276-280

Chapter 276: Constantine 

In the original timeline, Constantine woke up on the dissection table at Cassel Academy. The main trigger for his awakening was his brother, Old Tang, showing up. 

But now… 

His “brother” didn’t come. 

Instead, it was his “sister,” Xia Mi. 

At this moment, Xia Mi raised her left hand, slicing open her wrist with her fingertip. She held the wound above the brass canister. As her dark red Dragon King blood dripped onto the canister’s surface, a faint pop-pop sound echoed. Unknown alchemical runes began to shimmer on the canister, only to melt away and vanish at a visible speed. 

The process lasted about a few dozen seconds. 

Finally. 

With a burst of dark green mist, the sturdy brass canister shattered. A low, indescribable roar exploded through the air, sending a shiver through everyone nearby. 

“…That should do it.” 

Xia Mi stopped the flow of her blood, letting her muscles heal the wound as she fixed her gaze ahead. “Wake up… Constantine!” 

From the fragments of the broken canister and the swirling mist, the figure of a pale, naked boy—looking no older than ten—slowly emerged. His eyes opened as if stirring from a long dream, his pitch-black gaze scanning his surroundings. 

If you only looked at his face, he was actually kind of cute. Maybe a tiny bit like Kimimaro from the Naruto world next door. 

But those eyes… they didn’t seem to focus on anything. They had this blank, almost goofy look, radiating a pure kind of cluelessness. 

“Welcome back, Constantine,” Xia Mi said. 

“…” 

Constantine didn’t respond. He just glanced around, still wearing that dazed expression. 

“…Huh?” 

Xia Mi raised an eyebrow, waving her right hand in front of his face. The motion caught his attention, but his expression didn’t change. That reaction made Xia Mi’s heart sink a little. She glanced over at Uchiha Hikari. “Big Sis Hikari, is he…?” 

“Hm, probably in a similar state to you and Fenrir,” Hikari said, already activating her Mangekyō Sharingan. She cast a quick “Tsukuyomi Imprint” on Constantine and used “Yasaka Magatama” to peek into his memories. 

Just as she suspected. 

Constantine was another unlucky soul. For the past two thousand years, he’d been stuck in the same cycle of “death,” “awakening,” and “death again” as Xia Mi and her brother. It had taken a heavy toll on his power and memories. This time, he’d been woken up prematurely, before his incubation was complete. His memories were a fragmented mess, and he barely grasped even the most basic concepts. 

Still… 

He remembered his brother. Not long after waking, he started muttering about him. 

“Brother… I need to find my brother…” 

“Find him, my foot! Sit down and behave! You really want your brother to eat you or something?” Xia Mi snapped, slipping into her big-sister mode. 

Though she hadn’t expected Constantine to be in this state, after a quick observation, she got the gist. Channeling the same stern vibe she used with Fenrir, she grabbed some random clothes to cover Constantine’s body and sat him down, starting to grill him about what he still knew. 

At this point, Constantine could talk. But aside from “brother,” everything he said was a jumbled mess, with no logic or structure to it. 

Communicating with him was, frankly, a pain. 

“…Wait, you’re telling me you even forgot what a ‘Dragon King’ is?” 

“And I bet you don’t even know who I am, do you?” 

Xia Mi pointed at her nose, frowning at Constantine. 

As the two little dragon folk tried to have a conversation, Esdeath furrowed her brow slightly, glancing at Uchiha Hikari from behind. She sent a message through their private chat channel. 

[Ice Queen]: This is the Dragon King you were talking about? That aura when he broke free was pretty impressive, but this goofy vibe… why does he remind me of the Little Emperor? 

[Nameless]: ? 

Hikari paused for a second. 

She’d met the Little Emperor from the Akame ga Kill world. He was definitely a bit naive—okay, maybe very naive—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been manipulated by Minister Honest for so long. But comparing him to Constantine, who could barely string a sentence together? That was a stretch. 

Looking at Constantine now, it seemed like even basic life skills—like eating or getting dressed—might be a challenge for him. 

As for his combat skills and battle smarts… 

Well, considering he got taken down by the entire student body of Cassel Academy and was the first Dragon King to bite the dust, it’s safe to say those weren’t his strong suits either. 

