AN: the AU kicks in in this chapter. All changes are intended.

Naruto awoke feeling drained but light, tired but refreshed. His features were strained from a rocky sleep, dark rings circling his eyes and yet he had a spring in his step and a light smile on. He was not good at unravelling contradictions so simply accepted it, letting it wash over him and found that the sum was somehow positive. It was a strange sensation but it seemed to him as if sleep had expunged from him a great sickness, a terrible malady that had invaded every inch of his body. He felt as if, for his entire life, he had been filled with black, viscous tar and the substance had finally been cleared from his flesh. His sentiments were clear, his chest free, his guts unwinded and his skin enjoyed the briny breeze of the ocean and the lukewarm caress of the sun spilling from the window of his cabin.

He mourned the death of Tazuna. He had known, as soon as he had decided to kill him in order to demonstrate to Zabuza and Haku his willingness to follow them, that the old man's demise would be something he would loath himself for forever. His heart went out to Inari and Tsunami, saddened that there had been no other way that he could see. He refused to call it justified or to alleviate any of what he was feeling. He refused to tell himself the fact Gato was dead somehow evened out some kind of balance. Gato deserved death, Tazuna did not. No, Naruto was going to endure the disgust he felt for himself because at least, the act was solely his. Back in Konohagakure, choices had been forced upon him; if the price of freedom was to shoulder one's decisions, Naruto would bear the guilt brought by his deed. He would endure the nightmares, as he had during the night. He would never forget Tazuna, carving his memory in his heart. It was little, probably insufficient but it would have to do.

As he entered the common room, he was welcomed by a soft yet firm greeting.

"Naruto-kun, good morning."

Naruto smiled. It was an easy, soft grin but it lit up his entire visage like the first glimmers of dawn illuminate the world. He sat on a chair next to the older teen, who was reading a book. "Hello, Haku-chan!"

"How are you?"

Naruto hummed, his gaze losing itself against the ceiling. "Sad. But, like… Happy." He grinned, scratching his head awkwardly. "I know, it don't make sense."

"Do you regret your decision?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, 'cause I'm glad I'm here. But yes, 'cause Tazuna shouldn't have paid the price for me to get out." He pointed a thumb at his heart, his features settling in a picture of seriousness. "I'll never forget what I owe him. It's not a lot but it's all I can do."

"I see. Zabuza-sama informed me that we are going home."

"Home?" Naruto looked at Haku with a puzzled expression. "I thought you guys… I mean, we…"

"He meant Kirigakure, in Mizunokuni. That is the country we come from. It is currently embroiled in a civil war and Zabuza-sama wishes to fight in order to end it."

"Oh." Naruto blinked. He was not sure what a war entailed, much less a civil war but it sounded like an unpleasant business. War was a heavy word, it weighed on the tongue, on the mind and on the heart. "Are we… are we going to fight in it?"

"If you wish to accompany us, yes."

Naruto nodded eagerly, a spark of fear shadowing the azure of his eyes. "S-Sure! Of course, I'm gonna fight!"

"A tool ought to be sharp. Zabuza-sama told me to train you so that you can be of use."

"Say, Haku," asked the blond shyly, his gaze fluttered from the older teen's visage to the table. "Why… why do you say you're a tool? That's not… that's not very nice, 'ttebayo."

"I don't mean it as an insult, Naruto-kun. I'm Zabuza-sama's tool. I serve him. Because he accepted me when no one would and made me who I am, I serve him and his dream. I'm proud to do so."

"But… but don't you want a dream for yourself?"

"I have a dream, Naruto-kun. It's to see Zabuza-sama's ambitions realized. He is my saviour and my master. You told me you wanted to make me your precious person, well Zabuza-sama is my precious person, Naruto-kun and I want to protect him. It is enough for me."

Naruto shuffled in his seat. "If… if I make you my precious person, Haku, won't I be yours?" He raised his head hurriedly, his eyes darkened by panic. "I mean, right after Zabuza, of course!"

