Guts

Onyx and Ivory

"I'll ask one last time." Itachi spoke threateningly. He took another step towards her as Hoshiko backed up. Her eyes never left his as she racked her brain trying to think of something to say to him. "Where were you, and what were you doing?"

Hoshiko swallowed thickly. "I went for a walk."

"A walk?" Itachi repeated skeptically.

Hoshiko rolled her eyes at him and cocked her hip out with panache. "Yes, do you need me to spell it out for you too?" Itachi's eyes narrowed at her tone of voice.

"I find it hard to believe that you would go out into this weather…just for a walk."

Hoshiko cursed internally. Itachi knew her well. Hoshiko fidgeted with her hair as she spoke. "Well, considering I've had to spend the past three weeks with Deidara, I wanted a little time to myself. Is that so bad?"

"It is when I know that you're lying." Itachi stated.

Hoshiko glowered at him, and if she were younger, she may have even stomped her foot. "I'm not lying! Have you spent three weeks with him? All he talks about it 'art this' and 'art that'. 'Oh I'm going to be the greatest artist of all time—fear me!' It's exhausting!"

Itachi still didn't look convinced. Hoshiko knew that she would have to tread a very dangerous line to try and get him to believe her. She didn't want to think about what he would do if he found out the truth. "Look I get it. You probably think that I'm in contact with someone and I'm feeding them information about the Akatsuki, right?" Itachi didn't react, but she could see the cogs turning behind his crimson eyes. "But if that was the case, who the hell would I tell? I hold no ties to anyone. Konoha? They can fuck off for all I care. I swore myself to Akatsuki and Leader-sama's cause. Why the hell would I jeopardize that?"

It was a tense few moments when Hoshiko thought that he was about to see through her lie and slit her throat then and there. But it never came. It was a relief when she saw Itachi nod in her direction. He had bought it. The Uchiha didn't say another word to her as he turned and headed back to the door. Something caught Hoshiko's eye on the floor where he had been standing. Her brows furrowed in unease. "Are you…bleeding?" Hoshiko approached the droplets of blood that she could see on the floor. Sure enough, they had been where the Uchiha had been standing. Itachi had paused, not reaching out for the door handle just yet.

"It's nothing." He replied.

Hoshiko scoffed. "Yeah, right. Your guts are practically on the floor."

"Hardly." He replied in a sarcastic tone. Hoshiko's eyes glanced down at the floor where she saw two more droplets land. She sighed in defeat; she hated herself for what she was about to do. She stepped up to him, and actually took note of how much taller than her he was. It was a sin for her to be so tiny while he had almost two heads on her. Hoshiko reached out to touch his arm, when suddenly; Itachi turned and grasped her wrist painfully tight with his hand. She winced slightly from the pressure he was exerting onto her.

"What are you doing?" He demanded off her. His blazing red eyes bore into her cool silver.

Hoshiko kept her face calm and didn't try to jerk her hand from his iron grip. "Contrary to what you may think." Hoshiko began. Her expression softened slightly, "I'm not gonna hurt you." Itachi released her arm and she dropped it back down to her side.

"I don't want your help." He replied icily.

Hoshiko couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face. "You may not want it, but you need it."

Itachi angled his head away from her. "It is not required." He turned his body away once more but stopped when Hoshiko's hand shot out and grabbed his arm like she had first intended to.

"Would you stop being an insufferable jackass for one minute and let me help you?" Her tone was harsh. She tightened her fingers around his forearm, not allowing him to leave. "I get it, alright. You don't want to be seen by the others as this incompetent fool who needs some little girl to help tend to your wounds." The sarcasm was dripping from her as she spoke. "But who gives a fuck? Would you rather them see you bleeding and weak?"

There was silence between them. Itachi continued to hold her gaze, obviously trying to see if what she said was the truth or if she had a hidden agenda behind it all. To her surprise, he finally gave her a tense nod. Hoshiko clicked her tongue and then dragged him over to the lumpy futon in the center of the room. "Cloak—off. Sit." Itachi stared down at her like he just hadn't heard anything come out of her mouth. She scowled at him. "You can either do it yourself, or I do it for you. Your choice, Uchiha." Hoshiko turned away and marched to her bag where she kept some medical supplies just incase she ever ran out of her sealed chakra scrolls that she used for her own healing. When she righted herself and faced Itachi, she was mildly surprised to see his cloak folded neatly next to him as he sat cross-legged on the futon. His eyes were shut. It looked like he was meditating.

