Shendai brought Uchiha Hikari to the craft shop where Pakura worked.
"Pakura, I've come to see you!"
As soon as he entered the shop, Shendai shouted at the top of his lungs.
Pakura, who was at the checkout counter, reminded him, "Keep your voice down, there are customers here."
Uzumaki Kushina was also in the craft shop. Seeing Shendai, she said in a strange tone, "You finally decided to come back? It's been almost half a month. I thought you were so enchanted by the outside world that you forgot to return."
"Enchanted? Forgot to return? This trip was truly a long story, sigh~"
Shendai let out a heavy sigh, feeling extremely depressed.
Pakura asked curiously, "What's wrong? Did you fail the mission?"
"What mission? Shendai went to Kannabi Bridge to undo a dual seal. Looking at you… the seal wasn't broken? That shouldn't be right; that dual seal should have been breakable using the method Minato and I developed."
Uzumaki Kushina asked Shendai with some surprise.
Shendai shook his head. "No, the seal was successfully broken. Let's not talk about that. Here, I bought this for you while I was eating Ichiraku Ramen earlier. It's still hot, eat up."
Uzumaki Kushina teased, "Yo, how come I don't have one?"
Shendai rolled his eyes. "I didn't know you were here, Sister Kushina. Stop being sarcastic with me. If you want some, get Minato to bring it for you."
"Hey, you brat!"
Uzumaki Kushina immediately started rolling up her sleeves.
Shendai skillfully stepped back, retreating behind Uchiha Hikari, and then pushed Uchiha Hikari forward. "Let me introduce her. This is Ashita Natsu, Pakura. Because of Minato's request, Ashita Natsu will be staying with us for a while."
"Eh?"
Pakura and Uzumaki Kushina looked at Uchiha Hikari with some surprise.
Pakura looked at Uchiha Hikari curiously. "I don't mind, but I don't seem to have seen this Ashita Natsu in Konoha before."
Uzumaki Kushina rubbed her chin and scrutinized Uchiha Hikari as well. "I don't think I've seen her either."
Shendai explained, "The one who was sealed by that dual seal was Ashita Natsu. Ashita Natsu should be one of us from Konoha. She seems to need to confirm something. By the way, Ashita Natsu, can you really not say what you need to confirm? I'm really curious!"
Uchiha Hikari refused. "I can't say. Didn't that yellow-haired Hokage say it was classified?"
"Tch, why make it so mysterious? Since you won't say, I'll just make it up myself."
Shendai stated his guess.
Based on what Shendai said, Pakura and Uzumaki Kushina started to imagine the rest.
An Uchiha clansman who had been wandering outside had a child, Uchiha Hikari, with an ordinary person. However, Uchiha Hikari, possessing a Bloodline Limit, was treated as an outcast—after all, some ninja villages treat those with Bloodline Limits very poorly. Therefore, Uchiha Hikari was sealed until Shendai broke the seal.
Because of the bad experiences she had suffered, she abandoned the Uchiha surname. Now, with nowhere to go, she came to Konoha wanting to confirm if she was a person of Konoha.
Pakura and Uzumaki Kushina's expressions immediately filled with pity.
"What a pitiful child."
Pakura and Uzumaki Kushina began to fuss over Uchiha Hikari from both sides.
Uchiha Hikari's brain was currently blank, and she stared at Shendai with a dull gaze.
Is this rumor-mongering?
That's right, this is rumor-mongering!
She had only told Shendai that she was coming to Konoha to confirm one thing; she hadn't said anything else. How could this guy Shendai just blurt all that out?
Pakura rubbed Uchiha Hikari's head and said softly, "Ashita Natsu, from now on you will live with us. You can sleep in Shendai's room."
Shendai immediately felt something was wrong. "Huh? My room is for Ashita Natsu to sleep in? Then where do I sleep?"
Pakura said as if it were natural, "On the sofa, of course. We can't let Ashita Natsu sleep on the sofa, can we?"
Shendai immediately became anxious. "Why?! Can't you, Pakura, or Ashita Natsu sleep on the sofa instead?"
Uzumaki Kushina slapped Shendai on the head. "How can you even say that! I've decided: Ashita Natsu sleeps in your room. You vacate the room for her, and you sleep on the sofa!"
Shendai held his head and retorted, "No, that's my house!"
Pakura completely ignored Shendai and agreed, "Yes, Sister Kushina, that's a great decision. I'll be off work soon. After work, I'll take Ashita Natsu to buy some daily necessities, and then we'll clean up Shendai's room for her to stay in."
Uzumaki Kushina said, full of energy, "And let's buy some groceries to cook a delicious meal to welcome Ashita Natsu!"
"You, you… I'm running away from home too!"
Shendai covered his face and ran out of the craft shop with a sorrowful cry.
"Shendai." Uchiha Hikari wanted to stop Shendai, but was stopped by Pakura and Uzumaki Kushina.
"Don't worry about him, he's just like that."
"He'll come back on his own when it's mealtime."
"Ashita Natsu, you look so cool. You're really both dashing and cute!"
"We'll pick out some pretty clothes for you later. You'll definitely look beautiful wearing them."
Although Uchiha Hikari was over eighty years old, about seventy of those years were spent within the seal. Whether in physical age or mental age, she was still only thirteen or fourteen. Strictly speaking, she was just a little girl, and now she was a bit embarrassed by the compliments from Pakura and Uzumaki Kushina.
...
Evening.
Uchiha Hikari sat on the sofa in Minato Namikaze's house, her whole body stiff.
The experience just now was simply too terrifying.
She was like a doll, left to be manipulated by Pakura and Uzumaki Kushina.
In the clothing store, Uchiha Hikari didn't know how many outfits she had been changed into. She felt the embarrassment of wanting to escape but having nowhere to go.
By the time she finished changing clothes, Uchiha Hikari was numb.
"I'm home."
Minato Namikaze, who had finished work, also returned home. He was stunned when he saw Uchiha Hikari sitting on the sofa; he didn't recognize her at first.
Because previously, Uchiha Hikari had been dressed in black from head to toe.
However, now, she was wearing a long pink dress, a pink headband on her head with a bow on it, and matching that with a look different from her previous cold demeanor, she looked dazed and very cute.
Minato Namikaze smiled and greeted Uchiha Hikari, "Ashita Natsu, welcome to my home. The clothes are very cute; they suit you very well."
Uchiha Hikari looked at Minato Namikaze blankly, then continued to be dazed.
"Minato, come quickly and taste the food Pakura and I made. How is it?"
Minato Namikaze took the spoon handed to him by Uzumaki Kushina and tasted it. "Mmh, it's delicious. By the way, where is Shendai?"
"Him? He was making a scene about running away from home earlier. Looking at the time, he should be back soon."
Minato Namikaze was confused. Why did he suddenly want to run away from home?
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