Deleted Fic Archive

by book lover reader

This is an archive of deleted fics of other creators that I liked that were unfortunately deleted.

39. Enlightened Apotheosis

Enlightened Apotheosis

Story: Enlightened Apotheosis
Storylink: s/11349699/1/
Category: Naruto + Future Diary/未来日記 Crossover
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Author: Chayner
Authorlink: u/5009813/
Last updated: 12/30/2017
Words: 193370
Rating: M
Status: Complete
Content: Chapter 1 to 10 of 10 chapters
Source:

Summary: To err, is human. To forgive, divine. Yet, how much can be forgiven, before the mind grows wary, and thus begins to doubt? Could one then still persist, in what they once believed so firmly, and not begin to laugh?

*Chapter 1*: Prologue 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Prologue,

Part I: Beginning of the End

Ninshū...

Teachings of a time long past.

Wisdom lost amidst the centuries.

Legacy of a distant legend.

Hope for a better world.

Dreams of a naïve man...

That... and so much more.

A way of living. In harmony with ones self and with all others. In peace, and in mutual understanding. In tranquility, with all of creation. Unperturbed in mind, body, and soul.

Such were but a few examples of what ninshū was meant to inspire, in those who would choose to follow its path. Of what joy it could bring, to those who would live by its creeds.

And yet, as time passed, its meaning and purpose were slowly cast away. Its values and teachings perverted by the very people whom it had once nurtured and guided.

All that ninshū had once meant became lost to the passage of time. Lost to all but a single person.

The one who had once sought to spread said teachings throughout the world in order to bring peace and stability to mankind.

The one who had once been known as the Sage of the Six Paths.

The one whose name had become lost to even legend...

Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.

The one who had once been considered to be a god in all but name, and worshipped by people all across the world for his incredible deeds and benevolent teachings.

The one whose trust had been betrayed by the very people whom he had sought to educate and share his beliefs with.

The one whose love had been trampled upon by those whom he had cared for and strived to nurture and guide, just as a father would have done for his children.

The one who had put the happiness of mankind above his own, and who had relinquished his great power, becoming mortal for their sake.

The one who had chosen to die of old age, in order to see how those whom he held so dear would use his gift to better themselves and the world in his absence.

The one who, despite all of that, had refused to give up on the humans whom he held so dear, and continued to watch over them from beyond even death. With the hope that, one day, they would realize their folly and would thus change for the better...

He had almost lost count of the years gone by as he kept his ever constant vigil on humanity.

How long had it been since he had made his last sacrifice for them?

Centuries? A millennium?

That day was still so fresh in his mind, despite the countless years that had passed ever since.

And not only that memory, but many more seemed so recent, yet so distant at the same time, as if time had long lost its meaning to him.

For so long he had watched over mankind, just like a concerned father would have done for his growing children.

He had been so curious and excited to see how those whom he had taught so many things and went as far as to share a piece of himself with would live after he stopped holding their hands.

He had remained so hopeful for them.

They all had such a vast potential for greatness. He had seen it many times. Long ago he realized the wonderful things they could someday achieve if offered the proper guidance.

That was why he had strived to nurture and teach them. Why he had shared his ideals and beliefs with them.

Because he held them so dear...

Every human was like a child to him. And he was their father.

He loved them equally. He wanted for all of them to be happy. So much, that he had tried to bring them understanding.

For that was the key to everything else. With enough understanding, all became clear.

The impossible became possible.

Happiness could be attained.

Love could be shared...

He had given all to making it happen. Tried so hard to make such a thing possible.

Everything for their sake...

And he had succeeded.

He had managed to bring all people together.

Mankind as one.

Connected by fragments of his power.

Closer than ever.

With understanding and love.

He had been so glad for them...

So glad that he had decided to give them the last thing he could have offered them.

His hope.

His dreams for the future.

His legacy.

His life...

With such a parting gift, he had been sure that they would have everything they could ever need for the many years to come.

With his ideals and will passed on to them, he had been sure that they would end up achieving the greatness they had the potential for. The lasting peace that he had dreamt of...

But above all, he had wanted to see how they would make use of everything he had taught and given them, once he was no longer there to hold their hands.

Just like any father would have, he had wanted to see what would become of his children once they grew up.

How they would apply the philosophy of ninshū in their lives after he was no longer there to advise them at every step.

So he gave up the one thing that kept him bound to the material world.

The one thing that had once brought the humans in worship to him.

The one thing that had made him a god in all but name.

He gave up his vast power, and used it to create nine guardians to help guide humanity through the ages, if such a need ever arose.

And then...

He was no longer.

With most of his power relinquished, he no longer had the divinity... nor the immortality.

Yet, he didn't truly die either.

Even with most of his power gone, his spirit was still too powerful to be chained by the concepts of life and death.

So, instead of entering the afterlife, he ended up in a place between the two realms.

A place influenced by neither life, nor death... nor time.

A place from where he could continue to keep watch over his creation and over the humans that he held so dear.

A place from where he could see the great things that mankind was bound to achieve through his many teachings and philosophy.

A place where he didn't mind being, for it allowed him to do the one thing that he enjoyed most. Watching over the countless humans and observing their many exploits.

And that was what he did.

For the many years that came to pass, he began watching over mankind, excited and hopeful to see what they would do in his absence. Certain that they would achieve great things even without his constant presence in their lives.

And yet...

That did not happen...

None of that ever happened.

Instead of continuing to live in the peace and harmony he had worked so hard to bring for them, they quickly devolved into mindless chaos.

They twisted his teachings to suit their selfish needs.

Perverted his life philosophy.

Forsook his legacy.

Trampled upon his love...

They mutilated his ninshū and made a monstrosity out of it.

Something that had once been a means toward mutual understanding and love was turned into an abomination.

A tool for war.

Made not to mend and unite...

But to bring death and divide.

He witnessed everything that became of his legacy. Of his teachings and life philosophy.

The wars.

The death.

The misery...

He watched as the humans slaughtered each other for the simplest of reasons. For the tiniest of differences. And for the smallest of gains...

How they began to hate each other and use anything as an excuse to fuel their spite.

Even his two sons had not been an exempt from this madness. Caught up in the schemes of something that he had failed to foresee, they were easily turned against each other and made part of a feud that continued through the many ages.

It brought him great sorrow to witness all of it, yet he couldn't bring himself to hate them for what they did. He couldn't bring himself to forsake those for whom he had done so much.

Those for whom he had cared so much...

So he continued to watch over them, even though seeing their thoughtless and selfish actions pained him so greatly.

He could not let go of the hope that, one day, something might change. And that they would see the path they were heading towards, and finally turn back to reason.

Yet, the centuries passed and nothing changed.

Everything only became worse...

And so did his sorrow...

He spent years upon years watching and pondering, lost in thought as he tried to understand what had gone wrong.

Where had he gone wrong?

He pondered on that and many other things.

On his actions.

On their actions.

On everything...

How had it been possible for such a chaos to be spawned?

How had it been possible for mankind to fall so deep into sin that there seemed to be no way back for them?

The answer to all of that was painful to accept once it finally became clear to him.

Not because it meant that he had been wrong the entire time.

Not because it meant that all of his effort—all of his sacrifices—had been for naught.

Not because it meant that his dream had been nothing but a naïve wish, bound to be met with failure from the very beginning.

But because it meant that mankind could not change the way he had been hoping for it to... regardless of what he would have done to help them.

For how could that have been possible? Of them to willingly hold peace and stability as ideals?

When they had been born with flaw from the beginning...

It would be foolish of him to expect such a change when they were simply incapable of achieving it.

Such was their very nature. To both yearn for peace and crave for war at the same. A painful dichotomy.

And yet...

He could still not find it in his heart to give up on them.

To abandon his children?

He could not even fathom the thought.

There was still hope...

So then...

What could he do...?

What could he do to right everything that had become so wrong?

What could he do to mend the rift that had been tearing mankind apart for centuries?

What could he do to restore peace and stability, and make sure that it would not fail as it had done the first time?

For there was one simple thing that was certain to him now.

He could not stand idle anymore.

It had become too painful to watch how his dear children did such terrible things to each other.

How they hated each other for such meaningless and petty reasons.

How they killed each other using that monstrosity they named ninjutsu. The tool that was a constant reminder of how they had trampled upon his legacy.

He couldn't help but think that perhaps giving them such a gift might have been a mistake.

A great mistake...

Even now and they were still using it to massacre each other in another petty war...

It might have been that deceitful creature which orchestrated everything from the shadows, yet the fault was still mostly on their side.

After all, his mother's will had only done what it had been created to.

A futile attempt that was, but he could not fault it. He could not fault it, for it had merely seen the opportunity and had taken advantage of it.

It was his children's fault...

For letting themselves be tempted by it...

And yet...

He could still not find it in himself to be angry at them.

They had not known better at that time—even his own two sons—and they had been easily tricked as a result.

He had also failed to foresee such a possibility, so he too was partly at fault for the current outcome.

Another reason for him to intervene...

Another reason for him to stop watching and to do something, for this madness could not go on any longer.

Even though he now knew how naïve and impossible to achieve his dream had been, he could still not let go of his hope for humanity. There was still a way for him to restore peace and to bring back stability to his world.

Gifting part of his power to humans might have been a mistake, though it had been one that could easily be rectified. Even if they ended up not being exactly happy about it.

After all, there was something that he had learnt from his past mistakes. Something that his mother had apparently known as well, before her sorrowful descent into madness.

That in order for true peace to be possible, there had to be someone to actively guide the people.

And the more he thought about it, the more clear it became to him that it was the best choice.

It had to be, for there was no other...

He had failed once, but he would not fail for a second time.

He had learnt from both his and his mother's mistakes, and he was certain that he could achieve a lasting peace for humanity this time.

He just had to take away the one thing that no longer held any purpose with them. The gift that he shouldn't have so easily given to them in the first place.

Because one thing was very clear to him right now...

He had seen enough of this madness, and he could not bear to witness even one more second of it.

It was time to put an end to mankind's foolishness.

Once, and for all.

A boy with hair like the morning sun fell on a floating patch of sand that hastily formed beneath him, his blue eyes slowly closing as his weakened body was desperately fighting against the approaching embrace of death.

A boy with hair like the midnight sky fell on the rough soil below as the cold steel of a sharp blade was removed from his chest, his dark eyes slowly closing despite his futile wish to resist the impending death.

Their consciousnesses faded to darkness mere moments later, though only to awake in a strange yet somewhat familiar place.

A place filled with shallow water and a dim light.

A place where they felt both safe and uneasy.

A place where they were seemingly alone, yet not truly so...

The sound of a falling water droplet roused the two boys from their brief slumber. They slowly opened their eyes and glanced around in confusion.

"Where am I?" the boy with sun kissed hair quickly voiced his bewilderment. "Did I... die?"

The other youth remained silent, and he seemed to quickly make enough sense of his circumstances in order to grasp his current situation.

The two of them however could neither see nor hear each other, for they lacked the proper connection. Though they could see someone else accompanying them in the dimly lit place.

Someone whom they did not recognize, yet about whom they felt to be familiar with on an almost subconscious level.

It was an old man with greying hair, a tapered beard, and dressed in a white, simple robe that was adorned with a number of very familiar designs.

The aged figure was hovering above the shallow water. He slowly turned around to face the two youths, allowing them to properly take in his form before any further words could have left their mouths.

And once they did so, the surprise that followed from what they recognized became clear to be seen on their faces.

A pair of deep violet, ringed eyes gazed sadly at the boys who could only stare back in return as a single word left their parted mouths in the wake of their shock.

"Rinnegan...!"

A weary sigh escaped the aged man's lips in response as he rested his palms on his folded knees.

"These eyes were not supposed to be seen by the world for a second time..." he said as a note of dolor sept into his voice. "And yet, there they are, slowly tearing it apart just as I am speaking to you."

The image of a white haired man dressed in a similar white robe briefly flashed across the surface of the water beneath him, quickly reminding the two boys of what they have failed to prevent.

"Who are you, old man?" the youth with blond hair asked with some impatience after a few moments of silence.

The dark haired boy continued to remain silent, though his expression showed the same mixture of curiosity and impatience as his counterpart.

The grey haired figure smiled wistfully in response.

"I am he who shall restore peace and order," he uttered solemnly. "My name is Hagoromo, the founder of ninshū. Though to most, I am better known as the Sage of the Six Paths."

The blonde youth immediately gained a look of recognition on his face as he registered the aged man's words, though he still didn't seem to fully realize the circumstances of this encounter.

"What?! The Sage of Six Paths?!" the boy exclaimed. "The sage from the legends that Jiraiya-sensei and Nagato talked about?"

The Sage merely nodded in response.

"But why... why are you here?" the boy added after a moment of silence, prompting a barely visible frown to grace the old man's features.

The dark haired youth, on the other hand, just stared with slightly widened eyes at the aged man as understanding seemed to dawn upon him once he processed the revealed information.

"So you're here because we failed to stop him?" he queried shortly after regaining his composure.

Hagoromo shook his head in response, much to the boy's surprise.

"Close but not quite, descendant of Indra," he spoke, though only for the onyx eyed boy to hear. "Although, you are definitely more aware of what is transpiring as opposed to the descendant of my younger son."

The dark haired youth fell silent as he pondered on the new information.

Hagoromo simply continued to speak, this time for the both of them to hear.

"I am here because the whole of mankind had failed. I am here because I was left with no other choice. I am here because I cannot stand idle and watch anymore. I am here because the world has to be saved once again... this time from itself."

The two boys could almost feel the sorrow and disappointment lacing the aged man's words as he spoke to them, yet they weren't sure why it was so.

Neither of them knew what exactly the sage was talking about, though one of them seemed to have at least guessed the gist of what they were being told.

"Hn, then I suppose it's all over for us," the raven haired boy spoke with a dark note of amusement in his tone as he crossed his arms over his chest.

The other boy, however, seemed to be of another mind.

"Just what happened to you, gramps?" the blond youth asked, his voice holding an uncharacteristic melancholy to it. "I know how it feels to trust... and be let down, gramps... it' not the nicest feeling..." his blue eyes met the sage's violet ones as he added. "But you know? Things always get better, gramps! The pain of the past doesn't sting anymore!"

Hagoromo couldn't help but let another weary sigh escape his lips upon listening to the boy's heartfelt words.

"So much like my younger son..." the sage muttered wistfully as he looked at the slightly confused blond.

The boy spoke once more after a few seconds of silence.

"Look, gramps, I don't really understand what's going on, but there's one thing I know for sure," he began, his voice filled with determination. "That I have to do something about everything going on outside," he paused for a moment and clenched his fists. "Madara is really strong right now, and I don't have Kurama to help me anymore... But I'm sure we can do it if you help us, super gramps!"

Hearing that, Hagoromo shook his head for a second time at the two boys.

"No more fighting for you, my children... no more," the sage uttered somberly as he gripped the onyx shakujō hovering next to him. "The millennia old feud ends now. My mistake shall be made right, and the conflicts will be brought to an end. All conflicts... all of them..."

The two boys were struck silent by the dolor in the old man's words and could only watch as he slowly pointed his ebon staff at them.

"Now, go to sleep, my children, and wait... Wait, for when you will awake... the world will be at peace once more," Hagoromo added as his shakujō flashed white for a brief moment.

The blond youth looked like he wanted to protest what he had just been told, however, he wasn't able to utter anything as his eyelids quickly became heavy and fell shut in spite of his struggling.

The dark haired boy didn't seem to fight the compulsion to sleep, and he simply gave the sage one of his trademark smirks before his eyes closed shut as well.

However, before slumber could have completely overtaken them, the two boys heard one last thing being said by the aged man.

It was yet another somber utterance that made the sage's intentions clear as day to them.

"Anarchy... ends now."

The world had become torn apart by war.

It pained him even more to see the destruction from up so close.

The death...

The suffering...

It was the result of his inaction. Of his indecision.

He knew that all too well.

Such had been his weakness...

That he couldn't take action until the most dire point.

Just like in the past...

But that... was about to change.

All... was about to change.

Right... now.

By the roots of a colossal tree, on a ravaged battlefield, the fate of the world was about to be decided.

"All that the Sage of Six Paths did was to further the human paradox."

Between the one who had obtained the power of a god, and those few who remained to oppose the change that he wished to bring to the world.

"And even if bonds were established... All they learned was that true understanding was not possible."

But the question was...

"In any case, chakra only gives rise to conflict and false hope."

Did any of them truly know what the final outcome would be?

"We all know the reality all too well."

He did not.

"Even as we seek peace, we seek war. And this reality compels infinite suffering through the power known as chakra."

They did not.

"Power leads to the desire for war."

None of them did.

"And the lack of power leads to losing everything."

Though, there was one...

"I will build a new world that overcomes that!"

One who precisely knew...

How everything would come to be in the end.

"Through the Infinite Tsukuyomi, I will create a dream world without any abominable chakra!"

Why?

"I, who possess the most powerful chakra, shall lead it!—"

Because he was the one about to make it such.

"So close and yet so far from the truth you are, Madara..."

Four pairs of eyes widened at the sound of the foreign voice coming from everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time.

The remaining pair merely raised a curious brow in response.

"You condemn the existence of chakra whilst knowing so little of its nature."

The voice was aged by wisdom.

"You deny ninshū whilst knowing so little of what it can achieve."

Though it was also weighted by sorrow.

"Don't you find that to be foolish, my child?"

A sadness impossible to miss by any who might have listened.

"Hmph," Madara scoffed. "Why don't you show yourself, before starting to lecture me?"

"Ever so presumptuous..." the same pensive voice sounded once again. "Much like my older son."

The white haired man didn't seem to care, though, and even appeared to be ignoring it now.

The others, however...

"This voice..." came the surprised rasp from a pitch black entity latched onto a scarred man. "It can't be!"

It wanted to deny what was happening, but there was no mistaking the faint chakra that had just come forth with that voice.

"What't going on, Kakashi-sensei?" a girl with short, pink hair asked her teacher without taking her eyes away from the golden haired boy she was desperately trying to resuscitate.

As dim as it currently was, the creature could still clearly tell apart the unique signature from anything else.

"I'm not sure myself, Sakura," an older man with spiky, silvery hair voiced tentatively through the mask covering most of his face. "But that black thing clinging to Obito seems to know something."

Even after so many years, there was no way it could have forgotten the feeling of that man's terrifying chakra...

"Impossible!" the creature rasped in disbelief.

Why was he even here at this point?!

"His chakra..." Sakura muttered in confusion while staring at the boy lying motionless next to her kneeling form. "Naruto...?"

"What's happening to Naruto?" a young man with short, red hair and a gourd strapped to his back asked from a few feet away. He couldn't afford to take his eyes away from the enemy standing before him, but he was too concerned about his friend to not consider his state for a brief moment.

"I don't know..." the girl replied unsurely. "His chakra started going wild out of a sudden, but his heart is still—"

She didn't get to finish her sentence, as the boy whom she was desperately trying to heal suddenly attempted to stand up.

As soon as she got over her momentary shock of seeing her friend raise himself from death's door, the girl quickly ceased her resuscitation of the boy, and looked at him with almost disbelieving eyes.

His eyes were closed and his body still weakened, yet his chakra was as bright as ever. If not even brighter than she remember it to have been. And no matter how hard she tried to think about it, she couldn't find an explanation for what she was currently seeing.

From her point of view, Naruto was defying death...

Somewhere not too far away, another powerful chakra was amplifying itself and resonating with its counterpart. This one was much darker and colder than the one of the golden haired boy, though it was very unique in its own way.

And together, they were calling upon an even greater chakra. Like two halves of a whole that had been long separated, they were once more melding into one. And through their union, they were bringing back a chakra that shouldn't have been made to return in this world.

"Lord Madara, obliterate the boy now!" came the even more distressed rasp of the amorphous creature. It was so uncharacteristic of it to show such panic, yet these circumstances could not allow it to be calm.

Not when everything was about to go downhill!

Though, unfortunately for it, the one whom it was pleading to had no idea of what was about to come into being. Such was his hubris, that it left him momentary blinded with ignorance.

"Hmph, don't order me around, Black Zetsu," Madara replied dismissively while observing the blond child through his powerful dōjutsu.

The boy was truly stubborn, that he had to give him. Though, regardless of how much chakra he amassed, there was no way he could make any difference at this point.

He had already ascended. He had the power of a god now, and nothing could stop him at this point. Even less a boy who was so desperately clinging to his fading life, no matter what he might have tried to prolong his suffering.

"You arrogant fool!" Black Zetsu finally snapped at the older man. "He is trying to come back!"

Madara had to resist the urge to scoff at the creature's words. He couldn't understand what it was fretting so much about.

Yes, the boy had somehow defied his own death and was infusing an abnormal amount of chakra, but that was no issue. He would crush him for a second time, and then make sure that nobody was left to oppose the salvation that he was trying to bring forth to this failed world.

"Why are you so agitated?" the white haired man asked calmly while glancing at the distressed creature. "Even with that much chakra, he is still no match for me. Not that he could actually do anything significant in that state to begin with."

"I'm not talking about him!" Black Zetsu hissed angrily.

"Then what are you talking about, Black Zetsu?" Madara inquired, his eyes narrowing in suspicion at the creature's odd behavior. "What are you hiding from me?"

The creature internally cursed its poor choice of words. Though, it quickly reasoned that between being faced with a small impediment and losing everything, there was no real choice to be made.

A moment later, and the chakra radiating from the dying boy became so dense that it could be seen by everyone. It was a dazzling golden. Brilliant and life-giving.

The boy's eyes suddenly snapped open.

"No way..." Sakura whispered in disbelief once she caught a glimpse of her friend's eyes. "Sensei, look at Naruto's eyes!"

The silver haired man did as told and couldn't believe his own sight for a brief moment.

His student's eyes were no longer their usual vibrant blue, but a deep, striking violet adorned with several black concentric circles.

"The Rinnegan?!" Kakashi muttered with the same disbelief in his voice. "Just... just what is going on here?"

The next moment, everyone present watched how the unresponsive boy formed the ram seal with his hands, before his radiant chakra surged even further.

Several miles away, another unresponsive boy formed the same hand seal and his more sinister chakra surged as well.

As he watched the golden haired boy form a specific hand seal and begin molding his chakra in a very familiar way, Madara finally came to the conclusion that something of a significant gravity was about to occur.

So, he immediately took action, and willed two of the dark spheres hovering behind him to launch at an almost untraceable speed in the stubborn child's direction.

A blond man missing an arm immediately prepared to intercept the deadly orbs aimed to kill his son, and the silver haired man readied his ocular technique to assist his teacher if needed.

However, neither of them had to do anything, for much to everyone's shock, the rapidly incoming orbs were suddenly brought to a halt after traversing only halfway the distance, as though being held in place by an unseen force.

A mere moment later, a torrent of white chakra exploded in the exact place where the truth-seeking orbs had stopped, and those present were shocked even further by what came to follow next.

The previously invisible force holding the two orbs in place revealed itself to be the outline of two ethereal hands that were rapidly taking a seemingly solid shape.

And following the hands, an entire body quickly formed out of the thick blanket of chakra, shaping itself into a hovering form that eluded most of those present, save for only one.

Black Zetsu could still not believe its eyes...

It was an old man with greying hair, a wrinkled visage set into a stony expression, and piercing violet eyes that gazed upon the white haired man in front of him with equal sadness and reminiscence.

The apparition was clothed in a white robe adorned with symbols very similar to the ones present on the garment worn by the man who had unrightfully claimed power that did not belong to him.

The old man suddenly clenched his hands around the truth-seeking orbs he was holding, and the two masses of chakra immediately responded to his will and reformed themselves into an onyx staff not too unlike the one in the white haired man's possession.

However, there was a rather stark difference between the two.

The staff belonging to the old apparition was a complete one. Reflecting of his indisputable power.

Madara stared with widened eyes at the old figure hovering a short distance in front of him, his mind still reeling over the fact that his truth-seeking orbs had not only been touched and stopped by the old man, but also completely subjugated and assimilated.

The implications of such an occurrence were obvious to anyone who might have witnessed the feat in the first place.

It was a simple, cold, hard fact.

His entire power meant nothing to the entity that had appeared before him.

A truly chilling thought to entertain for one such as him.

"What...?" was the sole thing that Madara was able to voice through his shock.

Though he wasn't the only one experiencing such stupefaction.

Everyone other present, save for Black Zetsu were staring in disbelief at the aged man, their minds trying to comprehend the feat they had just witnessed him effortlessly achieve.

"Too late..." the pitch black creature rasped in defeat while glaring at its so-called master. "It's all over now..."

"On the contrary, Black Zetsu," the aged man uttered solemnly. "It all begins now."

The statement brought even more confusion to most of those present, and they could only wonder about who the old man might be.

For the amorphous creature, however, the words only served to fuel its bitterness.

"Why... Why are you even here?!" Black Zetsu snapped in uncharacteristic anger. "Haven't you decided to not intervene anymore in the affairs of these humans?!"

The aged man let out a tired sigh upon hearing that. "Please, be silent for a few moments, Black Zetsu," he spoke, before pointing his left palm in the creature's direction and launching a black rod at it.

The scarred man was unable to avoid the incoming projective and was easily impaled through his left arm as a result.

The power of the Outer Path quickly incapacitated the creature, and the scarred man also lost his consciousness and fell motionlessly on the ground.

"Obito!" the masked man with silver hair shouted the moment he noticed his childhood comrade fall unconscious, though he didn't get to voice his concern, as the old man spoke before he could have said anything.

"He shall be fine."

Kakashi looked at the hovering entity for a few moments, before nodding his head in compliance and relaxing his tensed muscles.

"As for you, my misguided child..." the old man began while shifting his attention on the still surprised Madara. "Know that power is more than merely capacity," he said while releasing his grip on the onyx staff, causing it to crumble away into nothingness. "It is the utilization of said capacity," and, as if reading the elder Uchiha's thoughts, the aged man added after a moment of silence. "Even if you had both your eyes, the result would have still been the same."

Upon hearing that last part, Madara gained an even more prominent look of resignation in his lone eye, and he no longer seemed to think about trying to oppose the stern entity.

A moment later, the old man clasped his hands together, causing the sun and moon marks on his palms to shine briefly with his unique power. The golden haired boy standing a short distance behind him quickly followed suit with the snake seal.

A cloud of smoke quickly blanketed the spot next to Naruto, and as soon as it dispersed, the figure of another boy with violet reflections in his eyes could be seen holding the same hand seal as his counterpart.

The pink haired girl immediately recognized the newly arrived dark haired boy, however, she refrained from doing or saying anything, as she was too overwhelmed by the old man's presence to even move a muscle.

"What incredible sage power!" the blond man lacking an arm remarked in awe as he tried to use his Sage Mode to appraise the aged man's power, though without much success. It was as if he was trying to measure something completely foreign to his mind.

What followed next, made it clear to even those who had been previously unaware of what the mysterious entity's intentions were.

Purple flames blossomed from the barren soil in front of the two unresponsive boys, and a mere moment later, the imposing sight of a towering head rose forth from the earth.

Most of those present immediately recognized the King of Hell for what it was, and even the two who were seeing it for the first time had an inkling of what was about to occur.

The ominous looking head opened its maw wide enough to easily swallow an average sized individual, and a moment later, the two boys started to mechanically walk toward the awaiting mouth.

By the time the two reached their destination, some of those who had been watching the proceedings in silent awe finally found it in themselves to voice their concerns about the two boys.

"Naruto!" the young man with short, red hair exclaimed while raising his hands in preparation to move his sand in his friend's aid.

He was quickly stopped by the silver haired man standing next to him, though, who placed a calming hand on the young man's shoulder and shook his head at him.

The gesture managed to dissuade him, and he resolved to continue watching for the time being.

The same could have not been said about the pink haired girl, however.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted, her emerald eyes looking in concern at her two teammates. "What are you doing to them?!" she demanded after briefly shifting her gaze upon the old-looking entity.

"Do not fret, my children," the aged man replied. "All answers shall come in due time."

As soon as he was done speaking, he hovered toward the opened mouth of the King of Hell and went within as well.

The answer seemed to satisfy most of those present, and they promptly decided to just wait and see what was going to happen for the time being.

The ominous head moved its maw in movements akin to chewing, and mere moments after, it opened its mouth wide for a second time.

And out of it, a familiar yet completely different person stepped out.

The garment was the same white robe adorned with esoteric symbols, and the eyes were the same rippling violet, though that was where the similarities ended.

The visage of their owner was no longer wrinkled, but handsome and chiseled.

A strong jaw and prominent eye ridges made his countenance seem even more stern to those who looked, and his lack of eyebrows only added to the general aspect of royalty that this new figure seemed to be projecting.

The tapering beard was gone and the man's hair was no longer greying, but a vivid brown.

But the most striking and important detail of them all was the simple fact that the man was no longer a specter.

He was now flesh and bones, living and breathing to behold the world that welcomed his presence like a weeping mother.

The giant head closed its maw in the young man's wake, and the King of Hell shortly disappeared back into purple flames a moment later, dismissed with a mere thought.

The brown haired man seemed to ignore the awed stares he was getting from three of those present and the apprehensive one from another, and simply walked at a measured pace toward the white haired man who had been watching everything that happened so far in composed silence.

Madara was the first to break the silence that had settled upon everyone present. "This incredible chakra..." he spoke to the approaching man, the epiphany from witnessing the resurrection of a legend still fresh in his mind. "You are the Sage of Six Paths, aren't you?"

The Sage stopped in front of the white haired man and gave him a small, wistful smile.

"Yes, that is the moniker most have known me by," he replied after a moment of thoughtful silence. "My actual name might elude you, however, as the tablet you have read had been tampered with on multiple occasions. Black Zetsu had truly feared me, and it had done everything possible to erase most knowledge about me."

The elder Uchiha looked shocked once again as soon as he registered the Sage's words.

"What are you talking about?" Madara asked, his eyes narrowing once he regained his composure.

"I'm talking about how you had been deceived from the very beginning, my child," the Sage voiced solemnly.

The Uchiha's patriarch's eyes narrowed even further, up to the point where he was giving the brown haired man a dangerous and almost hostile glare.

The Sage merely sighed deeply in response and reached with his power to the aggravated man standing before him.

A split second later, the world instantly changed for the both of them.

As Madara blinked, he quickly realized that he was no longer standing on the devastated battlefield, and that he now found himself in a very familiar place.

A place filled with motes of light that danced across the blue canvas of an atmosphere until they neared the surface of a still body of water. One that looked akin to a vast ocean, stretching as far as the eyes could see.

And beneath the clear liquid, the colossal form of nine beings could be seen. They were melded together and seemed to be caught in a deep slumber.

It was his mental world.

Though... he was not the sole occupant of it.

"Explain yourself, Sage," the pale haired man snarled when his eyes met those of the man standing before him.

The brown haired man gained a subtle, yet clearly discernible frown on his visage upon hearing that.

"You are no longer in any position to make demands, Madara," Hagoromo replied calmly, though his words and gaze carried a weight that quickly pierced through the Uchiha's ire. "You should know that I am having this conversation with you for your own sake, so please do not trample over my kindness."

Madara's anger seemed to deflate with every word that the Sage punctuated, and the normally composed man couldn't help but feel a little shaken when faced with such a presence.

It almost felt like one of the lectures that he used to receive from his father when he was but a young boy.

"I... understand," Madara spoke after a few moments of silence, his voice slightly subdued and his previous scowl softened.

A brief period of silence settled between the two legendary men, though it was quickly interrupted by Hagoromo when he let out a deep sigh.

Madara couldn't help but wonder about what could have saddened the Sage so much, however, his thoughts were cut short when the brown haired man addressed him once again.

"What do you know about the Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Hagoromo asked evenly.

Madara didn't have to think much before giving his answer. "That it is an Uchiha technique," he said. "One that brings eternal peace to the world."

"And what do you base that on?" the Sage further inquired.

"The stone tabled you had left behind," Madara replied as factually as before. "It's written on it."

Hagoromo let out another sigh.

"My child, has it ever occurred to you that what is written on my tablet might not be truly genuine?"

Madara's eyes narrowed at that. "Are you saying that someone had made changes to it?" he asked.

Hagoromo shook his head. "Not someone. Something," he corrected. "Black Zetsu."

Hearing the Sage's words prompted the white haired man to recall a particular moment from only minutes prior to their meeting

"Black Zetsu is my will made manifest," Madara argued, despite the fact that he could clearly remember how strange the creature had acted before the legendary man's return. "Your words make no sense, Sage."

"Are you truly certain of that?" Hagoromo asked, his even tone unchanged.

Madara gained a contemplative look as his thoughts went back to the moment when he had created Black Zetsu.

Moments later, the Uchiha patriarch glanced back at the Sage, "I created him..." he insisted.

Hearing that, Hagoromo merely tapped one of his feet lightly against the water's surface.

Madara looked in mild curiosity at the ripples that briefly accompanied the Sage's gesture, before his eyes widened in shock at the images that began to play across the ocean's surface.

Those were also scenes of Black Zetsu's creation, though they resembled nothing of what he might have been familiar with.

A fierce battle between two young men and a goddess. The grand sealing that took place in the aftermath of said confrontation. And the true birth of the entity known as Black Zetsu that followed after.

"Do you still believe the same now, my child?" Hagoromo asked once the last of the images faded from the water.

Madara seemed to be at a loss of words.

"But... How?" the man asked as he tried to overcome the shock of this revelation.

"Black Zetsu is an entity created for the sole purpose of aiding my mother's revival," Hagoromo explained. "It has existed for centuries longer than you, and is a master in the art of deceit. Are you truly so full of hubris as to think that you could have been an exempt from its schemes?"

Madara quickly fell silent as he began to think deeply about the Sage's question.

"And the Infinite Tsukuyomi is not something that confers peaceful dreams to those caught in it. It is not a technique that brings eternal peace to the world," Hagoromo added solemnly. "It is a technique to subjugate others. In order to amass enormous amounts of energy from those enslaved by it. Nothing more than a tool to aid my mother's revival."

Madara's grip on his onyx staff weakened as he became even more lost in his thoughts, and he only faintly registered what the Sage told him.

Though it was enough to finally bring a look of hopelessness in his ringed eyes. "My dream..." he muttered while staring at his reflected form in the water. "All for nothing..."

"No, my child," Hagoromo interjected, breaking the forlorn man out of his morose thoughts. "You had a noble intention at heart. One that would have brought salvation to this world had you gone on the right path about it."

Madara looked up at the solemn visage of the Sage. "But I hadn't..." he responded, his voice bitter and bereft.

Hagoromo took a step closer to the heavyhearted man and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "No, you had not..." he spoke. "But neither had I."

Madara gazed at the Sage in question, though he didn't get to say anything before the brown haired man elaborated.

"No being is truly exempt from mistake, my child," Hagoromo uttered pensively. "Not I," he made another brief pause as he lightly tapped his foot on the water's surface once more. "And not even my mother..."

Numerous images blossomed across the water once more, though this time they depicted events of an even greater importance.

"To believe otherwise would be foolish."

Events that showed how the early world was shaped into what it had become over the many centuries.

"However..."

Events that showed actions of a goddess upon the world and its inhabitants. Of her initial goodwill and eventual mistakes.

"With mistake comes experience."

Events that told pieces of a legend's story. Of how a man came to be revered as a benevolent god, and his many acts of kindness for the numerous people whom he cared for. Of his naivety and foolishness...

"And with experience comes wisdom."

As Madara watched the countless images forming and shifting across the glistening water, he began to realize what had made the Sage become so sorrowful.

It was the same thing that brought him disillusionment many years ago, and left in its wake a jaded shell.

Human nature...

"I too had wished for everyone to know peace," Hagoromo added. "I even achieved it, as you might know."

The surface of the ocean started to become clear once again.

"And yet..." he continued. "All I created easily came apart. Failed, due to my naivety."

The last image that lingered for a few more seconds was the one depicting countless people employing their chakra to battle against each other.

"So you see, my child..." Hagoromo concluded. "My mistake gave birth to the world as you know it."

As even the last of the images faded away from the water, Madara realized that in spite of the many stark differences between the two of them, he had enough in common with the Sage to understand what he was hinting at.

"Heh," Madara sounded with a faint smile forming on his lips. "You and me are more similar than I thought, Sage."

Hagoromo gave a smile of his own in response to the man's sincere words. "Yes, my child," he agreed, his voice wistful and reminiscent. "We are indeed much alike in many ways."

A brief, thoughtful silence followed the Sage's reply.

"So, I assume that you will first need the Jūbi, right?" Madara asked after several moments.

Hagoromo merely nodded in response.

The white haired man closed his eyes for a second, before giving the Sage a thoughtful gaze. "Are you sure that the world will be saved just by taking away all chakra?" he asked.

"Cleaning this world's slate is only the first step, Madara," Hagoromo explained. "I intend to closely guide mankind this time around. I shall watch over them, and make certain that nothing is left to mere chance anymore. There will be peace, my child. That I can assure you of."

Despite clearly hearing the conviction in the Sage's words, the Uchiha patriarch couldn't fully give up on his reluctance.

"How can you be so sure of that, Sage?" Madara asked again. "How can you be so sure that humanity won't disappoint you for a second time?"

The brown haired man gained a thoughtful look upon hearing the question, and he began pondering on his descendant's words.

He agreed with the fact that there was indeed a possibility for something to go wrong even this time around, however, there was nothing to be gained from entertaining such pessimistic thoughts.

Besides, his resolve was already set, and nothing under the sun and moon would stop him from what he was intending to achieve.

"I cannot," Hagoromo answered after a few moments of silence. "But unless I try, my child, I will never know. I have the hope that all shall be right in the end, and that is enough for me."

Madara seemed pleased hearing the response, and all previous reticence quickly left the man's features.

"Very well then, Sage," the legendary Uchiha spoke firmly. "I will leave my dream in your hands, and perhaps, this time, you will succeed where we had both failed so far."

Hagoromo smiled pensively at his descendant's words and placed his free hand to rest gently on the man's other shoulder.

Following that gesture, the white haired man offered the Sage a smile of his own, though it was different from any of his previous ones.

For the first time in many years, Uchiha Madara was showing a genuine smile to the world, looking as though he was finally feeling at peace.

A moment later, the Uchiha patriarch slowly closed his eyes as if embraced by an irresistible sleep, and the truth-seeking orbs and staff in his possession begin to rapidly crumble.

The Sage gently laid the slumbering man over the still surface of the water, and the countless motes of light surrounding them began to shine even more brightly.

Hagoromo took a moment to look at his descendant peaceful form, before he weaved the ram seal with his hands.

The submerged bijū were quickly roused from their slumber in response to the Sage's gesture, and they began to resurface one by one.

The first one to emerge from the ocean was a single-tailed, large tanuki made out of sand and covered with black markings all over his body.

"That was an awesome speech, old man!" the creature spoke in a high pitched tone as it looked at the Sage.

The second one to rise from the water was a huge feline made of blue and black flames, and possessing two tails.

"As always, you strive to bring out the good in people," the beast addressed the brown haired man as well, though in a distinctively feminine voice.

The third beast to resurface looked like a large turtle with a crab-like shell, spikes all over its body, and three shrimp-like tails.

"Even those gone too far are not truly lost to you..." the creature spoke in a rather timid manner.

The fourth one to rise from the depths appeared to be a huge monkey with green skin and red fur, as well as four tails.

"But that guy was a real piece of work," the beast commented while briefly glancing at the slumbering man next to the Sage.

The fifth bijū to appear above the water resembled a horse, though with a dolphin's head and five tails.

"Even so, father did not give up on him," the creature spoke in a more quiet and reserved fashion than its other siblings.

The sixth one to emerge looked like a large white, bipedal slug, with stubby arms and feet, as well as six tails.

"Just as in the past..." the creature spoke in a kind tone as it looked at its creator.

The seventh one to resurface resembled a blue, armored kabutomushi, possessing seven wings growing from the end of its abdomen, six out of which appeared to be insect wings, with the last one being an actual tail.

"Daddy always forgives everyone!" the insect-like bijū spoke in a chipper tone.

The eight tailed beast to rise above the water resembled a large ushi-oni with four long horns on its head, and eight cephalopod-like tails.

"Looks like even Madara wasn't as bad as we thought he was," the creature spoke while looking at its gathered siblings.

The last bijū to emerge from the ocean appeared to be a huge kitsune with orange fur and nine tails.

"Hmph," the tailed beast scoffed as its sibling's words, before muttering something almost intelligible under its breath. "I still hate him..."

Moments later, Hagoromo glanced up at the nine tailed beasts gathered around him as his onyx shakujō formed in his left hand, and called each tailed beast by their true names.

"Shukaku."

"Matatabi."

"Isobu."

"Son Gokū."

"Kokuō."

"Saiken."

"Chōmei."

"Gyūki."

"Kurama."

The Sage tapped his ceremonial staff against the surface of the water, causing its hooped end to twinkle softly as he addressed the tailed beasts once more, though this time in a more solemn tone.

Creations of his power...

"The time has come, my children."

All nine creatures adopted much more serious demeanors upon hearing those words be spoken.

They were his dear children as well.

"The prophecy might have not come to be..." the Sage continued, his voice heavy and almost burdened.

He wished he didn't have to do something like this.

"Though the hope for this world has yet to dwindle."

Yet... there was no other choice...

"Hence..." His visage reflected sorrow, though his eyes were unwavering.

He couldn't possibly allow... constructions of chakra...

To roam free in a world that would soon be deprived of it...

"I ask of you, my children," he said, his voice gentle and soft.

So... the least he could do...

"Are you prepared..."

Was to recall them within once more.

"To assist me one last time?" he asked, though it came out more as a plea.

That way... they would always...

Be a part of him...

"To save this world..." His words were heavy with resolve.

And he would carry them in memory...

For the rest of time...

"Now and for all?" the Sage ended with another soft tap of his staff as he sought the eyes of each tailed beast.

And beyond...

Less than a moment later, nine resolute voices answered in unison with a decisive "Yes!"

Hagoromo offered the gathered tailed beasts a melancholic smile in response, before placing his hands in the mirrored ram seal.

And following that...

Everything around them was cast in a brilliant white.

As soon as his consciousness returned its focus on the physical world, Hagoromo immediately reached out and took a hold of his descendant's falling form.

Paying very little mind to the four pairs of disbelieving eyes that were tracing his every movement, the Sage gently laid the man's weakened body next to his feet and made a prayer gesture with his free hand.

Madara was no longer clad in his garment made of chakra, and his exposed chest seemed to be rising and falling ever so slower with each passing moment.

His hair was no longer the purest of white, and was quickly fading to its usual black as the life slowly drained away from his body.

Yet, the man's visage showed no worry and looked almost peaceful. The faintest of smiles was tugging at his lips, showing genuine contentment at his fate, and his lone, dark eye no longer seemed to hold any bitterness or resentment to it.

Mustering his remaining strength, the descendant of Indra gazed at the Sage's kneeling form and mouthed a silent "Thank you..." as his vision began to rapidly darken.

Hagoromo brought his opened hand over the dying man's sole eye, and said his last words to him with a pensive smile.

"You may finally rest now, my child."

Then, the bright sun mark on his palm briefly shone with power, and Madara gave his final breath into the world, before passing away with a content smile on his face.

The Sage remained unmoving for a few more seconds as he made sure to personally guide the man's departed soul into the Pure World, before he slowly rose from his kneeling position as the body lying at his feet began to slowly sink into the ground.

The hooped end of his obsidian staff clinked softly in his left hand as he stood up, and his hair was no longer its deep, rich brown, but a white as pure, fresh snow.

A moment later, he turned around to face those who had been silently watching everything up to that moment, and gazed at them with solemn eyes.

"The same for you, my children. You are no longer in peril, so you may rest for the time being," Hagoromo voiced softly. "There is still one last thing to be done, though it is not something you should concern yourselves with. That weight is mine to carry. As responsibility for my own mistake."

Only a few moments had passed in the material world ever since the sudden intervention, and the four present had yet to recover from the shock of everything they had witnessed so far.

But the revelation was more than clear in their minds. They were looking at the Sage of the Six Paths. A figure of legend who had returned to the world and saved them all from certain doom.

The first to break the silence out of the four individuals was the man with spiky silver hair and a black mask covering half of his face.

"We are truly grateful for your help, Sage of the Six Paths. I actually dread to think what might have become of us had you not intervened when you did..." Kakashi paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "But could you tell us what's really going on? We are all still extremely confused about this sudden turn of events."

The curiosity of that question seemed to be mirrored on the faces of everyone present, though they didn't have to wait long for the Sage's response.

"The reason why I am here now, my children, is because I intend to restore peace in this troubled world," Hagoromo began solemnly. "I will mend the scars of the past and right the greatest wrong I have done to you all. I shall take back the chakra I have foolishly granted upon mankind countless years ago. The power that brought only ruin to this world over the past millennium."

The Sage's words were quickly met with surprise from all four individuals listening. Not only because of what message they entailed, but also due to the sheer conviction that they held.

The silver haired man and a younger, blonde one missing an arm seemed to understand the legendary figure's decision, and they merely shared a brief look, before responding with a somber nod.

The pink haired girl standing behind them seemed to be of a different mind, however.

"But what about the great things that we were able to achieve with the help of chakra? Like the advancement of medicine?" Sakura argued. "How will we deal with the severe injuries and diseases if you take that away from us? How will we be able to heal other people without chakra when most of our technology revolves around it somehow?"

The Sage simply smiled in return, and his expression softened as he shifted his gaze onto the distraught girl.

"Do not worry yourself about that, my child. I shall make sure to aid you all until the time you find ways to compensate for the loss of chakra," Hagoromo assured. "Everything shall be taken care of until civilization reaches its stability."

Sakura couldn't help but feel assured as she listened to the Sage's words. Her previous doubts were quickly dispelled, and she actually felt safe and at peace by simply being the recipient of the man's gentle gaze.

The red haired boy to the girl's left didn't seem to wish to comment anymore upon hearing the Sage's response to Sakura's concerns, and he merely continued to observe the proceedings in silence, just as he had been doing up to that point.

Seeing how no more questions were posed by the four present after almost one minute spent in complete silence, Hagoromo decided to proceed with the final step of his intervention.

"The spirits of the dead have been disturbed enough as it is. This abominable technique ends now!" the Sage uttered sternly as he looked at the blond man missing one of his arms, before tapping his staff lightly on the ground.

A soft chiming sound echoed through the nearby surroundings, and less than a moment later, a bright light enveloped the blond man as his reanimated body began to crumble and fall apart.

The soul trapped within was immediately released, and it rapidly ascended toward the heavens alongside three others in the far distance, leaving behind only a small pile of ash.

After offering another brief prayer for the departed souls, the Sage glanced at the scarred form of a white haired man, who was lying unconscious on the ground several feet away from him.

"What will happen to Obito?" Kakashi asked once he noticed where the Sage was looking.

"His time in this world is reaching its end as well," Hagoromo replied as he walked up to the man's downed form. "Without my mother's will clinging onto him, he would have passed away long ago."

Kakashi's eyes became downcast upon hearing that, but he seemed to understand that this was the end of the line for his old friend. So, he merely nodded in acceptance without saying anything else.

A moment later, Hagoromo crouched next to the scarred man's prone form and touched the black substance covering the left half of his body. He effortlessly absorbed the other half of Kurama contained within the creature, before willing the black rod impaling the man's left arm to dissolve.

As soon as the chakra receiver crumbled to nothingness, the parasitic creature clinging to the dying man's body immediately regained its consciousness and looked at the Sage with fear reflecting in its lone, violet eye.

Though, as soon as it came, the fear quickly drained away from Black Zetsu's featureless visage and was replaced with an uncharacteristic anger.

The creature's eye darted amongst the three individuals present, before its rasping voice suddenly broke the silence.

"You damned fools, look at what you have done!" Black Zetsu snapped impotently while glowering at the three shinobi. "Centuries of planning gone by in the blink of an eye, just because of your idiocy! Just because you lot were unable to behave properly like the obedient pets you were supposed to be!"

Hagoromo merely shook his head at the irate creature's behavior and reached with his free hand for its lone eye.

The creature didn't seem to notice the gesture as it was too busy raving at the three shinobi, who could only look at it in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"You've made him come back and ruin everything—!"

Black Zetsu didn't get to finish venting its frustrations, as the sun symbol on the Sage's right hand glowed once more with power, thus rendering it unconscious once again as its violet eye crumbled to ash.

Hagoromo looked at the unresponsive creature for the better part of the following minute as his rippling eyes became wistful and reminiscent.

The creature's mad raving briefly reminded him of times from a very distant past. Times during which his long departed mother had yet to fall into madness and become a despotic tyrant.

He still held her very dear. He still respected her greatly. Regardless of what happened in the past, his mother was still his mother, and he couldn't find it in himself to destroy something that was in essence a small piece of her.

Black Zetsu was his mother's will made manifest, and he just could not bring himself to erase such a precious thing from existence.

Another minute passed in complete silence as the Sage continued to gaze upon the unconscious creature while seemingly lost in his thoughts.

Suddenly, Hagoromo's eyes widened in realization as an idea made itself known in his mind.

He could purify Black Zetsu's will and refashion it into something akin to a memorabilia of his mother. He could use his own will to overwrite the creature's initial loyalties and make himself the recipient of its absolute obedience instead.

That way he could always carry with him a reminder of his dear mother.

Hagoromo smiled faintly at that thought and briefly released the ceremonial staff from his grip. The shakujō shifted horizontally and hovered behind him where it remained levitating as the Sage brought both of his arms over the black substance that composed Black Zetsu.

The sun and moon symbols shone in their dark and respectively bright colors as power capable of altering any and all aspects of the world was briefly unleashed by the legendary figure.

A split second later, the change was already done, and the Sage lowered his hands as the black substance shifted erratically across its host's body for a few moments, before it became completely still as the creature returned back to consciousness.

A sickly yellow eye snapped open and a jagged grin quickly followed suit, before a familiar sounding rasp came from the awakened creature.

"Hello... Father."

Hagoromo smiled wistfully at the creature. "Welcome back," he suddenly paused, realizing that he did not have a name for the creature yet. Though his pondering was brief, as he seemed to quickly come up with something fitting.

The Sage raised his left hand, as if to beckon. "You can return to me now... Alduin."

The creature immediately complied and began to detach itself from its dying host, slithering down the man's scarred body and pooling on the ground into a shifting puddle.

Moments later, Alduin was already creeping up its creator's garments and flowing inside his sleeve, where it seemed to make itself unknown to the world, save for the pair of yellow eyes that remained open to observe even the slightest of movements in its immediate surroundings.

Hagoromo raised himself from his crouching posture and made another praying gesture for the recently passed away man, before looking at the imposing sight of the God Tree that could be seen piercing the heavens.

A split second later, he vanished from his current spot as if he had never been there to begin with and reappeared several miles away in the distance, right at the base of the gigantic tree.

He gently placed both his hands on the trunk and briefly closed his eyes in concentration. Suddenly, the surface of the Shinju began to ripple and warp in response, and in less than a few seconds, the God Tree was absorbed within Hagoromo's being.

The Sage slowly opened his eyes and shifted his gaze upon the moon.

The celestial body seemed to shine brighter in response, and Hagoromo immediately began to levitate as he moved closer and closer toward it.

And once he was high enough to be able to gaze upon the world below with ease, he remained hovering in air and waited as his body was bathed in the pale moonlight.

A split second later, his violet eyes glowed with power and the skin of his forehead slowly began to part itself.

The Rinne Sharingan.

A divine eye that rippled with the power to reshape reality and everything within. To bend the aspects of existence itself and to twist the very fabric of the universe.

Such was the authority held by the Eye of God.

The eye whose crimson light had returned to the world for a third time...

Hagoromo remained hovering in the air for another minute, his three mismatched eyes staring unfocused at the planet beneath his feet as his mind became lost in thought for a brief while.

There was one last thing that he had to do before he could proceed to bring salvation upon the world. He had to offer his dear mother her much deserved closure...

The Sage gained a pensive look at that thought.

His mother had gone through enough suffering as it was. Some of it at his and his brother's hands, no less...

He could not allow her torment to continue any longer. It was time for her to finally rest.

And with that thought in mind, Hagoromo brought up his right hand and placed it over his navel. His palm instantly shone a brilliant white as he gently tugged away.

A vaguely humanoid shaped mass of energy was drawn out of him, clinging tightly to his opened palm.

The spirit of his mother...

Hagoromo gazed at it in silence for a few moments as a wistful smile made its way on his face.

"Mother..." the Sage voiced softly. "I hope you will find your peace of mind in the Pure World..."

He slowly brought his hand up and was about to release the soul, though he was unable to do such, as something rather peculiar interrupted him.

He felt a gentle tug at the fringe of his consciousness, an occurrence that reminded him of the tender caressing of a warm hand. His eyes slightly widened in surprise, though at the same time he couldn't help the faint smile that found its way on his lips.

Such a nostalgic feeling...

He glanced back at the spirit he was holding in his palm and his features softened even further.

A moment later, he allowed his consciousness to be pulled inwardly and promptly felt his perception of the world change as he was met with the very familiar sight of his inner world.

An endless ocean of heavenly blue, bathed in the brilliance of the countless reflected stars visible on the sky above. A breathtaking and awe-inspiring sight to anyone who might be seeing it for the first time, no doubt.

Even for Hagoromo himself, the scenery had still not lost its otherworldly allure and vivid symbolism, despite the many times he had beheld it over the years.

The glistening water rippled slightly as another figure manifested on its surface.

The Sage glanced at the woman of ethereal beauty standing only a few feet away from him and felt another wave of nostalgia wash over him.

An oval, delicate face framed by lustrous, cascading white hair. Flawless and pale skin to be glimpsed beneath the cover of a pristine, flowing robe. A dignified posture and noble countenance befitting only of a queen.

The Progenitor of Chakra. Princess of the Ōtsutsuki clan. Dear and beloved mother. Ōtsutsuki Kaguya...

Milky eyes bereft of any pupils stared back, drawing Hagoromo away from his brief reverie.

His mother was as beguiling and regal as he remembered her. Her ancestry and status were clear to anyone who might have gazed upon her impeccable form.

"Hello, mother," the Sage greeted politely. "Long time had passed since we have last seen each other."

His mother might have done some very unpleasant deeds in the past, yet she was still beloved family to him. The respect he held for her had not wavered in the least even after a millennium long departure.

Hagoromo's words were met with a brief silence by the regal woman, and he would have begun to wonder whether she had registered them in the first place, if not for what happened next.

Kaguya's dignified, almost impassive visage changed in the span of a few moments to that of a woman being on the verge of weeping, as though her entire world had crumbled apart in the blink of an eye.

It was something rather shocking to witness, especially to Hagoromo, who had never before seen such a sorrowful expression of pain on his mother's face. It affected him enough for it to be clearly reflected in his demeanor.

"Mother?" the Sage asked as he closed the distance between the two of them. "What happened? Is anything the matter?"

Kaguya silently gazed in her son's concerned eyes for a few moments, before slowly reaching with a hand to cup his face. "You are so much like him..." she whispered tearfully as she caressed his cheek.

Hagoromo seemed to be stunned silent by the woman's gesture as he simply stood there unmoving and watched the tears falling from her lily-white eyes.

He had never seen his mother express such emotion in the past.

The dignified princess who had always held herself with a calm and composed demeanor, regardless of the situation... to witness her in such a frail and vulnerable state... it felt almost surreal to him.

"Hagoromo... I am so sorry..." Kaguya managed to say between her pained sobs. "Forgive me, my son... please... please forgive me..." Her words coming out akin a desperate plea felt like a cold shower to the Sage.

He knew that his mother had kept away certain things of her past from him and his brother, though he had never imagined them to be of such a magnitude.

What could have happened to scar her such? He wasn't certain, though he understood one thing. Whatever it had been, it was what had pushed her down her path of madness and torment.

Though right now, in what seemed like a tearful moment of lucidity, she was desperately apologizing for her deeds in the past...

Mother...

Setting his thoughts aside for the moment, Hagoromo wrapped his arms around his mother's vulnerable frame and embraced her in a comforting hug. He felt her body briefly stiffen as if from shock, though she eventually seemed to relax in the warmth of his embrace.

Yet, her weeping was unceasing, and freshly spilled tears were staining the hem of his robe further are further.

It didn't take him long to realize the reason why. Not because he was a sage of wisdom beyond his years. But because he was a son. And the anguished woman in his arms was his dear mother.

"I forgive you," Hagoromo voiced softly, a hand finding its way through his mother's silvery tresses to caress her back. "Please be at ease, mother."

He had forgiven much, much worse. Most of which had never sought his forgiveness with such earnest and sincere motive, let alone to come from his mother herself. And if his intuition was to prove him right as well, then there was even more the reason to forgive her.

Hearing the soothing words of her son seemed to calm the distressed woman, as her sobs became muffled in the damp cloth where she had her face buried and the tears no longer streamed down her cheeks.

Moments later, Kaguya drew her face away from the hem of Hagoromo's robe and silently gazed in her son's violet eyes as a small, genuine smile of many emotions blossomed on her pale features.

"Thank you..." she eventually spoke, her voice still frail and barely above a whisper. "My dear and beloved son..."

The Sage smiled warmly in return, before unwrapping his arms from around his mother's frame as he used one of his sleeves to wipe the last of her tears off her delicate face.

The two of them continued to stare at each other in comfortable silence for a little longer, as neither of them had to use any words when they could read the other's emotions and thoughts in their eyes.

Though, after a minute or so, Hagoromo decided to voice the question that had been occupying his mind for the past few minutes.

A question that he hoped to receive an answer to.

"Mother, what happened to you?" the Sage asked, his voice firm yet warm with concern. "You have never spoken much to me or my brother about your past. What could have happened to make you go through such pain and suffering?"

Hesitation briefly flashed across Kaguya's face as she pondered on whether to answer her son's inquiry or not.

Even if she didn't tell him now, sooner or later he was bound to become involved in the affair... once those two would finally make their move.

But that aside, she was much aware of what her son was truly capable of. She was his mother, after all. She knew what he could achieve if he truly put his mind and heart to it, especially now that he had almost surpassed even her in power. She had a feeling of what he was attempting to do, and once he was to be done with it, even that person shouldn't be able to rise up to him anymore.

A glance at Hagoromo's resolute eyes was enough to drive away all the lingering conflict in the woman's mind.

Kaguya's visage quickly hardened with similar resolve, and in mere moments she appeared to regain her dignified composure and regal air from before.

The Sage smiled at the rapid shift in his mother's demeanor, though he didn't get to make any nostalgic comment on it, as the woman immediately opened her mouth to speak.

"Do you remember the words I spoke to you when you were still a little boy and you asked me about your father?"

Hagoromo looked contemplative for a moment. "I recall you told me that he was lost amidst the stars," he replied. "I hadn't fully understood what you meant, though I had the feeling that I shouldn't pry any further."

"Yes... and I was very thankful for that, my son, because I doubt that I would have been able to talk to you about him at that time," Kaguya voiced, taking a few moments to collect her thoughts. "However... I am now."

The Sage's eyes widened briefly in response to his mother's words. His mother had never before spoken so openly about her past. It was quite the novel experience for him, though he didn't make any comment to interrupt her.

"Your father was a wonderful person. I remember falling in love with him from the first moment we have met each other at the royal banquet in our clan's home world," the regal woman spoke fondly at the memory. "When he looked at me, and our gazes locked for that first time, I knew that he had to be the one. From then on, it all became akin to a sweet fantasy for me. One that I thought would never end..."

Kaguya sighed pensively as her eyes seemed to cloud with sorrow once more.

"You don't have to force yourself, if it's too painful for you to reminisce, mother," Hagoromo reasoned as he tried to comfort his mother.

"No, Hagoromo, it is alright," Kaguya replied after a brief pause with seemingly renewed resolve. "You need to know of this, my son. I have been too selfish of a mother for so long. It is time I told you the truth about my past."

Hearing that, the Sage relented. "Very well, mother."

The dignified woman smiled wistfully at her son as she resumed her tale. "There are people in our clan who value power over all else. They desire chakra and seek it at all cost..." she revealed. "One of these people was at odds with your father. He coveted your father's power, and eventually, decided to take it for himself..."

Hagoromo wasn't surprised to hear that about his clansmen, though he had a rather unpleasant feeling about what he thought might be coming next.

"I was with your father when that person, Momoshiki, suddenly ambushed us alongside his retainer, Kinshiki. Your father initially had the upper hand in their fight, but then..." Kaguya's voice faltered briefly toward the end, and she had to pause again for a moment to recompose herself.

A truth-seeking orb manifested behind Hagoromo, shaping itself into his ceremonial staff as the Sage continued to listen with undivided attention to his mother's story.

"Momoshiki ordered his companion to seize me. I was powerless to do anything at that time... All I could do was watch as your father was forced to submit in order to save me..." Kaguya spoke in a strained voice. "And then..."

The Ōtsutsuki princess seemed to be on the verge of crying again, though she managed to hold her tears back as the anger she felt at that memory proved to be much stronger.

Hagoromo remained silent while he listened, respectful of his mother's wish, though his expression looked as if it was carved from stone.

"He took away my beloved from me..." Kaguya hissed through clenched teeth as the intensity in her voice grew with every spoken word. "Momoshiki didn't just kill your father. He turned him into a chakra fruit and devoured him! He took him away from me forever, and I was unable to do anything but watch..." her voice trailed off at the end, and she seemed to become lost in thought for a while.

The Sage maintained his silence, yet his eyes reflected a genuine compassion for his mother's plight. He could easily tell the hatred and anger in her voice at the mentioning of that person, and he felt his own ire slowly rouse in turn.

"I thought about taking my life for a while after that, you know?" Kaguya suddenly spoke after brief period of silence, her voice bereft of most of its previous heat. "But then I found out that I was bearing twin children. Two sons... you... and your brother."

Hagoromo couldn't hold back his words anymore upon hearing that. "Mother..." he whispered, trying to comfort his mother as he placed a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

Kaguya smiled weakly in response. "I couldn't take my life knowing that. I saw a thread of my beloved in you two," she continued. "So I vowed to avenge your father one day instead. I decided to live for the sake of you two... and my retribution. I sought a Shinju and consumed its forbidden fruit of power. I didn't care about anything else at that time..."

Kaguya's gaze became downcast as she spoke the final words of her story. "After that... you know what came to be."

Hagoromo closed his eyes in an attempt to gather his thoughts and reign in the ire that was beginning to take shape in his heart.

He'd had his suspicions about what might have befallen his mother in the past that changed her in such a manner, yet he would have never imaged it to have been of such gravity.

The hatred she had latched onto over the years had compelled her lust for power, so she had tried to amass as much chakra as possible in preparation for her eventual confrontation with Momoshiki.

However... that never came to be, as in the process she had slowly drifted into a spiral of madness, one in which there was no color in the world.

Knowing that she would never be able to meet her beloved again had clearly taken too much of a toll on his mother's mind in the end...

Hagoromo's hand suddenly shot to the shakujō hovering to his left and gripped it with enough force for it to resound in the surroundings.

Kaguya's eyes widened at the gesture. She didn't think that her son would have such a strong reaction to her past, but seeing him so concerned about her wellbeing and angered at her plight brought her a pleasant feeling of warmth.

She was about to open her mouth and speak, though she didn't get the chance as her son was quick to voice his thoughts.

"The scales will be evened, mother. Momoshiki will be held accountable for his deed," Hagoromo declared, as if stating a fact and making a promise at the same time. "I will make sure of it."

Kaguya offered her son an apologetic smile, before embracing him in a loving hug. "I think it is time I finally moved on..." she whispered, unwrapping her arms from her son's frame.

Hagoromo didn't say anything in response, choosing to give his mother a smile that conveyed his emotions instead.

Kaguya's features softened even further upon seeing that.

She had the general picture of what her son was trying to achieve through his returning to the world, yet it didn't really surprise her. She knew that her son would go to any length if he truly wanted to accomplish something.

It was something that made her very proud of him.

"I leave the fate of our world in your hands, Hagoromo. I am sure that you will accomplish what you have set yourself to," Kaguya voiced as she gave one last smile to her son. "Farewell, my beloved son."

"Farewell, mother," Hagoromo returned the parting words, and a second later he felt his consciousness shift back to the outside world.

The Sage brought up his hand and gazed for a while longer at the soul resting in his palm. A wistful smile formed on his lips, and then he finally let go of the soul latched onto his palm.

The liberated spirit of his mother ascended to the afterlife in a bright flash of light.

Now he had another motive to do what he was about to do...

Hagoromo's mismatched eyes suddenly focused on the pale moon, prompting it to quickly turn a blood red in response to his will.

He slowly brought his hands together into the ram seal, and then the rippling pattern of his third eye became reflected upon the eerily glowing celestial body.

*Chapter 2*: Prologue 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Prologue,

Part II: Transcendence

"Yo wo terase... Mugen Tsukuyomi!"

Following those wearily spoken words, the eerily glowing crimson moon shone a blinding white, before its light was cast over the entirety of the planet beneath, momentarily turning the middle of the night into bright day.

Hagoromo observed with pensive eyes as the permeating light of his mother's fearsome technique pierced through every shadow of his world, placing all of its inhabitants under the irresistible illusion.

Nothing could hide from it, yet in this case there was no need for them to even contemplate doing so. This light wasn't about to bring despair to the people as it had done in the past. This time, it would only bring about their salvation.

The Sage brought his hands together in a prayer motion and uttered softly while gazing at the world below his feet.

"Shin: Jukai Kōtan."

The earth rumbled with his words, and countless of gigantic roots emerged from the soil all across the planet, twisting and growing as they towered over even the highest of mountains and peaks.

In the span of mere seconds, the mighty roots of the Divine Tree managed to encompass the entirety of the world, and shortly after, innumerable thin tendrils began sprouting from each and every one of them.

The tendrils rapidly grew and immediately sought for the closest human to wrap around and ensnare in their grasp, binding them to the life force of the Shinju as they fell into peaceful slumber.

Moments later, the bright glow of the moon seemed to be finally dying down as it reassumed its normally pale hue, and by the time the last of the cocoons hanging down from the colossal roots was formed, the dark of midnight had completely returned over the world.

Hagoromo kept his hands clasped together and briefly closed his eyes in concentration as he focused over the entirety of those who were now connected to his power.

He would make sure that no harm would befall them as a consequence of their deprivation of chakra. His life giving energy would make sure of that.

A bright blue hue sparked within each of the innumerable cocoons as all the fragments of chakra were being recalled back together by the Sage.

Soon enough, the world began trembling under the sheer amount of power that was being amassed, before torrents of bluish energy sprang forth from the earth, rapidly converging toward the hovering man's position.

Hagoromo held out his hands as the thick currents of chakra gathered above the glowing half moon and sun marks visible on his opened palms.

Once the last drop of chakra was returned, the bright orb of densely amassed chakra hovering above the Sage's hands suddenly pulsed with power as its shine became even more intense.

The white haired young man took a moment to properly look at the glowing fruit that weighted no more than a feather in his palms.

The fruit of chakra...

The primarily source of discord within his world, yet at the same time the only powerful enough means to bring proper healing to it.

Such an amusing dichotomy...

There was as much potential for creation in chakra as there was for destruction. As much potential for life as there was for death. As much potential for happiness as there was for suffering. All of which simply depended upon the will and intention of its wielder.

It was the reason why he had made his intervention in the first place. Why he had done what he had done. And why he shalt do what he shalt do.

Because it was the only way. The only way to make lasting peace a reality in this final hour.

Though it would come with quite the heavy price. The price of power was never to be underestimated, for it could easily end up being a very steep one. He had seen it in his mother after all. And not many decades later in all of humanity as well...

Yet he had the unwavering conviction that he would not succumb to it. He was certain that he could do what he had resolved to achieve.

And even if he had to carry the whole weight of responsibility on his shoulders for such to be possible...

Then... so be it.

He would not falter.

And with that thought in mind, Hagoromo brought the small, shimmering fruit to his mouth and consumed it in a single bite.

For a brief moment, nothing seemed to happen. No unusual feeling, and no difference in perception.

But after that instant, his thoughts were momentarily brought to a halt by the sudden flood of power that washed through his body. The euphoric feeling of empowerment coursing through his being, so intense that it reached his very soul, was simply indescribable.

No wonder that his mother had become so obsessed with chakra. This sensation was utterly addictive, and it took almost all of his willpower to resist and not give in to the encroaching euphoria.

It lasted for less than a few seconds, though as soon as it began to subside, it was quickly replaced by another overwhelming sensation. However, this one was less problematic and much more familiar to the Sage.

A feeling of utmost calmness and serenity brought the remaining of Hagoromo's focus away from his surroundings as he immersed himself within the tranquil expanse of his unperturbed mind.

It was as though he had entered a state of meditation so incredibly profound that the sheer peacefulness he was experiencing prevented his thoughts from wandering to anything else.

A few seconds passed as the Sage continued to immerse himself even deeper within the incredible ataraxia which had engulfed his mind, though he quickly began to marvel at the rather foreign sensation that suddenly entered his perception.

It felt very similar to the heightened awareness of the world caused by his senjutsu, yet at the same time it was vastly different. In a way, the sensation was similar to the perception of the world that he had gained ever since he had awakened his Six Paths Senjutsu, although it seemed to extend much more beyond that.

He wasn't capable of just sensing the world around him at this point. No... right now he could actually feel it, as though he had become connected to it in the most intimate way possible.

All that he could feel was him

And all that he was...

...He could feel.

That was the sole thought going through his mind as he continued to bask in the otherworldly feeling that he had just become capable of discerning.

Meanwhile, from a more objective perspective than what seemed to be transpiring within Hagoromo's psyche, it could have easily been said that things had occurred a bit differently.

The moment Hagoromo had consumed the fruit of chakra, his body began releasing white wisps of energy, which quickly grew in intensity as he was further engulfed in a flickering glow of chakra.

Though suddenly, as if a metamorphosis of some kind had finally come to an end, a blinding flash of light consumed the surroundings as his body burst into a brilliant white akin to an exploding star.

An incredibly dense and rapidly expanding mass of chakra washed over the immediate area, and it took less than a few seconds for the spreading cloud of chakra to encompass and expand beyond everything that could be seen with the naked eye, as though it was melding with the world itself.

Several hours had passed while Hagoromo remained immersed in his profound state of meditation, however, he was eventually brought out of it when he began to experience a rather peculiar feeling.

It was akin to something at the back of his mind almost urging him to continue expanding his power and essence throughout the cosmos. It puzzled the Sage because he could tell that nothing seemed to feel out of place, and that whatever it was that he was doing felt just right. As if he was supposed to be doing it to begin with.

This was the moment when the concerned voice of Alduin resounded within his mind, drawing him out of his profound meditation.

"Father...?"

Hagoromo's focus quickly returned on his surroundings, and he took a few moments to ascertain the rather peculiar circumstances that he found himself in.

"Everything is alright, Alduin. I have merely lost the track of time."

Upon assuring his creation that there was no need for it to worry over the situation at hand, the Sage decided to put aside the peculiar experience from earlier, and for the time being pay heed to his rather unusual predicament.

Right now he had to do something about his current state of being, as he was still in the process of diffusing throughout the universe and melding with its fabric.

He had expected something far out of the sphere of ordinary to occur as a result of his consumption of the chakra fruit while still housing the power of a previous fruit within his being, though he had not imagined that the results would end up being so... unusually cosmic in scope.

But that aside, he shouldn't exactly dally at a time such as this, as it seemed that it would become harder for him to pull his essence back together the more he allowed himself to disperse amidst the stars.

He had already melded rather intimately with the natural energy present in quite the significant area of the universe, and his power was still on its way toward exploring and claiming the rest of the uncharted territories of his world.

Even his soul was already spread over a few galaxies, and he really didn't feel like counting stars right now.

After all, he still had a few more things left to do.

The Sage would have honestly sighed had he actually possessed a mouth, or if he was certain that by doing the equivalent of a sigh in his current form, he would not accidentally obliterate a planet. Or create a black hole for that matter. Or even worse, rip a hole in the fabric of space-time.

But even so, there was no need for him to worry. Or perhaps not too much anyway, because during the past few minutes he had been able to slow down his diffusion throughout the universe, to the point where he had finally brought it to a halt.

As appealing as it was the idea of seeing what would have happened had he allowed himself to completely diffuse throughout the universe, Hagoromo had to leave such a curiosity for another time, for he had yet to accomplish everything that he had resolved himself to do.

Therefore, he wasted no more time and proceeded to carefully gather himself back together, so as to not accidentally tear the fabric of the world when he recalled his chakra alongside the natural energy that it had balanced itself with.

By the time he returned to the confines of his solar system, a rather unexpected and mildly unpleasant revelation was made known to the Sage.

It had nothing to do with the young Ōtsutsuki on the moon, who seemed to be the only survivor left from his brother's lineage. Neither with the almost dead zealot buried in a remote forest somewhere in the Land of Fire. And nor with the two Ōtsutsuki from a far away world, with one of whom he had promised to have a little talk.

Those individuals were something that he would easily deal with at a later time. The real issue at hand was a much more compelling one.

Apparently, his power had become so absurdly great that it seemed to be opposing his attempts at being condensed, as it simply didn't not find it natural to be compressed and constricted to such a degree.

Feeling another urge to sigh, Hagoromo intensified his efforts even more and was pleased to see that his chakra and soul began making their way back toward his planet.

Much to his displeasure, he was met with the same problem a minute later, though this time the opposition seemed to be much greater.

The Sage could no longer refrain himself from sighing, and as such, the unfortunate mountain standing before his colossal form of a flickering Jūbi was introduced to its demise, in the form of a devastating roar that had come out of the creature's mouth.

After taking a moment to acknowledge the fact that he had casually blown up a mountain due to an overpowered sigh, Hagoromo summoned all of his willpower to aid him in his task. And after also adding his Yin-Yang power to the mix in order to coordinate the entire process, he was finally rewarded with his awaited result.

He was once again in the possession of physical body.

Although, referring to it as a mere body would have been just a little less than simply absurd, given how whatever it was the form he had managed to assume with such effort on his part, a body most certainly it was not.

A magical body, perhaps, though even calling it as such might have been quite inaccurate.

In the end, what he had managed to create by willing his power into that form had been just that, a form for his power to be accommodated into, in order for him to be able to normally interact with the world, without him accidentally obliterating the surroundings. Or even outright warping the reality due to his intimate connection to it.

Taking a few moments to inspect his new form, Hagoromo noted that his appearance seemed to have slightly changed yet again.

His hair was much longer, flowing past his shoulders and down his back akin to a snowy mane, and his features have also become more ethereal. A trait that characterized most members of his clan, it seemed.

Well, that, and the long, white horns...

Though seeing as he wasn't much fond of those accessories, he quickly made them vanish from his head.

The next thing that came to the Sage's attention once he was done assessing his physical form had to do with his current state of being.

He could clearly tell that he was no longer a jinchūriki, as the Jūbi existed no more within him. The memories of all the bijū rested now with him, just as he had promised to them.

Putting that train of thought aside, Hagoromo concluded that the consumption of the chakra fruit must have made it such that all chakra was brought together once more.

It was similar to what his mother had done in the past when she had joined herself with the Shinju, though he couldn't truly liken his change to hers, as it seemed that he had gone a step further beyond even that.

He more or less embodied the concept of chakra now, so that probably made him a primordial, if he had to use a more specific term.

Hagoromo pondered on that thought for a few more seconds, before his lips became a thin line.

Even more power...

Letting out a soft sigh, the Sage decided that he cared neither about what sort of existence he had ended up becoming, nor about how much more power he had just gained.

After all, he had other things to consider at this time. Matters far more important than any idle musings about his apparent ascension to an even higher state of being.

Briefly narrowing his rippling eyes in concentration, Hagoromo formed the rat seal with his hands and flared his chakra.

The endless world of dreams was undone in an instant, and the countless gigantic roots spanning over the entire world began to rapidly wither and shrink.

The thin vines cocooning around the millions of slumbering people crumbled away in mere seconds, releasing their previous captives upon the soil beneath as they slowly began to return back to consciousness.

Varying degrees of confusion could be seen lining the visages of the recently awakened as they were most likely trying to wrap their minds around what was currently transpiring. Though it was something to be expected given the circumstances.

A faint smile upturned the Sage's lips as he silently watched the unfolding events, however it didn't last for too long as he quickly reminded himself that his work had yet to be finished.

With that thought in mind, Hagoromo slowly brought his hands together in a prayer fashion and concentrated for a moment. His violet eyes glowed with unbridled power and resolve.

It was time for him to restore the life lost in the ashes of war.

The advent of a new era was nigh, and rebirth would precede the upcoming peace.

Awaken...!

His voice resounded through the vast expanse of the Pure World, reaching all those who did not belong there yet. His power soon enveloped them akin to a warm blanket to guide them.

And then...

A sea of silver blossomed forth around the Sage. Thousands of souls recalled from beyond death to embrace life once more. Young and old, men and women, all translucent figures quickly regaining their distinct shapes and features.

The miracle of the divine...

Such was the thought shared by all the onlookers who could only stare with widened eyes at the unbelievable scene unfolding before them.

The summoned souls too shared the disbelief at what they were witnessing, though they were instead staring at the white haired man standing in their midst. The one whose call they had answered to be brought back.

Some were beginning to piece together the events currently transpiring, yet none of them found the words to utter in the presence of such an otherworldly atmosphere enrapturing them.

Though even the others seemed to understand on an almost subconscious and primal level that they should respect the sanctity of an atmosphere imposed by such a divine presence standing before their very eyes.

A soft, chiming sound echoing through the battered plains brought the undivided attention of all present upon the figure of the legendary Sage.

Two more souls rapidly took shape to each of his sides as he softly tapped his shakujō against the soil once again.

The descendant of his eldest son to his left, and the descendant of his youngest son to his right.

The two boys looked less surprised than the others gathered, though they couldn't seem to find it in themselves to utter a word, just like everyone else.

Not that they couldn't, but that they would not fathom spoiling such an awing moment with anything else.

It was the advent of a new era.

Hagoromo couldn't help the soft smile forming on his visage as he beheld the wondrous scenery around him. Thousands of hopeful gazes fixated on his form. The people awaiting his guidance. It was as moving as it was beautiful.

At long last...

It was almost done...

The staff he held in his grasp dissolved into nothingness as the Sage swept his gaze all across the thousands of silvery hues surrounding him.

His features softened even further and his smile grew to reflect his immense joy. He suddenly spread his arms as wide as he could, as if trying to embrace all of those gathered around him.

"Rejoice, my children!" Hagoromo exclaimed, his voice carrying his happiness across the land and amplifying the hope of everyone present, "Life anew has been blessed unto all of you!"

Everyone seemed to be recovering from their daze as they heard the Sage's words with clarity, though what followed next was enough to briefly bring their thoughts to a sudden pause.

"Gedō...

Hagoromo intoned while he placed his hands in the ram seal and focused his chakra. His rippled eyes sparked with immense power, and he swiftly weaved the snake seal, his fingers interlocking.

Rinne Tensei!"

Words of untold power were uttered, and with them, the world around the Sage was cast in a brilliant white as life bringing energy surged through all of the gathered souls.

Obscured by the encompassing shine, a duplicate of the legendary man was brought forth behind him.

Hagoromo gave one more look to the people basking in divine light around him.

Living flesh was being made to house their souls for a second time, and within mere moments, the countless resurrected were once again drawing breath.

When the light finally began to fade, all present looked with awe etched on their faces at the snow haired figure standing watchful amidst them. One by one, the people began to bow, kneel, or prostrate themselves in an unanimous display of gratitude.

The ethereal being tapped its reformed staff on the ground once more, and then spoke in a soft yet resounding voice, "Rise, my children. A new era begins now. One bereft of war... and chakra..."

Hagoromo watched from afar as the resurrected people stood back up in response to his clone's words. He silently hoped that they wouldn't be too displeased once they learned of their lacking chakra...

The Sage gave a soft sigh and turned around from the scene taking place in the distance. As much as he wished to be there with his people, he knew that he would have to wait a little longer.

There was still one last thing that he had to do. He had to see... He had to see a different mankind.

For so long he had wondered about this... Whether the human condition had taken the same twists and turns regardless of the world? Or perhaps... If there was a mankind who had succeeded in what his people had failed by themselves?

If he could happen to see humans living in peace by their own devices...

Ah... what joy would that bring to him. Perhaps enough to rekindle his hope and desire to teach and guide once more...

Hagoromo's thoughts drifted once more back to his own people. It truly weighed down on his heart to leave them at this time, even if for a brief while. Yet, he had to do what he had to do.

He had faith that his replacement would take care of them just as he would have. It was an extension of his own will, after all... So he would at least be by their side indirectly through his shadow.

The clone would lead them in his stead for the time being. It would take care of them until his timely return. It would defend his world from anything undesired, and solve any remaining unfinished matters.

Humanity would be united under a single banner, free of prejudice and hatred. They would be led toward peace and harmony. Prosperity would be in their reach.

A different approach to establishing peace this time, though a necessary one. The only one, if he were to be honest. And as long as the people would not be subjugated... he could shoulder the weight.

Too many liberties would give birth to anarchy. Yet, robbing people of their choice and freedom would inevitably do the same...

Such was the peculiar nature of the human being. Neither white, nor black. But a balance of the in-between. And the key to achieving a lasting peace was to find that balancing hue of grey.

Much to his sadness, he had never witnessed them discover it on their own. Yet the hope was still there...

Hagoromo shifted his gaze on the bright horizon as his eyes clouded with contemplation. Moments later, he vanished from his spot in a swift blur of speed.

Before his departure... there was one more thing he wished to do.

Hagoromo felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him when his eyes settled upon the familiar slab of stone. It was lying between two braziers at the end of a dimly lit room. A bit different from where he had first placed it, though the place still invoked the same feeling as the cave where his tablet had been initially left.

Esoteric engravings could be seen on the surface of the old stone, fully decipherable only by those who possessed the same eyes as him. For anyone else, it would be merely a piece of stone with some gibberish carved into it.

The Sage brushed his right hand across the rough surface of the tablet and couldn't hold back the sigh that escaped his lips. What he had meant to be a legacy for his descendants and a forewarning to those who sought too much power for themselves had been turned into a cunning deception at the hands of his mother's treacherous will.

That thought brought him a twinge of anger, though it was dismissed as fast as it came forth. There was no meaning in dwelling upon such things at this point. His world had a new future now.

The old tablet suddenly began to crumble away under Hagoromo's touch. There was no need for this twisted piece of his past anymore. The world would be given new guiding soon.

Once the stone was no longer, the Sage brought his hands together and focused for a moment. His power reached far, and soon enough found its target.

It was time for him to see his dear brother.

Hamura deserved his own rest now that his oath to him had been finally fulfilled. Just as his mother, his brother had been denied peace for far too long. And now... it was time he rectified that.

A torrent of powerful chakra began to take shape behind Hagoromo, moments after he called out to his brother. The Sage turned around and greeted Hamura with a wistful smile.

His brother's spirit appeared in the same form as he remembered him on the day of his departure to the moon, many centuries ago, wearing a long white robe adorned with black magatama symbols.

Hamura returned his brother's smile. "It's been a while, brother," he spoke.

"A rather long while..." Hagoromo replied, his voice trailing off in melancholic silence.

The silence didn't last for long, though, as Hamura quickly addressed his brother once more.

"I'm happy for you, Hagoromo."

Hagoromo couldn't help the upturning of his mouth as he looked at his brother's softly smiling face. Hamura had always been unwavering in his support of him. Always there for him. Ever loyal and dutiful... It brought him great joy to see him again.

"Thank you, Hamura," the Sage voiced softly. "I'm truly happy to see you again."

The younger Ōtsutsuki placed a hand on Hagoromo's shoulder. "Me too, brother. Me too."

Another brief silence passed between the brothers, though this time Hagoromo was the one to break it after a few moments.

"It may take a while, but I will make this world even more lustrous than during our time," the Sage spoke solemnly. "No more foolish mistakes from now on."

Hamura's visage was marred by a slight frown upon hearing that. "Stop being so harsh on yourself, brother. Your work is finally over. You've mended the world once and for all. Peace is but a matter of time now."

Hagoromo gave his brother a pensive smile. "It's not truly over yet. There is one last thing I need to do. I won't be able to rest until I do so..." he replied. "I have to see a mankind of another world..."

Hamura's features softened while he listened to his older brother's words. "Hagoromo..." he whispered as he seemed to understand what his brother's intentions were. "If that is the case, then I have nothing else to say. I hope that you will find what you seek, and that it will help you gain your peace of mind, dear brother."

"Thank you, Hamura," the Sage voiced with a small smile. "It means a lot to me."

"I know," the slightly younger Ōtsutsuki replied in a soft tone.

The two brothers looked at each other for a few more moments, before Hamura spoke once again.

"I think it is time I joined our mother in the Pure World. She is probably getting lonely up there without neither of us by her side."

Hagoromo felt a tinge of amusement at his brother's words. Hamura really missed their mother, despite how much he might have tried to conceal it. Then again, he would have probably been the same had he not spoken to her a while ago.

"Alright, brother," the Sage agreed. "She also probably wishes to tell you something rather important as well."

Hamura quirked his brow in curiosity at that, before a look of surprise showed on his face when realization struck him. "What did she say, brother? Is she okay?" he quickly asked, sounding rather concerned.

Hagoromo nodded. "She is well now," he replied. "Though it is not my place to tell you what she has revealed to me. I am sure that mother wishes to tell you herself once the two of you meet in the Pure World."

The younger Ōtsutsuki seemed to calm down once he heard that. "Very well, brother," he said, giving Hagoromo a one armed hug. "Then I shall be going now."

Hagoromo returned his younger brother's hug. "Farewell, Hamura," he said with a smile.

"Farewell, Hagoromo," Hamura replied with a smile of his own, before his form began to flicker back into motes of chakra.

The Sage brought one hand in prayer once he felt Hamura's soul finally ascend to the afterlife, though his eyes slightly widened in surprise when he saw how the dispersed chakra was converging around him.

Hagoromo shook his head with a small smile playing on his lips at his brother's gesture. Even in death, Hamura still gave his utmost to support him... Such was the bond between them. So strong that not even time, nor death could hope to ever shake it.

Enjoy your rest...

Mother...

Hamura...

The Sage dwelt upon his thoughts for a while longer, before a tired sigh escaped his lips. He was almost done. Only one last thing remained now.

To find his own conclusion.

Hagoromo's mismatched gaze suddenly focused on the space in front of him. The fabric of the world immediately complied to his will and began to unravel itself apart. Space-time unraveled itself at the seams with a ripping sound, until a pitch-black abyss of nothingness was revealed to the Sage.

Hagoromo stared at the abyss for a moment, before his lips curled in anticipation. A moment later, he stepped inside the void, willing the fissure to mend itself in his wake.

The Sage's departure was swift, though his destination yet unknown. With the only witnesses being the two snuffed out braziers at the far end of the now empty and dark chamber.

2005/05/10 10:00 [Unknown Location]

A young man who looked like he was in his early twenties sat perched atop the highest point of a tall and slim tower-like building, his long snow-white tresses being gently ruffled and swept by the cool spring wind as he silently observed the city beneath his feet.

Pale eyes swept absentmindedly over the vast scenery of a city buzzing with activity as their owner seemed to be lost within his own thoughts.

A particularly strong breeze blew past him and slightly crinkled the collar of the white full-length kimono that he was wearing, exposing more of the pale skin beneath it.

The young man reached with his hands and smoothed his collar back in place, his fingers slightly brushing over one of the six onyx coloured magatama embroidered on its white fabric.

A moment later he raised himself from his seated position, his hands already in the process of straightening his garb, before he sent a curious glance at the rather loose left sleeve of his priestly robe.

He didn't seem to be surprised when twin sickly-yellow eyes suddenly opened to meet his gaze, followed by a large grin that exposed numerous jagged teeth as the black mass resting on the inside of the young man's kimono started to speak, its deep voice slightly echoing through the wind.

"Father, this world seems to be quite interesting, and the humans around here appear to be much more peaceful as well."

The young man hummed in agreement to the words spoken by the creature hiding inside his left sleeve.

"Indeed, Alduin. This world appears to be quite fascinating, judging by what I have observed until now. I have high hopes for these humans," he replied to the creature. "Although lacking chakra for obvious reasons, they had instead focused themselves on scientific research and development. This civilisation is much more advanced than that of our own world in many aspects."

The next couple minutes were spent in silence, before the creature previously introduced as Alduin spoke once again, its tone taking on a curious note.

"How do you intend to proceed with this, father?"

The silver haired young man looked thoughtful for a moment, before he delivered his response, his calm tone holding a melodious tune to it.

"Hmm, I suppose that the most indicated way of approaching this matter would be to first familiarise with the dialect spoken by the people of this place," he paused to point at the city below his feet that completely oblivious to their existence. "Then we can move on to finding a reliable source of information to study this world's history and see how it compares to our own."

Alduin seemed to waste no time with its reply. "I see."

The young man gave one last glance in the direction of the busy city streets below and spoke. "Well then, let us proceed."

Following that, the young figure instantly vanished from his position atop the tall tower, his movement swift and unseen, just like the wind that carried his previous words. The sole indication of his momentary presence being perhaps some briefly displaced air.

2005/05/10 A few hours ago [Unknown Location]

In the centre of a large domed building coloured with a purple tint, there could be seen a large floating construct resembling a throne of some kind.

Sat upon the aforementioned construct was a towering individual that reached up to a few tens of feet in height, its imposing figure being further complimented by the jagged, bone-white throne that it occupied.

This entity appeared barely humanoid at a first glance and resembled more of a huge creature made of machinery.

It possessed a large skull-like head, from the back of which purple hair spiked out, as well as a crown and a large dark cloak with various ornaments attached to it that covered his towering form.

Several feet away from this imposing figure, another rather peculiar individual could be seen.

The individual in question was actually a dark skinned, purple eyed girl of short stature, with her white hair styled in two ponytails, each of them held by an ornament.

Her attire consisted of a pink vest, white leggings and purple shoes, and she also possessed a black tail with a pointed tip, as well as a small golden trumpet strapped to her left side.

Suddenly, the towering individual shifted his attention to a floating screen located to the left of his jagged throne once he noticed it emit a brief, static noise.

"Hmm?" the entity sounded, its deep, intrigued voice reverberating throughout the enclosed space of the chamber.

Upon hearing the towering figure's voice, the childlike-looking girl paused from her reading of what looked like a shōjo manga and sent a questioning look toward the middle of the room.

"What happened, Deus?" she asked in a somewhat bored tone.

The entity identified as Deus looked at his diminutive servant and spoke, his voice taking on a curious note.

"Just now, there had been a disruption in the space-time continuum above Sakurami City, Murmur."

The young, tanned girl known as Murmur returned back to her reading, though she still maintained the half-hearted conversation she had going with the other being.

"Did you find out whatever it was that caused this disturbance?"

Deus slightly narrowed his eyes in what appeared to be concentration, and after a few moments he responded, his tone becoming even more intrigued by what he seemed to find.

"How interesting! I wasn't able to identify the cause of this phenomenon. Whenever I try to locate it, something seems to be blocking me, and I can't ascertain exactly what it is that is interfering with my searching. Thus, if I were to guess, I would say that it is an unknown, something not bound by this world's laws of causality."

From the look of it, it seemed that Deus' statement easily managed to draw Murmur's undivided attention.

"An unknown you say?" she asked, sounding somewhat skeptical. "You know... this is actually the first time when something like this happens, and from the data that you managed to gather, it looks like this entity had literally tore a hole in the world's boundaries with its arrival."

As soon as she was done speaking, Murmur continued to look in the towering being's direction as she waited for his reply.

Deus spent the following couple minutes deep in thought, and once he seemed to realise something, he quickly checked the several screens that suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of his throne.

"Hmm, so it is indeed exactly as I suspected..." he muttered as his long, bony fingers typed on a weird device that resembled a keyboard of some kind.

Murmur was staring at Deus in mild confusion while listening to him mutter something intelligible to himself.

"Eh? What did you find?" the diminutive girl asked curiously.

Deus glanced at Murmur and spoke with a chuckle.

"More likely what I did not find," he paused to glance once more at the screens floating in front of him and double check his results. "Regardless of what method I try to use, something continues to interfere with my search. Which means that it is completely impossible to track down this unknown. I am afraid that we will not be able to reach any satisfying conclusion until we actually come into contact with whomever or whatever had been the cause of this."

Following his words another period of silence settled amidst the occupants of the room as the both of them returned to their previous activities.

The was truly no point in fretting about this unknown entity if they could not even locate it to begin with.

Besides, if Deus was to consider the magnitude of the time-space continuum displacement that had occurred at the time of this anomaly's arrival, then he was certain that they would be meeting it very soon, as it should definitely come to greet them in the near future.

Several hours earlier [Unknown Location — Hagoromo's Universe]

Dispassionately piercing with its awe-inspiring splendour through the macabre sight of an apocalyptic battlefield, a majestic tree of colossal height stood tall amidst tens of thousands of corpses and mangled remains that were painting the soil beneath them with their freshly spilt lifeblood.

In the not too far distance, atop a small cliff, the figure of a young man, with pale skin and a transparent veil over his head, stood calmly. He seemed to be unperturbed by the people which had been mercilessly massacred below his feet, and simply gazed at the bloodstained scenery with slight boredom reflected in his pale and pupil-less eyes.

However, upon a closer look, it could be seen that his lips were slightly curled into a tiny smile as he admired the destruction and bloodshed in the distance.

He might have been rather displeased by the performance of those lowly beings, though he had at least been content with their screams and pleas for mercy once they were felled under his gaze.

At first, he had thought that they might be interesting enough to entertain him for a while, though much to his great disappointment, once he had arrived on their planet he was met with pathetic resistance. They quickly proved to be nothing but a boring distraction to him, so he simply ordered his companion to proceed slaughtering the lot of them.

If nothing else, their disposable existences should manage to at least provide him with a semblance of entertainment as they were used to cultivate his power. The magnificent energy that he loved to taste and delight himself with.

And fortunately, in the end, they had proved to be less of a letdown, as the entertainment provided by their gruesome deaths had been enough to keep him from getting too bored.

Putting an end to his musings for the time being, the young man with pale-blue hair and a pair of flat, curved horns atop his head decided to once again check how much power he had managed to accumulate so far.

Focusing on the gigantic tree in the distance, he sensed for the amount of power currently housed within it, and not even a moment later, his lips formed into a pleased smile.

In less than a month he would be able to harvest so much delicious power from this planet, that only the simple thought of him consuming it was enough to send a pleasant shiver down his spine.

Just as he was about to return back to his musings, something truly unexpected completely seized his attention.

A wave of power so enormous and potent that it had entirely overwhelmed his senses suddenly washed over him, leaving him in a daze as he could do nothing but simply marvel at the indescribable feeling of delight that it stirred within his being.

For a full minute he stood unmoving atop his cliff, his pale eyes widened and holding a manic glint to them while his hands tightly gripped the fabric of his white robe and baggy pants as short gasps escaped his mouth.

After a couple more minutes he managed to recompose himself to the degree that only his delicate features were still being set into an expression of utmost delight, as the incredible memory of that surge of power was still very fresh in his mind.

Quickly letting go of his slightly ruffled robe and pants, the pale-blue haired young man finally composed himself and straightened his garments, before his thoughts once more drifted to the ecstatic feeling lingering in his mind.

Unfortunately, his musings were cut very short when, not even a moment later, a deep and very familiar voice caught his attention.

"Are you alright, Lord Momoshiki?"

The young man gazed at the hulking giant with short spiky, blue-grey hair in front of him, and despite the slight annoyance that he felt at being interrupted from his reminiscing, his visage held a pleasant smile, for he simply felt too euphoric to let himself be displeased by anything.

"Yes, Kinshiki," Momoshiki replied softly. "In fact, I have never felt as wonderful as I am feeling right now."

The towering individual gave a small, respectful nod to the young man in front of him, before dropping the body that he had been holding in one of his big hands, letting it fall off the cliff and join the many others below.

After a few moments of silence, the burly giant spoke once again.

"Lord Momoshiki, what should we do in regard to that massive surge of power from before?"

Hearing his companion's question, the horned individual allowed a soft chuckle to escape his lips.

"For now, we do nothing," he replied while idly playing with several red tinted pills that he retrieved from his robe. "There are not enough cinnabar panacea left for us to travel that far through time-space, so we will have to wait until we can harvest enough power from this place."

Kinshiki acknowledged his superior's orders with a respectful nod, before asking one last question out of simple curiosity. "Lord Momoshiki, how do you think that Kaguya had created such a powerful cinnabar panacea?"

Momoshiki gained a thoughtful look once he registered that.

From what he knew about Kaguya and her seedbed, she had arrived there a very long time ago, somewhere between a millennium or two, and during all of that time she had not managed to grow even one cinnabar panacea, all the while he had obtained countless ones during the past thousand years.

And yet, through some means that were still unknown to him, when she had finally grown the cinnabar panacea, she had somehow produced one of unbelievable power.

For her cinnabar panacea to be so potent that its power was felt from the other side of the galaxy...

He could not understand how she was able to obtain such a marvellous fruit.

"I am not exactly sure," Momoshiki replied after a few moments of contemplation. "But after I take that delightful power from her, I will be more than glad to also inquire for the answer to your question, Kinshiki," his lips slowly formed into an unnerving smile. "One way, or another..."

*Chapter 3*: Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Chapter 1: Dawning Despair

[Sakurami Middle School]

Seated at a desk in the top right side of a classroom was the slender frame of a young girl, who despite being only in her early teens, had a figure that was already quite developed, hinting toward the beautiful young woman that she would become after only a few more years.

She possessed light pink colored eyes and matching long hair styled in pigtails, two hanging as frontal locks and featuring a pair of red bows, whereas the back pigtails were left bare.

Her attire consisted of a blue shirt with a red ribbon on its front, accompanied by a blue skirt, as well as white high socks.

The girl's cerise eyes suddenly darted to the top corner of the paper that lay atop her desk as she rechecked, just to make sure, if she had written her name on it.

Gasai Yuno

Moments later, the girl turned the sheet of paper face down on her desk and briefly glanced around the classroom.

The rest of her classmates were still busy finishing the sudden math test.

Their teacher had told them that its purpose was to measure the level of knowledge they had supposedly acquired during elementary school, however, she had already finished it ten minutes earlier.

So now, all that she could do was wait.

As she sat at her desk, Yuno's gaze began wandering around the room once more as she took in the details of her surroundings.

A girl next to her was going over her paper intently, most likely rechecking her answers.

A boy behind the aforementioned girl had a look of concentration on his face as he was drawing something on his desk.

Another student looked like he was having trouble staying awake as he kept his head propped on his hands.

Eventually, her eyes returned on the piece of paper that lay turned face down on her desk, before she subsequently closed them as she wondered how long it was until the class would be over.

Her eyes snapped open and her musings were interrupted when she heard the girl seated behind her start whispering something to the one across from her.

As she listened in to their brief conversation, Yuno's interest seemed to have been slightly piqued.

The two girls were apparently talking about how handsome a boy from the neighboring class was.

Yuno continued to listen to the girls whisperings, however, she suddenly shook her head as she seemed to remember something rather unpleasant.

'No, I don't have time to think about boys...' Yuno reminded herself. 'Mama would kill me.'

Every rule that defined her life, from the papers that reflected her grades to the meticulously created schedules that represented the time she was allowed to spend outside, or the amount of food that she was allowed to eat, were slowly driving her to the brink of her sanity.

Whenever she thought about all of this, she felt like she was suffocating. The pressure was simply unbearable.

Her parents had such high expectations of her, but they were unforgiving when she failed to meet them.

'No! Don't think about it... don't think about it... don't think about it...' Yuno chanted inwardly like a mantra, trying to calm herself down and distract her mind from that particular train of thought.

She had to quickly occupy her mind with something else, because otherwise, if she spent too much time thinking about it, she feared that the last few threads holding her sanity together might snap.

[Gasai Residence]

A soft click signified her arrival.

Yuno carefully closed the front door and slipped on a different pair of shoes.

'Damnit! I'm late... let's hope that she doesn't notice me...' she thought while tiptoeing through the main corridor leading to her bedroom.

However, just before she could open the door, a stern voice caused the rose haired girl to freeze in her tracks.

"You're late."

Yuno turned around and saw her mother glaring at her, a frown marring her features.

"Yes... forgive me, Mama," the young girl apologized as she gave her mother a pleading look.

Instead of the desired effect, however, the rose haired girl's expression seemed to only further anger the brown haired woman.

"Don't give me that look, Yuno!" her mother said coldly, causing Yuno to flinch and quickly lower her head as she gazed at the wooden floor.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

As she continued to keep her head bowed, the rose haired girl could feel her mother's eyes carefully scrutinizing her.

"Where have you been?"

Yuno slowly raised her head and faced her mother, noticing the angry expression that was present on her face."The teacher asked me to help deliver some papers to the library," she answered.

The older woman's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why didn't you call beforehand?"

Yuno wasted no time before replying."I didn't want to disturb you."

"Lies!" her mother snapped angrily before she grabbed a fistful of her daughter's hair as she dragged her toward the main corridor of the house.

She stopped in front of a pair of sliding doors which she opened with her free hand, and then forcefully shoved Yuno inside the medium sized room that was barely illuminated by the light coming from the main corridor.

"Go!" the brown haired woman ordered as she pointed at the small cage located in the middle of the dark room. "You will keep spending time in there until you learn how to behave properly."

Yuno sobbed silently as she walked obediently to her prison.

She didn't dare disobey her mother's words. She truly feared what might happen to her if she were to ever do that.

As soon as Yuno entered the cage, her mother locked its door, before quickly leaving the room.

By the time the door closed, Yuno was already lying against the steel bars, her eyes closed as she waited for the nightmare to eventually come to an end.

Darkness was enveloping her small frame from every possible angle. The coldness of the metal floor was seeping deep into her bones, weakening her frail body even further.

Yuno was certain that if something didn't change soon, she wouldn't last for much longer.

With each passing day, her will to live was slowly diminishing. She didn't know how much more she could endure.

She wasn't sure anymore if it was even worth trying, because, in the end, the only thing life seemed to bring her was suffering.

She was being locked in the cage by her mother more often than ever.

She was let out to go to school each day, however, these last few weeks, she would be shut in there even during the weekend.

If her father happened to come home and see her locked in the cage, he would yell at her mother to let her out, thus granting her a brief reprieve.

However, work seemed to be keeping him so busy lately that he rarely came home anymore.

Yuno didn't know what she had done wrong to deserve such a punishment. She didn't know why her mother kept treating her like this...

Or why her father didn't even bother to come come anymore and save her from her mother's cruel punishments.

She didn't understand why she was being treated like this...

Did her parents not understand how she felt?

