"Bee to the blossom, moth to the flame;
Each to its passion; what's in a name?"

~ Helen Hunt Jackson ~

Week 1

"Ne, ne," Naruto whispered after our third training session together, "so, are you two like?" He held up his pinkie finger and wiggled it in a suggestive manner. I just watched on, confused, as Shino blushed.

"We are not, why?" Shino muttered, sending me furtive glances, "our betrothal contract does not stipulate a courting period. Naori is likewise free to spend her youth on whomsoever she chooses, provided she honors the contract within the stated time period." It is at this point that I mentally catch up and blush paints my own cheeks.

"Naruto!" I screeched, wacking him upside the head, "you can't just go around asking people that! At least, not in front of both parties! You'll cause problems! And Shino," I growled, turning to face him, "do you really think I'd date some guy just to say, 'hey, sorry not sorry, but I'm marrying my best friend instead'?!"

Shino shrunk back, but he couldn't fool me, I saw him trying to hide his smirk at being called my 'best friend,' stupid boy.

"Ah," Naruto nodded, as if the world made sense to him, "so you are dating."

"Wha-no we, I mean," I shot Shino a confused look. We weren't dating, but we were getting married? In anywhere from 4 to 8 years, and holy crap. We're getting married. I paled. I'd never really thought about what that meant, not since unlocking my sharingan, not since learning that the Uchiha massacre didn't happen. I'd never actually made the mental connection, that living until I'm 16 (with my clan still kicking) meant honoring said betrothal contract.

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap.

"Uh, w-we're," I stuttered, trying to keep the conversation going, even as my brain scattered in a million directions. I'm going to have to marry Shino. I'm going to have to MARRY SHINO! I mean, it's not like I didn't like Shino, he's great, the best friend a girl could ask for. He's considerate, loyal, and actually had a pretty dark sense of humor. But Shino was still only twelve years old! I wasn't in love with him! I wasn't even in 'like' with him! Oh crap, oh crap.

"Friends," Shino interjected, smile missing from his face-and dang it heart! I didn't need that ping of regret! "Naori and I are simply friends, best friends, but friends none-the-less."

"Y-yeah," I agreed, grabbing on to the familiar title. Friends was good, I understood friends, "Shino and I are best buds, go way back and everything."

"Right," Naruto drawled, squinting his eyes at us, "if you say so."

"Anyway!" I clapped, eager to redirect the conversation. "What do you two think about what Kakashi-sensei said today?" Sensei had been going over formations with us, today, and had begun stressing the need for a leader in the group. I'd expected Naruto to jump right up and demand the spot, but he'd stayed strangely quiet. Shino too hadn't spoken, not that strange for him but still, and I'd hardly wanted the position, so I too had held my tongue. In the end Kakashi'd just sighed and told us to discuss it amongst ourselves before poofing into the aether.

"I believe you would be best suited for the position, why?" Shino shot out, "you have an analytical mind, and are the most accustomed to working in three-man cells, having trained your whole life with your two brothers. Additionally your Sharingan allows you to process information at a much faster rate than either Naruto or I, allowing you more information from which to make accurate assessments."

I blinked.

"...yeah," Naruto muttered, nodding along. "That stuff! And your cool magnet thing!" He added, as if he hadn't just acted completely out of character.

"B-but," I scrambled for words, "don't you want to be the leader?!"

"Nah, I'm the hero!" He shot out, "I don't have time to deal with all the boring planning bits." His argument made sense, in a Naruto sort of way, still, I couldn't help but feel that there was more too it. Did he honestly think I would make a good leader? Was it the bell test? Or was it something else entirely?

Well, it didn't matter, I was clearly out-voted. And it's not like I hated the idea of being in charge, would sure make me feel a lot more confident knowing why we were making the moves we were.

"Alright," I agreed, nodding to my boys, "if you're both okay with it, I'll tell Kakashi-sensei in the morning."

Week 3

"I'm in position." I whispered, eyes locked on the target.

"I too have reached my designated location." A familiar voice crackled over the intercom. "Yeah!" A different voice interjected, "I'm in position too, dattebayo!"

