Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and gang. Just playin' with 'em ;P. Any OCs you see in the story are mine.
Review Replies:
Wake-Robin: Thanks :D
Samurai Demon-God Sekikage: Don't worry, he won't be innocent. No one can with a murder attempt on your life anyway :P He'll still be a loudmouth at times, but not as much as before.
Kittfox: lol, I think I made him too awesome :P Everyone wants to see him :P
xxSNOWxxDROPxx: ok, I believe anonymous reviews are allow now
Firehedgehog: ok
kd8gun: Haha, same here :P Threesome? Maybe, we'll see ;) anyway, Naruto won't be going back to konoha now, he still has many things to learn.
flare2: I try! Thanks for reading.
Dajare: haha, I'll try to let the Awesome One in later :P
Zhuyou: Agreed!
Dragon Man 180: yupyup! Haku rocks!
Notes: Sorry for the long delay. It'll take longer these days, because I have some stupid exams next week (yeah, on the first week school starts t.t) so the next chapter may take longer to be updated. :. Sorry. BTW, anonymous reviews are allowed now! Anyway, Happy New Year! Enjoy the story!
Dedicated to the people involved in the tsunamis/earthquake that hit Asia.
Chapter Six: Blood of the mist, Love in the lake.
Naruto smiled sadly at the raven-haired girl as he looked at her peaceful form curled up in a mass of blankets. The moonlight bathed her porcelain skin in soft, accented strokes, highlighting her in an enchanting glow.
The blond leaned back against the dry bark of a tree, watching the clouds drifted aimlessly past the pale eye.
They had been travelling for about four days. Three days of them laughing cheerfully as Naruto taught Haku the basics of chakra.
The girl had seemed to overcome the stigma in her past as she grinned widely while climbing trees.
He marvelled at how she seemed to shrug off the bloodied terrors that had haunted her so.
Yet, he was horribly wrong.
He had gone to find some food for them. After snaring several rabbits, he hurried back to the clearing, only to find the girl gone exploring. . .
Naruto followed the girl's clear footprints, jumping from tree to tree before bursting out from a slightly parted bush to find Haku rooted in a spot.
"Haku-chan?"
The girl gave no response. She just stood there, her eyes wide open. The blond followed her frozen gaze, only to see a house covered in dirt and leaves. The front door was smashed open. A strange putrid stench drifted from the desolate building, giving Naruto a sudden feeling of dread.
"Haku-chan? What's wrong?"
The girl screamed.
The furious flapping of wings broke the evening peace as Haku started running. The blond dropped the rabbits and gave chase, but not before his Kyuubi-enhanced sight saw it.
A motionless body lay on the wooden floor. Blood was smeared over the decomposing man --- no, blood was splashed everywhere, like a madman playing with red paint. His neck was gone, ripped to tattered pieces. The wooden floorboard around him was peppered with a thousands holes, thin and minute, as if needles had pierced their surface.
This was Haku's old home.
"Haku-chan!"
The girl ignored him, running blindly into the forest. The blond frowned slightly, before adding more chakra onto his feet. Although the metal-condition-suit by Iikagen was still on him, Naruto easily caught up with Haku.
"Haku, its alright, its alright," he reassuringly whispered into her ear as he hugged her lithe body tightly.
She cried hoarsely, madly twisting her body and weakly scratching Naruto's arms as she tried to free herself. Then her body slumped in defeat before she broke down sobbing again.
The blond slowly lowered the girl to a tree, gently removing his arms as he set her leaning against the tree.
When his arms inched away, Haku's arms jerked up and grabbed them, pulling them back to her.
"I'm so c-cold Narashi."
Naruto slowly embraced her again. He whipped his chakra around her body, willing warmth to her fragile soul.
Her sobs gradually became softer.
The rustle of leaves soon filled an awkward silence.
"You. . .you must think I'm just a cry-baby right?"
"N---"
"When I saw my house. . .all the memories came crashing into me. . .I just couldn't help it," trembled Haku as she closed her eyes, trying to shut the memories out.
"Shhhh," comforted Naruto. "We all have fears. . .it's ok. . ."
"No!" hissed Haku vehemently. "It is not ok! I told myself to never cry, yet now. . ."
"Sometimes Haku-chan, we can't do things on our first try. If we fail, we just gotta try again, try until we succeed."
"I. . .I just don't want to be weak."
"Haku-chan, you are not weak!" shushed Naruto firmly. "You are strong, and will become stronger in the future!"
Naruto tentatively and lightly kissed the girl on the cheek.
"You are the strongest girl I've seen. You will beat your past --- I'll make sure of that."
The girl clutched the blond's arms closely. A loose tear rolled down her faintly blushing cheek.
"Arigatou. . .Narashi-kun," she murmured, before falling asleep.
Was it attraction? Was it lust? Was it. . .love?
Naruto did not know. He did not know why he kissed her, or why he wanted to help her overcome her past.
GOT THAT RIGHT, KID. YOU CAN'T EVEN FACE YOUR OWN TERRORS AND NOW YOU GO AROUND GIVING FALSE HOPE TO PEOPLE?
Quiet fox!
