Hikari bit her lip in anxiousness. Or was it embarrassment?

Honestly? She felt like she was intruding on a very, very private moment. She kept her gaze down not bothering to look at the couple kissing so comfortably on the couch.

Hikari was, by no means, a blushing vigin.

Far from it actually, but it was things like this that made her blush.

They looked so intimate without any lust and it was driving her insane.

She took a small step back to hide behind the walls to the living room. She put her hands to her cheeks hoping her cold hands could calm her heated cheeks.

"My fucking god, I'm acting like a six year old." She shook her head and breathed in.

With new found confidence, she attempted to walk into he living room again. She really, really wanted to go to the kitchen.

Keyword attempted. When she saw Mitsuki's head laying comfortably on Yukine's lap while he played with her silver hair, she immeadiated sucked in a breath and blushed even more furiously than before.

Returning to her previous position behind the walls to the living room she put her whole face in her hand before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Well, guess no daifuku for now."

She walked back upstairs to her room.

"I thought you were getting daifuku?"

Hikari cleared her throat. "No."

"Liar! What happened? Did it go bad?"

"No."

"And why are you blushing?" Mangetsu deadpanned.

"W-well..."

He snorted. "Shut up." She put her hands on her face.

"I can't believe it! Big bad Killshot blushes from intimacy. What a great joke!"

"Mangetsu!" She wailed putting her face in her pillow.

"I mean it's funny really!"

"Fuck off."

He laughed and she smiled at the sound. Mangetsu's laugh was something she could always look forward to hearing.

She lied back on her bed her pillow still in her arm. "Say, Mangetsu?"

"Hmm?"

She grinned. "Was it you or was it Suigetsu that spilled laundry water on Hoshigaki -san and Zabuza -san?" Hikari laughed at the memory.

"Ah! That was both of us! If I remember correctly, I took care of Hoshigaki -san and Suigetsu Zabuza -san."

"And then Zabuza -san hang Suigetsu upside down on a tree for a whole day!" Hikari laughed.

"He did! And then he thought it would b a good idea to bite the rope off and he planted himself face-first in the ground!"

Hikari grinned. "He couldn't turn into water yet but the stress of the situation triggered his Hozuki ability!"

Mangetsu laughed again. He really, really missed his brother. His laughter faded and he looked down on his hands.

He felt a slight pressure on his shoulder, and his eyes widened. His head whipped to the side to find her hand perched on his shoulder with a sad smile on her face.

"Are you okay?"

Mangetsu opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't. His shaky hand reached up to her face, cupping her cheek, he could feel it. He could physically feel her skin.

"Hikari?"

She grinned and put her hand on his.

His face mirrored her own and he got closer to her. Pointing at himself. "You-you can see me?"

She nodded.

"You can feel this right?"

She nodded again tears pooling in her eyes.

Yellow. Her eyes were that deep warm yellow again. Deeper than when she had seen Zabuza.

This wasn't just happiness this was... Euphoria.

She laughed through her tears before pulling the frozen seventeen year old's trancelusent body into her embrace.

"Welcome back to the world of the living Mangetsu!" She said ruffling his hair.

His cheeks reddened at her gesture.

"Why are you blushing?" Hikari deadpanned.

Mangetsu's eyes widened and instantly pulled her into his arms.

"Why you!" He grinned and put his fist to her head holding her into a head lock.

Hikari instinctively put her hand on his forearm and laughed.

Man was she glad she remembered him.

Yukine frowned at Hikari hunched over the toilet puking her guts out.

"Maybe you shouldn't have eaten so much daifuku, Hikari."

Mangetsu stood in the corner snickering to himself. "Because of the daifuku, sure."

Hikari, in her vulnerable position pulled out her middle finger and pointed it towards Yukine.

Yukine gaped and realised why she must be puking and a furious blush crept onto his pale face. "We didn't-"

Mangetsu let out a full laugh this time.

When Hikari finally rose from her fetal position she glared at Yukine.

"I know I'm no blushing vigin, Yukine, but please, please, please if you two are going to do that don't do it in front of me."

"We didn't even go that far." Yukine grumbled looking down.

"You have a room and a goddamned bed! Use it! I can't imagine the dinner table being that comfortable!" She said before curling up again and poured her guts out.

Mangetsu laughed. She flipped him the bird too.

"Both of you, fuck off!"

