Ay grit his teeth as he shook the Hokage's hand in an outward expression of friendliness. But there was nothing he could but swallow his humiliation and rage, if he wanted his village to remain unharmed.
"Well then, until next time, Raikage-dono," Hiruzen said to him, head inclined in a show of respect.
"Likewise, Hokage-dono."
The two Kage stood at the gates of Konoha, the party from Kumo about to depart after signing the new treaty between the two shinobi villages.
Kumo had gotten the short end of the stick when they had attempted to steal two of Konoha's bloodlines and if they didn't want to spark a war that could probably weaken their villages further -especially Kumo, since Konoha seemed lax about the idea for some reason- the new treaty had to be upheld.
One of the conditions for Konoha backing off -mostly- was for the Raikage to sign the treaty in person, to at least give the impression of upholding it the second time.
It was also a power play on the Hokage's part, to show that Konoha was not weakened in any way by the Shinobi wars or Kumo's failed abduction attempt, by demanding that the other Kage leave his village.
Once the final formalities and platitudes were completed, Ay took off, not wanting to remain in Konoha any longer. Soft footfalls let him know that his men were following, surrounding him in a defensive formation.
Running did not soothe the fury thundering through him, hastening his movements as he ran in the direction of Kaminari no Kuni. It was the first time since he had become Raikage that he had had to leave his village and it was because of a botched mission that was supposed to happen in his favor.
He scowled; how the hell had his men failed?
"That's enough," Ay growled once they were about fifty miles away from Konoha, deeming it safe to stop for a minute to get answers.
The shinobi came to a halt around their leader, shifting uneasily at the waves of anger radiating off the man. After a few seconds, Jin stepped forward and dropped into a kneeling position in front of the Raikage. Gou and Hiroto immediately followed, heads bent as they knelt behind the Head Shinobi.
"I apologize for my failure, Raikage-sama," Jin spoke in a crisp but otherwise bland tone, well aware that his mistake had cost a lot to Kumo. It wouldn't be farfetched to assume that he would lose his head if Ay so desired it.
Said man held himself taller, arms crossed as he stared at the back of Jin's head. "I don't want your apologies," Ay snapped angrily, making the rest of his men flinch. "What happened?!"
Jin reported the events that had occurred during the attempted kidnapping in a succinct manner, ensuring that even the tiniest detail wasn't left out.
Ay felt his incredulity rise with every word that spilled out of the other man's mouth, eyebrows rising until they almost reached his hairline.
"You're saying you were bested by achild?!"
Wincing a little at the harsh shout, Jin replied, "Yes, Raikage-sama. The Uzumaki seemed harmless but apparently has some skill with sealing. And…"
Jin swallowed, a frisson of fear travelling down his spine as he remembered those cold blue eyes. He hadn't realized it earlier but his stay in Konoha's T had given him enough time to analyze what had happened and how they had failed.
The Uzumaki, for all that she had seemed weak and delicate, had directed an intense amount of killing intent at him and only him. Subtle but strong enough to unnerve him and make him lose all rationality.
"That girl is no simple child, Raikage-sama. Even if she had been truly frightened when Gou and Hiroto took her, I did not see an ounce of fear when she took us down."
It was silent after that, none of the men moving and the only sound being the slight rustling of the leaves in the wind. Ay looked contemplative; he was picking apart his Head Shinobi's words, whose voice hadtrembledwhen he had spoken about the Uzumaki.
Was a little brat so capable of scaring his men?
Ay harrumphed, turning around on his heel and stomping away. The other Kumo nin exchanged hesitant glances before following, unsure if their leader was going to have another outburst.
The truth was, he really was interested in this girl. The reason he had initially demanded to see the one who had defeated his men was to kill them on the spot. He had no intention of making peace with Konoha and if he sparked another war, then fine. Ay had no intention of letting Kumogakure be seen as weak.
But to his surprise, Konoha had not relented and pushed them to agree to the treaty. The clincher was that they had no reservations in involving the Daimyo of either nations. If Ay had not conceded to the new terms then their Daimyo would have been alerted.
The Daimyo of Kaminari no Kuni was not a man who allowed losses and would have definitely cut their funding. If that happened then Kumo would have had to face a mad scramble to acquire resources and it would have sent a message to the other shinobi villages that they had lost their power.
In the end, it had been the treaty or loss of resources.
Ay, for all that he desired more strength for his village, did not want Kumo to suffer.
'Konoha did not even pursue their advantage,'he thought, frustrated.'Is this another ploy or are they genuine?'
Indeed, the new treaty was actually favorable to both sides, with an agreement to not interfere in matters concerning the other village without explicit permission. If their shinobi encountered each other on missions, they were to ignore it as much as possible. Border crossings would be more closely monitored.
The Raikage did not doubt that tensions between Kumo and Konoha would rise, but they had time to build up their forces.
'This Uzumaki girl must be eliminated if possible,'Ay decided with certainty. Even as a young child, she was able to take down three experienced Jounin with ease. Letting her grow up into a powerhouse, as Uzumaki used to be acclaimed for, would be a great mistake.
As strong as she was, there was no question of whether she would become a shinobi. An 'accidental' encounter on the field and she would be done for. All that was needed were careful planning and an opportunity.
Hikari snorted with amusement, perched on the roof of one of the houses in the Uchiha compound and hidden by the shadows of the trees near her. She couldn't tell what Ay was thinking but monitoring his chakra told her that he was most likely considering a chance of offing her or something along those lines.
How predictable.
In her mindscape, Kurama snorted alongside her."Does he really think he can kill you?"
"In his defense, Ay doesn't know I'm a time/dimension travelling Jinchuuriki,"Hikari replied with an innocent grin, staring up into the fox's eyes."Specifically,yourJinchuurki."
That earned her another snort and her grin widened at the sight of the Bijuu laughing. It was true; not even Hiruzen and Kakashi knew the true extent of her skills and she intended to keep it that way.
