Uchiha Hikaru followed Sarah into the room.
The moment he stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him with a loud bang.
Through the iron-barred windows on the wall, he could barely make out the surroundings of the dimly lit room.
At that moment, Sarah was being choked by the neck. It became clear—someone in Rōran truly wanted to kill her.
The woman holding Sarah hostage turned her attention to Hikaru, interrogating him without delay.
"Hey, you over there. Is she really the Queen of Rōran? Lady Sarah?"
Before Hikaru could respond, Sarah fiercely bit the woman's wrist.
The woman let out a sharp scream of pain.
"Ah!"
Sarah seized the moment, scrambling to Hikaru's side. She pointed at the group of masked figures in front of them and began scolding them angrily.
"I am Queen Sarah!"
"If you want my life, then come for it directly—don't hide behind cowardly tricks like these!"
That declaration seemed to provoke the masked group. One by one, they raised crude weapons—hoes, shovels, even cooking spatulas and iron spoons.
"Give it back to us!" they shouted.
Sarah blinked in confusion.
"Huh? Give what back?"
The mob pressed forward, inching closer to her and Hikaru.
"If you don't return it, don't blame us for being merciless!"
They grew louder, shouting and waving their makeshift weapons.
"Give it back to us!"
"Give it back!"
At that moment, Uchiha Hikaru stepped forward. He had been silent too long—now it was time to act.
After all, he wasn't here to stand around. He was Sarah's bodyguard. And this was the moment to prove it.
He calmly stepped between Sarah and the mob, raising one hand. A cold, suffocating chakra radiated from him like a blade pressing against their throats.
"Then tell me," he said softly, "what exactly do you mean by 'no mercy'?"
A small child among the mob dropped to the floor with a cry.
"Help! Please don't kill me~!"
The crude tools clattered to the ground. The overwhelming pressure of Hikaru's chakra was too much. They weren't shinobi—just civilians. But even without understanding chakra, they could feel death creeping close, and none dared take another step.
Just then, the door swung open and the lights overhead flicked on.
"Ah, great! Hikaru, Sarah, you're both here!"
It was Naruto's voice, cheerful and clueless.
"Why didn't you turn the lights on? It's so dark. What were you doing in here?"
Then he caught sight of the group standing behind Hikaru and Sarah—people in masks, some collapsed on the ground, all clearly shaken.
"…Who are these people?"
The masked woman at the front slowly reached up and removed her mask, revealing her face.
"I apologize. My name is Masako," she said, bowing slightly to both Hikaru and Sarah.
The chubby boy beside her pulled down his mask as well.
"I'm Sarai. We're not here to cause trouble," he added awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
"We just needed to speak with Lady Sarah…"
Sarah frowned, unease settling in her chest. Something about today had been off from the start.
"What's going on?" she asked. "What exactly do you want from me?"
Masako glanced back at her companions and nodded.
"Lady Sarah… please come with us. There's something we want to show you."
. . .
That night, the square of Rōran was packed with people. Giant puppets decorated with glowing ribbons waved back and forth, and the entire plaza sparkled with color and celebration.
The air was filled with laughter and cheers. It seemed the whole city had come alive with joy.
Nearby, the cover of a sewer entrance quietly lifted. Masako climbed out first, followed by Uchiha Hikaru, Sarah, Naruto, and Sarai.
As Sarah emerged, the sight of the glowing, festive crowd took her breath away. People held hands over their hearts, faces shining with pure happiness.
"So beautiful~" she murmured.
Naruto tilted his head, glancing from the crowd to Sarah.
"Hm?" he muttered. "I still think Ichiraku's ramen looks better."
"It's way better seeing this from down here than from above," Sarah added dreamily.
Hikaru gave her a silent, sideways glance and sighed softly.
(｡-_-｡) She's too far gone…
To him, she wasn't someone who needed rescuing anymore. She'd already been brainwashed by Mukade. Her heart was too soft… her mind too easy to fool…
Even Naruto beside him gave a sigh, shaking his head.
"I'm talking about you…" he muttered, casting another look toward Sarah.
Sarah, completely unaware of the two boys' judgmental stares, continued speaking with a faint smile.
"This parade was arranged by Minister Mukade."
"He said it was to comfort me… after my mother died suddenly."
Sarai, standing nearby, muttered under his breath.
"This is so wrong…"
The bitterness in Sarai's voice cut through Sarah's nostalgic mood like a blade. Her expression darkened instantly.
"What did you say?" she asked sharply, eyes narrowing with intensity.
Sarai blinked and looked up, unfazed.
"Everyone's been treating you like a puppet princess. A marionette. They're not cheering for you… they're laughing at you."
Sarah's expression froze.
"Puppet princess…? Marionette…?"
Masako quickly placed a hand on Sarai's shoulder and scolded him softly.
"You little brat, shut it."
"Okay~" Sarai replied with a careless shrug.
Masako turned back to Sarah and bowed again.
"My apologies, Your Highness."
"But you can't blame Sarai for saying it."
"Our families… they were taken one morning without warning."
"And when we demanded answers, we were told you ordered it."
Sarah's eyes widened.
Naruto, hearing those words, immediately turned to Sarah with an intense stare.
But before he could say anything, Sarah shouted back, her voice firm and unwavering.
"You're lying! I never gave any such order!"
. . .
. . .
-------
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