The evening air carried a hint of autumn chill as Sakura adjusted her dress, smoothing the red fabric over her hips. Her pink lapine ears twitched with anticipation. Tonight marked her first visit to the New Great Warren since the rabbits had completed their migration.

  "How do I look?" she asked, turning to Sasuke.

  He glanced up from checking his weapons pouch. His dark eyes took in her appearance for a moment before he nodded once. "Fine."

  Sakura rolled her eyes. "Such a way with words, Sasuke-kun."

  The corner of his mouth twitched, almost a smile. "The rabbits won't care what you're wearing, and you know it."

  "Queen Joousa will," Sakura countered, fidgeting with her earrings—the Uchiha fan symbols Sasuke had given her. "She's very particular about appearances."

  A knock at the door interrupted them. Sasuke moved to answer it while Sakura did one final check in the mirror. Her tail twitched with nervous energy.

  Three excited voices filled the room as Sasuke let the academy students in. Moegi led the group, her orange hair styled in upward ponytails. Behind her came two other girls from her class, both looking around the training room with wide, curious eyes.

  "Sakura-senpai!" Moegi called, bouncing on her toes. "We're ready to meet the rabbits!"

  Their academy teacher, Suzume, followed them in, adjusting her glasses with a stern expression. "Girls, remember what we discussed about proper behavior."

  The three immediately straightened their postures, though excitement still radiated from them.

  "Mochi will be here any minute," Sakura said, smiling at their barely-contained enthusiasm.

  As if summoned by her words, a puff of smoke appeared in the center of the room, revealing a white rabbit about the size of a large dog. Mochi had grown considerably since Sakura first signed the contract.

  "Good evening, Sakura-sama," Mochi said with practiced dignity, sitting up straight with his ears perfectly erect.

  The three academy students gasped in unison.

  "He's so cute!" one of the girls squealed.

  "And he can talk!" the other added.

  Mochi's nose twitched with pride. "I am Mochi, personal summon of Sakura Haruno and top graduate of my class."

  The girls surrounded him, all trying to pet him at once. Mochi maintained his dignified pose, though Sakura noticed his eyes half-closing in pleasure as the students stroked his fur.

  "Is it true you fought Naruto-senpai and won?" Moegi asked, her fingers finding a spot behind Mochi's right ear.

  "Indeed," Mochi replied, his voice still formal despite the attention. "Though Naruto-san has improved considerably since—"

  His sentence cut off abruptly as Moegi's fingers found the perfect spot on his back, just above his right hind leg. The leg began drumming against the floor in rapid thumps, completely beyond his control.

  The girls giggled in delight while Mochi's expression shifted to mortified embarrassment as he tried and failed to stop his leg.

  "Moegi, that's enough," Suzume said, though her lips twitched with suppressed amusement.

  Moegi withdrew her hand, and Mochi quickly composed himself, ears flattening slightly in embarrassment.

  "Ahem. As I was saying..."

  Suzume approached Sakura as the girls continued to fawn over Mochi, who was now telling them about his battle techniques with exaggerated flourishes.

  "Sakura-san, I want to thank you for arranging this opportunity for my students," Suzume said. "Having access to the rabbit contract will give them unique advantages as they progress."

  "They'll need to be responsible with it," Sakura replied. "The rabbits aren't just tools—they're partners."

  Suzume nodded. "I've prepared them as best I could. They understand the basic theory of summoning, though their chakra reserves are still developing." She lowered her voice. "Moegi shows the most promise. She's already mastered the tree-walking exercise, which is quite advanced for her age."

  "She reminds me of myself at that age," Sakura said, watching the orange-haired girl demonstrate a perfect hand seal for Mochi's approval.

  "You've come very far in a short time," Suzume observed. "It's hard to believe I was teaching you less than a year ago."

  Sakura looked at her former teacher—really looked at her. Suzume was skilled, certainly, but as Sakura assessed her movements, her chakra presence, her stance... a strange realization dawned on her. In a serious fight between them now, Sakura would win. The thought was both empowering and unsettling.

  "We should get going," Sasuke said, checking the time. "The moon's almost at its peak."

