Author's Notes: Kimi is an OC by Pikachu464. She becomes Sasuke's love interest later on during the series. Also this is my first Naruto fic. Please no flames on how I portrayed Haku. In this story he was only a kid and I really don't know the full extent of his power, so I'm just guessing.
Friendships
Deep within the Land of Water there were once two villages side by side separated by a body of water. One village was an island while the other was on the mainland. Basically the two villages were branched off together but since water separated them, they were give two different names. Everyday boats arrived on the mainland for those from the island to pick up supplies. It was a trade agreement between the two. The island village would trade fishing for land materials. During those times when the two would trade, the children were able to meet new children and become long distance friends.
Just like with the mainland, the island village also dealt with long winters however the snow on the island wasn't as high as with the mainland. In fact from the winds off the water, caused the snow to blow around, leaving not much compared to the mainland.
A young girl by the name of Kimi was finally old enough to travel to the main land and meet the villagers. This was something she was waiting for her entire life, though she was only five years old. Upon reaching the mainland, Kimi and her parents were greeted by a young boy and his parents. Other villagers were there as well to greet the other visitors.
Kimi gave the boy a good looking over and could see he had met many children before. But there was something about him, which made her slightly timid. What would the boy think of her? Would he like her? Would he dislike her? Would he just mock her for being so young compared to him?
The boy looked at Kimi and smiled. He could see her eyes were dancing in apprehension. Feeling sorry for her, he stepped forward, keeping his eyes on her. "Hi, welcome to our village. You're new here, aren't you?"
Haku could see the girl seemed a bit nervous of him and it now was his job to show her she didn't have to be frightened. She was now on the mainland, which meant she was going to see things, she never saw before. Haku loved meeting new children. He didn't have a lot of friends to begin with and he always treasured the ones he did have.
"I am," Kimi said. "My name is Kimi."
"Haku," the boy answered. "I'm glad you could finally came to see our village."
"Haku," his mother called. "Why don't you show our young friend here around the village while your father and I entertain her parents?"
Haku looked with a smile. "Ok, Mother." His gaze turned back to the little girl before him. Without having to really look, he could tell the girl had long brown hair. The hair bunched up around her face, caused from her hood made it very easy to see.
Taking her hand, with a friendly smile. He pointed over to the central part of the village. "There is so much you have to see."
The girl smiled, her fear melting. This boy wasn't doing anything she thought he would, he was doing the opposite. "Ok. I've always wanted to visit here."
With the two holding hands, they left the port, leaving their parents watching them before leaving themselves to discuss some negotiations for different things. The kids were too innocent to hear what had to be said.
With Haku showing her around, Kimi consumed everything her little mind could muster, listening to everything he had to say. She couldn't believe the beauty of the village with all the snow. Her village often hardly had any snow only mostly frozen tundra.
With them being kids it took Haku nearly two hours to show the girl around the entire village, finally stopping at a frozen lake. In the middle of the lake there was a hole, used to haul water out of the lake. During the winter months, people had to get water somehow, so digging a hole in the ice, allow the villagers to get water whenever they needed it.
Haku gave Kimi a glance as they sat on a large log at the edge of the lake. A smile formed on his small face, feeling as though he was finally going to make a new friend from the island village. It had been a long time since he made a friend and that friend had died over a year ago from an illness. Unknown to him, she was in the same boat. She really didn't have many friends and had no idea why.
"So what do you think?" he asked, facing her.
"Your village is amazing," Kimi exclaimed. "So much more snow than what we have."
Haku nodded. "Yeah, we do get a lot of snow. I have noticed after a snow storm, your snow doesn't seem to stick around."
"No," she agreed, head lowering. "Winds from the water stop the snow from staying."
"What's it like living on the island? You're completely cut off from everyone else."
"It can be tough," Kimi answered. "But it's also fun. We can watch the water flow in and out everyday on all sides of the village. It's interesting when no bad people can over run us. But I do feel bad for you that it happens to you."
Haku's smile faded, giving a deep sigh. He was three years older than Kimi but that didn't mean the girl wasn't smart. She could see from her land what went on, on the mainland. Haku actually envied Kimi for not having to deal with wars and other depressing matters. But at the same time if not for the mainland, the island village would have died out by now.
"Yeah, the battles are tough," Haku agreed. "But beside that, it's actually nice. We get visits from other nations at times and trade with others, which I guess is how your village get things. I have an idea, why don't we not talk about that? Let's talk about funner things."
Kimi smiled. "Good idea!" Remembering something she brought with her, she reached into her pocket of her jacket. "I have something for you."
