Author's Note: Jeez, I can't believe how long it's been since I updated this story. Was it really almost ten months? TT-TT To anybody who's still interested in reading this (of which I doubt there are more than a few): I am soooo sorry! I've never taken this long to update. Then again, I've never been stuck on a single chapter for a story I actually planned to finish for such a long time, either. A thousand pardons!

My only real excuses are that I've been busy with another majorly difficult course (for the same teacher whose course was described in my last actual author's note, no less); I've had a zillion other ideas racing around my head, despite the fact that I really have been trying to come up with a good fight scene for Chapter 10 of Hitori Ja Nai; real life interfered over the summer with some major renovations to my house; and the fact that I've really been enjoying my Winter Break and doing my best Shikamaru imitation.

With regard to my lack of progress with Chapter 10, I've been toying with the idea of simply building up to the fight and then skipping to the aftermath. I know, I know--cheap trick, but whatcha gonna do? At least that way I could get away from the more static part of the story and back into the plot.

As for this chapter, there will be a Fruits Basket character mentioned (the same one from the previous chapter), but she won't really be making a proper appearance. To anyone thinking that characters from other anime might overpower the story: don't worry, it will be awhile before anymore appear (thought they may be mentioned in passing).

With that, I present to you Chapter 4 (after far too long -.-; ).

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Inuyasha or their characters; I also don't own the Fruits Basket character who is mentioned within this chapter.

Hitori Ja Nai

Chapter 4: Diverging Paths

Kagome groaned as the grating buzz of her alarm clock penetrated the blissful haze of sleep. Rolling over sluggishly, she felt around on her nightstand until she found the alarm's off button. She grunted and sat up, glancing at the object of her annoyance with bleary black eyes. It was a minute after six-o'clock—way too early.

I hate mornings, thought the girl with a deep scowl (the effect was ruined, though, by the fact that she was only half awake and looked more sleepy than scary). They would be better if they started later…

Kagome had never been a morning person. When she was younger, her mother had had to almost physically drag her out of bed so that she would get to the academy on time. It had gotten easier to force herself to wake up early over the years, but that didn't mean she loathed mornings any less; she had simply come to realize that early rising was a necessary evil she would simply have to live with.

She would also have to get out of bed soon, the raven-haired girl mused, because she had so much to do. First she needed to make breakfast (and bento boxes) for herself and Sasuke, so that they could have their morning training session before they met their respective teams. From there, she would spend the remainder of the morning either training with her teammates or performing a mission—depending on Miroku's ability to get one for them.

May as well get up… decided Kagome grudgingly. Giving her alarm clock one last, withering look, she slowly crawled out of bed and searched through her dresser for a clean set of clothes.

Once she was dressed, she quietly slipped out of her room and made her way to the kitchen. She paused as she walked past the plaza at the heart of the compound. Sasuke was already there, running through his usual katas; he would not come in until she announced that breakfast was ready.

There was nothing new about the fact that Sasuke would be up and about before Kagome. Ever since they were young, her twin had always been able to effortlessly rise with the sun to practice, while she had been coming up with creative ways to use the inventor of the alarm clock for target practice.

Back then, Sasuke had been training so that he could be as good as—if not better than—Itachi. Now, he trained so that he would be ready to take on the man who had annihilated their clan.

Quashing the sadness that welled in her at the thought, Kagome slowly trudged into the kitchen. Searching the pantry, she noted that their food supply was getting low; she would have to stop at the grocery store that afternoon so that they could eat for the next week.

Satisfied that they would be able to have breakfast and lunch, she fired up the rice cooker and dug out some jars of pickles and umeboshi. When the rice was done, she put another batch into the cooker and carefully packed the first batch into onigiri for the bento boxes she was preparing (they would make a quick snack or an easy lunch). If she had had some bonito, she would have added the flakes, knowing how much Sasuke liked them, but—as they were all out—he would simply have to eat them plain. By the time she had finished with the bento boxes and stored them in the refrigerator, the second batch of rice was ready.

After carefully dividing the rice into two bowls and placing them on the table with two bowls of pickles and umeboshi, Kagome went out to call her brother in. He was just finishing a kata as she called, "Niichan, breakfast is ready!"

Sasuke paused to glance in her direction. Nodding, he quickly finished his kata and walked back to the house. Kagome quietly followed him inside, sliding the shoji shut behind them before she moved to take her place across from Sasuke at the table. A comfortable silence filled the air as they picked at their rice, occasionally reaching for a pickle or an umeboshi for a change of pace.

