Rui here! *waves*

fluff penguin - Yeah, it isn't. But more details will be revealed later on. I really did not want for Naoko to have an ability that would be over-kill you know. That would be uninteresting, right?

CrystalVixen93 - Aww, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy. ;)

Dark Rose Charm - And that is why you have to look forward to the future chapters, my dear~

Well then, so much for that. Here's the next chapter!

A whole week had passed ever since the meeting about Naoko's dream. There was tension that could be felt around everyone involved, albeit it was often mistaken as awkwardness by the others.

As for Kakashi, he had not spoken to anyone after that, feeling immensely upset at the information that was divulged to him that day. He had only spoken unless it was necessary or if he was being specifically talked to that week. After all, he was still the student of Minato and a genin—a low-ranking ninja that is still not recognized as a full-fledged one.

As for Naoko, lifeless was one word that could be used to describe her. If she was heartbroken when she first saw that dream about Sakumo's passing, then now, she was devastated after delivering the news to her silver-haired peer. His son.

She did not know whether to go up to Kakashi to comfort him, or to tell him that it was only a dream and that he should not worry about it. Still, she figured that the best way to go for now was to keep quiet. The red-haired girl was still not sure regarding the details about Sakumo's death, after all. It would not do anyone good to make Kakashi worry needlessly any further.

Still, the guilt that swirled in her gut kept her awake at night. It was her fault that the situation they were in now had escalated. Her dream could be wrong for all she knew, and she just blabbed off immediately as soon as she had seen it. Because in the duration of that week after seeing that dream, Naoko had not seen a single one at night.

A dream that would unsparingly scare the wits out of her in the middle of her slumber.

And now, she felt odd.

Naoko actually hoped that she would dream again at night, but to no avail there had not been any at all—which sucked, if she was to be more honest. A sigh couldn't help but escape her lips as she kicked a stray pebble on the ground. She was in the training grounds where they usually, well, train of course. But Minato had cancelled the training at the last minute. Again. Something about how he had an emergency to attend to.

But Naoko had bet that it was a woman. She had seen her yellow-haired teacher strolling around with a familiar red-haired woman around the streets of Konoha lately, acting all chummy and lovey-dovey with her. However, she was too preoccupied with her own problems to actually care one whit that moment. She knew that she needed to get her vision out of her mind, if not her system. It's what her teachers—Inori and Minato—had been telling her to do all week.

But she just can't.

The Higanbana heiress knew that in her mind, but of course. Nothing ever goes well for her.

A crunching sound snapped her from her reverie, and the ruby red-haired girl's head swiveled upwards to look in the direction of the sound. She found herself staring into those dark gray orbs. The sight of Kakashi looking so... unkempt made her feel so bad about what she had done. She really wished she could take back what she had told the others. Still, his presence surprised her. He was probably not informed early on that their training with Minato had been cancelled at the last minute.

"Kakashi," Naoko began, her eyes never leaving the form of her peer. He stopped walking halfway through the training grounds, waiting for what she was going to say. The tension made her feel more uneasy than what she was already feeling.

This was the first time she was going to actually attempt to talk to Kakashi properly, without any interference from their elders. Just the two of them. And she wished she could just run back to the orphanage and hide under the safety of her blankets that smelled like fresh laundry.

"A-About the other time," she started, mentally slapping herself for stuttering. Naoko could feel his eyes boring holes on her head, as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I'm really sorry, but can you forget what I said? It's just... you know, it was just a dream I had and it isn't exactly reliable—" Naoko stopped mid-sentence when Kakashi's glare intensified.

Even with his mask covering half of his face like always, Naoko knew that he was frowning heavily underneath it and the thought just made her freeze. She lowered her head, not knowing what to say after she was cut off with just one look from him. She heard his footsteps getting closer, the dried leaves as well as the fresh grass getting crushed beneath his feet.

