Warnings: Haku and Zabuza did not die, this story does not follow any real timeline from the manga/anime.
Pairing: Haku/Naru
Summary: Haku and Zabuza did not die at the bridge, but were given a second chance at life, and now the two have decided to visit the Leaf. Boy is Naruto in for a 'surprise'.
Genre: Humor, Romance
Rating: PG-13
""-speech
''-thoughts
The sun was just beginning to rise over the forest, sending streams of reddish light through the foliage and lightening the world below the treetops.
There were two people walking side by side under the giant trees that surrounded Konohagakure. One was a tall man, a giant weapon strapped to his back. The other was a teenager with long dark hair and a fair face.
It had been months since their near death and surprise revival by none other than the Copy-nin Kakashi. It seems that he felt copying a few basic medic-nin techniques would come in handy someday.
"Zabuza-san, do you believe that Kakashi told his students of our revival, or do you think they're under the impression that we are dead?" Haku asked softly as the man beside him paused to think, then with a shake of his head Zabuza replied with.
"I'll be damned if I know what goes on through his head."
Haku just smiled, even if they didn't know now, soon Team 7 would learn of their existence. 'I'll see you soon, Naruto.' Zabuza must have caught the wistful look in his eyes, because he snickered and said. "Don't worry, you'll have your blonde gaki soon enough."
Deep within Konoha, a certain blonde 'brat' sneezed, right in the face of a certain temper mental pink hair girl who angrily yelled. "NARUUTTOOO! DAMN YOU!" Before beating him into the ground.
Aye, today was not a good day to be a boy named Naruto.
There had been a bit of a hassle when Zabuza and Haku began entering Konoha, but it wasn't anything Haku couldn't handle, he was quite the sweet talker and people person when he had to be. And the fact that he looked like a young, innocent and attractive girl probably helped them a bit as well.
Zabuza just stood there, lazily watching as Haku charmed their way into the village. Pretty boys, can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.
"Hey Sakura-chan! Want to go on a date with me?" "No!" "Why not?" "Do you really need me to list off the reasons?" "Yes."
Sakura sighed and turned around to fix her death glare on Naruto, but something from behind him caught her eyes and she froze, mouth dropping open to form a small 'o' and eyes widening.
"Sakura-chan? Are you alright?" Sakura lifted a shaking hand and pointed behind him, so Naruto spun around coming face to face with.
"WHAAA? HAKU?" Haku smiled and leaned in closer to the blonde. "Good to see you to, Naruto-kun."
Naruto then did what any other would do when confronted with a 'ghost of his past', he promptly fainted.
When he awoke mere minutes later, he found himself face to face with a worried looking Haku. "Are you alright Naruto-kun?"
Naruto paled, his skin's pallor now rivaling that of Sasuke's, and he slowly stood up and backed away, all the while muttering under his breath about 'ghosts.'
If he didn't seem to be so completely terrified of him, Haku thought the moment would have been kind of cute.
Haku rose from the ground and took a few steps forward. "Naruto-kun." He called in his most soothing voice. "It's okay Naruto-kun, I'm not a ghost, I'm still alive, see." Haku lifted his hand and brushed it lightly against Naruto's face. "If I can touch you I'm alive, because a ghost can't touch those who live." His hand did not stray from Naruto's face, lightly running his smooth fingers over the whisker scars.
"Y-You're not dead?" Haku smiled and opened his mouth to reply when. "Of course he's alive, he just showed you, you IDIOT!" Naruto looked beyond Haku's shoulder, Sakura stood, maybe ten feet away, fuming to herself and looking for all the world like she was about to kill someone. Even Zabuza took a small, hardly noticeable step back.
When that girl is angry, she has the power of GOD!
Haku frowned lightly when Naruto focus was taken off of him, but he quickly brought it back when he brought up his other hand to cup Naruto's face.
"Me and Zabuza-san never really died Naruto, it just seemed like we did. Do you understand?" Naruto nodded his head, even though it was obvious he didn't understand at all. 'Oh Naruto-kun, you're so adorable.'
Naruto had stayed in shock for the majority of the day, mindlessly wandering around the town while Sakura, in an effort to be useful, took Haku and Zabuza to the Hokage so that they could, well, do something important, probably. Sakura probably just thought that they had forced their way into Konoha, so they needed the Hokage's permission to stay.
Luckily said Hokage was busy trying to sort out her gambling debt, no doubt under the impression that if she put it off any longer, a certain apprentice of hers would have her head. So in the midst of her worrying over paperwork, debt problems, and Shizune constantly looking over her shoulder, Tsunade didn't really have time to look up into the faces of the people she was allowing to stay in her village.
