Hikari was barely 6 years old, she had already started her training to become a kunoichi and like most days as of late, she was out training late into the evening. It had gotten dark, which meant that she was out far beyond what she was allowed. She had become so focused on what she was doing, as she often did, that she hadn't really been paying attention to how dark it had gotten. She had only just realized how late it was when she heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from the direction of her home. Her eyes widened in terror as they instantly shifted in the direction of the screams, only to be met with a vision of flames lighting up the darkness. She felt an intense sense of horror flood over her as she began to realize that this was real and that whatever was going on, it was coming from her clan. She clenched a fist and tried to swallow her fear as another chorus of screams sank in.<br/><br/>She knew what she should do, what her mother would want her to do: Run and hide. She was only a little girl, there was nothing she could do. If her parents couldn't fight off whoever it was, surely she didn't stand a chance. Still, whatever part of her was thinking about what she should do hadn't won out, for she found her feet moving without even thinking, carrying towards the screams, towards the horror she knew she would find. Out of nowhere she felt someone grab her and pull her behind a tree, covering her mouth so she couldn't scream. "Shhh. It's just me." the familiar voice whispered before removing his hand from her mouth, confident that she would not scream. "Arashi." she whispered. "What's happening?" she asked and he shook his head. "I don't know, but it isn't good. I came out here to find you because it was so late. It wasn't long after I left that something seemed wrong. Then the fires started..." he frowned deeply, sadness mixed with anger coloring his features. "I didn't go back to find out what was going on. I wanted to find you." he explained.<br/><br/>Hikari looked up at her brother with a look of terror and sadness. He patted her head like he always did, ruffling her hair and trying to smile to comfort her. "I need to get you somewhere safe." he started and she shook her head wildly, stubborn as always. "No! I want to help! I can't just sit!" she insisted firmly. "I'll go get help!" she suggested, knowing he would never let her go back with him, and she was too young to be of much use anyways. She would only get in his way. She truly didn't want him to go back, afraid she would lose him and it wouldn't make anything any better, but she also knew that he was the only chance everyone else had of surviving. A look of sadness washed over her features and he patted her head, giving her a sad but approving smile. "You really are something, you know that?" he asked and she managed a small smile through the sadness, fighting back the tears that she didn't have time to shed. "Don't come back, little sister. You run, you get help and then you stay safe, away from here, at least until it is over." he said in a gentle voice that held a firmness that warned her not to disobey. She nodded a somewhat grudging acceptance. "I love you, Hikari. Be careful." he said, ruffling her hair one last time. "I love you too, Arashi..." she replied, trying to hide the immense sadness behind her eyes, and then they departed.<br/><br/>Hikari ran as quickly as she could through the trees toward Konoha. Her instinct was to scream for help the whole way but she was certain that no one would hear her. When she neared the walls she began to call out, "Help! Somebody, please!" she called out, fighting back to tears that threatened as she screamed. She didn't have to wait long for a voice to reply. "What is it? Who's there?" the voice called back. "Hikari Yukimura. Please! My family is in trouble!" she called as the figure emerged from the shadows, dressed in the standard garb of a Konoha ninja. "Come with me." the masked man said, picking her up before she had a chance to resist, rushing toward the village.<br/><br/>It didn't take them long to gather up ninja to go, leaving her behind, alone again. She wasn't truly alone, there was a medical-nin with her, checking her over to make sure she was okay, but it didn't matter. Everyone she loved might be gone, and then she would truly be alone, no matter who was with her in body. She sat there lonely, fighting back her tears but unable to hide the sadness she felt. The medical-nin tried to occupy her, to tell her that she was okay and that it was okay if she wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She had to be strong.<br/><br/>She wanted to do as she had been told, but she grew increasingly restless. When the medical-nin left the room to bring her something to eat, she was gone. She was sneaky enough to get out without being caught, rushing toward her home. The fires had died down, only a faded glow remain on the horizon, no screams left to be heard. As she reached the place she had once called home, only half of the structures remained standing. Many were nothing more than piles of smoldering ash while others were only partially burned, fewer still were left standing with only scorch marks to show the horrors they had witnessed.<br/><br/>Her home was among those few that stood. She could feel the tears threaten as she choked them back and made a dash for the house. She was not prepared for the horrors that lay before her as she burst through the doorway. Her eyes went wide in terror and the tears she had held back poured down her cheek. "Mother! Father!" she cried as she ran towards their bodies and fell to her knees crying. Both lay in pools of blood from the many wounds they had both suffered. The room was torn apart, no longer recognizable as the dining room. The dinner she had missed was scattered across the floor, along with the broken dishes and various pieces of the broken table.<br/><br/>Someone must have seen her or, more likely, heard her screams, because moments later two men came rushing into the house. One of them was the same masked man that had taken her to the others. Tears streaked her face as she looked up at the men, a hopeless, broken, desperate look on her face. "Arashi? Did you find my brother?" she practically pleaded, her gaze dropping when both men gave a saddened look, the masked man shaking his head. "We didn't find anyone alive. We haven't found his body but..." he hesitated to answer but she nodded, indicating that she understood. Most of the houses had been burnt. It was much more likely that his body was one burned in one of the houses than any possibility that he might be alive. If he were alive, he wouldn't have left her all alone.<br/><br/>The masked man approached her and knelt down next to her. "You're a strong kid." he spoke honestly. "Let's get you out of here. You don't need to see any more of this." he said and she practically threw herself into his arms, having nowhere else to go, no one else to go to. He was a little surprised and didn't seem to really know what to do at first, but he accepted the embrace and gave her a little squeeze in return before lifting her up and taking her back to Konoha. Although she wasn't physically injured, he took her back to the hospital. He laid her back in the bed and turned to leave, stopping only when she spoke. "Mister..." her small, sad voice spoke gently to him. He turned and looked at her. "What's your name?" she asked. "Kakashi." he replied and she stared at him for a long moment. "Thank you, Kakashi." she said before running over to give him another hug. "You're welcome." he replied with what she could only guess was a smile. "You're a good kid. You take care of yourself, alright?" he said before leaving once she gave an affirmative nod.