Disclaimer: All the materials I used belong to their rightful owners. I take no profit from it. It is purely FanFiction, and is in no way associated with the anime.

Snowflakes

Snow fell down from the dark grey sky, turning the world white.

The outstretched branches of the sparse trees became laden with snow, their scraggly branches bare, their leaves dead and fallen weeks ago. Those leaves were blanketed by a thick layer of snow, hidden from the sun and the world – as she had been.

The kunoichi pulled her cloak tighter around her as the cold began to set in. Her feet, though wrapped up tightly with fur, were beginning to go numb – stabbing her with pins as she walked.

However, that wasn't all.

She had lost all feeling in the tips of her fingers.

If she needed to draw a kunai, her fingers would stumble, and there was no room for failure. Failure would cost her more than she was willing to give up her freedom, not to mention her life.

At that moment, he tapped her shoulder. Fear rippled through her thin frame.

Instinctively she turned drawing a kunai.

Predictably her fingers stumbled, but she managed to flick it in the direct of the culprit – aimed straight at his heart.

As the blade cut through the air, she drew another blade, ready to defend herself.

Her assailant's eyes widened, but still he smiled.

Seconds before impact, dodged, appearing next to the frozen kunoichi.

"Still jumpy are we?" drawled the demon.

"You know I am, Zabuza." she replied, lowering the blade. He grinned at her, baring his pointed teeth.

"Don't be." He took a step closer to her, tilting her chin upwards to face him.

"It'll be fine. There is nothing to worry about."

Sakura almost believed him.

Almost.

Pulling her head down, turning her head away from him she bit back her sorrow and frustration.

"If they find us…' she began. "They won't…" he reassured her.

"I'm not going back to that cell. I'd die before that'll happen." she threatened angrily.

Zabuza's smile faded as his mind was cast back to where they had come from.

He had been stuck in that jail cell for five long years, unable to see the sun, his body pumped with tranquilizers day in day out. By the end of it, his muscle mass had deteriorated to a point where it was a labour for him to stand.

When Sakura was thrust in a cell with him, his state shocked her. The guards didn't care. Zabuza was about ready to die, his spirit broken and starving to death. This memory haunted both of them.

Zabuza broke the sober silence.

"We both know that it's not going to happen." he said finally, but Sakura knew full well was he was thinking. If it did happen they had agreed to die rather than be captured.

Against all odds they had survived long enough to escape, but they were being hunted relentlessly.

If Zabuza were to be seen, suspicion would be aroused seeing as he had been 'supposedly' killed years ago. The bubblegum haired kunoichi however was a different case.

Rumor had it, that she had killed her sensei and run.

No one had seen her in over a year.

Apparently her death had been confirmed - that was meant to be the end of it.

But she was very much alive.

If she was to be seen, the entire cover-up would be realised.

That was not a comforting thought – seeing as they, the guards and anyone in on the secret, would do anything to prevent it. If the cover-up came to light, the reaction would be outrage and suspicion.

The people would feel betrayed, and act rashly in potential conflict could spark a civil war.

That could not happen – no matter what happened.

Too many lives had already been lost. She didn't even know who was alive or dead.

"Sakura…" the demon murmured, bringing her back to the here and now. He had come alarmingly close, his body radiating heat.

"Zabuza…" she whispered back as his arms wrapped around her.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. She inhaled his now familiar smell and sighed.

Usually the S-Rank missing nin would have grinned and cracked a perverted joke by now – but this time something was different.

Zabuza held her closer to his chest, gently pressing her against him.

The kunoichi rested her head on his chest, her exhaustion finally hitting her.

"We should find shelter." Sakura murmured wearily.

"I agree." replied the older missing-nin.

But neither of them moved.

They lingered a moment too many...

The crunch of snow underfoot startled them to the point that both the 'prisoners' as it were drew knives and turned to face the perpetrator.

But, it was too late.

They were completely surrounded.

[EndChapterOne]