Ok XD I'm going to warn you all, I'm not fond of this chapter xD;; I'm really sorry, guys. It's really choppy XD And I apologize for the weird Mizukage thing XD

Anyways! thank you to all the lovely people who've reviewed :'D you make me so happy...

I attempt to explain my reasoning for my interpretation of the academy system exam in this one XD sorry XDD It's all speculation.

And a special thank you to Nobukane, for reading over this for me! n.n go read his stories :D And Naoko's mentionned in this chapter! She's his OC! Credit for Naoko goes to him n.n Points to anyone who guesses who Naoko is...

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

"Hey, wake up."

Kotone stirred, eyes once again scalded by the bright lights above. She'd done little more that sleep the last three days, since they'd moved her.

The nurses had been seething when they came to check on Zabuza the morning after she'd nodded off next to him. They had shouted something about her worsening his injuries, or giving him her virus. Her fever had gotten higher overnight, and it had been a simply matter of picking her up, and moving her to another part of the hospital, as her partner was much less compliant.

She'd heard one of the medics complain that he'd bitten the poor soul charged with changing his bandages. Though, in her feverish stupor, she could just as easily have imagined it.

"Come on, sleepy head, up and at 'em."

Kotone was feeling much better now, her eyes fluttering open as the light, female voice called her again. Two fuzzy shapes came slowly into focus, as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Shinju? Hiraku Kun?"

The boy nodded. "They're putting you with us, Kotone chan." He was smiling fondly, which wasn't really something she was used too. Nor was she used to being referred to as Kotone chan. Her partner had never done that.

"They say you're ready to go back to training today." Shinju's voice was placid as always, her soft grey eyes, exactly like her brother's, examining her.

"Don't worry, Kotone chan," Hiraku said, his light, green hair bouncing as he laughed. "You don't have to worry about the psycho anymore."

Kotone frowned, her gaze straying to the bed sheets clenched in her small hands. "Don't say that. He wasn't, I mean... He's not."

"Well," He continued cheerily. "Of course you wouldn't think so. Since he's the only person you've had any contact with for what, three years? Naturally, you must have gotten used to it, right? It's amazing you're sane,"

"Hiraku," His sister said firmly, laying a hand on his shoulder, quieting him. "Anyways... Come on, Kotone." Shinju smiled, brushing some of her long, black hair from her eyes. "Let's go home. You've got three days of training to catch up on."

vvvvvvvvv

"Chakra to the feet, brats!"

Hiraku stumbled, before toppling completely, surfacing a second later, and pulling himself back to his feet.

"No, no , no!" The jonin's calls grew louder, and more demanding. "Keep it steady."

Hiraku glared, muttering to himself. "How did you two get it so fast?"

Kotone just shrugged. "I'm not sure."

Shinju, who remained afloat beside her, hands clenched in the proper hand seal, focussing her chakra. "I've seen you two. You and your partner were quite...advanced, for your age."

Kotone smiled uneasily, unaccustomed to the praise. "Um...Thank you!"

Hiraku spent the rest of the class grumbling, and falling in the water. The Jonin decided to call it a day at about the same time as Hiraku managed to keep himself standing on the water's surface, and walked back to shore, quite proudly.

At dinner that night, they had to go fetch her from her usual seat on her sleeping mat, next to a very unoccupied one, and remind her where it was they ate. The conversation over their meal was as quiet, and awkward as the rest of the day with the new arrival had been. Kotone rarely gave more than quick, one word answers, hiding behind her bowl of rice.

Mostly, it was an hour of Hiraku playing twenty questions with an unwilling partner. What's your favourite food? Favourite colour? Favourite book? She'd answered each choppily, and was as non committal as humanly possible.

She'd been anxious for the uneasy time with her new partners to end, before hurrying to her mat, declining the offer to make room for it closer to them.

And things continued like that for a good two months. Kotone simply felt... out of place. As hard as she tried, and as much as she wanted too, she simply couldn't feel attached to either of them.

"Ano," Kotone said suddenly, between bites of her onigiri. "Shinju? How old are you?"

Shinju smiled gently, welcoming the change in her young companion's demeanor. "Thirteen."

"I'm ten!" Hiraku announced, nodding. "What about you?"

"Nine,"

Hiraku was grinning, sitting back, and taking a bite of his rice ball, munching happily on the bit of salmon inside. "Oh man! You know what I heard a teacher saying? Ikazuchi Joukeki was killed the other day! Some guy from Sunagakure. That's scary. That anyone could kill one of the Shinobigatana."

"They die often, Hiraku." Shinju answered sharply.

"The Shinobigatana?" Kotone inclined her head to the side. She'd heard them mentionned before, but wasn't exactly sure as to their purpose. "Who are they?"

"The Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu," Hiraku recited excitedly. "The seven strongest ninja in the village, with the exception of Mizukage sama, of course." He sighed, dreamily. "From what I've heard, they're amazing. Unbelievably strong."

"They're disgusting," Shinju's eyes were closed, hands in fists. An edge of steel in her calm voice. "They are an elitist gang, who reward Mizukage Sama's pawns for bloodlust, and brutality. They stand for everything that's wrong with this village."

"But..." The youngest of them stammered, completely at a loss. "What's wrong with the village?"

"Yeah!" Hiraku chimed in. "Mizukage Sama's the village leader! How can you say bad things about him?"

"Mother and father hate him, Hiraku. They hate him, and they hate his orders. But they're too scared to speak against him. Everyone is. You should know better than any of us, Kotone. The very idea of our former graduation exam drove your partner completely insane." She sighed, sitting back, arms crossed. "Perhaps you two are too young to understand."

She knew that the Kasumi family were ninja, Kasumi Shinju and Kasumi Hiraku being part of the few children with jonin parents. Kotone shifted uneasily staring at her hands. "I'm glad they changed the exam," she whispered.

"Of course they did, we all knew about it, and that defeated the purpose. They wanted to scare us into murdering each other by springing it on us last moment."

"Nee san!"

Shinju stood, muttering softly to herself, before laying down, and covering herself with her blankets. "Goodnight."

Hiraku smiled gently, chuckling. "Nee san gets weird sometimes."

Things quickly went back to normal, Shinju's unusually passionate lecture making things awkward again. Kotone had taken to watching the mice that shared their living space, when the siblings were talking together after training. There were four she saw regularly, and she named them, for some reason. Kuri, Ran, Nikki, and Hisa. She never made any move to pat them, or pick them up. She just liked to watch them scurry around.

She didn't really speak to the other two over the next month. After three years, it was just too strange.

vvvvvvvvv

The scuffling of feet and hushed whispers took her back to her first day at the academy, but this gathering was on a much larger scale. She could see little first and second years, cowering in fear, huddled close to another child from their year. Kotone felt a pang of something in her chest, watching them.

There was one, however, watching her. A second year was staring at her intently from behind indigo bangs. No, not staring. Glaring, spitefully. Their gaze met, icy blue eyes meeting ardent hazel, the staring match broken only when Hiraku plunked down beside her clumsily, accidentally kneeing her back.

"Oh, Sorry Kotone chan!"

"It's alright," she replied hurriedly, searching once again for those bellicose eyes, grimacing as she admit defeat, the younger's face lost in the sea of children crowded in the main hall.

"Quiet!"

The whispers faded to a hushed roar before dying entirely, obedience having been beaten into the very core of each ninja-to-be.

"Alright!" The young jonin was holding a scroll, and began reading from it, his voice echoing. "Listen up, brats! Mizukage sama's ordered a major overhaul of the system... the following changes have been made... Number one... as you all know, the traditional graduation exam has been suspended... Number two..."

vvvvvvvvv

Hachidaime Mizukage was not a particularly understanding man, even on the best of days. Today was certainly not the best of days.

The furious kage paced his tidy, darkened, office frenziedly, seeming to wear a path in the stone floor. This was a disaster. And disasters did not sit well with Hachidaime. A few anxious jonin watched from the corners of the room, keeping out of his way.

"It doesn't matter." He hissed. "Who cares if we remove the partnering system? They'll stay together anyways. It's been too long, they've been too isolated... that's the point after all. And now, we have at least three ruined batches of genin. Tainted! They're bound to one another, and they'll stay that way until one dies. They'll be weak. All because of one damned boy." He returned to his desk, slumping noisily in the heavy oak chair, and massaging his temples with his hands. "It's been three months. I've waited too long. Not only was he not an official participant, the boy failed the exam. He has no right to wear our village's hitai ate."