What a relief!
Meanwhile, during some mindless wandering, Naruto happened to bump into Rock Lee.
"YOSH! Naruto-kun! Why do you wander so needlessly while in your springtime of youth!" The bright glare from Lee's smile caused Naruto to blink a couple times, before he tilted his head to the side with a. "Huh?"
Lee sweatdropped. "Naruto-kun, what's got you so distracted today?" Naruto took a deep breath, and sighed. "Well there are some guys, you know, and I thought they were dead, and now they're not dead, so I thought they were ghosts, but apparently they're not cause they never really died, so Sakura yelled at me when the cute one tried to prove he was alive, but I don't know how they're alive, cause I was pretty sure they were dead."
Lee blinked, eyebrows rising up. "Umm, right… I'll see you later Naruto-kun!" He took off and Naruto stood their waving lazily at the quickly shrinking form of Lee. 'But how did they not die, when we saw them die, I mean, we even buried them and everything! We didn't bury them alive did we?' Naruto eyes widened, it was the perfect explanation!
'OH MY GOD! I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE!'
Naruto dashed off into the sunset.
Sakura was leading Haku and Zabuza to their new 'home away from home', which Haku was delighted to find out was in Naruto's building, and every once in a while she cast glances in Zabuza's direction, it was really beginning to annoy him, she might as well openly stare at him, it would probably be less obvious.
"Alright, what's your problem?" Sakura looked shocked for a moment, before smiling and clasping her hands together. "It's just, ummm…. It was so cute, when you were fighting off all those men for Haku, even when you were pierced by so many weapons." She gave a dreamy sigh. "And then, when you both 'died', it was so cute, how you asked to be moved near Haku and everything! It was sooo adorable!" Sakura had little hearts in her eyes by the end of her fangirl rant and Zabuza was quick to wish that he hadn't asked.
Naruto was slowly walking home, it was already dark out and he couldn't seem to find Haku and Zabuza anywhere! And it's not like they wouldn't stick out in a crowd! They just disappeared! 'Like ghosts.' Naruto shook his head. 'No! They aren't ghosts remember. They're probably just somewhere you haven't look, you'll just have to apologize for burying them alive tomorrow.'
Naruto shuffled into his apartment, unaware that just one floor under him, Haku and Zabuza were conversing in hushed voices.
The next day there were no missions, no sun, no warmth, but there was plenty of rain. Too bad Naruto didn't like the rain, it always made the roads really muddy, and sometimes he'd step in a really wet spot where hit foot would be engulfed by the ground and he could feel the mud creeping in between his toes.
Ewww….
That being the case, Naruto decided to stay inside, he could always apologize to Haku and Zabuza later, when the rain stopped and the ground dried up again.
Naruto was just in the midst of making his breakfast, miso ramen, even though it was actually around lunch time, when he heard a several slow, quiet knocks on the door.
Sakura always banged on his door like a punching bag, Sasuke would have knocked only once, Iruka knocked five times quietly, but quickly, and Kakashi usually just got in Naruto's apartment somehow, usually via open window.
But since it obviously wasn't any of them, Naruto couldn't help but wonder who the hell it was.
He slowly made his way to the door, and then slowly began opening, but that didn't matter, because he only needed it open just a crack to figure out who it was.
"HAKU!" Naruto glomped onto him, sending them both to the ground. "HakuI'msosorrythatweburiedyoualiveIreallydidthinkyouweredeadbutifI-" "Err. Naruto I have no idea what you're saying."
"I'm sorry we buried you alive, I really thought you guys were dead-" "Naruto, you didn't bury us alive." Naruto looked down at Haku and blinked. "We didn't?" "No." "Oh… Well, that's good." Naruto awkwardly unwrapped his arms from around Haku and stood up, shifting uncomfortably. 'At least I saw Haku first, that would have been really, really awkward if it had been Zabuza.'
Haku gracefully got up and brushed the dirt from his clothes, his small smile hidden by his bowed head.
Naruto stood there anxiously, twiddling his thumbs. 'Come on Naruto, say something! Think, think….' "So, ahhh, if we didn't, you know, bury you alive, then how… Why…" Naruto squinted his eyes, the words to complete his question eluding him.
Luckily Haku knew what he was getting at. "You want to know how Zabuza-san and I are still alive?" Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Well, it's a bit of a long story, may I come in?" Naruto nodded again, a small blush crossing over his face as he held the door open for Haku, then closing it behind himself.
