Curiosity was a natural human reaction to a beautiful object and person, Hikari mused. After all the humans she passed by everyday seemed to be enthralled with her beauty, though as a Goddess she supposed that she should take pride in that fact. She never did become enamored with another human like she had with Madara, and over ninety years had passed. Here in Konohagakure and in the bingo books, she was known as The Dark Angel. She had decided to introduce herself to the humans fourteen years ago as a teenager who had came from a small village of non-ninja's to learn how to become a ninja. In seven years she had raised the ranks until she reached Anbu level. She was in a team along with Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Kakashi. They were known as the The Dark Trio, for Itachi's lack of emotions, Kakashi's anger and sadness, and Hikari's dark powers.

She had been in the third ninja war with the Yellow Flash and Kakashi when she had earned her name as The Dark Angel when she had slaughtered many Iwa ninja with her favorite attack, Kuroton: Dark Heaven. She became feared because this attack where she rained fire that was almost as deadly as Amaterasu flames and no one could escape.

*Mini-Flashback Start*

She had gained only one serious wound when she had be in the war and it had been the last time that she underestimated a human. The man had managed to slit her throat open and before she could heal it with leaving a scar she hadn't realized there had been a powerful poison on the kunai. She had swore and clapped a hand to the wound, feeling it spill blood with every heart beat. She had managed to heal the wound but a scar remained. She probably shouldn't get so distracted during missions.

*Mini-Flashback End*

She stared absently at Kakashi who had his mask on as he nodded to her, picked up the comatose body behind her, and slung him over his shoulder—though the traitor was easily a foot taller—and sprang from wall to wall of the alley, reaching the roofs above and racing away.

"Well... that was certainly quick." Hikari let out a breathless laugh before following him back from their mission. Itachi had taken care of the other traitor while she and Kakashi had taken this one. They reported in to Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage, and the only person alive who knew what she was.

"Weasel, Dog, and Angel reporting for the successful capture of Utenma Haru and Taru." Itachi's monotone voice flowed out.

"Very good. You're all dismissed." Hiruzen smiled at them when they shushin'd to Anbu headquarters.

"Kashi, Tachi, wanna go out for some ramen?" She asked as they left headquarters for the day. Kakashi waved her off as he read his new book and left them alone. Sometimes Itachi reminded her of Madara so she had become quite fond of him.

"I'm sorry but I promised Sasuke that I would train him today after the mission." Itachi said apologetically. Kakashi, Hikari, his mother Mikoto, Sasuke, Hiruzen, and Shisui were the only people Itachi showed emotion to. Hikari felt quite honored to be on that list. He gave her a small wave and left to go to his clan house. Checking herself out, Hikari took note that her dark black hair had grown back and flowed down her back to her knees. She was dressed in her civilian clothes which consisted of a chocolate colored lolita style dress that came to mid thigh with a white bow at her waist that trailed into ruffled lace at the bottom. She also wore white stockings that that came to her knees that contrasted with her tan skin with brown flats.

A small shine caught her eye as she looked down to see a kunai was laying at her feet. Hikari picked up the kunai and thought about the future as she walked to her two bedroom apartment. She didn't want to get mixed up in Uzumaki Naruto's life, when interference was something that could easily change his timeline. Goddess' naturally receive visions, especially Hikari and her mother Tsukihana. So what if Sasuke had a traumatizing fate? So what if Konoha was invaded? It wasn't Hikari's problem, but she remembered that she had promised Madara to protect Konoha. She had faithfully done that for almost a hundred years. She put the kunai in her hidden holster on her thigh and changed her direction to Ichiraku Ramen.

"Hikari-chan! You're back from your mission already?" Teuchi said as she entered the back door and began to put on her apron.

"Yes it was an easy mission." She said and smiled at Teuchi. Hikari had found that she enjoyed ramen so she worked at the ramen stand when she wasn't on a mission. When the sun finally set over the village Hikari collected the last of the ramen bowls, bringing them in the back of the kitchen, and rolling up her sleeves to wash them.

"You did good today." Teuchi smiled at her as he put away his ingredients. "Thank you for the help." Hikari nodded back.

"I'm happy to work, Teuchi-san." Hikari smiled. She fished cleaning up and left the stand. As she walked home she heard angry voices and a blond blur dart into the alleyway across the street from her.

