A/N: I don't know what to say, but uh, yeah. Another chapter, this one up fast~ yay~! So...yeah.

~Another year later~

"Home! We can finally go home!" Hikari shouted gleefully as she rode on Yoru's back, giggling happily. The tiger growled softly in response, pleased that his master was happy. Two whole years of being away from the village had made Hikari homesick, but she had somehow managed. Now, she could finally go back to her friends and younger brother.

"Be safe now Hikari," a tall auburn haired woman warned her, stepping out of the bushes around the small cottage she lived in with Yuna and Hikari, "And don't stop for any Uchiha."

The now 16 year old rolled her eyes exasperatedly, "Like there are any around..." She mumbled, a small hint of sadness in her voice as she played with the scratched up headband tied to her bag.

Liz sighed, "I know it's hard...I lost a good friend to the wretched Uchiha clan too..."

"What does that have to do with anything!?" Hikari retorted to her mentor's partner.

Liz's eyes were solemn, many emotions running through them. "Nothing...nothing at all..."

"S-Sorry..." Hikari said, not having meant to lose her temper. "I didn't mean to yell...I'm sorry about your friend."

Liz shook her head, biting back bitter tears, "It's fine."

The brunette hugged her tightly, "It's not...I shouldn't have said that..."

"Has Kakashi told you about how he got his Sharingan?" Liz asked suddenly, as if she was changing the subject to Hikari's mentor.

Hikari shook her head. "No, he hasn't. He never talks about his personal life to us."

"I see, ask him sometime," She said as she smiled sadly, "It's an amazing and heroic tale."

She nodded, her eyes bright and kind. "Okay. I'll come visit soon." Hikari promised as Yuna walked over.

"Be careful..." Yuna warned.

Liz stood next to Yuna, a few inches taller than her, eyes soft. Hikari smiled lovingly and hugged them both tightly. "Thank you..."

Yuna smiled gently and ran her fingers through the teen's hair in adoration, "See you soon, dear."

"Nhh!"

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," wiping blood from her mouth, she stood and faced the enemy she was fighting. Her raven black hair was swaying in the fall breeze, her face covered in dirt and blood from the battle she was so engrossed into. She swayed slightly and took a step back, trying to keep herself upright and not collapse on the ground. The once lively clearing they were in was now burnt and bloody, the trees were charred and several bodies of fallen shinobi littered the dreary, airy setting.

Itachi helped steady his sister, putting his hands on her shoulders and squeezing them softly, "I can easily finish him off, imouto. You're injured enough as it is."

She glared lightly, a deep scratch on her jawline that was bleeding heavily only moments before now almost healed, "I can fight too, you know. I don't want to waste all of the years I've spent training."

"I was only offering to help." Itachi said, staying back and letting her continue, smirking as she finished the enemy off. Hope had become a ruthless kunoichi. She spun in the air and landed a blow with her foot on the attacker's chest. The final blow was delivered and the man gasped for air as a sickening crunch was heard, and he fell on the ground, blood trickling from his tightly closed lips. He cursed her to go live in hell for all eternity and with one last labored breath, he died and joined his fallen teammates.

Hope had been using all the techniques Hikari had taught her, and practiced them everyday, thus gaining strength and confidence in her abilities, just like Pein and Konan said she would, "Well done, imouto."

She smiled with a grin that could make most men fall for her, and brushed some loose strands of fine dark hair from her face. She was now thirteen years old, and was of eligible age to declare her alliance with either Konoha, or with the Akatsuki, and to even be a rogue. "Thanks."

Itachi kissed her forehead, silently hoping that she would side with Konoha instead of the rogue group of missing nin set on capturing all of the tailed beasts and ridding the world of her defiled inhabitants, "You're welcome."

"I've made my final decision, brother." she said with the utmost certainty, holding her head high and her obsidian orbs bright with determination.

"And?"

"I'm staying here, with you, and declaring myself as an official member of the Akatsuki! I've already talked with Pein-sama and made the arrangements!" she shouted to the world.

Itachi was silent, nodding though he was truly disappointed in his baby sister's decision. "Alright."

She saw the disappointment in his eyes, clutching her fists tightly at her sides until her knuckles turned white, and looking down at the ground her obsidian orbs suddenly filling with tears, her voice portraying the genuine hurt she felt, "Thanks for the shit quality support, Itachi."

