She awoke groggy, her body sluggish, yet her spirit rapidly rekindling. It was clear now that she had overreached herself. With her being permanently attuned to the Silver Stage, her spark—her life, her spirit—had become one. She wasn't certain if this was the true nature of the Silver Stage or a unique effect of her strange bloodline. What she did know was the overwhelming power difference it granted.
Once she stabilized, she saw Kakashi's dissonance and had to act. Even with his Sharingan, she was able to restore him using only a few sparks—one for Kakashi himself, one for the link to his eye, and one for the eye. With Tsunade, she attempted something similar, but knowing it would be more complex, she invoked the Breath of the World. She poured her excess power into Tsunade, blending it with her own. The result was a spiritual energy adapted to nurture, repair, and even reconstitute physical or spiritual matter as needed.
But she had gone too far. Her desire to help led her to overextend, pushing herself past her limit. Only once the process felt complete did she stop. Her body, her flame, demanded rest. And now, she felt it—the diminished flame slowly reigniting, gently nourished by the energy of Yumegakure.
She looked around. The chamber was circular, four beds placed evenly. Three were occupied, including her own. One held Itachi Uchiha, the other Sasuke. Both had their eyes bandaged. Her Mind's Eye could feel something new stirring within them. They were awake, but silent.
At the foot of her bed, Kuro lay vigilantly. Nearby, Mitsue monitored the equipment connected to Sasuke and Itachi, visibly nervous and fidgeting.
"Where am I?" Hinata asked aloud.
Kuro immediately rose and placed his weight gently on her chest. Mitsue rushed over, brushing her tail along Hinata's wrist to feel her pulse.
"You're in the Senju Compound," Mitsue hissed, visibly relieved to see her awake.
"Good evening, Hinata," came Sasuke's voice. "Tsunade brought you here earlier today. She checked on you, then went to examine herself. She hasn't returned yet."
Itachi followed, his voice calm. "It's good to know you're alright."
"I discovered something new I could do… and, well, I pushed myself too far," Hinata replied with a gentle smile. "But I should be fine in a few hours."
Sasuke sat up in his bed. "Naruto said you helped against the Deva Path. I was surprised you hadn't appeared earlier."
Her smile faded. "That was because… Elder Danzo Shimura discovered my control over Yumegakure no Kai. He used a Mangekyō Sharingan… rewrote my existence, my memories. I served him loyally, unknowingly. Only when Naruto lost himself to the kyubi, and you were dying, with him laughing over the last Uchiha's demise, did I shatter his control. I saved you… then rushed to help Naruto."
It was the first time she'd spoken of it aloud—aside from Shino and Kiba.
"Danzo," Sasuke spat the name like venom. His soul seethed. Hatred, concern, rage—all visible as his eyes flickered instinctively with chakra.
"It's incredible that you broke free," Itachi said, clearly surprised despite his composed voice.
Hinata lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry, Sasuke… Danzo Shimura is dead."
Sasuke stiffened. "What? Was it you?"
Kuro growled in her childish voice. "No, it wasn't me. They wouldn't let me… but Mitsue helped. Her poisons were useful."
Hinata stroked Kuro's fur gently. "Team 8 had a personal score to settle. After everything he did to Shino and me… I would have brought you, but you were unconscious. When I broke free, Danzo realized he had to flee. He ran to the Fire Capital, surrounded by his allies and Konoha's elite. We couldn't give him time to regroup. Now, his name is being dismantled in the Daimyō's court by those he once manipulated. Officially, he's being blamed for weakening Konoha and leaking vital information to Akatsuki."
Itachi said nothing, his silence deep and unreadable.
"Did he suffer?" Sasuke asked.
Hinata turned her head toward the door, feeling Tsunade's presence.
"His body was modified heavily. He used numerous Sharingan to activate a technique that denied his death at the cost of an eye. He died repeatedly, in many ways. Eventually, he tried to destroy us with his final suicide move… and failed. In the end, he was sealed forever by his own hand."
Tsunade entered the room, having clearly overheard much of the exchange. "I figured you had something to do with Danzo's disappearance. Your public appearance and all the rumors made it obvious to my eyes."
Hinata smiled faintly. "I suppose I wasn't subtle. How are you feeling?"
Tsunade crossed her arms, expression unreadable but energy pulsing with gratitude. "Like someone brought me back to my prime. And now that you're awake, I should tell you—Katsuyu contacted me. The Sage Lands summit you requested is about to begin. We need to depart. I assume you'll be the representative?"
