289. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

"I'm done with my bath, Hanekawa!"

Kurenai Yūhi's cheerful voice rang out.

Hanekawa, who had been resting with his eyes closed, looked up at her.

She stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a light red yukata.

The yukata reached her calves, revealing her bare feet. As she walked, droplets of water glistened on her skin.

"Come here," Hanekawa stood up and said.

Kurenai walked over to him and sat down with her back facing him.

"How's your progress with the Yin Seal?" Hanekawa asked, extending his hand as Fire Release chakra surged from his palm.

After confirming the weakened version of the Yin Seal with Nohara Rin, he had taught it to Kurenai.

However, she had started learning it half a month later, so her progress was slightly slower.

"Almost there. I think I'll master it in a few more days," Kurenai said, swinging her fair little feet with a smile. "If you help me, maybe I can get it done tonight."

"Alright," Hanekawa chuckled. "I'll assist you with your training later."

"Great!" Kurenai stood up, her face lit with joy as she tiptoed and kissed Hanekawa.

"Sit down," Hanekawa tapped her head lightly. "Your hair's still wet. Don't move around too much."

"Okay!" Kurenai sat back down with a bright smile.

Given her personality, once she had established a relationship, she adapted quickly.

Now, things like kissing had become quite ordinary for her.

But anything further still made her shy.

"Done," Hanekawa said, ruffling Kurenai's black hair.

"Shall we start training now?" Kurenai looked up at him and asked.

"Aren't you afraid I'll take advantage of you?" Hanekawa teased. "Do you remember what you said at the beginning?"

"I don't remember!" Kurenai replied confidently.

"Then let me remind you," Hanekawa sat beside her, leaning slightly as he reached out.

Kurenai lifted her yukata, revealing her toned, flawless abdomen.

"Let's begin," Hanekawa placed his hand on her stomach, covering her navel.

Kurenai closed her eyes and began gathering chakra at her chakra pool.

Time passed, and soon it was late at night.

"Congratulations, Kurenai," Hanekawa withdrew his hand.

On Kurenai's flat stomach, more precisely around her navel, a small diamond-shaped pattern had appeared.

This was the mark of successfully mastering the weakened version of the Yin Seal.

Of course, like Nohara Rin, Kurenai hadn't yet filled the chakra reservoir with chakra.

That would require her to accumulate it over time.

Kurenai instinctively touched the diamond-shaped pattern on her stomach.

She couldn't feel its presence at all; only her eyes could see that it was there.

"Thank you, Hanekawa," Kurenai said, leaning in to kiss him.

But this time, she wasn't as lucky as before to kiss him and run away.

Hanekawa wrapped his arm around her slender waist, while his right hand slipped under her yukata, reaching her soft thigh.

"Mmm... Han... mmm..." Kurenai tried to speak, but it only invited more as Hanekawa deepened the kiss.

Hanekawa spread his fingers, gripping the flesh of her thigh.

Kurenai's body stiffened momentarily but soon relaxed.

She felt her thighs losing strength under Hanekawa's kneading, and only faint gasps escaped her lips.

The next second, Kurenai's eyes widened.

She felt a slight pain in her chest.

After a moment of shock, she quickly pushed Hanekawa away, covering her chest with her hands, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"It's late. Let's go to sleep," Hanekawa said, clearing his throat.

In all honesty, it had been an instinctive action.

When kissing Tsunade or Samui, he always enjoyed helping to relieve the burden of their clothes.

But this time, it was Kurenai.

It was her first time receiving such treatment.

"You're such a bad guy!" Kurenai glared at him, then got off the sofa and ran to her room.

Hanekawa looked down at his right hand.

It was... decent.

But when it came to the fat around the chest, Kurenai was still far behind Tsunade and Samui.

Hanekawa stood up and turned off the lights.

After returning to his room, his body disappeared.

"Good evening, Sensei," Hanekawa slipped under the covers, burying his face in her soft, fragrant chest.

This was more like it!

Especially since Tsunade was in a state of complete undress.

He could fully appreciate what it meant to have a "great omen."

Tsunade's heart trembled slightly as she woke up.

Hanekawa's breath sent a tingling sensation through her.

Tsunade opened her eyes, flipped over, and pinned him down on the bed.

With her personality, she never held back. If she wanted to do something, she did it without hesitation.

Hanekawa was momentarily stunned but soon found himself completely at her mercy.

The night passed in a whirlwind.

The next day.

As sunlight bathed Konoha Village, Hanekawa arrived at the ANBU base.

