332. S-Rank Trait – Master of the Shinobi World

Konoha Village Gates.

Hanekawa stood side by side with Nara Shikaku.

Though Shikaku now held the title of Hokage Advisor, his duties remained largely the same as before when the role of Hokage Strategist had been abolished.

Hanekawa had brought him along to oversee the relocation of Kirigakure’s shinobi.

They didn’t have to wait long before the sound of approaching footsteps reached them.

Hanekawa looked up, his gaze settling on the distant figures.

At the forefront was none other than Kirigakure’s Mizukage, Mei Terumī.

Flanking her were the new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—Momochi Zabuza, Hoshigaki Kisame, and others.

Hanekawa’s eyes swept over the group, noting that the number of shinobi was relatively small—only a few hundred.

Most of Kirigakure’s shinobi and civilians hadn’t arrived yet.

This didn’t surprise him.

A week wasn’t enough time to relocate an entire village.

It would take at least a month or two.

But the arrival of Mei Terumī and her entourage was enough to signify Kirigakure’s surrender.

"Lady Mizukage."

Hanekawa stepped forward, his tone formal.

"Lord Hokage."

Mei Terumī bowed slightly.

"Lord Hokage."

Zabuza, Kisame, and the others echoed in unison.

Hanekawa nodded in satisfaction.

The change in address marked the shift in their relationship—no longer equals, but superior and subordinate.

Of course, he could see the reluctance in many of their eyes.

This was only natural, and he paid it no mind.

"Follow me."

Hanekawa studied Mei Terumī’s delicate features before continuing, "I’ve already prepared accommodations for you."

"Understood."

Mei Terumī stepped forward, falling into stride beside him.

Hanekawa glanced at Shikaku, who immediately slowed his pace, dropping back to give them space.

"I’ve instructed Ao to organize the remaining shinobi and civilians for relocation."

Mei Terumī added after a moment’s thought. "The move should be completed within a month."

"You’ve worked hard, little maid."

Hanekawa murmured.

"Don’t call me that in front of everyone!"

Mei Terumī stiffened, her voice hushed but urgent.

"Relax. They can’t hear us."

Hanekawa snapped his fingers.

With his current strength, not only could he prevent Shikaku and Kisame from overhearing, he could even make them see nothing.

But vanishing in front of everyone would only cause unnecessary panic, so he refrained.

"Even if they can’t hear, could you at least warn me first?"

Mei Terumī shot him an exasperated glare.

"My mistake."

Hanekawa grinned. "I’ll make it up to you later."

Mei Terumī blinked.

Unlike Yūhi Kurenai or Tsunade, she didn’t realize that Hanekawa’s make it up to you was never sincere.

Her first thought was that this pervert was surprisingly quick to apologize.

"Never mind that."

Mei Terumī changed the subject, her tone serious. "I hope you’ll treat Kirigakure’s shinobi and civilians fairly from now on."

"Naturally."

Hanekawa assured her.

"Thank you."

Mei Terumī sighed.

"No need for thanks."

Hanekawa clarified. "Because I won’t be directly managing Kirigakure."

"Then who will?"

Mei Terumī was taken aback.

Hanekawa didn’t answer—he simply looked at her.

"...Me?"

Mei Terumī, sharp as ever, caught on immediately.

"Exactly."

Hanekawa nodded. "Not just Kirigakure—Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure follow the same model."

"I don’t understand."

Mei Terumī hesitated before voicing her concern. "Aren’t you afraid they’ll rebel?"

In her eyes, this so-called unification wasn’t true unification—it relied entirely on Hanekawa’s overwhelming strength.

If that strength ever waned, everything would collapse.

"How thoughtful of my little maid to worry about me."

Hanekawa remarked.

"..."

Mei Terumī rolled her eyes.

Here she was, raising a critical issue, and Hanekawa acted like it was nothing.

If even the Hokage didn’t care, why should she?

"They don’t have the strength to rebel."

Hanekawa stated flatly.

He understood her underlying concern—that if a shinobi stronger than him emerged, war would reignite.

But he knew such a shinobi would never exist in this world. Not in the past, and certainly not in the future.

After all, shinobi prowess was a matter of bloodline.

Without Ōtsutsuki heritage, no amount of time would change that.

But explaining this to Mei Terumī wasn’t worth the effort.

"We’re here. This will be your new home."

Hanekawa stopped in front of a row of buildings constructed from various materials.

Mei Terumī looked up in surprise.