This perked Haku's interest. "You have something for me?"
"Well I didn't know who I was going to meet but I wanted to give that person something." She pulled out a scarf, handing it to him.
Haku looked puzzled, as the scarf seemed to be covering something. A little too curious, Haku unwrapped the scarf to find a silver necklace with a snowflake shape pendant. "It's beautiful," he said.
"Thank you," she smiled. "I know it's not much. I spent hours working on that."
"You made this?" Now Haku was completely astonished. No one had ever given him a gift before.
"Yeah," Kimi smiled. "Here I'll put it on for you."
She stood, taking the necklace from his hands. Getting behind him, she took the necklace and pulling it around his neck, she was sure it was in place before clasping it. Where he was wearing less wear clothing than her, his hair was loose around his face. Just as soon as the necklace was clasped, she pulled his out hair from around the chain to allow it to rest full against the back of his neck. She then let go of his hair, letting it drop back against his back.
"There!" Kimi looked proud at her accomplishment. She was nervous the whole time putting the chain on him but she wanted to do it.
Haku looked down to where the gift laid against his clothed chest. While staring at it, his fingers lifted up the snowflake, watching it glitter with the sun. "I like it. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Kimi felt a blush rising to her cheeks. It had been a long time since anyone complemented her.
A comfortable silence surrounded the two for a while. Haku kept glancing over to Kimi as she dug her feet into the snow, enjoying how it covered her feet. Soon enough the silence began to annoy the two.
"I was wondering," he started, breaking the silence. "How long are you here?"
"I'm not sure," she answered. "Mom and Dad said they had a few things to do and I was told to bring a backpack with clothes. So guessing a couple days at least."
Haku smiled. "That sounds nice. I haven't had a friend who stayed more than just one day. Your parents must be doing something really important to remain here for longer than normal." He looked out over the frozen ice, seeing some men grabbing a bucket of water.
"Haku, what's that over there?" she asked, seeing the men as well.
"Oh, that?" he blinked. "It's how my people get their water through the winter months."
"Can we take a look?" she requested. "I've never seen people do that before."
Shrugging, Haku didn't think there was any harm by it. Many kids were by there all the time. "Sure, why not. I am showing you around after all."
The two watched the men at the lake for a while longer until they left. Once they were out of view, Haku stood, offering his hand to Kimi's before leading her out onto the ice, being careful. He knew it could sometimes be slippery and he was sure Kimi didn't know that. She probably didn't even know of ice-skating.
"Careful," he pointed out. "Often enough, it can be very slippery when first getting on the ice."
Kimi rested one foot on the ice and could feel from under foot, it was indeed icy. Gripping her hand against his, she then ventured to put her second foot on to the thick snow covered ice, all the while keeping her other foot secured or at least trying to. It was quite hard on the dense ice. Below the ice was extremely cold water that if fallen the wrong way, one could fall, breaking the ice and possibly fall into the arctic water.
She didn't have both feet on the ice for more than ten seconds before one foot slightly slid and she began to fall. Haku was swift to redouble his efforts to hold her up, taking his other hand, wrapping it around her waist, bracing her against him, and preventing her from falling.
"That was close," he smiled to her.
"Yeah," she breathed, heart quickening at the slip. "You weren't kidding about it being slippery."
Haku shook his head, agreeing with her. "Once on the ice, it's easier to walk. It's just first getting on where snow slides on the ice. You may find some more icy spots, but it's not too bad. You watched those men leave and have no problem."
Continuing to be careful, the two kids walked over to the hole in the ice. It was a bit bigger than what Haku realized but not big enough for an adult body to fall through, though a child's body could. Silently telling Kimi to don't step any further, he knelt down on the ice to inspect the hole.
Seeing he was on his knees, Kimi felt like doing the same and got down as well to gaze at the hole but not getting any closer than Haku.
"You can hear the water flow underneath," Kimi exclaimed in amazement. "We have a small lake but it's still.
"There's a river in which flows into the lake and it is from that in why the lake never gets any lower when we have to take water from it. Everyday several people are here collecting water to cook and clean with. We even use it to drink from as well."
"But why out in the middle of the frozen area?" she asked, not fully understanding. "Why don't you just make a hole where the water meets land?"
"It's not that simple. At the edge there's more rocks and very shallow water. There's not enough room for a person to dip their bucket in to get water. And with it being out here, it helps so a person can have more than one bucket and not worry about the snow bank knocking it over."
As Haku was touching the ice with his right hand, he felt a tingling sensation of sorts. It first started in the tips of his fingers then travelled into the palm of his hand. Each finger was creating a stream into the palm where all fingers and thumb met. Lifting his hand, he looked at, confused by what he was feeling.
