Hikari stared straight ahead as she was perched up on a tree branch.

"What do you mean, you're not going back?"

"Patience, Mangetsu. Yukine probably needs time alone."

"Wha- of course he doesn't! He needs you to be there, idiot."

Hikari scoffed. "He sure acts like it, doesn't he?" She knew she was being a child. She knew that there was no way she should expect Yukine to actually talk to her right now, or for him to brighten up a bit, but how much more of this could she take?

Hikari was tempermental by nature. She was definitely not a patient person, either, so the fact that she even put up with this for so long.

It was taking it's toll on her. "Hikari, don't be a brat."

"I don't care, Mangetsu. All I'm saying is I'm staying here for sometime until I've cooled down. If I burst in his face I won't be able to look him in the eye afterwards, we both know that." She shrugged her backpack off her shoulders and hang off the tree with her feet like a bat.

"What are you doing?"

"Meditation." She closed her eyes and concentrated.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Ten.

Twenty.

Shit.

"We have to get out of this forest." Mangetsu's worried voice echoed in her head.

Hikari simply slid the backpack over her shoulder again and leaped off still hanging upside down.

She didn't know who they were. They could be from Kirigakure coming back to thank her after she 'saved' Yagura.

Nah that's too far fetched. The Bloody Mist thanking someone, even if that someone is one of them? What a laugh.

"Mangetsu."

"On it... Konoha."

Hikari clicked her tongue. "Rank?"

"ANBU."

"Shit." Hikari sneaked a hand into her weapon pouch pulling out a hand pistol. "Do you know where they're going?"

"Strangely enough the same way we are. They're too far away to sense either of us though."

Hikari chewed on her lips. "This isn't good. I really don't want to engage in battle right now."

"Don't you find it strange?"

"They're about twenty, yes what is up with that."

"More so they're scattered to cover more ground."

"You think they're escorting the Hokage?"

"Or an elder."

"Something still isn't right. Konoha doesn't have any alliances going on with the rest of the villages. Why would-"

She had let her guard down. Big mistake.

A kick to her stomach sent her flying into the tree behind her. She recovered quickly and got up looking at her assaulter.

Twenty. Just as she thought, either they're cautious or they really know who she is.

Hikari pulled a scroll out and unsealed her rifle. Luckily Yukine was very talented in fuinjutsu.

"Hikari, I don't think-"

"I know but I can't get rid of them any faster than this!" She aimed, fired and tore nerve after nerve. Making sure her chakra bullets hit vital organs, organs that will cause a painfully slow but sure death, even with medical attention.

They dashed at her, but she was known for multi tasking. She knew the rifle would hold her back so she dispelled it and brought out two pistols instead.

She leaped up in the air, twisted her body and came back upside down.

She aimed for the kill. She wasn't known for mercy.

She killed without a second thought. Killed twenty men all older than her, then stared directly into his eyes.

Well eye.

Hikari narrowed her eyes. "Who the fuck do you think you are attacking me like that?"

"We have an order of arrest."

"You do realize that I'm from Kirigakure right? Even the Bloody Mist will attack if you 'arrest' one of them, are you sure you want to wage that war?"

"We have intel that you are in association with wanted criminal, Uchiha Itachi."

"Itachi?! I haven't seen him! Fucking hell you think you can just walk up to someone and attack them because-"

The kunai whipped past her.

"Uh-oh, you better pay attention to where you aim that, it could really hurt someone."

"Please, come with me quietly."

"Like hell I am! Wait did you just say please?"

"Being polite is a courtesy and-"

Hikari frowned what the- why was a Konoha ANBU being 'polite', unless-

"Drop the act Kakashi -san, your ANBU comrades are all either dead or unconscious. So? What is it that you wanted?"

"I'm surprised. I even used a different mask."

"Kakashi -san."

"Right, I shouldn't even be here, you see I was on my way of life and saw a cat that followed this ANBU squad-"

"Kakashi -san."

"Yes of course, anyway, I'm here to tell you to be careful, someone issued an arrest order, they want to capture you."

Hikari frowned. "Why are you warning me? We're not friends. We're from enemy villages and-"

"You're that kid from back then aren't you?"

Confusion written on her face. "If I ever did anything for you I don't remember, and I'd rather you not act on it."

"Right. Then professionally speaking-"

"'Professionally' would mean me killing you or the vice versa."

"Fine, if you ever do get arrested, as you said there will be a war between Kirigakure and Konohagakure. Think of this as my way to protect my village."

"Nothing more?"

