Naruto: Rise of the Fallen Princess

A dark silence hung heavy within the chamber of Akatsuki's inner sanctum.

The faint, rhythmic drip of water echoed against the stone walls as four figures stood in a loose square around a faintly glowing seal etched on the floor. Though separated by ideology, purpose, and blood, they were united now by one name.

"The Silver Lady," Konan muttered, her arms folded.

Madara—still masked, still cloaked in veils of ambiguity—remained silent, watching.

Pain's Rinnegan glowed in the low light. "Our extraction was compromised. Utakata is dead, and the Six-Tails is sealed. But the arrival of that woman—and the chaos she unleashed—marks a turning point."

Zetsu's voice slithered through the room. "It wasn't just her. I've been hearing about frogs and serpents—giant sages from Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave—moving across the lands. They were looking for her. They found her. They fought."

Pain's expression darkened. "They challenged her… and survived?"

"Yes, but barely," Zetsu continued. "Sasori said her final attack erased an entire island. The chakra signature alone triggered wave surges across the coast."

Konan's voice was cool but edged with concern. "And it didn't stop there. The Priestesses from the Cult of the Moon have vanished all of them. And reports are fragmented. Villages talk of people dreaming the same vision—a white world and a red door. It's spreading. all over the continent"

Zetsu nodded. "There's more. From Kumogakure, I learned that the daughter of the Iron Daimyō—our so-called Iron Princess—has been distributing something ancient. Something once sealed away in Uzushiogakure. I don't know its function yet, but it's connected to Jinchūriki. She left quite the impression in Kumogakure."

Konan added, "She was also spotted in the Land of Earth with a priestess. My contacts say she made a sacrificial trade—allowing one of her priestesses safe passage through that country. This woman is either aligned with the Cult or deeply entangled in their goals."

Pain raised his hand. "I've also heard from our watchers. Someone has been leaking information about her route—ever since she left Konoha. And there was an incident near the Valley of the End. Two shinobi forces clashed against her entourage. The samurai passed through them."

Madara finally spoke, his voice firm and timeless. "The plan will continue. Kisame reports the Three-Tails will soon resurface. The Seven-Tails should be our next focus."

Pain nodded. "Agreed. But we cannot ignore the Silver Lady. Not anymore. Zetsu, I want you to follow the Iron Princess for a while, two weeks no more, report anything unusual you see. If that comes back clear, we'll begin extracting the seven-tails related to Takigakure."

Konan tilted her head. "And the movement of the Sage Lands?"

Pain's gaze darkened further. "They've awakened for the first time in generations. And their target was her. That means she's not just a distraction."

"She's a threat," Zetsu concluded.

"Or the distraction we need," Madara murmured.

Silence returned. But this time, it was charged with tension.

A name once spoken in curiosity had become a variable none of them could afford to ignore.

<<<< o >>>>

That night, Hinata, Mitsue, and Kuro returned to Yumegakure. Her legs, restored within the realm, allowed her to walk unaided between her two closest companions—though her heart still carried the weight of what had transpired. She could feel it now: a new presence, curious and cautious, brushing against her senses. Yumegakure had changed.

In the battle against the sages, something had shifted. The land she once guided through instinct now saw, heard, and responded of its own accord. It was still young—an infant dreaming—but she could feel it learning.

When they reached the base of the Crystal Tower, Michel was already waiting. As soon as their eyes met, he said nothing—only embraced her. Kuro must have told him everything, from the arrival of the sages to the devastation that followed. When the embrace ended, the four of them—Hinata, Kuro, Mitsue, and Michel—stood at the top of the Crystal Tower under the moonlight, beside the great Silver Tree. Michel's control of space within the tower made such movement feel effortless.

"Tell me, little one," Michel asked with honest concern. "How do you feel?"

Hinata's voice was tired but steady. "Awful. I didn't expect that level of destruction… I didn't think I could do something like that."

Michel nodded. "But you stayed. You tried to make it right. That says more about who you are than what happened."

Kuro and Mitsue sat quietly, listening.

