Infiltration and Assassinations.
Onyx and Ivory
"No fucking way. I refuse."
Hoshiko crossed her arms over her chest and angled her face away from the pair. She was sitting in Jinrui's living area, her legs tucked underneath her body as their host sat opposite her in a blue silk robe. Itachi was next to her on his own cushion.
"There is no other way to get into the manor, Hoshiko-san." Jinrui commented as he drank from his cup of sake. After only knowing the man for less then a day, Hoshiko could safely say that he was indeed an alcoholic.
"Then get him," Hoshiko jerked her head to the side at Itachi, "to transform into me, and then he can go with you."
"Hn." She could hear the almost snort that came out of the Uchiha's mouth.
Jinrui sighed but sent Hoshiko a leering smirk. "As much as having Uchiha-san impersonate you sounds thrilling…I'd much rather have the real deal with me, Hoshiko-san." Jinrui winked at her. Hoshiko bared her teeth at the frivolous man. She was about to bark out another retort when she felt a strong hand grip around her wrist and jerk her into a standing position.
Hoshiko gasped as Itachi dragged her from the room. She tried planting her feet to stop herself but the Uchiha overpowered her easily enough. He brought her out into the parlor as Hoshiko managed to wrench her arm out of his grip and face him.
"What the hell is your problem, Uchiha?" She snapped bitterly, staring Itachi dead in his red eyes.
"You seem to have forgotten that we are here on a mission, Ginyoru-san."
"I know perfectly well that we're on a mission." She replied sarcastically, giving a careless roll of the eyes.
"And need I remind you that Jinrui is one of our benefactors. If he has a way for us to get close to Kawaguchi then we must take it, no matter what. Or you shall be the one to tell Leader why he no longer funds us."
Hoshiko bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from screaming in frustration. She continued to hold Itachi's stare for a little while longer before spinning on her heel and marching back into the sitting area. Jinrui was drinking from his cup again as his blue eyes followed Hoshiko and Itachi over his cup. Hoshiko sat back down and stared Jinrui dead in the face.
"How is this happening then?" She asked with a bored tone. Jinrui set his cup down and cracked his knuckles before placing his hands atop the table.
"According to my men, Kawaguchi will be arriving in Kumo tonight. It just so happens that tonight is the Daimyo's fiftieth anniversary celebration. All the officials, the Raikage and the Daimyo himself will be there. And that is where Kawaguchi will be headed as well."
"And why can't we just get rid of the guy on the road?" Hoshiko drawled out, leaning on the table.
"If he is assassinated before meeting with the Raikage." Itachi interjected from her left side. "Then it will become clear that someone was targeting him and the information that he was carrying."
"So infiltrating this stupid party is really the only thing we can do?" Hoshiko finished with a deadpan look towards the stoic Uchiha. Itachi kept his gaze on Jinrui but nodded once.
"Afraid so." Jinrui said, mournfully. His expression betrayed his tone; he was certainly not upset at the fact that Hoshiko had to accompany him to this celebration tonight.
Hoshiko sighed and admitted defeat with the drop of her head. "Fine, let's get this over with then."
Hoshiko fidgeted in the outfit she wore. She had never in her life worn something so complicated and luxurious, everything was new to her—and she hated it. Some women that Jinrui had hired to dress her up had somehow managed to tame the long black hair of hers into a neat bun at the base of her neck. It was held with little clips that had diamonds in them, and Hoshiko had no doubt that they were real. The kimono she had on was a deep plum colour. It was figure hugging, and had a long slit up the right side of her leg. Embroidered on the fabric were silver patters, all made out to be flowers. Considering her time in the academy and being forced to create flower arrangements, Hoshiko had no idea what flowers they were supposed to be. She was also sure that a kimono was never supposed to be this revealing and…tight, but she guessed with high society and considering the type of man Jinrui is—she really isn't all that surprised. One thing she did notice though, was that the silver on the kimono had a way of accentuating her eyes. For reasons she couldn't herself explain, her silver eyes were jumping out at her. Apparently Jinrui knew what he was doing when it came to fashion.
The women had departed with scornful looks towards Hoshiko's back, some jealous at the prospect of some new girl going with the most eligible bachelor to the Daimyo's celebrations. Hoshiko waved them off with a sneer. She took one last look at herself in the mirror, grossed out by what she saw and how different and uncomfortable she looked, and left her room. The kimono was slightly too long for her, considering her height was probably still that of a fifteen year old (and even then she had been small for her age) so it took her upmost concentration to walk without tripping on the delicate hem.
