Hulk lay sprawled across the ground, his massive body battered and broken, unconscious after being pummeled into submission.
Up above, Dr. Banner floated midair, stunned beyond belief. He couldn't process what he'd just witnessed.
If Senju Haruto had stepped in himself, Banner wouldn't have been surprised. That would've made sense. But this? Hulk had been taken down—completely—by some mysterious woman who had appeared out of nowhere.
Banner knew Hulk better than anyone. They'd shared the same body for five years now. He knew exactly how terrifying that green monster could be. Every time General Ross unleashed the military to hunt him down, Hulk's awakening had always guaranteed their escape.
Put simply—Hulk alone was a match for the military's strongest forces.
The more Banner understood that truth, the more shocked he was as he stared at Hulk's limp body.
"So weak."
Kaguya looked down at Hulk, her expression unreadable, and muttered her disappointment aloud.
She hadn't even used ninjutsu. No space-time manipulation, no Truth-Seeking Balls, nothing. Only Gentle Fist and raw monstrous strength.
Haruto's calm voice cut in. "Didn't you notice?"
This fight wasn't only about tempering Hulk's nature—it was also about Kaguya's growth.
As the progenitor of chakra, Kaguya's overwhelming power was beyond doubt. But overwhelming strength alone wasn't enough.
Her biggest flaw was that she lacked the combat instincts and refined strategy to wield it properly.
In the original battle back in her own world, almost everything Kaguya did had been driven by Black Zetsu's commands. Once separated from him, her weaknesses became glaringly obvious.
Against someone like Hulk in his base state—or even Stark, or most heroes and villains of that level—Kaguya's raw power was enough.
But now that Haruto's system had pointed him toward the No-Door Bar, a place that didn't exist in the movies but had a reputation in the Marvel comics, he couldn't rule out running into beings even stronger than Thanos.
Entities like Dormammu, the dark ruler of dimensions.
If Kaguya faced someone of that scale, her innate advantage would mean little without the skill to back it up. Which was exactly why Haruto needed to cultivate her growth.
Her talent might not be the very best in the Naruto world, but her starting point was the highest possible.
Meeting Haruto's gaze, Kaguya seemed to ponder his words seriously.
"This green one's strength… it increased during battle."
Her expression remained the same—calm, almost wooden, the look of someone emotionless—but that didn't mean she wasn't thinking. She wasn't just brute force.
During the exchange, she'd never once been hit, but even the gusts of wind from Hulk's swings were enough for her to gauge his escalating power.
And Hulk… he didn't seem like the type to hold back or feint with measured restraint. Strategy wasn't in his nature. His fighting style was pure, unfiltered instinct.
From that, Kaguya deduced something important—Hulk's power grew continuously as the fight dragged on.
What triggered it, though, wasn't clear to her.
"It's anger," Haruto explained with a nod, satisfied with her analysis. In fact, watching her piece it together gave him the strange, almost paternal feeling that his "daughter" was finally growing up.
"Even if Hulk looks weak right now—"
"???" Stark blinked.
"???" Banner's mouth fell open.
Weak? Haruto had the audacity to call Hulk weak?
In the eyes of any ordinary human, Hulk was a monster—strength incarnate.
Banner had so many objections, he didn't even know where to start.
But Haruto, of course, ignored both Banner and Stark's reactions.
Because from his perspective, Hulk in this state was weak.
Only versions like Worldbreaker Hulk, Cosmic Captain Universe Hulk, or even Four-Armed Hulk could force Haruto to take things seriously.
But for Kaguya? Facing a Worldbreaker-level Hulk would already be catastrophic.
Even as the progenitor of chakra, there was no definitive statement—no canonical fact—that said Kaguya could punch a planet to dust.
Even the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Bombs hadn't erased entire continents in her world.
Meanwhile, Hulk at Worldbreaker level was known for shattering planets with his fists.
"But here's the real danger," Haruto continued evenly. "The angrier Hulk becomes, the more his strength grows. And no one—no one—has ever seen his limit."
Banner froze.
The Hulk he'd just seen crushed by Kaguya wasn't his limit? That kind of destructive force had already terrified him to the core.
"And if you underestimate him," Haruto added, "you'll regret it. Give him enough time, enough rage… and he really could become unimaginably terrifying. To the point where I might have to take him slightly seriously."
Banner and Stark were left in stunned silence.
Slightly?
Just slightly serious?
That was his takeaway after watching Kaguya ragdoll Hulk?
Haruto's tone was calm, but his intent was clear. "From today onward, Kaguya, you will fight Hulk once every day. Don't kill him. Push him, temper his rage slowly. Don't crush him too quickly—give him time. Draw out his anger, draw out his power. Understand?"
This wasn't meant to be one-sided beatdowns. Haruto wanted mutual growth—for both Hulk and Kaguya.
"I understand," Kaguya replied obediently, her voice soft and respectful.
Haruto moved his fingers slightly, returning Stark's and Banner's souls to their bodies.
As Banner settled back into his flesh, Hulk's massive form shrank rapidly, reverting to his human state. Agonizing pain surged through him, nearly knocking him unconscious again.
But Haruto quickly used healing magic to ease Banner's injuries and stabilize him.
"By the way, Tony," Haruto said, turning with a faint smile. "There's nothing more here for you. You can head back."
"You dragged me all the way here… just to show me this?" Stark frowned, his expression openly displeased.
But deep down, after everything he'd witnessed today, Stark had already come to one solid conclusion.
If you can't beat Haruto…
Join him.
"What else did you expect?" Haruto asked casually.
"…Haruto," Stark said, his voice suddenly serious. "I want to learn tricks too. No—magic."