A white rose among Red #8

Zabuza Attacks Again!

I own Shiro

Pairings:

SasukexOc

Chapter is in Shiro's POV!

When I opened my eyes, light was streaming in.

Sasuke had moved inside, obviously moving me with him.

But to my embarrassment, He had also changed the sleeping arrangements. Now I wasn't in the bed with Sakura, I was on his lap, and had curled up during the night, because I felt his chin on my head.

He was also breathing faster than a normal sleeping person would, so he was awake.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kakashi Sensei awake, and sipping tea while reading. It was quiet. "Sasuke. How long was Shiro awake last night?" Kakashi asked suddenly.

I snapped my eyes closed, and made the impression I was still sleeping.

"I don't know. I only chatted with her for a few minutes before she fell asleep again." Sasuke replied, in monotone.

"She woke up shortly after you left. Then she followed you outside. When you returned a couple hours later, she was sleeping." Kakashi said.

Sasuke nodded, and it was silent again.

Naruto started to stir.

I could hear the bridge builder and his family in the next room.

Naruto got up and looked around, rubbing his eyes.

Yes, I had opened my eyes a crack.

Naruto's eyes settled on the half occupied bed.

"Shiro's gone!" He cried, prepared to go into hysterics.

"She's right here, dobe." Sasuke said, and one of the arms I just realized was around me pointed to me.

Naruto glared. I didn't know if it was at me, or Sasuke, but it sent a chill up my spine either way.

Sakura started waking up, and gave a shake of her head and looked over at Sasuke.

Her face that had held happiness seconds before turned foul.

She stomped out of the room, slamming the door.

I figured this was a good a time as any to 'wake up'.

I pretended the door woke me up.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, and blinked sleepily.

"Good morning Shiro-Chan!" Naruto grinned from across the room.

"M-m-Morning Naruto." I yawned.

"Morning Shiro." Kakashi greeted from the couch, still reading.

"Morning Sensei." I said again, pretending to just notice what position I was in.

"Good morning, Shiro-kun." Sasuke said, and let me go.

"Good morning Sasuke." I grinned. "I see we're inside…did you move me?" I asked.

He nodded.

"He also carried you here!" Spat an angry sakura from the door.

Her hair was still messy, and I felt a pang of pity.

She was so shallow, she was jealous of me!

But, she had her point.

I did sleep on him last night.

But he could have told me to go inside to sleep, or put me in the bed.

I felt my face soften.

"Ano…Sakura-san? Would you like some help with your hair? My mom taught me how to do a charming messy bun..." I asked, and her eyes softened a bit too.

"Fine." She said, and tossed me a brush and a couple clips.

I sat on the bed and her on the floor. When I was finished, she looked in the mirror. She gasped.

"Thank you Shiro! Thank you!" She grinned.

"Here." She passed me a thick black elastic, which had fabric on it. It had the initials 'S.H' on it.

"I don't where it anymore…so you have it…as an apology gift." She whispered, and I smiled.

"Thank you Sakura-san" And I put my hair up.

I went to get a t-shirt from my bag…when I realized they were all soaking.

My pants weren't, they were on the top, and dry.

Just wrinkled.

But my shirts? They weren't in a plastic bag, and were at the bottom, away from light. Sakura peered over my shoulder.

She inhaled sharply.

"My clothes won't fit you…" She whispered.

Yes, I was at least an inch smaller than Sakura, 2 inches shorter than Sasuke, and half an inch taller than Naruto.

Naruto threw an orange shirt at me.

It wasn't like the one he was usually wearing.

Nope, it was just a plain shirt. A plain orange shirt.

I smiled.

"Thanks Naruto-kun." I grinned, giving him a brief hug.

Exiting, I found the bathroom.

I slipped on the t-shirt, and it was baggy around the middle, but short. If I lifted my arms, you could see my stomach. I pulled on my black Capri's and took out the scrunchie. I combed my hair with my fingers, and put up a high ponytail.

I cleaned my glasses, and washed my face.

When I entered the room, Sakura was trying to chat Sasuke up.

Naruto was eating ramen, and Kakashi was drinking more tea.

I sat beside Naruto, and picked up his extra set of chopsticks.

I dug into the ramen with him.

"Hey!" He protested, but soon we were having a sword fight with the chopsticks because the ramen was gone.

He stared at me.

"What?" I asked.

"You still have your glasses." He said, pointing, and flicking my glasses.

"Ya, so?" I was concerned now.

"I thought the tidal wave would wipe them away." Naruto grinned goofily.

"T-tidal wave? Is that why my shirts are wet?" I asked. He nodded. I smiled and we returned to our 'swordfight'.

I overheard Sakura and Sasuke.

"Come on, Saaasuke-kun! Let's go on a picnic!" Sakura chattered, and I saw Sasuke look agitated.

"No." He said.

