A new character added to the mix! What about him/her is so familiar...can you guess?

Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter, and i hope you guys like it!

Please review, and is the relationship between Sasuke and Hikari okay? Is Sasuke in character? Please let me know!

Chapter 9

I did not dream, and it seemed like only a moment had passed from the moment I closed my eyes in pain that a bright light jolted me awake. The light was overwhelming, and I instinctively turned away, only to find that my abdomen ached painfully when I did so. Bile rose in my throat, and I had to fight to keep it all down. I groaned as I hugged my knees dazedly, thoughts lazily floating in my head.

Pain…the sound of a deep voice…

Jiro stabbed downward, and I screamed as the knife pierced my abdomen, my eyes flying open in agony as he twisted the blade with a sickening grin. His hand loosened slightly on my throat, allowing me to take in enough air to scream, to scream…

A whimper escaped my throat as tears welled up uncontrollably.

I remembered now. The insane grin that crossed Jiro Itoshi's face, the once handsome face now filled me with such violent revulsion that I almost threw up again. But more than that…I pitied him. Maybe that's why I could kill him; maybe that's why I wasn't strong enough.

I had been so close to waking up to Mom touching my shoulder, so close to everything ending. Though I was happy to still be among the living, I couldn't help the resentment that boiled deep in my chest, just underneath my skin.

Death hadn't been painful like I had imagined, it was like falling asleep, a haze drifting over everything and the only sound being my heartbeat, thudding slowly and faintly in the background. Very peaceful…and that peacefulness had been taken away from me.

I felt my fingers closing around fabric, and realized with a jolt that I was on the floor, in my pile of blankets, and the fabric I was clenching between my fingers wasn't a part of the blankets beneath me. I forced my eyes open for a moment, and closed them quickly. The fabric was white, and I saw a flash of pale skin beneath the sleeve. I cringed inwardly for a moment, and when there was still silence I got up the courage to glance up at his face.

Ah…I remember now. That was the last thing I saw before everything went dark, those dark eyes that seemed to swallow me up in darkness.

Sasuke stared down at me, his face indecipherable as usual, and his onyx eyes so out of place in the brightly lit room that was filled with the early morning sunshine and the warmth of its rays. They seemed so…lonely in this place, so sad.

I quickly looked away, and pulled the blanket down to see that someone had wrapped my stomach and upper chest, and had put me into loose pants that tied securely around my waist. I assumed that it had been Kabuto, or – by some act of God – Sasuke. Both were humiliating, but a small part of me secretly hoped that it had been Sasuke.

Not because I wanted him to look – I'm not that desperate – but because I knew that Sasuke would do it as quickly and make it as painless as possible. He wouldn't toy around, making creepy little remarks about how good of a test subject I would make, he wouldn't smile at me with those round glasses that gleamed like knives in the dim light of the medical lab.

Kabuto.

If you want a sure way to clear a room, put him in there, and I guarantee that the room will be completely empty in less than ten minutes.

I quickly let go of Sasuke's sleeve, and tried to sit up. Sasuke's eyes followed my movements with an intensity that could rival that of a hawk following its prey. I ignored him, and managed to prop myself on my elbows, hissing as the muscles in my abdomen screamed in pain. Sasuke stared in silence, watching as I got into a sitting position, gasping for breath and hunching over in agony. The pain was unbearable, and I stared up at the window that was right beside my bed on the floor, the sunlight warming my face as it streamed in, making me squint.

I reached for the window sill, but Sasuke's hand was suddenly on my wrist, holding me in place on the bed of blankets, his onyx eyes boring into mine.

"Kabuto is coming to heal you fully, so stay still."

Ten words that, if it were anyone else, would've sounded encouraging – save for the fact that Kabuto was involved, which kind of killed the positive side of it. Of course, since this was Sasuke, those ten words managed to sound like a death sentence, spoken by a merciless judge. I scowled, yanking my hand away.

"Great. You can go train; I'll be okay by myself."

I was slowly coming back to awareness, and I felt shame filling my face as I stared at my hands. I had failed the mission; I had blown my cover utterly and completely. If Sasuke hadn't come…I would be dead. I wanted to prove to him that I was strong, and look what happened. So pathetic, because I knew that I could do better. I knew that I was more than the little damsel that needs her knight in shining armor to save her. I also knew that my dark knight wouldn't always be around to save me. I had to be able to take care of myself.

With my pride thoroughly destroyed, I wanted nothing more than to be alone, to nurse my wounds – literally and figuratively. I didn't want Sasuke to speak to me; I didn't want him to stare at me with those dark eyes that I just knew were laughing at me. He knew I would fail, he knew that I wouldn't be strong enough.

I continued to stare at my hands, and I heard Sasuke softly get to his feet as a light knock was heard at the door, but something clenched in my throat as he stood to leave, and I reached out to grab the loose fabric that surrounded his ankle, still not meeting his eyes.

"I want you to know…I'm sorry for causing so much trouble, I was so stupid. I promise, that won't happen again. You won't ever need to save me again."

I didn't expect a reply as I quickly pulled my hand away, and so I wasn't surprised when Sasuke continued to the door in silence, opening it with a nearly silent creak.

"Hello Uchiha-sama, I was sent by Kabuto to examine the injured partner of yours in his place."

It was a soft, feminine voice, and I looked up as Sasuke nodded to her, and stepped aside to let the woman in. She looked to be in her early twenties, with short black hair pinned back and shining. Her eyes were what dominated her heart-shaped face, and they were like emeralds, beautiful against her creamy white skin. Her face was kind, and when she saw me she smiled, but her eyes ghosted over Sasuke with the strangest expression…longing, was it? Regret? Her fingers clenched into fists as she passed him, almost in anticipation for impending doom.

