"I told you not to keep me waiting."

"Sorry man, she was having a hard time waking up."

Sasori looked at her for confirmation.

"S-sorry."

He didn't say anything.

Deidara helped her off the owl.

"What's happening now?"

"A little rest never hurt anybody, Hikari!" Deidara shrugged.

"Wait!" All three of them turned to look at a boy in all black.

"Should I...?"

"I won't let you take him!"

"Oh, a puppet master. Sasori we'll leave this to you." Hikari patted him on the shoulder and hopped on the owl again.

"Well, since I don't like waiting and I don't like to keep people waiting, I'll finish this quickly."

"Well that's so unlike you," Hikari said from her place on the floor.

"You are late, Sasori!"

"Come on now, don't be like that. We got your One tail didn't we?" Sasori shrugged nonchalantly. "It's my turn, now but it'd be so much easier for it to come to me, instead."

"Wait, we're doing two?!" Hikari sat up in shock.

"We didn't tell you?"

"No."

Sasori glared at Deidara. "Huh, my bad. S-so who do you have in mind?"

"Honestly anyone would do, I'm not picky."

Hikari whined.

This was going to be so fucking tiring she'd be surprised if her own body didn't gouge her own eyes out to cause her pain as payback for what she does it to it.

She laid back down, her skin hurting like crazy. She needed something to cool her off.

She was dehydrated sunburnt, sweaty and had a heatstroke already. Not to mention how much her body fucking hurt.

"Just kill me now."

Sasori gave her a sympathetic look. "Here, maybe this'll help." He approached her with a small bottle, with what looked like some sort of lotion inside.

"What is it?"

"Honestly this isn't my field of expertise, but seeing you like this..."

"Oh my, are you worried about me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Shut up, or I won't help you."

"Ah no please anything."

He huffed, helping her up.

"You owe me for this, Hikari."

"Put it on my tab."

Deidara supported her as Sasori went to work.

"This might sting a little bit."

"Holy fuck, shit that hurts."

"This is either stronger than I thought, or your skin's in worse condition than I anticipated." Sasori continue applying the cream onto her skin.

"Ow. Make it stop."

"I'm trying to help." He smacked her on the head, which in hindsight was probably not the best decision.

Hikari sighed, as the first sting of it went away and she was left with a cool sensation on her arm. "Seems to be working."

"Yeah, well I was the one who made it of course it's working.*

Hikari rolled her eyes.

"Sasori, thank you."

He stared at her. "Don't mention it."

"What's this place? It's so creepy." Hikari complained.

"Not as creepy as Sasori when he- Ow!" Deidara was struck in the stomach. "Hey!"

"You are late."

"Right, right sorry, brat was stronger than we expected."

"Set it up we're behind schedule already."

Hikari watched as they all assembled on the fingers.

"Now let us begin. From this point forward, it will take three days and three nights to complete it, try to be mindful of your real bodies."

"Three days! Man with Orochimaru gone shouldn't we expect it to take longer?" Deidara asked.

"If you think so better get started then." Kisame said.

Hikari sighed.

"Zetsu, be on the lookout, use your biggest range."

"You don't even have to tell me."

"Fuuin jutsu genryuu kyu fuujin."

"I dare you to say that ten times," Hikari said to Deidara.

"Hikari, focus."

"Right, right, sorry." Hikari apologized to Sasori earning a sigh from him.

God this was so tiring having to separate them both from each other and do her job properly.

Focus Hikari, don't let Gaara down.

You promised him, you're a lot of things but not a liar.

"An enemy from Konoha is approaching out hideout. He seems strong and goes by the name of Might Guy."

Guy? Again?!

"Wait who's that? They all looked to Itachi's illusion.

"A skilled jonin who is quite talented with Taijutsu it's best not to underestimate him."

"Ah yes the Bizarre Beast. Maybe I'll get to use my jutsu."

"Let me go, I'm having a hard time finding a Jinchuriki and it's pissing me off."

"No, I'll go. I have a personal vendetta against that guy."

