Chapter 45: Naruto: The Toad In The Well.
Earth was a paradise, filled to the brim with the nutritious form of energy we call Nature Energy, or Natural Energy.
This wondrous energy could be found everywhere in our world: in our food, plants, rocks, air, and even within ourselves. The only exception was the descendants of the Neanderthal Sage Clan, now known as humans.
Factually speaking, it's not accurate to say there is no Natural Energy in the Human Clan because they are covered in it. However, it's not their energy; it is the energy of the environment that coats them in trace amounts of this miraculous energy.
But the point stands: the Human Clan, ever since their evolution, stopped being one of us. We, the sage clans, were benevolent enough to overlook them. They were weak—pathetically so—but they were abundant.
Perhaps the evolutionary step taken by the Neanderthal Sage Clan was not entirely wrong, at least from the perspective of population growth. However, strength has always been the true ruler of our Earth, so no other sage clan abandoned Natural Energy.
Even as we watched them grow in numbers and battle through various tragedies—some of their own making—we never interfered. They were part of Nature, even if they were no longer intrinsically connected to it as we are.
But everything changed when it intruded into our paradise.
The God Tree.
At first, we didn't notice the change. But as the years went by, it became apparent that our miracle energy was dwindling—something never before seen. The energy that had been growing strong since the first generation of our ancestral clan was disappearing.
The sage clans convened, and we scoured the Earth, trying to find where this energy was going—where it was being siphoned to.
That's how we discovered the parasite: the God Tree.
The solution seemed simple enough: get rid of the thing.
Sadly, that was not possible, as the tree had a powerful guardian.
We were strong—this was never a lie or an overstatement—but we were not her match. That much was clear to us. We were always good sensors, and our instincts were our sharpest tool.
And our instincts screamed 'danger' whenever we got close to the tree and its guardian.
We had no choice but to retreat to the Sage Lands—the places where the energy concentration was the densest—and wait, hoping the invaders would eventually leave or perish waiting.
Those were desperate times—not because of scarcity (it had not reached that point) but because we felt as if we were counting our days away.
I've always been gifted in the art of prophecy, so I had the advantage of getting a sneak peek at the future. Things looked fine enough to allow it to play out as I saw it.
The woman would be betrayed by the humans she loved so much, and in the process, she would eat the fruit of the tree. She would change because of this, turning into an unrecognizable monster compared to her former kind self. Her sons would side with me when I called for them. All I had to do was make sure the brown-haired one discovered the corpse of the girl he would fall in love with.
Simple enough.
Except it wasn't.
At some point, my dreams started to change. Things I hadn't seen before happened, and people who were not there now stood by. Frail humanity rose to the stars and colonized the rest of Earth's sister planets.
It was—admittedly—beautiful. But we wouldn't have a place in this future. By the time the silver-haired monster fixed the problem of energy depletion, we would be a shadow of our former selves.
This was not fair. This was not justice! We were here first, the originals—the true owners of our beautiful Earth! Not them! We deserved to be part of this future!
So what if they were stronger?! Would I allow our tadpoles to experience hardship just because of that? NO!
But it was true that we were weaker… and, as always, strength invariably ruled.
So I had to bide my time and observe.
It was a daunting task, especially with the senses of the woman with the personality disorder. But I prevailed!
I approached the unguarded twins and concocted my plan.
I befriended them and earned their trust.
I introduced them to the girls I dreamt of, the girls who had a disease we had seen before in a few humans—one that would undoubtedly drive them to an early death.
And like the impressionable teens they were, they fell in love with the girls, who subtly resembled their mother.
Always calm and regal, with pale skin, passive behavior, eyes filled with tender love, and the natural ability to make any human man feel a desire to protect them.
They followed the path I carefully laid for them.
Their mothers told them about the incurable disease, and the boys started to study medicine in an attempt to extend their girls' lifespans.
A futile endeavor.
But that was okay. That was what I desired.
I once had a dream of the silver-haired woman healing people, though I must admit that only about a quarter of the dreams I have of that being are accurate. There's something in her that interferes with my prophecies. But the dream was enough.
That was the ammunition I needed to bring the twins over to my side.
After the departure of the silver-haired monster, it was time to put into action several plans I had in mind.
First, I located the weakened pair of the alien woman. He had been—as the parasite he was—parasitizing on an unlucky human.
I contacted him and offered him the sacred seal tag—created by the Sage Toads over the centuries, it could even revive someone—and told him that we of the sage clans were going to make a move on his traitorous partner.
I had modified the sacred seal tag to enhance someone's body beyond its peak. Since the parasite was using a human body, I was not afraid of him turning into a problem later on. Besides, the destiny I arranged for him was that of a sacrifice. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the twins to defeat their mother—not after the monster trained her.
Second, I waited for the girls' condition to worsen, and then I offered the twins the opportunity to study some of my Sage Clan's healing methods, giving them the false hope of a future for the dying duo.
The boys accepted my offer with palpable hope and masked desperation.
They left the girls in their mother's care—not that it would make a difference, the alien woman was never good at healing, unlike the monster—and came to me to study senjutsu and learn our sage healing techniques. Truthfully, we had no sage healing techniques, but Lady Katsuyu kindly provided some when I told her we were trying to heal some kind girls.
While the boys studied and practiced, I kept an eye on the girls—by that point, their wives—and waited for the moment when they were in their death throes, the final part of my plan to awaken Hagoromo's Mangekyo Sharingan and subsequently his Rinnegan.
Hamura went through a form of training that was borderline torture, all in the hopes of awakening his Tenseingan, which I told him I dreamt of and might hold the key to healing their wives if 'our' sage healing arts didn't work.
The day arrived, and Hagoromo and Hamura returned to heal their wives. They tried everything they could, and their mother helped them with her mastery of Script.
Contrary to my prophecy, the girls lasted years longer, but they ultimately met their end.
Hagoromo awakened his Rinnegan due to the emotional turmoil, and then I had him watch my memory of the silver-haired monster healing different people.