"If you knew that what you were going to say was going to have a negative effect, then you should have just kept your big mouth shut," Kakashi snapped harshly, making Naoko flinch at the hostile tone that his voice had turned into.

"I-I just wanted to w-warn everyone and help," she managed to choke out, despite feeling a lump form in her throat. Her fists clenched tightly beside her, as she avoided his gaze that seemed to look into her very being right at that instant.

"Well, your help was unneeded if you aren't even sure that your useless dreaming would actually come true," he spat, his venomous words making her heart sink even deeper into despair.

'But you don't even know if what I'm saying is actually real. You aren't even there when it first happened and how everything I feared came true,' Naoko bitterly thought, but opted not to argue with her peer anymore, in fear that she would just make his temper flare up more. Instead, she accepted the hate she was getting from him. After all, it seems like from this day onwards, the two of them would never get along no matter how hard she tried. It was impossible now that she thought about it. The two of them always ended up clashing with each other even from the very start.

"T-Then, thank you for letting me know that I'm unneeded and unwelcomed," Naoko spoke in a soft voice, her pale red orbs that were brimming with unshed tears met his dark gray orbs that were devoid of any emotions except anger.

"I knew it wasn't a good idea to stay in this village after all." She bitterly laughed, as she rushed past Kakashi who stood rooted at where he was standing.

Naoko wandered around the village aimlessly, feeling drained after her confrontation with Kakashi. It was already past lunch, and her stomach was growling already because of hunger but she paid no heed to it. Actually, she just had no appetite after everything that had transpired that day. And right at that moment, Naoko wished she could have joined her clansmen in their journey to the afterlife. She just felt so useless, so unwanted, and so unloved.

Pale, red orbs darted from one person to another, as the young girl watched them go their separate ways. She was currently sitting at the park—alone and hungry. She hoped someone could accompany her or just simply talk to her. She wished someone could be there to make her forget even for a little bit. How she wished Rin and Obito were with her right now. But she didn't want to burden her friends with her problems. And she certainly did not want seeing the usual smiles on their faces turn into worried expressions. They looked better smiling, after all. Something in their bright smiled always cheered her up.

"Are you alright?" A soft voice of a woman sounded in her ears, before Naoko could even see her. Her eyes that were looking down on the ground slowly trailed up to see a beautiful woman, probably a few years older than her and around the same age as Minato.

She had flowing red hair, that looked as if it was on fire if the sun had so much as reflected its rays on it. The woman also had a pair of purple orbs, that glistened with concern as she stared down at her small, gloomy figure sitting on the park's many benches. But what caught Naoko's attention the most was the familiarity she felt, upon seeing the said woman. Somehow, the child felt as if she had seen her before.

'Where was it? I knew I've seen her but I can't remember,' Naoko thought as she unconsciously pursed her lips, while trying to search for that certain memory in her head.

The sudden pressure that Naoko felt on her shoulders brought her back to reality. The face of the unknown, red-haired woman zoomed in, a few inches away from hers. Her purple eyes bored through hers, as if searching for her very soul.

"Are you alright? You're spacing out," the woman pointed out. Naoko listened to her voice closely and it was soft, yet firm.

Slowly, the Higanbana heiress nodded, before she was finally able to find her voice, "Yes, I'm fine."

A relieved sigh escaped the woman's lips. Then, she let go of her hold on Naoko's shoulders, as she stood up straight and stared down at her. A lopsided smile made its way on her lips, while Naoko glanced at her unsurely, wondering what in the world she was thinking.

"You don't seem like you're alright to me though."

Naoko's eyes widened slightly at her words and immediately avoided her eyes, mumbling under her breath, "What do you know about me anyway? It's the first time we've met."

Her eyebrows furrowed in thought, and obviously peeved at how easily she was seen through by a stranger.

"Well, it's not exactly the first time I've seen you around. I bumped into you a few weeks ago, I guess? Plus, I'm sure I've heard about you from Minato," the woman grinned childishly at Naoko, and the mention of her teacher made the latter's eyes widen all the more.

