Hikaru still remembered his former desk partner—not because they were close, but because her name always sparked odd associations in his head.
Uchiha Saya. If you split the name apart, it sounded… interesting. He'd even wondered once whether she had an older brother.
They'd been seatmates, but he honestly didn't know her that deeply. In his memory, she'd been a good person.
But Hikaru had the mind of an adult. He'd never been particularly interested in getting close to kids.
Especially not an Uchiha.
He knew the Uchiha clan's future: wiped out until only a tiny handful remained.
And Saya herself never appeared in any "future" he remembered. That usually meant only two possibilities: she died in war—or she died in the massacre.
Back then, young Hikaru's mind had been filled with one thing: how to survive the war. He wasn't going to walk too close to a clan doomed to explode.
"Didn't think I'd ever run into her again… looks like the war didn't leave much of a mark on her."
He was about to turn and leave. The training grounds were already occupied, and he wasn't the type to fight someone for space.
But before he could go, Uchiha Saya noticed him and turned around.
"This training field is big. If you want to use it too, that's fine."
Her voice was gentle—just like it had been years ago when he first entered the academy. Only now it sounded a little more mature.
Hikaru paused. Leaving immediately didn't really gain him anything.
And compared to complete strangers, Saya was at least someone he recognized.
"Then I'll take you up on that." He smiled and gave a small nod.
Saya didn't respond right away. She studied him instead, curiosity growing—as if something about him felt familiar.
After a moment, her eyes widened slightly.
"Are you… Hikaru? Senju Hikaru?"
"Yes." Hikaru blinked, then smiled. "It's been a long time, Saya."
He was genuinely surprised she could identify him.
Back in school, he'd kept a very low profile.
The only reason he could recognize her so easily was because he'd awakened his "cheat" early, which boosted his senses. As seatmates, he'd memorized the feel of her chakra.
And honestly—Uchiha features were hard to forget.
He'd always thought heaven played favorites with that clan. In the Uchiha, it was harder to find someone unattractive than it was to find someone good-looking.
If you were handsome or beautiful, it wasn't special.
If you were plain—or worse, odd-looking—that was what people remembered.
"So it really is you." Saya's smile was warm enough to feel like spring sunlight. "It's been almost six years. I've only heard about you through others. You're…"
"A minor ninja." Hikaru answered before she could finish, tone easy. "Just taking missions nonstop."
He knew what she was about to ask, and he had no interest in giving the real answer.
His ANBU identity was classified. He wasn't Kakashi—and he didn't want his name tied to that mask in anyone's mouth.
"I see." Saya nodded lightly, still smiling. "Still… the war is over, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Hikaru nodded too, letting a trace of "survivor's relief" color his expression. "It's over."
For a ninja, acting was survival.
For ANBU, acting was a weapon.
Hikaru's performance was smooth—like a man reflecting on horrors he'd barely escaped, even though he'd never fought on the front lines.
Then he cut the topic cleanly.
"Enough about that. How have you been these past few years?"
Saya tucked a strand of hair back, speaking softly.
"About the same. After graduation, I went to the Land of Whirlpools."
Hikaru's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't interrupt.
"My luck was good. I stayed near the clan head most of the time, so nothing happened to me. I came back last year after the war with Kirigakure ended. I've been on standby since. Now I'm trying to transfer to the Medical Department, but the approval hasn't come through yet."
That checked out.
When the Mist declared war, the Uchiha—masters of Fire Release—were sent as a major counterforce to that region.
The Hyūga went too, because the Mist loved fog tactics and had techniques like Hidden Mist that erased visibility—exactly where Byakugan shined.
Even if the Hyūga and Uchiha disliked each other over "who's Konoha's top clan" and "which dōjutsu is superior," they still had to cooperate.
And Saya's placement said something: if she'd gone there and stayed near the clan head, she likely had real talent.
The less talented weren't assigned to cushioned positions. They got tossed into harder theaters—like the Land of Grass against Iwagakure, or other brutal fronts where an Uchiha couldn't count on much protection.
"Good choice." Hikaru smiled. "Medical is a solid path. Work hard—I'm sure you'll get in. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be the one asking you for help."
"Thank you." Saya's smile stayed sincere and bright. "I will."
She really did match the pattern Hikaru remembered about Uchiha women.
They rarely appeared, but when they did, they tended to share the same traits:
gentle, composed, and beautiful.
Uchiha Mikoto. Uchiha Izumi.
Even Uchiha Chiyori from long ago—who'd crushed an internal uprising—was said to have carried that same calm softness.
Which always made Hikaru wonder:
Why were so many Uchiha men basically walking emotional disasters…
…while the women were almost unbelievably gentle?
Was the clan's special brand of "madness" something that only got passed from father to son?
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