Hikaru slowly walked to Naruto's side and crouched down.
Looking at the sixteen-year-old Naruto in front of him, he couldn't help but feel curious.
This Naruto…
Which timeline is he from?
Is it the one who knows me—calls me "Brother Hikaru" when he sees me? Or is it the Shippuden-era Naruto, who didn't even know his father was the Fourth Hokage and was proficient only in "talk-no-jutsu"…?
Uchiha Hikaru raised his right hand and gently patted Naruto's cheek.
"Crack, crack."
"Hey, wake up. Don't sleep."
"I know teenagers sleep like the dead, but this is a bit much."
"How can you just knock out cold like this?"
Naruto, lying unconscious, stirred at the sound of a man's voice and the sensation of something lightly tapping his cheek.
"Ugh…"
Naruto sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes.
"Didn't I just get swallowed by the Dragon Vein…?"
"Where's Yamato-sensei?"
He blinked and looked up—right into the face of a handsome man with long black hair, clad in a sleek Konoha combat uniform.
Especially striking was the Konoha forehead protector on the man's brow—it caught Naruto off guard.
"Eh!?"
"Onii-san! You're a Konoha ninja too?!"
Seeing Naruto's confused expression, Hikaru immediately understood.
So… this is the Shippuden Naruto.
That confirms it—he'd somehow traveled back into the main timeline of the original series.
Then he remembered what Asura and Indra had warned him about:
The ninja world he now stood in… wasn't supposed to exist.
If that was the case, Hikaru could more or less guess the reason.
From the moment he unified the Uchiha clan during the clan meeting, the timeline had likely veered into unknown territory.
That must be why Obito secretly stirred up Kirigakure to launch war against Konoha.
But that didn't matter.
There were only a handful of people in this world who could threaten Uchiha Hikaru:
Nagato with his Rinnegan, Madara revived through Impure World Reincarnation, and Black Zetsu lurking in the shadows.
As for the Sage of Six Paths and the Otsutsuki on the moon… technically, they weren't part of this world.
And they wouldn't appear for a long time.
No need to worry.
What interested Hikaru more right now… was Naruto himself.
The idea of teasing him rose like a spark.
"Of course I'm a Konoha ninja," Hikaru said, grinning. "Why, Naruto—don't tell me you've forgotten me, your big brother Hikaru?"
With a laugh, he hugged Naruto tightly and lifted him up.
Naruto just blinked in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Big Brother Hikaru? Do I know you?"
"Why don't I remember anything?! What the hell is going on?!"
Smack!
Hikaru swatted the back of Naruto's head lightly.
"You're still here, aren't you?"
Then he turned and pointed proudly at the red-and-white fan on his back.
"It's me. Your big bro, Uchiha Hikaru."
"Don't tell me you've forgotten everything, Naruto?"
Still dizzy from the slap and the shock, Naruto stared at the familiar Uchiha crest. His mind raced.
Wait—weren't Sasuke and Itachi the only two left in the Uchiha clan?
Then this guy claiming to be "Uchiha Hikaru" must be…
Naruto's face turned pale. He took several steps back—then bolted.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"YOU'RE THE GHOST OF THE UCHIHA!!"
"There's a ghost! Don't kill me, Dattebayo~!"
Hikaru watched this with deadpan silence.
(￣□￣;)
So this was Shippuden Naruto—the one who'd jump to the weirdest conclusions first.
Truly the most unpredictable ninja.
In a blink, Hikaru appeared behind him, placed a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder, and pinned him in place.
"Hey, Naruto."
"You're Konoha's number-one unpredictable ninja."
"But there's no need to act this dumb."
"If I can hit you, how could I be a ghost?"
Naruto blinked, then slapped his palm with his other hand.
"Sou ka~ Dattebayo!"
"Then you're really not a ghost, Big Brother Hikaru!"
"But I don't remember you at all…"
"I thought only Sasuke and Itachi survived the Uchiha clan?"
Smack!
Another light slap landed on Naruto's head—gentle, but just right.
Hikaru retracted his hand with satisfaction. That feeling… perfect.
"What are you even saying?"
"Our Uchiha clan is still here, doing just fine."
"I, your big brother, even became the Hokage's assistant."
"How could what you're saying be true?"
Naruto's eyes spun.
"Ehh? You're the Hokage's assistant?"
"But aren't the Hokage's assistants those two old geezers, Koharu and Homura?"
Before Naruto could ask more, a haunting melody floated through the air—cutting through the tension.
Mixed emotions... the Dragon Vein must be protected...
A flash of the blade, eyes on the sky...
Naruto and Hikaru stopped talking.
Hikaru patted Naruto's shoulder. "We'll talk later. Seems like someone's over there. Let's check it out."
"Oh—got it, Brother Hikaru!"
They moved toward the sound and spotted a girl sitting on a pile of rocks, singing softly while staring up at the ceiling.
She had long, dark red hair tied back, her cheeks adorned with twin buns connected to her ponytail. Crystal-like tears glistened on her face, reflecting the faint light.
