And so they arrived—Naruto and Sasuke, stepping quietly toward Hinata, Mitsue, and Michel. In the distance, the forms of Kaguya, Hagoromo, and Hamura stood together, engaged in what looked to be a calm and steady conversation. There was no tension in the air—only the soft murmur of reconciliation.
Naruto scratched the back of his head and gave a lopsided grin. "That was… way faster and way less explosive than I expected, considering the kind of energy you two are still radiating."
Hinata turned to him, her expression serene. "It's all about understanding what that woman truly wants."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, voice cool. "And how are you so sure it's not just another trick?"
Hinata answered with quiet confidence. "Because both Michel and I can see her soul. I won't pretend everything's fine… but at the very least, they're starting to understand one another."
Mitsue hissed from Hinata's shoulder, her tone light. "It isss fortunate there were no real injuresss… thisss time."
Naruto glanced around. "Wait—where's Kuro?"
Hinata's gaze lifted toward the trees. "Making sure Black Zetsu doesn't interfere for a while."
At that moment, Michel—who had remained silent, watching the group—smiled faintly. His silver eyes flicked toward where Hamura and the others stood.
"Looks like they'll need me now… to show a few things from the start of my journey."
Hinata gave a soft nod, no words needed. Michel turned and walked toward them, his steps steady and graceful.
Naruto blinked. "Okay… what was that?"
Mitsue's tongue flickered. "Michel hasss thingsss to reveal to Kaguya. To help her underssstand… and maybe help usss."
Hinata, sensing the shift, changed the subject with a small smirk. "I'm curious—how did it feel to take down the legend of the Uchiha?"
Sasuke lifted his chin with a quiet pride. "Very satisfying. It was time someone showed him that the world has moved on." His soul reflected a question he wanted to ask.
Before he could say it, Hinata smiled. "As for me… her power was real. But I've learned how to wield mine better."
She looked skyward.
"I only hope my next encounter… ends the same way."
Time passed, and eventually Michel returned—with Kaguya walking silently at his side. The Rabbit Goddess posture was composed, yet there was a quiet restlessness about her. Behind them, Hagoromo and Hamura stood calmly, the expressions on their faces confirming the peace they had found in finally speaking with their mother.
Michel found Hinata walking toward them, having just left Naruto and Sasuke—both now seated on the ground, covered in bruises, sharing exhausted smiles. Mitsue, with the help of one of her clones, attended to their injuries with a soft hum of green chakra.
"Looks like young Naruto and Sasuke still had a few things to work out," Michel said, his voice full of bemusement.
Hinata blushed faintly and nodded. "They did, Grandfather."
Kaguya's gaze turned to the two shinobi, then slowly returned to Hinata. Her tone was measured, but clear. "Hinata Gin… I've agreed to perform the ritual to summon the Soul Devourer, Shikashi. But before that… there are some things I must ask you."
Hinata dipped her head in a deep, respectful bow. "It would be an honor to speak peacefully with my ancestress."
Kaguya studied her for a long moment, the hint of approval flickering in her gaze. "Can you offer my sons and me a long-lasting life within Yumegakure?"
Hinata's smile was gentle but resolute. "Yumegakure welcomes all who wish to live within it. That includes you—and your sons."
Kaguya's expression remained unreadable, though her voice carried an edge of tension. "I admit, the idea of surrendering my power in order to reside there… is not one I welcome."
Hinata's reply was steady, respectful. "The power that belongs to you will remain yours. But the power you took from this world… that must be returned. Without it, the balance between both realms would fracture. I don't know what would happen to Yumegakure—or to this world—if that equilibrium breaks."
Kaguya turned her gaze skyward for a moment, pensive. "The revelations from Michel and my sons have placed me in a difficult position. Worse still, my instincts tell me there's truth in their words. I no longer need that stolen power to summon Shikashi. I will trust my son… and release his nine children from within me. They will protect us while you fight the Soul Devourer."
Her words were thick with restrained pain, a survival instinct warring with the last remnants of pride.
Hinata allowed herself a hopeful smile. "To see Kurama again… free and whole… It would be a beautiful thing. He gave much to us."
