"Uchiha... Hikari?!"
Hearing that surname paired with an unfamiliar name, Izumo's pupils instinctively contracted, and a flash of disbelief crossed his face.
Wasn't the Uchiha Clan... down to only Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha?
Who was this Uchiha girl who had suddenly appeared?
But black hair and black eyes...
Those were indeed traits of the Uchiha Clan.
Yet Izumo quickly realized his lapse and swiftly reined in his surprise, doing his best to remain calm.
To have earned Lord Hokage's attention while bearing the Uchiha name, there had to be some hidden circumstances. It was not his place to pry.
Izumo immediately turned his attention to Deidara on the ground and asked, "Then this man is a member of Akatsuki, correct? Leave him to us. You must be exhausted from your journey, so please enter the village and rest first."
Hikari glanced at Deidara on the ground, then at Izumo, hesitating for a moment.
Handing over the captive meant that her mission here had "completely ended."
She then loosened the rope in her hand and passed it to Izumo.
"Thank you for your trouble."
After saying those two words, she did not linger. She started walking, slowly entering Konoha with the stream of people entering the village.
The scene within the village was even more bustling than it appeared from outside.
The streets were broad and clean, with all kinds of goods that Uchiha Hikari could not name displayed everywhere.
This place was more vibrant than anywhere she had seen in the Land of Rice Fields.
Everything the Land of Rice Fields had could be found here, while Konoha's unique peace and prosperity were far beyond anything the Land of Rice Fields could match.
Uchiha Hikari wandered aimlessly, unknowingly straying from the busiest streets and arriving at the edge of a