"Akari..."

I groan and throw my arm over my eyes, blocking out the sudden light.

"Akari..."

Who the hell is interrupting my sleep?! If they call out one more time I'll--

"Akari!"

"The hell is wrong with you!" I shout, jack knifing to my feet. And then I blink. At Haku's giggling face.

"Haku!" I cry, crushing him in a hug. He returns it warmly, gently wrapping his slim arms around me. "I thought I might never see you again..."

"I know," he says in his soft voice, letting me lean back. "I heard what you said at my grave, and I'm very sorry. But, like I said before, this is very difficult and it took me until just now to reach you. Zabuza was unable to come, I'm afraid."

I pout at that. The Demon of the Mist was someone I was hoping to see, even if he is dead. "Well anyway," I say, throwing off my disappointment and smiling widely. "I'm just happy to see you again, Haku." I pause, old thoughts and suspicions coming back to me. "There's something I wanted to ask you..."

A low groan from somewhere behind me catches my attention and I spin around, curious instead of afraid. Haku smiles over my shoulder at... Gaara?

The hell?

He's lying in the snow on his back, missing his gourd. I guess that would be uncomfortable to lie on. Gah, that's not the point!

"Why is he here?" I ask Haku, not upset exactly. Just confused. I was under the impression that the only people in this little world would be me, Haku and Zabuza.

Haku continues smiling. "Gaara of the Desert, if I'm correct?" he asks, and I nod. "Yes, this is my doing. I allowed his soul to travel here, to this place, along with yours."

"But why?"

"I felt it was necessary for you two to share this experience. On another point, I have to say, his spirit is surprisingly warm, despite his past. Much like yours, actually, Akari." He smiles, like this information is supposed to mean something to me. "Ok...?" I reply, standing and walking over to the barely conscious Sand Genin.

I crouch over him, shaking his shoulder gently. His eyes blink open slowly. "Akari...?" he says groggily. I blink. He's never sounded groggy before. How weird.

"Hey Gaara," I say, helping him sit up. "Welcome to the Netherworld!" I say brightly. His stares at me blankly, not comprehending.

"Akari!" Haku calls, sounding slightly annoyed. "I never once called this place the Netherworld and you are aware of that!"

I snicker a little.

"Who is that?" Gaara asks, nodding towards Haku, still kneeling in his Mist Village attire. "And why does he... she... look like you?"

I smirk a little, remembering how he so bluntly defended me earlier when Tazuna implied that either Haku looks girlish, or that I look boyish. I was happy for his support then, and now.

"That's Haku," I say, smiling pleasantly. "He's... my brother?"

Haku grins softly, nodding his head to me, while Gaara narrows his eyes. Ok, explanation time.

"Well, he's only just confirmed it for me but.... Haku is the boy from the Yuki Clan that died a few months ago. As far as I know, the only other member of our Clan, besides me."

Haku's sad dark eyes only confirm my fears.

"He sometimes visits me in my dreams, like I said. And he kept hinting about something I just couldn't figure out. But now... I know. I felt the exact same way sitting in front of your grave as I did sitting in front of the Memorial Stone in Konoha. Like I'd lost my brother."

"I am so sorry, little sister," Haku says, gesturing for me to come closer. "I wasn't able to tell you before, but I can now. The story of how you ended up in Konoha."

I pull Gaara to his feet and we move to sit in front of Haku. As I settle in, I can't suppress a shiver."Damn snow," I hiss. "I'm still not used to it."

Whats worse? My teeth are starting to chatter.

"How are neither of you affected by this?" I ask. Haku only smiles. I've noticed he does that a lot. Gaara looks... amused? Goddammit!

"What are you even seeing?" I ask him. He frowns, but says, "A forest covered in snow. Why would I be seeing something different?"

I don't answer, throwing a questioning look at Haku. "It's our spirits that are anchoring his here," he explains. "So he experiences what we experience as he sleeps."

I think Gaara nearly chokes on his own spit.

"I'm asleep?!"

Oh. Yeah. That's... bad.

