Shisui was sulking.

He could admit that to himself and he knew very well that Itachi had noticed but the other boy didn't call him out on it. It really wasn't a serious thing that he was brooding over but it was kind of important to him.

With a sigh, Shisui threw the kunai in his hands at the targets, not even bothering to check if they hit. He knew very well that all of them would have hit dead-center. Readying another set of kunai, the boy closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the moving targets he had set up. Before he could throw the weapons though, he was distracted by a voice calling out to him.

"Shisui-nii!"

The boy blinked and turned, seeing Sasuke running towards him and waving his arms with a wide grin. Itachi was following him at a sedate pace, one eyebrow raised at Shisui with an expression of judgement that the older Uchiha averted his gaze from.

Instead he crouched down, grabbing Sasuke and spinning him around when the boy reached him. "Well, if it isn't my itty bitty cousin!" he declared, laughing when the little boy pouted. "What brings you here?"

"Don't call me that!" the youngest Uchiha scowled, but it only looked adorable on his face, making Shisui laugh harder. "I want to go play with Naru and Nii-san said to get you too!"

Thatwas not what Shisui was expecting.

Shisui pursed his lips, frowning at Itachi who simply stared back. The eight-year-old didn't back down, expression hard and unrelenting. "Sasuke, why don't you go check the targets while I convince Shisui?"

"Okay, Nii-san!"

Sasuke ran off at his brother's request, more interested in the kunai practice Shisui had been doing than the older boys' conversation. It didn't take long for him to get immersed, darting from target to target to see how the various kunai had struck them.

"When are you going to stop being an idiot?" Itachi asked quietly, glancing at his best friend from the corner of his eye. The older boy didn't give any reaction to the accusation except a miniscule twitch and he replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar."

"No, really!"

Itachi's eyebrow rose higher at the vehement denial, knowing for sure that Shisui was sulking for some reason. He had his suspicions but didn't feel the need to voice them.

"Stop looking at me like that!"

"Stop being an idiot then."

"Itachi!"

Whining in complaint when his friend did not back down, Shisui slumped, shoulders dipping as he finally revealed what had been on his mind for the past few days. "The last time we visited Hikari-chan…"

"What about it?" Itachi prompted when Shisui trailed off.

"She wasn't really there. It was a Kage Bunshin."

"I know."

"Huh?" Shisui turned to look at the Genin, confused at the nonchalant response. "You knew?"

Itachi shrugged slightly and nodded. "She wasn't trying too hard to hide it."

Perhaps not to any casual observer but the two Uchiha knew the female Uzumaki well enough to pick out tiny discrepancies that people would normally miss. It wasn't anything big; just little things like how much care she took when moving, being careful not to hit anything or use too much chakra.

Add those up and you get the typical behavior of a Kage Bunshin trying not to dispel.

"And you're not mad about it?" Shisui stared, not quite comprehending what he was hearing. The first thought that had occurred to him when he realized that he had been interacting with Hikari's Kage Bunshin for almost three days was'She doesn't trust me'.

It was completely irrational and stupid, but it still made him avoid the Uzumaki for a while. But seeing Itachi so nonchalant was rather jarring.

"Of course not," Itachi answered easily. He too had picked up on the substitution around the time his friend had but hadn't been too bothered by it. "You do realize that if she didn't want us to know, we wouldn't. Hikari is better at acting than that."

And…

It was the truth.

For all that Hikari was younger than Itachi, she knew how to deflect and divert attention better than anyone Shisui had known. If he hadn't known what he did about the girl, he would have believed the façade of an innocent little girl that she portrayed.

"I am anidiot."

"Yes, you are," Itachi replied serenely, watching his little brother like a hawk now that he had gotten the older boy to see sense.

Shisui gave him the stink eye, grumbling, "You're supposed to refute that, not agree with me!"

"Why argue against the truth?"


Fifteen minutes later saw the three Uchiha boys in front of the Uzumaki house, Sasuke impatiently pulling them to the door. "Come on! You're so slow!"

"We don't even know if Naruto is home, midget," Shisui shot back drily, holding back the amusement he felt at seeing the three-year-old's frustration. It was rather adorable; it wasn't only the blond kid that Sasuke liked, having met the Hyuuga kids and the Nara heir, but Naruto was the one he could visit easily.

Sasuke pouted, crossing his arms to show his displeasure at his cousin's comment. "Not a midget!"

"Oh? You barely come up to my hip, pipsqueak."

"Not true!"

Itachi slipped past the bickering pair, ignoring them with the ease of someone who had been witness to their arguments multiple times. He knocked on the door lightly, absently wondering why Hikari had not come out yet. She certainly would have sensed them long ago.

"Coming!"

An unfamiliar voice called out from inside, making the Uchiha Heir blink in confusion. Shisui and Sasuke's argument abruptly cut off the instant the door opened, all three boys looking at the stranger who had answered.

Straight, chin-length hair framed the face of the woman; she was fairly tall with pale skin but what caught their attention was the color of her hair.

It was a bright red, a couple of shades lighter than the Uzumaki they knew.

"Can I help you boys?"

Recovering rapidly from the unexpected encounter, Itachi politely replied, "We're here to see Uzumaki Hikari and Naruto." If the woman was comfortable enough to answer the door, then she was likely a new addition to the Uzumaki household.

That hair was a dead giveaway, after all.


Manami took in the little group at the door, almost instantly identifying them as some of Hikari's friends. It was the first time she had met them but the younger redhead had described their appearances; they were the Uchiha boys Hikari had spoken of.

Just to confirm her conclusions, Manami asked, "I guess the three of you are Uchiha? Hikari-chan has mentioned you."

"Yes," the boy in front of her nodded, introducing himself and the other two in short order. She smiled; the one named Itachi was just as polite as she had been told. Opening the door wider, Manami stepped to the side, "Please, come in."

The boys did as told, removing their sandals before stepping further into the house. "I'm Uzumaki Manami," she offered as she led them to the living room. "Just Manami is fine or else we'll be confused by all the Uzumaki in the house!"

"We have, what, three now?" Shisui said with a grin. He liked the woman; no doubt she was a relative of Hikari, no matter how distant. "That would definitely be confusing!"

"Four, actually," Manami corrected, smiling when the boys looked confused. "I have a daughter, Karin. She's around the same age as Sasuke-kun here."

