Hikari waited until his tears stopped. She knew that if he could cry more he would, but it already felt like hours, and it wouldn't surprise her if his tears had dried out.

She stayed silent nonetheless, letting him cry his heart out and pull her closer with each passing minute.

At some point she had her eyes closed. At some point she started rocking him gently trying to soothe him in whatever way she could.

That didn't mean she did, but she had to try.

With his sniffles the only sound echoing in the empty house, and the rain pounding on the ground in the background, Hikari really felt like she was about to fall asleep any minute.

She couldn't though, Itachi needed her. "Itachi-kun?" her voice broke through the silence.

She felt him stiffen up in her hold, his hands gripping her bare arms to a point where it almost hurt.

"C'mon, let's go." she coaxed him gently.

He shakily stood up with her, making their way upstairs to her room.

Hikari didn't know what she was supposed to do. She didn't even know if he wanted to talk about this, but if he was seeking her for comfort, she had to do something, right?

"I know you're not okay, that you probably don't want to talk about it, but if you ever want to tell-"

"Do you know what I did back then?" he cut her off.

"Back then? In Konoha?"

Itachi nodded. "When Sasuke came over?"

Hikari shook her head, but she felt like she was about to get a very detailed, gruesome, heartbreaking story out of him.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He sat infront of her, looking at her tired, frazzled state. He really felt so much guilt for waking her up at three a.m, but all these thoughts haunted his mind. His actions, his words.

He woke up and the next thing he knew he was going uphill, knocking on the door like a maniac.

When he saw her, when she gave him the hot cocoa, and asked him what was wrong, he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I did something terrible, Hikari-san."

Hikari frowned at his words. Itachi was one of the kindest people she knew. She was sure whatever he did would never come close to what she had done, or forced to do. Maybe she was worse than she thought, she had no way of knowing everything she did in the past.

"I used Tsukiyoumi oh him, Hikari-san. I used it on him for the second time in his life."

Hikari's expression stayed neutral. Of course she was horrified, but if she let it show on her face, if she had Itachi thinking just for a minute that she thought he was as inhumane as he made himself out to be, he would break.

She couldn't do that to him. She couldn't, ever. She couldn't turn him away when he sought her out for comfort, for understanding. She couldn't be that cruel, right?

"What did you show him then?"

"That night, four years ago."

Hikari's breath hitched. "How long is he going to see that for?"

Itachi looked down on the bed sheets, they suddenly became so interesting to him.

"Itachi?! How long is he going to see that for?!" dropping the honorifics, and raising her voice in alarm.

No, no.

"I don't know. Until he's strong enough to break it on his own, or someone does it for him."

He sounded so vulnerable.

Hikari knew his motives, she really did. However at this point she wondered if his plan is worth it.

Was it worth all the heartache he felt? All the guilt and suffocation he suffered from?

"I'm so horrible I-"

Hikari pulled him in her embrace this time. "No you're not, you're the most selfless, kind, understanding person I know. Don't say that about yourself."

Tears pooled up in Itachi's eyes again. "I don't know what to do anymore Hikari-san. I thought I could go through with this. This is all for him. All for Sasuke's sake. You know that right?" He snuggled his face in her chest.

"I do."

"Do you think he'd ever forgive me?"

Hikari's hold on him faltered. She couldn't describe herself as a forgiving person. She didn't know Sasuke that well, so she couldn't voice for him. She knew she would forgive him if she was in his place; however, Hikari knew all the sides of the story, so she could say that. She couldn't say what Sasuke would do, though. What he would think. How he'd behave if he knew the truth.

"Itachi-kun, why don't you just tell him the truth? Tell him everything that happened, not only what you did. What about you? You suffered as well!"

Itachi's eyes widened. "No! No! I-I can't!"

"Itachi-kun you-"

"I can't! If he learns the truth all of this would've been for nothing!"

Hikari tightened her hold on his as he started to panic slightly.

"I did this, all of this to protect Konoha! If-if he knows all his hatred towards me will be redirected to Konoha, he'll destroy the village, everything would be for nothing! He can't know! He can't."

"Ita-"

"Promise me!" he looked in her in the eyes, gripping her tank top tightly "Promise me, you won't tell him anything. When the time comes and we fight, when the time comes and he kills me-"

Hikari flinched at the thought. When, he said when. He was so sure it'll happen.

"-promise me you won't tell him anything. Promise me you'll try your hardest that he doesn't learn the truth. Promise me you'll take care of him!"