Kagome slowly brought another bite of rice to her mouth, thoughtfully watching as her twin gazed at the pickle in his chopsticks distastefully before he finally stuck it in his mouth. It caused the corners of her mouth to twitch. Sasuke never had been particularly fond of eating pickles for breakfast, but he never really complained about the food she laid out for them (unless it was natto, but that was another matter entirely).

For a moment, she thought she caught a glimpse of the boy her brother had once been—the innocent child who had idolized his older brother and believed he could do no wrong. However, it quickly faded as Sasuke glanced over at her questioningly, replacing the wide-eyed child with the person he had become: a calculating avenger who would stop at nothing to kill the man responsible for the genocide of their clan.

Quickly, she shook her head and shifted her gaze to her bowl. Picking at a few clumps of rice, she shoved one into her mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. Sasuke continued to watch her silently, wondering what was going through his sister's head.

Despite the fact that they were fraternal twins, Sasuke and Kagome had always seemed to have a strong bond, and it had deepened since the destruction of their clan. Most of the time, they were able to perceive what the other was thinking without saying a word, allowing them to work in perfect synch and cover up any gaps in the other's defense in a fight. However, there were times when the boy could not fathom what was going on inside her brain.

If it were anyone else, Sasuke would never have bothered himself trying to rationalize the matter (few—if any—were worth the effort), but he had vowed a long time ago that he would do whatever it took to protect Kagome—especially from that man. For that reason alone, he would puzzle through his sister's mercurial sentiments if it was at all possible.

However, after a long moment of contemplation, the boy decided he had been thinking about it (and watching her) too long because he suddenly found her staring back at him, arching an eyebrow. Grunting, he quickly turned his attention to his bowl and fiercely shoved a clump of rice into his mouth.

Biting her lip to keep from guffawing, Kagome quietly finished her breakfast. Once they had both eaten their fill, she quickly rinsed the dishes in the sink; she would wash them when she got home. She glanced at the clock on the microwave as she finished up. It was almost seven; if they hurried, she and Sasuke could still get in an hour or so of training before they went to meet with their teams.

When Kagome exited the kitchen, she found Sasuke already warming up on the plaza. Quietly taking her usual spot, she followed his lead, briefly stretching to ensure that she was ready to spar.

After a few minutes, the twins slowly stood in their opposing corners. Sasuke took a battle stance, smirking. "Ready?"

Kagome took a similar stance, smirking as well. "Bring it."

Somewhere around eight-thirty, Kagome met Bankotsu and Hojo in their usual gathering place, just outside Maiko's. As usual, Hojo was the first to greet her.

"Good morning, Uchiha-san!" called the sandy-haired boy with a broad smile and an extensive wave.

Cringing a bit at her teammate's cheerfulness, she forced a smile as she approached. "Good morning, Hojo-kun." She glanced over at the dark-haired boy and nodded in acknowledgement. "Bankotsu-kun."

He responded in kind. "Kagome."

After a few beats of silence, Hojo asked, "Do you think we'll get a mission today? It's been three days since our last one…"

Bankotsu shrugged indifferently. "I don't care, just as long as it's not another one of those crappy D-rank missions."

"But we've only been genin for a little while, Bankotsu-san," Hojo reminded the other boy. "We probably won't get anything above a D-rank mission for a couple of months."

"It's not fair," the dark-haired boy grumped, crossing his arms. "We went through all of that training at the academy and passed a final test, and for what—so we can deliver groceries and weed people's gardens? It's a waste of our shinobi skills to do manual labor!"

"Performing D-rank missions strengthen a genin squad's teamwork," replied a familiar voice, causing the youths to turn. Miroku approached them with a somber expression. "That's one of the most essential skills that a shinobi can acquire, Bankotsu."

While the dark-haired boy harrumphed, Hojo smiled widely at their teacher. "Good morning, Miroku-sensei."

"Good morning, Hojo, Kagome." Miroku nodded to each of the students as he named them.

"Are we going to have a mission?" asked Kagome.

"Yes, we are," the jounin informed them cheerfully. "It is D-rank, but I think that this will prove more of a challenge than your last mission …"

Bankotsu watched their sensei suspiciously. "We don't have to hunt down that stupid cat again, are we?"

