Members of the Akatsuki immediately went on guard, staring warily at the unfamiliar surroundings, unsure how they had suddenly arrived here.
Deidara glanced at Tsunade seated below and whispered, "Boss, are we caught in a genjutsu?"
Nagato looked around at the environment. "This isn't a genjutsu."
"Nagato," Konan called.
"Konan?"
Zetsu, whose upper body was wrapped in pitcher-plant-like leaves, quietly retreated behind the others.
"Akatsuki, are you here to disrupt the meeting?"
Tsunade and the other former ninja village members who had been incorporated into the Empire stood up. The Akatsuki had once been a mercenary organization composed of rogue ninjas.
Hidan grinned excitedly. "So many people. Perfect sacrifices for Lord Jashin."
The atmosphere instantly became tense, blades metaphorically drawn.
Kallen turned to Kiana Kaslana. "You came back—and brought them with you. Why?"
Kiana Kaslana smiled. "These are all talents from this world."
She raised her hand. An invisible force pulled Zetsu—whose upper body was wrapped in pitcher-plant leaves—out alone.
"Black Zetsu, do you want to save your mother, Kaguya?"
"You know my mother?"
Zetsu stared calmly at Kiana Kaslana. This woman was the God-Emperor of the Empire.
As the Akatsuki's intelligence operative, he knew that to resurrect his mother, the Empire's threat had to be resolved first.
Otherwise, even if she revived, she would simply be killed by the Empire.
"I'm asking whether you want to," Kiana Kaslana said, unwilling to waste words.
"Yes."
Zetsu was silent for a moment before answering. He did not know how she knew—but if she intended to lure him with empty promises, he would find a chance to leave.
"After she's revived, you and your mother will work for me for five hundred years. Agree, and I'll resurrect her now."
Zetsu thought for a while. Five hundred years in exchange for his mother's revival—he had no issue with that. But whether his mother would agree was another matter.
"Fine. I'll persuade her."
He could agree for now. There was no loss.
Kiana Kaslana raised her hand.
To resurrect Kaguya Ōtsutsuki required two conditions: the God Tree and the Infinite Tsukuyomi released by the Rinnegan. To cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi required Hagoromo's chakra.
The God Tree and the Tailed Beasts were simple enough. The Rinnegan's Infinite Tsukuyomi merely served to break the seal.
There was no need for so much trouble.
A reality-warping field enveloped the entire star system, tearing apart the seal. The God Tree and the Tailed Beasts were instantly transferred together, reassembled into the Ten-Tails, and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was revived before everyone's eyes.
"Mother."
Black Zetsu detached from Zetsu's body, leaping onto the revived Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and slipping into the wide sleeve of her right arm.
Everyone examined Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—pale skin, long blue-white hair extending beyond her entire body and trailing along the ground like a mop, Byakugan in both eyes, and a Rinne Sharingan on her forehead.
The legendary Rabbit Goddess, progenitor of chakra, had been resurrected just like that.
Returning to her body, Black Zetsu relayed everything he knew to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Upon hearing that they were to work for the other party for five hundred years, her expression remained unchanged as she floated silently in midair.
Five hundred years was a minor matter.
What truly mattered was whether the Empire could deal with the Ōtsutsuki clan that would inevitably be sent here.
If they could handle them, even a thousand years would be acceptable.
"She understands the Ōtsutsuki clan. Black Zetsu has lived for over a thousand years and is an intelligence expert. If you want to know about this world, ask him," Kiana Kaslana said, turning to Kallen.
The Ōtsutsuki clan—the race that traveled to life-bearing planets to plant God Trees.
They were the true target of the two who had come to this world.
"Mm," Kallen nodded.
"I'll leave this to you."
After speaking, Kiana Kaslana transferred away together with Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was the most famous scientist in the Naruto world. Beyond mastering numerous forbidden techniques, he possessed exceptional expertise in genetic modification, cloning technology, cell transplantation, mecha construction, and artificial human development.
Kiana Kaslana primarily wished to deepen her research into resurrection technologies.
Orochimaru had been permitted to establish research facilities in this world only because she allowed it behind the scenes.
In most worlds, the Empire did not permit subordinates to conduct random experiments.