Perking up at his name, the youngest Uchiha looked around his brother at the red-haired woman. "Is Naru here?"

"Yes, he's in his room if you want to see him…?"

"Yeah!"

With that Sasuke dashed off, obviously knowing where the blond Uzumaki's room was, judging by how sure his steps were. The sound of a door being thrown open was heard shortly, followed by childish squealing when Naruto realized who the sudden intruder was.

"I do hope Sasuke-kun will get along with Karin…" Manami murmured anxiously, twisting her fingers as she looked up in the direction of the young voices. Her daughter had taken to Naruto quickly, bolstered by Hikari's assurances and the boy's own vivacious personality. But she wasn't sure how Karin would react to more strangers.

"I wouldn't worry," Shisui replied cheerfully, rocking back on his heels. "If Naruto likes someone, they're alright in Sasuke's books, at least until he gets to know them for himself. Pretty sure they'll all be great friends in no time."

That made the woman smile and Shisui took it as a win. "Uh…if you don't mind me asking, when did you…?"

"When did I come to Konoha?" Manami completed when the boy trailed off, continuing when he nodded, "Two days ago. Kakashi-kun…he found me and my daughter on his mission and offered to bring us to Konoha. He said that he was doing it for a friend."

Perfectly believable and coincidental.

Both Shisui and Itachi knew how protective the ANBU captain was of Hikari and Naruto; no one would put it past him to drag possible family members to the village. Of course, after thoroughly vetting them and ensuring that they weren't a danger but yes, definitely possible.

Itachi realized almost instantly that it was a cover story that they had been told. A secretive glance to his right told him that his cousin had picked up on it too. Neither of them showed any indication of their realization, understanding that there was probably something else at play.

Manami didn't notice or simply ignored the boys' non-reaction, clasping her hands together as she offered them a small smile. "Would you like something to drink? Water or tea?"

"No, thank you, Manami-san," Itachi shook his head, answering for the both of them. "Is Hikari around? We came to see her."

"Oh, alright. She should be somewhere in the forest right behind the house. Something about chakra training with Kakashi-kun?"


He was dying.

Kakashi bit back a groan of pain as he dodged yet another fireball, hands flickering through the signs for a water jutsu to counter the next fireball.'I knew that Hikari is a chakra monster but to spam jutsu like this for hours is insane!'

True to her promise, Hikari had pounced on the silver-haired teen as soon as he had had some free time and dragged him off to help him increase his chakra reserves.

'And I thought Gai did the training from hell.'

Cursing rather colorfully but thankfully only within his head, Kakashi flipped out of the way of a wind blade, wincing when his muscles screamed at the abuse he was inflicting on them. There was no other choice though; he had learnt from experience that there was no blocking Hikari's wind blades.

That girl was scarily good with Fuuton jutsu.

He caught her scent on the downward wind and despite knowing that it was likely to be a trap, Kakashi sent a fireball in her direction followed by a wind blade of his own while darting backwards simultaneously. The attack was meant to be a distraction; he knew that he had no chance of winning a ninjutsu battle against Hikari. His chakra reserves were already running low and he was teetering on the edge of chakra exhaustion.

Before the fireball enhanced by the wind blade could do more than burn a few trees, a wave of water came from nowhere and extinguished the flames. "Not good," Kakashi muttered to himself, eyeing the direction where the water had come from for a glimpse of the redhead.

As expected, Hikari casually walked into view, hands clasped behind her back as she grinned at him. Her white shirt didn't have a speck of dirt on it and her dark pants weren't dusty at all. The twin tails she had pulled her hair into were still pristine, Kakashi noticed with a twinge of jealousy. He himself was bruised and dirty, like he had rolled around in a muddy pool with a bear.

"That's enough," Hikari called, waving a hand at him. "I'm calling it!"

Kakashi dropped to the ground with a groan, staring up at the midday sky. "What were you even thinking? Pitching me in a ninjutsu battle against you is insane!"

"Why?"

The girl leant over him, her head blocking the sun from the Hatake's face. He scowled at her, not that it was visible thanks to his mask, but she evidently noticed it, judging by the amusement glittering in her eyes. "You have more chakra than I could ever have and probably more battle experience. I was never going to win against you."

Hikari snorted, straightening before taking a seat next to the teen. "I know," she said so matter-of-factly that Kakashi had to do a double take. "That wasn't the point of this spar."

"Then what was?"

"Making you learn your limits when it comes to your chakra reserves."

Kakashi stared.

"I already know that."

A crimson eyebrow rose in challenge, Hikari retorting, "Really? Perhaps when you're planning out everything in advance, like in a mission. But what about in a surprise battle, where you don't know the full strength of your opponent? If you really knew your limits, as you claimed, you should have been able to hold out against me for another hour."

Rapidly analyzing the earlier fight, Kakashi had to admit she was right.

He had been given no warning when Hikari had started the spar, simply mentioning that he wasn't allowed to use his Sharingan and that it was a ninjutsu only fight. Since he had known he was no match for her in a long drawn out battle, he had used some of the more chakra draining techniques in his repertoire first, hoping to take her down quickly.

But Hikari had clearly anticipated that, simply increasing the distance between them to make it hard for Kakashi, since most of his strongest techniques were close range.

They had been sparring for almost three hours.

If he had kept his cool and truly known his limits, Kakashi would have held out longer.

The teen huffed, acknowledging her point. "So what would knowing my limits do?"

"For starters, it would stop you from being reckless."

"Hikari."

"Ugh, fine! You're no fun."

Hikari threw her hands up in exasperation, hopping to her feet. "Sit up, Kashi-nii," she requested, moving to stand at his back when he did so. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she explained, "Next part of training is toknowyour chakra. I'll show you what you need to do."

Channeling her chakra, she sent it flowing through the Hatake's chakra network, from one tenketsu to another, slowly but consciously. "You feel that?" she murmured softly, feeling the teen stiffen under her hands and give a sharp nod. "That's how your chakra flows. I'm using mine to let you know how it feels."

Hikari withdrew, now shifting to stand in front of Kakashi. "Now you're going to focus on your chakra yourself, making it flow just like that, but consciously. Most shinobi know how to channel their chakra and use it for various purposes but they have forgotten how vital it is toknowit."