I told them that my dreams of her were not as accurate as I would like and that I was not sure of their veracity, but that I felt obligated by our friendship to share them.
I also took the opportunity to show them my memory of their mother and her monster-friend altering the memories of their people.
Things played out as expected, and the twins confronted their mother. She admitted that she wasn't sure if the monster could have healed their wives but that they had set a rule about not healing anyone outside of her bloodline.
If this were all, I wouldn't have succeeded, but my pawn was in place.
When the discussion was turning heated, I had Isshiki jump on her—she had her guard down around her kids, after all.
While their mother was healing from the sudden injury, Isshiki revealed how, for an Ōtsutsuki, it was a simple matter to heal what ailed their wives. This was what I had hinted for him to say so that the boys would side with him, even if only temporarily. He also added how he could bring them back to life, especially with the Rinnegan at hand.
Due to their heated emotions and the subtle manipulation I had conducted over the years to paint their mother and the monster in a bad light, the boys fell into temptation.
The fight lasted for nearly a year. That woman was a monster when she opened her Eight Gates, holding her own against the three of them combined. But Isshiki—who knew best about the God Tree—attempted to merge with it to power up and finally put an end to his betrayer.
Kaguya couldn't allow this, but her kids were holding her back, and she was pulling punches on them.
In desperation, she outplayed Isshiki and merged with the tree before him. Her mind was warped much faster than the last time, and she focused on sealing Isshiki.
I believe she thought Isshiki was manipulating her children, so she wanted him out of the equation to deal with them before the corruption warped her further.
But this was the reason I brought the sacrifice into play.
The woman used Script to create a controlled singularity fixed to Isshiki. The script obstructed his chakra and senses, and before he knew it, he was on the path to becoming the first satellite of Earth.
The boys made sure to take advantage of this sacrifice and touched their mother with their sealing technique. The irony of her becoming the second satellite was not lost on me.
I don't feel an ounce of pride in what I did to that family or humanity, but for the tadpoles, I'd do it again.
My prophecy rewarded me with a dream of the prosperous future the tadpoles will share with humanity, but it also cursed me when it showed me what that monster will do to me.
In a way, I will pay for what I did, but I don't regret it. At least they are honorable enough to dispense their revenge solely on me.
Alas, that's how the repercussions of my actions will arrive for me in about 1,000 years. At least in this way, the child of prophecy won't suffer due to the consequences of Isshiki, and with the help of the monster, humanity will reach actual peace—not the temporary peace I had dreamt of before.
Lucky for all who will witness it, a future under the guidance of the child of prophecy and the protective umbrella of Guy Senjurama. Credit where it's due: that monster knows how to leave things better than they found them. But the way things were going previously was unacceptable to me. This way, with my sacrifice, my people will have a place in this bright future, even if what awaits me is hellish pain.
____________________________________
1st Life
"Waaah! Waaah!"- With cries of pain after being molded through the narrow birth canal Maddy was welcomed into the world.
'Fuck, Luci. It hurts! Make it stop!'- She pleaded desperately.
|I can't. This body is too weak for me to have any significant influence in it without killing you. You need to get stronger.|- Lucian explained.
'Fuck! It will take us years to be able to reach Kaguyis.'- She lamented.
|You have access to minor energy manipulation, minor psychokinesis, minor biokinesis, and a very downgraded form of my eyes. It shouldn't take that long to reach Kaguya.|- Lucian mentioned the downgraded forms of his powers she could tap on.
"I'm sorry, Aito. I believe she is blind."- They heard the concerned voice of an elderly woman.
"... It's alright, mother. She'll be alright."- The woman who was breastfeeding Maddy said softly as she fell asleep.
"Aito?"- A male voice asked with concern.
"She's alright, kid, just tired. She'll be alright, I'll make sure of it."- The older woman with careful strokes painted symbols in her daughter's skin and a few smaller ones in Maddy's.
She then flowed her chakra through these symbols and traces of natural energy flowed behind.
'Script?'
|Yes. It's good to know that not everything was lost.|
'How long has it been?'
|5 years since we killed Hagoromo and Hamura.|
'I thought it was more immediate.'
|It has to do with finding a soulless embryo strong enough to hold our combined souls.|
'Does that mean that at least we'll have good genetics?'
|Not necessarily, but it shall be in most of the cases.|
'That's good then.'
|It doesn't matter. As you grow in power you'll have wider access to my powers. When biokinesis reaches the necessary level you would be able to change your genetics.|
'Oh, okay! That's great then.'
_____________________
10 years later.
"Aito-kaasan! I'm back!"- Maddy shouted from the front door.
She was a tall—for her age—beautiful black-haired girl, her eyes as pupil-less and iris-less as always, as if blinded by birth, but all who saw her grow up knew better.
Behind her, a hunted boar hovered lightly in the air.
"Aya, I've told you many times not to parade your hunt in bloody display through the village. Several mothers have already complained about it."- Aito sternly said when she saw her daughter showcasing her hunt like a trophy.
"But that's dumb. We've lived in a dangerous world ever since The Fall. Why would these mothers complain about their kids seeing some blood?"- Aya (Maddy) complained.
"No mother wants their children to prematurely confront the harsh realities of our world, Aya."- Aito explained.
"Hey, I'm a kid. They should toughen up like me! I'm even the provider of this family ever since Father moved on to the pure lands."- Aya retorted.
"Yes, but you're a weird kid."- Aito said with a mocking smile.
"Hey! I take offense to that. You should say, 'Yes, but you're my most special daughter,' or something nice like that."- Aya said as she floated her hunt to the back of the house to finish butchering it, having already taken care of the bloodletting on-site.
"You're my only daughter... And you are special, indeed."- Aito commented quietly at the end as she watched her daughter skillfully butcher the boar in seconds.
"I heard that last part, and somehow I believe your 'special' is different from mine!"- Aya placed the meat in different containers and activated the script on them. These were for safe storage and preservation.
