Author's Notes: So let me explain... I would be inclined to update Born Different, but I'm feeling more inspiration for Blade of the Blizzard for now, so I'll be updating this story first. I apologize for breaking out of my intended schedule, but I believe that the basis of being an author is having a story to tell, and for now, I have a story to tell for Blade of the Blizzard.

Chapter Notes: I will be changing the Land of Tea significantly, I don't want to say how, but let's just say it will be completely unrecognizable to those who are familiar with the place.

Extra notes: I shouldn't need to say it at this point, but Naruto will be getting his Ketsuryugan soon, when? In a few chapters, that's when. As for when Naruto and Haku will begin fostering feelings for each other? Who's to say those feelings don't already exist between them? As for some real-world information, I am still on that "hyperdrive" per se, but I will be halting on Christmas Day(Four Days from when I am writing this).

Q&A Section(As well as some other responses)

Reedz22: Thanks!

SPark681: Thank you! And yes, Naruto working towards saving someone instead of murdering one is a nice change of pace!

DxGRAYxMAN: Thanks! And well, it may not be in this chapter, but rest assured, Naruto is getting his Ketsuryugan soon.

IOwnYouAll: Well... Fair enough I suppose... Don't know what to say to the rest of that statement.

Beastyd22: Thanks, man! It surprised me at first but I've now concluded that a protagonist losing a fight could be as entertaining as a protagonist winning a fight. As for jutsu... Expect many, many more jutsu to be created throughout this story.

YeagerMeister31: 1) Well, yes, this story is sort of an outlier when compared to my other stories, so yes, interesting is how I would describe it. 2) Trust me, I made it as sad as I possibly could to help explain his later behavior, but yes, it is cruel. 3) Well, yes, at this point to this Naruto, he has nothing left, so he would probably see business as his main priority. 4) Thanks!

Dragon and Sword Master: Thanks! And thank you for giving this story a shot! I sincerely hope you continue to enjoy it!

Now then, let's continue our story...

"Talking"
'Thinking'
"'Talking or thinking by the Kyuubi or berserk Naruto'"

-An Hour Later-

Still carrying Haku in his arms, Naruto continued to leap across the treetops, doing his best to prevent any possibility of the Konoha Shinobi catching up with the two of them. Quickly scanning throughout the entirety of the forest, Naruto leaped onto the ground, before gently laying the unconscious Haku on the ground. Checking up on Haku's condition for a bit, Naruto stood up once again, before leaping up into the air, grabbing onto his earlier sustained wound.

'Kurama...' Naruto mentally called out, 'Are you healing me?'

"I am, but it will take some time," Kurama replied, "The wounds you suffered before were bad enough, to begin with... Adding on to that would be that mad dash you did... The wounds you have are not easy ones to heal..."

'Just do your best,' Naruto thought, slashing at several branches before allowing them to fall to the ground, only to leap down before blocking Haku from the falling branch.

"Be careful, Naruto," Kurama advised, "You don't just have to look out for one person now..."

'Only for tonight, Kurama,' Naruto replied, placing the four branches into the shape of two crosses. 'I do not intend for this to be a permanent situation, all I promised to do was save her, not live with her permanently.'

"I see..." Kurama replied, "Someone once said the same thing about Akane..."

'I did,' Naruto admitted, placing a sturdy branch on the trenches of the two crosses, before beginning to lay several branches diagonally across the branch to form a roof. 'But I do not intend to repeat the same mistakes... I am a bringer of misfortune... Like it or not, my life is too dangerous for anyone to be a part of it.'

"Then... What will you do with her after tonight?" Kurama asked as Naruto placed leaves over the roof of the makeshift tent.

'I'll ask her about where she wants to go to,' Naruto began to say, picking Haku up before placing her into the tent, 'And I'll take her there... Or die trying.'

Naruto knelt before Haku, brushing a stray bit of her long, black hair out of her face before removing his cloak and covering her with it. Naruto exited the tent, before removing the remnants of his mask and placing them against a tree's trunk. Naruto turned towards the mask for a few moments, before extending his arm, flailing it forwards before a chain composed purely of chakra emerged from his sleeve, piercing through the broken mask and embedding itself deep within the trunk.

'What the...' Naruto thought, sensing his current action. 'How did I do that?!'

"That ability..." Kurama thought, remembering the time he had been bound in the same chains, "It's your clan's."

'I see...' Naruto thought, retracting the chain back into his sleeve, before placing a couple of logs into the shape of a fireplace. 'In that case... What will I do now?'

