Greetings again. :D

Yes, I'll get to Treacherous Heart, I promise. Just let me have my fun with this one first...

Enjoy!

Promises Not Made are Promises Never Kept

Flashback Fifteen – Asshole

The tunnel through the mountain was dark, damp, and cold. Patzu was in front, wielding a torch, and Zabuza was behind him, the two boys bringing up the rear and huddled close. They dared not speak, for even a single drop of water echoed endlessly, and not a word could be spoken without everyone hearing.

It wasn't just the four males, however. There were two others with them – a woman and her charge, a little blonde girl wearing a simple pink dress. The woman, her brunette hair shaved at the sides and the resulting Mohawk twisted into a low ponytail, was armed to the teeth. Sasuke didn't even want to know why she and the girl were headed to Andora. Neither of them spoke, and the woman carried the girl on her back in a satchel, allowing the girl to straddle her hips but also still allowing the woman to wield her weapons with absolute ease. Two battle axes were strapped to the woman's back, trapping the girl to her and defending the child against all who sought to take her from the she-warrior's back. Twin machetes hung from a belt at her hips, and Sasuke almost knew that she held more lethal daggers in the leather arm bands covering her forearms. A string of canine teeth hung from her neck like a trophy, and another curved bone of some poor animal pierced an ear twice, once at the arch and once at the lobe.

The woman and her load brought up the rear, and Sasuke found himself to be positively fascinated. He had seen woman warriors in his village and ex-clan, sure, but never one dressed as roughly as she. She didn't even look like a ninja (with the heavily padded vest and tight camouflage-colored pants that allowed her midriff to show coupled with knee-high combat boots), and he couldn't see any sort of headband between his shy glances. Whenever she caught him looking she would give him an angry scowl and he would quickly divert his eyes, but he wished so greatly just to talk to her.

She was the most interesting person here, after all. That and he could only think about Patzu's face for so long before having to fight the urge to vomit.

He better not touch Haku. He thought fiercely. If he touches Haku, I swear to God, I'll-

This is your chance, Sasuke.

He blinked and his eyes widened.

This is what you've been training for, isn't it? To protect someone that you love?

Well, time to find out if it's paid off.

"How long is the journey?" Zabuza asked, his voice echoing. Patzu shot him an irritated look.

"No talking yet," he warned quietly. "When we see the sun."

Sasuke swallowed, realizing that he was getting just a little claustrophobic as the light of one torch ended well before another began, leaving them in absolute darkness for a short period of time.

See the sun? Oh man, I hope that's soon.

A few more hours passed and they came to a dead end. Zabuza scowled at Patzu.

"What is this?!" He demanded.

Without a word, Patzu touched a certain part of the stone wall, and the entire thing swung outwards, powerful afternoon sunlight streaming into the tunnel, making everybody flinch. When his eyes adjusted, Sasuke could see a small, trickling waterfall and a few makeshift benches with a single tree.

"We will rest here for a while before continuing," Patzu told the group. "Then after a few hours more of traveling we'll make camp. Not even the inside of a mountain is a safe place after dark."

Everybody piled out of the tunnel, the massive stone barrier closing behind them.

I see. Sasuke thought. That's another way to stop people from finding Andora's location without a guide. Any of us would've just turned back, thinking it was a dead end.

He yelped as Zabuza yanked on the rope.

"Sit," he ordered Haku and Sasuke, pointing to the ground next to a bench. Hurriedly, they obeyed, the chilly mountain breeze making them huddle close. Reaching into his supplies, Zabuza pulled out a single piece of jerky and tossed it to them. "Share."

I'm really beginning to hate this. Sasuke thought irritably as Haku split the single piece and handed him one. I think I might just kill that asshole out of irritation.

Said asshole, speaking of which, leaned against a stone boulder at the edge of the clearing, smiling at Haku lucratively. Zabuza, who was busy inspecting his 'wares' as they ate, seemed not to notice.

But he did.

"I'll kill him, Zabuza," Sasuke whispered softly, now that they were in a place where they could talk without being overheard. Zabuza pulled his fingers roughly through Sasuke's hair, and shook him a little by it just for show.

"I know, Sasuke," he breathed, turning to pretend to inspect Haku, taking him by the chin and forcing his head from side to side. "Just bare it. It's not permanent." He looked at Sasuke even as he faced Haku. "I won't let him hurt either of you."

The woman stepped in front of a boulder and kneeled, undoing the satchel that held the girl and allowing her to slip away from beneath the axes, free to stretch her limbs and wander around. The she-warrior climbed to one of the highest points and sat on one knee, her elbow resting on the other as her gaze never left the small child.

The girl climbed on the rocks for a little while, silent the whole time. It was unnerving, how quiet she was. And she couldn't have been more than five or six. Sasuke noticed this, and swallowed.

"What do you think of the woman and that girl?" He asked as Zabuza yanked at his arm, inspecting his limbs.

"I don't care about her," he replied. "If she turns out to be a threat, I'll deal with her then, but if not…"

Just then the girl seemed to take interest in the boys and their master, and she wandered over there lazily, watching them curiously before finally heading over. Zabuza, playing the part of a merciless slave trader, drew his sword and pointed it at the girl angrily as she got too close.

"Hey! Back up!" He snapped.

Just as soon as he said that, a blade held itself beneath his chin in just a tiny whisper of wind, and the woman stood between him and the girl, her eyes blazing in anger as she held the blade of her battle axe to his jaw line with the power of a single arm, the girl now behind her and out of Zabuza's reach.

Neither Haku or Sasuke – or even Zabuza for that matter – had even seen the woman move, and she had been on almost the complete opposite of the clearing when Zabuza drew his blade. It made a bead of nervous sweat run down Sasuke's face.

Oh God. Note to self: Don't piss THAT woman off.

The girl peeked out from behind the woman, gazing at Zabuza with big, unfazed eyes.

But they were black as night. She stared at Zabuza expressionlessly for a moment before lowering her eyes and tugging on the woman's pant leg. The she-warrior's lips twisted into a scowl, but without even looking at the girl she withdrew her weapon from Zabuza's throat and turned away, reattaching her weapon to the identical blade that was still across her back. Silently, after putting enough distance between herself and Zabuza, she knelt and allowed the girl to climb up onto her back again, reattaching the straps of the satchel across her chest. After that was finished, she looked back to Zabuza as he sheathed his blade, and they seemed to come to a silent, mutual understanding.

We're both protecting something. Zabuza thought, impressed. Okay. Things just got interesting.

"Ah, well…" Patzu began, stepping down to the group nervously. Sasuke had to fight down a smirk.

Did you just realize how in over your head you are, asshole?

"Let's go. We have some time to make up."

Opening another door that led back into the mountain, Patzu relit his torch and continued onward.

This time though, when Zabuza and the woman walked down the tunnel, they did not walk in a line, but rather side by side.

End Flashback Fifteen – Asshole

Yes, a simple chapter.

So you've just met two of my favorite original characters ever. :) Tweaked, of course, for the Naruto-verse.

Get along with them, okay? *heart*

Tell me what you thought of them?

LOOOOOOOOVES

DDB