Kaguya sat on top of a flattened chunk of red stone. With her knees apart and bent, and her thighs resting upon her calves, she sat as if she were a traditional type of woman, or a tea brewer or a samurai. At least, that was how such people were often depicted to sit. Although she fit into none of those roles, or at least, probably not. Regardless, it was her preferred way of sitting down, and she needed to be as comfortable as she could possibly be. She was not relaxing, not at all, but she needed to remove as many external distractions as she could. The pollution within her mind was already more than she was able to handle, although not for a lack of trying.

"Stay perfectly still" was the first step that Naruto told her, as well as what she observed of him. To not move a single muscle and become as a stone while still being alive, it was certainly more difficult than initially expected. She'd told herself that by emptying her mind, she would be able to immobilize her body as well, but unfortunately, neither was easier than the other.

Nevertheless she continued to try, to master this technique and acquire this power.

And her efforts weren't for naught. With the passing minutes, her failures and mistakes were diminishing. The stray thoughts were being culled and grew more infrequent. The natural twitches and routines of her body were becoming unnoticeable, and most importantly, her reaction to such progress was successfully withheld. She could sense through her body that she was improving, but to express satisfaction at her progress would be to break her own concentration and set herself back. The steps forward were to be taken blindly, without expectation or disappointment.

For a few seconds, she'd achieved perfect stillness, one that a pond of fish would be unable to notice, were she to sit upon it. The natural energy of the space-time she was responsible for began to move and seep into her, leaking slowly as if she was a slightly damaged metal can. And as it did, Kaguya devoted her mind to the second step.

"Balance your chakra with natural energy" was the second step. Although she practiced emptying her mind in order to achieve stillness, an empty mind was ill suited for the second step. She possessed not only powerful chakra, but a lot of it, more than someone like Naruto did. Although, now, that gap was far smaller than before, the fact remained. To match the amount of natural energy and chakra, and then to mix them together within her, required the resources of her mind that she'd stowed away.

Being able to transition at all from the first to second step, not including the time required for consistently achieving the first step, took several hours. It was a miracle, or perhaps something more, that Kaguya was naturally inclined for learning. She would surely master the second step in record time.

Then as she mixed the energies within her, her body began to acquire certain new features. Her horns were beginning to extend, and across her body leaves seemed to appear. Her skin was assuming a harder and wooden complexion. She was too focused on pairing chakra and natural energy to realize that she hadn't stopped absorbing more natural energy, and it was affecting her physically.

Suddenly, at just below the speed of sound, something as hard as steel swung and smacked her across her spine, creating a sound that could be heard from afar. In her relaxed state, even someone as powerful as her felt it, and she gasped in surprise and numb pain. It was a strike that was meant to deal some damage, after all, and in the next second, Kaguya exploded into a cloud of white smoke.

"Another failure." A Kaguya, who stood and observed from a few meters away, said with a hint of annoyance.

The person who delivered the slap, Naruto, didn't straighten his back again and resumed walking, specifically towards another clone of Kaguya, and another to her side.

Including the one that had just been dispersed, and was promptly recreated by the observing Kaguya, was one of six. All of them worked hard for hours upon hours, if not several days, to practice and master natural energy.

The true first step was to learn the Shadow Clone jutsu, or at least, that was what Naruto encouraged her to do. It would accelerate the process, as it did for him, as well as add a degree of safety for her. The doppelgangers were free to try and fail. When they did, their experience would be transferred to her and any subsequent clones, and with Naruto hitting them hard enough to disperse, Kaguya wouldn't be forced to receive the imbalanced natural energy from the clones. For someone with chakra reserves like the two of them, it was a perfect technique to accelerate learning, and helped Naruto learn several important jutsu. The rasengan, the rasenshuriken, and Sage Mode were all mastered in record time thanks to this jutsu and his enormous pool of chakra. The clones continued to try and fail, as they had been for a time unrecorded, and with every failure, she grew closer and closer to her objective.

Although it remained unsaid, the patrolling Naruto found it somewhat surprising that none of Kaguya's practicing shadow clones were being disturbed by what was happening not too far from them. As below the elevated stone pillar they were using, a battle was unfolding.