"Do not fear, Gaara of the Desert," Haku says, holding up his hand calmingly. "My and Akari's spirits are suppressing Shukaku enough to keep him immobile. Though, to be perfectly honest, it is taking very little of my own spirit to aid Akari's."

"He did say he likes you," Gaara says thoughtfully, his expression... Ok I can't read his expression.

"Don't remind me," I growl, another shiver running down my spine. This one is only partially caused by the cold.

Yet my teeth are still chattering.

Dammit!

Glowering at my hands, clasped in my lap, I feel an arm hesitantly encircle my shoulders. I blink, before smiling gratefully at Gaara. He's surprisingly warm.

He offers me one of his rare smiles as I pull a little closer to him.

"Excuse me," Haku says, sounding like he's holding back a laugh. "We don't have much time, and I very much want to tell you about our shared past."

I blush for seemingly no reason and motion for him to continue.

"It's not a pleasant story," Haku warns, a deep look of sadness settling on his delicate features. "As you know, the Yuki Clan was considered cursed, as it still is. Members of the Clan were slaughtered for fear that our powers would harm those around us. As such, many Clan members chose to hide our kekkei genkai and lead normal, average lives. They married ordinary people from the Village and prayed their children did not receive the kekkei genkai. Our mother was one such Yuki Clan member."

He sighs, shaking his head. I feel my heart constrict just looking at him, and another shiver passes through my body. Gaara rubs my arm comfortingly. I'm still not sure why he's here, but I won't deny that his presence is seriously helpful in this trying situation.

"I was born," Haku continues, his dark eyes flicking up to meet my own matching pair. "And three years later, you followed. But when you were born, Akari, Mother instantly knew you'd inherited her curse. I'm not sure how she knew, but she did. And she knew she had to protect you from our father."

My hand involuntarily clutches at the front of Gaara's shirt, my twitching fingers needing something to occupy them. I feel him look at me, but I keep my eyes on Haku. If I start crying, I'd rather Gaara didn't see it.

"Our father, he wasn't a bad man. At least, I've come to understand that since dying. But he would have felt obligated to tell the other Villagers about your curse, and that would condemn the rest of our family. So Mother... faked your death."

He pauses, as if waiting for me to ask a question, or maybe start bawling my eyes out. I do neither, and he goes own with the story.

"Mother made it seem like you were weak from the time of your birth. And one day, Father and I came home from the store to find her crying, screaming about her lost child. In actuality, she'd left you somewhere in the Village, where she was sure Leaf Village Shinobi would find you. And they did. Assuming you were an orphan, they took you back to Konoha, where you were adopted.

"It wasn't until years later that Mother discovered I also carried her kekkei genkai. I was playing outside, in the snow, freezing and unfreezing water at will. She scolded me for it, making me promise to never again use such tricks. But Father had seen.

"He gathered up some Villagers and stormed our home. He killed Mother with his own hands, and tried to kill me. But my kekkei genkai stirred, and I was able to kill Father and the others, letting me escape."

I am now crying so violently that there is no possible way for me to hide it, from either Haku or Gaara. No it's not because Haku just admitted to killing our father. It's due to the fact that the man who was my father was so willing to kill his own wife and children.

For years I've dreamed about the kind of man my father was. I always pictured him as a loyal Leaf Shinobi, a great Ninja. Someone to be proud of, to look up to, to aspire to be like him. But now... He's no better than Gaara's father.

The other reason in crying? I've just realized I've now lost not one brother, but two. And it is a devastating loss.

"Akari..." Haku's somehow warm hand closes around mine, the one not holding onto Gaara for dear life. "If I had known you were alive, I would have found you, I swear. But I only learned of your fate after coming here... and meeting Mother. She explained everything to me, and now, I'm trying to make up for lost moments." He smiles sadly, using his free hand to wipe the tears from my cheeks. "Do not cry, little sister," he says softly, warmly, lovingly. "You will see me again, that much I can promise. And Zabuza as well."

"What about Mother... and... and Masaki?" I choke out, my voice no more than a hoarse whisper. Another sad smile. "It would seem fate is as cruel as everyone believes," he says. "Those two have no ability to reach out to you, as much as they might try. But I myself can speak to them, and I will try to convey their messages to you. Now, my time is short, and dawn has already arrived. I'll have to leave you, Akari."