Unless their research was useful.
One resurrection technique Kiana Kaslana had mastered was a Honkai-adapted version of the Impure World Reincarnation.
Other worlds lacked a Pure Land.
So she used her own reality-warping field as a Pure Land, instantly retrieving the consciousness and souls of beings who died within it, then reviving them.
Additionally, through analysis of various hells, underworlds, and afterlife realms across different worlds, she created a soul realm that automatically collected souls and consciousness.
This soul realm was connected to the gene-seed within each legionary Astartes. Astartes—and intelligent lifeforms who died near them—would have their souls return to this realm.
Kiana Kaslana's arrival accelerated the development of the entire Naruto world.
The Empire's tree-planting fleets traveled everywhere, terraforming planets, planting God Tree seeds, and using temporal barriers to accelerate the growth of the Honkai-adapted God Trees.
Then they waited for members of the Ōtsutsuki clan to discover them on their own.
Because of the sheer number of planets where God Trees had been planted, members of the Ōtsutsuki clan gradually began discovering these rapidly growing God Trees infused with strange energy.
The God Trees they planted themselves required thousands of years to yield a single chakra fruit.
These new God Trees required only a few years, were not picky about growing conditions, and could mature and bear fruit with just two sacrifices.
They attracted many Ōtsutsuki clan members.
Obsessed with collecting and devouring chakra fruits at any cost, with the ultimate goal of becoming supreme "gods," the Ōtsutsuki clan began offering sacrifices to the new God Trees as an experiment.
They harvested a special chakra fruit.
After consuming the special fruit, the Ōtsutsuki clan members gained power far greater than that provided by ordinary chakra fruits.
Moreover, no side effects manifested.
Although all signs indicated that these God Trees had been planted by someone else, the Ōtsutsuki clan did not care who planted them.
They only wanted the chakra fruits.
From beyond the universe, Kiana Kaslana quietly watched as the Ōtsutsuki clan offered sacrifices, harvested fruits, planted more of her modified God Tree seeds, offered more sacrifices, harvested more fruits—repeating the cycle endlessly.
From the moment they consumed the Honkai-adapted God Tree fruits, they had already become nourishment for the Honkai-adapted God Trees.
In the short term, no problems would surface. But over time, they would be subtly influenced, driven to kill other Ōtsutsuki who had consumed the Honkai chakra fruits and offer them to the Honkai-adapted God Trees in exchange for even better, even stronger fruits.
When no sacrifices remained, they would offer themselves to the Honkai-adapted God Trees.
The Ōtsutsuki clan possessed a wide array of secret techniques and abilities. Kiana Kaslana could not be certain whether any of them might prove troublesome.
So it was better to let them perish naturally.
Observing in secret, Kiana Kaslana only intervened when she detected members of the Ōtsutsuki clan attempting to travel through time to alter the past.
She laid traps within the temporal tunnels, preventing others from traversing them.
At the same time, she subtly influenced Ōtsutsuki with precognitive abilities.
Even if the upper echelons of the Ōtsutsuki clan sensed something was wrong, it was difficult for them to stop it. Those who consumed the Honkai-adapted chakra fruits were several times stronger than those who consumed ordinary fruits.
Very few could resist the temptation of overwhelming power.
Kiana Kaslana and Kallen entered a temporal tunnel, heading toward the future.
On the way, they casually dealt with three Ōtsutsuki sent to retrieve Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, then continued onward.
They obtained the final fourteen Honkai chakra fruits cultivated using the Ōtsutsuki clan and numerous planets as nourishment.
Skipping the waiting process entirely, they directly took the results.
They returned to the Honkai universe.
"Are you sure this turtle can really travel through time?"
Kallen held the Time Turtle obtained from the Naruto world.
"After I reconstructed it, it should be usable for us," Kiana Kaslana replied.
"However, time travel can easily result in jumping to another parallel world due to differences in rules."
Hearing that it might lead to a parallel world, Kallen did not seem too concerned. Being able to travel back to the past of a parallel world was already significant progress.
"If we truly return to the past, you mustn't act recklessly. My existence is an inevitable result. Without me, there would be no present you and me."
"Of course, in a parallel world, you can do as you like."
