Following Gakuya's lead, the group came to a stop before a stone coffin.
Gakuya gave a calm command. "Yukari, undo the seal. And once it's open, follow my lead."
"Alright." Uzumaki Yukari knelt before the coffin, studying the sealing formula etched on the lid. She began channeling chakra, carefully dismantling the seal layer by layer.
The others silently watched as she worked. It didn't take long before Yukari stood back up.
"That's it. Now all that's left is to push open the lid. The seal's officially released."
"You did well," Gakuya praised.
Yukari gave a slight bow. "It's what I'm here for."
Stepping forward, Gakuya placed his hands on the stone and slowly pushed the lid aside.
Inside, a beautiful figure lay in perfect stillness.
Even Gakuya couldn't help but admire her appearance. So this is the female version of Madara...
As he stood there taking it in, Uchiha Hikari's eyes snapped open. In a blur, she flipped upright and drove a punch straight into Gakuya's chest.
He didn't dodge.
The blow landed with a thud, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The others stared, wide-eyed, but Gakuya calmly raised his arms and pulled her into a firm embrace.
"Hikari... We understand your pain. We're like you. We came to save you. You don't have to be afraid anymore."
His voice was soft, but steady.
Hikari froze, stunned by his unexpected reaction. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.
All she knew was that she'd been pulled into a warm, secure embrace. Large hands gently brushed over her hair, and for the first time in her life... she felt safe.
She didn't understand why, but the urge to cry welled up uncontrollably inside her.
Her thoughts spun in chaos. Why? Why do I feel like crying?
Ever since she'd been turned into a weapon by the Uchiha, she'd learned that tears meant nothing. No one would pity her. Crying didn't change anything.
So why now?
Why did she feel like breaking down?
"I'm sorry," Gakuya whispered in her ear. "We should've come for you sooner."
That did it.
The last wall holding her together crumbled, and Uchiha Hikari finally let herself cry.
"Why... why are you doing this to me..." she sobbed, biting down on Gakuya's shoulder.
"It's okay. Let it out."
Yukari and Uchiha Izumi watched from the side, completely stunned.
"Weren't we supposed to slowly win her over?" Izumi muttered.
"Why does it feel like she just got completely emotionally hijacked?" Yukari whispered back.
When Hikari had cried herself out, Gakuya quietly activated his Sharingan and caught her in a genjutsu.
"Don't resist."
"...Okay."
"My eyes can show the past. Let me take you back to the day you were born. You were never truly alone. Your parents had hopes for you. And now, so do we."
Before Hikari's eyes, the scene shifted.
She saw herself as a newborn, cradled in the arms of a man and a woman.
"Hikari..."
"The shinobi world is still cloaked in darkness. But I want her to walk in the light..."
"This name carries that hope. Is it... strange?"
She saw the woman—her mother—turn her face toward her infant self.
"It's a beautiful name, right? Little Hikari."
Tears streamed down Hikari's face.
She knew this wasn't a fabrication. This was real.
This woman was her mother.
She wasn't just some nameless weapon.
Her name was Uchiha Hikari.
Gakuya gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Now let me show you my story."
"I was born fourteen years ago..." he began, using the genjutsu to weave his memories into hers.
She saw it all.
Gakuya had once had a happy family and a peaceful childhood. But a romance between a Hyuga and someone from outside the clan was strictly forbidden.
His family had spent years on the run, evading the Hyuga clan's pursuit, but they were eventually caught. His parents had pleaded with the clan to spare him.
They were ultimately saved by Sarutobi Hiruzen.
And then... the story reached its brutal conclusion—Gakuya destroying the Hyuga clan.
Next came the story of Uzumaki Yukari and her daughter, Karin. After their homeland fell, they were sold off as disposable tools in the Land of Grass, until Gakuya had rescued them.
By the time the genjutsu ended, Hikari was emotionally drained. Is this world made of nothing but pain?
