AN: I tagged this story with the OoC warning because I know that everyone has their own definition of where the line is. Personally, I do not believe it applies here. I simply gave a plausible consequence to the treatment Naruto was subjected to. Your mileage may vary.

Naruto Uzumaki honestly liked to believe he gave everything he did his best. He did not know if it were true, objectively, but he was not sure if it were even possible to objectively evaluate such a thing. He was not aware of the existence of any metrics. He was not even certain to know what defined "the best" of someone. Were there criteria to match or was it a personal feeling to reach? Naruto did not know. He only gave his best.

He had done his best in the Shinobi Academy when classes had first begun. He was not the perfect student, he could acknowledge that point. He liked physical activities and exercises better than theoretical work because reading was always a challenge and sitting for an extended period of time ultimately bore him. His questions, however, were never answered. Teachers never explained to him how to do better, just yelled at him to do so. He was never congratulated for a job well done, only mocked when he failed.

He had tried his best to be polite around the village after being let go of the orphanage. As an orphan and a child of barely six, he had not been taught a lot of things and etiquette had been one of the numerous skills he lacked. He spent hours observing how people talked and behaved towards one another in the hope that he would understand how to act the same. He was ignored when he asked politely. He was sneered at when he gave his greetings. He was insulted when he offered or asked for help.

He simply wanted what everyone else had. A few friends. A family. People - not necessarily a lot - who would just smile at him, explain what he did wrong and not hold it over him. From afar, it always looked so easy, yet he had never been able to win anyone over. People despised him. It was rooted in their core, a disgust so reflexive they did not even have to think about it. They refused him because, to them, he was something that should not have existed. They pushed him away, to a place of complete, deafening silence, of absolute, maddening insignificance.

Every hour of every day, it clawed at his flesh. It clenched his chest tight and choked his throat, keeping him from breathing freely. It twisted his stomach and pinched his guts, burning him from the inside. It made his skin crawl as if there were worm writhing underneath. Every hour of every day, it fed on something deep within him, leaving an ever-growing pit behind. It made him wonder why he bothered to wake up. It made him question if he should not just fall from the Hokage Mountain or drown in the Naka River. It made him consider putting a blade to his throat.

The truth was simple. He was afraid of death, afraid that it would only make his loneliness worse. Because if he had chosen death, he knew no one would have mourned him. The village would have erased his existence completely. They would not even celebrate, no. They would continue to relegate him to the same prison of nothingness.

So, he had decided to do his best to be seen. He had decided to be loud, literally and figuratively; wearing orange, playing the clown and screaming. He was obnoxious because then, if their dislike of him only spiked, at the very least people paid attention to him. They acknowledged that he was here. From a simple attempt at trying something different, it had slowly become who he was. The Clown, with his smile plastered on his face, attracted more attention than Naruto Uzumaki so he had concluded he needed to abandon the latter to fully become the first.

He knew, deep down, that the Clown was an impasse. That it did not endear him to others but rather made him aggravating. Yet, he could not see any other solution. Being polite and focused had done nothing for him and so kept his role.

Now, however, the words of Haku rolled in his mind, louder than thunder, clearer than a bolt of lightning. They were an abrupt peace in the middle of a storm, a light clearing up the darkness, an epiphany tearing apart a veil of misconceptions. Strength, the effeminate young man had said, came to people when protecting something they held dear.

Naruto had been alone, training hard in order to better his chakra control by practising something called the first Hokou. It was the first exercise that his sensei, Kakashi Hatake, had ever given his team and Naruto did not want to disappoint the man. He had fallen asleep, exhausted but proud, after finally completing the task and had awoken to the presence of a girly-looking individual wearing a pink kimono. The stranger had introduced himself as Haku and the two of them had talked, picking herbs and flowers together for a while before Haku had to go home in order to heal a member of his family.

Naruto had recognized him as the mysterious oi-nin who had rescued Zabuza, the nuke-nin who was after Tazuna - Naruto's client. Naruto was often underestimated but he had a good nose. He had to, in order to avoid eating spoiled food. The smell of medicinal herbs, flower and ice was sufficiently distinct that he could easily identify it and both Haku and the oi-nin carried it. Considering there was little chance for two different individuals to carry exactly the same scent, he deduced they were one and the same.

Naruto had not told anyone of his encounter, not to his teammates, not to his sensei. Haku had been easy and pleasant to talk to. The older teen had had a smile and nice words for Naruto, no hesitation, no disdain, no hate. From what they had talked about, Naruto had guessed they shared a similar history. He had felt a kinship, a bond between them, forged from shared experiences and it made him happy. For the first time, it did not hurt. So, he had not told anyone; because, in the past, every time he thought he had found someone, it had been taken from him.

