Thanks for all the reviews, they really keep me inspired! So, here's the real next chapter.

Warnings: I don't own Naruto. This is an AU fanfic, Alternate Universe fanfic.

Meaning?

I can make Kakashi as a girl and have him dance in a yellow bikini for a Konoha beauty contest if I wanted.

Notes:
1) Zabuza and Haku never died, Zabuza rules over the Water country now. No matter how impossible that seems.
2) The Chuunin exams don't exist in my book, so if the students met each other, it was by other means.
3) Still confused? It'll be explained in-story.

Gambatte.

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The day started out cloudy from what he could tell but it wasn't to last. At first he was a bit pleased and even inspired as his sensei told him they were to make a visit to team seven.

But Hyuuga Neji quickly learned to regret trusting in Gai-sensei.

Instead of meeting team seven, he spent a great deal of the morning with Tenten, shopping.

Not one of his favorite hobbies, of course.

"Oi, Neji! Hurry up! They're selling flowers in this shop!" Tenten dashed into a small shop out of Neji's view. Neji sighed some as he shifted, adjusting the many boxes in his arms. He trudged onward into the store.

"Irasshai (1)! Please take a look at what you like!" From what he could see as he shuffled the boxes in his grasp, a blonde girl no older than him greeted Tenten and himself. The blonde girl went back to discussing some flower or other with a shy dark haired girl.

"B-but.. This flower just seems more appropriate.." The shy girl tried to make her point.

"Eh? What do you know? This one here is for beauty-" But the blonde quickly gave her own. Everyone has an opinion.

Neji set the boxes down in a corner as he noticed Tenten jumping into the conversation soon after. This would take a while, he realized as he leaned against the wall. Neji only sighed once more, aggrivated that Lee wasn't around to share in the pain called Shopping.

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"Yo! Lee!" Naruto was the first to come into Rock Lee's view. The blonde boy slid to a stop a feet or two by Lee. Sakura stood next to Naruto and smiled some. It was more of a reaction than Sasuke, who nodded in recognition. Lee left the poor defenseless tree next to him alone, it wouldn't have to stand the abuse of Lee's kicks and punches now that team seven arrived.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Sakura-chan!" He grinned a nice toothy grin so the sun could gleam. "How are you all? Gai-sensei said we'd be heading here to meet up with you, but he didn't tell me about stopping at a hospital.. I thought something ill happened to you, Sakura-chan! So I brought you a daffodil (2)!" He held out a flower to Sakura, who seemed more than surprised.

"Ah.. L-lee-san.. I'm fine.." She gently took the flower and nodded. "Arigatou. (3)"

"Oi, Lee! Leeeee! Lee-lee-lee! Let's fight!" Naruto had his fists held up. Rock Lee turned his attention to the energetic Naruto.

"Eh? Right now, Naruto?" He blinked.

"Yeah! Right now! It's been a while, right! Let's fight!"

"You're right! It has been a while! Alright, let's go!" The burning fires of youth engulfed their eyes as they got into position.

"Oi. Where did you dump that ramen bowl, Naruto?" Sasuke blinked, the bowl from Naruto's hands suddenly gone.

"Burning fires of youth, my butt! Baka (4)! Show respect, we're right in front of a hospital!"

"No really... It's completely gone." Sasuke turned his head left and right, scanning for the disappeared ramen bowl. Lee blinked and dropped his fists.

"Hai, Sakura-chan. She's right, Naruto. We'll hold it some other time!" He held out his thumb in a sort of 'Yes!' and 'Approved!' fashion. Naruto crossed his arms and pouted some, nodding.

"At least they stopped on their own. Not like the time they met." Sasuke added. Sakura nodded and the four of them stood there as they recalled their meeting.

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Training with Kakashi-sensei months back, one dark night. It was more of Kakashi's survival training, this one lasting a week. Kakashi had assured them that in a real mission they would sometimes be without water and food on them for even months.

Naruto could not wait months to eat again.

Upon smelling cooked fish in the air, his spirits rose.

"Oi! Everyone! There's food!" Naruto dashed into some bushes and trees before Sakura and Sasuke knew what happened. The two stood by in the bushes as they saw a battle begin between Naruto and a fuzzy-eyebrowed boy around a fireplace.

Outnumbered, Naruto screamed for life as he ran back towards Sakura and Sasuke, kunai flying at them.

It was soon revealed to the four by the fireplace, including the fuzzy-eyebrowed boy by Kakashi lounging in the trees that Naruto didn't intend on fighting them, but to snatch their fish.

After all apologizes and embarrassment over with, Kakashi called the training a night and the two teams laughed about the event around the fire and enjoyed fish in their bellies for the night.

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"Thank goodness, too. Naruto would've died for fish." Sakura dropped her head. Naruto and Lee laughed.

"At least it was good fish, Sakura-chan. And it made for a fun story to tell. Not only that but we all met." Lee smiled. Sasuke had to agree.

