"Would you stop mumbling? It's hurting my ears."
Kurama grunted in annoyance when his container only ignored his words and continued pacing the length of their shared mindscape, muttering under her breath. The water sloshed around her feet, the sound filling the otherwise silent space.
"Oi, brat! Stop that and listen to me!"
Hikari startled and jerked to a halt, looking up at the fox with wide eyes. Kurama hardly ever lost his temper at her nowadays, and for him to do so now was rather surprising.
"Sorry, it's just..."
Danzo was finally appearing to make a move. She had noticed a Root nin following Shisui and Itachi around, mostly Shisui. He was rather good too, barely using any chakra in order to keep himself as hidden as possible. It had made her uneasy, even if the man hadn't made any threatening moves towards the Uchiha.
"The old geezer is plotting something,"Hikari finally said, staring up at her partner helplessly. She didn't like how Danzo's attention had shifted from her to her friends. As long as she was the target, she could handle it. But not the boys, who were mostly unaware of the darkness in Konoha."Even as smart as they are, Shisui and Itachi would probably not be expecting an attack from inside the village."
"Then just tell them,"Kurama snapped. He didn't know why the girl didn't just kill the old war hawk; if it were him, he would have ended that sorry excuse of a man's life the moment he got a chance."Killing that scum would be a lot easier too."
"I want to do that, but I need to know everything he's hiding before I do."When the fox looked askance at her, Hikari elaborated with an exhausted sigh,"I sensed seals all over his body…control seals, trigger seals, even interconnected networks. I have no idea what they're for and I don't want to risk it."
"You believe killing him could trigger something."
Hikari nodded, biting her lip in thought."As paranoid as he is, Danzo would definitely have tons of counter measures. For now, I'm maintaining surveillance on him to see if I can find out what he's hiding. I'm also chipping away at Root's connections."
Her plan was meant for the long-term. Danzo had extended his reach everywhere and she was cutting away those connections one by one. She was doing it in a way that he wouldn't notice; she wasn't killing any of his men, not immediately. Instead, she was replacing his regular spies with her clones, feeding Root false information before staging accidents to hide the spies' deaths.
It would take years before her plan showed its effects, since Hikari was spacing out each 'accident' over months. Killing them all in one fell swoop would definitely attract Danzo's attention and she needed him to not focus on anything outside Konoha for the time being. That way, she could subtly destroy his network and cut him off when the time to confront Danzo came.
'That's of no use right now, though,'Hikari thought with a grimace. Even if she destroyed his connections outside the village, Danzo still had his Root in Konoha. She could take them on if necessary, but there were too many people currently in the line of fire. It's not like she could tell her precious people that there were targets painted on them.
Wait…
Hikari perked up, eyes brightening as an idea occurred to her. Shisui and Itachi already knew she was hiding a ton of things from them and were waiting for her to reveal them at her own volition. That didn't mean she had to tell them everything in one go.'I can let them know that they're being targeted without revealing all my secrets just yet. I'm sure they'll trust me.'
"Come to a decision yet?"Kurama asked with a disgruntled huff, noticing the happy expression on his Jinchuuriki's face. He couldn't care less about the outside world as long as it didn't affect the girl.
"Kind of."
It was easier said than done though.
Even if Hikari wanted to tell Shisui and Itachi to be careful, she could hardly catch them long enough to do so. The boys were sent on missions back-to-back, Shisui being ANBU and Itachi a newly minted Chuunin.
Annoyance got the best of her and she decided to use the Sandaime's assistance, to get him to delay the boys' next missions long enough for her to have them both in one place. With that thought in mind, Hikari promptly dumped a bunch of excited kids and an amused Manami at the Nara Compound and took off to the Hokage Tower.
As per her usual routine, she checked the interior of the Hokage's office, blinking in surprise when she noticed two unexpected chakra signatures.'Huh, what's Kurenai-san doing there with a kid?'
The other chakra signature was vaguely familiar, reminiscent of a distant memory. It felt young, around Naruto's age but also unusually powerful and tainted with darkness. That piqued her curiosity and Hikari channeled chakra to her ears, eavesdropping on the conversation occurring inside the Hokage's office.
"I don't think I can train her," Kurenai said, an undertone of sadness and regret in her voice. "Her Kekkei Genkai is very powerful and her Genjutsu skills are good, but her physical abilities are far too weak to even stand up to a civilian."
Hikari frowned at that; who the hell was this girl Kurenai was talking about?
From her current position, the redhead couldn't see inside the office, so she hopped from roof to roof, trying to find the perfect angle to get a view of the office's occupants. She had to circle around to the window on the other side of the tower to finally get a glimpse and she stopped, peering inside curiously.
Hiruzen and Kurenai's presences were obvious, the two of them engaged in conversation while a young girl with brown hair and eyes stood in a corner. She was clearly anxious, fingers fidgeting as her gaze darted between the floor and the conversing pair.
"Now where have I seen her before?" Hikari muttered under her breath, studying the unknown girl carefully as she tried to wrack her brains for a clue. Meanwhile, the conversation between the two adults continued and she had to focus on them as well.
"I see," Hiruzen murmured, voice soft as he directed an expression full of pity at the young brunette in the corner. "What do you suggest we do then, Kurenai-chan?"
"I believe it is best to seal her powers, Hokage-sama."
What?!
"Even if her ability is powerful, it is of no use unless she can use it without being a danger to herself and others."
"No!" the unknown brunette cried out, tears beading at the corners of her eyes as she panicked. "Please, give me a chance! I want to be a kunoichi; I promise I'll train hard!"
Kurenai turned around, shaking her head at the girl. "Even if you have the will, I don't believe you can accomplish this, Yakumo-chan."
Yakumo.
Kurama Yakumo.
That was it; that was why the brunette was familiar. Hikari recalled a mission she had done with Sakura, Team 8 and Gai-sensei; she had met the girl then, Yakumo, who was capable of casting powerful Genjutsu using paintings as a medium. It had been a strange and taxing mission.
'Although…isn't Yakumo supposed to be older? She looks around Naruto's age,'the eavesdropping redhead mused, frowning as she tried to recall more details from the past.'This is supposed to happen in the future too, after Lee started training under Gai-sensei. Why is it happening now?'