Hikari stared at him in shock. Did he really have no regard for his life? All of this, all of it every step he took wasn't for him. It was all for his little brother.

All for Uchiha Sasuke.

Did Itachi really not have one selfish bone in his body? Not just one?

"I-I..."

"Hikari-san, promise me." his voice turned softer this time around. His tears ready to spill over again at any moment.

It was then that Hikari realized how different she and Itachi viewed the world. How different they both were.

"I promise." she barely whispered, unsure of whether she will actually keep her promises to him. Whether she'd be able to take care of his baby brother like he asked.

She didn't know what to do.

At some point, Hikari fell asleep while holding him. At some point, her heartbeat lulled him into his deep comfortable slumber.

At some point, Hikari got up and left him alone.

Itachi woke up feeling groggy, but he had to admit that was the best sleep he'd had in quite some time.

Looking around the room, his black eyes admired all the paintings plastered on the walls and out in the hallway. Whoever painted this was really really talented. He knew Hikari wasn't the one who painted them she just didn't have the coordination nor the patience to.

He got up, his bare feet touching the cold wooden floor, picking up a book off her library.

Itachi made his way downstairs to find Hikari on the couch.

She noticed him and wiped away a few tears, her nose a bit red from crying. He didn't notice her action though, and assumed her slightly red nose was from the cold

"Good morning." she smiled up at him.

Itachi nodded. "Good morning."

"I made breakfast! Please have something to eat." Hikari gestured to the kitchen.

"I don't feel very hungry," he sat down next to her, putting his head on her lap.

"Oh, okay then."

It was rare seeing Hikari nervous. She always seemed to have that air around here that made her seem like the most confident, comfortable person ever.

Right now it was all so very different.

He opened the book he took nonchalantly and started reading.

Hikari stared down at Itachi. What was happening? She felt like he broke some sort of invisible barrier to her.

He looked slightly more comfortable being with her. Not that he wasn't before, but things just seemed different.

At least they did to her.

Hikari smiled and started playing with his soft hair.

She liked the difference.

Hikari felt like her brain was about go ahead and turn into mush. She blinked numerous times as if it would help her understand what Sasori was saying.

"Sweet pop tarts and apple sauce." Hikari sighed in confusion.

"All my life I've never heard anyone swear by pop tarts and apple sauce." Sasori laughed.

"What do you want to go over again?" he asked patiently, it was out of character for him, but he quickly learned that although Hikari was a genius, she often spaced out and didn't pay enough attention most of the time.

"Everything?" Hikari said with a grimace.

Sasori deadpanned at her. He let out a long dramatic sigh, that made it sound like he was in pain.

"The flower's root..."

Hikari was sure that if Sasori could strangle her at the moment, he would do so in a heartbeat.

"The flower's root is poisonous not the goddamned flower itself so stop putting it in the mixture!"

"What do you mean that only the root is poisonous?! Are you out of your mind?! That's like saying your face is flesh, but your body's wooden!"

Sasori turned red in the face, his complexion almost matching his hair colour.

At that moment Hikari wondered how, if he turned his body into a puppet was there any blood flow? Was there even a brain and a heart? Hikari stared at him intently as if it would help her break down his very existence.

"Hikari!"

"What?!" she said defensively.

"Stop being an idiot."

Hikari gaped at him. "I am not!"

Sasori hit her over the head, and pointed to the few dozen beakers with a flowery scent.

"You turned them all into perfumes because you put the flower in."

"Well I don't see what the problem is, it smells quite lovely."

He hit her upside the head again.

"It's supposed to be poison!"

Hikari frowned. "I still don't get it."

Sasori turned away from her and let out a scream of frustration.

"Good God you're making him so flustered!" Deidara walked in startling both of them.

Hikari stumbled back hitting one of the failed beakers, knocking it over.

It spilled over the carpeted floor and a sizzling noise was heard.

Sasori looked at the melting carpet in wonder.

"Well looks like I was right after all." Hikari puffed her chest smugly.

Sasori was beyond ticked off.

"You know this could be awesome as an assassination tool! Think of it! I'm selling it to my target as perfume and they put this on and boom! Their flesh is gone!" Hikari started rambling on about how awesome this was.

Sasori and Deidara stared at her back as she kept talking to herself.

"This is amazing!" She turned to face them.

They both stumbled back a bit at her enthusiasm.

"Sasori! I know who to test this on!" Hikari pulled him along.

"Hey wa-wait!"

"Good luck my man!" Deidara called out after them.

"Let go!"