"There he is!"

"Don't let him get away!"

Eyeing the blonde, huddled figure that suddenly dashed into the alley and crouched behind the dumpster, Hikari decided she really couldn't let this treatment continue very longer. She listened to the two men that tore past her, shouting threats after the boy behind the dumpster. She made her way into the alley. Hikari snorted back after they were gone, making the boy jump a foot in the air and turn to her, eyes wide. He froze as they made eye contact. He looked to only be four or five years of age, dressed in a tattered shirt and a pair of shorts, with shoes that appeared to be too big for him. After a moment of silence Naruto relaxed somewhat, though she knew he would be gone at the first signs of hostility.

"Who are you?" He finally asked, voice quiet but eyes suspicious. Hikari made sure to not move suddenly.

"Izanagi Hikari, and you are?" He chose not to answer, instead keeping his mouth firmly clamped shut and proceeding to watch her carefully. Hikari looked over the whisker marks on his cheeks and smiled slightly. He did look rather adorable...

"What are you doing here?" Hikari blinked at the straight forward question.

"I saw the men chase you into here." He flinched slightly.

"Why would you check on me? Don't you want to go hurt me like the others?" He asked. Hikari raised an eyebrow.

"I would love to go home." Hikari said lightly. "If I weren't so worried that you could be hurt."

"Oh." The two stared at each other in silence, Hikari sitting down very slowly under his watchful gaze. Naruto finally looked away, kicking the dirt. "I don't have a home."

Hikari almost paused. Didn't he have an apartment? Or at least the orphanage? But the villagers definitely wouldn't let him stay there alone."No where?"

"None." Naruto looked at her. "I used to live in the orphanage, but..." He frowned and looked away, rubbing his bare arms. "They didn't want me there anymore because bad children need leave. They said I was bad and that I should die. " Hikari watched him shiver in the cold for a moment.

"Ah." She didn't question him, easily guessing the reasons behind such. Except he didn't know it. He sniffled slightly and crouched down, fiddling with the dirt. Hikari felt apart of her immortal heart break at the sight. He looked just like a lost puppy in that moment. Hikari had a soft spot for small animals.

"Hey," She finally said, reaching out an arm. "Come here." Naruto flinched and looked at her, standing and backing away a little. Hikari smiled softly. "It's okay. You're just cold, right? You look like you could use some warmth." Seeing how he didn't run, but also didn't come closer, she held out her sweater for him to use. He eyed the scar on her neck.

"What happened to you?" Hikari frowned slightly.

"Just some bad luck with a ninja. It's fine though." He hesitated but inched closer, taking her jacket and wrapping it around himself. Naruto squinted at her, as though trying to see through her. Then he plopped himself next to her, huddling into her side.

"... Arigatou..." He murmured. Hikari hesitated then tugged him, pulling him into her lap and wrapping her arms around him. He went stiff at the contact, but slowly relaxed and leaned on her shoulder. Curling around the boy, Hikari nuzzled her head in his spiky hair and sighed, idly remembering her promise to Madara.

"Iie, thank you. It is a little lonely here." Hikari joked. She then curled a little tighter around him as he shivered. "Naruto..." The boy flinched harshly and she suddenly remembered that he hadn't introduced himself, and that he probably thought that she was going to hurt him. "It's okay. Not everyone hates you." Naruto didn't say anything, but judging by the shaking of his shoulders and the wetness on her arms it was something he needed to hear.

Hikari was awakened by the stirring in her arms, and her eyes snapped open at the memory of the night before. "Ah..." Hikari blinked down at the figure in her lap, then looked in the sky. It seemed to be about dawn, and she didn't want to be late at Ichiraku's. "Naruto. Wake up." The boy in her arms flinched and jerked back, tumbling onto the ground with an 'oof.' He sat up with a start, staring at her before slowly relaxing.

"Oh. Right. Morning." Hikari nodded at him before standing with a sigh, dusting off her dress. Naruto stretched, beaming at her. Hikari smiled in return. It was nearly impossible not to, after all. He then pulled off the jacket and handed it to her. Hikari shook her head.