"Remember that this is a different dimension,"Kurama spoke up out of the blue, opening one crimson eye lazily."Even if many things have been the same so far, we can't expect everything to be identical to our original world."
"You've got a point."
Hikari tuned back into the conversation she was listening into just as Kurenai refused the young girl again, saying that determination was of no use if she did not have the ability to back it up.'What the…? Was Kurenai-san like this in my world too? I'd only seen her encouraging Hinata. Yakumo should be a similar case too.'
Ushering the now sobbing brunette back into her corner, Kurenai approached the Hokage. Her voice was pitched low this time, in an obvious attempt to keep Yakumo from hearing her next words. "Her secondary personality is dangerous, Hokage-sama. It has already killed her parents; if we don't seal it and her powers, it could go on a rampage."
Hiruzen sighed, nodding in agreement. "I suppose so."
Outside the tower, Hikari sawred.
She finally recalled everything. In her world, Yakumo's parents had asked for a tutor for their daughter but it had ended up being useless and Yakumo's Kekkei Genkai had been sealed, along with the secondary personality, Ido. The seal had weakened once, Ido killing the girl's parents before it could be subdued once again. Yakumo had mistakenly believed that the fire that had killed her parents had been the Sandaime's fault and had sought revenge.
Yakumo's life had been miserable after the death of her parents and she had also faced a betrayal in the form of her uncle. Unkai had deemed her a threat to the Kurama clan and had chosen to assassinate her. Hikari's mission had ended with Yakumo coming to terms with the truth, overcoming the control Ido had on her.
But it was not the same here.
The poor girl had already lost her parents, whether or not she knew that it had been the Ido's fault. And now Kurenai was refusing to teach her, with the Hokage about to seal her powers.
All for what?
For a dangerous secondary personality that could have been easily sealed or removed altogether without affecting her Kekkei Genkai, if only the Sandaime had the brains to call upon Hikari or Jiraiya's Fuuinjutsu expertise.
Gritting her teeth at the fury that engulfed her, Hikari flared her chakra in one violent burst and took off running. She leapt off upon reaching the edge of the roof, slipping through the window of the Hokage's office in one smooth move and skidding to a stop in front of the crying brunette.
Both Hiruzen and Kurenai had flinched at her earlier burst of chakra, the woman spinning on her heel to face the redhead. "Hikari, what-?"
"I expected better from both of you, Jiji, Kurenai-san."
The old Hokage frowned, brow furrowing in confusion at the anger in the girl's voice. "Were you listening in on us?"
"Considering that the privacy seals weren't activated, I considered it fair grounds," Hikari sniped back, blue eyes narrowed in a glare. Anyone else would have been punished or at least reprimanded for the impudence she was displaying, but she didn't care, not when the Sandaime was still making the same mistakes despite having been warned.
"Then you know how dangerous Yakumo-chan's powers could be."
"All I hear are excuses, considering who I have in my care."
For Sage's sake, Hikari had two Jinchuuriki for siblings, both of whom could cause more destruction than Ido.
Kurenai, having stayed silent till then, spoke up, "It is better for Yakumo herself if she pursues another path, Hikari. She is too weak physically to be involved in combat."
Hikari shifted the focus of her glare from the Sandaime to the crimson-eyed woman, internally wondering where the confident Kurenai she had known in her future was. The Kurenai in front of her, despite being self-assured, didn't have the confidence to be responsible for a student.
If a teacher didn't have belief in their student, then they were both doomed to fail.
"So?"
Hikari raised an eyebrow, staring down the two adults. "If I had listened to all the people who said I couldn't do something, I wouldn't be here right now."
"But-"
"Do you realize what you are doing?" the redhead interrupted, arms crossed over her chests as she stood protectively in front of a now silent Yakumo. "You're not even giving the kid a chance to prove herself. Even if she's what, six, seven? She still has her own will."
When Kurenai's expression showed only regret and determination to stick to her initial opinion, Hikari harrumphed in annoyance. "I can't deal with the two of you right now."
She turned around, kneeling in front of the little brunette. Offering the teary girl a gentle smile, she said, "Hi there, I'm Uzumaki Hikari. What's your name?"
"K-Kurama Yakumo," the younger girl hiccupped, cheeks red and splotchy. She clutched her skirt tightly, stifling a snob as she tried to fight back the rush of disappointment and pain at being rejected by Kurenai.
"Well then, Yakumo, you have a pretty face, so don't ruin it by crying," Hikari remarked, wiping the brunette's tears away with her sleeve. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"
"I want to become a kunoichi…but Hokage-sama and Kurenai-san say that I can't," Yakumo whispered, shoulders slumping and head dropping in hurt and disappointment. She knew that she couldn't be a close-range fighter, but she had thought that honing her Genjutsu skills and Kekkei Genkai would give her an opportunity.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm weak and good at only Genjutsu."
"First of all, stop thinking like that," Hikari said, poking the girl's forehead with her fingers. Itachi was rubbing off on her, she thought absently as Yakumo rubbed the spot with a pout. "You're still young; even if you're not the best, you can get stronger physically with the proper diet and training."
"Really?"
"Yep!"
Beaming and inwardly sighing in relief when Yakumo brightened, light brown eyes shining, Hikari continued cheerfully, pointedly ignoring the protests from the adults behind her, "And if you're good at Genjutsu, I have two friends who I can rope into teaching you."
"Hikari-chan, you can't-!"
"Shut up, Jiji."
The words were spoken in a dark tone, the redhead straightening, one hand resting on Yakumo's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Hikari looked over her shoulder, eyes blank as she bored holes into the old Hokage with her gaze. She wasn't the 'Naruto' of the past, who would forgive unconditionally. She would mostly let anything towards her slide, but towards those she claimed as her own, she would protect fiercely.
Kurama Yakumo was now one added to that number.
Hikari met Kurenai's eyes next, the woman flinching at the sheer venom in usually sparkling blue eyes and looked away, unable to face that disappointed gaze. The girl didn't say anything else, letting her eyes flutter closed and took a deep breath. Shoving her anger into a box for later, Hikari looked back at Yakumo.
"What do you think of my offer, Yakumo? Do you want to give training with my friends a shot?"
The little brunette stared back uncertainly, fingers twisting the material of her skirt. Yakumo really did want the chance, but after having her hopes dashed so severely by Yuuhi Kurenai, she was justifiably wary. The girl in front of her had no reason to help her and she couldn't help but question her motives.
