Chapter 4

Akamaru did his fair share in the west sector. Sometimes he hauled lumber on a sort of travois Kiba fashioned, or sometimes he helped dig holes for foundations. Right now, he looked toward where three heads were studiously bent over the cement vat and gave a small whine.

"I know," Kiba said. He took a moment to scratch behind the big mutt's ears as he, too, looked at the rest of his crew.

Haku, Naruto, and Sasuke were each stirring the cement with shovels. On the surface, the three of them appeared to be calm and focused on their work. But Kiba knew better.

He'd been observing them for two days now and, quite frankly, was almost at his wit's end.

First there was Naruto. Naruto went out of his way to ignore Sasuke with a thoroughness that would have impressed Kiba if it weren't for the fact that his actions affected the job. Honestly, if Sasuke was ready and able to hold the lumber while it was nailed in place, couldn't Naruto see that waiting an extra ninety minutes for Haku to finish laying sewer pipes so that he could hold the lumber instead only set them behind schedule? Or how about the refusal to even let his clones work with Sasuke? And if, God forbid, Sasuke ever chose to hand something to Naruto, like a brick or a nail, then it would remain in Sasuke's outstretched hand until the item was thrown with force at Naruto's face, or else taken by Haku, who strove to keep conflict to a minimum.

Which brought him to Haku. At first it seemed that Haku was trying too hard to be the silent mediator between Sasuke and Naruto, but that was only the first day. By the second day, Kiba realized that Haku wasn't worried about Sasuke at all; he was all about keeping Naruto's excitable feathers smooth and happy. Kiba watched this with pure wonder. He'd never really paid much attention to other people's relationships, other than to swipe an irritable hand under his nose if someone was giving off too much pheromones, but this…it was like watching a dance or some other kind of meticulous performance.

He could almost see the individual steps. The way it went from a need to calm Naruto down, to a desire for more. Subtle. Understated. But definitely there. The looks. The touches. The way Haku became more subdued the more his desire apparently grew. It was almost funny, because Kiba could tell that as quickly as it had developed -and it had happened in a matter of days- Naruto seemed to have no clue. Though he was paying a ridiculous amount of attention to Haku, it had more to do with ignoring Sasuke than picking up what Haku was laying down.

And as for Sasuke. Kiba had to give him props: Naruto was being a bitch and Sasuke was taking it like a pro. Kiba would have sworn that Sasuke had engineered his assignment in the west sector for the sole purpose of raising nine kinds of hell, but he worked quietly and diligently. The only time his cool slipped was when Naruto pushed him too far and he threw something at him. But these were minor displays at worst.

That wasn't to say he ignored Naruto in turn. Lord, but if Naruto's head could go up in flames, then it would have exploded already from the looks Sasuke leveled at him when ole blue eyes wasn't looking. He was clearly jealous of the attention Haku was receiving, but whenever Sasuke did manage to win a snapped retort from Naruto, he was antagonistic in response. As if he didn't want Naruto speaking to him anyway. What was up with that?

And there they all stood, supposedly stirring the cement, when it was clear that Naruto and Sasuke were having some kind of battle with their shovels, and Haku was trying to talk Naruto down and thus distract him.

Resigned to breaking up another altercation, Kiba shook his head.

Haku breathed a sigh of relief once Kiba came over and asked Sasuke to help him with some measurements. Naruto conjured a clone to take over Sasuke's shovel. Watching the dark looks Sasuke threw over his shoulder at Naruto, Haku knew a twinge of guilt for being happy at having Naruto to himself. It was quickly gone, though, as he resumed stirring.

It wasn't that he didn't like Sasuke. He just didn't like what Sasuke brought out in Naruto. No one so bright and full of promise should have to be inundated with so much negativity from one person. He understood that Sasuke had gone through a lot, but much of that seemed to be Sasuke's own fault, Haku reasoned. And Naruto had been through hell as well. He deserved some happiness. To be at peace. To be left alone by people who wanted to drag him down.

And all right, he had a completely selfish reason for being happy to see Sasuke go. It meant Naruto could divert the energy he spent ignoring Sasuke to him instead.