"I mean what if someone drinks it?" She put a finger to her chin.

"We're not sure it can affect human beings too, Hikari."

"Well it's a good thing I didn't kill Hidan yet today." Hikari turned to him with the brightest grin ever.

Sasori blinked. "Right."

Hikari's theory was a fact. They all watched in amusement as Hidan's skin melted off his face.

As everyone expected, Hidan's welcome to Hikari the first time she came back to the base was not at all warm. Much to all of their surprise, Hikari didn't do anything, she merely brush him off instead.

Of course they expected her to do something. No one was quite sure what yet.

Hikari crossed her arms underneath her chest feeling extremely prideful.

She was making great progress.

Hikari sat on the bed feeling a bit under the weather. She shut Mangetsu out, she really wanted to stay alone.

Reading the message again and again, she couldn't help but wonder, what if Itachi finds out.

What if he finds out that his baby brother defected? That he's going to Orochimaru? She remembered the time she told him about the curse mark, his stress did away at him. She couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen if she told him.

Don't get her wrong, Itachi will have to find out eventually, but she really wished he didn't. She wondered if there was any gentle way of breaking this up to him.

Hikari sighed putting her hand in her hair in frustration.

"Fucking Uchiha."

"I can't believe you're actually going through with this."

Hikari glanced at her best friend.

"I have to."

"You don't owe that brat anything," Mangetsu grumbled.

"Maybe not, but I owe Itachi-kun everything." She looked straight ahead.

Kakashi asked her to try and bring him back, but she knew she wouldn't be able to.

He only asked her because at some point Sasuke'll be near Kirigakure, they'd both be safe there.

Hikari wasn't going to do what Kakashi asked. She'll try and understand what's going through the boy's head. Maybe give him some advice she's sure he won't follow.

She wasn't going to try and stop him by force. It wasn't her place to do so. Maybe with a long pep talk, a scolding, and a bit of ear pulling he'd listen, but if she can't stop him, then she can't stop him.

It's not like she can break his bones and deliver him back, can she?

No, no she can't.

Hikari groaned. "You owe me for this Kakashi!"

Hikari's ears picked up on the sound of hurried, faltering footsteps. He was injured.

Her face dropped even more and she let out a painfully long sigh.

This is going to take up more of her stamina than she expected.

Sasuke passed her by a couple of steps, he didn't notice her, when he was an arm's reach away, she pulled him by his ridiculous collar causing him to choke slightly.

"Common Little Prince Uchiha, you and I need to have a chat."

"Hey! Wait! Where are we going?!"

Hikari grinned. "My house of course!"

Hikari deadpanned at him. "You honestly didn't think I'd bring you to my house in Amegakure right?"

Sasuke looked away with a slight blush.

Hikari chuckled and shook her head. "Welcome! Don't touch anything but please make yourself comfortable." She grinned.

Sasuke reluctantly went to the couch and sat down on it.

"Are you hungry?! I'm not sure I'll find something here, but if you want to eat let me know, we can go buy it or something."

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked.

"You defected, that's what."

"Hey! I know that! What are you doing and why are you doing it?!"

"Well, your sensei just happens to be a good friend of mine and he wanted a favour. Who am I to tell him no?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. This was really getting on his nerves, she was getting on his nerves.

Why won't they stop interfering?! Why can't they just let him be. He had a goal to achieve.

"Still, I'm surprised by your resolve, going through so much pain in order to release the curse into stage two." Hikari sat down beside him.

"How did you-"

"Look." She showed him her forearm, two wings plastered on it. It looked like a burn and it looked like it was extremely painful.

"The seal connects your curse directly to me, I can tell which stage you go into whenever I want to."

He heard some sizzling and her wound was gone.

Sasuke's eyes glanced towards her. "What was that?"

"That was my kekki genkai, nothing for you to worry about." She crossed a leg over the other, "Now let's talk business."

"Well your some of your reasons are valid but-"

"I can't stay there! I just can't! I feel like I'm slowly suffocating!"

Hikari frowned.

"I don't feel like I'm growing! Not one bit!"

"I don't think so."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, if I go, then-"

"Then you'll be walking into a trap. That guy, he won't give you what you want."

Sasuke was shaking by now. "Kakashi won't either."

"No he won't." Hikari agreed.

Sasuke looked at her in surprise. "You're agreeing with me? Why?"

Hikari shrugged. "Well it's the truth isn't it? I don't think Kakashi will be able to give you what you want either, so why argue?"

"Even so, why would you leave everyone behind like that?"

