Sasuke Uchiha and I

Chapter 8 - Itachi vs Sasuke

Sasuke's P.O.V

I was flying through the trees at an amazing speed, but I didn't have time to enjoy it. The only thing going through my mind was finding Winter, where was the Akatsuki hideout?

There was a bird squawk next to me but it was abruptly cut off as I sailed meters away from it, jumping past trees like a vine less-Tarzan.

Where are you Winter?

I held on to the little hope I had that I wouldn't have to kill her, no matter how much she got on my nerves, she certainly brightened up the shadows of Orochimaru's place.

Had the Akatsuki given her plans for Orochimaru's death?

A part of me wondered if it would be best that he died, Orochimaru was way past his best before date and for some reason, every time I thought of me killing Winter I had this weird feeling that it wasn't the right thing to do, that for some reason I had to keep her alive.

Call it fate, destiny or whatever, but I know for sure that running into Winter that night was not an accident.

Winter's P.O.V

Haku continued to cry, my ears were ringing from the constant cries. I thumped my back against the wall until I heard the series of clicks that opened my chains. I had to get this kid to stop crying otherwise I was going to go insane.

I tiptoed up the stairs and paused to make sure the Akatsuki were asleep. Sure enough, snores came from the rooms in front of me. How did they fall asleep? Don't ask me.

I crept past their rooms into Haku's room. It was dark but I could make out a shadow in the corner of the room. Haku was chained and curled against the wall sobbing his heart out. We were about fifty meters from the Akatsuki's rooms so I lit the candle with the matches that laid next to it.

Haku's cries came to a stuttered stop as he looked up at me. "You? Why are you here?"

"I'm here to help you, why are you crying?" I asked Haku, he just pursed his lips and shook his head.

"They'll hurt you if they find you in here."  I moved forward and hit the lock mechanism behind the wall that unlocked his chains.

I chuckled and smiled at the four-year-old. "They can't hurt me, I am a big girl."

"You have owies on your face."

I remembered when Pein had hit me twice and I lifted my hand to feel the rough skin of a long cut. "I'm okay, my name's Winter. You are Haku, right?" I was so glad for Itachi and Sasuke's Japanese lessons. Haku nodded and his stomach growled, loudly. "You are hungry, here, I will get some food from their kitchen." Haku shook his head frantically.

"I'm okay, really."

I smiled again. "Let's promise each other something, let's be completely honest to one another. You can trust me, I can keep a secret." Haku seemed to think for a while until he nodded. "Are you hungry?" With Haku's nod, I told him to stay there and I silently walked around until I found their kitchen. I opened their cupboard and found some bread and cheese. I quickly made cheese sandwiches for the both of us and grabbed some canisters of water.

I slipped back into Haku's room ten minutes later and shut the door quietly behind me. I handed Haku his sandwich and water and he looked at the food, up at me and then turned his head.

"What's wrong? It's not poisonous." I assured Haku. Of course, he would think I poisoned the food! I tore a piece of the food off of Haku's sandwich and made a show of eating it. "See? I'm okay." Haku nodded and took his sandwich. I drank a little of his water and he took that from me as well. "Savour it, I will try and come back every night and feed us okay? Wait for me tomorrow night." I gave my sandwich and water to him, he needed it more than I did. The Akatsuki fed me, obviously, Haku hadn't been eating from them thinking the food was poisonous.