When the Gedo Mazou disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared, Kit jumped a bit. She pointed her bow at the airspace where the monster was and then back at Arisu. She was relieved to see the statuesque being gone but that did not fully alleviate her concerns. Arisu declared that she would not deactivate her Rinnegan as doing so would jeopardize Naitome's safety. She added that there was no risk of Genjutsu by looking at her eyes but Kit wasn't about to take her at her word. Her fight with Mort had made her realize that Genjutsu users were liars by trade.
Kit listened as Naitome continued to blow her mind. He told her that all Otsutsuki had fantastic powers that were far beyond what most shinobi could replicate.
Immortal summons? Soul stealers? Ten Tailed Bijuu? Resurrection? Gravity manipulation? To be fair, some of the powers seemed more fearsome than others, but all of them were concerning. Zizz was right. These people were powerful and if they banded together, they could easily conquer the planet. Kitsuki had always believed that the story of the Rabbit Goddess and the God Tree were myths. Allegories that had been passed down from generation to generation with the hope that its lessons would cultivate responsible use of Ninjutsu. If that was the case then humanity had failed miserably. Kit wanted to call the alien a liar but somehow she knew what he was saying was true. Humanity did not always have chakra. The history textbooks had been clear on that much. Information from before the arrival of the Rabbit Goddess was scarce but from what little historians knew there was no mention of chakra or super-human feats commonly associated with magic. If the Otsutsuki were the progenitors of this world's power then how could they hope to defeat them? How could she? Kit looked at Zizz through the corner of her eyes.
The Angel was still glaring at the two but she wasn't communicating. She was just hovering. It was as if she was just as unsure of herself as Kit was.
The Hokzuki? Chigetsu....Kaguya? Hana....some of the biggest and most powerful shinobi clans have Otsutsuki blood running through their veins? It was too much to bear. Kit's world was crashing down around her. Every time she thought she was finally understanding how the ninja world worked, a new bomb was dropped on her head that made her question everything. A dark question lingered in the back of Kit's mind.
Do I have their blood in me? Am I cursed? Kit was no bigot. She didn't want to believe that these aliens were intrinsically evil or that their descendants among humans were somehow "dirty." But she had felt how Zizz had mourned the loss of her creators, she could sense the anguish that lay beneath the Angel's fun loving exterior. They had done something horrible to her home world and given their capabilities, all it would take was one of them going rogue to repeat the same tragedy.
What do I do?Naitome appeared to be seizing on her in-decisiveness. He made his case for why she should put her bow away and accept that what they had done was for the benefit of not just Kiri but the world. Kitsuki was suddenly struck with a sensation of deja-vu. She had experienced his before on a small island just off the coast of the Isle of Whispers. She had swarmed Sero's home with a group of shinobi and had threatened him in order to get him to comply with her orders. She had later found out that the whole situation had been contrived by certain elements in the Kiri government. Elements that did not take kindly to a monster living so close to the village. Kit found out that while the Emperor's Office did not approve of Sero, he had won the backing of the Mizukage in exchange for his loyalty. She was wrong to have barged into his home wielding a weapon of deadly force and now, she couldn't help but consider that possibility now. They were indeed unarmed and passive. Arisu refused to move and Naitome stepped in front of her. He was willing to protect her with his own life and Kit found that touching.
All the same, there was one crucial difference at play here. At Sero's cave, it was Zizz that had convinced her to lay down her bow. The Angel had said that while she wasn't sure what to make of the darkness that surrounded his spirit, he was not a deceiver. He was sincere in his objective to cleanse the world of evil. It remained to be seen how he planned to do such a thing, but Zizz had come into contact with him and she had more or less blessed his intentions.
She had not done so here.
The Angel's wings started to shift and she glowed as she scrutinized the two Otsutsuki.
ⵜⵀⴻⵢ'ⵔⴻ ⵍⵢⵉⵏⴳ ⴽⵉⵜⵙⵓⴽⵉ....ⴷoⵏ'ⵜ ⵜⵔⵓⵙⵜ ⵜⵀⴻⵎ....ⵜⵀⴻⵢ ⵜooⴽ ⴻⵠⴻⵔⵢⵜⵀⵉⵏⴳ ⴼⵔoⵎ ⵎⵢ ⵡoⵔⵍⴷ...ⵜⵀⴻⵢ'ⵍⵍ ⵜⴰⴽⴻ ⵉⵜ ⴼⵔoⵎ ⵢoⵓⵔⵙ ⵜoo. Zizz...I....Kit was conflicted. The Angel wasn't omniscient but when it came to matters of morality, Kit had learned to trust the creature's instincts. Yet she also knew that Zizz was not emotionally unbiased. Kit was aware that Zizz acted on her heart occasionally and that the pain of her loss might be affecting her judgment. Whatever it was that made her tick, hatred of these space people appeared to be inherent in her nature. Owing to the power of Time Release, Kit had developed a remarkable sense of timing and memory. It was at this point she recalled a conversation she had had with Zizz.