"Alright," I confirmed, vision bleeding red, "I will proceed with the mission; Retrieve Tora."

"W-wait!" Naruto interrupted before I could take a step, "I wanna try!"

"What?"

"You always get to catch the stupid cat, I want a turn!" He whined, once again reminding me of the fact that Naruto was a child. Even as he spoke my mind flashed through every interaction we'd ever had with Tora, how she tensed in Shino's presence, and hissed at Naruto and Kakashi everytime they stepped near.

I was the only one of my team with any real experience handling a cat, having cared for multiple cat's in my first life (or rather, having been cared for by said cats). There was also the fact that the Uchiha clan had a close relationship with the Neko Clan, and that Kakashi, Naruto, and even Shino smelled other to them.

Meaning, quite simply, I was the only choice for this mission.

"...no," I decided, vetoing the option, "it'd probably go smoothest if it was me. How about you lead the next mission though, okay?" There, that should placate him.

"...I guess."

Week 4

"I think the best plan would be to use your shadow clones, Naruto. Shino can find the plants amongst the weeds and I'll burn the trash with my fire ninjutsu."

"...whatever." Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms. I just raised my brow at him.

"...do you have a better idea?"

"...no."

"Well," I pushed, trying to get past this bout of adolescent drama. "If you don't have anything better, then maybe we should try my way?"

"Ylwysgtyrwy." He mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

He paused, seeming to struggle with himself, before forging forward. "I said, 'you always get your way!' And I'm sick of it!"

I blinked at Naruto, before turning to Shino and Kakashi, "did I do something wrong?" I asked them, bewildered. Shino just shook his head in the negative while Kakashi melted into the surrounding estate.

"GAH!" Naruto screamed, face red, "you-you're such a, a control-freak!" He shot out, like it was the gravest insult in the world. I just narrowed my eyes at him, half in confusion and half in anger. That wasn't really an adjective I'd prescribe to myself...at all, and yet, there was no doubt that Naruto said it with the intention of causing me pain. Was he really that pissed that I'd been calling the shots?

I thought we'd agreed to let me be team leader? Still, if it was for the cohesion of the group, I wouldn't mind stepping aside.

"If you wanted to be team leader," I muttered, "you just had to ask."

Naruto just stared at me, brows furrowed, before snorting and walking away. I watched him leave with a sense of confusion.

"What's going on?"

Shino just shook his head.

Week 5

"I hate him."

"What'd he do this time?" My brother questioned. I just shot him a Look. "Hn." he nodded in commiseration, "that sucks."

"I just don't get it! Everything was fine a few weeks ago! Well," I corrected, seeing Sasuke's incredulous expression, "maybe not fine. But we were trudging along! He was listening to us, at least."

"Did anything happen?" He pushed, "to set the dobe off?"

I just shook my head in confusion, there was nothing I could think of to explain Naruto's sudden hostility. One moment we were celebrating our new genin-status, stumbling through annoying D-ranks; the next Naruto was giving me the stink-eye and blatantly ignoring any plans I made.

There had to be a reason, he wasn't so chaotic as to lash out without cause. Problem was I didn't know the reason. Had been wracking my brain for the last week trying to figure it out!

"I don't even know if it's something I did," I whined, "how am I meant to fix it if I don't know what's wrong?!"

"Have you tried asking him?" A voice called from the kitchen, causing me to jump a foot in the air. I turned a sheepish look on my mother who just sent me an indulgent smile, "I know a thing or two about Uzumaki's," she chuckled, "I'm sure he'll be all too vocal about what's bothering him, if you just ask."

I blushed at the slight reprimand. True, that probably should have been my first step. But it'd been years since I'd had to forge a new friendship, my last one being Shino when we were seven. I was no longer used to this idea that I couldn't just look at a person and know what they were thinking. I nodded, "I'll pull him aside tomorrow...and ask."

"You keep shooting down my ideas!" Naruto yelled at me the second I pulled him aside to ask about his recent anger.

"No I don't!" I rebutted, defensive.

"Yes you do! You just did it there!"

