The next morning, after a brief breakfast, Jiraiya was already busy preparing their travel route to the next town.
Naruto and Sasuke were doing light warm-ups, preparing to continue their tiring journey.
Suddenly, Naruto stopped stretching his muscles.
He felt a gentle call from Hana in his mind, but this time there was an unusual tone of request.
"My prince," Hana's voice sounded slightly different, more focused and determined.
"Could you do something for me? I want you to use Kage Bunshin no Jutsu now. I... I need to borrow one of your clones for a while."
Naruto blinked in confusion.
"Kage Bunshin? What for, Hana-neechan? Do you want to train too?" he asked inwardly.
"Not for training, my prince. There's something more important. I need to... go out for a bit. Trust me." There was a slight tremor in Hana's voice that made Naruto feel this was a serious request.
Although not fully understanding, Naruto was used to trusting Hana.
"Alright, Hana-neechan. If that's what you want."
Naruto immediately formed hand seals.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!
POOF!
An identical shadow clone of Naruto appeared beside him. However, something strange happened.
The shadow clone didn't move or speak like Naruto's usual clones.
Instead, it stood still for a moment, then slowly, a very thin yet strong orange-red chakra aura began to emanate from the clone's body. The clone's physical form began to change, elongating, and forming a slimmer, more feminine silhouette.
Jiraiya and Sasuke, sensing the unusual chakra fluctuation, immediately turned around warily.
They saw with their own eyes how Naruto's Kage Bunshin transformed.
Thin smoke billowed, and when it cleared...
Hana's figure now stood before the three of them.
No longer just a voice in Naruto's mind, or a shadow behind the seal bars.
This was Hana, in her captivating human form, wearing the same light blue kimono she usually wore in Naruto's subconscious.
Her long orange hair flowed beautifully, and her pretty face smiled gently.
However, there was one striking difference: this time, there were no cute fox ears on top of her head, nor were there the nine large orange tails that usually swayed gracefully behind her. She looked... entirely human.
Hana stretched her body with a very graceful and sensual movement, both her arms raised upwards, revealing the beautiful curves of her body beneath the kimono.
She took a deep breath, as if inhaling fresh air for the first time after being confined for so long.
"Haaah... finally! The air of the outside world! So refreshing!"
she exclaimed with a tone full of relief and slight excitement.
Her kimono, slightly loose at the shoulders, slipped further as she stretched, revealing more of her smooth white skin.
Naruto and Sasuke, seeing that sight – especially Hana's very natural and... alluring movements – instantly felt their faces heat up. B
oth of them simultaneously averted their gazes, trying hard to hide the blush spreading across their cheeks.
T-too close! And... and she really came out!
Naruto thought in panic.
And Jiraiya... well, as a true Jiraiya should, his eyes were immediately glued to Hana's figure, especially to the increasingly loose part of her kimono.
A super wide perverted smile spread across his face, and a few moments later... a drop... two drops... thick red liquid began to flow from both his nostrils.
A massive nosebleed.
'A-A-AMAZING! BEAUTIFUL! PERFECT!' Jiraiya shrieked inwardly, his eyes sparkling as if he had just found the world's greatest treasure.
Hana finally lowered her arms, chuckling softly at the reactions of the three men before her.
She glanced at Naruto and Sasuke, who were still blushing, then at Jiraiya, who was busy wiping his nosebleed with his sleeve.
"Fufufu~ What's wrong with you all? As if you've never seen a beautiful woman before,"
Hana teased, her voice sounding very melodious.
She then turned towards Naruto.
"My prince, don't worry. My main consciousness, the 'real Hana' inside your seal, is currently in a state of light sleep or mild hibernation. I've only divided a small part of my consciousness to be able to go out and move freely through this Kage Bunshin."
She continued her explanation,
"Even so, the two of us – the me here and the Hana inside you – can still communicate telepathically very easily, even if we are very far apart. So, you don't have to worry about losing the support or advice from this most beautiful Neechan of yours."
"So... the you here right now... is really Hana-neechan?"
Naruto asked, still a little disbelieving but also very happy.
"Of course, my prince,"
Hana replied with a warm smile.
She then looked at Jiraiya and Sasuke with a more serious expression.
"I decided to 'come out' like this because there's a very urgent matter. I want to go find some of my 'old friends' to inform them directly about the danger of Akatsuki and their plan to revive the Juubi. While you three focus on finding Tsunade, I will carry out my own mission. This is too important to delay."
"Old friends? You mean... the other Bijuu?"
Sasuke asked, remembering their conversation in Naruto's subconscious.
"Exactly, smart Uchiha-kun,"
Hana praised.
"I must warn my other siblings as soon as possible."
Hana then stepped closer to Naruto.