Hoshiko descended the stairs carefully. She had never worn anything like this before so going down the stairs was more of a challenge then her ANBU entrance exam had been. Jinrui was waiting at the bottom of the stairs; he complimented her appearance in what appeared to be a very expensive looking silver silk dress robe. His hair was in its usual slicked back appearance and instead of casual pants he wore black ones and shiny shoes to match.
"You look exquisite, Hoshiko-san." Jinrui commented with a flirtatious smile as he held out his arm for her to take.
Hoshiko knocked the hand away. "Flattery will not work on me, I'm not some stupid teenager."
Jinrui chuckled. "I should hope not. Now, if you and Uchiha-san are ready then our transport is waiting outside." Hoshiko watched as Jinrui swept out of the front door and into what appeared to be a carriage being pulled by some of his men. It would've been so much easier if she and Itachi could just run to Kumo, she didn't want to be stuck in a carriage with Jinrui for five hours.
The floorboards creaked to her right as Hoshiko turned slightly and watched Itachi appear from the sitting room. Luckily for him he could remain in his Akatsuki cloak. Their eyes met for a moment before Hoshiko turned away and strutted towards the door. "Do not forget that you must act the part of Jinrui's partner." Itachi spoke to her. Hoshiko paused near the doorway. "If you are to be found out, then we may not get a chance like this again."
"Don't worry." Hoshiko smirked, tossing a look over her shoulder at the Uchiha. Her expression turned serious. "I know how to act. I learnt from the best, Senpai." On that final note, Hoshiko spun back around, her dress flicking out behind her as she marched down the stairs and into the open carriage door that Jinrui was holding open for her.
The journey to Kumo was torturous. Jinrui took every opportunity he could to remark about Hoshiko's 'beauty' and 'grace' and how she was the 'most stunning thing he had ever seen'. By the end of the trip, Jinrui was lucky to be alive. The only thing that had kept Hoshiko from throttling the man had been the ominous threat of whatever Itachi would do to her should she kill the man. So Jinrui's tongue was in tact when they arrived to Kumogakure.
It was twilight already, and freezing. Kumo hadn't changed since Hoshiko had come a few years ago. The village was situated in a mountainous range, with most of its buildings built into the mountains, each connected by various bridges. The celebration was being held in the Raikage's building and when they had come to a stop Hoshiko could see that there were more finely dressed people entering the building on the ground floor as well.
Jinrui slid out first, then turned and offered his hand to Hoshiko. She stared at the hand for a moment. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to not grab his hand—but she had a mission to do. Plastering a smile on her face Hoshiko reached out and took his offered hand. His palm was cool and soft, probably because he had never worked a hard day before in his life. When she was out of the cart Hoshiko linked her arm with Jinrui and leant into his body a little more as they approached the large glass doors with the symbol for Kumo on it.
"Good evening, Jinrui-sama." The Shinobi at the door said with a formal nod of the head. "Raikage has been expecting you."
"Then I shall not make him wait any longer." Jinrui said back politely. Jinrui led Hoshiko inside. Well that was easy, she thought to herself. These Kumo Shinobi were pretty stupid if they couldn't detect that she was masking her chakra to levels of a civilian. As they entered the foyer, the party was in full swing. People dressed up in fine clothing milled around with drinks in their hands. A band at the back of the room was playing a soft melody and around the edge of the room were numerous tables set up with food and drinks.
"Why would a Stone dignitary want to tell Kumo about the Akatsuki? They hold no allegiance to once another." Hoshiko asked Jinrui in a whisper as they walked around the edge of the room together.
Jinrui picked up a drink from a passing waiter and took a sip before replying. "Kumo and Iwa have an unstable truce right now. Kawaguchi is actually a Kumo ambassador that has been in Iwa for years trying to negotiate peace with the villages. If the Raikage get's word of Iwa's involvement then the truce will end. Although Iwa doesn't want a war, they also don't want to give up their allegiance with the Akatsuki."
"And why are you helping?" Hoshiko asked as she scanned the room. She didn't know what Kawaguchi looked like, but she was trying to see how many Shinobi were currently present here in the room.
Jinrui chuckled as he finished the rest of his drink and placed it on a nearby table. "Because, my dear, I don't care about the villages. All I care about is my business and myself. Surely you should understand, being with the Akatsuki and all." Hoshiko turned away from his piercing icy gaze. She wasn't a fully-fledged member yet, so she didn't actually have to agree to whatever the Akatsuki were doing. But if she didn't have the Akatsuki, where else could she go? Who else would take her in?