"I don't have anyone."

"Sure ya don't." Hikari said sarcastically.

"It's true!"

"Well then, assuming, hypothetically it is true, why leave the stability of it all behind? Why put yourself in this tight corner?"

"You don't think I'm scared?!"

Hikari backed away from his outburst in shock. Hikari realized that he was just a child. That not everyone was brought up with harsh barbaric mentors who taught people how to kill when they were four.

That Itachi and Sasuke had loving homes and a kind and somewhat happy life before it all went down in hell.

She couldn't decide which was worse. Not having it at all or losing it after being used to it.

"You don't think I'm terrified?! I don't know him, I don't know anyone, I'm all alone! Do you have any idea how scary that is?!"

"No, I don't." Hikari said nonchalantly. She really didn't, she's always had Mangetsu with her. The past Five years were easier because of him.

"Then-"

"Who do you think you are? What about Naruto isn't he the same? Why didn't he defect and act like a stupid ass like you?!

Sasuke faltered.

Hikari glared at him.

She averted her eyes to his injured arm.

He followed her line of sight before looking up at her.

Hikari raised an expectant eyebrow.

Sasuke hesitantly gave her his damaged arm.

"I won't stop you, you know?" She said taking his injured arm in her hand and using the other to start healing it.

He frowned. "Then why-"

"Because, I wanted to know how you really felt about this. I have no obligation to stop you, and you have no obligation to listen to me if I tried to, so let's both cut the crap and agree on that."

"Okay."

"Besides, at the rate you're in, if you haven't received any medical attention you really wouldn't have made it to the hideout."

"You know where it is?"

Hikari nodded. "Don't even think about it."

Sasuke grumbled. He Really wanted to ask her to take him but it looks like she wasn't going to agree ever.

"Why are you helping me then? I thought you'd just turn me in."

Hikari shrugged. "I won't, rest assured. I'm just trying to figure out a way to tell all of this to your brother."

Sasuke tensed. "Why are you talking about him as if he cares about me?"

Hikari's chakra stopped abruptly.

"I don't know if he does," she lied. Of course he did. The love Itachi held for Sasuke was almost overwhelming, almost painful. "However, if I were in his place I'd like to know what the person who's planning to kill me is doing."

Sasuke blinked at her words as she resumed her healing. Staying silent after that he only looked at the green colour covering his arm.

"I'm sorry, I can't fully heal it, it'll probably take a week or so in order for it to go back to how it was. I'm not a medic you see."

"I appreciate it, thank you."

Hikari smiled at him stopping for sure this time. "Well what do you know, you can be polite sometimes. Go to sleep, we'll continue talking tomorrow. First door to your left." She pointed to the stairs.

Sasuke nodded and climbed upstairs.

"Well then Hikari, you sure out did yourself today," she muttered to herself before getting up.

She really needed some daifuku.

Hikari woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of shuffling.

"Ugh, dies he really think I can't hear him?" She groaned and rolled off the bed.

"Keep it down Uchiha!"

A startled sound came out of the young boy.

Hikari got up and wore a robe, she wasn't about to traumatize the poor kid.

"I told you I wouldn't stop you if you decided to go didn't I? So why-" the sight that met Hikari made her heart drop.

He was curled up into a ball, back resting against the headboard his head resting on his forearms. Visibly shaking, he looked absolutely terrified.

Hikari sighed and walked over to the bed slowly and sat beside him.

"Come on, it's okay." She put a hand to his back trying to calm the tremors going through his body.

"What was it? Your family or the snake?"

Sasuke still didn't look up at her.

"I'm only trying to help you, kid."

He shook his head, but Hikari didn't get up nonetheless.

She rubbed his shoulders in comfort before he started to shift slightly.

Sasuke really didn't want anyone to see him cry.

Biting his lips, he turned to her without lifting his eyes and held her tightly as if his life depended on it.

He just needed someone to be there for now. Even if that someone was her.

Hikari tensed at the sudden action, then smiled fondly at Little Prince Uchiha, as she so affectionately called him, and rubbed small tender circles on his back.

Her thoughts flashing to someone else who had done the exact same thing.

She didn't know what she would do when he's gone.

Yukine and Itachi thought that she wouldn't find out, but she knew. She heard them talk back then. Mitsuki did too, she could see the look she gave her.

She knew that he only had three more years to stay with her. Only three more years until she couldn't see him ever again.

And that's exactly why Hikari wasn't going to wait one more day.

She makes her first move when Sasuke leaves.