"You know I had really short hair as a kid." Hikari glanced up at Itachi.

"You did?"

"Mhm, I think it was just long enough to be grabbed on."

Itachi's brushing faltered at that. He could hear the heavy 'just enough to get a comfortable grip.' hanging around.

"I think that's how my scalp became so sensitive. I don't really know." She trailed off.

She closed her eyes as Itachi brushed through her hair. It was a nightmare to manage, she knew she would get frustrated and rip it all off if she tried to detangle it.

Itachi was patient though. He sectioned her hair and worked his way through each one gently.

Hikari felt slightly guilty at that, but he still didn't mind.

"I'm sorry I'm doing this to you."

"Don't worry about it. I like doing it." He smiled as he took another section to work through it.

"Thank you."

"It's okay Hikari." He wiped her tears away.It was such a kind voice. So caring and gentle."It's okay baby, you see?"Four year old Hikari stiffened her lip. Nodding."It's okay." She couldn't see his face.

Hikari woke up feeling dazed.

She touched her face to find it wet.

She didn't even realize she was crying.

"Who was that?"

She sighed glancing to her window. "Such a strange dream."

It was raining like usual.

Her head was pounding making her squeeze her eyes shut.

She pushed herself off the bed and sat on her window seat, opening the window to listen to the soft pitter patter of the rain hitting the cobblestone streets.

She rested her head on her forearms, watching the rain fall down. The droplets dancing around with eachother.

She wanted to dance with them.

Hikari stretched out a hand lazily to catch the rain.

The coldness of it grounded her. It didn't let her stray too much.

"Hikari, Hikari."

She groaned.

"You'll get sick, get up."

"Five more minutes."

She felt arms hooking around her waist, pulling her off the window seat.

She rested her head on whoever was carrying her's shoulder, until she could feel the soft surface of her bed underneath her. She sank into it, silently thanking him.

"How is she?"

Yukine shook his head, closing the door gently behind him.

"Honestly, I don't know."

"She looked pretty tired to me," Mitsuki said.

"I wonder what got her sleeping on the window seat in the first place." Yukine frowned.

"She must've dozed off or something, you worry about her too much. Anyhow, she'll probably wake up with a mean headache and a sore neck, be prepared for that." Mitsuki smoothed the line between his eyebrows. "Don't frown too much, you'll get a wrinkle."

"With her as my sister, I'm surprised I'm not fifty by now."

Mitsuki laughed. "Well try not to get to that point, I'm not into fifty year olds."

"Wha- Mitsuki!"

"Nah, you can't guilt trip me outta this one!" She smiled patting him on the shoulder.

"Now hold on! What does that even mean?!" He blocked her from walking away from him by spreading his arms across the hallway.

Mitsuki deadpanned at his and ducked under his outstretched arms.

"Hey that's not fair!" Yukine shouted behind her.

She giggled but didn't turn to look at him, trudging downstairs.

"Mitsuki!"

"When did you get here?" Hikari rubbed at her aching neck to massage away the pain.

"Yes good afternoon to you too, Hikari. I'm alright thanks for asking."

Hikari rolled her eyes.

"We got here this morning," Mitsuki answered.

"Now was that so hard?" Hikari turned to Yukine who stuck out his tongue at her.

Hikari made a face at him.

"A greeting is ideal when you see another human being, Hikari."

"I don't see any." She shrugged.

Yukine gaped at her.

Mitsuki burst out laughing. "Good one!"

"Thanks! So what brings you guys here?"

"Itachi called."

"Oh."

"Hikari we just want to make sure you're okay," Yukine said.

"I'm okay."

"Hikari."

"No really! I'm fine! Just peachy!"

Yukine and Mitsuki exchanged glances.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Yukine asked.

Hikari's breath hitched. She hid her right arm behind her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, no clearly you do. Show it to me."

"It's nothing! Really."

"Hikari show me your arm! I'm not even asking!"

Hikari bit her lip and averted her eyes.

"Hikari!" Yukine yanked her arm painfully. "What did you do?!"

Hikari swallowed. "That's why he called you didn't he?"

