In the waters outside Uzushiogakure, roughly twenty kilometers away near the Land of Waves, a small fishing boat bobbed like a stray leaf upon the swells.
An old fisherman cast his net into the sea, then sat cross-legged at the bow. He pulled out a pipe, settled in, and waited in silence.
He waited for passing fish to stumble into the mesh, struggling until the time was right to haul them up. If luck was on his side, he might catch a few rare species to fetch a good price at the market—enough to add a little luxury to his meager life. Most days, however, he caught only common fish, barely enough to feed his family.
He lived at the mercy of the heavens and the sea.
Few people ventured into these waters. It was said that the small island in the distance had once been a shinobi nation before it was wiped out for unknown reasons, becoming a haunt for pirates. The old fisherman only dared to fish on the periphery, never venturing too deep.
He stuffed some low-grade tobacco scraps into his pipe, lit it, and began to blow clouds of gray smoke into the air.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept across the deck, snatching his straw hat.
"Strange. The sky doesn't look like it's turning," the old man muttered. He scanned the horizon where the sea met the sky. There were no signs of an approaching storm; the sun was bright, the waves were calm, and a flock of seagulls circled in the distance.
But then, the seagulls suddenly scattered in a blind panic, as if they had glimpsed something primordial and terrifying.
The old man realized something was wrong. He stood up, squinting at the horizon.
In the next instant, the sight of two titanic creatures clashing on the distant island burned into his retinas. The shock was so great that the pipe he had held for decades slipped from his fingers and splashed into the water.
CRASH—!
A series of massive swells, triggered by the distant struggle, surged toward him. The old man gripped the gunwale with one hand, desperately hauling in his net with the other. Even as the boat threatened to capsize in the turbulent wake, he refused to let go.
By the time he finally clawed his way back to the Land of Waves after surviving the ordeal, the old man seemed to have lost his wits. He wandered the docks like a ghost, telling anyone who would listen that he had witnessed a battle between a god and a demon fox.
When the locals mockingly asked for details, his face would pale with terror, and he would claim he didn't dare speak further for fear of divine retribution.
The crowd only laughed harder.
On the island of the Hidden Eddy.
After the dust settled, the island was left fractured and broken. Most of the forests had been leveled, and the earth was scarred with terrifying, deep craters. The last remnants of the Uzumaki ruins had been utterly obliterated in the crossfire.
On a beach dyed golden by the setting sun, Uchiha Hikari sat beneath one of the few trees left standing, hugging her knees. She stared blankly at the sun as it dipped below the horizon.
Beside her, Menma lay spread-eagled on the sand, letting the twilight bathe him.
Hikari brushed back her long hair, tangled by the sea breeze. Her dark eyes reflected the youth's silhouette, filled with genuine curiosity.
"The power you possess is far beyond mine," she said softly. "It is enough to destroy the entire shinobi world. Why do you still need my strength?"
The battle had lasted the entire day. For Hikari, the physical exertion had loosened the joints bound by centuries of seals, and the violent release of chakra had served as a vent for her suppressed, dark emotions. She felt more refreshed than she ever had in her life.
"This power is still far from being enough to suppress the entire world," Menma replied, resting his hands behind his head. He knew exactly how many monsters were lurking in the shadows of this world.
He could suppress the Raikage duo, but Nagato of the Akatsuki, Obito with his Kamui, and the various contingencies left behind by Madara Uchiha were all genuine threats.
As for the likes of Uchiha Itachi... Menma had a 'special gift' prepared for him when the Night of the Massacre arrived.
"My enemies aren't just in the shinobi world," Menma added, looking up at the moon beginning to show in the sky. "They come from above the firmament."
He turned his head to look at the girl beside him. The faint, youthful scent of her skin caught him off guard, making his heart skip a beat.
"And besides," he continued, "why would I want to destroy the world?"
It was Hikari's turn to look confused. "You don't want to destroy it?"
To Hikari, who had been raised as a weapon of war without a proper education, power was a tool meant for destruction. For ruin.
Menma sat up, looking at her with absolute sincerity. "What I want to destroy are the twenty-odd nations, including the Five Great Nations, and their hidden villages."
"My goal is to establish a brand-new country. A place where shinobi and civilians live together, where class and discrimination are erased. I will unify the shinobi world by dismantling the old systems."
"Once the borders are gone, the wars between humans will cease. The power of the shinobi will no longer be used for slaughter, but for construction and progress. People will live in peace, and children will receive an education. They will grow up happy and safe, never again sent to the front lines as killing tools at the age of five."
"To the shinobi and nobles of this era, I am indeed destroying their world. But I am creating a new age in its place."
"An era where everyone can walk in the light, free from the disasters of war."
"To build such an era, my strength alone isn't enough. That's why I'm searching for those who share my ideals. I'm recruiting those willing to follow me."
"That is why... I need you."
Menma stood up and reached out a hand to her. The setting sun cast a golden halo around his frame.
"Let's start over. My name is Uzumaki Menma."
Hikari looked up at the youth and the hand offered to her, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks.
'I need you...'
She had never felt so valued, so necessary. Menma was different from the Uchiha kin who had feared her power even as they exploited it. He saw her as a comrade. A friend. He was willing to sit with her and simply watch the sunset.
Thinking of the people who had imprisoned her, who had called her a monster while using her as a blade, Hikari lowered her head.
"I... I don't have a name," she whispered, her mood dipping. "The clan called me 'Nanashi'—The Nameless..."
"You have a name!"
Menma's voice was gentle but firm. Hikari startled, looking back up at him.
"I know it," he whispered, speaking the name that had been buried by history. "Your name is Uchiha Hikari."
"Hikari..."
The name—meaning Light—struck a chord deep in her soul. The blurred faces of her parents flickered in her mind. She could almost hear their voices echoing across centuries, speaking the blessing they had given her at birth.
'We hope she can walk out of the darkness... and into the light.'
"Why... how could you know that?"
Tears began to fall, tracing two paths down her dusty cheeks.
"The shinobi world holds no secrets from me." Menma's hand remained extended before the weeping girl.
Hikari wiped her eyes and reached out, her hands trembling as she grasped his. Menma pulled her to her feet with a firm, steady grip.
"Hello," she said, a brilliant smile breaking through the tears still clinging to her lashes. "My name is Uchiha Hikari!"
The sea breeze carried her vow across the waves: "Even if you make the entire world your enemy, I will always, always stand by your side!"