Hikari shushed Deidara as they both his behind the wall. "I swear to God if he hears us!"
Deidara barely suppressed his giggles. "I'm- I'm trying to I swear!"
Hikari rolled her eyes, and looked back ahead. "Okay, okay he's coming."
That made Deidara shut up immediately. He leaned forward to get a better view of what was about to happen.
Hikari bit her lip in anticipation as the tuff of red hair appeared in her field of vision.
Itachi walked in confusion as he watched both Deidara and Hikari sitting out in the hallway barefooted and still in their pyjamas.
"What's going on here?"
Hikari put a finger to her lips in a silent attempt to quiet Itachi down.
He huffed his hair away and looked back down at them, noticing the change in Hikari's eyes.
They were purple, last he checked purple meant fear but he couldn't find an ounce of fear in her. She looked more mischievous if anything.
Oh, mischief. That's what was taking over at the moment.
He shrugged and looked to the direction they were looking at to find Sasori slowly approaching with a lot of flasks in hand.
That seemed to make them both buzz with excitement. Well even more than they already were.
Itachi put his lollipop back in his mouth wondering what was so interesting about Sasori passing by-
Sasori slipped.
Hikari and Deidara let out a yell of victory and highfived each other.
They both grinned as the glass flasks shattered around him, a shard sticking into his face with a soft 'thunk'.
Somehow, Sasori stayed expressionless through it all. As he began sitting up, Itachi slowly backed up as not to get caught up in the aftermath.
Sasori stood up and started approaching the duo.
Hikari gave the signal to Deidara and bolted away.
"Get back here! I'm going to-" he slipped again, making the two burst into more laughter.
"Hikari!" Sasori clenched his fist at her.
"It was Deidara's idea!" She pulled the boy aside as they rounded up the corner.
"Hey! He'll never get off my case on missions!"
Hikari stuck out her tongue at him.
They heard another thud, marking yet another slip.
"This is so much fun!" Hikari continued running.
"Yes!"
Kisame laughed as he saw the frazzled state Sasori was in. Even he had to admit, what they did to him was hilarious.
Hikari leaning against Deidara for support as the both held their stomachs from laughing too hard.
"You should have seen him! Oh my god i-" Hikari said between laughs. "-it was priceless."
Sasori looked at her annoyed. "Remember, Hikari I know where you sleep at night."
Hikari stopped laughing abruptly.
But that didn't faze her. She started laughing again making him even more annoyed.
"Hikari!" He started chasing after her.
"Oh shit!"
"Tea or coffee?" Hikari asked Deidara.
"Coffee."
"Nope! It's tea, too bad." Hikari poured herself some tea and sat beside him.
Just as she was about to drink it, Deidara knocked the cup out of her hand.
The tea spilled all over her.
Hikari let out a gasp as the hot liquid burned at her skin.
"You wanna go, bitch?!" She turned to Deidara who had a huge smile wrapped on his lips.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Hikari scowled at him and pulled at his hair.
"Ow, ow, ow, my ponytail!"
Hikari just pulled more aggressively.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Oh, hell no, sorry isn't getting you out of this one." She pulled on his ponytail even rougher until his back bended and he was seeing her upside down.
Hikari had a huge smile dancing on her lips.
Not the nice sort of smile if that explains anything.
"I'll give you one of my- ouch!" He gripped at her hands.
"Hikari! I'll get you dango! I'm sorry!"
She loosened her hold a bit. "Dango?"
He nodded, tears pooling on the corners of his eyes.
"Mitarashi and Anko?"
"Yes." He whimpered
Hikari hummed then reluctantly let his hair go.
"Okay!" She got up and left the room.
Deidara rubbed his scalp soothingly, glaring at her as she walked away.
"Fucking, bitch."
"What did you just say?!" Hikari yelled.
"Nothing!"
Hikari spent her time that lazy afternoon doing the periodic maintenance of Mangetsu. Of course it wasn't like the typical sword that needed it frequently.
She did it mostly because she was bored anyway, not because it was needed.
Humming a small tune she didn't know where she knew it from, she sat on the floor of her room a look of concentration on her face.