She set her things down and knelt on her knees in front of him. He didn't move or open his eyes to acknowledge her so she assumed that she could proceed. Her eyes hovered over the necklace that hung around his neck. The pinwheel eyes stared back at her, she wanted to ask him about it but decided that now probably wasn't a good time. She glanced down at his torso where she could see a large rip in his dark shirt; blood was soaked into the fabric around it. Hoshiko spared his face another quick glance, checking to make sure his eyes were still closed as she reached out for the hem of his shirt and lifted it up carefully.

He didn't move a muscle as she bunched it up near his armpits. She examined the wound that was on the right side of his body, and near his hip. It wasn't life threatening, mostly it was like he had been caught by a sword or a kunai. It would just need to be cleaned and then covered so that it could heal.

Hoshiko sighed as she reached for the cleaning alcohol. "It's ridiculous, isn't it?" She muttered quietly. She poured the liquid onto a clean rag and held it in her hands. "After everything that's happened…I still worry about you." She had the sensation of eyes on her. She lifted her gaze slowly, and was surprised to be meeting dark, glassy orbs. She swallowed nervously and then looked back down at his wound. "Trust me. I hate myself everyday because of it. This is going to sting." She said and pressed the cloth against his torso.

She was surprised when he didn't flinch at all. He didn't even change his breathing pattern. She kept her eyes firmly on what she was doing. It was bad enough that she had a view of his well-defined stomach, but she didn't want to risk staring into those dark onyx eyes again. She could never prepare herself to see them.

She hated herself for how she felt right now. This was Itachi, the man who had murdered his own friends and family and treated her like dirt on the bottom of his shoe…and yet she couldn't help but be so goddamn attracted to him. She cursed her adult self. When she was younger, she ignored the urges she had towards him. She blamed the fact that it was her hormones acting up at that age. But what excuse did she have now as a nineteen-year-old woman?

Hoshiko removed the rag and examined the wound once more. It looked like it had been cleaned quite thoroughly. She set it aside and then reached for the gauze. She sized up the material and then began ripping it so that it would fit over the wound. She paused suddenly, her hands dropping to her lap. She refused to meet his gaze again. "Back then…it may have all been a lie to you, but for me it wasn't." She pressed the gauze onto his stomach and then started to wrap the bandage around his torso. She tried to keep her distance as she did it, but it was hard. Her fingers brushed against his smooth skin as she continued to wrap the bandage. She could feel heat rising to her cheeks as she thought about the position they were in. If she stopped in a certain place, it would look like she was embracing him.

She was finally done; Hoshiko tied the end up in a little knot so that it wouldn't come undone. She rolled his shirt back down and shuffled back so that there was a little more room between them. Her silver eyes slowly rose up his chest, lingered on the necklace for a long second and then moved up his neck, his angular jaw, and his straight nose and then to his bottomless dark eyes. They held one another's gaze for a prolonged time.

She sighed heavily. Sometimes it was painstakingly hard to forget what he had done. And other times, like now, it was so easy. Hoshiko wasn't completely stupid, when she was younger; she knew that something had developed between them. They had been young and naïve back then, neither of them daring enough to take the first leap. And then he had changed drastically. But she remembered little snippets from years ago. Like the time he had snuck into her room when she had been tailing him for Danzo. They had shared an intimate hug with one another; it was also when she had gifted him with the very necklace that he wore.

Or before that when she had undressed after he had dumped water all over her. He had been a gentleman and turned away, but she remembered seeing the rigid way he held himself, and the flush on his normally pale cheeks.

And then there were the forehead flicks and pokes. She never did figure out what they meant. He had done them to Sasuke, and he had done them to her. Generally he had done them when she was worried about him or he was teasing her, but she could remember the way he had looked at her when he had.

