Naruto: The Lethal Protector
Chapter 21: Reunited at last, Kaguya's Love, and Defying One's Fate
…
The Akatsuki moved cautiously through the ruins, the devastation still crackling in the air. Pain, Konan, and Zetsu had regrouped, standing in the shadows of the collapsing buildings as they watched the aftermath of Hidan's destruction. His monstrous, symbiote-fueled body had been obliterated, leaving behind nothing but smoking remnants. The attack from Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, the others and But Tobi, the ever-calculating observer, was already considering his next move. Hidden within his mask, his single visible eye flickered with mild amusement as he prepared to retreat, calculating what the next steps would be in the grander scheme.
Then he saw something.
Or rather, someone.
Out of the smoke and ash that lingered in the battlefield, a faint, ethereal glow began to manifest before the charred remains of Kaito. His body, little more than a burned skeleton at this point, lay still on the ground, missing his left arm and legs, his insides utterly destroyed by the intensity of his sacrifice.
Tobi's eye narrowed, watching as the shimmering figure slowly materialized, her presence undeniable, her aura impossible to ignore.
It was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
She collapsed to her knees beside Kaito, her once-imposing figure now trembling, fragile. Her hands, once symbols of godlike power, reached out with a trembling uncertainty as she stared down at what remained of him.
"Kaito..." she whispered, her voice breaking, barely recognizable as the stoic goddess that had once threatened to consume the world. Her hands hovered over his charred form, her fingertips brushing the scorched remains of what was once a vibrant, powerful man. "No… no... no!"
Kaguya's eyes widened in horror as she examined him closer, seeing his insides—burned to a crisp, blackened and broken beyond repair. He was barely hanging on to life, a thin thread that seemed ready to snap at any moment.
"This is all wrong!" Her voice grew louder, cracking under the weight of her disbelief. "It's all wrong!"
Tears she hadn't known she could still shed began to spill down her face, her body trembling as the reality of the situation set in. Kaito, the man she had loved, the man she had once conspired to gain power for, to protect, was dying. And she couldn't do anything to stop it.
Her desperation grew, and her mind raced back, memories flashing before her in a torrent she couldn't control. She was going to eat the chakra fruit to gain the power to defy her fate, to change her destiny, to be with Kaito. But her choices had led to this moment, this cruel, inevitable end. And now, in the quiet chaos of the battlefield, she was forced to face the consequences of her actions.
Zetsu felt it next. His eyes, both halves, widened in shock as they fixed on the kneeling figure of Kaguya. A name he had long since buried beneath layers of manipulation and control surged to the forefront of his mind.
"Mother..." Zetsu whispered, an icy chill running down his spine as recognition set in. He had always known his connection to her, a product of her will. The White Zetsu had been born from her actions, tethered to her through the Infinite Tsukuyomi, a fate he had believed to be his purpose, his destiny.
And now, here she was, in the flesh, broken and undone, kneeling beside Kaito's body, the man she loved.
Zetsu had spent years carrying out her will, manipulating events to revive her, but the look on her face, the sheer agony and regret, shook him to his core.
"Mother… you're here…," Zetsu murmured, his voice low, almost reverent.
Konan stood frozen, her paper wings fluttering softly in the aftermath. The powerful chakra and the sheer raw emotion radiating from Kaguya made her hesitate, her cold calculation faltering. Pain stood beside her, his eyes locked on the scene, his Rinnegan studying every movement, every shift in the air.
But even Pain, with all his godlike control and calculated vision for the world, could not fully grasp what was happening. The shift in Kaguya's energy, her presence, the depth of her emotions, it threw the entire balance into chaos. The Akatsuki had set their sights on controlling the world, but they hadn't accounted for this.
Kaguya's tear-filled eyes shifted, and then they locked onto Tobi. Her breath caught in her throat as recognition hit her like a physical blow.
He stared back at her, that single, burning eye behind the mask not betraying a single thought. But she knew. Deep down, Kaguya knew that Tobi, the masked man, had been part of everything that had brought her here, everything that had unraveled the world into this dark, twisted reality.
And behind him, Zetsu, her creation, the child she had molded from the infinite slumber of the God Tree, stood watching her.
It all came rushing back to her in a painful wave of clarity. Her desperate bid for power. Her decision to consume the chakra fruit. Her manipulation of the world, the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and the creation of the Zetsu army. Everything that had been part of her grand design to reshape the world, all in the hopes that she could create a future where she and Kaito could exist without fear of separation.
But instead… she had created this. The Akatsuki. The chaos. The war.
And now, Kaito, the man who had loved her unconditionally, was lying before her, dying because of her actions. It was her fault.
Her heart shattered.
The weight of her choices bore down on her as she cradled Kaito's charred body, her tears falling onto his broken form. Her once-perfect plan to defy fate had led to this—the man she loved was paying the price for her arrogance.
"I did this…" she whispered, her voice barely audible through her sobs. "This happened… because of me."
Her fingers, trembling, brushed across what was left of Kaito's chest, her face contorted in anguish as the full force of her actions crushed her spirit. She had manipulated everything, pulled every string, all to gain the power to protect him.
But she had failed.
And now, the realization of her own destruction, of the pain she had caused him, shattered her resolve.
…
As the dust and smoke cleared from the battlefield, Hinata, her family, and the rest of Team 7, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi, stood frozen in place, their bodies trembling from exhaustion, barely able to stand. They had given everything, pouring their chakra into the attack that had just annihilated Hidan. The massive fireball created by Kaito's sacrifice had burned through the sky like a blazing sun, vaporizing the symbiote mass. But now, in the aftermath of that monumental effort, all they could do was watch.
They couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Hinata felt her breath hitch in her throat, her Byakugan still active, though dimming from the sheer fatigue. Her eyes scanned the charred remains of Kaito, the once-vibrant man now nothing more than a broken, burnt figure, skin blackened, limbs gone, barely clinging to life. And then, in front of him, kneeling beside his body, was someone she didn't expect, someone none of them had ever seen before but who radiated an overwhelming, almost divine power.
"Who... is that...?" Hinata whispered, her voice trembling.
Next to her, Hiashi Hyuga, her father, narrowed his eyes, his Byakugan flaring as he attempted to understand the impossible scene before them. "Her chakra… it's like nothing I've ever felt," he muttered, his voice low but filled with disbelief.
Neji, just as shocked, was barely able to stand, his body still reeling from the strain of the battle. He gazed at the woman, Kaguya, who knelt before Kaito, cradling his charred form in her hands, her tears falling onto his burnt skin. The overwhelming sorrow pouring from her was unlike anything Neji had ever sensed.
"Her chakra… it's suffocating," Neji whispered. "This... This feels like something far beyond us."
Naruto, with sweat and grime coating his face, could barely stand. His blue eyes widened as he took in the sight of Kaito's broken body, barely recognizable from the man who had fought so valiantly by their side. But it wasn't Kaito's state that had Naruto's heart pounding with dread—it was the woman kneeling beside him.
"Is… is that Kaguya?!" Naruto's voice cracked, shock rippling through him.
Sasuke, standing a few feet behind, his Sharingan spinning weakly, narrowed his eyes. He recognized her immediately, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the same figure from legend. She was supposed to be long gone, sealed away. And yet here she was, her godlike presence unmistakable. But this time, she wasn't a terrifying goddess she was a broken woman, her hands trembling as she held what was left of Kaito.
"She's crying…" Sasuke whispered, disbelief in his voice. The woman who had once threatened to destroy the entire world… was crying.
Sakura stood frozen, her legs trembling from the battle. Her chakra reserves were nearly depleted, and her body ached with exhaustion. She could barely keep herself upright, but nothing—not the physical pain or the fatigue—could have prepared her for what she was seeing.
She hadn't seen Kaito in this state before, reduced to little more than a charred skeleton, barely recognizable. But it wasn't just Kaito that shook her—it was the woman kneeling beside him, the one who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, glowing with an otherworldly presence.
Sakura's eyes widened as she tried to make sense of it all. She had never seen this woman before, but she didn't need to. She knew who this was. Kaito had spoken of her—Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—the ancient figure from legend, whispered about in tales of immense power, the same woman he had always treated with quiet reverence, even when speaking about her.
Her eyes drifted to the necklace Kaito always wore, the one he treated with such care, never letting anyone touch it. Sakura had seen it countless times and remembered him explaining its significance, though she never imagined it was tied to this. Now, seeing Kaguya herself in front of Kaito's ruined body, everything clicked into place.
The legends were true. This woman wasn't just some distant figure of myth, she was real, and she was in pain, weeping for Kaito.
"Kaguya…" Sakura whispered to herself, her voice filled with disbelief. This was the woman from the stories? The one who, according to legend, consumed the chakra fruit and unleashed chaos upon the world? Yet here she was, kneeling at Kaito's side, her tears streaming down her face as she cradled his charred remains like someone mourning a loved one.
But how could someone like her, a figure from ancient history, feel so much grief? Kaito had always been mysterious about his connection to her, only hinting at their relationship through the stories he'd told. But Sakura had never imagined it ran this deep.
And now… the same woman who had been spoken of in hushed tones by shinobi for generations, the same woman tied to Kaito's heart, was completely breaking down.
The weight of it all crashed down on Sakura. This wasn't just a battle against some faceless villain—this was the unraveling of something far bigger. Something ancient. Something personal to Kaito, and, in turn, to all of them.
Kakashi stood a few feet behind the others, his breathing labored, his mask stained with dust and blood. His Sharingan eye was dimming, nearly depleted from the enormous strain of the battle. But even in his exhausted state, nothing could have prepared him for this.
He'd heard the stories, the ancient legends passed down through the shinobi world. He'd known about Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the progenitor of all chakras, a being so powerful that her very name sent shivers down the spines of those who dared speak of her. And he had heard Kaito mention her, albeit in vague terms, how he wore the necklace with reverence, treating it almost as if it were a lifeline to something far greater than himself.
But Kakashi had never imagined this moment would come.
Now, before his very eyes, the legendary Kaguya herself knelt beside Kaito's broken form, her tears falling freely as her trembling hands hovered over what remained of him. Kakashi's heart clenched at the sight. For all the stories he'd heard of her terrifying power, her descent into madness as she consumed the chakra fruit in a bid to control the world, he never imagined this.
Kaito had always been a mysterious figure, even among their ranks. He never spoke much about his past, but when he did, there was always a hint of pain and reverence when he mentioned her. And now, seeing the grief etched into Kaguya's face, it all made sense. The connection between them ran deeper than any of them had understood.
"Kaguya Ōtsutsuki..." Kakashi murmured under his breath, his mind racing to piece it all together.
The realization hit him like a wave. This was the woman from the legends. The one who had eaten the chakra fruit, who had nearly plunged the world into chaos. And yet, here she was, shattered by grief. The woman who, by all accounts, had been untouchable, was now broken. Because of Kaito.
Kakashi's gaze fell to Kaito's body, charred, burnt beyond recognition. The man who had always fought for them, who had given everything to protect those he cared for, was barely clinging to life. And Kaguya, of all people, was cradling him, not as a god, but as a woman devastated by loss.
How was this even possible? Kakashi had fought alongside Kaito, seen him fight with every ounce of his strength, but he had never realized just how deep Kaito's ties to this ancient figure went. Not really. This was the man Kaguya had loved? The one she had spoken of in legends?