"Well...why me? I mean not me specifically, but why anyone? You can control time! Move at the speed of light! Nothing can even hurt you! Why not just.....solve all the problems in the universe on your own?"
ⵡⴻⵍⵍ ⴼⵉⵔⵙⵜ oⴼ ⴰⵍⵍ ⴽⵉⵜⵙⵓⴽⵉ, ⵉ ⴷoⵏ'ⵜ ⵔⴻⴰⵍⵍⵢ ⵛoⵏⵜⵔoⵍ ⵜⵉⵎⴻ...ⵉⵜⵙ ⵎoⵔⴻ ⵛoⵎpⵍⵉⵛⴰⵜⴻⴷ ⵜⵀⴰⵏ ⵜⵀⴰⵜ...ⴰⵏⵢⵡⴰⵢⵙ, ⵉ ⵛⴰⵏ oⵏⵍⵢ ⴷo ⵙo ⵎⵓⵛⵀ oⵏ ⵎⵢ oⵡⵏ. ⵎⵢ ⵛⵔⴻⴰⵜoⵔⵙ ⴷⴻⵙⵉⴳⵏⴻⴷ ⵎⴻ ⵙo ⵜⵀⴰⵜ ⵉ ⵛⴰⵏ'ⵜ ⴼⵓⵏⵛⵜⵉoⵏ ⵉⵏⵜⴻⵔⴷⴻpⴻⵏⴷⴻⵏⵜⵍⵢ...ⵏoⵜ ⵔⴻⴰⵍⵍⵢ. ⵜⵀⴻ ⵛoⵍoⵏⵉⵣⴻⵔⵙ ⴰⵜⵜⴰⵛⴽⴻⴷ ⵓⵙ ⵡⵉⵜⵀ ⴱⵉⵊⵓⵓ ⴰⵏⴷ ⵡⴻ ⵏoⵜⵉⵛⴻⴷ ⵀoⵡ ⴼⴻⵔⴰⵍ ⵜⵀⴻⵢ ⵛoⵓⵍⴷ ⴱⴻ, ⵀoⵡ ⵜⵀⴻⵉⵔ ⵉⵏⴷⴻpⴻⵏⴷⴻⵏⵛⴻ ⵡⴰⵙ ⴻⵠⴻⵔⵢⵜⵀⵉⵏⴳ ⵜo ⵜⵀⴻⵎ. Poⵡⴻⵔ ⵍⵉⴽⴻ ⵜⵀⴰⵜ ⵉⴼ ⵍⴻⴼⵜ ⵓⵏⵛⵀⴻⵛⴽⴻⴷ ⵛⴰⵏ ⴷⴻⵙⵜⵔoⵢ ⴻⵏⵜⵉⵔⴻ ⵛⵉⵜⵉⴻⵙ. ⵜⵔⵓⴻ ⵙⵜⵔⴻⵏⴳⵜⵀ ⵛoⵎⴻⵙ ⴼⵔoⵎ ⵛoopⴻⵔⴰⵜⵉoⵏ. ⵏo oⵏⴻ ⵉⵙ pⴻⵔⴼⴻⵛⵜ ⴱⵓⵜ ⴱⵢ ⴼⵉⵏⴷⵉⵏⴳ ⵙoⵎⴻoⵏⴻ oⵏ ⵜⵀⴻ ⵏⴰⵜⵉⵠⴻ pⵍⴰⵏⴻⵜ ⵜⵀⴰⵜ ⵙⵀⴰⵔⴻⵙ ⵎⵢ ⵠⵉⵙⵉoⵏ, ⵉ ⵛⴰⵏ ⴱⵔⵉⵏⴳ oⵓⵜ ⵎⵢ ⵜⵔⵓⴻ poⵡⴻⵔ ⴱⵢ ⴰⵉⴷⵉⵏⴳ ⵜⵀⴻⵎ. ⵎⵢ ⵛⵔⴻⴰⵜoⵔⵙ ⵙⴰⵡ ⵜⵀⴰⵜ ⵜⵀⴻ ⴱⵉⵊⵓⵓ ⵡⴻⵔⴻ ⴼⵓⵍⵍ oⴼ pⴰⵙⵙⵉoⵏ....ⵓⵏⵜⴻⵎpⴻⵔⴻⴷ ⴰⵏⴷ ⵓⵏⵜⴰⵎⴻⴷ. ⵉⵏ ⵛoⵏⵜⵔⴰⵙⵜ, ⵡⴻ ⴰⵏⴳⴻⵍⵙ ⵔⴻⵍⵢ oⵏ ⵜⴻⵎpⴻⵔⴰⵏⵛⴻ ⵜo ⴱⴻ ⵎoⵙⵜ ⴻⴼⴼⴻⵛⵜⵉⵠⴻ. ⵜⵀⴰⵜ'ⵙ ⵡⵀⴰⵜ ⵢoⵓ ⴰⵔⴻ. ⴰ ⵜⴻⵎpⴻⵔⵉⵏⴳ ⵙpⵉⵔⵉⵜ. ⵢoⵓ ⴽⵏoⵡ ⵜⵀⵉⵙ ⵡoⵔⵍⴷ ⴱⴻⵜⵜⴻⵔ ⵜⵀⴰⵏ ⵉ ⵛⴰⵏ ⴰⵏⴷ ⵢoⵓ ⵀⴰⵠⴻ ⵎoⵔⴻ ⵉⵏⵠⴻⵙⵜⴻⴷ ⵉⵏ ⵉⵜ ⵜⵀⴰⵏ ⵎⴻ. ⵡⵀo ⴱⴻⵜⵜⴻⵔ ⵜo ⵜⴻⵎpⴻⵔ ⴰⵏ ⴰⵍⵉⴻⵏ ⴼoⵔⵛⴻ ⵜⵀⴰⵏ ⴰ ⵙpⵉⵔⵉⵜ ⵉⵏⴷⵉⴳⴻⵏoⵓⵙ ⵜo ⵜⵀⴻ pⵍⴰⵛⴻ ⵡⴻ ⵙⴻⴻⴽ ⵜo ⴷⴻⴼⴻⵏⴷ.
Zizz's explanation was a weight on Kit's shoulders. How could she, the lesser of two siblings, be responsible for directing an alien life form in a cosmic battle against good and evil? It was lunacy. But for the first time since she had heard Zizz's speech, Kit felt secure in her role. Zizz was now so blinded by pain that she would tell Kit to attack a defenseless pair of Kiri-Nin without solid proof of wrongdoing. The Angel was good, but like all Angels, their sense of justice could occasionally make them rather cold and calculating. Kit sighed and lowered her bow. She wasn't sure she could trust Arisu and Naitome but they had shown a willingness to de-escalate.
"
I don't believe in prejudice...at my old school they taught us that no matter where you came from or what family you were born into, we are all equal. Every person has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Even ones not born on Earth. I want to believe you two but I've seen and heard so much disturbing stuff lately. This country is my home, this planet is my home, and I have to protect it. We will protect it!"
