NRAO: Chapter 397/400

Chapter 397

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was the daughter of the leader of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

She did not belong to the same generation as Momoshiki, Urashiki, or Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki.

Momoshiki and Kinshiki were merely the last surviving members of their branch family. Their status within the clan was similar to that of Toneri—but there was a thousand-year gap between them and Kaguya.

The Ōtsutsuki clan had planted God Trees on countless planets, and Earth was just one of them.

Kaguya's parents were killed in a rebellion within their clan.

To escape, she used a teleportation device from the Ōtsutsuki homeworld and fled to Earth alone.

Rather than calling it a journey to Earth, it would be more accurate to say she was forced into exile.

The first person she encountered after arriving on Earth was the Emperor of the Land of Ancestors.


---

One night, the Emperor witnessed an abnormal phenomenon in the sky.

He followed the celestial disturbance and witnessed Kaguya descending to Earth through the teleportation device.

After losing her home and family, Kaguya had become withdrawn.

Whenever she had a moment of solitude, she would gaze toward the God Tree.

Everyone assumed she was revering the tree as a divine guardian.

But in reality.

She was staring toward the distant Ōtsutsuki homeworld, where her parents had died protecting her.

At that time, Kaguya was still debating whether or not to consume the Divine Fruit.

She had witnessed firsthand how many members of her clan had eaten the fruit.

She knew its terrifying effects.

How it devoured a person's will, turning them into power-obsessed monsters.

She feared that if she ate the fruit, she too would lose herself and become a threat to Earth.


---

During this time, the Emperor tried to win her favor.

Having experienced countless wars on her homeworld, Kaguya immediately noticed his interest in her.

But she had no time for him.

Her thoughts were consumed by her Ōtsutsuki heritage and the looming danger from her clan.

Yet, because she had fallen from the sky, the people believed she was a goddess.

They worshiped her as a divine protector sent from the heavens.

And through their faith, the power of human prayer blessed her with pregnancy—giving her twins.

Upon discovering that she was with child, Kaguya was overjoyed.

After losing her parents, she had been completely alone.

Her two unborn children became her only emotional support.

But she never expected that her pregnancy would trigger a tragic chain of events.


---

Her maid mistakenly believed that Kaguya was pregnant with the Emperor's child.

But the Emperor himself knew otherwise.

Thus—

When neighboring kingdoms invaded, he abandoned Kaguya without hesitation.

Not only that.

He even joined the hunt to kill her.

What use was a woman carrying another man's child?

Kaguya quickly realized the Emperor's true intentions.

She had no choice but to flee toward the God Tree.

She had done nothing wrong since arriving on Earth.

And yet, she was now being hunted down like an animal.

Why?

Someone, tell me why?!

Faced with betrayal and persecution, Kaguya who had long hesitated over consuming the Divine Fruit finally made her decision.

She ate it without hesitation.

The humans of Earth were selfish and cruel.

They were unworthy of her compassion.

And thus.

The first Infinite Tsukuyomi was born.


---

Infinite Tsukuyomi was never meant to harm ordinary people.

But under its effects.

All of the Emperor's men, including the Emperor himself, were wiped out.

Although Earth did not have a moon at the time.

Infinite Tsukuyomi was a technique derived from the Divine Fruit itself.

It did not require the moon to function—the moon simply expanded its range.

Thus, the first Infinite Tsukuyomi only covered a ten-kilometer radius around the God Tree.

After destroying the Land of Ancestors forces, Kaguya used her newfound power to repel the invading armies.

But

The experience only made her colder and more withdrawn.

Her only solace was her unborn children.

Once they were born, she made her first decree.

To rule the world.


---

Kaguya knew that sooner or later, the rebellious Ōtsutsuki clan members would come looking for her.

And when they arrived.

Not only would she be in danger, but all life on Earth would suffer.

If she wanted to resist them, she needed to eliminate all uncertainties first.

So domination became a necessity.

With the power of the Divine Fruit, Kaguya's strength became unmatched.

No mortal kingdom could oppose her.

To them, Kaguya was a god.

Who would dare defy a god?

Yet, as she expanded her rule, she made a crucial discovery.

The people of Earth were too weak.

