Koumei looked out from the shadows upon two figures walking silently against the snowy background. The larger one had a long, oddly-shaped sword strapped across his back and his face was concealed behind white bandages. His headband, which was engraved with the symbol for Hidden Mist, was on crooked with the metal plate facing aside. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, and looked out of place in the cold.

The other figure, however, looked quite at home. He was smaller than the man in front of him, but his aura radiated cold power. He wore a dark blue shirt and light brown pants and had his hair tied up in a cloth-covered bun. His dark bangs hung over his medium brown eyes, protecting him from the brightness of the snow. His eyes were darting all over, and at the slightest noise he would jump in front of the older man. In his left hand he carried a red and white hunter-nin mask.

"Zabuza-sensei," said the boy in a quiet voice, "where is the camp? We should have arrived hours ago."

The other man did not respond for awhile, but kept walking forward.

"Sensei?"

"We'll arrive soon enough, Haku," he said in his deep voice. Haku went silent.

Koumei smiled behind her mask, which was an exact replica of Haku's. She had passed their campsite about an hour and a half ago, and watched as they walked right past it. They had been doubling back and searching around for the hidden fort for awhile now. Men, she thought. It was not her job to interfere, so she let them figure it out on their own.

That took about two more hours.

When they finally found the concealed campsite, the sun had gone down and had left the two travellers freezing, tired, wet, and most of all, hungry. They uncovered the entrance of the cave and entered. A moment later, Koumei saw smoke rising through a hole near her feet, along with an orange glow.

Zabuza and Haku's shelter stratched far underground and they had lit a campfire under their temporary chimney. Koumei knelt down and enjoyed a moment's warmth. But it was getting dark and she should find shelter soon. She stood and turned to leave, but stopped. She looked back and saw Haku looking towards her, the moonlight illuminating his small figure.

"Onee-chan! I'm sorry that I couldn't get away faster." Haku looked up at his older sister. Their resemblance was unnerving.

"It's alright, Haku-niisan," she said, removing her mask. "I've got important news."

"What is it?" said Haku, looking at her with soft brown eyes. He sat down on a nearby log, pulling up his knees to his chest and resting his chin on them. She joined him, sitting up close and keeping him warm.

"The four ninja following you, the jounin and the three gennin, are gaining."

"How far away are they? Will we be fighting them again?" Haku looked into her eyes and she smiled sadly.

"I hope not, but I want you to be extra careful, alright?" asked Koumei. "I think they are very angry at Zabuza-sama, and if you get into trouble I don't know if I can help you. The Kage forbid me from interfering. He said that this was your own path, and that you should make your own descisions." Koumei looked away, trying not to think about the consequences of another battle.

Haku was silent. Koumei spoke again. "I don't want to lose you, not like kaasan..."

Koumei felt two small cold hands wrap around hers and she looked back into her brothers face. He was smiling. "Don't worry about things like that, Koumei-neesan!" he laughed lightly and stood. Koumei followed.

Haku stood facing away from her, snowflakes were covering his dark hair and his laughing had stopped.

"Maybe... maybe when I finish helping Zabuza-sensei with this mission, I can come visit you... I'm sure Zabuza-sensei will let me if I work harder at being a good tool." Haku turned around to face her and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Koumei buried her face in his hair and felt her eyes burning. She held him tighter and he whispered into her shoulder.

"I promise I will come visit you, onee-san. Promise," his voice was muffled in her clothing, but in the falling snow it was clearly heard.

"Haku..." Koumei was now crying freely. "I'll be waiting then." The snow was growing thicker in the darkness. "I should go. Be careful, alright?" she pulled away.

"I will, don't worry about me." Haku turned to leave.

"Niisan, remember, I really care about you and I don't want anything to happen. Your the only person I have left, so don't do anything stupid," Koumei said, wiping at her cheeks.

Haku turned around again, smiling, " I love you too, Koumei. I don't plan on leaving you anytime soon." he laughed again, and it made her feel happy inside for the first time in a long while. She smiled back, something she rarely did even for her brother. He turned and began to walk away once more.

The last she saw of him before heading for shelter was burned into her mind for life. Dark hair, small form, and slow movements surrounded by drifting snow in the moonlight. She stood for a moment before jumping away into the night.

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The next day, Koumei woke later than usual. When she tried to move from her 'camp', which was on a large tree branch, her limbs did not respond. She looked across the forest and noted that Haku and Zabuza had left already, and cursed herself. She took a deep breath of biting cold air, and calmed herself down, forcing her frozen body to relax. She slowly pushed chakra through her limbs and flexed her muscles before standing.

She gathered her weapons and re-attatching her weapons pouch and replacing her mask, she stretched and jumped down, following the clear tracks of the two ninja in the fresh snow. It had stopped snowing, and they were easy to follow in the hazey afternoon sun.

Koumei was lost in thought, absent-mindedly trudging through the snow, when the sounds of shouting and battle reached her sensitive ears. She immediately took off in the direction of the battle, where she found her brother running towards an astonished Zabuza. The bridge that they were on was smeared with blood, turning the snow red.

"DON'T TOUCH MASTER ZABUZA!" yelled Haku. He skidded to a halt in front of his sensei. Koumei's eyes widened as she saw a silver-haired jounin plunge a large, electric blue ball of chakra straight through her brother.

She almost cried out as Haku's small form sank to the snow, which was soaked crimson in his life blood. He remained on his knees for a moment, and Koumei thought he might get up. Get up, Haku! Please...! But her hopes were destroyed as he fell forward and lay still.

All fighting had stopped. She heard voices, but their words did not register, and she did not see a change in battle. Her ears heard only her heartbeat, and her soft brown eyes saw nothing but her little brother. She closed her eyes and sank to her knees, sitting like that for a long while. When she opened them, she saw the other shinobi, Zabuza, laying in the snow beside Haku on the bridge. They were gone.

She had been too late. The jounin, 'Kakashi,' was speaking to a boy in orange and a girl in pink, who were hovering over a dark form, full of senbon needles. Behind them lay around fifty dead ninja. But she saw only her brother, Haku. And then they took him away from her forever, along with the ninja he had sacrificed himself for. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and hoped that this nightmare would just disappear.

Haku turned around again, smiling, " I love you too, Koumei. I don't plan on leaving you anytime soon." he laughed again... Koumei felt hot tears burning wet paths down her cheeks again. She closed her eyes.

"Haku..."