"That's your choice, didn't you say?" Kurama asked rhetorically, fading into Naruto's subconscious.

Naruto sighed, picking up a rock before slashing at it with Muramasa, only for him to cut the top parts of his finger. Frustrated, Naruto sheathed his blade, before picking up another rock, smashing it into the first rock, creating many sparks, sparks that lit the fireplace before him.

'Kurama...' Naruto began to ask, 'Could you... Help me sort this?'

"Getting careless are we?" Kurama mocked, as Naruto's wounds began to seal themselves.

'Not the time...' Naruto replied, 'Look, I've been meaning to apologize to you...'

"Oh?" Kurama asked, "That's new."

'Since you're thousands of years old... Could I ask you a question?' Naruto requested.

"Go ahead," Kurama replied.

'Ever since Akane died...' Naruto began to say, 'I just felt... Empty? That's the word... Why?'

"Look, Naruto," Kurama began to explain, "Behind that mask of yours, behind that exterior of yours that acts cold and calculating, lies the soul of someone who longs for connection the most... The soul of someone who's terrified of being alone!"

'How can I ever be alone if I have you?' Naruto asked.

"Shut up, and listen," Kurama ordered, "I know you, Naruto, I inhabit your subconscious... You take on all these dangerous missions, you take all this money that you don't need, you push everyone away who even comes close to offering you another chance at love... Because it reminds you of how big and empty that hole in your heart is! When... And only when you learn to accept someone else into your life, can you even attempt to fill that void."

'I see...' Naruto thought, 'Thank you, Kurama.'

"Anytime..." Kurama replied, fading back into Naruto's subconscious.

Naruto placed his head onto the ground, as raindrops began to fall around him, those same raindrops slowly growing into a heavy downpour.

'And of course it fucking rains...' Naruto thought, trying his best to fall asleep as the flames on the fireplace began to extinguish.

-The Next Day-

Haku gradually opened her eyes, being met with the sight of leaves above her head, as a raindrop fell on her forehead. Picking her upper body up to a ninety-degree angle, before looking downwards, noticing the presence of Naruto's cloak.

'Naruto!' Haku thought, bursting out of the tent, as the rain ceased.

Looking around, Haku eventually came across Naruto's destroyed mask, before walking upon the unconscious Naruto, whose hair and clothes had been thoroughly soaked by the rainwater that had fallen upon him. Walking towards the blond, Haku placed a hand on Naruto's face.

"Hello?" Haku asked, shaking Naruto slightly.

"Yes?" Naruto asked back, before standing up. "I'm awake..."

Without saying a further word, Haku trapped Naruto in a tight hug, a tear streaming down her face as she did. Not entirely knowing what to do in this situation, Naruto reluctantly returned the embrace, comforting Haku quite a bit.

"Zabuza-sama's gone..." Haku murmured, "What do I do now?"

"I don't know," Naruto replied, "Maybe let go of me? I need oxygen to breathe..."

"Fair enough," Haku acknowledged, letting go of Naruto.

"As for what you want to do..." Naruto began to say, "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know..." Haku admitted, "I've always just followed Zabuza-sama..."

"That obviously can't happen anymore, can it?" Naruto asked.

"Could I follow you?" Haku requested, surprising Naruto quite a bit, "Please? You're the only real connection, well, friend, that I have left..."

Naruto contemplated this for a moment, remembering what he had told Kurama yesterday.

"You do know that what I do... It isn't very nice," Naruto began to say, attempting to dissuade the ice-user, "It's not very safe either..."

"I can handle myself," Haku assured.

'It should be fine, right?' Naruto asked mentally, only to receive no answer from Kurama. "Alright, then... I'll allow it. Just do not call me by '-sama', got it?"

"How about '-Kun', then?" Haku asked.

"That..." Naruto began to say, remembering the last person who had ever addressed him by that suffix.

"No romantic subtext, obviously," Haku assured, causing Naruto to relax significantly.

"Fine, you can call me that," Naruto confirmed.

"Thank you, Naruto-Kun..." Haku muttered, passing Naruto's cloak back to the blond. "And thank you for lending me this..."

"And here I thought you'd be mad that it had holes in it," Naruto joked, placing the cloak over his back, "If that's the case... Let's go east."

"To Kiri?" Haku asked.

"Yes," Naruto replied, "To Kiri. Something is happening that we both can profit off of."

"A civil war is hardly something that should be profited from," Haku protested.

"Maybe not," Naruto replied, beginning to walk away, "But this world is hardly fair, to begin with."

