"Hikari… you're AMAZING!"
At Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto gaped as the blind girl beside him downed an entire bowl of noodles—without chopsticks—in one go.
Next to her, the stack of empty bowls towered higher than she was.
"That's… twenty bowls now."
"Truly… an astonishing appetite."
Teuchi wiped sweat from his brow, slamming dough onto the counter with renewed vigor. For a chef, failing to satisfy a customer's hunger was a disgrace worse than a samurai's dishonored blade.
Hiruzen glanced at his thinning wallet, then at the five giant bowls piled near Naruto, and felt a flicker of gratitude.
At least the kid doesn't eat like a Tailed Beast.
"Ah… no need to push yourself, Teuchi-san. I'm about done."
After draining the last drop of broth, Hikari stood and casually pulled out a thick stack of crisp bills from her pack.
Ayame stared at the money, then at her nearly empty change pouch.
"This… is too much."
"Keep the rest. I'll be back."
Shouldering her bag and grabbing her cane, Hikari paused.
She tilted her head toward Naruto, who was watching her with puppy-dog eyes.
"See you later, Naruto-kun."
"Uh—yeah! Bye, Hikari!"
His neck straightened, joy bursting in his chest.
"So… are we… friends now?"
"Mhm."
Her reply floated back on the wind, settling deep in Naruto's heart.
Years later, as Hokage, he'd still remember that noon—the taste of ramen, the heat of the sun, and the girl who'd called him friend without flinching.
---
Hyūga Compound
The polished stone path radiated heat underfoot. The gate—ebony-black, with imposing pillars and beams—bore the Hyūga's emblem: an eight-trigram seal, exuding cold dignity.
Two guards stood sentry, Byakugan active, foreheads wrapped in white cloth.
"Damn, it's hot…"
Hyūga Suto wiped sweat from his brow, muttering.
"Suto. We represent the Hyūga's honor. Mind your manners."
"Tch. Who's gonna see us? Besides, brother, we're Branch Family. Since when do we represent anything?"
Suto's voice dripped sarcasm.
Hyūga Yuto shot him a look but said nothing.
Such was their fate.
Branded with the Caged Bird Seal, their lives weren't their own. What harm was a little complaining?
Tap… tap…
A small figure approached—cane in hand, eyes shrouded by cloth.
Hikari observed the compound through her Byakugan. Aside from the two guards, the Hyūga seemed to be… napping.
Was Konoha this lax? Or just the Hyūga?
No wonder Hinata got kidnapped so easily.
"This is Hyūga territory. Outsiders aren't permitted."
Yuto's voice was ice. His Byakugan glared down at her—a Branch Family's pride existed only when facing those beneath them.
Hikari stepped forward.
"I need to speak with the Hyūga Elder. I'm a friend of his daughter."
"Daughter?"
Suto scoffed, eyeing her blindfold.
"Stop lying, brat. The Elder has no daughter. Get lost."
Hikari's fingers twitched.
No daughter?
The Hyūga main family was small. These two looked old enough to remember Hyūga Amekki, who'd died just six years ago.
Had the Elder changed?
"Is the Elder still Hyūga Kei?"
The brothers exchanged glances.
She knew the name.
"It is. But he only has a son. You've got the wrong person."
Yuto's tone softened slightly.
Hikari's next words froze them.
"Then… do you know Hyūga Amekki?"
The name hit like a kunai.
Suto's face twisted.
"That idiot got herself killed and lost her Byakugan to Kirigakure. Shamed the whole clan. The Elder disowned her, stripped her of the Main Family status, and erased her from the records."
"Now SCRAM, blind rat, before we make you."
Disowned.
Even in death.
Hikari's stomach lurched—not at the cruelty, but at the implications.
If her mother was no longer Main Family, then she'd be branded Branch Family the moment she stepped inside.
So much for her plan.
Suddenly, she gasped, looking past them.
"Elder Kei!!"
The brothers whirled around—
"Suiton: Mizu no Yoroi!"
Twin water whips materialized in her hands, lashing out like serpents.
The liquid forced itself down their throats, bloating their stomachs grotesquely.
"Ghk—glug—!"
Yuto's belly swelled like a balloon. Suto tried to activate his Byakugan, but water flooded his nostrils, filling his lungs.
They thrashed, clawing at their necks—oxygen fading, blood frothing in their chests.
Through the water, Hikari's face was calm.
No anger. No words.
Just efficiency.
Suto's pupils shrank.
This girl—she reeked of battlefield carnage.
"P-please… glurg—"
Hikari clenched her fist.
"Suiton: Shinkū no Shōkyaku."
The water imploded, dragging every drop of moisture from their bodies.
Two desiccated corpses collapsed, eyes hollow.
The Caged Bird Seal flickered—destroying their Byakugan posthumously.
Hikari knelt, hands flashing through seals.
"Kawarimi no Jutsu: Gyakuten."
Poof!
The bodies morphed into dried-out koi fish, which she stuffed into her bag.
One last glance at the Hyūga's emblem.
Then she turned and walked away.
---
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