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🕑 Added 2025-06-13 16:27:47 +0000 UTCChapter 106: Konohagakure’s Nibelungen Theory
Gen Chisei’s attitude had softened slightly compared to earlier, but he was still on high alert.
“I’d like to ask, what’s your purpose for coming to the Sheqi Bajia?
If you have any other needs—anything at all—as long as it doesn’t violate the basic rules of human society, the Sheqi Bajia will do our best to accommodate you. But Eriyi is the head of the Uesugi family and my little sister. When it comes to her, I won’t budge, no matter what. Not even if you’re a revered Dragon King!”
“…Dragon King?”
Uchiha Hikari paused, then let out a soft chuckle.
Fair enough.
To a grown adult living in a normal society, the idea of “a character from an anime crossing into reality” sounded pretty outlandish. Plus, she didn’t even technically count as an “anime character” since she never appeared in the original Naruto story. Imagining her as a Dragon King wasn’t exactly a stretch.
She couldn’t be bothered to explain, though.
—She was just a tad curious which of the four great Monarchs the Sheqi Bajia had pegged her as, especially since this world didn’t seem to have any yanrei (spirit command) that matched up with Susanoo…
Her thoughts wandered briefly before she spoke plainly, “To be blunt, I’m here because of Eriyi.”
“Hm?”
“No need to get all tense. I don’t have any ulterior motives. It’s just… friendship.”
“…Friendship?”
Gen Chisei’s brow furrowed, his face screaming disbelief.
Uchiha Hikari wasn’t about to waste words on the topic. “Eriyi, you should rest. It’s getting late… Come on, I’ve got something to show you.”
The second half was directed at Gen Chisei.
After softly reassuring Eriyi, Gen Chisei stood and followed Uchiha Hikari out of the room.
Outside, the hallway had been cleared of injured personnel, and the mess from the earlier fight was gone. A few people still lingered, though. Uchiha Hikari didn’t recognize any of them, but she figured some might be Gen Chisei’s crew—maybe Crow or Yasha—or other high-ranking members of the Sheqi Bajia.
Right now, most stood with heads lowered, hands at their sides, lining the corridor. Only two men, at Gen Chisei’s signal, followed them, their footsteps rustling as they moved forward.
The scene looked a bit odd—
Uchiha Hikari was barely over 1.5 meters tall, her face youthful enough to pass for a junior high student. The three men trailing her were easily a head and a half taller. Yet, her presence completely overshadowed them, making her seem more like the master of the Sheqi Bajia than Gen Chisei.
They crossed the hallway.
Entered the elevator.
Descended to the underground Tetsukyū Shinden (Iron Dome Temple).
During the ride, Gen Chisei finally broke the silence. “Miss Uchiha Hikari… how do you know the internal layout of Genji Heavy Industries?”
“Take a guess.”
She didn’t even turn around.
She’d seen it in Tachibana Masamune’s memories.
Though his recollections of his early life were fragmented, the parts after joining the Sheqi Bajia were crystal clear—likely because those were experiences he’d actually lived through. A good chunk of those memories revolved around this genetics lab.
The elevator kept descending.
The display lit up with the word Naraka—the deepest layer of hell in Buddhist scriptures, an endless void of falling.
Uchiha Hikari stepped out with ease, pushing open a rusted iron door.
A thick stench of blood hit them.
What came into view was a room packed with tools: rows of steel operating tables, razor-sharp knives, bone-cutting gears, hooks dangling from the ceiling, and shelves of bottles filled with unknown liquids.
Most striking was the massive water tank occupying an entire wall, connected to the sewer system via a turbine. Through the deep teal glass, they could see bizarre aquatic creatures swimming inside. They had no lower limbs, just tails covered in dense scales, and faces eerily human-like, straight out of myths about snake-bodied, human-headed monsters.
When a flashlight beam swept over, it revealed the sunken remains of cows, sheep, fish, and massive dark-golden skeletons floating at the tank’s bottom, all marked with gruesome bite marks.
“My god…”
Crow’s jaw dropped, utterly stunned. “These things… they’re all Deadpool, aren’t they? Someone’s been raising these in the building?!”