Jinrui suddenly pulled her more firmly into his side. One of his hands snaked around her waist and came to rest on her hip. Hoshiko stiffened at the contact. She tried to tell herself that this was a mission; she needed to act like she was madly in love with Jinrui.
But how could she when she had never been in love herself?
How did she know what love between two people was when she had never experienced it? The only time she had seen it was her parents, but even then Hoshiko had been but a child and didn't pay much attention to the details. She guessed the closest thing to it would have been the crush she had once harbored on Kakashi as a teenager.
Jinrui leaned down to her ear, his hot breath sent tingles down her spine as she angled her body into his. She would try, for the mission. "Now would be the time for you to get Uchiha-san in." Jinrui whispered in her ear. He pulled back slowly, and Hoshiko released the breath she had been holding in. She nodded, glancing around the room once more before she stepped out of Jinrui's embrace and bee lined it straight to a waitress holding two almost full glasses in her hands.
Hoshiko waited until the waitress was facing the other way before she stepped into her path. One of the glasses was dropped and the other fell down Hoshiko's shoulder, the liquor spilling down the edge of her kimono.
"I'm so sorry!" the girl exclaimed in a panic. She was older than Hoshiko, with blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and murky green eyes. She was dressed like all the other waiters, with a grey and blue robe set.
"It's alright." Hoshiko replied with a kind smile. "I'm sure it'll wash out. Would you mind taking me to a bathroom to clean up?" She asked politely.
"O-of course!" the girl stammered out as some of the other waiters rushed over to clean up the glass from the one that she had dropped. "This way, please."
Hoshiko followed the girl down a hallway and down a small flight of stairs. Hoshiko used her chakra senses and found that there was no one else in the bathroom right now. Good, it was all going according to plan for the moment. The girl stood by the door. "It's just through here. Again I'm so sorry, I'll watch where I'm going more closely next time."
Hoshiko started to push open the door but stopped and faced the girl. "Oh, would you mind helping me for a moment? I'm going to give my kimono a quick wash but I won't be able to reach the knot at the back. Would you mind…?"
"It's no problem at all!"
Hoshiko smiled kindly in thanks as they entered one after the other. The bathroom was like any other. Hoshiko stood with her back facing the girl as she felt her lithe fingers start to undo the knot at the back of her dress. She felt the fabric give way. Hoshiko reached under her kimono, to where her concealed weapons pouch was strapped to the inner part of her thigh. She pulled a kunai from the pouch.
"There you go. Is there anything else you need?"
Hoshiko's eyebrows twitched into a frown. "No…but…I'm sorry."
"Hmm?" She heard the girl question curiously.
As quick as lightning, Hoshiko spun around, her kunai drawn. She brought it across the waitress' neck in one fluid motion. Before she could even gurgle out a scream Hoshiko clamped her hand onto her forehead and activated her Mizukiri. The girl's eyes went wide and then drooped as she hit the floor harshly. She was already dead. Hoshiko stepped back and flinched, a pain went through her head as she pressed the palm of her hand to her temple and took a deep, shuddering breath.
Hoshiko knelt down to examine the girl, her face stoic as she ran her silver eyes up and down her body. Thankfully the girl had landed face up so the blood had yet to stain the flooring. Hoshiko made a few hand seals, and then placed one hand onto the girl's head and in a poof of smoke she disappeared.
"Someone will find her later." She mumbled to herself. Standing back up Hoshiko made the hand seal for a Henge as she transformed her appearance into that of the waitress she had just killed.
X
Hoshiko emerged from the bathroom. She looked up and down the corridor and then quickly made the rat seal as she filtered through the memories of the girl she had killed. Once she had found what she wanted Hoshiko made her way back up the stairs and into the foyer where the celebration was still going strong. Hoshiko weaved through the crowd, and entered the kitchen where the food was currently being prepared. Waiters were always walking in an out, some carrying trays of food, others drinks. But none paid Hoshiko any heed as she meandered through the servers and into the back area.
Spotting a small open window and no one currently around her Hoshiko used her summoning jutsu as one of her smaller crows appeared. It already knew what to do as it flew out of the window that was large enough for it to fly out of. That was the signal for Itachi to approach. Hoshiko faced the door and saw the heavy pin pad attached. Smirking, Hoshiko quickly put in the code that she had seen the waitress do from her memories. The little red light flashed green and Hoshiko pushed it open. Cold, frigid air crashed into her face as she shivered. The alleyway backed onto a large stone formation and Hoshiko twisted her head back and forth to make sure that no one was around, once satisfied she stepped out into freezing cold air and shut the door behind her.
