"…Eri?"
Uchiha Hikari paused, tilting her ear toward the door. She knocked softly twice and spoke in a low voice.
The rustling sounds from inside stopped instantly.
That only confirmed to Hikari that she hadn't imagined it.
"Can I come in?"
After a moment of silence, Hikari slowly turned the handle and opened the door. In the moonlight spilling through the window, she caught a pair of pale golden eyes staring at her from the bed, glinting with a hint of nervousness.
—Golden pupils. A trait unique to the hybrids of the *Dragon Clan* world.
"Eri?"
Hikari frowned slightly, puzzled, and took a few steps closer. She noticed Eri's head shift slightly, tracking her movement. The girl was clearly awake but curled up tight under the blankets, clutching the edges like she was guarding against something.
Though she hadn't activated her Sharingan, Hikari's night vision had sharpened since absorbing those ghosts from the *Mieruko-chan* world. In the dim moonlight, she could clearly make out faint, delicate lines creeping across the exposed skin of Eri's neck.
Hikari's eyes narrowed as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Be good… let me see."
"…"
A brief standoff ensued.
Finally, Eri relented, loosening her grip. Hikari gently pulled back the blanket, revealing Eri's body in her pajamas.
Hikari wasn't unfamiliar with Eri's figure—she'd seen it plenty over the past few days.
But what caught her attention now wasn't the curves. It was something else—on Eri's smooth, porcelain-like skin, faint grayish veins had begun to surface. The lines, like slender worms, snaked from her hands up her wrists and elbows. It wasn't hard to guess the pajamas hid more of the same.
"…Does it hurt?"
Hikari reached out, brushing the lines gently. The texture felt rough under her fingers.
Eri shook her head, grabbing her notebook from the bedside: *"It's like this when I don't get my serum in time. I'm used to it."*
"What happens if you skip the serum too long?"
*"I don't know. I've never tried."*
Eri paused, then scribbled again, holding up the notebook: *"Seeing the outside world comes at a big cost. I've always known that. But being with Hikari makes me happy, so it's okay."*
"…"
Hikari fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "Get some good sleep. Tomorrow, I'll take you home."
She wanted to help Eri with her bloodline issue, but whether it was Tsunade, Orochimaru, or even Dr. Brief from the *Dragon Ball* world, none of them could crack it overnight. For now, Eri's condition would have to rely on the Sheqi Bajia's methods to stay stable.
Who knew what kind of chaos her few days in the *Naruto* world had stirred up back in the *Dragon Clan* world?
For now, Hikari patted Eri's blanket like she was soothing a child, watching her eyes flutter shut. Once Eri was asleep, Hikari tucked the blanket snugly around her, then quietly left the room to wash up and head to bed herself.
---
The next morning, after breakfast, Hikari took Eri to Konoha Hospital.
She'd only been there once before—when Tsunade came back and gave Danzō a beatdown, and Hikari tagged along for the show.
The staff clearly knew who she was, though. After she introduced herself, a few senior medical ninja hurried over to ask what she needed.
"I see… So, Hikari-senpai, you're here to get this young lady checked out? Of course, we can help. Please, follow me."
Over the next hour or so, Konoha Hospital ran a thorough physical on Eri. When the results came in, the hospital director cautiously tugged Hikari's sleeve, leading her to a quiet hallway outside.
"Uh… Hikari-senpai, if I may ask, is your friend from some lost kekkei genkai clan?"
"…Something like that. Why?"
In a way, "Dragon Speak" wasn't too different from a kekkei genkai. Both stemmed from bloodlines, altering the body on a genetic level and passing down to some degree. The instability of a super-hybrid's bloodline even shared some similarities with Itachi's and Kimimaro's kekkei genkai diseases in the original story.
Under Hikari's gaze, the director chose his words carefully.
"To be blunt, your friend's condition is… concerning. There's a unique power in her body, possibly an unknown kekkei genkai. It grants her incredible physical abilities but also eats away at her. Without a treatment plan soon, her lifespan… it might not be long."
Hikari wasn't shocked by the verdict. She cut to the chase. "Can you treat it?"
"We're not sure…"
The director paused. "But we can try. We might not be able to cure her, but slowing the erosion should be doable. By the way, would your friend be able to stay for observation?"
"Not really."
Hearing Hikari's answer, the director thought for a moment. "Then please let us collect some blood and tissue samples. Without her staying, research will be tougher, but we'll aim to give you a preliminary answer in one or two months."
He hesitated, then added, "Honestly, if Tsunade-sama could step in, the odds of a cure would be much higher…"
Hikari thought, *No kidding*, but just nodded slightly. "Thanks for the effort, Director Miyano. Don't worry about the medical costs."
"You're too kind. It's our duty."
---
After the blood draw, Hikari pinged Bulma in the group chat, then took Eri to the *Dragon Ball* world. She explained the situation to Dr. Brief and had Eri go through another round of physical exams.
While there, Hikari casually asked about the "Uchiha Bloodline Origin Project."
"We've got some theories and are running comparison tests, but the risks are still unclear. We'll need more data before moving forward…"
Dr. Brief spoke while peering at Eri's freshly collected blood sample under a microscope. "This girl's blood is *wild*. Hard to believe it flows through human veins… I'll dig into it and let Bulma know if I need to reach you."
"Cool."
Stepping out of Dr. Brief's lab, Hikari glanced at Eri. "You sure you don't want me to go back with you, Eri?"