It made her feel an incandescent rage towards him. He had been such a good liar back then, he had made her believe that he genuinely cared about her. That maybe he cared about her more then he really let on. Hoshiko tore her gaze away from his. It wasn't healthy to dwell so much on the past. What was done was done, and she couldn't change it. Itachi had decided to become a murderous traitor, not her. She just wished he hadn't…

"This is where you say thank you." Hoshiko smirked down at the floorboards. She was reminded about their time in the cave after he had dispatched the rest of the Root. She didn't expect him to say anything. He hadn't that time either.

"Aa."

Hoshiko's eyes shot back to Itachi's. She remained frozen for a few seconds. She slowly processed his word as she leaned back a little, a triumphant smile on her face. It wasn't an outright 'thank you', but it was something.

"Well, looks like you're learning a thing or two about manners." She said sarcastically as she rolled back onto her feet and stood herself up. She collected the dirty rag and other medical supplies. "You can get the hell out now." She hissed over her shoulder at the Uchiha.

Itachi reached for his cloak and began to shrug it on over his body. Hoshiko was packing her things away into her bag—more like she was tossing them in and hoping they didn't break or come loose. She didn't have time to make things neat anyway. She heard her door open and close quietly. Itachi was gone. Just to be sure she used her chakra senses and sure enough he was heading over to Deidara's room where she could also sense Kisame. She shut off her senses and wondered over to the only window in her room. Rain was still pelting against the glass hard. She shivered, remembering that she had been out in that weather for a long time. She had also come so close it Itachi finding out that she was in contact with Jiraiya. It was sheer luck that the Uchiha had waited for her to return and not come looking for her, if he had of, who knows what would've happened.

X

Hoshiko was still staring out the misty window when she heard her door open suddenly behind her. She turned, curious as to whom it was. Her gaze changed to a baffled expression as Itachi remerged into her room.

"What now?" She drawled, unimpressed.

Itachi had a vacant expression on his face. "It seems Kisame and Deidara both had the scintillating idea to bar me from entering the room."

Hoshiko gave him a dry look. "So? Break the door down." She stated nonchalantly. She saw Itachi's eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

"I will not acquiesce to their demands."

"Then go buy another room, because you sure as hell are not sharing mine." Hoshiko argued as she moved to stand on top of her futon in her protest.

"Kisame and I used up our travel allowance already."

Hoshiko mocked him with a pout. "Oh, what a shame. Look's like it's the hallway for you." If Itachi's bland expression was anything to go by, he was not impressed with her. Hoshiko made a dramatic eye roll. "You know why they're doing this right?" Itachi nodded reluctantly. Hoshiko blew out a heavy exasperated sigh from her mouth as she stepped off the futon. "Fine, whatever. Not like I can beat you into leaving me alone anyway. Take the bed."

"What?" He muttered, a hint of genuine surprise in his voice.

Hoshiko motioned to his torso. "You're injured. I'm not that totally heartless to let you sleep on the cold hard ground. Consider yourself lucky, if you weren't injured I'd be making you sleep out in the rain."

"It is not necessary." Itachi replied. Was this him arguing with her again? Did he not realize that she would win any argument?

"Don't start this again." Hoshiko whined at him. "Just accept it. I'm no stranger to sleeping on the ground. Goodnight, usuratonkachi." Hoshiko picked up her bag from the floor and tossed it to the furthest part of the room away from the window. She knew that Itachi was still watching her; he was waiting to see if she was actually going to take the floor. She didn't intend to go back on her word. Hoshiko knelt down by her bag and plumped it up before she lay down on her side, her back facing Itachi and the rest of the room.

She regretted it immediately though. The floor was hard and freezing. She ripped her hair out of the tie that was holding it up and let her hair cover her face and shoulders like a partial blanket. It didn't help much but it allowed her some form of comfort. It wasn't long before the room went dark, Itachi having turned off the light and she heard the rustling of the covers and the futon as he settled himself down for some rest. Hoshiko wrapped her arms around herself and pulled her legs up to her chest. She tried to make herself as small as possible while also keeping warm. It was going to be a long night for her.