Two red eyes suddenly loomed out from the darkness as Itachi approached silently. Hoshiko folded her arms over her chest as she let her Henge release. In a puff of smoke Hoshiko was back to looking like herself again. They regarded each other silently for a short while before Hoshiko spun around.
"Tie me back up, would you?" She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "Jinrui had those girls do it for me and considering I've never worn one before I have no idea if I'd do it right."
"Hn." Itachi scoffed. "Do it yourself."
Hoshiko rolled her eyes and attempted to tie up the obi once more. She tried to remember how the other women had done it. She tied it against her back, probably not as great as they had originally done it, but at least it would do.
Itachi performed the hand seal and transformed into the waitress. Hoshiko punched in the code for the door as she opened it up. "Jinrui is waiting for you outside the entrance doors." Itachi spoke, but obviously it was in the girl's voice. He disappeared into the room and Hoshiko let the door shut behind him.
Jinrui was smoking a cigarette a few feet away from the doors to the Raikage's hall. A few more people were milling around, some drinking and others smoking but all were men. Hoshiko hurried up to him as he spotted her and waved off the other men that he had been talking to.
"I thought you deserted me." He said with a smirk as he held out his arm for her to take. Hoshiko linked her arm through his as they headed into the building once more. "You missed out on a riveting speech made by the Daimyo." Jinrui said with heavy sarcasm and a roll of his eyes. Hoshiko met his gaze and even cracked a true smile at him. His hand rested against her lower back as he guided her through the room.
"I'm warning you," Hoshiko said under her breath. "If that hand goes any lower. I will break it."
"Then I will be ever the gentleman." Jinrui said as his hand gently patted her back. Hoshiko allowed him to lead her around the room as they greeted people that he obviously knew. Every so often, Hoshiko would glance around the room, trying to spot Itachi disguised as the waitress. He was nowhere to be seen. Hoshiko guessed that he must have been trying to locate Kawaguchi for them.
"Where did you find someone as stunning as this, Jinrui?" A loud voice made Hoshiko turn her attention back to the people that Jinrui and herself were standing with. The three men were much older, fatter and uglier than Jinrui. Hoshiko wouldn't deny that Jinrui wasn't an attractive man, but he was too much like Hidan where his personality was a major turn off.
"It wasn't that hard, women typically fall at my feet." Jinrui replied as he necked back the cup of sake. Hoshiko really wanted to roll her eyes at him, but instead she placed a hand on his chest and looked at him as fondly as she could muster.
"Fall onto their knees more like." One of the men said as they winked at Hoshiko. Her anger spiked suddenly as her fist clenched on Jinrui's chest. The smuggler could feel her nails digging into his chest as he pried her hand off of him gently and subtly.
"Why don't you go and find us some drinks?" He said with a pointed look at her. Hoshiko was seething, and to make matters worse Jinrui had bent his head and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
Hoshiko had to remind herself that they were playing the part of lovers; it was normal for a man to kiss a woman on the cheek. She was just glad it hadn't been on the lips. Hoshiko spun on her heel stiffly and marched over to the drinks table. It would be a miracle if anyone survived the night at this rate. She eyed up the sake. It was looking awfully tempting to just drink a whole bottle right now and forget about the mission and what those stupid men had been talking about. Seriously, was that what all men thought about?
"I've located Kawaguchi."
Hoshiko flinched slightly. She had been too caught up in her own inner musings that she had failed to sense Itachi approaching her. She faced Itachi, who was still disguised as a woman. "He's up on one of the top floors. The Raikage will be meeting with him in thirty minutes, once the Daimyo leaves. We need to act now."
"Thank Kami." Hoshiko grumbled. "I was getting bored."
It had been easy enough for the both of them to slip away from the crowd. Most of the security was down on the lower floors and around the building, not inside itself. Hoshiko began masking her chakra completely, and Itachi did the same, albeit not as perfectly as her. He released his Henge and transformed back into his cloaked self. At the stairwell Itachi halted. Hoshiko looked back at him, perplexed.
"We should refrain from using any moves that use Chakra. We do not want to be discovered here tonight."
Hoshiko nodded in agreement. "Right. Taijutsu it is then."
