"Wait, what do you mean I missed it?" Hikari glanced up at Kisame and Itachi.
"It was two days ago Hikari -san it's fine."
"No it's not! More importantly, why didn't you tell me?" She leant back to touch her ankle.
"Are you comfortable like that?" Kisame deadpanned at her twisted torso.
Hikari made a face at him and gave him the stink eye.
"Does this look comfortable to you?" She motioned to her position.
"No."
"Exactly."
"Why are you doing this anyway?"
"Like I said before Kisame, doing the splits is a very effective way to target almost all the musclues, it improves flexibility and posture. Not all of us are barbarians like you." She scoffed and switched legs repeating the thirty minute process she had done previously.
"So what should I get you?" Hikari asked Itachi softly.
"Nothing."
"Bullshit, I'll be damned if I don't get you anything on your sixteenth birthday."
"But it's not my birthday anymore."
"Don't try to outsmart me out of this Itachi -kun you're getting something."
"Da-"
"Dango sticks is out of the question." Hikari pointed at him sternly.
"You already gave me Aku last year, I-"
"No that was something else. I will get you something lemme just think." She sighed and leaned forward to touch her toes.
"Kisame help me with this, what can I get him?"
"I don't-"
"I wasn't talking to you Itachi -kun."
Kisame simply shrugged. "I don't know, Hikari, maybe you should respect his wishes and not get him anything."
Hikari gave him a dirty look.
"What?! No don't give me that look."
Her expression deepened.
"Hikari!"
"Say, you like jewelry?" She turned to Itachi again.
"I'm not sure."
"What is there not to be sure about? Although I doubt you'd be opposed to it, you paint your nails. Quite well too, you should teach me sometime."
Itachi blushed at her words.
"Okay it's settled, I have just the thing for you." Hikari smiled at him. "Now both of you get out!" She ushered the out the door.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Well it's not like I can wear it." Hikari frowned.
"Hikari.."
"It's fine Mangetsu, I'm sure Salome wouldn't mind. He left it for me remember?"
"Oh yeah how could I forget something like that?"
"Say do you think he'd be angry at me?"
"Why would he be?"
"I'm keeping you here, he can't see you because of me. You know how antisocial he is, what if he feels all alone and blames me for it?'
"Salome?! Are you kidding?!"
"I dunno it just feels like it."
"Yeah right." He scoffed earning himself her famous dirty look.
"You know that's not going to work." Mangetsu deadpanned at her.
"Well damnit! It always works on Kisame!"
"Yeah well I'm not him so..."
"Fuck off Mangetsu, go to sleep or something."
"I don't sleep."
"Well get lost then!" She swatted him away. "Stupid Hozuki.." She muttered.
"I heard that!"
"Oh yeah? well, what you gonna do about it?!"
"You need to stop."
"Stop what Uchiha?" Hikari snarled.
He reached for her throat but she blocked him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, you're in my territory." She hissed.
"Oh, you think I won't be able to take you?"
"Listen to me Uchiha, and listen very well, I don't like to be threatened. And I don't like to get tricked. I know who you are, so stop trying to intimidate me because deep down you're just a pathetic guy who lost his little crush. So do not, and I repeat do not try and trick me, I see everything," she said tightening her hold on his left hand with every word she said until it splattered all over her face and the floor of her weaponry.
Obito stared at her from behind the mask. He didn't know how or why she saw through him. All he knew is that he was shocked out of his wit that she destroyed the Zetsu arm so easily.
"I could kill you." He replied calmly. He was really thankful that his face was behind the mask at the moment.
"You tried before, how has that been working out for you?"
Obito clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"For all I care go on and try, but you must have a purpose for me, or else you wouldn't have recruited me a year ago. My advice for you, keep me on your good side, unless you want this to happen to the rest of your left half." She gestured to the mess on the floor.
"Oh and I suggest you clean this up too, you want me to stop trying to expose you, no? Well you should work on that too. Also try to buy more candy, it would fit your persona better." She pat him on the shoulder and gave him a sarcastic smile before going out of the weaponry Mangetsu's tip scraping against the floor.
"What did you just do?!"
"What?"
"Have you gone insane Hikari?!" Mangetsu pulled on her ear and screamed into it.
"Hey! You're hurting me! First the Puppet Man and now you?!"
"You just threatened him! You know he put Yagura under a genjutsu! Y.A.G.U.R.A!" He spelled it out for her.
"I know," she replied calmly.
"And you just did that?!"