He paused for a moment, slightly surprised.

Samui was lying on the sofa, asleep.

She was wearing her ANBU uniform, her masked face turned toward the back of the sofa.

Her alluring figure faced outward, her legs slightly curled and crossed, her hips full and prominent, drawing attention.

"Did she fall asleep here?" Hanekawa couldn't help but wonder.

Why was she so tired this early in the morning?

Had she not gone home last night? Or had she not slept at all?

"Samui," Hanekawa walked over and patted her hip.

"Mmm," Samui murmured, her eyes fluttering open.

She turned over, facing Hanekawa.

After a few seconds of dazed confusion, she finally realized where she was.

"Lord Hanekawa!" Samui quickly sat up.

"No need to be so formal. Just call me Hanekawa when we're alone," Hanekawa sat on the sofa and asked, "Did you not sleep last night?"

"I... I couldn't sleep," Samui glanced at him and explained, "So I came to your office."

"So you waited here all night?" Hanekawa said with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "You really... I don't even know what to say."

"Sorry," Samui lowered her head and whispered.

"No need to apologize," Hanekawa shook his head. "Take a nap now."

Samui looked up at him.

When she saw him pat his thigh, she understood what he meant.

After a moment's hesitation, she lay down on the sofa, resting her head on his lap.

Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.

Samui's position made her uniform particularly noticeable.

Although she wore bandages, they couldn't completely hide her figure.

Hanekawa reached out and removed Samui's mask.

Her eyes were closed, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.

Hanekawa pinched her cheek lightly, then left her to sleep.

With a wave of his hand, he used chakra to pull a stack of documents from his desk.

Hanekawa opened the file and skimmed through it.

It was about the Akatsuki organization.

After several months of rebuilding, Amegakure had gotten back on track.

Although it still needed time, the manpower shortage wasn't as severe.

As a result, Nagato and Konan had brought some Akatsuki members to Konoha.

Although Yahiko hadn't come, with Nagato and Konan, along with thirty Amegakure jonin, it was essentially the entire Akatsuki elite.

Based on their speed, they had left yesterday morning and would likely arrive this afternoon.

Konoha wasn't short on ninjas.

The only thing Nagato and Konan could do in Konoha was take on missions.

But that wasn't necessary.

Hanekawa thought for a moment and decided to take them to Takumi Village to find Kakuzu.

His plan was to establish his company first.

The company's first business would undoubtedly be the trade of ninja tools.

Hanekawa had no qualms about taking over Takumi Village.

Because of Takumi Village's ambitions.

The current leaders of Tetsugakure were four individuals: Kujaku, Suiko, Ryūgan, and Hōki, collectively known as the Four Celestial Kings.

The Four Celestial Kings had always had one goal: to revive Takumi Village's founder, Seimei, and then unify the ninja world.

Of course, in the end, they would be stopped by Naruto and the others.

To create ninja tools, materials were essential.

The company's second business would be mining.

In the ninja world, there were many mines.

For example, in the original story, after Black Zetsu defected, he went to the Land of Rivers and took over a place called the Katabami Gold Mine.

As for the third business, Hanekawa had his eyes on the black market, or more specifically, the exchange houses.

The black market had existed for a long time, and no one knew who had founded it.

But one thing was certain: the black market was highly profitable.

The black market operated similarly to the mission halls in ninja villages, taking a cut from each transaction.

In addition, there was the trade of information.

For various reasons, the black market had to be brought under control.

Hanekawa didn't want a place within the Land of Fire that Konoha couldn't manage.

Moreover, the black market had many bounties on Konoha ninjas.

Aside from him, Tsunade, Minato Namikaze, and Sakumo Hatake all had their own bounties.

After finishing the document, Hanekawa tossed it aside and pulled another file toward him.

He opened it and was slightly surprised.

The ANBU was recruiting again?

Hanekawa skimmed through it and understood the context.

The ninjas who could join the ANBU were considered elites.

But the missions ANBU members undertook were often extremely dangerous, and even elite ninjas could fall.

The last time the ANBU recruited was when Hanekawa dismissed the former Root members.

That had been over a year ago.

In such a long time, it was inevitable that some ANBU members had died.

Hanekawa flipped through the pages, reaching the list of ninjas applying to join the ANBU.

He let out a soft sound of surprise, as there were many familiar names.

For example, Ibiki Morino, Hayate Gekkō, Yūgao Uzuki, and Tekka Uchiha.

The first three had joined the ANBU in the original story.