"Did you… build all of this in advance?"

She couldn’t fathom how so many residences could’ve been erected in just a week.

"What do you think?"

Hanekawa countered.

"You must have prepared them ahead of time."

Mei Terumī concluded.

"Wrong."

Hanekawa smirked. "This is the power of ninjutsu."

"You used ninjutsu to build houses?!"

Mei Terumī’s eyes widened.

"No need to be so shocked."

Hanekawa shrugged. "Ninjutsu can do far more than construct buildings."

Mei Terumī opened her mouth but decided against pressing further.

Hanekawa’s you’re so ignorant tone made her feel like an idiot for asking.

"Kisame."

Mei Terumī turned to address her subordinate. "You’re in charge of assigning residences."

"Understood."

Kisame nodded.

"Shikaku."

Hanekawa gave him a meaningful look.

Shikaku nodded in acknowledgment—he’d supervise Kisame’s team.

"I’ll take you to your new office."

Hanekawa said to Mei Terumī.

"Mm."

She followed him to a towering, pristine building—larger than Kirigakure’s Mizukage Headquarters.

Mei Terumī surveyed it with quiet satisfaction.

Konoha’s sincerity was evident—they weren’t treating Kirigakure as enemies or prisoners.

The two entered the building and arrived at Mei Terumī’s office.

"This…"

She froze upon stepping inside.

The layout was identical to her old Mizukage office.

"I thought you might miss the familiarity, so I had it replicated exactly."

Hanekawa smiled.

"Thank you."

Mei Terumī’s lashes fluttered slightly as she met his gaze.

Though Hanekawa was undeniably a pervert, he had treated her exceptionally well.

The only regret was that they’d been on opposing sides—Mizukage and Hokage.

But now, that barrier was gone. Kirigakure had merged with Konoha.

"Wait."

A thought struck her. "Am I still the Mizukage?"

"Of course not."

Hanekawa settled into the chair behind the desk. "From now on, you’re the Mizukage’s Secretary."

"Mizukage’s… Secretary?"

Mei Terumī stared blankly. "Then you’re the Mizukage?"

"Correct. But no reward for guessing right."

Hanekawa grinned.

"..."

Mei Terumī bit her lip, struggling to process the shift in her identity.

She’d been raised to become Mizukage since childhood.

And she had become Mizukage.

Now, she’d been demoted to secretary—the irony wasn’t lost on her.

"So, should I call you little secretary or stick with little maid?"

Hanekawa seized her wrist and yanked her into his lap.

Caught off guard, Mei Terumī stumbled, landing squarely on his thighs.

She tried to rise, but Hanekawa’s arm locked around her waist, immobilizing her.

"What’s the difference?!"

Mei Terumī huffed. "They’re both perverted!"

"I am the Mizukage now."

Hanekawa’s brow arched as his hand came down sharply on her thigh.

The black fishnet stockings trembled with the impact, the sound crisp in the quiet office.

"Even as Mizukage, you’re still a pervert at heart!"

Mei Terumī glowered.

"Oh?"

Hanekawa’s gaze dropped to her blue dress.

With her agitated breathing, the fabric strained against her curves, emphasizing the pressure beneath.

Hanekawa reached out, adjusting the dress to relieve some of that tension.

"Y-You—what are you doing?!"

Mei Terumī stiffened, her face flushing.

She tried to pull away, but a sudden pinch sent a jolt through her, sapping her strength.

Her voluptuous frame slumped against Hanekawa’s chest, her fair skin nearly spilling into view.

Though she couldn’t rival Tsunade, Mei Terumī was still exceptionally well-endowed.

"As the Mizukage’s Secretary, insubordination warrants punishment."

Hanekawa stated matter-of-factly.

"E-Enough… Let me go…"

Mei Terumī, overwhelmed by the sensations, finally relented in a whisper.

"That’s more like it."

Hanekawa released her without pushing further.

Mei Terumī scrambled to her feet, putting distance between them.

Her face burned as she glared at him, her chest still tingling from his disciplinary measures.

"What exactly are my duties as Mizukage’s Secretary?"

She took a steadying breath, steering the conversation away from dangerous topics.

"Same as before—managing Kirigakure."

Hanekawa lifted his hand to his nose, inhaling subtly. "The only difference is that major decisions require my approval."

Noticing his action, Mei Terumī’s blush deepened.

Pervert!

But she could only curse him inwardly.

"Understood… Lord Mizukage."

