Black Light (Naruto)

Chapter 4

Hello! I have an extremely unoriginal question...
What's your favorite colour?
Human Think

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Hikaru walked the dusty streets of Konoha, completely lost in thought. A bag of dango was loose in his grasp, quietly wandering the streets. Sarutobi had accepted his request, but with some terms. The first was that he take someone with him to kill the necessary, for everybody but Pein and Obito. The second was that this week was a "work-free" week or whatever. 

A crimson eyebrow furrowed. He had plans to take Orochimaru down before the Chūnin Exams, and it would obviously take about a week. However, he also needed to hunt down the bastard's four henchmen, get Gaara's seal fixed, make sure no Otogakure shinobi popped by the Exams, murder Kabuto, and hopefully get a nice 3-hour sleep between that. 

If he had enough motivation, of course. And he had. . . maybe a month and a half to do all of this?

He could send out some clones to lessen his workloa--

Pain hit his forehead, and he winced. Backing off from the wall he'd collided with, muttering a soft apology on reflex. Snickers surrounded him from civilians who'd watched this bullshit happen, but he'd overthink on that later. Not right now. 

He bit down further on a stick of dango, scanning the street. Trying his best to be alert despite the feeling of being watched. Despite the way his brain was rushing, trying to plan and having a breakdown at the same time. 

A grey eye met his own, and they were at a standstill. 

"I'm Hikaru." He greeted, hoping he looked okay. Anxiety built in his heart, remembering the feel of blood on his hands, oh kami, the scent of death--

Kakashi fell in step with him, tilting his Icha Icha slightly away. 

"Maa, nice to meet you." A silent question followed-- who are you? Have you lived here forever? Why haven't I seen you around?

Hikaru had to shove his way through guilt to reply. Kakashi's death still hit him harder than most, and for an instant all he could see was blood and rubble with dead bodies piled over it.

"I go on a lot of missions." Hikaru vaguely replied, sealing away his bag of dango to shove his hands in his pockets. Trying to hide the shakiness, trying to hide the screaming of his mind and instincts to book it. 

A miniscule nod. More questions popping up-- he felt as if he were in the T&I room at the moment, staring directly in Inoichi's eyes. 

"I sometimes take days off." He muttered, almost letting nerves slip into his tone. As it was, his voice was already a little weak. "Don't really interact with people much, y'know. Ah-- this is my turn. See you, Kakashi."

He turned down the random road, shunshining away as soon as he was hidden in the shadows. Ignoring the startled look he'd briefly seen flicker across Kakashi's face. 

×××

Hikaru collapsed onto his bed, his eyes closing. Back in Konoha, he rarely slept. It was usually 1-3 hours, and then he was taking a chakra pill and up fighting again. It had been like that near the end of the war for everyone.

Some didn't wake up.

That's the way life had worked back then. And when only Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke had been alive, they hadn't slept at all. It was funny that Naruto, the old dead-last, had been the last to go. The one the villagers wanted gone the most was gone the last. 

Hikaru sighed, before sitting up again. He couldn't sleep. He wanted to move, feel something in his hands. So he got out of bed, quietly getting dressed in his training gear. Back in the war, he'd obviously been moving constantly, so he was used to it.