"What?!" Yukine hissed at her.

"Of course he noticed! Why wouldn't he?!"

"Hikari stop trying to change the subject! What did you do?!"

"What do you care?!"

"What do I- have you gone mad?!" Yukine gripped her forearm tighter. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She bit back.

"You! Do you- why am I even bothering?!" He yanked her closer to him, making her yelp. "What the hell did you do Hikari?!" He shook her violently.

"Let me go! Yukine let go!" She tried prying her arm from his grip, but it was like a vice. It was constricting, agonizing.

Stop, please stop. No more, please.

"Do you even realize how serious this is?! Hikari!"

"Yukine! What's gotten into you?!" Mitsuki pushed him away from her, holding her shaking arm gently.

"Get out of the way Mitsuki!"

"Do you even realize what you're doing?!" She hid Hikari behind her, feeling the younger girl's fist holding the back of her jacket tightly.

"Do you?! Have you seen the way her arm's shaking?!" He stalked forward.

"Yukine! Get away from us, or oh so help me!"

"I told you to get out of the way!"

"And I told you not to take another step!"

Yukine gritted his teeth. "Do you realize what you're doing?!"

Mitsuki knew these words weren't directed at her.

"Answer me! Hikari do you even know?!"

Hikari tightened her hold on Mitsuki's jacket.

"Get out of the way, Mitsuki. Common sense isn't even going to work with her anymore."

"She's fucking scared of you, you ass!"

"She should be! You don't even know how angry I am right now! But she does, don't you Hikari? You want to tell her what this means?!"

Mitsuki looked back to the younger and significantly shorter woman. "Hikari?"

She was trembling all over.

"Well?!"

"No matter what it is, do you think she deserves to be this frightened?!" Mitsuki looked back to him.

Yukine took a deep breath pinching the bridge of his nose. "Hikari."

She whimpered.

Yukine felt his heart shatter. Was she really that scared? Of him?

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but we need to talk."

Hikari shook her head.

He deserved that.

"I promise I won't get angry okay? Just let me look at your arm, please."

Hikari peaked at him from behind Mitsuki.

She held out a shaking arm towards him, hesitantly.

Yukine winced when he saw his fingers marking her skin a deep red.

That was definitely going to leave a bruise if left untreated.

He held her shaking hand gently, trying to steady it. Far cry from how he held her forearm earlier.

He brushed his fingers against her forearm, covering the with healing chakra.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, okay?"

Hikari nodded.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I- I-"

"It's okay, take your time."

Yukine sighed in irritation. "Great. You know that was pretty reckless of you right?"

"I bet you it wouldn't be this bad if I wasn't already half-dead because of the desert." Hikari rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well you were. Listen, Hikari, you can't keep doing this."

Hikari didn't answer.

"Hikari I'm serious! You're literally destroying your body from the inside! Do you understand that?"

"Even so! I can't just let these people die like that!"

"I know, but we'll have to look for another way." Yukine sighed rubbing at his temples.

"There is no other way! The only other way is to exchange my life for theirs! I can only do that once! There are six of them left!"

"And yet look what just one did to you! Your arm isn't even functioning properly anymore!"

"An arm for a life is a small price to pay, Yukine."

"You don't get it do you? You got lucky! This time it's your arm, the next it's your leg? Your heart? Your brain? We could never know. We can't be reckless, Hikari!"

"So you're suggesting that I just kill them mercilessly without any hint of remorse?"

Yukine huffed. "No, but you need to be more careful, the toll your body took was too much, we're lucky you only came down with this much damage in the first place. All I'm saying is don't do all these things in a row, maybe that'll lessen the damage your body receives, or better yet it wouldn't be irreversible. Try to take rests in between extraction and restoration."

Hikari nodded solemnly.

"The only good news I can give you right now is that it's not you dominant hand."

"Yippee," Hikari said dryly.

"You could've confronted me about it you know." Hikari crossed her arms under her chest.

"You wouldn't have said a word, and you definitely would not let me take you to Yukine. I called him here instead." Itachi shrugged.

Hikari huffed. "Well you're not wrong..."

Itachi smiled at her. "So?"

