371-375

Chapter 371: How Many Divisions Does the Daimyo Have? 

"Uh..." 

Minato Namikaze was momentarily speechless. 

He didn't doubt whether Uchiha Hikari could get the Five Kage to "agree," especially since the two had just fought side-by-side in the Pirate World. Judging by the strength Uchiha Hikari displayed when defeating Imu, subduing the current Five Kage, who were generally around his own power level, would be more than enough. 

Not to mention, Uchiha Hikari was currently undergoing special training on Planet Namek. By the time she returned to the Shinobi World, her strength would undoubtedly have reached another level. 

However... 

"Establishing a unified political system has no precedent in the history of the shinobi world. Even if the Five Kage are forced to submit, the people might still have concerns. And what about the daimyo and nobles of each country...?" 

"How many divisions does the daimyo have?" 

Uchiha Hikari said lightly, "Things involving changes in societal structure naturally won't go smoothly, but everything in the world rises in spirals. If we could achieve our goal all at once, then it wouldn't be our turn to do it. 

"The territory of the Shinobi World is limited, after all. It can't be more difficult to reconcile than the hundreds, even thousands, of countries and hundreds of different races forming a united government in the Pirate World, right?" 

Actually, compared to the World Nobles, the daimyo of the Shinobi World were doing quite well. 

According to the descriptions in the original work and the information Uchiha Hikari had gathered while she was in the shinobi world, the daimyo were basically responsible for the economic and livelihood issues in all regions outside the ninja villages. Perhaps some daimyo were less capable, but at least in terms of their character, they were decent. 

In contrast, the World Nobles, with the exception of a few individuals, were mostly abstract "humanoids." 

If they were put on the set of the Demon Slayer world next door, they'd probably all be begging Muzan to turn them into demons, then use their long lives to find every way imaginable to torment any humans they encountered... 

However. 

Regardless of their character, the very existence of the "daimyo" as a group was an obstacle to social change in the Shinobi World. If the shinobi world was to take another step forward beyond the era of ninja villages, then this group had to be eliminated. 

As for those daimyo, if they were capable, they could be hired to work in the new government's civilian departments and continue their old profession. Incompetent parasites would simply be given some severance pay and sent home to retire, which would be considered more than fair. 

As for the other group that needed to be eliminated, it was... 

"Ninja." 

The ninja system was, in essence, a system for cultivating war machines. The vast majority of ninjutsu were developed for killing, and the ninja codes established by various countries also prioritized killing. Growing up in such a high-pressure environment, those who maintained a normal personality were the minority; most were somewhat twisted, even sadistically enjoying torturing others. 

"...Is that what you think too, Miss Hikari?" 

Minato Namikaze nodded, agreeing deeply: "I've long felt that the ninja training system in each village is neither reasonable nor humane. It is this very system that has created the endless cycle of hatred in the ninja world. I had intended to try and make some changes during my time as Hokage, but I died during the Nine-Tails' attack before I could act..." 

Well, for that, Minato Namikaze would have to thank his good student. 

While the Shinobi World had a tradition of killing one's master, it usually targeted the individual, and there was often some emotional attachment. 

Situations like Obito's, where he was utterly ruthless and immediately targeted family, were truly rare. 

Uchiha Hikari had already told Minato Namikaze in the chat group that "Tobi = Obito" and had promised to let him resolve the matter himself, so she didn't say much more for now. She just briefly mentioned her ideas about using ninjutsu for productive development. 

Of course... 

Whether it was using ninjutsu to boost productivity or promoting resource allocation among the Five Great Nations, these were "internal factors." 

But if you wanted this scattered sand, which was originally fighting among themselves, to quickly put aside personal grievances and unite... 

Then a sufficiently powerful external enemy would be very useful. 

—That's right, we're talking about the Otsutsuki. 

"Minato-sensei, what do you say... we release Kaguya Otsutsuki?" 

"...Huh?" 

Minato Namikaze's mind was still very sharp. 

Although he was momentarily stunned by Uchiha Hikari's suggestion, he quickly realized the issue: 

"I see, using the pressure of the Otsutsuki clan to force the various shinobi nations to unite and stop their internal conflicts... But to do that, you'd have to collect the Tailed Beasts first, wouldn't you? Isn't that what the Akatsuki are doing right now?" 