Kage Bunshin, Fuuinjutsu and Hiraishin were only a small part of her repertoire.
Speaking of her skills, Hikari had improved her sensing range yet again, now capable of almost covering the entirety of Hi no Kuni if she stretched herself. It would prove useful in the future. She was currently using her ability to spy on the Raikage and his entourage, to ensure that he didn't have any nefarious plans up his sleeve.
Surprisingly, Killer B had not accompanied his brother but she supposed that bringing a known Jinchuuriki would count as a declaration of aggression. The air in the village would have been even more hostile and wary if the Jinchuuriki of the Hachibi had tagged along with his brother for the negotiations.
"I'm surprised you're fine with smacking Kumo in the face like this,"Kurama stated, genuinely curious about his container's thoughts."You fought alongside them before."
Hikari grumbled a bit, flopping onto her back and feeling the chill from the tiles seep into her clothes. It had stopped snowing but it was still winter. Not that it bothered her much.
"It's because they're hypocritical bastards,"she eventually admitted. Even if she had gotten along with Ay in her dimension somewhat decently, it was truly Killer B whom she had bonded with."They condemn other villages for their mistakes loudly but then they steal bloodlines and other treasures."
Kurama hummed in response, resting his head on his paws as he leveled one crimson eye at the redhead."What about their treatment of their Bijuu and Jinchuuriki?"
"You're asking that on purpose,"Hikari accused him, glaring at the question which had an obvious answer. She pouted when Kurama gave her a deadpan stare,"Stupid Kurama! You know that I'm conflicted on that!"
It was the truth; on one hand, Kumo treated their Jinchuuriki and the Bijuu as mere tools and not sentient beings with emotions, running them to the ground with severe training. On the other hand, they also got a decent amount of respect from the village.
"Honestly, I don't know what I should do about the Jinchuuriki,"Hikari whispered in a low voice, one hand rising to grab the fox's fur in a tight grip."I know that some of them suffer because of the Bijuu in them, I know that they might not have chosen their fate but far too many have seen you guys as weapons or mindless beasts."
It was true; even her mother had feared and hated the Kyuubi.
Of course, Hikari didn't want the current Jinchuuriki to be hunted down by the Akatsuki, knowing some of them well enough to know that they were good people. But that was for the future.
She resolutely didn't think about Gaara. That was a dilemma for when she had a clearer head.
Kurama rolled his eyes at the conflicted expression on the girl's face and gently smacked her head with a tail, gaining her attention."Back to my point, are you fine with this?"
Hikari blinked, before recalling their original conversation. She shrugged,"I don't know them in this world. There might be a chance that they won't be similar to the people I knew. But my first priority is Konoha right now."
She would definitely turn her attention to the matters outside the village once she was done with the stuff she needed to do in Konoha but for the moment, she felt no regret in cornering Kumo.
"Hmph. When did you grow up?"
"Right about the time when a whacked-up rabbit destroyed my world."
A flick to her forehead jolted her out of her mindscape and she blinked dazedly; when did she become so comfortable with that chakra signature that she subconsciously classified him as an ally?
"What are you doing up here, Hikari-chan?"
Shisui's grinning face popped into her line of sight, the boy looming over her head. He had followed her tracks when the redhead hadn't returned after fifteen minutes; the delegation from Kumo might have left but he still worried.
"Nothing much, really," Hikari murmured, rubbing the red spot on her forehead. She took the offered hand and let Shisui pull her up, channeling a little chakra to her feet to prevent herself from sliding off the slippery roof. "Just needed some fresh air."
She wasn't lying; spying on Kumo was just a bonus.
The Uchiha hummed, taking her words at face value. "Kumo's finally gone," he said absently, looking in the direction of Konoha's gates. He wasn't a sensor but he could feel the tension that had hung over the village for the past week slowly dissipating, proof that the foreign nin had left.
"Yeah," the redhead agreed, hopping off the roof to land on the street below. Shisui followed, the pair making their way towards the Uchiha Main house. "So that means you'll be going back home."
The strange inflection in the way the boy said the words made Hikari pause and she quirked an eyebrow at him. "What are you thinking?"
All she got in a reply was a guileless smile and a mild shrug of the shoulders.
Hikari squinted at her friend, not buying the innocent act. But she really wasn't in the mood to decipher the look in his eyes and decided to come back to it later.
Focusing back on her senses, she noted that the Kumo delegation had started moving again, this time with no apparent intention to stop.
She decided that there was no more need to keep tabs on them and withdrew, her range shrinking back to her natural radius. Kumo wasn't going to be anything more than a blip on her radar for the foreseeable future.
Hikari sighed, gaze darting to the sulking form of the blond toddler sitting on the floor in a far corner. Naruto wasn't really mad at her per se, but he had been moody and upset ever since the two had returned from their stay at the Uchiha Compound.
'He misses his friends,'she thought with a little twinge of amusement. Even she had been deprived of company, since Shisui had been sent out on a long mission after the new agreement with Kumo had been finalized and it had been deemed safe to let her be without a guard.
She caught glimpses of Itachi whenever she went into the village, the boy doing a few solo D-Ranks since he didn't have a team anymore.
"Is Naruto still not done sulking?"
Kakashi's incredulous question made Hikari snort and turn to face him; the teen was staring at the dark cloud over the little boy's head.
"He's just being stubborn," she replied, resting her chin on her palm. "He got used to having Sasuke, Hinata and Neji around all the time. Now he's just feeling a little lonely."
It wasn't that Hikari couldn't understand; he missed her time with her two friends too. Kakashi didn't count since she was accustomed to him disappearing for his missions. Although she did notice an increase in the amount of time he was spending at her house lately…
"I suppose so," Kakashi said, still staring at the boy. "I don't remember ever being like him."
"That's because you were a little rule-abiding troll of a shinobi-in-training at his age."
