Itachi knocked on the door to her room and waited patiently. He didn't know how much daifuku she would want, but if his memory served him right, it would be a lot. So much that the store had to close after he left with his unrealistic and redicoulous amount of bags full of daifuku and dango.

He had already stashed his dango away, Deidara, well aware of the consequences if he even touched one. Itachi would know and it will not be pretty.

He was broken out of his trance when the door opened. He looked down to see Hikari, half-naked. Again.

Itachi closed his eyes and felt the blush creeping up his face.

Why is this happening again?

"Itachi -kun?"

He opened his eyes and somehow kept his neutral expression intact.

"Yes, I brought you this. Kisame said you ran out earlier and asked me to bring you some on my way."

Hikari reached for her daifuku happily and went to hug him. Although something felt off.

"Itachi -kun?"

"Yes."

"Are you okay? You look a bit feverish." She frowned and stood on her tippy toes to reach his forehead with her own.

Itachi felt himself beginning to sweat a little at her forehead touch.

She cupped his cheek and closed her eyes, her thumb brushing against his cheek. "Yeah, you're running a fever, do you want me to get you anything?"

Itachi was taken aback. His blush intensified and he shook his head, not trusting his own voice not to crack at the given moment.

"Are you sure? It's getting worse."

"I'm fine." He cleared his throat. Why wasn't she dressed. Well yeah this is her room and all but why answer the door like that.

She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and pulled him into her room.

Hikari ignored Itachi's cry of protest. He was running a fever and not resting and she'd be damned if she let him climb another flight up the stairs to get to his room right now. Besides she had been long awake from her little nap and studying Aku, again. She had no use for the bed, he did.

"You should rest."

"Hikari -san, thank you really, but I-"

Her glare silenced him. Honestly that glare reminded him so much of his late mother's he couldn't not shut up.

Are all women this scary?

He slid on the bed as per her request, and even got under the covers.

"Good! I'll get you some fever pills and you'll feel better in no time! Have you had dinner yet?"

"No."

Hikari frowned. It was way past dinner time. "Why not?"

"I was out."

"Oh, daifuku yeah! Well you should eat!"

Itachi opened his mouth to protest. He was going to eat after he delivered her daifuku, but the stubborn woman thinks he is running a fever!

And she wasn't exactly helping!

"Hikari -san I feel fine, I swear."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Itachi's eyes widened when she abruptly appeared in his line of vision.

"You don't look fine to me. You still have a fever."

Itachi breathed deeply and slowly. "Hikari -san."

"Hm?"

"You...um."

"Yes?"

"Your..." He looked down at the white covers. Wait are these polar bears on the covers?

Hikari followed his line of vision. "Oh do you like it? It was a gift from Yukine! You've met him before haven't you?"

Oh yes her boyfriend of course.

"He's my adoptive brother!"

Oh.

"No it wasn't that, I-" how was he even supposed to mention this.

"Ne, Itachi -kun, what kind of weapons do you use?"

Well this is a new topic. Maybe this could take his mind off the situation he was in.

"The normal, I guess?"

"I don't know, you look like you can fight using a wakizashi." She analysed him putting a finger to her chin.

Well yes he can pretty much fight with anything, well anything but the new and weird ones she creates. If he was being honest, he did prefer a wakizashi.

He nodded at her silent question. How did she even know?

"You see this?" She took his hand in her own and pointed to a few small bumps and callouses on his fingers.

"It differs according to the sword you use! If it's a nodachi it's usually at the palm, since you pull it from the back. Also it takes more space around the hand! If it's a katana it's usually here-" she pointed to the ends of her fingers and the upper half of her palm.

"-if you only have them here, then you probably use a wakizashi!" She gestured to the end of his fingers. "And I have the one just for you! Come!" She pulled him off the bed.

Itachi stumbled over the thin covers and almost landed face first into the carpeted ground.

What in hell's name is going on?

"Look! Look!" She pointed to the black and red wakizashi perched up on her desk.

It did look great but-

"Try it!" She gave him the wakizashi and grinned at him.

Itachi hesitantly unsheathed the wakizashi, even the blade was black.

He liked it, the grip was perfect as if it was molded just for him.

"It's lighter than every other wakizashi I promise!" She put her hands together and waited for him to swing it around.

It was true. It was lighter than every wakizashi he'd ever used.

"The impact is also stronger! You like it?"

He nodded absentmindedly.

"Take it! Totally on me!" She pushed his arms back as he tried to give Aku back to her.

Itachi sheathed it and nodded. Okay, he can accept that.

"Thank you."

"No problem! Say I haven't had dinner yet either, let's go!"

She pulled him by the forearm before he firmly planted his feet in the ground. "What? Is something wrong? Are you tired? Do you wanna stay in?"

