Hey everyone! Sorry for the long update, hope that this chapter makes up for it!

Is this chapter alright? Is everyone in character? Is the...moment...between two particular characters believable and not too corny?

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Chapter 26

I sat on one of the two small beds that were situated in the boy's room, and smiled sleepily at Suigetsu as he came over and plopped himself next to me. His pale purple eyes scanned me up and down with a smirk.

"You look like you got a good nights sleep, beautiful."

I scowled, and leaned my head forward so that my forehead was pressed against my outstretched hands. "Shut up, Shark-boy…I didn't have a pillow, and the towels weren't really good padding against the floor. I think I went to bed at like…five."

I glanced at the clock, and groaned when I saw that it was seven in the morning.

God. Dammit.

Juugo's eyes were confused as he turned his head to stare at me. "You didn't have any blankets?"

I shook my head without looking up, and I heard Karin scoff from her corner next to Sasuke, who was watching Juugo as the young man frowned in frustration. My head was all achy and tired from my lack of sleep, and I struggled to get my thoughts together as Sasuke spoke.

"Before we split up to search for signs of Itachi, we will be visiting an Uchiha hideout that stores weapons and other supplies. It's hidden within the Soraku ruins, so if we want to make it there before sunset, we'll have to leave immediately."

Karin sighed, piping up. "I've heard that there are groups of bandits on the road to those ruins…I hope that they don't slow us down."

Sasuke didn't react to her comment, and went on. "We'll stay there the night, gather supplies, and then we'll split up in the morning."

I nodded, trying hard to hold back a yawn that threatened to break through, taking deep breaths and massaging my temples. Karin smiled slightly at Sasuke – when was she not smiling at Emo-boy? – and I glowered at the healthy glow that surrounded her. Damn her and her sleeping on a nice…soft…bed…

I slapped my cheeks as our group rose, and I pulled my hair back into a high ponytail, following Juugo down the narrow flight of stairs to the main lobby. The owner of the inn waved cheerfully to us as we leaved, and the only one to return her wave was Juugo. I was too tired, and the other members of our team weren't socially aware like that.

I sighed as Sasuke began running once we reached the trees, and I quickly moved the chakra to my feet, jumping after him and swinging myself onto the upper layer of branches, above Sasuke and slightly behind him.

I heard Juugo following me closely, and glanced back to see him gazing with concern at me. I smiled at him, and turned back forward once more.

I heard Suigetsu teasing Karin on the way she accidentally brushed her shoulder against Sasuke's arm, and heard her yelling at him angrily. I wanted to join in, but for once I just didn't have the energy or the low maturity level. I settled for concentrating on each branch in front of me…and making sure my focus didn't waver.

Sasuke's mind was wandering as they ran, and he was irritated to find that his mind was almost constantly remembering the exhaustion that filled Hikari's face, the dullness to her tone and to her eyes as she forced herself to keep pace with Sasuke's speed.

The entire group noticed her silence, which was such a rarity. Usually she was joking with Suigetsu, or explaining something to Juugo in that light and warm tone, like a mother speaking to her injured child. Karin was usually commenting on how annoying she and Suigetsu were, her eyes often straying to Sasuke while she did so.

But today, in their journey to the Soraku ruins…there was only a listless silence for the better part of the trip. Sasuke's gaze flickered to the blonde haired girl more than just a few times, and received a glare in return each time she caught him in the act. She didn't like being underestimated, and Sasuke sensed that his constant glances irritated her. It was hard to tell with Hikari sometimes…she hid her emotions quite well, and sometimes even Sasuke – who had been around her long enough to be able to read her face with little difficulty – couldn't make out what she was thinking.

But Sasuke could tell that the glances irritated her, because in general she didn't like being put on spotlight. This was rather ironic because her very nature encouraged everyone's attention to be focused on her alone.

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he focused on the area in front of him, relaxing his features to form the cold mask of security that had shielded him for so long.

He couldn't allow himself to feel anything more for her – it would be just plain idiotic to try and deny the bond that linked them together, a bond which had steadily surpassed the relationship of acquaintances and was breaching into a dark area that Sasuke had tried to block off two years ago in leaving Konoha.

Friendship.

Sasuke let out a short breath, and his eyes narrowed as the thought floated around in his mind.

Hikari…his friend?

No, it wasn't possible…she was just someone who was connected to him and was reliant on him for survival…nothing more. He wasn't cruel enough to leave her to die at the collapsing base. That was the only reason he had saved her. If it had been someone else who had been under his teaching for the better part of a year, he would've done the same thing.

