This is nothing more than a brief recollection.

A memory that was more than a thousand years old. So very old that Kali had practically forgotten it. In fact, she wasn't even sure it was a real memory at all, but some fantasy that she convinced herself had been real.

It was from a simpler time. Before she knew about gods and goddesses, duty and destiny, and all the things that would come to not only define her life, but all the lives of the people she would transmitigrate into.

Back then, her grandmother, Otsutsuki Kaguya, hadn't yet become a demon obsessed with power and the subjugation of humanity. No, she had just been her 'Baba', and Kali had at one point in infancy been quite taken with her.

Yes, just like on the day this memory took place. It was the middle of summer, the rays of the sun shining so bright, the outside garden seemed to shimmer. Cicadas buzzed angrily, and the smell of incense filled her nostrils.

"I'm bored!" The young Kali drawled, rolling around on the tatami floor, kicking and stamping her feet with each complete turn. "Baba! Let's go outside and play!" She hated being cooped up inside, especially in weather as nice as this.

"No child, not today." Her grandmother said, gently yet also with unquestionable authority. Kaguya was an incredibly pale woman, her skin and hair unnaturally snow-white. If she went out in the sun, even her pale Byakugan eyes- the same eyes as Kali- seemed like they might get sunburned. Of course, a child as young as Kali didn't understand things like cause and effect or that actions had consequences yet.

"Why not…!?" So she threw her little tantrum instead, rolling onto her stomach and scooting over to her grandmother's lap and burying her face in her thighs. Kaguya sat seiza style on the small patio that looked out into the garden, just barely within the protection of the shade. A single step forward would bring her into the boundary of the sun.

"It is dangerous." Kaguya answered, lifting her hand to gently stroke Kali's bluish-purple hair. "I can feel Amaterasu's jealousy, and it seems especially strong today." She glanced up at the sun as she talked, almost like she was afraid of it.

"Amaterasu…?" Kali asked, barely managing to pronounce the name at all. She followed her grandmother's gaze, but couldn't understand what it was she was truly looking at. She knew now that this was because Kaguya hadn't been looking anywhere out there, but instead inwards.

"Ohirume Amaterasu." Kaguya whispered, her voice carrying many memories and emotions. "The Otsutsuki Clan and the Ohirume's have long been at odds with one another… well, the Otsutsuki have never had many we can call friends. The same goes for me. Ever since I was born, I was mostly alone. Except, when your grandmother was a little girl, she did have one friend. From this clan she wasn't even supposed to associate with."

"You used to be little?" Kali tried to imagine it, a version of her grandmother that was just like her. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't see it.

"Yes, child." Kaguya stifled a giggle with her long sleeve. "I was once not much different from you. I wanted nothing more than to go out into the wilderness and play… and on one such adventure, I met her: My childhood friend, Ohirume Amaterasu." Kaguya smiled whimsically, but something about her expression was also deeply sad.

"What happened?" Kali wondered out loud. This was the first time she had ever seen her grandmother make an expression like that. She didn't even understand what it meant, but she knew it made her heart feel heavy and she wondered if her grandmother felt the same. She didn't want that.

"I had to leave." Kaguya said. The words seemed almost frigid when compared to the warmth she had spoken about her friend earlier. "And I don't believe Amaterasu has ever forgiven me for that."

"Oh, I know how to help!" Kali jumped up, balling her little hands into fists and holding them in front of herself. "Asura and I got into a fight the other day. He was suuuuper angry at me. So Uncle made us sit down in front of each other until we both apologized. Now we're besties again! You and Amaterasu just need to do that!"

"…If only it were that easy." Kaguya said, and it sounded like she actually meant it.

"It's not?" Kali didn't understand. It worked for her and Asura. Why not for Kaguya and her friend?

"Unfortunately not." Kaguya shook her head. "Amaterasu's pride is not something that can be placated with a mere apology. Understand this, child. If Amaterasu ever makes it to this world, it will not be to talk."

