When the healing had run its course, I felt the life energy of this plane recede—its work complete. A stillness settled over me and Mitsue. It reminded me of the deep fatigue I once felt when I used Yumegakure as a prison, and bore the burden alone. My blood screamed inside me, muffled by the seal on my forehead, a throbbing pain constant and dull.
Yumegakure didn't know what to do with something physical. Its very nature resisted it—an unconscious rejection of what didn't belong. And yet, something within it also resisted that rejection, as if the world itself hesitated because it was us. While Mitsue was still sustained by Yumegakure's regenerative flow, she remained alert, and I felt mostly normal—merely fatigued. But the moment that flow stopped, my body sank into overwhelming exhaustion, and Mitsue collapsed, slipping into a state beyond simple weariness. Something deeper had given out in her, and I could feel it in the stillness of her presence.
Terrified for her, I stirred my spirit as I had done many times before. With effort, I opened a portal to the nearest Silver Node. Through it passed my father, Kaito, Kenshiro, Hanabi, and the ten samurai assigned to protect me.
As we stepped into the Silver Node's space, I felt strength return to my limbs. The searing pain in my forehead and behind my eyes began to ease. Yumegakure's protective essence seemed stronger here—more focused. I breathed deeply as Mitsue stirred beside me, her eyelids fluttering open.
"Seeing you awake calms my heart," I whispered. "We'll find a way to fix this."
She nodded and, using what little strength remained, clung to me before falling back into a peaceful slumber.
Then, another portal shimmered into being.
Michel stepped through. At the sight of me standing, his face—once tense—relaxed. Without a word, he pulled me into a firm embrace.
The first to speak was my father.
"I understand the situation is complex, but we must act quickly. The Shinigami will return with armies and hostile intent. Do we have any means of responding before he claims a foothold in this world?"
Michel released me gently and turned to the room. "In the past few days, I've developed a way to sense where the Shinigami's fractures will form—and estimate their magnitude. By combining the power of the Silver Nodes with Yumegakure's natural response to intrusions, I believe we can create portals to deploy our forces near any breach."
Kaito spoke next, cautiously. "Any idea what kind of forces we'll face?"
Michel nodded. "I don't believe we'll be facing immortal beings like the Edo Tensei. Rather, I suspect he will summon souls of the dead whom he deems fit to fight. Whether they are rewarded or compelled—I don't know. I estimate the initial clashes will be small, until they discover a way to destabilize Yumegakure's rules... or find a means to distract Hinata from the battlefield."
Hanabi's eyes widened. "My sister can stop armies?"
Kaito answered without hesitation. "Your sister can manipulate Yumegakure's structure. Here, she is nearly unchallengeable. And even beyond that—her strength is nothing to scoff at."
Takama folded his arms. "So far, we're talking only of defense. Can we counterattack? Is there any chance for a peaceful end to this?"
I placed a hand over the spot where the Shinigami had pierced me.
"If it were up to me, we'd pursue peace. But I believe the Shinigami sees us as irreconcilable threats. If we want to negotiate, we must first show our strength."
Takama nodded solemnly. "I hope it doesn't come to that. In any case, perhaps we can summon the Kage who have access to Yumegakure and request their support. We could offer them something in return."
Michel smiled. "Let them retain memories of the battles they participate in. Tactical experience—without casualties. And if they decline, knowing their enemies might gain battle-hardened veterans while they do not? That's motivation enough."
Kaito murmured, impressed. "That's... an elegant solution. I thought that when it came to the memories—either they remember everything, or nothing at all."
Michel nodded. "It is possible—especially in something as intense as war. The memories would be limited to the battles themselves, but that's all a commander needs. Hinata and I discussed this after seeing several couples in Yumegakure who fell in love here but never had the chance in the real world, this can be an adaptation of that problem solution."
I took a breath. "I believe it's time to break the seal on my forehead. My instincts say I'll need to if I want to make a difference."
Kuro's voice held concern. "Are you sure? Ever since the battle against the sages, you've suspected that forcing that power out was dangerous..."
I looked at her. "In the real world, definitely. But here—I believe it's necessary. I've felt this seal for a long time... but never so clearly... If I don't do this now, I won't be able to help."
I turned to the others. "Just in case, it's best to do it with Tsunade present. We should bring her here when she returns to Yumegakure."
Hanabi stepped forward. "Then I'll wake up now. Father must be frantic by this point—I've been gone for days. I'll return tonight and be with you when you break it."
She gave me a warm hug before vanishing into the waking world.
I looked at Takama and Kenshiro.
Takama said, "Mifune, Goro, and Enshun can handle matters while I remain here."
Kenshiro shrugged. "If you're doing that, I'll study the seal thoroughly. And Reika would kill me if she found out I left in this condition."