"Because it is. Do you know what I felt when your father passed on, and your tiny seven-year-old self came up and said you were going to be the man of the house?"- Aito rolled her eyes at her daughter's... uniqueness.
"... Proud?"- Aya tilted her head in confusion.
"... Well, yes, but only because I thought you were cute. But when you escaped home the next day and returned by afternoon, dragging a hunt about 20 times heavier than you through the village, you stopped being cute."- Aito deadpanned.
"Aito-kaasan, we both know that venison is our favorite. Why would you complain about that?"- With a movement of her hand, Aya's clothing dropped, and she stood naked in the back of her home.
A second movement, and she expelled and molded chakra into a gentle stream of soapy water, cleansing herself.
"And then there's my exhibitionist daughter, who can apparently manipulate chakra better than even my mother could, and she learned during The Apogee."- Aito said with exasperation.
"There's no need for envy, Aito-kaasan. I'm already teaching you."- Aya made another gesture, and a warm breeze took the moisture away.
She then combed her hair with her fingers, and as if by magic, after every pass, her hair became softer and silkier.
"And that thing with your hair?"- Aito asked enviously.
"That one you can't learn, but I can probably make a substitute and teach it to you. We should probably sell the technique to the village leader's main wife. You know, turn it into a profit."- Aya suggested, working through a few possible combinations in her head with Lucian to achieve the same result as their biokinesis.
"Deal! By the way, you can't go outside for the next few weeks."- Aito said seriously.
"Mmm, what happened?"- Aya asked.
"Seitoma-san caught wind of rumors about the traitor's kid wreaking havoc a couple of mountains north of here."- Aito spat angrily on the ground.
"That's not very good manners, Mother."- Aya teased.
"Sorry, it's just awful for those of us who remember what they took from us. I was very little, but I remember escaping with my mother to the storage building's basement and starving while waiting for Kaguya-hime to end the traitors. It was a hard year; we only survived because of the supplies in the building."- Aito said sadly.
"Mmm, yes. I remember when Grandmother used to cry herself to sleep reminiscing about Aunt and Uncle, who didn't make it."- Aya said.
"My older siblings were away; they were in the capital when it happened. They were happy because they had earned a scholarship to the National Scripture Academy, but the capital was the first to fall."- Aito said, her tone downcast, accepting a hug from the 'man' of the house.
Shinaki became a massive desert in the middle of the continent. All the forests Kaguya had grown with her wood technique, the infrastructure, the terrain—everything was turned to dust and later burned to ashes during the clash.
Most of the people who survived had stories similar to Aito's. They were those who were lucky enough to be close to a governmental building with a basement reinforced enough to withstand the impact of the year-long fight, and who coincidentally had food and water available, or means to access it.
The civilization grown by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and Madi Futagami was sprawling enough to survive the consequences of the planetary fight, even if only a few million people remained.
Because communication through the script was a common practice, the culprits of the fight were no secret. Most, if not all, who survived knew that the princes and an interloper had fought Kaguya-hime during the time Madi Futagami had gone to the heavens to deal with their goddess' family—as was the public story behind the disappearance of Maddy, which was coincidentally not a lie.
Years later, when Hagoromo and Hamura were trying to fix some of the damage caused during their confrontation, the people met the princes. Contrary to the open-armed welcome they expected after 'liberating' their people from their mother's oppressive regime, they were met with hatred, disgust, enmity, and fear in droves.
After doing what they could for the planet, Hagoromo settled in a location not far from where Aito and Aya lived, while Hamura ascended to Luna—the satellite where Kaguya was sealed—and established his home with his family.
Years later, Hagoromo and Hamura disappeared, leaving behind only the problematic descendants of Hagoromo in the territory he had claimed.
These problem children became infamous due to the destruction they caused wherever they went.
One of them, Asura, inherited his father's people—the few who had no choice but to accept Hagoromo as their leader if they didn't want to starve. The other, Indra, created his own clan with those who followed him after he separated from his father's clan, as well as the few he met along the way.
Neither Hagoromo nor Hamura could fill the power vacuum left by Kaguya, especially since their people abhorred them. Most of the survivors decided to form their own small groups and share among themselves the techniques they knew related to chakra, senjutsu chakra, and, most importantly, script—all in hopes of creating a better life.
However, a clear difference soon emerged between the inheritors of the princes and the other survivors.
The people under Hagoromo's wing developed a form of chakra manipulation focused on combat. In contrast, during the Apogee, most techniques had been created to advance civilization. With no wars and security ensured by the script and their goddess' divine reign, there was no need for techniques designed for killing.
With this clear divide, the civilians avoided the "uragirimono no ko" (sons of traitors) and tried to stay away from their brutal ways. Unfortunately, the conflicts between Asura and Indra often impacted the civilians, so the few who could still operate communication scripts—like Seitoma, the village's 'news-collector'—created networks to avoid the uragirimono.
Another concern for the civilians was the obvious decline in the art of script as generations passed. The problem stemmed from the fact that, while operating script was relatively simple, creating it was not. The few who knew how to create scripts quickly tried to leave scrolls with the techniques they remembered, but not everyone had the comprehensive knowledge of scripts that Lucian did, so many scriptures were lost to oblivion.
From the civilians' perspective, they were at risk of losing the blessing Madi Futagami had bestowed upon them. The uragirimono were making things worse by directly or indirectly complicating their lives—such as when their battles altered the terrain, disrupting gathering and hunting routes.
"They named their clans, right?"- Aya asked.
"Yes, rumors say the ones under the red-eyed one are now called Uchiha, and those following the one who uses wood attacks go by Senju."- Aito informed her daughter.
"Okay, Aito-kaasan, I'll stay indoors. We should have enough boar to last for the next six months, but we'll probably run out of venison in one month."- Aya said.
"No!"- Aito exclaimed, dejected.
"Sadly, it's true. We could trade some of our boar for venison with the clan leader, but..."- Aya trailed off mysteriously.
"But what?"- Aito asked.
"But I think you should cut back on red meat."- Aya said, eyeing her mother's chubbiness.