Naruto and Kaguya faced off against each other, but Naruto was not wearing his chakra shroud, and the Kaguya that fought looked somewhat different. Her regular clothes were terrible for actual movement, and if she couldn't fly, the length of her dress, its sleeves, and especially her hair, would get in the way constantly. The Kaguya that was exchanging hands with Naruto, wore a kimono that was purely black and white, and a fraction of the size of her normal dress. Her hair, as well, was cut down to a workable length, and to ensure that it wouldn't still be an issue, arranged into a single ponytail.

Naruto, one that was also not wearing Kurama's chakra, and instead merely wielded the Six Paths Sage Mode that he acquired before facing Madara, charged at her with his fists at the ready. He swung wide, and with all of her eyes activated, she was able to easily follow the trajectory of his attack. It was going to miss, even if she didn't dodge. But did that mean that it was a feint?

As she flipped an invisible coin, one that determined that it was a feint, she dodged slightly and moved to counterattack. That was also when she was suddenly impacted by an invisible force, one that knocked her off balance and caused her to recoil. It was obvious that she lost the proverbial coin toss, since the other possibility was that his attack wasn't a feint. He was combining regular punches and kicks with what he referred to as "Frog Kata", something that she would be able to understand "once she could use Sage Mode" Naruto explained. Until then, even with the combined visual prowess of the Byakuan, Sharingan, and Rinnegan, she was unable to discern feint from an attack, and because she was restraining herself only to taijutsu, as Naruto instructed, she was practically being pummeled. Naruto was surely enjoying himself, if even only slightly. Once she was able to even the playing field, she promised herself she would get revenge for this humiliation. And with that determination, she quickly recovered and punched Naruto with enough force to shatter stone.

Of course, just as the shadow clones that trained their minds atop the elevated chunk of stone, this pair of combatants were one of dozens. Although physical training wasn't something that could be accelerated by using Shadow Clones, the combat experience could. As a matter of fact, despite her appearance, and even with restricting the use of her abilities, she exhibited impressive physical capabilities. If Naruto's body wasn't being passively enhanced by Six Paths Sage Mode, she could probably have shattered his bones with just her regular punches and kicks. Frog Kata was as much an offense as it was a defense, especially against those who couldn't use it. Once she could, he was most definitely going to receive his comeuppance for using it on her like this. Until that point, they were focusing on refining her raw strength into actual technique.

And finally, there was one other area that Naruto and Kaguya were occupying. Although these instances of the two, weren't just shadow clones. Kaguya herself, the real one, watched over the real Naruto, as well as two of his shadow clones. The three of them, clad in golden chakra, were working together on something, and Kaguya supervised them with the perceptive abilities of her three eyes.

"Keep the ratios even. It must be exactly 50:50. Even the slightest inequality will fail." Kaguya instructed.

Naruto did as he was told, although he was already doing so. He and his clones were working hard but carefully, so that they could achieve the intended goal. Their six hands formed a triangle, and in the center was a mass of chakra. The process was, admittedly, not dissimilar to creating a rasengan, rasenshuriken or a tailed beast bomb. They were compiling, compressing, and stabilizing chakra into a spherical shape. However unlike the rasengan which did not require any nature, the rasenshuriken which required one nature, and the tailed beast bomb which required an uneven ratio, what they were creating now required an even and precise split of two. Those two elements were Yin and Yang.

The technique which could materialize nothing, and give form to what existed in one's mind, was something that Naruto had the potential and affinity for. Without fully understanding what he was even doing, he could use Hagoromo's chakra to perform the Creation of All Things technique. He restored the eye that Kakashi lost long ago, saved Might Guy's heart and life force, and prolonged Obito's inevitable fate. If he could master that power, he would be able to achieve a greater level of power without the use of Hagoromo's seals, just as Sasuke did.

They were almost done. In between the three Narutos' hands, chakra was taking form. One supplied the chakra, one balanced Yin and Yang, and the other maintained its shape. The sphere that appeared before them was black and reflected no light. It was the same as Kaguya's "shinjutsu", the creation of a Truthseeker Orb.

