Disclaimer: I don't own either Naruto or Katekyo Hitman Reborn.
They escaped in time. Hikari looked back as the genjutsu was dispelled and the raging fire was seen. There were panicked yells. A dark smile touched her lips for just a moment. She had forgotten just how easy some humans were. The smile was quickly wiped away. She wasn't the bringer of chaos, not anymore. Right now, she was Kubatsu Hikari, a better-than-average child. She could no longer inspire fear on the very ground she walked.
Kubatsu Hikari was dispensable to Konoha and to Iwa. Iwa had attempted to kill her and failed. Konoha was just biding its time, waiting for all her usefulness to be wrung out. She was too free, she wasn't loyal to Konoha. Just killing her straight out was detrimental, and the Hokage knew it. Naruto was attached to her, and the village's jinchuriki had to be pleased, if only in this aspect. Naruto was loyal, and that loyalty could not, in any way be harmed. That was why Kubatsu Hikari had to go.
Hikari knew this. She had realised it the moment she met the eyes of that old man.
Perhaps that was why she had asked for the both of them to be allowed to roam free. The Hokage would get rid of her sooner or later. He was only appeasing her now, because he felt pity for her. He pitied the bright little girl whose flame he would have to snuff out less she influence Konoha's demon container.
Let the girl have her fun. She won't live much longer.
Too bad for him, Hikari knew that all along. She walked in his dreams, knew all his plans. And she knew how to counter every single one. She was Kubatsu Hikari, but she was also Rokudo Mukuro, the Master of Illusions, and the Dreamwalker. She was Kubatsu Hikari, a girl who was nothing special, yet she was also Entaka, the best assassin to have ever lived. She was deadly, yet charismatic. No one could ever hope to manipulate Rokudo Mukuro, not anymore. Rokudo Mukuro had been manipulated enough by Reborn and Vongola Nono. Kubatsu Hikari would not allow herself to be manipulated by the grandfatherly-seeming Sandaime Hokage.
Kubatsu Hikari wouldn't so easy to kill. She wasn't a normal girl after all.
As of now, she had interacted with a Kage. The both of them were meant to be watched out for. They had done Yagura a favour, and he would repay them. Kimimaro was unexpected. She hadn't thought that he would be in that very same cave, but it was a nice surprise. Kimimaro, if taught right, would become a strong player in this game. His clan was deemed dangerous enough to be deserved to be wiped out, just like the Uzumakis.
Hikari just needed to play her cards right. The Hokage had unknowingly laid himself a trap. All she needed was to spring that trap.
"Naruto," Hikari called over her shoulder, "spit it out."
Naruto had a sullen look, like he had just been done a great injustice.
"Why would Kimimaro be killed? Konoha wouldn't do that!"
Hikari's face softened.
"Are you sure?" She asked softly. To her right, Kimimaro remained silent. Hikari had a feeling that he was brought up to remain silent and do whatever he was ordered to do. That was something she needed to fix.
"I-Yes!" Naruto stumbled over his words slightly.
"Really?"
"Yes! The old man would never do that!" Naruto protested.
"I see." Hikari stated simply, and felt for the wildlife.
She touched a magpie with a Mist-infused finger. The magpie flew off, as per her will.
Above them, three ravens flew in a circle.
Two shinobi had been following them until before they reached Wave. The shinobi stayed out of Wave, and resumed following them when the both of them left Wave. Then, they lost the shinobi when Naruto's seal malfunctioned yet again. And still, the shinobi were catching up. She would give the shinobi two days before they were within hearing range.
"Naruto. The old man does not want me in Konoha." She stated simply.
"But he does!"
"The old man does not want me near you."
"Hikari…" Naruto frowned.
"Naruto. The old man wants me dead." She told him. Kimimaro bristled slightly at her statement. He had already developed feelings for the both of them? Sooner than expected. Hikari patted his arm gently.
"He doesn't!" Naruto protested.
"Naruto. Konoha treats you lesser than dirt."
"They don't." Naruto disagreed, but he seemed slightly confused and afraid.
