Shinsei skipped a beat. She could tell. He hadn't revealed Xiaobai, nor had he used the power of the Dragon Vein.
But she still sensed it. Kaguya of this era might not understand combat yet, but her perception of Chakra had already exceeded Shinsei's expectations.
"How do you know about parallel universes?" Shinsei asked.
Kaguya showed no surprise whatsoever. She simply blinked slightly, as if recalling something from long ago.
"Many of my kind can travel the world," she said. "From one world to another, from one piece of land to another. That's how we've survived."
She paused, then her gaze returned to Shinsei's face.
"But God Tree has already been planted in this world. Those who travel through time can only enter, not leave. This is to prevent outsiders from picking the fruit of the God Tree."
Shinsei's head buzzed. He stared at Kaguya, trying to find any trace of a lie on her face.
No. She remained calm, as if she were talking about something completely ordinary.
"Then I can't go back?" Shinsei asked. His voice was still relatively steady, but the end of his sentence was starting to tighten.
"There's no going back," Kaguya said.
Shinsei didn't speak. The soft clatter of torches being passed between guards during the changing of the guard could be heard outside the window.
The air was heavy and stifling, as if something was pressing down on the depths of the palace. Xiaobai shrank back inside him, seemingly startled by the words.
He closed his eyes, and only opened them again after a long while. He thought of Konoha, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata, of the bowl of ramen he hadn't finished eating, and of the stack of documents that Shizune was holding that never seemed to be finished.
He can't stay here!
Kaguya looked at him, her eyes offering neither mockery nor comfort. She simply shook her head slightly, as if to say that he still didn't understand the rules of this world.
"Where is the God Tree?" Shinsei asked.
Kaguya didn't answer. She looked out the window again. The night was dark; there weren't even any stars.
Outside the palace, the guards' torches flickered in the wind, casting long shadows on the walls. Shinsei followed her gaze and looked out, but could see nothing but the dark outline of the forest.
But he knew that the God Tree must have taken root somewhere on this land.
If he wants to go back, he must find it. Or, he must find someone else who can get out of here.
For example, freckles.
As night fell, dim oil lamps lit up the simple palace. A guard stepped forward. "Your Excellencies, the Emperor invites you to a banquet."
Shinsei glanced at Kaguya. She sat by the window, motionless, as if waiting for Shinsei to make a decision. Shinsei didn't want to go at first, but then he thought that since he had just arrived on someone else's turf, there was no need to make things too awkward.
"Let's go," Shinsei said.
Kaguya didn't speak, but stood up and followed behind him. The guard led the way with his head bowed, his back bent low, and he even held his breath.
The banquet was held in the main hall. The emperor had changed into a more magnificent robe and wore a crown inlaid with bronze. As soon as he saw Shinsei and Kaguya enter, he immediately stood up and personally greeted them, "It is a great honor for our Land of Ancestors that you two divine beings have graced us with your presence. Please take your seats."
He gestured for Kaguya to sit to his right. Shinsei, however, went ahead and sat down there, gesturing to the seat next to Kaguya. Kaguya sat down beside Shinsei. The Emperor's smile froze for a moment before quickly returning to normal.
A group of maids filed in carrying wine and food. The wine was cloudy, and the food was coarse. The emperor raised his cup. "I will first offer a toast to our two divine lords."
Shinsei picked up his glass, smelled it, and then put it down. Without changing his expression, he poured himself a bowl of water and said, "I don't drink alcohol."
"This..." The emperor chuckled dryly and downed his drink in one gulp, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards Kaguya. The food in front of Kaguya remained untouched; she simply sat quietly. The emperor's eyes lingered on Kaguya's face and body, becoming increasingly engrossed in her gaze.
"I have not yet asked the name of this goddess Ming," the Emperor said.
Kaguya didn't answer. Shinsei took the question for her, "Her name is Kaguya."
" Kaguya... Kaguya." The Emperor repeated the name twice, as if savoring a rare and exquisite wine. "What a beautiful name. I wonder if Lady Kaguya is comfortable here?"
Kaguya nodded slightly, without speaking. The Emperor leaned forward slightly. "It's windy outside the palace, and the nights are chilly. Although my place is simple, it has a few warm rooms. If Lady Kaguya doesn't mind, why don't you stay in the inner palace, so you can be closer to us and it will be easier to serve you?"
Shinsei picked up a piece of grilled meat and took a bite. The meat was tough, and the taste wasn't great. He chewed slowly without saying a word.
Seeing that Shinsei didn't respond, the Emperor grew bolder and moved closer to Kaguya.
"Though my Land of Ancestors is small, it is a nation destined by Heaven. I have not yet established an empress. If Lady Kaguya is willing to stay, I wish to marry you and live together—"
Shinsei gently placed his chopsticks on the table. A moment of silence fell over the hall. The Emperor paused, looking at Shinsei. Shinsei wiped his hands, his tone indifferent. "She has come from afar, her journey must have been arduous; she probably has no interest in hearing this."
The emperor's face flushed red, but he ultimately dared not retaliate. He chuckled dryly twice and said, "I was presumptuous. Let's drink, let's drink."
The banquet ended quickly. Shinsei didn't say another word, and Kaguya remained silent throughout. The Emperor personally escorted the two to the palace gate, a smile on his face, but little joy in his eyes.
Shinsei knew that this person already held a grudge. But it didn't matter; a mere mortal who couldn't even use Chakra couldn't cause much trouble no matter how much hatred he harbored.
The two walked down the low corridor. An oil lamp flickered in the alcove, casting shadows on the wall. Kaguya suddenly said, "He doesn't like us."
"I don't like it," Shinsei said, "But there's nothing I can do about it."
"The way he looked at me was different from how he looked at the villagers," Kaguya said. "The villagers were afraid. He wanted to lock me up."
Shinsei glanced at her sideways. He hadn't expected Kaguya to see so clearly.
She's right. The Emperor wants to lock her up, like a rare bird. But Shinsei doesn't take it to heart. Faced with absolute power, the Emperor's hostility is nothing compared to the trouble.
"Go back to sleep," Shinsei said.
Kaguya nodded. The two went back to their respective rooms.
Shinsei knew the emperor wouldn't let this go easily, but he wasn't too concerned. With his current strength, even if he stood there and let the guards stab him with knives, they wouldn't be able to hurt him.
In the middle of the night, footsteps echoed in the corridor. Shinsei was awake. He opened his eyes and listened as the footsteps stopped at the door.
The door didn't move, but a bamboo tube extended from under the door, wisps of smoke rising from its tip. The smoke was faint, carrying a strange, sweet fragrance.
Shinsei laughed. Even assassinations in this place are so primitive. They use poison, and even smoke to kill people.
He reached out and fanned himself in front of his nose. This smoke might be useful to ordinary people, but for a ninja like Shinsei, it was almost like smelling a nose full of pollen.
Shinsei turned over, closed his eyes, and continued sleeping, keeping a sliver of his attention on the next room. Kaguya's room remained completely silent.
After an unknown amount of time, noisy footsteps sounded outside the door.
With a creak, the door opened, and seven or eight guards carrying long swords rushed into the room.
A group of people brandished long knives and slashed forcefully at the bed where Shinsei was.
In the darkness, no one could see clearly, yet no one screamed.
One of them asked, somewhat puzzled.
Is he dead?
A boy's voice rang out in the room.
"Not yet. I'm afraid we'll need to trouble you all to make a few more cuts."