Gen Chisei’s face darkened.
As the young master of the Sheqi Bajia, he knew more about Genji Heavy Industries than most. He was already piecing together who was behind this lab.
But there was another possibility…
“Miss Uchiha Hikari, are these things… connected to you?”
“If they were, why would I bring you here? To show off?”
She turned, pointing at her temple with a look that said are you serious? “Brains are nice. Hope you’ve got one…
This is all your Patriarch Tachibana Masamune’s doing. Ask him yourself—he’ll probably be thrilled to share his story.
Also, as gross as this place is, don’t just burn it down. Eriyi’s condition still relies on serum extracted from those Deadpool fetuses to stay stable. After you grill Tachibana about the experiment’s details, make sure to send me a copy of the data and a few serum samples.”
With that, Uchiha Hikari covered her nose, looking a bit disgusted as she headed out.
“That’s the deal. Handle the rest yourselves. I’m stepping out for some fresh air.”
“…“
The old iron door creaked shut.
Once only their group remained, Crow turned to Gen Chisei. “Boss, what now? You buy what that girl’s saying?”
“…Whether I believe her or not, lock this place down for now. I’ll talk to the Patriarch first.”
Gen Chisei rubbed his temples, a vague irritation gnawing at him.
Crow hesitated, then asked cautiously, “So… keep digging into her identity?”
“Of course, but be discreet.”
Gen Chisei glanced back at the iron door, as if listening for any breathing outside, before lowering his voice. “That girl might not be human. She could be an awakened Dragon King. I suspect the ‘Konohagakure’ Eriyi mentioned before is a Nibelungen she created…
Look for any leads on that, but be extremely careful. Starting a war with a Dragon King in a place like Tokyo isn’t something we can afford.”
“Understood.”
Chapter 107: Conqueror’s Haki?
Inside a small, square interrogation room.
Two chairs faced each other across a table.
Crow, dressed in a sharp black suit, stared coldly at the manga artist sitting opposite him.
“You’re Kishimoto Masashi?”
“…Yeah.”
“You drew Naruto?”
“…Yup.”
Kishimoto Masashi sat nervously in the interrogation chair, glancing cautiously at both sides, clearly confused. “I do serialize that manga in Weekly Shonen JUMP. The next deadline’s in two days… Uh, can I ask why you guys brought me here?”
Slap!
Crow slammed a stack of photos onto the table, jerking his chin. “Know this person?”
The images were clearly pulled from surveillance footage, showing only the pale, youthful profile of a girl. Her spiky black hair, like a porcupine’s, cascaded down to her waist. Her outfit wasn’t too different from modern clothing, but her eyes held a faint scarlet glint.
“…Nope, don’t know her.”
Kishimoto Masashi studied the photos carefully before shaking his head.
“Her name’s Uchiha Hikari, Patriarch of the Uchiha clan from Konoha Village. She’s got the Sharingan, uses shadow clones, genjutsu, Susanoo… Who is she? What’s your connection to her?”
“Huh?”
Kishimoto Masashi froze, then instinctively explained, “Look, Konoha Village and all that are just stuff I made up. Even if a place like that existed, the Uchiha clan’s Patriarch would be Uchiha Fugaku, and he got killed by Itachi early in the story… There’s no girl that age in the Uchiha clan in my manga…”
“Shut it! Who knows Naruto better, you or me?!”
Crow snorted, cutting him off sharply. “If you’ve never met this girl, why’d you draw all this stuff in your manga out of nowhere? Think hard and spill everything you know about her. Otherwise…
Hmph! Tokyo Bay’s still short a few concrete pillars.”
As if on cue, the two black-suited men flanking him let out menacing grunts, their faces radiating “kindly” intimidation.
Kishimoto Masashi swallowed hard, his expression growing even more bewildered.
Seriously…
What was with these people?
He was just a manga artist—how’d he end up in this insane situation?!
…
“How’s it going?”
Outside the interrogation room.
Yasha handed Crow a cigarette.
“Pretty much done… Gimme a light.”