"Gasp! That's your fault—you overfed me!"- Aito protested, covering her belly.
"All I'm hearing is how awesome of a provider I am for this family."- Aya replied with a smile.
Aito playfully slapped Aya's shoulder.
_______________________
5 years later
'This should work, right, Luci?'- Maddy asked nervously in their mind.
She was lying down naked in what could be compared to a magic circle, except it was made of scripture. There were ingots of metal in carefully selected locations, and Aito was nervously sitting a bit away from the circle, accompanied by the village leader, Haruki—Aito became his concubine three years ago—and the main wife, Ayumi.
The nervousness was shared by the three adults, but it was most obviously displayed by Aito.
|Yes, Maddy. I'll numb your pain receptors. Your body has grown strong enough to allow me to do certain slight modifications with my biokinesis.|- Lucian patiently explained through their soul.
'And the metal?'- she asked.
|I will partly modify its molecular structure with my psychokinesis to make it bio-compatible, and the scripture on the floor will assist me where I'm lacking.|- Lucian explained once more.
'Right!... and then?'
|Then I will use it to script over your bones.|- Lucian concluded.
'See, that's the part where I'm not following. How will you use solid metal to inscribe over my bones, which, by the way, are inside of me?'
|I will melt the metal and inject it into your bones by thin tendrils. Your temporary regeneration factor will keep you alive while I do the script, and finally, the metal will solidify as its temperature lowers.|- Lucian said factually.
'And Luci, since when do I have a temporary regeneration factor?'
|Since now.|
'Okay, cools, cools, coooools, no need to worry, cool! Why is it temporary?'- She chuckled in danger.
|I can't grant you a permanent one without over-taxing your body and leaving you with a remaining lifespan of a few months.|
'Cools, cools, coooools, coooooooools, very cool!'
|... It will be very hot. Metal smelting hot.|
'Just don't kill me in front of Aito-kaasan.'- Maddy pleaded.
"Okay, Aito-kaasan, Ayumi-kaasama, Haruki, I'll begin. Please don't step inside the circle if you don't want to kill me or die!"- Maddy shouted.
"Be careful, Aya."- Her mother pleaded.
"You're the future of our village, Aya-chan. Please don't take it away from us."- Her stepmother—or second mother, Aya was not sure how to think of her—said.
"Be careful, my girl."- Haruki said. Aya respected him but didn't like that he took away her role as the man of the family. She was a better provider than him, but Aito was happy with him, so Aya didn't make things overly complicated for him.
'Go, Luci.'- She steeled her nerves.
The scripture lit up like neon strips, and the metal floated, shifting shapes and textures for a few seconds before turning a vivid red. The red-hot mass then elongated into several tendrils that hovered above the naked Aya.
The tendrils moved perpendicular to her, like needles, and dropped without warning. The worried family winced at the sight of their girl's melting skin—the smell of burned hair and flesh made it even harder to bear.
Aito condemned herself for agreeing to this, no matter how much sense she had made before.
"Don't worry, Aito. We've always known that your girl was a special miracle; she carries the eyes of Madi Futagami-sama. She'll get through this."- Ayumi told her 'sister'.
Haruki took Aito's hand reassuringly.
As much as Aya appeared to be melting away, she seemed relaxed, as if taking a hot bath.
Fifteen minutes later, the procedure was done.
Aito and Haruki—who had a higher affinity for natural energy—felt the shift in the environmental energy.
If before, the script they tattooed on their bodies that slowly accumulated natural energy seemed wondrous, now it felt minuscule compared to the rivers of natural energy flowing into the girl.
Aya stood up once the last of her damaged tissue had regenerated and the liquid metal script had solidified.
"Success!"- She beamed in all her nakedness.
"She was always a bit of an exhibitionist."- Aito said with a sigh, joking about her daughter's lack of proper decorum.
"How are you feeling, Aya-chan?"- Ayumi asked, approaching with a long towel.
"It's the best. Pure natural energy is stored in the script and passively mixed with my chakra. Then the senjutsu chakra goes to the storing script for later use. I'll be a bit chakra-deprived for the next month, but nothing too serious."- Aya said. She threw a few lightning-fast punches before accepting the towel to dry her sweat and cover herself.
"You mentioned before that your body was a bit different from the rest, so only a percentage of this could be applied to our people. How much are we talking about?"- Haruki asked.
"It's hard to quantify, but if we start when they turn seven years old, by the time they stop growing, about 70% of their bone structure will have been inscribed. There's also a part of the ritual I need to adjust slightly since not everyone can numb their pain receptors like I can."- Aya explained.
"The regeneration can be covered with some temporary scripts, right?"- Aito asked.
"Yes, Mother. With enough help and a constant infusion of steady yang chakra, the regeneration can be simulated."- Aya confirmed.
"When could you start?"- Haruki inquired.
"Technically today, but we shouldn't."- Aya said.
"Why, Aya-chan?"- Ayumi asked.
"*Sigh* Let's take a seat. I want to explain a few of my plans and projections for our village."- Aya said.
Once everyone was seated, she began to explain that they were too close to the uragirimono for comfort. The next time they encounter one, they might capture their people to discover a way to replicate their osteo-script.
"Haruki, last winter we would have starved if I hadn't gone out to hunt, right?"- Aya asked.
None of the villagers were as durable as she was, and despite their resourcefulness, they couldn't beat the weather—especially when it turned supernatural after the battle destabilized the natural energy. She had gone outside for three days and returned with just enough game to survive the winter.
Haruki nodded.
"Did you know that we had a lower yield in our harvest and that the prey-eating grounds changed because the uragirimono had another of their 'friendly' spars and affected the water veins in the zone?"- Aya asked.
"They did, Aya-chan?"- Ayumi asked, surprised.
"Yes. Asura Senju's wood release doesn't create trees out of nothing. Soil and water are used to supplement the chakra expenditure. In one of their battles last spring, he created a massive humanoid, multi-armed wooden figure. It displaced so much natural energy, water, and soil that the water veins in our fields and the watering grounds for the prey were affected."- Aya explained.