  Sakura nodded, pushing away her strange thoughts. "Everyone gather around Mochi. We'll need to be in physical contact for the reverse summoning."

  The academy students formed an excited circle, with Sakura, Sasuke, and Suzume joining them. All placed a hand on Mochi, who sat in the center.

  "Ready?" Sakura asked, making eye contact with each person.

  When everyone nodded, she performed the hand signs and channeled her chakra. "Reverse Summoning Jutsu!"

  The world blurred around them, compressing and stretching simultaneously. When Sakura's vision cleared, they stood in the New Great Warren.

  The difference from her last visit was staggering. During the Wave mission, the place had been little more than a hurried camp, with rabbits just beginning to establish themselves. Now, it teemed with activity.

  Everywhere she looked, rabbits of various sizes worked on construction. Some dug new tunnels with precision chakra techniques, while others reinforced existing passageways with wooden supports. The central cavern had doubled in size, with homes carved into the walls at different levels, connected by spiraling ramps and bridges.

  Unlike the old warren's established elegance, this place buzzed with the energy of creation and possibility. Rabbits darted in every direction, carrying materials, consulting plans, and shaping their new home with visible excitement and pride.

  "It's amazing," Sakura breathed.

  The academy students stared wide-eyed, turning in circles to take in everything. Even Sasuke looked impressed, though he tried to hide it.

  "Welcome to our new home," a feminine voice called.

  Queen Joousa approached them, walking with graceful steps beside the massive form of Caerbannog. The giant battle bunny towered over them, scarred and fierce, with teeth that could tear through steel.

  "That's Caerbannog!" Moegi whispered in awe. "The one who fought three summons at once!"

  The academy students gaped at the massive rabbit, instinctively moving closer to Sakura.

  "His bark is worse than his bite," Sakura assured them, though that wasn't entirely true. His bite was precisely as terrifying as one would expect.

  "Sakura, Sasuke," Queen Joousa greeted them warmly. "And new potential summoners! How wonderful!"

  Before Sakura could respond, a loud pop echoed through the cavern. Four new figures appeared near them: Hinata with Carrot beside her, Naruto with a decidedly smug expression, and Jiraiya looking thoroughly put out.

  "Surprise!" Naruto announced, his grin widening at the shock on everyone's faces.

  "Lord Jiraiya!" Queen Joousa exclaimed, her composure slipping for a moment. Her paws flew to smooth her fur, and she subtly but definitely thrust her chest forward.

  Jiraiya's eyes couldn't help but notice that the Queen's...endowments had grown considerably since their last meeting. They now rivaled Tsunade's legendary assets, though on Joousa's much shorter frame, the effect was even more pronounced. His traitorous mind immediately began composing descriptive prose.

  The Queen had changed in other ways too. Her face was now almost entirely human, with only patches of white fur around her cheeks and forehead that somehow enhanced her exotic appearance rather than detracting from it. The rest of her body looked pale at first glance, but Jiraiya's sharp eyes noticed the extremely short white fur covering her skin like fine velvet.

  Her long ears were tied back with her silvery hair in a style that made them blend seamlessly, like an elegant updo rather than animal appendages. She had crossed some invisible line in appearance, hovering in that uncanny space between rabbit and human that both fascinated and unsettled him.

  What troubled Jiraiya most was his growing certainty that soon, she would move past that uncanny valley entirely. When that happened—when she achieved true beauty in human terms while retaining her exotic qualities—how would he react? The thought made him nervous in ways few things could.

  "My apologies for arriving unannounced, Your Majesty," Jiraiya said, bowing slightly while shooting a glare at Naruto. "I seem to have been... summoned here rather unexpectedly."

  Naruto's smirk grew impossibly wider. "The Hokage received an urgent request for the great Toad Sage to examine Sasuke's seal alongside Her Majesty's expertise," he explained with exaggerated formality. "And who am I to question the Hokage's orders?"

  Queen Joousa clapped her hands together in delight. "How fortuitous! I've been hoping to consult with you on several matters, Lord Jiraiya."

