A/N: Hi! I know you must have thought that either I'm dead or given up on this fic but I'm here to say that I haven't! Also, I'm alive and well but that's not important. I still haven't found a beta reader so please let me know if there are any mistakes. Please please please. Thank you and read on!

Sumiko's pov:

"You can't kill him."

Kakashi sensei glared at her, blood dripping down his hand, rolling off his arms. "That is not for you to say." He snapped.

Sumiko shook her head. "There is no need for more death." She stared at her own hand, coloured red because of the blood.

"What happened? What's wrong?" His voice was urgent, almost as if in panic.

"Haku-san… He's dead." She said, voice somber.

Zabuza was staring at her, eyes hooded. There was no anger in them, despite what she was insinuating. Did he not understand or was he just pretending?

Naruto stood beside her now, staring at Haku with wide eyes.

"Zabuza-san, do you honestly still wish to continue this irrelevant fight? It's not helping anyone. You've already lost your companion." She said.

His eyes turned down, breaking their eye contact. "I don't care about him. He means nothing to me."

She waited, saying nothing. She knew there was no need for her to intervene. Naruto was shaking beside her. "How can you say that?! He was your family, wasn't he? He was alive just a minute ago. How can you feel nothing?"

Tears flooded down his cheeks. He didn't even know this boy… why did he care so much? She had never understood this and she doubted she ever would. His heart was too big for his own good. But that was what made him Naruto. That was what made him a hero.

"How can you just toss him aside? He gave up his dreams for you, died for you. How can you just give him up? Is this what family really means?"

"You talk too much." Zabuza muttered. He was turned around but she could still see the tears falling on the ground.

He walked closer to Haku's body. "But you are right. I should've treated him better. I should have protected him. He was my family, the only one I ever had." He shook as tears flooded down his face. "He was precious to me."

Sumiko was starting to feel bad now. Embarrassing an S class ninja, how badly would that go?

Zabuza knelt down beside the boy, holding him. And then he froze. She was pretty sure he could feel Haku's beating heart now. She wanted to go and hide somewhere.

Before Haku even opened his eyes, tears flooded down his cheeks. He gazed at Zabuza as if with wonder. She could never imagine the simple and utter adoration in his eyes. "Zabuza-sama?" He croaked out.

"Haku...?"

"I am sorry, Zabuza-sama… Sumiko-san suggested I do this. I asked her to kill me because I was of no use to you anymore but she refused. She said if I wanted to die, I had to do this first. It was her request to me for all the hurt I made her endure."

Zabuza slowly turned around to look at her.

Sumiko grabbed a kunai from her bag. "Listen, Zabuza-san, I meant no harm. It was never my intention to embarrass you. I swear I only meant to save his life." she paused for a second. "Please don't kill me."

There was a beat of silence. "Thank you."

She paused.

"... You're welcome." She gave a sigh of relief. "Also, now that it's no more a life or death situation…" She ran to Kakashi and grabbed his hand. His wound was still fresh, blood gushing out the wound where her kunai pierced his skin.

She looked directly into his eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

His eyes smiled down at her. "It's not a problem, kitten." But then he leaned down, the sharingan eye swirling red at her. "But if you ever attempt such a thing again, it will not end up good for you."

"Yes, sir!"

He glanced down at her hand, looking almost similar to his. "What happened to you? Haku still seems to be alive."

She gave a sheepish grin. "Well, I had a lot of wounds from the darts so I basically just wiped it all with my hand. I wanted it to be as realistic as possible."

He stared at her, as if seeing her for the first time. She figured he hadn't known what actually happened inside the ice prison. Maybe he was seeing her torn, bloodied clothing just now. Actually…

"Sensei… how do you feel? You don't feel like you're about to faint right?" she asked.

His eyebrows shriveled down. "No…?"

She nodded. "Good… because I do." and then she dropped down into his arms like a wooden doll.

…

The first thing that reached her ears when she woke up were soft snores. She turned to see her brother asleep beside her, an arm rested on her stomach. She breathed out.

Until the moment she laid eyes on him, she hadn't realized how worried she was. His soft breaths calmed her down, as if steading her heart. She observed him for a moment, looking for scars or wounds. His eyelashes brushed the tops of his cheeks, curtaining those dark eyes. His lips were slightly parted, just enough that if they were at home, she would've slipped something in. She huffed, imagining the scene in her head.

Sumiko brushed his hand aside to get up. Her limbs ached. Her skin felt as if on pins and needles, just waiting to ooze out blood. Retying her hair, she stepped out of the room, leaving team seven behind.

