UK:GSW Chapter 401 – Uchiha Hikari's Gratitude, and the Start of Her School Life
Uchiha Hikari – route cleared.jpg
Yes, it was that simple, and that quick — the "route" to Uchiha Hikari was completed.
It might seem ridiculous, as if Hikari had no brain and was easily "fooled" into diving headfirst into the gentle trap Kei had prepared.
But if you bring out her past life, understanding what she went through and what kind of person she truly was, it becomes clear that this was inevitable.
After all, Hikari was only so old, and her experiences and worldview were extremely limited. Loneliness and pain had made her as sensitive as a hedgehog, wrapping herself in spikes.
Yet once a girl like that is willing to trust, willing to accept kindness, willing to retract her spikes and receive gentleness from others, she will embrace it madly and cling to it tightly, never letting go.
Whether it was in the "original" story with Boruto, or now with Kei and Kikyo's help and care, the truth remained the same: once Hikari lowered her self-built defenses, she was easy to capture.
In the "original" story, part of the reason she agreed to help the main antagonist destroy the shinobi world was this mindset. Although the antagonist never truly reached her heart, the fact that he had saved her and was willing to help her get revenge was enough for her to walk alongside him.
Now, in Kei's case, while there was some scheming and method involved in "capturing" her, his intentions were unquestionably kind. He had no desire to use her, only to help this girl with such a tragic past.
So it was only natural that Hikari was "captured" quickly.
Also, the Great Genjutsu World was genuinely fun — no danger to life, and anything could be created just by opening the control interface and manifesting it.
For someone who had never experienced entertainment, this was irresistible joy.
In the "original" story, Hikari had been obsessed with the shinobi-world virtual reality game she created, even playing as an NPC inside it, and enjoying it immensely.
This showed that beneath her cold exterior was a playful heart — she just didn't know how to play because of her upbringing, and so played in rough, simple ways.
Now, with Kei, she could experience what true fun was.
Many of these games came straight from Earth — nonexistent in the shinobi world — so even Kikyo enjoyed playing.
Of course, this wasn't Kikyo's first time; Kei had always been generous with his own people, giving freely to those he liked. These activities had long been implemented in the mental network world, and Kikyo had experienced them before. Now they were simply letting Hikari enjoy them too.
As a side note, Tsunade and Uchiha Naori had also played with Kei like this — each privately — the classic "solo date."
Kei was very fair in this regard.
Beach, ocean, surfing, resort.
In a sunny island scene modeled after real-world tropical resorts like the Maldives, Kei lounged on a balcony chair, sipping coconut juice, watching Hikari and Kikyo laugh as they played in the sea. He felt quite satisfied.
These vacation spots were truly enjoyable to visit from time to time, and with administrator privileges, Kei had designed every detail exactly like the promotional photos — even better than the real Maldives, with no strangers to interrupt them. The best location, all to themselves.
He could even modify the island on a whim — making it larger or populating it with creatures that didn't exist in reality, like dinosaurs.
In fact, he had done just that — recreating Jurassic Park so his friends could see the ancient rulers of Earth with their own eyes.
Of course, others only found it interesting — people from the shinobi world didn't have the same fascination with dinosaurs as Earth natives.
So…
Kei opened the interface and pressed a button.
In the distance, the calm ocean changed — waves formed, catching the attention of Hikari and Kikyo.
The next moment, a massive, dreamlike, starry, impossibly huge creature — a whale that could only be called a Kun — breached from the sea with a melodic call. The sky instantly shifted from day to a clear, star-filled night.
The colossal star whale leapt from the ocean, sending waves rolling, then swam gracefully and powerfully toward the vast starry sky, as Hikari and Kikyo stared in shock, eyes wide, minds filled with the scene in endless replay.
It was overwhelming. Even knowing it was all genjutsu, their hearts were still shaken.
Kei watched their reactions with a smile, then snapped his fingers. The next part of the scene unfolded.
The star whale, like a pathfinder, left a luminous blue trail in the sky — a road to the stars.
Then, a whole pod of smaller star whales emerged from the ocean, each calling melodically as they followed the largest one, migrating toward the heavens.