"Mangetsu." Her voice rang out, finalization clear in it.
"I just hope you know what you're doing." He sighed.
"Heh, don't worry about it." She smirked. She was planning something.
"I don't like the sound of this."
"Shut up!"
"Can you blame me?!"
"What the hell happened?!" This was unlike Itachi. Panicking like that was so unlike him, but can you really blame him when he saw her sitting in a pool of her own blood?
"Well, I'm sitting in a pool of blood." Hikari gestures to the floor underneath her.
"Wha- where is all of this coming from?"
"Probably the stab wound." Hikari lifted her shirt to search for said stab wound.
"You've been stabbed?!"
Hikari looked at him and nodded. "Oh yeah, definitely."
Itachi put a hand to his forehead. "How did this happen?"
Hikari frowned and put her finger to the stab wound on her diaphragm. "Ow, yeah okay no touching."
"What?! No don't do that!" He slapped her hand away gently.
"But it feels funny."
"Oh my god!"
Itachi supported her back as he laid her down on the floor. Her shirt was soaked with blood as was the floor. All Itachi could see was red.
He took off her shirt and pressed it to her wound to try and stop the bleeding.
"What happened?" He needed to keep her conscious.
"Well, I was trying to... What was I trying to do? Oh yeah! I was trying to look for something in Aku, I borrowed it remember?"
"Yes?"
"Well, yeah but it seemed like it wasn't very happy so it decided that it was a good idea to stab me."
"What? Why?"
"I don't think it liked the fact that I gave it away."
"Oh, well you can-"
"No, we came to an agreement." Hikari looked at Itachi and nodded. "How did you know I'm here?"
"Dinner is ready and I couldn't find you, I just assumed you'd be here."
"Oh, okay. Itachi? Can you scooch over? You're too warm."
"But I need to stop the bleeding." He frowned.
"Oh, yeah right," she mumbled. "Well I feel tired."
"Oh no, you won't fall asleep on me."
"Itachi you can go now."
"But-"
"No really, the bleeding stopped." She pushed him away.
"What?"
She nodded again and pointed to her uncovered wound.
Itachi was shocked to see it completely healed, only a small thin scar was left behind.
"Why do you think we can create all these weapons without dying at an early age?" She deadpanned and Itachi blinked.
Okay, okay he can live with that. He could get used to it.
"Wait, Aku stabbed you?!"
"Yes."
"How?"
Hikari shrugged. "Dunno, probably has a soul in it or something. One thing I do know for sure is that it has it's own conscious."
"You and your weird creations." He shook his head. "Dinner's ready, I cooked today. Come whenever you feel better."
"Oh goody Itachi -kun cooked! Yes!" She sprang up suddenly and startled Itachi in her wake. She sure seemed fine for someone who, and he quotes, was sitting a pool of her own blood.
"Let's go!" She pulled his sleeve and dragged him away. Only then that he noticed she was half naked save for her shorts.
"Hikari -san, maybe you should wear something first."
"Oh! Right!"
"For the love of God Deidara come in!" She grew sick and tired from the incessant knocking on her door.
"Hiiikaaariii!" He skipped into her room but he couldn't find her. "Wait! Where are you?"
"In here!" Hikari shouted again from the bathtub.
"Oh! Great, I-" he stopped mid sentence to find her perched in the bath. A deep scowl on her face her brown hair pinned up in a messy bun and her arms resting on the railings of the porcelain tub.
What made things worse for him is that there was no steam in the room, the only thing that obscured her from his view was the bubbles that were going to eventually fade.
"I found something to help with your weapons." He stammered.
"This better be worth it Deidara or i swear to God the only thing that would keep me from killing you is a miracle."
"G-gunpowder."
"Oh? What's that?" Hikari uncrossed her legs and looked at him in curiosity.
"Okay so-" she cut him off by raising her hand.
"Later, when I'm out of here."
"Oh yes! Of course! Allow me!" He excused himself and walked out.
Hikari leaned back in the tub her head hitting the edge.
"Something's wrong."
"You feel it too?"
She simply nodded, and her eyes flashed fuchsia, she was getting worried.
"You think he'll die soon?"
"Maybe, we can't be sure." Mangetsu sighed and took her hair out of the messy bun.
"You worry too much, Hikari. Everyone dies at some point."
"I know, but-"
Mangetsu shushed her and started braiding her hair. "Let it all go like how it's supposed to, okay?"
"Okay."
"W-where?" Hikari heated some water and had two tea cups out.
"Land of snow."