Especially Ibiki Morino, who had risen to the position of Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force captain.

Hayate Gekkō and Yūgao Uzuki were slightly less powerful, but they were still special jonin.

The only unexpected name was Tekka Uchiha.

In the original story, he was a jonin of the Uchiha clan, joining the Konoha Military Police Force, a typical Uchiha ninja.

Logically, he shouldn't have applied to join the ANBU.

The most likely explanation was that it was Fugaku Uchiha's order.

But thinking about it, it made sense.

The Uchiha clan's reputation in Konoha had improved significantly.

The reason was that the Konoha Military Police Force had incorporated many non-Uchiha ninjas, making their actions less harsh and domineering.

Additionally, with Sasuke Uchiha as Hanekawa's student and Itachi Uchiha as Orochimaru's student, the Uchiha clan now had hope for the Hokage position, making them less radical than before.

Hanekawa thought for a moment, then marked the names of these four individuals.

This meant he approved their entry into the ANBU.

Time passed slowly.

An hour later, Hanekawa had gone through all the documents.

The most important matters were the arrival of the Akatsuki and the ANBU's recruitment of new members.

The rest of the documents were relatively trivial, just something to keep in mind.

"Awake?" Hanekawa put the documents away and noticed Samui had opened her eyes.

"Yes," Samui sat up and said, "Thank you."

"And how do you plan to thank me?" Hanekawa reached out and undid her ANBU uniform.

White bandages came into view.

They wrapped around Samui, and at the edges, a circle of fair skin was visible, creating a slight indentation.

"Does it hurt?" Hanekawa's fingers traced the soft indentation.

"No," Samui shook her head.

"Let it breathe for a bit," Hanekawa said, pulling off the bandages.

His vision was filled with a expanse of snow-white skin.

Samui's breathing quickened slightly, adding a bit of vibration to her ample chest.

"You still haven't said how you'll thank me," Hanekawa teased.

Hanekawa narrowed his eyes and asked, "How do you plan to thank me?"

Samui snapped out of her daze, stood up, and looked at him.

After a few seconds, she knelt on the sofa, reached out her hands, and pressed Hanekawa's head against her chest.

Samui took a deep, satisfied breath, her snow-white skin flushing with a faint blush.

Hanekawa felt his vision being blocked.

Both of his "core processors" were buried in the abyss, surrounded by darkness on all sides.

Time passed, and it was now afternoon.

The sun had risen to its highest point, its rays pouring mercilessly onto the earth.

"Samui," Hanekawa patted her fair, tender back.

"Hmm," Samui instinctively let out a soft, coquettish hum.

At this moment, she had stopped all movement, sitting on Hanekawa's lap with her eyes closed, resting.

"I'll take you back," Hanekawa said, standing up while holding her.

Samui's mouth opened wide as she gasped for breath.

"Sorry," Hanekawa had momentarily forgotten that they were currently in a state of intimate, seamless connection.

"It's... it's fine," Samui replied after a couple of seconds, catching her breath.

Flying Thunder God Technique!

Hanekawa returned to Samui's room and placed her on the bed.

---

At 5 p.m., the usually quiet gates of Konoha Village welcomed thirty-two ninjas in one go.

All thirty-two ninjas wore the forehead protectors of Amegakure, and even the weakest among them was a jonin.

Fortunately, Hanekawa had informed the two gatekeepers of Konoha in advance; otherwise, they might have thought Amegakure was launching an attack on the village.

"So this is Konoha?" Nagato looked around and said, "It's truly bustling."

He had lived in the Land of Rain his entire life.

As a child, he hadn't been able to visit Konoha, and as an adult, he had the ability but no desire to come.

This was his first time in Konoha.

"The sunlight is nice today," Konan looked up at the blazing sun.

In the Land of Rain, it rained year-round, and the number of times they saw the sun could be counted on one hand.

"I wonder what Hanekawa will have us do," Nagato mused, his curiosity piqued.

"We're ninjas. The only thing we can do is missions," Konan thought for a moment and replied.

"True," Nagato nodded. "If it's just missions, it shouldn't be too difficult."

Although his confidence had been shaken by Madara Uchiha and Hanekawa, when it came to ordinary ninjas, his strength was more than enough to handle them.

After all, there were only two or three ninjas like Madara and Hanekawa in the entire shinobi world.

"Welcome, everyone," Hanekawa's voice suddenly rang out.

As soon as he finished speaking, he appeared in front of Nagato, Konan, and the others.

