Shiroi, Nezumiiro, Kuroi
by Wusai, the Dark Phantasy

Disclaimer: Naruto = Property of Masashi Kishimoto, Shueisha, Viz, etc.

Claimer: I own my ideas.

A.N.: Nothing much. How can there be an A/U of Naruto? Naruto's pretty much A/U… Aww, what the heck. I'll try to keep along with the plot (somehow). Possible Zabuza x Haku. You've been warned.

Onomatopoeias and things with emphasis will be in italics.

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Part One
Shiroi
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He ran. Away from his tormenters, away from the village, his chin-length, dark brown hair whipping his pale face. He was tired of it, oh so tired. Why couldn't they see that he, too, was human, like them? Was it because they were jealous? Why couldn't the like him? Wiping away a few tears from his dark eyes, he slowed down to a rest. Resting in the shade of a large tree, he hugged his knees to his small chest.

"Why can't I have any friends?" he asked himself. "Just because I learn very quickly, the teacher thinks that I'm somehow taking the answer sheets to everything and cheating. Just because I can beat anyone in a race, people think I put traps in the ground. And just because I look kind of pretty, the boys and girls have to start calling me 'girly-boy'. I hate it! All I want is a friend… only a friend; is that too much to ask for?"

Sadly, the boy stared down at the lush, green grass below him. Various insects scuttled around in their emerald paradise, paying no attention to the shadows looming over them, simply going on with their lives. How he wished he could be like them, ignoring his problems and just going on with moving on.

To his left, he head a soft thump sound. Turning, he saw a small, white rabbit. It gave him a curious look, and slowly advanced toward him. He reached out his hands, and the rabbit did not flee. Instead, it took another hop towards him. Slowly, he gathered the white ball of fluff into his arms.

"Do you want a friend, too?" he asked the rabbit. "You're different, too, aren't you? Every other rabbit is brown. I'm sure you stand out. We can be friends, right?"

The rabbit gave the boy an approving look, cocking its head to the boy's right.

"I think you need a name," the boy continued. "What about… Shiroi? Since you're white. You can be Shiroi, and I'm Haku, and we can both be friends. Okay?"

The rabbit blinked, and Haku giggled.

"I must look kind of weird, talking to a rabbit. I guess I'll have to go back to the village sometime soon, but I really don't want to."

"You don't have to."

Startled, the boy, Haku, looked up. He hadn't noticed another shadow falling upon him. The stranger covered the lower half of his face with bandages, and his hair was slightly ruffled, a bit wild. Untame. But it was the stranger's eyes that intrigued Haku the most.

"Onii-san… You have the same eyes as me," Haku commented, and there followed a brief silence.

"…You said that you didn't want to return to your village. Again, you don't have to," the stranger suggested.

"What do you mean by that, onii-san?"

"Do you have parents in the village?"

"No… They both died when I was very little."

"And, since you have no village friends, you can leave there. Correct?"

"Right…"

"For a few days, I've been watching you. You're a bright kid, and you have great stamina. Since you hate everyone in the village, you have nothing to lose. Wouldn't you like to be a samurai? A samurai warrior with a hint of shinobi talents. Doesn't that sound interesting?"

"Yes! That's what I've wanted to be, ever since I read that picture book back in kindergarten… Will you really take me with you?"

"Of course. If this were a joke, I would've left a while ago."

"Th… Thank you, onii-san!"

"Zabuza is fine."

"Zabuza… san? Should we leave now?"

"Take whatever you need, and we can go."

"I'm ready."

"Let's go, then."

Haku happily stood up, clutching Shiroi in his arms. The stranger, Zabuza, had already turned around. Shyly, Haku walked besides Zabuza; out of the green field and into the thick forest they went.

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A.N.: Prologue/First chapter. Sorry if there's too much dialogue… more to come. Please leave a review or two, and yes, I know that I have many other unfinished fics.

~Wusai