He hugged her tightly. "Imouto, I love you more than my own life. But if you join the Akatsuki, I'm scared I'll lose you..."

"If I stay with you I'll surely get stronger! I will! Pein promised!" she retorted back, getting angrier that her brother thought so lowly of her. The man only hugged her tighter and spoke softly.

"You're stronger than anyone else I know. And you're almost as strong as I am." He smiled one of his rare smiles, "And I am truly proud of you and how much you've grown."

"Then why are you so scared then!?"

"I don't want you to become power hungry like Sasuke..." He spoke quietly now, knowing that Sasuke, the one whom he had entrusted to take his place and protect the village, had become so bitter and power hungry that he had betrayed his own people just to get to where he most likely was today.

"Who's Sasuke?"

"He's our brother...and he has become consumed with thoughts of hate, imouto."

"What. The. Hell. You didn't tell me we had a brother!" She screamed at him loudly, "Why the hell didn't you tell me about him!?"

Itachi stayed calm and sat down. "Hope. There are many things that I can't tell you, because if I do, it might cost me my life. But what I can tell you is that when you were three years old...an order was sent out. And you, our brother Sasuke, and myself were the only survivors."

Her obsidian orbs were full of fury, not understanding why he was still withholding the full truth from her, and her voice deadly, "Thanks for telling me now..."

"I didn't tell you before, because..." He looked down, guilt clouding his already hazy eyes, "I didn't know how to tell you..."

"If you had told me earlier...I wouldn't be so hurt."

"I know...and I regret it." He closed his eyes. "But...if I had told you earlier...I was afraid that...something would happen to you."

"...I need...some time to think, Itachi..."

He nodded in understanding. "Forgive me, imouto." He kissed her hair before he disappeared, heading back to base.

She let out a loud scream into her coat, curling up on the ground and let her tears lose. Her raven hair was up in a pigtail and blood covered her features from coughing hard and the battle she had earlier, staring at the body of the enemies they were fighting earlier. "I'm sorry...I don't know who you are...or what your life was like...if you had a family or not...I'm sorry...I'm just a girl who doesn't know her place in life. I'm so sorry..."

She stayed silent for several hours before she heard a familiar kind voice.

"Hope?"

"Who's there!?" she shouted as she stood up quickly, kunai in hand instantly, more scared than she was ready to fight

Hikari blinked, not really intimidated. "Well, that's a nice way to say hello."

She looked down and threw her kunai at the ground, "I'm not in the mood Hikari...not in the goddamn mood..."

The teen nodded and continued on. "Well, I just wanted you to know I'm returning to Konoha!"

"Alright..."

Hikari waved as she moved along. "By they way, you've really grown up."

Hope let out a scoff, "Probably not for the better or the good of anyone. Not even myself."

"Well. I think you've grown a lot. Not just in power, but in personality as well!" She smiled. "See you again.'

She nodded as her only best friend left her. She couldn't trust anyone anymore. They'd all just disappoint her. "Guess I'm just a missing nin now..."

"If you ever need anything, just give a whistle!" Hikari shouted.

"Yeah yeah...you've said that millions of times ane," she said as she curled up on the ground.

It was hours before anyone else passed by, this time, the people were much more louder and Hope was sleeping peacefully in a soft bed of grass. "Hurry it up, old man! We gotta get there before it gets dark!"

Hope groaned as she was woken up from her nap, the voices were getting louder and more obnoxious with each passing second, "For christ's sake shut the hell up!" she shouted at the voices.

"What'd you just say!?" The blonde screeched, jumping out of the forest glaring intently with sky blue orbs.

She stood up quickly and glared back with hostility, "I said shut the hell up. I was taking a nap and you disturbed my rest."

His glare faded as he recognized the younger teen, "Hey, I know you!"

"I don't know you." she said, a glare still on her features.

"I wrapped your hand when you hurt it!"

She frowned, the angry pink scar on her hand proof of that day. "I-I should get going..." she said seeing the headband on his forehead, symbolizing that he was a shinobi of the Leaf Village. She didn't want to get caught so quickly after declaring her independence as a rogue.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Remember it!" He grinned brightly, as though he didn't have a problem in the world and that the Akatsuki wasn't obsessing over gaining the Kyuubi's power that was sealed inside of him.

