Chapter 2: A Goddess's Gambit

I had to think fast.

The memories flooding my mind were overwhelming, but one thing was clear—I could not afford to be sealed again. That meant playing my role carefully.

Naruto Uzumaki.

I knew who he was. Kind, stubborn, always willing to give people a chance. Sasuke was a different story—calculated, pragmatic. He wouldn't hesitate to seal me if he saw me as a threat.

That meant my target was Naruto.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Or at least, I mimicked it. I wasn't even sure if I needed to breathe anymore. My body felt both powerful and unfamiliar, like wearing a suit of armor I had no time to adjust to.

My surroundings became clear. The battlefield was still, the air heavy with the remnants of the last battle. Naruto and Sasuke stood before me, wary and prepared. I knew they expected an attack. They expected Kaguya.

I had to be something else.

I let my body relax, my massive sleeves falling at my sides as I lowered my head, eyes wide with carefully controlled emotion. I swallowed hard and allowed my voice to tremble, just slightly.

"I… I'm free?"

Naruto blinked. He hadn't expected that.

I took a shaky step forward, then another, before falling to my knees. That was enough to make Naruto hesitate. He took a half-step toward me before catching himself, his blue eyes narrowing in confusion.

"I have been alone," I whispered, my voice raw with the weight of truth. Because it was true. The memories of Kaguya's endless solitude, her helplessness in the void, all of it was real. I wasn't lying—I was just using it.

"Alone?" Naruto echoed, brows furrowing.

I nodded, letting my hands shake as I gripped my sleeves, as if trying to steady myself. "Two thousand years… I could not move. I could not speak. My own children… they…" My breath hitched. Play the part. "They betrayed me."

I saw Naruto's expression shift. Doubt. Sympathy.

Sasuke, however, was not moved. His Rinnegan eye stayed locked onto me, his grip on his sword tightening.

I met Naruto's gaze, making my eyes as open and vulnerable as possible. "I don't want to fight."

That was the key. If Naruto wavered, even a little, they could not seal me.

All I had to do was keep him on my side.

And then… I could escape.