Back in the present, in Takigakure... Hinata, cloaked in the guise of a young herbalist, moved quietly through the mist-laced streets of Takigakure. Her basket of roots and leaves swayed gently at her back, and her downcast eyes never met those of the shinobi and civilians that passed. The air here was heavy with secrecy, the kind only a village hidden behind waterfalls and veils could truly foster.
She found a narrow alley nestled in the merchant district, its worn cobblestones washed clean by morning mist. A modest tea shop sat at its corner, its wooden walls covered in moss and its curtains swaying in the faint breeze. Hinata sat down on a simple bench just outside, placing her basket beside her. Kaito, dressed as a traveling retainer, settled at her side and ordered food for them both with the casual ease of a practiced wanderer.
To all who passed, she looked tired. A girl at rest.
But beneath her lowered lashes, Hinata used the breath of the world, and to reach out to the threads that connected all life. The infinite number of white threats of the Natural World responded. Invisible to the eye but radiant to the soul, the millennia-old tapestry of connection and breath surged through her. She called the threads to her spirit and body, careful not to unbalance the connection. Her soul pulsed with radiant stillness as her awareness expanded.
One by one, like stars flickering into view, the signatures of life in Takigakure emerged. People. Lives. Chakra. Intent. A surge of awareness pressed on her mind, threatening to drown her in the flood of unfiltered reality. But Hinata didn't need to perceive everything.
She only needed to find them.
Hinata focused her spiritual perception like the point of a needle. She had 4 Jonin and 10 chūnin to find, guided by Kaede's detailed intel this task became possible. When she found each of them, she linked to them silver threads, not enough to make the connection but capable of holding together long enough for her to find them in person, she just needed to interact with each one, something subtle, and the next time they sleep they'll be able to truly talk.
<<<< o >>>>
Back in the past, one week in the past of the events taking place in Takigakure. The heated argument between grandfather, father, daughter, and guardian continues
"So," Takama Gin asked, arms crossed and voice low, "what is your plan exactly?"
Hinata nodded calmly. "I intend to do what I did to Tenshō. I will bring each of them to the Silver World, bind them to my judgment there. But to pull someone in, I need a connection. Normally, it's someone I've touched or spoken with... or a connection forged through my spiritual clones."
After that brief explanation, she gave a moment of dramatic silence and with a smile continued with her plan. "Using Kaede's information, I'll break through the village's security holes and then find a place to relax for a couple of days, if necessary." For a moment her white eyes flashed silver and continued "Using the Farsightedness I have in the Silver Stage, I'll look for the 14 shinobi who aren't yet linked to the Silver World, plus Jiren. I've seen him before and should be able to establish a connection without interaction. With the rest, I'll establish temporary connections with the others so I can easily find them in the village, given that I can't maintain the Silver Stage for more than a few minutes. Then I'll send my spirit clones to do it. Given their nature, they're harder to spot than anything other than civilians."
Takama's eyes narrowed with interest. "Fine. You find them. Make the connection. But how do you plan to leave afterward?"
A sly smile touched her lips. "Kuro and Mitsue. I can summon them to my side from anywhere, thanks to our pact. But... the reverse is also true. If they call for me, they can pull me out. I'll mark them as my exit. I will go on to create my clones, in secret, in the worst case if they are discovered I just have to dismiss them."
"And where does Kaito come into all this?" Takama asked, not yet convinced.
Hinata's expression grew thoughtful. "Ever since I regained my chakra, I've learned to connect my physical and spiritual energies. My spiritual force is vast—far more than my physical strength—but I found I can now use a portion of my physical strength to give my spiritual techniques temporary physical form."
She placed a hand on the hilt of Shinsei, her blade.
"Kaito's vitality was stored in this sword when he gave his life. I found that by linking his spirit to my spiritual clone and channeling his physical energy through it, I can allow him to manifest in the real world temporarily. He must remain near Shinsei, but for short periods, he can fight and act as himself."
