Uchiha Hikari was stepping into the "Bronze City" for the first time.
As the palace crafted by Norton, the Fire King, this place was grander and more massive than she'd imagined. Its walls were forged from solid bronze, dividing the space into courtyards and rooms. Some rooms even had stone furniture, etched with delicate seal script, giving off an ancient, refined vibe.
She'd come here hunting for the "Seven Deadly Sins."
After all, those alchemical weapons were worth a cool hundred million bucks. Even if Hikari wasn't strapped for cash, who'd say no to more? Sure, she didn't have dragon blood, but that didn't mean she couldn't find a way to wield them. If the "Seven Deadly Sins" were as high-quality as they sounded, keeping them for herself could be fun.
But…
She had no clue where they were stashed in the Bronze City.
And neither did Constantine.
That guy's brain was basically mush, save for his obsession with his "brother." His common sense was practically nonexistent—worse than Erii before she joined the chat group. Since waking up, he'd been in a perpetual daze, barely stringing together a few words all day. He was no help at all in providing useful intel.
So, Hikari decided to treat this like a sightseeing trip, wandering through the metal palace, snapping a few photos with her phone to share with Esdeath and the others later.
As she moved forward, she used her "Fire Thunder God" technique to slice through a few walls, taking the shortest path by busting straight into the next room.
After a few loops like this, she somehow ended up in front of an ancient residence with a courtyard.
This seemed to be the same place from the original story—the one Norton and Constantine used as their home, stormed by Eastern Han soldiers two thousand years ago. But now, there was already someone in the courtyard.
A boy, maybe thirteen or fourteen.
About 1.6 meters tall, dressed in a sharp black suit, polished dress shoes, and a white silk scarf. He sat at a stone table, casually sipping a glass of red wine.
He clearly heard her footsteps but didn't turn right away. Instead, he set down his glass slowly, wiping the corner of his mouth. "You're here."
"…I'm here," Hikari replied, mimicking his nonchalant tone.
"You shouldn't have come."
"…"
Hikari narrowed her eyes slightly, ignoring the last line of the cliché exchange, and let out a soft breath. "Lu Mingze?"
It was indeed Lu Mingze.
She'd suspected she might run into him ever since getting involved in the "Kui Gate Project." After all, Lu Mingze had been keeping tabs on the project, and there were even hints he'd been pulling strings behind the scenes. Still… she didn't expect it to happen this soon.
It seemed Lu Mingze had anticipated her arrival and was waiting for her.
Hmm… no sign of Mai Sakurajima or Su Enxi.
Makes sense.
Those two were essentially Lu Mingze's hired hands. They were trusted and capable, but when it came to dragon secrets, he kept them at arm's length.
As for the other member of the "nanny team," Ratna…
She was still at Cassel Academy, playing house with Lu Mingfei as "Zero." No way she'd be here.
"…Two powerhouses meeting like this—shouldn't we at least trade some epic lines to set the mood? Man, we've got zero chemistry," Lu Mingze quipped, clearly irked that Hikari didn't play along with "But I'm already here."
He hopped off the stone bench, turned to face her, and tilted his head with a calm expression. "First time meeting. Should I call you Miss Hikari… or 'White King'?"
"Whatever you want," Hikari said lightly.
Unlike Xia Mi and the others, Lu Mingze had met the White King and had a deep connection with her.
Trying to hide her identity with the same story she'd fed Xia Mi and the Sheqi Bajia would be pointless—like covering her ears to steal a bell. No use at all.
And since he'd chosen to show up here…
Lu Mingze must've already made some guesses about who she was.
"Half a year ago, a rumor popped up in Japan," he said. "They said the revered White Emperor had awakened in the Divine Tomb and, taking on the identity of 'Izanami,' took control of the Sheqi Bajia, orchestrating their crackdown on the Menggui Zhong. I went to Japan myself to check it out, but I didn't find you."
"Didn't expect to hear about you again here."
"You're… younger than I pictured."
Lu Mingze spoke softly, studying Hikari with a probing gaze.
Hikari returned the look, then gave a faint smile. "And you're taller than I expected."
—She wasn't lying.
In her head, she'd pictured Lu Mingze as smaller than her current body. But now? She felt more like the little sister in this matchup.
After a brief silence, Lu Mingze spoke again. "At first, I really thought you were the White King."
"After all, the White King has come back before in history, even taking human form—like Izanagi ten thousand years ago. It wasn't quite the script I expected, but as the exalted figure of the dragon world, it's not impossible for her to pull off something unexpected."
"If it was really her, returning after all these millennia, I'd be pretty happy as an old friend."
"But after talking to the Sheqi Bajia and learning how you showed up, I realized—you're not her."
"Someone with no past, no clear identity, suddenly appears in the Sheqi Bajia's world and convinces them she's the revered Dragon King… If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't believe it."
"But now…"
He paused, then said deliberately, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how absurd, must be the truth. You… you're not from this world, are you?"
"…Nope," Hikari admitted with a nod.
No point denying it.
Lu Mingze's status and sharp mind meant any lie would be seen through instantly. Better to just own it.
Besides…
He probably couldn't do much to her.
Back in the day, Lu Mingze might've been a big shot with supreme power and authority. But now? He was just a wandering ghost. Even dealing with ambitious lesser beings like Odin stretched him thin, let alone someone like Hikari.
The only thing she was wary of was his ability to mess with timelines. But given his personality and style, he wouldn't resort to something that drastic without talking things through first.
On the other side, Lu Mingze narrowed his eyes. "So… you're really a character from that manga? From the Uchiha clan of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire?"
—He'd come to that conclusion a while ago.
But even someone as worldly as him had trouble believing a 2D character could break through the dimensional wall into reality—and with power strong enough to make him take notice. That kind of thing belonged in web novels.
"What if… the world you're in is also a manga, or a novel?" Hikari said lightly.
"!"
Lu Mingze froze, then realization hit. "No wonder you saw through Herzog's identity the moment you showed up at Sheqi Bajia and called out my name right away… It wasn't a coincidence. You already knew."
"In the Naruto world, someone drew or wrote the story of this world?"
"…Something like that," Hikari replied.
No way was she telling Lu Mingze she was a transmigrator.
And he wasn't about to hop over to the Naruto world to check if Dragon Raja existed as a manga.
This explanation was good enough.
"…That's a wild revelation," Lu Mingze said after a moment, exhaling slowly. "To think I'm just a character in a story… Can I ask, in your world, what's my final ending?"
"No idea," Hikari said, shaking her head. "The story about you guys is still ongoing."
"…Huh?"
Lu Mingze was caught off guard but didn't press further on the dimension-breaking topic.
Honestly, digging too deep could lead to an existential crisis—like concluding he didn't even exist. That'd shatter anyone's resolve.
So, he let out a symbolic sigh and locked eyes with Hikari again. "So, you're really the granddaughter of that Uchiha Madara guy, posing as him in the ninja world, scheming and plotting until you sparked the Fourth Great Ninja War? That kind of move does have a bit of a Dragon King vibe."
"?"
"Wait a sec…"
Hikari blinked, stunned. Uchiha Madara's granddaughter… what's that supposed to mean?!
Shouldn't it be the other way around?