Haku has a habit of tugging my shirt at night. It's uncomfortable and annoying sometimes, because I want to turn in bed and his grip is tight. I remember one night he drooled a little on my pillow. But he still looked rather lovely. The next night I found the pillow gone, and Haku said he washed it. 'Wash' as in dumping the whole thing in hot water so that the insides are all weird and clumpy. I threw it away and Haku couldn't stop feeling apologetic for doing such a dumb thing. But still he gets no punishment. He slept on my arm instead. Then the next morning my arm would feel numb from the weight. Haku didn't really realize this but promised that he would get another pillow. I hope he doesn't try to make another one. A reason I dislike children is because of their 'inventive' minds.
-
A year and a half had passed. With two failed assassinations on the Mizukage, the life I'm living had become an unstable one, with countless hunter-nins refusing to get off my back. Had the assassination been successful, things would have been much smoother. But the present circumstances forced me to leave this place, putting me into a dilemma.
Should I bring Haku along?
I did not tell him anything. When I woke up, I saw him training hard. Haku had already learnt how to create needles from surrounding water, but he wasn't very good at controlling. He had made a few holes in my upper arm and pinned my shirt to the wall. By this time I was quite sure he was a boy (I had no chance to find out, seriously), but a girl can also behave like this, you never know …
He wanted very much to produce a water clone, so I showed him. His water clone looked like a lump of … something lumpy. During dinner he was still bitter about a water clone not coming up to scratch, and asked me whether I would leave him in a faraway land if he couldn't produce a water clone.
Naturally, I assured this fool that I wouldn't. He gave me his irritating smile and promised that he would produce a good water clone in a few days' time.
I hope he doesn't get a girlfriend. He would get bullied. But he does have a weird pet rabbit somewhere in the house … it seems to be afraid of me.
Then I decided to break the news to him. I didn't expect a satisfactory answer that he always gave. But I hoped that he would, though.
And he did.
"Please let me stay by your side and use me as your tool, Zabuza-san."
"Good kid."
Soon we were on our way to live a fugitive's life. We passed by a few people who seemed to have something to say to us.
A lady left a very 'reactive' comment as she passed.
"What a beautiful daughter you have, Sir."
It made me and Haku stare at each other for a full awkward second. Haku surely did not have in mind what I had.
"What did that lady say?"
"That you are a beautiful girl."
"Can't she tell that I'm a boy …"
With that, Haku and I walked on. I did not say a thing. I just took it as it was.
-
Then a pale-looking boy with silver hair ran towards us with a sharp object in hand.
"Are you from the Village of the Mist?" He asked.
Although he is only a boy about Haku's age, I held the handle of my weapon and told him that we are not. Then he apologized and went on his way.
I continued on, and then noticed Haku looking at the pale boy.
"Haku?"
"No, it's nothing, Zabuza-san."
I had a rough idea of what he was thinking. The similarity between that boy and the Haku when I first saw him was uncanny.
"We don't have time to be standing around. Hurry." I said, walking further. Haku quickly caught up, but seemed to be in thought.
Maybe it's a good thing I picked this scrawny brat off the streets …
