Still trying to get back in the swing of things. Hopefully I'm not too rusty at this. Updates to other stories soon. Hope you enjoy.

The Little Things

Snow falling, snow falling. Never ceasing.

It's always been that way for him. Ever since he was born from his ambitious father and nurturing mother to when at his young age the Mizukage took them away so out of spite he took away the next graduating class. From this event he became known as the mist demon, but the ice still fell. It continued when he became a jounin and entered the seven swords of the mist by slaughtering his comrades. The snow would still descend even after he mastered the silent killing with a blade the size of a grown man. Even after all these accomplishments the mist and the snow, the two things he's known since his toddler days, always feel like they're trying to smother him until his lungs can no longer beat and his throat fails to swallow the air.

Why is that? Could it be the years of bad karma? All the blood he's shed is finally a lake large enough to drown him. Perhaps weariness of life? Well to the dark hair jounin that didn't matter anymore. That type of thinking was of little concern and Zabuza would never stress over the little things. Completely different from his newly acquired company…

"Another leak! It dripped right on top of my dango too." another voice cries out that could be heard throughout the little rut of a house. This only makes the master of quiet death wish he could use one of his techniques upon himself. With her it was always the little things. So what if the little treat is waterlogged? Considering some of the things he's eaten on missions just to survive, that dango is luxury. Another reason the Momochi feels his life is cast in some type of malevolent blizzard.

Nothing went right after the coup d'etat. Someone leaked information and notified the Mizukage of his planned rebellion. The assassination ended in failure and also cost the ninja of mist four subordinates. To escape Kirigakure that night was like trying to escape from the jaws of a shark that had already bitten into you. The zanbato wielder fought every type of ninja under the dismal moon that night, including another from the Seven Swordsmen of Mist. Somehow he and his tool managed to survive.

This would not be the end. A marked animal, his only course of income was to lower himself as nothing more than a thug for greedy syndicate leaders such as Gato. Zabuza didn't mind working for foul magnates like him. He was of little importance. That and the unruly jounin had to keep his eyes on the big picture, the mist village. So the ninja and his weapon would obey the corrupt tycoon until they met their match in the form of hidden leaves.

The Sharingan warrior and his band of brats proved to be too much for himself and Haku. Zabuza never liked to use the word miracle since there are no such things, but that day might have been one. The silver hair leaf, with his piercing eye managed to slightly change the angle of his arm and slow down his thrust. So when the thousand birds struck the demon of ice, it was not an instant kill. Still a very critical blow that would have ended in death by sunset, but it gave Zabuza time. The demon of mist had killed Gato despite every sharp construction that the greedy pig's men could stick through him. Even with both his arms useless he could still manage to grip his fangs on the thin thread of life that seems to always dangle him over the river of death. The copy ninja put the hurt boy upon his bloody and broken shoulder and the ambitious demon left with his utensil. There wasn't a reason anymore for the mist demon and the copycat to battle anymore. The oppressor of the land of waves had already lost his head.

Broken and battered the silent killer managed to find aid for his loyal student from different medical shinobi. Eventually they were able to at least repair the fissure in his chest and get the boy walking again. The medics would not repair the mist ninja though. They might have felt pity on Haku with his pure heart and innocent face, but Zabuza has neither of those. They refused to help save a killer so he can kill another day.

So with only his faithful weapon by his side, the renegade put his entire hope in the boy for his healing. This may have work, but Zabuza's life has always been a harsh blizzard. There would be no end to his hardships as yet. It started out when he met another deserter of the Seven Swords. The fish, with his aura-eating blade. He did manage to shave a few years off the soundless killer, but not stop the rest of his years. After that encounter it only lead to an encounter with warriors from the newest village. Shinobi of the sound. His black orbs have yet to see these enemies, but Haku has taken care of them by himself so far. Hopefully they shouldn't pose much of a threat although their attacks have been too frequent.

If it were only he and Haku, Zabuza would be more at ease. No instead they have this woman from the last village his mind wants to think about. This Anko person. "I should have really tried to find a better place than this." the instructor says to no one in particular sitting back with one leg over the other in chair. She constantly moves her tray so the ceiling's tears would not any of her lunch. Cream fingers flick another little toothpick her dango used to reside away. The little stick is embedded into the wall along with about two dozen more, creating a mist symbol right next to the leaf symbol, her previous project from before.

All the waiting inside this little wooden house has made her anxious for action. It's not like the kunoichi's company is 'Mr. Talkative' either. Since entering this small cove the large man was put to rest on a small bed. His arms still are immobile and his back looks like it went through a cheese grater. It's been covered over in bandages and comforters so it's only seen when the white clothe needs to be changed. Since arriving in this little house the hurt jounin has only glared at the ceiling with a scowl that probably would have caused embers to spark in wood and melt the window above had it not been so cold outside. He's said nothing unless it was to his young associate. It is these small details that irk the kunoichi to no end. She doesn't like to be ignored or glared at. Years in Konoha after being the apprentice of the serpent has made the dark hair ninja fed up of that type of treatment.

