The bowl was empty.
"Full?" Hanekawa asked with a smile.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki gave a noncommittal hum.
Her expression remained cold and unreadable, but she'd finished every last bite.
"I'll wash the dishes," Hanekawa said, standing. He reached over and ruffled Tsukihime's hair. "You two can chat."
The living room fell silent the moment he left.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and Tsukihime sat across from each other. The Ōtsutsuki progenitor had spent a thousand years with Isshiki, yet they'd exchanged fewer than ten meaningful sentences. The clan valued strength above all else—interpersonal bonds were irrelevant.
"Tsukihime," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki said abruptly.
"Yes, Mom?" The girl's eyes brightened as she moved closer, hugging her arm.
"I will teach you to use the Rinnegan."
Tsukihime tilted her head. "But Daddy said he'd teach me."
"It makes no difference who teaches you," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki replied. She raised her hand hesitantly, then—imitating Hanekawa—gently touched her daughter's head.
Tsukihime's smile widened. "Okay."
---
Hanekawa returned from the kitchen to find the living room empty. He glanced out the window and froze.
Objects around Kaguya Ōtsutsuki were scattered in all directions, as if caught in an invisible explosion.
"Shinra Tensei?" he murmured.
It made sense. The Rinnegan's power flowed through her veins—she'd master its techniques instinctively.
Watching them together, Hanekawa's mind drifted to Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Hamura. In the original timeline, Kaguya had been... not unkind to her sons. But ideological differences and interference from the Toad Sage had turned them into enemies.
If Tsukihime grows up with Kaguya unsealed...
He took a sharp breath. The future of the entire ninja world hung in the balance. Did he and Tsukihime have to seal her?
But I have no reason to seal her now. And I don't know if I could win.
Hanekawa rubbed his temples. The headache was immediate and severe.
He pushed the thought aside and stepped outside, testing his Rinnegan from a distance while Kaguya and Tsukihime trained.
As night deepened, Hanekawa noticed something odd: there was no moon in the sky.
"Time to come inside," he called out. "Bath, then bed."
"I do not require bathing," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki said flatly.
"It's not just about cleanliness," Hanekawa replied with a smile. "It helps you relax. Try it."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's eyes narrowed. This man simply refuses to listen.
"Mom, let's bathe together!" Tsukihime tugged her hand eagerly.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki glanced at her daughter, then—surprisingly—didn't refuse.
---
Thirty minutes later, the bathroom door opened.
Hanekawa looked up. His eyes brightened slightly.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki wore white pajamas, her long hair falling loose around her shoulders. Her expression remained cold, but the superior, otherworldly air had softened. She looked almost... human.
"Where is my room?" she asked calmly.
"That one," Hanekawa pointed. "And Tsukihime's is to the right of yours. She can sleep with you if she wants."
"Dad can sleep with me too!" Tsukihime announced, already heading toward her room. "I'll sleep alone tonight. Good night, Mom and Dad!"
She closed the door before either could respond.
Hanekawa and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki stood in the sudden quiet.
The atmosphere felt... delicate.
"What I said before," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki stated, "was that I would consider offspring. Not that I agreed."
She paused. "I do not know how to reproduce."
"I know," Hanekawa said gently. "See you tomorrow."
He turned toward his room.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki remained motionless, staring at nothing. Habits formed over millennia had shifted in a single day. She didn't understand why.
---
Morning came without incident.
The three of them sat at the breakfast table again. Three bowls of ramen.
Tsukihime ate with obvious pleasure. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki showed little reaction, but she finished everything—a small sign of approval.
"I'm going out today," Hanekawa announced, clearing the dishes. "I need to establish the Ninja Clan."
"Should I accompany you?" Kaguya Ōtsutsuki asked. Her chakra was fundamental to his plan, after all.
"No. I can manage alone," Hanekawa said. "Just teach Tsukihime while I'm gone."
He'd already decided on his recruitment strategy. In a world without supernatural power except for the local gods and three holy places, strength was the only currency that mattered. Show power, and people would follow.
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Hanekawa appeared on a mountain outside the largest city in the Land of the Ancestors.
He waved his hand casually. Two nearby trees splintered into dozens of pieces, which he shaped into humanoid puppets using chakra. His new A-rank entry, "Puppeteer," had given him the knowledge—though this was his first attempt. With his current power, it was trivial.
