Chapter Text
No one can deny the explicit resemblance between Hikari and her father, the ever-infamous Uchiha Sasuke. One can say that she looks like his girl version, with no other remnants of the other party. But that couldn't be true; there must be something in her that indicates the presence of her mother. Hikari, even as a young child, had a state of mind ahead of her time. She was perceptive and had a lot of questions.
Questions that Sasuke cannot answer, which makes Hikari wonder even more.
“Dad, do I have a mom?” These words suddenly came out of the five-year-old’s mouth.
Sasuke doesn't answer. Instead, he refills her hot chocolate drink, then tends to his own tea, completely disregarding the kid’s question. For other kids, it would be hard to decipher a person like her dad—but Hikari notices everything. And that slight twitch on the corner of her dad’s mouth when she mentioned about her mother that another person would miss is an indication that her question will be left unanswered.
It's raining buckets again in Amekagure, the place she has lived her whole life since she opened her eyes to see the world. She was comfortably tucked underneath their Kotatsu in the living room, safe from the cold. Hikari is genuinely happy—her dad is finally home after a few weeks of staying with Konan.
“My friends at the academy. All they talk about is their moms.” She decided to push it through. Hikari expected nothing, so it doesn't matter.
“Ne, look at what my mom got me! It's a new doll from Mr. Takashi’s shop!”
“Dolls are for babies. My mom got me new ninja gear from outside the village!”
“But we’re not even genins yet!”
“Hika-chan, are you okay? What did Ms. Konan get you for the summer break?”
“Finish your drink. It's late.”
Why doesn't he answer?
“... Yes, Dad.” She managed to croak out a whisper.
“Konan will be here when you wake up.”
Konan is not her mother—she was far from it, but she did treat Hikari kindly. She is the current leader of Amekagure. Hikari is known to be the ‘kid who is under Konan’s wing’ in Amekagure. From what her little mind could gather, Konan was once a lover of her dad's immediate family. If she wasn't mistaken, it must be Uncle Itachi. However, she doesn't understand why her uncle isn't here with her or her dad, or why Konan still doesn't have a husband. She has so many questions—and people are not giving her answers.
Here, she is forbidden to say her last name. In Amekagure, she's just Hikari.
Why? Most of her classmates have last names. Her dad also has a last name. It's Uchiha. But she is forbidden to say anything about her dad as well.
Why?
It frustrates her. Children are naturally curious, but adults are being difficult.
“When will you come back again?”
“It will be quick, princess. I just have business to attend to in Konoha.”
Her dad is a liar. It’s never quick.
Konoha—a mysterious place her father often visits. He mentions it far more often than Suna or the other villages whose names Hikari can barely remember, let alone pronounce. To her, it’s clear her father has deep ties to this village. From what little the academy has taught about the world’s nations, Konoha stands among the strongest, renowned for producing some of the most formidable ninjas in history. One caught her eye, actually, the Konohan war hero jinchūriki called Uzumaki Naruto. However, nothing was mentioned about her dad.
Her dad is strong—she can feel it. Maybe that's why he's away all the time. It's because he has to fight bad guys to protect her! At least, that's what she understood from the words of Konan. She is well-loved and never lacks attention from her father. Even if his work is busy, he has always made time for her, spending every bit of his visits in Amekagure with his daughter.
It saddens her to realize that she knows way too little about her own dad. And she also knows that Konan is a big part of preventing her from knowing too much. Hikari's eyes don't let anything escape from them—she sees everything. She knows how her teachers walk on eggshells around her, just because she is known as Konan’s adoptive daughter. They know something that they do not want her to know.
Hikari's mind is young, but her curiosity is like a burning flame that cannot be put out. It will take time, but she can and will find a way to get what she wants.
Someday, her questions will be answered.
‘Who is my mother? Is she alive? Why did she leave us? How could she leave us?’
“Goodnight, Hikari.” Two large fingers poked her forehead, a soft smile on her dad's lips, before bidding her goodbye.
“Have a safe trip. Love you.”
Later that night, when her dad tucked her into her bed, she watched as he left her again—for a village that she barely even knew about. Hikari, with a mind beyond her years, a kid showing early signs of being a prodigy, is still a kid, regardless of her exceptional performance. When she makes sure that her dad has left, Hikari finally lets out broken sobs underneath her blanket, crying herself to sleep as she makes it through the night alone.
“Hic.” Sob after another.
Hikari wonders if she had a mom, would she be cuddling and singing Hikari to sleep? Just like what the mothers of her classmates do? Will she be picking her up from the academy, not letting Hikari walk all the way home alone?
Hikari is sad, but her dad is away, and she doesn't have a mom to console her.
—
“When are you planning to tell her the truth? Hikari is already ten, you know. If it weren't for my antics, she would've figured it out by now.” Konan says, not bothering to meet him in eye and focuses more on the paper she's holding.
