"Marco!"
"Polo."
(Y/n) turned to their right once they heard Atsuno's voice coming from that direction. Their hands were feeling out in front of them as they walked, careful to not bump into anything.
"Marco!"
"Polo."
They were getting close. Just a couple more steps then they should find him. They wanted to constantly call out 'Marco' just so Atsuno would have to constantly call out 'Polo', and they would find him more easily. But after the first three rounds of them doing that, finding that he had decided to hide on top of trees to escape them, they decided to instead play more fairly.
"Marco!"
"Polo."
(Y/n) jumped when they heard him in their ear, jumping away in fright and falling into the snow with a startled yell. Atsuno chuckled at their little scare, soft and warm.
"You passed right by me." Atsuno said. "I just had to lean over a but and avoided your touch."
"No fair! You should have stayed still." (Y/n) complained.
"Consider it pay back for earlier." Atsuno said, a handful of snow falling onto (Y/n)'s head.
A shiver went down their spine from the cold snow, and they quickly got to shaking their head to get rid of the snow, only for it to fall on their head again.
"Stoooop!" They whined, voice going high pitched.
Atsuno chuckled again. "Ok, ok." He waved his own hand in dismissal, despite them being unable to see it. He walked around them and pulled them back up to their feet. "One. Two. Three. Four." He started counting.
"I'm not ready." (Y/n) protested.
"Five. Six. Seven." He started counting louder. "I'm getting closer to twenty. Better run." He called.
(Y/n) let out a High pitched whine and started running away, tripping over a rock and falling into the snow, catching themself on their arms. Atsuno obviously heard them fall because he chuckled in between his counting.
They started crawling away from Atsuno's direction on their hands and knees, in too much of a hurry to waste time standing up.
Unlike the normal snow they felt under their hands, which were turning red from the cold, thet felt something else tickle their hand. (Y/n) gasped and sat backward, taking a moment before they reached out again and felt around for whatever they touched.
"Atsuno." They called, wanting him to tell them what they were touching.
"I don't think that's how the game works." They heard Atsuno say, the snow under his feet crunching as he walked closer.
"What is this?" (Y/n) asked while pinching whatever it was between their fingers slightly.
Atsuno crouched down next to (Y/n), taking a look at what they were messing with. "It's a blade of grass." Atsuno said.
"Grass?" (Y/n) quietly asked themself, "Does that mean the snows melting?" They turned to Atsuno.
"Yeah." Atsuno nodded. "You can't see it, but grass is peeking through the snow everywhere. Pony is even eating the bits that's shown up around the house."
When he heard his name, the horse turned to Atsuno with a mouth full of grass, slowly chewing it. How he got the amount he did, Atsuno didn't know.
"Does that mean it won't be so cold anymore?" (Y/n) asked.
"Yeah. We won't have to wear these jackets afterword. The sun will keep us warm." Atsuno said. "Now, I believe we were in the middle of a game."
"I don't want to play anymore." (Y/n) said, fiddiling with the little bit of grass they had.
"Alright." Atsuno shrugged his shoulders. "I'll go make us something to eat. You should come inside to, your hands," He poked their nose, "And nose, are all red."
"Ok. I just want to stay out for another minute." (Y/n) said, pulling the grass from the ground and tugging on it with both hands.
"Ok." Atsuno agreed with their request. "Horse, watch over them and help them to the door when they wanna come inside." He instructed, giving the horse a pointed look.
The horse huffed at him but made his way over to (Y/n) anyway, hovering nearby while still on the lookout for grass. Atsuno nodded at the horse before going into the house, leaving the door slightly open for (Y/n) and made his way into the kitchen.
(Y/n) split the grass in half after another tug, then held the two pieces between their fingers for a bit before turning to where they heard Pony was busy.
"Pony. " They called, placing one grass into their other hand then holding it out to him. "I have grass for you." They held their hand flat out to him, the way Atsuno taught them to.