Kiana Kaslana reminded her in a deliberately stern tone.
"Mm. I understand."
After serving for so many years as Regent of the Final Empire and managing countless worlds, Kallen had learned a great deal—both scientific and mystical knowledge, whether willingly or not.
"Also, we must not cause too much disturbance. If the Aeons notice us, it will be troublesome."
The Aeons.
Thinking of those beings beyond the solar system, Kallen felt a headache coming on. Why did their universe have to contain such monsters?
In other universes, she and Kiana Kaslana could roam freely. In the Honkai world, they had to act with restraint.
"Should we send Astartes ahead first?" Kallen asked.
"What are you thinking? We're traveling within our own world, not another universe. In other universes, we don't have to worry about the complications of time travel."
"In our own universe, why introduce so many external variables?"
"I really am..."
Kiana Kaslana covered her forehead.
"Don't be angry, don't be angry. I'm just stupid—you know that," Kallen hurriedly coaxed her.
"Even if we travel, we can't directly enter the past world. We need a transit point."
"Mm."
"This continent of Teyvat will do nicely."
A holographic projection of the Imaginary Tree appeared before Kiana Kaslana, quickly locking onto a world filled with mystery and fantasy.
"I'll follow your lead."
Kallen had no objections. Travel to Teyvat a thousand years in the past, then observe other worlds of the Imaginary Tree from there—that was her understanding.
In any case, Kiana Kaslana must have her reasons.
"Next, we'll sever synchronization with the timelines of other universes. After returning to the past, we'll resynchronize. In other words, we'll disappear from the Final Empire for over a thousand years."
"Disappear for over a thousand years?!"
Kallen was startled. She was the ruler of the Final Empire, and Kiana Kaslana was its core. Without them for a millennium, wouldn't the Empire collapse?
"We'll let artificial intelligence manage it. A thousand years should be fine."
"Are you sure?"
Kallen was doubtful.
One or two generations would be manageable.
But a thousand years—with a human lifespan of about a century—that meant over ten generations.
When they returned, who knew what chaos the Empire's worlds would be in?
"Or you could assign people to manage each world," Kiana Kaslana suggested.
"Better not."
Kallen shook her head. With artificial intelligence managing for a thousand years, at worst the Empire's worlds would fall into some disorder. If humans managed them, within a few hundred years everything would be thoroughly ruined.
Artificial intelligence management undeniably had its issues, but they were far fewer than the endless complications of human governance.
Kallen could manage so many worlds only with AI assistance. It ensured a 99% execution rate of orders, delivered absolutely accurate reports from every world, and even provided a god's-eye observational perspective.
She had tried living without AI assistance for a while. It felt like being plunged into total darkness—she simply could not manage the worlds.
With AI, she searched for errors among mostly correct answers. Without AI, it was the opposite—and she had to do everything herself.
After making all arrangements, Kiana Kaslana and Kallen used power from beyond the Honkai world to move against the flow of time.
From the future, they returned to the past.
As expected, something went slightly wrong.
Before initiating temporal traversal, Kiana Kaslana had already shifted herself and Kallen from the Honkai universe into a parallel Honkai world. And the time jump was not a thousand years.
For reasons unknown, they landed upon the Imaginary Tree of the first Honkai world that had completed Project STIGMA.
...
Teyvat.
Above Mondstadt.
Kiana Kaslana and Kallen floated in midair, overlooking the city below.
"Well?" Kallen scanned the surroundings.
"We jumped trees," Kiana Kaslana replied.
They had arrived at another Imaginary Tree.
Though Kallen had mentally prepared herself, she still felt a trace of disappointment.
The Honkai world differed from other universes—that was something she had known for a long time.
Before returning to the Honkai world, they had conducted experiments elsewhere. In some worlds, time travel was effortless. In others, it led to parallel worlds instead.
"Failure is only a minor issue."
Kiana Kaslana opened her personal subspace. From a golden vortex emerged a snow-white warship radiating a silver sheen, slowly coming to rest in midair.
"This wind..." Kallen sensed a peculiar breeze around them. "The Anemo Archon of Mondstadt?"
"Just a minor local god. No need to mind him."
Having entered the Finality warship, Kiana Kaslana spoke without concern.