297. Kaguya: Marry Me

Living Room.

Hanekawa and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya were having lunch.

Suddenly, a leaf appeared out of thin air, floating in front of them, trembling nonstop.

"The students of Shinobi Sect are calling for help," Hanekawa immediately put down his chopsticks and said.

"I'll take you there."

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya nodded, grabbing his hand.

She activated the Rinne Sharingan on her forehead.

An invisible ripple burst forth.

Space distorted, and black chakra surged out, forming a portal.

This was none other than Ōtsutsuki Kaguya’s Kekkei Mōra space-time ninjutsu—Yomotsu Hirasaka.

The two of them stepped into the portal.

A flash of black light, followed by a bright scene.

The moment Hanekawa exited the portal, he felt a strong vitality in the air.

A Tree God?

Hanekawa looked at the tree not far away.

To be more precise, it was a tree with facial features.

In front of the tree stood four students from the Shinobi Sect.

One of them had already died, lying lifeless on the ground.

The other three were completely immobilized under the Tree God’s oppressive aura.

Banshō Ten’in!

Without hesitation, Hanekawa raised his right hand.

An invisible force of attraction burst forth, grabbing the three surviving students before the Tree God could react.

With a slight pull, they were dragged backward.

Shinra Tensei!

With a wave of Hanekawa's left hand, a massive repelling force surged outward.

The air trembled violently in its wake.

"Thank you, Lady Goddess! Thank you, Teacher!"

The three students, still shaken, quickly expressed their gratitude.

"You have offended this god. You will all die together!"

The Tree God let out a cold snort.

As soon as its words fell, the nearby trees suddenly came to life.

Countless branches and vines shot toward Hanekawa like a rain of arrows.

But the next second, an invisible repelling force struck them.

All the branches and vines were blown away, revealing a massive crater beneath.

"What?!"

The Tree God was startled and hurriedly drew upon the natural energy around it.

The branches and vines spread again, instantly repairing the crater.

"It’s similar to your Wood Release."

Having sparred with Hanekawa frequently, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya was now familiar with Wood Release.

As she spoke, she casually waved her hand.

Shinra Tensei!

A terrifying repelling force tore through the air, roaring as it surged forward.

Layer upon layer of chakra crashed through the wooden barrier with ease and continued to surge toward the Tree God like an unstoppable wave.

The Tree God reacted swiftly.

A massive amount of natural energy erupted from its body.

But the moment it touched the repelling force, it was instantly shattered.

Boom!

The Tree God’s expression twisted in horror as its massive form was sent flying.

"You're still stronger."

Hanekawa said with a smile.

"Mm."

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya accepted his praise without hesitation.

She slowly raised her hand.

A flash of crimson flickered in the Rinne Sharingan on her forehead.

"Aaaaaah!"

The Tree God let out a miserable scream.

Its vast reserves of natural energy were forcibly extracted.

"No!"

It howled in terror.

But it was useless.

Within moments, all of its natural energy had been drained away.

Devoid of its energy, its facial features disappeared, and it stood frozen in place—just an ordinary tree once more.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya closed her eyes.

The Tree God had not been weak—its natural energy was comparable to a Tailed Beast.

Although it was only at the level of One-Tail or Two-Tails, it was still a considerable amount.

Since Kaguya was not a native deity of this world, she couldn’t store it within her body like the others.

Instead, she converted all of it into Sage Chakra.

A few minutes later, the transformation was complete.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya opened her eyes.

Her gaze met Hanekawa’s.

"How do you feel?"

Hanekawa asked.

"I'm fine."

Kaguya shook her head, hesitated for two seconds, then asked, "Do you want some?"

"Want what?"

Hanekawa was momentarily stunned.

"Sage Chakra."

Kaguya explained, "I can share a portion with you."

Hanekawa couldn’t hide his surprise.

He knew just how obsessed Kaguya was with chakra.

The idea of her sharing chakra with someone—this was something that could only happen in a dream.

Without a doubt, after two months of being together, his status in her heart had risen significantly.

At this point, he was nearly as important to her as chakra itself.

"No need."

Hanekawa reached out and gently touched her soft, pale cheek.

If no one else were around, he might have kissed her then and there to properly express his gratitude.

"Mm."

Kaguya secretly let out a sigh of relief.

She could share it, but deep down, she really didn’t want to.

Hanekawa chuckled.

She’s… kind of cute.

Retracting his hand, he turned to look at the lifeless body of the fallen Shinobi Sect student.



It was clear that he had been attacked by the Tree God and had no time to react, leading to his death.

The remaining three Shinobi Sect students had barely managed to send out a distress signal using the Tree God's leaves in the face of danger.