It seemed they had reached their client's house because the hallway did not look similar to her in any way. She slid a door open and came out on a wooden porch. The sea slept beneath, small waves hitting against the wooden planks.

Sumiko sat down, leaning back on her arms, watching as the stars shone from above. Cool air hit her face and she closed her eyes, breathing in. She reveled in the silence, loved the calmness of the sea. Water lapped up, hitting against the base of her sandal, too low to reach her skin. She removed the support of her hands and plopped down, back hitting the floor.

She had laid there for quite a while before a scuffle reached her ears. Turning her head, she saw a figure approaching. Smiling, she turned around to look back at the sky.

"May I join you?"

"I don't see a problem, so why not?"

Haku laid down beside her, taking a similar position. He didn't say anything for a while, simply looking at the stars as she was. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence.

"Sumiko-san… May I ask you a question?"

She turned to him. "Yes?"

He looked into her eyes and she couldn't help but notice his long eyelashes. They were even longer than her brother's.

"Why did you decide to save my life?" He asked.

She sighed. "Would you believe me if I said I did it simply because it was the right thing to do?"

"Yes"

Her eyes widened and she huffed out a laugh. "Really? Do you think I'm good enough of a person for that?"

"Yes"

She gave out another chuckle. "You're too nice, Haku-san." She said. "But it wasn't because of that. You remember what happened before this?"

He gave a nod, breaking off eye contact. "Yes, I asked you to kill me."

She gave him a soft smile. "Yes. And remember what Naruto said? He asked if all families were like this, if this is what it meant to have a family. You know, he doesn't know who his parents are." She paused. "I just didn't want him to think that way. Family isn't like this. Admittedly, he hasn't seen a lot of good examples but I wanted him to know that this wasn't it. Your family is supposed to love you and take care of you. Your family is there to be by your side when things get hard and when no one else is around. I'm not just talking about family by blood but also about the family you make. I–" she broke off

"Sorry, I've gone on a bit of a rant. I didn't mean to bore you." She apologized.

Haku shook his head. "You didn't bore me at all, Sumiko-san." He paused for a beat. "You are admirable. Naruto is your precious person and it is… nice to see you protect him."

Sumiko smiled. "Thanks… he is."

"Sumiko-san, I have another question."

She raised an eyebrow.

"How did you know Zabuza-sama… considered me his precious person too?"

Ah…

Oops.

"Um…" She said, trying to come up with a quick lie. "I just figured he cared about you through his body language. He seemed to keep an eye on you through everything. It was just a chance I decided to take." She gave a sheepish laugh.

"Oh…"

She didn't say anything back and they laid there in silence until he decided to head back. After saying a quick goodnight, she was alone again.

Was what she did a good idea? People were bound to ask questions. After so many years of hiding what she knew from her family, it seemed way too easy to give it up in a single life or death moment. Kakashi sensei was bound to wonder. The question was if he would confront her about it or not.

She had been too careless. She should learn to control her tongue better. If she continued to drop clues, it would not take long for Kakashi to find out the truth. He was smart, smarter than anyone she knew, even Itachi. Her older brother was one of the smartest people she knew and yet, Kakashi could beat him in that category. Having him as a sensei was not a good thing. She had been hyped about it. Having Kakashi as her sensei was like a dream come true. He had always been her hero, her idol. But being his student came with problems.

She sat up, no longer feeling like lying down.

As if on cue, the door slid open. She looked up to see Kakashi walk in, hair blowing with the wind.

"It seems no one can sleep today, huh?" She chuckled.

"How do you feel?" He asked, coming to sit down beside her.

"Okay…" She said. "My body feels a little weak but that's probably just from the blood loss. Sasuke had the hardest of us all."

"He's all right now." Kakashi reassured her. "Haku hit just the right pressure point to stop the pulse. It was only for a moment. Shinobi like him are trained to do this."

"Yeah, I know… I figured that out. I wouldn't have let him live otherwise."

There was a beat of silence.

"I heard you unlocked it."

She swallowed, turning to face him. "Yeah… I did."

Hair blew across her face, brushing against her skin. The air seemed cooler suddenly. She waited.

His eye smiled down at her. "Congratulations, kitten."

She looked down, cheeks burning. Her heart thudded in her chest, heating up her body. She couldn't resist the smile that lit her face as she looked back up at him.

