76-80

*Chapter 76: Danzō Back in the Hospital*

She was undeniably a striking woman.

Her golden blonde hair shone even brighter than Naruto’s, with a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead. Her fair skin and tall, statuesque figure were accentuated by high heels, making her seem half a head taller than she actually was. She strode purposefully toward them with confident steps.

Trailing behind her was a black-haired girl, maybe sixteen or seventeen, clutching a pink pet pig and jogging to keep up.

The pig, clearly uncomfortable with the jostling, flailed its limbs and let out a series of oink-oink grunts.

This duo quickly drew the attention of passersby in the village. Eyes followed them, and more than a few lingered on the blonde woman’s impressively ample chest.

Uchiha Hikari and Bulma were no exception.

“Whoa…” Bulma’s eyes widened, her face a mix of shock and awe. “That blonde lady’s got some figure. Can a normal person even grow that big?”

“…”

Hikari didn’t respond.

This was her first time seeing Tsunade in the flesh, and the visual impact was… intense. She’d met Kanroji Mitsuri, the Love Hashira, in the Demon Slayer world, and Mitsuri’s proportions were already remarkable. But compared to this woman, Mitsuri was a step behind.

Just then—

A few nearby ninja, out shopping, recognized her.

“Wait, isn’t that… Tsunade-sama?”

“It is her!”

“Tsunade-sama hasn’t been back to Konoha in years. Why now, all of a sudden? Jiraiya-sama returned recently too—has something big happened in the village?”

“Shh—”

A villager who seemed in the know made a hush gesture, whispering, “Haven’t you heard? Recently, some elder named Shimura Koharu dug up the Hyūga clan’s ancestral graves. Got beaten up by the Hyūga clan head himself and sent to the hospital. My nephew in the Anbu told me!”

“…No way.”

Amid the buzzing gossip—

Tsunade kept her eyes forward, not sparing a glance for Hikari or Naruto as she marched straight through the street toward the eastern side of the village.

“That direction…”

It wasn’t toward the Hokage Tower or the Senju clan’s compound, was it?

Hikari, having lived in Konoha for a while, had a decent grasp of the village’s layout.

From what she’d learned from Fugaku, after the Second Hokage Tobirama’s death, the Senju clan had gradually abandoned their surname, blending into Konoha’s other clans through intermarriage. Only a small handful of Senju remained in their original compound, which had shrunk to a third of its former size.

Tsunade’s residence was there.

And now…

Hikari’s eyes flickered as a guess formed, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. “Naruto, Bulma, come on. Let’s go see something interesting.”

Bulma: “Huh?”

…

At the same moment Hikari spotted Tsunade—

Kakashi and Yūgao Uzuki, who’d been shadowing Naruto as usual, noticed her too.

Though unaware of the correspondence between Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, Kakashi immediately instructed Yūgao to report to the Hokage Tower while he discreetly followed.

Under several watchful gazes, both overt and covert—

Tsunade strode into Konoha Hospital and slammed a hand on the reception desk.

“Where’s Danzō?”

“Uh… Tsunade-sama?”

The on-duty nurse quickly recognized the former hospital director, intimidated by her commanding presence. She pointed upstairs. “Danzō-sama is on the third floor, in the easternmost room…”

Clack-clack-clack—

Before the nurse could finish, Tsunade was already storming upstairs in her heels, heading straight for Danzō’s room. She shoved the door open.

Their eyes locked.

“Tsun—”

“DAN!! ZŌ!!”

Danzō, lying in his hospital bed, froze, clearly caught off guard. Before he could process what was happening, Tsunade lunged forward and swung a fist at his face!

“Go to hell!!”

BOOM!!

Feeling the gust of force coming at him, Danzō’s eyes widened. He rolled off the bed just in time, dodging as Tsunade’s fist smashed into where he’d been lying. The steel bedframe crumpled, leaving a massive dent.

“…Tsunade, are you trying to kill me?!” Danzō roared hoarsely.

Tsunade ignored his protests, launching herself at him again with another devastating punch!

As Danzō scrambled to dodge with an awkward roll, the immense force of her fist exploded against the wall behind him, sending spiderweb cracks racing across it!

At that moment, Shizune Katō, who’d followed Tsunade, and the Anbu assigned to monitor Danzō rushed to intervene. “Tsunade-sama, please calm down!”