Crow took a few deep drags, exhaling a cloud of white smoke. “We tested his blood. This Kishimoto Masashi’s a hybrid, but his bloodline purity’s low… From what we’ve got, it seems like years ago, he might’ve stumbled into Uchiha Hikari’s Nibelungen but wasn’t killed. He left with some memories intact and used them as the basis for creating Naruto.
According to him, the girl resembles a character he imagined called ‘Uchiha Madara,’ which backs that up.”
“The statue at the Valley of the End?”
Yasha, clearly familiar with the source material, frowned. “But I thought that guy was male? And didn’t he die way back in the story?”
“Yeah. So Kishimoto’s planning to write this girl as a humanoid weapon sealed by the Uchiha clan using some special method. She was dug up by Uchiha Madara after he defected, and after his death, she kept operating in the ninja world as the ‘Masked Man.’ But under the mask, she’s actually a thirteen-year-old beauty… Sounds kinda cool, right?”
Crow took another drag. “I already had someone bring in a drawing board. Let’s see what he comes up with.”
Yasha: “?”
…
At that moment, Uchiha Hikari—unaware she might be replacing Obito’s role—was strolling through the streets of Tokyo.
She’d visited Japan in Yorushika Seiko’s world before, but that place felt off, like a distorted version of reality. For instance, Seiko had never heard of Naruto or Dragon Ball. But the scenes before her now matched Hikari’s image of Tokyo—
A giant screen nearby played a trailer for Bakemonogatari.
Salarymen in black suits hurried along.
Across the street, a few cosplayers dressed as Gintama characters posed.
Two kids in yellow hats walked by, chatting about the latest One Piece plot…
Hikari mused to herself, “Next time I head back, I’ll grab a few manga sets to bring along. Something to read when I’m bored.”
“Oh, and some new DVDs for Nekosennin.”
“Right, gotta buy more books too.”
That last one wasn’t for her.
After spending time with the Uchiha clan in Konoha, Hikari realized their cultural literacy was… lacking.
Particularly in the humanities and social sciences.
Konoha Village had only been around for less than sixty years. Before that, the Warring States era kept everyone too busy fighting to care about intellectual pursuits. The Uchiha clan, with their pride and obsession with strength, looked down on “brainy” stuff, which led to some spectacularly dumb clan members.
Take the “genius” who, starting at age seven, viewed everything through a Hokage lens. After watching his best friend get his eyes gouged out and fall into a river, it took him a full two years to come up with the brilliant plan of wiping out the clan to resolve village-clan tensions.
Or the other “genius” who had the “strongest genjutsu,” Kotoamatsukami, capable of rewriting someone’s will, yet never used it before dying.
So, Hikari planned to give them a crash course.
And she’d make them write 8,000-word book reports for every book to ensure they didn’t half-ass it.
“Hmm… I’ll make a list later and have the Sheqi Bajia handle the purchases.”
“Since I’m broke.”
Hikari glanced at the Execution Bureau agents trailing her from a distance, then stopped at an intersection, looking up at the sky.
She hadn’t come to the Dragon Clan world just to buy manga.
There was plenty worth exploring here—
Dragon bloodlines and their authorities, alchemy, kotodama…
“Speaking of… do hybrid powers share anything in common with chakra or ki?”
“Could I use ‘Yasaka no Magatama’ to absorb their powers and then unleash kotodama?”
With that thought, Hikari closed her eyes, focusing on the seals she’d placed earlier and locating the one tied to Minamoto Chisei.
Then she channeled her ocular power, activating “Yasaka no Magatama.”
A few breaths later, a faint thread of energy drifted from the direction of Genji Heavy Industries, flowing through some invisible channel into her body.
But…
“Tch, so little.”
It felt like sipping a frozen slushie through a straw—nothing like the smooth, milkshake-like flow she got in the Naruto or Dragon Ball worlds. This was sluggish.
“Is it because hybrid powers are entirely bloodline-based, like Ice Release or Dead Bone Pulse, so ‘Yasaka no Magatama’ can’t parse them easily?”
