Naruto World, Konohagakure
Naruto's House
It was late at night.
The entire village was silent, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. Aside from a few patrolling Anbu and security team members, everyone else in Konoha had long since gone to bed.
Suddenly…
Uchiha Hikari's figure appeared without warning in the bedroom.
After a quick check to make sure nothing in the room had been disturbed, she opened the door, glanced at Naruto sleeping soundly next door, and started brushing her teeth while checking messages in the group chat.
[Bulma: I'm home! How's it going on your end, Little Hikari? No issues, right?]
[Nameless: I'm back too.]
[Nameless @IronHead: Tanjiro, any changes on your side?]
[IronHead: Nope, Mom and the others are still here. They don't seem to be fading… We're heading down the mountain now. Rengoku-san's planning to find a place to settle for a bit and wait for the Master's instructions.]
[IronHead: Oh, also, Rengoku-san and Uzui-san are debating whether you or Bulma-san is 'Amaterasu' or 'Tsukuyomi.' Should I explain it to them in detail?]
[Bulma: Huh?]
[Nameless: …No need to explain. Just leave it.]
Even without being there, Hikari could imagine the scene Tanjiro was describing. From the perspective of the Demon Slayer world, the techniques she and Bulma had shown off probably seemed downright divine.
Good thing she hadn't unleashed Susanoo in front of the Demon Slayer Corps…
Otherwise, between her, Bulma, and Susanoo, they'd have the whole trio of Japan's mythical noble gods covered.
In the chat group…
[ForeverCarryingSis: Why's it so lively all of a sudden? Did something happen that I don't know about?]
[Bulma: Oh, it's ForeverCarryingSis! Evening, sir! Let me tell you…]
Bulma clearly wasn't sleepy at all, eagerly pulling Namikaze Minato into a recap of the past few days' events.
Meanwhile, Hikari finished brushing her teeth, returned to the bedroom, and drew the curtains. She typed a quick "goodnight" in the group chat, kicked off her shoes, slipped into bed, and closed her eyes to sleep.
…
A few minutes later…
Sarutobi Hiruzen, deep in slumber, was jolted awake by urgent knocking.
"…You're saying Uchiha Hikari's back, and she's at Naruto's place right now?"
"Yes, Lord Third."
Kakashi nodded, reporting with a serious tone. "Yugao and I were both on watch outside. We saw her suddenly walk out of the bedroom, but there was no sign of anyone entering or leaving beforehand, and we didn't sense any chakra fluctuations…
I suspect she used some kind of space-time ninjutsu to return! Three weeks ago, when she vanished from the village, she might've used the same technique!"
"…"
Hiruzen, still groggy, rubbed his temples to shake off the sleep while listening to Kakashi's report, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.
About three weeks ago, the Anbu had already noticed Hikari's disappearance.
At the time, Hiruzen, Kakashi, and the others monitoring her assumed she'd just slipped past their surveillance and left. While her ability to come and go as she pleased was frustrating, in a way, it was a relief—
This Uchiha clan "grandma" put way too much pressure on Hiruzen.
He couldn't fight her, couldn't outsmart her, and her ties to both the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Uchiha clan forced him to tread carefully. Things that used to be simple now came with a heap of extra work.
So, her absence had actually let Hiruzen breathe a little easier. He'd even hoped she'd stay gone for a few months.
But…
She was back?
And with space-time ninjutsu?
What kind of space-time ninjutsu could slip past Konoha's barrier team undetected? Flying Thunder God?
"Other than you and Yugao, no one else knows about this, right?"
"No, I sent a shadow clone to report to you right away. My real body and Yugao are still keeping watch."
"Hm…"
Hiruzen pondered for a moment before looking up. "Come with me. We're худ
A few minutes later, a tall, white-haired man, reeking of alcohol, was roused from a drunken stupor at an inn. Soon, hushed voices began to fill the room as discussions started.
…
The Next Morning
As the sun rose, beams of light slipped through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled patches of brightness across the wooden table and floor.
Since she'd gotten back late the previous night, Hikari slept in a bit. When she finally emerged from the bedroom in a white sweater, she caught Naruto scrubbing away at the living room with a rag and a basin of water.
Hearing the door open, the little blond turned around, his face lighting up with joy.
"Hey, Hikari-nee, you're back!"
"Mm-hm…"
Compared to Naruto's excitement, Hikari's response was calm. "Anyone come by the last few days?"
Her eyes landed on a few books on the coffee table—definitely not the kind of thing Naruto would buy.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, Grandpa came by the night before last and dropped off some stuff. Oh, and there was this white-haired old guy who seemed to know me, but I forgot his name!"
"White-haired old guy…"
Kakashi?
Or…
Hikari had a hunch but didn't voice it. Instead, she walked over to the sofa and picked up the books, glancing at their titles: The Will of Fire, Tales of a Gutsy Ninja, Tales of the Third Hokage, My Mentor, Senju Tobirama…
"…What a bunch of random junk."
Hikari flipped through a few pages, set Tales of a Gutsy Ninja aside to skim later, and tossed the rest straight into the trash.
Then she headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash up.
"By the way… isn't it almost New Year in Konoha?"
"Yup!" Naruto's cheerful voice carried from the living room. "Grandpa and Ichiraku's Uncle Teuchi were saying next Wednesday's the big day. They say you gotta clean the house for New Year… Oh, and Uncle Teuchi said the village is throwing a huge festival. It's gonna be super lively!"
"Oh."
Hikari spat out her mouthwash, staring at her reflection in the mirror—a pale, delicate face that felt almost unfamiliar, like it belonged to another lifetime.
"New Year, huh…"
"After breakfast, let's go pick up some stuff for the holiday."
Once she was done, Hikari headed to the kitchen, fried a few eggs, and made sandwiches. She opened a carton of milk, poured two glasses, and called Naruto over to eat.
A knock at the door came just as they finished breakfast.
The second batch of group chat members will be joining soon, but the lineup hasn't been fully decided yet. If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the chapter comments!
(End of Chapter)