And now, watching her break down, Kakashi understood the truth of the stories, the depth of her connection to Kaito, and the weight of the history between them.
He stood frozen, unsure of what to do next, and for the first time in his life, Kakashi felt utterly helpless. This wasn't something he could fix. This wasn't a battle he could win with jutsu or strategy.
…
Kaguya's trembling hands hovered over Kaito's scorched, broken body. Her eyes, wide and shimmering with grief, flickered between his burnt chest and what little remained of his face. The charred remains of his once strong, vibrant form lay motionless, blackened by the immense power he had sacrificed to stop Hidan's monstrous transformation.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, falling softly onto his ruined body, and for a moment, it was as if the entire world had stopped. She hadn't known she was capable of this—this kind of heartbreak, this kind of agony. It was a pain that no amount of power could heal, a raw emptiness that consumed her from the inside out.
Kaito...
Her voice was barely a whisper, cracked and broken as the weight of everything she had caused crashed down around her. She had sought power to protect him, to defy fate, to be with him. And yet, in her blind ambition, she had set in motion the very events that had led to this moment—his destruction.
With trembling lips, she leaned down, her breath hitching as she placed a soft, desperate kiss on Kaito's forehead, her tears mingling with the dust and ash on his charred skin. The kiss was filled with regret, sorrow, and love, a love that she had tried to protect but had only brought suffering.
Kaito, the man she loved, the man she had once sacrificed everything for, lay dying because of her.
"I'm sorry..." she whispered, her voice shaking, barely audible. "I'm so sorry..."
For a moment, everything was still. The battlefield, littered with debris and scorched earth, was eerily silent. But then, her sorrow began to shift, her tears, once filled with sadness, slowly gave way to something darker.
Her heart twisted with a fury she hadn't known she still possessed.
Kaguya's head lifted, her tear-filled eyes hardening into something unrecognizable, something dangerous. Her once delicate, trembling form began to pulse with power as she stood, her gaze shifting from Kaito to the figures in the distance.
Tobi, Zetsu, Konan, and Pain.
They were standing at a distance, their expressions unreadable, watching her every move. Tobi's single, burning eye locked onto her, calculating, watching, always observing. Zetsu, frozen in disbelief, seemed paralyzed by the sight of his "Mother," a mixture of fear and reverence crossing his face. Pain and Konan stood still, unsure of what to expect next.
And then, Kaguya's gaze locked onto them, her eyes glowing with pure, unrestrained fury.
The rest of the shinobi had finally caught up, their bodies exhausted but their senses still sharp enough to notice the shift in the air. They had seen the strange, intimate moment between Kaguya and Kaito from a distance, unsure of what to make of it.
But now... they could feel her anger.
"Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto whispered, his voice filled with apprehension as he glanced up at the towering figure of Kaguya, her presence radiating raw power.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed beneath his mask, his body tense. "This isn't good..."
Kaguya's tears had dried, but the fire in her eyes burned brighter than ever. Her sorrow had turned to rage, and it was directed squarely at Tobi and the Akatsuki.
Her hand trembled with barely restrained power as she pointed toward them. The earth beneath her feet cracked, and the air around her shimmered with the force of her chakra.
"You...!" she hissed, her voice low, but it carried across the battlefield with the weight of a thousand storms. "You and your manipulations...! You did this!"
Her gaze focused intently on Tobi, her eyes narrowing as a dark realization dawned on her. This was the one, this masked man, who had played a part in orchestrating everything. Everything that had led to this moment of destruction. Her fury became like a tidal wave, her chakra flaring like a wild firestorm as she took a step toward him.
…
Tobi, still calculating, took a step back. "Well, now, this is interesting," he muttered to himself, his voice calm but with a hint of unease creeping in. His single eye flickered, shifting between Kaguya and the shinobi behind her. She knows. The thought crossed his mind, and for the first time, he felt the faintest twinge of uncertainty.
…
Zetsu, on the other hand, couldn't hide his fear. He took a hesitant step backward, recognizing the raw fury in his "Mother's" eyes. She knew, she remembered. The memories of her creation of the White Zetsu army, tied to the God Tree for centuries, had come flooding back to her. She saw him for what he was: a product of her own desperation, twisted and broken who played a hand in this travesty! Which made her just as complicit!
"Mother..." Zetsu whispered, his voice shaky.
But Kaguya's fury was unrelenting.
"I created you...! I created all of this...!" Her voice trembled with rage. "And you...! You twisted it! You twisted everything! And did this to KAITO?! MY LOVE!"
Her power surged, and the earth beneath her cracked, sending tremors through the battlefield. The shinobi watched in stunned silence as her once sorrowful form became a storm of righteous anger, aimed directly at the Akatsuki.
Naruto could only stare, his blue eyes wide with shock. "She's... furious...!" he muttered. He had never seen anyone like this, someone so powerful, yet so vulnerable, consumed by grief and rage all at once.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He had heard the stories of Kaguya and her immense power, but this... this was something else entirely. "If she turns that power on us..." Sasuke began, his voice tight, but Kakashi raised a hand, cutting him off.
"Not yet," Kakashi muttered, his voice low. "Right now, her target isn't us..."
All eyes were on Kaguya now, her once gentle demeanor gone, replaced by a terrifying storm of chakra and fury.
The Akatsuki had no idea what they were about to face.
And neither did the shinobi.
Kaguya's eyes blazed with fury as she locked onto the group of Akatsuki members. The once-goddess, now consumed by her rage and grief, had become a storm of raw power. Her chakra flared, the air around her crackling with dangerous energy. Her gaze fixated on her first target, Pain.
