Danzo's Revenge.

Onyx and Ivory

Hoshiko shifted her weight slightly, her feet sinking into the snow a little bit more to get her grip onto the tough ground. "I have no idea who you're talking about!" She called out to the seven Root agents sarcastically. "Must have me confused with someone else."

The Root agent with the half mask kept his composure. He took a step towards her and unsheathed his katana from his back. "There is no mistake. We are here to put an end to you, Ginyoru Hoshiko."

"Yeah?" Hoshiko barked out, her eyes narrowed. "Well get in line! Danzo's been trying to kill me for years, and he's not about to start now!"

The rest of the Root took out their weapons simultaneously. Hoshiko watched them with a bored expression. On the inside, she was cursing to the heavens. This isn't looking good, she thought sourly. She would probably be able to take them all on if she didn't have the dead weight of Uchiha Itachi leaning against her. As much as she wanted to just drop the idiot and let him suffer, she still needed answers from him, and she didn't think Leader-san would think too highly of her if she came back without him.

So on that thought, she was stuck with the half-dead Uchiha. Great.

She didn't react when Itachi choked out a little cough while he was still out. Blood trickled out from the side of his mouth and his body was still shaking against hers. This really wasn't good. Not only was Itachi unconscious, and if he did somehow wake up, he'd be too weak to even help her fight.

Hoshiko conjured up the most conceited expression she could muster. "I'm actually a bit offended that he thinks that seven of you will be able to take me on? My sides are splitting from the hilarity of it all."

"The time for talking is over." The half mask leader said monotonously.

Hoshiko's silver eyes hardened into liquid steel. The aura around her changed as she stared them all down. The arm that she had around Itachi's back held onto him a little tighter so that her other hand could let go of his arm that was hanging around her shoulder.

"Fine then," she said smartly. "It's your funeral." She reached into her pouch and pulled out three smoke bombs. Hoshiko threw them at the ground at her feet. The smoke exploded into a bright purple. She only had a few seconds to finish her startup plan before the Root came diving in on her. They would have been warned by Danzo to be cautious of her, so that was the only thing she had going for her right now.

"I'm just going to need this hand for a moment." She mumbled, reaching for Itachi's limp arm that was by his side. With her free hand she quickly created the seals for a Bunshin with the help of Itachi's hand. A replication of Hoshiko and Itachi was suddenly standing next to the real pair as they leapt out of the smoke and into the fray. It wouldn't fool them for very long, but Hoshiko needed a few moments to think of a plan and to get Itachi out of the way so that she could fight.

Hoshiko leapt out of the smoke and in the other direction that her clones had taken. The two clones were fighting off the Root and giving her a little bit of time to get some distance from the scene. Her clones so far were blocking the Root pretty well as she leapt through the trees. After a few seconds she realized that a few had gotten through and were gaining on her quickly.

If it wasn't for Itachi, she'd be able to outrun them, but the stupid lump was weighing her down. Honestly, it would be so easy to just let him drop from the trees. It would probably end a lot of people's suffering, especially hers.

Hoshiko grit her teeth as her grip on the Uchiha suddenly tightened as she glared down at him. "Fuck you, Itachi." She knew it in her heart that she couldn't let him drop. She'd have to protect him, for the first time ever; it was all on her to keep him alive. Who knew that it would happen this way and not when they had been teenagers?

Hoshiko pushed chakra into her legs as she flew through the trees. The Root agents were slowly catching up to her. Her two clones had been eliminated and the others were joining the chase.

Hoshiko felt the air shift and she dodged to the right. Kunai went zooming by her head as she leapt off another tree branch. She needed to get rid of Itachi or they were both about to be skewered. Her eyes narrowed in on something a little further up. There was a large bush coming up, and one of the tree branches was directly over it. The branch was a lot lower then the others, and if she dropped him, it probably wouldn't kill him.

…Probably.

It was the only thing she could do right now. She headed for the branch. She dodged another volley of kunai and stepped onto the lower outcropping. She pushed Itachi off herself as he fell through the air. She didn't wait around to see if she had hit the bush or missed. If she missed, well, that was payback.

