UK:GSW Chapter 400 – Uchiha Hikari's Redemption
Cola — delicious!
Burgers — tasty!
Fried chicken — scrumptious!
French fries — addictive!
In a very short amount of time, Uchiha Hikari had become completely hooked on the "otaku meal set," unable to extricate herself, turning into a super foodie.
It couldn't be helped — in the past, Uchiha Hikari had only ever "eaten bitterness." In that era of chaos and scarce supplies, even within the entire Uchiha Clan, few had ever tasted anything truly delicious. Most of the time they could only eat dry rations or soldier pills. Meat, if available, could only be prepared in primitive ways, and the result had little to do with real flavor.
Even so, back then, in Hikari's eyes, wild boar meat roasted over a fire with a sprinkle of salt was already the most delicious food imaginable — unforgettable even after tasting it only once.
In that era, eating was simply a matter of not starving to death.
But now, having truly tasted an otaku meal set enhanced with "technology and skill," and moreover, one provided by the system, Uchiha Hikari's worldview was completely overturned. For the first time, she realized that true deliciousness felt like this.
Compared to this, the roasted wild boar meat she once thought was the best tasted practically inedible — something she wished she could erase from her memory.
And so, under the impact of such flavor, Uchiha Hikari completely transformed into a foodie, indulging in eating without restraint, her cheeks puffed like a little hamster.
Seeing this, Uzumaki Kikyo smiled and took out a napkin to gently wipe her face — her movements tender, like a caring big sister.
And indeed, Kikyo had now awakened a "maternal" instinct.
After all, having met her "daughter" years earlier — a girl no younger than herself — and being hugged by her as she cried and poured out her pain and longing, Kikyo could hardly avoid awakening that motherly side.
Though she still wasn't used to having a daughter her own age, and sometimes felt awkward about it, some instincts, once awakened, never fade.
This maternal feeling naturally came forth when dealing with Uchiha Hikari.
After all, Hikari's life had been full of hardship and tragedy.
Her persecution also reminded Kikyo of her own time in the Hidden Grass Village — the way the village treated her back then was not unlike how the Uchiha Clan of the Warring States Period had treated Uchiha Hikari.
This naturally stirred deep sympathy in Kikyo.
And since Uchiha Hikari had been brought back by Uchiha Kei, her empathy was even stronger.
"A girl with a background much like mine, who was ultimately redeemed by Kei-nii."
This was how Kikyo saw Uchiha Hikari.
And so, she was willing to take good care of her.
Thanks to the "otaku meal set" paving the way, Hikari's view of Kei and Kikyo improved greatly — in gaming terms, her affection points had risen sharply.
Feeding to increase affection — an outsider might have thought they were playing a pet-raising game.
But for Uchiha Hikari, it was completely normal.
In this atmosphere, Uchiha Kei seized the moment and invited Hikari to play a genjutsu-based game.
His feelings were complicated, because in the "original" story, the antagonist who unsealed Hikari used her power to create a virtual reality game in the shinobi world that became wildly popular. Hikari had even entered the game herself, met an NPC, and through that NPC became acquainted with Boruto, the protagonist of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
That virtual reality game was, in fact, a variant of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, capable of absorbing players' chakra — but it was still a game nonetheless.
Now, everything had changed. Hikari wouldn't be playing her own creation — she would be playing one made by Uchiha Kei.
When Hikari first heard of a "genjutsu game," she was confused. After it was explained to her, she was shocked, then wary and tense.
After all, the idea of playing a game via genjutsu was far too advanced. Even when genjutsu games first appeared, many suspected it was an Uchiha conspiracy — let alone Hikari, who had PTSD related to the Uchiha.
But after experiencing Kikyo's and Kei's kindness, she hesitated instead of reacting with hostility.
Seeing their smiles, free of killing intent, filled only with goodwill, Hikari finally chose to believe once more, nodding and saying she wanted to try.
So Kei and Kikyo brought her into the genjutsu game Homeland.
The reason they chose Homeland, a cultivation game, instead of others, was simply because Hikari disliked fighting and killing. Though her Warring States past had made her aggressive, deep down she longed for familial warmth and a peaceful life.
Other games weren't suited for her — only Homeland was.
(Sure, Jiraiya's "artistic masterpieces" might also have suited her, but letting Hikari play that would have summoned the "Censorship God" across dimensions to obliterate everything.)
Soon, Hikari was immersed in Homeland, experiencing a vividly real yet fantastical world unlike reality.
The fact that one could easily construct buildings with the right materials left her stunned, her wide eyes filled with disbelief, as if the world were both illusory and beautiful.
She quickly became absorbed in the game's pleasures. With Kei's administrator privileges, she lacked no materials, able to fully enjoy the experience.