Kagome made a face at the thought of chasing the daimyo's wife's cat, Tora. That had been their first mission—one none of them had relished—and had resulted in a few battle scars for the cat's sheer desperation to stay away from its mistress (and, after seeing her practically squeeze the life out of it upon its return, Kagome had almost felt a shred of sympathy for the feline). A series of less painful but no less demeaning missions had followed, the most recent of which being weeding a cantankerous old woman's flowerbed while she ranted about the younger generation's "lack of appreciation for the botanical arts."

"No, not this time," Miroku assured his students, watching in amusement as all of them heaved a sigh of relief. "We've been hired by Souma Mesho—the onsen owner—to help her with an infestation problem."

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow. "We're exterminators now?"

"Something like that," agreed the jounin. "It seems that a group of frogs have recently taken a liking to the hot springs baths and they're driving off customers. Souma-san wants us to catch them so they can be removed."

Kagome stared at her instructor incredulously. "You want us to catch frogs?" She would have rather taken her chances chasing the cat.

"It isn't as bad as all that, Kagome," Miroku teased the girl, reading into her inherent (feminine) dislike for the amphibians. "There are only about thirty of them; if you hurry, you should be finished by lunch."

The girl goggled. "Thirty…?"

"Don't worry, Uchiha-san, catching frogs is easy," Hojo told the girl, smiling slightly. "Bankotsu-san and I can catch them if it bothers you, though."

Bankotsu gave the other boy a dirty look. "What the hell makes you think I wanna catch frogs?"

"No, it's fine." Kagome sighed and looked away. If she really wanted to be a kunoichi and help her brother reach their goal, there was no way she could wimp out on doing something as mundane as catching frogs. "I'll do it."

"Are you sure, Uchiha-san?" asked Hojo.

"Yeah." She nodded firmly.

"All right then," Miroku began. "If we're all ready…"

Team Six dutifully trooped toward Souma Mesho's onsen. As they went, Kagome silently tried to reassure herself. It can't be that difficult. After all, they're only frogs…

Three hours later, Kagome scowled as she announced, "I hate frogs."

Bankotsu glowered in agreement. "Frogs suck."

Miroku smirked slightly as he glanced up from his book (a replacement for the one Kagome had incinerated after their field test) as he sat just beyond the baths. "Oh, come now, it can't be that bad."

The killer intent radiating off his dark-haired pupils as they favored him with matching death glares caused the jounin to laugh nervously before he quickly returned to his book. Note to self: do not provoke Bankotsu and Kagome at the same time.

Kagome curled her lip in disgust as she glanced down at the water around her, searching for any signs of more frogs lurking beneath the surface. This had to be the worst mission yet. Not only were the frogs grosser and slimier than she had imagined, but she was also soaked to the skin from diving into the hot springs to catch the illusive amphibians.

Judging from Bankotsu's expression, which was as sour as she thought her own had to be, he shared her opinion. The only ones who didn't seem to mind the mission were Miroku—who was doing absolutely nothing to help them—and Hojo—who had been more enthusiastic than his teammates from the start.

After a few moments of careful scrutiny, Kagome declared, "There aren't any more in this bath."

"Good." Miroku glanced over at the dark-haired boy. "Bankotsu?"

"I think there's just one more!" Bankotsu surged forward and seized another frog; it croaked in protest and squirmed in the boy's tight grasp.

"Put it in one of the boxes," Team Six's sensei instructed the boy as he clambered out of the hot spring. The jounin spared a glance at the Uchiha girl. "How many does that make so far, Kagome? Twenty-three?"

Kagome cast an annoyed look in her instructor's direction. "It's thirty-three." She had been keeping track, as it allowed her to think about something other than how touching the amphibians made her skin crawl.

As she slogged her way out of her own hot spring, Kagome and Miroku glanced over to see Hojo walking up to them with a broad smile. "I think we got all the frogs, Miroku-sensei. I haven't seen any more in the other baths."

The violet-eyed man nodded. "Thank you, Hojo. Go tell Souma-san while Kagome and Bankotsu take the boxes to the river."

"Yes, Miroku-sensei." Hojo turned on his heels and went off to in search of the onsen owner.

"What're you gonna do?" Bankotsu asked wearily as he and Kagome put their sandals back on.

"I'll just go and give our report to the Hokage. Don't worry, I'm sure you can manage without me. See you later!" Miroku waved cheekily before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Man, this sucks," Bankotsu complained to Kagome as they each took two of the boxes they had been using to hold the captured amphibians; the containers jostled frequently as the frogs hopped around inside. "I still say these D-rank missions are a total waste of our skills as shinobi. We should be out there fighting Konoha's enemies, not catching frogs!"