-That Night-

"We should stop for the night, Naruto-Kun," Haku requested, to which Naruto relented.

"Alright then," Naruto replied, "We'll set up camp here."

Haku nodded before Naruto unsheathed Muramasa. Leaping into the air, Naruto slashed at the few branches he could find, which were few and far between. Ten minutes later, Naruto returned with four branches, before forming two crosses with them. Twenty minutes later, Naruto had successfully formed a tent from several branches and leaves, before Haku returned with several logs of wood.

"Wait... There's only one tent?" Haku asked.

"For whatever reason, there aren't many trees here..." Naruto began to say, "So I'll have to make do for now."

"Wait... What do you mean, 'you'?" Haku asked back.

Naruto nodded, as he lit the fireplace ablaze, "I... Don't want to make it too awkward between us... It was already awkward enough getting here... So you'll be sleeping in the tent, and I'll be sleeping against a tree somewhere."

"Then, what if I told you it wasn't awkward?" Haku asked once more.

"I'm sorry, but considering we've only known each other for less than a month, I just can't see us sleeping in such proximity to each other... And I've already made up my mind..." Naruto stated, walking off into the distance, as a raindrop sizzled upon contact with the fireplace, "... And of course it fucking rains!"

Haku watched on as Naruto walked into a large opening within the forest they were in, facing himself a branchless tree. Without further hesitation, Naruto bowed towards the tree, before two chakra chains exited his sleeves.

'What the...' Haku thought, observing the blond.

As if he had been provoked, Naruto began to viciously attack the tree, launching the right chain into the tree's trunk while flailing the second chain against the tree, breaking off a large chunk of the tree, a chunk that would be shattered into pieces before making contact with the ground. Haku got up from her seated position, walking out of the tent into the heavy rain towards Naruto.

"Is anything the matter?" Naruto asked.

"What... What are you doing, exactly?" Haku asked, before immediately rephrasing her question, "That's the wrong question to ask... What's your purpose for doing this? What did the tree do to you? Are you venting?"

"Perhaps," Naruto replied, retracting the chains before unsheathing Muramasa, its blade glowing in all its blue glory.

"Why do it to a tree?" Haku asked as Naruto slashed away at a tree, "Wouldn't talking to someone be easier?"

"It would be more practical," Naruto admitted, "But this is faster, and it's more effective. Emotions are a fickle thing, a small amount of emotion could help you fight better, it could give you that edge you needed in a fight... But have too much emotion, and it can be taken advantage of... And your emotions being exploited easily lead to fear, fear leads to hate... And hate leads to suffering."

"I think that's not true," Haku replied, as Naruto hacked off a chunk of the trunk, "I believe that it is our connections to others that make us strong... I believe that when people are protecting something or someone who is truly precious to them... Only then can they become as strong as they were always meant to be. Can you even understand what I'm saying? Could you even comprehend what the meaning of it all is? Could you even... Imagine how painful it would be... To not have a dream... To not be needed by anyone else... Merely living with the pain of being alive..."

"I had dreams..." Naruto stated, not turning away from the tree, "But those dreams have been crushed long ago."

"Only those who are truly lost believe in such absolutes," Haku started, causing Naruto to turn around.

"Lost?" Naruto began to say, "Are you implying that I cannot love anyone?!"

"Naruto, please, calm-" Haku attempted to say, only to be cut off.

"Believe me, I have loved before, and look how that turned out!" Naruto yelled, "What point is there to continue to give in to my emotions and love anything anymore?! To feel that same pain again?! To suffer like that again... I would rather feel the pain of a million battles, and feel the pain of dying thousand times over than to feel the pain of that suffering again... Rather than feel..."

Naruto began to tear up, falling to his knees as he plunged Muramasa into the ground.

"I'd rather give up this life bestowed to me..." Naruto began to say through his tears, remembering all he had been through up to this point in his life. "Rather than lose someone like that again."

"Look, Naruto," Haku began to say, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean it."

"It's fine, Haku," Naruto assured, standing back up, "For what it's worth, I should be the one apologizing."

"It's not your fault..." Haku assured, "Anyways, you shouldn't stay out here too long, you might catch a nasty cold."

As Haku walked back into her tent, Naruto turned back towards the tree, as he raised Muramasa.

"It's not your fault, Naruto," Kurama assured, "Stop blaming yourself for things you cannot control. There is no point for you to subject yourself to this needless punishment, especially if you did nothing wrong. And she's right, you're standing in the rain."