"Then… what will she come here for?" Kali asked, still unbearably naïve about the true nature of the gods. Now that she looked back on it, this conversation was probably where her fear of them started. In no small part due to her grandmother's answer.

"She will come to be loved." Kaguya said, her voice haunting. "But do not misunderstand that to mean she will come in peace. No, her love will be terrible; It will be unreciprocated, it will be compulsory, and it will be without compromise. All those under this sun will love her…

"Or they will burn."

Hinata of the White Lotus

Amaterasu

There was a black sun.

No, that wasn't entirely correct. This wasn't a sun in any true form of the word. For starters, it was much too small. It was maybe fifty meters in diameter, only appearing as large as it was because it hung low in the sky, hovering just over the top of Konohagakure's tallest building.

The real sun had nearly set now, casting the last rays of orange light over a mostly purple sky. Twilight was here, and with it came a terrible guest.

For this was no sun, but a portal. It had once been an impurity, forged by Sasuke's flesh and Orochimaru's curse seal, then set alight by Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan. The perfect storm, leading to the birth of something never seen on this planet before.

Silence reigned over the village. No one made so much as a single sound, all of them captivated by the deep blackness of the fake sun. The Shinobi who had been fighting, the civilians fleeing in panic as well as those blissfully unaware of the skirmish, even the animals didn't so much as dare to breathe. Something was coming. Most of them just had no idea what.

Only Hinata and Tobi knew the truth. One of them had been trying to prevent this, the other actively seeking it. Yet even they stood transfixed, unable to do anything now but watch what would be.

Floating steps made of orange fire materialized, creating a path between them and the gateway. Finally, the first appearance of their guest arrived. A slim foot stepped out from the portal, wearing a black wooden clog with a single long tooth, the toenails painted black, standing out against tanned skin. The wooden clog slapped the flaming step with a distinct clack. Then the other foot appeared, coming to stand on the same step.

Each step was agonizingly slow, the rhythmic clacks of each one causing Hinata to flinch. Yet she couldn't tear her eyes away from this. No one could. The bottom of a red silk kimono came into view next, the material hanging down to just above her ankles. As the woman descended the staircase one step at a time, the rest slowly came into eyesight.

The kimono was of gorgeous design, mixing the colors of crimson, gold, and black. It wrapped around the woman's presumably slim figure, hiding most of the details and leaving her actual proportions up to the viewer's imagination. One thing they knew for sure: she was tall.

It wasn't until several agonizingly slow steps later that her face finally came into view. Like her feet, it was tanned, yet looked almost pale when compared to her long, jet-black hair. She wore bright red lipstick to match her kimono. Yet her most distinctive feature- were her eyes.

She had the Byakugan, only not quite. Instead of the normally pale iris of the Hyuga clan, this one was a pinkish-red. The first time that Hinata had ever seen something quite like it. She gazed down over them, her very expression alien and unreadable.

The Goddess known as Ohirume Amaterasu was here.

"Has this world no manners?" She spoke, her voice ringing out like a bell. It compelled everyone that heard it to listen and obey. "Is there not a soul here that will usher in my arrival?" None could answer her request, for they knew not what she was asking for.

Except for one man.

"I'll do it." Tobi hopped down from the veranda he had been sitting on. He strolled forward, the ability of his Mangekyo Sharingan allowing him to walk through Hinata- and Neji, who was still holding her up- like they weren't even there. Stopping at the bottom of the flaming steps, he dropped to one knee and gazed up at Amaterasu, who stared down at him from the top.

"As I said: This garden world lacks manners." Amaterasu's arms had been crossed in front of her until now, but no longer. She pulled them apart, revealing beautiful slender fingers and painted black fingernails long enough to be mistaken for claws that had been hidden behind the long sleeves of her kimono. With one of such fingernails, she pointed down at Tobi. "You would dare disrespect one such as myself by coming before me while hiding your face?" Her very tone carried with it the wrath of fire.

