The living room was quiet except for the soft clink of chopsticks against bowls. Hanekawa set down his lunch and glanced at the leaf trembling in mid-air before them.
"Students from the Ninja Clan are calling for help," he said simply.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki nodded and took his hand without hesitation. Her Rinnegan flared to life on her forehead as invisible chakra warped the space around them. Black energy coalesced into a portal—Yomotsu Hirasaka, her space-time technique, opening like a wound in reality.
They stepped through.
The world shifted. When Hanekawa emerged, he immediately sensed it—a massive presence radiating raw vitality. Not far ahead stood a tree unlike any other, its trunk thick as a building, its branches moving with deliberate intelligence.
A god of nature itself.
Four ninja students lay scattered before it. One was already dead. The other three were pinned by the god's overwhelming pressure, unable to move.
Great. Another death flag situation, Hanekawa thought.
He raised his right hand without ceremony. Invisible gravitational force erupted outward, seizing the three surviving students and pulling them backward to safety.
"Shinra Tensei," he said, his left hand sweeping forward.
The repulsive force was absolute. Air shattered. The god's branches and vines exploded outward in a spray of splinters, leaving a crater where the tree had stood.
"Thank you, Goddess! Thank you, Teacher!" the students gasped, still trembling.
The sacred tree's voice rumbled like an avalanche. "You dare strike a god? All of you will perish!"
Branches erupted from the ground like spears. Thousands of them.
Hanekawa flicked his wrist. Another Shinra Tensei. The branches disintegrated before they'd traveled ten meters.
"It's using Wood Style," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki observed calmly. She'd sparred with Hanekawa enough to recognize the technique. "How interesting."
She raised her hand. Her Rinnegan flashed crimson.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The repulsive force was different from Hanekawa's—sharper, more refined. It tore through the god's defenses and sent the creature flying backward with a scream.
"You're still impressive," Hanekawa said with a slight smile.
"Naturally," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki replied without arrogance, simply stating fact.
She closed her eyes. Her Rinnegan pulsed as she began draining the god's natural energy directly. The creature shrieked in horror, but resistance was futile. Within moments, its facial features faded. It became nothing more than an ordinary tree, stripped of divinity.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki opened her eyes and converted the stolen energy into sage chakra. The process took several minutes.
When she finished, her gaze met Hanekawa's.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Fine," she said, then hesitated. "Do you want it?"
"Want what?"
"Sage chakra. I can share some with you."
Hanekawa's eyebrows rose. He knew how obsessed Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was with chakra. The fact that she'd offer to share it meant his status in her mind had risen considerably. In her calculus, he was nearly as valuable as chakra itself.
"No need," he said, reaching up to touch her cheek. If we were alone, I'd show her exactly how grateful I am.
"Ah." She exhaled quietly, relief evident in her expression. She couldn't bear to part with it.
Hanekawa smiled. Cute.
He turned his attention to the dead student. The god had killed him before the others could react. The three survivors had barely managed to send out a distress signal using the sacred tree's leaves.
"His soul has already departed to the Pure Land," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki said, sensing through the tree's connection to that realm.
She paused, glancing between Hanekawa and the remaining students. Then, without another word, she raised her hand.
Her Rinnegan flared. She pulled the soul back from the Pure Land and guided it into the body. Chakra flowed like water. The student's chest rose. His heart resumed beating.
"Did you just resurrect him?" Hanekawa asked, genuinely surprised.
"I used the sage chakra you didn't want," she said simply.
Something twisted in Hanekawa's chest. He grabbed her wrist and activated Flying Thunder God.
The world blurred. They reappeared in their living room.
Without hesitation, Hanekawa lowered his head and kissed her.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki didn't quite understand the intensity of his reaction, but she didn't ask. She simply accepted the kiss, her eyes closing.
When they parted, Hanekawa looked at her flushed lips. I could get used to this.
"Thank you for today," he said.
"It was nothing," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki replied calmly. "Resurrection doesn't consume excessive chakra."
That's a lie, Hanekawa knew. The Rinnegan's resurrection technique required enormous amounts of energy. She'd spent significant chakra to save that student—all because he'd asked her to.
He reached up and ruffled her hair. Given Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's nature, she would never waste chakra on strangers. The only explanation was that she'd done it for him.
"Your Pure Land concept is quite effective," she said, her mind already calculating. "That student's soul and chakra were drawn into it. Compared to sacrificing him directly to the god, the Pure Land will accumulate far more power. In a hundred years, with the Ninja Clan's expansion..." She trailed off, the implications clear.
"It's the Pure Land we established together," Hanekawa said with a smile.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki paused, considering his words. "Our Pure Land," she corrected after a moment.
Hanekawa blinked. Wasn't that what I just said?
But he understood. The shift from "your" to "our" was significant. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had changed considerably over these two months. From ruthless and indifferent to... well, still cold on the surface, but warm underneath.
Though not quite warm enough yet, he thought with amusement.
"Come on. Let's eat before it gets cold," he said, pulling her toward the dining table.
---
The afternoon passed peacefully until the front door burst open.
"Dad! Mom! I'm back!"
Tsukihime bounded into the living room, her energy filling the space instantly. Hanekawa stood to greet her, noting immediately that she'd grown taller.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki quickly adjusted her collar, having been in the middle of a conversation with Hanekawa before their daughter's arrival interrupted them.