Mei Terumī acquiesced.

In truth, the so-called Mizukage’s Secretary was still effectively the Mizukage.

After all, Hanekawa had no intention of micromanaging.

This arrangement suited Mei Terumī just fine—it meant Kirigakure could retain its identity for the foreseeable future, rather than fading into obscurity.

Just as Hanekawa was about to speak, three lines of text materialized before his eyes:

[S-Rank Trait: Ruler of Kirigakure]
[Activation Condition: Become the Mizukage.]
[Effect: Water Release potency increased by 200%, plus the ability to manipulate the sea.]

The Water Release boost was expected—his previous S-Rank traits for Iwagakure and others had similar effects.

The second ability, however, was new.

At first glance, it seemed underwhelming, but after absorbing the details, Hanekawa found it surprisingly useful.

It wasn’t water manipulation—it was sea manipulation.

This made Hanekawa a true sovereign of the oceans.

As long as he was within the sea, he could perceive everything within it—every creature, every resource.

While it didn’t enhance his combat strength, it was invaluable for Konoha’s development.

Harvesting marine life and underwater minerals would now be effortless.

"Why are you spacing out?"

Mei Terumī waved a hand in front of his face.

"Let’s go. I’ll show you your new residence."

Hanekawa seized her hand and strode out.

Mei Terumī tried to pull free, but his grip was unshakable.

Fortunately, Kisame and the others were busy with housing assignments, leaving them alone for the moment.

"Here we are."

Hanekawa stopped in front of a house conveniently located next to the office building.

"Thank you."

Mei Terumī’s heart warmed at the sight.

The residence was a near-perfect replica of her home in Kirigakure.

Clearly, Hanekawa had gone to great lengths.

Given his status, such attention to detail was unnecessary—unless it was personal.

"It was nothing."

Hanekawa dismissed her gratitude.

Because it was nothing.

He’d simply modified the Wood Release: Four Pillar House technique, blending it with Earth Release to create what he dubbed Civil Engineering Release.

Mei Terumī studied him for a moment before pushing the door open.

The interior layout mirrored her old home, enveloping her in familiarity.

"Since Kirigakure’s relocation isn’t complete, you can delay your official duties for a month."

Hanekawa suggested.

"Mm."

Mei Terumī nodded as she took in the surroundings.

"But I do have a mission for you."

Hanekawa settled onto the sofa.

"What mission?"

Mei Terumī tensed.

"The Daimyō of the Land of Water."

Hanekawa’s voice was calm. "Use whatever means necessary to bring the country under control."

"What about the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Wind?"

Mei Terumī was stunned. "Have they already…?"

"They’ve belonged to Konoha for some time."

Hanekawa smiled.

"You—"

Mei Terumī’s jaw dropped.

She wanted to ask if he’d lost his mind.

Not even Hashirama Senju had attempted this.

The First Hokage had ended the Warring States Era by subduing the shinobi world with sheer power.

But Hanekawa wasn’t just unifying the villages—he was annexing the nations behind them.

This was true unification.

She didn’t fully grasp it, but the scale of his ambition left her awestruck.

"You’ll understand in time."

Hanekawa had no interest in explaining further. He rose to his feet. "You’ve been traveling for three days. Get some rest—I’ll leave you be for now."

__

One month later.

Kirigakure’s relocation was complete, with the entire village now settled near Konoha.

Meanwhile, Mei Terumī had secured the Land of Water through decisive action, marking the true unification of the shinobi world.

Hanekawa gained two new traits:

[S-Rank Trait: Sovereign of the Land of Water]
[Activation Condition: Control the Land of Water.]
[Effect: Within the seas of the Land of Water, you cannot die unless the oceans evaporate.]

At first glance, this seemed overpowered, but in reality, it had limitations.

Shinobi of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya’s caliber could evaporate oceans with relative ease, rendering the trait ineffective against them.

Still, it was a formidable safeguard against lesser threats.

[S-Rank Trait: Master of the Shinobi World]
[Activation Condition: Unify the shinobi world.]
[Effect: You can perceive any disturbance within the shinobi world and manipulate all energy within it.]

Hanekawa’s eyes gleamed.

Both effects were exceptional.

The first, while slightly less impressive, was still invaluable—he’d sense the moment any Ōtsutsuki pursuers arrived.

The second, however, transformed the shinobi world into his personal energy reserve.

And most importantly—it would be crucial for cultivating the Divine Tree.