290. S-Class "Time Master"

Hanekawa observed Otsutsuki Kaguya.

Her features were quite distinct.

Her skin was as pale as snow, with long blue-white hair cascading down past her entire body.

Her eyes were the Byakugan, and she had two horns on her head. Her face was exquisitely beautiful yet expressionless, exuding an aura that kept others at a distance.

Under normal circumstances, she would have a Rinne Sharingan on her forehead.

But it wasn't there now.

This meant she hadn't yet consumed the chakra fruit from the God Tree.

What was unclear was whether this Otsutsuki Kaguya was from the anime version or the manga version.

In the manga, Otsutsuki Kaguya and Otsutsuki Isshiki arrived in the ninja world and planted the God Tree.

The God Tree spent a thousand years absorbing the energy of the ninja world, eventually reaching maturity.

But that wasn't enough.

According to Otsutsuki tradition, the lower-ranked Otsutsuki Kaguya would become a living sacrifice to the God Tree, facilitating the growth of its fruit.

When Otsutsuki Isshiki was about to be sacrificed, Otsutsuki Kaguya betrayed him and launched a sneak attack.

Although Otsutsuki Isshiki managed to escape severely injured, the majority of his body being sacrificed allowed the God Tree to bear its fruit.

Otsutsuki Kaguya consumed the God Tree's fruit, gaining the Rinne Sharingan.

She came to the ninja world, ended the era of chaos, and, with the blessings of the people, gave birth to Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura.

In the anime, Otsutsuki Kaguya first arrived in the Land of Ancestors, where she met the daimyo, Tenji.

She met and fell in love with Tenji, eventually giving birth to Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura.

But the good times didn't last.

Tenji, threatened by the Land of Demons, betrayed Otsutsuki Kaguya.

Heartbroken, she consumed the God Tree's fruit and cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, turning all humans in the ninja world into White Zetsu.

The subsequent plot was similar in both the anime and manga.

Normally, the God Tree's fruit would be presented to the Otsutsuki clan.

Fearing that the Otsutsuki higher-ups would send someone after her, Otsutsuki Kaguya periodically had humans offer sacrifices to the God Tree.

But Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura did not approve. With the help of the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, they waged war against her.

In the end, Otsutsuki Kaguya was defeated and sealed away, becoming the moon, while the God Tree's chakra was extracted and divided into the nine tailed beasts.

As Hanekawa pondered this, Otsutsuki Kaguya activated her Byakugan.

She immediately detected the chakra within him.

What surprised her the most was the sheer amount of it.

Otsutsuki Kaguya instinctively licked her lips.

As a member of the Otsutsuki clan, her only desire was for chakra—or rather, power.

"I'm just a passing ninja," Hanekawa raised an eyebrow, snapping out of his thoughts.

Mainly because Otsutsuki Kaguya's gaze made it seem like she wanted to devour him whole.

"What is a ninja?" Otsutsuki Kaguya asked.

"A human who can use chakra," Hanekawa replied, realizing that the concept of ninjas didn't exist in this era.

"Such humans cannot exist," Otsutsuki Kaguya said coldly.

The Otsutsuki clan were ascetics, unfamiliar with concepts like love.

This was because they were immortal and had no need for offspring.

Their sole pursuit was to plant trees, consume the God Tree's fruit, and eventually become the Otsutsuki God.

"I am proof," Hanekawa smiled.

Otsutsuki Kaguya fell silent.

Hanekawa wasn't a pure-blooded Otsutsuki, meaning he was born from a union between an Otsutsuki and a human.

She truly didn't understand.

But... Otsutsuki Kaguya's eyes narrowed as she reached out to grab Hanekawa.

At this critical moment of the God Tree's maturation, all unexpected factors needed to be eliminated.

Especially since she, as the guardian, already had thoughts of rebellion.

Moreover, consuming Hanekawa's chakra would increase her chances of defeating Otsutsuki Isshiki.

However, the next second, her hand passed right through his body.

"The Rinnegan?" Otsutsuki Kaguya stared at Hanekawa's Rinnegan, momentarily stunned.

A sharp sound cut through the air.

