Hotaru was waiting anxiously in her room when footsteps sounded outside the door again.
The moment she heard them, she immediately opened the door and rushed out.
Then she saw Utakata slowly walking toward her.
Hotaru let out a sigh of relief and quickly ran up to him. "Teacher, you're finally back. I was worried to death."
"I really didn't expect you to escape from the Emperor."
"But we should hurry and run. The Emperor might come after us at any moment."
"I've already packed everything. We can leave right away."
Hotaru spoke rapidly, but after saying a few lines, she suddenly sensed something was wrong.
Utakata had not answered a single word, as if he had not heard anything she said at all.
"Teacher?"
Hotaru looked at him carefully. Only then did she notice his empty eyes and wooden expression.
It was obvious.
He had been caught in a genjutsu!
"Hotaru, we meet again."
Yuzuru's voice came from behind her, and Hotaru froze on the spot.
She dropped to her knees at once and said in a low voice, "L-Lord Yuzuru..."
Seeing her like this, Yuzuru smiled. "There's no need to be so afraid. It's not as if I'm some human-eating monster."
At those words, Hotaru's voice gained a trace of a sob. "Lord Yuzuru, please don't kill my teacher."
Yuzuru pulled her to her feet and comforted her. "If I wanted to kill Utakata, I wouldn't have brought him back here."
"Eh?"
Hotaru paused, then immediately realized he was right.
She said happily, "Thank you, Lord Yuzuru. But may I ask why you were looking for my teacher?"
"I need the Six-Tails sealed inside him."
"Eh?"
Hearing Yuzuru's answer, Hotaru was confused again. "The Six-Tails?"
"Lord Yuzuru, you've already unified the shinobi world. Do you still need the power of a Tailed Beast?"
"I've heard everyone say that before your godlike power, even a Tailed Beast is nothing more than a docile kitten."
Yuzuru sighed. "This matter concerns the survival of the shinobi world. I have no other choice."
At those words, Hotaru felt as if her brain could no longer keep up.
The survival of the shinobi world?
What did that mean?
Wasn't the current shinobi world thriving under Lord Yuzuru's rule?
Seeing the confusion on Hotaru's face, Yuzuru sat down and slowly began to speak. "Strictly speaking, you don't yet have the qualifications to know a secret like this."
"But through a twist of fate, I saved your life, so there's no harm in telling you."
"However, you must promise me that you will never mention this matter to anyone."
Seeing the serious look in Yuzuru's eyes, Hotaru nodded hard, both excited and curious. "Lord Yuzuru, I definitely won't tell anyone!"
Yuzuru nodded and slowly began his explanation.
"As everyone knows, there are nine Tailed Beasts in the shinobi world. They are the One-Tail Shukaku, the Two-Tails Matatabi, the Three-Tails Isobu... all the way to the Nine-Tails Kurama."
"But in the era of the Sage of Six Paths, there was actually only one Tailed Beast in the shinobi world."
"That was the Ten-Tails!"
Hotaru covered her mouth in surprise and said in shock, "The Ten-Tails?"
"That's right." Yuzuru said solemnly, "The Ten-Tails' power was far too terrifying. It was even capable of destroying the entire shinobi world. That was why, before his death, the Sage of Six Paths divided its power, creating the nine Tailed Beasts we know today."
"And I... am now going to revive the Ten-Tails!"
Hotaru nodded somewhat blankly, then asked in confusion, "But Lord Yuzuru... if the Ten-Tails is so dangerous, why do you still want to revive it?"
"Because I want to become the Ten-Tails jinchuriki, just like the Sage of Six Paths once did!"
"Eh?!"
Hotaru froze.
Of course she knew what a Tailed Beast jinchuriki was.
Her teacher, Utakata, was the Six-Tails jinchuriki.
Compared to ordinary ninja, a Tailed Beast jinchuriki possessed chakra that seemed almost endless.
Not only could they use powers related to their Tailed Beast, but their recovery ability, defense, and other physical qualities were also astonishing.
However, she had never heard that the Sage of Six Paths had actually been the Ten-Tails jinchuriki!
Thinking of this, Hotaru's gaze grew complicated. She looked at Yuzuru and asked, "Lord Yuzuru, your power is already the strongest in the shinobi world. You are also the Emperor, and the entire shinobi world is under your control."
"You've already reached the summit. There is no need for you to risk the destruction of the shinobi world by reviving the Ten-Tails!"
"Hahahahaha..."
Yuzuru laughed a few times, then looked at Hotaru and said, "Hotaru, don't tell me you thought the risk of destroying the shinobi world that I mentioned was the Ten-Tails?"
"Isn't it?"
Hotaru asked in return.
"Of course not!"
Yuzuru's smile faded, and he said solemnly, "Deep in the universe, there exists a race known as the Ōtsutsuki clan..."
Yuzuru told Hotaru about the Ōtsutsuki clan, leaving her so shocked that her mouth opened into a large O.
Yuzuru had expected this reaction.
After all, when Onoki, Hashirama, Madara, and the others first heard this information, they had all been too shocked to speak.
Let alone Hotaru, who was standing before him now.
After a long time, Hotaru finally murmured, "Lord Yuzuru, is everything you said true?"
The moment she asked, she could not help closing her mouth again.
As the Emperor, Yuzuru had no need to fabricate such an absurd story just to deceive her.
"Whether it was unifying the shinobi world or gathering the Tailed Beasts, my goal has only ever been one thing from beginning to end. To protect the shinobi world and allow everyone to live happy, peaceful lives!"
Seeing the serious look in Yuzuru's eyes, Hotaru felt her mind go completely blank.
She had traveled through the shinobi world with Utakata and had heard many rumors about Yuzuru.
But now that she had seen him with her own eyes, she finally understood how different the man before her was from the rumors.
For the sake of letting everyone in the shinobi world live prosperous lives, and for the sake of protecting the shinobi world from destruction...
No wonder Yuzuru had insisted on bringing every force in the shinobi world under his control over the years. It turned out that he had not done so out of arrogance, vanity, or a desire for fame. He had done it so they could better face the Ōtsutsuki who coveted the shinobi world!
Just thinking about it for a moment was enough for Hotaru to feel how much pressure Yuzuru carried on his shoulders.
Suddenly, Hotaru could not help comparing her teacher, Utakata, with Yuzuru before her.
Compared to this man, who carried the entire shinobi world on his shoulders, her teacher's act of defecting from his village with a Tailed Beast just so he could live peacefully and freely felt far too lacking...
Thinking of this, Hotaru turned around, slipped off her upper garment, and revealed her pale yet hideously scarred back.
Yuzuru was startled by Hotaru's sudden action. His eyes widened as he said, "Hotaru, we are just talking... Why are you taking off your clothes?"
At those words, Hotaru blushed all the way down to her neck and softly explained, "Lord Yuzuru, I also want to contribute my strength."
"Recorded here is the secret technique of our Tsuchigumo clan, Fury. I wish to offer it to you now!"