Chapter Text
Naruto: Tales of Ashihara
The Shinden Saga – Arc 2: Pain Divine
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Chapter 131 – Grief Never Ending
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It has been two days since the battle between Kiri's forces and the god of destruction. These were two days of recovery. 70% of the ninjas who went on this mission were erased by the enemy or succumbed from their wounds. Yukiko, whose arm was ripped off, managed to keep the detached limb intact, which therefore allowed the 7th Hokage to stitch it back with a Gudodama, leaving no trace of the injury.
Same can't be said about Kaori's left leg. Since it's been dismantled to particle level, there was no way for it to be recovered. The village is currently looking to find her a prosthetic replacement. Tsubai and Kokoro, tired from the battle and their injuries, got priority treatment and recovered thanks to Ashi Rinha, the medical department director of Kiri.
Takeshi Minamoto restored his own body with the Daitengu's molting right at the end of the fight. However, he couldn't heal the arm he regrew earlier in his first battle against Hyakki, and the leg he molted when he ran away from Fuyuko Yamanaka. Unlike Sojobo, he doesn't seem able to regrow the same body parts many times, or at least not twice within a year. Anyway, Naruto Uzumaki could completely heal the irradiated limbs that Takeshi couldn't take care of by himself.
Sakitsuki Otsutsuki, even though already healed by her own regenerative ability and her mistress Naobi, was still taken in charge by the hospital for a messy check-up. Nothing could be concluded however as her anatomy, yet almost identical to the human body, doesn't channel the same energy and blood. Her eyes, even though traces of unfathomable mystic energy were found, couldn't be told apart from simple Byakugan.
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Now, the 7th Hokage is with the Mizukage in his office. Following his arrival, he stood in Kiri to discuss the latest events and potential consequences, and was joined by his star pupil Izuna Uchiha. At the moment, Naruto is alone with Chojuro while Izuna uses some free time to visit his friends in Kiri.
Right now, what occupies Naruto's mind the most is the method used by the Otsutsuki to prevent his implication in the battle against Hyakki. The illusion of Naobi.
"I can't believe someone really prevented me from feeling anything…" he thinks aloud. "Not even Tsubai's time pause or Kaguya's Mugen Tsukuyomi were able to trick my sensory ability or Sasuke's Rinnegan. Yet I'm sure this woman still under-performed somehow…"
"Her name is Naobi Otsutsuki… According to Sakitsuki, what this woman is capable of is way beyond that…" Chojuro explains. "She can merge her illusions with reality just like the Uchiha's Izanagi but to a much larger extent. She apparently used it before to change the past, and even the future."
"… Naobi Otsutsuki, huh?" Naruto says after a moment of silent thoughts. "So she is the same person who trapped Sasuke in another dimension for 3 months? And it's probably also her ability that Momoshiki used to take Oshio away from Sakura and Sasuke… I'm glad she didn't mean business."
In the Hokage's mind, the nine-tailed fox Kurama expresses his thoughts on what they could learn about this clan from these events.
"About the other guy, this god of destruction, he kind of proved you right in a way." Kurama says to his jinchuriki. "Back then you said Kinshiki Otsutsuki made you feel like these guys weren't all as lost as Kaguya. Sure, Sakitsuki may be one of the least hostile people we've ever met, but even Hyakki Otsutsuki was somehow humane. Only reason he let himself be defeated is Kokoro's illusion. There's some mystery in this guy's past implying he had a story with a human girl. The fact it worked as a distraction shows that his feelings are still here… Momoshiki and Katashiki really seem like two terrible examples…"
"… Yeah, you're right." Naruto answers to the Biju.
Walking in the room comes Sakitsuki, which startles Naruto for a moment. He still finds it surprising that her clan really left her behind and technically allowed her to stay. But since she's here, he might as well declare his intentions.
"Sakitsuki, I want you to know that, going forward, I'll do my best to ensure a peaceful relation between our people."
"… Very considerate of you, Hokage." she answers kindly. "I know most of my fellow would rather stay away or be forgotten, but considering the Ryu Shinsen's current position on this topic, I hope his intentions are similar to yours."