Otsutsuki Kaguya instinctively turned her head and saw Hanekawa.

He clenched his fist and swung at her.

"Overestimating yourself," Otsutsuki Kaguya shook her head.

Though her status wasn't high, Hanekawa's mixed blood made his status even lower.

In the Otsutsuki clan, he would at best be considered a slave.

Otsutsuki Kaguya's response was simple—a punch of her own.

As an Otsutsuki, she didn't use ninjutsu, relying only on basic taijutsu and the abilities of her eyes.

Because ninjutsu held no meaning for them.

*Boom!*

The air twisted and wailed.

Otsutsuki Kaguya felt a terrifying force hit her, causing her to stagger back several steps.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Impossible!"

A half-breed, stronger than her?

Could it be because of the God Tree's fruit?

The Otsutsuki clan's natural eyes were the Byakugan.

The Sharingan and Rinnegan were derived from the God Tree's fruit.

Thus, Hanekawa's Rinnegan led Otsutsuki Kaguya to misunderstand.

"Did you eat the God Tree's fruit?" Otsutsuki Kaguya couldn't help but ask.

"If I had eaten the God Tree's fruit, you wouldn't have just been pushed back a few steps," Hanekawa replied calmly.

But there was no denying that the Otsutsuki clan was indeed monstrous.

He had only managed to gain a slight advantage in strength after activating Sage Mode.

Of course, the main reason was that Otsutsuki Kaguya hadn't eaten the God Tree's fruit yet.

In her current state, with only the Byakugan, her strength was limited.

"My name is Otsutsuki Hanekawa," Hanekawa continued. "My father ate the God Tree's fruit, and I inherited his Rinnegan."

"Your father?" Otsutsuki Kaguya frowned. "There shouldn't be a third Otsutsuki in this area."

The Otsutsuki clan sent members to various planets to plant trees.

Theoretically, only two Otsutsuki members should be on a single planet.

"My father came from another planet," Hanekawa said without changing his expression. "That planet was drained by the God Tree and is no longer usable."

"Where is your father now?" Otsutsuki Kaguya grew wary.

She had already planned to betray Otsutsuki Isshiki during the sacrifice.

Now, with another Otsutsuki appearing, her plan would be much harder to execute.

Because her role was that of a guardian.

Both Otsutsuki Isshiki and this new Otsutsuki were the protected ones.

Simply put, the protected were the main family, while the guardians were the branch family.

In the Otsutsuki clan, only the main family could eat the God Tree's fruit, while the branch family served as sacrifices for the God Tree.

"After he and my mother had me, he left this planet," Hanekawa lied casually.

"Why would your father unite with your mother?" Otsutsuki Kaguya asked, voicing her earlier curiosity.

"Probably because she was beautiful," Hanekawa thought for a moment before answering.

Otsutsuki Kaguya glanced at Hanekawa and found herself somewhat convinced.

By her standards, Hanekawa was indeed beautiful.

It stood to reason that his mother was equally striking.

"Leave now," Otsutsuki Kaguya said after a few seconds of silence, her tone cold.

From their brief exchange, she had already determined that she couldn't deal with Hanekawa in a short time.

Moreover, if they fought, Otsutsuki Isshiki would notice, leading to more complications that could disrupt her plans.

"We could cooperate," Hanekawa said with a faint smile.

"There's nothing for us to cooperate on," Otsutsuki Kaguya replied expressionlessly.

For a moment, she had been tempted.

Facing Otsutsuki Isshiki, she truly had no confidence.

With Hanekawa's help, her chances would improve.

But his father was one of the protected, equal in status to Otsutsuki Isshiki.

If Hanekawa learned the truth, he might side with Otsutsuki Isshiki.

Otsutsuki Kaguya didn't want to take that risk. The best course of action was not to cooperate.

Moreover, she couldn't guarantee that Hanekawa's goal wasn't the God Tree's fruit.

As a half-breed, consuming the fruit would allow him to become a true Otsutsuki.

"It seems gaining your trust will be difficult," Hanekawa sensed her impatience.

Continuing the conversation wouldn't yield any results.

He was indeed interested in the God Tree's fruit, but he knew the consequences of consuming it.