HAH! ADMIT IT, YOU CAN'T HELP HER. YOU CAN'T EVEN HELP YOURSELF!
I gave a promise. . .I will keep it.
WE'LL SEE, BRAT.
Naruto stared back at the moon, wishing he could believe it was as simple as he made the promise out to be.
---
The sun stubbornly forced its way into Haku's eyes. The glaring light pricked her senses, jarring her awake.
"Ugh. . ."
Haku rubbed her eyes sleepily, before shrugging out of the blankets. Smoothing her hair down, she noticed Naruto beside her, leant against a tree asleep.
She looked down immediately, ashamed and disgusted at herself for acting like that. Haku berated herself, wondering how she ever believed that she could beat her past. She was pathetic!
Yet, the blond beside her had absolute faith in her. He believed in her. . .
. . .like her mother did.
Haku glanced at the boy, smiling slightly. A tinge of redness blessed her cheeks as the girl remembered the light brush of Naruto's lips upon her face last night.
The girl stood up, carefully draping the blankets over the slumbering blond. Her mouth was set in a firm line as she started walking towards her ancestral home.
---
"Eh?" murmured Naruto. He blinked, before wincing as sunlight jabbed his eyes painfully.
Then the blond jerked himself into reality as he realized that his companion wasn't beside him.
"Haku-chan?"
Fear spread through his veins. Naruto quickly flung the blankets away and leapt to the trees.
Branches snapped as chakra burst through their wooden arms. Trees cringed as bark and chips of wood were forcibly ripped from the trunks.
Kyuubi grunted as he felt a cold anxiety spread through his vessel. Rolling his eyes, the fox spirit tried to ignore the pressing worry and went back to sleep.
I WONDER NARUTO, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO REALISE THAT YOUR HEART CANNOT BE SEALED FOREVER. YOU ARE ALREADY IN LOVE, AND YOU CAN'T STOP IT.
The blond, already panicking slightly, did not hear the fox's amused chuckle as he sprung off trees, following Haku's faint scent.
It was in these times when he thanked Kyuubi for his enhanced senses.
"Haku-chan!"
Finally, Naruto reached a empty house.
Haku-chan's old home! But why is she here?
He spotted her hoisting a shovel, patting down the mud of a rectangular mound.
"Haku-chan!"
The raven-haired girl in question raised her head up, startled as a orange-black blur descended and enveloped her in a tight hug.
"Haku-chan. . .you ok? Why are you crying? Are you ok? I was so worried when I didn't find you beside me. . .I thought. . .I thought you did something. . .something stupid," ended the blond lamely. He was blushing madly as he removed his hands around the girl and took a step back.
Haku quickly wiped the streaks on her eyes and gave a shaky smile. Then an evil glint shone in eyes before she suddenly put on a facade of hurt and spoke out in a sad tone.
"Narashi-kun. . .thinks I'm stupid and weak?" She bit her lips and sniffed, wrinkling her face as if as she was about to cry.
Naruto, horrified that he made a girl cry, started waving his arms frantically while stammering "Nonononono, I didn't mean to say that! I'm so sorry!" over and over again.
---
Up in the heavens, Iikagen looked down at his adopted brother, before rolling his eyes.
"Dumbass."
---
Haku tried to keep the façade up longer, but dissolved into a flurry of giggles. Doubling down, she laughed at Naruto's startled face.
"You. . .you look so cute when you panic like that!" snickered the hazel-eyed girl.
Naruto narrowed his eyes and sighed. Ordinarily, he would have strangled anyone who dared trick him this way. . .but the sight of Haku laughing in such joy brought a smile to his face.
"Neh Haku-chan. . .that was mean," pouted the blond as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Gomen Narashi-kun. . .I just saw so you flustered. . ." Haku trailed off, giggling again.
Naruto stuck his tongue out at her, but inwardly smirked.
She's healing.
"So. . .what were you doing?"
Haku quietened. Her gaze was averted to the two mounts beside her. The chirping of birds filled the air.
"I. . .I buried my parents."
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.
Haku smiled wispily. "I may not have been able to completely come to terms with my. . .loss. . .but at least I am at peace with my parents."
"Even. . .even your father?" blurted Naruto, before realizing what he had said. "AH! Sorry! I didn't mean to ask you that. . .ignore it!"
"It's ok," reassured the girl. "I guess. . .yes, yes I have. I know he did try to kill me, but he is still my father.
"I may not forgive his actions, but I do. . .understand them, to a certain extent. Fear is a dangerous emotion."
The blond was shocked, but struggled to not show it. "So what are you going to do now?"
"I'm gonna go back to the house and clean it for the last time. Then maybe I might take some of my family's jutsu scrolls to learn from."
"Cleaning? Want my help?"
"Ok," Haku said. "But, um, could you get some food first?"
"Heh. Ok Haku-chan," grinned Naruto.
The blond starting turning back, but still midway.
"Haku. . .are you really ok?"
The girl lowered her head and closed her eyes.
"Just. . .just let me do this, ok?" she whispered. "I need to do this."
Naruto, surprised at her hardiness and her determination, only nodded dumbly, and leapt away without another word.
She is truly strong. . . Can I be that strong too?