Wow, I really wasn't expecting to have gotten some nice reviews! Thank you. Since some wonderful people told me they liked the first chapter, I'll continue the story.
Eight familiar cloaked figures stood in a circle around a lamp in the dim light when Itachi and Hikari approached. Eight figures, all looking towards the new member with battle hardened faces. Hikari met each of their eyes with the same gaze, in hopes of appearing as if she belonged in the small band of terrorists.
"Itachi, Hikari, you're late," the Leader was clearly unimpressed.
"Our apologies," Itachi stated calmly.
"This is the first time we've gathered together in person in over four months. Make sure it doesn't happen again. You each have new assignments." Their leader proceeded to assign missions to each team, varying from high profile assassinations to bounty collecting to property destruction, ending with the two of them. "Itachi, you and your partner will be given a more difficult task to ensure that Hikari is truly loyal to the Akatsuki. You will go to the Sand Village where you will intercept a mission between the Leaf and Sand. Hikari, in the Akatsuki, we give missions without discussing the reasons behind them. Not only should the reasons be unimportant to you, but they are often not disclosed to us. We simply take commissions; that is all. This mission is different, because your opponents are high ranked ninja from your former village." Hikari instantly guessed at what was coming next. "Your opponents are in the ANBU, and you were likely informed of this mission before coming here."
"Yes," she nodded.
"In order to prove your loyalty, Zetsu will be watching as you fight. He will be there in two days time to observe and record the mission. Take anyone out that you need, with no mercy. Understood? Almost synchronized, Hikari and Itachi nodded, hiding their dislike and feigning indifference. As they prepared to walk out of the meeting hall, the leader spoke again.
"Oh, and Hikari, it would be unwise to attempt another message hidden from us again. Even if it is true that your warning regarded the other candidate, no secrets will be kept from me here. I'll be watching you, no matter the distance." Hikari nodded, still expertly hiding any worry she might feel. Itachi lead her past several others on their way out. A monsterous looking man with a hood and brightly colored eyes named Kakuzu and his silver haired partner with a scythe called Hidan looked at her almost carnivorously. From their faces she could tell they believed she wouldn't last long. Still, Hidan smirked.
"Be careful you don't overdo it on your first assignment. You seem the type to die an early death, much like this one," He warned almost mockingly looking at the young man in a tall ponytail. Hikari let it slide, nodding civilly.
"Hmph, speak for yourself." He countered. "I think we chose well. Itachi's lucky to have partnered with a girl!" The loud blonde winked. At that, her guard slipped. She looked at him with distain.
"What difference does it make that I'm a girl? Is my gender more important than my skills and strength as a shinobi?" Itachi observed expressionless as her quick retort put him on his toes. He pieced together an explanation, but the woman walked past him. By the door, the woman with the blue hair from the preliminaries walked towards her. Under Itachi's earshot she whispered:
"I liked what you said back there. I'm glad they chose you." Hikari smiled back at the woman who appeared several years to a decade her senior.
"Thank you," she returned, relieved.
When they were finally out of earshot, Itachi turned to his new partner.
"Watch out for Zetsu. He's one who appears as a plant. He doesn't have long range hearing, but he can get close to spy more easily than one might think."
"It was difficult to sense his chakra signature. But somehow it seemed, familiar… Is he from the Leaf?" Itachi shrugged slightly.
"I'm uncertain. Stay alert." He lead her down the long hall back towards where they came from while Hikari reflected on their mission. To Itachi's surprise, she began laughing darkly, putting her hand to her forehead. "What's so amusing?" he inquired.
"It's just this entire situation we're in. I leave the village to take refuge with you from the ANBU and village higher ups, and after only a day we're being sent straight back to the one place that fears me and hates you the most, to kill our former comrades. What luck." Itachi gave a humph of agreement, nodding, but kept his thoughts to himself.
"There is someone I want you to meet." Down the hall he passed both of their rooms, arriving at the door at the end. Quietly, he knocked. "Kisame, I've been assigned a mission." A rough voice could be faintly heard behind the door.
"Is that so? Come in."
The blue skinned man from the competition panel now lay in bed, bandaging his sword. Two crutches rested against the wall, and a bottle of healing ointment rested on the nightstand next to him. The man shot Hikari a wide, sharp toothed grin."
"So I voted wrong. Itachi explained to me that you saw the other contestant making a scroll. You must have keen eyes to have noticed that." Hikari inwardly smirked. So he fell for the lie just as much as the others. Good. "As you can see, I've been badly injured. Both my legs got caught in an enemy's jutsu, leaving them broken in several places. So I'm glad that Itachi can take on missions in my absence. I'll give you a warning of caution though." He motioned for her to lean forward and almost whispered through his jagged teeth "Itachi can be ruthless in battle and he's sometimes stubborn. When he has a plan, it's best you follow his lead." Hikari nodded and tried to catch a glimpse of her partner's face, but found that he was facing away from them inscrutable.