"Konoha treats one of their own like a monster. I was born in Earth Country. Konoha hates Iwa. They treat me like one of Iwa. Konoha does not like me. And unlike you, they can and they will get rid of me. I'm too close to you for their tastes. I'm too close and too free. Konoha will never be able to chain me down, and they know it."
"I'll just keep close to you then!"
"Naruto. I hate Konoha." Hikari stared straight at Naruto. Naruto visibly deflated.
"I hate Konoha, but I stayed for your sake. I can't stay in Konoha, Naruto. Not anymore. Did you know that there were two shinobi following us? Possibly so that a tragic accident could occur. Maybe the old man really sees you as a grandson and not just a tool. I wouldn't know. But I am nothing to him. He doesn't know me, he has never seen me grow up. And most importantly, he thinks that I could change your allegiance."
"But I'm loyal to Konoha." Naruto stated mulishly.
"I know. The old man knows. And he wants it to remain that way."
Naruto looked conflicted.
"If Konoha will get rid of me so easily, they won't hesitate to do the same to Kimimaro." Hikari finished.
"I-I need…" Naruto trailed off. Hikari smiled softly and ruffled his hair.
"We'll give you some space to think. Come on Kimimaro, let's go catch some fish." Kimimaro dutifully followed her, sending Naruto one last worried look.
"Kimimaro." Hikari turned to face the albino as soon as they were a distance away from Naruto. Kimimaro inclined his head in askance.
"Yes?"
"You know that you can't go back to Konoha with Naruto. I don't think I can either."
"…I know." He sounded defeated and so very young. Hikari was reminded that he was only eight. She slipped her hand into his. Kimimaro stared at their intertwined hands, a slight glistening in his eyes.
To be kept from human contact… Hikari was reminded of a young Mukuro. She squeezed his hand.
"We'll stay together. Naruto just needs time. We might not be welcome in Konoha, but Naruto will always accept us. The three of us will be together." Hikari reassured.
"Forever?" Hikari hesitated. She was an illusionist first and foremost. There was no such thing as forever. But Kimimaro looked so hopeful…
Hikari mentally cursed her bleeding heart.
"Not forever, no." Kimimaro's face fell.
"One day, you'll decide that you want to leave and have an adventure of your own. But until that day comes, we'll stay with each other. You, me and Naruto." If some parts were left open to interpretation… It might be a white lie, but it was for a friend, and that was enough for her.
Kimimaro relaxed slightly. Hikari quirked a small grin at him. He was so insecure, so innocent, so malleable. Hikari banished that last thought.
'I am Kubatsu Hikari.' She repeated mentally.
"Do you know how to manipulate chakra?" She asked the albino, shifting to another topic on hand. Kimimaro shook his head.
"You can manipulate bone, right?" Kimimaro promptly pulled out his spine. Hikari's eyes widened, possibilities running through her head.
"Yes, I can. My bones grow back faster than most."
"I see. You use a certain energy, right? Tap into that energy. That energy is chakra." Hikari started to explain chakra theory, using a leaf as a demonstration.
Kimimaro tried to copy her. The leaf started to spin faster and faster, then it shot away. It impaled itself into a tree trunk. Hikari hummed thoughtfully, fingering a leaf.
"Well, let's go catch some fish. We can't possibly get back to Naruto empty-handed." The both of them headed to a nearby stream.
A moment later, at the spot where the two were, a red-eyed crow squawked, a leaf through its body. Black blood dripped down from the body to the grass. Its red lifeless eyes gleamed ominously. Perched above it was a snowy owl, a '六' on its right eye. The snowy owl hooted intelligently. Minutes later, the snowy owl flew off, the red eyes of the crow gouged out.
Rokudo Mukuro had always loved symbolism, even if it had yet to happen.
Hikari watched as Kimimaro shot bone pellets at the fishes.
He was actually adorable. Just like Chrome had been.
Physically, the albino reminded her of Byakuran. A part of her was still waiting for Byakuran to suddenly pop out of nowhere. That part of her greatly desired to stick Byakuran's head through a spike. Logically, the chance of meeting Byakuran was close to none, especially if her theory was correct.
But… Hikari threw a leaf. It was impaled into a tree. She smiled at the alarmed look on Kimimaro's face.
"Don't worry, it's nothing." She reassured.
