Hikari, I Am Uchiha Hikari

Chapter 25: Hikari. My Name is Uchiha Hikari

The nameless girl bit her lower lip tightly. "Are you pitying me?"

She clenched her fists hard, her fingernails digging into her skin, drawing drops of bright red blood that splattered into the dirt.

Uchiha Sōgetsu shook his head and slowly took off his outer coat.

He didn't speak superfluous words, but expressed his thoughts through actions.

With a very gentle movement, he draped his coat over the girl, shielding her from the revealing glimpse of her skin.

After a fierce battle, the white coat was somewhat tattered and dirty, but Uchiha Sōgetsu's action undoubtedly brought a dazzling ray of sunshine into the girl's dark inner world.

The nameless girl froze, then her eyes became complex, and she slowly lowered her head.

Her slender, fair fingers tightly gripped the cuff of the coat, which was a bit too large for her. Her delicate nose twitched slightly as she caught a faint, pleasant scent.

Seeing her messy hair, Uchiha Sōgetsu frowned and reached out to brush aside the strands of hair by her temples.

"No. I don't need your pity!"

The girl's eyes narrowed. As if violated, she forcefully pushed the boy in front of her away, her voice filled with threats, glaring at him with both caution and terror.

Little did she know, her actions, in Uchiha Sōgetsu's eyes, resembled a startled wild cat puffing up its fur in a show of bravado to protect its fragile self.

Beneath her messy black hair, her eyes were moist with unshed tears.

Her heart, shrouded in darkness, seemed to have been struck by a tremendous impact. Gazing at the gentle eyes of the boy before her, she felt a long-lost warmth.

"I won't tell you to let go of your hatred, nor am I pitying you."

Uchiha Sōgetsu smiled and took two steps forward, reaching out to stroke the girl's messy black hair, his voice gentle and warm. "I cannot comprehend all the suffering you've endured, so I won't ask you to forgive them. If you want to take revenge on the Uchiha clan, I won't stop you. It's your freedom."

"If you believe the world is wrong, then correct it with your own hands."

His voice was very calm, but to the girl's ears, it was like a thunderous gong, striking the depths of her soul.

"You're not going to stop me?"

The nameless girl unconsciously bit her lips. "Don't you think... I'm cruel like this?"

"Why would I stop you?"

Uchiha Sōgetsu looked at her and said, "If I were to persuade you to let go of your hatred and forgive those who caused you pain, who would then repay the sin of being sealed in the darkness underground for decades?"

Do not advise others to be kind without experiencing their suffering.

If it were him, sealed underground by the Uchiha for decades, his thoughts would only be more extreme than the girl's.

"Thank you."

The girl bowed her head deeply, her black hair falling, obscuring her expression.

But from her trembling shoulders, one could feel that the girl's heart was not calm at this moment.

"What do you plan to do with me?"

After a moment of emotional fluctuation, the girl took a deep breath, raised her head, and looked at him. "You've already witnessed my power, so you should understand its value."

Uchiha Sōgetsu smiled and shook his head. "From now on, you are free. No one can decide your future."

"Free?"

The word was too foreign to her. The girl was momentarily stunned.

"That's right, you are free."

Uchiha Sōgetsu looked at the girl's bewildered eyes and chuckled. "From now on, you can enjoy your future life to the fullest. Whether you choose to seek revenge on Konoha and the Uchiha, or let go of your hatred, it's your freedom. No one can interfere with your future."

"You're not lying to me?"

The girl's small mouth parted slightly, her pupils trembling with each beat. Her delicate face was filled with disbelief.

"Is there any reason for me to lie to you?" Uchiha Sōgetsu retorted.

"But... if you let me go, aren't you afraid of... me?" The girl's voice became stammering as she widened her dark eyes. "You've already seen my Dojutsu. It can control a person's thoughts and memories at any time. Aren't you afraid... I'll control you?"

She knew too well the threat her Dojutsu, 'Yachihoko', posed to those people.

It was precisely because of this that the Uchiha clan, fearing her abilities, had joined forces with the Senju and Uzumaki to seal her in the dark underground.

"Although your Dojutsu is very powerful, it's useless against me."

Uchiha Sōgetsu's smile held a hint of confidence.

He dared not say anything else, but at least on the 'mental' level, as an Extraordinary of the Spectator pathway, even the strongest Dojutsu, Kotoamatsukami, could not tamper with his will.

"Am I really free?"

The girl looked at her hands, still unable to believe it even now.

"Yes, you are free."

Uchiha Sōgetsu repeated patiently, "From now on, you can do anything you want to do."

"But I... don't know what I want to do."

A hint of confusion appeared in the girl's eyes.

Beyond revenge, she had never considered what she would do, or what she wanted to do, after gaining her freedom.

"Mmm."

Uchiha Sōgetsu pondered for a moment and made a suggestion, "Perhaps you could take a bath, change into new clothes, and then go try the local delicacies of this era."

"Can I really?"

Upon hearing this, the girl seemed tempted but was still hesitant. "Can I do anything I want, like you said?"

"Of course."

Uchiha Sōgetsu teased, "If you're willing, you could even fall in love."

Love.

A hint of longing appeared in the girl's eyes.

Perhaps her life had been spent in darkness, but now she finally saw the light.

Her gaze was distant, and she stared blankly at the young man before her.

His handsome face and gentle eyes were like the sun, dispelling the darkness within her and granting her a sliver of peace.

She could have endured the darkness if she had never seen the light.

Cruelty and coldness were like a thick layer of ice, protecting her tender heart. Anger and hatred were her armor and sword, safeguarding her fragile pride.

But... she still yearned for salvation.

The deeper one is in darkness, the more one craves the light.

It was like a drowning person in a raging sea, clinging to a single straw, knowing it might not save them, but still desperately grasping it.

The girl's wavering heart finally solidified at this moment.

She wanted to grasp that straw, to grasp that beam of light.

Just like a moth drawn to a flame, even knowing it would turn to ash, at least before that... she could feel the warmth the 'flame' provided.

"Can I follow you?"

The girl tugged at the hem of her tattered clothes and asked timidly.

Her cautious eyes held a trace of expectation mixed with deep fear, like an abandoned stray cat, wanting to be taken home but afraid of being rejected again.

Uchiha Sōgetsu gazed at the girl, reading the dependence in her eyes.

A moment later, under the girl's increasingly anxious gaze, he smiled and nodded, "Okay."

Everything unfolded as he had predicted.

Those who crave salvation the most are the easiest to manipulate and exploit.

It was like a person dying of thirst in the desert; a mere drop of water could nourish their parched soul, and the price would be nothing more than cheap 'hope'.

"Hikari."

The girl mustered her courage, tugged his sleeve, and whispered, lowering her head.

"What?"

Uchiha Sōgetsu hadn't heard clearly; her voice was as faint as a mosquito's.

"Hikari."

The girl looked up, tears streaming uncontrollably down her delicate face. Her nose twitched as she sobbed, "My name... is Uchiha Hikari!"