“Danzō is under the Third Hokage’s direct orders for surveillance. Please—”

“Get out of my way! Even if the old man himself showed up, it wouldn’t stop me today!”

Tsunade was in full demolition mode, her fists swinging with the force to tear down the building.

Faced with this relentless barrage, Danzō didn’t dare stand his ground. With the Anbu covering him, he bolted toward the hospital’s exit. Halfway down the stairs between the second and first floors, he seemed to falter, missing a step and tumbling down. Tsunade caught up from behind, landing a brutal punch to his shoulder that sent him flying!

CRASH!

Danzō sailed six or seven meters, hitting the ground and rolling several times before tumbling off the hospital’s first-floor steps. When he finally staggered to his feet, his face was smeared with blood, and his shoulder bore a deep indentation—countless bones inside likely shattered.

In the courtyard below the hospital—

“…Gulp.”

Bulma stared, wide-eyed, swallowing hard. “Hikari, is this lady a ninja too? She’s way too violent, beating up an old man like that…”

“That old man sent assassins after me once,” Hikari said calmly.

“Huh?”

Bulma blinked, then pumped her fist. “Beat him up good!”

But Tsunade had stopped.

Seeing the blood on Danzō’s face, her body stiffened, and she turned her head slightly, as if unable to look directly at it. Shizune seized the moment, rushing to stand between them, blocking their line of sight while signaling the Anbu to get Danzō out of there.

Hikari, watching it all, frowned slightly, realization dawning.

“Hemophobia, huh…”

It made sense. In the original story, Tsunade didn’t overcome her fear of blood until Naruto inspired her much later. At this point in time, she was still deeply affected by it.

But…

If Tsunade was in this state, communicating with her might be a bit tricky.

*Chapter 77: Get Me One of Those Too!*

In just a short while…

Sarutobi Hiruzen finally arrived, hurrying over with a few Anbu in tow.

After casting a slightly odd glance at Uchiha Hikari, Naruto, and Bulma—each holding a stick of tricolor dango, standing in the courtyard like spectators—he stepped forward to intercept Tsunade, launching into a heartfelt attempt to calm her down.

Hikari wasn’t close enough to catch every word, but she picked up snippets about “investigating crimes” and “sentencing after recovery.” There were also mentions of “the First and Second Hokage” and “human experimentation” mixed in.

Due to her hemophobia, Tsunade was no longer in any condition to keep fighting, but she kept up a stern face, arguing loudly with her old teacher.

As for Danzō…

Two Anbu carried him off on a stretcher.

He’d been gravely injured during the Root base incident and had been bedridden in the hospital for over a month. He’d only just started walking again in the past few days, but now, after taking a single punch from Tsunade that fractured half his body, he’d likely be stuck in bed for another half-month at least.

“Hmph!”

Tsunade let out an irritated huff, then called for Shizune to leave.

As she passed by Hikari’s group, the blonde woman paused, eyeing them suspiciously. “Hey, you three brats. You’ve been tailing me this whole time—what’s your deal?”

“?!”

Hiruzen’s eyes widened at her words.

Even he, the current Hokage, wouldn’t dare call Uchiha Hikari a “brat.” If Hikari took offense, this situation could spiral out of control.

Just as Hiruzen racked his brain for a way to smooth things over…

Bulma spoke up.

“Um…”

Bulma gestured toward her chest with both hands, whispering, “Big sis, do you have some kind of special… enhancement secret? Could you maybe sell me the recipe?”

“?”

Tsunade’s eyelid twitched. “You followed me all this way just to ask that? …Tch, boring.”

“…Lady Hikari, my deepest apologies!”

Hiruzen seized the chance to interject, coughing once before speaking rapidly. “Tsunade, like Jiraiya, is one of my students. She’s been traveling outside the village for years and only returned this morning. She doesn’t know your identity, so she absolutely didn’t mean to offend. Please don’t take it to heart!”

At that…

Tsunade blinked, then realization hit. “Oh… so you’re the Uchiha who Jiraiya mentioned in his letter—the one who took down Root? I thought you’d be some grizzled old veteran. Didn’t expect you to be this young.”

“Likewise.”

Hikari gave a faint smile.

The current timeline was Konoha Year 52—soon to be 53, nearly a decade before Tsunade becomes the Fifth Hokage in the original story. So, Tsunade was just barely forty, still relatively young for a ninja.

But judging by her face and figure, she could pass for a woman in her mid-twenties.

