The sun had risen over Konoha, bathing the village in a soft, peaceful light. Naruto, sitting at the table with Kaguya—or rather "Hikari"—was devouring a bowl of instant ramen.
Kaguya, still stoic, observed every movement with a certain fascination, although she hid her thoughts behind her mask of indifference.
—You know, Naruto began, noisily drinking the broth from his noodles, we should go for a walk today. Just so you can see a bit how people live here.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow, disdainful.
—Another attempt to make me like these insignificant mortals?
Naruto put down his chopsticks and looked at her with a smile.
— Hey, you're already here, right? Might as well make the most of it.
She looked away, refusing to answer. But before the conversation could continue, there was a knock at the door.
Naruto frowned.
—Anyone else? Seriously, what's up this week?
He stood up and opened the door, finding Sakura standing there with her arms crossed, looking slightly annoyed.
"Naruto, why don't you come to the team meetings?" she asked, her tone more authoritative than usual.
Naruto grimaced, scratching the back of his head.
— Ah… Sorry, Sakura-chan. I've been super busy lately.
Sakura sighed deeply before peeking inside. Her gaze immediately fell on Kaguya, or "Hikari", who was sitting calmly at the table.
—And… who is that? Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kaguya slowly looked up at Sakura. For a split second, her expression changed subtly—an icy glint crossed her features, but she recovered almost instantly.
Naruto, ignoring the intensity of the moment, quickly intervened.
— Ah! She's Hikari! A friend from Suna that I'm helping. She's staying here temporarily.
Sakura nodded, but her instincts told her that something was wrong. She approached Kaguya, curious.
— Nice to meet you, Hikari. I'm Sakura.
Kaguya didn't answer immediately, her eyes analyzing every detail of Sakura. That girl… she had hit her during their last fight. It was just a blow, insignificant in the overall battle, but she remembered it. A hint of cold resentment rose within her.
"Hikari," she said simply, her tone distant.
Naruto watched nervously, afraid that Kaguya would say something inappropriate.
Sakura seemed uncomfortable at "Hikari's" distant behavior, but she didn't say anything. She turned back to Naruto.
—Anyway, Naruto, you should really get back to training. And, uh… be careful who you host, okay?
Naruto smiled awkwardly.
— Yes, yes, I promise!
Once Sakura left, Kaguya stood up from her chair and walked over to the window, looking out at the village in silence.
Naruto, still a little nervous, tried to lighten the mood.
— Well, it was Sakura-chan. She's nice, huh?
Kaguya remained silent for a moment before speaking in a cold tone.
— That girl… She helped seal me.
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.
— Wait, what? Sakura? Seriously?
Kaguya slowly turned her head towards him, her black eyes staring at him intensely.
— It was just a stunt, but she was involved. It doesn't matter now, but I remember it.
Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew that Kaguya carried a deep resentment towards those who had confronted her, and he feared that she would do something rash.
— Hey, listen, Sakura was only defending her world, okay? Just like me.
Kaguya looked away, a bitter smile briefly appearing on her lips.
— Humans have always defended their interests, no matter the means.
Naruto frowned, but before he could answer, Kaguya changed the subject, her tone becoming oddly observant.
— You seem to have feelings for her.
Naruto jumped, his face instantly turning red.
— W-What?! No! It's just… Sakura-chan, she's a friend, that's all!
Kaguya remained silent, but a glint of understanding flashed in her eyes. She could sense Naruto's complex emotions, even if he tried to hide them.
"Your emotions say otherwise," she whispered softly, almost to herself.
Naruto looked away, uneasy.
— It's not… Well, she still loves Sasuke, you see? So there's no point in…
He paused, realizing he was confusing himself.
Kaguya stared at him for a moment, a strange glint in her eyes.
— Human feelings are truly pathetic, but… fascinating.
Naruto grumbled, frustrated.
— Yeah, yeah, make fun of it if you want.
As silence fell again, Kaguya found herself thinking about Naruto's words. She had never understood these human emotions, but she was beginning to see how powerful they were.
Naruto, for his part, tried to focus on something else, but Kaguya's words kept running through his head.
He finally turned to her, an awkward smile on his face.
— Okay, let's just forget about all that, okay? We have work to do. If we want you to stay incognito, you're going to have to learn to be a little more... friendly.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
— Friendly?
Naruto nodded enthusiastically.
— Yeah, like, smiling every now and then, talking to people… That kind of stuff.
Kaguya sighed softly, but for the first time, she sketched what vaguely resembled a smile—a cold, distant smile, but a smile nonetheless.
—Very well, Naruto Uzumaki. Show me what it means to be human.
Naruto, surprised by his answer, burst out laughing.
— That's a good start, Hikari. A good start.
In the shadows, the fragile bond between these two very different souls began to form. But Kaguya knew that her resentment towards Sakura and the others was not yet dissipated. It would take time… and much more.
Chapter 5.2: The Village Under Reconstruction
as Naruto gently pushed open the door to his apartment, glancing behind him. Kaguya, in her human form of "Hikari", reluctantly followed him. She wore a simple outfit that Naruto had lent her, though she seemed uncomfortable in the all too human clothing.