Hoshiko jumped back up to the higher branches. She looped around the thick branch, using chakra in her hands and feet to keep her connected as she launched herself towards the incoming Root. She unsheathed her wakizashi from her side and brandished it out in front of herself. She focused her lightning chakra into her sword as it came alive in a flurry of blue and yellow static. The Root had been slightly caught off guard by her sudden attack.

He blocked her attack as she faced him head on. Their blades clashed as sparks flew. Hoshiko gritted her teeth but grinned as her electrified sword cut through the Root's own blade and sliced through his upper shoulder too. She sailed passed him, landing on the branch behind him. She didn't have time to gloat at the fact that she had already injured one Root because a second was bearing down on her.

This one was freakishly large. Like inhumanly large. He wielded an axe that seemed to be made from mud, or rather his Earth affinity. Hoshiko ducked and weaved out of his reach as he swung the heavy weapon at her. She bounced off the trunk of the tree as he chased after her. The other Root that she had injured joined back in as he kept launching all different types of weaponry at her. She dodged them all with her quick speed but she could feel herself tiring already. Surviving on those soldier pills hadn't really done much for her. She could have been more prepared had she had a decent night sleep and hot food for once.

Hoshiko and the large Root ran at each other and just as his axe came swinging down on her she crouched and skidded under his legs, it was only possible because of her small size, and she leapt up from the other side. She sliced up his back and flipped over his head. Just to tease the Root, she landed on the hilt of his axe, balancing precariously on the weapon as she put as much chakra as she could into her foot and smashed it into his face.

He grunted. His head tossed back at the force of it. Hoshiko leapt up into the air. She created a clone that appeared above her. They clasped hands as the clone spun Hoshiko around a few times and then launched her back towards the two Root. Her wakizashi was held in front of her as she descended upon them at incredible speed. The two Root were ready for her to attack them but she missed them on purpose. Forcing chakra into her sword again Hoshiko cut through the large branch that they were both standing on. The branch snapped, splintering and dropped from the rest of the tree as Hoshiko followed it down. The two Root reached the snowy topsoil before her and jumped up at the same time to meet her before she reached the ground. Hoshiko blocked the injured Root's attack but was slashed across the stomach with the axe.

Hoshiko screamed in pain, one of her hands clutching the wound. She suddenly morphed into a collection of lightning. "She switched!" The smaller of the Root exclaimed. They both dropped to the ground and their heads angled up towards the tree canopy just as Hoshiko pushed off the edge of the destroyed branch. She had indeed swapped with her clone when they had spun each other around. Something that came in handy when being able to fool absolutely anyone with her perfect chakra manipulation.

Hoshiko came speeding at them, aiming for the ground in the middle as she dug her sword into the ground. "Raiton: Nagashi!" She released her jutsu as lightning exploded out of her sword and extended outwards in a radius. The two Root got caught up in her jutsu as they were electrocuted. Neither screamed, as they had been taught to never succumb to pain from their training in Root, but Hoshiko knew from experience that her lightning hurt like a bitch.

Hoshiko lifted her gaze as she glared at the smaller Root agent dead in the eye. She could see the smoke curling around his body from her attack. His armor was scorched in places and she could even spot little currents of electricity still running over his body from it.

She sensed the Root behind her approaching as she gripped her wakizashi that was in the ground. She flicked it up, the metal glinting in the sun for a brief moment before Hoshiko flipped onto her hands. Her leg came around and the heel of her foot kicked her sword towards the smaller Root agent. He dodged it effortlessly but served as the distraction that she needed so she wasn't jumped by both of them at the same time.

The Root with the axe brought it across, but she flipped back down, dodging the axe and bracing herself on her hands and feet. In another fluid motion, the axe wielder brought it up and intended to slice down vertically onto her body. Hoshiko rolled out of the way and sprung back up onto her feet as the other Root rushed her. Hoshiko whipped out a kunai, as her wakizashi was lying somewhere in the forest, and blocked his attack.

She was locked in a flurry of defensive maneuvers. The Root she was facing was just as skilled a swordsman as she was. It had been a long time since she had come across someone who actually challenged her with a sword. Her kunai was proving less than useful against his second katana but she had to make do for the time being. Every now and then the axe wielder would join in on the fight but Hoshiko was quick and skilled enough to dodge his attacks as well.

