Tempered in Water
Chapter 3 / Bloody Vows
By HitokiriOTD
"You… You're a girl!" Uzumaki Naruto yelled, clearly flabbergasted at this revelation. Haku could not help but wince as the young genin loudly proclaimed her true gender to anyone within hearing range--which, given the volume of Naruto's voice, was significant.
"Yes," Haku confirmed.
"But… In the forest, you said…" Naruto trailed off. There were few things that could prompt Konoha's most infamous prankster to be at a loss for words, but apparently this new revelation was one of them.
"I lied," the injured girl admitted. "It was nothing personal... just a habit." If he asked why she had such a habit, what was she to do? Haku did not think that she was up to explaining the reasons behind her misdirection quite yet.
Naruto banished her worries with a laugh. "I'm so relieved," Naruto sighed after he had finished laughing. Haku cocked her head in puzzlement. "When I first saw you, I thought you were prettier than Sakura-chan," the boy explained, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Then you told me you were a boy…" he shivered dramatically. "But now I know you really are a girl, so it's not weird or anything anymore!" Naruto crossed his arms and nodded his head authoritatively.
Despite the trauma that had occurred in the past few days, Haku couldn't help but laugh softly at Naruto's words. Somehow, Naruto had managed to briefly banish the melancholy that had built up within Haku with just a few irrelevant words. It took a moment for her to realize that Naruto was laughing with her. She paused in consideration. Did he do it on purpose? Seeing the humor leave Haku's face, Naruto stopped laughing and moved to sit at her bedside.
"I'm sorry," Naruto murmured. His eyes were shadowed.
Memories of the battle abruptly came to the forefront of her mind. The remains of Haku's good cheer evaporated. "It's alright," she replied quietly. "It was what I wanted." The nukenin paused and looked down at her hands. They had been cleaned while she was unconscious, even her nail polish, and they bore no signs of the recent battle. Looking at her delicate hands, it would be nearly impossible to guess that those long, slender fingers had choked the life out of men. Nearly impossible, until they turned her hands over and saw the calluses that developed while learning and practicing a shinobi's trade. "Why did I survive?" she asked after a moment.
Naruto grinned weakly. "I ended up missing anything too serious, and Kakashi-sensei and the doctors here were able to save your life," he answered her. His grin faded when she didn't reply. Naruto cursed himself internally. Damn it! I just had to open my big mouth and make her depressed again… Sakura-chan is right. I am an idiot.
"And Zabuza-san? What happened to Zabuza-san?" It took Naruto a moment to realize that she had asked a question, so quiet was her voice. Naruto's hands gripped his orange pants tightly in a white-knuckled grip. He knew that the answer would break Haku. But he couldn't lie to her either.
Defeated, Naruto answered her question. "Kakashi-sensei killed him," he said dully. "Gatou came to double-cross you guys and kill Tazuna. He brought a bunch of mercenaries, but I killed Gatou and the mercenaries ran when the islanders came to help us." Naruto no longer flinched when he thought about being responsible for Gatou's death.
That man had been a true monster in a way that was completely different from the Kyuubi. Besides, Gatou was responsible for the whole mess Team Seven had become embroiled in. Without him, the people of the Wave would not have had to suffer so much, and Zabuza and Haku wouldn't have tried to kill Tazuna. Zabuza wouldn't have met a swift end at the hands of Kakashi-sensei. Haku wouldn't have become a broken shell of a person.
He no longer flinched… but sometimes, in the depths of the night, he would remember the terror in the man's eyes, the sound of his screams, just before his head was gruesomely separated from his body. Naruto remembered that moment very well.
"I… see." Haku showed little physical reaction to the news, but Naruto thought he could see her eyes grow bleaker.
Haku felt… numb. She couldn't deal with the reality conveyed by Naruto's words. Zabuza-san, dead? That could not be true. It was impossible; a bad dream. Surely, Naruto-kun was joking around, or was lying, or something other than telling the truth.
But Naruto was not laughing. Nor was he smiling. If anything, his face was twisted into a pained grimace. "I'm sorry," he said again, and Haku could see the sincerity and the honest regret in his eyes.
Zabuza-san…
It hit her like a punch to the gut. Zabuza-san is dead. Her mentor, her savior, her entire reason for existence, was dead. She had failed him on a scale that she had not believed possible. She had sworn to him that she would be his weapon, a powerful tool that would allow him to accomplish his dreams. Instead, she had been defeated. Because she was too weak, Zabuza-san had been killed.
Why did it turn out like this?
