Sight and Sound

Worst Reunion

Itachi let go of her and sighed when he saw that she had bitten her lip open. "You're an idiot."

She stared at him, confused.

"You've only been awake a few minutes and managed to injure yourself again," he said in a tired voice.

Then to his surprise, tears filled her eyes. She refused to look at him now. She couldn't roll over or stand up, but she did turn her head toward the wall to avoid meeting his eyes.

"I didn't mean to.." he said, embarrassed that he upset her. He didn't remember her being so sensitive to name calling. She usually gave herself the mean nicknames, but he guessed that people changed after so many years.

"You didn't mean to join Akatsuki?!" her voice shook with hurt and anger. She could still feel his hands on her shoulders and knees. Only moments ago they had been comforting, now the skin burned.

"Akat-"he started, but didn't finish. He sighed and stared down his feet, trying to decide if, and maybe how, to explain.

"How could you do this? I don't understand.." her lip bled more as bit it harder. In vain she hoped to hold back the tears she felt in her eyes.

"I had no choice,... I just had to.." everything Itachi told her was only half said.

She turned her head to meet his eyes,"There is always a-"She stopped there. Taking a deep breath she continued, "Why this organization? Of all the things you could have done, even after you killed the clan... Akatsuki."

"Why does it upset you so much?" This was the last thing he wanted to hear. He hadn't left her like he did because he wanted to. He didn't need or want her lectures.

"Didn't you ever wonder why I spent so much of my time in the cemetery?" she said it with contempt, which injured him, but even more so made him angry.

"If you had wanted me to know, I trusted that you would've told me," Itachi tore her down with her own actions.

"Akatsuki. It has destroyed everything. I will kill them, starting with Kisame Hoshikagi," she spoke with all her hate and hurt plain to hear.

"Who did he kill?" with effort, he asked without emotion. Itachi refused to let feelings interfere with what needed to be said or done.

Her eyes flashed, and even lying helpless on the bedspread, she was frightening. "He took him. Hikaru died without even fighting him. He let Kisame take him."

It became clear to him now that she wanted revenge. He remembered asking her once why she watched over Sasuke.

"Why do you take such care to be there for him? He is not your brother, just another student," Itachi asked, glancing toward his little brother, who was throwing shuriken at targets.

Aster stared at him for a second, becoming glossy eyed. Then without warning she snapped back to reality,"He reminds me... of ..Idate. He looked up to Hikaru, so much. Just as Sasuke does you." She paused,"It's... like having a family again, sometimes."

"What, what happened exactly?" Itachi held her gaze to emphasize the importance of her answer.

"It doesn't matter. Just don't believe what the other villagers say. Hikaru was not a bad person. He was my older brother. He was an example, a savior, a comforter. He was Idate's idol." Each word contained a memory, and he could see them play out in her mind as she spoke.

"But what does that have to do with the rest of Akatsuki?" Each word was direct and deliberate.

"It was on their orders." She watched him for a reaction, but he waited for her to continue, still not fully understanding where this was going. "Akatsuki ordered him to kill Hikaru. Kisame just carried out the order." She paused again, staring into space. "He didn't have to die," she whispered, speaking more to herself than to Itachi. "If I just would have obeyed him, he might still be here."

She was concealing a lot of her past from him, even now, he could feel it. "Aster, how did your brother die?"

She became distant, but still answered, "He tried to save me. I should have just run, but I stayed. Kisame should have killed me. But Hikaru took the blow, he didn't even fight."

Itachi nodded. He knew that Akatsuki wasn't above things like this. He had heard of the incident from other, older members. Hikaru was supposed to kill her, but had decided to make it look that way and hide her. But in the end, he was caught. Killing her would have got him in the organization, but he didn't do it. It was be mercy's grace that Aster was still breathing on the bed before him.

A new thought occurred to him, "Why did he want to become an Akatsuki?"

Aster started and looked at him, surprised, " He... never said." She knit her eyebrows together, making a connection. "What does Akatsuki offer you?"

Itachi didn't think she needed to hear more about the Akatsuki. They were bad enough without being fully explained. But instead of lying, he gave her a half-truth "It depends on the person."

Her prodding, curios nature made the next question tumble from her mouth, "What did they offer you?"

He stood and made to leave.

"Wait! Answer me. I answered all your questions."

He turned and smiled grimly, "If I was going to tell you, I would have done so by now." With that he left her to contemplate his words alone.