Hikari, try as she might, couldn't swallow the heavy lump in her throat. Her eyes darted all around her.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Fuck." Mangetsu chuckled at her actions.

"This isn't funny! It's gone! My rifle is gone!" She wailed and banged Mangetsu on the table.

"Calm down, Yukine probably took it." Hikari paled significantly. "This is by no means reassuring! Yukine!"

The rifle. He just had to take the rifle.

"He doesn't know how to use it, we'll be fi-"

"You were saying?!" Hikari panicked at the gunshot that went off. "Yukine! If you shoot another bullet I swear!"

"Calm down Hika-"

"Fuck!"

"Yukine!" Hikari grimaced at the sight of his bloody hand and dislocated shoulder.

"I told you, you're no good with these." She held up the heavy weapon and carried it back to the weaponry she had created during her stay.

"It hurts!"

"How the hell did you even hurt yourself with your own chakra?"

"Well-"

"Don't answer that!" she sighed. "I told you you're welcome to check any of the weapons inside. Just not the guns." Hikari clutched his forearm.

"I'm curious about-" he wailed in pain as she relocated his shoulders. "Hey! Warn me first! No one was able to ever come up with these kinds of weapons! How did you think of them."

"I don't remember. I do believe it has something to do with Mangetsu, though." She got up to the kitchen. Sadly Yukine had injured his dominant hand so he was pretty useless at the moment.

"How'd you even shoot your own hand? The rifle is bigger than you!"

"I don't know!"

Hikari sighed and set the first aid kit down. She took out a couple of tweezers and got to work.

Yukine stayed disturbingly silent during the bullet removal. "I don't even know how you don't feel any pain."

"I do, I'm just not a baby like you is all." He shrugged. Hikari shot him a dirty look and rolled her eyes.

"Shut up." She set the bloody tweezers and bullet down on a tissue. "I believe you can do the rest?"

Yukine nodded and started healing his injured hand. "Getting hurt by your own chakra unbelievable," Hikari muttered getting off the floor.

"You better hope we can clean this up before-"

The sound of the doorlock opening had Hikari and Yukine paling. "-your mother's here." Hikari finished with a grimace.

"Yukine!!"

"O-okaasan!"

"My carpet!"

Hikari laughed and went into the kitchen. She was quite glad to have this family.

"Ne, Hana -san?"

"Oh yes darling?"

"Do you know where are the Akatsuki?"

Hana stared at her with her unsetteling pink eyes. Eyes that reminded her of demons, or a feral monster. Eyes she had grown to like.

"You're not joining are you?"

Hikari shook her head. "No, there's someone I know there w joined them. I wanted to check up on him."

Hana looked at her in confusion. The sixteen year old couldn't possibly know how dangerous they were. Hana shrugged and directed her stare at the door. "All I know is, their main hideout is here in Amegakure. I have no idea where they are exactly."

Hikari sighed. A lead was all she wanted. The boy probably thought her dead and has been haunted by the sight of her 'burning till nothing was left of her.' Besides she had heard that Juzo -san was also there. She had to go find them both. But how?

How?

She huffed in expaseration and walked into the kitchen only to hear the shrill scream of Yukine. "Okaasan I told you I'm sorry!" His melodramatic bellow knocking her out of her thoughts.

--

"Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything!"

"You were thinking, Mangetsu, our conecction is based upon thoughts." Hikari hunched over her study gripping her head.

A wakizashi. That's what she came up with. A standard wakizashi was perched up in front of her.

Admittedly it was quite beautiful. It's ito was a majestic black colour that never seemed to fade with a blood red same. A little tomoe charm dangling from its kashira. Its saya was a jet black colour with red swirls that looked like fire.

"Wow even that wakizashi is bigger than you."

"Wha- I swear on my life Mangetsu-"

"Sorry."

"Right. What am I supposed to do with a wakizashi as a weapon anyway? I can barely fair with a katana"

"Hey!"

"Well it's the truth! I much rather nodachi or the like!"

"They're bigger than you!"

"Fuck you, Mangetsu."

"You wish." He snorted

Hikari sighed in expaseration when she heard Mangetsu's loud chuckle echoing in her room.

"Well first, you should name it."

"Right." She pondered for a moment, glancing back and forth between the wakizashi and her 'name note' infront of her for a solid five minutes. "How about, Aku?"

"Yeah, no throw it away if you'll name it that."

"Shut up, it looks like an Aku." She held her note and started to write it down.

"What?! No!"

"Yes it does! It's black and red! What the hell screams Aku (evil) more than that."

"Yeah, just don't get it near me! I might get tainted as well!"

Hikari rolled her eyes and puffed her cheeks in frustration "I'm so done with you. Why couldn't I have been stuck with Salome instead?"

"Wait, you remember Salome?"

Hikari nodded. "Quite vividly, actually."

"How?"

"I honestly don't know... Mangetsu?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think, I'll remember everything?" Hikari looked down to her lap.

"Who knows. Maybe you will, maybe you won't. But I'd say we're off to a good start if you can remember Salome." He said. More than anything right now, Mangetsu wanted to hug her.