Seeing Hikari completely lose herself in the game, her defenses lowered, Kei and Kikyo exchanged a happy smile.
This meant her spiky, hedgehog-like defenses were starting to soften.
That was enough.
Because now, they could bring her into the true "Great Genjutsu World" for members only.
The reason they didn't do this from the start was because entry required using the Sharingan, with the target either not resisting or being unable to resist.
People like Minato Namikaze and Kikyo had offered no resistance, letting Kei pull them in easily. Others, like Sasuke on first meeting, had resisted in vain.
But Hikari was different — as a girl who kept her heart armored like a hedgehog and had severe PTSD toward the Sharingan, "not resisting" wasn't possible.
Even with Kei's goodwill so far, trauma that deep couldn't be healed quickly.
And Hikari's Mangekyō Sharingan was extremely powerful. Though Kei could forcibly suppress her and drag her into the mental network world, doing so would destroy all her goodwill toward him, pushing her into unmatched madness and suspicion. Calming her afterward would be extremely troublesome.
Kei had no desire for such a headache.
So rather than struggle later, he would lay the groundwork now, letting her relax and willingly cooperate.
With his mental network controller privileges, Kei could pull Hikari into the Great Genjutsu World through the game — without her realizing it.
And so, as Hikari was fully immersed in the game's lighthearted joy, Kei used his admin powers and, with a casual "Let's go somewhere even more fun," piqued her curiosity.
The three walked together, and upon passing through a great door, Hikari felt dizzy. When her vision cleared, she was standing on a vast, beautiful grassland.
The endless horizon and open plains made her eyes widen in awe, and she let out an involuntary "Wow!"
Then she asked curiously:
"Where is this?"
Kei smiled.
"This is a hidden place within the game — our secret base. It's called the Great Genjutsu World, and only those we acknowledge can come here."
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she pointed at herself.
"You mean… you acknowledge me? B-but I…"
Nervousness and unease welled up, along with deep-seated inferiority and conflict. She clearly felt she didn't deserve to be acknowledged. Even now, she saw herself as a lowly tool — a role she hated, but one she'd been forced to accept after years of psychological abuse.
So, suddenly being treated as "one of them" brought not joy but self-doubt and fear.
Kikyo stepped forward, comforting and encouraging her.
With patience and warmth — and the natural heat of the Uzumaki Clan — Kikyo tried to melt the closed and self-abasing heart of Hikari. Kei, meanwhile, spoke calmly with a smile:
"That's right, Hikari. As you are now, you're not truly 'one of us' yet. But as Kikyo said, we believe that in the future, you will become one of us for real. You deserve this life and this place."
The core of his words was trust.
Something Hikari had never been given before — trust in her as a person, not as a tool.
Such an experience left her at a loss, emotions stirring in her heart with no idea how to respond.
After a long silence, her gaze drifted, unable to meet theirs, her fingers fidgeting nervously. She stammered,
"S-sorry, I… I don't really understand… I… I'm sorry…"
She couldn't even speak clearly, unsure how to express herself.
Kikyo, feeling sorry for her, hugged her warmly. The embrace made Hikari's eyes widen, her body going still.
Seeing this, Kei's expression shifted. With a touch of mischief but also genuine intent, he smiled and said:
"You don't need to feel any burden — you just need to smile."
Hikari stared at him blankly, then lowered her eyes in thought. At last, her expression stiffened, as if trying to smile.
But she didn't know how. In the end, she could only say apologetically:
"I'm sorry… I don't know how to smile…"
Kei could no longer smile either. Though he knew her past was tragic, hearing such words still made him sigh helplessly as he patted her head.
"Don't force yourself. When you can truly smile from your heart, then laugh freely as you wish."
"As I've said before — now, no one will ever force you again. You just need to live as yourself."
These words, for Hikari, were like pure moonlight — and Kei meant them sincerely, with no hidden agenda.
After that, Kei and Kikyo played with Hikari in the Great Genjutsu World.
They conjured an amusement park, revealed the sea, summoned animals, and simulated all kinds of food.
One thing after another appeared, and Hikari experienced them all.
A girl who had never had a happy childhood finally lived the kind of beautiful life a girl should have in a peaceful and prosperous world.
The experiences weren't beyond what normal people might have — in fact, they matched what a middle-class girl might enjoy in Kei's pre-travel world , though by shinobi-world standards, they were beyond luxurious.
No matter what, after all this, Hikari truly understood what happiness was. And without realizing it, the girl who had never smiled was now smiling constantly.
It was a smile from the heart.
Just as Kei had said — allowing Uchiha Hikari to smile freely.
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