If Otsutsuki Kaguya didn't eat the fruit, the future would be drastically altered.

If this were a parallel world, Hanekawa wouldn't be concerned.

But since it wasn't, the future he knew would cease to exist.

However, having arrived in the ancient era of the ninja world, doing nothing wasn't in his nature.

There was a saying from his previous life:

"Under the heavens, the great trends cannot be changed, but the small ones can."

He wasn't entirely powerless to act, and the history he had seen at the ninja academy in the future confirmed that his approach wasn't flawed.

"Cooperation requires trust," Hanekawa stepped back. "Since you don't trust me, there's no need to cooperate."

*Kamui!*

His body twisted, and he vanished.

"His eye's ability is indeed related to space," Otsutsuki Kaguya confirmed her suspicion.

Not engaging in conflict with Hanekawa had been the wise choice.

Because, in her current state, she couldn't seal space.

Otsutsuki Kaguya looked up at the God Tree.

No matter how strong Hanekawa was, once she consumed the God Tree's fruit, he would be insignificant.

Space twisted.

Hanekawa reappeared.

He hadn't gone far and could still see the God Tree.

Hanekawa closed his eyes and examined the first term he had acquired.

[S-Class Talent Entry: Time Master]

[Activation Condition: Travel back to the ancient era of the ninja world]

[Effect: Reverts the target's current state to what it was three seconds ago.]

After reading it, Hanekawa had only one thought: this entry was godly!

Though it could only rewind time by three seconds, it was still absurdly overpowered.

For example, if Otsutsuki Kaguya used the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Hanekawa could use this term to revert her to her state three seconds earlier, before she cast the technique.

This back-and-forth would be fatal in battle.

Of course, such a powerful term couldn't come without a cost.

Each use consumed a massive amount of chakra and had a cooldown of twelve hours.

At best, he could only use it twice a day.

Hanekawa stroked his chin.

The activation condition for this talent was traveling back to the ancient era of the ninja world.

Is this hinting that it's not a parallel world?

It seems his assumption was correct.

Hanekawa glanced around and planted Flying Thunder God markers nearby.

He would definitely return.

Under normal circumstances, Otsutsuki Kaguya would betray and kill Otsutsuki Isshiki, then consume the God Tree's fruit.

Theoretically, whether he intervened or not, it wouldn't make much of a difference.

But betraying Otsutsuki Isshiki wouldn't be easy, and Otsutsuki Kaguya would undoubtedly pay a price.

Offering help in times of need would undoubtedly earn more trust.

After that, things would be easier to handle.

He knew what Otsutsuki Kaguya's weaknesses were.

Using this as a guide, he could secure more terms for himself without altering the future's trajectory.

However, approaching Otsutsuki Kaguya was dangerous.

Hanekawa needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

That is, how to escape after offending Otsutsuki Kaguya.

Hanekawa immediately thought of the Dragon Vein.

He had traveled to this era through the Dragon Vein, and to return, he would need to use it again.

Hanekawa glanced at the God Tree and then walked in the opposite direction.

Sage Art: Mind's Eye!

After entering Sage Mode, Hanekawa's perception expanded, and he could sense everything around him.

Although Otsutsuki Isshiki and Otsutsuki Kaguya had planted the God Tree in the ninja world, its location was extremely remote.

Using the Flying Thunder God Technique and Kamui, Hanekawa traveled for half an hour before reaching the first country.

Without delay, he left a Flying Thunder God marker and continued forward.

Time passed slowly.

Two days later, Hanekawa had traversed the entire ninja world.

The overall size of the ninja world at this time was similar to that of the future, but the population was two-thirds smaller, and there were only a handful of countries.

The largest country was the Land of Ancestors, followed by the Land of Demons.

No wonder Otsutsuki Kaguya had chosen the Land of Ancestors in the original story.

Hanekawa stopped.

In front of him was a vast ocean.

The weather was clear, the clouds were light, and seabirds flew overhead.

But Hanekawa's mood was unusually heavy.

Because in the future, this ocean would turn into a desert, and the ancient kingdom of Loulan would be built there.

The question was, where was the Dragon Vein?