Was this woman who she thought she was? Minato's girlfriend? The reason why their training was cancelled at the last minute, because her teacher was on a date with this woman? Not that she wasn't thankful for that or anything. In fact, she was, because Naoko wasn't exactly in the mood to be a punching bag lately.

"You're one of his students right? You're the only one I haven't met yet," said woman added, as she finally decided to sit down on the empty space beside Naoko on the bench.

"I'm Uzumaki Kushina, by the way." Kushina introduced, turning her body slightly so that she was facing the ruby red-haired girl beside her, whose brows were still furrowed.

"Uzumaki?" Naoko voiced out, slightly confused.

"Where have I heard that name before?" The girl muttered to herself, then looked at Kushina curiously.

Her pale, red orbs boring holes on her face, trying to rummage memories from her past. Then, realization dawned on her as she gaped at Kushina shamelessly.

"Wait, you're an Uzumaki too?!" The Higanbana heiress stood up from her seat, and accusatively pointing at her. This time, it was Kushina's turn to become confused.

'Too? Does she know anyone else who is an Uzumaki as well?' The older woman thought, her mind reeling at the information that was suddenly thrown at her face as if it was a stray kunai. There were still others from her clan.

"Do you—"

"Nao!" Someone shouted from a distance, cutting Kushina off before she could further clarify what Naoko meant.

Two kids, around the same age as the child beside her, ran towards them. When they were near enough, she noticed that one was a boy dressed in a dark garb with the Uchiha crest, and the other was a girl with purple marks on her cheeks.

Kushina rose up from her seat, then looked at Naoko kindly. "We'll talk next time, Nao-chan. You better tell me more about the other Uzumakis you have met, alright?"

Then, she left, leaving Naoko with conflicted thoughts swirling inside her pretty, little head.

"Hey, are you alright? Who was that woman with you? She's pretty!" Obito rambled with his obnoxiously loud voice that did not spare anyone's ears. Naoko flinched at the volume.

"No one. She just suddenly talked to me out of nowhere," she mumbled, not bothering to delve into the details.

Rin narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her red-haired friend, who looked more sullen than usual this week. Actually, she and Obito had noticed their friend's actions since the beginning of the week.

"You have no training today right? Since you're idling away over here," Obito grinned cheekily at Naoko, putting his hands behind his head as he swayed back and forth on the balls of his feet. She threw him a playful glare, which made Rin and him chuckle.

"How did you know that I was here anyway?" Naoko pursed her lips, as she slowly stood up on her feet. Then, she slung her arms over their shoulders and started walking, while dragging them to who knows where.

"We saw your blonde teacher loitering around town earlier with his girlfriend—wait, wasn't that woman his girlfriend you're talking to earlier?" Obito turned his head so fast that it startled both girls, and making Naoko drop her arm from his shoulder.

"Yeah. It's probably for the best. I don't think I'm up to training lately anyway." Naoko shrugged carelessly. Rin and Obito looked at her weirdly. After all, it was unusual for Naoko to be unmotivated like how she was being for the past few days. Most of the times, she would be the one to invite them to train, or she would spend time alone training by herself.

"Did something go wrong during your training?" Rin asked cautiously, which made Naoko tilt her head a little to look at her. The latter shook her head and smiled at her. The brunette girl decided to drop the subject for now, but Naoko knew that she was bound to be interrogated by her friend later when they return to the orphanage.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Obito asked, and as if on cue, Naoko's stomach rumbled which made the girl blush furiously out of embarrassment. The dark-haired boy and the brunette girl looked at their friend in mild surprise.

It really was unusual for their friend who was always unruffled by anything turn into someone entirely different—at least, in their eyes. The two looked at each other, before throwing their heads backwards and laughing loudly. Naoko pouted, as she marched onward, leaving her two friends behind who were still laughing their heads off at her humiliation.