Kagome bit her lip. She wanted to agree with her dark-haired teammate wholeheartedly, but a part of her was afraid that she was not ready to do what Bankotsu was proposing. It was part of the same deep-seated fear that she had housed since she was eight years old, one that she knew she needed to overcome if she ever wanted to fulfill her ultimate goal.

After a beat of silence, she quietly said, "D-rank missions are degrading, but we aren't exactly ready to face real opponents in battle. We our skills aren't good enough to beat other shinobi yet."

Bankotsu scowled. "Maybe you're not, but I am. I'm tired of sitting on my hands—I want some action." Then as if an afterthought, he muttered, "They could at least give us a C-rank mission."

"Mm…" Kagome murmured noncommittally as they made their way out of the bathing area. Without another word, the two genin trekked to the river just beyond the village.

The Hokage gazed down at the report, nodding in satisfaction. "Very good, Miroku. Your team is gaining a reputation for finishing missions in a timely fashion."

The black-haired jounin shrugged indifferently. "With all respect, D-rank missions are hardly difficult, Hokage-sama. They are more tedious than tough."

"Very true," agreed Sarutobi with a chuckle while Umino Iruka—who sat beside the Hokage—smiled knowingly.

Miroku scrutinized the Sandaime for a long moment, trying to gauge the older man's mood. He would have to broach the subject carefully to get what he wanted, and to receive it he knew that the Hokage should be in good spirits. Fortunately, it seemed he was in a benevolent mood.

As casually as possible, he inquired, "Hokage-sama, does Team Six really have such a good reputation…?"

Sarutobi sensed that the younger man was fishing, but obliged despite. "Yes. Out of the four rookie squads, yours is one of the most efficient. I've had a few comments that they seem to have a well-developed sense of teamwork."

"Then perhaps it is time that they were given a more difficult mission," Miroku said slowly. "Something that would test their skills as shinobi…"

Iruka glanced between the two men uneasily. He wouldn't seriously consider giving Miroku-san's team a C-rank mission as well…would he? (The fact that he had recently bestowed such a mission on Naruto's team made him less than certain.)

The elderly man raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think it would be appropriate to give a rookie genin team a C-rank mission at this point, Miroku?"

The young man returned his gaze steadily. "Hokage-sama, you said it yourself: Team Six is gaining a reputation as one of the most efficient rookie squads. They grasped the concept of teamwork even before it was pointed out as the most important aspect of being shinobi. They work hard and train constantly; as it is, they're beginning to feel that their efforts are under-appreciated. They deserve a chance to prove that they can handle a C-rank mission."

Miroku knew that it was a gamble to play on his team's ability to work well together almost since the squad's inception, but he truly believed that his team was ready. It was more than Bankotsu's comments of boredom that had spurred the idea; their ability to perform their duties so well (even under protest) made him think that they really would be able to handle a C-rank mission. There was very little chance of encountering any real threats, but it would give their morale a boost.

Iruka was impressed with the way the raven-haired man was requesting a more advanced mission for his squad, considering the way Kakashi had handled his students when Naruto all but demanded a "real mission"; he emphasized their efficiency as a team rather than simply telling the Hokage they wanted a higher-ranking mission. However, he still felt his chest constrict at the thought of giving such young genin a C-rank mission.

After a long moment of scrutinizing the younger man, Sarutobi finally yielded. "Very well, Miroku. If you truly feel that your squad is ready for a C-rank mission…"

Kagome trudged into the Uchiha compound with a groan. All she wanted to do was take a long, hot bath and relax, but she had too much to do that afternoon. She still had to make lunch, and then she had to go to the grocery store to replenish their food stores.

First things first, though, she decided as she slipped off her sandals in the entry of the house. I need a shower…

As she passed the kitchen, she was surprised to see Sasuke working at the stove. "Niichan? What're you doing?"

"What does it look like?" he retorted, keeping his eyes on the pot in front of him. "I didn't know when you'd be home, so I decided to make something more substantial than those rice balls. You really need to go shopping, by the way; we're almost out of food."

"I was planning to do that this afternoon," she replied wearily.

Sasuke finally glanced up at her and was slightly taken aback by her disheveled—and damp—appearance. His brows furrowed. "What happened to you?"

Kagome gave her twin a sour look. "Frogs." Then, she marched upstairs to the bathroom.