Before Naruto could react, Hana gently cupped both of Naruto's cheeks and gave a brief but warm kiss on his right cheek.
"Take good care of yourself, my prince. Don't do anything foolish or too reckless while I'm not physically by your side, okay?"
she whispered softly, her warm breath brushing against Naruto's ear.
Naruto's face immediately turned beet red to his ears.
"Ha-Hana-neechan! Wh-what are you doing?!"
Hana just chuckled, then she turned to Sasuke.
Sasuke, seeing what had just happened to Naruto, reflexively tried to dodge.
However, Hana's speed was far superior.
With the same gentle movement, Hana managed to kiss Sasuke's left cheek, which also immediately turned red.
"You too, Sasuke-kun. Don't let hatred completely consume you. And... protect this prince of mine, okay?"
"Hmph! Wh-who would want to protect him!" Sasuke retorted curtly, turning his face away, trying to hide his extreme embarrassment.
Hana was about to turn and leave, without paying any attention to Jiraiya who had been standing frozen with a still slightly bloody nose and a hopeful expression on his face.
"Ahem! Wait a minute, beautiful Hana-chan!"
Jiraiya finally exclaimed, unable to bear it any longer.
"What about me? Where's my turn to get a farewell kiss too? I'm also going on a dangerous mission!"
He put on his most charming smile (in his opinion) and winked.
Hana turned, looking Jiraiya up and down with a cold and slightly... disgusted gaze?
"Sorry, Toad Sage," she said flatly.
"I have absolutely no interest in perverted old geezers."
Jiraiya's previously hopeful face immediately soured.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! OLD MAN?!"
He pointed at himself in disbelief.
"I'm still dashing and full of charm, you know! Besides,"
Jiraiya grinned slyly,
"if we're talking about age, aren't you the one who's much older, Hana-chan? You're thousands of years old, if I'm not mistaken? So, who's really the 'old' here?"
Instantly, the sweet smile on Hana's face vanished, replaced by a freezing cold aura.
Her blazing red eyes now glinted with anger.
A fine vein began to throb on her temple.
She hated it most when someone brought up her age or called her 'old', especially in such a mocking tone.
"Who... are... you... calling... OLD WOMAN, HUH?! YOU DAMN PERVERTED, INSOLENT TOAD!"
Before Jiraiya could realize his fatal mistake, a small fist, yet coated in very dense orange-red chakra, had already flown with lightning speed towards his face.
BUAAAAAGHH!!!
Jiraiya didn't even have time to dodge or defend himself.
He only felt an incredibly hard impact on his jaw, then his body was thrown backward like a rag doll, flying and crashing into a large tree with a terrifying thud.
The tree shook violently, some of its leaves falling. Jiraiya himself slumped weakly under the tree, his eyes spinning, and thin smoke billowed from his head.
Hana stood panting slightly, her cheeks puffed out cutely in anger, both her hands clenched at her sides.
"Hmph! Take that! Don't you ever call a woman 'old', especially if that woman is me!"
She then turned around, waving her hand indifferently towards Naruto and Sasuke, who were still frozen in shock at Hana's destructive power.
"I'm off then, my prince, Sasuke-kun! Take care of yourselves! I'll contact you telepathically if there are any important developments!"
With that, Hana's figure, now in the form of a Kage Bunshin, dashed off at high speed, disappearing among the trees, leaving Naruto and Sasuke still silent with their mouths slightly open, and Jiraiya still unconscious with a large bump on his head.
"My prince," the 'real' Hana's voice sounded again in Naruto's mind, this time her tone was very satisfied and slightly mischievous.
"Next time that Pervy Sage dares to act up again, remind me to give him a more 'memorable' lesson, okay? Fufufu~"
Naruto could only swallow.
Hana's journey, in the form of Naruto's Kage Bunshin which she had modified to resemble her human appearance (without conspicuous fox attributes), towards the Land of Lightning was filled with various thoughts and strategies.
Her main goal was so clear and urgent: to find Gyuki, the Eight-Tailed Bijuu, and learn his legendary tail-splitting clone technique.
'Gyuki's power is indeed not much different from mine,'
Hana thought as she leaped through tree branches at high speed, her kimono fluttering gracefully.
'The biggest difference between us might just be the absolute amount of chakra and some unique abilities. But that tail-splitting technique... that is the key. The key for me to truly 'get out' of my prince's body without having to make him die or suffer. I must be able to learn it, whatever it takes.'
Besides the devastating Bijuu Dama, Gyuki was indeed known to master several other equally terrifying ninjutsu.
In fact, one of the most unique and a target for Hana was a special clone technique by breaking or separating one of his tails – an ability that, as far as she knew, could only be used by Gyuki.