"Seems like we're going to Ichiraku for dinner," Obito said, as he smirked teasingly at Naoko and she immediately slapped his arm which made him whine in pain.

"You deserved that!" Naoko stuck her tongue out at him, while Rin giggled at their silliness.

She was glad that Naoko looked uplifted somewhat, even for just a while. After all, they were friends. And Rin believed that no matter what happens, they would always help each other carry the others' burdens.

That night, Naoko laid on her bed in the orphanage, looking at the upper bunk's bottom-side. She could hear Kakashi's words from earlier that day, still echoing in her head and it didn't seem like it was going away anytime soon. The guilt swirling in her gut was still there.

A petite arm went up to cover her eyes, as a deep sigh escaped past her lips. She sat up, despite knowing that it was already past her bedtime. It still did not deter her to sneak out the room and out the orphanage. It was dark outside. And as she took a step forward, a gentle breeze blew past her, making her shiver and wishing that she had brought something that could cover her up. She was just wearing her pajamas, which consisted of a shirt and track pants, after all.

Naoko looked up and saw the star-lit sky. There were a lot tonight, and the clouds slightly covered the moon, making the sky look darker than how it was supposed to be. She began walking, opening the gate which creaked slightly, and she hoped that Shinju was in deep sleep or else she would be the one in deep shit instead.

When there were no lights turning on or footsteps rushing out the orphanage, Naoko was able to breathe a sigh of relief. She observed the village which had majority of the stores closed including the many households, seeing as it was already past midnight as far as what she had gathered. Her pale, red orbs darted around nervously, when it sank into her how bad of an idea it was to sneak out. The leaves rustled as the wind blew, not helping her with dealing with the fear that was slowly creeping up in her system.

It felt as if any minute now, something would pop out of nowhere and scare the shit out of her or someone could be out to get her. But Naoko decided to shrug it off, and continued to kami-knows-where she was going. Before she knew it, she was already in front of Inori's home. The lights were turned off like what she had expected.

Still, she wanted to get rid of this guilt that kept on digging in her chest for the past week already. And she wanted to better explain herself—at least, to someone, for starters. But first she needed a certain information from her teacher. She was hoping that on the way to the Yamanaka compound, she would be able to miraculously bump into Minato or the person she was searching for. To no avail, luck was not on her side. Like always.

Naoko took a deep breath, and pushed the large, wooden gate open. Hopefully, no one would sneak up on her and suddenly slit her throat or take her into custody for going inside somebody else's house at an ungodly hour. She mentally crossed her fingers and hoped that everything goes according to her plan.

"Who's there?" The familiar voice of Inori sounded through the dark, silent night and startling the red-haired girl sneaking inside his abode.

"I-It's me, sensei," Naoko managed to say in a small voice, not knowing how her teacher would react to her sneaking outside at this time of day. Inori's eyebrows furrowed, trying to sense her familiar chakra before heaving a sigh of relief.

"Get inside," he gruffly said, as he waited for her by the veranda. Naoko sped-walked, closing the gate behind her as she got inside the safety of Inori's home. She rubbed her arms for warmth, and looked at Inori as if she was a kicked puppy. But the head of the Yamanaka clan was undeterred.

"What are you doing, going outside at this time?" Inori said with a harsh tone. Naoko looked down at her small feet, fiddling with her fingers and trying to gather her thoughts.

"Naoko," she heard him call out in a firm tone.

This was the first time that she found Inori frightening. Most of the times, he would be mild-mannered and soft-spoken. But tonight, she was reminded of the man who had interrogated her the first time she had set foot in Konoha. She could still see the hints of kindness on his countenance right now though, so it made her relax a little.

"I just wanted to know something, sensei. I won't be long," Naoko began, still continuing to fiddle with her fingers in an attempt to calm herself down.

Inori stared at the girl before him. He can't believe she just snuck out of the orphanage and went to his home by herself. Although, he already half-expected that from her. Still, the child had no sense of danger at all. It seemed as if she had already forgotten the fact that her family—her whole clan—was finished off by an unknown force.

