Before her words had faded, without even moving, she sent a gust of pressure generated purely through taijutsu slicing toward Yuya like an invisible blade!
The warmth of their reunion instantly ignited into the sparks of a sparring match!
"Haha! Bring it on!" Yuya perked up, his eyes sharpening instantly! His scarlet Sharingan suddenly activated, its Three-Tomoe spinning rapidly thanks to the system's enhancements!
He had no need to form hand seals. His hands swept through the air:
"Water Release: Torrent of a Thousand Blades!"
Moisture in the air gathered furiously. Dozens of razor-sharp, rapidly spinning water blades, each as thin as a cicada's wing, shot forth and met the pressure wave precisely, bursting into a fine spray overhead.
"Fire Release: Flame Vortex!"
He opened his mouth and spat out not a simple fireball, but a fiercely blazing, rapidly spinning tornado of flame that roared toward Princess Kaguya!
Princess Kaguya's lips curved slightly. Her figure swayed in place like an illusion, seemingly not moving at all, yet avoiding every attack by just the right margin.
She used no advanced techniques. Sometimes she flicked a finger, precisely shattering tongues of flame; sometimes she lightly tapped the ground with her toes, sending invisible bursts of force out to scatter the incoming water blades.
She kept her power completely suppressed, maintaining a level slightly above Yuya's without overwhelming him. Like the most accomplished sparring partner, she guided him as he tested three years of insights in fierce, practical combat.
The longer Yuya fought, the more exhilarated he became.
Water and fire, taijutsu and Dōjutsu alternated in his hands, their transitions growing increasingly smooth and seamless. He even tried forcibly combining the two elements while moving at high speed. Although this only produced violent explosions from their clash, it was thrilling all the same!
"Watch out! Earth Release: Rock Spire Thrust!" He even drew on the energy of the surrounding soil, making spikes erupt from the ground!
A trace of genuine approval flashed in Princess Kaguya's eyes. Without using spatial abilities or any higher-level power, she thrust out her pale palm, wrapped in a faint glow, and met Yuya's fist, coated in a layer of "chakra"!
Bang!
Air exploded outward!
In the brief pause after their head-on clash, a figure moved as swiftly as a phantom-Yuya, pushing his speed to its absolute limit! He actually circled Princess Kaguya, attempting to attack from her flank!
Yet, fast as he was, her pale fingertips were faster.
As though she had anticipated it all, her delicate fingertips touched his sweat-dampened forehead gently, carrying a hint of coolness.
Time seemed to stop at that moment.
The sunlight was just right. Princess Kaguya wore a gentle smile as her long, slender finger rested lightly between Yuya's brows.
There was no force behind it, only a touch that reached into his soul, affectionate and signaling that their spar had gone far enough.
Time seemed frozen.
This scene... was just like Itachi's gentle tap between Sasuke's brows...
All the surging chakra, scattering sparks and mist, and fierce bursts of force settled instantly.
Yuya froze, the tomoe in his Sharingan slowly ceasing their rotation. He stared blankly at the breathtakingly beautiful face just inches away, smiling with playful mischief.
"Not bad. Your speed, strength, reactions, and understanding and use of 'chakra' and the elements already far exceed what people ordinarily consider a 'jonin.'" Princess Kaguya withdrew her hand. Her voice remained clear and cool, but her breathing was subtly quicker than usual. The toll of guarding the God Tree for three years, combined with a battle in which she had not simply overwhelmed him, made her face noticeably paler.
Yet the gratification in her eyes was unmistakable, like ripples spreading from a stone dropped into a lake. "You have firmly established yourself at the Ōtsutsuki Clan's third tier. What is even more remarkable..." She looked at his eyes as they gradually returned to their normal black. "Your combat instincts and creativity have exceeded my expectations."
The joy of his growth washed away the exhaustion of her vigilance and sacrifices, lending her a startling radiance. She was like an orchid blooming in the night, breathtaking in her utter weariness.
She raised her slightly weary hand. Space warped faintly above her pale palm, and a deep-purple crystal the size of a walnut appeared, floating with its brilliance contained within.
