A/N:Okay, I finally re-editted! 3 I hope ya'll like this version! And no OC this time.
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Gleaming eyes assaulted the sky. Hikaru found herself staring through Tokyo Tower's windows for who knows how long. Her gaze was intense, but it had reason to be. All she ever knew that was great in her life, most of it at least, had disappeared from her eyes. This was as in saying, Cephiro could no longer be seen...
The land in which she'd found a new found strength in herself, two best friends and more, even a love if only fleeting, but she knew that otherwise even now. Her clenched hand found its way to her chest as she felt the pain building up. Her eyes closed finally, but with the tears stinging at the sides. They fluttered open and she wiped them just in case. Her chest felt so heavy, why could she not see Cephiro? What did that mean?
"Hikaru-chan!" Hikaru's head quickly lifted and she turned to be greeted by Fuu. "Ah! Fuu-chan, ohayo." Hikaru's comment was forgotten as Fuu dug into her bag, "here, daijobu ka?" she handed Hikaru a little handkerchief as she eyed the girl intently. Hikaru nodded.
"Was I crying?"
"About to, and I just couldn't let that happen now, after all, you're my little sister," Fuu added with a wink.
Hikaru blushed. She was a tad embarrassed that she had to have Fuu take care of her now, but Fuu's words intercepted her thoughts, even changed them--
"Ya know, you're always taking care of Umi and I. So I feel so helpless and useless if there's nothing I can do for you. You're always first to worry about everyone."
Hikaru's face brightened up. It felt good to be reassured she still had her friends, and that it wasn't some sort of tedious task to be taking care of her.
"Mou futari...What's with all the quiet?" the voice came out sounding a little left out and confused. Both turned to see Umi standing there with a lost look on her face. "Oh, gomen nee Umi-chan." "Iiya! I'm sorry, i was late, but I have a good reason!" From behind her, her hands came presenting them with a carefully and cutely wrapped box. "Ta-da!" Both Fuu and Hikaru looked at it and took a guess as to what it was. "Cake?" Umi nodded eagerly. "Yatta" Hikaru said smiling as her stomach growled. "Ah--Hikaru-chan, do you want some now...?" Umi looked at the girl astonished as Fuu giggled. "Iie, I can wait."
"So, what were you two talking about just now?" Umi asked as her hands found her hips.
"Matte! Look to the sky, what do you see?"
Both girls turned and looked. "Well nothing..." Umi said expecting something. Fuu turned to Hikaru and caught the look on her face.
"Are you talking about Cephiro?"
"Eh--? Ah! I see what you mean Hikaru-chan! It is missing..." Umi looked around the sky and even ran to the other side of the floor to observe its view.
"Hen dai yo..." she spoke in thought upon coming back.
"Hikaru, when I think about it, it was all our hearts together that took us there, but your will really opened up the road for us..."
Umi could only nod with Fuu's statement.
"Dakara...nanada?" Hikaru looked at both girls inquisitively.
"Will us there," Fuu spoke calmly with a smile on her face. Umi and Hikaru both looked at her like she was crazy.
"If we can't see Cephiro, how are we even going to et there?" Umi asked frantically.
"We didn't see it when we were first summoned or the second time, and that was when it was in a time of disorder, perhaps there is frenzy again and we can't see it for the world is prtcting itself, or losing energy."
Umi and Hikaru took all this into considerable thought and nodded their consent. "Yosh! Hikaru, it's up to you." Hikaru nodded and closed her eyes.
/ She did want to go back. She had to. She had so much in Cephiro. --She could feel it now, it wasn't quite Japan anymore./
/ But where would she be if Cephiro were gone...? --It was different. She made it different. She hadn't meant to, but she did.--/
>>>
Hikaru's eyes gently fluttered open. Yep. This wasn't Cephiro, what was she to do now? She slowly began to sat up but quickly froze--she heard voices not too far from her. They all sounded only a little younger than her. Two guys and a girl. She lied back down, but this time on her stomach. She crawled quietly closer to the bush and looked through what she could.
A pink haired girl turpoise eyed girl.
A pretty boy with black hair and obsidian eyes.
And an exuberant blonde with eyes that shone like the sea.