  She turned to the academy students, who were staring at the legendary Sannin with undisguised awe.

  "Serena will see to your examinations and contract finalization," she told them, gesturing to an elderly rabbit who approached with a dignified hop. "She's been training summoners since before I was born."

  Serena bowed to the students. "Come along, young ones. Let's see what you're made of."

  As the students followed Serena down one of the warren's new corridors, Queen Joousa turned back to them. "Now, about that seal... Give me just a moment to gather my materials. I'll be right back."

  She bounded away with surprising speed, disappearing down another tunnel.

  Sakura looked up at Caerbannog, who remained beside them. "She went to change into something more enticing for Jiraiya, didn't she?"

  The massive battle rabbit nodded mournfully, his giant head dipping in confirmation.

  "I appreciate you coming to help with the seal," Sakura said to Jiraiya. "Sasuke's been having nightmares since Orochimaru attacked him."

  "Don't thank me," Jiraiya grumbled. "Thank the brat and his underhanded tactics."

  Naruto crossed his arms, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "After what you pulled, you're lucky all I did was send a letter to the old man saying you were refusing to help inspect a curse mark from one of Konoha's most wanted criminals."

  "Which somehow resulted in me being required to attend these monthly meetings for the next six months," Jiraiya groused.

  "That's just the beginning," Naruto said darkly. "Wait until you have to fill out your own expense reports."

  "In triplicate," he added with malicious glee.

  The assembled ninja collectively shuddered.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "And document every source for your 'research' with signed affidavits," Naruto continued, warming to his theme.

  "Now that's just excessive," Jiraiya protested.

  "Naruto-kun," Hinata said gently, touching his arm. "Perhaps we shouldn't go too far. I wasn't in any real danger."

  "I agree with Hinata," Sakura added. "Making him do paperwork in triplicate seems cruel and unusual, even for what he did."

  "Thank you!" Jiraiya exclaimed, gesturing toward the girls. "Someone with sense!"

  "What exactly did he do?" Sasuke asked, eyes narrowing.

  Naruto's expression darkened. "He threw Hinata off a cliff."

  Sasuke stared at Jiraiya for a long moment, then at Hinata, then at Sakura. His expression shifted subtly as Sakura could almost see him imagining what he would do if someone had thrown her off a cliff.

  "Form 32-B," Sasuke said evenly. "The requisition for special materials used in training. And I believe you haven't properly filed a Form 44-J, documenting supervised training techniques with potential risk to genin, in at least a decade."

  "Don't forget the TR-7 supplementary field report with witness signatures," he added.

  Naruto's eyes lit up. "You're right! And those require the gold-sealed approval from the mission desk AND the academic review board!"

  Jiraiya fell to his knees, face contorted in horror. "You're monsters. All of you."

  Hinata leaned close to Sakura, voice dropping to a whisper. "My father once told me the real power the Hokage has over his ninja isn't his strength, but how much paperwork he can assign them."

  Sakura nodded dumbly in agreement, watching the legendary Sannin reduced to despair at the mere mention of administrative forms.

  Queen Joousa swept back into the examination chamber wearing a lavish kimono of midnight blue silk with silver thread embroidered in patterns resembling phases of the moon. The garment hugged her increasingly human-like figure in ways that made Jiraiya twitch visibly each time he glanced her way.

  "I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long," she said, her voice carrying a melody that hadn't been there before. "I simply wanted to dress appropriately for such distinguished company."

  Sasuke sat on an examination bench carved from a massive oak root, shirt removed to expose the cursed seal on his neck. The mark pulsed faintly with a sickly purple glow in the warm light of the underground chamber.

  "Let's get this over with," Sasuke muttered, though his eyes betrayed a hint of nervousness.

  Queen Joousa approached him, deliberately brushing against Jiraiya as she passed. The Sannin jerked away as though burned, nearly stumbling into a shelf of colorful elixirs.

  "My, how clumsy of me," she cooed, eyes glittering with amusement.

  Naruto nudged Sakura, whispering just loud enough for everyone to hear, "I thought the pervy sage would be all over this."