"No I-" I quickly swallowed my words, beginning to see the problem. "...oh." Naruto just continued to glare at me until I elaborated. "I guess I do," I reluctantly admitted, "I-I'm sorry," I whispered. Naruto's jaw dropped in shock. "I've always had that problem, I don't know why but it's just easier to say 'no' and move on when I have a different plan in my head. I tend to forget that most people find it rude and hurtful if you dismiss them like that."

"What do you mean?" Naruto questioned, brows scrunched up.

"I don't say it as a rejection," I explained, "I don't mean it like 'no, that's stupid. Stop talking.' More like, when you're going through a bunch of food choices? Do I want sushi, ramen or Korean Barbeque tonight? And you go, 'no, no, yes!' If that makes sense?"

"That makes no sense!" Naruto shot out, disgusted, "why would you choose Barbeque over Ramen?!"

I just snorted. "Hn. Anyway, I'm sorry about shooting you down, I'll try to be better about it...but Naruto," I pleaded, "you have to tell me when something's bothering you! You have to tell me what's bothering you. I can't work on it, otherwise."

"...m'kay," the boy mumbled trying to hide his grin.

What's he smiling about?

Week 7

Shino stood at attention, watching his team deliver their report to the Hokage. Another mission; successful. Ever since Naori had pulled Naruto aside 2 weeks ago their teamwork had skyrocketed. He was not privy as to the exact nature of their discussion.

Naori had felt that, given the one-sided hostility between Naruto and himself, sharing sensitive information may be perceived as a betrayal. Shino's thoughts ran down an entirely different track.

She's embarrassed.

It was only due to this improved teamwork that Shino didn't step in when Naruto so brazenly demanded a higher ranked assignment. 2 weeks ago he would have doubted his cell's ability to handle such a task, but now?

"And what say you, Aburame Shino? Do you feel, as your two teammates, that you are ready for a C-rank?"

Now he was confident they would prevail at any task thrown their way.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. I believe we have been sufficiently prepared for such a mission."

The Hokage just nodded and motioned to someone behind the door, "great! Your job will be to escort Tazuna here to his home village in Wave. And oversee the completion of the bridge he his building." At that moment an...intoxicated individual stumbled into the office and began slingling slurs at Shino and his comrades.

He clamped down on his anger, if the glint in Naori's eye was any indication then she already had a plan. She wouldn't appreciate him interfering before she had the chance to execute it. But after? Well, he had been meaning to practice his genjutsu.

"Yahoo! A C-rank, a C-rank! We just got a C-rank! Come on guys, let's celebrate!"

Of course, for every positive action there was a negative counteraction, or so went one of the many scientific adages Naori had spouted to him over the years. In this case their new mission was weighed down by the over-exuberance of their loudest teammate.

I had gotten cocky.

I didn't think I did cocky, I always imagined myself more the aloof strategist-like a Nara-carefully planning my moves, never being stupid enough to underestimate my opponent. But I'd forgotten that even Shikamaru had been cocky as a genin.

The problem was those "demon brothers" we'd faced. They'd been far too easy to dispatch, it had given me a false sense of competency. I hadn't considered what a poor match-up it'd been. Their puddle had glowed to my Sharingan, and Shino knew my body language well enough to send Kikaichu to the "water" without my having to signal him.

The match had been over before it had even begun.

And I had gone and erroneously thought we could do the same with Zabuza.

Not beat him-I wasn't that stupid-but affect him in some manner, slow him down a bit. Be a help rather than a hindrance.

I had failed, however, to take into consideration just how powerful a Jounin is. We had been no help at all, if anything we'd done worse than the original Team 7. My Sharingan and Shino's Kikachu standing out enough on a battlefield.

Zabuza had known exactly what we could do before I'd even taken a step. And my magnetic tricks weren't nearly powerful enough to affect something with a hefty mass, like Zabuza's sword. Not that I would dare risk getting close enough to try.

I'd stupidly thought I could still be of some help throwing out genjutsu after genjutsu. Never realizing that our lives were ours by the grace of God and the whims of a demon. A whim which was quick to change the second I got "annoying."

