Seeing Madara fall silent, Chiga didn't press further. With a flicker of movement, he vanished from sight.
When he returned home, he found Kaguya seated on the sofa, her posture elegant, eyes quietly fixed on the television screen.
Technology in the Shinobi world was always strange. There were telephone poles lining the streets, radios and televisions in homes, and yet, shinobi still fought with kunai, swords, and chakra-based techniques. Compared to the modernity of the One Piece world, it felt like a contradiction. Even in Boruto's era, the balance between old and new remained oddly misplaced.
The moment Kaguya noticed Chiga's arrival, she quickly rose to her feet, performing a graceful curtsy. Her voice carried the refined manners of someone who had lived in ancient times.
"Master, you've returned."
Her respectful demeanor made Chiga feel as though he were some ancient ruler with a loyal handmaiden. He walked over, gently guiding her back to sit on the sofa.
Before he could speak further, a sudden clattering of pots and pans echoed from the kitchen. Chiga raised an eyebrow, instinctively alert.
"Who's in the kitchen?" he asked casually.
Kaguya's expression remained calm as she replied, "It's Black Zetsu. I told him to practice cooking."
Chiga blinked. "…Really?"
Moments later, Black Zetsu emerged from the kitchen, his dark form carrying several plates at once. Tentacle-like extensions from his body held the dishes with ease, carefully arranging them on the table.
Once the food was neatly set, Black Zetsu turned and bowed respectfully. "Chiga-sama, Mother, dinner is ready. Please enjoy."
Chiga stared at him with a hint of surprise. "You can cook?"
Lowering his head, Black Zetsu answered, "I couldn't before. But I can always learn."
Chiga chuckled in disbelief. For a being who had schemed in the shadows for a thousand years, guiding countless events in history, it was almost absurd that he was now in the kitchen preparing meals. A true talent, indeed. Unfortunately, unlike Hagoromo or Hamura, he lacked any significant battle power.
With a quiet sigh, Chiga led Kaguya to the table. He picked up one of the ribs Black Zetsu had prepared and took a bite. To his surprise, the flavor was rich, the seasoning balanced. Raising his brow, he looked at Black Zetsu with approval.
"Not bad at all. Do you want to eat with us?"
Black Zetsu hesitated, then shook his head quickly. "No, Chiga-sama. I don't need to eat."
Chiga eyed his shadow-like body. "Even so, you should taste your own cooking."
Kaguya nodded in agreement. "Black Zetsu, Master is right. Come and sit with us."
Though reluctant, Black Zetsu finally sat opposite them and lifted a piece of food to his mouth. It was the first time in thousands of years that he had even attempted such a thing. Of course, he discovered instantly that he had no sense of taste. Yet, unwilling to spoil the atmosphere, he pretended to chew, nodding lightly as though satisfied.
To an outsider, the scene would have looked like a small, warm family enjoying dinner together.
When the meal was finished, Black Zetsu dutifully gathered the plates and carried them to the sink. Washing dishes seemed to be his self-appointed task. Chiga smirked faintly, recalling a rumor that Minato had once developed a "Water Release: Dishwashing Technique." Perhaps he would observe it someday.
Once Zetsu disappeared back into the kitchen, only Chiga and Kaguya remained.
Breaking the silence, Chiga turned to her. "Kaguya, do you know roughly how many remain in the Ōtsutsuki Clan?"
The question startled her. For so long, she had assumed Chiga was one of them, or at least deeply tied to their bloodline. To hear him ask this directly seemed strange.
After a pause, she answered honestly. "Master, I am not entirely sure. Most of the clan members have long since departed to other worlds to plant God Trees. Only a handful of elders remain within the main clan."
"Does the clan still have a leader?" Chiga asked.
Kaguya shook her head slowly. "No. The clan head vanished long ago. The one with the greatest authority now is the Great Elder, but he has secluded himself within the forbidden lands. Few alive have ever seen his true form."
"Then you must still know the spatial coordinates of their homeworld, correct?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝※𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖※𝕟𝕖𝕥
Her lips parted, but she hesitated. "…Yes, I know them. But…" She trailed off, looking at him curiously. "Master, haven't you ever stayed within the clan?"
Chiga leaned back and spread his hands. "I'm not a member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan. Why would I know such things?"
Kaguya froze. "What!?" Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she rose from her chair.
Chiga met her gaze calmly. "Though, in a sense, you could say I carry part of their legacy. My bloodline is not as pure as yours, but the connection exists."
Kaguya's heart pounded. She began to piece things together. Chiga was like Uchiha Madara—someone who had reached impossible heights by evolving step by step from his own origin. Only, Chiga's path had far surpassed even that. He had awakened a pair of twelve-tomoe Rinnegan, subdued the Ten-Tails, and sealed it within himself. Power on par with the strongest Ōtsutsuki elites, yet he was still so young compared to their millennia-old existence.
She could scarcely imagine how he had achieved it.
Chiga noticed her dazed expression and gently reached for her hand, guiding her to sit once more. Waving his hand lightly before her face, he teased, "You seem distracted."
Kaguya blinked back to reality, lowering her gaze. "Forgive me, Master. I lost myself for a moment."
Chiga smiled faintly. "There's no need to be so reserved. Soon, you will accompany me to the Ōtsutsuki homeworld."
Her body stiffened, eyes widening in shock. "Master, why… why would you go there?" Her voice trembled, betraying the unease she felt.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, Chiga replied evenly, "To find worthy nourishment for my Ten-Tails. Tell me, would one Ōtsutsuki Isshiki be enough?"
Her breath caught. "You… you would use Isshiki as feed?"
In her mind, Isshiki was one of the clan's true elites. The Divine Tree fruit she once consumed had been born from his sacrifice, and its power had been extraordinary. If even that was insufficient for Chiga's Ten-Tails, then how immense was the beast's appetite?
Questions piled in her mind—about the origins of Chiga's Ten-Tails, about its terrifying uniqueness—but she dared not ask further. For now, she would remain silent, waiting for the day those answers revealed themselves.