  "Shut it, brat," Jiraiya growled, his face flushed. "This is a serious examination."

  Hinata covered her mouth to hide her smile while Sakura didn't bother concealing her snicker.

  "The mighty Toad Sage, author of those books Kakashi-sensei always reads, brought to his knees by a rabbit queen," Sakura teased.

  "There's a difference between research and... and..." Jiraiya gestured helplessly toward Queen Joousa, who pretended not to notice as she examined Sasuke's seal.

  "Between research and genuine affection?" Hinata suggested innocently.

  "Exactly!" Jiraiya exclaimed, then caught himself. "I mean, no! That's not—"

  "Please stop fidgeting, Lord Jiraiya," Queen Joousa interrupted. "I need your expertise to properly examine this fascinating work."

  She beckoned him closer with a crooked finger, her kimono sleeve falling back to reveal her slender, fur-covered arm. Jiraiya approached with the caution of a man walking into a tiger's den.

  "Fascinating," Queen Joousa murmured, her fingers hovering over the seal. "My knowledge of seals is limited compared to yours, Lord Jiraiya, but I do know essence quite well."

  "Essence?" Naruto asked.

  "Yes," she replied, not looking up from her examination. "From what I can gather, Orochimaru injected some of his own essence into Sasuke as part of this seal. It serves as fuel that allows the seal's user to draw upon additional power."

  Sasuke snorted. "That doesn't come for free."

  "Indeed not," Queen Joousa agreed, straightening up. "Nothing worth having ever does."

  She moved to a nearby table and selected a small crystal vial containing a clear liquid with faint purple swirls. As she worked, she began to explain.

  "Essence is, simply put, the very nature of a thing. Everything has it—humans, rabbits, trees, even rocks, though in vastly different qualities and quantities."

  Jiraiya nodded. "In sealing arts, we sometimes call it 'spiritual energy' or 'life force,' though that's an oversimplification."

  Queen Joousa smiled appreciatively at him, causing him to flush again. "Precisely. However, one can't simply introduce foreign essence into a body and expect results. The body naturally rejects it, much like an immune system attacks a disease."

  Sakura leaned forward. "So how did you change me then?"

  "Through a very precise process," the Queen replied. "First, the body must have some of its own essence drained—creating a vacancy, if you will. Then, new essence can be applied to fill that void."

  She dipped a brush into the purple liquid and began painting delicate symbols around Sasuke's seal.

  "Under normal circumstances, this is an exceedingly slow process," she continued. "The merging takes time, often years."

  "Unless you use elixirs to speed it up," Sakura added.

  Queen Joousa shot her a mild glare. "Yes, though some patients insist on being difficult about the timing."

  "I'm perfectly fine with the speed we went," Sakura replied firmly, her ears twitching in indignation.

  Hinata raised her hand slightly, as if still in the Academy. "Queen Joousa? Why are my changes progressing so much slower than Sakura's, even with the elixirs?"

  Before the Queen could answer, Sasuke spoke up. "And is it possible for some of my essence to be transferred to Sakura? Could she gain the Sharingan that way? Would it increase the chances of our children inheriting it?"

  Sakura's jaw dropped, her face instantly flushing pink. "S-Sasuke!"

  The Uchiha merely shrugged, completely unembrrassed. "It's a practical question."

  Queen Joousa set down her brush, looking between Hinata and Sasuke. "Interestingly, both your questions stem from the same fundamental issue." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Bloodline limits are indeed rooted in essence, but in a very specific way."

  She gestured toward Sakura. "For Sakura, what we did was relatively simple—general 'human' essence was replaced with 'rabbit' essence. The more specific you get, the more difficult the transfer becomes."

  "How much more difficult?" Sasuke pressed.

  "Magnitudes," the Queen replied. "Something as specific as 'Uchiha' essence or 'Hyuuga' essence is incredibly hard to isolate and transfer."

  Hinata nodded in understanding. "So my changes are slower because you're being careful not to affect my Byakugan."