For a moment, Naruto wonders if the latest events could affect this goal negatively. Looking at Saki, the unfortunate cause of all this, he thinks of Tsubai and his kids who are still going through with the loss of Tokiwa.
"Do you know where Tsubai is?" he asks.
"I wouldn't know." she answers, having temporarily lost the boundless sight of her eyes.
"He is in the village." Chojuro answers. "On a leave with his family. I thought they still need some alone time."
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In the ninja cemetery of the village, the Minamoto patriarch stands at his wife's grave with his two children. Looking down on Tokiwa's tomb, he notices that, as expected, they got no relief from vengeance. The pain and grief remains and will never end. Takeshi, by his side, stays as silent and beat as his father.
Together here, they feel stupid for risking their lives like that, all for nothing. Tokiwa is still gone, and they still miss her. What did they even expect to accomplish? What reward did they think they'd get from this? Tsubai, unlike Takeshi, isn't at his first emotional hole. He sighs and slightly steps forward.
"I'm sorry." he says, addressing his wife. "That was stupid of us. It was stupid of me to drag Takeshi into this. I know you'd be upset."
Yoshinari, visiting her mother's grave for the first time, crouches next to it, gently pets the stone with her hand and lies flowers in front of it. After a moment, she stands back up and climbs in her father's arms.
"You think she can hear us?" she asks, curious about her dad's behavior. "Do you know where she is now? Can she also see us?"
"I don't know, girl." Tsubai answers with a fake smile before letting her hug him. "I sure hope she can."
Takeshi, hearing his sister's question, tries to hold himself back from thinking about it. Sensing Amabie's presence in his mind, he still refuses to gaze at her. He keeps ignoring her power, denying the truth.
Next to him, while he's in his thoughts, Yoshinari interrupts her hug with her dad and looks at her hand in which she holds a hair that fell off of Tsubai's head. She hands it to him, who's somewhat surprised by its color. It is a gray hair, carrier of bad news. Not bothered by this, Tsubai throws it away. Looking aside to his son, he doesn't see the Daitengu who stands by his side with his body bent over to stare back at him.
"Well, well…" the creature says in Takeshi's soul. "This is a bad sign."
Startled by the voice only he hears, Takeshi looks on his right, and then at his father on the left. After a quick look at the sky to determine the time, he lets Tsubai give him his sister and walks away, to leave some alone time to the widower. Yoshinari waves goodbye to her father as Takeshi goes, followed by the invisible Daitengu.
"Nothing's changed in the end, it seems." Sojobo comments, to bring to his heir's ears the thoughts they all have in common.
Takeshi doesn't react, but sadly has to agree. The question of his sister, he thinks of it again. Is there an afterlife for his mother? He could ask Sakitsuki or Sojobo and he'd likely get an actual answer, but he doesn't dare. He's not sure he wants to know the truth about this.
"You are afraid of the truth. Yes. Afraid. You used to think you were fearless, mostly because of me. But now we're brought to realize that it is actually the only thing that you truly feel. Fear. It guides all other human emotions. Jealousy, hate, sorrow. It all comes from there. On the other hand, joy is nothing more than its absence."
Takeshi looks at the Daitengu who just said that, and refuses to answer. In his mind, Tentoki asks what he's looking at, obviously, but a visitor prevents this discussion. Coming to cross his path is Izuna, who came to Kiri with his sensei. Feeling an odd relief from this meeting, Takeshi slightly smiles.
"How're you holding up, friend?" the Uchiha asks, before saluting Yoshinari who doesn't seem to recognize him.
Takeshi shrugs to show his honest emotional confusion. Noticing his sister's curiosity, he hands her over to his friend. And they resume their walk with him, toward the Minamoto's apartment. As he unknowingly walks side by side with the Daitengu, Izuna starts a conversation.
"I heard that you were kind of immortal now. Is that right?"
"… Like you said, kind of." Takeshi answers. "What about you? Doesn't your Sengo give you a similar thing."
