Shendai and Uchiha Hikari continued to advance in the direction of Konoha.
Uchiha Hikari looked at Shendai's back, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Shendai suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and asked in confusion: "What's the matter?"
Uchiha Hikari shrank her neck and shifted her gaze to the side: "Ah, no, it's nothing."
Shendai had a strange expression: "Nothing? No, there must be something. Ever since we parted ways with Asuma, I've felt like you've been acting a bit strange. You look at me as if I'm some dirty thing. Whenever I look at you, you immediately shift your gaze, just like now."
Uchiha Hikari's gaze subconsciously looked toward the ground, and she spoke stutteringly: "D-do I?"
"Hey, now you're just blatantly lying. Don't tell me... you're worried about my One Thousand Years of Death technique? Don't worry, I won't use it on you. I know I don't have much integrity, but I haven't sunk that low."
Shendai thought Uchiha Hikari was acting this way because of the One Thousand Years of Death; after all, the visual impact of that technique was indeed a bit too intense.
Uchiha Hikari shook her head repeatedly: "No, that's not it. I want to ask, you said I am your friend, is that true?"
Shendai was puzzled: "Huh? Just because of this? Of course it's true. How could that be fake? I've even treated you to a meal. If we weren't friends, would we be enemies? Would I treat an enemy to a meal? What kind of question is that?"
A faint smile appeared on the corner of Uchiha Hikari's mouth: "Mm, you are my first friend."
Shendai asked curiously: "Eh? Although you usually like to use the silent treatment, you shouldn't have absolutely no friends, right? Even though we've only spent a few days together, I think you're actually a decent person."
Uchiha Hikari said in a low voice: "Because no one is willing to treat me as a friend, or even as a person..."
Shendai was silent for a long while. It seemed this Nameless had lived a quite miserable life before.
Shendai began to imagine.
Could this Nameless be an Uchiha Clan member who was wandering outside?
She was captured, and then her Sharingan was studied. Because the war started, she was sealed in that godforsaken place.
And the name Nameless—what normal person would choose a name like Nameless?
Previously, she said people called her Nameless. Looking at it this way, Nameless isn't her name, but rather she was called Nameless because she didn't have a name.
Shendai smiled and patted Uchiha Hikari on the shoulder: "Hey, cheer up. From now on, I'm your friend. If you stay in Konoha in the future, just follow me, and I'll look after you. My connections in Konoha are rock solid! Your name shouldn't be Nameless, right? Is it that you don't have a name? How about I give you a name?"
Uchiha Hikari looked at Shendai with a strange expression. Why did he suddenly want to help her name herself?
Before Uchiha Hikari could speak, Shendai had already started talking to himself: "Hmm, let me think carefully, what name would be good? Got it, how about Ashita Natsu? 'Ashita' represents hope, and 'Natsu', thinking of the summer sun, represents light. The name Ashita Natsu means hope and light, symbolizing a beautiful and happy future. I really am a little genius at naming!"
Uchiha Hikari looked at Shendai, her vision momentarily dazed, recalling a sentence her parents once said to her.
"Hikari, the reason we named you Hikari, is that we hope you can stay away from the darkness of war, walk in the light, and live happily ever after."
Uchiha Hikari's eyes turned red, and tears faintly welled up.
Seeing Uchiha Hikari on the verge of tears, Shendai was startled and hurriedly said: "Don't you like it? If you don't like it, just say so. Don't cry. If you like the name Nameless, I can just keep calling you Nameless, right?"
A bright smile appeared on Uchiha Hikari's face: "I don't like the name Nameless. Ashita Natsu, I like this name very much..."
Shendai breathed a sigh of relief and grumbled: "So you did like it. If you liked it, why were you crying? You scared me to death. I thought I said something I shouldn't have. Then, I'll call you Ashita Natsu from now on?"
Uchiha Hikari nodded: "Mm, just call me Ashita Natsu from now on."
"Then, Ashita Natsu, let's continue on our way."
"Okay, Shendai, tell me more about Konoha on the way."
"No problem."
...
Because their speed wasn't fast, and Shendai also had to go to a town in the Land of Fire to eat, it took a few extra days to reach Konoha.
At the same time, through these few days of spending time together, the relationship between Shendai and Uchiha Hikari became increasingly familiar.
And Uchiha Hikari also discovered Shendai's biggest shortcoming: he was a chatterbox.
Once he started talking, he wouldn't stop.
But it was also because of Shendai's chatterbox nature that Uchiha Hikari gained a greater understanding of the current Konoha.
Not just Konoha, Shendai also told Uchiha Hikari about his glorious history, such as the time he thrashed Chiyo of the Hidden Sand Village, embellishing the story several times.
And Shendai also gained some understanding of Uchiha Hikari.
Because Shendai curiously asked Uchiha Hikari if she was from the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Hikari directly activated her Three-Tomoe Sharingan, making her identity quite obvious.
There was one strange thing: Uchiha Hikari told Shendai that she was not a member of the Uchiha Clan.
Possessing a Sharingan meant being from the Uchiha Clan; this was a recognized fact throughout the entire Ninja World.
However, since Uchiha Hikari didn't want to talk about it, Shendai couldn't do anything about it.
Not far from the gates of Konoha, Shendai had a cigarette in his mouth and exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Whew, finally home. Ashita Natsu, let's go. I'll take you to meet our Konoha's Hokage-sama."
Because Uchiha Hikari's identity was unknown, Shendai stated he would keep an eye on her. After obtaining a temporary permit, they smoothly entered Konoha.
Shendai took Uchiha Hikari to the Hokage Building.
"Minato-sama! I'm back!"
Shendai brought Uchiha Hikari to Minato Namikaze's office. Inside the office, only Minato Namikaze was present.
Minato Namikaze smiled and said: "You're finally back, Shendai. Who is this?"
Shendai said to Minato Namikaze: "Her name is Ashita Natsu. I came up with this name, how is it? Pretty good, right? I found Ashita Natsu inside a seal at the Kannabi Bridge, and she has a Sharingan."
Minato Namikaze looked at Uchiha Hikari in surprise: "An Uchiha? But why were you inside a seal? Since you, Shendai, saw that double seal during the operation to blow up the Kannabi Bridge, it's already been about a year since then."
Uchiha Hikari didn't answer Minato Namikaze, just kept a cold face and looked at Minato Namikaze expressionlessly.
Seeing that Uchiha Hikari had started with the silent treatment again, a helpless Shendai told Minato Namikaze his guess: "I think, perhaps she is the child of an Uchiha Clan member who ended up wandering outside for some reason. Ashita Natsu said she isn't a member of the Uchiha Clan."
"Is that so?"
Minato Namikaze curiously sized up Uchiha Hikari. This Uchiha Hikari gave Minato Namikaze a very dangerous feeling.
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