So… 

[Nameless]: Eh, maybe I’ll have Xia Mi spar with you later for some practice. As for this guy? Let’s not pick on someone who’s… intellectually challenged.] 

“…Big Sis Hikari, I’m done with my questions,” Xia Mi said, finally reaching a conclusion. She stood up and looked at Hikari. “This guy’s common sense is only slightly better than Fenrir’s. Forget about me—he doesn’t even remember much about Norton or anything related to dragons. He’s not gonna give us any useful leads. But he can understand what people say, and he seems to have a tiny bit of an impression of me.” 

“Is that so…” Hikari replied noncommittally. 

Xia Mi, meanwhile, grabbed Constantine and started introducing him. “This is Big Sis Hikari. She’s way above us in seniority. Come on, say hi.” 

“…Big Sis Hikari,” Constantine mumbled obediently, bowing his head like a good kid. 

… 

After that, Hikari exchanged a few words with Constantine and took the chance to draw a few vials of his blood. 

Yeah… it felt a bit like tricking a clueless kid. But given dragons’ superhuman recovery and blood regeneration, a little blood loss like that would probably heal in under an hour, so no big deal. 

Even without lab tests, you could tell Constantine’s blood was different from Xia Mi’s just by looking at it. It was noticeably warmer—hot to the touch even through the glass vials. Up close, it seemed to boil constantly, like it might explode any second. 

Just to be safe, Hikari pinged Bulma in the group chat and uploaded the blood samples, asking her to pass them to Dr. Brief for analysis. They’d need to check if the vials were sturdy enough to hold this stuff. 

[Bulma]: Got it. I’ll talk to Dad about it ASAP.] 

Chapter 277: The Nine-Tails’ Doubts 

After receiving the blood samples uploaded by Uchiha Hikari, Bulma seemed to study them right away. Curiosity piqued, she popped into the group chat to ask about the samples’ owner—a boy named Constantine. 

[Bulma]: …Whoa, a “Dragon King” who can control metal and fire? Sounds pretty badass! 

[Nameless]: Eh, it’s alright. 

[Bulma]: No wonder his blood’s so hot! If a normal person had that stuff flowing through their veins, they’d probably burn up in seconds. 

In the original story, Cassel Academy had studied Constantine’s body after his death. While the process was never detailed, their equipment department used his dragonbone cross to create a batch of super-rare “Philosopher’s Stones” infused with fire elements. Just one of those could take down a high-pedigree dragon and burn it to ash. 

On top of that, Chu Zihang’s bloodline came from the same Fire King lineage. When he went into his third-stage blood rage, his blood turned corrosive, like aqua regia, which is why Angers had to swap out his blood to dodge the school board’s scrutiny. 

It’s likely Constantine’s blood had similar properties. 

Doing experiments with it would probably require some extra caution. 

So, Uchiha Hikari gathered what she knew and shared it with Bulma in the chat. 

During the exchange, Minato Namikaze and Yuji Itadori popped in, tossing around a few comments. 

Hikari took the chance to ask Yuji about the Jujutsu Kaisen world. 

[Nameless]: By the way… how’s things going on your end, Yuji? Sukuna’s been behaving, right? 

[Tiger of Nishi-Naka]: Uh… mostly fine. 

[Tiger of Nishi-Naka]: Ever since you took those ten fingers out of the jujutsu world, Miss Hikari, Sukuna’s been a bit grumpy. He keeps dragging me into his “Innate Domain” and ranting about random stuff… He seems to suspect you’re from another world, but he doesn’t know the details. With Teacher Gojo around, though, he probably won’t try anything reckless. 

[Nameless]: That so… 

In reality, Hikari rubbed her chin, thinking it over. 

When she’d taken Sukuna’s fingers—held by Jujutsu High and the four major cursed spirits—out of the jujutsu world, it was a precaution. Even if Sukuna, through Rimei, managed to collect the remaining fingers and his mummified body, he’d only have about fifteen fingers’ worth of power—roughly his strength during the Shibuya Incident. 

Against Gojo Satoru, that version of Sukuna would almost certainly lose. 