Hikari had always been a curious child. From the moment she learned how to talk, questions escaped from her lips about everything she saw and heard. She noticed details others would not remember, startling even Sasuke. He was a man of few words—but Hikari would remember every single thing that he would say and do.
Now, at ten, her questions had faded, but her curiosity remained the same. She is a clever girl. The questions about her mother—questions Sasuke avoided like the plague—still lingered, although no longer spoken aloud, yet still in the onyx of her eyes. Her curiosity is still there, but she has done an excellent job of suppressing and burying it deep down in her consciousness. Hikari's eyes reminded him of her, albeit the fact that his dominant genes won over her entire face. He also saw a part of himself in Hikari.
Sasuke knew that look—he had worn it himself once, as a boy who was kept from the truth the whole time he was seeking vengeance. The thought that Hikari might do the same was not on his bucket list. He could almost see Hikari, going the same path as he did, rebelling against a village that wouldn't tell the truth. Amekagure is hiding something from Hikari for her own sake—and Sasuke knows that she knows. He would do everything he could to keep her from telling the truth, no matter the cost. Because the truth about her mother was a risk he couldn’t let her take.
“Still not the time. It's dangerous.”
He never told Konan the whole story. But knowing how she is, she probably put the pieces together a long time ago without him even saying a word.
“Your brat will graduate from the academy next week. Be there.”
“I'll see what I can do.” He just finished a mission and is on the way to Konoha. He just happened to come by to see what Hikari is doing.
Time flies so fast.
“It's not a request.” Konan disappeared after being covered with papers.
Sasuke sighed inwardly.
With silent footsteps, he left her office and headed back to Konoha. The two ANBU officers stationed on the door didn't bat an eye when they felt him leave through the window. Sasuke's presence is a regular occurrence—although not announced officially, Konan has made sure that Sasuke is not an enemy but rather an ally. Amekagure is still a developing village with just half the total population of other first-world villages like Konoha. There are very few elders, and even if they did survive the war, they cannot have a say against Konan's way of leading the village. She was their saviour, an angel. At least, that's how Hikarisees how they are devoted to Konan.
Only his team and his former sensei knew of his ties to the Rain Village. Sasuke trusted them enough to guard the truth, to keep his daughter’s identity hidden from Konoha. The situation was far too complicated, and he could not risk anything, so he'd like to play it safe. He had already chosen this road—there was no turning back now.
The day he chose to have Hikari was the day he swore she would never bear the burden of her parents’ past. Whatever darkness followed him, he would make sure they never touched her.
—
“Is Konan-sama going to attend the graduation?” asked Miraki, a classmate of hers and one that Hikari can consider an acquaintance.
“She's currently on the stage, if you were paying attention.” She said, amused at her classmates’ words.
Konan had just arrived at the ceremony. Her entrance was nothing like the dramatic scenes Hikari used to see her do. She had expected Konan to descend in a plethora of papers, but instead, she appeared quietly, dressed simply, like any other village leader. A small smirk tugged on Hikari's lips when she noticed the flower hair clip on Konan's hair instead of her usual paper flower. Hikari gave that to her!
From the stage platform, Konan stood tall, waiting for her cue to speak. Knowing her, it would probably be just a sentence or two—maybe even a plain “congratulations.” Hikari could never quite tell what went on in that woman’s mind.
“Uh, okay.” Miraki then left to find a seat.
Come to think of it, she never really had friends. She always regarded herself as the floating individual—friend to all but friend to none. Hikari likes to draw a line between people. It seems like no one understands the way her mind works because they often label her as a rude, egoistic prodigy just because she knows how to set boundaries. The boys often linger their eyes for too long when she's around—some even brave enough to confess their undying love for her. The girls admired Hikari, but they're really not that different from the boys.
Hikari doesn't care about what people think of her. Her dad taught her not to worry about other people. So she doesn't. At least, she's good at pretending she doesn't.
There were no signs of her father. Maybe it was her fault—she had never mentioned her graduation to him. Konan might have, but even so, there wasn’t a single trace of Uchiha Sasuke at the academy. Not even his chakra can be felt nearby. She thought he would've at least watched from afar. It's a big day for her!
For reasons never explained, Hikari was forbidden from being seen with her father in public. He would always put on a disguise—even a whole new identity if some circumstances needed his presence. To everyone else, it was common knowledge that she had no parents and only Konan as her guardian. The question ‘why?’ had haunted her for years, but every time she asked, her father’s answers were the same—vague.
Hikari looked around her—the place was filled with children and their proud parents. There are two chairs for people to sit on—one for the graduate and one for the escort parent. The chair on her right was empty. Other people who wanted to watch remained on the bleachers. She looked down on the hands that were placed neatly on her lap as she waited for her cue. Long black hair pooled around her lap when she looked down to avoid the scene around her.