"Happy birthday!" Mangetsu cannonballed onto Hikari's back as she slept.

"Fuck! Mangetsu!" She wailed.

"It's your birthday! Be a bit more happier!"

"No! I wanna sleep!" Seventeen year old Hikari rolled out from under him.

"You're no fun." Mangetsu pouted.

She groaned and put her pillows to her face. "Fuck off Mangetsu, just fuck the hell off!"

"Nah I'll pass."

"HIKARI! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Yukine bellowed from the kitchen and up the stairs.

Hikari whimpered, oh please god please don't let him come in please.

Yukine slammed the door open with so much force it banged shut again before he could move an inch into the room.

Now, startled awake, Hikari groaned and put her hand up in surrender. "I'm up, I'm up, please, no more noises, please!" She rubbed her face, her cheeks still flushed from her deep sleep.

Yukine opened the door more gently this time and grinned at her. "Oh! Yeah! Someone is waiting for you at the door." Yukine pointed behind him.

She looked up at him. "At this hour?"

"It's noon, Hikari."

Hikari groaned before lying back on her bed.

"HIKARI!"

"I SWEAR TO GOD YUKINE!" She jerked up and slammed her pillow in his face.

He caught the pillow and grinned at her. "Now, you're up!"

She huffed and got off the bed. She trotted to the wardrobe and picked her outfit for the day.

She began changing, it's not like any of them minded. This has become her routine for the past two years.

Then? She decided against it. Yeah she'll just stay like this she won't wear clothes for today. Besides, her under ware was really modest today so what's the harm?

Nah nothing. Yukine didn't mind, he got used to it. Mangetsu? Well he got used to it too, she has always been like that, and Hikari just got hot more than the average person.

It was a fairly warm day for the average person. For her? It was as if someone put her in the oven.

Yeah, she'll just keep those off. She shrugged and put her black shorts and red top back in her closet.

"Who's at the door anyway?" She yawned making her way to the bathroom. To brush her teeth.

"I don't know, but one of them was blue. Like really blue you know?"

Hikari eyed him like he had grown two heads.

"Yeah, poor guy must have a serious skin condition." Yukine shook his head.

"And the other one was... How to describe him? Oh he had black hair, it was so soft, Hikari, you should've seen it I'm jealous." He pouted.

"Naw, your hair's amazing, Yu."

"Thanks!" He grinned.

"Well then I have to go greet our guests." Yukine nodded and moved out of the way.

Hikari opened the door, stared at the two standing outside.

The shorter one blushed and averted his eyes although his stoic expression remained intact while the taller, blue skinned one just stared back at her.

Hikari closed the door again and leaned against it deadpanning at Yukine.

"Well who was it?"

Hikari stared at him pointedly. "When they asked about me, what did you tell them?"

"Oh, no they didn't I just assumed you knew them because I didn't and no one really knows where we live you see. We are on the outskirts of the village in a remote area."

Hikari pinched the bridge of her nose. "Right."

Well shit.

Shit shit shit shit. Oh and did she mention shit?

"I'm sooo fucked!" She groaned. She sighed and got up to her bedroom.

She pulled out her black shorts and her red top she had originally picked a few minutes ago.

Hoshigaki Kisame laughed at his partner's antics.

He was still blushing and clenching his teeth.

"Oh come on Itachi -san, it wasn't that bad."

Itachi side glanced at him and stayed quiet.

Kisame whistled. "Scary."

What just happened? Now he did confirm his suspicions, she was very much alive, but he most certainly did not expect that.

She literally opened the door, walked out half naked, gave them both a once over and closed the door again.

Of course, Itachi wasn't exactly naive but he had never seen a woman that...

Boldly dressed? Was she considered dressed?

Itachi frowned at his train of thought, they were here to recruit her anyway. Pain had a suspicion that Heiki Hikari was still alive. Despite everything else going against his beliefs, he insisted they find her.

The only support and the only way the even found her was that Kisame had the same thoughts. And it was only based on a hunch, because Samehada had been reacting to someone's presence a few months ago.

They followed Samehada when it reacted back when the arrived again in Amegakure after they had spent weeks on end looking for her. And now she came out looking like that.

Itachi's train of thought was interrupted when the door opened again.

Thankfully, this time she was fully dressed.

She looked uo at both of them before smiling and waving at Kisame.

Itachi averted his eyes to Kisame who was mirroring her.