"That's a sound idea, even for us Akatsuki you have a much larger chakra reserve. You're fit for the job, however, I will need 30% of your chakra, still."

"Right, finally."

Sasori made sound of annoyance.

Hikari put a hand on his shoulder.

He rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else.

This was getting harder and harder.

"Hikari."

She felt like she was being torn from the inside out. She took a deep breath, she needed to focus.

That kid wasn't dying on her watch.

"There's a another Konoha shinobi approaching."

"Right, who's going next?"

"Me."

Hikari's focus faltered.

"Itachi-kun..."

"I know."

Shit, she needed to be steady, for Gaara. If she did one misstep she won't be able to hide it from them, they'll all kill her on the spot, especially him.

She needed to focus. She had a bad feeling about all of this.

Hikari coughed startling both Sasori and Deidara.

"Hey you alright?" Deidara asked.

"Fine."

"We bought some time." Kisame reconnected.

"You lost me two subordinates." Sasori all but growled.

"Never mind that, how much longer?" Deidara asked worried for Hikari.

"We're almost there."

"Zetsu, dispose of the two used for the shouten jutsu."

"Right."

"Itachi, how many are there?"

"A four party, Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, The kyuubi's Jinchriki from Konoha, and an advisor from Suna, Chiyo."

Hikari felt Sasori stiffen at the mention of the advisor's name.

A family member perhaps?

Hikari bit her lip.

"Are you okay?" She mouthed worriedly.

He nodded, looking a bit more tense.

Almost there.

Gaara woke up feeling drowsy. Confused, what's happening?

Why was he here, what going on.

What was his purpose?

"Gaara!" He whipped to see her.

She looked familiar. "Thank God you're alright."

"You're... Hikari."

"Yeah, I am. I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried about you."

"I'm.. okay."

"Good, good! You should rest up okay? I'll be back."

He nodded.

Why was she even helping him?

As soon as it was over Hikari collapsed.

Lucky for her, Sasori caught her before she fell of that high of an altitude.

"Hey, are you alright?!"

She didn't reply, she couldn't.

"That idiot probably did something stupid again." He sat her carefully on the ground, that way she didn't have a risk of falling again.

He could basically feel it. She was antsy through the whole process. Picking at her skin, which made him slap her hand away from her own arms multiple times. Fidgeting, biting her lips, tapping her fingers everywhere. It annoyed him, but it also made him notice how anxious she was.

It was definitely not because of the one tail.

Even a blind man could see that.

She most definitely did something stupid.

"To be fair we might've drained her too much." Kisame said. He's seen the way she collapsed before. Not a pretty sight.

A bang caught their attention. "It's getting so noisy out there." Pain said irritated.

"Say, Itachi you said there's another Jinchuriki out there didn't you? Don't think too badly of me yeah?" Sasori looked at Itachi.

Itachi stared back. "Tell that to her, she won't be able to handle another one so soon." He glanced to her resting her head on her knees, knees close to her chest.

He really wanted to help.

But he couldn't, because he wasn't there.

"The problem isn't her chakra, it's just her body. Poor thing." Kakuzu commented apathetically.

All Itachi could do was ask. Hikari what did you do?

"Sasori, Deidara, Hikari, you guys dispose of the ones outside, the rest of you scatter."

Hikari groaned. Somebody give her something to eat and a good night's sleep.

"What kind of bastard is the Kyuubi's Jinchuriki, Itachi?"

"He's loud and brash, he'll charge at you at first."

"That's all you have? Be more specific," Deidara said.

Itachi said nothing and disappeared.

"Actually that sounded about right," Hikari said.

"Let's go."

"Actually I was hoping for something to eat."

"Now."

"But-"

"Now."

Hikari licked the ice cream Sasori somehow brought her happily when the shattering of the barrier caught her attention.

"God damn it."

"Are we too late?"

No he's okay.

"Now which one is the Jinchuriki? Hikari?"

"Tha-"

"You bastards! I'll smash you all to pieces!"

"That one then?"

