366-370

Chaper 366 Meeting the Grand Elder 

Uchiha Hikari said her goodbyes to the village elder and, with Esdeath, used their flight abilities to follow Nail towards the northern part of the planet. 

As they flew, she tried to strike up a conversation with Nail, but his responses were few and far between. It seemed he was one of those Namekians with a colder personality, not particularly fond of outsiders. In the original story, he was quite resistant to Krillin and Gohan's visit, so his current demeanor wasn't all that surprising. 

After about an hour of flying, the trio passed over vast forests, mountains, rivers, and open fields. Finally, a cluster of buildings appeared in the distance. They looked like giant, horned insects, a unique Namekian architectural style. 

"We're here," Nail announced, landing in front of one of the larger structures. He spoke a few words to the Namekian guard at the entrance, then turned back to Uchiha Hikari and Esdeath. "You two, come inside with me. The Grand Elder is waiting for you... Keep your voices down, don't disturb his rest." 

"Alright," Hikari replied. 

They stepped into the room, and as the light dimmed, Uchiha Hikari saw the slightly corpulent Namekian Grand Elder sitting on a chair ahead. He seemed to be dozing, eyes closed. Nail didn't call out to him, so Uchiha Hikari and Esdeath quietly waited beside him. Thankfully, after a short while, the Grand Elder opened his eyes—or rather, made the motion of opening them, but his eyelids seemed heavy and didn't fully part. 

"Are you the two children from Earth?" he rasped. 

"...Yes. My name is Uchiha Hikari, and this is my friend Esdeath. It's an honor to meet you, Grand Elder." Hikari's tone was very polite. 

Though he looked unassuming, like an old, portly man on the verge of passing on, this was a living fossil of Namekian history. He was one of the few who survived the catastrophe that befell Namek centuries ago, when the young Kami fled to Earth. In theory, all Namekians currently on the planet were born from his asexual reproduction. Facing such an ancient and respected figure, it was only natural to show proper deference. 

After a brief silence, the Grand Elder spoke again. "Mulil told me you wish to borrow the Dragon Balls?" 

"Yes," Uchiha Hikari nodded. "It's like this..." 

This time, Uchiha Hikari shared a bit more than she had in the village, even mentioning the concept of other worlds. To borrow the Dragon Balls from Namek and receive the Grand Elder's "head pat" blessing, she knew she couldn't withhold such information. Given the Grand Elder's apparent ability to discern good from evil, Uchiha Hikari spoke only the truth, simply omitting a few minor details. 

She also briefly mentioned the wishes she intended to make. She had considered using two wishes for Kikyo and Minato Namikaze, to bring them back to life. However, with Minato's clone already in progress, that wish might not be necessary, leaving just Kikyo's. As for the remaining two... she planned to think it over carefully. After all, these wishes needed the Grand Elder's permission, and if they were too selfish or greedy, it could leave a bad impression. That would be counterproductive. 

"...I see," the Grand Elder said, nodding slightly after listening. "So, where are these friends from other worlds that you mentioned?" 

"Hmm... May I use this place for a moment?" 

After receiving the Grand Elder's permission, Uchiha Hikari called out in the chat group. First, Bulma "packaged" herself and sent herself over via the upload function. Then, Kikyo, Eri, Minato Namikaze, Tanjiro, and others all used Bulma as an anchor point, one after another, applying to enter the Dragon Ball world. Even Naruto and Nezuko, who weren't in the group chat, appeared one by one in the room. 

To onlookers, it was a series of flashing white, human-shaped lights that then transformed into real people. This sight quite surprised Nail, who was standing by. 

The Dragon Ball world wasn't without instant transmission abilities, but those were always performed using "ki." However, he hadn't sensed any "ki" fluctuations when Kikyo and the others appeared, and some of them showed no signs of "ki" at all, appearing to be completely normal humans. This was a bit perplexing. 

However, it was only a slight surprise. To Nail, the combat power of Kikyo and the others was simply too weak. Only Uchiha Hikari, Esdeath, and Yamato needed to be wary of; the others posed no threat to the Grand Elder. 