"Nothing more, I promise." Kakashi raised his hands as if in surrender.

"Okay then. Thank you Kakashi -san."

"But man, I can see why they call you 'Killshot'."

Hikari scoffed and made a finger gun pointing at his heart. "Nah, wouldn't kill you of all people, I like you too much for that."

"Well then, thank you..."

She stiffened.

"Ah, don't worry, all my comrades are dead or unconscious, your identity is safe."

"Yuki is fine, Kakashi -san."

"That's your alias isn't it?"

Hikari nodded. "Fine, I'll call you that, until you give me your real na-"

"Were not friends, Kakashi -san."

"Of course, of course. Now if you will excuse me."

Scoffing, Hikari turned away from him and continued on her way.

Yukine paced back and forth in the living room. Why isn't she back yet?

Surely a mission wouldn't take that long. Except if it's a long term but she never mentioned anything about that. She would have right? Yukine sat down and gripped his head tight ruffling his hair in stress.

She has to be safe. Right?

No this is Hikari, of course she is. She can create weapons on a whim. She'll be fine, but she sure as hell would be disappointed if he doesn't eat anything.

Maybe a sandwich wouldn't hurt.

Yeah, she'll definitely kill him when she's back and finds out he hadn't eaten anything since she's been gone.

"Well?"

"No use, couldn't even hear me."

"Tch, this is bad, Kakashi knows my identity, he knows I'm alive."

"Hikari.."

"Yukine'll be in danger if anyone associates us. They think I'm associated with Itachi, making me a criminal and if I'm a criminal and Yukine is associated with me he'll be a criminal too and they'll hunt him down in order to get to me and then they'll hunt me down in order to get to Itachi," Hikari said not evem pausing for a breath. She raised a bloodied hand to her head.

"Hikari.."

"Why the hell did I have to talk to him a year ago!" She groaned. "Things would've been so much easier if we hadn't met."

"Hikari..."

"I wouldn't be targeted right now and why the hell are they searching for me now? Wait have they been doing it for he past year? Why the hell haven't I encountered them till now? What the hell is going on?"

"Hikari..."

"Yukine is in danger because of me, I have to think of something."

"Hikari..."

"Ah! I know! I'll fake my death again, then run away. Yukine will-"

"HIKARI!"

Hikari stopped her rant abruptly raising Mangetsu to her face. "What?!"

"Do you honestly believe Yukine will be able to bear with your 'death' just after his own mother died?"

"But-"

"But nothing! You can protect him and he sure as hell can protect himself you hear?"

Hikari nodded.

"Two deaths in a row is too much to handle for a normal human being. Don't be selfish!"

"I'm not being selfish! I'm doing it for his sake-"

"Hikari!"

Hikari grunted.

"Calm down."

Hikari nodded again.

Mangetsu sighed. "Anyway, we should find a solution."

Hikari opened her mouth.

"Faking your death isn't an option."

Hikari frowned and looked at the ground. "Then what?"

"I don't know. We should head back."

"Wait! What if some phsycopathic asshole-"

"Hikari, for fuck's sake watch your fucking language!"

"You! Are you an idiot? A moron? Huh?!"

"You little brat-"

"I'm only one year younger than you you fucking piece of shit!"

"Look who's talking." Mangetsu muttered under his breath.

"What was that?!"

"Like I said-"

Hikari groaned. "Why can't I get a break today?!"

"No wait, that chakra is familiar."

Hikari frowned. "A good familiar or a bad familiar?"

"I don't know." Hikari wiped a bit of blood off her face and breathed deeply.

Calmly, like Hoshigaki -san taught her long ago.

Wait, Hoshigaki -san?

"Hoshigaki -san!" Hikari beamed leaping off the ground.

"Wait! We don't know how he'll react! What if he thinks you're an imposter!"

"That's impossible! He has Samehada! It'll recognise me no matter how I look!"

Running up a tree to get to a high point, Hikari's smile only widened with every step she took.

When was the last time she felt that delighted to meet someone?

Hoshigaki Kisame banged Samehada on the floor. Had it defected? Why would it after six years?

Did Hikari do something wrong that affected it after long term use?

Nah, that's impossible, that kid knew what she was doing even if she was only ten.

Man he missed that, brat. Always eager to learn and work hard. Mangetsu too, he wondered what happened to him. He knew Hikari was dead, she has been for the past four years. Dying at twelve was really tragic even for a kunoichi.

