IZUNA

25

They continued on.

It had been a peaceful journey thus far and Izuna had hoped for it to remain that way.

It wasn't to be.

"Give us the boy." Her enemy demanded.

Ukiyo sneered at him.

"Why?" Asked Izuna.

"He is an abomination."

She heard Haruki gasp behind her.

Izuna tilted her head.

"Ara, ara~ isn't that a bit harsh?" She asked. "He's just a boy, no?"

"You wouldn't understand, Uchiha." The second enemy sneered. "Your eyes don't see what ours do."

Izuna hummed.

"And what might your eyes see, Hyuga-san?"

"Not Hyuga." The man shook his head. "Tsukimori."

She straightened.

"You are a Tsukimori?"

The Tsukimori were a small clan born from those who escaped being branded with the Cage-Bird seal. Such a clan hadn't existed in the Original's timeline.

"We have no quarrel, Tsukimori-san." Izuna said slowly. "So why?"

"So long as you defend that monster—!"

"I'm—-I'm... n—not—-I'm not a monster..." Haruki hid his face.

"Explain." Izuna demanded, standing protectively in front of Haruki. The boy was trembling.

"What you're defending is the heart of the Usagi no Megami."

She froze.

Usagi no Megami.

The Rabbit Goddess.

Kaguya.

"Zetsu."

Ukiyo lunged.

Izuna shattered the onna-musha's katana in one fell swoop.

"You will not harm Yumehiko-sama." Ukiyo snarled, unsheathing a small dagger.

"S—stop it..." Zetsu—Haruki whispered, clutching his stuffed bunny tightly. "Please... stop..."

Izuna's eyes were cold.

"The Uchiha and the Senju are not the only descendants of Kaguya." The man said. "The Hyuga remember and by extension so do we. The existence of Kaguya hasn't been dismissed as a myth."

He pointed a kunai at Haruki.

"He is an imposter." The man declared. "The real son of Watanabe-sama died years ago."

"T—that's not true!" Haruki said. "I—-I was born sick and weak—-my f—father had become desperate. My mother—-she was too weak to bear another child. He c—couldn't afford to lose his heir."

"They were approached by a strange being." Ukiyo continued. "It introduced itself as a Spirit of Tsukiyomi and offered to heal Yumehiko-sama."

"It—he said he was fading." Haruki whispered. "And—-that if he could save a life before he faded completely... he could rest knowing that his will lived on."

"And what will was that?" Izuna asked quietly.

"Peace."

Izuna shut her eyes.

When she opened them, her sharingan had whirled to life.

She locked eyes with the Tsukimori.

"Forget this. Forget Kaguya." She commanded as her tomoe spun hypnotically. "I will deal with this."

They fell unconscious.

She turned around.

"You are going to explain everything."

::

"If Zetsu is Kaguya's will then... I—-I am Kaguya's heart..." Haruki told her. "W—we were both... at one point... Kaguya but—but when she ascended she... left us behind. I—-he—-her heart was what remained of her humanity. It was supposed... to keep... her will—Zetsu—-in check. To b—balance each other. Zetsu was... is the resolve to get things done no matter... the cost. I—I am the emotion needed not to go too far."

Izuna listened.

"We—we were supposed to be one being but—but we were split. A—and now I have—have to stop my other half."

"Are you Haruki-sama, then?" She asked. "Or was that a lie?"

Haruki jolted.

"I am myself!" He told her. "W—what I said was—was the truth. The one who healed me at the cost of... of his own existence was Kaguya's Heart. Kaguya—-was... she was—-she was once very kind. This kindness of hers sought to heal me. He merged his form with my own and gave me his strength and memories."

Izuna considered this.

Where was this heart during the Original's timeline?

Why hadn't he done anything?

She frowned.

Haruki was by no means strong.

Had Zetsu... killed Haruki in the Original's timeline?

It made sense.

"Very well." She said. "I believe you."

Haruki slumped with relief, tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm—-I'm so relieved..." he sobbed. "I didn't mean—-to deceive you! I just—-wanted—-waaaah!"

Izuna sighed.

"Come here." She said and opened her arms.

He hugged her.

"Y—you are different, Izuna-san." He whispered. "We can sense it. Your soul is... different... strong. It scared Zetsu. Before Kokoro saved me, he saved you from Zetsu's plan."

Izuna stiffened.

Zetsu's plan?

He was behind Hinoe and Kinoto.

He was behind everything.

He tried to kill me.

It was a chilling realization.

Zetsu wasn't just trying to manipulate Madara.

He was trying to get rid of her because she stood in his way.