Curiosity piqued, Kakashi asked, "To calculate how much chakra to put it into a jutsu to maximize its efficiency?"

"I knew you were a genius for a reason."

"How'd you even come up with this method?"

"Not me," Hikari shook her head, recalling some memories of her former world. Eyes going distant, she spoke, "I have no need for this training. It was Sakura who came up with it; she had the least chakra reserves out of most of us but the best control. She had trained under Tsunade-baa-chan for three years and had learnt to use the Byakugo."

She smiled wistfully, remembering the first time Sakura had activated the power of the seal. "Sakura was really smart, finding a way to overcome the disadvantage of the Byakugo on her own. Still, she didn't have the time to store very huge amounts of chakra needed for a long war and her chakra was eventually drained after healing so many people."

Kakashi listened quietly, not interrupting even a single time. It was a little surreal to hear about the team his counterpart had trained and sometimes he wondered if he would have the same team if he ever became a Genin instructor.

Hikari continued speaking, "Sakura realized that she had to expand her reserves if she wanted to continue as she did. Experimenting with her chakra lead to the formation of this method: channel your chakra throughout your body in a conscious manner, allowing you to understand it better, while also gradually expanding your reserves."

"That sounded like you quoted something verbatim."

The redhead let out a startled laugh, shaking her head and then grinning at the silver-haired teen. "Course I did; who knows how many times Sakura yelled it at me!"

Kakashi let out a chuckle of his own, crossing his legs as he shifted into a meditative pose. "So it's basically meditation on a deeper level?"

"Yeah. Now that you know your limit and how your chakra is supposed to feel, you can continue the training on your own. Only twenty minutes for today though, Kashi-nii," Hikari warned lightly, but there was a serious look in her eyes. "You're low on chakra and there's no need to drive yourself towards exhaustion."

"Right."

Meditation made more sense now that he knew why it was vital and Kakashi resolved to do it every day. "Hey, Hikari?"

"Hmm?"

"How much can I expect my reserves to increase?"

"Oh…about double?"

"Double?!"

Snickering at the dumbstruck expression on the visible part of the ANBU's face, Hikari nodded. It was the best part of the training, or well, meditation. Simply knowing your chakra and channeling it throughout your body consciously went a long way in increasing your chakra reserves.

"Well, I'll leave you to it."

"Where are you going?"

"I sense Shisui and Itachi coming this way; guess they're looking for me. You can go back after meditating for twenty minutes, Kashi-nii."

"Fine."

"Also, we'll have another spar like this next week, with your Sharingan."

"Sage, why?!"

The sound of cackling followed the groans of despair.


Shisui whistled at the destruction around them; it wasn't terrible, per se, but the area was littered with tons of broken branches, there were deep gouges on the trunks of some trees and many places were burnt or at least singed.

"What happened here?"

"Ninjutsu spar," came the reply, Hikari dropping down from one of the trees to their left. She greeted them with a smile, so wide and happy that it made Shisui squirm with guilt. He lowered his head in a deep bow, startling the girl.

"I'm really sorry, Hikari-chan!"

"Eh…ah…what for?"

"For being stupid and avoiding you for some time lately."

Hikari blinked, head tilted to the side as she processed that. Scratching her cheek with a finger, she replied quietly, "Ah. So I wasn't imagining that."

Shisui winced at the self-depreciating tone he could hear in her voice and rapidly explained, "Not to shift the blame to you but I realized you were using a Kage Bunshin, for at least a few days and didn't tell us why. I thought you didn't trust me…I should have been like Itachi and waited for an explanation instead of jumping to conclusions."

"Give me a minute to process that word vomit," the redhead muttered, staring at the Uchiha blankly. At his side, Itachi stifled a chuckle. "Shisui was sulking, like an idiot."

"Hey! Do you really need to keep repeating that, Itachi?!"

"Finally, something that makes sense," Hikari muttered, running a hand down her face. Raising her gaze to meet the boys', she said, "Honestly, I had thought you two would have noticed; my clone wasn't really trying that hard to keep it a secret. And I'm the original, for your information."

The last dry comment broke the awkward atmosphere and Shisui grinned. "Next time I'm being stupid, whack me over the head, okay?"

"I would, but that would scramble what's left of that thing you call a brain."

"Ouch, that's harsh."

Itachi finally cut in before they could devolve further into playful bickering, "Hikari, does your deception have something to do with Manami-san and Karin?"

The redhead didn't quite tense but the boys could tell that her focus had sharpened. She closed her eyes, casting her senses around to double-check if ROOT was around. They weren't, she wouldn't have even been training with Kakashi in the area if they had been, but it wouldn't hurt to be sure.

"Yes," Hikari replied after a minute of silence. "I was planning to tell you if you had noticed my substitution but I didn't expect you to ask about it outright. Sit down, it's a long story."

She told them how she had snuck out with Kakashi on his mission, knowing that Manami would likely have not believed the Hatake if he had approached her. It was also something she wanted to do in person for herself, to save as many of her clan as possible.

"Manami-san is the only one I had any information on," Hikari admitted, twisting a lock of hair around her fingers. "I've heard rumors of Uzumaki in other places but nothing that can be confirmed."

"I understand. Will you be seeking out any more people?" Itachi asked. He made a mental note to look for information on the Uzumaki clan during any future missions; honestly speaking, he didn't expect much, considering how scattered the clan had become, with barely any survivors.

"If I hear anything concrete, yes. But I'm not holding out much hope. Not every redhead is an Uzumaki and vice versa."

The only other Uzumaki she knew for certain was Nagato and he was someone she couldn't confront yet.

"Hey, Hikari-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Why aren't you doing this stuff openly? Is it because of the people who were stalking you?"

Shisui had a valid point; someone who didn't know about ROOT would definitely be curious as to why she was lurking around in the shadows to do what she wanted to.'I can't tell them about ROOT yet,'Hikari thought.'Eventually, they will know but now's not the time.'

"Kind of," she eventually answered. It wasn't quite a lie; for all that she had made connections in the village, she was still an ordinary civilian by appearances. "There'll be too many questions and unwanted attention which I wish to avoid."

"I see. Is that why you didn't tell us anything either?"

Hikari shook her head, giving the two Uchiha a lopsided smile. "Hardly. I trust you both to not pry; I simply didn't want to put either of you in a position to be affected if something went wrong. Anyway, you can be assured that I'm not planning any more rescue missions for the time being. Unless, of course, if something comes up but you get the point."


