"Izayoi-kun, is something the matter?"
"Is today's food not to your taste?"
Inside the dining room, the four sisters looked at Izayoi, who sat at the head of the table gnawing absent‑mindedly on his chopsticks, and could not help asking.
In front of Hanabi and her sisters, the three elder girls still felt shy about changing the way they addressed Izayoi.
Hearing the question, Izayoi instantly came back to himself and hurriedly smiled. "No, the food is delicious; I was just thinking about something a moment ago."
"What could bother Onii‑chan so much?" Hanabi immediately volunteered. "Do you need Hanabi's help? With my strength now, I can definitely do something for Onii‑chan!"
As if proving herself, Hanabi deliberately put down her bowl and chopsticks, rolled up her sleeves, and flexed her biceps—utterly adorable.
Izayoi and the three Hinata girls could not help but smile.
"I suddenly forgot what it was. If I remember, I'll be sure to ask you, Hanabi." Smiling, Izayoi placed a chicken drumstick in Hanabi's bowl. "Here, have a drumstick."
"Mmph… Onii‑chan still treats me like a child." Hanabi pouted in mild protest, yet still buried herself in the chicken.
"If you forgot, it means it's not that important. Think it over after we eat." The Hinata girl ladled Izayoi a bowl of soup and spoke softly.
"Mm. Sorry to make you worry." Izayoi nodded with a smile, though he did not tell them that it was actually something extremely important.
After all, it concerned the path for them to break free of mortal lifespans and grow even stronger.
Since he still had no sure way to capture Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, nor any method to make the Divine Tree bear fruit quickly, Izayoi had not shared the good news with them. Otherwise it would only raise their hopes for nothing.
And a strong person's intuition is often accurate—just now Izayoi had indeed felt a sudden flash of insight, but the crucial point slipped his mind.
That feeling made him even more certain there must be some ability in the original story that could help the Divine Tree bear fruit early.
So, although Izayoi looked relaxed, he fell absent‑minded repeatedly while eating.
In all the years the girls had known Izayoi, this was the first time they had seen him so distracted.
The four exchanged looks, seeing worry in one another's eyes.
Even when facing the Akatsuki leader or Uchiha Madara he had never been like this. Now, though he was already the strongest in the ninja world, he appeared so troubled—clearly whatever he was pondering was truly serious.
He kept it to himself so they would not worry.
Precocious as ever, Izayoi was gentle and thoughtful, arranging everything so they never suffered. With his bodily healing and the Grail Stone, they had reached the pinnacle of ninja strength.
That only made the Hinata ache for him more.
Hinata, Karin, and Shion exchanged glances, as if reaching a silent decision.
After dinner, Izayoi rested briefly, then—as usual—went to bathe in his private hot‑spring pool.
When the three girls finished the dishes, Hinata told Hanabi: "Hanabi, you're grown up now. In a few years you'll succeed as Patriarch. You can't stay out overnight like before. Go home and sleep."
"I'm not going back—I'm sleeping here tonight!" the rebellious Hanabi retorted at once. "Besides, you haven't even married Onii‑chan yet, and Father and the elders haven't named a Patriarch. Right now you're the actual heir—if you go home, take everyone with you."
"That's not for you to refuse." Hinata's lips curved slightly, and unease flickered in Hanabi's heart.
Before the rookie prodigy could react, Hinata moved like instantaneous teleportation, leaving not even a blur, appearing right in front of Hanabi from several meters away.
With a light finger tap, violet‑white chakra flashed. Mastering both gentle and firm taijutsu, top‑tier sealing and forbidden arts, and even Izayoi's Super Typhoon Serial Spheres techniques, Hinata's chakra and combat prowess rivaled the Five Kage. Hanabi—who had many ways to counter Gaara, Kurotsuchi, and Samui—was instantly immobilized.
"Good night."
Under Hanabi's indignant glare, Hinata smiled softly, then used Kamui to warp her back to the Hyūga estate.
Next, Hinata activated the barrier Izayoi had installed two years prior—one even top‑tier powerhouses could not break, which blocked both Byakugan and Sharingan sight.
After coaxing a few gossipers out, Hinata exchanged looks with the other two girls who had just cleaned up; blushes spread across their cheeks.
Izayoi knew nothing of Hinata's forceful handling of Hanabi.
He was soaking in the hot spring, replaying every memory since his transmigration—now vivid, like HD files on a hard drive.
Not only Naruto and Shippuden episodes, but also the Boruto storyline.
He kept flipping through Boruto. Although battle feats there were weaker than the Fourth Ninja War, its higher‑dimensional tech and Shinjutsu surpassed Shippuden.
Such Shinjutsu might affect the Divine Tree.
With talents like Amado and Orochimaru, perhaps science could hasten the Divine Tree's fruit.
They had already created cyborgs who wielded Shinjutsu and Sage powers.
Especially Amado—his modified Eida and Daemon had awakened Ōtsutsuki‑level shinjutsu.
If those scientists studied the Divine Tree, they might truly help Izayoi.