"What do you mean?" Asked one of the other ninja blandly. "He slaughtered the other students-"

"Indiscriminately. He killed a hundred strangers. He missed the exam's point entirely. What you boys may not realise," He got to his feet again, striding over to a large metal filing cabinet to the side of the room, leafing through it's contents brusquely. "Ah, here we go,"

He drew a small beige folder from the drawer, reading over it quickly. "Ume Kotone, Age, nine...height yadda yadda yadda." He snapped it shut. "His partner. The person we'd assigned him to train, and interact with. Exclusively. For the past three years. Then we assign those partners to fight to the death. Why?" He quirked an eyebrow expectantly.

"Bloodlust." the same man said with a shrug.

"Wrong." Hachidaime resumed his pacing. "It alienates them. By killing the only other person they're emotionally connected to, our genin are totally independent. That's why our grouping system is so lax, for missions. The other genin don't matter to them, nor does their teacher. So, we're free to assign them to any mission they're needed in. They are level headed, calm, and don't let their emotions cloud their judgement. Like you," He acknowledged the others "Of course, the bloodlust is simply a side effect. A pleasing one."

"Momochi did nothing of the kind. To pass, he would have had to eliminate the girl. But I suppose going back from genin would have to be his choice."

With a suddenness that made the room's occupants jump, he had turned, smashing is fist against the wall, a spider web of cracks forming around his undamaged fist. "I don't appreciate that little bastard ruining the system this village has used for decades. But he found a flaw. You don't have to be strong. Just stronger than your partner. A standardized test, like the other villages use would be a better indicator of ninjutsu prowess. Why I've changed the system to match the other great shinobi nations's. But emotionally, our ninja will be weaker than ever. As weak as the other countries's." He was livid with rage, sharp teeth bared. "And that just pisses me off."

The unbearable silence, that was punctuated only by the mocking tick of a clock on the wall, was finally shattered, and the door creaked open, and a chunin bowed. "Mizukage sama, the boy's team is back from their mission, I've called him here."

Hachidaime straightened, clearing his throat. "Good, send him in. I want to have a word with the so called 'Kirigakure no kijin'"

The chunin bowed again, before ushering in the dark haired boy, who was looking up at him, eyes narrowed. Hachidaime was studying the boy carefully, his stance and his expression spoke volumes. But the message was clear, and the kage didn't like it one bit.

I'm not afraid of you. His dark eyes said.

"You're awfully small for a demon." He mused, hand to his chin. "Little imp, really. The stories of you are highly exaggerated." The boy didn't flinch. The kage glared.

"As I'm sure someone's explained to you," He spat disdainfully. "You failed that exam, by missing you target completely. But, as we passed you, and it's been three months. We assume you've settled into the genin lifestyle, so we can't technically force you to return to the academy. It's your choice, brat."

Zabuza's eyes never left his, as he adjusted his hitai ate unconsciously, ( He could never decide how to wear the stupid thing) weighing his options, for a long moment. The boy sighed.

This one was a no brainer.

Hachidaime slumped against his desk when the boy finally left. Biting his lip angrily. His eyes... He knew that look.

It was the way he used to look at the seventh Mizukage... before he had killed him, and taken power.

vvvvvvvvv

"Hey, wake up, loser."

Kotone swatted at the hand shaking her shoulder, pulling the covers up to her neck. "Hiraku kun... I'm tired..."

"Hiraku, eh? You forgot about me already?"

Kotone sat up immediately, blinking at the boy crouching by her mat in total disbelief. "Zabu kun? You're visiting me?"

He shook his head, frowning. "Nah. Apparently, I didn't pass, really. Some red tape shit. Supposedly, the point was to kill you." He shrugged. "And I won't have anyone saying that I couldn't even pass a stupid genin exam. Besides, the other genin were all annoying losers, and I got sick and tired of weeding gardens, and finding stray cats, and gutting fish. D ranked missions suck." He crossed his arms, looking deadly serious. "And they barely pay anything either."

"Zabuza Kun?" She interrupted, giggling. "Did you miss me at all?"

He feigned thought. "Nope."

"Not even a little bit?"

"No."

"Not even an itty bitty little bit? "

He shook his head.

"Are you sure?" She coaxed, "not even a teensy ,tiny, teeny, weeny, itty bitty little bit?"

His frown softened an almost unnoticeable degree. "Ok, maybe this much," He held his thumb and forefinger close enough to be touching. "A mega tiny, microscopic amount-"

Kotone gasped, a grin spreading across her face. "You missed me!" She proclaimed happily, throwing her arms around his neck, much to his disapproval.