On the other side, the Grand Elder's head moved slightly. Though the movement was minimal and he still hadn't opened his eyes, he seemed to have observed everyone, including Uchiha Hikari. 

"Are these the friends you mentioned earlier? They certainly seem to be kind children... And this one, is she the miko you wished to help restore her soul?" 

Kikyo, whose identity had been revealed, paused for a moment before bowing respectfully to the Grand Elder. Kikyo was probably the most pure-hearted and straightforward person in the chat group, without a shred of ill will. At most, she had some personal feelings about Inuyasha, but even those had mostly faded after her death and subsequent rebirth. Only Tanjiro could compare to her in this regard. Next was Miko Yotsuya. As for Eri, while pure in her own way, she had taken lives and seen blood, so it was unclear how the Namekians would view such actions. 

"...Indeed, you truly are a kind child," the Grand Elder said again, seemingly confirming Kikyo's character. "'Restoring a soul' is a wish that no one has made before, but it should be possible. Nail, take them to the other villages and gather the seven Dragon Balls to help them fulfill their wish." 

"But...!" Nail seemed a bit reluctant but had no choice but to obey the Grand Elder's command. "Grand Elder, Kucchi can handle this. I should stay here to protect you." 

Kucchi was likely the name of another Namekian, also a combat type like Nail, but not as strong, estimated to be around one to two thousand power level. 

The Grand Elder didn't object, simply chuckling and looking back at Uchiha Hikari and her companions. "I can sense that most of you possess considerable potential. Would you like me to help awaken it?" 

Chaper 367 

"Here it comes!" 

Uchiha Hikari's heart stirred: Grand Elder Guru's ability was one of her main reasons for coming to Planet Namek, and its importance was almost on par with "borrowing the Dragon Balls." She had been wondering how to bring it up naturally, but she didn't expect him to offer it himself. 

"Um... will developing potential consume your energy?" 

"Of course!" 

It wasn't Grand Elder Guru who spoke, but Nail, who stood beside him. He seemed reluctant for the Grand Elder to expend energy on this, so he couldn't help but interject, "Grand Elder, your current physical condition... there's no need to go to such lengths for them." 

—According to the original timeline, Grand Elder Guru passed away due to old age in the Frieza Arc more than a decade later, so he was now in the final stage of his life. And this kind of death due to natural aging couldn't be healed or reversed even by Senzu Beans. 

However... 

"Hehe, it's just a small effort, it won't consume much energy." 

Grand Elder Guru paused, then spoke again: "However, I might not be able to unlock the potential for all of you, especially that young lady with blue hair." 

"Huh, me?" 

Bulma pointed at her nose. 

Uchiha Hikari glanced at her, then at Esdeath on her other side, hesitating to speak. 

Grand Elder Guru was, of course, referring to Esdeath. 

This wasn't surprising. 

Although Esdeath had behaved relatively well since leaving the Akame ga Kill! world, that didn't erase the fact that she was once a warmonger with countless lives on her hands. 

In a sense, she was once like Demon King Piccolo or Frieza, and such people were difficult for the peace-loving Namekians to accept, even deeply detested. Naturally, they couldn't help her unlock her potential. 

As for Bulma... 

She really couldn't have her potential unlocked either, because she had never seriously practiced "ki." 

At this moment. 

Uchiha Hikari was privately messaging Esdeath, tactfully explaining these matters, while also multitasking and asking Grand Elder Guru a question: "May I ask... can this opportunity to boost potential be saved for later? As you can see, Ms. Kikyo, and my friend next to me, are not living beings right now." 

Of course, Minato Namikaze and Kikyo, who had not yet been resurrected, could not have their potential activated, that much was obvious. 

However, Uchiha Hikari said this mainly because she herself wanted to slightly delay this opportunity. 

—At present, she might have good potential, and after receiving Grand Elder Guru's head-pat, she could rise to the level of Kaguya Otsutsuki, or even higher. But ultimately, she would still be limited by her original bloodline. But... 