"Hanekawa," Nagato and Konan greeted him.

"Let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point," Hanekawa said with a nod.

Nagato and Konan exchanged a glance, both feeling a bit puzzled.

Why the rush?

In their understanding, Konoha currently faced no threats in the shinobi world.

"Do you have a mission for us?" Konan asked after a moment of thought.

"Yes, but it's not a mission for Konoha," Hanekawa replied with a smile.

Konan was slightly taken aback.

She didn't understand the difference between the two.

After all, Hanekawa represented Konoha.

"I'll take you there first," Hanekawa didn't explain further and immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique.

A massive amount of chakra was consumed in an instant.

Transferring thirty-two ninjas to the distant Takumi Village was naturally an astronomical chakra expenditure.

But with his Sage Body, Hanekawa wasn't worried about the drain.

---

In a room in Takumi Village.

Kakuzu blinked and suddenly found himself surrounded by a group of ninjas.

He was startled and quickly stood up, his face filled with vigilance.

"It's me," Hanekawa stepped forward and said.

"Why so many people?" Kakuzu relaxed a bit.

Although he was always confident in his abilities, having a room suddenly filled with ninjas was still terrifying.

"They're employees of the company," Hanekawa explained.

Kakuzu instinctively scanned the group.

His gaze lingered for a few extra seconds on Nagato's eyes.

Although he didn't recognize the Rinnegan, he could sense a terrifying aura emanating from them.

"All of them are from Amegakure?" Kakuzu asked, puzzled. "Aren't you from Konoha?"

"Ninjas from any village can become employees of the company," Hanekawa paused and then asked, "How's the situation in Takumi Village?"

"Nothing noteworthy," Kakuzu said dismissively. "Aside from the so-called Four Celestial Kings, the rest are completely mediocre."

Hanekawa nodded slightly.

This was consistent with the original story.

"Deal with the Four Celestial Kings, then take control of Takumi Village in their name and transform it into the company," Hanekawa thought for a moment and instructed.

"No problem," Kakuzu said indifferently. "I don't need this many people. I can handle them alone."

"Do as you see fit. I only care about the results," Hanekawa handed Kakuzu a scroll and said, "This is the company's goals and charter that I've drafted."

Kakuzu took the scroll and opened it to read.

After just a short while, he couldn't help but show a look of admiration.

The money-making ideas were... truly out of the box.

He had been too narrow-minded before, wasting too many opportunities to make money.

"What's the name of our company?" Kakuzu asked as he closed the scroll.

The contents were too extensive and novel for him to fully understand in a short time.

"Let's call it 'Thousand Sunny,'" Hanekawa thought for a moment and said.

Kakuzu nodded, showing no particular reaction.

In his view, the name didn't matter much.

Nagato and Konan, however, seemed to ponder the name, feeling there might be some deeper meaning.

"Alright, I'll leave the rest to you," Hanekawa said, confidently handing over the reins.

The reason was simple.

In the shinobi world, everything ultimately boiled down to one principle: strength reigns supreme.

With the combined strength of Nagato, Konan, and Kakuzu, any trouble in Takumi Village could be easily resolved.

There was no need for Hanekawa to waste any more time.

If he had so many subordinates and still did everything himself, what was the point of having subordinates?

---

A week later.

At the ANBU base.

Hanekawa stood by the window of his office, looking down.

On the training ground, two ninjas were engaged in a fierce battle.

They were both new recruits to the ANBU.

Hanekawa wasn't very familiar with them.

He only recognized Ibiki Morino, Hayate Gekkō, Yūgao Uzuki, and Tekka Uchiha.

The purpose of today's sparring was to determine their true strength and then assign them to teams.

In the ANBU, there was no distinction between seniors and juniors; only strength mattered.

The stronger you were, the more respect you commanded.

Take Itachi Uchiha, for example.

In the original story, he became an ANBU squad captain at the age of thirteen.

The sparring soon reached Hayate Gekkō.

Like in the original story, he used the Konoha-style swordsmanship and the Hiding in Mist Technique.

The Hiding in Mist Technique was a kekkei genkai that allowed the user to become invisible.

But it came at a cost, or rather, a genetic illness.

This was why Hayate Gekkō's health was so poor.

Hayate's opponent was Yūgao Uzuki.

But Hanekawa was puzzled to see that Yūgao wasn't using Konoha-style swordsmanship.

Had she not learned it?

A few minutes later, Yūgao was defeated.

To be honest, her current strength was somewhat lacking for the ANBU.