Itachi lead the woman through the trees towards their new target.
"I don't sense Zetsu following us yet."
"Zetsu can't run. He transports himself or a clone through the ground and other surfaces, but not fast enough to keep up. As I said before, his hearing is in the normal human range. He'll likely catch up with us tomorrow night."
"Is he human?" Hikari inquired, masking the amusement through her voice.
"I presume he's altered his appearance through some type of technique, though the specific technique is unclear. Even so, keep your guard up at all times." Silence for a moment. It was good to know that they were out of earshot. "What is the reason behind this mission?" Itachi asked while still running.
"Due to the unrest in the Leaf and Sand after the death of the Hokage, the Sand publically made peace with the Leaf. Since then, trade between the two villages has increased, but as a result, so have their opportunities for exchanging intel. Because the Leaf does not have a Hokage, the village elders are in charge for now. Naturally, Danzo doesn't trust their public surrender. He thinks that because the Sand is now vulnerable but less so than the Leaf, they might go back on their word. And obviously, he's even more concerned that other villages will use this chance to attack." Itachi nodded, understanding. "Three teams of ANBU are setting out to collect a scroll from the Sand regarding the weaknesses of the Village hidden in the Mist, an enemy of both Sand and Leaf. If the scroll is secured, it will mean peace between Sand and Leaf to Danzo. If we are intercepting the exchange, it means that we are fighting on behalf of the Mist. They likely intend to attack the Leaf." His eyes narrowed in a small scowl. Hikari was thankful to be working with someone who understood the political complications and inconsistencies of the Leaf Village.
"Hikari, you must do as our leader says without meddling in their affairs. We cannot afford to assist the Leaf while you're under such intense scrutiny."
"If we don't, Leaf will be vulnerable to attack without warning."
"Don't worry about that. I've been spying on the Akatsuki and sending messages to the elders since I became rogue. We can give them notice once we aren't being watched, and make preparations then." Hikari reluctantly nodded. Itachi seemed to sense her unease.
"It doesn't have to be as bad as you think. We can take safety precautions. While I was in Konoha, my goal was to be noticed as Itachi Uchiha, in order to remind Danzo that I was still very much a threat to the village if he chose to harm my brother. Now, we can disguise ourselves. It will decrease the chance more shinobi follow as we escape." Hikari shook her head once.
"Of those who were assigned the mission, one is my friend, another sensory ninja. She would be able to tell it was me even if I was using the camouflage jutsu. Also, if I am to kill my comrades, I want to be held responsible for my actions…. I'm sure you understand." He nodded.
She thought into the future of how it would feel to be going against her friends and comrades and her stomach tied in knots. They would all surely pursue her and Itachi as well. If they were to succeed at this mission, she might have to kill every single one. It shouldn't be too hard as long as he was with her, but going up against people who knew her moves, there was always a risk. Her heart settled at the thought of what she might have to do.
"Itachi, there's something I need to tell you." The man said nothing, letting her continue. "I'm a capable fighter, but I have to think about the worst case scenario. If the ANBU manage to capture me, please kill me as quickly as you can. Then, if you can, destroy any remnants of my body." Itachi looked at her, taken aback by the level of profound calmness that came from the woman as she told him that. No one was so calm in the face of their own death, were they?
"Understood. My crows can quickly destroy all traces of the deceased."
In the highest room of the main Akatsuki hideout, tucked away in a dimly lit tower, Obito gazed into a purple orb used to keep watch on the members of Akatsuki, as well as large goings on in the world he so deeply despised. He had stolen the orb from the late third Hokage just after the attack, finding it quite useful. In the orb, Itachi and Hikari leapt through the trees, unaware of his piercing gaze.
He both knew and understood Itachi better than anyone else. His talented pupil had grown under his wing ever since the night of the massacre. No, he had known Itachi even through his childhood while keeping watch on the Uchiha compound. He knew of his constant worry for his brother, his communication with Danzo and the elders, even his idealistic motivations he refused to share with anyone. There was no chance that he would have accepted Hikari Senju so easily had their secret exchange not been about their shared motives. Glancing once more at the extensive resume Hikari provided, he smirked to himself.
"A former ANBU with heightened intuition… there is no way that you don't know his secret. But if he knew the village secrets you hold, would he truly still accept you?"