If she could transplant "S-Cells" into her body, becoming a "Saiyan hybrid" similar to Gohan or Goten, and then have her potential unlocked, the results might be vastly different. 

If possible, she still preferred to maximize her gains. 

Grand Elder Guru, of course, didn't know her plans, but he still nodded kindly: "You may." 

Next. 

Tanjiro, Yamato, and Brand stepped forward one after another, allowing Grand Elder Guru to touch their heads. 

"Wow! This power..." 

"The 'ki' inside is surging... I feel so light!" 

"I feel incredibly strong right now..." 

At this moment, Uchiha Hikari and the others standing nearby could clearly feel that the aura of Tanjiro and the others had suddenly increased by a large margin, to the point where it directly burst out from within them, forming a spherical "ki curtain" that enveloped their bodies, pushing the surrounding air aside. 

Among them, Yamato's situation was a bit special, as she was not a pure human, but an "Oni" from the Pirate World. 

At this moment, with Grand Elder Guru's actions, the power of her Oni bloodline, contained within her, seemed to have been unleashed as well. Her entire body seemed to grow taller by a few inches, her twin Oni horns on her head became thicker and sharper, and a series of popping sounds like bursting beans could be heard from within her body, making it hard to ignore. 

In her current state, if Yamato were to return to the Pirate World, she would probably already be above the Four Emperors. 

Queen of Ice: "Is this the Grand Elder's ability? It certainly has some tricks." 

Esdeath frowned slightly, sending a private message. 

Uchiha Hikari smiled, secretly sighing: 

Nameless: "Yeah, that's why I told you to keep a calm mind." 

—With Esdeath's strength and aptitude, if her potential could be unlocked, the improvement would certainly not be small. However, since Grand Elder Guru had no such intention, it was just an unfortunate miss. 

"It's your turn, Erii. If you feel any discomfort, speak up immediately." 

Uchiha Hikari turned to look at the red-haired girl beside her. 

The latter nodded, stopped in front of Grand Elder Guru, and let him place his broad hand on her head. 

With this action. 

First, Erii's "ki" rapidly agitated like Tanjiro and Yamato's, then clusters of fine scales appeared on the girl's body, receding back into her body after a few breaths, and then reappearing again... This process continued several times, and then disappeared as Grand Elder Guru withdrew his hand. 

At this point, Grand Elder Guru slowly spoke, reminding them: "There seems to be a very corrosive power within this child's body, and this power is very tightly integrated with her own bloodline, so I didn't fully unleash her potential just now. You'd best find a way to treat her, to avoid unnecessary trouble." 

"Yes, we're already doing that." 

Uchiha Hikari nodded. 

Erii's condition was already being reviewed by Dr. Brief and his team of experts, and results were expected soon. With the Dragon Ball world's technological advancements, finding a suitable solution shouldn't be difficult. 

With Grand Elder Guru's endorsement. 

"Borrowing" the Dragon Balls became simple. 

In just a day or two. 

The seven villages scattered across Planet Namek were found one by one, and then the seven Namekian Dragon Balls, each more than ten times larger than Earth's Dragon Balls, were gathered near the Grand Elder's area and guarded by the Namekian named "Kuchi." 

On a clear and sunny day, Uchiha Hikari and the others, along with Grand Elder Guru and Nail, came to an open space outside. 

"...We can begin now." 

As Grand Elder Guru nodded. 

Nail took several large strides forward, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly in Namekian: 

"Come forth... Shenron!!" 

Chapter 368: "That's Easy" 

At that very moment, all seven Namekian Dragon Balls shot out brilliant beams of light. They soared into the sky, converged in the clouds, and took the form of a gigantic Eastern-style dragon. 

This was Porunga, the Namekian Dragon. 