Hoshiko received a well-placed kick to the stomach as she was launched back and into a nearby tree. Snow and leaves came crashing down on her as she stood back up and shook them off her body quickly. "Tch." Hoshiko clicked her tongue in annoyance. Gripping the collar of her black cloak, she ripped it from her body and let it drop to the snowy ground. Her scowl deepened on her face as she performed her familiar hand seals. Her right hand erupted into a burst of blue chakra. The sound of her Raikiri filled the air as the little tendrils of lightning shocked the nearby branches and left dark black scorch marks on the ground.

The two Root came to stand together in front of her. "We know of your favorability with that jutsu. We also know the weakness that comes with it." The smaller of the two called out.

"And what weakness would that be?" Hoshiko asked, her face cast into an ominous blue glow.

"All we have to do is keep moving fast enough and you won't be able to hit us." She could hear the smugness of his tone.

Hoshiko smirked. She tossed her head back and let out a throaty laugh before she faced them. "Funny thing is—with the way I use this jutsu, I don't need to see you to be able to hit you."

That shut them up.

"If you think that I told Danzo the real way I use this jutsu then he seriously underestimated me. I didn't just hit you both for the fun of it, when I came into contact with you that was when I implanted some of my chakra into your network. Right now you're like a beacon to me."

Hoshiko stunned them both as she shut her eyes. Her smirk remained. "Even now. I know where you are."

They both shifted into defensive stances. Hoshiko leapt at them, leaving a small crater in her wake. They both leapt up into the trees as Hoshiko followed them, her Raikiri screeching as she gave chase. She bounced off the thick trunk and used the momentum to propel herself towards the larger man. He didn't even have time to turn around before her hand was protruding through his chest cavity. Hoshiko wrenched her hand from him as his body dropped to the ground and landed with a grotesque crunching sound.

She turned and scanned the trees, she couldn't spot the other Root but she could sense him. Her head snapped up as the Root came down from above her. He created seals with his hands and released a Fuuton attack out of his mouth. Hoshiko was blasted away by the power of the jutsu but managed to grab onto a thick branch by molding chakra into her feet.

Her Raikiri would now be useless against him, he was a wind user, and lightning was weak against wind. Each time she would try and get close to him, he'd just blast her away with another Fuuton jutsu. She had to think of something else now.

The other five Root suddenly appeared in the trees behind the one she had just been battling against. Her chances of winning had dropped slightly. She scanned them all, and then the six of them circled her, they surrounded her. Her only way of escape was either up or down. Neither was a good idea. If she went down, they could just jump her with a flurry of attacks, she'd have no way to dodge them. And if she went higher into the trees she'd also be at a disadvantage, as the tree tops eventually ended.

She was like a mouse, cornered by hungry cats. She was waiting for them to make the first move, but it looked like that they were waiting to see what she would do. Hoshiko knew that her only way of getting out of this was to use her Mizukiri. It would give her the boost that she needed to get the upper hand on them all. It was like her training exercises with Danzo all over again. It made her shiver uncomfortably but she decided that it was her only choice.

She created the rat seal and brought up her power. She clamped her eyes shut, and when they reopened again her silver eyes were glowing with eeriness. All at once, the six Root leapt at her. Hoshiko leapt up into the air and spun. She created a Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu that exploded out of her mouth. The Root was forced to separate as she landed on another tree. Hoshiko jumped and dodged the sword that a Root was holding. She twisted her body and appeared behind the man. She punched him in the back as she sent him sailing head first into the trunk of a tree. A satisfied grin spread over Hoshiko's face as she watched his lifeless body crumple to the ground.

She turned her attention to the next Root. A wave of tiredness came over Hoshiko. She had used up most of her chakra and even with the boost from her Kekkei Genkai she was feeling the strain on her body. She needed to siphon some chakra otherwise she'd burn out quick. She advanced towards the Root and met him head on. She blocked his sword with her kunai but then sensed more weapons flying at her from the left. Her eyes locked onto them, seeing kunai as she dropped from the branch but held on with chakra in her hands. Kunai stuck into the wood by her face. Hoshiko heard the sizzling of explosive tags as her sharp silver gaze snapped to the tags. She swore loudly in her head and leaped away from the explosion just as they detonated.

