From Lu Mingze's words, Uchiha Hikari finally learned the plot direction of the Naruto: Dragon World Modified Edition—
The people of the Snake Clan Eight Families, of course, had no idea about her true connection to the Naruto world.
And as the manga's author, Kishimoto Qi Shi had even less information to work with.
So, after hearing about her character's "inspiration" from Crow and others, Kishimoto naturally cast her as a descendant of the Uchiha clan. After the Battle of the Valley of the End, she followed her "grandfather," Uchiha Madara, fleeing Konoha to lurk in the shadows of the ninja world, stirring up chaos.
During the First Great Ninja War, at just five years old, she joined her "grandfather" in an assassination plot against Senju Tobirama. They killed the Second Hokage along with the Gold and Silver Horns squad, claiming the Six Paths ninja tools in the process.
In the Second Great Ninja War, she went undercover as an "orphan of the Rain Country" to get close to Yahiko's group. Over years, she earned their trust, setting the stage for the founding and eventual destruction of the original Akatsuki, as well as Yahiko's death.
During the Third Great Ninja War, wearing a whirlpool mask and posing as "Uchiha Madara," she maneuvered between nations, forging alliances and single-handedly orchestrating a situation where the four great ninja villages ganged up on Konoha. She personally joined the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, taking the right eye of her clansman, Uchiha Obito, and integrating his Kamui ability into her own Mangekyo Sharingan, gaining a rare space-time ninjutsu.
As for the Nohara Rin incident, the Nine-Tails attack, and the Uchiha clan massacre…
Yup, those were all her doing, too.
All of this was to shatter the existing ninja world order, end the ninja profession, and create an unprecedented unified empire.
—This was also Uchiha Madara's will.
Well…
Even though she was somehow saddled with a ton of blame, Hikari actually thought this resume sounded pretty reasonable and smooth. If she didn't already know the original Naruto story, she might've believed, like this world's readers, that "Uchiha Hikari" was a character Kishimoto had planned from the start, with all those unexplained events serving as deliberate foreshadowing.
And the wildest part? There was more.
Normally, a villain like her, responsible for so many atrocities, should've been universally despised.
But—whether it was because Kishimoto drew her mask-removal scene too stunningly, or because the manga devoted tons of pages to vividly depicting her journey, from being mentored by Madara as a child, to witnessing the horrors of the Rain Country's war as a teen, to forming her ideology as an adult…
Whatever the reason, readers' reactions to this new character were surprisingly positive.
In a recent official poll, she'd even surpassed Hyuga Hinata, claiming the spot as the second most popular female character.
Yup… first place was Haruno Sakura.
Considering Sakura was the designated heroine from the start, active for over a decade, while Hikari only debuted after the Five Kage Summit as a ruthless villain, climbing to this rank in just half a year was pretty jaw-dropping.
Oh, and…
The figurine of her that Eriyi mentioned last time? It was already up for pre-order, with over 100,000 people in the first batch alone…
"Hmm…"
Hikari mulled it over, finding it hard to judge.
It seemed like she didn't just steal Obito's role—she'd also nabbed parts of Danzo, Madara, Itachi, and even Sasuke's spotlight.
With all that screentime, plus the rare "female Uchiha" attribute, it made sense she'd gain some popularity… or not!
"Living from Madara's era to the Fourth Great Ninja War? I'd have to be over fifty, right? Wouldn't that make me an old hag like Tsunade?"
At that age, still "beautiful"? Was she Tianshan Tonglao or something?
"Theoretically, yeah," Lu Mingze nodded, dead serious. "But you were implanted with First Hokage cells as a kid, and one of your Mangekyo abilities, 'Mokukayehime,' lets you draw vitality from plants to heal injuries and stay youthful. So, your appearance hasn't changed much over decades. Even in the latest chapters, you look like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old black-haired girl."
"…Wow."
Hikari was speechless.
She suddenly had the urge to grab a copy of Shonen Jump to see what the original manga was like.