Kakashi chuckled at the near accurate description of his younger self. He had started training the moment he was able to handle a kunai and his father's reputation as the White Fang had only spurred his motivation.
"True. Think Naruto would like to play with the pack?"
Hikari shrugged, shooing the teen away. "Worth a try."
The ANBU extended a hand to ruffle the redhead's hair, messing it up. Hikari squawked indignantly and slapped the offending limb away, glaring at him while she tried to fix her hair. Kakashi only eye-smiled at her death glare and walked away.
"Hey, Naru-chan," he greeted the little boy, crouching next to him.
Naruto peeked a dull blue eye at him. "Hi, Kashi-nii."
"What's wrong?"
"I want Shika, Suke, Neji and Hina."
Kakashi had to hold in an amused snort at how the toddler mangled Uchiha Sasuke's name, aware that it might set him off if he took it the wrong way.
"I see. Now I can't help with that, but do you want to play with my ninken?"
Naruto immediately brightened, looking at the teen hopefully. It had been a while since he had a chance to play with the pack and he missed them too. "Really?"
"Yes, really." Kakashi gave him an eye-smile, showing his sincerity and held back a snicker when the kid shot up with a cheer.
"Go now, Kashi-nii! Now!"
Chuckling, the Hatake let the boy drag him out the room but then directed them towards the stairs. "Hikari won't be happy if you went out like this, so get your jacket first."
Hikari watched the two go with a fond smile, happy to see that Kakashi had gotten a lot better since the first time she had seen him in this world. He smiled more easily and looked relaxed, but she doubted that he was that way around anyone else.
In any case, it was a huge improvement in her books.
Speaking of books, she looked back down at the huge book on her lap and sighed. Now that the Kumo incident was resolved, Hikari had decided to finally start studying iryo ninjutsu and was going through the basics.
'Sakura and Tsunade-baa-chan beat most of the information about the human body into my head so I just need a refresher on that,'Hikari mused, recalling with muted fondness times when the two women had taught her first aid and other little things. War meant that medics were overworked and everyone had to know how to treat injuries using medicine and other normal methods.
She turned a page of her book, reading about the chakra network and how it worked. It was slow going; she had no one to ask when she had questions.
"Why don't you ask the Hyuuga or Uchiha? You're pretty chummy with them now."
"Finally woke up, stupid fox?"Hikari huffed in annoyance and entered her mindscape, giving the stink eye to the unbothered Bijuu.
"You're boring, brat,"Kurama retorted with a sniff. He sat on his haunches as he looked down at the glowering redhead, rolling his eyes when she started screaming at him."Stop the racket; it's not going to help either you or me."
The redhead gave the fox one last glare before throwing herself at him, burying herself into the thick orange fur. Kurama was far too used to his container doing such a thing and simply snorted, curling his tails around her.
"I know that there's no Hyuuga or Uchiha who isn't on active duty to teach me,"Hikari mumbled, her words muffled a little by the fur."I don't want to know about chakra techniques anyway."
"Then what do you want?"
"Things like illnesses, poisons and medicine. I'm more likely to encounter poison users like Sasori,"she frowned in thought, remembering the member of Akatsuki who fought using puppets and advanced poisons."I need to know how to face them and treat any affected people."
Kurama grunted; he was annoyed by the girl's bleeding heart but could do little to stop her."Then find others in the village. Didn't your Nara say that his clan provided medicine for Konoha?"
Hikari blinked owlishly at the growled words, brain immediately whirring to recall that particular conversation with Shikamaru. The shadow user had mentioned something of the sort after she had asked why he had known so much about medicinal herbs.
"Huh. I'm surprised you remember that, Kurama."
"I do pay attention, brat."
"Only when you want to."
But it was a possibility she could explore!
…wait.
"That means I need to talk to Shikaku-san,"she groaned and flopped back into Kurama's side, whining at her luck."I haven't seen him for a while but if I know him, that man has already keyed into my identity."
"So? You wanted him to find out by himself."
"I know, but I'd rather he approached me first."
Kurama snorted and whacked the girl's head, rolling his eyes when Hikari started screaming at him."Stop yelling; that wouldn't have hurt you. You should do whatever you want, kit. Pineapple Head Senior will eventually come to you when he's certain of his theory."
"Argh…fine. It's not like I have a choice anyway."
Mumbling curses under her breath, Hikari surfaced from her mindscape, blinking blearily at the book on her lap. Giving up studying as a lost cause for the time being, she closed it and set the book aside in favor of ruminating on the current situation.
'Kumo agreed to our terms,'she thought with a victorious grin; no matter how many times she revisited that topic, she kept grinning. The Sandaime had bypassed his Advisors for once and had gone straight to Shikaku, the two of them hammering out a new treaty that Kumo had no choice but to accept. They had been careful not to undermine the other village and attempted to level the playing field as much as possible without losing their current advantage.
The matter of the Caged Bird Seal had also ended on a quiet note, with none of the Hyuuga except the Elders kicking up a fuss.'I'm surprised that word hasn't spread though. I would have thought something of that magnitude would attract a lot of attention.'
Hikari had no idea that Fugaku and Hiashi were working together to keep her involvement a secret as long as possible. If she had known, she would have certainly crowed in glee at seeing Uchiha and Hyuuga cooperating.
A flicker of chakra broke her train of thought and the redhead turned her head towards the door. Someone had just crossed her barrier; it meant that they held no ill will, something that piqued her curiosity.
She rarely had visitors.
Hopping off her seat, Hikari made her way to the door and opened it just as her unexpected visitor raised their hand to knock.
"Can I help you, Nara-san?"
The man, easily identified as a Nara by the clan symbol on his shirt, gave her a lazy smirk. "A message for you," he drawled, pulling out a scroll from his pocket and holding it out to her.
Hikari took it curiously, immediately undoing the ribbon and unrolling the scroll to skim its contents. Slender eyebrows rose as the words registered and she blinked.'Huh. Does this mean that he figured it out or wants to gather more info?'