"Hikari?"
She stopped humming to let her friend know she was listening.
"Can you stop?" He didn't sound annoyed in particular, but he wasn't happy either.
More sad than anything.
"Stop what?"
"Humming that tune?"
"What why?!" She really liked it, even if she didn't know where she knew it from or why she knew it.
"It just, it reminds me of Suigetsu. I really really want to go see him but according to Dai and Mei-san he-"
"He's dead." She finished, her hands hovering over the sword.
Hikari exhaled through her nose. "Okay, I won't do it anymore."
So she used to play it to Suigetsu to get him to sleep.
Or calm down in general.
He was worse than Mangetsu when it came to bloodlust and that meant something.
"What's it called?"
"The Other Promise." (A/N: someone please get the reference!)
Hikari hummed in response.
"It sounds sad doesn't it?"
Mangetsu nodded.
"There was also another one... Dear- dear-"
"Dearly Beloved." (No seriously the reference?)"Oh yes! That one! We used to hum that one too!"
"I used to hum it. Your humming is just horrible, you're too off key! You did play it beautifully though.""Hey! My humming isn't horrible. I'm not off key!"
"Are you insane woman?! I just complimented your playing and all you focus on is that?!"
"Well, duh! I know I'm fabulous at playing I wasn't particularly waiting for that compliment."
"Cocky bitch." He rolled his eyes.
"Thanks I try."
Itachi looked through the window to find Hikari standing in the rain.
She was soaked from head to toe, but she didn't seem to mind.
In fact it looked like she was dancing.
"Did she finally snap?"
Itachi looked to Obito, then went back to staring at Hikari again.
"What a shame." He clicked his tongue.
"Why did you even ask her to join? You wanted to kill her." Itachi asked curiously.
"I did, but she is very valuable as it turns out. Try not to get too attached, her purpose here is almost done."
Itachi frowned as he began walking away from him.
He was already in deep.
He shook his head, if only he could do something about it.
Hikari sat down on the narrow streets of cobblestone, listening to the constant, soothing pitter patter of the rain as it hit the ground.
She felt suffocated, unfocused and tired.
She didn't even know why.
The twenty year old contemplated lying down in the middle of the street.
She did exactly that, feeling as if her worries washed away with all the rain.
That was far from the truth but, for now, Hikari would accept it.
It brought temporary comfort.
"Hachi!" Hikari sneezed loudly.
"That's what you get for sleeping outside in the rain." Itachi said fixing her a cup of herbal tea.
"I never meant to doze off."
"What were you thinking? Dancing in the rain especially when it's so heavy? Let alone sleeping in the middle of the streets?"
It really was, in fact it was still going, thirteen hours later.
"I said I was sorry!" She croaked out from under the covers. "I'm feeling toasty, Itachi please."
He had her tucked in so hard she could barely wiggle a finger. She was trapped between three layers of blankets and a velvet couch.
He glared at her in a silent warning.
She was running a heavy fever. Itachi couldn't believe it at first, but Hikari's body has always been abnormally warm.
That's why she couldn't stand the heat.
But the fever made it even worse, Itachi felt if he held his hand to her body it might melt off.
"Shorts, Hikari you were wearing shorts, and that sleeveless top. That's all you were wearing."
"And a fishnet top underneath! Okay sheesh! Sorry!" She apologized after the look he gave her. "But seriously I feel like I'm melting here! Itachi-kun please!" She whined dramatically.
Now she was using the -kun card.
They stopped using the honorifics abruptly after his eighteenth birthday. One day they just woke up and stopped saying it.
Unless Hikari was kissing up to him she didn't call him 'Itachi-kun' anymore.
He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss it.
"I'll call Yukine, maybe he knows something. Until I know what to do with you, you're not moving a single finger out of the blankets do you understand?"
Hikari didn't even reply, watching as the water boiled. She couldn't even if she tried.
Hikari looked at the herbs dancing around as the tea brewed. She felt quite like the herb leaves.
Stuck in boiling water.
Poor herb leaves she thought.