"His soul has already gone to the Pure Land."

Through the divine tree in the Pure Land, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya sensed his soul.

However… she glanced at Hanekawa, then at the three remaining students.

After hesitating for a moment, she raised her hand.

The deceased soul was summoned back from the Pure Land into the present world.

With her chakra’s assistance, the soul returned to its body.

In the next second, the Shinobi Sect student came back to life, his heart beating, his breath restored.

"You brought him back?"

Hanekawa was once again surprised.

"It's nothing."

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya spoke calmly, "I just used the portion of Sage Chakra you didn’t want."

Hanekawa looked at her, unable to suppress the tremor in his heart.

He grabbed her wrist, and in an instant, they vanished.

When they reappeared, they were back in the living room.

As soon as Hanekawa steadied himself, he lowered his head and captured her soft lips.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya gazed at him, not quite understanding why he was reacting so intensely.

But she didn’t ask. Instead, she simply immersed herself in the kiss.

"Thank you for today."

Hanekawa looked at her slightly wet, red lips, and the thought of wetting every inch of her skin crossed his mind.

"It was nothing."

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya spoke indifferently, "Reviving him didn’t consume much chakra."

The Rinnegan had the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.

Her Rinne Sharingan naturally possessed it as well, and unlike others, she could use it without sacrificing her own life.

However, resurrection was a feat that defied the natural order—it had its cost.

She had to expend a considerable amount of chakra.

Hanekawa patted her head.

Even so, with Kaguya’s personality, she would never waste chakra on something like this.

The only explanation was that she did it for his sake.

"Your Pure Land is quite effective."

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya recalled the recently deceased Shinobi Sect student.

His soul and chakra had been drawn into the Pure Land.

Compared to directly sacrificing him to the divine tree, the chakra obtained this way was much greater.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya could already foresee that in a hundred years, she would be able to harvest an immense amount of chakra through the Pure Land.

Especially now that the Shinobi Sect was expanding and recruiting at an incredible pace.

"You were the one who established the Pure Land."

Hanekawa chuckled."I only provided the idea."

"It’s our Pure Land."

After a brief thought, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya corrected him.

Hanekawa blinked.

Wasn’t this exactly what he had said before?

Only back then, they had been talking about Tsukihime, not the Pure Land.

Hanekawa couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had truly changed.

From being cold and indifferent to now having warmth beneath her icy exterior.

Of course, she still wasn’t warm enough.

"Let’s continue eating."

Hanekawa led her back to the dining table.

"It’s a bit cold."

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya raised her hand, releasing Fire Release chakra.

She had spent so much time with Hanekawa that she had unconsciously picked up his habits.

After finishing their lunch, the two of them went outside to spar.

Hanekawa did it to grind for skill points.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya did it simply to pass the time.

If she didn’t accompany Hanekawa, she would have nothing to do.

In the past, she had waited a thousand years for the divine tree to bear fruit, spending all that time alone in one place.

Although there was also Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, their status was different, and they never interacted—he was no different from a stranger.

But Hanekawa was different.

With him, there was occasional intimacy.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya enjoyed her current life.

Time passed quietly.

In less than a month, the Shinobi Sect had become famous across the ninja world.

Most people now knew of its existence.

More importantly, the Shinobi Sect accepted anyone—anyone who wanted to learn ninjutsu could receive a Chakra Seed.

Although having a Chakra Seed didn’t guarantee becoming powerful, having hope was better than having none.

Beyond that, the native gods of the ninja world had been almost entirely wiped out by Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and Hanekawa.

The number of gods had been small to begin with.

Now, after their actions, the few remaining gods could be counted on one hand.

And they had all gone into hiding, too afraid to appear in the ninja world anymore—let alone attack Shinobi Sect students.

With no more divine interference, the Shinobi Sect's expansion became terrifyingly fast.

"Dad! Mom! I’m back!"

Tsukihime ran into the living room, calling out excitedly.

"You’ve grown taller."

Hanekawa stood up and walked over to her.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya licked the corner of her lips and adjusted her collar.

She had just been engaging in some "lips sparring" with Hanekawa when Tsukihime suddenly barged in.

"Really?"

Tsukihime spun around twice and asked, "How much taller?"

"A few centimeters, maybe."

Hanekawa patted her head. "Did you come across anything interesting in the ninja world?"

"A lot!"

Tsukihime thought for a moment before saying, "I met a talking toad!"


"A toad?"

Hanekawa's gaze sharpened as he asked, "What does it look like?"

"It's completely orange, wearing a necklace with a large bead in the center inscribed with the character for 'oil',"Tsukihime paused before adding, "It also has another name—Gamamaru."