Or did they hate her?

Eventually, Yuno's thoughts faded into her subconscious as sleep once more took a hold of her tired body.

The days passed by the rose haired girl like a blur while she was forced to stay within the confines of her cage for longer than she could even remember.

Yuno wasn't sure for how long she had been locked this time. The room had no windows, so she couldn't keep track of time.

At some point, her mother had come in to bring her a bottle of water, though no food whatsoever.

Without anything to eat, she had tried to eat the tatami mats as she sometimes did when she was desperate, however, that only made her stomach ache even more.

Out of a sudden, Yuno heard a soft voice whisper to her.'Everything would be so much easier if that woman was gone from your life...'

It seemed to be coming from somewhere within the cage.

The rose haired girl was lying on her back, her mind struggling to maintain consciousness as she stared blankly at the cage's ceiling.

Through her bleary eyes, Yuno could only discern the faint outline of what appeared to be some sort of shadowy figure which seemed to be floating above her.

This was most likely a hallucination caused by the severe starvation that the young girl suffered from, however, to her it just looked so real. Her stressed mind could no longer distinguish between what was reality and what wasn't.

Yuno weakly shook her head as she tried to rebuke the tempting offer.

"No... Mama is just... sick..." the rose haired girl whispered, her voice too weak to even escape the confines of the cage. "She's a good person... she just... needs help... Papa would be so sad if something happened to Mama."

'Like he cares about any of you...' Yuno heard the same voice whisper again.

"No... I'm sure Papa's just busy... just busy..." she said to herself as she closed her eyes in an attempt to ignore the haunting whispers.

"Come on, Yuno... you can handle it," the young girl suddenly spoke as she brought her knees close to her chest. "You've managed to survive through this many times before... I'm sure Mama would let you out anytime now..."

Yuno tried to imagine herself being somewhere else, hoping that it would be enough to distract her mind from the hunger pains and the strange voices that seemed to be tormenting her.

A few moments later, as if life had finally decided to offer her some reprieve, she drifted off to blissful unconsciousness.

Yuno was looking with a smile at the bottle of sleeping pills that she had just pilfered from her mother's nightstand.

"Don't worry, Mama, Papa... with this... we will soon be a family again!"

She seemed to be in a better mood than usual, if her tone and the smile present on her face were of any indication.

Ever since she had devised a plan to fix her broken family, Yuno had been in very high spirits, happy that her family would finally be together again.

After she had been so close to dying the last time when she was locked in the cage, she became terrified of the thought that she might have to return in there again.

She didn't think that she could handle going back to that place another time, so she bet everything on her newly hatched plan.

It would definitely work. It had to work...

"Papa should be coming home tonight, so I'll have to do it then..."

No one would help her, so she was left out of options. She had to take the matters in her own hands. She had no other choice. She had to save her family herself.

Yuno was sure that if her parents were shown how terrible their treatment of her was, how it felt to be locked away and abandoned, then they would finally understand how she felt.

Her mother would see how much she had made her daughter suffer and then she would apologize and stop punishing her like that. And her father would realize how much he was neglecting his family and would come home more often.

It was a perfect plan, and Yuno couldn't wait to have a fresh start with her parents.

A sharp voice suddenly cut through the silent atmosphere of the dim lit room.

"Yuno!"

Said voice belonged to the middle aged woman who had just woken up to find herself in the very cage that she forced her daughter to spend most of her time in.

"What is the meaning of this!?" her mother snarled, glaring through the steel bars of the cage at the rose haired girl.

"Ah! You're finally awake!" Yuno replied with a beaming smile as she looked at her mother.

The girl quickly raised herself from the wooden floor where she had been waiting for her parents to wake up and approached the front of the cage. She noticed that her father had also woken up, though he was looking a little dazed.

She wasted no more time and spoke once again."Mama, Papa... I'm sorry that it has come to this..."

Yuno gazed at the floor, feeling rather bashful out of a sudden. She had planned out a little speech for herself while her parents were still sleeping, but their intense and piercing gazes were now intimidating her a little.

She slowly mustered her resolve and continued speaking.

"...But the way you treat me... I can't take it anymore. It's like you don't even understand how I feel... Mama, you keep me locked in the cage for days with barely any food, and sometimes even without water. I was so close to dying the last time! And Papa, at first you told Mama to stop treating me like that, but lately you don't even come home anymore. You are always so busy at work that Mama has become depressed without you, and she takes everything out by punishing me."

She paused for a moment to take in a deep breath before continuing. "This has to stop. No more charts and strict schedules, and no more cage. No more starving me to near death. I want to have decent meals... I don't want to live in that cage anymore... I... I just want to have a life of my own..."

When Yuno was done with her speech, she looked up from the floor and waited for their reply.

However, the only answer she got was them furiously shaking the bars.

"Yuno, let us out this instant! You have no right to do this!" her father yelled in anger.

"What are you doing?!" her mother shouted, her features twisted in rage. "Do you even realize what you are doing?!"

Yuno was quite confused by their reactions. Weren't they listening to what she had just told them?

She continued to stare at them.

"Let us out immediately!" both of them yelled.

Yuno shook her head. "When you realize what torture you have put me through and apologize... then I'll let you out."

She was certain that they would apologize any moment now.

"You devil child!" her mother eventually screamed, her voice filled with venom.

When she saw that the girl wasn't going to let them out, fury clouded her mind and she became even more violent.

Yuno's whole body tensed in shock at her mother's scornful reply.

"You horrible, ungrateful monster!"

Another hatred filled remark followed, this one being even more spiteful than the previous one.

"Eh?"

Yuno tilted her head in puzzlement. She didn't understand why they were acting like that. This wasn't what she had been expecting. This was totally different from what she had imagined that would happen.

She was convinced that once both of them experienced what they put her through, even if just for a few minutes, then they would finally understand how she felt.

However, it seemed that such a thing would not be happening, even more so in her mother's case.

"You little bitch! I curse the day you were born!"

Yuno's eyes widened at the extremely cruel remark and tears were starting to pool at the corners of her eyes.

She quickly turned around and fled from the room, shutting the door behind her.

The sound of muffled sobs could be heard fading in the distance as she ran across the main corridor of the house.

Yuno couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. She didn't understand why her parents had reacted that way.

Maybe they were just mad right now?

Yes, that had to be the reason. Once they calmed down it would probably be alright... She would check on them tomorrow.

However, that tomorrow had never come. Yuno was too terrified to check up on them.

Most of the time she could hear them arguing fiercely, something that made her feel very nervous, but at times they were silent.

It was in one of those moments, when it was really quiet in the room, that she had tried to open the door, only to be immediately assaulted with a series of curses.

After that incident, it took her a while to muster again the courage to go check up on her parents.

Eventually, she managed to slide them a tray of food through a partially opened door while they were both sleeping. However, that had been several days ago and soon they would need more food.

The young girl was currently at a loss. She didn't know what to do. Even though she wanted to let them out, she couldn't do it.

Her mom punished her with hours upon hours of confinement only for trivial things like talking back or missing curfew. She dreaded to think what she would do to her for something like this.

Yuno shuddered at that thought.

And now, with her father also mad at her, there was truly no one left to defend her. This time, she was all alone.

Because of her plan being solely based on the fact that hey would apologize to her, Yuno hadn't planned ahead for something like the current scenario.

She tried once more to slide open the twin doors leading to the room where her caged parents were, however, a vicious snarl of "Yuno!" from the other side instantly crumbled down her resolve.

2005/04/17 [Gasai Residence]

It had been several days until she decided to try and check on her parents again.

Everything had been silent for a while now, maybe even too silent. For a whole day, no sound could have been heard coming from that room.

Yuno tried to remember how long it had been since the day when she slipped them that tray of food. Burrowed in her worries as she had been, she had quickly lost the track of time.

The rose haired girl steeled her resolve and went to prepare another tray of food.

Yuno carefully slid open the doors to the room, thinking that maybe weakened as they were now, she could probably reason with her parents without them screaming profanities at her.

She saw them lying on the cold floor of the cage, unmoving.

'They are sleeping,' she thought, a small smile forming on her features. 'They look so peaceful now.'

Yuno crouched down in front of the cage and put the food tray on the floor.

"Mama, Papa, wake up..." she whispered, trying to wake them up without scaring them. "I brought something for you to eat."

However, a few seconds passed and they still lay there, unmoving.

Thinking that they must be very tired and sleeping too deeply to hear her, Yuno reached out with her hand and gently shook her father's arm.

However, as soon as her fingers made contact with the skin of his arm, she quickly retracted her hand. Her father's arm was cold to the touch and also felt weird.

Yuno checked her mother's arm, and it was the same.

Actually, now that she was closer to the cage, she could notice that her mother's eyes were wide open.

A wave of panic surged through the girl's frame.

"Mama, Papa, wake up!" she shouted. "You two need to eat something! Wake up!"

Yuno shook the cage, but they still lay there, unmoving.

"They must be truly exhausted if they still didn't wake up by now..." she tried to convince herself as a humorless chuckle escaped her lips. "I'll leave the food here and let them rest..."

However, before she stood up to leave, she noticed something rather strange and unsettling about the way her parents were lying there.

It looked like they weren't even breathing.

"T-They—They aren't sleeping..." Yuno looked at her parents in shock. "They aren't sleeping..." she repeated the same words to herself when she finally realized her situation.

The revelation, however, seemed to be too much for her.

Yuno leaned against the wall for support, suddenly feeling very dizzy and nauseous.

"They're dead," she whispered as she continued to look in horror at the dead bodies of her parents that lay confined in the small cage. "They're dead..."

Roughly a month had passed by the time Yuno eventually managed to come up to terms with everything that happened.

The fact that her parents were dead, that she had killed them, finally sank in.

Soon, she realized that she had to make up lies about their whereabouts, because otherwise people might become suspicious and start coming to her house to investigate.

She had called the bank they owned and told them that they went on a trip without telling her for how long they would be gone.

However, Yuno knew that it was only a matter of time before people realized that the two owners had gone missing.

Also, the electricity was cut off today. The water was still running, but she had received a disconnection notice in the mailbox three days ago.

Yuno didn't have access to her parents' bank accounts, so she couldn't afford to pay any of the bills. She was lucky that they still kept some money at their house, because otherwise she wouldn't have had money even for food.

The rose haired girl was currently sitting in the corner of the room where the cage holding her parents' bodies was, just like she had been doing every day for the past month after school was over.

The prevalent smell of death and decay was horrible, but she couldn't be bothered with it anymore. She was simply beyond caring at this point.

She stared blankly at the two corpses.

"Mama, Papa, I'm so scared..." Yuno knew that they would never answer, but she still found talking to their half rotten bodies to be somewhat comforting, "What should I do now?"

It was only a matter of time before someone would show up to investigate her parents' mysterious disappearance.

And what would happen then?

They would discover the bodies and know what she did. And then she would be locked again, in another cage, this time probably for the rest of her life.

But she couldn't go back into another cage... not after just being freed from one. She simply couldn't.

Her wishful dream of being a normal girl seemed to have also been shattered. Even with her parents now gone, it was still impossible for her to live like the other children.

Yuno brought her knees close to her chest and wrapped her slender arms around her legs. She rested her head on her knees and tried to think about what she was supposed to do.

She couldn't run away. There was nowhere that she could go.

She wondered if it wouldn't be better if she just died... Then she would finally be free, wouldn't she?

Though she quickly remembered how frightening it had been when she had almost died by starvation.

She didn't want to go through something like that again, which meant that killing herself was not an option. The thought of dying terrified her too much, even when the alternative was much worse.

So in the end, Yuno was stuck. Without anything that she could do, her situation was truly hopeless. She was trapped with absolutely no way out.

Even though she had still kept up the appearances by acting normal, her daily routine had become meaningless now.

She had nothing left to live for. She no longer had a future. The only thing that she had been left with now, was despair...

2005/05/10 10:10 [Unknown Location]

Amidst the empty recesses of a dim lit alley, a shadowy figure blurred into existence.

Upon a closer inspection, said individual was revealed to be a young man with long silvery hair and ethereal features, as well as pale eyes which were currently inspecting the surroundings.

Now to find a human...

And with that thought in mind, the young man began walking toward the far end of the alley, where various sounds of activity could be heard.

By the time the young man reached the end of the dark alley, the sight of a busy street was revealed to his eyes.

He promptly stopped, his form still concealed by the darkness which persisted even at the edge of the alleyway, and carefully observed the humans walking their merry ways on the crowded street.

Hmm, so many choices...

A low hiss coming from his left sleeve suddenly gained his attention.

"Father, you could use the one coming from our left."

The young man swerved his head and took in the image of a dark haired, middle-aged man walking on the street in his direction.

The man was clothed in a suit of sorts, which consisted of a collared white shirt, a black coat and matching trousers, as well as a dark blue accessory around his neck which looked like a fancily crafted noose of some kind.

What a peculiar attire, the young man mused as he continued to observe the man.

He waited for several moments, until the middle-aged man reached the entrance to the alleyway, moment when his arms blurred from sight as they quickly snatched the man and brought him within the dark recesses of the alley.

The man looked shocked at the sudden and unexpected event, however, all of his previous shock seemed to instantly vanish the moment when his eyes found the figure of the one responsible for dragging him into the alleyway.

"Ugh! Not another one of those cosplayers..." the man muttered to himself, prompting the one whom he had dubbed as a 'cosplayer' to raise a nonexistent eyebrow in questioning at him.

"Greetings, human," the 'cosplayer' spoke in an even and dignified tone as he addressed the middle-aged man in front of him. "Do not panic, for I am not going to harm you. I merely wish to inquire for some knowledge regarding your world, more precisely the dialect spoken by your kin."

The dark haired male let out a tired sigh as soon as the young man's words registered in his mind.

"Look, Mr. cosplayer... I don't have time for this. So please, stop bothering me before I call the police."

And with that, the man turned away from the 'cosplayer' and began walking toward the end of the alleyway as he muttered something about how weird the kids were these days in comparison to those of his time.

However, the man didn't manage to walk more than a few steps, when he suddenly felt his body seize up and stop in its tracks as soon as a light weight was placed on his head.

He tried to talk—to scream for somebody to help him—but no words were able to escape his mouth.

He couldn't even move his eyes, so the possibility of trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was keeping him from moving was nonexistent.

All that he could do was to frantically think about what was happening to him and why no part of his body was responding to his commands.

The dark haired male seemed to be brought out of his frenzied mental state when he heard several words being spoken from behind him.

"I apologize that it had to get to this, but I truly need this knowledge in order to proceed in this world."

The middle-aged man immediately recognized the voice as being that of the young man whom he had thought to be a cosplayer.

The keyword being thought, because apparently he was the real deal.

He didn't know who—no—what that young man was, but his instincts were telling him that he should just submit and comply to whatever his wishes were.

And given the fact that he was currently immobilized, without even knowing what was keeping him in place, as well as being unable to speak, he was left with no other option than going along with whatever this white haired individual wanted from him.

His musings were quickly brought to a sudden end as soon as a pitch black gooey mass slowly began creeping down his head, until it stopped hovering in front of his face.

Had it not been for the fact that he couldn't utter a single syllable, the dark haired male was certain that he would have screamed for his life the moment when that black substance suddenly revealed two sickly yellow eyes and numerous jagged teeth that formed into a huge grin.

And he would have most likely screamed once again upon hearing it speak.

"Don't be afraid, human. Father isn't like that upstart brat, Nagato, who wasn't able to utilize even a fraction of the powers of his eyes," the creature sounded in a deep voice. "Father has absolute mastery over his Rinnegan, on top of possessing its kekkei mōra variant, so he can safely touch your soul without having to pull it out after he's done reading it."

Despite them being intended as a reassurance of some kind, the pitch black entity's words had served to only further scare and confuse the dark haired man.

Nagato? Eye powers? Saṃsāra Eyes? Bloodline encompassing? Touching his soul?!

After hearing that creature's words, the middle-aged man wondered if he wasn't actually hallucinating all of this.

He vaguely remembered being offered a drink by a coworker before leaving the office.

And if his memory served him right, then that guy was the one whose parking lot he had taken this morning.

Maybe the guy had been so pissed at him that he had spiked his drink in an attempt to get back at him.

His musings were interrupted when he suddenly began to feel something odd.

He didn't know how to explain it, but he felt as if he was completely naked and that someone was looking straight through him and directly into the deepest parts of his being.

That weird feeling seemed to last for roughly a second, before he started to feel drowsy, until he eventually fell on the ground asleep, the last thought on his mind being whether all of this was a dream or not.

A few moments after the middle-aged man fell on the ground with a muffled thud, the silver haired young man spoke to the pitch black mass, which was now slowly returning back inside the left sleeve of his white robe.

"Uh, that's a bit much, don'cha think? Seriously, kid, ya gave a real scare to that poor guy when ya creeped down his face without any warning. Well, maybe that ain't too far off, but ya oughta be more careful. Know what I'm sayin', boy? Next time take a bit more care when ya act, 'kay? Ya feel me, Alduin?"

The tarry creature seemed to have stopped moving at some point during its creator's speech and was currently looking at him with something akin to a confused expression as it seemed to be struggling with making sense of the words that it had just heard.

"Father...?" Alduin carefully asked, unsure of what its creator was attempting to do.

He had suddenly begun speaking in that weird manner while keeping his facial expression unchanged, and the complete disparity between his tone and the impassive expression currently adorning his features were making him appear really odd and dare it say even creepy to some extent.

The young man seemed to quickly realize that the sudden change in his pattern of speech must have left Alduin befuddled, so he addressed it once more, however, this time returning to his previous way of speaking.

"Oh, I apologize if I confused you, Alduin," the young man spoke to the creature resting inside his left sleeve. "I had tried to adapt my manner of speech to that of the young people that I had seen in some of that man's memories," he paused to point at the still sleeping middle-aged man lying next to his feet. "But it seems that I still require some further practice in order to properly grasp these people's dialect."

He would indeed have to spend a little more time to completely adapt his vocabulary to that of this world's inhabitants, because his first attempt at compensating for his enlightened knowledge and understanding of the material in order to speak plainly hadn't been too much of a success.

He might also have to keep some of his usual sophistication, since the way he had previously spoken had made him appear as more of a dim witted fool than anything else.

But regardless of that, now that he possessed more knowledge on this world, he could move onto the next phase of his plan.

His attention was shifted to Alduin when he heard it reply to his previous words.

"Don't worry, father," the creature spoke with a slight rasp in its voice. "It's alright."

The silver haired young man nodded in response. "Very well" he spoke, before turning around as he prepared to exit the alleyway.

However, before he could have moved from his spot, he was interrupted by Alduin who spoke once more.

"Father, what about that man? Are we letting him go after he had seen you?"

The young man hummed in thought for several moments. "I do not believe that there will be any problem," he spoke. "I've made sure to erase his memories of us, so he should believe that he had drank too much and ended up passing out in this alleyway."

"I see."

Following Alduin's short reply, the young man began to slowly walk toward the exit of the dim lit alley, however, after taking a few steps he promptly stopped as he seemed to realize something.

He gave his attire a scrutinizing look, before he remembered the first words that that middle-aged man had spoken upon seeing him.

Ah... So that was what he had meant when he called me a cosplayer... the young man thought as he continued to inspect his clothing.

A few moments later, the full-length white kimono covering his form seemed to shift and morph, until it changed into something completely different from what it had been only a few seconds ago.

Instead of his flowing white robe, the young man was now wearing an all-white three-piece suit with a matching overcoat, a purple tie secured around his neck, and white shoes to complete his new look.

He took a moment to give himself a quick look over, before nodding in appreciation with a pleased smile.

Though, just as he was about to resume his walking and exit the dark alleyway, he was yet again interrupted when he felt something shift under his shirt.

He looked at his left hand just in time to see a black substance ooze out of his coat's sleeve, before it engulfed his hand as it took the shape of a pitch black glove.

"Is this to your liking, father?"

The young man heard Alduin speak after it finished assuming a glove-like shape over his left hand.

"Yes, Alduin," he replied while glancing his new glove appreciatively. "It is."

A deep sound akin to a purr came in reply from the young man's glove, prompting him to let out a chuckle at Alduin's antics.

"Anyway, now that we possess more knowledge on this world we can proceed further," the silver haired young man spoke while sharing with Alduin the knowledge he had gained from that man's soul. "Which means that our next destination should be the closest public library."

Following those words, the young man resumed his walking toward the end of the alleyway, his frame quickly disappearing within the darkness permeating the surroundings.

The sole indication that something must have definitely occurred in the dim lit alley was the sleeping man that remained lying on the cold asphalt.

The soft tinkle of a wind chime dangling above the now opened door alerted the middle-aged woman to the new presence inside her library.

She slowly tilted her head to gaze in the direction of the door and was momentarily surprised by the sight that welcomed her hazel eyes.

Standing in front of the now closed door was a young man with long tresses of snow-white hair that perfectly contrasted with his ethereal visage and pale eyes.

For a brief moment, the brown haired woman seemed to forget that she was slowly but steadily approaching her thirty sixth year and felt as if she were in her teens once again.

However, her reverie was abruptly interrupted the moment when she realized that she had been doing nothing but staring at her newest visitor ever since he had entered her establishment.

She immediately faked a cough to hide her embarrassment, an action which gained her a quizzical expression from the young man as he arched one of his thin eyebrows in curiosity.

The woman quickly pushed all of the thoughts involving the handsome young man currently looking at her away from her mind. She was a married woman after all, and such thoughts directed at another man were unbecoming of her status.

She spent a few more seconds regathering her composure, before she finally addressed her new customer who had yet to move from the entrance of her library.

"Good afternoon, sir," the woman greeted politely as she watched the young man take measured steps in the direction of her desk.

Pale and mildly inquisitive eyes slowly swept their surroundings as Hagoromo glanced around the rather spacious library he had just entered.

He absentmindedly noted the many rows of shelves filled to the brim with hundreds upon hundreds of books, before his gaze finally rested upon the figure of a brown haired middle-aged woman who was standing behind a wooden desk a few feet away from him.

He had noticed her intent staring ever since he crossed the doorframe of the establishment, though he had paid it no mind, as he was preoccupied with much more important matters than analyzing the behavior of every human he met.

He was still going over some of the knowledge that he had previously absorbed from that middle-aged man, and he had to make sure that he had a perfect grasp on these people's dialect.

It wouldn't do to repeat his previous mistake and make a fool out of himself as he had done when he addressed Alduin using this dialect for the first time.

A few more seconds passed in silence, before Hagoromo's attention was once again brought on the middle-aged woman when he heard her let out a brief cough.

He sent her a questioning look upon noticing her slightly embarrassed expression, however, he quickly dropped the matter and returned to his previous thoughts.

A couple minutes passed as he went once more over the learnt material in order to make sure that he was able to speak the language fluently.

And just as he seemed to be done with his musings, the brown haired woman had finally addressed him, prompting him to look at her once again as he registered her polite greeting.

He wasted no time and replied with his own greeting while taking a few steps in the direction of her desk.

"Good afternoon, madam," Hagoromo smiled inwardly at his linguistic accomplishment. "Could you please point me to the section which contains history related books?"

The brown haired woman quickly stood up from her chair, and walked to the other side of the library.

Hagoromo followed after her while sending the occasional curious glance to his surroundings as he passes rows upon rows of shelves and books.

After a couple minutes of walking, the woman suddenly stopped and pointed at a large bookshelf to her left. "Here are all the books related to history," she spoke while trying not to stare too much at the young man standing in front of her. "Is there any specific subject that you are interested in?"

A thoughtful look crossed Hagoromo's visage as he carefully eyed the hundreds of history books filling the bookshelf. "Hmm, I would like to see the books related to the general history of humanity."

As soon as she heard his request, the female librarian reached toward the bookshelf in front of her and took some of the books, before walking to a nearby oak table and placing them on top of it.

"These are all of them," she indicated at the small pile of books lying atop the table. "Good luck with your reading."

"Thank you," Hagoromo spoke with a smile that made the woman avert her eyes as a blush began to cover her face.

Faking another cough to cover her embarrassment, the middle aged librarian faced away from the charming young man and walked back to her desk at the other side of the library.

Hagoromo paid no mind to the woman's behavior and quickly seated himself at the table. He took the first book from the pile and opened it.

But after reading only a few pages of this mankind's exploits, he felt a cold chill crawl down his spine. And the more he continued to read about their past, the more he began to dread what he might encounter further down the timeline.

He still did not want to believe that these humans were no different from the ones in his world, however, he could not deny the facts he had been reading for the past minutes.

Though even so, he still read further, hoping that the foolishness recorded in those pages had been but a product of their lack of civilization and proper understanding.

And yet, as he kept reading, flipping page after page as his now crimson eyes carefully took in every single word, he was slowly beginning to realize that even after those many years of so called evolution, these humans had achieved nothing more than creating more intricate weapons to kill themselves with, as well as to find more and more petty reasons to fight for.

Slavery, subjugation of others, wars, people abused by those who held more power and prestige, wars which increased in scale and destruction as the time passed, until they engulfed the entire world... twice... genocide... millions of innocents slaughtered with weapons of mass destruction just to instill fear into a nation... and many other horrors which had happened during the history of this world.

Roughly three hours passed from the moment when Hagoromo began reading, however, he felt as if he had spent thrice the amount of time seated on his wooden chair.

His hope for finding a humanity better than that of his world was slowly crumbling apart as he kept reading more and more about their bloodstained history.

The atrocities they had committed during their past were even worse than those that he had witnessed during the millennium spent by him watching over his own world.

Slight tremors shook his hand as he tried to flip the page of the book he was currently reading. Such was how much he dreaded what might welcome his eyes next.

Letting out a deep sigh, Hagoromo steeled his resolve and told himself that there was still hope for them. After all, he had only read the history up until a few dozen years from the present time. And judging by what he had seen ever since the moment he arrived in this world, right now there seemed to be peace. Which meant that the people must have finally achieved what he had been hoping to find.

Even if their past had been filled with bloodshed, if they managed to reach such a lasting pace by themselves, then it meant that they had seen the mistakes they had been making and succeeded in correcting them.

And with that thought in mind, Hagoromo turned over the page, his pale eyes immediately seeking the title written at the top.

Contemporary world of humanism

As soon as those words registered in his mind, a breath that he didn't know he had been holding escaped his lips. He sighed, relieved that his worst fears had been ultimately unfounded and that the hope he had been clinging onto for the past few hours hadn't been crushed.

It seemed that despite starting off even worse than the humanity of his world, these humans had managed to do something that those of his world had not been able to do by themselves. They managed to put aside their differences and reached a mutual understanding to an era of lasting peace.

Hagoromo closed the sizable book that he just finished reading and reached to grab the next one, only to en up grasping at empty air, however.

He quickly realized that he finished all of the books he had been given, and despite how glad he felt now that he had seen humans able to peacefully coexist with each other, he still felt a little disappointed that he didn't get to read about their more recent exploits.

The last book spoke only about the era of peace that had dawned upon the world ever since a few decades ago, without offering any details in regard to the most recent history.

Hagoromo took a moment to ponder on the apparent lack of books on the history spanning the past several years. He was truly curious about it and wished to read more about this world's progression during its last era of peace. Unfortunately though, it seemed that he had exhausted all of the material there was...

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, the young man seemed to suddenly remember something. It was a memory from that middle-aged man.

It showed him the man utilizing a rather peculiar contraption—a computer—in order to browse for any recent events on a public place called the Internet by accessing something called a news website.

Hagoromo smiled as he realized that he could use this Internet to browse for the more recent history of the world that he wishes to know about. And it seemed that he was also quite fortunate, because he could see some of these so-called computers in the far corner of the library, lined atop a large wooden desk.

The young man stood up from his chair and walked to the desk with the computers. He seated himself on a chair in front of one of the modern contraptions and took a moment to inspect it.

He had the basic knowledge required to operate one of these computers after going through the memories of that man. So he didn't have to waste any more time calling the librarian to help him out, and immediately pressed the power button, watching as the machine came to life.

He waited for it to finish the startup process, and when the computer was capable of being used, he placed his hand on the mouse and guided the cursor over the desktop, until it hovered above the icon for the Internet.

He double clicked it and waited for the application to completely load, before accessing the same website used by that man to browse for the world's latest news.

As soon as the website was completely loaded, he began reading the various content on display.

There were many entries featuring mundane events which were of no interest to him, so he continued scrolling down the page in order to reveal more of its content.

Though after spending around ten minutes with seemingly no luck in finding anything worth of interest, Hagoromo was about to give up and try checking another of these websites in the hope that they might offer him what he sought.

However, just as he was about to close the current webpage, his attention was quickly ensnared by an article which became visible right after he finished scrolling down to the very bottom of the page.

Though as soon as his pale eyes found the article's title, the young man blinked a few times in confusion.

Indonesian Genocide; The Reality.

He stared in bewilderment at the screen for a few seconds, until his mind seemed to finally catch up with what he had just read, moment when he immediately clicked on the article.

Despite believing this piece of news to be some kind of joke made by a human with a more unique sense of humor, he still found himself curious about its content.

He wasn't all too versed in the arts of this world's humor, so he decided to do some research in order to better understand it.

After all, it wouldn't do to once again make a fool of himself, simply because he lacked the proper knowledge on a topic that played quite the important role in the social behavior of these humans.

And yet, the more he read of this particular article, the less he believed it to be a joke.

The person who had written it seemed to be very adamant about requesting the help of other people in a rally, whose objective was the organization of multiple protests against the policies enacted by the Indonesian Government.

There was even a petition at the bottom of the page which urged the people to take action.

support#WeAtAidTheWorld#now

After his eyes left the last line of the article, the young man seemed to take a few moments to gather his thoughts.

He still appeared to have trouble believing the points raised by the article.

And how could he not?

Everything included in that article conflicted with what he had read so far about the present situation of this world. It made no sense for something such as this to happen in a world where peace seemed to be a constant.

And that was exactly why the young man wasted no more time and promptly shut down the computer.

He had better things to do than paying heed to tasteless jokes made by anonymous people who sought attention on this Internet.

And yet, as he slowly walked through the library, he could not help but wonder whether it was possible for that article to actually be real.

Absorbed in his thoughts as he was, he didn't notice that he reached the other end of the library until the middle-aged female librarian's voice brought him out of his musings.

"Have you found out whatever you had been looking for?"

Hagoromo looked in the direction of the brown haired woman as soon as her words registered in his preoccupied mind.

"Yes, I have," he replied in a polite tone. "Thank you for allowing me to access this library's resources, madam."

The woman gave him a warm smile as she responded. "You are welcome, sir," she paused to search for something inside one of the drawers of her desk. She retrieved a small piece of paper holding the contacts of the library and offered it to the young man alongside a few parting words. "If you ever need to read any particular book, please do not hesitate to visit us again."

Hagoromo accepted the business card and returned the woman's smile. "Very well," he said, placing the card inside a pocket of his coat. "I shall keep that in mind if the need ever rises again."

Following that, he stepped out of the library and started walking down the street with no real destination in his mind.

A few moments passed and Hagoromo's thoughts once again drifted back to the topic that was still occupying his mind even after that woman had interrupted him.

He could not shake the feeling that it might be possible for that article to actually be real.

Hagoromo gave a brief look around himself and took in the details of the many humans walking about, all of them seemingly busy attending to their respective businesses.

He did not want to believe that such a peaceful world could be capable of committing the things mentioned in that article.

And yet, he didn't seem to be able to get that particular thought out of his mind.

A couple more minutes passed as the young man continued to walk on the crowded street, that particular thought never leaving his mind for even one second.

He abruptly stopped and let out a deep sigh, an action which prompted an old man to send him a curious look as he passed by him.

Hagoromo did not pay any mind to that elderly man's action and instead looked around himself, as if in search of something.

He quickly spotted whatever he had been looking for and resumed his walk at a much faster pace toward what looked like an alley. The same alley that he had found himself in when he first arrived in this world.

As soon as he stepped inside the permeating darkness of the alleyway, Hagoromo quickly called upon his chakra, prompting his outfit to morph back into the one he had been wearing at the time of his arrival.

His pale eyes rested on the space in front of him, and he once more willed his chakra into action.

The effect was instantaneous and the very fabric of space-time in front of him suddenly split apart, revealing nothing but an endless black void to be seen within the newly created rupture in the air.

A moment later Hagoromo walked toward the dimensional fissure as one thought went through his mind.

Why let his mind be plagued by what-ifs when with nothing but a mere thought he could check the situation himself?

Wasting no time, he quickly entered the dark portal, which instantly shut itself in his wake, leaving no trace of his earlier presence behind.

Meanwhile with Yuno...

The usually quiet and depressing atmosphere of the classroom was even more accentuated by the current absence of the idle and pointless chatter that would normally be entertained by many of its young occupants.

The reason for such a drastic and unusual change in the behavior of the students appeared to be the white sheet of paper on which most of them were writing with stunning enthusiasm.

And yet, not all of the students seemed to be exhibiting such zest when it came to filling the blank paper on their desk.

A young girl with rose colored hair seated at her desk in the back of the classroom seemed to be the only one struggling with the current task.

The pencil in her trembling fingers continued to hover over the blank paper, unmoving and unable to write anything.

Yuno glanced for the umpteenth time at the round clock on the wall at the front of the classroom and noticed that it indicated 15:20.

It had been twenty minutes since she had received this survey, yet despite all of her effort and deep thinking, she hasn't been able to write anything other than her name.

She glared sharply at the white piece of paper that seemed to be mocking her with its very existence, her eyes seeking for yet another time the offending title that was the cause of her current inner struggle.

Your dreams for the future: What do you want to do in the future?

Yuno continued to stare at the blank sheet, repeating that question in her mind over and over again.

What was she supposed to do in the future? Did she even have one?

After several more minutes of fruitless thinking, Yuno glanced once again at the clock, noting that it indicated 15:30.

Another ten minutes had passed, and most of her classmates had already left. Those who had yet to leave were either packing up their stuff, or were walking enthusiastically to the teacher's desk with their paper in hands.

It didn't take long until everyone else besides her had left the classroom.

Even the teacher had to leave at some point as he told her that he needed to take care of some urgent business.

And so, Yuno was left as the sole occupant of the classroom, with the blank sheet of paper on her desk and the dark and depressing thoughts that were plaguing her mind.

However, no matter how much she thought about it, she still couldn't find any answer to her dilemma.

In the end, there was truly nothing waiting for her at the end of the day, and no matter how much she struggled to find something within this dark, unseen mass of swirling gloom and despair that was her future, she would never be able to come out with anything to write.

After all, what kind of future would there be for a daughter who had killed her own parents?

Yuno didn't know the answer to that question.

The only thing that she knew with certainty was the fact that she no longer had anything to wake up in the morning for. Her life was now meaningless, and all that she could do was wait for the inevitable to finally come.

Yuno was suddenly brought out of her spiral of depressing thoughts by the sound of the class dismissal bell.

She quickly glanced at the clock that was indicating 15:50, and realized that the last period was finally over.

Moments later, she stood up from her desk with the blank paper in hand and walked up to the empty teacher's desk with almost mechanical movements.

She briefly glanced at the stack of papers neatly arranged on top of the desk, before her eyes wandered back to the blank sheet that she currently held in her hands.

With her previous thoughts still more than fresh in her mind, Yuno didn't waste any more time and immediately crumpled the sheet of paper in her hands, before throwing it in the trash can next to the door.

After that, she returned to her desk, grabbed her things and then slowly walked out of the classroom, a resigned look marring her beautiful features.

[Indonesia]

Hagoromo stepped out of the space-time fissure and silently assessed his surroundings.

He paid no mind to the portal closing itself, and instead glanced around as he took in the sight of the numerous wooden houses and farming fields, as well as the dozens of people going about through the village as they saw to their respective businesses.

The sound of two people speaking to each other in a language that he didn't recognize caught the young man's attention, prompting him to vanish from the spot he had been occupying.

He reappeared a few meters away, concealed in the shadows cast by the large roof of a nearby house as he watched an old man and equally old woman appear from around the corner of the previous house.

This is a rather peaceful village, Hagoromo mused as he continued to observe the people in his vicinity.

That article must have indeed been a joke... he continued inwardly as his eyes once again found the elderly duo who were taking a walk through the village. But still... I should investigate a little more just to make sure.

He might have been rather skeptical about the nature of that article he had seen on the Internet, however, he knew better than taking things at face value without doing any sort of investigation to assess whether said claims were valid or not.

And with that thought in mind, Hagoromo proceeded to call upon his chakra as he subtly and smoothly infiltrated the elder man's mind, his objective being the gathering of information both on the language, as well as on the state of their lives.

This task didn't prove to be much of a problem for him, however, it still took him a few minutes to get all the required knowledge, since he had to keep his activity concealed from the person whose mind he was accessing.

He was very much aware of the fact that he could have completed this task in only a few moments if he were to brutally search for and rip the memories from the man's mind, however, he didn't need to resort to such barbaric methods.

Not when he could do it in a much more invasive and undetectable manner.

And while both of these methods definitely paled in front of the absolute power of the Human Path, which granted him a complete absorption of a soul's memories in a mere moment, he didn't want to go through any unnecessary ordeals, such as altering the memories of those who might happen to witness his actions, as well as those of the recipient of said actions.

Several more moments passed before the young man exited the elderly man's mind, with said individual being none the wiser to the actions which had transpired as he continued to walk alongside the old woman down the stone paved street.

Hagoromo spent the next fifteen or so minutes going through everything that he learned from that man's memories as he methodically studied their language.

Once he was finished, he switched to analyzing the rest of the man's memories, from which he learned the nature of this village as being a farming one with the task of providing a food supply to the bigger cities in its vicinity.

He also learned that nothing of major importance has happened around here, as the village was a peaceful one, with every person minding their own business as they lived in their small but steadily growing community.

So that article had indeed been nothing more than a joke, Hagoromo thought with a small smile as he observed some of the children play with each other on a street several feet away from his position.

Well then, I think that I should return to Japan and see if I can find any other interesting things to read about of this world, he mused as he prepared to create another portal in the fabric of space-time.

However, just as he was about to will his chakra to split open the air in front of him, the young man's attention was suddenly drawn by a series of noises coming from the not-so-far distance.

He swiftly turned his head to regard whatever might be occurring and found himself raising a silvery eyebrow in questioning as he saw several vehicles approaching the outskirts of the village.

He immediately recognized their origin and purpose after he noticed the distinctive camouflage patterns of both the vehicles and the clothes of the people residing within them, which clearly iindicated an affiliation to some sort of military.

Intrigued for the time being, Hagoromo decided to wait and see for what reason the army had seen it fit to send its personnel in this farming village.

However, his curiosity soon made way for slight confusion when he heard one of the people dressed in army uniform yell some orders at the others, prompting them to quickly scatter throughout the village.

Separate the children and round up the rest in the middle of the village? Hagoromo repeated to himself the words he had just heard that man speak.

His confusion only grew as he wondered what these soldiers were trying to accomplish by doing that.

It was definitely strange to see the military suddenly storm into a small village and gather its inhabitants in one place. It almost reminded him of several similar scenarios which had occurred throughout the history of his own world...

As soon as that train of thought formed inside his mind, a cold feeling of dread crawled up his spine.

Could that be the case here as well?

No, he thought as he attempted to rationalize the matter. That cannot be...

That was something that only a certain kind of twisted individuals would do, and he truly did not want to believe that such could be the case here as well.

However, the more he continued to observe the unfolding events, the more he felt dread replace his previous confusion.

These soldiers seemed to be searching each and every house, locking inside any children that they found while dragging the women by their hair outside.

The men had an even rougher treatment. They would be kicked along the streets until they reached the center of the village.

But despite everything that he watched, the young man continued to tell himself that his dreadful assumptions could not possibly come to be here, and that whatever was happening had to be some sort of misunderstanding which would be quickly solved.

And yet, as if to spite his wishful thinking, the exact opposite seemed to be happening.

The soldiers, each of them carrying a flaming torch in their hands, stopped in front of the houses where the children were locked within, and without as much as a shred of remorse threw said torches inside the houses.

The effect was instantaneous.

The dried up wood which made up most of the houses, as well as the extremely flammable hay which composed the roofs were quickly lit ablaze as the merciless flames rapidly spread around to engulf and devour everything in their path.

Hagoromo watched with a disbelieving look etched into his features as the dozens of houses slowly burned away, his mind barely registering the pitiful cries of the children who were being burned alive, or the desperate pleas of help from the mothers who were forced to helplessly watch their own children die before their very eyes.

He could not comprehend why such a thing would happen...

Why would these people of the military commit such an atrocity? Were they not supposed to help and protect the civilians? Their own people? Was this world even worse than his own?

Hagoromo wanted to deny all of this, however, the facts were irrefutable. He was currently witnessing the true visage of an ugly world, no longer masked by the pleasant and deceiving mask of a so-called peace...

And yet, despite everything that he had witnessed so far, he still continued to cling to the hope that maybe all of this was somehow just a grave misunderstanding.

He was aware that he might be deluding himself, however, he simply did not want to admit that this humanity was also hopeless. Or at least not until he knew the motives behind the atrocities committed by these soldiers.

Hagoromo ignored the smell of burnt flesh that now saturated the entirety of the village and swept over the surrounding area, his eyes searching for the man who had been the one to issue the start of such a carnage.

It did not take him more than a few seconds to find his target, and as soon as he did, his pale eyes that reflected equal amounts of sadness and anger rapidly changed, with their pupil shrinking as several ripples covered the sclera which became a deep violet.

Hagoromo instantly vanished from his spot, appearing in front of the squad leader, who was resting in the shadows cast by the roof of an empty building that had been spared from the previous inferno.

The middle-aged man dressed in military uniform dropped the small bottle he had been drinking from as soon as his eyes noticed the new presence which suddenly appeared less than a few inches away from him.

He instinctively moved his arm to grab his gun from its holster at his hip, however, his attempt was thwarted as soon as he felt a light weight placed on his head.

Fear instantly shot through him as he realized that he wasn't able to move any muscle, nor utter a single sound. Even his eyes were frozen in their sockets, and only the fact that the mysterious assailant was standing before him had allowed the man to discern his identity.

The person in front of him was a young man whose hand was what had been placed atop his head.

The military officer wasn't sure what was happening when he felt a strange sensation wash over his being, nor when immediately after that it suddenly began to rain, however, as soon as his eyes registered the ominous image of the young man's rippling orbs, he realized one simple thing.

He wouldn't be getting out of whatever this was alive, fact which also turned out to be true when not even a second later he felt only weightlessness for a split second, before the world became dark for him.

The moment when Hagoromo placed his hand atop that man's head, he immediately began looking through the soldier's memories for anything related to what was currently occurring around him.

However, not even halfway through the first memory fragment, and he could feel how the hope that he had been holding onto until this very moment began to crack.

The human whose memories he was reading had been ordered by his superiors to do all of this...

They had told him to dispose of every single person that lived in this city, before burning it down to the ground.

They had told him that the people living here were of impure blood and that they had to be exterminated before they ended up spreading their impurity to the nearby villages.

Though, that seemed to be only one of the reasons.

The other one was the government's desire to exploit the lands beneath which this village was constructed.

Apparently, the soil around this place was very rich in rare minerals and the government wanted to make use of it, however, they had been having trouble so far because the lands were owned by this village, and its administration was unwilling to relinquish its ownership on them due to their historical and cultural value.

Hagoromo's heart was becoming heavier and heavier the more he kept going through the memories of the soldier. His arms suddenly fell limp at his sides, though his gaze remained on the horizon in the distance, eyes unfocused and dull.

The soldier in front of him crumpled to the ground like a puppet without strings, though it went unnoticed by the young man.

Clouds gathered, darkening the sky and obscuring the sun, before droplets of water began to pour on the barren soil. The lingering flames extinguished under the falling rain, revealing the charred bodies of the trapped children.

Once again, it all went unnoticed by the young man. His mind was in a different place.

Greed.

Hatred.

Lack of understanding...

Hagoromo's eyes kept staring emptily at the clouded horizon.

Why...?

His shock was too great for him to think of anything else. His mind unconsciously sought amidst the many world for something, anything, to latch onto.

Countless images began playing in his mind as a result. Instances of pleasant things. Of unpleasant things. Of the atrocious kind. Of the inconceivable kind...

Too many to be counted, yet most of them were so unpleasant that he almost wished for it to stop.

But he did not. He kept going through more and more of them. Not because he could not stop. But because he did not want to.

He had to see...

What humanity had to offer...

It was not pleasant. Almost none of it was. What was... it was too little to make a difference. And what was not... it was too much for him to bear.

No matter the world he looked, man was ultimately the same.

Was this what humanity could be reduced to? Was this what he had been looking forward to so earnestly? What he had been hoping for?!

Why...

So many sacrifices...

So much for them...

So much... for... nothing...

He'd given them so much, his children... his creations... And all they gave him back was pain... disappointment... heartache...

His hope...

Crushed.

And not only his...

The words spoken by a jaded man resounded in Hagoromo's mind. The hope that Madara had entrusted him with... He also harbored that. And it weighed on his soul even more.

If nothing were to get better in spite of all his effort? What would he do?

He did not have an answer at that time. Yet, he still believed...

He believed in them...

How naïve...

He'd been so blind. Blinded by his naivety. By his hopeless hope...

No more.

This was too much. Too much for his delusion to continue.

It all ended here.

He could not allow his foolishness to continue. Not after what he had seen. Not after what he had realized.

Mankind was unworthy of him. Of his care. Of his love...

Hagoromo's empty gaze regained some of its light and his eyes looked away from the horizon line.

He finally noticed the heavy rain around him. Just like the rain was pouring in his soul... It felt as if the world was weeping alongside him.

Hagoromo stared at the darkened sky. He couldn't help but think that it resembled the current state of his mind. His heart was in as much turmoil as the sky. His face was devoid of emotion, but his eyes were telling a completely different story.

His restless gaze began to wander yet again.

In the middle of the village, the humans were further trampling on his heart. Unbeknownst to his plight... The soldiers were abusing the women and beating the men, doing so with savage smiles on their faces and uproars of laughter in between.

It was a scene as if ripped out of a nightmare, yet for the heavy-hearted young man it only felt like a dull ache that was slowly fading away.

Hagoromo slowly walked in their direction, his steps taken with an eerie calmness that completely belied his emotions.

Screams of pain and pleas of mercy were filling the air from the distance, yet none of them seemed to reach him anymore.

Men slaughtered for amusement, their limbs chopped off with machetes and watched as they groveled in pain. Only to be relieved from it by the boredom of the soldiers who would eventually shoot at them for target practice.

The women were used as stress relief, raped by the soldiers with ravenous lust and complete disregard to as whom might be watching them.

Yet none of this reached him anymore, for he was beyond caring at this point.

He simply walked amidst the gathered soldiers, uncaring of their condemnable devices, and not even willing to spare them but a glance.

They neither noticed him, too busy drowning in their sin to take note of anything else.

The remaining villagers seemed to eventually notice him as he walked by, the radiant wisps of energy rising from his form too impossible to miss. Though it didn't matter anymore. For neither of them...

As Hagoromo walked through the middle of the village, each of the humans he passed by were burned to cinders, incinerated in the blink of an eye, with their remains crumbling in the wind and the rain.

The young man took a few more steps and then came to a stop, his arms hanging motionlessly at his sides and his gaze once more trailing the horizon, eyes unfocused and clouded by thought.

The wind started to pick up considerably, though he did not seem to notice. He was too lost in the storm that was ravaging his heart. And now, the tempest in his soul was unconsciously being reflected upon the world.

The earth shook and rumbled under the weight of his sorrow, and arcs of lightning began to dance across the darkened sky, mixing with the swirling winds in an eerie display as they grew in intensity.

Ferocious gusts of wind swept over the earth, forming into merciless cyclones as the rain became heavy enough to cause the occasional flood across the land.

Bolts of lightning struck the battered landscape in rhythmic succession, accompanying the other natural disasters in their deadly harmony.

The world was weeping alongside the heart of the Sage who stood in the eye of the storm, uncaring of what transpired around him, as he was too lost in his own thoughts to acknowledge anything else.

Several minutes earlier [Unknown Location]

The eerie, purple tinted chamber representing the domain of the God of Time and Space suddenly began to rumble violently as if subjected to the effects of some unknown force.

A panicking voice suddenly shot through the recesses of the domed room.

"Boss, what's going on?!" Murmur shouted as she ran across the room, dodging the occasional falling piece of debris as well as the purple arcs of lightning that erratically struck the floor every few seconds.

She had been reading one of her favorite manga when, without any warning whatsoever, a series of tremors started shaking the whole place.

Noticing the prolonged lack of any response from her superior, the diminutive girl glanced in the direction of his jagged throne.

Despite the rather powerful quakes that were currently rocking the entire chamber, Deus appeared to be quite calm and was curiously observing the holographic screens in front of him as he typed on his keyboard-like device.

With a swipe of his hand, the God of a Time and Space manifested a large screen in front of his throne which instantly caught his servant's attention, prompting her to stop running and stare at it in curiosity.

Eventually, the tremors had gradually subsided, and the chamber was no longer shaking, however, none of that seemed to matter to either Deus or Murmur as they were much more busy observing the events currently playing on the holographic display.

"Boss..." Murmur whispered with no small traces of disbelief in her voice as she watched what looked like a series of natural disasters wreak havoc across a part of Indonesia in less than a few minutes. "What exactly just happened?"

Deus, who had been simply watching everything until now, finally decided to speak and addressed his slightly shocked servant. "I believe that we had just witnessed something akin to a small cataclysm take place," he voiced with a chuckle. "I also believe that it had been quite the marvelous experience. Don't you agree, Murmur?"

Judging by her slightly narrow-eyed expression, Murmur did not seem to be very amused by her superior's remark.

"Deus..." she whispered once more, however, this time her voice had a somewhat dangerous undertone to it. "I don't think this is the time to get all excited over this. Thousands of causalities had been changed or had outright collapsed, and we still don't know who or what is responsible for all of this."

"You worry too much, Murmur," Deus replied as he waved off her concern. "The damage to the causal nexus can be easily repaired. As for the unknown itself, didn't I tell you last time to be patient? Until we meet whomever or whatever had caused all of this, we should just enjoy the entertainment that be are being provided with."

Upon hearing her superior's explanation, Murmur seemed to calm down a little and was now contemplating the recent occurrences. During her entire time as a servant to Deus, there had never been such a case where some unknown force would appear out of nowhere and start messing around in their dimension.

However, there wasn't much that she or Deus could do either, since it seemed to be impossible for them to locate this unknown variable, which meant that they would have to wait for it to approach them instead.

The diminutive girl inspected the room around her, before she glanced back at Deus, who was now once again busy typing on his keyboard-like device as he adjusted some of the causalities in Sakurami City in preparation for the upcoming survival game.

You call it entertainment, but I'm the one who has to fix all of this crap... Murmur thought sullenly as she performed damage control on the flow of causalities. And just when I was finally getting to the best part of that manga...

Current time [Indonesia]

The darkened clouds were now slowly dissipating, with the occasional stray bolt of lightning still crackling along their surface every now and then.

The previously destructive gusts of wind had now been reduced to mere breezes which carried the large amount of displaced dust as they soared towards the slowly uncovering heavens.

Numerous brilliant rays of the midday sun struggled to make their way through the slowly widening gaps in the thick blanket of clouds, piercing through the blue heavens until they reached the water covered ground.

And yet, none of these seemed to matter to the sole occupant of the barren landscape, a young man whose snowy colored tresses gently swayed in the mild breeze.

This lonesome individual stood silently atop the sizable patch of water, seemingly unconcerned with how he was defying the laws of physics as he gazed absentmindedly at the sky.

His ethereal features were marred by a rather complicated expression which showed a mixture of sorrow, disappointment, and oddly enough, liberation.

Sorrow and disappointment brought by the actions of man. Of what he had witnessed them to be capable of in all of their atrocious glory. Of how they had shattered his hope and trampled over his heart, taking away all that he felt for them and replacing it with a dull emptiness.

And liberation because, in spite of everything that happened, he felt oddly at peace and dare he say even free to some extent. He felt as though a huge burden had been lifted from his soul, and that all of the chains previously keeping him bound had now been shattered.

It was an unusual feeling, though it was not an unpleasant one.

Hagoromo's thoughts slowly wandered back to the times of his past.

For over a millennium he had watched over them, hoping for the best, believing in their better... He didn't want to give up on them even after so long. He didn't want to abandon them.

But now...

Now he knew better. He knew better than to be so naïve. Than to cling to such a foolish ideal.

How laughable.

Looking at his past, he felt like a fool. For only a fool would do what he did and for so long. Persist in his foolishness despite the many signs telling him otherwise. Deluding himself with false hope...

But he was a fool no more. That chapter of his life concluded now. Just like the clouds dispersing over the azure sky, so did his mind clear of naivety and foolishness.

He had finally seen mankind for what it was. And he could not forget it. He would not forget it. He would not persist in what was hopeless. He would not delude himself. Not anymore. Not after this day. Never again.

Pitiful creatures...

Hopeless in every aspect and bound to always head down a path of darkness and misery. Such was the nature of man. It did not matter how brightly one in a few thousands might shine. For when surrounded by mud, even a diamond became lost to the eye.

Hagoromo glanced around at the battered lands surrounding him. The result of his inner turmoil. The tempest and the quake were brought forth unconsciously while his mind was struggling with its internal crisis.

Their fault...

It was their fault for causing him such pain. For bringing him such sorrow and despair. They brought the destruction upon themselves with their heinous acts. Their land was scarred because of their own selfishness.

Hagoromo's gaze became downcast and he couldn't help the hollow sigh that left his mouth.

Hopeless...

He felt empty. His heart ached with a dull throb. He might have felt liberated, now that he was no longer plagued by concerns regarding humans, yet to what did that amount if it meant losing the hope that he had been holding onto for such a long time.

The emptiness was gnawing at his soul. He felt lost. He did not know what to do beyond this point. Was there even something for him to look forward to?

Aimless...

He had all this power, though nothing to direct it to. It all amounted to nothing in the end.

So much for nothing...

All his faith for naught, his hope shattered in a thousand pieces...

Betrayed...

His eyes began to sting. A lone tear fell in the shallow water beneath his feet, creating a small ripple.

Hagoromo brought a hand to his face and noticed the wetness of his eyes. It was so long since he had last shed any tears that he had almost forgotten how it felt. He did not think that he would spill another tear after the sealing of his mother. Yet here he was, made to do such again by those whom he had once loved.

The place where his previous tear fell began to shine for a few moments, before the ground rumbled slightly. Countless types of plants and trees sprouted from the barren soil as they rapidly grew into a lush vegetation of vibrant colors.

Hagoromo didn't seem to acknowledge the sudden change in scenery all around him, though his depressing thoughts were finally brought to a stop when a deep voice called to him from the black glove that he wore on his left hand.

"Father..." Alduin spoke with a gravelly hiss. "These humans aren't even worth the time you spend thinking about them."

Hagoromo glanced at the back of his glove and was met with two sickly yellow eyes above a grinning mouth filled with jagged teeth.

He felt a bit better now that he heard Alduin's thoughts on the matter. The amorphous creature was still a piece of his mother, despite being now guided manly by his own will. So it was really comforting to have its reassurance.

Alduin's words continued to echo in Hagoromo's mind, and with each passing second he could see more and more of the truth that lay within them.

He had dedicated so much of his previous life to the humans of his world. Taught them ways to help them understand themselves better. And even after a thousand years of witnessing their foolish behavior that brought him nothing but constant pain and regret, he had still not given up on them. He had continued to look for ways to mend the damage he had caused during his life and eventually gave the humans another chance at achieving peace and understanding.

But in the end, it seemed that everything he had done had been for naught, for while the mankind in his world would be able to achieve all of that under the supervision of his clone that he had left behind, the humans in any other worlds would achieve nothing without such guidance.

After all, they were ultimately the same as those of his own world... Unable to achieve a mutual understanding without his direct help.

Sever...

Now, and forever...

He had to give up on them, once and for all. They were unworthy of his efforts, and he should not bother himself with them anymore.

It was just as Alduin had said. They were not even worthy of the time that he wasted while thinking about their pathetic existences.

And yet, despite acknowledging all of this, that hollow feeling of emptiness still lingered in his heart.

"That may be true, Alduin, but it does not change the fact that right now, I am feeling lost and without any purpose..."

Hagoromo's voice was carried by the still blowing winds while his gazed swept over the destruction he had so easily caused mere minutes ago.

They had pushed him beyond the edge this time. The final straw that broke the weary camel's back. There was a limit even to his patience.

His musings were once more interrupted by Alduin's raspy voice.

"Wouldn't it be better for father if he were to see a more familiar place right now?" the creature asked is a low hiss. "Maybe if father were to return to his arrival place, then he would be more at ease with the familiar setting? That way it should be easier for father to find another purpose in life."

Hagoromo could not help but smile faintly at Alduin's advice. His previous sadness was slowly ebbing away alongside any of his remaining concerns for mankind. It seemed that the old creature always knew what to say in order to get him out of his funk.

"Perhaps you are right, Alduin," the Sage replied as he began focusing his chakra.

The air in front of him suddenly split open, and Hagoromo walked inside the darkness of the newly created fissure in the fabric of space-time. The portal sealed shut in his wake, leaving behind no trace of his previous existence, save for the faint ripples caused by his footsteps on the surface of the water.

2005/05/10 16:05 [Sakurami City]

Within the darkness of a familiar looking alley, a rupture in the fabric of space and time suddenly manifested.

From the pitch-black insides of the ominous looking portal, a silver haired young man with exquisite features and mesmerizing pale eyes slowly stepped out.

He walked through the shadows enshrouding the alleyway, paying no mind to either the portal behind him closing or to his surroundings as he seemed to be lost deep within his thoughts.

His aimless treading eventually brought him close to the exit of the alley, though just as he was about to take a step even closer to the shining brightness of the midday sun, the young man was forced to a stop when a figure sashayed in from of him, seemingly blocking his path.

"Hey there, handsome. Are you interested in doing something fun~?"

A sweet and seductive voice snapped Hagoromo out of his deep musings, prompting him to regard the human that had interrupted his walk.

It was a rather pleasantly looking female that appeared to be in her early twenties, with waist-long ebony hair and matching eyes that held a distinctive gleam to them, as well as a playful smile that was showing on her supple lips.

Her attire consisted of a black colored leather jacket that barely covered her well-endowed and enticing chest and a matching in color leather skirt that didn't do very much when it came to hiding her alluring thighs and legs.

However, none of these seemed to matter to the young man who stood only a few inches away from her, so close that he could smell the saccharine fragrance of her perfume.

The cold gaze that was subsequently directed by him as a response to the young woman's advances should have served as a sort of warning for her.

Unfortunately, the dark haired woman was not able to discern the true meaning of the openly displayed contempt briefly reflected within those pale eyes that seemed to be peering straight into her soul.

Thus, she had simply assumed that the young man had not found her previous attempt charming enough in order to accept her services.

Feeling as though her pride had been challenged, the young woman chased after the white haired young man who had already resumed his walking.

She managed to catch up to him before he completely exited the alleyway and placed her slender hand on his shoulder, interrupting him once more.

"Playing hard to get, are we?" the woman whispered seductively in his ear as she leaned in closer, pressing her voluptuous chest against his back. "How about this. Since I like your type so much and you are also incredibly handsome, I'll make you a nice discount. We can even go to my place and spend a quality afternoon together. So, what do you say—"

She did not get to finish her sentence as she suddenly felt something heavy hit her, sending her careening through the air at high velocity, before the world subsequently turned dark for her the moment she impacted against the solid wall behind.

A rather loud crack was heard in the not-so-far distance, although Hagoromo did not seem to acknowledge it and simply continued walking.

If he were to actually turn his head a little and look behind him, then he might have noticed the slight indentation in the concrete wall, as well as the rather large splatter of blood which accompanied the half squashed body of the dark haired woman, who was now lying in a barely recognizable heap crumpled on the cold asphalt.

But the young man did not seem to bother with anything of the sort, and merely lowered his previously extended right hand as he proceeded to fix his slightly ruffled jacket.

"Unsightly."

That was the sole word that left his mouth as he stepped out of the enshrouding darkness of the alleyway, briefly wondering if these humans could be even more pathetic.

They did not even possess enough self-esteem, nor much worth for their own selves, and they were so easily willing to defile their own bodies and souls by tainting themselves with hedonistic filth.

He immediately dismissed that train of thought, as he quickly remembered how he had resolved to no longer care about whatever these wretched creatures did, and simply continued his aimless walk down the crowded street, wondering whether or not he would truly find something that could fill the emptiness which was now occupying a good part of his being.

He walked for a few minutes, his thoughts once more spiraling down into depressing territories as he could not stop himself from questioning the current lack of a purpose in his eternal existence, though he was once again snapped out of them upon hearing a series of jubilant giggles coming from his left.

Hagoromo slowly turned his head and took in the image of a huge crowd of children happily walking down the walkway across the street like a buzzing colony of little energetic insects.

He could not help but frown at this imagery which only displayed their ignorance and naivety towards the reality they lived in.

Sighing in disappointment, Hagoromo was about to return his gaze from this sad picture of human foolishness and once again immerse himself in his own thoughts.

However, just as he was slowly swerving his head, his eyes briefly caught the sight of something truly unexpected. A miasma of depression induced by futility and a fleeting sense of life suddenly washed over his senses.

Hagoromo's captivated gaze became locked on this irregularity within the now deemed insignificant crowd of human offsprings as he tried to understand why such an abnormality existed among them.

*Chapter 4*: Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Chapter 2: Trial of Yuno

When Hagoromo's gaze focused on the little anomaly amidst the crowd of human children, the first thing that he noticed was the unusual color of the girl's hair. It resembled cotton candy to such a degree that it was bordering on the ridiculous, though he knew better than to judge anything based simply on the appearance alone.

He calmly observed the girl's deep-frowning face, noticing how it seemed to be in perfect concordance with the constant waves of swirling gloom that were emanating from her being.

Moments later, his pale eyes sought the young girl's own, however, the moment he took in the sight of her dull and hollow cerise orbs, he was instantly taken aback, and his surprise only grew the further he delved within.

The more Hagoromo gazed into her eyes, the more he could feel his interest sparking. There seemed to be something hidden deep within her eyes, something that was invoking an almost confusing sense of similarity within himself.

And yet, for all this odd feeling of similarity, he couldn't have possibly missed the stark opposition that was slowly gnawing at his mind.

It did not take him very long to realize what exactly this all meant.

This little girl seemed to somehow be experiencing feelings that were bewilderingly similar, but at the same time completely opposite to what he had just gone through during the past few hours.

Just like him, she seemed to be experiencing the feeling of being lost and without a purpose, however, whereas he was trying to find a new purpose to his eternal life, she seemed to have already given up on everything and completely accepted her situation.

Another similar yet different aspect of their current emotional state would be the source of their plight.

For both of them it seemed to be the futility of their actions, however, while for her this futility seemed to be stemming from her powerlessness to change the world around her, for him it was the futility of hoping for a change to occur, without him having to intervene and make it happen.

It was so confusing and odd, especially for him who had watched his world and its inhabitants for more than a thousand years, to see someone who was so similar and yet so different from himself at the same time.

The yin-yang duality...

Hagoromo almost scoffed at that thought. There was a semblance to remind him of it, but for his mind to actually make the comparison...

This girl...

Just what was she?

He had resolved to no longer care about mankind and their follies...

And yet...

Dismissing this rare opportunity might prove to me a huge waste to him. The girl seemed much too intriguing for the average pathetic human to compare.

Try as he might to ignore it, there was something about her that seemed to allure him. The stark opposition and confusing similarity intrigued him so much that he wanted to learn more about this human who managed to spark such a level of interest in him.

Perhaps he shouldn't pass up so casually on such an interesting finding, after all.

However, it seemed that his curiosity would have to wait for the time being, as there appeared to be a much more pressing matter that might need to be taken care of by him.

Despite having been focused mostly on the young girl who managed to catch his interest to such a degree, Hagoromo had never lowered his awareness of the world beyond a certain point, nor had he forgone the precognitive perception that he normally kept down to a minimum level. So he had been able to easily perceive the fact that something not exactly favorable was about to occur to her.

Hagoromo calmly turned his head in the opposite direction and immediately took notice of the perpetrator that would be responsible for spoiling his interesting discovery, if left unchecked.

Further down the road, in the not-so-far distance, a speeding black car suddenly accelerated even more as it seemed to be preparing for an overtake.

Judging by what the young man had previously foreseen, as well as by the estimations that he had just completed, there was only a little above a minute left until the time of impact. So there was no actual need for him to rush.

He once again returned his gaze upon the cotton candy haired oddity and decided to wait a little longer while wondering what her reaction to this incident might be.

Several moments passed in silence, before Hagoromo's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Alduin's voice, who still sounded in the same deep and raspy manner despite using telepathy in order to communicate.

"Father...?"

The young man could tell what the creature was going to say next, its curious tone easily giving away the question that it would pose to him. If his chosen course of action didn't already make it obvious that Alduin would inquire about the motives behind his decision.

"Even after saying that you will not, why are you still caring about these unworthy humans?"

A wistful expression Hagoromo's visage at those words.

"The answer to that is simple, Alduin," he replied to the creature via telepathy as well. "This little human that has made me so curious is definitely far from the pathetic norm that we have witnessed so far in this world. As such, I feel that I should not let this interesting of a find to pass by, or otherwise this entire trip would have amounted to nothing but shattered hope and wasted time."

"I understand, father," Alduin spoke in response, an apologetic note discernible in its raspy tone, "I apologize for questioning your actions without giving them a thorough consideration first."

"No need to apologize, Alduin," the young man voiced within his mind. "It makes me glad to know that you are so concerned about my wellbeing. So rest assured, for you have done nothing wrong."

"Thank you, father," the creature spoke, bringing a fond smile, both inwardly and outwardly, on its creator's features, which prompted a passer-by to give the young man an odd look.

Hagoromo paid it no mind and instead focused on preventing Alduin from brutally skewering said person for their apparent insolence. There was no need to cause a scene in the middle of a very crowded street.

Once Alduin seemed to have calmed down, Hagoromo once again returned his gaze upon the cotton candy haired girl, who in the meantime had walked along with the crowd of children further down the street, and idly noted that he resumed his observation just in time for the main event.

The black car that had previously been rather far in the distance was now only a few dozen meters away from the intersection which the group of children seemed to be approaching.

Though Hagoromo did not concern himself anymore with the whereabouts of the dark tinted vehicle, for he knew precisely what would transpire in the next few seconds.

As such, he simply continued to observe the young girl as she moved listlessly along the sidewalk, his unusual eyes now looking even more distinct with their slightly enlarged and featureless white irides and no longer any visible pupils.

His Byakugan was the perfect dōjutsu for situations as this one, where the clarity of the observation had to be of the highest degree.

The shrill sound of a car horn in the distance told the young man that the estimated time of the impact would be soon approaching zero, though with his all-seeing white eyes now in use he would inadvertently also keep watch on the speeding vehicle, even if his attention was mainly directed elsewhere.

Not even a second after the car horn was heard, Hagoromo saw how that black vehicle managed to cut in front of another one which was now behind it. But by doing so, it also cut off another car which was attempting to make a turn in the intersection.

The driver of the black vehicle managed to quickly pull the wheel in order to avoid hitting the other car, but unfortunately for him, that actually put him on the path to an even greater accident.

Because of the turning car's abrupt stop, part of the road was obstructed, and as such the driver of another incoming car, red in color, had to quickly maneuver his vehicle from crashing into it.

Despite both drivers frantically trying to regain control of their cars, it all seemed to be in vain, as the sudden sharp turns coupled with the too high speed made it impossible for the vehicles to stop even with their brakes stomped to the very limit.

A sharp screech was the only warning that the crowd of children received, before the black car sped over the sidewalk and swept through their midst, running over those who had been unfortunate enough to stand in its path, before finally hitting a wall and stopping dead in its tracks.

The momentary state of shock instilled by this horrific accident lasted for only a few seconds, and as soon as most of the onlookers regained their bearings, chaos immediately erupted all around the scene of the accident.

Some of the children let out a chorus of high-pitched screams as they scurried as far as possible from the fuming car that was partially flattened against the stone wall it previously hit, while the rest of them also followed in their steps as soon as their self-preservation instincts finally kicked into high gear.

Only one of them seemed to be acting in a completely opposite manner to what it would have normally been expected in such a situation.

Featureless white eyes observed with no small amount of curiosity what appeared to be an epitome of calmness and composure that heavily contrasted with the chaotic scene of the car accident.

Hagoromo felt his interest grow even more when he noticed how the cotton candy haired girl did not appear to be perturbed whatsoever by the black smoking car that was crashed into a wall only a few feet away from her. She simply continued with her spiritless walk, her dull cerise eyes staring emptily ahead of herself as her lithe frame slowly advanced further down the street at a constant, almost robotic pace.

Even the red tinted car that was approaching her position at a frightening speed did not seem to terrify her.

The young girl merely tilted her head a little as she glanced at the incoming vehicle, and her features slowly settled in an odd little smile, before she ceased all of her movements as she remained rooted in place.

Instead of attempting to flee from certain death, the young girl seemed to be staring down the approaching car, her peculiar smile never leaving her beautiful face.

Hagoromo once again felt his interest spike at this unusual behavior on the girl's part, however, he had to set his curiosity aside for the time being, as right now it was almost the time for him to finally act.

He would have all the time in the world to do whatever he wished with that little human after he made sure that her life was no longer in mortal danger, so he could easily reign in his curiosity for a minute or two.

One moment later, and only a few meters were everything that separated the cotton candy haired girl from what appeared to be her impending death. And yet, her composure still did not seem to falter.

Not even one tiny bit.

Instead of attempting a last second evade, she simply closed her eyes in what looked like acceptance, and stood there unmoving as though waiting for everything to be finally over.

Another second of elapsed time, and the speeding vehicle was only inches away from brutally ending her life.

Several dozen feet away from the girl's position, the white haired young man, who had been bidding his time so far, finally decided to take action.

Unseen to the untrained eyes of everyone around him, the concrete slightly cracked beneath his feet when he vanished from his spot in an awing display of speed.

It took him less than a split second to cover the distance between himself and the rose haired girl, and from the looks of it, his timing had also been spot on, because he had gotten a hold of her just the moment before the car would have ran her over.

As soon as the girl was safely secured in his arms, Hagoromo dashed away from the car's path at a moderate speed, before stopping once he was far enough from the scene of the accident.

He also didn't seem to be concerned by his previous display of inhuman speed, because the current chaos produced by the first accident had perfectly masked his actions.

Most of the people had either been too busy admiring the fine art of half a body splattered on a stone wall, or sitting around without doing anything as though the were in a trance. Only a small handful of people had actually bothered with trying to somehow help the injured or with calling the emergency line.

And now that another car had just joined the collection on the stone wall, the chaos once again started anew, providing even more cover for his previous actions.

Deciding that nothing else besides the cotton candy haired girl in his arms mattered to him for the time being, Hagoromo deactivated his dōjutsu, prompting his eyes to return to their usual appearance.

Pale eyes once again gazed into unfocused cerise ones as the young man with snow-white tresses slowly lowered the girl within his arms back onto the ground, all the while observing her confused expression with slight amusement.

The rose haired girl maintained her confused face for a few moments as she seemed to be trying to regain her composure while at the same time process what had just happened during the past minute.

It didn't take her very long to realize her circumstances. Her eyes quickly sought the one who had saved her from being ran over by that car. She didn't have to search much, though, as the person responsible for that was standing right beside her.

However, the moment her gaze rested upon his face, she was instantly entranced by his ethereal features.

Hagoromo merely smiled in amusement at the girl's reaction and continued to observe her for a while longer.

A few moments later, when he finally decided to speak, the young girl was quickly brought out of her reverie by his melodious voice.

"Tell me, girl. Why were you so willing to embrace death, when you could have easily avoided it?"

The rose haired girl seemed to be a little taken-aback by his question.

She was definitely not expecting such an inquiry to be the first thing that her savior asked her, though as soon as the initial surprise faded and the true meaning of those words finally sank into her mind, the thick miasma of depression that had been previously surrounding her became even more intense.

Hagoromo seemed to pick up on this sudden change and raised a silvery eyebrow at her, as though beckoning her to speak.

Seeing such an inquisitive expression adorning the young man's visage, the girl suddenly felt strangely self-conscious and slightly lowered her gaze.

"Because I'm only human after all," she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

The moment Hagoromo registered her response, for the first time in many months, genuine laughter escaped his lips. The sheer irony of those words made it impossible for him to do anything but laugh.

And laugh he did.

For a full minute he laughed continuously, all the while wondering how it was possible for a little human such as this girl to somehow manage to understand human fallibility, when he who held a library of memories and knowledge that spanned over millennia had acted in such a naïve manner until only a few hours ago.

In the meanwhile, the rose haired girl was starting to feel rather embarrassed as she watched her savior express such mirth, thinking that perhaps she had made a fool of herself with the answer that she gave to his question.

However, most of her embarrassment quickly faded once she listened to the young man's soft and melodious laughter for a few seconds. It was such a strange experience that if she had to describe it with a word, then she would probably choose otherworldly.

Eventually, Hagoromo managed to regain his composure, moment when he gazed once more at the girl standing next to him, noticing how her mouth slightly parted itself open as she was most likely on the verge of inquiring about his previous display of mirth.

Though before she could do so, he quickly intercepted her with one of his alabaster fingers, which he gently placed on her lips, sealing them shut alongside her voice.

He did not seem to pay any mind to the dusty red coloring that was quickly spreading over the girl's cheeks, and instead met her gaze with his own as he gave her a small and mysterious smile.

"We shall meet again soon. But for now, this is a farewell," he spoke in a whimsical tone, before turning around and walking away from the stunned girl, who for the better part of the next minute remained rooted in her spot as though she was trying to impersonate a statue.

By the time she regained her bearing, the young man with snow hair had already disappeared from her sight, leaving her with the still lingering touch of his finger upon her lips, as well as with a pleasant warmth that had yet to leave her chest.

After taking his sudden and mysterious leave, Hagoromo walked on the crowded street for a few more blocks, before he eventually entered a dark and deserted alleyway.

He took several steps until the shadows completely enveloped his form and then stopped moving as he glanced at his left hand.

"Alduin, there is something that I need you to do," the young man addressed the pitch black creature masquerading as his glove.

A pair of sickly yellow eyes and a wide mouth filled with jagged teeth immediately appeared on the back of the young man's glove.

"Yes, father?" Alduin's raspy and deep voice soon came in response. "What is it that you need me to do?"

"I want you to observe that young girl from before and inform me of your findings in one week from now."

"Of course, father," the creature immediately replied. "But where is father going to that he has to leave for so long?"

"I need some time to contemplate on everything that had transpired during these past hours, so I shall be going to the Genesis dimension and meditate there for a few days," Hagoromo explained in an even tone. "However, I would also like to know what happens with that intriguing little human, which is why I need you to observe her until I am finished."

"I understand, father," Alduin spoke as it slowly detached itself from its father's alabaster hand, before falling onto the ground where it assumed a featureless humanoid shape. "I will do as you wish."

"Good," the young man voiced, a pitch black rift opening in front him a moment later.

Before entering the fissure between dimensions, he glanced at the black humanoid-like creature standing to his left and addressed it one last time.

"If possible, try not to reveal your true form to anyone and also try to remain as inconspicuous as possible," he spoke. "I do not wish for needless complications to arise."

"Understood, father," Alduin replied as it watched its creator take a step inside the void of the portal.

As soon as the silhouette of the young man completely disappeared from view, the space-time fissure immediately closed itself shut.

Moments later, the black mass that made up the entirety of Alduin's body started to seep through the concrete, until nothing of the creature remained above ground anymore.

Effortlessly digging its way through layers upon layers of gravel and dirt, Alduin traveled hidden from view while scanning the surroundings for any isolated life signatures.

Despite being fully capable of mimicking human movement, it could not do as such, because that would go against its father's wishes. And it would never do such an inconceivable thing.

It was its father's will given physical form, therefore whatever it was that its father wished, it would always see that it was realized. And because this time its father had said that it should not reveal its true form to anyone unless truly necessary, it meant that it had to travel unseen to the eyes of the humans until it found a host to inhabit.

The sentient mass of black ooze kept moving underground at impressive speed as it continued with its search.

Despite wanting to begin the task that its father had left in its care as fast as possible, it couldn't just prey upon the nearest human in the vicinity, for its father had also instructed it to remain as unnoticeable as possible. Which meant that it had to take its time and look for a target that was not in close proximity to other humans.

A few more moments passed, before Alduin suddenly changed direction and started heading upwards.

In spite of the recent and rather drastic changes in his life, James Cromwell was content with it so far.

He had just arrived in Japan after being offered the position of lecturer in social anthropology at the Sakurami University, and was currently resting himself after a long and exhausting trip.

Right now he was in his hotel room, sitting comfortably on a white leather couch as he browsed through the various channels of the television.

Suddenly, his attention was brought to his cellphone when it started to buzz.

He picked the black colored device from the table next to the couch and glanced at the incoming call.

As soon as he saw the caller's name, a deep frown quickly settled on his brow.

Angela Cromwell it read.

Without giving it much thought, James rejected the call and then turned off his phone.

He really didn't feel like listening to his ex-wife's prattle. Not when all she ever said was alimony and the occasional snide remark.

She had already been given the custody of their two daughters after winning it over during the divorce, and now she was already demanding him the money.

"What a bitch..." James muttered sourly as he went to the bathroom to splash some water over his face in order to cool himself down.

It was no use getting worked up over the complaints of that woman, so he tried to stop thinking about her.

"If it wasn't for her getting the girls, I would have made sure that she was left penniless for all the crap she had put me through during all these years," he muttered as he was once again reminded of that woman.

Despite not being like this from the beginning, his former wife had started to change during the past few years, ever since the moment he had decided to pursue a career as a specialist in social anthropology.

She believed that he was neglecting her and their daughters for his work, and as such began resenting him for this.

In the end, she forced him to make a choice, and after he told her that he wouldn't give up on everything that he had worked for until that point, she decided to issue a divorce.

James turned off the water and then looked at the mirror above the sink.

Forest green eyes with prominent bags underneath them gazed back, and the visibly tired man combed a hand through his brown hair, before grabbing a towel and wiping the droplets of water from his slightly pale face.

He knew that he should be taking care of himself a little better, but his passion for his field of work was often keeping him up until late at night. And even if he was only in his early thirties, he was aware that his youth wouldn't be lasting forever, which was exactly why he had to be more careful about his health.

Putting the towel back in its place, James left the bathroom and headed to the kitchen. He stopped in front of the fridge and opened it, taking out a single bottle that contained a caramel colored liquid inside.

The brown haired man poured himself a glass of brandy and quickly downed the liquor, relishing in the burning sensation that melted away whatever anger he might have still had left.

James released a sigh and poured himself another glass.

He might have been okay with his divorce, but he regretted losing the custody of his girls and having to leave them with that annoying woman that apparently could no longer even stand seeing his face anymore.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything much that he could do now, except for regularly sending the girls money to support them. He didn't need to be reminded by his ex-wife to send them money. He would always do it because he loved the two of them dearly.

James placed the half empty bottle of expensive alcohol back into the fridge and returned to the living room with his refilled glass in hand.

He seated himself back on the couch and placed the glass on the small table next to him, before returning to his previous activity of watching television.

Eventually, his lack of sleep got the better of him and he soon fell asleep on the comforting softness of the expensive couch.

However, only a few minutes into his rest, and the brown haired middle-aged man was suddenly woken up when he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.

His eyes wide, James looked in shock at the black gooey hand whose fingers were currently digging through his white shirt and into his stomach. Oddly enough, there seemed to be no blood present, however, the brown haired man didn't have the time to muse on such things.

He quickly tried to grab the pitch-black appendage that was digging in his skin, but he soon realized that he couldn't move a single muscle, and his previous shock instantly turned into horror, which only grew in intensity the moment he noticed something akin to a head with two sickly yellow eyes and a jagged grin form out of the black mass that was slowly covering his body.

He tried to scream, but with his body currently paralyzed, it was a futile attempt. And so, left with no other options, James could only resign to his fate and watch in terror as the ooze-like creature slowly covered his entire body.

Moments later, James Cromwell finally lost consciousness, his last thoughts being about his two daughters, and their beautiful smiles that he would never be able to see anymore.

The moment he finished coating the entire body of his chosen target, Alduin quickly took over his newly acquired host and began accessing the human's memories.

The parasitic creature ignored any memories that seemed irrelevant to its assigned task, and quickly assimilated the rest.

A few minutes passed, before the body of the human covered in a black gooey substance suddenly spoke, the voice coming from its mouth being completely different from its original one.

"This will do," Alduin spoke in its usual deep and raspy tone as it finally seemed to be done integrating the human's memories. "Human formerly known as James Cromwell, you should feel honored, for your body will now contribute to the fulfillment of father's wish."

And with that, all of the black mass that was previously covering the man's body quickly began seeping into his skin, until no previous indication of the black ooze-like entity could be seen.

Moments later, a pair of forest green eyes snapped open and a grin slowly spread over the middle-aged man's features as he spoke in what seemed to be his normal voice.

"A perfect fit," Alduin muttered in a pleased tone as it inspected the body it had just hijacked, making sure that it properly responded to its commands. "And now to find that little girl..."

Following these words, the body which had previously belonged to one James Cromwell began changing its current attire, replacing it with something considered more proper and less eye-catching than a white shirt with holes in it.

When James was done clothing himself, he went and grabbed all of his belongings, before he finally left the hotel room as he headed toward the elevator across the hallway.

2005/05/12 22:00 [Gasai Residence]

Only two days passed ever since Yuno had last seen the white haired young man who had saved her life moments before they had even met, though for her it felt as though a much longer time had passed.

The rose haired girl was currently in her room, lying down on her bed as she absentmindedly gazed at the dark ceiling, her mind being in a completely different place than her body.

She was reminiscing about her meeting with that mysterious young man, and how he had suddenly taken his leave after only a brief and rather strange conversation, which left her with more questions than answers.

On that day she had been completely resigned to her bitter fate and she wouldn't have actually cared even if her life ended. Living a life that no longer held any meaning, and simply waiting for the days to come and pass would have been much more painful to her than dying.

She might have been afraid of this macabre possibility a month ago, because of her most recent and very close experience involving it at the hands of starving, however, she had soon come to realize that death could come in many assortments and flavors, with some of them not involving any pain or suffering whatsoever.

Which was exactly why she had been willing to relinquish the hold on her pointless life at that time, all the while staring down that approaching car with nothing but a small, mocking smile.

Only a few seconds and everything would have been over.

At that speed, the pain would have only lasted for a mere second, and then everything would have finally been over.

No agony. No suffering. No nothing.

But instead of that, something else happened. Something truly unexpected. And in spite of her confusion at that time, she had quickly come to realize that someone had saved her from being ran over by that speeding car.

A surge of embarrassment quickly washed over Yuno when she recalled a particular memory from that time, prompting her to cover her flushed face with her white pillow.

She still couldn't believe how she acted after seeing the face of her savior for the first time.

She stared at his face as if in a trance, until he finally brought her back to the real world. In a rather unpleasant way if she might add.

Just after she had finally forgotten for a brief moment about her hopeless future, that young man decided to ask his odd and seemingly out of context question.

Yet, she knew that he wasn't at fault, because such a question had been perfectly pertinent in that situation. And he couldn't have possibly known that it would bring her back such unpleasant memories.

But after she gave him her answer, she was once again faced with embarrassment when the young man started laughing with such mirth that she was left speechless for a moment.

However, it all faded when she realized just how otherworldly his laugh had felt. She had never heard such a melodious laughter in her life, and just as she tried to inquire him about it, she was once more left speechless, as well as stunned.

Yuno suddenly rolled over on her side and hugged the pillow in her arms close to her chest as she was rather vividly reminded of how her meeting with that strange young man had ended.

She could still feel his finger on her lips if she closed her eyes and focused on that memory. And if she kept on doing that for long enough, a similar warmth to what she had felt at that time would also blossom in her chest.

The rose haired girl released a dreamy sigh as she once again replayed that particular scene in her mind's eye, all the while hugging her pillow even tighter and bringing it closer to her chest.

During these past two days all that she had been able to think about had been that mysterious young man and their fateful meeting. Even her dead parents had no longer plagued her thoughts.

Instead of the morbid images of two decaying bodies inside a small cage, images of a handsome young man with snow-white hair had been occupying Yuno's mind for some time now.

Not even her lack of a future seemed to be bothering her for the time being.

Though, despite all of that, Yuno couldn't help but still feel a longing in her heart.

She might have been fine with just the memories of that young man for the past two days, but she knew that soon enough, only simple memories would no longer suffice, and she would want to see him in person once more.

He might have told her that they would be meeting again soon, but who knew how long that could be. She didn't know if she would be able to wait for more than a few days without spiraling into depression once again.

Shaking her head in order to drive away any thoughts that were even remotely unhappy, Yuno grabbed her cellphone from the small nightstand next to her bed and flipped it open, her slender fingers beginning to tap on the keypad in rapid succession.

It was decided.

Until the time of their next meeting, she would try to keep herself occupied with a diary of sorts. Writing about her mysterious white haired savior should keep her mind distracted from any overly depressing thoughts.

With her lips slowly settling in a small smile, Yuno continued to write in her newly created cellphone diary as she imagined the future meeting between her and the one who had taken so much presence among her thoughts after only two days.

2005/05/13 10:30 [Sakurami Middle School]

It took Alduin roughly two days to completely adapt to the environment where its mission objective was living, but now that it managed to get over with the minor details, it could finally begin its real mission.

Under its recently acquired guise, the body of one James Cromwell, Alduin walked at a leisure pace along the hallway of the building in which its charge seemed to be spending most of her time.

After hijacking its current host body, Alduin had managed to locate its target for surveillance rather quickly, as her life force signature had been memorized from the moment its father had deemed her interesting.

However, even if the physical manifestation of will knew the human girl's whereabouts, it couldn't immediately begin its observations, because as per its father's orders, it had to maintain utmost inconspicuousness. And using the body of a foreign middle-aged man to keep watch on a teenage girl wasn't exactly inconspicuous by this world's standards.

So, during the past two days it had first made sure that he learned of the girl's commonly frequented places and then infiltrated said places in order to begin monitoring her.

Alduin found out that the human girl named Gasai Yuno was daily attending a public institution for educational purposes.

With that piece of information in its possession, the creature had quickly begun worming its way inside the same institution, attempting to infiltrate its premises under the guise of a teacher. And since its recently obtained vessel had been overly qualified in the domain of social studies, it only required a little persuasion on the creature's part, just so that it could speed up the process and make sure that everything went smoothly.

After climbing down a set of stairs and reaching the floor below, the body of James Cromwell took a few more steps, before it finally stopped in front of a closed door that had a rectangular black sign next to its frame.

1–B

Reading the inscription painted in white on the small sign, 'James' slid the door open and promptly entered the classroom.

He quickly scanned the classroom and its occupants, noting that they were currently looking at him with curious expressions as they had probably been expecting someone else to enter in his stead.

The brown haired man walked toward the teacher's desk that was placed several feet in front of the blackboard, before seating himself at his desk and glancing at the slightly confused students.

"Good morning, class," 'James' addressed the students, taking in each of their faces while seemingly looking for a particular one amidst them. "Starting from today and lasting until the end of this week, I shall be filling in for Mr. Watanabe, since he had a rather unfortunate accident and is currently on a medical leave, recovering."

The substitute teacher had to resist the urge to smirk when he noticed how almost immediately most of the students developed looks of realization and understanding on their faces.

In 'James'' mind, it was almost too easy to manipulate these weak humans, with both their frail bodies and minds.

One misstep while climbing down some stairs could easily lead to a sprained ankle when it came to these humans, and one subtle influencing thought planted in their feeble minds could just as easily get these humans to take a wrong step while climbing down some stairs.

It was almost laughable how easy it had been to bring all of the pieces in the exact positions that he had wanted them to be. Even playing a game of shogi with one of these humans would have most likely been more of a challenge to him.

All that 'James' had to do in order to infiltrate this place was to take a fool out of the equation, then flash a fancy degree in front of another fool, and finally, use some more mind influencing to speed up his encroachment, as well as to make sure that nothing else could deter his plan.

Finishing his current train of thought, the brown haired man decided that it was time for him to start his class. There were some appearances that needed to be maintained in order for his plan to unfold without any hitches, so he would have to act accordingly to his chosen guise.

'James' stood up from his chair and took a few steps until he was right next to the blackboard. He picked up a piece of chalk and then turned to face the students.

"The third period shall begin now," he spoke, his forest green eyes lingering for a while on the familiar sight of a cotton candy haired girl, before he once again took in the entire image of the classroom.

The students immediately started retrieving their books and notebooks from their bags, however, they were soon interrupted by the slightly amused sounding voice of their teacher.

"You won't be needing any of those for today," 'James' spoke with a dismissive wave of his hand, obviously referring to the already open books and notebooks that some students had on their desks. "Today I have something different in mind for all of you," his eyes once again flickered briefly over the rose haired girl's frame. "Something that will help me get a better understanding of each one of you."

In response to their teacher's rather unusual announcement, almost every student directed a questioning gaze toward the brown haired man as they seemingly waited for further clarifications.

"You must be wondering about the subject of today's class, correct?" 'James' asked as he looked at the students. "Well, for today I have prepared a sort of test for you."

As soon as the word 'test' had been uttered, many of the students blanched while others groaned and had dejected looks on their faces. Only a short few maintained their normal expressions, one of them being a certain cotton candy haired girl who seemed to be patiently waiting for the teacher to continue.

"Now, now, whoever said that I would be giving you one of those tests?" the middle-aged man spoke with a hint of amusement in his tone. "What I have in mind is going to be quite different from what you might be used to. So rest assured, for today's assignment won't be affecting you grades. It is just a little something that will help me choose the best approach for our future classes."

Those who had been previously on the verge of despair had immediately recovered the moment they had heard their teacher's explanation and adopted a more relaxed posture at their desks as their previous tension had left them.

During the time when most of the students had been busy getting their wits back together, 'James' had been observing them with a neutral expression on his face as he seemed to be once again musing about something.

Alduin had managed to derive some amusement from messing around a little with these children, however, regardless of how entertaining it might be to have fun at others' expenses, it had come here with a clear purpose in mind.

The task that its father had left to it took precedence over everything else, and it knew it all too well. It could never imagine forgoing its father's will in favor of its personal enjoyment, because after all, realizing its father's will would always be its greatest enjoyment.

Still, that didn't mean it couldn't sneak in one or two laughs along the way. If it saw the opportunity to amuse itself without detracting from its father's wish, then it would gladly do so. Especially when these humans seemed to be so good at providing entertainment.

Realizing that he had been absorbed with his thoughts for long enough, the brown haired man set them aside for the time being and faced away from the class as he began writing on the blackboard.

A couple minutes later, and 'James' seemed to be done with whatever he had been writing on the board. He slowly turned around to face the students once again, and moved a little to the side so that the previously written text could be exposed to each and every one of them.

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?

Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing?

Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing?

Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing?

Then why call him God?"

–Epicurus, Ancient Greek Philosopher

The students gazed at the words written on the board as they tried to take in their meaning, multiple eyebrows raising in question and several brows knitting in either confusion or concentration.

During this time, 'James' was silently observing the class, seemingly amusing himself once again at the students' struggling in order to properly grasp the quote that he had previously written.

Despite its main reason to acquire a host being the fact that it needed to remain concealed while interacting with other humans, Alduin had also capitalized on the fact that its chosen vessel possessed quite the vast knowledge on his species. And after taking the time to properly assimilate all of it, the creature had an interesting idea for when it would be meeting its charge.

Alduin might have stated previously that its test was aimed at the entire collective of the class, however, in reality only one of them had been present in its mind when it had devised the aforementioned test.

Its father might have tasked him with just observing this Gasai Yuno, however, that didn't mean it couldn't also test her in some aspects.

After all, as the physical manifestation of its father's will, Alduin couldn't possibly allow someone who was a complete ignorant to waste its father's precious time.

Its father might have deemed her interesting enough to observe, however, if she were to turn out to be yet another boring and hopeless human, then it was its job to inform its father of it.

If this human girl was not worthy of its father's attention, then Alduin would make sure that she wouldn't get the chance to cause him more disappointment and grief as her species had continuously done so over the course of many centuries.

The possessed man's musings were interrupted when one of the students in the back row, a boy with short black hair and unremarkable features, raised a hand and addressed him.

"Cromwell-sensei, could you please explain to us what we are supposed to do with that quote you wrote for us on the board?" the boy voiced out his question, which, if judging by the expressions present on some of the other students' faces, had been a rather collective one.

Upon hearing this, 'James' had to hold in the urge to sigh.

He had thought that the reason had been obvious from the moment he had revealed them the passage, however, it seemed that such was not the case, and that common sense actually eluded a majority of these children.

And yet, after a closer inspection of the classroom, the middle-aged teacher noticed something rather interesting.

While most of the students appeared to have already given up on the text that was written on the blackboard, a certain rose haired girl was still looking intently at the ancient quote as she seemed to be deep in thought.

How interesting, 'James' thought as he continued to further study the young girl's expression. Perhaps she might be onto something...

Remembering that he had just been asked something by that black haired boy who was still looking at him expectantly, the brown haired man decided to explain once and for all the purpose behind the quote that he had written earlier on the blackboard.

"Alright, class," 'James' addressed the students while gesturing with his left hand toward the text written on the board. "I want each and every one of you to attempt to decipher these words to their utmost depth, and then to try and provide an alternative to their popular interpretation."

As soon as 'James' finished speaking, he started walking toward his mahogany desk and chair, but after only taking a single step, he was once more addressed by that same student.

"Cromwell-sensei, what is the popular interpretation to that quote?" the black haired boy asked, earning several nods from some of his classmates.

This time, 'James' let out an almost inaudible sigh as he seated himself at his desk. "The popular interpretation is the one that each of you would reach if you were to follow your personal religious beliefs," he spoke evenly as he eyed the student who had asked him the question.

That student and the several others who nodded to his last question let out a chorus of 'aaah' or 'oooh' sounds, which signaled their newly acquired understanding, before they eventually started working on their assignment, just as their other classmates had done for the past few minutes.

The next ten or so minutes passed in relative silence, with the only noises made being the occasional yawns of the bored students or the sounds of pen scribbling ideas on paper.

Deciding that nothing else really mattered, 'James' spent most of this time carefully observing that Gasai girl while curiously wondering what her answer might be.

After a few more minutes, the teacher lightly knocked against his desk with a pen retrieved from his chest pocket, grabbing the attention of every student in the classroom.

"Alright, class. Let's see what you have managed to think about until now," he spoke, prompting several of the students to give him looks of apprehension as they most likely hadn't managed to come up with anything relevant to their assigned task.

'James', however, ignored these obvious signs which clearly indicated a lack of interest toward his class and simply focused his attention on a certain someone, whose answer he wanted to hear ever since a few minutes ago.

The brown haired teacher glanced around the room for a few moments while pretending to randomly choose a student to present their answer, before his forest green eyes finally settled on someone who was sitting in the second row, right beside the wall.

Said someone happened to be none other than a young girl with cotton candy hair.

"Miss Gasai, if you would, please tell us your interpretation of the quote," 'James' spoke with discernible amounts of curiosity in his tone.

As soon as she had heard her name being called, the rose haired girl shyly stood up and glanced at her teacher, before promptly replying.

"Insanity, sir, that's what I think."

Whispers immediately flooded the classroom as several of the students sent odd looks in her way.

"Silence, class," 'James' raised his voice in warning as he gave the class a stern look.

It didn't take long for the silence to be restored, and when that happened, the brown haired teacher once again returned his inquisitive gaze upon the young girl.

"Please continue."

The rose haired girl needn't be told twice and she immediately continued with her idea.

"I have this theory, sir. My grandfather was 88, and at that age he was starting to become senile," upon hearing this, several of the young girl's classmates chuckled. "And the biblical god, sir, has no beginning nor end, so that must indicate that he is synonymous with time itself. And time naturally erodes the mental faculties in mortals, but for immortals I hazard a guess that it erodes passion, into nothing."

By now, the entire class seemed to be listening intently to the rose haired girl's words, however, just as the girl was about to continue after a pause to catch her breath, she was interrupted when the teacher addressed her.

"This is a very intriguing theory, Miss Gasai," the middle-aged man spoke with no small amounts of interest in his tone. "Now, I apologize for the interruption, but I would like for you to come up to the front of the classroom and present the rest of your thesis to the entire class."

The cotton candy haired girl quickly made her way next to the teacher's desk and turned to face the rest of the class, before she proceeded with the rest of her speech.

"What I believe, sir, is that God indeed cared once upon a time for humanity, however, was eventually desensitized with the passing of time," she spoke. "After witnessing how humans acted for such a long time, his passion must have slowly dwindled until there had been no more left of it, and as such he had become an apathetic god, one that no longer cared what the humans did in their ignorant foolishness."

Pausing for a moment to draw her breath, the young girl quickly picked up from where she stopped.

"God might truly be omnipotent, but I believe that he does not wish to use his power for the betterment of humanity, because he knows that he had created humans as a fundamentally flawed species," she finished while glancing at the teacher seated at his desk a few feet to her left. "That's my theory, sir."

Then she looked back at her classmates, noting how most of them were staring at her in stunned silence.

She briefly wondered what it had been so shocking in what she had just said that they were acting like this. It wasn't like she had revealed to them some sort of ancient secret, or told them about some long forgotten knowledge.

The girl's thoughts were brought to a halt when she heard the teacher finally address her.

"A most fascinating theory, Miss Gasai," the middle-aged man spoke in an appreciative tone. "However, I would like to ask you one more thing" the man's eyes gained an inquisitive glint as he continued, "How exactly would you say that all of this makes God insane?"

"Amusement, sir," the girl promptly replied. "When one becomes devoid of passion, what will they seek then? To amuse themselves. And to do that they would do anything. Behave erratically for example. And erratic behavior, seemingly without a pattern, is recorded to be a symptom of insanity, which would explain why the Holy Books refer to the 'evils' as a set of trials by God. Their purpose is to disguise the fact that life has no discernible pattern, and in the process allow humans to delude themselves with hope. In the end, it is all a giant ruse on God's part. The ultimate joke."

The rose haired girl paused for a moment as she seemed to be thinking about something.

"As for God's amusement itself, I imagine that the greatest source would be induced from the reactions of billions of sentient creatures to chaos, which would actually translate into a never ending source of entertainment," she glanced at the teacher. "This is all, sir."

Her classmates were still completely silent, and some of them were even looking at her in slight awe.

The teacher, however, was regarding her with a critical eye, before his face eventually adopted an expression of approval as he commended her.

"Most stunning, Miss Gasai! That was a wonderful explanation, and for your efforts today, you shall be given an A."

This revelation seemed to finally bring the rest of the class out of their stupor, prompting them to begin muttering once again, which in turn prompted their teacher to scold them once more.

"Class, be silent!" he raised his voice once again as he gave the students an admonishing look.

After making sure that order had been reestablished for the time being, he glanced back at the cotton candy haired girl, who was still standing in front of the classroom a few feet away from him. "You can go back to your seat now," he told her and watched as the girl returned to her desk and seated herself, before opening a book and beginning to read.

As his forest green eyes moved from the rose haired girl's frame back to the rest of the class, they briefly caught sight of something which seized his attention.

Seated at a desk behind and to the right of the one occupied by his charge was a girl with waist-long maroon hair, who seemed to be currently glaring rather intently at the rose haired girl.

Deciding to ignore this development for the time being, as he didn't possess enough information on it to make a proper judgement, 'James' looked at the rest of the class and addressed them with a discernible edge present in his tone.

"Open your notebooks and write down from your memory what you remember of Miss Gasai's previous speech. If any of you don't have anything written by the end of this period you get an F."

And with that, Alduin ignored any of the sounds of protest that came from several of the students and instead immersed itself in its own thoughts as it replayed in its mind the entirety of the rose haired girl's speech.

Despite not having shown it earlier, even it had been left in a semi-shocked state by her words, for what she had presented was in reality a conjunction of several existing theories, all of it said by a child no less.

Now Alduin could understand why its father had deemed this little human as interesting. For her to come up with such a theory, it meant that she possessed a degree of wisdom that completely belied her age.

Three days ago, she had given its father an answer that had left him laughing at the sheer irony that it denoted, and now, she had done something similar once again.

Not to mention the fact that the irony of her words from today was not lost on Alduin, and it could no longer doubt the girl's worth. All of Alduin's previous skepticism regarding her worth had vanished, and what was left in its place was as clear as day.

This girl... this Gasai Yuno... was no boring human.

No.

She was a very interesting one. One that would definitely not disappoint its father.

And speaking of its father, Alduin found himself slightly torn at what to do right now. After all, he had just obtained a piece of information that should please its father greatly with how important it was when added to his previous assessment of the rose haired girl.

However, Alduin also remembered why its father had departed for the time being, and that was enough to deter it from immediately contacting him to deliver this latest finding on its part.

Alduin knew that its father was most likely deeply immersed in his meditation by now, so it couldn't possibly disturb him.

Besides, the creature clearly remembered how its father had told it to relay all of its finding at the end of the one week period, so it should be fine.

With that last thought in mind, Alduin returned its focus to its host body, and just in time for the class dismissal bell to register in his mind.

Remembering his previous words that he had addressed to the class, 'James' stood up from his chair and walked among the silent students as he checked their notebooks for their assigned task.

Seeing that all of them had taken heed of his words and had at least written a sentence or two in their notebooks, the brown haired man had also kept true to his promise and ended the period without giving any low grades to anyone.

"It seems that this is going to be everything for today," the middle-aged man spoke to the class. "I shall see all of you tomorrow at our next class. Goodbye, children."

"Goodbye, sensei," the students replied in a chorus as they watched their teacher walk out of the classroom.

Not even a second after the brown haired man left the premises of the room, most of the students stood up from their desks and went on the hallway as they proceeded to enjoy their break to the fullest.

On her way to the door, a girl with maroon colored hair was joined by two others, one with chin-length brown hair and another with shoulder-length blonde hair, before all three of them exited the classroom.

The trio of girls walked at a leisure pace on the hallway as they were probably headed to the restroom to freshen themselves up.

As they passed by two boys from their class, the girl with maroon hair seemed to freeze for a split second when she heard one of the boys say something, before an angry scowl marred her features.

"Yeah, dude, Gasai was totally cool back then when she spoke in front of the class," one of the boys spoke as he responded to his classmate's previous statement.

"I know right?" the other replied. "But don't you think that she also looked kinda hot while she held her speech?"