He looked a lot like the Earth's Shenron and the Cloud Dragon of the East Sea, but he was far more muscular, with a fierce aura, and stretched for an incredible thousand meters. He loomed in the sky, surrounded by swirling clouds and flashing lightning, like a stormy shadow pressing down on the world. Of course, those who had seen the titanic body of the East Sea Dragon—like Bulma—remained completely unfazed. 

"Mortal, state your wish," Porunga's deep voice boomed from above. "Any wish can be granted, but you are limited to three..." 

Nail looked over at Uchiha Hikari. 

After a quick chat with Bulma and the others, Uchiha Hikari looked up at the immense figure and spoke softly. "My first wish is to restore the soul and body of Kikyo, the priestess standing beside me, to their state before her death." 

"I've already prepared her body, by the way." 

As she spoke, Uchiha Hikari pulled a capsule containing Kikyo's clone body out of her pocket and placed it nearby. She had obtained this from the magical island of Hourai in the Inuyasha world, and it was a masterpiece of occult technology. She had Dr. Brief check it to confirm everything was perfect before bringing it here. 

Uchiha Hikari had carefully worded her wish, too. Technically, "repairing a soul" and "resurrecting a body" were two separate wishes. But with the right phrasing, they could be combined into one. If Porunga could grant it, that would be great, as it would leave her with more flexibility for her next two wishes. If not, she wouldn't lose anything. 

After a brief silence, Porunga nodded. "That's easy." 

Porunga opened his mouth and a massive beam of light enveloped the clay-bodied Kikyo and the clone in the ice capsule, making it impossible to see what was happening. A moment later, the light faded. The Kikyo made of clay was gone. 

The one in the ice capsule slowly opened her eyes, pushed the lid aside, and sat up. The daze in her eyes vanished, replaced by a cool, clear brightness. 

"...Kikyo?" 

"Yes, it's me." 

Kikyo looked down at her hands, clenching them into fists as if feeling the warmth. She let out a soft sigh and then bowed respectfully to Uchiha Hikari, her friends, the Grand Elder, Nail, and Porunga. 

Uchiha Hikari and the others offered their own words of courtesy, while Porunga, a simple wish-granting machine without emotions, didn't react at all. 

"So then..." 

Uchiha Hikari took a deep breath, looking up at Porunga. "My second wish is to have the same potential for growth as the master of this sample, without changing my existing abilities or appearance, and to have Saiyan blood merged into my body." 

As she made the wish, Uchiha Hikari held up a test tube containing a sample of young Goku's cells. 

Directly asking for "Saiyan blood" would have been too vague. After all, besides Goku's family and Vegeta, most Saiyans only had a power level of about a thousand or two, which was considered average for Frieza's foot soldiers. To get the highest growth potential, she had to go for one of the main characters. If Gohan had been born already, she probably would have used his blood instead. 

Porunga's gaze fell upon the test tube in her hand. He seemed to analyze and ponder it for a moment, then, under Uchiha Hikari's anxious watch, he gave a slight nod. "That's easy." 

"Huh?" 

A second beam of light descended, this time enveloping Uchiha Hikari. 

Immediately, she felt as if she had been plunged into a hot spring. A fiery current surged through her pores, flooding her body. Intense pain and an intense rush of pleasure hit her at the same time. She could feel her blood rushing through her veins, a strain on her blood vessels, but also a sensation of being completely reborn. 

After a few minutes, the light faded. When Uchiha Hikari opened her eyes again, her clothes were drenched in sweat. But she felt better than ever before, with an endless supply of energy. 

"Did I just... become a half-Saiyan?" 

A hybrid of a ninja from the Naruto world and a Saiyan from the Dragon Ball world—that had to be a first! 

Uchiha Hikari carefully examined her body, even cutting her hand with a kunai. Watching the wound heal, she nodded slightly. "My healing factor seems to have been enhanced, my skin is tougher and denser, and the wound is closing faster..." 

Most importantly, her Mangekyou Sharingan was still working. Uchiha Hikari didn't feel anything was wrong, but she decided to have Bulma take a blood sample later to study exactly what changes had occurred in her body. 

