Honestly…
Even Uchiha Hikari was a bit shocked by the sheer power of her *Great Fire Annihilation* jutsu.
She'd "seen" the brutal battles of the Warring States era before—through her predecessor's memories.
As a human weapon crafted by the Uchiha clan, this body had undergone intense training. Her ninjutsu and taijutsu far surpassed most kids her age, and when it came to genjutsu, her Mangekyou Sharingan made her untouchable.
But there was a catch—she was only thirteen.
And, y'know, a girl.
So, stamina? Limited. Chakra reserves? Not exactly overflowing. That's compared to top-tier fighters, mind you—not like Kakashi's "one-card" chakra levels. Back in the day, this weakness was why she got worn down and sealed by rival clans like the Senju in a war of attrition.
But now…
That weakness seemed to be patched up.
Her body was the same, but after the double-soul fusion, Uchiha Hikari's mental strength was off the charts. Her chakra pool and dojutsu abilities had gotten a massive boost. This *Great Fire Annihilation*? Way more intense than anything in her memories. It almost had the same vibe as Edo Tensei Madara flexing on the Allied Shinobi Forces!
"No way…!"
"That kind of chakra… is she *really* just a kid?!"
"Quick, send up a flare for backup!"
Amid frantic shouts, a red flare shot into the sky, bursting into a shower of sparks.
The next second, the flames roared through, swallowing several Anbu figures in a wave of heat. Their fates? Unknown.
Suddenly—
*Clang!!*
A long blade sliced through the smoke, thrusting from an angle with deadly intent. The hilt was gripped by an Anbu wreathed in flames. His burns were so severe that a normal person would've been long gone, but his speed and strength hadn't faltered one bit. Hikari's eyes narrowed.
*Snap!*
With the Sharingan's insane perception, Hikari stepped back just in time to dodge the strike. Her fingers slashed like a blade, striking the Anbu's wrist and knocking the weapon loose. She followed with a fierce, clean roundhouse kick, nailing his jaw and sending him flying.
Mid-air, the Anbu hurled his blade with his last ounce of strength!
But before it could reach her, Hikari caught it between her palms, twirled it with a flourish, and held it firmly.
"You're *that* desperate to kill me?"
Hikari squinted, striding toward where the Anbu had landed.
He'd rolled to smother the flames, but his body was charred black, barely a patch of unburned skin left. Lying there, gasping, he still tried to drag himself up.
Hikari used the blade's tip to flick off his mask, revealing a scarred face.
Kinda familiar.
"Morino… Ibiki?"
That sounded right.
But wasn't this guy from Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Unit?
Hikari pieced it together. "Torture Unit Head" was Morino Ibiki's job during Team 7's Chunin Exams. Right now, the timeline was years earlier, so he was still an Anbu, probably a few years away from becoming a village mainstay.
The guy's willpower—fighting through the agony of being burned alive—was something else.
Hikari hesitated, then decided against finishing him off.
Her earlier attack was self-defense.
These Anbu were down for the count, so there was no need to keep swinging. Plus, she still had to pass on Namikaze Minato's message to Naruto. If she slaughtered everyone, she'd burn every bridge with Konoha, making her life way harder.
Also…
With half her soul from the modern world, Hikari wasn't exactly used to the whole "killing and bloodshed" thing.
"You… who… *are* you?" Morino Ibiki rasped weakly.
"Me?"
"Just a wandering soul from the Warring States era."
Hikari tossed out the line coolly, not sparing a glance at the blazing inferno behind her, and walked off.
…
Half an hour later.
Hikari stopped in the dense forest, looking up at the sky.
"Okay, seriously… this world doesn't even have the Big Dipper?"
"Which way's south? North? Where'd I even come from?"
This was… kinda embarrassing.
After channeling her inner Uchiha Madara, Hikari had gotten lost in Konoha's forests.
Not entirely her fault, though.
Konoha was *huge*. Beyond the central residential area, it was surrounded by sprawling forests and training grounds stretching dozens of kilometers. Take the "Forest of Death" from the Chunin Exams in the original story—crossing it took Naruto and co. three or four days. And Konoha had *dozens* of similar training grounds.
Without a phone or GPS, finding her way out of an unfamiliar sea of trees was no joke.
"Should've asked Bulma for a compass…"
"Whatever. I'll find a high spot to scout. It's almost dawn. If I can spot the Hokage Rock, I'll know where to go."
Hikari sighed and started looking for a nearby vantage point.
…
Meanwhile.
At the massive crater left by the explosion.
Another squad of animal-masked Anbu arrived, staring at the scene in stunned silence.
"What the hell happened here? This kind of destruction… did another village's Kage show up?!"
"If it was a Kage, it wouldn't be *this* contained."
The squad's leader, with spiky white hair, issued calm orders. "Hawk, take the medical team and get the wounded to Konoha Hospital. Sparrow, notify the commander… and bring the Sealing Corps too. There's something here they need to check."
"Sealing Corps?" one Anbu asked.
"Yeah. There's traces of sealing jutsu in this crater. I suspect it's tied to the intruder's identity. The Sealing Corps can help confirm."
"Got it."
The two named Anbu nodded and left.
Once they were gone, the white-haired leader stepped to the crater's edge, silent for a moment. He removed his mask, revealing a face half-covered by a black cloth.
He lifted a hand, pulling back the cloth over his left eye.
"Sharingan!"
As his left eye opened, crimson three-tomoe glinted, sharpening his view of the crater. The scattered rocks, wood shards, and sealing jutsu remnants on the coffin fragments… and a faint, unique chakra signature that made Hatake Kakashi uneasy.
"Feels like something big's about to go down…"
"Here's hoping it's just my imagination."
**(End of Chapter)**