For the scroll in her hands was a formal invitation to a dinner at the Nara Compound for the two Uzumaki that evening, with the option to stay the night if they so wished.
"Looks like Pineapple Head Senior went through his promise from that day,"Kurama snorted in their mindscape, gaining an agreeing noise from his container.
"Should I go, Kurama?"
"Why not? You wanted this, didn't you?"
"I suppose. Didn't think it would be this early though."
Directing her attention to the Nara, Hikari absently rolled up the scroll and said, "Tell Shikaku-san that I accept his invitation, Nara-san."
The man nodded, a speculative glint in his dark eyes as he took in the girl who had caught his Clan Head's attention. From what he could see at first glance, there appeared to be nothing special other than the fact that she was an Uzumaki.
A talented one, if her dealing with the Kumo nin was to be considered.
He wasn't all that curious though; it was Shikaku's puzzle.
Snapping off a lazy salute, the Nara sauntered off, much to the palpable amusement of the redhead watching him go.
"Shikaku-san has made his move," she muttered as she shut the door and headed to the kitchen. "Wonder what he's found so far."
Shikaku watched with growing amusement at the sight of his son impatiently watching the clock. Once his clansman had informed him of Hikari's acceptance of his invitation, he had told Yoshino and Shikamaru the news.
His wife had taken it calmly, with a hint of joy at being able to meet her friends' son. She had immediately started listing all the dishes that she should make before shoving her husband out with a grocery list.
On the other hand, Shikamaru had lit up like his birthday had come early, surprising both his parents. For some reason, he liked Naruto more than Chouji and Ino and his actions showed it. But true to form, the boy had dropped off for a long nap in the afternoon, though he was currently vibrating on the spot.
Sharp on the dot at seven P.M., the doorbell rang.
"Get the door, Shikaku," Yoshino called from the kitchen, stirring something in a pot while simultaneously checking on the rice.
Shikaku made a noise of agreement and made his way to the door, opening it to see the smiling face of the redheaded Uzumaki, the other kid hiding behind her as usual.
"Good evening, Shikaku-san," Hikari chirped cheerfully, a large box tucked under one arm. "Thanks for the invitation."
The Nara inclined his head in acknowledgement, chuckling when the blond peeked at him with wide blue eyes. "Evening, Hikari, Naruto-kun."
"Hello…"
"Naru!"
Shikamaru had apparently followed his father and was standing in the hallway, a pleased smile on his face at the sight of his friend.
"Shika!"
Hikari snagged the blond toddler's collar when he made to run, making Naruto pout at her. "Shoes and jacket off, Naru-chan; you can tackle Shikamaru after that."
"But, Nee-san!"
"Nope, you don't want to be rude now, do you?"
"Fine…"
Naruto struggled to tug his shoes off, arranging them clumsily to the side before tossing his jacket at the amused redhead. Once that was done, he ran towards his friend with a giggle and tackled him into a hug, the two kids rolling on the ground.
"Shikamaru's never been like that with anyone else," Shikaku remarked casually as he took the two jackets from Hikari's arms, hanging them up as she bent down to remove her shoes.
Hikari gave a huff of laughter and shook her head. "Naruto's the same," she admitted with a smile that had an edge of something he couldn't read, her eyes revealing some amount of fondness and confusion. "He's met Sasuke, Neji and Hinata but I think he considers Shikamaru to be his best friend."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. I think it's because Shikamaru is Naruto's first friend."
Shikaku's eyes narrowed at the bemused tone in the redhead's voice and he crossed his arms, asking, "And what do you think of that?"
The words came out sharper than the Nara had intended and Hikari blinked, raising her head to stare at him with wide, startled eyes. "What..?" she asked, utterly confused before the pieces clicked. "Wait, you think I disapprove?! It's Naruto's choice as to who he befriends; I like Shikamaru and I don't mind their friendship."
The Nara Clan Head relaxed at the indignant words and offered an apologetic smile to the bristling girl who looked ready to hit him. "Sorry, Hikari; I didn't mean to offend you."
Hikari eyed him for a moment before letting it go. "Apology accepted."
Shikaku sighed inwardly; the female Uzumaki was just as fiery as the other redheaded Uzumaki he had known. He led the girl into the living room where Shikamaru and Naruto were, currently being greeted by his wife.
"Oh, how adorable!" Yoshino almost squealed, crouching to the toddlers' level. Naruto stared back at her shyly, holding out a hand which the woman took. "I'm Yoshino; it's nice to finally meet you, Naru-chan!"
"H-Hello…"
Naruto stumbled over his words as he introduced himself, still not used to adults but knowing that the woman meant no harm to him; she was Shikarmaru's mom, after all.
Yoshino giggled at the hesitant but bright grin the blond boy gave her, all but clinging to her son. It was heartwarming to see that the child still retained his innocence and happiness. "Why don't you boys have fun till dinner is ready? Just don't leave the house."
"Okay!"
Naruto beamed at the given permission and turned to his friend, Shikamaru grabbing the blond's hand and dragging him further into the house. The other three in the living room watched them go with fond smiles, happy that the children were so very comfortable with each other.
Hikari stepped forward when Yoshino turned to face her, ignoring the slight stuttering of breath Yoshino experienced when she processed the sight of the redhead. "Thank you very much for the invitation, Yoshino-san," she said with a smile, holding out the box she had brought. "A little present to show my gratitude."
To her credit, the Nara woman recovered quickly and took the box, opening it to reveal a chocolate cake. "Oh my, this looks delicious, Uzumaki-san!" she exclaimed; the cake was a single layered one but fairly large, with vanilla and chocolate icing. There were even little deer shaped figurines made of chocolate stuck on the icing.
The redhead beamed at the compliment, "Thanks! The deer took some work but I'm glad it turned out well!"
Yoshino startled at that; she had thought that the cake had been bought from one of the stores in Konoha, not homemade. "You made this, Uzumaki-san?"