"Our water vein shifted about 3 kilometers west (less than 2 miles), and the watering grounds about a few hundred meters deeper."- She concluded.
"This… what are you suggesting we do?"- Haruki asked.
"We have to move away. We're too close to them. If we get strong enough to fight them off, we'll become as brute as they are, and even if we win, it won't be without sacrifices. Seitoma told me that even six villages east of us are experiencing similar problems. And let's not forget that the village near the southern peaks was destroyed by one of Indra Uchiha's stray attacks."- Aito said. She still remembers that towering chakra giant.
"I also agree with Mother, which is why I need you to give me one year to find us a safe haven."- Aya revealed.
"Aya, what do you mean?"- Aito asked worriedly.
"With the osteo-script, I'm about as strong as the uragirimono—maybe not as destructive, but definitely as deadly. I'm the strongest in our village by far and probably the only one who could survive the environment if caught outside during one of the flash-storms. I doubt any of you would survive if you fell into a pocket of space, but I could."- During the fight, there were multiple instances where space was broken. The broken space, filled with chakra, healed by creating pockets of corrupted chakra with rioting natural energy.
Neither Hamura nor Hagoromo had a way of fixing these wounds, other than to let the pockets run dry after a few centuries or millennia.
For example, the vast desert in the center of the continent, where once Shinaki stood, is now filled with thousands, if not millions, of these death traps. The natural energy rioted so violently that there are statues of people scattered by the millions in certain spots.
The corrupt chakra of the God Tree made it impossible to live there for more than a few years before succumbing to illness—or being killed by the hostile environment.
Flash-storms have become a staple of the world. These are violent aggregations of natural energy in the upper layers of the atmosphere that affect the weather in the lower layers, creating destructive, sudden storms.
The fact that several villages around the world still stand is thanks to the ruins of The Apogee, which remain strong even today and protect the people from the deadly weather.
"I feared as much, but even if we're just a few short of 5,000 villagers, I didn't want us to move away. Especially since our shelter is here, and we have little to no chance of finding another safe haven."- Haruki shared his concerns.
He knew the battles between the uragirimono were getting out of hand. It wouldn't be long before they faced a deadly fate, caught in the crossfire of one of the stray attacks.
"That's why I need a year. I'll find us a new place, companions if needed, a suitable source of sustenance, and the safest route to this safe haven. Whether I succeed or not, I'll return by the year mark."- Aya elaborated.
"Will you be alright, Aya-chan?"- Ayumi asked.
"Ayumi-kaasama, I'm more worried about you than myself. I'll survive, but what about you? Especially with the uragirimono so close by."- Aya said, looking at them as if they were the ones in danger.
"...Aya, make sure to come back by the year mark. If not, I'll go and look for you myself!"- Aito declared.
________________
One month later.
"I'll be back, so don't worry so much!"- Aya said, hugging each of her mothers present.
"Haruki, you were never the better provider between the two of us, and if I'm being honest, I was always the best man of the house. But I'll cut you some slack if you guarantee my mothers' safety while I'm away. Deal?"- Aya looked sternly at the grown man.
"*Sigh* Deal, my girl. I'll make sure they're safe and sound by the time you return."- What else could he say? His wives were chuckling behind him, and the monster girl the village loved and depended on so much was looking at him with half-lidded eyes.
As the village grew smaller in the distance, Maddy spoke with Lucian.
'So, do we go directly to the moon?'- she asked in their minds.
|I believe so. We should also find some time to recover the staves I made for the twins. I don't think we should leave those lying around in the hands of their warmonger children.|- Lucian said from their soul.
'You're right. But I don't feel much towards their children, so if we don't have to antagonize them, let's not.'
|I agree.|
Maddy took a running start, exerted force in her legs, and shot into the sky. She dragged a part of the atmosphere with her, forming a protective bubble around herself with her psychokinesis.
Like an ascending meteor, she burned from the friction with the atmosphere, braving the layers of polluted natural energy.
|Just a few seconds more, and we'll be outside the unstable section.|- Her companion informed her.
With one last push, she was outside the turbulent atmosphere. The dilapidated planet behind her.
'It's just sad when I look at it from this perspective, knowing what it looked like before.'- Maddy commented as she glanced at the fractured planet.
|I can't feel sadness, but I do find the state of the planet appalling.|
'Let's go.'- She said, sometimes envying her partner's condition.
An hour later, they landed on the moon and were welcomed by a village.
'That's Hamura's people, right?'- She observed, noting two children with byakugans and the people protecting them.
|Most likely his grandchildren.|- Lucian noted, given that Asura and Indra were clearly adults, and these were not.
'What do we do?'- She asked.
|We don't need to do anything. Just take a seat. This distance is enough to pull Kaguya into our mindscape.|
Maddy ignored the startled looks of the villagers and children, sat down, and closed her eyes. She fully trusted the barrier protecting her, at least enough to brace an attack and take a proper combat stance.
She then felt herself being pulled somewhere—a familiar sensation—and before she knew it, she found herself, a white featureless male humanoid, and Kaguya floating in an ocean of stars.
'Kaguyis!'- Maddy launched herself forward and hugged her friend.
'mA-Ma-MAddy?'- Kaguya's voice trembled as the mental corruption affected her ability to process thoughts.
Lucian appeared behind her and stabbed his hand through her back.
'WH-Wh-What are you doing?!'- Kaguya gradually felt her thoughts clearing.
'Kaguyis, it's Luci. He's healing you.'- Maddy said softly, petting her head and not allowing her to pull away from the hug.
|Your mind can be easily separated from the corruption. I'm doing that. Your soul is a problem.|- Lucian said.
'It's because of the God Tree, isn't it?'- Kaguya asked dejectedly.
|Affirmative. The God Tree has a soul of its own. This soul interacted with yours when you merged with it. I'm guessing your body merged with the God Tree and that's where its soul rests. The entire situation makes it hard to purify your soul.|
'Why?'- Maddy asked.
|One of the things I remember is not to mess with souls. But even if I wanted to risk it, not even with our previous body would I have the control to do it without breaking something—either of your souls or reality.|- Lucian explained as he pulled his hand out of Kaguya, having finished removing the connection the corruption had with her mind.