She nodded and turned away, not saying anything, leaving her black and red cloak on the ground. Naruto yelped as his sensei grabbed him and began pulling him along. Hope didn't look back as he left, too busy mulling in self pity. Naruto had argued with Jiraiya as they continued on their journey back to Konoha, his voice loud and obnoxious, though the man had become used to it by now. He sighed as he listened to his pupil talk about everything he planned to do as soon as they got there, rolling his eyes.

Hope never went back to the hideout that night, not bothering to go back to a place that she felt was hostile to her that particular night, not thinking of any other threats that could have lurked in the forest at that specific time of night. A familiar silver haired man silently followed her, his chakra hidden well. But, just before he could make his move, there was an interruption when the young teen came across a small cottage and knocked on the wooden door cautiously.

"Hope Uchiha." Yuna muttered softly as she opened the creaky door, mentally making a note to look at the hinges in the morning, but otherwise surprised to see the young woman so close to Konoha, "What troubles you, little one?"

"I need a place to stay," she said with an emotionless tone of voice, and her dark eyes not betraying her emotions also.

The blonde smiled kindly, not caring whether the girl was an enemy or not. "Please, come in." She opened the door wider to welcome her into her home, and letting her come inside.

The teen was shivering from the cold night, not wearing her coat as usual, having left it on top of the body of the man she had just killed earlier that day. "Thanks..."

Yuna smiled and nodded, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. "It's not problem. You can stay as long as you like. There's plenty of room in this lonely house."

She nodded and looked around the quaint cottage, standing where she entered, not knowing where she could go or not go. The white tiger had taken possession of the fireplace and was curled up in front of it lazily, her master in the master bedroom in the small, but yet still large home.

Yuna smiled and gently guided her. "Follow me. I'll make a fire in the spare room, okay?"

"S-sure."

The young woman opened the door to the nicely furnished spare bedroom, turning the lights on. "I'll just go get some firewood! Make yourself at home!"

Hope nodded and sat on the bed, clutching the blanket closer to herself. She had cut off any chakra signal she could have emitted on her way to the cottage. "Sorry brother...but...I think we need to spend time apart."

Yuna hurried back in and set the pieces of wood in the empty fireplace, placing some newspaper in there as well, before she lit a match and threw it in, watching as the wood and paper slowly began to flame up. "There we go~!"

"Thanks..."

The blonde smiled and handed her some spare clothes to change in. "They might be a little big, but they should do."

Smiling and nodding, Hope took the clothes, the smile something rare for her to exhibit, "Thank you so much, Lady Yuna."

Yuna grinned and nodded. "If you need anything, just call for me. I'll be right down the hall in the last room on the left."

"Okay."

Yuna smiled softly and shut the door to the room quietly before heading down the hall and into the master bedroom.

"Don't say it." Liz knew her girlfriend was going to tell her she knew that Hope wouldn't join the Akatsuki and seek refuge from the young couple.

"I wasn't going to say anything, actually." Yuna said, untying her hair.

"Thanks, love."

The young blonde nodded and walked over to the bed, plopping down next to her auburn haired lover and sighing. Liz nuzzled close to Yuna, "What's wrong, baby?"

She shook her head, "Nothing...just a little worried."

"Worried?"

The blonde nodded, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on top of them, "Hai."

"What are you worrying about?"

"Hope...and Hikari too." She admitted quietly, running her fingers through her blonde tresses.

"What about the two, darling?" she asked worriedly.

She closed her eyes. "Hikari's future...I can't even see it now."

"And Hope?"

"It's...cloudy, more or less." Yuna said, falling back into the bed and sighing loudly as she stared up at the ceiling with thoughtful cobalt eyes.

"She's going back tomorrow is all I know. She's hurting right now, Yunie..."

The blonde nodded, her eyes saddening. "I know...I can tell."

"I can see something hurting inside of her. I think Itachi finally told her about Sasuke."

The petite blonde frowned, "I see..."

Liz frowned suddenly, her eyes suddenly going blonde noticed this and sat up, her eyes widening a little. Liz clenched her jaw tightly, "Dear lord..."

"What? What did you see?"

"Nothing..."

"Tell me..." Yuna pleaded, looking up into her lovers icy orbs.

"I saw nothing at all, it was all blank! That's never happened before!" Liz said in a panic.