The moon-eyed girl, Hinata, whom he had saved from bullies so long ago and who wanted to be friends? She had been told to stay well away from him. The rotund boy, Chouji, who had shared some crisps with him? The same. And so, even if Naruto knew Haku was supposed to be an enemy, he said nothing. Because, as an enemy, Haku had been nicer to him than anyone else had ever been.

The two boys saw each other two more times after the first, Haku picking flowers while - as far as Naruto understood it - pretending to be a girl and Naruto helping him, the pair exchanging on a number of subjects. Their conversation was always light but both felt, underneath the layer of polite discretion expected when talking to a stranger, something raw that they were intimately familiar with.

Naruto understood quickly that the only difference between Haku and him was that the older teen had found someone. He had been accepted by Zabuza when no one wanted him. It made Naruto wonder if he ever would find someone himself. Better yet, he wondered if someone would ever find him.

Iruka Umino, who had been his sensei in the Academy? The man had told him, in an intensely stressful situation that he was proud of him. However, it had been while Naruto was holding onto a precious artefact of Konohagakure and after the boy had proved to be dangerous. How could Naruto weigh a single instant of grace against years of being either ignored or admonished?

The Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure, whom Naruto called "Jiji"? Certainly, on the very rare occasions Hiruzen Sarutobi visited Naruto, he was kind but the Hokage was kind to everyone as if it were his duty. More importantly, the old man had lied to him his entire life, repeatedly assuring him he had no idea why Naruto was hated, only telling him he had to do his best to be acknowledged. As a result, Naruto had been nearly killed by one of his Academy instructors, whose resentment towards him - as misplaced as it might be - had finally become too strong to ignore. What value carried a few crumbs against a lie so big it defined Naruto's entire life?

His teammates? Sasuke Uchiha had no interest in anyone and Sakura Haruno was only interested in Sasuke. That was enough said.

Kakashi Hatake, his supposed captain and newest sensei? The man had humiliated him during his Genin Exam and left him tied to a post after a lesson on never abandoning one's comrades. He had not taught anything to team seven since then, showing up late, leaving early and ignoring Naruto when he asked for some way to become better.

The only thing that his teacher liked to repeat, which Naruto had picked up loud and clear, was how shinobi were supposed to look underneath appearances to discover the truth. Shinobi concealed; it was their way of life. Who was to say Iruka's claims had not been a lie to pacify Naruto? Who was to say the Hokage was not lying about even worse things? Naruto had tried hard, so very hard, his best to find someone, anyone in Konohagakure who would accept him but no one had. The truth was, no one would, not in Konohagakure.

The truth hurt. Somehow, it hurt even deeper than all that Naruto had endured in Konohagakure. At the same time, it felt cleansing. The truth was like a fire, a strong flame that purged the poison of lies. It burned the Clown like a strawman. What sense was there in giving his best to a lost cause? Wouldn't his efforts be better employed if spent on something that had at least some chance of success?

Haku had accepted him, Naruto mused. He had not had to prove himself. The older teen had given him a gentle smile, shared a few kind words, had praised his dedication to push himself and had even instructed him on the use of plants, giving him knowledge without asking anything in return, patiently, explaining things again when Naruto had not fully understood.

Haku had told Naruto the truth too: strength came from protecting something dear. Young Inari, the grandson of Tazuna, had found his courage while defending his mother Tsunami from two tugs. It had been futile but had given Naruto the opportunity to crash into the two men, knocking them unconscious. Naruto was now looming over the inert forms of the two bandits, his azure eyes darkening to a stormy grey as he considered what he was going to do with them.

No one accepted him, no one would. But Haku had.

Naruto gripped the handle of a blade from his pouch and eyed the exposed throat of the tugs. Shinobi killed. He had Zabuza to thank for this particular lesson. As his fingers firmed up their grasp around the kunai, so did Naruto's heart. The boy crouched and plunged the steel in the flesh of the unconscious bandits. They stirred and struggled, their eyes opening abruptly in wide panic as their blood escaped them, crimson ichor marring Naruto's blond hair.

He looked on as the two men died. He looked until the very end as their life escaped them. He looked as they transitioned from humans to rapidly cooling corpses. He had done it now, he had taken a life. He could do it again. No one accepted him, no one would. But he couldn't help but wonder if Zabuza would, as the nuke-nin had accepted Haku.

Naruto turned on his heels and both Inari and Tsunami flinched at his appearance, specks of blood sullying him from top to bottom.

"Run," said Naruto in a monotone. "Run." He hesitated, unsure of what kind of advice he could even give them. "Cross the water."