Haku and Naruto seated themselves on the couch, Haku wore a calm expression while Naruto looked as though he would die any second if Haku didn't start the explanation soon.
With a deep breath, Haku began.
"You remember when all the villagers came, and then both you and Kakashi did Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?" Naruto nodded. "Well, in all the chaos that followed, it was very easy for the real Kakashi to come over and use some minor healing techniques on me. I was unconscious at the time, but from what Zabuza-san told me, it seems that when Kakashi was brining him over to my side, he used another minor healing technique." "But would we have seen the chakra?" "Not necessarily, although it is true that while watching medic-nins heal, you will see a great amount of their chakra, but since Kakashi was only healing Zabuza-san enough so that Kakashi was sure he'd survive, he wasn't using very much chakra, and what he was using was probably hidden from view under Zabuza-san's body." "But, you two died." "Zabuza-san realized what Kakashi was doing and pretended to die, I was already unconscious, so it really wouldn't be that hard for everyone to think I had died." "But what about when we buried you?" "I'm not to sure on this one, but from what I can gather Kakashi probably used Kage Bunshin or Bunshin no Jutsu and combined it with Henge no Jutsu, so it looked as if you really were burying us."
Naruto leaned against the arm of the couch, his mind desperately trying to absorb all the information it had been given.
"So Kakashi saved you both?" "Yes." "And… He didn't tell us?" "I guess not."
Naruto clenched his fists angrily, seething. "That BASTARD! I'm gonna find his and show him a thing or two!" He was ready to run out into the rain and attempt finding and teaching Kakashi a lesson, but a hand grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Naruto turned around to find Haku's face eerily close to his own.
"I'm sure Kakashi had his reasons for allowing you to think that we had died, but the most important thing is that we lived, and you know that now." Naruto muttered a few choice words under his breath, but grudgingly agreed.
They sat back down in silence, listening to the light pitter-patter of the rain, for what seemed like hours, just find comfort in each other's presence.
Until another knock on the door ruined it all. Judging by force of the banging, enough to seemingly send vibrations through the whole apartment, it must have been Sakura.
"NARUTO!" Uh-oh, apparently he'd taken too long and Sakura had decided that just coming in without permission was the thing to do.
Sakura rushed in and stood in front of Naruto, glowering at him.
"Hi Sakura-chan! What brings you here on a day like today?" "Narrutooo! Did you forget? Baka!" Naruto sunk further into the couch, trying to get as far away as he could without being completely obvious.
Sakura + Anger Power of God, remember?
"Naruto, you promised that today you would help me and Ino carry our shopping bags, now we only have five more hours to shop!" "Bu-but." "No buts Naruto, now come on!" Sakura began forcefully dragging Naruto away while Haku watched, an amused smile on his face.
'Man, Sakura-chan may be cute, but Haku is cuter and isn't nearly as temper-mental.' Naruto blushed and shook his head rapidly. 'Nope, nu-uh, Sakura-chan is better than Haku, really she is!' Naruto's foot was suddenly stuck in the mud, going under the slick substance with a disturbing squishing sound. 'FUCK! I hate the rain!'
Five hours and countless bags later, Naruto was under the impression that running a flower shop was a very profitably business, and that Sakura had saved up for years for this one shopping trip.
'Girls are so confusing, they buy all these clothes that they'll hardly wear because most of the time they need to be in their training clothes.' Naruto eyed the bags he was carrying warily, as if at any moment the contents of the bag would suddenly hop out and attack.
Well, it was Sakura and Ino's stuff, so he couldn't really put it past whatever was hidden inside of those obnoxiously pink, frilly, paper bags.
"Naruto! Stop daydreaming and pay attention!" "Hai, Sakura-chan."
'Haku definitely isn't this temper-mental.'
The next day Naruto dragged himself out of bed to be at the bridge by 7:30, even though he knew Kakashi wouldn't be there by at least 9:00, carrying a bunch of bags for shopping obsessed girls was more of a workout then he ever wanted to admit, and he felt slightly sorry for Sasuke, if he ever turned out to be one of their boyfriend, then he would be stuck as a bag boy.
… Or maybe they wouldn't put him through that, who was Naruto to judge? All Naruto knew was that he really wished he hadn't promised Sakura to 'help' her and Ino shop, he kind of like just sitting in his small living room with Haku, listening to each other's breathing.
