White Flame

Kaguya's voice was soft, as if it had spoken directly from within his heart.

"So much trouble."

Chiya tugged at the corner of his mouth, his voice a little hoarse.

"I didn't want this either."

"The trouble came looking for me. What was I supposed to do?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint layer of white suddenly surfaced over Chiya's wounds.

It was like moonlight clinging to his skin, or a thin layer of flame, flickering coldly.

The kunai were slowly pushed out by his muscles and fell to the ground with a clang.

The bleeding from his calf stopped as well, and the wound rapidly closed and healed.

The five Root ninjas all stopped at once.

"That's it."

Someone said in a low voice.

Chiya slowly rose to his feet.

A faint white chakra spread outward along his skin, quickly covering his entire body.

He lowered his head and looked at his hands. A thin layer of white flame flowed and flickered over his skin.

Chiya raised his head to look at the five of them. At that moment, he felt the chakra within him brimming over, and the satisfaction of power flooded his heart.

"Just now, you outnumbered me."

His hands formed seals.

"Now it's my turn."

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

With several pops, five Shadow Clones appeared in the courtyard.

The Root ninjas immediately scattered.

Chiya's Shadow Clones charged forward together.

One Shadow Clone flung out a wire-bound shuriken, wrapping it around the wrist of the Root ninja on the left. Another rolled low across the ground, sending a kunai straight at the enemy's ankle. The third spat out Phoenix Fire, forcing the person on the roof back to the ground.

Firelight, wire, kunai, water, and wind blades descended into chaos throughout the courtyard.

Chiya himself remained where he was, his Sharingan fixed on their positions.

Just a little closer. A little closer still.

At the same time, he gathered power within his body. Maybe he could finally try that ninjutsu he had never been able to use before!

The five Root ninjas were driven toward the center by the Shadow Clones. Chiya's chest rose and fell as the speed of his hand seals increased.

He had only seen this technique on a scroll before. Back then, he had lacked the chakra to use it.

But now, the icy white chakra inside him surged violently. He had to let it out!

Horse!

"Fire Release."

Chiya drew in a deep breath, his chest swelling high.

"Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Boom!

White flames erupted from his mouth.

They were not the orange-red flames of ordinary Fire Release, but a scorching white so brilliant it hurt the eyes!

The instant the flames appeared, the mist in the courtyard evaporated. Moisture on the ground hissed, even the air warped from the heat, and blazing waves surged outward.

The expressions of the five Root ninjas changed instantly.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A wall of water and a wall of earth rose at the same time.

The next moment, the white flames slammed into them!

Sizzle!

The water wall became a vast expanse of white mist in an instant. The earthen wall lasted less than a breath before its surface glowed red and then shattered with a roar.

Screams rang out.

The firelight swallowed five figures.

The courtyard shone as brightly as day, and even the windows of the wooden house trembled.

A few breaths later, the flames dispersed.

The ground was scorched black.

The five Root ninjas lay on the ground, long since motionless.

Chiya stood where he was, looking at what he had done as his throat moved.

Wasn't that power a little off?

Then, the white chakra around his body began to fade rapidly.

A deep exhaustion followed. Chiya's vision went black, his knees gave out, and he collapsed.

Someone suddenly caught him on their shoulder.

"My, my."

Kakashi's voice rang out.

"You made such a huge racket that even your teacher can't sleep."

Chiya barely managed to open his eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi hoisted him onto his back, his tone still lazy.

"Yeah, you're quite capable."

Chiya wanted to say something more, but his eyelids sank. His head tilted to one side, and he fell completely unconscious.

Kakashi carried him back into the house.

Naruto was still sleeping soundly, but Sasuke had already sat up. His red Sharingan stood out sharply in the darkness.

"Enemies?"

Kakashi nodded, then put a finger to his lips.

"Shh."

He tucked the blanket around Chiya, then turned and went outside again. Sasuke rose and followed him.

The courtyard was charred black, and the air was thick with the smell of burning.

Kakashi stood at the doorway, looking at the traces on the ground as he scratched his hair.

"Sigh."

"Now I have to clean up this mess."