"You can keep it Naruto. I've got a lot of sweaters like it, and you like it right?" Naruto nodded eagerly. Hikari hummed as she followed a familiar street, tugging her long hair into a ponytail. Hikari decided to buy some fruit for her and Naruto as she walked up to a nearby stand. "Excuse me? I'd like to buy-"

"Back!" The old man behind the counter suddenly barked. "I want nothing to do with your kind!" Hikari blinked incomprehensibly then scowled heavily. "I'll be with you in a moment, miss." He then turned to see Naruto behind Hikari. "Now get out of here, demon!" He snarled before disappearing in the back. Naruto stared up innocently at her, eyes wide. "I said back!" The man had returned, a bat in hand. He moved with a speed that didn't fit his age and stood beside Hikari, holding up the bat up to swing. "Go back to where you came from you devil!" Hikari watched Naruto flinch, but he didn't move. She reached forward and grabbed Naruto by the back of his shirt, yanking him out of the path of the bat and pulling him close when the man turned to her with wild eyes.

"You! What the hell are you doing?"

"He is a child." She took Naruto's hand and dragging him away. Naruto followed without hesitation. "Naruto, why didn't you stay there?"

"... You said you were lonely." Hikari blinked and remembered that yes, she had said something along those lines the night before. Naruto looked up and smiled widely. "So am I! So now we can't be lonely if we take care of each other!" He grinned up at her, rubbing the back of his head. "And you took real good care of me! You even saved me from that guy with the bat! We could be... you know..." He slowly dropped his grin and looked down, kicking the dirt much like he had last night before looking up with wide eyes. "... Friends?" He was staring at her with wide, pleading eyes, waiting for an answer from one of the few people that hadn't tossed him aside or tried to hurt him.

"... Alright. Friends it is." Hikari finally said with a smile. When he threw her a smile as bright as the sun, she didn't have it in her to really regret it. Hikari froze when he threw his arms around her leg, him barely coming up to her waist when they both stood.

"Arigatou" He said sincerely, and she only ruffled his hair in reply. Soft and spiky, just like she imagined. She squatted down to his level and looked him in the eye.

"I have to go to work now. If you need anything, you can find me there. I work at Ichiraku Ramen Stand. Do you know where that is?" She tried not to stare incredulously when he shook his head. Blasphemy. "I'll show you, but then I have to work." Hikari stood straight and nodded to herself, taking his hand again and guiding him to Ichiraku's. Naruto quickly fell into step next to Hikari, eating an apple that Hikari had produced from thin air with a delighted expression on his face. Someone didn't hate him. Someone actually cared.

He munched thoughtfully on the little bits of apple left on the core as Hikari walked up to a man with a broad face and a kind smile, nodding when he gave her instructions to work in the back before looking at Naruto with a curious look on his face. Hikari paused then ruffled Naruto's hair one last time, stating that she got off work when it got dark, and left without another word.

"Naruto, why don't you sit at the front while I get you a bowl of ramen? I'll pay for as much as you can eat." Naruto's eyes grew wide eyed and nodded happily. Naruto gave the man behind the counter a hesitant smile as they regarded each other, unsure if the other would act. Finally the man smiled at him and asked if he had ever tried ramen before, immediately going to the back when Naruto shook his head. Unknown to the two, Hikari had a small, barely noticeable smile on her face as she watched Naruto's face light up when he first took a bite of the ramen Teuchi had presented to him.

Maybe this wouldn't be too bad.

"Hikari-chan, are you sure?"

"Naruto, for the last time; you need a place to stay too, and if they can't accept you, then they won't have any business with me. Understand?" Naruto only looked up at Hikari with large eyes before turning away. "I understand." He said softly. She nodded firmly and grabbed his hand again.

"Good. Now come on, the third time is usually the charm." They had been searching for an apartment for almost an hour and a half now, looking for somewhere that Hikari decided was good enough for him to survive with only her help every once and a while and his allowance that he probably got from Hiruzen. Luckily Teuchi had given Hikari a long list of cheap apartments (who knew there were so many in Konoha?) and they had only crossed out four of the apartments. Three of them due to their hatred of Naruto and another due to high prices. Scowling down at the piece of paper in her hand and rubbing the back of her neck, Hikari almost didn't notice it when Naruto slipped his hand out of her own and began tugging her dress.

