It hadn't been too long since Uchiha Hikari last returned to Konoha.
Overall, there weren't many major changes within the Uchiha clan, though there were now three more Jonin with Three-Tomoe Sharingan. One of them was Uchiha Izumi, and there were also four or five Jonin-level genin preparing for promotion.
That's right.
This was the result of the "first phase clinical trial."
The gene-targeting agent, crafted by Dr. Brief and then tweaked and improved by Orochimaru, had shown impressive results on the Uchiha clan members. Especially for those youngsters who already had good aptitude and the potential to become elite Jonin, it shaved off several years of detours, directly adding an extra tomoe to their Sharingan.
This outcome greatly delighted the Uchiha clan.
And because Fugaku, during a clan meeting, subtly hinted that all of this was Uchiha Hikari's doing, her prestige within the clan surged even further. Word had it that some clan members were even suggesting creating a golden statue of her to enshrine at the highest position in the Naka Shrine, while others claimed her face should be carved into the Hokage Rock, urging the undeserving Hiruzen Sarutobi to step down sooner rather than later.
"Hmm..."
It seems the Uchiha clan really does have a rebellious streak.
If these words reached Hiruzen Sarutobi's ears, he'd probably have trouble sleeping at night.
However, Uchiha Hikari wasn't interested in that position.
Being a mere village leader—with little real power, yet burdened with endless daily tasks and an insurmountable pile of paperwork—such a life held no appeal for her.
If Shisui wanted it and had the capability, she wouldn't mind giving him a push.
"...Grandma, you're joking. How could I possibly be worthy of such a monumental task?"
Shisui wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, not daring to elaborate on the topic. "By the way, Grandma, there's something I need to report. Lord Third and Lord Jiraiya have visited the clan several times recently, trying to find out your and Naruto's whereabouts... Naruto is the village's only jinchuriki, after all, and his current whereabouts are unknown, so they're worried someone might take advantage of the situation."
"Heh."
"When Naruto was here, they didn't seem to care much, nor did they cause any trouble. Now that he's gone, they're so anxious?"
Uchiha Hikari waved her hand. "Tell them to wait. When Naruto has had his fill of fun, I'll naturally bring him back."
"...Understood."
Shisui nodded in agreement.
After giving instructions to Shisui, Uchiha Hikari turned her attention to Orochimaru, who was nearby.
After the "first phase experiment" concluded, Orochimaru hadn't left. Instead, he reactivated an old experimental base he had, beginning to research the blood samples of Shisui, Itachi, and other clan members. He was trying to use their genetic sequences to optimize the "Dragon's Curse Mark I." When Uchiha Hikari threw the "Oni-fication Potion 2.0" his way, he seemed a bit bewildered.
"Lady Hikari, what is this?"
"A research breakthrough from Dr. Gero. You can roughly think of it as a medicinal form of the 'Byakugo Seal,' possibly even more potent than that technique."
In front of Shisui, Uchiha Hikari didn't explicitly mention the "Oni" (demons), but Orochimaru could probably infer it from the potion in his hand.
Compared to Dr. Gero's lab, Orochimaru's research progress had been a bit slow lately. It was time to make him feel some pressure and get him to really buckle down.
"Oh, by the way, Orochimaru."
Uchiha Hikari seemed to remember something suddenly. She raised her left hand, holding up two fingers. "First, I have two questions for you."
"First, how's the research on 'Reaper Death Seal: Release' coming along?"
Facing Uchiha Hikari's inquiry, Orochimaru hissed, "I've made some headway with that. However, to break the 'Reaper Death Seal,' it might require a tool from the Uzumaki clan—a death god mask passed down through generations. According to ancient texts, this mask is enshrined in the Uzumaki clan's Hall of Masks, and its location is known only to successive clan leaders. I'm currently trying to find it."
"Oh... If you find it, let me know."
In the original Naruto story, while the Uzumaki clan's "Hall of Masks" was mentioned, its exact location wasn't specified, so Uchiha Hikari couldn't foresee it. But given that Orochimaru was the one who found it in the original story, he probably had some clues, so finding it again shouldn't be difficult.
So, Uchiha Hikari continued, "Second, has there been any recent activity from the Akatsuki?"
"Not yet."
Orochimaru gave a negative answer, then paused. "Those guys were seen in the Land of Rice Fields once recently, seemingly inquiring about me and the Sound Village. It's unclear if they want to invite this rogue ninja to join them, or if they've discovered some clues related to you..."
"?"
Uchiha Hikari frowned slightly.
She hadn't had any contact with the Akatsuki for a while.
Logically, the Akatsuki had a motive to recruit Orochimaru; after all, he was an S-rank rogue ninja with both power and ability, and he was indeed a member of the Akatsuki in the original plot. With the Akatsuki's recent string of failed operations, it was reasonable for them to consider recruiting him.
But the problem was...
The Sound Village in this timeline had developed much faster and grown considerably larger than in the original story.
With the addition of Karin and her mother, Kimimaro, Yakushi Nonō, and Kabuto... their presence had accelerated the Sound Village's growth, even giving it some renown within the Land of Rice Fields. And Uchiha Hikari herself was deeply connected to the Sound Village; her previous visits had been witnessed by many villagers.
If there were a few moles among them, or if some new villagers were actually spies sent by Obito and others to gather intelligence...
Then the reason for the Akatsuki's presence would be questionable.
"I think I understand the situation."
Uchiha Hikari thought for a moment. "Well, for now, let's just wait and see. If anything happens later, remember to tell me immediately."
If the Akatsuki truly came with ill intentions, others might not matter, but Uchiha Hikari would definitely find a way to assist Karin and the others.
Immediately after, Uchiha Hikari finished giving instructions to Orochimaru and a few words to Shisui, then temporarily left Konoha. She traveled via Bulma, making her way to the Dragon Ball world.
---
Several hours later, deep beneath the Red Ribbon Army Headquarters' castle, in a massive underground experimental base.
Uchiha Hikari looked up at the imposing and magnificent armor in front of her, accompanied by Dr. Gero and his wife, as well as "Mechamaru" and Kokichi from the Jujutsu Kaisen world.
"So..."
"...this is your latest research creation, the [Ultimate Mechanical Stereoscopic Armor: Strike Freedom Form Prototype 02]?"