Hey everyone!

I have to say, i was pretty disappointed from the lack of reviews last chapter, but i will persevere!

So if you like it (or dont like it, either way) please review and tell me what you think! Reviews help me so much, especially if they are well-thought out and constructive.

again, PLEASE REVIEW!

Chapter 27

Sasuke woke up an hour or so before dawn, and blinked rapidly at the position that he and Hikari were now in. Why hadn't he sensed it? He was an unusually light sleeper; any contact would normally have woken him up immediately. But with Hikari, everything was backwards.

Hikari was cuddled into his chest, her hands curled slightly under her chin and her cheek pressed against his collarbone. Her face was peaceful and content, and he listened to the sounds of her steady breathing, watching the light shine on her golden waves of hair that spilled over the covers. Then he realized the position he was in, and his mind short-circuited in shock.

One of Sasuke's arms was draped over her waist protectively, pulling her closer, while the other rested on her neck, his fingers barely brushing against her jaw. Her smooth legs were tangled with his, and Sasuke felt a flash of strange and tingling heat as he registered that her hips were inches from being pressed against his…no!

The boy let out a breath, and hurriedly disengaged himself, and stood, reaching for his clothes and dressing with a determination that was not usually associated with the action. Hikari did not wake, instead rolling over and snuggling into the warmth of the blankets.

This could not be happening. Was his unconscious mind so unstable that it thought it natural for him, Sasuke Uchiha, to nestle that close to Hikari, and in that sort of position?

Hikari would be furious if she knew, she had said it herself that she felt nothing romantic for him, and so he would be sure to keep it from her that she herself had initiated the physical contact between them. It wasn't really her fault, seeing as she was asleep when she had done it.

The same could be said about you, A small voice hissed in his mind, and his thoughts flashed back to the position he had been in with Hikari just moments before. The softness of her hands against his chest, the sweet warmth of her body pressed against his…it was pleasant.

But that statement was true; he also had no control over his body when asleep, so it hadn't been his intention at all. Neither of them was to blame…and yet if they had really had nothing going on between them, nothing vaguely romantic, Sasuke had a feeling that he wouldn't have woken up in the same position as he had this morning. If it had been him and Suigetsu sharing a bed, the two would've kept to their individual sides even in unconsciousness, because there was a level of wariness that lingered between them even when Suigetsu joked and prodded him playfully.

Even Hikari and Suigetsu, if they needed to share a bed – Sasuke pushed down the sharp and acidic anger that rose at the thought – they wouldn't move towards each other because friends didn't do that sort of thing. They liked each other, but as friends there were lines you couldn't cross.

Then what was the relationship he had with Hikari, if both of them had moved so that they were practically intertwined?

Sasuke stared at the girl, and shook his head as he strode from the room, set on moving Hikari's things to this room and removing all traces of himself from it…to make sure that nothing would give anyone reason to think that the two had been in any kind of situation involving physical contact.

Their movements during the night definitely weren't romantic. To think that would be ridiculous and outright strange. Him, Sasuke Uchiha, having feelings for Hikari? The very thought sent chills of unease down his spine.

No, those movements definitely weren't romantic. They were just…just…

Sasuke found that even after he had cleared the room of his belongings and replaced them with Hikari's – even going so far as arranging her items so that they were in the same places that they had been in the other room – he still couldn't explain what their unconscious movements had been.

I stretched my arms above my head with a wide smile, and stretched with a sound of contentment. I had woken up in my bed, completely comfortable and refreshed. I mean, even the pillow smelled good, like soap and something else I couldn't identify, but mixed nicely with the soap into one overall nice smell. I mean, it was probably just the fact that I got at least ten hours of sleep, but somehow waking up this morning was different from all those other times that I had gotten a good amount of sleep.

I was currently sitting by the wall, near to the exit, with several kittens in my lap, all mewing and pawing my legs adorably. I cooed in delight as one of them nuzzled into my stomach, and lifted it up in the air to cuddle against my cheek. It sniffed my cheek, and its raspy tongue licked it for a moment before purring loudly.

"Aw, you are so darn adorable…it should be considered a crime."