Pain, ever calculating, ever calm, sensed the danger immediately. The sheer force of Kaguya's chakra, the overwhelming rage directed at him, made his fingers twitch, his mind racing to formulate a defense. He had faced countless enemies before, taken down powerful shinobi, but nothing, not even the Tailed Beasts, had felt like this.
Without hesitation, Pain unleashed his most powerful defense, his Almighty Push.
"Shinra Tensei!" Pain's voice boomed as the invisible force of his attack surged out from him in a massive, destructive shockwave. The ground beneath him splintered and cracked, buildings shattered in the distance as the blast expanded outward, pushing everything in its path aside.
But Kaguya barely flinched. The Almighty Push slammed into her, but instead of sending her flying back, she dug her feet into the ground, her form shimmering with ethereal power. The force of the attack caused the earth beneath her to crack and buckle, but she held her ground, pushing through the wave of destruction as if it were nothing more than a gust of wind.
Pain's eyes widened in shock. No one had ever resisted his Almighty Push like this.
Before he could react, Kaguya pushed through and launched herself at him with terrifying speed. She closed the distance in a heartbeat, her hand reaching out with claws of pure chakra, tearing through the air. Pain barely had time to summon another defensive technique before Kaguya's fist connected with his face, sending him crashing into the ground with an explosive impact.
The other Akatsuki members looked on in stunned silence. Pain, their leader, was already on the defensive, and the battle had barely begun.
Pain tried to rise, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but Kaguya was relentless. She leaped into the air, her form glowing with power, and came crashing down on him with another devastating punch, driving him deeper into the earth. The ground beneath him cratered from the sheer force of her blow, and the shockwave rippled outward, sending debris flying.
Pain managed to roll to the side just as Kaguya's next strike obliterated the ground where his head had been, but she was already following up with another attack. Each time he thought he was gaining distance, she was on him again, faster, stronger, more relentless.
Zetsu, Konan, and Tobi watched in horror as their leader was being pummeled by a woman possessed. Kaguya's movements were wild, erratic, yet every blow landed with pinpoint accuracy. Every time Pain tried to counter, she was one step ahead, reacting with a ferocity that defied logic.
Pain, gasping for breath, finally unleashed a barrage of chakra rods, sending them flying toward her with deadly precision. Several rods struck Kaguya, embedding themselves in her body with a sickening thud.
For a moment, Pain thought he had gained the upper hand.
But then something changed.
Kaguya's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing on the rods protruding from her chest and shoulders. Her lips curled back in a snarl, and for the briefest of moments, her eyes flashed white, not the normal white of the Byakugan, but something else. Something far more primal, far more dangerous.
And then it happened.
Kaguya's snarl deepened, her teeth elongating into sharp, jagged fangs, her eyes gleaming with a predatory glow. She growled, a deep, feral sound, as her skin began to pulse with something dark, something alive.
"A symbiote...?!" Pain whispered in shock as Kaguya's transformation became more apparent.
Her hand gripped one of the chakra rods embedded in her chest and ripped it out with ease, her body healing almost instantly. She glared at Pain, her eyes flashing with fury, before lunging at him with renewed savagery.
Pain barely had time to react as Kaguya's fist collided with his midsection, the impact sending him flying through the air, his body careening through a building before crashing into the ground. The force of the punch had been so intense that Pain's path of destruction continued, his body tumbling through debris until he slammed into Konan, knocking her to the ground with him.
The other Akatsuki members stared in disbelief as Kaguya became more feral with each passing second. Her once-calm, controlled power had morphed into something wild, untamed. She moved like a beast, her claws extended, her fangs bared as she stalked toward her prey.
Konan scrambled to her feet, eyes wide with disbelief. "Pain..." she whispered, rushing to his side, but her attention was quickly drawn back to Kaguya as the goddess launched herself at them again.
Konan threw up a defensive wall of paper, the sheets swirling around her in a protective barrier, but Kaguya tore through it with ease, her claws ripping the paper to shreds. Konan barely managed to dodge the strike, but Kaguya was already coming at her again, faster, more aggressive, her body pulsing with dark energy.
Tobi, standing back, finally spoke, his voice calm despite the chaos. "I didn't see this coming..." he muttered to himself, watching as the dark, primal force within Kaguya took over. "She has a symbiote... and it's been dormant until now."
Zetsu, still frozen in place, could only watch in horror. He knew this was his "Mother," but at the same time it's not his mother. The more she fought, the more the symbiote seemed to take control, amplifying her rage, her grief, her power.
Pain, trying to recover, staggered to his feet, but before he could steady himself, Kaguya appeared before him again, her speed blinding. Her hands gripped his head, and with a snarl, she slammed him into the ground, the impact sending tremors through the earth. Pain gasped for air, but Kaguya wasn't done.
She grabbed him by the collar and threw him across the battlefield, his body crashing into Zetsu, sending them both tumbling through the debris.
Kaguya's chest heaved with breath, her eyes now completely overtaken by the primal white glow of the symbiote. Her once calm, almost divine presence was now feral, twisted by the dark, living force that had awakened inside her. Tendrils of the symbiote pulsed around her form, writhing like living shadows as her power surged.
And then she laughed, a dark, guttural sound, like something from a nightmare.
"We can't stop her," Konan gasped, pulling herself out of the rubble as she watched Kaguya grow wilder, more dangerous with every passing second. "She's becoming... unstoppable."
Tobi, observing from a distance, narrowed his eye. "She's beyond us now..."
Kaguya, her rage far from spent, roared as she turned her gaze back to the remaining Akatsuki. Every attack they had thrown at her, every trick they had tried, had only fueled her transformation. She was no longer just the goddess of chakra; they were facing something far more terrifying.
A goddess possessed.
And there was nothing they could do to stop her.