Hikari nodded. She wasn't ready to fight again, she was barely sitting up on her own.

"Good."

"Oi Gaara! Get up why are you laying around?!"

Hikari stood up.

That's when he noticed her.

"You're-"

Hikari clicked her tongue, and pulled out one of her 9mm. She didn't need him blowing her cover. They were watching.

If it wasn't for the years of training her body went through, Hikari's gun would've slipped out of her hands a long time ago.

Her hands were shaking, but she could hold them steady enough for a good aim.

That didn't go unnoticed by Sasori.

Sakura stared at them in shock.

"Don't you get it man? He's well, dead."

My god Deidara don't piss him off.

"I'm going on ahead." Hikari picked Gaara up and sat on the bird. She was sunburnt, hungry, tired and achy all over. Besides if she stayed any longer she will get roped into the fight.

"Okay."

"Wait!" Naruto rushed at her.

Don't ruin this. She shot a bullet that was deflected by Kakashi.

"Naruto, you need to think. If you go rushing in, they'll destroy you."

Naruto growled.

"Sasori, leave this one to me."

"We were assigned one jinchuriki each, don't push it Deidara."

"Come on! If an artist doesn't get enough inspiration, his sentiments are dulled, Sasori-danna. Besides, it's said that the Jinchuriki is considerably strong."

"Are you trying to convince me that your explosions are fine art? As if, fine art is something that is left long into the future, true eternal beauty."

"Guys, maybe you shouldn't have this argument right now." Not now, please not now, we need to go. Please.

"Bah, they require the same amount of labour, and I respect you but, true art is found in the fleeting moment of an explosion." Deidara waved around excitedly.

"Guys." Please.

"What kind of people are these?" Sakura stared at the three of them.

"Trust me I've been wondering the same thing for over five years." Hikari huffed.

Naruto took action, summoning a large shuriken and lunging it at Sasori.

"Deidara you little shit, are you trying to piss me off?!"

Hikari face palmed.

"Guys!"

"Well I suppose what I said would piss you off." Deidara took Gaara from her putting him in the birds mouth.

Her ice cream melted. "You guys owe me another one." She didn't even get to enjoy the only good thing about this week

"My fine art is explosions, completely different to your puppet shows."

Hikari had just about enough, pulling Deidara by his hair on the bird. "Ow, hey let go!"

"Fly!"

The bird swallowed Gaara.

"Hey! I didn't say you can swallow him. Deidara! Tell it to spit him out!"

"Relax! It's not like it going to digest him or anything."

"Wait the hell up."

"Uh-oh, you pissed him off." Hikari leaned over the edge to watch.

"That's the objective here, Dear Hikari."

"Never call me that again."

She was met with no answer. "Oh look at that. It's Kakashi." She waved at him as he followed Naruto.

"You're gonna fall." Deidara commented.

"Nah, give me some credit."

"Sakura, Chiyo we'll handle these two, for now, you handle the one inside."

Good luck with that.

"Until team Guy gets here, try not to over do it."

"Got it!"

Kakashi spoke over the radio to someone.

Hikari sat back and watched the clouds.

Maybe she can rest now.

"You don't have any food on you do you?"

"No."

"God damnit."

"Brace yourself."

"I told you not to piss him off. Can I go now?"

"Be my guest."

Hikari leaped off the bird making contact with Kakashi.

"Hikari."

She smiled. "Hi."

He lunged at her, his sharingan uncovered.

"Hey, going all out from the beginning?!" She leaped out of the way. God Kakashi why don't you listen.

She didn't want to fight, she wanted to reassure him. She had a plan.

"You! You were in on this." He was so angry with her.

"Booho that hurts Kakashi, here I thought you trusted me." Get the hint idiot.

"I thought so too." Fucking idiot.

Don't look at me like that, I'm trying to help. Why can't you just get that.

Seeing as there was no point in this, and that she was only hurting herself farther, Hikari went to retreat.

It's just that Kakashi didn't want to let her do that.

"No hard feelings, I hope." She sent a kick to his stomach.

"Hikari!"