"Haku? Something wrong?" asked the girl.
He looked up to Kimi, shaking his head. "No," he smiled. He didn't want her to know his hand was feeling numb. "Guess the ice is just making my hand cold."
Believing that was the reason, Kimi looked down into the water. "What do you guys do when the ice melts?"
"If it's warm enough, we go swimming," he answered. "Right here in this lake."
"Swimming? What's that?" she asked tilting her head to gaze at him.
"It's when people go jumping in the water and play around. Some kick their arms and legs and when they do that, it allows them to move around in the water. It's quite amazing actually."
"Do you swim?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No. No one will take the time to teach me, they're always too busy. At least that's what they say."
"Oh…" her voice was small sounding as she lowered her head. "Sounds like what I have to deal with. The adults are always busy. The only thing they taught me was how to speak. I don't even know how to read or write."
That was making Haku wonder about that. The girl could talk with perfect language. It surprised him for a girl her age, with her only being five years old and yet could speak properly without omitting words like most children her age did. Now he understood why that was. But they didn't teach her anything else? That was a shame.
"Did you want to see where I live?" he suddenly asked, wanting to change the subject once again.
She smiled. "Sure! Mom said something about staying with someone. I wonder if she meant your family."
"It's possible," Haku shrugged as he got to his feet and held his hands out to help her up. "Mom and Dad said we were having company over tonight."
Kimi went to get up but saw Haku's hands. Seeing he wanted to help her up, she took the offering and carefully climbed to her feet, happy for his help as her feet tried to slide out from underneath her once again. She couldn't wait to get off the ice. She thought it was neat being on the ice but being so close to that hole with the cold water, that wasn't sitting too well with her.
Once back on her feet, the two kids carefully made their way back over to the solid ground. Haku made sure Kimi took the first step off the ice before he got off. He wanted to make sure if she were to slip, he could stop her from falling. Back on the solid ground, Kimi sighed in relief.
"That's a bit better though it is kind of fun being out there," she replied.
"It is." Haku then took her hand. "Come on. I'll show you where I live. Maybe your parents are there."
The next morning, Haku and Kimi woke to the smell of breakfast being cooked. They stepped out of the room to see both sets of parents waiting for them. Neither set of parents thought it would be harmful if the two kids slept in the same in room, since it was only for a couple days. With it being a small two-bedroom house, Kimi's parents slept on the floor in the living room. As soon as breakfast was over, the parents were quick to take off, saying they needed to deal with more business. The two kids were left to themselves.
"What do you want to do today?" asked Haku, sitting at the kitchen table.
"Can we go back to that lake?" Kimi inquired. "Where it snowed last night, would love see the fresh snow on the lake."
Haku smiled. "Sure. Fresh fallen snow makes the lake very beautiful."
It didn't take the kids long to don on their outdoor gear and head off to the lake. The view was completely breathtaking. She couldn't believe a view like this actually existed. Not wanting to venture towards the lake this time, the two stood nearby a tree with fresh snow and ice hanging off.
"Breathtaking," she murmured.
"Isn't it?" Haku agreed. "I love coming here right after it snows. It's always so peaceful and you can't see the old footprints."
Looking up into the tree, he saw icicles dangling. Reaching up, he grabbed one, snapping it off the branch. He brought the icicle up towards the sun, creating a prism of rainbow colors glittering off the snow.
"Oh how pretty!" she snapped to attention, the light catching her eye.
Just then the bottom part in his hand began to change shape. He looked at it with fright and excitement. "Kimi, you see that?"
Kimi looked into his hand. "It's changing!"
Watching in wonder, the icicle formed into a crystal ball, creating many prisms glittering not only onto the snow but on Kimi as well. The two were completely captivated by what they were seeing. Haku had no idea how he did it, but he thought it was really amazing. Somehow his mind drifted to the gift she gave him of the snowflake necklace, and thought perhaps he should give her a gift. But how?
"How are you doing that?" she suddenly asked with a gasp.
Drawing his attention, Haku looked down on his hand once more to see the crystal ball had changed shape and this time it become a large icicle snowflake. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
"I don't know," he finally breathed. "I was just thinking of the gift you gave me. I was remembering how beautiful the snowflake looked and wished there was something I could give you."
"I don't know what you did," Kimi said, touching the iced snowflake. "But your hand just created this."
"Yeah…" Haku slowly nodded as an idea came to mind. "If you could have anything, anything you want what would it be?"
"Well…" she paused. "I don't know. I haven't seen a lot of things."