Still… there were a few risks to keep in mind. 

[Nameless]: From what I know, Sukuna made a binding vow with you called “Enchain” when you died the first time. The deal was he’d take control of your body for one minute when activated, but he couldn’t kill anyone during that time… If you can, you should try to break that vow. Otherwise, he might use your body to cause chaos. 

—To be precise, that’s exactly what Sukuna did in the original story. 

In the Jujutsu Kaisen timeline, without Hikari’s interference, the Shibuya Incident would’ve likely already happened by now. During that event, Sukuna faced off against Mahoraga, unleashing “Dismantle” and “Cleave” to shred everything within a 140-meter radius. When Yuji woke up and saw the carnage, he nearly broke down. 

Now, the trigger for the Shibuya Incident was gone. 

But there was no guarantee Sukuna wouldn’t use “Enchain” to stir up trouble—like transferring himself to a new “vessel,” maybe Megumi Fushiguro or someone else, to slip out from under Gojo and Yuji’s watch. 

For Hikari, that wasn’t her problem. But for the jujutsu world, it could be a hassle, so a heads-up felt like the friendly thing to do. 

As for when she’d visit the jujutsu world again to clean up those lurking threats… that was a question for another day. 

[Tiger of Nishi-Naka]: …Got it. Thanks for the heads-up, Miss Hikari. I’ll pass all this on to Teacher Gojo and the others, and we’ll figure out a plan! 

[Nameless]: No problem. 

Hikari closed the chat window and stretched lazily. She was about to check on Xia Mi and the others when she felt something stirring inside her. 

“…Hm?” 

“This feeling… Nine-Tails?” 

Yup, definitely Nine-Tails. 

Back when she’d returned to the Naruto world, Hikari had met the Nine-Tails inside Naruto and struck a deal. She’d take a piece of its chakra out of its jinchuriki prison, and in return, it would stop messing with Naruto’s training. 

—That was the plan, anyway. 

But since Hikari came to the Dragon Raja world shortly after, she’d blocked Nine-Tails’ perception of the outside world to avoid complications. Now, though, it seemed the fox wasn’t too happy about it. 

Still… unhappy or not, against Hikari—who had the Mangekyō Sharingan and sealing techniques rivaling the Uzumaki clan—Nine-Tails could only throw a tantrum in its mental space. It couldn’t break free on its own. 

After some thought, Hikari temporarily lifted the restriction. 

“…Where is this?” 

As the seal loosened, Nine-Tails used Hikari’s eyes to scan the surroundings. A puzzled look spread across its furry face before it asked through their mental link, “Hey, kid, what is this place? This isn’t the ninja world, is it?” 

“…Oh?” 

Had this guy actually guessed the truth by chance? 

Hikari kept her expression neutral and teased lightly, “Why don’t you take a guess?” 

“…” 

Nine-Tails snorted through its nose but pressed on. “I’m a fragment split from the main body, and I’m connected to it. But right now, I can’t sense the main body at all… This isn’t the Pure Land, and it’s not inside the Reaper’s stomach from the Fourth’s summoning. So… could it really be another world outside the ninja world?” 

“Huh, not bad,” Hikari said, raising an eyebrow. “Too bad there’s no prize for guessing right.” 

Chapter 278: Return to the Bronze City 

For Uchiha Hikari, pulling the Nine-Tails' clone out of Naruto’s body was more of a happy accident than a calculated move. 

Still… 

Now that she had the Nine-Tails’ chakra in her hands, it’d be a waste not to experiment with it a bit. The question was how to get the Nine-Tails to play along. 

Forcing control with the Sharingan, like Obito or Madara, wasn’t the right way to approach it. And building trust with the Nine-Tails over time, like Naruto did, felt way too tedious. So, Uchiha Hikari decided to take a more practical route: a deal where both sides get what they want to tap into the Nine-Tails’ chakra. 

And for that… 

Leaking a few secrets to the Nine-Tails was a key step. 

If she could spark its curiosity about worlds beyond the ninja realm, that’d be her chance to make an offer. 

… 

Over the next couple of days, Uchiha Hikari stayed briefly at a hotel by the Yangtze River. 