"Yes, it is." 

Uchiha Hikari nodded: "Actually, summoning the God Tree doesn't require all the Tailed Beast chakra. Just by extracting a portion of chakra from each jinchuriki and injecting it into the Gedo Statue, it can evolve." 

—This was verified in the original work. 

The Ten-Tails that Madara Uchiha ultimately created was accomplished without half of the Nine-Tails and a piece of the Eight-Tails' tentacle. Theoretically, as long as there's a portion of chakra from the nine Tailed Beasts as a catalyst, and enough chakra is injected, the Ten-Tails can evolve into its God Tree form, thus breaking the seal on the moon and reviving Kaguya. 

Once they witness the horror of the Otsutsuki clan, the Five Kage will naturally consider uniting. At that point, going with the flow will be much easier than forcibly pushing for a unified government. 

"...Understood." 

Minato Namikaze pondered for a moment, then finally sighed: "This really is the best way to end the chaotic era of the shinobi world. When I return this time, I will take on the responsibility of investigating the locations of the other eight Tailed Beast jinchuriki." 

Minato, in his current Edo Tensei state, needed to wait for his clone in the Pirate World to be fully cultivated before his resurrection could be carried out. 

Also, because of his Edo Tensei state, he couldn't practice "ki" or chakra at all right now. He could only work on his synchronization with the half of the Nine-Tails inside him, and the "Golden Fox Mode" that stemmed from it—though there wasn't much to practice there, as using "Golden Fox Mode" was entirely up to the tsundere Nine-Tails. 

In this state, Minato was perfectly capable of being a scout. 

Anyway, Minato only needed to figure out the locations of each jinchuriki and then apply a Hiraishin seal to each of them, ensuring he could instantly teleport there. 

As the key figure in the Ten-Tails' revival, Uchiha Hikari had much more to consider. 

Chapter 372: "That Woman... She Might Make a Good Kazekage" 

With that, the basic plan for the ninja world's future was settled. 

Minato Namikaze put aside his original idea of returning to the Leaf Village to visit old friends. Instead, he decided to travel the ninja world as an anonymous "wandering ninja." His mission was twofold: first, to execute the "Jinchuriki Imprinting Plan," and second, to investigate the current state of people in the various nations. He needed to figure out what obstacles and challenges they would face in pushing for a "unified government." 

Uchiha Hikari, meanwhile, decided to stay on Planet Namek to focus on dramatically improving her own core abilities. 

When Yamato heard Minato was leaving, he was pretty down about it. He asked to go along, but when Minato refused, the oni princess took out her Hannya mask and gave it to him to conceal his identity. 

In truth, as long as Minato didn't want to be found, it would be nearly impossible. Before becoming the Hokage, he was a battle-hardened elite jōnin, and his Flying Raijin Jutsu was a thing of legend. Even if he ran into someone he couldn't beat, like the Six Paths of Pain, he could just "teleport" to another world entirely. Besides, most people wouldn't connect a fast-moving, blond-haired young man with the Fourth Hokage, who had been dead for years. 

"...Then, I'll leave Naruto in your care for now, Hikari," Minato said, ruffling his son's spiky blond hair. 

"Yeah, I'll find some time to go back to the Leaf and drop him off," Uchiha Hikari nodded. 

Naruto had been away for a good while now—it had been four or five months since the "Dimensional Pirate Crew" was formed. While he was having a great time on the ship, it was clear he missed his friends in the Leaf, like Sasuke and Kiba, and Karin in the Grass Village. If he stayed away too long, he might become disconnected from his peers, which wouldn't be good. 

So, Minato was the first to return to the ninja world, where he began traveling under an alias. 

A few days later, Uchiha Hikari took a trip back to the Leaf to return Naruto. She also checked in with Itachi, Fugaku, and the other Uchiha clan members to see how things were going. Afterward, she went to the Grass Village to meet with Karin, Kimimaro, and the mother-and-son duo of Nonoyu and Kabuto, who were temporarily managing the village in Orochimaru's absence. 

Once she confirmed everything was in order, she returned to the Dragon Ball world and began her "Super Hikari Training Plan." 

Time flew by. 

Over the next few months, Uchiha Hikari and Esdeath stayed on Planet Namek, training day in and day out. 