"And avoid any deaths. We need it to make it look like—"
"I know, baka." Hoshiko drawled with a roll of her eyes. They proceeded to ascend the stairs as they paused outside the door. Hoshiko closed her eyes for a moment and extended her senses. She counted five men in the room. Four of which had Jounin chakra levels. The fifth one must be Kawaguchi Doro, the ambassador.
Hoshiko's eyes opened as she met Itachi's swirling crimson Sharingan. She nodded, signaling that she was ready. Itachi confirmed that he was also ready. Using the leg that was unhindered from the dress, Hoshiko brought it up and using her strength, kicked the door in. The wooden door flew of its hinges, and slammed straight into the unsuspecting ninja that had been nearest to the door.
At the back near the window, Kawaguchi gasped in terror as two figures sped into the room. Hoshiko went for the remaining ninja on the left side of the office. The poor man barely had any time to put up a defense before she was on him. She crouched low and then kicked him in the chin as he was launched into the air. Blood was spat out from between his lips. Hoshiko rose up and tugged on the front of his shirt, yanking him back down to the ground as he crumpled in on himself. He was out cold.
Hoshiko turned her stormy gaze onto Kawaguchi, who was cowering behind the desk. He was a middle-aged man, with a baldhead and long black beard. His eyes were a dark blue and he wore a long black travelling cloak. Hoshiko stalked over to the man. A little shriek came out of his mouth as she grabbed him by the collar of his cloak and lifted him up into the air.
"A man like you should know not to cross the Akatsuki." Hoshiko growled. She unsheathed her kunai from the holster on her leg. The metal glinted in the light from the lamp on the table as she pressed it against the fleshy part of Kawaguchi's neck. She watched as tears pooled in his eyes. Hoshiko smirked evilly.
Her hand that was holding the kunai was suddenly pulled away from Kawaguchi's neck. Hoshiko's eye cut over to the hand that was grasped onto her wrist. She followed the arm and saw Itachi holding onto her. His gaze met hers. Hoshiko frowned and dropped Kawaguchi as he stumbled on his feet for a moment before whimpering.
They continued to hold each other's stare, until Itachi broke it and faced Kawaguchi. The man looked like he was about to soil his pants as his eyes went wide in fear. He backed up a few paces.
"U-Uchiha Itachi…"
Itachi approached him. "Tsukuyomi."
If possible, Kawaguchi's eyes went wider. They almost bulged out of his head. Hoshiko felt the fluctuations within Kawaguchi's body and knew that Itachi was forcing him to see things that no one should ever see.
It only lasted a total of five seconds before Kawaguchi's eyelids fluttered. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Hoshiko's frown remained as she glared at Itachi's cloaked back. "We were supposed to silence him, permanently."
"He will not mention anything that happened here tonight. Or what he found out from Iwa." Itachi replied coolly. He refused to face her. His head was angled down slightly as he stared at Kawaguchi's unconscious body.
"And how do you know that?" Hoshiko asked, bitterly. She folded her arms.
There was a short rumble from Itachi's chest. "Would you like me to demonstrate to you what I had just shown Kawaguchi?"
Hoshiko felt her stomach drop in fear. She knew what the Tsukuyomi was. It was the thing that he had used on Sasuke all those years ago when he had killed his clan.
"I thought not. Come, our mission is done."
Hoshiko was happy to be out of the kimono and back in her normal clothes. They had returned to Jinrui's village without waiting for their host himself. Now that their mission was done there was no need for Hoshiko to be acting the part of his date. Once they found Kawaguchi and his men the party would be over and questions would be asked. Hoshiko found it hard to believe that he would stay silent, but the Uchiha remained confident. And well, he was the boss.
She packed away her things into her bag once more and pulled her cloak around her body. She could sense Itachi downstairs waiting for her in the foyer. Once she was ready she chucked her bag onto her back and left the comfort of Jinrui's lavish room. She would miss staying in a place as nice as this.
Itachi was by the door, waiting for her. He was leaned up against the wall, his eyes shut and his arms crossed loosely over his chest. Hoshiko noticed that while he stood like this, it was easy to forget how much of an asshole he was. He reminded her of the old Itachi when he was standing like that. The bangs of his hair tickled his cheeks, and even from here she could see his dark lashes. It was strange…he looked…peaceful. How could one who had committed such foul things look content? His eyes opened when she hit the bottom of the stairs. He blinked slowly. Hoshiko's brows crinkled together when she noticed that his eyes were slightly bloodshot. She turned away from him; he confused her sometimes.
"Let's get the hell out of here." Hoshiko muttered.
"Hn." Itachi agreed.