Hanekawa thought to himself, Just as I expected.

The Great Toad Sage ultimately couldn't resist and had taken the same path as in the original timeline—befriending the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.

However, due to Hanekawa's butterfly effect, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo no longer existed, replaced instead by Ōtsutsuki Tsukihime.

"It’s been following us and doing a lot of good deeds," Tsukihime suddenly recalled something and added, "Plus, it’s really smart! It learns ninjutsu incredibly fast, especially water-style techniques!"

Hanekawa nodded slightly.

In the original timeline, Gamamaru was indeed capable of water-style ninjutsu.

It seemed that it had already accepted chakra.

The only question was whether it had developed Sage Mode yet.

"Dad, why can a toad become a ninja?" Tsukihime asked, puzzled.

"All things possess spirit," Hanekawa said casually. "It has gained intelligence, so it can use ninjutsu. But calling it a 'ninja' isn’t quite right—it should be called a 'summoning creature.'"

"I see…" Tsukihime sounded a little disappointed. "It’s a shame it didn’t want to join the Shinobi Sect."

"In the end, it’s still a toad, not a human," Hanekawa mused for a moment before saying, "I know a jutsu called the Summoning Technique, which allows you to form a contract with summoning creatures."

"There’s such a jutsu?"Tsukihime’s eyes lit up. "I want to learn it!"

"You want Gamamaru to be your summon?" Hanekawa chuckled.

"Well, I wouldn’t mind," Tsukihime tilted her head, "but I’d prefer a prettier summoning creature."

"There are some," Hanekawa pinched her cheek lightly. "I knew you’d say that."

He had expected this.

After all, she was a girl.

And toads weren’t exactly the most aesthetically pleasing creatures.

Truthfully, even if Tsukihime wanted to contract with Mount Myōboku, he wouldn’t allow it.

The Great Toad Sage’s so-called "prophecies" were ultimately a liability.

In short—it couldn’t be trusted.

For Mount Myōboku, prophecies took precedence over their contractors.

Hanekawa’s idea for the Summoning Technique was simple:

He wanted to sabotage the alliance between Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest.

Without the support of Ryūchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest, Mount Myōboku wouldn’t be able to cause any more trouble.

"Really?" Tsukihime asked eagerly. "Where are they?"

"After we eat, I’ll take you there," Hanekawa planned to bring her to Shikkotsu Forest.

Among all the students in the Shinobi Order, only a handful had mastered medical ninjutsu—and Tsukihime was the most skilled.

With a slug summon, her abilities would be even greater.

"Mm!" Tsukihime beamed. "It’s been so long since I’ve had Dad’s cooking! I’m definitely eating extra today!"

"Eat as much as you want," Hanekawa glanced at Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. "You two talk. I’ll go cook."

"Mom," Tsukihime walked over and hugged her arm.

"Mm," Kaguya reached out and gently patted her head.

"Will you come with us later to find a summoning creature?" Tsukihime asked hopefully.

"I will," Kaguya nodded.

Tsukihime was surprised.

In her memory, unless it was related to chakra, Kaguya usually didn’t care about such things.

She didn’t know the reason, but it was a good thing either way.

Tsukihime then began sharing some of the interesting things she had encountered in the shinobi world.

Kaguya listened quietly, her expression unchanging—until Tsukihime mentioned that Futami’s parents had given birth to another younger brother.

Only then did her expression shift slightly.

"Mom," Tsukihime looked at her curiously, "will I have a little brother or sister someday?"

"You will," Kaguya replied after a brief pause.

She had already promised Hanekawa that she would bear children with him, so the answer to Tsukihime’s question was inevitable.

Moreover, she had finished reading the book Haori had given her and now understood how reproduction worked.

All that remained was waiting for the right opportunity.

Because, according to the book, reproduction wasn’t something to be done carelessly.

"That’s great!" Tsukihime cheered excitedly.

The students of the Shinobi Sect treated her well, but there was always an insurmountable gap between them.

She could sense that their attitudes were rooted in reverence—or even fear—toward Kaguya and Hanekawa.

In other words, she didn’t have any real friends.

But a little sister or brother would be completely different.

"What’s so great?" Hanekawa walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of tempura.

Just as Tsukihime was about to answer, she caught Kaguya’s gaze.

She put her hands on her hips and declared, "That’s a secret between mother and daughter!"

"So mysterious," Hanekawa shook his head but didn’t press further. "Come eat."

"Coming!"

Tsukihime took Kaguya’s hand and led her to the dining table.

"Here."

Hanekawa picked up the chopsticks and handed them over.

