Uchiha Hikari had no idea that so many people in Konoha were losing sleep over her that night.
After a good night's rest and spending a day building snowmen with Naruto to unwind her tense nerves, she refocused her mind and shifted her attention back to training.
She had to admit…
The *Kage Bunshin* (Shadow Clone) technique was just too convenient!
Considering her chakra reserves and mental stamina, Hikari created three shadow clones: one to train in "ki" and *Bukūjutsu* (Sky Dance Technique), one to refine chakra, and one to practice taijutsu outside. Meanwhile, she herself worked on mastering the abilities of *Yasogami* (Eight Thousand Spears). At night, when she dispelled the clones, her brain was flooded with a satisfying rush of fourfold knowledge.
Thanks to her dual-soul nature, she could quickly digest and absorb this knowledge, with no side effects other than a bit of fatigue.
And that fatigue could be easily shaken off with a few extra hours of sleep.
Naruto, watching from the sidelines, was a little envious. During meals, he started tentatively asking if she could teach him some ninjutsu.
**[Nameless: Yondaime, what do you think?]**
**[Eien_no_Tsuma: Well… Naruto's still pretty young, don't you think? Starting ninjutsu training this early might not be the best idea. Plus, with the Nine-Tails' chakra interfering, even if he learned how to refine chakra, it might not go smoothly.]**
**[Nameless: If needed, I can have a chat with Kurama.]**
With Hikari's Mangekyō Sharingan, meeting the Nine-Tails wouldn't be difficult.
The challenge was convincing Kurama.
Namikaze Minato wasn't too confident about that.
He himself had half of the Nine-Tails sealed with him in the Shinigami's stomach via the *Shiki Fūjin* (Dead Demon Consuming Seal). They'd been stuck together for over four years, and every conversation still ended in an argument.
Hikari, though, had some ideas.
—Her mind held the full 700 episodes of *Naruto: Shippuden*. If she could extract those memories and share them with Kurama, it wouldn't be hard to make it understand Naruto as a jinchūriki. Who knows? Maybe in a few days, she could get the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode to manifest early.
But…
It was indeed a bit soon.
Naruto was only four or five, not even enrolled in the Ninja Academy yet. His body was still developing, and his worldview hadn't fully formed. Gaining such immense power now might lead him to lose himself.
**[Nameless: Let's revisit this in a couple of years then. Next time I go for a morning run, I'll bring him along and start him on some taijutsu training.]**
**[Nameless: Also, Yondaime, could you guide me on training in sealing techniques?]**
**[Eien_no_Tsuma: Sealing techniques?]**
**[Nameless: Yeah, I want to try bringing some "demons" from Tanjiro's world back to the Naruto world for research, to see if I can find a way to turn them back into humans faster. But many demons have weird Blood Demon Arts, so I'll probably need to seal them first to safely transport them.]**
**[Eien_no_Tsuma: …Alright, I'll start by teaching you a few simpler sealing techniques. Sealing jutsu aren't exactly advanced, but they do require some talent and precise chakra control. They're a bit harder to learn than Shadow Clones, so you'll need to be patient and take it slow.]**
**[Nameless: Got it.]**
Meanwhile, Tanjiro chimed in with an update in the group chat.
**[IronHead: Hikari-san, Bulma-san, and Eien_no_Tsuma-san, I've passed the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection!]**
**[IronHead: Just like Hikari-san said, there was a really strong demon on that mountain. Before me, it had already killed 13 of Master Urokodaki's disciples! Thankfully, I followed Hikari-san's advice and trained for an extra two months, so I managed to defeat it. Now Master Haganezuka is forging my Nichirin Blade. Once I get it, I'll be able to go on missions!]**
**[Bulma: Congrats! But what's a Nichirin Blade?]**
**[Nameless: It's a weapon used exclusively by the Demon Slayer Corps. They're made from "Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand" and "Scarlet Ore," which can absorb sunlight. Only by decapitating a demon with one of these blades can you kill it.]**
**[Bulma: ?]**
**[Bulma: What even is that…]**
Truth be told, Hikari wasn't entirely sure what those minerals were either.
It was also why she suspected that ultraviolet light alone might not be enough to deal lethal damage to "demons."
—Judging by the Nichirin Blade's composition, it's possible that the sunlight in the *Demon Slayer* world contains a unique component, something like "Scarlet Crimson Rays."
**[Bulma: If that's the case, I might need to bring a few spectrum analyzers over… Hikari, you're not in a rush to head to the Demon Slayer world, are you? It'll take me some time to prep this equipment. And those UV lamps we talked about might need some tweaks too.]**
**[Nameless: No rush. I need to learn sealing techniques first anyway.]**
After a bit more chatter, Bulma logged off to attend her classes.
Yeah… come to think of it, she was the only student among the four group members.
There's a reason she's the brainiest of the bunch.
Hikari pulled her focus back to reality, faintly hearing a knock on the door from the hallway outside.
*Knock, knock, knock—*
In the next room, Naruto seemed to hear it too, rustling as he started getting dressed.
Hikari, after a quick glance out the window, hopped lightly off the bed and walked to the living room's entrance.
"Who's there?"
As the door swung open…
A head of white hair came into view—Kakashi.
Hikari raised an eyebrow. "Something up?"
Kakashi's gaze flicked briefly toward Naruto, who was peeking out from his bedroom, before he spoke in a low voice. "Hikari-san, could we step aside for a moment?"
"?"
"Some Konoha residents are insistent on visiting you and are waiting downstairs. If you have a moment, would you be willing to spare a little time to meet them…?"
Kakashi's vague explanation left Hikari puzzled.
But she stepped outside anyway, following his subtle glance toward the hallway nearby.
There, standing in a group, were about a dozen figures of varying heights.
Men and women, some wearing Konoha's dark green ninja vests, others in dark kimonos. The one thing they all had in common… was the red-and-white fan emblem embroidered on their clothes—the crest of the Uchiha clan!
The moment they saw Uchiha Hikari, every single Uchiha dropped to their knees in unison, prostrating themselves fully before shouting in one voice: "Uchiha Fugaku, current head of the Uchiha clan, along with Shisui, Yasuhiro, Mikoto, and others, pay our respects to our revered Ancestor!"
"…"
Hikari froze.
She'd seen her fair share of big moments.
But this scene… this was a first!
*(End of Chapter)*