Their brilliance and the sight of such a majestic migration was a vision that overturned all understanding of the world — a miracle of the universe.
The girls were utterly conquered by the spectacle, a memory they would never forget. It filled them with awe — for beauty, for life, for the cosmos… and for Kei.
Because they both knew: this wonder was something Kei had created just for them.
When it ended, Kikyo gazed at Kei with deep gratitude in her eyes. Hikari, realizing what had happened, also turned to look at him.
Kei simply smiled and waved to them in reply.
In that moment, something new flickered in Hikari's eyes — a feeling even she didn't understand.
After all, how could any girl, especially one so unworldly and untouched by the entertainment-saturated cultures of other worlds, resist such romance and grandeur?
Of course, with age and experience, her perspective would surely change. She was still just a girl, in the midst of growing up, with a long future ahead.
Kei already had plans for her. At fifteen years old, though she looked about thirteen, it was too late to give her a "normal" childhood — so he'd use a little "technology and skill."
His plan was for Hikari to experience school life in the mental network world — not a normal one, but a very anime-styled one, perfectly suited to her mental state.
Because despite her bright smile now, her mind was still that of a typical Uchiha — an extreme psyche tied to the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Normal school life could be full of petty troubles — and with her looks, she'd inevitably draw unwanted attention from foolish boys who didn't know how to express affection, sometimes resorting to teasing or harassment.
In Hikari's current state, that would almost certainly cause trouble.
But — what if Konoha's reforms had changed the education system?
Indeed, among many reform projects, there was one for education. The future Konoha would have schools modeled after Earth's system, not just the ninja academy. They would recruit not only ninja candidates but people from all over the shinobi world.
This was an idea Minato Namikaze and the others had after experiencing elite education systems on Earth via the learning space. Though they couldn't recreate them perfectly in Konoha, building normal schools was their goal.
Elementary school, middle school, high school, university.
This was the planned progression to train talents for all fields — Minato's ultimate vision.
It wouldn't be easy, but they intended to start this year, opening the first normal school, beginning with elementary and middle school.
Thus, Hikari could be placed in the inaugural middle school class. At fifteen but looking thirteen, she could blend in.
Still, she wasn't suited for a normal school environment — so Kei would create a special school just for her in the mental network. One that would teach her while healing her heart.
It would be an all-girls' school, tailored to her character. And maybe, just maybe, there would be a band-formation subplot to pull her into.
In short — warm, fun, and full of stories.
Kei wouldn't script her experiences, just set the stage. How she lived her school life would be entirely up to her.
His goal: to create a paradise for her, and use school life to heal the scars in her heart.
At this moment, Hikari didn't know any of this. She was simply moved by the spectacle Kei had shown her — her heart stirred with recognition and longing.
She wanted to see more, to live more of this life, and never lose it.
So afterward, she approached Kei and said seriously:
"Thank you. If you need me to, I'm willing to fight for you!"
It was from the heart. She didn't know how to express her feelings — her life as a weapon made her think the only thing she could offer was to fight for him, to become his tool.
Even though she hated being a tool, if it was for Kei, she would do it.
Kei sighed, patted her head, and smiled:
"No, Hikari. I told you — from now on, you can live for yourself, do what you want to do, not fight for anyone else."
"If you must fight, I hope it's to protect what you care about, not to be a tool."
Hearing his words, feeling his warmth, Hikari froze, then lowered her head slightly.
When Kei was about to pull his hand away, she caught it, surprising him.
Then she said quietly:
"Just like this is fine… please… let me feel this a little longer… just like this…"
Kei paused, then answered softly:
"…Mm."
In the distance, Kikyo saw and sighed, muttering to Kei:
"Kei-nii, you really are a sinful man…"
"But… that's also why you're the one I like."
Smiling, she turned and left, giving the two Uchiha their space.
Meanwhile, as Hikari was being healed in the main world, a new situation was unfolding in World No. 2.
Healthy Nagato.
Empowered by health, and having captured multiple jinchūriki to make a new Six Paths of Pain, Nagato was preparing to strike World No. 2's Konoha.
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