Chapter 5: Hikaru...who the heck is she?

Hey guys... sorry for the later update than usual...I had to go visit family who had ZERO inernet connection and I had was working on reading the "Scarlet Letter"...that book deserves to be retired from the racks of the peoples so called 'famous' literature...sheesh. Anywho Next installment~

Hikaru looked out to the crystal water of the lake and she smiled at it.

Even before she had come to live in the vilage she had visited this lake. Not even her brother Itachi had known that she would sneak off and play here... When the picture of her eldest brother filled her mind her heart filled with the loneliness of not seeing her brother in so many years...

Hikaru took out a necklace that was hidden beneath her shirt and the two items on it gave her small bits of comfort.

For her birthday she had asked her brothers for something made from their hearts.

Both of the brothers began to make her presents. In the end...both presents were of the same thing; two wooden carvings of the Uchiha lantern. The symbol that Sasuke always wore on his back.

Itachi had carved his with such precision, but Sasuke's was a little more worse for wear. It was slightly lopsided, but Hikaru cherished them both. Her other present was at home...the one her parents had gotten her.

Hikaru jumped a little when a hand was placed on her back. When Hikaru turned to see it was Ikuto she felt relieved. "Brother...you scared me." But Ikuto wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the edge of the forest.

"What's wrong Ikuto...?" When she turned her gaze to match his, she jumped up. There was a figure wearing a dark cloak with red clouds on it. Hikaru felt the familiar presence and a smile spread across her face, and tears filled her eyes.

The persons features had only taken age. This person was taller than the one of her memories, and she couldn't see his mouth so it was hard to tell if he was smiling.

His raven black hair was tied loosely on his neck and his eyes glowed of the sharingan. It was her brother Itachi, he had come to see her. Like what happened so many years ago.

The young looking child Hikaru, who really should of acted her true age, burst into a run to hug, touch, feel her brother after being deprived from her loving family for so long.

Ikuto watched her with detachment. Itachi would come and watch her on her birthday every year. It somewhat infuriated Ikuto.

The boy only noticed Itachi watching them on Hikaru's birthday after the fourth time it had happened. After that he kept it secret from Hikaru, he never wanted her to know...Maybe he was selfish like that...but then again it was because of what Itachi did that made Sasuke hate her...and cause her to be sad... Hell...Itachi never even came this close until now...why? It was only going to make things harder!

Ikuto stood up straight his dark blue, almost black hair moving with him almost as though it were apart of him. He too had it tied loosely on his neck as to keep it from getting any other hair than his bangs in his eyes. He looked at the scene and the hate and selfishness he felt in his heart quickly dissolved into a warm smile.

Hikaru reached her brother and hugged him. She took in every aspect of her brother, the feel of the fabric, how warm the hands on her back were to comfort the sobs that left her throat.

Itachi wasn't making any noises to comfort her, wasn't speaking to her...Hikaru only tried to bring her brother closer. She then felt the shaking of her brother as a warm chuckle.

"Don't you think you're a little old to be attacking me like that Hikaru?" When she looked up to her brother's face it was the same warm smile that so long ago had told her that she would be safe here...and that it wasn't her fault that Sasuke had come to hate her.

The ninja squad:

They walked around town trying to find the house in which they would be living in, for the duration of their stay. Naruto was getting caught up in the types of food that they had at the market place...and unfortunately they had happened upon a Ramen stand that sold 15 different types of ramen noodles and Naruto was almost ecstatic on his discovery.

Sasuke was with him trying to keep him out of trouble and occasionally giving Naruto a smack on the head to keep him on track.

"Teme! Stop that!" Naruto swung a fist trying to hit Sasuke, but ultimately failed and hitting his hand on a plank of wood. Naruto squeaked and began to 'nurse' his injured hand.

Sasuke merely smirked at Naruto being so immature and they continued on.