"Speaking of meeting, where is Hyuuga Neji and Tenten?" Lee thought about it for a moment. Sakura blinked at Sasuke, curious a bit. Naruto nodded enthusiastically, he wanted to challenge Neji as well.

"Neji and Tenten? I think Tenten said something about buying new clothes, so she must've dragged Neji along." He laughed. "For once it's not me. I'm glad."

"Oi, oi! But Gai was in Haku's room with Kakashi-sensei and that crazy woman!" Rock Lee's expression grew almost fearful at the mention of Haku's name. Sakura worried for the expression on Lee's face. Sasuke showed no change.

"Did you say Haku? He's in Konoha?" He was stunned. Naruto leaned over close to Lee and gave him a stubborn look.

"Yeah. I did. Haku. What about him?" Lee regained his senses.

"If that's the same Haku I'm thinking of, then Hokage-sama and the rest of Konoha is in danger!"

"Ehh? What the hell are you talking about, Lee? Haku wouldn't do anything to us!" Naruto leaned back and crossed his arms as he laughed. Sakura frowned.

"What do you mean, Lee-san?"

"What I mean is..." Rock Lee looked up at Konoha's hospital and pointed. "If the same Haku you speak of was working with Momochi Zabuza, then the both of them are responsible for Mizukage-sama's death."

Naruto froze, his blood running cold. He tried to speak, say just anything, but his body wouldn't react. Sakura gasped and her flower fell from her hands to the ground. Sasuke stood in place with his eyes widened with shock- or was it fear?

"Could... That boy have been responsible for Mizukage-sama's death...?" Sasuke whispered to himself quietly as he stared at the ground.

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"It's better if you say what you want now, Haku." Kakashi said leasurely as he dropped back onto a chair. "You won't be allowed to leave for a while. ANBU are all around us at the moment." Haku didn't care. He continued to stare down at the hands in his lap, unmoved.

"Haku, is it? The Water country's people are in terror. The ANBU and Jounin are on high alert to protect Hokage-sama at the cost of their own lives. You won't escape alive if you attempt to kill Hokage-sama." Anko said almost just as leasurely as Kakashi, sitting down on a side of Haku's bed.

"I have no intention of killing the Hokage." Haku answered quietly.

"Then why come to Konoha?" Gai stood by the hospital room's window with his arm folded across his chest.

"I wanted to be safe. To have a fresh start."

"Safe?" Anko laughed. "You should've stayed at the Water country, then. As of right now, you're a threat to Konoha until you prove otherwise. Here you'll be kept an eye on by every ANBU and Jounin across the land."

"I just want to have a fresh start." Haku repeated.

"What do you mean by that, Haku?" Kakashi sat up and looked at Haku now. Not as an interrogator to a suspect, but as a friend to another friend. Haku looked up at Kakashi with eyes full of sincerety and gentleness.

"I... I never had a chance to grow up around kids my age. I never had real friends. I want to be... Normal, Kakashi." Haku gripped the sheets at his lap slightly. You could tell, under Kakashi's mask, that he was smiling.

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It was sunset, several hours after the four met outside of the hospital. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Lee watched as the hospital doors finally opened. Out stepped Haku followed by the three Jounin instructors and a handful of ANBU. Haku, although under such tight security, smiled.

"Hakuuuuuu!" Naruto launched himself at the fragile looking boy, knocking Haku and the rest of the people behind him to the ground. "What the hell is going on! What did you do!" Naruto's attention flashed to Kakashi. "What are you going to do to him! Don't hurt Haku!"

"N-Naruto!" Sakura stood dumbfounded before running towards them.

"I know he did something bad but you can't hurt him! He's a good guy, Kakashi-sensei! You can't! You can't do anything to hurt Haku!" Naruto looked enraged- or was it that he was on the brink of tears? Kakashi laughed and put a hand to Naruto's head, ruffling his blonde hair.

"Calm down, Naruto. It'll be okay. He'll be going under some review is all." Naruto blinked, obviously confused. Anko clarified.

"Haku agreed to meet with Hokage-sama and the rest of the Jounin and instructors. There, his fate will be determined." Sakura and Sasuke sighed with relief.

"But.. He killed-"

"We'll discuss that later, Sakura." Kakashi turned and left with the other Jounin. Haku stood up and looked upon the four ninja and smiled, the ANBU still around him.

"There's no reason to worry about me. Or the Water country." He smiled. "Zabuza-san... I have faith in him." Haku turned and followed the others, the ANBU still at his tail. The four of them stood there speechless as they watched him go.

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"Get away from me, Tenten! I'm allergic to sunflowers!" Tenten had Neji running all around the shop, tripping over things as he ran for his life.

"Ne, how can that be? You've eaten sunflower seeds before!"

"The hell I have!" Ino laughed as she placed Tenten's money in the cash register and went back to help Hinata with her flowers.

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1) Irasshai means Welcome
2) Daffodil - SPOILER - Sakura gave daffodils to Rock Lee in season three when he was hospitalized.
3) Arigatou means Thank You
4) Baka means Idiot or Stupid

What a great chapter, eh? Hehe. Hope you liked it!