Even if she united them, they would never stand a chance against the Ōtsutsuki rebels.

She needed to make them stronger.

And she needed to become even stronger herself.

But there were no natural methods left to enhance her power.

So—she devised a solution.

She ordered humans to worship the God Tree.

This method would accomplish two things:

1. It would allow her to create a White Zetsu army, stronger than ordinary humans.


2. It would nurture the God Tree, allowing it to bear another Divine Fruit, which would make her even stronger.



A perfect strategy.

As for sharing her power with humanity?

That was impossible.

Even after devouring the entire Divine Fruit, she still wasn't confident she could defeat the Ōtsutsuki clan.

If she split her power, her chances would be even lower.

Not to mention.

Humans were war-loving creatures.

If given power, they would eventually turn on each other.

She had seen it countless times before.

So, she chose her own way.

A necessary sacrifice—hundreds of people each year, fed to the God Tree, to sustain the White Zetsu army.


---

Hamura and Hagoromo were born from the power of human prayer.

Though they inherited some of Kaguya's strength.

Compared to her, they were insignificant.

Yet, under the guidance of the Toad Sage, they discovered the truth.

That their mother had been offering human sacrifices to the God Tree.

They could not accept it.

They refused to believe that their mother, the one who had planted the tree, would sacrifice people to it.

When Kaguya took the beloved woman of the Sage of Six Paths as an offering, the war between mother and sons erupted completely.

As Hamura and Hagoromo confronted their mother, wielding Truth-Seeking Orb weapons, they demanded answers.

But Kaguya.

A woman hardened by war, betrayal, and loneliness, who had spent centuries staring at the God Tree, could not find the words.

She only uttered.

"You know nothing. Just do as I say."

"I am protecting humanity, yet you raise your weapons against me?"

"In that case… return my power to me!"

The pain of a mother, seeing her own children turning against her…

But Hamura and Hagoromo, too young to understand, fought back.

And after months of battle, they finally sealed her away.

A familiar story.

But now, as Kaguya spoke.

Orochimaru felt something new in her words.

"…What a pitiful woman."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 398

The story Kaguya told was similar to what Orochimaru had known—yet different.

The process and outcome remained unchanged, but the cause was not what he had expected.

Her home was destroyed, her parents slaughtered before her eyes, and when she arrived on Earth, she was hunted down.

In the end, her own children misunderstood her, fought her, and sealed her away for a thousand years.

Orochimaru had long believed that Kaguya was not truly at fault.

But he had never imagined that her past was this tragic.

"…Pitiful?"

Kaguya's voice was cold.

"I do not need your pity."

Her gray eyes narrowed as she studied Orochimaru.

"You are neither my kin nor my descendant. Why, then, do you possess chakra so similar to mine?"

Kaguya's power came from the God Tree and the Divine Fruit.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru had collected Hagoromo's dōjutsu, the Sage Body, and replicated them through his own methods.

He had also copied the power of the Tailed Beasts.

At this point, excluding the Byakugan and Senjutsu, Orochimaru's power was nearly equal to Kaguya's.

Of course, he lacked her All-Killing Ash Bones ability.

After all, he had never copied Kaguya's direct bloodline, and Kimimaro's Kaguya clan bloodline was too diluted to serve as a proper template.

Orochimaru smirked.

"Black Zetsu should know better than anyone."

"Most of my power comes from scientific means."

His smile widened.

"Whether it's chakra, dōjutsu, or an army—everything I have, I obtained through research."

"…Scientific means?"

Kaguya's expression hardened.

Clearly, she did not understand the meaning behind those words.

Orochimaru spoke calmly.

"The details would take too long to explain."

"All you need to know is this, if your clan comes to Earth, you won't need to harvest chakra from others. I can help you deal with them."

Kaguya stared at him indifferently.

"You? Help me deal with them?"

She scoffed.

"Do you think you are capable?"

Orochimaru nodded without hesitation.

"Of course."

But Kaguya's gaze turned cold.

"You may have saved me, but you wish for me to abandon my chakra harvest? That is impossible."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Isn't your goal simply to fight off your clan?"

Kaguya's eyes darkened.

"I despise Hagoromo."

"I despise the world he created."

"Why would I not destroy it?"

Orochimaru exhaled lightly.

