Bigger than the others that's for sure. Wow two updates in one day is that it? Cool! I stayed home today cuz I wasn't feeling well ): Anyways hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to vote on the poll!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, except Hikari and possible ocs.
Chapter V: Short Training + Art Topic
Itachi sat on his bed, contemplating Hikari's situation. How that potion made her grow, he had no clue, but with Tobi…anything was possible. The moment he set eyes on the little fragile baby, he felt something had touched his heart, or moved around something, as it was more like it. He gave no thought to it until now. His eyes trailed to the box where inside lay the weasel plushie that he used to amuse baby Hikari, but there would be no use for it now; things have changed drastically. According to Pein, they were to contribute to Hikari's training, each one independently, or with their own partners as Konan felt it was best to do. Of course, he expected her to have no ability at all and make many mistakes; he knew some would get mad and frustrated with her slow pace because they weren't used to teaching a grown up how to defend herself. This thought conflicted in his mind, though it shouldn't. He should be acting as if he didn't care, like she was a nuisance. However, every time he thought that way the image of her baby self came to mind, and he'd grow mush and soft.
"She's one of a kind, that's for sure." He mumbled, standing up and walking out the door. Who would've thought, that the cold hearted member would have a small gap in his heart, warmed up by Hikari? He made way to Konan's room and knocked. There was some shuffling until the door opened.
"Itachi? Is it time already?" Konan said, a little surprised by how fast time flew by. She was in the middle of teaching Hikari good manners; that with a little addition of fashion accessories.
"Kisame is waiting outside for us." He replied and looked inside for the young lady. Konan sighed, but nodded in understanding.
"Alright, but before you take her let me make this clear," She started and leaned the door closer, so they'd have a more private trade of words.
"Go easy on her. She probably knows nothing about fighting. I know you and Kisame are the most responsible of all the others, but still I ask you to be patient and don't take your frustration on her." She pleaded. The Uchiha guaranteed he wouldn't go hard on her first try, and after that Konan opened the door all the way.
"Alright Hikari-chan, it's time for your first day of training." She announced, trying to sound a bit more cheery.
Hikari stood up and made way towards Itachi. Konan had lent her some clothes, which as standard fit her quite well; a navy blue top, going from the shoulders to her elbows, and one of Konan's black legging-pants connected to low heel shoes. Itachi tried to not pay attention to those details and started leading her outside of the hideout. They walked in silence for the most part. Itachi wasn't one to pull conversation, and Hikari was still getting used to applying the dialect in her mind to actual speech. His dark eyes glanced sideways at her; she was about a head shorter than him. Her way of walking had been pretty much adapted and proper ever since she became an adult, which was a day ago. Plus Konan probably chipped in herself.
"Hikari-san," He started, gaining attention of the girl upon hearing her name.
"This training will not be easy, I don't expect you to get it the first time, but do try your best, understood?" She nodded and looked back ahead as they neared the entrance. Exiting the cave they came to the sunlit day; Kisame was waiting for them under a shaded tree.
"Well, here you are finally." He teased with that shark grin. Itachi didn't find it humorous, but Hikari smiled in return.
"Alright, how do we begin this Itachi-san?" Kisame asked his partner, who surveyed Hikari for a second.
"We should probably go with something simple, such as a clone." Kisame nodded in agreement.
"Good idea. Alright Hikari-san, watch me closely. Afterwards, I want you to repeat what I did." The shark performed hand signs in a slow pace so she could get them, and upon performing them, he released some chakra throughout his body, thus creating a replica of himself.
"See this now? I want you to do the same; create a clone that looks just like you."
"Okay." She answered and repeated the same hand signs Kisame had done, which was good for starters. On the part of creating a clone she did fairly well, but as she had it replicated, it went away as quickly as it appeared.
"Hm, well at least you've got it, you just need to control your chakra to make it last longer." Itachi agreed to that and took a step up.
"Give it one more try." Hikari did it again and this time, she was able to get the clone to stay a little longer.
"Good, you catch up fast." Kisame praised before turning to his partner. "Should we teach her something else?" He asked.
"Yes, perhaps a transformation jutsu." He suggested this time.
"Sounds good." Itachi turned to Hikari. "Watch me." He said and performed some different signs, like Kisame slower than he would, before his appearance changed into Konan. Hikari was perplexed by this, but as soon as Itachi came back to normal she seemed to understand what just took place.
"Your turn." She concentrated and performed the right signs, but the transformation jutsu seemed to have taken another turn, because Hikari didn't change her total appearance. Her hair was now turned into many metal blades and spears. This obviously startled the two members. How could this be?
"How in the world did she manage that?" Kisame whispered, but Itachi couldn't answer; he had no response to it. Hikari looked at them with a raised eyebrow.
"Did it go wrong?" She asked, but received no reply back. Finally, Itachi came out of his thoughts and walked over to her.
"It's not exactly what we expected, but I think it'll serve well in the future." Hikari grinned and nodded, thinking she had pleased them. Kisame chuckled.
"What a bundle of joy; a mystery within herself." She stopped the transformation and her hair went back to normal.
"We ought to report this to Pain-sama." Kisame alarmed quietly, and Itachi very much thought of doing the same thing.