"Now for the third wish..." 

This one was the simplest. 

"Grant Uchiha Hikari the ability to use Instant Transmission across the entire universe, using ki as a medium, with the added benefit of being able to sense what's happening at the destination." 

Now that they had unlocked Planet Namek as a new location, Uchiha Hikari, Esdeath, and Bulma would definitely be coming back. For one, there were plenty of powerful Namekians here—especially Nail—who could serve as sparring partners and teachers. Second, Planet Namek's ancient technology was far more advanced than Earth's, making it a perfect place for a genius scientist like Bulma to do some research. And after all the help the Grand Elder and his people had given them, they needed to return the favor. 

If they had to spend months flying in a spaceship every time they came here, it would be a huge hassle. Getting a skill similar to young Goku's Instant Transmission would make everything so much easier. 

She could even try to teach it to Esdeath and the others later. 

Chapter 369: The "Super-Shinobi God" Jutsu Formula 

Actually, Uchiha Hikari had another idea for a certain jutsu, the one known as "Instant Transmission." 

Bulma's talk about traveling to other worlds made her think of something important. The cosmos in this world was indeed dangerous; you never knew when you might stumble into a powerful rogue organization like Frieza's clan. And the native clans on many planets might have all sorts of weird abilities that could threaten Bulma's group, or even Hikari and Esdeath—like the Ginyu Force's jutsu that lets them swap bodies, which could even work on someone far more powerful than them. 

But there was one place they could try to explore: the land of Yardrat. 

That's the place where the future Hokage, Goku, learned both the "Instant Transmission" space-time ninjutsu and a special combination jutsu. 

From the brief descriptions in the stories, the people of that land were a lot like the Namekian clan—friendly, with perhaps a low average chakra level but an incredible talent for developing and mastering a vast range of jutsu. And what's more, they were never discovered by Frieza's clan before he was defeated. 

Plus, given that the future Hokage stumbled upon that land by accident while escaping this very planet, it's a good bet that it's not too far from here. 

Hikari planned to spend some time training on this planet, and once they'd gotten to know the Namekian clan members, she would ask them about the nearby territories. 

With that, all three of the Dimensional Adventurers' wishes had been granted. 

The sacred dragon spirit, Porunga, twisted in the sky before breaking apart into seven glowing orbs that scattered in every direction. 

Before the orbs could fly too far, Nail vanished in a flash, his body seeming to split into seven as he intercepted the trajectory of each orb. In the blink of an eye, he was back beside the patriarch, gently placing all seven sacred orbs on the ground. 

Like the sacred orbs back on Earth, these had also turned into smooth, gray stones, needing an entire year to regain their power. 

Due to the different orbit of this planet, a "year" here was only 130 days, which meant that in theory, the orbs would be ready for another wish in about four months. 

Of course, given the nature of the patriarch and the Namekian people, they wouldn't just let anyone use their power that easily. 

"Wow! Mr. Nail, you're amazing! I couldn't even see what you did!" 

At that moment, Tanjiro couldn't help but exclaim in awe at what he'd just witnessed. Little Naruto nodded enthusiastically. 

At their level, they didn't really grasp just how strong Nail was, or how massive the difference was between them. But they could clearly see he was powerful, and their praise was completely genuine. 

"...Hmph." 

Nail just grunted in response to the praise and turned his head, which made Hikari, who saw the whole thing, quietly chuckle to herself. 

Next, the seven Namekian elders came forward and each took the orb belonging to their village, preparing to take them back for safekeeping. 

Hikari walked up to the patriarch, thanked him profusely, and then asked if her group could stay here to train. 

"To train, you say... Of course." 

The patriarch agreed without hesitation. "This land welcomes travelers like yourselves. Whether you stay or go is your own choice, and we will not interfere." 

"Then on behalf of our 'Dimensional Adventurers,' I thank you in advance, Great Patriarch," Hikari said sincerely. 

That's right. The "Dimensional Pirate Group" had been renamed. After leaving their old world, the word "adventure" was the only thing that truly captured what they were doing now. 