Unlike a mature Chakra Fruit, it did not shimmer with dazzling colors or radiate world-destroying energy. It was more like a seed containing the condensed power of countless stars, weighty and giving off a pure, primordial aura of power, along with a faint sense of weakness connected to Princess Kaguya herself.
"Take it." Princess Kaguya held the little fruit out to Yuya, her voice gentle yet allowing no refusal. "This is a 'Source Fruit,' formed from the scattered energy absorbed by the God Tree. It has not yet matured, but it holds the purest essence of primordial chakra. Consume it, and perhaps it can serve as the foundation for your ascent to a higher level."
Yuya stared at the tiny deep-purple fruit lying quietly in Princess Kaguya's pale palm. It felt as though an invisible hand had seized his heart and squeezed it hard.
This fruit had clearly been separated from the God Tree-or rather, from the primordial power she herself guarded!
She looked a little more exhausted. The weight of this gift went far beyond the object itself. His hand trembled as he reached out. When his fingertips touched the fruit's cool surface, he could clearly feel the vast energy within, but even more strongly, the heavy sacrifice and hope it carried.
He accepted it with utmost care, cradling it in his palm. The fruit gave off a gentle luster that nevertheless felt immensely heavy.
The setting sun slowly sank behind the distant mountains, its golden afterglow outlining the cracked dark-red earth, the deep-green God Tree, and the two who had just sparred in a soft rim of gold.
Without needing to speak, they walked to a nearby patch of grass not entirely covered by the God Tree's roots and sat down.
Princess Kaguya leaned against the trunk, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back slightly, as though absorbing the sunset's last warmth to restore her spent energy. Within that glow, her pale face looked especially fragile and sacred.
Yuya sat a short distance beside her, carefully cradling the Source Fruit.
"Those people in the city... are quite interesting. That girl named Qingyi is good." Princess Kaguya broke the silence softly, her eyes still closed and her lips curved.
Yuya smiled sheepishly. "Hehe, they're a little rowdy. Just messing around." He chattered about amusing incidents from his three years governing the country: the potato harvests, the workings of the Starlight Pavilion, the people's enthusiasm for listening to music and playing board games, and even the awkward situations caused by his being too handsome-his charm stat being too high.
Princess Kaguya listened quietly, occasionally murmuring an acknowledgment, a faint smile on her lips. In the warm sunset and amid Yuya's chatter, her pale complexion seemed to improve a little.
She occasionally added a sentence or two. Though brief, her comments always struck at the heart of the matter, revealing that she had been watching quietly all along.
Dusk gathered around them, and the final thread of daylight was about to fade.
The temperature around the God Tree abruptly dropped several degrees. The sense of a pull devouring energy from the air seemed to strengthen as well. Bracing herself against the trunk, Princess Kaguya slowly stood.
"It's getting late. You should go back." She looked at Yuya, her gaze settling on the weighty Source Fruit in his hand, her eyes calm and deep. "Study it carefully when you return. Remember, power... has no end. Never lose sight of who you are."
"Yes! I understand, Sister!" Yuya tightened his grip on the fruit and nodded firmly.
He stood and took a long look at Princess Kaguya, standing alone in the twilight. Against the enormous God Tree, her figure looked even more slender, and her pale face in the dimming light made his heart ache all the more.
"Sister... take care of yourself." All the things he wanted to say finally condensed into those few words.
Princess Kaguya nodded slightly and said nothing more. She simply turned toward the enormous God Tree, still standing in silence, and resumed her vigil. Her back was resolute yet lonely, gradually becoming one with the tree.
After Princess Kaguya left, Yuya returned to his room.
Soon, with conflicting emotions, he swallowed the Source Fruit Princess Kaguya had given him.
Instantly, surging chakra swept through Yuya's entire body.
[Chakra +10] [Chakra +10] ... [Chakra +10]
Notifications like these sounded in Yuya's mind from time to time.