"Yeah. I normally don't make desserts unless I'm experimenting but Naruto insisted that I make a cake, so…" Hikari trailed off, letting the two Nara fill in the blanks as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "And just call me Hikari, please."
"If you say so, Hikari-chan," Yoshino smiled, mentally overwriting her assumptions of the redhead. Shikaku had told her a little about the girl, about her striking resemblance to their deceased friend but she hadn't expected Hikari to be a near miniature of Kushina.
Sure, there were enough differences to set her apart, like the color of her eyes for one, but at first glance Hikari looked very much like her old friend.
'I wonder if Kushina had had a daughter, would she look like that?'Yoshino thought with a pang of grief that she immediately brushed away; it was not the time to be thinking about past memories.
"Will you be staying the night, Hikari-chan?"
Hikari nodded in response to the question; when she had told Naruto about the invitation, the blond had demanded that he have a sleepover with Shikamaru. It was only fair; after all, he had spent over a week in the company of Sasuke, Neji and Hinata.
"I couldn't refuse Naruto's demands," she shrugged, staring absently in the direction where Naruto had disappeared into with Shikamaru. "I don't intend to spoil him, of course, but…I want him to be happy."
Over the girl's head, Yoshino and Shikaku held a silent conversation. For all that she had heard about what Hikari had done for the little Uzumaki, Yoshino had had her reservations. How could she not, when the son of her friends was entrusted to a virtual stranger?
But now she could safely say that it had been the right course of action. The protectiveness and affection in the girl's voice cemented her trust and Yoshino gave a single nod to her husband, who returned the gesture with a small smirk.
"Well then, Hikari-chan, dinner should be ready soon," Yoshino stated with a quiet smile, giggling when the redhead blinked owlishly at her. "Shikaku, show her to the guestroom."
"Yes, ma'am," the Nara Clan Head saluted, not wanting to go against his wife.
Shikaku watched as the redhead unsealed a set of nightclothes and other essentials from her bracelet, setting them on the bed.
He had been tossing around a theory in his head for a while, regarding the female Uzumaki.
Her sudden appearance and her physical looks.
Her fierce loyalty to Konoha, seemingly unfounded.
The Sandaime's great trust in her.
Hatake Kakashi's protectiveness that extended not only to Naruto, but to her as well.
Her devotion to Naruto.
The way she had played Kumo like a puppet.
The last thing was what he had in mind as he broke the silence and abruptly spoke, "The thing with Kumo."
Hikari looked at him from the corner of her eye, expression giving nothing away. "What about it?"
"How much of it was staged?"
That earned a chuckle from the girl. She straightened, turning to face him with a smirk and a strange gleam in her blue eyes.
Eyes that were the exact same shape and color as Namikaze Minato.
"Everything and nothing."
A thin eyebrow twitched at the non-answer and Shikaku resisted the urge to groan. It seemed that Hikari still caught it, leaning against the desk with a huff of amusement.
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Really?" The smirk was still playing on her lips, her gaze sharp but confident. There was nothing in her posture that spoke of discomfort or fear, like always. "I think it answers it perfectly, Shikaku-san."
"Perhaps in your eyes, but I don't understand it."
"Then you're looking at it the wrong way."
"Is there even a right way?"
Hikari chuckled and pushed away from the desk, slipping past the Nara. She stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder at him. "You're smart, Shikaku-san. I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Shikaku groaned as the door shut behind her, scratching his head in frustration.
"Troublesome."
Shikaku came to the dining room just as Hikari dragged both Naruto and Shikamaru in, the blond whining at having his fun interrupted. Much to his surprise, the redhead didn't fold at the admittedly adorable pout. Instead she stood her ground and directed him to wash his hands, a stern look on her features that was betrayed by a tiny fond smile.
"She's good at handling him, isn't she?" Yoshino murmured as she came to stand by her husband, gaze resting on the girl wrangling the two boys into washing up before dinner. "Seeing as she is so young herself, I thought she would tend to spoil him or cave to that pout."
The Nara Clan Head hummed in a non-committal way, taking the pot in his wife's hands. "It's possible that it wasn't just her parents that she lost," he replied in a low voice, just loud enough for Yoshino to hear. The soft but sharp inhale told him that she understood what was implied.
Yoshino took in a deep breath to center herself and turned back to head into the kitchen. "Help me get everything on the table," she ordered. "Hop to it!"
Shikaku chuckled at the commanding tone and headed towards the dining table to set down the pot in his hands. He was pulling out plates and other crockery from the cupboards to avoid his wife's wrath when the three kids trooped back in, the toddlers making a beeline for the chairs.
"Can I help with anything, Shikaku-san?"
The man slanted an amused gaze at the redhead and shook his head, nudging her towards the chairs. "You're a guest, Hikari. Just sit down and relax."
"Okay…"
Dinner was a pleasant and lively experience, the addition of the two Uzumaki turning the usually drowsy atmosphere of the Nara into a loud and cheerful one.
Naruto had opened up, chattering on and on about anything and everything. It was entertaining to watch him poke Shikamaru now and then to ensure that the boy didn't fall asleep in his plate.
"Shika, eat!"
The blond glared at his friend, placing a piece of tempura on the little Nara's plate. Shikamaru groaned and prodded the bit of food with his chopsticks, staring at it balefully. "…troublesome."
A giggle caught his attention and Shikaku diverted his gaze from the two boys to the redhead, watching as Hikari covered a fond smile behind her bowl of soup. He frowned inwardly,'Why do her eyes look so sad even when she's smiling?'
Curious to what had brought forth the emotion, the Nara followed the girl's gaze and frowned even harder when he realized she was looking at his son.'That's strange, but if…'
"How are you finding Konoha, Hikari-chan?"
Yoshino's question jolted both Shikaku and Hikari out of their thoughts, the girl responding while Shikaku chose to continue studying her. "It's a nice place," Hikari replied, absently placing the carrot that Naruto snuck onto her plate back onto his, making the toddler whine. "Can't say the same for the people living here though."
