Beads of sweat ran down Hikari's face as she stared straight ahead to her opponent. Honestly? She didn't know what to make of him.

She was simply exhausted. Tired, beat and on the verge of losing consciousness. She was sure she had seen this person before.

He looked unpleasantly familiar.

"Tch, this guy's actually giving me a hard time." She smiled. "Man, it's been a while."

Still she couldn't put her finger on who he was.

Bandaged face, brown hair, tall, well built.

What even?

Is that Kubikiribocho?

Definitely Kiri, so why was he attacking her?

"Mangetsu!"

"What?! I was busy sending your message!"

"Damnit! You! I fixed that you're no allowed to just take it!"

"It's mine little girl."

"No it was Juzo -san's I put it there! I fixed it! I get to determine who takes it after him."

"You fixed it?"

"It was broken you see." Hikari stared directly in the man's eyes. "I know you, I feel like I've seen you before."

"You said you fixed it?"

"Yes! It was split in half! I fixed it and stuck it beside Juzo -san's grave! Who the hell do you think you are to take it?!"

"Wait! Wait! Hikari?!"

"Oh my god! He knows! Mangetsu!"

"Mangetsu's dead and so is Hikari! You can't be her"

Hikari eyed him incredulously. "Are you an idiot?"

He just stared at her. Hikari stared back. "Are all seven swordsmen of Kirigakure idiots or do I just get the joy of meeting the idiots?" She asked Mangetsu.

"Hey! Who said I'm an idiot?" Mangetsu spat back.

"I did." Hikari shrugged before going back to staring at her opponent. Yeah he still looked familiar.

"He looks familiar. Oi! You look familiar!"

He stared at her like she grew two heads. Sure she looked like what Hikari would look like had she lived and became a young woman, but... Hikari died a year after reforging Samehada.

If Kubikiribocho really was broken then, the only one who could fix it was one of the forgers and as far as he was concerned, the Heiki's didn't no couldn't raise a froger in the past two decades except Hikari.

That girl claimed that Kubikiribocho was broken. She claimed to fix it. She claimed to be Hikari.

She claimed that Heiki Hikari was still alive. And that she was her.

Zabuza stared at her. She stared at him. Surely if she was Hikari she'd recognize him by now.

"Who are you?" He asked. At this point he was leaning against his executioner blade not bothering with keeping his fighting stance.

So was she. And neither of them Let their guard down.

"I should be the one asking you that." She put her chin on Mangetsu's hilt, his water bottle charm poking into it.

He blinked at her before frowning. "You said you fixed this, you said it was broken and then you fixed it." He gestured to Kubikiribocho.

Now that he thought about it, Kubikiribocho was lighter, more fluid and responsive, faster, it's strikes more powerful and required less effort.

All of those were characteristics which Hoshigaki Kisame claimed to Samehada after little Hikari reforged it. He even said that it was less of a chakra glutton.

Zabuza still wasn't convinced. He still wondered, if this was the result of her only 'fixing' it after it was supposedly broken, then what if she reforged it all together?

Is that why Yagura announced her dead to the entire world? Was he protecting her or trying to keep her to himself? Maybe a bit of both?

Hikari kept her analytic gaze on the man in front of her.

"I'm surprised you still haven't figured out who he is." Mangetsu laughed.

"So we do know him!"

"Well yes, if he looks familiar to you that means your memories of him are coming back."

"Probably."

She looked at the man in front of her. Both of them were deep in thought about the other. Try as they might they couldn't figure out who the other was.

Hikari swallowed, man this was actually hurting her brain.

"Who are you?" Hikari blinked at him standing straight again. "Momichi Zabuza."

"Zabuza.. Zabuza.. Zabu- ah!" Hikari sheathed Mangetsu and ran up to him.

The flashbacks were consistent. She remembered him vividly. So vividly she wondered if she forgot about him at all.

"Zabuza -san!" She tackled him into one of her famous bear hugs. Caught off guard, he tumbled to the ground.

He instinctively held her tightly in his arms. He groaned and pried his arms off her. "Oi! Who do you think-" his words stopped short when he saw that beaming smile on her face.

This seemed familiar. Oh yes Hikari was the only one her age brave enough to actually approach him or initiate any physical contact that involved or didn't involve fighting.

As he looked more closely to her stradling him with that awfully bright smile and warm yellow eyes, he realized that this was his little Hikari all grown up.

Why were her eyes yellow though? She had walnut brown eyes that he was sure of. So why are they yellow now?

Zabuza sighed and pushed her off. "Go away, kid I don't have time for this." He got up and turned the other way.

"But-"

"But nothing, there's someone I need to look for!"

Hikari gasped. Zabuza whipped around to face her again. "What?"

"You care about someone?!" Hikari exclaimed in mock surprise.

"Ya little runt I oughtta kill you!"

Hikari pouted. "Zabuza -san! Let me see you again!" She waved at him goodbye with her bright smile.

Zabuza only put a hand up to let her know he heard her.

Hikari grinned again putting her arm beside her again. "Hoshigaki -san just passed us." Hikari pouted again.

