Moon's Light, Reality's Dream

Author's Note: Thank you for all of the views, patience, and understanding. The story's plot is about to thick here, so please bear with us!

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Moon's Light, Reality's Dream
月の光、うつつの夢
Chapter Twelve - 線の上で (On the Line)

千羽のとても小さな
Thousands of small birds
あなたの願いに寄り添って
Get you closer to your wish

[1. A thousand birds in Japanese stands for a thousand paper cranes. If you fold one thousand paper cranes, you are able to grant one wish.]

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Nisei didn’t have to see him. No one could force her to look at him. Kakashi was now perfectly able to function without her help. He was obviously feeling better, and he proved it by walking around his apartment, doing whatever he felt like, even reading. She didn’t have to administer the last dose of his medicine, and she felt pretty confident in her ability to avoid him for awhile. She had plenty of things to do with her uneventful life. Like being called to the Hokage’s office, which was always a treat. The blond behind that imposing desk never failed to have something interesting to say, though lately the outcome of such a visit ended up being bad, or worse.

“Nisei,” Tsunade glanced up from the paper in front of her. The details listed were fewer than she'd hoped for, and even less than she'd expected. It was hard to keep up with the wily old geezer who seemed to love ruining everything. Danzou had many puppets, many strings to control them, and many games to play. The woman searched her Anbu for the usual look of resolution, anything that said that Nisei was okay, but in fact, she looked horrible. The girl’s pale complexion and tired eyes told Tsunade just how exhausted she really was.

“You wanted to speak with me, Lady Hokage?” Gold met topaz as they stared at each other. Tsunade’s expressions were always intense, especially when she had been awake thinking all night of possible reasons as to why an Anbu root would suddenly go rogue and let everyone be aware of it. Something about this situation wasn't adding up, and she smelled the stench of Danzou's dirty work all over it.

“I did.” The woman folded her hands together and spoke from behind them. “Hitori from Root... What do you know about her?”

“She was typical Root. Emotionless…” Nisei paused as Hitori’s face flashed through the back of her mind. No, there had been something different about Hitori, something that she couldn't conceal that day. She was definitely of the elite kind, but there was something about the Kazekage, aside from the fact that he had been dead, that seemed to make her gain an emotion that day, even if it was merely borrowed for the occasion.

Nisei continued once the image had faded into obscurity. “She didn’t say much, but she was unconscious for most of what happened. The Akatsuki member I told you about, Zetsu, his attack caused brief psychological trauma. She had been conscious, yet unresponsive before falling under again. Whatever he did, it must’ve been awful.”

Tsunade nodded shortly, giving herself a moment to digest all of the information as a whole – what little information she had. “There’s an Anbu in Root who has decided to turn rogue. Another one of Danzou’s mutts, but this one's objective is still unclear. However, I have a theory.”

Nisei walked further into the room and took a seat in front of Tsunade’s desk. If the Hokage had a theory, and planned on sharing it, the Anbu captain wasn't about to pass up such a rare opportunity. There was something brewing and she would get to be at the center of it. The best part of the entire thing was that she'd be away, and too busy to think about Kakashi. With the excuse of a mission, she wouldn't have to face him. It was fortuitous, something of a saving grace. Nisei wondered what Tsunade's theory would lead the Hokage to asking of her now.

A picture was tossed carelessly across the desk, sliding to a stop just in front of her. “His name is Yomi. He and Hitori have been operative partners for over a year, up until now. After the rogue went missing, Yomi was spotted leaving." Tsunade gave Nisei a meaningful look before continuing on. "Reports coming in from scouts say he was heading for Suna. He might already be there. He betrayed Danzou by leaving his post suddenly.” She leaned in, her eyebrows creasing. “Why? What would cause him to leave with such haste…?”

“So, I get to play a game of ‘Find the Rogue’?” Nisei asked, perching on the edge of her chair with excitement. Tsunade’s words, her resolve, and her very law – all she had to do was give the order.

“I was going to send you, but now I’m not so sure that's the wisest course. I think I can find a team more suitable.” Nisei’s mind reeled in shock as soon as Tsunade started to waver, and she rose quickly to her feet. Her eyes darted around, and she felt unsure of what she was doing, but disagreement between them always seemed to lead to this.

