Mixing of Snow and Sand

Chapter 17: Haku

I looked up at the trees and saw him standing there. A mask covered his face, but there was no denying that voice.

"Haku!" I cried out as I pushed out of the circle.

"Haku? Wasn't that the name of your brother?" Temari asked, coming to my side.

"There's no denying that voice, he may be older but that is without a doubt my brother." I stated. He reached up to remove the mask. When he lowered it I saw the icy blue eyes that always analyzed me as a child when we sparred.

"Even after all these years you remember the sound of my voice, impressive big sister." I clenched my fists as he mocked me.

"I'm not a kid anymore. Stop treating me like one." He chuckled. It was so familiar, it was so much like home. It ached.

"I can see that, you're all grown up now. You used to never say anything to anyone other than me. Now you have friends that have altered your mind. Tell me, are you surprised to see your little brother after all these years? Alive and not dead." It took me a moment to remember that I had seen his dead body when my village had been destroyed.

"W-wait...that's not possible, I saw your body...I held your hand..." I shook my head.

"It was a clone. I knew the village was going to be attacked and I said nothing." My eyes went wide.

"You knew!? Why didn't you say anything to anyone!? You wanted everyone to die!?" I screamed.

"Yes." No hesitation was in his response.

"Why?"

"Because...I hated that village. I hated mother and father. You were the only person I didn't hate."

"Haku...why? Father, you were everything to him. You were going to lead our village one day. You were always better at everything, to him I was just a failure. And mother...she, she loved you with everything in her heart. Why would you want them to die?"

"Don't you understand, big sister? I hated that father put me before you. He outcasted you like you were nothing more than a pawn. You were supposed to lead our village as the first born. But he didn't want a woman leading our people. And mother...she was worse than father, she babied you. Allowed you to feel safe and protected when everyone in the village hated you because of your eyes. She never saw what was truly in your heart, the hatred, the loneliness. She never saw her daughter at all." I gasped.

"Haku, if you believe that...then why didn't you try to find me after?" He frowned. I had almost never seen it, he always hid behind closed doors. Now I understood why. He was preparing himself for the day he would help destroy the village.

"I never wanted you to get involved. But when Orochimaru sealed Shei in you...that became unavoidable." I touched my chest where the seal was.

"So you want me for Shei?"

"No. Not exactly. Shei is a part of you now. To tear you two apart would kill you. We need you alive." I felt the sweat drop down the side of my face.

"Why didn't they kill me when they came to the village?" I asked, needing to know why I was left alive.

"Because...I asked them to leave you alive." I looked up at him shocked.

"Brother!" He looked away from me, as if remorseful of what he had done.

"Itachi, Kisame we should leave. I can sense more Shinobi." I took a step towards him again.

"Haku!" He looked at me.

"I will tell you this. Gaara had nothing to do with the actions of his father. He never knew a thing." With that the three of them disappeared and I was left there with my mouth hanging open.

"Haku...why...?" I whispered as I dropped to my knees. "You let mother and father be killed because of me...?" Temari bend down beside me.

"Mia, are you okay?" I shook my head.

"In the matter of several days I learned that the Sand Village helped destroy my village, my brother is alive and helped destroy my village and he let my family be killed because he thought it would make me feel better. No, I'm not okay, Temari." I stated.

"We should go. Mia, looks pale. Most likely from having her chakra drained from Kisame's sword." Kakashi said, we were closer to the Leaf Village than the Sand Village so they took me there. Gaara being insistent on carrying me.

"Gaara..." I whispered as we followed Kakashi to the hospital. He looked down at me, I could see that the words I had spoken to him had dug deep. "I'm sorry...I never should have said what I did...I just...don't know what to believe anymore..." His eyes lightened and he gave me a small smile.

"You don't have to apologize, I only wish I had known and could have stopped it." I sighed and thought about what Haku had said.

"He said he did all of this because of me...if that's true, at the end of the day...its my fault." Gaara shook his head as we were walked to a room.

"You're wrong. Your brother is responsible. It doesn't matter what he said to justify his actions." Gaara set me down in the bed and I saw Temari nod.

"He's right." Kakashi said, sitting down next to me. I could see he had something on his mind.

"What is it?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Kakashi, don't hide things from me. If you know something, tell me." He sighed.

"I promised your mother, I would never tell you the truth until you were ready." I froze.

"You knew my mother?" He nodded. "How?" He scratched the back of his head.

"Its a long, complicated story. For another time."

"Then what is this truth you're not telling me about?" I demanded. Everyone in the room seemed to grow tense as well.

"Do you promise not to freak out and relax?" He asked me. I nodded once. "Alright..."