Over the next few days,
Uchiha Hikari humbled herself and diligently sought guidance from Namikaze Minato in the chat group every day.
Minato, in turn, embraced his role as a mentor, offering detailed advice and even designing a specialized chakra control training regimen just for her.
As the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, Minato might not have matched the First Hokage in raw power or Hiruzen Sarutobi in knowledge, but he was still one of the shinobi world's elites.
His insight, experience, and combat skills far surpassed those of Uchiha Hikari—a "weapon" buried underground at the age of twelve. Every suggestion he offered proved immensely helpful.
Amidst their ongoing exchanges,
Uchiha Hikari gradually recovered. Her fatigue faded, and the minor cuts on her body nearly vanished.
After repeatedly assuring Bulma that she was fine, the two finally set out on their long-planned quest for the Dragon Balls.
That morning,
in front of Bulma's house—
BOOM!
A puff of smoke burst forth as a Capsule Corp capsule hit the ground and transformed into a car parked by the roadside.
"Hmm…"
Uchiha Hikari's expression mirrored little Goku's when he first met Bulma.
Even with her Sharingan activated the entire time, she couldn't wrap her head around how something that large fit into a thumb-sized capsule. In the Naruto world, sealing scrolls had a similar function, but they relied on summoning techniques and were incredibly expensive—typically only elite jonin could afford them. Meanwhile, Capsule Corp tech was so cheap it could be mass-produced...
Uchiha Hikari was dumbfounded.
"Hop in, Hikari!"
At Bulma's urging, Hikari could only shake her head and climb into the passenger seat.
"Hold on tight, Hikari! We're taking off!"
Bulma slammed the accelerator, and the car sped away.
——
Before Hikari arrived, Bulma had already found the Two-Star Dragon Ball—sitting in her family's storage room.
The other six Dragon Balls were scattered across the world.
Following the Dragon Radar's signal, they headed north. After spending most of the day searching a valley, they found the second one—the Five-Star Ball.
Next was the Four-Star Ball, located on Mount Paozu.
Thanks to Hikari's spoilers, Bulma easily convinced little Goku to join their Dragon Ball hunt with just a few words.
However, as they drove off, Bulma couldn't help muttering under her breath:
"Hikari, that country bumpkin kid is really the 'Son Goku' you said would one day defeat the Great Demon King?"
"Mhm. Hard to believe, right?"
While Bulma eyed Goku through the rearview mirror,
Uchiha Hikari was also quietly observing him.
At this stage, little Goku was definitely uncultured and excitable, fidgeting around like a hyperactive child in the back seat… Without knowledge of Dragon Ball's plot, it would be nearly impossible to connect him to the future Super Saiyan dubbed the "Universe's Strongest."
"By the way..."
"If I wished to become a Saiyan using the Dragon Balls... would that even work?"
Hikari pondered seriously before shaking her head and dismissing the idea.
Sure, Saiyans had incredible growth potential.
But not all of them were like Goku or Vegeta.
Before Planet Vegeta's destruction, most Saiyans had a combat power of around 1,000. Even Goku's older brother, Raditz, only had 1,300—and he was considered an elite. Unless Hikari could gain Goku-level potential too, such a wish wouldn't be worth it.
Plus...
It wasn't clear if Earth's Shenron could alter someone's bloodline—or whether Saiyan and Uchiha genes were even compatible.
And she wasn't ready to give up her Mangekyō abilities.
That said…
While she had no plans to become a Saiyan herself, she was interested in their genetics for other reasons.
"Goku, are you hungry? How about some meat tonight?" Hikari asked casually.
"Yeah, yeah!"
At the mention of food, Goku lit up instantly from the back seat.
"But there's one condition."
Hikari smiled and made a small pinching gesture. "I need to take a little blood sample from you. Just a tiny prick—it won't hurt, I promise."
"...?"
Bulma glanced over in confusion, but Hikari just smirked and said nothing.
Back at Bulma's house, Hikari had only given a rough overview of the events up to King Piccolo's appearance—she hadn't mentioned the Saiyans at all. Now, she planned to ask Dr. Brief to analyze Goku's blood and check for any non-Earthling traits.
If Dr. Gero could use Saiyan cells to create androids and even Cell, then Dr. Brief—a top-tier scientist—should be able to discover something too.
And if he couldn't? No problem. Hikari had a backup plan.
A certain snake-like man in the Naruto world would definitely be interested in a sample like this.
And if it was him… he might actually uncover something groundbreaking.
That night,
Uchiha Hikari hunted down two wild boars in the forest and treated Goku and Bulma to a feast.
—The wilderness in the Dragon Ball world felt even more primal than the one in the Naruto world, and most of the wildlife was significantly larger. But they were still just dumb beasts. Even without her Sharingan, Hikari was jonin-level, armed with ninja tools—taking down a few boars was no big deal.
After skinning and seasoning the meat, a quick Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique) roasted it to perfection. The aroma alone could make any nearby kid drool.
Once their bellies were full, Hikari sparred with Goku.
The result?
When limited to taijutsu (no ninjutsu or genjutsu), she could outmaneuver him with ease.
But beating him was a different story.
Goku's durability was ridiculous—far beyond that of any normal Earthling. Unless she aimed for vital points, her strikes barely fazed him. Meanwhile, one solid hit from Goku—even when blocked—left her arms aching.
Well...
This was the same kid who could flip a car with a power level of just 10.
In terms of raw strength and toughness, even most jonin couldn't compare.