After a few days of rest, Kenshiro's predictions about Hinata's recovery prove accurate, and the journey resumes its former pace.
After nearly a year of doing many things at once through my spiritual clones, riding alone atop Kuro with the wind in my face, Mitsue's warmth pressed against my back, and the distinct presence of my allies' souls radiating concern for my well-being… it all feels strangely invigorating.
Since I awoke, I've felt a level of clarity I didn't possess before.
I don't know exactly where this clarity came from. Maybe it was acting as the bridge between the natural energy of Yumegakure and the world. Or perhaps it was the subtle influence of Yumegakure itself awakening and affecting me. Maybe it was the moment I saw the ocean surge and forced myself to run faster to save Toba—when I felt my limits breaking. Or maybe it's simply that, for the first time in a long time, I'm no longer maintaining my spiritual clones… or maybe it's that I've allowed myself to stop, to heal, and to enjoy this moment.
This clarity allows me to perceive the smallest shifts compared to how I was before—but I feel them. The time between thought and reaction is faster, as though the barrier between body and spirit has grown thinner. Reading the souls of others has become easier, nearly intuitive. I feel my body with more precision, sense how my strength is slowly returning, and how each breath strengthens body, soul, and that meeting point between them—healing unseen wounds and tears.
Everything feels sharper, more in tune.
The world around me reveals itself with a perspective I've never had before. The World of Intent blossoms before me, its colors slightly more vivid. I can now direct my power toward both body and soul with more freedom.
My chakra spins endlessly, growing stronger with each cycle, gradually returning to my state before the conflict… maybe even reaching new, unknown limits. My control has improved—now able to reach places that once eluded me for lack of clarity.
And boldly, I send my chakra, the perfect union of body and spirit, into these new places once hidden.
Then… I feel something I had forgotten. A presence announces itself through a pain long buried by time.
The seal on my forehead pulses, and with it, a burning ache. A memory returns: my battle against Neji. That pain… now makes sense.
I stop the chakra flow to those areas… and the pain disappears.
I'm close. Close to breaking that chain. Maybe this clarity is something greater waiting to be released—or the key to finally shatter that seal.
My thoughts are interrupted as Ayaka approaches. Her soul shines; curiosity and concern wrap around her like a mantle. Beneath it all, I see her deep camaraderie for me and our allies, her love for Souta… everything so clear now.
"Hinata-sama has been especially quiet since she awoke..."
I see it in the shape of her words—what her soul truly screams: Why were you hurt? What happened? How can I help? But those questions are quickly suppressed by her disciplined mind and her awareness of our difference in status.
Before she can continue, I offer her a gentle smile—one that draws the attention of my three curious guardians: Emi, Souta, and Masaru.
"I know Kenshiro did leave you in the dark," I say softly. "He waited for me to share what I chose… or nothing at all. I had a duel. Against two opponents of considerable strength and skill. The result brought me face to face with my limits. And through that… I found a clarity I hadn't been able to appreciate before."
The four of them go silent. They all understand—not just what I said, but what I didn't. They know the changes in Yumegakure are tied to that battle. But what unsettles them most is that final phrase.
All samurai grow stronger after they approach death… How much had she grown this time?
Still, no one presses further.
Souta steps forward, steady and confident. "Next time you face such a challenge, please let us be there with you. None of us want anything to happen to you, Hinata-sama."
I smile at him. "You can count on it. I don't plan to keep my distance until we return home to see my father. Maybe we can even train properly—here, and especially in Yumegakure."
The journey continues. Peaceful days pass. At night, training sessions spark among my guardians and companions. Unlike before, when my control over my strength made sparring difficult, now they all see a Hinata with deeper mastery over herself.
My strikes land with just the right force. For the first time, I began incorporating slowness into my otherwise fast-paced style. I realize that simply accelerating wasn't always the solution.
Now that I can truly be in the moment—in this single instant—the concept of slow movement begins to unfold. It merges with the fast, creating a new rhythm. A new flow. With my now more vivid World of Intent, the possibilities multiply.
In Yumegakure's shining Silver Nodes, training becomes wilder. We clash against multiple samurai in intense encounters, learning to fight as a coordinated team—Kuro, Mitsue, and I. Mitsue, in particular, now blends her growing knowledge of medicine and poisons into her combat style.
When we're not battling samurai, we test ourselves against echoes of Konoha's best in the ghost chambers Michel created—reflections of the past.
The mission remains the same. The goal is clear.
Each day, we are more prepared than the last.
<<<< o >>>>
The passage through the Land of Lightning and the Land of Frost was far less complicated than the journey inbound.