Itachi couldn't sleep. And no, it wasn't because Hoshiko had done a shoddy job of healing his injury, she had actually done all right considering neither of them had any background in medical training. It wasn't from the cold either. He could feel the chill in the room, but the blanket that covered his body was providing enough warmth for him. It wasn't even the mattress either. It was uncomfortable, but not enough that it was causing him to loose sleep.

It wasn't even because he was sleeping in the same room as Hoshiko. No, he couldn't sleep because Hoshiko's goddamn teeth wouldn't stop chattering. She had fallen asleep rather quickly in her little corner, curled up in a tight ball. But then soon after she had started to shiver and then her teeth wouldn't shut up. Every so often she would let out a little whimper and curl into herself a little tighter. Her teeth never stopped once.

It was driving him insane. Itachi rolled his head to glance over at her shivering body. There weren't any curtains on the window so the moonlight that managed to filter through the rain clouds gave him enough visibility to see her. She hadn't moved from her spot, and he could see the way her body was shaking. She was obviously freezing.

He let out a bothersome sigh and rubbed at his face tiredly. He wanted to move her into the bed, but he knew that she would wake up if he tried to and then she'd start questioning him about his motives. She was already getting too observant about him, and he was slipping up more and more around her.

Itachi had always prided himself on never having many weaknesses. But it just so happened that one of them was sleeping not ten feet away from him on the cold, hard floor. The longer he spent around Hoshiko, the more he found himself slipping back into the boy who he had once been. And that terrified him more then it should. He had locked that part of his emotions away. But with Hoshiko being around him, it was like she was reigniting the old flame within him.

He had never abandoned his Will of Fire. To this day he was completely loyal to Konoha, and would forever be—but he had suppressed it for a long time. And Hoshiko was reminding him about what he had done to protect the village he loved. What he had done to protect Sasuke. It made his chest ache even more so, but it also made him feel again.

Itachi's senses heightened when a sharp whimper came from Hoshiko. He went on alert. It sounded like someone had attacked her, but he quickly realized that she was still asleep and that she must be dreaming.

"Itachi…"

He froze, his breath catching in his throat for a split second. Hoshiko had mewled his name in her sleep. His eyes settled on her small frame again. She had rolled onto her back, her face angled towards him. Her brows were furrowed in her sleep, her mouth pulled down as her lips began to quiver. She wasn't sleeping; she was having a nightmare.

"No…" She breathed. "Please…"

Itachi sat up on the futon. The blanket slipped down his clothed chest. He was waiting for her to wake up. She would normally wake herself up from her nightmares. He watched as she suddenly thrashed her head from one side to the other.

"Get away…leave me alone…don't kill…me."

It was Itachi's turn to frown. How many times did she have nightmares about him? He knew she had them about Danzo and Shisui, but how often did she dream about him killing her? Was it because she knew she was sharing a room with him? He grew concerned at how badly she was reacting to this nightmare. Her movements were becoming more violent. She was trying to grasp at things that weren't there. Her head was rolling to and fro and her body seemed to be almost convulsing from the cold.

"No!" She suddenly screamed out into the darkness, but her eyes were still clamped shut.

Itachi grew troubled that she wasn't waking up. She was sobbing and pleading with an unknown entity. Itachi rose up from the futon and without thinking too much about what he was about to do he strode over to her quivering form and stared down at her for a quick second. Tears leaked out from underneath her eyelids as she gasped for breath, her fingers scratching at the floorboards.

Itachi knelt down on one knee and hovered over her. His hair fell forwards over his shoulder as he contemplated what to do. Hoshiko was still writhing beneath him as she cried helplessly in her sleep. Itachi reached out with his hand and tentatively placed it on her shoulder.

"Ginyoru-san." He spoke quietly but firmly. She continued to sob and thrash her head from side to side. "Ginyoru-san." Itachi repeated again. He shook her shoulder this time, hoping to rouse her from her sleep. When that still didn't work he sighed and tried one last time. "…Hoshiko."

