Chapter 198: Tsukuyomi
Uchiha Hikari opened her eyes to find a golden, shimmering man standing before her.
She instinctively reached for her waist, but finding no weapon, her eyes transformed into the Mangekyo pattern.
She watched Naruto with vigilance.
This person possessed the ocular power of the Sharingan—was he an Uchiha?
But why was this guy glowing gold from head to toe?
Naruto's left hand pulled a scroll pre-inscribed with Sealing Jutsu from the ninja tool pouch at his waist, and then he stepped forward slowly.
"Amaterasu!"
Seeing Naruto approaching her, her eyes became Sharingan and she immediately used Amaterasu.
Black flames formed directly on Naruto's body.
Naruto raised his hand, and the Fire Sealing Technique on the scroll was activated, sucking the Amaterasu off his body.
Seeing Naruto extinguish the Amaterasu so easily, Uchiha Hikari was startled, then quickly formed hand Seals and used the Great Fire Dragon Song Technique.
The Fire Sealing Technique absorbed it all just the same.
Aren't Sealing Jutsu just unfair?
Naruto didn't continue to close in; instead, he stopped and looked her up and down.
There was no greed in that gaze, no coldness of inspecting merchandise; it was more like... an observation filled with complex emotions.
She was wearing a simple blue dress made of ordinary fabric, which was heavily damaged from the battle before Hikari was sealed.
On her exposed skin, overlapping scars, both old and new, could be seen everywhere.
Some were scars left by Sharp Weapons, others were wounds caused by Ninjutsu, all speaking of the cruelty she had once endured.
Her lower calves were wrapped in slightly aged bandages that went all the way down, covering two-thirds of her feet, leaving only pale toes and a small portion of her heels exposed as she stood on the cold ground.
Naruto's gaze finally landed on her face, lingering for a moment.
That face was delicate yet carried an inescapable coldness and vigilance. The contours of her features strangely blended Uchiha Sasuke's handsomeness with Uchiha Madara's majesty, further refined by a certain soft touch, presenting a beauty that was both resilient and fragile.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto."
In the next moment, a warm and majestic golden light surged from within him—not a harsh glare, but a soft Chakra like the rising sun, flickering gently like a warm flame.
This Chakra was filled with an indescribable vitality and soothing power, causing the Susanoo ribs surrounding Uchiha Hikari to fluctuate slightly.
Then, he reached out his right hand.
Emerald green light gathered in his palm.
The light wasn't blinding, yet it carried healing power, softly falling upon Uchiha Hikari's body.
The wounds on her arms began to itch and close; the burn scars on her waist felt a cool sensation as dead skin peeled away, revealing tender new flesh underneath. Even the dull ache from old injuries seemed to quietly subside under the radiance of this light.
Her body was repairing rapidly, but the vigilance in Uchiha Hikari's eyes did not diminish in the slightest; instead, it intensified because of the level of Medical Ninjutsu being displayed.
The Mangekyo Sharingan continued to spin slowly, and the Susanoo skeleton showed no signs of dissipating.
She was like a wounded beast that, even when receiving treatment, could not immediately trust the hand reaching out.
Seeing her reaction, Uzumaki Naruto's face did not show disappointment or offense.
He withdrew the Medical Ninjutsu light from his right hand, and with his left, he casually stuffed the scroll that had absorbed the Amaterasu and the Dragon Flame back into his ninja tool pouch.
Meeting Uchiha Hikari's extremely wary gaze, he offered a smile.
The smile wasn't brilliant—it was even a bit helpless—but it was exceptionally sincere, her reflection mirrored in his blue eyes.
"I learned of your existence through ancient records, so I tried to come find you.
Don't worry about me doing anything."
"The Land of Fire is at peace now,"
He said slowly.
"Though it may only be a brief tranquility... believe me, the entire Ninja World will soon welcome a truly lasting peace."
Peace?
Land of Fire?
