Hanekawa waved his hand, and the colossal statue dissolved into chakra mist.
The Sand and Hidden Stone ninja, still caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi's grip, didn't so much as blink at the display.
"Kaguya," Hanekawa called out, glancing at the dazed shinobi. "Help me treat them."
"Mm."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki nodded, raising her hand. Chakra flowed from her like spring rain, washing over the injured. Wounds sealed. Bruises faded. Within moments, they were whole again.
Hanekawa closed his eyes and reviewed the three new entries flooding his consciousness.
[S-Rank Talent Entry: Master of Hidden Stone]
[Trigger Condition: Defeat all shinobi of Hidden Stone]
[Effect: Earth Style power increased 200%. Dust Release acquired.]
[Note: Cannot be synthesized]
Dust Release. A kekkei tōta—a bloodline elimination technique, one tier above standard bloodline limits. The power was undeniable. The only drawback was its sluggish execution speed.
In Hanekawa's hands? That wouldn't be a problem.
[S-Rank Talent Entry: Master of Hidden Sand]
[Trigger Condition: Defeat all shinobi of Hidden Sand]
[Effect: Wind Style power increased 200%. Environmental Transformation acquired.]
[Note: Cannot be synthesized]
Hanekawa's eyes snapped open.
He'd expected something similar to Dust Release—maybe Magnetic Release, a standard bloodline limit. But this? Environmental Transformation was something else entirely.
Information cascaded through his mind. The ability functioned like Kaguya's Amenominaka—her ice and snow dimension where she could merge with nature itself. But this entry went further. It didn't just control the environment; it reshaped it.
A desert could become a lava field. A frozen wasteland could transform into a verdant forest. The chakra cost scaled with the scope of transformation, but the potential was staggering.
He understood now why this had triggered. The Hidden Sand's entire existence was defined by its harsh desert environment. By mastering it, he could help them transcend it.
[S-Rank Talent Entry: Dream]
[Trigger Condition: 10,000 shinobi trapped in illusion]
[Effect: Control others' dreams]
[Note: Cannot be synthesized]
This one had activated when Kaguya used Infinite Tsukuyomi on the Sand and Stone forces. Technically, Hanekawa hadn't done anything—but the system recognized that Kaguya had acted on his orders.
Dream manipulation. Interesting.
His first thought was practical: better sleep for Tsunade and Kurenai. His second thought was considerably less innocent. If he could shape dreams, he could plant subtle suggestions. Influence perceptions. Make certain... arrangements more acceptable.
Not now, he reminded himself, pushing the thought aside.
Footsteps approached. The Sand and Stone leaders stood before him in a neat line—Ōnoki, Pakura, Rasa, and others. Their expressions were eerily neutral, their eyes glassy. The Infinite Tsukuyomi had worked like a mass Kotoamatsukami, rewriting their will without leaving obvious scars.
Perfect.
"Return to your villages," Hanekawa instructed. "I'll send representatives from Konoha within two days. We'll discuss the details then."
He'd handle them the same way he'd handled the Hidden Cloud—with a mix of incentives and subtle coercion. The specifics would vary, but the principle remained constant.
"One more thing," he added. "Announce to your people that you've been defeated by Konoha and have chosen to submit. Make it public."
The Hidden Cloud's conquest had been quiet, almost invisible. But Sand and Stone had started this war openly. They needed to lose it openly too.
"Understood," they replied in unison.
"Kaguya." Hanekawa turned to her. "Retrieve the tailed beasts."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki blinked, as if surfacing from deep water. For the past five days, her entire world had been him—their battle, their clash of power, the strange exhilaration of finally meeting someone who could match her. She'd almost forgotten about the beasts.
"Mm."
A faint smile curved her lips—rare enough that Hanekawa found himself staring. She looked almost... happy.
She moved with fluid grace, approaching Rasa. The Hidden Sand leader didn't resist as she reached into Gaara's small form and extracted the One-Tail. The boy convulsed, then went limp.
Hanekawa caught him before he fell, easing him into sleep. Better this way, he thought. The One-Tail's seal had been crude at best. Every time Gaara slept, Shukaku would rampage. Now, freed from that burden, the boy would actually have a chance.
Kaguya moved to the Hidden Stone contingent next, extracting the Four-Tail and Five-Tail with the same methodical precision.
"I'm going to Mount Myōboku," she announced, stepping into a black portal. "Wait for me."
The space tore shut behind her.
Hanekawa gestured to the assembled leaders. "Go. Return home."
