Hanekawa's eyes opened to white—specifically, Mei Terumi's pale skin pressed against his chest.
The Fifth Mizukage clung to him like an octopus, their bodies intertwined. She slept soundly, exhausted from last night. He'd stayed the entire evening, and she'd paid the price for it—a night of pleasure and pain that had left her completely drained.
He traced a gentle line down her slender waist. She stirred at the touch but didn't wake, burying her head deeper into his arms. Her reddish-brown twin ponytails spilled across the bed like silk ribbons.
Then the space beside them warped.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki materialized without warning, her Byakugan fixed on Mei Terumi with an expression of perfect neutrality. Hanekawa almost laughed. The Rabbit Goddess was clearly annoyed he hadn't come home last night—and she'd decided to do something about it.
He caught her as she leaned down, pulling her into a kiss. Her lips were soft, familiar. The irony wasn't lost on him—Mei Terumi sleeping mere inches away while Kaguya pressed against him.
When they separated, Kaguya's expression hadn't changed, but her eyes gleamed with calculation. She was already plotting how to separate them.
Hanekawa knew her too well.
He gently shifted Mei Terumi away, and she rolled onto her side without waking. Kaguya's eyes lit up immediately. She stepped onto the bed, and by the time she reached him, her clothes had vanished.
A casual wave of his hand erected a barrier around her—invisible to anyone who might wake up, but present enough to keep things private.
Kaguya didn't acknowledge Mei Terumi's presence at all. She moved like a dancer, like she was the only person in the world that mattered.
Hanekawa closed his eyes.
---
By the time sunlight flooded the room, everything had returned to normal.
Mei Terumi's emerald eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she just stared at him, and he watched the memories of last night paint her face crimson. She looked away, embarrassed.
"What's on your mind?" he asked, patting her hip.
"N-nothing!" She shook her head too quickly.
He reached down, fingers brushing the torn fabric of her stockings. "I—I'm hungry!" she blurted, clearly desperate to escape before he could drag her into another "battle."
"I'll cook," he said, getting up without argument.
Mei Terumi blinked, surprised. She'd expected resistance, negotiation—not immediate compliance. Was he just trying to scare me? she wondered, then snorted softly at herself.
After he left, she sat up slowly and sighed. She wasn't naive enough to think she was his only woman. His skill, his power, his position—a ninja from the Hidden Mist had no claim on him. But being close to him benefited the village, and that was enough justification.
What else can I do? she thought, comforting herself as she changed clothes.
The aroma of ramen drew her to the living room. Hanekawa set a steaming bowl in front of her without a word. He didn't eat anymore—his strength had transcended such needs—but she was starving.
"Aren't you eating?" she asked between bites.
"I need to get home. You kept me occupied all night."
"I kept you occupied?" She set down her chopsticks. "You're the one who attacked me."
He smiled. "Who told you to be so beautiful?"
She rolled her eyes, but her expression softened. She loved hearing that.
"If you ever need anything—if Hidden Mist faces problems—come to me," he said before leaving.
"I know," she replied simply. I've already paid the price.
---
Back at the Hokage's office, Tsunade and Kurenai Yuhi were already awake. After breakfast, the three of them headed to the building together.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki stood immediately when Hanekawa entered, rising from the Hokage's chair. She'd attacked him this morning, achieved her goal, and come straight here to wait. Through her mask, he could sense her satisfaction.
He settled into the chair and picked up the first document at random.
It detailed the five newly-formed ninja units. Hidden Stone, Hidden Mist, the Hidden Sand, and the Hidden Cloud were still selecting personnel. Only Konoha had finalized its roster of five thousand—a combination of the previous Summoning Beast Unit and Cursed Ninja Force, with minimal new recruitment needed.
Jiraiya led the Summoning Beast Unit. Orochimaru had been removed from leadership of the Cursed Force, allowing him to focus on research. Now Jiraiya and Sakumo Hatake oversaw the entire five-thousand-strong army.
The second document was from Kurenai. The Land of Fire metropolis expansion was progressing ahead of schedule. According to her projections, the city would expand fivefold.
Hanekawa's mind drifted to the tailed beasts. Their nearly infinite chakra could serve as power sources. With ninja assistance, the project could be completed in half a year instead of several. With tailed beast energy? Even faster.
He picked up his pen and wrote instructions for Kurenai to borrow the tailed beasts from Tsukihime to accelerate the expansion.
The third document made him pause.
The Hidden Mist had discovered significant marine resources. Everything they'd salvaged now belonged to Konoha. Hanekawa's mind immediately went to the Rinnegan Urn—the artifact Urashiki Ōtsutsuki had used for time travel. If it was at the ocean floor, his S-rank entry "Master of the Hidden Mist" would sense it.
He didn't want to time travel himself. Too risky. He'd been lucky with the dragon veins, but luck could run out. The entire timeline could collapse.
But preventing others from traveling? That was worth securing.
Hanekawa used the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared on an island in the Land of Water. He dove deep, and immediately felt it—the strange sensation of absolute control over the ocean itself. His S-rank entry responded, flooding him with information from every direction.
He found it.
When he surfaced, a pink turtle was in his hands, shouting, "Spare me!"
"It's alive?" Hanekawa was surprised—though it felt more like an object than a living creature.
"My name is Karasuki," the turtle said respectfully. "I can travel through time and space."
"I don't need time travel," Hanekawa said. "But I have a question. If someone used you to go back in time, where would they appear?"
"The teleportation is random," Karasuki replied.
Unfortunate. He couldn't set a trap in advance. He'd have to rely on his S-rank entry "Lord of the Ninja World" to track Urashiki when the time came.
He stored Karasuki in a psychic scroll and returned to the office.
---
Hinata Hyuga was waiting on the sofa. She jumped up the moment he entered, her face flushing immediately.
"I learned hemostasis," she whispered shyly.
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow. At her age, that was impressive—proof that the bloodline improvement he'd given her was working. Her natural talent had been limited before; now it was blossoming.
"Well done," he said, pinching her cheek gently. "You're really cute."
She turned the color of a steam engine, unable to form complete sentences. After a few more moments of shy stammering, she excused herself, though she clearly wanted to stay longer.
Hanekawa stroked his chin. Am I really that popular with children? Probably. His reputation far exceeded any previous Hokage's, amplified by the fact that he was Hinata's teacher.
---
Three months passed. Spring became summer. The Land of Fire metropolis transformation was finally complete.
"Have all the daimyo arrive within a week," Hanekawa instructed Kurenai.
"Yes," she answered, then asked, "Will you have Ikkyu Madoka lead them?"
She was thinking traditionally—one daimyo, one leader. But she wasn't considering Hanekawa himself.
"It's not Ikkyu Madoka," he said with a smile. "It's me."