"Dad’s cooking is still the best!"

Tsukihime wore a blissful expression as she spoke.

She had been away on missions for nearly a month. While the food she ate outside wasn’t bad, it couldn’t compare to home-cooked meals.

"How are the students in the Shinobi Sect doing?"

Hanekawa asked with a smile.

"They’re all fine," Tsukihime replied. "Aside from a few injuries, no one’s had any major issues."

In truth, a small number had died in attacks by the so-called "gods," but Kaguya had resurrected them.

This had only further amplified the reputation of the Rabbit Goddess. Now, there wasn’t a soul in the shinobi world who hadn’t heard of her.

A significant reason for the Shinobi Order’s rapid expansion was Kaguya herself.

After all, who wouldn’t want the chance to be brought back to life?

"There’s one problem, though,"Tsukihime said after a moment of thought. "The Shinobi Sect is running low on funds."

"That is a problem,"Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.

Though the Shinobi Sect carried out missions, they were essentially charity work—no payment involved.

At the moment, the students were covering expenses out of their own pockets.

A month or two was manageable, but long-term, this wasn’t sustainable.

"Don’t worry," Hanekawa thought of the Daimyō of the Land of Ancestors, Tenshi. "I already have a solution."

The Shinobi Sect now functioned similarly to the future Five Great Villages.

And it was obvious who should be footing the bill.

Once lunch was over—

"I’m heading to the Shinobi Sect," Hanekawa stood up. "Wait for me at home. Once I’m back, I’ll take you to find summoning creatures."

With a flicker, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.

In an instant, he appeared outside Haori's room.

Knock, knock.

Hanekawa raised his hand and rapped on the door.

"Teacher?"

Haori opened the door, surprised to see him. "Did you need something?"

"Send messengers to the Daimyō of every major nation," Hanekawa said directly.

"Tell them the Rabbit Goddess has matters to discuss and expects them at the Shinobi Sect in one week."

"Understood!" Haori responded immediately.

"Add one more thing," Hanekawa paused briefly. "If they refuse to come… the consequences will be on their own heads."

"Yes."

Haori nodded firmly.

She didn’t find Hanekawa’s words the least bit inappropriate.

In the past, she might have considered them outrageous.

But now, in her mind, the Shinobi Sect stood above all nations in the shinobi world.

And if anyone dared defy the Rabbit Goddess’s decree—that would be the true outrage.

"Good."

With that, Hanekawa vanished, reappearing back in the living room.

"Dad," Tsukihime stood up eagerly. "Where are we going now?"

"Shikkotsu Forest," Hanekawa glanced at Kaguya. "But we’ll need your mother to take us there."

In the future, he was a contract holder of Shikkotsu Forest, so he knew its location.

Originally, he had considered using the Summoning Technique directly, but upon reflection, he decided against it.

He remembered that when he met the slugs in the future, they hadn’t recognized him—or at least, not his true appearance.

After all, outside of home, he always wore a half-mask.

Hanekawa reached out and lightly tapped Kaguya’s forehead, transmitting Shikkotsu Forest’s coordinates to her.

"Yomotsu Hirasaka!"

Kaguya activated her Rinne Sharingan without hesitation.

A dark portal materialized before them.

The three stepped through and arrived at the entrance to Shikkotsu Forest.

"The Rabbit Goddess?!"

The nearby slugs widened their eyes in shock.

They were all split bodies of the Slug Sage, Katsuyu.

As for how they recognized Kaguya—that was thanks to Gamamaru.

Last month, when the Shinobi Sect began expanding, the three great sage regions had gathered to discuss chakra.

Their conclusion? Chakra was highly beneficial, and they should learn to harness it.

Gamamaru had even gone so far as to befriend Tsukihime.

Of course, it was only to learn ninjutsu—it wouldn’t dare act recklessly.

After all, even combined, they stood no chance against Kaguya. Their only option was to take things one step at a time.

"Katsuyu."

Hanekawa called out the Slug Sage’s true name.

Given his current status, addressing her as "Great Slug" no longer felt appropriate.

"You… how do you know my name?"

Katsuyu froze.

In the entire shinobi world, only the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage knew her true name.

Had one of them betrayed her?

"Our goddess is all-knowing. It’s no surprise she’d know your name."

Hanekawa brushed it off casually.

Kaguya shot him a glance.

Liar, she thought to herself.

Yet for some reason, hearing him say "our goddess" gave her a faint sense of satisfaction.

"……"

Katsuyu fell silent.

From Gamamaru, it had already learned fragments of Kaguya’s origins.

So Hanekawa’s claim wasn’t entirely unbelievable.

What worried it now was—why had Kaguya come looking for it?