They filed out, their tents collapsing as they prepared to march back. A war involving three major villages, ended not with a bang but with a whimper.
He stood alone in the clearing, counting. One-Tail, Four-Tail, Five-Tail, plus the Two-Tail, Seven-Tail, and Eight-Tail already secured. Six beasts. Three remained: the Nine-Tail in Konoha, the Three-Tail and Six-Tail in the Mist.
Mei Terumi's wager would handle the Mist beasts. The Nine-Tail was trickier.
Kushina and the Nine-Tail had bonded—another butterfly effect of his presence. But Tsukihime, the Sage of Six Paths reborn, could convince the beast to leave. Freedom would be tempting enough.
The portal reopened.
Kaguya emerged, and without preamble, pulled him into an embrace.
"—?" Hanekawa barely had time to register before she dragged him back through the portal.
They materialized in her private chamber. The walls seemed to breathe with otherworldly energy.
"Stop," Hanekawa said, catching her wrist. "Not now."
"Five days," Kaguya said, her voice carrying an edge of demand.
"Not now," he repeated.
"When?" Her Byakugan fixed on him with unsettling intensity.
"Three days," Hanekawa said after a moment's thought. Disappearing for five days would raise questions he couldn't easily answer. He needed a plausible mission, something time-consuming enough to justify the absence.
"Four," Kaguya countered, raising one finger.
Hanekawa met her gaze, then reached out and patted her rear. The soft flesh yielded beneath his palm, and he felt her subtle shift—not away, but toward him.
Kaguya glanced down, then deliberately turned, presenting herself more fully.
What is happening? Hanekawa thought, caught between amusement and exasperation. The Goddess of Rabbits is... flirting?
"Alright," he said, withdrawing his hand. "Let's go see Tsukihime."
"Four days?" Kaguya pressed, her eyes bright with something almost playful.
"Since you've already done this," Hanekawa said, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze, "I suppose I can add one more."
"I can do more," Kaguya said, her eyes gleaming.
"Don't push your luck," Hanekawa replied, unable to suppress a smile.
Instead of answering, Kaguya lowered her head and gently bit his finger.
Hanekawa's eyes widened at the sensation—warm, wet, surprisingly intimate.
"I have no idea where you learned that," he said, torn between exasperation and something far more complicated.
Kaguya released his finger and looked up at him, her Byakugan seeming to shimmer with an emotion he couldn't quite name.
Hanekawa suppressed the flutter in his chest and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
They materialized in Otogakure Village.
"Father! Mother!" Tsukihime rushed forward, her voice bright with excitement.
"Mm," Kaguya replied in her usual cold tone, as if she hadn't just been biting his finger moments ago.
The transformation was instantaneous. The Goddess of Rabbits had returned, every trace of that playful warmth locked away behind an impenetrable mask.
Incredible, Hanekawa thought, marveling at her control.
"The combined forces of Sand and Stone have been defeated," he reported.
"Mm." Tsukihime showed no surprise. With Hanekawa and Kaguya working together, the outcome had never been in doubt. "I'll inform Orochimaru. We can proceed with the next phase."
She pulled out a scroll and handed it to him. "The expansion route. Orochimaru's forces are already in the Land of Waterfalls. They would have taken it today if not for the Sand and Stone distraction."
Hanekawa unrolled the map of the ninja world. The five major villages and their territories dominated the landscape. Smaller nations and villages dotted the spaces between them—a route marked in red traced a path through them all.
His eyes caught on one name: Hoshigakure Village, in the Land of Bears.
The only village besides the Five Great Villages to claim a "Shadow" as its leader. The source of their power was a meteorite—one that bore suspicious similarities to the Hero's Water of Takigakure. Both extended chakra reserves at the cost of lifespan.
Ōtsutsuki connection, he mused. Worth investigating later.
But not now. The mission took priority.
"Skip the Land of Rain and Hidden Rain for now," he said, rolling up the map. "The Akatsuki works for us. No need to antagonize them yet."
"Understood," Tsukihime said.
"Thank you for holding the line," Hanekawa added with a slight smile.
"It's not difficult," Tsukihime said, flexing her fist with a hint of frustration. "These villages are weak. I haven't even needed to use half my strength."
Hanekawa suppressed a laugh. Tsukihime, the Sage of Six Paths reborn, was bored fighting ordinary shinobi. Of course she was.
"Come to Konoha when you have time," he said, glancing at Kaguya. "I have a special mission for you."
"What mission?" Tsukihime's eyes lit up.
"Retrieve the Nine-Tail," Hanekawa said simply.
---