Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto are all owned by Masashi Kishimoto. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth. Please support the official release.

Chapter 7: Are my Ancestors Aliens?

"Great-grandpa, are we aliens?" Ruby suddenly asked Madara.

The ancient God of Shinobi was still hooked up to the Gedo Statue shown with the cable-like vines attached to his back, siphoning chakra from the being to keep the Uchiha alive in his old age. Madara was currently going over old scrolls detailing legends pertaining to the Sage of Six Paths, trying to filter what was fiction or not. This collection of old information lay within one of the more fashioned rooms within their hideout with paneled floors and wooden walls. One the far side was a mural depiction of the Sage of Six Paths in his 'wrinkly glory' as Ruby would put holding his signature staff, Rinnegan eyes blazing purple with power, and his head crowned with a pair of horns.

"What kind of question is that?" Madara replied in one of the rare times that his great-granddaughter has had him stumped.

Ruby had decided to tag along if only to learn more about the Sage of Six Paths. Ever since hearing a seemingly god-like entity was their own ancestor, the silver-eyed Uchiha had gained a strong interest in the subject. Mostly she wanted to discover what the origins of the Sage of Six Paths. Where did he come from? Did he have other family like parents or siblings? Was he really a god or something completely different? Who were his own ancestors? And why does he have a pair of horns? Seemingly simple questions Ruby wanted to find answers to the extreme as it could detail where her ancestral line truly came from.

"Well, wherever he came from, I know for certain he's definitely not from here or Remnant." Ruby answered. "Because there really isn't anything that remotely looks like him."

For one, he certainly wasn't a Faunas. Besides the horns, the Rinnegan eyes were definitely than just some sort of Kekkei Genkei. No, they looked as they were natural to him like hair on a human was a natural. Then there was the name of the Sage that Ruby discovered in her own search.

Hagoromo Otsutsuki was the Sage's real name, and the fact he had a last name stuck to Ruby. Thus, she searched even deeper for any reference to the name of Otsutsuki. Her search only came up with one name: Kaguya Otsutsuki, the Mother of Hagoromo, the Rabbit Goddess, and the Mother of All Chakra. She came by this information from none other than Black Zetsu, a creation of Madara and the Akatsuki's top spy. It even included a picture of Kaguya herself in full color, and Ruby was momentarily stunned at Kaguya as something resonated in her looking at her. Something in her blood reacted beyond than the beautiful face topped with rabbit-like horns, near white skin complexion, and a lithe form hidden in her kimono.

Yet, Ruby could not ignore how distinctly alien Kaguya looked, more so than Hagoromo. The first sign was the awfully pale skin (how Black Zetsu even managed to get it this detailed she had no idea) of Kaguya surpassing physical ailments of humans, and the horns were more pronounced along with her long white flowing hair. Most definitely were how Kaguya had three eyes with the regular pair with Byakugan eyes and the third settled on her forehead showing a crimson Rinnegan with nine tomoe. Not only did that the Sharingan came from Kaguya, which was first passed onto Hagoromo, it showed that the Hyuuga were also related to both Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki to a distant extreme. What really sold Ruby that Kaguya was not of the same earth was the depiction of her falling from the heavens.

"I... This is..." Madara struggled to find the proper words. "I don't even know how to give a response to that.

"It makes sense." Ruby said. "Before chakra was gifted to us, it was all just humans as usual. Then all of a sudden, here comes Kaguya, and then Hagoromo who are completely different than anyone in the world with abilities that are definitely not natural. Does it seem oddly otherworldly that us? So boom, they're aliens, and thus we are also sort of aliens."

Unfortunately, that was where the trail ended in terms of looking for references of either Kaguya or Otsutsuki. Strange it suddenly went cold when investigating something called the 'Inner'.

Instead, Ruby changed her search in physical attributes, mainly humanoids with horns. Her trail had to go beyond the cultures of Ninshu and shinobi that praised Hagoromo as a god and the Ten-tails as a devil of sorts. It wasn't easy since shinobi culture was the supreme majority on the continent. Ruby managed to renew her search when she discovered the cultures still worshipped by the samurai in Iron Country and, surprisingly, formerly Whirlpool Country as well from the Uzumaki scrolls she recovered.

Samurai of the Iron Country had a culture known as Shinto older than Ninshu, which gave worship to a multitude of gods that were coincidentally named the same as some of the Mangekyou Sharingan techniques. They came with names such as Susanoo, God of Storms; Amaterasu, Goddess of the sun; Tsukiyomi, God of the Moon; and many others. It was too much of a coincidence that Ruby delved into the Shinto cultures mythologies for any vain clues pointing to some sort of origin of the Otsutsuki. Admittedly, she may have been grasping at straws, but she too damn curious about the whole thing to care. Something in her screamed to know.

