Tangents and Parallels

Itachi walked into the living room of the Uzumaki house, only to stumble upon a strange sight. All of the furniture was pushed to the side, the resulting empty space occupied by a bunch of Genin. They seemed to be huddled over something, torn and crumpled papers scattered around them.

“No, that wouldn’t work-”

“How do you know-”

“They’re not-”

“Oh, please-”

Eyebrows rising in confusion, Itachi cut across the group’s mumbling to ask, “What are you doing?”

The Genin startled and looked up with wide eyes. Shikamaru and Hinata were the only ones to react calmly, the Nara opening one sleepy eye to stare at the Uchiha while the Hyuuga smiled in greeting; Naruto, Gaara, Karin, Sasuke, Sakura and Ino’s heads whipped up so fast, Itachi was a little concerned for their necks.

“Nii-san!” Sasuke exclaimed, hurriedly hiding the papers he had in his hands behind his back. Flushing a little in embarrassment when his brother eyed him suspiciously, he tried to change the topic. “What are you doing here?”

Itachi gave the younger Uchiha a look, hiding a smile when Sasuke squirmed. He knew very well what the other was trying to do, but two could play at that game. “Shinobi business,” Itachi answered with a devious smirk, clearly learnt from a certain female Uzumaki. “Now, what about you?”

The six Genin on the floor exchanged nervous glances; they didn’t want to say anything but were also aware that Itachi could and would make them spill. “We’re trying to set up Hikari-san and Shisui-san!” Ino burst out, batting away Sakura’s hands when the girl tried to hush her. “This has gone on for too long!”

“Set up?”

“They’re matchmaking,” Shikamaru explained from where he was sprawled out on one of the couches, fed up with his friends’ antics. He might consider Naruto his best friend but there was a limit to the Nara’s patience. He was losing precious cloud-watching time, damn it!

“Shika!” the blond Uzumaki whined. “Why did you say that?! Now Itachi-nii will tell Hikari-nee and Shisui-nii and all of our plans will be ruined!”

“Sorry, Naruto, but do you really think a bunch of Genin could successfully manipulate a couple of Jounin? Especially those two?”

Karin butted in at that point, hands on her hips as she glared at the unrepentant Nara. “We still have to try! They clearly like each other but they don’t make a move at all!”

While the kids were arguing, Itachi took a seat on the couch where Hinata had been sitting, accepting the cup of tea the Hyuuga handed him with a nod of thanks. He watched the Genin with amusement, sipping on his tea. It wasn’t everyday he stumbled upon something so entertaining.

After a few minutes filled with the twelve-year-olds bickering, seemingly having forgotten their unexpected intruder, Itachi cleared his throat, attracting their attention. “I would have thought that Naruto-kun, Gaara-kun and Karin-san would have gone down the overprotective siblings route,” he said, looking at the three children questioningly.

Sakura and Ino were probably in on it just to take part in the chaos, lured by the promise of romance. And Sasuke was most likely looking to pull one over Shisui.

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, expression petulant. “Yeah, but Hikari-nee has never shown interest in anyone,” he grumbled. Nodding in agreement, Gaara continued, “Nee-san is only around you and Shisui-nii-san, and I don’t think you like her that way, Itachi-nii-san.”

Said Uchiha inclined his head, accepting Gaara’s point. Itachi loved Hikari dearly, but she was a sister to him.

“Nee-san has tons of people vying for her attention,” Karin said, pushing up her glasses as she gathered a few of the papers scattered around her. “But most of them are stupid civilians who only like her for her looks and the shinobi wouldn’t like a girl who could put them through the ground, even if they are attracted to her. Shallow idiots.”

That was something Itachi could agree with.

“Still, why Hikari and Shisui?”

“Because they’re so cute together!” Sakura and Ino squealed in unison, their eyes practically sparkling. “They share secretive smiles, hold hands at every opportunity and literally spend all their time together!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the two girls, “Nii-san does that with them too.”

“But Itachi-san’s connection with them is purely platonic! He even admitted it!”

That devolved into yet another argument, all of them shouting reasons why Hikari and Shisui should be together and that their opinion was clearly the best.