Obito turned once more to the two of them, still traveling through the trees. He would keep watch on the two of them as long as they continued to live, using his mentorship with Itachi as a way to control her. If Hikari's intentions were to contribute to the Akatsuki and to collect the tailed beasts, then she was of little concern to him. Nevertheless, her abilities posed a threat to him, for what they could do psychologically to Itachi, and to his plans if she decided to save the nine tails jinjuuriki. If Hikari Senju acted against his best interests, he would have Itachi eliminate her himself.
Hikari looked over her shoulder and then above her, as if something was following them from behind. Nothing was there, and no life but Itachi's could be sensed in any direction. She dismissed it as paranoia from Itachi's warning about Zetsu.
They had been running for two hours, but the sun was quickly descending over the horizon.
"It will be dark soon. We should find a place to rest." Hikari nodded, following his lead.
"What does the Akatsuki normally do on missions overnight?"
"It depends on our assignment. Tonight, we're far enough from Konoha and other militarized cities that we can find an inn." The woman nodded, thinking of how it would be sleeping so nearby to the eldest Uchiha. But the young woman had been on more missions with men than she could count, and living closely to them was normal.
They stopped in a small inconspicuous town shortly after the sun set. Hikari was confused as to why he would stop traveling so early in the night when they could have easily gone an hour or two further, but did not complain.
"On your resume it said that you were a sensory type. How well can you keep guard for potential enemies while unconscious?" Itachi asked under his breath, as to not alter any townspeople passing by.
"Staying up to keep watch each night won't be needed. I can sense that we're not being tracked, and I'd wake if someone who meant us harm was nearby." Itachi silently handed over the money to a man working at the desk of a humble inn for travelers.
"This will be your room. I will be in the room next door to yours. If anything peculiar happens, alert me telepathically as you did in the beginning." She nodded, smiling, and made her way into the room, shutting the door behind her. Through the walls, she could hear him closing his own door and after a moment, perhaps washing up in the bathroom. Sighing, the woman crawled into bed and curled up into a ball.
In the room next door, Itachi had shut the door to the bathroom and as silently as he could, coughed into his hand to see what would happen. His chest burned from running, and his eyes ached from squinting into the evening darkness, now becoming too dim, too soon. On his hand, several small specks of blood indicated that his condition was getting worse. He grimaced, frustrated with himself.
Damn it… I'll have to tell her soon enough, then.
The eldest Uchiha looked in the mirror and noticed that despite his age, his eyes seemed to have grown even more weary. After washing up, Itachi pulled off his shirt and selected a book from the shelf next to his bed. Tuning out the persistent intrusive nighttime thoughts, he began to flip through the pages.
Hikari closed her eyes and tried her hardest to sleep, but tonight fortune would not smile upon her. Images of visions and memories slipped in and out of her mind like storm clouds. Little did either of them know yet, this would be the first of many sleepless nights.
In the dead of night, Zetsu traveled through the ground in pursuit of Itachi's team. Together, both sides talked with each other about the news.
"I spied on our leader, he seems to have become quiet interested in this new team." The black half said.
"How would he not? The girl obviously came here for a reason that doesn't meet the eye." White Zetsu replied.
"Perhaps we can ask her what she knows," black Zetsu suggested, now clearly aware that there was something about the Uchiha that he had missed. His other half immediately dismissed it.
"Too risky. That girl is a Senju. She seemed suspicious of me at the meeting."
"Oh? Why is that?" Black Zetsu inquired.
"You know just as well as I that my body which you cling to is made from Hashirama Senju's cells and chakra. Some of the chakra that flows inside the girl came from the first Hokage as well. In other words, we can talk with Itachi, but we must avoid the girl before she senses that our energy comes from a common source." That answer did not satisfy the black one, who was eager to understand the motivations of the Uchiha.
"What harm is there in her finding that out?"
"Anything the Akatsuki knows about the two of us could eventually get in the way of our plans. It's decided. We'll avoid the girl as much as possible."
At sunrise, a soft knock on the door roused Hikari from her half-slumber. Washing up was followed by a quiet breakfast in the town, after which they purchased bento boxes and took off towards the Sand Village. At noon, they stopped to eat together side by side on a tree branch.
"How did you sleep?" Itachi inquired politely. The girl thought to herself of the night spent tossing and turning underneath the patchy maroon quilt.
"Sleep often doesn't come easy for me. But I was able to get a few hours. How about you?" Itachi thought to himself of what might be keeping her awake. He had spent the entire night reading and staring blankly out the window, thinking of Sasuke. His aching lungs wouldn't allow him to have slept comfortably even if he had been able to shut off his brain.
"I slept alright," he said, looking off into the distance. Hikari watched him take a small bite of rice and smirked. His chakra levels were lower than the night before, not higher.
