Chapter 518: The Mindset of a Loser
The cool moonlight poured like liquid silver into the quiet courtyard, coating the stone slabs, vegetation, and eaves in a hazy silver glow.
The black-haired girl and the red-haired girl sat side by side on the wooden steps under the porch, looking up slightly at the perfect jade plate of a moon in the night sky.
"When will the war finally end?"
Karin murmured softly, her voice so quiet as if she was afraid of disturbing the moonlight.
Beside her, Uchiha Hikari hugged her knees, resting her chin on them. Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows under her eyes, which still bore a light dark tint from days of poor sleep.
Ever since Naruto left, she had felt a void in her heart, tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep.
"Naruto said it would end before the New Year. It's not even autumn yet, so it should be soon."
Karin looked up at the moon, her red hair gleaming with a soft luster under the moonlight.
Hearing Hikari's reply, she sighed with emotion, "The moon was just as round back then when Naruto, you, and I made that promise together on the roof."
As she reminisced, a warm smile naturally curved her lips, but it was quickly replaced by her current worries.
"Yeah."
Hikari responded half-heartedly.
She didn't know where Naruto had gone. She wanted to look for him but had no clues, and this waiting and uncertainty made her uneasy.
The only definite clue was that this trip seemed to be related to the Hyuga Clan, as he had left together with Hanabi and Hinata.
It was said that when Naruto went to ask for leave on Hanabi's behalf, the roar of the acting principal, Hyuga Hiashi, could be heard from the principal's office.
But so what?
It wasn't like he had taken her and Karin along.
At this thought, Hikari's cheeks puffed up slightly, showing a touch of childish frustration under the moonlight.
"Hikari-chan."
Karin turned her head to look at her friend.
The moonlight outlined Uchiha Hikari's delicate profile. Her pouting face did not look fierce at all, but rather uniquely cute.
"After the Ninja World is at peace..."
What do you plan to do?"
Startled by the question, Hikari blinked.
"I don't know."
The girl answered bluntly, yet with a hint of confusion, "Wherever Naruto goes, I go."
To her, all future plans revolved around that blonde boy.
Other than Naruto, she had no one else to care about.
She asked back, "What about you?"
Karin was silent for a moment, then cast her gaze back to the distant moon, her voice soft but firm, "I want to stay by Naruto-kun's side too. The Ninja World is vast, but only where he is feels like home."
She paused and continued, "If Naruto continues to be the Hokage, I'll find a job in Hidden Leaf Village. I can't just stay at home all the time."
She knew that if Naruto chose to stay in Hidden Leaf Village to handle administrative affairs, as the Hokage, his opportunities to go out on frequent missions would be greatly reduced.
And as a Ninja, if one wanted to advance or take on important responsibilities, going out on missions was almost the norm.
Since Karin wanted to both accompany Naruto and effectively help ease his burden, finding a stable job in the Village seemed like a win-win choice.
A job?
Hikari fell into thought.
In the past, she had no dreams, no freedom, and not even a life that truly belonged to her.
Now, the Uchiha Clan was long gone, and the only remaining clansman, Sasuke, was also an important friend of Naruto's.
Even if she wanted to seek revenge on the Uchiha Clan for imprisoning her, she couldn't.
To be honest, she indeed lacked a clear plan for her future.
Perhaps, like Karin said, she could try to find a job, or develop a hobby of her own?
At least, she shouldn't become a burden to Naruto.
Just as the two girls were lost in their thoughts about the future, a crisp, cheerful voice broke the silence of the courtyard:
"Sister Hikari! Sister Karin! We're back!"
The two of them turned their heads in unison, looking toward the source of the sound.
At the entrance of the courtyard, a little girl with long black hair and pure white eyes was waving at them vigorously, her face brimming with a bright smile—it was Hyuga Hanabi.
Standing beside her were three others: a short-haired girl with the same white eyes and a gentle demeanor, Hyuga Hinata; a strange girl with silky white hair, unusual eyes, and small wooden horns like deer antlers on her temples; and... the blonde boy they had been longing for, Uzumaki Naruto.
Delight instantly beamed on the faces of Hikari and Karin, and they were about to stand up immediately to greet them.
However, in the next second, Hikari's expression suddenly turned cold, as if coated in a layer of frost.
She suddenly raised her hand, stopping Karin who had instinctively wanted to step forward. Her pitch-black eyes instantly transformed into the bizarre and magnificent Mangekyo Sharingan, staring intently at the white-haired stranger, Otohime.
This was the first time they had seen Otohime.
But the other girl's signature silky white hair, her golden Rinnegan, and the pair of wooden horns like deer antlers on her head—all these features combined reminded Hikari of someone.
Otsutsuki Urashiki, whom she and Naruto had teamed up to defeat!
Hikari's body tensed slightly, the tomoe in her Sharingan spinning slowly, her vigilance and hostility completely undisguised.
Otohime was naturally keen enough to notice Uchiha Hikari's sharp gaze piercing toward her like something tangible.
Yet she didn't pay attention to Hikari's hostility right away. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her golden Rinnegan looking at Naruto beside her with a scrutinizing gaze, her tone filled with undisguised surprise and a hint of odd teasing:
"Hey, Hokage. You have two more women at home?"
Her gaze swept over Hikari and Karin, then looked at Hinata and Hanabi beside her, her eyes turning playful, even carrying a bit of disbelief.
"You guy... couldn't be a huge pervert, could you?"
Keeping two at home, and bringing back another two from outside.
Is this guy some big local noble?
Without waiting for Naruto's reply, Otohime seemed to think of something else. Her golden eyes blinked, and her tone suddenly became somewhat "earnest" yet teasing, "Can your body handle it? Tsk, young people need to exercise restraint."
She dragged out her words, "But..."
If you beg me, I might have a way to help you'solve' this problem!"
Naruto, who had habitually wanted to reach out and grab the interesting-looking wooden horns on top of Otohime's head to shut her up, instantly froze his hand in mid-air.
Naruto was a bit dazed by Otohime's erratic and shocking remarks.
But then, his mouth twitched. Ignoring the latter half of Otohime's words, his frozen hand still came down, grabbing one of the wooden horns on her head and gently shaking her head.
"Improving the body is all well and good, but that's a loser's mindset."
Naruto's eyes were clear and firm.
"I, Uzumaki Naruto, didn't grow up living off women!"
His tone carried his usual confidence, "My body can absolutely handle it!"
Only after saying this did he realize he had almost been led in a strange direction, and then he shook Otohime's horns with his hand.
Otohime was swayed left and right by Naruto's shaking. Hanabi and Hinata were already accustomed to this.
Back in the other world, Naruto had been relatively polite at first, but later he simply treated Otohime like a pet.
"Hey, you guy led me astray."
With that, Naruto quickly raised his other hand, waving it vigorously at Uchiha Hikari, who was still on the steps in a highly alert posture with her Sharingan flashing red. An assuring smile appeared on his face, and his voice softened a lot:
"Hikari, relax. This is Otohime, not an enemy."
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