Poor her for having to drink this, it tasted disgusting, but if she didn't want Itachi to go full on mama bear mode she had to do it.
Hikari really wished she didn't have to though.
Hikari tried thrashing around to get the covers off of her.
It was too much. The heat was too much.
She panted, her face felt like it was on fire, and for the love of everything she held dear, she couldn't get enough oxygen into her body.
It hurt. It hurt too much.
She couldn't move a muscle.
She really needed anything cold.
Something, anything.
She groaned and banged her head against the armrest of the couch.
Too much, too much.
"-kari!"
"Hikari!"
She opened her eyes slowly but she wasn't lucid.
She felt something cooler than herself touch her skin and she leaned into it.
Not cold, but cooler.
It was enough... for now.
"Hikari?"
"Any response yet?"
Itachi shook his head. "No. She seems like she's in so much pain, I only left to get this and call, I wasn't even gone a minute."
Yukine frowned in concern. "Is she sweating?"
Now that Itachi thought about it.
She wasn't, in fact he doesn't think he's ever seen her sweat.
"No."
"Well shit, this is bad. Okay um- Ice! Get ice! A shit ton of it!"
"Ice?"
"Yes enough to get a bathtub full and then some."
Itachi frowned. He didn't quite understand.
"I'll explain later, but for now get the covers off of her, this might be killing her slowly."
Itachi nodded and ripped the covers off of her watching as a bit of tension left her body.
He should've listened to her.
He watched her in her incoherent state, breathing heavily, trying to get as much oxygen as possible.
"Ice, I need to get ice."
But who would watch Hikari when he's away?
"I'll be back before you know it." He said brushing her hair away from her forehead.
"Now what?" He asked looking at the bathtub over flowing with ice.
"Now dunk her in there."
Itachi gave him an apprehensive look but obliged anyway.
Yukine was the trained medic not him.
He went down stairs to Hikari who was still lying as he left her.
He scooped her into his arms. The heat she radiated was baffling to him.
No wonder she felt like that.
"Okay now take her clothes off."
"What?!" Itachi didn't want to do that.
She didn't give him consent. He wasn't allowed to do it.
"Listen, we're trying to save her life alright? I know this sounds so bad, but we don't have any other choice."
Yeah, he knew that but still.
With shaky hands he set her down on the toilet seat, flinching slightly as her head made contact with his abdomen.
She couldn't even sit straight.
Itachi sighed, okay he had to do this.
He peeled her boots away first, giving her legs room to breathe.
It was the first time he noticed the scars on them. So many, but so faint.
Some of them were big, some weren't.
But her legs were littered with scars everywhere.
So many of them.
One that stood out especially, was on her lower thigh, it didn't seem as old as the others.
He later unzipped her top, beginning to get red in the face himself.
He took in a deep breath. Saving her.
This was for saving her.
He took the fishnet top away too, then moved to her shorts.
He had to focus.
She was bare from the waist up. He didn't have the heart to strip her completely in her delirious state.
Apparently she didn't wear anything under the fishnet.
It gave itachi quite the heart attack.
"Are you done?"
"Uh-um yes!"
"Oh good, now put her in the ice bath."
Itachi scooped her back up in his arms making sure her front was plastered to his so he wouldn't invade her privacy any more than he already had.
He really hoped this made her better.
He put her in the ice bath, then waited for something to happen.
Cold. It was cold.
It was relieving.
She felt like she could breathe again.
She opened her eyes slightly, letting out a whimper of relief.
That felt good. Really good.
"Hikari? Can you hear me?"
She wanted to say yes, she did but-
"If you can hear me blink twice."
She did. Slowly with a lot of time between each blink but she could hear them.
So she did.
"Okay, I'm going to dunk your head in. Did you get that?"
She did. She blinked twice again.
"Okay. Get ready."
She was. She wanted to do it already but she filt like her head weighed a ton and she couldn't handle it. She was ready to stay under the icy water for all eternity if she had to. If it made her feel better.
Then the cold relief reached her face. She closed her eyes and held her breath.
She would stay here forever if she could.
Just a bit more.
Itachi glanced over worriedly, she still didn't come out.