"We're all the same," Gakuya said softly. "Crushed by this world. And that's why we've banded together—to survive, and to change it."
He extended a hand.
"Join us. We'll use our own power to reshape the shinobi world."
Hikari hesitated, then reached out and placed her hand in his.
Gakuya smiled and pulled her into a hug.
"Don't worry. From now on, I'll protect you. No one's going to hurt you again."
"...Okay."
...
Back in the real world, Gakuya was still holding her close.
He took her hand, leading her toward the exit. Hikari was still unsteady on her feet, each step a slight stumble—she'd only just awakened, after all.
"Let's go. We're going home."
Under Yukari and Izumi's astonished stares, the group climbed onto the puppet falcon that would take them back to the Land of Rain.
Gakuya removed his red-and-black cloud cloak and draped it around Hikari's shoulders. He was determined to make her feel the warmth of home.
Watching her sit proudly—but with just a touch of shy happiness—aboard the puppet, Gakuya couldn't help but smile.
Perfect. I've got her completely wrapped around my finger.
Everything had gone according to plan.
That punch she landed earlier? It hadn't even been hard enough to draw blood—Gakuya had used chakra control to force the blood out himself.
Step one: make her feel guilty.
That warm hug? It wasn't just acting. He'd spread Fire-nature chakra through all his tenketsu, making his body literally radiate warmth.
Step two: show a girl starved for love what affection feels like.
And finally, step three: use genjutsu to create emotional resonance, drown her in feelings, and bypass her critical thinking.
Why go through all this trouble?
Because Yachihoko was worth it.
That ultimate ocular technique could place a spiritual mark on anyone. It allowed for complete mental and chakra control, even across great distances. You could transmit chakra at will—whether to yourself or someone else.
Even peak-level Naruto in the Boruto era had fallen victim to it.
It was an overpowered, almost divine ability—an enhanced version of Gakuya's soul-cleansing doujutsu. No other ocular power could compare.
And Uchiha Hikari's Sharingan didn't stop there.
Tsukuyomi. Amaterasu. Kagutsuchi. She'd awakened her Mangekyō at barely more than ten years old. With proper guidance, she could become the next Madara—or at the very least, the next Itachi.
If he had stolen her eye with a bloodline plundering jutsu, all he would've gotten was a single pair of Mangekyō.
But now? With some sweet talk and careful manipulation?
He'd gained a loyal, Kage-level follower.
...
One day later, they returned to their apartment in the Land of Rain.
Gakuya brought Hikari upstairs and showed her to the room next to his own.
"This is yours from now on," he said. "Yukari will bring you bedding and other stuff in a bit."
"...Th-thank you," she stammered. Her voice still lacked confidence—she wasn't used to expressing herself.
Gakuya reached out and ruffled her hair. "It's alright. If you ever need anything, just let us know. We're here for you."
Downstairs, Yukari had pulled Karin aside for a serious talk.
"We have a new housemate. You'd better get along with her. No fighting."
"Really?! Is it a boy or a girl? How old is she?"
Karin practically lit up with excitement. Finally, someone her age had joined the household.
Technically though, if we're talking real age... Uchiha Hikari had lived longer than anyone in the house. Even if Madara himself were resurrected, he'd have to call her ancestor.
...
Elsewhere, deep in the shadows, Black Zetsu watched the scene unfold—and was utterly shocked.
"That's... Uchiha Hikari!"
Of course it recognized her. She possessed the Uchiha's most terrifying ocular technique—Yachihoko.
How did Gakuya find her?
This child of the Hyuga had already shown monstrous potential. He could very well be the greatest threat to Kaguya's revival.
Black Zetsu was about to plan how to eliminate him... but a new idea came to mind.
No.
He could be the key.
If Gakuya wanted power, what could be greater than becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki?
Maybe he could even replace Obito... as the true executor of the Eye of the Moon Plan.
After all, Obito had been growing more and more unreliable...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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