Her near-eternal youth was a one-of-a-kind feat in the ninja world, likely tied to her Yin Seal training.

Honestly…

Hikari was pretty jealous of Tsunade’s Yin Seal and her medical ninjutsu.

Oh, and the Shikkotsu Forest summoning contract too.

But as an ancient Uchiha ancestor, it was tough to find a good excuse to ask for training from a descendant of the Senju, their former rivals. Even a “trade” seemed tricky—Hikari didn’t have much that would spark Tsunade’s interest.

—Tsunade was currently in her self-numbing phase, drowning in alcohol and gambling, indifferent to the world around her. Probably only reviving Nawaki or Kato Dan could snap her out of it…

Meanwhile…

Tsunade didn’t seem keen on chatting with Hikari either. She barely gave her teacher, Hiruzen, any face, brushing him off after a few words and walking away brusquely.

Kato Shizune stayed behind, bowing repeatedly in apology.

“I’m so sorry, Lord Third, Lady Hikari! Lady Tsunade’s been in a terrible mood since learning about Danzō’s secret human experiments on villagers. She absolutely didn’t mean to target you! I’ll do my best to talk to her!”

“No worries.”

Hikari wasn’t about to hold a grudge against someone so broken inside.

Speaking of which, Kato Shizune was kind of unlucky herself.

Still young, she’d been dragged around by Tsunade since childhood, handling her mentor’s daily needs, fending off debt collectors and casino goons, and occasionally stepping in as a surgeon when Tsunade couldn’t. If Tsunade becomes the Fifth Hokage, Shizune would also have to juggle village paperwork and medical team duties…

Even a modern 996 corporate slave would pale in comparison.

Seeing that Hikari wasn’t going to pursue the matter, Shizune let out a relieved breath, bowed a few more times, and hurried after Tsunade.

Hiruzen coughed, glancing at Bulma. “Lady Hikari, may I ask who this is…?”

“A friend of mine.”

Hikari kept it short.

Bulma, however, grinned and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, sir! I’m Bulma!”

“…A pleasure, Miss Bulma.”

Hiruzen exchanged a few pleasantries before turning back to Hikari, changing the subject. “Lady Hikari, regarding the recent Kiri attack, we’ve conducted a preliminary investigation. According to the captives, they were acting under a secret order from the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, to steal the Uchiha clan’s kekkei genkai. That’s why they infiltrated Konoha for this sudden assault…

“Thanks to your intervention, Konoha averted this crisis. I’ve ordered the highest standard of compensation to be sent to the families of the fallen Uchiha, and their names will be engraved on the Memorial Stone…

Is there anything else you require, Lady Hikari?”

Hiruzen’s question was mostly just polite formality.

But…

“There is.”

Hikari nodded immediately, pointing to her forehead. “That purple mark on the little lady’s forehead was pretty cool. I want one too.”

“?”

Hiruzen froze.

“Uh… Lady Hikari, the mark on Tsunade’s forehead isn’t painted on. It’s a ninjutsu she developed herself…”

“I know that. Why else would I bring it up?”

Hikari gave Hiruzen a look like he was an idiot. “You’re the Hokage, aren’t you? And her teacher, no less. Don’t tell me you can’t handle something this small?”

Hiruzen struggled to keep his composure. “As you saw, Tsunade’s quite stubborn. Even I can’t always get through to her…”

“If that’s too hard, then gather up all the Yinyangton-related records in Konoha’s archives and let me browse them for a couple of days.”

*Chapter 78: Oh, You’re Blushing? (Please vote for more~)*

The idea of asking for the Yin Seal was a spur-of-the-moment thought when Uchiha Hikari saw Tsunade.

But studying Yin-Yang Release? That had been part of her plans for a while—

She’d discussed some aspects of Yin-Yang Release with Minato Namikaze in the group chat, but the information she got from those conversations wasn’t comprehensive or systematic enough.

And she couldn’t just sit around waiting for Dr. Brief’s research to bear fruit. She needed to take the initiative, developing and refining her Mangekyō Sharingan abilities, maybe even pushing them further to evolve into the higher-tier Rinnegan.

To do that, she had to dive deep into Yin-Yang Release.

A trip to Konoha’s archives was definitely in order.

Plus, she could gather and review the training records the Uchiha clan had accumulated over the past few decades.