"I apologize. It was not my intent to disrespect you." Even Tobi couldn't continue the jocular facade, or perhaps he just no longer felt the need to. He reached for the orange mask, lifting it from the bottom, then pulling it off to reveal a young face, half of it marked with terrible scars. "My name is Uchiha Obito. As the one that arranged your transport here, I am but a loyal subject at your service. Use me as you see fit." He inclined his head, waiting for her judgment.

It wasn't Amaterasu that spoke next, however.

"Obito…?" Hatake Kakashi stumbled forward, his two students temporarily forgotten. It was like he was looking at a ghost. Hinata hadn't noticed it until now with everything else going on, but the chakra signature of their Sharingan was exactly the same. That meant this man was…

There was no time for Hinata to connect the dots. The moment Kakashi had started moving, it was like the floodgates had broken open. Panic returned to the streets, the civilians fleeing from the black sun and the woman that had stepped out from it.

"Itachi!?" Sasuke finally noticed his brother was there, standing just behind Hinata. Rage overtook his features and a moment later he vanished, a broken piece of concrete taking the place he had just been standing.

The sound of a thousand birds could be heard from just behind them, Sasuke's metal arm producing a blade of lightning chakra. "Chidori!" He called, aiming at the back of Itachi's head.

Itachi didn't move. He didn't even seem to know what was happening. It was only as Hinata spun around to face both brothers that she understood why. Blood gushed out of his right eye, running down his face and dripping all over the front of his clothes.

It was the same eye that had been used to open the portal. Amaterasu had given Itachi the ability to use a part of her powers, all with the hopes that he would one day bring her into this world. Now that he had accidentally succeeded, he no longer had a use for the eye and it had exploded while still in his socket.

The pain of an eye bursting while still in your skull left Itachi momentarily paralyzed, unable to react, even as his own brother closed in to kill him.

"Sasuke-kun, no!" Hinata's body moved automatically, no time to think of anything like the repercussions of her actions. "Yata no Kagami!" The ability hidden in her right eye activated, the blue spectral shield blocking Sasuke's attack and knocking him backwards.

"The Yata Mirror…" Amaterasu spoke, and it was then Hinata realized the folly of her actions. She knew the mirror once belonged to this goddess. Kali had told her as much. Now she just revealed that she had taken possession of it. She didn't have to turn around to feel that Amaterasu was glaring at her intently, her very gaze carrying with it an intense weight. It was like gravity itself pushed down on her, making it hard to breath, let alone move.

Finally, her gaze shifted, moving back once more to Obito. "To the man that claims to be my servant, bring me the girl holding my mirror." She commanded.

"Enough!" Danzo yelled, the authority and power in his voice unbefitting an old man having to lean on a young boy simply to remain standing. He glared up at the goddess, Amaterasu, unaware of what she truly was. "You will order Tobi to help kill Itachi and then you will leave my village." He demanded. No, it wasn't a demand.

The power of the Mangekyo Sharingan in his right eye was casting a genjutsu. It was powerful, more so than any one Hinata had seen before. He intended to manipulate a goddess and bring her to his side. All without understanding it would never work. The power of the Sharingan was useless on her.

"You dare-" Amaterasu's rage boiled over, temporarily robbing her of even simple speech. Despite the fact the sun had set, the temperature rose several degrees, hot enough to make everyone start sweating. Her red Byakugan activated, veins bulging along the side of her head, and the pupils became more distinct.

That was the only warning he got. Which was to say barely any at all.

Danzo's head exploded. One moment he had simply been standing there, giving orders. The next a bomb of black flame detonated inside his brain. The right eye of the Sharingan he thought to use to manipulate Amaterasu popped out, landing with a slick splat among his brain tissue and torn facial skin.

The boy that had been holding Danzo screamed. It was a petulant wailing, like that of a child that had just lost his parents. He pulled Danzo's headless body close, as if trying to keep him alive. That was a mistake. The black flames spread, burning him now too. His wails of bereavement became those of agony instead.

Amaterasu had already moved on.