X
Hoshiko had snatched some soldier pills from Jinrui's stash before they had left. He used them for his men, so the pair was able to travel for a few days straight. They wanted to put as much distance between themselves and Kumo as quickly as possible. As they neared the Land of Lightning border it had started to snow. It wasn't light and feathery like the snow was in Konoha. These were big snowflakes, and they were coming down fast. It would probably be a blizzard soon, considering how close they were to the Land of Frost. Hoshiko halted in her tracks. She reached out her hands and allowed the snowflakes to land on her palms gently. They melted quickly after a couple of seconds. The snow was sticking to the grass, indicating that it was indeed into the colder months now, and winter would be upon them while walking to wherever this knew hideout was.
Hoshiko smiled gently. She had always loved the snow. It was always filled with good memories. Always.
Knock! Knock!
"Hoshiko-chan! They're here!" Hiroka called from the kitchen. She was busy washing and drying the dishes from their early dinner. Hiroka heard hurried footsteps come around the corner as Hoshiko appeared. She was wrapping an emerald green scarf around her neck and adjusted her long sleeved black shirt. Her long black hair was falling around her face as she blew out a gust of air aimed upwards at her bangs.
"Have fun tonight." Hiroka said warmly as Hoshiko grinned over at her mother.
"I will. Don't wait up for me, Okaa-san!"
Hoshiko ran to the front door and pulled it open. Shisui greeted her with a large wave and a beaming smile. The other Uchiha, Itachi, was far more reserved and settled for a polite nod of the head.
"Let's go, Hoshiko-chan!" Shisui said playfully. Hoshiko giggled but sat down and hurriedly pulled on her black sandals. She jumped back up as the boys climbed down the set of stairs that led up to her small home. Snow was coating the floor but it wasn't falling from the sky.
"Do you think it's going to snow tonight?" Hoshiko mused. She glanced up. The evening sky was clear right now, the sun turning the sky a burnt orange.
"Nah." Shisui waved his hand dismissively. "It shouldn't."
Hoshiko ducked back inside and grabbed her thick black winter jacket that was hanging up with her mother's coat. "Well, when have I ever listened to you two?" She snorted and poked her arms through the sleeves.
"Hn." Itachi smirked from the bottom of the stairs. "That would be a first."
Hoshiko gaped at Itachi mockingly. She skipped down the stairs and nudged him harshly with her shoulder. "Don't be stroppy, Senpai. I always listen to you."
Itachi flashed one of his rare smirks at her. "There is a difference between listening to me, and actually taking in what I'm saying."
Shisui slid in next to Hoshiko as he threw his arm around her shoulders. "He's got you there."
"Shut up, baka's!" Hoshiko snapped. She brushed Shisui's arm off her with a grin. "Let's go, everyone's going to be at the Winter Festival tonight. And I want to play some games!"
The trio walked down the market street together. Hoshiko squished between the two boys. "Ready to get your ass beat, I-ta-chi?" Shisui challenged teasingly. The older Uchiha waggled his eyebrows at his cousin.
"Hn." Itachi smirked, staring dead ahead at the road before them. "You act like you would be able to."
"Oh, it's on!" Shisui declared, raising his fist into the air.
Hoshiko rolled her eyes at them both. "Now you're both being ridiculous. I'm obviously going to beat the both of you!"
"I'd like to see you try!" Shisui exclaimed boisterously. Hoshiko's eyes were twinkling with mirth as Shisui started yammering on about how he was going to win the most prizes out of the three of them. While he was doing that, Hoshiko glanced over at Itachi. The Uchiha had turned his gaze from the road and over to his cousin. The trace of a real smile was on his face. He noticed Hoshiko staring at him as his onyx eyes shifted over to her. His lingering expression remained, and the corner of his mouth twitched as that smile was brought back again for her to see.
She always loved it when Itachi smiled.
Hoshiko refused to let the tear fall from her eye. She didn't know what had caused her to remember that specific moment, but it caused the pain in her chest that she had been suppressing for so long to appear again. Her hands were still outstretched, still catching the snowflakes. She sighed, and lifted her gaze to Itachi. She became flummoxed when she realized that Itachi was turning away from her.
Had he been watching me? She asked herself.
She shook her head forcefully and dropped her hands to her sides. Her heart gave another painful lurch. Damn it. She had gone so long with not feeling this pain again. She wanted it to go away. Normally she only ever let herself feel anger and loathing, it was the only emotion that she really knew how to handle. She couldn't handle grief. She couldn't handle the pain; it was always too much for her. And when things became too much, that's when she started to say stupid things.