Yuna cupped her face, her voice gentle. "Calm down."

"I-I can't, I-it's like being blind."

Yuna leaned up, pressing her lips to Liz's gently, hoping it would help calm her. The auburn beauty blushed hard and kissed back, parting her lips slightly for the blonde. Shyly, Yuna explored with her tongue, her arms wrapping around her neck gently. Liz pushed her down gently on the bed, hovering over her as she took a shaky blonde beneath her blushed faintly, breathing a little hard, her golden tresses fanned out on the pillow beneath her head. Liz leaned down and began kissing along her jaw gently, letting her hair lightly rub against her neck.

"Mmm..." The blonde bit her lip, her cobalt eyes shutting as she arched into her, enjoying to nice attention she was receiving. "L-Lizzie..."

"Hai, Yunie?" Liz asked as she ran her nose along the defined collarbone of her lover lightly, and pressing gentle kisses along it also.

"T-That feels good..."

"Oh~?"

Yuna nodded, her eyes glazed over lightly with different emotions. "Mhm..."

Liz smirked at the blonde's appearance, whispering in her ear hotly, "You're too wonderful to me, Yuna."

Hikari groaned as she felt someone jumping up and down on her bed. "No...go away..."

"Lady Hikari~"

The brunette opened her eyes sleepily, "Nnnh...?"

"You have a visitor."

Hikari sat up and rubbed her eyes, yawning, "Who is it?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, m'lady."

"Naruto~!?" she squealed in delight, shooting up from her bed and running to the living room. "Naruto!"

The bengal tiger followed her and let out a chuff, telling her she should get dressed and not run in to her former teammate half-naked. Hikari puffed her cheeks, hurrying back to her room and slipping some clothes on so she wouldn't scar poor Naruto, before she ran back downstairs happily.

Yoru was already downstairs sniffing the orange and black clad teen, standing on his hind paws and pushing Naruto down on the couch with his big white paws on his shoulders. The blonde grunted in surprise, blinking. "Oof!"

Yoru jumped up on the couch and rested his front paws and head in the blonde's lap, purring quietly.

"Aww~!" Hikari giggled, watching the blonde pat the large tigers head gently. "Yoru, you're so cute~!"

He let out a soft grunt and stayed close to Naruto, "Sad to say, I missed this obnoxious kid."

"I'm surprised you're not asking me if you can eat him like you did two years ago." Hikari mumbled, smiling softly.

Yoru just chuffed.

Naruto grinned and looked up at his teammate. "I heard you made ANBU! Congrats!"

She blushed and smiled cheekily, nodding. "Yep! Thanks!"

The tiger looked up in surprise, "When'd you make ANBU, m'lady?"

"Yesterday when I talked to Lady Hokage!" She grinned, her eyes happy. Yoru nodded and rested his head back on Naruto's lap.

"Any news on Uchiha Hope?"

Hikari bit her lip, nodding. "Hai...there's a rumor going around."

"Rumor?" Naruto asked, looking up, not sure what she was speaking about.

"What rumor?" the tiger asked, echoing the jinchuriki.

"Apparently, she left the Akatsuki..."

"She's gone rogue?"

"Hai..."

"Hm..." Naruto thought, scratching his head.

"Hm?"

"If she's gone rogue...then isn't that more reason for people to add her to their bingo books?" Naruto asked, unsure.

"Yes, and no. Yes, she'll be considered to be a threat to the village if she ever comes back and people still trust her. And no, because she's weaker without the backing of the Akatsuki."

"Besides...she'd be put on death row, since she's considered a criminal."

"A criminal? Since when?"

"I don't really know if that's for sure. I'm just saying that based on how things kind of go..."

Yoru chuffed sadly, "She doesn't deserve this punishment."

"I'll save her." Naruto declared. The tiger let out a snort in amusement. "I'm serious!"

"Takes balls."

Hikari giggled, her eyes sad. "You have to save Sasuke too, Naruto..." she looked outside, distant suddenly.

Yoru nuzzled her with his paws, "You said that was your job, M'lady."

Hikari knew what her tiger said was true. When she had left and started her training, she had made a promise to help her friend back into the light. But she was doubting whether if that was even possible. "Naruto is more capable of it than I am."