Her hand suddenly lashed out and gripped onto the fabric of his shirt. Hoshiko's body rolled over on her side so that she was facing him. Her tears dripped off her nose and onto the floor as her grip tightened on his shirt. Itachi noticed that she was still shaking, it could've been from either the cold or her nightmare, he didn't know. But she had grown quiet. She sniffled a few times and curled into her body once more.

Itachi removed his hand from her shoulder and then created a seal with one hand and placed his two fingertips in the center of Hoshiko's forehead. He placed her under a simple, peaceful Genjutsu. One that she wouldn't be able to detect as it would disappear as soon as she willingly woke up. It was a Genjutsu that was predominately used on terminal patients or shinobi who were about to die. It would let them escape their pain and fears as they slowly slipped away from this world. To be used on someone who was suffering from nightmares like Hoshiko, it brought comfort and safety until they awoke. Considering that those who it would be used on would never in a sense, wake up again, it was perfect for her.

Her reaction to the Genjutsu was practically instantaneous. Her features softened, her face relaxing, her body seemed to release this almighty weight as she sighed contently. Her grip on his shirt dropped and her tears finally ceased. Itachi's lips pressed into a pleased simper, knowing that she would finally have a restful sleep. The only thing that remained was that her body was still shivering, most definitely from the chill of the room. His previous smile was gone as he realized what he wanted to do now. He scooped her up off the floor, careful to not jostle her too much. The Genjutsu would keep her asleep, but if something woke her up like being dropped or moving her too harshly, she would wake up. And Kami knows that would be bad if she woke up while he was holding her.

He moved her quickly over to the futon, placing her down gently and then tugging the blanket out from under her and over her petite frame. Her shivering slowly subsided. He stood back up and fetched his cloak that was folded neatly by he bed. He shrugged it on and then pulled on his sandals and white socks. He reached for the door, but before he left he paused and glanced back. His dark eyes settled on her sleeping figure, her body rising and falling slowly and calmly. He selfishly burned the image into his mind as he turned and exited the room.

When Hoshiko awoke from her sleep, she felt refreshed and more relaxed then she had in years. She stretched out, elongating herself as she yawned loudly and then rubbed at her eyes. She sighed in content and snuggled back down under the cover once more.

That was until she realized that she was on the futon, when she knew that she had fallen asleep on the floor. She sat bolt upright, her eyes wide and scanning the empty room. Her head whipped around, trying to locate the stoic Uchiha who should've been occupying the bed and not her. He wasn't in the room. She was confused and a little delirious. Did that mean he had moved her into the futon? Willingly? And how had she not woken up?

He face paled as she realized that she might have shared a bed with Itachi. She had shared a futon with a murderer. Her cheeks then flushed red…she could have shared a bed with Itachi!

-NO!

Hoshiko slapped her cheeks together at the same time to wake herself up from her silly musings. What was going on with her right now? Why was she feeling this way all of a sudden? Hoshiko moved her hands from her cheeks and up into her hair and pulled harshly. Maybe the pain would snap her out of it. She threw herself back onto the pillows and groaned loudly. She kicked her legs like a silly child throwing a tantrum and then rolled over onto her stomach and screamed into the pillow.

"Fuck you, Itachi!"

Deidara had been given the task of going to wake Hoshiko up. They were about ready to leave for the hideout and Kisame was getting antsy. Itachi was giving them both the extremely cold shoulder, not like he didn't already, so he was no way in hell going to rise the sleeping lion. So that left Deidara. He had been dealing with Hoshiko and her grumpy morning wake ups for three weeks now, so he was sort of used to it. He trudged along the hallway, an irritated sigh leaving his lips. He was almost to her door when he heard her yell from inside.

"Fuck you, Itachi!"

Deidara smirked slyly. He stood in front of the door and knocked on it with his fist. "Oi, Hoshiko! I know you and Itachi got it on last night but do you really need another fuck so soon? You'll wear the stupid Uchiha out, un!" Deidara was particularly pleased with himself as he stood back with a smug grin on his face. It was always fun riling her up, she always had the best reactions.

His smile dropped suddenly as he sensed murderous intent from behind the door. He sidestepped out of the way just as the door came flying off its hinges and impaled the wall behind where Deidara had just been standing. The blonde whirled back around to see Hoshiko stalking menacingly towards him. He could sense sinister vibes off the dark haired girl as he backed up a step.