In time, Ruby's investigation led her to one god of the Shinto religion. With pale skin, white hair, and a pair of horns, the resemblance was almost uncanny if it weren't for his grotesque appearance. Those were Ruby's thoughts when she found out about the Death God, Shinigami. There was even proof of his existence in the highest level of fuinjutsu that called to summon the entity, especially a mask that came with a pile of warnings.

Back to the present, Madara was trying to make a reply, but for the life of him he could not make a proper response. He honestly had no words to say to that random ridiculousness. Madara could not deny there was some truth to Ruby's words despite how cracked up it sounded. In the end, he was brought to silence with new food for thought. Who are the Otsutsuki? The answer would no doubt answer the origins of their own powers as well.

While Madara would soon dismiss it for his own plans, Ruby's own interest in the subject of the Otsutsuki. Despite the thin strings of rumor and legend she came across, the silver-eyed Uchiha felt she was so incredibly close to a truth. Whoever these Otsutsuki were, they had played a major role in the cultures throughout the Elemental Nations, such as the Oni in Shinto culture and the cult that worshipped a god known as Jashin. She just needed her questions answered from a direct source. Luckily, Ruby had one such item that was hidden by a metaphorical wall of Uzumaki sealing from the trove, but the risk may lead to her death.

So either Ruby gives this up without any answers to the Otsutsuki and the origin of her ancestors, or risk certain death to know if she in fact part alien. A sane, normal person would definitely choose the best plan to live. Ruby was far from a normal person unfortunately. She needed to know if aliens existed!

Satisfied with her questioning, Ruby was about to leave for one final 'project' in her investigation. Not without saying a few words to get Madara to think on. It's not everyday she is able to make her great-grandfather speechless.

"Just think about it, okay?" Ruby said. "There has to be something than just 'they were gods'. They were born, they lived, and they also died, bringing with them abilities not seen in this world. They have to have some sort of origin, and it makes you think if people like the Sage of Six Paths were the norm in their own world. I find that incredibly interesting."

(Ruby's House)

"So you want me to blast you in the face with my Dragon Release if you become too far gone?" Said a very nerve-racked Shirou, his mismatched eyes staring intently upon Ruby... and now considering if she was borderline insane.

"Yep!" Ruby chirped in her usual bright personality. "Just use enough to destroy the mask if I start to spasm. Like it if looks like my body is going to explode."

"Remind me why are we doing this." Shirou said in a tone that pleaded Ruby to reconsider.

"To uncover the truth!" Ruby proclaimed as if she were reciting gospel.

Shirou could only sweat drop in awkwardness while his nerves were shaking in fear of Ruby's fate. This was even more dire when he stood face-to-face with Ryujin, the boss of the dragon summoning clan. He had never felt such an overbearing presence from just a glare, second only to Madara's powerful gaze. The trial he knew to come was dangerous, yet he persevered in the end as Ruby had confidence in him. Ryujin had made a challenge that proved Shirou's worth through the nature and strength of his chakra that he had to let off in a powerful pressure to push against Ryujin's own chakra pressure. He proved his worth of his massive reserves of his chakra and its destructive nature for lasting an entire day before passing out in exhaustion, and so Shirou became the first Dragon Summoner since the end of the Second Shinobi War.

His eyes trailed away from Ruby's silver orbs to what lay in her hands. It was an ivory mask shaped into the terrifying visage of an Oni demon with four fangs around the mouthpiece and curled horns protruding from the forehead. Along the sides of the face was a crimson flame pattern that seemed to try and corrupt the mask itself. Looking at the mask was enough to make Shirou shiver from the chills going up and down his spine. The apparent danger it had matched its look as it was an ancient Uzumaki tool that connected to the Kami-damned Shinigami!

And Ruby, of all things, wanted to meet the death god and talk to it. Not make a deal, not banish, but try to make a normal conversation with the Shinigami. All because Ruby has a theory the death god is some sort of otherworldly being related to her ancestor. Shirou wondered if this insane interest Ruby had was a side effect of being bereft of living in normal civilization. Then again, he wasn't that much different since his former life as a child slave.