"We have a lot to talk about." He said with a sickly sweet tone that, if Itachi was being honest, sent chills down his spine and he wasn't on the receiving end of his anger.

She swallowed and smiled nervously. "By all means." She gestured to the road ahead.

She turned to him and smiled. "Hi."

Itachi remained silent. Well what was he supposed to say anyway? Her supposed death haunted him for months on end and now there she was smiling at him and greeting him.

He nodded in greeting. There was no harm in being polite.

"Your weapons, Hikari." Kisame was beyond pissed. The brat was alive all this time, and Samehada wasn't defected by any means.

Hikari frowned and pulled out her katana and a couple of hand pistols.

Kisame stared at her.

Hikari bit her lip and pulled out three gatling guns, four rifles, six scoop eights, and a machine gun.

Kisame drummed his fingers on the table between them.

Hikari sighed and pulled out a bazooka, two wakizashi's three nodachi's, another katana, seven 9mm, two standard guns a scoop six, and the standard ninja kunai and shuriken.

Yeah he was getting tired of her bullshit.

He cocked an eyebrow at her waiting for her to continue.

Hikari glared at him before pulling out two scythes, a chain saw, four chain talons, three grenades and a kitchen knife before raising her hands in surrender.

Kisame pointed to his chest where her cleavage necklace would mirror his finger's location.

Hikari pulled the dagger out, and set it on the table.

"Hikari.." Kisame warned.

"That's it I swear."

He pointed to Mangetsu perched up on her hip.

"No, I won't take this one off." She shrugged defiantly.

Kisame sighed, it's fine, maybe this was like Samehada is to him. He could understand.

Itachi stared at the huge pile of weapons on the table. He had never, ever, seen most of these things before.

"Did you bring your entire weaponry here Hikari?" Kisame put his fingers against his temple.

"I am offended, Hoshigaki -san. I barely brought a thirtieth of it." Hikari leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms underneath her chest.

"Anyway, I'm sure you know why we're here."

"I refuse."

"Oh?"

Hikari nodded. "Sorry, Hoshigaki -san."

Kisame grinned at her. "I knew you'd say that."

"Then why-"

"Leader -sama wants to talk to you, that's why we came here."

Hikari huffed and looked at Itachi.

"You knew about this?" She pointed to Kisame.

Itachi blinked. What?

His blazing sharingan stared at her baby pink eyes.

There she goes changing her eye colour again.

Both of them looked at each other waiting for any sort of words.

"Hikari, focus." Kisame pulled her forearm.

"I don't want to meet that leader of yours. I refuse."

"It won't hurt to see what he wants, Hikari."

Hikari sighed. "You know nothing, Hoshigaki -san so please."

Kisame crossed his arms cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Someone in your ranks tried to kill me." She leaned forward looking him in the eye.

Itachi flinched. No one would believe her and he hadn't thought about that. This is going to be a real problem then.

"Really? Which one was it?"

Hikari frowned and pointed to her face and started to twirl her finger around.

"A twirly swirly masked Uchiha."

Kisame deadpanned at her. He couldn't guess whether she was sarcastic or not. He was never able to tell with her. "Very funny."

Hikari gaped at him. "Excuse me?" She banged her hands on the table in front of her and stood up.

"I don't know about an Uchiha but the 'twirly, swirly masked guy' is most definitely not someone who would even attempt to kill you." Kisame was done with her games.

"Wha- ask Itachi! He was there! Itachi-"

"I don't remember such a thing." Liar. He could. He could remember it vividly. Curse that sharingan of his that he had activated back then.

Hikari glared at him her eyes flashing orange. "Like I said, I'm not coming. It was nice seeing you Hoshigaki -san. Sorry for any sort of trouble I may have caused you these past two years, Itachi," She said snapping her fingers.

Itachi watched as her few dozen weapons dissapeared.

This wasn't fuinjutsu, but it was chakra induced.

He was sure he had placed a genjutsu, she shouldn't have been able to get out of this room. He looked towards Kisame.

"Mind manipulation." Kisame answered his silent question with annoyance clear on his face. "A part of their kekki genkai, they are natural born assassins with the ability to see emotions."

Itachi frowned. Natural born assassins? See emotions?

"They forge weapons for a reason, Itachi. The Heiki clan can see the emotions of the person they're going to forge weapons for. Their personality if you want to be more accurate.