Give her comfort just as he used to before he died. He just had to wait a little. If she could remember him as vividly as required, he would be able to grow back to his original age. Mangetsu was supposed to be seventeen but here he was stuck in a thirteen almost fourteen year old's body.

He would be able to materialize. She would be able to see him. Feel him. He'd be able to comfort her. He just had to wait.

She will definitely remember him.

"Still if you name that sword Aku, it really will become evil."

Hikari pinched the bridge of her nose closing her eyes, trying but really failing to control her annoyance.

"I'm not changing my mind Mangetsu! It's Aku whether you like it or not! It's not like I'll be using it anyway! I'll sell it and its owner will probably name it something else, Let it go."

"Nah, still don't like it."

"I think it's about time to tinker with you a bit." She grabbed his saya. "You see, the contrast is quite disturbing."

"No wait, Hikari!" He whined. "When my saya's black it makes me look cool!"

"Shut up! You're a sword for heaven's sake!"

"But-"

"La la la la, can't hear you over the tinkering noises!"

"HIKARI!"

--

Hikari eyed the hunched figure of Yukine quietly. She couldn't speak or even move an inch. What would she even say? What should someone do in such a situation?

The rain trickled down her face. It wasn't a downpour today. It was a more... gentle kind of rain.

Yukine clutched his cloak tighter around himself. His kunckles turning white. Was it because of how tight he was holding his cloak or was it because they were numb from the frigid air? Hikari could never know. It's not like she can ask.

She exhaled deeply looking at her visible breath. So cold. Her face flushed and her hands shaking, she turned to Yukine. A weeping mess sat on the soaking wet soil beneath them.

"Yukine." She sat down beside him. So dull. So... Depressing.

Putting her hand on his head she took him into her embrace. Their wet clothes didn't bother either of them

She couldn't understand how or why. She was right there! Calling them for dinner. Just now.

A strangled sob startled her out of her train of thoughts. She clutched his head tighter bringing him more into her chest as he wailed for his loss.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Yukine wasn't allowed to cry. He was the one that always cheered her up for the past year and a half. Why did he have to cry?

"Yukine."

He clenched her coat tightly wailing and whimpering into her chest. His sobs, cries and screams of anguish couldn't be heard as the rain grew heavier and heavier. The impact of the droplets almost hurt now.

"We have to go inside." She said stroking his hair gently. He buried his face into the crook of her neck. She couldn't even see him clearly now. She rested her chin on his head and closed her eyes.

"It's getting cold, Yu. We have to go, you'll run a fever." She spoke against his jet black hair. "Yu." She tugged him upwards getting off the soil. He didn't let her go.

She carried him back to the house. Only a few steps not much. He was physically , mentally and emotionally drained. She couldn't ask him to just walk away. He was significantly taller than her but she managed to carry him back.

She set him down on the sofa and took his soaked clothes off. It seemed his mind was in too much of a shock because he didn't even feel the cold. He didn't shiver or flinch in the slightest.

"I'll go run you a warm bath okay?" Not even sure he heard her, Hikari scurried up to the bathroom.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Hikari thought of Yagura's words. The words that will forever haunt her.

--

Hikari woke up in the middle of the night to find Yukine sitting at his usual seat in the kitchen. His pink eyes dull, lifeless. Eyes so much like his mother's. Eyes she had grown to love. Eyes she had yearned for after a tiring day of work. He didn't turn to see her. He didn't react when she stood beside him. Hovering just to test the waters. She decided that she won't be sitting down unless he wanted her to.

Yukine averted his eyes to her and moved his hand to put it on the spot next to him softly. A brush of his fingers really but nonetheless and invitation. The initiative Hikari was waiting for. Hesitantly, Hikari sat down next to him, waiting for any other initiative from him, but other than that small gesture, Hikari didn't receive a reaction the rest of the night.

She knew how hard it was to lose a mother. But she couldn't decide which was worse, losing her as a child because you didn't get to have her, or losing her as a grown up because you got to have her so much, the loss broke you.

Hikari eyed Yukine again. Sitting in a depressing silence, it still was an improvement. A week or so ago, Yukine wouldn't even bat an eyelash in her direction. He'd just sit there staring straight ahead not even bothering with her presence.

Not that he was much different at the moment. He still was looking ahead without bothering with her presence. Hikari closed her eyes.

'He'll be fine. Just. Fine.'

--

"You have to eat, Yukine." She held the soup towards his lips. "Not hungry." His voice hoarse from the lack of use for so long. Hikari's startled gaze fell on him. The first thing he has said in a whole month. "Please, Yukine. You have to, your body's caving in, you'll die." She pleaded holding out the spoon again.

He shook his head and smiled a bitter, angry smile. "Who cares?"

Hikari dropped the soup bowl onto the floor. Hyperventilating she ran out if the kitchen into her room. She just about had enough. She let out a strangled scream of frustration. She shouldn't be angry, he just lost his mother a month ago, she understood. But how dare he? How dare he say that no one would care if he died too? For the first time since her mother died, Hikari cried of emotional pain.

--

"Hikari we got trouble!"