"Well name off something you would like that you know of," he encouraged.
"Well I do like the necklace I gave you," she blushed. "I was kind of thinking of keeping it for myself, but then realized it wasn't fair of me so I gave it to you."
"You would want a necklace?" he repeated.
His mind began to form and idea in his head in how he could make her a necklace; similar to the one she gave him. But as he did so, suddenly the snowflake disappeared into a ball. Both kids gasped and watched in shock. The ice ball soon formed into a chain, creating a small snowflake in the middle, identical to the one she gave him.
"Oh my!" she gasped. "It's beautiful!"
Haku was completely baffled by what just happened. The icicle literally went from an icicle into a crystal ball to giant snowflake and now a necklace with a mini snowflake. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was thinking of things and it was being made right in the palm of his hand.
Kimi removed her gloves to feel the ice with her hands but what she felt wasn't ice. Her eyes widened. "Haku…"
Seeing her alarmed face, he took his other hand, removing the glove and touched it, causing his eyes to widen in alarm.
"I don't understand," he finally managed out. "I think it and it's being made in the palm of my hand."
"But it doesn't feel like ice!" Kimi blurted out. "It feels like…oh I don't know what it feels like."
"Try licking it like you would an icicle," Haku suggested.
Picking up the necklace, Sanya then tried to lick it but it didn't even taste like ice. "It doesn't even taste like ice."
"I don't get it," he muttered.
Kimi was a little nervous what she was seeing but she also thought it was really neat. "Haku, why don't you see if you can do it again?"
Handing Kimi the necklace, Haku then grabbed another icicle and out of the blue, thought of bird. The two watched mesmerized as once again the icicle formed into a ball before stretching out into a bird made of glass like. Seeing it formed, he soon placed it down and grabbed another, only to make a dog in the same form as the other. Within two hours Haku had made many sorts of animals.
Wanting to go home and get something to eat, the kids picked up the treasures and went back to the house. Haku got an idea of what they would do if he placed them in a bucket and set them by the fireplace, while the two ate. Once having their fill, Haku went back to the fireplace but to his astonishing vision the objects he made were not melted. They still looked as they did when he made them.
"I don't understand," he stated, getting Kimi's attention.
She walked back over to see what he was seeing. "Maybe you have a gift to make ice into objects. I have heard people having such a gift to do things." She pulled out the necklace. "I do like this one though. It looks like the one I gave you."
"You do?" he blinked. He took the necklace from her hands. "Turn around."
Curious, she did as asked. A moment later, Haku was bringing it around her neck and using his hand, he fused the ends together into strings tying it against her neck. Kimi could feel the cool object touching her skin but it didn't feel like ice. It felt like a metal.
"There," he said as he stepped back, allowing her to turn around. "My gift to you."
"Thank you Haku. I love it. What are you going to do with those?" She pointed to the bucket.
He shrugged. "Take it to my room and make something out of them." He was quick to take them to his room before getting his winter gear on and heading back outside.
After three days of visiting on the mainland, it was now finally time to depart. It was a sad day for Haku and Kimi. The two were quick to becoming good friends. They had a wonderful time together while their parents dealt with whatever they had to deal with. After Haku discovered he could bend ice to his will, he learnt he could do the same to water. Over the course of Kimi's stay, the two had fun with him making objects and other things with his newfound gift.
The two families travelled together down to the dock where they said their goodbyes. The kids didn't want to part but they knew they had to and promised each other they would write. Upon that promise, they embraced before Kimi's parents steered her away from Haku, leading her to board the boat.
Both Haku and Kimi clutched their gift to their chest as they were forced to part. As soon as everyone was secured on the boat that was heading back to the island, Kimi waved back to Haku who waved back to her. He continued to watch the boat leave until it later docked on the small island of barely any snow.
Unfortunately for either one, they would never see each other again until many years later when they were both ninjas and both had deep stories of heartbreak. Kimi would never know Haku's new power would be the death of his mother and father and that Haku had to run away because of it. All she was ever told was Haku's parents died the same day she left the shoreline and Haku disappeared with a tall man. In time Kimi would forget all about Haku, but kept his gift just the same, knowing there was some sentimental value to it, never remembering it was originally made from ice.
No one would ever knew Haku killed his own father after the man took the life of his own wife and was going to kill his son on the fact both wife and son had a gift everyone feared and it sickened him to think his wife kept that from him and he caught his own son doing it with water, showing his mother. He hated the idea of killing his family but he had to do it. That was his big mistake as Haku's power grew, killing him and he soon met a powerful ninja of the Mist and joined him, becoming a rogue ninja himself.