"What is it?" He finally asked, after a few moments of silence between them.

Inori pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself down, since he didn't want to scare off Naoko any further. It was obvious with the way her small hands trembled by her sides.

"Can you tell me where uncle Sakumo's house is?" She asked in a really soft voice, that if Inori—or anyone for that matter—did not strain their ears enough, they would not be able to hear her at all.

Naoko's request caught him off-guard, but he immediately composed himself as if she just did not ask him something outrageous. Outrageous because of the fact that it was the wee hours of the night, and it certainly would make you wonder as to what she was up to with that information at her disposal.

"And what are you going to do after knowing where Sakumo-kun's address?" Inori inquired, his interest piqued.

After all, with Sakumo gone on a mission, there was only Kakashi in that house. Alone. And he certainly did not trust two children their age, despite knowing how to protect themselves from common thugs on the street.

Hatake Sakumo was notorious to neighboring villages' ninjas. Hence, there is always a possibility that his home could be raided in one way or another, despite having sealing jutsu and traps scattered there as some sort of security.

When Naoko just stared at hin determinedly though, he could see his resolve not to tell her, crumbling right in front of his very face. Naoko had perfected the puppy-dog eyes look at an early age. Getting to an old age where he felt fond of children as young as her did not help his case at all, as well. Inori silently cursed the kamis in the heavens for granting Naoko that ability. The child already knew how to get her way!

He could only sigh in defeat, as he magically produced a parchment as well as a brush and ink out of thin air. On that paper, he scribbled down the address of the Hatake family of two.

"Thank you, sensei," Naoko nodded her head, smiling gratefully up at him as she took the paper from his hand.

When she was about to leave, Inori quickly added, "Tell me if it went well, alright?"

Naoko gave him a lopsided grin, which told him that he wouldn't really get the info without putting up a fight with her. Though, he knew that she would still tell him, albeit reluctantly.

After all, Naoko knew that he already had an inkling that she was headed to Sakumo's home to talk things out with his son. It was pretty obvious to him with the way Naoko had been acting all week long, that something had been weighing her down.

The guilt of something that did not even happen yet or had the possibility of not happening at all had been weighing her down.

And in his honest opinion, it was too much of a heavy burden for a child as young as her.

Naoko took a deep breath, as she stood in front of a medium-sized, traditional home. It was the address that Inori-sensei had written down for her. She quickly glanced at the nameplate once more to check that she did not get the wrong house. It would be pretty embarrassing, as well as troublesome to deal with the aftermath of her blunder. If ever that happens, of course.

She pushed past the wooden gates, which was similar to her light-haired teacher's house but definitely smaller in size. Her ears picked up on the leaves rustling in the bushes, but paid no mind to it. She was a girl on a mission right now, and nothing would stop her until she was able to properly talk things out with Kakashi.

She slowly raised a hand and knocked against the door. Naoko felt her small frame shaking once more, just like earlier. She could feel something dying inside of her out of nervousness, as a million thoughts invaded her mind like plague.

What if Kakashi knew that she was here? Would he open the door? What if Kakashi did not open the door? Does she have to endure another week of being told that she had done something unnecessary? That she was useless? That she was unneeded? Or for lack of a better word, unwanted?

Those thoughts continuously repeated itselves like some sort of mantra. And Naoko swore that it did not make her calm down one bit. It just made her feel like she was dying of anxiety. She rapped against the door, this time more than three knocks until it swung open. Her tiny fist was about to go down against it again, when the figure of Kakashi standing before her made her actions halt immediately.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi said, his harsh tone cutting through the silence of the night. It was evident that he did not appreciate being awakened in the middle of the night, by his unfavorite person in the world right now.