But…that was a lie. If another person had trained under him, left for a month to live at the village he had betrayed, and then come back only to sacrifice themselves for the good of their Konoha companions…Sasuke would've left them there to die.

It wasn't an act of cruelty, but in anyone else, he would've seen the task of lifting the earth as too draining, too difficult to attempt, and if it had been anyone else when he hesitantly used his chakra to heal those horrible chest wounds…he would've given it up as a lost cause. He knew that anyone else who could've come under his wing would be terrified of him, they would know his past actions and know how powerful he was, they wouldn't attempt to befriend him.

But Hikari was different. She had fallen out of the sky at the precise moment when thinking about his old teammates, and in those seconds in which she fell, before Sasuke's eyes flashed the face of his old friend Naruto, falling backwards towards the choppy water below, his face torn as he felt Sasuke's foot slam into his gut.

She had appeared out of thin air, with no knowledge of the world she had fallen into, and no knowledge of who she was. Sure, he had been annoyed when Orochimaru had assigned her to him as a student, but within the innermost depths of his heart, he had seen her as a clean slate. Here was someone who didn't know anything about him, who wouldn't look at him with those longing eyes that only saw the shadow of him, the past Sasuke who had been content in Konoha.

Hikari had wormed her way into his life, with her unconcerned confidence and a witty sense of humor that made him smile for the first time in two years. She wasn't at all like Sakura and Karin, who had relied on good looks to try and win him over, who tried to adore him and gush about how wonderful he was. Hikari didn't try and win him over at all, openly disagreeing with him and defending her stance on things. She wasn't worried about what he would say, she wasn't obsessed with his vision of her, her only goal being to excel as a kunoichi in this strange new world that had suddenly become hers. Hikari understood his need for silence and had an uncanny ability to poke and prod in the weak places of his mental armor…he could rely on her more than he had ever relied on anyone in his life, besides his brother. Naruto was the only person other than Hikari that Sasuke felt comfortable around, but unlike Naruto, Hikari understood his need for vengeance, and supported him when all others doubted him.

She had chosen her path, and it was by his side.

I don't care what you've done or what you're planning to do. What I'm trying to say is…I like you. Just the way you are.

Sasuke's brow furrowed at the memory, and he ran through those words over and over again in his head, trying to find any hidden meaning behind them. But he could find none. Hikari had spoken bluntly and simply, and the meaning behind her words had been just as honest.

She accepted him, just as he was. Not as the Sasuke Uchiha of two years ago, but the Sasuke Uchiha who stood before her in that moment. Darkness and vengeance, uncertainty and instability…Hikari cared for him. In a way, her simple statement had the same – if not more – power that Sakura's confession on the night of his betrayal.

I love you with all my heart! If you go…it'll be the same as being alone!

Sasuke forced himself to relax, and was relieved when the line of the desert came into sight. By that time, the sun was almost touching the horizon; an hour or so before sunset. The Soraku ruins were only half an hour north from the edge of the desert, and that was if they walked.

But of course, just as he finished formulating that thought, there were noises in the underbrush, and Sasuke motioned for his team to stop as a group of bandits appeared, unaware of the five ninja perched above them. The bandits were carrying a slender bundle in between them, and it was moving slightly as they jeered and congratulated each other. Juugo stared at them with a sad expression, as he always did when he witnessed people who were doing evil in the world, while Suigetsu glowered at them in disappointment. The water-based boy was only interested when someone of great skill was involved…a trait that Sasuke himself shared. Karin was staring down at them with an uninterested roll of her eyes – these bandits either had no chakra at all or were at an extremely low level of skill in the ninja arts – while Hikari's blue-gray eyes hardened as they honed on the bundle held in between them.

Before Sasuke could stop her, Hikari flipped off the branch and landed on one of the bandits shoulders, making the man yell out in alarm. Hikari didn't bother hiding herself, and though tired, she was still a formidable fighter. The others didn't have time to turn around before Hikari had already rendered the man unconscious, jumping to send her foot into the leader's face. Sasuke sat back as Suigetsu jumped into the fray; content to let the two of them fight this one out. Hikari liked to prove herself, and Sasuke wanted to preserve the skills of Karin and Juugo, as they were invaluable.

Hikari slammed her fist into a bandit's gut, and without so much as a glance flipped her leg around to knock the wind out of a bandit who tried to sneak up on her from behind. Suigetsu had dealt with his share of bandits, and was watching Hikari as she took on the last three bandits. The men had the nerve to speak as they appraised her, eyes raking up and down her figure.