The brunette grimaced. When he spoke, his voice held a soft plea, for forgiveness and understanding. "I told you, Naruto-kun, I'm but a tool. I'm not someone-"

Naruto impulsively seized Haku's hand. The brunette was not a tool, Naruto was certain of that. He was too nice, too soft and nothing like the hard, harmful angles of a kunai. He did not know yet how he could convince him otherwise so he did not mention it.

"But… but I said it, right?!" He protested instead. "That we'd be tools together! That's okay, right?! And we'll make sure Zabuza's dream comes true! We'll build a home for all three of us!" He exclaimed.

Let us be demons together, Naruto begged silently, looking at his companion with imploring eyes. Let there be no secret between us. Let us be friends. Haku met Naruto's gaze, azure and ink merging, and saw the blond's intent clearly. He felt his heart tear at the devouring loneliness, the crippling fear he recognized in Naruto's eyes. He owed his existence to Zabuza but here was someone with whom he could commiserate. A boy his age who wanted nothing more than to be wanted by him and ready to want him in return.

It felt like a betrayal of his master to hold anyone else in his heart. Was it? A corner of his mind whispered that Naruto was just another monster who sought asylum. Haku thought about Zabuza's dream. A home. A place where monsters like them would be allowed to exist. Somewhere where the people in their heart would be safe. He smiled. His existence would always be conditional to Zabuza's but it did not keep him from owning it to more people.

"I see. I believe I would like that, Naruto-kun. For Zabuza-sama, let us be the best pair of swords there is. Together."

Naruto felt his throat tighten to such a degree, he could not utter a word. It was such an outlandish way to phrase it, so abnormal but then again, he did not know or do normal. All Naruto cared for was the promise he saw in Haku's smile. His blue eyes shone with unshed tears and he blinked quickly to keep them from spilling.

"It's a promise," he whispered, his voice quivering.

"Well then, Naruto-kun, would you like something to eat? You must be famished. Then, we'll begin your training."

The blond nodded once again, bopping his head up and down as if his life depended on it, too much emotion choking him for speech to be possible.

After a quick but filling breakfast, Naruto followed Haku on the bridge; they leaned against the bow of the ship, careful not to disturb the few sailors at work. The two boys enjoyed the salty air tousling their hair, the sun shining high in the blue skies over the vast expanse of a sea of green heating their skin and the occasional wisp of surf splashing their face. Naruto discovered that he was not sea-sick; rather, he enjoyed the rocking of the boat and the brand new sensations brought on by the ocean. The blond laughed, savouring the sights, the smells, the sounds. The freedom. Eventually, Haku patted his shoulder and gestured at the bridge. The two boys sat down.

"We'll begin with a little theory." Haku smiled. "Not too much, because I can tell it'll be boring to you. If you don't understand anything, Naruto-kun, I'd like you to ask. I don't want you to hesitate: I prefer to repeat until I'm blue in the face rather than you not understanding. You got that?"

"Yes! Thanks, Haku! I'll ask everything I don't get, it's a promise!"

"Good. Now, combat is divided into three notions. Controlling yourself, controlling your opponent and controlling your environment. I say "control" but there are other ways to say it. You've heard "know yourself, know your opponent, know where you do battle and you will suffer no defeat" maybe?"

Naruto nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on his face, his tongue peeking out of his pinched lips, apparently trying to remember something. "I think I heard it in the Academy, a long time ago." He grimaced. "I don't really get it."

"Because it's easy to say but much less to put in practice. If you know yourself, you know where your strengths lie, where your weaknesses lie, so it means you can defend where you are weak and attack where you are strong. Does it make sense to you?"

"Yes!"

"Good. If you know your opponent, then you can target his weaknesses and prepare for his strengths. It will give you a high chance of winning if you know what your enemies can do."

"Yeah, I get that. That's logic."

"For the environment, it is the same. If you know your environment, you will be able to use it to lay traps, guide your opponent where you want him and kill or capture him."

"Oh, I see! You're so good at explaining things, Haku!"

Haku shook his head, a light smile on his lips. "I'm not, the concept is easy to put into words. It's very difficult to put into practice. Can you imagine why, Naruto-kun?"