"Snow? Oh that's going to be so great, Itachi -kun! This is awesome!"
"Hikari -san I'm standing right here, no need to shout."
"Oh right, sorry!" She smiled sheepishly at him. "So where is Kisame then?"
"He's not coming, that's why I came to find you."
"Oh, okay. When do we leave?" She turned away from him to pour the hot water.
"In a few days."
Hikari nodded and pushed his teacup towards him.
"Thank you."
"Still, you never told me about, Sasuke -kun, what is he like?"
Itachi looked at his teacup and smiled fondly.
Raising his gaze to meet her attentive smile his smile widened ever so slightly. "Well..."
"Are you sure you're okay? This must be very cold for you, I'm feeling a bit of a chill myself."
"Hikari -san, I'm fine."
Hikari frowned, but said nothing. She was being honest, even as she was now she was feeling a bit chilly, she can't imagine what Itachi felt.
Their destination is a remote village about a ten days away. Including rest a full eight hour sleep for the both of them and for food. Just one week away if they decided to take things slow, and they did.
Neither of them saw a rush in this particular mission.
Overthrowing a village? It would only take a bit of mind manipulation out of her and maybe a genjutsu or two out of Itachi, but that would be it.
"We can re-" Hikari jumped at the loud thud that echoed behind her in the empty clearing.
She turned so fast, she almost got a whiplash. "Itachi?!"
But he was fine a second ago. He was walking just fine. The was no limp or force in his tread. "Itachi!" She bent down to him on the snow coated ground.
"Itachi -kun?" she shook him gently. His skin felt like fire under her fingertips. He was burning up. So much she didn't know what to do "Wake up. Itachi -kun? Itachi -kun!"
No response. "Shit!" She took off her own cloak and draped it over him. She untied his hair, he needed all the warmth he could get. She heaved him up on her back. She staggered a bit before righting herself.
The village is ten days away. Three days if she didn't stop to sleep or eat. About four give or take with everything she's carrying.
Hikari pursed her lips and took her first step. She couldn't risk any delay. They didn't have any medical supplies on them, a very stupid miscalculation on both of their behalf.
A mistake neither of them were stupid enough to make, but alas there they were.
Hikari summoned a fire and forged it into a whip. A gentle fire to keep him warm, one that doesn't burn.
He shuddered in her hold, she hoisted him up a bit and kept a firm hold. "Hang in there, I'll get us there no matter what." She clenched her teeth and set off quicker.
Hikari was numb, hungry and for the first time since she was fourteen, cold. Actually cold.
A three day walk behind her and nine missed meals for her. Not for Itachi, he had to eat. They didn't have time for both of them to eat. He was barely conscious most of the time. She managed to wake him up enough to eat.
She was so tired, and sore. She slipped a bit on a patch of ice. She fell face first, thankful that she didn't fall on her back instead. So very thankful.
Her muscles spasmed in process as she went to stand up again.
Honestly, by now she'd be surprised if she didn't get hypothermia. He toes and fingers already felt so numb, she couldn't move them and lucky for her it seemed her fingers were locked in that same position since she started carrying Itachi. At least he was secure.
But she had to push on a bit more. Just a little bit more, she couldn't waste any more time.
Her chakra was drained to keep that whip from either burning both of them or disappearing completely, which would be a complete disaster for both of them either way. It was probably the reason she might not get hypothermia and lose her toes or fingers.
She panted her, eyes fuchsia and half lidded.
Not him, not on her watch. She swallowed, her throat dry and her lungs barely taking in air.
She trudged on, Itachi would be fine, especially if she had anything to do about it.
Only her body didn't seem to agree and it gave out.
Hikari's vision blurred, black and white spots dancing around her. She let out a staggered breath, literally watching it leave her.
But she had to get Itachi to the village. She had to.
A pair of feet appeared in front of her, with unseeing eyes, Hikari raised them to try and see who was standing before her, but Hikari's eyes closed. Giving out.
Itachi didn't know what happened, everything was a blur. He remembered gentle hands coaxing him gently to eat. Patiently. They were doting over him like his mother had during the rare times he became sick.
His hair was untied, which was unusual. Itachi pushed himself up in a sitting position on the soft futon.
He raised a hand to his head to try and soothe the pounding headache. What was the last thing he remembered?
He and Hikari were on a mission. Did she finish it on her own? It was a possibility. But then again-
Itachi straightened in alarm. Something wasn't right.
