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JST Chapter 344: From Rabbit Goddess to Red-Handed
🕑 Added 2025-06-16 04:32:55 +0000 UTCKazuki demanded an explanation from Kaguya… But she merely fumbled with her words, unable to speak a single coherent sentence as her mind sp
Kazuki demanded an explanation from Kaguya…
But she merely fumbled with her words, unable to speak a single coherent sentence as her mind spiraled into chaos.
Gods, can anyone understand how I feel right now?
How could the Ōtsutsuki Clan have someone as vile and repulsive as Isshiki?!
He had been lurking in the shinobi world, spying on her from the shadows, gathering all kinds of information—only to shamelessly spill everything right in front of Kazuki!
Kaguya was burning with the urge to rip Isshiki’s mouth apart!
But clearly—
Unfortunately, she couldn’t do a thing about it.
Kazuki now knew the full truth.
Kaguya had never been the Rabbit Goddess who protected the shinobi world. She was, in fact, the source of the calamity threatening to drain it dry...
The Sage of Six Paths had been the true guardian—a righteous figure who, like Kazuki himself, sealed the Ten Tails with his own body and imprisoned Kaguya.
This wasn’t some lie that could be brushed aside with a weak excuse like 'it was all a misunderstanding'.
From the very beginning, Kaguya had subtly shaped this persona of hers, reinforcing it again and again—especially in her conversations with Kazuki, where she had often echoed his hatred for lies and betrayal. She had resonated so deeply with those values…
And now, it had come full circle.
Kaguya was the liar. The traitor.
Everything she once condemned the Sage of Six Paths for saying…
Now reflected back at her, untouched and unaltered.
“You don’t want to say anything?”
Kazuki let out a soft sigh and spoke slowly.
“According to Isshiki, you weren’t some savior—the Rabbit Goddess who descended to bring salvation. You were a member of the branch family who rose up and attacked the main family of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.”
“You did indeed create the two split-off Ōtsutsuki—Hamura and Hagoromo. You didn’t lie to me about that. But it wasn’t Hagoromo who coveted your power and betrayed you… It was you who sought to destroy the shinobi world, and in response, your two sons rejected you and sealed you away.”
Kazuki chuckled lightly.
“Based on what I know of your combat abilities, that all tracks. Let me guess—"
"After creating your two sons, you became overwhelmed by the fear of being hunted down by future Ōtsutsuki pursuers. That fear made you neglect their education.”
“And your two sons, in turn, came into contact with the living beings of the shinobi world. They developed emotional bonds with this land. Being new lifeforms, they didn’t inherit your pride as an Ōtsutsuki—and they didn’t disregard the basics of battle like you did.”
“So in that growing disparity…"
"When you eventually clashed, Hamura and Hagoromo—who had grown rapidly through the harsh realities of this world—were able to wield natural energy and local techniques skillfully enough to fight back.”
“In the end, they actually managed to seal you.”
Kazuki watched as Kaguya’s gaze grew increasingly panicked. He tilted his head slightly, curious.
“Let me think…"
"If we consider that toad from Mount Myōboku and how tirelessly it promoted the idea of a so-called ‘Child of Prophecy’... Was it perhaps that same toad who got close to Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo back then—and taught him the local shinobi power system?”
Kaguya's heart skipped a beat.
Kazuki had figured it all out—every last detail.
The parts of the shinobi world's true history that Isshiki hadn't yet revealed…
Kazuki had already pieced them together flawlessly through sheer deduction.
At this point, Kaguya had nothing left to say.
“I… I…”
Head lowered, her teeth clenched tight, Kaguya stood frozen, unable to find any words to respond to Kazuki.
During the time she'd spent inside Kazuki’s body, apart from their initial misunderstanding—which had led to her being tied up and interrogated—
Everything that followed between them had been deeply fulfilling for her.
Despite Kazuki’s stubborn obsession with protecting the shinobi world—which Kaguya had often disagreed with—he had still made her feel genuinely safe.
Even when it came to weak, seemingly worthless companions from his past, Kazuki was willing to take risks to protect them.
It was foolish, yes, but for someone like Kaguya, who lacked any true sense of security, this foolishness was precisely the quality she had yearned for most.
