Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Zabuza built a fire and changed Ann into a dry set of clothes. He made a water clone to clean Ann’s muddy clothes so he could sit by the fire with her on his lap. Her shivering had since slowed, but had turned into restless fidgeting.
Zabuza~I wonder if she’ll wake.
Sure enough, Ann woke with a gasp and started struggling. Zabuza was quick to hold her steady to keep her from rolling into the fire.
Zabuza~Easy. It’s safe. Calm down–Rgh
Ann had bit his chest. Zabuza had enough sense to not throw her. Instead, he smacked the back of her head, making her let go. She was still breathing heavily as her eyes darted around.
Zabuza~Easy. We’re not fighting anymore
Ann~But– I– You–
Zabuza~Stop. Breathe. Listen
She stopped talking, but her breathing was still too heavy and too fast.
Zabuza~Slower breaths. Count to five going in, holding, and releasing. Repeat.
Ann followed his instructions and soon calmed down. Satisfied, he adjusted and pulled her closer.
Zabuza~Rest. You need to rest.
Ann~But…
Zabuza~You pushed too far. It’s now time to rest. We’ll continue later.
She pouted but still nodded. She turned into his chest, clutching at his shirt and trying to find comfort in his closeness. Zabuza felt her relax and heard her soft snores. The clone returned with Ann’s clothes and laid them out on the other side of the fire to dry.

As Ann rested, he took the time to eat lunch since she insisted on going past the three-hour mark he had set, skipping their scheduled break. He was once again impressed at her stamina, but it made him worry she’d destroy herself instead. Pushing well past her limits isn’t the kind of strength he wanted her to build. The question now is how to redirect her to reshape that drive from a purpose to a reason. A new purpose was needed, too. Ann stirred around again and pulled at his shirt.
Zabuza~What’s wrong?
She trembled, and Zabuza ran his hand through her hair. He watched her relax again.
Zabuza~Must’ve been a nightmare…Stupid brat.
He stopped petting her head but still pulled her closer to apply gentle pressure. If she properly wakes up, he’d only allow her to eat before having her go back to sleep. What was he going to do now with only one hand available?

It was already dark by the time Ann woke. The first thing she noticed was the warmth, then she noticed the weight. Zabuza wasn’t crushing her, but he was leaning forward over her. She nudged his side.
Ann~Zabuza?
He immediately sat up, breathing in deep and stretching his back.
Zabuza~How’re you feeling?
Ann~Hungry
Zabuza chuckled~Go use the bathroom before you wet yourself. I’ll have dinner ready.
He pushed her up to go behind the tree line before getting up to stretch some more. His joints popped, and he let out a sigh at a particularly good pop at his shoulder.
Zabuza~I’m not yet 18 and I’m already popping like an old man…Last time I’m sleeping in that position.
He was pulling out some bento boxes when Ann returned. She took the offered meal and ate next to him in silence. At first.
Ann~Zabi?
He hummed
Ann~I had a weird dream…
Zabuza~How was it weird?
Ann~It felt like a memory?...
Zabuza~What was the memory?
He suspected it might be related to whatever Auron’s kekkei genkai was. He and Ane had done some weird memory s**t to him as a kid. He still doesn’t remember how stealing candy involved the previous generation of Seven Swordsmen or why Bizu wanted him as an apprentice after that.
Ann~I’m not sure…I remember a red coat…and I think you were there, but you looked like a girl…
A chill ran down his spine. He spoke deliberately to keep it from shaking
Zabuza~That is weird. You shouldn’t worry about it. Dreams only use faces you've seen. You’ve never met Auron, and you were a baby for Ane. You’ve never even seen the inside of her locket. How do you know how they look like? The hell kind of bullshitery is going on?…
Ann~But Zabi, the one who looked like you was smothering me…The hug was too tight…
Zabuza~Was that why it was weird?
Ann~Yeah…It was nice, I guess? But…too much…
Zabuza~Did the other one do anything?
He quietly sighed in relief that she was focused on what happened rather than who was there. Priorities in children were weird.
Ann~I don’t remember…Is that bad?
Zabuza~No. Most dreams aren’t worth keeping anyway. That’s why I said you shouldn’t worry.
He closed his bento and took Ann’s empty box.
Zabuza~Are you still hungry?
Ann~No. Can I go back to sleep?
Zabuza~Not too close to the fire. New lesson in the morning
She nodded and laid down next to him, pressing the top of her head into his leg. He rolled his eyes at how she wanted to stay in contact to fall asleep and put away the boxes in their bag. He’ll let the fire burn for a bit longer, just to make sure Ann falls into a deeper sleep before he moves to put out the fire. No reason to accidentally wake her before she could have some proper rest, especially if she’s still recovering her chakra from the day’s training.