Still, since it was just less and not impossible, it meant the idea was viable.
Hikari took a deep breath, pushing her ocular power harder.
Though the process remained clunky, with more effort, she managed to forcibly draw out the “water” mixed in the “slushie.”
As she did, a subtle aura of majesty began to build within her. When it hit a certain threshold, it burst outward, making everyone nearby feel a sudden weight on their hearts. Some even stumbled, looking around in shock.
“What’s that…?”
“Another earthquake?”
Amid the murmurs of confusion, the two kids discussing One Piece nearly tripped. As if sensing something, they turned back, staring at Hikari with wide-eyed awe. “Did that big sister just… use Conqueror’s Haki?!”
Chapter 108: Master Uesugi, Want a Son?
“…You’re saying that girl unconsciously released Ryūi (Dragon Aura) on the street?”
“Yes.”
Inside the Enforcement Division office, Yabuki Sakura, dressed sharply, nodded. “I was nearby and felt it myself—the overwhelming presence bursting from her. She didn’t even open her eyes… Your judgment was spot-on. Only a Dragon King could pull that off. This so-called ‘Sharingan’ might just be a unique kind of golden pupil.”
She paused, then added hesitantly, “Also, I don’t know if it’s just me, but that aura felt a little similar to your Ōken (Kingship).”
“…Got it.”
Gen Chisei rubbed his temples, irritation creeping in.
Since last night, he’d been hit with one shock after another, each enough to rattle the Sheqi Bajia. On top of that, the Patriarch, Tachibana Masamune, was suspected to have suffered a mental breakdown and was bedridden, leaving everything on Gen Chisei’s shoulders as the young master. The pressure was crushing.
Right before Sakura returned, he’d even felt a sudden wave of exhaustion, like something had drained him dry. It took him ages to recover.
“Where’s she at now?”
Sakura glanced at her phone. “She was in Taitō earlier, but now she’s heading toward Bunkyō… Looks like she’s near Tokyo University.”
…
“Found it.”
Uchiha Hikari stopped at an intersection near Tokyo University’s back gate, glancing at her phone.
—She’d swiped the thing off a Genji Heavy Industries guard. A 2009 Nokia, one of the first smartphones. Honestly, it was a pain to use, but at least it had a map navigation function.
It was already late at night.
The streets were quiet, with only a handful of student-looking types coming and going at the campus gate.
At the roadside, a ramen chef behind a人力小車 (hand-pulled cart) was packing up, looking ready to close shop.
“One bowl of ramen, please.”
Uchiha Hikari lifted the curtain and plopped down on a wooden stool in front of the cart.
Master Uesugi, dressed in a white hemp uniform, froze mid-motion, looking up with mild surprise. “Sorry, I’m out of ingredients for today. Come back another time…”
“No toppings is fine. Plain broth works. I’m not picky.”
“?”
Uesugi raised an eyebrow, shooting a glance at an Enforcement Division agent trailing not far behind—though they’d tried to blend in, they couldn’t fool the former Kage-Ō (Shadow Emperor). Then he looked at Uchiha Hikari’s calm expression, hesitated briefly, and reopened his cutting board.
Ten-odd minutes later, Uchiha Hikari set down her bowl and wiped her mouth.
Honestly, Uesugi’s cooking was a bit underwhelming compared to her expectations. Verdict? Not as good as Ichiraku Ramen.
But whatever. She wasn’t here for the food.
Handing the bowl back, she cut to the chase. “Master Uesugi, want a son?”
“??”
Uesugi blinked, totally thrown. “Kid, do you even know what you’re saying? Sure, I’m a lone old man now, but I’m not desperate enough to adopt someone’s son to take care of me in my old age.”
“Not someone else’s. Your son. And a daughter, too.”
Uchiha Hikari slowly looked up, her Mangekyō Sharingan swirling in her eyes. “Want the truth? Step inside and see for yourself… Tsukuyomi!”
In an instant, her 瞳力 (eye power) surged.
The world shimmered like mist, and the scene around them transformed.
When Uesugi came to, he found himself standing on a snow-covered ice plain, a pitch-black castle looming ahead like it stood at the edge of the world.