…
As Kaguya continued her relentless assault on the Akatsuki, unleashing her symbiote-fueled rage, the battlefield was filled with the sounds of destruction. Every move she made sent shockwaves through the air, her primal strength overwhelming the Akatsuki members one by one. The ground shook beneath her feet, buildings crumbled, and energy crackled in the air as her fury knew no bounds.
But in the distance, a group of shinobi raced toward the scene of the earlier explosion, their faces etched with concern. Among them was Shizune, along with a few other medics and combat-ready shinobi. The smoke from the massive blast still lingered in the air, and the oppressive heat had yet to dissipate.
As they approached, the devastation was clear. The ground was scorched black, deep craters carved into the earth, debris strewn everywhere. But amidst the destruction, one thing stood out—Kaito's body, barely recognizable, reduced to little more than a charred skeleton.
"Kakashi!" Shizune called out, breathless as she reached the scene, her eyes immediately landing on the motionless form lying on the ground. "What happened here?!"
Kakashi, who stood next to Sakura, his face tight with exhaustion and grief, glanced up. His expression was somber, his voice steady but filled with the weight of everything that had transpired. "It was Kaito… he stopped Hidan. He sacrificed everything to make sure the explosion didn't wipe us all out."
Shizune's breath caught in her throat as she stepped closer to Kaito's body, her eyes wide with disbelief. She had seen shinobi wounded, she had seen them near death, but this… this was beyond anything she had ever encountered.
"How is he still alive…?" Shizune whispered, her voice trembling. She knelt beside Sakura, who was already working frantically, her hands glowing with healing chakra as she tried to do what little she could to stabilize him.
Sakura's face was pale, her brow furrowed in concentration as she moved her hands over Kaito's charred form, desperately searching for any sign of life, any way to keep him from slipping away. Her chakra flowed into him, but it felt like trying to fill an empty vessel—his body was too far gone.
"He's… he's been roasted to the core," Sakura muttered, her voice shaking with fear and frustration. "His insides are completely burned. I don't understand how he's still breathing!" Her hands moved swiftly, checking for signs of life, though she couldn't believe she was even feeling a faint pulse. How could he still be holding on in this state?
Shizune leaned in closer, her eyes scanning Kaito's body, her mind racing as she processed the extent of the damage. His skin was blackened, brittle in places, his limbs reduced to little more than scorched bones. His chest barely rose and fell with shallow breaths, and yet… there was a flicker of life, something deep within him that refused to let go.
"Kaito…" Shizune murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "How is he still alive? No one should be able to survive this."
Sakura's hands trembled as she poured more healing chakra into Kaito, but she could feel the limits of her abilities pressing in. "It's like… something is keeping him from completely slipping away. But I can't get a hold of it… His body isn't responding to chakra the way it should." She gritted her teeth, her eyes brimming with frustration. "This is bad, really bad."
Naruto, standing behind the medics, could only watch in shock as Sakura and Shizune worked over Kaito's body. He had fought with Kaito, seen the strength and resilience the man had, but seeing him like this… it was like staring at the aftermath of a nightmare.
"He did this…" Naruto whispered, his fists clenched. "To stop Hidan, all to save us."
Beside him, Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his Sharingan still active, studying Kaito's barely breathing form. He, too, felt the weight of the situation pressing down on them, but something else gnawed at his mind. There was more to this than just Kaito's sacrifice. His body… it was defying every rule they knew about survival, even for a shinobi.
Sakura's eyebrows narrowed deeper, her hands still glowing with green healing chakra. "I can't stabilize him," she muttered, frustration and fear creeping into her voice. "His body is so far gone… I can't reach whatever's keeping him alive. It's like—"
"—something's protecting him," Kakashi finished, his eyes narrowing in realization. He exchanged a look with Sakura and Shizune. "Something deeper, beyond what we understand."
Suddenly, there was a low rumble in the distance, a shockwave of power as Kaguya's battle with the Akatsuki continued. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and all eyes instinctively flickered toward the source of the chaos.
Kakashi's heart sank as he turned back to Kaito's broken form. They didn't have much time.
"Sakura," Kakashi said, his voice steady but urgent. "We need to move him somewhere safe. Now."
Sakura nodded, her hands still trembling from the strain. She poured more chakra into Kaito, trying to stabilize him enough to move, but she knew that time was running out. Every second was precious, and they were losing him.
…
The journey back to the medical facility was a blur of tension and urgency. Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and the other shinobi moved as quickly as they could, Kaito's broken form lying on the stretcher between them. The weight of what had happened—what was still happening—pressed heavily on their shoulders. Kaito had done the unthinkable, sacrificing himself to save them all, but the question remained: would he survive?
As they approached the familiar doors of the medical facility—the same place where Tsunade had given birth to her and Kaito's son earlier that morning—a sense of grim irony hung over the air. This was a place of new life, of beginnings. And now they were carrying Kaito, charred and broken, back to where his family waited, hoping against hope that it wouldn't become a place of endings.
The doors swung open as Shizune rushed ahead, calling for more medical personnel. The sterile scent of the hospital hit them like a wall, the cool air a stark contrast to the heat and destruction they had just left behind.
As they entered the room, the chaos of the battlefield seemed to fade for a moment, replaced by an eerie calm. Nurses and medics hurried toward them, but all the movement and noise stopped as Tsunade, still weak from the delivery, but standing, her aura commanding as always—stepped into the hallway. Her gaze was intense, her body tense, as if she could sense something was horribly wrong even before she laid eyes on them.
And then she saw him.
Her breath hitched. The world seemed to slow to a crawl.
Kaito, her love, the father of her newborn son—was barely recognizable. His body, once so strong and filled with life, was now charred and broken beyond anything she could have ever imagined. The sight of him, lying so still on the stretcher, was like a dagger to her heart. His skin was blackened, his limbs all but gone, and his face… there was hardly any trace of the man she loved, except for the faintest rise and fall of his chest, as if life itself was desperately trying to cling to him.
