Chapter 12: Climbing a mountain without a pick axe.

Hikaru was safe in her bed, but she had been asleep for awhile...and the small girl didn't look to peaceful while she slept.

Shikamaru sighed a little while he looked at her.

"I wonder what's she's dreaming..." Naruto asked and he hand his chin in his hands as he looked her.

Currently, Ikuto, Shikamaru, and Naruto were sitting in her room. Obito was helping Maieko around the house. Landry, dishes, even dusting.

There was another session with the children that day so Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura went for that.

At first Naruto wanted to go, but Maieko told him that it might help Hikaru recover from her panic attack if his 'bright spirit' were there. After that comment there was no way to refuse the offer so he stayed.

Naruto gazed at Hikaru's face. There were many twisted emotions melded together like fear, and confusion.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru was playing Go and he frowned a little. "Somethings off." Naruto looked at Shikamaru. "Whadya mean?"

Shikamaru placed a piece on the board and shook his head. "It's just strange. Even if you do have a panic attack...and DO end up fainting...you shouldn't remain unconscious for this long.." Naruto raised his eyebrows.

"I don't think I've ever heard you say a sentence that long before!" Naruto even clapped for him and patted him on the back, for the 'accomplishment'.

Shikamaru shook his head simply ignoring Naruto.

Ikuto placed a pieced to play against Shikamaru. "Did you hear what he actually said Naruto?"

Naruto paused and stopped to actually think about what Shikamaru had said. He shrugged. "Hikaru just might be tired... I know that I would!" Ikuto shook his head and cursed under his breath at the piece that Shikamaru placed.

"Are you a professional Shikamaru?"

Naruto laughed. "HAH! Shikamaru a professional? Might as well give him a cape and call him a superhero!"

Ikuto looked slightly baffled. "Okay..." Naruto continued to cackle. In Naruto's mind he was relieved. Now they're distracted...He this would make things easier.

Naruto tried to watch the game. He moaned out in boredom. "If you don't like the game then don't watch. Just go do something else." Ikuto said plainly.

Naruto shook his head and he got up mumbling something like old men.

The blond went looking around the room. He came across a box. Curiously he opened it. When he did, a little song started to come out from it.

Naruto looked through it more and saw a couple of pictures. One was of a really young Sasuke and Hikaru. They both looked happy.

"Who would tear apart a happy family..? Hikaru doesn't deserve any of this...and I kinda don't think even Sasuke deserved such a fate" Naruto sighed and put the pictures back.

Shikamaru sighed and placed another piece. Ikuto cursed again and shook his head. The blue haired boy leaned back and stretched. "How could you win like that...?"

"Easy. You could've placed you're piece on H4 and you decided to place it on G2. You practically gave me win." Ikuto shook his head and then what Naruto said processed. He got up and sat on Hikaru's bed. Some of her hair was in her face, so gently Ikuto moved the dark locks out of the way.

Naruto sat on the other side. "There's more to the story isn't there Ikuto...?" Ikuto inhaled sharply.

"You wouldn't want to hear about such a past."Ikuto wasn't looking at anyone and he tried to leave the room.

Naruto squinted his eyes and grabbed his arm, clutching the white fabric of his long sleeve shirt. "Of course I wanna know! Hikaru is my friend!" The boy looked at Ikuto with an intense stare, not giving Ikuto a choice to leave.

There was a moment of silence, Ikuto then relaxed. "Alright...but I don't know how useful I'll be." and he recalled and told of what had happened.

"When my father came to the village he brought a young girl as a hostage. Her body was cut, but not deep enough to scar. She was bruised and Mel fed, her eyes were filled with fear."

Naruto looked at Hikaru with wonder. "After Faraganda banished my dad...Hikaru was a wreck... We asked her how long she had been in his grasp...she didn't know. All she knew was that it was longer than a day. She had been forced to fight...on multiple occasions...and even once she mentioned being strapped on a table and there was a glowing light...that was when she thought her dark self was born...

"We named the other Kurai..."

Naruto was captivated. This man...his own father was so...evil.

Shikamaru had an expression of concentration. Having that bit of information may have just given them some insight on their enemy.

It was flash of attack after attack. Blue against against orange. All Hikaru could do was watch.

"Stop it!" She shouted. She had to stop this! She knew what to do, and she tried to reach in her backpack to get the scroll, but she couldn't move. Her body was frozen in place.

Their battle continued and she could only watch.

What could she do? 'move body...you have to-' She There was a hand that grabbed her shoulder and she suddenly was able to turn and there was a dark figure behind her. "Watch how time was supposed to flow."

