Chapter 17: More Mysteries

There was and awkward silence, and Naruto was zoned out thinking over on how he had overreacted towards Sasuke, resulting in him hurting Hikaru. He had seen the fear in her eyes, but everything else was so calm it was frightening. She was even more disciplined it seemed than Sasuke...but somehow she had preserved the better parts of her personality. How had that happened? How was it she was able to keep such control, and seem so small and frightened when it came to violence unless she was sure she wouldn't be harmed?

Naruto's stomach growled, but the owner of said stomach ignored it racking his brain on the thoughts he was having trouble processing. Sasuke, the teme, had obviously noticed, and fixed him a bowl of the food he had cooked then placed it in front of Nauto and smacked the back of his head in order to get his attention, then went back to his own food.

A little dazed, Naruto looked at the food in front of him, scrutinizing it. Not even bothering to rip Sasuke a new one for hitting his head.

Sasuke sighed and looked back over at Naruto. "Just eat it Dobe, you might of gotten on my nerves, but I didn't poison you're food." Naruto didn't respond, and lifted a spoonful of the food to his mouth and ate it, without tasting it. Naruto lowered the spoon and looked at the table.

"She looked scared." Naruto murmured, more to himself than Sasuke really as he saw her in his memories again on the inside of his eyelids, but it wasn't when he threw the knife. It was that fateful day when she kept Sasuke from leaving; kept him from severing their bond that would've killed Naruto if it had happened.

Sasuke obviously didn't know that he was thinking much farther in the past for he just grunted, but Naruto continued to murmur to himself. "She said she loved you so much...but she didn't want you to remember her." Naruto felt a pang of something inside of him. Hikaru was so cheerful and kind. She seemed to be the ray of sunlight on the darkest day, but when you place a knife in her path she falters, and breaks down. Who is the real Hikaru...? What happened to make her stay here instead of stay in Konoha...? Did Sasuke know what happened to her?

There were so many questions buzzing about in his mind.

"-ruto! Naruto!" Sasuke was calling him, and Naruto jolted from his trance and looked up, his with grin plastered on his face.

"Sorry, sorry, just trying to use this brain of mine!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head and laughed it off then ate with more enthusiasm. With a new resolve Naruto decided to go and have a talk with Hikaru to see what happened and if she would be willing to tell him.

Sasuke gave Naruto a disapproving look, but sighed. "What's bothering you Dobe?" Naruto looked up, at Sasuke who was staring at him with a piercing gaze, that made the blond squirm under it. He was afraid to say anything.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and reached over the table and touched Naruto's cheek, it was a soft touch, and Sasuke had a calculating gaze on him. Would he be angry at his thoughts? Naruto scolded himself for thinking such idiotic things. Sasuke was only angry if he was being an idiot, was he? THese thoughts were interupted by Sasuke's talking.

"There's something on your mind. What is it?"

Naruto leaned into Sasuke's touch, no matter how against it, he was. Sasuke just did something to him...like flipped a switch. It almost scared him, however, it just felt so right at the same time. The will to remain, just left him when he looked into the black abyss of Sasuke's eyes. When had that happened?

"I ... was just thinking about Hikaru, she's...different." Naruto hesitated, but the raven showed no move to stop him, so he continued. "I'm not sure what it is about her that makes me worried. Her personality just seems to be everywhere...I want to help her; I just don't know where to start, Sasuke."

Inside, Naruto felt so frustrated at himself, so much so it hurt. What could he do to help her? To help Sasuke, the person that made him so frustrated, the one who made him want to kiss him...

Sasuke sighed, taking his hand away and stood up from his seat, walking over to Naruto to stand beside him facing the opposite direction; his hands leaning up against the table. Naruto had to surpress a groan at the sight he was seeing. "First question, why do you feel like this? Why should you care?"

Naruto shot up from his seat and whipped around to face Sasuke. He couldn't believe it! How on earth could Sasuke even think let alone say something so..so...heartless! Well, Sasuke was kinda heartless, but that wasn't an excuse!

"And why shouldn't I, Huh?" He retorted, his anger bubbling to the surface, "At least I care for her enough to worry! I thought you were starting to care! But-"

Sasuke put a hand over his mouth muffling whatever he was going to say next, his eyes boiling with an unknown emotion. "Stop overreacting Naruto."

Naruto glared at Sasuke, trying to convey his feelings to Sasuke on how bad he felt for Hikaru, and how Sasuke should care more for her. Sasuke gazed back unwavering from his cool stare. It was unerving to Naruto, but still he couldn't break the gaze.

"Naruto, I don't have that many memories of her. How can I feel connected and care for somone I barely know? Only recently did the thought even occur to me that I HAD a sister." Sasuke then took on expression of being conflicted. His eyes flirting with confusion, and anger. After a few minutes Sasuke apparently had decided on what he had wanted to tell him.