"Do you remember the Winter Festival?" Hoshiko spoke quietly. But she knew that he could hear her. There were no other sounds in the forest as the snow fell. Her silver gaze was locked onto his red and black-cloaked attire. "Before ANBU?" Itachi stopped walking. The snow began to fall on his ebony hair, creating tiny little white spots. "Before everything?"
He didn't reply. She didn't expect him to. She was even more nonplussed that he hadn't walked away yet. He was listening to her. Hoshiko inclined her head back slightly, so that she could watch the snow fall from above the treetops.
"I think," whispered Hoshiko. "That was the happiest I had ever been—with you and Shisui." There was absolute silence for a few moments. Before it was broken by, surprisingly, Itachi.
"I do not."
It was like a stab in the heart. It was like four years ago once more, when Hoshiko had confronted him at his house and he had told her that they were no longer friends. That she was a nuisance and a weakling. She refused to let any emotion appear on her face as she angled it back down.
Itachi hadn't moved from where he had stopped before. The snow was covering him more now, and she could only assume that it would be the same for her. "Then let me ask you this." Hoshiko approached him. Her feet crunched on top of the snow that was sticking to the frozen grass. "Why did you keep him alive? We were told to assassinate him." His body remained unmoving.
"In fact, you told me to not kill any of them. Why is that? You seemed to have no problem with murdering your own mother and father. He was a fucking ambassador for crying out loud! He literally means nothing to you, and yet you found it in your icy heart to leave him alive. Something that you couldn't do for your family and for your best friend!" Hoshiko snapped, her glare hardening onto his back. Her chest was heaving. This argument was different from the one they had on the way to Kumo. That argument had been for Hoshiko to test him, to figure something out. This one was real. This argument was pent up anger and sorrow over four long years.
"What did…" her voice cracked traitorously. She paused for a second to recompose herself. "What did he have that they didn't?"
She didn't realize until now, but she really wanted him to answer her. She wanted to know. She needed to know why he had done those things. Why did he hate his family so much that he needed to end their lives?
He still didn't speak, but he did turn his head slightly so that his eyes met hers. His red eyes stood out in the landscape that was quickly turning white. It was like a fox in the snow. His cloak covered the lower half of his face, so she couldn't even tell if he was making any expressions to let her know what he was feeling.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
Hoshiko felt the single icy tear roll down her cheek. It was the only one that she would allow. She didn't want him to see how this was affecting her still so much. She knew that he would've seen her tear because of the Sharingan, but his eyes remained unblinkingly on hers.
"That night, we fought and I was under your Genjutsu…you could have killed me then but you didn't. Why? Why!? Why did you leave me alive after everything that you had done!?" Hoshiko cried out. Her fists balled up by her chest as she slammed her eyes shut. "Did you want to torture me? To make me live in a world where I had to suffer through the pain you had caused!?" She opened her eyes, and blinked the blurriness of her tears away. "If you killed Shisui then why couldn't you kill me too?" Hoshiko gasped for air, getting more worked up then she had originally wanted. She pointed her finger at the Uchiha, her silver eyes narrowing into a steely glare.
"Answer me, Itachi!"
She watched as the Uchiha closed his eyes for a moment, and he seemed to take in a deep breath. His eyes opened slowly as he turned his back on her. "Because, you and Kawaguchi were not worth killing." Her mouth dropped open from his confession. He began to take heavy steps away from her.
"Do not waste your time trying to look for anything redeemable in me, for there is nothing."
Hoshiko had been right about the weather. It hadn't stopped snowing the entire time they had travelled through the Land of Frost and into Land of Hot Water. Even in Hot Water country, it was still snowing. They had both been surviving on soldier pills the entire trek. Neither wanted to stop their travels for anything.
Their conversation in the snow hadn't been brought up again. Hoshiko was feeling resentful and bitter over his confession. Right now, she wouldn't be bothered if he tripped and died. Who cares about the stupid Uchiha? He's the bane of her existence and couldn't give a flying shit about her anyway. Why did she stick around him? She could just say 'fuck the Akatsuki' and dip, but there was a part of her that liked belonging somewhere again. Even if she had to put up with the Uchiha, once they were back in the hideout she could distance herself from him again.
Hoshiko sighed heavily and shivered from the cold wind. She thought that maybe the temperature might have heated up a little from being in Hot Water, apparently not. If anything it might be even colder.
