Hinata's transformation didn't escape anyone's attention.
Compared to the other two women, her change was the most overwhelming—and the most obvious.
When Hinata lifted her head, her presence alone caused the crowd to tremble.
No one dared look her in the eye.
She wore a haori and bore small horns on her head.
A faint Rinnegan-like tomoe pattern shimmered within her eyes.
Orochimaru's heart shook.
This… this is the power of the Ōtsutsuki Clan that God mentioned?
No wonder the divine one had once spoken of beings on the moon.
So it was true...
From afar, Fukasaku, who was watching through a crystal ball, immediately transmitted Hinata's image back to Great Toad Sage in Mount Myōboku.
The moment the old toad laid eyes on her, he nearly choked—and fainted.
Not entirely surprising, though.
After all, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had once left a deep scar in his memory.
Her overwhelming world-ending power was something he would never forget.
Seeing that divine presence again and not outright dying from fear… could be considered a miracle.
As the Tailed Beasts were offered one after another upon the altar, Liu Che began harvesting the second round of sacrificial offerings.
Ding! Your follower Orochimaru used the Golem Altar and offered the Nine Tails and Eight Tails.
Triggering a million-fold multiplier…
You have received a new deity: Ōtsutsuki Kaguya!
Surpassing even the Nine-Star Goddess threshold...
The woman who had truly ascended to godhood—Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—materialized atop the altar, born from the divine harvest.
Of course, the earlier Three Tails had already been broken down into pure energy and integrated into Kaguya's form.
When she awakened, her body immediately reformed into human shape.
She gazed upon the Divine Realm's endless starry sky with awe and reverence.
Without even needing to summon divine light, she soared upward—rising freely into the heavens.
"Orochimaru, for offering the Five Great Nations of the Ninja World as sacrifice, you are rewarded with the title of Three-Star Divine Envoy."
"You are granted three fragments of Dao Fruit and one Soul Brand."
"Akatsuki members also receive: one millennium's worth of chakra cultivation and an extended lifespan of a thousand years."
Brilliant divine radiance descended like a pillar of light.
Orochimaru was bathed in it.
The three Dao Fruits appeared clearly in his consciousness.
His chakra surged, evolving toward Sage Energy.
Orochimaru was lifted by the power—floating weightlessly like an immortal sage.
[Celestial Constitution]
[Stigmata]
[Mystic Curse]
Orochimaru recognized the first two—thanks to Zhang Fan's earlier explanations.
But the third—Mystic Curse—puzzled him.
When he touched it with his consciousness, he realized just how strange and profound this power was.
Unlike the divine traits of purity and light, this one was its opposite.
Curses, parasitism, karma—distorted and forbidden powers merged together into a volatile force.
Dark. Chaotic. Unholy.
And yet...
Orochimaru was deeply drawn to it.
Still, he dared not fuse with the power immediately.
After all, the sacrificial ceremony wasn't over.
And he mustn't forget his role—or his reverence.
Immediately, he dropped to his knees before the Golem Altar and cried out:
"I, your follower Orochimaru, thank the gods for this grace! I offer my endless gratitude for your divine favor!"
Suddenly, the sky trembled.
A true dragon made of starlight appeared—soaring across the Divine Realm's void.
Orochimaru could see it clearly.
This was the dragon ancestor of one of the goddesses—Ao Qian.
After offering his body as a sacrifice to the Divine Sky, Ao Qian had been reborn as a celestial being, wielding the bloodline of the Starry Sky True Dragons.
Now he traversed the firmament of the gods freely.
Orochimaru pursed his lips, gazing upward—then saw it:
A radiant nine-colored divine light.
It carried the three goddesses toward the heavens.
Just before they vanished—
A voice echoed directly in Orochimaru's mind:
"Do not rely solely on force to earn faith. Learn from this."
Orochimaru froze.
His knees buckled.
He collapsed face-first, sweat pouring from every pore.
This... was a warning from the gods.
While his methods had achieved results and met requirements, they lacked polish.
His execution had been rushed.
Worse, many villagers still did not truly believe.
He had focused on the altar... but neglected the hearts of the people.
This was unacceptable.
He had to make it right.
Orochimaru thought long and hard.
Eventually, his attention turned to the Three Great Sage Lands…
And the Ōtsutsuki Clan within the stars.
Originally, his plan had been to sacrifice the Five Great Nations, the Tailed Beasts, and women like Tsunade and Samui...
With all that, surely he'd earn a Four-Star Divine Envoy title.
But no—he was granted only Three Stars and scolded for his efforts.
Only now did Orochimaru understand one truth:
Serving a god is like serving a tyrant.
Being High Priest granted him incredible benefits...
But it also came with unimaginable pressure.
He turned, eyes locking on Jiraiya standing in the distance.
But Jiraiya's eyes weren't filled with anger or sadness.
Instead, he looked... excited.
"How is it?" Jiraiya asked. "Has the god departed?"
"Yes. But He wasn't pleased with my conduct. Otherwise, I would've become a Four-Star Envoy by now."
Jiraiya fell silent, looking around at the masses, many still bowing without understanding.
Suddenly, he realized why the god had been displeased.
He reached out his hand toward Orochimaru.
"Count me in. On the road to peace."
True peace couldn't be achieved by humans.
Because human lives were finite.
Even if someone had a noble ideal, once they passed away…
There was no guarantee that those left behind would continue to follow their path without conflict.
And conflict bred war.
But God… was different.