"Hikari, you are done for now. You can go and do as you please." Hearing that, she turned and ran off into the hideout. The two partners looked at each other indecisively, but they made up their minds and went straight to Leader to tell him the news of this new-found ability of hers.
Hikari walked back into the hideout, only to cross paths with Deidara.
"Hey Hikari-chan! How was your training, un?" He asked as he came up to her.
"It was fun; I learned to do two things." She replied with enthusiasm, though not as much as Tobi would. The blond chuckled and wrapped an arm over her shoulder.
"Great, how about you come with me? I need a partner to bug Sasori-dana with me, hm." Hikari accepted the invite and they both walked to the puppet-master's accommodation.
"Dana, open up, un!" Deidara called while pounding on the redhead's door. Inside, Sasori growled and glared at what was beyond the wooden door.
"It's open brat."
"Oh, hmm." And so the two walked in, Deidara sitting on the bed and Hikari looking around the place. Seeing her there, Sasori paused his work and turned to them.
"Hikari, you here? I thought you'd be training."
"I was, but Ita-chan and Kisa said I could go after doing some stuff."
"What sort of stuff?" He asked, curious as he set down a wrench on his working table.
"Well, I learned how to make a clone, and to do transformation." She said with a nod.
"I see, and have you done them all successfully?" He asked and she shrugged.
"I think so, but Ita-chan and Kisa said they had to report something to daddy." Sasori got his interest perked from this.
"Is that so? Quite odd-did you just say daddy?" He was momentarily distracted by that, as was Deidara who seemed surprised that she'd think of Pein as a father figure; he didn't even take care of her!
"Yeah. Konan's my mommy, and Pein is my daddy. Right?" Well, they couldn't blame her for thinking like that. Since she deemed Konan to be her mother, it was almost a given that she would link Pein with being her father. They looked like a couple.
"Uh, right well..did anything out of the ordinary happen during training?" He questioned again, trying to get back on the previous subject.
"Geez dana, are you interrogating her or what? Un." Sasori glared at the blond.
"Be quiet brat." He shrugged and laid back on the bed. Hikari took a seat at the edge and looked at all the puppets.
"Did you make them?" She asked, receiving a nod from the redhead.
"They look nice…" She commented, which caused both partners to look at her.
"You call that nice? Wait until you see my art, hm. It's the best!" Dei said with a proud smile. Sasori scoffed at him.
"Don't put insignificant ideas into her head."
"I'm not, un! I'm just saying that my art is better."
"No it's not, it's stupid and pointless."
"Hey! Yours have no sense at all! Why keep it forever when you can make more later?"
"Whatever, you're acting like a total prima-donna Deidara, quit being a pain in the as-"
"Ah Ah! Remember what Konan said un, no foul language in front of little Hikari." Sasori rolled his eyes.
"She's not a baby anymore brat, she'll learn them one way or another; you know I'm not the only one that cusses around here. You should be nagging Hidan about it." Deidara fumed and glared at him.
"Tch, whatever, hm!" Hikari watched the two bickering, and though she thought it amusing she couldn't help but wonder why they were fighting so much.
"Umm, excuse me-"
"Your art will never reach my max level, un!"
"Hey, I'm-"
"As if yours was ever above mine! The only thing you do is mold it into figures and explode them afterwards, for what?!"
This went on and on for a few minutes, with Hikari trying to gain both their attention, but that didn't resolve, so she tried another way…
"Hey! Listen to me!" Her voice boosted loud, which made the two artists stop their argument and look at her, with startled faces. Hikari sighed in relief.
"Thank you, now what was I going to say?" She mumbled, "Ah yes, why do you two fight so much over who's got the best art? Shouldn't it be enough that you like doing it?"
They still remained silent, staring at her with perplexed and doubtful looks.
"Why can't you two get along? Why do you have to fight about your differences? I don't like it when you're yelling at one another..." That statement was actually made them stunned; did they make her upset with their bickering? The two artists looked to one another and sighed.
"Sorry." They both said, and Hikari smiled.
"It's alright, it's not really my place, but I can't let you two fight over a simple difference."
"Actually, you are right, we shouldn't criticize one another's point of view." Sasori comprehended.
"You've grown up too fast, it seemed like yesterday that I held you in my harms and cuddled with ya, hm." Deidara smiled, remembering the good times.
"Deidara, it was yesterday, you brain noodle." Deidara blinked.
"Oh! That's right, I knew that." Hikari giggled at him, and the two suddenly started to talk in a hushed tone, causing Sasori to grow curious. They spent five minutes just talking in whispers that Sasori couldn't resist…
"So then, Tobi jumped into the water and got bit by piranhas-"
"What are you two talking about there?" He interrupted.
"Oh just some pranks Tobi tried to do on me, but ended backfiring on him big time, yeah."
"Ah yes, Tobi, the troublemaker." Sasori shook his head.
"That kid is hopeless." Hikari looked at both of them. Feeling her stare, the two looked back over to her. She suddenly smiled, and the two couldn't help but return the sweet gesture.
'Ah Hikari-chan, you'll change everyone's lives for sure, hm.' The blonde thought whilst observing the girl playing with a lock of her hair.