Naoko pursed her lips, collecting her thoughts in order to form coherent sentences in a way that would make her peer listen to her and not suddenly go ballistic on her. After taking a deep breath, Naoko was ready for war—only figuratively, of course. She would probably end up as a welcome mat if she were to go head-to-head with Kakashi when he was serious like right now.

"If you have nothing to say, then go home already or else," he quietly said, but there was an underlying threatening tone at the end of his sentence. Naoko involuntarily shivered at his warning. He was serious. Of course, what else should she have expected?

"Can you let me in first? It's damn freezing out here," she lamely said as she rubbed her arms for warmth.

A sigh escaped his lips, as he opened the door wider to let her in. Her eyes traveled to the silver-haired boy's face momentarily, taking note that he still did not remove his face mask even when he was sleeping. It made her feel slightly comforted with that thought, knowing that she was in a grave situation right now. It was now or never with him after all.

Kakashi closed the door behind him, as she waited by the hallway leading to the living room that she was able to discern despite the household lacking any form of light, except for the moonlight that seeped through the windows and through the curtains. Her peer went to the direction of the living room and she straightaway followed. Their small feet padding across the hardwood floors of the Hatake household.

Naoko stood across him awkwardly as he sat down on the cushion in front of the low table, after he turned on the lights in the living room. Kakashi stared at her weirdly—at least, his eyes were telling her so. She unceremoniously plopped down on the unoccupied cushion, and she could hear him snort. Naoko stared at him incredulously, as if he had done something unbelievable. The ever so cool and stoic Hatake Kakashi just snorted. Now, that was unbelievable in her book.

"What?" He harshly demanded, evading her gaze. The red-haired girl couldn't help but relax because of that, and a smile threatened to make its way on her lips. When Kakashi was able to look at her again, she wiped the goofy expression on her face instantly to avoid being reprimanded by him.

"Nothing. I don't think I'll be able to let you live down the fact that you just snorted," she teased, chuckling softly and she saw his ears reddening as he threw a nasty glare her way.

"Shut it!" She just stuck her tongue out at him childishly

Then, the two of them settled with a few moments silence between them. Their expressions morphing into one of seriousness, unbefitting of children their age. But with the both of them knowing the subject of conversation, the atmosphere suited it just fine.

"So, what do you want at this hour?"

Naoko shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Well, she might as well face this head-on. No pain, no gain right? Hopefully, she will be able to get her message across to him properly.

"About the dream I had—"

Kakashi's eyes immediately glinted dangerously, making her halt midway. Naoko ruffled her hair out of frustration. How she wished it was easy to tell him everything she knew of. The ones her parents had told of her at least. About her clan. About their ability. About her. About her capability to be the cause of an impending havoc.

Naoko still remember clearly how her mother had told her everything she knew. Her father would also chip in his two cents about it, filling in the parts that her mother had missed or the ones she had not known about until that time. It was as if they knew. They knew that everything would end up like this. Her, all alone. The sole survivor of the Higanbana Clan.

Before she could be dragged any further by the deepest parts of her memories, Naoko remembered that she had more pressing matters to attend to. And that was to talk to her silver-haired peer who was making it so hard for her to talk to him properly, without any unwanted interruptions.

"Kakashi, please. Can you not cut me off before I even finish my sentence? This is getting frustrating enough as it is," the Higanbana girl said, or more like pleaded. The boy before her did not respond but the silence was cue for her to continue her spiel.

"Before I tell you if my dream about uncle Sakumo is true or not, let me tell you about... my clan first. The Higanbana clan," Naoko continued despite Kakashi glaring holes on her head at the mention of his father's name.

She looked down, fiddling with her fingers. A habit that she had gotten after moving to Konoha. It was a sign of nervousness, anxiety, and uncertainty for her.

"You know the gist of what happened to my clan right?" Kakashi nodded slowly, not knowing what Naoko was trying to get at. But he decided to listen attentively, because with the way she was acting and shaking like a leaf before him, it was also a hard topic for her to talk about.