"Itachi..?" she debated with herself for a moment about what type of person he was and if she could speak honestly with him. "That was a complete lie wasn't it?" Itachi looked at her then, her frank honesty catching him off guard. Hikari was not like Kisame, who could simply be lied to and dismissed. She was more perceptive and there was no use hiding things like this from her. He sighed, looking almost guilty.
"Yeah." The girl chuckled just a little, giving an empathetic smile. He appreciated that she could just come out and say things.
"You have insomnia don't you?"
"Of a sort. How could you tell it was insomnia?" The woman pulled down the long glove of her right arm, showing him a patch marked with an insignia reading 'ki'.
"It takes one to know one." She said, grimly. "A few years ago, I infused energy over time into these patches in order to prolong a battle that wont end. Fortunately, I've never been in a fight I couldn't end quick enough, so I packed the last of them in case you needed them." He looked at the small patch, interested, as she searched through the spacious pockets in her cloak. "This should last you until the end of the day." She handed him a patch, which he placed on his upper arm underneath his cloak.
"Thank you," Itachi said, genuinely.
They arrived in the Land of Wind just before evening. Because the vast majority of the population lived in the urban center, the boarders to the nation were barely guarded until the next day. Still, they both agreed to take precautions and the warm air prompted them to carry their cloaks in their arms. Beyond them, the desert was visible, but they were still under the cover of some scattered trees.
"We can set camp in a secluded area nearby. We'll have to take shifts sleeping, so we'll hunt our food now and settle down as early as possible." Hikari nodded, grabbing the bow strapped to her back.
"I'll get us some food. Would you like to find a place for us to set camp?" Itachi nodded, heading off in the opposite direction from her.
The eldest Uchiha found a small secluded gap in between the trees where he pulled out a crimson scroll. The paper was marked with several sealing circles, one which he opened. In a small cloud of smoke, two packs were unsealed containing their sleeping mats and two small pillows. After laying them out, he used wire and explosive tags to make a protective barrier between the trees, as an extra precaution.
While gathering firewood, he thought of many of the things Hikari had told him in such a short time. Her calmness at the idea of her death. Their common motives and her near desperation to be chosen as his partner. Her insomnia. Lastly, he dared let himself think about her ability to communicate with the dead, and her claim that his loved ones wanted to talk to him. At the thought, his heart filled with grief as if opening a fresh wound. He leaned against a tree to take deep breaths, and with incredible emotional control, pushed those feelings away for now. Perhaps her abilities were too much for him to bear. Perhaps they were exactly what he needed. Whatever the case, there was much about her he wanted to know. Moreover, there was much he found in her that suggested she could even be a potential friend.
Itachi arranged the little firewood he could find into an acceptable arrangement, but when he released the narrow spout of flames from his lips to ingnite it as usual, he was met with an unpleasant surprise. His stomach churned and his lungs seemed to be filled with some liquid. Itachi coughed into his hand, hacking uncontrollably. In his palm, several beads of blood glistened against the setting sun. They were bigger than the night before. It was getting worse, then.
"Guess what? We were in luck!" Hikari yelled in the distance. Hurriedly, Itachi wiped his mouth and hands of any traces of what had happened. What luck is catching an illness that wont go away? He thought to himself. "It just so happens we made camp not too far from a stream. I caught us some fish." Itachi nodded, approvingly. Five fish hung from five wooden skewers she had made. The woman sat down by the small fire across from him, setting the fish down on a large leaf. Casually, she formed a hand sign and watched as the firewood Itachi had brought got bigger and latched itself into the ground. On top, she formed a small area where the fish could slowly cook over the fire. Itachi watched, smirking.
"You can use wood style," he stated. She smiled and nodded, confidently.
"I'm lucky to have inherited the gene. In my family, only my mother can use it. My grandparents and a few in the generation before me could use it too, but it's mostly died off. I can't really do any genjutsu, but I've found that some wood style jutsu can even make an opponent hallucinate." Itachi was pleasantly surprised to hear that she had referred to her mother in the present tense. She had family that was still living then. It was uncommon for many high rank ninjas to have family still alive, not unlike himself.
As the fish cooked in the fire, he took the opportunity to ask her about herself.
"So, you descended purely from Senju. I had only ever read about them in books. May I ask why?" Hikari's expression grew distant, but she feigned a small smile.
"I've only heard from stories. When your ancestor, Madara Uchiha died in the battle in the Valley of the End, Hashirama grew to believe that his identification with his clan more than with the new village was the reason for their conflict. He believed that if a village is to truly unite and become strong, the clans that made the village up should work to become more connected with each other, until the barriers between clans eventually disappeared. Love, he said, was the way to peace. He encouraged the Senju to intermarry with other clans in hope that it would create harmony and conflict between friends like his friend Madara would never happen again."