"Deidara…" she growled terrifyingly. Deidara had suddenly realized his mistake. He balked slightly.

"It was just a joke, Hoshiko. Come on…un?"

Her hand suddenly glowed blue as a Raikiri was formed instantly in the palm of her hand.

X

Outside the hotel Kisame was sitting on the grassy ground in the sprinkling rain. Itachi was leaned up against a nearby tree, his eyes shut. The two weren't speaking as Kisame sighed loudly and then stood up, swinging Samehada onto his shoulder.

"I guess I'll go see what's taking them so long. Idiots, making us wait like this." He grumbled under his breath.

"Hn." Itachi spoke. "Just a moment, Kisame."

The blue skinned man turned to his partner. "Eh? What's up?" Itachi didn't reply to him. Instead, both Akatsuki men heard a very distinct male scream and in the next second a section of the hotel exploded. Kisame turned to stare as pieces of wood came raining down upon them. Other screams started to ring out from inside the hotel, the other occupants no doubt wondering what the hell was going on and why they were being attacked.

Kisame chuckled and sighed. "Looks like she woke up on the wrong side of the bed today."

"Aa." Itachi replied.

A figure darted out from the hole the explosion had made. Deidara appeared before them, looking worse for wear and a panicked look on his face. "She's gonna kill me, un!"

Kisame laughed at his misfortune as Hoshiko appeared in front of them, her Raikiri chirping madly at her side as she stared Deidara down. "Let's see how well your explosives work against me now, Deidara."

"Fuck off you crazy bitch!" Deidara bellowed as he leapt away from her and into the trees. Hoshiko followed closely, screaming at him in her wake. Kisame watched them go with an amused expression.

"I wondered how long it would take her to snap."

Hoshiko stomped ahead of the group with her chin jutted up high. Kisame and Itachi were a few paces behind, both content with the silence that the group was currently experiencing. Deidara was sulking at the back of the group, his blonde hair frizzed out and electrical currents still shocking him every so often.

Itachi's gaze remained fixed to her back. Her long hair was swishing from side to side in a hypnotizing manner. He could hear Deidara mumbling under his breath every so often about how much he hated their female companion and that he was already planning his revenge on her. Itachi knew that she had gone easy on the blonde. Her Raikiri hadn't even been at half it's full power. She didn't want to kill Deidara, or even hurt him. She just wanted to teach him a lesson. Itachi had a pensive look on his face. The altercation of Hoshiko and Deidara had brought back memories of Shisui. Their relationship was a very grim reminder of his fallen best friend. If he concentrated enough, he could've pictured Shisui in Deidara's position had this taken place four years ago.

Hoshiko smirked to herself and flicked a piece of hair that had fallen in front of her shoulder. She was satisfied with her accomplishment this morning. All her frustration about Itachi had been taken out on Deidara when she had exploded the wall, and then shocked him so hard he probably wouldn't be able to use his Kinjutsu for at least another couple of hours.

Speaking of Itachi, she had been avoiding looking at him at all costs. She didn't want to fall deeper into this hole that she was digging. She needed to distance herself from the Uchiha. It wasn't good that she was trying to form a bond with him again, it felt like she was betraying Shisui, Mikoto, Fugaku and especially Sasuke by being kind to the horrible Uchiha.

"This way, shrimp!" Kisame hollered at her. Hoshiko halted in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder at her three companions. They were all diverting into the forest. The hideout must be near. Hoshiko ignored the 'shrimp' remark by the hulking blue man and jogged to catch up with them.

They walked through the dense forest for a little while before Hoshiko could hear something that sounded like a waterfall. Sure enough, they emerged from the trees and peered down a cliff and saw a deep pool of water, a large waterfall on one side and the river it connected stretching back over a few more hills. Hoshiko couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face. It was beautiful.

"Ugh, finally, un." Deidara moaned as he jumped off the cliff and landed on the water. Kisame followed after as Hoshiko watched the pair run across the pool and then leap into the cascading water, disappearing behind the waterfall.

