I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 211 Intertwined Future

The next few days.

Uchiha Hikaru remained in the palace to consult with Miroku about the cultivation of "natural energy."

As it turned out, the training method Miroku used was indeed unusable for her. This secret technique was somewhat similar to a bloodline limit, requiring a specific bloodline to be used, and therefore had been passed down only within the priestess lineage for thousands of years, unable to be passed on to others.

but……

At this point, the benefits of learning "ki" in the Dragon Ball world begin to become apparent.

—Back when Uchiha Hikaru first started learning "ki" from the Neko Sage, Namikaze Minato speculated that "ki" and natural energy had some connection, which would make his future Sage Mode training much more effective. And now, his speculation has been proven true.

Thanks to his previous training, Uchiha Hikaru was able to sense the natural energy around him with almost no effort, and could even clearly "see" the differences in the concentration of natural energy in different areas.

However, Hikaru Uchiha was very careful during the process of absorbing them.

In the Naruto world, natural energy is far more dangerous than "ki." A slight mishap during absorption can turn one into a stone statue. Even Naruto, the protagonist, nearly turned into a frog during his first attempt at Sage Mode.

Therefore, you must proceed with caution only after confirming that no errors will occur.

By the way.

According to Maitreya, the concentration of natural energy a thousand years ago was far higher than it is now.

—That's why the first priestess was corrupted by natural energy, and thus created a monster like the Wraith, whose power is comparable to that of a tailed beast.

The reason for the significant decline in natural energy over the past millennium...

This can be attributed to the Otsutsuki clan.

"...According to the ancient murals preserved in the Land of Demons, more than a thousand years ago, a strange seed appeared on this continent. No one knows when it first appeared, but it started as a tiny sprout and gradually grew into a towering tree that connected heaven and earth. In the process, it continuously absorbed energy from nature, almost causing this land to wither."

This transformation only ended when someone known as the "Goddess of the Rabbit" ate the fruit that grew on the tree.

"However, the 'Goddess of the Rabbit' also seemed unable to withstand the powerful energy contained within the fruit, and thus went out of control, causing great destruction to the world. In the end, she was defeated and sealed by the Sage of Six Paths."

Legend has it that during that time, the heavens and earth collapsed, rain and fire raged, countless mountains were leveled, and countless valleys rose from the ground. Even the entire continent was torn into pieces, drifting to different parts of the world... So the continent we are on now is one of the larger pieces of that continent.

As he spoke, Miroku placed a stack of scrolls on the table: "These are the murals from the cellar of the Land of Demons that I once copied. You can take a look at them first. If you would like to see them in person, I can take you to the place where the murals are stored."

"No need."

Uchiha Hikaru casually flipped through a few pages of the picture book, seemingly lost in thought.

She was certainly well aware of the story of the "Goddess of the Rabbit".

But I saw that in the Naruto manga.

In the real ninja world, this was the first time she had ever seen such an ancient record—although much of the information was incomplete, such as the fact that they only knew the title "Goddess of the Rabbit" and did not know the name of Kaguya Otsutsuki, nor did they know her mother-son relationship with the Six Paths brothers... But such a record was already much older and more complete than those of Konoha or other ninja clans such as the Uchiha.

From this perspective, the Land of Demons does indeed have some unique features in terms of its long history, surpassing even the Five Great Nations.

Miroku's narration also stirred Uchiha Hikaru's thoughts—

"Speaking of which, where did the seeds of the Divine Tree come from? Is there a second one? If chakra originated from the Divine Tree, and the Divine Tree grew by absorbing the natural energy within the planet... then doesn't that mean chakra is a derivative of natural energy?"

Uchiha Hikaru stroked his chin, lost in thought.

A thousand years have passed, and the Divine Tree is gone, leaving only the Gedo Mazo in Nagato's hands and the nine Tailed Beasts scattered across the various countries of the continent. Observing the process of the Divine Tree's development and fruition is no longer a realistic possibility.

but……

There are still some items made using the sacred tree as a material—

If I remember correctly, the Uchiha clan's "Uchiha Fan" was made from a branch of the Divine Tree. The other ninja tools in the hands of the Sage of Six Paths, such as the Banana Fan and the Rope Handkerchief, seem to be made from the same material.