It was years of training and magic-voodoo eyes that saw my head stayed attached to my shoulders. And Kakashi, riding in like a white knight, of course. Sadly he wasn't fast enough to prevent me from earning the injury due me (a la my hubris). And now I sported a lovely scar across my right arm to showcase my conceit.

I still can't believe I'd been stupid enough to get cocky.

"What do you mean, 'gaurd the bridge builder'?"

"Excatly what I said."

"B-but," I sputtered, indignant, "but you're training them!" I stressed, "can't we take turns? Switch out? I want to train too!" What kind of BS was this? No offense to Shino or Naruto, but I was currently the strongest of the 3 of us, and my Sharingan were the only chance we had against Haku's ice mirrors!

Kakashi had to have known this! Maybe not that Haku was part of the Yuki clan, but he should have picked up on his speed, at least, and concluded that I was the only chance we had!

"Hmm, tell me Naori, what did you do wrong in our last battle?"

"Wrong?"

"Yes. You're observant, smart," Kakashi muttered eyes drilling into me, "surely you don't still think that you took the best course of action?"

The problem wasn't that I didn't know what I did wrong. The problem was that the list was so long, I didn't know where to start. "I got cocky?" I questioned, voice unsure.

"How so?"

"You told us to stay with Tazuna, and I did, but I also thought I could help, and started sending genjutsu at Zabuza?"

"And why was that wrong?"

"...cause he was expecting it?" It's the only thing that made sense, even if he's a Jounin it should have taken him a second to recognize my trap. But he was almost expecting the genjutsu. Ready to throw it off with enough chakra to leave me light headed.

"Of course he was expecting it," Kakashi grumbled, "he's a jounin-level shinobi, and genjutsu isn't as rare as you seem to think. Even if it was, you walk around with your clan symbol on your back; do you truly think he wouldn't assume an Uchiha knows genjutsu?"

"...no?"

A sigh. "That wasn't the problem, regardless. Even if Zabuza hadn't expected the genjutsu, even if you'd managed to catch him unawares, that would have been the wrong move. Why?"

Why? I couldn't think of a reason why it would be wrong if it had worked?! Genjustu was a perfect opening move, and in a situation like this when your opponent severely outranks you it is perhaps the only viable option. I told Kakashi exactly that.

"That's true, if you were in a situation where you had to face Momochi in battle, then your best move would be misdirection and retreat." Kakashi frowned, exuding disappointment, "you, however, were in a situation where you did not need to face him in battle, can you tell me why?"

"...you were there?"

"Right. I was there, more than that I was handling it." A low growl, "beyond even that, I gave you an order. I didn't tell you to 'stay with Tazuna' I told you to 'protect the bridgebuilder!' Do you think I just like to hear my own voice? That I speak for the hell of it, giving no real thought to my words?"

"...no."

"Then what, do you believe you know better than me? A jounin with over 20 years of combat experience?"

I shrunk deep into my shirt, cheeks blazing read. "No," I whispered, embarrassment coating my words. "I just-"

"You just what?!" He shot out, causing me to flinch. I tried to hide my reaction, tried to push down the tears building in my eyes. I would not cry! Especially not because I was embarrassed. Kakashi was right, I should have assumed he knew what he was doing. I shouldn't have thrown myself into battle when I could have avoided it. I don't even like fighting! And yet I jumped right in, why? Because I thought I could prevent something I wasn't even sure would happen? Stupid!

Something about my expression must have gotten to him, because Kakashi's eyes softened and he backed off. "...why do you think I asked you to protect the bridge builder?"

"...to keep us out of the fight."

"Well, yes," he admitted, "but why did I ask you, specifically?"

"I guess," I mumbled, "my reaction time is the best of us three...and with my sharingan I was the only one who stood a chance at seeing Zabuza coming." I did manage to dodge, after all. Even managed to pull Tazuna out of the way via mychakra strings.

Kakashi nodded, and I straightened up at the acknowledgement, "and," he pressed, "in light of that, why do you think I'm asking you to guard him now?" Oh. Oh I was so stupid. This wasn't about not training me, this wasn't about me at all.

"...you think I can see them coming."