"It's not done yet. Keep it stable, just like that." Kaguya warned. Although, it was far from the first time she'd said that.

After a few seconds, a few tense and quiet seconds, the orb reached a certain size and Kaguya commanded them to stop. The two clones recoiled in exhaustion, and floating in front of the real, tired and equally relieved Naruto, was a Truthseeker Orb. It was the first to replace the nine he'd managed to lose, but it was worth a small celebration.

"I didn't think creating these things would be like this. It's… easier than I thought." Naruto commented. The process of creating a Truthseeker Orb was rather similar to that of the other jutsu he often used, luckily for him. Of course, it required far more chakra than anything he'd created by himself before.

"It is by no means easy, boy." Kaguya retorted, with her arms crossed.

Did you take that as an insult or something? Naruto wondered, but rolled his eyes and dismissed it.

He sat down with a sigh. The clones disappeared and his clothes returned to normal. The newly made Truthseeker Orb disappeared as well, sure to be recalled when he donned his cloak again. That aside, Naruto felt hungry, but it was more of a craving than an actual need for sustenance. Despite not having eaten anything in quite a long time, he was still in good shape. Maybe it was because he was using chakra and natural energy to enhance his body, so his actual expenditure was comparatively very little. Regardless of what the reason was, he wanted to have a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's as soon as possible.

"Hey, you ever had ramen before?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"Ramen?" Kaguya asked, lowering her arms.

"Guess not. It's noodles and soup and some meat and vegetables, and it's the best food in the world… actually, what do you Otsutsuki guys eat?"

"Chakra, obviously. Little else is necessary, don't you think?" Kaguya answered as if it was normal.

"You've really never eaten anything that tastes good?" Naruto asked incredulously. He couldn't imagine a life without flavor.

"...I've enjoyed sweet fruits before." Kaguya mumbled.

"When?" Naruto said skeptically.

"As a child." She said in an almost whisper.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "And how long ago was that?"

"It hardly matters, especially not to you. The lives of me and my clansmen are not to be wasted for personal pleasures. We were and we are born to follow our clan's will."

"So you haven't done anything fun since you were a kid? That must have been like-" Naruto started to say, but stopped himself before he accidentally angered her. Estimating her to be several thousands of years old, even if true, was not something she was going to like. "Nevermind, so you don't even have friends or family or anything? What about your parents?"

"It would be foolish to continue to judge my kin as if they were your own." She said, which to Naruto was just a roundabout way of saying yes. "My predecessors… fulfilled their roles as perfectly as possible. There is nothing more to it."

It was a rather cold way of thinking, obviously, but it made Naruto curious about something.

"Why'd you decide to have kids then? Super old gramps calls you his mother, and I'm the reincarnation or whatever of your grandson. I'm definitely not an alien, so why did you fall in love with a human?" Naruto asked, assuming that she found someone on earth.

"A subject I would rather let lay. I will say nothing more on the matter." Kaguya said stubbornly.

"Fine, but didn't you have any friends or allies?" Naruto asked, trying to change the subject but still learn more about her.

"No, in fact, many of my peers were unbearable. Perhaps I did find some pleasure when I began my voyage, and it was distance from the lot of them."

"Anyone that you didn't hate?" Naruto asked.

"What do you seek from these inquiries?" Kaguya suddenly demanded.

"I'm just curious. Since we have the time, I might as well learn more about you." Naruto said carelessly. While he recovered his strength, there was little else to do. It wasn't like he was sleepy either.

Kaguya stared at him for a couple of seconds, as always with a blank and emotionless mask, before speaking again.

"Lord Kinshiki was a respectable predecessor. He was responsible for one of my peers. Quiet and disciplined, a warrior by all means. Everything which his heir was not. My superior, Isshiki Otsutsuki, was a mannered one as well. It is unfortunate that he was unable to agree with my decision. He would have certainly been a powerful ally." Kaguya said, but she didn't sound like she was mourning a loss or missed him at all.