Suigetsu snorted from his position next to me, and the kittens in my lap tensed at the sound of his voice. The cats didn't like the feel of the chakra exuded from Suigetsu and Karin, and avoided them like the plague. You notice that I didn't mention Emo-boy in that group?

Well, get ready to be shocked, because the cats actually liked Sasuke. Yeah, I'm serious.

Sasuke was currently kneeling by the packs, checking to make sure everything was accounted for. Several cats strode around the Uchiha's legs, purring up a storm. A snowy white cat gracefully jumped up to boldly perch on the Uchiha's shoulder, and purred as it rubbed its head against Sasuke's neck. Sasuke didn't react to the gesture, but I saw his eyes flicker towards the cat in surprise before the emotionless mask settled in once more. I was surprised too, but it only went to prove that past the cold and vengeful mask of an avenger…Sasuke was a good person. He just didn't want to admit it to himself.

Juugo was busy over in the middle of the room, playing with at least fifteen cats that all scrambled for his attention, draping themselves over his arms and legs with purrs of delight. In his Lamb mode – this is what I liked to call the phase where he was sweet and gentle, instead of a raging monster – animals adored him, he had a way of communicating with them that was awesome to witness.

I yelped when a small bird flew down and mussed up my hair, and I grumbled to myself, glaring up at the innocent looking ball of feathers. If I wasn't the merciful and kind person I was…that bird would be dead. I was already in a bad mood because of the relentless heat…there really was no need to make me even more pissed off than I already was.

Juugo smiled at my expression, and held out his hand, his eyes locked onto the bird. The creature cocked its head in curiosity, and Juugo made a soft whistling sound that resembled the sound of the wind blowing through the trees on a warm summer day, and without ado the bird flapped to his outstretched fingers, chirping to Juugo quietly. Juugo stared at the bird with the strangest expression on his broad face, his caramel colored eyes lighting up in understanding, a wide smile spread across his lips.

"Oh…I see." His voice was bemused, and there was an amused light in his eye as he stroked the bird on the top of his little head.

I put a hand on my hip, and Juugo seemed to notice that I was still standing there.

"There's a beetle in your hair…and he was trying to get it out."

And it was in that moment that I felt the hard little beetle fall down the back of my shirt. For once, Suigetsu and Karin laughed together, leaning against each other for support as I jumped around, trying desperately to get it out. My screams echoed in the walls of the canyon, and Sasuke smirked from his position in the front of the group.

Suddenly, he was behind me, and his voice was cold as he slowly touched my shoulders to stop me from jumping around.

"Don't move."

I straightened, biting my lip as Sasuke lifted the back of my shirt slightly and shook it, and I glanced back to see the little beetle as it scrambled away frantically. I let out a sigh of relief, and ran a hand through my hair in embarrassment at the smirk that crossed Sasuke's face.

"I wasn't scared, I just–"

"–made a complete and utter fool of yourself while jumping up and down, screaming bloody murder over a tiny, little beetle!" Suigetsu taunted, and I crossed my arms, my cheeks flaming as I snarled.

"I was not screaming bloody murder!"

"Tell that to the people who probably have ear problems now because of you…" Karin muttered, rubbing her ears tenderly as the group set out again.

"Shut up!"

I looked up as Karin shifted from her position beside Sasuke, and her burgundy eyes were indiscernible as she stared around at the room. The grandmother and her daughter were still asleep, but Sasuke had already said his goodbyes the night before, so we were free to leave whenever we were ready.

Sasuke finally finished packing, and we hefted our packs as the five of us silently filed out of the dim room. I was the last to leave, and I felt something furry and wiry block my path, and looked down to see Denka sitting calmly there, staring up at me. I knelt down to smile at him.

"Yes?"

"What are your intentions in following the Uchiha boy?"

I glanced up – the others were still walking, unaware that I had stopped. I stared at Sasuke's back, and looked back down at the ninja cat.

"Why are you asking me this?"

Denka sighed, an old and wise sound that I had only heard impossibly old people make…and a sound that I never expected to hear from a cat.

"Grandma Cat spoke to me about Sasuke, and she's afraid for him. Grandma Cat can predict the future to some extent, and she says that his heart is slowly twisting into something evil, and that this hatred for his brother will slowly eat him up inside. But then…she said something about a light. This is the only thing that could possibly save him, and even then much must be sacrificed. So let me ask again…what are you intentions?"

