Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Kairi, Kaiyo and the storyline is mine.

Frozen Hearts and Dark Pasts - Part One

Cold eyes surveyed a colder world. Frozen depths analysed the darkness. The lone figure watched for the slightest movement in the freezing night. Ice chips flicked to the left as the silhouette shifted ever so slightly. Two people were approaching out of the depths of the shadows. The lone figure remained where it was, before striding forwards into the light of a lonely street lamp. The flickering light cast shadows over the person's features, but the two approaching could easily tell that it was a female. Dark hair covered half of her face, and the other remained in shadow. A single, bright eye gleamed at them from the darkness.
"Kairi-chan." One of the newcomers greeted her.
"Kisame-kun." She replied calmly. The third figure remained in silence. He lingered just outside the circle of light, yet his features could still be picked out. A scarlet eye raked over her as she watched him, midnight hair was pulled back into its customary ponytail, and the crimson ring on his finger gleamed in the flickering light.
"Itachi-kun." She said quietly, inclining her head.
"Kairi." He replied, looking away.
"Shall we move on?" Kisame sought the approval of his two team mates.
"Hai." Kairi sighed.

She watched the sunset from her position on a wide bough above a swift-flowing river. She could see for miles. It reminded her of home. Violently, she shook her head, ridding herself of those memories. She didn't need to be plagued by those thoughts. Pulling her knees to her chin, she tried to think of other things. Her thoughts fell on Itachi, sitting in their campsite with Kisame fifty feet below her. He confused her. Not many people did that. Very few in fact. And those that did, ended up dead by her hand. She groaned in defeat as her thoughts went full circle back to her original musings. Fine. If she was going to reminisce, then she'd do it away from the others.

Scarlet eyes tracked the lack of movement around them. It was unusual for the girl to be away for this long. His eyes narrowed slightly as he also noticed the lack of her belongings. Kisame noticed this slight movement.
"What is it?"
"Where's the girl?"
Kisame blinked. He looked around.
"I don't know. Her stuff was here a little while ago."
Itachi inclined his head slightly. Used to his silences, Kisame returned to his own thoughts. Without a word, Itachi rose and swept out of the clearing.

Sapphire orbs stared back at her out of the lake. Crystal water flowed below her, unaware of the troubles deep within her heart and mind. Slender fingers disrupted the smooth flow. Falling drops distorted the glassy surface.
"Kaiyo…" she breathed. She remembered, for the first time in a long time, the crimes she had committed that night.

"I told you we shouldn't have gone. All you ever do is get us in trouble. And now look, father's going to kill us when he hears about this!"
"He won't." she snapped, cutting her younger sister off. "If you don't say anything, he won't know."
"But Kairi…"
"No." she growled. "You don't get it, do you Kaiyo? Whenever we've got yelled at and punished for something, it's always because you let it slip somewhere. Every time I tell you to not say anything, and what do you do? You tell someone." She turned on her heel and strode away from her sister. She could feel that familiar anger, that hatred towards her imouto, towards her family. She strode past her aniki, past her father and into her room. Locking herself away from the world, she continued her coming home routine.
I hate you
The words were carved deep. She paused, breathing heavily, watching the scarlet liquid slide down her ivory skin. She tilted her head back slightly, eyes closed, mouth open, letting the pain wash over her. Noises from the road below her window caused her to snap back to herself. Her eyes locked with her reflection's in the mirror opposite her bed. She growled softly. She saw her sister in herself. She rose from her position on her bed and crossed to the window. Looking down she could see two other Mist-nin laughing and fooling around. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. The noise was going straight through her head. The anger began boiling inside her. Her fingers found her kunai and the noise stopped.

She heard Kaiyo before she saw her. The barely muffled gasp attracted her older sister's attention.
"You killed them…?" she choked. "Naze? Kairi?"
Kairi's hatred of this weak thing before her, whom she was forced to call her twin, became loathing. The third kunai found her searching fingers. She watched with vague interest as the sliver of silver found the girl's heart. Kairi's reflection crumpled before her. Kaiyo's face was frozen in an expression of horror, sorrow and confusion. Kairi examined her silently for a second, before heaving the body up and transporting it to outside the village.

"Shisuta!"
Kairi looked up from her packing, to see her aniki leaning in the doorway.
"Nani? I'm busy?"
He grinned at her.
"You're always busy Kairi-baka."
She shrugged, turning her back on him.
"Going on a mission?"
"No." She replied calmly.
She could sense her brother's confusion, even with her back to him.
"Then why are you packing? Kairi?" Receiving no answer, he crossed the space between them and turned her to face him.
"I'm leaving." She stated calmly, her gaze locking with his. She saw the shock filter through his eyes.
"Nani?! Naze?!"
"Because I must. I'm being suffocated in this house, Taro."
"Because of chichioya? I'll talk to him."
She shook her head.
"It's no use. You know what he's like. He'll forbid me leave this house."
"But you don't have to leave! Get your own apartment, fine. But leave the village?!"
"Taro." She murmured softly. "I don't wish to leave either, but he has left me no choice. I must go." She removed his hand from her arm, slung her pack over her shoulder and strode for the door.
"Saraba, aniki." She whispered, pausing momentarily at the door, before stepping outside, into the cold dark.