"I see."

His lips curled.

"I may not be a good person, but I have lived on this world for many years."

He met her gaze fearlessly.

"If you want to destroy it…"

"…Then what?"

Kaguya's voice carried a faint warning.

Orochimaru spread his hands carelessly.

"Then, naturally, I will stop you."


---

No matter how cold-blooded a person was, humans were still social creatures with emotions.

If everyone else died, what would be the point of living?

There was no scenario in which Orochimaru would allow Kaguya to do as she pleased.

Kaguya's gaze chilled further.

"With your strength, you are no match for me."

Orochimaru's smile sharpened.

"That is exactly what I was about to say."

"…You are not my opponent, Kaguya."


---

Kaguya had not been an evil person.

She had only become a fallen goddess after consuming the Divine Fruit.

There was no limit to how far one could fall.

And the Divine Fruit itself carried its own corrupting influence.

Just like the Sharingan.

If one's body was too weak to handle it, the power would twist their mind, leading them toward madness.


---

Meanwhile—

In the canyon of the Land of Grass

The blood-red moon still loomed overhead.

Human bodies wrapped in the tendrils of the God Tree swayed lifelessly.

At this moment.

Only five people remained conscious.

Tsunade, Mikoto, Nonō, Jiraiya, and the barely breathing Guy.

Jiraiya's brows furrowed as he gazed at the entangled victims.

"Tsunade, are we really just going to stand here? Shouldn't we try to free them?"

His fingertips twitched.

He was tempted to tear apart the bindings, but.

Tsunade had stopped him earlier.

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

Tsunade sighed, her tone firm.

"Orochimaru explained this already."

"Once a person is wrapped by the God Tree, it means they have fallen under Infinite Tsukuyomi."

"Their spiritual energy has already been linked to the God Tree, trapping them in an eternal dream."

She glanced at Jiraiya.

"If you forcibly separate them… it would be the same as tearing out their souls."

"They would die instantly."

Jiraiya's face darkened.

"…So if we try to save them, they die?"

"That's exactly it."

Jiraiya rubbed his forehead, frustrated.

"So we're just supposed to sit here and do nothing?"

"Do we have another choice?"

Tsunade folded her arms.

"Without the power of the Six Paths, there's nothing we can do."

"We have to wait for Orochimaru."

Jiraiya clicked his tongue.

"…Damn it. This is frustrating."

Nonō adjusted her glasses, a bitter smile forming.

"There's no need for Jiraiya-sama to be so discouraged."

"After all… I'm the most useless one here."

She glanced at the others.

Only four of them were still standing—aside from the unconscious Guy.

Tsunade and Mikoto's combat prowess was unquestionable.

One had the Sage Body and Wood Release.

The other had the Uzumaki vitality and Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Their earlier battle performance had been exceptional.

As for Jiraiya—

Even without Sage Mode, he was at least at the Kage level.

With Sage Mode, he stood among the strongest Kage.

Compared to them—Nonō, who had long abandoned battle, felt insignificant.

"Nonsense."

Tsunade's lips curved slightly, about to reassure her.

But at that moment—

Two figures clad in white robes descended from above.

The very next second—

The entire scene shifted.

The dark canyon vanished, replaced by a blazing crimson world.

A wave of scorching heat hit them all at once!

"What… what's happening?!"

"Lava?! This is bad—!"

"Damn it! What just happened?!"

"Be careful!"

Their bodies plummeted rapidly toward the sea of molten lava below.

The spatial transition had been too sudden.

They had been caught off guard unable to react in time.

"Jiraiya-sama!"

Mid-air, Mikoto's eyes flashed, and her Complete Body Susanoo instantly materialized.

Its giant wings spread open, and it caught both Guy and Jiraiya.

Meanwhile—

Nonō spread her Black Iron Sand Wings, catching Tsunade before she could fall.

From above, Orochimaru chuckled softly.

"Quick reflexes."

His golden eyes gleamed.

"It seems I won't have to step in after all."

He turned his gaze toward Kaguya.

"Kaguya, there's no point in this."

"Even if you bring them here… you won't be able to touch them as long as I'm around."

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Sirzechs-II for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉

Chapter 399

The Lava Dimension is one of the six dimensions that Kaguya can connect to.