I frowned. "My intentions…are to prove to him and everyone else that I'm strong. My intentions in following Sasuke are to try and repay him for all he's done for me…and to be there for him even when people turn their backs on him. I want him to have the freedom to choose his path…and whatever path he chooses, I will follow."

And with a smile, I stood, and strode past the ninja cat and ran to catch up with the others. Suigetsu frowned, his purple eyes puzzled.

"What took you so long, beautiful?"

"Just making sure my pack straps were tight enough…"

Sasuke didn't turn, and I stared at the back of his head for a moment, frowning slightly.

What did Denka mean by all that light-saving-him voodoo? Was he saying that all we needed to save Sasuke's soul was a freaking flashlight?

The thought made me laugh, and a smile remained on my face the entire journey back to the surface.

Sasuke finished explaining our mission, and I slapped high fives with Suigetsu. He and I would be investigating the eastern side of the huge kingdom that lay a few miles of here for signs of the Akatsuki. The rest of the team was separated into different sections of the kingdom; it was so large that it would take us a while to comb through all the suspicious looking leads.

I shifted in my long black robe that all of us – besides Juugo, who was stuck wearing the black curtain – were outfitted with. The durable cloth reached my ankles, and I reached out from within its depths to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. My hair was – as usual – in a tight bun, but stray strands always managed to get free of the hairstyle, no matter how tightly I tied it.

Sasuke handed Suigetsu a small vial and a scroll. "Use this vial of my blood and the scroll to summon me, but only when it's absolutely necessary. We will be known as Hebi, and as I said before…this team only has one motive."

"To get rid of Itachi…we get it." I mumbled under my breath, and Sasuke turned to glare at me, his eyes flickering into the crimson color of the Sharingan as his chakra pulsed out in anger. I put a hand on my hip, scowling at his tone. I hadn't meant to say it out loud, but now that he was confronting me, I had to stand by my position.

"Do not say his name."

"Why not? Now that I think about it, I don't get your aversion to others saying it…I mean; it's just a name. It's not like I'm trying to suggest anything by saying it."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and I didn't flinch at his intense glare. Karin flinched for me, and Juugo let out a breath of unease as his eyes flickered to Sasuke and to me, back and forth. I sighed, meeting his gaze without blinking. The two of us stared at each other, and Suigetsu was the one to finally interrupt our staring match.

"Uh, guys? Back to the plan…"

Sasuke didn't turn away, and neither did I.

I didn't comprehend what Karin or Suigetsu said in the next minute or so, because I was lost in those crimson eyes. They weren't creepy or eerie looking to me…they were beautiful. They were dangerous in their beauty, and I think that's what I liked most about them. They dared you to mess with them, and you had no choice but to obey.

Karin hissed. "Hey, Blondie, back off! Sasuke-kun has every right to order you not to say…that name."

I smirked, not moving my eyes from Sasuke's as I replied. "Yeah, he has the right. But that doesn't mean that I have to listen."

Sasuke's jaw tightened slightly. Karin scowled, and then sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"This is why no one finds you attractive, Blondie. Unlike me, you're abrasive, argumentative, and just plain weird. Are you trying to get together with Sasuke-kun or something? Cuz I am pretty positive that you're not his type."

I laughed at that. "Well Red, the only way you could know what isn't Sasuke's type is from personal rejection, because I'm pretty positive that if by some act of God, Sasuke did like someone, he wouldn't treat her all special and make googly eyes. He only reacts when irritated or angry, so if he's reacted at all to your pathetically obvious and vomit-inducing attempts at seduction, it's a pretty sure sign that he's not into girls like you."

Karin shrieked in fury, and Suigetsu grabbed her as she leapt at me. I smirked, and Sasuke's eyes were emotionless as he took a step closer to me.

"You seem to know everything there is to know about me, Hikari…I wonder…could I say the same about you?"

"I doubt it. Well, unless I happened to write my life's story on those cheetah drawings you happened to come across. Even if it was written there, you probably wouldn't bother to read it."