[Bulma: Hey, Hikari, did you tell the patriarch about Frieza?] 

[Unnamed: Not yet... I'll find a chance to later. That story isn't happening anytime soon, anyway.] 

By the time it actually does happen... it would probably be many years from now. 

In the meantime, they would have plenty of time to figure out how to deal with the threat. The simplest and most direct way would be to just eliminate Raditz when he arrives on Earth. That way, the news about the sacred orbs would never get back to Frieza's clan, and neither Vegeta nor Nappa would ever travel to Earth. That would let them bypass both the Saiyan and Namekian sagas entirely. 

If they were worried about how that might change the future... well, there was a way around that too. 

Hikari was already planning to work with Bulma and the others to push for more research into special "chakra-potential cells." Once they had some results, they could give a treatment to Goku to help him awaken his potential early and achieve the "Super-Shinobi" transformation. 

If even that wasn't safe enough, they could clone five versions of Goku and then, with the original, combine their chakra to create a red "Super-Shinobi God." That would probably be enough to put Frieza in his place with just a single blow... 

But this last plan was a little too far-fetched, and Hikari figured even if she suggested it, Bulma and the others would never go along with it. 

And so, Uchiha Hikari's group decided to stay on the Namekian planet. 

This land was actually much larger than Earth, but the population was very sparse, with only a few hundred people in the entire clan scattered across the planet. It wasn't an ideal place for traveling. So, Bulma simply took out a box of her advanced sealing scrolls and set up a row of small cabins near the patriarch's home, which would serve as a temporary base for the "Adventurers." 

"A compression jutsu, you say..." 

Witnessing this, the patriarch seemed to remember something and spoke with a serious tone. "The Namekian people were once a civilization with a very high level of scientific jutsu, and we had countless creations just like this. Unfortunately, our over-development of these jutsu led to a climate cataclysm, which nearly wiped out our entire race. 

"Only a few of us survived, such as myself and the son of Gedatz..." 

Gedatz's son, of course, was the one who became the village leader on Earth. 

"Well... we'll be sure to keep that in mind," Bulma said, scratching her head awkwardly. 

Hikari then looked at Nail, who was standing beside the patriarch. "Mr. Nail, would you mind doing something for me? Could you... give me and the blue-haired woman next to me some pointers on our training?" 

Chapter 370: Give 'Em a Punch 

The sparring session didn't last long. There was simply no way around it. Nail's power was truly beyond what Uchiha Hikari and Esdeath could achieve right now. In fact, he could be considered top-tier even across the entire universe. Think about it: at this point, Frieza's army probably couldn't find five individuals with a power level over 40,000. If Nail were a little more ruthless, like the Namekians from Universe 6, and performed a complete clan fusion to become a "Super Namekian," even Frieza himself would likely struggle to guarantee a win against him. 

So, every attack Uchiha Hikari and Esdeath launched at Nail was like child's play. This included Hikari's Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu, and Esdeath's "Mahapadma." 

While "Tsukuyomi" could leave an imprint, it couldn't shake Nail's consciousness. As for "Amaterasu" and "Mahapadma," they were immediately disrupted by Nail's ki bursts the moment they began to take effect, preventing any substantial impact. And as for purely physical techniques like Susanoo and the Five Nature Transformations, there's even less to say. Uchiha Hikari and Esdeath's main goal at this stage was to force Nail to fight with both hands, but achieving that was still a bit difficult. 

"...As expected, in the face of absolute power, any trick is useless." 

"Or rather, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi aren't truly rule-based abilities, so they can't ignore the difference in power levels." 

Uchiha Hikari closed her eyes slightly, letting the fiery hue dissipate from them, then sighed softly. She had anticipated this outcome, but seeing it firsthand still gave her a sense of urgency. For a long time, she had relied too much on her Mangekyo Sharingan. She had subjugated Dr. Gero and Dr. Stylish using her Mangekyo abilities. In theory, if these individuals had deeply researched the soul, they might discover the imprints she left on them. Only absolute power could prevent such a possibility. It seemed it was time to push forward with her "Super Saiyan Hikari" plan. 