"Why…? Why do you want to help me?"
"Because I know what it's like to be told that you can't do something," came the prompt reply. Hikari ruffled the younger girl's hair gently, making Yakumo giggle and swat at her hand. "I won't force you to do anything. I'm just putting the offer on the table."
"…can I think about it?"
"Of course! Take all the time you need."
Yakumo nodded determinedly, whispering her thanks to the beaming Uzumaki. She then turned to the Sandaime and Kurenai, bowing. "Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama, Kurenai-san. I will be heading home now."
"I'll see you out~" Hikari chirped cheerfully, pointedly ignoring the stunned adults and followed the brunette out the door. She knew that Yakumo was studying her curiously, but Hikari didn't mind and pretended to not notice the burning gaze.
The pair had almost reached the lobby when the Uzumaki registered another familiar chakra signature and stopped halfway down the stairs, grabbing Yakumo's shoulder. "Is that man related to you?" she asked, pointing to a middle-aged man with light brown hair.
Yakumo blinked in confusion and peered into the lobby, expression showing recognition when she saw who Hikari was referring to. "Yes, that's my uncle. How did you know?"
Hikari hummed lightly, eyeing the man with a contemplative gaze. She actually knew him, identifying him as Kurama Unkai. He was someone with a great sense of responsibility and was respected in the Kurama clan, so much that his clansmen never questioned his orders. In a sense, she could respect him, but at the same time, she did not like him.
Like Danzo, and Hiruzen to a certain level, Unkai was the type to choose an extreme solution for a simple problem.
"His chakra is similar to yours," Hikari said in response to a curious Yakumo.'I don't know if Unkai is already planning to kill Yakumo, since she's refused to let herself be sealed and I won't allow it. It's best if I take some precautionary measures.'
Pulling off her bracelet from her wrist, Hikari swiped a finger over the engraved seals to deactivate them and applied another one with her chakra. "Here," she murmured, taking Yakumo's hand and sliding the bracelet onto her wrist. "If you want to talk to me or need me for anything, and I meananything, just channel chakra into this. I'll come, no matter when or where."
Yakumo raised her hand, staring at the thin strip of metal. The girl in front of her was strange, defending her when she had no reason to. She even gave her an opportunity to become a shinobi, something that even the Hokage was reluctant to provide. "Is it a summoning seal?"
"Something like that."
It wasn't like Hikari could tell her that it was the Hiraishin.
"Thank you, Uzumaki-san," the brunette smiled, bowing once in thanks before running off to her uncle. The man nodded at the girl and the two made their way out of the Hokage Tower, Yakumo looking over her shoulder to wave goodbye to Hikari.
"Ah…" Hikari sighed when the pair was out of sight and tugged on her hair in frustration. "How troublesome."
"Troublesome brat," Shikaku grunted, amused and a little bewildered at how the midget lying on the grass in front of him had so easily scolded the highest authority in the village. Hikari had reappeared an hour after she had dumped the rest of her family in his house, complaining about stupid old men who couldn't look past their nose.
"Come on, Shikaku-san; there's no way I could sit back and let them do that to Yakumo!"
"I know that. I'm just wondering: are you going for the full set?"
"Huh?"
"The Raikage, the Kazekage, the Hokage to an extent," the Nara ticked off on his fingers, raising an eyebrow at the redhead. "You've threatened them all directly or indirectly, and from what I know, you're planning to kill Orochimaru someday, who's going to become the Otokage. Are the Mizukage and Tsuchikage safe from you?"
Hikari snorted, jabbing the chuckling Nara in the side with an elbow. "Not my fault they're all idiots or bastards," she stated flatly, before smiling mischievously. "And who knows? Maybe I'll finish the set."
It was Shikaku's turn to snort, shaking his head. "I'm waiting for the day you cause a diplomatic nightmare, Hikari."
"Meh. Do I look like I care?"
"No, you look like you'll beat everyone into the ground and do it again just for fun."
"You know me so well."
The duo sat in silence for a while, listening to the sound of children laughing in the distance. Considering the cacophony of voices Hikari could hear, it seemed like Naruto and Karin had managed to rope in all the Nara kids into a game or a training exercise. She wondered what the mischievous pair had bribed Shikamaru and Gaara with, since the former was as lazy as ever and the latter was still a shy kid.
"Hikari?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you put up a privacy seal?"
Frowning at the unusual request, Hikari stayed still but tapped a finger against the ground, raising a barrier. "What is it, Shikaku-san?"
"How much do you know of Root's current movements?" Shikaku asked, eyes staring into the distance as he leaned back on his palms. He knew that the Nara Compound was secure, that Hikari would have sniffed out a rat the instant she set foot inside but it wouldn't hurt to be careful.
"A good amount. Mostly regarding their activities outside Konoha though."
The Nara nodded, flicking a quick glance at the redhead. "Did you know that Shibi was investigating them?"
"No," Hikari answered with a good measure of surprise, tilting her head to look at the Nara. She wasn't aware that there were people other than her keeping tabs on Root. "What for?"
"About two years ago, Danzo tried to take his son."
"Shino?!"
Shikaku nodded, not reacting to the girl's startled exclamation. "He wasn't successful, of course. But that made Shibi bring some information he had about Root to me, along with Hiashi and Tsume."
"What was it about?"
"A record of one of their missions. It was incomplete, something Shibi had found in the ruins of an old base."
"Huh. Danzo isn't the type to be careless, so it's likely Shibi-san stumbled upon the place just as they were clearing it out and they missed it in their rush."
"I thought so too. It was about a woman, Nono."
Seeing no hint of recognition in blue eyes, Shikaku continued, "Shibi continued digging and found that she used to work at an orphanage. There wasn't much information, but it was enough to reveal that children were put through brainwashing processes."
Shikaku told her everything that the Aburame Clan Head had uncovered, which wasn't much, considering the scale on which Danzo operated, but it was still a decent amount. Perhaps it wasn't entirely incriminating, but it should have been enough to launch a formal investigation into Root.
But Hikari knew that nothing of the sort had occurred.
"Was Jiji informed of this?"
"Yes, a week ago," the Nara said grimly, a dark sort of understanding and frustration in his eyes. Shibi had asked for his assistance and the two, along with Hiashi, had requested a meeting with the Sandaime. Unfortunately, no matter how much they had argued, the old Sarutobi had not done anything except reprimand Danzo, along with a warning to no longer involve children.
