"…"
Uchiha Fugaku hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright, we'll follow your advice and give it another try."
Then, almost eagerly, he asked another question. "Ancestor-sama, would you have time to visit the clan soon? Everyone is eager to see you in person and show you the respect and devotion you deserve as our elder."
"…We'll talk about that later."
Uchiha Hikari's main focus was still on mastering sealing techniques.
Besides, she could tell that while Fugaku and the others respectfully called her "Ancestor-sama," they likely still saw her as a child. Their invitation wasn't driven by genuine "devotion"—how could it be, when they'd never even met her?—but rather by her strength. They wanted to leverage their young ancestor to bolster the Uchiha clan's position and pressure Konoha's leadership.
Hikari didn't care for the village higher-ups' antics.
But she also wasn't about to let herself be used as a pawn for someone else's posturing.
Just then…
From the corridor above, Hikari spotted Sarutobi Hiruzen approaching, clad in his Hokage robes, hurrying from the direction of the Hokage Tower. Trailing behind him were Uzuki Yūgao and two other Anbu.
"Look, the Sarutobi kid's here."
"Perfect timing—you guys chat. Keep it down if things get heated; the walls here aren't exactly soundproof."
Hikari gave Fugaku a slight nod, then glanced at Kakashi lingering in the corner. "Hey, white-haired brat, make sure to ask Sarutobi when I can see the *Book of Seals*. My patience is wearing thin."
It had been days since the Root base incident.
Hikari understood that Danzo's mess would take time to clean up, but she was starting to get fed up with waiting.
Tossing out those words, she headed back inside, shut the door, and tuned out the outside world, diving back into exploring *Yasogami*.
…
Hikari didn't know the outcome of that day's negotiations.
But starting the next morning, the Uchiha clan began sending piles of fruits, fish, and meat to Naruto's doorstep every day, lingering briefly before leaving.
Hikari didn't bother meeting the delivery people, but she didn't refuse the goods either. She handed them over to Naruto to clean and cook, treating it as a way to spruce up their meals.
Konoha's fruit wasn't cheap, so free food was a no-brainer.
On the morning of the third day…
Sarutobi Hiruzen finally knocked on her door again, saying he was ready to take her to see the *Book of Seals*.
…
At the Sarutobi residence.
In a dimly lit room, flickering with lamplight.
Hikari ignored the layers of protective barriers around her and the Anbu standing at attention. She looked up at the massive scroll in front of her, roughly her height. "This is Konoha's *Book of Seals*?"
"Yes," Sarutobi nodded, his tone solemn. "The *Book of Seals* holds immense significance for Konoha. Even as the current Hokage, I can only view it here and cannot take it elsewhere… I hope you understand, Hikari-san."
(*Yeah, right. So the one Naruto took out was fake, huh?*)
(*Wait a second…*)
What if *this* *Book of Seals* was the fake one?
A flicker of suspicion crossed Hikari's mind. After laying the scroll flat, unrolling it, and sitting cross-legged, she opened the chat group's photo function, snapped a picture, and sent it.
**[Nameless: image.jpg]**
**[Nameless @Eien_no_Tsuma: Yondaime, could you take a look and see if there's anything off with these ninjutsu descriptions?]**
**[Eien_no_Tsuma: This is… the *Book of Seals*?! You actually got to borrow it?]**
**[Nameless: Yup, I mentioned it to the Third, and he agreed. Nice guy, huh?]**
**[Eien_no_Tsuma: …From what I can see in the techniques you sent, there's nothing wrong. But I haven't read the entire scroll myself. Many of the ninjutsu recorded in it are either extremely harmful to the user or defy natural laws, so they're not very practical to learn. I only skimmed it, so I might not catch everything.]**
**[Nameless: No worries.]**
With Minato's confirmation, Hikari felt a bit more at ease.
She wasn't greedy.
As Minato had said, the *Book of Seals* contained plenty of forbidden techniques, but only a few were truly worth studying.
*Multiple Shadow Clones*, *Eight Gates*, *Darkness Binding Technique*, *Edo Tensei*… those were definitely her top priorities.
The first two could harm the body, but with enough self-control to stay within her limits, she'd be fine. As for *Edo Tensei*, Hikari was more interested in understanding it than using it. If she ever needed to cast it, she'd likely seek out Orochimaru's improved version.
And then there was one more…
*Mutual Multi-Explosive Tags*!
This technique, invented by the forbidden jutsu master Senju Tobirama, used summoning principles. With just one explosive tag as a trigger, it could endlessly summon more tags for infinite explosions, powerful enough to destroy a *Myōjin Gate* or harm a Ten-Tails fragment. Its downside was its overwhelming power and lack of an off-switch, which could engulf the caster. It was typically paired with *Edo Tensei*.
But…
Those flaws were manageable for Hikari.
Her Susanoo could shield her from the blast, and her enhanced physique, combined with Senzu Beans, gave her double-layered recovery. While not as absurdly durable as an *Edo Tensei* body, she could theoretically tank a round of *Mutual Multi-Explosive Tags*.
In a dire situation, it could serve as a trump card.
For an entire day…
Hikari stayed in the dimly lit room, meticulously studying and memorizing the scroll's contents.
She'd brought some snacks along, casually placed nearby, nibbling when she got hungry.
Sarutobi sat not far off, reviewing documents.
It wasn't until evening…
Having roughly gone through the entire scroll, Hikari stood up, stretched her neck, and gave a big yawn.
Sarutobi immediately looked over. "You're done already?"
"Pretty much," Hikari replied casually, then added a quick, "Thanks, Sarutobi kid."
"…"
Sarutobi's lips twitched in mild exasperation before he fixed her with his cloudy eyes. "Hikari-san, can we talk?"
"Hm?" Hikari raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
Sarutobi's expression grew serious. "I'd like to ask… what's your view on Konoha's Uchiha clan?"
"?"
Hikari narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze lingering on Sarutobi's face for a few seconds before she slowly sat back down. "Just say what you mean. I don't have time for riddles."
*(End of Chapter)*