During that time, Bulma sent a few sets of glass containers through the chat group, saying they were prepped by Dr. Brief. They could withstand high temperatures and preserve blood sample viability as much as possible. Hikari used them to collect more blood samples from Constantine and Xia Mi, sealing them into scrolls to send to Dr. Gero and Orochimaru later. 

“Speaking of which…”  

Hikari suddenly had a thought. “Maybe it’s time to add Orochimaru to the private chat list.” 

Since she was from the Naruto world, and the other group member from that world was, well, dead, she was completely in the dark about what was happening back home while she was in other worlds. There was always a chance something big could go down, and by the time she got back, it’d already be over. 

In that case, having a contact in the Naruto world would be smart. 

Orochimaru was a solid choice, though his scheming nature meant he’d probably overthink things. 

Other options? Shisui, Karin, or Naruto could work, too. 

“…I’ll think it over.” 

“No rush. I can decide after weighing all the options,” Hikari mused, not in a hurry to make a call. That morning, she called Xia Mi and the others to head back to the Kuimen Pass area. 

It’d been a few days since the “Gundam incident.” 

Things around Kuimen Pass had been calm. Outsiders, local fishermen, and the Three Gorges Dam staff seemed unaffected, going about their daily routines. Only hushed rumors spread by word of mouth circulated in the shadows. 

For example, guesses about Uchiha Hikari’s identity as the “Gundam pilot” ranged from Kira Yamato to even Shinji Ikari. Hikari just let the rumors slide—there was no way they’d pin her down with so little to go on. 

… 

“There seem to be more fishing boats around here than a few days ago,” Esdeath remarked, scanning the area from a small hill near the riverbank. 

“Yeah,” Xia Mi agreed, nodding. She softly chanted a few words in dragon tongue, and an invisible force rippled from her, spreading like transparent waves around her. It almost looked like high-level Observation Haki, but in reality… 

—Spirit: Bloodline Connection. 

This spirit ability heightened her sensitivity to bloodlines, letting her detect dragon-blooded individuals across vast distances. It manifested as red threads, visible only to the user, linking them to others with dragon blood, even if they were out of sight. 

Originally, only Manboshin, a specialist from the Cassell Execution Department, had this ability. 

But for Xia Mi, a dragon king with a knack for learning and mimicking, picking it up wasn’t too hard. 

“There are people with dragon blood on a few of those fishing boats—probably human hybrids,” Xia Mi said, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again. She pointed toward a stretch of the riverbank shaded by trees. “From what I can sense, their blood purity averages around C-rank, but there’s at least one B-rank or higher.” 

“Oh?” Hikari raised an eyebrow. “You can even tell their blood purity?” 

“Yup,” Xia Mi nodded. “The threads Bloodline Connection shows represent the target’s strength. The darker the thread, the purer the bloodline… though it’s a different story for dragon kings.” 

Dragon kings could, to an extent, enforce a “magic ban,” blocking others from using spirit abilities on them and even turning the bloodline resonance against the user to disrupt or kill them. As a dragon king, Xia Mi didn’t have to worry about that—just a slight discomfort at most. 

Hikari gazed at the fishing boats in the distance, guessing, “C-rank hybrids… probably from Cassell College, right?” 

“Or… maybe a local Chinese hybrid faction?” she added, unsure. 

Since they were close to the Three Gorges Dam, Hikari didn’t want to stir up too much trouble and disturb the locals. She switched to her mage form, used her “mini bracelet” to shrink herself to thumb-sized, and took off with Sky Dance, planning to get a closer look. 

Xia Mi blinked, stunned. “Wait… that gadget’s something you made with your ‘Spirit’ authority, too, Hikari-nee?” 

“Yup,” Hikari nodded casually. 

Her identity as the White King was already confirmed in Xia Mi’s eyes, so pulling out weird gadgets and chalking it up to her White King powers was an easy excuse. If she could pilot a Gundam, a bracelet that shrinks her body was hardly surprising. 

With that, Hikari flew toward the “Bronze City” based on her memory. 