Itachi hid a smile behind his cup of tea when Shikamaru groaned and covered his face with a cushion, vainly hoping to block out the madness. The older Uchiha looked at the Hyuuga sitting demurely next to him, the girl completely at ease with the situation.

“What do you think, Hinata-san?”

The dark blue haired girl swallowed the piece of cinnamon roll she was chewing and directed her attention to the teen next to her. “I think Hikari-nee-san and Shisui-san would be a good match,” she admitted with a smile. “But despite what the others think, a romantic relationship wouldn’t change anything much between them, apart from putting a label on whatever they have together.”

“Quite,” Itachi agreed, mildly surprised at the girl’s insight. But it wasn’t anything new to him, since he too had had the same thought many times. He turned back to the still arguing Genin, wondering how long they were going to keep at it. “Hikari is not one for shallow connections, so it is unlikely she would seek a relationship for the sake of it. And I am well-aware that Shisui is…pining.”

Hinata giggled at the faint grimace on the teen’s face. “He really is, isn’t he?”

“Hinata-san, all of the clans are betting on whether he’ll confess or embarrass himself so badly that Hikari would finally get the hint, take pity on him and ask him out herself.”

“The latter, I think?”

“More probable than the former,” Itachi mused. He eyed the group of Genin in front of him, “They’re not going to stop anytime soon, are they?”

“Not at all.”

The Uchiha and the Hyuuga shared a commiserating glance.

“Do they know that none of their plans have the faintest chance of succeeding?”

“I doubt it, Itachi-san. For all of their brilliance, Hikari-nee-san and Shisui-san can be quite dense. They would never see the meaning behind any of the attempts Naruto-kun and the others make.”

That was true, but that didn’t mean Itachi didn’t have an idea.

Shisui glared as yet another man whistled and leered at the girl walking in front of him, fingers itching to grab a kunai and carve that disgusting expression off of that man’s face, painfully.

Maybe pour in some acid, for good measure.

“What are you angry at now?”

Hikari spun on her heel, walking backwards as she looked questioningly at her companion. She didn’t have to see the dark glint in the Uchiha’s eyes to know it was there; Shisui had been radiating a dark aura all evening, his chakra spiking minutely every now and then. A normal person wouldn’t have noticed it, but Hikari was a powerful sensor and also very attuned to the Uchiha’s moods.

“It’s nothing, Hikari-chan.”

“Shisui, please,” the redhead sighed, expression distinctly weary.

They were in one of the smaller villages near Konoha, on a mission. Their goal was to subdue and capture or kill a group of bandits that was capturing women and children to sell them as slaves. The bandits operated on a large scale, their men working out of multiple villages so that they didn’t get caught. Recently, their activities had risen in the current village and so a group of shinobi had been hired to deal with the bandits.

The mission had been assigned to Shisui, Itachi and Hikari, the reasoning being that the three were young and attractive while also strong enough that bandits wouldn’t pose a problem. In other words, they were bait.

Especially Hikari.

The sixteen-year-old was beautiful, lithe and curvaceous with a charm that drew people in. Her sparkling blue eyes and crimson hair shining like rubies in the sun were generally seen as exotic in Hi no Kuni. With her long legs and smooth, unblemished skin, there were too many perverts who drooled over her.

‘And the oblivious idiot doesn’t even see it!’ Shisui despaired internally, knowing that she was picked for the mission with him and Itachi because her appearance would definitely interest the bandits. Right now, Hikari was wearing a short white kimono dress in dark blue and white, paired with black thigh-high stockings and boots. Her hair was held back in a low ponytail, with two thick locks framing her face.

Even a blind man would call her attractive.

“It’s just…” he trailed off, gesturing towards her. When Hikari only looked confused, he sighed. “Hikari-chan, you know you’re the bait on this mission, right?”

The redhead blinked and slowed down, walking next to Shisui. “Aren’t we all? Even if Itachi is currently out scouting.”

The younger Uchiha had promptly ditched his team the instant they had arrived in the village, saying that he was going to check out the area and that Hikari and Shisui should walk around the village to see if they could get themselves on the bandits’ radar.

“Hikari-chan… You. Are. Beautiful.”