Her gaze continued and she learned a little more about them. The girl was helplessly in love with the pretty boy, the blonde liked the pink haired girl, and the pretty boy hadn't give a damn about either of them. Although, while the girl tried to impress him, the blonde would try to impress her, which ended up in the pretty one outdoing them both. Which also ended up in both boys competing to best the other. Hikaru thought all this a little, boy would Umi and Fuu be amused if they saw that...
"Baka! Don't call me baka!" the blonde yelled. They argue a lot...and compete alot...
"Che, that's what you are. Aho!" The pretty boy retorted quickly. "Gah! You really piss me off! All you are is some pretty boy!" Hey, even Hikaru knew he was pretty, why state the obvious? Maybe he was running out of things to say.
"Don't insult Sasuke-kun Naruto! You're just jealous!" Ah, so those were their names. "Demo, Sakura-chan! You always stand up for him, what about me?" And Sakura.
"Yare yare..." Hikaru's neko ears instantly perked at the sound of an unfamiliar voice...behind her?
She froze, the voice spoke again. "You guys are embarrassing, you know that? And you can come out now."
Hikaru's ears sagged with disappointment, she'd been caught. She rose out of the brush and turned around to be greeted by a tall white haired man. One of his eyes were covered with the same thing she'd seen on the others head, what was that anyway? She bowed her head and without knowing it, she made big puppye eyes and looked adorably helpless. 'A defense mechanism?' the jounin joked to himself.
"You're not in trouble or anything, it's okay." He reassured her with a smile, she smiled too. It was contagious apparently. "Matte, how long has she been there?" Naruto questioned pointing to the girl. "Long enough," his sensei replied to him. "Che..." Sasuke muttered a few curses under his breath for not being able to sense her.
"Boku wa Kakashi--" he began to introduce his team as well but was quickly interrupted by Hikaru. "--Naruto Sasuke and Sakura." She spoke all at once pointing to each as she named then. Kakashi's brow rose momentarily with surprise. He smiled. "And you are?" "Watashi wa Hikaru! Yoroshiku Kakshi-san!" she bowed quickly and politely. He smiled. "Nice to meet you as well Hikaru-chan." She smiled brightly.
"Maa, ima--" "--anoo..." Kaksahi looked to Hikaru again. "Hai?" he smiled. "Can you help me?" Though it was a simple question, Kakashi felt just a tad confused...
"Nanda Hikaru-chan?" he encouraged her to continue. "Can you help me find my friends? I don't know where I am..." he understood now. He smiled. "Mouchironja," again a smile, she smiled back again. Whenever people smiled she couldn't help but smile back.
For the rest of the day, Hikaru saw herself tagging along Kakashi no mattre where he went or what he did, which basically consisted of teaching team 7, going grocery shopping, going out to eat, and going to the bookstore for a novel which he professed was the best in the world. After which she found ehrself in his apartment, not a bad one, but she had expected better. But from what she noticed, he wasn't home much, so what did it matter?
"Well, now we rest, tomorrow we'll see about getting you to see your friends." "Hm." Hikaru nodded and stood near a desk and Kakashi busied himself. He noticed her stillness and turned to her, "nanda? daijobu ka?" Hikaru quickly nodded her repsonse. He smiled...again. "Here," he pulled back the covers of his bed and patted the mattress. "Sleep here tonight, I won't be here to sleep anyway," Hikaru looked at him a little surprised but nodded and ran to the bed and plopped in quickly. She snuggled into it and hugged the pillow to her. Kakashi smiled and chuckled a little. "Oyasumi Hikaru-chan," "oyasumi." He pulled the cover over and fixed it to warm her perfectly. He smiled again and turned to go. "Kakashi!" Hikaru callled almost in a cry, "hai?" he asked a little worried. "Arigatou..." she murmured.
He could hear the sleep in her voice. "Doo itashimashite."
>>>
Kurenai never in all her life expected a late night at home visit from Kakashi of all people. He once joked about the gesture, but she threatened him on earning himself a kunai to an unwanted area knowing full well they both got the implications of what the other was saying. She looked at him expectantly but with patience if he came over, it was for a good reason, right...?
"Well...?" she was getting a tad anxious.
"Can I come in...? It's cold?" he smiled and she sweatdropped.
She stepped aside and he enetered. When he looked to a chair in the room, he spotted a young girl seated comfortably in it losing herself in a book. She must have felt it, for she looked up and caught his gaze. Their eyes lingered on each other in both curiousity and a little bit of knowing. Kakashi narrowed his eyes trying to find familiarity. "So what do I owe this visit?" Kurenai asked averting his attention back to her. "Ah, I wanted to know if you could do a little shopping for me," "what kind?" "girl's clothes."