She had gotten far enough away to not get burnt by the fire, but the power of it had her slamming into another tree. The bark splintered from the force of it as Hoshiko choked on her spit and gasped for breath as the wind had been knocked out of her. She didn't have time to fully recover as she could sense the Root approaching her. She ignored the thumping in her head and stood back up. One root was coming from above, and another below. Hoshiko barely managed to jump out of their way as she skidded along the bark of the branch, one hand bracing herself against the wood. A sharp pain in her head caused her to wince slightly, but that was the opening that they needed. They jumped at her. Hoshiko managed to block and kick one away but the other dug the sword right into her shoulder.

Hoshiko grit her teeth in agony. It had been a long time since she had been stabbed, she had almost forgotten about how painful it could be. But finally, one of them was in grabbing distance. They should have known better. Danzo would've warned them about getting close to her. It was their fault really.

Hoshiko didn't let the pain in her shoulder control her. She reached out, her fingers clamping around the Roots neck as she squeezed as hard as she could. The Root who she could identify now as a woman gasped as Hoshiko started sucking the chakra from her body.

Until Hoshiko felt like she was being set alight.

She wrenched her hand from the Root's neck. She looked to her palm, thinking that it must be on fire or something, but it wasn't. The heat and pain was quickly spreading throughout her body as Hoshiko gasped for breath as a violent nausea washed over her. Sweat appeared on her brow and she suddenly felt weak, like all her energy had suddenly left her.

She dropped to her knees. The fire was now through her whole body. Every nerve felt like it was on fire. Her head felt like someone was stabbing a kunai into her skull repeatedly. Every time she tried to move a single muscle her body screamed at her. "What?" Hoshiko managed to gasp out in a pant. Her eyelids were drooping but she was determined to fight. She tried to stand but collapsed onto her hands and knees. She couldn't do anything. She couldn't use her chakra; she couldn't even focus on the bark beneath her anymore.

"Did you really think Danzo would send us to kill you without preparing us properly?" She recognized the voice of the leader. Due to her rapidly deteriorating condition, she could barely hear him. He sounded so far away, and muffled like he was above water while she was slowly sinking into its icy cold depths. "He always had a feeling that you never died on that night four years ago. Even though your body was never found and we were all adamant that you had died, but he took precautions." His feet came into her line of sight. Hoshiko couldn't even lift her head to look up at him she was that weak right now.

"For four years Danzo has been having my squad take small amounts of a chakra poison that he invented. We've built up an immunity to the poison over the years, but for someone like yourself that feeds off of others, it was the perfect weapon against you."

Hoshiko wanted to rip the Root apart. She wanted to kill Danzo with her bare hands. Apparently he was a lot smarter then he looked, she never suspected that he could create something like that. At least now she'd be put out of her misery.

She expected the hit to come; she just didn't think it would hurt so fucking much. The Root kicked her in the ribs, the power of it launching her off the branch and into the neighboring tree. Hoshiko really hated these fucking trees. The force of it had her screaming at the top of her lungs. The poison in her system making it feel like someone had literally just skinned her alive. She couldn't even mold chakra or catch herself as she was falling to the ground. She could see it approaching and did what she could to brace herself for the hit.

It hurt just as much as she thought it would. The snow had made the ground cold and hard. Her head cracked against it as blood came shooting out of her mouth like a spout. In all her nineteen years of life, she had never experienced pain of this magnitude, not even when Danzo had been torturing her to activate her Mizukiri when she had been under his control in Root.

She felt a foot connect with her face. Her head snapped back, and it felt like her head had disconnected with her body all together. Blood flowed out of her mouth and nose as she coughed and whimpered at the pain.

Just end it now, please for the love of Kami, she cried out in her head desperately. She couldn't form words anymore. The fire within her body was consuming her. If the Root didn't kill her then she was sure the poison would eventually. The kick had rolled her onto her back in the snow. The cold under her bare skin only added to the fire in her body. It escalated the pain, making her feel as if she were drowning in molten lava.

Another hit came, this time to the side of her ribs. She tried to scream but all that came out was a spurt of gurgling blood. Surely her ribs had been shattered with that kick? It felt like it. Hoshiko's vision was fading fast, black spots dancing around her. If she thought hard enough, maybe she could mistake them for the snow as it continued to fall around her. Something glinted above, the still conscious part of her mind registered it as a katana, but the part that was already gone couldn't see it anymore. Well, this was it. Danzo had won. She couldn't get out of this one. How many times had it taken him to kill her now? Took him long enough.