As Kimimaro went back to 'fishing', Hikari's thoughts wandered once more.
The albino behaved like Dokuro Chrome once did. He was sweet in that innocent way. So sweet, and with the potential to be so deadly.
Kimimaro was more attached to her than with Naruto. Especially after their earlier talk. Yes, he liked Naruto. Who didn't? But he relied on her so much more.
Hikari came to the startling realisation that she once again had another apprentice on her hands. At least this one was more like Chrome than Fran.
Naruto kicked a rock.
All his ideals of his home had just been pried open and thoroughly shattered.
The sad part was- he wasn't even surprised.
Because he had instinctively known all that. Konoha hated him, and they didn't want Hikari, his only friend.
Was that why he had felt the shinobi back at the start of their journey?
Konoha wasn't nice. He repeated the thought. Well, he had known that. He had always known. Why else would Konoha throw him into the red-light district and avoid him?
Before Hikari, he hadn't known happiness, not really. But Konoha wanted to steal his only friend away from him. Friends, he corrected, thinking of Kimimaro.
Wasn't that why this conversation was started in the first place? Because Konoha couldn't let Kimimaro or his clan live?
Konoha stole his parents away. He was fine with that, he had always known that. But taking Hikari away from him…
He loved Konoha, he truly did. But he loved Hikari and Kimimaro too. They were his first friends. Hikari taught him so much, and Kimimaro was so much like him that it hurt.
Both he and Kimimaro were orphans. They were both shunned by Konoha, in different ways.
Hikari… she was an orphan too, but she had a brother, who was looking for her somewhere out there.
Naruto started when a white rabbit jumped out of the bushes.
There was something wrong… with the rabbit? His instincts screamed at him.
Ah, it was spring. Not winter. He stiffened when a shadow loomed over him.
That explained the rabbit.
Hikari hummed a jaunty tune as Kimimaro unsuccessfully tried to cart around the fishes that he had caught.
Sometimes, she forgot that her group was full of children, with Kimimaro being the oldest at the age of eight.
She mentally frowned when one of her birds sent her an image of a man with a large sword.
She honestly expected him later, much much later. He was about six years too early. And his apprentice- his apprentice was located much nearer to them than to Naruto.
Were they dangers? Hikari reviewed her memories.
No, they weren't. Her Sky was safe, for now.
If Naruto didn't do the sensible thing and run away, Hikari was going to give him a lecture on common sense. Maybe she would confiscate his sealing materials as punishment?
At least these strangers weren't all that antagonistic.
Hikari sighed when another image was mentally sent to her.
"Don't worry, Kimi-kun. It's nothing."
Kimimaro stood straighter at her nickname for him, visibly touched.
Right, she needed to slowly accustom him to human contact, right? But she couldn't approach him the same way she did with Naruto. How troublesome.
But, Hikari amended when Kimimaro looked at her, his head cocked like that of a puppy, it was worth it. She hugged the older boy. He awkwardly put his arms around her, trying not to seem like he was really that desperate for positive human contact.
Right now, she would let Naruto sort out his own problems. Maybe it was a good thing that Momoichi Zabuza and Haku arrived as they did. Naruto didn't need to talk to her right now, he needed the help and advice of a stranger.
"Come on, Kimi-kun, how about I teach you how to make a basket from leaves?" Hikari smiled at his hesitant look.
"But Naruto…"
"Naruto can wait. He needs time to himself. We won't take too long either."
"…Alright."
"Who the hell are you?" Naruto challenged.
"Me? Who the hell are you, brat?" The masked nin returned, holding up the rabbit by the scruff of its neck. It squeaked, a surprisingly un-rabbit-like sound.
"Stupid brat and his damned pets." The man muttered under his breath.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm going to be the next Hokage!" Naruto introduced himself immediately. It was a surprisingly automatic response. Had he really been doing this for his entire life? Naruto frowned as he started to review himself, something that he had never really done.
His shoulders slumped and he kicked another pebble.
"Damn me and my bleeding heart." Zabuza muttered, once again, under his breath. The man let out a harsh sigh.
"Fine. What the hell is the matter?" He asked gruffly.
"I-I…" Naruto trailed off uncertainly.