After all, he knew that her clan had been wiped out a few months prior the day she had arrived in Konoha. But he didn't know why, how and by whom.

"My clan was murdered if you did not know yet, but I beg to differ." His eyes widened at the revelation. He was about to open his mouth to ask who it was that did so, but Naoko shook her head, telling him that she had no idea either.

"I don't know by whose order it was. I did not have a chance to know because before I knew it, I was running away already after being told to do so by my parents. The last I've seen of them was them going to the direction of the perpetrators, if I guessed right. They told me that there is a nearby village a few miles away from ours, that would definitely keep me safe after knowing my lineage." The red-haired clan heiress took a shaky breath.

Her eyes watered at the thought of her parents dying to protect her and their clan. She hastily rubbed her eyes before the tears could even drip down her cheeks.

"But before that, probably a few months to a year prior—as soon as I turned five, my parents and clan elders have been educating me all about my heritage even if I was being a rebellious kid. I still am until now though," she let out a hollow chuckle before continuing her story.

"They told me that I could have the world in my hands, if I wanted to. They were not clear about that, but I knew that it wasn't possible at all. Just... they told me that having the power of being able to see into the future—no matter how little into the future it is—I will still be a target. A trophy, if I may quote my father's words. There was always a threat of one of our clan members being threatened to become a pawn for someone who had power and could wipe us out instantly, in order to have the ability of foresight in their hands. So, according to the history lessons I've gotten, my clan had secluded themselves into the outskirts of the Fire Country ever since the first Hokage died. He was the only person that our clan had trusted ever since, despite still having connections to the succeeding and current Hokage."

Naoko paused momentarily, letting the flood of information to sink into Kakashi's mind. It was obvious that he was reeling in the information disclosed to him, in order to be able to understand where she was coming from and to better understand her as well. It was difficult for her to lay bare everything she had been keeping ever since the tragedy that befell her clan. When she felt that it was alright to continue again, the red-haired girl did.

"Starting from here though, the things that I will tell you, swear that you won't tell anyone, Kakashi-kun. Please," Naoko pleaded, her pale, red orbs glinting ominously and worriedly.

"There are things that are better left unsaid. Because if anyone finds out—especially the ones who are after the remainder of my clan, or me for that matter—that you knew something about the Higanbana clan and the mechanism of our abilities, you will surely be targeted as well."

The silver-haired boy stared back at Naoko, his eyes glistening with an incomprehensible light that she did not recognize. But he agreed, responding quietly with an 'alright'. Naoko tucked a stray strand of red hair behind her ears.

"I hope I could trust you with this, Kakashi-kun. Because I'd definitely die of guilt if anything happens to you. I've had enough of people who are dear to me suddenly dying and leaving me alone to fend for myself after all," Naoko smiled lopsidedly, but the way her eyes shone sadly in the light told Kakashi that her words were sincere.

"Let's start from the beginning then," were the only words Naoko had said as she resumed.

[A/N]: Yo, Rui here! *wink wink*

A long chapter for you guys, that ended in a cliffhanger. Hihi. I'm so sorry! But after this chapter, it will be all about Naoko's past... I think. I may or may not reveal it. Plus, there is still what could happen to Sakumo. Suspense, right? I know, I know. *grins evilly* ヽ(￣▼￣*)ノ

As for the arc title, I kind took a liking to it. It has a nice ring to it and the meaning is cool as well. LOL. 岡目八目 (okamehachimoku) - a bystander's vantage point. If I relate it to the readers as well as myself, it would be like we are the bystanders right? S'kind of like we're overseeing the progress or the story as a whole.

On that note, I hope you guys liked the recent chapter/bomb that I dropped, as well as the historical information about Nao's clan. It's far from the entirety of it yet. There are still tiny details I haven't included yet. （●￫‿ฺ￩●）

And so, I'm hoping you guys would continue to give support and lots of love to this story! Thank you so much. *hugs all of you*

Lots of love! （＞ω・)ノ