The Ninja World had been completely exposed.
After Chinatsu's transformation and the sacrifice of the three Otsutsuki, the changes taking place across the world could no longer be concealed. The vast increase in natural energy, the rapidly recovering environment, and the strange phenomenon surrounding the Ninja World had inevitably attracted the attention of the Otsutsuki main clan.
But Chinatsu wasn't worried.
Not anymore.
The Otsutsuki clan was powerful.
There were certainly individuals within the main clan comparable to Reishi, Shiki, or Mai Shiki.
But there was no genuine Otsutsuki God.
The so-called "Otsutsuki God" was merely an ideal.
Every Otsutsuki pursued it.
Every Otsutsuki wanted to transcend the limitations of their body, dimensions, and existence and become something closer to a true god.
According to the records of the Otsutsuki clan, the one who had come closest to this ideal was Otsutsuki Yame.
Unfortunately, Yame's current state was unknown.
His physical body had already become nothing more than an empty shell.
Perhaps he was dead.
Perhaps he had transcended his physical form and ascended into a higher dimension.
Chinatsu had a strange premonition regarding him.
She would probably never meet him.
And if she never met him, there was no need to worry about him.
Besides…
Chinatsu wasn't interested in exterminating the Otsutsuki clan.
She wasn't some bloodthirsty demon who wanted to slaughter every Otsutsuki simply because they were Otsutsuki.
Her goal was much simpler.
Create a forbidden zone.
A place where the Otsutsuki would look at the Ninja World and instinctively think
Don't go there.
As long as they stopped coveting the Ninja World, Chinatsu had no intention of hunting them down.
She had no particular interest in torture.
Nor did she have any interest in mass slaughter.
Backstabbing, however…
Chinatsu quietly admitted that she found that slightly entertaining.
Perhaps that made her a little twisted.
But before the Otsutsuki could understand that the Ninja World was off-limits, Chinatsu needed to deliver one overwhelming warning.
A warning powerful enough to make the entire Otsutsuki clan remember this world forever.
The Otsutsuki main clan.
One after another, powerful figures gathered.
Their eyes were filled with greed.
The Ninja World wasn't merely another world.
It was a treasure.
A super-tonic.
The equivalent of several ordinary worlds compressed into one.
If an ordinary Otsutsuki could consume the Chakra Fruit produced by such a world, their strength could soar.
Even an otherwise mediocre member of the clan could potentially become an extraordinary existence.
No one was willing to give up such an opportunity.
The Otsutsuki exchanged glances.
No command was given.
No countdown.
No "three, two, one."
They simply moved.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
One after another, figures shot into the sky.
They looked like countless shooting stars leaving the Otsutsuki main clan's territory and heading toward the distant Ninja World.
The distance between the two was enormous.
Even traveling at their maximum speed, it would take nearly a month.
That was more than enough time.
Chinatsu glanced toward the sky.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"So they're coming."
Kaguya, sitting beside her, looked equally calm.
"They really don't know when to give up."
Meanwhile, underground…
Reishi felt something.
He couldn't see anything.
His eyes were still covered in dirt.
But he could sense the enormous movement taking place beyond the Ninja World.
More Otsutsuki were coming.
A lot more.
Reishi suddenly felt a profound sense of despair.
If he could speak freely, he would probably have shouted:
"Don't come!"
Unfortunately, his current situation was rather pathetic.
He was the righteous character desperately trying to save the incoming invaders from a terrible fate.
And Chinatsu…
She was starting to look increasingly like the Demon King.
Reishi silently cursed his luck.
If he could somehow unleash his full power and tell his fellow clan members what was waiting for them, perhaps they would turn around.
But he couldn't.
His chakra was constantly being drained.
His strength was disappearing.
And he couldn't even open his eyes.
What a miserable situation.
Days passed.
Then more days.
Chinatsu's sacrifice continued smoothly.
The only thing that remained troublesome was Reishi's stubborn resistance.
Fortunately, Chinatsu had patience.
And during this long process, she and Kaguya became increasingly familiar with each other.
Sometimes they discussed the Otsutsuki.
Sometimes they discussed the Ninja World.
Sometimes they simply sat together in silence.
And sometimes…
Kaguya went shopping.
This created a rather amusing problem.
Kaguya had no money.
She didn't even understand the currency system of the modern Ninja World.
After all, she had spent thousands of years sealed away.
