Feeling the warmth on her cheek, the girl froze for ten full seconds before letting out a sharp scream.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
"Oi!" Yami covered his ears and frowned. "We're standing so close. Why are you yelling?"
"Even if you speak normally, I'll still hear you."
"I'm going to kill you!"
A glint of scarlet flashed in the girl's eyes as her three tomoe spun and connected into a complex Mangekyō pattern.
"Stop!" Yami raised his hand. "Is this how you treat your savior?"
"You saved me just to take advantage of me?!"
"I just wanted to try how it felt, to see if you were real. Don't get the wrong idea."
"I didn't misunderstand anything. Go to hell, you pervert!"
Even as she said that, the girl didn't make a move. After a pause, she asked warily, "Which ninja clan are you from?"
"Orphaned. Long story." Yami looked around. "It's too dark here. I'll explain when we get outside."
He floated upward, completely ignoring how she might catch up.
With a snort, the girl obediently scaled the wall and followed.
Under the sunlight, Yami got a better look at her face. It was like a prettier, more feminine version of Sasuke's.
She was good-looking, but Yami still found something oddly amusing.
"Hey, you haven't answered my question yet," she called again. "Which ninja clan are you from? What's your name?"
"Too outdated Granny. Times have changed." Yami smiled, pulled off the forehead protector from his waist, and tossed it to her.
She caught it instinctively.
"The age of clan division from the Sengoku period is over. This is the era of villages. The Land of Fire has Konohagakure. The Land of Lightning has Kumogakure. The Land of Wind has Sunagakure.
"So, I'm a shinobi of Konoha. All clans now live together in villages. The Kage is the highest authority, like a clan leader from back in the day."
"Kage…" The girl looked at the forehead protector in her hands, then suddenly raised her head. "Why did you call me 'Granny'?"
"Well, you lived over three hundred years ago. It's only fitting. What else should I call you, Uchiha Hikari?"
Her expression sharpened instantly. "How do you know that name?!"
"I read through the Sarutobi clan's records. Found where you were sealed. That's why I came looking for you."
Ding—!
A red light burst in Hikari's eyes, and Yami suddenly found himself in a blood-red world, bound to a cross.
"Don't believe what I said?" Yami wasn't in a hurry, even while restrained. "I did save you, you know."
"Liar! No one can live for three hundred years!"
Hikari glared furiously. "You kissed me! You'll suffer in my Tsukuyomi world for three days and three nights!"
Yami sighed. "Why is it that you Uchiha never believe anyone unless they get beaten first?"
"Hmph." Hikari crossed her arms. "This is my domain. You think you can defeat me? Keep dreaming."
She reached for a weapon, but froze in shock when she realized the roles had reversed. Yami was free, and she was now tied to the cross.
"Impossible! You have the Mangekyō Sharingan too?!"
She finally understood. That boy had the same eyes as her, able to counter her Tsukuyomi.
"I knew it! Someone that good-looking had to be an Uchiha! You lied to me!"
She surged her Mangekyō chakra, trying to reclaim control of the Tsukuyomi world. But Yami, unwilling to waste any more pupil power, shattered the illusion space completely.
They returned to reality.
Hikari gritted her teeth, still suffering backlash from the illusion, and launched another attack.
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames roared into being, but Yami was faster. A sky-blue ribcage blocked the flames and burned alongside them.
With a flicker of Body Flicker Technique, Yami appeared in front of Hikari and swung a punch.
She raised her arms to block, but he followed up with a whip kick. She dodged in a strange posture, only for a flying kick to slam into her arm.
Bang!
Her leg hit like it had slammed into steel. Hikari winced in pain.
Compared to her overpowered eye techniques, her physical skills were lacking. Against ordinary shinobi, her Mangekyō's observation ability gave her the edge, but against Yami, she was completely suppressed.
And he wasn't going all-out. He teased her, even striking her rear repeatedly, producing loud slaps.
Hikari burned with rage. Her pants were starting to feel tighter.
They were swollen!
"You've forced me!" she yelled. "Eight Thousand Spears!"
Their gazes locked, and Hikari activated her unique Mangekyō ability.
"I've been waiting for that." Yami smirked. His right eye spun.
"Temple of the Gods!"
Hikari's eye technique was instantly copied. A temple representing Eight Thousand Spears formed in Takamagahara, near the mountainside.
"What?!" Hikari's eyes widened.
She didn't even sense when he copied her dojutsu. But more shocking was that her ability didn't leave a mark on him.
"I know your technique well. If I dared to come, I was naturally prepared."
A fine layer of chakra wrapped around Yami's body, preventing her pupil power from entering. No mark could be made.
With her Sharingan, Hikari saw it clearly and began to panic.
Who could possibly control chakra with such precision?
Without dojutsu support, her ninjutsu and taijutsu couldn't even scratch Yami. She was completely dominated again in just a few moves.
"You calm now?"
Under her shocked gaze, Yami's scarlet eyes faded back to white. He tapped a few acupoints and sealed her chakra.
Even Mangekyō techniques required chakra. She was now unable to resist at all.