As if responding to Kit's determination, the Angel flared. It was clenching its tiny fists. Zizz could suggest that Kit attack them but it could not do anything on its own. The firmness of Kit's resolve only brought its own will into greater accordance with its host. The bio-celestial mechanics of her existence were utterly contrary to that of a Bijuu. Whereas a Bijuu fought to wrest control from its host, poisoned its mind with its own agenda, and resisted attempts at suppression, Angels naturally submitted to the will of their chosen champion.
"
If you say you did this willingly....I'm going to trust you Naitome.....for now at least. But don't think for a second my investigation ends here." Kit placed her arrow in the quiver and pressed a button on her bow. The object re-configured itself into a cane. She rested her hand on the pommel of the object and addressed the soul-tether directly.
"
Arisu whatever you did to him was extremely dangerous. You have someone's life now permanently tied to your own and even if he consented, its still bondage. We do not permit others to willingly sell themselves into slavery. If for whatever reason he had a change of heart, his only hope of escape is to die. I don't consider that noble, I consider it unconscionable. I'm willing to bet you didn't ask the Mizukage permission for this ritual either. This isn't Kumogakure, we don't tolerate this kind of behavior here. I'm going to look into what you've told me and talk it over with a few others. I won't call the Mizukage in on this so long as you promise not to flee the village or take any other unlawful actions. I get it. The world is a violent and crazy place. We sometimes need to link up with others to increase our strength. I know what its like to tie your destiny to another, to tether yourself to someone you trust..."
Kit looked at Zizz and the Angel looked at her. Though they didn't see eye to eye on this, they would always be partners. K-Zizz forever.
"
But it can't just be based on mutual consent....you need more"
Zizz had told Kit not long ago that she was free to reject the Angel at any time. However, once the rejection was final, the tether between them would be severed forever. Likewise, if Kitsuki fell to the side of evil then Zizz would be within her rights to revoke their bond and find someone more worthy. Neither of them expected those events to happen but the option left their freedom intact. The same could not be said of Bijuu and Jinchurikki as well as Arisu's new relationship with Naitome.
"
....but what's done is done. I'll look into the things you told me and get back to you. Maybe we can find these other Paths and see what their intentions are. Not all of them might be evil but all it takes is one to push Kishin from bad to worse"