Shisui stressed each word, valiantly suppressing the blush that tried to make a home on his cheeks. He liked the girl…well, okay, he loved her. Anko always had the time of her life making fun of him for pining after the redhead, while also taunting him for being spineless and not asking her out. Considering the knowing and pitying looks many people shot him whenever Hikari was in the vicinity, his huge crush was obvious.

To all but the dense girl next to him.

Hikari’s brow furrowed, thrown off by the strange inflection in the twenty-year-old’s voice but Shisui ploughed on before she could say anything, “You don’t see it but many others do. Pretty much half the people who approach you want to date you and the other half want you in their bed. Do you even realize that those idiots are flirting with you?”

The girl flushed a deep red at the Uchiha’s choice of words, the color of her burning cheeks matching her hair. “Stupid Shisui,” she hissed, smacking his arm and making him yelp indignantly. “Did you have to say it like that?!”

“If I wanted to get it into your thick head, yes,” Shisui retorted, rubbing the spot she had hit. It probably wouldn’t bruise -Hikari hadn’t hit that hard- but it hurt a bit. “When will you understand that fact?”

“I don’t look that good,” Hikari muttered, picking on her sleeve in a nervous manner. Her blush had mostly faded, but there was a hint of pink on her cheeks that was unfairly cute. “You and Itachi are the good-looking ones on this team, not me. Stupid Uchiha genes, making you all unfairly pretty.”

Shisui stared at her incredulously, almost gaping at the sheer amount of self-doubt in her voice, dripping from each word. He filed away what she had said about him and instead focused on her first statement. “You seriously think that?”

“I suppose…”

“You-”

“Hey, pretty girlie!”

Shisui and Hikari’s heads snapped around at the yell, the Uchiha annoyed at both the interruption and the idiot who had butted in.

A man staggered towards them, his leering eyes focused on the redhead, looking her up and down with a sleazy grin on his face. “Boyfriend mad at you, huh? Why don’t I show you a good time, girlie? Just dump the prude!”

Hikari wrinkled her nose at the stench of alcohol wafting off the clearly plastered man, the half-full bottle clenched in his hand not helping her impression of him. “No thanks,” she snapped at the drunk, taking a step back. Even if she wanted to deck him, she still had to maintain her cover as a normal civilian.

“A feisty one, eh?” the man sniggered, chugging down the contents of his bottle and tossing it to the side. “All the better for me!”

He lunged at the redhead, lecherous eyes staring at her chest, hands raised and obviously aiming to grope her. Unfortunately for him, he had forgotten about the enraged man at her side.

Shisui snarled, sliding in front of the girl protectively. His left hand shot out to grab the drunkard’s wrist, snapping it with a neat twist before punching him in the face. “Stay away from her,” he spat, voice dark and dangerous, ushering Hikari backwards while covering her form with his body, even if he knew she could protect herself. “Try this again and next time you won’t escape with just a broken wrist and a few missing teeth.”

The Uchiha spun around, grabbing a stunned Hikari’s hand and stomped away, pulling the bewildered girl behind him. “Come on, Hikari-chan. Let’s go back to our inn; I think that’s enough walking around for the evening.”

The two walked away, leaving behind a groaning man with a bloody face and clutching his broken wrist, whimpering and sprawled on the street.

Back in their room at the inn, Hikari watched from her spot on the bed as Shisui paced the length of the room, muttering darkly under his breath. She hugged a pillow to herself, thinking back on the words he had told her earlier that evening.

She knew that the two of them were very close, having known each other for almost ten years. She would admit, if only to herself, that she had a crush on Shisui. He was handsome, funny and kind, the kind of person any girl would want. If she was like any other girl, she would be fangirling over him.

But Hikari wasn’t that shallow and didn’t like him for superficial features. She liked him because of his attitude, his convictions and personality. She had seen him at his highs and lows, stuck with him through everything. She saw him for who he really was at his core and fell for him.

The realization of her feelings for him had not affected her attitude towards him, Hikari content to keep them to herself. Not once did she hope for anything, happy with their current status quo. Shisui saw her as a good friend and there was no need to change their connection.

But now she had to wonder if she should have looked deeper.

For Shisui’s vehement insistence for her to see her own worth went a little beyond a friend’s concern.