"Ano, Hikari-chan..." She blinked and looked down.

"Hm?" Naruto fidgeted uneasily.

"Why... Why are you so nice to me?" He asked, looking up pleadingly. "You keep defending me, you want me to stay with you, you feed me, but everyone else..." He hesitated. "People have started saying bad things about you too, just because you're with me." Hikari blinked. It was true that she had seen people around her whispering a lot that night, but she had simply assumed it was because of her clothes or even her accent (despite her best efforts, her Japanese was still not up to perfect par since the language of the Gods was unknown to the humans), but it made sense that they would assume that she was some sort of evil to be involved with the Kyuubi brat. Looking down at the boy before her, knowing his personality in the future, it was easy to guess how he felt about that. Hikari slowly knelt until she was at his level, clearing her throat so she was looking him in the eyes. She wasn't really a good person when it expressing her emotions but at least she could take a page out of his own future speeches.

"Naruto," She said slowly, making sure he was listening. "Do you remember what you asked me to do for you this morning?" Naruto blinked up at her in confusion.

"I asked... to be friends?" He asked hesitantly. Hikari nodded.

"That's right. And do you know how friends act?" Naruto ducked his head embarrasedly.

"No..." Hikari hummed, idly brushing a spike of blonde hair out of Naruto's eyes and tilted his chin to meet her gaze again.

"A friend is someone you can count on in any situation." She said, never breaking eye contact with Naruto. "Someone that you can trust with anything and everything, and someone you can trust to watch your back. A friend is someone that will never betray you, and will never let you down." Her gaze softened as she stood.

"You asked why I'm helping you, right?" Naruto nodded, still looking at her in bewilderment. "I'm helping you because you are the most honest, most kind-hearted child I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Someone like you was willing to be friends with me even after only meeting me the night before, just because I said I was lonely." Hikari allowed a rare, bright and genuine grin to cross her face. "That makes you pretty special, yeah? My own little otouto, my Savior." Naruto gaped openly at her before grinning in reply.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the greatest savior of them all!" He boasted, striking a pose with a peace sign. "And you're definitely my best friend, Hikari-chan! Dattebayo!" Naruto whooped as Hikari's grin dwindled into a smile and she ruffled his hair, walking along again.

"Come otouto, we still need somewhere for you to stay for the night." She said, motioning for him to follow. Naruto nodded eagerly before racing after her, requiring more effort to catch up with her longer legs.

"Fifth time's the charm, right Hikari-chan?" Hikari hefted the blonde boy on her back when she decided that for now he would live with her until she found an acceptable apartment.

"Maa... Hikari-chan..." Naruto slurred from his position."Did you... find somewhere?"

"You can stay with me until we find a better place. Go back to sleep now." Looking around, Naruto took in the room, which held a small refrigerator and stove at one corner, a small four person table and a couch with two chairs on either side in front of a TV. A small wardrobe and cupboard stood with a few books, reminding Hikari of her other chores, and three closed doors. Naruto yawned as Hikari carefully set him on the bed. "Hikari-chan? Will you be here tomorrow?" He asked sleepily, giving a smile. She shrugged, ruffling his hair as she pulled the covers over him.

"If I dont get called in for a mission, otouto." She said absently. "Now go to sleep. Tomorrow we can go get Ichiraku's again." Naruto smiled as he began to drift back to sleep.

"That's good," He muttered. "Ichiraku's is the best," He yawned. "The best ramen in the world... Dattebayo..." Hikari shook her head as his breathing evened out, signaling him falling into a deep sleep.

Unbelievable. Hikari had somehow taken it upon herself to take care of him. Naruto had looked up at her with his large, puppy dog eyes and Hikari had immediately thrown the option of leaving him on his own out the window. And her speech about friends earlier—what was that? Was she really going to try and mold Naruto like that? To try and fix up the kyuubi jinchuuriki?

Well, Hikari finally reflected, setting herself down on the edge of the bed and curling up at the foot. If I'm going to interfere, I might as well try and make it better.

Starting with that god-awful orange jumpsuit.

Hope you guys like it! I changed a couple this from the original but i feel like this flows a lot better don't you think?

~Tails