"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune's voice was soft, filled with sorrow and dread, but Tsunade wasn't listening.
Her eyes were locked onto Kaito, her heart pounding in her chest. It was as though the world around her had fallen away, and all that existed was the man she loved, burnt, broken, but somehow, impossibly, still alive.
Her legs moved on their own, carrying her toward him. She had just gone through the most profound experience of her life—giving birth to their son—and yet, in this moment, that joy felt distant, overshadowed by the raw horror of what lay before her.
"No..." Tsunade whispered, her voice cracking as she reached out, her fingers trembling. "No, no, no…"
She knelt beside the stretcher, her hands hovering over what remained of him, as if afraid that touching him might break him further. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back with every ounce of strength she had left. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.
"Kaito..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, filled with disbelief, grief, and a silent plea. She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself, but her heart was shattering inside her chest. "What… what happened to him?"
Sakura, still working to stabilize Kaito, looked up at Tsunade with pained eyes. "He… he gave everything, Tsunade-sama. He stopped Hidan, but… his body… it's been roasted down to his core. We don't know how he's still—"
Tsunade cut her off with a sharp intake of breath, her fingers finally brushing against Kaito's blackened skin. It was cold, hard in places where the burns had taken their toll, and yet she could feel it, the faintest pulse beneath the destruction. He was still alive. But how? How could he possibly still be breathing in this condition?
The medics moved around her, preparing to transfer him to the critical care room, but Tsunade's hand didn't leave his chest. Her mind raced, trying to think of something—anything—that could save him, but all her years of medical expertise were screaming that this was impossible.
Her vision blurred with tears as she gazed at what little remained of his face. The man who had fought by her side, the man who had loved her with such depth, who had held their son just hours ago… now lay before her, dying. Her heart clenched painfully as she realized that despite all her power, despite all the medical knowledge she possessed, there might be nothing she could do.
The world felt like it was closing in on her, a suffocating weight pressing down on her chest. How could this happen? How could Kaito be in this state after everything they had been through together?
Her eyes finally shifted to Naruto and Kakashi, standing nearby, their expressions filled with the same grief and helplessness she felt.
"What happened?" Tsunade's voice was stronger now, demanding answers through the crack in her composure.
Kakashi stepped forward, his own voice tight as he spoke. "Kaito saved us. He stopped Hidan's transformation, stopped him from unleashing a power that could have destroyed the entire village… but in doing so… he sacrificed himself."
Naruto clenched his fists, his blue eyes filled with guilt. "He didn't think twice about it, Tsunade-sama. He just… he just did it."
Tsunade's hand tightened on Kaito's chest as she fought to keep her emotions in check. She had seen loss. She had lived through the deaths of those she loved before, but this—this was different. This was Kaito. Her heart. Her love. And the father of the child they had just brought into the world.
The tears she had been holding back finally began to fall.
"Get him into surgery, now!" Tsunade ordered, her voice filled with a renewed urgency, as though sheer willpower alone could save him.
The medics sprang into action, and Sakura nodded to Shizune, both of them moving quickly to get Kaito onto the operating table. But even as they worked, Tsunade couldn't shake the overwhelming dread that this might not be enough. It had to be enough.
As the doors to the operating room closed, Tsunade stood there, her hands trembling, her eyes still wet with unshed tears. Her mind raced, trying to focus on what needed to be done, but all she could think about was Kaito—the man who had given everything, who had saved them all.
And now… it was her turn to save him. If she could.
The room was sterile, quiet except for the steady beeping of the machines and the soft voices of the medics working with desperate precision. Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura hovered over Kaito's body. Their hands moved swiftly, chakra glowing in the dim light, the energy pouring into what remained of him. His condition was critical—far beyond anything they had ever dealt with. They knew this was a fight against time itself, but they were determined. Tsunade, despite the strain of her recent childbirth, worked with an intensity that bordered on desperation. This was Kaito, after all. Her Kaito.
But suddenly, amidst the sound of their efforts, a horrific realization settled over the room.
The monitors flatlined. The rhythmic beeping turned into a single, long, ominous tone.
The medics froze.
Kaito's heartbeat stopped. His chest, which had been faintly rising and falling, now lay still.
Shizune, her breath hitching, moved to the side of the bed and checked his pulse, but her fingers found no sign of life. The color drained from her face.
"No..." Sakura whispered, her chakra faltering as she, too, felt the shift. The energy she had been trying to push into his body wasn't being received. It was like throwing it into an empty void.
Tsunade stood still for a moment, her hands still hovering over Kaito's chest. The reality of what had just happened hit her like a hammer to the heart.
"Kaito... no." Her voice cracked, a rare vulnerability breaking through her usual strength.
There was no heartbeat. No breath. His body, charred and broken, lay motionless beneath their hands.
"He's gone…" Shizune whispered, the words barely making it out of her throat.
But before the finality of death could fully settle over the room, the air itself began to change.
A deep, unnatural cold seeped into the space, and an oppressive, ancient presence filled the air. The medics froze as a shadow, darker than the night, began to form in the corner of the room, swirling with ethereal energy. The chakra in the room seemed to thrum with tension, the very walls groaning under the weight of something otherworldly.
And then, he appeared.
The Shinigami, the Death God himself, materialized before them. The room dimmed, the very air growing thick with the weight of his presence. His form was towering, draped in dark, tattered robes, his mask-like face looming over them with an air of finality. His spectral, clawed hands hovered over Kaito's lifeless body as if ready to claim what was rightfully his.
But something was different this time.
The Shinigami, normally cold and indifferent—a being who came to take the souls of the dead and disappear—paused. His skeletal face, with its sharp, eerie features, seemed to shift, as though some emotion, something resembling grief, passed across it.