"Sasuke is too far gone for Uzumaki to reach. Only you can save him, even Shiroi, Yuna, and Liz say so m'lady."

Hikari picked up her ANBU mask, studying it. "I can only hope that he'll let me try..."

~Several weeks later~

Naruto was wandering about, thinking to himself. He had just returned from the Sand Village after having gone there to help rescue Gaara. While he had been away with his sensei and Sakura, there had been a report sent in that Hikari had disappeared on her first mission as an ANBU member, causing many people to worry and panic, himself amongst those people.

A note was tacked to Hikari's door, the parchment worn and weathered from days of waiting. Calligraphic-like handwriting was scrawled on the folded piece of paper, and said, "Hikari-ane." Naruto, being the nosy person he was, removed the paper from the door and opened it up.

"Ane, I have left the Akatsuki without warning, I now have to be on the run from both them and Konoha. I'll be in hiding for the next several months, just use a raven to contact me, they have been informed of my location, and will follow my chakra. Love, Hope."

Naruto folded the paper up and pocketed it, knowing that a rescue mission was to commence soon, not only to find Hikari, but to retrieve Sasuke as well. He sighed, knowing that if they were lucky enough to encounter Sasuke would be a miracle, and that the chances were slim. With a silent sigh, he headed to Hokage Tower to see what the plan was, silently praying that the brunette wasn't being harmed in any way.

~About 3 weeks prior~

Hope had sent a hawk to Itachi and the rest of the organization that she was leaving and going rogue. She knew she probably disappointed her brother and her parental figures, but she couldn't deal with seeing Itachi again. He had lied to her almost her whole life and that hurt her deeply. Since this had occurred, she didn't think she could trust him again.

"Hope?"

She looked over, onyx orbs dull and almost emotionless, her skin pale and gaunt as she was already becoming malnourished over a few weeks of no steady or nutritious meal, "Yeah...? Who's there...?" she asked with a lazy tone of voice, as if she didn't care at all.

Hikari pushed her way through the bushes, her eyes full of worry. "I got your note."

"A-ane...y-you came?" she asked, suddenly overcome with many emotions, tears burning in her eyes. Someone who actually cared for her to respond to the letter for help she had sent, and not to have come with military behind her.

She hugged the younger girl, petting her hair. "I have some food with me...and of course I came."

"Th-thanks."

The brunette smiled softly and opened up the small basket she had brought with her, different things of food inside of it. "Take as much are you want."

Obsidian orbs lit up happily as she grabbed a muffin that was filled with mixed berries and topped in cinnamon, "My favorite!"

"I know~!" Hikari giggled and sat down with her underneath a nice and shady tree.

Hope smiled adorably, the same crooked smile she had, "Thank you, ane."

"You're welcome, imouto!"

The younger teen giggled and brushed her hair from her face, revealing the pink scar she had gotten a few weeks before in the battle with the rogue nin. Hikari noticed the scar, but said nothing, instead smiling and nibbling on a muffin as well.

"What am I classified as now in the Villages?"

She sighed softly, "A rogue. I don't know for sure...they don't share this kind of information with me, but there were rumors going about that people would probably start putting you down in their bingo books."

"Damn..."

Hikari nodded, "I know...but still...it's just a rumor."

Hope nodded and focused back on her muffin, looking at it like it was worth a million dollars. "Rumors spread, and they grow. They have a life of their own. They're weeds that murder the truth. Disgusting and treacherous."

The teen nodded in agreement, taking a bite from the muffin in her hand, "Mhm..."

"I think I disappointed everyone..."

"What makes you say that?"

"Brother...for some reason wants me to ally with Konoha...I don't understand why, but I just wanted to stay with him...and mother and father...I feel like I've let them down."

Hikari rubbed her back comfortingly, "You haven't let anyone down, Hope. You have your reasons for leaving..."

The young girl rested her chin on her knees, "It hurts, ane..."

"I know...I know..."

Hope looked at Hikari in a serious manner, "Am I able to trust you?"

"I don't have anything to lie about to you."

"I mean, if I send you my location can I trust you not to give it away?"

She nodded, her eyes calm. "I promise."

"Thanks..."

Hikari smiled and nodded, wearing her ANBU gear.

Hope stood up, sighing and grabbing her fur-lined coat, "See you around then."

Hikari nodded, waving. "Later."