like water

Normally he would have gotten up by now but since the last battle he had to admit he felt a fatigue sleep couldn't cure. He wasn't the type to lie around and wait but for the moment he couldn't do much more. Even though his wound had healed up nicely, his body didn't want to cooperate.
Turning his head to the side, he stared at the pink-haired girl lying in the middle of the room. She had been asleep for over two days. Her soft breathing told him she was still somewhere far away from all the pain she had tried to outrun. A tired sigh left his lips, wondering what the hell he was doing with his life.

Personally he felt Haku was being too soft with her. She was their captive, not their houseguest. Stirring lightly in her sleep, he kept his eyes on her. So, she had finally decided to return to the world of the living. Fluttering her eyes open, she bolted up and looked around in confusion.

As if a tidal wave hit her, Zabuza saw tears come to her eyes. Painful sobs followed as the memories of the days before came rushing back. Her crying stopped when realizing she wasn't by herself. As their eyes met, she quickly rubbed the tears away. For a moment they just stared at each other in silence until she broke the spell to look around. Clearly in search of Haku.

He doubted the girl had figured out yet how time much had passed since falling asleep. He snickered; what captive just fell asleep? And a kunoichi, no less.

Could he call her that though? He supposed he could but a true kunoichi would have looked for a way out by now. Right now, she wasn't anything but just a girl. A girl too afraid to dare an escape. Probably awaiting some miraculous rescue. Oh, how he pitied her.

Her green eyes hardened when making contact with his, making him smirk in response. She still wanted to be strong in front of him. Though not asking, she was clearly wondering why she was lying on a mat in the middle of the room.
Haku had to do a little task for Gato and during his absence had decided it was best to keep an eye on her by moving her into the same room as him.

When Haku had moved her from his bed to the mat, she hadn't even opened her eyes. Trauma was a tiring thing but never, not once, had he laid his eyes to rest in all his life after dealing with it. It pissed him off that she was behaving this way. How very unbecoming of a supposedly future shinobi.

'Get up,' he barked, getting up himself from the bed he had been tied to for last two days. Grabbing another bandage, he held it out to her. Dumbfounded, she only stared at him until he motioned for her to get up and take it.
'Do it again.'
Hesitantly she took the bandage while helping him unravel the old one around his abdomen. Cleaning it gently, he watched her intently. Her expression slowly turns crossed, as if she disliked how it looked.
'Something wrong?' he simply asked.
Surprised by his question, she looked up. When their eyes met, she almost immediately looked back down. Shaking her head, 'N-no, I am just amazed by how fast you heal…'
'You were out for more than a day,' he enlightened her while taking in her expression.

Her focus was impeccable, something he could appreciate. Eyes solely on his wounds and her own hands. She was gentler than Haku and quicker too. Not that he would ever word any of these compliments to her.
'Still,' she said breathy, 'It's fast compared to…' She stilled, not quite sure how to finish that sentence.
'Normal people?' he said, greatly amused by her discomfort. Her green eyes darted to his, this time being bold by not looking away.
'Compared to other shinobi,' she answered.
He didn't say anything back. Pink hair tickled his chest while she finished bandaging him up, again using enough pressure for the wound to heal up nicely.

Her dainty hands held some power, he mused.

When done, she took a step back. Standing straight before him, she almost glared at him before cowering and looking back down at her feet. She fumbled with the sleeves her shirt, which were a bit too long on her since she was shorter than Haku.

'Go get me something to drink.'

He watched her shoulder go up defensively before falling back down in defeat. Her contradicting behavior only amused him further. The little kitchenette was just across the room, perfect in his view.
Though the sight of the room was starting to annoy him more each passing day.
Truthfully, he had been plaguing his own mind. His inner demon speaking up and demanding for him to shed blood. The truth was that he needed to move up from here, get higher up the hierarchy.
Not be the middle-man's handy killer.
And though hated to admit it, he simply didn't possess the business-mind Gato had. He was no capitalist. He was a killer. That was all he could do. That was all he had been taught. To murder, to use, to get better. To eat. To survive.

The silhouette of the girl in front of him was such a stark contrast to how he had been raised. At her age, he would've killed his captors. He would've slaughtered them ruthlessly and taunt them with their foolish idea of being able to hold him.
Her sensei had a been strong and impressive shinobi. Had he taught her so little? Or did she truly lack any talent?
'Get me a sandwich too,' he added, feeling hunger for the first time. Cracking his neck, he lied back down on the bed. Pondering for a moment if he could use the girl in some way to his advantage. He doubted she had much intel; she was nothing but a mere Genin… and not particularly good one either. Hearing her opening a couple of drawers, evidently in search of something, he turned his head. Finding what she had been looking for, bread, she then continued making the sandwich before grabbing a glass and turning on the water. He watched her hands and noted they had probably never shed blood. Hence why she was soft with him and lenient to their demands.