“You cannot send a team of Chuunin and a single Jonin to fight an Anbu Root.” Before she'd thought too much about it, Nisei became the one barking orders. “Look, I’m ready. I want this mission, and frankly, I am the best operative you have available right now. You know I am more than capable of finding this guy and dealing with him if the mission requires it.”

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, too exhausted to be patronizing or even bother to argue with the girl. Her eyes met Nisei's in a glare. That special something she rarely saw in people was starting to pulsate brightly from the girl in front of her. What was it that drove Nisei to continue to move? It was something more than the proverbial ‘life’, an idea that was thrown around so casually, like a goddamn pain that would one day be a delivered promise. Tsunade sat up straight in her chair again.

Nisei watched expectantly, nearly sighing in relief when the blonde threw another picture across the dark wood, the one she had been holding between her fingers. “This is Enji Aizawa, also known as Hitori.”

She lifted the photo from the table and looked at it. Hitori had been only a small girl when this was taken. She'd still had light in her eyes. Tsunade’s soft voice broke Nisei abruptly from her thoughts. “She was left to die, when she was a young girl, by a couple of hell bent rogue ninja sweeping over Sunagakure. Her parents had already been dead for hours when Danzou found her and decided to make her his prodigy. She’s a weapon, and that alone threatens him.” The Hokage rubbed at her temples, as if experiencing the onset of a headache. “Orders came in specifically from the Kazekage that Hitori was to stay in Suna. It was most definitely not a request. And since she was being of service to Sunagakure, Danzou couldn't object to it. So, what does he do?”

Nisei nodded, following the woman's train of thought perfectly. “He plans an assassination.”

She fired her fingers like a gun at the Anbu. “Bingo.”

“Tsunade-sama.” Shizune entered the room in the same frantic manner she always did, and handed a folder in clumsy secrecy to Tsunade. A worried glance passed between the blond and Nisei. “Here are the papers you requested.”

“Very good,” Tsunade beamed proudly at her assistant as she flipped open the folder and tossed another photo. “This is the man who is going after Hitori. His name is Ruka. He is an elite captain and he has also been squad leader to both Hitori and Yomi on occasion.”

“It’s…” Nisei trailed off uncomfortably, twitching slightly at the completely twisted methods Danzou employed.

“Personal." Tsunade nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing in a serious manner. "What if Kakashi suddenly turned on you and Yamato? That would be quite dangerous, right? He would know every move you make, every technique, every limit, and what hurts you the most.”

Nisei wanted to laugh a little at the thought of Yamato being hunted down by his beloved ex-squad leader. Just the idea of anything like that happening was ludicrous. The proper pairing Tsunade should have listed was Nisei and Kouki. She grimaced as the thought occurred to her. It was awkward to be Nisei and Kouki anything, now.

“What are my orders?”

“I just want you to track him. Avoid battle at all costs. He has not yet made a move towards Suna, but I’m sure that’s where he's headed. He’ll wait for the opportune moment. We won’t let him have it. Report back to me as soon as possible.”

“Hai, Lady Hokage.”

Kakashi,

The bottle on the table, as you’ll be relieved to find, only has two pills left. I don’t believe that you’ll need my help to take them. I have been called out on a mission. During this time, try to keep your house filled with cool air and fresh food. Also, keep it clean. Thank you for the present, though I fail to see why you’ve chosen to leave it with me. I will continue to feel complimented, from teacher, to student. I’m sorry that in the end, I really couldn’t face up to anything. I have a habit of stopping myself from doing the things that I’m afraid of. I’ve disappointed you, right? To finally have you is all but a wish. Maybe Kouki was right about a lot of the things he said to me. Maybe it’s impossible with our lives, to love. Either way, I will take this time to think and understand myself, and I will undoubtedly come back with an answer.

- Nisei

Barely an hour after writing the letter to Kakashi, Nisei was already running through Konoha forest, nimbly avoiding collisions with small twigs and branches. She wasn’t sure what possessed her to write it in the first place, but she'd felt she had to, in some form or another, offer a response. If anything unexpected should happen, she wanted there to be some sort of resolution to their past.

Tracking was an easy task for her, but harder when her target was an elite Anbu. If she failed to be careful, he would certainly pick up on her, and probably prepare an ambush. She was sure that this ‘Ruka’ would expect a immediate response from Konoha. If he was expecting only a single operative, then she would be surprised.