"I do not like to repeat myself." She said, turning her attention once more to Obito. "Do my earlier bidding, and I shall accept you as my vassal." There was no room for argument.

"…Very well then." Obito acknowledged with a shrug, rising to his feet and turning to face Hinata. The death of Danzo didn't even appear to weigh on his mind. He didn't seem anything like who he pretended to be while wearing the mask, his current expression that of someone who had given up on the world. Even his two Sharingan- one of which didn't appear to be his own- looked dim when compared with the usual glowing red eyes.

As Obito had moved to take her from the front, Sasuke had redoubled his efforts to reach Itachi from behind. The two of them were essentially pincered, threats closing in on them from both sides.

"Knock it off, Sasuke!" Naruto finally caught up to his teammate, tackling him and knocking him back over. The two scuffled wordlessly on the ground for several moments, neither one able to stumble back to their feet. Sasuke seemed to give up trying to get around entirely, glaring at Itachi with his Rinnegan eye, chakra building in it for the same teleportation jutsu he used earlier.

The moment he released his jutsu was the same time Naruto knocked his head to the side, causing him to misfire. The two wrestling teammates vanished, their position being replaced by another piece of debris. For a little while anyway, Naruto had managed to buy them some time.

That was only one part of the problem, however.

"Obito, stop!" Kakashi jumped in between them and the formerly masked man. "What happened to you, why are you doing this?" It was obvious now that there was a lot of history between these two. Yet none of it seemed to matter to Obito at all.

"Why?" Obito repeated, almost like he didn't understand the question. "I shouldn't have to tell you of all people how broken this world is, Kakashi. It needs correcting. And who better to guide it there than a god?" He went to take another step forward, but there was a sudden hitch in his step.

"You traitor…!" A black entity of some kind rose from the ground, fusing with Obito's flesh and crawling up his right leg.

"There you are, Black Zetsu." Obito grinned down at the strange creature, not appearing at all concerned that it had captured him. "I was wondering when you would show your ugly face."

"What about the Infinite Tsukuyomi? What about Rin?" Black Zetsu crawled further up, having now covered nearly the entire right half of Obito's body.

"Tsukuyomi. Kaguya. Amaterasu. Call it whatever name you want." Obito didn't even try to fight or pull Black Zetsu off, instead continuing to chat without a care in the world. "You haven't even captured a single Biju, so I chose a shortcut instead. Amaterasu will be the one to bring about our new world now."

"But how!?" Black Zetsu yelled, covering half of Obito's face. "How did you know about the other gods?"

"…Who knows?" Obito asked with a sinister grin. A moment later and Black Zetsu let out a wretched scream as spikes of wood impaled it from below, popping out of Obito's very flesh. It fell off of him like molted snakeskin, left to writhe on the ground.

"Obito… you-" Kakashi could only stare at his one-time friend. Or rather, all that was left of him. His childhood teammate was dead and gone.

"Don't make that face, Kakashi." Obito stepped up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You weren't the one that killed Rin. It's this world that killed her." When Kakashi had no answer, Obito continued past.

He walked straight towards Hinata now, with the intention of bringing her before his new master.

"Not so fast!" Might Gai came flying in from above, his foot slamming into the top of Obito's head. As this wasn't inside the Kamui dimension, it had no effect, simply slipping by him like he wasn't even there. Obito didn't even turn to acknowledge that it happened, just continuing without pause.

Tenten threw a volley of shuriken. Tayuya unleashed her Uzumaki chakra chains. Anko summoned more snakes. Neji pushed his Jyuken strike through the air. Nothing hit.

Obito didn't pause until the last couple of steps, when Itachi moved to stand in between them. Her last line of defense. A single man with one hand held over his recently destroyed eye. Even when he couldn't move to defend himself, he had stepped up for her.

"I'm a little surprised," Obito admitted. "You must have really taken a liking to her… or is it perhaps you aren't afraid of me now that you know I'm not Madara?"