Sakura vaguely acknowledge what she was doing. She could only stare, watching the water flow away down the drain. Into the abyss. The knife next to her hand shined so brightly in the dim light of the little kitchen. As she held out the glass, she saw how her nails were still dirty with dried blood. And for a moment she wondered if they'd ever be clean again. Did she even want that? That last, little bit of her team, gone? Right now, it was safe underneath her nail, close to her.

Feeling sickened by her own thoughts, she had the suppress the memories that suddenly overtook her mind. She didn't want to see their faces again. She didn't want to feel anything.
Inspected her nail again, suddenly the knife caught her attention. Her green eyes went to the veins on her wrist. Could it end? If she bleeds, would it be all that bad?
Like water it would flow. Peacefully taking her a drift towards freedom. Into the abyss. Straight to soothing nothingness…

Quietly taking the knife, she shakingly held out her wrist but before she could even make up her mind the water of the faucet whipped out and behind her a tall wet figure came to stand, grabbing her by the neck.
'What do you think you're doing?' he hissed.
'I…' Her breath got stuck in her throat. She didn't know. Could she not go to where her team and sensei were? Did she have no say in this at all?
Zabuza's clone turned them around, so the real one could see her. Her feet dangled in the air when he moved, emphasizing their extreme difference in height and strength. She felt like a mere doll in his hands.
'I just… Please,' she simply whispered, realizing how pathetic she was being. She couldn't even do the simple task of ending her own life. A life that was hers to take.
'You can do that after I find someone who's willing to pay for you,' he hissed at her. The clone pushed her forward, making her fall on her knees. 'Useless girl, making me waste energy on something so ridiculous!'
The water-clone grabbed the sandwich and roughly dragged her by the arm towards the real him. As they approached, he again pushed her forward. Falling on her hands near his feet, as he now sat up again, his sour expression showing how extremely annoyed he was with her.

Taking the food, he immediately released his clone. The water-clone disappeared, and the icy water poured over her, making her gasp in surprise and tremble in response. It blurred her vision. Or perhaps those wretched tears had found their way out again. She didn't quite know. It was cold and her entire body was now wet.
'Just what have you been taught?' he gruffly asked while taking a bite. Even eating was a violent action, she noted when looking up.
The man before her was so different than any other man she had ever met in her life. There wasn't a bit of kindness in his eyes. Everything he did was so very rough and inhumane. As if he hid a savage beast within him.
'I'm…' she hesitated, not really sure if even he wanted an actual answer to the question. 'I can control chakra really well… t-that's what Kakashi-sensei said.'
Her heart ached at the words, only days ago he had given her that very compliment and it had made her heart flutter in pride. For once, she wasn't running behind. For the first time, she had outshone her two teammates. Though, it was all rather futile in the end. None of them were safe from the horrid fate that they all met the day after.

'That's all?' he growled, unimpressed by her answer.
'Just basics,' she shrugged, not quite sure what information he was after. 'Nothing like… you or Haku.'
The name of the boy sounded foreign and above all, horrible wrong one her tongue. Zabuza laughed, making her quiver and decide to keep her eyes on his bare feet on the ground instead of his cruel face.
'Of course not,' he snickered in response. 'But just in case you ever think of something like this again,' he grabbed her by the shirt, lifting her from the ground, and making her look at him again, 'Just remember; water always finds a way.'
'Ah…' She gaped, seeing some emotion for the first time in his eyes. It was hard to figure out what exactly he meant. It didn't sound vicious or unkind. More like well-intended advice. Was he warning her about himself?
'You could be water,' he muttered while letting her fall onto the ground. Trembling, she only stared at him while he continued to eat. He then threw her a piece, 'You must be hungry. Eat.'

With a trembling hand she reached out and grabbed half of the sandwich. Her stomach made a noise, urging her to start eating. With an embarrassed face she took a bite. Her eyes on the floor.

It remained silent after that.

Sakura didn't move, speak nor dared to make eye contact, which seemed to start annoying him after a while.
Letting out an aggravated growl to try and get her attention. Only daring to look at him out of the corner of her eye, she noted his expression was stern as always. But it also looked as if he was in deep thought. Staring intently at her, as if she were some enigma. It made her feel very self-conscious, and she couldn't help but squirm underneath his gaze.

Moving her feet closer underneath her while fumbling with hem of her sleeve, she tried to ignore how he was making her feel. He probably knew she could feel his eyes on her and there was no point in pretending she didn't. Her heart started to pound while the atmosphere tensed up.

His words were still echoing in her mind until it became too much to bear, and she couldn't help herself anymore.