Pony happily neighed a trotted toward them, glad to accept the tiny snack. When (Y/n) felt him eat the tiny bit from their hand, they giggled as saliva was left on their hand. "Ewww." They said because of the sensation on their hand.
They rubbed their hand on their pants to get rid of the saliva, but that proved to be useless because the horse decided to give them an efectionet lick near their ear.
(Y/n) squeezed at the feeling and threw themself away from him, using their sleeve to quickly wipe away where they were just licked, laughing all the while.
"Your breath stinks." They commented, earning a nudge and offended huff from Pony. "I'm not sorry." They muttered with a smile. Pony neighed at them, dramatically turning away from them even though they couldn't see.
Though the horses sassy attitude didn't last long before he shook his head, and nudged their arm. (Y/n) laughed again, reaching their hand out and petting his head, which he greatly enjoyed, giving an appreciative horse sound. His tail flicked from side to side as he nuzzled into their chest.
Unbeknownst to either of the two, someone had just arrived hidden in the trees, uniform nearly as white as the snow helping them blend into their surroundings. When their previous comrades hadn't returned and were later discovered KIA, they decided on an approach that was more observant than head on confrontation.
It had taken them an Anbu team and a good set of weeks before he was able to locate a home. And even now, they weren't sure if this home was the right one. There was a child and a horse, but he had yet to see the one he was after. He jumped from tree to tree silently, not one bit of the snow falling from the branches as he landed.
It seemed that there was someone else in the house, if the shadow through the window was anything to go by. They were too far into the house for the Anbu to make out a face, so he turned back to where the child was. They seemed blind, and he would use that to his advantage.
Silently making his way back to the child, he jumped from the tree and landed on the noisy snow with very little sound. The horse next to the child, it's ear flicked before he pulled his head from the child and faced the approaching ninja.
"Pony?" (Y/n) asked, but then turned to the Ninja as well when they heard a noise in the snow. The horse moved and stood in front of (Y/n) with an angered huff, one hoof stomping on the ground.
The ninja raised his hand in defense. "I'm not here to hurt you, don't worry." He reassured, the horse not moving.
"Who are you?" (Y/n) asked from behind her current protector.
"I'm just a friend of, the person living here. But I haven't ever seen you before." He said, stopping when the horse angrily neighed at how close he was.
(Y/n) shook their head and quickly stood. They remember Atsuno telling them how he didn't have anyone who he was an ally with as many weren't happy with him. He hadn't told them why yet, but that meant anyone who claimed to be his friend, was, in fact, not.
The Anbu went to speak again when a Kunai was tightly pressed against his throat, blood escaping the skin.
"You were far to nervous to engage." Atsuno said, keeping his voice to a low whisper so (Y/n) wouldn't hear.
The Anbu raised his hand, fake surrendering. He was about to create a substitute to attack, but Atsuno was quicker as he plunged the Kunai into the Anbu's throat, his other hand quickly rasing to cover his mouth. He twisted his Kunai, making sure the ninja wouldn't survive, then lowered him to the ground.
'More are coming. Their either tracking me with the Kunai I left behind or their spreading out to find me.' Atsuno thought, wiping his Kunai clean on the Anbu's clothing, smearing it in red. He gave a glare at the body, the Kunai right by the ninjas wrist showing he was ready to hurt (Y/n). Use them as a hostage perhaps.
Pony relaxed and turned to (Y/n), nudging them towards the house. They didn't try and protest, happily letting the horse lead them away from the man they didn't know was no more.
Atsuno followed behind, leaving the Anbu's body as he would be the only one it bothered.
"Atsuno! Someone, there's someone here!" He heard (Y/n) yell towards the house, seemingly unaware he was outside.
With one leap from where he was standing, he easily crossed the distance and landed right in front of the door, catching (Y/n) before they ran face first into the door.
"Atsuno. There's someone-" (Y/n) started again.
"I know." He replied before they could finish. "He's already leaving." Atsuno said as he gently pushed their back so they were inside again.