"So this Isshiki guy came to earth with you?" Naruto asked.

"He did. It is our clan's policy to travel in pairs, in order to ensure that our will is fulfilled. As a matter of fact, when we arrived upon what would become my world, he was supposed to claim the first fruit."

"So what happened then? Did you kill him and take the fruit for yourself?" Naruto concluded cautiously.

"Yes, I did. He dismissed my research and my beliefs as absurd. Too obstinate to see the flaws of our clan's doctrine, he would have brought my world to ruin and its value would have been lost. Do you still oppose my decision?" Kaguya asked rhetorically.

"Guess not." Naruto mumbled. If what she did saved the world, and was technically the reason he and so many others even got the chance to live their lives, he couldn't really complain about it, even if he wanted to.

Based on what Kaguya described, Naruto was glad that this Isshiki guy was dead and nothing he'd ever have to worry about. He would probably cause a problem or two.

"Now, it is your turn." Kaguya said suddenly. She too, sat down, as if she was tired of standing up or just wanted to be at the same level as Naruto.

"Huh? You want to know about me? I thought you wouldn't care at all." Naruto remarked in surprise.

"We are having an intermission, are we not? Besides, even I tire of exposing myself in this manner. It should be enjoyable to watch you do the same, however." Kaguya replied.

"Huh, alright. What do you wanna know?" Naruto asked, feeling somewhat refreshed. He didn't think she would care to know about shinobi and him.

"You asked me about my kin, it is only natural then that I should ask the same."

"Kin?" Naruto repeated, not quite understanding what she meant. It then hit him, luckily quite quickly at that. "Oh, my village. I'm from Konoha, the Hidden Leaf Village. It's full of people both civilian and shinobi. I'm going to be Hokage just like my dad was."

"Is that not what your brother claimed to be already, or can multiple people claim that title?"

"I can't see him as a Hokage. It means something else to him, something I can't agree with. A Hokage is the person that protects the village and is recognized by everyone, and that's what I plan to become. I just need to stop him from what he's doing now. Oh, and Sasuke and I aren't actually related. He's still like a brother to me though." Naruto said, scratching his head with a light smile.

"I see… Hokage is not unlike a clan leader, then. I see why you seek it then." Kaguya surmised, and she wasn't that far off. "With power similar to mine and my son's, becoming a leader among your kind would be as easy as breathing. Well, I suppose it won't matter when all is said and done. We stand as allies, but forget not where my priorities lie, boy."

"I won't let you destroy my world, even if I have to fight you again. I'm not going to use my strength to force anyone to obey me." Naruto declared, for what felt like the hundredth time to both of them. He sighed for a moment, but continued talking. "I know you want to protect the world, but there's no point if all you do is treat the people you're protecting like animals or children."

"You are children. That is the problem. None of your kind are prepared for the dangers beyond your world, and the lifespan of one human is not enough to change that. You may be an exception, but that is all, an exception. How long do you believe you will live, and how long will your strength be enough?" Kaguya asked, and more demanded with a hint of sincerity.

Naruto paused, trying to think of a way to respond, despite not being able to fully deny her. That was truly frustrating for him, that she was at least partially right. And yet, so was he. "It's true that just one or two shinobi aren't much compared to people like you, but even you know that just one person can't do everything alone. If I'm not strong enough… I'll make sure that the next generation is stronger than me, and I'll do everything to protect my family."

Kaguya looked at Naruto intently as he spoke, listening to every word and the meanings thereof. She was paying attention to him, possibly more than she did any other time. But she remained quiet. Maybe it was because some part of her agreed, or at least couldn't disagree. And then suddenly, she had a new look on her face, one of surprise, and it was followed by a thin smile.

"Perhaps," Kaguya said. She closed her eyes, and Naruto watched curiously.

Something started appearing on Kaguya's face. At first it looked like she was activating her Byakugan, as lines were starting to appear around her eyes, but they weren't veins. They resembled branches or bamboo shoots, and they multiplied rapidly. They spread slightly beyond her eyes and started to overlap until there were no gaps between them, forming full shapes around her eyes. Her Byakugan, as well as her Rinnesharingan, were decorated by a light green, but pale, pigmentation that Naruto understood the moment he saw them. He quickly entered Sage Mode to confirm, and when he did, he saw it. Mixed with her chakra was natural energy. It was stable, and perfectly balanced as it should be.