"Their mind manipulation allows them to be immune to genjutsu. Genjutsu manipulates the neurons of the brain, but their mind manipulation manipulates the brain itself. They can plant memories that were never there or take them away. I didn't think she'd be able to use it." Kisame sighed, leaning back into his chair.

"Is that why her eye changes colours?" Itachi asked curiously.

Kisame looked at him. "You noticed too? Of course you did. No, this has nothing to do with kekki genkai, I don't think that this is a justsu either. In fact, I don't remember her doing that when she was younger." Kisame clicked his tongue. "We have to get her anyway." He stood up and Itachi followed immediately.

"Well, shit." Hikari said looking a the twirly, swirly masked Uchiha in front of her.

"You're alive."

Hikari nodded.

"Good."

Her stance faltered for a fraction of a second.

Well she brought the bazooka so she should be fine.

"What do you want?"

"You."

"No thanks. You seem like a whole lot older than me." Hikari deadpanned.

"I want you to join the Akatsuki."

"Nice try twirly, swirly masked Uchiha -san, but I don't exactly get along with people who tried to kill me before." She clenched her jaw.

"Oh yes, my apologies."

"Are you an idiot?" Hikari was ticked off.

"No."

"Clearly you are!" Hikari sighed. "Look, I don't know what you guys do or what you want from me, but I most probably won't be of much use. And I have more important things to do." She turned around to march away.

"What if I told you, you can live your dream. No more conflict, no more wars, no more deaths, only peace?"

"Pass. That doesn't sound real, it doesn't sound good." She called over her shoulder

"What about your friend?"

Hikari stiffened and turned around to look at him.

"You want to protect him don't you?"

Hikari gritted her teeth. "You won't touch him."

"Won't I?"

"Leave him out of this. He didn't do anything wrong."

"Most people haven't, yet they get mercilessly killed, even by their own."

A pang went through her as a flashback went through her mind.

She was almost killed by her own family when she went out of control.

The restraints as the village elders exploited her to reforge Samehada.

Yagura protesting, telling them to wait a few more years only to be held back by chakra restraints to prevent him from tapping into Isobu's powers.

Mangetsu slipping past the guards, trying his best to get her out only to be electrocuted to keep him unconscious.

Suigetsu crying next to his unconscious brother begging for them to let her go.

Her mother heart broken and held at knife point, tears streaming down her face.

Kisame, Zabuza and Juzo watching from the sidelines hoping for the best. Hoping she'd come out alive after that ordeal.

The pure pain she felt as her chakra was sucked out of her all to forge one of the seven swords.

The blood that ran down her face from her left eye and mouth.

All of they was because of a war. A war that broke Samehada. A war that killed so many people and she couldn't find out the cause of it. Even now, she couldn't find a reason for that war. Or the one before. Or the one after that, the one when she was six. Yes she didn't want any more wars, but was this the way to go on about it?

Hikari clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "So what? You think false peace will give them closure? What you're talking about is a genjutsu isn't it?"

"It's the perfect world, the perfect dream."

"No!" Hikari shook her head. "It's not! And news flash buddy, your 'perfect world' means nothing to me. I'm a Heiki! I can't be put under genjutsus." She looked him dead in the eye.

"You have two days, figure out the best option. And remember, his life is on the line." He said before he was swallowed by a swirl.

Hikari felt a comforting hand on her back between her shoulder blades.

She turned to stare Mangetsu in the eyes. His hand moved to her head and pulled her close.

No words, no sounds, no tears, nothing was exchanged between them. Mangetsu put his chin on her head and waited for her to say her answer.

"I have to go. I'll go on my own terms. I'll avoid them as much as possible, Yukine's in danger, Mitsuki too." She clenched her fist against his shirt.

""Ah, and I'll support you all the way." He replied running his hand through her chestnut hair. "Always."

Thank you so much QueenLadle for your review! Yes I do have a problem with the formatting especially in the dialogue where Mangetsu speaks. It was supposed to be in italics but I usually update on my phone and it gives me a really hard time this also happens when i want to put a break between pov's or in a time skip but that never seems to happen. I've only just found a way to make it less confusing and maybe I'll edit the previous chapters to make it less confusing. Thank you so much I hope you enjoy the story! Also it's my birthday today so I thought I'd upload this chapter a bit earlier that I initially planned. please review I'd love to hear what you think.

Stay free!