The blond frowned, his face scrunched in reflection. "I guess it must be super difficult to know who you fight. I mean, except if you're Zabuza or Kakashi-sen-. Hatake. Then… wait, how did they even know each other?"

"Powerful shinobi are often listed in what we call bingo books. Each hidden village has a bingo book, where they put every information they have on enemy shinobi. Anyway, your answer was good. Most of the time, you will have no intelligence on your enemy and-"

"Intelligence?"

"Ha. It's another way to say information."

"So it's not like… I'm dumb, you're intelligent? Okay, I see. Sorry, please continue."

"It is no problem. As I was saying, most of the time, you will not know your enemy's strengths and weaknesses. So you will have to discover or deduce them."

"Deduce?"

"If you fight a shinobi, then, depending on the village he comes from, you can make a few guesses as to how he will fight. Those guesses are not always accurate. For example, a lot of shinobi from Tsuchinokuni uses doton but not all of them."

"Oh. So that's why Iruka-sen… the Academy was always nagging us about interregional customs."

Naruto frowned. He had skipped so many classes, had not paid attention to so many lessons. How much crucial knowledge had he disregarded in his continued and futile campaign for attention? Suddenly, he felt shame and anger mixed creep up his neck and face. Here and there, he resolved to be the best possible student for Haku to teach. He would never disappoint the older teen - his friend - and learn all that he had to learn.

"Knowing about your environment is also difficult. Sometimes, you know where your target is and where it will go and so you can prepare an ambush-"

"Like you did!"

"Yes. Like we did. Sometimes, you have no such intelligence. Sometimes you are sent on a time-sensitive mission and you must progress almost blindly."

Naruto shuddered. "That… doesn't sound super good."

"No. It isn't," confirmed Haku. "That is why you should always try to gather as much information as you can on your enemy and on the environment where you will fight him."

"That's called spying! I know that!"

"Indeed. That is the reason why stealth is one of the main weapons of a shinobi."

"I thought it was the kunai?"

Haku shook his head. "The kunai is a tool. It can be replaced by another kunai. Or by a senbon or a tanto, for the same result. Stealth is a strategy. A way of thinking. A way to approach a mission. It can't be replaced."

"I see, I see! It's like when I pranked Konoha!"

"You.. pranked Konoha?"

"Yeah, I was always super careful to not be seen then I'd pull a prank! Did you know I painted Mount Hokage?! It's a huge mountain with the faces of all the Hokage and I painted it in broad daylight, without being caught," cackled the blond. His visage abruptly closed off as his eyes radiated bitterness. "Everyone was so mad. Heh. Screw'em."

"That is impressive."

Naruto immediately brightened, his bout of brooding forgotten. He bounced on his behind, the azure of his eyes burning with an eager spark. "You… you really think so?"

Haku nodded calmly. "Yes. I think painting an obviously important monument during the day without getting caught is impressive. Don't you think it is?"

The blond boy looked askance, his energy leaving him. "I dunno," he said with a pout warping his features. "I thought it was pretty awesome but everyone told me I was stupid."

"Well… it is an important landmark, right?"

"Landmar- yes."

"A landmark is a place that can be seen from far away. More generally, it's an important or remarkable place. If this Mount Hokage is important, then it's no surprise they were mad. Though, they should have simply protected it better."

"That's right! Serve them right to be so bad!" Naruto chuckled happily before he blushed. "Thanks, by the way. I… I don't read well." He glared at the deck. "They never bothered to teach me at the orphanage."

"I will teach you!" Haku exclaimed immediately, his heart clenching at the bitterness and the sorrow in the blond's voice. "Books are great once you know how to read them!"

"For real?!" Naruto asked, enthused at the idea for a second before eyeing Haku suspiciously. "Are you sure about books, though? They're always so dull."

Haku nodded resolutely. "I'm sure you found them boring because you could not read well. I had the same problem but Zabuza-sama taught me. I read every time I can ever since. Books are so interesting!"

"Okay," Naruto said as if he had just been asked to eat something he knew for a fact he disliked but cooked in a novel way. "I'll do my best."