Lying on her back, Hikari stared upwards, gaze unseeing. Itachi and Shisui were sprawled out in a similar way, the three of them forming a sort of triangle. There was silence in the little clearing they were in, but it was peaceful.

'I kind of feel bad for deceiving them,'the redhead thought. It was neither of their faults but she was itching to tell them everything. She held back though, knowing that it could possibly put them in danger if Danzo somehow got wind of the truth. Unlikely, since there were only three people who currently knew her origins and none of them would spill.

She still wanted Shisui and Itachi to be stronger first.

'Wait…'

Hikari sat up, prompting the boys to do the same. Ignoring their questioning looks, she fiddled with her bracelet and pulled out three scrolls, placing them in the middle of the circle the kids had formed when they sat up.

"What are these?" Shisui asked, poking one of the scrolls warily.

"Summoning contracts," she replied promptly, smiling when that got twin deadpan stares. It was rare enough for a person to have one contract, let alone three. "Remember what I told you about Summoning Island and Honoka-san? I found these there."

"Was it fine for you to take them?" Itachi picked up one of the scrolls when the girl nodded, studying the tiny seals on the edges. "Don't they belong to someone?"

"Doubt it. There was a note saying that the researchers weren't able to open them let alone figure out what summons they were for."

Shisui raised an eyebrow at her in question, chuckling when she huffed and nodded in response. "And you managed it, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, go on. Tell us why they couldn't open them."

"Do you know that almost all summoning animals require the summoner to pass a test before they let them sign? The test for these contracts is simply to perform the Kuchiyose no jutsu and see if we can summon anyone."

Itachi blinked slowly, processing that before he looked down at the scroll in his hands. "That's a little strange. Is there a reason for such an unusual test?"

Hikari shook her head. "I have no clue. I haven't tried summoning them yet. My guess is that they judge your chakra and appear based on whether they like it or not."

"I agree with Itachi; that's plain weird," Shisui stated flatly. He grabbed the scroll nearest to him, running a finger over the seals he could see. "So what animals are these for?"

"That one is for panthers," she pointed at the scroll in Shisui's hands. "Itachi has the contract for cats and this one," she waved the last scroll, "is for foxes. Specifically, demon foxes."

Neither boy reacted to the mention of demon foxes, making Hikari relax. She had tensed up subconsciously, brain feeding on her past memories when the citizens of Konoha abhorred and spat on anything even remotely related to foxes.

She had long since made up her mind to attempt a contract with the foxes, much to the pleasure of Kurama, the prideful idiot. Hikari had expected some form of backlash for her choice when she revealed it and seeing the two Uchiha hardly react was comforting.

"Huh. Aren't all of them rather different?" Shisui said, squinting suspiciously at the scrolls. "Why would all three of them have the same test?"

"Panthers, a generic name for black colored felines, notably leopards and jaguars, are said to be part of the cat family, hence a connection to the Cat summons," Itachi mused, a speculative gleam in his dark eyes. He didn't miss the Uzumaki's reaction at the mention of demon foxes but chalked it up to Konoha's general prejudice towards foxes. "I don't see why the foxes are connected, though."

Hikari shrugged, unconcerned with whatever the reasoning might be. Summon animals weren't quite the same as normal ones and for all the average human knew, they might have their own system. "No point in coming up with theories; we can just ask them if we succeed in summoning any of them."

Silence.

"…we?"

"Yeah? I mean, unless you guys don't want to?"

"Of course I want to!" Shisui exclaimed indignantly, crossing his arms as he stared at the nonchalant Uzumaki. He wondered if there would ever come a day when the redhead stopped throwing out surprises. Probably not. "But you're giving out summoning contracts like candy! Who does that?"

Even Itachi nodded in agreement.

"First of all, I'mnotgiving them out," Hikari said pointedly, crossing her arms as well. The contracts weren't technically hers, but she also knew that she shouldn't give them to just anyone. "I'm merely giving you and Itachi a chance to see if they work for you. Second, summons of any type are useful to a shinobi and I know that you won't misuse them. Third, if there is a possibility that they could answer you, then I'm only depriving them of a summoner if I hoard them."

Itachi studied his friend for a moment then nodded, conceding to her logic. "Alright, but if we fail, please safeguard the contracts, Hikari. There are many who would covet them."

"That's the plan."

"Alright, let's give this a try then. Everyone knows the hand seals for the Kuchiyose?" Shisui asked, shifting to a kneeling position in front of his scroll and watching as the other two did the same. "On the count of three. One…"

"Two."

"Three!"

Hikari finished the count, hands flickering through the required seals. She slammed her palms on the ground at the same time as Shisui and Itachi, all three of them calling out, "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

A huge cloud of smoke covered the area, hiding everything from sight. Shisui waved his hand in front of him, trying to clear the air enough to see. "Did it work?"

"Perfectly, young man."

The voice that replied held a deep baritone, obviously male. It seemed that at least one of them had succeeded.

"I believe it has been decades since we were summoned simultaneously," a mature but amused female voice spoke this time followed by a younger female voice, "Quite fascinating, isn't it? Our summoners this time are rather young too."

Huh.

All three of them had succeeded.

The smoke finally cleared, courtesy of a low-powered Fuuton jutsu from Hikari. The three kids stared at the sight in the center of the circle they had formed, taking in the three summon animals.

A cat with black and white fur, slightly larger than a regular cat, sat primly in front of Itachi, watching the boy with sharp green eyes. "My name is Chika," the cat said, voice giving her away as the last summon to have spoken.

"I am Isao," a sleek black panther added, the masculine voice telling that he had been the one to have answered Shisui. Isao held himself in a regal manner, watching the boy in front of him rather solemnly. "Do close your mouth, child; it is rather unbecoming."

"Don't be too harsh on them, Isao," the last summon, a fox with pure white fur, chided the panther, eight fluffy tails waving behind her. She eyed the only human who seemed completely at ease with the situation with curiosity, "You may call me Kikyo, young lady. And you are?"

"Uzumaki Hikari," the redhead answered with a smile, sitting back on her haunches. "Nice to meet you, Kikyo."

The cat, Chika, got up and circled Itachi once, sniffing him. "I like your scent," she decided, jumping onto the boy's shoulders and was delighted when he simply adjusted himself to handle the added weight. "What's your name?"