  "Precisely," Queen Joousa confirmed. "To induce more rabbit changes, we need to reduce some of your human essence without touching any of the 'Hyuuga' essence that gives you your bloodline limit. It's delicate work, like removing individual grains of sand from a mixing bowl full of flour and sugar, wanting only to remove sand while leaving everything else."

  Jiraiya crossed his arms, studying the painted symbols around Sasuke's seal. "And what of Orochimaru's seal? What can you tell us about it?"

  The Queen's expression shifted to one of reluctant admiration. "It's a work of genius. The seal, as far as I can tell, prevents Sasuke's body from rejecting Orochimaru's essence. In addition, when activated, it converts small amounts of Sasuke's own essence into Orochimaru's."

  Sasuke's hand unconsciously rose to the mark. "So every time I use it..."

  "You become a little more like him," Jiraiya finished grimly.

  "Can you remove it?" Sasuke asked, tension evident in his voice.

  Queen Joousa shook her head. "No, not without causing severe damage. But I can make it inert."

  "How?" Sakura asked.

  "By gradually draining Orochimaru's essence from the seal," the Queen explained. "It will be a lengthy process if we want to avoid harming Sasuke, but it's possible."

  "How lengthy?" Sasuke asked.

  "Several months, at least," she replied. "Maybe longer."

  Naruto scratched his head. "This essence stuff is complicated. How many types can a person have?"

  Queen Joousa waved dismissively. "Don't worry about it. People only have one source of essence unless it's been transplanted, like with myself, Hinata, and Sakura."

  She reached out and casually tapped Naruto's forehead. "You only have one—"

  The Queen froze, her expression shifting to confusion. She tapped him again, more deliberately this time.

  "That can't be right," she muttered, frowning deeply.

  Jiraiya tensed, moving subtly closer to Naruto. "Is something wrong?"

  Queen Joousa ignored him, staring at Naruto with newfound intensity. "Why in the world do you have four distinct essences in you?"

  The room went silent. Naruto's eyes widened, darting nervously to Jiraiya.

  "Four?" Hinata whispered.

  Jiraiya cleared his throat. "Well, as you might have guessed, Naruto is a—"

  "I know what a Jinchūriki is," Queen Joousa interrupted, waving impatiently. "That would account for two essences—his own and the Bijuu's. But there are four."

  Without warning, she grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and unceremoniously moved him off the examination bench. "Off you go. We'll continue your treatment later."

  She patted the empty space. "Naruto, sit. This is fascinating."

  Sasuke smirked as he pulled his shirt back on, clearly amused by the turn of events. Naruto, on the other hand, looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

  "Do I have to?" he asked, glancing pleadingly at Jiraiya.

  "It might be good to understand what's happening," Jiraiya said carefully. "But I'll be right here."

  Reluctantly, Naruto took Sasuke's place on the bench. Queen Joousa immediately began examining him, her fingers tracing patterns in the air around his stomach.

  "Remarkable," she murmured. "Simply remarkable."

  Jiraiya moved closer, his earlier discomfort forgotten. "You're certain there are four distinct essences?"

  "Absolutely," she replied without looking up. "And they're all tied to the seal in different ways."

  The Queen snapped her fingers, and two younger rabbits wearing spectacles hopped in, carrying scrolls and inkwells.

  "Take notes," she instructed them. "This is unprecedented."

  "Um, should I be worried?" Naruto asked, watching the rabbits begin scribbling furiously.

  "Not at all," Queen Joousa assured him, though her gleaming eyes did little to set him at ease. "This is purely for scientific purposes."

  "That's what makes me worried," Naruto muttered.

  Queen Joousa pressed her palm against Naruto's stomach, causing the seal to briefly appear. "The largest foreign essence is clearly the Kyuubi's, as expected."

  She tilted her head, squinting slightly. "But it's peculiar. It's completely Yang in nature, without a drop of Yin."

  Jiraiya's brow furrowed. "That can't be right. Bijuu are perfect balances of Yin and Yang chakra."

  He stepped forward and placed his own hand on Naruto's seal, channeling a small amount of chakra. After a moment, his expression grew serious.

  "She's right," he said, sounding troubled. "Only Yang chakra. The Yin portion is... missing."