"N-Naruto?" Inari squeak was fearful, uncomprehending.

Naruto shook his head imperceptibly, his eyes drifting askance. The young boy was right, in the end. There was no hero, only people who grabbed what they craved. It was his turn to take what he wanted. He did not want Inari and Tsunami to die, however. He could only tell them to flee while they could.

"Naruto?!"

The woman called him but he ignored it. He turned his back to them and walked away, his bloodied kunai in his right, dripping ichor on the road. Slowly but surely, his pace picked up to a sprint. He sped down the road, through the dilapidated village of Nami until he reached the bridge. He stopped for a few seconds: even plunged in the thick rolling mist of Zabuza's hidden in mist jutsu, the construction was still a sight to behold. Beyond the technical prowess of the project, however, the bridge was a symbol of hope. It was how Tazuna fought the hold of Gato - a greedy business tycoon - over his home.

Naruto faltered when the reality of what he was about to do settled in. He was going to rob an entire village of their freedom. He was about to destroy a family. He almost dropped the kunai, here and there. His happiness was nothing compared to the salvation of the village of Nami. He did not matter. He had never mattered. He would return to Konohagakure, to a place that was not home, where he had no family, where people hated him for no fault of his own. It would be worth it if Tazuna lived and Inari got to see heroes were real. He would smile, as he had for years. He would be the Clown. He would be the dog, content with the scraps handed to him by those who basked in the shadow of the great tree.

Then, abruptly, the memory of Haku smiling at him severed the strand of thoughts entirely. Naruto choked, his throat strangled by grief and rage. In front of him was an opportunity, an out and Sage, he wanted out. Out of the place where he was despised, reviled, ostracised. He wanted to leave the lies behind. He wanted to go with Haku. He was not blind to what would happen if Kakashi won the fight against Zabuza. Haku would die. Naruto refused that.

The resolution was simple and it cleared the boy's mind. Like a prairie after the rain, Naruto's thought felt fresh and quiet. The sudden clarity made him realize that whatever he chose, it would burden him with regrets, it was only a matter of what he would pick. Naruto cursed Life for not giving him another way, cursed Konohagakure, cursed himself and picked Haku.

The boy pictured Tazuna insulting him back in Konohagakure. He imagined Inari behaving like he had it worse than everyone else. He mustered all the annoyance he could feel against these two people, purposefully ignoring the fact that they had grown on him over the past week. He closed his heart to the treachery he was about to commit. It might make him worse than trash but he had been treated worse than trash his entire life. Treason supposed a pre-existing bond. He had none.

Then, he focused on Haku. His fingers gripped the kunai before the blade could escape his hand. Slowly, he walked inside the mist. He easily smelled both Tazuna's and Sakura's fear and circled around them. He progressed as he did when he pranked people: close to perfectly silent. Tazuna never felt anything; the old man did not have the time to. Naruto jumped on his back and plunged his kunai in the junction between the skull and the neck before he imprinted a forward rotating motion to the blade. Tazuna crumbled, much like a puppet without its strings, already dead. Sakura squawked when the old man's blood sprayed all over her back. The girl whirled around, eyes widened by a slow-mounting horror but Naruto knocked her out before she could do anything.

Despite the blood that drenched him, Naruto located the scent of adrenaline easily. There were two battles going on and, though muffled by the mist, he recognized the heavy sounds of Zabuza swinging his sword and cleaving through the air. He walked in the direction of the other battle, up to a perfectly smooth dome of dark, almost black ice and knocked.

"Haku. Tazuna is dead. There's no reason to fight."

Naruto waited only a second before the oi-nin emerged from the ice, much like a ghost. Behind his mask, Haku cocked his head to the side.

"What?" The question was asked in a flat tone.

"You heard me. Tazuna is dead." Naruto's tone broke. "I killed him."

"Wasn't he your client? Weren't you supposed to protect him?"

Naruto's mind froze for an instant before he quickly decided that, at this point, the idea of another failure mattered very little to him.

"It don't matter. I wanna come with you," the blond boy explained in a whisper.

"Why?"

"'Cause… 'cause you know. What it's like when no one wants you."

Haku inhaled sharply. It told Naruto everything he wanted to know.

"There's no one for me in Konoha," murmured the blond. "But you… you were nice. You smiled. You explained stuff to me. And you told me strength comes from protecting your precious people. It's true. I've seen it." Naruto's eyes hardened. "You haven't lied to me. I want you to be my precious people, Haku."

"I can't," answered the older teen softly. "I am but a tool of Zabuza-sama. I'm not worthy."

