The Shinobi World.
Somewhere deep within a quiet mountain range…
A massive stream of Dragon Vein energy surged beneath the ground.
Suddenly, that violet-colored energy trembled unnaturally, then rapidly began converging toward the center, collapsing inward with blinding speed and releasing a dazzling purple radiance.
Boom!!!
A surge of immense chakra burst forth.
The mountain range exploded from the impact, a column of violet light piercing into the clouds. Space itself seemed to twist and ripple in the wake of the chakra, and then… a silhouette began to emerge.
Long white hair cascaded down her back.
A third eye with nine tomoe, the Rinne Sharingan, shone ominously from her forehead.
Her pale Byakugan eyes emanated a dreadful pressure.
She was,
Otsutsuki Kaguya.
As the Dragon Vein's power finally dried up and vanished, Kaguya's flowing white hair gradually settled around her shoulders.
"…At last. I've returned."
She slowly lifted her head.
In a parallel world, she had helped a version of herself there break free from the seal. The two Kaguyas had joined forces, gathered all the tailed beasts, and restored their full strength.
But because she didn't belong to that world, its laws began to reject her. That rejection grew stronger and stronger, until finally she was forcibly ejected from that world and thrown back here.
However,
Even though she had been cast out, the other Kaguya had helped her bring back enough power, enough to activate Infinite Tsukuyomi!
"At long last…"
"I will reclaim… all chakra…"
She took a breath and slowly raised her arms.
The Rinne Sharingan at her forehead pulsed with a deep, crimson glow.
In an instant, that glow surged skyward and struck the hanging moon above, causing ripples to spread across its surface like waves on water, like a massive projection screen activating.
Hummmm!!
A brilliant white light began to shine down upon the earth.
It pierced through buildings, through shadows, through everything.
And in that moment, the darkened shinobi world turned blindingly bright… like daytime had suddenly arrived.
=============
Konoha.
Top floor of the Hokage Tower.
This serene room was Kaede's usual reading space. It was sparsely furnished, just a small tea table and several floor cushions.
Slide open the door and there was a wooden corridor about two meters wide. Beyond that lay a small courtyard filled with flowers and plants.
At the moment,
Kaede was sitting on a cushion in the corridor, trimming a potted bonsai with a pair of scissors, his head tilted slightly as he studied the shape.
Beside him stood Hinata, softly recounting the details of her latest mission.
Three months had passed since their return from the Land of Snow.
Since then, Hinata had taken on several missions and completed them one after another. Kaede didn't accompany her, but he had infused her with some of his chakra to monitor her remotely. Nothing major had happened, and she had handled each task skillfully.
By now, Hinata's chakra reserves had reached the level of a Kage. Her control was still somewhat crude, limiting her ability to use it fully, but her overall strength was on par with a jonin. That raw power made up for her naturally gentle personality.
"…And that was the end of the mission," Hinata said softly.
Her bare feet rested lightly on the polished redwood floor. She stood there nervously after her report, waiting for Kaede's evaluation.
Kaede finally paused his trimming and turned to her, offering a gentle smile.
"You did very well."
"…Mm!"
Hinata immediately breathed a sigh of relief. A bright, cheerful smile bloomed across her face as she nodded eagerly.
Kaede was just about to say something else when a voice drifted in from behind.
"You're spoiling her, Hokage-sama. I'd say that mission was barely acceptable, definitely not excellent."
Mei Terumi strolled down the corridor, dressed in a skimpy blue robe. It was tight, short, and barely covered her thighs. Her soft white shoulders were exposed, and her long legs were flawlessly smooth, oozing an irresistible allure.
She carried a wooden tray in her hands, with a small assortment of tea snacks on it.
Hinata froze at the sight of her, then immediately lowered her head, cheeks burning with embarrassment. How can Mei-sama walk around dressed like that…?
"No, it really was excellent," Kaede replied with a chuckle. "You can't compare the standards of today with those from back during the war. That was a different era…"
Mei set the tray beside him and smiled playfully. "But Hinata is your student, isn't she? Shouldn't you hold her to the highest standards?"
"Hinata's not like Itachi," Kaede said, shaking his head.
Uchiha Itachi had been raised as an elite shinobi, trained to excel in every domain. Hinata, on the other hand, would one day be in charge of managing the tailed beasts. A gentler personality and approach would actually serve her better. Different paths required different measures.
"Really?"
"And how exactly is she different?" Mei murmured as she knelt behind Kaede, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned in seductively.
Hinata, who had been peeking up timidly, saw it all, her head snapped downward again, cheeks flushed red like a ripe apple. She didn't dare lift her eyes again.
Thump!
Kaede raised his hand and flicked Mei's forehead with a sigh. "Behave yourself."
Mei dodged around him to his other side, giggling. "You weren't this stern last night. You were very gentle when you let that hot tea pour into me…"
Thud!!
Hinata nearly tripped over herself.
Her face was steaming now, practically glowing red. She didn't even dare look at them anymore.
"Se-Sensei… I-I'll be going now!"
She bolted, nearly running into a pillar in her flustered escape.
Kaede watched her flee with a mix of amusement and exasperation, then turned to Mei. "I just poured you a cup of tea last night while I was making mine. What nonsense are you spouting? Were you just trying to mess with her?"
Mei released him and sat down beside him, her gaze lingering on the direction Hinata had run. A soft smile played on her lips.
"She is pretty cute. Is that why you took her as your student?"
Kaede set down his shears and picked up the tea Mei had brought. He took a sip and replied, "She inherited the chakra of Otsutsuki Hamura. She'll become incredibly powerful in time, possibly even approach Kakashi's level. She needs proper guidance."
"Wait, really?" Mei blinked in surprise, tilting her head. "And here I thought you just had a thing for the shy, trainable type…"
"Mmph!"
Kaede silently stuffed a piece of cake from the tray into her mouth, cutting her off.
She blinked, then playfully swallowed it down. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she leaned forward, placing her hands on the floor.
With a smooth motion, she moved in and gently took Kaede's fingers, still hovering from feeding her, into her mouth.
Kaede stiffened slightly, about to speak.
But then his expression suddenly shifted. He turned sharply to look up at the sky beyond the corridor.
Mei, still focused on him, paused when she noticed his reaction. She followed his gaze.
And saw,
A giant red moon now hung high in the night sky.
Across its surface, ripple-like patterns and tomoe markings began to form, glowing with an eerie light.
A dazzling white radiance followed, shining down like the sun.
"…That's, "
"Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Kaede's eyes flashed.
He rose to his feet in an instant.