"Thank you."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a beaded string. He looped it between his fingers. "Here. It's a present for finally awakening the Sharingan." He said, offering it to her.

Eyes wide, she took the bracelet, holding it in her palm. It was a tiny little thing but it held so much weight. When was the last time someone gave her a present for achieving something? When was the last time she got genuine praise from an adult? She couldn't remember.

"Why?" She croaked out.

He shrugged. "I went to the market in the evening, when you were asleep. Just to check out the town and its condition. I happened on a shop and decided it was only right to give you something." He hesitated. "The Uchiha… The Uchiha clan usually held a ceremony when a member awakened their Sharingan. You won't have that so it was only right to at least get a present."

She swallowed. Sumiko fought off the emotion rising in her. "I– Thank you."

Looking at the bracelet, she counted the beads. There were exactly four of them with one slightly bigger than the others. It was probably an error on the seller's part but that was no doubt what made Kakashi buy it. She rubbed the bead between her fingers.

"Hey, Kakashi sensei… does this mean you're finally starting to like us?" She asked.

His hair blew back from his face, twirling in the air. He didn't turn to look at her, staring across the sea. The moonlight hit his face just right, highlighting the angles. She could smell the salt in the air.

"Not at all. Still hate you guys."

She grinned, eyes twinkling. Looping her arm through his, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you too."

...

The next day, Sumiko woke up again, feeling completely refreshed. Last night, she had stayed up with Kakashi on the porch for a long time. She had finally bid him good night when the sun was about to come up and he had suggested she get some sleep. Sumiko was glad she had taken him up on the offer.

With a yawn, she looked around to find herself alone, sleeping bags tightly rolled and propped against the wall. Checking the clock on the wall, she got up with a groan.

After a quick brush and a bath, she got out, finding herself back into the hallway. She took the same route as yesterday and came upon the kitchen.

"Oh, Sumiko-san, good morning! How are you feeling today?" A young woman asked, holding a bowl of curry. Her dark hair reached straight to her back, eyes gazing at her softly.

Her lips parted. "Beautiful."

A blush covered the woman's cheek and she looked down with a smile. "Um… Sumiko-san, you are at Tazuna-san's house. Your sensei carried you here yesterday. Thank you for saving my father-in-law's life."

She blinked. "Oh! Yeah, I know." A smile bloomed on her face. "I feel good now, you don't have to worry."

"That's great! Please come, have some breakfast with us."

With a shrug, she followed her to the dining room. Zabuza sat across the table, eating what looked like rice from a very pink bowl. Sumiko almost choked. Beside him, she noticed a boy, eyes glaring at her.

She raised an eyebrow. He immediately looked away, an annoyed frown covering his face.

As if noticing the interaction, the client's daughter-in-law – what was her name again? – said, "Sumiko-san, this is my son, Inari."

She smiled at him. "Hey, Inari!"

He gave out a huff and looked away. Tilting her head in confusion, she shrugged, sitting down to eat. The curry was a bit too sweet for her taste and she was sure that Sasuke wasn't going to like it. She ate it anyway because for once, someone had made her breakfast and she didn't have to make it herself.

"Zabuza-san, do you happen to know where my team is?" she asked between bites, wiping her lips with a tissue.

He looked up. "Yes, they are out training with Kakashi of the sharingan."

"You don't have to call him that anymore, he's not your enemy." she chuckled. "Just call him Kakashi."

He shrugged.

After finishing her food, she said a quick thank you and ran out the door. There were things she had to practice.

Following the instructions that Zabuza had given her, she jumped from tree to tree, finally approaching a clearing.

Haku sat atop a tree and the other two had kunai in one hand, trying to reach the top. The keyword here was trying.

She landed near Haku, sitting down beside him. "Hi!"

Sasuke's eyes snapped to her and he fell down, landing on his feet. "Sumiko!"

She gave him a soft smile, unlocking her sharingan. He grinned back at her. "I wasn't wrong, then?" He asked. "You awakened it."

"Yup!"

"Sumiko-chan! Your eyes look so cool dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, looking at her with starry eyes.

She gave a laugh. This was way too fun.

"Sumiko, are you feeling well enough to train with us?" Kakashi asked.

She gave a nod and jumped down. She tried not to fiddle with the bracelet on her wrist. Did he notice her wearing it? Did her teammates?

"You're just doing the tree-walking exercise right?" she asked, approaching a tree and casually walking up.

When she jumped back down, everyone was staring at her, wide-eyed. "Sumiko…" Kakashi began, "Would you like to explain how you already know this?"