Naruto flailed the air with arms for a second, a wave of anxiety almost choking him at the thought that Haku would refuse him.

"You are!" He cried out pleadingly, desperately. "And... I can be a tool too! A tool for Zabuza!" He exclaimed before his voice broke down to a whisper. "Please. I just want to come with you! 'Cause… 'cause..." His voice died. He opened and closed his mouth several times, like a fish out of water. When he spoke again, it was with a thin, almost inaudible trickle. "'Cause I didn't feel like a demon when we talked."

Haku nodded slowly. "I see." The words were said simply. They were said truthfully because Haku did understand what Naruto was saying. "What about your teammates?"

"We weren't a team. Just… just let them go. It's useless to fight now."

Haku remained silent for a short few seconds. "Alright. Come with me."

Naruto breathed in deeply at the older teen's acquiescence. He had feared, for a moment, that Haku would prove to be like everyone else. Now, the boy felt elated that he had been right. Haku had told him to come with him. Haku had accepted him. The pair walked in the mist towards the last occurring battle, Naruto curling up behind his new companion. The sounds of steel clanging against steel, grunts of exertion and jutsu being flung around became clearer and clearer.

"Zabuza-sama," called the oi-nin, suddenly stopping. "Our target has been dealt with. Hatake Kakashi, one of your genin is wounded. I advise you to cut your losses and retreat if you want a chance to heal him."

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the mist cleared, revealing a slightly wounded Kakashi Hatake and an apparently unarmed Zabuza. Both men were breathing raggedly. The nuke-nin spared a glance at Haku, saw Naruto behind him, but only raised one of his eyebrows.

"You killed him?"

Haku shook his head. "Naruto here did."

Kakashi seemingly choked on something. "No," whispered the Konohagakure jounin.

"He wishes to join you, Zabuza-sama," informed Haku.

"No!" screamed Kakashi.

Before he could move, however, Zabuza's massive cleaver was raised and Haku was coiled, ice senbon arrayed in his hands.

"It's two against one, Hatake and trust me when I say you'll definitely lose this one," growled Zabuza. "Your mark is down, your mission is a failure. Go save your genin and fuck off. Let's keep it to business."

"Naruto…"

The boy refused to meet the gaze of the man who had been, if only for a short time, his sensei and captain.

"Naruto. Please. Why?"

"Sorry, Kak-Hatake-san." mumbled the blond. "But Konoha…" Naruto shut himself up. What could he even say? How would Kakashi Hatake understand, he who preached teamwork (despite never truly enforcing it)? He who was such a model agent of Konohagakure, one of her jounin? It did not matter. Naruto owed the man nothing anyway. "It don't matter. Sasuke is hurt. Sakura is, too. Go, Kak-Hatake-san. Please."

"Don't do this, Naruto. You've made a mistake but we can solve this. Come back."

Naruto bristled at the mention of a "mistake". Of course, he was making a mistake. It was always his fault, he was always the one in the wrong. He never asked for much but disdain and hate had been the one and only answer he had been fed. And somehow, the only one responsible for everything was him. He snarled. Still refusing to meet the eyes of his ex-captain, he walked to plant himself at Zabuza's side, his gait firm, his body rigid, his hands balled into fists.

"No," he spat, finally sparing Kakashi an ice-cold glare. "Fuck you. Fuck you and fuck Konoha!" He screamed, howled to the point his voice instantly became hoarse, his hackles raised and his entire height uncoiled. "I did my best but it wasn't never enough! It's always me! I'm trash, whatever I do! Well, I'm done, you hear me!? I'm done!" Naruto's face scrunched up and his body was racked by a sob. Hands shaking, his breath ragged, the boy tore his hitai-ate from his forehead and flung it towards the jounin. "W-Well, I'll go be trash elsewhere! With people who want me!"

Zabuza blinked, spared a glance at Haku, who had removed his mask. In a matter of seconds, an entire conversation occurred between the master and his apprentice. Zabuza nodded ever so slightly.

"Interesting. I thought Konoha was all Will of Fire and shit," taunted the nuke-nin. "I've always thought it was bullcrap but it's nice to have it confirmed. You're welcome to follow me, kid. Haku thinks you can be useful, that's enough for me." He focused on Kakashi, who had been standing there, frozen by Naruto's tirade. "Cut your loss, Hatake. Save what's left of your team or I'm slaughtering you all."

The Konohagakure jounin blinked. Naruto once again was looking at the ground. The boy was close to Zabuza, too close for anything to be attempted. If he were to move in the wrong direction, Kakashi knew they would both lose their life. He could not abandon Naruto. He could not abandon Sasuke and Sakura either. In spite of his screaming heart, Kakashi slowly retreated. Someone would pay for this. In fact, possibly the entirety of Konohagakure would pay for this. That was a promise of a lifetime. Slowly at first, to prove his intention, then faster, Kakashi retreated to where his two other charges were.