Zabuza~Alright brat, we're back on chakra control.
Ann pouted~I'm running at trees again?
Zabuza~Not this time, but it is related. Remember how too much chakra affected that tree?
Ann~Oh, yeah. You broke it.
Zabuza~It splintered, but yes. When you fight, that’s what you want, but on the flip side that makes you easy to read
Ann~So…does that mean you can make chakra weaker?
Zabuza~That’s right. You can pull it in and suppress your chakra. It also lets you hide your presence.
Pulling and pushing her chakra was less demanding than using the substitution jutsu. The only way she’d overdo it is if she was stupid about it.
Ann~But how do I do it then?
She looked at her hands then looked up again. She really didn't want to go back to striking at trees, and there's no way to tell if she was doing any good at hiding without a second person.
Zabuza~It's easier to figure out when used in practice. Don't worry, I'll still go slow.
Ann~Wait, that's it?!
She jumped back to be out of reach in case he swings at her with no further explanation again
Zabuza~Focus your chakra to whatever you plan on hitting me with. If you plan on hiding, you pull your chakra in, like holding your breath. I expect you to keep practicing your substitutions too.
He closed the distance between them,slow enough to still give her a chance. Ann gasped and ducked from his swing. She moved and jabbed at him. Zabuza blocked, then followed through with another strike, knocking her down.
Zabuza~That felt like something…Do better on the next hit.
Ann growled and ran at him. If he wants more power, she'll focus more power

They continued for the next hour with Ann hardly trying to suppress her chakra and more trying to land a solid hit on him. She did try to keep using the substitution jutsu, and was successful half the time. However, Zabuza needed her to suppress her chakra as well. So in her last attempt to punch at him, he side stepped her and pressed her to the ground.
Zabuza~Don't struggle. You need to reset.
Ann~Not tired!
Zabuza~Reset, not rest. You've only been focusing on increasing your strength.
He let go and she got up, brushing the dirt off as he continued
Zabuza~Unfortunately that makes you easy to read, like I already warned. So, since you refuse to balance the skills, I'm going to force you to hide.
Ann~I did try!
Zabuza~It's a poor attempt then. It's like trying to add ice to boiling water withour turning off the fire.
She crossed her arms and pouted.
Zabuza~At least she isn't throwing a tantrum like yesterday. You’re going to hide in the mist I'll make. Mask your chakra, or you'll get pelted with a rock.
Ann~Pelted?
Zabuza~Hit by throwing.
Ann~But–!
Zabuza~I could use kunai instead and hope you have the reflexes.
Ann~No…
Zabuza~That’s what I thought. Tree line is too far. The point is to hide from my senses. If you get hit, that's an obvious fail. If you avoid getting hit, that's a success in dodging. If I miss you, that's a success in suppressing. Questions?
Ann~How do I know you won't just listen for me?
She pouted and stomped her foot.
Ann~You always hear me
Zabuza~Trust. If you don't trust me, then practice being quiet for a change.
She growled and pouted more as she hit him. He smacked her back.
Ann~Is there another way to do this? I don't want to get hit by rocks…
Zabuza~We can go deeper in the forest and you can try hiding while I seek. I'll still be throwing rocks at you so you get immediate feedback.
Ann thought for a moment. Since she couldn’t get away from getting pelted by something, the first option gave her a chance to dodge since she can see it coming with no trees in the way.
Ann~No, the mist sounds better.
Zabuza~Alright then. I'll be by the shoreline. Stay in the grass here. You have to the count of five before I check your position.
Ann~Only five?! That isn't long enough to move! And you can hear me! You're not being fair, uncle
Zabuza~Don't call me uncle. Five is more than enough time. If you get caught on a mission you only have seconds to hide from or to eliminate the thing that found you. Sometimes running is the better option if you want to survive. It isn't a weak option if it benefits you in some way. Especially if there's a power difference.
Ann~But you can STILL hear me…
Zabuza~I already told you to trust me that I won't be listening for that. And you can still practice being silent. That's a necessary skill too.
She looked up from her pouting and nodded.
Zabuza~Good. Start pulling in your chakra.