If I have the chance in the future, perhaps I can get my hands on them and study them to see if I can discover any secrets of the Otsutsuki clan...

……

While Uchiha Hikaru was concentrating on researching "Sage Techniques," Kikyo was discussing "Sealing Techniques" with Namikaze Minato, Erii was playing with Shion, and Esdeath was idly tending to her plants.

As for Tsunade...

As agreed, she was supposed to continue treating Erii's illness and examining her body.

But just two days later, she secretly ran away and went to a casino on the outskirts of the casino to spend money.

Hmm... because of the mission to seal the demon, the Land of Demons just gave her a generous reward, plus the several million yen deposit from Uchiha Hikaru, it's indeed a considerable sum. A seasoned gambler like Tsunade naturally wouldn't leave such a large sum of money in front of her and just obediently treat someone.

However, thanks to her amazing luck, Tsunade lost nearly ten million dollars in just two or three days, and ended up owing the casino several million dollars. She could only slink back home and start drowning her sorrows in alcohol.

Uchiha Hikaru found this somewhat amusing.

She even started considering having Orochimaru set a trap at the casino in the Land of Rice Fields, lure Tsunade there, swindle her out of hundreds of millions of yen, and ultimately force her to sign a contract to pay off her debts...

In theory, this plan might actually be feasible.

It's a bit despicable...

If she really did that, I'm afraid when the Senju Hashirama brothers are resurrected by Edo Tensei again, they'll point their fingers at her and curse her as a "born evil Uchiha brat"...

Hmm... that scene might actually be quite interesting?

Uchiha Hikaru imagined it for a moment and couldn't help but chuckle.

That afternoon.

After his final inquiry into the matter of "natural energy," Uchiha Hikaru finally couldn't contain his curiosity and asked Miroku about the "prophecy"—

"I've heard that the priestesses of the Land of Demons throughout history have possessed the ability to foresee the future. Is that true?"

Faced with her question.

Miroku pondered for a moment and nodded: "Yes. The 'prophetic ability' of the priestess lineage is activated through vision. Generally, when they see someone for the first time, they will see several images about her future, especially the scene of her death."

The accuracy of a "prophecy" varies depending on the time frame. Generally, it can accurately predict events within a two-year period; beyond that, the accuracy gradually becomes blurred.

"And what about me? Have you seen my 'future'?"

Uchiha Hikaru pointed to himself and asked.

"I'm sorry, you can't see it now."

"Now?"

Miroku hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking: "In fact, when I first met you and your companions, I 'saw' several images. One of them was of you lying in a cold, dark valley, having your chakra drained and dying... But that image vanished almost instantly, and even when I tried to use my prophetic abilities on you afterwards, I could only see a blank screen."

"valley?"

Uchiha Hikaru narrowed his eyes slightly.

Is it...

What Miroku saw was the original Uchiha Hikaru from the timeline, who was awakened during the Boruto era, and was then used and indirectly killed by Meruzu.

With doubts in mind, Uchiha Hikaru asked a few more questions and confirmed that what Miroku had seen was indeed that scene.

Moreover, this priestess also "saw" Esdeath being killed by cursed poison, Kikyo being killed by Naraku, Erii dying at the hands of the Holy Relic, and even Tsunade being cut in two by Susanoo. Without exception, these scenes flashed by in an instant, and without exception, they all turned into blank screens.

"...Although I'm not entirely certain, I think this might mean that your future has changed, and you are no longer bound by a predetermined fate. Therefore, my 'prophecy' can no longer observe you."

Maitreya carefully considered his tone before offering an explanation.

"Um……"

Uchiha Hikaru nodded thoughtfully.

indeed.

Aside from herself, Erii, Kikyo, and others are all destined to die according to the original storylines of their respective worlds, and the time intervals between them are not far apart. Esdeath, in particular, might only have a few months to live according to the original storyline...