(It’s a shame I can’t access the Yamanaka clan’s ninjutsu records. If I could figure out how their Mind Body Switch Technique works, it might help a lot with developing control over “Yasaka no Magatama”…)

Hikari mulled over her plans silently.

On the other side—

Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. “Fine. But like last time, you can only read in the archive room—no taking scrolls out. And you’re limited to two days.”

“No problem.”

Hikari shrugged.

To Sarutobi Hiruzen, “two days” was a significant restriction. Even someone with a great memory could only get through seven or eight scrolls at most.

But Hikari didn’t need to read everything. She’d just snap photos of every scroll and book she could access and send them to the group chat.

After a bit more small talk, Sarutobi Hiruzen hurried off.

Tsunade’s return and Danzō’s new injuries demanded his immediate attention.

Hikari’s eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him go.

—She hadn’t mentioned in their talk that the Fourth Mizukage was being controlled by Obito. There was no solid evidence for that intel, and besides, things handed over too easily were rarely valued. Better to let Konoha figure it out themselves.

Only then—

Bulma nudged Hikari, whispering to ask about the old man’s identity.

“…Wait, so ‘Yongdaime’ means ‘Fourth Hokage’? This village is only 50 years old and already has had four Hokages?”

“Yup.”

Hikari nodded. “It’s not like your world, where the whole planet’s under one nation. Here, you’ve got the Five Great Nations, plus a bunch of smaller countries wedged between them. Conflicts over land and resources are constant, and wars never really stop. Most ninja only live to about 40 or 50 on average. Someone like Sarutobi Hiruzen, living as long as he has, is pretty rare.

Back in the Warring States era, where I grew up, the average lifespan was barely 30. A lot of kids didn’t even make it past six or seven before dying on the battlefield.”

“…”

Bulma’s mouth pursed, and when she looked up again, her usual smile had faded. Her gaze toward Hikari carried a hint of pity.

“…Hey, what’s with that look? You’re acting like I’m about to keel over.”

Hikari shifted uncomfortably under her stare.

“Alright, enough of that. If you’re curious about the history of the ninja world, I’ll grab you some history books later. For now… let’s go get some barbecue. You’re only here for a bit, so we gotta celebrate.”

“…Sounds good.”

…

That night—

Hikari and Bulma shared a bed.

—Naruto’s place was small, and Hikari’s bedroom was barely ten square meters. Fitting another bed was a hassle, and she wasn’t about to make Bulma sleep on the floor.

At just over 13 years old, Hikari’s petite frame—barely over 1.5 meters tall—meant they could squeeze in together just fine.

But…

When she saw Bulma, freshly showered and smelling of body wash, sitting on the bed in just her underwear, patting the edge to invite Hikari in—

Hikari felt her face heat up.

“Ohhh, Hikari, you’re blushing?”

Bulma’s eyes lit up like she’d discovered a new continent. “Didn’t we sleep together when we were hunting for the Dragon Balls? Why’re you getting shy now?”

“That was different. We weren’t in the same bed, just the same room…”

Hikari corrected her softly.

“Same difference! We’re both girls—what, you think I’m gonna do something to you?”

Bulma’s expression turned mischievous, like she’d thought of something. “Wait a sec, Hikari, you’re only 13! How do you even know about that stuff? Don’t tell me you’ve been sneaking peeks at those kinds of books? Who would’ve thought…”

“…”

Hikari chose to ignore the bait.

She knew exactly what Bulma was getting at—when it came to theoretical knowledge on that subject, Hikari’s pre-transmigration reading probably outstripped anything Bulma could imagine.

Her practical experience, though? Pretty much zero…

Hold on, what did she mean by “you’ve been sneaking peeks”?

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing. If Naruto next door hears us, he’ll think we’re up to something shady.”

Bulma chuckled, then lowered her voice. “The bed’s nice and warm now. Hop in and let’s sleep. I want you to show me around the village tomorrow.”

“Mm… night.”

Hikari slipped into her pajamas and slid under the covers.

After exchanging goodnights with Bulma, she turned off the light. The two lay close together, drifting off to sleep.

The night passed quietly.

The next morning—

After breakfast at home, Hikari created a few shadow clones, each maintaining the “Breathing Technique: Constant” state to train in kenjutsu, ninjutsu, sealing techniques, Rasengan, and the Flying Thunder God technique, among others. Meanwhile, her real body took Bulma sightseeing around the village.