Hikari scowled. "That's going to be strike two," she muttered to herself, Shikaku looking at her curiously. "Naruto's Jinchuuriki status being revealed was strike one for Jiji. One more and I take matters into my own hands."
"Do you intend to kill Danzo?"
"I wanted to do that the moment I entered Konoha."
The girl extended her senses, scowl deepening when she noticed that the Root nin was still tailing Shisui. "I warned Jiji and while he's not as bad as he was in my world, he still hasn't grown a proper spine when it comes to his old teammates. If Danzo wasn't hiding something, you'd have found his cold and unrecognizable corpse long ago."
Her words held a dark promise and Shikaku had no doubts that she would follow through if, or rather, when things finally came to a head.
"Anyway," he cleared his throat, getting the Uzumaki's attention. "The reason I'm telling you this, is because I doubt Danzo would stop recruiting children. Since you've currently stopped the Kurama Heiress' powers from being sealed…"
"You think Danzo would try to take her."
"Yeah. That man has little to no morals and wouldn't care about what he would have to do, as long as he achieves his goal."
Hikari sighed, knowing very well that the Nara was right. Yakumo, being as young as she was and with very few people on her side, was an easy target. "I gave her a Hiraishin marker," she told Shikaku. "I can get to her instantly if she needs help."
The new information was surprising, since Shikaku knew that Hikari hadn't realized that Yakumo could have become Danzo's target earlier. So she had to have given her marker for a different reason and he said as much.
"Well…danger isn't always from the outside."
"Yakumo will be betrayed by her clan."
"Kind of. Hopefully, I'm just being paranoid and it won't happen. Speaking of Yakumo…she's different here."
"Different how?"
"She's younger than me, when I would have expected her to be around my age or older. And her parents died far too early in this dimension."
"Huh."
The two descended into silence, Shikaku mulling over what she had told him and how it could impact the timeline.
"I'm fairly sure we discarded the notion of keeping the timeline intact when you adopted Gaara," he finally said, quirking a smile at the redhead. He still remembered her outburst, when she had declared that the timeline could go to hell. "I believe Yakumo's circumstances are natural to this world, since she was born before you arrived. Only your interference in her sealing and any further involvement will likely affect things. You're concerned about other things, correct?"
A short hum was his answer.
"From what I understand, certain events are meant to occur, regardless of interference. The butterfly effect caused by your existence may or may not affect them."
"…what do you mean?"
"I mean that you shouldn't worry about what your actions could cause. Since there is no way of telling what effect your presence has on this world."
Hikari sighed, sitting up and staring into the distance. "Do you think that the Uchiha Massacre could be one of those 'events'?"
"…it is possible," Shikaku allowed, understanding what she was trying to say. "Perhaps the situation isn't the same anymore, but that doesn't mean some outside force couldn't cause the massacre. Even so, you're still the wild card in this equation, Hikari."
"Huh?"
"You have the ability to interfere, since you aren't tied to any authority but your own. You answer only to yourself, so as long as you can contain the consequences, you can practically do anything within your own limits."
"Can you stop with the riddles and get to the point?"
Shikaku chuckled and ruffled the pouting girl's hair, clarifying his earlier words, "I mean that you shouldn't worry about the timeline and watch out for events occurring like in your world. If it's within your power, do whatever you want to do."
Yakumo choked back a sob as she ran through the corridors of her house, skidding around a corner. She scrabbled to regain her balance as her bare feet slipped on the wooden floor, fear clenching her heart as a kunai whizzed past her ear.
'Why, uncle?'she screamed in her mind, picking up the pace when she heard footsteps.'Why do you want to kill me?'
It had been a normal day at the start, Yakumo going about her usual routine. She didn't have a trainer yet; it had been a week since her disastrous meeting with Kurenai and she still hadn't been sure on whether to accept Uzumaki Hikari's offer. Yakumo hadn't let it stop her though, doing a little physical training to strengthen her body.
When it had gotten late, her uncle had asked for her to meet him in his study, only for him to start attacking her out of nowhere. Terrified, Yakumo had thrown a kunai she had luckily had on hand to startle him and had used that moment of distraction to make her escape. Her next course of action had been to seek help from the rest of her clansmen but none of them had assisted her, instead following her uncle in trying to kill her.
"Just a little more…!" she gasped, bursting out of the house. If she could cross the back garden and make her way into the forest surrounding the compound, Yakumo could get help from the patrolling ANBU.
"Ahhh!"
A kunai embedded into her thigh and Yakumo gasped in pain, collapsing on the grass. She curled up a little, one hand reaching for the weapon. She didn't know if she should pull it out or not, but before she could come to a decision, a shadow fell over her and she looked up to see her uncle looming over her.
"Why?" Yakumo pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why are you doing this?"
Unkai stared at her, expression blank. After a moment of contemplation, he dipped his head in a nod and lowered his kunai. "I suppose you have a right to know why your death is necessary."
That startled Yakumo, the girl having thought that he had been trying to kill to get the position of Clan Head.
"You have inherited the Kurama's Clan Kekkei Genkai in its entirety," the man said, some of the clansmen coming out of the house to stand behind him. "It is powerful, yes, but you also have a weakness. The Ido, formed from part of your psyche, is a sentient and malicious personality that can use your powers for harm."
"W-What?"
Unkai paused, staring into his niece's wide eyes. The girl might be innocent, but there was no telling when the Ido would control her. "Your parents were killed by it."
Yakumo flinched, freezing in place as horror crept into her mind. "I killed Mother and Father?" she whispered to herself, looking down at her hands. They were scraped and dirty, but suddenly, all she could see was them being covered in blood.
She felt sick.
"I do not believe it to be your fault," Unkai told her, in a moment of sympathy. He understood that Yakumo didn't ask for the Ido to be born. Yet there was also no way he could allow her to roam free, now that Yuuhi Kurenai had refused to train her and Yakumo not letting her powers be sealed. No one could tell when the Ido would wreak havoc again.
Unkai wished to protect the Kurama Clan, enough that he was willing to take on the crime of killing the Heiress, his only niece.
"But please understand; with this, you can be free of the guilt of your parents' deaths and will not be responsible for harming another with your powers."
