Hashirama felt worse the longer he listened and finally covered his ears with his hands.
"Your… daughter?" Hikaru asked, surprised.
She had once been her parents' beloved daughter too. Hearing that word immediately caught her attention.
Uchiha Yu replied:
"Yes. She was about your age. Come to think of it, she looked quite a lot like you too. Unfortunately… a sickness took her life."
"I'm sorry…"
Hikaru's brows sank slightly as she offered her condolences. She looked down at her own reflection in the stream, then back at the middle-aged man before her.
She realized she really did resemble him a little.
And he was just as unfortunate as she was.
Seeing her reaction, Uchiha Yu felt satisfied that his "tragic old father" persona had successfully taken root.
He sighed.
"Right—my name is Madara, and my wife is called Little Tsunade. What's your name?"
Hikaru thought about it and answered:
"Hikaru… No-Name. You can call me No-Name."
"Hikaru" was the name given by her parents, but right now she felt "No-Name" suited her better.
"No-Name… that's quite a strange name."
Uchiha Yu commented.
If Tsunade weren't mentally controlled, she would have exploded by now.
Little Tsunade—that was a nickname only her elders used!
"Does your home happen to be somewhere nearby?" Uchiha Yu asked.
Hikaru shook her head again, without answering. She had no idea where her home even was now.
"In that case," Uchiha Yu continued, "why don't we travel together for now and leave the valley as a group?"
"Mm… okay."
Hikaru nodded, then curled up again.
"..."
Tsunade could only watch helplessly as this little girl fell deeper and deeper into Uchiha Yu's trap.
"Your wife… she can't talk?"
Hikaru suddenly raised her head and looked at Uchiha Yu, then at Tsunade. The question had come to her naturally.
Compared to Uchiha Yu, Tsunade really did look more like someone who had been sealed away for who-knows-how-many years and had forgotten how to speak.
Since she appeared, this "Madara's wife" hadn't said a single word.
Uchiha Yu sighed.
"Well… actually, we don't live anywhere nearby. We come from the distant Land of Snow. My wife has had a throat illness since childhood. We planned to hunt while traveling east, heading to Konoha to find a medical ninja to treat her."
"I'm sorry…"
Hikaru listened patiently, then apologized again. Even the way she looked at Tsunade softened noticeably.
She had never imagined this couple's life was so tragic. It made her think of her own miserable past.
Tsunade's beautiful eyes widened more and more.
Becoming Uchiha Yu's wife was already bad enough—yet she even had a disease? So miserable!
Uchiha Yu glanced at the dumbfounded Tsunade and suddenly felt that having her unable to speak… wasn't so bad after all.
After a brief silence—
"Konoha?" Hikari suddenly caught the key word. Her eyes lit up as she looked toward Madara.
That Uchiha Itachi from before had also mentioned Konoha—he'd said that as long as she wasn't dead, Konoha would eventually find her.
Hikari felt she should first understand the current state of the ninja world, learn what the Uchiha had become now, and what kind of place this so-called Konoha—who wanted to use her—actually was.
Uchiha Yu, wearing Madara's face, nodded.
"Mm. Konoha is the largest ninja village in the world. It's rich in supplies, and their medical ninjutsu is very advanced. They should be able to cure my wife."
Inside, Tsunade let out a silent, mocking laugh.
Hikari frowned, puzzled. "Sorry, but… what exactly is a 'ninja village'?"
"That's basic common knowledge… you don't know?" Uchiha Yu pretended to act surprised.
Hikari's eyes darted rapidly. "I… I fell down the hillside earlier. I forgot a lot of things. Look at my clothes…"
To make her lie more convincing, she showed them the clan robe torn by thorns.
Uchiha Yu sighed.
"You poor child. Ninja villages are settlements made up of the major shinobi clans. For example—the biggest village in the world, Konoha—located in the capital of the Land of Fire. The clans that make it up include the Uchiha, Hyūga, Senju, Sarutobi… and many others."
The more Hikari listened, the more lost she became.
She knew those clans—every one of them had once been enemies of the Uchiha.
But now… they were gathered together? Forming this village called Konoha?
What about all the old hatred?
Hikari sat there blankly.
She was truly curious—just how long had she been sealed away? Was this even the same world she once lived in?
For now, following this seemingly ordinary couple was her best option. At least… she wouldn't have to worry about food.
"But I should repay them somehow… They're far too pitiful."
Hikari's eyes softened.
"Alright, it's getting late. Let's head out. We shouldn't be far from the outer valley. My wife and I have already explored a good portion of the area. We should be able to get out before dark," Uchiha Yu said, packing up the dishes.
He pulled out a sealing scroll and sealed the metal frame and cooking pot inside.
"There are many wild beasts around the valley's edge. Without weapons, it's dangerous to travel."
As he spoke, Uchiha Yu took out another bundle of scrolls, removing bows and arrows from inside…
He handed one longbow to Hikari.
Hikari waved her hand.
"Do you have kunai or something like that?"
"No, not really," Uchiha Yu replied. He even opened his tool pouch to let her see—every single thing inside was a scroll.
Tsunade: "…"
Even she found it unbelievable how thoroughly Uchiha Yu had prepared.
But remembering that all this was part of the script he orchestrated, she relaxed.
At this rate, Hikari had no choice but to believe Madara and Tsunade were just a pair of ordinary hunter husband-and-wife.
Hikari smiled and shook her head. "You two should keep them."
"Alright then. If we run into danger, we'll protect you!" Uchiha Yu said, taking back the bow and handing it to Tsunade behind him.
"…"
Tsunade wanted to refuse, but under the control seal, she had no choice but to accept the bow.
Hearing Uchiha Yu say they would protect her… a warmth quietly rose in Hikari's chest. Only her parents had ever said such words to her.
Watching Uchiha Yu and Tsunade walking ahead to clear the path, Hikari's emotions churned.
"Since I don't know where to go anyway, I might as well escort this pitiful couple to Konoha for treatment. I can part with them after that."
"Along the way, I can gather information about the current ninja world, about Konoha, and about the Uchiha."
Her resolve firmed. With a newfound goal, the emptiness in her eyes faded, replaced by clarity and determination. She followed right behind Tsunade.
Suddenly, Uchiha Yu took out another sealing scroll. He turned and smiled gently.
"This contains my wife's spare clothes and shoes. If you don't mind, you can wear them. The mountain path is long—you shouldn't walk barefoot."
Warmth surged in Hikari's heart, lingering for a long, long time
°°°
Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!
Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction
I post 20 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.
If you do subscribe, please do so in the web patreon, not the ios app.