"Uchiha Itachi, Chika-sama. It is an honor to meet you."

"Oh, a polite one! I haven't had many of those," Chika purred, nosing Itachi's cheek playfully. "Just Chika is fine, Itachi-kun."

Shisui gulped, snapping out of his shock. Both Hikari and Itachi were getting along well with their summons while he had yet to speak.'Why do I have to get the stern-looking one?'he whined mentally, scrambling for what to say.

A white tail smacked the back of the panther's head, eliciting an annoyed growl from him. "You're scaring the poor child, Isao," Kikyo told him sternly. "Be nicer if you don't want to scare him away."

That got a startled laugh from the older Uchiha and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly when all eyes focused on him. "Sorry, that reminded me of Hikari-chan." Tension finally dissipating, Shisui sketched a short bow to the panther. "Pleased to meet you, Isao-sama. I am Uchiha Shisui."

"Hmm. Are you scared of me, Shisui?"

"Uh, not really? You look really strict but I think you just have high expectations?"

The hesitant words earned a loud laugh from the panther, Isao getting up and draping himself over the startled boy's legs. "Quite so. Don't worry; you meet them. Your chakra is powerful and I sense that you have great potential. A worthy summoner."

"…thank you, I guess?"

Hikari grinned at the poor befuddled Uchiha; the panther, a black leopard from what she could tell, was throwing him for a loop, shifting from acting like a stuck-up prince to a jovial one. "If you don't mind me asking, what ranks are you all?"

It was Kikyo who answered, "All of us, we are the lead summons for our respective contracts."

Silence fell, thick with shock.

"I was not expecting that," Hikari said faintly. She recalled, back in her first life, summoning only tadpoles until she was thrown off a cliff. Summoning the lead fox was like a Genin becoming the Hokage.

Ah, wait.

She had done that too.

"There is nothing to be surprised about," Isao stated, stretching languidly. "We chose our summoners based on their chakra and the three of you have extremely potent chakra. Especially you, young lady."

"Huh…"

Itachi piped in at that instant, one hand stroking Chika's back, "Does that mean you would have answered any of us?"

"Yes, Itachi-kun," Chika replied, still draped over the boy's shoulders. She was rather comfortable and Itachi was kind enough to indulge her without question, something she greatly appreciated. "I do want all of you."

Kikyo bristled, hissing at the cat, "Hikari is mine, Chika. Paws off or else I will steal Itachi-kun from you!"

"I want the girl too," Isao added, growling when both the fox and the cat snarled at him. "If you want Shisui then I have the right to demand Hikari as well!"

Hikari sweat-dropped at the ensuing quarrel. She edged around the snarling and yowling ball of fur to stand next to the two bewildered Uchiha. "Is it just me or are they acting like kids fighting for a rare toy?"

"Only that they are fighting for humans, not toys," Shisui replied just as drily, watching the three animals swipe at each other. He knew that they weren't serious, but he supposed that he was flattered that he was preferred by all three summons.

"Should we stop them?"

"Do you want to be ripped to shreds, Itachi?"

Sighing in exasperation, Hikari said, "He does have a point though. Even if we successfully summoned them, the contracts aren't signed yet."

The older Uchiha eyed the mess of black and white fur then looked at his friend, raising an eyebrow as if asking her how she was going to get the summons to stop fighting. A wide grin was his only answer, leaving him in the dark about her thoughts.

Although the glint in her blue eyes was familiar…

A loud clap echoed through the air followed up by, "That's enough fighting!"

Now he remembered.

That was the tone Hikari used to rein in the kids whenever they were messing around, Itachi recognized with a smirk. She was treating the three summons like children.'I suppose they have given her reason to do so though.'

Kikyo, Isao and Chika startled at the sound of the clap, breaking apart from the tangle of fur and limbs. "What was that?" the cat hissed, eyes darting about their surroundings.

"That," Hikari replied pointedly, meeting each of the animals' eyes undauntingly, "was me getting tired of your shenanigans."

Surprisingly, they wilted at her words instead of bristling in indignation like Shisui had expected. He exchanged an amused glance with Itachi; leave it to Hikari to berate high-ranking summons like they were unruly children.

"But I really want you to sign my contract, Hikari-san," Chika whined, darting away when Kikyo swiped at her with a snarled, "You have Itachi-kun who I also want, so don't steal my summoner!"

Seeing Isao about to jump back into the argument, the redhead cut in, throwing her hands up in exasperation, "Fine! Then we'll sign all your contracts! Happy?"

The rest of the occupants of the clearing froze, staring at her with wide eyes, the summons in disbelief at the absurdly simple solution while Shisui and Itachi stared in shock.

"Hikari," Itachi called out to the girl, voice still colored with shock, "what are you saying? It's rare enough to have one summoning contract, not to mentionthree."

"I know. But think about it; all of them-" Hikari gestured with a hand towards the intently listening animals, "-have different abilities, which could come in handy for us. They get three summoners who they all like. Win-win."

That was a rather simple and straightforward way of looking at the situation but it was also the one that made the most sense. Of course, it was likely that both summoner and summon would work mainly with the one they had the most connection to, but that didn't mean they couldn't play off the others' strengths either.

Isao spoke up, a satisfied expression on his face, "I agree with the young lady. It has been decades since I've had a single summoner and I know that my cubs would prefer to meet as many humans as possible, since we now have the chance."

It would also give the summons more chances for finding potential summoners in the future, as rare as those who met their criteria were.

Not wanting to be left out, Chika and Kikyo chimed in their agreements as well, the cat even going so far as to drag the Cat summoning contract towards the human children. "Come on, Itachi-kun! I want you to sign first!"

Bemused but willing to go with the flow, the younger Uchiha took the scroll from the cat. Following Chika's instructions he channeled a small amount of his chakra into it, allowing him to open it. Itachi studied the contents, noticing that there were only four signatures.

'So only four people have held the Cat contract before.'

A quick glance around told him that Shisui and Hikari were doing the same; the Panther contract also had four signatures while the Fox contract had an even smaller number: only two.

Following his line of sight, Chika noticed the boy's attention on the Fox contract. "Ah. Curious about why there were so few Fox summoners? It's mainly because they'redemonfoxes. Not many people wanted to sign the contract despite being compatible."