"No, no but Hikari -san, you should probably wear something before you head down." Itachi steadied his breathing. Didn't she notice?

"Oh you're right! I totally forgot about that! Silly me!" She released his arm and bumped herself on the head, sticking her tongue out a little.

He finally somehow mentioned it. His blush came back and he turned around. If she saw the blush back she'd probably order him to stay in. Not just ask.

Hikari picked out a big black and yellow hoodie she actually stole from Yukine and put it over her head. It ended mid thigh and hung a bit off her shoulders. She slipped on her sandals and turned to Itachi. "Okay I'm ready, let's go!"

Itachi blinked and nodded, following after her.

What just happened?

"Hikari!" Deidara's shriek startled her awake.

She sat up immediately going into the defensive. She opened her eyes and looked around her room to find Deidara with that excited look on his face again.

Her stay in the Akatsuki has been mostly... Pleasant? No one really bothered her except maybe this blond idiot, and of course Kisame.

She put her hand on her face lazily. "What do you want?"

"That poison you were working on! Have you finished it yet?"

Oh yeah, the one that makes people explode from the inside out.

"No."

He pouted, "boring."

"Get the fuck out of my room Deidara and don't come back."

"Spoil sport." He shrugged and walked out if the room.

Hikari blinked at the closed door. Had Deidara really walked out without a fight? He did seem like he was in a bad mood. Shrugging, Hikari layed back on the bed and closed her eyes. It was too early for that shit.

Just as she was about to fall back asleep, a harsh knock sounded on the door.

"Oh my God what?!"

"Hiiiikkkkkaaaariiii!" Incessant knocking didn't allow her to fall back asleep.

Fuck, this shit. Really.

Oh, Deidara's back.

"Fuck off you little shit!"

"Sasori agreed to help you with your poison formula! But you have to get up like now, cuz he's bussyyyy!"

She couldn't pass up this opportunity, an expert in poison like him should give her awesome pointers, but she really, really, wanted to sleep.

"Are you just saying that to get me to wake up?" She had to make sure.

"... No?"

Hikari groaned and put her pillow on her face.

"Deidara, I swear, if you don't get away from the door in three seconds I'll blow you up instead!"

"B-but Hikari!"

"One.."

"Okay! Okay!"

"Two.."

"I'm going away I-"

"Three." She opened the door to find Deidara sweating and completely paralyzed although he seemed quite excited as well.

She pointed a rifle to his head and he passed out.

She stared at the small white ghost coming out of his mouth.

"Do us all a favour and carry on." She turned back to her room, once her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.

Itachi walked down stairs and watched Deidara's ghost floating about. He frowned before he called to Kisame.

"Kisame! Hikari -san scared Deidara half to death again." His monotonous voice echoed through the otherwise empty hallway.

"That bastard, I told him not to bother her in the morning! And why are you calling to me?!"

"Both of you shut the fuck up before I make you!" Hikari's voice boomed through the whole building.

"Yes ma'm," they both said in unison.

Itachi shook his head and continued his trek downstairs.

Really, why didn't he ever learn? This was the fifteenth time this week.

Hikari blinked at the other two people in the room.

Pain was assigning her her first mission and they were going to be her partners for this mission.

"Okay, so what is the mission?"

"The damiyo of the fire nation-"

"Assassination?"

"Yes."

Her first mission was assassination? Is he fucking around?

"What part of unless absolutely necessary didn't you understand?" Hikari crossed her arms over her chest.

"This is necessary, necessary to test your strength."

"Are you doubting me? If so why did you even bother looking for me? To the rest of the world, and to you I have been dead until a month ago. Why bother now?"

"Dismissed."

"Hey you! You can't just-"

"Let's go, kid." Kisame dragged her by the bicep.

"But-" his glare shut her up.

"You owe me you bastard." She muttered under her breath and Kisame just smirked.

"Like I said, I don't need your help."

"Hikari -san, there's a reason why we're here."

"No there really isn't." Kisame shrugged.

Itachi turned to his partner giving him a questioning gaze.

"I told you didn't I? Heiki's are natural born assassins, and with Hikari's peculiar weapons, she can kill him from anywhere if she can see him. I'm just interested in what will happen." Kisame sat back on the tree and Itachi frowned. What was the point of them being there then?

Itachi turned back to Hikari who took out a... sniper? Yes a sniper, she called it that.

Hikari put her eye into the small telescope on top of the sniper. She could make it magnify as much as she wanted, she could make the sniper as silent as she wanted.

This would be a piece of cake.

She saw the damiyou sitting down, a huge feast that's probably all go to waste in front of him.

Hikari gritted her teeth, if there was one thing she hated, it was people wasting food.

She aimed and fired, not batting an eye as the chakra bullet lodged itself in his forehead and disappearing immediately after.

Mission accomplished.

She stood up and perched the sniper on her shoulders.