The puppets were simple, designed only to run and jump. But they looked impressive.
Next, he crafted seven cushions from another tree.
Hanekawa rose into the air, sitting cross-legged. The puppets and cushions followed, levitating around him. He adjusted a half-mask to cover his face, leaving only his Rinnegan and upper features visible.
Then he poured chakra into the puppets' throats.
A voice thundered across the world:
"The Rabbit Goddess senses the ninja world's suffering. She offers divine arts to those destined to receive them. Come to Goddess Mountain outside the city."
---
The metropolis erupted into chaos.
"Who is the Rabbit Goddess?" a young man asked, bewildered.
"Did you all hear that?" a merchant gasped.
"A miracle!" someone shouted, falling to their knees.
In the imperial palace, the daimyo stood abruptly. Gods existed in this world, yes—but they demanded offerings, not generosity. For a deity to offer power?
"Send an expedition to Goddess Mountain immediately!" he commanded.
---
By the riverside, a toad in a cloak raised its head.
"The Rabbit Goddess?" it murmured. "Which god...?"
It vanished.
When it reappeared, it stood in Mount Myōboku's inner temple. There, on a central seat, sat an enormous orange toad with its eyes closed—Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage, though he hadn't earned that title yet. He was merely Myōboku's leader.
The toad hesitated, then decided not to disturb him.
Moments later, Gamamaru's eyes snapped open. He gasped for breath.
"Master, another prophecy?" the toad—Fukasaku—asked urgently.
"Fukasaku," Gamamaru said, composing himself. "What brings you?"
"Something strange in the Land of the Ancestors," Fukasaku reported what he'd heard.
Gamamaru's expression didn't change. "As I foresaw."
"Is it connected to the prophecy?"
"Yes," Gamamaru said gravely. "The vision shows this is both an opportunity and a disaster for the ninja world."
"An opportunity, I understand. But disaster—what do you mean?"
"I am uncertain," Gamamaru admitted. "Prophecies are always vague."
"What should we do?"
Gamamaru stood slowly. "Divine arts use natural energy. Logically, humans cannot learn them—they turn to stone. Yet this goddess claims otherwise." He paused. "We must investigate."
---
When the first residents arrived at Goddess Mountain, they gasped.
Hanekawa and his puppets floated impossibly in mid-air, suspended by invisible force. The seven cushions hovered around him like satellites.
No one dared question further. They knelt in reverence.
As time passed, more arrived. Some began to doubt, their knees aching.
Then Hanekawa waved his hand.
Light green chakra rained down on them like spring rain. Exhaustion vanished. Aches disappeared.
"Thank you, Lord God!" they cried in unison.
---
An hour later, Hanekawa sensed Gamamaru's presence—well-hidden, but nothing escaped his perception now. He was genuinely Six Paths level: an immortal body enhanced by sacred tree chakra. Only Yin-Yang Release eluded him, but he'd surpassed the original Sage of Six Paths in every other way.
He opened his eyes.
"Welcome," Hanekawa said, standing in mid-air. His voice carried across the mountain. "I am the Sage of Six Paths, messenger of the Rabbit Goddess. I have come to establish a Ninja Clan and teach you divine arts."
Since Hagoromo is gone, I'm the only one who can claim this title. And I need that S-rank entry.
Gamamaru's heart sank. This is not natural energy.
Something was deeply wrong about the so-called Rabbit Goddess.
"How do we join?" the daimyo asked eagerly.
Hanekawa raised his hand. Chakra condensed into seed-like particles that sank into everyone's bodies.
"These are chakra seeds," he explained. "With them, you can practice divine arts. Your progress depends on your own fortune."
He waved again, and chakra formed text in the air—the basic method of chakra extraction.
"This is the foundation. Practice day and night, and your chakra will grow. You will become stronger."
Gamamaru and Fukasaku exchanged glances. They'd been perceived despite their concealment. Worse, they'd been infected with chakra seeds without resistance.
"The Ninja Clan teaches seven divine arts," Hanekawa continued. "The first seven to successfully refine chakra and reach these cushions become direct disciples."
Everyone's eyes widened. They immediately sat down and began practicing.
---
Hours passed. The sun descended.
