The scroll crinkled as Hanekawa set it aside. Tsukihime hadn't defeated a god—she'd eliminated the fanatics who worshipped one. A crucial distinction.
The evil god itself had never materialized. Just like Hidan in the original timeline, the deity remained absent while its followers paid the price. Hanekawa wondered if Hidan had been among those killed, though the timing seemed off. The Jashin cultist wouldn't be born for several more years.
Not that it mattered now.
He leaned back in his chair, mind already moving forward. The evil god was a fragment of something ancient—a being that had slipped through the cracks of divinity millennia ago. After thousands of years of accumulation, it would be brimming with power. Exactly the kind of prey that would interest Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Two reasons to act: First, the Rain Village now belonged to Konoha. Second, eliminating an actual threat to humanity looked good on the record.
"Hanekawa."
Kurenai's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She'd waited patiently for him to finish reading. "What about the ninjas from the Hot Spring Village?"
"Relocate them all to Konoha."
He said it casually, but the logic was sound. Small villages occasionally produced gems among the ordinary. With the ninja world consolidating and the clans perpetually understaffed, turning away talent made no sense.
Kurenai's brow furrowed slightly. "Housing that many people won't be simple."
"We could establish a settlement south of the village," she suggested, warming to the idea as she spoke. "Dedicated quarters for the newcomers."
Hanekawa smiled. She was getting better at this. "Then you've just volunteered for the project."
"What do you mean 'like'?" Kurenai's eyes narrowed, catching his phrasing. "And why am I doing this exactly?"
"Pop quiz," he said, leaning forward with his arms crossed. "Who can build wooden structures instantly?"
Her ruby eyes gleamed with realization. "You. Your Wood Style."
"Correct. I'll construct the housing south of Konoha. You handle the logistics when the Hot Spring Village ninjas arrive."
"Understood!" Kurenai puffed out her chest, that familiar determined expression crossing her face. "I won't let you down!"
"I know you won't." Hanekawa's gaze drifted lower, a slight smirk playing at his lips. "In fact, I think you deserve a reward for your hard work tonight."
Kurenai's face flushed crimson—a shade that almost matched her eyes. "We're discussing serious matters!"
"This is serious," he replied with mock gravity. "Merit deserves recognition. It's basic management."
"You're impossible!" She spun away, scroll clutched to her chest, muttering under her breath as she left.
Hanekawa waited until her footsteps faded before calling out, "Kaguya."
The Ōtsutsuki appeared instantly, materializing from the shadows like she'd been waiting for the summons. Her ANBU mask caught the light.
"Come here."
He patted his thigh. Without hesitation, she approached and settled onto his lap, her arm naturally finding its way around his neck. The mask came off easily, revealing those distinctive pale eyes.
"Do you know about the evil god?" he asked, his hand already moving to the edge of her clothing.
"No." Her voice carried that characteristic flatness. "What is it?"
"A deity with an immortal body."
Kaguya's head tilted slightly. "Immortality?" There was something almost vulnerable in her confusion. She'd achieved immortality through the fruit of the sacred tree—the idea that something else could possess it seemed to genuinely perplex her.
A flicker of emotion crossed her snow-Byakugan. She looked down, watching the fabric ripple beneath his touch.
"Not the kind you understand," he said softly. "It's in the Rain Village. You'll recognize it when you arrive."
She straightened abruptly, her expression shifting into something more purposeful. Then she leaned forward and kissed him—a soft, deliberate press of lips that caught him slightly off-guard.
"Thank you," she murmured against his mouth.
"I'm the one taking advantage here," he pointed out.
"I'm taking advantage," she corrected, pulling back just enough to meet his eyes. "I gain both the god's energy and this. Two objectives satisfied simultaneously."
Hanekawa found himself speechless. Kaguya's logic operated on a frequency all its own—utterly alien, yet somehow perfect.
He reached out, fingers trailing along her collarbone. "Is this—"
"I still have work," he interrupted himself, withdrawing his hand with visible reluctance.
Kaguya simply stared at him, and he could have sworn he saw resentment flicker across her features. He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.
"Why are you laughing?"
She shifted closer, her pale arms tightening around his neck, and suddenly her ANBU vest fell open, revealing bare shoulders and the elegant line of her collarbone.
"When did you learn that?" His eyes widened involuntarily.