During this time, the half-Saiyan body Uchiha Hikari got from Porunga began to truly show its power, making her stronger every day. Both the total amount of her "ki" and her control over it grew steadily. Her rate of improvement was so fast that even Nail was impressed. 

Esdeath and Yamato weren't improving at such a wild pace, but they were still making steady progress. 

Of course, a big part of this was thanks to the Gravity Training Room, as well as the technical support from Bulma and Dr. Brief. 

Over the past few months, Uchiha Hikari had taken Bulma back to Earth a few times to get some lab equipment from West City. She then set up a lab on Planet Namek, where the main focus was researching Uchiha Hikari's half-Saiyan physiology and the cells of the Namekians. 

To do this, Bulma even set up a communication link with her father, Dr. Brief, to ensure they could discuss their research without any barriers, despite being light-years and even entire dimensions apart. 

Before, Dr. Brief only had Goku's blood sample to work with, so a lot of his research was just speculation because he lacked a control group. Now, with Uchiha Hikari as a newly-formed half-Saiyan, they had a lot more to work with, and the project moved forward quickly. 

However, to be safe, this research was being kept to a small, trusted circle of people: Bulma, her father, Kikyo, and Lady Tamayo. Uchiha Hikari didn't want her blood sample falling into the hands of Dr. Gero or Orochimaru. If they used it against her in the future, it would be a huge problem. It was better to keep it limited to people she could absolutely trust. 

During this same period, Minato had traveled from the Land of Fire through the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Lightning. 

Every so often, he would send an update to the group chat, sharing photos and descriptions of what he was seeing. This was partly to satisfy Yamato's curiosity, but also to discuss the problems and solutions for each region with Uchiha Hikari and the others. 

For example, in the Land of Wind... 

[Minato: Um... the one-tailed Jinchuriki of the Sand Village is the biological child of Rasa and Karura, right?] 

[Minato: I've heard you mention things about him before, but seeing him in person, it's still a bit shocking. Is this really how Rasa planned to train a Jinchuriki's capacity?] 

[Nameless: You mean by sending people to assassinate Gaara? That's just a normal day for him. The Kazekage would even send the village's war heroes to be killed by the Hidden Mist. His thought process is even crazier than your student's... Oh, are Pakura and Yashamaru still alive right now?] 

[Minato: Huh, is the "hero of the Sand Village" you're talking about Pakura? I fought her during the last Ninja War... Rasa would actually do something like that?] 

[Nameless: See? I told you he's strange.] 

A few days later, Minato sent a message to the group chat: "Pakura is still alive." 

Uchiha Hikari then remotely suggested that he try to save her. The best time to do this would be when she was ambushed by the Hidden Mist. Even if he was a little late, it wouldn't matter—a single Senzu Bean would fix her up. 

[Nameless: That woman... she might make a good Fifth Kazekage.] 

Although the original story didn't focus much on Pakura, her reputation and strength seemed to be at a Kage level. With the added factor of Minato saving her life, it should be no problem to get her to lead the Sand Village and agree to join the "New Ninja World Government." 

As for Rasa? That guy has such a bizarre way of thinking and can't get anything right. He should just resign, focus on developing his Gold Dust, and go be a gold miner. Leading a village is clearly too much for his intelligence. 

Chapter 373: You Know Nothing of True Power! 

Since Yakura was mentioned, Uchiha Hikari brought up Deidara as well. 

That explosion-obsessed kid was around Itachi's age. At this point in time, he was likely thirteen or fourteen, just after his falling out with the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. 

Even though the Uchiha clan's story had changed, leading to Itachi not joining the Akatsuki, things in the Hidden Stone Village were likely the same. Obito would still probably notice this talented genius with a knack for explosives. If they could get to Deidara before he joined the Akatsuki, he'd be a great asset for things like mining and building dams in the future. 

[Mizukage: ...I understand. I'll keep an eye out for the people you mentioned, Lady Hikari.] 

With clear targets in mind, Minato's actions were swift and efficient. 

Within a few days, he found a chance to get close to the young Gaara and place a special marking on him. 

Then he followed Yakura's group all the way to a forest near the Land of Waves. When she was ambushed by Hidden Mist ninja and on the verge of death, he saved her. A single ninja-healing bean brought her back to full health. 