"You've gotten taller," Hanekawa observed, measuring her against his memory.
"Really? How much?" Tsukihime spun around eagerly.
"A few centimeters, at least." He touched her head gently. "Anything interesting happen on your mission?"
"Lots!" Tsukihime's eyes sparkled. "I met a talking toad!"
Hanekawa's attention sharpened. "A toad? What did it look like?"
"Orange clothes, a necklace with a big bead that says 'oil' on it. It called itself the Great Toad Sage—Gamamaru!"
As expected. The butterfly effect continues. Without Hagoromo to guide events, Gamamaru had apparently chosen the same path anyway, seeking to befriend the strongest being in the world. Except now that being was Tsukihime instead.
"It's helped us a lot," Tsukihime continued. "And it's really smart—learns ninjutsu incredibly fast, especially water techniques!"
Hanekawa nodded. That matched what he knew of Gamamaru's abilities.
"Dad, why can a toad use ninjutsu?" Tsukihime asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Everything has spirit," Hanekawa said smoothly. "With intelligence comes the ability to channel chakra. Though we'd call it a summoning beast rather than a ninja."
"I see." Tsukihime's expression fell slightly. "It doesn't want to join the Ninja Clan, though."
"It's a toad, not human," Hanekawa said thoughtfully. "But there's a technique called the Summoning Jutsu. It lets you form contracts with summoning beasts."
Tsukihime's eyes lit up immediately. "I want to learn!"
"You want Gamamaru as your summoning beast?"
"Maybe," Tsukihime said, then wrinkled her nose. "Actually, I'd prefer something more beautiful."
Hanekawa chuckled and pinched her cheek. Good instincts. Mount Myōboku's prophecies are a liability I don't need.
His plan was simple: destroy the alliance between the three holy places. Without Ryūchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest's support, Mount Myōboku would be neutralized.
"After dinner, I'll take you to find a proper summoning beast," he promised.
"Really?" Tsukihime practically vibrated with excitement. "Where are we going?"
"Shikkotsu Forest. Your mother will take us there."
Hanekawa tapped Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's forehead, transmitting the location directly into her mind. She activated Yomotsu Hirasaka without comment.
---
The Shikkotsu Forest was exactly as Hanekawa remembered—endless and ancient. The moment they arrived, the slug clones nearby froze.
"The Rabbit Goddess?!" they gasped in unison.
They knew of her through Gamamaru's reports from the recent gathering of the three holy places. The conclusion had been unanimous: chakra was useful. Learning ninjutsu was acceptable. But they would proceed cautiously.
"Live Slug," Hanekawa called out, using the creature's true name.
The massive form of the Slug Sage emerged from the forest depths, considerably smaller than it would be in the future, but still enormous.
"How... how do you know my name?" it asked, stunned.
"My goddess is very powerful," Hanekawa said casually. "Knowing names is trivial for her."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki glanced at him, recognizing the lie but feeling oddly pleased by the phrase "my goddess."
The Slug Sage fell silent, clearly weighing its options. It had learned enough about Kaguya Ōtsutsuki from Gamamaru to know that resistance was futile.
"I'm here to propose cooperation," Hanekawa continued. "Let Tsukihime become your contractor. In the future, if you meet worthy ninja, they can also sign contracts."
"What would I need to do?" the Slug Sage asked cautiously.
"Nothing you wouldn't already do. After signing, both parties help each other. That's all."
The Slug Sage blinked. The terms were remarkably favorable—almost suspiciously so. But the second reason for agreement was more practical: refusing Kaguya Ōtsutsuki seemed inadvisable.
"I accept," it said.
The contract scroll appeared moments later. Hanekawa reviewed it carefully—identical to the one he'd seen in the future—then handed it to Tsukihime.
She signed with a flourish, beaming with pride.
"Lady Tsukihime," the Slug Sage said formally, "you will not regret this partnership."
"You won't either!" Tsukihime declared confidently. "I'm going to be amazing!"
"We'll head back," Hanekawa said. "Tsukihime, these scrolls contain the Summoning Jutsu and its reverse. Learn them with the Slug Sage, then you can return home."
He handed over the scrolls, then turned to the Slug Sage with a more serious expression. "I need a favor."
The creature's heart tightened. "What is it?"
"The location of Ryūchi Cave."
The Slug Sage hesitated visibly.
"Don't worry," Hanekawa said bluntly. "If the goddess wanted to harm Ryūchi Cave, she wouldn't need your help. I simply want to sign contracts there as well."
The logic was sound. The Slug Sage provided the location.
---
Ryūchi Cave proved equally cooperative. The White Snake Sage agreed to contract terms without resistance, though Hanekawa didn't have a suitable candidate yet. He took the contract scroll and left.
When they returned home, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke, her voice perfectly calm.
"Marry me."
Hanekawa blinked. "What?"
"The prerequisite for reproduction is marriage," she stated, as if reading from a manual. "I have decided to reproduce with you. Therefore, marriage is necessary."
She read that from a book, Hanekawa realized, suppressing a smile. Of course she did.
"When?" he asked, still processing.
"I am flexible. You decide."
Hanekawa's mouth twitched. What kind of scumbag proposal is this?
But he was grinning despite himself. "Then let's do it soon."
"Good," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki said simply, as if they'd just agreed on dinner plans rather than marriage.
Only Kaguya could make a marriage proposal sound like a business transaction, Hanekawa thought. And somehow, I'm completely fine with that.