"Why?"

"It's because of the Kyuubi no Kitsune," Kikyo answered instead. The white eight-tailed fox rubbed her head against Hikari's cheek affectionately, making the girl giggle and run a hand through her fur. "Although we have no real connection to Kyuubi-sama, people associate us with him. We also respect Kyuubi-sama very much which leads to a low tolerance for prejudice."

"Wait, wait; you don't know if we also hold the same attitude but you're allowing us to sign?" Shisui interrupted, having listened in on the conversation. He had already signed the Panther contract, passing it to Hikari. "Isn't that bad for you?"

"Just because we don't have a summoner doesn't mean we don't know what happens on this plane," Kikyo smirked, pushing the Fox contract towards Itachi with her paw. "I've been watching Hikari ever since she picked up our contract. I admit that I don't know much about you boys but I trust her judgement."

"Besides, they can just cancel the contract whenever they want," Hikari added, signing the Cat contract with a flourish before rolling it up and collecting the other two scrolls when Itachi and Shisui handed them to her. She cocked her head to the side in thought, frowning at the scrolls.

"I'm guessing that Shisui will have the Panther summons and Itachi the Cat summons as your primaries…so wouldn't it make sense for you guys to hold onto the contracts?"

Shisui shook his head. Considering the missions he went on and the training he would have to do to incorporate his newly acquired summons into his fighting style, there was no doubt that word would spread quickly. The draw of a rare summoning contract would definitely bring him trouble in the form of entitled people demanding that he let them sign it.

He said as much to the others, Itachi continuing with a faint grimace, "Not to mention the Uchiha Elders. Even if the other clansmen don't take much interest, the Elders definitely will. If we have the contracts in our possession, they will demand that we hand them over to the clan."

Isao sniffed, turning his nose up with an air of disdain. Even if it was the Fox summons that held the record for the least number of summoners, the Panthers were even more picky when it came to choosing theirs.

He certainly didn't want fools with unpleasant chakra and even worse attitudes trying to boss him and his fellows summons around.

"So you're offering me up," Hikari said drily, rolling her eyes when Shisui's expression turned sheepish and Itachi smirked. "I'm totally feeling the love here."

"Hey, you told even the Hokage's Advisor to go to hell; the Uchiha Elders will barely be a blip on your radar."

"Doesn't mean I have to deal with them because youd on't want to." The Uzumaki sighed, relenting as the others had expected and sealing the three scrolls back into her bracelet. "Fine, fine. I'll keep them safe."

The three summons perked up at the end of the current because you don'tt line of conversation and stood. When the humans turned curious gazes upon them, Isao explained, "Let us spar, children. I want to know the range of your capabilities and I believe you feel the same about us as well."

Hikari, Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances then turned to look at the animals in unison, identical expressions of mischief appearing on their faces. "Why not?" the redhead smirked, raising an eyebrow in challenge. "Should be fun."


Kakashi watched as Hikari sent off the three Uchiha, contemplating the events of the past few hours. The little snippets of conversation he had caught told him that Shisui and Itachi knew that she had been the one to bring Manami and Karin to Konoha. That little fact was rather revealing; it showed that Hikari trusted the boys, considering how vicious she was in her protectiveness towards the other Uzumaki.

That wasn't all, either.

When the Hatake had surfaced from his meditation, he had gone to investigate the sounds of fighting he had heard from deeper in the forest. Kakashi had been rather shocked when a black panther almost flattened him, the feline barely skidding to a stop in front of him before chasing after a cackling Shisui with a snarl, not missing a beat.

Not to mention the cat and theeight-tailed fox.

Further observation had revealed that the three animals were actually summons, from the three scrolls Hikari had found on Summoning Island.

Kakashi had waved off the offer to attempt the summoning when Hikari had approached him a few days ago. He hadn't felt the need for it, his dogs being sufficient for him.

Seeing the abilities of the fox, panther and cat had only solidified his choice; Kikyo, Isao and Chika were certainly powerful but he had the feeling he wouldn't be able to keep up with any of them.

But the point was that Hikari trusted the boys enough to let them sign the contracts. He had seen how defensive she had become the instant she had discovered what animals the contracts were for.

"They will definitely be powerful, Kashi-nii,"she had said, a frown on her lips as a finger traced the seals on the scrolls."These seals are proof of that. I don't want to give anyone the chance to misuse them."

The conclusion Kakashi had come to made him follow Hikari when she headed to her room, waiting until the door closed behind him to speak.

"You're planning to tell them the truth."

It wasn't a question.

Hikari paused, one hand frozen in midair where she had been tugging on the elastic that held her hair up. "What do you mean?" she finally prompted when the silver-haired teen didn't continue.

"Those boys, Shisui and Itachi; you're planning on telling them about yourself, aren't you?"

Ah.

The girl sighed heavily and turned to face Kakashi fully. "Yeah," she admitted, playing with a lock of her hair, having given up on undoing her twin tails for the moment. "Not just yet, but…someday."

"Why?"

There was no judgement in the Hatake's voice, only simple curiosity. Not even a trace of pressure, letting Hikari know that she didn't need to answer if she didn't want to.

"Because it's hard!"

Hikari threw her hands up in frustration, finally allowing a fraction of the anxiety she kept locked up inside to show on her face. "I really, really like them and it hurts to keep lying to them when I just want to tell themeverything."

It was the truth. To Hikari, Shisui and Itachi were like the teammates and friends she had desired when she had been assigned to Team 7 in her first childhood.

She wasn't throwing Sasuke and Sakura and Kakashi-sensei away…it was justdifferent.

Kakashi-sensei had kept her at arm's distance for most of their acquaintance, being reminded of his multiple losses and perceived failures just at the mere sight of her.

Sakura had been a total fangirl; the pink-haired girl had initially emulated the adults and hated Hikari for no reason.

Sasuke had been prickly at best and downright cruel at worst, twisted by the Uchiha tragedy and desired power for his revenge, enough to punch a hole in her chest.

It had taken time and a whole lot of pain before they had come together as a team, Kakashi-sensei becoming the big brother Hikari had always wanted, Sakura as a reliable sister and Sasuke as her brother in all but blood and best friend.

There was no way Hikari would ever abandon those treasured bonds.

But there was no rule stating she couldn't form new ones.

