this?" The Otsutsuki Hokage demanded the next morning, waving the rolled piece of paper.
The Uchiha Hokage looked at his best friend. "I think you understand what it is."
"Don't play coy with me, Itachi! This talks about the end of the world!"
Itachi sat back in his seat. "I couldn't read the entire thing. It requires the use of Rinnegan, which is why I handed it over to you."
"NO!" Kokuro roared. "You handed it over to me because I'm involved!"
"You are?"
"Goddammit, you're so infuriating with your calm, inquisitive nature."
Itachi sighed quietly. "I can't help if you don't tell me what was in the scroll, Kokuro. People claim me as brilliant, but I am only as useful as what is presented to me."
Kokuro sighed quietly, running a hand through his white hair. It was too early for these games; no wonder Tsunade had a constant supply of sake. "It spoke of an infinite dream. 'The illusion of the moon will cast the world into an long night. The dreamers will sleep, blissfully, while they are consumed . Their lifeforce will bring the rebirth of the yokai, the Goddess of the Moon. Only the can three celestials can end the dream. They can either raise a new dawn, only to bring the moon anew beneath the stars, or be consumed, and seal the dream eternal under a bleeding moon."
"And how are you involved?" Itachi asked after he was finished.
Kokuro's mouth gaped open, flabbergasted. "Hell-o! Celestial being, right here." He pointed to himself. "And the talk of the stars, all the readings state that the Otsutsuki clan is literally from the stars. It's obviously about me."
"Suppose your right, who are the two others then?" Itachi questioned as he stood.
"Hell if I know," the young Hokage shrugged putting the scroll down as he sat on the desk, facing out towards the village. "Hey, how did you come across that thing anyway?"
Gazing out as the sun rose, Itachi answered, "It was floating in the family pond yesterday morning."
"The pond? That's a weird place. Wouldn't the ink get messed up?" Kokuro asked, frowning.
The dark-haired Hokage was silent for a moment. "Master Jiraiya used to tell me when he was collecting data about the Akatsuki, he would write a scroll to Tsunade and deliver it via toad."
"So…. you think the toads are involved?"
"The Great Toad Sage along with the others in his realm are known for rarely dreaming, and that their dreams are usually prophecies." Itachi explained, pausing for a moment before shifting the conversation. "Did you ever hear of the Child of Prophecy?"
"Not really."
"It was said that a student of Master Jiraiya's would bring about a great revolution to the shinobi world. He has only accepted three pupils, two of which are dead."
Kokuro hummed, understanding a bit more. "So you think Naruto is the child of prophecy and that he's somehow tied with this one."
"It would make sense that Uzumaki child would be the sun. He is a beam of energy, always shining to those in the dark." Itachi concluded.
"So, then, I guess the real question is who is the moon? And how the hell do we stop Kaguya Otsutsuki?"
"It all makes sense now…" Kokuro murmured to himself. "The sun, Naruto. The moon, Sasuke. The stars, myself…"
"What are you mumbling about? I despise mumbling," Kaguya scolded him.
"The prophecy that foretold your arrival, and also your ending."
Pearl eyes narrowed with suspicion. "It looks like I have another disappointment, not a son. How could I have gone wrong as a mother."
Mother…
Kokuro's heart long to have someone to call that; someone that put a bandage on his scraps, someone that gave him warm hugs, that congratulated him even on the smallest accomplishments, and set him straight when he fell off his wagon. His thoughts instantly came to his memory of Mikoto Uchiha. A woman whose heart was so big, she accepted a third son into her home, no questions asked or expectations to uphold - other than to be home in time for supper. She supported her sons' decisions. He smiled bitterly, remembering that Itachi once told him that even as he held a blade to his mother, she never wavered in her love for him.
Mikoto Uchiha was the mother Kokuro had always longed for, and those he only had her in his life for a few years, he cherished her, and would always consider her his one true mother.
"Blood doesn't matter…" Kokuro whispered as his heart swelled. "What connects us is love, not the thing running through our veins. The fact that you can't see that is what seals your fate." He gripped his fists, staring her dead on as his Byakugan activated. "Kaguya Otsutsuki, say your final goodbyes, because you will not becoming back from this."
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