"Hikari."

"Hm?"

"It's been three months already. Maybe you should head back."

Hikari sighed. "Yeah, maybe I should. Do you think Yukine'll be mad at me?"

"Only one way to find out. You ready to go?"

"Yeah! But first, let me buy some daifuku!" Hikari grinned and went to the next town.

He didn't expect it. Seeing her again. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He saw her die right before his eyes. Her eyes had turned from a burning red to a deep haunting violet in a split second. He was sure she died. Nothing was left of her he saw it.

Even her pure white sword burned with her. The question that layed on his mind was why? Why did her eyes change colour? Did she have a kekki genkai? Is that because of it? Is it a justsu?

Did she put them under a genjutsu? No that can't be right.

Right?

Itachi didn't and never expected to see her again. Especially not in a sweets shop ordering daifuku. Again.

He wondered whether he should walk up to her. Demand answers. How did she not die? Or was this only a person who looked like her.

He couldn't see her katana anywhere so that was a possibility, and a high one at that.

He set an analytic gaze on her. She had yellow eyes this time. Not a creepy kind of yellow. No. A yellow that would make a person feel warm and happy.

Not at all like that snake he knew. Yeah definitely not. He liked her yellow. It made him feel a bit happy, even if he hasn't felt it for the past two years.

The fourteen year old kept his gaze plastered on her. Maybe she'd notice him. Maybe she wouldn't.

Itachi sighed and rested his chin on his hand.

Why on earth was his new partner late?

No he was just early.

His eyes followed her until she walked out of the store happily. Daifuku in hand and a warm smile that if one stared at it enough would lift their spirits on her face.

Itachi averted his eyes from the door, he really, really wanted to sleep.

Really.

"Tadaima!" Hikari called into the house. "Yukine! I'm home!"

Hikari frowned when she didn't receive an answer. "Yukine?"

Was he so mad at her that he wouldn't come and greet her?

"Yukine?" She blinked her eyes darting around the dim lit house. A lump was on the floor she noticed how it breathed heavily. It was either he was having sex or he was in extreme pain.

Honestly? She didn't know if she'd prefer the former or the latter.

She took a chance and walked to him. She didn't want to alert him to her presence anymore than she already had. If he was in the middle of something, she'd rather go unnoticed. It's not like she could pass as his biological sister and she didn't want to risk the wrath of a jealous counterpart.

After all hell hath no fury than a woman scorned. She could confirm that saying herself.

Steady on her feet, Hikari came closer to Yukine to find him alone. She felt her shoulder ease from the tension.

Sighing she tried to inspect him more. Why wasn't the house properly lit?

His panting made it sound like he was in pain. Immense pain, Hikari never wanted to see him in pain. Ever. Especially not after what she witnessed a little over four months ago.

Sitting beside him Hikari sniffed quietly to find any trace of blood. Now that she thought about it, the house looked perfectly clean. No sign of breaking in or out. No sign or resistance.

No blood no breaking in or out. What is going on?

Hikari thought of only one plausible explanation. Putting her hand to his forehead, she confirmed her suspicions. Yukine was burning up.

If the house was so dark then that means the lights haven't been on since at least this morning.

How long has he been lying here so helplessly on his own?

Hikari stood up from beside Yukine and went to turn the lights on.

She walked back to him and put his head on her lap checking for anything other than a fever.

He was shaking like a leaf and instantly snuggled into her warmth. Hikari cradled his head and looked for any possible wound infection that could have caused this.

Her keen eye found a bit of swelling in his tonsils, and his nose. The flu perhaps.

She picked him up and turned upstairs to his bedroom lying him on the bed covering his body with as many blankets as she could find including the one that currently sat on her made bed.

Next she needed medicine. Something to bring down the fever, she couldn't diagnose anything other than the fever. For all she knew it might be a symptom not a cause. If she could get him to wake up, only for a few minutes to diagnose himself, she'd know what to do.

Pulling out one of the medicine jars that clearly said, 'fever' on it, Hikari raced back to Yukine's room.

She wondered how long he stayed like that. So cold and vulnerable.

On her way up she looked at her newly forged wakizashi. It was sitting right there maybe, just maybe she could find something out. But her first priority was Yukine.

She held him up from his position on the bed to give him his medicine.

"Yukine." She whispered quietly in his ear. "Yu, wake up." She nuzzled her nose in the crook of his neck. They always woke each other up like that.

He whimpered against her cheek. "I know it hurts, that's why I need you to wake up okay?"

His heavy breathing didn't ease a bit but she still tried to wake him up. When his eyes cracked open Hikari almost dropped the cool glass of water.

He looked like he was in so much pain, it hurt her.

"Yu, come on." She nudged him gently lifting his head upwards a bit.

She put the blue pill in his mouth and the glass of water against his lips and urged him to drink it down.

Now she needed a cold wet towel. Standing up from his desk chair which convinently had wheels, Hikari went back to the kitchen.

This is going to be a long night. And she lost her appetite for the daifuku she wanted to share with him.

Planting her hands on Aku's hilt, Hikari waited until she met something.

