Ōtsutsuki Kaguya plucked a single blue and white strand of hair from her head and held it out.
Uchiha Gen accepted the hair, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. The Rinne Sharingan appeared.
Kaguya stared. Her expression shifted from surprise to shock.
She could clearly sense the force behind those eyes, a power far beyond her own peak. Not just stronger than her Rinne Sharingan, but stronger than the height of her own former might.
Gen smiled lightly.
"This is my unique Rinne Sharingan."
The long blue and white hair hovered in midair, untouched by wind. White light flashed from Gen's eyes and struck the hair. It broke apart piece by piece, dissolving into dust.
After three breaths, Gen's smile deepened.
"Found him. Get ready for a good show."
He lifted a sleeve. Clouds gathered in front of them, compressing into an enormous oval mirror of mist and light.
Inside the cloud mirror lay an underground base. A man sat lazily on a stone throne, swirling red wine in a cup.
He wore a white haori, his hair tied up with a long braid hanging behind him. A Roman numeral IV was tattooed beneath his left eye. A Karma mark sat clearly on his chin. Red neckband, wrist guards, black-painted nails, a black crystal embedded in his abdomen, a red belt wrapped around his waist, red earrings completing the image.
Gen glanced sideways at Kaguya, amused.
"My Queen, I didn't pick the wrong person, did I?"
Kaguya stared, voice low. "That Karma mark. This should be the vessel Isshiki selected."
"Should?" Gen chuckled. "My Queen, your eyesight isn't very good. Take a closer look."
Only Gen would dare say something like that to someone whose Byakugan far surpassed anything in the Hyuga Clan.
He flicked his sleeve. The image shifted, diving deep into a microscopic world.
A tiny version of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, dozens of times smaller than his main body, appeared before them.
"It really is him," Kaguya said, excitement slipping into her tone.
Gen leaned in slightly. "Kiss me and I'll erase him right now."
Color touched Kaguya's pale cheeks. After a heartbeat of hesitation, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his cheek. She pulled back almost instantly.
Gen smiled. "Good. Watch closely."
His Rinne Sharingan spun, golden lines shifting within the pupils. The mirror zoomed out, rising through the base, past the ground, up into the sky. The image split in two, showing both the heavens and the base at once.
Above the world, a massive Rinne Sharingan appeared, golden lightning dancing inside it.
In the base, Jigen suddenly stood. Red wine sloshed out of his cup.
A pillar of golden lightning erupted from the sky, falling at the speed of light.
Jigen tried to invoke his dimensional shift, but he moved too late.
The golden pillar swallowed him whole.
The cloud mirror filled with roaring golden light. When it finally faded, the view pulled back. An enormous cylinder-shaped crater scarred the earth, surrounded by untouched primeval forest. The pit was pitch black, bottomless.
"Is he dead?" Kaguya asked.
"Dead. Body and soul both erased," Gen answered. "And even if he somehow returns, I can pinpoint his location instantly and strike again."
His eyes narrowed.
"I remember his aura and soul signature. There is nowhere in this world for him to hide."
He stretched out a hand.
"I am the master of this world. Those who oppose me are rejected and suppressed by the world itself."
He turned to glance at Kaguya.
An invisible force slammed down on her like a mountain. Shackles pressed at her wrists, ankles, and throat. Her breathing tightened.
"Do you feel it?" Gen asked calmly.
"Yes. I can barely resist it, but it is uncomfortable. Please release this technique."
"Add either husband or Your Majesty."
Kaguya hesitated only a moment.
"Husband, Your Majesty, please release this technique."
Gen was satisfied. He dispelled the suppression.
"Come. There is something we need to take care of."
"After that, I will take you home."
"Alright," Kaguya replied.
Their figures flickered and vanished.
A moment later, the two of them materialized in the Pure Land.
With Gen no longer concealing her presence, the moment Kaguya appeared, Hagoromo and Hamura sensed her. Their faces changed instantly, and both shot across the Pure Land with urgent speed.
"Your Majesty, why bring me here?" Kaguya asked.
"You cannot remain hidden forever. Some things must be made clear."
She faintly understood what he meant. Before she could respond, Hagoromo and Hamura arrived.
"Mother, why are you out?" Both brothers stared, horrified.
Their tone made Kaguya's expression darken. Black Zetsu erupted from her sleeve, shrieking.
"Shut up! You have no right to call her Mother!"
Kaguya's voice turned colder.
"It seems you truly intended to keep me sealed until I withered. If I had known this, I would never have accepted the wishes and prayers that led to your birth."
"You stole my power. You ignored my warnings. You were disobedient and unfilial."
Hagoromo swallowed hard, speechless.
"We never meant to imprison you forever," he managed. "As long as you repent, we can release you."
Kaguya stared, voice like ice.
"Repent? For what crime?"
"Do you understand the pressure I carried? The danger we faced? They would not have spared you either. My actions were for myself and for you."
"They?" Hagoromo asked.
Gen chuckled. "It seems communication between the three of you has been lacking."
"Today is as good a time as any."
