In the plaza outside Amegakure's leadership tower, Natsuki stood before Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, a ninja sword in hand.
The blade had been forged from the Bashōsen — one of the Six Paths Ninja Tools. From the outside, it was indistinguishable from any standard-issue weapon.
"It's called the Five Elements Sword." Natsuki held it up. "Beyond being indestructible, it amplifies all five nature transformations."
He channeled Fire Release into the blade. The steel ignited from within, veins of molten light rolling beneath the surface like magma through volcanic rock.
He swung downward.
A crescent of fire materialized mid-arc, struck the ground, and scorched a blackened trench across the stone.
He switched to Wind Release. The blade went translucent — visible only by the warping of light along its edge.
Another swing.
A razor-thin wind blade shrieked across the plaza, carving a deep furrow into the earth.
"Nagato. Your New Year's gift."
He offered the sword hilt-first.
"Thank you, Natsuki-sensei." Nagato accepted it with genuine gratitude.
"Don't mention it." Natsuki smiled. "All three of you have your own ninja tools now. Only fair."
In truth, the Five Elements Sword didn't dramatically change Nagato's ceiling. In the shinobi world, tools had their limits — bloodlines remained the supreme advantage. And Nagato, carrying both the Uzumaki bloodline and Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan, lacked for virtually nothing.
If not for Madara and Black Zetsu watching his every move, that would genuinely be the case.
"I'm heading out. Keep a close eye on Iwagakure's movements." Natsuki stepped through an Air Door and vanished.
Senju Clan compound — training ground.
Might Guy, Yūhi Kurenai, and Shizune had received advance notice and were already waiting.
An Air Door shimmered open. Natsuki stepped through.
"Natsuki-sensei," the three greeted in unison.
"I called you here because I have New Year's gifts."
He produced fourteen circular white rings.
"These are called the Seven Star Rings."
He turned to Guy. "Wear them on your forearms."
The rings had been forged from the Seven Star Sword, another Six Paths artifact. Natsuki had deliberately reshaped the weapon to suit Guy's fighting style — a taijutsu specialist had no use for a blade.
Guy took them and immediately felt the heft. His eyes lit up.
Weights.
He slid them on, clenched his fists, and threw two rapid punches. His strikes — already devastating — carried noticeably more force. The metallic clink of the rings colliding sent a sharp, clean vibration through his arms. Invigorating.
"Normally, they function as training weights to build arm strength," Natsuki explained. "In combat, they increase your defensive resilience. And when the rings strike each other, the impact disrupts genjutsu."
The Seven Star Sword's original ability had targeted the victim's verbal tic — their most frequently spoken word — and cursed it. That function fell under Yin Release.
Natsuki had repurposed the curse mechanism into a genjutsu-dispelling effect. For a taijutsu fighter, it was transformative. Guy could shrug off the Eight Gates' genjutsu immunity during activation, but in his base state, illusions remained his greatest vulnerability. In the original timeline, he'd resorted to fighting without looking at his opponent's eyes — effective, but crude.
All three students stared.
They didn't know the rings' exact market value, but an anti-genjutsu effect embedded in a pair of combat weights was self-evidently priceless.
"Natsuki-sensei — I haven't earned anything like this. I can't accept them!" Guy said immediately.
"Then call it a loan," Natsuki said, already anticipating the refusal.
Guy hesitated, visibly torn. He really did love them.
"This is the Golden Canopy Rope."
Natsuki turned to Kurenai and held up what appeared to be a slim bracelet. He pressed its center, and it split apart, extending into a long, flexible whip.
"Dual function — attack and restraint." He coiled it loosely. "Once it binds a target, it forces them to speak the truth."
The reforging had altered the Rope's original effect only slightly. Offense and binding were native capabilities. The modification was subtle: instead of forcing the target to reveal their verbal tic, it compelled honest answers to direct questions.
Within the squad, Kurenai's role was battlefield control. With the Golden Canopy Rope, she could extend that into interrogation and field intelligence — a natural expansion of her skillset.
"Thank you, Natsuki-sensei!" Kurenai's excitement was immediate.
In raw utility, the Rope was every bit the equal of Guy's rings.
Shizune's anticipation was written all over her face.
"These are called the Guardian Pendants."
Natsuki produced a pair of silver earrings. "They absorb specific ninjutsu directed at the wearer."
"Specific?" Shizune asked. "Which ones?"
"Theoretically, any. The Pendants neutralize up to four ninjutsu per day. Which four depends on what your enemies throw at you."
"That's incredible," Kurenai murmured.
"Timing is everything with these," Natsuki said, handing them over.
The Pendants had been forged from the Crimson Gourd. Its original function — sealing anyone whose verbal tic had been triggered — had been rewritten into targeted ninjutsu absorption. The daily limit of four was a constraint, but for Shizune, it amounted to a survival tool: four lethal attacks, simply erased.