Haku lowered his head, hiding his red face. Those kinds of thoughts shamed him unbearably. As did his budding attraction. He didn't think it was appropriate to profess the desire to help someone, only to end up feeling other desires for them as well, but he honestly couldn't help it. Though three years younger, Naruto came off as older through dint of his staggering testosterone levels and overt masculinity. These were two things Haku knew he lacked, and it had gotten him in trouble before; he'd fallen under Zabuza's spell much the same way, and into his bed. Granted, he'd been much younger and naïve back then, and looking for love from any quarter. Still, Naruto evoked the same emotions. Admiration, a need to please, and a delicious sensation of helplessness, which was nothing more than a reaction to Naruto's towering aggression. Haku was far from weak or helpless, and well he knew it, but he enjoyed feeling that way whenever Naruto slanted those blue eyes in his direction.

God, sometimes it was all he could do to breathe when Naruto looked at him.

That was something new. Zabuza had never made him feel so undone with a glance, or so near to melting whenever their hands accidentally brushed together. Then again, Zabuza had been the one to do the pursuing. He'd been swept up by the older and vastly more sexually experienced Jounin, and Haku's feelings, both sexual and emotional, had really only developed after.

-oOo-

"I need a break," Naruto muttered once they'd poured the cement.

By which he meant he needed a respite from having to endure Sasuke, not a break from physical labor. Naruto could work for days at a time with his stamina, a fact that left Haku in a sweat whenever he chose to think on it.

"It's almost noon," he answered. "Maybe we could have lunch someplace other than Ichiraku's. Someplace…private?" He nearly winced, thinking his feelings must surely be obvious with that suggestion, but Naruto only grinned.

"Sounds like a plan. And when we get back, that jackass will be at the stone yard, so…yeah. Perfect. Whaddya feel like having?" Naruto looked at him, brows raised.

Haku struggled not to color up at the stare. "I don't particularly care. What do you feel like eating?"

Naruto looked aside, scratching his head. "Meh…Chouji fixes lunch at the barracks for anyone who cares to stop in and eat there during break. Mainly people who have enough time to nap between shifts. We could see what he's whipped up?"

"Yes. And, if you don't mind, maybe we could eat at the training grounds? Like before?"

Naruto's frown quickly smoothed out. "Right on! We could make sure no one bugs us."

Haku deliberately held Naruto's winning smile with a direct look of his own, managing to hold a shy smile in place into the bargain. Naruto's smile deepened. Haku sensed that Naruto was really seeing him. Not just paying him extra attention in an effort to ignore Sasuke, but really seeing him, and that had his smile faltering as a burst of heat shot through him. It warmed his cheeks, made his eyes glassy, and shortened his breath until he was forced to lower his gaze; his heart was pounding hard enough to shake his entire body.

When he peeked upward, it was to find Naruto's eyes still on his face, but the bright smile dimmed to something that was bearable. He swallowed, looked away. Looked back. Dropped his eyes again. Glanced back, and Naruto was still staring at him.

Feels like I'm dying all over again, Haku thought in distress. Those eyes! How could anyone have such blue eyes?

Finally, the whistle blew for end of shift and Haku turned away in self-preservation. He began walking, pushing his trembling hands into his wide sleeves, until he heard Naruto slowly following him.

-oOo-

It was a somber walk to the barracks. Naruto was unnaturally silent, not looking at him now, and Haku felt too shaken to make conversation. Sometimes their elbows brushed together, or their hips bumped each other. Quite a few of those were due to him purposely walking too close to Naruto, but Naruto didn't move away. The little jolts of electricity-like feeling Haku got whenever it happened kept his muscles locked and rigid.

And then, while they were climbing through a crevice in the road, he nearly slipped as a result of his distraction. Naruto was forced to grab him and steady him, as if he weren't a fully qualified Jounin and former hunter-nin. Naruto yanked a bit too hard, making their bodies collide briefly, and Haku thought he would fall apart right then and there.

Naruto didn't let go right away. "You okay, man? Nearly broke your neck just now."