"Where’s your true body?"

Hanekawa asked curiously.

In the future, he had never seen Katsuyu’s full form.

But this was a thousand years earlier—it shouldn’t be as massive as it would become.

"This way, please."

Katsuyu turned and led them deeper into Shikkotsu Forest.

Hanekawa glanced around, taking in the ancient landscape.

Overall, not much had changed—just an endless expanse of towering trees.

Soon, Katsuyu’s true form came into view.

As Hanekawa had guessed, it wasn’t nearly as large as it would be in the future.

But it was still sizable, roughly the size of the One-Tail—several dozen meters long.

"Katsuyu, I’m here to propose a partnership."

Hanekawa smiled.

"What kind of partnership?"

Katsuyu asked warily.

"I want Tsukihime to become Shikkotsu Forest’s contract holder," Hanekawa paused, then added, "And in the future, if you encounter talented shinobi, you may allow them to sign contracts as well."

"And what would I need to do in return?"

Katsuyu blinked.

"It’s not about what you need to do," Hanekawa explained. "Once the contract is formed, both parties assist each other as needed."

"Huh?"

Katsuyu’s eyes widened slightly.

This sounded… suspiciously favorable to her.

After all, both Kaguya and Tsukihime were far stronger than it was.

"If you agree, go ahead and prepare the summoning contract scroll."

Hanekawa’s tone was relaxed.

He didn’t interfere with the scroll’s creation—this was to reassure Katsuyu.

"I accept."

After a brief hesitation, Katsuyu agreed.

First, the terms were undeniably generous.

Second—and more pragmatically—it didn’t dare risk the consequences of refusal.

"Tsukihime," Hanekawa turned to her. "What do you think? Will she make a good summon?"

"She’ll do."

Tsukihime nodded.

Katsuyu wasn’t bad-looking, but more importantly—she was huge.

Having a summon like that would undoubtedly be impressive.

Before long, Katsuyu returned with the completed summoning contract.

Hanekawa skimmed the contents—identical to the one from the future.

Satisfied, he handed the scroll to Tsukihime.

"All signed!"

Tsukihime quickly scrawled her name.

"Lady Tsukihime."

Katsuyu stored the scroll away, promptly adjusting her address.

"Excellent!"

Tsukihime patted her chest proudly. "Stick with me, and you won’t regret it!"

"You two stay and get acquainted. We’ll head back first."

Hanekawa smiled.

"How do I return later?"

Tsukihime asked, puzzled.

"These two jutsu should help."

Hanekawa produced another scroll. "One is the Summoning Technique, the other is Reverse Summoning. Learn them with Katsuyu, and you can return whenever you like."

Tsukihime’s interest was piqued, and she immediately unrolled the scroll to study it.

"Katsuyu,"Hanekawa’s gaze sharpened slightly. "There’s one more thing I need from you."

"Name it."

Katsuyu tensed.

If someone of his strength was asking for help—it had to be troublesome.

"I need the location of Ryūchi Cave."

Hanekawa cut straight to the point.

"……"

Katsuyu hesitated, falling silent.

"Don’t worry," Hanekawa knew what she was thinking. "My goal is the same as with you—to establish a summoning contract."

Katsuyu blinked, conflicted.

"You know as well as I do that if the goddess truly wanted Ryūchi Cave gone, she wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble."

Hanekawa’s tone left no room for argument.

"…Very well. I’ll tell you."

In the end, Katsuyu relented.

Hanekawa was right—resistance was futile.

"Tsukihime, we’ll be going ahead."

Once he had the location, Hanekawa took Kaguya’s hand and stepped through another portal.

In an instant, they stood before the entrance to Ryūchi Cave.

Just like Katsuyu, the White Snake Sage quickly agreed to Hanekawa’s terms.

But since Hanekawa didn’t have a suitable candidate in mind, he simply took the contract scroll and left.

If any prodigies emerged in the Shinobi Order, they could sign it later.

---

Back at home—

"There’s something I need to tell you."

Kaguya spoke abruptly.

"Marry me."

"…What?"

Hanekawa met her gaze, momentarily stunned.

"Reproduction requires marriage first."

Kaguya stated this as if it were the most obvious fact in the world.

"Who told you that?"

Hanekawa hadn’t seen this coming.

"Is there a problem?"

Kaguya tilted her head slightly.

"No, none at all."

Suddenly, Hanekawa laughed.

"Good."

Kaguya gave a small nod.

Hanekawa’s lips twitched.

What kind of ice-cold proposal was that?

"When?" he asked.

"Whenever you prefer."

Kaguya considered for a moment. "You decide."

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Worth 3 regular chapters