"Actually, Sasuke, that sounds like a good idea. You four can go and explore, have a picnic." Kakashi said. I wasn't sure whether he was doing it to annoy Sasuke, or if he was being sincere.

Kakashi turned to me.

"Shiro needs some fresh air anyway. It's not good for her to be cooped up." His eye turned upwards, signaling his smile.

I groaned.

I didn't like it when I was the cause for things.

"Let's go swimming!" Naruto shouted, and I grinned at his enthusiasm.

"What do you think, Shiro?" Sasuke asked.

"I…Think it would be a good idea…to get a good look at the village… and to have a little fun. After all, Naruto has to blow some hyper steam." I chose my words carefully. Sasuke nodded and got up.

"Let's go." He said. Naruto jumped up, as did Sakura.

I got up, slower, careful not to catch my wrist on anything.

Naruto ran out of the door.

Sakura went after him, telling him off for running in our host's house.

We entered the main room, and I smiled at the little boy and Tazuna's daughter.

"Good Morning." I said, and the little boy (Inari) mumbled a hasty good morning and the daughter smiled.

We went outside, and met up with Naruto and Sakura.

"Where to first?" I asked.

"Swimming!" Naruto cried. Sakura nodded slowly.

"I agree. Then we can go get something to eat and explore. What do you think, Sasuke?" I turned to him.

He shrugged.

Naruto grabbed my hand and we ran to the beach.

BEACH

Naruto and Sakura were in the water, and I was wading, and Sasuke was standing on the beach.

"Come on, Sasuke! Come wade with me!" I called, and waved with my useful arm. He strolled over, and I picked up a rock out of the cold water. It was pure black.

"Hey, look!" I whispered, showing to him. He smiled softly, and picked up a pink one. We exchanged.

I put the pink one in my pocket, and he pocketed the black one.

I laughed.

Naruto was turning blue.

Sakura was floating.

Naruto got out of the water, and picked up one of the towels Tazuna lent us.

He rubbed himself frantically with it.

He sat down and Sakura got out too.

I smiled at my cold comrades, and I picked up the small pouch of money Kakashi gave us.

"Lunch?" I asked, and both nodded.

I tossed the wallet to Sasuke, and we started down the path.

We found a little restaurant, and we sat down.

"Chicken Ramen!" Naruto ordered, Sakura ordered a salad and Sasuke ordered rice balls. "And you?" The waiter turned to me.

"Just a water please." I said, smiling.

He shrugged and walked away.

I turned to my teammates.

Naruto was staring at me.

"Yes?" I asked.

"You should be keeping your strength up." Sasuke answered for him.

"I'm not hungry. I'm fine, really!" I protested against Sasuke's doubtful look, and Naruto's scandalized one.

Sakura just raised an eyebrow.

When the food came, I sipped my water.

Sasuke tapped my shoulder.

When I turned around, mouth open to ask "What?" He shoved a rice ball into my mouth. I chewed, and swallowed.

When I had finished, he was smirking.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You can have a couple more rice balls or I can force feed them to you." He said.

I grinned.

"I'm not hu-" He cut me off with another rice ball.

Again I swallowed.

He repeated his question.

I sighed.

"I'm not hun-" Another rice ball.

"Ok, I ate 3. Happy?" I asked, and he pushed the plate foreword a bit.

5 were left.

"One more." Naruto said. I shook my head.

"Come on, Shiro. Don't make me hold you down." Sakura smiled.

"You wouldn't…" But sure enough, Sakura had forced me to sit sideways on the bench, towards Sasuke, and had my hands behind my back.

Naruto pinched my nose, making me open my mouth for air.

When I did, sasuke shoved the rice ball in my mouth.

Naruto held a hand over my mouth tightly, making sure I couldn't open it.

I wouldn't swallow the now fallen apart rice ball.

"She hasn't swallowed it yet." Naruto said.

I smirked.

Until I felt something stroke my throat.

Sasuke, with one finger, was stroking my throat, an old trick to making dogs swallow pills.

It made my muscles relax, and the rice ball slid down my throat.

Defeated, I swallowed the rest of it.

"Yes!" Naruto cheered.

Sasuke smirked, and Sakura laughed.

"You're lucky no one else is in here!" I growled in mock anger.

Sasuke leaned in, and whispered in my ear

"You'd never be able to stay mad at me." Before he pulled back, I whispered back

"How so?" He just smirked.

Sakura and Naruto finished, and Sasuke ate (Willingly) the rest of his rice balls.

The last week, Kakashi sat strait up.

It was dark out, and I was already falling asleep.

Sasuke and I were sitting at the end of the couch, on the floor, Sakura was sitting next to Kakashi's head with Naruto beside her.

When he sat up.

I was half asleep.

So I shrieked a little, and latched onto Sasuke as a reflex.