"Ah," Yoshino grimaced at the statement, checking if the two boys were distracted before replying. "I understand. But it looks like you've adjusted well."
That made the female Uzumaki stare down at her food, lips twisting into a frown. "I suppose so…" She shook her head, her suddenly dark mood disappearing as she managed a smile. "I've found some friends, so it's not as bad as it could be."
"The Uchiha boys?"
"Shisui and Itachi," Hikari confirmed, reaching for her cup of water. She took a small sip, blue eyes trained on Yoshino as she ignored the intent gaze from Shikaku. "Shisui's currently on a mission but Itachi should be at home. Speaking of which, I should probably check on Itachi soon…"
"Itachi-nii?" Naruto perked up at the familiar name, turning wide eyes on his sister. "Suke?"
Hikari laughed at that, barely keeping herself from choking on a mouthful of water. "They're not here, Naru-chan."
"Why?"
"Because this is the Nara compound, not the Uchiha compound."
Naruto pouted, not quite understanding what she meant but enough to know that she was saying he couldn't see his friend. "I want Shika to meet Suke."
"Maybe one day in the future," Hikari agreed with a fond smile, eyes warm with visible affection as she nudged the boy back to his dinner. Looking up she noticed both Shikaku and Yoshino watching the scene with smirks and the redhead raised an inquisitive eyebrow at them, "What?"
"Nothing, nothing…"
"Naruto! Get back here and brush your teeth properly!"
"No!"
Naruto darted through the corridors to where he thought Shikamaru's room was, not wanting to get caught by his exasperated sister.
He was finally getting his sleepover with Shika!
No way was he letting something like brushing his teeth cut his time with his best friend short.
Giggling as he ran across the wooden floor, Naruto skidded around a corner, realizing too late that there was someone in his path and crashing head first into them.
"Ow…"
He covered his head with both hands, whimpering a little. It didn't hurt all that much, but the shock of it left him confused for a few seconds. A deep chuckle reached his ears and a hand grabbed the back of his collar, lifting him into the air easily.
"You should watch where you're going, Naruto-kun," Shikaku drawled, a grin breaking out on his face when the boy gave him a pout. "Let's get you back to your sister, shall we?"
Shikaku hoisted the whining blond onto his shoulder, feeling small hands latching on his shirt for support. The short trek back to the bathroom was filled with protests and pleading for him to let Naruto go, all of which were met with a chuckle and a shake of the head.
Hikari was waiting for them, arms crossed over her chest as she tapped a foot against the floor. Raising an eyebrow when Naruto wilted at the sight of her, she pointed towards the bathroom. "Brush your teeth, Naruto. You can go to Shikamaru after that."
"Okay, nee-san…"
The toddler disappeared into the bathroom as soon as the Nara set him on his feet, Hikari slumping with exhaustion when the door swung shut.
"Tired, Hikari?" Shikaku asked as the girl ran a hand over her face, eyes closed tight. She didn't seem sick or tired but there might be something he had missed.
Hikari shook her head in response to the man's question, one hand coming up to tug the blue ribbon holding her hair up in a high ponytail. It came loose almost instantly, crimson locks spilling over her shoulders and down her back. "Not really, no. But I would like a moment of peace," she admitted softly, wrapping the ribbon around her wrist.
Shikaku hummed at that, able to see what she meant. Naruto was a bright ball of energy and while Hikari could keep up with him easily, a seven-year-old was not cut out to be raising a child alone.
"Yoshino wouldn't mind babysitting him sometime," he offered; his wife would likely jump at the opportunity and Shikamaru would be pleased too. Perhaps Inoichi and Chouza and their kids could eventually be thrown into the mix too.
That earned laughter from the girl, who looked at him with a smile. "I'd appreciate it," she told him, a knowing glint in her eyes. "I'm not short on babysitters anyway; I can dump Naruto on the Uchiha or Hyuuga anytime, if I want to."
Perking up imperceptibly at the mention of the Hyuuga, Shikaku noted the familiarity in the redhead's voice. If Hikari trusted the Hyuuga clan enough to let them watch over Naruto, then something must have happened between them. He knew that Hiashi's daughter and nephew had stayed at the Uchiha compound with the two Uzumaki but he doubted she trusted them because of that.
'Perhaps it has something to do with why Hiashi looked lighter during the final negotiations with Kumo,'Shikaku mused. He had the feeling that something had changed in the Hyuuga clan but had no idea what; they were quieter than normal, not enough to warrant suspicion but enough to raise his interest.
Naruto burst out of the bathroom at that second, making the Nara shelve his thoughts for later. Hikari chuckled at the toddler clinging to her legs, patting his head gently.
"Nee-san, can I sleep with Shika? Please, please, please?"
"I don't know; you should ask Shikaku-san."
Two pairs of blue eyes focused on the Nara, one set pleading and the other greatly amused. Shikaku snorted at the looks and scratched the back of his head. "Shikamaru probably won't mind," he agreed with an easy smile. "You could toss Naruto-kun into his bed; it's large enough for them both."
"Yay!"
Naruto cheered in delight, tackling the man's legs and wrapping his arms around them, as far as they could go anyway. "Thanks a lot, Shika-oji-san!"
Unable to resist the urge to ruffle the kid's hair, Shikaku did so and earned himself a bright grin. "Come on, let's go bother my brat."
Hikari sat on the engawa outside her room at the Nara compound, a blanket over her shoulders to ward off the chill. She had woken up earlier than she had expected; it was still dark outside with a few stars twinkling in the sky.
She had checked on Naruto before stepping out; the boy was sleeping peacefully, curled up tight next to Shikamaru. It seemed that their night had been peaceful, as it seemed that the blond hadn't suffered any nightmares. It had been a long time since his last bad dream and Hikari was beginning to think that he was moving past his bad experiences, even if his wariness towards the villagers remained.
