Chirp! Chirp!
The morning sun spilled over the road, casting the roadside stones in a jade-like glow.
On her way to school, *"Hikari"*—her backpack slung over her shoulder—glanced up at the sky. Sparrows flitted between the poplar trees, their beaks stuffed with worms, their noisy squabbles piercing the air before they took off again.
Maybe it was because the sweltering summer was finally ending, but lately, she'd noticed a sudden surge in Konoha's wildlife.
And it wasn't just around her.
Her main body and clones in the Forest of Death had seen even more. It was as if the village had burst to life overnight, thrumming with restless energy.
But that… wasn't a good sign.
"Things turn at their peak; prosperity invites decay."
This unnatural shift in Konoha's atmosphere felt like an omen—something was coming.
She hadn't seen Kakashi in the Hatake compound for nearly a week. That kind of busyness couldn't last forever.
The bowstring was drawn taut.
The Uchiha massacre… it would happen any day now.
"Hikari" rubbed her arms, her pale skin prickling with goosebumps.
This was her first time experiencing a major canon event firsthand.
She knew the bomb was right beside her, ready to detonate at any moment—maybe even catch her in the blast.
Yet there was nothing she could do.
This feeling was awful.
Obito Uchiha. Danzō. Hiruzen Sarutobi. Itachi Uchiha. Fugaku Uchiha.
Five Kage-level powerhouses, each playing their part in this deadly game.
Countless elite jōnin and high-ranking shinobi were involved, too.
Someone like her—a regular jōnin—might seem impressive on paper, but the moment she stepped into this battlefield, she'd be ground to paste like beef in a meat grinder.
This wasn't a fight between ninja.
This was a war—a clash of forces.
Only a Kage-level fighter could carve out a place in a conflict where individuals meant little.
So even if Hikari knew the major players were stretched thin right now, she wasn't foolish enough to reach into the fire for scraps.
This was way beyond her pay grade.
By her own conservative estimate, her current combat strength (without the Eight Gates or factoring in ambushes) meant that in a straight fight, two or three jōnin of Fūma Koshin's caliber—with decent teamwork—could take her down at the cost of minor injuries.
One-on-one and one-against-many were completely different battles.
"No matter how strong you are, you can't fight an army alone." That saying existed for a reason.
No.
She needed to pull her main body back for a few days.
No more trips to the Forest of Death.
A growing sense of unease prickled at "Hikari's" nerves, like a radar blipping warnings nonstop.
Her main body's safety came first.
Training could be left to shadow clones for now. The real Hikari would lay low at the Academy—with all those clan heirs around, it was probably the safest place in Konoha right now.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Just as she thought this, a familiar sound echoed from the street corner.
She looked up.
Another her stood there, leaning on a white cane.
"Why are you here?""Hikari" blinked in surprise.
"Figured I should hide out at the Academy for a bit. You guys keep training outside. Lately, I just… feel off."
Hikari scratched her arm.
That creeping sensation of being watched had been gnawing at her for days. She'd scanned the area with her Byakugan over and over but found nothing.
All ninjutsu required chakra.
Unless it was a Byakugan technique—but if someone had spotted her, the Hyūga clan would've made a move by now.
Hikari couldn't make sense of it.
Maybe the village's tension was just getting to her. Either way, she'd hole up at the Academy until the Uchiha situation settled.
"Gimme the bag."
"Hikari" smirked.
"Great minds think alike."
She tossed the backpack to her main body and dispelled the shadow clone.
Backpack secured, Hikari stepped into the Ninja Academy for the first time in days.
The moment she entered the classroom—
WHOOSH!
A hulking figure came flying straight at her face.
She lifted a foot—
KICK!
THUD!
A pained yelp rang out as the body crashed into two smaller figures, sending all three tumbling across the floor like bowling pins.
"Hikari! You okay?!"
Naruto rushed over, his blue eyes wide with guilt.
"I'm fine." Hikari waved him off before glancing at the groaning trio.
The same three boys who'd stolen notes and beaten Naruo up before. After Iruka's punishment and targeted "lessons" from Shikamaru's group, they'd toned down their bullying.
Now, bruised and trembling, they stared at Naruto like he was a monster.
Hikari connected the dots.
"You got payback?"
"Uh… yeah?" Naruto scratched his head, avoiding her gaze.
Hikari nodded.
If he didn't want to explain, she wouldn't push. She wasn't his mom—as long as Naruto grew stronger and learned to control the Nine-Tails' chakra, minor schoolyard drama wasn't her concern.
After the brief chaos, Hikari's eyes flicked to the window seat.
Uchiha Sasuke sat there, oblivious as ever.
His family was on the brink of war with Konoha, yet the clan heir's second son attended class like nothing was wrong.
"…Impressive."
Hikari didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
"Morning, Hikari."
"Morning."
At her desk, Shikamaru and the others were frantically copying homework. They spared her a harried greeting before diving back into their work.
Thanks to "Hikari's" relentless networking, her standing among them had risen steadily.
"Don't mind me."
She pulled out her completely blank homework and set it on the desk, perfectly at ease.
Being blind had perks—no homework, no written exams. Whether it was the Hokage's orders or some special exception, she was basically treated as a "combat specialist."
CLICK.
The classroom door swung open.
"Hurry—hide it—!"
Hikari didn't even need to look to know who'd entered.
THUD! THUD!
Iruka smacked the chalkboard, silencing the room.
"Announcement! No weekend break this week!"
"WHAAAT?!"
The class erupted.
"SILENCE!" Iruka's stern voice cut through the noise.
"Four days from now—this Friday—the Academy will hold a large-scale wilderness survival drill. It'll last two days at Training Ground Zero. Come prepared with food and water."
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