Every attack was met with a blast of cold air. I jumped back from the storm, trying to assess the situation better.
"Don't let your guard down!" Haku appeared behind me, but I was ready. I blasted him back with several snowballs.
"Mia!" I heard Kankuro call out, so he hadn't run off.
"I see your little friend is still here. How foolish, to leave a weakness behind." I turned sharply as my brother jumped through the storm straight for Kankuro. I bit my thumb and made the summoning hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu!" I slammed my hand on the ground, the storm blowing away. My brother turned on his heels as the pack surrounded him. "Pack of Frostbite Wolves!" He froze as they closed in.
"I didn't think you knew this, the only other person who knew it was..."
"Father, I know." Kankuro looked at the wolves. "Kankuro, I told you to go didn't I?"
"I'm not going to leave you here alone!" I sighed and created an ice barrier around him.
"Then stay out of the way." I glared at my brother as he attempted to break free from the wolves. "Attack!" I growled. They charged quickly, jumping on his shoulders and back.
"Mia!" Temari and Gaara appeared beside the ice barrier.
"Leave me alone, I can handle this without you." I jumped in front of them as the wolves went for the kill blows. But several ice shards stabbed through them as my brother sent them away.
"You won't kill me so easily. Ice Style: Wolf Guardian!" I froze, that Jutsu had been used by our father as well. But unlike my summoning, this wolf was a protective barrier. From what I had learned, nothing could break through it, unless...
The massive ice wolf appeared in front of me, the smaller wolves backed down at the alpha. I clenched my fists.
"Mia." Gaara started. I put my hand down as the Chidori started humming. "That's-"
"Huh, what is this? It looks like you've picked up another Jutsu, impressive." The sound of a thousand birds chirping filled the air as I jumped down towards the wolf. "But that wont break the Wolf Guardian!" He laughed. I signaled for my wolves to get ready to attack and made the Chidori bigger.
"I guess we'll find out, now wont we, brother!" I pushed my hand forward the Wolf Guardian dissipating into nothing. This made my brother freeze.
"H-how...?" He muttered.
"Now, attack!" My wolves bit down on his arms and legs. My Chidori was still going so I pushed it into my brother's chest. He coughed blood out on my face as the wolves disappeared. I was at my limit with my chakra.
"Mia..." Haku coughed.
"I never wanted to kill you, brother. But you left me with no choice." He chuckled, though it sounded like a gurgle as the blood formed in his throat.
"I never...wanted to kill...you either...sister..."
"Then why!?" Gaara, Temari and Kankuro appeared behind me as I made the ice barrier melt.
"...I always thought...I was doing...this for your...benefit, but..." He coughed up some more blood as he collapsed to his knees.
"Brother!" I dropped down beside him.
"I realize now...I...was wrong..."
"Haku...what do you mean?" I whispered as he reached up and touched my cheek.
"I wanted...you to get stronger...to prove dad...and mom...wrong...but you already...have...by living...by growing stronger with them...and by making the friends you have now..." His hand fell down on to his chest as he fell back to the ground.
"Haku..." I whispered as he looked at me one last time. The smile I had remembered when we were kids showed across his face one last time as his eyes shut. I saw the last rise and fall of his chest, though it was hard through the blurring tears. "Little brother...I'm sorry..." I hugged him, wanting to hold him one last time before he was truly gone forever.
"Mia..." Kankuro muttered, coming to my side.
"Kankuro, we should leave her alone for a little." Temari started to say.
"Didn't I tell you to run away? Why didn't you listen?" I asked as I sniffled.
"Because friends don't turn their backs on one another." Was all I heard as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Plus, you saved my life twice today. If that isn't a real friend then I don't know what is." I smiled.
"I wish Haku could have had something like that. He would have loved all of you if he was the Haku of my childhood." I swiped the tears away as I looked up at the sky.
"Mia, are you okay?" Gaara asked, coming to my side as well. He noticed the cut on my forehead, but I just waved him off.
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch. Just be thankful it wasn't Kankuro, my brother would have killed him without a second thought."The Black Ops came out from hiding and looked between all of us.
"So this is Haku Hosaka?" The only female in the group asked.
"Yes." I stated.
"Mia, I know he was your brother, but like all Shinobi we have to take him now." The girl muttered, coming over to his body.
"I understand." I rose and turned away from his body. I started to walk away when I heard one of the Black Ops call out to me. I turned and he came over, holding a piece of blood stained paper and a box.
"This was addressed to you. We figured we could honor this last request..." I took the note and box.
"Thank you." I whispered as they disappeared with my brother's body.
"What is it?" Temari asked as they came to my side. I opened the note first feeling the urge to know the final words my brother wanted me to have:
Mia,
I know this won't make sense and it won't matter because I'll be dead. My mission was to bring you with me, but in the end...I couldn't do it. I could see the happiness that Gaara, Temari and Kankuro bring you. To see that happiness I never saw when you were a child, it fills me with a sense of joy that I haven't felt in years.
Father always told me that he didn't want you to lead our village because you were the daughter of a Leaf Village shinobi and a Sand Village shinobi, but I think he was afraid to let you take over...because he knew how strong you would become. He never showed it to you, but he loved you so much even if you weren't his daughter.
Mother, I know what I said about her made you think I never felt anything towards her. But she was still my mother too. I hid how I felt just as you did as a child. I wanted her to give you the love you didn't have growing up, but in the end...I tore that from you.
For all the pain and suffering you've endured over the years because of the destruction of our village...I wish I could take it with me to the grave, but unfortunately I can't. I left that grief for you and I'm sorry.
I leave to you, our village, our people and our memories. Be strong and never lose that light that shines inside you.
-Haku, forever your little brother.
The paper became smeared with both blood and tears as I shook.
"Haku...you idiot..." I pulled the top of the box off to reveal the necklace of our people. My father had worn it and it had been passed on through the generation of leaders. I pulled it out, dropping the box to the ground. It glimmered with the same sky blue that shined in the snowy days at the village.
"What is that?" Kankuro asked.
"Its the necklace of my village. My father was the leader of it and he wore this necklace as the proof. It was passed on to Haku when I was deemed unfit to lead."
"So Haku's last gift to you was that?" Temari muttered.
"No, it wasn't just this...it was the village, the memory of our people and the memories Haku and I shared together." I smiled as I put the necklace around my throat. The familiar cold made me relax.
"It suits you." Gaara grabbed my hand.
"Its made for a leader, I don't know if I've earned that title yet. But I will work hard to become one for my people and brother." They smiled at me as Gaara leaned down, kissing my cheek.
"You make a wonderful leader already."
"Oh shut it, Gaara." I blushed, looking away. We all laughed and I was happy everyone was in good spirits now.
"We should go and report on what happened, then I vote we relax. Today has been too stressful." Kankuro sighed.
"I second that." I chuckled.