Shirou so wanted to not have Ruby put that mask. He had already implored Ruby to reconsider a more safe route, but the girl was too damn stubborn proving the Uzumaki lineage in her blood. That too could be considered Shirou's fault since he couldn't bring himself to be more forceful against Ruby, with the exception in training. The boy owed his life to Ruby, and they were the best of friends since then to always help the other.

"Don't worry, Shirou." Ruby said, her voice silken with her kind flair. "I vow on the Uchiha and Uzumaki blood in my veins that I will come back alive."

That seemed to lift Shirou's mood if only a little. Ruby was the type of person to bleed all of her blood in order to fulfill a promise, more so for those close to her. Ruby had zero intention in dying today as she had too many life goals in the future she had to achieve, first of all of course surpassing her great-grandfather since arriving in this world. But if this is her end... well, she can go in peace in the fact she had the greatest foodgasm that was the epitome of Shirou's cooking so far. Her legs were shaking just remembering the impossibility of meat melting like butter in her mouth and she had to force herself not to let out an indignant sound from her lips at the memory.

"Well, here I go." Ruby announced.

In one single motion, she turned the mask around in the palm of her hand and smacked it to her face. Instantly, her whole world went dark and all of her senses went through a strange feeling of vertigo. Once Ruby had the sensation of her eyes blinking, she found herself in a literal void of nothingness. Absolute black surrounded her, yet her vision was not deterred from the lack of a light source. The sound of dripping water drew Ruby's attention to the ground, where the floor rippled as if she were standing on water.

"Oh?" Echoed a ghostly voice reverberating throughout the entire space. "It has been some time that a mortal has summoned their spirit to my own space."

Ruby whipped her head around to try and find the source. Twice did Ruby turn her in both directions, yet found only the same black emptiness of the realm. She turned her head back straight, but immediately jumped back with a yelp at the demonic face staring back at her by only inches separating them from contact. Her body automatically moved into her fighter's stance as her silver eyes took in the Shinigami.

His whole body was covered in a large white haori, but it did not hide his chest that clinged to his bones as if malnourished. The skin that clung to the skinny body was a sickly pale blue, and his eyes were completely black with golden pupils. A tanto was held within a maw of sharp teeth, and of course there was a distinct pair of horns catching Ruby's attention the most. Despite being flooded with such a cold aura, Ruby did not break her expression into despair and kept calm.

"So, what reason has brought you to me?" Spoke the Shinigami, even as his lips refused to move to instead hiss out a chilled breath. "Do you wish for me to use your body and thus use my power to vanquish your enemies? Or are you here to offer your life for one close to you that is of late?"

A small downward twitch was the only outward response from Ruby from the second question. Inwardly, Ruby felt her heart skip a beat. For a small second, Ruby fantasized the possibility of bringing her mother back to the living. If only just to see her face and the smile they both shared. However, Ruby crushed that thought as Madara's discipline kicked in. Those that have died must stay dead, even if it tears them apart. So Ruby took a calm breath and stared back at the Shinigami waiting for an answer.

"Nah, I just want to talk with you." Ruby said with a bright smile.

There was something completely frightening is able to make an entity revered as a god to become speechless at a few words. Beings who know ahead of time in a sort of clairvoyance, and yet the Shinigami never expected this kind of response.

"You are not trying to deceive, are you girl!?" The Shinigami threatened.

"Nope!" Ruby chirped. "I just want to talk with you because I think you have the answers to what I am looking for, and maybe we can be friends after this."

The Shinigami in all his stoic demeanor could not hold in the roar of cold, wispy laughter from his dried lips. For the first time, his jaw unhinged to laugh, allowing the tanto to fall to the water-like ground. Friends!? This mortal wanted to be friends with him, the god of death as the humans have proclaimed him to be. It was too fucking hilarious!

Even in the wake of his laughter, Ruby did not bat a twitch of fear. She refused to do so. It was drilled into her by Madara to rarely show any such fear in the literal face of death. Internally, her whole body felt like it was freezing in the entity's presence. Like her body was meeting its antithesis.

"For someone who has so little Uzumaki in their blood, you have more surprise in you than their most radical members." The Shinigami barked in laughter. "Fine then. I will allow us to have a... talk."

The Shinigami spoke the last word as if it were too alien. A gnarled, skinny hand with claw-like hands raised in the air and snapped their fingers. Black was instantly replaced by white to a degree that Ruby had to squint her eyes for a moment. The drip of water was gone replaced by a click of her shoes as if Ruby were walking over a marble floor instead. Once her eyes adjusted to the new 'brightness' of the space, she found the demonic Shinigami was nowhere in sight, but now someone entirely new took his place.