When the girl returned, she found that Sasuke had already laid out the stew he had been working on, along with the onigiri from the bento boxes in the refrigerator. It was a rare treat—not because her brother could not cook, but rather because he rarely felt the urge—and Kagome rather enjoyed the fact that she hadn't had to make (most of the) lunch.

"Did you have a mission today, Niichan?" the girl asked as they quietly ate.

"Yeah, we had to chase the daimyo's wife's stupid cat," her twin answered, scowling slightly at the memory. Then he stared down at his bowl for a long moment before he spoke again. "And then the Hokage gave us a C-rank mission…"

"What?" Kagome almost dropped her spoon.

"Naruto kept badgering him until he finally broke down and agreed to give us one." He quietly ate another spoonful of stew. "It's not really that impressive. We just have to escort some bridge builder to Wave Country and protect him until he finishes his bridge. It should only take about three weeks."

The idea of being separated from her twin for a prolonged period of time left a cold pit in Kagome's stomach. Being apart from Sasuke had always seemed to be the worst aspect of being placed on a different teams; she had not even considered what it would be like when one of them would have to leave Konoha for a mission. Belatedly, she realized that it had been stupid of her to think that way; as they moved up in rank, there would be more and more occasions during which they would be separated for their missions.

Despite all of her rationalizations that they would (had to) undoubtedly function without each other, it still made her uneasy. They had rarely been apart for any substantial length of time since the Uchiha Massacre. The idea of being left alone in the compound for three weeks straight—with so many ghosts lurking around every corner—unnerved her.

However, Kagome refused to let Sasuke see her weakness. Forcing a smile, she told him, "That's great. When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," was the response. "We're supposed to meet in our usual spot around six-o'clock."

"I'll have to get up early to make sure you have a good breakfast, then," the girl said, mostly to herself.

Sasuke gave his sister a long, hard look. He knew that her reaction was anything but sincere; she was simply showing him what she thought he wanted to see. The idea of leaving her along for so long bothered him, but he knew that she could take care of herself.

After all, he reasoned, she was a better kunoichi than most of the girls he knew (the majority of which were, admittedly, his obsessive fan girls), and her skills were almost on par with his own (in most respects). Kagome could handle almost anything that was thrown at her. She would be fine.

So why was it he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen…?

Let's see… Kagome gazed thoughtfully at the contents of her shopping basket. I just need to get some umeboshi and bonito and I think I'll be finished…

Normally, whenever the Uchiha girl went to the grocery store, she found herself bombarded by the attentions of her friends (one of whose father was the store's proprietor). It wasn't that she really minded their friendship, but they had so little in common since they had dropped out of the ninja academy in favor of learning their families' trades or other endeavors. This time, it seemed that she would be able to get out of the store without a confrontation—and the sooner, the better.

However, Kagome's hope for a quick escape was thwarted when she suddenly heard someone call, "Kagome-chan!"

Cringing a bit, she turned to see Shimizu Yuka, Masuda Eri, and Okamoto Ayumi standing behind her, all gazing at her with expectant smiles. Oh, perfect—they were all together. There was no way she would get away without talking to all of them.

She immediately plastered a smile onto her face as she waved slightly. "Hi! It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Too long," agreed Yuka readily.

"Where've you been lately?" Eri wanted to know. "I hardly ever see you anymore."

Kagome offered them an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Eri-chan. It's just that I've been really busy with missions lately."

"That's right, you graduated from the academy a couple of months ago," Ayumi acknowledged.

"And you're on a team with Hojo-kun, aren't you?" Yuka added.

"Has he asked you out yet?" asked Eri excitedly.

The Uchiha girl squirmed. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi always seemed to be pressing her into hooking up with her sandy-haired teammate. Though she had come to respect his analytical skills since they were placed on the same team, she simply was not interested in Hojo—or anyone else—romantically. She knew her friends meant well, but sometimes she wished that she could figure out how to tell them to mind their own business without offending them.

Fortunately, Yuka recognized the discomfiture Kagome was radiating. Unfortunately, she misinterpreted it as embarrassment. "Come on, Eri-chan, don't bug Kagome-chan about Hojo-kun. When she's ready to talk about their relationship, she will."

Kagome sweatdropped. But we don't have a relationship…

"Who're your sensei and your other teammate, Kagome-chan?" asked Ayumi curiously.

Glad for the change of subject, Kagome answered, "My other teammate is Waseda Bankotsu, and our sensei is Aoyagi Miroku."