"Well, I think you certainly have the best chance of your teammates, and since I have no guarantee that Zabuza won't come knocking here, nor do I have the chakra to send a Kage Bunshin to the bridge, you're currently our best bet. I'll hold down the fort here, and you'll keep an eye out there. Besides," he muttered, half under his breath, "despite that stunt you pulled, I still trust you to run if you can't win...I'm not quite sure I trust those other two with that, yet."

"Shino would run!" Naruto probably wouldn't, but there was only so much self preservation you can beat into someone's head in less than two months.

Kakashi just chuckled, "maybe if you weren't standing behind him."

"Huh?"

"Naori, that boy would not step aside if he knew he was standing between you and a threat that large. Especially not when he's probably blaming himself for your injury as we speak." I blushed again, this time for an entirely different reason. "Honestly, I don't know what the council was thinking, putting you on a team with him. Although, I suppose the other option was your brother, and lord knows how I'd handle having two Uchiha on my team."

"Ha ha, sensei, very funny. I'm off to guard Tazuna now. Oh," I called over my shoulder, smile cutting across my face, "have fun telling Shino you sent me off to act as a scout...alone." I chuckled all the way to the bridge, he may just be a genin, but Shino was scary when he was pissed. Something Kakashi was well aware of if his whispered curse was any indication.

I was glad Kakashi'd sent me.

When all was said and done, and I'd had a chance to reflect on the encounter all I could think was that I was glad I'd been the first point of contact. Not because I did anything great, I did exactly as Kakashi had instructed me; I'd pushed Tazuna and I into a defensible position, and immediately set off a flare.

No. I was glad because Zabuza was the kind of person who loved to lecture. Naruto, or even Shino, would have ended up in battle with him. Me? I ended up in an argument.

"Why are you doing this? I read your file, you tried to assassinate the Mizukage. You killed your a whole class to end the Bloody Mist tradition! You aren't a demon," I spat, "you're a revolutionary." That wasn't quite true, of course, one could easily be both a demon and a revolutionary. But part of me had always been curious about Zabuza's motivation, curious about why this man would choose to target Tazuna when he himself was a freedom-fighter, of sorts.

Zabuza just laughed, "such an idealist. You speak as if there's a difference. Demon? Revolutionary? It's all the same. You call yourself a shinobi, but you have such a stigma attached to death. It's kill or be killed, that's the world we live in." This was good, he was talking. I'd had no guarantee that he'd bother with the talking thing, was rather worried he'd go straight into the 'slashing' bit.

"No." I argued, fists shaking. "That's just an easy lie we tell ourselves. 'The weak die and the strong survive.' A lie that's only true because the strong turn around and kill the weak. But the thing is, they don't have to." It was only here, miles away from my home village, with a man who would just as easily murder me, that I felt comfortable saying these things. Felt comfortable sharing truths that I'd known since before I was born. The circle of hatred? The path of a shinobi? The whole system was stupid, and built upon the flawed logic that if you didn't kill your enemy today, he would murder you tomorrow.

Hashirama had seen this, had noticed the flaw, had capitalized on the idea of friendship, as corny as it sounds. After all, if the Senju stopped killing the Uchiha, the Uchiha would have no reason to fight, and if they had no reason to fight, then-miracle of miracles-the fighting would stop.

It wasn't perfect, even in my old world there were wars and battles over things that just could not be left alone. And I even supported some of those battles, injustice needs to be stopped, after all. That being said there was still this understanding that peace was the end goal. This universal acceptance that we fight today so our children won't have to tomorrow.

That wasn't even a thought here!

No, if anything, we fight today so that our children will have a better military position, tomorrow.

"Such pretty words for such an ugly profession. Where will your pretty words be during your first assassination? Or when your facing down an enemy who has just killed your friend? Where will your pretty words be today, I wonder, when fighting for your life?"

I swallowed, sweat pouring down my forehead, and made an oath that was bound to get me killed one day. But, then again, I'd already died once, I knew there were worse things to die for than your convictions. "They're not just words," I swore, "they're my nindo. I swear on everything I ever was, and will ever be, I will not take a life!"