"I don't think so…" he answers, before waiting a moment to introduce the real topic he wants to discuss. "You lived through a lot of tough stuff lately. That thing with Fuyuko, the case of the Chimera, and now a fight with a celestial. More than challenging and physical, these were also really personal."
After waiting a little time, seeing that he gets no answer, he goes on.
"I could say I know what it felt like, that I've had a similar experience with Oshio and Kakumei, but I don't think I do." he continues. "If you want to vent about something, I'll be glad to listen, you know… It was tough and… I'm glad you made it out alive…"
Seeing that Takeshi is just more thoughtful after his words, Izuna tries to insist or clarify himself.
"When I lost Hokage-sensei, I really felt like everything was over. That there was nothing left worth living for, and these eyes I have prove it." he tells about himself. "Now that time has passed by, I feel stupid but also frightened. I can't even imagine what would happen to me if I were to lose my mom, my sister,... or Inoue."
Takeshi raises both eyebrows in surprise. Izuna is obviously trying to get him to talk about his mother's passing. He knows he should, because it could free his mind, but he still doesn't. He isn't alone in this. Rather than finding comfort for himself, he prefers to endure just as much as his father does.
Still, he appreciates Izuna's sincerity and knows how much he hates secrets. He's right about one thing. He shouldn't stay alone in anything. Since he already feels imprisoned by his grief, he could use support in this. He looks aside to the Curse of Time next to him, who stares back with its red eyes. The Daitengu lightly tilts his head, waiting for Takeshi to go ahead with his intention.
"One thing I never told anyone… I mean no one at all…" he starts, looking at Tentoki inside his mind. "… is that Sojobo is right here with me."
To this revelation, the Daitengu widely opens his red eyes, gently flattered by his heir's honesty. Izuna stops straight, looks at his friend and around to find what he can't see. In Takeshi's mind, Tentoki confusingly looks at Amabie, both suspecting an oddly timed joke. But when he sees Makura's surprised face, the white tengu understands the truth behind this.
"You can't see him." Takeshi says to his tengu, Izuna, and his sister who also looks around for nothing. "He's hidden within my soul. Only I can see, hear or sense him. Only Makura and I."
"What?" Tentoki exclaims in panic. "What are you talking about, Takeshi? Sojobo is here? Is that true?" he yells before looking at Fear Itself. "And you knew? Why didn't one of you tell me anything? Since when is he here?"
"Is… he really here?" Amabie calmly and curiously asks, to no answer of course.
"What do you mean? How is it possible?" Izuna asks.
"Is it dangerous?" Yoshinari adds.
"It's not." Takeshi explains. "It's just an incarnation of the power he transmitted to me. You know, all these abilities that come from none of my tengu. He's a personification of that, but he's harmless. You can't see him, because he's not material. He technically isn't alive at all. He exists only within my soul. He can't even use any ability. It's really just a voice in me."
Tentoki trembles, deranged by the fact that he's unknowingly watched by the Daitengu again. Amabie looks down sadly, as she expected to meet her maker. Izuna and Yoshinari stare at each other, quite confused about this revelation.
"You told me to vent about anything, so that's what I'm doing." the Minamoto justifies his revelation.
Izuna thinks for a moment, and accepts. He goes ahead with his walk. In his mind, Tentoki keeps complaining about this secret being revealed to him only now. Walking next to Takeshi, Sojobo tries to calm his first offspring down.
"Tell Tentoki that you don't have half the answers he's asking for. That he can ask these to me in person when we get to meet again."
Takeshi, a bit unsure about the last part, still repeats it to his tengu, which successfully shuts him up but more out of worry than relief. Takeshi then looks at Izuna, who seems to be thinking about this on his own.
"Say, friend, could this stay between us?" he asks the Uchiha.
"Takeshi, you know how much I'd hate to keep a secret." he answers, pretending to be sorry.
"I get it." Takeshi accepts this rejection and looks at Sojobo to know if it goes for him as well, as it probably means that Naruto Uzumaki will be told about it. However, the Daitengu's attention has been caught by something else just as they arrive at the apartment.