Hanekawa frowned.

In the original story, the Dragon Vein was described simply as a massive energy flow running through the earth.

But now, without the earth, there was no Dragon Vein.

Could it be that the Dragon Vein would only form in a future era?

If so, wasn't he in trouble?

Hanekawa rubbed his temples.

As he pondered what to do, he heard footsteps.

He looked up and saw a group of ancient humans carrying various offerings to the seaside.

Leading them was a young girl dressed in priestess attire.

She stood by the sea, dancing and singing.

The others threw the offerings into the sea.

This was clearly a ritual, likely to appease the sea god.

Hanekawa suddenly let out a soft exclamation.

At that moment, the sea churned, and a massive shadow loomed over the coastline.

A moment later, a dragon's head emerged from the water, swallowing both the seawater and the offerings.

"Is this... the Dragon Vein?" Hanekawa asked in surprise.

He had seen the unsealed Dragon Vein with Namikaze Minato, and it looked exactly like this dragon.

Moreover, its aura was very similar to the Dragon Vein's.

The difference was that it didn't have chakra but was instead composed of pure natural energy.

"In this era, is the Dragon Vein a dragon god or a sea god?" Hanekawa mused as he watched the Dragon Vein enjoy the offerings.

The ninja world had its own native gods.

For example, the God of Death (Shinigami: Shikifujin) and the God of Evil (Jashin)

Hanekawa speculated that these gods, like the three great summoning animal sanctuaries, used natural energy.

It was only after Otsutsuki Kaguya's arrival that chakra was introduced.

They were called gods, but their strength wasn't extraordinary—at best, they were on par with the tailed beasts.

Most of these gods were likely killed during their resistance against Otsutsuki Kaguya.

Only the exceptionally unique God of Death and God of Evil managed to survive.

With this in mind, Hanekawa decided to capture this dragon.

First, because the ocean was too vast, and if he didn't act now, it would take much more time to find it again.

Second, since he needed the Dragon Vein to return to the future, he couldn't let it escape.

Hanekawa stepped forward.

The ritual was nearing its end, and only a few offerings remained.

"Who are you?" the priestess blocked his path and asked.

"Who are you?" Hanekawa replied casually.

He was thinking about how to deal with this dragon.

From what he could sense, this dragon was far weaker than the Dragon Vein of the future, at most comparable to the Two-Tails.

Capturing it wouldn't be too difficult, but how could he turn it into the Dragon Vein?

"My name is Roran," the priestess said politely. "We are performing a ritual for the Dragon God. Please do not come any closer."

Hanekawa was momentarily stunned.

He remembered that in the original story, the Queen of Roran had a special connection with the Dragon Vein.

Could it be... that this priestess was the original Queen of Roran?

"Why are you offering sacrifices to the Dragon God?" Hanekawa asked, glancing at the Dragon Vein.

"When the Dragon God is full, it won't harm us when we go out to fish," the priestess replied.

"So it's an evil dragon," Hanekawa said with a smile.

"Silence!" the priestess scowled. "Please leave!"

"Do you want to keep the Dragon God here permanently?" Hanekawa asked, unfazed.

"What are you talking about?" the priestess glared at him. "Do not disrespect the Dragon God."

"If it's a god, then so am I," Hanekawa said, seeing the Dragon Vein about to leave. He ended the conversation and leaped into action.

"What are you doing?!" the priestess stared in shock as Hanekawa charged toward the Dragon Vein.

Sage Art: Wood Release: Birth of the Tree World!

Hanekawa clapped his hands in mid-air.

The turbulent sea surged violently.

The Dragon Vein in the water immediately sensed something was wrong.

It instinctively lowered its head, only to be met with an overwhelming wave of green.

Countless trees rose from the sea, their vibrant life force entangling the dragon.

The Dragon Vein let out a roar.

It shook its body, releasing a tsunami-like wave of energy.

The branches and vines shattered, and the destructive shockwave turned the sea into a massive wave.

"Run!" the priestess shouted, finally reacting.

But there was no need for her warning, as everyone was already fleeing in panic.

The priestess ran for a while before she couldn't help but look back.