Nisei was the card Tsunade played on the brink of a stalemate - Trump card.

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Hitori paled, one hand raising to rest against her chest as she stared at Yomi in disbelief. It was hard enough to accept that Danzou had basically given her away, but to classify her as a rogue and issue an assassination order? Such a thing was beyond her comprehension. Danzou's choice of Ruka as the mission operative was the only part that made sense to her. He was probably the sole member of the Anbu elite who stood a chance of defeating her. She stopped, forcing her mind to be honest with her. Ruka had a very good chance of success. Having been her team leader on more than one mission, and also a few one on one training sessions, he was very well aware of her abilities, and would know how to counter them.

Yomi watched her changing expression as she contemplated everything he'd said, then narrowed his eyes at the other two people present in the room: Gaara and Kankurou. The latter had come in at some point about halfway through Yomi's long winded warning, and tried to interject a comment, but was halted by Gaara raising a hand for silence. The diminutive Anbu wasn't sure he liked the puppet user much, based on first impressions. He seemed a little too hotheaded. The Kazekage came across as downright cold by comparison. What puzzled him now, was Hitori herself.

"Yomi, why did you come here?" Hitori's voice wavered slightly in spite of her efforts to keep it even.

"Have you heard a word I said?" For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder if this strange situation she'd fallen into had addled her mind. It was an entirely foolish question, and the answer should be obvious enough.

The Anbu shook her head slowly as she took a small step away from him, unconsciously moving closer to Gaara, who was standing silently behind her with his arms crossed over his chest, watching everything. "That's not what I meant. I know you deserted to come here." Her eyes met his, a pained expression crossing her face. "Now you can't go back."

"Oh, that." Yomi waved a hand dismissively and laughed a little before continuing on. "There's really nothing for me to go back to, anyway. I've been thinking about leaving Root for awhile now."

Kankurou stepped forward, his mouth open as if he intended to say something, but was stopped again, this time by a look from Gaara. Frustration colored his face as he leaned back against the wall, muttering and glaring at Yomi. The little runt was really starting to get on his nerves.

Hitori turned away and sank slowly into a chair, becoming more and more irritated with her own mind. Emotions were clouding her thoughts, slowing them down, and leaving everything lost in a fog of confusion. Frowning, Gaara stepped towards her, then stopped and turned to Yomi. "Do you have proof of the things you've said? You're the one who beat her at Danzou's order..." His turquoise eyes never left Hitori, who had closed her own eyes the moment he'd started speaking. "How can we really trust you?"

Anger welled up inside Yomi, his face turning slightly red as his hands clenched into fists before him. "How dare you say that to me! This whole mess is your fault! You and your insufferable god complex, or whatever the hell it is... This all happened because of the fucking letters you sent to Danzou and the Hokage."

Gaara's eyes narrowed as they turned back to Yomi again, and Kankurou practically leaped off the wall, moving quickly towards the small Anbu. Hitori rose swiftly and stepped in front of Gaara, glaring a little at her former partner. "That's enough, Yomi."

"I'm surprised, Hitori. Are you trying to protect him?" Yomi scoffed a little, obviously hurt, but trying to hide it. "The Kazekage is a big boy. I'm sure he can take care of himself."

Kankurou wrapped his hands in the front of Yomi's shirt and lifted him up, slamming him none too gently into the wall. "You need to learn how to watch your mouth, Tiny."

Yomi eyed him oddly for a moment, ignoring the fact that he was dangling a good couple of feet off the floor and smashed against a rather uncomfortable wall. He grinned cheerfully, as if this was all perfectly normal. "Let me ask you a question. Do you ever put on a kabuki show with your puppets?"

Wide eyed, Hitori turned towards him, just in time to see Kankurou smashing him into the wall yet again. The two were still bickering back and forth, but their voices had lowered and words were no longer distinguishable. She'd often thought that Yomi's mouth would one day get him into more trouble than he could get himself out of. Hopefully today wasn't that day. A hand closed gently around her arm, and she looked back to Gaara who eyed the door to the rooftop balcony meaningfully.

"It'll be quieter out there. I need to talk to you and..." He looked over her head at his brother and Yomi, his voice clearly audible from anywhere in the room. "I'd rather not be overheard or interrupted this time."

