With new furniture and freshly painted walls, the old apartment was completely transformed.
Over the next few days, Uchiha Hikari began fulfilling her role as Naruto's temporary guardian as promised.
Aside from a few shopping trips with Naruto and Mitarashi Anko for daily necessities, and a couple of visits to Ichiraku Ramen, she spent most of her time correcting Naruto's habits and teaching him basic life skills.
Having lived alone for so long without guidance, Naruto's daily routine was irregular, and his hygiene was poor—he often ended up dirty and disheveled. While his Uzumaki lineage and the Nine-Tails' vitality buffered most of the health risks, his father, Minato, was still deeply concerned.
[Yellow Flash @ Nameless: Miss Hikari, I've compiled a list of simple recipes from memory—dishes even a child could make. If possible, could you take the time to teach Naruto? That way, even if he's alone in the future, he won't have to rely on instant noodles.]
[Nameless: Received.]
[Yellow Flash: Also, please remind him not to be picky with food. He should eat more vegetables and fruits, avoid staying up late, bathe and change clothes regularly, clean his room every two or three days (ideally daily), and take out the trash promptly…]
[Yellow Flash: The savings I left with Kushina should still be substantial. Aside from covering Naruto's school and living expenses, you're free to use the rest as needed…]
[Nameless: All noted.]
Honestly…
In her past life, Hikari had helped her older sister take care of her niece, so she had some experience with childcare.
She had braced herself for dealing with an unruly brat—
From what she remembered of the original story, Naruto wasn't exactly a well-behaved kid. While the villagers' discrimination was the main issue, Naruto's attention-seeking pranks didn't help, creating a vicious cycle.
But…
Once she actually started looking after him, she found that the little blond was far more obedient than expected.
Sure, he occasionally talked back, but he earnestly worked on correcting the bad habits she pointed out. He also put real effort into learning life skills like cooking and laundry.
Aside from being a bit slow, there wasn't much to complain about.
At first, Hikari was puzzled.
But after talking with Minato, she understood—
For years, Naruto had lived under the weight of neglect and bullying. Aside from the occasional visits from Hiruzen (who mostly just emotionally manipulated him), no one had ever treated him like a normal child—let alone invested time and care into raising him.
So Hikari's presence filled that void.
Put simply, Naruto's attitude toward her was like a drowning man clinging to his last lifeline. Terrified of losing this rare kindness, he obeyed her instructions diligently, even if they went against his usual habits.
Hmm…
(If I suddenly turned on him right now, pinned him to the wall, and pulled an Itachi, would he instantly snap and go berserk?)
The thought crossed Hikari's mind.
But she dismissed it. She was actually quite satisfied with Naruto's progress, and she wasn't twisted enough to psychologically manipulate a child.
"By the way, Naruto."
During a break, Hikari thought of something. "A while back, did you happen to meet a little girl with pure white eyes? Maybe even saved her from some bullies?"
"...No, don't think so."
Naruto thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"Really…?"
Hinata was one of the few people who didn't reject Naruto outright as a child, so if they had met, he probably would've remembered. That meant the scene from the anime hadn't happened yet?
Not that it mattered much. Satisfying her curiosity, Hikari didn't press further.
After a few peaceful days passed—
That afternoon, Bulma tagged Hikari in the chat.
[Bulma @ Nameless: Hikari-chan, my summer break starts tomorrow! Can you come help me gather the Dragon Balls?]
[Bulma: It shouldn't take too long. I already have one, so we just need six more. If things go smoothly, we can probably find them all in about a week.]
"A week?"
In the kitchen, Hikari paused mid-chop, her lips quirking in amusement.
Collect all seven Dragon Balls in a week? As if you're just picking up groceries.
Still, from what she remembered, Bulma's first Dragon Ball hunt had gone relatively smoothly. Aside from running into Emperor Pilaf near the end, the earlier orbs were obtained without much trouble. Plus, Hikari owed Bulma for the bomb that freed her from her coffin—she wasn't about to refuse now.
[Nameless: Sure. Things are settled enough here. I'll give Naruto a heads-up in a couple of days, then come find you.]
[Bulma: Great!]
[Bulma: Oh, and @Determined Boy, have you managed to split that boulder yet?]
[Determined Boy: I can cut partway through now! Recently, a blond-haired senpai has been sparring with me daily, and a black-haired senpai's been giving me pointers too. I should pass Ubuyashiki-sensei's test soon!]
[Bulma: Wow, impressive!]
[Nameless: …Not bad. But I'd recommend training a bit longer before taking the Demon Slayer Corps' entrance exam. There's a demon hiding on Final Selection Mountain—one that's lurked for decades. Its strength far exceeds the exam's normal difficulty, and it will target you…]
[Determined Boy: ?!]
---
Demon Slayer World, Mount Sagiri
Tanjiro, who had just finished practicing a Water Breathing kata and was resting on a tree stump, tensed up.
[Determined Boy: Hikari-san, could you elaborate?]
[Nameless: That demon is called the "Hand Demon." It was captured by Urokodaki during the Meiji era and has held a grudge ever since. It's been hiding in the exam grounds, killing over a dozen of Urokodaki's students—specifically, those wearing the "warding masks." It's been extremely cautious, so no one discovered its existence until your exam…]
"The masks…"
Tanjiro turned his head.
Across from him, a girl with black mid-length hair and a short kimono patterned with plum blossoms—Makomo—tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
As she moved, the fox mask hanging from her head swayed slightly.
The smiling fox's face seemed harmless, but the blue flower painted on its cheek suddenly took on an illusory quality—like the moon reflected in water, visible yet untouchable.