The ground in this space is covered in magma. Only by floating in the air can one avoid being harmed!

At this moment, within the dimension, Orochimaru and Kaguya hovered above the magma. The others were also suspended mid-air.

"Mother, Orochimaru's power is indeed unique. We don't need to fight him at all..."

Black Zetsu, who had merged into Kaguya's sleeve, couldn't help but voice his concern.

He had been observing the battle between the two.

Kaguya's power was undeniably overwhelming, but Orochimaru's abilities should not be underestimated.

If they insisted on eliminating Orochimaru by force, the best possible outcome would be mutual destruction.

Most importantly, Orochimaru seemed to have never even used his full strength.

This unsettling realization made Black Zetsu uneasy.

He was truly afraid that Kaguya would end up sealed away again as soon as she had been revived.

Hearing Black Zetsu's words, Kaguya remained expressionless as she looked at Orochimaru indifferently.

"You're wrong, Black Zetsu. The stronger his power, the more reason I have to take his chakra!"

After saying this, Kaguya slowly raised her hands, veins bulging on her forehead.

Two gray bones emerged from her palms, one aimed at Orochimaru and the other at Mikoto.

"Orochimaru, let your bones rot along with mine!"

Whoosh!

The two gray bones shot toward them.

"It's useless!"

Orochimaru remained calm. While spinning the Truth-Seeking Orb before him, he glanced toward Uchiha Mikoto.

Poof!

One of the bones pierced through the black shield, while the other bone vanished.

"As expected!" Black Zetsu observed the aftermath, his hoarse voice sounding grim. "Mother's bones may be powerful, but they can be blocked by sacrificing a Truth-Seeking Orb!"

"And the other bone must have been transferred to another dimension by him!"

"Judging from the previous battle and these two attacks, long-range attacks seem ineffective against him!"

Black Zetsu was trying his best to act as a strategist, analyzing Orochimaru's abilities to assist Kaguya.

Orochimaru looked at the shattered Truth-Seeking Orb before him and frowned.

"Even the Truth-Seeking Orb can be corroded... What terrifying power."

"But as long as she fails to hit, it's nothing to be concerned about. Kaguya, you really can't defeat me, why must you be so stubborn?"

"Shut up!" Kaguya said coldly. "I will reunify all chakra!"

Buzz!

Kaguya's aura surged, her long hair flowing wildly like a waterfall.

A dark rift suddenly appeared beside her!

She reached her hand into the spatial tear!

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. In the next second, his figure appeared behind Nonō.

Almost simultaneously, a black spatial rift opened in front of Orochimaru, and Kaguya's hand emerged from within, right at his location!

Boom!

Two immense bursts of chakra erupted at the same time!

The powerful shockwave carried an overwhelming force, sending Tsunade and Nonō flying!

"Damn it..."

Gritting her teeth, Nonō grabbed Tsunade and tried to stabilize herself with the wings formed from her Magnet Release.

But the shockwave was too strong. The wings created by her Magnet Release couldn't hold steady at all.

"Mikoto, catch them!" Orochimaru ordered without looking back.

"Understood!"

In fact, Orochimaru didn't even need to say anything, Mikoto had already taken action.

She tossed Jiraiya onto Susanoo's shoulder and reached out to grab Tsunade and Nonō.

The shockwave gradually dissipated. Kaguya retracted her hand, and Orochimaru also flew back slightly.

"Can he predict Mother's attack?" Black Zetsu was taken aback.

It was said to be the most primitive form of space-time power, a technique akin to Kamui but requiring no hand seals to activate. It allowed instantaneous travel between dimensions or locations within the same space. It could be used for evasion, disruption, and ambushes.

Orochimaru's strength was undeniable. Black Zetsu was well aware of that but the fact that he could predict it was truly unbelievable!

This technique required no signs or seals. It simply opened a crack behind the target, allowing an attack to be launched directly.

It was an ability with no warning and, theoretically, no way to predict it.

So how had Orochimaru anticipated it?

"Orochimaru, this guy..."

Jiraiya, shielding himself from the residual shockwave, was stunned.

Just one palm strike was this powerful?

Kaguya was understandable—she was the progenitor of chakra, after all!