Hoshiko was suddenly aware that she and Itachi hadn't moved off the cliff yet. She didn't risk a glance at him as she stepped off the cliff and plummeted down to the water. She landed on the surface gracefully, the water barely rippling under her feet. She ran at the waterfall and when she was close enough to feel the spray hitting her face she jumped and dived through.

The water drenched her head as she laughed and stumbled slightly but regained her balance on the stone floor. Her eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness. She saw a door at the back of the cavern, it was open and she could hear Kisame and Deidara within the hideout talking already. Hoshiko jumped slightly when Itachi came appearing through the waterfall. He was the picture of perfection as he strode passed her without even glancing in her direction.

She watched him walk with slight longing. She just wished she knew why he had done it? Why had he turned into this horrible person? She knew he wasn't all bad though, he had saved her from Root and he had moved her onto the futon in the hotel instead of letting her suffer on the cold floor.

There was still some good left in him. She knew it.

"I've been searching for him ever since he left Konoha. We were on the same Genin team together. We saved each other's lives too many times to count, and now he crossed into a path that I could not follow. But I am determined to bring him back."

"Why?" Hoshiko asked so suddenly. She was confused with Jiraiya. Orochimaru was a bad person. He had killed so many people, had deserted his village. Why was Jiraiya trying so hard to find him?

Jiraiya grinned down at her, "Cause what kind of friend would I be if I can't save him?"

Hoshiko angled her face away. She didn't want Jiraiya to see the pain on her face from his statement. She grimaced…why was she thinking about Itachi right now? She couldn't stop it. It was like Jiraiya and Orochimaru were her and Itachi, two friends on different paths. Her fists clenched in anger. What if it was true, and she should be trying to find Itachi and bring him back to the light? Instead she had been wallowing in self-pity for almost a year.

"How can you do that?" Hoshiko asked him, her teeth gritted. "He's done so many bad things. What makes him redeemable?"

Jiraiya smiled down at her. She was stunned by how sincere he looked. "Because I knew Orochimaru before he turned his back." Jiraiya gazed over the village. "And I have the guts to never give up. He can run for as long as he wants, but I'll always be there."

Hoshiko's eyes filled with tears as she continued to watch Itachi walk away from her. She remembered what Jiraiya had once said to her, the reason why he kept on trying to find Orochimaru.

The guts to never give up, huh? She thought sadly. Jiraiya…maybe you were right…

…for once.

"What did you say?"

Jiraiya stood next to the Hokage's desk. His eyes wide and his jaw slack as he tried to process what the man in front of him had just said. Tsunade was tense in her chair, her teeth gnawing on the skin around her thumb. In front of them stood a man they both despised. His half covered face remained serious as he took another step towards them, his cane tapping against the floor.

"I said." Danzo repeated himself. "That Ginyoru Hoshiko is alive. Surely you know of her, do you not, Tsunade-hime?"

Tsunade's golden brown eyes narrowed at the old man. "Of course I know who she is." She snapped aggressively. "But she was killed by Uchiha Itachi four and a half years ago."

"She was not." Danzo stated.

Jiraiya frowned down at the floor. He had been worried that this might happen. Danzo had been too quiet as of late. It was strange that he had kept the secret of her status unknown for so long. Tsunade slammed her hand down on the table, the wood creaking under her pressure. "What proof do you have?"

Danzo smirked. He shuffled over to the window and gazed out at the village for a moment before turning to the two Sannin. "I recently sent out a group of my men on a lead. There had been a sighting of her in Kumogakure. One made it back to me, I had instructed him to not partake in a battle should it ensue, for I feared she would be far too dangerous to actually be killed. It seems I was right in that analysis."

Tsunade stood up from her chair and glared at Danzo. "You said it yourself that your men found her body. You claimed that she was dead, I read the report that Sarutobi-sensei left!"

Danzo sighed, shutting his uncovered eye for a moment before reopening it. "I lied."

"You what?" Tsunade growled threateningly.