"What?"

"Yagura."

Hikari's eyes widened. "What about him?"

"He's calling for our help."

"Our help? He has Isobu, he can control him why in god's name would he-"

"I don't know but we have to go, NOW!"

"Fine! But how we're three days away from-"

"I can connect to all the weapons you forge, you forged his club didn't you?"

Hikari nodded.

"Let's go then!"

Hikari quickly preformed her hand sign not applying any chakra to it.

"Yukine, would you eat, please?" She coaxed hoping this time he would listen to her. She stood outside his bedroom door waiting for a reply.

"Just leave me alone!" He slammed the door in her face. Hikari stared at his bedroom door and sighed. Certainly not the reaction she was hoping for "Well, I have to go. I have a mission back in Kiri, are you gonna be alright?"

She was met with silence. Hikari swallowed the lump in her throat, she seemed to be doing that a lot, and got on her way. Perching Mangetsu up her hip and took off. Working her way into her katana teleportation.

Yukine stared at his bedroom ceiling until he heard the faint pop from outside his bedroom door. He felt like a piece of shit. She was only trying to help. She offered nothing but comfort, no pity words no looks of sympathy, nothing. Simply comfort and help.

Not like his colleagues at the hospital.

Yukine covered his eyes with his forearm. He knew he should apologise. She had nothing to do with this, so why was he always so angry at her. She didn't try to cheer him up. She knew there was no point in that. She didn't pressure him to venture outside his room when he didn't want to.

The only pressure present from her was for him to eat. That was all. He remembered the way her face lit up when he finally accepted a spoonful of soup two days ago. Not a drop more since then, not anything other than the water she sometimes forced down his throat, quite literally. She looked so... thankful, so relieved when he accepted it.

So why was he upsetting her like this? For the first time in six weeks, Yukine felt his eyes welling up with tears.

He bit his lip to hold back a sob, not like anyone can hear him but still.

'Gomen.'

--

She stared at the burned body of Yagura. "Is he alive?"

"I hope so." Hikari bent down to check his pulse making sure to stay away from and burns as not to infect them.

"He's alive. Him on the other hand." She turned to the body lying only a few feet away.

Mangetsu was worried. This was Juzo -san. The one who Hikari was so desperate to see alongside Itachi.

"Hikari."

"I'm fine." She gritted her teeth and walked over the body taking Kubikiribouchou sticking it down in the ground beside him.

Quietly, somberly, she started digging a grave for him beside the sword.

A sign of respect for the fallen by samurai standards. A tradition the seven swordsmen had agreed upon fulfilling once one of them has fallen. The sword, no matter who had weilded it, no matter their status, no matter their degree of loyalty, the sword will not be removed until a new candidate has been found. It was law. No one in Kirigakure dared breach it.

Sitting down on her knees she closed her eyes and put her hands together in respect and had a minute of silence to herself. Mourning her mentor. "Hikari, are you alright?"

She shrugged. "I don't remember him much Mangetsu. I wish I did."

"The fact you remember him at all-"

"Is improvement, yes I know." She sighed. Got up and sheathed Mangetsu.

"A year ago, you only remembered your name! Now you remember how to forge weapons again."

Hilary nodded solemnly.

"Your remember Juzo -san and Hoshigaki -san. Even if only a little, you still remember who they are at least."

Hikari nodded again.

"We came here for Yagura. We should take him back to Kiri." Mangetsu said.

Hikari sighed and went to pick him up. Careful not to touch his burns. Quite familiar burns like the ones that grazed her feet Almost two years ago.

"Is that-"

Hikari nodded. "Amaterasu. Either that Uchiha that tried to kill me lured me here but I arrived a bit late or it was Itachi." She said heading towards the village gates.

Her road back was littered with ANBU forces. She had made sure to tie her hitate before entering the Kirigakure premises.

"Yagura!"

Hikari halted mid-step. Yagura? No honorifics?

She eyed the girl in front of her suspiciously. Admittedly she was older than her.

Quite possibly a twenty year old. "Is he alright?"

Oh.

Startled Hikari nodded. "As alright as he can be." She shruged him out of her hold setting him down allowing her to take him.

To Hikari, the woman's eyes held nothing but concern and affection. Nothing more, nothing less.

Oh.

"Take care of him." She bowed her head and went to head back to Juzo's grave.

"Wait! Who are you?"

"Yuki, that's all you need to know."

"Thank you!"

Hikari held her left hand up shrugging her thanks off. "Keep an eye out on Kubikiribouchou. I don't want anyone taking it without my knowlege. I shall be the one to deem them worthy or not of wielding it."

Mangetsu sighed. "You got it."

--

Itachi walked away from Orochimaru. He was on his way back to his place, but he just had to interrupt him. Right now, Itachi wished Pain would select a partner for him already. A crow perched on his forearm. He sighed deciding to take his crow's advice and continued on to get to Juzo -san's grave. Someone buried him and Itachi had to pay his respects.

He just wondered who, and why.

Surely the 'Bloddy Mist' couldn't care less. Especially not about someone who deserted and betrayed the village.

So who would do such a thing?