"Not bad, eh? Maybe we should leave the girl we have in here and take this one instead. The boss would prefer a kunoichi too…much more feisty. This one looks like she's a virgin too…so innocent. I wonder what you'd look like once the boss finished with you…"

Sasuke's blood boiled at the way the bandit stepped forward, his greedy eyes lingering on her chest before scanning her long legs and her toned arms. Hikari didn't take a step back – not intimidated in the slightest – and her eyes glanced at the bundle that was moving more frantically now.

Hikari's shoulders stiffened, and knew that it wasn't a reaction to his disgusting consideration of her…it was a reaction to the knowledge that they had a prisoner. Sasuke let out a sigh as she replied, her tone cold and unyielding as ice.

"Let her go, and you'll walk away unharmed."

"And if we don't? What'll you do, beautiful?"

Sasuke restrained the strange feeling of anger that rose in his chest at their name for her. Only one person was allowed to call her beautiful…and it wasn't him. Why did that bother him so much?

It wasn't like he needed to tell her that she was beautiful, because it was obvious that she was. She wasn't as striking as someone like Karin, but instead Hikari had a gentle, mystical sense of beauty…a breathtaking glow that shone through her hair when she was happy, and her eyes when she smiled and laughed.

The bandits glanced around at their companions, and Suigetsu hefted his large sword threateningly, stepping so he was beside Hikari, baring his sharpened teeth as he jeered.

"You might want to take her up on her generous offer...because I wont let you get away that easily. At least, I wouldn't let you go without removing some limbs first. I'm thinking of maybe removing that repulsing tongue of yours…how does that sound?"

Hikari glanced back at Suigetsu with a stern glance, but Suigetsu brushed her off. His purple eyes were flames of fury, and Hikari seemed surprised at the boy's reaction. Suigetsu had become attached to Hikari over the last few days – their senses of humor matched, and they both like to fight and annoy Karin, so it was an easy relationship – and the look in his eyes revealed the killer in him, the evil side that wouldn't mind tearing some hearts out. Sasuke's hand clenched into a fist, and he restrained himself as the bandits slowly backed away, and after retreating a few feet, they broke into a run and disappeared into the brush.

Hikari relaxed, and sent a tired smile to Suigetsu before running over to the bundle. She was less active now – her spurt of activity had exhausted her even more – and she almost tripped when she reached the bundle, but managed to stop herself at the last second.

Sasuke let himself fall to the ground, landing soundlessly as Suigetsu glowered at the ground, strapping his sword back to his back. Karin and Juugo landed just behind the Uchiha, Karin muttering something about the bandit's horrible taste in what was attractive. Sasuke ignored her, and his eyes strayed over to Hikari, who was using a kunai to cut through the bonds that held the opening together. The girl ripped the cloth aside to see a teenage girl – no more than fourteen – staring back at her, her mouth wide in surprise. Hikari sat back as the girl scrambled to release herself from the bag, and stood hurriedly, gaping around at the ninja who were staring at her.

She was stocky, and had sandy brown hair that went to her waist. Her outfit was simple, and her face was vaguely familiar to Sasuke, though he didn't know why.

Hikari asked what her name was, and the girl swallowed hard before answering. "Yuri. I was taken from the ruins of Soraku, where I was just gathering some metal to fix my grandmother's water heater."

Sasuke understood now why her face was familiar, and spoke. "We're heading to the place where your grandmother lives to gather supplies and to rest for a night. My name is Sasuke Uchiha."

Yuri's eyes widened as they took in the boy before her, and she bowed low as she smiled at him.

"You're Sasuke Uchiha? I've only seen you once, and that was when I was a child. My grandmother speaks of you often, I'm sure she'll give you what you need. C'mon, I'll take you there!"

The girl walked with them to the edge of the desert, and Hikari knelt down to lift the girl onto her back. But Sasuke saw the way her eyelids drooped at the lack of motion, and barked.

"Karin, carry Yuri."

Hikari looked up in surprise, and a small smile crossed her lips and she mouthed.

So unlike you, Emo-boy.

Sasuke didn't know why it was so easy to read those four words on her lips…probably because she spoke the words so often in his presence. The thought made him smirk, and her smile widened as she got to her feet. Karin grumbled, but didn't dare argue as Yuri climbed onto the redhead's back.

The group headed out at a quick run, and reached the ruins just as the sun was beginning to sink under the horizon. Sasuke stared up at the ruined city that had once been glorious, and glanced over to see his teammates staring up as well, though with different expressions.