She paused. "Um… It's pretty easy, right?"

Naruto gaped at her. "Kakashi sensei! How can she do it but we can't?"

Kakashi gave her a thoughtful look. "You do have the worst chakra control."

She frowned at them. "Well true… But if you guys don't know how to walk on trees, how do you jump from tree to tree?"

A pause.

"What?" She asked finally.

"That's different." Naruto said, voice hesitant. "That's not how it works."

"You just push off the branch and balance. The 'using chakra' part comes naturally to most shinobi." Kakashi added.

Ah.

She looked down slightly, not meeting anybody's eyes. Her fingers played with themselves behind her back. "Um… I– I can't do it naturally." She mumbled.

Silence.

"Oh." Naruto let out.

"Ow!" He howled a second later and she looked up to see Sasuke holding a fist over Naruto's head. Naruto rubbed the sore spot, wincing in pain. "Sasuke, you bastard, what do you think you're doing?!"

"I don't see you doing anything naturally so stop pretending to be so dumbfounded." Sasuke muttered.

"What did you say, you bastard?!" He roared. "How dare you?"

He ran after Sasuke, chasing him through the forest. She shook her head. Sometimes, she forgot they were just twelve. Thankfully, they didn't forget to remind her once in a while.

…

Soon, it was time for them to go back to Konoha. Kakashi and Zabuza had gone and killed Geto, officially completing our mission. The client was safe and the villagers were happy. Naruto had somehow charmed them and now, even the little Inari wanted to be a hero.

Standing on top of the now completed bridge, Sumiko waved goodbye to Haku and Zabuza. The whole village had come to bid them goodbye. It was nice, she thought, to be praised like this. She hadn't done a whole lot to deserve this but it was nice all the same.

"Haku-san, are you sure you don't want to come with us to Konoha?" she asked once again. It was really a disappointment.

He shook his head, dark hair blowing in the air. It fanned his face, making him look all the more pretty. He looked up at his master with a smile. "I'm sorry Sumiko-san, but I would like to explore this new relationship I have with Zabuza-sama."

She nodded, pretending to not notice Zabuza's tinted cheeks. Lips twitching, she said, "I will leave you to it then." oh, how innocent was the poor boy?

"You should visit us for sure, Haku and big sword guy! I hope we can visit too, old man Tazuna!" Naruto burst out, giving a huge grin.

"Be sure to visit, Naruto nii-chan!" Inari sniffled.

Then they proceeded to have a sappy conversation, tears brimming in their eyes. Sumiko shook her head with amusement. Finally saying their goodbyes, they turned around, walking down the bridge.

After a few moments had passed in silence, Naruto looked up at her. "Hey, Sumiko-chan, what are you going to do when we get back? I can't wait to eat ichiraku's ramen." He said, looking at the sky wistfully.

She thought about it. "First, I'm going to get a good night's sleep in my own bed and then, I have something I need to do."

He gave her a nod but Kakashi was giving her a strange look. She would have to tell him eventually but for now, she didn't want to say anything.

"Sasuke, do you even have anything you like to do other than sulk around?" Naruto asked, nose scrunched up.

Her brother scoffed. "If I do or do not, it is none of your concern."

"Whatever, you bastard! You can go and sulk!"

Sumiko smiled at their bickering, a familiar sound to her. "Kakashi sensei," she began, a mischievous smile on her face. "Are you going to hole up in your bedroom and read your book? Or maybe under the shower …?"

She turned to look at his reaction. He smiled at her, his 'I'm going to kill you but not before you beg me to' smile.

"Why? Do you want to join me, kitten?"

Her eyes widened, ears burning red. She spluttered, trying to form a response but coherent words refused to come out of her lips. " Sensei?! " she burst out.

How the hell did he manage to turn this around? She groaned, trying to hide her reddened face in her palms. What a day.

A/N: Am I the only one who loves the teasing between Kakashi and Sumiko? It's so cute and adorable, it make me squeal while writing it XD.

So, I know the way Haku was saved wasn't really dramatic or even all that interesting but I thought this was the best way to do it. It's something different and I hope you don't mind.

Also, did you guys realise in this chapter that Sumiko is actually really really weak? Cause she for sure did. She might actually be weaker than Sakura. She at least had chakra control going for her. Well, Sumiko isn't one to stay back. She'll do something about it soon, don't worry ;)

On another note, would you guys like it if I incorporate the land of snow movie?

Love,
Silvertongue 3