13 Chapter 13: Bulma's Invitation
Chapter 13: Bulma's Invitation
With new furniture and freshly painted walls, the old and worn single-room apartment was completely transformed.
In the following days, Uchiha Hikaru began to fulfill her role as a guardian as she had claimed, taking responsibility for Naruto and Yūgao Uzuki.
Besides taking Naruto and Yuugao out a few times to shop for daily necessities and visiting Ichiraku Ramen twice, she spent most of her time helping Naruto correct his living habits and teaching him various life skills.
Due to living alone for a long time without guidance, Naruto's daily routine was irregular, and he was not very hygienic, often getting himself dirty... Although the Uzumaki clan's constitution, along with the vitality from being the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, meant these bad habits didn't greatly affect his health, his father, Minato Namikaze, was still deeply concerned.
[User @Eternal Sister Nameless: Miss Hikaru, this is a recipe I've compiled from memory. They are simple home-cooked dishes that even a child could make. If possible, please spend some time teaching Naruto so that he won't always have to eat instant noodles if he's alone in the future.]
[Nameless: Received.]
[User @Eternal Sister Nameless: Also, please remind Naruto not to be picky with food, to eat more vegetables and fruits, not to stay up late, to bathe and change clothes regularly, and to clean his room every two or three days, or sweep daily if possible, and to dispose of garbage promptly...]
[User @Eternal Sister Nameless: There should still be quite a bit of savings from my time with Kushina. Aside from the expenses for Naruto's future schooling and meals, you can use the rest as you see fit...]
[Nameless: All received.]
Well...
In her previous life, Uchiha Hikaru had experience helping her sister take care of children and had some understanding of the nature of this work.
She had prepared herself to deal with an ultimate troublemaker—
According to the original story, Naruto was not a very well-behaved child. Although the ostracism and discrimination were mainly from the villagers, it couldn't be denied that Naruto himself played a role in it. His pranks to get attention were annoying to others and created a vicious cycle.
However...
When she actually started taking care of Naruto, Uchiha Hikaru found the little blonde to be much more well-behaved than expected.
Although he occasionally talked back, he took her criticisms of his bad habits seriously and was working hard to learn life skills like laundry and cooking.
Aside from being a bit slow, there was nothing to criticize.
Uchiha Hikaru was initially puzzled.
But after communicating with Minato Namikaze, she understood everything—
For a long time, Naruto had lived under the neglect and bullying of others. Apart from the Third Hokage occasionally visiting to give him false hope, no one had ever treated him with respect, let alone invested time and effort to care for him as a normal child.
So Uchiha Hikaru's presence filled a void.
In essence, Naruto's attitude towards her was like a drowning person clinging to the last straw, afraid to lose hope, so even if he was asked to do things he didn't like, he would try his best to comply.
Hmm...
(If I suddenly turn against him now and pin this little guy against the wall, cosplaying as Uchiha Itachi, would he go berserk on the spot?)
Uchiha Hikaru couldn't help but consider this possibility.
But it was just a thought. After all, she was quite satisfied with Naruto's behavior during this time, and she didn't have the malice to torment a child to that extent.
"By the way, Naruto."
During her free time, Uchiha Hikaru thought of a question: "In the recent past, have you come across a little girl with pure white eyes, and did you save her from a few kids?"
"…No, I don't remember."
After thinking for a while, Naruto shook his head in denial.
"Is that so..."
Was Hinata, one of the few people who didn't reject Naruto in his childhood, not yet part of his memories, meaning that part of the story hadn't happened yet?
But it wasn't an important plot point, so after satisfying her curiosity, Uchiha Hikaru didn't pursue it further.
After a few peaceful days.
That afternoon.
Bulma mentioned Uchiha Hikaru in the group chat.
[User @Bulma Nameless: Hikaru, I'm going to have summer vacation tomorrow, can you come and help me look for the Dragon Balls?]
[Bulma: It shouldn't take too long, I already have one, and there are six left. If all goes well, we should be able to find them all in about a week.]
"A week?"
In the kitchen.
Uchiha Hikaru paused her chopping and pulled a wry smile.
Gathering seven Dragon Balls in a week... Do you think it's like buying a few cabbages from the market?
But from what she remembered, Bulma's first Dragon Ball hunt wasn't too difficult, except for a little obstruction from Emperor Pilaf towards the end. The first few Dragon Balls were obtained quite smoothly. And since Uchiha Hikaru owed Bulma a favor for using her bombs to rise from the coffin, she naturally wouldn't refuse.
[Nameless: I can, I've pretty much settled down here. I'll talk to Naruto in a couple of days, and then I'll come to you.]
[Bulma: Great!]
[Bulma: By the way, has it been so many days, @Iron Head Boy Tanjiro, have you cut through that stone?]
[Iron Head Boy: I can cut through part of it now! Recently, a blond senior has been coming every day to practice with me, and a black-haired senior sister has been giving me pointers. I should be able to pass Sakonji Urokodaki's test soon!]
[Bulma: Wow, that's amazing!]
[Nameless: ...Not bad. But I suggest you solidify your skills for a while longer before taking the Demon Slayer Corps' entrance exam. Because on the mountain where the exam takes place, there's a demon that has been lurking for decades. Its strength far exceeds the normal level of the trial, and it will definitely target you...]
[Iron Head Boy: ?!]
...
Demon Slayer World, Fujikasane Mountain.
Having just finished practicing a set of Water Breathing sword techniques and resting under a tree stump, Tanjiro suddenly became tense.
[Iron Head Boy: Miss Hikaru, can you explain in more detail?]
[Nameless: That demon is called "Hand Demon." It was captured by Sakonji during the Meiji era and has harbored a grudge against him ever since. It has been hiding in the trial site, killing over a dozen of Sakonji's disciples, those wearing the "Wisteria Flower Engraved Masks." Because it acts very cautiously, no one has discovered its presence until your trial...]
"Mask..."
Tanjiro turned his head.
Across from him, a girl named "Makomo," wearing a short kimono with a plum blossom pattern and black medium-length hair, tilted her head: "What's wrong?"
As Makomo moved, the fox mask hanging on her head swayed.
The mask's fox face was smiling, but the blue flower pattern painted on its cheeks suddenly took on an ethereal quality, as if it were the moon reflected in water, visible but untouchable.
...
(End of Chapter)