"Here is your everything."
The Minamoto looks up to follow Sojobo's gaze and understands what he means. He sees Sakitsuki coming down from the sky to the roof of the building. Thinking of how Sojobo called her, he reminds himself of what she is to him. The one thing he can't afford to lose.
"Izuna, you know… what you said earlier about what you'd do if you ever were to lose Inoue…" Takeshi says, looking up and letting his friend notice Saki as well. "If it happened to me,… If I had to lose her, I don't think I'd keep tolerating the world. I wouldn't let it exist anymore."
"… Well…" Izuna says, seeing Saki for the first time. "I guess… I'm glad you found the one. I'll bring your sister inside."
He leaves with Yoshinari to give them some intimacy. The celestial comes down to Takeshi. They stand silent for a moment, holding their hands together. Looking into her now white eyes, the ninja in black could ask plenty of things. But what comes to his mind at first is a reminder of all the questions he had right as he delivered the final blow to Hyakki.
"Um…" he hums, making her expect a question. "Your mistress… She said that I destroyed the Kinshiju? What does it mean?"
"Oh?" Saki gasps, a bit disappointed by this first remark. "It is a seal that forbids the death or suicide of the cursed individual. Apparently, Hyakki-sama had such a thing and you destroyed it with his right heart… I wasn't aware of that. I didn't expect him to be suicidal at all. I found out, just in his end, that I barely knew anything about him. If Naobi-sama wasn't there, we wouldn't even know about it."
"Naobi-sama…" Takeshi repeats. "So she left you here with us. Who is she to you exactly?"
"Well… To me, more than a mistress, she is an adoptive mother." Saki explains. "She's been raising me as her own since my parents disappeared. She didn't educate me to rebel like that. I certainly disappointed her. She probably elected to leave me here, free and away from the judgment of Yamitsuki-sama, until my divine eye returns."
"About that…" Takeshi mentions, gently touching her face. "I… miss your golden eyes… Does it mean you can't see everything at once like before?"
"I did tell you about this previously, didn't I?" she answers. "I used my Sanmeigan's second wisdom. As a result, the starlight in my eyes was extinguished and they returned to simple Byakugan. But it is temporary. It may take a few years, but they will go back to normal. In the meantime, I can't use my rainbow light bridge. So I'll need your help to move around as fast."
"So… You stay here, right?" he asks.
Sakitsuki doesn't answer, she just smiles guiltily and brings her lips to him. The two share a kiss and a hug, deciding to not worry about the future for once.
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Light years away from Earth at the same time, on Ashihara, for the first time since the resurrection and defeat of Kaguya, all the members of the Otsutsuki clan residing on this planet are united in front of the crystal palace of Izumo. They've all heard about Naobi's return, but it is the first time since it happened that the Ryu Shinsen is present.
All the subjects of the clan stand behind the 4 remaining Shinden while Tokubei Otsutsuki, the Rinnegan wielder, uses Gedo to summon the soul of their fellow, his student and friend, Hyakki Otsutsuki. Appearing as a ghost before their eyes, making his death a certainty, he doesn't answer any of his master's questions. In fact, he doesn't say a word or pay attention to anyone.
Yamitsuki, seeing the unfamiliar expression on this ghost's face, slowly nods in a glad manner. Hyakki always used to smile, but here, it seems more genuine than ever before. More than smiling, mocking, or amused, he looks actually happy. He looks… free.
"Could you at least tell us if you have a way to resurrection?" Tokubei insists with unanswered questions to the summoned soul.
"Come on, Hyakki!" Yasona yells at the ghost. "Don't leave us like that! Say something!"
"That is enough." Yamitsuki declares as he takes a few steps forward to stand next to Tokubei. "Hyakki is not willing to speak. Set him free."
Yasona clenches her teeth and fists, letting her long pointy nails scratch her precious skin. With her lips trembling, she looks away. Tokubei looks back to his wife and son, then back at his deceased student.