Kaguya's gaze dropped, her tone growing solemn. "The ritual is dangerous. Once performed, it binds me—I cannot harm the creature, and it cannot harm me. But Michel told me… that after the fifth cycle, Shikashi will be partially freed from that pact. He'll be able to strike me down."
Her voice dipped lower.
"The ritual drains me to the core. If I do this, I'll be too weakened to join any form of battle. And if I fall, he will be untethered from the restrictions of this reality. He will be free from the limitations of time."
The air around them seemed to still. A heavy decision loomed. And Hinata knew… it would fall on more than just her shoulders.
Michel stepped forward, his voice carrying a gentle firmness. "Hinata… do you remember what I once told you? That I would see to it that Yumegakure was truly ready in this confrontation? I've known for some time what needed to be done to help it evolve. The only reason I held back… was because I didn't think it was necessary. Because I wanted to keep watching you grow. You, and the world born through your actions and will."
Hinata's breath caught. She understood immediately—this wasn't just another speech. This was goodbye.
"Grandfather… what are you saying?"
Michel's silver eyes softened, full of pride and pain. "That I am the final piece. My soul is the frame that cradles Yumegakure. All it needs now is the last key to achieve true sentience. But no matter how deeply it yearns for completion, Yumegakure would never impose its will on another."
Tears welled in Hinata's eyes, golden drops streaking her cheeks. Her breath faltered, and the rhythm of her Breath Two Worlds cracked releasing her Golden Stage. Even Kaguya felt it—a tremble in the immense energy that radiated from the girl now trembling in Michel's arms.
"Why, Grandfather? There must be another way…" Her voice was fractured, barely a whisper.
Michel held her gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "There is always another way. But those other paths… they would compromise who you are. They would steer you toward the same darkness you're about to face. I've lived my life, Hinata. I've watched you become something greater than I ever imagined. And yes… I could've made this choice long ago. But I didn't. I stayed. I stayed to witness every moment that still mattered… preparing myself to let go."
Hinata clung to him, desperate. "Then let's wait. The world is paused—what harm is there in waiting a day or two more?"
Michel's gaze turned to the horizon, where unseen forces still stirred. "No… The bodies of all living beings in this world are protected by the roots of this world, and their souls are hidden behind the dreams and strength of Yumegakure... but only for now. Joined as they are now together, they will repel Shikashi when he comes. But time erodes even that unity. The bodies of the weakest among them are already very slowly slipping. We have to act—now—before any of them are lost."
Behind him, a portal shimmered into being—its frame carved from the light of Yumegakure itself, anchored beneath the Crystal Tower.
"There's a place where I want this to happen. Will you stand with me when I do it?"
Kaguya stepped forward, positioning herself between them and the portal. Her voice was a warning. "That realm is purely spiritual. Entering it would kill her without the protection she once wielded."
Michel gave her a knowing smile. "Your descendant has transcended those limits. She'll be fine. She must be there. She needs to witness both the end… and the beginning."
Kaguya studied Michel for a long moment, then Hinata, who still held his arm with trembling fingers. Slowly, solemnly, Kaguya closed her eyes—and stepped aside.
<<<< o >>>>
I held Michel's hand as we crossed the threshold of the portal together. His fingers were warm, calm—anchored in purpose. The light enveloped us, and the next breath I took was thinner, purer, as though the world itself had quieted.
We arrived at the summit of the Crystal Tower. Before us stood the Silver Tree—my tree. It was the first thing I ever shaped in Yumegakure. In those early, uncertain days, I had poured pieces of my heart into it, willing something beautiful into existence. And here it stood—tall, radiant, sacred. Its leaves shimmered as if whispering secrets to the sky. Every pulse of light through its branches felt like a heartbeat shared between us.
Michel stopped and turned to me. His silver eyes—those ever-watchful, loving eyes—were filled with something beyond words. Pride. Farewell. Completion. He placed a hand on the bark, and I could feel the resonance it created.
"Goodbye, my beloved granddaughter," he said with a voice wrapped in serenity. "Hinata… I love you more than words could ever hold. I only hope… that beyond the trial that awaits, you find happiness. The kind I always believed you'd reach."