'What can we do?'- Kaguya trusted her friends to have a solution.
|Every 100 years or so, we will come and feed you with our chakra to drive away the corruption of your spirit. As long as you're not reunited with your body before we're done, we should be able to fix you in 8 or 9 tries, approximately.|
'Spirit?'- Kaguya asked, feeling Maddy's gentle caresses as she listened to the diagnosis.
|Chakra works because it is connected to your mind and body, but when you merged with the God Tree, you connected your soul as well. So your soul and mind were corrupted. The union of mind and soul is the spirit.|
'It's a bit complicated, but I think I understand.'- Maddy interjected.
Kaguya looked up at her, waiting for an explanation.
'The bad chakra in your spirit will be driven away by our chakra. You can't merge with your body because if you contaminate the chakra we give you with the one in your body, all our work will go down the drain. Because Luci can't mess directly with your soul, we have to take the roundabout way and do it like this, in about 8 to 9 sessions. Am I missing something?'- Maddy asked.
|We will have to purify the chakra beasts Hagoromo created before she merges with her body once we unseal her. I'm assuming her chakra will be pulled by her body once we unseal her, or the chakra is needed as the key for the seal. We could also wait for my soul to heal, and then my main self will be able to ignore the seal and just pull Kaguya's soul out of it. These are our options.|
'... Hagoromo created chakra beasts with my chakra? Why?'- Kaguya asked, wide-eyed.
'We don't know. I sort of killed them before they had the chance to utter more stupidities.'
'You killed my boys?!'- Kaguya asked, infuriated. She tried to pull away from Maddy's embrace but she held her still.
'I don't know what you believe, Kaguyis, but they were not being mind-controlled when we met them. They were sound of mind and started spouting excuses for why they betrayed us.'- Maddy said calmly.
Kaguya's eyes went wide in disbelief and surprise.
'What? Isshiki wasn't controlling them?'- Kaguya could swear she heard her heart break.
Maddy looked back at Lucian for the answer, as he was the one that checked.
|There was no form of mental interference. I confirmed it before trying to reach you. Hagoromo and Hamura got in the way and demanded answers.|
'I got angry about how regretless they were and how they ruined everything. I wanted to break their souls, but Luci only allowed me to break their necks.'
Kaguya looked at Lucian for clarification.
|Maddy was letting her emotions get the better of her after we had to fight almost constantly for 20 years, only to return and find her home in ruins and her twins ungrateful and traitorous. If they were as irredeemable as they appeared, we would have time to break their souls later, but at that moment breaking their necks seemed mild enough.|- Kaguya looked at him, grateful.
|Also, they were weakened. They weren't old exactly, but I believe the fight took a toll on their bodies. They felt close to death, especially Hagoromo. Their souls appear as strong as they should be, but I'm guessing you did hit them hard enough, even if you were clearly pulling punches if they survived you.|- Lucian concluded his report, understanding that Kaguya would want to know what happened to her children, even if it broke her heart.
'I thought Isshiki was controlling them... When I sealed Isshiki and the corruption was messing with my mind, they got the better of me and sealed me away. Just before I was sealed, I created a manifestation of my will to find you, a way to unseal me, and... and to find out if my boys were released from Isshiki's mental control.'- Kaguya said.
'We've never met it, but our external appearance changed when we were rebirthed.'- Maddy informed her.
'If you have the time, please look for him. When I created him, I was not sound of mind. I don't want him to mess with our people too much.'- Kaguya confessed.
|There's no need to worry about that.|- Lucian stated.
'Why?'- Kaguya wondered.
|It appears you were pressed enough not to realize it, but Shinaki is no more. It was turned into a death zone—a desert. Hagoromo and Hamura couldn't fill the power vacuum we left in our absence, so our people stopped being ours and split into multiple groups. Most are refugees and survivors who used our old governmental buildings as shelters from the newfound hostility of the planet.|- Lucian explained matter-of-factly.
'Also, everything turned into a mess. It will take the planet and us centuries to fix the damages, and some things will never be able to heal.'- Maddy lamented.
'...'- Kaguya lowered her head, and Maddy said nothing more, simply hugging her hurting friend.
They discussed and shared information for a few more hours in mental time. When they said their goodbyes and returned their attention to their physical body, they found themselves surrounded by a few people, one of whom held Hamura's staff with an air of authority.
"Identify yourself!"- The man demanded.
"Hello, I'm Aya Futagami, and you?"- Aya asked, all smiles. She used her last name from her time as Madi, this life she didn't have one.
"Shinsei Ōtsutsuki. Stranger, how did you arrive here?"
'It seems Hamura didn't pass down much, if anything, about us, doesn't it?'- Maddy asked with some dissatisfaction.
|It appears so.|
"I flew. How else?"- Maddy replied, realizing there might be a hidden passage, considering how weak most of the people present were.
"Are you perhaps a sage?"- Shinsei inquired.
"What qualifies as a sage?"- Maddy asked in return.
'Any idea, Luci?'
|None. We're not particularly known for our sagacity, so maybe we aren't sages.|
"Someone who wields senjutsu chakra."- Shinsei explained.
"Oh, that? That's the only requirement to call yourself a sage? Then, yes! Consider me the sagest sage."- Maddy said, feeling a bit foolish for doubting her own sagehood.
"... What's your purpose in visiting Luna?"- Shinsei narrowed his eyes.
"Because I could."- Maddy quipped.
Shinsei was left speechless, unsure how to process that reason.
"But I'm leaving now. I've seen what I came to see, and you all seem busy with your lives."- Maddy added, then departed as swiftly as she had arrived, flying away.
