Chapter 402 402: How to Trick a Goddess in 3 Easy Steps
Although Kazuki had to admit that in his previous life, he had never been this close to a woman as beautiful as Kaguya—and even in this life, he had only gotten somewhat close to Tsunade—so it was natural for a faint blush to appear on his cheeks.
But the panic and confusion? That was just an illusion—an exaggeration born from the slight emotional fluctuations he had felt.
"Kaguya, you know…" Kazuki spoke softly. "All this time, I've been anxious."
"I've been wondering—what if reinforcements from the Ōtsutsuki Clan catch up with us…"
"You understand, don't you? Running won't help. A thousand years ago, you stayed in the shinobi world because you already realized that once we reach this level, the so-called 'places mortals can hide' are just zones within sensory range."
"What's more, if my guess is right, the upper echelons of the Ōtsutsuki Clan likely possess incredibly powerful sensory techniques for tracking members of their own bloodline…"
Kaguya suddenly opened her eyes wide.
Kazuki's words, in truth, somewhat broke the romantic mood between them—but the issue he raised was indeed a sword hanging over her head, one that decided life and death.
Kaguya's apocalyptic rebellion had, from the very beginning, stemmed from the inevitable reckoning brought by the arrival of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
It was just that her methods had been too immature.
In the end, she had fallen not to her enemies, but to the brothers she had birthed—the Sage of Six Paths and Hamura. And all her fury had been redirected toward avenging herself on those two betrayers.
But even if she had dealt with them, and reclaimed all the power she had once scattered, the outcome would've simply returned her to square one.
And a thousand years would have passed in vain.
The tender atmosphere dissipated.
Kaguya was no longer the teasing elder sister playing at romance—she once again became a woman lost in the uncertainty of the future.
What should she do?
"You're right, Kazuki… If we try to run, they'll definitely find us."
Kaguya closed her eyes, exhausted.
But a moment later, she snapped them open again—now blazing with a touch of madness.
"But I won't let anyone destroy the life I have now!"
In Kaguya's eyes burned a killing intent colder than ice.
If the Ōtsutsuki Clan truly intended to hunt her down to the death—
Then she would never go quietly.
Not after finally meeting Kazuki…
Kazuki looked into her fierce and determined expression, and in his eyes, a natural tenderness emerged.
He gently smoothed her furrowed brow and asked softly: "Kaguya, have you ever heard of the God of the Ōtsutsuki?"
That single question froze Kaguya in place, right as she had been enjoying the warmth of his caress.
The God of the Ōtsutsuki? Of course she had heard of him—but how did Kazuki…?
"I've heard of him… but only in ancient legends," Kaguya answered, slightly confused.
"Kazuki, how do you know about him?"
"I extracted fragments of memory from Momoshiki, Isshiki, and Urashiki using a technique," Kazuki replied briefly, then followed up with something that made Kaguya tremble to her core.
"The corpse of the God of the Ōtsutsuki… is in the shinobi world. The Ōtsutsuki artifact I used to travel through time and space was something he once used in life."
"I already know the location of his remains—it's somewhere in the ocean."
"In order to fight the Ōtsutsuki Clan, I want to try borrowing the power of that god. If I can refine his corpse into a chakra pill…"
To the Ōtsutsuki, it wasn't just planets that could be used as sources of power.
Their own kin could be as well.
Even though the Ōtsutsuki Clan strictly forbade endangering the lives of their own kin, the truth couldn't be denied:
Every Ōtsutsuki was, by nature, an exceptional chakra fruit.
Let alone the legendary God of the Ōtsutsuki!
"Kaguya," Kazuki continued, "the residual power inside the corpse of that god is immense—but it's not something easily harnessed. If I were to approach it recklessly, I might be taken over."
"Just by sensing it from a distance, I could already feel a hunger in my bloodline—a primal urge compelling me to seek out that body."
Kazuki spoke softly: "So if I'm going to obtain that power, I need to create a sort of filter—something to block out the remnants of consciousness still lingering in his remains."
