(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
****************
The enemy's praise was the greatest recognition of oneself.
Uchiha Madara never expected it.
The person who most approves of his philosophy in the ninja world was actually Colt.
This man, who has been fighting against him since he was revived, would endorse his idea of peace.
"How nice would it be if you could have been born in the Sengoku era..."
Uchiha Madara's voice faded as Black Zetsu sped up the process of summoning Kaguya.
A strong uneasiness welled up in his heart.
Colt actually had the Rinnesharingan! And what did Colt mean when he looked at the moon just now?
'Could it be that his eyes could sense that his mother was sealed?'
'Why hadn't he stopped it? Was there another purpose?'
Black Zetsu already regretted resurrecting his mother.
Colt's abilities kept revealing new layers every time.
Whenever you thought you'd grasped his strength, you would be shocked to find it was just a veil.
Hidden beneath was an endless abyss.
What if Ōtsutsuki Kaguya appeared and couldn't defeat Colt?
Once that thought appeared, it couldn't be dispelled.
Especially since Black Zetsu noticed the sun and moon marks on Naruto and Sasuke's palms during their earlier battle.
It must have been left behind by the unfilial Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.
However, this was the best chance to resurrect Kaguya.
Black Zetsu was already fully exposed, and the perfect tool, Uchiha Madara, would be lost.
It could take thousands of years before such an opportunity arose again.
"Mother is invincible..." Black Zetsu reassured himself and calmed down.
The arrow was already notched, and there was no turning back now.
Uchiha Madara's body swelled into a ball, leaving only his head.
From the Land of Wind to Hashirama and the others nearby, a blue torrent gushed out from all those bound by the Divine Tree.
The chakra flowed frantically into the bulging Madara, inflating him further.
Swish!
A sharp light appeared as Colt cut through the restraints of Hinata and the others, placing them on the ground.
Going through the world of the Infinite Tsukuyomi and being drained of chakra was not a pleasant experience.
In the air, Uchiha Madara let out a pained roar.
Even his sage body couldn't bear such a massive influx of chakra, and his face contorted in agony.
"What do we do? Should we use the seal now?" Naruto asked anxiously, looking at Colt and Sasuke.
"While Ōtsutsuki Kaguya hasn't fully emerged, let's just seal Madara!"
Sasuke shook his head slowly.
"No, not yet. We only have one chance. If we fail, it'll truly be over."
Then, he turned to Colt.
"Colt, can you handle Kaguya?"
Now, Sasuke didn't fully trust the Sage of Six Paths.
The old man didn't even know Colt was also a sage, yet he had confidently estimated their power.
"Don't worry, you two. Just watch. I've been waiting for this woman for a long time."
Colt raised his palm, and a black staff appeared in his hands.
His original outfit was replaced by a Six Paths Haori.
This transformation eased Naruto and Sasuke's worries slightly.
"Colt, what exactly are you planning?" Black Zetsu's voice was grave.
He had caught a glimmer of anticipation in Colt's words and eyes.
What was this man expecting?
Colt smiled slightly.
"Oh, nothing much. I just want to have a good conversation with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya... and treat her mental illness."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A strong heartbeat echoed.
By now, Madara had become a huge black ball, completely blocking out the moonlight.
The next second, the black ball collapsed inward, and long white hair rapidly grew out of it, forming the shape of a woman.
She floated in the air, motionless, with long, almost floor-length hair and a pale, ghostly face.
The woman's eyes were closed, her brow furrowing slightly as a scarlet Rinne Sharingan slowly opened in the center of her forehead.
Then, she opened her other two eyes—white and pure as snow.
A suffocating presence emanated from her, and Naruto and Sasuke both trembled slightly.
Their bodies stiffened. This was not just a difference in chakra levels but a crushing weight on their very existence.
Even though they had stepped into the level of Six Paths, they were still not fully there.
But this woman—Ōtsutsuki Kaguya—was no ordinary being.
She was born into the Six Paths level, far above anyone else.
Colt silently admired Kaguya's astonishing appearance.
Her pale skin and strange three eyes should have made her look unsettling, but instead, she seemed incomparably harmonious.
Even the two horns on her head made Colt feel an urge to touch them...
"Worthy of being Hinata's ancestor. The genes are excellent," Colt silently concluded.
After a brief moment of confusion, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya understood her situation.
Her voice, soft and quiet, broke the silence.
"After a thousand years, I return to my nursery..."
Referring to the planet as a nursery... the courage of the Ōtsutsuki clan was truly astonishing.
"Mother, the fruits of this world are ripe and waiting for you to pick them." Black Zetsu, hidden beneath her wide sleeves, poked his head out, fawning over her.
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya didn't respond, only looking ahead.
Her first focus was Colt, who stood there, revealed in his Six Paths Haori. She floated past Naruto and Sasuke, barely giving them a glance before ignoring them entirely.
She silently came face-to-face with Colt.
"Colt, be careful!" Naruto warned with difficulty.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, trying to shake off Kaguya's overwhelming presence.
Colt didn't answer.
He merely stared calmly at Ōtsutsuki Kaguya in front of him.
Finally, Kaguya spoke and reached out to touch Colt's face.
Such an action shocked Black Zetsu. Kaguya's expression was tinged with sadness, and tears welled up in her snow-white eyes.
"Hagoromo... have you been waiting here for me all along?"
Colt's expression remained unreadable.
Was he being mistaken for someone else?
He certainly was not Hagoromo, but it seems in her lonely years spent, she had been missing her sons, so much that she can mistake them now.