"Fine," he murmured, acutely embarrassed. "Thank you." Now he was consciously holding on to Naruto.

He was sorry when Naruto's hand dropped away to be shoved into a pocket.

Once they'd collected their lunch and made it to the training grounds, it was all he could do to sit and eat. He felt oppressed by his feelings, the strength of them, and the fact that Naruto was staring at him. Again.

Naruto ate slowly.

He'd be the first admit that he wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box, but neither was he a complete dunce. Not anymore. Like, he could tell something was up with Haku, he just wasn't quite sure what that was. Maybe he'd know if he hadn't only noticed Haku about forty minutes ago. Like, really noticed him. Up until just before the whistle blew today, his mind had been firmly stuck on Sasuke, as usual.

The day after Sasuke's bombshell, he'd woken up with a rock-solid determination to go about his business as if the fucker didn't exist. And he'd been successful. More or less. Sort of.

Okay, so maybe he had been more aware of him than ever before, but goddammit, the jerk was working with them now. That was a far cry from stalking. Now Naruto got to see everything he was supposedly trying to ignore and, to be perfectly honest, Sasuke was hard not to look at.

It was like it wasn't even Sasuke. That biggish dude with the pecs, and the abs, and the arms (Sasuke kept leaving that white shirt hanging around his waist), that wasn't the boy he'd been chasing. It was some creep with eternally sweaty hair and a tan (shit, maybe he should work at the stone yard if it made you look like that) that kept staring at him as if he'd fucked his mother. And he kept getting in Naruto's face, insisting on being helpful, handing him shit, asking him how long this plank was supposed to be, or how deep that hole, or how high this wall.

But Naruto handled his business and paid him no mind. He was proud of that feat. The times Sasuke had lost his patience and thrown things at him had been touch and go; he'd been seconds from going Kyuubi on ole creepy tanned buff-bod Sasuke. Yes he had, and what a relief that would have been. The area between his shoulder blades was perpetually tight from having to work with Sasuke, and any release of that tension would have been well-worth the shit-storm of Granny's wrath that would have followed.

He'd already tried asking her to re-assign the asshole. "Sasuke is serving his probation admirably," she'd intoned. "If he wants to be of more use while doing so, I won't be the one to refuse him. And let me make it very clear," she'd gone on, correctly reading the darkening hue of his eyes, "that despite Sasuke's past actions, he is a valued member of this village. Quite as valued as you are. You're each one of the last surviving members of illustrious clans. It would be far more becoming if you could set aside your differences and get along."

Whatever. I'll do me, and Sasuke can go do Akamaru, he'd thought as he'd left for second shift. That had been the first day.

Shit had just gotten worse from there, but he'd kept it together.

Haku, man. Haku was a godsend. If Haku hadn't shown up in the village, Naruto wouldn't have had anything to take his mind off Sasuke. Nothing else to focus on at the site. Haku was the perfect distraction. He had interesting things to say and even better, seemed just as keen to ignore Sasuke. Naruto threw himself into paying Haku all the attention he was sure Sasuke wanted, and it plain felt good to know he was pissing that bastard off.

But today. He couldn't even remember what they were talking about, but he'd been looking at Haku and the sun had been directly on the shorter guy's face. And for some reason Haku had seemed really…good-looking. No, that wasn't it. Naruto associated the term good-looking with guys. Kiba was good-looking. Haku had been…pretty?

He'd been something, that was for damn sure. The thought had been so off the wall that he'd stared, trying to figure out Haku's face of a sudden. Those deep brown eyes had been trained on his own face. Haku had been smiling too, and it was such a …well, such a girly kind of smile. The way girls smiled at boys. Then he'd seen the way the sun picked out faint golden flecks in Haku's eyes, seen the eyes drop, the face turn red, and it had seemed like all of a sudden that he'd noticed how long and soft Haku's hair was. The way it tossed against his pink cheek in the wind. How long his dark lashes seemed to be as those brown eyes, glassy and shiny, peeked up at him.

Haku had been trembling.