The rest of their conversation remained unheard as the trio of girls walked out of range, mainly because of the maroon haired girl, who might have snapped had she listened to any more of it.

"That damned bitch... just who does she think she is?!" the girl with maroon colored hair hissed angrily through clenched teeth as a look of anger crossed her attractive face.

"You're right, Ruri," the one with blonde hair replied as she tried to console her friend. "That Gasai thinks too highly of herself."

"Yeah. Just look at how she acted after the teacher sent her back to her seat," the brunette one added. "She didn't even seem to care that we had to work our assess off just to remember her stupid talk, so that we wouldn't be getting an F."

"Yeah, that's right, Sachi," the blonde haired girl spoke. "I also don't see what's so special about her that so many boys drool at her sight like she's some sort of model."

"Yeah, me neither, Aki," the girl named Sachi replied, before she glanced at both of her classmates who were walking next to her as an idea seemed to have struck her mind. "Hey, girls, what do you say about visiting the boys after we're done here?"

"Sure," Aki immediately agreed. "I wanted to see Hiro anyway."

"Fine," the maroon haired girl also agreed after giving the idea some thought. "Maybe spending some time with Kenta will help me get that bitch off my mind."

"Say, Ruri, how far have you and Kenta gone?" the girl with blonde hair asked in a curious tone and with a seemingly innocent smile. "Have you two reached third base yet?"

The rest of their talk became inaudible as the trio of girls had already entered the restroom by the time the maroon haired girl had given her reply.

However, it didn't matter whether the rest of their conversation would have been heard or not, for its most important part had already been registered by someone who neither of the girls had realized to be listening in on them.

Completely hidden behind the corner that led to the staircase, a brown haired man had been standing the whole time as he had carefully listened to the conversation being held only a few meters away from him.

Despite it being rather hard for a person to distinguish the words that the three girls had exchanged, the one who had eavesdropped to their conversation had not been a normal person by any stretch.

If not because of other considerations, then at least due to the rather impressive variety of abilities under his possession; abilities which effectively made any situation that involved information gathering nothing more than a child's play to him.

Realizing that he wouldn't be getting any other relevant information from those girls, the middle-aged man stopped listening in on them and mentally reviewed what he had just learnt from their discussion.

Although not requiring immediate attention from him, depending on how the implications of their future actions affected his charge, his involvement might be eventually needed if things were to ever escalate beyond a certain point.

"It seems that I might actually need to keep an eye on them," the brown haired man muttered to himself as he went down the stairs, his destination most likely being the teacher's lounge. "It wouldn't do for them to interfere with father's will."

Later that day...

Yuno was currently busy packing up her various school utensils, preparing to leave for her home after the class dismissal bell had signaled the end of the last period.

Though just as she was about to pick up her bag, she was interrupted when a classmate of hers, a girl with shoulder length ebony hair and doe-like dark brown eyes, approached her.

"Hey, Yuno-tan!" the girl greeted with a cheery smile as she stopped next to Yuno's desk. "Got a minute?"

The rose haired girl eyed the bubbly girl that stood to her right for a second, wondering what could it be that she wanted from her, before putting on her usual façade, a slightly shy yet polite smile as she replied.

"Sure, Keiko-san. What is it?"

Upon hearing Yuno's words, an expression of slight exasperation crossed the dark haired girl's face, however, that seemed to last only for a moment, since her previously cheerful smile quickly returned once she spoke next.

"It's Keiko, Yuno-tan. Just Keiko," the girl corrected. "Just how many times do I have to tell you this? We are friends, so you don't have to use any of those fancy honorifics," the girl paused for a moment as a particular thought seemed to cross her mind. "But if you still want to use one, then you could call me Keiko-tan instead!~ Or if you prefer, you could call me Kei-tan—"

Toning her inane muttering down for the time being, Yuno kept looking at her beaming classmate with her polite smile still present on her face. However, inwardly, the cotton candy haired girl felt like sighing in mild irritation. This girl was exactly what she didn't need right now.

What she wanted was a quiet afternoon for her to maintain some peace of mind as she slowly made her way home, with no disturbances to interrupt her many thoughts that revolved around a certain silver haired young man.

Instead she got a possible headache in the form of one Fujiwara Keiko, a classmate of hers that she had been acquainted with after being paired with her during the sports class a month ago.

Ever since that time, the dark haired girl would always request their P.E teacher to pair the two of them together during the class.

Though, that in and of itself wasn't exactly a problem, since the cheerful girl was the second best at sports in their class, which meant that she didn't have to deal with any hindrances during their exercises.

However, as a result to these constant interactions, that girl had somehow gotten the impression that the two of them were friends, when in reality, Yuno could not even care about her at all. Which, of course, resulted in situations when that bubbly girl would appear out of the blue and start pestering her with various trivialities.

If it weren't for the fact that the rose haired girl had to maintain a façade during her time at school, then she would have started ignoring that girl a long time ago.

But alas, she couldn't do that, as it would definitely raise some suspicious flags if the number one student and highly popular Gasai Yuno were to suddenly start acting like a total opposite to the image that she had constructed from her first day at this school.

Putting aside her thoughts for the time being, Yuno returned her attention to her still muttering classmate, before she spoke with well practiced politeness.

"Alright, Keiko, but what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

At this, the girl named Keiko immediately gained an excited glint in her dark brown eyes as she looked at her friend with barely contained enthusiasm.

"Well, Yuno-tan," the girl paused for apparently no reason other than adding some dramatic flair to her next words. "My sister, Kana, is getting married this Friday, and I wanted to ask you to come too," she paused again, however, this time she seemed to be genuinely considering something. "I know that your parents are super strict on the curfew and other similar stuff, but I'm sure that my mom can talk to yours and get her permission. So, what do you say, Yuno-tan? You're coming, right?"

As soon as the rose haired girl had completely took in the cheerful girl's words, the urge to allow a deep frown to mar her beautiful features almost overcame her.

Not only did this girl disturb her supposedly peaceful afternoon, but she had also reminded her of the two rotting corpses in her home that were her late parents.

And what was that part about her mother calling?

It appeared that this girl even had the audacity to stick her nose in business that pertained solely to her own family. Or whatever was left of it anyway.

Managing to keep her composure and implicitly her façade, Yuno was about to politely refuse the nosy girl's invitation, however, just before she could open her mouth to utter the words, the pink haired girl quickly stopped when a particular thought entered her mind.

She could actually use this situation in her favor and also possibly benefit from it in the long run. But that, of course, if her suspicions were correct, because otherwise, this endeavor wouldn't end up being all too profitable for her. Or at least not in the short run.

"Of course I'll come," Yuno spoke with a smile, before her voice took on a curious and slightly innocent note. "But say, Keiko, there is a festivity after the ceremony, right?"

The moment Keiko heard her words, a huge smile covered the dark haired girl's features as she delivered her own reply without missing a beat.

"Of course there is one, Yuno-tan. What wedding doesn't end with a huge party?"

Despite not showing it on her face, Yuno was very pleased with how her intuitions had turned out to be true. And even if that had not been the case, she would have still gained something from all of this in the long run.

But with the current outcome, not only had she gotten the girl to consider her even more of a 'friend', but she had also achieved another important thing.

She had just managed to save some of the rather important money that she would have normally used in order to ensure the minimum necessities for her living.

Since her parents had died, she had been left with only a limited amount of money that they had kept at their house. And while that was enough to cover the bare minimum living expenses for a few more months, she had to save as much money as possible if the opportunity ever arose. At least until she figured out a way to get more money to ensure her survival.

So, what better way to save money than to eat for free at a friend's expense? More so, if she were to play her cards even better, then she could perhaps even take some food with her back home.

Yuno quickly finished that train of thought and gave her classmate a smile of her own. "That's good to know," she spoke happily. "Because it would have been quite bad if I were to pick an outfit that didn't suit the afterparty."

Hearing this, Keiko let out a giggle as she returned her friend's smile. "Yeah, that would have been pretty bad," she replied while looking at the clock in the classroom. "Anyway I've got something to do now, so I'll call you later to tell you the details, okay? As for your parent's permission, don't worry, because my mom will take care of it."

And with that, the dark haired girl turned around and began walking toward the door, however, after taking only a few steps, she was interrupted by her friend's voice.

"Actually, there is no need to call my parents," Yuno spoke, earning a raised eyebrow from her classmate. "They are currently on a holiday, celebrating their thirteenth anniversary," the rose haired girl smiled mischievously. "Which means that I don't really need their permission, as they won't be returning for a while. So, they won't know that I've stood outside past curfew."

"Oh my, how devious of you, Yuno-tan!" the cheerful girl replied, giggling once again. "Alrighty then, I'll just call you later and tell you about the date and time of the wedding. Hear you later, Yuno-tan!~"

"Okay, Keiko," the rose haired girl spoke as she watched the bubbly girl walk out of the classroom, finally releasing a sigh when she was sure that that girl couldn't hear her anymore.

A moment later, Yuno grabbed her bag from her desk and left the classroom as well, all the while thinking how bothersome of a person that girl could be with her overly chipper personality. Though her thoughts quickly settled when she eventually remembered about her newly acquired hobby.

She took out her cellphone and flipped it open, tapping on the small keypad with rapid elegance as she wrote another entry in her diary.

It didn't take her long until most of her thoughts began to once more revolve around a certain someone that she could barely wait to meet again.

2005/05/16 18:20 [Sakurami City]

The lithe frame of a rose haired young girl was moving along the rather empty sidewalk as her cerise eyes scanned her surroundings, seemingly searching for something, or perhaps someone.

It had been six days since her unusual meeting with the one who had prevented her from dying in a car crash. The one who had also promised to meet with her soon again.

Which was why she had eventually resolved to try to wait for that moment to come, despite her wishing to meet the snow haired young man as soon as possible.

For a few days it had seemed that she would have been able to do it, mainly because she had channeled all of her thoughts in something that she came up with in order to try to stave off the constantly increasing longing within her heart.

However, even that seemed to work only for a while, and as of the past two days, Yuno felt that even her diary couldn't help her keep that yearning in check any longer.

She wanted to meet her mysterious savior once more. She wanted to talk to him, to get to know the one who had taken over so much of her thoughts in such a short period of time.

But she couldn't...

She couldn't do it, because she had no idea where and how to find him. She tried looking for him, but without even a name, there wasn't much that she could do.

Even if a person looking like him would have been easily distinguishable among others on the street, she still couldn't find any clue about his whereabouts.

She had even tried asking people on the street for information about him, but nobody had been able to help her. Most of them had either shrugged or gave her odd looks upon hearing her description of the young man.

Yuno wasn't exactly sure what she would be even accomplishing when she decided to go outside and just wander the streets in the hope that she would find something—anything—about the mysterious young man with white hair.

The only thing that she seemed to be getting from all of this was disappointment. And that feeling was slowly starting to bring the doubt back in both her mind and her heart.

What if he had forgotten about her?

Yuno didn't want to think about the answer to that question. Not after she had just found something—someone—who managed to get her mind off all that gloom and despair which had been tormenting her until six days ago.

She didn't know what would happen to her if even this would be taken away from her.

Her eyes began to sting at that thought. She didn't want to think about it, but with each passing day without seeing him, her doubts were slowly growing while at the same time her hopes were crumbling away.

She wanted to see him again so much that it hurt. So much that she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

Yet, she knew that she couldn't give up. Not when this was the only thing that she had left. The only thing that was keeping her together. She couldn't possibly give up now, because if she did, then she was certain that she wouldn't be able to go any further.

Yuno wiped away her tears and tried to think about something else. Something that didn't make her chest hurt so much. Anything to make her forget about that painful longing, even if only for a short while.

Yet to no avail. Her tears wouldn't stop flowing down her cheeks, staining her cheeks with her sorrow. The events of that day were still fresh in her mind.

The day when she had given up on everything. The day when she was ready to embrace death and finally put an end to her suffering.

But that never happened. Just before all could have finally been over, something almost unbelievable happened. She of all people had been saved. By him. He had saved her.

When all else had seemed lost, for the first time in her life, someone had been there for her. And that made her realize that she still had something left in this ugly, cruel world. Something that she could look forward to whenever she woke up in the morning.

Wiping her tears a second time, Yuno tried to cheer herself a little. She couldn't let her despair take a hold of her. Not anymore. Not when she still had something to fight for.

She thought about her first meeting with him once more.

How the warmth of his body had enveloped her in a protective embrace when he had held her close to his chest.

How the sight of his smile seemed to make her want to smile as well.

How simply being near him seemed to be enough for her to forget about her pain and sorrow, even if only for a few moments.

Moments later, the tears finally ceased to fall from Yuno's eyes. Taking a small napkin from her pocket, she wiped away the remaining vestiges of sadness from her puffy eye.

She had to be strong. If not just for herself, then also for him. She couldn't disappoint the only person who had offered her support. The only one who had ever shown any genuine concern for her wellbeing. The only one who perhaps even cared for her...

With her spirit renewed, Yuno gained a look of resolve on her face. She looked at the sky, managing a thin smile as she cleared her mind.

She couldn't let herself become overwhelmed by negativity so easily anymore. She had to try and fight whenever any despair threatened to encroach on her, and continue to believe in her snow haired savior. He had promised to come and see her again soon, after all.

Flipping open her cellphone, Yuno glanced at the digital clock showing in the upper corner of its screen.

18:40 it indicated.

It was getting late, and there was nothing else that she would get done today anyway. It was better for her to call it a day and head home, lest she accidentally stumbled upon some of the less savory folk that were known to frequently dwell the streets at night.

Yuno spun on her heels a moment later and began walking in the opposite direction, her destination being that of her house.

Though unknown to her, a pair of forest green eyes had been tracking each and every one of her movements all of this time, and the individual to whom they belonged had been committing in his mind every action that she had taken as he observed her with great detail.

So, as soon as the girl turned around and started walking in the opposite direction, so did the brown haired man who had been watching her all of this time from afar while walking at a slow pace on the other side of the street.

*Chapter 5*: Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Chapter 3: Growing Roots

[Unknown Location]

Amidst the many mountain ranges that comprised the landscape of a rather peculiar world, the lone figure of a young man with long hair the color of pure snow could be seen in the very far distance.

Upon a closer look, it could be said that his appearance was perhaps even more peculiar when contrasted to that of his surroundings.

Clad in nothing more than his own alabaster flesh, the young man was truly an alluring sight to behold. His mere appearance could instantly entrance any lesser being, were they to accidentally lay their eyes upon his ethereal form which radiated an unearthly beauty.

His skin possessed no blemish, nor was it marred by any mark, and if one was to possess enough clarity to their eyesight, they could see how even the minuscule particles of dust that floated haphazardly through the air seemed to be shying away from the young man's form.

Long and silken albescent tresses swayed rhythmically in the gentle breeze, exposing the milky flesh beneath, before returning to their position as they once again curtained over the young man's shoulders and fell down his slender back.

Pale and relaxed hands were lying unmoving on folded legs as the young man was sitting in a lotus position, his ethereal features unclouded by any traces of tension whatsoever.

The calm and peaceful expression currently gracing his visage was nothing more than an epitome of tranquility, and the perfect stillness of his frame only further added to the image of perfect serenity that was emanating from his very being.

His eyes were currently closed, seemingly denying him any and all visual perception of the outside world, however, that could be only normal for someone who was engaged to such a degree in what appeared to be soul-searching meditation.

Hagoromo had spent almost seven days in the current position, floating several feet above the ground in a manner that was mocking to all of the known laws of physics as he reflected on the events surrounding his arrival in that other world.

He'd been so eager when he first placed foot in that unknown world. He believed that he would see something great and inspiring. Something to prove him that humanity had been worthy of his every sacrifice.

So hopeful...

Only to be disappointed in the end. His hope shattered and his heart trampled by the very people he had put his faith in.

No more...

What happened on that day had finally opened his eyes. Made him see through his own delusion. Made him realize his folly. His naivety. And ultimately helped him to sever it all.

From then on, the answer became clear to him. There was no doubt in his heart. Mankind was unworthy.

Unworthy of his care.

Unworthy of his sacrifice.

Unworthy of him.

And yet...

There was one to pierce through his indifference and apathy. An unusual exception amongst them. An anomaly who caught his attention. A girl merely in her teens of all things.

It was ludicrous!

And yet...

He could not deny his own thoughts. He found the girl to be interesting. From the way she seemed to not fit into the world around her, to the way she acted before he approached her. How she replied to his simple question, the sheer irony of her words drawing genuine laughter out of him for an entire minute.

The oddity surrounding her ran much deeper than he had initially presumed. As such, he deemed her worthy of his attention, and wished to learn more of her.

Reason why he had tasked his creation, Alduin, to observe her during the week that he had spent meditating in order to settle his thoughts and structure himself with discipline and dignity.

Though despite being so deeply absorbed in his meditation, a small part of Hagoromo's mind always wondered about that captivating little human. And the more time passed, the more nagging that feeling of curiosity became.

Which is why it was very fortunate for him that his time of meditation seemed to have finally come to an end. Because as of the past few hours it had become rather hard for him to keep himself from giving in to his aroused curiosity.

Hagoromo's eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing pale orbs that shone with untold amounts of wisdom and at the same time reflected a surety that could only be achieved after a long-lasting and profound soul-searching.

With an almost mesmerizing grace, the young man shifted himself into a standing position as he slowly began his descent toward the rust-red rocks which made up the terrain below his feet.

As Hagoromo slowly levitated down toward the ground, whitish energy blossomed around his unclad form, wrapping him in its radiance while shifting and coalescing around him, until it finally gained substance assuming a physical form.

A white dress shirt first covered his sculpted chest, followed by a purple tie around his neck and a matching coat over his shirt whilst a pair of white trousers slowly enveloped his lean legs. And once those were finished materializing, a long and elegant overcoat of white color, as well as a matching pair of shoes followed suit.

By the time Hagoromo was fully clothed once again, his feet touched the rusty soil and he gazed one last time at the impressive sight of his mountainous surroundings. Then, he focused on the empty space in front of him, prompting it to unravel at its seams and reveal a dark void within.

He wasted no time and stepped inside the fissure between worlds, said portal closing in his wake as soon as he completely disappeared within its pitch black recesses.

The time for him to return to the little human who had enkindled such a strong interest in his being had finally come.

Meanwhile [Cathedral of Causality]

Just when she was about to take a bite out of her freshly cooked and delicious mochi, a blaring sound caught Murmur's attention, prompting her to drop the piece of delicious goodness back on the plate as her eyebrows began twitching.

"Again?!" she exclaimed, sounding rather peeved. "Just what is that thing doing?!"

She quickly glanced to her left, noting how her superior didn't look like he had even acknowledged her earlier outburst, or the previous warning signal for that matter.

Deus for his part seemed to be quite absorbed with whatever he was doing as he operated a large keyboard-like device while observing several screens that floated in front of his throne.

"Boss, are not even the least concerned about that unknown thing acting as if our world is some sort of inter-dimensional hub?"

The God of Time and Space merely raised a nonexistent eyebrow as he paused from his typing and turned his skeletal head to glance at a restless looking Murmur.

"Hmm," Deus pondered for a few moments, before speaking as he resumed his typing. "I do not find the matter of that unknown all that pressing at the moment."

"Really?" the childlike servant asked with a hint of incredulity in her tone. "So you don't mind the fact that something which we cannot trace nor identify has been repeatedly opening rifts in the space-time continuum of our dimension during the past week?"

Upon hearing this, Deus ceased his previous activity and his throne turned around to face the diminutive servant.

"Now, Murmur, do not misunderstand my words," the towering entity spoke with sightly narrowed eyes as he glared at the tanned girl, prompting her to stiffen. "I never said that I completely agreed with our situation. It is just that I have much more important matters to attend to, rather than concerning myself with things which are beyond my control."

"I-I see, Deus," Murmur managed to get out under the pressure of her superior's glare. "But is there truly no way for us to at least learn something about this unknown variable?"

Deus simply hummed in thought at her question as he once again returned to his operating of that contraption. "Perhaps there might be a way for us to at least locate this entity."

"Really?" Murmur voiced out with curiosity once she regained her composure after the previous incident. "But how would we do that?"

"Well..." Deus began as he waved his hand, prompting a large floating screen to appear in the center of the chamber.

The screen seemed to be holographic in nature and displayed the map of a city being viewed from above.

"From what data we managed to collect on these space-time fissures, we know that most of them have manifested within the boundaries of Sakurami City."

At this, several red dots appeared over the holographic map.

"So we can safely presume that whatever business this entity has, it is located somewhere within Sakurami," Deus explained, waving his hand once more and causing the floating screen to vanish. "Which means that it will eventually influence the flow of causalities in that city and perhaps even outright change some of them."

A disbelieving look was slowly forming on Murmur's features as she seemed to realize what her boss was implying.

"So all that we'd have to do is to closely monitor the flow of causalities in Sakurami and see whenever changes occurs due to an external interference," Deus concluded. "That way we should be able to eventually locate this unknown entity by using whomever it comes into contact with as an intermediary."

"Boss..." Murmur spoke incredulously as she glanced at her carefree superior. "You do realize that there are a few millions of causalities in Sakurami City, right?"

"Of course I do, Murmur," the God of a Time and Space responded with a chuckle as he glanced back at her. "That city is quite the populated one after all, so you should get started if you truly want to locate that unknown."

Once again, the diminutive servant felt annoyance surge through her as she listened to her superior's reply.

"Deus, this isn't funny!" she immediately shot back, sounding miffed. "Do you know how long that would take?! I could read a lot of manga in that time!"

Deus merely chuckled once more in amusement.

"Well, as you are definitely aware, I am rather busy with reordering the causal nexus in preparation to the upcoming survival game, so I do not exactly have the time for anything else," he supplied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Besides, it is you who wish to find that unknown before it reveals itself to us, so I don't see why I should involve myself. I am content with simply waiting."

Following that, the God of Time and Space returned his gaze upon the many monitors in front of his jagged throne and resumed his work, leaving a still wide-eyed Murmur stare at his towering form in disbelief as she had yet to recover from the shock induced by his previous words.

2005/05/17 16:30 [Sakurami City — Alleyway]

The air in the center of the desolate alley suddenly split open, revealing a deep blackness within from which not even a second later, the figure of a young man with exquisite features and silvery hair stepped out.

As the dimensional fissure closed behind him, the young man concentrated for a brief moment while closing his eyes, before he slowly raised his left hand and opened his palm as if grasping at empty air.

Opening his eyes, twin light purple orbs possessing an unique black rippling pattern were revealed to the world as they shone with power.

Not even a moment later, several lines of minuscule black symbols emerged from the young man's outstretched palm and started crawling along the surface of the air until they formed an intricate looking pattern having his palm at its center.

A cloud of smoke immediately exploded from the middle of the sealing array, and as soon as the fumes dissipated, the figure of a brown haired and green eyed middle-aged man could be seen in their stead.

Quickly inspecting his surroundings, the older man locked eyes with the young one, moment when he instantly fell to his knees in what seemed to be sheer agony as a multitude of black ooze-like tendrils erupted from all over his body.

However, his pain seemed to only last for a very short time, as it did not take more than a few seconds for the gooey mass to force its way out of the man's body.

Meanwhile, the white haired young man was merely watching with a detached expression etched into his features as he was most likely waiting for the entire ordeal to be finished.

After even the last one of the black tendrils had left the brown haired man, a lifeless thud soon followed as his now dead body finally hit the cold asphalt.

The gathered mass of ooze slowly began writhing as it assumed a humanoid-like form possessing two sickly yellow eyes and a grin filled with jagged teeth.

"Welcome back, father," the creature spoke with something akin to happiness discernible in its tone as it greeted the young man it was currently facing.

Hagoromo simply offered it a small smile while beckoning it with his left hand.

The creature didn't waste even a second and rapidly walked over to its creator's opened palm, gently grasping it with its hands as its body once again started to revert to its previous viscous state, before slithering up the extended arm.

The gooey mass quickly settled itself as it reassumed the form of a pitch black glove on the young man's pale hand, who simply lowered his hand once the entire process was done.

"Now that you are back, I would like for you to show me what you have learnt, Alduin," Hagoromo spoke, his elegant voice acting as music to the creature's ears as it started purring in delight.

"Of course, father," Alduin immediately replied as it began playing its memories of the past week to its creator.

As soon as the first memory fragment showed in his mind, Hagoromo closed his eyes and promptly focused on the events presented to him by Alduin.

By the the time the last of the memories had been shown to him, the young man once again found himself genuinely laughing at what he had just witnessed.

He could almost not believe what he saw. The irony was once again so great that he could not help but laugh.

That little girl had yet again proved herself to be beyond any expectation that he might have had for her.

If she had been very interesting to him before, then by now she was definitely a hidden gem, well concealed by the surrounding layers of dirt that would have only further swallowed her into their depths had he not found her when he did.

A minute later, Hagoromo seemed to have finally regained his composure, moment when he addressed the living glove on his left hand.

"To think that this girl had overcome my weeklong meditation with a spontaneous act of cognitive ability... How fabulous!" he spoke, his voice filled with mirth. "Although, I would not exactly consider myself to be insane, right Alduin?"

"Of course not, father," the creature immediately responded.

"Still..." the young man continued, his lips forming into a smile. "This girl had been shockingly accurate with that point of hers about the erosion of passion... What a marvel indeed."

Another light chuckle escaped Hagoromo's lips as he once again went over the girl's speech in his mind.

If he had been curious about her before his return, then by now he could barely wait to see how she would manage to surprise him next. He was not even sure if he had a word in his extensive vocabulary which could properly describe how interesting this young girl had turned out to be to him.

Hagoromo quickly put a stop to his current thoughts when he remembered that besides getting the report from Alduin, there was another matter which he had to attend to now that he had finally returned.

"Ah..." he muttered in realization when the promise which he made one week ago had been brought to the front of his mind. "It seems that I've made the girl wait for quite the while."

The memory of the uttered promise was quickly followed by another one. A very recent one, depicting the image of a cotton candy haired girl wandering on the streets as she seemingly searched for something, or rather someone.

"Perhaps for even a little too long if I were to go by this memory," Hagoromo added, before glancing at the corpse of the brown haired man, more specifically at the watch that was secured around his right wrist. "Oh, it seems that I am indeed a bit late."

Not wasting another second, Hagoromo focused, extending his otherworldly senses as he sought a specific life force signature among the few millions currently residing in the city.

It took him only a brief moment of searching to locate his target, and once he did such, he gazed at the empty air in front of him, watching how it bent under his power and split itself open to reveal the dark emptiness of the inter-dimensional void.

Before he could enter the fissure in space-time, however, he glanced once more at the dead body lying on the cold asphalt a few feet away from his position in a steadily growing pool of blood.

Pale eyes narrowed in thought as Hagoromo contemplated what to do with said carcass.

It was certain that he could not leave it lying there, because that would only bring him needless complications further down the road. Even if there were no traces on that body that could hint toward his particular existence, he did not want any possible nuisances to arise in the future.

So, with that thought in mind, the young man slowly raised a slender hand and pointed his index finger toward the direction of the corpse.

What followed next could only be described as being rather macabre and horrific to the average onlooker.

The skin covering the tip of Hagoromo's extended finger slowly parted away to reveal the ivory bone beneath, before said phalanx was suddenly propelled out of its place at a speed completely untraceable by the naked eye.

When the tiny bone made contact with the corpse of the middle-aged man, both it and the targeted carcass immediately began to crumble away at a rapid pace as they corroded until only a pile of ashes was left behind.

Following a simple wave of his hand, a strong wind suddenly blew through the dim-lit alleyway, scattering the entirety of the ashes as it carried them away toward the heavens.

A moment later, Hagoromo gazed back at the still open portal in front of him and walked toward it.

"Now then, it is time to visit our lovely little lady," he spoke with a tinge of eagerness in his voice as he entered the pitch black fissure, which promptly closed in his wake.

Meanwhile with Yuno...

It's been several minutes since the ceremony began, and only the voice of the wedding celebrant could be heard inside the fairly spacious chapel.

Most of the guests had their gazes resting upon the groom and the bride who were standing in front of the altar as they listened to the marriage officiant speaking, while a select few seemed to be still admiring the fastidious decorations of the room.

Only one of the guests looked like they didn't actually feel all that comfortable attending the ceremony.

Seated at the very back of the chapel, on a bench next to the door, the figure of a rose haired young girl was observing the ongoing event with dull eyes.

During the past few minutes, Yuno had slowly realized that coming to this wedding ceremony might have not been the best of her ideas.

At first, she thought that her decision was one which involved no risks and yielded a generous outcome, however, after only a couple minutes into the ceremony, she began to seriously doubt her choice of attending it.

The ceremony itself seemed nice with the well thought organization and luxurious preparations, and she had no qualms about it.

However, the cheerful and high-spirited atmosphere of the wedding, the many guests who were beaming at the yet-to-be wed couple were slowly but steadily lowering her own spirits.

The more she watched the ongoing ceremony, the more downcast she felt.

All of this lightheartedness and cheer were contrasting heavily with the gloom that was slowly creeping into her being as she was being reminded of some rather unpleasant things.

The word future resonated inside Yuno's mind several times and she found herself remembering that questionnaire from one week ago which she had thrown into the dustbin.

Here she was, taking part in the deciding of two strangers' future, when she had no future for herself.

No wonder she felt so dispirited.

For a split second, Yuno felt like simply standing up and leaving this place before she actually started feeling sick at all the happiness surrounding her, but she soon saw the foolishness in doing that.

She couldn't just leave in the middle of the ceremony. That would reflect very badly on her, and could damage the reputation of her façade severely.

So she had to endure this a little longer and just try to keep her mind elsewhere.

However, the moment she tried to think about something else, as if to spite her previous wish, her mind recalled another thing which actually made her chest ache.

The image of a handsome young man with long, white hair flashed in her mind, and Yuno felt her depression increase almost tenfold.

It had been a week since she met him, and he had yet to come visit her again as he had promised that he would back then.

She had tried to search for him during the past two days, but all of her efforts turned out to be in vain as she wasn't able to find anything related to the young man who had saved her life.

It was like he had simply vanished from the world. And that thought made her chest ache even more.

Just when she had thought that she finally found a glimmer of hope in the sea of despair that was her life, that last vestige of her hope had slowly turned out to be a false one, for her mysterious savior seemed to have forgotten about her.

A bitter laugh almost escaped the rose haired girl's lips upon realizing that she of all people had been expecting a prince charming to come, sweep her off her feet and carry her toward a bright future.

Her? A daughter who had killed her own parents deserving such a happy end? That was preposterous as much as it was improbable.

Feeling already numb to the world around her, Yuno quickly realized that history might soon be repeating, however, this time there wouldn't be any mysterious young man to save her at the last possible moment.

This dark and depressing train of thought that was currently plaguing her mind was suddenly interrupted when she heard the spot on the bench next to her creak slightly as the old wood was forced to support the weight of another person.

Yuno briefly wondered who might it be the person who decided to sit next to her of all places.

Slowly raising her lowered head and craning it to the side, the girl peered with her hollow cerise orbs to her right, in the direction where the previously heard sound had come from.

However, the moment her gaze settled upon the frame of the person currently sitting next to her, Yuno found herself frozen in shock as she didn't seem to believe what she was currently seeing.

Widened and disbelieving light red eyes stared into pale ones filled with traces of amusement as the young girl tried to convince herself that what she was witnessing was in fact real.

Seeing the girl in front of him stare at him in such a manner, Hagoromo decided to be the one to speak first.

"It has been quite the while, little lady."

The moment Yuno heard his charming and elegant voice, she was certain that the young man sitting next to her was indeed real.

She turned the rest of her body and faced him completely as she once again took in his full appearance.

Somehow he looked even more ethereal than the first time, and there seemed to be another thing different about his overall appearance. He seemed to be more at peace than the first time she had seen him.

After spending a few more moments gazing at his entrancing form, Yuno briefly wondered how he managed to find her without knowing even her name, or anything about her for that matter. However, that thought was quickly brought to a halt when she heard him address her once again.

"It seems that you are not exactly enjoying the atmosphere of this place," Hagoromo commented as he glanced around himself for a moment, taking in the sight of the wedding chapel and its many occupants, before returning his gaze upon the girl seated next to him. "But what is it that makes you feel so downcast?"

Upon hearing his inquiry, the girl appeared to be slightly taken aback by and a thoughtful look crossed her face.

For a moment, she wondered about what was the deal with this young man and his seemingly out of place questions, though her thoughts abruptly ended when she noticed from the corner of her eyes how the groom was holding the bride's hand as he prepared to slide the wedding ring on her finger.

Seeing this exchange take place, Yuno's earlier gloom returned anew as she was once again reminded of her bleak future.

The more she watched the expressions of happiness that were etched into the bride's and groom's faces, the more she seemed to be unable to hold back the tears pooling in her eyes.

It was as if this entire ceremony was mocking her with how cheerful and bright it was.

The young man's previous words echoed in her mind, and her tears finally began streaming down her beautiful face as she slowly realized how improbable it would be for her to experience such happiness in her future.

After all, who would want to spend their life with someone who had killed their own parents and left them to rot inside a cage?

Momentarily overcome by her sadness, Yuno averted her gaze from the joyful couple and turned her tear stained face to the young man next to her.

The rose haired girl managed to get out a few words, her voice barely above a whisper and sounding so pained that it was almost heart wrenching to listen to.

"Will I... ever have happiness?"

Hagoromo glanced for a brief moment in the direction of the altar, before his eyes returned upon the vulnerable looking form of the cotton candy haired girl. Though as he continued to gaze at her slightly pained face and misty eyes, he found himself strangely touched by this display.

It seemed that this little girl had influenced him more than he had initially thought.

He had reinforced his resolve during the past week to no longer care about these humans, yet here he was now, empathizing with one of them.

Perhaps it had been the fact that this girl seemed to be so much more different than her pathetic species that spurred him to exhibit this much of a care about her.

Or perhaps it was the fact that she had managed to ensnare so much of his attention and interest that he had found himself willingly seeking her just so that he could learn more about her.

He was not exactly sure about the reason for why he felt like this, however, there was one thing he was certain about. The mystery this girl seemed to be... it definitely went much deeper than he had initially thought.

Much, much deeper.

And he would absolutely get to the bottom of it all.

With that last thought in mind, Hagoromo reached with a slender hand toward the girl's tear stained cheeks and used his pale fingers to wipe away the salty liquid trailing down her crying face.

The rose haired girl didn't look like she expected such a gesture on his part, but she didn't seem to protest either.

After his fingers gently brushed away her tears, she seemed to stop shedding any others and her face lost its previous dolor as it slowly started to regain its usual brightness.

"There is always hope for happiness," Hagoromo said as he placed his right hand inside the pocket of his coat. "No matter how bleak things are, as long as you don't give up, there is always a hope that you can reach for."

A brief moment of silence followed as he locked eyes with the girl, before he addressed her once again.

"Say, little lady," he began while bringing his hand out of his pocket and showing his clenched palm to the rose haired girl. "Do you believe in magic?" he continued, opening his palm and revealing a small packet of gummy bear sweets to her.

Yuno sent him a questioning look as she eyed the small packet of jellies, all the while wondering what came over him that he started acting so strange out of a sudden. She managed to regain her composure and even the last vestige of her previous tears seemed to have been removed, however, now she felt slightly confused because of that odd question that he asked her.

Nevertheless, she answered it truthfully as she continued to wonder where this mysterious young man was aiming at.

"Magic?" the girl asked skeptically with a raised eyebrow. "Isn't that nothing more than a cheap trick meant to fool and scam the gullible?"

Hearing her answer, the young man let out a light chuckle that slowly increased in intensity, turning into outright laughter as he began opening the packet of sweets held in his hands.

It was rather fortunate that right now most of the guests were busy either cheering or applauding as they watched the bride and the groom kiss, because those sounds had served to mask the Hagoromo's mirth.

However, being both right next to him and also not paying any more attention to the ceremony, Yuno perfectly heard his melodious laughter.

She continued to gaze at his smiling face as she waited for his reply.

"I see," Hagoromo spoke with traces of amusement still present in his voice as he took out something from the now opened packet. "Although I wonder whether you will still continue to adhere to your previous claim after seeing this."

Yuno once again gave him an inquisitive look as she saw him hold a ring made out of golden gummy bears between his index and middle fingers.

She watched him quickly twirl it around his fingers with incredible dexterity, before he suddenly closed his hand in a fist, hiding it away from view.

A moment later, he opened his palm in a dramatic fashion, revealing that which had once used to be a jelly sweet had turned into what appeared to be solid gold.

Yuno gasped quietly, her eyes wide in astonishment as she inspected the golden ring in the young man's hand.

It was a perfectly round accessory with no design whatsoever, the only exception being the rather odd inscription in hand letters which covered part of it.

Nosce te Ipsum.

Not knowing what language that was, the girl filed it for later and returned her focus on the ring as she wondered how he managed to pull off such a magic trick.

However, her musings were soon interrupted when she felt the young man gently grasp her left hand and, in a very similar fashion to what she had just witnessed a few minutes ago in the case of the two newlyweds, slowly slip the round, golden object on her ring finger.

Her mind having not yet caught up with the current development, the rose haired girl brought her hand closer to her face as she continued to look in amazement at the lovely ring, wondering if it was truly gold.

It took her a few more moments until she seemed to understand what had actually happened, though once she did, an intense warmth immediately suffused her cheeks and she felt her heart start racing as she gazed at the smiling face of the young man.

Her velvety lips slightly parted as she attempted to speak, however, just before she could utter anything, a pale finger promptly silenced her.

"Tomorrow at noon, I would like for your company at Café Blanche," Hagoromo hair spoke as he stood up from the wooden bench and started walking toward the door.

After taking a few steps, he looked back at the young girl and offered her a charming smile as he addressed her one last time, his voice raised only enough to be audible by her.

"Be there."

And with that, Hagoromo exited the wedding chapel, his departure completely unseen by the rest of the guests as they seemed to be much more busy listening to the last benediction that the wedding celebrant was giving.

Yuno for her part was still rooted in place on the bench as she seemed to be unresponsive to the world surrounding her.

It took her another few moments to finally regain her wits, and by the time she did so, she realized that she had once again been subjected to another odd departure from the young man with snow-white hair.

"Just what's with him and his leaving so mysteriously..." she muttered to herself as she was fighting the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her. "And I don't even know his name!"

Feeling her heart still beating wildly from the previous excitement, the young girl brought her left hand close to her chest as she tried to steady her still surging emotions.

However, that didn't seem to be very successful, for the moment she noticed again the golden ring on her finger, another wave of warmth blossomed in her chest and another blush covered her peach colored cheeks.

Eventually overcome by her emotional bliss, Yuno brought her other arm and placed it over the ring, hugging it even tighter to her chest as an euphoric smile covered her bright features.

She would treasure this wonderful gift forevermore, for it had been that ray of hope which had completely pierced through the despair surrounding her soul.

After taking his sudden and mysterious departure from the young girl, Hagoromo decided to spend some time in the small park that he noticed to be only a few blocks away from the wedding chapel he had just left.

He allowed himself to bask in the beauty and tranquility of this little corner of nature and decided to spend this breather by pondering on the rather impulsive nature of his recent actions.

As Hagoromo was lying on the soft and vibrant grass, his albescent tresses sprawled beneath and around his form as they covered him akin to some exquisite fabric, his mind slowly analyzed his previous decision of offering that little girl such a ring, as well as the implications and the symbolism of it.

Despite being aware of the effects his gesture would have in the future, he had nevertheless done it, without even having a proper reason for it at that moment. Only later he realized why he acted in such a manner.

Compassion...

For a human of all things. A being that he had resolved to forgo. To ignore. To never care about again. And yet...

For her...

What made him act like that? What made him do such a thing for her? A girl who should, for all intents and purposes, have been nothing more than a speck of dust in his eyes.

Yet he saw her in a whole other light. Different than the rest of her species. For how could he not when she had turned out to be so fascinating? Not only did she show him a philosophy that greatly appealed to his senses, but she also seemed to understand his own circumstances to quite the uncanny degree.

There was no doubt on it. She was worthy of his attention.

Slowly assuming a sitting position with his legs folded upon each other, Hagoromo concluded his brief session of introspection. He took a deep breath and gazed at the sky for a moment.

In the end, he concluded that it must have been all of these things combined which prompted him to act in such a manner after witnessing her display such vulnerability to him.

This little girl—no, this young lady was delicate akin to a flower. And Hagoromo could not lie to himself. Not after observing her for so long and with such clarity of detail.

She was indeed a flower, yet she was a different one. A special one even. A flower that was meant to blossom. And he would make sure that such a thing happened without any interferences or disruptions.

The next day...

Yuno's eyes suddenly snapped open as she woke up from her rather short period of dreamless sleep. A few moments later and even the last vestige of her sleepiness was removed from her mind as she quickly remembered the events of the previous day.

When she had arrived home, after the ceremony and afterparty had been over, she had been so restless that she had barely been able to sit in one place.

All that she could think about at that time was how she had been invited to a date by the young man who had also given her that lovely ring.

It had all been so surreal that she needed a few hours to come up to terms with the current reality. And by the time she managed to do that, the night had already fallen for quite the long time.

However, even that fact hadn't been able to quell her excitement.

Even knowing that she needed to be well rested for the amazing date that she would be going on the next day, she hadn't been able to get into her bed and stay still for more than a few minutes no matter how hard she tried.

And how could she do that?

How could she do such a thing as trying to sleep when less than a few hours before, her charming savior had basically given her an engagement ring?

At that time during the ceremony, Yuno might have been completely overwhelmed by the intense emotions that she had been feeling, however, after she calmed down a little and returned from her emotional high, she thought about everything which had transpired with a level head.

Or as level as one might be after being offered a betrothal ring and then invited on a date.

She had never expected that such a thing would happen upon her second meeting of the mysterious young man.

And yet, here she was, with a lovely and gleaming ring on her finger, as well as with the promise of a date in only a few hours.

Yuno suddenly grabbed her pillow and hugged it close to her chest as she started rolling around in her bed. She was so happy that she felt like bursting due to all the positive emotion that was swelling inside of her.

Just when she had thought that her life would once again spiral down into despair, the exact opposite happened.

The mysterious young man had once again appeared out of nowhere when she had been expecting him the least and had figuratively swept her off her feet with his sudden gesture.

Yuno glanced once again at the golden ring resting on her slender finger as if it had always belonged there and let out a dreamy sigh.

It was so hard for her to believe how her life had changed so drastically in such a short period of time, yet she knew that she wasn't dreaming and that what she was currently experiencing was indeed the reality.

A reality where she would soon be going on a date with the person who had been responsible for all these wonderful changes in her life.

Another sigh escaped the rose haired girl's mouth as she closed her eyes and imagined the smiling face of her charming savior.

A surge of warmth spread through her being as she continued to think about him and how she would be able to spend even more time with him in only a few hours.

Several minutes later, Yuno finally let go of her pillow and picked up her cellphone from her nightstand. She flipped it open and glanced at the digital clock.

05:30 it displayed.

Placing her phone back on the nightstand, the rose haired girl decided to get out of her bed and begin her morning routine.

It was useless trying to spend more time in the bed, since she knew that with all the excitement and nervousness that were currently filling her being, it would be impossible to sleep for even one minute.

It had taken all of her willpower to force herself to sleep a few hours ago, and she had managed to do so only because she had been quite spent after all of the things she had gone through during the previous day, but also because she knew that she couldn't go tired on her date.

Standing up from her bed, Yuno went to the bathroom next to her room to brush her teeth, as well as take a shower to clean herself, all the while mentally planning her day until the time she had to take her leave.

Once she was done, she returned to her room, however, instead of her previous smile, a frown was now marring her beautiful face.

During her shower she realized that she might not have the clothes that she would have wished to wear for her date.

She quickly walked to the wardrobe sitting in the corner of her room on the same side with her bed, holding the white towel currently preserving her modesty with one hand, while with the other she grabbed ahold of the door's wooden handle.

With a quick jerk she opened her closet, however, as soon as her eyes registered its content, her frown deepened. Most of the clothing articles were copies of her school uniform, whereas the others were simply not suited for what she had in mind.

With this being their first date, she wanted to impress the young man with her attire, but her hopes were quickly shot down when she realized that she might not have the necessary clothes to do such.

Feeling herself grow angry, Yuno slammed the door of her wardrobe shut and began pacing around her room as she thought about a solution to this mess.

Suddenly, an idea sprung inside her mind, and in a burst of speed, the rose haired girl ran out of her room as she headed to the room where her mother had used to sleep.

There she was bound to find something suitable.

It didn't take her any longer than a few seconds to reach her destination, and as soon as she opened her mother's closet, a smile formed on her lips.

Her late mother had possessed quite the variety of clothes, and even if some of them might be a little big for Yuno, she was rather confident in her tailoring skills.

After all, it had been her who had customized all of her school uniforms, since her mother had always been too busy to help her. Or simply too lazy to buy her clothes of a proper size.

Reaching inside the closet, Yuno took out several articles of clothing that she placed over her shoulder, before closing the door and leaving the room.

When she returned to her room, she placed all of the retrieved clothes on her bed and quickly began appraising them.

Some of them looked like they would fit her, such as a white chemise and a light red jacket, however, a blue pleated skirt which had previously caught her eye looked like it would need some adjusting.

Happy that she managed to find some clothes to suit what she had in mind for her upcoming date, the rose haired girl went once again to her own wardrobe and retrieved another copy of her school uniform. While spending her time at home, she could wear those instead. Besides, it wouldn't do to crinkle the clothes that she had selected for her rendezvous. And then there was also the issue with the skirt, which she would have to take care of a little later, because right now she should be having breakfast.

Once she was done clothing herself, Yuno left her room and started walking down the hallway with a happy smile on her face as she headed to the kitchen. However, as soon as she passed by a certain door, her smile and previously pleasant mood instantly fell as she was once again reminded of what had transpired in that particular room, as well as what lay beyond that sliding door.

Shaking her head in an attempt to remove the darker thoughts which were beginning to creep inside her mind, Yuno seemed to be successful in doing just that, however, as soon as her eyes took once again notice of the golden accessory which rested on her left ring finger, all of her previous doubts returned in full force.

It seemed that while absorbed in her emotional bliss as she had been until now, she had forgotten one rather important, or perhaps even crucial detail when it came to her budding relationship with the young man.

Neither of them knew next to nothing about the other. And while such a thing didn't bother her too much, because she would soon come to learn more about him, the same couldn't be said about the opposite case.

Yuno dreaded the possibility of him somehow finding out about the dark secret which lay beyond the sliding door next to her. She didn't want to imagine what would happen if he were to find out about what she had done, because she knew that it wouldn't be nice. Not in the least.

She was certain that he would begin to loathe and despise her if he were to ever learn of how she had starved her own parents to death and left them in a cage to rot. And that was exactly why she couldn't possibly let such a thing to happen.

She couldn't allow her dark secret to be found out by him, because she was sure that she wouldn't be able to continue if this ray of hope were to be taken from her.

The fact that she had once again began contemplating ending her life as soon as she was close to believing that the young man had forgotten about his promise spoke volumes about how important he had become to her.

The one who had saved her on that day when she had given up on everything and resigned herself to her bitter fate had become the very thing which kept her from crumbling apart once more. He had become the bright hope of her future, her reason for living, as well as the one who had rescued her from despair itself.

She couldn't lose something like that. Someone like him. A person who had given her a hope to latch onto.

Yet, she couldn't help but dread that horrific possibility which had taken root inside her mind as soon as she laid her eyes upon that damned door.

Did he act like that only because he didn't know about what she had done? Would he leave her once again alone with her dark and despairing future if he were to find out about her dead parents?

These were the questions that plagued her mind, the questions about which she didn't even want to think, let alone dare and try to answer.

However, a treacherous part of her mind, that small voice which always seemed to take pleasure in tormenting her by always planting the seeds of doubt in her thoughts, had decided to answer these forbidden questions in her stead.

"Don't delude yourself, Yuno. Of course that he acted like that because he knew nothing about what you had done," the voice spoke in contempt. "After all, who would have willingly approached a murderer? Better yet, who would even love one? And even better, who would actually want to marry one?" the voice laughed as it spoke its next words. "I'll tell you. No one. So you can be sure that he will leave you as soon as he finds out about your little secret, Yuno," another derisive laugh echoed through her mind. "He will leave you, and you will never see him again. Then, you will once again be alone, with nothing left to make you suf—"

The voice inside Yuno's mind wasn't able to finish as it was suddenly interrupted when the rose haired girl began chanting.

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" she yelled, clutching her head seemingly in pain as she dug her nails in the soft flesh of her skull until they managed to draw blood. "Leave me alone!" she shook her head wildly in an attempt to drive away the tormenting voice. "I don't want to hear from you anymore! Go away!"

The young girl continued to cradle her head for a few more moments, until she eventually let go when she was sure that no foul voice was plaguing her mind anymore with its painful words.

Taking a few deep breaths, Yuno succeeded in calming herself down and resumed her walk along the hallway as she tried to put her thoughts back in order.

She remembered that she had intended to prepare breakfast, however, most of her appetite was gone by now due to the previously unpleasant occurrence.

Yet, she knew that she had to eat if she wanted to have enough energy for her date.

And so, with less enthusiasm and visibly more anxiety and nervousness than before, Yuno continued her walk to the kitchen as she tried to take her mind away from the recent development, as well as attempt to cheer herself up by thinking about her upcoming meeting with the white haired young man.

2005/05/18 11:55 [Sakurami City]

Slender hands pulled at the hem of a white chemise in order to straighten the nonexistent crinkles for the umpteenth time during the past few minutes once Yuno stopped from her walking in front of a glass door.

She quickly checked her phone, noting that its digital clock indicated 11:56, before she once again attempted to fix her outfit, this time her light red jacket, which she thought to have fallen a little off her shoulders.

Moments later, she opened the door in front of her and walked inside the café, her hands once again almost involuntarily attempting to straighten the blue pleated skirt that she was wearing.

Taking several steps inside the small restaurant, the rose haired girl began surveying her surroundings as she searched for a certain someone.

The café seemed to be decorated in a very elegant and quite expensive looking fashion, however, for the young girl there seemed to be more pressing matters which required attention, so she didn't exactly pay too much mind to the more miscellaneous of things.

Her gaze quickly swept over the many tables that were spread around the room, subsequently forgoing them as soon as she realized that they were either vacant, or not occupied by the one whom she was looking for.

She continued to inspect the inside of the restaurant, feeling increasingly restless and anxious as she didn't seem to be able to locate the one whom she sought.

Moments later, though, most of Yuno's nervousness vanished as her cerise eyes finally managed to find their target. She felt her heart flutter the moment her gaze was returned by a pair of pale orbs.

Red dusting quickly spread over her cheeks as the young man with snow colored hair offered her a beckoning smile, his eyes trailing from her form back to an empty spot across from him at the two-person table that he was currently occupying.

Yuno's feet seemed to act on their own accord as they took her to the corner of the café where the elegant young man was waiting for her with his charming smile still present on his ethereal visage.

As soon as she reached the table, her blush seemed to spread even more over her face when she saw him suddenly stand up from his chair and walk to the empty seat across the table.

Yuno tried to ignore the heat suffusing her cheeks and seated herself on the chair the young man pulled for her as she watched him return to his spot at the table.

A few more moments passed in silence while the rose haired girl tried to calm her wildly beating heart, as well as regain her composure which had been all over the place ever since she had first locked eyes with the person standing across from her at the table.

"I am glad that you have come, young lady," the young man spoke in a pleasant tone, getting the girl's attention as she locked eyes with him once again.

This time, however, her cheeks didn't become as rosy as the first time, as she seemed to be able to keep herself together much better under his almost enchanting gaze.

"Thank you for the invitation, mister... um..." her voice trailed off suddenly as she was reminded that she still did not know the name of the person sitting at the other end of the table.

Just as Yuno was yet again going through the initial stages of a rather vivid blushing, this time however out of embarrassment, she was interrupted upon hearing the young man address her in a slightly apologetic tone.

"Ah, it seems that I have yet to introduce myself, young lady, and for that I apologize," he spoke with a slight inclination of his head. "My name is Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

The young girl took a few seconds to think about what unusual of a name this young man possessed, wondering if perhaps he was of a noble descent or even royalty, however, she cut her musings short when she realized that she had yet to respond to his introduction with her own.

"It's alright, Hagoromo-san," the rose haired girl politely replied a moment later, before she also introduced herself. "My name is Gasai Yuno, and I'm glad to have met you too."

Actually, she was a lot more than glad, but she couldn't tell him that, or at least not yet, lest she came off as creepy or even worse, desperate. If she were to somehow make him dislike her, then she didn't know what she would do.

She couldn't possibly lose this hope that she had been given. She couldn't lose him. That was simply unthinkable, and she abhorred the mere idea of it happening.

The young girl's rather dismal thoughts were brought to a halt upon hearing Hagoromo reply to her previous words.

"Ah, what a lovely name," the young man complimented with a charming smile that instantly brought the heat back to Yuno's cheeks. "I guess that from now on I shall address you as such, instead of young lady. Is that alright with you, Yuno?"

The blushing girl felt a pleasant shiver crawl up her spine the moment she heard ho he uttered her name. His voice was so smooth and sweet to her ears, that it took him addressing her once more in order to break her out of her short reverie.

"Oh, and please call me Hagoromo," he added, his lips slowly forming into another little smile. "I believe that after our last encounter, you are well entitled to refer to me in such a manner, no?"

His pale eyes slowly travelled from the girl's face to the golden accessory on her left ring finger, prompting her to once again develop a prominent red dusting on her cheeks as soon as she realized what he was implying with both his gesture and his previous words.

"S-Sure, Hagoromo," Yuno replied while inwardly yelling at herself for that small waver in her voice.

"Well, then I believe that we should order something, as it is already past noon and you must be quite famished," Hagoromo spoke as he picked up the menu from the table in front of him.

The rose haired girl nodded and mimicked his previous gesture, however, as soon as she opened the menu and glanced at the listing of items, her eyes visibly widened in shock.

The young man must have noticed this reaction on her part as he immediately spoke in a reassuring tone.

"Do not fret about such trivialities, Yuno," he waved his hand dismissively as he glanced at the menu in her hands. "Order whatever you wish and leave the rest to me," his eyes then sought hers once more. "Alright?"

The girl looked like she might have wanted to argue, however, as soon as she made eye contact with him, she faltered and quickly hid her face with the menu that she was holding as she pretended to closely read its content.

Hagoromo merely let an amused smile grace his lips as he returned his gaze to his own menu and began skimming through it.

A couple minutes passed in silence, before the young man addressed the girl across from him once again. "So, have you decided what you would like to order?"

The young girl placed her menu on the table and gave him a shy look.

"Um... I would like to try the confit of salmon with apple, cucumber and vanilla lemongrass."

"Of course," Hagoromo replied with a smile, after which he signaled for the waiter to come to their table.

As soon as the waiter arrived, both of them gave their orders to the young lad that came to serve them, with Yuno being the first to speak as she ordered her salmon based dish, and then followed by Hagoromo who decided to order a Chicken Caesar.

He might not need sustenance anymore ever since his transcendence, however, that did not mean he could not enjoy some finely prepared food. But besides that, it would appear suspicious if he were to not eat anything for the entire day, and not even become hungry as a consequence. He had to keep some appearances, after all. Or at least for a while, anyway.

Upon the waiter's departure, another period of silence settled upon the duo as they waited for their orders to arrive.

During this time, the young man observed the rose haired girl in front of him as she seemed to be fidgeting every now and then in what he had surmised to be nervousness.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked in a concerned tone as he glanced at the slightly anxious looking girl. "If there is anything which displeases you, then please do not hesitate to tell me. I shall make sure that it is properly taken care of."

Yuno felt her heart flutter once again upon hearing how concerned the young man was for her, however, that didn't seem to be enough to completely free her of her anxiety. Honestly, she felt like she should be waking up at any point from this wonderful dream and find herself back at her home, alone with her dead parents and the tormenting voice inside her head.

However, the seconds continued to pass, and she didn't seem to be waking up. Not even after she had subtly pinched herself a few times. So then, it meant that she wasn't dreaming and that she didn't have any reason to be afraid and doubt herself anymore.

And yet, even with her own reassurances, it didn't seem to be enough.

She needed more. She wanted to hear the words coming from his mouth. Only then she would finally get her peace of mind.

Yuno shyly glanced at the snow haired young man seated in front of her and addressed him, her voice coming a little too meek for her tastes, though given her previous inner turmoil, she couldn't blame herself for it.

"Hagoromo..." her words trailed off as she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "This is a date, right?"

Hearing this, the young man slightly rose a thin, silvery eyebrow, causing the girl to feel even more nervous.

"Of course this is a date, Yuno," he promptly replied as if it had been something obvious from the very beginning.

The moment she heard his words and how unhesitating his tone had been when he had voiced them, all of the previous anxiety left the rose haired girl and a relieved smile settled on her lips.

Despite knowing that she shouldn't have doubted him, especially not after he had given her that ring, the incident from a few hours ago had managed to create enough discord within her mind that it had made her doubt almost everything.

However, now that she was given this reassurance, she once again felt free of doubt and with her mind at peace. Something which was immediately reflected in her abruptly changed demeanor.

"Okay!" she replied, a jubilant smile now forming on her face.

Hagoromo simply gave a smile of his own at her reaction, before his attention was subsequently brought to the waiter who had returned with their orders.

Once their dishes were placed in front of them, both of the table's occupants began eating in relative silence as they only made the occasional remark about the tasty food which they had been served with, or other small talk involving mundane topics.

As soon as they finished their meal, Hagoromo signaled for the waiter to bring their bill, as it was a given that they wouldn't be spending their entire day in that café.

They had already spent a full hour for their lunch, and there were many more things which the young man had planned for the day.

After giving the money for their food, as well as a generous tip to the young lad who had served them, a smiling Hagoromo and a cheerful looking Yuno stood up from their table and exited the small restaurant.

Walking along the street with Hagoromo several feet in front of her, a cheerful looking Yuno was slowly but surely closing in the gap between the two of them.

After they left the café, she lagged a little behind due to her momentarily stopping to admire the young man's sweeping snow-white hair that gently swayed with his every step, though as soon as she snapped out of her reverie, she dashed away from her spot.

Taking one petite little step after the other, Yuno quickly caught up to the young man who didn't seem to have been hurrying at all as he simply trod on the sidewalk with a dignified elegance in his every stride.

Getting nearer to him, she kept her pace until she was once again by his side, moment when she slowly inched closer to him, until her right pinky finger ghosted by Hagoromo's left hand.

Feeling emboldened by her previous experience during their stay at the café, Yuno hooked her pinky around the young man's own, before she glanced at his face just in time to notice the faint upturning of his lips.

However, she didn't seem to have the time to ponder its meaning, as not even a moment later, the young girl's thoughts were brought to a halt when with a swift and deft move, Hagoromo clasped the entirety of her slender hand, holding it within the warm embrace of his own.

A prominent dusting of crimson quickly spread over Yuno's cheeks as soon as she registered his action, moment when she also averted her eyes from his amused ones as she gazed at the street in front of her in an attempt to hide her abashment.

For the next few minutes, Hagoromo and Yuno continued their walk in silence, until they finally reached what appeared to be a park, moment when the young man decided to break the silence.

"What do you say about a short stroll through the park?" he asked as he glanced at the girl whose hand he was still holding.

She returned his gaze and replied with a smile. "Sure, let's go."

And with this, Yuno seemed to take the lead for the moment, increasing her pace a little as she entered the park with an amused looking Hagoromo right beside her.

The young duo continued their walk among the many verdant colors which composed most of their scenery, admiring some of the vegetation around them.

Suddenly, the rose haired girl decided to ask something which had been making her curious for the past few minutes.

"Hey, Hagoromo," she spoke while glancing at the black glove that covered the young man's left hand. "Why do you wear a glove when it's so warm outside? And why just on one hand?"

This question seemed to quickly get Hagoromo's attention as he shifted his gaze from the many old trees that he had previously been gazing at and regarded the young girl with a thoughtful look etched on his face while he contemplated her words.

"It is because I have quite the sentimental attachment to this glove," he replied a few moments later. "It is a memorabilia from my mother that I treasure greatly," his lips formed into a fond smile. "This glove will always be with me. Even if everything else were to abandon me, I know that this glove would always remain by my side."

Following the Hagoromo's words, another period of comfortable silence enveloped the pair as they each seemed to have once again returned to their own thoughts. The young man musing on the mystery that was walking beside him, while Yuno pondered on the enigmatic response that she had just been given. That, and also whether she imagined it, or the glove on his hand actually gave a faint purr in response to his previous words.

Some minutes later, the young duo eventually reached the other side of the park. Hagoromo's sight quickly swept over the buildings across the busy street as he seemed to be surveying it for something specific.

A moment later, he looked at the girl walking by his side and spoke. "How about we go to a theatre now?"

Yuno seemed to ponder the suggestion for a few moments, before replying in a cheerful tone. "Sure, but what play are we going to see?"

Hagoromo's pale eyes once more focused on the theatre which could be seen several blocks away on the other side of the street and analyzed it with more depth than the fleeting look he had given it the first time.

Despite the possibility of enhancing his sight to unbelievable degrees, his regular visual prowess proved to be sharp enough to perceive all of the important details that could be seen displayed on the outside of the building.

Once he read the contents of a poster placed next to the building's entrance, Hagoromo glanced at the wristwatch on his right hand, before his gaze returned in Yuno's direction.

"From what I know, there is a play entitled The Misanthrope scheduled to be performed during this afternoon at two o'clock," he informed. "So, if we are to go now, we should be able to get there in time to purchase the tickets for it."

"Okay," the rose haired girl agreed a moment later, sounding quite eager.

And why would she not be? Besides this being a great occasion for her to spend more time closer to the young man who had changed her life so much, she also found herself rather intrigued by the title of the play itself. It sounded like it would be a very interesting play, and that was enough to spurn much of her curiosity.

Yuno's train of thoughts seemed to end just in time for her to register Hagoromo speaking once again while pointing to his left at a fairly large building which could be seen in the distance on the other side of the street.

"Alright then, but we will have to increase our pace a little just to be sure that we make it in due time to get the tickets," he said as he began walking at a slightly quickened pace.

The young girl next to him merely gave a cheerful hum in response as she sped up as well, her anticipation appearing to be quite the evident thing from the slight spring that she was putting behind her every step, as well as from the merry smile on her face.

The young pair managed to arrive in time to buy some of the last tickets available and were now heading toward the room where the play would be taking place.

They had around a quarter of an hour to get there and find their seats, however, they didn't seem to be in too much of a hurry, because that was more than enough time given how they were only a few feet away from the doors behind which lay their destination.

Upon entering the large room, they quickly found their spots, two seats at the left edge of the third row from the front, and occupied them as they waited for the show to commence.

Yuno seemed to be rather busy sending subtle yet menacing glares toward every person of the female gender who was staring at the young man next to her for more than a few seconds, whereas Hagoromo was simply watching the rose haired girl with a faint smile playing on his lips.

Soon the lights flickered off and the curtain began to rise as the preparations for the play seemed to be reaching their end.

Whatever whispering that could still be heard throughout the hall quickly faded as the spectators stopped talking among themselves and instead focused on the show that was about to start.

Hagoromo and Yuno also shifted their focus, and they were now looking at the halfway lifted curtain with interest as they waited for the play to begin.

A few moments later, the two actors present on the stage behind the curtain were fully revealed to the public as the show seemed to finally begin.

Several minutes into the play, most members of the audience were already watching with interest visible on their faces, however, amongst them, a young man with snow-white hair had an amused smile playing on his lips as he continued to watch the unfolding scene.

He was quite glad that he had chosen this particular play, because it turned out to be well within his expectations, and perhaps surprising even.

A comedy with strong satirical connotations which highlighted the fact that humans are fundamentally flawed creatures.

Hagoromo felt the urge to chuckle.

The humans might be hopeless in general, but at least they knew how to be amusing.

Managing to hold in his mirth, Hagoromo briefly glanced out of the corner of his eye at the young girl who was sitting next to him.

He slightly quirked an eyebrow when he noticed the thoughtful and rather intense expression on her face, however, decided not to disrupt her musings and simply smiled as he continued to watch the play as well.

His delicate flower seemed to be blooming faster with each passing day, and this only served to further captivate him. He was getting more and more eager to see the exquisite beauty which lay hidden deep beneath.

Finishing his train of thought, Hagoromo returned most of his attention on the play and soon found himself once again amused by the dark and dry humor that was being exposed by it. This piece brilliantly coincided with his recent revelation, and that only made it so much more amusing.

Time continued to fly by as the actors did their number on the stage, and soon the play came to an end. Most of the audience was either on their way to the exit or was preparing to leave, however, there seemed to be a little exception to this.

Hagoromo was still occupying his seat, calmly and silently observing the rose haired girl next to him.

For the past few minutes, she seemed to have fallen deeper and deeper within her thoughts, and the young man had decided to wait for her to finish her introspection, as he was very well aware of how important something like that was.

He knew that the play they had just watched, despite being very amusing through its dark humor and satire, could also provoke some deep thought within the minds of those who were wise enough.

Which is why he actually found himself quite curious and eager to see how the lovely young lady seated next to him would react to the deeper meanings hidden within the play.

Yuno, on the other hand, had spent most of the time toward the end of the play pondering on the things that she realized from watching it.

She started by asking herself questions about the whole suffering that she had gone through ever since the deaths of her parents, and whether should she truly care about all of that when she had been created from the very beginning—by god, if he actually existed—to be an imperfect entity?

Were there truly any reasons to her worries?

If morality and the various things associated to it were merely a presentation of humanity, and not what they are, but what they pretend to be, then why should she let herself be haunted and consumed by them?

The more Yuno thought about these things, the closer she got to her conclusion. Her acts did not mean the end of the world.

The world still went went on, and she could still find her happiness, as long as she did not act as society wished for her to be.

That notion alone seemed to be enough to comfort the rose haired girl, and the relief that soon followed brought several tears which slowly made their way down her cheeks.

However, before she could bring her own hands to wipe away the moisture from her eyes and off her cheeks, she felt another pair of hands brush against her delicate skin as they gently wiped the tears from her beautiful face.

When her eyes focused on the owner of said hands, she was met with the soft visage of the snow haired young man who had played such a crucial role in her life so far, and was still playing one, whether he was aware of it or not.

Despite having saved her life not only once, but twice, his simple presence around her—and then with her—had been what kept her from falling apart when she had been overwhelmed by her depression.

He had done so much for her without even knowing anything about who she was, and if that hadn't already been more than enough, then to her incredible surprise and delight, he had actually proposed to her, with the ring on her left hand being a testament to that—to their engagement.

Her musing coming to an end, Yuno returned her gaze upon the young man's face as she gave him a small smile which perfectly conveyed her newfound resolve.

Seeing this, Hagoromo realized that she must be done with her pondering, so he decided to give her a little more reassurance as well as confidence that her conclusion was indeed the desired one.

"I am glad that you have realized how different you are from the sheep around you," he spoke with discernible amounts of praise in his tone. "Yet, know that you are not merely a wolf," he paused briefly as his lips formed into a proud and delighted smile. "No, you are so much more than that, Yuno," his lips stretched further. "You are unique."

As soon as she registered his words, the rose haired girl first wondered what was with him and the mysteriousness that he often employed when speaking and acting, but that thought seemed to be rather short lived as the true meaning of his words quickly hit her.

And then, she once again found herself wondering, this time though about how had he managed to figure out what she had been so deep in thought about. Still, even that didn't last for long, because she soon got to the last words that he said to her.

Red dusting quickly spread over her cheeks as she replayed his last words in her mind.

He called her unique!

Yuno's heart started beating faster in her chest when she understood the implications of those words. She felt so happy to hear him say those words to her, and she felt even happier to know that he thought of her in such a way.

Her thoughts were brought to a stop when she heard him address her again.

"Shall we get going?" Hagoromo asked. "There are a few more places I would like for you to see."

Yuno simply nodded at him with a smile on her face, before she stood up from her seat and took a couple steps to the right, getting on the aisle.

Hagoromo also stood up and then walked to the rose haired girl, gently clasping her hand in his own, before the both of them began walking toward the exit.

As he walked on the sidewalk alongside Yuno, Hagoromo's attention was briefly brought to a large screen placed on a building across the street when it suddenly changed its content from a generic commercial to a news-oriented message.

More survivors have been found throughout Indonesia after an unprecedented catastrophe had devastated the country last week. The causes of this disaster are still mostly unknown; currently, scientists all around the world are engaged in the difficult process of deciphering this catastrophic phenomenon. In the meantime, various humanitarian organizations are raising funds in order to aid the victims of this disaster, and in the future allow Indonesia to stand tall again. You can also offer support by texting INDONESIA at 55555. Your ¥1000 can make a difference.

Not appearing to care about what he had just read, Hagoromo returned his gaze on the scenery in front of him, and resumed his thoughts pertaining to the development of the ongoing date between him and the young girl walking by his side.

Several minutes later, Hagoromo glanced at Yuno, noting how she seemed to be lost within her thoughts while having a faint smile on her face.

"What do you say about a visit to the aquarium?" he asked.

The question quickly got the rose haired girl's attention as she immediately ceased her musing and glanced back at the snow haired young man.

"Sure!" she answered almost instantly.

Hearing her give such an enthusiastic reply, Hagoromo found himself smiling as well. "Alright then."

Following that, the young pair walked in relative silence for the next few minutes, before they finally arrived at their destination.

After paying for their entrance fees, Hagoromo entered the aquarium with Yuno close next to him and they began glancing around at the many tanks filled with countless exhibits of various species.

"What do you think of those sharks, Hagoromo?" the rose haired girl asked with a cheerful smile as she pointed at a large tank to her left. "Aren't they lively?"

Hagoromo glanced in the direction where Yuno was pointing and took in the image of the water tank filled with various shark species as he studied them for a few seconds.

Despite him not understanding how such a fascination with caged animals had come into existence, he had to admit that observing these specimens could prove to be rather interesting and entertaining.

"They are, but I think that those jellyfish over there are even more lively and interesting," he replied as he pointed at another tank at the end of the hallway.

"Really?" the rose haired girl asked as she looked at the opaque tank where the young man had pointed at. "Then let's go and see."

Hagoromo simply smiled and followed Yuno as they both walked in front of a round window through which the contents of the tank could be seen.

"Wow, you were right!" the young girl spoke in excitement as she admired the many jellyfish that were swimming inside the illuminated tank. "They look like small fireworks!"

"I'm glad that you are enjoying this," Hagoromo spoke as he looked at the smiling face of his date, before he joined her in looking at the exhibits.

They spent a couple more minutes looking at the tank with jellyfish, after which they continued with their tour. Their next stop seemed to be one where you could touch the live exhibits as they were held in smaller, open tanks.

The young pair walked next to the aligned tanks in the middle of the room and glanced at the creatures inside of them.

"That's a ray!" Yuno spoke in excitement as she reached to touch it, however, after petting it for a few moments, she quickly retracted her hand. "Uh, okay, that's too slimy for me."

Hearing this, Hagoromo let out a light chuckle. "Then you should try those cat-sharks instead. They don't produce mucus on their skin."

Yuno did as the young man suggested and began petting the backside of a cat-shark with two fingers.

"Wow, their skin is very soft," she remarked as she continued to pet the little creature.

After a few more moments of playing with the exhibit, Yuno brought her hand out of the tank and dried it off with a napkin that Hagoromo offered her.

"Thank you, Hagoromo."

"You are welcome," the young man replied as he took back the used napkin and placed it in a pocket of his coat, before he addressed the girl standing next to him once more. "Say, Yuno, would you like to have dinner now? This place also has a restaurant, so we could eat here."

"Sure!"

Following the girl's enthusiastic response, the young duo entwined their hands once again and exited the room as they headed toward the place where the restaurant was located.

Their dinner lasted for about thirty minutes, and by the time they left the restaurant, the time was already 17:00.

"How about we conclude our date with a ride in the Ferris wheel?" Hagoromo suddenly asked the rose haired girl whose hand he was holding as the two of them walked along the main hallway of the aquarium. "There is one very close to this place, and we could get there just in time for a ride before it closes."

As soon as Yuno heard his proposal she quickly nodded in agreement.

"Sure, Hagoromo, I'd love to," she spoke with a faint coloring on her cheeks as she was already imagining herself sitting in front of her charming date while they were inside the small cabin of the Ferris wheel.

Hagoromo simply smiled in return as he gazed at the slightly blushing face of the girl beside him. This, however, had the effect of causing her own blush to grow in intensity, prompting her to avert her eyes from his mesmerizing gaze as she looked at the hall in front of her.

Following this turn of events, they continued their walk in silence, until a voice suddenly called out to them, more specifically to the rose haired girl.

"Hey, Yuno!" a girl with shoulder-length blonde hair called from their left.

Not bothering to even regard the girl who had previously addressed her, Yuno continued to walk alongside Hagoromo at a moderate pace toward the end of the hallway.

Seeing this, the blonde girl as well as the two others who were accompanying her developed annoyed expressions as they watched Yuno and the extremely handsome young man pass by them without even acknowledging their presence.

A moment later, they decided to call for her at the same time, thinking that she would respond to them.

"Yuno!" the trio of girls chorused together, however, just as the last time, they got no response.

At this, another girl from the trio, one with waist-long maroon hair, felt her previous annoyance spike directly into anger as she glared at the retreating form of the rose haired girl who was still ignoring her.

Her expression quickly became livid as her eyes were glaring bloody daggers at the retreating girl's back, but she was slightly surprised when she noticed the young man with white hair slowly turn his head and glance at her.

Her surprise, however, didn't seem to last for too long, as the handsome young man just stared at her for a couple moments, before he promptly dismissed her presence as one would do to an insignificant insect and returned his gaze at the hall in front of him.

A moment later, her previous anger returned tenfold, but this time it was also accompanied by intense jealousy as the girl watched her classmate and her apparent boyfriend exit the aquarium.

It seems that Alduin had been right about those three... Hagoromo thought while walking toward the location of the Ferris wheel with Yuno by his side.

Initially, he had deemed those three as irrelevant after he had seen how Yuno didn't seem to be willing to even acknowledge their presence, however, the moment when that maroon haired girl started leaking killing intent, albeit unconsciously and in amounts that wouldn't even come close to making him sneeze, he decided to revise his previous assessment.

So, he had given that little girl a warning in the form of a look which should have perfectly conveyed how much of an insect she was in his eyes. Then, he merely dismissed her insignificant existence as he was reminded of a memory that he had received from Alduin which contained more information on them.

However, he didn't seem to give too much attention to that either, for he could care less about whatever petty jealousies those girls entertained.

If they were actually foolish enough to try anything, then he would deal with them at that point. Until then, though, they were as much of a concern to him as was the dirt below his feet.

Bringing his current train of thought to an end, Hagoromo focused back on his walk with Yuno, and it seemed to have been just in time as they were only a few feet away from their destination.

Hagoromo paid the entry fee, before he and Yuno entered the small cabin of the Ferris wheel and seated themselves one across from the other as they waited for the wheel to be put in motion.

A few moments later, the door to their cabin was closed and soon enough the cabin itself started moving.

They spent the first couple minutes looking outside the windows admiring the scenery, however, the moment they returned their gazes inside the cabin, their eyes met and remained locked.

Pale and cerise orbs stared into one another as a thoughtful silence enveloped the two occupants of the cabin.

After several moments, Hagoromo decided to break the silence and addressed the young girl sitting in front of him.

"Yuno, the day I saved you, what was on your mind?"

This question seemed to catch the rose haired girl completely off guard, and she found herself wondering what to say as she replayed the softly spoken words in her mind.

Could she tell him that on that day she had simply lost all hope? That she was willing to give up her very life?

She wasn't sure if she could say such a thing to him, someone whom seemed to be so strong, so wise, so... perfect.

What would he think of her if she were to tell him that she had been willing to let herself die, because living no longer held any meaning to her, except from bringing her pain and suffering?

He would sure think of her as pathetic for having such a reasoning.

And even if she told him that, what would she say if he were to ask her for the cause to her sorrows and despair? Could she tell him that the reason for all of that had been her killing her own parents?

She didn't think that she could.

In the end, it all seemed to be just like the voice in her head had told her. If he were to find out about what she had done, then she would definitely lose him forever...

Though she couldn't let something like that happen, because it would mean that she would lose her very will to live.

If the one who had become her hope in life were to disappear... then she was certain that she would also follow shortly after.

And yet... she could not lie to him. She could not possibly lie to the one who had given her so much happiness without asking for anything in return.

Which was why she did not know what to do—what to say.

What could she possibly say in order to avoid all of these dreadful outcomes?

Yuno's thoughts were brought to a sudden stop as soon as an idea entered her mind.

It was an idea which had quickly brought her to the realization that there might be a way for her to get out of this situation, and the more she considered this option, the more she believed that it would work.

"Hagoromo, on that day, why did you save me?"

If she could not answer the question, then all that she had to do was to give him a question of her own, one which hopefully would bring him in the same situation as her.

That way, if neither of them would be able to answer the other's question, then the questions themselves would soon fade out of importance.

It was the perfect solution.

But besides all of that, she was honestly curious.

She wanted to know what had prompted such a wonderful person to become her own prince charming. She wanted to know what had made him decide to save her that day. She wanted to know why a complete stranger such as him took her away from death's grasp on that day.

As Yuno seemed to have once again immersed herself in her thoughts, the snow haired young man across from her appeared to be in quite the similar situation himself.

The reason why Hagoromo had asked that question was because of this rose haired mystery who roused his interest so much that he could barely reign it in.

He wanted to find out more about her.

He wanted to find out more about this young lady who had succeeded in captivating him to such an extent. He wanted to learn more about this lovely and delicate flower who managed to have such an impact on his beliefs... on his life.

However, he had never expected her to riposte with a question of her own. And what a beautifully chosen question had that been!

Hagoromo had to admit that her question had been marvelous. Not only did it deflect his own, but it also brought him to a deep contemplation.

After all, he could not tell her—his beautiful flower—that he had saved her because at that time he had found her to be an interesting enough subject to observe in something akin to an experiment.

He could not possibly tell her such a thing, for he could not bear to see her look at him in disgust. Not when he had come to care about her to such a degree. Not when he had come to treasure her—his beautiful and promising pearl—he could not fathom telling her something which would bring her any hurt.

Yet, he could not lie to her either. He could not possibly lie to someone who he saw in such a distinctively brilliant light. Not to mention the fact that it was not even in his very nature to tell a lie.

Yes, he could intentionally omit details if it suited him, give only parts of the real truth if necessary, or even change his words in a way that it would turn whatever he said into complicated riddles, however, he could never say an outright lie.

That was simply something which stood far below him as he was just too dignified by his very nature to stoop himself to such a level.

And that was the reason why, right now, he did not know what to do.

He could not deflect the question, for it had already been turned against him, and he could not lie either, because he could not bring himself to do such a thing to her.

So in the end, he just smiled.

He smiled at her as he once again felt like laughing at how Yuno managed to put him in such a predicament.

Honestly, for him, who was someone with a wisdom beyond years, to be played in such a manner by a young lady was incredibly amusing.

And apparently, it seemed to be amusing for her as well, since at some point he had noticed that she must have either also realized to what extent she had played him, or had simply saw him smile like an idiot and found it funny, because she was smiling as well.

He continued to gaze at her smiling face for a few more moments, his own smile remaining in place, however, that was more of a decoy, for beneath it he was hiding the promise of a truly mischievous comeback.

It was one thing for her to be proud of her witty retorts for a little while, but straight out smiling into his face for more than one minute was a bit much.

A bit too much, if he were to actually say it.

After all, he had a dignified status to uphold, and delicate flower or not, he would not let her openly make fun of him like that.

So, with that last thought in mind, Hagoromo started to slowly lean in forward as he approached the smiling face of the rose haired girl with his own.

At first, Yuno had shown a little confusion on her face as she had wondered why the young man was leaning in closer to her, however, after a few moments, she seemed to realize what the reason might be.

A fiery blush quickly spread over her peach colored cheeks as her eyes were staring deeply into the pale ones which were getting closer and closer to her with every passing second.

All thoughts seemed to momentarily leave the young girl's mind as they were all replaced with anticipation to what she believed to be coming.

When the young man's face was only centimeters apart from her own, Yuno unconsciously closed her eyes and slightly parted her soft and moist lips as she prepared for what was to come next.

Not even a second later, she felt something equally soft press gently against the left corner of her mouth, moment when a wave of pleasant heat surged through her being.

Despite the kiss not being exactly what she had envisioned it to be, it still felt wonderful to her and she would treasure it for the rest of her life.

With the memory of her first kiss still very fresh in mind, Yuno slowly opened her eyes and was met with the sight of a smirking young man who had already returned to his seat.

The rose haired girl felt her blush increase in intensity the moment when they locked gazes once again and she quickly averted her eyes and looked out the window as she tried to regather her composure.

However, before she could have completely done so, overcome with emotion as she had been, she didn't realize when a few words had escaped her mouth in barely a whisper as she unconsciously voiced the thoughts which her mind seemed to be revolving around.

"Nothing else matters anymore..." Yuno breathed out in less than a whisper as her mind seemed to be still caught up in a myriad of emotions and thoughts. "I have hope now... So... so much hope..."

Despite her spoken words being completely inaudible to anyone but her, the young man seated across from her had still perfectly heard them.

And even if that wouldn't have been the case, the fact that he had also read her lips meant that, regardless of him having been able or not to hear what she had said, he would have still known it.

His previous smirk quickly faded as he began contemplating the meaning of her words.

It did not take him too long to figure out what she had meant, and when he did, the answer to his question became obvious.

Despair.

She had been so drowned in despair that she had been willing to forego her life in order to get away from that. But she had somehow managed to overcome all of that after he had saved her, and from that point onward, he had become her hope in life.

That was the answer to his question, and yet, despite having figured it out, all it did was to raise even more questions in his mind.

And as much as he wanted to find the answers to them, he knew that he could not push her into telling him. Not when it was so obvious that she had gone to such lengths to avoid answering him in the first place.

Which was why he had to let this flow naturally, and wait for her to become comfortable enough to tell him on her own. Or at least wait until he possessed more information on the subject, so that he would be able to solve the puzzle without intruding on her privacy.

After all, he was not a crude individual by his very nature.

He would always observe before acting. Assess before committing. Analyze before deciding.

Until then, he would simply gather more information by continuing to observe his precious flower as she got closer and closer to the moment of her blossoming.

Several moments later, both Hagoromo and Yuno had been brought out of their musings when the cabin came to an abrupt stop.

As their ride finally came to an end, the door to their cabin was soon opened, and the young duo briefly shared a look before they stood up and left the gondola.

"Well, it has been a wonderful date," Hagoromo spoke with a smile as he glanced at the rose haired girl standing beside him.

"Yes, it has," Yuno replied with a smile of her own. "I've enjoyed every second of it."

"I'm glad to hear that," he voiced softly, his words trailing in the wind as he once again grasped the young girl's hand in his own.

A moment later, the both of them began walking toward the exit of the park, their destination being the girl's house, as Hagoromo thought that it was only fitting for their date to be concluded with him escorting Yuno to her home.

"Thank you for walking me home, Hagoromo," Yuno spoke as she stood on the walkway, in front of the entrance to her courtyard.

"It has been my pleasure, Yuno," Hagoromo replied with a smile which brought a faint blush on the rose haired girl's cheeks.

The young man spent the next few moments observing the house that could be seen standing tall behind the walls which marked the boundaries of the property. The house itself seemed to be quite spacious and occupied most of the yard. It was built after a traditional Japanese design and its appearance easily hinted toward the financial status of its owners.

Hagoromo's attention was brought back to the young girl standing a few feet away from him when he heard her voice.

"Um..." Yuno began as a sudden shyness seemed to overcome her. "Can I... um... can I have your phone number?" she asked as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt.

Hearing her request, Hagoromo found himself faced with quite the conundrum.

It was not like he did not want to give her his phone number.

No. That was not it.

The real problem was the fact that he did not possess such a thing.

After all, why would he even need one? What use would such a device have for him, who could easily communicate through telepathy for example.

Still, that did not change the fact that he had been asked for his phone number, a very pertinent request if he were to say, as it was rather obvious why the young lady desired such a thing.

She most likely wished to possess a means to contacting him whenever they would be apart. And that in itself was something that Hagoromo would gladly provide.

Actually, he had already done it and so much more, however, he could not reveal it yet. The ring that he had given her the day before would remain in her eyes just that—a ring—for the time being.

His delicate flower had to wait a little longer for him to explain certain things to her as he did not feel comfortable enough yet to reveal his origins to her. Their bond would have to grow a little more until he finally decided to do that.

Which meant that for the time being he had to go with an alternative. Something which would not hint at his otherworldly origins.

A cellphone, that was.

Easier said than done, however.

Still, that was most likely because he really did not wish to bother with all of the odd gadgets that his Asura Path was capable of producing.

No, seriously, some of the things that he was able to create through the Asura Path had managed to unsettle even him. And that definitely said something when one of his other forms was that of an eldritch abomination that could be best described as pure nightmare fuel in more modern terms.

But besides that, it would be terribly counterproductive to his previous decision regarding his true identity if he were to actually grow a mobile phone from his palm.

So in the end, he would have to take the mundane approach.

Which would be him coming with a phone number from the top of his head and then quickly appropriating a cellphone, all the while making sure that his forged number would be assigned to said mobile phone.

As soon as he finished his train of thought, Hagoromo retrieved a pencil from one of the pockets of his coat, as well as a piece of paper from his other pocket and began writing on it.

The perks of omnipotence were definitely handy in circumstances such as these.

After writing down his soon-to-be real phone number, Hagoromo offered the small piece of paper to the rose haired girl in front of him, who happily accepted it with a faint blush on her face.

Yuno quickly pocketed the piece of paper, before she glanced once again at Hagoromo's ethereal visage, her blush visibly intensifying as a particular thought entered her mind.

Perfectly aware of the heat which was slowly suffusing her cheeks, the young girl took a few steps until she stood only inches apart from the young man, before she looked once more at his face.

She felt her heart start beating faster and faster as she was slowly leaning forward, her lips eventually touching the pale flesh of his face, when she finally pressed them in a soft kiss against his own lips.

A moment later, Yuno quickly pulled back, her beautiful face ablaze in a vivid red coloring as she tried to look anywhere else but at the young man's smiling face.

"S-See you later, Hagoromo!" she spoke with a slight waver in her voice as she hurriedly entered her yard, the steel door closing behind her with a loud clank.

The white haired young man simply watched her disappear behind the tall door, a small smile slowly forming on his face as his thoughts started drifting toward the events which had taken place during the past few hours.

He had not actually realized it until the end of his date, but during this whole time that he spent in the company of the rose haired girl, he had acted... differently to say the least.

Honestly, just these past six hours he smiled more than he had done in the past millennium. His entire behavior while around the young girl seemed to have been affected as he would find himself smiling just by seeing her being happy and enjoying herself.

Yet, this revelation did not seem to bother him. Not in the least.

After all, he had already concluded that his delicate flower was something far beyond the normal concept.

She was far beyond the standard which described her wretched species, and such a thing was as clear as day in his eyes. To him, she was definitely not human.

And that was most likely the very reason why he had acted in such a different and dare he say even irrational manner while around her. Her very presence made him forget about most other things as he quickly found himself solely focused on her.

A chuckle escaped Hagoromo's lips as he realized just how much this young lady had managed to influence him and his life in only a little above a week.

Though he did not mind any of these changes.

He was very content with how things seemed to have unfolded so far, and all that he wanted was to further unravel more of the mystery which this rose haired girl was.

Hagoromo gave one last glance to the house where his lovely lady lived, before he swiftly turned around and began walking down the street, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he gave himself a mental pat on the back for being inspired enough to plan his date beforehand.

He should probably send a thank you to the young fellow who had helped him gain the necessary insight in order to make his date proceed as smoothly and perfectly as it did.

Actually, he would do just that, since it was only polite to thank those who helped you further your endeavors.

Closing his eyes for a split second, the snow haired young man blinked as he revealed to the world twin light purple orbs with a black rippling pattern and a matching, smaller pupil.

Holding his gloved hand in prayer, a look of concentration briefly crossed his ethereal features as he projected a few words of gratitude in a far away plane of existence, before he blinked one more, his eyes reassuming their normally pale color.

"And now to get that cellphone" Hagoromo muttered to himself as he continued his slow paced walk along the sidewalk.

He had a few other things to take care of before he could return to being around his lovely flower, however, that should not be a problem, as he could not see her for the next few hours anyway.

He would have to wait until the next day came around, so until then, he would first finish his errand, and then he would either entertain a conversation with Alduin or simply meditate while letting his thoughts wander to a certain someone.

*Chapter 6*: Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Chapter 4: Forever Yours, Forever Mine

2005/05/20 14:40 [Sakurami Middle School]

Yuno was seated at a desk next to a large bookshelf, her gaze completely focused on the luminous screen in front of her.

Despite this being the last period she was supposed to attend, she was currently inside the school library, because she was given permission by her English teacher after finishing her assignment earlier.

As such, she decided to use this time to finally quell something which had been intriguing her for the past day.

She wanted to find out what the inscription on her ring meant. She wanted to know the meaning of the words engraved in the symbol of salvation that her soon-to-be husband had given to her.

A dreamy sigh escaped the rose haired girl's lips as she was reminded once again of the young man with snowy hair who had taken over both her heart and thoughts in such a short time.

The memories that she made during her date two days ago had become a priceless treasure to her and would remain as such for the rest of her days. Regardless of how much time passed, she would always remember the wonderful day when the embers of hope within her soul were turned into a fiery blaze.

Feeling a wave of happiness surge through her, Yuno let a joyous smile settle on her lips as she began typing on the keyboard in front of her. Her thoughts quickly drifted back to her Hagoromo, more specifically to the events of the past day.

She had spent almost the entire Sunday morning speaking with him through the cellphone, and then she had met with him once again as they went on a picnic at the park. And after she had gotten back home, she spent another few hours talking to him over the phone once again.

That day had been another precious memory that she made, one that had been added to the slowly increasing collection which brought her immense happiness every time she reminisced it.

With a click of the mouse, the results of her search were listed on the bright desktop, and Yuno found herself staring at it intently as she tried to comprehend the meaning of the displayed words.

Know Thyself.

That was what it read, the translation of what was inscribed on her lovely ring.

Several moments passed, and the rose haired girl still had a look of concentration etched into her features as she continued to think about the words which seemed to elude her.

Her brow slightly furrowed as she seemed to put even more effort in her attempt at understanding.

She was certain that this maxim was something that she should have understood, since there was an instinctual feeling telling her that what she had just read was very important and that she should quickly make sense of it.

Yet, even so, the answer still evaded her.

A few more minutes passed, and Yuno was eventually brought out of her thoughts when a voice suddenly made itself known within the silent atmosphere of the library.

"Yuno-tan!" a girl with shoulder-length ebony hair and dark brown eyes called out, before pausing to catch her breath. "You won't believe what I'd just seen!"

The rose haired girl suppressed a frown that threatened to show on her face and instead put her usual polite façade as she replied to the girl responsible for disrupting her musings.

"Are you alright, Keiko?" she asked, managing to fake genuine concern in her voice. "Did something happen?"

The raven haired girl nodded in response, before speaking once again, her voice filled with excitement.

"Well, as I was done packing up my stuff, I decided that I should air the classroom. So I went and opened the windows, but as soon as I looked out one of them, I saw this incredibly handsome guy outside in the courtyard, sitting on a bench and staring in the direction of our classroom," her eyes seemed to glint as she spoke the next words. "I swear that he's got to be some model, because when you look and dress like that you can't be anything but a model. I mean, his hair was white like snow and his face looked like it belonged on the cover of a men's fashion magazine."

As soon as Yuno registered what her classmate had just said, she shot to her feet from her seat at the desk and leveled the cheerful girl at the entrance of the library a narrow-eyed glare.

"Y-Yuno-tan?" Keiko mouthed in surprise at the sudden change in her friend's demeanor. She had never seen her switch moods like that, so she reasoned that her reaction right now must have had something to do with the piece of news that she had just given her. "Could it be that you know that guy from outside?" she asked after a few moments of unnerving silence.

Noticing how the raven haired girl was looking at her almost in apprehension, Yuno quickly schooled her features and slid back the mask which had previously slipped away.

The only reason why her façade had wavered for a few seconds had been due to the fact that she had been both taken by surprise and angered at the same time.

Surprised because she had not been expecting her Hagoromo to show up at her school out of a sudden, and angered because that girl had dared to look at her soon-to-be husband in such a manner.

"I'm sorry if I surprised you, Keiko, but you really took me by surprise with what you just told me," Yuno spoke with her slightly shy smile and an apologetic tone. "And to answer your question, yes, I know that person from outside. He is my boyfriend, Hagoromo."

The rose haired girl did not have any problem with revealing this piece of information about her relationship with the young man for multiple reasons.

One being the fact that she did not care if anyone knew about them being together, because such a thing did not affect their relationship in any shape or form, and the other being the fact that it would deliver a firm message to any potential annoyances.

It would tell them that Hagoromo was hers and that they better stood away from him, otherwise things might turn unpleasant for them.

Yuno's thoughts were brought to an end when she heard the dark haired girl address her in a cheerful tone.

"Wow, really?!" Keiko voiced in surprise. "That's great, Yuno-tan! You are so lucky to have gotten someone like that as your boyfriend!"

The rose haired girl felt the urge to sigh as soon as she heard her friend's response to her reveal, however, she managed to hold it in and kept her smile.

That was the only disadvantage to her chosen approach. Especially when a girl as nosy as Keiko was involved.

"By the way, Yuno-tan," Keiko spoke once again. "You've got to tell me how the two of you had met."

This time, Yuno inwardly let out a sigh.

"Alright," she replied. "But I will make it short and tell it to you on our way outside."

As soon as she finished speaking, she started walking toward the raven haired girl who was still standing in the door way, all the while planning in her mind the adapted story that she would tell to her friend.

"Sure, Yuno-tan," Keiko spoke with a wide smile, before she turned around and started going after her classmate whom had just walked past her as she left the library.

Ten minutes later...

Yuno and her classmate, Keiko, were currently walking side by side along the main hallway of the school as they headed toward the exit to the courtyard.

Yuno had used the time it took her to return to her classroom and pack up her things in order to explain to her friend how she and Hagoromo had met.

It didn't take her too long to tell the dark haired girl the overall story, as she made sure to omit most of the details and twist the remaining ones to suit her intentions.

While they were nearing the exit, both girls had their attention drawn to the sounds of what seemed to be a commotion outside.

Keiko glanced at Yuno and gave her a cheshire smile.

"I think that your boyfriend might be the cause of that," she joked. "And knowing how most of the girls in the neighboring classes are, they must already be frenzying around him."

Hearing that, the rose haired girl's eyes narrowed dangerously, before she quickened her walking pace as she headed straight for the doors a few feet away from her.

"That's the spirit, Yuno-tan," the raven haired girl spoke in a cheerful manner, watching her friend storm out of the school. "See you tomorrow!" she shouted a moment later as she waved at her hurrying classmate.

Despite seemingly acknowledging Keiko's goodbye, Yuno didn't give any response, since her mind was much more busy with taking in the scenery of the courtyard.

She had just stepped outside the school building a moment ago and her eyes were already in the process of rapidly scanning over the entire area as she looked for her Hagoromo.

It didn't take her more than a few moments to locate her husband in anything but name, and as soon as she did, her cerise orbs narrowed even further when she spotted the crowd of harlots that were flocking around the bench he was sat upon.

She felt her blood begin to boil as she found herself rooted in spot, her piercing glare completely focused on the hussies that dared look at her fiancé with such leering eyes and openly lustful expressions.

"Kill them..." Yuno heard an all too familiar voice whisper inside her mind, a malicious edge in its distinctively feminine tone. "Show them what happens to those who dare get between you and what is yours... Kill them all...'"

Feeling strangely in agreement with the voice inside her head, which for the first time had not spoken any words aimed to stab at her, the rose haired girl slowly reached with her right hand inside the side pocket of her school bag as she resumed her walking toward the white haired young man and the strumpets that were almost completely surrounding him.

Absorbed as she was in her own thoughts which mostly revolved around the gleaming edge of the box cutter that she was now holding tightly in her grip behind her back, she missed when the young man averted his eyes from the widows of the classroom he had been observing so far and lowered his gaze until he was looking in her direction.

Yuno slightly picked up her pace as she stalked in the direction of the girls gathered around her Hagoromo, however, after only taking a few steps, she suddenly found herself once more stuck in place as soon as her gaze inadvertently swept over a very familiar-looking ethereal visage framed by snow-white tresses.

She immediately snapped shut the blade of the box cutter and deftly placed it back inside the bag hung over her left shoulder as she continued to stare at the faintly smiling face of the young man sitting on the bench a few dozen feet away from her.

It didn't take long for her to realize that she had become the new centre of attention in the schoolyard, as most of the students gathered around the young man had seemed to follow his gaze and were now looking at her as well.

Yuno had to suppress a pleased smile when she noticed the jealous glances that she was now getting from most of the girls surrounding her fiancé, but she decided to put away her gleeful satisfaction for the time being, because her undivided attention was quickly brought upon the breathtaking form of the white haired young man as soon as she noticed him stand up from his spot on the bench.

She felt a little uncomfortable with the dozens of eyes that were currently darting back and forth from her to the incredibly handsome young man, who was now taking graceful steps as he slowly walked toward her.

"No way..." one of the female students standing the farthest away from Hagoromo voiced, her eyes widened in disbelief as she glanced between him and the rose haired girl he was slowly advancing toward.

"Gasai and him...?" another girl spoke with equal amounts of incredulity in her voice.

"I can't believe this..." yet another student expressed her disbelief at what her eyes were showing her. "Miss prim and proper, Gasai Yuno, is dating this... this... Adonis?!"

And so, a susurrus of voices quickly blanketed the area of the courtyard around the white haired young man, as most of the students began whispering among themselves about what they were currently witnessing.

The feeling of uneasiness which had previously gripped Yuno continued to grow as she became more and more aware of the amount of gossip that was now surrounding her.

However, in spite of all the staring and the never ending murmuring that were coming from the many students gathered in the schoolyard, this uncomfortableness did not seem to last for too long, for it was quickly replaced with wonder as soon as she noticed a rather strange thing about her soon-to-be husband and his current demeanor.

Despite the dozens of eyes that were relentlessly maintaining their almost hungry gazes upon his form, he did not even seem to acknowledge them.

Instead, he continued to walk at a sedate pace, with his gait dignified and elegant as he paid absolutely no heed to the countless whisperings and mutterings that filled the atmosphere around him, his gaze completely ignoring any and all of those who happened to be obstructing his line of sight during their hurried attempts at creating a corridor for his passing.

He simply kept his pale eyes focused in her own direction, effortlessly piercing with utmost nonchalance through the occasional students who were hastily moving to the side, as though they did not even exist.

Yuno continued to stare at the slowly approaching young man, her visage filled with fascination as she observed his every movement, completely mesmerized by how natural his demeanor seemed to be.

He appeared to be so easily dismissive of everyone surrounding him, completely disregarding them and their mindless chatter, his gaze solely focused in her direction as if nothing else but her seemed to matter to him.

And the more she witnessed of this enchanting behavior that her Hagoromo seemed to be exhibiting, the more she felt a surge of happiness well up in her chest.

It brought her so much joy to know that he viewed her in such a light, but it also brought her an unexpected realization about something which she had not initially been able to properly grasp.

The quote whose meaning she had been previously dwelling upon suddenly flashed in her mind, prompting Yuno to once again begin wondering about its significance.

To know ones self...

That was what the inscription on her ring spoke.

At first, despite feeling that there was something very important that she should have understood upon reading those words, she had not been able to find it as the answer appeared to be eluding her.

However, after seeing Hagoromo act in such a manner, one which denoted utmost naturalness and a complete lack of concern about anything else other than her, she was quickly struck by an epiphany.

A revelation which brought her into deep thought.

And so, she began to contemplate about herself and question her life thus far.

Should she acknowledge her actions? Should she acknowledge the state of the world?

Should she acknowledge her own heart and mind? What it wished for? And what it found dismissive?

The clarity present in her mind right now was unprecedented.

She felt like she could easily come up with the answers to all of these questions, and that none of them would pose any sort of dilemmas to her whatsoever.

The world no longer mattered to her. And that as long as her actions did not drain her of her happy ending, then they did not matter either.

As such, she should no longer feel guilty for starving her parents to death.

After all, why would she even feel any guilt for killing her parents, when they did not feel any while they had been constantly abusing her?

Why should she care about what society labeled her as, when it did nothing to stop her parents from locking her up in a cage for days on end?

The only one who had been there for her when no one else had been was Hagoromo, and he was the sole thing which mattered to her now.

The rest of the world could burn for all that she cared.

As long as she was with the one who had brought hope in her life, the one whose wife she would soon become, then nothing else mattered to her anymore. Everything else besides him was irrelevant to her and could very well disappear, for she would not even bat an eyelash.

Her heart and mind were filled with only one thing and nothing else. The love that she had for her Hagoromo, a feeling which was growing with each passing day.

That was the only thing which mattered to her now, and would ever will. As long as she was with him, she would need nothing else, for she already had everything that she could wish for.

The end of her introspection was accompanied by a sudden flood of warmth which quickly spread through her body as she basked in the pleasant feelings that her previous thoughts had evoked.

As soon as her brief rush of euphoria passed, Yuno quickly focused back on the world around her, only to instantly be met with a very familiar-looking face, as well as a pair of eyes looking into her own with a delicate warmth that brought her even more happiness.

"It is a wonderful feeling, this state of self-understanding and clarity, is it not?" she heard Hagoromo speak, a gentle smile present on his handsome features.

She continued to look at him as she contemplated his words, a faint gasp escaping her lips the moment she came to another realization. One which left her rather mystified.

She quickly remembered the events which had taken place during her visit to the theatre from two days ago, more specifically the part where Hagoromo had told her how different she was from the others whom he had likened to mere sheep.

At that time she had not dwelled too much on his words, because she had been too overwhelmed by the part where he had called her unique. She had not given too much thought to what he had said before that, though now, with all of the insight that she had attained so far, she was able to see the deeper meaning within his words.

From the very moment when he had given her the ring, it seemed that her soon-to-be husband had intended for her to reach this level of self-knowledge.

It was as astounding as it was bewildering.

For him to be able to do such a thing, to act in such a way which would end in helping her obtain such a deep understanding of her own self...

Yuno could only be amazed at the wisdom that Hagoromo had displayed through his actions so far.

But that was not all.

For her to know that he would do so much to help her get a better comprehension of herself, it honestly made her love him so much more...