She waited for a long time, but she got nothing.

Groaning in frustraiton, she pulled the wakizashi to her room putting it on her desk.

Summoning a bit of chakra she put her head on it this time then she was met with everything.

Two days, Yukine slept there alone for two days. Vulnerable to any kind of attack, to any assault that could've happened to him while she was gone.

Damn it, damn it all she could've lost him too.

Then what?! How long will she keep losing people?

Hikari swallowed the lump in her throat and got off her chair.

Two days.

Why couldn't she come back sooner? Why did she have to be so stubborn?

What if he died because of the fever? Or whatever was wrong with him? What happened? Why?

A million questions ran through her head and it was starting to physically hurt.

Gripping her head tightly, Hikar rubbed her hair in frustration, choking back sobs that raked through her chest.

Anyway she had to check back on him. He had to be fine right?

He will be fine no matter what right?

After all, Yukine's got a long successful life ahead of him.

Hana -san told her so.

Hikari didn't expect that. Well she did call the hospital and she knew it was full of Yukine's colleagues, but she still didn't expect that.

She didn't expect a girl coming in with such a worried expression on her face.

Even she wasn't that worried. And she was worried as hell, this girl just was even more worried than her.

Strange isn't it?

"Are you a doctor or one of his friends? You don't seem that professional."

"Oh? I'm Mitsuki! Please just call me 'Tsuki! Actually I'm Yukine's girlfriend."

Girlfriend? Since when? Why didn't she know about this? When did this happen?

Was this before or after she was gone?

Hikari shook her head, no time for worrying about that.

"But I didn't ask for his girlfriend I asked for a doctor."

"Yes! I know that's why I'm here!" She smiled at her. "Are you Hikari?" She asked going up the stairs to Yukine's bedroom.

Hikari nodded.

"Nice to finally meet you! Yukine's told me so much about you! I hope we become friends!"

"Okay. But Yukine-" Hikari cut herself off. It wasn't wise to say he hadn't mentioned her in the past nine months. Maybe it was skinny love?

Casual?

She didn't dare ask. One thing she did know though, she liked her.

She had that peaceful aura about her. It felt familiar. Hikari was able to tell.

Yukine didn't know what happened or how it happened, he was in his bed, felling quite toasty actually.

He didn't know if this was comfortable or uncomfortable. One thing he did know, he didn't like being this sweaty.

Not at all. He tried prying the blankets off him.

Key word, tried.

Groaning in frustration, he arched his back and tried heaving the blankets off him.

His plans; however were cut short when his bedroom door opened and that face he's been longing to see for so long, but couldn't because of his depression after his mother's death, came in.

He smiled at her as she came closer to him straddling him and planting a soft kiss to his lips.

"Hey." He smiled after she released his lips.

"Hey." She smiled back before diving in for another kiss.

"'Tsuki, I'm sick."

"I know, that's why I came! Oh and your sister prepared something for you!"

"My si- Hikari! Hikari's here?!" He sat up quickly making his head pound.

"Ow."

Mitsuki laughed and pushed him back onto the pillows that propped him up enough.

"You should rest, I only just diagnosed you, apparently you couldn't stay awake for a solid minute. She called in frantically saying you were sick and she didn't know what to do."

Yukine smiled at that. It was always a good thing to hear or see her conveying emotions.

In the past nine months (six? Do the past three count?) Yukine slowly but surely got some emotion display out if her.

It was nice.

The day se came here she was stiff as a board. No facial expression what so ever. He only helped have her quirks surface.

"Oi! Hikari! Yukine's awake!"

"W-wait!"

"She was worried so much, you'll never believe it!" Mitsuki smiled down at him, kissed his forehead and got off.

"Yukine!" She burst into the door tears very well pooling in her eyes.

Those hot pink eyes that shone with tears.

Honestly, their vividness out did his own.

"Hikari we-"

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" She pulled him in one of her famous bear hugs as if holding onto him for dear life.

He hugged her back closing his eyes and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Now that he thought about it, he remembered snippets of those pink eyes staring at him.

Caring for him. Holding his hand. Squeezing them for reassurance. Closing as they slept next to him on his uncomfortable study chair.

Staying by his side, propping him up to eat, take his medicine, and check his temperature.

Cleaning his sweat glistened face. Staying up for his comfort. Caring for him in the time of his vulnerability.

It was a blur, but it was there.

Against his better judgement, he thought they were his mother's, but she had chestnut hair, not the jet black his mother had despite her old age.

Now that he was awake he realised they were Hikari's worried eyes. Hot pink is worry.

He needed to write that down.

"I heard you took care of me."

She nodded.

"And you called the hospital."

She nodded again.

"Have you met 'Tsuki?"

Hikari nodded again a tear leaking from her eyes as she held him tighter.

"Do you like her?"

She nodded again, this time she let out a small sob.

Yukine smiled and raised his head to kiss her forehead.

"Thank you, Hikari."

She reached up to wipe her tears away nodding at his words.

He pulled her into his embrace again and rested his chin on her head.

"Thank you for everything."