“Now for the top of this year's graduating class. Hikari! Please come up on stage.”
Even though her chest felt tight, Hikari reluctantly stood up from her seat. She can feel the stares of the crowd—they’re probably wondering the same thing. If she were really under the village leader’s wing, then why is she alone? A prodigy with no escort at all? That would've sounded really cool if it weren't happening to Hikari. The black-haired girl was drowning in envy, jealous of other kids with their loving families.
“That's her? She looks so… serious.”
“Mom! She could hear you! That girl has super hearing I swear.”
“Shh. Everyone knows that the kid is an orphan.”
“I heard that she could be an ANBU member with her talent. I wonder why Konan-sama hasn't considered her yet.”
“It just shows that our leader is fair. She doesn't just give chances because Hikari is under her wing.”
“Congratulations, Hikari.”
Her eyes lit up when the most unexpected person showed up at her graduation. There was a presence that suddenly appeared beside her while she was preparing to walk the aisle to the stage. She lets out a very audible gasp, making the crowd around her wonder who the man is beside her. Hikari's eyes widened in surprise at the figure of her dad, her actual dad, not in disguise, but rather in black formal attire, holding a bouquet by her side.
What? Is he real? Why is he here?
“W-what is going on? Why are you here? How—” She stammered, her brain seemed to stop working.
“Save your questions for later. Come along. Konan is waiting.” Sasuke gently hooked his arms around hers and nudged her to go.
Why is he here?
What just happened? Uchiha Sasuke—who had kept his identity as Hikari’s father hidden all these years—had appeared at her graduation without a warning or an explanation. After all the times she stayed silent, keeping the secret alone, why choose now to step into the light? Has something changed? Was it finally safe? Would she finally get answers to the questions that had been buried in the back of her mind for so long?
Even Konan was surprised!
“Who is that?!”
“Isn't that… Uchiha Sasuke? Konoha's avenger?”
“They look the same!”
“How are they related?!”
“I knew I wasn't imagining it. That kid had Sharingan all the time! She didn't even use it.”
“Is that her dad? She has a dad?”
“Dad.” She clenched her dad's arm tightly while still looking straight. She can hear their conversations!
“Keep walking. Stand tall.”
“Hn!”
The ceremony went smoothly. She's not officially a genin yet, but just a few steps more and she'll be a full-fledged ninja. She was grateful to receive her very own head protector. Her village academy doesn't have that many students, so it didn't take long for the ceremony to end. It's still a developing village, even Hikari was surprised they had a budget for Hitai Ates.
“Congratulations, Hikari.”
After the event, no one knows what those words meant to Hikari.
—
“What changed?”
“Focus, Hikari.”
“I am focused!” Hikari shouted, startling even herself when it sounded so harsh.
Hikari’s chakra-infused fist sliced through the air, her eyes saying everything she wanted to say but never could. Sasuke evaded without effort, his cloak brushing lightly as he moved aside. When their eyes met, her tomoe mirrored his own Sharingan, Sasuke seeing the anger he knew all too well. For an instant, it felt like he was staring into his past. Is her rage caused by the sparring, the graduation, or his antics? He knew she sought answers, yet as always, he had turned away from them. Perhaps, for her, this was not training at all.
“Is it finally ‘safe’ now? The whole village talks about me and you!”
Hikari did not stop after her first miss. Her body moved on instinct, another strike already forming as she turned her heel to match Sasuke's footwork. Sasuke stepped back, his eyes never leaving her.
“Too slow,” he muttered, voice calm. It made her angrier.
Her teeth clenched, Sharingan whirling faster.
“Damn it!” she shouted, pouring chakra into her legs as she lunged again.
Sasuke blocked her advance, deflecting with a single movement of his forearm. He did not counterattack. Just dodging and avoiding.
“You don’t get to stay silent, Dad. I deserve to know something!” Hikari hissed, her fists trembling as she attempted to solve Sasuke's taijutsu techniques.
Sasuke suddenly disappeared before her eyes—Hikari used all her senses to feel where her dad had gone. Is he on the air? Underground? Why is he always avoiding confrontation?
“Fine, I'll figure it out myself. Is that what you want me to do? I'll leave this godforsaken village and you will never see me again!”
Hikari's eyes started to blur after tears started pooling in her eyes. Why is her dad being so difficult?! Everyone around her is so secretive that it's almost driving her into insanity. Hikari is smart, but Konan always finds a way to outsmart her before she can find anything about her mother or crucial information about her father! What did she do to deserve a life full of lies?
“Hikari.” His cold voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. In the blink of an eye, her father appeared behind her, holding the back of her collar with his right hand and pinning both of her hands on her back with the left. Hikari began to struggle—harshly wiggling her body off his grip, but it did nothing.