"Okay!" She leaped off the water into the air, knocking into Naruto on her way up.

"Bye, bye!" She said as Deidara helped her back up on his bird.

"This is going to suck." She grumbled.

Deidara smirked.

"Impressive they're still chasing us."

"What did you say to him to get him all worked up?"

"What me? I didn't say anything. I only told him about the other two Jinchurikis we-"

"Idiot."

She didn't want to be reminded of them. She couldn't save them at all.

Because she didn't know how.

"Naruto! I told you to wait, we'll definitely get Gaara back, so calm down," Kakashi said.

"Listen to me."

"They're thinking up a strategy." Hikari looked to Deidara.

"Oh, let's see what they've got."

"So I'm saying that I'm a skilled Jonin with IQ like Shikamaru and long range attacks."

Shikamaru? Should she memorize that name?

"So we have what we need?"

"I told you to calm down. Ideally it would work in this situation, but we've got another problem on our hands."

Hikari smirked.

"She will impose a huge problem in our plan. We will need to create an opening, both of us, once you've calmed down and drunk up what I said, we'll continue from there."

Naruto nodded.

Hikari clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Watching as Naruto calmed down. That was good, but she couldn't do anything for Gaara right now.

"Dude, tuck his leg in or something."

"You care awfully a lot about a corpse."

"It's a Kiri thing I guess." It was true, the amount of respect Kirigakure has for corpses is immeasurable.

It wasn't the reason, but it was a good enough excuse.

Deidara listened anyway.

"More importantly I'm more worried about Kakashi than the blonde one."

"What why?" Deidara asked.

"He activated his Mangekyou sharingan."

"Shit, what's his ability?"

"I don't know."

Hikari watched in horror as the space among them began giving in, like a whirl pool, if something happens to her now.

Her body was going to hate her after this.

Hikari flicked Mangetsu quickly into the cliff side.

Teleportation took time, but she didn't have that luxury.

"Gah!"

Shit.

And she was on Mangetsu before she could blink.

She panted. "Shit, damn you Kakashi."

She leaped off just in time to see Naruto going in for the attack.

She kicked him away in panic not realizing that she probably sent him to certain death. Shit he got Gaara.

Hikari chased after them, she needed to know where he is if she was going to succeed.

"You let your guard down."

Hikari's eyes widened as they got to Deidara.

Fuck.

He appeared beside her. "Ah! Fuck dude warn me!"

"More importantly look." He pointed to where Kakashi and Naruto were.

That form gave her nightmares.

Unwanted memories flashed in her mind.

She gripped her head. "God damn it not now!" She collapsed right there.

"Hikari!"

Her world was fading.

Going out.

Hikari woke up with a gasp.

She needed to get up, without his soul nothing could bring Gaara back to life, even a life transfer.

She watched as Deidara was about to blow up.

That idiot. Hikari pushed herself up painfully.

Come on, you still have one more thing to do.

She sat up bracing herself for a detonation, but he was gone.

What?

"I sent him and his explosion to another dimension."

Kakashi you idiot you already used that twice today.

Why were all the sharingan holders careless with it.

She followed them, a few paces behind.

She couldn't even keep up if she tried, her body was giving up after all.

Come on, Hikari. You made a promise.

By the time Hikari arrived, Sakura had already done a full check up.

There was no saving Gaara.

"Kakashi!"

They all whipped their head to her.

She panted, not daring to sit down, if she did, she'll never get back up.

"I can help."

Naruto stepped protectively infront of Gaara.

"Like hell we're letting you get close to him!"

Hikari winced. Too loud.

"Listen to me, I need to do this fast. If anyone finds out about this we're all doomed." She was desperate. Only awake because she thought of her promise weighing heavily on her consciousness.

"Please!"

Naruto's stance faltered.

She was the kind nee-chan that helped him three years ago.

Who explained everything to him and promised to help him.

Who was able to get along with the Kyuubi somehow even though he hated everyone else.

He clenched his fists. "If you do anything, if anything happens to him because of you-"

"I'm not in much condition to actually do anything buddy." She smiled up at him.

