A Forehead Flick Could Make Him Cry for Ages, Right?

Uchiha Hikari sat in her chair, turning her head toward the sound.

A young mother and son walked in from outside.

The mother had a gentle, graceful appearance, black hair, and pale skin. She carried several bags in one hand and held her child's hand with the other. The boy looked four or five years old, his cheeks puffed out as though he were sulking.

Perhaps noticing Uchiha Hikari's gaze, Sasuke awkwardly reined in his expression, though the resentment he was bottling up was still obvious.

"Two bowls of Chashu Ramen, please."

Uchiha Mikoto led Sasuke to sit at the counter and gave Uchiha Hikari an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. Children don't know any better. He disturbed you."

"...It's fine."

Uchiha Hikari withdrew her gaze.

Of course, she recognized this second protagonist of the original Hokage storyline, the current reincarnation of Indra. But compared to the Uchiha Sasuke in her memories, who always looked burdened by hatred and would get beaten up whenever the mood struck...

This little Sasuke, puffing up his cheeks and throwing a tantrum, seemed rather interesting.

A flick to the forehead like this would probably make him cry for ages, right?

Meanwhile—

"Coming right up."

Teuchi answered and got busy, casually chatting as he worked. "It's Mrs. Mikoto. Haven't seen you in a while. You and Miss Hikari should be relatives, right? I didn't expect three Uchiha to come in for ramen in such a short time. This little shop is truly honored..."

"...Uchiha?"

Uchiha Mikoto caught that keyword and looked at Uchiha Hikari again in surprise.

As the clan head's wife, she could not claim to know every clansman's name, but she at least recognized most of them...

Why had she never seen this girl before?

Uchiha Hikari lightly tapped the wooden counter with her fingertips, considering whether she should say something to Mikoto and her son, when she sensed a familiar presence approaching the ramen shop.

This time, the newcomer came directly through the curtain at the entrance.

"Hey, Little Naruto."

Teuchi glanced over from the corner of his eye and greeted him familiarly. "You're later than usual today. Tonkotsu Ramen again?"

"Yes..."

Naruto clearly had not expected the shop to be so crowded. He instinctively wanted to shrink back, but the next moment, his eyes suddenly widened as he looked at a figure sitting by the counter.

"Si... Sister Hikari, is that you?! You're back?!"

"..."

Uchiha Hikari turned her head slightly.

The moment Naruto saw her profile, he excitedly rushed over, spreading his arms and throwing himself against her back. "Sister Hikari, it really is you! That purple-haired sister and the old man both said... I thought you weren't ever coming back! Sob... It's so great to see you again!"

After that, Naruto clung to her with tears and snot all over his face, chattering nonstop. One moment, he was talking about dishes he had recently learned to make; the next, things he had seen around the village. Every now and then, he brought up the "old man" and "purple-haired sister." They were all trivial little matters, but he rambled about them so incoherently that Uchiha Hikari's head began to ache.

Uchiha Mikoto beside them was equally bewildered.

She knew Naruto, of course. Back when Kushina had still been alive, they had been friends. But...

Sister?

Hadn't the Third Hokage always strictly forbidden the village's ninja, especially members of the Uchiha Clan, from coming into contact with the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki? How could there be an Uchiha clanswoman who addressed Naruto as her younger brother?

Weren't the Anbu around Naruto doing anything about it?

Unlike his baffled mother, Sasuke was the first to lose his patience. He looked at Naruto with displeasure. "You're so noisy, crybaby!"

"...Who are you calling that?"

Naruto turned toward him unhappily.

"You, obviously. Who shouts and screams in a place where other people are eating... And you cry so ugly, too. Your snot's practically running out. You're disgusting!"

"What's it to you, ugly!"

"..."

Seeing the two children start arguing fiercely the moment they met, Uchiha Hikari wordlessly reached out, pulled Naruto back, then asked Ayame for a roll of tissues and smacked it onto his face, signaling for him to wipe his nose. Then she gave Mikoto and her son an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry. Children don't know any better. He disturbed you. Please forgive him."

"Not at all..."

After responding politely, Uchiha Mikoto finally could not suppress her curiosity and softly asked, "Young lady, are you... Uchiha Hikari? Mr. Teuchi said you're also from the Uchiha Clan? But I don't think I've ever met you before. May I ask who your parents are?"

"...They're gone."

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Uchiha Mikoto assumed she had touched on Uchiha Hikari's grief and apologized awkwardly, hesitating over whether she should keep asking.

(Could this girl be an Uchiha who ended up living outside the village, a descendant of the Uchiha Clan and the Uzumaki Clan?)

(If so, should I mention it to Fugaku...)

Just then, the ramen arrived.

Uchiha Hikari snapped apart her chopsticks and began eating in huge mouthfuls.

She truly was hungry now.

Her fight with Danzo and the others had consumed quite a bit of Chakra. And since her conflict with Sarutobi Hiruzen had not erupted, she had not eaten the Senzu Bean she had prepared beforehand, instead putting it away again. Now, she devoured three large bowls of ramen in one go before her stomach finally felt somewhat comfortable.

By then, Naruto's packed Tonkotsu Ramen was ready as well.

Uchiha Hikari drank a few mouthfuls of hot broth to warm herself, then nodded to Mikoto and her son beside her before taking Naruto's hand and leaving.

They left the ramen shop and returned to the foot of Naruto's apartment building.

From afar, Uchiha Hikari spotted two people.

A man and a woman.

The man looked fifteen or sixteen years old, with short silver-white hair and a black mask. A Leaf Headband was slanted over his left eye. The woman beside him had purple hair and was none other than Uzuki Yugao, whom she had met not long ago.

"Miss Hika... Senior."

Uzuki Yugao had instinctively started to call her Miss Hikari, but changed her wording at the last moment.

The masked man beside her spoke in a low voice as well. "Hello. I am Kakashi Hatake of Konoha's Anbu. By order of the Third Hokage, I've come to disturb you and explain what happened earlier..."

Although Uchiha Hikari had previously said there was no need to explain.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had clearly not taken that at face value. He still sent Kakashi and Uzuki Yugao to explain matters to her, along with offering some conciliatory words, saying that he would do his best to fulfill her requests.

Uchiha Hikari's response was cold.

"I already stated my demands. There's nothing else to discuss."

"You don't need to be overly nervous, either. As long as you aren't as disrespectful as Shimura Danzō, I can't be bothered to act."

As she spoke, Uchiha Hikari suddenly thought of something and glanced at Kakashi. "By the way, you white-haired brat. You know who the child beside me is, don't you?"