Family and Chivalry

A rhythmic knocking sounded at the door, followed by a capable and slightly authoritative female voice:

"Lord Yue, it is Sara. I have compiled the intelligence regarding the recent developments in the Land of Wind and Konoha."

Upon hearing this voice, the gaze that had softened in Hikari's eyes turned sharp as a blade in an instant.

Before Yue could even speak, the door was pushed open.

The Queen Sara of today had long since shed the naivety of her youth.

She wore a well-tailored, dark red queen's uniform designed for mobility, her long red hair tied high, and she radiated the confident, mature, and commanding aura of a leader.

"Good morning, Lord Yue." Sara walked into the room with elegant strides. Her gaze paused slightly when she saw Yue brushing Hikari's hair, and she immediately offered a polite yet meaningful smile. "It seems I have come at a bad time?"

"No, you have come at the perfect time."

Yue did not find anything amiss; he set down the comb and resumed his usual lazy yet unfathomable posture. "What is the word from Konoha?"

Sara walked to the table, set down a sealed intelligence scroll, and then, with practiced naturalness, poured a cup of hot tea for Yue.

"As you anticipated, the wife of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, is due within the next two to three months. The exact date is yet to be determined. The village's barrier defense level has been raised to the maximum, and the movement of the Anbu is extremely frequent."

As she spoke, Sara leaned in slightly, pointing to several spots on the map, bringing her very close to Yue.

The scent of perfume unique to a mature woman, mixed with the aroma of tea, drifted through the air.

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

She looked at the red-haired woman before her.

That woman was tall, had a good figure, understood many of the strange terms that came out of Yue's mouth, and could even help Yue process those complex blueprints.

As for Uchiha Hikari, she knew nothing but how to kill, weave hand seals, and cast Amaterasu.

The most infuriating part was...

The way that woman looked at Yue made her increasingly uncomfortable; the affection was already plain to see.

Uchiha Hikari felt as if... her territory was being invaded.

"Yue."

Hikari suddenly stood up, a stiff chill creeping into her previously calm voice.

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

Yue, who was in the middle of discussing the barrier's vulnerabilities with Sara, paused and turned to look at Hikari.

The little girl was puffing out her cheeks. Although her Mangekyō Sharingan was not active, her black eyes held a stubbornness that screamed, "If you dare refuse, I will burn this place down."

Sara was also stunned. She looked at Hikari, then at Yue, feeling a bit amused. "As it happens, the royal chef has just finished breakfast. Shall I have them send it up?"

"No need."

Hikari walked between Yue and Sara, forcing her way into the narrow gap, and then reached out with both hands to clutch Yue's arm tightly, as if declaring ownership.

She raised her head and stared at Sara with the kind of gaze she only used when locking onto an enemy on the battlefield, saying word by word:

"Yue said he would take me out to eat today. The two of us. Alone."

The air seemed to freeze for a second.

Yue looked down at Hikari, who was like a little wolf cub guarding its food, and then at Sara, who wore an intrigued smile.

Even though he had played the Uchiha Clan in the palm of his hand during the Warring States period, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Is this what they call... the prototype of a Shuraba?

No, it felt more like a small animal afraid of being abandoned, bristling with fur.

To be honest, he had never really thought about so-called romance, especially in this precarious era.

Yue was twenty-one, and Hikari was roughly fourteen. Yue looked at her the way a college student looks at a middle schooler; he was perfectly happy to have such a little sister, but if she were his wife, they would have to discuss whether that was legally permissible.

In any case, it wasn't permissible right now.

As for Sara, he was somewhat unsure of her feelings toward him; he couldn't imagine Sara having a romantic foundation with someone she barely saw a few times a year.

However, a bristling Hikari was, he had to admit, somewhat cute...

"Ahem."

Yue cleared his throat, reached out to hold Hikari's cold little hand, and squeezed it gently, transmitting a soothing flow of chakra.

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

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

Yue gave Sara an apologetic smile. "You know how it is, my little sister has a bit of a stubborn temper."

Sara bowed elegantly. "Since it is Lord Yue's decision, I shall not intrude. However... regarding the Land of Wind, please do not forget the main objective, my lord."

"Rest assured."

"I will go and meet with the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa."

Having been in office for only a little over half a year, he is already thinking of establishing his authority. Rasa, you really are something else.

Of course, Rasa had not yet targeted Rōran, but anyone with a discerning eye knew that he was targeting every faction within the borders of the Land of Wind.

He likely failed in the original story, and now with Rōran under his protection, it shouldn't take much effort to stop him.

The commercial district of Rōran was aglow with neon lights and rising steam.

Uchiha Hikari held a double-cheese burger that Yue had just bought for her in one hand, while her other hand remained tightly gripped onto the hem of Yue's clothes, as if he would vanish the moment she let go.

"Is it good?" Yue watched her, sauce smeared across the corners of her mouth, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mm." Hikari nodded, taking a fierce bite of the patty before mumbling, "It's ten thousand times better than military rations, better than sweet potatoes, and better than grilled fish... though it's not quite as good as the fish you grill."

"As long as you like it." Yue bought a skewer of candied haws from a roadside stall and handed it to her. "But Hikari, there was no need to be so hostile toward Sara earlier. She is our partner; during the months I was away, she played an indispensable role in developing Rōran to this point."

Hikari's chewing came to a halt.

She lowered her head, staring at the bright red candied haws in her hand, her voice so low it sounded like she was talking to herself:

"She is very useful. She understands those blueprints, knows how to manage the city, and knows how to help you."

Hikari looked up, her eyes filled with a trace of confusion and fragile stubbornness:

"And I... here, I am just a blade meant for killing. Yue, if one day you no longer need a blade, will you throw me away?"

In the Warring States period, she was the most useful weapon, and thus she had value.

But in the peaceful Rōran, she found herself struggling to find her place.

Yue stopped walking and, ignoring the gazes of the passersby, turned around and crouched down so his eyes were level with hers.

"Listen, Hikari."

Yue wiped away all traces of his smile, his expression as serious as if he were issuing a top-level S-rank mission.

"Sara is my subordinate and an ally, but you are the family entrusted to me by Grandma Chiri. I don't need you to do anything for me; I only hope you can be happy, just as Grandma Chiri wished for us."

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

"In this strange era, you are the only one like me—the only one who crawled out of that hell. Without you, I might lose my way in this world. We are family."

"We are family..."

Hikari murmured the words, not fully grasping the meaning, yet feeling a profound sense of joy in her heart.

"That's right, so stop thinking about such nonsense."

Yue stood up and gazed into the distance.

His vision pierced through the high towers and sandstorms of Rōran, casting toward the distant Sunagakure.

The sky over there was already beginning to gather an invisible storm.

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

A cold, sharp arc touched the corners of Yue's mouth, and a heart-stopping crimson glint flashed within his left eye, which had been nourished by the Ming Seal.

"Don't worry, it will be your turn to take the stage soon."