“Shisui?”

Hikari winced at how timid her voice came out but it was successful in attracting the Uchiha’s attention. He stopped pacing, staring at her for a moment then leant against the wall, right opposite her. “What is it?”

“Earlier…before that man interrupted us…what were you about to say?”

Shisui stared for a moment in confusion, expression clearing when he recalled what she was talking about. “Ah, that,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, feeling slightly embarrassed. “I wanted to ask why you think so low of yourself.”

“Oh.”

There was an uncomfortable silence after that short exchange, the two looking at everything except each other. Finally, Hikari sighed and patted the bed next to her, in a clear invitation for the Uchiha to sit.

When Shisui did sit down, back ramrod straight, she sighed again and clutched the pillow in her arms tighter, burying her face in it. “I guess it’s because of how I grew up the first time around,” she murmured into the pillow, voice so low that Shisui only caught it because of their proximity. “You know how I was shunned because of my status as a Jinchuuriki?”

The Uchiha nodded; Hikari had told him and Itachi about the truth of her existence years ago, along with a few personal details when the boys had needled her for it. Her first childhood was abysmal and that was putting it lightly.

“Most of my life I was called worthless and a monster. I didn’t know why and when I did…it just made things a whole lot worse.”

Hikari raised her head, staring blankly into the distance. “First I had to fight for my existence to be acknowledged, then there was the whole thing with Sasuke and then I dived straight into a war. There wasn’t really any time to just relax and have fun. To find myself.”

The aftermath of the battle with Pain had brought her the acknowledgement she had craved, people vying for her attention wherever she went. It had felt good for a time but eventually she had gotten tired of it, the emptiness in her heart never easing.

“…to try to undo all the damage that had been inflicted on me.”

Shisui turned sharply at that, lips pressed in a thin line at the self-depreciating tone in the girl’s voice. He wanted to protest, to assure her that she was more that she thought she was, but he didn’t open his mouth.

Not yet.

She needed to get it off her chest first.

Unaware of the Uchiha’s thoughts, Hikari continued, “I didn’t understand what it meant to be female, apart from the physical differences. The girls would call me ugly, stupid and all sorts of mean names…and it just stuck. I didn’t know how else to look at myself.”

She shook her head as if to get rid of her unhappy thoughts and smiled faintly at Shisui. “I still don’t know,” she whispered, hesitantly leaning against him. “Perhaps someone might have flirted with me even back then. Perhaps someone might have been interested in me. I didn’t know how to see that and frankly wouldn’t have cared. I had things I wanted to do and no one could stop me.”

“And now?”

Hikari laughed, elbowing the Uchiha who grinned down at her teasingly. “Apparently I’ve been flirted with, according to you. Since I didn’t realize that, what do you think?”

“You’re dense and oblivious,” Shisui stated cheerfully, internally relieved that the redhead had lost the gloom and doom from earlier. A smile suited her way better than a blank expression. “No wonder you hardly responded to anyone. But anyway, are you interested in a relationship? You know, romantically?”

“Depends. If I like and trust the other person, yes.”

“I see.”

There was silence, comfortable since neither of them was stewing in their thoughts and emotions.

Suddenly, something occurred to Hikari and she grinned. Poking the Uchiha until he met her gaze, she said, “You called me beautiful.”

Shisui reddened instantly, having hoped that she had forgotten that. He spluttered, flailing as the redhead laughed at him and he tried to respond, failing at that since nothing but broken words left his mouth.

Hikari looked delighted, a cheeky smile splitting her cheeks as she kept teasing him. “You think I’m pretty, huh? Do you like me, Shisui~?”

“Argh, yes! I like you! Happy?!”

Mouth snapping shut at the declaration from the Uchiha, Hikari stared with wide shocked eyes at him, who also looked startled at what he had accidentally revealed.

“I…er, just ignore what I said,” Shisui stammered, chuckling nervously as he scrambled off the bed and tried to leave the room, completely mortified. But a delicate hand curling around his wrist stopped him and he looked back hesitantly, surprised to find that Hikari was just as red as he was.

“…did you mean that?”

“Yes. I’ve liked you for a long time, Hikari-chan.”

