"Someone's here?" The Third Star Shadow froze.
The ANBU around him tensed, scanning the darkness—though most of their attention still stayed on Natsuhoshi.
It could've been a feint.
A last-second refusal.
"Everyone—watch for enemies!" the Third Star Shadow ordered immediately.
The masked shinobi widened their formation, eyes sweeping the forest.
Then a voice drifted down with lazy amusement.
"Oh? Your senses are pretty sharp~"
A fox-masked figure appeared atop a tree branch, lounging as if he owned the night.
Gen Takuya.
His gaze lingered openly on the meteor in Natsuhoshi's hand.
"I was going to wait until you handed the Star to that old man before acting," he said cheerfully. "Looks like that plan's ruined."
Natsuhoshi's posture tightened.
"Who are you? Are you here to steal the Star too?!"
"Me?" Gen Takuya sounded almost offended. "You can call me a shinobi who likes collecting strange things."
Then he sighed dramatically.
"I got stopped in the Land of Rain earlier. Don't tell me you're going to stop me too?"
"The Star will never be given to you!" Natsuhoshi snapped.
"Why?" Gen Takuya tilted his head. "Isn't it harmful? Training with it leaves scars. Your husband's body can't hold out much longer—maybe a year or two at most."
Natsuhoshi's eyes widened.
Without meaning to, she looked at her husband.
He stiffened, stunned.
He'd felt something wrong with his body…
But hearing "one or two years" still hit like a blade.
He steadied himself and spoke gently to her.
"Natsu… we already knew there was a cost. That's why we stole it—to keep our child from living our tragedy."
Natsuhoshi didn't answer.
Only a quiet sorrow surfaced in her eyes.
They didn't doubt Gen Takuya.
The Star's side effects were real.
The Third Star Shadow sighed, too.
If even Natsuhoshi had discovered it…
How could he not?
"So," Gen Takuya asked again, voice mild, "since you've already decided to stop using it… can you hand it over to me?"
"You know how dangerous it is," Natsuhoshi said, forcing herself calm. "So why do you still want it?"
Gen Takuya spread his hands.
"I told you. I collect rare things."
"Even if I can't use it… something that can help people train chakra is still a treasure."
Natsuhoshi's answer was immediate.
"Sorry. I can't give it to you."
"Oh?" Gen Takuya's tone turned light again. "Then I guess the peaceful negotiation failed."
A kunai slid into his hand.
Natsuhoshi's eyes sharpened. She formed seals without hesitation.
From her back, several tail-like strands of solid chakra erupted—like the limbs of a beast.
Peacock Method.
Gen Takuya felt the density and couldn't help a flash of admiration.
Solidifying chakra wasn't easy.
It usually happened only when chakra volume was overwhelming—like Naruto's Tailed Beast chakra when he lost control.
Natsuhoshi didn't have that kind of raw chakra.
This was the Star's power.
Gen Takuya didn't pause.
His hands formed seals.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Moisture gathered from the forest—dew ripped from leaves and bark—coiling into a roaring dragon of water that crashed toward Natsuhoshi.
"Peacock Method: Demon Bear!"
Natsuhoshi's chakra tails twisted and reshaped, forming a massive bear-like construct that lunged into the water dragon.
BOOM!
Water mist exploded across the ground.
The bear construct held.
It didn't vanish.
Under Natsuhoshi's control, it surged forward again—charging straight at Gen Takuya like it intended to tear him apart.
"Not bad," Gen Takuya said, genuinely impressed.
Since his chakra reserves increased, his ninjutsu output had risen dramatically. Crushing his Water Dragon head-on proved Peacock Method's destructive power.
As the chakra bear came for him, Gen Takuya formed a sphere of swirling chakra in his palm.
"Rasengan."
He drove it forward.
In an instant, Rasengan collided with the chakra bear—
And a violent white flash erupted from the impact.
The ANBU flinched and narrowed their eyes.
"Did we get him?"
Some couldn't help praising her.
"As expected of Lady Natsuhoshi!"
"Peacock Method really is the strongest jutsu in our village!"
But Natsuhoshi didn't relax.
That unease in her chest only grew.
He wasn't the kind of shinobi who died that easily.
Purple gathered in her eyes—the Star's chakra condensing into her pupils, allowing her to perceive chakra traces.
Then she went rigid.
Because chakra was everywhere.
Under every foot.
"Run!" Natsuhoshi screamed. "Everyone—RUN!"
A voice answered softly.
"Oh? You noticed. But it's too late."
The ground split.
Multiple figures burst out of the earth—each dressed and masked exactly like Gen Takuya.
Shadow clones.
Kunai pressed to throats.
Every ANBU.
The Third Star Shadow.
Everyone except Natsuhoshi and her husband.
Natsuhoshi's teeth ground together as she glared at Gen Takuya.
"You planned this from the start?!"
"Of course." Gen Takuya brushed dust from his sleeve. "If you hadn't sensed me, this would've been the opening scene."
Natsuhoshi's chest rose and fell.
She didn't know what to say.
Gen Takuya sat casually at the top of the tree branch and asked again, voice almost polite.
"So… can you give me the meteor now?"
Natsuhoshi looked at the ANBU.
At the Third Star Shadow.
Then at her husband.
They exchanged a glance.
And she let out a long breath.
There was no choice.
Hoshigakure was already small—crippled by the Star's side effects.
If they lost these ANBU too, the village would be reduced to nothing.
And Gen Takuya was right about one thing—
They had already decided to seal the Star away.
Handing it over would cut off temptation forever.
So after a long moment…
Natsuhoshi nodded.
"I agree."
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