"Ha! Zabuza!" A new voice carried over the bridge. It belonged to a short, grubby individual clad in a business suit and wearing small black glasses. Behind him, a band of tugs waited, bloodlust sparking in their eyes. "You finished the job I see," the businessman said, pointing a carved walking stick at the corpse of Tazuna.

"Yes, Gato, I did. Now, who is this merry bunch of people behind you?"

"Hahaha! You hear it, boys? He calls you merry, he does!" A few greasy sniggerings answered him and, for some reason, Gato seemed satisfied by it. "Well, Zabuza, these gentlemen expect much less money than you do for the exact same job. So, I decided to have you fight. I'll pay the winner."

Zabuza groaned. "A double-cross. So original." He looked down on Naruto. "Well, kid. Time to prove you are worth the trouble. Kill your share and I'll teach you everything you need to survive this bitch world. Keep the midget alive."

Mutely, Naruto nodded before he formed a hand sign by crossing the joined pointer and major of both his hands. He moulded his chakra, through willpower and the mudra alike, until the power coursing inside his tenketsu reached the needed potency and achieved the necessary properties. It all occurred in less than a second. With a roar of displaced air, there were suddenly a hundred replicas of the boy standing on the bridge. All were gripping a kunai.

"Well, fuck me," whispered Zabuza.

In deafening silence, they marched towards the hired blades, slowly accelerating as they circulated chakra in their body, merging the energy with the bridge for better grip. In a final burst of speed the mercenaries could not follow, the army of clones began the slaughter. They bobbed and weaved in, out and around the massed men, cutting through legs, arms, torso and neck, opening gaping wounds in their flesh. A number of clones received a mortal strike but for each replica dispelled, two to three mercenaries either died or were incapacitated. It was a matter of a single minute to finish the battle. Zabuza, closely followed by Haku, walked purposefully across the battlefield, surveying the massacre with an appreciative eye, until he reached Gato. The little man had frozen in place, paralyzed by the nuke-nin overwhelming killing intent.

"See, Gato. What you just did was a bad, stupid idea. Because my price just reached an all-time high and unfortunately, we're going to renegotiate my contract."

"M-Mercy."

"No," answered Zabuza before he knocked Gato out. "I don't think so. Haku. Kid… what's your name, again?"

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

Zabuza blinked at the name before a predatory smile pinched the bandages covering his mouth.

"Excellent. You will be very, very useful. Haku, Naruto, we are going."

A few hours later, Haku, Zabuza and Naruto boarded a boat called the Ochaco, after bleeding Gato both metaphorically and literally before jettisoning the corpse in the ocean.

Good riddance, honestly, thought Haku uncharitably. He had harboured a great dislike for the little man from the minute they had met.

Once on the boat, it took another hour before Naruto eventually broke down, the enormity of what he had done catching up to him. Haku stayed next to the younger boy as he cried himself to sleep. Once exhaustion eventually struck the blond into a fitful rest, Haku laid a plaid over him and left his cabin. To his knowledge, there was little he could do for the younger boy. Either Naruto would come out reforged or he would end his days. It had been like that for Haku, so he had no clue of how he could tip the balance on what side or the other. Wait and see, he concluded.

Haku walked on the bridge and stood next to his master.

"Where are we going, Zabuza-sama?"

The tall man did not answer immediately, staring at the horizon instead.

"Where home is."

"Home?"

"It won't be easy. We'll have to build it. From scratch. And pay with blood."

Haku smiled. It was something small, but confident. A simple, truthful thing that brightened his features like sunlight causes a flower to blossom. "I will fight by your side, Zabuza-sama."

"I know. Naruto?"

"I…" Haku hesitated slightly, a light frown pinching his brow. "I do not know. He will either come to term with what he has done or he will not. I do not know what to do to help him."

"If he truly is an Uzumaki, he'll be extremely useful, Haku. You will be to him what I am to you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Zabuza-sama."

"Good."

Haku bowed and swivelled on his heels.

"Haku."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama."

"I…"

The tall nuke-nin frowned, his gaze suddenly turned inward. It was not the first time he had had a brush with death. He knew betrayal, intimately. However, something today had been different than all these times past. Something had shaken him. He had realized his death would not have been just his own.

"Good job." He said eventually.

The words stumped the teen for a second. "Thank you, Zabuza-sama," answered Haku softly.

AN: do not hesitate to leave a review.