"…My life has been full of mistakes." Itachi said. "Starting from when I sought you out to help kill our clan. However, from the moment that I took up the role of Hokage, I've felt like I was back on the right path. I owe that debt to Hyuga Hinata. I won't let you take her." He also understood how much of his own fault all this was.

If he hadn't asked Hinata to help him restore his right eye, then he wouldn't have been used to summon a god. If only he had heeded their warnings and took them more seriously. It was too late for that. All he could do was protect Hinata and help her. For she was the only one that could fix things now.

"And what makes you think that's your choice to make?" Obito tilted his head, looking past Itachi and at Hinata directly. "She's plenty powerful and more than fast enough to have fled by now. Yet she's still here. Isn't that because she's already given up?" It would seem he was misunderstanding something. She wouldn't correct him though.

"He's exactly right." Hinata stepped forward, eyes downcast, as she placed a hand on Itachi's arm to get him to let her pass. "It's fine already, Itachi-san. This is my responsibility." She was Kali's reincarnation. It was supposed to be her job to prevent all this from ever happening in the first place. Yet soon after being entrusted with the role, she failed.

"You can't mean to give up," Itachi turned to her, preparing to use Kotoamatsukami if he had to in order to convince her to continue the fight. She lifted her face for a brief moment, and the thought vanished. "If that's your will then," He relented and took a step back, glancing over to where Shisui's other eye had landed.

"You ready to go?" Obito asked, holding out his hand. It was almost like he was testing her. Ensuring her spirit was truly broken.

"I do just have one question." Hinata knew this would likely be her last chance to find out for sure, and he had dodged the question earlier when Black Zetsu asked. So she decided to word it differently. "Isn't the one that killed Kamui none other than Amaterasu?"

"…That is some intuition you've got there." Obito confirmed her theory. "Black Zetsu tried to manipulate me using a stone tablet he had altered in order to revive his chosen god. What he didn't know was that there was a second tablet lost in the Kamui dimension. It's there that I learned about the other gods and changed my plans." What he didn't tell her was that Black Zetsu had been lying to him the whole time.

While it was true that the ultimate goal had been the Infinite Tsukuyomi- a world of dreams where everyone could be happy- what Black Zetsu failed to mention was that it would be his mother that would benefit from the jutsu. In the end, Obito didn't actually care, so long as the world order changed. Amaterasu just happened to be the one that got summoned first.

That was all there was to it.

"I see, thank you for answering my question." Hinata placed both hands in front of her and bowed politely. "I'm ready." Then she took Obito's hand in hers.

The world bent away, Hinata's vision twisting as she was once again drawn into his teleportation technique. They passed through the Kamui realm before then popping back out into their world.

This time atop the flaming steps. Despite looking like they were made out of pure fire, the steps were solid and cool to the touch. It was a strange sensation, as just looking at them made Hinata feel like she might fall through at any moment. Almost like walking atop a cloud.

Her gaze was still cast downwards, Amaterasu's tanned feet directly in her line of view now. She knew that if she tilted her head up just slightly, she would come face to face with the visage of the terrifying goddess. This was something she didn't dare do, maintaining her gaze while her knees began to tremble.

At this distance she could smell her now too. Amaterasu wore a powerful perfume, reminding her of a field of sunflowers. It was not what she expected. The smell wasn't unpleasant, but it carried the image with it of nature: Of bugs, and soil, and sweat. This wasn't a scent meant to entice others, but the very personification of summer itself.

Like Hinata, Obito remained completely silent, standing on the step just behind his prisoner. He had the good sense not to try and score points by bragging about having done her bidding. It was this good sense that saved his life.

"I thought as much," Amaterasu spoke, her voice reaching the outskirts of the city. Those that far heard it at the same volume Hinata did. It was almost like she wasn't speaking with her voice, but through nature itself. This made sense, as Hinata couldn't actually see anything like the flow of normal chakra in her. She was one with the world around them.