Bringing her musings to an end, Yuno quickly returned her focus on the young man standing in front of her, a beaming smile forming on her face as she gave him her reply.

"Yes, Hagoromo, it is," she spoke, completely uncaring of the whispers that still could be heard coming from most of the students gathered around her.

The snow haired young man simply smiled once more.

"Well then," he began as he offered her his gloveless right hand. "Shall we get going, my fair lady?"

Yuno did not seem to waste any moment as she immediately mirrored Hagoromo's gesture, before she let out a light giggle when she felt him grab her hand in a gentlemanly manner reminiscing of those that she had seen in movies depicting the aristocracy of olden ages.

"Of course, my handsome gentleman," she replied, a noble air of histrionic quality emanating from her words.

And with that, the both of them began walking at an unhurried pace as they headed toward the exit of the school's courtyard, none of them seeming to mind the looks, nor the varying remarks that their little display had elicited from the many students that were gathered around them.

Only the snow-white haired young man slightly turned his head and glanced to his left for a moment, taking in the sight of a girl with waist-length maroon colored hair who appeared to be glaring intently at the rose haired girl walking to his right, before quickly dismissing her existence as he returned his gaze on the scenery in front of him.

"Is anything the matter, Hagoromo?" he heard Yuno address him, curiosity evident in her tone.

"Nothing of concern," he replied while looking at her with an amused smile. "It was just an insect buzzing around."

The rose haired girl let out a giggle at this. "Did you squash it?"

This time it was Hagoromo who chuckled. "No. It was not all that annoying, so I did not bother with the effort."

Yuno let out another cute giggle, after which the two of them fell into comfortable silence as they continued their slow walk toward the exit of the schoolyard.

Anger and jealousy.

These two emotions were what currently defined the girl's state of mind as she kept her muddy brown eyes on the retreating form of her cheerful-looking classmate.

Her furious glare never once left the back of her pink haired classmate's head and the trembling of her body did not seem to cease even after she watched the object of her ire leave the schoolyard as she slowly faded into the distance.

And even after a few more minutes, she was still rooted to the same spot, next to a tree in the courtyard as her gaze had yet to move away from the direction where she had been previously watching her fellow class member head towards to.

By the time when she had snapped out of her apparent state of shock, the girl seemed to be beyond livid as her intense feelings of anger and jealousy began to encroach more and more on her thoughts, prompting them to spiral down toward darker and much less pleasant avenues.

The events that she had witnessed only a few minutes earlier once again flashed through her mind and she had to stop herself from screaming due to the sheer outrage that had been brought forth by them.

Just how further did that pink haired bitch dare make such a mockery of her?!

First she had completely ignored her upon their meeting at the aquarium... and now this?!

Just how longer did she plan on taunting her like this?!

The maroon haired girl clenched her fists in an attempt to calm down the faint trembling of her body. She took a deep, calming breath and felt part of her anger subside as she exhaled.

That Gasai had done way too much for her to let it slide how she had done two days ago.

This time she won't be as forgiving as then, and let alone even attempt to forget about what had just transpired.

For that prissy bitch to come and shamelessly flaunt what could only be described as an incredibly hot model, one with whom she would have never even stood a chance of scoring, unless she had actually paid him for it... that had been the last drop.

First she had had all of her popularity stolen by that pink haired bitch the moment she had transferred into her school and now the bitch had the gall to openly make fun of her?!

No.

This time she wouldn't let it slide. Not after what had happened today.

A vicious smile slowly formed on the girl's lips as a particularly enticing thought entered her mind. And the more she dwelled on it, the more appealing it became to her.

The time for that Gasai to finally be taught a lesson had come.

Unfortunately, as much as she might have wanted to do it as soon as possible, she knew that she shouldn't be hasty in this matter.

First she should come up with a plan of action and then she should make the necessary preparations for its enactment.

Only then she would be able to just sit back and savor the moment when that bitch is brought down a peg and put back in her place.

Her cruel smile became even wider, twisting the young girl's visage as it stretched even further on her lips.

Another moment passed as the girl continued to gaze in the distance, before she finally turned around, her face now settled into a neutral expression as she started walking towards the entrance to the school.

Feeling a sudden wave of giddiness wash over her, she took her phone out of her purse and began forming a number.

Her friends were still inside the school, so why not fill them in as soon as possible?

After all, she would definitely be needing their help if she wanted to be able to carry through with what she had envisioned so far.

Later that day...

Hagoromo was walking along the rather unpopulated sidewalk at a sedate pace, his long white tresses gently swaying behind him with every taken step as he aimlessly strolled through the streets that were bathed in the fading sunlight of an impending dusk.

Following his earlier departure from the school grounds, he had spent the remaining hours of the afternoon and the entire evening alongside his lovely lady as they relished one in the presence of the other.

It had been only a few minutes since he had parted ways with Yuno after accompanying her to her house, and he estimated that there were perhaps only fifteen or so more minutes left until his cellphone would start ringing.

A small smile settled on his pale lips at that particular thought.

Ever since their date two days ago, he had spent more and more time with her, and even when he had been temporarily apart from her due to it being either night, or her having classes, it did not seem to pose any difficulties for Yuno, as she had made quite the extensive use of her knowledge of his cellphone number.

His smile became fonder as his thoughts trailed even more toward the events of the past two days.

Their time spent together during these past couple days had definitely served to further strengthen his initial realization from the conclusion of their first date.

He was certainly beginning to develop feelings that seemed to become stronger the more time passed, so much that whenever he was in her presence, he would always feel a pleasant warmth suffuse through his being.

It was quite obvious to him that he had come to care for this girl to a great extent and that he was actually starting to see her as something else.

Not that such a development bothered him or anything.

On the contrary, he was rather thrilled at the thought. That a young girl like her would fascinate him to such an extent for it to turn into something more... Something to be expected from a delicate flower like her. Such an outcome felt only fitting after everything which had transpired between them.

She had ensnared him ever since he had first laid his eyes upon her, enrapturing him with her exquisite charm as soon as he had delved deeper and glimpsed at the beauty which lay hidden beneath a deceptively thin veil.

And after witnessing such wondrous displays and finding himself delighted at the fascination she instilled within him... how could he think of her the same?

It was clear to him that there was only one possible outcome left. One that he would readily embrace as it filled him with excitement and rapture.

Concluding his thoughts for the time being, Hagoromo decided to spend the remaining time actively sorting and integrating the constant flood of information that he'd been getting for more than half a day from the numerous clones he had spread throughout the world.

After his conundrum with the cellphone from a couple days ago, he decided that it should prove to be rather useful to him if he were to take the time to accumulate the knowledge of the humans from this world.

They might no longer be relevant in his eyes, however, he had to acknowledge the fact that some of them were quite the intelligent and creative creatures. They had managed to achieve many discoveries and gather extensive knowledge in certain areas, and he was not one to simply ignore such things.

After all, knowledge was power, and he would always welcome any additions to his many libraries worth of information should the chance present itself.

But besides that, he had always been a scholar at heart, and as such he had been quite taken with the studying and learning of new concepts, especially when they proved to be interesting and fascinating.

And since he actually had the means to facilitate his learning to unfathomable levels, there was truly nothing to prevent him from simply gathering any and all information from this world. Information which he did not already hold within his possession, that is.

Hagoromo's attention was momentarily shifted away from his current filing and indexing of various information when a rather distinguishable scene got caught in the peripheral vision of his absentminded gaze.

Dispassionate eyes focused on the source of interest that had managed to catch their owner's notice and they quickly took in the sight of the beheld.

Several dozen meters in the distance, on the other side of the street, two individuals could be seen. A young couple to be more precise.

Their features were not anything noteworthy and their choice of clothing was not worth describing as it could be simply summed up as average.

Though, there was something distinct about them, something which had been what had actually managed to catch Hagoromo attention in the first place, for if they had been within ordinary circumstances, their existence would have easily gone unacknowledged by him.

One of the two young humans, the female to be more precise, seemed to be holding something in her hands while she was admiring it with her eyes lit up in joy.

Hagoromo identified that something as being a bouquet of flowers—of red roses.

He had previously noticed how the man offered them to the smiling woman facing him, and now he was watching how said woman appeared to be delighted at his gesture and was looking at the flowers in happiness, before she returned her gaze on the one who had given them to her.

Hagoromo continued to observe how the woman laughed in joy, before she embraced the man in front of her as she held tight onto him for almost an entire minute.

A few moments later, as the two separated from their embrace, they walked off in the distance while holding each other's hands, until they eventually disappeared from view as they took a turn past a corner further down the street.

By the time they vanished from his line of sight, Hagoromo seemed to have fallen once more in his contemplations, however, this time said thoughts had nothing to do with his earlier musings.

As he had been previously watching the now gone young couple, the young man had felt something stir within himself the moment when he saw that woman's reaction to receiving that bouquet of flowers.

It had not been a sensation which he could have easily described, however, he seemed to understand what it had meant.

What he had felt was a desire to make his lovely lady experience the same emotions as that woman.

He wanted Yuno to feel the same joy as well. He wanted to see a radiant smile blossom on her beautiful face as she was filled with happiness when faced with such a gesture on his part.

Hagoromo stopped for a moment as he analyzed his previous train of thoughts for a few seconds, before returning to his musings.

If this occurrence would have taken place two days ago, he was quite certain that it might have shocked him a little, since at that time he could have found himself confounded at the notions which were currently present inside his mind.

But as it were right now, he did not feel anything such as that.

What he experienced, however, was actual excitement in a manner that it made him feel almost giddy at the thought of doing something as mundane as offering his young lady flowers just so he could see her smile in joy at him.

Not even a second later, mirthful laughter escaped his lips as he could no longer contain himself in the face of this recent insight.

An elderly passerby sent a curious glance in his direction as he walked past him, but the young man did not seem to acknowledge it.

Instead, he simply quickened his pace, taking a sharp turn to the right as he entered the first alley which came into his sight.

He was quickly engulfed by the shadows which permeated the darkened alleyway as he ventured deeper within it, until he completely disappeared from the sight of anyone who might have been looking from the direction of the street.

After a few more moments of walking amidst the darkness of the deserted alley, he seemingly disappeared as he had never even been there to begin with, the last sight of him seen before his vanishing being the smile playing on his lips, as well as the white petals of a still indistinguishable flower which seemed to be growing from his gloveless palm.

2005/05/21 06:05 [Gasai Residence]

The following morning caught Yuno awake rather early as she was in the process of changing herself out of her sleeping clothes. She had just woken up a few minutes ago from another pleasant dream featuring a certain snow haired young man, and the content smile on her lips had yet to fade.

As soon as she was finished dressing, she rubbed the remaining sleepiness from her eyes, and then left her bedroom as she quickly made her way through the main hallway.

The previous night she arrived to a rather displeasing conclusion when she had tried to take a shower before she could have gone to bed. Apparently, the water had been finally cut off as her extremely tight budget had not been able to accommodate said utility for the past two months. Still, that had not posed too much of a problem to her as she quickly came up with an idea to overcome the slight impediment.

If her house had been left without running water, then all that she had to do was to steal some from her neighbors. Though in order to do such, she would have to wake up before them, so that she could take their water without risking being caught.

Stopping in front of the door, she put on her shoes, before unlocking it.

However, as soon as she opened the door, she did not take more than one step, for her attention was immediately drawn to a rather surprising sight.

Lying in the middle of the wooden veranda, not even a foot away from her feet, was a single white camellia with a small tag attached which was inscribed with a curvy 'H'.

Several moments passed, and she found herself still staring at the delicate flower while her mind worked to make sense of what she was seeing.

An expression of delight quickly blossomed on her face as she came to a realization and she immediately took the flower from the floor, cradling it to her chest.

Yuno felt warm and happy at the unexpected yet pleasant surprised that her fiancé had made her. She silently mouthed his name in a dreamy sigh, before her thoughts went back to the white camellia in her hands, once she remembered what it signified.

Her cheeks gained a rosy hue at the thought.

Suddenly turning around and dashing back inside her house, Yuno remained unaware of the pair of white eyes which had been gazing at her ever since she had opened the door.

The girl remembered that she left a half empty bottle of water on the kitchen table, so she went to retrieve it, before looking around the house for a vase to place the flower in. She couldn't let it wilt too soon due to a lack of water. It was another gift from him, after all.

Even if she was aware of how thirsty she was herself, she would have to wait until she eventually managed to get some water from her neighbors. Being able to preserve the beautiful flower from her Hagoromo for as long as possible definitely took precedence over that.

By the time Yuno was done with the flower affair, she realized that she had only half an hour left before her neighbors woke up, so she quickly ran back to her backyard, where upon arriving she climbed over their fence and jumped into their yard.

She had only one hour left before she would have to leave for school herself, which meant that she had to be fast if she wanted to finish her morning routine.

Several hours later... [Sakurami Middle School]

Yuno was walking along the main hallway with a happy smile on her face as she absentmindedly played with a lock of her rose colored hair.

The last class had been rather boring to her, as was significantly ahead on that particular subject, however, she managed to put that free time to good use by thinking about her beloved Hagoromo.

So she barely felt the minutes fly by, and by the time she came back from her reverie, the dismissal bell had already rung.

But now that school was finally over for the day, her previous daydream induced pleasant mood was lifted even further, as she could once again see him in person.

The mere thought of him made her feel warm inside. Yuno picked up her pace and hurried toward the exit, a smile forming in her lips in anticipation.

Several minutes earlier, just before she had left the classroom, she had seen her beloved in the same spot as the previous day, seated on that bench as he kept gazing in the direction of her classroom. And as soon as she made eye contact with him, he offered her a charming smile that brought a rather vivid coloring to her cheeks.

Yuno felt the previous surge of warmth become even more intense as she continued to think about her Hagoromo, and how happy he was making her feel with each of his actions towards her.

Ever since the start of their first date, he had treated her as if she was royalty—a princess. His princess. He had been so sweet, thoughtful and gallant to her that she couldn't see him as anything but a prince charming who had come and swept her off her feet, bringing her into a fairytale.

A real fairytale.

A giggle escaped her mouth as soon as she registered the oxymoron conjured by her mind.

It might have sounded like a contradiction, but it was what currently defined her life.

From the moment he had saved her on that fateful day, her life had been turned into a veritable fairytale, one that was only getting more and more fantastic with each passing day as the two of them grew closer to each other. Until the moment when she knew they would finally be united in both body and soul.

Moments later, a cheerful smile graced Yuno's lips, though she had to put an end to her musings once she came face to face with the main doors of the school.

But that didn't matter. Because with a few more steps, she would be with her beloved Hagoromo once again!

She could barely wait, and all of the excitement welling up inside of her was definitely not helping.

With a firm push of her hands, the only obstacle separating Yuno from her Hagoromo was removed, and the girl happily walked out into the courtyard, her eyes already locked with mesmerizing pale ones.

She felt her cheeks flush when he gave her another one of his enchanting smiles, and she wasted no more time and ran toward him, ignoring all of the stares and whispers that she received from most of the occupants of the courtyard when they seemed to take notice of her.

It didn't take her more than a few seconds to reach her beloved Hagoromo, and as soon as she was within arm's length of him, she did not even let him greet her and immediately embraced him in a tight hug.

After almost a minute of holding him within her warm embrace, she gently let go of him, before she raised herself to his eye level and planted a brief yet affectionate kiss on his lips.

Her action seemed to surprise him a little, if the minuscule yet still noticeable widening of his eyes was any indication.

As she pulled back from their short kiss, Yuno gazed at him with a loving smile. "Thank you, Hagoromo," she voiced happily.

The young man smiled fondly at her. "You are welcome, Yuno," he replied.

Following their brief verbal exchange, a relative silence fell between the two of them for the next few moments, as both of them seemed to be content with just gazing one at the other, all the while paying absolutely no heed to the murmurs of gossip that the rose haired girl's previous affectionate display had generated.

A minute later, Hagoromo decided to break the silence between them and offered her his right hand. "Shall we?" he voiced with his smile still present on his face.

In response, Yuno merely grasped his hand gently as the both of them turned around and prepared to head toward the exit of the courtyard.

However, before completely facing away from the school building, the white haired young man sent a brief glance in the direction of a particular window as his pleasant smile became lopsided.

A moment later he resumed his walking at a leisure pace alongside the rose haired girl while he gently held her hand in his own.

An angry scowl marred her features while her brown eyes continued to glare with heated intensity at the revolting display that her pink haired classmate was putting on with that white haired model.

She almost felt the urge to throw up when she saw that bitch kiss him and then act all lovey-dovey with him like they were some actors in a cheap romance flick.

Just how desperate could that Gasai be? To continue with her pathetic farce even after everyone must have realized how much of a fake it was?

Honestly, she didn't know whether her classmate was that stupid or that much of a slut.

Probably both.

And given how rich her parents were, that bitch must have surely had enough money to pay for all of the extra services when she had hired that model.

Still, none of that mattered, because very soon she would put her back into her place.

A malicious smile slowly formed on her lips when she remembered the plan that she had come up with during the previous day.

She could barely wait to see the face of that Gasai after she told her what would be happening to her. And she was curious if the bitch would still feel like keeping on with her charade even after she had been taught her lesson.

A dark chuckle suddenly escaped her mouth at that particular thought, however, it soon died in her throat the moment her eyes caught sight of that handsome model briefly glancing in her direction as he gave her a thin, crooked smile.

For a few moments she stood there, behind the window on the hallway, rooted in spot as she tried to make sense of whatever had just happened, before she felt a cold shiver run down her spine when a particular thought entered her mind.

Could that young man have figured out what she was up to?

No, that shouldn't have been possible. Not when she had only talked about her plan with her best friends and their respective boyfriends, all the while being in the privacy of their empty classroom.

There just couldn't have been any possible way for anyone to find out about what they had discussed, especially for that white haired model, who had done nothing else besides sitting outside on that bench and looking pretty, before finally taking his leave with that pink haired bitch.

After thinking for a while longer, she realized that she must have been a bit too paranoid due to all of the plotting that she had done so far, because there was no conceivable way for that young man to even suspect what she was up to.

Not when he had never even looked at her for more than a few seconds combined ever since their first encounter at that aquarium.

Which meant that she was most likely overthinking it, as perhaps in reality he had simply looked in her direction, and not specifically at her.

Maybe there had been something in her way which had briefly caught his attention, or maybe he was just being weird.

She had seen a lot of models who had quite the odd quirks with how they sometimes randomly smiled at the people they met.

Still, even with her disregarding of that option due to it being obviously her paranoia talking, she would definitely have to wait until Gasai was alone in order to carry through with her plan, since she couldn't have any witnesses, for otherwise she wouldn't be able to cover up her tracks after she was done with her.

She couldn't risk anything, so she would have to wait for the right moment to put her plan into motion.

Later that day...

Hagoromo was sitting atop the ledge of a tall building, his snowy tresses gently swaying in the mild evening breeze as he appeared to be currently lost within his thoughts.

For the past few minutes he had been reflecting on the events that took place during the day so far, and the more he contemplated, the more he felt the pleasant warmth within his being intensify.

Ever since he saw Yuno's reaction to his gift, he was left with a warm feeling in his chest that seemed to grow tenfold upon his receiving of that hug and kiss from her.

A soft laugh escaped his smiling lips. It seemed that he was beginning to fall for her faster than he had thought.

Though it did not bother him.

In fact it excited him, for it meant that her allure was even more exquisite than he had initially imagined it to be.

Such a marvelous being his delicate flower was turning out to be. Enrapturing him further and further with each passing day.

He wondered how long would it take until she fully had him under her charm. Probably not very long, if the recent developments between them was of any indication. And when that was to finally happen, only one thing would be left for him to do. He would have to honor his promise to her.

But until then, he would make sure that he experienced even more of these wonderful feelings that she so easily seemed to be capable of stirring within his being with either her simple presence, her words, or her actions.

The next day...

Sitting on the soft grass, next to the shadow of a large tree, Yuno was gazing lovingly at the retreating form of her beloved as she once more seemed to be slowly falling into another one of her reveries.

Just like the morning before, she had found a wonderful surprise waiting for her at her doorstep, a beautiful bouquet of vibrant red chrysanthemum with the same inscribed tag.

She had been so ecstatic when she had seen them, because she quickly understood their meaning and what they symbolized.

It had brought her immense joy to know that her Hagoromo had come to feel about her in such a way, and she had made sure to let it be known to him just how happy his gift had made her.

A blush slowly crept over her cheeks when she remembered that particular moment, and how Hagoromo had reacted to it.

The slightly shocked yet exhilarated expression on his face after she had kissed him for two minutes straight had been a sight that she will never forget.

And she was quite sure that he wouldn't be forgetting it either.

A cute giggle escaped her lips at that particular thought, however, her musings were soon cut short by a mocking voice coming from her left.

"So you're still playing house with that fake boyfriend of yours, eh Gasai?"

Yuno slowly turned her head in the direction of the voice, assuming a polite yet slightly strained expression as she was struggling to keep in check the previous spike of anger that had been brought by the rude and sudden interruption of her precious alone time.

She took a moment to glance at the faces of the three girls that became the cause of her ire, and she noted that she vaguely remembered them as being some unremarkable classmates of hers.

She didn't exactly remember their names, not that she cared about them, though she remembered seeing them several times at school from passing glances.

"Well, look at that girls," the same voice spoke, which Yuno had now noted to belong to the maroon haired girl with the haughty expression on her face. "It seems that we've managed to get miss prim and proper quite angry."

At that, the girl began laughing, before she was quickly joined by the other two standing next to her.

"What's the matter, Gasai?" the girl spoke once more. "Angry that you got interrupted from your little game? Or perhaps 'cause we hit a nerve earlier with our greeting?"

Another series of laughing followed, however, seeing that the rose haired girl still didn't seem to properly acknowledge her presence, the maroon haired girl added with a sneer.

"Come on, bitch, say something."

Ignoring the obvious taunting, Yuno schooled her features, until only a small frown remained visible on her brow.

"I suggest you stop wasting my time and go away before my patience wears thin," she replied smoothly, giving each of the girls a brief glance before she dismissed them as if they weren't even worthy of her time.

Her response, however, didn't seem to be very appreciated by any of the three girls as they immediately glowered at her with anger reflecting in their eyes as well as on their faces.

"You think that you can threaten me, bitch?!" the girl with maroon hair hissed out, before a malicious grin slowly replaced her previously irate expression. "Well, let's see if you will still say that after we are done with you."

Following those words, the girl snapped her fingers, prompting Yuno to quickly turn around and look behind her once she heard a rustling of the leaves and branches.

However, as soon as she turned the other way, her eyes immediately widened when she was faced with the unfamiliar visages of three dark haired boys, two of which had wasted no second and quickly grabbed her arms in an attempt to hold her still.

Despite her fierce struggling, the two slightly older boys had eventually managed to overpower her and restrained her movements, while the third one helped the others turn her around until she once again faced the three girls who now had smirks plastered on their faces.

A scowl quickly found its way on Yuno's face as she stopped concealing her anger and openly glared at the smug looking girls in front of her.

"Let go of me this instant!" she almost snarled, her rage barely under control as she glowered at her captors, prompting the boy holding her right hand to visibly flinch after taking a glimpse at her smoldering eyes.

"Ooh, so scary, Gasai," the maroon haired girl mocked, before she directed her gaze at the boy who took a small step behind in fear. "Get your act together, Junichi!" she barked at him. "Can't you see that she's all bravado and no bite?"

The boy simply gave a quick nod followed by his rather meek reply. "Y-Yes, Ruri!"

The girl now identified as Ruri returned her gaze to the restrained form of Yuno, before she let out a derisive laugh. "What, Gasai? Not so bold anymore?" she taunted, giving another laugh, before she was joined by the other two girls and two of the boys.

Yuno, on the other hand, continued to glare at them as her mind was trying to come up with a way to get herself out of her predicament.

Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly see any possible way for her to get out of this on her own, as she couldn't overpower the two boys who were keeping her restrained, nor could she try anything rash without making sure that she at least had a way to follow up.

As such, she was left with either waiting for one of them to make a mistake that she could use in her favor, or with waiting for Hagoromo to return and help her.

The rose haired girl was brought out of her thoughts when she heard that girl, Ruri, speak once more, before noticing herself being dragged by the three boys.

"Alright, boys, let's get going," she ordered as she started walking toward the tree line. "We can't be doing this in plain sight now, can we?"

As soon as that last sentence was registered in her mind, Yuno felt a chill run down her spine as dread slowly began to take ahold of her at the possible implications.

She quickly came to the conclusion that they weren't exactly as stupid as she had initially thought, and that they must have carefully planned this scheme of theirs.

However, that did not deter her. She would still do whatever she could to get herself out of her predicament, or at least stall it as much as she could before her beloved came to help her.

If there was one thing that she was sure of, then it was the fact that Hagoromo would definitely find her, no matter how far in that forest they dragged her.

But until then, she would have to fight back as much as she could.

Meanwhile with Hagoromo...

A frown marred his ethereal visage as his eyes registered what was transpiring a considerable distance away from him. From the look of it, those insects had actually gone through with their scheme as soon as he he took his leave.

He had known that he and Yuno had been watched for most of the day, however, he hoped that the fools following them would have enough sense of self-preservation to not actually attempt whatever they might have been after.

Though in the end, it turned out that they were indeed foolish enough to do it.

Still, he had not been too angered, for he quickly realized that he could obtain something beneficial from their scheme. However, he was rather displeased due to the fact that he would have to allow Yuno's peace of mind to be slightly disturbed in order for him to achieve what he'd thought of.

He did not want to have her experience any sort of stress, yet at the same time, he was curious to see how she would act in such a situation. So, reluctantly, he decided to let her fend off for herself for a short while, for he wished to see the extent of her will himself.

He might have been able to infer it from some of her actions thus far, however, he had never seen it with his own two eyes.

Which was why he decided to use the opportunity of being asked to buy some water in order to watch her from afar, in the case that those who had been following them were to strike.

And so far, he had been very pleased with how Yuno had been doing.

Even after being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, she had not once wavered in her resolve and continued to show a willpower that left him impressed.

And yet, he could have never expected the sight which he saw when those fools revealed to Yuno what their scheme entailed.

The sheer wrath that reflected in her eyes when she was told what awaited her left him shocked and then impressed as he watched something which he could have only described as a caged titan fighting back against its bindings with nothing but utter defiance.

It was a magnificent display, and it made him feel something that he had not felt in a long time.

Pride...

For another being. And a human, no less... Though he could argue that she wasn't exactly human by most standards. She clearly seemed to be beyond one in mind and spirit.

His thoughts on that matter were cut short unfortunately, as he was immediately brought out of his entranced state when he noticed what would happen to her, were he not to intervene.

The reason why such an expression of anger was currently present on his visage as he watched through his all-seeing white eyes how those insects attempted to touch what belonged to him.

To try and tarnish with their filth that which was pure?!

Unforgivable.

He did not know ever since he had come to consider Yuno as being his, though it did not matter, for right now he would have to show those insects that there was a steep price to pay for their audacity.

Not even a split second later, Hagoromo vanished in a burst of speed.

White hot rage began to course through her being as her mind registered the words spoken to her.

That bitch—no, that insect had dared to claim that those other three insects that have been keeping her restrained so far would actually have their way with her?

That they would attempt to touch her body? The body she had dedicated to her Hagoromo? Touched by vermin?!

That they would try to take what only belonged to him? That they would defile her?! Taint her mind and soul with their vile, repulsive filth?!

Never.

Her blood boiled at the mere thought that anything else other than her beloved would attempt to touch her, and she already felt dirty just by hearing those words.

She would not allow such a thing to happen.

They would not touch her.

No.

Her anger spiked even further as those words from before continued to echo in her mind.

Nobody else other than Hagoromo would ever touch her in such a manner.

She would not permit them!

No.

"You will not touch me..."

Her voice was but a whisper, yet her eyes were burning with smoldering anger.

And despite her captors hearing her faint words with clarity, they had no time to contemplate, for in less than a second after she had spoken, she finally let out all of her accumulated anger in one single, mighty heave.

With a strength that completely belied her lithe frame and with a wrath that had no place on such an angelic face, Yuno let out an enraged howl as she pulled her arms with all of her might.

And then, with the fury of a maddened titan that had just broken its millennia old shackles, she took a step forward.

"You will not touch me..."

Those words had been their only warning, as in the blink of an eye, the two boys keeping the rose haired girl's arms restrained were thrown to the ground in front of her like rag dolls, while the third one standing in front of her was lifted over her back and sent hurtling to the grass covered soil behind her.

Yuno took another step, her movements slow and deliberate as she glared with ferocious intensity at the shocked faces of the three girls standing only a few feet away from her.

The sheer amount of fury reflected in her cerise eyes was enough to make those three take a step back in fright.

"W-What the hell?!" the girl with blond hair spoke with a stutter, her fear at the menacing sight before her evident in her voice. "H-How did she do that?!"

"S-She's gone mad!" the brunette girl to the right shouted in fright, before she turned to the girl next to her. "Ruri, do something! She looks like she's ready to kill us!"

The maroon haired girl, however, didn't seem to respond as she simply stood rooted in place, unable to tear her gaze away from the pair of eyes that were glaring at her with such wrath that it terrified her.

She was only brought out of her stupor when the enraged girl took another step in her direction, moment when she immediately panicked and shouted. "K-Kenta, do something!"

She was ready to shout again when she saw Yuno attempt to take another step toward her, however, a relieved sigh escaped her mouth once she saw her boyfriend tackle the rose haired girl to the ground.

"Junichi, Hiro, help me!" the dark haired boy barked, prompting the other two to quickly scramble to their feet and rush toward him.

The three boys managed to once again restrain the enraged girl, however, even pinned to the ground as she was, she continued to put up incredible resistance as she struggled to break free from their grip.

"Dammit, bitch, stay still!"

A moment later, Yuno felt a searing pain explode in her abdomen when the boy identified as Kenta delivered a heavy blow to her stomach, knocking the air out of her.

She had to suppress a wince when she took a slightly ragged breath to refill her lungs, and she knew that the previous punch would be leaving her with an ugly bruise.

"I warned you," the boy spoke once more. "Your fault for not listening."

As soon as those words reached Yuno's ears, she began thrashing even harder and was about to free one of her arms when another strong punch to her abdomen momentarily stopped her from her flailing.

"Are you fucking stupid?!" the same boy shouted at her. "Or do you like being hit?! Tell me, you crazy bitch!"

Yuno felt another sharp pain in her stomach, but this time she did not even flinch. Instead she simply glared at him, her cerise orbs showing an utter defiance that seemed to anger the boy even further.

The girl had braced herself for another hit, however, she never felt it come, as the boy's fist was stopped by the one sitting to her left who had barely caught it in time with one of his hands.

"Stop it, moron!" the boy, Hiro, yelled at his friend. "Do you want to kill her?!"

"No, you idiot! I was just teaching her a lesson, that's all," Kenta snapped back as he shook off the arm holding his fist. "Now shut up and hold her still while I try to take off her clothes. It's been already enough time, and if we don't hurry we'll risk getting caught."

"Whatever... idiot..." Hiro mumbled under his breath as he put even more of his weight on the girl's left arm.

Seeing as Kenta took out a pocket knife from his jacket and brought it near the restrained girl's blouse, the other boy who had been silent ever since the maroon haired girl had yelled at him earlier decided to speak.

"Don't you think that we're taking it too far?" he questioned, prompting the boy holding the knife to give him a sharp look.

"How about you stop being a wimp and instead make sure that she doesn't move. 'Cause if she does, I might accidentally cut something else other than just her clothes," Kenta retorted harshly while waving his knife for emphasis. "Okay, Junichi?"

"O-Okay!" the boy quickly replied as he made sure to apply more force on the girl's right arm.

Returning back to his task at hand, Kenta brought his knife once more near the collar of Yuno's blouse, however, before he could have moved his hand even another millimeter, he simply froze, his body suddenly seizing up as if under the effect of an invisible force.

Not even a moment later, his knife dropped from his hand as he fell to the side like a marionette whose strings had been suddenly cut.

The other two boys quickly followed suit, they too falling motionless on the grassy soil as though life had simply left them.

When Yuno saw the three boys who had been keeping her restrained up to that point suddenly fall off of her and to the ground motionless she knew that something unusual happened.

Something peculiar, because she had not seen any previous indication of their abrupt demise.

No gunshot wound. No needles sticking out of them. No knives in their skulls. No nothing.

They had just dropped to the ground as if someone or something had simply willed them to death.

She did not know what happened and she could neither come up with any logical explanation to what she had just witnessed.

One moment they had been alive, and the other they were lying on the ground motionless. Lifeless.

Putting aside her thoughts about the mysterious demises of those three boys for the time being, Yuno slowly brought herself in a sitting position, but had to suppress a wince when a sharp pain shot from her bruised abdomen.

However, her attention was quickly brought away from her current pain when she took in the sight that welcomed her only a few feet in front of her.

Those three girls who had been awfully silent ever since her earlier outburst were now quite the sight to behold, and she could not help but allow a small, vindictive smile to settle on her lips when she saw the pathetic state that they were currently in.

The brunette one was splayed on the ground, seemingly unconscious and with the beginning of a wet spot slowly forming on the front of her skirt.

The blonde one was sitting on all fours, puking her guts out.

And lastly, the maroon haired one was, rather surprisingly, still standing, however, she seemed to be somehow immobilized as well, and was silently shaking in what she could only assume to be terror as tears were falling from her wide open eyes.

Yuno's mind once again wondered to these inexplicable occurrences and their possible causes as she tried to find a logical explanation for what her eyes were currently showing her. Though, just as before, she could not come up with anything.

Or, at least, not until she saw him.

The sound of twigs cracking and leaves rustling immediately brought the rose haired girl's attention to her right, and she had to fight back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes when she saw the face which had emerged from the shadows of the many trees surrounding her position.

Her beloved—her Hagoromo, was heret! And he had come for her just as she had known that he would.

She continued to watch him as he slowly walked in her direction, his gentle visage rapidly filling her with warmth and safety.

She tried to take a step toward him, however, another sharp pain flared from her stomach, prompting her to wince and stop in her tracks.

It seemed that her injury was more serious than she had thought, however, it was still nothing more than one hell of a bruise. So, it was relatively fine.

Moving her hand over to her bruised abdomen in an attempt to soothe the pain, Yuno glanced back at Hagoromo, though as soon as she saw his eyes, she was no longer able to hold back her tears.

Gone was the previous warmth in them, as it had been replaced by an anger of an intensity that sent chills down her spine.

It was not the kind of anger that had took ahold of her being earlier when she had been driven into a maddened rage.

No, this anger in his eyes was focused and perfectly contained. It was controlled and directed only where it had to be.

And yet, she knew that it was not directed at her, and that was exactly the reason why she had been unable to keep herself from crying.

She was happy. So happy that he cared about her to such an extent that by merely seeing her in pain was enough to incite so much fury from him.

But just as it had previously come, all of the anger was gone from his eyes in less than a few seconds, as it was once more replaced with the previous gentleness and warmth.

And then, she felt herself get pulled close to his chest, his lean arms quickly encircling her lithe frame as she was filled with even more warmth, tenderness and security. So much that she could do nothing else but melt in his protective embrace.

"Be at ease, Yuno," she heard him whisper gently in her ear. "You have me with you now," he held her even tighter. "There is nothing to worry about anymore."

And she could do nothing but believe him. Because so far everything that he had said to her had become true.

She was held in his arms for another minute, before she felt his warmth eventually fade away as he stopped hugging her.

She idly noted that the sharp pain in her abdomen seemed to have somehow almost vanished during the time she had spent in his embrace, however, she quickly filed that thought for later when she saw him shift his attention to her previous captors.

Yuno watched in curiosity as Hagoromo turned around to face the three girls, before slowly walking in their direction, his steps measured and his face set in a stern expression that looked more than frightening with how it was emphasized by his prominent eye ridges.

She felt no small amounts of satisfaction when she noticed how the eyes of the still standing girl widened even further in horror as she kept staring at the young man's approaching form.

The girl's trembling was increasing in intensity with every step that Hagoromo took toward her, and she seemed to be fighting against her unresponsive body as she tried to will it to move.

By the time the young man reached the shaking girl's position, she seemed to have managed to overcome her fear and had gone on a mad dash toward the opposite direction, quickly disappearing among the thick foliage as she ran as fast as her legs carried her.

Seeing as her beloved did not seem to be bothered by that development, Yuno realized that he must have had something planned in mind, and thus, she decided to simply watch the unfolding situation.

She wondered what he would be doing when she saw him stop right in front of the remaining two girls, and she seemingly got her answer when she saw him crouch down next to the still unconscious girl and the heaving one, only to grab a fistful of their hair and lift them a few inches above ground, until they were up to his eye level.

The sudden pain that came with this action seemed to rouse the passed out girl back to consciousness, as well as stop the other one from her dry-heaving as both of them were now looking at his cold and narrowed eyes in abject terror.

"P-Please..." she heard the blonde girl stuttered. "H-Have m-mercy..."

"D-Don't k-kill us..." the brunette one struggled to speak over her fear.

Yuno almost scoffed at the girls' words. She sure did not seem to have part of any mercy from them!

A dry chuckle escaped the rose haired girl's lips after being faced with such hypocrisy on her classmates' part, before her attention was brought back to her beloved when she heard him chuckle after a few moments as well.

A tiny smile quickly found its way on her face at that. It seemed that he was just as amused as her upon hearing those girls' words. Her smile became even wider when she saw the terrified expressions that formed on their faces when Hagoromo gave them his response to their previous pleas.

"I believe that the fact you have been left alive up to this point has been an act of mercy in and of itself," she heard him state in a matter-of-fact tone that seemed to be completely out of place with the current amused smile tugging at his lips.

Then she saw him briefly glance at her, before she heard him continue. "Besides, it is not my place to offer you any mercy right now."

As soon as his words reached Yuno's ears, a very familiar voice made itself known once more inside her mind.

"They must pay for what they had tried to do to you."

Feeling in agreement with the voice, the rose haired girl glanced at the two girls whose eyes were now staring fearfully at her and offered them a sweet smile as she relished in the expressions that it brought onto their faces.

"P-Please, n-no..."

"Please..."

The girls voiced as tears started to pool in their eyes, however, Yuno could care less.

She had not forced them to do any single one of the things that they had done, and now they would only be reaping what they had sown.

Her attention was brought once more to her beloved when she saw him start walking toward her with the two girls being dragged by their hair behind him as they flailed wildly and screamed their lungs out, all the while trying to free themselves from his iron grip.

"N-No!" the blonde girl screamed. "I d-don't want to d-die!"

"L-Let me g-go!" the brunette cried. "N-No!

Yuno ignored their shrieking and watched Hagoromo as he stopped a couple feet in front of her.

"Well then," she heard him state in an even tone as he gave a quick glance to the still struggling girls, before he looking back at her. "Their fate is yours to decide now."

"Make them suffer..." the female voice sounded once more inside her mind, tempting her with its words.

Yuno sought her beloved's eyes once more, and as though understanding her unspoken question, he immediately replied.

"Offer them whatever punishment you deem to be necessary for what they had tried to do to you."

She briefly glanced at the two girls, noting that they were beginning to get exhausted from their constant flailing and that their voices were becoming hoarse from all of their screaming.

"Death..." she heard the voice utter in a chilling tone. "They deserve death."

The distinctively female voice continued to whisper inside Yuno's mind, and she felt herself slowly give in to its beguiling words.

"They had hurt you. They had tried to defile you. They could have even deprived you of the warmth of Hagoromo... They deserve to be punished for their actions!"

This was the second time when she had found herself to be so strangely in accord with the voice inside her head, and she could not help but agree with its suggestions.

"Yes, Yuno... They deserve only death for their sins... Slow, agonizing death."

As the last of her resistance vanished, Yuno heard one last whisper from the voice, before she felt her consciousness begin to slowly drift away.

"Yes... Let me guide you... Let me help you."

He felt like laughing. Laughing at the sheer irony of it all.

And how could he not? How could he not laugh when he had just realized that his entire metaphor of a flower blossoming he had attributed to Yuno had actually been partially true?

At first, he had taken to using that metaphor as a way to simply describe the process of her rising above the degrading weakness of humanity, however, he would have never guessed that his metaphor actually reflected a hidden aspect of her. One which had been lying buried deep within her being for who knows how long.

And yet, here he was, standing before something that he could only describe as the epitome of bloodlust, wrath and mania, all blended perfectly into a beautiful yet deadly mix.

In a way, it reminded him of his own mother, on that day when he had fought her alongside his brother...

Hagoromo wondered how had such a thing come into existence. Yet, despite his curiosity, he would not pry, for he could never even fathom infringing upon her privacy.

She was not an insect like the others. No, she was special. And that was why he would never dare touch her privacy unless she wished for him to do as such. Because he respected her. Because he held her dear.

However, what he could do was to take a better glimpse at this hidden beauty of hers. To look at what she was displaying with better clarity. To feel it with his senses.

That way he would not invade upon her privacy and he would be able to better understand better what he was currently seeing.

And so, he closed his eyes and when he opened them next, he was met with a world of utmost clarity. A world visible only through his all-seeing white eyes.

Focusing both his gaze and senses on the rose haired girl before him, he looked and at the same time also felt for the two energies that were present in each and every human or sentient creature alike, all the while making sure to avoid any other things of an intimate nature.

He first inspected her physical energy, and he quickly noted that it did not seem to be out of the ordinary for what appeared to be the norm in this world.

Then, he moved onto her spiritual energy, the one which was attributed to the consciousness of the individual's mind.

Once again, with great care so as to not to infringe upon her intimacy, he inspected her spiritual energy, and after no more than a brief moment, he immediately found the answer to his previous question.

Her spiritual energy seemed to be fluctuating rather wildly, as though a sort of struggle between wills was taking place within her mind and soul.

But that was not all.

With the unmatched perception given by his eyes, he was capable of actually seeing how her energy was slowly but progressively changing in aspect as it was being dominated by a much darker shade.

It truly did not take him very long to come up with an explanation for what was currently happening to his beautiful flower.

Despite the state of self-understanding and clarity that he had helped her reach through his subtle urging over the past few days, it seemed that he had not accounted for one possibility.

He had not considered the fact that she could have possessed hidden depths that one would have not been capable of becoming aware of under normal circumstances.

And given the fact that he would have never used his power to infringe upon her privacy, he decided that such lack of forethought on his part should be justified.

Still, the fact that he had been faced with such a surprise was making him very excited, for it meant that Yuno was even more unique than what he had initially thought.

But at the same time, this definitely pleasant revelation also brought him the answer to a question that he had been having ever since after their first date.

Though, with that answer came another question as well.

What could have happened to Yuno for her to repress parts of her own self to the point that they had given birth to another persona, an alter ego who embodied feelings and thoughts which had been forcibly locked away from her main personality?

He did not know, and as much as he might have wish to find out, he was aware that this topic must have been incredibly sensitive to her if she had developed an alternate persona as a result. And for that reason alone, he would not even contemplate about prying.

He was certain that eventually she would reveal that particular aspect to him, however, until then he could wait. Or if he were to get a better picture by obtaining clues without directly invading her privacy, then he would bring the matter to her in a conversation and try to infer his answer based on her response.

Ending his musings for the time being, Hagoromo deactivated his dōjutsu and returned his attention to Yuno just in time to notice her start walking away from from him as if in a trance.

He briefly glanced at her eyes, only to feel a pleasant tingle run up and down his spine as he noticed the look that was being reflected in those seemingly dulled cerise pools.

While most would have certainly defined this repressed self of hers as some sort of inner darkness, he would never entertain such ignorance.

Regardless of the nature of those suppressed aspects, they had once been part of her and thus they were the same as any other parts of her personality. The sole thing that differentiated them was the fact that they were merely separated fragments, locked away from her once complete self. Fragments which he would make sure that were returned back into place, in order to help her achieve balance and harmony with herself. A state of wholeness that she would have to attain in order to finalize her blossoming.

Curious and expectant to see what Yuno would be doing, he continued to observe her while she took a few steps, until she abruptly stopped and crouched down as she picked up what appeared to be a rock slightly bigger than her fist from next to a tree.

Then he watched her return back to her previous spot in front of him, before she began staring at the two girls who were still squirming in his grip, albeit with much less vigor as fatigue seemed to have taken its hold on them.

Another tingle ran down his back as he saw the expression that was slowly forming on her face and he quickly realized what was about to happen.

The vengeful and bloodthirsty smile coupled with the manic glint in her eyes easily hinted at what would be transpiring within the next few minutes.

And he could not help but feel himself becoming thrilled at such a prospect, since it reminded him of what he had witnessed only a few minutes prior, when he had seen her strike down those insects with the wrath of a titan that had just been freed from its millennia old prison.

But more so than that, he wished to see more of what had fascinated him ever since he had first seen her. He wanted to see each and every aspect that defined the beautiful and delicate flower who had managed to mesmerize him to such an extent.

His attention was brought back to his surroundings when he heard a rather loud thwack followed by a horrified scream which came from his left.

When he slightly turned his head to look, he was welcomed by the sight of a manic looking Yuno who seemed to have slipped into a bloodthirsty rampage and was continuously hitting the blonde haired girl with the rock that she had previously picked up.

He ignored the screams coming from the girl that was repeatedly being bashed over her face with a rock, as well as the desperate pleas coming from the brunette girl whose hair he was holding in his other hand, and he instead focused completely on Yuno as he admired the exquisite expression that was currently present on her beautiful features.

And the more he watched her, the greater he felt his pride for her become.

The strong will power that she had shown from the very begging of her conflict... To the way she unendingly fought to defend her dignity.

From her willingness to do whatever necessary in order to preserve said dignity... To the very moment when she had lashed out like a fierce tigress at the indignity that she could have possibly suffered at the hands of those animals.

How could he not be proud of her? How could he not feel such great pride when, in his eyes, the very last one of the shackles that had once so tightly clung around her, finally shattered this very moment?

By the time he was done with his musings, Hagoromo noticed that the blonde girl to his left seemed to have gone completely limp at some point, and judging by how caved in her face appeared to be, as well as by how many bits of gore were present on his jacket, he could safely assume that she was dead.

So, he spent no more time holding onto her lifeless body and promptly let it fall from his grip as it landed on the grass beneath with a thud.

Following that, he turned his gaze to his left where he saw how Yuno was repeating her previous procedure as she was now applying it to the brunette girl, however, his attention was once more focused solely on the rose haired girl when he saw her suddenly freeze mid swing, the bloodstained rock falling from her grip as her hand began to tremble.

His pale eyes quickly sought her face, and he immediately saw the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes, as well as the horrified expression which was slowly spreading over her shocked features.

Not even a moment later, he clearly understood what was happening when he heard her let out an anguished wail as she collapsed on her knees, before she started crying.

Her wide eyes were staring in horror at her shaking hands as she watched the still fresh blood staining them slowly drip onto the grass.

Tears were freely trailing down her anguished face as she silently wept in despair at the single thought that was being repeated over and over in her mind.

She had lost... everything...

In less than five minutes she had lost everything that she had... Everything that ever brought her happiness and joy... Everything that she cared for... Everything that gave meaning to her life...

She had lost him...

The one she loved so much that she could not live without.

And all of that happened because of what she had just done.

She had killed them.

She had failed to resist the tempting voice inside her head and she had allowed her darkness to consume her. She had let it take control of her and make her kill those two in front of him.

It was her fault. It was her fault for allowing that to happen.

And because of that, she had now lost him...

"Would you stop being so pathetic already?!"

Yuno tensed as soon as she heard the very familiar voice snap in annoyance inside her mind.

"All I did was kill those two harlots! As punishment for what they had tried to do to us!"

She felt anger slowly bubble within herself as she listened to the voice, which seemed to be getting more loud with every uttered word, yet she managed to prevent the rage from taking ahold of her.

"I did what I had to do in order to protect our dignity... I helped you! So stop being melodramatic and get your damned act together!"

The moment when those last few words registered inside her mind, the rose haired girl was no longer able to hold back her anger any longer and immediately lashed out, fueled even further by all of the despair which had drowned her thoughts in a sea of darkness.

"Helped me...?" her voice was barely above a whisper, but her words were clear and held an edge that could have easily cut through stone.

A few seconds passed, before she spoke once more, seemingly to no one but herself from an outside perspective, however, this time her words came out as harsh and filled with rage and sorrow.

"You take everything away from me and claim that you did it in order to help me?!"

Her voice got louder and louder with every spoken word, until it turned into an almost deafening cry that seemed to do little to properly convey the extent of her pain and misery.

"You do all of that and then say that you helped me?! HELPED ME?!"

By the time she was done shouting, tears were once again flowing freely down her reddened cheeks, but as opposed to her previous silent weeping, this time anguished sobs were also escaping her mouth as she seemed to be struggling with the torrent of emotion that had just swept her.

"If he cannot accept what I did—what we did... then he is not meant to be with you..." the voice made itself known once more, however, it now sounded noticeably different from before, coming off as less irate and, surprisingly, even slightly consoling.

Unfortunately, despite its attempt at offering some form of comfort to the young girl, it did nothing to alleviate any of her distress, and seemed to have actually worsened the situation.

"P-Please..." Yuno forced out through her choked sobs and tears as she struggled to finish her sentence. "J-Just... just leave m-me alone..."

Yet, the voice did not listen to her plea as it seemingly ignored just how close to completely breaking down the girl was and continued with its poignant words.

"Don't you get it?!" it asked, sounding almost incredulous. "If he is incapable of accepting what I represent, then he is not the one! If he cannot accept the whole of you, then you are better off without—"

Yuno was on the verge of losing whatever hope that she had desperately tried to cling onto as she continued to listen to the words spoken by that voice inside her mind, and just before she could have fallen into the dark depths of the abyss which was her despair, she was momentarily brought to a stop when she noticed the sudden vanishing of the voice.

However, she did not have any time to dwell on that, as she was almost immediately snapped out of her woeful thoughts the moment she heard her name being called by him.

"Yuno."

A moment later, as if being pulled away from the abrupt edge of the abyss by a hand offering her salvation, Yuno felt her hope return back when she turned around and was faced with a gentle and caring visage framed by silken and flowing snow-white hair.

After she had sought his eyes, for a split second, she had thought that their normally pale color had been replaced by a mesmerizing purple decorated with dark concentric rings, however, she quickly dismissed that as either her imagination or the light playing tricks to her own eyes when she noticed that his eyes were back to the same color after he blinked.

And then, all of her thoughts were brought to a stop when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap her in a comforting hug as they pulled her into a chest radiating a calming warmth.

Meanwhile, within Yuno's mind...

Over the past few years, it had done everything that it could have in order to fulfill its purpose in existence.

Ever since it had come into existence, it had done everything within its power to make sure that the one who had created it was being kept safe and protected.

Even from her own self if it would have ever been needed.

However, not very long ago, it had almost failed, as its originator's life had been very close to being snuffed out as a consequence to her being overcome by despair so fast that it could have done nothing to prevent it.

And yet, such had not been the case, for she had been saved from sure death by a young man who had brought a great change into her life in only a few days.

And that had been the moment when it had wondered if this man would be the one to whom it would eventually entrust its mission in existence—that of protecting its creator.

So, it had simply waited and carefully observed him while it dutifully continued its task, until the moment when she would have certainly been sure that he was indeed the one who could be entrusted its purpose of protecting her.

However, it would have never expected the revelation that it had been faced with only a few moments prior.

The very moment when it saw those enormous ringed eyes stare down at it with their admonitory gaze as though they could pierce through her very essence at any moment, it instantly froze. It simply froze under the weight of the glare that those eyes were giving it, and all traces of whatever previous thoughts were gone from its mind as it could only think about one single thing.

He was the one. He was the one who would keep her safe in its stead. He was truly the one whom she needed.

And then came the voice. His voice. A silent whisper which sounded akin to a thunderous bellow to its ears.

"That is enough! You shall be silent and you shall stop causing her any more distress!" it heard him utter, and while it could not comprehend how such a thing was even possible, it knew that it did not matter, for its purpose was nearly over.

"You have been warned."

As soon as it heard the last word being spoken, it felt itself being rapidly pushed away by a puissant force which shoved it toward the innermost part of its creator's subconscious.

"I don't have to protect her anymore... I... no... we—for we will soon become one—have you now... Hagoromo..." were its thoughts as it was slowly vanishing.

However, before it could have been completely gone, it felt a wave of regret and guilt wash over it as memories of it tormenting Yuno with many of its attempts at protecting her flashed through its mind.

"I am so sorry, Yuno... I am so, so sorry..."

And with that last thought running through its mind, the voice that had been protecting Yuno in its own twisted way, finally disappeared from the conscious part of her mind.

She did not know for how long she had been resting in his protective embrace, basking in his warmth, but she did not care.

Her misty eyes were no longer shedding any tears, and her features no longer denoted any of the earlier emotional pain or despair.

From the very moment when she had seen his visage and felt his arms wrap protectively around her lithe frame, she had realized that she had never lost any of what she had previously thought to have lost.

And that had made her feel guilty... guilty for ever doubting him... the one whom she loved so much... her Hagoromo.

"Hagoromo..." she began as she slightly raised her head from his chest, looking at his gently smiling face. "I am so sorry—"

She did not get to finish speaking as she quickly found a pale and slender finger slowly press itself against her slightly parted lips, preventing any further words from escaping her mouth.

A red dusting slowly spread over her cheeks and she gave him a curious gaze as she wondered why he had stopped her from speaking.

"I am the one who should be apologizing, Yuno," she heard him speak. "It is my fault for not doing this earlier... for not telling you what I should have said ever since I had realized it."

As she listened to his words, she felt her heart beat faster and she could do nothing to stop her mind from coming up with various wild scenarios in anticipation to what he would be saying to her next.

The answer that she had actually received, however, had completely taken her by surprise as she would have never thought that she was going to hear him say such a thing to her any time soon.

"You belong to me, Yuno, now and forever," she heard him utter, and the tone of his voice sent pleasant shivers up and down her spine as she looked deep into his pale eyes, unable to tear away her gaze from his own. "And nothing under the sun and moon shall change that. I will never leave you, my Yuno, no matter what."

She continued to look at him, momentarily transfixed by the words that her mind had just registered, but as soon as the initial shock began to vanish, she could not stop the tears that were rapidly beginning to fall anew from her cerise eyes.

And yet, as opposed to the last time, right now she was not crying because of her sorrow and despair.

No.

This time, the tears pouring from her eyes were those of joy and hope. And they seemed to be endless. Just like the emotions of happiness that were currently welling up inside of her.

Almost a minute had passed since Hagoromo had spoken those words to her, and she had yet to show any other reaction besides the salty liquid trailing down her reddened cheeks and the expression of pure joy present on her features.

Whatever traces of despair that might have still been left within her mind had been promptly melted away, and in their wake, a refined, undiluted expression of love made its way.

If she had loved him dearly until now, as of the past couple minutes, Yuno was certain that there did not exist words that could have properly conveyed the extent of her new feelings for him.

She simply loved him with every fiber of her body, and she doubted that there was anything that she would not do for him.

That was how much she loved him. So much that she would gladly even die for him if it meant that he would live.

Yuno was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt one of the arms still encircling her move down her back, however, before she could have wondered about it, she quickly felt the ground disappear from below her feet.

A vivid blush instantly adorned her beautiful face as she was met with the smiling visage of Hagoromo and she had to stop herself from squealing in surprise and delight when she realized that she had been swept off her feet and that she was currently being carried just like a princess.

Resuming to letting out a cute giggle instead, she gave him a playful smile as she asked.

"Where to, my handsome prince?"

The reply that she received from the equally amused snow haired young man did not seem to surprise her all that much.

"Why, to your palace, my beautiful princess."

A few moments later, she began giggling once again, which prompted her beloved to also let out a light chuckle, before he started walking slowly toward the tree line as he gently carried her in his arms, holding her close to the warmth of his chest.

As he was walking through the relatively small forest with Yuno in his arms while her head rested comfortably against his chest, Hagoromo silently contemplated about how his view on her, as well as his feelings for her had changed.

Despite having initially postponed it in favor of his timely intervention, by the time when he had seen her so close to having both a mental and emotional breakdown, he had known that he had to tell her what he had realized ever since he had first seen her hold herself in such a magnificent manner.

So, he had finally admitted, both to her and to himself, that he had come to see her as belonging to him, something which he knew that she most definitely reciprocated.

But by having done that, he was also aware that he had acknowledged the fact that he had begun to experience the blossoming of a feeling which he had seen and heard of, yet he had never experienced himself.

And knowing such a thing, it only filled him with anticipation and excitement, since he could barely wait to see how this new and exquisite feeling would further develop.

But until then, he would have to first explore more of this delightful emotion alongside with the one whom had managed to enkindle it within his being.

Finishing his previous train of thought, the snow haired young man glanced down at the rose haired girl in his arms, only to have his gaze be met with her own curious one.

"Hey, Hagoromo, what were you thinking about so deeply?" he heard Yuno ask in a slightly curious tone and with an expression which could not be described as anything but adorable.

"You, of course," he replied almost instantly, his lips slowly upturning into a smile.

As he observed her reaction to his previous words, he found the blush that had quickly adorned her cheeks to be particularly lovely, and he could not help but bring her lithe frame even closer to his chest.

He heard her mumble something in the fabric of his white shirt which prompted him to let out a light chuckle, but that seemed to only make the red dusting on Yuno's cheeks more prominent as she burrowed her face even more deeply into his chest.

Several moments passed in relative silence, before he heard Yuno speak once more as she turned to look at him with a curious glint in her eyes.

"There is something that I've been wondering about ever since you came to help me..."

He was not all that surprised to hear her words, since he was aware that she might have had some questions after seeing the rather peculiar occurrences which had taken place only a few seconds before his very timely arrival.

"Of course," Hagoromo replied almost immediately. "Ask away, my dear."

He was once again treated to the adorable sight of seeing Yuno blush as she must have most likely noticed the way he had addressed her, however, that did not seem to deter her too much as she eventually managed to voice out her question.

"It's about those three boys that appeared to have just dropped dead around a minute before you had arrived... Did you kill them?"

A small smirk found its way on his lips as he listened to her words.

He had been expecting her to ask him this question, given the mysterious circumstances that had surrounded his arrival, so he had decided ever since that if she were to ask him, then he would not withhold any information regarding it.

But besides that, he did not see any problem with disclosing this tidbit of information to her, since it would help with some of the things that he would have to explain when the time for him to make the grand reveal of his origins to her were to finally come.

"That I did," he admitted coolly. "Although, at first I had not intended to kill them per say," A frown crossed his visage as he added. "It was only after I saw them dare to touch you that I decided to be a bit more radical with my approach," His features softened and a slightly baffled expression made its way on his face. "But even so, I only subjected them to an amount of killing intent I had expected to simply leave them in a coma... I suppose that it had been just unfortunate for them that they had not been capable of withstanding even such little of my killing intent without dying."

The confused look that he had received from Yuno at the end of his speech told him exactly what she would be asking next.

"I see, but... isn't killing intent a concept that only exists in fiction?"

He stared at her puzzled expression for a few seconds, before he gave her a knowing smile.

"Oh, I assure you that it is a very real concept," Hagoromo spoke with a light chuckle. "The only reason you might have thought otherwise is because not many are capable of producing and focusing it to any substantial degree. And even in that case, killing intent is first perceived on a subconscious level, which means that it is very hard to identify it for what it is, unless one has had any prior experiences in dealing with it."

Finishing his explanation, he gave Yuno a few moments to digest the information before he added. "Besides, you should be at least remotely aware of how killing intent operates, given how you had used it yourself at least twice in the past hour," A fond expression made its way on his face as he recalled those two particular moments which left him mesmerized at the beauty that she had shown him. "And let me tell you this," he leaned in closer to her as he whispered directly into her ear. "You had been a magnificent sight to behold, my dear."

When he looked at her next, he was met with a fierily blushing face, which despite the rather noticeable embarrassment, also expressed such a degree of love that he was momentarily rendered speechless by it as a wave of warmth surged through his being.

By the time he recovered from the definitely exquisite experience, he was certain that there was much more to that incredible feeling which he had only recently discovered to be blossoming within him.

His attention was quickly brought back to Yuno when he heard her mumble once again from his shirt, her voice being much more distinguishable this time, despite the fact that she must have been feeling definitely more embarrassed than the last time.

"I-I see... Thank you, Hagoromo."

Hearing that, he simply offered her a smile, before he returned his gaze to the end of the tree line in front of him as the both of them slowly fell into a comfortable silence.

However, unbeknownst to the rose haired girl gently cradled within his arms, as soon as the snow haired young man stepped out of the small forest and back into the greenery of the park, from one of the trees behind him, a clone almost identical to him except for its wooden texture began to emerge, before it rapidly gained his exact features and color as it shot out of the bark, heading in the same direction where he had been coming from.

With Hagoromo's clone...

It took the clone less than a few seconds to return back to the small clearing where the previous events had taken place, and as soon as it did, it began walking toward the three still bodies of the boys who had died as a result of being subjected to the original's small dose of killing intent.

However, after only a couple steps, the clone's attention was quickly brought away from the three corpses when it heard a faint gurgle coming from several feet to its left.

Slightly turning its head to regard the source of the previous noise, the wood clone was definitely surprised by what it came to witness.

Lying with her face in a pool of her own blood, the brunette the girl from before, the one whose face Yuno had suddenly stopped pounding due to her wrestling back the control from the entity which had been possessing her, appeared to be much more alive than the original had initially thought her to be.

Although, it would have been wrong to say that he had actually checked to see if the girl was indeed dead, since he had been much more preoccupied with his beautiful bloodthirsty temptress, and thus, he had simply assumed that girl to be dead after a fleeting glance at her disfigured face and unmoving body.

However, now that the clone gave the bloodied girl a more thorough inspection, it was definitely right to say that she had survived the ordeal, albeit if barely, since with the current head trauma and internal bleeding that she presented, she would be dead in less than a few minutes.

Still, that did not mean it was not at least a little impressed. Actually, it was more than just a little impressed, since the girl must have possessed quite the will and desire to live in order to survive for such a long time with these grievous injuries.

Deciding that the original would definitely wish to know about this discovery, the wood clone immediately relayed the information to him, and was not that much surprised when it felt him assume direct control of it as he most likely wished to deal with the current situation himself.

So, with a mental acquiescence, the clone felt its consciousness return back to the original as it was absorbed into his own, before its body was left under his direct control.

The first thing that Hagoromo did through the wood clone's body was to take a few moments to laugh in amusement at the scene that he beheld through its eyes.

And the fact that he was already in very high spirits due to the events which had just taken place only minutes prior served to only further fuel his mirth.

Truly, it was quite the entertaining scenario, since he had not been expecting for that insect to have actually survived for this long.

In the end, it seemed that his comparison had been quite fitting, given how easily he could attribute a cockroach's resilience to the brunette girl.

Still, regardless of how similar to an insect she might have been, Hagoromo could not deny one simple fact. She was a rather entertaining insect. That was certain.

For her to manage to survive against such odds, it definitely amused him, and despite the fact that he did not completely understand the reason for why he felt so entertained by this occurrence, he wondered if he should perhaps reward her for being capable of clinging onto life for such a long time.

She had definitely exhibited some interesting resolve with her struggle to live, and if nothing else, he always acknowledged a strong will. That was one of the very few things that he never overlooked, nor left unappreciated.

Therefore, he decided to offer the dying girl a reward for managing to entertain him to such an extent, and began walking toward her prone form.

As he crouched down next to her face, he slightly raised a nonexistent eyebrow when he noticed her eyes widen in what he had identified to be pure horror, before an expression denoting the same emotion quickly took over her mutilated features as well.

He felt another faint flicker of amusement when he understood what must have prompted such a reaction from her. She must have definitely thought that he had returned to make sure that she was dead.

Another gurgle interrupted his brief musings, prompting him to focus back on the moribund girl as he noted that she seemed to be very close to choking on her own blood.

Deciding that this was as good of a moment that there would ever be for him to offer the girl her reward, Hagoromo allowed an eerie smile to tug at his lips as he spoke.

"Tell me, human... how much do you wish to live?"

The reaction that his words elicited from the almost dead girl as soon as she had registered them prompted the young man to let out an amused chuckle.

He thought that it had definitely been entertaining to watch how her expression had instantly turned from horrified to shocked, then to hopeful, before it returned back to fearful.

"Hmm," he hummed as he continued to stare in the hopeful yet frightened eyes of the brunette girl. "I suppose that given your current condition, showing would have been a much more proper term for me to use," he mused as his eyes never left those of the girl struggling desperately to maintain her rapidly slipping hold on life.

"Anyway, I have nonetheless seen the extent of your desire and have acknowledged it. You might be a pathetic creature, but you have shown me quite the strength of will. A worthy attribute to possess, and one that I never leave unappreciated."

Following his words, Hagoromo brought his right hand next to the girl's face, and tapped her bloodied forehead with his index finger.

As soon as he drew back his finger, it could be clearly seen that the skin beneath his touch had been made clean of any trace of the previous blood, in its place being now present a rather intricate pattern which was glowing in a whitish light.

Said light slowly diminished over the course of the next couple seconds, before it finally died down completely as it left behind an identical symbol, consisting of many complicated black lines, which gleamed once more before it promptly vanished from the girl's flesh.

Not even a moment after that occurred, the young man opened his hand and placed it over the girl's face as it was lit up in a green aura.

The effects appeared to be instant, and as soon as the glow of his hand illuminated the flesh beneath, all of the injuries began to rapidly mend themselves as the bone and cartilage were being reformed while the flesh was knitted back together.

By the time Hagoromo was finished with healing the girl, even the blood staining both her face and the grass below was no longer present, with the sole thing that could have indicated her previous near death experience being the multitude of scars that littered the skin of her face.

He might have decided to reward her, however, that had only included her being brought back from death's door. Not completely recuperated.

But besides that, given the fact that she had contributed in the scheme which had brought such distress to Yuno, the girl did not deserve anything more than what she had already been granted.

Noticing that the brunette girl had at some point recovered enough in order to move and had scuttled a few feet away from him, until she had stopped when her back had hit the bark of a tree, Hagoromo spent a few moments glancing at the equal part frightened and stupefied expression on her face, before he finally spoke.

"You must be wondering why you are unable to speak, right?"

The further widening of the terrified girl's eyes was an answer that told him everything that he might have wanted to know.

"Well, that side effect is merely a combination of your shock and me not allowing you to speak, since I truly do not feel like listening to you screaming as you would have most likely done were you able to utter any sound," he explained with a pleasant tone. "But rest assured that it will wear off as soon as I allow you to leave."

He took a moment to observe the girl's reaction, noting that she seemed to have calmed down a little, before he continued with his explanation.

"Now about that little light show that you must have definitely noticed before I healed you, it had simply been a precaution on my part, yet at the same time, it had been the punishment that you had due for daring to interfere with what belongs to me," he spoke, his tone taking on a darker edge toward the end, which prompted the shocked girl to flinch as her fear returned in full force.

The snow haired young man faced away from the girl huddled against the tree and voiced out once more as he raised his hand toward the three bodies in the distance, pointing his first three fingers at the corpses.

"Also," he began as the flesh at the tip of each of his extended fingers slowly parted away to reveal the ivory bone beneath. "That mark which I had branded you with is called a seal and its purpose is that of preventing you from revealing anything related to what had transpired during the past hour and few minutes, regardless of the means that you might think of employing in order to do as such."

Pausing as he fired the first phalanx from each of the three fingers, he moved his hand in the direction of the dead blonde girl and kept only his index finger extended as he repeated the procedure, before he observed how the bodies began to disintegrate as he resumed his speech.

"So, in other words, you will continue to live knowing every single detail of what you had witnessed today, but without being capable of divulging any of it to anyone else. A rather fitting punishment for what you had attempted to do, right?"

He briefly glanced back at the girl, noting her disbelieving expression as she had been watching the four bodies of her friends simply break down until only dust remained, before he addressed her one last time.

"Oh, and do not even think about trying to physically remove that seal by cutting up your flesh or whatnot, because I had the seal engraved directly unto your soul."

And with that, he materialized a small mirror which he dropped at the girl's feet, before he simply vanished from his spot, leaving behind the shocked girl and four small piles of dust that were quickly scattered away as a brief gust of wind blew through the clearing.

A very faint scream coming from the far distance had told Hagoromo that the brunette girl from before must have taken a glimpse at her face after he had allowed her to speak once again.

However, as entertaining as that human might have been, her role had come to an end, so he promptly discarded her from his thoughts and instead he ordered the clone whose body he was directly controlling to focus on the sight which could be seen several feet ahead.

Currently bound against a rather large tree by a dozen of thick branches which prevented her struggling form to escape lay the form of a girl with waist-long and maroon colored hair.

Hagoromo took a few moments to think about what he should do with her.

On one hand, she was the one who had organized the entire scheme, therefore she should be given the greatest punishment of them all.

But on the other hand, she was also the one who had managed to entertain him the most by being capable of withstanding and then even snapping out of his killing intent, which normally should have put her out of commission.

The fact that she had figured out that one could overcome killing intent through pain was definitely another plus for her.

And on top of that, she had also managed to evade the branches that he had used in order to capture her for roughly three minutes! Not that he had put too much of an effort behind this apprehending of hers to begin with, since he had wanted to play a little mind game with her before he came to personally deliver her deserved punishment.

But still!

She had been amusing enough for him to decide that she deserved something a bit more tame than let's say spending the rest of eternity inside the King of Hell.

After several more moments of contemplation, Hagoromo seemed to have finally decided on the girl's punishment and began to slowly walk in her direction, purposely stepping on a few dried up twigs in order to make his presence known to her.

He quickly came to realize that he quite enjoyed the look of abject horror which had instantly creeped up her features the moment when she had noticed him head in her direction.

Deciding that it was only fair of him to offer her the common courtesy of allowing her to say something akin to her last words, as well as being curious to see if she would actually say something intelligent enough in order to perhaps amuse him even further, he willed the vines that had been keeping her mouth covered to temporarily recede as he waited patiently for her to speak.

However, the words which escaped her mouth after a few moments left him rather disappointed.

"S-Stay b-back..." she stuttered out despite the evident terror that had taken ahold of her. "S-Stay back, y-you m-monster! D-De—mmphh!"

Unfortunately, she was not able to finish what she might have wanted to say, because the vines from before had quickly covered her mouth tightly once again.

"And here I was expecting you to say something intelligent and perhaps even interesting," the white haired young man began in a disappointed tone. "But I guess that the ignorance which is so prevalent amongst your ilk had gotten in the way of your reasoning as well."

A frown marred his ethereal features as he observed her struggling form. He did not truly expect her to understand his subtle allusion, but he did not feel like he had wasted his breath either, since he was sure that she would be having enough time to contemplate all of his words to a great extent after she received her punishment.

Deciding to add in a few more words before he finally wrapped everything up, Hagoromo addressed the bound girl once again.

"You know, in the past I used to be very disappointed and sometimes even sad whenever I saw such ignorance dominate the judgements of your kind. When people always labeled whatever they were incapable of comprehending with various denominations suggestive of evil or otherwise negative connotations just because they were feeling threatened by them."

He paused as he briefly closed his eyes, opening them a moment later to show that they had completely changed from their normal aspect, the previously pale iris now being of an eerie crimson color, with the pupil having been joined by three more other of a comma-like shape, which were lazily spinning around it in a hypnotic manner.

By the time he resumed his speech, the girl in front of him seemed to have been left in too much of a shock after having witnessed the activation of his sharingan to be capable of properly understanding what he told her next.

"However, lately I have come to find your ignorance rather amusing, as it seems to serve as a further catalyst for the amusement that I can possibly derive from your species."

Ending his speech, he wasted no more time and gazed directly into her frightened eyes as he addressed her for the final time.

"Now then, I hope that you will enjoy your next experience, since you will be rather stuck with it for the rest of your life... Or until somebody decides to put you down out of mercy, or compassion, or whatever, because on the outside you will very much resemble a vegetable with how deep into a coma you will appear to be," he spoke with a pleasant smile as he took a not-so-small measure of delight upon seeing her horrified expression. "Anyway, sleep well and sweet dreams."

And with that, the tomoe in each of his sharingan began to spin faster as he weaved the genjutsu that he would place the girl into for the rest of her days, an illusion carefully tailored to best suit her and provide a very authentic yet personalized experience of what the girl had intended to have his Yuno go through, had he not intervened and stopped her little scheme.

Giving one last glance to the comatose girl who was still bound by the dozen of thick branches, he snapped his fingers, which prompted the tree to grow a few feet taller, until the girl was at a safe distance from the ground.

It would not do to have her be eaten by foxes or whatnot before somebody found her and brought her to a hospital, as such a thing would definitely ruin her fun way too early.

But besides that, it was once more a simple common courtesy on his part to make sure that she was kept safe, until somebody found her, that is.

And to sweeten the deal, he had even modified the tree she was bound to a bit and made it capable of supporting her life by feeding her nutrients through those vines that were strapped over her mouth.

What? He might view the humans as lowly beings unworthy of his attention, but he still had his etiquette and manners. After all, if one was dealing with basic creatures, then it did not necessarily mean that one had to lower themselves at their level. However, if the creatures happened to be rabid, then he would, of course, gently set aside his civility and proceed to put them down swiftly.

Several moments of contemplation later, and Hagoromo realized that he was indeed done with the things involving those six humans, so he dusted his hands of the nonexistent dust, before he decided to dismiss the wood clone as he was more than busy with carrying Yuno back to her house, and maintaining his focus on the clone was slightly distracting him from his task.

So with a simple mental command, the clone went still as it began to rapidly lose its distinctive features, before it eventually turned into a tree identical with the many others in its vicinity.

*Chapter 7*: Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Chapter 5: Glass Ceiling

Later that day...

The faint glow of an impending dusk was bathing Hagoromo in its burnt orange hue as he stood unmoving on the sidewalk in front of a very familiar looking Japanese styled house.

It had been almost fifteen minutes since he brought Yuno to her house, yet he had not moved an inch ever since he lost sight of her when the metal door leading to her garden closed in her wake.

His attention might have been solely focused on his beautiful flower during the time he spent walking her home, however, as soon as he no longer found himself in her presence, thoughts which born inside his mind ever since the events from that park made themselves known to him.

That was the reason why he had been standing rooted in place for the past fifteen minutes, after all, with no clear indication of whether he would move or not anytime soon.

He had been carefully analyzing his actions during the most recent events, but in spite of his meticulous contemplation, he had yet to come to a definite conclusion.

The only thing he had so far was a simple question.

What moved him to display cruelty toward those humans when he should have just been apathetic instead?

After all, he was clearly aware of the fact that he had long ago acknowledged his apathy toward humanity.

So, then...

Why had he acted with any emotion toward those girls? Why had he shown malicious intent toward humans, when he should have simply not cared about them?

Such were the questions whose answers still eluded him. Questions that in order to obtain the answer for, he would have to think more deeply on the matter.

He would have to immerse himself into his contemplation, in an introspective manner similar to what he had done when he had secluded himself in the Genesis dimension for a whole week.

However, he knew that such a drastic measure was not needed in this case, for he was certain that a simple distancing from his current position and toward a more tranquil place should suffice.

A brief glance around himself told Hagoromo that for the time being he was the sole occupant of the small street, so he wasted no time and instantly hovered into the sky, vanishing from his previous spot in a barely distinguishable blur.

Meanwhile...

A soft sigh escaped Yuno's lips as she gazed at the wooden ceiling of her bedroom.

She had been lying in her bed for the past dozen or so minutes while her thoughts wandered back to the events which had taken place not even an hour ago.

She could vividly recall the words that her beloved Hagoromo had spoken to her, the words which had brought her such immense joy, that at that time she had thought to be dreaming for a brief moment.

He had told her that she belonged to him, that he would never leave her. And then he had cradled her in his strong arms, bringing her close to the warmth of his chest as he swept her off her feet.

All of that was still so incredibly fresh in her mind, that whenever she closed her eyes, she could see his sharp and focused eyes peering deep into her own with a sheer intensity that sent pleasant shivers down her back, before she would hear him speak those fateful words to her over and over again.

Letting out another dreamy sigh, Yuno closed her eyes and focused back on the wonderful memory as she basked in the incredible sensations that it instilled in her being.

She could slowly feel herself being overcome by an intense warmth as his words echoed in her mind, overwhelming her with a feeling of love so intense that it slowly burned her body with a pleasant heat.

She quickly grabbed one of the pillows on her bed, bringing her lithe arms around it and squeezing it tightly to her chest, before her face also found its way within the pillow's softness as she began to roll around in her bed.

It took her a few good minutes until she eventually came down from her emotional high, and by the time she did, she could feel the accumulated tiredness of the day slowly catch up to her.

Still, it was rather early for her to go to sleep and her exhaustion had yet to actually leave its mark on her, so she decided to spend some more time thinking about her beloved Hagoromo before sleep finally claimed her.

However, now that her previously intense emotions had also calmed down significantly, she could actually view the events of the day from a more clear perspective which allowed her to easily remember some things that would have otherwise escaped her notice.

From the very beginning she had realized that her Hagoromo was very different from anyone else she had met up until that point, but she had not paid too much mind to the mysteriousness he seemed to be surrounded with, since at that time she had thought it to be simply another aspect of his, albeit a rather strange one.

But with her spending more and more time with him, she had slowly come to notice more of these small details, which when taken individually would have been slightly odd but not that unusual, yet if actually put together would quickly hint toward something else, a much more mysterious nature than what she had initially perceived to be the case.

His speech regarding the notion of killing intent and the fact that he had been able to kill someone with it had proved to be a huge tipping factor that prompted her to start looking for more of those little details, and as soon as she had actively sought for them, she was easily able to come up with a significant few.

The first one to come to her mind was his elegant and refined behavior, one which when coupled with the allusions that he often made to royalty as well as with the way he sometimes spoke, made her believe quite firmly that he was of at least noble descent, if not of an actual royal one.

It might have sounded rather far fetched, but that was what she had managed to come up with by making use of the information that she possessed.

Another thing that she found to be odd was the fact that he seemed to be using a rather archaic manner of speech when he talked to her.

Then there was the matter of her injury from before vanishing as if it had healed at an almost absurd rate.

She had checked herself in the mirror earlier to see what had happened and she almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the perfectly healthy skin of her abdomen.

She had absolutely no idea how something like this was possible.

Sure, she'd heard about some more esoteric means of treatment such as energy therapy and other similar things, however, most of those were either weird voodoo practices or outright scams.

His name was also something that she found to be incredibly unusual. She had never heard anywhere before of the name Ōtsutsuki, except for maybe once, during one of her history lessons when their teacher had shown them an obscure passage from the second volume of the Kojiki, which contained information on the genealogies of the eleventh emperor of Japan.

She vaguely remembered the name of Ōtsutsukitarine no Miko being mentioned in that book, and that gave her more basis to her initial theory, although, she still lacked information for it to be anything more than an assumption or a guess.

But that didn't change the fact that her Hagoromo was definitely much more than he seemed to be letting on, and that with every passing moment she was becoming increasingly more curious about this mystery that seemed to be shrouding him.

Back with Hagoromo...

The gentle and tranquil atmosphere of the sky had indeed proved itself to be the perfect place for him to deepen his musings as he randomly drifted away, only several feet below the thick blanket of clouds that was his sole companion.

His thoughts had slowly grown more profound as his mind tried to figure the answer to what had been plaguing it for the half of the past hour.

More minutes passed by as Hagoromo continued his deep musing on the subject, when out of a sudden, the answer made itself known to him in something akin to an epiphany.

All of this time he had been trying to force himself to actually feel something for the humans, and that had been the reason for why he had acted with such cruelty and malicious intent toward those girls.

But that was not all, since he had also realized just how wrong it felt for him that he was still trying to force himself to care about the humans, regardless of how he had been doing it, since it was obvious that this time around he had chosen the opposite part of the emotional spectrum.

However, now that he finally became aware of this, he also understood just how pointless it truly was for him to act in such a manner, because deep down he had already stopped feeling anything for them ever since he had permanently discarded his naivety and foolishness back there in Indonesia.

So he would stop trying to force himself to feel anything for them, for it would simply be useless to continue doing as such, since he had long ago accepted the finality of his decision when he had stopped caring altogether about humanity.

The conclusion to his deep and rather lengthy introspection was accompanied by a sudden feeling of liberation, not unlike the one that he had felt in the aftermath of his wrath from two weeks ago.

Yet, as opposed to that time, right now, this freedom that he was currently experiencing also had a distinct air of finality to it. This time he definitely knew that he had cast away any and all of the remnants that might have still possibly tied him to his foolish and naïve past ideals.

A brief inspection of his surroundings immediately told Hagoromo that he must have crossed quite the distance ever since the beginning of his little journey, as the dusk which had been about to settle upon Japan at the time of his departure was now replaced by what seemed to be the closing of midday.

Deciding that he might as well see where he had ended up during his aimless flight, the young man momentarily ended his advance through the sky and hovered in place as he glanced down at the relatively huge mass of land beneath his feet.

His pale eyes quickly morphed into the all-seeing dōjutsu and with the peerless sight granted by it he began to observe in detail the landmass below.

The association of various mountains, hills and plains, coupled with several specific sceneries of which he had become aware after his extensive accumulation of knowledge courtesy of his clones, easily brought him geographical recognition as he identified himself to be currently floating several miles above the country of Yemen.

Still, such details easily paled in relevance to the other things his fabled eyes had come to witness as they were sweeping over said mass of land.

A rather strong feeling of déjà-vu filled his senses as the young man observed with slight interest how in quite the few locations over that country its natives seemed to be massacring each other for reasons which were currently unknown to him.

With his previous realizations still very fresh in his mind, Hagoromo knew that it was mere whimsical curiosity that kept him watching those people killing each other only a few kilometers below his feet, so he decided to study them a little longer, since he did not have anything else to do anyway.

His lovely Yuno was most likely sleeping at this hour given the timeline differences, and he truly had nothing else better to do other than waiting for her to wake up.

However, to his sudden surprise, as he continued to observe the events transpiring in that country, the young man began to feel something rather odd. Something which if he had to put into words, then he would liken it to a cold warmth, one that was completely different from the comforting warmth which he felt whenever he was with his darling.

He idly wondered what this feeling could be, and after several moments of contemplation, he reached the conclusion that this had not been the first time when he had felt as such.

There had been other instances which had evoked this particular feeling within his being, and all of them had been part of the events which had taken place in that park the day before.

At that time he had felt the same very feeling, however, he had not been capable of categorizing it due to his attention being almost completely focused on Yuno.

But now that he had enough time to properly label it, he would take his time to thoroughly study it.

Briefly looking away from the mass of land beneath him, Hagoromo quickly noticed that the cold warmth which had been suffusing him had also disappeared, yet as soon as he returned his sight back to that country and its humans, he experienced the same feeling blossom once more.

And with the return of that cold warmth, something else was also brought along.

A particular memory. One about words of wisdom spoken by his darling.

He perfectly remembered the memory that Alduin had given him a little over a week ago. The memory which involved a magnificent speech on Yuno's part.

A speech about how a desensitized being, one devoid of passion, would seek, nay, crave amusement.

Which was why he could not stop the chuckle that had been threatening to escape his lips the entire time.

He was faced with mirth that was born from the incredible fact that a teenage girl had unlocked the mental plagues of his life.

How could he not laugh in the face of such realization?

So laugh he did, and his amused chuckles slowly grew in intensity, until they turned into a full blown laughter that lasted for several good minutes.

By the time he was done laughing, Hagoromo was more than sure that he would not be able to find a word to properly describe just how marvelous and unique his Yuno was. Not that he had to do such anyway, since he was certain that describing her with any word other than perfection would be an unforgivable sin.

But besides that, there was one more thing of which he was now certain. And that was the fact that humans were actually humorous, and more so, that he had been actually having fun watching them so far.

Still, this now begged another question.

Was there anything that he could possibly do to amuse himself even further? To make the scene below his feet even more humorous for him?

He took a few moments to ponder on that.

From what he had observed thus far, those humans seemed to be rather lacking in their performance, which in turn affected the quality of the entertainment. So, in order to rectify that, he would have to strike at the root of the problem. He would have to do something that would liven them up a bit.

However, for him to do that in a manner which best suited the current situation, he would have to first acquire some more knowledge on the subject of those massacres taking place at the ground level. Such as the reason for why they were happening.

He might have acquired an extensive knowledge of this world during the past week, however, there were some things which he had deemed unimportant to know about, since they were nothing more than trivialities. And if they actually happened to suddenly become interesting, such as in the current scenario, then he could easily inform himself.

Which was exactly his intention in this case. After all, it would be laughably easy to do so, given how all that he had to do would be to simply find someone relevant enough to the topic he needed to become aware of and either read their mind or use his dōjutsu to read their lips if they happened to be speaking.

A few moments later and his all-seeing eyes caught sight of someone about whom it could be said that they were clothed in relevance.

The person in cause appeared to be a middle aged man wearing a white colored head scarf and a white robe as he stood seated upon the ground in reverence, zealously praying for the victory of one side of the people who were engaged in the conflict taking place a mile or so from his position.

Surrounding that man were a dozen or so of other similarly clothed people of both genders who appeared to also be praying alongside him.

Deciding that he had obtained enough information for him to be capable of properly choosing the most suitable option for deriving his entertainment, Hagoromo gave another brief contemplation on the subject at hand as he sought for a method which would fit best with his previous observations.

The answer that he came up with almost made him grin in anticipation.

It was a good thing that he had also sent a clone to read about topics involving religion, because, as he had just noted, such things seemed to be a great source of amusement. Especially when irony was also being invoked.

So, without wasting another moment, he outstretched his arm and slowly clenched his hand around the pitch black substance that began to materialize in the form of an orb next to it, prompting it to instantly change shape and turn into an ebon shakujō.

Then, he slowly raised his staff toward the sky and with a theatrical flourish of the hand he brought it down in a sweeping arc which sent thunder, hail and fire crashing down to the earth.

A moment later he stretched out his shakujō once more and repeated his previous action as he sent another wave of destruction toward the land beneath his feet. And for the following ten minutes or so, he continued to do just that, raining thunder and hail, in the midst of which was fire, all of them converging down upon the country of Yemen.

By the time he was done raining destruction upon the earth below him, Hagoromo decided to add the finishing touch, so he pointed his ebon shakujō toward the land and with an effortless flexing of his power, he made it as such that each and every one of the rivers that ran through there would be changed from water into blood.

As soon as he was finished with the last of the preparations, he dismissed his staff and proceeded to admire the fruits of his labor.

An amused smile slowly found its way on his ethereal visage when he noticed the varying expressions of terror and panic which most of the people seemed to have developed in the wake of the grand show that he had put for himself.

They had indeed livened up quite a lot, that was certain.

Good thing that he had possessed the foresight to aim more at the landscape rather than at the people themselves, because having them die as a result and missing their expressions of pure dread would have definitely been a waste.

Although, he doubted that just some flaming hail would have been capable of any significant casualties at all. Such a means was more intended toward damaging stationary targets rather than targets which could dodge them.

Still, terminal velocity could often be quite the tricky enemy for the average human, so...

But regardless of that, he could say with certainty that his actions had made the scene below much more amusing and entertaining than how it had been when he had first taken notice of it.

And yet, nothing of that would have actually been possible had there not been any humans to fill in the role of actors on his stage, since, in the end, that was exactly what the essence of his recent realizations had been. That the humans were truly humorous and that if watching them had been so fun, then having actually played with them had truly been incredible.

Even more so when the chess master and puppet master would take good care of his toys, so that they might continue to entertain him for more than just once during a show.

But that, of course, if they were satisfactory enough in quality, for otherwise they would be of no use to him. After all, what meaning would there be to a toy incapable of entertaining its owner?

A chuckle escaped Hagoromo's lips at that thought, before it quickly evolved into laughter when a particular thought entered his mind.

Had this been what his mother had felt while she had been at the top of the world?

Probably not, as she had definitely seemed to have been much more concerned with her problems regarding chakra and amassing her White Zetsu army...

But even so, he was certain that during the time when she had been worshipped as the Rabbit Goddess, she must have felt at least similar to how he was feeling right now.

However, it was truly not befitting of him to question any of his mother's reasonings to such an extent, for if there was one thing that he considered unwavering when it came to her, then that thing was the sheer respect that he had for her.

He might have been forced to fight and subsequently seal her, yet he had not even once stopped from considering her to be his loving mother, nor had he ever lost even an ounce of the unfathomable amount of respect that he held for her.

Bringing his musings to an end, Hagoromo decided that it was almost time for him to return back to Japan, since he would have to be there for when his darling woke up from her sleep.

So, with one last appreciative look toward his handiwork, he let out another amused laugh as he willed open a tear in the fabric of space-time.

A moment later, he stepped inside the darkness of the portal and dismissed the electromagnetic field he had been using to conceal himself from those pesky satellites, all the while musing about a particular topic, which he was sure to keep in mind and refer to extensively in the future, since it had proved to be a wonderful source of amusement.

Who knew that religion could be so entertaining?

Several minutes earlier [Cathedral of Causality]

A frustrated groan cut through the relatively silent atmosphere of the purple tinted cathedral.

"Dammit!" Murmur voiced out in exasperation. "Just where is that thing hiding?!"

Normally, she wouldn't have been in such an irritable mood, however, after spending almost a week looking for what could be best described as a needle in the hay sack, she wasn't feeling exactly thrilled.

Plus, the fact that she had also not read even one manga during all of that time wasn't helping her situation. She feared that if she continued without her precious manga for much longer, then she might very soon start exhibiting withdrawal symptoms.

Another groan escaped the tanned girl's mouth as she continued to look on a holographic monitor that displayed a live map of Sakurami City with countless of red dots flashing at random points over its surface.

Those were the causalities that she had yet to check...

A streak of purple lightning hitting the spot right next to her instantly brought Murmur out of her sullen thoughts as she quickly jolted up from her seated position.

Not even a moment later, and a dozen more purple bolts began arcing throughout the room, prompting the miniature girl to run around erratically as she attempted to dodge the incoming lightning.

"Boss, can you please stop acting like nothing is happening and do something?!" she yelled at the towering figure in the middle of the cathedral, before she had to duck another stray bolt of electricity.

However, all that she received was a deep, amused chuckle.

"Deus, this really isn't funny!" the tanned girl shot back almost immediately.

"Oh, but I assure you it is, Murmur," the God of Time and Space spoke from his ivory, jagged throne, before he pointed at one of the holographic panels floating in front of him, prompting it to triple in size. "Here, look at this."

Murmur was about to offer another one of her indignant retorts, but her words failed to leave her mouth when she noticed the events playing on the floating screen enlarged by her superior.

A myriad of bolts of lightning. Countless shards of flaming hail. Streaks of fire illuminating the sky.

All of those raining upon what appeared to be the country of Yemen, sending all of its populace in a crazed frenzy as they either attempted to flee from the destruction, cowered in terror, or prayed to whatever god they believed in to spare them from whomever's wrath had befallen them.

It was quite the frightening sight, if she were to be honest.

However, she knew that there was no time to muse about it, since it was beyond obvious as to what the cause to all of that had been.

It was definitely the work of that infuriating thing, if the similarities to the spectacle that it had put up two weeks prior in Indonesia were anything to go by.

Still, she should actually be grateful to its meddling this time around, because due to the fact that it was constantly affecting the causalities and changing them at such a rapid pace, there were high chances for her to be able to at least locate it.

As such, she wasted no more time and began inspecting the causalities in an attempt to determine the position of this unknown entity that was messing around in their world.

And to her incredibly pleasant surprise, after a few minutes of tinkering with the causalities, she managed to locate the place from were all of the changes seemed to be originating.

A split second later, and a holographic screen popped into existence in front of her, showing her with clarity and detail a live image of the perpetrator who had been taking away all of her manga time so far.

She took some moments to properly inspect the image, before she realized that the unknown entity who had given her so many headaches thus far actually looked like it had come from one of her shōjo manga.

Still, she knew that appearances could be deceiving, and in this case, they would be very deceiving.

After all, she had just seen with her own two eyes how that young man with flowing white hair had been spending the past few minutes throwing around destruction to a country from several kilometers in the sky.

She briefly wondered what she should do now that she had managed to get a glimpse of this mysterious entity. Probably not much, if anything at all, since it was more than clear that whomever this young man was, he obviously outclassed both her and Deus, if his feats shown so far would be of any indication.

Actually, she wasn't sure why she had even been so stubborn about finding more about it in the first place. She should have just kept to her manga when she had seen Deus acting so uncaring about the whole business.

Her musings were interrupted when she heard another deep chuckle cut through the silence of the cathedral.

She quickly threw a sidelong glance at her boss and felt the urge to sigh at what she saw. He was having fun while watching the people of Yemen react to the admittedly supernatural phenomena that were being caused by that young man.

"Oh, that is so ingenious!" she heard him suddenly exclaim. "Look, Murmur, our mysterious guest had just turned all of the water from the rivers in Yemen into blood. Is this not incredibly amusing?"

The tanned girl looked away from her superior as he had once more began chuckling at the holographic screen before his throne, and instead opted to look once more at her own video feed from the skies of Yemen.

Something which she quickly came to regret when she saw the young man laugh in a not too unlike manner than her boss.

And seeing that, she immediately dismissed the floating monitor and stared blankly at the wall in front of her as she was faced with a rather disheartening realization.

She should have just ignored all of this crap ever since day one and simply remained with her shōjo manga.

Letting out a weary sigh, the diminutive girl went to a corner of the cathedral where a pile of her manga could be seen, all the while lamenting about how she had wasted the better part of her last week chasing around an unknown entity that had turned out to be an almost splitting image of her boss, headaches and weird humor included.

In hindsight, she should have known that nothing sane could have come out of something which her boss had deemed to be incredibly interesting and highly entertaining.

But hey, one must learn from their mistakes, right? And fortunately for her, she had all of the time in the world to do as such.

That of course if the world didn't end before Deus chose a successor to his throne...

2005/05/23 18:45 [Sakurami City]

Hagoromo and Yuno were walking along one of the many streets of the bustling city, their hands linked as they basked in the warmth of each other, content with just being one in the presence of the other.

Neither of them seemed to care about the occasional stares that they were receiving from the passersby, the former because he simply did not care about such trivialities, and the latter because she was too focused on her beloved's presence to care about anything else, but also due to the fact that she seemed to be somewhat lost in her thoughts.

Which was true, since even during her time at school, she had been quite distracted as she had found herself constantly returning to the musings that she had begun on the previous night.

So far she had contemplated about the various things that she had noticed to be related to her beloved's mysterious nature, but with how little information she actually possessed, she hadn't made too much progress and her curiosity was slowly overwhelming her.

In the end, she realized that if she truly wanted to sate her curiosity, then she would have to ask him directly instead of fantasizing about various theories with barely any knowledge on her part.

Slightly turning her head to gaze at her beloved's enchanting visage, Yuno finally decided to ask him something about himself.

"Um... Hagoromo," she began, feeling the beginning of a blush spread over her cheeks when Hagoromo's pale eyes met her own cerise ones. "If it's not too much, I would really like to know more about you, so... uh... could you please tell me something about yourself?"

She felt her cheeks heat up even more when she saw him send her one of his charming smiles.

She idly wondered if she would ever be able to face that smile of his without having her cheeks redden, but she didn't get to dwell too much on that thought, as she heard him speak a few moments afterwards.

"Of course, Yuno. It would be my pleasure to tell you something about my past."

She offered a cute smile of her own to his response, before she listened to him as he began speaking.

"I'll tell you something about my mother, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."

As soon as she heard him utter that name, a thought quickly sprung into her mind as she immediately remembered of an instance when this particular name had been mentioned in the same obscure passage which had been shown to her by the history teacher during a class.

However, she had to file away that train of thought, as Hagoromo quickly continued with his speech.

"You see, my mother had been an idealist. She had wanted to change the constant feuding that plagued the lands, and eventually, she had obtained a leadership position through her charisma and goodwill. The feuds stopped, and there was peace. That was when she gave birth to me and my brother, Hamura, who had sadly died a while ago."

When she registered the last part, as well as the way Hagoromo's voice had taken on a saddened note when he spoke, she was about to say something to comfort him, however, she was interrupted by his words.

"Do not worry about that, my dear," she heard him speak in a gentle tone. "My brother had lived a fulfilled life and had passed away with no regrets. I shall always keep his memory living through me, but I would never dare tarnish it by continuing to wallow myself in sadness at his death."

She visibly calmed down when she heard him say that and decided not to say anything and let him continue with his story.

"So, as I was saying, after settling down, my mother has had two children, me and my brother. She had raised us with great love and care, teaching us the intricacies of the world and the history of our people as we grew up."

Yuno noticed the tone that her beloved used when he spoke about his mother and that brought back her the memory of her own parents, two rotting corpses in a cage.

She might have not cared about her parents anymore, but now that the saw how much Hagoromo seemed to care for his family, she felt herself grow afraid at the idea of him ever finding out about what she had done to her parents.

She might be certain that he wouldn't leave her even if he did learn of that, however, she didn't want him to ever think any less of her, or even worse, to look at her in disgust for what she had done to her own family.

She was quickly brought out of her musings when she heard him speak once more.

"I loved my mother dearly and respected her greatly. Both me and my brother had agreed long ago that she had been a loving mother."

By now, Yuno was certain that she really didn't want for Hagoromo to ever find out about her dead parents.

"And because of that, it was incredibly painful for me and my brother when we had to watch as our mother changed before our very eyes... so much that, in the end, we were forced to isolate her. Imprison her."

Hagoromo's words momentarily struck the rose haired girl speechless as she wondered what could have led to such a thing. Fortunately, she quickly got her answer when she heard him continue.

"Despite the initial peace, my mother eventually grew disillusioned at how no matter what she attempted, the clans would subtly continue with their conflicts in the shadows. That was when she ceased to be her kind and gentle self. She came to believe that only despotism could lead to peace, so she became a tyrant... And yet, in spite of all of that, I had never stopped seeing her as my dear mother, nor had I lost any of my respect for her."

When she realized that he wouldn't be saying anything else, Yuno took a few moments to contemplate on the story that her beloved had just told her.

It was a very sad one, tragic even, and it made her want to hug him and remind him that she would always be there for him.

Actually, she would do just that, because she loved him so much that she couldn't bear the thought of him ever being sad.

He might have not shown it on his face, but she knew that it had pained him when he had spoken about how he and his brother had had to imprison their mother, because she had become a danger for everyone around her.

So, she let no other second to pass and quickly embraced him in a loving hug, which she was certain that it would let him know just how much she cared about him and how she didn't want him to be sad anymore.

After a few moments of tightly hugging him, she glanced up at his face and was relieved to see a small smile gracing his lips.

"Thank you, Yuno," she heard him utter softly. "And don't worry about me being too saddened about having to reminisce this. It had happened quite the long time ago, and I had come to be at peace with it."

She noticed him pause as a thoughtful look crossed his features.

"Besides, I had managed to see her once more before she had passed away," she heard him add in the same soft voice. "I was able to speak to her one last time, and that had been enough for me to finally be completely at peace with everything that had happened."

Yuno continued to admire her beloved's content smile for a few more moments, before she finally spoke as she briefly tightened her loving embrace once more.

"I'm glad."

Following that, she let go of him and resumed her walking alongside him, slipping once again into her musings as she thought about the things that she had just learned about her Hagoromo.

However, she didn't get to dwell too much on any of her thoughts, because not even a minute later, she heard him say something which completely took her by surprise.

"Say, Yuno, have you told your parents about our relationship yet?" Hagoromo asked in a slightly curious tone as he glanced at the rose haired girl walking next to him. "And if so, then what had they said of it?"

It was a seemingly innocent question, however, for him it served a rather important purpose.

He had resolved to unravel the circumstances regarding his darling's alternate persona, yet he would never dare infringe upon her privacy as he respected her too greatly for doing such a thing.

However, what he could do was simply try to learn more about her, things that could definitely allow him to understand better what had led to the creation of her repressed self.

And since she had shown him to be of a similar mind on this matter, he had not hesitated to ask her his own question. After all, even without this reason prompting him to seek to learn about her, he still did not know too much about his lovely flower, so he would have desired to get to know her better regardless of that.

Only a few moments had passed since he had spoken his question, and as he gazed at her surprised face, awaiting her response, he could clearly see the storm of emotions in her eyes, despite the great effort that she seemed to be putting into hiding it.

That was enough to solidify his previous assumption that the subject of her parents must have definitely been a very sensitive one to her, but on the other hand, it told him next to nothing about what he had been wondering thus far.

In the end, it seemed that he would have to inquire for one last thing, and depending on the response that she gave him, he should be able to decide on what further approach to adopt.

He would not pry, but he would neither stand idle and watch when he could instead act for the sake of her wellbeing.

Not to mention that sooner or later, she would still have to confront whatever it was that ailed her so much. She would have to do that in order to achieve balance and harmony with herself.

After all, those were the prerequisites for her to finalize her blossoming.

So, with that thought in mind, Hagoromo asked his beloved one last thing.

"Yuno... Did anything happen between you and your parents?"

The moment she heard those words, she felt a pit form in her stomach. She quickly tried to hide the shock present on her face, as well as the multitude of emotions that threatened to bubble at his mention of her parents.

What could she say? What answer could she give to his question? Could she actually tell him what she had done to her parents?

She glanced at his face and she felt her previous fears grow tenfold. She didn't think that she could ever bear to see those eyes look at her even with the slightest hint of disgust.

Yet, what could she do? She couldn't possibly lie to him. Even the thought of her lying to him brought an almost overwhelming feeling of guilt over her.

So, then, what could she do?

She had to do something. She had to make her mind and say something already, because otherwise, she was sure that he would realize that something was wrong. That something was bothering her. And then, if he asked her even further, she wouldn't be able to deny it.

Yuno's troubled mind was brought out of its musings when she heard Hagoromo address her once again.

"You do not have to reply to that if you do not wish to, Yuno," she heard his gentle voice and felt his hand tenderly squeeze her own. "I am never going to demand any answer from you, my dear."

However, all that his words did was only make her feel even worse.

The guilt that flooded her when she heard him say that made her realize that she had almost betrayed his feelings. And that made her feel disgusted at the hesitation that she had displayed so far.

How could she be so hesitating when she had seen how forthcoming he had been with telling her about his past? Yet, the very things that he had told her had been the catalyst to her indecision.

After all, she had felt from his voice and seen on his face just how much he had loved and respected his mother. And how sad he had sounded when he had told her about how he had had to imprison his own mother.

Those were the things which had brought such fear into her, because she dreaded the reaction that he would have if he ever learned of what she had done to her own parents.

However, despite all of that, she knew that she couldn't even think about betraying his feelings by doubting him ever again. Not after what he had declared to her the day before.

That was why she knew she couldn't stay silent. She had to tell him something. The truth, because she couldn't even dare to think about lying to him.

