That same afternoon—
Two preliminary reports on the "Kirigakure Invasion" landed on Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk.
One from the Police Force, the other from the Anbu.
The contents were largely the same, just written from slightly different perspectives.
After cross-referencing the reports, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately summoned Jiraiya and his two advisors for an urgent discussion.
"For something like this to happen… What is Kirigakure Village trying to pull? Are they gearing up to declare war on Konoha?"
"How did they even sneak in? Over a dozen Kirigakure ninja, appearing deep in the Naka River region without any warning. Has the Barrier Team gotten *this* sloppy?"
"And another thing…"
Koharu Utatane's eyes landed on a certain name mentioned in both reports, her brow furrowing. "Why is it *her* again?"
*Cough.*
Sarutobi Hiruzen cleared his throat, a touch exasperated as he explained, "While it's true Uchiha Hikari was involved, she wasn't the cause this time… According to the Anbu's report, if she hadn't acted quickly, Konoha's casualties could've been far worse."
To be honest…
Sarutobi Hiruzen was getting a headache.
Just this morning, he'd been relieved that this "Uchiha Great-Grandma" had returned and kept a low profile, not stirring up any trouble. Yet less than a day later, *this* mess happened.
And this time, it involved another ninja village. If mishandled, it could spiral into a repeat of the Hyūga Hinata abduction incident with the Cloud Village delegation a year ago.
Of course, the two situations weren't exactly the same.
Back then, the Cloud Village had used the guise of a peace treaty, making it tricky to confront them openly. Kirigakure, on the other hand, had just barged in and started a fight without a word. Even if Sarutobi Hiruzen took ten thousand steps back, he wouldn't dare demand the Uchiha clan hand over the "culprit" to appease Kirigakure. If he even suggested it, the one being handed over might be his own corpse as the Third Hokage…
Across the table—
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged a glance, opting to stay silent.
The Konoha higher-ups then dove into discussing countermeasures.
Though there was no proof yet that Kirigakure was planning a full-scale invasion, they needed to ramp up patrols around the village immediately. The Barrier Team had to reinforce the village's defenses, while the Interrogation Team needed to extract answers from the captured Kirigakure ninja. On top of that, they had to dispatch envoys to the Land of Water to issue a strong condemnation and demand explanations for Kirigakure's violation of Konoha's territory…
One more thing—
The Anbu and Uchiha clan members who were injured or killed in this operation needed prompt compensation. Pensions and the title of "Konoha Hero" had to be arranged properly. They couldn't afford to let the Uchiha feel slighted or unfairly treated.
This matter would've normally been lower priority, but because of Uchiha Hikari's involvement, it was bumped up two levels.
The decisions were quickly compiled and delegated for action.
Starting the next day, Konoha buzzed with ninja darting to and fro, especially from the Hyūga and Inuzuka clans—their skills in reconnaissance and patrolling were unmatched.
…
Uchiha Hikari didn't care much about any of this.
After all, she was just an "old relic" from a bygone era. She'd only intervened against Obito because his actions involved the Uchiha. Now that the issue was resolved, the remaining diplomatic fallout was for youngsters like Sarutobi Hiruzen to handle. The next generation needed some room to shine, after all.
In truth, this was also an opportunity for the Uchiha clan.
Before, tensions between the Uchiha and Konoha's other clans stemmed from unfair resource distribution.
But with an external enemy applying pressure, internal conflicts could be temporarily set aside.
As patrols around Konoha intensified, the Anbu's workload skyrocketed, forcing Hikari to shelve her plans to "mentor" Itachi and Shisui for the time being. With the New Year approaching, she was now out in the commercial district with Naruto, shopping for holiday supplies.
As Naruto had mentioned before—
Konoha was already decked out for the season, with festive lights and decorations everywhere. Shops displayed discount signs, drawing crowds of villagers braving the chilly winds to shop. In just half a day, Hikari had spotted several familiar faces:
Sakura Haruno, being led by her parents to buy new clothes.
Chōji Akimichi, gorging on barbecue with his father, Chōza Akimichi.
Ino Yamanaka, helping her family sell flowers to passersby.
Kakashi Hatake, slacking off from a surveillance mission to buy a deluxe illustrated edition of *Icha Icha Paradise*…
A few of them recognized Hikari, offering nods or slight bows from a distance.
Hikari didn't pay it much mind.
Naruto, however, was curious, tilting his small face up to whisper, "Whoa, Hikari-nee, you know *that* many people?"
"Something like that… More like *they* know me."
Setting aside her pre-transmigration memories, Hikari, as a "Warring States fossil," had never met people like Chōza Akimichi. They'd just recognized her one-sidedly.
"Here, try this on."
Hikari handed Naruto a new outfit, gesturing for him to head to the changing room.
When the little blond came out, she snapped a quick photo and sent it to the group chat, pinging Minato Namikaze.
**[Bulma: Oh, is this Yongdaime-san's kid? I barely recognized him! He's changed so much—looks way more spirited. Has he grown taller too?]**
**[Yongdaime: Probably not *that* fast—he's only four or five, after all. But he's definitely more cheerful than before. Thanks so much for looking after him, Hikari-san.]**
**[Bulma: Hmm…]**
**[Bulma: By the way, it looks like you're gearing up for the New Year over there, Hikari. Seems super lively! Can I come check it out? @Nameless]**
**[Nameless: …Sure, that's fine, but I don't exactly have a place for you to stay. I'm crashing at Naruto's place myself.]**
**[Bulma: No worries, I can sleep on the floor!]**
**[Nameless: Let's not go *that* far…]**
Hikari hadn't agreed to let Bulma visit before, mainly because things on her end were still unstable, with potential unforeseen dangers. But now, Danzō was out of the picture, and while Obito and Black Zetsu might still make moves, a short sightseeing trip in Konoha Village was something Hikari could confidently keep safe.
**[Bulma: Awesome! I'll pack my stuff and head over this weekend!]**