Takama fell silent, absorbing the weight of her words. A spiritual illusion made physical. A warrior of the dead reborn in moments of crisis. It was more than he had expected.
"Then he will be your shield," Takama said slowly. "Your sword. That changes things."
He turned toward Kaito, who met his gaze without flinching. There was strength there—calm, tested strength. It was not the fire of youth but the steel of conviction. The Silver World had tempered him.
Takama exhaled. "I trust him to do what's necessary. He's done it before. But I want one thing clear—"
He turned back to Hinata, his voice gaining that sharp, fatherly edge.
"If he tells you to leave, you leave. No matter what. Promise me that. You come first."
Hinata met his eyes. She bowed her head, her voice firm.
"I promise."
<<<< o >>>>
Hinata remained still, now every one of those marked by Kaede was partially linked. She had what she needed for the next stage.
With one exception.
A dark pressure hovered at the edge of her perception. Jiren. The aura around him was unnatural, a veil that dulled even the sharpest spiritual sense. It was as if something—or someone—had shielded his soul from direct influence. Her own body, her own soul, even the silver world seemed to recognize this presence, Hinata couldn't help but feel a feeling coming from the Silver World... hatred towards this aura.
The defense of his aura is strong, but her intuition told her that if she stood face to face with him she could cut through that aura with ease.
"There's a problem," Hinata said quietly, her tone clouded by disappointment. "The only way I can bring Jiren into the Silver World is if I'm physically in front of him. Whatever protects him blocks everything else."
Kaito, seated beside her and sharing the quiet atmosphere of their disguise, stiffened slightly. "Then we go. I promised I'd keep you safe."
Hinata shook her head, calm but resolute. "You know how strong I've become. With your help, I can get close enough to him. We'll make it dramatic—unmistakably divine. And the moment I touch his soul, I'll bind the others as well. Then... we leave. I'll signal Kuro and Mitsue to summon me away. I just have to accept the pull. We'll vanish before they can react."
"But what if something goes wrong?" Kaito asked, more out of worry than doubt. "What if he's stronger than you expect?"
Hinata's eyes darkened with memory. "Do you know what they planned for Maeko?"
He hesitated, sensing the shift in her voice. "What?"
"They developed a poison. It kills in agony if the antidote isn't given weekly. They meant to use her—to force information about the Silver World from me. Jiren already knew about me. He didn't act because he wanted to secure the Land of Iron first... through Tenshō."
Kaito's hands clenched. "Monsters…"
"That's why we have to end this now. Before more innocents suffer. I'll appear as the Silver Lady, the High Priestess in a public place, cornering him with spectacle. Once I make contact, it's over. Judgment will be delivered."
Kaito sighed, resigned but unwavering. "While I agree you're very capable, and that we have to do something, having any kind of confrontation in the middle of a secret village is insane... don't let pride blind you, find another way I can approve, or we'll leave."
He glanced toward Hinata's waist, where Mitsue—currently the size of a sash—had coiled tightly around her. "Look, even she agrees" and Mitsue sticks her head out and looks at Hinata with the snake version of soulful eyes... It didn't work out the way Mitsue thought it would.
For a moment, Hinata felt lost... she was so sure of herself... but if Kaede and Mitsue agreed... she had to find another way. She had to trust their judgment
She thought for a few minutes and then said,
"If we use the information we have on Kaede, we can encourage Jiren to leave the village... we'll ambush him there. If he leaves, he'll do so secretly with his allies. They had a code between them, one with important information that can only be delivered in person... they had a place where they met often in a town near the forest where Takigakure is. There's also the laboratory where they tested my father's technique on local samurai."
Kaito answered, with conviction "This is a plan I can agree to. With the addition that Kuro and Mitsue will summon you at the slightest sign of trouble. Okay?"
Hinata gently stroked her scales. "Fine, Mitsue. Kuro is going to do the summoning, you can come."
The little snake didn't move, but her grip loosened slightly.
The plan was in motion. The Silver World was ready. All that remained was the spark to ignite the storm.