Almost a year had passed since I last updated this story, and I am very sorry about that. I have to tell you that I will finish the first year in the Medical University soon and studying there isn't really a piece of cake. Unfortunately I didn't have time or muse to write anything new, too caught up in reality .As you can see I managed to write a new chapter and I hope you guys like.

Also visit Devianart and search for my page aliceprinces, you will find there the pics of Hikari.

Now read and review, they make my days.

Hikari had to admit the village she lived in was beautiful, all green with lost of trees, she was reminded of Konoha a little bit. The village itself wasn't large, people there lived peacefully, doing mostly the kitchen garden work. They grew their own vegetables and fruit and then sold to the ones who didn't have enough land to garden. Then there were the hunters who brought the meat, one thing that Hikari noticed was very important to the people there. It was very expensive and only few could afford it. Hikari herself wasn't really fond of meat because her lifestyle... if you get a point. She mostly survived on military rations pills because they were easy to made and pretty handy.

Still Hikari had to blend into the society if she wanted the Survey Corps to leave her alone. They were still monitoring her even though more than a month had passed since she had been found. She was given a small house with a bedroom, living room, bathroom and small kitchen. And a job at the local market as seller. Hikari hadn't complained, it wasn't in her nature, it was better than living in the streets and stealing the food.

Hikari had seen the thieves around the village. It wasn't hard to figure out that the village wasn't very rich and some people didn't really had place to spend a night. Hikari was pretty apathetic about that. People lived in harsh reality, everyone had to be a predator or else there was no place was week in this world no matter the dimension.

Walking to her house from the market, Hikari thought about what was going on back in the war. No matter what Hikari couldn't remember what happened in said war. She hated not knowing. The red haired heroin just hoped that both Photo and Naruto had survived although deep down she knew that was impossible. The mistery of her appearance hadn't been fixed either.

The red head didn't head enough time to think because she almost tripped down on her own feet. Hikari looked down to see what she had bumped into. A small child no older than seven stood before her. It was a very thin girl if her long dirty brown hair said anything. An orphan, it was a pitiful sight to see. The girl still had big brown bright eyes, her smile blinding.

"Hello" she chirped at Hikari.

The Uzumaki woman blinded in surprise. She looked behind, sure enough the child was talking to her.

"Hello" she replied.

"What that?" She pointed at one of the bags Hikari was holding. Hikari looked down at it.

"It's a carrot"

The girl tilted her head in confussion.

"What is carrot?"

"It's a vegetable, people grow it in the garden"

"Veg..vegele.." Murmured the girl. It was incorrect but the girl was only seven years old, the word was probably hard for her to pronounce.

"What do you do with it?"

"Why are you interested?" Hikari asked back.

"Mika sometimes bring long green carrots. I never saw a carrot this color"

Green carrot?

"A cucumber" said Hikari and crouched "the green carrot is called cucumber, this.."she pulled out the carrot from the bag "...is orange colored carrot. Here have it"

"You...you give it to me" the child's eyes widened, she pulled the vegetable to her chest as if afraid Hikari would take it back.

The Uzumaki sighed and pulled out a second carrot from her bag, then broke the bread in half and put them in another bag, the child's small hands would hold everything.

"This is for Mika and you" said Hikari and held out the hand "take it"

The child gave her another blinking smile, tackling the woman into a hug, her short arms holding only her shoulders.

"Thank you" she breathed out "thank you".

The child grabbed the bag and disappeared around the corner on the street.

Hikari let out a soft chuckle and stood up, looking at the sky, imagining her brother's sky blue eyes.

She had your smile Naruto.

Hikari maybe didn't give a damn about thieves but never let anyone tell you she didn't care about orphaned children. It just hit a little too close to home.

The second time Hikari saw the girl was about a fortnight after their first amount. This time she and another girl with sandy hair tried to steel food and were chased down the street when Hikari was them. The children didn't see her and continued to run for their life, no doubt scared to death to be caught. Hikari regretted not asking her name because now she couldn't call her. The only thing she could was trip the chaser and to give the children a chance to disappear.

Their third meeting was two months later. Hikari was leaving the market she worked at when the familiar chirping voice shouted.

"Hello!"

Hikari turned back to come face to face to the two small children, one brown haired and the other blonde.

"Hello" she returned the greeting.

"I never ask you what your name is" the girl grinned at her again.

"You are saying it wrong" mumbled the blonde, probably the famous Mika, and blushed brightly when she noticed Hikari had heard her.

"My name is Hikari"

"I'm Nana, this is Mika" Nana grabbed the sleeve of the dress Mika was wearing to pushed her to Hikari.