Naruto fought down a blush. 'Haku is still as pretty as ever, prettier than Sakura-chan and Ino combined, and he's so much nicer than the two of them.' Naruto starred dazedly at the water running under the bridge, his vision blurring. 'I wonder, do I like Haku?' Naruto focused on the water, noticing the blush on his reflection's cheeks. 'I think I do like Haku, he's pretty and nice.' Naruto inner ramblings were interrupted as Kakashi appeared, earlier than normal, but still very late.
"Sorry I was late, you see, there was this angry turtle who wanted to challenge me-" "LIAR!" Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. 'But Gai really did bug me until I promised to play Rock-Paper-Scissors with him again.'
Training consisted of finding that damned cat, again! Although Naruto couldn't really blame it, the Fire Lord's wife really did seem to smother it, the poor cat. But a mission was a mission, and Naruto didn't like failing.
Even if it meant that stupid cat clawed at his face like the vicious beast that it is.
After the mission Naruto walked home, trying to keep to the drier parts of the street so that he wouldn't have to feel the mud between his toes two days in a row. He quickly made his way to his apartment, depositing his muddy sandals right by the door and walking into his kitchen to make some ramen.
He had just begun boiling the water for it when he noticed a small folded piece of paper on the table. His eyebrows rose slightly as he grabbed and unfolded it, curiosity brimming within him.
Dear Naruto-kun,
I figured that since Sakura interrupted our time alone, that you might want to meet up with me again, after your mission tomorrow, just come to the top Hokage Mountain, I'll be waiting there for you at 12:00.
Haku
'I guess I didn't notice the note this morning.' Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose thoughtfully before glancing at his clock. 'Oh fuck!' It was 11:58.
In a blur of orange Naruto left his apartment, ramen forgotten.
Haku sighed before looking at his watch, 12:06 and still no sign of Naruto. 'I guess he just didn't want to come.' He got up to leave, frown marring his beautiful features, when he was suddenly glomped onto from behind.
"Sorry (gasp)… I'm late…(pant) Haku…" Naruto said unsteadily as he let go of older boy, Haku turned around, smiling slightly at the blonde. He was panting and flushed, as if he'd just run a marathon.
Or had some really good sex, but Haku was pretty sure it was closer to the first option.
"It's okay, you're here now." Haku sat back down while Naruto collapsed beside him.
"It's really beautiful up here, it's so peaceful, and you can see the entire village." Naruto nodded, still attempting to catch his breath.
"So Naruto-kun, is there anything you want to talk about?" Haku asked, trying to break the blonde's uncharacteristic silence, but Naruto just shook his head, his breathing becoming more even.
They sat there in a tense silence, Haku no longer sure how to start up a conversation, and Naruto really wanting to say something. Finally, when the silence became too much to handle Naruto asked. "So Haku, why did you and Zabuza decide to come to Konoha?" Haku's cheeks went pink. "Well, for a variety of reasons really, but there's one really important one." Naruto's eye glinted with curiosity. "Really? What?" Haku motioned him closer and whispered lowly in his ear. "You."
Naruto froze, a blush slowly spreading across his face. 'Does that mean Haku likes me too?'
Haku began o move away, but Naruto would have none of that, with a small swoop forward he got ride of the space between them and pressed his lips to Haku's.
It was a fumbling kiss, and just a bit awkward, but it was perfect.
They broke away reluctantly, shyly meeting each other's eyes.
They walked back to their building holding hands, their cheeks a light pink, and small smiles on their faces.
Until they saw a small pillar of smoke rising from their building, from Naruto's room to be exact.
It's seems that after his kettle, boiling water for his ramen, had run out of water, it had tipped over, fallen on a piece of paper, which had burt into flames from the heat, and had caused a small fire.
Thankfully Zabuza had been moseying around, wondering where the hell Haku had gone to, and had noticed the smell of smoke.
Naruto's front door was in absolute shambles! And so was his kitchen! But at least the rest of his apartment was okay, except for the overwhelming smell of smoke that had seeped into all of his furniture.
Naruto and Haku were sitting on the couch, Naruto's eyes glazed in shock and Haku was subtly motioning Zabuza to leave, the older man gave a wink a left. Freaky.
"I can't believe I did that. I actually forgot about my ramen." Haku arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Do you really like ramen?" Naruto nodded his head vigourusly. "But I forgot all about it 'cause when I read you note it was like, three minutes to twelve and I didn't want to be late meeting up with you."
Haku'a face was suddenly close to his. "So I'm more important to you than ramen?" Naruto nodded vigorously again, and Haku swooped down for a very enjoyable kiss.