Yet, the fear that she currently felt was still too profound for her to tell him everything.

"My parents..." she began in a barely audible voice as she cast down her gaze. "For the past few years they neglected me. My mother used to abuse me on a regular basis and my father was rarely home to do anything about it. But they stopped recently, so... now I'm fine."

In the end, she had decided to tell him most of what had happened, and to leave aside the part where she had starved her parents to death, even if it made her feel guilty for withholding part of the truth from him.

Yuno looked up from the pavement and briefly glanced at Hagoromo's face, only to be almost struck speechless by the intensity that she had seen being reflected in his pale eyes for a few moments.

It brought her immense joy to know that he would react with such outrage at the treatment that she had been given by her parents, yet, for all of that happiness, it did nothing to lessen the guilt that she was feeling.

However, when she felt his arms wrap around her form and bring her close to his chest, she was sure that she would forget about it for at least a short while.

She stood in his gentle embrace for the next minute, basking in the warmth that he radiated as all of her worries were momentarily shoved away from the front of her mind and replaced with bliss.

She didn't say anything, and nor did she need to hear him say to her anything either, because his hug so far had told her all that she might have needed to know. The feelings that he conveyed to her through his simple hug had been more meaningful than a thousand words could have ever been.

When she eventually felt his arms loosen their grip around her, she glanced once more at his face and noted that his previous anger was replaced by a gentle smile. She offered him a smile of her own, before she leaned back from his hug.

She gave a brief look to her surroundings, realizing that she had reached the destination of their walk, so she glanced back at him and finally broke the silent atmosphere that had settled upon them for the past few minutes.

"I guess that I'll be seeing you tomorrow..." she voiced out in a rather disappointed tone.

"Of course, my dear," she heard him reply, and felt her previous smile return.

She gazed at his still smiling face for a few more moments, before she eventually turned around and headed toward her house.

Hagoromo looked at the retreating form of his darling as she walked toward the metal door leading to her front yard.

Her reaction to his last question had clearly told him that the subject of her parents held quite the gravity, something which had been solidified through the words that she had followed with.

The fury that her revelation had brought him had been like no other in a long time.

He had not felt such intense anger even when he had seen how the people of his world had perverted his teachings of ninshū.

But he had quickly understood that his reaction had been actually normal given the degree of feelings that he had come to harbor for the lovely flower who had ensnared his heart in less than two weeks.

A chuckle escaped his mouth at that thought. She was truly a special one, that he was certain of.

Noting that by the time it took him to finish his brief musing, his darling had already disappeared behind the walls of her house, Hagoromo turned around and began walking as he admired the crepuscular charm of the fading evening.

A few moments later, he glanced at the ebony glove covering his left hand and spoke.

"Alduin, I have a task for you."

He was immediately met with twin sickly yellow eyes and a grinning mouth filled with jagged teeth, which quickly appeared on the back of his hand in response to his previous words.

"Of course, father," Alduin replied without any delay. "Anything you wish."

The white haired young man took a moment to synchronize with one of the clones that he had stationed in the city's library, before he spoke once more.

"I would like for you to infiltrate the Gasai Bank and investigate its owners," he spoke in a calm tone as he returned his focus back from that clone. "Learn everything that you can about them and then return to me with your findings."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the glove briefly shift, before it quickly liquefied into a black ooze that pooled onto the concrete below.

"Understood, father," he heard Alduin reply as it began to sink into the ground, until it completely disappeared from his sight.

Following his creation's departure, Hagoromo returned to his musings while he continued his slow paced walk along the street.

He had clearly seen on his beloved's face how she had kept a part of the story about her parents to herself and he had understood her reasons for that. There must have been something even more grave involved than what she had actually told him.

He might have not said anything about it, for he would have not dared pry, however, the simple fact that he had seen the gravity of the matter troubling her, had made him take the previous decision of thoroughly investigating her parents.

After all, there was nothing to respect about the privacy of those two insects, so he could easily get more information on the subject from their side.

2005/05/23 19:15 [Gasai Residence]

Yuno stepped into the private confines of her room and immediately closed the wooden door behind her.

She stood still for a few moments, before she suddenly felt all of the strength in her legs leave her as she leaned with her back against the door.

Only one thought was running through her mind as she stared with wide eyes at the ceiling of her bedroom.

She had lied to Hagoromo. Her purpose of existence. She lied to him...

She felt herself crumble at that thought, her legs giving out completely under the weight of her sin.

She slowly slid down the door, until she felt the coldness of the floor touch her, moment when she curled up into herself.

There was no use denying it and she knew it. Her treacherous mind was all too forthcoming with providing her that information.

I lied to Hagoromo... I lied to him, didn't I? she thought, overwhelmed with guilt. Half truths... are still lies... I lied to Hagoromo, how could I... He looked at me so acceptingly, felt my rage at the injustice I had suffered...

She brought her arms around her knees and hugged them closer to her chest.

I didn't mean for them to die... I didn't... How was I supposed to know that mama and papa would be so weak after a few days! Mama sometimes left me without food for over a week, didn't she? I survived... were they weak?

Her eyes widened in realization.

Yes... It was all their fault... They shouldn't have died! If they hadn't been so weak... Then... then... there would have been no possibility for any hint of disgust to ever appear on lovely—oh so accepting and beautiful— Hagoromo's face.

Yuno closed her eyes and slowly exhaled a sharp breath. She moved her head from its resting position on the floor, her eyes still closed, before she suddenly opened them and stared blankly at the room in front of her.

Hagoromo said I belong to him. Hagoromo said I belong to him. Hagoromo said I belong to him, she continuously repeated in her mind, feeling the words rapidly empower her.

She stopped hugging herself and began to slowly rise up, a charming smile adorning her beautiful face.

Feeling much better than a few minutes before, she stopped reassuring herself and allowed her thoughts to wander once more back to the story that Hagoromo had shared with her.

She replayed it obsessively in seemingly perfect detail as her mind slowly analyzed everything that she had learned about her beloved.

"So... I was right!" she suddenly exclaimed, before she threw herself on her bed and hugged one of her pillows. "My Hagoromo is truly a prince. High nobility at least!"

She rolled on her back and stared at her ceiling, her pillow still tightly clutched to her chest.

"Japan still has clans, doesn't it?" she spoke to herself. "And if the gossips are to be believed, then they don't like each other much... Perhaps... Hagoromo is a descendant of a branch family of the Imperial House of Yamato?"

For the next few minutes, Yuno contemplated on her theory, feeling herself become more and more calm at the thoughts of her Hagoromo.

Eventually, she felt the accumulated tiredness of the day begin to take its toll on her body, which quickly ended up with her falling asleep as she continued to think about her beloved in her dreams.

The next day...

Hagoromo was resting with his back against the thick bark of a tree, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of the nature and the pleasant tingle of the verdant grass brushing against the skin of his hands as he gazed in contemplation at the distant horizon.

He could clearly understand why his mother considered the world as being her precious nursery. It was quite the beautiful sight to behold. The nature was a tranquil and exquisite thing, with endless specimens to observe, one more interesting than the other.

However, as opposed to her, who had developed a rather significant loathing for the humans, he could actually tolerate their existences.

To some extent, that was.

But even so, it was quite the considerable difference, for he did not turn every human that he saw into obedient minions as his mother had come to do during the later times before her eventual descent into madness.

So, in a way, he did not exactly see the world as his precious nursery, but more as his favorite sandbox. A very entertaining sandbox filled to the brim with various playthings ready to amuse him at a moment's notice.

Concluding his musings, the young man directed his attention away from the horizon and to his left, where he had noticed the figure of a middle aged woman with shoulder length brown hair slowly approach his position.

A brief glance told him that she was not unpleasant to the eyes, not that it mattered to him in the end. It was more of an idle thought or more accurately, a simple observation of his meticulous mind.

Her clothing appeared to be the kind of casual attire that one would frequently see on female accountants, with it actually consisting of a white button down shirt, a pair of black heels, black trousers and a matching jacket.

He idly wondered why Alduin had chosen a female as its host for this time, however, he quickly realized that it must have been simple whimsy on his creation's part.

Alduin was a genderless entity, more so when it did not even identify itself with a particular gender.

The sole reason for why it actually referred to itself as his son was simply because it would have been rather odd for it to claim to be his daughter with such a deep, raspy and distinctively male voice. Although, he was certain that witnessing the humans' reactions to such a claim would have indeed made for quite the amusing sight.

His attention was once more brought upon the sight of Alduin's host when he noticed her start screaming in agony as countless black tendrils erupted from all over her body.

It was a good thing that he had decided to spend the afternoon inside the middle of a forest, for otherwise he might have had to chastise Alduin a bit for being way too enthusiastic with his choice for amusement.

Still, he reasoned to himself that it was quite alright for Alduin to act in such a manner, given how sparse the times when it would get to entertain itself had gotten these days.

In the end, it was only right that his son also got to have its fun, no?

Several moments later, and the young man realized that he might have given his verdict a bit too early when he saw how the woman writhing in pain only a few feet away from him partially exploded in a shower of gore and blood.

"You are getting rather ingenious with how you discard those meat suits of yours after you are done using them," Hagoromo spoke in an amused tone, idly observing how the countless droplets of blood and the few flying chunks of meat and viscera pelted the invisible wall of force that he had erected in front of him.

The young man glanced at the newly revealed humanoid form of Alduin who stood in all of its grinning glory surrounded by the torn remains of the now dead woman, before he addressed it once more.

"Well then, Alduin, tell me what you have found about those two insects."

"Yes, father," the black tinted creature replied as it quickly discarded whatever of that woman's insides which might have still clung to its form, before it took a few steps until it reached the sitting form of its father.

Hagoromo dismissed the invisible barrier and watched as his creation turned back into an amorphous blob of pitch black ooze, before it started slithering up his left arm, where it assumed the form of an ebony glove once more.

Not even a moment later, and he felt information rapidly enter his mind as Alduin began to share all of its findings with him.

"Thank you, Alduin," Hagoromo spoke when he noticed that the information transfer had stopped. "You have done well."

The sound akin to a content purr coming from his glove prompted the young man to let out a chuckle, before he once again immersed himself in his thoughts as he mused over what he had just learned from Alduin.

Apparently, Yuno's parents had been gone on a vacation for the past two months or so, and the only information that their employees had managed to get about their whereabouts had been a phone call from their daughter, who had actually been the one to tell them why they had not gone to work.

Now this by itself was not anything worthy of suspicion, however, when coupled with what his beloved had told him the day before, he could definitely see a few discrepancies.

He clearly remembered how his darling had stated that her parents had stopped abusing her recently, which could be associated with their departure and extended vacation, however, the fact that she had still seemed to be so troubled about the matter even after months of their absence was what raised a few question marks in his mind.

However, with such little information there was nothing that he could conclude without it being pure speculation on his part, and that was something which he would never do, for he always assessed the matters thoroughly before even thinking about taking a decision.

So, that left him with only one option.

He would have to take the active role in this case, for otherwise he would be just wasting time. Not that he minded spending even more time with his beloved, yet he knew that the sooner he solved this problem, the sooner she would get her peace of mind.

But besides that, he was rather eager to finally see her finish her blossoming.

He had seen on multiple occasions how beautiful she could be, and that had quickly sapped away at his resistance. His patience might have known no bounds, but in the face of such beauty and splendor... even it would eventually crumble.

And that was why he wanted to get everything done as soon as possible.

Because he wanted to see her flourish. Because he wanted to see her whole. Because he wanted to finally have her by his side.

As his equal.

Yet, for that to happen, he knew that he would have to first get her to become one with her repressed self. Then, he could at long last reveal his origins to her, and only after that he could finally give her true power as well as a place alongside him for eternity.

So, with those things in mind, he instantly vanished from his spot, his destination being his beloved's house, where he would finally make both his and her wishes come true.

2005/05/24 16:15 [Gasai Residence]

Hagoromo stood patiently in front of the steel door leading to Yuno's house as he waited for her to come and invite him inside.

A few more moments later he heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching, before he noticed the door open, revealing to him the sight of his darling standing behind the doorframe as she appeared to be still dressed in her school attire.

"Ah, Hagoromo!" he heard her greet him with a joyful smile. "Come in, come in."

He returned her smile and greeting as he took a few steps inside the house.

"Hello, my dear. I am glad to see you again."

He watched with his smile still in place as his darling's cheeks became adorned with a small blush at his words.

He briefly glanced around him, inspecting the interior of the house for the first time, before he looked back at Yuno.

"This is a lovely house," he spoke in appreciation. "The traditional style is always such a refreshing sight. It is truly a shame that more and more people discard it in favor of a more western one."

He heard her giggle as Yuno moved to close the door behind him, before he noticed her send him a knowing look as she walked past him.

He raised a nonexistent eyebrow in response, however, that only made her giggle again as she gave him a mysterious smile.

An idle thought entered his mind at that sight.

Who would have thought that she would get him to experience an air of mystery similar to what he had been employing with her on so many instances during the past two weeks?

Nevertheless, it made him chuckle inwardly as he quickly understood that she must have deduced something from the purposeful clues that he had placed in the story from the day before.

It honestly made him feel proud at her. She possessed a very keen mind and a sound analysis for detail. Another thing that they seemed to have in common.

Once again, he chuckled inwardly, before he shifted his attention back on the girl standing in front of him, noting how she still had the same cryptic expression on her face.

"Thank you," he heard her eventually speak, ending it with yet another giggle.

He briefly wondered how she would react when he would tell and show her the actual truth, but did not dwell too much as he did not wish to accidentally spoil the surprise for himself.

Instead, he discarded his shoe wear and placed it in the designated spot several feet away from the door, before he glanced back at the rose haired girl as he spoke.

"Say, Yuno, are your parents not home? Because I had been expecting them to come and give their greetings by now."

As soon as he was done speaking, he immediately noticed how, just as the day before, a myriad of conflicting emotions crossed Yuno's face at the mention of her parents.

Which made it very clear to him that there was something he was most certainly missing regarding this entire matter, for even if they had stopped abusing her recently, she should have been feeling at least safer at the fact that her parents were not around her.

Yet, amongst the many emotions that she had tried to suppress, he had seen one which clearly did not match with the current circumstances.

Fear.

He was brought out of his musings when he heard her slightly distraught voice as she gave her reply to his previous question.

"Yes... they are on... a vacation..."

It truly did not sit well with him to see his beloved experience such distress, however, he knew that it had to be done in order for her to reach the bliss that awaited her.

There was no other way that it could be done. She had to confront whatever ailed her and overcome it. She was strong enough to do it and all that she had to do was simply endure the stress for a little longer.

"Oh, I see," he quickly spoke in understanding, before he gave her a genuine smile. "It is a shame truly, since I was thinking that I should perhaps introduce myself as their future son in law."

Hagoromo felt slightly better when he saw how Yuno seemed to no longer be troubled and immediately brighten up after hearing his words.

"Follow me, Hagoromo," he heard her say to him in a loving voice, a prominent red dusting adorning her cheeks as she headed toward what appeared to be the main hallway of the house.

He silently began walking after her, taking a few moment to inspect the hallway as he passed through.

There appeared to be a multitude of charts and papers taped on each of the walls, and after quickly skimming through some of them, he figured that they must have been related to the matter of Yuno's abuse at the hands of their parents.

And that made the previous fury that he had brought down to a smoldering anger slowly get more intense, prompting him to resolve that those insects would definitely get their due punishment when he eventually saw them.

Several moments passed, and the young man's attention was instantly brought to a door which he was about to pass by when an odor that he knew all too well was registered by his senses.

The putrid smell of death and decay.

He immediately realized that something had died behind those two doors, but beyond that, he was still left with questions.

It could have been an animal that got accidentally trapped somewhere, or it could have very well been the corpse of someone who had died in there.

However, given the information that he had managed to gather thus far, he was leaning toward the second option.

Unfortunately, he was still missing some pieces of the puzzle in order for him to be able to solve it, so he would have to wait until he gathered all of them, for otherwise he would be simply working with endless theories and assumptions.

Though, one thing was certain.

Whatever had happened behind those doors, it was directly tied to why his beloved was so distressed whenever she heard her parents being mentioned.

Hagoromo ignored the smell of rotting flesh that filled most of the hallway and continued to follow Yuno who seemed to not be minding the odor at all, something that did not go unnoticed by him.

Another clue which told him that whatever was behind those doors, it must have been there for quite some time for her to become used to the putrid smell.

One minute later and he interrupted his walking when he noticed Yuno stop in front of a door next to the end of the hallway. He waited for her to go in, before he also came in what he had deduced to be the living room upon entering.

"Please, have a seat," he heard her address him, a happy smile present on her features as she pointed to a table in the middle of the rather modest room. "I'll go prepare us some tea, so you ca make yourself comfortable in the meanwhile."

"Alright, my dear," he replied warmly as he watched her turn around and walk out the door.

A few moments after he was left alone, Hagoromo began to absentmindedly inspect the content of the room, before his eyes eventually settled upon a TV set placed a few feet away from him.

Realizing that he had never actually used one of these devices himself, he grabbed the remote control from the table and attempted to turn the television on.

Only to have nothing happen after he had pressed the power button.

He tried again, using the other buttons, however, he was met with the same results.

He glanced up and attempted to turn on the ceiling fan, only to be once more met with no results.

He stood up and went to press the switch on the wall next to the door. Again, nothing happened.

At first, he had believed that the lack of illumination in the foyer and on the hallway was due to the fact that it was still light outside, however, in truth, it seemed that there was indeed no electricity whatsoever in the entire house.

It did not take him long to realize that this was yet another missing piece of the puzzle, and that he was getting very close to finally solving it.

The faint sound of footsteps on the hallway prompted him to return to his place at the table and seat himself as he waited for Yuno's return.

Several moments later and his darling entered the room with two cups and a steaming kettle on a small tray.

He observed her as she placed the tray on the table, before she began filling the cups with tea.

When she was done, she quickly handed him one of the cups with a smile on her face.

"I hope you'll like it," he heard her say. "It's a special recipe that I came up with a while ago."

Hagoromo took a sip from his tea and quickly decided that it was quite delicious. There was something about the way all of the different flavors complemented each other that made the beverage have quite the exquisite taste.

However, as much as he might have wanted to stay and enjoy this tea with his beloved, he knew that there were much more pressing matters which had to be attended to right now.

After everything was done, time would no longer be a constraint for her, so she would be able to do whatever she wanted for as long as she wanted to.

"I was wondering," Hagoromo suddenly began, immediately getting the rose haired girl's attention as she was about to seat herself at the table as well. "Do you happen to know why there is no electricity?"

By the time he was done speaking, he felt the same unpleasant sensation from before return when he noticed the tears that started to fall from his beloved's eyes, as well as the pained expression that now marred her beautiful face.

Yet, in spite of the guilt that he felt at making her shed tears, he knew that there was no other way.

She had to conquer her emotions and psyche, so that she could achieve the required mental state for controlling true power. Otherwise, if she did not overcome the current disharmony within her mind, she would never be able to utilize the power that he intended to gift her and she would also be at risk if she ever attempted to use it in such a state.

His chakra was incredibly powerful and it could easily consume the unprepared mind. To control his power, one would need a strong mind free of any disturbance, an indomitable will and a body capable of housing such great power.

She already possessed the necessary will, and while her body might not be exactly powerful enough, his chakra would take care of that and strengthen it accordingly.

However, her mind was the only thing that he could not help her with. Not because it was not within his power, but because it would be disgraceful to her should he do it in such a manner.

He had already established that she possessed an adequate mindset, however, she needed to overcome the plagues of her mind on her own.

He knew that she was able to, and that was exactly why he had opted for this approach instead of having to wait endless days until she was capable of mastering the art of meditation to a degree which would help her reach that state of mind.

This was the only help that he could offer her.

He could provide her with this shortcut, but only because there already existed a personified divide in her mind. Otherwise, she would have had to do it the same way that he had done it when he had been training in mastering his power during his youth.

Hagoromo was brought out of his musings when he noticed Yuno suddenly stumble as she was about to fall.

He instantly sprung from his seated position and caught her from falling, his arms quickly circling her waist and back as they brought her body close to his own.

Gazing at her face, he noticed that she was experiencing extreme dizziness and nausea, and that she was on the verge of fainting, so he quickly helped her calm down with a small application of his chakra.

"Breathe deeply, Yuno," he calmly told her when he noticed her open her eyes as she regained her senses. "Everything is alright. I am right here."

However, despite his attempt at calming her, he noticed how the expression of fear had yet to leave her face, and after a few moments of deep consideration, he finally understood.

The last piece of the puzzle fell into its place, and he knew the reason for why Yuno acted like that. Why she felt so much fear whenever he mentioned her parents.

She feared that his view of her would change if he were to ever find out about whatever it was that was hidden behind those wooden doors.

And by now, he felt that he knew exactly what was behind those doors. And the mere thought of it brought him intense anger. Anger at those insects for daring do such a thing to her. To his Yuno!

The pupils of his pale eyes rapidly faded until only their outline was barely visible and the irises visibly enlarged as the veins around his temples engorged.

His byakugan effortlessly pierced past the physical barriers and immediately saw the contents of that room.

And when he finally saw with his own eyes what lay behind those doors, he felt wrath course through him.

The small cage.

The bloodstains inside it.

The missing patches of the tatami mats next to the cage.

The dried up half digested grass in the back of the cage.

And lastly, the lifeless husks of those two insects at the front of the cage, their withered hands desperately reaching for the outside past the iron bars.

Had he not possessed such strong mental discipline, Hagoromo was certain that he would have made an example of those two right there and then. Of what would happen to those who dared harm his Yuno.

Still, it was very fortunate that he possessed such flawless control over his mind and emotions, because it would allow him to enjoy the eventual time of their punishment much, much more.

After all, as some people of this world would say, vengeance was a dish best served cold.

Calmly bringing his fury under a tight leash, Hagoromo deactivated his dōjutsu and focused back on his beloved as she was infinitely more important than dealing with those two insects. And besides, he would not dare deny her the chance to have the first hand in delivering their punishments.

But before that, there were still a couple steps which she had to first take.

So, with that thought in mind, he empowered his eyes with his chakra until they rippled and gained a purple tint.

Then, he gently cupped Yuno's face with his left hand as he gazed into her startled cerise eyes, the pitch black crescent moon symbol on his palm shining a dark light through his ebony glove.

"I was wondering, do you happen to know why there is no electricity?"

As soon as she registered his words, Yuno froze in her spot as she understood that the sole thing which she dreaded would actually come to be true.

Tears rapidly pooled in her eyes when she realized that in order to continue concealing her secret—the ugly truth, she would have to further lie to her Hagoromo.

There was no way out of this, and she knew it. If she wanted to keep him from finding out about her parents, then she would have to keep deceiving him.

And that thought alone made her feel a wave of vertigo strong enough to make her stumble and fall down.

Yet, she never got to experience the pain of hitting the wooden floor as she felt two arms wrap tightly around her and stop her from falling.

She slowly opened her tear filled eyes, but was hardly able to see the face of her beloved through all of the dizziness and nausea that seemed to have overcome her.

She felt her consciousness rapidly slipping away, however, before she could have passed out, she suddenly felt all of the previous dizziness and nausea vanish as if a hand had simply swept them away, and quickly experienced a weird but not unpleasant sensation wash over her as it instantly cleared all of her senses.

She slowly opened her eyes once more and this time she clearly saw the expression of concern that was on her beloved's face.

"Breathe deeply, Yuno," she heard him say in a calm voice. "Everything is alright. I am right here."

Yet, despite hearing his words, she was unable to stave off the fear that had taken a hold of her being and would have started crying once more had she not been interrupted by the gentle touch of his hand when it cupped her face.

She quickly sought his eyes, but was instantly taken aback by what she saw when she found them.

His eyes were no longer the peculiar yet exquisite white that she had become used to seeing and admiring during the past two weeks. Instead, they were a deep, mesmerizing royal purple color.

But that was not all.

The pupils appeared to have shrunk to small dots, and surrounding them could be now seen black concentric circles which spanned the entirety of the no longer distinguishable irises and sclerae.

She continued to look in wonder at those unnatural eyes, feeling increasingly uneasy the more she felt their gaze upon her.

It was akin to being stared at by something which did not belong to this world.

Something which did not exist in accordance to it.

She felt that those eyes gazing at her could only be described as being simply otherworldly.

However, she did not get to dwell too much on that thought, because she quickly felt her awareness and perception of the world begin to change, until her consciousness completely faded into darkness.

The sight that welcomed Yuno when she regained her senses left her confused and mildly shocked as she could do nothing but simply stare at it in complete bafflement.

Gone was the interior of her living room, as it seemed to have been replaced by a drying endless meadow, with the grass withered and dying.

She quickly looked around her in an attempt to figure out where she was, however, the moment she took in the rest of the scenery, she was filled with even more apprehension.

The skies above were dark and gloomy, and in the far distance, the silhouette of what appeared to be a lonely figure was casting an enormous shadow, which loomed over the entire dying meadow in a cloud of depression.

She quickly decided that she felt incredibly uncomfortable in this place, wherever she was, since it reminded her a bit too much of some things which she would not want to experience ever again.

Trying to ignore the despairing atmosphere as best as she could, Yuno began walking in the direction of the distant silhouette, hoping that by doing so she would be able to learn more about the place where she had found herself in.

After several minutes of walking through the decidedly inhospitable place, she was finally able to properly discern the figure of that person, and was further shocked and confused when she realized that said person was actually a girl who looked almost identical to her.

The sole difference between them being only their eyes, something which she had immediately noticed when the girl had turned around to regard her arrival.

"Who are you?" Yuno asked in a rather guarded manner as she stared at the sea of blood surrounded by pitch black that were the girl's eyes.

Her question, however, was met with an amused snort followed by derisive laughter.

"Oh?" the girl sounded amusedly. "So the princess has finally decided to visit me?" she gave another laugh. "My, what a surprise indeed."

Yuno quickly narrowed her eyes at her doppelgänger's sarcastic remark and was about to say something, but was interrupted when the girl standing a few feet in front of her spoke once more.

"Now, now, there's no need to get so hostile," a smile slowly formed on the girl's face. "After all, we are one and the same, aren't we?"

A look of shock followed by one of understanding dawned in rapid succession over Yuno's features as she stared at her look-alike, whose smile was becoming wider by the second.

"There you go. Now you understand," the identically looking girl spoke patronizingly. "It wasn't so hard, was it now?"

After a few more moments of silence on her part, Yuno finally spoke in a candid tone.

"You are the voice that tormented me all of this time, aren't you?"

These words made her double snort once more in amusement.

"Tormented?" the girl asked almost incredulously. "All this time I've been here helping you, and you say that I've been tormenting you? Are you truly this ignorant?"

"Then, pray tell, what should I call these acts of yours, huh?" Yuno retorted, anger slowly bleeding in her voice. "Do you seriously think that you've been doing anything but tormenting me?"

Her doppelgänger didn't seem to take her words very well, but she didn't care. After all of the misery that she had put her through, taking this verbal lashing was the least that she could do.

"Do you have any idea of what kept you alive during all of those times when you should have died in that cage?" the look-alike girl voiced out, sounding incensed. "Do you even have any clue about who it was that kept you safe and sane during those times?" her voice went up a note as she continued. "It was me, you ungrateful bitch! I've taken as much of your negative emotions as I could and kept them away from influencing you! I've helped you get through your shitty life in that cage, and this is how you thank me?! By saying that I've tormented you?!"

Yuno was left momentarily speechless by the revelation that her double had just made and she could only think over the things that she had just learned.

What the girl had said actually made sense.

In a sort of twisted way, this entity standing in front of her had protected her over the years by isolating her from anything that could have harmed her in some way.

That was why she had tried to make her doubt her Hagoromo at that time.

Still, as much as this made sense, it didn't make it any better, since despite the help that she had tried to provide, this look-alike of her had also made her life miserable. And while she could have overlooked that, she could not overlook the fact that she had tried to keep her away from her Hagoromo.

Which was why she would not be apologizing for her previous remark.

"I'm not going to apologize," Yuno spoke flatly as she gazed in the blood red eyes of the girl, only to be surprised when instead of seeing her become even more angry, she actually saw her eyes soften a little.

"I know," the doppelgänger spoke, surprising the rose haired girl even further. "And I don't even want you to apologize, because it is me who should, in fact, apologize."

Yuno raised a curious eyebrow at the girl's words.

"I should have not doubted his intentions at that time..." the look-alike spoke apologetically. "But I was too stubborn and distrusting to believe that what he had showed you was real. Yet, after I've seen it with my own eyes, I could no longer deny it—him. And that's why I am sorry. Because I had tried to keep you away from him, when I should have in fact encouraged you to pursue him further..."

Yuno seemed to be considering her words for a few moments.

"I... accept your apology," she eventually replied. "But I am not going to forget what you had tried to do."

Once again, Yuno was surprised when her doppelgänger acted in a manner completely different from what she would have expected. That is, she began to laugh at her.

"Hah, I seriously can't believe that you've just said that," the girl spoke incredulously after a few moments of laughter. "Don't tell me that you already forgot about it?" she further questioned when she noticed Yuno's confused expression. "Oh, that's rich! And here I thought that our meeting would quickly become dull."

"Just get to the point already!" Yuno raised her voice in irritation. She was really getting tired of this double of hers with how she managed to get under her skin so easily.

"Oh, don't get angry, princess," the doppelgänger drawled, a mocking smile slowly forming on her face. "We wouldn't want you to also add anger issues to your list of problems, right next to your hypocrisy, would we now?"

"Speak. Now!" Yuno hissed at her look-alike in slowly bubbling anger.

"Oho! That's a nice face. Although, I should know that, since I've seen it on myself each and every time when I had to listen to your stupidity," the girl jeered, uncaring of Yuno's growing anger. "But to answer your question... Try to remember your discussion with him from the day before. More specifically the part where you told him your little story. Hm, I wonder what he would think when he finds out that you've been lying to him this whole time. Or when he learns of the truth that you've been deliberately trying to keep away from him."

As soon as she registered her doppelgänger's words, Yuno immediately felt all of her anger drain as it was replaced by guilt.

She remembered the words of deceit that she had spoken to her beloved, yet was unable to dwell much on those thoughts as the mocking voice of her double quickly sounded once more in her ears.

"I wonder... I wonder what dear, lovely, so supporting, so loving Hagoromo would think when the truth is finally revealed" the girl spoke in thinly veiled contempt. "You've seen how much he respects and loves his family, even after they had long died. So... I wonder what he would say once he learns of the monster who had killed her own parents," she gave a derisive laugh. "Sure he could only be disgusted in the face of such a sin, no? Just imagine beautiful Hagoromo's eyes, those eyes which you so adore to gaze upon as they look at you in contempt and disgust."

"No..." Yuno whispered in denial as she desperately searched for something in her mind to hold onto.

She couldn't fall again. Not this time, because she was certain that if she fell now, then she would lose everything. There was no longer anyone to pick her up in here. She was alone inside what appeared to be her own mind, with only the embodiment of her negative emotions. It was obvious to her what would happen if she were to stumble and fall in here.

She glanced toward the sky, and briefly saw, amidst the darkness of the thick clouds, a small silvery ray as it shined down upon the twisted meadow. It didn't last for too long, yet it had lasted long enough for her to notice it.

She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew what it meant. It was hope. The hope that had kept her strong this whole time. To hope that he had given her.

"You're wrong..." she began, staring her look-alike in her crimson eyes with newfound conviction. "He would never think of me like that. Even if he were to learn of what I had done."

And it was true, for she had seen it. Even if she had not realized it at that time, her mind had recognized it. Her subconscious had understood what her eyes had seen and had kept it for her, until the time when she would need that memory to help her.

That was what she had seen moments earlier among the clouds.

The mental representation of Hagoromo's love and of the hope that he had been to her. The hope that would always prevail and would never be vanquished by the darkness of her doubts.

She felt a genuine smile form on her lips as she spoke her next words to her doppelgänger. "And that is because he had already accepted me. I was blind to not see it earlier, but now I do. I finally see what had been before my eyes this entire time." Tears of happiness fell from her eyes. "Hagoromo... he had already accepted me for what I am. The only thing that remains is for me to accept myself." She wiped away her tears and gazed with resolve in the blood red eyes that had been looking at her critically during her entire speech. "And that includes you as well, because, well, you are a part of me, too."

By the time when Yuno finished her speech, she noticed from her peripheral vision how the meadow around her seemed to be slowly changing, as if the world itself was becoming more brighter.

The withered grass flourished.

Daisies began to grow among the now verdant blades of grass.

The skies lightened as the thick blanket of clouds dissipated.

But probably the biggest change of them all was the beautiful sun that had been revealed in the middle of the sky.

It was silver in color, like the moon, but still bright enough to be considered a star.

A breathtaking star that singularly dwarfed everything else in this world.

"It's truly wonderful, isn't it?"

Yuno could only nod at the words of her look-alike.

"This is how your heart had slowly come to look like ever since the day when you had first met him," she heard her double speak again. "Oh, and I assume that you no longer need me to tell you what that sun is, no?"

Yuno shook her head. "That's what Hagoromo represents to me, isn't it?" she replied, still transfixed by the sight of the silvery sun above her.

"Yes, that's what it is."

Yuno glanced back at her look-alike. "So, what is going to happen now?" she asked, bringing the girl's attention from the gigantic sun back to her.

The doppelgänger smirked. "Impatient, are we?" she spoke wryly, but a glare from Yuno quickly got her to drop her sarcasm and answer the question. "Well, initially I would have taken over you, had you not gotten over your stupidity." She ignored Yuno's narrowed eyes and continued. "But now that you've seen past that and had finally acknowledged your own self, you just need to accept what I represent." She paused briefly, her smirk widening. "Or you could just leave, but then you will have to live with a voice inside your head. So, what do you choose?"

Yuno listened to her double's words with an unreadable expression on her face as her eyes seemed to dull, and when the girl was done speaking, she began to silently walk toward her.

The option that she had chosen was more than obvious.

It was the one where she wouldn't have to share her Hagoromo with anyone else, be them even a part of her own self.

He was hers and she wouldn't let anyone else have him.

The doppelgänger looked curiously at Yuno as she slowly approached her, and was about to say something in questioning when she felt herself be embraced in a hug, however, she was quickly interrupted by the sharp sting that she felt in her chest.

Yuno looked in confusion at her look-alike as she suddenly began laughing, despite the box cutter that was plunged hilt deep into her chest where her heart should be found.

Oddly enough, the was also no blood, but that small detail paled in comparison to the rather unexpected reaction that she had gotten from her doppelgänger.

She expected to see at least some shock, not that content—and proud?—expression on her face.

"Aww~, don't be surprised," Yuno heard her look-alike say as she returned her hug. "I've been intending for this to happen ever since I saw and heard your resolve. That's why I've added that second option. Because I knew that it would definitely get me the reaction that I wanted from you."

The doppelgänger continued when she noticed that Yuno had yet to completely figure her reasoning.

"I embody your negative emotions, Yuno. Of course that I would wish for a fitting end. And besides, doing it this way would also help you get in tune easier with all of the repressed emotions that will return to you after this is over."

A look of understanding crossed Yuno's face as she listened to the girl's explanation. It was definitely a twisted way of doing things, but it was one to be expected given her nature as her repressed negative emotions.

"Thank you," Yuno eventually spoke, however, she was once again met with a completely different reaction from her doppelgänger than what she had been expecting.

Although, now that she thought better, it kind of made sense, given what she had learned about her so far. After all, she was inherently attuned to reacting like this.

"Don't thank me," the look-alike snorted in derision. "I don't deserve it."

And following those words, Yuno watched as the girl in her arms began turning into light particles which were quickly getting absorbed into her.

The last thing that she heard from the embodiment of her negative emotions before she completely vanished were a few words which she completely agreed with and that she promised to never stray away from.

"Never doubt your heart, no matter how black it might be... and never... never doubt him again."

By the time when all of the light particles got absorbed into her, Yuno could clearly feel the change within her.

She felt as if a long lost part of her had finally returned where it belonged.

She felt empowered by all of the intense emotions welling up within her.

She felt complete.

But most importantly, she felt as if she was finally able to see with clarity the extent of the feelings that her beloved held for her.

Feeling a surge of euphoria suddenly course through her, Yuno looked toward the bright sky, her eyes manic and her mouth widely open as she uttered a single word.

"Hagoromo..."

A moment later, she realized that her perception of the world began to change once again and she could barely hold in the excitement that she felt at the mere thought of getting to see him again.

*Chapter 8*: Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Chapter 6: Enlightened Apotheosis

Only a few moments passed for Hagoromo ever since he helped Yuno enter her mind scape, however, he knew that she should be returning back to consciousness in less than a minute from now.

The passage of time within ones inner world was drastically different from their outside perception of it, with it capable of even being brought to a complete standstill should enough discipline and control be present.

That was the reason for why he was expecting his beloved to stir awake in his arms at any moment.

Something which indeed happened just as he had surmised it would, as not even a second later, the girl in his arms slowly opened her eyes as she immediately sought his own.

Yet, as much as he might have wanted to, he was unable to properly greet her, for any and all words had left him the moment when he registered the look which she gave him.

Her half lidded cerise eyes were staring at him with a passion so intense that he could almost feel the emotions conveyed through her loving gaze as though they were a tangible force grasping at his very soul.

He felt himself become spellbound at the sight of her exquisite gaze and he could do nothing but stare at her alluring expression as he basked in all of the raw emotions that she sent his way.

He quickly understood that there was not even a need for words right now, simply because the very way she gazed at him told him everything that he might have wanted to know.

She had succeeded. She had attained the clarity of mind that he had wished for her to obtain and she had finally become whole once again, in both mind and spirit.

But most importantly, she had finally lost any and all of the doubt which had been lingering to her heart the entire time.

That was why she was able to look at him with such raw passion that it ignited his own emotions for her into a fervent blaze.

He was more than aware that he had come to love her during the past few days, yet as he continued to gaze in her passionate eyes, he realized that he had long exceeded that point as his own feelings for her seemed to be matching her own in their sheer intensity.

And that was why he could barely wait for the moment when they would finally be able to experience the extent of their feelings for each other. So that they could actually feel the love they held for each other as if it was a part of their very being.

A soft smile slowly formed on Hagoromo's face as he began to gently caress Yuno's face with his gloveless hand.

"You have done splendidly, my dear," he spoke with pride filling his tone, his words bringing the girl in his arms out of her trance as she began leaning in closer to his face.

Knowing what would be coming next, he decided to postpone what else he had intended to say in favor of enjoying the moment that his beloved seemed to wish to have with him.

Therefore, he did not say anything else for the time being, not that he could have done it anyway, since he immediately felt her soft lips upon his own as she gave him a passionate kiss.

He spent the next few moments enjoying the pleasant sensations that she brought him with her ministrations, before he noticed her seemingly grow bolder in her actions as she attempted to deepen the kiss.

The hand which he had previously used to caress her cheek with slowly made its way through her silken cotton candy locks as he brought her face even closer to his own.

A brief gasp told him that she had not been expecting him to do that, however, the following soft moan that escaped her lips had quickly let him know that she had definitely enjoyed it.

As such, he slowly deepened the kiss even further, relishing in the sensations brought by her tongue entwining with his own as he gently caressed her back with his other hand.

After another minute of locking their lips together, he felt her slowly pull away from him, an intense dusting of red coloring her elated face as she gazed at him with loving eyes.

"Hagoromo..." she breathed out dreamily, her arms slowly entangling around his neck as she continued to stare deeply into his pale eyes. "I love you..." Her warm breath tingled his face as she leant closer. "I love you so much..." Her soft lips were mere millimeters away from his own as she whispered one last time. "My Hagoromo..."

Following those words, he immediately felt her lips upon his own once again as she began giving him another passionate kiss, one through which she seemed to be pouring all of her emotions.

This second kiss was more sublime than the previous one, yet he knew that it would definitely pale in front of what they would be able to share with each other by the end of this day, when it would all finally become as he had come to slowly yearn for it to be ever since he had first met her.

Feeling the soft sensation of her lips slowly disappear from his own, he decided that it was time for the last of the preparations to be made, so he brought the hand he had been keeping buried in her silky locks and gently cupped her face once more.

He gazed into her half lidded eyes and focused his power to his own eyes as he spoke in a heartfelt tone.

"The feelings you hold for me are sublime," he once again began to tenderly caress her face as he continued with his words. "Your love for me is intoxicating. It makes my very soul yearn for your own."

His now rippled eyes were gazing deeply into her cerise ones, and he felt a warm emotion surge through his being when he noticed how, as opposed to the first time when she had been unsettled by the sight of his Rinnegan, this time she seemed to be mesmerized by their violet splendor instead.

He eventually brought her out of her brief trance when he spoke once more, his voice taking on a more firm tone.

"Yet, these are mere words that I speak to you. Transient, insubstantial, vague at best," he noticed the questioning and slightly confused look that appeared on her face upon hearing him say that, so he quickly elaborated. "I know that we have achieved a marvelous state of mutual comprehension of our values and selves, however, we have only done so within the limits imposed by normal human understanding. And due to that constraining reason, the definitions of those words still hold ambiguity and what they stand for is still lost to us."

The thoughtful look which she had developed on her face told him that she was giving her best in attempting to understand what he had been implying the entire time, so he decided to finish his explanation, as he did not want to keep her guessing for too long.

"Which is why I intend to permanently rectify this by elevating our understanding for each other to its utmost," he emphasized on the last word as an eager smile slowly formed on his lips. "So that we will finally be capable of perfect comprehension of our selves through means which shall reign eternal even when opposed by the transience of fleeting words."

He might have been a bit too philosophic with his speech, however, he knew that his beloved would be able to eventually understand what he had told her. After all, he had clearly seen during all of their time spent together thus far how brilliant and sharp her mind was.

But besides that, he had also had to properly set the stage for the grand reveal, since it would have simply not done for it to not be a performance fitting in appearance to the context of the story that would be told.

Noticing that she was about to say something, he quickly brought his hand from her cheek and silenced her parted lips with an alabaster finger.

"However, before that," he began with his previous smile still in place as he gazed at her slightly rosy cheeks. "There is one last thing which needs to be done. One last preparation to be made for the wondrous rapture that is to follow."

He briefly paused to add a more theatric note to what he would be saying next and felt a wave of excitement wash over him when he saw the adorably confused expression which crossed her features the moment she registered his upcoming words.

"Your enlightenment."

And with those last two words spoken, he used his power to drag his beloved's and his own consciousnesses to the inside of his own mind and spirit, the mental world where it would all finally be unveiled.

For the second time during the past hour, Yuno looked around her in a mixture of shock and confusion as she found herself once again in a completely different place than her living room where she had been standing until only a moment ago.

However, this time the experience was quite different, since instead of the uneasiness and apprehension that the initial gloomy scenery of her mind had brought her, right now she felt awed at the sight before of her eyes.

Pristine water, clearer than a crystal, extended in all directions as far as her eyes could see.

It was an endless ocean, unperturbed and free of any disturbances as it emitted a faint silvery glow, making it seem as if it were an ethereal scenery ripped straight out of a fairytale.

Her eyes continued to drink in the beauty of the ocean surrounding her, before they slowly moved upward as they had briefly caught sight of what resided within the skies in its reflection upon the liquid mirror beneath her feet.

And her breath was caught in her throat at the sight that welcomed her.

A vast expanse of perfectly blended colors stretched out from the horizon all the way toward the heavens as it encompassed every part of the sky that her eyes gazed upon.

A myriad of stars covered the sky above with their glittering splendor, decorating its never ending canvas with melting hues as they illuminated the vastness of the universe.

And in the midst of these breathtaking decorations, standing above the horizon where the endless ocean met the infinite universe, two distinct sights could be seen in all of their imposing glory.

A dark crescent moon, and to its right, a bright blinding sun.

Their forms seemed to be just as far as the other celestial bodies, yet their sizes still dwarfed everything else in the illuminated heights of the never ending heavens.

She continued to stare in wonder at the scenery of the world existing before her eyes, until she was eventually brought out of her trance when she noticed ripples in the water beneath her feet as they appeared to be coming from somewhere behind her.

She quickly spun around on her feet, part of her mind still wondering how she was able to stand on water, however, such thoughts were instantly forgotten when she finally took in the sight which met her eyes.

Floating a few inches above the water with his legs crossed and his palms on his knees was the form of her beloved Hagoromo, clad in something completely different from what she had last seen him wear before she had found herself in this place.

Gone were his white dress shirt, gold trimmed black jacket, matching trousers and shoes, as they had been now replaced by a flowing pure white robe which she realized that it looked very similar to the ceremonial garments that were worn by some priests and monks.

His robe reached down to the ocean beneath, and from what she could see, it had been the source of the previous ripples as its ends faintly touched the surface of the water in several places.

The pristine robe also possessed rather long sleeves that hung low past his knees while barely exposing his hands, as well as a high, flaring collar, beneath which could be seen six comma shaped black symbols, identical to those also present on the hem of each sleeve, which she had quickly recognized as being magatama.

Her eyes eventually reached his face, where she immediately noticed that he still held that soft smile on his face while his eyebrow-less eyes were still the same mesmerizing violet with black concentric rings surrounding a dot-like pupil.

However, the most prominent of the features that she noticed were the two lustrous and sharp horns of obsidian color that jutted out of his scalp and rose through his white, silky locks.

She gazed at him for a few more moments, before she finally spoke, her voice filled with amazement at all of the things that she had seen so far.

"This place is beautiful..." she quickly paused, taking some time to gather her rampant thoughts as she remembered that there were things of much more importance than just admiring the scenery, regardless of how beautiful it might have been. "But how am I inside your mind? And what did you mean with my enlightenment when you spoke about those things earlier?"

The fact that she was somehow inside her beloved's mind had not been too hard to realize, given the incredibly unique scenery, as well as the exact same sensation of her perception of the world shifting before she had found herself in this place.

However, she had absolutely no idea of what had happened, on top of being rather confused about of the things that her Hagoromo had told her before he had somehow brought her in here.

He had once again been deliberately mysterious with his words and to top it off he had also become philosophic at some point during his speech.

She was very curious about all of these peculiar things that she had learned of during the past few minutes, but right now she had nothing more than several discrepant bits of her theories and twice as many questions which had arisen after listening to his words.

She was suddenly brought out of her musings by the sound of his voice as he heard him utter a heartfelt "Thank you," before she saw him start floating closer to her position as the ends of his robe created more ripples in the ocean below while he hovered past its surface.

Her eyes were once more drawn to the pair of ivory horns resting atop his head, before she heard him continue speaking.

"If my appearance unsettles you, please let me know. I will change it at once should you desire such, my dear."

She glanced back at his face which was now only a few feet away from hers, before she gave him a loving smile as she quickly replied.

"Don't be silly, Hagoromo. Horns or not, it doesn't matter to me. My feelings for you will always be the same, regardless of how you look on the outside."

The expression that she saw forming on his visage in response to her words instantly made her heart flutter, but his following words made it soar.

"You are simply a marvel, Yuno."

She was about to jump toward him and embrace him in a hug, however, she was interrupted when she noticed another peculiar thing about him, more specifically about his reflexion in the water.

Instead of a mirror image of him, the water below revealed the sight of a very old man who possessed short, spiky white hair, with a chin-length braid hanging in front of his left ear and a long goatee tapered down to his waist.

His eyes were the same ringed violet, but his horns were different; smaller and the same color as his pale skin. They protruded not from his scalp, but from the sides of his forehead, in the middle of which a similar ringed eye seemed to be tattooed, its color however being red as opposed to his own purple ones.

He also had no eyebrows and did not seem to possess the pitch black glove that her beloved always wore on his left hand, yet his wrinkled features were set in the same joyous expression as the one present on Hagoromo's face.

It truly did not take her too long to realize what this meant, but despite figuring it out, or at least believing to have understood a small part of the mystery that her beloved was, it did not make any of it less outlandish and unbelievable.

It was not that she would not believe what all of the accumulated clues seemed to be hinting toward at, but rather that she could not find any logical explanation for the implications that the things she had learnt of so far suggested.

It simply left her even more confused and with even more questions, yet she knew that she would not doubt her beloved. Whatever it was that he would be telling her, she would accept it without a shred of doubt.

She was once again brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her beloved's voice, and she focused all of her attention back on him as she listened to what he told her.

"I am certain that you must be having a lot of questions, my dear," she heard him begin in a serious tone. "Questions whose answers most definitely seem as if they would make no sense regardless of the angle form which they are looked at."

She simply nodded at his words as she listened to him continue.

"You have wondered before about how it is possible for your consciousness to be inside my own mind, as well as about what it had been that which I had meant when I had spoken of your upcoming enlightenment."

Once again, she nodded at his words as she felt increasingly eager at the prospect of finally understanding the mysteriousness that enshrouded her beloved.

"Well, the answers to all of your questions will be coming shortly as I will be doing my best in order to explain to you everything that you wish to know."

Her curiosity was almost overwhelming her at this point, and she was sure that he must have noticed it on her face, since he gave her a smile as he motioned for her to come toward him.

She wasted no time and took a few steps until she found herself standing in front of his hovering form as she gazed into his violet eyes.

The reason for why he had motioned earlier for her to approach him became clear to her when she felt his arms wrap around her lithe frame as he gently brought her closer to him and seated her on his lap.

She quickly felt her cheeks heat up at his sudden action and their close proximity, however, soon enough she relaxed in his embrace as she continued to gaze deeply in his eyes.

"However, to actually speak of the things that you must have certainly been wondering about during this entire time, I shall tell you a story," she heard him say as she noticed a reminiscent look cross his visage. "A tale about my life up to the very point before I had met you, the one who had changed everything in it for the best."

As soon as the last few words were registered by her mind, she felt the urge to kiss him senselessly, however, she refrained from doing so, because she did not want to distract him from the things that he was about to tell her.

Instead, she opted for just giving him a brief peck on his cheek as she decided that she would leave the part in which she kissed him senselessly for after he was done with the story.

"Now then, my dear, let us finally begin with the storytelling."

Following his words, she noticed the world around them change once more as everything began to disappear with the colors seemingly melting away into nothingness as an entirely new scenery was slowly being revealed.

A pure white void greeted her sight as she glanced around from her spot on her beloved's lap, before she looked back at Hagoromo with a curious expression on her face.

"Before I truly begin with my tale, there is one thing which you must know," she listened to him speak, feeling her curiosity increase as she wondered about what it might be that he would be saying next.

It was definitely clear to her that whatever he told her, it would be an answer to a lot of her questions, however, upon actually hearing his words, she was left momentarily shocked as she would have never expected such a revelation to be the case.

"I am certain that you must have very recently entertained such a possibility, but eventually discarded it due to its sheer apparent absurdity," he paused as a knowing smile formed on his lips. "Yet, I assure you that your intuition had been correct, my dear, since I am truly not of this world."

She replayed his words in her mind and she quickly realized that she had indeed considered this possibility for a brief moment during her previous musings, before she had ultimately discarded it due to the lack of a logical explanation for it.

Sure, she was aware that alien life certainly existed in the vastness of the universe and she did not deny it, however, she still could not wrap her mind around the fact that such an entity was here in the first place, and even more so, as her lover and fiancé.

It was simply mind boggling, and while it definitely explained the outlandish feats that she had seen him perform over the past two weeks, it still did not make it any less of a puzzling revelation. Which was why she could not refrain herself from voicing out her thoughts that until now she had considered to be simply part of the fabulous realm.

"So you are actually an alien?" she said in mild shock and disbelief as she was still processing his earlier words.

But she was quickly snapped out of her daze when she suddenly heard him begin chuckling heartily, and she quickly glanced up at his smiling face with a confused expression on her own.

"Oh, Yuno, you never cease to amaze me."

Despite her slowly forming blush, she managed to keep her questioning gaze, which prompted him to continue. However, as soon as she heard his next words, she felt even more bewildered than before.

"Your deduction was very close to the actual truth, yet at the same time it was rather far from it."

She kept staring at him with a befuddled expression as she listened to his explanation.

"You see, when I stated that I am not of this world, I did not refer solely to this particular planet when I said world."

She took a few moments to mull over his last words, and her eyes widened in shock when realization finally dawned upon her.

To say it was disbelieving would have been an understatement, as she quickly found herself staring almost dumbfounded at his smiling visage while her mind tried desperately to accept the fact that the truth was even more outlandish than what she had initially thought it to be.

But still, with this being the case, then most, if not all, of the mysterious things about him finally made sense now. If he had somehow went to another universe, then most of the peculiar things that she had noticed about him undoubtedly paled in comparison to such an incredible feat.

However, something as being capable of traversing the worlds also begged for another question.

How? How was he able to be here, in a different world from his own?

Unfortunately, for that question she could not come up with anything as an answer.

She barely registered his following words as she was too caught up in her own thoughts which once again were on the verge of bringing her into a daze.

"Your realization is indeed precise, my dear. I am not of this universe, so I cannot exactly be considered an alien should we go by your world's standards and semantics."

His words managed to snap her out of her impending stupor, but her incredulous expression was still present on her face as she continued to stare into his rippling, violet eyes.

"How...?"

That was the only thing that she was able to say after being faced with a revelation of such magnitude, as her mind was too busy trying to restore order to the jumbled mess that were her thoughts.

"Trust me, my dear," she heard him speak once again. "My story shall answer all of your questions, so please, just endure for a little longer as I will commence it at once."

She simply gave a nod at his words and not even a moment later, she felt him gently move her in his lap until she was facing away from him, before she felt his arms embrace her form once more as they brought her close to his chest, with her head resting in the crook of his neck.

She truly did not need to ask him about the reason for this change in her position, because she quickly understood what was the case when she noticed the bright void all around her begin to gain color and substance as it rapidly turned into a completely different world.

She stared in fascination at the scenery that was rapidly taking shape all around her, her mind no longer trying to weave complicated theories about her beloved, since she had immediately followed his previous words by deciding to simply wait for him to tell her the answers, just as he had promised her that he would.

Besides, she would definitely not miss the story of her beloved's life for something as trivial as her confounding thoughts and questions about his existence in her world.

She gave another look to her surroundings, noting that they had finally stopped shifting, however, as soon as her eyes took in the entirety of the sight that welcomed her, her breath was once again caught in her throat.

The scenery of her beloved's world was as surreal as much as it was beautiful. And while at a first glance it might have not looked much different from the earth of her own world, the differences could be easily noticed upon a closer inspection.

The very landscape was vibrant and filled with life.

The grass, the flowers, the trees.

They all possessed a blooming vitality that made them seem as if they were brought out of an idyllic landscape belonging to an utopia.

The numerous mountains rose high and effortlessly pierced the blanket of clouds, their imposing splendor so majestic as though they had been sculpted by the hands of divinity.

The hills and the plains perfectly complemented each other and the rest of the image with their raw beauty.

Yet, amidst this utopian scenery, there was one thing that eventually caught her eyes, a tiny part which did not fit this little slice of heaven that was the world around her.

In the not too far distance, situated in the midst of a plain that existed in stark contrast with the marvel surrounding it, the sight of a fairly large tree could be seen as it stood surrounded by a sea of red grass.

It did not take her too long to realize what was the nature of the element that made this image so dissonant with the rest of the world around it.

"Hagoromo..." she began, turning her head as she glanced at her beloved's face. "Is that... blood?"

If most of the world that she had seen around her exuded vitality and life, then that discordant place which housed the tree gave off the feeling of death to her. And while the tree might have looked even more impressive and exquisite than any of the others that she had seen, its resplendence was easily shadowed by the decaying fields of blood and death surrounding it.

She noticed a pensive look cross his eyes, before she heard him speak in a reminiscing tone.

"Yes, my dear, that is indeed blood. The very beginning of my world's history. A history born from bloodshed and death."

Her eyes widened at his words, but she did not say anything to interrupt him. She simply listened to him as she took in every bit of information spoken by him about the history of his world.

"My world had been baptized in blood from the very beginning," she noticed him point at the tree in the distance, before she saw him make a sweeping gesture to encompass the rest of the scenery around him. "What you see here is how my world had been centuries before my time. During that era, man had been no less than a slightly more intelligent beast, always fighting, endlessly slaughtering kin and bathing the earth in their lifeblood... Yet, from all of that death, ironically enough, powerful life emerged. In the form of that splendid tree which you can see definitely thriving in its blood soaked environment. A magnificent tree grown from the life-giving essence of the deceased and nourished by the energy of the universe itself. The Shinju."

That last word of her beloved echoed in her mind as she absorbed everything that he had told her so far.

If just the beginning of his story had been so astounding, then she could only imagine how the rest of it would be. And judging by what she had learnt so far, this God Tree which he had said to be the beginning of everything... it was clear to her that it played a central role in his story.

Finishing her train of thought, she realized that the world around her began to change once again, this time, however, it appeared as though time itself had been sped up to such an extent that everything just flashed by her in a mixture of muddled colors and indistinguishable shapes.

When the speeding vortex of fading colors and distorted shapes finally seemed to have stabilized, Yuno gave a brief look to her new surroundings and her eyes instantly widened for the second time during the past few minutes as she was shocked silent at what she came to witness.

A gigantic tree, taller than her eyes could hope to see was only a few dozen feet away from her, enshrouding everything in its surroundings in a perpetual shadow as no ray of light was able to pierce its dense vibrant crown.

Countless massive branches rose like imposing spears as they pierced through the sky and some of them through even the thick blanket of clouds that floated miles above the horizon.

A multitude of massive roots were dug into the soil all around her, their appearance resembling the image of an intricate web which was spread in every direction as though it held the very earth together.

"The God Tree..." she muttered breathlessly as she continued to stare in awe at the formidable sight before her eyes.

She was snapped out of her daze when she felt herself suddenly start moving and she quickly noted that her beloved had begun to hover around the monolithic trunk of the God Tree.

"Indeed, my dear," she heard him say. "This is the Shinju only a few years prior to my birth, already almost a millennium old ever since its emergence."

The sight revealed on the other side of the immense tree brought another astounded look on her features as soon as her eyes caught notice of it.

Sat amidst the massive roots of the God Tree, thousands upon thousands of people were unmoving in kneeling positions as they appeared to be fervently praying at what they must have surely perceived to be the embodiment of divinity standing before them.

She idly observed that all of the gazes of those who did not have their eyes closed during their prayers seemed to be fixated upon a round bulbous fruit of sorts that hung toward the base of the tree as they stared at it in reverence.

"Just as the Shinju had done over the passing of the ages, so had man too grown from mere beast to a more sapient creature."

She glanced back at Hagoromo, noting how a wry smile was slowly forming on his lips as he continued to speak.

"Yet, for all of the growth they had gone through, the very essence of their existences had never changed. And as soon as favorable enough circumstances had presented themselves to them, they had once again reverted back to their belligerent ways of ages old."

She listened with rapt attention to each and every of his words as her curiosity grew the more she was being told.

"Man had never changed in the course of that millennium. He had only learnt to be a better animal. A more intelligent one. One that knew how to behave, but would drop the act at a moment's notice and revert back to its base instincts if given the proper incentive..." she noted how his tone became more and more sardonic with every word he uttered. "And what better incentive could have there been other than the object of common worship for millions of such rational animals?"

The scenery beneath her began to shift once again, however, despite the rather shocking scene that welcomed her, she did not seem to be exactly affected and instead simply watched everything unfold without too much concern on her visage.

Hundreds of people armed with with knives, swords, spears and any other objects that could have been used as weapons were rushing from behind those who were kneeling in prayer and began to massacre each an every one of them.

None was spared. Man, woman, child and elder alike. They were all slaughtered, their lifeblood spilt over the verdant grass and the massive roots of the gigantic tree, staining everything crimson.

By the time when the slaughter was over, the newly arrived people had knelt amidst the corpses scattered around every inch of their surroundings and began to pray at the God Tree with increasing fervor themselves.

"This is the true nature of man. A pitiful, belligerent creature that would stop from nothing to sate its greed and lust for what it desires."

She looked away from the scene of massacre below her and gazed at her beloved, feeling that she could begin to understand him at least a little.

"But even in the face of such wretched hopelessness, there had been someone who had decided to stand firmly..." his words quickly roused her curiosity, and remembering another story that he had told her a day prior, she felt that she had an inkling of who it might be the one whom he had spoken of.

What she heard next served to cement her theory.

"Despite the humans possessing no redeeming qualities whatsoever, there had been one person who had wished for their betterment. For them to let go of their destructive ways and to achieve peace and understanding with each other. My mother. Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."

She did not have too much time to muse on how she had managed to deduce beforehand what her beloved had just told her, because the world around her began to change once more as soon as she had heard him utter the name of his mother.

As she waited for the next scenery to be revealed to her, Yuno felt her curiosity peak at the prospect of finally seeing the mother of her Hagoromo, the one whom she knew that he respected and loved dearly.

When the surroundings finally stopped changing, she quickly gave an inspecting glance around herself and she immediately noticed the now familiar sight of the God Tree a few feet away from her.

Not even a moment later, and her eyes finally caught sight of what she had been searching for as they lingered by the monolithic trunk of the Shinju.

And when she finally took in the appearance of her beloved's mother, she could not help but stare in admiration at her beauty.

Her skin was pale and flawless and her features were delicate and of an exquisite pulchritude.

A pair of two brown horns, resembling of rabbit ears, stuck out from her scalp and her sweeping white hair flowed over her back like a satin curtain that touched the grass beneath.

Her eyes were of the same pale color as those of her beloved, with the exception that hers did not seem to have any visible pupil, and her eyebrows, despite missing as well, had in their stead painted an oval symbol.

A red shade of lipstick covered her lips, while dark colored nail polish decorated her long fingernails.

Her attire was perfectly matching her beauty and exuded an air only befitting of nobility with its refined design. A high-collared hime-kimono adorned with intricate gold and purple lines, but also with magatama running running down its center, as well as along the edges of its long sleeves.

Yuno felt a tinge of envy at how beautiful this woman was, but even so, she was unable to refrain herself from acknowledging the presence of such regal beauty.

"She is so beautiful..." she voiced out in a faint voice, unable to deny the woman of exquisite beauty who stood before her eyes.

"That she was..." she heard him agree with her previous remark and she felt another spike of envy. "My mother had been one of the two most beautiful women to ever grace my eyes. The other one being you, my dear."

It took her a few moments to properly register the words of her beloved, but when she did, she felt all of her previous envy vanish as it was instantly consumed by the resurgent boundless love that she held for him.

And when faced with her emotions for him set ablaze once again, she did the only thing that she could have done. She immediately turned around to face him and embraced him tightly as she began kissing him with burning passion.

When she finally pulled back from the intense kiss, she gazed at his smiling face with a blush staining her cheeks as she slowly came down from her emotional high.

"Now, now, my dear, we should not get too sidetracked. The tale is still far from being over."

Her cheeks further reddened upon hearing him say that, however, that did not stop her from trying to come with a retort.

"Why, Hagoromo, are you afraid that you can't handle a little more than this?" she tried her best to sound as sultry as possible while she licked her lips sensually. "Or perhaps you think that if things get too intense, then you won't be able to control yourself and take me right here and now?"

By the time she was finished with what she had thought to be a very good comeback, she was expecting to at least get a visible reaction out of him, however, when she noticed how his smile slowly changed from its previously pleasant aspect to a more mischievous one, she felt a brief chill run down her back.

"Hm, getting cheeky again, are we?" his tone coupled with the way he brought his arms around her sent another chill down her spine, and she was having some difficulty in telling whether it had been a pleasant or foreboding one.

However, his following words gave her the inkling that it must have been a combination of the two.

"Well, in that case, how about we take a prolonged break from the storytelling and engage in a more..." she saw him lean in closer until his lips were millimeters away from her left ear, moment when she felt his hot breath tingle against her skin as she heard him finish in a husky tone. "...fulfilling activity?"

As his last two words echoed in her mind, she could only think about how spectacularly her previous attempt at teasing him had backfired, since she was certain that by now her entire face was colored a vivid shade of red given how much she felt her cheeks burning.

"Or perhaps you would prefer me to simply continue with the story?"

She immediately nodded at his words, perhaps a bit too fast for her liking, however, she could do nothing in her current situation. Except for maybe resolving to one up him at a later time, because for now, she had been soundly defeated by him at their brief game of wit.

"Well, then in that case let us continue with the tale."

She nodded once again, quickly turning around in his lap as she focused her attention back on the regal looking woman who had never moved an inch from her standing position next to the gigantic tree as though she had been frozen in time.

"As I were saying, the woman possessing delicate features standing next to the Shinju is my mother, Princess Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, the former leader of the Ōtsutsuki Clan."

As soon as she registered his words, Yuno gave herself a quick mental congratulations for once again managing to guess another thing about the mystery that was her beloved.

This time, however, she refrained from saying anything out loud, as she was still rather flustered after her previously failed attempt at teasing him.

Still, it did not make it any less exciting for her to know that she had actually been correct in her theory regarding her beloved's royal descent.

"My mother had come from a very distant place alongside her people in her search for that very tree," she watched him indicate toward the God Tree as his lips twitched in an amused smile. "And that is precisely why I had stated earlier that your initial assumption regarding my origins has been very close yet at the same time quite far from the truth," her eyes widened in realization as he continued speaking. "Because while I definitely cannot be labeled as an alien according to your world's definitions of that notion, if we are to consider this matter from the perspective of my own world, then that is exactly what I am."

"I see..." she finally spoke as she had managed to regather her composure. "But what of your mother, Hagoromo? Why had she come seeking the God Tree on this planet?"

"She had come to pluck its fruit," she heard him reply. "The fruit of chakra."

Hearing the unfamiliar term prompted her to quickly raise an eyebrow in questioning and curiosity.

She was not unfamiliar with the word itself, since she had encountered in a book that she had read some time ago, however, just as she had been proved earlier, she knew that it would be quite foolish of her to try to equate something from her world with any of the things that her beloved told her about his own world.

But besides that, what she knew as the definition for chakra in her world definitely did not fit the context in which she had just heard it to be mentioned.

"Chakra?" she slowly mouthed in questioning, her inquisitive gaze locking with Hagoromo's own as she turned to look at him once again.

Her answer came a moment later.

"Chakra is what my mother had called the power she had obtained upon consuming the Shinju's fruit."

She listened intently as he continued with his explanation, finding the notion of chakra to be increasingly fascinating the more she learnt about it.

"Chakra is in fact an energy that is produced by the Shinju and concentrated during the span of a millennium into a fruit of unimaginable power."

She glanced briefly in the direction of the monolithic tree, gazing at the whitish glowing fruit as she wondered how could such power be obtained from simply eating what basically amounted to a peach-sized fruit.

Her answer once again came as soon as her beloved explained further.

"As I have said a little while ago, the Shinju had emerged after the blood of countless deceased had been spilt, which in combination with the natural energy that uniformly permeates my universe, had been used as nourishment. The latter had been used more by the tree itself to grow, whereas the former is what had been used in the process of generating chakra."

Her eyes widened in shock when she realized just how powerful that fruit must have been after it had absorbed the power from the millions of people who had fed the tree with their lifeblood during the course of an entire millennium.

"Chakra is created through the combination of two other distinct energies, the spiritual energy, or the energy derived from one's mind's consciousness, and the physical energy, or the energy derived from the body's many cells," she heard him state in a matter-of-fact tone. "Each and every sentient being possesses these two energies, however, under normal circumstances, combining them into chakra is impossible, since for one to do so, they must either consume the fruit of chakra, or be gifted chakra by someone who is knowledgeable enough about its nature."

This new piece of information brought her somewhat closer to understanding the principle of chakra, but she still felt that the gap between her own and her beloved's comprehension of chakra was quite the wide chasm.

Yet, she hoped that by the time he was done telling her his story, her understanding of chakra would be at least closer to his own, since she was sure that if she was able to grasp the concepts of chakra, then she would be much closer to him than ever.

"Now regarding the Shinju and its process of generating chakra, this is where the blood of the deceased had come into play," she noticed his amused smile return as he spoke the next part. "Through the endless spilling of that life-giving substance, it had been possible to concentrate enough of the spiritual and physical energies in order for the Shinju to sprout. And what the sacred tree had done, had been merely amassing these two energies within a fruit over the period of one millennium, using the natural energy as a catalyst in the process of generating chakra."

She glanced once more at the faintly glowing fruit, this time however in wonder as she marveled at the sheer amount of power that she had learnt it contained beneath its exquisite exterior.

"So, upon consuming this fruit, my mother had obtained incredibly powerful chakra, as well as the means to generate an endless amount of it by connecting her internal energies with the aid of said chakra."

A question quickly sprung in her mind as soon as she registered his words.

"Connecting?" she asked, receiving a reply not even a moment later.

"This is the most basic aspect of chakra, my dear," she heard him respond in a didactic tone which almost made her giggle as she found it to be rather fitting with the image of wisdom that he always seemed to project.

"Chakra is the power to connect. It is capable of using the physical and spiritual energies in order to amplify itself by bringing them together and moulding them with itself."

She truly could not keep the amazement from showing on her face when she understood the implications of what her beloved had just told her. And his following words only further served to cement her realization that chakra was indeed something truly mind boggling, and that was only counting the sheer potential that it possessed.

"And since the natural energy itself had played a crucial role in its creation, chakra is also able to connect to said energy of the universe in order to increase its potency to an even more formidable degree."

Moments later after she heard him say that, her attention was immediately brought back upon the figure of his mother as she noticed her finally move from her seemingly suspended animation.

She watched her reach for the glowing whitish fruit, before she plucked it and removed the bulbous shell which covered it.

She observed how the regal looking woman admired the eerily glowing fruit, before she took a bite out of it.

The expression of pure bliss that instantly showed on the woman's features prompted Yuno to wonder if that fruit had truly tasted that great, however, she had quickly put that thought aside as she noticed something incredible happen as soon as the princess was done consuming the fruit of chakra.

A look of euphoria crossed the pale skinned woman's visage as white wisps of what Yuno had quickly realized to be chakra began to rise off her flawless skin as they dispersed into the atmosphere.

Moments later, the amount of chakra emanating from her body drastically increased, until she was almost completely covered in a white haze.

But probably the most startling thing that Yuno had noticed taking place during this process had been the moment when the skin in the middle of the woman's forehead began to split as it revealed beneath the sight of a blood red eye with concentric circles identical to those of her beloved's eyes, but with the addition of nine of those small magatama-like symbols—tomoe—three of them situated each on the first three rings closest to the dot-like pupil.

Yuno continued to watch in fascination as the white mist of chakra began to slowly disperse, revealing the Ōtsutsuki Princess as she seemed to be still lost in the feelings of delight that the consumption of the fruit had brought her, before the rose haired girl noticed the scenery suddenly freeze once again.

She quickly turned around and looked at her beloved, her eyes shining with wonder and her mouth already partly opened as she was about to voice some of the many questions which had arisen upon her watching of the previous occurring.

"Is chakra normally visible? And can you please tell me about that third eye in the middle of her forehead, since it looks very similar to your own eyes?"

"No, chakra is usually not visible to the naked eye. It only becomes visible when it is released in great quantities, or when viewed through a dōjutsu," she heard him reply. "As for her third eye, that is what is called a dōjutsu, and in my mother's case it had been the very first one, the Rinne Sharingan. My own eyes are the second in the line of dōjutsu, the Rinnegan. The Eyes of Saṃsāra."

She listened with rapt attention to his every word as he continued to explain her even more fascinating concepts pertaining to the nature of chakra.

"Which brings me to another very important aspect of chakra. Its power to alter the very being of the user and awaken unique traits known as bloodlines depending on the type and potency of the chakra itself. But in this case, due to the chakra being obtained directly from the fruit, the effects were the emergence of the very first bloodlines, the kekkei mōra, with one of them being the original dōjutsu itself, the Rinne Sharingan."

She noticed him rise three fingers as he spoke next.

"There are three types of bloodlines, the kekkei mōra, or the bloodline encompassing, whose name speaks for itself as it simply encompasses the whole concept of chakra, the kekkei tōta, which is inferior to the former as it combines only three chakra nature transformations, and lastly, the kekkei genkai, which is the most common, since it requires only two distinct nature transformations, or simply another trait which makes one's chakra slightly more unique than that of the others."

She nodded in response to his words as she processed everything that he had told her so far.

It was just as she had thought earlier. Chakra was an incredibly intricate concept, but she felt herself understand more and more of it with every new piece of information that he gave her.

She was about to ask another thing which had caught her interest among his previous words, however, it seemed that he had anticipated her question as he quickly told her what she would have otherwise inquired for.

"And since I have mentioned the term nature transformation, I will also explain it alongside its counterpart, the shape transformation," she heard him begin and focused even more of her attention on his explanation. "There are two methods of manipulating chakra. One is the shape transformation, through which one can control the form, movement and potency of chakra, and the other is nature transformation, which deals with changing the properties of chakra into an inherent type of chakra with different properties and characteristics. Basically, it changes the chakra into a specific type of chakra related to an element, with the primary five being fire, wind, lightning, water and earth. But apart from these five elemental nature transformations, there are also the Yin and Yang nature transformations, which deal with altering the balance between the spiritual and physical energies in chakra. These two nature transformations can be used either separately, which is rather common and does not require any unique prowess, or together in order to perform the Yin-Yang release, something which cannot be truly achieved by those who had not been touched by the power of the chakra fruit."

Yuno took a few moments to properly absorb what she had just been told.

It was all truly fascinating, especially the part when he had spoken about that Yin-Yang nature transformation, since it had reminded her of a concept from her world—the onmyōdō—which shared some similarities with it in terms of the elements that he had mentioned.

"And with that being said, I believe I have covered everything necessary for us to be able to move onto the next part of the tale."

She quickly glanced at him, the forming of another question evident on her features as she registered his words, however, she refrained herself from saying anything, because she noticed that he was about to elaborate further.

"I know that I have yet to say anything pertaining to the feats which can be achieved through the usage of chakra, however, I believe that it would be definitely better for you to simply witness them along the course of the story."

Hearing this, she decided to drop her question, since it was obvious that it would be answered at some point in the very near future, just as she had assumed that it would, given the excited smile that had appeared on his face as he had spoken earlier.

"However, before I continue, there is one last thing which I must mention in advance regarding to this very topic" her attention was instantly brought back to its previous highest as soon as she heard him add that.

"Chakra does not conform to the laws of nature as you might know them. It does not obey such trivial limitations. Instead, it dominates them, it subjugates them and then it utterly crushes them," her eyes widened at that. "Because, after all, chakra in its purest form is simply absolute power. Power that dictates how everything else operates."

Her beloved's words were immediately followed by another shifting of the surroundings as he continued with his tale once again, leaving her a few moments to contemplate about the things that she had just learnt until the scenery was finished with its transition.

The scenery which welcomed Yuno as soon as the world had settled from its change quickly left her speechless as she could do nothing but stare in awe at what began playing before her eyes.

The mother of her beloved was standing on a small hill, surrounded on all sides by tall and mighty mountains, gazing into the distance with an unreadable expression on her regal features.

A moment later, she slowly spread her arms open as if attempting to embrace the very landscape around her, and Yuno could only look with widened eyes, another gasp leaving her lips as her breath was once more caught in her throat at what she came to witness.

In mere seconds the skies darkened until day turned into night, and countless arcs of lightning started dancing across the clouded heavens.

The bright arcs rapidly grew in intensity, until the sky was once again illuminated, before they all descended in a flash upon the earth as they mercilessly struck everything in the surroundings of the princess.

Chunks of rock flew in every direction as the mountains were quickly obliterated into fine dust.

Entire forests were charred black by the intense heat as they ignited in a great conflagration upon being touched by the many bolts of lightning striking at the soil.

The very earth was left scarred under the might of the woman as it could do nothing when faced with such overwhelming power.

Yuno continued to watch in silent awe as the pale skinned woman effortlessly called upon countless streaks of lighting and thundering booms, until everything as far as her eyes could see was reduced to naught but ash.

She quickly remembered the previous words of her Hagoromo and it did not take her very long to realize just how terrifying and at the same time magnificent this power was.

She now understood why he had spoken about it in the way he had done.

To enable someone to perform such unimaginable feats as commanding the very nature to do ones bidding... it truly made this power godly in her eyes.

"What you have witnessed right now had been one of the stories told by my mother to me and my brother about her time after she had obtained her powerful chakra."

She turned away from the still ongoing display of sheer destruction and gazed at the face of her beloved, noting the reminiscing look on his features as he spoke.

"At that time she had wondered about the incredible power she had obtained from consuming that fruit and had decided to test it and see its extent," she saw him point at the image of his mother standing amidst the obliterated mountains as he added. "And this occurrence had been only a mere drop of what she had soon come to learn of her power."

Another gasp left her mouth as soon as her mind had registered his words.

Just a mere drop?! It was so inconceivable that she would have immediately dismissed it as ludicrous had it not been her beloved who had actually told her of it.

Which was why she felt simply overwhelmed at the fact that such sheer power existed and that her beloved most likely was also capable of commanding it to a similar extent.

She idly wondered about how strong he actually was, however, that thought quickly left her mind when she noticed something even more incredible and awe-inspiring than before take place before her very eyes.

She watched as the princess with sweeping white hair slowly brought a hand in front of her face in a fluid and elegant motion, before she curled her last two fingers and straightened the first three as she performed a hand sign that reminded Yuno of the mudras of her world.

Not even a moment after the woman had formed that hand sign, and Yuno watched in stunned silence how the destroyed lands surrounding the princess changed as they seemed to mend themselves back to their former pristine appearance.

The grass and trees grew anew, looking even more vibrant than before.

The obliterated mountains rose from mere rubble and the multitude of craters gouged in the soil by the ferocious lightning filled themselves back.

It was simply unbelievable with how much ease this woman undid all of the destruction that she had brought upon the land not even minutes before, and Yuno could do nothing but marvel at the sight of such unmatched ability.

"Creation and destruction. Two concepts that can both be achieved through chakra. One as easiest as the other, since there is absolutely nothing in all of creation which this divine power cannot command and rule above."

His words sent shivers down her back as she began to realize the true extent of this power called chakra. It might have sounded mind-boggling that an energy capable of lording over all of creation existed, however, after everything she had heard and seen so far, she simply could not believe otherwise.

Chakra was exactly as her beloved had said before. It was absolute. And she now clearly understood that there would be many more instances during his tale which would leave her in awed speechlessness at the unbelievable feats this power was capable of achieving.

Her brief musings were brought to an end when she noticed the scenery change yet again as it made way for the next part of her beloved's story to be spun.

The sight that next met Yuno's eyes was not as awing as the former, but it was still inspiring enough wonder in order to be considered impressive.

The Ōtsutsuki princess was standing in front of the God Tree, her posture as regal and elegant as ever as she was surrounded on all sides by people of all ages and genders, whose hopeful eyes were staring at her in reverence.

They were numbering in the tens of thousands and they were all kneeling before the all-powerful woman as they praised and thanked her from the bottoms of their hearts.

The image of deep worship and reverence was very powerful as it displayed a complete and utter devotion of the people for the woman standing before them, a sentiment which had been born from the happiness filling their hearts in the wake of her noble deeds.

Yuno's attention was brought back to her beloved when she heard him suddenly speak.

"This gathering had taken place only a little while before the birth of me and my brother."

She nodded silently as she listened to him continue with his tale.

"After my mother had become aware of the extent of her power, she had decided to put an end to any and all of the wars plaguing the lands at that time and thus, she had used her chakra to bring peace and harmony to the humans, despite the fact that they had not been worthy of being granted such succor."

She noticed a frown mar his beautiful visage as he had said that and she felt that the story was about to be getting darker rather soon.

She suspected that it must have had something to do with the way humanity had acted, however, she wasn't exactly sure what it had been, so she decided to wait until her beloved finally reached that point in his story.

"Yet, my mother had seen the better in them. She had sympathized with their suffering and had decided to help them leave behind their bloodthirsty and belligerent ways. She had longed for peace in a world stained crimson by the presence of death and suffering and she had achieved the peace that she had yearned for," she noticed a brief smile form on his lips as he said the next part, however, it had vanished by the time he had reached the end of the phrase. "And by doing so she had become a figure of worship for mankind, the benevolent Rabbit Goddess, the one who had brought an end to the constant strife of humanity."

As soon as her beloved was done speaking, she once again saw her surroundings shift in preparation for the next chapter of his story.

Yuno looked with a smile on her face at the newest scenery which depicted Princess Kaguya as she was sat in a seiza position before her two newly born children, gazing at them with a loving expression.

"After ushering an era of peace, my mother and her people had settled down on the lands of this world and eventually she had given birth to two children, one of which had been me."

Yuno noticed how her beloved's mother leant in and gave each baby a tender kiss on their forehead, before she returned to her previous watching of their tiny sleeping forms.

The image quickly blurred away and was replaced by one showing the regal looking woman as she played with the two children, who were already a few years older.

Moments later, that scene vanished as well and was followed by several others which depicted various other instances of the woman raising and teaching her two sons.

She idly observed that her beloved had looked slightly different in these recollections than how he actually looked in the present and that quickly got the gears inside her head spinning.

His current appearance suggested that he was around the age of twenty, yet his actual appearance at that age looked quite different.

She was aware that his current appearance could be easily explained through the effects of chakra somehow, however, she wondered if it wasn't more than that.

Then, there was also the fact that she did not know his actual age...

Briefly shaking her head, she decided to leave these matters for him to reveal through his story, so she returned her complete attention back on him.

"She had raised us with great love and care and had taught us about the many intricacies of life as she kept her watch over mankind and the peace that she had created for them."

Yuno listened closely to his words as she observed the scenes playing before her eyes, but as the scenes played by, she noticed something rather curious.

The Ōtsutsuki princess seemed to become more and more disappointed and displeased within each instance, prompting Yuno to realize that the foreboding feeling she had experienced earlier was turning out to be very much true.

She wondered about what it might have been that which had caused the woman to slowly change in such a manner, and she quickly got her answer when she heard her beloved speak once more.

"As you have certainly noticed, at some point during the second decade of my and my brother's lives, our mother had begun to change," he let out a soft sigh. "At that time we had not known the reasons for those sudden changes in her personality and beliefs, however, with time... we began to understand."

Her surroundings froze again, and she turned to look at the young man as she focused her attention even more on what he continued to tell her.

"The first change we had noticed about her had been her distancing from the humans as she began to demand their devotion and obedience. And that behavior had eventually reached the stage where she had begun to rule over them akin to a tyrant."

Yuno noticed the same frown as before return on her beloved's face as he spoke.

"The second change had become apparent during one of the times when she had been teaching us about the powerful chakra we had inherited from her. At that time, we had noticed a tinge of envy in her eyes as she looked at us, which had only grown stronger over the time."

This made her curious, because she could not think of any reason for why her Hagoromo's mother would be envious of her children possessing the same chakra as her.

"In the end, me and my brother had agreed that it must have been her immense power which had managed to corrupt her into acting as such, for we had not been able to see any other reasons to her changes. We had been blind at that time, something that we had only realized after a long time."

She felt a pang in her chest when she registered the note of sadness in his voice as he spoke further.

"We had come to be too trusting of humanity and that had made us blind to what was laid before our very eyes. Our love and care for humanity had made us unable to see the simple fact that the humans were unable to overcome their nature without a strong enough force compelling them into doing so."

Hearing that, she did not think twice and instantly embraced her beloved in a tight hug.

"Don't say that, Hagoromo," she said in a soft tone. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known of those things at that time."

She kept him close to herself for a few moments, before she slowly leant back as she gazed in his violet eyes.

"Yuno," she heard his gentle voice and felt his warm touch as he placed his right hand over her own. "Thank you for trying to comfort me, but you need to understand that I have no excuses for not being able to see what should have been obvious to me at that time."

She noticed how his frown faded as it was replaced by a faint smile.

"There is no denying that I had been very foolish and naïve at that time, however, you can take solace in the fact that I had long overcome those plagues in my life. It is just that they still bring me forth a tinge of melancholy whenever I reminisce them."

She spent a few moments thinking about his words, before she finally gave a nod.

"Okay..." she replied, not sounding too thrilled about it, however, she was happy enough that she had managed to make him feel better.

A moment later, she heard him continue from where he had left off earlier.

"So, as I was saying, me an my brother had yet to realize at that time that it had been this very thing which had prompted our mother to act in such a manner after she had witnessed how futile her previous attempts at bringing peace had been, since as much as she might have tried, her initial benevolence would have never been enough to prevent the true nature of humans from resurfacing."

As she listened to that, Yuno realized that from this point onwards, her beloved's story would be getting definitely darker, given the way things seemed to be heading.

"The peace my mother had brought to mankind did not last for long, as they had willingly ignited the conflict amongst themselves anew mere decades after they had been convinced to bury the hatchet of war."

She heard Hagoromo let out a sigh as he opened his mouth to speak.

"However, there had been more than just that. Only after talking to my mother before her departure from the world had I learnt the actual truth."

Yuno was a little surprised at his words, though she was more curious to hear what he had to say.

"You see, my mother's main reason for consuming the forbidden fruit had been vengeance," Hagoromo revealed, prompting Yuno's eyes to widen in further surprise. "She sought power in order to avenge the death of my father at the hands of another clan member who had desired his power."

Noticing the darkening of Yuno's eyes, Hagoromo embraced her closer to his chest as he spoke. "This is an issue for another day, my dear. I have made a promise to even the scales to my mother, and I would be glad to have you assist me when the time comes to confront that person. But for now, there is no need to occupy your mind with such things."

Yuno seemed to lose the murderous look that briefly took hold of her features as she listened to her beloved's words, relishing in the closeness that she could feel between them. She noticed the world around her shimmer once again as he spoke his next words, so she glanced at her shifting surroundings in awaiting for the next chapter of his tale.

"As I was saying earlier, humanity had ultimately disappointed my mother. And by doing so, they had further pushed her toward her descent into madness..."

His previous words had prompted Yuno to widen her eyes in surprise, and now that she saw the rather ominous scenery the world had changed into, she understood that the actions of mankind had definitely had dire consequences on the mother of her beloved.

Everywhere she looked around herself, there were people standing like statues, with their eyes the same ringed violet as her beloved's, and in the distance, there stood the Ōtsutsuki princess, staring at their unmoving forms with an appraising gaze and her lips curled in a pleased smile.

"What you see now is the first time when my mother had used her combined ocular powers in order to cast the most powerful illusory technique in existence. The Infinite Tsukuyomi, a technique of such might that it creates an eternal world of dreams from which no one can escape, unless freed by the one who had trapped them within it."

As soon as she registered his words, Yuno was once again left awed at the power of chakra and the things capable of being achieved through its usage.

"Wow..." she muttered in amazement, her eyes sweeping over the sight of the thousands upon thousands of unmoving people. "But what did she achieve by doing this?" she added in curiosity.

Her question earned her a chuckle from Hagoromo.

"I was just getting there," he quickly replied with a smile. "But to answer your question, she had achieved nothing besides obtaining more unnecessary power for herself by trapping more than half of the world inside her ultimate illusion."

She looked at him with her eyes glimmering in curiosity.

"I am not certain about her reasoning for doing this," he began. "Perhaps she wanted to directly control mankind in order to make sure they did not stray away from her will. Perhaps she saw them as potential resources to aid her quest for vengeance. Perhaps she had been too lost in her madness to think clearly. Or perhaps she had just wanted to punish mankind for their actions. Either way, what I do know for certain is that she had not achieved anything too extravagant by using the Infinite Tsukuyomi on humanity."

Her questioning look did not falter as he took a brief pause to collect his thoughts.

"The Infinite Tsukuyomi is by its very nature a tool of domination and subjugation, since it traps the victim inside a dream world tailored to perfectly suit their deepest desires. Essentially, it gives one what they yearn most for. But in exchange for that, it takes everything away from them. Their personalities, their defining features, their spiritual and physical energies and their chakra if they possess any. It drains away all of these, leaving behind only mere hollow husks."

She heard him chuckle in amusement.

"It is not a very profitable exchange if you are curious about my opinion on this matter. For the victim, that is."

Another chuckle left his smiling lips. "But I digress, my dear."

"I see..." Yuno muttered as she pondered on what she had just been told.

"Now, returning to the story. After my mother had trapped most of humanity inside her genjutsu, she had done exactly what I had told you earlier and thus, she had essentially began to convert everyone into her little minions, an army of obedient half plant soldiers known as White Zetsu."

She gave another small nod, prompting him to continue.

"Once again, I am not making any fact of her motives in doing this, since by that time, she had been deeply consumed by her madness, so much that there had no longer been possible for us to reason with her."

She noticed the same sadness as earlier seep into his tone as his features morphed into a frown, so she tenderly squeezed his hand that she was still holding onto.

This seemed to have the intended effect as she quickly saw his expression soften and his voice return to its previous calmness.

"So, the foolish us from that time had been left with only one option... to try and stop her. However, by the time when we had been ready to confront her, we were unable to find her anymore as she had somehow vanished from the face of the world without leaving behind any trace."

Her eyes were filled with curiosity once again as she listened to his words.

"At that time we had not known what had happened and we had not been able to contemplate upon the situation too much either, for an even more dire situation had quickly befallen us. And exactly due to its urgency and suddenness, we had been unable to properly analyze and consider everything, as we had been forced to confront it at once."

She quickly realized from his serious tone that what he was about to say next would be of a great importance.

"The Shinju had disappeared from its sacred place of origins. It had morphed into a terrifying entity of godlike power, a harbinger of death and destruction which we had called the Jūbi due to its unique appearance."

Her eyes widened upon hearing those words and she felt a cold shiver run down her back at how foreboding they had sounded.

"At that time we had believed that the Ten-Tails had been the physical incarnation of the God Tree, which had frenzied and had gone on a rampage in order to reclaim the chakra fruit that had been taken from it."

This made her wonder once again about the strength of her beloved, because in order for him to oppose the God Tree alongside his brother, they must have possessed an incredible might.

"That theory we had come up on the battlefield had fit the circumstances at that time, because we had correlated it with the disappearance of our mother. We had presumed that the Sacred Tree had reached her before us and had consumed her along with her chakra."

The wry smile that she noticed forming on his face as he spoke his next words filled her with both excitement and anticipation, but also made her even more curious about the truth behind all of this occurrence.

"However, at that time we couldn't have been more wrong with our assumptions..."

Moments later, her surroundings began to change yet again as she waited for the story to continue.

However, when her eyes finally registered the sight that welcomed her after the world had settled from its previous change, Yuno was filled with dread and her instincts caused her to move closer to her beloved's chest in an attempt to distance herself from the thing, which despite being at least a mile away, it felt as if she was being stared down by it from mere inches apart.

She could not find the words to describe the horrifying creature that she was currently looking at.

Eldritch abomination was the closest description that she could come up with for the beast whose height was so towering that even the tallest of mountains reached only a little past its ankles.

She found herself slightly shaking as she continued to stare at the ringed blood red eye of the beast, her mind trying to get used to the terrifying sight of what she had remembered her beloved to have referred to as being beyond even destruction incarnate.

The monstrous creature's skin was as black as midnight and had a lustrous shine to it.

Its body was a fearsome sight, with muscular arms and legs that looked as though they could easily crush mountains into sand, and with ten gigantic tails swishing wildly from its back in something akin to a dance of death.

And yet, the thing that terrified her most about the beast was its face.

The ringed crimson eye with nine tomoe that seemed to be staring right through her soul.

The spiked protrusions which rose from most of its visage.

And lastly, the razor sharp teeth which were arranged in a wicked, foreboding grin that made her feel as if she was being stared at by something which was beyond even death.

She did not fear death, or what she thought that came with it. She had stared death once in the face and had smiled at it.

But this... thing... this incarnation of death and destruction... it terrified her.

And it was only the fact that she felt the comforting arms of her beloved wrapped around her trembling form that she was able to keep herself together and continue staring the creature in its eye without having despair fill her being.

"Be at ease, Yuno," she heard his soft voice whisper in her ear. "Everything is alright. That creature is long gone."

She visibly calmed down and felt most of her previous fright leave her as she listened to his soothing words.

The beast might have been beyond terrifying, but her beloved's voice had given her enough strength to overcome her fear.

However, now that her mind was getting clearer, she couldn't help but feel awe at the thought that her Hagoromo had faced this monstrosity in battle and had emerged victorious.

And following that thought, she finally noticed the two distinct figures standing undaunted on two large rocks at the feet of the creature as they looked ready to battle against it.

One of them she had immediately recognized as her beloved, despite his several different features, such as the shorter hair, its different color and stylization, as well as the small goatee.

And the other was the brother of her Hagoromo, a young man who resembled his mother quite closely in his more feminine appearance and long hair.

Both of them were clothed in priestly looking garments and were armed with a sword, as well as with a pitch black staff which seemed to absorb the light itself.

"The Jūbi could easily end grown men with a mere glance, yet you stood before its glare and only shivered," she heard him say in a proud tone, feeling her inner strength grow tenfold at the praise. "And I am certain that had you been actually trained in the mind arts as I and my brother had been, then you would have definitely stared it down in the same manner as we had done."

Despite feeling overjoyed at hearing that, Yuno did not look away from the gigantic beast and the two brothers who were staring it down unflinchingly. Her beloved's words had empowered her and she no longer felt any dread at the sight of its daunting form.

"Your strength of will is marvelous, Yuno," she heard him whisper in her ear once more and felt another surge of happiness wash over her.

Moments later, her undivided attention was brought back to the scene taking place in front of her as she noticed the monolithic creature finally make its first move.

The beast brought down all of its ten massive tails with a force that could easily shatter mountains, its intent obviously being to turn the two brothers standing before it into smears on the surface of the earth.

Yuno watched with baited breath as the enormous appendages were rapidly approaching the two young men's positions, before her eyes widened and a gasp left her mouth when she saw how all of the tails suddenly froze mere inches away from making contact with their target.

It was akin to an invisible force opposing their crushing advance, and she was unable to keep the look of awe from her face when she noticed the younger self of her beloved slowly raise his right arm as he made the world around him shake and tremble under the pressure of the same invisible force.

Then, she heard him utter two words. Words which she thought they carried within the power to tear asunder the world, just as their meaning seemed to imply.

Not even a split second later, and she watched in silent shock how the earth creaked and shattered as an unstoppable force exploded outwards in a circular wave that swept away everything in the young man's surroundings.

The massive tails of the Jūbi were effortlessly repelled and were sent flailing through the air, until the beast brought them back behind itself as it released a piercing roar.

"Shinra Tensei..." Yuno muttered breathlessly as she repeated the two words she had just heard echo in the distance, her eyes still fixated on the enraged form of the beast and the two brothers who had yet to move from their place.

"An apt name for such a power, no?" she heard Hagoromo say and she could only nod in response. "That was a technique belonging to the Deva Path, one of the seven aspects of the Rinnegan," she heard him elaborate. "It grants absolute control over forces of attraction or repulsion, such as gravity for example."

She absorbed each and every of his words, once again marveling at the mind-boggling power that her beloved held through his chakra.

She had understood from earlier that his eyes must have possessed unfathomable power, however, she had not imagined that it would be so great.

The power to move anything and everything in the world at ones whim... and that being just one of them. There were six others which she had no idea of, yet she knew that they must be as astonishing as what she had witnessed only seconds ago.

Her attention was brought back to the incipient fight taking place in the distance when she noticed the gigantic eldritch abomination suddenly move with a speed and grace that completely belied its titanic size as it attempted to flatten the duo standing before it in defiance.

Once again, she watched how one of the enormous feet of the beast descended rapidly upon the two brothers, and astonishment filled her when she noticed them simply vanish from sight in a blur to her eyes, mere split seconds before the impact.

She took a few moments to just marvel at the raw display of speed as she realized that she would not be able to witness too much of their fight while they moved at speeds many times faster than what her eyes could hope to follow.

Most of what followed next were even more instances where the two young men displayed incredible feats of speed and strength as they engaged the monolithic creature toe to toe in battle, with a few moments when they would resort to using chakra in manners which left her amazed at the sight.

She continued to watch the intense fight in silence for several more minutes, before she once again noticed something of an awing nature coming from the younger manifestation of her beloved.

She saw him manifest a fist sized orb made out of a black substance, which almost instantly shaped itself into a gigantic arm, before it shot toward the beast.

The enormous pitch black hand took hold of the Jūbi's head in its grip, before it pulled back with incredible force as it smashed the beast headfirst through a nearby mountain, momentarily confusing it and giving the younger brother an opening to launch an attack of his own.

However, Yuno was no longer paying too much attention to the ongoing battle, as her mind was much too busy with replaying the scene she had previously witnessed.

She had seen how during its unstoppable advance, the ebony hand had cleared a perfect path through the forest where it had travelled through, leaving in its wake not even a mere speck of dust.

It was like anything that had touched it had simply vanished. And that was something which left her completely stunned as she realized that her beloved had not exaggerated when he had said that chakra simply redefined any and all of the world's laws to suit its whim.

But curiously enough, when the hand had made contact with the Ten-Tails' head, it had not exhibited any of its previous properties, an observation which prompted her to quickly address her beloved in questioning.

"Hagoromo," she voiced as she turned to face him. "What has that black orb been, and why had it not also obliterated the Jūbi's head just as it had done to everything else which had come into contact with it?"

She saw him smile at her inquiry, before she heard his slightly amused voice as he replied.

"That pitch black orb of malleable chakra is called a gudōdama and it is the pinnacle of chakra nature transformation."

Her eyes shined in curiosity and excitement as she continued to listen to his words.

"It is a technique achieved through the simultaneous combination of all five basic nature transformations, which can be further empowered by the applying of yin-yang release," she heard him explain. "Beyond that, one could bring the technique to an even higher level by directly infusing the created truth-seeking orbs with their raw chakra."

But as she listened, she began to slowly realize that this technique was something akin to cheating, because from what she had seen so far, those fist-sized black balls ignored the laws of physics as if they did not even exist.

"In the first case, the orbs are capable of reducing all matter and energy they come into contact with, to nothingness, the sole exceptions being their user and chakra itself, which can touch them without being obliterated."

This newest tidbit of information served to only further strengthen her previous realization, and she began to wonder just how much more ridiculous those orbs would get after actually being empowered.

"Upon being empowered through yin-yang release, however, they gain the ability to nullify anything which they come into contact with, be they of spiritual or physical nature. The exceptions this time are the user himself, who can freely touch the orbs, and senjutsu chakra, which can make contact with the orbs without being reduced to nothingness."

This time her eyes widened once more in shock as his words had completely shattered whatever theories she might have begun to conjure about the truth-seeking orbs' power.

And since the second stage of empowerment had already sounded so preposterous, she actually dreaded to think about what would happen if they were to be empowered even further.

"As for the last level of empowerment..." she noticed him smile again, but this time it was much wider as he seemed to feel greatly amused at what he was about to say next. "Well, at that point, depending on the amount and potency of the infused chakra, the gudōdama can become capable of slicing through higher planes of existence or through other dimensions," she heard a chuckle escape his lips. "Which is a bit over the top and most of the times unnecessary, for anything which does not possess a chakra of the same potency and quality as the user, is already long dead just from coming into contact with a gudōdama of the second stage of empowerment."

It took Yuno several moments to properly process what she had just heard, and when she did, she felt rather torn, because she was not sure whether she should be awed at that piece of information, or if she should just give up on trying to comprehend the subject of the truth-seeking orbs and instead urge her beloved to continue with his story.

The fact that those black balls of death could actually be heightened to a level where they would become capable of cutting through worlds made her realize that the first prerequisite to discussing about them was to gently grab your concept of logic and then throw it a few miles out the window.

In the end, she decided to go with the former, because as much as she might have wanted to shove away everything related to those black balls of doom inside a small box in a corner of her mind, she could not deny the simple fact that the feats which could be achieved through their usage were indeed astounding.

"Wow..." Yuno muttered. "That's beyond even the concept of cheating..."

"Well, these gudōdama might be the ultimate cheating tool, but the amusement that one can derive from observing the reactions of those who witness their power is always quite the priceless thing."

Hearing his words, Yuno couldn't help but let out a giggle, since it was obvious to her that not even her beloved was taking the matter of his truth-seeking orbs seriously.

And she perfectly agreed with him, because instead of trying to make sense of something which clearly seemed to work on imagination and fantasy rules alone, it was infinitely better to just sit back and enjoy the show that you could create by simply using said something without thinking too much about it.

"Now, regarding the outcome of the battle," she noticed him indicate toward the still ongoing fight between his younger self, his brother and the monstrous creature. "It had ended after many days of constant fighting, with me and my brother completely exhausted yet victorious."

This did not surprise her too much, because she felt that she had a general idea about how strong the Jūbi must have been, so it made sense that it would take them a while to defeat it, with the battle also not being exactly an easy one.

Moments later, her attention was brought back to her surroundings when she noticed them start to rapidly change as her beloved's mental world was once more adjusted for another chapter of his tale.

When Yuno registered her new surroundings, she was once again filled with amazement at the sight.

The previously ferocious and enraged Jūbi was now visibly more subdued as it struggled to no avail against the countless ethereal chains of violet color keeping it bound and restricting most of its movements.

She watched with fascinated eyes how the battered forms of the two brothers slowly advanced toward the form of the futilely struggling beast, their steps graceful and filled with purpose, despite the exhaustion which was clearly reflected on their tired visages.

"After our defeat of the Jūbi, we realized that we could never truly stop it unless we actually sealed it," she heard her beloved suddenly speak. "Its power was unfathomable, and the sole way to contain it was to seal the beast inside myself, where it would be kept restrained by my chakra and the power of my dōjutsu."

Her eyes widened in shock and an almost disbelieving look crossed her features the moment she heard his words.

Hagoromo had kept that creature of pure destruction within himself?

She shuddered at the thought, but at the same time she marveled at the strength of will that he must have possessed in order to be capable of subjugating what was in essence a primordial god of destruction.

Ending her musings for the time being, Yuno brought her attention back to the scene playing out in the distance.

The brothers had just reached the downed figure of the beast, and she watched in curiosity how they each raised their hands, the older one his right and the younger one his left, revealing that they had a symbol present on their palms, a bright sun on the older's one and a dark crescent moon on the younger's one.

She was about to ask her beloved about those two tattoos, however, she received her answer before she could have even opened her mouth to ask.

It seemed that he had anticipated her question, because he had begun to explain as soon as he had noticed her inquisitive glance when she had turned around to look at him.

"Those marks represent the two sides of the unique power which I had been born with," she heard him say. "The crescent moon symbolizes the Yin aspect of my chakra, whereas the sun symbolizes the Yang aspect of it. And their purpose is more figurative than anything else, for their presence simply states that their bearer is capable of manipulating the chakra concepts of the Yin and the Yang to their utmost level, be them in an individual form or a combined one."

Yuno absorbed each and every word of his explanation as he continued to speak.

