Mixing of Snow and Sand

Chapter 27: A Choice to Make

What do we do? Okami asked.

"Go back to the hospital like a good Shinobi." I turned on my heels, watching as Shikamaru came out from the shadow of a tree.

"How did you-?"

"I overheard your little conversation, I was coming to check on you. Do you really think he's going to help you?" I sighed.

"You could never understand, Shikamaru. I grew up with nothing, no one and now I have people I care about...People I can't afford to lose, I almost lost Gaara, I can't keep putting people through suffering for something I can solve. Haku died because he wanted me to be safe, Gaara almost died because he wanted to keep me safe, my entire village died because of me. I have to do something or the Village Hidden in the Sand will suffer the same fate."

"Mia, don't do this. Orochimaru isn't going to help you, he's only going to make everyone turn against you." I frowned.

"Everyone has always been against me, since the day I was born. I was hated for who I was, the blood that courses through my veins. The eyes that everyone feared, and the monster that dwells inside of me. You could never understand." I noticed the shadows drawing closer to me. I smirked. "Your shadow possession won't work." He froze.

"How did you-?"

"I'm observant, like you. You don't want me as your enemy."

"Then don't leave."

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru." I bit my thumb. He froze. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you try to stop me. I'll do the same thing I did to Temari during the Chunin Exams."

"Mia, please. Don't leave, don't you know how upset Gaara will be? He probably didn't tell you this but he never left you side the whole time you were unconscious, even when Lady Tsunade told him to. You're the most important person to him other than Kankuro and Temari. Would you really throw all that away for Orochimaru?"

"If I stay with him, he'll die. Death follows me like a plague. In order to protect him, I have to leave. No one should have to experience the loss of their entire village. It's unbearable."

"Mia...please..." I shook my head. "Then I don't have a choice." He went to make the hand sign for his Shadow Possession Jutsu as my eyes switched to the Osore.

"You fear the death of those closest to you, not surprising. Tell me, if you knew what was in store for the future, would you still want to be a Shinobi?" I growled. My left cheek started to burn, but in a weirdly good way.

"Mia, what's happening to your face?" Shikamaru asked concerned.

I knew you would come around, Mia. I'll lend you some power so you can leave. Shei's voice spoke to me this time.

"Shei is lending me his power for the first time without me having to ask. He agrees with my decision." I stated. Okami growled at Shikamaru from my side.

"Even Okami is willing to go with you, you're selfish to put him through that!" Shikamaru yelled.

"I knew you would never understand." I lifted my hand, snow swirling towards him. "If you get in my way, you leave me no choice." The snow grabbed him around the ankles. I froze his legs to the spot and jumped away from the shadows approaching. "Once I'm too far for you to follow, I'll release you. Don't think about sending others, they will not have such gratitude as I have given you."

"Mia, if you do this...you turn your back on everyone, not just me. Temari, Gaara, Kankuro, Kakashi, everyone. Are you really sure this is what you want to do? To throw away your friends and family as if they mean nothing!"

"I have all the family I need. Okami and Shei will always be with me. I will not be alone. Goodbye Shikamaru, please give my goodbyes to Gaara, Temari and Kankuro. I wished things could have been different." I didn't wait for an answer just vanished as I heard the guards coming towards where we were. Okami was right by my side as we jumped from tree to tree. The burning faded from my cheek and I knew Shei's power had gone away again.

Mia, I entrust you with my power. The months you've trained and growth in the Sand Village, I respect your drive and will to get stronger. You are no longer the scared little girl I knew when we first were sealed together. From now on, we fight as one.

"Thank you, Shei." I whispered as we continued on our way away from the village.

~

Gaara's POV

I woke up the next morning, feeling as if I hadn't slept at all. However, the grogginess was short lived as someone pounded on our hotel door. I got up, rubbing my eye as Temari answered it. Kankuro and I stuck our heads out the door to see who it was.

"What did you say, Shikamaru!?" Temari shouted. We both walked over to the door, Shikamaru looked pale, his eyes shadowed underneath from lack of sleep and his ankles a slight red.

"What is it?" Kankuro asked.

"Mia, is gone!" Temari stated. I froze in my place, then looked back down at Shikamaru's ankles. It couldn't have been that Mia and him fought...could it?

"How do you know, Shikamaru?" I asked.

"I went to check on her last night after you all left, she was talking with Okami about going to Orochimaru." We all stared at him shocked, but let him continue. "I followed her to the entrance of the village, tried to get her with a shadow possession, but she was more observant than I gave her credit for. That didn't work so I tried to change her mind, she wouldn't budge. Then...Shei gave her power, black marks appeared on her face, her eyes went from yellow to blue, it was like she was a completely different person. She froze me to my place and left with Okami." When he finished the explanation I felt like everything around me was crumpling.

"Do you have any idea where she is now?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

"No, she crossed the border before we could reach her. She's faster than any Shinobi I know, unless she was using Shei's power to heighten that. Lady Tsunade wants to meet with you all and see if there is something we can do." We all nodded and went with him to the Hokage. She looked distraught, which would make sense when she had two talented Shinobi leave the village to go to Orochimaru.

"Shikamaru...is there any word or sign of her coming back?" She asked before anyone could say anything.

"No...I'm sorry, Lady Hokage. I wish I could have caught her before she left."

"Then it can't be helped...as of today she's a rogue ninja." We all froze to our spots.

"But Lady Hokage! Mia is a member of the Village Hidden in the Sand, we can't just abandon her!" Temari spoke out against her.

"I understand that, but she left of her own free will. After what happened to the team that went to get Sasuke, it's too dangerous to send out another. Especially if she's using Shei's power."

"Then you're saying that there's nothing we can do for her?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, but yes. She left of her own accord. If we come across her, we may be able to reason but if it should come down to fighting then there is nothing left to do but fight." With that she sent us away, Shikamaru leading us to the village entrance.

"I know its not what you wanted to hear..." He muttered as we all stopped at the gates. "I honestly thought she would have realized how stupid she was being before she left the hospital. If I had known how serious she was about going, I would've tried to stop her sooner."

"I should have never left her alone..." I whispered walking past him.

"Gaara..." Temari started.

"Leave him be, Temari." Kankuro said before I could say anything.

Mia, what the hell are you thinking?