Having experienced such betrayal, Yakura's view of the world was shaken. Minato's impassioned and logical words convinced her, and she decided to join the "New Shinobi World Alliance" to help bring this vision to life. 

Realizing that making their vision a reality required practical action, Yakura decided to follow Minato and travel the world with him to see if their plans were feasible. 

This outcome wasn't too surprising. 

But still... 

[Bulma: That Lady Yakura, she doesn't know who you really are, does she, Lord Minato? Won't there be a risk of your identity being exposed if you travel with her?] 

[Unnamed: I don't think his identity will be revealed; he is the Fourth Hokage after all. But something else interesting might happen...] 

The Namikaze clan's bloodline seemed to have a knack for rescuing damsels in distress—it was true for both Minato and his son, Naruto. And Yakura, as it happened, was a powerful, unmarried young woman. 

If this rescue sparked some special feelings, or even affection, for Minato... that could be entertaining to watch. 

[Mizukage: ...] 

[Mizukage: Thank you for the reminder, Lady Hikari. I'll be extra careful about that.] 

[Unnamed: I wasn't reminding you of anything... Never mind. What about the Land of Water?] 

The shinobi world at this time was mostly peaceful. It had been less than ten years since the Third Great Ninja War, and the villages were still in a phase of recovery. The jinchuriki of the nine tailed beasts were either still children—like Naruto, Gaara, and the girl from the Hidden Waterfall Village—or living on the fringes of their villages—like Rōshi from the Land of Earth and Utakata from the Land of Water. 

With Minato's skills, it wasn't hard to find them, get close, and place his special marking on each of them. 

There was only one exception: 

[Mizukage: I'll leave Yagura for the final leg of this journey.] 

[Mizukage: After I've visited the other great nations, I'll make a separate trip to the Land of Water to meet with the Fourth Mizukage, and... my disciple.] 

Besides Minato's movements, things were still happening in the other worlds of the group members. The world of Jujutsu was particularly worth noting. 

More than half a year had passed since Uchiha Hikari and the others last visited. 

During this time, Gojo Satoru went through a lot of trouble and overcame resistance from the higher-ups in the jujutsu world to finally collect all of Sukuna's fingers, along with his mummified body. This was the prerequisite for bringing Sukuna back to life. 

After learning this from Itadori Yuji, Hikari used a break from her training to take Esdeath and Yamato on another trip to that world. 

They, along with Gojo's group from the academy and some of the higher-ups—who were there to supervise how Gojo handled Sukuna and to observe how dangerous Hikari's group was—went to a secluded beach area in Fukushima, north of Tokyo. There, they fed all twenty fingers to Itadori Yuji and used his body to resurrect Sukuna. 

"Hah... hahaha! You fools!" 

"To actually dare to bring me back with my full power... It seems you know nothing of true strength! As a worthy challenge, I, Sukuna, commend your courage!" 

The moment he was revived, the "King of Curses" from a thousand years ago let out a booming laugh, his presence several times more intense than the last time he appeared in his ten-finger state. This caused almost everyone there—except for the outsiders, Uchiha Hikari and her companions—to look on in surprise. 

Yuta Okkotsu immediately drew his sword. Nanami Kento pulled down his tie. Even Gojo Satoru took off his sunglasses, revealing his piercing blue Six Eyes. 

But Sukuna's gaze only lingered on them for a moment before turning to Uchiha Hikari. A mocking expression appeared on Itadori Yuji's face. "We meet again, little girl. Is it time to decide who's the strongest now?" 

"...Pfft." 

Hikari couldn't help but laugh, a bright smile on her face. "Is there even a need to decide that?" 

"What do you mean?" Sukuna frowned. 

He had seen Hikari's power before, but a lot of time had passed, and his memories were a bit hazy. Also, back then, neither of them had been using their full power—or rather, Hikari hadn't, and Sukuna, being far from his peak, had a false sense of pride in his defeat. 

Now, with his immense power restored, Sukuna felt invincible again, as if he could already see himself defeating the girl in front of him. 

But... 

"What I mean is... have you ever seen me at my full power?" 

Hikari tilted her head and let out a light breath. It was a simple exhale, without any accompanying movement. 

But in the next instant, a powerful gust of wind and thunder erupted from the air around Uchiha Hikari's feet. After a brief pause, it exploded with a deafening boom! 