Hikari shook her head. "Irreversible damage. It's never going back to the way it was before."

"Oh."

"Yeah, but I'm fine with that. I was able to save a life, this is a small price to pay."

He stared at her unstable arm.

"You still won't tell me what caused that in the first place?"

Hikari averted her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You're left-handed, though right?" He subtly changed the subject.

"Uh, yeah! So I don't think it will really bother me." She shrugged.

"Hikari."

They both turned to Kakuzu.

"Yes?" It was strange seeing Kakuzu talking to Hikari.

The two never really interacted.

"Meeting, now." He turned around and left

Hikari exchanged glances.

"Okay?" Hikari said hesitantly.

"I refuse." Hikari said her eyes turning a shade of dark orange.

Pain looked at her unimpressed.

"Excuse me?"

"No way in hell are you lumping me in with this guy!" She pointed a finger at the pink eyed man beside her.

"I'm not exactly delighted to do this either, why can't we two just go?" Hidan glared at her.

Hikari gave him a dirty look.

"You will get along for this mission."

"Abso-fucking-lutely not!" They both said in unison.

"Dismissed."

Hikari crossed her arm in irritation. She stayed put as both Kakuzu and Hidan left.

"I said, dismissed."

"And I chose to ignore you. You can't just force me on this mission!"

"Yes, I can."

"No you can't! Listen to me! I'm not taking part in any of this!"

"Yes, you are."

Hikari groaned. "You think I'm up for sleeping another week? No way, man. You're delusional!"

"Dismissed."

Hikari gritted her teeth, then left slamming the door behind her.

"That fucking ass!"

Hikari was spun around suddenly, then got slammed into the wall.

"Hikari."

"What do you want Uchiha?!" She growled.

"Oh come on don't be like that, I thought we were friends."

"Friends?! Me? With you?!" She spat out, venom dripping from her words.

"Listen, and listen well. I know what you've been doing. Don't even think for a second that you can trick me." He squeezed her right forearm tightly.

"Let go." She tugged her arm free.

"I'll let it slide for now, Hikari. Just know that if your little endeavours interfere with my plans, you'll pay the price."

She glared at him. "Sure thing, Obito."

He scowled at her retreating frame.

Hikari took slow breaths to prevent herself from spiralling into another panic attack.

He knew, he knew and he's going to kill her. She can't die just yet, these people need her. She has to save them.

"Hey."

Hikari screeched, skidding into a halt as Itachi's hand touched her shoulder.

Itachi frowned at her reaction. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah!"

"Hikari."

"No, but I really don't want to talk about it. Not right now at least."

"Okay. What did they want?"

"Guess who's going on a mission with Hidan?"

"No way."

"Yes, yippee." Hikari rolled her eyes.

Itachi snickered.

"It's not funny!"

"I don't wanna go!" Hikari complained.

"Wish I could help you there, but I can't."

"I don't want to go with Hidan and I definitely don't want to go to Kumo."

"Hikari." Itachi sighed.

"What?" She turned to him.

He kissed her forehead. "Take care of yourself."

Hikari's face turned beet red, as she put a hand on her forehead. "Y-yeah, I will."

He smiled at her.

"It would be nice if you cooperate, Hikari." Kakuzu said.

"No."

"The more useful you are the faster we'll be done with this mission. Then you can kill that fucking ass again for all I care."

"Here's the thing, he doesn't want to stay dead!" They both looked back at the fuchsia eyed man behind them.

He was picking his ears.

Hikari cringed in disgust.

"Something you want to say you bitch?!"

"I don't talk to people who share their IQ number with the temperature." Hikari bit back.

Kakuzu gripped her by the hair. "Hikari."

"He's pissing me off! He started it!" She clawed at his hand. "If the braid comes apart because of you, Kakuzu, I swear-"

"We're here." He let her go. "You better drop your attitude until we're done."

Hikari scowled. "Aye aye," she grumbled.

A/N: this turned out a bit shorter than I wanted it to, but it's because I split the chapter off before their mission starts. Hopefully the next chapter will come out sooner than this one. Thanks for reading!