Chiisai's eyes widened at the sight of him. She stood to face him and asked, "How?"
Itachi's expression didn't change as he replied, "I sealed some of my chakra with your ability. It seemed to have stirred at your calling."
"Itachi," she shook her head, "I've ruined everything. The seal broke when I got a concussion, and, well, remember that dark thing inside my head?" Her eyes cast downward and her voice dropped. "It was my father. He's using my power to take over the minds of the villagers. None of them will wake up, and Kakashi and I are trapped inside my mind." Her hands clenched in fists. "My father's using my power. I don't know how to get it back. Please," her voice pleaded, "I need your help."
He blinked at the familiar name, though he didn't seem surprised. "Kakashi?"
She nodded. "We were separated, and I can't get to him." Her hands covered her face. "I can't do it," her voice broke. "It's been too long."
Itachi stepped forward and gently placed his hands on her wrists. He guided them away from her tear-stained face, coaxing her out of hiding. His touch made the pain go away, and she slowly raised her gaze to his Sharingan.
"You always seem to be doubting yourself, Chiisai. Remember what you accomplished for the village back then?"
Letting out a groan, she mumbled, "Right after I killed my parents." She froze, regretting the sentence as soon as it came out. "Itachi, I'm so sorry. You, well, I didn't mean-"
He let out a soft laugh, more breath than voice. "Still struggling with socializing I see." He shook his head, meeting her eyes as he said, "You haven't changed a bit, Chiisai. How can you face the present when you cannot accept the past?"
She averted her gaze, whispering, "How did you move on?"
"The past can't be undone, no matter how much you wish it." He dropped his hand, leaving her yearning for his warmth. "You must accept it as it is, Chiisai. Being stuck in the past only leads to isolation and a dark existence. It will take over your present and future, and it will slowly consume you."
Her hands held her arms as she said, "You're the only one left that knows how to reseal me. Can you do it?"
Itachi stared at her for a moment, regarding her familiar black eyes. Shaking his head, the Uchiha replied, "The seal needs two people, and given my circumstances I wouldn't be able to come to you. The organization that I'm in would take you if they discovered your abilities." His fingers brushed her hair back, leading them behind her ear as he reassured her. "You must protect the village like you sought to do when we were comrades. Remember your duty, what you promised years ago. Always keep that at the front of your thoughts."
She nodded slowly, taking in his words. "I promised the Third I'd protect the village." Memories and others' dreams surfaced in her mind, a flickering collage of hopes, fears, desires, and failures. So many people, and so many had promised to protect Konoha just as she, including the man in front of her.
Taking a deep breath, Chiisai said, "I understand, Itachi."
Itachi went rigid for a moment, catching her off guard. His voice was urgent as he said, "My chakra is running out. Chiisai, protect the village like I have done. This is your dream- what you believe, you create."
Panic seeped in at the thought of her father. She broke away from him. "How do I stop him, just believe he doesn't exist? Itachi, I need you, please."
"I am sorry." He squeezed her hand. "Chiisai, you must believe in yourself. You can do this, and you will. Remember how powerful you are."
The air shook around them as Itachi added, "Once you find Kakashi and defeat your father, you will have to cut off your mind from everyone else's. And it would be wise to start working under the Hokage. Others will find out about your power. You will be protected under Lady Tsunade."
She shook her head once more and said, "Always thinking about others, Itachi. You really could have been Hokage." Her gaze traveled up to meet his eyes. She squeezed his hand back and said, "Sixth Paths, I miss you so much. You weren't there when I woke up, and I didn't even get to say goodbye."
"I am sorry," he said. "Circumstances made it impossible for me to stay any longer. Our fates have led us down different paths," he smiled, though his eyes showed sadness. The rumbling grew louder as Itachi began to fade. "I have chosen my Will of Fire, now you must choose yours." He gazed at her once more, his fingertips lingering on hers. He smiled and brought his lips to her forehead. "I miss you too. I didn't think we'd see each other again."
She pulled away and opened her mouth to reply. But Itachi was already gone, leaving her in a blackness that seemed darker and emptier than before. The rumbling deepened, resonating inside her chest. She cursed under her breath and tried to remember everything Itachi had said. She had to believe in herself? That sounded ridiculous to her ears now.
But protect the village. Now that she could sink her thoughts into and direct her heart towards. Taking several shaky breaths, Chiisai drew upon the memories of her dreams, of her creations during her past lucidities. She remembered the dreams of others, of children in the village who wanted to rise beyond their limits and prove their worth. She remembered the nightmares she had coaxed into pleasant dreams, silently protecting those who were asleep. And though she wanted nothing to do with villagers during the day, she knew them in one of the most intimate levels possible- through the images they projected while they slept.
That had been her escape when it had all began. When her father started using her for information, when her life began its torturous spiral, Chiisai had fled to others' dreams. There, she decided to tame the power within her, attempting to regain her sanity. Helping and guiding them had given her a sense of purpose, filling her with a happiness that was unattainable once she opened her eyes. Chiisai was the gardener of their subconscious, always pruning and watering them until they bloomed into wondrous dreams.
Until she unknowingly let her father into her mind. Their dreams slowly shriveled and faded, and she along with it. Then she herself began having nightmares that seeped into everyone else. Chaos ruled in the dream world, and what Chiisai had thought to be her purpose in life became the bane of her existence.
It was her father who made her hate the light of day, and it was he who made her hate her powers at night. And though she could live with that for herself, she would not let anyone else suffer- even if it was her fault to begin with.
'I have chosen my Will of Fire, now you must choose yours.'