"But in this case, the sun and moon marks are related to the technique that me and my brother had used to weaken the Jūbi so that we could thereafter seal it within me. And the reason for why the moon mark is with my brother, is because at that time I had not been able to perform the sealing technique on my own, since I had yet to master it. So, I had needed his help in utilizing it properly."

Noticing him indicating toward the ongoing scene in the distance, she glanced back at the two brothers standing in front of the defiant beast and watched as they simultaneously placed their previously raised hands on its pitch black flesh.

Not even a split second later, she heard their resounding voices as they spoke the name of their technique at the same time.

Rikudō — Chibaku Tensei...

Yuno repeated that name once in her mind as she watched the scene playing before her eyes in awe.

Immediately after the brothers had uttered the name of the technique, the world... changed.

Only the duo and the beast remained, yet they were no longer standing on grassy soil, but floating in front of a watery image that she could best describe as a gigantic intimidating version of her beloved's reflection, the one that she had seen on the surface of that ocean after she had been brought inside his mind.

However, despite the similitudes, there were still many differences which made the current sight not so comparable to what she had seen at that time.

This manifestation of her beloved was titanic in size, being as humongous, if not even more so than the Jūbi itself.

His hair was the same white but was longer and stylized differently, with strands framing his pale, stern-looking face and flowing down his shoulders and back.

He wore a headwear which seemed to be ablaze in whitish flames, a silvery choker of sorts and the familiar looking white ceremonial robe with long sleeves.

His hands were raised at shoulder level with the palms facing outward obliquely as they displayed the symbols of the sun and moon, and his visage was set in an expression that made her feel as though she was being judged by merely staring at it.

A split second later, and the hands were clasped together behind the snarling head of the Ten-Tails, signifying the activation of the seal.

Yuno quickly looked away from the pair of glowing white voids that were the gigantic manifestation's eyes, which seemed to be piercing right through her, and glanced at the scenery depicted behind him.

The half of the world to his left consisted of a dark, gigantic crescent moon surrounded by an endless sky of clouds, whereas the world to his right depicted a blazing sun of the same size surrounded by what she assumed to be a representation of its countless rays of light.

The light radiating from both halves was bathing the praying figure in its color, giving him an even more ethereal aspect as he loomed over the unmoving form of the Jūbi.

"This sealing technique is capable of completely binding those upon whom it is used by immobilizing them and removing their ability to use whatever power they might be possessing," she heard him speak and turned around to face him once more. "In essence, it can turn gods into ants and encase them in stone for eternity, since only someone with the genuine power of the Rinnegan can unravel the seal."

As soon as she registered his words, Yuno decided that she would be filing this newest information away in the same place where she had previously put the information about those truth-seeking orbs.

The sheer power this technique seemed to have was bordering on the ridiculous, given how it was capable of altering reality to execute this sealing process that her beloved had just spoken of.

"Its only drawback is that it requires physical contact to be made in order to initiate the technique, as well as the presence of both the Yin and the Yang powers, either together in the same host, or in separate ones, situation when they have to be used simultaneously."

Yuno took a few moments to ponder on his words as she took a glance at the smile playing on his lips, before she spoke in a flat tone.

"I really can't see how any of that might be a drawback when the one executing the technique is for all intents and purposes a godlike being himself..."

She kept staring at his smiling face, and when she heard him chuckle in response to her words, she felt a strong feeling of déjà-vu hit her.

"You are indeed correct, my dear," she listened to him say in an amused tone. "But you have to keep in mind that this technique is reserved only for special situations. After all, using it on any entities below at least the power of a god would be disgraceful, not to mention a waste of my power. I am certain that you can see where I am coming from with this, since even in your world, there is no one who ever tries to trap an ant inside a lead coffin. Not when they can do it just fine by simply using a small, glass jar."

Yuno blinked once, then twice, then thrice, before she eventually realized that she did not have anything to say in reply to what she had just heard.

There was simply nothing that she could say when he spoke about his power in such a manner.

Seriously, it was like he didn't care at all that he possessed such overwhelming power, and instead he seemed to care more about the proper manner in which he should use it.

Of course, with the added note that in this case 'proper' held a completely subjective meaning known most likely only to him.

So, after several moments of thorough contemplation on the matter, she decided to file away everything related to this wondrous technique right next to the information about those black balls of doom.

Then, she nodded in acknowledgement at his earlier spoken words and faced away from him as she returned to watching the ongoing events of the sealing.

As soon as the image depicting that gigantic version of her beloved had faded thus returning the world to its previous state, Yuno heard a deafening shriek come from the beast, before it stopped struggling and went still as its crimson ringed eye was covered by an opaque membrane of sorts.

Moments later after that, she felt the world begin to shake as the Jūbi started to levitate, with huge chunks breaking off from the earth as they were rapidly being drawn to the monolithic form of the creature.

Then, she saw the older brother bring his hands together and form another one of those hand signs, followed by him extending his left hand toward the slowly forming satellite above himself.

The purple ethereal chains that hung around the still growing moon flew in his direction and latched onto his palm, before he formed another hand sign with his other hand.

The incredibly strong gravity surrounding the floating rock-encased form of the Jūbi instantly disappeared, and the chunks of earth covering it started to fall back to the ground one after the other, until the sight of the monstrous creature was revealed once again.

She quickly noted how the Ten-Tails was completely unresponsive as it seemed to be slumbering, but she did not have too much time to admire its much less terrifying figure, for it began to be dragged by those chains bound to it toward the young man.

When it reached his position, Yuno watched in fascination how the gigantic creature was rapidly getting absorbed inside the older brother who now had his hands forming another one of those signs.

After the entirety of the beast was absorbed, Yuno noticed how his previously taupe colored hair was now the same white that she had seen in that reflection, as well as on her beloved whenever she looked at him.

However, she raised an eyebrow in questioning when she noticed the world suddenly freeze, and would have said something had Hagoromo not quickly spoken in clarification.

"At that time, after the sealing had been completed, we had not known anything related to the true origins of the Jūbi. But we had not cared that much about it either, for we had been glad to have defeated the beast, thus preventing it from ending the entire world. So, we had continued to assume that it had been the Shinju itself seeking to reclaim its fruit of chakra."

She glanced back at him and noticed the serious expression forming on his visage.

"That had been a grave mistake on our part."

Hearing that, she gave him a questioning look.

"You see, the truth is that the Jūbi had been none other than our mother..."

An audible gasp left her mouth as she registered his words. She had truly not been expecting such a twist.

"She had merged with the Shinju, thus resulting in the entity known as the Ten-Tails which held her will, that of reclaiming what she had considered to be her chakra from us."

Once again, Yuno felt a pain in her chest when she noticed the same saddened expression cross her beloved's visage, just as it had happened before when he had spoken about how he had failed to see the true nature of humanity for what it was.

"So, not knowing any of this, me and my brother had fought our mother and then sealed her. But before the sealing could have been completed, she had managed to create a failsafe with the last of her remaining power, something which once again we had failed to take notice of."

Following his extended hand, she glanced back at the scenery which now became unfrozen, and noticed that he had been pointing at a mass of black sludge which was dripping from one of the chunks of rocks that had fallen from the sky.

"That is the physical manifestation of my mother's will, also known as Black Zetsu," she heard him elaborate as she continued to look at the mass of black goo which began to coalesce into a humanoid-like form with yellow eyes and a jagged grin. "It had been a truly annoying entity, as it had meddled in a lot of things for the simple purpose of one day resurrecting its creator."

Yuno frowned upon hearing him say that. "What happened to it?" she asked.

"I have dealt with it some time ago."

She instantly felt better upon hearing his reply, knowing that the thorn in her beloved's side had been removed.

"Good riddance," she spoke with thinly veiled contempt, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"Indeed."

Moments later, she heard him continue with his previous explanation.

"So, as I was saying, at that time we had assumed that everything had been over with our defeat and subsequent sealing of the Jūbi. But in truth, that Black Zetsu creature had begun to work in the shadows as it advanced its plan regarding my mother's revival."

She listened to his words with utmost attention.

"Following the sealing, me and my brother had parted ways when I had asked of him to become the new head of our clan in the place of our mother, because I had intended to begin a journey across the world."

She didn't have to wait more than a moment for him to continue with the explanation, because she was certain that her eyes had easily told him how curious she was about what would come next.

"You see, during the time when my mother had still been worshipped as the benevolent Rabbit Goddess, I had come to greatly admire her deeds and her wish for peace. I had decided to follow in her steps, and so, I had come up with the concept of the life philosophy and religion that would later come to be known by many as ninshū."

Yuno felt her curiosity progressively increase the more she listened to his story.

"After I had understood the very nature of chakra, I had realized that it could be used to further improve the era of peace that my mother had brought forth by granting humanity a better understanding of themselves, as well as of the others, through the teachings which I had developed over the years."

Despite knowing that her beloved was very wise after the many instances in which he had shown to her the extents of his wisdom, after hearing his words, she was now certain that it was on a completely different level from what she had initially thought it to be.

Realization which only got further strengthened by what she had heard him say next.

"Thus, as soon as I had dealt with the Ten-Tails, I began to travel the lands, spreading fragments of my chakra along with the teachings of my ninshū to every human I had met. By doing so I had hoped that they would use the chakra I had gifted them to connect their spiritual energies to one another, so that they would be able to understand each other without the need for words."

This time, she felt a spike of anger course through her when she noticed the same saddened expression form on his visage, because she knew the reason for why he felt that way. She had heard it earlier form him that humanity was incapable of overcoming its nature, and now that she was aware of much more things, she was able to realize what he would be saying next.

"Unfortunately, due to my naivety and foolishness, I had failed to realize that mankind was unworthy of such a thing, and thus, I had unknowingly given them the means to create the deadliest weapon for them to slaughter each other with."

Hearing those words, she turned around as a look of anger briefly flashed across her face. She had quite the bad feeling about how the next part of the story would turn out to be, because as things stood, it was getting darker rather fast.

The way those humans had acted incensed her, but she decided to wait for her beloved to tell her the entire story before she decided whether she should slaughter them down to the last one for their insolence or not.

And following that thought, Yuno watched how the world began to change once more, her mind continuing to ponder in the meantime everything that she had learnt so far.

"As I travelled the world, spreading my teachings and gifting fragments of my chakra to humanity, words of my and my brother's defeat of the Jūbi had eventually begun to spread amongst the humans."

His words snapped Yuno out of her musings, and she noticed that her surroundings had yet to take any concrete form as they were still an amalgamation of colors and shape.

"And those words had been further cemented after I had released the still trapped victims of my mother's Infinite Tsukuyomi from their eternal dream. So, inevitably, people all around the world began to revere me as a god for the virtue of my victory against the formidable Ten-Tails, but also for my subsequent actions of helping humanity."

She had to agree with that, because after witnessing him and his brother face against the Jūbi with her own two eyes, she could not view him as anything else but godlike.

He certainly possessed the power, and his deeds were bound to bring him the deification in the eyes of the people.

"Still, I had not minded that development, because I had never been one to care too much about status or power," she could not resist the urge to smile when she heard that. "That is why I had chosen to be a priest, after all."

It had been more than obvious to her from what she had learnt of him so far that he had never cared nor will ever care about how powerful he is. Not when in some cases he did not even take his own power seriously.

But besides that, there was one more thing she had noticed about him that she knew it played a major role in his perception of his power regarding his own self.

Humility.

She might have seen him come off as rather prideful on several occasions, however, she had quickly understood that his pride was not conceited, nor arrogant. It was just that, simple pride attributed to his very being and nature.

She felt that it was an intrinsic attribute of his. It was in his presence, in his every step, in his every gesture, in his every word. His pride was dignified and it reflected on him as a person. It was a fundamental part of what made him, him.

But alongside this dignified pride which was an intrinsic quality to his very person, there was also a feeling of humility that seemed to perfectly complement it, as if keeping a sort of equilibrium between the two.

It was quite fascinating, really.

He was proud and dignified by nature, but at the same time, he was also humble and modest through his actions and demeanor. It was as if he had managed to achieve a perfect balance between his pride and humility, so that when he expressed one of them to a larger degree, he would, in time, compensate with the other by channeling it through various other means.

Or at least that's what she had managed to conclude by observing his behavior during the times whenever he had been with her.

"As I am certain that you must have realized from my tale so far, there is one peculiar thing about power in relation to the individual. The more it is accumulated into one person, the higher the possibility that that person will become arrogant and desire even more power gets. No being is an exception from this rule, but in the case of humans, the increase is even greater."

After she heard his words, she was certain that she had been rather spot on with her previous assumption.

For all the pride and dignity that he held, he also had an equivalent in humbleness and modesty.

It just depended on the angle from which one viewed his person, because in most cases the former tended to catch the eye much easier than the latter, for the simple fact that it was a fundamental trait, rather than a learnt conduct.

"Now, returning to my previous point, after sealing the Jūbi within myself, instead of caring about the unfathomable power of the beast that I had obtained as mine, I had just felt content knowing that I had found a way to help further the peace that my mother had ushered."

Still smiling, Yuno listened to his words as she waited for the scenery to finish its transition into the next part of the story.

"The years passed, and after I had been done sharing my teachings and beliefs with the world, I had decided that it was time for me to settle down and have a family of my own."

Her smile faltered the moment she heard that, and despite his words making it quite clear to her what he had meant, a part of her mind hoped that it had been her the one whom he had spoken about when he had said family.

"That was how I had met the woman who mothered my children."

His words echoed in her mind like a broken record, and she felt that she was on the verge of crying.

In the end, she was able to fight back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, but only because of her rapidly growing jealousy that easily dwarfed them.

"She had been a priestess at one of the temples where I had preached about my teachings, and in time we had grown close one to the other."

The more she listened to this, the more she felt that something inside her was getting very close to snapping.

She still had trouble believing the fact that her Hagoromo had been with another woman.

She knew that it shouldn't be her business, given how it had all obviously happened before he had met her, however, a big part of her mind was screaming at her for blood due to the simple fact that someone else had touched and had been the recipient of her beloved's affections.

"So, you've been married... Hagoromo?" she finally asked in a dull tone, almost as if trying to convince herself about that fact, rather than asking for confirmation from him.

"That I have, my dear," she felt a sharp pain run through her heart at his words. "Although, now that I look back at it, I cannot say that it had been a truly genuine relationship, and that is because it had been built upon a foundation of lies and foolishness..."

However, upon hearing the last part, she was left wide eyed and wondering if she had heard it right.

"You see, my wife had been a wonderful person and a great mother. She had been very supportive of my ideals and had helped me bring my dream to fruition," she felt another stab of pain at her heart. "That had been probably the reason for why we had been drawn together in the first place. Because I had finally found someone sharing my beliefs so strongly other than my brother..."

Despite the pain that she felt at his words, Yuno realized from his voice that there would be a 'but' in what he was going to say next.

"But that had been it. We had been bound together by those foolish and naïve ideals."

As soon as she heard that, she immediately started to feel better, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her chest.

"My feelings for her had stemmed from our shared beliefs, but at that time I had not seen it for what it had been..."

She no longer felt any pain in her heart, and she was beginning to see that her jealousy had been misplaced.

"That my affections for her had been born from a lie."

These words made her heart soar as soon as she registered them.

It seemed that her jealousy had been definitely misplaced, because, in the end, her beloved had never been with any woman other than herself.

After all, his words had made it clear that he had been a completely different man at that time, so it had been that man who had been with that priestess, not her Hagoromo.

"So, I had been happy that I could begin a family with her, oblivious to the fact that I had been deluding myself the entire time."

Yuno slowly turned around to face him, before she embraced him in a loving hug, an elated smile gracing her features as she rested her head on his shoulder.

She did not say anything and simply relished in the pleasant feeling brought forth by her closeness to him.

When she finally leant back from the hug, she stared for a few moment in his violet eyes, noting that they seemed to be reflecting a happiness not too unlike than that of her own.

"A short time after we had settled down, my first son, Indra, had been born."

As soon as she heard him resume with his story, she returned the entirety of her attention back on it.

"Not long after that, my other son, Asura, had also been born."

Now she was starting to get rather curious about his age, since, apparently, his younger self had been married, had two children, and he was speaking as if that had happened a long time ago.

She had a feeling that she would be in for a big surprise when she finally learnt about how old he truly was.

"As time passed, I had decided to teach them both ninshū, however, there had been one huge difference between the two."

I did not take long for Yuno's curiosity to be once again spurred.

"One had inherited my strong chakra, and one had not..."

She idly wondered who had been that one, and her answer quickly came when she noticed an image forming in the distance.

It was a young man with long brown hair, two locks wrapped in bandages framing either side of his face, and peculiar eyes—a small pupil in the middle of a blood red iris, with three tomoe surrounding it.

His clothing consisted of a black full-bodied suit, over which he wore a light colored kimono secured by a dark colored sash.

"Since birth, the older brother, Indra, had possessed powerful eyes and a strong sense for battle. He was touted as a genius," she listened intently to his words. "He did everything on his own and understood that his power was special and different from that of those around him. Eventually, he came to believe that with power, anything was possible."

As she mused on what her beloved had just told her, Yuno felt that she agreed with the life philosophy of his eldest son, since it was as close to a realistic view of the world as one could get. And it was the same in her world as well.

Whether a person's power was represented by their money, knowledge, or influence, it was the same. With enough of it, one could achieve anything they wished.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she noticed the image of the older brother fade away as it was replaced by what she had assumed to be the one of the younger brother.

He seemed to be of a similar age to his brother and his clothing was also almost identical to his, with the sole exception of the bandages wrapped around his forehead.

Only his features differed, with them being much more stern, as well as his hair, which was shorter and spiky, but still the same brown color.

His eyes were also another difference, since they were a normal brown, instead of the obvious dōjutsu that his older brother possessed.

"On the opposite side, there was the younger brother, Asura, who ever since his childhood, had been bad at everything that he did. He could not do anything by himself," she heard him chuckle. "So, in order to achieve the same strength as his brother, he had needed a great effort, along with the cooperation of those around him. And soon..."

Yuno continued to listen to her beloved's story, as she didn't have enough information in order to be able to form a concrete opinion about his younger son.

"Through his harsh training, the chakra within his body had bloomed, and he had found power on the same level as his brother. As such, he had realized that his strength had been achieved through the help that he had received from those around him. He came to understand what it meant to care for others and he also realized that with love anything was possible."

Upon hearing this, she decided that she had rather mixed feelings about the younger brother.

On one had he had a point in some of the things that he had come to believe in, such as the fact that through cooperation great things could be achieved, but on the other hand, he must have been quite stupid if he had believed that anything could be solved just by caring for the others.

She didn't know of any concrete examples from her beloved's world, however, she could find plenty of instances in her world, where love alone did next to nothing for you.

Love did not keep one warm when they had no home, nor did it feed the poor. It did not prevent wars and as sure as hell it did not save you from spending half of your childhood inside a small cage.

She would know that all too well, because despite her parents' harsh treatment for her, she had still continued to love them and had believed that they would eventually see what they had been doing to her if given enough time.

Too bad that none of that had ever happened.

The voice that she used to have inside her head had surely attested to that very fact. That love alone did not do a single thing for you when you lived a hell on earth for the better part of your life.

And yet... for all of the things that love could not solve, it had one fundamental, irreplaceable role.

In the right circumstances and when paired with meaningful enough action, love could heal the scars brought on by the harshness of life.

It could mend the soul of the anguished.

It could give hope where there was none.

She would know it, because, after all, that had been exactly what love had done for her, ever since she had met her beloved Hagoromo.

Yuno was snapped out of her musings when she heard Hagoromo speak after he had also taken a brief pause to most likely collect his own thoughts.

"At that time, I had believed that Asura's life philosophy held the key toward furthering peace and I began to doubt that Indra's way of living could yield the same favorable results... That had been a truly foolish assumption on my part..."

She noticed how his voice became more solemn as he continued to speak.

"Only much later I had realized my mistake and that, in truth, both of my sons had been right, yet at the same time wrong in their beliefs."

Her eyes slightly widened upon hearing that and she felt curiosity fill her as she wondered if her own inferences from earlier would come close to what he would be telling her next.

"You see, even though my younger son, Asura, had been a hopeless and foolish idealist just as I had been at that time, some of his beliefs had held a lot of merit."

Her curiosity only got greater as she heard that, prompting her to listen with rapt attention to his following words.

"One can obtain strength from their bonds with another, and cooperation can bring in some cases favorable outcomes... however... that does not mean one should throw their love around as if it was a cheap commodity," her eyes widened even more as she heard that. "My younger son had been naïve to believe that love alone could bring a solution to any problem, and I had been naïve as well for acknowledging this belief of his."

As she pondered on her beloved's words, she realized that she agreed perfectly with what he had just told her. And she also felt very happy to know that they had both reached the same conclusion on that matter.

However, it still hurt her considerably to hear him talk in such a manner about himself.

"And yet... that does not make my older son's, Indra's, beliefs any better. He had also been foolish in his way of thinking that through power anything could be achieved, because there is one thing that power alone cannot always bring. Happiness."

Despite his words not being in complete concordance with her earlier inference, she couldn't help but feel that they were being true, because she had heard of and seen enough instances where despite all of their power, be it financial, political or otherwise, people were still lacking happiness in their lives.

"Indra might have been a genius with a power unmatched by his peers, however, despite all of his power, he had failed to obtain the happiness that my younger brother and his peers had achieved," she noticed him become more pensive as he spoke. "Instead, all that he had obtained through his solitary and self-centered way of living had been bitterness and a hollow feeling of victory, for it does not matter whether you are at the very top or not if there is no one else around with whom you can share that feeling."

Once again, she completely agreed with his words.

"In the end, one has to find a balance between the two extremes. Solitude will bring bitterness and make one feel hollow in most of the cases, and throwing around your love will only make it cheap and meaningless."

She didn't realize when she gave an almost imperceptible, involuntary nod as she further listened to his speech.

"Instead, one should try to find the one who truly brings them happiness and then share their utmost love with them in order to achieve an even greater happiness. That is the conclusion that I had eventually reached after many years of contemplation on the matter. And then, of course, there is also the fact that once found, no one should ever be allowed to interfere between you and that person."

As soon as she registered that, she felt that his words had resonated very deeply within her.

The passion that she had felt behind them had been enough to send shivers down her back and fill her with warmth as she was reminded of the feelings that they both held for each other.

Moments later, her eyes widened as she realized that with the last part of his speech he had actually drawn a parallel to the relationship between them, which in turn filled her with even more warmth and happiness at the implications behind his words.

She felt like jumping on him and kissing him until she was out of breath, however, she refrained herself from doing so, because she didn't want to interrupt him from his story, especially now that he was getting closer and closer to what she had realized to be the climax of it.

Besides, there would be plenty of time for her to do that later.

Ending her musings, Yuno noticed that he had been gazing at her the entire time with a smile on his face, which brought a faint red hue to her cheeks as she smiled in return.

"And with that being said, let us return back to the previous topic regarding my younger son and my foolish decision from that time."

Hearing that, she braced herself for the heavier part of the story that she had felt it would follow and waited for him to continue as she stared at the kaleidoscope of colors that currently made up her surroundings.

"At that time, I felt inspired by Asura's life philosophy and I began to realize through it a new possibility... One which made me wonder if mankind could maintain on their own the peace that I had consolidated for them."

As Yuno listened to him speak, the same foreboding feeling from earlier began to fill her.

"So, I decided that it was time for me to stop holding their hands and let them live by the teachings which I had imparted to them, without me as a figure of divinity to seemingly keep them in line just by being in the world."

And that feeling only grew the more she heard of his story.

"However, that posed a slight difficulty, because after I had sealed the Jūbi within myself, I had become immortal, unable to willingly depart from the world."

Her eyes slightly widened at that. He had been immortal?

It might have not been much of a stretch, given the things that she already knew about him, however, it was still very surprising. Especially when she thought about the implications that his words foreshadowed.

"The only way for me to have done as such, would have been through relinquishing the incredible power of the Ten-Tails within myself."

Her eyes widened even further when she understood what he was about to say.

"Which I had done without a second thought, for I truly wanted to see mankind flourish by itself. Just as any father would have wished for their children after raising them," she listened to his words with an almost disbelieving look present on her face. "I had taught and given them understanding, but I could not have stood by their side, holding their hands forever. Eventually, they would have needed to learn how to live on their own by using the knowledge which I had gifted them."

She glanced at his face and saw the solemn look that his features had settled into.

Her beloved had given up such a thing for the sake of the humans, and she knew that she should feel happy at the thought that he would do such a sacrifice, however, she could not feel anything besides anger, because she was starting to understand what the outcome to his actions had actually entailed.

"So, I divided the power of the Ten-Tails within me and gave names to its parts. I did that because it was the only way to prevent the beast from returning, but also because I believed that the bonds of 'cooperation' which Asura spoke of, were where true power lay. I had hoped that by creating the tailed beasts, I would be giving humanity another way to further promote peace."

Yuno could not help the sinking feeling that began to form in her stomach as soon as she heard him say that part, however, she was momentarily distracted from it when she noticed something truly astonishing take place as another image formed in her surroundings.

It was her beloved's old self, who had his arms slightly raised with the palms upturned as he stood in the middle of a dimly lit room.

She observed how the crescent moon and sun symbols on his palms were glowing in their respective colors, before she heard him utter two words that she could tell they carried within incredible power.

Banbutsu Sōzō...

Her eyes stared in utter fascination as she immediately saw his palms ignite in brilliant flames, midnight black for his left and pure white for his right.

She quickly realized that it was actually chakra, which was so dense that it actually became visible to the eye, and she continued to watch mesmerized as he brought his hands together.

The dancing flames were joined together, dark with bright, and where they touched, she saw how the grey of creation came into existence.

There were simply no words to describe what she was currently seeing.

He was creating life.

Life in the form of nine young creatures in whose midst he stood as they looked at him in curiosity.

The scene ended here, and Yuno took a few moments to recover from her daze at what she had just witnessed, before she eventually focused back on Hagoromo when she heard him speak again.

"And so, with the creation of the bijū, I had relinquished my hold on immortality for the sake of mankind and the peace that I hoped it would further. I had extracted the nine tailed beasts from myself, and despite being left severely weakened, I was able to survive the process due to the incredible life force of the Jūbi's husk."

She felt all of her previous anger return at that, and it began to slowly bubble the more she realized how things had actually turned for him in the end.

"And on my deathbed, I had made Asura the leader of ninshū, so that he could guide everyone through his way of living... I thought that Indra would join in and cooperate," a look of shock crossed her face as she listened to him, "But..."

He had... died...?

Knowing this it made the matter of his age even more confusing to her. Or the fact that he was alive after he had died, for that matter.

Still, she set those thoughts aside, because she knew that he would explain them to her soon enough, but also because she could not shake one fact out of her mind.

He had died for the sake of the humans, and that thought angered her to no end, because she was beginning to realize just how they had thanked him for his sacrifice.

"Indra did not accept that. He would not accept the fact that I had forgone his beliefs in favor of those of his younger brother. So, through my actions at that time, I had inadvertently sparked a long feud between my children, one which had continued on through the ages to come..."

Once again, she felt her heart ache as she listened to his saddened tone. He was blaming himself too much for things that had been out of his control at that time.

"Not long after I had appointed my younger son the leader of ninshū, I had finally succumbed to the consequence of relinquishing the great power of the Ten-Tails. But I had died with no regrets, for at that time I had not known what would come to be after my departure from the world. I had died with a hopeful heart for mankind..."

The foreboding feeling from before returned almost tenfold, and she had a really bad feeling about what he would be telling her next.

"However, one thing that I had not anticipated, was the impact that my great power would have on my existence beyond life."

Her eyes glimmered in curiosity upon hearing that.

It seemed that her confusion regarding his age was about to get cleared, or at least diminished by a large degree.

"You see, at the time of my death, my power had been so vast and unfathomable that it had opposed the natural order of the world. It had latched onto my soul and had prevented it from ascending to the Pure Land, the afterlife of my world."

Once again, a shocked look was plastered on her face as she listened to him speak.

"And that had left me existing between the realms of the living and the dead, a being outside the concept of time, able to wander throughout the ages and watch over all of creation."

She took a few moments to carefully process his words, before she realized that out of everything which she had learnt about him thus far, this revelation certainly took the proverbial cake.

Her Hagoromo had actually become so unbelievably powerful that upon passing away he had not only defied the very concept of death, but he had also been ousted from the natural order, and that because the world itself had apparently been unable to cope with an existence so far beyond its laws and concepts.

And due to that, he had ended up as a sort of pseudo-ghost, an incredibly overpowered one at that, not bound by any laws of nature or common sense, and forced to exist outside the concept of time as an eternal anachronism.

At least, this time it was easy for her to figure out where to file all of this information without requiring too much thought on the matter, because all of this definitely went straight to that corner of her mind, right next to the other things about her beloved which did not make a smidgen of sense to any type of logic whatsoever.

As she brought her previous train of thought to an end, she idly noted that she had yet to find something concrete about his real age, because the previous revelation did not tell her too much besides the fact that he should be very, very old.

But she dropped that thought as well when she noticed he was about to continue with his story.

"Still, I had eventually found the silver lining in this development, for it had granted me the possibility to see how mankind had fared after my departure. To observe how they had proceeded with their lives in my absence and how they had made use of my legacy which I had left for them."

That foreboding feeling from earlier returned in full force, and Yuno knew that from this point onward, things would be getting very unpleasant to her.

"However..."

She quickly braced for what she realized that would come.

"When I had actually seen how mankind had turned out only months after my passing... I had been left shocked and disbelieving..."

Only from his tone alone, she was able to infer the gravity of what he was about to say next, and that made her hands shake as she felt her anger slowly rise.

"I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw how they had used my teachings after I had been no more..."

Her anger suddenly spiked when she noticed the beginning of melancholic expression forming on his beautiful face.

"I had gifted them with a part of my strength. I had shared with them my beliefs. I had taught them about understanding through my ninshū, so that they could reach peace and harmony... and what had they done with all of that?"

Yuno clenched her fists tightly in an attempt to hold in her anger as she realized what was about to come next.

"They had disfigured it. Turned my ninshū into ninjutsu. Something created as a means for peace and understanding had been made into something which had the sole purpose of taking a life. They had perverted my teachings and had transformed them into weapons..."

She felt her blood boil at the actions of humanity, and the more she listened to his recollection of those events, the more she wanted to end them with her own hands for all the misery and heartache that they had caused to him.

"Seeing this had been the ultimate betrayal for me, but it had finally opened my eyes. It had made me seriously doubt mankind as a whole, but also myself..." she noticed his tone become heavier. "Mankind, because even after they had gained peace and understanding, they had still craved for nothing but war and suffering. And myself, because despite all of my hard work, my love for them, my sacrifices... it had not been enough."

By now Yuno was livid, and she had to struggle to contain all of her anger as she kept on listening to his speech.

"That was the moment when I had realized that my way of thinking about humanity had been nothing but foolish and naïve. That my belief that they could coexist in harmony had been only a foolish dream which I had just been awoken from... But most importantly, it brought me to the conclusion that my mother must have actually been right in her approach for upholding the peace that she had brought to mankind."

As she registered his words, she realized that this had been the point when her beloved had greatly changed from his past self, and she felt no small satisfaction at the thought that those unworthy humans had lost most of his favor in the wake of his change.

"She must have definitely seen the darkness within their hearts at some point, as she had decided that in order to save them from themselves, she would have to conquer them and inevitably rule over them."

She agreed with his retrospection, however, she did not get to dwell on it too much, because she noticed that the scenery around her began to rapidly change.

The sight that was revealed to her eyes left her impressed, but not to the same level as before, because she knew that after witnessing her beloved's younger self battle against the Jūbi alongside his brother, there would be very little things that would leave her with the same awed impression.

So, in this case, she simply observed the two individuals, whom she had identified as being the sons of her past Hagoromo, as they battled one against the other, the older one using a gigantic ethereal purple humanoid of sorts, whereas the younger one made use of a similar ethereal-looking yellow colored avatar, but with a different design and the addition of five truth-seeking orbs.

"This had been the first battle of the long war between my children, spurred on by Black Zetsu, which had manipulated Indra into fighting Asura for the leadership of ninshū."

Despite knowing that the annoying blob of tar had been permanently removed from the picture, she still could not help but feel angered at the simple thought that everyone in the world had seemed at some point to try to hurt her Hagoromo in some way or another.

And then, her anger only grew further when she noticed the two groups of people, one on each brother's side, equipped with various weapons and wielding the power of that nasty blight, ninjutsu, that her beloved had spoken of.

Soon enough, they too engaged in combat as they carried their own fight alongside the two battling brothers.

"Thus the bloody history of the shinobi world began..."

Yuno noticed how, with his words, the surroundings shifted once more as it began to cycle through a multitude of scenes, each depicting images worse than the previous ones.

She watched as more battles ensued between the followers of Indra and Asura, which did not stop even after the deaths of the two brothers, as she had soon learnt about how the powerful chakra they had built up during their lives had continued to persist even after their physical bodies had been destroyed in one of their battles.

As such, the chakra of each brother began a cycle of transmigration in their descendants, the members of the Senju clan for the younger brother and of the Uchiha clan for the older one, as they continued their feud throughout the history.

Then came the first world war between shinobi, in which they had proudly showcased just how much they had managed to defile the teachings of her beloved.

She watched how tens of thousands of these shinobi massacred each other and everyone else around them during their battles, all for the sake of their greed and false pretensions for peace.

She saw assassinations right and left. Lands wiped out for being a nuisance. Genocide for supporting the wrong group. Or for being too powerful in the eyes of others.

There was no drop left of the peace and understanding that her beloved had fought so hard for and sacrificed so much to bring them. They had thrown it all away in their craving for war and suffering.

It was all sickening to her, but not because of the death and misery.

It was repulsive because of what they had done to the gift that her Hagoromo had entrusted to them. How they had repaid his hard work and many sacrifices. How they had treated his beliefs. His love.

They had essentially spat in the face of everything that he had done for them during his life. And that was why she was now convinced that they were beyond unworthy. They deserved to be greatly punished for their sins.

When the scenes finally stopped playing, and the surroundings returned once more to their usual amalgamation of colors, Yuno slowly faced toward Hagoromo as she gazed at him with an expression that denoted both pain and anger.

"Hagoromo... they deserved to be punished for what they had done... for their betrayal of your teachings and beliefs..." she almost hissed, her anger seeping into her voice.

"But I have eventually punished them, my dear," her eyes slightly widened upon hearing his words. "I have taken away chakra from their grasp, their favorite tool of war, and I have made sure that they would never again stray away from the peaceful era which I had brought anew before my second departure."

Despite hearing that, her anger was not quelled, because she quickly realized that it had been too light of a punishment for the weight of their sins.

"No, Hagoromo..." she replied in a low tone. "That is not enough..." more anger bled in her voice. "They deserve to be eradicated for their sins. Cut down to the last one. Slaughtered. Just like they had done to the love and understanding that you had tried to give them. They deserve to be ended. The same way they had done to your teachings and beliefs."

Yuno found herself slightly panting after she was done speaking, her anger at those unworthy maggots still boiling as hot as before as she waited for her beloved to give his own reply.

"As bad as mankind might have turned out to be... It is still the most important part of my legacy" she heard him say in a solemn tone as she gazed at his resolute visage. "And that is exactly why it shall continue to live on, for there must remain a testament to the mistakes of my past, mistakes which had been born from my foolish and naïve ideals."

However, as soon as she heard his words, she felt all of her ire fade away as she understood that there was no way she could change his mind. And that in and of itself brought a small smile to her lips as she realized the reason for why he was being so stubborn in this case.

It had to do with the observations that she had done earlier about his very nature.

It was both his pride and humility in this case which had prompted him to chose the option that he had just made very clear to her.

He had acknowledged his mistakes and shortcomings, but at the same time, he had been proud of them, because they had led to him becoming the very person who he currently was. The one whom she had fallen in love with. The one alongside whom she would definitely remain for the rest of her life.

And that was why she was going drop this matter entirely and stop caring about it now that he had given her his final answer, because, after all, she had resolved to never again doubt him.

Several moments later, after she was done with her musings, Yuno glanced back at her beloved's face as her previous smile grew wider.

"Okay, Hagoromo," she voiced in a relaxed tone. "I understand now."

Following her words, she leant in closer and embraced him in a loving hug, which lasted for the better part of a minute, before she finally separated from him.

"I'm glad, my dear," she heard him reply with a smile. "Now then, let us continue from where we have left off with the tale..."

Yuno noticed that the scenery did not seem as it would be changing anytime soon from its current ensemble of blended colors, so she once again focused the entirety of her attention back on her beloved.

"In spite of everything that I had witnessed mankind do after my death, I had not given up on them. I continued to cling to the foolish hope that they were not a lost cause, and that maybe if I were to change my approach, then I could bring lasting peace and harmony once again."

Based on what she had heard from him so far, she quickly understood the general idea of what he had meant when he had said 'changing his approach'.

It seemed that in the end, it had all come full circle, because she was quite sure that he had went with a very similar method to what his mother had used during her reign of peace over humanity.

"So I waited. I waited for something to change. I waited for them to finally realize their follies..."

Despite a part of her wishing that he had given up on mankind at that time in order to avoid any further sadness and pain that they might have caused him, Yuno knew that had he actually done so, then chances were that they would have never met.

And if there was one thing that she would never trade for anything else in all of creation, then that thing would be her meeting of him on that day, when her entire life had been changed for the best.

So, she could live with the thought that humanity had hurt her beloved to such an extent, because right now, she was by his side, a place where she could heal him of everything that those unworthy humans had inflicted on him.

"But that never happened. They never changed for the better..." Hagoromo spoke, his voice taking a melancholic note. "And I could not bear it any longer. I could not stand and watch them act so foolishly anymore. So I decided to once again take the matters in my own hands, and made my intervention."

Yuno struggled to keep her anger at those humans in check as she continued to listen.

"I returned to the world and resurrected myself," Hagoromo said solemnly. "I ended their petty conflict, and decided to try one last time to bring them peace."

Yuno's eyes slightly widened when she realized something about her beloved, more specifically his age. From what he'd told her, he must have spent around a millennium as a ghost before he resurrected himself. But she was curious to know about his exact age.

"Hagoromo, there's something I've been wondering about for a while now... Just how old are you?" she asked in curiosity as she glanced at her beloved.

"Ah, I apologize for not clearly stating it before, my dear, but I had wanted to reveal it gradually during the story."

She heard him reply as she noticed an almost mischievous smile form on his lips, which when coupled with his not so quite apologetic tone, made her realize that she was in for a big surprise.

"Anyway, to answer your question, the age of this body," she watched as he indicated to himself. "is fourteen days and several hours; the age of my soul is slightly over one thousand and one hundred years, whereas the age of my mind is somewhere around eleven millennia."

Whatever it might have been her expectations regarding his age, they had been completely smashed to bits the moment when she registered his words, prompting her eyes to widen even further.

She took a few moments to process what she had just heard, before she finally said the only coherent thing that was running through her mind at that time.

"Huh?"

It might have not been the most eloquent reply on her part, however, it had done its job rather well.

"It will make sense very soon as I am getting close to explaining it all, but if you wish as such, I can do it right now."

His words instantly snapped her out of her disbelief induced confusion, and she did not waste any moment in giving her reply.

"Don't worry, Hagoromo, I'll wait for you to tell me."

Truly, there was no other answer that she could have chosen from, since she needed the time to properly process all of what he had just revealed to her.

The fact that his soul was over a thousand years and a century old... that she could easily understand, given how long he had made his period of existence as a ghost-like being seem to be.

The part regarding the age of his body confused her a little, however, she could still understand it, or at least come close to understanding it, because she was certain that it must have had something to do with the great mystery that chakra was.

However, the part about his mind being over eleven thousand years old... that was yet another thing which went straight to that part of her mind, because she could not find any logical explanation to it based on what she knew so far about him.

"Very well, then let us continue with the story."

Hearing him say that, she put an end to her previous musings as she waited for him to continue.

"Actually, before we get back to that, I have one more question" Yuno spoke before Hagoromo could resume with his tale.

Hagoromo smiled at her. "Of course, my dear. What is it?" he asked.

"Whatever happened to that Black Zetsu creature?"

"Ah, I'm glad you asked about it," Hagoromo replied pleasantly as he raised his left hand for her to see better. "The answer to your question lies right here."

Following his words, something rather unexpected occurred.

Yuno's eyes widened in surprise when two sickly yellow eyes and a wide, jagged grin popped up into existence on the backside of the dark glove that covered her beloved's hand.

"This is, Alduin," she vaguely heard him say as she was too focused on staring at the peculiar glove, whose features reminded her of something that caused her eyes to narrow rather dangerously. "It is my late mother's will refashioned into a memorabilia."

However, when her mind finally caught up with her beloved's previous words, all of her suspicions were quickly cleared away as she realized that besides their uncanny resemblance, this entity on his hand had nothing else in common with Black Zetsu.

"I am pleased to finally meet you, mother."

She took a few moments to process the words that she had just heard the glove speak to her, before an adorable look of confusion settled on her face.

"Mother...?" she asked in bewilderment as she glanced back at her beloved.

"Alduin is technically my creation, just like the bijū," Hagoromo replied in a didactic tone. "However, it is a bit different, because it is a sentient embodiment of my will. That is the reason why it addresses me as its father. As for it referring to you as its mother, well, I believe that it is rather self explanatory, no?"

A look of understanding crossed her features as she registered his words.

It was yet another one of the many astounding things which could be achieved through the usage of chakra, however, in this particular case, she felt as if what she had just been told was even more fabulous than most other things.

To simply put it, her beloved had taken out a piece of himself and imbued it with life as well as sentience. It was as incredible as it was befuddling, because she realized that she had quite the trouble figuring out how to view this entity as.

This Alduin was definitely not her Hagoromo, that was certain, so she would never think about it in the same way as she did about him.

However, just as her beloved had told her, it certainly possessed his will, which meant that she could not disregard its existence. Nor feel jealous of it for the odd father-son relationship that it seemed to have with him.

Honestly, this matter was becoming more and more confusing to her the longer she pondered on it.

On one hand, she could not get herself to harbor negative feelings for Alduin due to its strange bond with her beloved, because it was essentially a part of him, therefore it would be akin to channeling those feelings to her Hagoromo. Which was something that she could never do, as she abhorred the mere idea of it.

But on the other hand, she knew that she would never feel anything beyond kinship for it, since there existed only one person to whom all of her affections belonged.

Hagoromo.

In the end, she decided that she could look at Alduin as if it was a strange combination between a faithful servant and a trusted bodyguard, and that mainly due to the absolute loyalty that it seemed to hold for her beloved.

So, she would also treat it in the same manner that he did, because she did not truly see any problem with doing as such.

Besides, now that she thought a bit more about it, she found it rather funny how he referred to her as its mother due to her relationship with the one who had created it.

Bringing her musings to an end, Yuno glanced away from the smiling visage of her Hagoromo as she set her eyes once more on the sight of the grinning yellow-eyed glove on his left hand.

"I see..." she murmured. "And... uh... nice to meet you too, Alduin."

The sound of what she had identified as being purring quickly met Yuno's ears, and she did not need more than a couple moments to realize that it was coming from Alduin in what she assumed to be a response to her previous words.

Deciding that she would not try to look for any logic as to why Alduin could do such a thing in the first place, she instead responded to its actions with a giggle as she made sure to also put this particular piece of information to the dedicated place inside her mind.

Her attention was quickly brought back to her beloved when she heard him resume his speech.

"It seems that we have almost reached the conclusion to my tale," Hagoromo spoke with a smile, and the world around them began to shift once again.

Yuno glanced around herself as she noticed her surroundings change from their previous blend of colors and shapes.

"My last act had been to remove chakra from all mankind," Hagoromo explained. "They had been unworthy of it, after all. But it also held no purpose anymore in the world that I envisioned to reshape."

The scenes that came next were very similar to what she had already seen during the part of his story which had featured Kaguya, so she was not too surprised at the reemergence of the Shinju, nor at the activation of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

However, she felt happiness well within her when she noticed the relieved and content look form on Hagoromo's face as soon as he was done regathering the chakra from everyone on the planet.

A giggle eventually escaped her mouth as she watched him stare at the newly formed chakra fruit for several minutes, most likely as he contemplated about what to do with it.

"Believe it or not, at that time I truly had no idea about what to do with the fruit of chakra."

Hearing his amused voice, she glanced behind her and noticed that her beloved was smiling as well.

"So, eventually I had decided to simply take a leap of faith and ate the fruit."

She let out another giggle at his words, before she glanced back at the ongoing scene, just in time to notice his past self turn into a nightmare-inducing combination between the Jūbi and the Shinju immediately after he had consumed the fruit.

She continued to stare at his new appearance in curiosity as he began to release white wisps of chakra from all around his form, until the moment when he had suddenly burst into a rapidly expanding cloud of chakra.

Remembering his particular wording from a few moments earlier, she erupted in a fit of giggles as she watched the dense mist of chakra rapidly disperse in all directions.

Noticing how the scenery seemed to fast forward at a rapid pace, she observed how all of the previously scattered chakra was returning as it concentrated into the same spot, until the flickering form of the Jūbi was revealed.

Another giggle left her mouth when she saw him accidentally blow up a decent sized mountain with a sigh, but she quickly returned to her previously engrossed state as she watched him attempt to reassume his human form.

"This is the reason why I had given you three different answers to your question regarding my age," she heard him say. "because at that time I had needed to recreate a body after the former one's explosion. As for the incredibly dissonant mental age in relation to the others, that is due to the fact that I had integrated the psyches of the bijū as a homage to their sacrifice. They might no longer exist anymore, however, their existences will never be forgotten as I shall always remember them."

Yuno nodded in understanding at that as she was finally given the answer to that question of hers, which solved the mystery that was his age to her.

She turned around to glance at him once again, before she asked him another question that had sprung in her mind as a result of witnessing the events which had taken place in his story during the past few minutes.

"By the way, Hagoromo, how powerful had you become after you had consumed that chakra fruit and underwent that metamorphosis thingy that you had experienced immediately after?"

"Hm, I would say that I have become at least three times stronger in terms of raw power than my mother had been after she had combined with the Shinju. But that is only a rough estimate, because chakra is not a stagnant power. It constantly evolves with the user, therefore making its potential limitless."

She took a few moments to make sure that she had not misheard anything, before her eyes widened for the umpteenth time in the past couple hours as she pondered on what he had just told her.

The fact that he had achieved at least three times the absurd level of power that she had seen his mother demonstrate in some instances was enough to leave her shocked, however, that last part had been the real kicker in this case.

His power was also constantly increasing, and to top it off, there was apparently no limit to its rise either.

Then, there was the fact that he still did not seem to be caring about his situation power-wise, since his previous airy tone had let her know exactly what was his view regarding this subject.

Not that she was surprised about it anymore, because she had gotten over it during the previous instance where she had been faced with the initial revelation of his attitude regarding his own power.

Which was why she had decided to make another inquiry, because she was curious about a more concrete example of what he could accomplish with such might.

"I see, but what do you say that it would be the greatest feat you could accomplish now, because I did not exactly get a clear picture of what your mother had been able to do with her power in order to make a comparison between you two."

The smile that she quickly noticed to be forming on his lips made her think that perhaps she should have just kept her curiosity to herself.

"Well, the most impressing thing that I had seen my mother accomplish had been creating and destroying entire dimensions, albeit at a substantial cost of chakra which would eventually leave her exhausted after repeated uses," she heard him say and she felt incredulity grip her at his words. "But in my case, I could easily do such a thing now, with barely any noticeable drain on my power even after successive attempts. Actually, I believe that I could do it until I became bored and still have enough chakra to overwhelm the Jūbi in battle."

Once again, she had needed to take her time to process what he had just told her.

So... apparently... he could even create and destroy entire universes... and he could do that many, many times, before he even began to feel any hints of fatigue.

Somehow, despite its absurdity, this particular fact did not surprise her as much as she thought that it should have, which meant that she must have gotten used to the impossible things that her beloved had revealed to be capable of doing.

Not spending any more thought on this matter, she filed away this information to its only fitting place, before she opened her mouth as she spoke.

"Okay..." was everything that she said, since she did not feel the need to say anything more complicated in the face of such a revelation. She was certain that her expression had told him everything that he might have wanted to know.

"Good," she heard him reply as he pointed back to the apparently frozen scenery in the distance. "Now let us continue, as there is only very little left until the conclusion of the story."

Completely agreeing with his words, she gave a brief nod, before she focused her attention back on her surroundings as she noticed the scenery become unfrozen and change back into the image of the battlefield.

Awe once again filled her as she observed how her beloved's past self summoned tens of thousands of souls from the afterlife, before he effortlessly returned them to life, thus giving her the answer to another one of her unasked questions about the extent of his power.

Following that, she watched how he had left behind a clone in order to keep the peace that he had restored, but this time in a manner resembling that of his mother's, before she saw him depart from the battlefield as he went to a secret chamber of sorts which resided beneath a shrine belonging to Indra's descendants.

She felt another surge of anger when she found out about yet another thing that Black Zetsu had meddled into, but it was quickly replaced by satisfaction as she reminded herself that the pest had been dealt with.

Moments later, she noticed how chakra began to coalesce in the middle of the room, until it took the form of an elderly man, whose features reminded her of her beloved's brother, something which was quickly confirmed when she had heard his name be uttered by Hagoromo.

By the time their discussion was over, Yuno felt glad at the thought that Hagoromo had managed to speak one last time with his brother before his departure, but she also felt curious and surprised at the revelation that he still had living family members, albeit on his brother's side.

"Hey, Hagoromo," she began as she turned to look at him. "What did you do about that Toneri descendant of your brother?"

"I left the clone to deal with him, since at that time, I did not feel like dealing with such a thing as I had much more important matters to attend to."

She simply nodded at his words in order not to interrupt him as she realized that he was not done speaking yet.

"Which finally brings me to the conclusion of my tale..."

Her eyes glinted in curiosity as soon as she heard him say that, and she prepared for the ending of his story as she noticed the world around her begin to revert back to its initial state as a white void.

"After restoring peace to the people of my world, I had decided to leave my world, so that I could see how were the humans residing within other worlds," she heard Hagoromo say as she turned around to face him completely. "At that time I still hoped that the wretched flaws of the humans were actually a characteristic solely existing in my world. I thought that if I were to go to another world, then I would find something wonderful."

As she heard the last part, she understood that nothing exactly pleasant would be coming next.

"When I arrived in your world, I had initially thought that my wish had been fulfilled after I saw how peaceful everything seemed to be at the first glance... however... I soon came to the bitter realization that I could have not been any more wrong in my wishful assumption..."

She did not like the way how his tone had become so heavy by the time he was done speaking.

"You see... when I read about the history of your species I felt revolted that such things had been also committed by the humans of your world. Yet... I refused to give up on my hope and I still tried to convince myself that they had changed in the past decades."

Whatever she remembered from her history classes coupled with what else she knew from the books and articles that she had read so far, made it very clear to her that nothing had changed about the humans, except for the improvement in their acting ability.

"But then, I saw with my own eyes the very extent of mankind's capital vices..." his tone brought a pang in her chest alongside even more anger toward humanity. "That had been the lady metaphorical straw to my naïve hope. The result had been something that you must have surely heard to have happened in Indonesia two weeks ago."

Her ire was almost quelled as she was faced with this revelation.

So, it had been her beloved the one whom had brought such chaos in Indonesia through that series of natural disasters that the international media was still raving about...

Now that she thought better about it, she should have realized this a while before, since he had given her enough clues for her to be able to.

The only reason that she could come up with for not being able to see this earlier, was the fact that she had not particularly cared about what had happened in Indonesia.

Still, now that she new the exact circumstances, she found it to be rather funny, because she had heard a lot of people believing this incident to have been a manifestation of the wrath of God, who had finally decided to punish the humans for their accumulated sins.

Those people had no idea how close to the truth they had actually been with their assumptions, and that made it even funnier to her.

"In the wake of my realizations, I came to the conclusion that they were truly unworthy of my care and attention, even of my fleeting thoughts," she felt the ache in her chest vanish as she noticed his features and tone lighten. "I felt liberated, yet, at the same time, I also felt lost, because I knew nothing else besides caring for and watching over humanity."

She focused the entirety of her attention on him as she carefully listened to his every word.

"I did not know what to do, since my only dream had been forever taken away from me, so I merely wandered aimlessly through the streets after I returned to the only familiar place which I knew in your world."

A look of understanding crossed her face as she was made aware of the circumstances behind their meeting.

It had truly been a fateful meeting for her that they had encountered each other on that day.

"That had been the moment when I saw you and everything began to change for me," the glad smile that she noticed to have briefly settled on his lips at those words made her heart skip a beat. "You were walking amidst a crowd of cheerful children, but your expression was of anything but that. You were shrouded in depression and gloom, and from a simple glance at your face I realized that you had given up on the world."

Normally, she would have not felt particularly thrilled at being reminded of that period in her life, however, she knew that he had not mentioned it to her in order to hurt her in any way. And that was why she managed to easily fight off the rather unpleasant memories of that time as she waited for him to continue speaking.

"And as I was looking at you, I felt something stir within me, so I observed you even more as I tried to figure out that odd yet not unpleasant feeling..." she listened to him with rapt attention as she wondered about his aim in telling her all of this. "That was the moment when I realized that we were very alike in many aspects, yet starkly different in others..."

The more she listened, the more she felt that she was getting closer to the answer of her question.

"I felt an inexplicable attraction toward you, someone who I could not figure out and who seemed to be experiencing feelings so similar to mine."

Her heart skipped another beat at those words.

"But then... I realized that something which could have taken you away was about to happen," she quickly remembered the scene of that accident and how she would have died had he not saved her at the last moment. "I had already made my mind to not let such a thing happen to you, however, I decided to wait a bit more in order to see how you would react in the face of such a situation."

Warmth slowly began to suffuse her being as she registered the first part of his sentence.

The second half brought her the answer to the question of why he had waited until the last moment to intervene.

"And when I saw you gaze at your imminent death with such acceptance and even spiteful amusement... I knew that you were unique from any other human that I had ever seen, which made me curious as I wanted to learn more about you," she felt even more of the previous warmth fill her. "At that time I only saw you as something a little above an interesting science project, however, that had instantly changed the moment when you spoke to me those six fateful words."

Her eyes instantly widened as she registered the last part.

She had never thought that the answer which she had given to his question on that day would have carried such weight.

She did not care how he had first looked at her, because that was in the past now, and in the present, she knew what were his feelings for her. That was why she did not doubt him in the very least.

"From that point onward, I started to see you in a completely different light and my feelings for you began to slowly bloom, until they reached the point where I knew that you were the one whom I would never let go of..."

She felt her heart begin to beat faster as she listened to him.

"You hold my heart within your hands," By now, her heart was racing in her chest. "My very soul yearns for yours to join itself with..."

The answer to her previous question finally came alongside with what she had just heard him utter, and she felt excitement swell within her at the thought of what she knew he would be saying next.

"You already have my love, Gasai Yuno... But will you also have me as your better half? Will you be my bride, forevermore by my side in the eternity that is to come and surely pass by us?"

She felt joy like no other fill her the moment she registered his words.

She could hardly believe her ears, but she knew that what she had just heard was as true as the feelings that she knew he held for her.

And now that she had actually heard him say it—that he loved her—she could not help but feel her own love for him surge as it began to overwhelm her.

But then, her mind reminded her that there had been more to what he had just told her, and that only brought her to an even greater height of emotion.

He had not only declared his feelings for her, but he had also asked for her to become his bride.

She felt like she was dreaming, yet she knew that all of this was very much real.

A moment later, she realized that she had yet to give her answer to his proposal, so she quickly responded as she gazed deeply into his violet eyes which were clearly reflecting all of his feelings for her to see.

"Yes..." she began in a whispering voice, which slowly became firmer and more passionate as she spoke. "Yes, I will... my Hagoromo... my love... I love you so much, my Hagoromo..."

Not even a second after she was done voicing her reply, she quickly leant in and placed a gentle and loving kiss on his lips, one which conveyed all of her feelings for him.

She spent several moments with her lips upon his own, before she leant back as her eyes had never left his during the entire time.

"You might not yet know how much happiness hearing your words has brought me, but very soon you will..."

Hearing him say that made her curious, and now that she was coming down from her previous emotional high, she also realized that she had overlooked a part of his confession due to her overwhelming feelings at that time.

She wondered what he had meant with that part about forever being by his side, and her eyes shot open in a mixture of surprise, disbelief and joy as realization eventually hit her.

He would make it so that she lived alongside him forever. He would grant her eternal life.

She was immediately brought out of her musings when she registered his voice.

"However, before that comes to be, there is one last thing which I have for you," A look of curiosity appeared on her face at his words. "A gift to commemorate our upcoming union."

This renewed her previous excitement as she began wondering about what could it be the gift that he had just mentioned.

"When you spoke of your neglect, I saw the inkling of a great source of sorrow within you..." her eyes widened as she listened to him. "And that sparked a cry of anger within me, anger which became outright wrath when I realized what your parents had done to you."

She quickly noticed that she was not too feeling surprised at the fact that he seemed to know what had truly happened to her parents, and she also noticed that she was not experiencing the anxiety and fear which would have always overcome her whenever the thought of him learning of her secret crossed her mind.

She attributed her first observation to the fact that she had learnt so many incredible things about him in the past few hours that she could easily understand how he must have figured out what had truly happened, even when she was certain that he had never entered that room in person.

Him possessing eyes that could see through objects was a dead giveaway, after all.

Her second observation was even easier for her to explain, since she no longer had any reason to ever be afraid of his reaction to finding out about what she had done to her parents now that she was aware of the extent of his feelings for her.

Yet, actually hearing him say that, had served to further strengthen her belief that he did not care about her killing her parents and it had also made her feel great happiness at the thought that her treatment at their hands had brought him such anger.

"So, now, I would like to offer you the chance to cut the last of your sorrows away."

His words brought her some confusion as she was not sure what he had meant, however, her attention was quickly drawn to a spot several feet in from of her when she noticed him indicate in that direction.

There, she noticed how something very curious began to happen not even one moment later, when white wisps of what she presumed to be chakra started coalescing at a rapid pace, until the flickering forms of two familiar individuals were revealed as they regained their complete features.

Yuno stared in surprise at the sight of her deceased parents as she realized that Hagoromo must have done something similar to what he had done when he had summoned the souls of the thousands of deceased at the end of the war.

She quickly noted that they seemed to be very confused at finding themselves in such an unusual place as they were glancing around at the endless expanse of white which surrounded them on all sides.

Moments later, when she saw that her parents had finally noticed her presence, she greeted them with a sweet smile as she was met with looks of recognition from them.

"Yuno...?" she heard her father voice out in befuddlement. "Is this... the afterlife?"

She couldn't hold back the giggle that escaped her mouth at his words.

"Why are you laughing, you devil child?! Aren't you dead, too? Or had you become too mad after you killed us that you don't even realize what's going on?"

Yuno simply smiled once more when she heard her mother's snide reply.

She didn't exactly care about what that woman said to her, and it was quite funny to her how hypocritical her words were, since she was the one having no idea about what was truly going on.

"Honey, I think you might be wrong..." she glanced at her father and felt even more mirth as she listened to him speak. "What if this is a sort of hallucination? Or a test to determine our fate?" she was once again unable to hold back the giggle that escaped her mouth at her father's assumptions. "Besides, why would she even be dead? How could—"

She glanced back at her mother when she heard her interrupt her father and ignored the pointed glare that she was sending her way most likely as a response to her earlier giggling.

"No, dear," Yuno heard the brown haired woman say as she looked at her husband. "This is definitely her. She must have killed herself after realizing what she had done. Or maybe she had also starved to death, because with us gone, she had been left without anything."

This time, the rose haired girl began laughing openly at the absurdity of what she had just heard. It seemed that her mother was quite the bitter comedian.

"Not quite."

She stopped from her laughing and turned to look at her beloved as she noticed the small smile tugging at his lips, before she glanced back at her mother when she heard her questioning tone.

"And who might you be? And why are you hold—"

"Ah, where are my manners, mother," Yuno cut the brown haired woman off mid sentence, with a mocking smile playing on her lips. "I would like to introduce to you my soon-to-be husband, Hagoromo."

She let out another giggle as she observed the momentarily confused expression that had formed on her mother's face in response to her previous interjection.

"See, dear, I've told you that she's gone mad. Now she thinks that she's going to get married when she's, in fact, dead," Yuno listened with an amused expression as her mother addressed her father after getting over her initial confusion. "Not that anyone would ever want to be with a murderer like her, mind you."

The smile never left Yuno's face as she continued to look her mother in the eye.

The woman must have been delusional if she thought that her pathetic gibes were having any effect on her.

Her mother was not even getting close to a fourth of how caustic her doppelgänger had been during the first half of their confrontation.

"Honey, at least now, please stop with that..."

Yuno raised a curious eyebrow and looked at her father when she heard his pleading tone as she idly wondered if he had somehow discovered the meaning of remorse as a result of his death.

Not that she cared about it. Or needed such a thing for that matter.

"Hagoromo -san, do you happen to know if this place is actually the afterlife, or if it is something else?" this time she managed to hold in her amusement, but mainly because her father had kept going with the same thing as earlier. "And also, do you mind if I ask why you are here as well?"

However, the last part made her curious, because she wondered what her beloved had in mind for her parents.

"Hm, I suppose that I can humor you for a short while," hearing his amused tone was enough to spur Yuno's excitement. "No, this place is not the afterlife, nor is it anything remotely similar to one. And the reason for why I am here, or rather the reason for why you are here, well, that is in order for you to be judged for your acts."

A look of realization dawned on Yuno's face as she listened to his explanation.

So, that was what he had meant with cutting the last of her sorrows away.

She returned her attention to her father and noticed the puzzled expression on his face, as well as the fact that he was about to say something, only to be interrupted with a glare by her mother.

"Don't bother, dear. This man is clearly not right in the head, as well," Yuno felt her amusement return as she kept listening. "At least now I see why he seems to be getting along so nicely with our devil of a daughter. They are clearly two peas in a pod with how crazy they both—"

She looked back at Hagoromo, when she heard him interrupt her mother from speaking further, and it didn't take her long to notice the disappointment that was clearly visible on his visage.

"I believe that, since neither of you seems to have anything interesting left to say, we should proceed to the main event," his words made Yuno even more excited at the thought of what was to come next. "Besides, it is now quite clear to me that granting you the privilege of speech had been a misjudgment on my part."

She sent a glance in the direction of her parents and immediately noticed how none of them seemed to be able to speak. And despite the fact that their current expressions were very funny, she returned her attention on her beloved as she quickly heard him continue.

"Initially, I had believed that by allowing you this privilege, you would at least amuse me enough to make it worthwhile, however, now that I have seen your disappointing performances, I am not going to allow you to waste my time anymore. After all, there are matters infinitely more important than you, that me and my darling have to attend to."

Yuno smiled lovingly in response to his words as her eyes sought his own.

"Now then, my dear, shall we begin?"

Her reply was an enthusiastic shake of her head as her mind wondered about the way he would go about punishing her parents.

"Normally, I am not one to indulge in such unrefined torture, however, for you, those who had brought such misery and pain upon my Yuno... I shall make an exception," she felt a pleasant shiver travel down her back at his words. "So please, do enjoy your eternal blaze. Amaterasu."

Her eyes instantly widened and her body instinctively recoiled to the opposite side when she saw the obsidian flames spark to life in the opened palm of her beloved's left hand.

She took a few moments to stare in fascination at the peculiar flames, which seemed to be burning like no other flame she had ever seen in her life.

They were black as midnight in color and flickered in a hypnotizing manner as if they were dancing on the surface of his gloved palm.

If she was to give an argument for why she believed them to be completely different from any other flames that she had witnessed, then her answer would be that they did not act as an ordinary fire at all.

There was no heat emanating from them as far as she could tell, and the very way that they burnt seemed to be tamed, or rather deceptively tamed, because while they looked like they were perfectly controlled in the confines of his palm, she was certain that once unleashed, their dark brilliance would illuminate everything and then reduce it to ash, just as their very name suggested.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Hagoromo address her in a calm tone.

"Do not be afraid, my dear, for this fire burns only what I will it to."

She visibly relaxed at his words and returned to her previous position as she continued to look in fascination at the midnight black flames which were only inches away from the skin of her left arm.

"Now, Yuno, guide my hand toward where those wretched spirits are... and be the one to hand them this divine punishment."

Her eyes widened as she registered his words.

She had thought that he would be the one to punish her parents, so she was feeling quite surprised now that she had found out she would be the one to actually do it.

But it was a pleasant surprise, nonetheless, because she certainly felt like doing it, as she wanted to exact her vengeance on them for everything they had put her through during the better part of her childhood.

So, without any other thought, she gently grasped his wrist and gave him a grateful smile as she began to slowly guide his hand to where her parents were standing with shocked and horrified expressions on their faces as they were unable to move even an inch.

"A soul might be impossible to damage or destroy through most means existent... however... it can be scorched with flames potent enough..." she listened captivated as she continued to move his hand at an agonizingly slow speed while taking delight in how the expressions of her parents were getting more and more desperate with every millimeter that she brought his hand closer to the mark. "...such as those of Amaterasu."

When she finally placed his hand in their direction, she watched in astonishment as the obsidian flames in his hand shaped themselves into two identical arrows, before they shot toward her parents, impaling each of them through their hearts in the blink of an eye.

The effect was instantaneous, and she realized that she had been very accurate with her previous assumption about the peculiar flames, because as soon as the arrows had made contact with the spirits of her parents, they exploded in a dark blaze which covered them from head to toe.

Not even a moment later, and she heard the bloodcurdling screams come from them as they screamed in agony at the flames searing their very souls.

"Their pain will never cease, Yuno," she barely heard Hagoromo say as she was too mesmerized by the sight of her parents writhing in the obsidian flames of Amaterasu. "And they shall forever burn for eternity."

She kept watching how the spirits of her parents were gnawed on by the vicious coils whose igneous blackness crawled all over their form, and relished in their tormented cries as she watched them almost in a trance.

Her attention was finally brought away from the burning spirits of her parents when she noticed the wall of purple flames that flickered into existence behind them.

A moment later, and her eyes were completely drawn to the hellish looking flames as she watched in awe while something emerged from their fiery midst.

It was a demonic looking head, with eyes identical to those of her beloved and with a menacing visage that she was certain it would have instilled fear within her being had she not already seen much more frightening creatures like the Jūbi.

She continued to inspect this entity and quickly noted that despite the dead giveaway, which was the black crown with the golden kanji reading Ō (King) on its middle, its other articles of clothing definitely suggested toward a royal imagery.

Her attention was quickly shifted to its mouth when she noticed it unzip and open wide, and she watched in fascination as the two purple hand-like appendages it seemed to have for a tongue shot out in the direction of her writhing parents.

Upon reaching their destination, each tongue took a hold of one of the burning souls, before they dragged them back to the king's awaiting mouth, which immediately closed in their wake, moment when the head sunk back into the white floor until no trace of its previous existence was left behind.

It took Yuno the better part of a minute to finally snap out of her daze after having watched such a spectacle.

"Hagoromo..." she asked, feeling at a loss of words about what she had just witnessed. "What was... that?"

"That, my dear, was the King of Hell," she heard him calmly reply. "It is an entity which can store and transport souls and other things from and to any realm of existence. I reckon that it should be a proper place for them to enjoy the rest of their eternity in."

She spent a few moments processing his words, before a gobsmacked expression settled on her face as she understood that she was faced with yet another mind boggling revelation about her beloved's power.

The King of Hell was definitely a fitting name for the entity that she had just seen devour the souls of her parents.

Speaking of which, she completely agreed with him on the matter of their fate, because it was indeed exactly what they deserved.

Finishing that train of thought, she glanced back at Hagoromo when she heard him speak again.

"And with this over as well, I believe that we are done with our stay in this place."

Following his words, she felt her perception of the world change as the realm of white around her was replaced by the familiar sight of her living room.

As soon as she completely regained her awareness of the surroundings, Yuno noticed that she was standing in the embrace of her beloved, exactly in the same position how she remembered it before she had found herself inside his inner world.

However, any further observations were interrupted when she heard him address her, his tone carrying a distinct note of excitement that instantly spurred her curiosity.

"Now then, my dear, the time for us to be forever bound to one another has finally come."

As she listened to this, she quickly remembered her previous thoughts that she had been having on the same topic and she once again wondered how he would make it so that she would live forever alongside him.

However, she did not have too much success in finding an answer, because of the simple fact that she had insufficient knowledge on the subject of chakra as a whole.

She only knew the basics and several other bits that Hagoromo had told her, and even those mostly confused her with how incredible they seemed to be.

"But how?" she asked, as she had quickly realized that by doing as such, it would be the best option in this case.

"Simple," she heard him say, the excitement in his tone growing with every spoken word. "I shall grant you the gift of chakra."

Her eyes instantly widened as she registered that, and for a few moments her mind drew a blank as it simply continued to repeat those words over and over again.

But when she eventually finished processing his words, she immediately felt a wave of happiness wash over her as she realized the true implications and meaning of his words.

He would give her a part of his own being.

He would share his own power with her.

He would bestow her with something that she knew he had sworn to himself to never hand out again without extremely careful consideration.

The mere thought that he would do such a thing for her was enough to fill her with enough joy to make her forget about everything else besides the young man standing in front of her.

"Hagoromo..." she mouthed breathlessly, her eyes gazing lovingly in his violet ones as she felt overwhelmed by the emotions currently coursing through her.

For the next minute or so, she continued to just stare at him in silence as she slowly recovered from her emotional high.

By the time she regained her composure, her attention was brought to Hagoromo's forehead as she noticed the pale flesh split itself open, revealing the sight of the blood red eye with concentric circles and nine tomoe beneath.

She already knew that he also possessed the original dōjutsu, the most powerful one, the Rinne Sharingan, however, now that she was seeing it in person, she could only stare in wonder at its sight.

If she had previously thought that his Rinnegan was making her feel as though she was being judged and measured by its otherworldly gaze, then staring at this eye made her feel as if she was small and insignificant, like an ant when compared to the never-ending vastness of the universe.

But she knew that it was only her mind trying to comprehend that which her eyes were seeing, because she was more than certain that her beloved would never contemplate such a thing about her.

That train of thought was quickly brought to an end when she noticed something even more incredible than anything which she had witnessed during his tale occur.

She did not know how to put it in words, because she had absolutely no idea about what was truly happening, however, she could still try to describe the images that her eyes were taking in.

The world around her was somehow fading away, but in a different manner from what she had seen happen while in her beloved's mental world, because right now, her surroundings were slowly transitioning from the familiar sight of her living room into something that she was unable to properly discern yet.

It was like the very fabric of reality was unraveling at its seams while, at the same time, it was being interwoven with a different one that slowly began to replace the imagery of her surroundings.

The only coherent manner in which she could attempt to describe the currently transpiring events would be to say that her world was being replaced by a completely different one.

And with that thought aside, she immediately put an end to her musings, choosing instead to simply stare in fascination at the world around her as it was steadily changing in front of her very eyes.

Meanwhile... [Cathedral of Causality]

The relative silence of the purple tinted cathedral was interrupted when the entirety of the chamber was suddenly engulfed in complete darkness, which was almost immediately accompanied by a violent shaking of the ground.

"Boss, what did you do?!" came the distinctively feminine albeit childish voice of Murmur as she shouted in distress from a corner of the room.

In her response, a series of deep chuckles reverberated from the center of the cathedral.

"Dammit, Deus, this isn't funny!" Murmur raised her tone once again as she cried out in protest. "The ceiling is about to collapse, and I can barely dodge the falling debris, because there is no freaking light in here!

"Oh, Murmur, do not fret," Deus responded calmly as he tried to alleviate his subordinate's agitation. "The cathedral will hold, and besides, this is almost over."

Several moments after Deus had spoken, the illumination was returned within the cathedral and the tremors also stopped rocking the floor.

Murmur let out a relieved sigh as she dusted herself off, however, a look of horror quickly settled upon her features when she briefly inspected her surroundings.

To simply put it, the whole cathedral was in shambles.

The ceiling was riddled with holes and the missing chunks were spread all across the floor which was cracked in multiple places.

The diminutive girl sent a longing look toward the pile of magazines that had miraculously survived this entire ordeal, and she felt like crying when she realized just how long it would take her to fix all of the damage.

Fortunately, she was brought off the verge of her impending breakdown when she heard the deep voice of her superior sound from the middle of the chamber.

"Ah, Murmur, this is absolutely fantastic," the God of Space and Time voiced out in delight. "You truly have to see this."

Only for all of her previous woe to be replaced by irritation as she noticed how her superior did not even seem to acknowledge the destruction around himself as he was instead staring in fascination at the holographic screen before him.

"Goddammit, Deus!" she yelled at him in exasperation. "Can't you at least take something of this magnitude more seriously?

"Oh, but you are mistaken, Murmur," Deus replied with a knowing smile. "In this case, seriousness would be terribly misplaced and redundant, since it has no place in matters which incite only hopelessness."

The silver haired girl just stared blankly at her boss as she tried to figure out what he had meant with that.

The way he had spoken implied that he had nothing to do with the most recent events, which meant that the only remaining cause that she could think of was...

Her eyes instantly widened as a look of realization dawned on her face.

"Here, have a look at this."

Murmur turned her head almost mechanically to look at the enlarged screen, which was now floating in the middle of the room and displaying contents that made her wish to just go somewhere quiet to forget about everything besides her precious manga.

"Due to the massive interference, I have managed to pinpoint the exact location and obtained a brief recording of what had caused the blackout and earthquake from earlier."

The diminutive girl barely registered what her superior had just spoken, because she was too much in of a daze looking at the video feed in order to register anything else.

If what her eyes were seeing was true, which she knew it was because she was most definitely not hallucinating, then she had just seen that white haired young man briefly bring another dimension into contact with their own, as in literal contact.

It was so unbelievable that it was almost funny to her, and she couldn't do anything besides staring dumbstruck at the screen, until it was filled with static when the video registration ended.

"And imagine my surprise and delight when I witnessed such a marvel..."

Murmur was finally snapped out of her stupor when she registered the thrilled voice of her superior as it echoed throughout the recesses of the cathedral.

"Truly, our guest is one of a kind, is he not?"

The dark skinned girl quickly snapped her head in the direction of the God of Time and Space, who was sitting calmly on his throne and smirking as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened to his home.

"Deus, he moved an entire world! A goddamn universe!" she hissed. "He moved it atop ours and brought them together in a point for a few seconds..." she paused to take a deep breath as she felt some of her ire leave her. "Not even you can do that, boss, and you're the freaking God of Space and Time!"

"Exactly, Murmur!" Deus exclaimed in even more excitement. "That is why I have said that it had been marvelous, because such a feat is truly beyond anything that we had ever seen during our millennia of existence."

Murmur merely let out a tired sigh at Deus' words, before she turned around and began walking sluggishly toward her corner where she knew that her manga were patiently waiting for her.

"Alright, Deus... You can have your fun watching that thing mess around in our universe, because I don't care anymore," she spoke without turning to look behind her as she raised a hand and lazily waved it at Deus. "Just don't bother me anymore if it is anything related to him, it—whatever—and don't somehow piss it off, because I really don't mind living for at least a few more thousand years..." A dry chuckle escaped her mouth at what she said next. "That, of course, if you manage to find someone crazy enough to deal with all of this crap in your place."

And following that, the diminutive girl completely ignored the amused chuckles that originated from her superior in response to her words as she focused instead on something that both entertained and relaxed her at the same time, without actually giving her headaches the likes of which she got in spades from Deus' daily shenanigans.

Back with Hagoromo and Yuno... [Amenominaka Core Dimension]

Yuno stared in awe at the world which welcomed her after her surroundings had stopped shifting.

It was a seemingly endless expanse of canyons, hills and mountains, with a clear sky and a bright sun shining over the entirety of the landscape.

"What is this place?" she asked as she glanced at Hagoromo, her eyes glinting in curiosity. "And what was that from before?"

"This is one of the six personal dimensions that my mother had created a long time ago, the Amenominaka core dimension," she heard him reply as he once again slipped in his didactic tone. "As for your second inquiry, well, that had been the slower variant of utilizing Amenominaka."

Hearing this reminded her of when he had told her about his ability to create dimensions, which spurred her curiosity even more.

"Slower? But it still only took less than a few seconds to transport us here..." she spoke.

"Ah, that would be the case this time, because I had slowed it down even further in order to show you the process in more detail," her eyes widened at his explanation. "Normally, even through the 'slower' method, it takes roughly one second for the transfer, whereas through the 'regular' method, the transfer is instantaneous."

She stared with almost disbelieving eyes at him as she contemplated on his words.

If he called a one second delay 'slow', then she could only wonder about what he actually considered fast.

She knew that he could easily move at incredible speeds, as she had seen from his various fights during his tale, however, she had no idea about how fast he could truly get.

Not to mention the fact that those feats were in regard to him using pure speed, without things such as this Amenominaka technique that apparently allowed him to travel in a way akin to teleportation.

"I see..." she voiced in understanding, before she posed another question, since she had gotten quite curious about the principles behind this ability of his. "But how does it exactly work, anyway? Is it some sort of teleportation?"

Yet, when she heard him chuckle in response to her words, she wondered if it might have not been better had she not decided to question any further on this topic.

"Oh, my dear, this technique is so much more than mere teleportation," hearing his telling tone, she braced herself for the mind-boggling explanation that she knew would come. "While it can indeed function as 'teleportation' on its most basic level, the true nature of Amenominaka lies within its ability to alter the world by manipulating the fabric of space-time and reality down to its most intimate level."

But even with her mostly knowing what she should have been expecting, his actual explanation still surprised her greatly.

"What I did earlier was bring this dimension we now reside in so close to your own universe that the fabric of space-time from both worlds joined in a point for a few moments, thus allowing the transfer to be made."

Surprise which turned to shock the moment she registered the last part.

The name of this technique was surely a very fitting one.

This ability was clearly another one worthy of being placed in a similar league with the truth-seeking orbs, because it was as mind-blowing as those black balls of doom were.

Seriously, to have the power to move and connect entire worlds on a whim...

The world was literally in his palm and he acted like he didn't even care about that fact.

She giggled at that thought, since it reminded her once again of the many observations that she had made about her beloved during the time she had spent listening to his storytelling and watching the events from his life.

Her Hagoromo was quite the peculiar individual in how he seemed to enjoy adding a theatrical side to almost everything that he did or spoke.

But she didn't mind it in the very least, because it was one of the many things which made him so unique to her.

Besides, she actually found it to be quite funny herself and thought that she might enjoy it if she were to join him in one of those instances.

Her musings were brought to an end when she heard his voice once again.

"But enough with the exposition, as I can hardly wait any longer for what is to come next," she felt excitement well up inside her as she heard that. "And I am very much certain that you can barely wait, as well."

Following his words, Yuno watched as his clothes began to rapidly shift until they turned from his usual dress shirt, jacket and trousers into the white robe that she had become accustomed to during the past few hours.

She quickly noticed how the dark crescent moon and bright sun marks on his palms began to shine brightly in their respective colors as he brought his hands close to her face.

She observed with curious eyes as he offered her an elated smile which made her heart skip a beat, before he placed his gloved hand on her right cheek and his other hand on her back in the place where she knew her heart to be located.

"You are an Ōtsutsuki in all but blood, Yuno..."

Her heart began to beat faster when she heard his words and noticed him slowly lean in closer to her as she realized that it was the first time when he initiated a kiss between them.

She watched his face get closer and closer to her own, and with every inch he moved, she felt more and more excitement and warmth fill her.

"But that shall be rectified now."

And when his pale lips were less than a few inches away from hers, she noticed them move as he mouthed two words which she now knew they carried within the power to bend the world.

"Banbutsu Sōzō."

And with that, she barely had any time to register the brilliant black and white flames of pure chakra that blossomed from each of his palms, before she felt it.

An incredible flood of warmth like nothing else she had ever felt instantly filled her being.

Empowering. Intoxicating. Sublime.

It was all of that and so much more.

The feeling was so intense that she swore it reached her very soul.

And the sensation of his lips tenderly pressing against her own as he kissed her made it impossible for her to hold back the moan that had threatened to escape her mouth in the wake of such an experience.

Several moments passed while Yuno continued to bask in the exquisite sensations that she was experiencing, before she felt the warmth slowly dissipate yet never completely disappear as most of it was quickly getting replaced by another indescribable feeling.

It was, in a way, similar to the previous warmth, but it was still different enough to be perceived as entirely something else.

It was a breathtaking feeling that was gradually overwhelming her, encompassing her and coursing deeply through her, as though it was flowing directly into her soul.

Even after an entire minute of experiencing this magnificent sensation, she was still unable to properly put it into words.

The best that she could do was try to liken it to something else, such as the pleasant warmth that a fire gives off on a cold day of winter, or the refreshing coldness that a cool breeze fills you with when it brushes past you on a torrid summer day.

Yuno closed her eyes as she relished in the delightful sensations coursing through her being and brought her own arms around Hagoromo's neck as she leaned closer to him and deepened the kiss.

A few more moments passed while she continued to enjoy both the kiss with her beloved and the incredible feeling which was steadily flowing through her, before she eventually opened her eyes, only to be met with the familiar yet slightly different sight of her beloved's mental world as she found herself floating alongside him, a considerable height above the water beneath.

Most of the world was the same as she remembered it, with it being an endless ocean, continued above by a beautiful starry sky and a gigantic moon and sun, however, there seemed to be an addition that she was certain to have not been present the last time when she had seen this place.

It appeared to be an island of sort in the middle of the never-ending ocean, but as she began to descend while still in the embrace of her beloved, a gasp left her mouth as she quickly realized it to be her own mental world, or rather a very big part of it.

And upon an even closer inspection, she noticed that it was different from what she remembered it to be, since now the grass was silver and ethereal and the entire expanse of the meadow was filled with thousands of silvery manifestations, among which the most notable were the many butterflies flying from large impressive flowers to another.

Yuno took a few moments to admire the beautiful meadow that was coated in a silvery hue, before her gaze returned back on her beloved's smiling face, moment when she felt that indescribable feeling within her blossom at the same time when she locked eyes with him.

"It is wonderful, my love, is it not?"

As she heard him say that, she felt her own feelings for him soar when she registered the way he had addressed her.

"Yes, Hagoromo, it is..." she replied in utter delight at what she was experiencing. "But what is it exactly? This indescribable warm feeling flowing deeply inside me and the feeling of protective warmth itself that I can feel as though it is a part of me?"

"That warmth is how you perceive the chakra that I gifted you, which is now yours as another extension of your being. If you concentrate on it, then you should be able to feel it much better and to an ever greater detail."

Hearing his words, she did as suggested and began to marvel at the feeling of her own chakra.

However, less than a few moments later, and she began to realize something both peculiar and shocking, something that she had not noticed until now due to the overwhelming feelings that were coursing through her.

But now that she had got slightly accustomed to these sensations, her mind was once more capable of focusing on other things as well, and thus, she immediately became aware of the fact that she seemed to be able to grasp the very nature of her chakra like it was an innate ability of sorts.

It was like she somehow knew everything that her chakra could do and comprehend how it operated in relation to all universal things.

There was a lot of information in her mind she was certain that she had never had until now, yet could swear that it felt as if she had been born with it.

It was truly a peculiar thing.

"If you are wondering about why you seem to know out of a sudden how chakra works on such an intimate level, then that is because I had also bestowed you with an universal comprehension of chakra when I had transferred part of my own power to you."

She took a moment to process what she had just heard, before her eyes widened at the revelation.

So he had not only gifted her with chakra, but he and also given her the complete understanding to utilize it?

She could find no words within herself to express how she felt in the face of such an act.

Not only had he given her more than she could have ever wished for, but he had actually given her even more beyond that.

It was simply unbelievable, and it left her speechless.

Eventually deciding to make sure of something, she thought back to the concepts about chakra that had been troubling her when she had first learnt of them, and was pleasantly surprised when she realized that now she could understand them on an instinctive level.

Her attention was brought back to her beloved when she heard his pleasant voice once again.

"As for that indescribable feeling which you feel coursing deep through your being," she listened with rapt attention to what he said, since she had been wondering about it this whole time. "That is how you actually perceive my feelings, and how I can also perceive yours. And if you try to focus on that feeling, then you should be able to differentiate between each one of the emotions."

As soon as she registered those words and understood their implications, a massive flood of overwhelming warmth washed over her as her love for him surged even further.

She would have never thought that he would do something like this for her, but now that she thought about it, she was able to see the subtle allusions that he had made so far in regard to this very moment, out of which the most prominent would be the one where he had spoken about how mere words were transient and insubstantial if not paired with a deep understanding of other's values and selves.

After the initial rush of emotion had subsided, Yuno decided to follow Hagoromo's advice and began to focus on that feeling as she looked for a particular aspect of it.

And when she finally found it, she was unable to keep the expression of pure joy from blossoming on her face as she felt the full extent of the love that her beloved held for her.

It was incredible. His love for her was so intense that it left her breathless.

Her ability to actually sense his feelings was breathtaking, just as she had thought the first time she had acquired it.

Words simply could not describe that feeling of being able to sense his very emotions as if they were a part of her. Or how happy it made her to be able to do such a thing.

It was an addicting feeling, and she was certain that she would never be able to get enough of it. Especially now that she knew he also could do the same in regard to her own feelings, because it meant that their feelings would amplify themselves from one to the other.

"But... how? How is such a thing possible, Hagoromo?" Yuno finally spoke, her tone almost disbelieving as she had absolutely no idea how he had done such a thing. Her knowledge on chakra did not include anything of the sort.

"It is simple, my love," she heard him reply as she gave her undivided attention to his words. "What I had done is based on the principle behind ninshū, however, in this case, instead of using chakra to connect spiritual energies, I used it to connect our very souls. Our chakra acts as a bridge between our souls, which essentially allows us to feel each other's emotions and to communicate telepathically. Of course, many more feats can be achieved by using the chakra itself, however these two are the most basic feat—ummphhh."

This time, Yuno did not allow him to slip any further into his didactic persona, because she had heard everything that she had needed to in order to understand, but also because she wanted to both tell and show him what she thought about his gift.

Besides, she had promised herself a while ago that she would kiss him senselessly, so she needed to keep her word.

So she proceeded to do just that, and for the next few minutes she prevented him from uttering even a syllable by keeping his mouth covered with her own as she made sure to convey the full extent of her feeling both through the kiss and the soul bond that she had just learnt of.

By the time she leant back from the kiss, her cheeks were covered with a faint red dusting and her breathing was slightly heavier, however, oddly enough not from a lack of air, but due to other reasons.

"So, as I was saying before you have interrupted me" she made sure to look at him in a way that clearly told him how sorry she was not about doing that, "There are a few more things that I would like to mention regarding my gift to you."

Yuno listened with careful attention to his words as she also found herself curious at what else he had done.

"The first thing has to do with this world," she noticed him indicate to their surroundings with a sweeping gesture. "which is neither of our actual mental worlds, but rather a completely different one which exists at the junction of our souls. It was created when I bound our spirits together, and it represents a deeper level of consciousness that only you and I can access, and where no outside interference can ever manifest. Just imagine yourself delving deeper within your mind while focusing on the feeling of my emotions, and you should find yourself in here, a place where we can meet regardless of our locations."

She stared at him with wide eyes as she took in the entirety of his explanation.

Now she was certain that with the addition of this thing, they were as closest as two entities could ever get while still maintaining their individuality.

This height of closeness that they had reached was so beautiful that she could not find the words to describe it. And it also made her oh so happy, especially now when she knew what it meant whenever she felt that indescribable feeling get stronger in intensity, like how it was happening right now while she was having these very thoughts.

"Am I to worry now that you will be reading my mind, darling?" she asked jokingly and with a teasing smile forming on her lips.

"Only if you wish of me to, my love, because I would never dare do such a thing without your consent," she found herself smiling genuinely as she listened to his words, her previous mischievousness gone as it was replaced by even more happiness. "I had never done it up to this very moment, and I shall never infringe upon your privacy... unless you want me to, of course."

The last part caught her off guard, as he had suddenly leant in closer and whispered it directly in her ear.

She felt a blush rapidly creeping on her face, and only with a truly great effort she was capable of suppressing it.

"I-I see," she managed to speak with only a small waver of her voice as she tried not to break eye contact with him.

"Good," she heard him say, before his eyes regained their serious gaze as he continued. "Now, the second thing has to do with your appearance, because by gifting you with such a substantial part of my power, your body has had to undergo a slight change in order to adapt to housing such immense power."

Her eyebrows shot almost to her hairline when she heard this, and she quickly looked down at her reflection in the water, only to release a surprised gasp at what she saw.

Her general features were mostly the same, with the exception of her slightly paler skin and the fact that she looked as if she had aged three or four years, because there were some very telling signs of her increased physical age.

Still, she did not mind the definite improvement, because while she was certain that Hagoromo would have not thought differently of her regardless of how she looked like, the fact that she now possessed a much more enticing figure should be considered a boon in the near future.

But besides that, there was also the matter of the two ivory horns protruding from her slightly longer rose colored hair, as well as the clothing that she now wore, which reminded her a lot of the hime-kimono that she had seen Kaguya wear, with how similar it was to it.

In the case of the former, she quickly realized that they were the result of a bloodline related to the manipulation of ones bones, so she used that ability in order to make the pair of horns recede back into her scalp, because she did not currently feel like having them on display.

As for the latter, she understood that the clothing was actually made of chakra, and that she could manipulate it at will should she desire as such.

A moment later, she glanced back at Hagoromo and spoke with a happy smile.

"I like it."

She heard him chuckle at her words, before he gave her his response.

"I'm glad," she giggled at his reply. "Also, don't forget about your third eye. Or the byakugan, for that matter."

Yuno stared at his amused smile for a few moments as she processed his words, before her eyes widened in surprise when she realized that she had also obtained those two dōjutsu from his gift of chakra.

She quickly searched through her knowledge on chakra for what she needed to know in order to utilize these ocular techniques, before she focused her chakra in both of her eyes and the center of her forehead, moment when she felt her visual perception of the world drastically change.

With her byakugan she seemed to have become able to see everywhere and everything around her for miles away, through solid objects, and to also magnify if needed.

Yet, what fascinated her most, was when she looked at Hagoromo and instantly noticed the endless ocean of white flames housed within his being, which she quickly understood to be his own chakra.

Curiously, she shifted her focus upon her own body and observed how she possessed a great rose colored blaze within herself as well.

However, when she focused on the vision from her third eye, she quickly realized that there were some very distinguishable differences between the two dōjutsu, because while the Rinne Sharingan did not possess the same ability when it came to viewing chakra or at distance and through solid objects, it most certainly offered a clarity of detail so incredible alongside a perception of the world to such a degree that she could perceive the world as frozen in time if she actually tried to do as such.

Deciding that she has had enough of the dōjutsu for the time being, she cut off the chakra flow from both of them and allowed them to fade, in the case of her two eyes, or for the skin to stitch itself back, in the case of her third eye.

"These dōjutsu are incredible, but I think that it might take me a little while to get used to seeing the world in such great detail," she voiced in fascination. "It feels like I had been looking at the world through frosted glass whenever I activate one of those ocular techniques, especially the Rinne Sharingan, in which case it makes it look as if I had been blind for my entire life."

"That is a very interesting manner of describing the dramatic increase in visual acuity provided by dōjutsu," she heard him say with a chuckle. "Anyway, the third and last thing that I want to tell you about has to do with the ring that I had given you a week ago."

She quickly brought her left hand closer to her eye level, before she glanced at the golden accessory present on her ring finger as she inspected it.

Her mind quickly supplied the fact that the ring was made out of chakra and empowered through something called the Outer Path, however, she overlooked that piece of information in favor of the more important part, which was the added inscription on the opposite side of the initial 'Know Thyself' one.

And this new addition read 'Ōtsutsuki Yuno'.

As soon as she registered those words inscribed in ornate letters, she was unable to prevent the tears pooling in her eyes from falling down her cheeks as she began to softly cry in happiness.

She had realized that this joining of their souls had been akin to a marriage yet infinitely beyond one in scope, however, now that she saw a solid proof of it, as well as him acknowledging their union, she was brought to tears by how happy she felt.

"As you have noticed to be inscribed on the ring, you are now mine and mine alone, just as I am yours and yours alone..." she could feel his feelings for her increase greatly as he continued to speak in an unwavering and fervent tone. "We belong to each other and we shall remain together forevermore, inseparable by anything in all of creation, for we exist beyond all else."

Her response to his passionate statement was to embrace him in a tight hug as an even greater happiness overcame her.

She stood with her arms wrapped around his form for the better part of the next minute, time during which she managed to stop shedding any more tears.

"I love you, my Hagoromo..." she spoke in a whisper as she leant back from the hug, her cerise eyes staring deeply into his violet ones. "I love you so much."

"I know," she heard him reply in a soft voice. "And I love you just as much, my Yuno."

And with that, she leant in and gave him another kiss, this one, however, being more tender as she simply relished in their shared feelings.

By the time when she pulled back from the kiss and opened her eyes, she noticed that she was once more back to that mountainous world, but also that she was beginning to feel quite tired, however, not in the usual physical sense that one might naturally feel after a long day of activity, because physically, she could have not been any better with how energetic she currently felt.

Instead, her tiredness seemed to be of a more psychical nature, which should have not been the case, given how even the mental fatigue had supposedly physical roots.

Yet, she still felt as if her mind was incredibly tired, while her body was ready to run around the earth a couple times and still have plenty of energy left in order to do it a few hundred more times.

Yuno blinked drowsily and glanced at Hagoromo, who was looking at her with an amused smile.

"Don't worry, my love," she heard him immediately say and felt reassured at his words. "This is a normal reaction of your psyche to such a sudden influx of power. You should be fine by morning, especially if you actually sleep, even though you might not biologically need such a thing anymore."

She just nodded tiredly at his words as she decided to put to test one of the things that her beloved had told her earlier.

She focused on the link that she could feel between them with her chakra and projected several words through it.

Not even a moment later, and she allowed a content smile to settle on her lips as she felt him lift her tenderly and carry her in his arms as if she were a princess.

"Oh, and there is one more thing, which I had almost forgotten," she vaguely heard him say as she nestled herself comfortably in his arms. "This has to do with the ability of sensing another's chakra. It should come instinctively to you, however, for you to be able to do it in the first place, you need to first focus your chakra and then use it as a medium to locate and identify the chakra of another."

"Uh-huh..." she spoke sleepily, heedless of his following chuckles as she closed her eyes, basking in the comfort of his embrace and the pleasant warmth of his feelings.

Not long after that, she dozed off in his arms and missed the sight of him returning them to her world as he carried her out of the living room in the search of her bedroom.

Hagoromo carefully placed Yuno on her bed and stood next to her as he watched her sleep peacefully with a smile on his visage.

He slowly reached for her face and tucked away a stray strand of her rosy hair, before he caressed her right cheek tenderly.

"At long last..." he whispered in a barely audible voice as he continued to gaze at his love's sleeping face. "My wish is fulfilled."

His expression softened when he felt her emotions grow in response to his words.

This bond that he had created between her soul and his own was a beautiful thing.

It allowed him to feel her heart and spirit as if they were an extension of his own being, just as she could do for him.

It was simply marvelous how they could share their feelings with each other regardless of whatever physical barriers there might be between them.

Even when worlds apart, they would still be able to feel each other as if they were mere inches away.

Such was the power behind his ninshū.

Yet, in this case, even that initial concept of 'bonds' was transcended, for there existed truly nothing else in all of his creation that could ever come close to compare to what he had done for her.

Such was the strength of their bond. So absolute that nothing could ever hope to sever it.

There was no longer anything that could truly ever stand between them anymore...

...and that thought brought great joy to him.

He sent another glance to her face, and noticed how a small smile has found its way on her lips.

It seemed that she was enjoying her dream, and he truly did not need to think very hard to realize about who she was dreaming.

This brought another smile on his face, and he idly wondered how long it had been since he had last slept himself.

It must have been at least two weeks, because after his Ascension he had no longer needed such a thing as sleep.

However, now that he looked at his love as she slept so peacefully, he wondered if he should not try and enjoy this activity once more.

He should be able to sleep, or at least enter a similar altered state of consciousness if he so wished.

Deciding that he did not exactly have anything better to do than sleeping alongside his beloved for a few hours, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind of any thoughts.

He then relaxed, and not long after, he felt the familiar pull at his consciousness as he slowly began to drift away to sleep.

*Chapter 9*: Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Chapter 7: The Almighty

A fleeting thought went through Hagoromo's mind as he inspected the place where he had just found himself after drifting off to sleep.

Was he perhaps dreaming?

He appeared to be floating amidst nothingness, though there was a peculiar feeling tugging at his mind, as if this emptiness held a sort of familiarity to him. And not only that, but he also felt as though something was missing. It almost reminded him of...

So similar...

He didn't get to finish that train of though as the dream abruptly shifted, and the nothingness around him suddenly became something.

Hagoromo's eyes widened as he saw creation take place. A wondrous phenomenon that left him momentarily beguiled as he watched the world take shape around himself. He could tell that what he saw was very familiar to him, though he couldn't exactly pinpoint how.

The feeling from before seemed to grow stronger, and Hagoromo was left wondering about its meaning.

Almost like then...

A wave of deja-vu washed over him as he stood unmoving amidst the vastness of the universe forming around him. There was definitely a link between this peculiar dream and what he had experienced after eating the fruit.

It had to be.

And this was no mere dream. No simple conjugation based on his imagination.

No...

This was a vision, and it hinted at something exceedingly grand in scope. Too grand to be ignored.

Hagoromo let out a chuckle as his eyes idly traced the shifting cosmos around him. This development was too curious for him to not pursue to its end.

A concerned voice calling out from behind brought him out of his musings.

"Are you okay, darling?"

Hagoromo turned around and met the worried face of his beloved wife. His features softened as he beheld her beautiful form while marveling once more at the pinnacle of bonds he had created between them.

Her reason for being here was as clear as day to him.

She must have felt the sudden shift in his emotions during her own dream and had unconsciously joined him in his own mind.

He could feel the love she held for him and it was simply breathtaking. Though he had never thought that it ran so deep for it to persist even while she slept... she loved him so much that she was projecting those feelings on a subconscious level through their bond... it was simply marvelous.

"Yes, my love," Hagoromo replied while moving closer to his beloved, before pulling her in a hug and placing a tender kiss on her head. "Though I just had a very peculiar experience before you came here," he added after leaning back a little and gazing into his wife's enchanting eyes.

All of Yuno's previous concern seemed to melt away from her features at the reassuring words of her husband, and she stared back at him with a raised brow and cute upturning of her mouth.

"What was it?" she asked in a curious tone after a moment of silence.

Hagoromo couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips in the face of such an endearing display, though he didn't let himself become distracted by his wife's enchanting act.

"I had a vision about the creation of my universe, and it brought me an odd feeling that I'm not sure I can properly put into words," he replied thoughtfully. "It felt as though something was missing. That there is something I should do to achieve a completion in a sense."

"It sounds really mysterious," Yuno voiced cheerfully, drawing a chuckle from the silver haired deity facing her.

"All in all, it made me very curious, and I intend to take us back to my world to figure out this strange development," Hagoromo spoke, before hovering in a seating position as he affectionately placed the rose haired goddess in his lap.

Yuno let out a cute giggle at the gesture and quickly made herself comfortable, leaning herself against her beloved's chest and basking in his warmth. "When are we leaving?" she asked after a moment of silence.

Hagoromo hummed in thought. "I'm not exactly in a hurry. My world won't disappear if we wait a little longer," he replied, earning himself a giggle from his wife.

"Okay," Yuno voiced happily. "Then it can wait for the time being."

"As you wish, young goddess," Hagoromo stated in a mock solemn tone, prompting the girl on his lap to giggle again at the new affectionate name.

"I like it," Yuno replied, snuggling deeper in the soft fabric of the young man's robe.

"Oh, you do?" Hagoromo spoke with an amused smile. "I'm glad, then."

Yuno merely hummed in agreement as she hugged her beloved's right arm to her chest.

Hagoromo used his other hand to caress his wife's pink locks, before voicing his thought as he seemed to remember something. "Would you like to hear a bit more about the history of my clan?" he asked.

"Sure, darling," Yuno replied enthusiastically. "I'd love to. I'm really curious about it."

Hagoromo smiled at her response, before willing the dream world around himself to shift back to the image of his mind-scape.

"The Ōtsutsuki generally travel in small groups through the dimensions as they seek worlds housing a Shinju to harvest for power," Hagoromo began. "These groups do not interact much with each other, but there can be times when exceptions occur."

Yuno's features twisted into an angry snarl as soon as she heard the last part. She remembered what her beloved had told the day before about his deceased father, and she couldn't help her anger spiking at that thought.

Hagoromo felt the sudden change in mood of his wife and used his arm entwined by her own to deepen the embrace as he continued. "As I have told you yesterday, one of these cases had brought the death of my father at the hands of Momoshiki and his retainer, Kinshiki."

The rose haired girl's eyes darkened at the mentioning of those two names. "So they are the reason why you went through so much pain because of your fight with your mother..." she whispered in a hollow voice.

Hagoromo hummed in agreement. "Yes, and they will receive a deserving retribution for their deeds once we return to my world."

"I almost want to go there right now, just so that I could make them pay..." Yuno hissed through her slightly bared teeth.

"We shall," Hagoromo stated calmly, though his normally elegant voice held an eerie undertone. "I too cannot wait to have you join me in evening the scales. Your concern makes me very glad, my love."

As soon as she registered those word, Yuno's mood seemed to take a drastic turn. She quickly turned to look at her beloved, a delighted smile forming on her lips as she draped her arms around his neck.

Hagoromo felt the surge of emotion in his wife and smiled in response as he embraced her lithe frame. He already had a good picture of what was about to occur just by looking at her euphoric expression.

"Hagoromo..." Yuno breathed out, her voice a passionate moan as her face drew closer to that of her beloved.

Hagoromo felt the soft lips of his wife clamp hungrily upon his own, and her ardor was soon matched by his own passion in the ensuing dance of tongues as, for the next few minutes, the two of them focused on nothing else but the other.

When they finally ended their fervent kiss, Hagoromo gazed at Yuno's flushed face for a while, before speaking with a content smile. "It is already morning in your world. Shall we return?"

"Sure," the young goddess replied happily, though her voice was a little breathless from their previous activity.

"Alright, then—" Hagoromo didn't get to finish what he intended to say, as he was interrupted by a sudden influx of memories rushing into his mind.

A frown quickly found its way on his visage once he began going through the received memories.

He didn't expect his clone to meet its demise so easily. Even in the event of an early encounter with those two. He had bestowed his clone enough power to hold its ground until his arrival.