"I know I have you, Shikaku-san and Jiji," Hikari told Kakashi with a small, sad smile as she sat on the bed. "But…

"We're not what you need," the teen surmised, not surprised when she nodded. He understood what she wasn't saying; the Sandaime was sort of a grandfather figure to her but there was a distance that was tinged with a trace of betrayal. Shikaku, for all that Hikari appeared to banter with him easily, was still an authority figure that she clearly looked up to.

Not to mention the mess that he himself was. Kakashi was in no position to help her mental state, not when he was barely handling his own.

Unaware of his thoughts, Hikari nodded absently. "No offense, but I just can't rely on you for everything. Mainly because I know you very well from my dimension. I'm starting on a fresh slate with Shisui and Itachi, even if I kind of knew Itachi before."

It was a refreshing feeling, having someone not judge her for being the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, regardless of whether it was positive or negative.

Hikari had no doubt that things would change, at least a little, when she finally told Shisui and Itachi the truth but she also trusted that they wouldn't simply abandon her. They already suspected that there were things she wasn't telling them and gave her space, letting her come to them on her own time.

And that meanteverythingto her.

"Besides, they deserve to know, if they plan on getting dragged into my mess," Hikari added with a grin, making Kakashi snort and shake his head.

"I pity those two," he said mockingly, sauntering forward and ruffling the girl's hair before she could swat his hand away. "Glad to know you're not going to dump anything else on me."

Hikari rolled her eyes, the gesture more playful than exasperated and retorted, "Looks like you didn't learn your lesson yet, Kashi-nii. I need to beat you a little harder into the ground next time."

Kakashi twitched; the faint twinges of pain from the bruises on his body didn't agree with her statement.

"No thanks."

In an obvious attempt to change the topic, he said, "I was surprised when you gave the summoning contracts to them."

"Technically, I still have them," Hikari pointed out, a knowing look in her blue eyes at the clear diversion but she went along with it. "But yeah. I was planning on it after testing them myself; summons are useful for shinobi and double as great companions as well. They can be trusted with the power."

Kakashi understood.

Hikari was planning on forming a team of her own in order to combat whatever had destroyed her world and she had chosen Shisui and Itachi for it. From what he knew of them, they were already strong despite being young and had potential. Their loyalty to Konoha was also solid.

He himself had the task of helping Obito once they found him and Kakashi was certain that it wasn't going to be easy. And from what Hikari had let slip, the kind of enemies they would face required literal powerhouses to take down.

Not that hewasn'tpowerful. Kakashi knew his abilities were top-notch but his chakra reserves weren't large and even with his new training, it would still be nowhere near Hikari. In addition to that, his Sharingan drained a ton of his chakra too.

"Hmm."

The Hatake eyed the girl in front of him. "I'm not going to ask anything else and you don't need to tell me either," he decided. "But I'll be here if you need me."

"Never doubted that, Kashi-nii."


Hikari leapt across rooftops with silent steps, hair trailing behind her and longer than before. It had been almost two years since she had arrived in the current dimension. Apart from expanding the Uzumaki family in Konoha and solving the Hyuuga Affair, nothing of great importance had occurred.

It made her slightly uneasy.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Normally, yes. I don't recall anything happening in our previous world during this time but I would have expected Danzo to make a move."

Kurama had the urge to bash his head against the walls of the mindscape, completely done with his container. Truth was, the old war hawk had been spreading rumors about her amongst the villagers in an attempt to slowly isolate her but it hadn't worked at all.

For one, Hikari's open friendship with all the shinobi clans in Konoha had made the civilians skeptical about the rumors.

Two, she was bright and friendly to practically everyone, which made it hard to dislike her. Even her association with Naruto hadn't affected her reputation; the blond boy had stayed out of the public eye on his own insistence, happy with all the friends he had made.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Third, Hikari wasdense.

'The numbskull wouldn't know ill will even if it smacked her right in the face,'Kurama thought with a barely withheld grumble. There was also the fact that she was so accustomed to cruelty and hatred that the half-hearted glares that she had been subjected to at first, slid off her like water off a duck's back.

Choosing not to voice any of his thoughts completely, the fox instead said,"He has; you just don't know it."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"…never mind."

Hikari pouted, feeling a little left out but didn't press. The last year had been peaceful, Naruto and Karin finally growing out of their shells. They had bonded as siblings with each other, also forming strong friendships with the other children.

Ino, Chouji, Kiba and Shino had been introduced to them as well, the little Yamanaka taking one look at a shy Karin and snatching her up immediately. Hikari chuckled at the memory, absently wondering what would happen when Sakura came into the picture.'Considering how Karin is now, I suppose she and Ino will take Sakura under their wing.'

Naruto and Shikamaru remained as best friends, hanging out with each other more often than not. Sasuke was a close second and although the Naruto-Sasuke rivalry was just as strong in this dimension, their bond as friends trumped it so Hikari wasn't very concerned.

The most surprising out of all of them was Hinata. The little Hyuuga, unlike the wallflower she had been in Hikari's original dimension, was growing up to be soft-spoken but self-assured. The timidness Hikari had seen during their first meeting had all but vanished, Hinata being confident in her words and actions.

'Hinata would probably never be as exuberant as Ino or Karin, but she isn't a pushover anymore,'Hikari mused, feeling a little pride at the thought. What she didn't know was that Hinata had taken a shine to Hikari herself, looking up to her as an older sister. The undivided attention Hikari gave the Hyuuga whenever Hinata asked for it also went a long way in helping her.

There was no doubt that all of them would be attending the Academy when they were old enough. Naruto was already pestering her, Kakashi and Tenzo to train him, while Karin went through book after book to learn everything she could. The clan children were also in the same boat, receiving training from their respective families.

A flicker of familiar chakra brushed purposefully against her senses and Hikari glanced down to see Shisui waving at her, a leopard cub by the name of Amaya curled around his neck. He didn't stop to intercept her though and neither did Hikari, noticing that the Jounin -also an ANBU now, but she wasn't supposed to know that- was with a team of shinobi.

'He must have just returned from his mission.'

Hikari waved back to him with a wide grin and continued on her path. Her choice to give Shisui and Itachi the summoning contracts had proven wise; it didn't take long for either boy to bond with their summons. There would always be one or two cubs shadowing Shisui and if someone caught Itachi in the training grounds within the Uchiha compound, they could see him either training with his cats or taking care of the kittens.