However, the moment she appeared in the worlds of Inuyasha, Dragon Clan, and Akame ga Kill!, the fates of Erii and the others changed, becoming intertwined with hers. Under these circumstances, naturally, no one could predict what their future would hold.

(From this perspective, the priestess's "prophecy" and the Great Toad Sage are indeed very similar, both being observations of so-called "fate." I just wonder if there is a supreme being in this world who controls "fate"?)

After pondering for a moment and asking Miroku again, Uchiha Hikaru finally gave up his plan to try learning the "prophecy" ability, which was a talent that could not be taught or cultivated.

……

After spending about ten days in the Land of Demons, experiencing the local customs and various local delicacies.

Uchiha Mitsuaki, along with Esdeath and the others, bid farewell and left.

Before leaving.

Maitreya solemnly gave her his bell.

"Master Guang, this bell is a token passed down through generations of priestesses. It contains the spiritual power infused by priestesses of all ages, including mine. You can carry it with you and observe it occasionally; it might provide some inspiration for your cultivation of 'immortal arts'."

"...Thank you."

Uchiha Hikaru raised an eyebrow in surprise, then thanked him and took the bell with both hands.

Although she is still exploring ways to absorb natural energy, she can clearly feel that the bell contains a considerable amount of energy. If she can absorb it all, her strength may increase significantly from its current level.

Correspondingly, Maitreya's strength will likely be greatly reduced after losing this bell. If the demon breaks free again, even if she were willing to sacrifice her life, she might not be able to seal it back.

This gift was invaluable to both her and the Land of Demons.

So, Uchiha Hikaru took out a few Senzu Beans from his person, wrapped them in silk cloth, and handed them back.

"These beans are called 'Sage Beans,' and they are miraculous medicines that can heal all injuries and instantly restore strength. Consider this a return gift. Also, if the demons reappear in the future, or if the Land of Demons encounters any intractable troubles, please write to me. If I have time, I will come to visit."

"?!"

Maitreya opened his eyes slightly, declined a few times, and then accepted it with profuse thanks.

the other side.

Tsunade looked at her with some suspicion: "That bean... is it really that magical? It can heal all injuries, so isn't that the same as my 'Hundred Healings Technique'?"

"More or less."

In Uchiha Hikaru's view, the "Hundred Healings Technique" can only be considered a lower-level version of Senzu Beans.

At least Hashirama Senju's passive ability, or Karin Uzumaki and her daughter's "Healing Body," would be needed to put them side by side for a proper comparison.

present.

Miroku, along with Shion, Endo Sakumo, and the others, stood in place, watching Uchiha Hikaru and his group walk away.

Until both figures gradually disappeared from sight.

Uchiha Mitsuya turned to Tsunade beside him: "By the way, Miss Tsunade, have you decided where you want to go? How about coming to my research institute? The 30 million yen annual salary I promised is still valid. If you perform exceptionally well, you can also receive an additional bonus."

"...Gulp."

Upon hearing the word "reward," Tsunade swallowed hard, coughed, and said, "This matter is of great importance, and I need to consider it carefully... However, I promise to do my utmost in treating Erii. If necessary, I can communicate with Orochimaru through correspondence to discuss our research progress."

For Tsunade, who is currently in debt for millions, 30 million yen a year is indeed very attractive.

However, cooperating with Orochimaru, a rogue ninja, still made her hesitant, so she chose to "cooperate only regarding Erii's condition." Compared to her explicit refusal a few days ago, this was already a concession, so it seemed only a matter of time before she lowered her standards further.

With the imprint left earlier, Uchiha Hikaru wasn't worried about not being able to find Tsunade if something happened.

At an intersection, Uchiha Hikaru stopped and waved goodbye to Tsunade.

Then, the latter walked silently to the side of the road.

Uchiha Hikaru turned back to Kikyo: "Kikyo, what about you? What are your plans? Want to hang around here for a bit, just to relax?"

"……Can."

Kikyo was silent for a moment, then nodded.

(End of this chapter)