Kaede plucked the strand of black hair and released the seal.
A surge of red-gold Nine-Tails chakra poured out from the hair, quickly expanding in size until it reformed into the massive body of the Nine-Tailed Fox, landing with a heavy thud on the ground outside the village.
The fox's eyes spun in a dazed swirl, visibly disoriented.
The whole beast lay sprawled on the ground with limbs flung wide and its nine tails splayed out behind it. Even its tongue was lolling out slightly.
Whoosh!
Kaede disappeared with a soft snap.
As soon as he vanished, the Nine-Tails shook its head vigorously, clearing the dizziness from its eyes. Realizing what had just happened, it let out an enraged roar:
"Fifth Hokage!!!"
The booming voice reverberated across the entire Konoha, making everyone tremble.
Back in his office, Kaede looked at the furious Nine-Tails and said casually, "Alright, alright. It was just an experiment with a sealing technique. No need to get so worked up. I'll play cards with you tomorrow."
"You think you can just brush me off like that?! I'm not so easy to placate!!"
The Nine-Tails' voice rang loudly in Kaede's mind, giving the distinct sensation of being spit on with every word. Spreading his hands helplessly, Kaede replied, "Then what kind of compensation do you want?"
"Bring me five times the usual rice cakes and sake, no, ten times!"
"Sure, I'll bring you twenty times."
Kaede answered crisply.
The Nine-Tails fell into brief contemplation, wondering if it had lowballed itself. But having already made the demand, it was too embarrassing to ask for more.
"Hmph. That's more like it."
After placating the Nine-Tails, Kaede summoned one of the Hokage Guards.
"Go tell Hyuga Hiashi that the sealing technique is ready. He can come now."
"Yes, sir."
The Hokage Guard gave a crisp reply.
He didn't need to know what the sealing technique was or how it worked. His sole duty was to execute Kaede's orders without question.
A short while later,
Hyuga Hiashi arrived at Kaede's office, bringing Hinata with him.
"Hokage-sama."
Hiashi bowed respectfully to Kaede.
Little Hinata clung to the hem of Hiashi's robe with one hand and gave a timid bow as well, peeking nervously at the Hokage.
"Come with me."
Kaede nodded to both of them, then led them out of the office and down the corridor to the second room at the end, a hidden chamber.
There were no lights in the room, so it was shrouded in darkness. Hinata, a little frightened, hid behind Hiashi's back, tucking her head down.
"Hinata, don't be afraid. Go to Hokage-sama."
Hiashi gently patted her head.
With a snap of his fingers, Kaede lit a small flame inside the chamber. He crouched down, stretching his hands out toward Hinata with a gentle smile.
As Hinata met his bright blue eyes, a sense of calm washed over her. Encouraged by her father's words, she cautiously walked over to Kaede.
He lifted her into his arms and walked to the center of the room.
"Hiashi, wait outside."
"Understood. Please take care of her, Hokage-sama."
Hiashi nodded and bowed again before stepping out.
Because Hinata had already met Kaede shortly after her birth, and again not long ago, she didn't feel especially afraid. Moreover, Kaede, having reached the Six Paths level, now radiated a natural sense of harmony and balance. Cradled in his arms, Hinata simply looked at the door as her father left the room.
"H-Hokage-sama… what are we doing?"
"I'll explain in time."
Kaede gave her a reassuring smile. A soft glow flickered in his Tenseigan eyes, and drowsiness quickly overtook Hinata. She soon fell asleep in his arms.
Gently, he released her, allowing her to float midair. Then he placed his hands together.
Buzz!
In an instant, black sealing characters swirled and contracted within the chamber, centering on Hinata. The formation gradually tightened, locking onto the chakra of Hamura Otsutsuki embedded within her.
Kaede brought his hands together and murmured softly:
"Seal of Night."
He didn't know why, but announcing the name of the technique aloud brought an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.
Fortunately, Hinata was unconscious and no one else was around to hear. Still, Kaede decided that he wouldn't be shouting the name again in the future.
Clatter!
Dark chains rapidly tightened, eventually binding the Hamura chakra into a single strand of black script. It then threaded itself into a lock of Hinata's hair, blending in until it vanished entirely.
Kaede reached out and caught Hinata again.
He gently ran his fingers through her hair, touching the strand that bore the seal.
The sealing technique he had created was exceptionally stable. While it appeared to attach to a strand of hair, the essence of the seal was not in the hair itself. Rather, the hair was a manifestation of the technique's illusionary structure.
It would grow or shorten just like normal hair, but in truth, this was merely the natural expansion or contraction of the sealing array, not related to the actual seal's integrity.
Only someone at the Six Paths level could hope to forcibly break this seal.
Anyone below that level, even someone like Hashirama Senju, would not be able to undo it without knowing the precise unsealing technique.
After double-checking the seal, Kaede sent out a thread of chakra to examine Hinata's condition. Once he confirmed there were no abnormalities, he activated his Tenseigan once more. A faint light flickered in his eyes, and Hinata slowly awakened.
Groggy and confused, Hinata blinked open her eyes into darkness, instinctively feeling a bit afraid.
But the moment she saw Kaede's sky-blue eyes just inches away, her fears melted away.
She rubbed her eyes and began to piece together what had happened. Then she looked up timidly and asked in a soft voice:
"H-Hokage-sama… did I fall asleep?"
"Yes."
Kaede smiled gently, patted her little head, and carried her out of the chamber.
Hiashi was waiting outside, a trace of tension in his gaze. Although he trusted Kaede not to harm Hinata, dealing with sealing techniques and ancestral power still left him understandably anxious.
When he saw Kaede carrying Hinata out unharmed and perfectly normal, he finally relaxed. He gave Kaede a look of silent inquiry.
Kaede set Hinata down and nodded at Hiashi, signaling that everything was fine.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Hiashi gave a small bow, visibly relieved and grateful. He then took Hinata and prepared to leave.
As he watched the two of them walk away, Kaede suddenly called out:
"Oh, and, don't be too harsh with her training."
Hiashi gave another brief acknowledgement and disappeared with Hinata down the corridor.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria