Later that day.
Hikari Uchiha and her group stepped into the territory of her "enlightened teacher"—
The Sound Village.
At this stage, the Sound Village was clearly still in its infancy. It looked rough around the edges, with just two main roads crossing each other and a few scattered houses. The place felt nearly deserted. So, when Hikari and her unfamiliar companions showed up, they immediately drew attention.
"Who are you, and why are you trespassing in the Sound Village?"
A group of ninja wearing headbands with musical note symbols blocked their path.
Leading them was a girl with light blue pineapple-shaped hair, probably sixteen or seventeen years old.
"I'm Hikari Uchiha, a free-spirited ninja just following my whims. Tell your boss to come meet me."
"…Uchiha? Are you from the Leaf Village?!"
The pineapple-haired girl tensed up instantly.
As one of Orochimaru's current confidants, she knew a bit about her leader's rocky history with the Leaf.
"I said I'm a free ninja. The Leaf Village doesn't get to boss me around. Just tell Orochimaru my name—he'll be interested."
"…I don't know any 'Lord Orochimaru.' Go look somewhere else!"
Guren, the pineapple-haired girl, replied with stubborn defiance.
(You literally just said "Lord," didn't you?)
Hikari sighed, pulling out a universal capsule case from her pocket. She picked one, tossed it, and with a puff of smoke, a set of audio equipment appeared. It began blaring a pre-recorded message at village-gate volume:
"Orochimaru! Come out! Someone's here for you!"
"Orochimaru! Come out! Some—"
Before the audio could loop a second time, Guren and her group lunged to stop it. Hikari froze them in place with a single Binding Illusion each. Then she pulled out some earplugs, handing a pair to Eri and the Uzumaki mother and daughter.
That village-wide broadcast was pretty ear-piercing, after all.
The speakers blared for a while…
Just when Hikari started to think Orochimaru might actually be out, a subtle, chilling presence emerged nearby and rapidly closed in on her!
Whoosh!
Among everyone there, Eri was the first to sense Orochimaru.
Her earplugs were loosely fitted, and her bloodline-enhanced hearing far surpassed normal limits. But since Hikari had warned her not to use Judgment lightly, she didn't speak. Instead, she gripped the hilt of her sword.
The moment Orochimaru's figure appeared, the girl in the red-and-white shrine maiden outfit flashed forward, her blade slicing through the air!
Slash!
Orochimaru clearly hadn't expected Eri to attack so suddenly.
But his Kage-level instincts kicked in. His snake-like body twisted aside, dodging the strike, and his planned sneak attack on Hikari faltered.
In that brief moment, Hikari turned around, casting a calm, fleeting glance.
Just one look.
Orochimaru's body was pinned in place by invisible blood-red spikes from the void. Still reeling in shock, he was sliced in two by Eri's follow-up strike.
Afterward, Eri blinked, glancing at Hikari with a hint of confusion, as if she couldn't believe it had been that easy.
"Eri, come back behind me," Hikari said, waving her over.
Orochimaru wasn't someone you could kill that easily.
If Eri had used Judgment in a calculated strike, she might've actually finished him. But a spontaneous physical slash like that? Probably not much use.
And if Orochimaru counterattacked, it could put Eri in danger.
Sure enough…
About ten seconds later, the pile of remains on the ground twitched. A swarm of slimy white snakes slithered out, stitching the severed body back together.
Orochimaru sprang to his feet, darting twenty or thirty meters away from Hikari in the opposite direction. Only then did he turn, his greedy eyes scanning her as he spoke in his signature raspy voice:
"What incredible ocular power… to do that with just a glance. It feels amazing!"
"I never imagined the great-grandmother of the Uchiha clan would grace the Sound Village with her presence. I'm truly honored."
"…Great-grandmother?"
The term caught not only Guren and the other Sound ninja off guard but also Karin and her mother. They couldn't quite connect Hikari's youthful, childlike appearance with "great-grandmother."
Eri, meanwhile, stared warily at Orochimaru, scribbling blindly on her notebook and holding it up:
"Hikari, this guy looks so creepy."
"The way he's looking at you is gross. Can I use Judgment on him?"
"…No, good kids don't go around fighting and killing all the time."
That said, Hikari was also getting goosebumps from Orochimaru's stare. She could kind of understand how Itachi and Sasuke felt in the original story.
But since she'd already placed her Seal on him, she let slide the "kid" disrespecting the "adult."
"Looks like I don't need to introduce myself further."
"Of course not. Your reputation precedes you, Lady Hikari. Thanks to you, some very interesting things have been happening in the Leaf lately."
Orochimaru licked his lips, his raspy voice continuing: "So, what brings you here today, Lady Hikari?"
"…I'm here to make a deal."
Hikari got straight to the point. "Let's be real—I've got some unique experimental materials. Think immortal modified humans, blood infused with the power of Words of Spirit, and tech from beyond this world. I'll let you study them, but in return, you pledge your loyalty to me."
"Loyalty?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable. "Are you planning to build a faction outside the Leaf, one just for the Uchiha?"
"Nothing to do with the Uchiha. This is just my personal goal."
"Oh?" Orochimaru tilted his head, a playful smirk crossing his face as he tried to gauge her intentions.
"Guess I need to show you a little proof."
Hikari pulled out a sealing scroll and unfurled it.
With a poof of smoke, the Upper Moon Six siblings, Gyutaro and Daki, burst out. After months of being sealed, they quickly scanned their surroundings and lunged at Hikari. "You damn brat, locking us up like—"
A flash of steel.
Hikari didn't even bother with Susanoo. A few casual slashes left the siblings in pieces, their heads rolling.
Yet, in moments, the severed parts knitted back together, fully healed.
The siblings snapped to their senses, recalling the humiliation and fear from their first encounter with Hikari. After a shared glance, they bolted in opposite directions, fleeing in terror.
Hikari stood there, twirling her blade, letting them run without pursuit.
"Hm?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Not an Edo Tensei body, no signs of ninjutsu, yet they heal instantly? *Interesting.*"
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