In a brief moment of distraction, a white, delicate hand slipped through the shadows of the axe and reached Kinshiki. When Kinshiki regained his senses, he was shocked and hurriedly swung his massive arm to retrieve his axe, positioning it in front of him.
With a dull thud, the pale hand slapped fiercely against the giant red axe. Kinshiki felt a tremendous force surge through him, sending him flying backward like a cannonball. He crashed heavily into a distant hill, shattering rocks and sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.
As the dust slowly settled, Kinshiki's figure emerged. Blood trickled from his mouth and nose, his chest was sunken in, and his body was covered in wounds.
"Useless waste," Momoshiki snorted, not even sparing him a glance. He turned to Kaguya with a smile and said, "It has been a long time, Princess Kaguya. You are as captivating as ever, and your strength has greatly improved. Truly befitting of the Ōtsutsuki clan's princess."
"Thank you for the compliment," Kaguya replied, pulling a white handkerchief from her robe to wipe her hand. She smiled slightly and said, "I apologize, but if this is all the strength you have, I'm afraid it won't be enough."
"Sister!"
At this moment, a petite figure came running forward, arms slightly outstretched as if wanting to jump into Kaguya's embrace. Upon reaching her, the figure only held onto a corner of Kaguya's garment. It was Hanabi.
Hanabi's bright, beautiful eyes shone with admiration as she stared at Kaguya. Even with her limited strength, she could see that these opponents were powerful, but they were no match for her sister.
Kaguya smiled softly, gently stroking Hanabi's silky hair, while Hanabi nestled against her like a well-behaved kitten.
"Don't worry, sister will protect you," Kaguya said with a gentle smile, her eyes turning to focus on Momoshiki in the distance.
Suddenly, Kaguya sensed something was amiss. Her eyebrows arched like distant mountains as she glanced around, noticing that Shiren was nowhere to be seen. Not only was he absent, but his presence had vanished entirely.
"Useless waste, it's a waste to feed you."
At that moment, Momoshiki's voice echoed from afar. Kaguya turned to face him, her eyes narrowing sharply.
Momoshiki held a peach that glowed with an eerie red light, casually tossing it to Kinshiki beside him. Kinshiki immediately bit into the peach, juice splattering as he devoured it in just a few bites.
Kaguya's pupils contracted. If she guessed correctly, that red peach was...
"This boy's chakra was surprisingly abundant. What a shame," Momoshiki said, looking at Kinshiki with a regretful expression after he finished the peach.
Kaguya's suspicion was correct—the peach was, in fact, Toneri. It was unclear whether Momoshiki lamented the loss of Toneri , the peach given to Kinshiki, or perhaps both.
Kaguya's delicate eyebrows furrowed, her eyes slightly narrowed. She hadn't anticipated that Momoshiki would deal with Toneri so quickly. Although Shiren didn't have the Tenseigan and his space-time ninjutsu had been disrupted by Kaguya, causing a backlash, he shouldn't have been this weak.
This genuinely surprised Kaguya.
After consuming the peach, Kinshiki's form suddenly swelled. His already muscular body expanded further, each muscle taut like steel cables, containing immense strength. His previously pale face turned into a red visage with fangs, and his entire skin became a crimson hue. With his gigantic form, he resembled a demon from the depths of hell.
"Kaguya-hime, you'd better surrender and comply," Momoshiki said, his pale face displaying a confident smile. "Even though you consumed the Givine Tree's fruit, you are no match for me."
"A mere mouse dares to boast," Kaguya said with a disdainful snort, her delicate nose wrinkling slightly. She cast a cold glance at Momoshiki, "I must admire your courage."
"Mouse?" Momoshiki chuckled playfully, "Wasn't it you who was being chased and running all over the place, Princess?"
"Is that so?" Kaguya smiled slightly, her face betraying no emotion, though her mind was stirred.
It seemed that the former Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had some history with them, and it was likely these guys who made her so wary.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had mentioned that enemies would come to Earth, and to prepare, she had resorted to activating the Infinite Tsukuyomi, creating countless White Zetsu to fight back. However, it seemed unlikely that she would go to such lengths just for these two guys; perhaps there was more to the story.
"If you hand over the chakra of the God Tree's fruit, I assure you I'll leave immediately and won't trouble you," Momoshiki's smile softened, speaking in a kindly tone, "I also promise not to harm you."
Does he think he's fooling a three-year-old?
Everyone knows that this is akin to negotiating with a tiger. If she hands over the chakra of the God Tree, a powerless Kaguya would be at their mercy. Even a schoolchild could analyze this situation.
But Kaguya was not thinking about this at the moment. She was considering the connections behind it. Since Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had found her, would other clan members also come looking for her?
Dealing with these two wasn't too difficult for Kaguya, but if the Ōtsutsuki clan kept coming after her one by one, she couldn't guarantee she could repel them all.
"Why must we fight each other?" Seeing Kaguya's stern expression, Momoshiki thought he had persuaded her. He was delighted and continued to coax her, "We are all members of the Ōtsutsuki clan. No one wishes for conflict. I am merely here to retrieve what is rightfully mine, which is not unreasonable. And if the princess doesn't want to return, we won't force you, nor will we reveal your location."
Kaguya's eyes focused, recalling that in the Naruto novels, Momoshiki was said to have planted the God Tree. She had always doubted it; if he possessed such power, how could he be defeated by Naruto's son? But judging by his words, there might be some truth to it.
Momoshiki continued to speak at length, adopting a tone of concern for her, yet the underlying threat was unmistakable. The message was clear: if Kaguya didn't cooperate, they would inform the clan of her whereabouts.
Kaguya's eyes lit up, the gloom in her heart dissipated, and her thoughts became clear. If she swiftly dealt with these two, the problem would be solved. Killing them would eliminate the informants, and no one else would come to trouble her.