“…What is this place?”
Uesugi turned, his eyes now molten gold, as if molten lava churned within them.
“This is the memory of a man named Bondarev, who now goes by ‘Tachibana Masamune.’ He’s the foster father of your son and daughter. See it for yourself, and you’ll understand.”
Uchiha Hikari leaned back, hands behind her head, casual as ever.
She’d only recently figured out this method of training her 瞳力.
Thanks to help from Miko’s world and Kikyo, she’d partially patched up the flaws of her Mangekyō, pushing her Tsukuyomi to a new level. The illusion space she could create was no longer limited to a small area—it could now hold richer, more expansive content.
Like this Black Swan Bay, built from fragments of Tachibana Masamune’s memories.
In theory, she could even use memories from Naruto, Hiruzen Sarutobi, or kid Goku to whip up a Konohagakure or Mount Paozu nearby.
But still…
This was just crafting scenery.
Uchiha Hikari was mulling over whether she could expand the illusion space further, simulating sights, smells, sounds, and textures to project people from different worlds into it, creating a near-real illusionary world… Yes, an Infinite Tsukuyomi with herself as the server!
If she pulled that off, she could drag everyone from various worlds into the illusion space under the guise of a “VR game,” like the Uchiha Hikari from the original timeline. Each time they logged in, she could siphon a bit of chakra for sustainable growth.
And… it could serve some other purposes, too.
The idea was theoretically doable.
But for now, it was a stretch.
Constructing a “world” required an obscene amount of 瞳力, more than she could handle. She’d need to fully unlock the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan first.
For now, Uchiha Hikari used Bukū-jutsu (Sky Dance Technique) to float up, tinkering with her “Minecraft” in the illusion space while subtly probing Uesugi’s memories with Yasakanotsume (Eight Thousand Spears).
Houses and bridges slowly took shape under her 瞳力’s guidance.
Fragmented images flickered in the nearby void—since this wasn’t a forceful dive like with Tachibana, what she glimpsed from Uesugi’s memories was limited, just bits and pieces spilling out when he recalled the past.
Meanwhile, Uesugi finished watching the “CG” of Black Swan Bay and moved on to the Lenin…
Time blurred.
By the time Uchiha Hikari had nearly finished building Konohagakure, she spotted Uesugi drifting toward her on a small boat.
“Done watching?”
Hovering above her “Konohagakure,” Uchiha Hikari adjusted the Hokage Tower’s position slightly before floating down. “So, how’s it feel? Believe you’ve got two sons and a daughter now?”
“…“
Uesugi’s expression was heavy. “I’m more curious about your identity… Herzog and Bondarev might be freaks, but your abilities are even more terrifying. Is this mental world built with a yanrei? And did you bring me here just to show me this ‘truth’?”
“Let me clarify: what you saw isn’t the full picture.
The truth is, Herzog isn’t dead. This ‘Tachibana Masamune’ isn’t the real Bondarev either—he’s a manufactured stand-in. And your other son, Gen Chise, isn’t dead either… Before I reveal more, I’ve got a question for you.”
Uchiha Hikari looked up, her Sangōdama Sharingan (Three-Tomoe Sharingan) glinting as she spoke slowly, “Here, in this place—can you use your yanrei?”
Chapter 109: Attempting to Copy Kotodama
“Kotodama?”
Uesugi Koshi paused, then began chanting an ancient invocation.
As a low, resonant voice filled the air, a perfect circle slowly materialized behind him. The arc was pitch black, its edges glowing a fiery red, resembling the sun during a total eclipse. In that moment, Uesugi Koshi, dressed as a ramen chef, stood as if enshrined in swirling flames, exuding serene authority and unshakable presence.
—Kotodama: Black Sun!
“It actually worked?”
Uchiha Hikari raised an eyebrow.
This wasn’t something she’d conjured with her ocular powers.
It was Uesugi Koshi, using his own mental strength and mastery of Kotodama: Black Sun, recreating the “Black Sun” within the genjutsu space.