The voice was ominous and she coudn't break free and run to Sasuke and Naruto's rescue. The hand moved her to watch the battle and she began to cry.

Why couldn't she do anything? What was this supposed to show her?

Chidori and Rasengan collided and Naruto fell from midair.

"No." Hikaru whispered. Sasuke collapsed to his knees, above Naruto's forehead looking at him with detest. "No..." Hikaru whispered.

Her brother got up, leaving his headband behind that had been scratched.

"NOOO!" The shadow didn't say anything more. But Hikaru knew that this person was smiling. She knew in her heart that she had lost."SASUKE!" She struggled, trying to move. Wanting to get her brother back...to save him.

"This is what was supposed to be. A mistake like you, only interferes with the flow of time."

Hikaru's eyes opened with tears streaming down her face. Had she been a mistake? She felt so tired now...even though she knew that she had been sleeping for a long while.

Naruto looked at Hikaru, and by the way she was crying, the nightmare she had, had was bad.

"Hey! There's the eyes of sleeping beauty!" Naruto said, attempting to comfort her.

Hikaru's cheeks flushed. Naruto was okay. He was safe. She had succeeded in saving her brother and friend. This was reality, not the dream. Though the memories of her brother and Naruto still scared her.

Ikuto wiped her tears away. "What's wrong Hikaru...?" His eyes caught hers searching for the answer.

Hikaru shook her head and sat up rubbing her eyes. "Just a nightmare."

Right at that moment Obito came in with a pile of clothes. This moutain obsurced his face and vision by about a foot.

"H-Help..."

Hikaru giggled but didn't get up.

Naruto laughed along with her. "Oh come on Obito!" Naruto said through his cackles. "Be a man!"

Obito struggled more and then he collapsed the mountain that he carried, falling on top of him.

He struggled more trying to get out, his limbs flailing trying to get out and then went limp. Naruto jumped up and shouted. "Don't worry buddy! Naruto is here! Cannon Baaaall!"

He jumped up and dived into the pile of clothing to dig Obtio out and save him from suffocation.

Hikaru and Ikuto were laughing. For now thing were okay. Things would be okay.

Sasuke watched as Kakashi was teaching simple taijustu moves to the kids and Sasuke heaved a big sigh. He had felt something weird. Like a feeling of distress in the pit of his stomach.

He knew he could no longer deny that he had this need to protect Hikaru, not only for the mission, but for the fact that she was indeed an Uchiha... she was also very fragile. Just at these kinds of thoughts of defeat made him want to punch something.

A breeze went by and he shook his head, placing a hand on his forehead. What was happening?

The Raven looked over at Sakura who was teaching a group of kids basic first aid. She was unrolling a bandage and the children were looking on with awe.

Things for once were peaceful. Which was a strange and foreign concept to Sasuke. He almost wished that Naruto were there to bother him.

Sasuke felt a headache budding.

There was a jolt of energy. Like a flash of electricity, or a change in the air pressure.

Something was wrong. Someone was there...Sasuke closed his eyes sensing out to see where this feeling was coming from.

There were pulsations of chakra... coming from the west.

When Sasuke opened his eyes, Kakashi was watching him. There was a slight nod and Sasuke left to find the area to find this new presence.

Sasuke ran across the rooftops, trying to locate this chakra. T

he people below were absolutely oblivious to what he was doing, as they shopped and played. This could give him a chance to get this new frustration out of his system...

In the end he made his way to the outskirts of the village, on the very edge of the barrier. Things were going to be tricky... he had to find this person...and yet stay in bounds.

He looked around, activating his Sharingan. Still he saw nothing, which was frustrating him even more.

But whoever this was, it wasn't a threat. That was a good thing...for them.

Sasuke reached into his pouch and got out a Kunai and held it carefully, in case he was ambushed. There was silence.

Sasuke didn't even breathe. There was a crack of a branch. Then the chakra was gone.

Sasuke cursed and made his way back to the field to where Kakahsi was waiting to his report.

Whoever it was DIDN'T want Sasuke to be any where near them...not a good sign. Cause when he found them, there might not be anything left.

Keep your emotions under control. Sasuke thought. Just as quickly as the thought came his expression quickly became blank.

Hi everyone! I think I'm on a role for updating! I hope you enjoyed this! Tell me anything you had a problem with. Grammar, writing techniques ect : Read, Review, Recycle and Rainbows need Rain! Let's enjoying what life gives us! (Be that as it may even a mountain of clothing that may kill us all ^^") Until next time~