"Hinata, calm down. Guts-sensei is strong… even if he faces Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, he won't lose."
Shisui's voice was firm, trying to steady Hinata as her body blazed with the emerald glow of Tenseigan Chakra Mode.
That immense chakra pressed down with such crushing gravity that the moon's surface trembled beneath them. If she lost control now, it could cause irreparable damage.
But Hinata's eyes shimmered with tears, her lips trembling. Her voice cracked with frustration.
"I… I can't, Shisui-san. I really can't. Guts-sensei—"
Before she could finish, a ripple split the space before them.
"Yo," came a familiar drawl, casual as ever. "Did I make you wait too long? Sorry… turned out to be more troublesome than I thought."
Guts appeared, waving a hand like nothing had happened. But when his eyes caught the tears on Hinata's face, a faint guilt tugged at him.
He hadn't wanted to take this long. What he didn't expect was that Kaguya whom he'd assumed was just a timid woman cowering from her clan was so stubborn.
Even after being beaten again and again, she refused to submit. Guts had honestly started to get a headache.
Still, he wasn't the type to leave things half-finished. After tossing her around like a ragdoll, he tried a different approach.
He mentioned, almost casually, that Isshiki Ōtsutsuki was still alive… and could come for her at any time.
At first, Kaguya tried to deny it. But when Guts explained further, when he laid out the truth backed by his Observation Haki—the Sound of All Things, her mask finally cracked. Fear flashed across her face.
And then, as if to seal her doubt, Guts revealed his soul-burning flames. That was the final blow. The fear she showed then was even greater than when Isshiki's name had been spoken.
Satisfied, Guts pressed the contract. At first she resisted, but in the end she agreed on the condition that she would follow his orders, and in return he would never harm her… and protect her if she ever needed it.
Now, back in the present—Hinata's expression softened the moment she saw him safe.
Relief bloomed into a bright smile as she vanished in a blur, reappearing in front of Guts and throwing her arms around him.
"Guts-sensei… I thought—I thought…" Her voice broke, but before she could finish, Guts calmly patted her back.
"It's alright," he said, reassuring as ever.
For a moment, the scene warmed like sunlight. Until another ripple spread, and Kaguya's pale figure appeared behind him.
Hinata tensed instantly, ready to attack—but Guts raised a hand, stopping her.
"Don't worry about her," he said calmly. "We've reached an agreement. There's nothing to fear from her anymore."
His gaze shifted toward the massive hole that still scarred the moon. His tone grew sharp.
"And fix the moon already, you two. Who knows what people down in the shinobi world are thinking right now?"
Both Shisui and Hinata stiffened, cheeks coloring in embarrassment. They'd been so focused on Guts' fight that they completely forgot their task.
Hinata pulled away from his embrace, cheeks pink, then raised her glowing hand. Shisui followed suit.
Together, their powers surged—the Tenseigan's gravity and the Rinnegan's control weaving into harmony... mending the lunar surface back to its former state.
The moon was whole again.
But the uproar it had caused could not be erased.
Far below, in the shinobi world, chaos reigned.
Villagers fled their homes, shouting that it was the end of the world. Others wailed that it was the wrath of the gods.
Panic spread like wildfire.
The Five Great Villages, though shaken themselves, rallied their forces. Leaders and shinobi worked tirelessly to restore order. But it was no simple task.
Fear clung too deeply to the people. And amidst the confusion, opportunists rose... criminals, cultists, and troublemakers exploiting the panic in the name of divine punishment.
The world had been shaken…
Far from the villages, hidden in the chaos of a ruined shrine, a ragged band of strangers whispered together.
"Heh… did you see it? The moon itself cracked open. A sign from the gods, I tell you."
"The people are already trembling. All we need to do is claim it was divine punishment and they'll flock to us for salvation."
Another man leaned forward, eyes glinting with madness. "Yes… a new order, born from fear. We'll create a cult… the Cult of the Broken Moon.
"We'll gather followers, sacrifices, power—everything we need."
Their laughter echoed in the shadows, sharp and twisted. While the world scrambled to recover, seeds of a darker scheme had already begun to sprout.
One Month Later
Time passed.
The fear that had erupted across the shinobi world left deep scars, but slowly...through the combined efforts of the Five Great Villages, their leaders, and countless shinobi—the chaos began to settle.
Order was not fully restored, and whispers of "divine punishment" still lingered among the people. But the mass panic had calmed, the riots and uprisings quelled.
The world returned to peace once again.
The Hyūga compound rested in silence, its long hallways dimly lit by lanterns.
Inside a guest room, Guts lay back on a futon, arms crossed behind his head. His breathing was steady, as if he had nothing in the world to worry about.
It hadn't been his idea to sleep here. After dinner, Hinata had insisted again and again that he stay the night at the clan house.
At first, he brushed her off but she kept pushing, her voice soft yet unwavering.
In the end, he gave in, not out of weakness but because he didn't feel like listening to her argue any longer.
"…Persistent kid," he muttered under his breath, eyes half-closed.
Still, something felt off. Hanabi.
From the moment he stepped into the estate, Hinata's younger sister had been acting strangely. Too polite. Too cautious.
Her smile forced, her tone rehearsed. Even now, Guts could sense her presence shifting in the hallway outside, stopping and starting as though she were pacing with purpose.
'That girl's up to something,' he thought, brow furrowing slightly. 'She's planning… something.'
For a man who had beaten gods into submission, the restless energy of one young Hyūga girl was oddly more puzzling.
With a quiet sigh, he closed his eyes, letting the futon settle beneath him. Whatever Hanabi's little game was, he'd figure it out soon enough.
For now, he allowed himself rest.
The night was quiet, the silence of the Hyūga estate broken only by the soft rustle of wind through the paper doors.
Guts had dozed off easily enough, but years of instinct never let him sleep too deeply.
That was why the faintest shift... the subtle dip of weight on either side of his futon was enough to bring his senses alive.
His eyes didn't open, but his aura spread just slightly, and he immediately picked up the presence of two familiar signatures.
Hinata.
Hanabi.
Both of them were seated at the edge of his bed.
"…Tch." His brow twitched as he lay still, pretending to sleep. 'What the hell are these two up to now?'
The air was awkwardly tense, neither girl speaking yet, their chakra signatures restless.
Guts exhaled softly, still half-buried in the futon, already preparing himself for whatever nonsense this night was about to turn into.
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