"That is all I ask. You will see. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, stealth. Stealth is the first weapon of a shinobi. It is an entire mindset. A way to think, a way to behave, a way to walk, a way to attack and so on and so on. Can you guess what is the second weapon of a shinobi, Naruto-kun?"

The blond considered the question for a long minute. If a kunai was simply a tool, and a tool could easily be replaced by another - he frowned at the thought: was that what Haku meant? Naruto would not accept it. No one would ever replace Haku - then jutsu, no matter how flashy, were tools too. The idea was a bit depressing but no matter how much Naruto wanted it to be the answer, he had sworn he would actually try to study. Ultimately, his logic was telling him that a water jutsu could replace another water jutsu.

"Speed," he answered eventually.

"Why do you think so?"

"'Cause you're super fast. Zabuza is too. Hatake is. But it's more about… how fast you can be and for how long you can be fast."

"Good answer. Also, how precise can you be while going fast is extremely important. If you possess high speed but none of your strikes land because your aim is off, you'll be useless."

Naruto nodded, eager. "I get it! I totally get it!" He laughed. "So, how do we train for that?"

"Calm down, Naruto-kun. Just one last thing and I'll show you some exercises. What is a shinobi's last weapon?"

It took another minute for Naruto to reach an answer. He snapped his fingers. "Chakra!"

"Yes. Remember, Naruto-kun, that most of what we can do, we can do even better if we use chakra. Now, let's start training."

Over the week of travel that followed, the two boys easily fell into a routine. Haku instructed Naruto from (almost) dawn to dusk and Zabuza stayed clear of the pair. The blond was driven hard by his chaperone but endured everything the brunette threw at him without a flinch. He was grateful for the pace, as it helped him focus on something that was not Tazuna. His nights were sufficiently shortened and troubled by the dead man.

During mornings, Haku made the younger boy run through physical exercises to better his conditioning, the restricted space on deck amply sufficient for what the older brunette put Naruto through. After each lunch, until the late afternoon, they worked on the blond's disastrous chakra control. It was something Naruto dreaded but Haku proved to be a well of apparently infinite patience, providing a word of encouragement every time the blond lapsed. It only strengthened Naruto's resolve to study. Silently, the blond vowed he would surpass his teacher's level of chakra control to make him proud, which led him to stay awake late in the night for further training.

In the evening, before and after dinner, Haku taught Naruto how to read, how to better write and how to do mathematics. In spite of his growing headache, Naruto learned quickly, marvelling at how easy it was when he had someone to guide him and cursing those in Konohagakure who had sabotaged him by barely teaching him those essential skills.

The pair, despite being quite busy, found the time to simply talk. Haku shared his love for plants and Naruto talked about ramen. The older teen was extremely proud of a herbarium that he had crafted himself, showing it to Naruto every occasion he had, the blond boy marvelling at the meticulous care that had been put in the book and showing great interest in the properties of herbs. The younger of the two repeatedly tried to cook ramen, his attempts systematically ending in failure but showing net progress, at least according to Haku.

When the boat reached her destination, Naruto could fluently read, write with a steady hand and properly solve any operation. His chakra control was leagues above what it had been (which was not difficult), his kenpo sharper than before and his body leaner than ever.

The port of Donmachi was a large coastal city located at the tip of the Daicha peninsula. It was a place of great importance, locking the traffic between Nagishima further to the south, Mizunokuni to the east and the Nekowan and Hinokuni to the west. The city was large, built over several levels that climbed up a hill overlooking a small, natural bay. The apparent chaos reminded Naruto of Konohagakure except that the overall look of the city was as different as the moon and the sun.

Here, the architecture unanimously favoured bright red bricks over the more varied timber, shingles, tsuchikabe and steel-reinforced concrete Naruto was used to. The facades were straight and regular; there was no curve, no fancy, no weirdness of any kind. The roofs were a lot less crazy than in Konohagakure. In Donmachi, they were all the same shape and colour, save for one or two temples that Naruto could see from afar. Finally, the young blond found that there was an obvious and distinct lack of tree. One thing Naruto liked about Konohagakure was the abundance of vegetation; the hidden village had been built with the forest, not in the middle of it and, as a result, bore a peculiar atmosphere.

