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Uchiha Hikari sat on a chair, turning her head toward the sound.
A young mother and son walked in from outside.
The mother, with soft features, black hair, and fair skin, carried a few bags in one hand while holding her son's hand with the other. The boy, about four or five years old, had a pouty expression, clearly in a sulky mood.
Noticing Hikari's gaze, Sasuke fidgeted, reining in his emotions a bit, though his lingering frustration was still obvious.
"Two bowls of chashu ramen, please," Uchiha Mikoto said, guiding Sasuke to sit at the counter. She offered Hikari an apologetic smile. "Sorry, kids can be a handful. I hope he didn't disturb you."
"…It's fine," Hikari replied, looking away.
Of course, she recognized the second protagonist of the original Naruto story, the modern reincarnation of Indra. But compared to the brooding, vengeance-driven "Sasuke 2.0" from her memories—who could get a beating just for acting on a whim—this sulky, puffed-cheek little Sasuke…
He actually seemed kind of amusing.
A Sasuke like this? A flick to the forehead would probably make him cry for ages, right?
Meanwhile, at the counter…
"Coming right up!" Teuchi, the ramen chef, called out, bustling about. He chatted casually as he worked. "Mikoto-san, it's been a while since you stopped by! You and Miss Hikari must be related, right? Three Uchihas in my shop in such a short time—my little place is practically glowing!"
"…Uchiha?" Mikoto caught the keyword, glancing at Hikari with surprise.
As the clan leader's wife, she might not know every Uchiha by name, but she had a general sense of most clan members…
How had she never seen this girl before?
Hikari's fingers tapped lightly on the wooden counter, debating whether to say something to Mikoto and Sasuke, when she sensed a familiar presence approaching the ramen shop.
This time, the newcomer slipped in under the door curtain.
"Hey, it's little Naruto!" Teuchi glanced over, greeting him warmly. "You're a bit late today. The usual tonkotsu ramen?"
"Y-yeah…" Naruto mumbled, clearly caught off guard by the crowded shop. He instinctively shrank back, but then his eyes widened, locking onto a figure at the counter.
"Sis… Big Sis Hikari, is that you?! You're back?!"
"…"
Hikari turned slightly.
The moment Naruto saw her face, he rushed over excitedly, throwing his arms around her from behind. "Big Sis Hikari, it's really you! That purple-haired lady and the old man said… I thought you were gone for good! Sniff… I'm so happy to see you again!"
What followed was Naruto clinging to her, bawling and babbling nonstop. One moment he was talking about a dish he'd recently learned to cook, the next about random village gossip, peppering in mentions of "the old man" and "purple-haired lady." It was all trivial stuff, delivered in a chaotic jumble that gave Hikari a headache.
Mikoto, sitting nearby, looked utterly baffled.
She knew Naruto, of course—back when Kushina was alive, they'd been friends. But…
Big sister?
Hadn't the Third Hokage strictly forbidden ninja, especially Uchihas, from interacting with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki? How was an Uchiha calling Naruto her little brother?
Weren't the Anbu watching him supposed to intervene?
While Mikoto puzzled over this, Sasuke was the first to lose patience, glaring at Naruto. "You're so loud, crybaby!"
"…Who're you talking to, huh?" Naruto shot back, turning to face him.
"I'm talking to you! Who yells like that in a place where people are eating? And crying so pathetically—your nose is practically dripping! So gross!"
"Mind your own business, you ugly jerk!"
"…"
As the two kids bickered fiercely within seconds of meeting, Hikari sighed, exasperated. She reached out, pulling Naruto back, then grabbed a roll of tissues from Ayame and plopped it onto his face, gesturing for him to wipe his nose. She flashed an apologetic smile at Mikoto and Sasuke.
"Sorry, kids can be a handful. Hope they didn't bother you."
"No, no, it's fine…" Mikoto replied politely, but her curiosity got the better of her. She leaned in slightly and asked, "Miss, are you… Uchiha Hikari? Teuchi-san mentioned you're part of the Uchiha clan, but I don't think I've ever seen you. May I ask who your parents are?"
"…They're gone," Hikari answered flatly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Mikoto said, flustered, thinking she'd touched a sore spot. She hesitated, unsure whether to press further.
(Could this girl be a lost Uchiha, maybe tied to the Uzumaki clan somehow?)
(If so, should I tell Fugaku…)
Just then, the ramen arrived.
Hikari snapped her chopsticks apart and dug in.
She was starving.
Her clash with Danzō and his crew had drained a good chunk of her chakra. Since her confrontation with Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't escalated, she hadn't needed the Senzu Bean she'd prepared, tucking it away instead. Now, she wolfed down three massive bowls of ramen, finally feeling some relief in her stomach.
By then, Naruto's tonkotsu ramen was packed to go.
Hikari sipped some hot broth to warm up, nodded to Mikoto and Sasuke, and led Naruto out of the shop.
They walked back to Naruto's apartment building.
From a distance, Hikari spotted two figures waiting.
A man and a woman.
The man looked about fifteen or sixteen, with short silver hair, a black mask, and his left eye covered by a slanted Konoha headband. The woman had purple hair—none other than Uzuki Yūgao, whom Hikari had met not long ago.
"Senior… Hikari," Yūgao started, nearly saying "Miss Hikari" before correcting herself.
The masked man spoke up quietly. "Greetings. I'm Hatake Kakashi, from Konoha's Anbu. I've been sent by the Third Hokage to discuss what happened earlier…"
Though Hikari had previously said no explanation was needed, Hiruzen clearly hadn't taken it lightly. He'd sent Kakashi and Yūgao to clarify things, along with some placating words, promising to do their best to meet her demands.
Hikari's response was cool and detached.
"I already stated my demands. There's nothing else to say."
"No need to be so on edge. As long as you don't pull a Shimura Danzō and disrespect your elders, I can't be bothered to make a move."
As she spoke, something occurred to her. She glanced at Kakashi. "By the way, white-haired kid, you probably know who this kid next to me is, don't you?"
(End of Chapter)