Sasuke had gotten used to me hugging him, so he put an arm around me, as his reflex. Sakura had also shrieked, and clutched the couch.

Naruto fell over.

I was still asleep, so I just stayed curled up next to Sasuke.

"No…" I heard Sasuke say.

"Best not to tell Shiro…" I heard Sakura say, then I felt someone out me into the bed and cover me up.

I blacked out, into sleep.

NIGHTMARE

"Shiro…Shiro…" My family was calling to me.

I tried to run to them, but my feet were stuck.

Zabuza appeared, and I watched, horrified, as my family was tortured.

I screamed, cried and struggled, but it was no use.

He advanced on me, on I screamed harder.

END NIGTMARE

I was woken up by someone, wrenching my covers off and holding me.

I was being rocked, and someone was smoothing my hair out.

I had something cool on my forehead.

I opened my eyes, and my face was wet.

Tazuna's daughter (Tsunami) was rocking me, and Sakura was smoothing my hair out. Sasuke was near the door, and I realized we were in the main living area.

Tazuna was there too, and Naruto and Tazuna were supporting Kakashi between them. "Sasuke, could you wet this cloth again?" sakura called to him, and he gently took the cloth off and ran it under a tap.

It was placed on my head again, and Inari entered.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked, nearing.

"She's had a nightmare." Tsunami explained.

"Why all the fuss then?" Inari snorted.

I grinned at his question.

"Did you have nightmares when your father was murdered? I have nightmares when my family was murdered…," I sat up, and rolled off her lap, and stood shakily to my feet.

I put the wet cloth on the table,

"If you will excuse me, I need to sort something out…" And fighting tears, I shakily ran outside.

AT THE CLEARING

I found myself in the clearing we used for training.

Letting the tears pour down my face, I punched the tree weakly, kicked it then collapsed. "Why…Why did you have to die? What did you do to deserve this? What did I do to deserve this.

"Sh-Shiro-san?" A small voice echoed around the clearing.

I looked up quickly. Inari was a few feet from me.

I hastily stood and wiped my tears away.

I put on a false cheery voice and said

"Oh, hello Inari. What's up?," he blinked, and I let the smile fade from my face,

"It's not working, is it?" I asked him weakly.

He shook his head. I sat down against the tree.

"You shouldn't hold your emotions in like that… It'll cause more nightmares." He pointed out.

I smiled weakly.

"Yes, I know. But I don't have anyone to pour my feeling out too. Diaries are stupid." I whispered.

He thought for a moment.

"You have me!" He grinned.

I patted his head, smiling.

"Thanks. But I can't bring you back to Konoha with me." I pointed out.

He thought again.

"You have that statue dude…uh…what's his name…black hair…quiet…" He said. "Sasuke?" I suggested.

"Ya! You can tell him!" Inari nodded.

"Sasuke…I don't know…he'd understand what I'm going through…but…" I trailed off. "But?" Inari egged me on.

"I don't want him to think I'm clingy…or a wimp." I said, and another tear escaped. "Hey! I just got you to stop crying!" Inari cried, rubbing it away frantically.

I laughed and patted his head again.

He grinned.

"I don't think he'd find you clingy. After all, you love him." He said.

I blushed.

"W-What?" I stuttered.

"You…Love…Him…Don't you?" He asked.

I blushed harder.

'Do I love Sasuke?' I asked myself.

"Shiro!" Naruto burst into the clearing.

"Naruto! She probably ran to get away from everyone!"

Sakura burst in too.

Sasuke walked in after them.

"Oh, hello Inari!" Sakura said sweetly.

I laughed at Naruto's expression: 0.o first I was crying, now I'm laughing?

He must have thought me crazy.

Before I could stop him, Inari marched over to Sasuke.

"You! Err…Sa…Sew…err…whatever your name is!," he started.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at me.

I shrugged,

"You need to talk to Shiro-chan! And you can't reject her because she-" I ran forward and clapped a hand over his mouth.

Sasuke raised another eyebrow.

"Because I might have another breakdown. Right Inari?" I hissed.

Inari nodded.

"OUCH!" Naruto shouted.

We looked at him.

He had tripped over a rock.

Sakura sweat dropped.

"Why don't you all head back to the house? I'll be up in a moment or two." I smiled. Sakura took Naruto by the ear and dragged him through the bush again.

Inari waved goodbye and scrambled after them.

"Aren't you going after them?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"Care to explain what you dreamt?" He asked.

I shuddered.

"My parents…that evil man…I couldn't move…" I whispered.

He pulled me into a hug.

I felt my face grow warm.

"Let's go back." He whispered.

I realized just how tired I was then.

I nodded weakly and stumbled forward a bit.

"Do you want a piggyback?" He asked.

In my sleepiness, I nodded.

So I got a free ride back to the house, but fell asleep again on the way there.