But it didn't matter.

Once Hanekawa had personally selected her, no one dared to say anything.

Due to various butterfly effects, Yūgao had become one of his devoted admirers.

Such subordinates were undoubtedly loyal.

After watching for about an hour, the assessment of the new ANBU members came to an end.

"Lord Hanekawa."

A moment later, Haru pushed the door open and walked in. "Here's the new list of ANBU members."

"There's one thing that needs to be changed," Hanekawa said after reviewing the list. "Assign Yūgao Uzuki to your squad."

"Understood," Haru replied, slightly surprised but agreeing nonetheless.

"Take some time to teach her, especially the Konoha-style swordsmanship," Hanekawa added after a pause.

"Yes, Lord Hanekawa," Haru nodded, her expression thoughtful.

She had seen Yūgao's profile and knew that she had crossed paths with Hanekawa a few times.

It seemed their relationship wasn't as superficial as she had initially thought.

"You may go," Hanekawa said, unconcerned with her thoughts. As long as his goal was achieved, nothing else mattered.

The office fell silent once more.

Hanekawa flipped through the documents but suddenly stopped.

It was about Mukade.

According to the ANBU ninja monitoring him, Mukade would be able to break the Flying Thunder God seal in two or three days.

Was the time finally approaching?

Hanekawa stood up and disappeared from the spot.

---

Hokage's Office.

"Big!"

Tsunade was intently shaking a dice cup, muttering to herself.

"I bet it's small."

A sudden voice startled her, causing her sleeveless top to ripple slightly.

"You brat!" Tsunade snapped, glaring at him. "Next time, announce yourself before barging in!"

"Sensei, as the Hokage, playing dice in your office is a far more serious issue," Hanekawa said, narrowing his eyes.

"I finished my work. Can't I take a break?" Tsunade retorted, though her tone betrayed a hint of guilt.

"But it's still against the rules," Hanekawa said with a smile. "How do you plan to keep me quiet?"

His gaze lingered on her rosy lips.

"All this just to take advantage of me?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"It's called a fair exchange," Hanekawa stepped forward and kissed her.

Tsunade let out a muffled sound but allowed him to continue.

Her breathing gradually quickened, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and tenderness as she looked at him.

After a long while, they parted.

"You're being unusually well-behaved today," Tsunade licked her moistened lips and remarked.

She was referring to the fact that Hanekawa hadn't let his hands wander during the kiss.

"Because we have business to discuss," Hanekawa said, swallowing hard as he watched her alluring movements.

"What is it?" Tsunade casually opened the dice cup and frowned.

The dice showed a one, the smallest possible number.

Once again, she had guessed wrong.

"Do you remember the Dragon Vein?" Hanekawa asked, glancing at the dice with a smile.

"You mean the Dragon Vein in the Land of Wind's Roran?" Tsunade nodded. "Of course, I remember."

"The ANBU discovered a rogue ninja from Sunagakure named Mukade attempting to break the seal Senior Minato left behind," Hanekawa explained. "This was three days ago."

"Mukade?" Tsunade thought for a moment but couldn't recall the name. "Can he really break Minato's seal?"

"Whether he can or not, we need to go," Hanekawa shook his head. "The Dragon Vein contains immense energy. If someone harnesses it, the consequences would be catastrophic."

"True," Tsunade looked at him. "You want to go?"

"The Dragon Vein is too important, and Mukade is a rogue ninja from Sunagakure. It's better if I handle it," Hanekawa explained.

"Then go," Tsunade agreed without hesitation.

With Hanekawa's current strength, she had no reason to worry about him facing any danger.

Even if it involved the legendary Dragon Vein.

"I'll leave tomorrow," Hanekawa said without hiding his intentions. "Since you've already finished your work, why not spend the rest of the day with me?"

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat, understanding the underlying meaning of his words.

After a few seconds of hesitation, she said, "Let's go home first."

---

The next day.

"Are we the only ones going on this mission?" Kurenai Yūhi asked in surprise.

In her memory, this was the first time they had gone on a mission together, just the two of them.

"Why? Don't you want to?" Hanekawa countered.

"Of course, I do!" Kurenai replied excitedly.

"Pack your things. We're leaving soon," Hanekawa explained. "We're heading to Roran in the Land of Wind."

"Wasn't Roran destroyed?" Kurenai asked curiously.

"The ancient kingdom of Roran was destroyed, but the Roran tribe still exists. They live in the desert now," Hanekawa shook his head. "But our target isn't Roran. It's a rogue ninja from Sunagakure named Mukade."