This was exactly what Hikari had envisioned for another use of the Tsukuyomi space. Unlike real-world battles, she controlled every rule here. Uesugi Koshi existed as a mental construct, essentially transparent to her. This meant she could observe and analyze the kotodama of the Dragon Clan world from every angle, potentially even harnessing and mastering their powers.
What her Sharingan alone couldn’t copy, the Tsukuyomi space might just make possible.
Now—
Hikari’s lips curled into a smirk. As she channeled her ocular power, ornate long swords materialized in the air, each intricately designed and lifelike.
“These are…”
Uesugi Koshi eyed the blades on either side, realization dawning.
“Exactly. These are the antiques you took when you left the Sheqi Bajia, recreated from your memories.”
Hikari snapped her fingers, and the swords flew to Uesugi Koshi’s side. She reached into the void, grasping the conjured Onikiri, the divine blade. “Let’s fight. Come at me with the intent to kill. Show me the true strength of an Emperor-level hybrid.”
“?”
At first, Uesugi Koshi thought she was joking.
But when he realized Hikari was serious about fighting—and that he couldn’t escape this space—the former Shadow Emperor hesitated, glancing to either side. He drew two ancient blades from the air, one in each hand, and positioned them along the arc of the Black Sun.
With that motion, the Black Sun began to spin, devouring the air at a terrifying speed. A ferocious hurricane roared to life, sweeping up everything in its path.
“Whoa—”
Hikari squinted, quickly using the Bukūjutsu to pull back and avoid being sucked into the vortex.
She’d sparred with Minamoto Chisei before—not a full-on fight, but enough to gauge an Emperor-level hybrid’s strength. In her view, an Emperor’s taijutsu was roughly on par with a standard Konoha jōnin. When they activated their bloodline and entered the “Dragonbone State” with contracted bone seams, they got stronger, approaching Might Guy’s normal state without the Eight Gates.
Uesugi Koshi’s bloodline purity was far higher than Minamoto Chisei’s, but his age dragged him down. All things considered, his taijutsu should only slightly outclass Chisei’s.
However, his Kotodama: Black Sun was leagues above “Royal Dominion,” with a sequence number nearly 20 ranks higher. And unlike Royal Dominion, the Black Sun’s gravitational field affected everything indiscriminately!
Hikari flung her sword’s scabbard, embedding it in the ground. “Bring it!”
In the next instant, they charged, blades clashing!
Hikari wielded the Uchiha-style swordsmanship of the Naruto world, mixed with various breathing techniques from Demon Slayer.
Uesugi Koshi, meanwhile, showcased ancient Japanese sword styles—Koshi Shinken-ryū, Kyo Shin Meichi-ryū, Shinkage-ryū, Munen-ryū… Though his skill didn’t reach the godlike mastery he displayed in his final battle in the original story, it was far more refined and seasoned than Minamoto Chisei’s.
Their blades met, sparks flying!
To an onlooker, it would’ve looked like two whirlwinds colliding at breakneck speed, their swords striking dozens of times per second, leaving over a dozen afterimages. The sparks formed a continuous blaze, only to be instantly drawn into the Black Sun.
For a moment…
Uesugi Koshi held a slight edge!
Partly because Hikari wasn’t going all out, relying solely on taijutsu while diverting some energy to resist the Black Sun’s pull.
—Her goal, after all, was to study the kotodama, not to defeat Uesugi Koshi.
But also because the former Shadow Emperor, retired for nearly forty years and living as a ramen chef, hadn’t let his skills rust. After glimpsing Tachibana Masamune’s memories and realizing he might have a son and daughter still alive, his old fire seemed to reignite, radiating the commanding aura of a shadow emperor once more.
This amplified the Black Sun’s gravitational field, which began tearing up the newly built “Konoha Village.” Houses, buildings, and nearby seawater were swept into the storm, sucked toward the black solar disc. Halfway there, they ignited in the intense heat, glowing red-hot without fully burning due to the thin air. A single touch from a blade turned them to white ash, scattering into the void.
—Attraction and destruction: the dual traits of Kotodama: Black Sun, the source of its power as Sequence No. 110.