Kaguya nodded in agreement.
She understood what Kazuki meant…
It was like if a mere mortal suddenly obtained the power of the Ten Tails—there'd be no way to control it. They'd simply become her next reincarnation vessel.
But how was a "firewall" like that supposed to be built?
"I… will be that filter. Kaguya, I'll confront the consciousness of the God of the Ōtsutsuki directly—while you seize the opportunity to extract his power."
Kazuki said calmly, "That way—"
"No!"
Before he could finish, Kaguya cut him off in a panic.
"That's too dangerous, Kazuki!"
"I'd rather be the one to act as the filter!"
Kaguya spoke with urgency.
On her beautiful face was a look of genuine anxiety…
Kazuki was going to take such a massive risk—opposing the will of the Ōtsutsuki God himself—all just to help her seize that being's power?
This wasn't right!
"Kazuki… you know me! No matter how great the power is, once it's in my hands, I can't fully make use of it… If someone really has to go after the remains of the Ōtsutsuki God, let me take the risk instead!"
Her graceful brows furrowed tightly as she lowered her voice. "Kazuki, tell me what I should do. This time… I swear I'll give it my all."
"Because… it's for you."
Their eyes met, sincere and intense.
And deep in Kazuki's heart, a single thought stirred—
This woman… is really easy to fool.
Compared to Senju Tobirama—whom Kazuki had spent years manipulating, painstakingly scripting elaborate plots and personas to lure that stubborn old man into the plan—
Kaguya had surrendered with nothing but a few tender words.
"No, Kaguya."
Kazuki exhaled softly, moved, and slowly shook his head with firm resolve.
"Between us, due to the Jinchūriki-like connection we share, a strange bond formed each time I purified and evolved my bloodline."
Kazuki extended his hand toward her, palm up.
There, glowing brightly in the center, was a name—
Kaguya.
Etched into his skin in smooth, elegant script, her name radiated a translucent white light from the center of his palm…
"Look. Your name."
Kaguya froze, then her face began to flush, eyes sparkling as she stared at the white characters in his hand.
A wave of satisfaction—possessive and deep—washed over her.
Along with it came joy, sweetness, and the wild impulse to give herself wholly for love…
"Kazuki, you…" Kaguya suddenly clutched his hand, her fingers gently rubbing over the mark.
"This is… what is this?"
Kazuki chuckled softly.
What is it? In truth… it was nothing at all—just a line of text formed with Yin Release chakra. One casual swipe would wipe it away completely.
"I call it a Soul Imprint…"
Kazuki spoke slowly: "With this imprint, our souls are bound together. We can channel power to one another and maintain each other's soul integrity."
"And when you're revived, if one day I fall in battle against a formidable enemy, as long as you're still alive, you'll be able to resurrect me using this mark…"
"Likewise, the same applies to you. As long as I still exist, you will never truly die."
The look in Kaguya's eyes as she stared at the Soul Imprint grew more radiant by the second.
What an incredible technique!
Kazuki had willingly bound himself to her… Wasn't that a declaration of love?
In other words, even during the time he had been upset with her, deep down, he had never stopped thinking about her—and had even secretly granted her such a powerful buff…
To Kaguya—
Kazuki, so much stronger than her, choosing to bind his soul to hers… what benefit could he possibly gain from that?
Did he need her to fight on his behalf? Or was he hoping for her pitiful scraps of strength?
Clearly, none of that was necessary.
The "wise" Kaguya didn't believe for a second that this was some natural phenomenon born out of her lodging within Kazuki and evolving alongside him…
She saw it immediately for what it was—Kazuki, fearing she wouldn't be strong enough and might face danger after being revived, had created this technique out of deep affection.
It was purely to share his own strength with her!
He loves me… he really loves me…
And Kaguya's assumptions weren't wrong—they were all perfectly logical.
The only issue was… this so-called "imprint" was entirely one-way, and Kazuki held all the control over it from the beginning.
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