Zabuza summoned a thick mist as he walked to the shoreline of the nearby lake. He gathered a handful of small rocks and tossed one in the air a few times
Zabuza~Remember you have to the count of five. The goal is for me to miss hitting you. It isn't enough to just dodge because you need to actually suppress your chakra. Final questions?
Ann~And you won't cheat?
Zabuza~For the last time, no. That'll defeat the purpose of the exercise. One.
Ann gasped and started to move as he counted. At five, she stayed still. A rock came flying at her and she ducked.
Zabuza~Again. One…two.
She moved again, trying to pull her chakra in. She tried to keep moving this time but got hit in the arm.
Zabuza~I heard that land. Try again. I can still feel your chakra. One.
She growled and moved in a different direction. The mist made it hard to know how far was too far. Ann could only hope that she still had his general location in the right direction. Otherwise she might walk right into him.
Zabuza~Two. Anger feeds your chakra. Three. It's more obvious now that you're riled up. Four.
Ann growled again but tried controlling her breathing to calm down as she moved after he called five. A rock flew past behind her. She snickered and continued.
Zabuza~Better. Keep going before I make the counts shorter.
Ann smiled from getting an actual compliment. He watched the mist as he counted and threw the rocks, not to pinpoint her location visually, but to make sure he could turn her around if she came too close to where he was.

After another hour of chakra control training, Zabuza dropped the mist and it quickly thinned from the sun shining over the tree tops. There was also a shift in the wind that helped it along, but Zabuza didn’t like it.
Ann~We're done?
Zabuza~Yeah. We need to head home soon.
He motioned her to start walking to their things.
Ann~What? Why? You don't like taking me in and out during the day.
Zabuza~Weather is changing fast. Faster than it seemed at breakfast. Hopefully it rains when we get closer to the village.
He started to go through their bag looking for their rain gear
Ann~Why can't anyone see me?
He stopped. First the dream, and now this. He turned slightly to see her face.
Zabuza~Do you remember how I said I was protecting you?
Ann nodded~Yeah…Did you figure out anything more?
Zabuza~The Mist is changing. Hard to tell if it's for better or worse.
He took out a bento and handed it to Ann before he went back to looking for the rain gear.
Zabuza~Eat while you can. I still need to clear the fire pit.
He finally pulled out two ponchos and set them to the side. Zabuza moved to clean up the evidence of the fire from yesterday. Ann sat and ate, watching him move with purpose, but not rushed. Probably to give her time to eat without hurry. She didn't ask Zabuza too many questions about that mysterious danger. He gets antsy when she asked him deep or loaded questions. It wasn't hard to notice that they only came to and from home when it was dark. Zabuza came back.
Zabuza~Finished eating?
Ann~Almost.
He nodded and put his attention to the ponchos, unfolding them so they could slip it on with ease and get moving once she finished.
Ann~Done. Zabi?
He hummed as he took the box and put it away.
Ann~Will you tell me why we're in danger?
His jaw clenched as he pulled the poncho over Ann's head and fixed the hood. He still didn't answer as he put on the bag and his poncho.
Zabuza~Let's go.
He held his hand out to her. Her brow furrowed that she wasn't going to get an answer soon, but took his hand anyway. Maybe she could try again when they got home. They hardly spoke when they traveled.

The rains came well before they got back into the village, and it came down hard. Zabuza even carried Ann the rest of the way. He didn’t want to risk her getting hurt if she couldn’t keep up, even while holding his hand. Ann held on tight to make sure she didn’t fall as he ran them home.