"I think I remember Bankotsu—he was in my class with Asuna-sensei," recalled Yuka with a thoughtful look. "He was always more interested in weapons and fighting than anything else."

Kagome nodded. "Bankotsu-kun says that the Waseda clan specializes in bukijutsu."

"Is he cute?" Eri inquired. When Kagome, Yuka, and Ayumi simply stared at her incredulously (all for different reasons), she blinked. "What?"

Fortunately or unfortunately (Kagome couldn't decide which), the awkward moment was interrupted when a familiar voice called, "Uchiha-san!"

Startled, the girl in question glanced over to see her sandy-haired teammate jogging toward them. "Hojo-kun?"

Hojo smiled slightly at Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi, politely greeting them all, but quickly returned his focus to his teammate. "Uchiha-san, Miroku-sensei asked me to deliver a message to you, since we weren't supposed to meet till tomorrow."

"What is it?" she asked, wondering what would be so important that it could not wait until their meeting the next morning.

"Miroku-sensei convinced the Hokage to give us a C-rank mission," the gray-eyed boy told her excitedly.

Kagome's eyes widened a fraction. "W-what?"

"We'll be escorting a priestess to her village in Light Country," Hojo went on, seemingly oblivious to her apprehension. "Miroku-sensei says that we'll be meeting at the gate at six tomorrow morning, so we can get an early start."

Kagome inhaled sharply. But…that's when Niichan's team is leaving. I was going to see him off…!

"He thinks we'll probably be gone for about a week and a half," added the sandy-haired boy, as if an afterthought. Then he gazed at her in concern. "Are you going to be ready for the mission, Uchiha-san?"

"Of course." Kagome heard herself quickly answering, though she didn't remember willing it to happen. "Shinobi must be ready for anything at all times."

Hojo did not appear convinced, but he did not press the issue. "Okay, then. I'll let Miroku-sensei know… Goodbye, Uchiha-san."

"Goodbye, Hojo-kun," Kagome replied hollowly as the boy slowly walked away.

The Uchiha girl's friends gazed at her worriedly, their anxiety growing when she remained silent, with her head lowered so that her bangs shielded her eyes. They could not understand her reaction to Hojo's news; most kunoichi their age would have been ecstatic to receive a C-rank mission, but she was acting as if her entire world had just crashed down around her ears.

Hesitantly, Yuka placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Kagome-chan…?"

"I'm sorry," Kagome muttered, shrugging her off. "I have to finish my shopping. I'll see you guys later…" With that, she slowly trudged away, leaving Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi to stare after her in concern.

Kagome delicately picked at the grains of rice in her bowl. Her anxieties about being separated from her brother for so long compounded with her doubts about her ability complete an advanced mission, creating so many knots in her stomach that she found absolutely nothing appetizing about her breakfast. She might as well have been eating Styrofoam. Biting her lip, she looked over at her twin.

Across from her, Sasuke seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, though she could only begin to guess what was going through his mind. He chewed thoughtfully on a mouthful of rice before he paused to glance over at her; after a long, hard stare, he returned his attention to his bowl. Kagome lowered her gaze to her own bowl, her mind still numb from everything that had happened in the last sixteen hours.

Neither of the Uchiha twins felt particularly talkative that morning. Despite the fact that the ensuing silence was almost unbearable, the near-tangible tension in the air made conversation seem unthinkable.

As the meal slowly drew to a close, the twins took care of a few last minute details—Kagome did the dishes and Sasuke rechecked their packs, to ensure that they had everything they would need for their missions. Both of them did their best to draw out the length of their respective tasks, but eventually they had to finish.

When all was said and done, the Uchiha twins stood at the compound gate, hesitant to take their leave. Though they both knew that this separation was only temporary, there seemed to be something very final about the moment.

It was Sasuke who broke the silence. "Well, I guess I'll see you in a few weeks."

Kagome nodded, not trusting her voice.

Neither of the twins made a move to leave.

Shifting slightly, the boy sighed. "We should get going."

Clenching her hands into fists, the girl looked up at her brother with tearful onyx eyes. Then, unexpectedly, she threw her arms around him and whispered, "Be careful, Niichan."

Sauske was thrown off guard by his twin's sudden display of affection. He had never been very good with emotional exhibitions—especially those of the touchy-feely variety—and Kagome did not often attempt them. Awkwardly, he returned the embrace. "Yeah, you, too…"

Then, after a long moment, the twins pulled away from each other. With a final, quiet "Goodbye," they slowly made their way to their designated meeting spots to join their respective teams.