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"Power is not will. It is the phenomenon of physically making things happen."

— Madara Uchiha, Naruto Shippuden

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[Hokage's Office]

The faint scent of tobacco lingered in the air.

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight, as he exhaled a slow stream of smoke toward the ceiling. The curling tendrils drifted upward and disappeared above him. His gaze was distant, his mind elsewhere. As he looked up

It had been decades, yet the past still returned in moments like this.

Hikari.

A faint smile tugged at his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes. That memory… It began long before the Third Great Ninja War, during the days of the Second great ninja war.

[Flashback – Second Great Ninja War]

Hiruzen had been traveling through the Land of Fire, accompanied by a small guard unit. The roads bore the scars of battle. After days of movement, they had stumbled upon a quiet, unassuming village tucked away in the farthest corner of the territory. They had chosen a small, unremarkable inn — a place to eat in peace.

Dressed in plain travel clothes, they hid their hitai-ate, blending in with the locals.

They were mid-meal when a sharp voice cut through the calm.

Across the room, a girl — stood with her arms crossed, glaring at a group of men. At first glance, her face still held the softness of youth, but her height was startling — towering at nearly six feet — made her presence impossible to ignore.

(Pic)

The men she faced wore Konoha forehead protectors. Shinobi. But the way they slouched in their seats and laughed made it clear they weren't here on any noble mission.

"You're not paying?" she demanded.

One of the men smirked dismissively. "Your food isn't even good. Why would we?"

The girl's lips curled into a dangerous smile.

"Hah… then you shouldn't have eaten it in the first place. Now… you're paying."

The ninja turned to leave, clearly intending to walk out. But before they could take two steps, the girl lunged forward, catching one by the collar. With shocking strength, she hurled him through the doorway, sending him sprawling into the dusty road outside.

The other two lunged to help him. They drew their kunai — but she was already moving. She ducked low, driving her fist into one man's ribs and slamming her knee into the other's stomach. 

Within seconds, all three were on the floor, groaning like they'd been mugged by a runaway ox.

When it was over, she crouched down, and started fishing through their pockets. Coins clinked together as she pulled them from their pouches without hesitation.

"You… you can't get away with this!" one of the bruised shinobi sputtered, clutching his side. "We're Konoha ninja!"

"I see," she murmured, kneeling in front of him.

She placed her hand firmly on top of his head. Then her arm tensed — muscle and vein bulging under her skin like steel cables. The poor man swore he'd never seen that much raw power on a man, let alone a woman.

Her brow twitched, a deep vein ticking on her forehead, nostrils flaring.

"What… the hell… did you just say to me, little shit?"

In that moment, to the shinobi, she wasn't a girl anymore — she was a raging bull that had just spotted red.

They all shot upright like soldiers on inspection.

"We didn't say anything, ma'am!" blurted one.

"Y-Yeah, nothing!" said the second.

"You can keep the money! We must've… disturbed you," added the third, already backing away.

All three flinched as her shadow stretched over them, dark and heavy. Then they bolted down the street like stray dogs avoiding a kicked boot.

Inside, the inn had gone quiet. The other patrons hunched over their bowls, chewing slowly, eyes fixed anywhere but on her — though every single one of them was stealing glances when they thought she wouldn't notice.

From behind the counter, an older man stepped out, rubbing the back of his neck. He was a giant of a man — nearly eleven feet tall — his broad frame still strong despite his years.

"Hikari," he sighed."How many times have I told you not to beat the customers? Especially ninja. It's bad for business."

"No worries, Grandpa." She dusted off her hands with a smirk. "If they come back, they'll spend twice as much. Fear is a great tipper."

From his table, Hiruzen watched quietly, his mind already weighing the possibilities. Her movements had been precise — not wild brawling, but controlled. Strength like that didn't come from nowhere.

Interesting.

Hiruzen set his pipe down on the table, leaning forward slightly, "Wait here," he murmured to his guards.

He rose from his seat. His guards exchanged wary looks but said nothing as he crossed the room toward the counter.

The older man — clearly the grandfather — gave him a polite nod. Hiruzen could see where the girl got her stature.

"You have quite the granddaughter," Hiruzen said lightly.

The old man gave a resigned chuckle. "Granddaughter… and headache. She's strong, stubborn, and too quick to fight. But I suppose she gets that from her mother."

"I only fight when people are wrong," Hikari cut in, arms crossed. "Those men were trying to steal from Grandpa."

"Stealing," Hiruzen echoed, watching her. "You could have let them go and asked the samurai for help."

"They'd have been long gone before anyone got here," she replied without hesitation. "Besides… why wait for help when I can end it myself?"

The corner of Hiruzen's mouth lifted faintly. He was beginning to see it — the fearlessness, the unwillingness to bow to power, the kind of spirit that could either thrive… or burn out… in the shinobi world.

The old man gave a guarded smile. "She's… spirited."

Hiruzen's eyes flicked toward Hikari, who was now lazily sweeping the floor as if tossing trained shinobi into the street had been nothing more than a mid-afternoon chore.

"Spirit alone doesn't throw trained shinobi into the street," he said.

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Author's Note – "The Ramen Debt"

After Hikari tossed those shinobi out, Grandpa told her she'd scared away paying customers. She said, "No problem," and went outside to "negotiate."Ten minutes later, she came back with enough ryo for a month's rent… and one shinobi's sandals. No one asked questions.

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(A/N)

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Poll Time!

Alright, since there’s been some confusion 🤭 (and a LOT of hilarious suggestions),