Though the Bronze City was a “Nibelungen,” unlike the one under the capital’s subway, it had a physical presence. It didn’t move, staying quietly at the riverbed, waiting for the next destined visitor. 

Hikari circled above to get a read on the hybrids in the area, then dove underwater in her shrunken form, cloaking herself with “ki.” She took out a blood sample from Constantine, dipped her finger in it, and smeared it on the “living spirit” at the entrance. 

Click— 

With the sound of gears turning, the Bronze City’s gates opened once more. 

Chapter 279: Encounter with Lu Mingze 

Uchiha Hikari was stepping into the “Bronze City” for the first time. 

As the palace crafted by Norton, the Fire King, this place was grander and more massive than she’d imagined. Its walls were forged from solid bronze, dividing the space into courtyards and rooms. Some rooms even had stone furniture, etched with delicate seal script, giving off an ancient, refined vibe. 

She’d come here hunting for the “Seven Deadly Sins.” 

After all, those alchemical weapons were worth a cool hundred million bucks. Even if Hikari wasn’t strapped for cash, who’d say no to more? Sure, she didn’t have dragon blood, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t find a way to wield them. If the “Seven Deadly Sins” were as high-quality as they sounded, keeping them for herself could be fun. 

But… 

She had no clue where they were stashed in the Bronze City. 

And neither did Constantine. 

That guy’s brain was basically mush, save for his obsession with his “brother.” His common sense was practically nonexistent—worse than Erii before she joined the chat group. Since waking up, he’d been in a perpetual daze, barely stringing together a few words all day. He was no help at all in providing useful intel. 

So, Hikari decided to treat this like a sightseeing trip, wandering through the metal palace, snapping a few photos with her phone to share with Esdeath and the others later. 

As she moved forward, she used her “Fire Thunder God” technique to slice through a few walls, taking the shortest path by busting straight into the next room. 

After a few loops like this, she somehow ended up in front of an ancient residence with a courtyard. 

This seemed to be the same place from the original story—the one Norton and Constantine used as their home, stormed by Eastern Han soldiers two thousand years ago. But now, there was already someone in the courtyard. 

A boy, maybe thirteen or fourteen. 

About 1.6 meters tall, dressed in a sharp black suit, polished dress shoes, and a white silk scarf. He sat at a stone table, casually sipping a glass of red wine. 

He clearly heard her footsteps but didn’t turn right away. Instead, he set down his glass slowly, wiping the corner of his mouth. “You’re here.” 

“…I’m here,” Hikari replied, mimicking his nonchalant tone. 

“You shouldn’t have come.” 

“…” 

Hikari narrowed her eyes slightly, ignoring the last line of the cliché exchange, and let out a soft breath. “Lu Mingze?” 

It was indeed Lu Mingze. 

She’d suspected she might run into him ever since getting involved in the “Kui Gate Project.” After all, Lu Mingze had been keeping tabs on the project, and there were even hints he’d been pulling strings behind the scenes. Still… she didn’t expect it to happen this soon. 

It seemed Lu Mingze had anticipated her arrival and was waiting for her. 

Hmm… no sign of Mai Sakurajima or Su Enxi. 

Makes sense. 

Those two were essentially Lu Mingze’s hired hands. They were trusted and capable, but when it came to dragon secrets, he kept them at arm’s length. 

As for the other member of the “nanny team,” Ratna… 

She was still at Cassel Academy, playing house with Lu Mingfei as “Zero.” No way she’d be here. 

“…Two powerhouses meeting like this—shouldn’t we at least trade some epic lines to set the mood? Man, we’ve got zero chemistry,” Lu Mingze quipped, clearly irked that Hikari didn’t play along with “But I’m already here.” 

He hopped off the stone bench, turned to face her, and tilted his head with a calm expression. “First time meeting. Should I call you Miss Hikari… or ‘White King’?” 

“Whatever you want,” Hikari said lightly. 

Unlike Xia Mi and the others, Lu Mingze had met the White King and had a deep connection with her. 

Trying to hide her identity with the same story she’d fed Xia Mi and the Sheqi Bajia would be pointless—like covering her ears to steal a bell. No use at all. 

And since he’d chosen to show up here… 

Lu Mingze must’ve already made some guesses about who she was. 

