He Became Her

"Who knows? It's lucky enough to have escaped with my life. It's a good thing I didn't call Ao over beforehand; otherwise, the Byakugan I worked so hard to seize would have been reclaimed by the Konoha ninja."

At this, Karatachi Yagura gritted his teeth in hatred. As the dignified Fourth Mizukage, he had actually fallen for the genjutsu of a mere brat.

If word of this battle were to get out, how could he maintain his standing in the Village of the Bloody Mist? How could he uphold the will of the Third Mizukage? Damn it!

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Land of Water, in a village shrouded in snow all year round.

A diligent and kind man, his clothes covered in patches, wore a broad smile. Full of energy, he prepared to provide some proper nourishment for his child, who had just turned one year old.

Inside the dilapidated hut, a woman with delicate features looked at the child in her arms, her heart heavy with worry, her brow furrowed with anxiety.

"Will this child also inherit... no, please, don't let it be. Don't let him inherit that cursed power, Haku..."

Bang!

The door swung open, gusts of wind and snow cutting like blades. A black cloak billowed, prompting the woman to shield the child in her arms behind her.

"Who are you? A ninja?"

"Is this the child? I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to sleep for a moment. I intend to slightly alter this child's destiny."

The intricate, complex Mangekyo patterns shifted in an instant, causing the woman, who met his gaze, to lose her focus and fall helplessly into a genjutsu.

"Let me witness your ability. Bloom, Kyoka Suigetsu."

Before long, an invisible force within the Book of Vermilion Moon manifested as a barrier, enveloping the entire hut.

A clear, azure radiance descended from the ancient bamboo scroll in his hand onto the child, eventually dissipating into nothingness.

Countless amounts of natural energy surged into the Book of Vermilion Moon, causing the natural energy in the area to churn violently, as if filling an unknown void.

After a long while, Uchiha Hanazuki looked left and right, scanning up and down with a face full of suspicion.

"Is that it? What exactly happened?"

After a moment of silence, Hanazuki stepped forward and picked up the child. After probing with his senses, he froze in place.

"This child is... wait, I remember he was a 'he' just a moment ago. Could it be that the power of the Book of Vermilion Moon is..."

He felt as if struck by lightning. Even as Hanazuki left, the image remained burned into his mind, unable to shake it off for a long time.

"He... became a she? How is this even possible? And this feeling..."

The water surface was deep blue, emitting a shimmering glow. Within his inner world, the skin-and-bones Black Nine-Tails glared with rage, its eyes, the size of carriage wheels, staring viciously at Hanazuki.

"You hateful Uchiha brat! What the hell have you done? What was that power from just now? Why did you drain so much of my chakra? Do you want to destroy this world?!"

"You're so noisy! How should I know? I just opened the barrier of the Book of Vermilion Moon and changed a few established facts while I was at it. Who the hell knew it would consume your chakra?"

With its fur standing on end, the bristling fox roared immediately.

"I knew it! It had to have something to do with you, you brat! Damn it, do you know what it feels like to have someone force you to vomit when you don't want to?"

"Calling me a brat left and right—it's annoying as hell. Are you looking for trouble, you Orange Pig?"

"You evil brat! Today, I'll show you what true fear is! Tailed Beast Bomb!"

Three minutes later, the bruised and battered Black Nine-Tails listened, its expression turning exceptionally strange.

"You bastard, not only did you send my chakra to some strange place, but you also turned someone into a woman? Is this... ah, right, is this some kind of raising-sim game?"

Countless potato chips the size of carriage wheels crunched crisply between its sharp teeth, occasionally accompanied by the bubbling sound of 'happy water.' The Black Nine-Tails' emaciated body gradually began to fill out.

"No one will think you're a mute if you don't talk. Even eating can't plug that mouth of yours. I was just experimenting; who knew he would turn into her? This thing—the power of the Book of Vermilion Moon is definitely not that simple."

His eyes flickered. Consuming nearly half of the Nine-Tails' chakra had caused the natural energy around that village to fall into chaos. The effect was indeed astonishing; even now, Hanazuki hadn't fully recovered.

"Oh, sure, sure. I believe you. You're definitely not one to be swayed by beauty, a cold and ruthless ninja who uses ocular jutsu to create women's lingerie and is interested in women older than himself... Wahahaha!"

Halfway through, the Black Nine-Tails couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into loud laughter, its fox tails wagging wildly behind it.

"If you say one more word, I'll use the Book of Vermilion Moon to turn you into a female fox. I want to see if you can still laugh then."

The laughter stopped abruptly. The Black Nine-Tails looked wary and instinctively took a few steps back. It was genuinely afraid of being threatened with that.

Regaining control of his body, Hanazuki looked into the distance. The chakra mark on that child was clearly visible to him.

"No matter how fiercely the fires of war burn, they will eventually extinguish as the fuel runs out. Is this war also coming to an end?"

On the other hand, in Konoha Village.

"Minato, I leave this matter to you. You must guide him onto the right path. I'm counting on you."

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke with a solemn tone, but Namikaze Minato was deeply confused.

"Uchiha Hanazuki... isn't this child a student of Orochimaru-sensei? Why do you want me to mentor him?"

Lowering his gaze, thinking of the traces found on the ceiling of the study and the clues captured by the Telescope Technique, Sarutobi Hiruzen really didn't want to doubt his prized student, but...

"In any case, leave the matter to you. I will speak with Orochimaru about it. Having him by your side should be a great help."

Thinking of the fearless, defiant youth he had met for the first time, Namikaze Minato felt a headache coming on. This problem seemed even thornier than he had imagined.

"Yes, I understand."

"Speaking of him, has he returned? This mission was completed smoothly. Uchiha Hanazuki is truly an excellent child, though he still has a long way to go before becoming a great ninja."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's sigh forced Namikaze Minato to offer a polite smile. The figure in the crystal ball followed behind several captured Konoha ninja, looking up at the crystal ball from time to time.

"Truly... a sharp child. Perhaps this will be interesting."

At the same time, Hua Yue, having discovered she was being spied on by a telescope, felt her mouth twitch as she muttered inwardly.

Speaking of which, is it possible that the Third Hokage, that perverted old man, also uses this trick to peek into the hot springs? It's not entirely out of the question.

With her mind wandering, she inadvertently glanced back, a strange smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Yo, Kakashi-senpai, you've obtained quite the eye!"