When they got home and Zabuza reset the protective jutsus, he took Ann to the bathroom, ignoring the trail of water they were making. He set her down to undress so he could run the bath for them to soak. Even before feeling the steam of water, just being inside made their cheeks sting from cold to warmth.
Zabuza~How soaked are you? You felt cold.
Ann~More than I thought…Can I sit already?
Zabuza~Get in.
He held her hand as she stepped into the tub. She sat right under the faucet so the water ran down her back and splashed at him slightly
Zabuza sighed~Move, brat. You’re making a mess.
Ann~Sorry.
She moved a little as the tub continued to fill. The heat paired with cold fingers and toes felt weird.
Zabuza~Turn the water off if it’s full before I get back. I’ll be fast.
Ann~Yeah
She watched him take off his poncho and shirt, grab her clothes, and then leave. Ann leaned to the side and closed her eyes, just feeling the water run down her back and the water level rise. She heard the door open but made no move to look.
Zabuza~You fall asleep?
Ann~No…Water is making me tired though…
Zabuza~You’re not sleeping in the bath again.
He sat in the tub with her at the opposite end and reclined with his head back. The water rose up when he sat, so he nudged her with his foot
Zabuza~Water.
Ann~Huh?...Oh.
She turned off the water then turned to wedge herself between the walls. Zabuza was just starting to let himself enjoy the heat when she spoke. He was hoping she'd forget that he never answered her. Maybe that's the case.
Ann~Zabi?
Zabuza~Yeah?
Ann~Why are we in danger?
Zabuza sighed~Not today…I don’t have a proper answer…not yet at least.
Ann~Oh…You’ll tell me?
Zabuza~If I can figure it out.
Ann quietly sighed that she couldn't know. Sometimes he comes back shaken from those missions he took. She sat with him in silence for a few minutes.
Ann~Uncle Zabi?
He brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he spoke
Zabuza~I thought you didn't like how that sounded either?...
Ann~It doesn’t sound bad now.
Zabuza~What do you want?
Ann~Since you won't answer about the danger, can you tell me why you're different from me?
Zabuza~What do you mean? There's a lot of ways we're different.
Ann~Why do you have a thingy but I don't?
If he didn't move she'd never see his blush. But he felt almost exposed now that he knows she notices that bit of himself. He lifted his head a little to see if she was staring. She wasn't
Zabuza~Males and females have a different anatomy overall. You’ve seen pictures of that
Ann~Does it deal with that other function of the endocrine system you won’t talk about?
Zabuza~Yes.
Ann~Will you tell me?
Zabuza~No. Not relevant for another ten-ish years
Ann~But I'm not gonna be here when that happens…Why can't you tell me?
Zabuza~There's a class in the Leaf that'll take care of.
Ann~But why can't YOU do it?
Zabuza lifted his head, annoyed, but couldn't think of a way to deflect without saying he didn't feel comfortable explaining to his niece about puberty and reproduction. So, he was left with bargaining.
Zabuza~What will it take to make you drop the endocrine function and the differences of males and females?
She eyed him.
Ann~That’s…new…What's the catch?
Zabuza~No catch. Don't ask me about this again–EVER. You get what you want.
She thought for a moment about what she could have. She was provided with everything–food, clothes, education–so there wasn't much she COULD ask for that he didn't already have a hard no to. Zabuza made sure to never expose her to anything indulgent, so she didn't even know about things like candy and toys existed.
Ann~Those chocolate protein bars almost taste good, but it's like eating paper. I want something that actually tastes good in chocolate.
Zabuza raised a brow.
Zabuza~Why did you eat paper?...
Ann~I didn't! Why would I eat paper?!
He rolled his eyes at her defensiveness. At least she didn't try eating cardboard.
Zabuza~I'll find something.
Ann~Make sure it's something good. I don't want a different kind of protein bar. I want it actually sweet.
Zabuza~Alright, alright. Something not practical. I'm not getting anything overly indulgent either, brat. You don’t need junk in your body.
Ann~Food can be junk?
Zabuza~Yeah. Shinobi can't survive on junk. Neither can brats.
He laid his head back down and sank himself a little more in the water so his shoulders could be further in.
Ann~Zabi?
Zabuza sighed~Yes?
Ann~Can I sit with you?
Zabuza~Yeah. C'm’ere.
She moved to his side and leaned against him while he put an arm around her. He'll let her be comfortable for now, then get her up in a few minutes
before the water gets cold. He wasn't ready to move yet anyway.