I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Flames are welcome to keep me warm in my deep dark cellar where I freeze my butt off. This is the first and only Haku Sakura childhood fic on so far, I checked. I know it's different but please just try it and tell me what you though about it. Taking place before Sakura and her father move to Suna.
White Forest
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I'll miss the winter
a world of fragile things
look for me in the white forest
hiding in a hollow tree
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Sakura's small feet pattered the damp cold earth weaving in and out of the trees slowly looking like a phantom or apparition due to the vacant expression covering her small porcine colored face. The endless void in her Emerald eyes were the core of her startling expression. Finding a small curving brook she stopped her wandering and took a seat on a large bolder over looking the creek despite it's height.
She sniffled and pulled her small skinny legs up to her chest and shivered a little due to the late fall weather. It would be winter in a few weeks but here in Mist it was always cold. She buried her face between her knees and tightened her grip on her pant legs trying to suppress her shivering frame from the late Fall breezes that plagued the land of waves where she was currently living with her father.
Knowing she was alone she let a few stray tears trickle down her face. Shining like diamonds, her salty tears fell from her face staining her knees and legs. She sniffled as more tears fell from her tightly shut eyes. Soon her sniffles turned to sobs echoing throughout the cold silent forest. Rocking back and forth she let her sobs die down only to start up again a moment later.
She could hear the dull pat…pat….pat, of her salty warm tears falling onto the cold stone she sat upon. Their rhythm echoed in her ears in a lulling way. She just needed to get away and let it all out, she couldn't hold it in anymore and there was no way she could let her father see her like this. She just needed to get away and be truly alone for a while.
She was always alone. Even when she was surrounded by people in a busy street or supermarket she was still always alone. She had no one, she was to frightened to leave her small self woven cocoon and venture out into the world in hopes of making a friend. She remembered the judgmental glares the adults sent her in their last home. Even her father looked on her in that way, only there was something more behind his saffron yellow eyes when he looked at her. She shivered at the thought of his dark narrowed eyes staring back into her own bright emerald orbs.
Her tears briefly rested as the crying girl's head jerked up as twig somewhere snapped in front of her. Sadness was instantly replaced by fear. There standing on the other side of the brook was a boy her age or a little older with dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. He was just standing there staring at her with a blank expression. He was wearing a pure white yukata with split toed socks and wooden sandals.
After a brief moment of studying her the boy broke into a bright smile and waved. "Hi I'm Haku, who are you?" He asked in a soft gentle voice that reminded her of a mother's soothing. It was very calming and she soon found her salty warm tears leaving her.
"My…my n…name is…Sakura…" She stuttered trying to fight back the hiccups fighting to take over her own shy quiet voice. Her grip on her pants tightened as she pulled her legs a little closer to her body.
The boy, Haku, smiled when he heard her name. Pulling his garments up a bit he started to cross the brook stepping from stone to stone without falling down drawing closer to the small green eyed girl. Seeing this Sakura panicked and scooted away from the boy.
"Oh please don't worry, I won't hurt you." He stated holing his hands up once reaching the other side of the river. "I just wanted to see why you were crying. Are you hurt?"
"I…I'm not crying a… any….more." She replied wiping away her tears and rubbing her red swollen eyes trying to hide any evidence of her weakness.
"That's good to hear," Haku stated climbing up the rock and sitting himself across from Sakura. "So then why were you crying? Did you fall down and get hurt or something?"
"I…I didn't hurt myself. I was just…crying because I was…s…sad…that's all." She stuttered.
"Why were you sad?" He asked turning his head to the side in a questioning manner letting one of his dark chocolate brown locks fall over his small questioning face.
"I was…s…sad because I miss my mommy and because I'm lonely." She answered looking down closing her emerald green eyes halfway.
"Did your mommy go away?"
"N…no my…my mommy…my…mommy…. died a long time ago, when I was born." Sakura stuttered as another wave of fresh tears glossed over her sad eyes, threatening to spill over any moment.
Haku's face softened even more feeling her hurt and petted her shoulder. "I'm sorry. Why are you lonely? Don't you have anyone to play with?"
Sakura shook her head tossing her dawn tinted locks around her face wildly grunting a 'mu uh' most likely meaning 'no'. She borough her balled fist up to her chest and shivered a little.
"You look cold do you want to come to my house? My mommy could make hot chocolate for both of us and you can ply by the fire with me. That way you won't be lonely, would you like that Sakura chan?" He asked excitably taking her hands into his own and holding them.
Sakura stared at him with wide eyes full of wonder and surprise. Nodding slowly she got up following the brown haired bow across the creek and through the woods towards his house. "I just have to be home before dark or else my daddy will have to come find me." She replied as she and Haku weaved in and out of trees still holding hands.
After a few brief minuets they reached the edge of the woods to see a cute little cottage positioned cutely on the side of nicely sized foothill surrounded by small hills. Sakura spotted a woman with dark brown hair just like Haku's hanging up the laundry outside on a clothesline. She turned around to grab another clothespin but stopped when she spotted them. Smiling warmly she waved to the two beckoning the nearer.
"Don't worry Sakura chan, that's just my mom she ca make us hot chocolate and get the board games down for us and stuff!" Haku chirped happily running forward while pulling her along.
Sakura ran with her new friend down the hills towards the sweet looking cottage where the warm looking mother stood waiting for the two. "Well hello Haku dear who is this little beauty you have with you?" The woman asked bending down and smiling at the two once they reached her.