In a world where the plot had veered off the original outline and added a modified character, yet still managed to pull it together with a semi-plausible explanation… this world's Kishimoto was seriously talented.
And, well, the Snake Clan Eight Families probably had a hand in it.
After all, "Mokukayehime" sounded suspiciously similar to her self-healing ability, which was also a core dragon king power. Hard to believe there was no connection.
Silence.
Several minutes passed.
Lu Mingze chuckled and spoke again. "Looks like your experiences don't perfectly align with this world's Naruto. But I think that's pretty cool. No one wants to be stuck with a predetermined fate…
Anyway, if you're curious, I can grab you a full set of the latest Naruto manga as a friendly welcome gift. But for now…
Interested in making a deal?"
"A deal?" Hikari snapped out of her manga thoughts, narrowing her eyes. "Meaning?"
"Since you've seen works depicting our world, you probably know a bit about my identity and what I'm after.
"I once ruled the world, but due to certain events, I fell, and now my strength is barely a fraction of what it was. I can't even handle simple tasks like punishing traitors myself. I'm stuck scheming in the shadows like a human, using plots to achieve my goals.
Even so, I still wield some power and authority. If you're willing to ally with me and help with a few things, I'll offer you a generous reward."
"…"
Hikari fell silent.
Then, she took a deep breath and looked up. "Let's get one thing straight: I'm protecting Jormungandr and Fenrir, those two dragons. If you're okay with that, we can talk about the rest."
"…"
Now it was Lu Mingze's turn to go quiet.
Xia Mi and her brother were definitely on his hit list.
And they were just below the Fire Kings, Norton and Constantine, in priority.
In theory, after dealing with Norton and Constantine, he'd start scripting Xia Mi and Fenrir's demise.
But…
"…Fine."
Lu Mingze nodded, seeming reluctant. "The Jormungandr siblings are traitors, sure, but their crimes aren't that severe. They've paid a heavy price over thousands of years, so letting them off isn't a big deal. The other dragon kings, though—they're on my list. You won't stand in my way, right?"
As he spoke, Lu Mingze's eyes flickered, flashing a molten-gold hue.
To Hikari, though he still looked like a refined young boy, his aura had shifted—carrying the majesty and presence of a sovereign, rivaling Esdeath, or perhaps even surpassing her!
But…
"Heh."
Hikari smirked, her own eyes glinting with fiery red. "If we're talking business, let's talk properly. Otherwise, I don't mind stretching my legs and sparring with you."
"…"
…
Honestly, Hikari was itching to test herself against Lu Mingze.
In the Dragon Clan world, she'd barely met any real opponents. Even in his weakened state, Lu Mingze was bound to be stronger than "top-tier hybrid" Xia Mi. Fighting him would give her a sense of Odin and the White King's weight.
But the fight didn't happen.
They spent over an hour negotiating in the Bronze City, exchanging views on "hunting dragon kings" in a candid, friendly atmosphere, reaching several key agreements.
Lu Mingze wanted revenge.
Hikari wanted dragon king blood and tissue samples. If possible, she'd love to snag a dragon bone cross or two to study how a non-native could acquire a dragon king's unique powers.
—Especially the White King's "Spirit" authority, which Hikari suspected shared traits with Naruto's "Yin power." If she could get her hands on it, it'd be a huge boost for her eye technique training.
Plus, Hikari had another task: helping Eriyi deal with Herzog once and for all. She could probably handle it alone, but with Lu Mingze, the "local dragon," pitching in, it'd save her a lot of effort.
Their goals didn't clash.
So, they had a basis for cooperation.
"You don't need to help with Norton—I've already got a hunting plan for him. Your taking Constantine caused a slight hiccup, but with some tweaks, it's still usable," Lu Mingze said.
"The real trouble is 'Odin,' the King of Sky and Wind. Herzog's moves in Japan? Odin's been pulling strings behind the scenes. In a way, he's our common enemy.
"Once Norton's dealt with, I'll contact you, and we can take him down together."