Fire and Ice
*Chapter 1: The Land of Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
some say in ice.
- Robert Frost
"Damn the Fire nation! They really think they can out beat us?" exclaims the king of the Land of Frost. He slams his hand on the arm of his grand chair. He glares at the shaking messenger, not sure if it is because of the room's cold temperature or if it is because of fear.
"King-sama, surely a hidden village like Konoha would know better than to underestimate your kingdom," mutters the messenger. The brown-haired, dark-eyed male keeps his eyes on the steps of the king's throne. He swallows thickly, hoping that he will not be punished for delivering such terrible news. He silently ponders why Kizashi didn't inherit the throne.
"Well, messenger, that is a very good point. Because Konoha is a renown village, it would be expectant of them to belittle us," the king says and laughs amused. He shakes his head and touches his crown, remembering his authority. He tilts his head and adds, "Let me tell you something about my battle plan, messenger. Konoha will underestimate us and when we strike, they'll never know what hit them. We'll impale them with our special ninjutsu: frost."
The messenger nods and asks, "What about the other elements?"
"Of course, we'll have our fair shinobi with the main elements lead the ambush against Konoha. After all, we will need our element users during the attack. The frost users will be the hidden trump card, messenger." The king smirks at the thought of the Leaf village covered in frost. No other shinobi villages have the special ninjutsu of frost except the royal shinobi of the Land of Frost.
The messenger lifts his head and stares at the king while asking, "King-sama, are you sure you want to send the Royal family out into battle? They are your family; it would not be wise to send Frost's Royal family members into the enemy's lair. Should one be captured, I highly doubt that they would be saf-"
"Silence, you fool! I am the king and I choose who goes out onto the battlefield!" shouts the king. He arches a brow, outraged. Was a mere messenger teaching him how to prepare for war? He would make sure this certain man learned his place in the royal palace. The king places his hands on his knees, leans forward as if there was no large distance between the messenger and him, and asks, "Do you really have no faith in the Royal Family?"
The messenger instantly replies, "No, of course not, my King. I only said this out of concern."
"Really? So if I tell you to move your family and yourself outside of this kingdom into the snowy mountains, you would do that for the sake of the Royal Family," the king inquires with a deadly, but teasing tone.
The messenger nods his head stiffly, wondering how he, his wife and his three children would survive in the cold, snow-covered mountains. This ruler was truly insensitive, wasn't he? Hatred and fear gripped the messenger.
"Though, my dear cousin, I wouldn't let that happen. For the sake of the Royal Family, this man wouldn't have to flee this lovely country, am I correct?" says a nearing man. He has a shade of dull pink hair and blue eyes. He smiles warmly at the king who widens his eyes, stands and walks to the familiar man.
"And whom are you to say this?" the King questions, feigning suspicion. All hands down, he knew this odd man.
"Just a family member of the Royal Family, my King." The grinning man gives the king a hug.
"Kizashi-sama," the messenger greets with a hopefully monotone voice. Though, the king detects a bit of happiness and makes mental notes of this to himself. Kizashi turns to hug the messenger who begins to ask a lot of questions. After several minutes of talking, Kizashi turns to the king and tells him that he'll talk with him later.
"Of course, you must bask in your return, Kizashi." The king smiles and watches the two disappear. He sits in his chair and muses softly, "Did I sound too serious to the messenger? I hope he knew that I was simply asking out of curiosity."
"Okaa-san, this isn't turning out right!" remarks a pink-haired teen. She sits on her knees and throws her glowing green hands into the air with surrender and frustration. This dead mountain lion just won't let its skin be stripped away!
"And you call yourself an assassin, Sakura?" retorts Mebuki as she eyes her daughter with disbelief. Her eighteen year old could kill men twice her size? Well, she did have the advantage of frost and ice since she carried the Royal Family's blood.
"Remember, Okaa-san, I kill things. I don't kill things and clean them," Sakura shoots back, huffing. She gets onto her knees and continues to peel the fur with her chakra scalpels. This should work a lot more efficiently, she thinks.
Mebuki nods in approval and continues to sharpen the kunais. The mother and daughter both work in silence. Mebuki sighs, sharpens the kunais, and wonders if her husband has arrived. She sighs and grinds the weapon harshly against the stone. Where was that man of hers!
"Honey," his voice calls out. She stops and turns around to glare at him. She walks, gripping her kunai, and touches his face. He smiles and right when he's going to caress her lovely cheeks, she aims a kunai at him. He dodges, half-expecting this, and lands on the wooden fence with a frown gracing his lips.
Kizashi offers her a peaceful smile and says, "Mebuki, come on now. Don't be like this. I can explain, honey." He crouches on the wooden fence bordering their back yard. His hands grip the top of the fence for support and then he removes his hands, barely missing the thrown kunais directed at his hands.
"Where in the world have you been for these past three years, Kizashi!" Mebuki demands, aiming some more kunais at him. He dodges while trying to explain in brief phrases. However, he ends up speaking in fragments, then dodging, and then finishing his fragments before dodging again. The pattern continues so for several more minutes.
Meanwhile, Sakura's just skinning her dead mountain lion that she single-handedly killed. She frowns, realizing that she's single-handedly cleaning the damn animal! She stands up and stomps her feet before shouting, "Oh, come on, you two! Why do you guys always have to bicker, especially when you guys haven't seen each other for three years!"
"My pretty flower, that is exactly my point!" Kizashi exclaims, pointing at his daughter with pride. There's no way she isn't his daughter, no way at all. Just look at their hair!
She crosses her arm, sticks her nose into the air and remarks, "This doesn't mean your off the hook, dad. You didn't even tell me or mom that you were leaving for three years to do some sort of negotiation errands for the king! I can understand why mom wants to skin you right now."
He gulps and Mebuki smirks evilly. She scans the area for some kunais. Unfortunately, Sakura's already collected all of them into a bag while they were too busy jumping all over the back yard. That's what happens when shinobi couples marry. They don't fling pots and pans and smash mugs on table surfaces. No, they chase each other with weapons and shout at the top of their lungs.
"Though, Okaa-san, I really would appreciate dad alive and well. You wouldn't want to be a widow and I surely wouldn't want to be fatherless like I have been for the past three years," Sakura reasons, narrowing her eyes at them both. Kizashi holds up a hand and reminds, "I sent you presents occasionally, Sakura."
"Dad, come on, even you know that presents don't make people happy," she remarks, crossing her arms. He walks over to her, keeping an eye on Mebuki, and wraps an arm around her neck. He ruffles her pink hair, measures her height and nods approvingly.
"You have definitely grown up, Sakura. I hear that you're an assassin now?" he asks with concern. He eyes her questioningly. She rolls her green eyes.
"Dad, you're not going to give me a talk about this now, are you? Mom's already talked to me about this millions of times! You're not going to change my mind and neither is mom," Sakura explains. She steps away from him and Mebuki joins his side, shaking her head.
"I told her so many times, Kizashi," Mebuki says sadly. Their daughter was so stubborn. Sometimes, she wondered if that was the result of combining their stubbornness.
"Well, I'm sorry that I wasn't here to help you, Mebuki. However, that doesn't mean that I haven't had it hard during my travels. I missed you both, too," he says. He holds Mebuki's hand and smiles at Sakura who's already finishing her task again. He leads his wife into the house, shuts the sliding door before sitting on a wooden chair. Mebuki wanders into the kitchen, makes some warm tea and places two mugs onto the wooden table. She takes a seat across from him as well.
"What's the matter, Kizashi?" She murmurs softly, taking his hand in hers. She takes in his furrowed brows, his wrinkles caused by worries over the three years and strokes his hand in comfort. He looks into her green eyes, remembering how they met for a couple of seconds.
"I was going to tell you and Sakura before I left, but the King rushed me to go immediately. He said that he'd inform you both in a couple hours, but did he?" Kizashi asks.
Mebuki scowls, remembering how he came to them at night and said that he sent Kizashi on an immediate diplomatic mission. She nods and replies, "Well, yes, he did come- at night. You left in the morning though? Why didn't he tell us earlier on in the day? Why wait 'till night?"
"I'm sure he was busy that day, Mebuki. The alliances with the Snow country and Sound were very tense, I'm sure you should remember," Kizashi assures. He grins and asks her if her exceptional memory is beginning to give up on her. She smacks his arm harshly and they both erupt in laughter.
She stops laughing suddenly and asks seriously, "But why would he send you out of all people? You're from the actual part of the Royal Family, Kizashi. He knew how dangerous that was! Sending you to the Sound and Snow with few shinobis- that was a suicide mission and he knew it!"
Kizashi hardens his eyes, lowers his head and locks his hard blue eyes onto hers as he orders deadly, "Never, ever say that, Mebuki. Say that out loud and you will be executed, do you understand? Never talk about the Pure Blood of the Royal Family, especially since it's been banned for centuries. Do you want me to lose you that badly?"
She shakes her head and sighs exasperatedly. The king was and still is an asshole and she knew it. He was and still is a no good for nothing king. All he wants is fear and power to lead the medium-sized Frost nation in hopes of conquering the other nations. She nods, imagining of a heart-broken, despaired Kizashi.
The glass door slides open and Sakura enters the comfy, warm dining room with the perfectly sliced up mountain lion in bags. She nods at the now drying coat of fur on the fence and scowls at Mebuki who fans herself while saying, "Oh, Sakura, I forgot all about you. I was having a heated conversation with your father. He's so ruthless sometimes."
"I guess that's where I get it from then," she responds with boredom, narrowing her jade eyes. She drops onto an empty chair and a scent of blood mixed with dirt whirls in the air. Mebuki wriggles her nose, fanning at her daughter who stares at her intently. Sakura drops the clean bags filled with meat onto the table in a sluggish manner and asks, "Is your memory beginning to fade, Okaa-san? You said that you were going to help me clean it, not try to injure dad and then retreat into a warm place while leaving me out in the cold."
"I guess I must have short-circuited, Sakura. I am getting old, but not that old. Anyways, I think it was because of our steamy conversation if you get what I mean," Mebuki says. She glances at Kizashi with a sultry gaze and he winks back at her causing the teen to sit up straighter.
"So like we were saying, Kizashi. What should I wear tonight?" she continues. She cocks her head to the side. Sakura widens her emerald eyes. Oh, no. Her parents were not planning their sex night in front of her, were they? That was simply awkward.
"What ever do you mean, baby?" Kizashi inquires. Sakura's right eye twitches at the sound of her dad purring out the word 'baby.' Mebuki makes a 'meow' sound and leans forward to him, reaching in for a kiss. Sakura shoots to her feet, tells her mom to cook the cut up mountain lion while she takes a shower.
"Oh, perfect timing, Sakura. We needed a few minutes to finish our talk before I cook," Mebuki states, winking at Sakura like they were the best friends since forever. Sakura nods, choosing not to respond, and heads up the stairs. The parents wait for the shower to turn on before they resume.
They kiss for a bit and Mebuki pulls back before whispering, "Does she know?"
"No, unless you told her?" Kizashi mutters back in a low tone. He angles his head, pretending to kiss her when he's simply staring into her green eyes. They're so much like Sakura's. Speaking of Sakura, he thinks, what got her into being an assassin?
Mebuki shakes her head and says, "I didn't tell her anything. The king most likely wouldn't and you definitely didn't. So, she's pretty much in the dark right now."
They share a few brief kisses before Mebuki saunters back into the kitchen to cook. Kizashi peers out the glass door, watching the frost cover the green grass. He was finally back in the Land of Frost.
A/N: Hi! This is going to be my second ItaSaku fanfic. Review your thoughts and thanks for reading! :)