"Speaking of which..." 

"That 'evil spirit separation' technique that Kami used to split from Piccolo, that must be a unique Namekian ability, right? If I could learn it..." 

Could she also separate the evil thoughts from Dr. Gero and the others, then seal them away, effectively "reforming" them? Uchiha Hikari thought it was worth a try. 

--- 

After staying on Namek for several days, Brand and Kikyo took their leave. Brand was eager to return to the Pirate World to lead his revolution. Kikyo, on the other hand, intended to go back and assist Dr. Brief in accelerating the research on "Perfect Active Matter" as a way to thank Uchiha Hikari and the others for using the Dragon Balls to revive her. 

Yamato and Tanjiro, however, stayed behind to train with Uchiha Hikari. Compared to Hikari, these two seemed to have better compatibility with the Namekians, especially Tanjiro. This "iron-headed" kid's personality was quite similar to the Namekians—he possessed a pure, innocent heart and a hidden social charm. Within a few days, he had already become close with the Namekians. Even Nail, with his tough exterior, would nod in greeting when he saw Tanjiro. If Namekian family dynamics were more like Earthlings', you can bet a few Namekian elders would have adopted Tanjiro as their god-grandson. 

Then there was Minato Namikaze. After escaping from the Reaper's belly, the Fourth Hokage didn't immediately return to Konoha. Instead, he worked as a helper for several months in the "New Government" of the Pirate World, acting as an outsider. It was only now, with the "New Government" stabilizing under the combined efforts of Whitebeard, Shanks, and the Revolutionary Army, that Minato gradually handed over his duties. He then took this opportunity, during the wish-granting, to come to the Dragon Ball world. Witnessing the vastness of the Dragon Ball universe, he also began to reflect more on the current state of the Shinobi World. 

"It seems that in any world, the law of the jungle is an eternal rule." 

"It's like that in the Akame ga Kill world, and the Pirate world too. And even with Bulma's group... What the Saiyans and Frieza's army did is no different from the warmongers in the Shinobi World. They recklessly wage wars for resources and power, dragging innocent people into them and crushing them." 

"Mhm... yeah," Uchiha Hikari nodded slightly, sitting on a rock not far from Minato during a training break. "That's why the Saiyans were wiped out. Frieza's army will end up the same way." 

"So, is there truly no way to break free from this cycle?" Minato frowned. 

"Well..." Uchiha Hikari shrugged. "No." 

Permanent peace is impossible, after all. Not every race is as simple and kind as the Namekians. And even among the Namekians, there have been beings like Demon King Piccolo. But temporary, phased peace, that can be achieved. 

"Minato-sensei, you still remember what I mentioned about the 'Shinobi World Government,' right?" Uchiha Hikari took a breath and spoke slowly. "To solve a problem, you have to get to its root. And the essence of war is nothing more than human greed and the struggle for resources. Whether it was the Warring States period or the Hidden Village era, though the main players in the wars changed, the essence remained the same. If that's the case..." 

"Then a unified political entity should integrate all resources and distribute them as needed." 

"The Land of Wind is a desert, lacking rain? Then we'll divert water from the Land of Rain and mobilize the people to plant trees to combat desertification, which also solves the problem of too much rain in the Land of Rain. The Land of Water is isolated overseas, with sparse population? Then we'll build connecting waterways and facilitate population migration. As for the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning..." 

Hmm, these two countries don't seem to be particularly short on resources; they're just insatiably greedy. Especially the Land of Lightning, where the Raikage himself often leads expeditions to steal other countries' Kekkei Genkai—it's quite unique among the Five Great Nations. 

"Kekkei Genkai and such can actually be developed scientifically and shared, instead of using such crude methods like forced breeding." 

"If those Kage don't agree to do that..." Uchiha Hikari paused, "Then we'll just punch them until they do." 

---