"You really not from the Uchiha?"
"My name is Shimura Yami. Remember that."
"Shimura?" Her face darkened. "So you're with the Sarutobi and Senju. No wonder you found my seal."
Yami held his forehead, exasperated.
Help. How do you change a Sengoku girl's mind when she has such a deep-rooted prejudice against my surname? Please advise, it's urgent.
Seeing Hikari's stubborn eyes, Yami sighed and pulled her to her feet.
"Forget it. Looks like you won't believe anything until you see it for yourself."
Two hours later, Yami brought her to a small border town.
When Hikari saw the people and their completely unfamiliar clothing, her beliefs began to waver.
As they walked the streets, Yami unsealed her chakra and let her use Eight Thousand Spears to observe others' memories.
Not only could it verify his words, it gave her a crash course on the modern world.
When she finished, Hikari was quiet for a long time.
"It's all real… The ninja clan era is gone. Senju and Uchiha built a village together… The world has changed."
They arrived at an inn. Yami booked a room and pulled the dazed girl inside so they could talk in peace.
"You believe me now?"
She nodded. "Sorry. I misunderstood you earlier."
But her face soon turned cold. "Even if you saved me, you clearly researched me thoroughly. You must have some hidden agenda."
Yami looked uncharacteristically sheepish and lowered his head.
"Well… I do have a goal."
Hikari's expression twisted. "Let me guess. You want to use me again."
"Have a few kids for me. That's not too much to ask, right?"
She froze. Her face turned beet red. She shoved him away and darted behind the table.
"What are you talking about?! You pervert! That won't work on me! Beauty doesn't sway me!"
Come on. If beauty doesn't affect you, why are you blushing?
Yami chuckled, then said seriously, "We'll talk about kids later. I released you because I do need your power."
"I knew it," she said bitterly. "You're no different. Just like Uchiha… turning me into a weapon again. Kill me. I have nothing left. I refuse to be used again."
Even her name had been stripped away by the Uchiha to erase emotions. And now, after being saved, someone wanted to use her again.
This world really was hopeless.
Yami, aware of her pain, remained patient.
"I do need your strength. But I'm not treating you like a tool. If I did, I wouldn't call you Hikari. I'd call you Nanashi."
Her body trembled.
"I believe in equal exchange. If you help me, I'll give you what you want."
"Think about it. What do you really want?"
She fell silent for a long time. Finally, she muttered, "...I want to destroy the world."
Geez, why are all the Uchiha so edgy?
"Pick another one," Yami said flatly. "You destroy the world, how am I supposed to enjoy life? We're good people, remember?"
"Well… sort of."
Yami scratched his cheek.
"Then forget it." Hikari crossed her arms. "You might as well kill me."
"You really don't want to try living as a normal ninja? Experiencing peace? Modern life is very different from your time."
"I won't treat you as a tool. Just a partner. I'll assign tasks. You can accept them or not. Just don't go around exposing me or my Sharingan."
Yami's voice was sincere. And Hikari, for once, was moved.
"…What do you want me to do?"
"Help me keep the Uchiha under control."
Yami explained everything. From Madara and Hashirama's founding of Konoha, to Itachi's massacre, and how he saved a portion of Uchiha women and children.
He even shared intel on Obito and Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan.
He hadn't told Izumi any of this.
But for some reason, he felt a strange kinship with Hikari.
They were both out of place in this world. He, from another world. She, from three centuries ago.
And before he knew it, she hadn't closed her mouth in a while.
Shinobi three hundred years later... they play so dirty?!
Eye of the Moon Plan, manipulation, genocide for peace, fake Infinite Tsukuyomi...
It was all absurd, tragic, and somehow amazing.
After a quarter-hour of silent thought, she finally asked, eyes glowing:
"So you want me to help you control the Uchiha?"
"That's right," Yami nodded. "People are unpredictable. I can trust you. But I can't trust all of them.
"With Eight Thousand Spears, you can monitor their thoughts and memories. Prevent betrayal."
"I accept," Hikari said without hesitation. "When do we leave for the Land of Snow?"
She was once a tool. Now, she could oversee the Uchiha.
Talk about poetic justice.
"Just know, once you board this ship, there's no getting off."
"I'm not planning to."
She looked serious. "But if I find out you've deceived me, I'll kill myself."
She could feel his patience and care. That warmth… was something she'd only known from her parents.
She owed her life to him. So this time, she would live differently.
"Then let's work together." Yami extended his hand.
She reached out her delicate hand.
Their hands clasped.
From this moment on, they were partners.
The atmosphere lightened. Hikari began asking questions.
"So… you really want to watch two brothers fight to the death?"
"Exactly."
"Who do you want to win?"
"Sasuke, of course. I don't like Itachi."
"Hmph. He did kill his parents. But he also killed so many Uchiha..."
"What a good guy."
"You can't call him a good person. Only I'm a good person."
"So overbearing."
"If I was really overbearing, I'd drag you off to have my kid already."
"Baka! Pervert! No way I'm cooperating with that!"
(To be continued.)