Itachi was a few meters ahead of her. She was staring at the back of his head when all of a sudden, she saw him stop and hunch over. Then the sound of coughing hit her. It sounded painful, and wet, like a cough that you would hear from a smoker. Hoshiko's brows furrowed as she slowed her pace to a stop and waited for Itachi's coughing fit to pass.
His body was rocking each time he spluttered out a cough, and then he dropped to his knees. "Oi!" Hoshiko yelled out as she ran to his side. "What the fuck, are you sick or something?" She barked out angrily. She angled around to see his face, and when she did her eyebrows shot up into her hairline. Itachi had one hand covering his mouth, and she could see blood trickling down his chin. And to top it all off, when he opened his eyes to stare up at her his Sharingan faded into bottomless black orbs.
Another nasty cough hit the Uchiha. He winced in pain and then his other hand suddenly gripped at the fabric above his heart. His eyes snapped shut in agony as Hoshiko stood there like a stupid child. She didn't know what to do? She had literally just wished for the Uchiha to die. Was she getting her wish?
When Itachi opened his eyes again, a blood red tear rolled down his cheek. Hoshiko looked down at him, stunned into silence as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he face planted the snowy ground.
"Oi, get up." Hoshiko grumbled as she poked him with her foot. "What the fuck, Uchiha? Get up cause I sure as fuck ain't carrying you!"
When Itachi still didn't move Hoshiko for sure thought that he was dead. She knelt down, her face pulled into a grimace as she reached out her hand and rocked him. He still didn't respond to her, but then his body began to shake.
"Don't you fucking die on me. They'll think I killed you!" She was referring to the Akatsuki. His body was racked with the shakes as Hoshiko sighed in annoyance. Of course this would happen to her, of all times and of all people.
Hoshiko lifted up one of his arms and hooked it around her shoulders. Using her other arm she grabbed him around the waist and pulled him up so that he was majority leaning on her. His head lolled down, his chin touching his chest. Blood stained his chin and lips as Hoshiko grimaced.
"Geez. Of course it had to be you, Itachi-baka."
Hoshiko readied herself to jump into the trees with his heavy weight against her. That was until she suddenly felt seven chakra signatures suddenly flare up behind her. Her eyes widened and she sensed objects flying at her. While still holding onto Itachi, Hoshiko leapt out of the way. Kunai and shuriken flew past her body, narrowly missing her and Itachi as she landed and spun around. Itachi's lifeless body lopped against hers annoying as Hoshiko narrowed her eyes at the seven shinobi that had just landed in front of her.
"Ginyoru Hoshiko."
Hoshiko examined all of them. They were all dressed the same, in dark clothes and grey armor. All of them had white porcelain masks on their face. The one who had spoken had a half mask that covered the top part of his face, leaving his mouth open. His spikey brown hair reminded her of Kakashi but she knew that it wasn't him. No, she knew exactly who these men were.
He found me, she thought. Her eyes flicked over all the shinobi once more. She hardened her gaze into what she hoped was the most threatening thing that they would ever see.
Sorry Danzo, but it looks like you're about to loose seven more men to me.
Ok ok so I just got to say that this became one of my favourite chapters ever. That talk with Hoshiko and Itachi in the snow hit different. And I know that I may have teared up a little as i read it over again. Someone tell me I'm not the only one plssss!
Anyway, this was such a fun chapter to write! But what is going to happen to them? Itachi's unconscious so will Hoshiko protect him or let him get injured? And yes I will be explaining why Itachi went all damsel in distress on us in another chapter. I didn't just do it because I wanted to torture him or anything.
This was actually a really long chapter, and it was actually going to be longer but I cut a few scenes out that weren't really relevant to the plot and whatnot but anyway i hope you guys have all enjoyed!
Let me know what you thought and what you think is gonna happen to our two lovebirds?! (ouch, too soon?)
REPLIES
Janeth16- You're welcome! And thank you, it means a lot to me! Hopefully you liked their interaction in this chapter to, as there was a lot geez! xD
Yunilein- Thank you! A lot more interaction in this chapter FINALLY and well would you look at that our buddy Itachi is out cold and Hoshiko's the only one that could possibly save him xD it's so freaky that you wrote that in the review and it happened in this chapter! As for the opening up part...yeah that might happen for a little while longer lol
Natsuko26- Thank youuuu! Yes well um...there probably won't be a kiss for a little while longer, but it will happen I promise you this. Hoshiko's going to be a lot more nosey from here on out with our buddy Itachi! I love writing stubborn characters, reminds me of myself lol