“Are you ashamed of me? I figured since I cry a lot, you see me like I'm weak!”
Her tears started to run down her cheeks.
“Hikari.”
“What?” It took all of her to prevent a sob from escaping her mouth.
Sasuke turned her around, then embraced her.
“I'm sorry, princess.”
Hikari stiffened, surprised at the sudden affection. She never heard her father sound so guilty and genuine—but she didn't dare look him in the eye. Instead, she gripped his coat and let his clothes absorb her tears.
“Y-you're so mean. You're always hiding everything from me. I'm your daughter, aren't I?”
“Yes. Yes, you are.”
Sasuke looks at her, stroking the top of her head to calm her down. Hikari might act tough, but she's actually soft-hearted and will cry when overstimulated with emotions. He felt his chest tighten when he saw her in Hikari again. She was just like her.
“Why won’t you answer me? Don’t just say, ‘when the time comes.’ When will that be? You’ve already shown your face to the crowd, and yet the people know more about you than I do.”
Hic.
“I-It's a time of peace, Dad! How can it not be safe? What exactly are we talking about here? Are they rogue ninjas? Are they after my eyes? Is that why you want me to keep my pale eye ability from the world?”
She called them the ‘pale eyes’. Her obsidian gaze would sometimes turn into a strange, pale light, veins surfacing around her face. It allows her to see—more than she can ever imagine. Sasuke immediately forbade her from using it. Once, she tried using it, but it hurt her eyes and she lost her sight for weeks. Her dad got angry and made it clear to never use it again. Sasuke and Konan refused to say a word. Konan even erased every trace—scrolls, records, stories—anything that might hint at the truth.
Hikari couldn’t help but wonder, was Konan protecting her… or just playing with her?
“Dad?”
Before Hikari could hear a response from her father, the world blurred. In a flicker of space-time, the forest clearing dissolved, and they were standing inside the house she had lived in since she awoke to this world. Her dad teleported both of them to their backyard.
Sasuke crouched so he was at eye level with her, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder. He lets out a long sigh before deactivating his Sharingan. His Rinnegan remained active.
She always thought those were so cool. She didn't even know those were called like that if she didn't ask. Damned dad of hers. He's not even planning to teach her how to control her Sharingan if he didn't catch her chakra spike when she tried to use it against him.
“What do you want to know?” He said under his breath.
Hikari inhaled some air before letting it out to speak.
“Who are you to Konoha?”
She felt his eyes looking away from her.
“Everything.”
“Elaborate. It's not enough.”
“I've been good. I've been a traitor. Been regarded as a rogue ninja. The village hid secrets from me. I ran away. I betrayed my own village to seek power. Power to kill someone who betrayed me and everyone else in our clan. I've been a villain. I've been a hero.”
‘A clan? We had a clan?’
“Our clan…?”
“The Uchiha clan. You're my heir; therefore, you are a princess.”
That's new information. Hikari didn't know how big or powerful this clan is, but that's none of her concern today. Princess or not, she's not even recognized as a Uchiha by the world. Even that kind of information was hidden from her. What exactly is the reason why her dad decided to keep the world from her?
“You mentioned someone who betrayed you. Was it Uncle Itachi?”
“... Yes.”
“And the village kept secrets from you. I assume that uncle's betrayal has a reason far deeper than you were told?”
“Yes. Don't be like me, Hikari.”
“If you don't want the past to repeat, why are you keeping secrets?”
Sasuke heaved a sigh.
“It’s better that way. The less you know, the better. You're still so young.”
“How about my m-mom?”
“I cannot answer that, Hikari.”
“Why?”
“It’s too dangerous-”
“Why is it too dangerous?! Is there any other reason? Are you not strong enough to protect me? You're being difficult again!” She lashed out, cutting her father off.
Questions swam around her mind, but none could find their way out. She was too troubled, too exhausted, too overstimulated to form a single thought. This was the one time her father had offered to answer her questions, yet he was being as difficult as ever, replying only in vague answers. She hated him.
“One day, it will all make sense.”
Here he goes again.
“Do you love her?” Her eyes were pooling with tears once again, a few slipped away and ran down her cheeks as she glared at him furiously.
“What?”
Sasuke felt uneasy. He knew that look. The same look he had back then when he was driven by hatred. He hated to see that same look on his daughter. Hikari had a point, but she's still too young. He’d done everything he could to give her the childhood he never had—but perhaps, being a Uchiha, stubbornness was simply in their blood.
Her mom—he cannot talk about her mom. For Hikari's own safety.
“My mom.”
“I’m sorry, Hikari.”
Hikari felt her heart sink.
“It’s alright. I thought something changed, but I guess I’m wrong.”