Just as Hoshiko's eyes were closing for the final time, a figure darted into her vision. She peeled her eyes open, using her sheer will power to hold on for that little bit longer as the figure attacked the Root and sent him flying in the other direction. She couldn't tell who it was. Was someone…saving her? She tried to focus through the pain. She couldn't make out much but she could see this figure in black fighting off the other Root. She caught a flash of red on their back. Was that an Akatsuki cloak?

Itachi? Hoshiko thought weakly. It couldn't be him. He was knocked out. And why the hell would he save her anyway? The figure was suddenly next to her. As she lay on her back, she gazed up at the person who stood defensively over her broken and beaten body.

It was Itachi.

She could make out his blazing crimson eyes. The way his brows were knitted together and how his hands suddenly weaved a succession of seals stupendously. His body was crouched as he brought a hand to his mouth and a burst of fire erupted from him like a volcano. To be honest, the heat from Itachi's jutsu only made her feel worse but all she could focus on was trying to stay alive and awake.

Maybe she had already died and was dreaming this? Yes, that was the most likely scenario. She turned her head, watching the flames that took the shape of a dragon, spiral around their two bodies. The flames were that close that if she could move her hand slightly it would get burnt off.

She watched the flames die down. Pain erupted in her chest as she howled through the blood in her throat. The pain wouldn't stop. This was the end. The poison had reached her heart. She felt two arms lift her up. Her body screamed at the movement. Where their skin touched, it was like acid burning her. Hoshiko had never felt pain like this before. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, and she saw red eyes peering down at her. She couldn't tell if the blurriness was from her tears or from the poison but she could see the red slowly fade into black. Eyes that she had longed to see again. Ever since she had seen them in Jinrui's Onsen her mind had always drifted back to them. She was thankful that with her final moments, she could look into Itachi's eyes once more, his real eyes. And with that, she could remember all the good that had happened in her life.

With another sharp stab that felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest, Hoshiko succumbed to the pain and went limp in the Uchiha heir's arms.

Hoshiko leant over onto her knees as she panted heavily. Sweat dripped down her forehead and stung her eyes as she frowned and rubbed her face with the back of her hand. The training ground around her was in shambles. Trees were knocked down, holes littered the ground and scorch marks dotted the grass. Her hands shook from chakra exertion. Her legs followed suit as she collapsed onto her butt. Her chest heaved with every breath as she closed her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts. She had worked herself to the point of exhaustion; she could feel her energy waning and knew that she'd probably pass out within a few minutes. She had successfully used the Raikiri three times in succession. She knew that if she tried for a fourth, she probably kill herself.

Well, three was better then two.

She had wanted to get stronger, ever since her ANBU exam. She wanted to be strong enough so that she would never have to rely on her cursed Kekkei Genkai ability again. She needed to protect her important people, not hurt them. Kakashi had forgiven her for hurting him but she hadn't forgiven herself yet, it would be a long time before she would.

Hoshiko's body shuddered as a wave of nausea came over her. The strength in her arms failed her as they gave way and her body fell back towards the ground. The hit never came. Instead she felt an arm bracing her shoulders as the other rested atop her bent knee. Her head jerked from the stopping motion and she angled it towards whoever had just caught her.

"You never know when to stop, do you?" His tone had a slight chuckle to it. His onyx eyes held hers for the longest time.

"You know me…" Hoshiko mumbled sleepily. "Itachi-baka…"

Her head lolled to the side as she fought to keep her eyes open. Itachi moved the hand that was on her knee to underneath her legs as he lifted her up effortlessly. "Sleep, Hoshiko."

"Don't tell me…what to do…" She grumbled, her eyes already closed.

"Hn." Itachi said with a smirk as he leapt off into the trees and towards the village.

Who knew that death would feel so…cold. It took Hoshiko some time, but she realized that she had to be alive. She could feel the air entering and exiting her body slowly. Her heart was beating in her chest and most of her senses were slowly coming back to her. She could feel the cold and dampness beneath her back, the tips of her fingers resting against something hard. Her head was raised up slightly, and lay on something soft. Her eyelids felt like someone had placed stones over them, it was so hard for her to even attempt at opening them. She couldn't even twitch her fingers.