"You're forgetting about your own shadows,"Kurama interjected with a snort. He had supported, or in Hikari's opinion, demanded that she train with her foxes. The girl had rolled her eyes at him but conceded and Kikyo soon became a common sight in the Uzumaki house. Naruto and Karin had practically squealed with delight at the fox and Hikari had had to fend off multiple requests to let them sign the Fox contract.

What Kurama was referring to was a little incident that had happened soon after signing the contracts; Hikari had been curious about the other foxes and had decided to call upon someone other than Kikyo.


Once the puff of smoke disappeared, two pairs of wide eyes stared up at Hikari. "Uh…hi there? What are your names?"

The midnight black fox, with two tails and startlingly gold eyes, replied first. "I'm Kira. And this is my twin sister, Kaya," she said, gesturing to the other almost identical, fox. The only difference was the white tips on Kaya's tails, whereas Kira was entirely black.

Kaya blinked once and darted to hide behind Kira, peeking out shyly at the human girl. Hikari noticed the flicker of anxiety in the fox's golden eyes and crouched, in an attempt to make herself seem less threatening. "Nice to meet you both," she said warmly. "I'm Uzumaki Hikari."

"We know!" Kira chirped, not tense like her sister. "Kikyo-sama told everyone about you!"

"I see." Hikari looked past Kira at the other fox, who shrunk back when vivid blue landed on her. "No offense, but…is Kaya afraid of me?"

Kira's ears flattened against her head, visibly drooping at the question. "Not exactly."

The fox turned to look at her sister, licking Kaya's face in a gesture of comfort before entwining their tails. "When we foxes have only one tail and can pass for normal foxes, we sometimes come to this plane to get ourselves familiarized with humans. One time, a hunter caught Kaya and…she got hurt. She's been scared of humans since then."

Hikari felt guilty at that, even if it wasn't her fault. She hadn't intended to summon the twin foxes and remind them of their trauma. "I'm sorry. You can go back if-"

"No!"

Startling at the panicked shout, the redhead sat back. Golden eyes stared at her with desperation in their depths, Kira saying in a rush, "Kikyo-sama said that you're really, really nice and we actually like the human world! Don't make us go away!"

Both foxes hadn't really ventured outside of their home dimension since the incident. They had gotten their second tails by the time Kaya was strong enough to leave and without the security of a trusted summoner, they didn't dare leave.

But with the arrival of three new summoners, they saw their chance.

Hikari's eyes softened at the foxes' expressions and she sat down with her legs crossed, ignoring Kurama growling and yelling threats in the back of her mind. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to," she reassured them, extending her hands slowly. "May I touch you?"

At the tentative nods she received in response, the girl gently placed her hands on Kira and Kaya's head, freezing when she felt them stiffen. Only when they relaxed did she move, gently stroking their fur. "You guys are safe with me."

"Thank you, Hikari-sama!"

"Just Hikari is fine."

She simply stroked their heads for a while, inwardly squealing with happiness when the foxes leant into the touch and inched closer. Hikari could tell that even though they had two tails, they were children. It didn't take much longer before Kira started purring loudly and almost crawled into her lap.

That made Hikari notice something.

"Uh…can't you talk, Kaya? I haven't heard a single sound from you…"

Kaya shook her head mournfully, ears drooping as she bared her neck. Kira gently clamped down on the human girl's hand with her mouth and placed her palm on her sister's neck. Picking up on the implied hint, Hikari pressed her fingers down gently. Her expression darkened as her lips twisted in a frown. Under her probing fingers, she could feel the rise of skin that indicated scars and there were a lot of them.

"A wire trap?"

"Yes," Kira replied sadly. "Even though we foxes are capable of healing, we don't have the finesse to heal that level of damage. Kaya's vocal cords were damaged; it's a miracle that she even survived."

"Hey, Kurama?"

"What?"

"Think I can fix that?"

"No harm in giving it a try…the kit's healed well enough that if you're careful, you won't at least hurt her further."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, furball."

"Kaya, is it already if I try something?" Hikari asked the fox. Kaya looked at her curiously and bobbed her head in a nod. Broadcasting her movements, the Uzumaki picked up the fox and settled her in her lap, one hand still held against the scars on Kaya's neck.

"If you feel uncomfortable or any pain, feel free to bite or scratch me to get me to stop."

With that clear warning, Hikari closed her eyes and reached for her chakra. Experimenting with Manami had revealed that Hikari too possessed healing chakra and could use it to heal normally using a jutsu instead of having to do it via a bite.

It only improved her already above average iryo ninjutsu skills and Hikari was more than happy to use that ability to heal the fox.

She began with a basic diagnosis, assessing the level of damage and the current state of the animal's vocal cords. They weren't as damaged as she had expected; there was ligament damage and some of the tissues were twisted, evidence of a rushed healing. Not a surprise; if Kaya's life had been in danger, then it was a given that the foxes would have prioritized saving her life.

Hikari worked slowly; healing the torn ligaments was the easiest part and she moved on to the tissues once that was done. That part was significantly harder: she had to first undo the previous healing without actually ripping the tissues then heal them all again in the right way.

No wonder none of the other foxes had attempted it.

Apart from shifting a little in discomfort as she worked, Kaya did nothing and sat as still as she could. After what felt like hours but was only about fifteen minutes, Hikari withdrew her hand. "Try saying something, Kaya."

The fox looked hesitant but at an encouraging nod from Kira, she opened her mouth.

"…hel-lo.."

Her voice cracked on the second syllable but that was enough.

Kira pounced on her sister with a joyous shriek, cuddling close and licking all over the other fox's face. "You talked! Kaya, you just talked!"


Ever since then, Kira and Kaya had attached themselves to Hikari, staying with her until the time limit for a summoning was up. Hikari even woke up sometimes to find black balls of fur on either side of her head. It was rather adorable.

"Kira and Kaya are fun to have around, so I'm not complaining."

Kurama didn't reply to that, instead perking up with a frown on his face. "Kit, do you sense that?"

"Sense what?"

"Past the main gates."

Hikari blinked at the confusion and urgency in her partner's voice but obliged, extending her sensory range past the walls of Konoha.

Blue eyes widened when she finally sensed what Kurama was referring to.

"No way! It can't be…!"