He Had Become a She

"Who knows? Just surviving was lucky. Good thing I didn't call Ao over beforehand, or the Byakugan we worked so hard to obtain would've been taken back by the Konoha Ninja."

At that, Karatachi Yagura gritted his teeth in hatred. He, the mighty Fourth Mizukage, had actually fallen for a brat's genjutsu.

If word of this battle got out, how could he ever stand tall in the Village of the Bloody Mist again? How could he uphold the Third Mizukage's will? Damn it!

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Land of Water, in a village perpetually blanketed in snow.

The diligent, kindhearted man, whose clothes were covered in patches, wore a broad smile and brimmed with energy as he prepared to give his newly one-year-old child a nutritious meal.

Inside the dilapidated little house, the beautiful woman with delicate features gazed at the child in her arms, weighed down by worry. Her brows were furrowed with concern.

"Could this child have inherited it too... No, please, no. Don't inherit that damned power. Haku..."

Bang!

The door swung open. Wind and snow swept in like blades, the black cloak billowing fiercely as the woman shielded the child in her arms behind her.

"Who are you? A ninja?"

"Is this the child? I may have to trouble you to sleep for a little while. I'm going to make a slight change to that child's fate."

The intricate Mangekyō Sharingan shifted in an instant. The woman who met its gaze lost focus and sank helplessly into a genjutsu.

"Let me witness your power. Bloom, Illusion."

At some point, an invisible force had formed a barrier within the Book of the Crimson Moon, enclosing the entire little house.

A clear, azure glow fell from the ancient bamboo scroll in his hand onto the child, then vanished without a trace.

Countless streams of Natural Energy poured into the Book of the Crimson Moon, making the energy in the area surge like a raging sea, as if it were filling some unknown void.

After a long while, Hua Yue looked all around, inspecting the place from top to bottom with a puzzled expression.

"Is that it? What exactly happened?"

After a moment's silence, Hua Yue stepped forward and picked up the child. The instant he extended his senses to examine her, his whole body stiffened.

"This child is... Wait, I remember she was a he just now. Could the Book of the Crimson Moon's power be..."

It was as if lightning had struck him. Even as Hua Yue left, the image in his mind remained frozen on that moment, and he couldn't tear himself away from it.

"He... became a she? What on earth happened? And this feeling..."

The water shimmered blue, glowing faintly. In his inner world, the Black Nine-Tails, now little more than skin and bones, glared furiously at Hua Yue. Its eyes were as large as carriage wheels.

"Damn you, Uchiha brat! What the hell did you do? What was that power just now? Why did it drain so much of my chakra? Are you trying to destroy the world?!"

"Will you shut up already? How should I know? I just opened the Book of the Crimson Moon's barrier and changed a few things that were supposed to happen. Who knew it'd use up your chakra?"

Every hair on the fox stood on end as it exploded in a furious roar.

"I knew you were behind this, brat! Damn it, do you know what it feels like to be forced to throw up when you don't even feel sick?"

"'Brat' this, 'brat' that. You're driving me crazy. Looking for a fight, Orange Pig?"

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

Three minutes later, after hearing the whole story, the Black Nine-Tails, now sporting a bruised and battered face, wore an exceedingly strange expression.

"You bastard. Not only did you send my chakra somewhere weird, you turned someone into a woman too. So this is... Ah, right. A dating sim?"

Chips the size of carriage wheels crunched between its sharp teeth. Every now and then, it washed them down with a gulp of fizzy drink. The Black Nine-Tails' skin-and-bones body gradually filled out again.

"Just because you don't say anything doesn't mean people will think you're mute. Can't you keep your mouth shut while you eat? I just wanted to test it. Who knew he'd become a she? The Book of the Crimson Moon's power definitely isn't that simple."

His eyes flickered. Using up nearly half of the Nine-Tails' chakra and throwing the Natural Energy around that village into chaos had produced astonishing results. Even now, Hua Yue still hadn't recovered from the shock.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I believe you'd never be swayed by beauty, never use your dōjutsu to make women's underwear, and never be interested in women older than you. You're a cold, heartless ninja... Wahahaha!"

Halfway through, the Black Nine-Tails couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing, its tails swishing wildly behind it.

"Say one more word and I'll use the Book of the Crimson Moon to turn you into a vixen. Let's see if you're still laughing after that."

Its laughter stopped abruptly. The Black Nine-Tails looked wary and instinctively took a few steps back. It was actually a little afraid of that threat.

Once he had regained control of his body, Hua Yue gazed into the distance. The chakra mark on the child was clearly visible.

"No matter how fiercely a fire burns, it will eventually die out when its fuel is gone. Is this war finally nearing its end?"

Meanwhile, in Konoha.

"Minato, I'm entrusting this matter to you. Make sure you guide him down the right path. I'm counting on you."

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke gravely, while Namikaze Minato looked puzzled.

"Uchiha Hanazuki... Isn't this child Orochimaru-sensei's student? Why do you want me to teach him?"

His eyes lowered as he recalled the traces he had found on the study's ceiling and the clues captured through the Telescope Technique. Sarutobi Hiruzen truly didn't want to suspect his prized student, but...

"Anyway, I'm leaving this to you. I'll speak with Orochimaru. With him by your side, he should be able to help you quite a bit."

Remembering the fearless, disdainful boy he'd met for the first time, Namikaze Minato felt a headache coming on. This problem seemed even more troublesome than he'd expected.

"Yes, I understand."

"Speak of the devil, and he appears. The mission was a success too. Uchiha Hanazuki really is an outstanding child, though he still has a ways to go before becoming an outstanding ninja."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's sigh left Namikaze Minato with no choice but to smile along. In the crystal ball, a figure followed several captured Konoha Ninja, glancing up at the crystal ball from time to time.

"What a perceptive child... This could be interesting."

At the same time, Hua Yue realized he was being watched through the Telescope Jutsu. The corner of his mouth twitched as he grumbled inwardly.

Come to think of it, does the Third Hokage use this trick to spy on the hot springs too? Wouldn't surprise me.

Lost in thought, he turned around without thinking. A strange smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Yo, Kakashi-senpai, you got yourself a fine eye!"