The girl on the ground heard all of her uncle's words, processing them rapidly. Yakumo was smart; she understood what Unkai meant when he said that a part of her mind had killed her parents and why she was dangerous.
But she still wanted to live, even with the guilt of her parents' death weighing on her mind.
Yakumo curled up with a cry of despair, channeling chakra around her body in a desperate attempt to protect herself when a kunai came down with a sense of finality.
'Someone, please help me!'
The pain she was expecting did not come.
Instead, the sound of blades clashing reached her ears and Yakumo looked up in shock, only to see a curtain of crimson.
"Really? You encounter a problem and immediately decide to kill the kid instead of seeking a solution?"
Hikari snarled, pushing back against Unkai and delivering a roundhouse kick to his head. The man stumbled from the sudden and unexpected assault, especially from a girl who wasn't even ten years old. The rest of the Kurama clansmen jumped in to assist but their path was blocked, thanks to a blue barrier that sprung up between them and the two girls.
Turning her back in an indirect insult and taunt to the perplexed group, Hikari knelt next to the shivering brunette. "I'm glad I made it on time," she murmured, helping Yakumo sit up.
"How did you…?" Yakumo trailed off, wincing when the kunai embedded in her thigh was pulled out. The older girl had done her best to be gentle, but there was no way to avoid the pain without additional procedures. The cool healing chakra that enveloped the wound made up for it though, the pain vanishing as the injury was healed.
"How did I get here or how did I know to come here?" Hikari queried in a teasing tone, checking over the girl quickly. She had suffered a light sprain and had some small scratches, all of which were taken care of rapidly. Taking Yakumo's hand, she tapped on the bracelet on her wrist. "Did you forget about this?"
"Oh!"
Yakumo had kept the bracelet Hikari had given her around her wrist all the time, strangely soothed by reminder of the strange girl who had leapt to her defense against the Hokage and a renowned Jounin. Even if the girls had only met once, Yakumo had been happy because the redhead had stood up for her. Uzumaki Hikari was a well-known person, after all.
"But you said to put chakra into it to call you and I didn't do that…"
"Actually, you sort of did when you covered yourself with chakra," Hikari smiled as she explained, tapping the girl's head with a finger. "That was enough."
"Uzumaki Hikari," Unkai cut across anything Yakumo could have said, staring down at the two girls with a blank expression. "What are you doing here? You do not have permission to be on the Kurama Clan grounds."
"And I don't think it's right of you to attack your own niece," Hikari shot back, voice flat. She was really sick and tired of stupid adults. "Normally, I'd be more than happy to kick your butt and make you see sense, but I don't think Yakumo will ever feel safe around you again. So if she's fine with it, I'm taking her with me."
"I'm afraid you have no right to do that, Uzumaki-san. This is a Clan matter and outsiders are not allowed to interfere."
Hikari sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "All I'm hearing is a list of things I'm apparently not supposed to do, and not why this situation is happening. Besides," her eyes turned dark and stormy, causing shivers to run down the spines of the Kurama clansmen, "do you really think I would stand by and do nothing when you are about to kill a child?"
"Thatchildis dangerous!"
"No, it's the Ido within her that's dangerous," the Uzumaki snapped back in anger. Small hands grabbing onto her own made her pause and she looked back to see Yakumo shivering, gaze downcast.
"Is it t-true…? Did I really kill Mother and Father?"
Yakumo was shaking violently; now that the danger of death had passed, the news that she -albeit indirectly- had been responsible for her parents' deaths finally sunk in. She had been told that the fire had been caused by accident, not that it had been deliberate. Her parents' had always been good to her, her father supporting her dream of becoming a shinobi one day and her mother always taking care of her whenever Yakumo inevitably injured herself or fell sick.
So, for her, who had loved her parents deeply and had been loved in return, it was like her world had fallen apart.
Hikari looked down at the brunette clinging to her hand like it was a lifeline, stamping down the urge to beat the man behind her to a pulp. What kind of uncle would be so callous to his own niece?
Since one hand was still trapped in Yakumo's grasp, Hikari gently cupped the back of the younger girl's head, drawing her close. "That wasn't you, Yakumo," she said, keeping her voice low. "I mentioned Ido, right? That is the true culprit, not you. But I can understand how you feel, so it's okay to cry."
Sending a glare over her shoulder at the gathered Kurama clansmen, Hikari set up a privacy seal, letting Yakumo have a modicum of privacy while sobbing her heart out.
It took a while before Yakumo's sobs died down, face red and swollen, cheeks wet with her tears. There was a lot of guilt and pain swimming in her brown eyes, along with a good amount of betrayal. It wasn't hard for Hikari to guess what and who it was for.
"Uzumaki-san?"
"What is it?"
"Hokage-sama and Kurenai-san…the Ido is why they wanted to seal my powers, right?"
Hikari sighed. "Yes."
"Then…!"
"Whatever you're thinking of, stop it right now," Hikari ordered, ruffling the girl's hair. "Don't make a serious choice like this when you're upset. You might end up regretting it later."
"But the Ido was born because of me, right?" Yakumo's expression was conflicted, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Her nails were biting into her palms, drawing blood, but she ignored the sting. "I have to take responsibility for it!"
"Seriously…how old are you, Yakumo?"
The brunette blinked, thrown off by the sudden and weird question. "Huh? I'm six…"
"You're too young to be thinking about things like that. All you have to do is grow up well."
When Yakumo didn't have anything to say to that, Hikari prodded, "Right now, what do you want to do, Yakumo?"
"I…"
"Go on. It can be anything."
"…I want to leave this place."
And that was how Yakumo ended up tucked into the bed in one of the guestrooms at the Uzumaki household, exhausted by the events of the day.
"Are we going to get a new family member?" Manami asked idly as she wiped the dishes, sorting them into their places. She was no longer fazed by what Hikari did nor who she brought home, simply taking everything in with a smile.
Since there was a child involved this time, she was even less concerned about repercussions.
Tenzo wasn't quite so calm though. He stared at Hikari, "That girl is the Kurama Clan Heiress."
"Yup."
"And you brought her here."
"Yup."
"Why?"
"Because her clan was going to kill her."
Tenzo opened his mouth then closed it, exchanging a look with Kakashi, who appeared to be amused. Realizing that he wasn't going to get any help from the Hatake, the Mokuton user asked, "An explanation, please?"
