The Family Man

There was a rhythmic knock at the door, followed by a crisp female voice with a hint of authority:

"Lord Yue, it's Sara. I've compiled the latest intelligence on the Land of Wind and the areas surrounding Konoha."

At the sound of her voice, Hikari's gaze, which had just softened, instantly sharpened like a blade.

Before Yue could say anything, the door was pushed open.

Queen Sara had long since shed the youthful innocence of her earlier years.

She wore a neatly tailored dark red uniform that allowed her to move freely. Her red hair was tied high, and she radiated the confidence, maturity, and commanding presence of a leader.

"Good morning, Lord Yue." Sara entered with graceful steps. Her gaze paused briefly when she saw Yue helping Hikari comb her hair, then she gave him a polite smile with a hint of meaning. "It seems I came at a bad time?"

"No, you came at just the right time."

Yue saw nothing amiss. He casually set down the comb and resumed his lazy yet inscrutable air. "What did Konoha say?"

Sara walked over to the table, set down a sealed intelligence scroll, then poured Yue a cup of hot tea as naturally as could be.

"Konoha is just as you predicted. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, is due sometime in the next two or three months. The exact date is still uncertain. The village's Barrier defenses have been raised to the highest level, and Anbu are being deployed very frequently."

As she spoke, Sara leaned in slightly and pointed to several spots on the map, standing very close to Yue.

Her mature, feminine perfume mingled with the fragrance of tea, drifting through the air.

Uchiha Hikari sat on a little stool, still clutching the lock of hair Yue had just combed.

She watched the red-haired woman before her.

The woman was tall and beautiful. She knew all sorts of strange things Yue talked about and could even help him handle those complicated blueprints.

As for Uchiha Hikari, she knew nothing except how to kill, form Hand Seals, and use Amaterasu.

Worst of all... ( `へ´≠)

The more she watched the way this woman looked at Yue, the more uncomfortable Hikari felt. Her fondness for him was obvious.

Hikari felt as if... someone had invaded her territory.

"Yue."

Hikari suddenly stood up. Her usually calm voice now carried a stiff, chilly edge.

"I'm hungry. I want to eat that thing called a hamburger."

Yue, who had been discussing gaps in the Barrier with Sara, paused and turned to look at Hikari.

The little girl puffed out her cheeks. Her Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't active, but her dark eyes held a stubborn determination that said, If you dare say no, I'll burn this place down.

Sara was stunned too. She glanced from Hikari to Yue, looking amused. "Perfect timing. The royal chef just finished breakfast. Shall I have someone bring it up?"

"No need."

Hikari walked between Yue and Sara, forcing her way into the narrow space between them. Then she reached out with both hands and clung tightly to Yue's arm, as if staking her claim.

She looked up and fixed Sara with the same gaze she used to lock onto enemies on the battlefield. She spoke slowly, emphasizing every word:

"Yue said he'd take me out to eat today. Just the two of us."

The air seemed to freeze for a second.

Yue looked down at Hikari, who was acting like a little wolf guarding its food, then glanced at Sara, whose smile was full of amusement.

Even though he had manipulated the Uchiha Clan like pawns during the Warring States period, he couldn't help feeling a headache coming on.

Was this what they called the beginnings of a love triangle?

No, this was more like a small animal bristling because it was afraid of being abandoned.

Honestly, he had never given much thought to love, especially in an era when life could end at any moment.

Yue was twenty-one, and Hikari was about fourteen. To him, she was like a middle schooler to a college student. He was more than happy to have a little sister like her, but if she were his wife, they'd have to discuss whether that was even legal.

Anyway, it wasn't legal now.

As for Sara, he wasn't sure how she felt about him. He couldn't imagine that she'd developed feelings for someone she saw only a few times a year.

Still, Hikari was undeniably cute when she got all prickly...

"Ahem."

Yue cleared his throat, then took Hikari's cold little hand in his and gently squeezed it, sending a soothing pulse of chakra into her.

"Sara, leave the intelligence here. I'll read it myself."

"Since my Hikari is hungry, work can wait."

Yue smiled apologetically at Sara. "You know how stubborn my little sister can be."

Sara gave an elegant bow. "If that's Lord Yue's decision, I won't intrude. But... please don't forget your business in the Land of Wind."

"Don't worry."

"I'll go meet the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa."

He'd only been in office for a little over six months, and already he was looking to make a name for himself. Rasa, you certainly have some nerve.

Of course, Rasa hadn't targeted Rōran yet, but anyone with eyes could see that he was targeting every force within the Land of Wind.

He'd probably failed in the original story. Now that Yue had Rōran, stopping him would likely take very little effort.

The commercial streets of Rōran glittered with neon lights, steam rising into the air.

Uchiha Hikari clutched a double cheeseburger Yue had just bought her in one hand. With the other, she still clung tightly to the hem of his clothes, as if he would disappear the moment she let go.

"Is it good?" Yue asked, unable to resist smiling at the sauce smeared around her mouth.

"Mm." Hikari nodded and took a big bite of the patty. She spoke indistinctly around her mouthful. "It's a thousand times better than soldier pills. Better than sweet potatoes, too. Better than grilled fish... though not as good as the fish Yue grills."

"As long as you like it." Yue bought a candied hawthorn skewer from a street stall and handed it to her. "But, Hikari, you didn't need to be so hostile toward Sara earlier. She's our partner. She's done a lot to help Rōran grow into what it is today while I've been away these past few months."

Hikari stopped chewing.

She lowered her head and looked at the bright red candied hawthorn in her hand. Her voice was so quiet it sounded like she was talking to herself.

"She's useful. She understands those blueprints, knows how to manage a city, and knows how to help you."

Hikari raised her head. Her gaze was bewildered, but her stubbornness was tinged with vulnerability.

"And me... here, I'm just a blade that knows how to cut people down. Yue, if one day you don't need a blade anymore, will you throw me away?"

During the Warring States period, she had been the most useful weapon, and that was what made her valuable.

But in peaceful Rōran, she was beginning to feel as though she had no place of her own.

Yue stopped walking. Ignoring the stares of the people around them, he turned and crouched down until he was at Hikari's eye level.

"Listen, Hikari."

Yue's smile vanished, his expression as serious as if he were issuing a top-secret S-rank mission.

"Sara is my subordinate and my ally. You, on the other hand, are family. Grandma Chiri entrusted you to me. I don't need you to do anything for me. I only want you to be happy, just as Grandma Chiri wanted for us."

Yue reached out and gently tapped the Ming Seal on Hikari's forehead.

"In this unfamiliar era, you're the only one who came from that same hell as I did. Without you, I might lose my way in this world too. We're family."

"We're family..."

Hikari repeated the words softly. She didn't quite understand what they meant, but they made her feel happy.

"That's right. So stop thinking about all that nonsense."

Yue stood and looked into the distance.

His gaze passed over Rōran's Tower and the shifting sands, settling on the faraway Sand Village.

The sky there had already begun to gather an invisible storm.

"As for you saying you only know how to kill..."

Yue's lips curled into a cold smile. A chilling red glint flashed in his left eye, deepened by the Ming Seal.

"Don't worry. It'll be your turn to take the stage soon."