Sitting in seiza in front of a knee-high table was an ordinary-looking man lacking any sort of skin imperfection or blemish on its pale yellow complexion. Long white hair went down in a perfect waterfall down his back with two bangs framing his face. The man wore a plain white kimono with black matagama markings going vertically down the waist and along the sleeves.

Ruby was about to ask who the man was and where the Shinigami was until she noticed the man's eyes and the short white horns on his head. They heavily contrasted with everything about the man's features with their entirely black color with only golden pupils. The malevolence was hidden, but it was recognizable to who it really was. As unbelievable as it was, the man sitting in seiza was really the Shinigami.

"EHHH!?" Ruby exclaimed. "W-Why are you not scary anymore!?"

"You mortals call me a god." The Shinigami spoke, his voice lacking its overbearing presence. "Did you not think it was possible for someone such as myself to simply change their appearance into something more comfortable?"

Ruby opened her mouth to respond, and stayed like that for a second before answering. "I will stand corrected. Just surprised is all since I was prepared to just see you in your scary form."

"Oh really?" The Shinigami said raising an eyebrow as dark grey mist billowed from his sleeves. "Maybe I should just go back-"

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Ruby cried, waving her hands in front of her. "That won't be necessary! This is perfectly fine!"

The Shinigami chuckled and gestured in front of him. "Have a seat and let us talk."

Gulping down her fear, Ruby sat in seiza on the table, directly in front of the entity. While Ruby was successful in having her posture dignified, she felt a pressure trying to make Ruby collapse.

"Go on and ask away." The Shinigami insisted. "It's not everyday that someone comes to myself not for power or greed. I could use a half decent conversation. However, I am permitting three questions."

"Okay." Ruby responded, already thinking up her first question. "Are you an alien or a god?"

The Shinigami raised one hairless eyebrow, his golden eyes studying the silver-eyed girl.

'So that is what you are going for.' Thought the entity. 'Never thought someone was cracked enough to know about my people's origins.'

"A simple question with a complicated answer, but you humans were not so inaccurate in calling myself a god." The Shinigami answered. "Yet, I am an alien in a way that I am not originally from this world. From where I am from, we have no sort of world, or a planet as we would say that was our cradle. We were an ancient race, the oldest known simply as celestial beings. Where you can walk across land and swim in water, we can traverse across the cosmos at our will. It is only when lifeforms such as yourself came to be that we became known as gods."

"So that is a yes to both answers." Ruby mused to herself, drawing her eyes away for a moment.

The Shinigami's black eyes narrowed for just the smallest amount. He was gracious enough to have the mortal talk with him without reaping her soul, but he had a limit to his patience. He extended on finger and tapped on the table to grab Ruby's attention.

"You have two questions left." The Shinigami said. "Use them wisely."

"Uhm." Ruby paused to find the right words. "Are the Otsutsuki a clan of celestial beings?"

This time, the Shinigami gave a full-on glare, flaring his deathly presence. "Where did you learn that name?"

Ruby laughed nervously. "Well, you see, you could say I am sort of... related to one Kaguya Otsutsuki, and I've wondering what the whole shtick is with them since they are technically my ancestors. It just boils down to that I want to know more about my family."

The Shinigami knew it anyway. He could sense her blood like a trickle of rain in a clearing sky. Too faint to be substantial but it was there nonetheless. Yet, there was something else he sensed within Ruby. It felt so alien, yet he felt it was similar like a long ago memory.

"Yes, they are a clan." The Shinigami answered truthfully. "They are natural dimensional travelers and wielders of the life force as you call chakra. They usually seed worlds to create a fruit of eternal life, but that is a story for another time."

"You're an Otsutsuki, aren't you?" Ruby stated. "Why are you here?"

The Shinigami that the girl was clever. Too clever if he might add. Almost reminded the ancient being of Kaguya in her youth. So kind and innocent then. Her last question wasn't even on her curiosity, but more of a concern. How funny to be worried about the feelings of the death god.

"Yes, I was an Otsutsuki." The Shinigami admitted. "Officially, the Otsutsuki have come here to seed a planet for their unique fruit, but this world can be considered a backwater spot. Perfect for own sort of criminals to hide... or unfortunate individuals exiled in shame. I was once a proud member of that family, but certain... events have stripped me down in status. To be banished is to be rendered your entire identity to the clan.

"My eyes." The Shinigami laid a hand close to his left eye. "My bloodline. My status. My legacy. I don't even have the right to my own name. Hmph, all because I wanted to stop our clan from becoming something unsavory. Some of your people are more accurate to label my people Oni, demons, and for good reason."

