Mixing of Snow and Sand

Chapter 28: True to Yourself

A day or so after I crossed the border into the land of fire I took some time to rest. I was still sore from my fight with Kimimaro and Okami was exhausted.

"Let's rest here." I muttered as we sat next to a large oak tree. Okami collapsed beside me panting. I pulled my water out and poured some into the cap for him. "Here, drink." He lapped up the water hungrily.

Thank you... He muttered once he was finished.

"You don't have to thank me, I got you into this mess. I won't let anything happen to you, Okami." He placed his head in my lap as I shut my eyes to get some rest.

"Is this really what you want, Mia?" My eyes shot open as I heard a familiar voice above me.

"How long have you been following me?" I muttered. Okami was already asleep and I didn't move for fear of waking him.

"Since you left." I clenched my teeth together.

"So why didn't you try to stop me before I crossed the border? There's nothing you can do here. It's against your laws." 

"You'll find when it comes to you, I like to break the laws." He jumped down in front of me, jolting Okami awake. He growled but I simply placed a hand on his muzzle.

"It's alright." He was wearing an Anbu mask, it probably belonged to him when he was a member.

"Are you going to come home?" I looked down.

"I have no home. I gave that up when I fought Shikamaru." He sighed.

"Do you have to be so dramatic? I swear I don't know where you get it from. Your mother was never like this and I don't have a flare for it either." I looked up at him as he removed the mask, revealing the sharingan in his left eye. I rolled my eyes and went to get up, but he was so fast to grab me by the throat. He held me against the tree as Okami growled from beside me. "Tell him to stand down or he'll get hurt." He demanded. I could see the seriousness in his eyes.

"Okami, down." I stated.

Mia...

"Its fine." He looked down into my eyes, as if he was trying to figure out why I left in the first place.

"I saw everything that happened, you didn't kill Shikamaru. You care about what happens to the people of our village as well as the Sand Village." I wished I could look away, but his grip was so tight it almost made it impossible to breathe.

"I never wanted anyone to get hurt, because of me. That's what will happen if I stay, Orochimaru will destroy the Sand Village just like he destroyed the Snow Village." He frowned underneath his mask.

"Mia, I swear you don't think before you act. Orochimaru said that because he knew it would get you to come to him. He doesn't have the manpower after the attack on the Leaf Village, besides he just lost all of his guards when they went after Sasuke. It will take him some time to regain the manpower to attack another village."

"I can't keep putting my friends and family in harms way. If Itachi and Orochimaru want me then they will have to come and get me outside of the villages." He released my throat, allowing a rush of air to fill my lungs. I coughed as I tried to calm down my rapid breaths. Once I had finally been able to calm myself I looked back up at him to see his Sharingan boring into my eyes. My body froze to the spot, I felt sick as I was thrown into my own memories.

~

I looked around as I found myself standing in the main room of my childhood home. My mother was sitting at the table with my father, their faces creased with worry. I remembered this day, it was when I found out that I had the Osore.