Juugo was curious as he stared in awe at the city – he had probably never seen a city this big before. His caramel colored eyes were calm and innocent as he stared up at the strange spires and buildings.

Suigetsu was indifferent as he considered the broken buildings, and his lips twitched into a smirk. Karin was staring at the city, and her eyes were scornful as they saw the broken and battered ground, and the long deserted windows and houses.

Hikari was staring up with a wistful expression, her blue-gray eyes melancholy as they gazed out at the city. She was probably wondering what could've happened to result in such destruction…wondering how much power it had taken…how many lives were lost as a result.

Sasuke turned away to follow the girl into the entrance of Soraku, and into the lower tunnels that appeared through a partially destroyed subway entrance.

Sasuke entered a large room that was furnished with several oddly shaped cabinets with the scratches of claws on them, and pictures of cats hung everywhere, along with the Uchiha clan symbol. Yuri ran straight to her impossibly old grandmother, and knelt at her feet, speaking rapidly.

Cats were sprawled everywhere, and Sasuke saw two ninja cats perched on either side of the doorway, staring with intelligent eyes as the group filed inside. They each wore a small jacket, with a fishnet layer underneath.

Sasuke greeted them with a nod. "It's been a long time…Denka, Hina."

Denka grinned, his little teeth sharp as needles. The Japanese characters reading "shinobi" was tattooed on his forehead, and his long ears and bushy tail were a darker color than the rest of his gray body.

"If it isn't Sasuke…you're not such a shrimp anymore! What're you doing here?"

Sasuke replied calmly. "Just getting supplies, and somewhere to stay the night."

The other cat – Hina – smiled lazily, his plump body a pale ivory in color. The character "ki" was tattooed on his forehead, and his voice was much higher than his companion.

"You brought gifts for us?"

Sasuke pulled out a medium sized bottle of catnip, which made all the cats within four feet of Sasuke grow alert and excited, their mews increasing in volume.

Hikari yawned, frowning when she saw the catnip. "Hey, isn't catnip like…marijuana for cats?"

Denka hissed, and pranced around Hikari's legs enticingly, just tempting her to pet him. Ninja animals weren't allowed to attack when unprovoked, which is why Denka wanted Hikari to try and pet him. It would give him a reason to claw her.

Hikari smiled sleepily at the cat. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing…just making sure I've got my facts straight. And I'm not stupid, you know. I know the rules regarding your kind, and won't be tricked that easily."

Denka's ears perked up, and a slow smile spread across his face as he stopped curling around her legs, and peered up at her. Hikari met his gaze, and after a moment the cat sniffed, and walked away without so much as a glance back at her. Hina laughed, and pranced after him, pausing to rub against Hikari's legs with a purr.

"Don't mind Denka, he just doesn't like it when humans get the best of him. Don't forget to give me some of that catnip, Sasuke." The cat purred in farewell, and disappeared into one of the tiny tunnels that probably led to other parts of the underground base. Sasuke watched them leave, and then walked up and knelt in front of the grandmother as his teammates waited behind him.

"I wish to trade for supplies, and if you would be so gracious as to allow us to stay here for the night, I would be indebted to you."

The grandmother stared at Sasuke, and she seemed about to refuse, but her eyes flickered towards the bottle of catnip in Sasuke's hand, and she smiled.

"What do you need?"

Once all of the supplies were packed, and clothing had been sorted out for Juugo – the only thing that came close to fitting him was the large curtain that hung beside the clothing shelves – Yuri showed them each into separate rooms, and laid out futons and pillows for them. Hikari was shown to her room first, and that was a good thing, because she was so tired that she had fallen asleep standing up as Juugo was getting fitted for his curtain. Luckily, Suigetsu had been standing nearby and caught her, which effectively woke her up.

Hikari thanked the young girl for all of her help, and turned to the rest of the group.

"A few pointers before I pass out: Suigetsu, don't wet the bed, and Karin…please don't let me find you sneaking into Sasuke's room at any time in the night. And if you do manage to sneak in…don't rape him. Again, the image of you two–"

Sasuke cleared his throat, and Hikari grinned mischievously at the blush that rose into Karin's face at her words. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Hikari moved to smile at Juugo.

"Goodnight, Juugo. Have sweet dreams filled with butterflies and cute fuzzy bunnies, okay?"

Juugo smiled at her loopy ramblings, and nodded as she stumbled into her room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Sasuke awoke to the sound of his door opening slowly with an almost silent creak, and he sat up, fully expecting to find Karin standing there with her usual ridiculous smile on her face. The air of the room was slightly cooler than the warmth of the covers, and it made the skin on his bare chest tingle slightly.