"You act all tough, Hikari…and yet your hands are shaking. Why is that?" Sasuke asked quietly, his tone cold as ice as I clenched my fingers together to stop them from shaking. "You're angry, and yet you try and cover it up by irritating Karin." I snorted in disbelief, and rolled my eyes as he continued. "You claim to know so much about me…why would you assume that I wouldn't have the same power?"

He was stepping closer, and he continued until his chest was inches from mine, and we stared evenly into each other's eyes. It was slightly disconcerting, having him this close, but our lack of difference in heights made it easier to keep my nerve. His eyes were burning crimson, and I gritted my teeth angrily at the shiver that ran down my spine at the intensity of his gaze.

Inside, my heart was racing at his words. How the hell had he read me that easily? My face wasn't that easy to read, right? And how did he that my hands were shaking if my robe covered them from view?

But I swallowed hard, and whispered into the deathly silence, so softly that Sasuke was the only one who heard.

"Because you don't care about anything…besides your goal to kill Itachi. I'm just another body to fill the space on this team, another person that you rely on to keep you from being alone. I'm not saying this to try and hurt you…I'm just stating facts."

There was silence as Sasuke stared at me, and after a moment his eyes faded back to their usual onyx. His hand twitched as if to rise up and grab my hand, but with a scowl Sasuke's fist clenched. I must have been imagining it; I tend to do stuff like that.

Sasuke's voice was low and quiet, and his dark eyes were soft as he whispered.

"You're wrong."

And with that, Sasuke disappeared, leaving me staring at the place where he had been just seconds before. Karin was fuming at me, but I didn't even bat an eyelash in her direction.

Wrong about what, Sasuke? Wrong about you not caring about anything? Wrong about you needing people around?

What was wrong about what I said?

Suigetsu whistled, and came up to bump my shoulder. "Wow…that was the most I've ever heard Sasuke speak at one time. I told you, you're something special, beautiful."

I snorted, bumping back with my shoulder. "Yeah, I'm special alright. I know how to irritate the King of the Emo. Whoop-dee-doo."

Suigetsu laughed, and the rest of us watched as Karin huffed, and turned to run away after Sasuke, her hair swinging behind her as she went. I sighed as I looked over at Juugo, who was smiling at me slightly.

"Well, see you later, Juugo. I hope that we see each other soon, big guy." I grinned, reaching forward to give the teen a big hug, standing up on tiptoe to reach around his chest. The boy seemed surprised, but gently hugged me back. Suigetsu moved away to allow us our moment, seeming embarrassed by the embrace.

"Goodbye, Hikari. Don't worry about Sasuke…you two need each other."

"Uh…what's that supposed to mean?"

Juugo didn't answer, instead hugging me closer for a moment before releasing me, and he smiled faintly at Suigetsu before disappearing. I kicked a stone after him, growling to myself.

Why did everyone keep saying something extremely strange, and then disappearing before I could find out what they meant?

Suigetsu moved to my side once more, and I smiled slightly at his raised eyebrow. "Don't give me that look, Shark-boy…nothing happened between Juugo and me and you know it."

"I wasn't talking about Juugo, beautiful."

"Oh. You mean Sasuke? Psh, just forget about that. Sasuke's Sasuke, and I'm me; annoyingly argumentative and – what did Red say? Oh yeah – abrasive. He's just a bit moody today, probably pissed off about something…"

Suigetsu snorted. "I honestly don't get you two. You should just kiss each other and be done with it, all this tension makes my skin crawl."

"Uh, no thanks. He's not really my type."

"Whatever you say, beautiful."

"Damn straight…" I muttered, and Suigetsu reached over to bonk me lightly on the head, a grin on his face as I rolled my eyes. His pale purple eyes danced as we ran towards the kingdom, the wind whipping in our faces as we went. The sun was just rising above the horizon, and I smiled as the light warmed my face.

Time to put all the petty drama behind me, and focus on the task put before me. A ninja must never allow their emotions to interfere with their mission; to do so would be worse than if you were killed. I wasn't about to make that same mistake again.

I had to prove that I was strong.

I wasn't going to let my confused feelings for Sasuke get in the way of my mission. I would stop thinking about the way his eyes burned into mine with a fire that left me breathless–

Ugh, definitely not thinking about him anymore. Like, right now.