At the same time, Yuya also gained a strange ability.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained the kekkei genkai, Eye Technique: Prophecy, ahead of time from the Source Fruit.] [Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained the kekkei genkai, Eye Technique: Time, ahead of time from the Source Fruit.]
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in Yuya's eyes activated and began spinning on its own.
In a single instant, it strangely transformed into a Mangekyo.
Soon, however, the Mangekyo changed back.
Yet in that instant, Yuya seemed to possess the peculiar ability to gaze into the past and future.
This was a unique Mangekyo belonging to Otsutsuki Yuya alone!!
Soon, Yuya saw a vision of the future. Princess Kaguya seemed to be in danger.
But the image flashed past and vanished. With his body currently only eight years old, Yuya could not sustain any further use of Eye Technique: Prophecy.
"Are these... eyes that can see through fate...?"
Yuya could not help murmuring.
They could not only perceive fate, but seemingly distinguish corruption and impurity, good and bad, as well.
He then deactivated his Sharingan, thoughtfulness appearing in his eyes.
"Sister Kaguya has been growing more and more tired lately. Is she worried about the Ōtsutsuki coming... ? But according to the original story, that should happen a thousand years from now, right?"
"When the time comes, I'll straighten out those two stupid children, Hagoromo and Hamura, and stop them from causing trouble."
"In theory, that should change Princess Kaguya's fate in the original story... but what Eye Technique: Prophecy showed..."
Yuya muttered to himself.
Yet for some reason, an increasingly powerful sense of unease enveloped him.
"From now on, I can't just keep adding stat points..."
Yuya felt an inexplicable pressure.
Having cultivated the Taiqing Aura-Observing Technique, he understood profoundly
how impossible fate was to resist.
The signs of Princess Kaguya's death had almost become a certainty.
This made Otsutsuki Yuya's heart clench.
How could he reverse everything that lay ahead...?
He walked out of the God Tree's forbidden zone.
The maids waiting respectfully nearby came forward to greet him.
"Young master, you're here."
Qingyi was the first to approach,
thoughtfully holding a lotus leaf over Yuya to shade him from the sun.
Several maids beside her cooled Yuya with palm-leaf fans.
Another maid held a platter of fruit, hoping to feed him,
but Yuya waved a hand, signaling for her to step back.
"Oh..."
The maid dipped into a slight curtsy and withdrew to one side, looking disappointed.
"Hmm... how are those old fellows doing?"
Yuya looked at the ministers still kneeling in orderly rows a short distance away and raised an eyebrow toward them.
Earlier, a group of people had offended Su Ye. After learning Yuya's identity, the people backing that youth had all come here to atone.
"Young master, they have remained kneeling here the entire time. They haven't left."
Qingyi answered respectfully.
It was summer, and the sun was brutally hot.
For several elderly ministers to remain kneeling this long was already no easy feat.
"Tell them they can leave."
Yuya waved a hand.
Having just learned of the fate Princess Kaguya might face,
he truly had no interest in dealing with any of this.
But before he had gone far, the ministers caught up with him.
"Your Highness, Divine Child, please, you must inherit the position of daimyo!"
"Yes, Your Highness! Our Land of Ancestors cannot do without you!"
"Your Highness, please grant this old minister's request!"
"Yes, Your Highness! Please ascend immediately and assume the position of daimyo!"
The ministers pleaded, their expressions exceptionally woeful and sincere.
[Option one: Mock them and refuse. Upon completion: reward: Swordsmanship +1.] [Option two: Gladly agree and accept the responsibility without hesitation! This option requires bringing peace and prosperity to the Land of Ancestors and achieving a technological revolution. Reward: S-Rank Ninjutsu: Flying Thunder God Technique.] [Option three: Why become a daimyo? Become the Human Emperor instead! This option requires the host to unite the six nations and sweep across all lands! The conquests must be completed using only the national strength of the Land of Ancestors. Reward: sage body.] [Note: No further options will trigger until the previous option has been completed.]
Looking at the three options appearing before him, Yuya frowned in thought.
For once, conflict and hesitation arose within him.
"Flying Thunder God and a sage body?"