THE NEXT DAY

When I woke up, I was in the bed again.

Sakura and everybody was already gone, and a stickynote was on my forehead. I pulled it off.

Shiro (It started)

You were so tired, we just let you sleep. Don't worry, we're just doing chakra control. and you can catch up on that later. Come when you're ready.

-Kakashi Hatake

Grinning, I noticed Naruto had lent me another shirt.

However, I dug in my pack and picked out a baby blue one I slipped underneath it, on top of the white sundress.

I put jeans on underneath that.

I entered the main area, where Tsunami was doing dishes.

"Oh, Shiro-kun! You're only an hour shy of Naruto. Are you sure you're alright?" She asked me, setting down the dish rag.

I noticed Inari's shoes missing.

"Where's Inari?" I asked.

Her faced darkened as she told me off the enemy Ninja.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I asked her.

"I had forgotten about you…" She trailed off.

I nodded.

"I'll see ya." I grinned, and made my way out the door to the bridge. However, my cheeriness soon faded away.

Zabuza was there, along with the masked kid.

Sakura was in front of Tazuna, and Kakashi was fighting Zabuza.

I couldn't see the masked kid, but I knew he was there because I heard his voice.

I couldn't see nor hear the boys.

I saw a dome of ice.

But I figured I'd help Kakashi.

Creeping up slowly, I jumped on Zabuza's back and bit him.

Hard.

Foolish me, he threw me off, and advanced on me.

This gave Kakashi the opportunity to send dogs on him.

I ran over to Sakura, and asked her where Sasuke and Naruto were.

She pointed to the dome, and I stood next to her, protecting Tazuna.

We watched for a while, and Kakashi was about to give the final blow when The boy, who I noticed looked like more off a girl, took it for him.

He died, saying something about being no more than a tool.

My eyes clouded with sympathy, and I took a few steps then looked at Sakura.

I ran to the boy, and looked at him.

His eyes were open. I closed them, then turned to Zabuza.

"You are a monster. But you can speak. So I want answers. Why'd you kill my family?" I growled, and Kakashi looked at me, probably thinking about what an inconvenient time to ask questions.

"Hehehe…I didn't kill your parents for myself, girl. A guy name Orochimaru paid me too kill the Hokage, and your parents got in the way." He chuckled.

"But why kill my sister?" I growled.

"She was with them. I would've killed you too, but the brat's screaming caused to much attention. So I ran for it." He drawled, and Kakashi took back to fighting him.

Sakura, Tazuna and I saw Naruto come this way.

"Naruto! You're alright! Where's Sasuke?" Sakura squealed.

Naruto didn't answer.

"Naruto?..." Sakura's face contorted.

A few yards behind him was Sasuke.

He had needles sticking out of him…and…he…I started crying as Tazuna let Sakura lead him over there to him.

Naruto embraced me as I sobbed.

"Shh… It's ok Shiro….shh…" He said, stroking my hair.

"Naruto…Naruto…I, I think….I think I loved him!" I choked, and Naruto hugged me tighter.

"Oh…Shiro I'm so sorry." He sounded sincere.

I just cried.

Just then, this mob showed up, and at the head of them, Gato.

"Hm? Oh, that brat's gone, useless piece of filth." He sneered.

Things escalated and Zabuza asked for Naruto's kunai knife.

Shrugging he gave it to him.

"He's not our enemy any longer." Kakashi explained.

Zabuza charged at Gato, who got scared and ordered his mob on him.

Zabuza was able to get through, a great feat considering that both his arms were useless. He managed to stab Gato and push him over the edge of the bridge.

Kakashi fulfilled a request from Zabuza and brought him over to where his dead comrade lay.

I like to believe he was redeemed.

I forgave him.

I knew he lost something precious.

Like I had.

I was still sobbing into Naruto's shoulder.

The mob started shouting, and Naruto tensed.

They wanted to destroy the village as pay because there was no one else to pay them for their deeds.

But then Inari and the villagers showed up and kicked them out.

I would have smiled, but I could not.

I couldn't bear to even stop crying.

It started snowing earlier, but I wasn't cold.

Naruto turned me around and pointed in the direction of Sasuke.

Sobbing, I wiped my eyes, thinking I was seeing things.

Sasuke was standing! He was alive! I ran to him, and hugged him hard.

"Don't you ever, EVER do that again!" I cried, crying harder into his chest.

He hugged me back.

"Shh…Jeez, do you ever stop crying?" He joked.

I stopped, and punched him in the arm gently.

But then I hugged him again.

It was finished; this nightmare was done.

Next Chapter: Sasuke's POV: Saying it

Next Chapter: Shiro's POV:

Sasuke…Can I talk to you? No, I don't want to train again, I'm not that stupid. No, of course I'm not calling myself an idiot. But that's off the point. Can I just PLEEASE talk to you?