Kisame sighed, yeah that girl couldn't have done anything wrong while reforging Samehada, she had spent an entire year studying it's mechanism like all the others who attempted to reforge it before her. There's no way it has a fault. If anything this one's better than the one before it.

Lighter, faster, stronger and less of a chakra glutton.

So why the hell was Samehada acting like a fucking school girl all happy and stealing more chakra from him than usual?

Kisame let out a frustrated growl hitting Samehada a little too hard cracking the ground beneath it.

No really why was Samehada blushing?

And why was it smiling. A happy smile actually not at all the sadistic one he was accustomed to?

What the hell is going on?

Yeah maybe it defected. Kisame glared at the scaly sword.

Giving it the stink eye, Kisame raised it to his back again continuing to his way.

Except that backfired. It seemed to make it even 'happier.'

"The hell?" Kisame just had about enough. "That kid did something back then. There no possible explanation."

He immediately reggreted saying that because of two reasons.

One was because at the mention of it's forger Samehada let out a 'happy' yelp instead of it's usual growl.

"You shut the hell up!" Kisame said. All frustrated he gripped his head. "Why did I have to be stuck with you of all of the seven swords."

Two was because the girl almost died forging this piece of shit, and was taken away from her mother because of it. Nah no way she defected it. Maybe he did something wrong? Yeah that's possible too.

Samehada only absorbed more chakra. "Okay that's it!"

Kisame gloved his hand and wrapped bandages over samehada's handle holding him as far away as he could.

Now dangling, Samehada moved freely and swung over a certain direction.

"Are you alive or something? Oi!" Somehow Samehada's pull overpowered him and had him going in that same direction.

Ticked off, Kisame decided to follow his sword. Maybe he could find someone strong enough to battle him.

Yeah that must be why Samehada is so excited.

"I'm telling you this is a bad idea!"

"And I'm telling you, he has Samehada! Samehada would recognize me anywhere!"

"Wha- he doesn't know that!"

"Of course he does!"

"What if he doesn't have it anymore?"

"He has it! Besides I could prove to him that it's me!"

"He won't believe you unless you forge a Samehada 2.5! And you sure as hell aren't, you almost died the first time!"

"You're here aren't you? Yukine and the documents said that only one of the seven swords' forger could trap a soul in a weapon. And they'd have to create that weapon themselves!"

"Well yeah but-"

"Besides! I'm older and more experienced now! Who says I won't be able to make a new one?"

"Don't get cocky, you little shit."

"Shut up! The only one capable of forging one of them right now is me, Yagura said so."

"You trust him too much, I feel like something is wrong with Yagura."

"You noticed too?"

Mangetsu almost nodded but he remembered, she still can't see him. "Yeah, I did. More importantly-"

"I have to find Hoshigaki -san! He's getting closer."

"That's not what I was going to say. Hikari you-"

"Ah! I can see him! Look!" Hikari exclaimed peering down from atop the tallest tree in the area.

"Hikari-"

"Yosh! Let's go!" She stepped off the tree branch. Letting herself free fall Hikari's eyes locked onto her target.

Smiling to herself before manipulating the air around her slightly with chakra, she slowed her fall until she hit the ground.

"Hoshigaki -san!" Hikari smiled so widely her sharp canines came into view.

"Hoshigaki -san! It's me!" She waved to him not masking her chakra as she usually would.

"Hikari! If someone else found us-"

"Hoshigaki -san!"

"Listen to me!"

"Oh don't be such a worrier! We'll be fi-"

She barely dodged the hit that came her way.

Unsheathing Mangetsu, she got into her battle stance. Glaring in the direction the attack came from.

"I told you-"

"Shut up you good for nothing katana! Let me concentrate!" She exhaled quietly. Why does she have to engage in two battles with only a thirty minute interval between them?

Yeah That's enough for today, she should just head back to Yukine and have a warm bath.

Another attack came her way. She dodged that one too, well almost. Her cheek was grazed and now she was bleeding. Man it's been a while since she bled.

In battle that is, not from Yukine firing a bullet or two on her.

Seriously she should hide those weapons from him.

Another attack that she barely had enough time to block herself.

"Tch, Hisatsu: Kirigakure no justsu."

"Bad idea-"

"I need time to think! I can't see my opponent anyway, why should he?!"

"Hikari.. Are you serious right now?!"

She stuck him to the ground and sat crisscrossed beside him.

Closing her eyes Hikari concentrated, her chakra let loose as she tried to identify the enemy.

"Seriously?"

"What-"

"Hate to say, Mangetsu, but you were right. Someone else did find us, and is trying to attack me."