What if-
He raced over to her to get her out.
And get her out he did. He gripped her by the arm pulling her out enough for her chin to barely touch the water.
Her eyes met his, looking clearer than they were before.
"Hikari. Are you okay?"
She nodded, still feeling a bit groggy.
Hikari tried getting back down in the ice bath, but Itachi stopped her.
She whined, hoping he would let her.
He did. Albeit reluctantly, but he did.
Hikari sank back into the tub, resting her head against the built in head rest, and closed her eyes, slipping the lower half of her face up to her nose back in slowly.
Just a bit more.
When the ice all melted, she got out, with help of course.
"Can you stand?"
"Yes." She hoisted herself up, but it didn't feel right.
Itachi caught her before she fell.
"Well I guess that answers the 'can you walk.' C'mon, let's get you dressed."
He put a towel around her head and let it drape to her thighs.
He supported her until they reached her room, then he left to give her some privacy.
Now that all of the chaos passed, Itachi felt tired.
Very tired.
He stood outside her bedroom door, to see if she needed anything.
And waited.
Hikari opened the door to see Itachi standing off to the side.
She ushered him in and went to bed.
Itachi took the silent invitation and went after her.
They both needed some rest.
"I'd kiss you but I don't want you to get sick." Hikari grumbled, lying down.
Itachi noticed she still had her hair in the towel.
Probably a sound idea. They didn't want a repeat of that.
Itachi gently combed through her wet hair, careful not to hurt her.
Hikari had a really sensitive scalp, if he tugged a bit it may hurt her more than he expected, so he decided to keep it as gentle as he possibly could.
"Man, this feels so good. I'm never letting anyone else brush my hair ever again."
Itachi smiled, setting the brush down on the nightstand, then started braiding her hair.
"I'm not going to be here forever to do it."
Hikari stiffened, suddenly the relaxed air turned somber and tense.
"Why? Why would you bring that up?" She hissed at him, turning to face him a glare evident on her face.
"Because you keep forgetting." He answered neutrally.
"What if I want to forget?! Look if this is how it's going to be then-"
"Then what?" He challenged an eyebrow raising at her tone.
"Then... Look I don't want to turn on every corner to find you there reminding me of that. I'd just rather not."
"What if I would?"
"Why are you being difficult about this?"
"Because I'm running out of time Hikari! Because we both know it and you just keep denying the truth. I know you, I've seen how you cope with death and it's not very healthy. I know you, so I have to keep reminding you because I know that when-"
"If-"
"No, when! When it does happen, you'll breakdown all over again." He finished sternly.
Hikari glared at him. "Oh and you think saying things like that are going to solve the problem?! You think doing this, whatever this is, is okay?"
"Listen-"
"No! You listen! I've already listened to enough bullshit for today! I've just about had it! Listen- look at me!" She tugged on his shirt when he turned away from her.
Both of their eyes were blazing red in anger.
Hikari flinched slightly when she saw his sharingan. Is that why he turned away?
"Who do you think you are?! You can't just say 'I'm dying you better not froget it!' How would you feel if it was the other way around?!"
He clenched his teeth and ripped her hands away from his shirt firmly yet gently, turning away from her again. This time she let him.
"Well?!" She asked impatiently.
She still didn't get an answer. Not that she was expecting one, but she was willing to be surprised by him.
After all he always had a way to surprise her even if it wasn't always a nice surprise.
"Maybe you should just go." She got off the bed.
She was so frustrated she couldn't even see straight.
Itachi followed suit puttig a hand on her shoulder. "Hikari-"
"Just go Itachi!" She was losing it, fast.
She gestured violently to the door.
He clenched his fists and slammed the door behind him in anger.
Hikari gripped at her head in anger, gritting her teeth.
Her knees collapsed and she dropped to the ground, he fists still clenched in her damp hair.
She let out a scream of frustration, then allowed herself to cry on the floor, her head buried in her knees, her elbows resting on the ground.
Why? Just why?
Itachi frowned as the sounds of her sobs echoed through the hallway.
God now he felt bad, but he couldn't just go back in, she'd just push him away again. He'll just come back tomorrow and apologize.