The Hokage Rock, Naka River, the Ninja Academy…

With her status as the “Uchiha Great-Grandma,” Hikari had near-unrestricted access to Konoha, aside from private clan compounds.

Occasionally, they’d pass members of the Police Force patrolling the streets, who’d bow and greet her respectfully.

When they reached the hot spring district, Bulma’s eyes lit up, eager to try it out, but Hikari stopped her.

“Huh? Why not?” Bulma asked, confused. “It’s chilly out—hot springs would feel amazing right now, wouldn’t they?”

“…You remember Master Roshi?”

“You mean that pervy old guy?”

Bulma paused, then it clicked.

Hikari nodded. “The Third Hokage you met? Also a bit of a perv. And there’s another guy in this village who’s even worse about peeping… Next time I visit the Land of Hot Springs, I’ll bring you along for a proper soak.”

…

“Achoo!”

At the Senju clan compound—

In the central residence—

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya both sneezed at the same time.

Across the stone table—

Tsunade clutched her sake jug and cup protectively, leaning back with a disgusted expression.

The second batch of group chat members has been confirmed and should appear soon. Stay tuned for a little surprise~

*Chapter 79: ["Little Monster" Joins the Chat Group] (Please vote~)*

“…I’ve got the gist of it.”

Tsunade took a few swigs of sake, her tone flat. “So, this girl named Uchiha Hikari not only destroyed Root, leaving Danzō half-dead, but also met the Fourth Hokage inside the Shinigami’s stomach, learned Flying Thunder God and Rasengan from him, brokered peace between the Uchiha clan and Konoha’s leadership, and recently crushed the Kiri ninja who attacked the village?”

“That’s right.”

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. “According to the Anbu monitoring Naruto, that blue-haired girl, Bulma, appeared suddenly at Naruto’s place. You and I both saw her—she doesn’t have the slightest trace of chakra. She’s completely ordinary…

Aside from a space-time ninjutsu like Flying Thunder God, there’s no way she could’ve been brought into the village.”

“…”

Tsunade frowned.

She wasn’t in the village during the Nine-Tails incident.

But she’d heard about Minato Namikaze’s death and Hiruzen’s reinstatement through letters. If someone really could meet and converse with someone who’d used Shiki Fujin and learn Flying Thunder God from them…

Tsunade pondered for a few seconds before giving up.

“Like I care!”

“She killed those Kiri ninja for you, so why should I teach her the Yin Seal? As for the Senju clan’s records… here’s the key, go dig through them yourselves! I didn’t seal her away, so how would I know what year she was born or what abilities she has?”

“I’m only staying in the village for two weeks this time. Hurry up and figure out Danzō’s sentencing, or I’ll beat him every time I see him!”

“…”

Faced with her near-defiant attitude, Hiruzen was helpless but still instinctively tried to defend his old comrade.

“To be fair, Danzō’s research wasn’t entirely for selfish reasons. At the very least, he left Konoha with a child who can use Wood Release. If we can nurture them properly…”

Glug, glug, glug—

Tsunade ignored him, chugging sake straight from the bottle.

Finally, she slammed the bottle onto the stone table, her monstrous strength cracking the surface with radiating fractures.

“Shizune! Grab me another bottle!”

“…”

Hiruzen’s mouth twitched, his expression awkward.

Jiraiya, sitting nearby, turned his head to the side, pretending to admire the scenery.

Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen spoke again, his tone grave.

“Jiraiya, Tsunade. There’s another critical matter I wanted to discuss with you both.”

“I’d like one of you to succeed me as Konoha’s Fifth Hokage.”

The words hung in the air.

Silence fell.

After a long pause…

As Hiruzen looked at them expectantly, Jiraiya scratched his head, laughing heartily. “Old man, you know me. I’m too carefree for that. I’m not cut out to be Hokage. You’d better find someone else!”

On the other side…

“Hokage? Hmph, boring job. Only an idiot would want it.”

Tsunade scoffed, continuing to chug her sake.

Hiruzen gave a wry smile.

If he’d said that in front of his old friend, he had no doubt Danzō would’ve jumped at the chance. But these two disciples… they were truly exceptional, giants in the ninja world, but they had zero interest in the Hokage position. It was exasperating.

As for the younger generation…

Nara Shikaku had the intellect but lacked the strength and had no desire for the role. Kakashi and Asuma had potential but were too young. Shinsuke was a decent fit overall, but no one could replace him as Anbu commander yet. It’d take a few more years to decide.