Hikari snorted but complied, giving a concise summary of what had happened, from the day she had met Yakumo until the current day. "Since she asked to leave, I brought her here for now."
"What do you intend to do with her, Hikari-chan?" Manami re-entered the conversation, wiping her hands on a towel as she settled at the table. "Since it could be argued that you kidnapped Yakumo-chan."
"I'd like to see anyone try to get her back," Hikari replied with a sardonic smile. "Honestly? It's her choice. I'm planning on extracting the Ido from her psyche when she feels up to it, so that she's no longer viewed as a threat. After that, she can do whatever she wants."
"You realize that Yakumo-chan's likely to choose to stay here," the older woman pointed out. She had seen the way the little brunette had clung to Hikari, reminiscent of how Gaara had been when he had first arrived. All her instincts told her that there was no way Yakumo would choose to go back home, not after how she had been betrayed.
"But she's still an heiress," Tenzo interjected, expression troubled. "If the Kurama Clan kicks up a fuss, you'll be dragged in, Hikari-san."
"Maa, I'd be more worried for them rather than our redhead," Kakashi said, eye curving in a smile. He wasn't the least bit concerned; he knew that Hikari was more than capable of handling the Kurama Clan, considering that she had the backing of most of Konoha's major shinobi clans.
Also, there was no way the Kurama Clan would be allowed custody of Yakumo after what they had done.
In the worst case scenario, she would be placed in one of the other clans.
"Such faith," Hikari retorted drily. She sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "I wonder why most of the shinobi villages are so bad at caring for children. If I went around picking up kids like this, I could probably start my own village."
"The village of misfits," Kakashi chuckled, patting the girl's head in a mocking manner. His light mood did not dissipate at the scowl and swipe he received, "Where do I sign up?"
"Stop joking, Kashi-nii!"
Shisui paced anxiously outside the door to Fugaku's office, hands clasped tightly behind his back. He was waiting for a particular piece of information but the wait was getting to him, considering how time-sensitive the issue was.
"Impatience isn't going to help, Shisui," Itachi spoke up, leaning against the wall opposite the study. His naturally calm demeanor was beneficial for him to maintain his poise, especially since he was internally just as concerned as the older Uchiha.
"Yeah, but-"
The door to the study opened at that instant and Fugaku stepped out, making Shisui freeze in place and Itachi straighten. The man studied both boys, then tilted his head towards the inside of the room, "Come in."
The trio settled down quickly, the privacy seal activating in order to keep their interactions secret. The boys curiously eyed the scattered papers on the desk, waiting for the Clan Head to give them the news they wanted.
To explain the situation, it was something that had started three days ago. Since Shisui and Itachi had been out on missions frequently, they hadn't had time to train together. So when they had gotten a small window of free time, the pair had immediately seized it and had gone to the forest to train. Normally, they would have invited Hikari but since they were training their Sharingan, the girl had decided not to join them.
Things had been fine at the start, Shisui and Itachi sparring with each other, with nothing held back. It was when they had headed deeper into the forest that their senses registered the boundary of a barrier. It had been well-hidden and only their experience with Fuuinjutsu had allowed them to detect it.
Shisui had wanted to investigate, since it was strange for a barrier to exist within the deepest parts of the forests around Konoha. Itachi, although initially reluctant, had tagged along, if only to keep his friend out of trouble. But in the end, the pair were glad that they had followed their instincts, seeing that their search had turned up something alarming: a pair of children in a barely furnished house.
Talking to the children had only raised their hackles further and without delaying further, the two Uchiha had grabbed the children and hightailed it out of the forest, not stopping until they reached the Uchiha Compound.
Now they were waiting for the results of the DNA tests Itachi had convinced Fugaku to secretly perform on the two children.
Fugaku pinched the bridge of his nose, eyeing his first-born balefully. "I had thought Sasuke would be the one to give me gray hairs, Itachi," he grumbled half-heartedly, before becoming serious once again. He took some of the papers on the desk, glancing through them once more. "As you know, these are the results of the DNA tests you had asked for."
Shisui and Itachi stiffened in their seats, the weary tone in the clan head's voice not boding well. "Please get to the point, Father."
"Hn. As you suspected, the younger child does have some Uchiha blood in him."
Shisui caught the nuances in the man's wording and spoke, "But not enough to claim him as family."
"Unfortunately, no," Fugaku agreed, handing over the papers when Itachi silently held out a hand for it. "Perhaps one of the smaller families could adopt him, but he would be ostracized. He does not have the potential to awaken the Sharingan; the Uchiha genes in him are too weak."
"So he will always be an outlier."
"Yes. As for the other boy, he's completely unrelated to us."
Itachi skimmed the results of the DNA test, corroborating everything his father had just said with the facts printed on the paper. "Then our only course of action is to send them to the orphanage?"
"I think that'll be dangerous for the kids," Shisui remarked, grimacing at the memory of the condition they had found them in. "For one thing, the older kid is sick and the orphanage wouldn't really take care of him. And there's no guarantee of their safety."
Fugaku observed his son and nephew, the gears in his brain turning. "You know, then," he said slowly, feeling a faint flicker of satisfaction when the boys' gazes sharpened, "of the darkness in Konoha."
"A little. We came to know of it by accident years ago, but we know that they've been more active lately, Fugaku-sama."
The clan head raised an eyebrow at the mention of them knowing about Root for years but didn't ask, instead latching onto more interesting information. "Hikari," he simply stated, the boys nodding in confirmation. "Back to the matter at hand, if we wish to protect those children, we must find them a safe home."
"Can't Hokage-sama help, Father?"
"I believe not. Though he has changed some of his ways, he is still weak. No, we must find someone else."
"The clans are out," Shisui mused. Even if the kids wouldn't be neglected in clans like the Nara or the Akimichi, they would feel left out when they grew, since they wouldn't have the characteristics of the clans. Placing them with civilians was also a no-go; that meant they needed candidates among the shinobi, who would be strong enough to protect them.
"Whoever we find, they must be willing to take in both of them," Itachi added. "The children will not let themselves be separated."
"Ugh, this is tough. It's not like there are many people who don't belong to special clans, who could stand against even the Hokage and be willing to take in two unknown kids!"
"On the contrary, we do," Fugaku smirked, making the boys blink in confusion.