Except Hikari wasn't there the next day.
He found no trace of her whatsoever in the house, or in the village if he was being honest.
"Hikari, where'd you go?"
"Aw honey." Mitsuki frowned at her.
"I really don't even know what to do anymore. It doesn't help that we're both stubborn."
"Oh trust me no one is more stubborn than you." Yukine rolled his eyes from the kitchen.
"'Tsuki-chan do you hear anything?"
"I don't believe I do, maybe I left the radio on or something."
"Hmm, maybe you should turn it off I want some peace and quiet while I have this conversation."
"You're right I should." She replied, getting up and going to the kitchen.
Hikari watched as Mitsuki leaned over Yukine, whispering things in his ear, eyes widening as he blushed a deep scarlet.
Hikari cocked her head to the side in curiosity.
What the hell was Mitsuki saying to him?
He covered up his face and Mitsuki made her way back to her.
She had a large mischievous grin covering her face.
"What was that about?"
"Oh you don't need to worry about it," She said sitting down on the couch.
"Well, I'll be. That looks like a neat trick."
Mitsuki just shook her head. "Going back to your problem. It sounds like it's been going on for too long Hikari-chan."
"It's been three days."
"And it should be enough time for both of you to get your shit together."
Hikari gaped at her, and she heard Yukine cursing then a distinct sound of a pan falling over was heard.
Mitsuki never cursed.
Ever.
"W-what I-"
"I'm putting it nicely, Hikari-chan." She shrugged.
"You didn't sound too nice about it..."
"Look, according to you, and that bonehead over there-" she gestured to Yukine.
"Hey!"
"-he's living on borrowed time. Three years isn't that long. Even so, you actually never know when he might die, maybe his condition will get worse, three years is just you, and all of us really, hoping for all of that medicine to delay the inevitable. There's no guarantee that will actually happen. Remember, Yukine said three years max. Give or take a few months of course, but no longer than that."
Hikari pursed her lips looking down, the white couch underneath her seeming more interesting to her than anything else. Of course she remembered. How could she forget.
"All I'm saying is, you have limited time with him, are you sure you want to spend it fighting and not talking to him?"
"No."
"See? I know how prideful you are Hikari-chan, the words 'I'm sorry' don't come very easily to you. I know that, but maybe, just this once you can swallow your pride and say it."
Hikari still didn't say anything.
"Babygirl, look I know okay? I really do. But you can't do this to yourself. Or to him. He's probably hurting as much as you are right now."
Hikari looked up at her. "Why would he be?" She asked bitterly.
Mitsuki frowned at her then reached to tuck a hair strand behind her hair.
Hikari frowned in confusion. What was happening?
She gripped at her ear violently.
"OW! HOLY FUCKING HELL! MITSUKI!"
"Now listen here, and listen very carefully-" she pulled her by the ear to get her closer to her. "-you are going back to Amegakure, tonight-"
"Tonight?! But I just got here!"
"Tonight! And resolve this fucking problem tonight before I-"
They both looked over at the kitchen as a soft thud sounded out.
Yukine fainted.
"-bash both of your heads in together until you both apologize to each other." She looked back at her, finishing her threat sternly.
Hikari had a feeling it wasn't a threat though, she felt like it was more of a warning.
"Okay! Okay! I do have one problem with that though..." She rubbed her ear when Mitsuki finally let it go.
"And that is?" She crossed her arms raising both of her eyebrows in curiosity.
"Amegakure is two days away so even if I do go back I won't be able to resole the 'problem' tonight." She air quoted then said 'tonight' the same way Mitsuki said it.
"Oh yeah well that makes sense, sorry." She smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, we should probably wake him up." She gestured halfheartedly to Yukine.
"Yea, that looks like it was quite the painful fall." Hikari grimaced and got up to help her wake him up.
To say she was nervous was an understatement. If she could sweat, Hikari would probably be drenched and have a not so little puddle under her on the hallway floor.
She knocked on his door softly with shaky hands.
"Come in." His voice went through the door.
She turned the doorknob with shaky hands and opened the door slowly.