A sound like thunder cracked as a level twelve gale erupted from under Hikari's feet. It tore through the clouds high above in an instant, then swept across the beach in every direction, carrying with it a swirling storm of sand and dust! 

Chapter 374: Malevolent Shrine 

"This power..." 

"How can it be so strong?!" 

As Uchiha Hikari unleashed her power, stirring up a furious gale, Fushiguro Megumi and the others standing nearby, whose power was considerably weaker, lost their footing and were swept off the beach. They struggled to regain their balance in mid-air, trying to land safely. 

Satoru Gojo and the other Special Grade Sorcerers, along with Panda, Maki Zenin, and the rest, used various means to steady themselves, avoiding being blown away. Still, they were all under immense pressure. The fierce winds filled their mouths the moment they tried to speak, rendering them speechless. 

However, the shock in their hearts was immense. Sukuna in his complete form unleashed a terrifying aura, truly earning him the title of "King of Curses." But compared to Uchiha Hikari right now, he was vastly inferior. It was like a firefly against a brilliant moon! A difference between heaven and earth! 

"How's that, Sukuna-sama~" Uchiha Hikari smiled faintly, looking at Sukuna with a teasing tone. "Still want to test who's the strongest?" 

"..." 

As the one facing Uchiha Hikari directly, Sukuna bore the greatest pressure among everyone present. Because of this, his perception of Uchiha Hikari's power was the clearest. To him, Uchiha Hikari at this moment was like a towering mountain. Her small body contained a power as vast as the ocean, even instilling fear in him! 

"...Don't get carried away!!" Sukuna roared in fury. 

At that moment, with a defiant stance, he forcibly broke free from the pressure overwhelming him. Then, he abruptly clasped his hands together and took a deep breath: 

"Domain Expansion..." 

"Malevolent Shrine!!" 

Boom—!! 

Another storm erupted. While not as astonishing as Uchiha Hikari's ki burst, everyone saw a massive circular barrier explode from Sukuna's body. In an instant, it stretched over 140 meters away. Within a spherical area with this radius, everything was now inside Sukuna's domain. 

Then... 

"Dismantle!" 

As Sukuna shouted, Satoru Gojo, Yuta Okkotsu, and others caught within the domain simultaneously erupted with countless streaks of blood. With their power, facing a full-strength Sukuna was barely manageable. However, since 90% of Sukuna's attention was focused on Uchiha Hikari, the slashes aimed at Gojo and the others were merely residual effects. Plus, they had all activated their Domain Amplification to neutralize and block these attacks, so Gojo didn't instantly become "2.5-jo Gojo" as in the original storyline. 

Clang! Clang! Clang! 

Crisp sounds echoed continuously. From inside the domain, the surrounding spherical area, approximately three hundred meters in diameter, shattered like a mirror. 

Uchiha Hikari gently raised her right hand, withdrawing the "ki" covering her palm. After six months of intense training on Planet Namek, she had honed her "ki" to an instinctive level. Even when eating or sleeping, her body would naturally be covered by a layer of "ki," subtly isolating her from the outside world. 

In this state, even if someone tried to stab her with a knife or sprayed her with machine gun fire from a tank, they couldn't harm her in the slightest. If she were also wearing the sweater sewn from East Sea Cloud Dragon whiskers and Bulma's latest Namekian armor, she could probably take a "Little Boy" to the face without a scratch. 

But at this moment, Uchiha Hikari wanted to try taking Sukuna's cursed technique with her bare flesh. 

Sliiiice— 

With a slight stinging sensation, numerous tiny cuts appeared on Uchiha Hikari's fair palm, then healed and vanished at a visible rate. This process repeated hundreds of times within mere seconds. But even the most severe cut only severed half of Uchiha Hikari's hand, and before the severed part could even fall, it was healed by her regeneration. 

"...Not bad." 

"Do you have any more impressive moves?" 

"Though your life is like a flickering candle in the wind, please do your best to entertain me. After all, it's the only thing you can do right now." 

Uchiha Hikari nodded slightly, acknowledging Sukuna's performance, then tilted her head, looking at him. 

"..." 