"They are? Who was he? What did he want." (Y/n) asked, throwing the questions at him quickly.
"You don't have to worry." Atsuno assured, placing a hand on their head. "Nothings going to happen. However," he paused for a second. "We will have to move somewhere else."
"Why?" They quietly asked.
"Those people are going to keep coming. And I don't want you to get hurt." He said, rubbing their head affectionately. "This place was only meant for the winter anyway. With spring right around the corner, we'll have an easier time moving through the snow."
"Where are we going?" They asked.
"Somewhere safer." Atsuno said. 'I hope.'
"As long as you, and me, and Pony is together, then I don't care where we go." (Y/n) happily said, giving him their own smile that he swore was almost as bright as the sun.
"Don't worry. The three of us, we're staying together." Atsuno said,giving them his own smile even if they couldn't see. "Let's get packing then. We don't want more uninvited guests on our door." (Y/n) nodded, grabbing into his shirt sleeve so they wouldn't bump into anything, and followed him to one of the rooms.
____________________________________
The wagon was bumpy with the uneven snow they were crossing, the clouds yet to even allow the sun to shine through and melt the snow. Even so, time had started to warm the normally chilly air, allowing the snow to lessen somewhat.
Atsuno was at the front guiding Pony on where to go. They had been travelling for a handful of days, doing their best to avoid towns, rocky or mountain like terrain. They had packed everything they needed to and camped out during the night so Pony could rest. They had made good progress and hadn't encountered any other Ninja so far.
To (Y/n), it was a black journey that was constantly shaking, the only thing they enjoyed through the whole thing - they weren't allowed off the wagon unless it was for the bathroom or to rest for a moment - was Atsuno's reading. He had a good handful of books that he was reading to them while they went. Even pony seemed to enjoy this, giving his own inputs with neighs about certain parts.
The grass had started to become more, poking through the snow in larger patches as time went. The leaves started peeking through the snow covered trees, and even without the sun showing its light yet, animals were starting to come out.
It wasn't until another day had past, the early hours of the day only just starting, that the sun showed itself for the first time in two months. The clouds had finally turned into a light grey, thinning out and parting to make way for the blades of light.
(Y/n) was cuddled into a corner on the wagon, blankets covering them like a mountain, and snoring away the time. That left Atsuno to gaze into the sky alone. Pony, he didn't seem to care about the sky, focusing on the road ahead.
The early hours painted the sky like a canvas that had been worked on for hours. No bright blue was in sight, instead it was filled with warm colours of pinks and yellows as the sun rose, the clouds framing the sky adding to it's beauty even more.
A snow covered world with life only now popping back up, the background that of a painted sky. It was a beautiful sight, one he would see more of in the spring and summer. Just without all the sparkling snow.
Atsuno wished he could share this with (Y/n). That they could watch the painted sky together until it faded into an ocean blue. But he knew he couldn't, and that he possibly never could. He had taken their sight from them. The only reason they couldn't enjoy this with him was because of himself.
Raising one hand up, he covered his eye with it, slowly closing his other and letting out a long sigh. The wind - still cold - blew through his hair that he had neglected to cut, the breeze a cold caress to his skin and a reminder that spring wasn't quite here yet.
He opened his eye, the other still having his hand covering it, and looked over the scene once more. He lowered his hand and looked back at (Y/n), a content look on their face.
A gentle smile crept its way onto his features as he looked at them, quickly forming into a sad smile at their predicament. One he was partly responsible for.
He knew people could survive without their sight, but he still forcefully took it from them without even asking them. He could only hope, that with the new light and new day, they could eventually forgive him, even if took hundreds of new days to do so.
______________________________________
Atsuno.
Art by Me.
When Atsuno was younger, he wanted to join the Elite Anbu with his close friend, Kakashi. However before that could happen, in incident he was involved in changed the course of his life. He fled the Leaf because of this. This is when he was younger, taught to be ruthless and show little mercy by his clans leader and their teachings. But his father and team showed him another side to the world. A kinder world.