But it wasn't Karin. His stomach clenched when he realized that it was Hikari. Her eyes were glazed over, and she slowly walked toward him in the dark, her hands reaching out when she got to the bed. Sasuke realized with a jerk that she was sleepwalking, and spoke clearly.

"Hikari, wake up."

There was no response, and Sasuke frowned when the girl sat down next to him, and stared at him. Her hair was tousled from sleep, waving down her back and floating around her shoulders. Her lips were parted slightly, and his eyes unwillingly noticed the way her chest rose and fell with the deep motions of her breathing.

"I never…told you."

Sasuke tried to stop himself, tried to will himself to lead her back to her room and lock the door behind her. But he failed miserably, and asked.

"Told me what?"

"I never told you…goodnight."

Sasuke stared at the girl who had been so plagued by the thought of not wishing him a good night's sleep that she roused herself in her unconscious mind to walk over and say goodnight. She was smiling widely at him, and with a sigh he closed his eyes, waiting for her to say goodnight and walk back to her room.

But he felt warm arms slipping around his chest, and he suddenly felt a warm weight hugging him tightly. Hikari was hugging him, her arms pressing against his back, her face leaning against his neck as she pulled herself closer.

"Goodnight…Sasuke."

Sasuke sat there; his mind unable to comprehend that Hikari was pressed against him, her arms around him, her breath warm against his shoulder. It must be a dream, something was wrong if Hikari was willingly making physical contact with him.

But a small part of him was marveling in the smoothness of her skin against his, the complete trust that lay in every toned muscle of her arms as she hugged him. It wasn't like Karin, who clung to him like a lost and defenseless puppy. It wasn't out of pity or out of sadness that Hikari was doing this. It was…because she truly wanted him to have a good night.

Sasuke had never been much of a hugging person, and the few times that Sakura had hugged him in the past had been only in times of desperation or in times that Sasuke was too much in pain to notice. Sasuke had enjoyed the attention, to some extent, but the whole event seemed…awkward…and out of place.

But there was nothing awkward about those long moments as Hikari pressed herself against the Uchiha. For in that moment, Sasuke ceased to be himself, and he let his arms wrap around her in return. He let out a sigh as he let his face bury in her hair, and he felt himself relax after the first hesitant moments.

It was the first physical gesture of affection that Sasuke Uchiha, who had been so lost in his own emotions for so long, had given a person in seven years. And the memories of his mother and family back before the massacre were so blurred and painful that it felt like the first time.

Sasuke knew that tomorrow, the group would split up and search on their own for signs of Itachi. It didn't make him sad, because it would help attain his goal of avenging his clan. But he would miss having people around, which had been his main problem with Sound. He didn't like being alone, and it was only in his moment of weakness, the moment where he let himself melt into the warmth of Hikari's embrace, that he would dare admit that to himself.

In that moment of weakness…Sasuke whispered two words into Hikari's ear that she would never connect to him, but as he had done in that hospital room in Konoha, he unconsciously exerted a small bit of his chakra to imbed the words into her mind. They would linger there…unknown to her that Sasuke was the one saying them.

Thank you.

Sasuke didn't know how long the two of them remained like that, but Hikari slowly grew slack in his embrace, and he realized that she was asleep once more. Well, she had been asleep the whole time, but now she wasn't talking or able to move. Sasuke stared at her face, so peaceful and trusting, and slowly laid her down on the blankets, watching as she rolled over and mumbled something in her sleep. He lay back down, and scooted so he was as far as possible, his back facing her.

He didn't know why he kept her there, but something within him couldn't bear to move her away from him. They had spent so many nights sleeping in the same room that Sasuke had become accustomed to the sound of her breathing, and the month that she had been absent…he found that he couldn't go to sleep as easily.

Sasuke knew that he would have to get up early, to quickly get dressed and remove himself from the feelings that Hikari awoke within in him with her smile and with her trust. He would have to focus only on finding and destroying Itachi.

That was the most important thing.

Sasuke expected his mind to agree with that statement, but to his surprise…an inkling of doubt seeped through his thoughts.

Was it the most important thing?

Hikari turned over in her sleep, and Sasuke felt his chest squeeze uncomfortably at the contented sigh that escaped her. He could only imagine the small smile of content that would cross her lips in her sleep, he could only imagine the way her hair glinted in the light.

The boy forced the thoughts back, and his eyes were cool and calculating in the dim light of the room, as he stared at the patterns the shadows made on the walls.

What could be more important than his path as an avenger?