She saw Hanekawa descending like a meteor, crashing into the Dragon Vein.

Sage Art: Superhuman Strength!

With a single punch, the Dragon Vein let out a cry of pain.

"Is he... a god?" the priestess muttered, collapsing to the ground.

In all her life, she had never seen a human-shaped god.

*Boom!*

The Dragon Vein was slammed into the water, causing an explosion that sent waves crashing in all directions.

Sage Art: Heavenly Pain !

Hanekawa pressed his advantage, delivering a powerful kick.

The air roared as a gust of wind followed his movement.

The Dragon Vein sensed the danger.

It twisted its body, swinging its tail at Hanekawa.

If Hanekawa didn't dodge, it would result in mutual destruction.

But the dragon's thick hide made it fearless.

Sage Art: Water Release: Water Wall!

Hanekawa clapped his hands again.

The seawater was drawn to him, forming a spinning wall of water around him.

The dragon's tail struck the wall, but it remained unmoved.

At the same time, Hanekawa's Heavenly Pain hit the Dragon Vein.

The immense force spread, and the dragon let out another cry of pain.

At this moment, the Dragon Vein realized Hanekawa's strength.

Fear gripped it, and it used the momentum to dive deeper into the sea.

"Trying to escape?" Hanekawa immediately noticed its intention.

Wood Release: Wood Human Technique!

As he spoke, a wooden arhat rose from the sea.

It emerged and looked at the Dragon Vein, then reached out with both hands.

In an instant, the seawater fled in all directions.

A tremendous force surged as the wooden arhat grabbed the Dragon Vein.

The Dragon Vein struggled desperately, causing the sea to churn and a tsunami to form.

The wooden arhat lifted the Dragon Vein high, released its grip, and then slammed its hands together with terrifying force.

The Dragon Vein fell silent.

For the first time, it understood what it meant to be knocked unconscious.

The Dragon Vein lost consciousness, hanging limply in the wooden arhat's hands like a dead snake.

"The Dragon God... lost?!" the priestess stared in shock at the motionless Dragon Vein, overwhelmed by fear.

She wanted to run, but her legs had gone weak, leaving her unable to move.

Hanekawa returned to the shore and clapped his hands.

The Dragon Vein's strength was indeed mediocre.

In the original story, perhaps Otsutsuki Kaguya had killed it.

After its death, its body merged with the earth, forming the Dragon Vein.

At that moment, three lines of text appeared before Hanekawa's eyes.

[S-Class Talent Term: I Am a Myth (Unacquired)]

[Activation Condition: Witness and create myths of the ninja world.]

[Current Progress: 5%.]

Hanekawa was momentarily stunned.

This term... it seemed his speculation was correct.

Now, he had become part of this history.

The next step was to seal the Dragon Vein within the earth.

Hanekawa took out a Flying Thunder God kunai.

But then he noticed the priestess nearby.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned the dagger from her waist into his hand.

Hanekawa focused his mind.

The wooden arhat threw the Dragon Vein onto the shore.

The ground shook violently, creating a deep crater.

Hanekawa formed hand seals.

Earth Release: Heaven Descending Clay!

A portal opened above the Dragon Vein, and a torrent of clay poured down, burying it completely.

Hanekawa planted the dagger and Flying Thunder God kunai into the clay.

Dragon Vein Seal!

Countless sealing formulas spread out from the dagger and kunai, covering the area.

The massive Dragon Vein was gradually absorbed until it disappeared entirely.

Hanekawa pulled out the dagger.

All that remained was a small hill of clay.

Hanekawa walked over to the priestess.

"God... God! (Kamisama)" the priestess, finding strength from somewhere, quickly stood up and knelt before him.

"I have a task for you. Establish a country called Roran nearby," Hanekawa said, returning the dagger to her.

"Huh?" the priestess held the dagger, looking at him in confusion.

"We'll meet again if fate allows," Hanekawa said without explanation, vanishing on the spot.

He had already sealed the Dragon Vein.

Once everything was over, he could return to unseal it and use its power to travel through time.

Now, all that was left was to wait for Otsutsuki Kaguya to make her move.

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Worth 2 chapters