Her cheeks flushed a light pink as she nodded, and Gaara released her arm, gesturing for her to precede him. The wind gusted fitfully around them, tugging almost playfully at their clothes as they ascended the stairs. Once they reached the top, he stared out over Suna, trying to put his thoughts into words. She waited for him silently, her eyes locked onto her hands where she clasped the railing.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Kankurou unceremoniously dropped Yomi on the floor. The smaller man opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a startled squeak of outraged pain. Rubbing ruefully at his backside as he regained his feet, he turned towards the door, staring at it thoughtfully.

"What is it with them?" He noticed that Kankurou was looking at him oddly, and decided to drop the stupid act that had served him so well in the past. "If he hurts her in any way, I swear I'll kill him. He could bury me beneath the entire fucking desert, and I'd claw my way out just to kill him."

Kankurou's eyebrows raised a little, and he found himself believing the Anbu meant exactly what he said. He shook his head, eyed the door they'd left through, and then took Yomi's arm, his face matching the seriousness of the other's.

"Can you keep that damned mouth of yours shut for a few minutes?" At Yomi's nod, Kankurou turned for the door. "Be quiet and stay close. I think.. maybe you need to see this." With a sigh, he led the other carefully out towards the balcony.

They found a perch on the stairs, mostly hidden by shadows, where they could both see and hear what was going on above. Yomi opened his mouth to say something, and snapped it shut again immediately, grinning a little at Kankurou's frown, then focusing his attention on the pair near the railing.

Finally satisfied with what he planned to say, Gaara turned towards her. Hitori's eyes raised to meet his and he froze, all the words he'd so carefully chosen fleeing from his thoughts. Instead of speaking, he reached out and pulled her tightly against his chest, his head lowering to rest next to hers. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

He spoke against her ear, and her body both stiffened and shuddered slightly. An awkward moment passed before she realized he wasn't going to let her go. Right on the heels of that realization, she discovered that she didn't want him to. Her own arms rose slowly and closed around him, her hands pressing against his back. Even if she didn't completely understand what she was feeling, maybe it was time for her to try.

Yomi's eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing, making him look like a fish out of water. Kankurou glared at him and raised a finger to his lips, then jerked his chin towards the door, indicating they should make their way back inside. The Anbu pretended not to notice the movement, his eyes drawn back to the scene above. Exasperated, Kankurou grabbed a fistful of the back of Yomi's shirt and started dragging him away.

Gaara's eyes snapped open at the soft pressure of her hands on his back. He'd been waiting for her to pull away from him, or push against him, anything to try to escape. For her to embrace him in return was what he wanted, but hadn't expected. His voice locked in his throat. For a long moment, he was only aware of the warmth of her body, the gentle beating of her heart, and the way she felt in his arms. "Hitori..."

She tilted her head back to look up at him when he spoke her name, her eyes full of questions, but her body unmoving. It felt safe here, comforting and warm, and she refused to let her confused mind take that from her just yet. The future had grown dim with Yomi's warning. She wanted to believe there was light on the other side of the darkness approaching her. "If I turn the game around on him, and become the hunter instead of the prey, I'll have the advantage."

His eyes closed as he shook his head slowly. "No. Going out after him is the worst thing you can do. I want you to stay here, where I know I can keep you safe. "

She blinked in surprise at his words, pulling away from him and stepping back as she narrowed her eyes at him. The weakness she'd felt since being defeated so easily by the Akatsuki member, Zetsu, the insecurities about her own abilities, all came flooding back in a wave that threatened to drown her. "I don't need to be protected!"

"Is there anything I can say that will keep you from doing something so foolish?" He stepped towards her, only to stop when she turned away, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

"How is it foolish to protect myself?" Her voice raised as she moved further away from him.

"I don't want you to die!" The words were out of his mouth before he thought about them, and he nearly cringed. Could he never say the right thing? "I suppose I can demand your obedience, and order you to stay."

She flushed bright red, turning to glare at him again as her heart constricted painfully in her chest. "You can order me all you like. I don't have to listen." Without waiting for him to reply, she stormed off, wiping angrily at the tears that refused to stop spilling from her eyes. He felt she needed to be protected, that she was too weak to save herself. His words hurt her in a way she'd never dreamed possible.

Gaara looked back out over Suna, his hand tightening around the railing as his eyes slowly closed at the bitter realization that if he lost her now, he'd have no one to blame but himself.

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End of this chapter! How did you like it?