Sukuna was practically boiling with rage. As the "King of Curses," he was always the one to show off in front of others. This kind of "insult" was a first for him. Unbearable! Although he knew the vast difference in their power, the continuous provocation made him disregard caution. After taking a deep breath, his aura abruptly changed, and the expression on his face became almost insane. 

Two breaths later, an inexplicably sharp force erupted from the void, suddenly appearing at Uchiha Hikari's waist and slicing fiercely! 

—Spatial Dismantle!! 

This was the very technique Sukuna used to bisect Satoru Gojo in the original story. Or rather, it was even more fierce and brutal than when he used it on Gojo, to the point that Uchiha Hikari felt a faint sense of danger. 

Swish!! 

A white line appeared without warning at the hem of her upper garment, slicing through her ordinary light jacket and the "East Sea Cloud Dragon Whisker Sweater" beneath it. 

But that was all. 

Sukuna now was like Uchiha Hikari on her first arrival on Namek, facing Nail. In the face of an absolute power difference, even the "Spatial Dismantle" that could "cut space" was no different from an ordinary attack. It couldn't even break through her defenses, let alone cause effective damage. 

"Well, it seems this is your limit, huh... To be able to injure me is commendable. It was worth my special trip." 

Uchiha Hikari nodded, then took her first step of the day. That's right. From unleashing her aura to taking Sukuna's Spatial Dismantle head-on, Uchiha Hikari hadn't even moved a finger throughout the entire process. 

And now... 

With one step, the situation dramatically changed! 

Under everyone's gaze, Uchiha Hikari's figure seemed to grow infinitely tall in that moment. Not only did the clouds in the high sky disperse again, but the surrounding seawater and sand on the beach also began to stir restlessly, showing signs of forming a massive whirlpool. An indescribable pressure fell upon everyone. 

At this moment, both Satoru Gojo and the others, as well as Sukuna, felt a heavy weight on their shoulders. This pressure could no longer be described as merely "strong" or "weak"; it was clearly a power from another dimension, like... the power of a "god"! 

"My body... I can't move!!" 

Chapter 375: "Splitting the Sea by Light" 

Under the slightly terrified gaze of Gojo Satoru and the others, Uchiha Hikari gently raised her right hand, two fingers forming a sword-hand sign, and made a downward slashing motion. 

Whoosh— 

Like a gentle breeze. 

The next moment, a narrow vacuum formed abruptly in this space, extending in a straight line for several kilometers! 

Sukuna—or rather, Itadori Yuji at this moment—suddenly had his right arm severed at the shoulder. Then, the beach behind him, the rocks, the trees... and even the lighthouse, the waves, and the clouds high in the sky thousands of meters away, all split in two at the same time. 

From a bystander's perspective, it was as if a sheet of white paper had been cut in half through the middle. And because everything happened so quickly and naturally, even the person involved didn't realize they had been split. 

Boom—! 

Amidst a series of shattering sounds, rocks, trees, and clouds exploded one after another. The lighthouse, after barely holding on for a few seconds, also tilted and collapsed with a thunderous roar. 

"This is... a space slash?!" 

Indeed, it was a space slash. 

Compared to Sukuna's cursed technique, Uchiha Hikari's "space slash" was simple and brutal in principle: merely condensing "ki" to its absolute limit and then swinging it out as a slash. Yet, this simple principle, combined with Uchiha Hikari's power level far exceeding the limits of the Jujutsu world, resulted in... 

Invincibility! 

Even Sukuna, who stood at the apex of this world, only noticed his arm was severed a second later. He retreated, covering his wound with his hand, his face filled with horror: 

"When...?!" 

His words abruptly cut off. 

Because Uchiha Hikari's figure had silently appeared before him, raising her right hand and pressing it against his chest. 

Thump. 

With a soft sound, barely louder than a bottle cap falling, Itadori Yuji's body suddenly split in two. The part belonging to Itadori remained standing in place, his gaze bewildered, while Sukuna, who resided within him, pulled away as a spirit body and flew backward, leaving a long afterimage in mid-air. 

Jujutsu: Idle Transfiguration. 

Theoretically, even if Itadori Yuji's body were completely destroyed in this battle, it wouldn't matter. With the Senzu Beans she carried and various technological means from the Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece worlds, it would be easy to revive him. However, considering that would ultimately take some effort, Uchiha Hikari simply chose to pull Sukuna out to save herself some trouble. 

