Chapter 116 – Halo of Iron, Halo of War
The faint golden light of dawn filtered through the sealed windows of the Hokage's private quarters, though none of it reached the outside world. The chamber, insulated with layers of sound-dampening and privacy seals, remained wrapped in absolute stillness. No chakra leaked, no whispers escaped, only the quiet rhythm of breathing filled the room.
Hajime stirred.
Lying on his back, his silver eyes opened slowly, gaze focused and calm. The warmth against him was soft, peaceful. Tsunade lay curled against his side, her golden hair splayed across his chest and shoulder, breathing slow and steady. One arm rested across his waist, the soft curve of her bare form illuminated faintly by the pale light that seeped through the seals.
He gazed at her for a moment, peaceful, powerful, vulnerable. Then, with deliberate care, he reached over and gently lifted her arm without waking her. Shifting his weight, he slid out from beneath the sheets.
His bare feet touched the floor with the soundless grace of a ghost.
A ripple of psychic energy emanated from his body. Across the room, the pieces of his silver war armor stirred. Gauntlets, greaves, breastplate, shoulder plates, all rose from the ground and hovered in a perfect orbit around him, silent and ordered. He extended a hand, and the armor compacted inward, forming a floating sphere of compressed warplate beside him.
He cast one more glance at the sleeping Hokage, her form still half-covered by the sheets, golden hair glimmering faintly. A moment of calm.
Then, with a ripple of space, Hajime vanished.
He reappeared inside the cathedral-like lab beneath the Hokage Tower, his sanctuary.
The cold hum of the underground greeted him like a familiar voice. Stone walls reinforced with chakra-conductive alloy stood tall around him. The armor gently floated to its stand, each piece locking into place with soft clicks. The silence in the chamber was absolute, broken only by the faint pulse of the chakra crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling.
But Hajime didn't stop here.
His path was deeper still.
He moved to the edge of the chamber, passing beneath a large engraved archway and descending a spiraling stair that led further down, beneath the lab, beneath the foundations. His boots echoed softly against the carved stone as he descended toward the forge.
The air grew warmer, more primal.
Below, in a circular chamber lit by molten light, the forge awaited.
This was the heart of his creation.
Where his armor had been born. Where will became steel, and thought became power.
In the center of the forge chamber hovered a half-finished construct, an incomplete halo of golden alloy and psychic matrix. A divine ring, cracked open at one end like a celestial eclipse. It pulsed faintly with dormant energy, incomplete… waiting.
The Golden Iron Halo.
Hajime stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
He raised both arms, and psychic energy flooded the chamber.
The halo responded instantly. The ring expanded and rotated slowly. The incomplete section flickered with forming light and raw, unshaped matter, a mixture of chakra-conductive alloy, Hashirama-infused fibers, and psychic-infused bonding steel that he had refined over weeks.
Now came the final act.
Hajime's eyes glowed faintly silver-blue as he lifted his hands higher. The forge roared to life. Molten metal lifted from the vat at the side, forming glowing threads of energy and metal in the air. His telekinetic grip shaped them like a sculptor, weaving them into the broken gap in the halo.
The fusion of chakra metal and psychic force crackled and danced as the new segment locked into place.
Then he began engraving.
But he didn't move.
The symbols were etched psychically, burned into the surface by thought alone. Runes of protection, seals of defense, psychic focus glyphs, dozens of them traced across the outer ring in perfect symmetry, each glowing briefly as they settled into place.
The final lines pulsed. Then the ring spun faster.
Golden Iron Halo – Completion Confirmed.
It hovered higher, aligning itself behind Hajime as if testing its fit. He extended one hand, and the halo stopped.
It was beautiful.
Smooth, radiant, silent.
Then its interface flared to life across Hajime's mind.
Golden Iron Halo – Capabilities
Radial Defense Field:
Projects a spherical or flat-plane barrier capable of deflecting or dispersing ninjutsu, taijutsu, and chakra-based weapons.
Automatically activates against high-velocity projectiles or energy attacks.
Can form barrier wings that orbit the user or expand to cover multiple allies.
Psychic Amplifier Core:
Triples Hajime's passive psychic sensing range.
Allows simultaneous multitarget telekinesis across wide areas.
Enhances psychic memory recall and battlefield foresight.
Energized Blade Projection:
Six energy glaives can materialize and orbit the halo.
Each glaive can home in on targets, pierce chakra armor, or detonate with suppressed force.
Modes: Cutting Edge / Impact Shock / Chakra Disruption.
Combat Mode Shift:
Aegis Mode: Emphasis on barrier strength, sealing jutsu, and mental interference.
Wrath Mode: High-energy output for sustained aggression and destruction.
Pulse Mode: Tactical support, scanning terrain, detecting hidden chakra signatures and traps.
Self-Regeneration:
Draws ambient chakra to slowly repair any cracks or damage.
Automatically purges corrupted chakra or tainted energy on contact.
Bullet Time:
Slows Hajime's perception of time by a microsecond in close combat.
Enhances his reaction speed to near-precognitive levels.
Memories of the Grey Knight Librarian, Gave him best use of his psychic Abilities.
Hajime stood still as the halo locked into a slow spin behind him, glowing like a celestial ring at his back. His eyes, black-haired and silver-eyed, reflected the forge's heatlight.
This was no weapon of pride.
It was a weapon of necessity.
The Akatsuki weren't dead yet. Sasori and Deidara had been the first, but there were more. Kisame. Itachi. Hidan. Kakuzu. Konan. Nagato. Tobi.
They walked the earth unchecked.
But now, Hajime had something even more devastating than his halberd, armor, or psychic bolts.
He had clarity.
He would hunt them.
One by one.
And this Golden Iron Halo, his war halo, would be the symbol that marked their end.
He turned, and the halo followed, drifting silently behind him like a divine crown of war.
The forge dimmed.
The hunt would begin.
(Image of the armour, that are close to my vision)