Story Summary: A mysterious death saved Haku and Zabuza from death. But now it seems that a new breed of hunter-nins is after them. But this time, it's Haku they want. There's more to Haku's blood line than anyone could ever imagine.

A/N: In this story, Haku is 16 nearing 17. Pretty much AU from the story line in the manga/show.

Thanks to everyone who left me the reviews -heart-

Kiss My Eyes and Lay Me To Sleep
By: The Obsidian Goddess
Aka (The ObsidianButterfly) on GaiaOnline

And I find it kind of funny,
I find it kind of sad.
The dreams in which I'm dying,
are the best I've ever had.
I find it hard to tell you,
I find it hard to take.
When people run in circles,
it's a very very mad world.

Mad World By Gary Jules

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Haku kneeled on the ground as he picked herbs for Zabuza. Even though he didn't have much outside physical damage, he did suffer from some internal damage. Yes, these herbs would prove to be of some use.

Haku raised an arm to whip the sweat off of his forehead. Looking upward, he noted that it must be around noonish. The time when the sun is as it's strongest. 'It would explain why it's so damn hot out here.' He thought. Haku was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't even notice Naruto walk over to him.

Naruto kneeled down a couple of feet away, right in front of Haku. Haku, snapped out of his thoughts, looked up to Naruto. Haku had been caught off guard, something that rarely happens. He was surprised when he saw Naruto plucking up herbs in placing it in the basket Haku brought along with him.

"Why are you helping me?" Haku asked with a puzzled tone.

"That's what people do. They help each other." Replied Naruto looking up at Haku with a goofy grin on his face.

"Even after that person tried to kill you and your friend?" Haku said back to him. He didn't understand. Why would he help him after what he tried to do? You think he would be avoiding him at all costs.

"If you truly had wanted us dead, then we would have been dead." Naruto said with a sigh.

After staring at Naruto for a few moments, a soft smile slipped onto his face. "I guess your right."

The tension that filled the woods slowly eased down as Haku and Naruto talked about various things. They talked about fights they had been in, people they met, and missions they had gone on. Well, Naruto did a lot of the talking while Haku would either smile and nod, or chip in a couple of words. Naruto would go on about how a great fighter he was and how he would be gone the best of the best. He would rant about little things, and Haku couldn't help but smirk at how silly he would act.

"Do you think that this will is suffice?" Naruto asked, looking at the nearly filled basket.

"Yes, and there should be enough left over for you guys to use if you come across any trouble." Haku replied back with a smile.

"Geee," Naruto said while throwing an arm behind his head, "thanks."

"It's the least I can do."

"Well, since we're done, let's get the hell out of this heat." Naruto said over to Haku. "It's hotter than hell out here!"

Haku smiled and followed after Naruto. It would seem that he had made a new friend. Haku shook his head at the though. The idea seemed strange to him. But then again, stranger things have happened before.

Zabuza came to a few hours after his last wakening. He peered over to where Haku had been, but the he seemed to be no where in sight. Haku's words of how he would explain when he waked came into Zabuza's head. Yeah, he wanted someone to tell him what the hell was going on, but the kid was no where around.

'Damn that kid." Zabuza thought.

Sitting up, Zabuza noticed that it was easier this time. He also noticed that Kakashi in the corner, off to his far left. Zabuza mentally smacked himself for overlooking him. His focus seemed to be off.

"Incase your wondering where Haku is, he's outside picking herbs for your tea."

"Mind telling me why I'm here and why Haku is trusting you to what over me?" Zabuza huffed at him.

Kakashi rolled his eyes at Zabuza's temper and explained everything that Zabuza needed to know and then some. He told him about what he saw on the dock and how he offered Haku help. Zabuza cocked an eyebrow when he mentioned about Haku being some part of a royal blood line that carried their own extra blood line traits.

In all his time with Haku, he never expected him to be part of some special family bloodline of that sort. When he found him, he was an orphan. People feared him. How can you be part of some stupid royalty bloodline when you're an orphan, feared, and unwanted? Zabuza snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Kakashi mentioned a different kind of hunter-nins that would soon come for Haku.

"Wait a second. Did you just say that hunter-nins are going to attack Haku?" Zabuza said resting on his knees and rubbing him temples and his thumb and middle finger. A small headache appeared at the thought of more hunter-nins chasing after them.

"Something along those lines." Kakashi said observing Zabuza's frustration. "They shouldn't attack him. They'll probably be sent back to return him to his land. If he doesn't' agree to go back, they might take him back with force. He's the next in line, I'm sure they'll do whatever it takes to get him back."

Haku and Naruto walked quickly back to the hut that they were occupying in. Naruto rushed back mainly because he was eager to get out of the heat. Haku just wanted to return back to his master's side. He hadn't been too happy about leaving to get some herbs, but it would benefit Zabuza's recovery.

Ruffling in the tress caused Haku to pause. Naruto stopped when he noticed Haku wasn't right behind him. He turned around and saw Haku glancing up at the trees.

"Hey Haku," Naruto shouted, "what are you doing?"

Haku inspected the trees with eyes and saw nothing. Shaking his head, he thought that he must have imagined it.

Turning away from the trees, he headed over to Naruto. "It was nothing. I just thought I heard something." He said to Naruto. Haku stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Naruto's eyes widen.

"Behind you!" Naruto yelled.

Haku spun around in time to dodge a needle that had been aimed right for his head. The shadowy figured fly out from the trees. There must have been a dozen of them and they were closing in on Haku. Naruto tried to get to Haku, but one their attackers blocked his way. He tried to fight him off, but he was clearly out matched.

Haku looked directly at one of his attackers and noticed that it was a hunter-nin. And yet, these hunter-nins were different. The markings on their masks were graced with beautiful designs, but the designs were different from the normal hunters that had been chasing Zabuza. He noticed that they were faster too. A hunter-nin managed to stab a needle into his left thigh.

Looking over his shoulder, he noticed that Naruto was having his own trouble as well.

When he turned his head back to his attackers, all mayhem broke loose.

Zabuza and Kakashi were in of a their conversation when they were screams from outside. Kakashi rushed over to see Haku and Naruto fighting hunter-nins. They didn't seem to be holding up very well either.

"Shit." Kakashi said under his breath as he watched the two kids struggle to fight off the hunter-nins.

"What's going on out there?" Zabuza said as he swung his legs over the bed.

"It seems like the hunter-nins tracked down Haku faster than I though."

Kakashi quickly grabbed his weapons and headed toward to the door. Before he headed out, he told Zabuza to stay where he was. He told him that he wasn't in any fighting condition and would take care of this himself. With that, he opened the door and disappeared from Zabuza's fight.

Zabuza snorted and grabbed his outrageously big sword that occupied against the wall. Walking over to the window, he saw a hunter-nin grab Haku by the throat and throw him a good distance. Haku jolted as he slammed into a tree. Growling, Zabuza headed toward the door. He wouldn't sit around while Haku was being attacked.

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Sorry it took so long to update. Writers block. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please R+R!