"At least, this is a proper farewell, god of youth." he simply says before dismissing the summoning and letting Hyakki back to the pure land.
As his soul fades away, one of the members of the clan, a woman named Hebemi Otsutsuki, speaks up with tears in her eyes.
"Rest in peace, Hyakki-sama!" she exclaims to bid farewell.
To follow her lead, Tokubei's wife and son, Fureya and Taiyoshiki, repeat the same words after her. The masked man does as well, encouraging others to follow. Seimei, the youngest and only hornless member of the clan, also Tayioshiki's student, repeats. Behind Yasona, Chishiki Otsutsuki, one of her pupils, does the same. Kuboshiki Otsutsuki, her second pupil, the younger brother of Urashiki, does as well. Even Torushiki, the third and most silent one, pays respect.
Seeing her followers pay respect as others let their emotions out, the goddess of beauty lets a few tears flow and salutes her fellow Shinden as well. Aritsuki, a bearded blond god with black ant horns, follows Yasona's example and makes his student Watsuki do the same. Soon enough, all 13 present members of the clan give a last word to the former god of destruction. All except the sovereign of gods, Yamitsuki.
He waits for the soul to fully vanish and looks up to the sky, feeling glad for the younger who found his desired freedom.
"At last, you got your liberation." he says silently.
Behind him, as the sudden silence lets the sobs and gasps of the mourning gods and goddesses be heard, Naobi Otsutsuki feels the guilt of her failure. Just as Tokubei and Yamitsuki turn around, she lays her floating feet on the ground, leaves her staff, symbol of power, aside and bows to them.
"It happened by my fault." she says, to everyone's surprise. "I cannot be excused. I should have stopped Hyakki's ruthless manners. I should have contained Sakitsuki's naive feelings!"
"My dear, you bow to no one." the Ryu Shinsen says as he holds her hands, makes her stand straight and hands her back her scepter. He makes her elevate above the soil again. "Nor should you stand on the same level as others. No one surpasses you."
He gently rubs her cheeks while keeping a straight face, and looks around at his fellows to guess their interpretation of this scene. Knowing that he is expected to dictate what will be next, he improvises.
"Naobi, it is not your fault." he starts to say. "You have acted exactly as demanded. What has happened to Hyakki is only due to his own will. He found his desired place, freed from his curse of life."
Tokubei, who joins his family in the small crowd, looks at his son who, like him, agrees with the Dragon Sage's words. Behind them, Yasona doesn't, and can't keep her tongue still.
"Isshiki's gonna be furious!" she argues.
All her fellows look at her and wonder about this remark that they all tried to ignore so far. Aritsuki, standing right behind her, and willing to show his support, takes the lead against the ruler.
"Earth has taken another of us. And an honorable Shinden this time!" he says. "We can't let this go on! We have to fix these wrongs, and erase their memories."
Yamitsuki doesn't waste a second to make his disagreement clear and correct him.
"Contrary to what the god of submission is declaring, the passing of Hyakki does not change anything. The Tenshin of Shiva, including Isshiki, will trespass on Earth in time to accomplish their purpose. Until their mission is completed, there will be no point in any intervention."
"Our kind is in danger!" Aritsuki yells. "Let me go and absorb that planet's memories, just to hold them back for now."
Feeling bitter about the first sentence, Tokubei looks at the goddess of creation to ask a few details.
"What do you think, Naobi-sama?" he says. "Are ninjas really a threat to our kind? Was Hyakki really defeated by them?"
"… They couldn't have done it without, unfortunately, the implication of Sakitsuki, and his own help." she answers. "Also, the shinobi who broke Hyakki's Kinshiju is not simply human."
"But he wouldn't stand a chance against us anyway." Tokubei adds, now speaking to Aritsuki. "Even Sasuke Uchiha, one of their mightiest, couldn't stand his ground against me, and had certainly no chance against Naobi-sama. So, no, your clan is not in danger."
