Ultimately, Minister Genbu chose to write the orders, commanding his soldiers to enter in small groups — lured by the threat of death and the promise of mercy.
However, by the fourth wave, the soldiers of Hino Country began to sense something was wrong.
Yet, under Genbu's command, chaos erupted — volleys of arrows rained down, and countless soldiers hesitated, only to be struck down in confusion.
Under Nobuhiko's leadership, Hane no Kuni's forces annihilated nearly a thousand of the Hino army.
Of course, this victory would not have been possible without Kaguya's help.
After the battle, Nobuhiko stood beside her, his body drenched in blood. He exhaled softly.
"I never wanted to stain your hands with blood…"
Kaguya slowly came back to her senses and gazed at him.
"You're not afraid of my power?"
When she had unleashed the Byakugan's full strength earlier, many enemies had exploded into mist and fragments.
Even though those killed were soldiers of Hino Country, the sheer brutality of the scene terrified the troops of Hane no Kuni as well.
Everyone kept their distance from Kaguya — everyone except Nobuhiko.
Seeing the worry deep within her pale eyes, Nobuhiko wiped the blood from his palms onto his robe and gently took her hand.
"You are my wife. All I have for you is love and trust."
Kaguya's expression softened instantly at his words.
Feeling her hand gradually relax within his, Nobuhiko continued:
"Wherever there are people, there will be conflict.To preserve peace, force is sometimes unavoidable.But even so… I still believe love can bring peace."
Ten Years Later
Inside a magnificent palace over twenty meters tall, Nobuhiko lay weakly in Kaguya's arms, his eyes dim.
In the ten years that followed, he had unified the continent and founded a single nation — the Empire of Flame — all with Kaguya's aid.
In order to bring peace and minimize bloodshed, shortly after Nobuhiko's destruction of Hino's army, Kaguya had consumed the fruit of the Divine Tree, gaining the power of creation itself.
Those who opposed Nobuhiko were drawn into her Infinite Tsukuyomi, transformed into White Zetsu.
Although Nobuhiko did not know exactly how many had perished, he was certain Kaguya had killed far fewer this time — the majority of civilians had survived.
After all, no war comes without death.
But he had never imagined that after Kaguya awakened her Rinne Sharingan, infusing his body with Ōtsutsuki chakra, that power would become the cause of his death.
Whether due to his human constitution or genetic incompatibility, Kaguya's chakra granted him the Byakugan, but it also brought a fatal, bloodline-like disease.
His body rapidly decayed.
If Kaguya stopped infusing him with chakra, he would die instantly.But continuing it was only delaying the inevitable.
And today was the day his life would finally end.
"Kaguya… let us join once more."
Nobuhiko raised his trembling hand to touch her abdomen, channeling his chakra gently into her body.
His greatest regret was the frailty of his human form.
Once his chakra cultivation reached a certain point, his body could no longer keep up — he could never take the final step with Kaguya.
Their difference in power was too vast.
He couldn't even pierce her defense.
Then Kaguya came up with an idea — to combine their chakra through yin–yang release, creating life together instead.
"It has succeeded," Kaguya whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks and falling onto his face.
Nobuhiko used his remaining strength to wipe her tears.
"Don't cry. I'm only going to another world.Maybe one day… we'll meet again."
At first, he had only sought to benefit from Kaguya, but after ten years of living together, true affection had grown between them.
Even if this was all a dream, he wanted to leave her with comfort in the end.
As death drew near, a sudden thought jolted him awake.
"Kaguya… be careful of the children! They might—"
Before he could finish, darkness swallowed his vision.
The last thing he heard was Kaguya's anguished scream:
"NOBUHIKO!!!"
After the Fall
An endless darkness surrounded him.As Nobuhiko sank deeper, a sense of falling overwhelmed him—until, suddenly, he opened his eyes in bed.
The feeling vanished.
He looked around at the all-too-familiar yet strangely distant room and sighed.
"So this time lasted ten years…?Kaguya, you felt so real…"
The first time he had entered a dream projection, he treated it like a game.By the second, he was far more cautious.But this time—it felt completely real.
He knew, of course, it was only because he had lived there so long.The memories would fade soon.
"Already starting to blur, huh…"
As Nobuhiko recalled the events, the ten years began to dissolve in his mind—like a vivid dream slowly fading into haze.
Only the most precious memories stayed sharp.Perhaps his subconscious refused to let them go.
One such memory was of the moment Kaguya told him she wanted to bear his child…
He sat silently for a long while before refocusing his gaze on the glowing interface before him.
System Log
[Dream Projection Completed]World:Naruto (Ancient Era)Role: Flame Emperor NobuhikoRace: HumanStatus: Dead (Illness)
Summary:As a mere human, you gained the chakra of the Ōtsutsuki clan, but it claimed your life.Many died by your actions, yet far more survived because of you.You changed Kaguya's view of humanity and, with her aid, created the first unified human empire, advancing civilization and stability.
Evaluation:B-Rank(You achieved the pinnacle possible for a mortal in that age.You were the first human to obtain chakra.Your legacy endures through history—your name is immortalized.)
Reward: Potential Points +4399
You may now spend potential points to obtain skills, talents, bloodlines, or items from your projection.
"Four thousand three hundred ninety-nine points?! That's insane!"
Nobuhiko's eyes widened.
"Just two ranks above D, and the difference in points is that huge?I basically lost a fortune the first time!"
Still, he accepted it. His earlier carelessness had taught him caution.
"Forget the past. Learn, adapt, and grow stronger."
He exhaled deeply.
His remaining 100 points brought his total to 4,499—for the first time, he felt rich.
"Now… it's harvest time."
He scrolled through the panel carefully.
"The most important thing—Kaguya's chakra."
His gaze hardened as he selected it.
This was one of the two required conditions to awaken the Tenseigan — the chakra of the Ōtsutsuki from the moon, combined with pure Hyuga (Byakugan) lineage from Earth.
He already had half the requirement.
Yet the memory of his illness gave him pause.
The "emperor" he had inhabited possessed a strong, adult physique, far sturdier than his current child's body.
And even then, the excess of Kaguya's chakra had nearly killed him.
To repeat that in reality… might truly cost him his life.
For the first time, Nobuhiko hesitated deeply.