Su Xuan murmured.
He automatically disregarded the first option.
He had originally wanted to choose option three. After all, it offered a sage body; claiming he was not tempted would be a lie.
But if he could rely only on the Land of Ancestors' national strength,
was he supposed to conquer the world with an agrarian civilization?
How the hell was that supposed to work...?
With the Land of Ancestors' current strength, if he and Sister Kaguya did not participate, it would take at least ten years of fighting, without exaggeration.
The Chakra Fruit would soon mature. He did not have enough time-not nearly enough.
"And if I choose Flying Thunder God? Lead the Land of Ancestors through a technological revolution? Once I choose it, won't I be unable to get any other options until I've led the country to that breakthrough?!"
Yuya felt his teeth ache.
No matter how he looked at it, a technological revolution was not something he could casually accomplish.
Both option two and option three required time to complete.
Until then, no new options could trigger.
This left Yuya utterly frustrated.
Was it worth losing other potentially stronger rewards for the sake of these two fixed options?
Tenseigan, Rinnegan, Six-Tomoe Rinnegan, Rinne Sharingan.
In all honesty, these were the crucial things that might truly change Princess Kaguya's fate.
"Say no more. I am still young and cannot shoulder such a great responsibility."
Yuya raised his eyebrows and finally spoke.
With that, he paid them no further attention and strode away, surrounded by his maids.
Only the ministers remained, standing there in a daze.
[You have selected option one: Refuse and mock. Task complete. Reward: Swordsmanship +1.]
This was not Yuya's first time receiving swordsmanship, but this time,
as the reward was issued-Swordsmanship +1-
it brought him another new experience.
A memory flowed through Yuya's mind. It was as though he had already swung a sword hundreds upon thousands of times.
His movements were ethereal, as light as a wild goose in flight.
He kept swinging his sword through the raging storm.
His sword strikes grew ever fiercer, their momentum overwhelming.
They were as unstoppable as the wind and rain.
An entirely new sword technique gradually took shape in his mind.
[With your exceptional comprehension, you have automatically comprehended the Gale Sword Technique.] [Gale Sword Technique: Rating B] [This sword technique was born from a moment of insight amid a raging storm. Its sweeping strikes carry overwhelming momentum. Each swing sends sand and stones flying, cutting through all things.] [Founder: Otsutsuki Yuya]
"Well, that's an unexpected bonus."
Yuya raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he had comprehended a sword technique.
He had invested attribute points in swordsmanship six times in total.
He had already built a considerable foundation in the way of the sword.
Now, this felt more like a natural culmination.
"But I came to the world of Naruto. Why are you making me practice swordsmanship?!"
"This is Naruto!!"
Yuya felt helpless. Not many people in Naruto used swords. Uchiha Sasuke and his Kusanagi Sword counted as one example, but he was not particularly proficient, either.
There were also the young Kakashi Hatake and his father, Konoha's White Fang, who did use swords.
But they mostly fought with kunai.
Wouldn't his use of a sword clash with the setting's style?
"Oh? Why did you follow me here?"
Yuya raised an eyebrow. Only then did he realize that one of the ministers seemed to have stayed behind.
It was the chancellor.
"Was I not clear enough?"
Impatience crept into Yuya's voice.
If he had not already examined the man with his Sharingan,
and seen that the chancellor had the purest aura, almost untouched by worldly corruption,
which showed that he was honest and incorruptible, a genuinely good official,
Yuya might well have tested his sword on him.
"Your Highness, Divine Child, I have not come to ask you to ascend the throne this time."
The chancellor spoke respectfully, his head bowed and his manner deferential.
"Then what is it?"
Yuya asked.
"The Heavenly Sage Dynasty's ranking tournament for its vassal states, held once every five years, is about to begin."
"This tournament will determine the amount of tribute each state must offer the Heavenly Sage Dynasty."
"And this tournament will be held in the Land of Ancestors. When the time comes, a Dynasty Holy Envoy, envoys from the various states, and the contestants will all be coming here."
The minister spoke with worry written on his face.
Before you continue