When Chiya opened his eyes again, shallow water lay beneath his feet.

The pale blue space stretched beyond sight.

The water's surface was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the enormous moon overhead. Mist drifted in the distance, and a white figure could vaguely be seen behind it.

Chiya looked down at his feet, then raised his eyes to the sky.

This was not his first time here.

He walked forward a few steps, passed through the thin mist, and saw Kaguya reclining halfway on a bed.

Her long white hair covered the entire bed and even trailed to the floor. She propped up her face with one hand, looking at him coldly as if he were some troublesome thing that had just crawled out of the mud.

Chiya stood there, holding it in for a long while.

"Hello."

Kaguya looked at him for a while, then suddenly gave a soft laugh.

"Didn't I tell you to be more careful?"

Chiya scratched his head.

"I was being pretty careful."

"You have too much trouble around you. I don't like it."

"It's not like I wanted to provoke that trouble." Chiya spread his hands. "I've been targeted. I can't just stand there and let them take me, can I?"

Kaguya did not reply.

She merely watched him.

Her gaze made Chiya's skin crawl a little. He coughed and changed the subject.

"You're Princess Kaguya, right?"

Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I nearly forgot to ask you."

She sat up, white hair sliding down from her shoulders.

"How do you know my name?"

Chiya's heart skipped a beat.

He had spoken too quickly.

After thinking for a moment, he simply said, "If I said I'd known you for a long time, would you believe me?"

Kaguya frowned.

Her expression was as if she did not understand, yet also as if she were judging whether he was talking nonsense.

Seeing that she did not attack him outright, Chiya grew a little bolder.

"What about you? Why are you inside my body?"

Kaguya fell silent.

The pale blue space grew quiet, and not even the water beneath their feet rippled.

Only after a long time did she speak.

"I don't know either."

Chiya froze for a moment.

"You don't know?"

"I was being hunted and was struck by a technique. When I opened my eyes again, I was inside your body."

Chiya frowned.

This was different from the original story.

At this point in the original story, Kaguya should still have been sealed inside the moon.

He stared at Kaguya for several seconds before suddenly asking, "Did you eat the God Tree Fruit?"

Kaguya's gaze instantly turned cold.

"Who exactly are you?"

A chill ran down Chiya's back.

That look was no joke.

He forced a smile.

"I told you, I've known you for a long time."

Kaguya stared at him.

Chiya said nothing more.

After a long time, Kaguya finally spoke slowly.

"I guarded the God Tree for hundreds of years. The fruit finally ripened. The moment I ate it, they came."

Her voice was faint, as though she were speaking of something entirely insignificant.

"I had only just obtained that power and could not fully control it. In my panic, I was struck by their technique."

Chiya knew that those people were most likely members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

"You guarded the God Tree for hundreds of years? Then you never came into contact with humans?"

Kaguya glanced at him.

"Humans?"

There was no emotion in her voice.

"Why would I come into contact with ants destined for extinction?"

Chiya fell silent.

He understood.

The Kaguya before him was not the Kaguya he knew.

She had not fallen in love with a human, nor had she given birth to Hagoromo and Hamura.

After guarding the God Tree alone for hundreds of years, she had just eaten the God Tree Fruit when the Ōtsutsuki Clan began hunting her. Then, like him, she had somehow crossed into this era.

Only, he had become Chiya Uchiha.

And Kaguya had entered his body.

Kaguya looked at him, her voice turning colder.

"Now, it is your turn to answer me."

Chiya looked up.

"Answer what?"

"How do you know me?"

Seeing how serious she was, Chiya suddenly wanted to laugh.

The legendary progenitor of chakra was actually waiting for him to explain.

He took a step forward.

"Want to know?"

Kaguya looked at him and obediently nodded.

Chiya nearly lost it.

That was way too cute.

He held back a laugh and deliberately said, "I'll tell you next time."

Kaguya froze for a moment.

Chiya's body began to fade.

He waved at Kaguya.

"Bye-bye."

Kaguya finally came to her senses, and her gaze instantly turned cold.

"You bastard!"

Before her voice had even faded, Chiya had already vanished from the pale blue space.