Kaguya had always been domineering. In her mind, her sons existed to obey. If she had been willing to speak with them openly long ago, the conflict might never have escalated.
When Gen spoke, both brothers noticed something they had not before. They stared at Kaguya and Gen's clasped hands.
Hamura froze. "What is going on?"
Kaguya smirked. "What else? I found you a stepfather. He is the one who rescued me. In fact, since you never had a biological father, he is your father."
Hamura stared blankly.
Hagoromo did the same.
Their descendant had somehow become their father. Worse, their mother had agreed to it.
Gen coughed softly. "Let's not complicate the titles. Treat each other normally."
He chose not to say anything that might provoke them. He was here to stabilize the family, not start another war.
The brothers eventually regained their composure.
Hagoromo sighed. "Gen, rescuing Mother was reckless."
"Do not worry, Senior," Gen replied. "If she misbehaves, I can send her back to the Moon just as easily."
Hagoromo and Hamura exchanged a glance.
"We cannot see through you anymore," Hagoromo admitted.
"I cannot either," Hamura added.
Gen smiled. "Kaguya has already promised not to repeat her past mistakes."
The brothers looked to her. Kaguya nodded.
Gen encouraged her. "Tell them why you acted the way you did."
Kaguya explained everything: her origins, her purpose in coming to the world, and the threat of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
The brothers' expressions shifted again and again.
When she finished, Hagoromo sighed. "Mother, I misjudged you. You were not acting from cruelty. But I still disagree with your approach. To resist the Ōtsutsuki, we must unite this world."
Hamura nodded firmly. "The power of unity is far greater than you think. You said it yourself: even in the Ōtsutsuki Clan, those who eat the chakra fruit are few."
Kaguya lowered her eyes, uncertain.
Gen stepped in. "Coming from nothing and rising to where I am, I agree your approach was flawed."
He glanced at her gently.
"Human wisdom is infinite. If united, even ordinary people can shake the heavens."
"When you come home, you will see creations by ordinary humans, and you will understand."
The brothers looked relieved. Gen's viewpoint completely aligned with theirs.
Kaguya went quiet for a moment, then sighed softly.
"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I truly made mistakes."
Gen slipped an arm around her waist.
"It is never too late to correct a mistake."
She leaned into him.
The brothers stared. Everything felt awkward.
"When we return, I will teach you my new cultivation method," Gen continued.
"It can achieve what chakra fruits achieve and even more, depending on comprehension. You have a long life. You will manage."
Kaguya looked up with a soft expression.
"Husband, you are very good to me."
The brothers stood there stiffly, unsure whether to leave.
Gen turned to them. "Hagoromo-sama, Hamura-sama, are you interested?"
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. "Just use their names. They cannot handle that politeness."
Gen hesitated, but Kaguya glared at them until they awkwardly agreed he could call them by name.
Once that formality passed, Gen continued.
"You can cultivate the Ghost Immortal method. It will work even in soul form. We need your help. The Ōtsutsuki may come at any moment."
The two brothers agreed.
"Next time I visit, I will teach you the method and open the Six Paths of Samsara here in the Pure Land," Gen added.
"Soul reincarnation is too slow as it is. With the Six Paths active, I will leave a soul clone to oversee it. I will need your assistance."
He continued, outlining his plan to recruit outstanding souls, including the previous reincarnations of Indra and Ashura. Madara and Hashirama working in the Pure Land was part of his design.
Hagoromo and Hamura accepted his proposal. With the living world and the Pure Land working together, their strength would grow.
Gen smiled. "That settles it."
He wrapped an arm around Kaguya. She leaned into him without hesitation. Together, they vanished.
The brothers exchanged a long look and sighed.
…
When Gen and Kaguya returned to the Imperial Palace, they spent their wedding night together, staying close through the whole night. Among those in Gen's harem, only Kaguya could endure an entire night with him. Even Kushina and Tsunade, with their strong bodies, could only manage half a night.
The next day, Gen issued an imperial decree, officially naming Kaguya as Empress.
Because he had already made the true history of the Ninja World public, the world reacted with immediate excitement. Aside from a few jealous individuals, the world felt that the match was perfect. The Goddess of the Tenth Month and the Emperor of the Daien Empire were an ideal pair.
Anyone who dared speak against the Emperor would face execution.
The imperial harem also accepted her easily. She was overwhelmingly strong, of ancient lineage, and her seniority was unmatched. No one dared object.
Three days after Kaguya entered the palace, Gen visited the Pure Land again to fulfill his promise.
Half a month later, Kaguya became pregnant.
Three and a half months after that, in Gen's exclusive open-air hot spring of the palace, he lay on a reclining chair wearing floral shorts, watching the women enjoy the water.
Except for Kaguya and Hanabi, everyone had already given birth at least once.
This time, three were pregnant: Hinata with her second child, and Kaguya and Hanabi with their first.
Perhaps because all three possessed the Byakugan, Kaguya felt closer to Hinata and Hanabi. Watching their interaction, Gen decided he would spend the evening relaxing and playing cards with them.
"Empress, my beloved concubines!" Gen called.
"I am here!"