"Why does Hinata have to go there?" Sasuke asked.
Hinata nodded. "Yes, I'm going, as the Silver Lady and the voice of Yumegakure no Kai, it's my responsibility to make peace."
"Then I'll go with her," Sasuke said without hesitation. In his soul clear surprised at the statement that Hinata is the Silver Lady.
Tsunade gave a small nod. "As a summoner of the Serpent Clan, you have the right. Naruto will be attending too."
"When can I remove the bandages?"
Mitsue finally spoke up. "Sakura's surgery was successful. Her methods are slower but safer long-term. You both needed rest. By tomorrow morning, the bandages can be removed. The procedure even improved Itachi's condition significantly."
<<<< o >>>>
Night had fallen over the Hyūga compound, but a shadow darker than the night itself slipped through the walls, unseen. A spiraling vortex formed in front of the main building, and from it emerged a masked man: Obito Uchiha.
With precise and silent movements, Obito made his way inside effortlessly, disarming traps and bypassing seals. His objective was clear: Hiashi Hyūga.
But when he burst into the room where the clan leader was meditating, he did not find a weakened elder worn by time, but a warrior prepared. Hiashi's eyes gleamed with determination, and a faint bluish aura—part Byakugan, part distant connection to the Tenseigan—surrounded his body.
"You are not welcome here, Uchiha... and you will not leave unscathed."
Obito offered no words—only action. In an instant, he launched a chain toward the Hyūga leader, but Hiashi activated his Byakugan and sidestepped with lethal grace.
With a swift turn of his body, he unleashed a technique that left Obito momentarily surprised: a flurry of strikes at a distance, projected with surgical precision within the Byakugan's divination field. Each blow was compressed chakra aimed directly at Obito's tenketsu. The ground trembled under the pressure of the Gentle Fist, now taken to a new level.
Obito barely had time to activate his intangibility. The invisible chakra strikes passed harmlessly through him, but the display made one thing clear:
"Hmph… I didn't expect the Byakugan to be this... dangerous. This wasn't in my calculations."
Hiashi didn't respond. He continued his assault, advancing slowly, each step firm, each blow more precise. Obito was forced to retreat, and for a moment, it seemed the Hyūga patriarch held the upper hand.
But Obito was no amateur. He knew when to change tactics. Taking advantage of the brief moment Hiashi lunged forward, Obito altered his strategy: he let the blow connect—allowed Hiashi's hand to pass through his intangible body—and at that instant, activated Kamui.
A vortex spun from Obito's eye. Hiashi's figure was slowly absorbed into the dimensional swirl, unable to resist. His chakra flared violently, but Obito's Jutsu was absolute.
"I won't kill you. Your destiny is to become a bargaining chip... Just like Sasuke Uchiha before you. And just like him, the trap I set in Kamui's space will be equally effective."
The vortex finished absorbing Hiashi, and silence returned to the Hyūga compound. A moment later, Obito vanished into a spiral, bound for Kamui Space.
<<<< o >>>>
They departed at dawn. For an entire week, they moved swiftly until they reached an ancient forest. Under Katsuyu guidance they found, hidden beneath layers of earth and moss an old summoning circle. Once all of them stood within the circle, they vanished in a cloud of smoke.
The seals activated with a faint pulse of chakra, and in an instant, the five of them appeared amidst the mist: Hinata, Mitsue, Kuro, Sasuke, Naruto, Tsunade, and Sakura emerged from the summoning ritual onto a rocky platform. The place surrounding them was awe-inspiring—a hidden mountain range, inaccessible by ordinary means, where vegetation and mist coexisted in a natural balance impossible to replicate. There, at the summit of one of the highest peaks, the Dragon Sage had awakened.
This land was his ancestral domain, and he—said to be the oldest and most powerful of the living sages—had offered it as a neutral ground for the gathering.
The group was not alone. As they advanced, they could see other figures arriving from multiple directions, each brought forth by a unique summoning ritual. The leaders of the three great Sage Lands—the toads of Mount Myōboku, the snakes of Ryūchi Cave, and Katsuyu, the slug from Shikkotsu Forest—were already present. Around them, other sages from lesser-known clans stood on natural ledges, flanked by their respective summoners.
The gathering of the sages of the world had begun.