I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 13 Bulma's Invitation

The furniture was replaced and the walls were repainted.

The old single apartment has been completely transformed.

The next few days.

Uchiha Hikaru began to perform the duties of a substitute guardian as he had said.

Aside from taking Naruto and Uzuki Yugao out to buy daily necessities a few times and going to Ichiraku Ramen twice, she spent most of the rest of her time helping Naruto correct his living habits and teaching him various life skills.

Because he lived alone for a long time and had no one to teach him, Naruto's daily routine was very irregular, and he didn't pay much attention to hygiene, often getting himself all dirty... Although the Uzumaki clan's constitution, plus the life force brought by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, meant that these bad habits didn't have much impact on his health, his father, Minato Namikaze, was extremely worried.

[Yongdai Mei @ Wuming: Miss Guang, these are recipes I compiled from memory. They're all very simple home-style dishes that even a child could make. If possible, please take some time to teach Naruto, so that even if no one is around to accompany him in the future, he won't always have to eat instant noodles.]

[Anonymous: Received.]

[Yongdai Mei: Also, please remind Naruto not to be picky about food, to eat more vegetables and fruits, not to stay up late, to shower and change clothes frequently, to clean his room every two or three days if possible, and to clean it every day if he has time, and to take out the trash promptly...]

[Kushina: Kushina and I still have a considerable amount of savings from back then. Aside from Naruto's future school and food expenses, you can take whatever you want from the rest...]

[Anonymous: All received.]

Well...

In his previous life, Uchiha Hikaru had helped his older sister take care of her children, so he had some understanding of the nature of this kind of work.

She was fully prepared to face an extremely unruly child—

Judging from the original storyline, Naruto wasn't exactly a well-behaved child. While the ostracism and discrimination were mainly the villagers' fault, it's undeniable that Naruto himself played a role in contributing to it. After all, his pranks to get attention were annoying to others, creating a vicious cycle.

Can……

When Hikaru Uchiha actually started taking care of Naruto, he found that the blond-haired boy was much more obedient than he had expected.

Although I sometimes argue with her, I am very serious about correcting the bad habits she points out, and I am also trying to learn life skills such as laundry and cooking.

Aside from being a bit slow, there's nothing to criticize.

Uchiha Hikaru was initially a little confused.

However, after talking with Minato Namikaze, she understood everything—

For a long time, Naruto lived under the bullying and indifference of others. Apart from the Third Hokage occasionally coming over to bully him, no one was willing to look at him seriously, let alone invest time and energy in him and treat him like a normal child.

Therefore, the appearance of Uchiha Hikaru filled this void.

To put it bluntly, Naruto's attitude towards her was probably like a drowning person grabbing at the last straw, afraid that hope would be dashed, so even if he was asked to do something he didn't like, he would try his best to comply.

Ok……

(If I suddenly turned on him right now, pinned this little guy against the wall, and dressed up as Itachi Uchiha, would he immediately turn evil and go berserk?)

Uchiha Hikaru couldn't help but think of this possibility.

However, it was just a thought. After all, she was quite satisfied with Naruto's performance during this period, and she wasn't so malicious as to manipulate a child.

"Oh, right, Naruto."

In his spare time, Uchiha Hikaru thought of a question: "Did you recently encounter a little girl with pure white eyes, and even rescue her from several children?"

"...No, I don't remember."

Naruto thought for a moment, then shook his head in denial.

"yes……"

Hinata was one of the few people Naruto didn't dislike when he was a child, so it's unlikely he wouldn't remember her if they met. Therefore, that part of the story probably hasn't happened yet.

But this wasn't a major plot point, and after satisfying his curiosity, Uchiha Hikaru didn't ask any further questions.

After a few days of this peaceful period...

That afternoon.

Bulma tagged Uchiha Hikaru in the group chat.

[Bulma @ Anonymous: Hikari, my summer vacation starts tomorrow! Can you come over and help me find the Dragon Balls?]

[Bulma: It shouldn't take you too long. I already have one, and there are six left. If everything goes smoothly, I should be able to find them all in about a week.]

"A week?"

In the kitchen.

Uchiha Hikaru stopped chopping vegetables and gave a wry smile.

Collecting all seven Dragon Balls in a week... Do you think it's like going to the market to buy a few cabbages?

However, as far as I remember, Bulma's first attempt to collect the Dragon Balls wasn't too difficult. Aside from a slight obstacle when she encountered King Pilaf at the end, she obtained the first few Dragon Balls quite smoothly. Furthermore, Uchiha Hikaru owed Bulma a considerable favor for using Bulma's bomb to lift his coffin, so naturally he wouldn't refuse her request.

[Nameless: Sure, I'm pretty settled here. I'll talk to Naruto in a couple of days and then come over to see you.]

Bulma: Okay!

[Bulma: By the way, after all these days, has @IronHeadedTanjiro cut through that rock yet?]

[Iron-Headed Kid: I can already cut it open a bit! Lately, a blond senior brother has been sparring with me every day, and a black-haired senior sister has been giving me pointers. I should be able to pass Master Urokodaki's test soon!]

Bulma: Wow, that's amazing!

[Nameless: ...Not bad. But I suggest you consolidate your strength for a while longer before participating in the Demon Slayer Corps' entrance trial. Because on the mountain where the entrance trial takes place, there's a demon that's been lurking for decades. Its strength far exceeds the level of the normal trial, and it will definitely be targeting you...]

[Iron-Headed Kid: ?!]

……

Demon Slayer: The World of Kyokiyama.

Tanjiro, who had just finished practicing a set of Water Breathing sword techniques and was resting under a tree stump, suddenly tensed up.

[Ironhead; Miss Guang, could you elaborate?]

[Nameless: That demon is called "Hand Demon." It was captured by Urokodaki during the Meiji era and harbors a deep hatred for him. It has been lurking in the trial grounds, killing more than a dozen of Urokodaki's disciples—those who wear those "disaster-averting masks." Because it acts so cautiously, no one discovered its existence until you participated in the trial...]

"mask……"

Tanjiro turned his head.

Across from her, a girl named Makomo, wearing a short kimono with a plum blossom pattern and medium-length black hair, tilted her head: "What's wrong?"

As Makomo moved, the fox mask she wore on her head swayed.

The fox face on the mask was smiling, but the blue flower pattern painted on its cheek suddenly took on an ethereal quality. Like the moon reflected in water, visible yet unattainable.

……

(End of this chapter)