Hey! I think I promised Gaa-chan for this chap!

Let's see whether he turns up!

love you all!

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Whore Street

It continued snowing the next day, the white flakes thickening into a curtain that obscured the opposite side of the street. The sidewalk turned to slush, and the street's asphalt was covered with and inches-thick layer of grayish-brown sludge. Naruto slept as he always did, refusing Sasuke's offer to go wash up and leaving alone for the Arcade at around seven.

Once he'd finished scrubbing himself, shivering, with the icy water, he left the Arcade and walked in the opposite direction of the Konoha, past the parking lot. The snow swirled around his form, clinging to his jeans and frosting his hair. The white weight of the sky was slowly darkening to a cool, distant blue. His bag bounced at his hip, his trainers sqelched in the slush, and his jeans slowly but surely soaked through.

The energy he'd gotten from last night's ramen still coursed through his system, and he doodled a bit in the wet mush of melted snow beneath his feet, creating smileys and angels and shit as he walked. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't feel like he needed to.

He reached the next bus stop thatcame afterWhore Street and got into a bus, not even noting the line.

He got out again twenty minutes later, and in his numb state he barely even started when he took in his surroundings.

Dreary, run-down buildings lined the narrow, winding street. They were packed tightly, but Naruto knew that there were alleys between some of them that had small, crooked doors at their ends. And beyond those doors...

The snow drifted noiselessly down onto the deserted street, the only activity at the dingy bars and fast-food places. Somewhere a radio played a new song on high volume, a baby screamed. A woman laughed, and a car crept by through the slippery congealed mess on the street.

Slum Street.

He turned around a few times, unsure. Finally he settled on a direction and walked off, unhurried.

No dark memories hissed at him through the snow. No fear paralyzed him as he passed the alley that led to Jiraiya's brothel, then the one that led to Kisame's. He slowed when he reached the gap that led to Zabuza's place. A slender, small figure leaned against the wall of one of the flanking houses, smoking. There was an amazing elegance in the simplest of his movements, when he flicked ash off of the cancer or shifted a bit. His long, fur-trimmed red coat was old and threadbare in places, his left eye dark with a fading bruise.

His face was a doll's – exquisite. The sensual lips broke into a shocked laugh when he saw Naruto. "Naruto! Oh my god, what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Haku."

They hugged with the ease of long familiarity. Haku smiled breathlessly up at the blonde. "Tell me, tell me! What's going on?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't really know."

Haku tossed his cig down with careless, fluid grace and ground it out with his boot. "Come on, let's go to a bar and drink something. Then you can tell me. God, it's been ages! The last time you visited was months ago!"

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Haku stared at Naruto for a long time after he'd finished. He smoked in his beautiful, subconscious way, his brow furrowed.

Naruto gazed down into the recesses of his cup of laced coffee. The bar was one of their old common favorites, a smoky little place with dim lighting and a constant staff of drunks at the counter. It was charmingly sick. The barkeeper spent his time wiping the same glass dry over and over and trying to scare possible customers away.

Haku laughed suddenly. "Man, that is... wow. The Sandman. And I thought I had bad taste."

Naruto gestured to the other boy's bruised eye. "How is it with Zabuza?"

Haku shrugged. "As always. I work, he finds a mistake I made, I apologize, he beats me, he apologizes, then we make up in bed."

Naruto shook his head. "You know, I used to think you were crazy for going through all of that shit with Zabuza, but--"

"But now you've felt it firsthand, huh? Beatings can feel good. It depends on what you feel for the person delivering them." Haku smiled.

"Do you have advice for me?"

"Well, the most obvious thing would be to find him, wouldn't it?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I had thought of that, once or twice... a minute. But how?"

"Huh... right, I get the problem. Finding the Sandman in the depths of the City..."

"Exactly."

Haku sighed. "Sorry, but I can't help you. All I can tell you is that you're pretty far gone on this dude. And you seem to have known that already."

Naruto grinned weakly. "Yeah."

They caught up on acquaintances and gossip for a while until Haku had to go to work. As they said goodbye in front of the way to Zabuza's brothel, he murmured, "I hope you have as much luck with your icicle as I had with mine, Naruto."

Naruto chuckled and watched him disappear into the alley. He walked to the bus stop, wanting to be off Slum before the rush hour started. He cast a half-wary glance into the shadows around the entrance to Jiraiya's brothel, but nothing threatening moved out towards him, not even a memory.

No, the only memories tormenting him were the happiest ones he had.

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okaaaay...that was so not planned. Gaa-chan is NEXT chappie, but this time really!

review, please.