And Naruto had felt…something. He didn't quite know what it was, but it was the way he used to feel around girls. Awkward, overly-warm, and very aware of the fact that he was a boy. The exception this time was that instead of some girl making him feel like less than dirt, Haku's odd behavior and stolen glances made him feel…well, like he did whenever he was lit up with Kyuubi. Powerful. Like a boy to the nth power.

A man.

What?

Yeah. He had no idea what that was about. He'd certainly never felt like a full on man before, but the whistle had blown and he'd broken from whatever paralysis he'd been in.

But then when Haku had gone falling over the breeze or whatever, and he'd grabbed him, it had been like touching a girl too. The way he felt whenever he'd had to partner Sakura in some jutsu, or some other girl when on a mission. Like he was a boy, something other than a girl, and what the fuck? Haku had been all over him for a second after that, hanging on like he was a girl…and Naruto had taken that moment to notice that the guy was wearing a skirt after all, and must do so for a reason.

Now, here they sat. Haku had his legs tucked beneath him, skirt tucked around his legs, and eating as dainty as you please. Naruto tried to look at him without being obvious about it, then just gave up and stared. He took in the whole picture of hair, clothes, and the face that seemed to stay one shade of pink or another.

So Haku was like that.

He supposed he should have known. He didn't know how he felt about it, or if he felt anything at all. A person's business was their business, right? Not like it was any skin off Naruto's back. Guy wanted to be seen as a girl, well then who was Naruto to judge? Besides, he'd seen stuff like that before. Maybe not a case as far gone as Haku's, but still.

Well, okay then. Moving on.

The whistle for second shift blew.

Naruto could honestly say that Sasuke rarely entered his mind over the next few days. Their clashes at the site fizzled away into a smooth routine between the four of them that had the west sector ahead of any other sector as far as schedules went. Sometimes he even found himself doing a task side by side with Sasuke, and it didn't bother him anywhere near as much as it would have before that lunch with Haku.

Haku took up all his attention. For real this time. Which he wouldn't have believed possible after how stuck on Sasuke his mind had been. If he noticed Sasuke at all now, it was in an abstract sort of way.

Haku.

Guy was fascinating. And now that he was looking, Naruto seemed to find all sorts of little things about him that he'd never noticed before. Like just how much Haku worked to assist him and make life easier for him with the various construction tasks. How he was always ready with a smile whenever Naruto looked his way, which was often, or how he always had something ego-boosting to say about Naruto. And the way he said his name. All soft and Naruto-kun…like that.

And the touches. Haku touched him a lot.

Nothing major, but their hands seemed to touch more than was necessary when equipment was passed between them, or when they had to do a job together. Sometimes their shoulders bumped when they mixed cement, or sawed wood. Once…once Haku had taken the hem of his skirt and wiped at the sweat running down Naruto's face. They'd both been red after that.

He liked it. He liked feeling the warm and pleasant jumpiness he was starting to feel whenever he and Haku's eyes met, and he liked the way Haku looked at him as if he was-

A boyfriend

-already the Hokage. Made him feel great, actually. It was a far cry from the bitter anger he was used to feeling over Sasuke. He could get used to this. More than once Kiba had caught a goofy grin on his face and he'd been unable to hide it.

-oOo-

At night, after they'd whispered back and forth a bit, Naruto would turn on his back in preparation for sleep, and that was when the heavy thoughts would come.

I guess he's gay. Does he like me like that? Does he want me like that? What if he does? What do I do, ask him out?

…Do I like him like that?

That was a big question. The only question, really. And one night, when everyone around him lay snoring, Naruto cautiously admitted that Haku was pretty, and he did make him feel good. That yes, he did like him like that.

He'd held his breath for a minute, testing the truth of this knowledge within himself. After awhile he'd breathed again. Not like he hadn't had thoughts about boys before. And girls. He could remember a short but violent crush on Neji about two years ago, and Sakura still held some appeal, if more of a sisterly one. And something about being battle commander had made Gaara super hot, but yeah…liking boys had never been that big a deal. Just something he kept to himself, the way most people kept it to themselves.

