Fire and Ice ~ Naruto Fanfiction ~ Book One

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen: An Exchange

I waited for all of the other people to filter out of the room till only four people remained inside. I walked in and looked at the four people.

My eyes trained on the tallest of them all, Momochi Zabuza. He was just like okaasan had described him to be: oddly intimidating.

He was wearing a black, tight, top that was sleeveless, black utility pants, army boots, and of course bandage wrappings covering his forearms, neck and lower half of his face. The grey Konoha headband was positioned on an angle on the side of his forehead; temple.

I looked at his team, all seeming to be older than myself by a year or two. The girl I fought was wearing a green haori over a high neck black top and cargo pants, the tallest boy wearing a Mist-like outfit but a Konoha headband, and finally the short haired boy was wearing a oxblood red coat over a shirt that was hidden under a red scarf and dark--almost black--green pants. Both the twins had their headbands around their necks.

Clearing my throat I kept my eyes trained on nothing in particular. "As you guys know by now, I'm your cousin." I looked at the twins and they nodded slightly. "And currently both my mother and aunt are MIA to everyone but the leads. I take it you guys found the other four?"

Rin nodded. "Yeah: head to the north with a needle's eye, fall to the south till nothing but trees and flames greet you..."

Zabuza spoke next when she began to trail off. "Gather in five to reach where I may hide." He looked at the long haired boy, Haku I believe, who nodded back to him.

"Too bad, I'm not where you seek so look for my sister's blood under violet and silver stones." He repeated the exact words of the letter that was left for them behind a stone that was behind a waterfall--it was designed so that when five hands touch it it would move to reveal the letter to them.

I laughed nervously. "Yeah... aunt Sakumi loves making people run around in circles..."

"Sadistic as ever..." I heard Zabuza mumble under his breath as he clicked his tongue and looked to the side. He tried to seem annoyed and bitter, but I could hear the hint of amusement underlining his tone. He really does love you, huh aunt Sakumi?

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and got back on track. "Well now, I guess I should tell you guys where they both are." I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as I took a deep breath and created a privacy barrier around us. "Auntie is currently doing an undercover mission for Konohagakure, to keep an eye on the Akatsuki."

Zabuza was the least surprised out of them all. "I had a feeling it was something like that, but I never would've imagined she'd be sent on an SS-Class mission, she's not even an ANBU."

Ren looked at me. "And what about aunt Suki?"

I looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep sighed. "She was last heard from during a top secret mission spying on Orochimaru. Her last transmission was 'it is terrible, he is no human. He is a demon, do not approach, run away from the snake that reaps your corpse of face. He is nearly immortal...' after that we haven't heard from her." I bit my lip, I was worried about my mother's whereabouts.

Rin leaped over to me and hugged me tightly. "I'm so sorry, cousin." She whispered and I slowly returned the embrace, burying my face into her shoulder.

"Thank you..."

The exams were on a hiatus to prepare for the third stage. I was sitting on the roof of the place we were staying, breathing in and out deeply as to calm the beast inside. The blood that was shed today... it wasn't enough for him; for me.

It was dark, the moon full and high up in the starless night sky. "Hey, are you alright?" A voice asked from behind and I whipped around to see a girl from my village with mismatching eyes. She was from the other side of the village so I never really met her, but I saw her from time to time running.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly, I find it strange that I had not sensed her before she spoke up.

She shrugged and to my surprise sat down beside me, her legs crossed Indian style as she leaned back on her arms. "I just couldn't sleep, seems both of our teams got put in the same hotel, huh?" She looked at me, causing her hair to fall free from its place behind her ear and obscured her face, though half of her face was still hidden by her bangs.

She struggled with her hair before it finally cooperated. "By the way, my name's Xiao, Mai Xiao. You're Gaara, right?"

I nodded. "If you know who I am, why aren't you running away?" I asked her, after all that match I had today made everyone (more) fearful of me. If not that than she must've heard of me back home.

She shrugged. "If you mean the whole Shukaku thing I don't really care." She moved to face me and held her bangs out of her face, slowly opening her eyes. "After all I'm pretty strange myself." She had a purple eye--that I knew--but her left eye was a silver colour. I thought I was imagining things when I saw it during her match, but I guess not.

I realised that I was staring and looked up at the moon. "You're odd."

"Ha?! That's so mean, Ga-kun!" She lightly punched my shoulder--my sand didn't block her fist. "You're not supposed to call me 'odd'!"

'Ga-kun'? What the hell? Wait... Shukaku why'd you let her punch me?

...Huh? Ya say something kid?

You heard me.

Uh... g'night kid, I'll let you sleep for once.

Only to get himself out of trouble... why am I not surprised. Stupid racoon dog.