By evening, all seven cushions were occupied.
"Do not despair," Hanekawa said, landing. "I will return tomorrow and recruit seven more."
Hope flickered across disappointed faces.
"The seven of you, follow me," Hanekawa commanded.
The eight figures vanished.
"They've gone to the Kingdom of God!" someone shouted.
The daimyo stared at the empty sky, longing in his eyes. But as ruler of the Land of the Ancestors, he couldn't abandon his duties. Still, he smiled. The seven students will have families. I can summon them to the palace...
---
A wooden house near the sacred tree.
Eight people materialized.
"What a massive tree!" one gasped, staring at the towering sacred tree.
We must be in the Kingdom of God, they all thought.
Tsukihime appeared, running toward Hanekawa with a bright smile. She'd been learning Rinnegan techniques from Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
The new disciples stared at her in shock. Those purple eyes—the Rinnegan. She was no ordinary human.
"Father!" Tsukihime called out.
Hanekawa touched her head. "How was your day?"
"A little hungry," she pouted. "Mom can't cook."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki emerged from the house, her presence immediately silencing the disciples. They felt an indescribable pressure—the weight of a being on an entirely different level.
The Rabbit Goddess, they realized.
"Are these your new students?" Kaguya Ōtsutsuki asked, glancing at them briefly. Weak. But they could refine chakra. In time, they'd make suitable sacrifices for the sacred tree.
"Yes," Hanekawa confirmed. "Everyone, this is the Rabbit Goddess. You may address her as such."
"Lady Goddess," they bowed quickly.
"You handle them," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki said, taking Tsukihime's hand. "We're leaving."
The two vanished.
The disciples watched with envy. Will we ever master space-time techniques like that?
"Your quarters are there," Hanekawa pointed to a row of wooden houses. "Haori, you'll oversee the female students who join us. Shuanghai, you'll manage the male students. Assign your own accommodations."
"Yes, Teacher!" they responded eagerly.
"You lack fundamentals," Hanekawa instructed. "Refine your chakra first. I'll teach you divine arts later. That's all for today."
He vanished using Flying Thunder God.
---
"Where's your mother?" Hanekawa asked, appearing in the living room.
"In the kitchen," Tsukihime replied. "She said she wanted to learn cooking."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki... cooking?
Hanekawa went to investigate.
A faint aroma filled the kitchen. Fried shrimp sizzled in the wok, looking surprisingly well-prepared.
"You take over," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki said, turning to leave.
Hanekawa stared at the dish. That fast?
"Mom!" Tsukihime called out.
"Mm," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki responded flatly.
She was confused. The shrimp she'd made tasted far inferior to Hanekawa's. For the first time in her existence, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki felt something unfamiliar: curiosity.
---
After Tsukihime bathed and retired, Hanekawa and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki remained in the living room.
"How long before we sacrifice the seven students?" Kaguya Ōtsutsuki asked.
"Immediately?" Hanekawa replied. "That would be wasteful."
"Wasteful?" She stared at him intently.
"When is their chakra at its peak?" he asked.
"When they have accumulated much."
"And when is that?"
"When...?" She didn't know.
"After death," Hanekawa explained calmly. "When they die, their chakra merges with their souls and reaches maximum potency."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's eyes widened slightly. "You propose waiting until they die?"
"Yes. I plan to create a Pure Land where their souls and chakra return after death."
She considered this. The Pure Land concept was sound—efficient, not wasteful. And for an immortal like herself, waiting decades was nothing.
"The key is the God of Death," Hanekawa continued. "I want him to guide souls to the Pure Land."
"You will kill him?" she asked.
"No. I'll ask him to serve as a guide."
He was thinking of the Demonic Sealing technique—it summoned the God of Death at the cost of life. The god obviously had the power to guide souls. It was perfect.
"How do you feel?" Hanekawa asked.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki thought for a moment. "If it works as you describe, I have no objection. But if it fails, you will sacrifice them according to my plan."
"Agreed," Hanekawa nodded.
She didn't compromise—she simply chose the option more favorable to herself. Whether the Pure Land succeeded or failed, she won either way.
In the original timeline, Hagoromo had created a Pure Land, gathering souls and chakra together. During the Fourth War, he'd even summoned them to fight.
It will work, Hanekawa thought. It has to.