Shikamaru gave an exasperated sigh, and Saukra was on edge. "Naruto! If you're the going to end up being the cause of us getting kicked out of the village then I'm going to hit so hard you'll land yourself in the Land of Wind!" Sakura hissed this, but didn't even bother to say anything to Sasuke.

Naruto grumbled on how she favored Sasuke over him and that it wasn't fair, which got him a goose bump on his head.

Kakashi laughed and he pointed to the house. "You guys go greet the nice woman allowing us in her home...I'm going to check out the perimeter."

They nodded and parted ways. When they entered the house the atmosphere was very warm.

They all took off there shoes and left them in their proper area as to not be rude and the announced themselves. In reply a women with a soft melodic tone said, "Welcome, come on into the kitchen, I was expecting you. My children aren't home yet. Today it's my daughters birthday and she went to celebrate with her brother, They should be along soon though."

As this kind woman was speaking the group of teens enter the kitchen to find he cooking something that smelled of sugar.

"I was making Dango for all of you." When she turned around her long, light blue hair swirled around her as though a property of it were water. Her eyes were large and kind. The color a very comforting green.

"You can take a seat if you like."

They all nodded and sat down in one of the chairs when something occurred to Naruto as well. "Sasuke...isn't you're birthday today too?"

Sasuke thought about it. He didn't remember the last time he celebrated his birthday. "I guess it is..."

Shikamaru was looking at the ceiling, ignoring the comment about the birthday. "So I'm assuming that you're son is named Ikuto?"

The woman wasn't surprised and continued with her cooking and she nodded. "And my daughter is the one and only Hikaru."

Her back seemed to look sad as she spoke her next sentence. "Whom, you've come to retrieve..."

Shikamaru looked over at her with dull, bored eyes. "So you're aware of what Ikuto has done?"

The woman turned around and her eyes held a tone of sadness in them, of a mother that really did seem as though she were loosing her child.

"Oh yes...I am very aware. But what can you do? Hikaru is in danger here...and she belongs with her true family." The woman's eyes laid on Sasuke and the lids closed almost all the way. "I just hope this is the right decision to be making..."

She turned back around. "I don't believe you have introduced yourselves and neither have I." She bent down and opened the oven taking out the fresh backed Dango.

"Here we are! Nice and hot!" She turned around and placed the pan on the wooden table.

"My name is Maieko Nagumaya."

Then the introductions began, obviously staring with Naruto and ending with Shikamaru.

The woman nodded and she began to prepare dished, but Naruto was already after the sweets.

Sasuke took a couple, as well as Sakura, but Shikamaru was still staring at the ceiling. "Something doesn't add up Maieko-san...why would Hikaru be in danger?" It looked as though the chunin were speaking to the ceiling and Maieko froze and her eyes darkened.

"My ex-husband...it all began with him..."

Hikaru with Itachi and Ikuto:

Hikaru didn't want to separate herself from her brother, but Itachi insisted that she do so. Hikaru thought that he was just going to go away again, but he simply walked over to the hill by the lake and sat down. Hikaru followed suit, but laid her head in his very familiar lap.

Hikaru could feel her brother chuckle as a calm and steady hand pet her head. Nothing more was done until she felt another hand rubbing her back. She didn't even have to look to know that it was her brother Ikuto who was soothing her like this and it was becoming hard for her to stay awake.

Then both her brothers did something strange. Almost as though they were on the same wavelength, they hummed the tune to her music box. It was slower and acting like a lullaby. Hikaru felt her eyes getting lower and lower till they closed completely, her breath very eased, and her expression childish very content.

The two brothers waited a few moments and Ikuto looked at Itachi. "Why are you here?"

The elder man looked at Ikuto with a deadpan expression then turned back to look at his younger sister. "I was getting worried..."

"But why?"

Itachi glared at Ikuto which made the blue haired boy shiver. "Why else? You're damned father is trying to kidnap her."

Ikuto scoffed. "You know she's safe with me. Why bother?"

Itachi looked away, this time over the water. "My little brother is here too...I watched him...from afar. Before I came here."