It didn’t even occur to Shisui to lie to her, not ashamed of his feelings for her. And he couldn’t when she looked at him with such uncertainty in her eyes.

A few seconds passed as Hikari processed the words, a pleased smile curling her lips as it sunk in. “I see.”

When Hikari didn’t say anything else for a long time, Shisui fidgeted on the spot. He couldn’t escape since she was still holding on to him but it was embarrassing to just stand there. If Anko heard ever about this, the teasing would never ever end.

“Hikari-chan, say something…please?”

“I like you too.”

What?

“…really?” Shisui asked faintly, wondering if he was hearing things or if his brain was making things up. No way was his luck that good, to have the girl he liked, like him back.

Hikari rolled her eyes and pulled the stunned Uchiha down, releasing the pillow she had been holding to wrap her arms around his neck instead. Shisui’s arms automatically returned the embrace, making her smile and bury her face in his shoulder. “Really. I may have liked you for a while.”

“Oh.”

“Hmm.”

“This doesn’t feel real…”

“It’s very real but if you need more assurance, you can take me out on a date when we get back to Konoha.”

Shisui drew back, staring at the amused redhead blankly. “I…seriously?”

“Where did the charming and suave Shisui go?” Hikari snickered, pinching the Uchiha’s cheek. “I’d have thought you would be all cool and smooth. Well, I like this cute side too.”

The reality of the situation finally sunk in and Shisui jumped off the bed, swinging the girl in his arms around while laughing, causing Hikari to squeak and cling to him.

“Shisui!”

“Sorry, sorry; I’m just so happy!”

When Itachi climbed into the room via the window hours later, he was met with a pillow to the face.

“Hikari, Shisui,” he greeted calmly, as if he hadn’t just been whacked with the pillow he was now holding in his hand.

“Had fun interrogating the bandits?” Hikari accused drily, hands on her hips as she glared at the seventeen-year-old. She had wondered where Itachi had disappeared to, when the euphoria of realizing that her feelings for Shisui were returned faded. Extending her senses told her that he was in battle and had been for a while.

That led her and Shisui to realize that they had probably been set up.

“Of course. I have information on the bandits’ other bases; we can raid those tomorrow.”

“Sure,” Shisui replied in a tone matching Hikari’s, shooting the stink-eye at his smirking cousin. “And why were you doing that when you were supposed to be only scouting?”

Itachi shrugged, pulling out the chair at the desk and sitting down. “I had to give you two time alone. And I see that it worked.”

To anyone else, the changed dynamics between Shisui and Hikari would not have been visible. But to Itachi who knew them better than his own self, he could sense it. The way Hikari was just that tiny bit more relaxed and the way Shisui angled his body almost imperceptibly towards the redhead were tell-tale signs.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. We’re together now and all that,” Hikari muttered, waving her hand dismissively. “What brought this on anyway? It’s not like you to interfere; you’re the type to simply watch us stumble around in the dark while smiling.”

“The children started it,” the Uchiha Heir revealed, laughing a little at the two’s blank expressions. “Sasuke, Naruto-kun and the rest of their friends were formulating matchmaking plans. Unfortunately for them, they wouldn’t have worked on you.”

“So you took it into your own hands?”

Itachi shrugged. “I’m fairly sure Hikari would have figured it out on her own eventually but Shisui’s pining was becoming annoying.” He pointedly ignored the indignant squawk from the other Uchiha, keeping his gaze fixed on the girl, who was valiantly holding back the smile that threatened to break out. “I simply saved you the embarrassment.”

Hikari laughed and shook her head, far too amused to be annoyed at Itachi or even the kids. She walked out of the room saying that she was going to get them dinner, chuckling all the while.

When the door closed behind her, Itachi turned to his cousin. “Look on the bright side, Shisui,” he told him.

“And that is that even supposed to mean?” Shisui complained, throwing himself on one of the beds and sprawled out over the blankets, one arm over his eyes.

“You can tell her overprotective family that they were planning on setting you up with Hikari first.”

Shisui froze, dark eyes widening as he realized just what Itachi was talking about.

“…I am so dead.”

“Perhaps Hikari will protect you?”

“Itachi!”