"I never imagined the world had changed so much."
Standing in a tree, Uchiha Mumei watched Haori search the bodies of the so-called "other villages'" ninjas. For a moment, she felt a little dazed.
After several days of recuperation, she had indeed realized that Haori was very different from the other Uchiha.
And as she learned more, she also came to understand the current state of affairs.
She could hardly believe that she had been sealed away for over a hundred years.
In that time, the Shinobi World had moved beyond the clan-based way of life and become a world of hidden villages.
What left her most dazed and incredulous was that the Uchiha had actually reconciled with the Senju and joined them in founding a village!
"Then... what was the point of my existence back then?"
That question had left her lost, but it wouldn't change her desire to destroy the Uchiha Clan.
Because that clan had never changed!
She was also astonished that Haori had said, "Let's burn the Uchiha to ashes together."
But once she learned about Haori's past, she understood that he had gone through something similar to her.
They had both been valued by their clans after showing their abilities, and both had been forcibly bound to the "glory of the clan."
Haori had simply been luckier than she was; he hadn't suffered that inhuman torture.
They shared the same misfortune, Haori had saved her, and they had the same goal.
So even though she didn't fully trust Haori—after all, he was an Uchiha—they could still work together, as long as she stayed cautious.
"Who were they here for?"
Haori had no idea what the girl behind him was thinking. After searching the bodies of the Kumogakure ninjas, he fell into thought.
These Kumogakure ninjas were the very targets of his current mission. According to the intelligence, they seemed to be monitoring the area and gathering information.
They had also been stubborn. Even when they died, they hadn't said a thing.
But that wasn't a big deal. He'd completed his mission.
Still, completing it hadn't made him happy, because he had something else to worry about.
And the person troubling him was Uchiha Mumei.
The girl's ideas were a little extreme, but what kind of lunatic hadn't come out of the Uchiha's big stage?
Her extreme ideas weren't what worried him now. It was how to get her into Konoha!
After all, before setting out, he hadn't even considered that he might bring back a living person.
"What's wrong? You look troubled. Is something the matter?"
Just as Haori was worrying, Uchiha Mumei walked over and looked at him expressionlessly.
"Or have you changed your mind?"
"Changed my mind?"
Haori nearly lost his composure at that. How could he change his mind when he had a mission to complete?
"I'm just thinking about how to get you back to the village. It's wartime, so the village is strict about managing who comes and goes."
"Hmph. That's your problem."
Uchiha Mumei gave a quiet snort at that.
"Ninjas really are the same as ever. The wars never stop. As long as there are ninjas..."
"Enough. This isn't the time to discuss that."
Haori had no intention of debating this with her. Her mental state reminded him a little of Sasuke after the clan massacre.
Of course, compared to Sasuke, she was more rational and easier to handle.
"Let's focus on how to get into the village. Otherwise, we won't be able to enter the clan compound, and we won't be able to do what we want."
Uchiha Mumei glanced at Haori. This time, she didn't argue.
She had originally planned to burn the Uchiha to the ground, but Haori had rejected her idea outright.
And the reasons he gave had left her unable to argue.
"You may have the power to do that, but if you attack inside a village, don't you think the others will come to help?
No matter how strong you are, you're just one person. Once the reinforcements arrive, you'll have no chance of survival.
After that, you'll never get another chance."
His reasoning was sound enough. After thinking it over, she finally agreed with Haori's approach: take it slowly, find an opportunity, and then act.
"I don't know this era. You figure it out."
Uchiha Mumei turned her head, gazing off to the side.
"Also, someone's coming."
"Hm?"
Haori had been about to ask whether she could use genjutsu on the guards, but now clearly wasn't the time.
The war wasn't over, and even here in the Land of Fire, they had to stay alert.
Before long, a figure suddenly appeared on a branch up ahead. When he saw Haori, he broke into a smile.
"I was wondering who'd been fighting around here. It's our hero Haori!"
"Lord Jiraiya, you're too kind."
Haori smiled at the newcomer. It was Jiraiya!
Still, Haori couldn't help wondering why Jiraiya was here.
The fighting at the front in the Land of Grass had calmed down, and both sides might soon begin negotiations.
Even so, as the front-line commander, Jiraiya shouldn't have been in the Land of Fire, should he?
But Haori didn't ask. It would only make him seem rude.
"The troublesome business is almost over, so naturally I wanted to sneak off and take a break. Besides, Konoha's holding a funeral, isn't it?"
Jiraiya seemed to see Haori's confusion, and explained with a laugh.
"So I came back with the rotation unit. Shikaku and the others are still at the front, so everything will be fine."
As he spoke, quite a few Konoha ninjas emerged from the surrounding area. Clearly, they had come with Jiraiya.
"Haori, good to see you!"
"I never expected to run into you here, Haori."
"Long time no see, Haori."
The Konoha ninjas immediately greeted Haori with warm smiles when they saw him.
Mumei frowned slightly at the sight. She could sense their goodwill.
But she was extremely uncomfortable with this kind of situation. And since these people had come for Haori, she simply stood silently in a corner and watched.
"All right, you lot. I told you I'd come take a look by myself."
Jiraiya waved his hand, smiling as he cut them off.
"Go on back. You're making Haori embarrassed."
"Yes, Lord Jiraiya."
The Konoha ninjas didn't press the matter. They wanted to get home as soon as possible, too.
But as they left, each of them smiled and nodded at Haori.
"Were you on a mission?"
Only after they'd left did Jiraiya look at the Kumogakure bodies on the ground.
"Yes. They were here to monitor the area and gather information. And I think I have my answer."
Haori nodded, then looked at Jiraiya.
"Looks like Kumogakure isn't content to sit still, and their people have infiltrated pretty deep."
Jiraiya immediately understood, then sighed.
"Seal the bodies and bring them back. Also, do you want to come back with us?"
"Well..."
Haori instinctively wanted to refuse, but then he thought of something and smiled, nodding.
"Then thank you, Lord Jiraiya."
"What are you thanking me for? Everyone wants to see our hero."
Jiraiya laughed heartily, then turned to rejoin the main unit.
Watching him leave, Haori couldn't help smiling.
He was probably worried about Haori's safety, which was why he'd asked him to return with them.
There was no denying it: Jiraiya was a good person.
And by returning with Jiraiya's unit, Haori wouldn't have to deal with such a strict inspection at the village!
"We're going with them?"
After Jiraiya left, Uchiha Mumei walked over.
"Yeah. Going back with them will save us a lot of trouble."
Haori glanced at Mumei behind him, thought it over, then took off his Forehead Protector and handed it to her.
"Put it on. At least you'll look more convincing in disguise."
Mumei hesitated as she looked at the Forehead Protector, but then accepted it.
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine. Quite a few people in the village know me. There's something else..."
Watching the girl let down her hair and tie on the Forehead Protector, Haori rubbed his chin before speaking.
"What?" Mumei asked, looking at him in confusion.
"Nameless means having no name, but you're no longer a weapon of the Uchiha."
Haori looked at the girl before him and spoke slowly.
"You were once in darkness, just as you were sealed underground.
But now you have your own will and thoughts. You're following the path toward the light.
I think you could take a new name. What do you think of Uchiha Hikari?"
"Uchiha Hikari?"
Newbie humbly begs you to keep reading! At this stage, continued readership determines a book's fate. Letting it sit in your library can easily kill it.
Thank you, everyone! Onz