The lack of the countless red and golden flags and banners emblazoned with the "Fire" kanji, though, was welcome. It had always felt overbearing, to be reminded so constantly of the Will of Fire when he was left out in the cold.

The harbour city was overall a lot larger and a lot busier than Konohagakure had ever been. The bay itself was encumbered with countless boats of various sizes, their chimney or rigging either vomiting angry smoke or creaking ominously. Each time two vessels would sail a tad bit too close, their crew would hurl a copious amount of insult at one another through their masks. One massive black boat with a dangerous-looking profile, seemingly all made of steel and topped by one lone chimney - a dreadnought, or so Haku called it - was anchored in the offing, flying the Ochanokuni flag.

According to Ito, an old sailor with whom Naruto had talked intermittently, the military vessel was exclusively powered by natural gas, as opposed to chakra coal, the propellant their little boat used. The pitch-black ore was a naturally occurring mineral, much like chakra wood or chakra steel and had the interesting property of burning hot and bright for a long time. It made the material an ideal fuel to power a boiler at a low cost. The fumes it released while burning, however, were toxic if not neutralized and when a chunk of chakra coal was lit, it could not be extinguished, no matter what; it was the reason why every sailor on a boat bearing a chimney wore a mask. As a result, burning chakra coal required a tightly sealed furnace and expansive filters, both of which, on a boat, was de facto compromised by the briny environment. A gas engine had different drawbacks, the major one being the heightened risk of explosion, but developed a higher horsepower. It was also quite expensive because the technology was new.

The pride - the arrogance, even - with which Ito explained everything told Naruto the man was from Ochanokuni with more certainty than if the sailor had told him himself. Still, the blond found it quite amazing. He had never asked himself anything about boats and he was discovering the maritime world to be quite the fascinating one.

The Ochaco docked right before noon, at one of the innumerable pontoons that jutted out of the seafront like countless floating tongues of wood in the wide berth of the bay. Naruto obediently followed Zabuza and Haku, sticking close to his companions so as not to lose them in the bustling crowd that whirled slowly in the port. From dockers grunting under the load of every kind of imaginable crates, bundles and barrels, to hollering sailors impatiently making their way to the nearest tavern or whorehouse, stoic scribes doing the accounting, fishermen selling their catch and lost travellers seeking a way out of the chaos, it would have been easy for the trio to be separated but Naruto successfully stayed behind Haku until they reached an unremarkable pub.

The den was small, smelled of spilt beer and greasy smoke and crowded by an assembly of sinister patrons; muscular, scarred men tattooed from head to toe that made Naruto feel like a rabbit who had just wandered inside the fox' den. Zabuza was completely unphased and Haku sported a curious smile, a small, crooked arching of his lips that froze Naruto's blood. The atmosphere further tensed, in stages, when, one by one, the clients noticed what exactly Zabuza was. The tall nuke-nin ignored the lead-heavy air and leaned against the counter before he eyed the barman with a deadpan stare.

"I want to talk to Ichuzii."

The man behind the counter, who had been pulling a foot-long face, outright scowled. "Who?"

"Tell him the Kiri no Kijin is here."

"I'm telling you, I've no clue who Ichu-"

The man was suddenly interrupted by Zabuza's hand tightening around his throat.

"I'm not ever in the mood so you're going to hop to it, my man."

"That's okay, Zabuza."

The nuke-nin released the barman, who coughed, massaging his painful neck, and turned towards the corner from whence the voice had originated. A man, lanky, with messy black hair and a laid back expression on his face, emerged from a shadowed boot. He was dressed unremarkably, in dull, grey clothes.

"Don't kill my men, you cretin."

"I'll kill you if you insult me again."

"Sure, sure. Who are those ducklings behind you?"

"My men."

"Your men?"

"You've got a problem with that?"

"I never took you for the fatherly type."

"Say that again and you'll find out what it's like to be one head shorter."

The man raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Fine. Fine. Come with me."