"You're a ninja, girl. You kill when asked, for any reason. And sometimes for no reason at all. To refuse to kill in this world is madness."

I grit my teeth.

I knew this, I knew what kind of world we lived in, what kind of life we'd lead. Still, for all that it seemed insane to others I couldn't let this lie, not when every particle in my being was screaming that there was another way. I suddenly recalled an old tale, of a mad Spaniard who wished nothing more than to become a Knight errant and quell darkness where e're he tread. And unbidden a quote sprung to mind, "too much sanity may be madness," I agreed, eyes burning with righteous fury, "and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be."

Zabuza was smart, and a rebel at heart, I could see the understanding shining in his eyes. Not agreement, no, he still thought me insane. But understanding. After all, it wasn't the sane ones that changed the world.

"Well, let's just see how far that conviction takes you." A slash, and-

CLANG

-Kakashi, right on cue. This time I decided I didn't mind him playing the role of the white knight.

Especially not when the two of them started moving at speeds that my sharingan could no longer keep up with. Which, let me tell you, doesn't just happen. I've had these bad boys for about four years now, I knew a thing or two about how they worked. And unless you were moving at speeds to rival Itachi-nii (or Shisui, of course) I'd be able to catch your every twitch.'

Yet, with those two? Nada.

All my eyes were good for, at that point, was seeing through the increasingly building mist. And noticing the battle between Shino and Haku happening on the other side of the bridge. I jolted towards them before freezing, I had a standing order to guard Tazuna, I couldn't just rush to Shino's side. Especially, not after Kakashi had just chewed me out about this exact scenario.

"This sucks," I muttered under my breath, ignoring the slightly scandalized look Tazuna shot me. Shinobi were dukeing it out in front of him, and he was worried about my language? Talk about priorities.

"Would you like to go help your friend?" Okay, I took it back. Tazuna was great.

"Hn," I nodded, eyes focused on the spot my sensei used to be, "but I can't. I have orders to guard you and this is currently the safest place on the bridge." Not too mention I wasn't actually sure how much help I could be. I was fast, sure, fast enough to keep up with Haku on foot, even. But Haku using his kekkei genkai abilities? Well, I played 'dodge the kunai' enough that I felt I could comfortably dodge. But that's about it, and that doesn't help anyone.

"...I won't have you kids dying on account of me. I should never have dragged you into this in the first place, if you think you can help that boy, then I say go for it."

The problem was that I couldn't help Shino. Not with those mirrors up, after all, they were all but impervious to fire. And it took a jinchuriki-level punch to break through them. I don't have that kind of power, and even if I did, Haku could just reform his mirrors.

None of my science knowledge was any help, either. Rather than solutions it just gave me flaws to every theory I could come up with. Use sound waves to break up the mirror? There are too many imperfections, you'd have to constantly change the amplitude. Increase the temperature of my flames? Chakra could only insulate so much energy, I'd roast myself from the inside out. Try and generate electricity and smash the mirrors a la lightning? There was water. Everywhere.

In the end I was forced to accept that this simply wasn't my area of expertise. I wasn't a melee fighter, not really, and I'd never wanted to be. My skills had always lain in...genjustsu. That's it!

"I have an idea!" I yelled at Tazuna, pulling him with me away from Kakashi's fight, and towards Shino's. I didn't need to break the mirrors, Shino didn't even need to break the mirrors, he just had to get his kikaichu onto Haku. Those crafty bugs would do the rest.

I couldn't catch Haku in a genjutsu, even assuming he wasn't expecting it-which would be stupid considering my attempts during my last fight-he was simply too fast for my chakra to latch on to him. But that's fine, I wasn't trying to catch Haku in a genjutsu. Instead, I shot my chakra forward-through the mirrors-and latched on to Shino.

We'd practiced this before, it was the only reason I'd felt remotely comfortable using it mid-battle. Ever since I'd first learned that the simplest of all genjutsu was just overlaying your own sense onto your opponent (and so causing them to be wildly confused when they saw what you did, instead of what they should) I'd wanted to try this.