Suddenly…

A wild thought crossed Hiruzen’s mind.

“What if that girl became Hokage…?”

The Uchiha clan would surely back her wholeheartedly, right?

But…

Forget it.

Hiruzen shook his head, dismissing the unrealistic fantasy, and stood. “Jiraiya, stay with Tsunade a bit longer. I’m off to discuss Danzō’s situation with Koharu and the others.”

“Got it.”

---

No matter how much Hiruzen and the advisors racked their brains…

This New Year was shaping up nicely for Uchiha Hikari.

Three days after meeting Tsunade, Hiruzen sent someone to escort her to Konoha’s archives, where she “skimmed” through the scrolls related to Yinyangton.

After that, she trained while hanging out with Bulma and Naruto around the village, undisturbed by any random nuisances.

On New Year’s Eve…

Hikari bundled up in a thick coat, rode the Nimbus Cloud with Bulma and Naruto to the highest point of the Hokage Rock, and let Bulma set off fireworks brought from the Dragon Ball world.

Boom—!

Beams of light shot into the sky like mini-rockets, exploding into massive bursts of color. The dazzling display lingered for nearly a minute before fading into the night, visible to half of Konoha Village—a small taste of Dragon Ball tech shocking the ninja world.

“By the way, the timelines in our three worlds don’t seem to line up, do they?”

Bulma pointed out a detail. “Hikari, you’re just hitting New Year here, Tanjiro’s world is almost summer, and mine’s still autumn… Does that mean we could celebrate New Year three times a year, build snowmen three times, or hit the beach three times in summer?”

“Hm?”

Hikari pictured the scenario Bulma described, the corner of her mouth twitching. “Theoretically, sure. But that’s what you’re focused on?”

“Hehe.”

Bulma grinned, pulling hot drinks and a cake from a Hoi-Poi Capsule. “It’s not anyone’s birthday, but it’s New Year, so let’s make a wish!”

“?”

Though a bit exasperated, Hikari activated Susanoo to shield them from the chilly wind. She, Bulma, and Naruto sat on a spread-out blanket, blew out candles, and started slicing the cake.

---

After enjoying Konoha’s New Year, Bulma finally returned home, fully satisfied.

The next day brought heavy snow.

With the temperature plunging and snow piling high, Hikari woke early as usual thanks to her biological clock but didn’t send out a shadow clone to train as she normally would. Instead, she wrapped herself in blankets, curling into a small ball, and dozed lightly in bed with her eyes closed.

In her hazy state…

A faint ding sounded, and a few lines of text floated through her mind—

[*“Little Monster” has joined the chat group*]

[*“The Lone Shrine Maiden” (Clay State) has joined the chat group*]

[*“Haunted by Demons” has joined the chat group*]

*Chapter 80: The Dragon Fighter of the Zanscare Empire*

“Huh??”

Uchiha Hikari blinked, processing the realization—new members had joined the chat group?

And three of them at once?

That was a rare event.

Switching to lurk mode, she started piecing together the identities of the new members based on their nicknames. Meanwhile, the group chat was already buzzing with activity:

*[Bulma: Whoa, we finally got some newbies? Welcome, welcome!]*

*[Bulma: Let me introduce myself! I’m Bulma, 16 years old, living in West City, single, and currently in high school. My dad’s Dr. Brief, the chairman of Capsule Corp…]*

*[Bulma: Uh, why’s no one talking?]*

*[Bulma @Hikari @Yongdaime @IronHead: Hikari, Tanjiro, Minato-san, come check out the new people!]*

…

*Inuyasha World*

In a small village nestled among the mountains—

Inside an ordinary house—

Kikyo, dressed in her red-and-white miko robes, was grinding herbs when she looked up, her calm, fair face showing a faint trace of puzzlement as she scanned the room.

“…No signs of spiritual energy fluctuations. Is this some kind of special illusion beyond my understanding?”

“West City… Never heard of it. And what’s a Capsule Corp?”

Faced with things so far outside her comprehension—

Even someone as sharp as Kikyo felt a moment of uncertainty.

She was about to cast a spell to check for any traces of yokai activity nearby when a knock came at the gate. A villager in rough hemp clothes poked his head in:

“Kikyo-sama, you’re here! Good news—a samurai lord heard about your healing skills and wants to invite you to the city to treat his master. The reward’s pretty generous!”

“…One moment.”

