The day after returning to Konoha, Hikari checked in with Fugaku about the latest Uchiha clan updates, popped by to see Naruto, then packed light and left the village.
Technically, ninjas needed approval from the Hokage's office to leave. But Hikari wasn't about to jump through those hoops. Flashing her face to Yugao Uzuki and the other Anbu was her way of saying, "I'm doing you a courtesy here."
Once out of the village, she summoned her Flying Nimbus, checked her map and compass, and zoomed off toward the Land of Rice Fields—where Orochimaru had set up his Hidden Sound Village.
She didn't know the exact location of the Sound Village, but the Land of Rice Fields wasn't exactly a sprawling nation. A little searching would do the trick.
[Kikyo uploaded "Spiritual Energy Training Method"]
[Kikyo uploaded "Archery Training Method"]
[Kikyo @Nameless @Bulma: I just put together these training guides. Take a look, and feel free to ask if anything's unclear.]
[Kikyo: If Miko, Miss Eriyi, Mr. Minato, or Tanjiro are interested, please feel free to check them out too.]
[Bulma: Awesome!]
[EternalSidekick: You're too kind, Miss Kikyo. I'm in a tricky spot and can't upload written materials, but if you're curious about ninjutsu, I'm happy to share what I know.]
[IronHead: Thanks, Miss Kikyo! I don't have much to offer, but if anything I've got is useful, please take a look!]
[IronHead uploaded "Water Breathing"]
[IronHead uploaded "Hinokami Kagura (Incomplete)"]
Scrolling through the flurry of messages, Hikari's eyes caught on Tanjiro's posts, and she raised an eyebrow.
[Nameless: Tanjiro, you've already got Hinokami Kagura down?]
[IronHead: Oh, Miss Hikari! Not quite… I've been training hard with Mr. Rengoku and Mr. Tengen, and after fighting two Lower Moons recently, I've started recalling bits and pieces. But it's still a long way from what my father could do.]
[Nameless: What about the Transparent World?]
[IronHead: …My father mentioned it once, but I'm too slow to grasp it yet.]
[Nameless: Got it…]
Hikari had promised to take Tanjiro to meet the Cat Sage and learn about "ki" at some point. She'd gotten sidetracked with Eriyi and other matters, but after her meeting with Orochimaru, she'd make good on that promise. Maybe she could use her "Yasaka Magatama" to peek into Tanjiro's memories and nudge him toward unlocking the Transparent World. She was curious to see what kind of ability it was.
Meanwhile, Eriyi's focus was elsewhere.
[LittleMonster: Hikari, are you there? Onii-chan and Dad just left. Can I come hang out with you now?]
[Nameless: Uh… sure, that's fine.]
But why does that sound kinda weird?
With Hikari's okay, Eriyi sent a join request and appeared on the Flying Nimbus mid-flight.
"?!"
Eriyi clearly hadn't expected to pop into the sky. Her little face froze in panic, lips sealed tight. She glanced around nervously before turning to Hikari, hesitantly raising her notebook to say hi.
Hikari was looking her over too.
Unlike their first meeting—when Eriyi showed up without even clothes—this time, she was prepared. Her face was scrubbed clean, her hair neatly combed, and she wore a pristine red-and-white miko outfit. The scarlet hakama had been customized, though, with a dozen or so pockets sewn onto the skirt, stuffed to the brim. Hikari could make out a manga book, a rubber duck, a PS3 controller, and a few glass vials that looked suspiciously like…
"What's in those pockets, Eriyi?" Hikari asked.
Eriyi held up her notebook, her expression bright. "Serum vials. I asked Onii-chan for extras, so I can stay with you longer this time."
"…Alright," Hikari said, nodding. "Hand them over. I'll store them in a universal capsule so they don't fall and break."
She slowed the Flying Nimbus and carefully tucked Eriyi's vials into a capsule.
As she did, Eriyi leaned toward the edge of the cloud, her dark red hair fluttering in the cool breeze. She gazed curiously at the rivers and mountains below.
Suddenly, she scribbled something in her notebook and held it up. "Hikari, there's a lot of people down there. It looks like they're fighting…"
"Hm?" Hikari followed her gaze.
Below, a group of ninjas was locked in combat. One side wore headbands with an "M"-like symbol. A bit farther off, a small town bustled with activity—stretchers carried wounded people from outside the village to a hospital for treatment.
It was a common sight.
Even in the current ninja world, only the regions around the Five Great Villages enjoyed relative peace. Most other countries and areas were caught in endless wars, where chaos and bloodshed were the norm.
But then…
"The Land of Grass?" Hikari's mind sparked.
This period in the Land of Grass was home to a certain pair of Uzumaki survivors—Karin and her mother.
Pureblood Uzumaki carried a healing ability almost on par with Senzu Beans. Their blood could rapidly restore chakra and heal injuries. Because of this, Karin and her mother were treated as "blood bags" by the Grass ninja, used without care.
Karin's mother eventually died from the strain. Karin herself followed in her footsteps until Orochimaru took her in as a test subject, which was only slightly better—less outright deadly, at least.
There weren't many Uzumaki survivors left in this era. If Hikari hadn't stumbled across this place, she might've let it slide. But since she was here…
"Eriyi, wanna check it out?" she asked.
Eriyi, ever obedient, nodded eagerly.
They descended, Hikari directing the Flying Nimbus to hover high above as they landed in a corner of the Hidden Grass Village.
After hopping off, Hikari sent the cloud back into the sky. Eriyi, wide-eyed, looked around curiously.
The area wasn't crowded, with only a few Grass ninja passing by in a hurry.
Suddenly, a tall ninja noticed them—specifically Eriyi. He frowned and strode over. "Hey, you two! Where'd you sneak in from? I don't recognize you from the Grass Village."
"You—" Hikari started, but he cut her off, his eyes shifting to Eriyi with a flicker of recognition. "That red-haired girl… are you from the Uzumaki clan?"
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