Had Kazuki, after hearing only a few of her words, coldly abandoned the shinobi world and chosen to flee without a fight—
If he had chosen to protect only himself…
Kaguya would’ve found it hard to trust him at all.
It was, in essence, a perfectly contradictory double standard.
And during their time in the Academy at Konoha, Kazuki had gently guided her in her weakest area—combat—
His patience and kindness gave Kaguya an experience she had never known among the ruthless, hierarchical Ōtsutsuki:
A life that was easy, joyful, like a carefree little fish swimming in calm waters.
But all of that was now lost—irreversibly.
“…Kazuki, I didn’t mean to deceive you!”
Under the calm, unwavering gaze of those crimson eyes, Kaguya finally broke down.
With a sob caught in her throat and tears spilling from her eyes, she cried out: “I had no choice! I just wanted to survive! I didn’t want to spend eternity as Isshiki’s puppet, being reborn over and over just to feed the God Tree like some disposable tool!”
“I wanted a normal life! Even if I had to abandon being an Ōtsutsuki—even if I had to become a mere mortal—I would’ve accepted it!”
“When I met you… I was so scared the clan’s pursuers would find me. I couldn’t bring myself to tell you I had once wanted to destroy the shinobi world… If I had said all that from the start, would you really have chosen to help me? You would’ve seen me as your enemy, wouldn’t you?!”
“I swear I didn’t lie to you on purpose… I just didn’t know what else to do!”
Sobbing uncontrollably, Kaguya’s beautiful white eyes shimmered with tears as she stared at Kazuki, waiting for his reply.
Kazuki finally spoke—
“Kaguya… in my entire life, I have never deceived anyone.”
Kazuki reached out and gently wiped away the searing tears from Kaguya’s cheeks.
His movements were soft, but his voice carried an unmistakable chill.
“I swear on the honor of the Uchiha Clan,” he said, “that if you had told me the truth back then—I still would have chosen to help you.”
Kaguya trembled. She instinctively protested, “No… That’s not possible…!”
“Why not?”
Kazuki shook his head.
“You lived in Konoha. You’ve heard the stories of the long-standing tension between the Uchiha Clan and the village leadership. And you’ve heard the stories I shared with you—about my history with Senju Tobirama.”
“If I were the kind of person who judged others solely based on the past, there’s no way Tobirama and I could have come to understand each other. And those elders who once oppressed the Uchiha—if I truly held a grudge, do you think a single one of them would still be alive given my strength?”
Kazuki let out a weary sigh, the fatigue settling visibly into his features.
“Even the shinobi from other villages… Even when they tore up peace treaties I had signed in good faith—did I exterminate them all? I didn’t.”
“If you had been honest with me back then, Kaguya, I would’ve tried to talk to you… I would’ve found a way to reach you.”
“Even Tobirama—who once greeted me with killing intent, insults, and nothing but contempt—in the end, became someone willing to give his life to help me seal the Sage of Six Paths.”
“And I was willing to bring him back to life, to spare him the fate of loneliness and death… to let him live freely once more.”
As Kazuki wiped away her final tears, his fingers slowly drifted down to her chin, tilting her head up with quiet force, compelling her to meet his gaze.
The Byakugan and the Sharingan locked eyes—two legendary dojutsu clashing in silence.
Kazuki asked quietly, “Tell me—why do you think Tobirama and I, despite our historical hatred and prejudice, were able to become friends in the end?”
“…Because… because he never lied to you,” Kaguya answered in a shaky voice, as if something deep within her had broken under the weight of his gaze.
But the moment those words left her mouth, she instantly regretted it.
Kazuki didn’t give her a chance to explain or backtrack.
He cut her off without mercy.
His grip on her chin tightened, the strength behind it suddenly palpable.
His voice, though steady, was stripped of all warmth.
“And you?” he asked. “Did you lie to me?”
In those crimson eyes—
Kaguya could no longer find the gentleness she had come to know.
All she saw was something cold and silent…
Something terrifyingly familiar—
The same ruthlessness shared by all members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
And at that moment—
With Kazuki’s earlier declaration about draining all the natural energy from the shinobi world still echoing in her mind—
Kaguya suddenly realized: Her betrayal had broken something deep within him.
It had driven this once warm-hearted, bright-eyed human boy…
Down a path straight toward becoming a cold-blooded Ōtsutsuki.