"Mamma this is Sakura chan, I found her in the forest and said she could come over to play. It that alright?" Haku replied staring up at his mother with big brown hopeful eyes.
His mother laughed seeing his huge puppy like eyes. "Of course honey. You both look cold, would you like me to make you both some hot chocolate?"
Haku smiled happily nodding his head rapidly with a bright smiled as Sakura clung on to his arm and partially hid behind him somewhat and also nodded shyly. He was after all, a bit taller than her.
The truth was she was freezing, most likely due to her thin clothing, but she would never admit that to anyone. Continuing to keep a tight hold on the taller boy's sleeve as he followed the older woman into the small cottage the two strangers called home, she shivered.
Inside the house was a small table with four chairs around it all very plain, over to one side was a small couch with a large animal skin lying at it's feet. Sakura peeked around his arm to get a better look only to shrink back when she saw it was a bear skin. A scary looking bear skin. The small curious girl squeaked, frightened, and hid behind Haku once more.
Haku felt the tug on his shirt sleeve and looked down only to laugh at how cute she looked hiding behind him. "Do not worry Sakura chan, it is only a rug. You need not be frightened of it."
"I…I wasn't scared Haku kun, I was sad 'cause it's dead. The poor thing will never breath or move or dance through the newly fallen snow again," she murmured her eyelids falling halfway as her mind seemed to drift to some other place ,remembering something else. "I don't get scared over things like…that ."
Haku was about to reply but his voice was beaten by the cheerful ringing of his mother announcing the completion of their hot coco. She handed a small mug to each child with a warm smile as they each took their drinks. Both of the two children thanked the mother before taking a sip and relaxing as she hot liquid slipped down their throats warming their stomachs. Haku's mom had offered to put some small mini marshmallows in their drink but both refused, telling her it was wonderful the way it was. Actually Haku said he didn't need marshmallows and Sakura just repeated what Haku said, since she had no idea what marshmallows were.
Sakura exhaled happily closing her eyes to enjoy the moment as much as possible. It was so peaceful, so serene, and calm without disorder or pain whatsoever. She let a soft smile grace her pail pink lips as they cracked upwards in the foreign feeling.
"It's good!" She chirped happily.
"I'm glad you like it Sakura chan, coco is my favorite thing ever in the whole wide world." He replied happily with a cheerful smile before taking a sip of his chocolate colored drink. "Except, for bunnies, snow, chocolate, going to town with my mommy, sleigh riding, when my daddy brings me home presents from his travels, egg nog, Pocky, Ramen noodles, green tea…and sugar!"
Sakura closed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand and let a soft sound escape her pale fingers. Haku, being the caring boy he is, though the worst and fearing she was choking panicked slightly. "Sa…Sakura chan are you okay are you choking, what's wrong?"
"I'm…okay Haku kun, you just have some coco on your face. It makes you looks like you have a mustache." She giggled making him blush for overreacting.
"Oh, I'm sorry for overacting… Um…do you want to play a game with me now?"
"Sure Mr. mustache man." Sakura chirped making Haku blush again before licking off the excess chocolate colored liquid that lingered above him lips.
"Okay, okay, okay it's gone. Now what kind of game do you want to play? We have a lot of board games in the closet we can use."
Sakura looked down at her feet and blushed a bit in embarrassment dragging her foot in a circular motion. "Um…I don't care, whatever you want to play is fine with me." She mumbled.
"Well what kind of games do you like to play, we have a bunch." Haku stated pulling a wooden stool up to the opened closet that was stacked high with boxes of many different sizes.
"I….never really played any games before. I was always alone and I never hand any friends so I had no one to play any games with." Sakura quietly murmured.
Haku stooped trying to pull a certain box out and blankly stared at the rose haired child. "You never hand anyone to play with… ever? Wouldn't your dad play with you once in a while? That's what my daddy dose when I have no one. "
"No, my daddy said games are a waste of time so he never played with me. He was always really busy with work so even if he did want to play with me I don't think he would have to time to."
Haku just blinked watching the shy girl lower her gaze sadly. He opened his mouth to say something but the box he had his hand on fell from his grasp letting the box on top of it fall down and then the two boxes on top of that on follow landing on his head. "Ahh!" He cried falling off the unsteady stool as a pile of boxes continued to fall on top of him.
"Haku kun, are you okay?" Sakura asked rushing to his side.
The said boy poked his head out from the pile of boxes and smiled. "He he…I found it." He chirped holding up a colorful Candy Land game box.
"Oh Haku kun, now your just making my hungry for something sweet." Sakura giggled as she helped her new friend up from the pile of boxes on the floor.
Haku just chuckled opening the game and setting the board up. Sakura gazed curiously at the colorful board and furrowed her eyebrow in confusion as her new friend set up the game.
"Um…h…Haku kun… I um, I don't know how to play this game." The pale skinned child squeaked holding her balled fists above her chin in an embarrassed manner.
"That's okay Sakura chan, I will teach you how to play. It's really easy to learn and I bet you'll catch on fast 'cause you're a really smart girl." Sail Haku as he set shuffled the cards.
"….Haku kun, can I ask you something about this game?" Sakura asked looking at her plastic red stick person for a moment.
"What is that Sakura can?" Haku asked setting up his own blue plastic stick person.
Sakura paused before looking of the boy on the other side of the table before uttering her words. "…Do we have to eat anything in this game?"
DONE! And don't really know about you all but I like it. (shrug) fluff get's to me. Review please, even if you hate it and tell me what you think. Remember flames welcome.