'We'll return for that staff when he's older. If we fight him now, most of them may die in the collateral damage.'
|And Kaguya's seal might be affected.|
'That too. So, where to next?'
|The best place to create a community is somewhere no one could intrude. That leaves us with the second satellite or Shinaki.|
'Can we heal the desert?'
|Yes, but we won't. We could create an underground city and use the sandy landscape as a front. The spatial pockets and rioting natural energy will take care of most intruders. For an energy manipulator like us, that place is perfect. The tricky part will be moving our villagers.|
'That's genius! Is there a specific location you have in mind?'
|Aino's monument.|
'The crystal pole with the eternally burning flame? Why?'
|Unless Kaguya directly struck it with her full strength, it should still be standing.|
'So, like a landmark?'
|Exactly. We have one year. Let's make it count.|
'Agreed!'
____________________________________
1 year later.
*Boom* *Boom* *Boom*—Leaving the broken sound barrier in her wake, Aya flew toward her home village.
The terrain below her was unrecognizable, constantly changing due to the weather and the ongoing battles of the uragirimono. However, since this was all part of a civilization she once led, it wasn't difficult for her to remember where the local distribution and storage center was—the building they used as a shelter.
*Step*—With a soft landing, she arrived back home. Ayumi, Aito, and the other concubines were waiting for her. They had been doing so since the morning of the agreed-upon day.
"Aya."- Her mother said softly with a heavy smile as she walked forward to embrace her in a motherly hug. She had missed her daughter greatly.
Not only her; the village felt her absence. Aya was their protective wall, the nurturing tree that sheltered them. The winter had been harder than the last, and they had a few close calls with the uragirimono.
"Aya-chan, it's good to see you in good health. Come on, let's go inside and hear your report."- Ayumi said, laying a caring hand on the girl's head and petting her softly.
"That's great, Ayumi-kaasama. I found us a place and a somewhat safe route!"- Aya shared the news, her spirits high.
In a room they used as a conference room, most of the important leaders of the village were present.
"Where's Haruki?"- Aya asked.
The villagers exchanged glances until Aito spoke.
"Aya... Four months ago, during winter, we were facing some hard times. Haruki, along with a few able-bodied men, went hunting to bring back some much-needed meat. During the hunt, he was injured in the leg. It wasn't too grave, but it made running difficult. As they were returning, they got caught in the crossfire of a battle between the Uchiha and Senju... He didn't make it back."- Aito said mournfully.
"... *Tch!*"- Aya clicked her tongue and looked upwards, trying to stop the tears from flowing.
"Aya-chan, with his last words, he told us to tell you that the provider's mantle would fall back on you. He said he was leaving everything in your hands and apologized for placing such a heavy burden on you."- Seitoma added. He was one of the men who went out to hunt and gather during that time.
"... That idiot Haruki. I always told him I was the better provider."- Aya said without heat in her words.
The rest of the village gave her some time to gather herself and used the opportunity to update her on the past year.
They told her about how they lost a dozen elders, but these elders had taught or recorded the scriptures they knew before passing away.
They also shared news about the newly born members of the village and how the population count was holding up.
Finally, they informed her about the stock they had available to make the move if she had found them a new place.
"I guess I should inform you guys about my discoveries."- Aya said.
She began by telling them about her visit to Luna to seek advice from Kaguya-Hime. Most were surprised by the daring acts of the girl, but they had all but confirmed that she was some sort of reincarnation of Madi Futagami, so they took it in stride.
They were overjoyed to learn that their goddess had prepared a place for some of her people in case of emergency, but they grew worried and fearful when they heard they would have to cross half of the desert to reach this safe haven.
Aya pulled out a tall scroll with a map of most of the continent and explained how she had taken advantage of clear days to fly upwards and map every part of the continent she could, to find them the safest route possible.
She also revealed that she had stored enough meat and fruits to last the village a month.
Three months later, when the flash storms tended to calm down for a couple of months, the grueling journey began.
It took the group one year and seven months to make the journey, losing close to 30% of their people to sickness or the weather. But these losses were fewer than expected.
At the end of the brutal voyage through the sea of sands, they reached a tall crystalline spire with a bright flame burning atop.
Aya approached the spire and flowed her chakra through the script.
The face of the spire facing the people disintegrated into dust, leaving a tall, wide rectangular opening.
"Welcome to the Village Hidden by the Sand, Sunagakure. I named it myself!"- Aya said in her characteristic cheery voice, which had kept everyone's spirits up throughout the journey.
Hope, relief, tears, hugs, kisses, and more were shared as they celebrated their success.
After a long walk through the door, they were left open-mouthed in surprise by the underground city that Maddy and Lucian had built in under a year.
Lucian and Maddy had harnessed the rioting natural energy in the surroundings, redirecting some of it to promote life inside the massive cave they had created.
They guided this life into a general theme of bioluminescence, with tall mushrooms of light being the predominant species. They molded this natural energy to create underground rivers, and through the use of script on the ceiling, they created a faux sky.
Light, vegetation, water, and fertile soil—thanks to the natural energy—were the things they desperately needed to restart their lives. And they found them here.
Lucian and Maddy had also built a few buildings that seamlessly integrated with the massive cave.
"It's perfect, Aya. Thank Kaguya-Hime for her blessing!"- Aito said, hugging her daughter with a little toddler strapped to her back—the last gift from Haruki, named after his father.
"Thank you, Aya-chan. Without you, we wouldn't have made it this far. Haruki would be proud."- Ayumi said, joining the family hug.
The villagers spread throughout the underground city, exploring the place like children.
As such, the villagers settled down in their new home.
Ayumi offered the village leader position to Aya, but she declined, citing a promise she had made to Kaguya-Hime to gather as many of her people as possible in this new home. Of course, there was no such promise, but Maddy still felt a sense of responsibility for them.
Lucian supported her, as usual, even though he believed that all responsibilities had been fulfilled when they got rid of most of the parasites.
Years went by. Maddy visited Kaguya a few times, and although she didn't befriend the descendants of Hamura, a form of silent understanding was reached. No one disturbed or bothered the girl who came every few years, sat with her eyes closed for a few minutes, and then left.
