Chapter Thirty-Three:
A/n: I'm so sorry for the wait in between updates! Please forgive me! But I hope you all enjoy it regardless!!
The next day, as expected, was very, very, very slow, and tiring. Hikaru kept making sly comments about her, Wabisuke would defend her if it was too bad, Sasuke stayed protectively close to Izami, Sakura sulked, and Izami just felt...Supremely uncomfortable for the lack of a better word to describe how she was feeling. She just wanted to crawl under a rock, and stay under there.
The second day, Hikaru walked ahead of the group when they left early. Izami tailed behind him with Sasuke at her side. Sakura tailed behind them, silent as ever, with Wabisuke right beside her. Wabisuke had begun to be as silent as Sakura, thought Sakura's mood seemed to have lightened.
"We should stop in Suna for at least a day. To rest, and get more supplies. It will be another week before we hit the Hidden Silk Village." Izami suggested as they rested for the night.
"That's exactly what I was going to say." Hikaru said, casting a look to his sister. Izami rolled her eyes, and brought her knees closer to her chest as a shiver went through her body. Sasuke, who was closest to her, draped a small blanket over her shoulders. Izami smiled smally at him, and wrapped the blanket closer around her shoulders. Wabisuke made a noise in the back of his throat, and then began setting out his own bag. Hikaru and Sakura had already set out their sleeping bags.
"Why do you have to be such a jerk all the time? Have you ever thought of being nice to me?"
"Yeah. For one moment."
"Che, what happened?" Sasuke snipped, his arm going around Izami's shoulder. Hikaru's eyes narrowed at the bold action.
"I don't need lip from a traitor." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at Hikaru. The two had a glaring contest before Izami spoke up.
"Will you guys stop acting like a bunch of five year olds? Seriously, grow up."
"You're getting mad at me for defending you?" Sasuke gave a shocked expression for a second before scowling. Izami rolled her eyes.
"You're not helping, and I don't need you to fight my battles. It's always been like this between us."
"Do you even know how embarrassing it is for someone like Father to father a non-bender? It's disgraceful."
"She can bend you know. She may not be as talented as you claim you are, but she can bend." Wabisuke spoke up, causing Sasuke to glare at him. Hikaru rolled his eyes.
"Whatever." Izami sighed, and glared at him. Hikaru slid down on the ground, getting into his regular sleeping position, and then fell asleep.
Izami waited ten minutes before speaking. When she did, she cast a look towards Wabisuke.
"Like I told Sasuke, I don't need you to fight my battle Wabisuke-kun."
"You're brother's a dick anyway you get around the word, Izami-chan. He doesn't have to be that way towards you. Espically when you have comrades beside you to defend you."
"That's just the thing. I don't need you, Sasuke, or anyone to handle what I know I can handle on my own."
"Che, whatever. Don't come running to me crying when you can't handle him."
"She won't because she'll come to me." Sasuke's tone was dripping with "this is mine, back off" kind of voice. Wabisuke glared.
"She's allowed to have people to care about her outside of you. You weren't her friend first. You didn't even like her."
"People change."
"Whatever. " Wabisuke began to crawl into his sleeping bag, and laid down to rest with a scowl." If you hurt her again, Uchiha...You won't have to worry about your future anymore. Because I'll end it." Wabisuke said after a few moments." I don't trust you."
"Same here." Sasuke hissed, moving closer to Izami. Wabisuke made a noise in the back of his throat, and went to sleep. Nobody noticed that Sakura had already gone to sleep. "Are you going to be ok?" Sasuke said after another ten minutes of silence. Izami looked up at him, and nodded, smiling softly.
"Yeah. The blanket will keep me warm enough. You can use the-"
"I meant you and Hikaru. He's been kinda jerk..." Izami's face fell slightly. Her face adapting a colder look. Sasuke recognized this look all too well, but he said nothing as she laid down to sleep. Sasuke sighed, and laid down to sleep as well. He could feel that tomorrow was going to be a very long day.
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The next morning, they arrived in Suna. Hikaru raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as they continued to walk into the village after getting through the proper channels.
"Why don't Izami-san and I go over to get some supplies?" Sakura suggested in a rather chipper tone, catching Izami off gaurd. It was the first time Sakura had spoken since leaving for the mission. Sakura looked at some melons they passed. Izami paused with her.
"I wouldn't really mind. " Izami began, but Hikaru cleared his throat.
"I actually have somethings I need to discuss with my sister in private. So if you guys wouldn't mind giving us some privacy, I can get us some supplies." Hikaru's tone was soft, almost pleading in a way. Izami couldn't help but have suspicion rise in her at the tone. In all her years of living, she had never known her brother to actually want to be around her willingly, and he never pleaded about anything. Sasuke and Wabisuke looked at Izami with worry. She gave a tiny smile to reassure them, and nodded slightly.
"Right...Well, we'll leave you guys alone for awhile then." Wabisuke said, his tone laced with suspicion. Sasuke said nothing, but had narrowed eyes. He motioned for Sakura to follow them, which she did after a moment of giving Izami a very worried look.
Izami stood still for a good ten minutes, glaring at her brother, who acted like he wasn't noticing her icy look. He had the same calm, cool, collected look on his face that he always seemed to have, and it annoyed Izami to no end.
"What the hell do you want? Me and Sakura-san may not exactly get along half the time but I'd rather have her company over yours." Izami's tone was snippy. Hikaru sighed, and glanced at her.
"You really ought to be nicer to me. I actually have very good news for you."
"That's what you told me when I was four. Then you told me Father was going to kill me."
"Oh, would you let that go? That was fifteen almost sixteen years ago."
"Could you just tell me what you want?"
"You and that Uchiha boy seem very close." Izami knew that Hikaru was trying to skirt around whatever it was he had originally planned to tell her, but Izami still couldn't help but blush.
"Nothing special. Not really." Hikaru glanced at her teasingly.
"So, should I pay for you two to have your own room?" Izami blushed heavily, and glared at Hikaru.
"Would you get off that? Just tell me what the hell you want so we can go back to ignoring and hating each other?" Hikaru sighed heavily, and glanced at Izami.
"You really are dense. Why do you think I asked for you for this mission?"
"I dunno. To torture me. Or maybe you're just waiting for a chance to kill me."
"I wouldn't kill you." His tone was soft, but Izami ignored it as she spoke in a fast pace tone.
"Right. Just severally hurt me, and then let nature decide if I live or die right? At least if I died, it wouldn't be your fault right?" Izami cut him a sharp glance. Hikaru sighed, and shook his head.
"Look, after what happened with Mother and Father, I think...Well, I know we've never gotten along-"
"Because you're a Grade A Jackass."
"Would you shut up?! How do you expect me to continue if you keep interrupting me?!" Izami and Hikaru had a glare off for a moment, and then Izami looked away.
"Fine. Continue. Your majesty." Hikaru sighed at her sarcastic tone, but didn't retort as he continued. Izami began shaking some melons, checking out their ripeness.
"But you and Tachi have always gotten along-"
"Because he was tolerable." Hikaru ignored her interruption, and continued talking.
"Anyways, what I'm trying to say is...With everything that's happened... I think it's time you came home." Izami gasped slightly, the melon in her hands almost dropped from sheer shock of what he had just said.