  "Where would half a Bijuu's essence go?" Sakura asked.

  "That's a question for another time," Jiraiya replied tersely. "What about the other two essences you detected?"

  Queen Joousa nodded, her fingers making minute adjustments on Naruto's seal. "They're much smaller, also tied into the seal's structure. They're difficult to distinguish clearly—almost as if they were meant to be hidden."

  Naruto squirmed uncomfortably. "The fox is enough. I don't want more weird stuff inside me."

  "They don't seem malevolent," the Queen murmured, more to herself than to the others. "In fact, they feel... protective."

  Her eyes suddenly lit up with the manic gleam that Sakura had come to recognize as the Queen's "mad scientist" look.

  "I wonder if I could extract them for proper study," she said, reaching for a nearby set of tools. "A careful separation would allow us to—"

  "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jiraiya interrupted, stepping between her and Naruto. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. This sealing work was done by the Fourth Hokage himself. Tampering with it without fully understanding it could be catastrophic."

  Queen Joousa pouted, looking genuinely disappointed. "But the research potential—"

  "Could wait until we've studied it more thoroughly," Jiraiya finished firmly.

  When she still seemed hesitant, Jiraiya's demeanor changed subtly. His posture straightened, his voice lowered, and he fixed Queen Joousa with an intense gaze that made the rabbit monarch suddenly very interested in what he had to say.

  "I promise we'll explore this together," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "But rushing could endanger Naruto, and I know someone with your expertise understands the importance of proper... preparation."

  The effect was immediate. Queen Joousa's ears perked straight up, and she nodded vigorously. "Of course, you're absolutely right, Lord Jiraiya. We must proceed with the utmost caution."

  She patted Naruto's head. "Don't worry, young one. We won't do anything hasty."

  Naruto scrambled off the examination bench, putting distance between himself and the Queen. "Great, so we're done here, right?"

  "For now," Queen Joousa agreed reluctantly. She turned to all of Team 7. "I expect to see all of you at next month's meeting. I'm happy to have a new project now that Sakura's transformation is all but finished."

  Sakura's ears twitched. "Wait, does that mean no more elixirs?"

  "Perhaps one or two more refinements," the Queen replied, waving her hand vaguely. "But yes, you're nearly complete."

  Sasuke looked at Sakura with an unreadable expression that made her blush.

  "We should collect the academy students and head back," Hinata suggested gently. "It's getting late."

  As they prepared to leave, Jiraiya lingered behind momentarily.

  "Thank you for your assistance with Sasuke's seal," he said to Queen Joousa. "The containment symbols you added should help stabilize it until our next session."

  The Queen nodded, then leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Perhaps next time you visit, we could discuss some of your... research methods? I have some theories I'd love to explore with you."

  Jiraiya's face reddened again. "I'll, uh, consider it."

  He caught up with the others quickly, herding them toward the chamber where the academy students were completing their contract ceremonies.

  Moegi bounded up to them, eyes shining with excitement. "Sakura-senpai! I got my own personal training summon!" She gestured to a small orange rabbit with a white belly who bowed formally.

  "Carrot's younger sister," Hinata noted with a smile. "She'll serve you well."

  After collecting all the students and saying their goodbyes, the group returned to Konoha. Night had fallen, and the academy students were quickly escorted home by their teacher.

  As Team 7 and Hinata headed toward the village center, Jiraiya hung back, his expression troubled.

  "Pervy Sage?" Naruto called. "You coming?"

  "I need to report to the Hokage," Jiraiya replied. "You kids go on ahead."

  Once the genin were out of earshot, Jiraiya let out a long sigh. The Hokage would need to know about the anomalies in Naruto's seal—particularly the missing Yin chakra of the Kyuubi and the two mysterious essences that Queen Joousa had detected.

  But more importantly, he needed to ensure that the rabbit queen's scientific curiosity didn't lead to any unauthorized experiments on Naruto. The last thing they needed was another well-intentioned scientist tampering with things beyond their understanding.

  Jiraiya rubbed his temples, already dreading the conversation ahead. Sarutobi was going to have a field day with this one.