"I think, that the reason that she wasn't with me while I grew up, that she was still missing, was because I did something to her. Something...to keep her away from Konoha." Sasuke was serious, visibly still trying to connect the dots in his mind.

Naruto raised his eyebrows, eyes widening at hearing this from Sasuke. This was a new development! If they could only find out what was had happened, then these two could make amends, and be a happy family!

Sasuke frowned at him, he must've been making revealing expression on what he was thinking on the inside. Damn, he really needed to stop doing that. He attempted to school his expression, but Sasuke only chuckled, it was laced with annoyance, but there was still tauting humor twisted around. "Naruto I think you should stop that before you hurt yourself."

Sasuke removed his hand, and Naruto now couldn't think of anything to say. Nothing. What was happening?

Hikaru:

She looked around at anything and everything except the Uchiha boy beside her. She needed to think of something before things got to out of hand. Sasuke was starting to remember wasn't he? That was bad. She couldn't get much closer to him if it was because of his closeness to her that was causing him to remember. If he became attached, then remembered, the backfire and conflicting feelings could cause him to have a mental breakdown.

She walked straight out of the village and walked forward. Further, to clear her thoughts, to get away. Anything in order to figure out what she was supposed to do.

A hand came to touch her on the shoulder and she flinched and turned around to face Obito...the look of surprise on his face sent feelings of shame down Hikaru's spine. How had this happened? Just a few simple days before, she would be calm collected and chipper. Now things are going to hell.

"I-I'm sorry Obito." She quickly slid on the smile she had worn right before she had left the house. "I was just a bit out of it is all. I'm alright now."

Obito gave her another look, searching her face for any flaws, she hoped he wouldn't find any. "...If you say so..."

Hikaru smiled again at Obito and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for worrying Obito." Hikaru giggled at the blush that crossed his face. His pale skin made it even more pink, and look looked away.

"It...it's natural to worry about you Hikaru." Hikaru gave a wistful smile in return to his comment, but said nothing about it. She looked around the forest looking for something to do, and she thought of something. There was a nearby abbandonded shrine that she liked to go to when she was a little frazzled. The place always managed to calm her nerves...but would her friend like to go with her?

There wasn't any harm in asking right? Right...there wasn't any harm in asking. It wasn't like that place...she could voice her thoughts. It was going to be fine.

"Obito...?" She watched the Uchiha out of the corner of her eye watching his body language, being extra careful.

"Yes, Hikaru?" He answered with the same hesitation, though he tried to pull it off as nonchalance.

Hikaru giggled feeling better now that she wasn't alone in the feelings she had. "How would you like to go to a shrine with me...?"

The dark haired boy paused looking her over and she waited a bit in anticipation. The clouds casted a shadow over the sun making it even harder to see in the shrowed of the trees, but when the sun came back out with it's limited light, Obito was all smiles. "Sure."

Hikaru nodded and grabbed his hand now excited, "Then let's go!"

Shikamaru sat in an arm chair in the library with books around him. Every few seconds or so he would turn a page and read the next one, absorbing the information written on it. Nobody was bothering him which was good, but it also was a bit concerning. If they didn't mind an outsider reading these books, anyone could. Good intentions, or bad.

There were many different types of jutsu within these pages, he had soon found out. These people may be gung ho for peace, but they weren't blind or helpless. Some were of the darkest, and unforgivable kind of jutsu, and it worried him. With information like this anyone could turn for the worst and with the power and ability to do some major damage.

Shikamaru almost gave up on this book, but stopped when he saw something interesting. There was a bit of a scribble on a page. He looked at it more carefully, and finally realized this was writing. It was the name of another book, with an arrow to a passage.

Certain Clans have developed Genjutsu's that have the affects of Ninjutsu's, few still survive who know of these such techniques, and even more few share these such secrets with scholars.

Shikamaru reread the passage again and he frowned. Genjustu's that have the same affects as Ninjutsu's? Shikamaru read the name of the book and he reconginzed it and he fished through the books around him, and he looked at it. What was hidden in these pages? He didn't have a very good feeling, but the only way to figure what the matter with Hikaru was, and what had happened to her, was to read.

Though it was a pain, this mission wasn't supposed to be that complecated. He sighed and looked at it, cracking open it's pages to read the words within.

And yet another chapter has been devilvered! I sure hope you all are enjoying it...I've been having to work really hard to write these and update them as soon as I can.

I'm thinking of perhaps speeding things up a bit, what do you guys think? Or should I continue at the pace I've been going? Anywho: Remember: Read, Review and Rainbows Need Rain! Till next time~~