"Hey- let go, get off! Don't make me regret coming back..."

But Kotone ignored his protests. "I missed you too."

"I can see that." he answered flatly.

"Oh gosh," She started, taking a step back. "They've cut out the whole, partner thing. We can talk to whoever, now. But no one does. It's weird talking to any of the others..."

"So I heard."

"Yeah... I was hanging out with the Kasumi siblings..." She dropped her voice to a childish whisper. "They're really strange! Hiraku's all smiley all the time.. It gets creepy... and Shinju... she's all calm and stuff, then you mention Mizukage sama, and she goes berserk-"

"Kotone?" He interrupted sharply.

"Yeah?"

"You do remember that we have a full day of training ahead of us right? And that we don't have time to be talking all morning."

"Oh," she said, chuckling weakly. "Right."

The nightmares had started a few days after he'd gotten out of the hospital, and had died down within the month. He couldn't understand why, as he felt no guilt for the matter, but for some reason or another, he found himself waking in a state of panic, after dreaming of the events each night (much to his embarrassment on missions). They were incredibly real. From the feel of the kunai in his hand, to the pain of his own wounds, to the metallic smell of blood in the air.

But, of course, they'd stopped within the month.

Which is why it surprised him that night, when he woke screaming, drenched in a cold sweat. He'd waken Kotone, who was sitting up in bed, eyes full of concern, and he could hear others that his unintentional outburst had awoken, shifting nervously.

"They weren't kidding," He heard one whisper. "That dude's a freaking demon!"

"Psycho,"

"He really is possessed!"

"You take that back!" Zabuza was taken off guard by his partner's retort. She had stood, and was fixing the boy who had spoken with a scathing glare.

"Make me!"

"I will, then!" He could see her small hands clenched in fists, taking a step towards the challenger. Zabuza stood, blocking her path, with his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't."

"What? You heard them-"

"Yeah, but from what I hear, it's you that has the problem with me."

"But...He...He called you a psycho-"

"I don't give a damn what they call me. And by jumping on them like that, you're implying that I do. I don't need you to fight my battles for me, and this isn't even something I'd fight. So give it a rest. You're just embarrassing yourself, Kotone. And insulting me."

His eyes were narrowed, and she found herself unable to meet his gaze. "I...I'm sorry."

He sat back down, before getting back under his bed sheet. "It's alright, that was just...

unnecessary. Really, really unnecessary."

He frowned as she curled up next to him, instead of returning to her own mat, but did nothing to dissuade her. He had been granted a three month break from her nauseatingly cuddly habit, so he supposed he could tolerate it tonight.

Thankfully, this would be the last apparition of that annoying nightmare.

"Zabuza kun? Are you asleep?" She whispered into his ear shortly after.

"Not anymore."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did, stupid."

She hesitated for a moment, before collecting the courage to ask something that had been nagging at her for the last few months. "Zabuza kun... If... If everything had worked out like they'd planned... and we...we both had to do the old graduation exam... would you have killed me?"

"Hard to say," He groaned, rolling away from her. "You can keep up with me pretty well, Kotone."

"That's not what I meant."

"What'd you mean, then?"

"Skill levels aside, if... If I just froze, or something, and you had that kunai...would you have killed me?"

He answered before she had time to blink. "Yes,"

"Oh." She shrank, edging away from him.

"Nothing personal, Kotone. You'd have done the same. Anyone would."

She nodded, a heavy sort of feeling filling her chest, as she shut her eyes. "Yeah... I guess so. Goodnight, again." She lay awake for a while longer, before getting to her feet, and for the first time returning to her own mat. It was different, somehow.

When she thought about it, it had been the same way in the hospital, and a sad conclusion dawned. Perhaps it had been in the few hours he had been away, while she had been searching for him, or perhaps even in the instant that the true insignificance of their lives as shinobi hit him. But either way, whenever it was, the truth remained.

Momochi Zabuza had grown up, and it could never be the same as it had been before.

Kotone sighed, settling onto her cool bedding, nothing but silence, and tiny scratching sounds filled her ears. They each made different noises. Without her training she'd never have guessed it, but now she could tell, by their gait, and the volume, and where they were. "Goodnight, Ran." She whispered.

She'd have to content herself to her own mat from, now on.

She wouldn't ask to share his again.

Soo... there you have it XD sorry. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, please review, and have an awesome day :3