Dust and storm gather...
The sun of glory, flowers dancing in the sky...
Spiraling inheritance...
Naruto, growing impatient, shouted first:
"Hey! What is this place?!"
The girl stopped abruptly. At the sight of them, she jumped down from the rocks and bolted toward a stone wall's massive gate.
"Hey, wait!" Naruto ran to chase her—but was stopped by Hikaru's hand.
"What are you doing, Brother Hikaru?! If she runs off, we won't have anyone to ask!"
Naruto was getting flustered. He'd been distracted by the mysterious Uchiha and forgotten all about Yamato-sensei and the others.
Now that girl was the only lead!
Before Naruto could say more, Hikaru vanished, leaving only his voice behind.
"Leave it to me…"
Naruto turned—just in time to see the girl reach the door.
In the blink of an eye, Hikaru reappeared right in front of her.
He crouched, sprang up, caught her by the waist with one hand, and slung her over his shoulder.
"Let me go, you pervert!"
The girl beat on his back with both fists, bang bang bang.
Smack!
Hikaru slapped her butt lightly.
"I said shut up. Keep screaming, and I'll really act like a pervert and show you what that means."
The girl immediately went silent.
Naruto watched blankly.
"You're... fast."
Hikaru jumped over the rocks with her still slung on his shoulder, dropped her in front of Naruto, and asked:
"Who are you, and why are you here?"
"You were trying to sneak off. What are you hiding?"
The girl sat up, holding her butt with a furious blush.
"I am Sāra, Queen of Rōran! How dare you treat me like this?! When I report this to Minister Mukade, he won't forgive you!"
Naruto blinked in confusion. "Queen of Rōran…? This is Rōran? But it doesn't match what I remember at all…"
"And who's Minister Mukade?! I was chasing a rogue ninja named Centipede with Yamato-sensei, Sakura, and Sai."
"What the hell is going on?"
Sāra frowned, visibly confused.
"We have no 'Centipede' here. And certainly no traitorous ninja."
"You've asked your questions. Now let me go."
"I have to attend the ceremony. If you delay me, the Konoha ninja I hired won't let you off easily!"
Hikaru just waved dismissively.
"Yeah yeah, off you go. A real princess wouldn't be sneaking around."
Sāra wanted to argue—but then remembered this was a restricted area. Mukade had forbidden her from entering.
If he found out she'd gone in…
No, worse—if he found out she got spanked here?! She could never live that down!
Humiliated and angry, she just glared at Hikaru, then ran toward the stone gate and disappeared.
Hikaru and Naruto remained behind.
Naruto sat cross-legged, overwhelmed.
There was just too much to process.
Hikaru patted his shoulder again.
"Looks like the Dragon Vein warped time and space."
"We're probably in ancient Rōran."
"I'm going topside to scout the area. You going to find your teammates?"
That snapped Naruto out of his daze.
"You're right, Brother Hikaru! Now's not the time to sit around!"
"I need to find Yamato-sensei. Thanks!"
Hikaru vanished again, his voice echoing behind him:
"No need to thank me. I'll find you later—we'll regroup here."
Naruto took off.
Meanwhile, Hikaru appeared on the surface, staring at the majestic towers and unfamiliar landscape.
"Huh... Not bad."
"For all his scheming, Mukade really knows how to build."
"I should get the blueprints later."
"Maybe Orochimaru can do something interesting with them..."
After wandering Rōran, Hikaru headed for the massive central palace.
Puppet soldiers patrolled the gates.
He ignored them all, slipping through the shadows, and soon stood deep within the grand hall.
There, he saw Sāra—and the obese, oily-faced Minister Mukade standing before her.
"Yo," Hikaru called casually, stepping into view. "Minister Mukade. I came as promised."
"I heard Her Highness hired another guard team from Konoha?"
Mukade flinched at the sudden voice. Both he and Sāra turned sharply.
Mukade's bloated cheeks pulled into a greasy smile.
"So you've arrived."
"The ceremony is important. It's only natural for Her Highness to be cautious and request an extra squad."
"No offense intended, Lord Hikaru."
He pulled Sāra forward with a fake smile.
"Come now, greet Lord Hikaru."
Sāra's cheeks turned crimson. She stared in disbelief.
This was the man who'd spanked her earlier?!
And now he was the Konoha guard her minister had summoned?!
Her mind flashed with shame, guilt, and a strange heat…
She raised her eyes to meet Hikaru's face—and suddenly, it didn't feel like such a bad thing after all.
Hikaru just waved.
"No need. We've already met outside."
"Her Highness kindly showed me the sights of Rōran."
"The city's design is truly magnificent. I'm grateful."
He turned to Sāra, eyes locking.
His gaze was bold, almost daring.
Sāra froze, speechless.
The message was clear:
Keep quiet—or who knows what I'll do next?
But in Sāra's eyes… that warning came wrapped in a strange, dreamlike glow.
"Y-Yes… Lord Hikaru is right. We've… met before."
I can still feel the warmth on my… (///▽///)
…
…
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