"You are Kaguya's grandchild, are you not?" Amaterasu reached her tanned hand forward, black claw-like fingernail poking Hinata's chin and lifting her head. White eyes met red. "No… not her grandchild, but you do have her chakra." She said as she studied her. "You still have traces of Kaguya's beauty, diminished though they may be. Of course, her Byakugan was never as beautiful as my Gurengan." She turned away from Hinata now and studied Obito.

"You, however, are quite ugly." She decided after a moment's pause. "With that twisted face, mismatched eyes, and pale flesh. I see now why you chose to hide behind the mask." If Obito took any offense to her words, he did not show it. "Fortunately for you, I quite adore ugly things. And I am a god of my word. You shall henceforth be my first vassal." She declared.

"Thank you." Obito dropped down to one knee, placing his hands upon the other. "I have already prepared a country that is ready to receive you. Simply say the word, and I will take you there."

"I do hope they are more receptive than this backwater village has been," Amaterasu gazed in displeasure over the residents of Konoha. "I would very much desire to see this country that you speak of, but there are a couple things that must be handled here before that; This village must be made to understand what it means to reject me. Also, this child still has something of mine."

The Yata Mirror.

That was what Amaterasu wanted from her. However, Hinata had no intention of giving it up. She glanced just behind the goddess, having to only look ten paces upwards.

The black sun was still there.

In other words, the portal in which Amaterasu had come through hadn't closed yet. The sun was growing noticeably smaller, the impurity running out of energy and shrinking every second. However, it wasn't too late. Portals could be entered from both sides.

She may have failed to prevent Amaterasu from crossing over, but she could at least ensure she knocked her back in. For this purpose she had allowed Obito to bring her up here. He assumed it was because she had already given up, but that wasn't the case at all. It was the exact opposite. It was because she still desired to fight.

If Hinata had been like her old self, then Obito would have certainly been right. She would have given into her despair already, trapped in a downward spiral of pity and self-doubt. But she was no longer that person. Itachi had seen it the moment he looked into her eyes, and he knew she was going to fight.

"What will it be, Kaguya's grandchild?" Amaterasu asked, still not aware of Hinata's true intentions. "Understand that I am only giving you this choice as a courtesy to my childhood friend: Will you give me what is mine willingly? Or will I be forced to rip it from your eyes?" The question drew Hinata's gaze to the claw-like fingernails.

Despite herself, and all the confidence she had managed to accumulate, she still felt terrified. Perhaps that couldn't be helped. Her opponent was an actual god. It would have been weird if she didn't feel any second-thoughts about this course of action. That was how Hinata knew she was also still herself, which was somehow a comforting thought.

She took a deep breath, stabilizing her shaking limbs and calming her nerves. With the power of her Nichiren Byakugan, she could look down at all her allies gathered below. Those who had been with her and those beginning to accumulate now. Then she returned her gaze to Amaterasu's red eyes: The Gurengan, as she called them.

"I'm not Kaguya's grandchild," She spoke for the first time in front of Amaterasu, lifting her hand and placing it on her temple. On one of the eight most critical tenketsu points in the human body. A powerful chakra erupted off her, lifting her hair and clothes from the wind that such power alone was able to generate.

Amaterasu wasn't affected in the slightest. Instead, she smirked. Almost like she expected this. "Then speak, child. Name yourself. And understand that when I kill you, it's not out of any grudge for you in particular. Kaguya betrayed me first." She spread her arms wide, as if offering Hinata the first strike.

Their battle- the battle to determine the fate of their world- was about to begin. And while it would have been sufficient for Hinata to give only her birth name, she felt emboldened to give the name the people of her country had given her.

"I am Hinata of the White Lotus."

Chapter End

AN: In Japanese mythology, the goddess Amaterasu had several names, not limited to Amaterasu Omikami (天照大御神) and also Ohirume no Muchi no Kami (大日孁貴神), among many others. So I took parts of those names, and kind of used them to make a full name for the sake of the lore in this fic. This Ohirume clan has their own special eyes called the Gurengan (紅蓮眼 - Crimson Lotus Eye).