It's true she looked like she was ready to collapse at any minute.

He stepped aside.

"Naruto!" Sakura complained.

"Sakura." Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head.

The lengths this girl would go through.

She took slow, careful steps towards Gaara, pulling his sword out.

A red nodachi. Warm and inviting.

She pierced his chest with it.

"You-"

"Shut up! I need to focus." Her hands were shaking, Hikari was surprised she was even alive right now.

God damn it, Gaara wake up already.

A loud gasp was heard from under her, that's when the nodachi vanished.

"Welcome back." Hikari smiled getting up.

"You're. You really helped me. Why?"

"I promised didn't I? I have to go."

She really tried to go back.

She really did.

Hikari's hands shook."Do it Hikari.""I can't.""Come on, do it.""Please.""Do it."She bit her lip looking away."I can't, please, Yagura I can't.""I'm not asking, do it.""No.""Do it, Hikari. Now."She tensed up closing her eyes as tears streamed down her face.She didn't want to do it.Yagura was still pestering her. A constant chant to just do it.You don't want Mangetsu to die do you?No.Then shoot.Please.Shoot!And shoot she did.Hikari dropped her gun, falling onto her knees, staring in shock at the dead body.Her first kill. Something everybody in Kirigakure celebrated, but her.She killed someone.Oh no, no, no.Yagura sat in front of her, tilting her head up."Good girl, Hikari. Good girl." He wiped her tears away.Sobs racked through her throat.She killed someone.

Hikari opened her eyes.

"You're awake."

"Stayed with me did you." Hikari sat up looking at Kakashi.

"They didn't want to leave you alone. You haven't been out for that long either."

"You don't say." She glanced around her, they were camping.

"Sakura healed you up. Looks like you did quite the number on your body."

"Trust me you don't know half of it."

"Here." He tossed her something.

"What's that?"

"Onigiri, you probably need it."

"I need to leave."

"We're not holding you prisoner if that's what you're thinking."

Hikari unwrapped the onigiri, eating it in silence.

"Thanks."

"No, thank you. Thanks to you Gaara's back to life and nobody died."

"You're... Welcome I guess. I should get going."

"Yes, you should."

Hikari didn't expect to be pulled in the strongest most comforting hug ever the moment she walked into her house.

"Where have you been? I was worried sick." Itachi buried his face into her hair.

She returned the hug, with a little less force. Honestly it was a miracle she was even standing up right now.

She was able to get a lift into Amegakure somehow.

All Hikari could think was she got lucky.

"I'm so sorry. How are you feeling?" She asked him.

"I'm good, but Hikari there's something you need to know." Itachi pulled away from her.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Sasori. He's... Dead."

Hikari laughed. "Right, real funny."

Itachi just looked at her solemnly.

"I never thought you'd make this kind of joke, Itachi."

"Hikari. I'm sorry." He pulled her back into his embrace. She didn't hug back this time.

"I- are you sure?"

"I'm sorry."

"What about Deidara?"

"He's miraculously fine. I thought I lost you when you didn't come back right away. What happened to you?"

Hikari didn't say anything, but she felt like someone was suffocating her.

"I'll go get some sleep." She sniffled.

Itachi watched as she climbed up the stairs. He reluctantly followed.

She needed someone to be with her right now.

A/N: I know most of you won't read this, but I have important things to say. So unfortunately I have a strained nerve in my right wrist. I'm right handed so this is really hindering everything I do. Even my exams are taking out a lot of energy out of me than usual because of that. Until my wrist problem is solved, my writing will take on a much slower pace which could mean I can't update as often as I want to. I will try to write as much as I can but even just holding the pen or my phone hurts my hand in an unbearable way, as a result my next few chapters will be unrevised and unedited. I'm sorry for that inconvenience, but this will hopefully be resolved soon enough. As always please review because they really make me happy and feel motivated. Don't be shy to tell me what you think, or pm me at anytime and I'll reply as soon as I see it. Thank you so much for reading!