In the courtyard of the Uzumaki Mansion.
A breeze swept past, lifting a few freshly fallen cherry blossom petals, yet failing to dispel the tension in the air or the faint lingering traces of chakra.
Hinata Hyuga, Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, and Karin sat or lay scattered around the courtyard in various positions. None had suffered serious injuries, but all had clearly lost the ability to move for the time being.
Hinata leaned against a tree, panting softly; Sakura rubbed her numb arm, her face full of frustration; Ino was pale, seemingly having suffered a mental attack; Karin braced herself against a stone lantern, struggling to settle her disrupted chakra.
Their gazes at the figure in the center of the courtyard were filled with shock, helplessness, and grudging respect.
Even together, they had failed to hurt Uchiha Hikari.
Uchiha Hikari stood where she was, with barely any dust on her clothes.
Her crimson Mangekyō Sharingan turned slowly as she looked over them, finally settling on the only one still completely unharmed, Hanabi Hyuga.
Hanabi was carefully supporting her older sister, Hinata. When she felt Hikari's intensely oppressive gaze land on her, her small body instantly stiffened.
She looked up and met those Mangekyō Sharingan that seemed to burn with blood-red flames. Instinctively shrinking back, she wisely eased Hinata against the tree trunk.
Then she snapped to attention, her little face taut. Blinking her pure Byakugan eyes, she tried her hardest to look as though she were saying, "I'm good. I didn't do anything. I'm just an innocent bystander."
Sorry, sis...
And all of you, too...
I really can't beat Hikari!
Hanabi apologized silently, secretly relieved that she had been "clever" enough not to join the melee.
Or rather, before she could even join in, a single glare from Hikari had