Though it seemed that his clone had been rather wasteful with its power. And not only that...

Its actions...

Hagoromo's frown deepened as he kept sifting through the memories.

Such disappointment.

The silver haired deity sighed in disapproval at what he witnessed. Of what had become of his watcher in his absence.

He had entrusted his clone to become a Shepherd, yet it had degenerated into a mere, obedient caretaker. Kowtowing to the whims of humanity as it drowned in guilt.

How pitiful.

Then again, that was him before his eyes were fully opened. Before he became truly aware. Before his foolishness and naivety were completely vanquished.

So he couldn't exactly judge his clone for being misguided, could he? Not that it mattered, anyway.

Ashes to ashes,

Dust to dust.

He supposed that would be the case.

There was no point to dwell on the matter anymore. He was no longer the same. He had changed from the time.

On the other hand, however, there was the more important matter pertaining to his targets for retribution. Those two had already reached his world, though they seemed to be calmly waiting for him.

Ignorance was truly bliss, it seemed. They lacked the more recent knowledge regarding his mother and his world, so they would be at a disadvantage in all regards. Even more so after defeating his clone. Momoshiki's conceit would be the cause of his own downfall.

Hubris...

The poison of gods.

How aptly named, that was.

Hagoromo smiled at the thought. Everything seemed to be going just as planned.

A sudden tinge of concern reaching through his bond alerted Hagoromo to his wife's current mood. She was most likely worried at his previous shift in emotions. Her words that soon reached his ears all but confirmed that to him.

"Anything the matter, my love?"

Hagoromo's expression softened as he glanced at his beloved. "No, my dear. Just our guests arriving a bit sooner than expected, that's all," he told her calmly, intent on assuaging her concern.

Yuno's eyes seemed to regain their shine once she registered those words, and a happy smile quickly blossomed on her lips. "Okay then! I'm glad that you're alright, but it means that I'll have to make them pay even more for spoiling your good mood now~" she voiced in a cheery tone, before a giggle escaped her mouth by the end.

Hagoromo couldn't help but join her as he chuckled at her reasoning. No matter how many times he witnessed it, his wife was truly something else.

"Of course, but let us first return our consciousnesses back to the waking world," Hagoromo spoke a moment later. "We can resume our conversation afterwards. Alright?"

Yuno nodded happily at his proposal. "Sure thing, darling~" she replied, before willing herself to wake up.

Meanwhile... [Hagoromo's universe — Elemental Nations]

A young man with pale-blue hair reaching to his waist was standing atop a large expanse of water, his milky eyes gazing in delight at the white, tiny round object resting in his palm.

Next to him, the imposing sight of a burly male with similarly colored hair, albeit cut much shorter, could be seen as he gazed dismissively at his surroundings, which could be best described as depicting the aftermath of a fierce battle.

He did not seem to care about the destruction that filled the scenery all around his position, and after one last fleeting glance at what appeared to be the remains of two gigantic statues, he returned his attention upon his shorter companion.

"Lord Momoshiki, how are we going to proceed next?" the towering man asked in a deferent tone while making eye contact with the youthful individual standing next to him.

"Hmm..." Momoshiki simply hummed, still immersed in his previous musings.

The slight flush lingering on his softened features clearly hinted at his current mood, and his intense gaze that had yet to move from the small glowing pill in his hand did not belie his lack of attention toward his companion's query.

Thoughts of his recent encounter with the clone of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, the son of Princess Kaguya herself, were still occupying most of his mind.

It had definitely been a surprise to him when he found out that Kaguya had no longer been among the living ever since a millennium ago, yet he quickly glossed over that revelation once he met the clone of her son.

The moment he laid his eyes upon him and felt his irresistible power from up close, he decided that he would not stop until he tasted it down to the last drop.

His chakra was nothing short of a delight among delights, and it took all of his willpower to refrain himself from devouring the fragment that he managed to collect after defeating the clone.

He had tasted many cinnabar panacea during his lifetime, yet he was certain that the one obtained by Kaguya's son only a couple weeks prior had been a peerless one. He could barely wait for him to finally make his appearance, so that he could indulge himself in the exquisite taste of the young man's power to his heart's content.

He might have been rather off put by the behavior of his clone, however, he felt that he could put up with such a naïve philosophy as long as he was able to taste the delightful flavor of his power each and every day for the rest of eternity.

The clone had been somewhat repulsive for holding those filthy humans in such high regards, so the chances were high that the original himself would share the same views.

Yet, it didn't matter in the end. As long as he could make Hagoromo's delicious power his own, he didn't care about anything else. Though who knew? Perhaps he would also be able to make him realize that lowly beings such as those humans were not worthy of his attention.

That would definitely be an ideal outcome, for otherwise, if he also were to put up any resistance like his clone had done, then he was afraid that he would have to keep him bound and confined until he eventually saw the light.

Not that he minded it too much, because as long as he and his power would be in his possession, it did not matter whether he accepted him or not. After all, he could force him to obey if needed, and he would gladly do as such if it meant that he could obtain from him what he desired.

Finally putting an end to his musings, the pale-blue haired young man turned to regard his father figure and gave his reply to his earlier inquiry.

"For now we shall wait, Kinshiki," he spoke with a content smile as his eyes glinted in expectation. "We cannot afford to waste any precious chakra to search for him throughout various other universes. We have to conserve our power for the encounter," his lips stretched further as he added. "And besides, given the protective nature of his clone, I have the feeling that he will be arriving very shortly. After all, he must be feeling quite worried about the fate of his world in the face of our sudden arrival."

"Very well, Lord Momoshiki," the robust man replied, giving an almost imperceptible nod at his superior's words, before beginning his wait alongside him.

Back with Hagoromo and Yuno...

The first thing that Hagoromo saw when he opened his eyes was the beautiful face of his wife, mere centimeters away from his own as she gazed lovingly at him from her spot on the bed.

"How are you feeling, my love?" he asked, even though he was very much aware of the abounding joy that filled her due to her overflowing emotions through their spiritual link.

"Wonderful..." Yuno replied breathlessly as she couldn't stop from basking in the rapture that she had been feeling ever since the night before. "Being able to feel you so closely, as a very part of my being... I can't find the words to describe it."

It seemed that her thoughts from yesterday of how she might get addicted to the sensation of her beloved's emotions flooding through her had been much more than a mere presumption, because now it seemed all too clear that she would never get enough of this sensation.

"I'm glad, Yuno," Hagoromo voiced softly as he stood up from his seated position on the floor. "Knowing that I have been able to grant you such rapture brings great happiness to my heart."

He leant in and planted a gentle kiss on her lips, before he suddenly snaked his arms around her lithe frame, smiling at the giggles that escaped her lips when he lifted her from the bed and brought her close to his chest.

"So, what are going to do now?" Yuno asked, looking at her husband's joyful visage, before she let out another series of giggles as he carried her out of her bedroom.

They walked in relative silence across the main corridor of the house, until they reached the lobby, moment when Hagoromo finally gave his reply after he carefully placed Yuno back on her own two feet.

"Hmm... Initially, I was thinking of having breakfast, just to spoil you a little more, though given the most recent revelation, perhaps it would be wiser of us to be more prompt in greeting our guests," the silver haired deity suggested. "Although, if you truly wish to have a morning meal, then I can arrange it. It would only take a bit of altering to the flow of time, after all."

Yuno felt that she could burst from happiness when she registered her beloved's words. Hearing that he would go as far as thinking about stopping time just so that they could enjoy breakfast together was something that left her overjoyed, and she wasted no time in giving her response.

"Don't worry about me, darling," she voiced, a sweet smile gracing her lips. "You said that we don't necessarily have to eat, so I don't mind if we just leave for your world."

"Are you sure?" Hagoromo asked. "It would be of no consequence if we actually took some time instead of immediately leaving, if that's what you really want."

"It's okay," Yuno let out a cute giggle, before stealing a kiss from her husband. "I'll go along with whatever you decide."

For the next moments, they continued to gaze one at the other, time during which Hagoromo seriously contemplated suggesting to Yuno that it would be alright if she were a bit more selfish when it came to things such as these.

However, he quickly realized the folly of such a thought.

He couldn't exactly ask of her to be more selfish when he himself always made sure to keep her happiness on the first place whenever he thought about taking a decision regarding her.

So in the end, he decided for a sort of compromise.

"Alright then," he spoke with a chuckle as he walked to the door and opened it, before gazing back at his dear wife. "I'll take my time to spoil you to my heart's content once we are finished with this business instead."

"Sure, darling~" Yuno replied while skipping to the door.

The two of them exited the house, though Hagoromo stopped once they reached the middle of the front yard. "Good," he voiced, prompting the young goddess to look at him in curiosity. "But before we depart, there is one last thing I would like to make sure of."

Yuno didn't say anything as she simply listened to what her beloved wished to tell her.

"As I've said earlier, our upcoming meeting would involve facing those two Ōtsutsuki in battle," Hagoromo began. "I shall, of course, do whatever it takes to ensure your safety, however, I am certain that you will not allow me to face against them by myself."

Yuno nodded at his words, a cheerful smile lighting up her features as she continued to listen.

"Now, judging by the assessment of their abilities done by my clone, the one whom you will most likely have as your opponent is going to be Kinshiki, the more robust of them, who seems to be an experienced close combatant."

"I understand, my love," she said, feeling happy that her beloved would allow her to help him as much as she could.

"Which brings me to my previous point," the old deity continued. "Have you ever had any experience in fighting with a sword, perhaps?"

"Yep! I did~!" Yuno responded after a few seconds of contemplation. "I remember winning some preliminary tests that the kendo club had organized last year, though ultimately I had to decline becoming a member due to the strict schedule I had to obey at that time. You know, courtesy of my mother."

This time, despite the rather sensitive topic that her parents would have normally been, she continued to keep her cheerful expression, as she quickly remembered about the last discussion she had with them on the previous night.

Her parents no longer haunted her thoughts, and now every time when her mind dwelt back to her mother and father, she felt content, because she would almost immediately recall in vivid detail the sight of them painfully writhing in the obsidian flames of Amaterasu.

"I understand," Hagoromo muttered as he studied his wife's smiling face, before his previous smile returned as well. "Then I would like to see for myself how you fare in swordplay against me. Nothing too serious, just me exchanging a few blows with you in order to devise a proper strategy for you to employ."

"Okay!" Yuno happily replied, watching how two wooden katana rose from the ground in front of their feet.

"Then," Hagoromo spoke, gripping his sword and watching his wife do the same. "Let us begin."

When the last word left his mouth, he instantly vanished from his place without making as much as a noise, and appeared not even a moment later behind Yuno, ready to swing.

To his mild surprise and delight, the wooden edge of his katana did not connect with soft flesh, but with the sword of the rose haired girl as she had quickly spun on her feet and parried his strike in a magnificent display of reflexes and intuition.

Feeling his smile widen in excitement, Hagoromo put some distance between himself and Yuno, before he swiftly darted toward her as he followed up with a second strike, only to have it blocked just like the previous one.

Deciding to increase the difficulty a bit, he began to unleash a flurry of swings at her, though he once again marveled at how she was able to counter each and every one of them without too much effort.

He kept exchanging numerous other blows with her for a couple more minutes, time during which he constantly increased both his movement and striking speed, until both of them had to stop from their sparring due to their wooden swords snapping in two as a result of their last clash.

"I must say, Yuno," Hagoromo began with a proud smile on his lips as his eyes met hers. "You have completely surpassed my expectations regarding our little skirmish," he praised.

He was certain that his darling had a natural talent for this type of combat due to to her incredibly keen sense of battle and instincts, and he soon decided that she would be able to confront Kinshiki without too much of a problem once she got a good feel of his style and movements.

"You were brilliant and while you might have lacked the proper form and experience of someone versed within the arts, your sharp instincts and mindset had more than made up for it."

Yuno's face instantly lit up at the praise, yet she didn't interrupt her beloved from speaking as she felt content with just flooding him with her emotions through their bond.

"You seem to have an innate talent for this and your possession of such marvelous instincts should enable you to quickly adapt to your opponent's style once you get to understand their fighting capability."

It was incredibly rare for someone to be born with such a natural talent for wielding a weapon as though it was an extension of their own body. Hagoromo could definitely count on just one hand those who shared this quality out of all the people whom he had observed during his centuries spent as a spirit.

"In conclusion, as the fight progresses, you should have no problem matching Kinshiki in combat, especially if you also use your chakra to enhance your physical attributes."

He snapped his fingers, prompting the pieces of the two broken swords to be set ablaze and turn to ashes within mere moments.

"As such, I believe that we can safely depart for my world, so that we might properly greet our guests," the old deity spoke as an identical copy of himself materialized next to him in a cloud of white smoke.

Yuno's attention was quickly brought from the ashen remains of their previous sparring weapons to the recently created shadow clone.

"What's the clone for?" she asked in curiosity as she inspected the stern faced replica of her beloved.

"I decided to thank the governing entity of this world for his hospitality, as well as for his indirect role in your existence," Hagoromo replied smoothly.

"Oh..." Yuno mumbled to herself as she went over the words she just heard, her eyes slightly widened in surprise when a rather unexpected realization struck her. "Wait a second... my world actually has a god?"

"You could say that," Hagoromo added with a chuckle. "Although, judging by his power, he is only a minor deity at best. And since you, yourself, have ascended to divinity, you are technically the goddess of this world now, as you greatly surpass him in both power and authority."

"Okay~" Yuno replied in a cheerful tone as she smiled at her beloved.

Hearing the casual response that his darling had given to his previous statement, Hagoromo could not prevent himself from chuckling once again, before opening a rift in the fabric of space-time in front of himself and Yuno.

"Oh, and one last thing," he voiced as he turned to look at the rose haired girl. "Do you wish to take anything from this world with you? Because we will not be returning here after we are done tying the loose ends in my world."

"Nope~" Yuno replied without thinking too much on the matter, something which did not exactly surprise Hagoromo, as he was aware that she held no particular attachment to anything from her world. "All I need is already here with me."

However, when he registered what she said next, he quickly brought her close to his chest in a tight embrace as a very familiar feeling of warmth suffused his being.

Yuno returned his hug as soon as she felt his arms envelop her, and after spending several moments basking in the closeness of his embrace, she glanced up at him and sought his gaze with her own.

Neither of them said anything, as no words were needed to let each other know of their feelings when they could clearly feel the intensity of their emotions, and after some moments of silence, they ended their hug with content smiles on their lips.

Following that, the both of them walked toward the darkness of the inter-dimensional rift splitting the air open before them. The fissure closed in their wake as soon as they stepped inside, leaving no previous indication of their presence in the world.

Moments after their departure, the previously unmoving clone instantly sprung into action as it faced the now empty house.

It brought its hands with the palms facing outward as a small transparent cube formed in front of them, a small white sphere glowing intensely at its center.

The cube quickly shot toward the house and hovered above it for a moment, before rapidly expanding, until it engulfed the structure in its entirety.

Faster than one could blink, the glowing sphere confined within the center of the transparent cube detonated in a blinding light, which died down a couple seconds later, revealing a thick cloud of dust in its wake.

By the time when the dust finished dispersing, the transparent walls of the cube also disappeared, revealing inside the sight of a perfectly leveled plot of land where the large house once stood.

"Now, this dust release is both a useful and fun to use technique," the shadow clone muttered to itself as it also opened a rift in the space-time continuum.

The original might have not specifically stated that the house should be dismantled, but the clone had decided to do it anyway, because for one, it did not matter what it did after his departure, given how he had essentially severed all ties with this world, and secondly, it had been quite amusing, especially since it was bound to create a lot of confusion when the results of its handiwork were discovered.

Not to mention the fact that the light show from earlier must have definitely attracted a lot of attention, so it would not take more than a few minutes until someone arrived to check out the incredibly unusual occurrence.

The clone glanced one last time at the smoking patch of land a few feet away from it, before it stepped inside the closing portal as it carried on with the task it had been given by its creator.

[Cathedral of Causality]

The sound of deep chuckling suddenly began to reverberate through the confines of the cathedral, prompting one of its occupants, a tanned girl of small stature with silver hair, to lower the manga she was reading and glance in questioning at the other occupant of the room.

"What is it, Deus?" the diminutive girl asked with a raised eyebrow. "You are being much weirder than usual. Have you finally finished the preparations for that survival game?"

"Ah, none of the sort, Murmur," the god of space and time answered casually from his ivory throne, eliciting a brief look of confusion from his tanned servant. "I am just excited at the thought that our guest will be finally making his appearance in the next few moments."

As soon as she registered her superior's words, all confusion drained from Murmur's face and was instantly replaced by a blank expression.

"Bye, Deus," she quickly spoke in a flat tone. "I'll be in the human world, but don't bother calling for me, because I'm not going to come as long as that thing is in here," she stood up from her peaceful corner and placed her manga on top of the pile next to her, before vanishing from the cathedral of causality.

"Such a shame that she decided to leave..." Deus muttered after a brief period of silence, before dismissing the monitors floating in front of him and pushing the odd keyboard-like device attached to his throne to the side.

Not even a moment later, and a rift opened in the middle of the purple tinted chamber, out of whose pitch black recesses stepped the guest whom the god of time and space had been expecting.

The white haired young man sent a brief glance as he inspected his surroundings, before his gaze settled on the sole occupant of the room, a towering figure possessing a skull-like head with spiked purple hair and wearing a dark cloak with various ornaments attached to it.

The two individuals stared at each other for several moments, before the silence was eventually broken as one of them spoke.

"Greetings," the towering individual intoned politely from his throne. "It is a pleasure to have a powerful deity such as yourself for a guest. I am Deus Ex Machina, the god of time and space of this universe."

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, god of time and space," the young man replied in an equally polite tone. "I am Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, a Primordial."

"Oh, how fascinating. It is the first time meeting one of your kind," Deus voiced intrigued. "However, as much as I would enjoy having a discussion with you on the topic, I am certain that you have come here for more important reasons than that. Am I correct, Lord Ōtsutsuki?"

The small smile that tugged at the young man's lips told the god of time and space that he had been correct with his assumption.

Not that there had been too much of a doubt on this matter, as it was quite obvious to him that the sudden the arrival of an entity which had completely ignored his existence so far could mean only one thing.

Business.

"Yes, you are correct on that matter, Lord Deus," the shadow clone answered, its tone pleasant and smooth. "Although, it is not something too serious either. I have come merely to express my thanks for your hospitality, as well as regarding your indirect role in the existence of my wife, Ōtsutsuki Yuno."

Deus' eyes slightly widened when he heard that.

Her name sounded familiar, and after a few moments of thinking, he reached with a hand for the contraption next to his throne and typed something, only to be left with even wider eyes at the results gracing his vision.

That girl, formerly known as Gasai Yuno, was one of the possible candidates for his upcoming survival game, however, that detail was insignificant when compared with the other thing that he had just found out about her.

She was no longer bound by the laws of causality, and his system recognized her as an entity identical in nature to the deity standing less than a few meters away from him.

In other words, the young man had brought her existence above the laws governing this universe, which was a feat as surprising as it was awe inspiring.

"I see..." Deus muttered once he recovered from his surprise.

Not that anyone could blame him for his reaction. It was not every day that he met an entity capable of achieving such formidable feats with such extreme ease. This young man was truly worth of his title as a primordial, for his power was definitely an undisputed fact.

"Then, I would like to say that I gladly welcome your thanks, and that I also wish you and your wife an eternity of happiness alongside each other."

"Thank you, Lord Deus," the clone spoke in appreciation. "Now then, I shall take my leave. Farewell, god of time and space."

"Farewell, Lord Ōtsutsuki."

And with that, Deus watched as the silver haired primordial vanished in a plume of smoke, as though he had never been there to begin with. A moment later, the god of time and space brought back the holographic monitors and keyboard-like contraption in front of his throne as he resumed his work involving the survival game.

With Hagoromo and Yuno... [Elemental Nations — Hagoromo's Universe]

"What is this place?" Yuno asked as she glanced in mild curiosity at the rather scenery that welcomed her eyes.

A large crater filled with water in which they currently found themselves, that was flanked on all sides by the crumbling remains of what had once been a tall plateau.

"This is the Valley of the End, the battleground of the last confrontation between my sons' previous transmigrants, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama," Hagoromo replied, his eyes also studying the landscape for a few moments. "Their fight had reshaped the landscape, although now I feel that its name is even more fitting given its current appearance."

A giggle escaped Yuno's mouth at her beloved's amused tone, before her attention was brought to the other side of the valley when she noticed two chakra signatures suddenly flicker on her senses.

"Oh, and here are our guests," Hagoromo spoke as he watched what appeared to be two pale-skinned male individuals slowly walk toward his and Yuno's position.

One of them had a burly physique accompanied by a towering height and large hands, as well as with short spiky blue-grayish hair, a full beard and a long horn above his left eye. His clothing consisted of a pale blue shirt with black cuffs and a high collar, over which he wore a darker colored garb with a grey sash wrapped around his waist. He also wore grey pants and black, flat shoes upturned at the toes.

The other person was rather effeminate in appearance, possessing delicate facial features, pale-blue hair kept in a long ponytail and eyebrows cut short as a symbol of nobility, as well as a pair of flat, curved horns, resembling of rabbit ears which adorned his head. He was dressed in a white traditional kariginu hunting robe, baggy pants, a pair of wooden sandals, and a single black glove on his left hand, as well as a transparent veil over his head.

"Greetings. I am certain that you already know me due to your earlier meeting with my clone, so what is left is to introduce you to the young lady beside me," Hagoromo spoke as he indicated to the rose haired girl standing next to him. "This is my dear wife, Ōtsutsuki Yuno."

Yuno offered a polite, albeit strained nod of her head which was reciprocated by both of the guests who stopped several feet in front of her.

"And now that the introductions are over, I believe there are some past issues that need to be settled," Hagoromo began in a smooth tone, prompting the pale-blue haired young man to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "I am sure you are aware of what I speak."

A faint smile found its way on the effeminate young man's lips as he listened further. "Ah, I remember now. You most certainly are his descendant," he spoke pleasantly. "It seems that I had been too quick making assumptions after encountering your clone. You are definitely much, much more than what I had expected. Though it is not that surprising, considering who your father had been."

Hagoromo's eyes narrowed as he kept listening to Momoshiki's words.

"Initially, I came here intent on taking away the wonderful chakra you possess through any means necessary, however, after meeting the real you, I have slightly changed my plans."

The white haired deity felt a spike of anger through the soul bond that he shared with his wife, and made sure that he mentally offered her some calming words, as he had an inkling that she might get even more incensed further down the line in their discussion.

"I don't only want your chakra, but I want you as well."

A slight frown made its way on Hagoromo's face at those words. The glint he could see in Momoshiki's eyes and the tone of his voice left the Sage quite irked.

Not from him...

"You are nothing like the pathetic creatures I have seen throughout this universe. You are even unique among our own kin, as most of the clansmen I have encountered are self righteous buffoons who care so much about the lower life forms littering this universe that they decide to settle and live amongst them."

While on the outside Hagoromo appeared to be calmly listening to the effeminate man complimenting him, inwardly he was rather busy trying to assuage his wife's ire.

He might have enjoyed seeing this side of hers, however, right now he did not exactly wish for her to rush at the two guests and start a fight before they finished speaking their part.

He wished to hear everything they had to say first, and then he would proceed with the judgement.

"When I met your clone, I felt an odd attraction to you which made me want more than just your delicious chakra. Though I was so disappointed when I saw how you seemed to view the lowly creatures of this planet that I thought I might have to force you cooperate."

Yuno's expression began to darken as she kept listening to the conversation, however, she had yet to make any move that would suggest at the thoughts currently running through her mind.

"But to my incredible surprise, the real you turned out to be nothing like that repulsive clone. And that made me want you even more. I might have initially wanted just your wonderful chakra, but now I also want you for your enchanting personality," Momoshiki spoke with a disarming smile. "You don't have to worry about my current form being a male, because if you so wish, I could shape shift into whatever you desire," his eyes sought Hagoromo's own. "So... will you come with me, Lord Hagoromo?"

Hearing that, the silver haired deity found himself rather torn between either feeling excited at the thought of soon getting to see Yuno unleash her fury in battle, or pitying his guest for so brazenly poking the metaphorical sleeping dragon that was his wife.

"While I am thankful for your complimenting words, I am afraid that I have to decline your proposal," Hagoromo voiced politely. "Our history aside, for you to ask of me such a thing despite the current circumstances, it shows quite the lack of etiquette on your part, Lord Momoshiki."

It seemed that his words had the intended effect, because as soon as the young man with delicate features registered them, a frown briefly marred his visage.

"I apologize for being so inconsiderate, but could you at least give my offer some more thought?" Momoshiki quickly spoke as his pleasant smile returned on his lips. "I will take responsibility for the bad blood between us and compensate accordingly. And I also have no qualms about your wife coming along. I would be content with simply being your mistress."

The relatively good mood that Yuno had been enjoying thanks to her beloved's earlier intervention was immediately cut short when the words of that pretentious china doll got to her ears.

"You..." she hissed at the pale skinned Ōtsutsuki, who didn't seem to mind her action as his smile continued to stay on his lips. "How dare—"

A hand clasping and gently squeezing her own interrupted her from saying more, and several calming words spoken softly in her mind served to momentarily dim her ire.

"Momoshiki," Hagoromo began, lips drawing a firm line as his gaze became stern. "I will only say it once, so pay utmost attention to my words."

A small smile formed on Yuno's lips as she felt the emotions welling up inside her beloved in preparation to his speech.

"There is nothing in all of creation that could ever hope to hold a candle to my wife. Only one other comes close to this, though she is in a different regard," the snow haired deity declared, his tone unwavering. "I will not be swayed. I do not expect you to comprehend this, but do know that I do not take kindly to pretenders. And neither does my wife."

Yuno felt like jumping in her husband's arms and kissing him senselessly the moment she heard him say those words, however, she reined herself back and decided to do that at a later time. It would be unbefitting of her to act like that given the situation at hand.

Instead, she simply let him know of her thoughts and feelings on the matter for the time being, all the while she took pleasure in the scowl that had made its way on that china doll's face.

"I see..." Momoshiki uttered as his features settled back in a neutral expression. "It is truly a shame, indeed... yet I am afraid that I cannot accept your ultimatum, Lord Hagoromo," his smile returned once more, though this time it was less on the pleasant side and more on the predatory one. "I will make you mine, no matter what."

Hagoromo's lips twitched in an eerie smile upon hearing the young man's reply.

If only he knew...

The time of their judgement was drawing near. There was only little else that had to be done before then.

Though for now he'd simply watch as his dear wife let loose her pent up anger on them. He had a feeling that it was going to be quite the treat to behold. A ruthless and bewitching display.

Yuno's gaze was already fixated on Momoshiki, her eyes dull and foreshadowing of a very unpleasant fate. "You thieving bastard..." she voiced in a deadly whisper as she stopped holding her beloved's hand.

Blue lightning crackled to life in her palms a moment later, shaping itself into a thin edge that sparked ominously under her grip. Her figure instantly vanished from sight, blurring like a pink streak across the surface of the water as she headed straight for the smiling pale-blue haired Ōtsutsuki.

Mere feet away from reaching her target she was ready to strike, however, her fierce strike was blocked by a red, glowing truncheon belonging to Momoshiki's towering companion.

"Out of my way, brute!" Yuno snarled as sparks flew from the point of contact between their weapons, before leaping around as she tried to get another strike at the smug bastard.

Much to her frustration, she was once again intercepted by the short haired giant of a man.

"I shall leave her to you, Kinshiki," Momoshiki spoke calmly as his eyes never left Hagoromo's stern looking face. "But don't be too rough with her. I wouldn't want Lord Hagoromo to hate me even more than he does now."

"Yes, Lord Momoshiki," the burly man replied in a gruff voice as he switched on the offensive against the rose haired girl, momentarily surprising her with a speed and agility of movements that completely belied his robust physique.

"Fine!" Yuno hissed as she parried an overhead swing from Kinshiki. "Then you die first!"

Following her words, veins became prominent around her temples as her cerise eyes lost their pupils, signaling the activation of her byakugan. In the blink of an eye, she loaded chakra in her free hand and pointed her palm at the towering man in front of her.

Kinshiki was unable to react in time as a pink barrage of huge chakra fists impacted against his body, sending him flying through the air until he collided and smashed through a tall plateau in the distance.

Not wasting a moment, Yuno once more dashed akin to an arc of lightning across the water's surface as she headed straight after her opponent.

"Now, Lord Hagoromo..." Momoshiki began softly as he brought his right hand inside his robe and retrieved several red colored pills. "Will you try to see reason within my words, or will we have to fight as well? I am hoping that you choose the former, as I do not wish to harm you if possible."

Hagoromo smiled placidly in response. "My answer remains and will always remain the same."

Momoshiki shook his head in slight disappointment at the answer, before ingesting all of the pills in his palm in one swift movement. "Then I shall make you obey me," he spoke as wisps of chakra emanated from his form. "It might pain my heart to do so, yet I have no choice if you refuse to listen."

Hagoromo prepared his own chakra as he awaited for the imminent fight. He knew of his opponent's ability from the memories of his clone, so he could already see the outcome of the battle.

"I always acknowledge and appreciate confidence where it is due. Yet, do you believe it wise to make such a bold claim whilst knowing so little about your opponent?" the old deity questioned as he met his fellow clansman's eyes. "Doing such is not confidence, Lord Momoshiki. It is hubris. And it might very well lead you to your downfall."

Saying that, Hagoromo blinked once as he focused chakra to his eyes, and when he opened them they were no longer their usual pale, but a deep violet in color reflecting of unbridled power.

A look of surprise covered Momoshiki's features when his gaze met the piercing stare of those rippling orbs. "Marvelous..." he uttered in delight, before raising his left hand and pointing at Hagoromo as a similar looking eye, albeit of a crimson color opened in the middle of his palm.

In the time it might have taken one to blink, chakra attuned to all five main elements shot out from Momoshiki's hand, forming into powerful techniques that threatened to swallow the very landscape.

A fierce blaze, a huge tidal wave, numerous boulders, a powerful typhoon, and menacing streaks of lightning raced at incredible speed to obliterate Hagoromo, yet only when being mere feet away from his face, they all stopped from advancing as if denied by an invisible barrier.

Momoshiki's expression became even more delighted as he watched all of his attacks get absorbed in the opened palm of the silver haired deity, until not even a drop of chakra remained.

"You also possess the Rinnegan, and it is of a strength greater than even my own..." Momoshiki breathed out as he seemed to be almost transfixed by the ringed eyes of his opponent.

Hagoromo remained silent and simply lowered his right hand, his gaze never leaving the visage of the other Ōtsutsuki, who seemed to be enjoying all of the attention he was getting from him.

"Do you still wish to continue with this pointless fight, even though I just demonstrated you that I can completely negate your own ability?" Hagoromo asked in an even tone as the black substance of the glove covering his left hand subtly twitched. "Or will you yield to me?"

"I am afraid I cannot do that," Momoshiki replied with a smile, his byakugan flaring to life. "You are far too important to me to even consider doing that."

"I see," the snow haired deity uttered, his glove twitching minutely once again. "Then..."

Hagoromo vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing in front of his surprised opponent as he swung down the onyx shakujō he was holding in his left hand.

Momoshiki managed to snap out of his shock just in time to parry the incoming strike with a black receiver that emerged from his palm.

Hagoromo's lips formed into a placid smile as he kept his staff steady against his adversary's attempt at overpowering him. "Why the surprised expression?" he asked in amusement. "Surely you did not expect our battle to only consist of us rebounding techniques from one to the other, hmm?"

Momoshiki frowned in response and leapt back to put some distance between the two of them. Unfortunately for him, however, Hagoromo seemed to have other plans, and he dashed once more at him, the staff in his hand already poised for another strike.

The faint smile never left Hagoromo's face even as his attack was blocked in a timely fashion once again, though he decided to up the ante and began unleashing a flurry of strikes at his opponent. He twirled his onyx shakujō with swift and elegant moves that made him seem like he was dancing around Momoshiki, who could do nothing but try to keep up with the lightning pace and rhythm of the strikes.

Several minutes into their intense performance, however, Hagoromo reverted back to a more languid and comfortable pace as most of his attention was drawn away from his fight by something happening in the not-too-far distance.

His violet eyes soon caught sight of his beloved wife as she was striking mercilessly with a pink glowing katana against her burly opponent, who now appeared to be on the defensive.

And from the look of it, his lovely Yuno had actually copied Kinshiki's own tool creation technique, hence their identical weapons save for the color and design, which in his case were that of a red tinted, large axe.

Hagoromo absentmindedly blocked another one of Momoshiki's strikes as he continued to observe his wife beginning to slowly dominate her adversary, despite the obvious physical advantage that he seemed to be having.

The sight of her becoming able to match the towering individual blow for blow while she fought with ruthless determination and bloodthirsty ferocity behind her every strike was enough to send a few delighted shivers down Hagoromo's spine as he could only marvel at her incredible progress.

It seemed that when it came to armed combat, due to her uncanny talent and sharp instincts, she was definitely one that would learn most efficiently from experiencing it firsthand, rather than training against imaginary adversaries.

However, as he continued to admire the beauty that Yuno was while fighting, his eyes inadvertently caught sight of a rather interesting thing.

There seemed to be a third party spectating their encounter, and judging from the familiar chakra signature behind the projection technique being employed, he realized that the one surreptitiously watching them was none other than his brother's descendant from the moon.

It was interesting, but this matter regarding Toneri would have to wait for a while longer. He had other things to do for the time being.

Hagoromo's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by his opponent's voice.

"I'll admit to the difference in prowess between us, however... you should be taking me more seriously, Lord Hagoromo," Momoshiki said while putting some distance between himself and his fellow Ōtsutsuki. "Or are you perhaps too worried about your wife?" he asked with an amiable smile. "If so, then I assure you that she should end up mostly unscathed from her fight with Kinshiki. As you have certainly heard earlier, I made it very clear to him to not take things too far."

Hagoromo chuckled in response. "Oh, it is none of that. Quite the opposite, actually," he spoke with a smile of his own. "This is my first time seeing her engage in genuine combat, and I am finding myself become rather mesmerized by her deadly elegance."

Momoshiki's smile visibly dimmed when he checked the progress of Kinshiki's fight with his byakugan, but it quickly returned once he noticed that Hagoromo was still not paying enough attention to him in favor of watching his wife's battle.

He wasted no time and reached with his hand inside his robe, retrieving a white colored pill that brought an almost ecstatic look on his face, making his mouth water in anticipation. He would gladly take the opportunity of a surprise attack that Hagoromo seemed to be so generously providing him.

The odds were about to turn completely in his favor.

"She certainly does seem to possess great natural talent for fighting," Momoshiki muttered as he ingested the pill. "However..." He did not spend much time savoring the exquisite taste of Hagoromo's chakra, for he knew that he had to strike quickly, if he wished to emerge victorious.

A split second later, the effeminate looking Ōtsutsuki vanished in an incredible burst of speed.

When he appeared mere inches away from the still distracted young man, his left hand was already holding a gudōdama manifested from the power of Hagoromo's own chakra. The truth-seeking orb shaped itself into a sharp rod as he thrusted his arm, impaling his fellow clan member in less than the blink of an eye.

A victorious smirk accompanied Momoshiki's next words. "You should have truly been more mindful of our fight."

Hearing that, Hagoromo finally glanced back at his opponent, looking completely unconcerned about the gudōdama piercing through his chest.

In truth, he was fending off the smirk that was threatening to form on his lips, because up to this very point, everything had been going just as he'd intended. And if things kept their course, then what was about to follow next, would be truly spectacular.

"And with this, I believe that I have won our little showdown," Momoshiki spoke in a confident tone as he channeled his chakra and will through the black rod created from the truth-seeking orb.

Noticing the foreign chakra attempting to enter his being, Hagoromo merely continued to play his part and allowed the invading energy to spread through his body, but not before he made sure that he absorbed all of the remaining chakra that his opponent had gained from his clone, as well as the gudōdama currently piercing through him.

Momoshiki did not seem to realize what the true motives of his fellow Ōtsutsuki were, so he simply watched in glee the unfolding events.

Once he was done retrieving his chakra and absorbing the truth-seeking orb, Hagoromo allowed himself to become destabilized in the presence of the foreign chakra within his system.

The result was his body immediately reverting back to its pure chakra form, before bursting in a brilliant white haze that expanded throughout the world.

"I-Incredible..." Momoshiki was barely able to speak while being bathed in the delightful energy that saturated his surroundings. "This chakra... so thick... so... intoxicating..." a flush covered his pale face as he continued to bask in the feeling of ecstasy brought to his senses by Hagoromo's chakra. "It's magnificent..."

Distracted as he was, however, his eyes failed to register the liquefying black mass of Hagoromo's glove as it sank into the ground. Not that he would have seen it either way, as the thick blanket of chakra obscuring the landscape was hindering the function of his eyes with how it highlighted the energy.

"Now, my dear Hagoromo, do not worry, for I shall take great care of you once I am finished putting you back together inside me," Momoshiki spoke with an elated smile and in a matching tone as he prepared to absorb all of the previously unleashed chakra.

Yet, to his great surprise, as soon as he opened his left palm and attempted to suck in the energy with his Rinnegan, he was brought to a shocking realization.

"Huh...?" he muttered in bewilderment. "Why...?" his voice raised an octave as he made several more attempts at absorbing the chakra suffusing his surroundings, only to be met with the same result. "Why can't I absorb it?!"

It was as though Hagoromo's chakra was actively opposing his attempts at drawing it within himself. Something which should, for all intents and purposes, be impossible. Unless...

It was...

...Sentient?!

This revelation filled Momoshiki with disbelief.

Hagoromo had been this powerful?!

The thought slightly terrified him. He could count on a single hand those who had reached such a level of power in all of the recorded history of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

Honestly, he could not believe his own luck, because under any other circumstances, he would have stood no chance against an opponent of such might.

Putting an end to that train of thought, Momoshiki wondered about what he could do regarding these unexpected circumstances. Now that he was aware of Hagoromo's sentient chakra, he was even more thrilled at the thought of reforming him for safekeeping once he was done devouring all of his energy.

A thought suddenly entered his mind.

Could it be just as before? That he would require Hagoromo's chakra mixed with his own in order to be able to latch onto his scattered power and absorb it?

He had used up all of the chakra obtained from his clone in order to do to him whatever it was that he had done... as such, that requirement should make sense.

But if so, then how could he get more of his chakra when he wasn't able to take in any of it from his surroundings?

Unless...

His byakugan immediately focused in the distance when he felt a familiar chakra signature approach at an incredible speed.

...his wife was somehow the key?

When he had sensed her chakra earlier, it had definitely been very similar to Hagoromo's own, albeit slightly below in power. Perhaps if he were to absorb it all, then he would have the necessary means to also absorb the entirety of Hagoromo's delicious chakra?

An eager smile slowly settled on his lips.

His theory clearly made sense given what he had learnt thus far, so he was going to put it into practice the moment when that girl arrived.

Meanwhile with Yuno & Kinshiki...

Yuno gazed dispassionately at the gigantic hole made by her opponent in a nearby mountain after his impact. This was only the beginning for them. She'd make sure those two would be punished for their acts.

Her attention was brought away from the destroyed mountain base when she suddenly heard the voice of her beloved reach within her mind.

"My presence in our bond will be dimmed for a brief while, Yuno. I ask of you to not panic. Everything will be alright."

Yuno froze upon hearing that, her eyes wide with shock. Despite his reassuring words, her treacherous mind kept conjuring various scenarios, all of which equally unpleasant.

"Darling...?!" her worried tone sounded inwardly in desperation. She almost became frantic when she felt his chakra blanket the world around her and beyond. "Why?! What happened?!"

"Be at ease, my love. It is nothing grave. I merely became so entranced with your splendid performance that I focused more on your fight than my own."

His reply seemed to assuage most of her anxiety, though she still felt uneasy at the simple thought of anything bad befalling her husband.

"And besides, this is a good opportunity for you to shine, my dear. You may do whatever you wish to them before I return to mete out my judgement."

As she listened to his words, Yuno's uneasiness began to fade. Though it was quickly replaced by a much stronger emotion.

"I apologize for making you worry, Yuno."

Anger. Fury even.

That... that parasite dared hurt her beloved...

He was going to suffer for that...

"It's okay, darling. You don't have to apologize for anything. It's not your fault," she spoke to him in a soothing and lovely voice. "This is all his fault... I'm going to make sure that he is going to pay for it," her voice became sweet like honey toward the end. "So you just focus on getting yourself back together, because I'll take care of things here. Okay~?"

She would make Momoshiki bleed for his act.

"Alright, my love. Then I shall leave you to it for ten minutes. I'm going to need my complete focus in order to regather my chakra as fast as possible."

Yuno smiled at Hagoromo's words. "Sure, darling~" she replied in an even sweeter voice. "I'll be waiting here, massacring the parasite that dared to hurt you~! Tee-hee~!"

The moment she felt his presence in her mind diminish, her smile instantly vanished and her eyes dulled, becoming cold and calculating.

A pink arc of light coalesced on her back, her hand reaching for it to draw the shaping form of a glowing katana. She raised her weapon just in time to block an overhead swing from the large axe of her recovered opponent.

Her mouth slightly curled in disdain as she kept firm against Kinshiki's brute strength. Black lightning sparked to life along the edge of her katana, crackling ominously as her weapon cut cleanly through the glowing axe.

Kinshiki was momentarily surprised by this feat, giving Yuno an opening to follow up her previous slash with a savage roundhouse kick to his side, which sent him careening through the air and back into the same mountain where he had come from.

The young goddess didn't give the giant any time of respite as she vanished from her spot, reappearing in front of him just as he was pulling himself from the rubble.

"Die!" Yuno whispered coldly as she assumed a rather familiar stance, her feet drawing apart as she bent forward with her arms outstretched in opposite directions.

It was her first time using this technique, but all movements she made were fluid and felt natural to her. It felt as though her instincts were telling her what she had to do. Urging her to unleash hell upon the brute standing before her.

Kinshiki's eyes widened in surprise when he noticed the girl's leaning posture and the eight trigrams field manifesting around her. His own byakugan flared to life in response, and he quickly brought his guard up, bracing for the incoming attack.

"Jūkenhō: Hakke Hyaku Nijūhasshō!"

Her words were carried by the wind as the young goddess blurred from sight, her hands unleashing a flurry of precise strikes aimed for her opponent's chakra points. However, to her frustration, Kinshiki managed to counter each of her attacks with relative ease thanks to his dōjutsu.

Waves of displaced air sent dust flying all around her form as she increased her speed, yet it proved to no avail as the giant of a man was still able to match her pace with surprising reflexes for someone of his robust build.

Yuno clicked her tongue in frustration after the last hit of her technique was blocked, though her mouth twitched with sinister glee when an idea struck her mind. She suddenly leapt back a few feet into the air, surprising Kinshiki as she launched a barrage of consecutive vacuum palms at him.

"Hakke Renkūshō!"

The concussive waves of compressed air impacted his body with the force of multiple freight trains, causing the burly man to crater even further into the mountain behind him as the power of the blasts shattered the rock like it was nothing.

By the time she landed, Yuno was once more assuming a gentle fist stance, though unseen to her opponent due to the crumbling rocks and rising dust momentarily distracting him, chakra was being attuned to a certain nature as it flowed to her hands.

Seeing the persistent girl suddenly appear once more in front of him while he was pulling himself out of the debris, Kinshiki almost scoffed at the futility of her actions and prepared to counter her technique once again.

However, his eyes widened in shock when he noticed the specific chakra gathering in her palms and heard the deadly whisper that escaped her smirking lips.

"Raiton–

Yuno whispered as lightning sparked to life across her fingers, the next words leaving her mouth already marking the beginning of her onslaught.

Sanbyakurokujū Isshiki!"

Kinshiki managed to raise his hands in a hasty defense as the first two hits struck his arms, though it did little to nothing to help him.

"Nishō!"

The giant grunted in pain as electricity flowed from the girl's fingers at the points of contact with his body.

"Yonshō!"

He tried to block any further strikes, but the lightning chakra assaulting his body was making his movements more and more sluggish.

"Hasshō!"

Yuno increased the pace of her attacks, her hands quickly becoming a blur as she continued to strike relentlessly at her opponent's robust body.

"Jūrokushō!"

Kinshiki growled in pain as he tried to avoid the flurry of hits, yet to no avail. His body was not responding properly enough for him to block in time, and he soon found himself forced back into the cratered mountainside as his body took merciless hits upon hits.

"Sanjūnishō!"

Yuno blurred from sight as she pressed on with her onslaught, her lithe body moving and coiling with deadly grace while she delivered powerful strikes aimed to close her foe's chakra points. Lightning crackled ominously along her dainty fingers, before being discharged in the brute's body with every poke of her fingertips.

Spinning on her feet, the angered goddess used her momentum to deliver a powerful palm strike to Kinshiki's abdomen, further cracking the mountainside behind him with the resulting shockwave.

"Rokujūyonshō!"

Kinshiki almost keeled over under the girl's relentless assault, and he was buried even deeper amidst the shattering rocks with every hit of her fingers. Frustrated and pained snarls escaped the battered Ōtsutsuki's mouth as his mind raced for a way to fend off the ruthless berserker before she managed to incapacitate him for good.

"Hyakunijūhasshō!"

A small part of the mountain was blown up by the viciousness of another explosive palm strike from Yuno, though soon after that, she had to put some distance between herself and her opponent when she noticed the man summon over a few dozens of glowing weapons around him.

The young goddess clicked her tongue in annoyance as Kinshiki launched himself alongside his many weapons in her direction, intent on skewering her alive.

The burly man's battered body protested at his sudden movements and his left arm was barely functional as the occasional spasm wreaked his battered frame. That lightning infused attack had really done a number on him, but to his relief, it seemed that he managed to avoid the worst part of it.

Or so he thought.

Yuno coated her hands in chakra as she prepared to intercept the incoming projectiles by resuming her previously interrupted technique. She weaved between the weapons raining down on her, striking those in her reach and dodging the ones that threatened to impale her.

Kinshiki watched in mild disbelief how the rose haired girl left behind afterimages as she waltzed between the numerous weapons that he sent her way. She calmly struck at his glowing arsenal with pinpoint accuracy, shattering weapon after weapon with infuriating ease as she kept advancing in his direction.

There was no wasted movement in her steps, and her body twisted and twirled with fluid yet deadly alacrity as she delivered her strikes with hands like coiling snakes that relentlessly bit at their prey.

Tiny beads of sweat rolled down Yuno's brow by the time she destroyed the last of the weapons, though she had no time to rest as her instincts immediately warned her to move. She dodged just in time to avoid a snarling Kinshiki holding a large mallet in his hands that cratered the ground on her previous spot, upheaving chunks of earth in all directions.

Yuno immediately took advantage of this opening and pushed herself to swiftly close the gap to her foe, appearing behind him in a sudden blur, her hands enveloped in visible chakra and already poised to strike.

The towering Ōtsutsuki barely had enough time to look behind in shock as the young goddess delivered a devastating twin palm strike at his exposed back with enough speed to displace the air around them.

"HASANGEKI!"

Yuno exclaimed as her hands glowed intensely with power, and a split second later, all of the accumulated chakra was released alongside her pent up anger and frustration in one explosive burst.

A bright wave of pink energy shot forth at incredible speed from the point of impact, and the unleashed force sent Kinshiki rocketing forward at high enough velocity to appear as a blur to the naked eye. The burly man crashed through the battered mountain behind him, completely toppling it in the process, and only stopped from his momentum after impacting against a second one.

Yuno watched with satisfaction as almost half of another large mountain crumbled down on her enemy and took some time to catch her breath. She felt a little winded from her previous attacks, though she was proud of herself with how she handled her first real fight.

Her satisfaction was short lived unfortunately, as she noticed through her byakugan how the mound of rocks at the base of that mountain began to shift.

She had to admit... that Kinshiki person was a really tough nut to crack.

Slowly exhaling while focusing her power, the rose haired goddess manifested a few dozen glowing swords around her, in a similar fashion to what her opponent had done earlier.

Outstretching her left arm, the summoned weapons immediately took aim at the battered Ōtsutsuki who was busy pulling himself out of the rubble.

"Tch, how annoying! You're still up even after that..." Yuno commented snidely, her voice cold and carrying a deadly undertone. "Though not for long... Out of my way you go, nuisance!"

Following her words, she brought her hand down, prompting all of the hovering blades to sail swiftly through the air akin to oversized bullets.

Kinshiki pushed through the debilitating pain that he felt with every movement he made, and used a large summoned halberd to deflect the projectiles aimed for his head and other vitals. Though he was still unable to avoid being turned into a human pincushion when the rest of the rain of glowing swords impaled him all across his body.

"Argh—!" the giant of a man grunted in pain as he swayed on his feet. He tried to reach for the weapons embedded in his flesh and remove some of them, however didn't get even as far as gripping the first sword, before Yuno followed up with another attack.

"I don't have the time to waste on you, brute!" Yuno uttered condescendingly as all of the rocks surrounding Kinshiki liquefied into a thick substance that wrapped around his form, leaving only his head sticking out of the resulted tight, pin-cushioned cocoon.

"So be good and stay put!"

The quicklime immediately hardened itself back to stone, trapping the burly man who could only struggle futilely against his bindings as the rose haired goddess looked at him with disdain.

Seeing how the annoying giant was finally out of commission, Yuno turned away from him and took a few moments to unwind herself as she dusted off her garment. Fighting that brute had been really troublesome and annoying to her, but she was glad that she managed to take him out in a satisfying manner.

Preparing to leave, she was however interrupted when she sensed a very familiar chakra signature flare right below her feet.

Yuno's gaze quickly veered down, and she noticed the dark ooze emerging from the ground as it gathered around her feet in a thick puddle.

"Alduin...?" she asked in confusion. "Why aren't you with Hagoromo?"

"Father sent me to help you while he recovers," the creature replied in its raspy voice as it slithered up the girl's left leg, continuing to crawl further until it reached her left hand where it settled back into its usual glove form.

"Hagoromo..." Yuno whispered dreamily as she thought about how despite his current circumstances, her beloved had still kept her safety as the highest priority in his mind by sending Alduin to help her.

"Mother, please wield me in your fight against that person," the gravelly voice sounding from her glove managed to quickly bring the girl out of her momentary reverie. "As you know, I am father's will given form, and it appears that Momoshiki cannot absorb chakra if it is infused with a will that overpowers his own."

"I see..." Yuno muttered as she committed that piece of information to her mind. "Let's go, then."

"Of course, mother."

Following the creature's words, the young goddess vanished from her spot as she headed straight for the one responsible of her beloved's current state, her intent clearly reflected in her cold and dull cerise eyes.

Back to Momoshiki & the momentarily incapacitated Hagoromo...

"So you have come as well," Momoshiki greeted calmly as he spun around on his feet and parried the black katana aiming to skewer his back.

"You..." Yuno whispered in an icy tone. "You hurt my beloved!"

Momoshiki glanced at her face and couldn't help but be taken aback by the dull, emotionless eyes that stared back from a darkened visage, welcoming his gaze with a smile that held no warmth but only the promise of painful demise.

"I am afraid that it was inevitable," the pale-blue haired Ōtsutsuki responded after he composed himself. "I've tried to offer him an alternative, but he refused me until the very end—"

He was suddenly cut short from his speech, courtesy of Yuno swinging fiercely at him. He blocked her strike and then dodged another one by leaping a short distance, lest he was left without an ear.

A sneer marred the girl's beautiful face as she brandished her weapon to her side. "I'll make you pay for this," she declared coldly, her voice devoid of any mercy, before vanishing from her spot.

Momoshiki's eyes widened minutely at the impressive display of speed, though he didn't have the time to ponder on it as his instincts screamed at him to defend. He quickly spun on his feet and raised his sword to parry another vicious strike from the rose haired goddess who attacked him from his blind spot.

The force behind the strike sent him skidding several feet until he regained his footing. "Fascinating," Momoshiki muttered, veins becoming prominent around his temples as his dōjutsu came to life. "You hold such rage within yourself, yet you are so focused and poised. Truly a shame that you have to perish in order for me to get what I desire. But I am certain that he will eventually forgive me, vein if it might take him a couple millennia."

Hearing that, Yuno's expression became even more menacing, if possible, and she launched herself once more at her foe, her form becoming a pink streak across the surface of the water.

"Such resolve," Momoshiki commented when he caught a glimpse of her eyes as he parried another forceful swing of her gleaming katana. "Now I can see why he holds you in such high regard."

"You talk too much!" Yuno snarled as she fed some of her chakra to Alduin. "Only my darling can talk this much to me without being boring, so you should just shut up and die already!"

Much to Momoshiki's shock, Yuno's makeshift sword shone with a pink light, before slicing cleanly through his chakra receiver and wounding him across his torso. The effeminate Ōtsutsuki growled in anger and retaliated with a powerful kick that sent the rose haired girl skidding across the surface of the water.

"How dare you foil my garments?!" Momoshiki snapped while clutching the shallow gash on his chest. "And even mar my beautiful skin?!"

Yuno smiled menacingly at him. "I'll do much more than that," she said calmly. "Just be patient." Her smile became a vicious grin when she noticed an opening, since Momoshiki's attention was now mostly focused on his injury instead of her.

Water surged around her as the young goddess shot forward like a bullet, her black sword aimed to bisect her target in one swift stroke.

Momoshiki noticed the incoming threat to his life, though he was too late in his reaction to block the girl's ferocious lunge. He would have lost an arm to protect himself, had luck in the form of an impressive timing from his comrade not been on his part once again.

To Yuno's frustration, just as she was mere inches away from hacking the pretentious bastard in half, she was forced to stop her attack and maneuver out of the way, lest she got skewered by the dozen of glowing weapons that impacted the ground protectively in front of Momoshiki.

Chunks of earth were upheaved when the glowing projectiles rained down on her previous spot, turning that portion of the ground into a gigantic pincushion.

The rose haired girl watched from afar how a battered and bloody Kinshiki landed in front of a now smirking Momoshiki.

The giant of a man looked like he was barely standing on his feet. He had numerous cuts littering his body, and his left arm hung limply from his shoulder, its upper part devoid of skin and exposing torn muscle tissue.

Yuno scowled at the battered Ōtsutsuki. "You're really trying your hardest to piss me off, aren't you?" she asked rhetorically while trying to think of a new strategy for her current predicament.

That annoying guy might be half dead, but even so it was going to be hard to take in the both of them at once. Momoshiki was the serious issue, because she couldn't use her chakra in direct offense against him. So her options were quite limited.

Yuno didn't get much time to ponder on her situation, as despite his injuries, Kinshiki wasted no time and quickly produced a huge glowing halberd that he swung in an arc with all his strength.

Yuno instinctively leapt in the air as high as she could, lest she was sent crashing like a rag doll in the nearby mountains by the force of the resulting shockwave, which actually managed to empty the entire valley of its water.

As soon as she had her feet back on the ground, the rose haired girl made a dash for Kinshiki, intent on eliminating him now that he was severely weakened by his previous attack. However, just as she got within striking range, she was taken by surprise when three chakra receivers erupted from the battered man's body, piercing her left arm, right shoulder and right thigh.

The katana in Yuno's hand reverted back to its glove form as her control over her chakra began to slip. She could feel her body slowly become unresponsive, and soon was unable to stand on her feet as she fell to a knee.

Fighting off the invading chakra and its subjugating influence was taking most her strength. She did not expect Momoshiki to sacrifice his own companion in order to land a hit on her. Though there was no use dwelling on that thought now that she was almost paralyzed.

Yuno gritted her teeth and mustered up all of her willpower, trying to reach with her hand for the stake lodged in her left forearm.

"Impressive," Momoshiki commented airily as he stepped from behind the barely standing Kinshiki. He curiously watched how the rose haired girl attempted to remove the chakra receivers from her body, his lips drawing into a thin line. "So you can resist my control even when struck with multiple receivers?"

Yuno ignored his words and continued to focus on her task. She eventually managed to grab the black rod embedded in her arm, and then doubled her efforts as she struggled to pull it out.

"Well, in that case, I'll just have to add some more," Momoshiki voiced in amusement as he pointed his left hand at the kneeling girl, before firing three more stakes from his palm.

"Agh!" Yuno gasped when three more receivers joined the previous ones as they pierced her right arm, left shoulder and left thigh. It didn't hurt that much, though her body was completely seized up. She couldn't move a muscle anymore.

"This should do it," Momoshiki spoke dismissively, looking away from the young goddess and regarding his companion.

Kinshiki was barely standing up, swaying on his feet as blood flowed from his many wounds and sept into the cracked soil beneath his bare feet.

"Now, Lord Momoshiki..." the dying giant rasped with a heavy breath. "It seems the time has come for you to consume my chakra. Just as in the past, when my guardian entrusted me with their power..."

Momoshiki hovered into the air, stopping above the robust man as he outstretched his right arm, hand facing down and palm opened.

"Do not waver," The moribund Ōtsutsuki added with what seemed to be his final breath, before closing his eyes in acceptance.

"Like I would!" Momoshiki retorted harshly as the Rinnegan in his right palm flashed ominously.

"AARRGHHH—" Kinshiki cried out in pain when his body was sucked up toward Momoshiki's opened palm, shrinking and morphing until it resembled an eerily glowing fruit of a red color.

Momoshiki gazed at the fruit imbued with his companion's chakra for a couple moments, before devouring it with ravenous hunger.

As soon as he was done eating the chakra fruit, all of his previous wounds healed as his body began to change at a rapid pace. He significantly increased in size, his pale skin turning dark red while his hair became longer and spikier.

His chin became pointed, he grew claws in his hands and feet, and his canines turned into fangs. His sclera turned black while his horns sharpened and grew longer akin to those of a bull, causing his transparent veil to fall from his head.

The Rinnegan in his palms also turned a purple color, and a third similar Rinnegan appeared in the middle of his forehead.

"And now to finish this..." the transformed Momoshiki spoke as he began walking toward the rose haired girl kneeling on the ground a few feet away from him. Now that he had also devoured Kinshiki, he was certain that it would be even easier for him to absorb Hagoromo's chakra once he was done taking the chakra of his wife.

Yuno silently watched as the red skinned ogre slowly approached her. Despite her predicament, she did not seem to be scared, but rather still angered, because she had been unable to properly punish the one who had dared hurt her beloved.

If her sense of time did not trick her, then those ten minutes that her beloved had said he needed to recover should be coming to an end any second now. So she really had nothing to be afraid of.

Not that she would have been afraid either way, because she did not fear death. Not one bit. However, she did not wish to be subjected to whatever this Satan ripoff had in mind for her, because she was certain that it would make her darling sad.

And that was the reason why she could only feel her anger increase by the second as the sole thing she wanted right now was to jump at the satanic ogre in front of her, tear his throat out, and then proceed to stab him repeatedly for every worry that it had caused to her beloved.

But given the fact that she was currently immobilized, the only thing she could do was to glower in defiant anger at the approaching Momoshiki, all the while hoping that Hagoromo would make it in time.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Momoshiki sounded in a mixture of confusion and shock after bringing his right hand above Yuno's head and trying to absorb her in a similar fashion to how he did with Kinshiki. "Why can't I absorb your chakra either?!"

He could latch onto her chakra, however, when he had tried to absorb it, he wasn't able to whisk it away from her, as though something was keeping it anchored.

His eyes widened in shock after trying once more, when he realized that the thing keeping such an unyielding hold on the girl's chakra was the dispersed chakra of Hagoromo that suffused the world.

And now that he possessed an improved version of the Rinnegan, he could actually see how the currents of Hagoromo's chakra were somehow converging back together in the same place where the immobilized girl was kneeling.

Though this realization left him even more shocked and puzzled, as he couldn't understand what was happening, nor how it was possible for such a thing to be happening.

Hagoromo's chakra might have been sentient to some degree, yet this was taking even that concept so far away from his understanding that he could only watch the transpiring events in stunned silence.

"Darling...?" Yuno asked in a hopeful voice as she felt the presence of her beloved return strongly inside her mind.

"I am back, Yuno," she heard him reply, before she felt a calming warmth envelop her in a tender embrace.

Yuno looked at herself when she felt the faint touch from earlier become more firm, and immediately noticed the white streams of energy converging around her position, caressing her frame and calming her mind.

Two hands formed from the chakra gathered around her body, gently encircling her waist in a protective embrace as a weight rested itself lightly on her left shoulder a moment later.

When she turned her head to glance, she was welcomed by the smiling face of her beloved.

"You can rest now, my love. I shall be taking it from here on."

His firm voice echoed inside her mind and she quickly felt at ease, all of her previous feelings of rage and thoughts of vengeance forgotten the moment she noticed his eyes.

Twin moonstones that held a smoldering flame within.

Soon enough, Yuno felt herself regain control over her body. When she glanced at her arms and legs in inspection, she noticed how the chakra receivers embedded in them were crumbling away into nothingness.

Hagoromo placed a tender kiss atop her head, before drawing back from the embrace once his legs finished reforming, with Alduin also slithering back to its creator and wrapping itself back into a glove around his left hand.

Despite wishing to be held more by her beloved, Yuno understood that there would be more than enough time for such things after they were done with this. So she simply seated herself on the ground and watched her husband take measured steps toward the red skinned ogre, who still seemed to be stunned at what he was witnessing.

"Impossible..." Momoshiki uttered in disbelief, his wide eyes never leaving the approaching form of the silver haired deity, whom he thought to have put out of commission for good.

"You seem to be quite afraid," Hagoromo spoke calmly as he took another step forward, causing the giant before him to take a step in the opposite direction almost on instinct. "Have you finally realized what fate awaits you?"

"This is impossible!" Momoshiki balked at the sight in front of his eyes. "What are you?!"

The young man's snowy tresses swayed gently with his every step, and his candid voice echoed throughout the destroyed valley once his lips parted open with the answer.

"I was and still am many things..."

Hagoromo soon came to a stop and fixated the ogre before him with his stern, forbidding gaze.

"But right now,"

A shakujō of a black darker than midnight slowly took shape in his left hand.

"For you, and only you,"

His eyes narrowed, gleaming with ancient power and authority as his words seemed to weigh more and more the further he spoke.

"I Am God."

Until their accumulated weight finally brought the hulking ogre to his knees without him even realizing it.

"And I Am to pass judgement."

By the time Hagoromo finished speaking, Momoshiki realized how he had been brought to his knees, a revelation which filled him with anger at the thought that his subconscious mind had made his body react in such a manner to those words.

"Do not take me so lightly!" the red skinned Ōtsutsuki bellowed as a huge red mallet formed in his hands out of malleable chakra.

A split second later, he leapt toward the standing Hagoromo, his glowing hammer poised to bash him with a force that could easily topple mountains.

However, much to Momoshiki's shock, his powerful swing was easily blocked with merely a hand by Hagoromo, who was not budged even an inch from his place, despite the dust and chunks of earth that were smashed into the air all around them upon the impact.

"I am not," Hagoromo spoke in the same eerily calm manner, before absorbing the chakra of the glowing weapon, causing it to crumble and be drawn as a reddish mist within his outstretched palm. "In fact, right now, I am taking you very seriously."

Momoshiki had no time to ponder on those words, as the silver haired deity tapped him with his ceremonial staff a moment later. A feather-like touch that released the explosive force of numerous tidal waves.

The red skinned ogre broke the sound barrier in less than a split second as he was sent shooting through the air, stopping only after crashing through a distant mountain.

Hagoromo glanced dispassionately at the crater formed into the mountainside by Momoshiki's impact and drew his shakujō back to his side. Though if one looked closely at his eyes, they could see the focused anger smoldering beneath the calm surface.

"You dare do to my wife the same that you have done to my father?!" he raised his voice, the menacing steel in his tone echoing throughout the entire valley.

Dozen of molten rocks answered him from the partly shattered mountain, though he did nothing to avoid them as he simply stood his ground in serene defiance. The fiery projectiles impacted his position, instantly giving rise to a merciless blaze that shone as bright as the sun.

"Darling!" Yuno shouted in worry the moment she saw him get engulfed by the searing explosion, though she soon calmed down once she noticed him emerge out of the subsiding inferno.

He looked completely unharmed, walking at a languid pace amidst the dying flames as brittle glass cracked beneath his feet with every step. Not even his clothes were as much as singed.

With a sharp flourish of his free hand, he instantly snuffed from existence all of the remaining flames crackling around him.

His gaze narrowed, and he came to a stop.

"You dare lay your hand on what I hold dear and treasure the most?!"

The wrath seeping from his raised voice caused the earth to tremble.

"Hagoromo..." Yuno whispered to herself as a great joy overcame her upon hearing his words. Her heart soared upon being told by her beloved that she was the most important person to him. A deep blush soon covered her face, and she placed her hands over her cheeks in delight as she focused her attention solely on him.

Hagoromo tapped his staff on the ground, his violet eyes smoldering with power as all of the glass covering the scorched soil was shattered away to oblivion. "There will be no mercy for you, mongrel!" he snapped, raising his right arm and pointing it at the toppled mountain in the distance, palm opened.

He upturned his hand, and with his gesture tons of shattered stone were lifted high above ground, as if forcefully dragged by an unseen force.

The hulking Ōtsutsuki was unburied from the rubble, though he was briefly stunned by the impressive feat and could only stare in mild awe at the colossal mass hovering above him.

Hagoromo suddenly clenched his hand into a fist, turning all of the suspended rocks into fine, flaxen sand, before sending it all pouring down on the surprised Momoshiki with a simple flick of his wrist.

"Suna Shigure!"

A small desert formed upon impact, leaving the ogre buried once more beneath countless tons of heavy sand.

Raising both of his hands, as though preparing to lead an orchestra seen only to him, Hagoromo focused on the sea of sand and willed it to action with a mere thought.

"Ryūsa Bakuryū!"

The sand became alive with the movements of his hands, roiling swiftly in gigantic waves as he guided it toward its midst where his buried opponent lay. The seething sandy sea rose in great, continuous tides which clashed fiercely against each other as they brought their crushing weight down upon their target.

This almost cataclysmic performance lasted for the better part of a minute as Hagoromo continued to lead the titanic mass of sand with deft movements of his hands.

Lowering his hands, the churning desert finally became still after a few moments. But then, with a sudden tap of his foot, the world around Hagoromo trembled once more under his might.

"Sabaku Taisō!"

Powerful shockwaves compressed the sand with tremendous force, causing it to cave in on itself and crush anything trapped beneath it. A huge, shallow crater was left in the wake of the tremors.

Though in spite of the destructive power, it seemed that the fight was still quite far from being over. If nothing else, the arrogant Ōtsutsuki was very resilient.

The large patch of desert exploded in its middle, sending sand hurling in all directions as Momoshiki rose back to the surface with an angry snarl on his face. His body was bruised in some places, though he appeared to be slowly healing from his injuries.

Unfortunately for him, though, Hagoromo didn't seem willing to offer him any respite.

The sea of sand turned into one of molten lava in the blink of an eye, taking the recovering ogre by surprise. Despite his impressive durability, Mokoshiki still hissed in pain when the roiling magma engulfed him in fiery, crimson waves.

Hagoromo motioned with one of his hands upwards, and the boiling lava obeyed his command, wrapping itself in layers upon layers around the struggling form of the demonic Ōtsutsuki as it rose above the ground.

A huge cocoon of scorching liquid hovered above the sea of roiling magma, before a gigantic molten hand also rose from beneath to grasp at the structure.

Prompted by the clenching of Hagoromo's fist, the magmatic hand crushed the cocoon in its fiery grasp, sending molten bits flying in all directions.

Moments later, the lava rapidly cooled off, turning back to stone.

A forbidding yet imposing construct of a huge obsidian fist raised in the air remained in the wake of this awing feat, though judging by the intensity still present within the wrathful deity's eyes, the clash had yet to reach its end.

Hagoromo dismissed his staff and lowered his hand as he watched the colossal structure for a brief while. Through his dōjutsu he could easily see the numerous hairline fractures that were quickly spreading across its surface. His lips stretched into a thin, menacing smile. It was time to take the performance a step further.

He raised his left arm, pointing his outstretched palm at the obsidian construct in the distance. A white rain of countless titanic fists of chakra brutally toppled it in the span of a couple seconds, shaking the earth once again under the unleashed power as dust and debris covered the impacted area.

The soil cracked and shattered under the incredible force of the attack, and once the flurry of strikes ended, the only thing left in the wake of the dispersing cloud of dust was a thousand feet deep crater, at the bottom of which a battered and scorched red skinned ogre was lying facedown.

Momoshiki shakily brought himself back on his feet, only to be immediately whisked through the air by an unseen force and brought in front of the stern visage of the white haired deity hovering above the edge of the huge pit.

Hagoromo raised his right hand, white sparks of chakra crackling into existence all over his forearm as he stared with stern eyes at the battered ogre.

"This is the first time I raise my fist with such intent behind it," he spoke sharply, before clenching his fist. The next moment, his entire arm was engulfed in a dense shroud of bright chakra. "But I believe you to be more than deserving of it."

The silver haired deity's words brought a fearful expression on Momoshiki's face, which became even more prominent when his byakugan took notice of the absurd amount of chakra that was gathering within that fist. It was simply unreal...

"Shinkenhō–

Though he didn't get more than a couple seconds to dwell upon that matter, as his eyes widened in terror when he saw Hagoromo rear back his arm.

Inmetsu!"

The glowing fist impacted Momoshiki's chest before he even realized, displacing the air around the point of contact and replacing the ogre's thoughts with a world of pain.

A powerful shockwave followed almost instantly, the sheer force of the hit cracking and shattering whatever earth remained surrounding the crater beneath the two of them. In the split of a second the crater tripled in width, and Momoshiki instantly broke the sound barrier as he was sent shooting obliquely toward the sky, before vanishing in a flash of light faster than it took the soil to be completely pulverized.

The earth beneath Hagoromo simply disintegrated under the pressure of the generated force, widening the crater even further as the deity remained hovering above a seemingly bottomless, enormous pit.

Hagoromo took a moment to inspect his surroundings, and carefully took note of the damage caused by his previous punch.

Suppression was the weakest of his Divine Fist Art techniques, though given the circumstances, it had been the most fitting to use. There was no need for overkill, after all, and using any of the other two moves would have resulted in just that. Besides, the second strongest of them had enough power to shatter the whole planet if used recklessly, so that was a big no-no.

Once he was done assessing the destruction, he clasped his hands together, and the bottomless pit beneath him was quickly filled back with rumbling earth. His eyes also morphed into the byakugan as he decided to check on the whereabouts of his opponent.

Pale and featureless eyes widened in slight amazement a moment later as Hagoromo noticed how Momoshiki ended up embedded deep within the crust of the fourth planet away from their sun. Planet which now seemed to sport a new and rather impressive crater spanning over roughly a quarter of its surface.

A portal opened before Hagoromo's hovering form as he prepared to retrieve Momoshiki. Things were not quite settled yet. The finale would follow next.

In the meantime, Yuno was standing some distance away from her beloved, her pink and featureless eyes opened wide as her face was colored with amazement and mild shock at what she beheld. She had yet to look away from the huge crater that was now present on the surface of what seemed to be planet Mars.

Seeing that discount demon get punched out of orbit by her beloved filled her with great satisfaction, although that thought quickly ended up being overshadowed by the feat itself. A feat which offered her some valuable insight on a topic where she'd been lacking it.

There had been very few instances in her beloved's story where she was shown feats of his physical strength. However now that she had just witnessed him effortlessly punch someone a couple hundred million kilometers in the outer space and through two thirds of Mars' crust, she could safely cross that topic off of her metaphorical list as well.

Her darling was as apt in this field as he was in the many others he had shown her so far.

A short giggle escaped her lips when she realized that she had come to find his casual displays of power more amusing than mind-boggling as she'd used to be doing before. She decided that it was a good thing, because it brought her even more closer to him in mindset.

A moment later she shifted her attention back on Hagoromo when she noticed him prepare to retrieve his opponent.

A battered and bruised Momoshiki fell out of the fissure in time-space, remaining hovering before a stern faced Hagoromo.

This time though, the red skinned ogre was neither smashed against anything nor punched in the outer space, but simply held there as resolute violet eyes met frightened white ones.

A moment later and a third eye joined Hagoromo's two Rinnegan as the skin on his forehead slowly parted to reveal a crimson ringed orb with nine tomoe, three on each ring beginning with the one innermost to the small pupil.

"I-Impossible..." Momoshiki barely choked out, blood dribbling from his mouth as he stared in complete disbelief at the crimson eye. "T-That eye... H-How?!"

The silver haired deity lowered his fellow clansman on the ground.

Despite being released from the force binding him, Momoshiki remained unmoving as he continued to stare at that unfathomable eye. Mustering his strength, he opened his mouth to speak again. "How can you possess that eye?!" He was unable to wrap his mind around how the one standing before him possessed the Rinne Sharingan. "There had never been anyone else to wield that dōjutsu ever since the founder of our clan!"

Hagoromo raised a curious eyebrow at that piece of information, though decided to file it away for later. He had more important things to do right now, after all. "Oh? So you didn't know?" he asked, slightly amused. "It seems that despite your age, you have still retained such an ignorance even after living for more than a thousand years."

A look of understanding suddenly dawned upon Momoshiki at those words as he remembered the requirements for awakening the divine eye. "Wait... You cannot mean that...?" he trailed off in a whisper.

"Indeed," Hagoromo clarified with a thin smile. "My mother had consumed a fully ripened chakra fruit. In its entirety."

"What...?!" the defeated Ōtsutsuki uttered in stupefaction, eyes wide and face disbelieving.

"And so have I. Though I was already in possession of my mother's complete might when I did such," Hagoromo added. "Still, the fruit I ate had been a little different, as it contained the chakra developed by countless people over the course of a millennium."

"But to eat the sacred fruit by yourself is forbidden... No one has ever done it before!" Momoshiki argued weakly, coughing a mouthful of blood. The punch from earlier had damaged him much more than he imagined, and would have easily killed him were not for his strengthened body.

"My mother consumed the fruit because of you. She did it only to gain the power to pursue her vengeance," Hagoromo reminded coldly. "I ate the fruit because I had to mend my own mistake."

Momoshiki listened in silence. He was slowly healing, though he doubted he could do much in his current condition. Not that it would make a difference, anyway. There was nothing he could do in the face of such power. That eye was called the Eye of God by his kin for a reason. It had no match but in itself.

"But that is beside the point," Hagoromo said, drawing the pensive Ōtsutsuki out of his short reverie. "Now it is time for your judgement, the retribution for your acts."

Fear returned on Momoshiki's features when he felt the massive infusion of chakra within the young man.

"My father was murdered by your hand. My mother suffered from your actions," Hagoromo spoke, his voice heavier and more oppressive with every word. "And you have tried to do something unforgivable to my wife..."

His third eye shone an eerie crimson hue.

"S-Such power—agh!" Momoshiki gasped as he saw the world around himself begin to shift, though he was quickly interrupted and brought to his knees when the gravity suddenly increased multiple-fold.

He looked at his surroundings and noticed how the three of them were transported to another dimension. No matter how far he looked, the surroundings were the same. A peculiar ground made of countless small pyramidal shapes.

He also noticed that he seemed to be the only one affected by the increased gravity. He could barely move his fingers under the oppressive force affecting him. He tried to use his own Rinnegan to influence the hold that gravity seemed to have on him, though he soon gave up once realizing that the world itself was rejecting all of his attempts.

Faced with such a revelation, he looked in resignation at the white haired God and simply awaited his fate. He was powerless to do anything else.

"This is your punishment," Hagoromo said, before lightly tapping his onyx staff on the ground.

Numerous truth-seeking orbs in the shape of spears emerged from below the resigned Ōtsutsuki, impaling him through his arms and legs as they completely restricted his movement.

"Agh!" Momoshiki grunted in pain as his body was seized up by a will not of his own. Though his gaze never once wavered from that of his stern judge.

"An eye for an eye, Momoshiki. What you have done unto my family, shall also be done unto you."

Ethereal chains of violet flames emerged from Hagoromo's back once he was done speaking. They shot toward the kneeling Momoshiki and attached themselves to the receivers embedded in his body, binding him to the power of the Outer Path.

"If it is by your hands, then I shall accept my death and face it with pride," Momoshiki voiced weakly, before closing his eyes in resignation. "An Ōtsutsuki must take pride in their choices and actions, after all. No matter what those choices and actions might be..."

A wistful look crossed Hagoromo's visage as he listened to his fellow clansman's last words. He allowed a weary sigh to escape his lips, before walking in front of the kneeling ogre. "Farewell," he whispered as he placed his right hand atop Momoshiki's head, the mark of the sun casting a bright light beneath his palm.

Moments later, the red skinned Ōtsutsuki slowly began to turn into dust as Hagoromo drained him of all that he possessed.

Momoshiki's upper body was the first to crumble away. It was shortly followed by the lower half, until the sole thing that remained of him was a large pile of ashes.

Ashes to ashes,

Dust to dust.

A gentle breeze swept the surroundings, scattering the ashen remains into the blowing wind.

"Your judgement ends here."

Hagoromo's words were followed by a momentary silence as he stared pensively at the horizon. "I hope that you will find your peace of mind now, mother..." he whispered softly, closing his eyes in courtesy as he sent her way a few words of prayer.

Opening his eyes, he returned himself and Yuno, as well as the curious spectator, back to their world, before walking to the sitting form of his wife in the distance.

"You were too kind with him, Hagoromo," Yuno spoke as she stood up and glanced at her husband, her eyes still holding lingering anger towards that person. "Instead of killing him like that, you should have banished his soul to eternal torment or something."

Hagoromo chuckled at her words. His wife could definitely hold a grudge against those who slighted him. But he did not mind it. That was just one of the many other things that made her so lovely to him.

"Only you, Yuno. Only you," he spoke in amusement as he dismissed the staff floating in his wake and seated himself in front of the rose haired girl. "Yes, I could have done that. I could have done that and so much more," His features suddenly hardened and his tone became serious. "I could have even unmade him from creation."

Yuno's eyes widened as she registered that, but she continued to listen in silence, not wanting to interrupt her beloved.

"Yet, when I saw him dare lay a hand you, I simply cleansed. Eliminated without hesitation," Hagoromo added, his gaze seeking that of his dear wife. "When he dared try to take you away from me, I thought of nothing else but to strike him down."

"Hagoromo..." Yuno whispered, feeling a surge of happiness wash over her at his words.

"Because you are now the world for me, Yuno. In my eyes, there is only you. The rest is for naught. And if anything dares try to harm you, it matters not to me whether it is kin or anything else. They will all be reduced to ash regardless," Hagoromo said, his tone fervent. "Me torturing Momoshiki would have been an entire minute—entire sixty seconds of me not gazing in your eyes."

For a moment, Yuno stood still, her eyes opened wide as she listened to every word uttered by her beloved. But then, once she took in each and every one of them and felt his emotions flood her through their bond, a happiness and warmth like no other seized her being.

Tears of joy welled in her eyes, and she immediately leapt at him and embraced him in a tight hug as she gave him a passionate kiss.

The love she currently felt for him could not be put into mere words, but she did not have to do so. Her actions and their bond would make sure that all of her emotions were properly conveyed to him.

She continued to kiss him for several minutes, before she slowly drew back, keeping her arms entwined around his neck as she gazed in his eyes with a content smile on her face. "Okay, darling, I understand," she voiced softly.

"I'm glad, my love," Hagoromo replied with a smile of his own. "Anyway, there is something I've been meaning to tell you ever since I returned."

"What is it, darling?" the rose haired girl asked curiously.

"You were magnificent during your battles. Both against Kinshiki and Momoshiki," he spoke with pride at her. "Your deadly grace combined with the smoldering anger channeled through each of your strikes had made for a sight to behold. Yet, the moment when you instinctively unleashed the gentle fist style has been the greatest highlight. Simply marvelous to witness."

Yuno could only smile wide in joy at the praise. "You saw that?" she asked, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I thought that you needed your complete focus in order to recover?"

"Indeed, my dear," Hagoromo clarified. "However, I was still able to involuntarily perceive everything transpiring around me through my chakra suffusing the world, before I managed to completely regather it."

"Thank you, darling," Yuno replied affectionately. "But don't try to sell yourself short either, because the speech you gave and that punch were really amazing.

"Ah, regarding that..." Hagoromo paused as a contemplative look crossed his visage. "I know that we are technically gods, or rather you are one, whereas I am a primordial, however, please be careful when it comes to hubris," he explained, his voice becoming serious. "Hubris is a poison that brings madness and destroys reason. You have witnessed firsthand what becomes of those who have fallen into hubris, and I would never want for such a thing to happen to you."

A momentary silence settled on the two as Yuno pondered on what her husband said to her.

It was during times like these when she was reminded that despite his youthful appearance, her beloved was still a many millennia old sage, whose knowledge on the world surpassed even the greatest of libraries.

And yes, she had definitely seen what became of those who had fallen prey to their hubris. None of their fates had been pleasant.

She definitely didn't want to end up like that, though not because of what might become of her, but because she knew that such a thing happening to her would bring great sadness to her beloved.

"I understand, darling," Yuno spoke with an assuring smile. "I promise to be careful, so don't worry about it anymore, okay?"

"Alright, my dear," Hagoromo replied with a smile. "And with that being said, it is time for me to do my ultimate act, before we finally begin planning for our honeymoon."

Yuno's eyes gleamed in excitement when she heard the word honeymoon, however, it was not enough to make her miss the other two words which had also stood out to her.

"What do you mean by ultimate act?" she asked, putting emphasis on the last two words.

"Oh, nothing much," Hagoromo replied with a knowing smile. "I am just going to diffuse my chakra throughout the entire universe and all of its annexed dimensions and search for any other Ōtsutsuki, as well as Shinju. And if I find any, then I am going to strip them all of chakra, or in the case of the God Trees, simply bind them to my will."

As soon as she registered all of that, Yuno gave her husband a flat look. "So, what were you saying before?"

"Oh, don't be like that, my dear," he countered playfully. "I am doing this simply because I wish no harm to ever befall you again. Our encounter with those two Ōtsutsuki might have been a controlled scenario, however, I am never going to take any chances when it comes to matters pertaining to your safety. Besides, as I've told you earlier today, I find myself very curious about the result."

Joy filled Yuno once again as she listened to his words, and a matching smile blossomed on her lips. "When you say it like that, I can only agree with you, darling," she spoke lovingly.

"Though that is not all, because by exerting my will on the entire universe and its affiliated dimensions, I can also bring all of the natural energy pervading it under my command, and thus remove any and all threats to us while at the same time creating a perfect defense against any potential intruders."

The rose haired goddess had to hold back the giggle threatening to escape her mouth when she noticed how her husband was beginning to slip into his didactic tone once again.

"Sure, darling~" she voiced in slight amusement. "But please don't take too long. I know that we can be together in our thoughts, but something tells me that we won't be able to do this, because you are going to need your complete focus, just like it happened when you had to regather yourself earlier."

"Yes, you are correct about at, and no, I wont take too long," he assured. "Judging by the time I spent dispersing through the universe after my consumption of the fruit, it shouldn't take me more than six days to finish this," a smirk formed on his lips. "The universe might be infinite and continuously expanding, however, this is where the Shinju that I might find come into play. I can use their constantly produced chakra to keep the universe saturated even after I am done filling it once."

"Okay, darling~" Yuno smiled, before standing up and walking next to her husband where she reassumed her seated position. "Then I'll be waiting for you right here~"

"Alright, my love," Hagoromo spoke, before closing his eyes and bringing his hands together in a prayer motion, leaving only his Rinne Sharingan opened. "See you in six days, then."

Wisps of chakra emanated from his body as he fell deep into his meditation. The energy soon formed into a thick white haze that flickered like a living flame around his still form.

To the unaided eye, he looked like he was bathing in brilliant bright flames, yet to those who were gifted, it was easy to discern the potent chakra enveloping him as it streamed outward, blending with the world.

Hagoromo felt his perception of the world expand and encompass the surrounding world as his power reached farther and farther in the universe, joining itself with its very fabric and blending with the natural essence that pervaded everything in creation.

Once again, the same welcoming feeling of tranquility washed over his mind, and he could feel himself communing with the world down to the most intimate level. He was becoming one with the world, and the world was becoming one with him.

Soon enough, that peculiar feeling from before made itself known once again. It came like an almost subconscious desire in his mind. It didn't feel unwelcome, yet it felt strange. As if he was missing something. And that he had to bring that something back to where it belonged.

Regain and restore...

The words echoed in his mind, akin to a soft plea that filled him with curiosity and wonder. Not because of what they spoke of, but because of where they seemed to come from. His own thoughts...

He could feel his very essence resonate with this scattered power that seemed to be none other than the natural energy of the world itself. He allowed himself to connect even deeper with it, his curiosity too much to ignore at this point.

Become whole again...

The voice of his own thoughts beckoned him once more. His essence further melded with the universe, and soon he became aware of something that left him almost shocked.

It was sentient. The world was sentient to a degree, its energy aware, as if alive. And not only that, but it seemed to crave his presence, like it was somehow part of him. It was so strange, yet he could tell that it was something fitting.

The little clues he'd gathered so far were starting to fall together in place. Whatever it was that was happening, it was connected to the history of his clan. It had to be, for this development was too grand to have roots anywhere else.

Return... to Origin.

Suddenly, it all clicked in place, and he was on the cusp of revelation. That feeling. The energy of the world... His being was incomplete, and it was trying to restore itself.

Hagoromo stopped containing his power and allowed himself free reign. The world was cast in a brilliant white for a second time, though now it was something more than mere diffusion. It was something else. Something unfathomable. Something beyond any mortal scope. It was...

Divine...

Suddenly, the energy of the world rushed back to him like a long lost lover. Latching to him as if it always belonged there. He almost lost himself to the empowering sensation, but his mind refused to yield. His will remained firm, and he pressed on.

Soon enough, scattered fragments lit up like beacons to his senses. He could feel them dispersed across the world, some of them drifting aimlessly and waiting to be regathered. The others were still acting of their accord, though they welcomed him with the same fervor.

He could tell what they were. Who they were. And that they were longing to be brought back together with him.

He reached out to them and they resonated with his being. Joining with his very essence as if they were pieces of the same whole. Pieces that were once split apart, but were melding back together now.

He could feel the primordial power dwelling in all of creation return to him even fiercer than before. As if it didn't wish to be kept apart from him anymore.

The energy of nature turned out to be much more than what he used to believe. It was the power of the world, but at the same time it was his own power... A seeming contradiction, yet it wasn't.

Because...

He was what lay beyond the world.

He was its architect.

And he was being restored...

That peculiar sensation from before was fading away, and he began to feel complete. He was becoming whole once again, and it felt wonderful. Like finding parts of yourself you once thought to have been lost.

Memories of ancient times emerged in his mind, leaving him stunned silent for a while. Knowledge of a forgotten past returned to him, and he finally pieced it all together. He understood the origins, of how it all came to be and who made it such. Though the revelation left him more than amused.

As he watched his world from beyond creation, he could no longer refrain himself. He began to laugh. The sheer irony of it all was too great for him to do anything else. The absurdity of such revelation invited nothing else but laughter.

So he laughed.

He laughed at the world and at its people. He laughed at all of creation... and then he laughed at himself.

It was his creation after all...

*Chapter 10*: Epilogue

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Epilogue: Creationism

Almost six days passed since Yuno last spoke to Hagoromo. It was hard for her to bear with such deprivation, but she had to do it. She had to do her best for her beloved who had put so much faith in her. He told her he needed his utmost focus to undergo his task, so she had to give him just that. She couldn't disappoint him. She wouldn't.

The bond they shared helped her get through this ordeal. She could feel him as strongly as ever through it, and that alone gave her the strength to keep going. They would always be together in spirit, even if otherwise somehow apart. She knew that he would always be there with her. She could sense his presence embracing her, after all, and that was enough to give her comfort. She would be patient and diligent in her wait.

Yuno kept staring with a dreamy smile at the empty spot on the grass next to her. Her beloved had been sitting there in meditation for the first couple days. Though he'd suddenly dispersed himself through the world on the third day. It surprised her a little, but she could tell he was okay, so she remained calm.

She didn't like the feeling of not having him physically close to her, but she could bear with it for his sake. She could feel him in the world all around her, yet her heart still longed for the feeling of his body close to hers. She wouldn't be at peace as long as he wasn't with her in all ways possible.

The sixth day was about to end very soon, and Yuno felt an almost oppressive urge to check on her beloved. He'd told her that he would be back in six days, and she could sense that he was alright, but she just wanted to be sure. She was his wife, after all. It was only natural of her to be worried about him. Not to mention her wifely duties. And she really missed seeing him...

Closing her eyes, Yuno concentrated on their bond. Through it she felt his presence like a bright, warm beacon. She reached out to that feeling and latched herself to it it. Soon enough, she found her consciousness drawn toward the place where she felt her beloved was.

Yuno blinked at the bright white welcoming her sight. The place she found herself in was strange. It didn't resemble the mental world of her beloved that she remembered, though she could tell that it had a similar feeling. It was probably a sort of extension to it, or maybe just another instance of it.

She sent a few glances around her, but the world looked the same regardless of the direction she gazed in. It was an endless, peaceful white world. Though none of those details seemed to matter anymore once her ears caught notice of the melodious laughter sounding in the distance.

Her senses perked up and, without any further thought, Yuno suddenly dashed in the direction of that sound. Soon enough, her eyes caught sight of the one she'd been looking for.

A bright smile formed on her face when she saw his standing form amidst the never ending whiteness of the world, and she quickly skipped toward him with a spring in her step, all the while wondering what could be so funny that he'd laugh at with such zest.

Hagoromo's laughter came to an end by the time he noticed Yuno approaching him. As soon as she got to him, the young goddess wrapped her slender arms around his torso in a tight hug and buried her face in the fabric of his robe. He returned the hug, and the two of them remained in each other's embrace for an entire minute.

When their hug came to an end, Yuno looked at her husband with lingering worry in her eyes. "Is everything okay, Hagoromo?" she asked.

Hagoromo smiled at his wife in reassurance. "Yes, my love, there's nothing to worry about," he replied, his right hand cupping her cheek and caressing her face affectionately.

Yuno seemed to almost melt at his loving touch, all of her previous traces of concern draining away from her gaze as she nuzzled her cheek deeper in his palm while closing her eyes in delight.

Hagoromo chuckled at the sweet display of his wife, before whisking her off her feet in a swift motion as he seated the both of them on a wooden bench that he willed to existence behind him.

The rose haired goddess giggled at her husband's act, before giving him a playful smile as she gazed at his ethereal visage from her spot on his lap. "What was so funny that you were laughing like that when I got here?" she asked curiously after a few moments of silence.

"Me," Hagoromo answered with an amused smile.

Yuno pouted at his vague response.

Seeing her reaction, he decided to elaborate. "I just found out my origins," he added after a brief pause.

Yuno only felt her confusion grow in response. "What do you mean?" she queried, noticing his smile widen into a grin at her question. Her curiosity getting the best of her, she decided to play his game. "Who are you?" she further asked.

"I Am That I Am."

Hagoromo's words rang out through the white expanse.

Yuno was overcome by a series of giggles as soon as she registered his response. "No way..." she managed to get out in between her giggling.

Hagoromo looked at her in amusement. "Wait until you hear the rest," he said in a matching tone, before gesturing briefly at his surroundings. "What do you think this is?" he asked.

Yuno pondered for a moment. "Another instance of your mental world?" she replied, sounding a little unsure.

Hagoromo hummed in thought. "In a way, yes, but in scope not quite, my dear," he spoke.

Yuno looked at her husband in confusion, her eyes beckoning him to continue.

The silver haired deity smiled at his wife. "This is what came before creation," he revealed with a bit of dramatic flair in his voice. "My domain. Me."

Realisation dawned upon the young goddess once she heard that. "Then... that means..." she trailed off, her cerise eyes widening in a mixture of surprise and awe as she stared at the smiling face of her beloved.

"Indeed. My world has an Original Being. There is a God," Hagoromo said after a few moments of silence, confirming her previous thoughts. "I Am."

Yuno just stared blankly at her husband's smiling face for a while, looking like she was in a sort of daze. "Just when I thought that I've heard and seen it all..." she mumbled when she recovered enough to regain coherent speech.

Hagoromo's smile widened in response. "Ah, my young goddess, but you have much more to see and learn. So much more," he voiced in amusement. "After all, this is just the beginning."

"Uh-huh," Yuno simply nodded, not finding the words to properly express her reaction to such a revelation. Not that there was any need, anyway, courtesy of their bond.

The two of them spent another brief while looking at each other in silence, before Yuno opened her mouth to speak again once she fully regained her composure. "So, umm... anything else?" she asked tentatively.

"I thought you'd never ask, my dear," Hagoromo answered with a pleasant smile, prompting the rose haired goddess to let out a giggle at the enthusiasm etched on his face. "Would you like to hear the beginning history of my world?"

"Of course I would, darling," Yuno replied cheerfully, before sighing in delight when she felt her husband's hand begin caressing her hair with gentle touches.

"Very well," Hagoromo spoke with a chuckle, before getting to the explanation. "The history of my world is closely tied to the history of my clan. The founder of the Ōtsutsuki clan was actually the Original Being himself."

Yuno didn't feel as surprised as she thought she might be at the revelation. The Ōtsutsuki clan was too grand in scope to have nothing to do with the history of everything in her husband's world. Not to mention that the members themselves were akin to deities in power alone.

"The Original Being created the first humans and watched over them for eons," Hagoromo continued. "Though in the end he lost hope for them upon seeing the choices they were making, despite the guidance he was trying to offer them."

"Oh..." Yuno muttered as she noticed the parallel her husband was drawing.

"Sounds familiar, right?" Hagoromo asked with an amused smile.

The rose haired goddess simply nodded in silence, waiting for her beloved to continue.

"That development eventually drove him to give up on humans and everything else. He split nine fragments from his soul, and used his power to create the first generation of Ōtsutsuki," Hagoromo said. "He hoped that they might be able to do better than him when it came to nurturing humankind. After that, he allowed himself to fade, dispersing the rest of his soul and power throughout the world. This amplified what came to be known as the current natural energy of the universe and also spawned the first Shinju on the Ōtsutsuki home world."

Yuno gained a thoughtful look as she listened to her husband's words. "This is why the Ōtsutsuki had such a desire for chakra, isn't it?" she asked.

"Indeed. Not only because it is an energy that fuelled them, but also because they were subconsciously trying to restore the Original Being," Hagoromo said in reply with a nod. "But that could only become possible once an Ōtsutsuki gathered enough power to become aware of the true nature of the natural energy. My mother must have reached very close to this, yet in the end the power consumed her..."

Noticing the heavy note threatening to seep in her husband's voice, Yuno clasped his free hand and interlocked her fingers with his own as she gazed at him with a delicate smile.

Hagoromo smiled back at his wife's loving gesture, and resumed his explanation after a brief period of silence. "The awakening of the Rinne Sharingan was the requirement for a worthy Ōtsutsuki to open their path to Ascension," he elaborated.

Yuno seemed to ponder for a few moments on what she'd just been told. "This explains Momoshiki's reaction to seeing your Rinne Sharingan," she pointed out.

"Precisely," Hagoromo nodded. "The history of the clan spoke of only one other member having been in possession of said eyes; the patriarch of the first Ōtsutsuki generation, who similarly to my mother, ended up losing himself to the power while trying to Ascend. That is why the other members created that extreme rule forbidding the consumption of a whole chakra fruit to oneself."

Once Hagoromo was finished speaking, Yuno took a few moments to sort through all of the information. It was quite the origin mythology. Much more than what she had initially expected.

The life of her beloved was so similar to that of the First Ōtsutsuki, though it kind of made sense, given the circumstances surrounding the two of them.

Both had hoped to the highest skies of the tenacity of human potential, only to end up suffering from that very hope.

Both created nine pieces of legacies, one of them with chakra, the other with his very soul. And that was where her beloved had the advantage. He hadn't given into futility completely.

Yuno's thoughts suddenly came to an end when she heard her husband speak again.

"The irony of this all is almost staggering, isn't it? My world must have a fetish for it, or something. Not that I'm any better in that regard myself," Hagoromo said in amusement as his eyes drifted to the endless white expanse. "Though at least now I know where all that foolishness had come from. I clearly inherited a good part of it. From God himself, no less." He let out a dry chuckle, before growing silent for a while as he just stared idly into the distance.

It was such a purposeful history, despite being quite tragic as well in a sense. Everything had been constant repetition of history for his clan. A cycle that the Ōtsutsuki couldn't break out of, even with their feigned cold methodology.

Another dry chuckle escaped his mouth, yet the sweet sound of his wife's voice pulled him out of his pensive mood.

"You did what God himself wasn't able to do, my love," Yuno spoke, a note of intensity creeping into her voice. "You didn't give into absolute futility as the First Ōtsutsuki had done, and thus gained the power to correct your path."

Hagoromo felt a small smile form on his lips at his wife's reassuring words. He was so glad to have her by his side...

"You're right..." Hagoromo spoke softly as he gazed back at the loving face of his beloved. "But you are the reason why I didn't share the same fate as him. You helped me break that cycle, Yuno."

The rose haired goddess smiled brightly at her husband, before capturing his lips in a sudden, passionate kiss. Her arms quickly found their way around his neck as she deepened the kiss, though she couldn't hold back the soft moan that escaped her lips when she felt herself pulled against the warmth of her husband's chest.

After some intense minutes of locking lips with her beloved, Yuno pulled back from the kiss, a slight flush adorning her cheeks. With a content smile on her features, her gaze sought that of her husband, and the two of them spent the next few minutes silently in each other's embrace.

Hagoromo was the one to break the silence after a while. "Shall we return now?" he asked.

"Yup!" Yuno replied happily.

The world of endless white was gone in the blink of an eye.

Feeling her consciousness return back to her body, the rose haired goddess stood up and patted her robe a few times to remove any dust. She looked around for any traces of her beloved, and soon noticed a rather striking detail that filled her with both surprise and wonder.

She could sense his presence everywhere in the world. Like a soft blanket that was embracing her being with warmth. It wasn't just the mental presence of their bond anymore. Right now she could feel his power permeating every seam of this world, as if he was part of it. Or rather, as if the world was part of him.

Her gaze was quickly drawn in front of her when she felt her husband's presence suddenly concentrate in that place. Ethereal waves of a dense, white mist manifested before her eyes, causing her breath to hitch for a moment at the awing display.

The air of absolute power almost overwhelmed her senses. A majestic presence soon made itself known to the world.

Yuno watched with undivided attention how the living energy gathered into a coiling current, before shaping itself into a radiant entity that glowed white with a divine aura.

For the better part of the next minute, she just stared in silent awe at the otherworldly being, taking the time to come to terms with what she had just witnessed.

She was eventually snapped out of her daze when she heard the being speak.

"That might have been a bit too much," Hagoromo mused to himself as his usual youthful features returned in the span of a few seconds. "A little too flashy, I suppose."

Yuno burst into a fit of giggles the moment she registered her husband's words. She just couldn't help it. The dissonance between his earlier awing display and his subsequent greeting was too much for her to take with a straight face.

"Memorable first words to the world as its new God," Yuno said between her giggling.

Hagoromo chuckled in amusement. "Would you have preferred 'God is Great'?" he asked wryly in reply. "Those words might have had a bigger impact, after all."

Yuno's mirth doubled in intensity upon hearing that, and her giggles continued for the better part of the next minute.

"But wouldn't that be self advertising?" the rose haired goddess asked once she recovered from her previous fit of laughter. "Or even worse, plagiarism?"

Hagoromo smirked at his wife's cheekiness. "Maybe," he said as his voice took on a facetious note. "But remember, my dear, God makes the rules."

Yuno smirked playfully at her beloved. "Is that hubris I hear, darling?" she asked in a faux-innocent tone.

The silver haired deity chuckled in reply. "Touché," he said as he walked up to the young goddess.

Another giggle escaped Yuno's lips as she latched herself onto her husband's right arm, leaning against his side and resting her head comfortably on his shoulder as the two of them sat down on the soft grass.

Hagoromo smiled fondly at his wife's gesture and used his other arm to embrace her in a tender hug as she perched herself on his lap, snuggling closer to his chest.

"I wonder what you can do now that you're literally God," Yuno mumbled in the fabric of the deity's robe, her voice barely intelligible.

Hagoromo's previous smile widened into a grin. "Ask and ye shall receive, my dear!" he declared in an overly dramatic voice, eliciting another series of giggles from his wife.

Yuno pouted at her beloved once she regained her composure, though it only made her look even more adorable to him. "Jeez, darling!" she said with a hint of facetiousness in her tone. "You're making me laugh so much that my cheeks are getting sore."

"Don't worry, my dear. You're in no danger of ever feeling blue anymore," Hagoromo assured with a serene smile. "Or not right now, at least."

Yuno blinked in confusion at her husband's reply, though a surprised gasp accompanied her realisation once she caught a brief glimpse of the sky. It wasn't blue anymore. It was red.

"This... I didn't even notice..." Yuno muttered in disbelief at she stared with wide eyes at the changed sky.

She had to take a few seconds to make sure that her eyes weren't playing any tricks on her. But they weren't. This was no illusion or anything of the sort. The sky was now red for real.

Yuno looked back at the amused face of the God holding her in his embrace, her eyes asking the questions that her words failed to properly form.

Hagoromo had a light smile playing on his lips, as if he hadn't just changed the color of the sky on a whim. "Blue no longer exists, so the sky had to turn red," he supplied helpfully.

Yuno blinked again at his words, needing a moment to make sure that she heard him right. "Darling... did you undo the existence of the color blue?" she asked tentatively.

Hagoromo's smile widened in response. "That's right. I removed the color blue from this world," he supplied casually, as if he was talking about something of little to no concern.

Yuno just stared blankly at her husband for a few moments, her mind doing its best to catch up with this most recent revelation. She needed some time to process the simple fact that he had just undone a fundamental concept of reality from existence with a mere thought and without her even noticing it...

Earlier, she'd come to terms with his status as the restored God of the world, but to actually see his power in action... it was a whole different thing. On a whole different level.

"And I'm not stopping with just blue," Hagoromo added in a whimsical tone, bringing the young goddess out of her thoughts. "Meaning that red never existed, either."

Yuno glanced up at the sky once more, and couldn't hold off the amazement from settling on her features. Gone was the red tint, too. The sky was now green. Just like everything else in the world around her...

"In an instant..." Yuno whispered in wonder as she stared at the green hues dominating all of her surroundings. It was simply stunning in its scope.

"It's almost like painting. Except in reverse," Hagoromo mused while admiring his work in appreciation. "I think this would classify as fine art." His lips twitched back into a smirk. "I'm sure that some people would be dying to take even one glimpse at it."