"From a book," she said, a faint smile touching her lips as she noticed where his gaze had traveled. "It appears effective."
"Which book? I need to thank the author."
"I don't know. Yuri gave it to me." Kaguya leaned into him, her breath quickening slightly as he kissed her shoulder. "She's been dead a thousand years."
Hanekawa's lips found their way to her neck, then her face. He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. "Kaguya, I really do need to work, so you should just—"
She didn't let him finish. Her movements were decisive, purposeful, and entirely too distracting.
By the time Hanekawa managed to refocus on the documents scattered across his desk, the afternoon had surrendered to evening. The file from Uchiha Fugaku detailed the rebellion he'd orchestrated—Ikkyu Madoka, the Fire Daimyo's son, would strike tomorrow. With Fugaku's Sharingan influence and a week of preparation, success was virtually guaranteed.
New entries incoming, Hanekawa thought, already anticipating the rewards. But the real prize was political control. Once Konoha dominated the Fire Nation, infrastructure projects could finally expand—roads, trains, airships. Economic power would follow military dominance.
Defeating Mei Terumi would become trivial.
Hours dissolved into the evening. Kaguya eventually stirred, her snow-Byakugan opening with that characteristic intensity.
"Going home?" she asked.
"Now," he confirmed. She'd earned it.
They returned to find the night stretching before them. Kaguya wasted no time, and Hanekawa found himself thoroughly occupied until five in the morning. He managed to slip back to Kurenai's quarters with barely two hours remaining—though she only needed thirty minutes anyway.
---
The next morning brought Hanekawa and Kurenai to the Hokage Building. He'd survived on minimal sleep, but the adrenaline of impending victory kept him sharp.
Kurenai glanced at him, then hurried away toward her office, her movements slightly stiff. Hanekawa couldn't quite suppress his smile. Maybe it's time to see if Tsunade and Kurenai could work together. Or add Rin to the arrangement.
The logistics were complex, the success rate uncertain. But the potential benefits were worth considering.
His thoughts scattered when Kaguya appeared. "I'm going to the Hot Spring Village."
"I'm coming with you."
The evil god represented an unknown variable—but more importantly, it might offer a new entry. Hanekawa had learned never to pass up such opportunities.
A black portal materialized. They stepped through.
The Hot Spring Village bustled with activity as ninjas prepared for relocation. Hanekawa barely spared it a glance. He closed his eyes, extending his senses outward, searching for the presence he'd felt in the documents.
"The evil god isn't in this dimension," he said, opening his eyes.
Kaguya's Rinnegan activated, the eye on her forehead opening with terrible clarity. Another portal appeared.
They emerged into a nightmare.
Blood painted every surface. Flesh hung from walls and ceiling. The stench hit like a physical force—copper and decay so thick it seemed to coat his throat. Hanekawa's expression hardened. This creature deserved annihilation.
A blood-colored cloud approached, and within it, a massive silhouette took shape. The evil god materialized fully, and Hanekawa felt the weight of its malevolence.
He activated his Rinnegan mode. Black chakra beads materialized around him, orbiting like planets around a star.
Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
Five beads converged, their combined power releasing in a brilliant golden lance that pierced the blood cloud and drove straight through the god's form. The creature shrieked, its body fragmenting.
It wasn't dead.
Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
Every remaining bead launched skyward, rotating into a silver halo that descended like a cyclone. Wind became blades, shredding the god into powder.
Kaguya extended her palm, drawing the dissipating energy into herself. Her expression remained serene, satisfied.
Three lines of text materialized before Hanekawa's eyes:
[S-Rank Talent Entry: Good Prevails Over Evil]
[Trigger Condition: Defeat the evil god]
[Effect: Ignore enemy immortality]
Excellent. Exactly what he needed for the Ōtsutsuki pursuers.
---
Back in the Hokage's office, afternoon light slanted through the windows. A new notification appeared:
[S-Rank Talent Entry: Lord of the Fire Nation]
[Trigger Condition: Establish dominion over the Fire Nation]
[Effect: Within Fire Nation territory, gain 10-50% strength bonus against superior opponents, scaling with power differential]
Hanekawa leaned back, processing the implications. Different from the "Lord of the Lightning Land" entry, but equally valuable. Combined with his other abilities, it would make him nearly unstoppable within his own borders.
The rebellion would succeed. The Fire Nation would fall. And with it, his path to ultimate victory would become inevitable.