Thankfully, Onikiri was forged from Hikari’s ocular power, not a physical object, so she could reform it instantly each time it was shattered, allowing her to keep swinging.
Throughout this, Hikari’s Sharingan stayed wide open, her dynamic vision and the omnipresent mental energy of the Tsukuyomi space meticulously tracking the flow of Uesugi Koshi’s bloodline as he wielded his kotodama and how that power interacted with the world. Slowly, a spark of understanding bloomed within her.
“If it works like this…”
After another clash of blades, Hikari suddenly leaped back dozens of meters, putting distance between her and Uesugi Koshi. She raised her blade level, took a deep breath, and gently swung the tip downward.
With that motion, a faint gravitational field flickered around her. The barest outline of a black solar disc appeared, only to vanish after a few seconds.
“?!”
Uesugi Koshi froze, dumbfounded.
What the hell?!
This girl could use Black Sun?!
Or… was she just studying and mimicking him? Could even a high-risk kotodama like Sequence No. 110 be copied?!
On the other side, Hikari frowned, mulling over the sensation. Then she stomped forward, charging at Uesugi Koshi again. “No, the mechanics are still off… One more time!”
Chapter 110: Did Akira Toriyama Visit Nibelungen Too?
In reality, on a quiet street near Tokyo University’s back gate…
A few Enforcement Division agents stared nervously at the ramen cart not far away, their hearts pounding.
Ten minutes ago, they’d tailed Uchiha Hikari here and watched her sit down at the cart, ordering a bowl of ramen.
It seemed like a perfectly normal moment.
But…
Why, in the middle of eating her ramen, did she suddenly unleash such a terrifying aura? And why did the ramen chef’s presence feel even more intense than hers?
As their auras clashed, the agents felt a fierce gale whip up around them. Fallen leaves and dust were swept into a vortex around the cart, drawn by some unseen force, only to be incinerated mid-air, turning to ash and drifting away.
Thankfully, the phenomenon didn’t last long.
Thankfully, it was nighttime with hardly anyone around. If someone had recorded this and posted it online, it would’ve sparked a firestorm of debate.
It was over in a matter of seconds.
Both auras subsided, and everything returned to calm.
…
At the ramen cart…
Uesugi Yue snapped his eyes open, gripping the counter in front of him. He looked like he’d just run a marathon, his body drained. Sweating profusely, he stared at Uchiha Hikari on the wooden stool, studying her for a long moment before glancing at his wristwatch.
The hands showed just over six minutes had passed.
About five and a half of those were spent in a daze. The actual time inside the illusion space was probably less than ten seconds.
But…
If you counted the felt time in the illusion, it was a different story. Uesugi felt like he’d been there for at least half a month, fighting non-stop. He’d watched Uchiha Hikari mimic his Kurohi (Black Sun) bit by bit, going from clumsy attempts to a near-perfect replica by the end!
That kind of mimicry was unheard of.
In the Dragon Clan world, yanrei (spirit commands) were tied to bloodlines, fixed from the moment a hybrid was born.
Some prodigies could evolve their yanrei through blood-bursting, like upgrading from Kamaitachi to Vampire Kamaitachi or from Setsuna to Time Zero. But learning or altering a yanrei through training? Impossible.
Especially a Kō (Emperor)-level yanrei.
And creating an entire mental world from scratch? No known yanrei could do that. If such a yanrei existed, its sequence number would have to be 110 or higher…
“What… are you?”
Uesugi locked eyes with Uchiha Hikari, his mind reeling with shock.
On the other side…
Uchiha Hikari wiped the blood tears from her face, rubbing her temples with a weary sigh.
This was the first time since gaining her regenerative physique that she’d felt so exhausted. When she dispelled Tsukuyomi, her vision had even blurred, taking a full two minutes to clear up.
“Maintaining high-intensity combat in an illusion space burns that much 瞳力 (eye power)?”
“If this were a regular Mangekyō Sharingan, I’d probably be half-blind by now…”
Still, the payoff was worth it.