"You still haven't told me where we're going," Haku smiled the following week. He ducked a low-hanging branch, very aware of the way Naruto kept glancing behind them as he steadily led them deeper into the forest surrounding Konoha. "Is it a secret?"

Naruto surprised and pleased him to no end by reaching back and grabbing his hand. "Yeah, it is," Naruto said. "Hang on a sec."

Haku went still at the whispered command, opening his senses wide. He heard nothing, and apparently neither did Naruto. His large hand tightened around Haku's, and they resumed walking.

-oOo-

The forest was cool and shady, a welcome change from the fierce heat at the construction site. Not for the first time, Haku thought it very considerate of the Hokage to give the villagers a day off from working during the week.

At first it seemed like they were heading for the waterfalls, but Naruto veered east, tugging Haku all the while. The touch of Naruto's hand had his entire body reacting, and he squeezed it gently from time to time. Naruto squeezed back, looking at him a few times with an embarrassed grin that made Haku's heart stutter. It was the first time they'd engaged in such prolonged contact.

They walked for a long time, hands tightly clasped, until the shade in the forest deepened. It became dark and damp and more than a little ominous. The budding mood of romance Haku was feeling was gradually replaced by wariness, his senses on high alert. By the time Naruto stopped, Haku estimated that they were many miles from the village, and in the deepest part of the forest. He was about to ask why they were here, but he heard rustling to his right and tensed himself to respond violently.

Two faces smeared in dirt and camouflage paint emerged from a low bush. As the bodies followed the faces, Haku saw that the leaves and twigs were attached to them and that they were the bushes. He recognized Konohamaru and Inari, and broke into a relieved smile. For a moment there, he'd been about to call out his chakra.

Naruto, dressed in a black T-shirt and pants, was all business. "Were you followed?" he asked in a low, deep voice.

"No, Boss," the boys chorused, equally low.

"Seen leaving the village?"

"No, Boss."

"Provisions?"

Both boys produced knapsacks full of sweets, chips, soda, and other goodies. Naruto looked down his nose at this offering, hands on hips, back ramrod straight. After a lengthy pause, he gave a single regal nod. "Acceptable. Let us begin."

Haku had to cover his mouth at the solemn and dignified air Naruto strove for. Clearly this was some kind of elaborate game, but he wouldn't spoil it by laughing.

"Before we do so," Naruto intoned, "we have a guest. A new initiate into the circle." He swept his arm in a majestic arc to his right.

Konohamaru and Inari turned wide eyes to Haku, who straightened his own spine in spite of himself. He bowed deeply. "I am honored to be here," he said with as much gravity as he could muster.

Naruto, doing a good imitation of Sasuke, said, "You must prove yourself worthy, Haku of the Mirrors."

Haku waited. "How do I prove myself?" The urge to laugh was overwhelming.

Naruto abruptly deflated, falsely dignified air evaporating into a sheepish chortle. "Fuck if I know. This is only our third time meeting." He and the boys abruptly fell on the packs of food.

They all laughed at that point, and the forest seemed less sinister. Haku knelt beside Naruto and accepted a candy bar. "What goes on at these meetings?" he asked around of a mouthful of chocolate. He delicately wiped his mouth with one hand.

"Eh," Naruto gestured with his cookie. "Training, mostly. Sometimes we'll do little missions and stuff."

"You train them?"

"Don't look so surprised. Konohamaru there has been my student since I was a Genin. Taught him some cool shit, too. Kid took out one of Pein's bodies, am I right dude?"

Konohamaru swelled in pride as he high fived Naruto. "You're still a Genin, Boss," he smiled.

"Shut up. And Inari, man. He and I go way back," Naruto nodded. "Back when I met first you, Haku. He doesn't have the time or money to be sent to school, helping out his mom and gramps and everything, but he wants to become a ninja. I'm doing what I can to help him. Technically, I'm not supposed to be teaching a Genin and an unclassified kid A-rank shit, hence all the secrecy, but yeah. This is what we do."

Haku studied the two earnest boys. "And are the lessons going well?"