"You can't be serious, Tokubei-sama?" Aritsuki keeps arguing. "Our kind isn't just you and the Tenshin! The weaker and younger of us aren't safe either. My niece, Seimei, almost ran into the Uchiha even before any of you Shinden, yet she's the weakest of us all!"
At this remark about herself, Seimei, who stands next to Taiyoshiki, scratches her head and gently smiles in embarrassment. But Yamitsuki doesn't let the attention be drawn to her.
"Enough." he interrupts this argument. "Conflict and superiority are not the matter. Aritsuki Otsutsuki, you are not allowed to intervene. Nor are any of you. Sakitsuki was left behind on Earth. As long as she is on this planet without her golden sight returned, nobody will lay a hair in its atmosphere. This reunion is over. You can be excused."
After this abrupt conclusion, the Ryu Shinsen turns around and vanishes, into another universe. Naobi, seeing him leave, quickly gazes through the crowd with a sorry face, and disappears in a blue portal to join her lover.
Left alone without the two mightiest of them, the members of the Otsutsuki clan continue the discussion. At first, it is Kuboshiki who keeps it going with a little confusion.
"Why would we wait for Sakitsuki to recover her sight?" he asks everyone, but mainly to his mistress, Yasona, whom he considers worthy of taking a decision. "Wouldn't it be wiser to send someone to retrieve her immediately?"
"Are you joking? Or you're just an idiot?" Watsuki, the hairless young man who stands with Aritsuki, replies.
"Kuboshiki, bringing Sakitsuki back is the reason why Hyakki-sama was sent in the first place." Chishiki hurries to explain, before her fellow gets mad or feels humiliated. "It's because he met resistance that Naobi-sama had to follow him the second time."
"Really?" Kuboshiki complains. "Well sorry for not knowing that. It's not like anyone was told about this other than the Shinden."
"The Shinden's business shouldn't be our concern." Taiyoshiki, son of Tokubei, argues. "This is what their council is for."
Fureya, his mother, looks at her masked husband, who hasn't stepped in yet, agreeing with his son. Torushiki, the giant who stands behind Yasona, quietly gazes at his mistress, unsettled by her uncommon silence. Chishiki, noticing his gaze, follows it and notices Yasona's visible sadness. The loss of Hyakki obviously pains her.
Just like for Momoshiki's death, the lack of action of the Ryu Shinsen must be infuriating for Yasona. From her perspective, she just has to see her close friends be taken away while she isn't allowed to move. Feeling compassion for her mistress, Chishiki gets slightly closer and hands Yasona her 3 meters long spear just so she can lean her head against it. Judging from the emotion she channels, she won't take this inaction any longer.
Since no one else speaks, Tokubei, in the name of the Shinden, insists that everyone returns to his domain or activity. As he goes, Aritsuki stares at Yasona whom, like many others, he desires. Knowing that she must feel left alone among the council without Hyakki, he wishes to help her. To him, humankind has crossed too many borders to be left aware.
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What he ignores for now is that the Otsutsuki clan's main adversary among humans, Sasuke Uchiha, is on his way to find untold knowledge that even some of them ignore. Soon, the wandering ninja will reach the plains of Takama, the original cradle of life.
In the meantime, Yamitsuki Otsutsuki, despite his apparent restraint, knows very well what might be to come. He already prepared for it by visiting Toneri Otsutsuki. However, he needs his commands to be followed for his clan to prevail in peace with humanity and for the universes to remain.
He foresees that this balanced future and safety lies within the hands not only of his beloved Naobi Otsutsuki, but also of the new Rikudo, the golden fox, Naruto Uzumaki. For the vile to be rejected, and for the prophecy of the Dragon Emperor, spirit and former sovereign of the Ryugu-Jo, to come true, the next celestial to set foot on Earth shall be Yamitsuki himself.
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End of Chapter 131 – Next Chapter: Plains of Takama
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End of "The Shinden Saga – Arc 2: Pain Divine"
Next: "The Shinden Saga – Arc 3: The Dragon Sage"
Note for readers:
There will be no new chapters until January . In the meantime, I will rewrite and update the first arc of the story: The Soul Robber.