Furrowing her eyebrows, Chiisai extended a hand. Her palm faced out as she steeled herself for what was to come. Eyes closed, mind focused, Chiisai clenched her fingers into a fist. The air around her shattered into a thousand fragments, slowly spinning like broken glass. The woman thought of Itachi, of his unconditional warmth masked by his false hatred, of his voluntary sacrifice that caused his life to crumble around him.
The rumbling was deafening. Chiisai centered her focus back to when she pierced children's nightmares and turned them into moments of soaring through the sky.
The fragments shot out like shurikens as she flexed her hand. They rose in the air, flying at an incredible speed until they burst like fireworks before her eyes. The sound silenced the quaking air. The lights cascaded down around Chiisai, repainting the void so it became an endless valley full of blooming red flowers.
Her toes dug into soft dirt as her fingers traced over the petals around her. She had once created a dream world free of fear, free of pain and suffering. And she would make that world again.
Now she needed to find Kakashi.
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It was like someone had forgotten to turn on the light. Maybe she got sucked into the black thing, or maybe this was where Kakashi was. It didn't fill her with fear though. It was just so quiet, which contrasted the racing beat of her heart.
Her hand pressed against something soft. Instincts took over, and she pressed her body against it. It melded with her, and everything came to life.
She opened her eye to an unfamiliar ceiling. She took a breath of air, feeling the metal under her fingers. Someone had their rather large hand on her forehead. Lifting her hand to push it off, she was greeted with a gasp.
"Kakashi?" She spoke his name and was shocked to hear someone else's voice.
"Kakashi?"
Confused, she looked up to see Inoichi towering over her. She released his hand. He studied her as he asked, "What happened?"
"Um…" She sat up, rubbing her forehead. She felt metal and cloth. Confused, she felt her face all the way down to her masked nose and lips. Startled, Chiisai glanced down at herself. A jonin uniform met her eyes.
"What the hell." She turned to Inoichi, who seemed just as confused as her. "Is this happening? Am I dreaming?" Hearing Kakashi's voice come out of her mouth, well, his mouth, damn, this was confusing.
His hard eyes slowly softened and his eyebrows rose as he asked, "Chiisai?"
"So this is real?" She covered her mouth, still surprised to hear Kakashi's voice.
"Where's Kakashi?"
Her gloved hand raked through her messy silver hair. "We were separated. I wanted to find him, but obviously it didn't work as intended." She shivered, trying not to think about it. But gods, as she ran a hand down her green vest, she couldn't help but notice just how in shape he was. Her hand stopped right above her hips, or his hips? Either way, she quickly averted her eyes back to Inoichi, refusing to entertain any distracting thoughts. "Are you the only awake person in here?"
He nodded. "More people have fallen asleep. It's more chaotic than before. Word has gotten out, and the Land of Fire is in a vulnerable position. Your father has taken two thirds of the village under his control."
"We will stop him." She laid back down and caught sight of her actual body laying beside her. She gasped at her blood stained face, of the purple skin around her eyes.
Chiisai suddenly shook her head and said, "Once I find Kakashi, the mission will proceed without delay. I'll bring Kakashi back to his body and restore everyone's mind." She gave him a reassuring smile, and then realized the mask covered it. Instead, she did what Kakashi would have done, crinkling his eye up in a smile.
Inoichi, though unsure, nodded.
"Oh, and Ino wants to go on a shopping spree for her birthday. She dreamed about new clothes last night," she added. Inoichi blinked down at her, but Chiisai detached herself from Kakashi's mind, allowing his body to go dormant once more. In complete darkness, she focused once more on Kakashi. The last time she had concentrated too much on his physical appearance. This time, Chiisai sought Kakashi in his purest form, of his worries over his last team, of his fear of losing anyone else, his strong sense of loyalty and convictions to protect those he cared for. Not to mention his need for meticulous organization. Farm Boy was who she needed.
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Sunlight hit her face, and she covered her eyes. Chiisai blinked several times, adjusting to the sudden light. It seemed to be another village, a small but bustling town under the afternoon Sun. Children ran by her, chasing after each other as merchants yelled prices of goods. The smell of steaming food filled the air as she walked through the market. Kakashi had to be here somewhere. She didn't mess up again, did she? This was definitely a dream.
Chiisai walked on, inching herself through the crowds as she glanced around. The crowd pushed by her as if she were just an ordinary person. She didn't see the jonin at all, or anyone she could have recognized. It was thirty minutes before she edged out of the traffic and finally sat down on a tree stump. Of course, he was a ninja, so he may just be hidden out of sight. Propping her head on her hand, Chiisai tried once more. "I need Farm-boy," she whispered with eyes closed. "Dream powers, you've worked before, and I know you can work again. I believe it. Now let me find him."
"There you are."
Chiisai, surprised, opened her eyes to see Kakashi in front of her. He looked exactly the same, but his expression…
"Kakashi?" Her eyes brightened as she stood, but Kakashi didn't move. "I would apologize about earlier," she said, "but you don't seem to be in the mood."
"I'm not surprised you know my name." The ninja twirled a kunai in his hand before pointing it at her. The edge shined under the sunlight, and Chiisai's eyes widened. Kakashi tilted his head and said, "Let's make it easy, shall we?" He gestured with the weapon and ordered, "Don't make any sudden moves."
Chiisai furrowed her eyebrows. "You recognize me, but you don't at the same time."
His expression changed, but it wasn't out of recognition. No, the gleam of battle shown in his eye as he said, "I know who you are. You're the most wanted person in the Land of Fire."