"You think this storm is going to let up soon?" the snake woman asks to the prone demon. No reply. Of course she expected it yet it would not stop her from continuing. "If it does let up soon we can try moving to some where else. All we just need is for that kid of yours to return back." Still no reply. Again the snake user foresaw this action. Still this knowledge didn't make her any less ticked off.

"Hopefully he isn't bringing back any unwanted guests. Well even if he does I'll be ready. I could use the exercise."

Still no response.

"Well at least I can defend myself. I don't know what you're going to do in your condition."

He doesn't even make a groan or growl.

"If you ask me nicely maybe I'll defend you."

The mist demon's glare never leaves the glass window above his head. Frustrations finally reaching its peak like a glass about to overflow. "Hey you scumbag! You could at least talk back. Is it that hard to open that jaw of yours!" the once kind and collected voice of Anko now barks out. The hurt shinobi made no movement at all as if there is some secret he intends to keep to himself. The littlest, tiniest movement he could make to just please her, but his mind is on much bigger things. "Hey are you deaf!?"

"When you say something that's actually important then maybe I'll reply." the zanbato wielder speaks calmly through his bandaged mouth, which is quite the contrast to his company. "Important!"

"Yes. So unless it's significant why don't you just keep your mouse mouth shut." Zabuza's sentence ends with a kunai whizzing by inches above his head and stabbing into the wooden wall. Most people would pee their pants with a dagger nearing that close to their cranium. Many ninja would be afraid too knowing that it was the student of renegade sannin throwing the weapon. Yet this intimidation would not affect Zabuza. Death followed his back closer than the snow that hugs the ground in snow country.

"If you don't like my company so much, then you can just leave. You're of little importance now." the silent murderer hisses out. If the dango eating kunoichi could leave then she would have. Unfortunately obsession is much greater than reason and chance to payback everything her old teacher had done is too much of an opportunity to pass up. A lead had turned up of a connection between the legendary ninja and this new village. Against the Hokage's order she left during the night. Searching and searching she eventually came across the two shinobi of Kiri, hurt and nearly dead in the snow. The innocent weapon with a tattoo on his chest the size of a baseball. The elder ninja with his arms bandaged and tied to his chest and on closer inspection his back and chest looked like as if something shaved his flesh off.

It was about two weeks ago when she found them. The leaf kunoichi managed to find a small wooden house for the three to stay in until they are able to defend themselves. Well her actual intentions are to encounter the snake master. If he's after this mist demon sooner or later he'll show himself. Or maybe the leaf warrior could just capture one of his subordinates. As long as Anko follows these two mist warriors, she would eventually run into her most hated enemy. Once that man is disposed of, she could turn the two renegades into leaf. Not a bad plan. At least that's what Anko believes.

"Nothing would give me more pleasure than to watch your brow less face turn blue and freeze. For whatever reason, that snake wants you. The quickest way for me to get to him is through you. So be a good boy and do what I say."

"Don't patronize me like one of your leaf brats. Especially since your just a brat too."

"Ohh someone doesn't like being treated that way. But you're such a cute baby demon. Be a good boy and I'll give you one of my dangos now."

"Once I'm fully healed I'm going to cleave you in half."

"Such a good personality you have. It's a mystery how someone so charming as you could end up in a position like this." the dark hair woman replies in which she only gets a grunt from her prone acquaintance. Yes! A victory for her against the mist demon. See the copy ninja isn't the only one that can beat him albeit it being a victory only in wits.

Yet even from her sitting position she can see those dark pupils of his never even leave its stare from the ceiling. He didn't even bat an eye during that whole conversation. "What's so special on the ceiling." Anko curiously asks letting her legs carry her over to the bed the shinobi lay. The light brown eyes of hers view up to see the same little window with snow still falling gracelessly and pattering on the frame. "What is so special about the snow?" the kunoichi asks still letting her taupe eyes view the snow-smudged window. "Nothing is. I'm thinking that's all." is the mist shinobi's terse reply.

"Must be something important then. Looks like your mind has been hard at work for the last couple of days. Are you worried about your student?" she inquiringly questions. This could have made the Kiri exile give off one of his few laughs. He would have if it didn't hurt so much to laugh. Worried about his little weapon? The boy's skills were above his as well as this leaf kuniochi. If anything his innocent, yet deadly hands would be the one to put down the defector of Konoha and not hers. "I don't need to worry about him. Haku's a prize gift far surpassing anything your village could scrounge up. He'll return regardless of what trouble he gets into."