Under divine rule, there would be no more chaos.
People could live in harmony.
True peace was finally within reach.
Orochimaru smiled and said, "Then let's begin with the toads. As for the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the Starry Sky Path… we'll take our time cleaning them up."
In the distance, Fukasaku and Shima froze completely.
Their bodies trembled under the weight of divine pressure and draconic aura.
Their blood stopped circulating.
Upon hearing the conversation between Jiraiya and Orochimaru, the two of them collapsed into unconsciousness.
Former members of the Akatsuki—now reborn as believers of the Eternal God—
Each received a thousand-year cultivation base and a millennium of life.
Sasuke Uchiha slowly stood up and rushed forward with urgency.
"High Priest," he asked, "why didn't the god appear this time? Instead, a dragon descended. Was something wrong with me?"
Uchiha Obito and Naruto arrived with him—
Each carrying the same question in their heart.
They were the ones who wished to resurrect their loved ones more than anyone.
Orochimaru glanced toward the altar, then sighed softly.
"Ultimately… we were too impatient. Our faith is strong, but many others are not. If we had been calmer… if we'd spent more time teaching and guiding them…"
"This wouldn't have happened."
Sasuke lowered his head in sorrow.
So that's it...
Their devotion was not enough.
They had numbers—but not true believers.
It was all superficial.
The gods could see that.
Orochimaru stepped forward, placed a hand gently on Sasuke's shoulder, and reassured him:
"Don't worry. Just give it time. You'll offer sacrifices again in the future. Let's focus on stabilizing the Shinobi World first."
"There are enemies both on Earth… and on the road to the stars."
Uchiha Obito also offered words of encouragement.
"Don't be discouraged. As long as we do our part, the gods will see it."
After witnessing the Divine Realm, Obito's heart had been filled with hope.
With a lifespan now stretched across a thousand years—
What was there to fear?
Time was on their side.
Divine Realm...
Liu Che looked at the three newly ascended goddesses, who stood before him with stiff, reserved postures.
Hinata especially stood firm, her stern gaze fixed on the others.
She glared at them sharply.
How could they look at a god so directly?
Where was their humility?
"You don't need to be afraid," Liu Che said gently. "There are many goddesses in this palace. Besides cultivating, you're free to walk the Divine Realm. These girls in green will teach you the rules."
His voice was warm and generous, dispelling some of the anxiety in the girls' hearts.
Even Tsunade—despite being a 70-year-old woman—felt her cheeks flush with warmth like a bashful young girl.
She didn't know why, but the moment she saw Him…
Her face grew hot.
She couldn't help but want to step closer.
Damn it… I'm not some lovestruck fool, she thought.
She tried to suppress the fluttering in her chest, but her eyes kept drifting back toward the god.
Just then, a girl in a light green dress floated toward them.
When she spotted Liu Che, her face lit up with joy.
"My Lord, I made some sweet osmanthus cakes today. Will you join me in the Ganlu Hall later to try them?"
Baguio landed gracefully in front of Liu Che, her eyes gleaming as she blinked up at him.
Clearly, she was inviting him to… stay the night.
Among all the women in the Divine Realm, only Baguio and Elizabeth had the courage to speak so boldly.
The others remained more reserved.
"Yes, but I have duties to attend to during the day," Liu Che replied.
"Hm~ I'll wait for you then~" she said sweetly.
She waved playfully at the stiff-faced Hinata before flying down toward the lower levels of the Divine Realm.
Most likely to pick petals… for her bath.
"Alright, you may go," Liu Che said to the three. "Hinata, don't always be so tense. While rules in the palace matter, don't be too rigid."
"Yes, Lord God," Hinata and the Hyūga bowed simultaneously.
Their expressions remained serious and disciplined.
Liu Che then returned to the Ziwei Palace.
After all—there was someone special waiting for him there.
The very first to bear the title of God.
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Inside the inner sanctum, she sat quietly near his seat.
Her eyes scanned the elegant architecture of the divine hall with curiosity.
When she heard his footsteps approaching, Kaguya quickly lowered her head.
"Welcome back, Eternal God," she said softly.
Liu Che paused before her.
Kaguya's heart pounded uncontrollably. Her ears grew warm from embarrassment.
Then she heard him chuckle.
"You don't need to be so cautious. As someone who has ascended to true godhood, I hold you in high regard."
"Thank you for your praise," she replied.
Kaguya lifted her head slowly.
Her snowy white eyes glistened with emotion.
Liu Che had originally assumed she wouldn't be so pure, considering she'd given birth to two sons.
But to his surprise, he later discovered—
Her children had been created using Yin-Yang Release and her own chakra.
They weren't born naturally but forged through divine techniques.
Their original purpose had been to repel the army of the Ōtsutsuki Main Family.
And yet… it was those very sons who were later manipulated by a toad and sealed her away.
The current Kaguya had a newly remade body—alongside her original soul.
As Liu Che leaned closer—
Kaguya panicked, her face flushing crimson—
And fainted straight into his arms.
Liu Che stared down at her, speechless.
"So fragile... Whatever. I'll let her rest. We have all the time in the world."
The inner hall fell silent.
Time's river swirled softly around the sacred space.
Deep within the Sea of Time, Liu Che observed the past—
Peering into the history of the original Kaguya.
He finally understood why the Ōtsutsuki Main Clan never came after her.
They had their own civil war.
Their internal strife had erupted into a full-blown conflict in their homeland.