“Half a year ago, a rumor popped up in Japan,” he said. “They said the revered White Emperor had awakened in the Divine Tomb and, taking on the identity of ‘Izanami,’ took control of the Sheqi Bajia, orchestrating their crackdown on the Menggui Zhong. I went to Japan myself to check it out, but I didn’t find you.” 

“Didn’t expect to hear about you again here.” 

“You’re… younger than I pictured.” 

Lu Mingze spoke softly, studying Hikari with a probing gaze. 

Hikari returned the look, then gave a faint smile. “And you’re taller than I expected.” 

—She wasn’t lying. 

In her head, she’d pictured Lu Mingze as smaller than her current body. But now? She felt more like the little sister in this matchup. 

After a brief silence, Lu Mingze spoke again. “At first, I really thought you were the White King.” 

“After all, the White King has come back before in history, even taking human form—like Izanagi ten thousand years ago. It wasn’t quite the script I expected, but as the exalted figure of the dragon world, it’s not impossible for her to pull off something unexpected.” 

“If it was really her, returning after all these millennia, I’d be pretty happy as an old friend.” 

“But after talking to the Sheqi Bajia and learning how you showed up, I realized—you’re not her.” 

“Someone with no past, no clear identity, suddenly appears in the Sheqi Bajia’s world and convinces them she’s the revered Dragon King… If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t believe it.” 

“But now…” 

He paused, then said deliberately, “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how absurd, must be the truth. You… you’re not from this world, are you?” 

“…Nope,” Hikari admitted with a nod. 

No point denying it. 

Lu Mingze’s status and sharp mind meant any lie would be seen through instantly. Better to just own it. 

Besides… 

He probably couldn’t do much to her. 

Back in the day, Lu Mingze might’ve been a big shot with supreme power and authority. But now? He was just a wandering ghost. Even dealing with ambitious lesser beings like Odin stretched him thin, let alone someone like Hikari. 

The only thing she was wary of was his ability to mess with timelines. But given his personality and style, he wouldn’t resort to something that drastic without talking things through first. 

On the other side, Lu Mingze narrowed his eyes. “So… you’re really a character from that manga? From the Uchiha clan of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire?” 

—He’d come to that conclusion a while ago. 

But even someone as worldly as him had trouble believing a 2D character could break through the dimensional wall into reality—and with power strong enough to make him take notice. That kind of thing belonged in web novels. 

“What if… the world you’re in is also a manga, or a novel?” Hikari said lightly. 

“!” 

Lu Mingze froze, then realization hit. “No wonder you saw through Herzog’s identity the moment you showed up at Sheqi Bajia and called out my name right away… It wasn’t a coincidence. You already knew.” 

“In the Naruto world, someone drew or wrote the story of this world?” 

“…Something like that,” Hikari replied. 

No way was she telling Lu Mingze she was a transmigrator. 

And he wasn’t about to hop over to the Naruto world to check if Dragon Raja existed as a manga. 

This explanation was good enough. 

“…That’s a wild revelation,” Lu Mingze said after a moment, exhaling slowly. “To think I’m just a character in a story… Can I ask, in your world, what’s my final ending?” 

“No idea,” Hikari said, shaking her head. “The story about you guys is still ongoing.” 

“…Huh?” 

Lu Mingze was caught off guard but didn’t press further on the dimension-breaking topic. 

Honestly, digging too deep could lead to an existential crisis—like concluding he didn’t even exist. That’d shatter anyone’s resolve. 

So, he let out a symbolic sigh and locked eyes with Hikari again. “So, you’re really the granddaughter of that Uchiha Madara guy, posing as him in the ninja world, scheming and plotting until you sparked the Fourth Great Ninja War? That kind of move does have a bit of a Dragon King vibe.” 

“?” 

“Wait a sec…” 

Hikari blinked, stunned. Uchiha Madara’s granddaughter… what’s that supposed to mean?! 

Shouldn’t it be the other way around? 

Chapter 280: “I Was There for Tobirama’s Assassination, and I Orchestrated the Nine-Tails Incident” 

From Lu Mingze’s words, Uchiha Hikari finally learned the plot direction of the Naruto: Dragon World Modified Edition— 

The people of the Snake Clan Eight Families, of course, had no idea about her true connection to the Naruto world. 