Amado's dream was to revive his daughter. Isshiki's dōjutsu couldn't do it, but with Izayoi's Rinne-Tenseigan and Rinne‑Sharingan, as long as Amado still had Akebi's body, Izayoi could cast Rinne Rebirth with only some chakra.
Once his daughter revived, Amado would gladly serve him.
But it was late, and Izayoi was in no rush to act.
"Izayoi‑kun…"
While he rifled through his mind for abilities that could hasten the Divine Tree, a girl's voice suddenly sounded.
Looking toward it, Izayoi's breath caught and his body temperature shot up.
If not for his now‑strong constitution, he might have had a literal nosebleed.
Because the sight before him was too shocking—too stimulating.
Through steam at the pool's edge, three graceful figures approached.
In the hazy mist, their outfits flickered tantalizingly.
Hinata walked in the center—the C‑position.
She wore no towel, but a white bunny‑girl outfit. Her hair, not tied or wrapped, was transformed snowy white, topped with upright bunny ears.
With her natural lavender Byakugan, she was white from head to toe—like a rabbit spirit that had cultivated into human form.
At her right, Shion wore a blue‑and‑white gym uniform, honey‑colored hair in a high ponytail, exuding senior‑student charm.
At her left, Karin wore a black school swimsuit, red twin‑tails swaying; her delicate face no longer bore glasses, since her myopia had long been cured.
All three outfits were body‑hugging, showing every curve, making Izayoi's heart pound.
Gulp.
Unable to help it, Izayoi swallowed. Heat flushed through him. "Y‑you… what is this…?"
The girls said nothing.
As head wife, Hinata waded into the pool, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered, "Anata, this is a belated birthday present."
"Anata, ready?" Karin hugged him from behind.
Shion said nothing, merely clutching his arm.
Surrounded, Izayoi suddenly asked calmly, "Where's Hanabi?"
"I sent her home."
Hearing that, Izayoi chuckled. "Then no holding back!"
"No—you hold nothing back, Anata!" Knowing physical healing was Izayoi's weakness, Karin teased, "No surrender allowed!"
"Then let's see!"
Izayoi pulled the three girls close and sank into the green water.
A full‑power battle between six‑path‑class fighters erupted in the tiny hot spring.
Soon the four vanished—shifting the battlefield with Flying Thunder God, Amenotejikara, even the Yomotsu Hirasaka to leave Earth…
Izayoi treasured the rare team raid, madly farming EXP for future games.
The trio likewise refused to lose: whenever one faltered, they split—two pinning Izayoi while the third bit him to life‑steal.
With physical healing, they always pulled off a comeback at sliver HP, instantly restoring to full.
Only Izayoi, the "big boss," saw his HP bar drop.
Even so, it took them three days and nights to wear him to critical.
Once critically low, Izayoi quit playing around and fought in earnest.
With chakra prayer beads he created small tools, silenced the trio, and one‑shot them.
On the Moon, in a palace beneath an artificial sun.
"Hmph—nothing special."
Izayoi tossed aside shackles, looked at the three girls lying unconscious, legs still curled, and scoffed.
Though he'd won, he had to admit Hinata's growth these years was astounding. She had undoubtedly surpassed Tsunade and every other woman to become the No. 1 kunoichi.
Even unconscious after three days' battle, her Transformation Jutsu had not dispelled.
Such chakra control left not only Hanabi but even Tsunade, Karin, and Sakura in the dust.
"Hmm?"
Gazing at white‑haired, bunny‑eared Hinata, ready to take them home, Izayoi suddenly froze.
The next instant, a white beam flashed through his mind.
Moments later he grinned, Rinne‑Tenseigan eyes fixed through the floor, as though penetrating all obstacles. He muttered:
"Right… how did I forget that ability?"
"Kekkei Mōra—Nature Integration!"
"Isn't this exactly the combo Miketsu needs? Hahaha…"
Izayoi burst into laughter.
Were the girls awake, he would have launched another round to share his joy.
Even so, as he carried them home, he could not resist kissing each one hard—especially Hinata, whom he decided to reward well later.
If not for her outfit and belated gift, he would not have shifted the fight to the Moon, and would have forgotten that Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had a colored entry called Nature Integration.
It is a Kekkei Mōra that lets its user merge with nature and manipulate the environment to attack.
To Kaguya it was a throw‑away power, far inferior to Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack or All‑Killing Ash Bones.
But in Izayoi's hands, he could fuse with the Divine Tree, or with the Rōran ruins where it stood, then use Miketsu to channel the Dragon Vein's energy into the Tree—accelerating its fruiting.
Even before obtaining the ability, he was certain the method would work.
Only Shinjutsu or Kekkei Mōra can affect the Divine Tree.
His Miketsu is a Kekkei Mōra ocular art of the Rinne‑Tenseigan; Kaguya's Nature Integration is another.
Combined, the two Kekkei Mōra form a perfect shortcut.
Thinking of this, Izayoi gazed toward the sealed Kaguya on the Moon and murmured with a smile, "Looks like I'll have to undo her seal after all."
Whether to obtain the ability or to harvest the Divine Tree's chakra for pills, he had to free Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
He just hadn't expected that day to come so soon.