Zabuza Momochi, the demon of the hidden mist.
Haku, the assassin of snow.
Two people who met by chance in the Village Hidden In The Mist. Haku was just a child at the time; Zabuza was already a well-known killer.
Zabuza had been the only person who had held his hand out to Haku when everyone else had abandoned him.
…
Haku's face was dirty, bruised, and scratched from the life he had been following since he had killed the only family he had on accident. It was to protect himself from his father; from the fate brought upon his mother.
Haku's eyes held pain, a lot of pain. He had a Keke-Genki – a trait passed down in the bloodline of certain clans – and was therefore feared and shunned by the villagers of the Hidden Mist.
Haku had stumbled across that village by accident while trying to escape the Village Hidden In The Snow. He had, at first, tried to convince many families to take him in. Haku explained his story many times – from his father killing his mother out of fear of her Keke-Genki to him stumbling upon the Hidden Mist village.
No one took him in because he had a Keke-Genki.
So, as a result, Haku lived on the streets of the Hidden Mist; too frightened to return to the Hidden Snow.
He had lived on the streets for roughly two years when Zabuza saw him sitting on a bridge that led into a nearby forest.
Zabuza squatted down to be eye level with the small child. "You poor thing." Zabuza had said to him. "You have been ignored and forced to live a life on the streets. I wonder why…?" Zabuza had chuckled a little at the sound of his false concern.
The young Haku smiled innocently. "Hey mister, you have the same eyes as me."
Zabuza's eyes grew wide at the thought of this child comparing his innocence with the demon of the hidden mists' murderous intent.
Zabuza stood up and drew the giant sword on his back, pointing it at Haku. "How dare you compare me to you! We are nothing alike!"
Haku stood up, acting as if he were unaware of the giant sword being pointed at him. He stuck one hand on the tip of Zabuza's blade, his palm was barely touching it, but the sharp edge still made his hand bleed a little.
Zabuza's eyes were filled with question as this child he had just met put the palm of his hand on the tip of the sword that had killed many ninja, destroyed many families, and had caused panic in many villages.
Haku smiled. "Freeze this loathsome blade!"
Zabuza's sword became iced over. "Wh-What?!" Zabuza shouted, lifting his sword into the air to examine it. "What the hell did you do to my sword?!" Zabuza shouted, picking Haku up by the neck of his torn shirt.
Haku continued smiling. "The reason that the villagers outcast me is because I have a Keke-Genki. A bloodline trait."
Zabuza put Haku down and chuckled. "Of course, I should've known, no jutsu I know of could freeze something this completely. Well done."
Haku gasped in shock, Zabuza's eyes held no fear and no hate. "What's your name?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm Haku." Haku said, still smiling. "I'm glad that you don't fear me…or hate me."
Zabuza chuckled again. "Of course, how would a kid know who I am…?" Zabuza sighed when he saw Haku's confused expression. "I am Zabuza Momochi, demon of the hidden mist."
Haku tried to back up, but was against the stone railing of the bridge. "Y-You're the demon of the hidden m-mist…?"
"So you've heard of me…?" Zabuza said, turning away from Haku. "That means you fear me. I can see it clearly on your face."
Haku didn't answer; he knew that he wasn't hiding his fear for Zabuza. Everyone in the Land Of Fire had heard of the demon of the hidden mist, Zabuza Momochi. He had been the one student at the academy to pass the graduation exam ten years ago, when Haku was still a baby. He had killed everyone in the academy, students and teachers alike. Ever since then, everyone in the Land Of Fire learned to fear the name Zabuza Momochi.
Face-to-face with the demon he had been taught to fear was scaring the hell out of Haku…but he didn't seem as scary as it had been rumored. In fact, Haku thought that Zabuza was being kind of nice to him.
Zabuza turned back to Haku pointed his sword back at Haku. "Turn my sword back to normal."
Haku shook his head. "You'll just cause more bloodshed! I might be able to go back to my village without fear if I tell them that I stopped you!"
Zabuza sighed. "Haku, right…? They'll still reject you, even if you go back with my head. If fact; that'll probably make them teach the future generations to fear the name Haku."
Haku was holding his breath, he didn't know what to do.
Zabuza sighed again. "How about I cut you a deal…?" He said, becoming eye level with Haku again. "If you fix my sword, I'll let you come with me. I could use someone as powerful as you as an ally."
"I don't understand, Zabuza. Why?" Haku asked, his hand, still bleeding from freezing Zabuza's sword earlier, started pounding.
Zabuza saw how bad it was bleeding and grabbed Haku's hand. "Heh! Normally people would jump at the thought of being my ally. I don't normally have allies." He said, bandaging up Haku's hand. "There. Your hand will be better in a few days."
Haku looked at his hand and walked up to the sword that was lying on its' side placing his hands on the flat side of it. "This sword that has slain many a ninja, destroyed many families, and has stabbed fear into hearts of those who live in the Land of Fire, become useful again." Haku's incantation had worked; the sword was no longer frozen. He picked up the sword with one hand – amazed at his own strength – and handed it back to Zabuza, the hilt facing Zabuza. "And I swear to protect the man who wields this blade of the devil."
Zabuza took the hilt and repositioned the sword on his back. "Well then Haku, come. We leave this land now."
Haku smiled and followed Zabuza out the Hidden Mist village; away from the streets that he lived on for two years.
Zabuza walked until they reached a cliff that over looked the Hidden Mist village. "Take a good look Haku, from this day forward, this place is longer your so-called home. And maybe one day I will return here to conquer this pathetic village." He looked at Haku.
Haku looked at Zabuza and smiled. "Yes. Please, use me as your weapon, to do with what you will and I will be a useful tool for you."
Zabuza could've been smirking, but no one would know it because of that mask he wears.
…
Haku woke up, a ray of sunlight came through the white curtains in his room. His long, tangled, black hair dangled in front of his face as he sat up. The white shirt he was wearing as a nightshirt was slightly dirty from the lack of running water in the area. He pushed the covers back and got out of bed. His nightshirt went down to the middle of his thighs. He knew it was Zabuza's, but he had been so tired last night that he just grabbed a shirt and put it on.
Haku went over to the wood dresser next to his window, grabbed a brush, and started brushing his hair. That dream again… He thought as he put the brush down and grabbed the ponytail holder next to the brush. Haku put his hair up into a - now usual - braid and opened the curtains. The room he had overlooked the village where him and Zabuza now resided.
The Village Hidden in the Mist.