"My name's Momoichi Zabuza, brat. Better?" The missing-nin snapped.
"I… I really wanna be Hokage, but Hikari says that Konoha's really mean! I mean, she's right and all, but I just don't get it! Konoha's the nicest, right? So why would Konoha want to get rid of her? Sure, I have Mister Furry in my stomach, but that's not a reason, right?" Just like that, the dam burst and Naruto started babbling away.
Zabuza blinked, trying to make sense of the young boy's words. It sounded like the kid just realised that Konoha was a ninja village. Who the hell was Hikari, and Mister Furry? Didn't that make the kid a… oh. He took another look at the whining brat.
The kid was a jinchuriki. Damn. Just his luck.
"…and I don't want Kimimaro to die! He's like my second friend ever, but I like Konoha too, even if Konoha doesn't really like me all that much! And, and, and I really want the three of us to live together in Konoha, but what if Hikari's telling the truth and Old Man Hokage will really kill the two of them off just cause they're scared of the two of them? I don't want my only friends dead! But then, Konoha! And I really really wanna be Hokage!" Naruto sniffled.
Zabuza cursed his bleeding heart one more time. Great. A whining jinchuriki brat with issues.
He shifted slightly so that he had a better grip on the snow rabbit.
"Uh, brat." He started uncomfortably.
"Konoha is a shinobi village. That's what shinobi villages do." He told the young boy bluntly. Naruto hung his head.
"And, uh, I'm not the best person to help you with this, but get over it. Your friends aren't even shinobi, they can disappear just fine. Don't know about you, what with *cough*Mister Furry*cough* and all."
"You're saying the same things as Hikari." Naruto accused.
"Look, brat-" "My name's Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" "-I have no fucking clue who this Hikari is. And honestly, I don't give a shit. If you want your two friends alive, then get them the hell outta Konoha. No ninja village worth their salt will just let two possible threats waltz in and stay like that. Maybe if you become Hokage, but honestly, what's the chance of that ever happening?"
"I can become Hokage!" Naruto yelled.
"You're a jinchuriki, that's what you are. The only jinchuriki to ever become a Kage was Yagura, and he's an asshole."
Naruto frowned as he tried to remember where he heard the name 'Yagura'.
"Oh!" He thumped a fist in his palm. "That's the guy who was being controlled!"
Pause.
"What did you say, brat?" Zabuza asked incredulously.
"Yagura was being controlled by this Madara guy. It's okay, 'cos Hikari freed him and all. We almost died though." Naruto told the man cheerfully, pushing all his previous worries to the side.
"Of course you almost died. We're talking about a Kage! What do you mean that he was being controlled?"
"I had this really cool seal, but it didn't work right and we teleported to Yagura's office. Hikari beat him easily though, but she said that that was because he was taken off guard and underestimated her and all that. Then she did something, and then his personality changed completely. He then became really nice, and started talking nice too. He even promised not to tell Old Man Hokage that we disappeared from Fire Country. We made a promise, you see." Naruto nodded firmly, like he hadn't just said a whole string of words without even pausing once.
Zabuza blinked, and promptly decided that he really needed some sake. The brat was going to give him a headache. And it wasn't even evening yet, he noted, looking up at the sky.
"Brat, I have no idea what's going on, and I do not want to know." Zabuza muttered tiredly.
"But you asked." Naruto stated matter-of-factly, giving the missing-nin an are-you-stupid look. Zabuza refrained from grabbing his sword. From what he heard, he did not want to mess with the kid's friend. No one who beat Yagura easily should be messed with.
"What were you saying about Konoha?" Zabuza decided to change the topic.
"I like Hikari and Kimimaro but Konoha wants to kill them. I like Konoha and Old Man Hokage too, but Konoha doesn't like me, and Old Man Hokage wants my only friends dead."
Zabuza twitched.
"Then why didn't you say that in the first place, brat?"
"My name's not brat! And I did!" Naruto protested.
Zabuza groaned. He really needed some sake; this was going to be one long talk.
A/N: I feel like I've just experienced writer's block for the first time. So sorry in advance if later updates are slower.
Reviews/ constructive criticism is very much appreciated.