"So you came here, because of Sasuke as well?"

"Well Sasuke might try to kill me if he see's me."

Ikuto narrowed his eyes knowing not to pry at the obvious lie. Ikuto looked down at his little sister. "She looks so peaceful."

Itachi nodded. "She never had to see what Sasuke did... I only wish that both of them could have lived the same life that Hikaru has..."

Almost as though she heard them the young girl stirred a little and closed her eyes tightly then relaxed nuzzling against her brothers lap.

"Even though Hikaru IS your flesh and blood I wouldn't be surprised if you were aroused."

Itachi looked at Ikuto with a hard glance. "Go have sex with your mom then."

Ikuto wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Ew. Never. In. My. Life."

"Exactly."

Ikuto shrugged, "I'm not sure if Hikaru would care though...she seems a little...docile with you."

Itachi sighed, and moved Hikaru's bangs aside. "I suppose without the other personality to tell her otherwise I think you may be right... but I think she'll fine when she finds someone even more special than me... or Sasuke." Itachi smiled...it was very rueful... "Besides...I won't be roaming the earth as long as her."

Ikuto pulled his eyebrows together trying to understand. "What do you mean by that?"

Itachi sighed and looked into Ikuto's eyes with a message deeper than the the surface. "Death cannot be cheated. Not for long anyway."

The house:

Maieko had begun to tell them a tale about how her ex husband who had been an outsider, and had found himself here one day after a bloody battle and was terribly injured and had at first been peaceful. Maieko married him and had their son Ikuto.

Her husband had kept his two lives in the village and in the outside world pretty much balanced. The man she had fallen in love with seemed truly happy... until he lost his own sister in a battle. The man didn't want anyone in his family to be hurt again, so he bean to search for the power.. the ability to 'protect'.

He had spent days away from the village studying Jutsu and gathering people who were like him to make a small army. Soon enough his intentions were figured out to be wanting t make a kingdom 'to protect the people.'

Their Kage had stopped him and banished him, but the man wouldn't just lie down when he was told.

Many attacks had been laid on their peaceful village, but all had failed.

Not long after he had come on a foggy day. What the people had seen was horrifying. The once wonderful man was dragging a child with a knife to her throat.

The girl's eyes were wide with fear and were glowing with red Kekai Genkai.

Their Kage stepped forward and their was a long drawling conversation. The talk was about letting the child go. That she had nothing to do with what the situation was.

He argued that it had everything to do with it.

Then there was the battle scene. Maieko couldn't tell them much since she wasn't there for that part of the story.

In the end he lost and was wounded terribly badly, and the girl was unharmed. That's when they discovered her name was Hikaru and that she had been taken while she was out playing all by herself, but she wouldn't say much else. The Kage said she was in shock.

It was then the air pressure changed and it almost seemed to all of them the young girl seemed more threatening.

The 'other' girl would only tell them that she needed sleep.

Of course they did so and when the child was sleeping everything was normal.

Hikaru was still scared stiff, so Maieko decided to take responsibility and care for her.

Hikaru seemed very happy...and attached to Ikuto.

There wasn't an explanation... six months passed and it seemed that she had grown close to Ikuto and Maieko... but one day she disappeared with a note that said she was going home to her family.

One single day after that she came back a wreck and there was a bruise on her face, and she was crying.

She wouldn't tell anyone what had happened.

That's when Maieko stopped and she looked at all of them. "Even to this day I don't know what happened to her...she eventually got better...but sometimes she seems to get sad..and distant. I want her to be happy and safe..." A few tears softly made her way down her cheek.

Sasuke had his elbows on the table with his hands threaded together and he had placed his chin on them. What had made Hikaru come back to these people crying? I hate you! I never wanna see you! EVER! Sasuke brought his eyebrows together at the sudden memory of those words.

Was it HIM who caused all of this to happen?

Like I said...sorry for the late update. :) Remember: Read, review, recyle, rainbows need rain and all that jazz. Until next time~~