"I... I'm sorry." Ruby apologized solemnly. "I didn't mean to bring up such bad memories."

The Shinigami waved it off. "You have no reason to be as foolish as to apologize to me. It happened a long time ago, and I have accepted that. Now, all I can do is act as the death god for this world, if only to make you mortals' death a bit more comfortable."

'I'm sure it is the opposite with how terrifying you look.' Ruby thought with a sweat drop.

"Ah damn, I've run out of questions." Ruby cursed, rubbing the back of her head. "I still have so much to ask you. Can I really not speak to you again after this?"

The Shinigami paused in thought before answering. So far, this has been remotely the most pleasant moment he has had in quite a long, long time, and on some level he too was curious with the girl before him. He knew Ruby carried the Sharingan, but instead carried with it in a bright silver instead of the cold crimson the Uchiha were famed for. They totally lacked the cold viciousness in the typical Uchiha and her eyes literally felt like a warm light. It was a possible connection to that alien signature the Shinigami sensed within her as it definitely wasn't of mortal kind but not that of the Otsutsuki. He could have sworn he felt this signature before, but so much time has passed the Shinigami could not recall at the moment. An idea came to mind that could benefit the both of them, if only to satiate both of their curiosity.

"You can," the Shinigami answered, making Ruby perk up, "but not without a price, and I know just how I can use you for my needs. You see, I am not the only rogue Otsutsuki, or at least not the only celestial being unaccounted for. There is one known as Jashin that has been quite the thorn in my side. He has created a cult of fanatic and sadistic worshippers where he has granted the means of immortality. That I cannot accept! Death is one the very things in all of reality that is absolute. To defy this rule is no short of heresy and a spit to my face!"

The girl audibly gulped and her skin paled to a similar shade of white as an Otsutsuki at the sheer rage projected by the Shinigami. His golden eyes burned with a fury as if someone had taken a dump over his food right in front of him (A/N: I know that is suspiciously accurate. Don't ask. Just roll with it.) Apparently, the Shinigami truly did devote himself to the role of a death god, and he was pissed someone was defying him.

"W-What do you want me to do?" Ruby asked in a fearful stutter.

"Isn't it obvious?" The Shinigami replied, pursing his lips. "I want you to reduce this whole cult to ashes! Eliminate every single trace of Jashin's cult, down to the last fanatic! I want you to make sure this blasphemy of undying is brought to nothingness, and make sure that Jashin can never do this again. And in the off chance he is able to walk and try to stop you, it's best you keep that Uzumaki mask on your person so I can deal with him personally. Do well enough, and I will be obliged to have another conversation with you."

"That - That's great!" Ruby said with a fist bump. "Yeah, I can totally do that. I'm not training to be the strongest hero for nothing if I can't stop a few crazy people."

The Shinigami chuckled. "I like your enthusiasm, girl. For now, the mask shall remain inert. Until next time."

Before Ruby could respond, the Shinigami flicked his hand and all of her senses went into vertigo again. She blinked her eyes open, now looking out the holes ic the Uzumaki mask. Ruby jumped as her version was overwhelmed by red hair and mismatched eyes, but recovered once she realized it was Shirou. At some point, Shirou had lived closer to Ruby to keep a better eye on her. It also seemed that a considerable amount of time has passed as noted by bags in his eyes. There was even a prepared meal of veal over rice at her feet. To think that Shirou went this far, it caused a small fuzzy in her stomach and she felt great gather in her cheeks.

"Ah," Shirou said, noticing Ruby opening her eyes, "welcome back, Ruby-san..."

His eyes drooped closed and Ruby barely reacted in time to catch him on his forward fall into her shoulder. A small smile spread her face hearing Shirou softly snoring.

"Shirou..." Ruby muttered.

She honestly didn't expect Shirou to actually keep an eye on her the entire time. He could've spent the extra time training or getting some rest even it got late. Instead, he hardly left her side and- even made a meal for her exclusively while forcing himself awake. There were times that Shirou could honestly forget to take care of himself. Yet, knowing this still didn't stop the warm fuzz in her stomach. This action for her simply made Ruby feel special.

Maybe she should ask Uncle Tobi or great-grandfather about this fuzzy feeling and what it means.

I stay up late for this, yet I have no regrets. So now Ruby had made a deal with the Shinigami which will jumpstart her bounty Hunting career while wearing that mask. She might even make some significant encounters.

Up next is Chapter 8: Something Other Than Chakra.

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