"Huh?"
Hikari looked up from her current task of making paper seals when she felt a disturbance outside the house. There were four chakra signatures, identifying two as Shisui and Itachi. One was unfamiliar and the last one…
The brush in her hand clattered as it fell on the desk, spraying droplets of ink everywhere but she didn't care. She shot out of her chair, running to the window facing the front to get a look at her visitors. Her suspicions were proven right when she saw pale skin and black hair.
'Sai!'
It was indeed the younger version of the teen who had become a part of Team Kakashi in her world. Next to him was a sickly looking boy with gray hair and dark eyes, who Hikari thought was Shin, Sai's adoptive brother.
Wait, did they even have the same names here?
And what were they doing with Shisui and Itachi?
"Hikari-chan!"
Shisui waved to her, a sheepish grin on his face, as if he was going to say or do something that he was going to be hit for. Considering that Itachi had a similar look, Hikari could safely assume that she wasn't going to be happy for long.
Nevertheless, she couldn't help the smile that threatened to break out; swinging her legs over the ledge, Hikari dropped down to the grass, landing soundlessly. "Hey, Shisui, Itachi. It's been a while. And who are these kids?"
"About that…" Shisui chuckled nervously, nudging the boys forward. "This one is Shin, six years old, and this one is Sai, five years old," he pointed to the boy with gray hair first, then the black-haired child. "Kids, this is Uzumaki Hikari-"
"Are you going to take care of us from now on?!"
Hikari blinked slowly, taking in what Shin had said in his outburst. The boy looked eager, eyes shining as he stared at her. In contrast to him, Sai was hiding behind his brother, peeking out at her shyly. After a few moments of silence, she spoke, "Am I?"
The question was directed at the Uchiha boys, who squirmed under her heavy gaze. "This is why I told you we should have informed her first," Itachi murmured under his breath, jabbing Shisui with his elbow.
"Gah! Do you never miss a chance to say 'I told you so'?!"
Ignoring the two Uchiha, Hikari studied the younger children. Both of them looked thin and there were the burgeoning signs of malnutrition. She internally face-palmed; there was no way she was going to send them away, was there?
"Well then, if you're going to stay here, you should meet the rest of the family," Hikari said, holding out her hands for the kids to take. She led them to the backyard, where everyone else was.'Naruto would get along splendidly with Shin, while Sai might find a similar spirit in Gaara. Or I think…?'
It didn't take long for her to introduce everyone and the two newcomers were pulled into the game the other children were playing. Manami shot the girl a knowing look from her spot under a tree, giggling when Hikari shrugged helplessly and gave her an awkward smile.
"I see you've picked up another kid," Shisui observed, watching the brunette next to Karin. There was an air of nobility around her, making him wonder if she belonged to some clan or another.
Itachi, however, recognized her immediately. "That's the Kurama Clan Heiress, Yakumo."
"Wait, what? What's she doing here then?"
Gesturing for the boys to follow her, Hikari led them to her room. Taking a seat at her desk, she waited until the boys made themselves comfortable. "The situation is being kept a secret for now, but we won't be publicizing it either. To make a long story short, Yakumo has a secondary personality called Ido, that killed her parents. Kurenai-san refused to teach her, wanted to seal her powers, to which Jiji agreed, and I interfered. Her uncle deemed her a threat and tried to kill her, so I interfered again and brought Yakumo here."
Shisui and Itachi stared at the girl in front of them, processing the waterfall of words that had just fallen from her mouth. Then they glanced at each other, as if affirming that they both had heard the same thing and then looked back at Hikari.
"So you basically kidnapped Yakumo-chan," Shisui said, shaking his head in bewilderment. "Will we be seeing some kids around here soon?"
A crimson eyebrow twitched, Hikari glaring at the older Uchiha. "It's not kidnapping if she agreed and everyone knows where she is. Besides, Yakumo doesn't want to go back to her clan compound. We've already written up a contract that states that she can live here freely while keeping her status as Heiress. Once she turns sixteen or becomes a Chuunin, whichever comes first, she can reevaluate her situation."
"A good contract, since it protects Yakumo-san's rights," Itachi agreed, nodding once. He understood that the brunette couldn't simply give away her position as the next Head of the Kurama Clan, since she was still a minor who was attacked by her own guardian. Keeping her surname was a way for Yakumo to have a tie to her clan, while still having the choice to live in a place she deemed safe.
"You've been busy, Hikari-chan."
"Apparently not as much as you two," Hikari shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sai and Shin. You have five seconds to explain."
"Root."
Hikari stiffened, turning sharply to meet a solemn Shisui's eyes. "…so you know."
"And you just confirmed that you know too," Itachi spoke, checking once to ensure that the privacy seals were active. Even if the barrier surrounding the house prevented eavesdroppers, the children shouldn't be able to barge in or overhear. "We weren't sure, but some of your actions were suspicious."
The redhead sighed, dropping her head onto the desk. "I assume you've already figured out that the people who were following me way back then belonged to Root?"
"As soon as we realized that they weren't ANBU," Shisui nodded. "We've run into them once before. But how do you know Root, Hikari-chan? Don't tell me they…"
"No, they didn't try to recruit me. I'd send them back in body bags if they tried." Hikari snorted at the surprised expressions on the boys' faces. "The actual answer to that question is in the box of secrets I'll let you open one day."
Accepting that answer, Itachi switched the topic. "Regarding Shin-kun and Sai-kun, we found them in an old house in the forest. Questioning them revealed that they were being trained as future members of Root, so we took them."
"Took them," Hikari repeated, tone amused as she quirked a lopsided smile at the boys. "Is that a nicer way of saying that you kidnapped them?"
Shisui laughed, knowing that she was throwing their words about her and Yakumo back in their faces. "Maybe? Anyways, Sai looked far too much like Sasuke, so we convinced Fugaku-san to do DNA tests on them."
"Let me guess: either they have no Uchiha blood or it's too diluted for the Sharingan to manifest."
"…you're one scary girl, Hikari-chan."
"I do my best."
Itachi cleared his throat, stifling a chuckle at the gobsmacked way his cousin was staring at the smirking redhead. "Shin-kun belongs to the former category and Sai-kun in the latter. Since an orphanage isn't good for them, Father suggested that we bring them to you."