"HENTAI!" Kurenai began kicking a squatting Kakashi as he tried to shield himself. "Iiya! You misunderstand! Not for me! There's a girl at my place!"
"Then take her shopping yourself!" the beating became worse, and the girl in the chair stared at them with a large sweat.
"A-anoo..." it was hesitant but loud enough to grab their attention. Both Kakashi and Kurenai found themselves staring at her. She was glad the beating stopped at least.
"Do you know hikaru?" Kakshi looked at her surprise as he stood erect. "Ah," he nodded waiting for a reply.
"Maa! Yokatta!" the girl jumped from the chair and ran over to him. "Do you think you could take me to her? She is at your home? Correct?" She stood in front of him looking ever hopeful.
"Hai, how do you know her?" Kakshi was a little flustered at this time. "Watashi wa Hououji Fuu desu. Gomen nee, I hadn't meant to forget to properly introduce myself, but I was just a little ecstatic. Hikaru, Umi and I are best friends, sisters even if you would." She spoke all this still with excitement ever present in her voice. She'd be up all night with the energy this excitement was presenting her.
"Sou dai yo, maa. Boku wa Hatake Kakashi." Hesmiled politely and smiled back just as polite. "Futari wa hen dai yo..." Kurenai seatdropped.
"I hate staying up late night..." Umi muttered under her breath. "What are you talking about? Young girls should love staying up all night!" Asuma exhaled a cloud of smoke as he spoke. "Yeah, but it's boring if you have nothing to do!" Umi whined then dug her face into a pillow. Asuma looked at her in consideration and sighed. "I--we, can ask around fro any who might know of your friends, tomorrow that is, for now, try to go to sleep." Umi looked at him blankly then nodded.
"You're the best, know that?" She quickly lied back down comfortably and drifted to sleep.
Asuma stared at her with a doubtful but amused look on his face. "Che, kids..."
He thought back on earlier that day. Yeha, kids were a pain, but endurable pains. He wanted to laugh aagin.
At first Ino and Umi had it out, he guessed it was one of those girl things. But then watched amused as they argued together, against Shikamaru.
Shikamaru of course shrugged them off after a while. That guy has a lot of endurance...That made Shikamaru seem real cool.
'Or maybe it's just that apathetic laziness...' Asume thought that over. 'Hm, that makes him twice as uncool...'
>>>
Birds chirped. The Sun shined. The sky was blue. Hikaru sat up in the bed smiling. Kakashi had yet to come back, but that was alright. After all, it was nice to be alone like this. She hardly evr experienced this between her three brothers and parents. But she missed them all, but this was nice...
"Hikaru." "Ah! Kakashi-san," Hikaru slipped out of the bed and ran over to greet him."Yo," he smiled. "Ohayo! Did you have fun last night?" he remembered being getting harassed by Kurenai... "ah, hai hai..." he nodded and smiled nervously. Hikaru stared at him curiously as her neko ears twitched. "Sou dai yo...Well! How was your morning? Did you ever sleep last night?" Her expression immediately took on one of worry. He smiled, Fuu was right. "Ah, it's okay, I've gone for over a week without sleep once--" "--you shoudn't do that to yourself!" Hikaru shouted quickly and anxiously. He scratched the back of his head and stared at her a little incredulous that the little girl could have such vocal chords...
"Maa, always first to worry!" "Eh?" Hikaru stared at Kakashi weirdly, "you sound just like Fuu..."
He smiled and stepped aside. "Ohayo Hikaru-chan!" Fuu said as she held her arms out welcomingly.
"Fuu-chan!" Hikaru jumped into the girl's arms and both fell to the floor. "I've never been knocked to the floor before!" Fuu said smiling nervously wanting to readjust her glasses which were now angled unevenly on the bridge of her nose. "Fuu-chan! Anata wa daijobu ka?" "Haha, of course Hikaru-chan," they both stood up with a little help from Kakashi. Both smiled. Fuu laughed a little nervously and removed her glasses to wipe the edge of her eyes. "I remember we told each other..in Cephiro, that we wouldn't know what to do if we didn't have each other, and that I said I'd be helplessly lost. I almost thought I was here alone..." "Fuu..." "Haha, I guess we better find Umi as soon as possible!" Fuu smiled. Hikaru nodded still looking a little uncertain about her friend's quick recovery.