I blink at him, nodding. I don't like it, but I have no choice but to accept it. So I will.

"Till next time," I say, and he smiles a little more brightly. "Of course," he says. "And I will do my best to get Zabuza to accompany me on my next visit. Goodbye, little Akari," he adds, bending forward to kiss my forehead lightly.

***

Light streaming through the open window forces me to blink open my eyes.

And there's Gaara, just waking himself.

Er, I'm in quite the awkward position. My head is in Gaara's lap, and he has his arm around me tightly. Oddly enough, it's not uncomfortable.

A soft chuckle sounds from the doorway, and my eyes shoot to it instantly. "Dammit Tazuna!" I shout, bolting upright. "Stop laughing at us!"

The master bridge builder only smirks at me. "I was just coming to tell you that a friend of yours showed up," he says, turning away. He lifts a hand. "I can tell him to come back later..." he adds suggestively.

My cheeks burning from rage and embarrassment, I shout, "WE'RE FREAKING TWELVE YEARS OLD, YOU DAMN PERVERT!!"

He laughs harder as he walks away, saying something about blind children. I don't even want to know what the hell he's talking about.

"Thirteen."

I look up at Gaara curiously, one eyebrow raised. "What?" I ask. He smiles slightly. "I'm thirteen," he explains.

Oh.

"Still," I huff, crossing my arms defiantly. "He's acting worse than Kiba."

"Something tells me I wouldn't like to find out what you mean by that."

"Probably not," I agree, jumping down to the floor and only just realizing that Gaara's gourd is not on his back, and is sitting propped up against the bed.

He slides down after me, and I turn to him with a sheepish smile, but cheeks still slightly rosy. "In any case," I say, and he looks over at me. "Thank you for, you know, staying with me all night. And being there with Haku. I realize he didn't give you much of a choice, and falling asleep must have freaked you out a lot, so just... thank you." I close my eyes, widening my smile.

I'm still upset about the things I learned from my encounter with Haku, but they don't weigh on me as much as I was expecting. And maybe it's because I can share them with someone else.

"It wasn't a problem," Gaara says, pulling his gourd onto his back and smoothing some wrinkles from his clothes.

Ah, those are probably my fault.

"I wonder who could be here," I say thoughtfully as we make our way downstairs. "Maybe one of your teammates?" Gaara suggests and I shrug. It's possible, but I never told them where I was going so...

We enter the kitchen/dining room and I nearly have a heart attack.

"Kakashi!" I squeal, immediately throwing myself at him. He catches me easily and holds me in a warm hug, a hand on my head. I smile up at him and his visible eye widens.

"I didn't believe it," he says. I know what he's talking about, and it only makes me smile more. "Shocking, isn't it?" I say. "No more depression, no more sulky looks. I'm back, baby!"

Quite a few people in the room sweat drop but Kakashi only laughs. "Glad to hear it, Akari," he says warmly, ruffling my hair. "What changed?"

I spin around in his strong arms and point at Gaara, standing rather awkwardly by Inari and Tsunami. He lifts his hand in a wave when I indicate him but remains silent.

"I don't know why exactly, but my mood changed because of Gaara," I say, smiling brightly. "Kid saved my life."

Kakashi acknowledges this information with a grateful nod to the Sand Genin, who...

Oh my Kami, he's actually blushing!

Poor kid, must really hate the spotlight.

"Now that we have that settled," I say, turning back to Kakashi. "What are you doing here?"

He scratches the back of his neck, one eye closed in embarrassment. "Well, to be honest, I got worried and..."

"You didn't even ask Lady Tsunade, did you?" I accuse and he shrugs. "I don't think she would have said yes," he replies coolly, regaining some of his composure.

"Damn right she wouldn't of," I say, though playfully. "You're not even on active duty right now."

"Which is why no one will miss me," he reasons. I just shake my head. "What happens when Tsunade finds out you snuck out of the Village?" I ask, and he sweat drops. "Yeah, I'm not getting involved in that little confrontation."