<<<< o >>>>
At the summit of the Crystal Tower, near the silver tree where Yumegakure and I first touched natural energy long ago, the air shimmered faintly, heavy with spiritual pressure. The walls, made of translucent crystal, refracted light in silent waves. This, the spiritual heart of Yumegakure, pulsed with intent, as if even the space itself recognized what was about to unfold.
Tsunade stood off to the side, arms crossed, her gaze unreadable yet sharp. She wasn't thrilled about doing this far from her medical quarters, but her curiosity outweighed her caution. Beside her, Sakura prepared various instruments her master had brought in case of emergency.
I wished Shino and Kiba were here. They would have come, surely, had they not been sent on a mission far from Konoha, unaware of what was about to take place.
Hanabi stood a short distance away, nervous yet fiercely focused, her Byakugan active and ready to alert Tsunade at the slightest irregularity. In the back of the chamber stood Michel, Kurenai, Kenshiro, Kaito, and Takama—silent pillars of support and caution, grounding the sacred stillness in reverence.
I knelt at the center, hands on the ground, feeling the pulse of Yumegakure vibrate beneath my skin. My breathing was steady, but each inhalation grew heavier. The seal on my forehead burned—a sharp, unrelenting pain. Each time my blood screamed in rebellion against the pressure the world imposed on it, the seal tightened, increasing the pain. I knew then—it was time.
I summoned my chakra slowly, carefully, guiding it into places I had never reached before: hidden channels, invisible paths that now opened under focused will. I followed them until they met the seal. In that instant, pain exploded. Not a mere flash, but a firestorm that consumed my world. It clawed at my senses, trying to shatter my will. And still, I persisted. I chose to face my pain. I chose to face my fear. And today... I would overcome them both.
Agony took hold. Blood began to seep from the fine lines etched into my forehead, tracing down my face. My eyes began to burn—not just with pain, but with something deeper. Blood trickled from my tear ducts, glowing faintly with a silver aura. As it fell, it disintegrated into shimmering motes, carried by the air, absorbed into the Silver Node itself.
I screamed—not from fear or pain, but from pressure. Yumegakure, sensing my critical moment, answered. As I had once given to it, now it gave back. Natural energy flooded me. White threads descended from the moon itself, piercing through space, so powerful they were visible even to those untrained in sage arts. Each silver-white thread wrapped around me, forming a luminous cocoon, infusing my chakra with new life and strength. The reaction was immediate. My chakra shifted, rose. The world twisted. I ascended to the Silver Stage.
The boundary between body and soul began to fracture—where one began and the other ended became irrelevant. The spiritual seal placed on my soul by Shikashi and the physical seal it had entangled by the hyuga both began to crack. Through every fracture, I saw something beyond: something incomprehensible yet simple… something yearning to be free. I felt myself—my younger self—open her eyes to that connection. My eyes responded, reaching out instinctively, drinking in energy from the other side.
Body and soul blurred. The spiritual seal held no power when its domain became physical, and the physical seal turned ephemeral as the flesh it clung to became intangible. Spirit and matter overlapped. The seal fractured, then shattered—scattering like crystal in the light of Yumegakure.
Suddenly, I could see.
Not perfectly—only silhouettes, forms of light and motion—but I saw.
And I felt light envelop me… but it was more than light. It was my own blood, released as my body strove to break the boundaries imposed on me.
Tsunade's mouth fell open. Hanabi gasped. Sakura clutched Tsunade's arm. Without hesitation, Tsunade and Sakura sprang into action, beginning to mend the internal damage the seal had wrought during its collapse. Their chakra flared—steady, expert, precise. Kuro growled softly, protective, confused. Kenshiro and Kaito leaned forward, eyes wide, as Kenshiro stepped closer, scanning intently for any lingering traps or mechanisms left by the seal. Takama took an unconscious step toward me, his hand drifting instinctively to his sword—not out of fear, but reverence.
Mitsue stirred beside me. The effect reached her. Her body convulsed gently, glowing with faint pulses mirroring my own. We were still connected—by more than blood, more than chakra. Something deeper. Older. As the transformation surged through me, it touched her as well. The changes I experienced... were not mine alone.
Michel stepped forward, solemn and awestruck. "Her bloodline was sealed—spiritually—since nearly birth. It mutated under that seal, becoming something else. And when she broke it, it was replaced by a second one—physical, and perhaps even more dangerous."
He looked at Tsunade. "That seal is gone now. What we're seeing is a new form—one we don't understand yet. Her bloodline... it's the reason she can survive here. And I suspect it affects more than just her eyes."
I looked at him, breathing heavily, the silver irises of my new vision catching the crystal light.
I was no longer Hyūga.
I was something else. Something born not of tradition, but of choice, will, and spirit.