I didn't want to let go. My fingers tightened around his instinctively. But the tree responded. Silver threads of light emerged from the roots, climbing and wrapping around Michel like a gentle embrace. No pain. No resistance. He simply smiled… and became light.
I watched him dissolve—not fade, but become part of everything. The roots drank him in like sunlight, and the sky pulsed once more.
Then… it happened.
The moon overhead—our moon—began to shine differently. No longer soft and distant. Its skin cracked open, revealing plasma beneath. It ignited. And in the span of a breath, Yumegakure had a sun.
I fell to my knees.
The golden light washed over the world. It didn't just touch—it entered. Rivers ran brighter. Stones hummed with warmth. Mountains bowed, and the trees seemed to dance.
Yumegakure had chosen me.
I could feel it. Michel's final wish became my responsibility. The world reached for me, and I reached back. The rhythm of this dream realm became my breath. The pulse of life, my heartbeat.
Golden light surged through me—not chakra. Not senjutsu. Something more. I became aware of everything and nothing. My body didn't hold me anymore—my soul did.
With only a thought, I raised my hand.
And from the other side of the new sun, a silver moon was born. I shaped it—just like I had shaped the tree long ago. Yumegakure now had night and day. Duality. Balance.
The energy of this realm overflowed. Wounds could no longer survive. Sorrow could no longer fester. Even the real world—distant yet connected—trembled under the weight of our transformation.
I opened my eyes. They no longer held silver. They burned gold.
And I saw more than light. More than souls.
I saw meaning.
Intent. Hope. Doubt. Longing. These weren't feelings anymore; they were colors, shapes, motions in the world. I understood them because they spoke to me. Not with voices, but with life.
A flower blooming. A stream shifting. A cloud breaking apart in silence. These were conversations now. Yumegakure didn't speak in language—it spoke in existence.
And in all of that… I felt the space Michel once occupied. It hurt. Gods can still grieve.
But in that grief was peace.
I stood. Not as a shinobi. Not even as the Silver Lady.
I was the Divine Princess of Dreams.
And I had taken my first step into eternity.
<<<< o >>>>
Time passed… yet every second echoed like an eternity.
She could feel it. Everyone could. The moment Hinata stepped through the portal into Yumegakure, something in the world changed. Minutes later, the earth itself trembled—subtle, then sweeping—as if reality inhaled and exhaled with new lungs. A wave of energy burst forth, rolling across the world like dawn's first breath, saturating the land in warmth.
It was not just chakra. It was something older. Something deeper. It enriched the Yang through Yin, like sunlight through water. It was an answer, a recognition. And in its presence, all hearts stilled.
Then… she returned.
No portal. No ripple of warning. No sign. One moment she was elsewhere. The next, she was there. Hinata Gin. She was truly the princess of her lineage.
Her silver eyes were gone—replaced by a golden glow more radiant than any star. To most, the change was subtle. But not to her. No… she saw it. She felt it.
That golden flame, that impossible shimmer—it burned more brightly than anything she had imagined. And it told her the truth:
Hinata had ascended.
Not by theft. Not by force. But through a passage carved with relentless effort, with will, with sacrifice. The divine had not been seized. It had welcomed her.
Her pain was visible, etched in every movement. The serpent came to her, coiling in silent comfort. Even the shadow-wolf returned, slipping from the dark, dragging a piece of torn fabric. The one born in shadow—her son—still writhed with venom, but he remained silent now. He knew. His voice no longer mattered.
She looked to her sons. Hamura. Hagoromo. And one by one… the Tailed Beasts emerged from her chest, from the core where they had been sealed. Each paused, breathing free. Each turned to speak with Hagoromo.
And then… each bowed their head to her.
The reincarnations of Indra and Asura stepped forward next. Their destination was clear—the Divine Princess. Yet, even they, even they, paused to glance her way. She watched them offer words of comfort, uncertain, clumsy. But real.
In mere minutes, everything was ready. The Nine had returned. The lines had been drawn.
The Child of Asura—Naruto—stood before the Nine-Tails, Kurama. Beside him stood Indra's heir—Sasuke. And between them… the Divine Princess, Hinata.
She exhaled slowly, eyes lingering on the three.
It was time.
No more waiting. No more fear.
The ritual… would begin.