When I unlocked my sharingan it became one of the first experiments I ran, and Shino was only all too happy to be my test-subject.

On anyone else it would be horribly discombobulating to suddenly see themselves from outside the ice mirrors, but to Shino who relied more on his kikachu than something as doubtful as sight it was barely an annoyance. Add in the fact that I had my sharingan on, and Shino now had a side view of the slow-moving Haku, and it suddenly became a boon.

It took another five minutes, but eventually our gambit paid off. And Haku laid in the center of his crumbling ice pillar, all but chakraless.

"When?" He muttered, confused.

Shino was only too happy to explain, describing the exact method with which his kikaichu had been able to slip up Haku's sleeves. Completely hidden by my second genjutsu which made them appear all but invisible. (They still flickered when they flew, but I was working on it.) He left out the part about using my sharingan to mentally slow down Haku's movements, and predict his flight pattern, thereby allowing his kikaichu the ability to lay in wait at the relevant mirrors.

No need to share all our secrets, after all.

Haku hung his head in shame, apologizing to his master. I pretended to turn a blind eye to his tears, looking, instead, for my blond teammate. "Where is he?" I questioned, now that I had a chance to think, "he was with you guys when the flares went off, right? So..."

"Naruto shall not be joining us, why?" Shino answered, lighting glinting off his glasses, "it was determined that Tazuna's family may in fact be targeted by Gato's men. Naruto volunteered to stay behind and act as their bodyguards."

"Volunteered?" That, didn't seem right? Naruto was the type of person who would have wanted to be where the action was guaranteed. Shino was more likely to think about the rationality of staying behind, and his abilities were more suited for it, anyways. What with his kikaichu hating water, and all that.

"Yes, after listening to my arguments he agreed that it made more sense for him to stay behind."

"Hmm," I mused, "and what argument was this, exactly?" Shino just blushed, turning away from me. Before I had the chance to interigate him further, however a screeching sound shot through the air. I could barely cover my ears as a thousand chirps carried on the wind. "Chidori," I swore under my breath. I don't care how useful that ability was, it was damn loud!

"Zabuza-sama!"

SWISH

thud

"...I may have overreacted a bit."

It had been instinctive, Haku had flinched upward at the sound of Kakashi's signature move. And while, logically, I knew he couldn't do anything without his chakra, I still wasn't taking any chances. With barely a thought I sent my senbon flying, in an ironic parrot of Haku's own style. He'd dropped like a sack of rocks, unconscious (I didn't have the skill to mimic his 'death state' but I did have enough to incapacitate without killing.)

And that pretty much ended that.

Sensei was able to successfully land his killing blow, Gato showed up, but no matter how many goons he had we were still three relatively uninjured shinobi. Naruto managed to capture his thugs, and all was well that ended well.

Well, almost.

"What's going to happen with Haku?" I questioned, worry lining my tone, "he's technically not a nuke-nin, right? Since he never entered the Mist academy?"

"The truth or the lie?" Kakashi asked with the utmost nonchalance.

I knew what he was really asking, but couldn't help but bite the bullet. I never did well with living a lie. "The truth, please."

"He'll be given fire nation citizenship, he is technically seeking asylum from a genecide."

"...but," I pressed.

"...but it's unlikely that he'll accept. He's just lost his reason for living, either he'll find another one, or..."

He left it unsaid, but I knew what he was getting at.

My heart sank.

While Naruto was busy cheering about the bridge being named after him, while Shino was busy recalling the kikaichu he'd hidden in the village, while Kakashi was busy dealing with Haku's transfer, I was having an epiphany.

It didn't matter.

Whether on the bridge, by Kakashi's hand, or in a room by his own, Haku was going to die.

And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

It was then that I had a thought, a simple thought, but one that would get me killed if I'd ever uttered it. One I knew I could never share. And yet a thought that was so true it resonated with my very being, coursed through my veins and reached up as if to strangle me with it's accuracy.

I HATE this world.

It was a thought I'd have many times over the course of my life, one that would come to define my every action over time. But one that, for now, I thought was harmless enough.

I was wrong, but then again, who ever heard of a harmless shinobi?