"Forgive me, Tsunade-hime. At the time I believed I was doing the right thing for Konoha." The Hokage's furious glare didn't waver from the old mans face. "I believe that Hoshiko and Itachi massacred the Uchiha's together. She deceived me from the very beginning, to gain my trust and to know the Third's thoughts and movements on Itachi's whereabouts."

Jiraiya's jaw locked painfully, his teeth grating together as he listened to the utter bullshit that spewed out of the advisors mouth.

"When the night of the massacre came around, I sent my Root out to confront her. They were the ones who battled. My men managed to injure her greatly, to the point where she was practically dead. When I arrived to check, her body was gone."

Tsunade's fingers dug into the wood of her desk. "And you didn't think to mention this to anyone?"

"With the injuries she sustained, she should have died. It is safe to assume that her Kekkei Genkai saved her."

"Goddamn it, Danzo!" Tsunade roared at old man.

"That is not all, Tsunade-hime, Jiraiya-san." Danzo regarded Jiraiya with a polite nod.

"What else could there be?" Tsunade bellowed, her desk cracking. "You're telling me that not only did Uchiha Itachi defect that night, but the last remaining survivor of the Ginyoru too? Who, for all we know—could have a vendetta against this village! I don't have time for this, Uchiha Sasuke is missing and presumed affiliated with Orochimaru and now you want to spring this news on me?"

Jiraiya dreaded about what was going to come out of the old mans mouth next. He clenched his palms tightly together and waited as Danzo sighed deeply. "My Root reported that not only is Uchiha Itachi in the Akatsuki, but so is Ginyoru Hoshiko. They are partners once again."

Tsunade let out dejected sigh while Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. No…she couldn't be…Jiraiya thought back on her most recent letter that he had read that very morning. Something had been off about her, and she had wanted to meet up so that she could explain…was this what she meant?

Hoshiko…what are you doing?

"Ginyoru Hoshiko is now an enemy of Konoha."

oof.

so it's official, they know she's alive. well just Tsunade pretty much, but what does this mean now hmm? We'll see. and now Sasuke is gone. i wonder if news will reach Hoshiko about that? and whatever will she do about it?

Oh yeah and how i said about those little hints of Hoshikoxitachi...they turned out to be BILLBOARD signs lol. I didn't really expect to write so much in this chapter, and there was supposed to be another whole scene with Hidan (yes he's back next chapter) but if I did that then the chapter would be suuuuuuper long.

But rest assured, something good is coming next time as well, i know you'll all be happy with what's coming...maybe.

Thank you all so much for the feedback for last chapter, you all make me smile like a bloody idiot when i get to read them! It makes my heart happy in this shitty time in the world. And get ready cause jiraiya is gonna whoop hoshiko's ass when he see's her next xD

REPLIES

Natsuko26 - Hoped you liked the good stuff! There was no stop being idiots, but we've got Hoshiko determined that there must be something good in Itachi, so we'll see where that goes huh?

Janeth16 - You're welcome! Hope you liked it! :D

TheProcrastinatingPerfectionist - lol maybe rip deidara for this one.

Nostalgic29 - Happy belated birthday! Aw man I'm so happy I got that out for you on your birthday! Made it all so much more worth it! I love Hoshiko and Dei's friendship too, and Itachi did mention it how they reminded him of her and Shisui (restinpeace). I based their relationship on how i assumed those two would've been had he not died (cries) Thank you! Hope you enjoyed!

Lovergirl25 - aww thank you! kudos to you for reading it all as I know we've hit to 200 thousand mark lol confession is coming, but as you said it won't all be sunshine and rainbows just yet. it will come!

Lala Maryama - I'll be honest, I haven't actually thought about changing the canon for deidara. He really wasn't planned on being in this fic a lot anyway but i've enjoyed writing him. I know what you mean about his death being for nothing in the anime so I'm actually trying to see if I can work something out, but I might not be able to. but like with Shisui, his death was still necessary, Deidara...yeah we'll see fingers crossed i can figure something out lol thank you! stay safe x

Andrewskorskiruiz - Thank you! Hope you enjoyed!

asianuruknan - You're welcome, hope you enjoyed! Those three are amazing to write i love them hahaha xD

Thank you everyone! lemme know what you thought about this chapter and I'll see you next time!