"Then why did your family decide against it? Did your grandparents not share the same philosophy?" Hikari nodded her head.
"My grandfather was saddened by the idea that the Senju clan, a group that was one of the strongest throughout history, would eventually disperse and vanish. By the time my parents were born, it became clear that the wood style kekkei genkai was less dominant in one's genes than others, and it was slowly being lost. They chose to marry less out of the fear of losing the Senju clan, and more to keep the kekkei genkai alive. When my mother discovered I possessed it, she was overjoyed. I was her only hope that it could live on."
"And you? What do you believe? Would you marry a Senju?" At that question, the girl laughed.
"Does it look like I could possibly marry anyone from the Leaf? I don't know any rogue ninjas who are married at all. Even if I hadn't been, I'm confident I wouldn't have married based on clan membership." Her voice became quieter. "Love has no clan affiliation. I share the same philosophy as Hashirama. I wouldn't cling to the past if it prevented the village from reaching a better, stronger future." Itachi reflected on her words. As the first born son of the leader of the Uchiha, he would have been entrusted with leading the clan and ensuring its survival. His wife would have been made an Uchiha by default, but he was encouraged to have chosen someone who was already in the clan. He had never even considered leaving the Uchiha name. Still, she had raised some compelling points that he would continue to turn over. "Regardless, I have very few future plans so it's a moot point." Itachi nodded.
She had no idea that if her goal was to stay with him, her plans would be cut short sooner than she expected. Additionally, she had no idea that Madara was in fact alive.
They ate in silence, to their own thoughts, until the sun went down over the horizon. Eating fish by the fire during a mission brought fond memories back for Itachi; memories of doing the same with Shusui. Itachi extinguished the fire with a water jutsu, and the two prepared their sleeping areas.
"You're absolutely certain that you could detect an enemy while unconscious?" Itachi asked once more.
"I've done it before. I can sense an enemy half a mile away. No matter though, honestly I probably won't get much sleep again. But perhaps I can help you..." she looked towards him. He waited for an explanation. "Let me use a healing technique I learned long ago. You don't have to do anything. Just try to relax and be open to receiving chakra. It's called Reiki healing, a yang release jutsu." Hesitantly, Itachi allowed her to try. Hikari raised her hands towards him from where she sat and to his surprise, he felt a slow and gentle rush of warmth flood into him. The heat rushed into him easing not only the pain in his lungs and stomach but his heart as well. When he opened his eyes, he felt as if some of the shadows in his mind had cleared. Even if it wouldn't last, it was comfortable in a way he couldn't say he had felt in years.
"Thank you, Hikari," he said quietly. She gave a small half smile. "In return, I'm certain I can get you to sleep." She looked up at him only to realize he had a hint of a small smile.
"Oh, you're right," she said, realizing what he meant.
"Do you trust me?" He asked, genuinely wondering. She didn't have to think for more than a second. She knew the kind of man that he was.
"I trust you." Itachi's eyes glowed red and transformed into the pattern she had seen the first time they talked.
"Mangekyo sharingan," he said and instantly her head filled with clouds. In an instant, she fell onto her sleeping mat, unconscious. Itachi watched her breaths grow deeper for a moment, observing how her hair fell partially obscuring her face. Her mouth turned to a small smile as her head swam with the peaceful visions of the Leaf Village he had given her. Itachi allowed himself to admit that she had some features that were pleasing to look at, but fought the inclination to keep looking. He sighed. Even in ANBU, he had never had an outdoor mission camping with a girl his age. And while sleeping near one now would have taken a few nights to get used to, the look of her sprawled out without a hint of self conciousness made him less tense. Itachi felt the chakra she had transferred onto him fully sink in, easing the pain in his abdomen a little. He lay down with his head opposite her and let his eyes close. The pain would rise again later in the night, but now he could get a few hours of sleep, and that made all the difference. His thoughts flitted from one question to another. Had Hashirama been right? Was the dissolution of clans the best way to peace in the village? Or could clans keep their distinct identities in order to strengthen the village by learning from one another? Why had Hikari's plans for her future been cut short? What had she done to get to this point?
The girl's quiet breathing lulled him into his first peaceful sleep of the month. Tomorrow, their mission would commence, and together they would take the lives of some who even he might have worked with. But he wouldn't be doing it alone. For the first time in a while, even as he grew sick and blind, Itachi felt lucky. He had made a friend.
Thank you, Hikari. Thank you.