Mika had short hair and she was taller than Nana, probably older too. She wore a torn up summer dress and sandals. Hikari frowned, tt was autumn, they weren't supposed to wear these.

"Mika wants to thank you" said Nana

"About what?"

"You gave Nana food" Mika frowned "thank you"

Hikari nodded.

"You don't have to thank me, I had something to share so I did"

Mika wanted to say something but Nana interrupted.

"What is share?"

Both Hikari and Mika looked at the smaller kid.

"Share means when you divide something in half"

"Divide is the wrong word to choose, Mika" said Hikari "I don't think she understands that" she turned to Nana "Remember when I broke the bread in half and gave it to you?"

Nana nodded enthusiastically

"That what sharing means"

"Break bread in two?"

"To break food in two or in three"

Mika sighed.

"We should go Nana"

"But Hikari have carrot, maybe she have something new"

"Nana! We aren't beggars! Let's go"

Hikari watched as Mika dragged Nana back and bit her bottom lip.

"Have you even had ramen, Mika?"

The said girl halted.

"What is ramen?" Asked curious Nana again.

Hikari brought the children - siblings, sisters - to her house. Both Nana and Mika had never been inside the one in their short life so they were looking at everything in wonder. Hikari took them to the bathroom first.

"The very first step to eat food is to wash your hands" she told them.

"But my hands are clean, see?" Nana showed Hikari her palms. Hikari smiled at the child.

"Nana, do you like water?"

"I like go in lake" nodded Nana.

"Very well, the three of us are going to take a bathe now"

"We don't need that" protected Mika.

"Take off your clothes and got into the tub"

"But.."

"Mika, come on" Nana pulled the hem of the dress.

Hikari helped the children bathe and while they were drying each other' hair, she washed their clothes.

Later when both children sat at the dining table, Hikari helped them with eating ramen. The village didn't have chopsticks so Hikari made them herself but the children couldn't hold it correctly, so Hikari taught them how to hold the spoon.

Step by step.

Nana liked ramen, Mika - not so much. Neither was Hikari fond of the food but it was one dish she knew how to cook well, because her brother lived on Ramen.

Nana was very lively curious child asking about everything that seemed strange in the house, while Mika was quiet, seriously and tense the whole night, probably wondering when this would end and they were going to return to street.

The one thing what Hikari hated the most about Konoha was how they treated her brother when he was all but an innocent child. He lived in the orphanage but pretty much grew up in the streets, trying so hard to make people notice him.

Nana reminded Hikari of that. The child who was so thirsty for life didn't have to live the life she was now living.

Hikari didn't know the two things about raising a child but sometimes, just sometimes she imagined it was Naruto in Nana's place and she had those sudden urge to shelter her with her very being.

Mika...Mika was hard to connect to. When even after a week at Hikari's place she still hadn't relaxed, Hikari knew there was no way to fix it. Mika reminded Hikari of herself so much it was hard to believe. A protective older sibling, quiet and smart, suspicious of every little thing.

It hit very close to home.

The winter came and it snowed. It was a harsh weather, cold and freezing. The streets were empty, people hurting to their homes. Hikari closed the market and tightened the coat over her body. She had finished working later than before so she was hurrying to her house. Nana and Mika were probably asleep, it was past the midnight. The children had been staying with her for awhile now and Hikari was glad there was no Military tracking her everything move anymore. Hikari was sure the girls would have been bought to the orphanage and she didn't trust them very much.

They had grown on her, the girls, even Mika. She was more intelligent than Nana but both had a love for the stories about desert and ocean Hikari read to them. Wanting to learn how to read Hikari was reminded that they needed to attend school. She herself had gone the Ninja Academy in Hidden Mist were Hikari and Obito lived at first. The time in bloody Kirigakure wasn't what she was proud of, especially the graduating exam she had had passed but it was a story for another time.

Shaking the bad memories out of her head, Hikari grabbed the key to open the door when she noticed the door was already opened. Hikari went inside and lightened up the candle to see the furniture was turned upside down, the clothes were torn up, the dishes were all broken.

Mika and Nana weren't in the house.

Hikari gritted teeth and took a deep breath. She didn't know what happened but it couldn't have been the children, they didn't the the strength to mess up with heavy furniture like a coach or wardrobe. What kidnappers wanted Hikari didn't know but one thing she was sure of. When she found them - and she would - none of them would walk out alive.

And cut!

Ladies and gentlemen I hope you liked this chapter, I very much enjoyed writing it.

Now you might have noticed the numerous grammar mistakes I made so can anyone teach were can I find beta for me?

Leave me a review, darlings.

Nina out!