After a moment, the woman seemed to come back to herself, relaxing as Sasuke looked away indifferently, and she moved towards me. I stared at her, my eyes narrowing at this obvious show of compassion. It had to be trick, no one here in this base was nice, and no one would show you a second of mercy if they were ordered to kill you.

The young woman knelt beside me, reaching behind her into the two large pouches that hung on her waist. I ignored the stab of pain in my abdomen as I backed away from her, reaching up to grab the windowsill, pulling myself to my feet. The woman's eyes widened, and she reached for me again.

"Hey–"

I tried to run as she moved forward, but only managed to trip over my own feet and crumpled to the ground. I cried out as I hit the ground, feeling blood well up in my mouth from where it had collided with the floor, and spat it out with a grimace. I wondered why the woman hadn't kept on coming, and then looked up to see Sasuke's sword an inch from the ninja's neck. Her head barely reached his shoulders, and her eyes were widened with shock. Sasuke's eyes were as blank and emotionless as his voice.

"If you make one wrong move, I will kill you."

The words sent a shiver down my spine, and I slowly sat up, and felt something warm and wet against my arm where I had clutched my stomach in pain. I looked down to see blood seeping from the bandage, and the underside of my arm was coated in it.

The woman sighed, and the fear in her eyes lessened as she examined me from her position. "If I don't heal her now, she'll bleed to death."

I groaned, feeling my forehead touch the ground as another wave of agony swept through me.

I assumed that Sasuke let the woman pass, because I felt gentle hands touching my shoulder. "Hi, my name's Hana, and I promise that I won't hurt you. Do you understand me? Can you tell me your name?"

I looked up into her eyes, and nodded, gritting my teeth. "I'm…Hikari."

Only a moments hesitation now, the name that Orochimaru had given me was sticking, if I wasn't careful the name Lily would fade. Lily, Lily, Lily…

"Okay, I need you to sit up so I can take a look at you, alright?"

Nodding in reply, I let her help me into a sitting position, with my back facing Sasuke, who had retreated to the bed and was sharpening his kunai with sharp, efficient strokes. The woman glanced behind her as her hands reached the bandages, and her voice crackled with authority.

"If you wouldn't mind, Uchiha-sama, I am removing the bandages now and am sure Hikari would feel more comfortable if you left the room. You don't need to go far, I'll even leave the door open a bit so you can hear what is happening."

Sasuke didn't move, and Hana bit her lip nervously, the strength seeping from her eyes as Sasuke fixed his onyx eyes upon her, his face smooth and hard as stone. I smiled weakly, knowing that if I were in less pain, I would be blushing like nobody's business at the prospect of Sasuke staying in the room with my upper body completely bare.

But since I was in an enormous amount of pain, I shook my head.

"It's alright…it doesn't matter…" I gritted my teeth as another twist of pain made my muscles spasm, and Hana's emerald eyes closed as she sighed in defeat, her mouth curving downward in a slight scowl.

"Fine."

Hana slowly began unbinding the bandages, and I clenched my hands into fists, so tightly that my fingernails cut into my palm as she reached the place where the wound was still tender. I could feel Sasuke's eyes boring into my skull, and couldn't find the energy to be irritated at the total lack of privacy as the last of the bandages came off of my skin. Hana's eyes widened as she leaned in to examine the long gash that stretched across my stomach. It was red and irritated, the skin partially healed but still bleeding.

The medical ninja reached into her pouch once more, and retrieved a small pouch full of something. She took out one small pill, and handed it to me with a smile.

"This will help you sleep, after I finish this. I can heal the gash completely, but wounds this serious often leave the patient extremely weak, and after the wound is healed your body will want to recuperate." I nodded, taking the small white tablet in my hand, shivering as a cool breeze came into contact with my bare skin.

Hana placed one hand just above the injury, and I watched in silence as a warm glow of green surrounded her palm, seeping into my skin and healing the gash. I sighed as the foreign chakra gently entered my system, so different from Kabuto's harsh and cold chakra. No…this chakra was so bright, and warm…

I heard the door snap shut behind me, and turned to see that Sasuke was gone. Hana sighed as she worked, her green eyes staring up at me, scanning my face with an experienced medical eye.

"So, Hikari…what's your story?"

I laughed lightly, cringing when the action made my abdomen twinge painfully. Hana smiled, and I continued. "Why should I tell you anything? How do I know that you aren't like the others?"

"Do I seem like one of the others, Hikari?"

"No."

Hana smiled, and her smile made something familiar rise in my chest. It was that feeling of…peace. I blinked rapidly, and stared down at my hands.

"My name…isn't really Hikari. It's just a name that…that bastard gave to me."

Hana's eyes scanned me quickly, and a smile crossed her lips once more, as she seemed to come to a decision.

"I see. Hana was also given to me, but I didn't like it much. I preferred my real one." I blinked, and my head snapped up to stare at her. Her green eyes were staring deep into mine.

Hana stood up, and winked. "Since we both have secrets, why not keep it just between us?"

She turned to leave, and I watched her leave, staring at the small white pill in my hand. Her emerald eyes glanced back once at me, and I saw something flash in them, a deep sadness, before the door shut behind her.

I lifted the pill to my mouth, and swallowed it without hesitation.

Even as the pill came into affect, I couldn't forget the look in those eyes. Even as I lost consciousness…those eyes remained ingrained into my thoughts, burned into my heart and soul.