"Well enough, I guess." Naruto launched into a lengthy explanation, liberally peppered with both boys' interjections, about the progress they were making. Apparently Konohamaru, as a fire type, was easier for Naruto to teach than Inari, whom Naruto suspected was a water type. "I mean, I can basically bounce wind chakra off of K and teach him that way, but Inari is harder. Especially since he's never been to the Academy or any other kind of ninja school."

"Kay?"

Naruto waved at Konohamaru. "So? Any ideas?"

Haku turned to find Naruto looking at him expectantly. "Pardon?"

"You. Teach Inari. We've already covered the basics. He can walk up a tree and on water, but that took us forever. And I don't really know how to teach him anything else."

"Ah. I see."

Haku took a moment to marvel that Naruto's status in the village, and accomplishments during the war hadn't gone to his head. Where someone else wouldn't have deigned to even acknowledge a Genin or an apprenticed carpenter, Naruto was using his one day off to teach them. It was just one other dimension to him that only increased Haku's feelings.

In the end, Haku welcomed the challenge. He'd never taught anyone before, and the honor of Naruto entrusting one of his precious students to him was noted with intense pleasure.

They worked for hours. Konohamaru, accomplished in several of Naruto's signature moves, was now working on summoning, for which Naruto had given him the toad contract at the start of the lesson. Haku worked with Inari.

The boy was diligent and attentive, if clumsy at handling his chakra. He stopped him from molding it incorrectly for the third time. "No. Like this. Naruto? Please assist me a moment."

Naruto took a break from Konohamaru to stand facing Haku. " 'Sup?"

Haku adjusted his stance, and held a hand beneath his chin. "When sensing water chakra, or any chakra, within oneself you must envision it as a river of energy. It flows and ebbs where you want it to. This is what you are doing, Inari." He let his chakra manifest in the palm of one hand in an erratic display. Both young boys looked on. "This is what you should be doing," Haku said. He gestured to Naruto.

Naruto caught on and let wind chakra appear in his hand. It was an even, steady release. Inari ahh-ed in understanding.

"See the difference?" Haku lectured. "Until you have mastery over your chakra, your jutsu will never behave as you want them to."

"But I mastered the tree and water-walking," Inari said quickly. "Doesn't that mean-"

Haku wagged a finger while shaking his head. "Those are basics. We are talking about refinement now. Come, practice."

-oOo-

Later on, when they finally called it a night, they sat around the empty food wrappers, happy and tired, and relived the better moments of the day.

"That was cool, the way you and Haku demonstrated stuff," Konohamaru told Naruto. He was sprawled on his stomach, face propped in his hands. "It was like we were a family."

Naruto chuckled around a frown. "Huh?" He and Haku had collaborated a few more times, showing how a move against an opponent was supposed to look. "How so?"

Konohamaru frowned now too, but Inari understood and explained it better. "Like a mom and dad. How you guys are teaching us and stuff."

Naruto saw Konohamaru's nod and slowly turned his head to see how Haku was receiving this news.

Haku's head was bowed, and his face red, but he sensed Naruto's look and met it with one of his own. In that one brief glance, Naruto had a flash of insight. A complicated thought accompanied the realization.

Once, when he'd had to run a message to the north sector where Kakashi-sensei worked with a different crew, Naruto had made the mistake of walking into the foreman's hut without knocking. At first he thought his former teachers were falling down or something, but then he realized that Kakashi was in the process of pushing Iruka-sensei face first into the wall. Naruto had stood there, shocked and silent, as Kakashi fumbled at the front of his pants, then seemed to shove himself against Iruka's back. Iruka-sensei had given a long, throaty moan, and Naruto had turned without a word and gotten out of there.

That was the image that flashed through his mind when he looked at Haku now. He does like me like that. He wants to submit to me…wants me to totally take him the way Kakashi-sensei was going at it with Iruka-sensei.

The weird thing? Looking at the way Haku blushed so prettily, and feeling an answering roll of heat in his belly, Naruto suddenly had that self-impression of manliness again. He felt strong and dominant…and like maybe he wanted to do that too.