"Having trouble sleeping?"
Hikari peered out the corner of her eye at Shikaku who was leaning on the wooden pillar next to her; she had noticed his chakra moving towards her a long time ago and wasn't surprised by his appearance.
"That's not it. I'm just used to waking up early, though this is earlier than normal."
"I see."
Silence descended upon them after that, Hikari content to watch the slowly disappearing stars while Shikaku continued to study her.
"You know," the Nara spoke after a few minutes, dark eyes fixed on her intently, "I keep looking at you and seeing two people. Do you know who?"
The girl gave no reply, only twisting her body so that she faced him fully. There was no visible emotion on her face, features blank and blue eyes meeting his unflinchingly.
"Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina."
Shikaku paused, watching for a reaction and was mildly disappointed when the Uzumaki didn't startle or move in the slightest. She kept staring at him, gaze sharp but with nothing in her eyes to give away her thoughts.
"You have Minato's eyes and most of Kushina's looks," the Nara continued; the pieces of the puzzle he had gotten when he had first laid eyes on the girl had finally fallen into place and now all he needed was confirmation. "But I know that they had only one child."
Hikari smiled at that, tilting her head to the side. "Naruto."
"So youareaware of that. I presume you know what he is as well."
A simple nod.
"Yet you don't care. The Sandaime likes you, Hatake is overprotective towards you. Both of these facts combined with your appearance says that you are related to Minato and Kushina in some way."
"Do get to the point, Shikaku-san."
The Nara smirked, straightening from his position against the pillar and moving to sit next to the relaxed girl. "Since Naruto is an only child and assuming you aren't the result of an experiment," that earned him a deadpan stare, "you are not from around here."
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
Hikari was certainly amused now, leaning back on her hands as she absently kicked her feet in the air. "You have the pieces of the puzzle but can you put them together correctly, Shikaku-san?"
"Troublesome," Shikaku groaned, the girl's easy acceptance of his words basically confirming his theory. "What happened in your world?"
The light mood immediately disappeared, as if a switch was flipped; Hikari's expression didn't change but her aura darkened considerably as she replied, "Complete annihilation."
Stiffening at the implications, Shikaku twisted around to meet her eyes. "Are you going to change it?"
Hikari shrugged, forcibly drawing back her emotions and shoving them into the deepest corners of her mind. "I didn't ask to come to this dimension, Shikaku-san," she admitted wearily, running a hand through her loose braid and pulling out some of the strands in the process. "It was a complete accident."
"You said 'annihilation'…?"
"Everyone was dead. I was one of the few survivors." The redhead rapidly summed up the fight against Kaguya in a few short sentences, not really wanting to dwell on the topic. It always served to put her in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
Shikaku ran a hand over his face, inwardly shivering at the images his mind conjured up. A war so devastating that it wiped out over ninety-five percent of the population. "How are you still sane?"
"Am I?" Hikari smiled sadly, resting her hand on her stomach, feeling Kurama pulse his chakra comfortingly. "I still don't know if I'll break completely or not…but I made a promise to keep moving forward. If that means I have to protect this world, then I'll do whatever it takes."
"Even if it means being confronted with your past everywhere you turn?"
"You noticed…? Who am I kidding, of course you did."
Snorting at the wry tone in the girl's voice, the Nara explained, "There was an odd look in your eyes whenever you looked at my son. Familiarity, sorrow…I thought that maybe you knew a Nara but you didn't have any reaction to me or my other clansmen."
"Shika was one of my best friends," Hikari hummed as she hopped off the engawa and twirled around in lazy circles, staring up at the brightening sky. "I knew him from the Academy but we became real friends only when I was about thirteen. Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba, Chouji, Shino, Ino and Hinata were in the same class as me and Neji, Lee and Tenten were a year above. Ah, but some of those names won't mean anything to you."
Shikaku noted that all the clan heirs were in the list and deduced that the unfamiliar names were probably civilian kids. "Doesn't it hurt when you see them?"
"Not really. The last memories I have of them are in a war-torn world, where they're all grown up and hardened shinobi. They're not the same, Shikaku-san, and I hope they won't need to be."
There was a hint of wistfulness and nostalgia in the words, the redhead fondly recalling all the good memories she had had with her friends. Hikari too had expected to feel hurt and pain upon facing her old friends but apart from the few terrible memories that haunted her dreams and a distant pang of sadness, she didn't really feel much.
Was it terrible of her to feel so detached?
Hikari shook her head to clear her thoughts and spun to face the Nara Head. "Even so, the chibi versions aren't my friends. At the most I'll be something of an older sister or such to them, but we'll never have the same relationships. Hell, even Naruto won't, what with having met them so early."
"But you're not bothered."
"Nope. I think it's a good thing."
Shikaku exhaled, running a hand over his face. He wasn't Inoichi to assess the girl's mental state accurately but he could say that she felt relatively stable.'And as a shinobi, that's the best one could expect,'he thought wryly.
"You had a hand in the Uchiha situation."
Not even batting an eye at the sudden change in topic, Hikari nodded. "What do you want to know?"
"What are you willing to tell?" Shikaku shot back, raising a thin eyebrow at the placid smile the Uzumaki gave him.
"Ask the right questions and I will answer."
"Troublesome…" Shikaku complained, glaring at the now giggling girl. He was well aware that the two of them had vastly different thought processes and varying perspectives. "Fine; why did you feel the need to interfere?"
"Because the Uchiha would have planned a coup and then be massacred by one of their own."
The prompt and clear-cut reply caused both of Shikaku's eyebrows to almost rise to his hairline and he stated in a flat voice, "Massacred. An entire clan, just like that."
Hikari nodded seriously, snapping her fingers. "Just like that."
"Right…"
Shikaku processed that and pieced together the entire picture. If he recalled correctly, the Advisors had been pushing for the Uchiha to be moved to the outskirts of Konoha. Had they succeeded, the Uchiha would have been ostracized. For such a prideful people, it would have been utterly humiliating.
