"Black Zetsu."
Kaguya called out softly.
The dark creation that had been shadowing her—curled within the garden's shade—immediately wriggled to her feet.
"Go and investigate," Kaguya said, her voice edged with unmistakable coldness. "Find out what has truly happened. I… seem to have overlooked far too much."
She had finally awakened from her total focus on the child within her womb, realizing that because of her "weakness" and "trust," she had not actively sensed the outside world for far too long.
And the outside world, it seemed, had long surpassed the "minor friction" Tenji had described so lightly.
Black Zetsu asked no questions. It instantly melted into a dim, nearly imperceptible shadow and vanished soundlessly into its surroundings.
The wait was not long—but for Kaguya, it felt agonizing.
She rested a hand on her swollen abdomen. Within, the small life stirred with strength. It was the continuation of her power—and her greatest vulnerability.
At last, Black Zetsu returned.
"Mother…" Its voice was lower than usual, tinged with anger. "I've found out…"
It paused, as if organizing its thoughts, then spoke word by word.
"The Land of That has coveted the Land of Ancestors for a long time but never found a suitable excuse. After you married Tenji, the Land of Ancestors gained greater unity under the name of the 'Divine Maiden.' Several small tribes even pledged allegiance. Its strength grew. That stirred fear… and greed."
"They recently formed an alliance with two smaller nations. Their combined forces far surpass ours. Several villages have already fallen—burned and pillaged. And they have delivered a demand to King Tenji…"
Black Zetsu's shadow trembled.
"They demand that he hand you over—present you to the daimyō of the Land of That—as the price for ending the war."
"Otherwise…" Its form quivered violently. "Otherwise, they will slaughter every last citizen of the Land of Ancestors. Leave no one alive."
A deathly silence fell over the garden.
The color drained from Kaguya's face until it was as pale as her robes.
She braced herself against a stone table, her knuckles whitening. Her body trembled—not only with anger, but with a cold, crushing disappointment.
"The… Land… of… That…"
She forced the words out through clenched teeth, her voice cold enough to freeze the air.
Within her pale Byakugan, a terrifying glint flared.
It was the instinctive killing intent of an Ōtsutsuki—of a being who once roamed the cosmos—when insulted and threatened by mere mortals.
Yet the killing intent quickly subsided.
Her hand drifted back to her abdomen. She felt the life within… and remembered the near-emptiness of her chakra.
For the first time, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness intertwined within her heart.
"Mother…" Black Zetsu edged closer, its voice anxious. "Your power… is too weak right now. We… we should hide. Find somewhere safe. Once you give birth and recover your strength—"
"No."
Kaguya shook her head decisively.
She offered no explanation. Instead, she slowly raised her gaze toward the palace courtyard—where Tenji handled affairs of state, where he must surely be in turmoil.
Hide?
As an Ōtsutsuki—once an executor who looked down upon the stars—even stripped of her power, her pride would not allow her to cower like a stray dog under the threats of mortals on a primitive world.
Moreover…
She looked down at her abdomen again.
Here was her child. Tenji's child. And the people of the Land of Ancestors—who revered her as a deity and might now suffer because of her.
Tenji's concealment might have been meant to spare her worry. It might even have been protection.
But now, concealment was meaningless.
Kaguya slowly straightened her back. Though heavy with pregnancy and nearly drained of chakra, there was a faint return of her former dignity in her posture.
—
Beyond the Heavenly Curtain, the shinobi world felt their hearts sink.
As expected… it seemed likely that Tenji would betray her.
Within the projection, Kaguya still believed in Tenji.
But that belief was soon shattered.
When the army of the Land of That arrived outside the capital, Tenji compromised.
"So you intend to hand over your wife—who carries your child?"
Kaguya's voice held no visible turbulence. It was a clear, direct question.
Tenji could not meet her pale gaze. He lowered his head deeply, silently acknowledging the humiliating decision.
Kaguya nodded once. She did not say another word. Rising on her own, she walked toward the door.
Tenji seemed as though he wanted to reach for her—or offer some excuse—but in the end, his lips merely moved uselessly as he followed behind.
Outside, soldiers from the Land of That had long been waiting.
The moment Kaguya stepped out, they advanced to seize her.
At that instant, Kaguya raised her hand.
Though her chakra was nearly exhausted by pregnancy, even the sliver that remained was beyond the resistance of ordinary soldiers.
An invisible force struck outward. Several soldiers screamed as they were blasted backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
The sight stunned everyone present—and left Tenji utterly frozen.
His eyes widened as he stared at the wife he had always seen as gentle and beautiful, as though seeing her for the first time—realizing she was no mere mortal.
"Kaguya, I—" The words died in his throat.
She did not even look at him again.
In that brief opening, a black, viscous shadow—Black Zetsu—spread swiftly from beneath her feet, pointing precisely toward the weakest point in the encirclement.
"Mother, this way! They're thin on this side—quick!"
Kaguya did not hesitate.
She turned and ran in the direction Black Zetsu indicated. Though her movements carried the burden of late pregnancy, her gaze was cold and resolute.
Only then did Tenji snap back to his senses. Overwhelming panic overtook him.
He rushed forward a few steps and cried out toward her retreating figure.
"No! Kaguya! You can't leave! If you go, the Land of That won't spare me! They'll destroy my country! Kaguya—!"
His voice was filled with fear for his own fate.
There was not a trace of concern for his wife's safety.
Nor any sorrow for his unborn child.
Kaguya's steps seemed to falter for the briefest instant.
But only for an instant.
She did not look back.
Ahead of her, Black Zetsu moved like the most loyal of guides, constantly scouting and updating the safest route.
"Mother—turn right ahead! Through that forest—we can shake them for now!"
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