Wow, that was fast. Naruto thought. He wasn't exactly sure how long they'd spent training in this timespace, but it didn't feel like more than a couple days at most. Of course using Shadow Clones vastly accelerated the process. If he could make as many clones as she did for Sage training when he first tried, it would've been even faster too.

Kaguya stood up, examining her hands, or rather what surrounded them. When she activated her Byakugan, enhanced by Sage Mode, she could see natural energy both inside and outside of her. The air moved as water, bending and straightening as she moved her hands across the air. It was almost mesmerizing, but she quickly got a hold of herself. She could feel strength flowing through her, and many other things. It wasn't just strength, though. She felt like she was connected to the very world itself, even more than when she first merged with the Divine Tree. The desire and thirst she'd often felt for more chakra, more strength, more life, the desire that had been with her since the beginning and surely haunted her entire clan as well, seemed to have evaporated from her body and soul. It was, in a single word, sublime.

Suddenly, she rocketed into the sky at high speed. Even Naruto covered his face from the sonic boom, and from there could barely follow her movement. She flew high and away from him, but then stopped abruptly. She lifted one of her hands gently, and waved it across the sky in front of her. Ahead of her, a cloud started to form from the moisture in the air, collecting at an absurd rate until a massive cloud formed. A white cloud in a sky of green, then it became gray, and then nearly pitch black. Then, with a mere snap of her fingers, the massive body of gas discharged. Naruto closed his eyes and let his other senses show him what was to happen.

A bolt, no, a tower of light extended from the cloud and down towards the ground. Energy poured down like an upside down volcanic eruption. It was a waterfall of lightning, and it obliterated the stone below it. The discharge continued for several seconds, accompanied by roaring sky and screaming air. By the time it had concluded, little could be said of its point of contact. The ground far below her was a massive crater lined by molten stone and smoke. It wasn't unlike the power of the Ten Tails, but it was quick, precise, and seemed almost effortless. It was as different as a rasengan and a tailed beast bomb, and natural energy made up the difference.

Naruto barely had a moment between processing what he saw, and bracing himself for when Kaguya returned. She landed in front of him just as quickly as she left, shattering the sound barrier as she touched the ground. She had a look on her face unlike anything Naruto'd seen before. All he could say about it was that there was definitely a smile.

"This, these sensations, this sight, they are the answers that I had been searching for, for all of this time. I am certain of it." Kaguya exclaimed, with more energy than she ever expressed. For a moment, Naruto wondered if she'd ever smiled like this in her entire life and almost felt sad at what was likely the answer.

"Then let's get going. Sasuke still needs to be stopped!" Naruto replied with his own enthusiasm.

But Kaguya suddenly grabbed his wrist, much to his surprise, and she started pulling.

"Not yet. Indra's reincarnation is doubtlessly preparing for our return. Compared to him, you amount to little."

Wow, thanks. Naruto thought unamused.

"In return for this, I will share knowledge with you as well. My shinjutsu alone is a pittance, and you are…"

"What?" Naruto asked, urging her to finish her own sentence.

"Though undesirable to admit, you are not something that can be discarded. I must not discard any possibility of success against that brat."

Naruto listened to what she said, but he heard some words differently. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part, but ever so slightly, she sounded like she was starting to care for anything other than herself. Actually, when he thought about it, why did she bother to ask him about the past at all? Wouldn't she know all about shinobi history from Black Zetsu?

While he thought about that, he didn't even realize that they were headed towards the same area that their shadow clones were using to spar. The smile on Kaguya's face was not entirely earnest, as along with the clones that were practicing Sage Mode, she also received the experience of her clones that were being unfairly pummeled. They were surely going to defeat Sasuke, but Naruto needed to be stronger than he was now if he was to be anything more than a liability.

And this was definitely not just an excuse to vent some of her frustrations.