The Cloud Over The Leaf

Hii was brought to their mindscape almost immediately. He floated towards Akumu who looked...tense.

'What's wrong? You don't look too good."

Akumu said nothing as he simply looked in Hii's direction. Hii began to feel uncomfortable at the silence.

'Hey, you usually say something by now. What's wrong?'

Hii tried to play off the sinking feeling of dread off as he floated close to Akumu and brushed his fluffy hair. 

The feeling only grew worse as Akumu just let him do it.

'A-Akumu~. I'm rubbing your fur again~."

Akumu merely sat there and let him have his fill. This made Hii stop entirely as he just stood by and waited in fear. He didn't think it would be so serious.

[Hii.]

Akumu finally said something, but his tone sent shivers down Hii's spine. Akumu turned towards him again with an unknown conviction.

[I'm going to leave your body.]

Hii froze at Akumu's words. Akumu sighed and waited for Hii to wake up from the shock.

Hii started to shiver like he was cold. He hoped he heard wrong, but he was too scared to make certain.

Akumu's face began to scrunch up as he frowned. Even he didn't want to leave him, but he finally figured out some of his concerns about Hii.

He had to tell him it was for his own good.

[Hii.]

Hii looked at Akumu, tears starting to form around his eyes.

[Have you ever wondered why you can't stand yet?]

Hii's body shook, but he refused to answer. He refused to acknowledge it!

[It's because of me. I'm the reason you haven't been growing much.]

'That doesn't make since! Why would you be the reason I'm not growing?!'

[It's because I'm growing as well.]

'Huh?'

Hii grew confused, but Akumu patiently explained.

[I'm absorbing your chakra as we speak, you just can't feel it since we've been together since the beginning.]

Akumu looked apologetically at Hii, but Hii was having none of it.

'What did I do to make you want to leave?! Tell me and I can fix it!'

Akumu let out a deep sigh as Hii desperation ramped up.

[Hii. Now I know you saw the reaction Itachi had when he tried to pick you up today, right?]

Hii's desperation came to a halt as he remembered the shiver Itachi felt as he reached for Hii.

Akumu pressed on with his reasoning.

[I paid attention as he picked me up and realized his chakra was getting absorbed by me. To be more specific, his yang chakra.]

Akumu looked away from Hii and stood up. He started to walk around Hii as he continued.

[This isn't the first time it's happened either. Di and Henda both have the same shiver when they pick you up. They might take it as excitement for being with you, but ever since I came back from the Kyuubi attack, this has happened.]

Hii wanted to close his ears. He wanted to ignore the logic, but Akumu wouldn't let him. 

[You want to know what the worst example is?]

Hii hesitated, but felt he had no choice, but to nod his head.

[Look around.]

Hii did as he was told and looked around, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The same black and grey horizon in the distance.

[You probably can't see it. Remember when we first met?]

'Yeah. You told me you were me.'

[ I did, didn't I? Notice how much black is in here, Hii.]

Hii looked around again. He noticed the black seemed to push against the grey, covering it completely. The grey would fight back and the black would recede. This happened over and over wherever Hii looked.

[It's because you aren't in here all the time. You don't notice that the black is slowly claiming the grey areas.]

Akumu looked in Hii's direction.

[I'm eating you. I'm slowly eating all of your life energy you need to grow for myself to grow.]

Hii couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe Akumu would try to hurt him, unconsciously or not.

[Even more evidence if you still can't believe it. Remember Sasuke and Naruto?]

Hii slowly nodded his head.

[Those two are half a year or so younger than you, yet you all are around the same development.]

Akumu sat in front of Hii, making sure the baby couldn't avoid facing him.

[In a few months, they will pass you in development.]

'R-really?'

Akumu nodded his head.

[I'm certain. I'm even more certain that you will rapidly grow as soon as I leave you.]

Hii's tears couldn't be stopped now. He held himself from bawling outright, but his control was slipping as fast as the tears were falling.

