"Sasuke? And this one... would you be Lady Hikari? The Hokage told us you would be coming."
Nara Shikaku hurried over from nearby with several Anbu. He first glanced at Uchiha Hikari, whose face was as cold as frost, and silently cursed. He immediately turned to the tightly wound Sasuke, subtly positioning himself between them and blocking their line of sight.
"She isn't an enemy?"
At Shikaku's arrival, Sasuke's brow furrowed even deeper, though the fluctuations of Chakra around him eased slightly.
Rather than answer Sasuke first, Nara Shikaku turned to Uchiha Hikari and gave her a deeply respectful bow. In a solemn tone, he said, "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Konoha's advisor, Nara Shikaku."
"The Hokage is currently handling urgent official matters and cannot get away for the moment. He specifically instructed me to receive you and escort you to the residence prepared for you."
Shikaku's appearance arrived at exactly the right moment, easing the suffocating atmosphere.
He deftly separated the two people facing off and shifted the focus toward Hikari's identity and arrangements.
The icy killing intent around Hikari instantly receded. She looked at Shikaku and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
She showed basic respect toward the person Naruto had arranged to receive her.
In truth, she did not need to meet Naruto right now. After all, they had already met in the Land of Bears.
Hikari had only wanted to rest for a bit, which was why she had wandered here and encountered a descendant of the Uchiha.
But what had just happened had ruined her mood for any further sightseeing.
She then followed the direction indicated by Shikaku, leaving under the Anbu's guidance without giving Sasuke another glance from beginning to end.
The pressure on Sasuke abruptly lightened as well. He