And for the five years she had lived inside Chinatsu's body, Chinatsu had essentially never needed to carry money.
As the hidden leader of the Land of Whirlpools, practically everything she needed could simply be charged to an account.
Kaguya had never needed to worry about money.
So when she went into town to buy snacks, she naturally encountered a problem.
The shopkeeper told her the price.
Kaguya stared at him.
Then she casually pulled out a massive chunk of gold.
The shopkeeper froze.
"..."
Kaguya blinked.
"Is this enough?"
The shopkeeper stared at the gold.
His eyes practically turned into currency symbols.
"Of course, Miss!"
Kaguya nodded.
Then she took out another piece.
"What about this?"
The shopkeeper nearly fainted from happiness.
"This is more than enough!"
Kaguya tilted her head.
"Then I want to buy this place."
The shopkeeper's smile became even wider.
"Of course! Of course!"
The surrounding customers stared at him.
They all knew what was happening.
This woman was being scammed.
But nobody said anything.
For one thing, they didn't want trouble.
For another…
Kaguya's cold, aloof expression made her look incredibly difficult to approach.
And finally
Watching someone else get scammed was simply entertaining.
Kaguya looked around.
"So these two pieces are enough?"
"Absolutely!"
The shopkeeper nodded furiously.
Kaguya smiled.
"That's not too expensive."
She turned around.
"Then the deal is done."
The shopkeeper's smile froze.
"Miss?"
"I'll take it with me."
"What?"
Kaguya raised her hand.
Boom!
The entire shop trembled.
"Earthquake!"
The customers screamed and ducked beneath tables.
The shopkeeper covered his head.
After several seconds, the shaking stopped.
Everyone slowly raised their heads.
Then
Silence.
The shop…
Was gone.
Only its foundation remained.
The entire building had been lifted from the ground.
The walls.
The shelves.
The snacks.
Everything.
The shop was floating in the air.
The shopkeeper stared blankly.
"What…"
Kaguya calmly flew after it.
She reached the floating shop and placed one hand against it.
Whoosh!
The entire building flew toward the horizon.
The shopkeeper remained frozen.
Then
Clang!
A large gold nugget landed beside his feet.
Clang!
Another followed.
Kaguya's voice drifted back from the distance.
"Fair trade!"
The shopkeeper looked at the gold.
Then at the empty foundation.
Then back toward the direction Kaguya had flown.
His expression became complicated.
"So…"
"She really bought the entire shop."
He slowly picked up the gold.
It was heavy.
Very heavy.
And unquestionably real.
The shopkeeper's mouth twitched.
He had no idea whether he had just made the greatest deal of his life…
Or been robbed in the most technically legal way imaginable.
Several hours later.
A strange scene appeared beside the enormous stone statue of Chinatsu that was currently being constructed.
A small shop had been placed there.
Inside, Kaguya was lying comfortably on a recliner.
Her legs were crossed.
Her posture was relaxed.
And in her hand was a packet of sunflower seeds.
Crack.
She ate another one.
Her eyes lit up.
"Wow."
She looked at the packet.
"These sunflower seeds are pretty good."
She cracked another.
"Crunch."
Outside, Chinatsu remained motionless, still focusing on the sacrifice.
Her eyelid twitched.
"..."
Another crunch.
Chinatsu finally couldn't help herself.
"Kaguya."
"Hm?"
"Where did you get that?"
"I bought it."
"With what?"
Kaguya paused.
Then proudly pointed toward the distant horizon.
"I bought the shop."
"..."
Chinatsu's expression became increasingly strange.
"You mean you bought the entire shop?"
"Yes."
"With gold?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
Kaguya held up two fingers.
"Two pieces."
Chinatsu stared at her.
Kaguya stared back.
Neither spoke.
Finally, Chinatsu sighed.
"You're really bad with money."
Kaguya immediately became defensive.
"They accepted the payment!"
"That's not the point!"
Kaguya turned her head away.
"Hmph."
She cracked another sunflower seed.
"Anyway, they're delicious."
"..."
Chinatsu looked toward the sky.
The Otsutsuki main clan was approaching.
A battle that could shake the entire universe was about to begin.
The fate of the Ninja World was hanging in the balance.
And beside her…
Kaguya was happily eating sunflower seeds.
Chinatsu suddenly wondered whether she should be nervous.
Then she thought about it.
No.
She didn't need to be.
After all
The real show hadn't even begun yet.