And as the manga’s author, Kishimoto Qi Shi had even less information to work with. 

So, after hearing about her character’s “inspiration” from Crow and others, Kishimoto naturally cast her as a descendant of the Uchiha clan. After the Battle of the Valley of the End, she followed her “grandfather,” Uchiha Madara, fleeing Konoha to lurk in the shadows of the ninja world, stirring up chaos. 

During the First Great Ninja War, at just five years old, she joined her “grandfather” in an assassination plot against Senju Tobirama. They killed the Second Hokage along with the Gold and Silver Horns squad, claiming the Six Paths ninja tools in the process. 

In the Second Great Ninja War, she went undercover as an “orphan of the Rain Country” to get close to Yahiko’s group. Over years, she earned their trust, setting the stage for the founding and eventual destruction of the original Akatsuki, as well as Yahiko’s death. 

During the Third Great Ninja War, wearing a whirlpool mask and posing as “Uchiha Madara,” she maneuvered between nations, forging alliances and single-handedly orchestrating a situation where the four great ninja villages ganged up on Konoha. She personally joined the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, taking the right eye of her clansman, Uchiha Obito, and integrating his Kamui ability into her own Mangekyo Sharingan, gaining a rare space-time ninjutsu. 

As for the Nohara Rin incident, the Nine-Tails attack, and the Uchiha clan massacre… 

Yup, those were all her doing, too. 

All of this was to shatter the existing ninja world order, end the ninja profession, and create an unprecedented unified empire. 

—This was also Uchiha Madara’s will. 

Well… 

Even though she was somehow saddled with a ton of blame, Hikari actually thought this resume sounded pretty reasonable and smooth. If she didn’t already know the original Naruto story, she might’ve believed, like this world’s readers, that “Uchiha Hikari” was a character Kishimoto had planned from the start, with all those unexplained events serving as deliberate foreshadowing. 

And the wildest part? There was more. 

Normally, a villain like her, responsible for so many atrocities, should’ve been universally despised. 

But—whether it was because Kishimoto drew her mask-removal scene too stunningly, or because the manga devoted tons of pages to vividly depicting her journey, from being mentored by Madara as a child, to witnessing the horrors of the Rain Country’s war as a teen, to forming her ideology as an adult… 

Whatever the reason, readers’ reactions to this new character were surprisingly positive. 

In a recent official poll, she’d even surpassed Hyuga Hinata, claiming the spot as the second most popular female character. 

Yup… first place was Haruno Sakura. 

Considering Sakura was the designated heroine from the start, active for over a decade, while Hikari only debuted after the Five Kage Summit as a ruthless villain, climbing to this rank in just half a year was pretty jaw-dropping. 

Oh, and… 

The figurine of her that Eriyi mentioned last time? It was already up for pre-order, with over 100,000 people in the first batch alone… 

“Hmm…” 

Hikari mulled it over, finding it hard to judge. 

It seemed like she didn’t just steal Obito’s role—she’d also nabbed parts of Danzo, Madara, Itachi, and even Sasuke’s spotlight. 

With all that screentime, plus the rare “female Uchiha” attribute, it made sense she’d gain some popularity… or not! 

“Living from Madara’s era to the Fourth Great Ninja War? I’d have to be over fifty, right? Wouldn’t that make me an old hag like Tsunade?” 

At that age, still “beautiful”? Was she Tianshan Tonglao or something? 

“Theoretically, yeah,” Lu Mingze nodded, dead serious. “But you were implanted with First Hokage cells as a kid, and one of your Mangekyo abilities, ‘Mokukayehime,’ lets you draw vitality from plants to heal injuries and stay youthful. So, your appearance hasn’t changed much over decades. Even in the latest chapters, you look like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old black-haired girl.” 

“…Wow.” 

Hikari was speechless. 

She suddenly had the urge to grab a copy of Shonen Jump to see what the original manga was like. 

In a world where the plot had veered off the original outline and added a modified character, yet still managed to pull it together with a semi-plausible explanation… this world’s Kishimoto was seriously talented. 