"What—what kind of joke is this?! To split me in an instant—" 

"What is this woman?!" 

A rare look of horror appeared on Sukuna's face. He no longer cared about a battle of wills and immediately thought of escaping. 

Uchiha Hikari stood still, watching him rush towards the depths of the sea, with no intention of pursuing him. 

Gojo Satoru and Okkotsu Yuta rushed forward, attempting to give chase, but Uchiha Hikari stopped them with a raised hand. Then, under the gaze of the various jujutsu sorcerers, she gently raised her right hand, palm open, facing Sukuna's direction, and quietly said: 

"Bang." 

With this onomatopoeia. 

A brilliant light blade formed in Uchiha Hikari's palm, then shot forward in a hundredth of a second! 

Splash— 

Where the light blade passed, two rows of azure waves rose into the sky, starting from the connection of this beach and extending for over ten kilometers! After a brief suspension in the air, these waves fell back from hundreds of meters high, surging towards the shore with a thundering roar! 

From the shore, these torrents looked like a continuous wall stretching for dozens of miles, rushing in like dark clouds pressing down on a city! 

This was already a tsunami. 

Gojo Satoru and the others hadn't even had time to turn and run before they were engulfed by the surging floodwaters. 

Uchiha Hikari, however, stood motionless on the beach. As the waves rushed towards her, they automatically parted to either side, like the mythical parting of the Red Sea by Moses, recreated in reality. 

As for Sukuna... 

The figure of this "King of Curses" had completely disappeared amidst the raging waves. 

"...It's over." 

Uchiha Hikari turned around, looking at the flooded landscape near and far. She gave a slight nod to Esdeath, who was encased in a circle of ice not far away: "The rest is up to you, Little Es." 

"Mhm." 

Esdeath responded, clasping her hands together. 

A bone-chilling aura emerged, instantly transforming into a circular shockwave that swept through every inch of a ten-mile radius. Accompanied by a teeth-gritting crunching sound, the tsunami transformed into an ice mountain hundreds of meters high and stretching for thousands of meters, towering under the sky. It could be faintly seen even from a hundred miles away. 

This time, it was truly over. 

Gojo Satoru and the others, emerging from beneath the ice mountain, looked at the surrounding scene with stunned expressions, utterly speechless. 

Only Itadori Yuji excitedly waved his fists, celebrating the end of Sukuna's era. 

"Yawn—" 

Uchiha Hikari slightly stretched her neck, then gave a long yawn, slowly lifted her foot, and walked back to Esdeath and Yamato's side: "The chores are done. It's time to relax in the city... So, any interesting new movies out recently, Itadori?" 

Although Uchiha Hikari's original intention was to quickly go back and relax, given the importance of the "Battle with Sukuna," some post-event cleanup was necessary. 

Especially since the higher-ups of the Jujutsu world also participated in this operation, even deploying a considerable number of first and second-grade jujutsu sorcerers to cordon off the beach area. Their original intention was to prevent Sukuna from escaping if he was defeated, and if necessary, to kill him, Gojo Satoru, and everyone else. However, Uchiha Hikari's appearance completely disrupted all their subsequent plans. 

In this situation, the higher-ups of the Jujutsu world had to come forward to confirm the situation, especially Uchiha Hikari's next steps. 

—While these higher-ups dared to be arrogant with Gojo Satoru, who was known as "invincible," the premise was that Gojo Satoru was "one of their own" and had a group of friends and juniors at Jujutsu High. No matter how rebellious he usually was, he couldn't just outright break ties with them. 

Uchiha Hikari was different. 

To the Jujutsu world, she was a powerful individual of unknown origin, and she was too powerful. 

Sukuna's strength was still understandable to the higher-ups, but Uchiha Hikari's strength was beyond their comprehension. The scene of "Splitting the Sea by Light" and the "Ten-Mile Ice Mountain" on the beach that day left too deep an impression on these jujutsu higher-ups, making them worry that if they accidentally angered Uchiha Hikari, they might suffer the same fate as Sukuna: utter annihilation. 

Uchiha Hikari, however, didn't care. 

Anyway, she hadn't planned to cozy up to these jujutsu higher-ups on this trip. Since they were sensible, that was all for the better.