She lay there for a little bit longer before she physically willed herself to open her eyes. She cracked them open, then winced at the light. Her brows pulled together in a scowl as she tested them once more. After a few moments, her eyes were able handle the brightness. She was still too weak to look around with her body so she settled for staying completely still.

It looked like she was in a cave. A small one too, the ceiling would be just higher than her if she stood up. Light streamed in from the right of her, but it looked like it was sunset. It explained the coldness she was feeling. She was sheltered from the snow but the chill remained. But how was she alive exactly? She couldn't remember much from before. Her memory was foggy. Every time she tried to grasp at it, it slipped through her fingers like fine sand.

Hoshiko decided that she had had enough of lying down; she needed to get up and look around. She willed her body to move. Her muscles burned as she tried to push herself up into a sitting position. Sweat was accumulating on her pale forehead as she groaned and collapsed onto her side. She was weak. Weaker then she had ever been.

"You shouldn't move for a little while longer."

Hoshiko gasped. Her head snapped to the sound of the voice. She hadn't even noticed that anyone else was around. As a matter of fact, she couldn't use any of her senses; she couldn't even focus on her own chakra right now. As Hoshiko's eyes met his, she suddenly remembered what happened.

The Root. She fought them. They poisoned her with a concoction that Danzo had made. She was on the verge of death…when Itachi had saved her. She had thought it was a dream, but it had been real.

He was sat on the other side of the cave. His back against the wall and one leg bent at the knee with his arm propped up. His other hand was currently resting half in and half out of his cloak. His Sharingan wasn't activated. Probably because he was still recovering himself from whatever had taken him down before the Root had shown up.

"The Root?" Hoshiko asked. Her voice was hoarse and croaky.

"Dead." Itachi replied.

Hoshiko breathed a sigh of relief. With that stress off her shoulders she tried again at sitting up. It was painful, and she heard Itachi voice his previous statement once more but she ignored him. She was finally sitting up and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "How am I alive?" Hoshiko asked him.

Itachi studied her for a cool moment before he spoke. "It seems the aim of the poison wasn't to kill but to incapacitate. They were probably ordered to bring you back to Danzo alive. The poison has been slowly leaving your system."

"Explains why I can't use any of my chakra right now." Hoshiko groaned as she rolled her neck. Her body was so stiff, either from lying on the cold hard rock or from the poison, she didn't know. It was silent for a few minutes. The only sound heard was a slow drip from somewhere close in the cave.

"So what the hell happened to you?" Hoshiko asked finally. She massaged her neck with one hand and stared the Uchiha dead in the eye. She studied his face for a moment. He looked pale, his eyes were sunken and his cheeks looked hollow. He was obviously still suffering from whatever had taken him down. She couldn't forget the sound that his coughing had made, and his facial expression. She had never seen him in so much agony before.

"It does not concern you." Itachi replied, turning his head away from her.

"Bull—shit." Hoshiko snapped back. Her glare hardened into silvery daggers. "I saved your damn life. If it weren't for me, you'd still be lying face down in the snow somewhere. Or, you would've been killed by those Root had I not chosen to spare your fucking worthless life."

"If my life is so worthless to you, then why did you save me?" Itachi asked bluntly.

Hoshiko fumbled for her words. She was caught off guard by him, her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to think of something to say.

"Well, same could be said for you. Why did you save me?" She wanted to make him stutter and flounder around for words. But he remained silent. He wasn't going to answer her. "So what?" Hoshiko scoffed disdainfully. "I'm not worth killing but I'm worth saving, is that it?"

"You are merely more useful to the organization alive then dead." Itachi replied.

"Whatever." Hoshiko rolled her eyes at him. She was sick of hearing about how she was 'useful' and a 'tool' for others. Her whole life she had been used as nothing but a weapon. When was someone just going to admit that she was worth something because she was Hoshiko? Her train of thought made her expression sour, and she had the uncanny feeling that she wanted to cry. But she wouldn't, she would never cry in front of Itachi or anyone else ever again.

"So you're sick then?"

Itachi's Sharingan blazed to life as he scowled down at her. "No one is to know."

Hoshiko smirked. "So there is something wrong. How long have you been sick for? How did you get sick?"

