Hikari, About to Lose the Light

Konan had a very long nightmare.

In the dream, she witnessed the Akatsuki, under Yahiko's leadership, expand from just a handful of people to hundreds.

But as the organization rose, they also became a thorn in Hanzo's side.

The ideological conflict between them gradually intensified, and finally, the Akatsuki officially declared war on Hanzo. At first, with Nagato's power, they achieved victory after victory.

But at this critical juncture, the Akatsuki's leader, Yahiko, died tragically. Nagato then went berserk, and although he killed Hanzo with some forbidden jutsu, he also paid a considerable price.

From then on, Nagato's personality changed drastically. With a madman-like obsession, he completely abandoned the Akatsuki's previous ideals.

Driven by hatred, Nagato, tempted by a mysterious person, launched a war against Konoha, ultimately dying at the hands of a young boy with blue eyes and blond hair.

And her own end was equally tragic.

Returning to Amegakure alone, guarding the bodies of Yahiko and Nagato, she was killed by the mysterious person and sunk into the vast ocean.

The dream was so real that when Konan woke up, tears streamed down her pale face.

"Why... am I having this dream?"

Konan wiped the moisture from her cheeks, a hint of panic appearing in her clear eyes.

"Konan, why are you crying?" Just then, Yahiko entered from outside the door. Seeing the tears on her face, he immediately grew tense and leaned closer. "Are you okay? Who made you upset? Don't cry, Konan!"

They had grown up together, trained with Jiraiya, and their bond was undeniably deep.

As the only girl among the three, Konan had always been well taken care of and they would never let her suffer any grievance.

Seeing Konan cry now, Yahiko panicked for a moment. "Tell me, Konan, who upset you? Nagato and I will get revenge for you!"

"N-no one upset me, Yahiko," Konan said, biting her lip, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Yahiko, if— I mean, if I had a very real dream where both you and Nagato died, and our ideals became weapons in someone else's hands, what would you think?"

"Nagato and I died?"

Yahiko had thought of a million possibilities, but he never imagined this was the reason.

"It won't happen, Konan," Nagato said from outside the door, his red hair visible as he walked in. Hearing Konan's words, he spoke calmly, "With me here, I won't let anything happen to you."

"Hahahaha, that's right, Konan,"

Yahiko reached out and ruffled her light purple hair, chuckling. "Did you forget? Nagato possesses the bloodline of the Sage of Six Paths, the legendary Rinnegan!"

Nagato slowly raised his head and pushed aside his bangs, revealing the legendary 'Rinnegan'.

"But..." Konan frowned slightly, clutching her chest as if she could still feel the sorrow from her dream. "That dream was too real..."

"It was just a dream, Konan," Nagato said indifferently. It wasn't that he didn't care about Konan, but it was simply his personality.

"I know it's a dream, but..." A trace of sorrow lingered in Konan's eyes. "Yahiko... it's not too late to give up now!"

In the dream, the pain of losing loved ones was bone-deep, piercing and agonizing.

Compared to Yahiko's grand ideals, her wish was simple and small.

She only wished for Yahiko and Nagato to be safe, even if it meant living an ordinary life, rather than losing their lives for that ideal.

Hearing this, Yahiko frowned. "Konan, we can't turn back now. Since we've decided to do this, no matter the cost, I will see it through."

Konan lowered her eyelids, her head drooping slightly in disappointment.

She knew Yahiko wouldn't turn back. Even if the path ahead led to death, he would sacrifice himself for his ideals.

Nagato, who was usually quiet, suddenly spoke. "Konan, do you remember who killed us in the dream?"

When asked for details, Konan suddenly froze. She realized she couldn't remember the specifics of the dream at all. "I don't remember..."

She could feel the pain of the dream and see the Akatsuki's final outcome, but... all questions regarding details, such as how exactly Yahiko died, what Nagato's forbidden jutsu was, or who the mysterious person who incited them was, seemed to be blocked out, her memory hazy and unclear.

Nagato slowly squatted down, took Konan's hand, and said softly, "It was just a dream, Konan. It's not reality. Nagato and I won't die. I promise you."

"That's right, don't worry, Konan,"

Yahiko held the girl's other hand and smiled cheerfully. "I promise you too, I will never abandon you. We'll change Amegakure together!"

Feeling the warmth of their hands, Konan's chaotic thoughts and inner turmoil seemed to calm down.

"Mhm, I believe you."

Konan's icy demeanor melted, and she revealed a warm smile.

"Do you really not need my help, Sōgetsu?"

In the room, Hikari sat cross-legged on the tatami, tilting her head cutely. "If it were me, I could easily control those three."

Uchiha Sōgetsu ruffled her hair, leaning against the wall with his clothes loosely draped, revealing half of his firm chest. He propped his chin with one hand and chuckled, "No need, Hikari. I appreciate your offer, but those three aren't worthy yet. Let's wait a little longer."

Hikari nuzzled his palm affectionately, like a well-behaved cat. "You can use my power however you wish, so... please don't dislike me, Sōgetsu."

"Don't say things like that, Hikari."

Uchiha Sōgetsu reached out and lifted Hikari's chin, gazing at the girl's exquisite face. He smiled gently. "I hope you will always follow my footsteps, not just as a 'tool', but as my companion, understand?"

"Mhm, I understand, Sōgetsu."

Hikari beamed, her heart feeling warm and sweet.

"Hikari, your eyes... how far have they progressed?" Uchiha Sōgetsu gazed at the girl and asked.

The Mangekyo Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan, while possessing immense power, also comes with significant risks.

Its drawback is that the more powerful the ocular jutsu, the more considerable the damage it inflicts on the user's vision and body.

Excessive and frequent use will eventually lead to the user's complete blindness. In more severe cases, it can even cause a decline in bodily functions, ultimately leading to reliance on medication, much like Itachi.

In the original story, after Uchiha Sasuke awakened his Mangekyo, he only used it a few times before his vision rapidly deteriorated.

So, to what extent has Uchiha Hikari, who possesses the terrifying ocular jutsu [Yachihoko], suffered?

Having been forced by the Uchiha Clan to use ocular jutsu multiple times since the Warring States period, Hikari's vision surely cannot be in good condition now.

And this is the problem that troubles him.

Faced with those eyes gazing at him, Hikari's heart became inexplicably restless, as if afraid of being abandoned. He clung to the young man, his voice very soft, very low, with a slight tremor, "I-I'm fine. I can still use my ocular jutsu many more times, so... don't worry about me, Sōgetsu."

"Hikari, look at my eyes."

Uchiha Sōgetsu's gaze sharpened slightly, carrying a hint of pressure. "I don't like deception, so tell me the truth. Your eyes... how bad are they?"

"I'm sorry, Sōgetsu. I was wrong."

Hikari lowered his head deeply like a child who had made a mistake, biting his soft lips. "I can probably use it three or four more times."

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