Akumu sighed and brought his face towards Hii.

[Don't cry. I'll still be around. Just not always by your side.]

Hii's sniffled started to grow as Akumu used his fur to try and wipe the tears.

[I'm sure I can come back to you, but you have to grow up first. We have to grow up, ok?]

Hii weakly nodded his head and latched onto Akumu for one last hug.

Akumu stiffened, then relaxed as he let Hii cry himself to sleep.

****

Inside Hii's room, the temperature of the room dropped drastically. A black shadow emerged from Hii as Akumu appeared next to the crib. His size let him see through the rails of the crib, looking at Hii's tear soaked face one more time.

'I'm sorry,Hii. This is for the best, for both of us.'

Akumu slowly turned away as he walked into the shadows of the room.

*Wrrrrrr*

The shadows on the wall rippled like a puddle as Akumu jumped through. He appeared outside of the house and started to walk down the street, which then turned into a run.

'I changed what would happen too much. It's only right I have to watch out for enemies here and outside of the village.'

Akumu could feel the life energy of everything around him. The sleeping birds, the people, and even the ninjas watching over the village.

He wanted to devour them all, but he supressed those sinister thoughts.

"The reaper is still not fully assimilated yet. It will take a bit more time."

Akumu sped along the village road until he came to the forest of Death. He would make here his new home for now and his base of operations. 

He looked back once more at the village, specifically in Hii's directions. He could still sense him now and felt Hii could do the same. A smile rose up on his face, revealing his white fangs.

"Grow up fast, Hii. I want to fight with you one day."

Akumu turned forward and walked into the forest. A ghastly howl was heard as the forest grew eerily silent, welcoming it's new resident.

*****

Hii woke up once again to a new day. He didn't feel so happy about it though.

'Akumu?'

Hii waited for a response, but he could only hear the chirping of the morning birds outside. 

Hii wanted to cry, but he held in his tears as he started to sit up for his morning ritual. 

He sat up and started the climb up the rails to stand once more. He wished he didn't notice how his strength seemed....different. He felt more powerful than yesterday, but this only made him sadder as Akumu seemed to be right in his deduction.

'The moment of truth.'

Hii finally stood up, feeling a world of a difference in his chances of remaining standing. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let go of the rail. 

He waited to feel the softness of the futon under him, but all he felt was the strength in his legs hold out and his back stand tall. 

His eyes started to water as he just stood there. No triumphant thoughts or accomplishment. Just the sadness of losing family stayed with him. 

His door opened up as Kaya came in once again to greet her baby.

"Good morn-"

Kaya stopped as her eyes caught a sniffling Hii. She immediately rushed to pick Hii up and pacify her baby.

"What's wrong Hii? Did you have a nightmare?"

Hearing the word nightmare push for waterworks.

"Uwaaaah!!"

Hii started to cry heavily as Kaya did her best to console him. The family woke up quickly to Hii's rare cries and came to the room.

Riku came close to Kaya and inspected the room and her daughter.

"What happened, Kaya?! Is Hii ok?"

"I think so. I don't know what happened. I think he had a bad dream."

Kaya continued to console her baby as he slowly started to calm down.

"It's ok~. Mommy's here~"

Kaya patted Hii's back gently as she hummed a tune Riku would hum when she was younger and upset.

The family relaxed as they saw their youngest member relax.

They weren't prepared for the next bomb coming though.

"M-mom."

"That's right~! Mommy is-"

Everyone stopped as they realized they never heard that voice before. They all looked at Hii with shock on their faces as he gripped onto Kaya's shoulder. 

Kaya shook in excitement as she looked at the faces of all of her family.

"H-Hii, sweetie."

"?"

Hii looked at her with confusion on his face.

"W-who am I?"

She pointed to herself, her finger shaking in disbelief as the moment she had waited for had come. 

Hii looked at her with his head tilted and responded.

"Mom?"

The spring morning started for this family with a rare shower a tears and a sure chance of mothers fainting in happiness.