But Orochimaru...?

Could scientific research truly make someone this strong?

"Rotting bones, space-time manipulation... Haha, this is absurdly powerful!" Orochimaru grinned. "But let's put an end to this!"

"What?"

As soon as the words fell—whoosh!

Orochimaru used the Flying Thunder God Technique to suddenly appear before Kaguya.

Kaguya seemed to sense the danger and immediately attempted to counterattack with her gray bones.

But in that instant, she realized.

Her body... wouldn't move?!

Impossible!

Before she could react, Orochimaru made a move that shocked everyone!

As he closed the distance, he took advantage of Kaguya's immobility.

Lifting her chin, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

At that moment, the entire battlefield fell into silence!

Kaguya's eyes widened in disbelief.

What was this man doing?!

"This... This is..."

"This idiot... At a time like this... What the hell is he thinking?"

"Is he insane? Does he really dare to pull something like this... on the progenitor of chakra?!"

Countless thoughts raced through the minds of Tsunade and the others.

Before they could question Orochimaru, they saw the two of them separate.

And in Orochimaru's mouth... was a strand of chakra, one end still connected to Kaguya's lips!

"This is...?"

"Stripping away the chakra that influences her mind... That should allow her to return to normal, right?"

Orochimaru bit down on the chakra strand, a faint smile on his lips.

While speaking, he layered his hand with chakra and reached out, pulling more of the chakra from Kaguya's mouth.

At that moment, the surrounding space returned to normal. But Kaguya still felt as if her entire body was restrained, unable to move.

"Why... Why... can you control me?"

"Because my power comes from science!"

(To be continued.)

T/N: Ngl, this chapter made me cringe hard, but hey.

Special thanks to Sirzechs-II for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉

Chapter 400

"The target has been successfully imprisoned. Calculating energy medium…"

"Calculation in progress… Calculation complete. Redefining the source of energy!"

"The energy is too vast to be redefined. The energy is too vast to be redefined!"

"Redefining target… Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!"

"Using energy and chakra—definition complete. Target gene code is being rewritten."

"Rewriting complete. Separating harmful energy… Separating harmful energy…"

"Separation progress… 1%… 8%… 14%…"

Kaguya couldn't believe that Orochimaru's power of the Six Paths could restrain her. But inside Orochimaru's mind, these system notifications kept echoing.

From an outsider's perspective, what they saw was a blue energy barrier bursting out from Orochimaru's body, forcibly restraining Kaguya.

Golden runes shimmered across the blue energy barrier. These runes had appeared after Orochimaru pulled chakra from Kaguya's mouth.

"This is… what?"

Standing on Susanoo's palm, Nonō was stunned at the sight of the energy barrier covered in intricate runes.

She had never seen anything like it before.

Tsunade, standing beside her, was equally perplexed. "It looks like… a sealing technique?"

Jiraiya furrowed his brows. "It does resemble a sealing technique, but… is it a confinement-type seal?"

Jiraiya was knowledgeable in many sealing techniques, and the moment he saw Orochimaru's technique, he immediately recognized its nature.

However, he was still confused.

How had Orochimaru performed such a sealing technique?

Had he activated the seal… through a kiss?

Jiraiya's imagination was running wild, leaving him utterly baffled.

But in reality, Orochimaru hadn't relied on a kiss to cast the seal. Rather, it was the biological engine produced by his system.

This biological engine could overturn the law of conservation of energy, redefine or rewrite matter itself!

By using the power of the Six Paths as an energy drive, it could rewrite the structure of a target in a short span of time.

Once analyzed and redefined, every cell in the target's body would cease to belong to them.

This was a new power born from the fusion of ninjutsu and technology!

Although still in the research phase and incapable of analyzing or redefining higher-dimensional beings, any individual who relied on chakra would be unable to escape the fate of being rewritten.

And the one who developed this technology… was none other than Orochimaru, who had also attained the power of the Six Paths.

He had long since analyzed and modified the Truth-Seeking Orbs, the Tailed Beasts, and the Six Paths chakra itself—conducting countless system calculations and research into senjutsu, chakra, and energy.

This was why he had such confidence when facing Madara and even Kaguya herself.