Their visit to the estate of the young daimyō and his mother, Lady Saelis, was calm and uneventful. The boy was visibly thrilled by Kenshiro's animated retelling of the duels fought in Kumogakure—featuring Emi, Souta, Ayaka, and Hinata. It was clear Kenshiro had a gift for spinning tales that captivated youthful imaginations. Hinata, however, couldn't ignore the brief flicker of lustful curiosity in Lady Saelis' gaze—a glimmer that vanished as quickly as it came.
While crossing into the Land of Hot Water, Hinata encountered a deeper surprise: an unseen presence buried beneath stone and soil. Her sharpened senses traced its intent precisely—it observed her, her companions, and her guardians from afar.
A soul split in two. One white and erased of will, subservient to the other—older, mightier, laced with doubt and stubborn resolve. There was no mistaking it. Zetsu.
The supposed 'third' child of Kaguya.
The puppeteer behind so many quiet manipulations.
His role is still obscured. His plans are long in motion.
Now, he merely observed.
A dangerous idea surfaced in Hinata's mind, one she quickly suppressed. This wasn't something to act on in haste. He would watch—for now.
That night, as her real body rested, Hinata found herself once again in the Crystal Tower within Yumegakure. She and Michel sat at the top, sharing tea brewed from herbs grown in the land protected by dreams by Iron Country farmers.
"I think Zetsu is watching me," Hinata admitted quietly.
Michel nodded as he sipped. "It would be reasonable. The Silver Lady has shown power rivaling even the most powerful members of Akatsuki. The priestesses have vanished—and you're the only clue left tied to the Moon Cult."
"Do you think I could convince him that I want to help him restore his mother?"
Michel paused. "I doubt he'd take it well. From what I understand, he was created by Kaguya herself before her sons sealed her. He has no power of his own—he's spent his existence manipulating others. And he's clearly mastered that, through endless cycles of failure and deceit. Right now, things are going exactly how he wants."
"If I tell him I want to help," Hinata said slowly, her fingers wrapped tightly around her teacup, "he won't see me as some naive girl chasing grandeur. He'll see me as a real threat—greater even than the Silver Lady. Because I'd be revealing things that no one alive today should even know."
"You were wise not to approach him," Michel affirmed. "If he's watching, it's because he's looking for signs—clues to who or what the Silver Lady really is. I see two directions this could go. Naturally, with many branches and unpredictable variables. First, they take a cautious approach—gathering intelligence before acting, likely starting with the Bijuu housed in the lesser village of Takigakure. Second, they turn you into a common enemy, rebranding Akatsuki as heroes of justice—quietly making jinchūriki vanish to support that narrative. The strong position of the Sage Lands against you could easily bolster that facade."
"If they choose the second route… would that make the Fourth Great Shinobi War happen on my terms?" Hinata asked calmly.
Michel looked startled. "You're not seriously considering it, are you?"
"Why not? Ignoring what could happen has gotten me in trouble before. Better to be prepared. If it did go that way… I'd become the villain. The war wouldn't start. They'd secure the jinchūriki—maybe even find, with a little 'outside' help, a way to extract the Bijuu without killing their hosts. And after Kaguya's return… perhaps she could let the tailed beasts go, to live freely again."
She said it half in jest. Half in earnest.
"You know that dealing with Kaguya could be as simple as a heartfelt conversation—or a battle more devastating than you can imagine."
Hinata tilted her head slightly, letting a wry smile curl at the corner of her lips, though her eyes held a solemn weight. "I expect a bit of both," she said, voice calm but thoughtful. "That's why I'm preparing. It might be easier if I could reach the true spirits of her real children—not just the reincarnations of the Sage's sons."
She paused, swirling the tea gently in her cup as if watching the ripples could settle the storm beneath her voice. "It's a foolish thought, maybe… but the idea of facing Kaguya as I am now…" A brief shadow crossed her gaze. "It's terrifying, Michel. But still… I'd rather be ready than naive."
Michel nodded slowly. "Even if your goals are clear, the future remains beyond anything we can truly predict."
"At the beginning," Hinata murmured, her gaze distant yet unwavering, "it was just the two of us. But everything changed once we set foot in the Land of Iron. I changed. You changed. And we're no longer alone."
Her fingers tightened gently around her teacup, her voice solemn but carrying a quiet strength. "Yumegakure, Kuro, Mitsue, my father… each of them became part of this path. Each encounter, each hardship—they've all carved something into me. They didn't just shape the road—I finally started seeing where it leads."
She drew in a slow breath, and for a moment, her expression softened, almost reverent. "I'm not afraid to face what's coming, Michel. Not anymore. Because I finally believe this is the right path. Shikashi's future won't come to pass. This time… it ends."