"Gift? You talk about the boy as if he's a thing."

"He's my weapon. It's simple as that."

"You can't be serious about that now?"

"Is it that surprising that other villages have different views? Not all villages view their associates with the highest regard like your village. He's no different from my blade. As long as the boy can get the job done. That's what matters. Everything else is of little concern." the man told the kunoichi let his eyelids shut. All this woman's yapping has gotten the mist ninja tired. Sadly for him the aggressive diva is yet to be finished with him.

At first his bandaged neck can feel the rough jolt of her fingers digging into both flesh and cloth. Anko's fingers takes a bite right above the silent killer's collar bone and raises his upper torso to meet her eyes. Has this leaf ninja gone mad? Did she forget who the Momochi is? The dark hair female always jumped the gun, but there would be no apologies this time.

"Take that back!" Anko's voice thunders out that almost makes the mist rebel leap and prepare for a fight. Zabuza keeps his cool though. He blinks to recollect himself and calmly questions this sudden rough behavior. "That boy risks his life for you on a daily basis and that's all you think of him!"

"Little things like feelings don't matter in the shinobi world. You're a jounin. You should know that."

"Screw what we're supposed to know! That child could be dead right now a…"

"And if he is, it would be a shame, but I'd move on." the water user states as blandly as if talking about a rusty sword. The kunoichi's grasp only gets tighter, until her nails start to dig into the man's skin and the bandages around his neck began to rip. With knuckles starting to resemble the color of the weather outside the leaf proctor mutters out "You bastard. You're just like that slithering scum. Just exploiting others for your own benefits and nothing else. That child was ready to fight me to the death when I first found the both of you. Battered and bruised he's out there right now fending for you. You trash. Once I'm done with the snake I'll kill you myself."

"Why does our business concern you?"

"Because I know what it's like to be a tool and thrown away!"

This lecture or her threats were of trivial importance to Zabuza. Even being compared to one of the greatest terrors in Konoha has little effect on him. There is one thing she did say that gets to him. It's something similar to what the blonde brat said. And just because of that fact, it actually had major importance. His last battle did teach him. The silent killer did not forget the child in orange's words. It made him consider a lot. The thing that took over most of his mind now is his next plan of achieving the rebellion and taking control of the mist village…without Haku. The brow less face cringed slightly at the thoughts of letting go his precious tool. Yet the innocent child had much of his life taken to his master's own needs. It's time he starts living for himself. Zabuza feels he owes him that much.

Yet now a new idea has entered his mind. This woman whose now lost in her own mind and thankfully has released that fanged grip seems to care enough. Perhaps she could look out for him. "Well then if you care so much why don't you take him?" Zabuza says nonchalantly, his dark orbs waiting to see his acquaintance's reaction. Those light brown pupils widen with suspicion and stun. "Why would you want me to do that?" her voice speaks at a level not needed because the two are close enough as it is.

"You call me scum for depriving him and now your surprised that I let him free."

"Yes I am. I know people like you. You're just like that slithering bastard. You let your ambitions control and deceive you."

"As much as complement it is to compare me to him we're not the same. We may be close to the same, but there are little things that make us different."

"Yea yea yea…" the kunoichi replies waving her hand as if she's had enough of his mouth. Before returning to her seat the short hair proctor gives a glance at her watch. "Well it's time for your medicine. I better give it to you or that kid of yours will try to kill me." Anko mutters out rubbing the top of her head. Knowing what this would entail, the water user tries his best to lay back down and let sleep take him quickly.

Sadly that same venomous grip bites into the white cloth keeping his body from resting on the bed. Two nails tear back the ivory ribbons that conceal his lips. "Ohh no you don't. You're getting your medicine this time." the kunoichi states mischievously using her other hand to place the two tablets on a spoon. Past experience has taught her to keep all fingers away from this mist ninja's mouth. Past experience has also taught the kunoichi to bind his legs. Kneeling over him the woman could use her leg strength to keep the Kiri exile's own lower torso at bay. You would be surprise how stubborn Zabuza could be once he set his mind on what he would or would not do. All the warriors in heaven and demons in hell couldn't deter his thinking.

Yet it would take the same amount of fighters to deter the overzealous jounin from her mission. Especially when it presented a challenge. "No open your mouth before I have to get drastic!" the snake charmer orders, sticking the plastic utensil at the sick shinobi's jaw. His mouth made no movements of opening at first. Then suddenly, as swift as the predators of the deep blue, his fangs snap shut around the eating device with such force that it cracked in half leaving the bright eye female with a piece of a handle and thumb that is missing part of a nail.

Anko gazes at what is left of her nail and…well what was once a spoon. Her eyes then take a gander back at the mist warrior whose mouth was crunching down on a mixture of medicine and things that should not be eaten. Her lips were about to curve into a grin of victory until that shark like mouth of Zabuza's return the two tablets at her face.