Hinata closed her eyes for a moment, recalling. "I pushed past what I thought were my limits… and then broke through them again. I made it to the village of Toba just in time. I used what strength I had left—and Yumegakure helped me. It moved with me. Guided me. I stopped the waves. Then I collapsed. Mitsue saved me. Jiren treated the poison. Kenshiro healed my body… and I think Yumegakure supported my soul."

"That explains it," Michel said, turning with a smile to Mitsue. "She's been pestering everyone about learning medical ninjutsu. Venom treatments, healing techniques—even asked about poisons from the newcomers from Sunagakure."

"Newcomers from Suna?" Hinata asked, surprised.

Michel chuckled. "Yes. While you were fighting the sages, Yumegakure acted on its own. Using what it learned from you, it brought in everyone tied to you through your Thread Bond Technique. Then it brought in those connected to them. The population here exploded overnight. Kaito had to take command and organize teams to guide the new arrivals through the Silver Nodes. Without him, it would've been chaos."

He glanced toward the horizon, then back to Hinata.

"You were wise to restrict access to the Crystal Tower and the deeper Nodes. Only your samurai can invite, and only I can grant entry to the tower. Even then, the shinobi arrivals caused trouble."

Hinata looked upward, past the shimmering canopy of the Silver Tree.

"Thank you, Yumegakure," she whispered. "You were my foundation that day. I hope I can remain yours in the days to come."

A warm breeze stirred the leaves above them. The realm had heard—and responded.

Hinata looked back at Michel, voice lowered.

"I know what you did… you distracted me with Mitsue and Yumegakure. But it doesn't change what happened. I thought I had it under control. I truly believed the explosion would be small—just enough to let me escape. I thought using only a fraction of the force I wield in my normal state would be safe in the Silver Stage. I was wrong."

Her hand rested gently against the Silver Tree. Kuro and Mitsue offered her their silent support, flanking her with an unwavering presence.

Michel's voice was calm but firm. "You trained. You prepared. And when the time came, you did your best. You stayed and tried to fix it. That's what matters. Your technique—it's not just for destruction. You saw what it did when you saved Toba. Don't be ashamed of your growth. You're not less because you made a mistake. You're human. And humans… adapt."

"Yeah! Like me! I'm always growing! And Mitsue now wants to be a healer just to patch you up next time you get banged up," Kuro chirped with childlike pride, puffing up her chest.

Mitsue flushed and clung tighter to Hinata. "That's right. We're not splitting up again. Next time, Kuro stays behind. Only I can keep you safe."

Hinata smiled softly and pulled them both into a gentle embrace. "Then maybe next time… we will fight together. Seeing those two sages fight side by side made me realize—we can be better than that. If either of you had been there… Things could have gone differently."

Michel gave an exaggerated sigh. "I thought you'd notice that, but I think you've held it constant for so long that you just started ignoring it…"

Hinata, Kuro, and Mitsue's hug pauses for a moment when Hinata looks at Michel and asks honestly. "What do you mean?"

Michel just raises his hand and holds up two fingers. "There are two important factors that you've ignored, first, your spirit clones. When you have complex fights, you leave them meditating and alone so as not to get distracted from what matters. After all, you can't get distracted in fights of that caliber. But you have to understand that even if they don't do anything, the effort to keep them out of your mind, being in several places at once does have an effect on you. But you've made it such an everyday thing that you don't notice it."

Hinata lowered her thoughtful gaze for a moment and replied, "You say that, recognizing how difficult that fight was, it would have been better to deactivate them so I could have my full focus… that's something I'm going to have to come up with a way to resolve." She was right. That vulnerability was one she hadn't encountered until now in training or simple sparring situations. She hadn't noticed it, but with opponents who sought to kill her… and had the ability to do so, she had to find a way to improve her spirit clones. After all, she now has chakra.

Michel smiles and continues with her second reason: "And that's why you don't rest, or rather sleep, always." You meditate or go to Yumegakure but you don't sleep... and I think that limits your development... that's the second factor... I think it would be healthy if you didn't use your spirit clones for a while and let your spirit rest."

Hinata was perplexed; she didn't feel the need... but now I guess she could put that advice to the test... "I... understand... I'll try to rest more from now on."

Mitsue and Kuro exchanged glances, and silently agreed to make sure Hinata got a good rest.