Itachi turned to the door behind him to see who was coming in.
"Hikari-"
"Itachi-"
They both called each other's names at the same time.
"You-you go first," Hikari said, closing the door softly behind her.
"Where have you been? I've been looking for you! I was so worried!"
Hikari gaped at his as he fussed over her.
"I didn't know where you'd gone or when you'd come back! Are you okay?" He cupped her cheeks looking at her with analysing eyes, trying to assess any damage and the extent of it.
"I-I guess." She stuttered baffled, going a bit red in the face.
He sighed.
"Listen I-" they both stopped abruptly.
"You go first." Itachi smiled slightly at her.
"I just went to visit Yukine and Mitsuki I- I'm sorry I didn't tell you I just didn't think to." She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, looking away from him.
"What did you want to say?"
"Hikari, look I... Okay, I admit, maybe it was cruel of me to say that." He approached her, putting his head on her shoulders and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her deep to his chest.
Hikari rested her hand on his biceps, leaning into him.
"But I just can't help it, I don't want you to hang onto a hope that I'll stay with you. I can't do it. You know that, right. I know it hurts, I'm not going to do it anymore okay?"
She bit her lip, to prevent the tears from escaping her eyes.
It wasn't even a question, he was just telling her. Telling her what she already knew. What she wanted so badly to deny.
"The past six years were all for this, you know that. You do."
She just nodded and made a sound of affirmation. She didn't trust herself to actually speak.
"Say something," he said desperately. He hugged her closer to him nuzzling his face into her hair.
Her body was a bit hotter than usual, but he blamed that on her frustration.
He put a hand on her head as she cried silently in his chest. His heart aching with as the puddle of tears on his shirt grew.
"I'm sorry."
Hikari sniffled. "I'm sorry too I-"
"No, no, no, you have nothing to apologize for-"
"I overreacted, I didn't try to see things from your perspective. I'm sorry, I unintentionally putting a lot of stress and pressure on you and I didn't even realize it. I'm sorry." She wiped her eyes.
"No, I didn't try to see it from your point of view. I'm sorry, it wasn't until you asked me how I'd feel if it was you saying that to me that I realised how horrible this must've made you feel. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
Hikari hugged him back, and shook her head. "It's okay. I'm okay."
It sounded like she was trying to convince herself too.
But for now, they'd both take it.
For now.
A/N: for those of you wondering what Dearly Beloved and the Other Promise are, they're music pieces composed by one of the most talented, and gorgeous music composer ever Shimomura Yoko!
They're composed for a game called Kingdom Hearts and I have to say that I love love love that game's soundtracks story and basically everything! Now Dearly Beloved has a lot of versions composed by Yoko Shimomura, there's a different arrangement for every game title so I'm going to link all of the different arrangements here! You can check the music pieces I mentioned by checking out these links right here:...
youtube/avGbnVlH5C0
(Dearly Beloved in all versions Except the latest one which I will also link.)
youtube/OL_uJJyWJ_E (The latest version. Don't forget to tell me which one you love the most!)
youtube/1bzizsJfOlw (A violin cover to help you visualise? the way Hikari would play it on a violin because as I mentioned earlier in the previous chapter she's a violinist.)
And finally the orchestra for Dearly Beloved:..
youtube/YjPqcYZTea8 (Dearly Beloved stops at the minute 3:30 I believe then another song of the same game begins; however, I'd 100% recommend watching the whole thing! it's just amazing how talented these people are.)
Now as for the Other Promise
youtube/s9XljBWGrRQ(this is the original one)
youtube/mVyjExpOydw(and here is a violin cover.)
I'm not linking an orchestral version because all the recorded ones or at least the ones I could find are in fact orchestral already so...)Anyway I how you enjoyed this chapter, sorry for the long AN I know most of you won't read it, but for those who do please check out the videos I've linked I don't own any of them! I would love for you to tell me What you think of these beautiful masterpieces! Thank you so much for reading. Please review, I'd love to hear your opinions on everything and anything. Also feel free to PM anytime I'll reply as soon as I see it. Remember to put the b in YouTube to get to the link so it looks like this