"Hey, Kakashi!" a voice calls from outside. "Can we come in yet? I'm BORED!"

"We're coming out!" I call back, and hear a yelp of surprise answer me. I snicker, then detach myself from Kakashi and slip over to Gaara. I study him for a minute, then ask, "Are you coming to the Leaf Village, or going home?"

He seems startled by the question, but responds easily enough. "Temari and Kankuro decided we should head to Konoha first and give a report to the Hokage before going back to Suna. So I'll be going to the Village with you."

He sounds almost worried, like I'd tell him to get lost or something. But I just smile. "Great!" I say excitedly. "Then you get to see Kakashi turn about eight different shades of red when he gets yelled at by our Hokage!"

"Are you sure you aren't just a little bit sadistic?"

"Stop that!" I whine, smacking his arm lightly. My face is flushed again and I hate it.

Before I turn eight shades of red, I spin around to see Tazuna and his family. "Thank you for everything," I say sincerely. They just smile.

"Ok let's go," I say, dragging both Kakashi and Gaara from their home. Outside, the weather is warm an beautiful... And I get attacked by a tan fuzz ball.

"Ack!" I cry, my back hitting the ground roughly. A warm weight is on my chest and something keeps thumping me.

"Biscuit!" Kakashi warns. "Get off Akari before I send you back to the kennel."

"Aw...."

As the weight jumps away, I laugh and sit up. "Hey Biscuit!" I say, smiling at the little floppy eared Ninken. He smiles lazily at me, tail wagging enthusiastically. "And hello Pakkun," I add, seeing the small brown pug I met before. He lifts a paw in greeting.

"Ha! I told ya she'd say hi to me first!"

"That's because you attacked her, idiot."

"Pakkun, stop rainin' on my awesome parade! We get to see the pretty Akari again!"

"Kakashi," Pakkun says to his silver haired master, completely ignoring Biscuit as he rants and raves. "Why did you bring him with us?" he questions accusingly.

Kakashi sweat drops, sighing. "I thought it would be a good idea," he says uncertainly. He turns to me, asking a silent question. Do I want him to stay or go? I'm about to answer when Biscuit suddenly yelps and begins shivering uncontrollably.

He's staring right at Gaara.

Well hell.

"Biscuit," I admonish, not the least bit sympathetic towards him. He has no reason to fear Gaara, not any more. And if Kakashi and Pakkun can sense that, than he should be able to as well. "Stop that shaking. You're fine."

"B-b-but..."

"No buts." I gently lift him into my arms and stand. "Gaara's my friend, Biscuit and I won't have you making him feel uncomfortable." I step over to Gaara, who's yet to make a sound. His eyes are trained on the ground and there's so much sadness, so much regret in those pools of sea foam that I nearly drown in them.

I flick Biscuit's ear and he stops in his whimpering. "Now hug him." Before the little Ninken can react, I shove him into Gaara's arms, startling the both of them.

"Uh, Akari," Kakashi calls from behind me, "are you sure about this?"

"Ah, let the girl do what she thinks is right," Pakkun says, sounding like he's trying not to laugh. I can tell he's realized that Gaara poses no threat, and he's enjoying watching his fellow Ninja Hound squirm.

But, miraculously, after a tense moment, Biscuit relaxes in Gaara's stiff arms. He even snuggles against the Sand Genin's chest! "So warm..." he mumbles contentedly.

What did Haku say? That Gaara has a surprisingly warm spirit?

"Well, that was unexpected."

"Shut up, Kakashi," I mutter, before smiling delightedly at Gaara and Biscuit. The Sand Genin has a look of surprise and bliss on his face, that I find absolutely adorable. And the little Ninken is fast asleep.

"Kakashi," I call over my shoulder, "I think you should send Biscuit back. He's not really helpful at the moment."

I assume Kakashi makes a hand sign or pulls out a scroll, because Biscuit soon disappears from Gaara's hold. The boy looks up, and for the first time, I can say he looks honestly happy, with none of the emotion forced. People always say dogs are the best judges of character, and maybe he's thinking of that.

"Ready to go, Gaara?" I ask, reaching for his hand. He takes it without any hesitation. "Let's go."