For a moment, no one dared to move. The room was filled with a thick silence, as though the very concept of time had stopped. Even Tsunade, who had seen countless horrors in her time as a medical ninja, felt a chill deep in her bones as she stood before the being that claimed souls.
The Shinigami's eyes—cold and empty—focused on Kaito's still form. His hands hovered above him, but he hesitated.
Hesitation. From the being who never hesitated.
And then, the Shinigami spoke.
"He is my son," the Shinigami's voice echoed through the room, deep and resonant, like the distant rumbling of thunder. His words held an ancient weight, filled with a knowledge that stretched beyond the bounds of life and death. "Time and time again, he has defied the divine cosmology…"
Tsunade's breath caught in her throat. The room was filled with a profound, oppressive silence as the Shinigami continued, his gaze never leaving Kaito's lifeless form.
"Kaito," he said slowly, as if the very name carried the weight of ages, "has challenged the will of the gods. He has stared into the abyss, faced death in its truest form, and each time… he has defied it." The Shinigami's voice grew stronger, each word carrying an otherworldly power.
Sakura, Shizune, and Tsunade listened in shock, unable to speak as the Shinigami's presence seemed to stretch beyond the room, touching something far greater than themselves.
"For those who can stare into the face of death—unblinking—over a prolonged existence… the will of the gods is not absolute." The Shinigami's voice became a low growl, filled with an ancient understanding that sent shivers down their spines.
"In spite of every law… in spite of the divine design, he has done the impossible."
The Shinigami lowered his face closer to Kaito's body, and for a brief moment, the cold mask of death seemed almost sorrowful, as though the Death God himself felt the weight of the moment.
"Arise, my son," the Shinigami intoned, his voice filled with power. "For your journey is not yet over."
Then, the Shinigami raised his clawed hand and brought it down over Kaito's chest, his spectral fingers phasing through Kaito's skin as if reaching deep into his very soul.
A surge of light erupted from Kaito's body, and the entire room was bathed in a glowing aura. The light was blinding, overwhelming, but as it faded, they saw something truly miraculous.
Kaito's charred, broken body began to heal.
Before their very eyes, his skin, which had been blackened and destroyed, began to knit itself back together, smooth and whole once more. His limbs, which had been little more than scorched bone, regrew, the muscle and tissue reforming until his body was once again whole. His chest, once still and lifeless, began to rise and fall with breath.
The sound of a heartbeat filled the room.
Sakura, her eyes wide with disbelief, stepped back as the impossible unfolded before them. His skin was regenerating, his body rebuilding itself, piece by piece. His once-burnt hand flexed, and the flicker of life returned to his form.
Tsunade's breath hitched, her eyes filling with tears she couldn't hold back this time. She watched, barely able to process what was happening. Kaito was healing. He was alive.
Finally, as the last remnants of his injuries disappeared, Kaito's eyes fluttered open.
He gasped, his chest rising sharply as he took his first breath in what felt like an eternity. His eyes, filled with confusion and the lingering pain of what had happened, looked around the room. And then they locked onto Tsunade, her tear-filled eyes staring down at him.
"Tsunade…" Kaito whispered, his voice hoarse but alive.
Tsunade, her hand shaking, reached out to him, her fingers brushing against his now-healed chest. "Kaito… you're alive…"
The Shinigami, his task complete, began to fade from the room, his presence dissipating like mist in the wind.
But before he disappeared completely, his deep voice echoed one last time.
"The will of the gods may bend… but you, Kaito… have proven it is not absolute."
With that, the Shinigami vanished, leaving behind only silence and the miraculous sight of Kaito, whole and breathing, once again in the arms of the woman he loved.
…
The battlefield was still charged with energy as Kaguya, possessed by her grief and rage, unleashed a flurry of destructive attacks. Her symbiote-fed fury tore through the Akatsuki members with savage precision. Each movement was wild yet calculated, every blow driven by a primal instinct to protect Kaito, who she believed was lost to her forever.
Pain and Konan were barely holding on, their bodies bruised and bloodied from the relentless onslaught. Even Zetsu, usually calm and collected, showed signs of wear as he scrambled to keep up with Kaguya's chaotic movements. Tobi, meanwhile, stood a distance away, his eye narrowed as he observed the battle unfold. He had expected Kaguya to be powerful, but this… this was a fight they couldn't possibly hope to win.
And then, in the midst of her attacks, Kaguya suddenly stopped.
Her symbiote pulsed, its tendrils twitching as if sensing something from far off. Kaguya's glowing white eyes flickered, her attention drawn away from the battlefield. For a moment, her expression softened, her body freezing in place.
Kaito.
The symbiote within her stirred, sensing the impossible. The bond between them—between her and the man she Tobi's masked face turned toward Kaguya one last time, his single eye glowing with determination. "This isn't over."
And just like that, the portal closed.
Kaguya blinked, the fury she had been holding back surging to the surface once more. She snarled, her symbiote-coated teeth gleaming as black tendrils lashed out at the space where Tobi and the others had been. But they were gone. Her prey had slipped through her grasp.
Her fists clenched, the ground beneath her cracking as the remnants of her rage rippled through the battlefield. The symbiote writhed around her, its dark tendrils still pulsing with the need to destroy, to lash out, to protect.
But the bond within her had strengthened again. Her symbiote, once driven by rage, now buzzed with a new feeling, hope. Kaito was alive. She could feel it. And for now, the Akatsuki didn't matter.
The battlefield lay in shambles, but the storm that had been Kaguya's wrath had finally subsided. The once-wild symbiote tendrils had retracted, leaving her form as calm as it could be, though her heart still raced. She had felt it, a flicker of life, a pulse through the bond that connected her to Kaito. The man she thought she had lost forever was alive.