Without another word, Ichuzii turned on his heels and walked towards a backdoor, not bothering to check whether the trio was after him or not. Zabuza motioned sharply for Haku and Nauto to follow. The trio entered a much smaller, much darker room. In the middle throned a single circular table and four chairs.

"For poker," explained Ichuzii as he took a seat, immediately balancing himself on the two back legs.

"What's poker?"

At the glare he received from Zabuza, Naruto understood he should have kept his mouth shut, as he had been so successful in doing until now. Haku offered him an indulgent smile.

"Ohohoh, you're interested, little duckling?"

"No, he isn't," cut Zabuza. "Ichuzii, five minutes of seriousness so I don't lose my patience and help you lose weight. How about it?"

"They should call you the constipated demon of the mist. Relax, Zabuza-san. You're in Donmachi port, it's as neutral as you'll get."

"I don't want neutral, I want to go back."

Ichuzii blinked. Mirth abruptly bled from his features, leaving behind only a marmorean visage. He sat straight.

"You have the money?"

"I have thrice what I needed to find."

Ichuzii choked. "T-Thrice?! Who the hell did you even… whatever. It's not important. You have it on you?"

"Yes."

"Good. You'll keep two thirds and continue on towards Nagishima. I'll launder the intended amount and buy the rations and the clothes."

"What's the situation?"

Ichuzii sighed. "Well… the entire archipelago is in ruins, people are dying from hunger and diseases and there are more and more warlords popping up left and right, trying to get a piece of the cake. But we are holding. Fuck Suijin and the Sage, we're holding."

"No, fuck Tenka-sama."

"Yeah. And fuck his dog Yagura." Ichuzii chuckled. "Three hundred grand. I can't believe it. That'll allow us to be on the offensive.

"Right. Now, I need to go to Nagishima but it needs to be a magic box. You think you can get that ready for me? I need to do some shopping."

"A magic box?" Ichuzii stole a glance at Naruto and Haku, one eyebrow raised. "Sure. Stay low and come back in three days."

"Good. See you, Ichuzii."

"Wait!" The man's features morphed back to their laid back expression. "At least, stay for a drink."

Zabuza growled. "Fine. Haku, take Naruto and get him out of his orange clothes. He will only get himself killed, wearing this monstrosity. Find me back here."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama."

Naruto hurriedly followed Haku, an indignant look on his face but wise enough to not test Zabuza's patience regarding his clothes. His orange get-up had accompanied him for a long time so it felt weird to part way. He honestly liked the colour. Then again, it was also a symbol of an outdated mindset, one he did not wish or need to entertain anymore. What's more, after Haku's lessons, he could admit that they were not ideal for stealth. He thought about what he would like to wear as he trailed behind his older friend. Blue would do nicely, he eventually decided.

The shopping trip was entirely unremarkable. Haku casually broke the arm of a man - who insisted the brunette should give him fellatio for a few ryos - asked a few questions to some passing women, slalomed through the streets of Donmachi and eventually led Naruto inside a quiet shop. There, the two boys found a pair of anthracite pants, blue gaiters to tap the trousers around his calves and a blue kimono top for Naruto to wear over his black shirt. A blue bandana to cover the boy's blond hair was added after a second of reflection. With a wink, Haku also paid for a large scarf that teetered between saffron and rust.

Naruto thanked his older companion with a wobbly but thankful smile and a tight hug. Haku stiffened in the embrace at first but soon returned it with a smile of his own. When the blond tied the scarf around his waist to fasten his kimono, he was giving Haku the brightest smile the brunette had ever seen. When all was said and paid for, it was much less painful for Naruto to drop his old outfit in a bin.

The only thing the boy kept was the white swirl that had been sewed on his right shoulder. Naruto was not sure why but it felt important. After all, his name was Uzumaki. Maybe he could make the spiral his insignia? It seemed to fit.

AN: I purposefully was not overly explicit with Naruto's plight regarding Tazuna. Some will say I swept it under the rug, others would have complained had I done the opposite. There are hints that the boy is dealing with what he has done but they are in the background.

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