"And you're not even being serious now..." Yuno muttered, more to herself, as she looked at her husband's frivolous expression. It seemed to suit him down to a tee, epitomising his whimsical and fickle nature.

Hagoromo grinned at his wife. "I was only going to remove the twelve basic colors for this demonstration," he said in a faux innocent manner. "But if you expect me to go all the way, my dear, then I must comply."

Yuno blinked at his words, though by the time she opened her eyes, the world was already changed once again. Yet, this time, the change was almost staggering.

The young goddess was left momentarily speechless as she stared in silent awe at the black and white world welcoming her sight, no matter how far she looked.

"Ta-da!" Hagoromo declared with a bit of dramatic flair in his voice as he spread his arms out. "Color doesn't exist anymore."

His words managed to rouse her from her momentary daze, and she idly noticed that amidst everything else in the now colorless world, only her husband and herself remained in possession of their hues.

"Except for us..." the girl noted absentmindedly.

"Of course. We are above the influence of mere concepts after all," Hagoromo pointed out amusedly. "But if you ever want the full manga experience, then I can arrange for it. You just need to say the word." He ended his sentence with a knowing wink, sending his wife over the proverbial edge.

Yuno couldn't hold back anymore. She'd reached her limit once she heard him say that last part. It was just too much for her to even try and take seriously anymore. She didn't know why she'd been trying to take it seriously so far, when he himself hadn't been doing so.

In hindsight, she was probably just trying to understand. Yet therein lay the problem. There was nothing to understand. He was God. Period. Logic didn't apply to him. Or rather, he had his own unique brand of logic that he applied. After all, he could just make things happen, if he so much wanted to. That was all there was to it. It was just like he'd said earlier. He was making the rules.

Yuno was suddenly overcome by a series of uncontrollable giggles halfway through her thoughts. Just what was she even thinking about? Hindsight? For what? There was no need for any of that. She just had to embrace the irrationality and absurdity to understand what he was doing. That was the key to grasping his seemingly illogical logic.

Her giggling grew in intensity at that thought. It didn't take her too long to figure it out, yet she still couldn't help but laugh at herself a little. It should have been obvious, after all. She should have reached this conclusion minutes ago!

"This is so surreal," Yuno said between her giggles as she looked at her husband with a wide smile. "But it's so real at the same time..." Another series of giggles escaped her lips in melodious merriment. "What a whimsical and fickle God I have for a husband."

"Don't worry, my dear. I'm sure that you'll get used to it quickly," Hagoromo reassured while ruffling his wife's rose locks affectionately. "If you haven't already done such by now." He added with a knowing smile.

Stifling the last of her giggles in the soft fabric of the snow haired deity's robe, the young goddess put on a playful pout as she glanced up at her husband's amused face, and just looked at him without saying anything.

Hagoromo chuckled at her cute act. "Anyway, I should probably do something about the world, before we move on to the next thing," he said airily with a casual wave of his hand.

Yuno wasn't sure what to expect next once she heard him say that, so she decided to throw that concept out of the window, before her husband did it for her. She'd seen enough for today to do otherwise.

"Shatter."

Hagoromo's words rang out softly from his smiling lips, unmaking the current reality before the rose haired girl's very eyes. If she'd found the previous display to be surreal, then what she was currently witnessing was simply something else...

The world changed under his power in but an instant, crumbling apart all around them like the pieces of a broken glass, only to reveal beneath the untouched image of a vivid scenery. As if everything so for had been just an illusion.

But she knew better that to assume such a thing. Her husband was one again merely toying around with reality. Purposely slowing down his act, simply to show her how effortless and amusing it was all to him.

Yuno smiled knowingly at her beloved, and then proceeded to fix her ruffled hair. "So, what now?" she asked curiously after a few moments of silence.

Hagoromo pondered on his wife's question for a moment, before looking at her with a smirk forming on his lips. "Well, I've said two days ago that once we wrap things up here, I'd be taking you on our honeymoon," he replied. "But before we get to that, there is one more thing that I'd like to take care of."

Feeling his mirth briefly spiking through their bond, Yuno looked up in curiosity at her husband's amused expression. "What is it, darling?" she asked.

"I want to prepare the foundations for an idea I've had recently," Hagoromo elaborated. "I believe that it will be quite amusing and entertaining to put it in practice."

Yuno's curiosity was piqued even more by her husband's answer, though a surprised yelp escaped her mouth when she felt herself be suddenly swept up in his arms, before giggling happily as Hagoromo brought the both of them up to their feet.

"What idea?" Yuno further inquired with a smile as she grasped the young man's right hand, interlocking their fingers together. She felt pretty excited about whatever it was that her beloved had in mind right now.

"Religion," Hagoromo said with a grin as the two of them began walking side by side toward what seemed like a random direction to the rose haired goddess.

"Religion?" Yuno curiously parroted, visibly intrigued by the idea.

"I'm sure you noticed how, regardless of the world, religion is a very powerful tool," Hagoromo elaborated, getting a nod from his wife. "It can be great motivation and inspire man to take action where other things might have otherwise failed. It can be used to guide people while also keeping them orderly and subservient. And for all of that, one just needs to ensure faith and devotion first, because once that is done, the potential for amusement becomes as clear as day."

"I see," the rose haired goddess replied as she contemplated on her husband's words.

Honestly, it didn't really matter to her what it was that they were going do, because the simple fact that she would be by his side while her beloved did whatever he intended to do was enough to make her more than happy.

She would be content with simply following him in whatever he wished to do, because if he was going to have fun, then she would also have fun herself. As long as they were together, she wouldn't be needing anything else.

Yet, that didn't mean she wouldn't welcome any chance to make her enjoy even more her eternity spent alongside her beloved.

"How exactly are we going to go about with this?" Yuno questioned once she was done with her previous musings.

"Simple, my dear," Hagoromo responded shortly. "First we need to acquire some loyal followers, and after that it will be quite the easy task. I've already devised a basic structure for the religion, so we can leave for our honeymoon as soon as we get the devoted subordinates required to organize and maintain the faith in our absence."

"Okay," Yuno nodded in understanding. "But who do you have in mind for that?"

Hagoromo stroked his chin in contemplation. "Hmm, the first one is quite the interesting fellow, and we will be meeting him soon. He's actually not very far away from ours," he replied. "The second one is my own nephew, Toneri. He's the only surviving descendant of my brother's lineage. And the last one I am going to resurrect before our departure."

"Sure~!" Yuno voiced happily as she continued to walk next to her beloved toward the dense forest that was visible in the distance. "Since you hold them in such regard, I'm a little curious to meet them too."

Immortality.

A state of existence regarded as a blessing by many, but also as a curse by enough due to the potential misfortunes that it is often associated with.

Some might welcome the idea of immortality with open hands for its perceived benefits, while some might look at it in loathing because of the negative outcomes that it could possibly bring.

For the one known as Hidan, though, immortality has always had a sort of neutral aspect to it, as it had given him over the years both good and bad things.

His immortality had helped him become a better follower of his Lord Jashin, for it had taken away any and all worries of himself during his fighting, and had allowed him to completely revel in the violence and slaughter that he brought in the name of his god.

Among the unfavorable implications of his immortality, the only ones that he could find were the fact that he would never get to experience glorious death in battle as the ultimate expression of piety to his Lord, nor would he be able to be graced by his splendor in the afterlife.

However, as of recently, the highly religious man had been made aware of another negative aspect related to his immortality, and in quite the unpleasant way to boot after experiencing dismembering and decapitation toward the end of his last battle.

Spending several months buried at the bottom of a pit, beneath numerous boulders and with the only company consisting of maggots that unsuccessfully attempted to chew at his face, had been a very big annoyance to Hidan.

One that was slowly driving him insane.

Contrary to what others might have thought of him, he wasn't that much of a nutcase. Or, at least, that's what he liked to think.

But that aside, the anger he'd been feeling at the fucker who had dismembered and buried him alive hadn't exactly helped his mental state, either. Though, after a couple months or so, he slowly began to forget about him, because his mind had become more and more occupied with thoughts about his Lord Jashin. His religious nature had inevitably brought his focus back on the commandments of his faith, just as it was expected of him.

So, for the next months he had fervently prayed to his god as he asked for guidance. Yet after the last thirty-one days, during which he had continuously repeated the mantras of his religion, a treacherous thought began worming its way inside his mind.

Has Lord Jashin abandoned me?

However, the voice that resounded in his mind not even a moment later dispelled any and all of his previous doubts.

"Hey, darling, is the person we are looking for immortal or something?" Yuno asked merrily as she glanced at the pile of boulders that were halfway filling a sizable hole in the earth several feet away from her.

She had sensed the faint chakra signature located at the bottom of the hole, and noticed that despite its constant fluctuation, it didn't seem to weaken any further past a certain point.

"To some degree," Hagoromo replied while glancing in the same direction as his wife, his focus on the presence buried beneath the many large rocks. "Because as long as his body is not completely destroyed, he would be able to continue living even if he were to sustain injuries that should be fatal to a regular human."

"That doesn't sound too impressive," Yuno pointed out, eliciting a chuckle from her husband.

"And it isn't. Yet his true worth lies within a different aspect," Hagoromo said, walking closer to the the hole, only a couple feet away from its edge. "You will see immediately what makes him so valuable."

"Okay," Yuno nodded, her voice as cheerful as earlier, and followed after her husband, stopping right next to him. Veins engorged around her temples and her pupils became more prominent, signifying the activation of her dōjutsu as she focused her attention on her beloved.

A simple flick of the wrist from Hagoromo was all that it took for the numerous boulders filling the pit to be flung through the air as though they weighted less than a pebble, revealing in the process a rather morbid sight.

The torn off limbs of a human male lay scattered around his torso, their aspect surprisingly healthy despite the fact that such a thing should have not been possible given their detached state.

But the most peculiar thing was actually the man's severed head, which resided a few feet away from the body, and despite its condition, it seemed to be very much alive.

It possessed medium-length grey hair that was slicked back and distinctive purple eyes which were opened widely and seemed to be staring above in reverence as they were met with the first rays of light after many months of darkness.

Moments later, a bloodied smile that spoke of nothing less than utmost elation formed on the visage of the man's severed head as his eyes continued to keep their intense focus on the luminous sky.

"Lord Jashin... this pitiful servant has finally been deemed worthy to hear your glorious voice..."

The words that left the man's mouth were spoken in a tone that overflowed with veneration, and upon being heard by Hagoromo, they prompted him to take a few steps toward the edge of the hole.

As soon as his form became visible to the grey haired male at the bottom of the pit, tears started flowing freely from the man's widened eyes and he began to choke on his own blood as he wept in joy at the miracle taking place above him.

He had been blessed to see the magnificent form of his god.

Silvery, lustrous sweeping hair that framed a face in possession of regal features currently set in a stern expression.

Violet eyes with a ringed pattern that looked familiar to the man met his own as they stared at him with a neutral gaze.

Flawless skin, pale like the moonlight, covered in a flowing, white robe adorned with numerous magatama designs and reaching until very close to the ground delighted his sight.

"Lord... Jashin..." the grey haired man wheezed, tears still streaming down his face as he was overcome with emotion, unable to find the words to express his elation at being blessed with such a privilege.

"Hidan," the silver haired deity spoke in a commanding tone. "Why do you think it is that I have shown myself to you at such a time?"

Hidan's eyes widened, before a resolute expression settled on his features.

"To punish me for letting my faith waver..." he replied without any hesitation in his voice.

"No," Hagoromo refuted calmly, prompting a look of confusion to appear on the decapitated man's face. "I haven't come to punish you for a justifiable insecurity on your part."

Hidan's puzzlement only continued to grow as he tried to make sense of what he had just been told.

Noticing the grey haired man's trouble at understanding his previous words, Hagoromo spoke once more, intent on clarifying the matter to him.

"Hidan, what do you know regarding of the incipience of Jashinism?"

"That it had been created centuries ago in order to offer worship for you, my Lord, as the God of Slaughter," Hidan immediately responded.

"And what if I told you that such is not the truth, but merely a twisted version of it?"

Hidan's eyes visibly widened at that, and the confusion present on his features became even more prominent than before. "My Lord, what do you mean?" he asked.

"Jashinism used to literally be the Art of Killing. It was first cultivated roughly a millennium ago by a group of people who reviled the Sage of the Six Paths for his pacifistic insistence," Hagoromo explained, his voice slowly taking on an amused note that elicited a faint giggle from the rose haired girl standing a couple feet behind him. "But as time passed, jashinists—who were so focused on hating the Sage—began to view him as the God of Slaughter, since only the God of Slaughter could beget the Art of Killing."

It was quite the ironic twist how those people had slowly turned over the passage of time from reviling him to fanatically worshipping him. Though, he reckoned that such an outcome was supposed to be frequent given the circumstances, if what he learnt from his wife's world's history was of any indication. Cults simply losing themselves due to a lack of proper understanding and excess of zeal on the followers' part seemed to be a rather semi-frequent occurrence.

"Then... that means..." Hidan muttered as his mind eventually pieced together what he was told so far, bringing him to a startling realization.

"Yes, Hidan. I am the Sage of the Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo," the regal-looking young man spoke as he gazed at the stunned expression present on the severed head's face. "Or rather, that is who I used to be in the distant past, for now I have Ascended as the new God of this world."

Hidan's previous bafflement returned in double upon registering those words. He was unable to wrap his mind around the apparently conflicting facts that have just been revealed to him.

He might have been less than desirably intelligent, however, he had heard at some point of the myths and legends about the Sage of the Six Paths and how the Sage had supposedly promoted an era of peace.

So, then, how could such a person also end up being considered the God of Slaughter and be worshipped for a little over a thousand years?

The grey haired man didn't know the answer to such a question and neither was he able to come up with one.

"I..." Hidan voiced apologetically. "I don't understand, my Lord..."

"Do not fret over your shortcomings, Hidan. Your true value does not lie within your intellectual capability, but rather in the strength of your belief," Hagoromo assured, before proceeding with his clarification. "As for your confusion, the only thing you have to understand is the fact that after I have gifted mankind with my teachings, they had rightfully revered me, for they had been blessed with ninshū in return for their piety. Yet, upon the passing of time, perversions began, and aspects of myself came to be worshipped, rather than my entirety. Jashinism is merely one of them. The aspect of conflict."

A look of understanding finally crossed Hidan's visage after he listened to Hagoromo's explanation, but with his newly attained clarity of mind, he noticed that he was still left with something causing him struggle as he tried to make sense of it.

"My Lord, I thank you for blessing me with the truth about your glorious existence," Hidan spoke deferentially. "But there is still one thing that I have trouble understanding."

"What is it, Hidan?" Hagoromo questioned, his tone even.

"Lord Hagoromo, why do you tolerate the heathen?" the grey haired man asked. "With your power, could you not simply kill all disgusting heathens?"

An amused glint entered Hagoromo's eyes as he listened to the dismembered and decapitated man's words.

"I am God, my faithful Hidan," Hagoromo responded candidly. "Would you wish, for one such as I to step on ants, when I can have my faithful refine their souls in trials of fire? Of vanquishing the heathen foe? And in the process having the honor of becoming my blessed?"

Another muffled giggle briefly caught Hagoromo's attention once he was done speaking, and when he also felt his wife give her input over their soul bond, he was unable to keep the small, amused smile from slightly upturning his lips.

He had known long before their actual meeting that obtaining Hidan's allegiance and complete loyalty would be an easy task to accomplish, however, now that the man was essentially helping the process on his side, it seemed to be an almost effortless action.

"Of course not, my Lord," the grey haired man quickly replied, impassioned at the words that he just heard. "Please, forgive this pitiful servant for his ignorance."

"Worry not of that, Hidan, for as I have stated before, your defects certainly pale in the face of your devotion," Hagoromo spoke, his voice genuine and approving. "However, I would like to hear about what it is that troubles you, my faithful. Ever since you have first shown me your eyes, I was able to clearly see the insecurity lurking deep beneath them."

Hidan's features visibly softened when he registered that. Hearing his Lord express such care about his person brought him great happiness.

"Throughout my life, my Lord, the heathens have mocked me, for my faith, my eternal loyalty to you..." Hidan explained, revealing the one thing that had been weighing down on his soul for a long time. "At times, I had wondered to myself, if you existed, why had you not deemed this servant worthy of your words?"

"My devout Hidan, throughout history, there have been countless faithful. These wretches began their path, their hearts full of reverence towards I, yet they eventually ended up always worshipping the blood they spilt, rather than their true god," Hagoromo responded after a few moments of contemplation. "But you, my priest, when your head was decapitated, you did not utter foul language and, for thirty one days, all you had done, was repeat the name of my aspect over and over again, even when with each word, maggots, and dirt were inhaled in your orifices," the white haired deity slowly brought his palms together in a prayer-like gesture. "As such, I have deemed you, worthy."

Following Hagoromo's words, a bright shine started emitting from Hidan's remains, before they began to rapidly crumble into dust, the last of them being his severed head, whose features were set into an expression of utter reverence.

Hidan stared in awe at his luminous arms and torso while he slowly floated upward, feeling completely weightless ever since his body had completely crumbled to ash mere moments ago.

He noticed that he was clothed in a robe reminiscent of the one worn by every Akatsuki member, however, it completely lacked the cloud motifs, and currently unknown to him, it possessed a much different symbol on its back.

Then, his eyes were drawn to the silver rosary hanging around his neck, and he gently grabbed the symbol attached to one of the beads as he began to study it.

It was a familiar looking eye, with a pupil resembling the yin-yang motif and three concentric rings surrounding it, whereas on each ring, there were three magatama arranged similarly to what he had seen in a Sharingan's pattern.

And despite this symbol being quite unfamiliar to him, except for the general rippled eye design, he felt that he would soon get to understand what it actually represented.

Moments later, the speed at which he was rising began to increase, but he didn't try to fight against the force that was gently pulling him out of the deep pit, and simply watched in fascination how his flickering form was becoming more and more solid and distinctive the closer he got to the surface.

The previous words of his Lord echoed inside his mind as he continued with his ascent.

He might have not been the sharpest tool in the shed, however, by the time he reached halfway through the depth of the hole, he was able to understand the gist of what was happening to him.

Not only had his Lord freed him from his impotent state, but it seemed that he would also reward him for his faith and loyalty.

The grey haired man could not be any happier at that thought, and a look of joy lit up his features as he continued to gaze in absolute reverence at the one who had, for the second time, given meaning to his life.

After Hidan's soul completely emerged from the pit, it hovered toward Hagoromo, stopping a couple feet in front of him.

As soon as the man felt ground beneath his feet once more, he immediately knelt before his God and opened his mouth to speak, though was interrupted by the pair of arms that gently grasped his head.

"I have seen the extent of your faith and loyalty," Hagoromo spoke, his gaze meeting the grey haired man's own. "and I have acknowledged it."

Hidan remained speechless as he listened with fervor to the words of his Lord.

"Rejoice, my faithful priest," Hagoromo added as a faint glow engulfed his palms—dark for his left and light for his right. "For you shall now be reborn anew, as a direct instrument of my wrath."

As soon as his Lord was finished speaking, Hidan felt his senses flare to life as his spirit was once more given flesh to be housed within, before a sensation of empowerment quickly washed over him.

It lasted only for a brief moment as it quickly dissipated in the depths of his being, yet he was still able to feel its lingering presence mingled with his chakra as it converged toward the center of his forehead while also knowing for some reason that if he were to focus inwardly on that place, then he would be able to make it resurface.

But that was not the sole thing that he somehow knew without having any recollection of ever learning it by himself.

Etched deeply into his memory were nine creeds, which he immediately recognized as being the teachings and beliefs of his Lord's faith, as well as the knowledge that the silvery eye hanging from the rosary around his neck was the holy symbol of the same very religion.

Tears fell from Hidan's overjoyed eyes as he gazed in veneration at the pair of violet, ringed orbs that reflected approval and acknowledgement.

"My Lord..."

There were no words that the grey haired man could find to express what he felt for being granted such a blessing, so he just stood still, his eyes never leaving those of his God as he let all of his emotions show clearly on his face.

"There is no need for you to say anything, my faithful Hidan," Hagoromo uttered in a gentle tone as he stopped holding the reborn man's head and lowered his arms. "Simply rise, and henceforth begin your new life as the Head Inquisitor of my faith. The one true faith, Esotericism."

Hidan did as he was told and quickly stood up, his eyes catching sight in the process of the other person—a young woman with pink hair and delicate features—standing a few feet behind the pale-skinned deity.

A sweet, seemingly innocent smile formed on the rose haired woman's lips when she noticed the reverent man's attention focus on her, however, despite the apparent benign nature of her gesture, it seemed to have a rather odd effect on him.

An expression of unease quickly settled on Hidan's visage as he looked at the young woman's smiling face, and he quickly averted his gaze as he glanced back at Hagoromo, who simply gave a small chuckle before speaking.

"The beautiful lady whom you have just noticed is my dear wife, Ōtsutsuki Yuno."

The snow haired man turned to face the kimono-wearing smiling girl, who walked up to him and hugged his right arm as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"She might seem unnerving upon a first glance, however, as long as you don't do anything to aggravate her, there is nothing to ever be afraid of when it comes to such an angelic being," Hagoromo added, causing Yuno to hug his arm closer to her chest as a faint red dusting colored her still smiling face.

Despite understanding that the words offered by his Lord had been intended as a reassurance for him, Hidan couldn't help but feel even more anxious once he read deeper into them.

And that, when coupled with him taking a better look at the girl's terrifying cerise eyes, told him that he's better pay great heed to those words, lest he experienced something unimaginably horrible.

"Of course, my Lord," Hidan quickly replied, his previous anxiety slowly leaving him as the girl dropped the beatific yet eerie smile from her face and adopted a more neutral expression instead.

However, now that his mind became more clear, on top of having enough time to ruminate on the things he had been told so far, he abruptly came to a rather disconcerting realization regarding the wife of his God.

Was she another god?

He wasn't sure, as he was unable to sense anything from neither of the two. But what he knew was that he didn't seem to feel particularly fond of the idea that another deity existed.

His Lord was the Absolute, so anyone else claiming to hold the same grace as him would commit the greatest heresy. Yet, the fact that she was His wife left Hidan conflicted, because he couldn't figure out what his stance should be on this matter.

And it seemed that, at some point, his internal struggle had also become quite visible on his features, because Hagoromo had taken notice of it and was already on the verge of speaking in order to alleviate the grey haired man's confusion.

"It appears that I've been a bit vague with my earlier introduction of my wife, and that must have left you quite confused," Hagoromo said. "I might have referred to Yuno as my wife, however, that is simply because there is no other defined word that could even come close to describe the nature of our union."

Hidan was quickly pulled out of his musings and he began listening with utmost attention to the words of his Lord.

"We are bonded together down to the level of our very souls. She is a part of myself as much as I am a part of herself. And whereas my domain of governance is all of creation, hers is represented by three important aspects upon which she reigns absolute. Devotion, loyalty, and fidelity," Hagoromo explained. "That is the true nature of our bond. Duality in divine unity."

The grey haired man's eyes widened by the end of the speech and, as he subsequently recalled the first commandment of his Lord's faith, it all clicked inside his mind. He no longer felt confused or conflicted.

"Thank you for curing me of some of my ignorance, my Lord," Hidan spoke in a grateful tone. "Now I can clearly understand the position that Lady Yuno holds within your glorious faith."

The man then bowed deeply, causing Yuno to let out a muffled giggle against Hagoromo's sleeve while the young man himself smiled in amusement.

"Now then, Hidan," Hagoromo spoke, prompting the reverent man to straighten himself and listen in obedient expectation. "Before I shall get to explaining your new body and power, there is one more gift that I have for you."

The white haired deity clapped his hands, surging his unfathomable power as he intoned.

"Kuchiyose: Shinigami."

Immediately following his words, the grey haired man watched in fascination as a large, translucent gaunt specter coalesced behind Hagoromo.

It possessed long, shaggy white hair, a demonic visage with two red horns, a tantō in its mouth, and purple colored skin. A white garment was draped around its form and it held a set of prayer beads in its left hand.

Yuno seemed to be looking in curiosity at the entity floating a short distance behind herself and her beloved's backs, but she decided to keep the question that had just sprung in her mind for later, since she didn't want to interrupt the eerie atmosphere.

After the daunting specter finished materializing, it slowly hovered toward Hagoromo and passed through him, before it promptly stopped a couple feet in front of him and Hidan.

"This shall be your new weapon, Hidan," the silver haired God spoke as he brought his left hand through the Shinigami's stomach and touched Hidan's forehead.

The grey haired man watched in silence as the translucent entity in front of him was rapidly absorbed within his body, before an odd sensation enveloped him as he felt something settle down deep within his being.

"I have turned the Shinigami into an ethereal weapon and bound it to your soul," Hagoromo voiced as he lowered his hand, glancing at the man's surprised expression. "You should be able to summon it with a mere thought and in any shape that you find convenient or preferable at the time."

"Thank you, my Lord," Hidan finally spoke, a pious expression on his face as his eyes shone in anticipation.

He quickly focused on the presence that he had previously felt stir within himself and gently guided it outwards with the help of his chakra as his mind envisioned a certain weapon type that he had been fascinated with ever since his early years in the service of his God.

A split second later, and a very familiar looking weapon materialized in his hands.

It was a three-bladed scythe identical to his previous one, with the sole difference being the fact that it seemed to be slightly translucent, despite having a seemingly solid structure.

The grey haired man shifted the newly formed weapon in his left hand and began making several test swings with it as he marveled at how weightless it seemed to feel.

It was akin to holding a feather, and after he threw it in the distance out of reflex, he was amazed even further when he noticed how with a simple thought on his part, an extensible cord, similar in appearance to the scythe itself, rapidly connected to it and gave him ample control over its flight trajectory, just like the retractable metal cord had done for his old weapon.

"Besides the rather obvious attributes of this weapon, there is one more feature it possesses that I'm sure you will find to be very interesting," Hagoromo voiced, drawing Hidan's attention from his current swinging of the scythe.

Seeing the anticipative glint in the man's purple eyes, Hagoromo smiled in amusement as he continued speaking.

"With each swing, alongside the inflicted physical injury, your weapon will also chip away at its target's life force, and it will keep on doing such, until a mortal wound is eventually delivered, moment when it will drain the victim of their very soul."

The gleeful expression that formed on Hidan's face as soon as he registered those words clearly made his thoughts known to the young man.

"There is a bit more to this soul siphoning than what I've mentioned before, but I'll leave it as a surprise for you to figure out by yourself," Hagoromo added, his tone gaining a slightly mysterious note to it.

"Yes, my Lord," the grey haired man quickly responded with a bow of his head.

A couple moments later, and Yuno's voice suddenly broke the brief period of silence as she decided to address her earlier curiosity.

"Darling, I've got a question about that Shinigami thing from before," the young goddess spoke as she glanced up at her beloved's face. "You've never mentioned anything of the sort during your story, and I'm a little curious about its origins. Would you mind explaining it to me?"

"Of course not, my dear," Hagoromo replied as he shifted his attention from Hidan to the rose haired young lady hugging his right arm. "That Shinigami entity from earlier was one of the first things I created after mastering the yin-yang release. At that time, I wanted to test my newly developed technique, the Creation of All Things, and the result of that had been the birth of a semi-sentient being—which was able to forcibly remove and store souls—amongst a few other things."

"A few other things?" Yuno repeated, her tone filled with even more curiosity.

"Yes," Hagoromo responded with a nod. "Besides the Shinigami, I've also created five tools, which came to be known as my treasured tools throughout history, as well as three other items, of which you might know by the name of the Three Imperial Regalia."

A look of realization settled on Yuno's features when she registered her husband's words. "Wait..." she spoke, trying to make sure that she had it figured correctly. "You mean the Kusanagi Blade, the Yata Mirror, and the Yasakani Jewel?"

"Indeed," Hagoromo confirmed. "Although, in the case of the sword, the one created by me is actually called the Totsuka Blade, whereas the Kusanagi itself had been created a few centuries ago by some humans."

"Oh, I see..." Yuno muttered, inwardly revising her previous theory.

It made sense to her, since there were bound to be some discrepancies even between seemingly similar historical facts, given the whole different universes affair and all.

Besides, it wasn't like the versions of the Imperial Regalia from her world amounted to magical artifacts or anything of the kind, so it was pretty much redundant to even try to make a comparison.

Hidan, on the other hand, seemed to have abandoned listening to the two's discussion at some point, but that most likely because he wasn't able to understand the topic that they had begun speaking about during the past few minutes.

And instead of trying to wrap his mind around a subject he knew would only bring him confusion and a potential headache, he had opted to simply return to his previous enthusiastic swinging of his scythe as he made sure to get his body once more familiarized with the feeling of wielding his trusted sharp weapon.

"Actually, now that you've reminded me, perhaps I should retrieve those artifacts from wherever they have ended up in the past few centuries, since they would simply be gathering dust with no one else capable of utilizing them around," Hagoromo spoke up as a thought entered his mind.

When he left his world two weeks prior, he had not bothered with tying in the less important loose ends, since he had been certain that his clone would have taken care of that as part of properly doing its job.

But given the fact that said clone had only managed to be a great disappointment and shame to him, this time around he had to make sure that things were seen through to the end.

There were several items that might prove to be useful to him at some point into the future, such as his treasured tools, so he would make sure to retrieve them, however, there were also a few things that were more or less useless in the chakra devoid world. Though they would still have to be disposed of, just to be on the safe side of things.

After all, it wouldn't do to leave potentially troublesome artifacts like those masks in the Uzumaki temple near the Leaf Village for anyone curious enough to meddle with, would it now?

A split second later, and a shadow clone popped into existence next to him, before just as fast as it appeared, it also vanished within the space-time fissure that opened in front of it.

"Hmm," Hagoromo sounded in contemplation as he glanced at the closing portal before him.

"Anything wrong, my love?" Yuno asked in concern not even a moment later as she carefully studied her husband's thoughtful expression.

His emotions through their bond didn't indicate that he was being troubled by anything, though, she just wanted to be completely sure that he was alright.

"Don't worry, my dear, it's none of the sort," Hagoromo assured her with a gentle smile and matching voice as he gazed at her worried face. "I was simply wondering whether I should still retrieve the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror or not, because I might not actually have any use for them, and they are anyway in a rather safe place."

"What do you mean?" Yuno asked, her previous worry already gone now that she was convinced that her beloved was fine.

"Well, they are currently in the possession of one Uchiha Itachi, who is no longer among the living, so they are basically placed into safekeeping within the Pure Realm," Hagoromo elaborated.

"Oh, I see," Yuno replied, not exactly caring about who this Itachi guy was. "And you say that they would be pretty much useless even if you were to retrieve them?"

"Yes," Hagoromo answered. "The sword is a rather decent fūinjutsu, but anyone moving fast enough can easily dodge it, and the mirror is essentially a poor imitation of a truth-seeking orb with zero versatility as well, given how it is shaped akin to a round shield."

"Then, I say that you should just let them be," Yuno spoke after a moment of contemplation on the matter. "Besides, if you actually want them at some point, then you could easily get them, anyway."

"Alright then," Hagoromo agreed with a smile.

"Though what about the Yasakani Jewel?" Yuno quickly added. "Do you have that one in your possession?"

"Indeed. That Regalia is in my possession," Hagoromo responded. "Why, are you curious about its ability?"

"Yep~" Yuno answered cheerfully. "I remembered reading something about the history of the regalia, and despite them being different given the obvious discrepancy between our worlds, so far the principles behind the first two of them still seemed to somewhat apply."

"Oh?" Hagoromo voiced in curiosity. "That sounds quite interesting, my dear. Please, share with me your observations."

"Sure," Yuno replied happily as she began her explanation. "From what I know, the three items of the regalia are supposed to represent the three primary virtues; valor for the sword, wisdom for the mirror, and benevolence for the jewel. The first two fit the theme pretty well, so I assume that the Yasakani Jewel's ability has to be a supporting one."

"That's very accurate, my dear. A splendid observation," Hagoromo praised as he offered his wife a smile, causing a faint blush to spread over her cheeks. "These were the aspects I had in mind when I designed those regalia."

Yuno snuggled closer to her beloved as she attentively listened to what he was telling her.

"And regarding the Yasakani Jewel, it is actually a necklace made of six magatama, and its ability is that of 'rejection'. More precisely, the Six Rejections of Reality; hubristic pride, greed, gluttony, lust, malicious envy, wrath, and sloth," Hagoromo elaborated. "The necklace essentially rejects any negativity within its area of effect, thus allowing those under its influence to see past the darkness of their hearts. Although, its ability is momentary, since it only persists for as long as the regalia is in use."

"Wow... that's a really powerful ability," Yuno voiced her thoughts after a brief period of contemplation. Based only on its potential alone, this necklace easily ranked among the highest tier of tools in her beloved's possession. "Have you ever used it?" she asked.

"Yes," Hagoromo replied, his voice gaining a somber note to it. "I've used it several times during my time spent as a wandering priest in the hope that it would help me set the straying humans back on the 'right' path. As you know, I was quite foolish back then," a humorless chuckle escaped his lips. "The power of the Yasakani Jewel might have allowed sinful people to see the world free of their respective sins, however, such a thing rarely changed them by itself, unless they truly wished for such a change. As I've said before, I've been very foolish during those times. Idealistic and naïve."

As soon as he was done speaking, Hagoromo felt his wife's slender arms gently wrap around his torso as she embraced him in a comforting hug.

"Didn't I tell you to stop talking like this about yourself, my love?" Yuno whispered in his right ear as she rested her head on his shoulder. "You've done your best in what you had thought to be the right thing at that time, and that is everything that matters to me. Anything else is irrelevant, and it should be the same for you as well."

A content smile formed on Hagoromo's lips at his wife's words and actions. "I know, my dear," he spoke, returning her hug with his right arm as he tenderly placed it around her lithe waist. "You are completely right with what you've said, though, I still can't help but chastise myself whenever I become witness to any past mistakes during my reminiscing. It serves as a constant reminder of the realizations brought upon by my true enlightenment. Those of which I must never forget."

"Mm-hmm," Yuno mumbled in reply, before she started nibbling on his ear, eliciting a chuckle from the young man.

"Anyway, let't return to the previous topic regarding Hidan, because the faster we are done with the preparations for the religion project, the faster we get to enjoy what comes after that," Hagoromo voiced with a knowing smile.

"Yep~" the rose haired girl responded as she stopped from her ministrations and made herself more comfortable in her husband's embrace.

"Hidan," Hagoromo suddenly spoke, raising his voice enough to make himself heard to the grey haired man in the vicinity.

The scythe wielding man quickly ceased the previous swinging of his weapon and acrobatic moves, and immediately rushed to the pale-skinned deity.

"Yes, my Lord," Hidan spoke in a deferent tone as he dismissed his weapon, causing it to vanish from his hands without any trace.

"Moving onto the subject of the body and power I gifted you with, there are several boons that my blessing has granted you," Hagoromo began as he fixed the pious man with his gaze.

Hidan adopted an attentive expression as soon as he registered the words of his Lord.

"First of all, I made sure to improve your inability to die to the extent of actual immortality, because your previous instance of it was very limited in many aspects and could hardly be called such."

Excitement and gratitude quickly colored the man's visage as he continued to listen.

"With this new body of yours, things like dismemberment, decapitation, or even mangling beyond recognition will no longer pose any threat to you. You will easily recover from such things in no time, as your body cannot be stopped through conventional means anymore."

Hidan's eyes shone in anticipation and an almost disturbing grin was beginning to form on his face at that piece of information.

"Although, inflicting these kind of wounds on you in the first place will in fact be much harder, since all of your physical parameters have been accordingly increased," Hagoromo continued, slightly amused at the grey haired man's reaction to each successive reveal. "But in the case that such a thing does actually occur, the fact that you now possess complete control over your body will make recovering a much more simple process. After all, what would decapitation achieve when you will be able to simply walk to your head, grab it, and then manipulate your muscles and tendons to easily reattach it while your improved healing factor quickly removes any traces of the wound itself?"

"You mean I can do the kind of stuff that Kakuzu would do to patch me up, but actually on my own?" Hidan asked in excitement, causing the snow haired deity to chuckle.

"Among many other things, yes," Hagoromo responded with an amused smile.

"Sweet!" the grey haired man exclaimed with a grin.

"Secondly, regarding the aspects related to your empowerment," Hagoromo continued with his explanation. "I'm certain that ever since your rebirth, you'v been able to sense a lingering presence within yourself that had mingled with your chakra and concentrated around the area of your forehead."

Hidan quickly nodded in affirmation.

"That, my faithful priest, is a fragment of my power which I have granted you as a reward for your piety," Hagoromo revealed. "And its purpose is to allow you to reach a height of power that will make the enemies of faith tremble in fear."

An expression of slight confusion settled on the reverent man's features as he wondered about the meaning of his God's words.

"What do you mean, my Lord?" he asked in curiosity, prompting Hagoromo to give him a pleasant smile as he replied.

"You will understand soon, but before I get to that part, there is one more thing left to cover regarding your abilities. It has to do with the ritual that you would eagerly employ on the heathen."

Hearing this, once again immediately got Hidan's complete attention as he excitedly wondered about what it could be.

"I know how, in the past, you have found the many requirements for said ritual to be rather bothersome, because they would take away from the time you could have spent on punishing the heretics. So I rectified that."

The grey haired man's eyes widened at those words as he began to realize what the changes to the ritual had been.

"For the activation of your ritualistic technique, you no longer have to draw the symbol of faith using the blood of the heretic," Hagoromo explained. "You can now activate your technique by simply ingesting the blood and offering a short prayer. Following that, the cursed technique will only end with the target's death, or if you so choose to prematurely end it on your own for whatever reasons."

"Thank you, my Lord," Hagoromo voiced in gratitude and joy as he knelt in front of his God. "You are too kind to this pitiful servant."

"Rise, my faithful, and know that you deserved these boons."

"Yes, my Lord," Hidan immediately complied and straightened himself as he stood up from the grassy soil.

"Now, to answer your question from earlier," Hagoromo began as he once more held the grey haired man's complete attention. "The latent power that you can feel deep within your being can be drawn upon in order to achieve an even more powerful form than that of your ritualistic transformation."

Hidan's eyes widened for a second time in surprise at the registered words.

"Though, in order to do so, you will require a certain fuel, one which has to do with the ability of your new weapon," Hagoromo added as he smiled in appreciation at the look of understanding that crossed his devout servant's visage.

"You mean souls, my Lord?"

"Indeed," Hagoromo responded. "You've done well on your deduction. It seems that when it comes to matters related to the faith, you do have your moments of brilliance. But I digress."

"Thank you, my Lord," Hidan bowed his head, happy at the praise that he had received from his God.

"So, as I was saying, your weapon is capable of storing a number of one hundred souls within itself. Anything beyond that amount will be automatically funneled to Naraka," Hagoromo elaborated. "This is an imposed limitation on my part and it has the purpose of making your battles more enjoyable. Although, rest assured, for in the case that you will be required to enter your most powerful form when facing against truly worthy adversaries, this restriction will also be lifted to ensure you access to your maximum fighting potential."

Hidan listened carefully to what the young man had to say as he raised his head.

"Moving on, your second stage of ritualistic empowerment requires the usage of those souls as fuel, alongside with the chakra I have gifted you with, in order to bring forth a power that will be sure to inflict terror on the heretics."

Hearing this prompted an excited grin to appear on the grey haired man's face as he started to imagine the glorious massacre he would be able to bring upon the heathens with such a power at his disposal.

"Though, keep in mind that the power of one soul amounts to only two minutes of that empowered state, and after the last soul is finally depleted, it is advised that you stop maintaining the form, because from that point onward, it will use your own soul as fuel."

This piece of information quickly brought Hidan out of his brief reverie as it made him contemplate on how he would never do such a thing. Not because of any fear of death, but because it would deprive him of being able to offer his service to his gracious God.

"However, in this case, since it is for testing purposes, I shall grant you the required amount of power to achieve your transformation for a few minutes," Hagoromo added, immediately getting drawing his servant's attention. "That should allow you to get familiarized with the empowered state for the first time when you will use it in actual combat."

"I am most grateful for your generous offer, my Lord, but I can't accept such a gift of your power just for the purpose of testing my technique," Hidan refused as politely and eloquently as he could, earning himself a smile from the snow haired deity. "Your power is too precious to be used like this."

"You are the epitome of what a devout follower should be, Hidan," Hagoromo spoke in a praising tone as he gazed in the man's purple eyes. "But this time I must insist on the matter, for I find myself rather curious about your second stage transformation and I wish to see how it manifests."

"Of course, my Lord," Hidan quickly acquiesced. "If that is your will, then I'll gladly obey."

"Good," Hagoromo voiced, before preparing a portion of his energy for immediate use. "Then, focus on that power within yourself and guide it outward. The rest I shall take care of, since there will also be no need for you to say the lengthier prayer to activate it either."

Hidan did just as told and began focusing on the power that he could feel originating from his forehead.

A moment later, a mark depicting a ringed eye with nine tomoe and the symbol of yin-yang for pupil appeared in the middle of his forehead, before it started glowing in a bright light.

Hagoromo summoned a water mirror in front of Hidan, allowing him to see the white, shining seal that became visible on the center of his forehead.

"That's the symbol of the faith..." the religious man muttered in fascination as he brushed his fingers over the radiating seal.

"Yes, Hidan, but in reality that is a seal which I have engraved onto your very soul," Hagoromo explained, casing the man's eyes to widen in surprise. "It is both what keeps your soul anchored to the mortal plane in the case that your body somehow gets completely obliterated, and what allows you to channel the power I have gifted you with in order to enter your heightened form."

"I understand... Thank you, my Lord."

"Now then, allow the power accumulated within yourself to envelop you completely."

The grey haired man did as told and allowed the chakra that had built up within his body to be released through his tenketsu as a pleasant feeling of empowerment rapidly enveloped his being.

The seal on his forehead stopped glowing and black wisps of chakra were released from all over his body, the process rapidly growing in intensity until he was surrounded in a dark haze that completely obscured him from view.

The pitch black chakra enveloping him began to shape itself akin to a cloak, revealing in the process the rather macabre and terrifying sight of what lay beneath the slowly dispersing dark mist.

Hellish yellow eyes belonging to a skull devoid of any flesh stared through the ragged ends of a dark cowl that flowed down into a black, wispy cloak held together by a pair of lustrous, matching pauldrons.

A multitude of golden coins strung together on a golden thread decorated a partially visible ribcage as they were interlaced between the ribs, and bony fingers attached to equally fleshless forearms held in their grip a great scythe whose handle closely resembled a spine toward the area where it met the razor sharp blade.

Hidan lowered his hands and weapon, marveling at the result of his transformation.

The ethereal cloak covering his skeletal form was constantly releasing thin wisps of dark energy as it billowed at the slightest gust of wind, revealing even more of the ivory bones hiding beneath it.

"Oh?" Hagoromo sounded in appreciation as he inspected his servant's new appearance, noting the presence of the faith's symbol both on the man's skull and on the hood covering it. "This transformation is quite ripe with symbolism in its aspect," he said, before glancing at his wife. "Don't you think the same, my dear?"

Yuno seemed to be of a similar mind to her husband as she looked with a critical eye at the transformed Hidan standing in front of her.

"Yep!" she agreed with a nod as her gaze stopped on the man's fleshless face. "It has the whole grim reaper theme down to a tee."

Hagoromo let out an amused chuckle at her words, before shifting his attention back on Hidan. "So what do you think of your transformation, Hidan?" he asked. "While in this form you are essentially impervious to any form of damage, although, powerful enough attacks will still be able to bypass this defense and harm you. And those which do not bypass it will still drain you of your energy the stronger they are."

"It feels incredible, my Lord..." the cloaked skeleton unclenched its jaw and breathed out in something akin to exhilaration after only a moment of thought.

"You can test it for a longer while, if you want," Hagoromo added with an appreciative smile.

He'd surmised that his servant's transformation would have been an unique one, as it was bound to reflect his true nature, however, to see it with his own eyes was much better, especially since it had also been quite surprising with its reaper motif.

"Thank you, my Lord, but I'll have to respectfully decline," Hidan quickly replied with a bow of his head. "I already imposed enough on your grace as it is."

"Very well," Hagoromo spoke as he stopped infusing his chakra through the seal. "Then, in order to end the technique, simply focus on the power flooding you and will it back inside the seal once you feel the influence of my chakra dissipate from within you."

Hidan did as instructed by his God and guided the power coursing through him back in its latent state within the seal on his forehead.

A moment later, and the dark cloak covering his form turned back into a black haze which once again completely obscured him from sight.

As the black shroud dispersed, the body of the grey haired man was revealed identical to how it had been prior to the transformation, however, he seemed to be struggling to stand upright and was heavily wobbling on his feet.

By the time the entirety of the dark mist was gone, Hidan finally lost his footing and collapsed face first to the ground as he let out a grunt of pain at the contact with the hard soil.

"Ugh!" he moaned as he slightly turned his head to get the grass out of his mouth. "What hit me...?"

The response he received from the pair of deities standing before him was along similar lines.

Yuno giggled cutely as she watched him struggle to stand up with no success as his arms failed to support his weight, whereas Hagoromo simply smiled in amusement as he materialized his ebon shakujō in his left hand.

"Do not fret, Hidan," Hagoromo assured as he gently tapped the downed man on his head with the hooped end of his ceremonial staff. "It is only normal for you to feel this degree of tiredness, since you have just returned from a state of great empowerment and your body requires time to adapt to such a drastic increase in power."

The effect was instantaneous and the grey haired man seemed to immediately regain his vigor as he quickly raised himself from the ground.

"But rest assured, because the more you will make use of this transformation, the less you will feel this side effect, until the point where you will no longer be affected by such exhaustion," Hagoromo added, dismissing his shakujō as he looked at his reinvigorated servant. "Though, do not expect me to restore your strength each and every time, since you won't be able to grow should I do so. This time I only did it because we are to leave for someplace else as soon as possible."

"I understand, my Lord," Hidan spoke in deep gratitude as he bowed before his God. "And, once again, I thank you for bestowing such a blessing on me," he grasped his pendant in his right hand and brought it over his heart as he continued speaking. "I swear to fulfill my duty as the Head Inquisitor of your faith to the best of my ability."

"Rise, my faithful," Hagoromo voiced pleasantly as a placid smile settled on his lips. After all, everything had gone according to the plan so far. "Now then, it is time to finally leave for the next objective."

"Okay, darling~" Yuno agreed in a cheerful tone and with a matching smile as she continued to gaze at her beloved.

"Where are we going, my Lord?" Hidan asked as he straightened himself and began dusting off his robe.

"We are going to visit my nephew."

"Nephew?" the religious man parroted in curiosity.

"Yes, Hidan," Hagoromo replied. "He is a direct descendant of my brother and he is currently living alone inside the moon."

"That sounds kinda boring" Hidan voiced his thoughts, unabashed. He seemed to become thoughtful for a moment, before he continued. "So, how are we going to get there? Are we going to fly? Or will you bring down the moon itself, my Lord?"

His suggestion was met with a chuckle from Hagoromo and a giggle from Yuno.

"Neither of that," the white haired deity revealed, a smile playing on his lips. "Instead, we shall be using this to get us to the moon in less than the blink of an eye."

Following his words, the air in front of them cracked open as a fissure in the fabric of time and space was formed.

"A portal?!" Hidan exclaimed in excitement as soon as his eyes registered the dark rift which opened in front of him. "That's super awesome!"

And with that he proceeded to rush toward the portal while yelling at the top of his lungs, before he dived right through the pitch-black void within.

"He sure is a lively one, right, honey?" Yuno asked with a smile.

Hagoromo chuckled in response to his wife's words. "That he is," he agreed with a smile of his own. "Though, it is a rather good attribute, because it means that things will hardly get dull when he becomes involved. All in all, he shall provide for us some fine amusement."

Yuno let out a giggle as she unlatched herself from her beloved's right arm, linking arms with him instead as they walked together into the portal before them.

The Celestial Decree.

The will of Ōtsutsuki Hamura, shaped by his loyalty for his brother and their shared wish of creating a peaceful world for mankind to thrive.

Yet, just as with Hagoromo's own teachings and values, so had it also lost its meaning with the passage of time.

The descendants of Hamura on the moon had become split by their different interpretations of their ancestor's will, and thus began warring against each other for their dissimilar views.

Those to emerge victorious were the members of the branch family, who believed that Hamura wanted them to destroy the Earth if the humans were found to be unworthy of Hagoromo's teachings.

Though, their victory did not come without a costly price.

They had been left on the brink of extinction, and their sole descendant was entrusted with their mission of carrying through their millennium old plan of punishing mankind for their weaponizing of chakra.

At that time, the young Ōtsutsuki Toneri had barely been approaching his early teens, but that had not deterred him from accepting the collective will of his deceased clansmen.

He had wholeheartedly decided to see through the branch family's Thousand Year Plan to its very end, and with the aid of the various tools he was left with after their passing, the task did not seem to be all that daunting anymore.

The thousands of automatons left in his possession would make for a great help in his mission, however, the treasure of his clan was the true key to the success of his plan.

With the power of the Tenseigan, he would be able to accomplish what his ancestors had entrusted him with and wipe off mankind from the face of the Earth.

Or so he had thought initially, because roughly two weeks prior, he was faced with a revelation which had brought him quite the shock, thus making him reconsider the things he had been trying to accomplish with his plan.

Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, the elder brother of Ōtsutsuki Hamura, had returned from beyond death and was once more walking the earth.

And not only had he come back among the living, but he also seemed to have had a significant change of heart, because the first thing he had done after stopping mankind's latest petty war, had been to take away all of their chakra, without as much as batting an eyelash.

Toneri had heard stories about how the elder brother of Hamura had gifted part of his power to the humans and nurtured them toward an era of peace, so it was very surprising to see the resurrected man act in such a manner toward the people for whom he had once cared so deeply.

Though, the young teen eventually rationalized that this change on Hagoromo's part must have been due to him witnessing how mankind had treated his teachings over the course of history with their constant warring and weaponizing of chakra.

It must have definitely been a heavy blow to the Sage to see what had become of his legacy after the passing of a millennium.

But beyond this initial surprise on his part, Toneri was filled with admiration toward the legendary Sage when he realized that his action of taking away chakra from the humans had actually been a form of punishment for them.

And despite thinking that they deserved much more than what Hagoromo had given them as punishment, he soon realized that it was no longer exactly his business anymore, because with the elder brother's return, most of the things he had been entrusted with kind of fell apart.

The Celestial Decree of Hamura spoke about observing mankind for a thousand years and deciding if they were worthy or not of Hagoromo's gift. And if not, then they were to be punished for their misuse of it.

However, now that the Sage himself was back, Toneri wasn't exactly sure of what to do, because it was clear to him that the elder brother still had some plans for the humans.

Not that he would have done anything even if he knew what to do, because for one, he was aware that his authority was greatly superseded by the legendary Sage's presence, and for two, he was neither stupid, nor suicidal.

He had seen the brief display of Hagoromo's might during his intervention in the last shinobi world war, and it paled even when compared to the feats he knew to have been achieved by Hamura himself.

So in the end, he decided to simply wait and see how things would proceed from that point onward, because there was honestly nothing else that he could have done.

He might have felt rather disheartened and disappointed at the fact that he hadn't managed to accomplish the Thousand Year Plan, however, there was truly nothing he could have done about it.

And yet, after two weeks of waiting, he was once again faced with surprise, one even bigger than the last time, when they had suddenly come to Earth in search for the chakra obtained by Hagoromo after the conclusion of the war, prior to his departure.

But instead of finding him, those two Ōtsutsuki had actually encountered his clone, a meeting that had not ended on a too great of a note, and that mainly due to the attitude of the clone itself, which had clearly diverged from what it was supposed to be, given the orders imparted to it by its creator.

Though, what had followed after that would have definitely made anything else prior pale in comparison, because with the eventual return of Hagoromo back from wherever he had been gone to, things had taken on a very dramatic turn.

Toneri might have been more than slightly surprised to find out that the legendary Sage had also been accompanied in his return by a young woman about whom he had referred to as his wife, however, that had been quickly replaced by shock and disbelief after a relatively short time.

Not only at the revelation of the tragic history between the Sage's family and those two invaders, but also at how their encounter had unfolded. The Sage was more than determined to exact retribution upon the one responsible for his father's death and Lady Kaguya's suffering.

Hagoromo alongside that woman, Yuno, inevitably faced those two Ōtsutsuki in combat, although, after several minutes into their fight, Toneri had been brought to a rather startling realization.

That woman was more than scary, and the things that she had done to her opponent, Kinshiki, had managed to actually incite his pity for him.

Yet, her actions had become even more vicious and merciless after Hagoromo had allowed himself to be temporarily incapacitated in order to be able to make his final assessment on the situation.

And despite the fact that she had been eventually overpowered by the one formerly known as Momoshiki, everything had changed when that individual had tried to lay his hands on her.

Toneri might have not viewed Hamura's brother as a frightening person, however, the things that he had been given to witness from that point of the fight and onward had made him completely reconsider his opinion.

Calling their altercation a battle after Hagoromo had reentered it would have been a huge understatement, because in truth, what had followed after that point had been a one sided massacre on the legendary Sage's part.

The display of power he witnessed was enough to cement in his mind the simple fact that Hagoromo was the God of this world, and that trying to harm his wife in any manner was equal to a self imposed death sentence.

The events past the conclusion of their meeting were unfortunately left unknown to Toneri, but that was due to the fact that he had felt too overwhelmed by what he had witnessed to continue watching through his projection technique.

He might have felt awe and admiration toward Hagoromo's actions, however, he couldn't lie to himself and say that he had not been afraid after being shown such an unfathomable extent of his power.

Witnessing someone get punched so hard that they would end up crashing into another planet tended to leave quite the impression on most people. Amongst many other things that he had also seen.

And that was the exact reason for why Toneri had spent the past two days in the silent confines of his room as he tried to recover from the shock of these recent events.

He wasn't exactly sure about what would happen next, however, right now he wasn't in the mood to think about it either.

The apprehension currently filling him was much less than that of two days ago, yet was still enough to make him not want to leave his castle within the moon.

And in the end, whether he left or not didn't exactly matter, because he wasn't really trying to hide from Hagoromo. Not that he could have done such a thing anyway, because it was impossible to hide from someone who could manipulate the fabric of space-time at will. But rather he was simply feeling less tense inside the familiar setting of his palace.

Besides, he was certain that should Hagoromo actually wish to meet him, then he would visit him anyway.

Toneri felt a tinge of excitement flood him at that thought.

It seemed that despite his current apprehension, the admiration he held for the legendary figure was enough to get him thrilled at the prospect of meeting him in person. And for good reason as well, because he was essentially one of the two remaining members of his extinct clan, on top of actually being his many, many times great uncle.

The young teen was suddenly brought out of his deep musings when he heard a high pitched yell that seemed to have originated from the front hall of his palace.

A moment later, his eyes visibly narrowed at the very unusual occurrence, before he quickly stood up from his bed as he went to investigate the source of this commotion.

Hidan jumped out the other end of the portal he had just entered a few seconds earlier, his echoing voice closely following him as he continued to yell in excitement while still being in midair.

As he landed on the ground a moment later, his brow slightly creased in mild confusion when he finally took in his new surroundings.

"Man, the moon sure is weird," he commented while glancing around himself.

He seemed to be surrounded by a bunch of large floating rocks, just like the one on which he landed only a couple seconds ago.

The lighting and atmosphere of the place was also equally odd with how artificial it seemed to be, however, he quickly discarded that train of thought when his eyes finally settled on the sight that stood only several dozen feet away from his landing position.

It was some sort of weirdly designed palace with an architecture that seemed to be too complicated for him to even bother trying to understand, though, he could easily sum everything he was currently looking at with one word.

Fancy.

The grey haired man's attention was once more drawn away from the imposing building before his eyes when he noticed a dozen or so blasts of yellow energy rapidly approach his position from the direction of the castle.

Realizing that it wouldn't feel particularly nice if he were to stand still and take those blasts head on, he quickly leapt from the spot, landing a moderate distance away from the significant explosion that rocked the large island a second later.

Feeling some of his previous excitement return, he quickly looked for the source of the attack and immediately spotted the small, fancily-dressed army that was only growing in numbers as it surrounded him.

However, upon a closer look to the individuals comprising said army, and after also remembering the earlier words of his Lord, he felt disappointed as he realized that he was actually facing a bunch of puppets.

"Man, this is no fun," Hidan whined childishly as he continued to stare down the still growing army of automatons. "Puppets are really no fun, y'know?"

Not really expecting to receive an answer to the words he had anyway spoken more to himself, the grey haired man materialized his trusty scythe and made a mad dash toward the puppets in front of him, his weapon grazing the earth and kicking up dust as he sprinted across the floating island.

The puppets fired another volley of energy blasts at the rapidly approaching man, to which Hidan responded by leaping high into the air and using his extensible scythe to maneuver himself behind the nearest line of opponents, bisecting them in one swift and fluid motion as he landed.

An eager smile found its way on his face as he realized that despite them being a bunch of lifeless dolls, he could still make it work, because no matter what it was, cutting up some stuff was always bound to make for at least a bit of fun for him.

Dodging another salvo of yellow tinted blasts, Hidan dashed to the group of puppets to his left as he let out an excited yell, before he swung his scythe in a wide arc, intent on cleaving them in half as well.

However, much to his disappointment, most of the automatons managed to react in time and jumped away from his strike, and he ended up cutting through only one of them, which was the closest one to him and had the least time to move.

"Heh, not bad for a bunch of dumb puppets," the scythe wielding man commented as he prepared to jump once more into the fray. "Though, I wonder where's the guy controlling you lot."

A moment later, he bolted off from his spot just in time to avoid a series of blasts that converged on his previous position, before he threw his scythe at the group of puppets approaching from his front, watching with glee as the sharpened triple blades cleaved with ease through their targets.

Rushing through the falling remains of the destroyed automatons, Hidan dodged more blasts coming from his rear, however, despite his nimbleness and sharp reflexes, due to the sheer number of opponents that he was facing, one yellow orb of energy still grazed his left ear, leaving it slightly singed.

"Hey, you stupid dolls, that actually stung!" he exclaimed, jumping to the side in order to evade another series of incoming blasts as he also made sure to take down any puppets that he passed by during his brief flight.

By the time he landed, the burn on his ear seemed to have already healed, and after he readied his scythe, he was about to once again launch himself randomly toward some nearby automatons.

However, before he could have done so, he had to stop himself when he noticed that the entire army of puppets surrounding him had suddenly went still as if waiting for further instructions.

He looked around in slight confusion as he searched for the cause to this strange occurrence, and after several moments of inspecting his surroundings, he eventually noticed the unfamiliar presence by the entrance of the imposing palace behind him.

Quickly turning around to face the newcomer, the grey haired man rested his large scythe on his right shoulder as he took in the appearance of the person who was slowly walking toward him amidst the countless, unmoving puppets.

It was a young pale-skinned boy in his late teenage years, with shaggy white hair, and attractive if not somewhat feminine facial features. His eyes were closed, and on his collarbones he had six magatama designs tattooed akin to a necklace.

He was clothed in a white, high-collared kimono tied with a black sash, over which he wore a pale green, longer and wider sash tied at the right shoulder. On the back of his kimono was depicted the yellow sun and moon emblem of the Ōtsutsuki branch family, and beneath his robes, he wore a pair of black, fingerless gloves, long, dark colored leggings, and black sandals.

"Who are you?" the boy in his late teens calmly inquired as he stopped several feet away from what he had labeled as a definite intruder.

However, as he regarded the grey haired man in person, the youth only felt his previous questions about him further grow, because while he could clearly sense the Ōtsutsuki chakra lying deep within the man, he was certain that he was not of his kin—or at least not entirely.

This man might have possessed the particular chakra of an Ōtsutsuki, yet it was not of his own, but rather it was simply clinging to it in await, something which left the teen quite confused as he tried to figure out what this all was about.

The aforementioned intruder, on the other hand, was looking with a blank expression at the newcomer as he wondered if his Lord's nephew might in fact be a niece.

He definitely didn't doubt the words of his God, however, the person currently standing a few feet in front of him could easily pass for a girl with how feminine his features seemed to be.

Deciding that it would much easier to just ask, Hidan opened his mouth and spoke.

"Hey, you're a guy, right?" he questioned in an uncharacteristically serious manner for the current situation as he eyed the boy up and down several times.

The question seemed to quickly snap the white haired boy out of his contemplation, prompting him to slightly furrow his brow as he replied.

"Yes, I am indeed a male, however, you have yet to answer my previous question. Who are you, and how did you come to possess Ōtsutsuki chakra mixed with your own?"

Hidan's response was to simply continue staring at him for a couple more seconds, before a grin formed on his face.

"You could've definitely fooled me with that face of yours and this army of dolls that are dressed up like they're ready to have a tea party."

Despite their obvious teasing nature, it seemed that the grey haired man's words had not been received too well.

"I am not going to ask so nicely the next time," the boy spoke once more, the beginning of a frown visible on his features as his tone also took on a discernible edge to it. "Who are you?"

"Hey, hey, you don't have to be such a stick in the mud, ya know?" Hidan replied in a slightly chiding tone. "Learn to take a joke, will ya?"

"Maybe if you learned some manners. Perhaps then I would consider your proposal."

"Tsk," Hidan clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Man, you're really no fun."

"I'm still waiting," the teen reminded.

"Okay, fine, you don't have to nag me on this," the scythe wielding man complained. "Anyway, I guess that you are definitely the nephew that my Lord has spoken of, so all I can tell you is my name and the fact that you'll have to wait until he and Lady Yuno get here if you want to have any other questions answered."

A look of realization dawned on the youth's face as he registered the man's words.

This man's presence here definitely made sense to him now and his possession of Ōtsutsuki chakra was no longer a mystery either.

Since he obviously was his loyal servant, Lord Hagoromo must have given it to him at some point as a gift for his services.

However, what had struck the boy most out of what he had just been told, was the part regarding the upcoming arrival of the legendary Ōtsutsuki and his wife, because the simple thought of meeting those two in person filled him with enough excitement to overcome the apprehension that he also felt at the idea of standing before two veritable deities.

"I'm Hidan, by the way," Hidan added after several moments of silence, pulling the white haired teen out of his musings. "Nice to meet ya, daifuku."

"What did you just call me?" the pale skinned youth asked in a dangerous tone as his earlier frown returned on his beautiful visage.

"I called you daifuku," the grey haired man replied nonchalantly. "What, you never heard of it? I know you've been living alone inside the moon and all that jazz, but seriously man... that's like some basic kind of stuff, right?"

"I assure you that I am familiar with the term," the boy responded evenly. "However, if you call me that again, then you might find yourself regretting it."

His tone took on a warning note toward the end, which was accentuated by the simultaneous movement of the puppets surrounding them—they brought their hands in front of themselves in a position that quickly reminded Hidan of imminent energy blasts he might have a hard time dodging from his current position.

"Hey, hey, hey, what did I say earlier about learning to take a joke?" the scythe wielding man voiced with his arms raised in a disarming gesture.

"And what did I say about you learning some manners?" the teen refuted coolly.

"Heh, point taken," Hidan replied with a grin, which became wider toward the end. "Daifuku~"

"I suppose that I'll have to beat some manners into you, then." Was the calm response that the man's previous words garnered from the youth, before countless yellow orbs of energy slowly blazed to life between the palms of each and every one of the puppets.

"Hey—" the grey haired man tried to reason with the boy in an attempt to avoid being bombarded with numerous blasts of chakra, however, was interrupted by a very familiar voice which sounded from a short distance behind him.

"I see that both of you have become quite well acquainted with each other."

"I see that you both have become quite well acquainted with each other."

Hidan quickly swerved his head to look in the opposite direction, and noticed the sight of his Lord as he stepped out of the still opened portal while accompanied by his wife.

From the corner of his eyes, he also noticed that the army of puppets had stopped charging their attacks and that the pale skinned teen seemed to have had a one-eighty switch in his personality with the expression that had just made its way on his face.

"Lord Hagoromo. Lady Yuno," the boy spoke with admiration in his eyes as he gave a slight bow to the approaching duo. "It's a great honor to meet you in person."

"Hello, Toneri," Hagoromo replied in a pleasant tone as he and his wife stopped a few meters away from the youth, who didn't seem surprised that they knew his name.

"Hi!" Yuno gave her own cheerful greeting, before she hugged her beloved's arm.

"So, your name is Toneri, eh?" Hidan mused out loud with a casual grin as he finally dismissed his scythe now that he was sure no fight will occur with his Lord's arrival. "I still think I like daifuku more, though."

This comment elicited a giggle from the rose haired girl, and another slight furrowing of the brow from the pale skinned teen himself.

"Now, now, Hidan, there will be enough time for jesting later on, but right now I would like for you to be more serious," Hagoromo voiced as he briefly glanced at the grey haired man.

"Yes, my Lord," Hidan immediately replied with a lowering of his head.

Returning his attention back on his nephew, who had a pleased smile forming on his face, Hagoromo spoke again. "Before we get to the main point which would be the reason for my visit, there is something that I believe you would like to ask me. More specifically, something pertaining to our clan and its fate over the past thousand years."

A momentary silence followed as Toneri immediately began thinking about what it was that the elder brother of Hamura had hinted toward with his previous words.

Several moments passed, before he finally came to a realization as his eyes slightly opened, allowing the others present to partially see the empty orbits beneath the eyelids.

Hagoromo and Yuno didn't seem to be surprised by this fact, however, Hidan looked like he might have wanted to make a joke about it, though, had to refrain himself as per his Lord's words from earlier.

"About the Celestial Decree," Toneri began in a serious tone as he closed his eyes. "I have been wondering about it lately, Lord Hagoromo. Could you please tell me the first version you had spoken to your brother a thousand years ago?"

"Very well, my nephew," Hagoromo replied. "What I told my brother a millennium ago was to simply wait and observe mankind for the upcoming thousand years. However, from what I learnt, it seems that my words had become distorted after my brother's passing."

An expression of shock settled on Toneri's features as soon as he registered what the snow haired young man had just told him.

So, the branch family had been mistaken all this time? And they even massacred the main family as a result of their misunderstanding?

It was revolting as it was shameful, and the teen couldn't find anything to say in the defense of their actions.

"Although, with my intervention from two weeks and a few days ago, you could say that the decree had been voided, because I have taken the matters into my own hands once more."

Toneri looked in confusion at the young man, his previous emotions still visible on his visage as he tried to make order through his thoughts.

"My nephew," Hagoromo began in a more gentle voice when he noticed the expression present on the boy's face. "Getting lost within actions of the past is nothing but a folly. Especially now that the world has been changed and its slate has been wiped clean," he slowly raised his left hand, palm facing upward. "The past is no longer relevant beyond simply being a reminder of the mistakes that should not be repeated. You need not to feel repulsed, ashamed, or regretful at that which no longer has any meaning. It will only keep you shackled and burdened if you do so," he offered the boy an assuring smile. "So come, Toneri. Shake off your bindings and come join me in the truth that I am offering you."

Yuno had to stifle a giggle at her husband's words when she understood what he was aiming at with them, which prompted her to bury her face in the sleeve of his robe as she hid her smile from any of the onlookers, exception being her beloved himself, who was aware of her general mood due to their bond and made sure to send her the mental equivalent of an amused smile.

Hidan, on the other hand, looked like he had abandoned the conversation for the past few minutes, since he had once again been overwhelmed by the discussed topic, and instead he had opted to mess around with the unresponsive puppets that he was placing in awkward positions to amuse himself.

Toneri, however, looked like he had been deeply moved by Hagoromo's words and slowly took steps forward as he approached the silver haired young man.

"Lord Hagoromo..." he spoke in a soft and impassioned voice as he kept his hollow eyes fixated on the young man's violet ones. His previous words had struck deeply within him and cleared away all of the doubts from his mind. And the closer he reached to him, the more relieved and free he felt.

"Cast away the burdens of your past, my nephew," Hagoromo said once more when Toneri got within an arm's length of him. "Leave behind that which no longer carries any meaning and dedicate yourself to me. Do so and you will experience the clarity and joy of the truth."

"Yes, Lord Hagoromo," the white haired boy spoke in reverence as he stopped in front of the young man and knelt. "I will."

"Very well," Hagoromo responded as he placed his extended left hand on Toneri's head, before it was joined by his right one, which his wife was still holding, albeit a bit more loosely than earlier. "Then, rejoice my nephew, because you shall become the one to spread the only truth and oversee those who choose to uphold it henceforth."

His words were immediately followed by the lighting up of his palms, an action which managed to draw Hidan's attention from his previous activities, as they were engulfed in distinct glows—dark for his left and white for his right, before a familiar looking seal appeared on the teen's forehead for a few moments.

Toneri didn't have more than a few seconds to ponder on what he had been told, before he suddenly felt a sensation of empowerment envelop him and reach deep within his being.

It didn't take him long to realize that what he currently felt was in fact Hagoromo's chakra that was blending with his own in a very similar manner to what he had sensed earlier in Hidan.

The overwhelming chakra rapidly converged toward the center of his forehead, before it seemed to settle down and slowly vanish, until it was just barely out of his grasp and would require a conscious focus on his part to be brought back to the surface.

An odd tingling sensation in his eyes quickly brought the teen's attention away from the chakra he had been gifted with, and when he opened them, shock was immediately etched into his features as he realized that his sight had been restored.

Yet, that was not all that he could feel to have been changed about him.

Knowledge of the nine creeds that held the truth his Lord had spoken of were present in his mind, just as knowledge of the symbol of his faith was also there.

"Thank you, Lord Sovereign," Toneri finally broke the silence as he spoke in an almost fanatical tone. "Thank you for bestowing your grace and power upon me. I hereby vow to follow and uphold your will until I take my last breath."

"You can rise, Toneri. Your life as the Head Overseer of the Esoteric faith begins henceforth," Hagoromo replied, his lips forming into a welcoming smile as he removed his hands from atop the boy's head. "And worry not about your eventual demise, for it will never come to be. I have made you immortal, so even if your body were to be destroyed, the seal which I have engraved directly into your spirit will keep you within the world until you are returned to flesh once more."

"I cannot find the words to express my gratitude in the face of your grace, my Lord," the pale skinned teen spoke with a bow of his head.

"That is of no consequence, my nephew," Hagoromo replied evenly. "I do not need to hear words to know what you are feeling." His smile stretched further. "My eyes see everything, after all."

"Of course, my Lord."

"Now then, Toneri, apart from your immortality, as you have already noticed, I have given back your sight which had been sealed when you were born," Hagoromo revealed. "However, the eyes which you now possess are not merely the Byakugan, but rather a step beyond."

Toneri's eyes widened in realization.

"Indeed. I have gifted you with the Tenseigan, the dōjutsu wielded in the past by my brother."

The boy simply remained speechless upon hearing Hagoromo himself say it.

Hidan was scratching his head in slight confusion as he probably wondered what the Tenseigan was, whereas Yuno wondered why she and her beloved didn't possess said dōjutsu as well."

"Hey, darling, why don't we also possess the Tenseigan?" the rose haired goddess asked in curiosity.

"Because there is no need for us to awaken it," Hagoromo answered as he glanced at his wife. "The Tenseigan is a mutation of my brother's Byakugan in an attempt to match the great power of my mother's kekkei mōra variant. And since we already possess the same kind of Byakugan as Kaguya, there is no point in having the Tenseigan."

"Oh, that makes sense," Yuno spoke with a smile. "Thank you for the clarification, darling."

"You are welcome, my dear."

Hagoromo returned his gaze on his nephew, before speaking. "Now then, I assume that you would like to see the power of the Tenseigan for yourself, correct?"

This quickly snapped Toneri out of his previous stupor.

"Yes, Lord Sovereign," he immediately replied. "If it's not too much, then I'd like to test the dōjutsu myself."

"Very well."

Following his words, a rift suddenly opened in the air in front of him and Yuno, in which they promptly entered.

A moment later, they were also joined by Toneri and Hidan, the former slightly frowning at the latter's grinning face after noticing the handiwork he had done to a few dozen of his puppets.

"I'm really looking forward to our future time spent together as partners, Toneri," the grey haired man spoke in a boisterous tone, bringing an arm around the youth's neck in a somewhat uncomfortable hug.

Toneri's response as the portal closed behind them was to simply sigh, because while the man was still being mildly annoying, he had at least dropped that stupid nickname from earlier.

"How come there's oxygen on the surface of the moon?" Yuno questioned a few moments after exiting the portal along with the others. "Was it pulled from the Earth when you created the moon a thousand years ago?"

"Indeed, my dear," Hagoromo replied. "However, that alone wouldn't have been enough to keep the breathable atmosphere stable."

"Because of the very weak gravity, right?" she added.

"Precisely," Hagoromo responded. "But to circumvent that, my brother created a tool that essentially functions as both a terraforming device and power source. The Tenseigan Energy Vessel."

"Tenseigan Energy Vessel? What's that?" Yuno asked once more in curiosity.

Hidan seemed to be curious about it as well, and Toneri gained a reminiscent look in his eyes at the mention of his clan's sacred treasure.

"Hmm, I'd say that it depends on whom you ask," Hagoromo said. "To me, it is an important family heirloom made by my brother, however, for Toneri, it is the sacred treasure of the clan. A treasure honed through the suffering of every clan member who had given up their eyes to be sealed within it alongside Hamura's own, in order to increase its power."

Hagoromo briefly glanced at his nephew, noticing the pensive smile that formed on his face at his words. "But, in essence, it is a very powerful, room-sized generator that can produce the energy equivalent of the sun," he continued as he gazed back at his wife. "It is what powers everything inside the moon, including Toneri's army of puppets, which he can easily control with only his mind."

"I see," Yuno voiced in understanding. "Thanks for the explanation, honey."

"You're welcome, my dear."

"Eh..." Hidan uttered with a look of confusion present on his face, more to himself than to anyone else listening, however, when he noticed that he had managed to draw everyone's attention, he scratched his head as he gave a sheepish chuckle.

This earned him a chuckle from Hagoromo and a giggle from Yuno, though, in the case of Toneri, his previous display seemed to have garnered a more different reaction.

"Seriously, Hidan? You weren't able to understand that much?" the pale skinned teen voiced in mild disbelief. "I can't help but wonder how you've survived long enough for Lord Hagoromo to find you..."

Hidan gave another laugh at his partner's words, before he spoke casually. "Oh, that's easy. I was sort of immortal even back then—hey!" he abruptly stopped when his mind finally caught up with the full meaning of Toneri's words. "That was totally an insult!"

"Your astuteness never ceases to amaze me," the white haired boy replied with thinly veiled sarcasm, causing an expression of outrage to manifest on the grey haired man's face.

"Hey, you wanna say that to my face?!" Hidan challenged angrily, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

"I just did, you dolt," Toneri replied smoothly, eliciting a brief look of confusion on the less intelligent man's face, which quickly morphed back into one of outrage.

"Hey, fu—" Hidan tried to say, but was quickly interrupted mid sentence.

"Shut up, and pay attention to what Lord Hagoromo has to say," the short haired youth spoke in a harsher tone, before he looked away from the grey haired man and back to Hagoromo.

Hidan decided to put an end to the argument for the time being, in favor of listening to his Lord, however, he promised to continue it at a later time, preferably when they were alone, so that if things escalated, then he'd be able to also have a good fight.

"Before you can test your new eyes, Toneri, I'll first have to transport this moon to my core dimension and replace it with another one from a random dimension, as I would like to keep the things that are inside it intact," Hagoromo spoke as he began infusing chakra to his third eye.

Toneri and Yuno seemed to easily understand what those things that he didn't want to get damaged were, however, for Hidan it seemed to be a lost cause, since the look of excitement on his face probably had to do with just the moon swapping part of the sentence.

"Oh, and one last thing. Don't worry about the atmosphere disappearing after I swap the moon. You no longer have to breathe in order to live. However, if you still wish to do it out of habit, then simply infuse some wind natured chakra in your lungs."

"Okay," Yuno replied with a smile.

"Of course, Lord Hagoromo," Toneri spoke as he also seemed to be quite anticipative of what he knew that would come.

"Yes, my Lord," Hidan replied with a grin as he stared intently at the snow haired deity, waiting for whatever that was supposed to happen, to happen.

"Now then," Hagoromo uttered as the skin in the center of his forehead split open, revealing his crimson Rinne Sharingan.

A moment later, and he surged his chakra in preparation for the technique—something that only Yuno was able to sense due to the sheer magnitude of power, though, had Toneri used his Byakugan, then he would have been able to see the chakra building up in the young man's third eye.

Yuno couldn't help but feel amazed at the incredible speed with which her beloved had realized the exchange of cosmic bodies.

It had been instantaneous, and only the fact that she could sense his chakra made it possible for her to notice the actual change caused to the world by his Amenominaka.

Another moment passed, followed another one, and then by a few more, until Hidan finally couldn't take it anymore and made his thoughts known.

"When will the moons be swapped, my Lord?"

Toneri seemed to be sharing the same question to some extent, as well.

Hagoromo gave his faithful priest an amused smile.

"The moon has already been replaced," he revealed casually, getting shocked expressions from both Hidan and Toneri. "You should already be able to notice the atmosphere dissipating due to the lack of proper gravity."

"Incredible..." the pale skinned teen breathed out in astonishment.

He had seen the technique before during Lord Hagoromo's fight with Momoshiki, however, now that he was able to be there in person it felt even more surreal to have the world change right before your eyes and be unable to even realize it.

"Maaan~, I totally missed it when I blinked earlier," Hidan whined childishly as he poked his foot against the dusty surface of the replaced moon.

"You wouldn't have noticed it even if you paid attention, you idiot!" Toneri interjected as soon as he recovered from the previous shock. "The transfer had been instantaneous. The only one capable of sensing it must have been Lady Yuno."

Yuno confirmed the boy's words with a nod, however, Hidan didn't seem to be too interested by these details.

Instead, he seemed to be annoyed at Toneri's initial response of calling him an idiot.

"Hey, you did it again!" the grey haired man exclaimed with a tick mark on his forehead. "You wanna settle this with a fight, or what?! Huh, daifuku?"

Toneri was about to give another harsh retort to the man's stupidity, however, he stopped himself before he could have opened his mouth as an idea entered his mind.

He promptly ignored Hidan's insistent stare and shifted his gaze to Hagoromo.

"May I begin?" he asked politely, to which the silver haired deity simply smiled.

A smile of his own appeared on Toneri's visage as he directed his chakra to his eyes, which turned into the Byakugan for a split second, before they changed once again, the pupil becoming a deep blue, whereas the irides turned a lighter shade of blue with an intricate, white floral pattern.

"The Tenseigan looks kinda weird," Hidan stared intently at Toneri's eyes for a few moments, before commenting with a grin. "And it's also a bit girly, but I guess that it suits you."

He gave a chuckle at his own joke, before reassuming his previous grin.

"I think it looks pretty nice, doesn't it, darling?" Yuno asked cutely.

"Yes, it does," Hagoromo replied, before glancing at his nephew. "It is just as I remember it when my brother first showed it to me. It definitely suits you, Toneri."

"Thank you, Lord Hagoromo," the pale skinned boy glanced at the rose haired girl. "Lady Yuno."

"C'mon, man!" Hidan suddenly voiced, sounding rather bored and impatient. "Do something interesting already."

Yuno giggled in her husband's sleeve in response, and Hagoromo himself smiled in amusement at what he knew that would come.

Toneri remained silent and simply went through a few hand seals, and as his hands stopped in the tiger seal, he was quickly engulfed by a cyan colored shroud of chakra, which had six magatama symbols on the collar, dark markings over his eyebrows and lower eyelids, and a single rabbit-like horn extending from his forehead.

"How does the Tenseigan Chakra Mode feel, Toneri?" Hagoromo inquired as he inspected his nephew's heightened form.

"It's... simply amazing..." the teen spoke as he took a few steps around, his hair and clothes billowing in a nonexistent breeze.

"I'll say it, dude, you look pretty badass right now," Hidan gave his own input as he studied his partner's transformed appearance.

Yuno, on the other hand, chose to remain silent and simply watch the proceedings as she laid comfortably on her beloved's right arm.

Toneri extended his right hand, and in front of his opened palm nine gudōdama manifested.

He focused his chakra into one of the orbs, causing it to glow the same color as his shroud and grasped it in his hand.

"Ginrin Tensei Baku!" he uttered, hovering several meters in the air as he aimed his hand in the distance, before a powerful, massive silvery typhoon was released from the truth-seeking orb.

The vortex of wind easily tore through the moon's crust and continued to dig deeper until it emerged on the other side, leaving behind a fairly wide tunnel through the celestial body.

Hidan let out a whistle at the destruction caused by the technique, whereas Hagoromo and Yuno simply watched in silence.

"That was flashy but still pretty weak!" the grey haired man commented, completely unabashed. "I've seen Pain do more impressive shit on a whim, so if that's all, then you leave me kinda disappointed."

Toneri's response was to allow a rather sinister smile to form on his lips as he raised the same hand upwards, prompting all of the gudōdama to merge together, before he infused most of his chakra in the resulting orb as a golden light momentarily enveloped everything in the vicinity.

"The fuck, man?!" Hidan yelled angrily. "Cut it out with the light show! I can't see jack shit from down here!"

However, as the light began to die down, the grey haired man's next words were caught in his throat when he noticed the gigantic golden sword that was rapidly forming in the teen's hand, reaching to such heights that he couldn't even see where it actually ended.

"Kinrin Tensei Baku!" Toneri voiced as he gripped the sword's handle, swinging it downward as if it weighted as much as a feather.

Hidan didn't have much time to admire the beautiful sight of the descending golden edge, because he soon realized that it was heading straight toward his position.

"Fuuuck—" he shouted as he tried to move his body away from what could be best described as certain death for most, or a truckload of pain for him.

Fortunately, due to his great reaction time and sharp reflexes, he was able to evade the approaching blade in time, before it actually sliced cleanly through him, and he only lost a few strands of his hair as the glowing edge whizzed past him in its trajectoryi.

Hidan watched with his mouth agape as the golden sword cut cleanly through the moon in mere seconds, before it emerged from the other side, where it finally dissipated.

Moments later, cracks formed alongside the place where the sword had sliced through the moon, and the two halves began to slowly distance one from the other.

"Hey, you glittery asshole!" Hidan yelled after he managed to recover from most of his previous shock. "You were definitely aiming for me with that huge ass sword from before, weren't you?!" he glowered at the still floating teen. "That would've hurt like a bitch if I didn't manage to get away from it!"

"Whatever do you mean, Hidan?" Toneri responded in an innocent tone as he landed back on the bisected moon's surface. "I was aiming at that crater over there," he pointed in the distance at the clean cut canyon that he had made through a sizable crater. "You just happened to be in the way of my attack, so it would've been your fault had you failed to dodge it in time."

The grey haired man looked like he might have wanted to continue with the argument, however, to his better judgement, he decided to drop it for now, lest he actually incurred the teen's wrath for real the next time.

He wasn't exactly dying to experience the cutting edge of one of those gigantic swords.

"Fine!" he relented. "I'll let this one slide, so you better be thankful to me for it. Ya hear me?"

"Yes, yes, Hidan," Toneri agreed offhandedly as he powered down from his Tenseigan Chakra Mode and deactivated his dōjutsu.

"Is that all for now?" Hagoromo asked after a few moments of silence. "Or would you like to test anything else?"

"No, Lord Hagoromo, that would be all," the pale skinned boy replied, before a brief smile formed on his lips. "I've had enough fun with my last technique."

This earned him a giggle from Yuno and a chuckle from Hagoromo, whereas Hidan simply grunted in indignation as he kicked a pebble in the abyss between the separated halves of the moon.

"Ah, yes, the Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion," Hagoromo spoke with a smile. "A very powerful attack, indeed. It reminds me of my own technique."

"Oh?" Yuno sounded curiously as she didn't recall hearing about such a thing in the tale her beloved had told her.

Her curiosity seemed to be mirrored on both Hidan's and Toneri's visages as well.

"I suppose that I can show it to you," Hagoromo decided. "But first, allow me to restore the moon to its proper state."

Following his words, he clapped his hands, and not even a split second later, the two halves of the moon were quickly brought together and mended anew as if nothing had ever sliced through them several minutes ago.

He didn't say anything about Hidan's and Toneri's expressions of amazement at the casual way in which he had made the moon whole once again, and instead began to hover above the surface, stopping a significant distance away, but still within the visual range of the onlookers.

White streams of energy began to emanate from his left arm as he extended it to the side, hand slightly opened.

Dark substance began to coalesce atop his palm in the form of a thin blade of pitch black, and he grasped onto it as he brought his arm upwards, above his head.

A moment later, his voice echoed down to the moon's surface as he infused his power into the gudōdama he was holding.

"Shinken (Divine Blade)—

The thin sword began glowing a dazzling white, and with a swift movement, Hagoromo swung his hand down at the space in front of him while uttering.

Tenchi Shūen (The End of Heaven and Earth)."

And with his words, the world around him was cast in a blinding white as a colossal tide of radiant energy surged through the cosmos in the direction of his swing.

The light instantly engulfed all that stood in its path, covering the darkness of the universe akin to a never-ending veil of white that seemed to reach far beyond what could be seen.

To those watching from afar, it might have easily seemed as if some divine entity had decided to enact a curtain call for that part of the cosmos.

"Holy fuck!" Hidan exclaimed, his mouth half opened as he was staring at the humongous wave of pure white that covered the space as far as his eyes could see. "This thing is on a whole other level from what you've shown us earlier, Toneri. You can't even compete with it, man..."

Toneri could only nod in response, as he was left dumbstruck by the sight he was currently witnessing. The sheer power that he had managed to glimpse in the attack was both terrifying and awe-inspiring, and he was certain that it was but a sliver of what his esteemed uncle was actually capable of.

Yuno, on the other hand, was watching the unfolding events with excitement clearly discernible in her eyes as she admired the overpowered technique that her husband had unleashed upon the unfortunate world.

From what she had been able to sense, the attack could have easily split the universe in half, had her beloved been a little serious about it. Because, as things currently were, it was obvious to her that he had used his technique as more of a show than anything else.

A few seconds passed before the power of the technique began to subside, allowing the seemingly unending wave of white energy to disperse and reveal its effect upon the world.

Hagoromo was gazing at the fading remnants of chakra with an amused smile as he inspected the damage caused by his attack.

In the wake of the enormous slash, an endless void, darker than even the cosmos surrounding it was left akin to a permanent scar.

His artistry for theatrics and the dramatic seemed to have shined through once again.

Letting out a small chuckle at that particular thought, the Sage glanced at the massive tear in the fabric of space-time for a few more moments as he idly wondered if he had accidentally sliced through something of major importance in whichever other universes that his technique might have passed through.

Chances were that it did, though he didn't exactly feel like checking for such a thing at the moment. He would take the time to assess for any possible damage sometime later, as right now he had some more important matters to attend to.

And besides, if he had truly caused any damage of major importance, he was quite positive that he might get contacted by some entity in that regard.

So, for the time being, he would just fix reality by manually reconnecting the space-time continuum that he had previously severed with his attack.

With that in mind, Hagoromo opened a rift in the space before him and stepped inside the void as he headed back to the surface of the moon.

"That was the single most awesome thing I've ever seen in my life," Hidan declared with a rather disturbing grin on his face, being the first to break the silence that had settled among the spectators on the moon after they had witnessed Hagoromo's technique.

"I'll have to agree with you on this, Hidan," Toneri replied, still barely out of his previous stupor.

"Hey, Toneri, do you have any clue about why the space is different where our Lord has cut through it with his sword?" the grey haired man asked curiously as he lightly nudged his partner with his elbow.

"Actually, no," the teen promptly replied. "That's something I've been wondering about myself."

Both of the men's attentions were brought to the rose haired girl when they heard her giggle in response to their previous words.

"It's pretty simple," Yuno spoke with her usual cheerful smile. "Darling's technique has cut through the fabric of the universe itself," she giggled again. "I guess that he really went for the flashy bonus here."

She gave another giggle as she looked at their dumbstruck expressions. "Don't think about it too much," she advised. "Just accept it as it is. It's easier on the mind."

"Dude..." Hidan looked at his partner with an unsure expression. "I don't know how to respond to that."

Toneri glanced back with a similar expression. "Me neither..."

i"I mean, Lord Hagoromo actually sliced through the fucking reality, man," the grey haired man added. "I can't even understand how that shit works to begin with."

"Yes, Hidan, I get it," the pale skinned teen replied in a slightly tired tone. "Now be silent, because I'm about to get a headache."

"Uh... Okay, I guess?" Hidan half stated, half asked.

Several moments passed, and the two men's attention, as well as Yuno's were brought to the portal that suddenly opened in front of them.

Out of the portal stepped Hagoromo, who was immediately joined by his wife, who headed straight for his right hand to which she quickly latched onto.

"Honey, I think that you should give those two a brief explanation about the stages of gudōdama empowerment because they look pretty confused" the rose haired girl spoke with a giggle.

"Oh?" Hagoromo sounded as he glanced at his nephew and his faithful priest. "Is that so?"

They both nodded at that.

"Very well, but first let me deal with that hole in the universe above us," he spoke as he formed a half tiger seal with his left hand, focusing his chakra.

A moment later, and the tear in the space-time continuum began to rapidly stitch itself closed until it was completely mended within a few seconds.

"Alright, now let's begin," the snow haired deity spoke as he glanced at the two men, who were looking at him with widened eyes. "In essence, the standard truth-seeking orb is formed by combining all five basic nature transformations, which allows it to reduce anything it touches to nothingness, the only exceptions being chakra itself and the user, who are immune."

Toneri and Hidan merely nodded almost mechanically in acknowledgement, prompting Yuno to giggle once again.

"Darling, I think you broke them with the show you put up earlier."

"Nonsense, my dear," Hagoromo replied with a casual wave of his hand. "They are just mentally fatigued after a very eventful day."

Yuno simply giggled without saying anything else.

"So, as I was saying, beyond that level it is possible to further empower a gudōdama by applying yin-yang release to it—such as in my, my wife's, and your case, Toneri—which allows for the orbs to nullify anything that they come into contact with, be they of spiritual or physical origin, this time with the exception of the user and senjutsu chakra."

The two nodded once more, prompting Hagoromo to continue with his explanation.

"And beyond that point, one can bring the technique to an even greater level by directly infusing the orbs with their chakra, just as Toneri and I have done, which, depending on how powerful the user's chakra is, allows them to cut through higher planes of existence, or different dimensions altogether.i In you case, Toneri, your chakra is only strong enough to achieve the former, however, that is still powerful enough to be considered overpowered."

"I... see..." Toneri was the first to speak of the two. "Thank you for the explanation, Lord Hagoromo."

"Yes, my Lord," Hidan followed in suit after a moment. "Thank you for telling us that. I might have not understood all of it, but I still got enough of it to get the general idea of how it works."

Toneri could only sigh at his partner's reply.

"Any other questions?" Hagoromo asked as he deactivated his Rinne Sharingan, allowing the skin on his forehead to stitch back together and cover it.

The two shook their head in response.

"Very well," Hagoromo spoke as he opened a portal in front of him. "Then, it is time to finally get back to Earth and finish the last of the preparations."

And with that, he entered the portal alongside his wife, leaving Toneri and Hidan behind as they had yet to move from their spot.

A couple seconds passed, before Hidan started to walk toward the portal, only to stop in front of it when he heard his name called by his partner.

"Hidan."

"What?" the grey haired man asked as he turned his head to look at Toneri.

"I... apologize for aiming at you with my sword earlier" the white haired teen voiced, sounding quite genuine.

After that he also walked to the portal, but was stopped in a similar fashion when Hidan suddenly addressed him.

"Toneri!" the man spoke with a grin as he brought the pale skinned boy in a one armed hug. "You're pretty nice, bro! Don't worry, I'll forgive you."

"Let go of me, Hidan!" Toneri hissed as he tried to pry off the man's arm from around his neck.

"C'mon, tell me the truth," Hidan replied in a cheerful tone. "You actually like me, right?"

"Hidan, shut up, or I'm going to use you as target practice for my scattering chakra rosary!" the white haired teen threatened.

"Aww, man, don't be shy," the grey haired man continued in his lighthearted voice. "And what's a scattering chakra rosary?"

"Keep talking and you'll find out soon," Toneri spoke ominously.

"Gah, you're no fun, man!" Hidan commented. "Loosen up a bit, will ya?"

This quickly earned him a pointed look from the boy, whose eyes were already reflecting the Tenseigan pattern.

"Okay, okay, I'll shut up!" the man quickly relented, feeling mildly disappointed, but glad that his partner had deactivated those scary eyes.

"Good. Now get in the portal!" Toneri ordered as he stepped in the portal alongside Hidan, who had yet to release him from his friendly hold.

The grey haired man grinned as the portal closed behind them.

He might have lost this battle, but so far he was slowly winning the war. He would become best buddies with his partner in no time.

"So, what do you think is gonna happen now?" Hidan asked in a whisper as he stepped out of the portal alongside his partner.

Toneri glanced around himself, noting that they were back in the destroyed Valley of the End, before he turned to look at the grey haired man.

"How about you stay silent for five minutes and simply watch if you are so curious?" the teen retorted as he stopped walking and shifted his attention to the white haired young man and the rose haired girl standing several feet in front of him.

"Heh, I can do that," Hidan spoke in a cocky tone as he also stood still and released Toneri from the one-armed hold, before he moved his attention in the same direction as his partner, not noticing the small smirk that settled on the boy's face.

Meanwhile, Hagoromo and Yuno seemed to be having a discussion of their own as they stood atop the surface of the large lake that occupied most of the valley.

"Who is this last preparation going to be, darling?" Yuno asked with a cute smile. "Another one with baggage?"

Hagoromo's response was to let out a chuckle as he hugged her closer to him. "Indeed," he replied with an amused smile. "My smile from earlier gave it away, didn't it?"

Yuno giggled at that. "Yep~"

Hagoromo gave another chuckle as he brought his hands together in a manner similar to praying, readying his chakra.

"Well then, let us begin," he spoke as both Toneri's and Hidan's gazes were fixated on him.

A moment later, and a whitish flame came forth into existence before him as it grew in size and intensity until it reached a little over half his height.

The chakra rapidly began to settle and acquire distinctive features, soon revealing the flickering form of a boy with a youthful appearance, messy-grey hair, pink pupil-less eyes, and a stitch-like scar running from under his left eye, all the way down to his cheek.

The youth was clothed in a grey, sleeveless shirt, a short-sleeved mesh armor over which he wore a green poncho, along with a turquoise sash around his waist, paired with a green apron over his dark green pants.

He also wore a pair of brown boots, whereas on his back, he carried a staff-like pole weapon taller than himself in size, with uneven sized hooks and a green flower decoration on the larger end.

The young looking male glanced around himself in confusion for the better part of the minute after his summoning, before his eyes finally settled on Hagoromo, more specifically his violet, ringed orbs.

"Oh? So you recognize the Rinnegan?" the silver haired deity mused as he materialized his shakujō, watching how the silent boy stared at him with wide eyes and an expression of almost shock. "This simplifies things by quite the significant margin, then."

The grey haired youth continued to remain silent as he simply stared at the person in front of him as if he was looking at something not belonging to the world as he knew it.

"Yagura of the Bloody Mist," Hagoromo began in an even tone, finally jolting the boy from his stupor. "Do you know who I am?"

Yagura felt a pang of guilt stab at him from the inside at the mention of his nickname, however, he was too absorbed in the question that the entity in front of him had calmly posed to dwell that much on that emotion.

"God..." was all that he could get out in a whisper before the piercing gaze of those violet eyes that stared right through his soul.

Hagoromo smiled at his response. "Then can you guess why it is that I have brought you back from that dark place?"

"To... judge me?" Yagura asked unsurely.

"Not quite," Hagoromo replied, earning a confused look from the boy. "I have seen how the guilt you felt for your actions, whether willing or unwilling, during your reign as the Fourth Water Shadow has weighted down on your spirit so much that you have been incapable of moving on to the Pure Realm."

Yagura didn't say anything and simply listened in silence as he once more felt a stab of guilt on the inside at those words.

"Which is why I have decided to offer you a chance at redemption in my eyes," Hagoromo continued. "Should you agree and dedicate yourself to my will, then you shall be given the truth that will wash away your guilt. And if you deny, then I will simply send you to the Pure Realm."

The grey haired boy stared with wide eyes as he took in what he had just been told.

This meeting had been so far almost surreal to him as he had never dreamt of such a thing. And it had only become more incredible during the last part when he had been given the choices to decide his fate.

At a first glance neither of them seemed to be an unsuitable choice, however, to him, being sent to the place where all the people that he had made suffer were, would be so much worse than having to spend an eternity with his guilt in the purgatory.

He was definitely not ready yet to face the anger of those whom he had unjustly wronged, so he could only choose one thing.

He knelt before God and lowered his head.

"Your will is my will. Order me and I shall obey, my Lord," he uttered in deference.

Hagoromo smiled and briefly glanced at his wife, noting the smile also present on her visage, before he gazed back at the kneeling Yagura.

He raised his arm holding the ebon shakujō and lightly tapped the boy on his head with the hooped end, causing him to shine for a moment, before a familiar looking symbol appeared on the youth's forehead.

Yagura's spirit stopped flickering as it was once more given flesh, and the grey haired boy could only remain unmoving in muted silence at the otherworldly sensations that roused his being.

The truth that he had been promised followed soon and as it settled in his mind it slowly began to disperse the encroaching guilt that had been plaguing him for so long.

"Rise, Yagura," Hagoromo spoke after a minute of silence. "Henceforth, your new life as the Overseer of this world shall begin."

"Yes, Lord Sovereign!" Yagura voiced out and immediately rose to his feet, noticing that he was being approached by the other two males who had been standing in silence until now.

"So, another one joins the party, eh, Toneri?" the grey haired man spoke in a boisterous manner as he nudged his companion in a friendly manner, before glancing at Yagura. "I'm Hidan, by the way, though I guess that you can call me senpai~"

"Hidan, stop fooling around and be more serious," Toneri reprimanded, before he shifted his attention on Yagura as well. "I am Ōtsutsuki Toneri, and I shall be your supervisor from now on."

"Pleased to meet you both," Yagura replied in a polite tone. "As you might have already heard, I am Yagura, the Fourth Water Shadow."

"Hey, Toneri, I think you'll be getting along pretty well with this guy," Hidan commented with a grin. "You both look girly, are tight wound to the point where it looks painful, and are polite to a fault."

Yagura didn't respond, but that was probably because he didn't want to get involved in the craziness that the man seemed to exude, however, in Toneri's case, things were a bit different.

"Hidan, I believe that you have only kept silent for four minutes and forty-four seconds, and thus, you have failed your little, self-imposed challenge," the pale skinned teen spoke with an eerie smile. "So, unless you shut up and stop acting like a child for the next hour, I'm going to have to punish you for it."

"Man, you counted that?" Hidan asked in disbelief, before an expression of outrage crossed his features as he registered the last part. "And since when has this been a punishment game?!"

"Since the moment you've decided to open your mouth and give me a headache," Toneri replied smoothly, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Now shut up, unless you want to find out how it feels to impact against the moon's surface; from the Earth, and beyond the speed of sound."

"Alright, fine, sheesh..." Hidan relented and started grumbling to himself. "Man, you really know how to take the fun away from almost everything..."

"Now then, my loyal and faithful followers..."

The three males' attention was immediately drawn to their God when they suddenly heard him address them and they quickly knelt before him.

"I have given you the necessary tools and knowledge, so now it is time for you to begin rebuilding the world and tailor it to my will," Hagoromo spoke as he dismissed his shakujō. "I have something important to attend to for now, although, I shall not be gone for too long. Yet I expect you to be diligent in my absence and bring forth that which I have envisioned for this world."

"Yes, my Lord!" Hidan voiced with a lowering of his head.

"Understood, Lord Hagoromo!" Toneri followed after only a moment.

"We shall do as you command, Lord Sovereign!" Yagura was the last one to reply.

"Very well," Hagoromo opened a rift in front of himself and Yuno. "Then, I shall be taking my leave," he walked within the dark void alongside his wife, speaking one last word before the portal closed itself shut. "Farewell."

The three males remained in their kneeling positions for a few more moments as they wondered about how to begin with their assigned missions, however, they were quickly brought out of their thoughts when they heard a soft but powerful voice echo from everywhere yet nowhere at once as it resonated throughout the world.

Essence — The Sovereign is in all, and everything, there are no equivalents; he is the one and only peerless existence.

They listened with widened eyes as they instantly recognized what was being spoken.

Attribution — The Sovereign is unshackled, there are no concepts that could restrain the Sovereign, for he is above all, and everything; can mortality truly affect one who has no end, or beginning, who existed before Chaos itself?

"The Nine Creeds..." Toneri whispered softly as he placed his hands in a prayer fashion and began to listen in reverence.

Authority — There is no power except the Sovereign. Every breath you breathe, the exhalation of oxygen, of magic of life, is dependent on the grace of the Sovereign.

Yagura felt the words resonate within himself and he lowered his head in submission as he continued to listen to the voice of God.

Lordship — The Sovereign is the only aspect of worship, to worship any other is idolatry, for to worship anything other than the great Creator and Aider, is infidelity.

Hidan held his pendant tightly in one hand, keeping it pressed to his lips as he repeated the commandments inside his mind.

Justice — The Sovereign is Justice. There is no Justice above him, for he incarnates Justice. For such, discard the delusions before Enlightenment, since Justice is Sovereign, there are none other.

Arcs of lighting started to dance across the sky, illuminating it in a show of deadly brilliance.

Recompense — The Sovereign acknowledges the irredeemable falsities of a faction of souls. Suffer not for the heathen to live. For they can only serve the Sovereign with their cessation.

The wind started to slowly pick up, until a fairly strong breeze was sweeping across the lands.

Revelation — The Sovereign offers all Revaluation; man, of his own will, can either embrace the truth, or Recompense. For the Sovereign is truth, Just as he is Justice.

The clouds cleared from the sky, revealing to anyone looking a sight that was bound to leave them speechless.

The sun and moon were both visible, and the day was rapidly turning from dusk to dawn.

Reality — The Sovereign's Eyes That Govern Over All of Creation dictate reality, for beware, for the heathens, live in a delusional dream. Anger not in their presence, simply cleanse, and awake them.

The earth began to slowly tremble, not so harsh that it would cause any damage, but intense enough to be felt by everyone.

Predestination — The Sovereign sees, he knows, and he acknowledges.

As soon as the voice faded, so did the lighting dancing across the sky, the blowing winds, and the shaking of the earth.

Several moments passed, before the three kneeling males slowly stood up and started walking together toward a seemingly random direction.