Ninja World?
These terms were both familiar and foreign to Uchiha Hikari.
Her memories were still stuck in endless battle, being exploited, and being imprisoned.
"Peace" sounded like an unreachable, even ironic fairy tale.
Naruto paused, his gaze sweeping over the scars on her body, over her still-tense frame despite the treatment, and over the deep-seated pain and loneliness in her eyes.
His voice lowered slightly, yet became softer, carrying a power that could penetrate the heart:
"All these years... it must have been very hard for you."
This Move could be called a specialized attack against those in the Ninja World.
These words, like a dull blade, gently pried open a tiny crack in the hardest shell of Uchiha Hikari's heart.
Hard? It was more than hard.
It was darkness without daylight, a despair where trust was crushed time and again.
No one had ever said such words to her.
The Uchiha who drove her to fight only cared about her value.
Naruto took a small step forward.
Gazing into Uchiha Hikari's magnificent yet pained Mangekyo Sharingan, he said with pity:
"From now on, you don't have to suffer like this anymore."
Then, he gave that declaration that seemed to carry magic:
"From today on, there is no more 'Uchiha Nanashi'."
Uchiha Hikari's body trembled almost imperceptibly.
Nanashi.
That was the codename given to her by the Uchiha after they stripped her of her name—a brand that stripped her of all personal meaning, a proof of her existence as a tool.
The blonde man, Uzumaki Naruto, used his warm and firm voice to put a period on that declaration and open a brand new possibility for her:
"You are Uchiha Hikari."
Hikari.
Within the crimson of her eyes, which still maintained the Mangekyo form, Uchiha Hikari's pupils constricted slightly, uncontrollably.
Hikari...?
This familiar name, spoken by this stranger who was incredibly powerful yet strangely radiated warmth, was like a small pebble cast into the frozen, silent lake of her heart.
"Heh, Tsukuyomi!"
Uchiha Hikari's voice was as cold as ice, carrying a hint of imperceptible mockery.
The opponent possessed ocular power; he was likely in league with the Uchiha. Had those guys come to reclaim her?
The Mangekyo pattern in her left eye spun violently, releasing a distinctly different and dangerous light.
Naruto realized his mistake almost the instant he heard the technique's name.
He thought showing kindness and healing would be enough to ease her hostility, but he had underestimated the extreme distrust Uchiha Hikari had developed through long imprisonment and betrayal.
"Oh no..."
Just as the thought arose, the scene before him suddenly tore apart and reorganized.
After a moment of dizziness, Naruto found himself no longer in that bright space.
The sky was an oppressive dark red, with a giant, blood-like crimson moon hanging high. The moon's surface clearly reflected the pattern of Uchiha Hikari's Mangekyo Sharingan, her cold gaze seemingly piercing through the moon's surface to pin directly onto his Soul.
Beneath his feet was cold, cracked black stone; the air was thick with the scent of rust and despair.
His body was locked by heavy, cold shackles; his wrists and ankles were tightly bound by thick black metal rings connected to chains extending from the ground.
The chains were very short, restricting any possible struggle.
The flow of Chakra became sluggish, and his connection to Kurama seemed to be severed.
The Kurama Link Mode ended, and he reverted to his original appearance.
This was Uchiha Hikari's Tsukuyomi space, where she was the Dominator of all rules.
Uchiha Hikari's figure appeared silently before him.
Her attire seemed clearer in the Tsukuyomi space; the hem of her blue dress fluttered slightly, and her bare feet stepped on the cold ground, her ankles still showing faint traces of past restraints.
Her face was exquisite yet cold, only those crimson Mangekyo eyes appeared even more eerie and oppressive against the backdrop of the blood moon.
Her right hand held a Kunai, its tip glinting with a cold light. There was no overflowing Killing Intent, yet it was more heart-stopping than any roaring threat.
Here, pain could be infinitely magnified and prolonged.
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