-The Next Morning-

With the downpour reduced to a mere drizzle, Haku stumbled out of the tent, pushing Naruto's cloak off of her.

'That's his cloak...' Haku thought, 'Where is Naruto? Is he...'

With the fire already long extinguished, Haku walked around the forest, her main goal being the opening Naruto had been in. Before long, she came across the sleeping Naruto, his clothes as well as the cloth tied around his eyes being thoroughly soaked by the rainwater. Walking up to the blond, Haku knelt, reaching out her hand, intending to untie the cloth around Naruto's eyes.

'Actually,' Haku thought, withdrawing her hand, 'I shouldn't be doing this... It's private and all...'

Haku placed a hand on Naruto's face, before shaking the blond, attempting to wake Naruto up.

"Yes?" Naruto croaked up, before sitting up-right, "Anything the matter?"

"It's morning," Haku replied, "You didn't get a cold, did you?"

"Probably not," Naruto replied, "Hey, I wanted to apologize... I didn't mean to... Hurt you, yesterday, you remember? When we were arguing?"

"It's nothing," Haku assured, "It was never your fault, to begin with... But thank you for the thought."

"We should probably get moving," Naruto stated.

Haku nodded, before retrieving Naruto's cloak from their makeshift campsite.

-That Evening-

"So I have to ask," Naruto began to say, breaking the long silence between himself and Haku, "Where are we?"

"Seems like..." Haku began to say, checking the terrain around her, "I have no idea where we are."

"We'll just have to set up camp here..." Naruto determined, before standing up once again, "Actually, I sense a civilization!"

"What?" Haku asked.

"Just keep heading east," Naruto replied, "That should be where it is."

Still unsure regarding the accuracy of Naruto's statement, Haku hesitated for a few seconds, before following behind Naruto regardless, realizing that she was currently in the middle of nowhere and that dusk was falling rapidly. To her complete amazement, the two came upon a large village, one which Naruto presumed held many civilians, due to the trend of each inhabitant having low chakra reserves.

"Well then... Seems like I was right, wasn't I?" Naruto asked.

"By some miracle... Yes, you were," Haku replied, walking up to the guard that was on duty, "Could we speak with the leader of your village?"

"That's not possible at the moment," The guard replied, "Celebrations for the Rinne Festival are underway, and I'm afraid that our great leader is rather occupied at the moment..."

"What do we do now?" Haku whispered.

"Ask if we could join the celebrations," Naruto replied.

"Are we allowed to join the celebrations?" Haku asked.

"Unorthodox, but..." The guard began to say, "Are you two shinobi, by any chance?"

"We are not," Naruto replied, "I'm blind, and she's a pacifist, neither of us would make good shinobi."

"We don't usually allow this... But you two shouldn't cause much trouble here, so..." The guard began to say, "Welcome to the Land of Tea, I hope you enjoy your stay."

Haku and Naruto nodded, before walking into the bustling village.

"We don't need to be here for long..." Naruto stated, "We just need to find the docks..."

"We should probably ask around..." Haku replied, "Actually, it would help if we blended in, first."

"What?" Naruto asked in confusion.

Haku sighed, before dragging Naruto into a clothing store.

-Half An Hour Later-

"Wow," Haku muttered, a small blush present on her face as she laid eyes on Naruto, "I never thought you would look so good in a kimono..."

"I've never worn one before..." Naruto replied, "I'm sure you look great in yours too."

Haku sighed, a blush still on her face. Naruto placed a stack of Ryo on the counter, before leaving the store with Haku.

'I wonder...' Haku began to think, considering how she was walking next to Naruto, 'Since neither of us has been here before... And that we're walking so close together, and are dressed completely identically... Would anyone see us and think of us as a couple?'

Haku turned to Naruto, whose blade had vanished.

"Where did..." Haku began to say, as Naruto held up a hand-held fan.

"Right here," Naruto replied, hinting that he had transformed Muramasa into a fan.

"Forgot that you could use chakra..." Haku admitted.

"I kinda used chakra to save you..." Naruto replied.

'Damn it, way to go, Haku,' Haku internally berated herself, 'Way to make it awkward again.'

Author's Notes 2: And here's the end of the first part of this small arc! If none of you could've told from this chapter, there are a few lessons that Naruto will be learning in this chapter, and most of you will know how it will culminate. And yes, I will be focusing mostly on this story for the time being, up until I finish up this arc.

Well then, feel free to tell me what you guys think of this chapter in the reviews below, I'm really curious regarding your feedback.