[Congratulations — Senji Muramasa Template Ability 2: Tameshimono has been unlocked.]
Text floated across Natsuki's vision. With this, every ability in the Muramasa template was now active.
"Take these home and practice with them. Training resumes after the holiday." Natsuki waved them off.
"Yes, Natsuki-sensei!"
The three departed, each clutching their new weapon with barely contained excitement.
Arms wrapped around him from behind.
Something soft pressed against his back.
"Don't I get a New Year's gift?" Kushina reached around, palms open in mock expectation.
"You do."
Natsuki turned to face her.
"Wait — really?" Surprise flickered across her face. She hadn't expected him to actually have something prepared.
He leaned down, lips brushing her ear. His right hand found the curve of her ass and squeezed — slow, deliberate, twice.
"What do you think?" he murmured, breath warm against her skin.
Kushina went still. Then realization hit, and color crept up her neck.
"Not satisfied with your gift?"
"What kind of gift is that?" She couldn't help the exasperation in her voice.
"A gift is supposed to make the recipient happy." He blinked innocently. "Aren't you happy?"
She rolled her eyes hard enough to strain something.
He wasn't wrong, technically. Which only made it more infuriating.
"So cute."
He kissed her — no preamble, no warning, full on the mouth.
Kushina's irritation evaporated on contact. She leaned into it, her fingers twisting into the front of his shirt, and for a breathless stretch neither of them came up for air.
When they finally broke apart, both were panting.
"You already have the Sorcery Clima-Tact," Natsuki said, catching his breath. "You don't need another tool."
"I know." Kushina exhaled. "I just saw you with Kurenai at the training ground and came to watch. I wasn't actually expecting anything."
"So — back to training? Or would you like to continue unwrapping your gift?"
"Training, obviously!" She glared. "It's the middle of the day! And Tsunade and Nawaki are right there!"
"And?"
"And what about Nonou?" The question landed like a thrown kunai.
Natsuki's mouth opened. Nothing came out.
"Why so tense?" Kushina's eyes narrowed, a thread of genuine hurt beneath the teasing. "You think I don't know why you go home every night?"
"Kushina, I—"
"Forget it." She shook her head. "Let's not do this right now."
She didn't know how to untangle what existed between the three of them any more than he did. For now, taking it one day at a time was the only option.
They returned to the courtyard and joined Tsunade and Nawaki for Wood Release training.
The New Year holiday ended. Everyone returned to work.
Natsuki opened his office door to find Mikoto already there.
"Happy New Year, Natsuki." She bowed — a precise, controlled motion.
She'd put on her secretary uniform again. One button fewer than usual. With each movement, pale skin strained against the fabric, threatening to spill free.
"Happy New Year."
He stepped forward and placed his hand on her thigh — black stockings taut over smooth skin. He squeezed, fingers pressing into the mesh, savoring the texture.
Mikoto's expression didn't harden or flinch. She looked up at him with something soft, open, yielding.
It made him feel like a villain.
He withdrew his hand and crossed to his desk.
Work first. Documents first. The scenery could wait.
He picked up the first report.
The Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud conflict had finally escalated to full-scale war. Over six thousand shinobi from both sides were clashing across the archipelago. The Cloud had deployed their Two-Tails jinchūriki, Nii Yugito. The Mist's jinchūriki status was unclear — they might have been deployed, but hadn't surfaced yet.
Among the Five Great Villages, only the Cloud treated their jinchūriki as frontline assets, fielding them relatively freely. Every other village held theirs in reserve until the situation became truly desperate.
The Third Mizukage still hadn't taken the field personally. A disappointment.
Natsuki's thoughts drifted to Terumī Mei. Her talent was exceptional — during this period, she'd absorbed a substantial number of Kidō techniques, her strength climbing rapidly. She'd earned a seat among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Kidō was a devastating force multiplier against most opponents. Once the incantation was discarded, the spells could be cast instantaneously. Against the average shinobi, that speed advantage was insurmountable. Namikaze Minato operated on the same principle — instant deployment of the Flying Thunder God, opponents dead before they could react, finished with a single kunai.
The second report covered the Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand conflict. Both sides were exercising restraint; combined troop commitments hadn't exceeded two thousand. On the Sand's side, Pakura was deliberately keeping the war contained — she still had to deal with Rasa and Reki internally.
The Stone's restraint was harder to parse. The most logical explanation was that they were conserving strength for a larger offensive — against either Konoha or the Cloud.
He'd have to wait for their next move.
The third report concerned the Hidden Star Village.
Anbu reconnaissance had mapped the current situation clearly. The Third Hoshikage was still alive — Akahoshi hadn't made his move yet. But the Star had already been spirited away by Natsuhi and Hotarubi. Their hiding spot had been located: a canyon choked with toxic gas on the village's northern border.
Natsuki rubbed his chin.