Peeling the saliva drenched tablets from her cheek the leaf ninja hisses out "You do know when that spoon comes back out you're going to be in a lot of pain." As if in reaction to her comment, the nail and the other three-fourths of the spoon (now mangled into some form of a ball) return hitting the other cream cheek of Anko. "Thanks for the advice." the demon of Kiri states with a snicker. Not surprising. There was no such thing as easy for Zabuza, and he made sure nothing was easy for those around him. Did this dango devouring annoyance really think she could have made him eat it because it was on a spoon? No way. If she wanted those tablets to be consumed she best be prepared to ram it down his throat.

Which is her next plan. That sudden fervent personality of the kunoichi made surprising plans. The damn medicine was getting in somehow. "So you want to be tough. Fine we'll play." the dark hair kunoichi replies with an impish grin as she plops both tablets into her mouth. As if seeing the kunoichi's plot, the brow less face cringes into aggression. "If you try and do what you're thinking I'll bite your tongue off."

"Well you're not going to eat this any other way. Besides I like a little struggle. I'll bite back."

"Listen you leaf sl"

The demon of mist is never able to finish that sentence. Like a snake intruding the nest of a bird, Anko's tongue slid past the carnivorous teeth of the injured exile. Letting the rest of her body press down upon the shinobi, but not letting her lips stop the infiltration, the kunoichi has him pinned down. If he had his sword, he'd cut her in two. If his arms were functional, he'd have strangled her. Yet this woman got the upper hand… this time.

Two minutes later, when she's felt that the tablets have finally slithered down her victim's throat, Anko returns on her knees on top of her acquaintance, swiping a small line of blood from her cheek. "Brow less bastard. I didn't think you'd actually bite me."

"You should be happy I didn't bite off your tongue. Now keep your ass quiet.", the mist ninja barks out as his own little river of blood slowly rolls down his lip. Those radiant brown pupils glance at the lower lip of the wounded jounin. "Aww did I hurt you? Let me lick that up.", the kunoichi states happily. Before Zabuza can get a word of defiance in the leaf kunoichi has already let her pink tongue lap up the small amount of red liquid on his lip and chin. "Mmm. Not bad.", her voice states with a slight cheerfulness as clear nails soak up the last drops of scarlet water from her tongue. "You're disgusting, despicable, and annoying. As soon as my body is healed I'll slice you in more pieces than a jigsaw puzzle.", the mist rebel replies irritated.

"Uhh… I don't mean to interrupt, but…" the low, yet curious voice of the innocent ice demon. Within the tussle, neither jounin had noticed the door open, the cold air rushing in around them or the unblemished mist child. He is carrying someone on top of his back with hair as long as there body. It makes him look like he's covered in black vines mixed with dabs of frost. "There is nothing to interrupt." The boy's master replies indifferently as if this situation is just another normal day in their lives.

Anko rises off the prone demon, adjusting her hair and shuffling her coat. "Finally back kid. I was starting to think you died. Who is that person on your back?"

"She's lost. She would have frozen out in the snow if I didn't bring her."

"Looks like she lost consciousness because of the cold. Just lay her in the room on my bed."

This did not set well with the quiet killer. It's hard enough to get by with just the two of them. Then this leaf woman comes join up and now another one. One thing of big importance to Zabuza was his peace. He couldn't get that now with all these other people. "I wish you would stop brining home strays Haku." his voice sternly states showing agitation. "I'm sorry…" the long hair youth replies humbly and then tries to change the subject. "Did you take your medicine today?" The mist demon only grumbles and returns to lying down. "Don't worry. I made sure Mr. Moody got his medicine. Just go put the girl to bed." Anko, tells the ice child, taking back her seat in the chair.

Carrying the lost girl into a warm bed, Haku notices something unusual. His eyes have been trained to not only see the big picture, but the miniscule tidbits that might go unnoticed. The dango-eating girl returns to her tasty food, but since he's met her it's the first time she has not tossed the little toothpick to start another shinobi symbol. Instead she just plays with it between her lips while her mind is contemplating something. The mist demon is also different. Since lying on that couch his eyesight has yet to move from the little window above his area. It's been something he always did when injured. Those dark, fierce eyes would never deter once they were in contemplation. Today though his head has turned to the side so only the wall could see his face. Unusual but it would be something the innocent boy will examine another time.

Just about to grab another dango from her box, the leaf shinobi looks on saddened to see the ceiling's tears drenched the rest of her treats in ice, snow water droplets. "No! Not rest of my dangos! Dammit. This won't taste good at all now." her breath sighs in irritation. Her exasperation also makes the mist demon sigh out in annoyance.

It's always the little things.