"If you guys like, you can stay here a while and eat. After all, it's still kind of early." Kakashi nudged them inside the apartment and closed the door. "My home is your home," "arigatou Kakashi-san, and I implore you to rest," it was Fuu's turn to nudge him as she pushed him to his bed further implying he sleep. "Maa, hai, Fuu-sensei." He chuckled and watched as Fuu rejoined a curious Hikaru and they sat and talked, most likely catching up.
Sleep gently found him and he was out for who knows how long. But when he woke, he found not too far from him reading his ever favorite book. That wasn't good was it? She looked over to him and smiled. "Nice to see you awake." "A-anoo..." "oh, this? Yes, it's interesting, ohohoho," she laughed as she held a hand to her mouth mischievously. She was worse than him. "Where's Hikaru?" he looked around. Kurenai sensei came by not too long ago and took Hikaru with her to verify that another sensei had a girl with him that maybe Umi, she said they'd come back with her and Asuma if it were," she replied once again immersed in the book. She would giggle at moments, though never blush. He nodded and stretched a little as he slouched in his bed.
He looked and saw her staring at him with a small smile. "H-hai?" that made him a little nervous. "Your pictures..." he turned and smiled himself. Then frowned a little. Bittersweet. "Ah, for a long while, I've drifted from the responsibility of family and friendship, demo..." she nodded. "I understand completely." He looked at her a little surprised. She had Hikaru and Umi, and guessed by her politeness she had a good upbringing. He was a little curious now.
Something quickly caught his eye and he stared a little uncertain. She was reading again... but. He raised a hand to her face and turned her to look at him completely, the action caught her a little off guard and she blushed. "H-hai?" "where are your glasses? How can you read without them?" Whoops...
"A-anoo, ahaha..." "you're a little tricky aren't you?" "nanda? I don't see any tricks? Only magicians do those!" she waved a finger knowingly and stared at her. "And a con..." "uh... Ah! I wonder if it's really Umi-chan? Shall we accompany the others to find out? Aren't you getting anxious!" He sweated and stared at her incredulously.
"Okay, we'll go." She sighed. "In a few." She was nervous. "Tell me about yourself," "what is there to know?" "good one." Fuu smiled.
"You are a bit of a con, nee?" his turn to smile. "Of course not, I simply take the problems put before in a simple manner so as to not exert myself."
He smiled, "very intelligent too I see." "I only try to be," "you do a good job, I can tell you try to take care of Umi and Hikaru as much as possible." "I owe it to them, they've given more than I could ask for..." she had a somewhat wistful yet satisfied look on her face. He understood now, what made her understand how he'd felt.
"Fuu! Fuu!" Hikaru busted through the door shocking them both, and it showed. "Ah, gomen futari...I hadn't meant to scare you."
"S-s-s-s-sore wa daijobu dai yo!" Fuu replied a little shaken, never had she seen anyone, not even Umi gone on rage/worry mood, bust a door open like that.
"Ah! But I wanted to tell you--!" "Fuu!" "Ah! Umi-chan!" they embraced and separated after a short while. "I'm glad to see you Umi-chan, are you okay?" "mm, Asuma actually took exceptional care of me." He stared at her as those her statement was fully deniable. He believe he took better care of her than that. He smiled, time for other thinsg tough. "Oi Kakashi, catch you at a bad time?" He lit a cigarette.
Kakashi stared at him lazily. "Gomen, if you and Kurenai were on a date, I just thought that the girls would like the day to catch up and hang out." Damn that Kakashi. Asuma looked at Kurenai, her face was red and she looked nervous. Was she going to kill Kakashi?
"Arigatou minna," Fuu addressed the three. "Yeah, you guys've done so much for us," Umi smiled at them. "Arigatou!" Hikaru ran up to Asuma and Kurenai and hugged them then hugged Kakashi too.
Kakashi sighed, "well, then I guess we should let you all get out some," "mmhm!"
I'll leav it there, i know pairings I'm gonna make, but you can still leave a suggestion er sumpthin. I'll leave translation notes later! Ja ne! >>HEART
Right now, just tryin' to regroup the girls.