"I see," Kurenai's face showed understanding. "How strong is he?"

"Jonin level," Hanekawa replied.

"That's easy," Kurenai snorted. "I can handle him alone."

"Put on your dust-proof cloak," Hanekawa reminded her.

"Okay," Kurenai donned the cloak and asked, "Are we really not bringing Rin?"

"She has surgeries to perform. She can't leave right now," Hanekawa grabbed her wrist. "Have you been to the desert before?"

"Yes," Kurenai puffed out her chest. "I'm a jonin, after all. You don't need to worry about me."

Flying Thunder God Technique!

The two disappeared.

When they opened their eyes again, they were greeted by a vast expanse of yellow sand, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Is that the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Roran?" Kurenai asked, spotting the steel city in the distance.

"Yes," Hanekawa replied. This was his second time seeing the steel city.

The last time, it had been orderly and magnificent, a testament to Roran's prosperity.

Now, it was in ruins, with more than half of the buildings buried under the sand.

Without the power of the Dragon Vein, Roran could no longer sustain such a city.

They had been forced to abandon it and become a nomadic tribe following the oases.

Hanekawa wondered who the current queen of Roran was.

"Where's Mukade?" Kurenai asked, looking around.

She didn't like the desert. Even with Hanekawa by her side, she wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"He's at the Dragon Vein's seal," Hanekawa said, snapping out of his thoughts. "Let's go in."

"Why do you think this place was abandoned?" Kurenai asked, looking at the buildings on either side.

"I'm not sure," Hanekawa replied casually. "Maybe some disaster struck."

Kurenai nodded slightly and didn't press further.

"Up ahead is the Dragon Vein's core, an underground chamber," Hanekawa stopped and looked down. "Mukade is there."

"Let me handle it!" Kurenai leaped into the underground chamber.

"Who's there?" Mukade quickly noticed Kurenai, as she made no effort to hide her presence.

Wind Release: Net!

Seeing Kurenai's Konoha forehead protector, Mukade immediately formed hand seals.

He knew Konoha ninjas wouldn't let him break the Dragon Vein's seal.

Better to strike first.

A mere girl shouldn't be too much trouble.

A large amount of chakra infused the wind, quickly forming a net woven from air.

Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!

Kurenai clapped her hands together and spat out a massive water dragon.

The water dragon easily overwhelmed the wind net and continued its momentum, roaring toward Mukade.

"How is this possible?" Mukade's face paled.

Why was this Water Dragon Jutso so powerful?

Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!

Mukade threw six kunai infused with wind chakra.

But in the next second, Kurenai chuckled and clasped her hands together.

Water Release: Water Shockwave!

A spiraling torrent of water shot up like a tornado and slammed into Mukade.

He didn't even have time to react before he was sent flying.

With a loud crash, his body collided with the Dragon Vein's seal pillar.

"Pathetic," Kurenai clapped her hands dismissively.

"Damn it!" Mukade, covered in blood, struggled to his feet.

He realized the vast gap between himself and Kurenai.

Glancing at the seal, Mukade gritted his teeth and charged forward.

He grabbed the Flying Thunder God kunai left by Minato Namikaze, and a powerful suction force erupted, breaking the seal.

In an instant, the ground shook violently.

An endless surge of chakra erupted like a fountain, forming countless massive pillars of light.

The air distorted, and fierce winds howled as the light pillars burst through the underground chamber.

"What... what's happening?" Kurenai's heart raced.

"No matter what happens, stay calm," Hanekawa suddenly appeared in front of her and grabbed her hand.

"Okay," Kurenai immediately relaxed.

"Hahaha!" Mukade laughed maniacally.

But his laughter was cut short.

As the seal vanished, a dragon-shaped surge of chakra shot into the sky.

A terrifying force swept through the area, and a dense purple chakra enveloped the entire underground chamber.

The three of them vanished without a trace as space twisted around them.

The sensation of weightlessness came and went.

Hanekawa opened his eyes.

Kurenai and Mukade were nowhere to be seen.

He looked around and froze.

In the distance, there was a towering tree.

But the focus wasn't the tree itself—it was the enormous fruit at its peak.

It looked familiar.

Like the God Tree and the Chakra Fruit.

Although he had anticipated this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

"Who are you?"

A cold, emotionless voice rang out.

Hanekawa instinctively turned, feeling a strong sense of danger for the first time.

Though they had never met before, he recognized her immediately.

This was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

__

Worth 2 chapters