Lotus Blooming! Book 2

Chapter 66 -- Kaguya

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I gazed at her with such hatred. Black, swirling hatred. She hadn't even bothered to meet my gaze-- instead, she tossed the three of us like we were common garbage. I hit the ground for a moment before flipping back onto my feet, swiping my hands at the tresses of hair shooting back towards us. My chakra blade sliced clean through the pale tresses. And yet, no matter how much I cut, it over powered all three of us, sending us flying back into the ground.

"These three.... are Hagoromo, Hamura, and Ameonna's.... No, rather they're... Indra, Ashura's, and Fiji's...." Her voice was soft, and sultry-- something you'd expect from a princess-- but her aura was that of a deadly warlord. Veins pushed up against her face as she gazed at us. "So, it was Hagoromo and Ameonna who gave them the jutsu...."

"What are your intentions?" Kakashi suddenly breaks the tense silence.

"Ninshu..." Kaguya hums softly. "No, you said Shinobi.... It's futile to  speak to you about that, when all you do is just tamper with chakra, without knowing it's true meaning. This place, this land.... is my precious nursery. I cannot let it be damaged further. Let us stop fighting...."

"Th-Then you mean--" Naruto starts.

"Here, I mean." She corrects herself. Suddenly, it's sweltering hot-- way too hot. Sweat beads at my face immediately, my kimono-- although ripped up and dirty-- feels way too hot. "I shall erase you all here..."

"Summoning Jutsu!" Sasuke barks, his arm wrapping around my waist and tugging me onto the bird with him.

"Over there!" Naruto orders as I start tugging my kimono off. My skin sings with relief as I toss the shredded, old kimono over the side of the bird as it catches Naruto. "What are you doing?! Get Kakashi and--"

"It's okay, Naruto," I urge. "Kakashi made a rope using a scroll and a kunai. For Obito, he just pinned him to the wall with a kunai, however...."

"Way to go, Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto gasps. I reach over the side and haul him upwards.

"Eye's forward," I order firmly as the bird hovers over the burning lava. Kaguya turns towards us, completely stoic.

"Naruto, Ren. I'm going to be frank with the two of you.... This world will come to an end if either one of us dies. Only your Six Paths Power of the Light Style, Ren's Six Paths Power of Unity, and my Six Paths Power of the Shadow Style, can seal away that being in front of us. If we don't succeed, mankind will perish. We can't afford to die, no matter what.... When the Infinite Tsukuyomi was launched... Kakashi and Sakura just happened to be near you... That's just how it is. You understand what that means, right?"

Naruto and I are silent for a moment. "We know." I hum firmly. "I get what you're saying, and I know that you're right. But... this is also a situation when our bodies are going to move on it's own...."

Naruto hummed in agreement, our hands clasping together. The subtle shiver in both of us is steeled immediately. "Like that time on the bridge."

I grasp at Sasuke's hand, tightening it ever so softly. "Anyway, we know what you get what we mean, Sasuke."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, the white tentacles bursting from my bare back and quickly catching Kakashi and Sakura as the scroll finally gives to the extreme heat. The bird shifts suddenly, and we're rocking the air, until we fall downwards, towards the blistering hot magma.

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I gazed up in wonder at the blond knucklehead. "You... You can levitate..." I murmur as I dangle from Naruto's grasp. Naruto begins pulling us up after summoning a clone.