A coup did sound highly plausible.
"Is that why you're hanging around the Uchiha kids?" Shikaku glanced at the redhead in front of him, not sure if she really was quite so manipulative. Itachi was the Clan Heir, reckoned as a prodigy and Shisui had earned his own formidable reputation. "To have a way to reach the Uchiha?"
Hikari hesitated; she wasn't so sure about how to reply. Sure, the Sandaime and Kakashi knew that it was Itachi who had killed his clan in her world and Shikaku would understand, but...
She settled for the truth, "Not exactly. Shisui was the first victim of Danzo during the Uchiha tragedy because he wanted to use his eyes to make the Uchiha Elders agree to negotiation but the old bastard didn't want him to do so." Not elaborating further, she continued, "After his death, Danzo made Itachi kill his clan, allowing only his little brother to stay alive."
Shikaku filled in the gaps in the Uzumaki's explanation, understanding that the two boys had been trying for a peaceful resolution but the war hawk had prevented that. How much of the Uchiha's bad situation had been the Shimura's doing anyway?
"I know that expression, Shikaku-san," Hikari interrupted his train of thought, fixing a gimlet eye on him. "Don't go digging into Danzo's actions openly; ROOT is active and I don't want any 'accidents'."
Raising his hands in surrender, the Nara carefully noted the little tidbits of information. His suspicions were proven right; Danzodiduse ROOT as his private army, probably running missions unsanctioned by the Hokage, and he had to wonder how many children had been smuggled away into the dark organization. He should subtly warn the other clans to keeper a closer watch on their kids.
It was an open secret that Danzo desired the different bloodlines, case in point being the Mokuton-wielding boy currently in ANBU.
"Back to my point, you're protecting Shisui-kun and Itachi-kun?"
Hikari nodded, absently stretching her senses and smiling when she felt Itachi's chakra moving about in his house. Shisui was still out on his mission, though. "In a way. They're nice and I consider them friends. Anyway, want to know about the Hyuuga?"
"You said 'Everything and nothing'", Shikaku mused, smirking at the girl when she raised an eyebrow at him in challenge. "The kidnapping was supposed to happen butyouweren't originally a part of it. You simply took a chance when they grabbed you as well and turned it around in our favor."
"See?" Hikari beamed at the man, "I told you you'd get it!"
Shikaku gave a huff of laughter and continued, "You know you're going to get a lot of unsavory attention for your stunt, right?"
The redhead grimaced and nodded in agreement. "I already know Danzo has his sights on me. The Kumo nin mentioned that they thought I live alone. But a spy would have known the truth."
"That means the information was leaked." Shikaku sat up sharply, all traces of humor gone from his expression. "Do we have a traitor?"
"You've always had one," Hikari replied, equally serious. "Danzo might be acting on what he believes is the best for Konoha but he has ulterior motives. I didn't note it back then but I think I sensed ROOT in the forest too. He might have been planning to take Hinata and myself, killing the Kumo nin and claiming that we were passed onto a secondary Kumo team."
"It would have certainly resulted in war again," the Nara frowned. "Both sides would have never backed down."
"This is just an idea, Shikaku-san. I don't know for sure."
"Knowing how Danzo works, it's a possibility. Best you keep your head down for a while then."
"Ah…" Hikari rubbed her sheepishly, looking a little embarrassed. "That might not be possible, I think?"
Shikaku's expression turned exasperated as he asked, "Troublesome brat. What did you do?"
"ImighthaveremovedtheHyuuga'scursedseal?!"
In a hidden underground training room, Shimura Danzo stood on a balcony. He watched his Root shinobi sparring against each other in the vast room, keen eye marking each one's growth and drawbacks.
There was nothing new, nothing he hadn't seen in the previous training session and the man turned around, heading to his office.
Once he was seated at his desk, Danzo picked up the top folder from the stack in front of him. The picture of a girl with the meagre information on her was printed on it, making him grind his teeth.
Uzumaki Hikari.
The girl who had arrived in Konoha barely four months ago.
The girl who kept slipping from his handsno matter how hard he tried.
First Hiruzen stated his explicit protection then she escaped Kumo on her own merit.
Danzo had not expected Kumo to steal the Hyuuga heiress but knowing their penchant for gathering bloodlines, the Uzumaki would have been perfect for them, considering their failure in taking Uzumaki Kushina many years ago.
His men had been lying in wait, to take the girls -the Hyuuga had been a bonus- but Uzumaki had thwarted the Kumo nin long before they even reached the point where ROOT had been waiting. The only good thing was that no one suspected him of having leaked information, albeit incomplete.
Kumo's reputation had shielded him, just as Danzo had planned in case of failure.
"Who are you, Uzumaki Hikari?" Danzo muttered to himself as he scanned the contents of the folder. There was very little information on her background, only the bare minimum that corroborated the official records. It also proved that she had remained in hiding since birth.
But Danzo doubted that was all there was to it, considering her skill in combat. The redhead's Fuuinjutsu abilities could be explained away by her parents teaching her but for her to fight against three experienced shinobi and come out successful meant that she must possess some combat experience.
Regardless of her past, he wanted her. There were rumors that some of the chakra of some Uzumaki could heal almost anything; the chakra chains that Kushina had wielded so effortlessly were also another powerful ability that he wanted.
If Hikari did possess both of those abilities, then Danzo would have a literal powerhouse under his command.
Crushing his still seething anger, Danzo tossed the folder onto his desk and leant back in his chair. "Uzumaki is creating connections with some of the major clans," he muttered to himself. "Uchiha, Hyuuga and Nara. I must find a way to draw her away before she becomes more integrated into the village."
He had time though.
Breaking a child was easier than an adult; no matter how hardened she was by her life in hiding, she would definitely have weak points.
If Danzo couldn't take her, then he would just have to make her come to him of her own volition.