Of course, the reason he had kissed Kaguya was merely to create a brief lapse in her mental defenses, allowing the biological engine to analyze her genetic code without resistance!

"The separation progress is at 100%. Harmful energy has been fully separated! Beginning decomposition!"

"Warning! Warning! The target possesses immense power! Energy will forcibly break free in five seconds!"

"Warning! Warning! The target possesses immense power! Sealing energy will forcibly break free in four seconds!"

"Warning! Warning…"

"The seal is lifted!"

Buzz!

The blue barrier covered in golden runes vanished instantly.

Kaguya immediately regained her mobility!

Meanwhile, Orochimaru now held an energy block—akin to a space storage device—in his hand.

Inside it was a swirling mass of chakra, ten times more violent than a normal Tailed Beast's chakra.

Without hesitation, Orochimaru flickered away from Kaguya and threw the energy block into another dimension.

"You… what did you do to me?"

Kaguya, who had always exuded absolute power was actually out of breath at this moment.

A seal?

She had clearly sensed the sealing power just now.

But she had no idea how she had been sealed nor how she had been restrained.

Sealing techniques were indeed a means by which the weak could defeat the strong.

However, to use a sealing technique, one typically needed to prepare a seal in advance.

Even if pre-preparation wasn't required, the user at least had to physically come into contact with the target.

Yet Orochimaru had managed to imprison her before even getting close to her?!

Hearing Kaguya's question, Orochimaru curled his lips into a smirk.

"It's nothing… I simply separated the power that was influencing your will."

"The power influencing my will?"

"Indeed," Orochimaru replied. "Based on my research, while the God Tree and its chakra fruit contain immense power, they also possess their own will—an extremely aggressive consciousness."

"This is why Hagoromo's descendants, those who inherit the power of the chakra fruit, tend to lose control once that power is activated."

"This is why those with the Rinnegan and Sharingan are prone to personality changes."

Orochimaru's tone remained calm as he explained.

At first, he had believed that the Uchiha clan's psychological instability stemmed from their inability to handle their own immense mental power.

But… after obtaining the power of the Six Paths himself, he had realized that this wasn't entirely true.

It was well known that Mokuton could suppress the power of dōjutsu, and that the power of the God Tree could suppress the power of the chakra fruit.

However, the real reason why people with powerful dōjutsu became battle-hungry and obsessed with power.

Was because of the evil energy hidden within the chakra fruit.

Because there were two distinct types of spiritual energy—one gentle, the other aggressive.

Ninjas influenced by gentle spiritual energy turned out like the First Hokage and Naruto.

No matter how much the villagers mistreated them, they still loved and protected them as if it were their first love.

No matter what setbacks they endured, they would always remain hopeful, kind, and peace-loving.

On the other hand… ninjas influenced by aggressive spiritual energy needed no explanation.

Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sasuke were the perfect examples.

After acquiring the power of the Six Paths, Orochimaru had spent considerable time researching how to separate these two types of consciousness.

Because for him.

He had no desire to become a warmonger like Madara.

Nor did he want to become a soft-hearted fool like Hashirama.

Thus, what had just transpired was the result of that research.

Under normal circumstances, Kaguya's spatial abilities were so powerful that Orochimaru's space confinement should not have been able to restrain her.

But Orochimaru had already tested it.

By combining the biological engine with the power of the Six Paths, he could temporarily suppress even space itself.

For an instant, even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had been rendered helpless.

Even if it was only for five seconds.

That was more than enough time for him to get close and place a sealing confinement on her.

For Kaguya who had never encountered sealing techniques before, this was the most effective way to neutralize her.

Sealing was far easier to use against her than even the power of the Six Paths.

Kaguya should have immediately retaliated upon hearing Orochimaru's explanation.

However… as she raised her hand.

She found that she suddenly lacked the motivation to attack.

And, strangely enough…

A thought surfaced in her mind.

Why am I even fighting him?

"It seems to be working."

Seeing Kaguya's slightly dazed expression, Orochimaru's smirk deepened.

He spoke in a slow, guiding tone.

"You've already realized it, haven't you?"

"If I had truly intended to seal you just now… you wouldn't still be standing here."

"So… lay down your weapons."

"This battle between us… is meaningless."

(To be continued.)