Uchiha Hikari had been a little afraid of Kurenai Yuhi lately.
She could always sense hostility from Kurenai. Even when Kurenai smiled, it sent a chill down her spine.
It wasn't the kind of hostility that came before a fight to the death. It was something else she couldn't quite explain.
For a long time, Hikari couldn't figure it out.
But sometimes, when Kurenai came to the Forest of Death for a meal, Hikari would see her wipe Kazan's mouth or make some other intimate gesture, and her chest would tighten.
Whenever that happened, Hikari would quietly gnaw on a bone-in rib, trying to work out where the feeling came from.
A few days later.
Uchiha Itachi returned to the village. The fighting at the border was over, and most of Konoha's forces had returned in waves, leaving only a few behind to guard it.
He came to the Forest of Death carrying Sasuke.
The little guy doted on his younger brother and took him everywhere.
When Itachi saw Uchiha Hikari, he looked stunned for a moment, then felt a surge of admiration.
As expected of Teacher Kazan. Even an enemy this powerful had been won over by him.
"What's his name?"
"Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."
"Sasuke..."
Uchiha Hikari liked children and wanted to hold him.
Unfortunately, Sasuke wasn't Naruto. He only liked being held by his older brother. Sometimes he even cried when his mother took him out of Itachi's arms.
"Senior Itachi!"
Neji came over too and greeted him earnestly.
They were both Kazan's disciples, after all, and belonged to the same school.
But one thing would never change: even though Neji disagreed with the Hyuga Clan's outdated rules, he firmly believed the Hyuga were Konoha's strongest Shinobi Clan.
He had already heard about Uchiha Itachi: the top student