With that realization, everything else faded into the background. The Akatsuki, their escape—none of it mattered anymore. Her only thought was of Kaito. He was alive, and nothing could stop her from going to him.
Back at the medical facility, the air remained thick with a mixture of relief and disbelief. The sight of Kaito, sitting up on the hospital bed, his skin fully healed and his limbs restored, had stunned everyone in the room. Moments ago, he had been dead, burnt to his very core. Now, he was breathing again, alive against all odds.
Tsunade, standing near the foot of the bed, watched him carefully. Her eyes were still red from tears she had shed just minutes earlier, but now there was only quiet reverence in her gaze. Shizune and Sakura stood nearby, both equally drained from the rollercoaster of emotions and the monumental efforts they had put into trying to save him. Yet, even their skills had not been enough.
It was the Shinigami who had intervened, who had claimed Kaito's life, only to restore it once more. They could still feel the lingering presence of the Death God, as if the room had been touched by something ancient, something far beyond their understanding.
As the medics began to clear the room, preparing to give Kaito space to recover, there was a soft but distinct shift in the air. A presence, gentle yet undeniably powerful, seemed to flow into the facility. The door opened, and every shinobi in the room turned.
Kaguya stood in the entrance.
But this was not the raging goddess possessed by a symbiote's wild fury that they had seen before. No, this was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, calm and serene, her long white hair flowing behind her, her expression filled with quiet desperation.
For a moment, no one spoke. The weight of who she was—the legend that surrounded her—made it impossible to ignore. And now, she was here, standing in the doorway of their village, her eyes fixed solely on the man in the hospital bed.
Kaguya's lips parted, but no command came out. Instead, she took a single step forward, her eyes glistening with emotion, something so rare and unexpected from the woman many regarded as an untouchable deity. Her voice, when it came, was soft—barely a whisper, pleading.
"Please... let me see him."
The words hung in the air, not a demand, but a plea. Kaguya's entire being, powerful as it was, seemed to dim in that moment, her fierce determination replaced by raw, unguarded vulnerability. She wasn't here to fight, to reclaim anything. She was here for Kaito, the man she had loved for millennia.
Tsunade stood there, the weight of the moment pressing down on her. For a brief second, her protective instincts flared, but then she remembered. She had seen the visions, had felt Kaguya's longing, weeks ago when everything had first begun to spiral out of control. The whispers of a love that spanned centuries, the quiet moments Kaito had spoken of—the necklace he wore, the one he always treated with such reverence. Tsunade knew, in her heart, that Kaguya had helped them… in ways no one else could.
And now, standing before her, the legendary Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, a being that was practically myth to most, was here, pleading for permission to be with the man she loved.
Tsunade's gaze softened. She stepped aside, her eyes meeting Kaguya's. There was no need for words between them, just a simple understanding.
"Go to him," Tsunade said, her voice soft but steady. There was no jealousy in her tone, only empathy.
Kaguya's eyes shimmered with gratitude, a barely perceptible nod of thanks before she walked forward, her steps measured and light, as though every move was meant to preserve the fragile peace in the room.
Kaito, still sitting up, blinked as he saw her approach. His body was weak, the ordeal of nearly dying, actually dying, having left him drained, but the moment he saw Kaguya, everything else faded away. His hand, still trembling from the strain, reached out instinctively.
Kaguya knelt by his bedside, her eyes never leaving his. The room around them seemed to disappear, and for a long, silent moment, there was only the two of them. She gently took his hand, her touch soft, almost tentative, as if she couldn't quite believe he was truly there.
"Kaito…" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
He smiled weakly, the corners of his lips curling despite the exhaustion that weighed on him. "You came for me…" he murmured, his voice hoarse but filled with warmth.
Kaguya's eyes shimmered, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "I'll always come for you."
The shinobi in the room, who had up until this point been trying to process everything, began to truly realize the gravity of the situation. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the legendary progenitor of chakra, the one spoken of in myths and whispers, was here, in their village, kneeling by Kaito's side.
Naruto, standing by the door, glanced at Sasuke, his eyes wide. "I cant believe it? It's really her…"
he whispered, barely able to believe what he was seeing.
Sasuke's Sharingan had long since deactivated, but his gaze was sharp as he observed the scene. "Yeah… it's her."
The legend they had heard about for years, the woman who had almost destroyed the world once, was here, not as a threat, but as a woman grieving for the man she loved.
Tsunade watched as Kaguya leaned in closer, her forehead gently pressing against Kaito's. There was something heartbreakingly tender about the way she touched him, as if she were afraid he might vanish if she wasn't careful. It was such a stark contrast to the Kaguya of legend, the woman of destruction and power.
But in this moment, she wasn't a goddess. She wasn't the source of chakra or the enemy that had once been feared.
She was simply Kaguya, a woman in love.
And in that moment, Tsunade understood. She had always known that Kaito was special—there was something about him that made him different, something that had drawn both her and Kaguya to him. But now, standing here, seeing the quiet grief and overwhelming relief on Kaguya's face as she held Kaito's hand, Tsunade knew this love had lasted for centuries, across lifetimes.
"Thank you," Kaguya whispered, her eyes lifting to meet Tsunade's briefly.
Tsunade nodded, her eyes softening. "Take your time," she replied gently. There was no more need for words. What was left between them was a mutual understanding, a love that transcended time and power.
As Kaguya and Kaito shared this quiet moment, the rest of the village would soon come to realize: the legendary Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was here, among them. But for now, none of that mattered. In this room, there was no history of war, no myth of destruction. There was only love, ancient and enduring.
And for the first time in millennia, Kaguya had found peace, that was right in front of her this whole time… she was just starting to see it.