'W-what did you mean?' she whispered, almost too quiet and with a tremor in her voice. Her entire body was cold because of the water but she didn't care, her body could shiver all it wanted. None of it mattered for the moment.
Quirking up an eyebrow at her question, he only made a grunting noise. Not daring to repeat her words, Sakura remained silent. A long moment passed were neither moved nor spoke.

'Don't you want to live?'

The question caught her off guard. Surprisingly, he remained calm and steady. Speaking to her the same way Kakashi-sensei did when he was being serious.
'Find a way to live, kid.'
'B-but…' The pieces of her broken heart fluttered, seeking out one another and becoming slightly whole again. Suddenly remembering she did desperately want to do just that. She loved her friends and family, and she just wanted to go home. The immense hurt was a direct consequence because of all the love she felt so deeply towards them. Her team was gone, it would all be different but that didn't mean she didn't want to ever love again. She did want to live. Even though she didn't quite know how yet.

'Selling you doesn't mean shit. I just want money. What you decide to do once you're out of my hands, is up to you.'
Though he said it coldly, Sakura understood he was trying to somewhat make her see there was still hope. Surprised at his actions, she didn't quite know how to react.
Unlike Haku, she hadn't been around him and he came off as unpredictable.
Feeling brave, and too curious, she couldn't help but look at him. His expression remained unchanged, cool, and uncaring. They stared for a moment before she gave in. Nodding at his words, while trying to figure out who the man before her really was.

Half-man, half-monster, her mind answered. Haku spoke with adoration of him, yet he never showed any sign of caring about the boy. And though he was rude, cruel, and vicious, he had not treated her poorly. In fact, he had saved her life… just before the nine-tales had struck.
'Do…'
'Hm?'
'Never mind,' she quietly shook her head, dismissing the idea. It didn't matter. For a moment she imagined if there hadn't been a group of hunter-ninja to interfere. A battle solely between him and Kakashi-sensei…

Getting up, water droplets trickled down, making her shiver in response. When she stepped towards him, he tensed up at her sudden action. Eyes narrowing, he glared at her.
Ignoring his reaction, and though certain that he had weapon hidden on him, she sat next to him on the bed. 'Your wound has opened up…'

Surprised by her sudden change in attitude, it took him a moment to realize what she was saying. Looking down, a small red stain showing. Shaking his head, he simply shrugged, 'Don't bother.'

Disapprovingly shaking her head, and knowing it was her that caused it to open, Sakura grabbed a fresh bandage and some disinfectant. 'I don't mind…'
Taking care of his wound, held something soothing for her. She knew what to do and how to do it. A calmness washed over her as unraveled bandage.
Her mind had been overthinking. About everything that had happened, could happen, should happen, and would happen.

A part of her longed to go home, but… to see everyone. All the memories that awaited her.
To go back all by herself… The thought alone wrecked her. It felt as if a cruel vicious beast had just struck her in the chest and foully played with her insides until she'd give up and collapse. She simply could not imagine going home all by herself.

Zabuza remained quiet as he watched her be so very gentle with him. It had irked him earlier, but after seeing her sad and depressed state, he couldn't help but pity her some more for some reason.
The action seemed to relax her; a clear tranquility washed over her as she wrapped him back up.
He didn't say anything, simply letting her do what she had done before, knowing she did it rather well. What had possessed him to speak to her like that, still puzzled him. Maybe he was high from the medication or something. Her hands were icy-cold, making him unwillingly respond to her touch.

The movement of what appeared to be a shiver caught her eye and she sheepishly apologized. Again, he didn't say anything, simply rolling his neck to relieve the pressure while she finished.
He hated this. Sitting around, being useless. Perhaps the girl didn't annoy him, perhaps he was annoyed by his own predicament. Those hunter-ninjas, the copy-ninja, the nine-tails… It had been a miracle he had been able to survive all of that.
And yet it he still felt like a complete failure. He shouldn't have survived. He should have fought and triumphed, took the girl as a prize and made her maid in his grand mansion while laughing and celebrating his victory. He should be rising in power and eventually take back Kirigakure.

He could envision it all when closing his eyes. He could see the path layout before him.

But it seemed he had strayed.

Here he was, getting nursed by pathetic little girl, who he for some reason tried to keep alive, waiting for Haku to return from Gato for a paycheck he desperately needed because now he had three mouths to feed.

The girl sat quietly on the bed, slightly trembling from the cold wet clothes she was still wearing. Taking in her appearance, he noticed her eyes looked less clouded. It was obvious his words had struck a nerve and had given her some much-needed food for thought. A glimpse of fire could be seen in her eyes, making him smirk. Water always finds a way, he reminded himself.

It could seep through the thick earth, crash through rocks, and go over the highest edges. Move withing the sky and poor down to put out the mightiest fire. It could not be stopped only slowed down.

Like water he would find a way to triumph.