Itachi ignored her. He stood up slowly and headed towards the entrance of the cave. Hoshiko followed him with her eyes as he moved passed her. She wanted to chase after him and pester him until he told her about his illness, but her damn body wouldn't let her move. And even now, she was fighting to keep herself awake. The damage the poison had done was great and Hoshiko's body was still trying to get rid of all of it. Maybe when she woke up again she'd be a little stronger, and a whole lot more annoying.

Hoshiko woke up from her deep sleep groggily as she heard the shuffling of feet around the cave. It was dark, but faint light seeped in from the moonlight. She could make out the figure of Itachi slouching back down the wall of the cave. Hoshiko blinked her eyes slowly. She felt a little bit better after sleeping, but she knew that it would take a bit longer for all her senses and abilities to come back to her again.

"Oi." Hoshiko mumbled, rubbing her face. She didn't hear anything from the Uchiha to acknowledge that he had heard her but she continued anyway. "Thanks…I guess." He still remained silent, but she could feel his eyes on her. Hoshiko rolled over onto her side so that she was facing him. She couldn't see his face in the dark, but she could make out the shape of his body.

"If I had to choose between being alive with Danzo and being alive with you. I'd pick you." Hoshiko cleared her throat from the awkwardness. "I…don't want to think about what he would've done to me had they got me. At least with the Akatsuki, you guys are truthful when you say you only want me for my abilities. Danzo, you never know what he wants unless he tells you…" Hoshiko frowned.

She cleared her throat again. She was getting off topic. "So—um, thanks…" Hoshiko shut her eyes and tried to fall asleep again. She didn't expect Itachi to say anything to her monologue.

"Hn."

Hoshiko's eyes opened in surprise. She didn't think he had been listening to her. She was curious to see if he was going to say anything else but when he remained quiet Hoshiko chose to speak again.

"This is the part where you say 'thanks' too. I mean I did save your life." She muttered it sarcastically. When it was obvious that he wasn't going to speak anymore on the subject Hoshiko rolled over so that her back was to him. A smirk came over her face and she whispered softly.

"...Baka."

omg guys, I'm blown away by the response that you all had from the previous chapter! Honestly I'm glad you're all loving it, it just empowers me to write more and more!

God, fight scenes are so hard for me to write. I literally spent days trying to make this whole fight thing work so hopefully it's come across nice and you guys enjoy it. I had to have Raising Fighting Spirit on reply the whole time i was writing it xD God the nostalgia from that OST!

Anyway, I know lot's of you are begging for Itachi to be kicked into gear but it won't be happening just yet. We're just seeing small cracks but soon they'll turn into crevasses and then hopefully the stoic Uchiha will change! We shall see! Next chapter will also see Tobi! That's gonna be interesting!

Thank you so much guys and again let me know what you thought of this chapter!

REPLIES

Janeth16- Thank you!

Natsuko26- You're not the only one waiting for a kiss between these two knuckle heads! Thank you so much, I'm glad her little emotional moment was portrayed to everyone exactly how I wanted it to be!

asianuruknan- Thank you! And you only had to wait a week, yay!

Gio- You're review made me smile so much! 3 mmm about that Itachi's pov. You'll get to see that soon-ish. i say ish as I literally don't know how long it'll be xD but it will happen rest assured. Well you were right that she couldn't leave him during the attack, she's too good for this world (sad face) also that line where she say's 'When was someone going to admit that she was worth something because she was Hoshiko' actually killed me inside. My poor baby. Anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D

Lala Maryama- Aww thank you! Kudo's to you for getting through the story! I promised myself and everyone that I would give Itachi a happy ending. How we get there is another story but it will happen. Scout's honour! And don't apologise for any errors, I'm honoured that you're leaving me a review even if English isn't your first language! Thank you x

Guest 2.0- She knooooows that he's sick...whats she gonna do with this information huuuuuuuuh? Yeah another good question about him breaking...even I don't know yet *sigh*

Yunilein- He is a baka isn't he? God i squealed a little when you wrote Itachi-baka, not gonna lie. I know right? He's hiding so much pain and sadness from everyone and it doesn't help that Hoshiko is like a walking reminder of everything he's done and trying to do. Hopefully one day he'll snap!

P.s bruh i miss Shisui too.

Thank you so much everyone! Let me know what you thought and see you next time!