Haruki—her little brother—grew up to become the village leader. Since Ayumi was infertile due to chakra poisoning—one of the many subtle consequences of The Fall—he was the only heir.
Aya's role in their hearts evolved from 'Aya-chan' to 'Aya-sama', as most, if not all, of them owed their lives to her in some way.
As the years passed, more men approached Aya to ask for her hand in marriage, but she always declined.
|Some of them aren't bad.|- Lucian noted in her mind.
'I know, but I don't want children right now.'- Maddy responded.
|Is it because of Hamura and Hagoromo?|- Lucian asked, even though he already knew the answer.
'Mhmmm. I raised them as my own with Kaguya, and then I killed them.'
|Do you regret it?|
'Maybe a little. Sometimes I remember the times we used to play together. I even used to see them in Haruki, and I still do in a few of the village children. I loved them with all my heart, but something snapped in me, and I didn't hesitate for even a second to kill them. I don't want to go through what Kaguya did with them, nor do I trust myself not to snap on my own children if they betray me.'
'Besides, there's time—that's not something I lack. And a small part of me is afraid of leaving them behind.'
|Because you'll live eternally as long as you belong to me?|
'Yes, my oldest friend. Because I know I'll outlive everyone but you and Kaguya.'
|I seem to understand part of it.|
'What do you mean?'
|I have a memory about 'The Curse of Immortality', so I theoretically understand your reason.|
'You just can't sympathize with it.'
|Exactly.|
'It's ironic that, for an empath like you, emotions are easily recognizable, yet you can't experience them.'
|I hadn't thought about that, but it is ironic.|
More years flew by and as time does, it eventually took Aito.
"Aito-kaasan, I believe it's almost time."- Aya said as she observed Aito's soul beginning to be pulled towards the Pure Lands.
"My sweet girl, I know, and I'm ready."- The old woman said.
"Before you go, I want to tell you a story."- Aya held Aito's hand and temporarily anchored her soul to the mortal plane.
"A story?"- Aito asked, feeling as if she had caught a second wind.
"Yes, Aito-kaasan. It's the story of Madelyne Pryor and her first mother. It goes like this:"
Lucian used his telepathy to create a vivid illusion as Maddy wanted.
"In a land farther away than light can reach, a madman became obsessed with bringing the perfect child into the world. The madman found a couple with the necessary genetics to produce this child. But he couldn't force the couple to copulate because they were strong and the woman didn't love the man."- Lucian showed Aito the lab where Madelyne grew up.
"Driven by desperation, the madman collected blood samples from the woman and grew a clone of her. This was Madelyne Pryor. The madman indoctrinated, manipulated, brainwashed, and molded her into the perfect womb to make the man fall for her, in case the couple never came together."- Lucian showed Madelyne being molded by Essex.
"Madelyne grew up in a lab and never knew love, care, compassion, friendship, or warmth."- Lucian showed her the small clone living her life in isolation.
"One day, the madman became even more desperate. The woman had been taken under the protective wing of a very powerful person, and the man was no longer within his reach."- Lucian showed Essex breaking equipment in his lab.
"Acting on this desperation, the madman made a deal with an evil spirit and gained an unholy cube. His plans and the terms of the deal were unknown to Madelyne, but she knew nothing good would come from the cube as soon as she laid eyes on it."- Lucian showed Essex meeting the Ghost Rider, who handed him the Pandemonium Cube.
"As she predicted, when the cube merged with her, she died."- The illusion went dark.
"But this wasn't the end of her story. In the afterlife, she woke up surrounded by darkness—unending darkness. This darkness she later befriended, discovering that it had a name: Lucian Drake."- The illusion remained dark.
"Lucian and Madelyne traveled through the afterlife together until one day they decided to visit the world of the living. They asked a kind goddess for help to create a body they would share."
"This kind goddess was named Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."- Lucian showed her Kaguya standing alone in the air, the God Tree behind her.
"Kaguya-Hime?!"- The old woman asked in surprise.
"Yes, Kaguya-Hime created a body for the duo, and they later assumed the identity of Madi Futagami."- Lucian showed her Madi's body being 'born' from Kaguya's blood.
"*Gasp*"- The surprise was visible on the aged Aito's face.
"Madi Futagami helped and assisted Kaguya-Hime, as you know. But what you don't know is that after Madi Futagami went away to deal with Kaguya-Hime's evil family members, she returned in her death throes and killed Kaguya-Hime's traitorous children, only to perish and reincarnate."- Lucian showed Madi's body dispersing, omitting their true fleshless appearance upon their return.
"In her new life, she went by the name of Aya..."- Lucian changed Aya's physical appearance to that of Madi Futagami.
"And that's the story of how Madelyne Pryor met her mother—the wonderful mother known as Aito of Sunagakure. The woman who raised her with all the motherly love she never experienced and more. The woman who accepted her daughter's abnormalities and supported her in her crazy endeavors... Thank you, Mom."- Through tears, Aya kissed the forehead of her old lady and stopped forcefully anchoring her soul to the mortal plane.
"... Aya, I always knew you were my most special daughter."- Aito's eyes slowly closed.
"...Thank you... daughter."- Aito whispered with a final smile before her body was lovingly embraced by her daughter.
Her body was cremated in the eternal flame—the one atop the spire, initially built as a monument to Aino.
Sunagakure grew as the years passed, and Aya's time finally came.
Accompanied by the grandchildren of her brother—who had passed on before her—her body began to dissipate. Her flesh and bones turned to dust and specks of light. She smiled one last time, just as her mother had done all those years ago.
"I'll see you when I see you, brats."- She said to her crying family, and then she fully dispersed.
Thus, the first life after the reincarnation of Madelyne Pryor came to an end.
Her name was inscribed throughout the underground city of Sunagakure, known as the mother of the people of the sand, even though she never had children of her own. Her efforts and dedication to the village never to be forgotten.
____________________________
{A/N: That's it for the chapter!}
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone