Chapter Seven

We had been walking for quite awhile and it was getting colder. If that was possible since it was so cold I was starting to lose feeling in my hands.

Every time we stopped it was either for a bathroom break, food break or sleep break. Nothing other than that drew their attention enough to stop.

When I started running out of clean clothes I asked if we could stop near water so I could wash them, and maybe even get a bath.

Even though it was cold it was also important to keep clean.

I sweat a lot more than they did. Even though I lived on the mountain and my endurance was great I had not been accustomed to walking all day every day, it would be something that took time.

Since he changed course when I asked I thought that was agreement.

When we finally got to a clearing that was surrounded completely surrounded by tree that were tightly nit around the area almost making it secluded.

I heard the water nearby so I decided to go there first so that my clothes and I would be dry and warm before night fell.

It gets very cold and I don't plan on being sick again like when I was at the cabin where I first learned Itachi's name.

I got to the water and decided to do the clothes, all but one set.

I took them out of my bag and started cleaning them in the water, it was a long process, while I was in the middle Sushi-san came over and sat near the water in one of those meditation positions.

It looked so different that him I couldn't help but chuckle.

I finished all my shirts and grabbed the last bundle of odds and ends from the bag and started to wash them off, I must have had the bag too close to the water.

I was in the process of moving an object to the water when I saw my flute fall into the water.

I jumped towards it. I couldn't get it at first and had to try several times until I finally got hold of it.

By that time I was sitting in the water which wasn't very deep but really cold. I seemed struck dumb by the cold I sat there until my mind set me free at long last.

I put my hand down to raise myself, but as stupidly clumsy as I am I yet again fell into the water.

I pushed myself back up and found the air was picking at my skin with freezing wind.

'Great, even more to make me fall behind' I pulled myself out of the water soaking wet freezing cold.

I went to my bag and went to go change into the last set. I had enough of a bath already.

I went back to the tent soaking wet and realized I went to wash clothes before setting it up. After I set my clean dry clothes on the rock I pulled the cloth and poles out of the bag.

I had a hard time putting the poles into place, my hands were shaking from the cold but at least I was almost done and had a dry set to put on.

I felt like a loser, I was trying hard and getting very little done.

I got the tent up and changed into my clothes, I thought that I would go move into my tent so they wouldn't stay soaking wet.

I got everything into the tent and laid out my stuff single layer to dry quicker.

I grabbed my sleeping bag and quickly got in clothes in all.

If I took so long sleeping then I would just start before them and I have a chance of beating them…or at least getting closer.

I finally got to sleep after tossing and turning for an hour or so.

As the darkness grew around me I lost all control of what I saw, my mind began to work on its own.

It was dark again, and cold. I reached out and sure enough there was the snow.

I looked for light, any light I could find.

"Kyuuuuuu! Run Kyuubi! Ruuun!"

I spun in circles searching for the one calling me.

"Sister where are you?!"

"Kyuubi! Kyuubi help!"

Mom!? "Mom where are you?!"

"No Kyuu run! Run now!"

Out of nowhere the outline of a figure rose in front of me "Kyuubi help me!" It begged pathetically falling to the ground in front of me.

"Kyuu run! Get out of there! Run! Go!"

I spun around clearly hearing the voice behind me.

"Sister?! But mom is hurt! I have to help her!"

I turned around and reached down to help her as she was still on the ground begging for help.

As I reached down, the figure grabbed my hand.

It changed from what I thought was my mothers beautiful profile to the face of my father.

"What are you doing?! Let go! Where's mom?!"

"She's dead Kyuubi. She's dead, and it's your entire fault she is dead. You killed her. You did it. You!"

"Run Kyuuuu! Get out of here!"

My sister appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my fathers arm pushing him back away from me.

I stood in fear unable to move.

"Run! Get out of here!"

I fell to the ground unable to move as my sister was pushed onto the ground, my father was holding her by the neck.

"no….no….no stop. Please stop…Stop it! Stooop! Stop!! Don't hurt her!!!"

My eyes were filled with tears.

Then the scene changed, I was in the village with someone who was carrying me.

I was very young. It was back when I was still very small, the day my parents and sister left never to return.

The man holding me had a mask on.

It looked like it has a slice right through the middle over his nose. How was it still being held together?

We suddenly stopped and entered a big metal door.

I looked up and around at the room, there were men writing on the walls and the ceiling with ink and there was a circle in the very middle of the room.

Something didn't feel right, even as young as I was I knew this wasn't something normal.

I started crying and the man that held me walked to the center of the room.

He set my on a cloth inside the circle drawn on the floor. He then drew on my stomach which was very cold.

Then another man came in, I couldn't see his face because I was crying so much.

His voice was very soft and kind.

I calmed a little, enough to see him making shapes with his hands.

He suddenly stopped making signs and put his palm on my stomach. It tickled at first then it felt really painful, bring torn apart.

All the writing began to disappear inside of the small circle on my stomach around my bellybutton.

I screamed and cried so hard it hurt my throat. There were so many things on the wall they just kept coming.

Everything started to darken around me 'Am I dying? But how can that be? I grew up. Didn't I? I grew up in the mountain. Right?'

"Kyuubi. Wake up." Was I asleep?

"Kyuubi, please wake up." I opened my eyes. I was in a lot of pain.

"Itachi" until I had spoken I hadn't notice the cold tears falling down my cheek.

"Are you alright?"

"What?" I asked sleepily "Did I sleep in again?!" I jumped up looking outside, the sun was just coming up and the dream forgotten.

I sighed in relief that I hadn't overslept.

"What happened? Do we need to leave early? I'll get packed as soon as I get dressed. I'll hurry." I smiled at him

He was just watching me this whole time.

"Alright" He stood and walked out of the tent.