Never Let You Go [Zabuza Momochi]

Chapter 8

The work was long and tiring. Lacey's muscles screamed in protest when she dropped from exhaustion most nights. Though the rogues adapted to her limitations. At times. They came to find the young woman was a very good actress, and often ordered to stake out villages for the targets. Even follow them in some way as a patron. She blended in perfectly. Sometimes this method forced Lacey to come in contact with them, but she never gave away suspicion.

"You're not bad," Zabuza grumbled. The group walked away from another client they'd just collected from. "But you suck at being a ninja."

Well, one slight complement was a start.

Zabuza deemed she had to be more skilled in the weapons area before moving beyond scouting. She needed to be faster, able to wield a weapon properly. If the dancer was in trouble, which she seemed to attract, knowing how to disarm, fight back, and block would save her life. Ninja were fast. They'd out run and kill their third member in a heartbeat.

"Ow," Lacey grumbled.

Haku smiled lightly in apology, continuing to smear a green paste over the cut on her cheek where a blade had gotten too close. "You're weak," Zabuza commented. The young man sat on a broken couch at their latest lodging, sharpening his weapon. The latest training session didn't end in her favor.

"Thanks," Lacey rolled her eyes.

"You got lucky you managed to move just in time, otherwise you'd be missing a head." Irritated the young woman refused to speak to him. He growled in reply, standing up to rip open the front door to the abandon cabin. "Get out here."

"What?" Both individuals gave him a look of confusion.

"Are you deaf? Get. Out. Here. Now." He disappeared out of sight.

"Better do as he says," Haku whispered.

They stood across from each other in a clearing further in the forest. The rogue watched the dancer carefully. "You don't fight," he stated.

"That's not my nature."

"Well you're going to get killed then. I won't hesitate to cut through you if you're in my way." Lacey didn't doubt the statement. He began walking closer. "You have no fight."

Her brows pinched. "Yes I do."

"Only when the enemy is right in your face. You get lucky. Eventually that will run out. Do you want to die?"

"No."

"I don't believe you. I think you want to get yourself killed."

"No, I don't."

"Pathetic." The man stopped feet in front of her. "You couldn't do your job as a dancer so you ran away. You were too weak though to get away, which is an embarrassment and we had to step in. Now you think you can be a ninja? Please, stop kidding yourself. You're weak, a nobody who has no place in this world." Her hands clenched, jaw set.

"Zabuza, that's enough," Haku spoke up.

He ignored the teen. "You are a child. And in my opinion are of no use to me whatsoever. I should have left you in that forest after our mission with Kuro's Household. You failed there as well. You're wasting my time, and ruining our name as assassins, prancing about like this." The man bent down to be eye level, glare set. "Go back to being a whore and dance around for that pig."

Lacey's eyes narrowed at Zabuza, throwing her fist forward in anger. However, the young man caught the flying limb easily, gripping it tightly. "Za–!"

"Be quiet, Haku," he ordered.

"I'm not a whore! Let me go!" Lacey yelled. Her leg came up, nearly kneeing Zabuza where the sun-don't-shine. The ninja stopped the attack before impact just in time. His eyes grew dark and dangerous from the shot. A second later, Lacey found herself face down on the ground. One of Zabuza's knees pressed into her back, hand grasping the young woman's wrists roughly, the other pinning her head to the ground.