As she’d suspected, yanrei were essentially elemental control abilities, unique to dragons and hybrids, akin to Naruto’s Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Limits). Higher-tier yanrei might even approach Kekkei Tōta (Bloodline Selection) or Kekkei Mōra (Bloodline Encompassing).
The “dragon language” was just the trigger for these abilities, like hand seals for ninjutsu.
But seals were merely an external form. With enough mastery, they could be simplified or even skipped entirely.
Previously, Uchiha Hikari had unconsciously mimicked a Ōken (Kingship)-like pressure by absorbing some of Gen Chisei’s power.
And just now, in the illusion space, through sparring with Uesugi and gradually siphoning bits of his energy during their clashes, she’d partially cracked the mechanics of Kurohi’s gravity field generation.
So, in theory…
She could use this method to analyze most yanrei in the Dragon Clan world.
Even Dragon King-level yanrei!
“…If I get the chance, I could pull Angers in for a spar. Time Zero seems pretty handy. Though Cassell College might be tricky to track down. Inugami’s Setsuna could work as a backup.”
As for Dragon Kings, she’d need to tread carefully for now.
She wasn’t sure if her mind could handle them unleashing something like Zhulong (Candle Dragon) or Shiva Karma Dance in her illusion space. If it caused irreversible damage, that’d be a problem.
“No need to stress, Master Uesugi.”
“I’m just a curious traveler, that’s all.”
Uchiha Hikari looked up with a harmless smile. “As a reward for entertaining me, I’ll toss you a bit more info.
The guy called Tachibana Masamune is a Kagemusha (shadow warrior) cooked up by Herzog. I haven’t figured out the exact method yet—probably some mental yanrei. His other Kagemusha is the leader of the Mengguizhong, codenamed Ōshō (King General). Your second son, Gen Chise, is in Ōshō’s hands.
Herzog wants to pit the brothers against each other, letting the Sheqi Bajia and Mengguizhong tear themselves apart while he swoops in to revive the White King and take its place.
As for Eriyi, she’s his sacrificial vessel for the White King.
As the father of all three and the former Kage-Ō (Shadow Emperor) of the Sheqi Bajia, I’d suggest you think hard about what you’re gonna do.”
As she spoke, Uchiha Hikari placed two test tubes on the counter. “These are blood samples from Gen Chisei and Eriyi. Get a paternity test done.”
“Well, see ya.”
She lifted the curtain to leave but turned back to add, “Oh, one more thing. That ability I used on you might have some side effects… like feeling drained now and then for a while. Totally normal, though. Just rest up, no need to panic.”
—That was a lie.
Tsukuyomi could cause mental fatigue, sure, even if it wasn’t meant to torment the target.
But the real reason for the “draining”…
Was because Uchiha Hikari might occasionally siphon a bit of Uesugi’s power to study Kurohi, just like she’d done with Gen Chisei.
Kō-level hybrids had strong recovery, anyway. A little daily drain shouldn’t be a big deal.
At that moment…
The nearby Enforcement agents let out a collective sigh of relief. One jogged over, studying Uchiha Hikari’s expression before speaking cautiously, “Miss Uchiha Hikari, do you have any other plans for tonight? It’s pretty late. If you don’t mind, we’d be happy to arrange a place for you to stay.”
“Thanks, but I’m good.”
Normally, Uchiha Hikari wouldn’t mind sampling a fancy modern hotel. With the Sheqi Bajia’s wealth, they probably wouldn’t skimp.
But she was in rough shape right now and might sleep like a rock. If someone tried to assassinate her while she was out cold, she could take a serious hit.
So…
She’d find a safer spot to crash on her own.
“Kintoun!”
With a wave of her hand, a black cloud zipped over from the horizon, hovering steadily beneath her feet.
Then, to the gobsmacked stares of the two agents, Uchiha Hikari hopped onto the cloud, settled into a comfy cross-legged pose, and waved. “I’m off. Catch you tomorrow.”
“?”
As the cloud soared into the sky, the two agents exchanged stunned looks. “Kintoun… that’s from Dragon Ball, right? Did Akira Toriyama visit a Nibelungen or something?”
(Chapter End)