And, well, the Snake Clan Eight Families probably had a hand in it. 

After all, “Mokukayehime” sounded suspiciously similar to her self-healing ability, which was also a core dragon king power. Hard to believe there was no connection. 

Silence. 

Several minutes passed. 

Lu Mingze chuckled and spoke again. “Looks like your experiences don’t perfectly align with this world’s Naruto. But I think that’s pretty cool. No one wants to be stuck with a predetermined fate… 

Anyway, if you’re curious, I can grab you a full set of the latest Naruto manga as a friendly welcome gift. But for now… 

Interested in making a deal?” 

“A deal?” Hikari snapped out of her manga thoughts, narrowing her eyes. “Meaning?” 

“Since you’ve seen works depicting our world, you probably know a bit about my identity and what I’m after. 

“I once ruled the world, but due to certain events, I fell, and now my strength is barely a fraction of what it was. I can’t even handle simple tasks like punishing traitors myself. I’m stuck scheming in the shadows like a human, using plots to achieve my goals. 

Even so, I still wield some power and authority. If you’re willing to ally with me and help with a few things, I’ll offer you a generous reward.” 

“…” 

Hikari fell silent. 

Then, she took a deep breath and looked up. “Let’s get one thing straight: I’m protecting Jormungandr and Fenrir, those two dragons. If you’re okay with that, we can talk about the rest.” 

“…” 

Now it was Lu Mingze’s turn to go quiet. 

Xia Mi and her brother were definitely on his hit list. 

And they were just below the Fire Kings, Norton and Constantine, in priority. 

In theory, after dealing with Norton and Constantine, he’d start scripting Xia Mi and Fenrir’s demise. 

But… 

“…Fine.” 

Lu Mingze nodded, seeming reluctant. “The Jormungandr siblings are traitors, sure, but their crimes aren’t that severe. They’ve paid a heavy price over thousands of years, so letting them off isn’t a big deal. The other dragon kings, though—they’re on my list. You won’t stand in my way, right?” 

As he spoke, Lu Mingze’s eyes flickered, flashing a molten-gold hue. 

To Hikari, though he still looked like a refined young boy, his aura had shifted—carrying the majesty and presence of a sovereign, rivaling Esdeath, or perhaps even surpassing her! 

But… 

“Heh.” 

Hikari smirked, her own eyes glinting with fiery red. “If we’re talking business, let’s talk properly. Otherwise, I don’t mind stretching my legs and sparring with you.” 

“…” 

… 

Honestly, Hikari was itching to test herself against Lu Mingze. 

In the Dragon Clan world, she’d barely met any real opponents. Even in his weakened state, Lu Mingze was bound to be stronger than “top-tier hybrid” Xia Mi. Fighting him would give her a sense of Odin and the White King’s weight. 

But the fight didn’t happen. 

They spent over an hour negotiating in the Bronze City, exchanging views on “hunting dragon kings” in a candid, friendly atmosphere, reaching several key agreements. 

Lu Mingze wanted revenge. 

Hikari wanted dragon king blood and tissue samples. If possible, she’d love to snag a dragon bone cross or two to study how a non-native could acquire a dragon king’s unique powers. 

—Especially the White King’s “Spirit” authority, which Hikari suspected shared traits with Naruto’s “Yin power.” If she could get her hands on it, it’d be a huge boost for her eye technique training. 

Plus, Hikari had another task: helping Eriyi deal with Herzog once and for all. She could probably handle it alone, but with Lu Mingze, the “local dragon,” pitching in, it’d save her a lot of effort. 

Their goals didn’t clash. 

So, they had a basis for cooperation. 

“You don’t need to help with Norton—I’ve already got a hunting plan for him. Your taking Constantine caused a slight hiccup, but with some tweaks, it’s still usable,” Lu Mingze said. 

“The real trouble is ‘Odin,’ the King of Sky and Wind. Herzog’s moves in Japan? Odin’s been pulling strings behind the scenes. In a way, he’s our common enemy. 

“Once Norton’s dealt with, I’ll contact you, and we can take him down together.” 

(End of Chapter)