Kikyo replied calmly, continuing to grind her herbs.

Only after placing the herbs in a pot and carefully instructing the nearby farmwoman on the brewing time and details did she stand, brushing the dust off her clothes. “Kota-san, please take me to meet this samurai lord.”

As she stepped toward the gate, Kikyo split her focus to the chat group, a growing sense of astonishment stirring within her—

…

*[Nameless: Let me give the new friends a quick rundown on the chat group.]*

*[Nameless: In simple terms, this is a platform connecting different worlds. Each of us comes from a different one. For example, Yongdaime and I are from a ninja world; Bulma’s from a world with advanced tech and martial arts; Tanjiro’s in a world where man-eating creatures called demons roam… All you have to do is think about what you want to say, and it’ll appear in the group as a message.]*

*[Yongdaime: I’m not sure who you all are yet, but it’s great to meet you. I’m Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire. I’m, uh, currently dead, existing as a soul inside the Shinigami’s stomach.]*

*[IronHead: I’m Tanjiro Kamado, a Rank Kinoe member of the Demon Slayer Corps, 15 years old!]*

*[…]*

After a bit, the newcomers finally seemed to catch on.

*[HauntedByGhosts: This is wild… Something this bizarre actually exists?]*

*[HauntedByGhosts: Uh, hi, I’m Miko Yotsuya, 16 years old, living in Tokyo, high school student. So, what’s with this ‘HauntedByGhosts’ thing? Did you guys pick this nickname for me?]*

*[Nameless: Nope, it’s not us. The chat group automatically assigns names, probably hinting at your current situation or future fate. You can change it if you don’t like it.]*

*[HauntedByGhosts: Wait, what? Am I gonna get possessed by ghosts or something?]*

*[Nameless: …Something like that.]*

Hikari, still bundled in her blankets, rolled over in bed.

She’d initially thought “HauntedByGhosts” might be Takanotsume from Akame ga Kill!.

But no—it was Miko Yotsuya from Mieruko-chan.

Well… that nickname did fit. In Miko’s world, ghosts and evil spirits were everywhere. Most people were fine as long as they couldn’t see them, but Miko’s spiritual sensitivity was off the charts, forcing her to pretend she couldn’t see the horrors to avoid being devoured.

From Miko’s introduction, it sounded like she hadn’t awakened that ability yet.

But it was probably close.

As for the other two members…

Hikari had a hunch about “LittleMonster” but needed them to speak to confirm.

“SolitaryMiko”…

There were plenty of characters who could fit the “miko” title, but combined with the status bar’s “ClayState,” there was really only one option—

*[SolitaryMiko: I’m Kikyo, a miko from Musashi Province. Pleased to meet you.]*

*[Bulma: A miko? That sounds so cool! Like those people in storybooks who use magic to exorcise evil spirits?]*

*[SolitaryMiko: I do know a bit about exorcism. If Tanjiro-san or Yotsuya-san are dealing with anything like that and need help, I’d be happy to assist.]*

*[HauntedByGhosts: Really? That’d be amazing, thank you!]*

*[IronHead: Thanks! But the ‘demons’ in my world are kind of unique. They’re humans who were corrupted by a guy named Muzan Kibutsuji using his blood, turning them into mindless monsters. They’re still alive, though. I’m not sure if your spells could turn them back into humans…]*

*[SolitaryMiko: Corruption?]*

*[SolitaryMiko: I’m not entirely sure what your ‘demons’ are like, but from your description, they sound similar to the yokai I know.]*

*[IronHead: Huh?]*

As Kikyo and Tanjiro started comparing the “demons” of the Demon Slayer world to the “yokai” of the Inuyasha world—

Hikari turned her attention to the one newbie who hadn’t spoken yet.

After a moment’s thought, she pinged them.

*[Nameless @LittleMonster: Hey, new person, why so quiet? No need to be shy. Since you’re in this group, we’re all friends. If you’ve got questions, just ask—we’ll do our best to help.]*

*[LittleMonster: …I think I’ve seen your names before.]*

*[Nameless: Hm?]*

*[LittleMonster: @Bulma, don’t you have a friend named Goku? Aren’t you all Dragon Fighters of the Golden Zodiac from the Zanscare Empire, searching for the legendary Holy Grail that can grant wishes to help fight off the Britannia Kingdom’s invasion…]*

*[Bulma: ?]*

*[Nameless: ?]*