Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikari recalled the plot of Demon Slayer while cooking, summarizing the Hand Demon's key traits in the chat.
Honestly, among the four current members of the group chat, Tanjiro was in the most precarious situation.
As for herself, as long as she didn't act recklessly, surviving until the later stages of Naruto's plot wouldn't be an issue.
But there was one problem she needed to address: overusing the Mangekyō Sharingan would eventually lead to blindness. Without those eyes, her combat strength would plummet. This trip to the Dragon Ball world was an opportunity—she had been mulling over how to ask Bulma to "borrow" a wish from the Dragon Balls…
Minato was the safest—after all, he was already dead.
Bulma was a non-combatant. Even in the later arcs of Dragon Ball, where entire planets got wiped out, she rarely died—her luck was on par with Teuchi from Naruto.
Only Tanjiro was in real danger.
Following Demon Slayer's original plot, from the moment he joined the Demon Slayer Corps, he'd been dancing on the edge of death.
The Demon Slayer world lacked concepts like chakra or ki. Most power-ups came at the cost of life force—especially the "Demon Slayer Mark," which essentially started a countdown to the user's death the moment it appeared.
Even if Hikari spoiled future events for Tanjiro, it wouldn't help much. The power gap was simply too vast, and butterfly effects from altered events might get him killed even faster—after all, Tanjiro had already brushed shoulders with Muzan, the final boss, twice in the early story. If Muzan hadn't been so paranoid, Tanjiro would've died long ago.
Hmm… Once things settle down here, I should visit the Demon Slayer world.
Maybe combining 'Breathing Techniques' with chakra could unlock some new abilities…
As she pondered, Hikari calmly plated the food and called out from the kitchen:
"Naruto, dinner's ready!"
By now, Hikari had swapped her Warring States-era dress for loose loungewear, a white apron, and slippers. With her hair slightly tousled and her Sharingan deactivated, she looked no different from an ordinary Konoha resident.
Naruto's wardrobe had also been overhauled—his gaudy orange jumpsuit was buried at the bottom, replaced by a row of stylish new outfits.
At first, Naruto had protested, but he eventually gave in.
"Wash your hands first."
Hikari tapped the back of Naruto's hand with her chopsticks, watching as he obediently scrubbed his hands at the sink before sitting down. Only then did she pass him his utensils. She snapped a photo of the meal and posted it in the chat, tagging Minato.
Naruto took the chopsticks but kept staring at her.
"What? Eat. Or do you want me to feed you?"
"...Heh, thanks for the meal!"
Only after Hikari spoke did Naruto grin and start shoveling food into his mouth.
Meanwhile, Hikari rested her chin on one hand, idly picking at her rice as she said, "Naruto, do you remember the recipes I taught you yesterday? How about you cook dinner tonight?"
"Huh?"
Naruto froze mid-bite, scratching his head uncertainly. "I… kinda remember, but I'll probably mess up…"
"You've got to start somewhere. No one nails it on their first try."
Hikari smiled. "I'll be going on a trip in a few days—not sure how long I'll be gone. You'll need to take care of yourself while I'm away. I've already taught you how to pick ingredients and use the stove. If any shops refuse to sell to you, just find Mitarashi Anko. She'll handle it…"
Naruto's expression blanked. He looked up slowly, voice small. "Hikari-nee… are you leaving Konoha?"
"Something like that."
Technically, she was leaving this world.
"Then…"
Naruto's smile faded, replaced by confusion and dread. "Did I do something wrong? Why are you leaving so suddenly? I'll study harder, I'll cook properly tonight! Please don't leave me behind…"
"What are you talking about? I'm just going on a trip, not dying."
Hikari chuckled. "This is classic people-pleasing behavior—always blaming yourself, assuming you're at fault. No wonder that old man could manipulate you so easily… Well, we'll work on that after I get back."
Hmm… I should probably bring this up with Minato.
Hikari wasn't well-versed in psychology. She could tell Naruto's mindset wasn't healthy, but she didn't know how to fix it.
"Speaking of which…"
She glanced out the window, another thought occurring to her.
Her trip to the Dragon Ball world wouldn't take too long, but it wouldn't be a quick errand either. Should she notify Hiruzen in advance to avoid misunderstandings?
---
Hokage's Office, Konoha Administration Building
"Lord Third, here's Uchiha Hikari's activity log from the past few days."
"Accompanied by Usagi, she visited a clothing store, the ninja tool shop, a photo studio, Ichiraku Ramen… Most expenses were on food and clothing. She only bought three or four outfits for herself—the rest were for Naruto. According to Anbu follow-ups, her interactions with shopkeepers were normal, with no suspicious remarks or behavior…"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke placed a stack of documents on the desk.
Each page contained photos with detailed timestamps and records.
Hiruzen skimmed through them, puffing deeply on his pipe, his gaze heavy. "Any contact with the Uchiha clan?"
"None so far."
"Per your orders, Usagi deliberately avoided the Police Force headquarters and Uchiha district."
Shinnosuke hesitated before adding, "But if she settles in Konoha, she'll eventually learn about the Uchiha's current situation. Plus, when she stood up for Naruto in the shopping district, she used the Sharingan—many witnesses saw it. The Police Force has likely already heard rumors."
"Should we… have Shisui approach her first? Gauge her stance?"
As Hiruzen's son and confidant, Shinnosuke was well aware of the tensions between the village and the Uchiha.
Previously, with just Shisui's Mangekyō, some Uchiha had dared to whisper about rebellion.
If Uchiha Hikari sided with the Uchiha clan…
He didn't even want to imagine the consequences.