"Oh you're awake! Good, good." A boy around his age smiled at him. "Can't say the same about your friend though, what was she thinking walking through this weather with those clothes! It seems like she hasn't eaten anything for a few days too! Name's Hibiki by the way!"
Itachi nodded his way. He seemed familiar but he couldn't telly why. He felt like he's seen him before but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"Here, this should help with the headache."
"Thank you."
"Your friend is down the hall, if you're worried about her. She seems nice, although she has been unconscious for the past four days, if you're worried."
Well his words certainly didn't help quench his worry.
"Don't worry, she'll wake up soon enough, I promise! She had a good rest, she'll be up at any hour today!" Hibiki smiled at him and went out of the room.
Itachi stared after him as he left.
He groaned and lay back on the soft futon underneath him.
'Hikari -san, what did you do?'
Hikari was on edge. She was in a place she didn't know and she was tired and hungry. Mangetsu wasn't here to soothe her, and he most certainly wasn't here to stop her from making the decision she just made.
And she didn't get hypothermia.
Hikari tensed at the door when the doorknob turned. She was prepared to kill anyone and get the hell outta here. Complete the mission and go back home to Yukine and Mitsuki and have Itachi make a warm soup.
Her hands shaking, she reached for a 9mm. She could hide it well, make this kill a clean painless one.
But she couldn't stop her hands from shaking. Her nerves were somehow overtaking her.
'Itachi -kun isn't here.'
She clenched her jaw and put her hand under the blanket.
"Hi! I'm Hibiki!"
Hikari's eyes widened, she felt like she was looking at her mirror image, only a boy instead.
Everything was exactly the same, save for the hair length and some obvious differences.
"Wait... Hikari?! Heiki Hikari is that you really?!" He stomped his way through the open space to have almost no space between both of them.
But Mangetsu hadn't mentioned brothers or sisters. She couldn't remember any. She could barely remember her childhood, but surely she'd remember if she had a brother right?
"I'm Hibiki! Your little brother!"
Hikari stared at him. "H-how old are you?"
"Sixteen."
Itachi's age then.
"What are your parent's names?"
"My dad's name is Hikaru-"
Shit, shit, shit.
"My mom's name is Yukari!" He chirped.
Oh.
Oh.
"You're my brother, from my father."
He nodded a small smile on his face. "Nice to finally meet ya!"
"Yeah, nice to meet you too. Is dad-"
"Nah, he died when I was ten." Hibiki shook his head.
Yeah she did remember that her parents broke up. Her mother would smile fondly when she asked about him. She never once uttered a bad word about him.
She said that just because people are bad together, it doesn't mean that they're bad people.
They just weren't suited for each other she had said.
But she also said they would do everything over again because they didn't end on bad terms.
So he never cheated.
"Oi ma! You'll never guess!" Hibiki ran out of the room.
"Okay so now where is Itachi -kun?" She asked herself before he appeared in the doorway. Well speak of the devil. She might as well have mentioned ten towers of gold instead.
She went to stand before her feet wobbled and started to fall.
Itachi had her in his arms in less that a second. "Easy, your body still needs some more rest." He coaxed her gently and slid her back onto the futon.
"Care to tell me what happened?"
"It's nothing, don't worry about it." Hikari shook her head. If he knew, if he found out what she did he'll never forgive either of them.
"It's obviously something if you've been resting for four days."
"Four?!"
"Well whatever you did bought us time, if we were on schedule we're supposed to be here in two days."
So eight day since he suddenly passed out on her like that.
Hikari pursed her lips and looked at him where he was seated in front of her on the floor. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel fine. You don't, though. What happened Hikari -san?"
He wasn't going to let this go and she knew it. "You fell ill suddenly. We were still ten days away from here if we went according to plan. You were burning up Itachi-kun I had to do something. I-"
He frowned and put his hands on her shoulders. "Hikari -san what did you do?"
Hikari looked at his worried gaze. So worried.
So she told him. And she certainly didn't expect him to just let go of her shoulders and walk away with that horrified expression on his face.
"Wait! Itachi -kun!" She went to follow him but her legs were still unsteady and her vision swam with a void of nothing and everything, and she collapsed.
The loud thud stopped Itachi in his track.
He went back in the room and put her on the futon again sighing and rubbing his face in frustration. If that Hibiki hadn't found them they'd both be dead by now.
He certainly didn't want that. She deserve to live a good life, not a death like that, so young.
Itachi pushed a strand of her hair behind her ears.
He didn't want her gone just yet.
He twisted the necklace she gave him around his finger.
Not yet.