"Ready to go?" She smiled at her two companions.

"Let's go." Kisame said smiling back at her.

There really wasn't any reason for them to be there, so why were they?

Hidan fell forward into his plate when Hikari positioned her fingers like a gun and aimed it at him.

Water gun jutsu. Exclusively Hozuki unless you had perfect chakra control.

"Well what do you know it does work," she muttered impressed.

"Told ya it works. That what you based your weapons on right?" Mangetsu said proudly.

"I guess I unconsciously did."

Kisame looked at the dead member of their organization. It became a really natural occurrence, everyday Hikari would kill Hidan in two different ways.

Once in the morning and once at night, barely giving him enough time to regenerate.

"What did you do this time around?" He didn't know how she didn't run out if ideas. It was all poisoning, blowing him up or pulling the trigger on him, but she always got creative and never repeated anything twice, unless she was trying to improve a prototype or a poison formula, then she'd go on about the same thing for weeks on end.

"The water gun jutsu."

"The one the Hozuki's use?"

"Uh-uh." She nodded. She was really bored.

"Kisame! Let's fight!" She abruptly shouted.

"What?"

"Yeah I'm bored!"

"No, I'm not fighting a brute like you." He pointed at her accusingly.

"Wha- just Mangetsu I promise!"

"No."

"No." Mangetsu agreed with Kisame. No way was he fighting Samehada.

"Spoil sports. Both of you" She pouted and her eyes darted around the rec room.

Deidara, no.

Twirly swirly masked Uchiha, no.

Sasori, no.

Konan, no.

Scary scare crow person, no, no, a million times fucking no.

Hidan is dead so obviously no.

Oh! Itachi!

"Itachi -kun!" She hopped off her seat and went to find him.

"He's in his room," Kisame said when she passed him by.

"Oh great! Thanks!" Hikari's feet patted on the floor excitedly. Kisame said he's a good fighter.

A very good one. She wondered how he would fair against someone immune to genjutsu.

"I don't like this your sadistic side is coming out."

"I do not have a sadistic side!"

"Sure ya don't."

"Mangetsu!"

She pouted and stood in front of the door. She knocked twice and waited patiently.

Hikari pursed her lips when his sleepy face came into view.

Oh so he sleeps shirtless too..

"I-I can come back later?" she suggested a small blush on her face.

"No, you didn't wake me up don't worry about it." He yawned softly. "Can I help you?" He didn't sound rude at all, just sincere.

"No, never mind, it's stupid anyway." She smiled at his confused face and waved softly in goodbye.

Itachi followed her retreating figure with his eyes and frowned. She really didn't wake him up, but he had been painting his nails when she knocked on his bedroom door.

Who the hell makes people paint their nails just for the sake of it? Pain, that's who.

He looked in distaste at his nails and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Also, she was acting strangely awkward. They had become friends by now. Admittedly, not too close to confine their deepest secrets to each other, but close enough.

Itachi shook his head and retreated to his room. He'll take a shower first, then think about what just happened.

He looked down and realised he opened the door like that. A blush crept on his face.

Why did he do that?

Hikari frowned as she went downstairs to the kitchen again.

What was wrong with her? Itachi is two years her junior.

Admittedly, he is very mature and quite level headed, not at all like most boys she knew. (*cough* Mangetsu *chough*)

But still he was fifteen. Fifteen!

She was a woman in her own right, at the age of seventeen, she had her own desires but she never acted upon them.

Ever.

So why start now?

And why did she blush anyway? She's seen shirtless men before! Tons of times actually. What makes him any different?!

"Get a hold of yourself. This can't happen again, have I gone insane?!"

"You were always insane darling."

"Shut up!"

"Hikari and Itachi-"

"Finish that song I dare you." She glared at the white haired boy in front of her.

"Okay, okay, sorry. Pedophile." He muttered.

"Excuse me?!"

"What?"

"What did you say just now?"

"I didn't say anything."

"No you did, what did you say?"

"What?! Sorry, can't hear you connection is being cut off beeeeeppp." And with that he disappeared.

"What the fuck?! Mangetsu!" She stared shocked at the now empty hallway. What did he say? She genuinely couldn't hear what he said. Now that he pulled that shit on her she really wanted to know what he said.

Hikari frowned. Something wasn't right. How can the connection be cut off he could contact her from anywhere in the world if either of them wanted to. Their connection was based upon her mental state. If she wanted to cut him off she could. Not the other way around. Not that she ever would but...

"Mangetsu!" She shrieked in realization. She was met with silence. He was balantly ignoring her. He knew she didn't like the silent treatment.

And she could only assume that what he said was offensive to her. Obviously so, because he had left in such a hurry.

Hikari pulled the sword out of the hoist on her hip and decided to go to her room instead.

That little shit deserved this.

"W-wait! Hikari!"