Gazing at the roasted fish in her hand, Uchiha Hikari's dark eyes dimmed.
She could feel her body craving sustenance. The reason for her weakness was simply a lack of energy from not eating for so long.
But now, with nothing left to her name, did she even need to replenish her strength?
Noticing Uchiha Hikari's sudden despondency, Sakura stepped closer, choosing her words carefully before speaking.
"Uchiha Hikari? Can I call you Hikari?"
Hikari lifted her gaze to the pink-haired girl, her eyes tinged with a lifeless hue, and gave a faint nod.
"Well, I don't fully understand how you feel, but if you just give up on living like this, the people who care about you will be heartbroken."
In truth, Sakura could relate to Hikari's feelings.
Hikari had been sealed in a coffin, forced to sleep through centuries, unaware of the passage of time, which gave her the illusion of having crossed hundreds of years.
One could describe Uchiha Hikari as a time-traveler of the shinobi world.
But Sakura was different—she had crossed from a modern world directly into the Naruto universe.
The magnitude of that leap was far beyond anything Hikari could compare to.
"People who care about me…" Hikari murmured.
"They're long gone…"
She gave a bleak smile, her gaze meeting Sakura's emerald eyes.
Her father, her mother—they were long dead.
Even her enemies were gone, and the Uchiha clansmen who had transplanted her eye technique, treating her like a mere tool, had also perished long ago.
What was the point of her living?
"But now, there's one more person who cares."
Sakura pointed toward Sasuke, who stood nearby, her eyes still locked on Hikari.
Hikari followed Sakura's gesture and looked over.
There, she saw an unfamiliar Uchiha boy staring at her with a tense expression.
His eyes carried a pleading look, silently begging her to keep living, to not give up so easily.
What was this?
Before she was sealed, the Uchiha clan had treated her like she was invisible, barely acknowledging her as human.
Yet now, centuries later, a descendant of the Uchiha was looking at her with such a gaze?
Hikari's eyes met Sasuke's, her expression tinged with melancholy.
She had never encountered a situation like this.
Sasuke's gaze was so pitiful, it was impossible to refuse.
Yes, pitiful.
It was like a drowning person whose lifeline had snapped, only to frantically grasp a branch strong enough to keep them alive.
Back then, Hikari only knew fighting—endless fighting.
She had no idea how to handle something like this.
"Don't die…" Sasuke said, his voice soft as he looked at the dark-haired girl before him, struggling to find the right words.
At that moment, he was at a loss for what to say.
He had thought he was the last Uchiha, but now, discovering another clansman filled him with an overwhelming sense of excitement.
It wasn't that Sakura, Karin, or Naruto weren't his comrades.
But they didn't share the bond of blood, the familial connection that ran through his veins.
Sakura, watching Sasuke struggle to muster just three words, felt a pang of frustration.
Weren't you always so quick with words? Why are you choking now?
…
The next day.
Atop the peak of Crescent Valley, the dark-haired, dark-eyed girl stood on a massive boulder, gazing at the land where she had slumbered for centuries.
The cold wind at this height sent a bone-chilling shiver through Uchiha Hikari.
Fallen leaves drifted in the breeze, and the people she once knew were long gone.
"We can go now," Sasuke said, his tone carrying a hint of warmth as he looked up at the girl on the peak.
Hikari turned to meet his gaze.
"Let's go…" she replied.
What am I thinking? I must be out of my mind to follow this troublesome Uchiha kid.
"Let's get one thing straight," Hikari said, looking at Sasuke as he waited for her. "I'm only coming with you for now. If I decide to leave, you don't get to stop me. Try, and I won't hold back."
Sasuke nodded, agreeing to her terms without hesitation. "Sure."
Hikari scoffed, muttering under her breath, "Acting all high and mighty…"
Though she grumbled about Sasuke, her steps followed him closely.
From the nearby woods, Naruto watched the two with a tinge of envy.
"Lucky…" he murmured, a hint of melancholy in his heart.
Sasuke had found family, but what about him?
Where was his family?
Sakura, observing Sasuke and Hikari, felt a mix of relief and contemplation.
Crescent Valley wasn't just something Sasuke had noticed—it was clear to Sakura, too, that it had been carved out with a single slash.
Such a feat could only have been accomplished by a fully realized Susano'o.
But Hikari's Mangekyo Sharingan wasn't an ordinary one, was it?
How had she managed to create Crescent Valley with a regular Mangekyo Sharingan?
"Sakura?" Karin's voice broke her thoughts. "What's on your mind?"
"Nothing," Sakura replied, shaking her head. Her gaze drifted to Naruto, who was staring at Sasuke and Hikari, lost in thought.
Naruto had always seen Sasuke as a friend, a brother, a confidant.
Now that his brother had found family, Naruto was happy for him, but deep down, there was likely a trace of envy.
"Karin, Naruto, we should get going," Sakura said.
She didn't mention that both Karin and Naruto were of the Uzumaki clan.
It wasn't the right time. If Naruto learned he was an Uzumaki, he'd start digging into who his parents were.
Until he had enough strength, knowing their identities would only be a burden.
Besides, Jiraiya could be trusted. When the time was right, he wouldn't hesitate to tell Naruto the full truth.
"Naruto," Sakura called, raising her voice slightly when he didn't respond.
"Huh?" Naruto snapped out of his daze, blinking.
"Let's go," Sakura said, her tone softening as she reached out to ruffle his hair, just like she used to.
But Naruto's reaction caught her off guard.
He stepped back, looking distressed, and said, "No more head pats from you, Sakura!"
Sakura blinked, confused. "What?"
"The Pervy Sage said if a girl pats your head, you won't grow taller!" Naruto declared, his expression deadly serious.
Sakura couldn't help but laugh, though it was tinged with exasperation. She marched forward, grabbing Naruto's cheeks and tugging them as she snapped, "You're worried about not growing taller, huh? I've been telling you forever—stop eating instant ramen! Have you listened?!"
Naruto froze, unable to argue back. He wanted to protest, but he didn't know where to start…
Because Sakura was right.
His cupboard at home was still stuffed with his prized collection of limited-edition instant ramen.
Even though he was a decent cook, he still loved those noodles…
"I'm sorry, Sakura…" Naruto mumbled, his face crumpling.
"Idiot!" Sakura huffed. "If you want to grow taller, drink milk like a normal person!"
Karin, watching from the side, chimed in with a teasing grin. "Yeah, Naruto, chug some milk!"
"Ugh, fine, fine…" Naruto groaned, completely defenseless against Sakura and Karin.
Sakura was one thing, but why was he so intimidated by Karin?
That red hair of hers—it was like some primal fear coded into his genes. He couldn't figure it out.
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