— Well, Hikari, today I'm going to show you Konoha! You'll see, it's super lively, even if the village is still in the middle of rebuilding after the war.
Kaguya answered in a flat tone, not hiding her disinterest.
— Why should I be interested in this place?
Naruto shrugged, smiling.
—Because this is where I live. And if you're staying here, you might as well know the place, right?
She looked at him skeptically, but eventually nodded. She had nothing to lose after all.
The duo walked through the bustling streets of Konoha. Everywhere, carpenters were hard at work repairing damaged buildings, while vendors were opening their stalls for the day. The smell of Ichiraku's ramen hung in the air, and the sounds of children's laughter echoed through the alleyways.
Kaguya watched all of this with a neutral expression, but Naruto could guess that she was analyzing every detail.
—Over there, that's Ichiraku Ramen! The best place to eat in the entire village, Naruto said, pointing proudly at the small restaurant.
—Human food… she repeated with slight disdain.
Naruto burst out laughing.
— You haven't tasted Ichiraku's ramen yet! You'd change your mind, believe me.
Kaguya looked away, as if to avoid showing that she might be curious.
As they continued their walk, a familiar voice interrupted them.
— Yo, Naruto!
It was Kiba, accompanied by Akamaru. Hinata and Shino were also with him, forming a small group in deep discussion.
Naruto waved at them enthusiastically.
— Hey, guys!
Kiba approached with his usual big smile, Akamaru trotting beside him.
— So what are you doing? And who is it?
He pointed at Kaguya, who was standing slightly back, watching the scene warily.
Naruto scratched his head, smiling nervously.
— Ah, uh… This is Hikari! A friend from Suna. She's staying in Konoha for a bit to see what it's like here.
Hinata, always gentle and polite, bowed slightly.
— Nice to meet you, Hikari-san.
Kaguya responded with a simple nod, without saying a word.
Kiba raised an eyebrow, finding this "Hikari"'s behavior a little strange, but he didn't insist.
— Well, welcome to Konoha! If you want to discover the village, Naruto is the best guide.
Naruto burst out laughing.
— Don't worry, Kiba, I'll take care of everything!
Shino, for his part, silently observed Hikari, as if trying to unravel a mystery. Kaguya, aware of his gaze, stared at him briefly, making him uncomfortable.
Hinata noticed the tension and quickly intervened.
— Naruto-kun, if you need help showing him the village, don't hesitate.
Naruto gave him a big smile.
— Thanks, Hinata! But I think I'll manage.
The group said their goodbyes, leaving Naruto and Kaguya to continue on their way.
As they walked through a crowded market, Kaguya suddenly stopped, observing a group of children playing ball near a ruined building.
Naruto noticed her interest.
— What's wrong with you?
She gestured discreetly at the children.
—They're playing... among the debris. Why aren't they scared by what happened here?
Naruto shrugged, a soft smile on his face.
—That's what humans are. No matter how difficult things are, we always find a way to move forward. Children, on the other hand, see things differently. They play, even when the world is in ruins.
Kaguya remained silent, staring at the children with an unreadable expression. She didn't understand this resilience, this ability to continue despite everything.
Naruto gently patted his shoulder.
—You see, that's what makes humans special.
Kaguya looked at him, but didn't answer.
As they approached Hokage Rock, Naruto stopped when he saw Kakashi standing with a group of jonins discussing the reconstruction.
Kakashi noticed them and raised a hand in greeting.
— Naruto.
Naruto smiled.
— Hey, Kakashi-sensei!
Kakashi glanced at Kaguya, and though he didn't show anything, his gaze lingered on her a little longer.
—And you must be Hikari.
Kaguya tilted her head slightly, imitating polite human behavior.
- Yes.
Kakashi nodded, but Naruto could sense he was wondering.
—Enjoy the day, Kakashi said before walking away with the others.
Kaguya muttered in a low voice.
— This man… He is suspicious.
Naruto sighed.
— Yeah, but it's Kakashi-sensei. He's always like that. Don't worry about it.
Arriving at the top of Hokage Rock, Kaguya looked down at the village below. Despite the ruined buildings and visible wounds from the war, the energy of the village was palpable.
— See? That's it, Konoha, Naruto said as he sat down on the edge.
Kaguya stood there, looking at the village with an expression that was hard to read.
—Despite everything this village has been through, it continues to thrive, she said softly.
Naruto nodded.
—Because we're all together. And that's what you have to understand, Hikari. We're stronger when we're united.
She didn't answer, but part of her couldn't deny that there was something fascinating about this collective strength.
As the sun began to set, Naruto turned to her with a bright smile.
— So, what do you think?
She looked at him, her face impassive, but her eyes betraying a slight change.
— I think this village is… surprising.
Naruto burst out laughing.
— Hey, that's a start!
Kaguya looked away, but for the first time, she found herself appreciating, even slightly, this strange humanity.