"Do I look like I'm running a daycare?" Hikari said wryly, knowing that regardless of what she said, she was going to take them in anyway. "Alright, they can stay. In exchange, I want you guys to teach Yakumo Genjutsu."
"Sure, as long as you join in too, Hikari-chan."
"Do I have to?" she whined, pouting. "I hate Genjutsu."
"Why not?" Itachi was the one to retort, surprising the Uzumaki. He had never pushed whenever Shisui tried to get Hikari to learn Genjutsu, simply letting her be. "It's a useful skill and I do not believe that you hate it as much as you say you do."
Hikari glared at the younger Uchiha, not happy that he was messing with her like that. Truth be told, she didn't hate Genjutsu anymore, not with two friends who specialized in it. But that didn't mean she wanted to learn it.
Still…
"Fine. You win," she grumbled, letting her head drop onto the desk. "Don't expect me to love it, but I see your point."
"Yay~"
Shisui cheered, happy that they had finally managed to convince their friend. "How about we start once Yakumo-chan's chakra control is good enough? Oh wait, will she go to the Academy?"
"I don't know. Probably not," Hikari replied, thinking about the teen's question. Considering her weak physique, Yakumo wouldn't be able to keep up with the Academy's curriculum, since she would need a special regime to improve her physical ability. "I wonder if Sai and Shin would like to go though."
Itachi was the one to answer that. "Sai-kun might be interested. I noticed him watching when Sasuke was practicing his shurikenjutsu. But Shin-kun has an illness, which would affect mobility. The medics said that it would take a long time to recover. Even then, it seems unlikely he'll recover fully, since there'll be scarring on his lungs."
"Is that so? Do you have his prescription?"
"Here." Itachi pulled out a piece of paper and a small brown paper bag from a pocket, placing the items on the desk. "The medicine will last for a month and the required dosage is on the paper. When it runs out, you can come to the Uchiha medics to get more, unless you can make it on your own."
Hikari picked up the prescription, skimming its contents. The medicine was familiar to her and she was fairly sure she could make it. "I might need to ask Shikaku-san for some of the ingredients but I can make it. Besides, my healing ability will help to fix the scarring on his lungs, so Shin will be just fine in a couple of years."
"I see. That's good."
'Since I have the chance, might as well tell them about their predicament.'
Taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Hikari rested her chin on her fist, twirling a lock of hair around a finger. "Do you know you have a stalker?"
The boys blinked in unison. "What?"
"The two of you have been followed for the past few days, especially Shisui," she told them, expression blank but eyes stormy. Judging by their reactions, neither Shisui or Itachi had noticed, which proved the Root nin's ability. No wonder Danzo had chosen him.
"I didn't notice," Shisui muttered, fists clenched as he frowned in thought. He glanced at Itachi, who shook his head, expression troubled. "Is that person so skilled that they managed to slip past our senses?"
"Don't beat yourself up. If I weren't a powerful sensor, I wouldn't have noticed him either. He's very good at hiding his chakra, to the extent that I'd believe he's a civilian."
"Is he tailing us when we leave the village?"
"No, not according to what I've observed so far. He's been prioritizing you, meaning that if both you and Itachi are in the village but at different locations, then he follows you."
Shisui's frown deepened. The only differences between himself and Itachi were their experiences and Sharingan. Was it possible that Danzo had found out about his Mangekyou ability?
It was something he needed to look into.
Before he could start thinking of a plan, Hikari snapped her fingers, calling attention to her. "I want the two of you to be careful," she warned them. Itachi and Shisui were smart; she knew that they had realized that even though Danzo stood on Konoha's side, they understood that his morals and methods were skewed.
Even if she didn't know what had created that impression for them, she was grateful for it nonetheless.
"I also suspect that there's another person hanging around the Uchiha compound, so I hope you can check that. Also, I know that you can take care of yourselves, but don't be reckless. I don't want you to get hurt."
Itachi smiled, touched by their friend's concern and understanding where she was coming from. "We will. I don't suppose you have an idea why we're being followed?"
"I'm not sure, but…" Hikari trailed off, staring pointedly at Shisui. Specifically, his eyes.
The teen stiffened, one hand rising to cover an eye. "You know."
"I know a lot of things."
"How? Wait, no, I'm sure that's part of your 'secrets'. Who else knows?"
"They don't know the details -I'm not that stupid- but Jiji, Kashi-nii and Shikaku-san know the gist."
"I see…if we need help, we can approach those three?"
Hikari shook her head. There was no way she was going to trust the Sandaime with her friends' safety anymore and Kakashi had too much on his plate to assist them at a moment's notice. "Go to Shikaku-san. If you simply need someone to talk to, Kashi-nii is fine. But Shikaku-san is one you can trust for assistance. Just tell him I sent you."
The two Uchiha nodded, Itachi asking, "Do they know your 'secrets'?"
That question sounded a little odd and Hikari blinked in confusion before smiling faintly. "Not everything. I haven't told them all my secrets and I don't intend to. No, the two of you will be the only ones who will get to know it all."
Eyes widening in shock, Shisui asked, voice faint, "You trust us that much?"
"If I can't trust you two, Shisui, Itachi, who else can I trust?"
Past midnight, Hikari stood on the roof of her house, staring up at the stars.
'Too much has changed,'she thought. Yakumo's circumstances were one thing, but the appearance of Sai and Shin had thrown her off balance. Honestly speaking, she had intended to go looking for them but she had thought that they would show up at the orphanage or something. She hadn't considered the possibility that Danzo could have found them elsewhere.
'In the past, neither Shisui or Itachi would have met them. If it weren't for their Fuuinjutsu skills, which they got thanks to me, they wouldn't have noticed the barrier in the forest.'
Hikari was fairly certain that, in her world, Itachi had honed his Fuuinjutsu after he had joined Akatsuki, and Shisui had never learnt in the first place. If she hadn't met them, they wouldn't have become the Fuuinjutsu experts they were now. Even if they weren't at her level yet, she was sure that they could give Jiraiya a hard time with their seals.
"What other changes will the ripples in time bring?" Hikari muttered to herself, feeling the wind ruffle her clothes and hair. It wasn't a very cold night, cloudless and full moon high up in the starry sky. Her mouth twisted into a displeased frown, skin crawling as she thought about whatever Danzo was plotting.
"Why do I have the feeling that something bad is about to happen?"
