By a small river, more than a hundred miles away from the Uchiha clan territory.
Kei sat cross-legged in front of a campfire, skillfully flipping two golden-brown roasted rabbits and four plump roasted fish.
Hikari squatted nearby, hugging her knees.
Although her face remained expressionless, the occasional gulp of saliva and the unblinking eyes staring at the food betrayed her inner longing.
When they had previously arrived at the Uchiha clan's dungeon, to avoid interfering with future developments, Kei had left behind three wood clones. Two were tasked with reading the memories of the two dead people and continuing to impersonate them.
The remaining one stayed in the dungeon to impersonate Hikari.
Given the vast amount of senjutsu chakra that mixed with natural energy, as long as there wasn't any prolonged, high-intensity combat, these clones wouldn't dissipate for months.
And according to the sealing technique engraved into Yahiko's body and the memories left by Hikari, in just over twenty days, the Uchiha would be targeted in a joint assault by the Senju and Sarutobi clans. At that point, she would also be sealed away by the combined forces.
Traversing the river of time, all for a reunion in some future moment...
Fortunately, while sealed, her thoughts would come to a complete halt. She wouldn't feel the passage of time, nor emotions like loneliness or emptiness.
Kei shook his head, pushing aside the idle thoughts in his mind.
From a pile of preserved supplies in his arsenal, he took out special seasonings for roasted meat and fish and evenly sprinkled them on the already cooked fish.
Under the fire's heat, the special seasonings released a tempting aroma.
Hikari turned her gaze towards Kei, her eyes burning with intensity, silently asking why they hadn't started eating yet.
"The rabbit still needs a while. Be careful, it's hot—and watch out for fish bones."
Kei handed over a skewer of grilled fish to her, who carefully accepted the fish, swallowed hard, and blew on the steaming meat until it cooled before cautiously taking a small bite.
Crispy on the outside, tender inside, the fish was delicious, enhanced by the unique seasoning she had never tasted before...
Hugging the grilled fish that was longer than her forearm, she buried her face into it and began eating quickly.
What were annoying fish bones to most people caused her no trouble at all. With a light purse of her lips, the clean fish bones were spat onto a green leaf, while the meat was swallowed whole.
In less than five minutes, she had devoured the grilled fish in her hand. Like a small beast waiting to be fed, she turned her eyes back to Kei.
"Stop when you feel full. Three meals a day—you won't go hungry."
Kei glanced at his own fish, of which he'd only eaten a quarter, and with the tone of coaxing a child, handed her the remaining two fish.
"...Mm." Hikari gave a soft response.
Kei raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
She finally made a sound. That meant smooth communication shouldn't be far off now.
After finishing all the grilled fish and two fat roasted wild rabbits, as expected, having been raised as a weapon for years, with barely any experience of normal meals, Hikari ended up overeating.
With a strained expression, she hugged her slightly bloated belly. Half-leaning on a large rock by the river, she gazed dazedly at the white clouds drifting across the sky.
A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, carrying with it the fresh scent of grass and trees.
The murmur of flowing water and the crisp chirping of birds harmonized together, allowing her always-tense body to slowly relax.
With steady breathing, Hikari drifted into a sweet sleep she hadn't known for a long time.
"Good night. Sweet dreams."
The mandala flowers silently blooming in Kei's hand quickly withered and scattered into fragments.
Using Sage Art: Wood Release to trigger a hallucinogenic plant, he silently cast an olfactory-based genjutsu on her Mangekyō Sharingan. This avoided the mental strain of forcibly releasing genjutsu and helped ease her tense nerves.
He stepped forward and bent down, gently lifting her in a princess carry.
With the power of flight granted by Sage Mode, the two of them swiftly headed toward the nearest settlement.
There, they discreetly pulled off a "Robin Hood heist" in the daimyō's treasury.
Over the course of a month, Kei and Hikari wandered through the ninja world of the Warring States period.
Shopping, games, fun… They experienced the customs and lifestyle of the era, enjoying a leisurely life far removed from the battles of ninjas.
Hikari visibly grew more cheerful.
A week ago, the great war between the Uchiha clan and the Senju and Sarutobi clans had finally come to an end. After all three sides suffered heavy losses, the Senju and Sarutobi clans ultimately succeeded in jointly sealing the Uchiha's most powerful weapon.
Kei and Hikari also concluded this journey and slowly began to return in the direction they had come from.
"Pitter-patter, the rain taps outside the window… the rain's still falling—are you afraid in your heart? So many years have passed, and still no home to be found…"
Hikari hummed a song Kei had taught her, plucking vibrant flowers by the roadside as they walked.
When her arms were full, she tied the bouquet with vines and held it out to Kei.
"It's beautiful. Thank you." Kei accepted the bouquet, gently sniffing the flowers, eyes curving in a soft smile.
In both his lifetimes, he had only ever given flowers to others—this was the first time someone had given him flowers.
"How long will I sleep?"
"Their sealing technique is pretty good. For you, it'll be no different than a regular nap."
"When I open my eyes, will I see you?"
"Maybe not right away. There'll be a dark, gloomy fellow who will help unseal you, then ask you to help control Kiri and fight me… mainly because…"
"Yeah, it's a bit of a hassle, but some friction is necessary. Only then can the shinobi world become united."
"Fish, rabbit, deer, pork, lamb, beef…"
"Alright, alright. I'll prepare it all for you then—let you eat your fill."
"What happened to trust between people?"
"Gone. It vanished when you tricked me into wearing that weird outfit."
"Tsk… fine, fine. I swear, once the war between Konoha and Kiri is over, I'll prepare tons of delicious food for you. If I don't…"
"I'll hit you. Hit you hard." Hikari interrupted before Kei could finish his oath, issuing her own threat.
That serious little face was impossible not to laugh at.
"Alright." Kei reached out and ruffled Hikari's head, who took a step forward, leaning against his chest, her eyes closed, murmuring softly. "…Thank you. Thank you."
She had never imagined that someone like her could ever bask in sunlight, breathe freely, run freely, and chase after those dazzling, enchanting colors…
Senjutsu chakra surged within Kei, and at the tip of his index finger, a miniature wood clone the size of a thumb formed, topped with a tiny flower.
Once he used Flying Thunder God to forcibly swap this with the previously sealed wood clone, it would consume all its energy and become nothing more than an ordinary wooden sculpture.
"I'll wait for you. A hundred years, a thousand years—I'll always, always wait for you to appear…"
Holding the tiny wooden figure in her palms, under the faint floral fragrance, Hikari's eyelids slowly grew heavy.
"I'll come find you as soon as I can."