Return

The next day.

He took Hikari and walked out of the cave that had hidden them for months, arriving at a spot in the deepest reaches of this primeval forest.

"Hikari, step back a little."

Yue took a deep breath, his eyes simultaneously erupting with the ultimate power of the Mangekyo.

"Amenominakanushi!"

A violent, extreme gravitational force surged from Yue's hands, slamming deep into the earth.

He controlled the intensity of the gravity with extreme precision, a technique he had explored step by step during his experiments in Loran.

The earth trembled violently, the rock layers shattering like tofu under the absolute pull of gravity. A dazzling pillar of purple-black chakra, like a caged, enraged dragon, roared as it broke through the soil and shot straight into the clouds!

This was the wild Dragon Vein of the Warring States period!

Feeling the massive natural energy capable of warping space-time, Yue's left eye spun frantically. Blood spilled out, but it was immediately repaired by the pupil power stored in the Yin Seal on his forehead.

"Left Eye: Yagokoro Omoikane!"

"Using this Dragon Vein energy, calculate the success rate of precisely transporting myself and Hikari back to the Loran timeline I originated from, safe and sound—"

"Increase it to an absolute 100%!"

"Crack—"

Invisible chains of causality were forcibly twisted within the violent purple pillar, carving out a space-time tunnel leading to the future. A bottomless purple Uzumaki slowly formed in mid-air, emitting a suction force that made one's soul tremble.

"Hikari, grab my hand!"

Yue roared amidst the gale, extending his right hand toward Hikari.

Looking at the terrifying purple vortex, Hikari did not hesitate for a second, gripping Yue's large, warm palm tightly.

"No matter where you go... I will follow." The girl's voice was exceptionally firm amidst the storm.

"Then let's go, to welcome our new era!"

Yue laughed loudly, pulling Hikari into his arms to shield her, and leaped, charging into the torn turbulence of space-time without a shred of hesitation.

"Boom—!"

As the two vanished, the purple pillar of the Dragon Vein instantly collapsed, and the canyon returned to silence, as if nothing had ever happened.

There was no direction or gravity in the turbulence of space-time, only endless, bizarre, and kaleidoscopic visions.

But this time, with the absolute causality of "Yagokoro Omoikane" escorting them and the Mangekyo—replenished with pupil power—acting as an anchor, Yue did not experience the soul-tearing agony he had felt before.

I do not know how much time passed.

"Thud!"

Accompanied by a dull sound of impact, Yue and Hikari fell heavily from mid-air onto a hard, cold metal floor.

"Cough, cough... the landing is still just as ugly."

Rubbing his bruised shoulder, Yue slowly climbed up from the ground.

Like a nimble kitten, Hikari performed a roll and crouched on the ground, her short blade instinctively held across her chest as she vigilantly scanned the surroundings.

The musty scent of the primeval forest was gone, replaced by a faint smell of machine oil and the dry, hot wind of the desert.

What came into view were intricate, thick metal pipes, and within them, the steady, purple Dragon Vein chakra flowed silently.

High above, hundreds of meters of purple-black towers stood like a forest, and the low, rhythmic roar of rotating gears echoed through the underground space.

The familiar recipe, the familiar taste.

"We... are back." Yue looked at the super-metropolis filled with a futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic before him, a brilliant smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps came from a nearby metal corridor.

"Who is there?! The Dragon Vein restricted area is off-limits—"

A squad of heavily armed guards, wearing wind-resistant gear similar to the Sunagakure of the later era but with the Loran Royal Emblem stamped on their chests, rushed over.

When the lead guard clearly saw the black-robed youth standing under the purple halo, his voice stuck in his throat, and his weapon clattered to the ground.

"Yue... Lord Yue?!"

The guard rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then began to tremble with excitement, dropping to one knee abruptly. "It is Lord Yue who has returned! Quick! Go notify Queen Sara!!"

Hikari gripped her short blade, staring blankly at these people who were prostrating themselves before Yue, then turned to look at the man beside her with his flamboyant smile.

"No need, I need to rest for a few days. I will come by in a few days."

"Yes, Lord Yue."

Approximately half a year had passed since Yue's first crossing.

The time ratio was roughly one to two; half a year in the main timeline, one year in the secondary timeline.

Over the past six months, the technological level of Rōran had advanced methodically, encountering no major problems and facing no external threats.

Perhaps due to the lingering aftermath of the Third Great Ninja War, all the hidden villages were still slowly licking their wounds, and no one paid any attention to Rōran in its remote corner.

Early morning.

There was no cold wind mixed with the stench of soil and the rust of blood like in the Warring States period; instead, there was a faint scent of machine oil and a breeze delivered by the dry, warm air conditioning system.

"Whoosh—"

In the luxurious royal suite bathroom, Uchiha Hikari was staring vigilantly at the metal showerhead spraying hot water, looking like a kitten with its fur standing on end.

In the Warring States period, bathing meant a quick rinse in icy river water or wiping oneself down with a crude wooden bucket.

But here, as long as one turned that shiny metal valve, boiling, constant-temperature hot water would flow out endlessly without the need for any hand seals.

"Is this, too... some kind of unknown Kekkei Genkai?"

Hikari reached out her wet little hand and tentatively poked the water stream; the warm sensation made her squint her eyes in comfort.

Although she had been in Rōran for three days, every detail of this steel city still triggered a minor earthquake in the worldview of this girl from the Warring States period.

"This isn't a Kekkei Genkai; it's called a Water Heater, powered by electricity and waste heat from the Dragon Vein."

The bathroom door was knocked, and Yue Uchiha's slightly teasing voice came through: "I say, Hikari, you've been in there for over half an hour. If you don't come out soon, your skin is going to prune up."

"Mm... coming."

Hikari hurriedly turned off the valve and scrambled to grab the incredibly soft, large bath towel, wrapping herself up tightly.

When she walked out of the bathroom with her wet, messy hair, Yue was sitting on the sofa by the window, flipping through a stack of test reports regarding the "Chakra Capacitor."

Seeing Hikari come out, Yue naturally set down the documents and beckoned: "Come here and dry your hair."

Hikari walked over obediently and sat on the small stool in front of Yue.

"Hum—"

The sound of the Hair Dryer rang out.

At first, Hikari was still a bit tense, thinking this was some kind of Wind Style ninja tool, but as Yue's long fingers ran through her hair, gently massaging her scalp in sync with the warm air, her tense shoulders completely relaxed.

"Yue."

"Hm?"

"Is this... really the future?" Hikari looked at her own rosy-cheeked reflection in the mirror, dressed in silk pajamas, feeling as if she were in a dream that could end at any moment.

"This is the present, and it is also our future."

Yue turned off the Hair Dryer and picked up a comb to smooth out her long hair, his fingertips lightly touching the pale purple diamond-shaped Yin Seal on her forehead.

"As long as I am here, you will never have to return to that cold tent again."

Hikari raised her hand to press against Yue's hand resting on her head, a trace of attachment flashing in her clear, black-and-white eyes.

However, this warmth did not last long.

"Knock, knock, knock."