The question was what "secretly controlling a small hidden village" actually required. One approach: let Akahoshi assassinate the Third Hoshikage as he was fated to do, then back Natsuhi and Hotarubi to eliminate Akahoshi and claim the leadership.
He nodded to himself. Feasible.
He'd delegate it to the three Snake Princesses. With his current strength and position, personal involvement would be absurd overkill. The entire Hidden Star Village, even enhanced by the meteorite, fielded fewer than ten jōnin-caliber shinobi.
He finished the remaining documents quickly — minor administrative matters, nothing urgent.
"I'll be back shortly," he told Mikoto, then stepped through an Air Door to the Land of Water's capital.
He briefed the Snake Princesses on the Hidden Star Village operation, set the plan in motion, and returned.
With his work cleared, he spent the remaining hours with Mikoto, putting her Water Release through its paces.
February arrived. The last traces of the holiday season had evaporated.
Natsuki sat in his office chair, turning a stone over in his hands.
The Star. The Hidden Star Village's meteorite.
He could feel the energy inside it — vast, dense, and almost identical to chakra. Almost, but not quite. The distinction mattered. Chakra itself was nontoxic, yet prolonged training with the Star caused severe physical deterioration. That gap between "almost chakra" and "actual chakra" was where the damage lived.
Its only real use was as fuel for the Black Grail. Training with it was pointless when the side effects were this punishing.
He summoned the Grail.
A beam of dark light enveloped the meteorite. The absorption was rapid — the Star shrank, dimmed, and vanished entirely.
Natsuki's eyebrows rose. The energy yield was enormous. Roughly equivalent to half a Tailed Beast.
A meteorite that fell from the sky...
Could it be connected to the Ōtsutsuki on the moon?
The thought wasn't a stretch. All chakra in the shinobi world traced back to the Ōtsutsuki Clan. The only native power was natural energy. Anything that wasn't natural energy was, almost by definition, Ōtsutsuki in origin.
His attention snapped sideways.
One of the Eyeball Clones he'd stationed near Yahiko had just disappeared.
Natsuki was on his feet instantly. An Air Door opened, and he stepped into the leader's office in Amegakure.
Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, and Hyō-onna were all present.
"Natsuki-sensei." Yahiko didn't waste time. "We've received intelligence — Iwagakure has dispatched five hundred shinobi. They're heading straight for us."
"Moving fast and covering their tracks well," Hyō-onna added. "This has every hallmark of a surprise attack. We were lucky — my Eyeball Clone caught them."
Natsuki immediately drew the parallel to the original timeline, where Iwagakure had launched a covert strike against the Land of Fire itself. If Minato hadn't arrived when he did, the attack would have succeeded.
"Their real target is Konoha," Natsuki said. "These five hundred are the vanguard. They intend to neutralize Amegakure first — clear the path."
"They're underestimating us," Yahiko said flatly.
"Five hundred shinobi for a surprise assault on a minor village is actually cautious, by most standards." Natsuki smiled. "But Iwagakure clearly hasn't taken the measure of Amegakure's true strength."
"What's the play, Sensei?" Yahiko's fists clenched. "Do we hit them hard?"
"We hit them. Since we already know their route, we set an ambush and wipe them out at minimal cost." Natsuki's tone shifted — harder, more deliberate. "But understand what comes after. Once their vanguard is destroyed, Iwagakure will retaliate with everything they have. A full offensive."
"We can't beat Iwagakure head-on," Yahiko acknowledged. "But we can hold."
"Three days." Natsuki held up three fingers. "Buy me three days. Then I arrive with Konoha's forces."
"Yes, Natsuki-sensei," the four said together.
"I'm heading back. Stay sharp — all of you." A final thought crossed his mind: the war was just igniting. Uchiha Madara wouldn't tip his hand this early. He'd wait until Iwagakure and Konoha were fully committed, bleeding each other dry. That was when the real danger surfaced.
Natsuki opened an Air Door and returned to Konoha.
He went straight to Orochimaru.
"This is a declaration of war against Konoha." Orochimaru's frown deepened as he absorbed the report. "There's no other way to read it."
Everyone knew Amegakure operated under Konoha's umbrella. Iwagakure's intent was transparent.
"Amegakure's intelligence network is better than I expected — catching Iwagakure's advance force is no small feat." Orochimaru's acknowledgment was brief, then he shifted to action. "Natsuki. Issue a notice: all jōnin are to convene at 1300 hours."
"Yes, Sensei."
Natsuki headed to the Anbu base. Zo received the order and dispatched every available operative to notify Konoha's jōnin corps.
Within minutes, the village's atmosphere changed. Tension threaded through every street, every corridor. A wartime jōnin assembly carried only one meaning, and every shinobi old enough to remember the last war understood exactly what it was.
"Natsuki."
Tsunade intercepted him the moment he appeared. "Is it war?"
"Iwagakure has sent five hundred shinobi toward Amegakure."
"Of course." She shook her head slowly. "It was never a question of if. Only when."
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