What cruel twist of fate had allowed her to live and Zabuza-san to die? Was it because she had been too soft on Naruto-kun and that dark-haired boy? Perhaps it was because she had coaxed Naruto-kun into ending her existence, or at least trying to. It's their fault, Haku grimly decided. If we hadn't met them, Zabuza-san might still be alive. If I had killed Naruto-kun when I had the chance…Abruptly, Haku cut off that train of thought. She shivered, and not because of a draft either. Her thoughts had taken a very dangerous turn, and she was suddenly acutely aware of Naruto-kun, sitting silently on her right.
Haku turned her head slightly to regard the blond ninja. He was regarding her with that same solemn, regretful expression that he had delivered the news of Zabuza-san's death to her with. She felt almost ill for having such treacherous thoughts. Even if the boy had been a part of Zabuza-san's death, she knew that he held no malice. Nor had he been entirely to blame for taking her out of the action. She was the one who had convinced him that his friend was dead, and she was the one who had later persuaded him to kill her. It isn't Naruto-kun's fault, she told herself firmly. But there was something within Haku that didn't want to believe that. It wanted someone to blame, and Naruto was nearby and convenient…
"Naruto-kun," she suddenly spoke. The genin started in surprise, having grown used to the silence. "Will you… give me some time alone?"
He blinked in surprise. "Sure," he agreed. "I'll come back later, okay?" Naruto rose from his seat and headed towards the door. He stopped in the doorway. "Haku," he began, turning back towards her. She looked up. Naruto's smile was small but earnest. "I'm glad you're alive."
Naruto left, closing the door quietly as he went. Behind him, a raven-haired girl stared at the door in wide-eyed surprise. A few moments passed before the girl began to weep in silence.
Naruto found Sakura waiting for him outside the doctor's home. She looked up as he emerged. "How is he?" she asked.
"She's fine," Naruto answered.
A brief silence followed before Sakura asked, "She?"
"Yeah," Naruto said. "Apparently, Haku is a girl." Naruto began walking back towards Tazuna's house.
"Hey!" Sakura exclaimed. She quickly jogged after him before slowing to match his pace when she caught up. How rude, she thought indignantly. It was clear that Naruto was hardly paying attention to her. Her irritation at being brushed off by Naruto of all people quickly caused her to forget her resolve to avoid him.
"Where's Kakashi-sensei?" he asked absently.
"He stayed behind. He said that Tazuna-san shouldn't be left alone, so he sent me after you," Sakura answered promptly. After a moment, she remembered that she should be giving Naruto the cold shoulder for being so rude earlier. Her silent treatment, which Naruto didn't even notice, lasted all of twenty seconds before curiosity got the better of Sakura. "How come the doctors never said Haku was a girl?" she asked Naruto.
He shrugged, "They thought we already knew." The conversation died out there.
Naruto and Sakura spent the rest of the walk back to Tazuna's house, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
They found Kakashi and Tazuna waiting for them when they returned. Surprisingly, Sasuke was also up. The injured Uchiha was sitting at the dining table, casually sipping some hot broth Tsunami had made for him. Sakura immediately rushed to his side with a cry of "Sasuke-kun!" which the dark haired boy ignored. Tazuna and the other two members of Team Seven tuned out the spectacle.
"Naruto," Kakashi greeted. "How is Haku?"
"She seems to be recovering," Naruto replied neutrally. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the revelation that Haku was female. Internally, he chuckled. Sasuke won't be happy to learn that he was beaten by a girl, he thought irreverently. Naruto ignored the suddenly mischievous twinkle that had developed in Kakashi's eye. "I don't think she took the news about that no-brow very well though…" Naruto bit his lip, suddenly apprehensive. What would Haku do, now that Zabuza was dead?
"Hmm…" Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "Well, it can't be helped," he said after a moment. "How she deals with it is her choice, isn't it? As long as she doesn't come after us for revenge, everything is fine." Naruto frowned, but nodded reluctantly. He didn't want Haku to suffer anymore than she already had, but he also didn't see how he could help her deal with her grief. Naruto shook his head, banishing thoughts of Haku's plight and his own role in it. No time to think about it now, he told himself.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei," he called to his teacher. "What should I do today?"
"You're staying here today," Kakashi told his student. Seeing Naruto's mouth open to complain, Kakashi cut him off before he could protest. "Naruto, you've been working constantly for the past few days. Now that I'm up and Sasuke can walk under his own power again, you can take a break. Sakura and I will accompany Tazuna-san today."
Naruto's look remained petulant as he folded his arms. "But, Kakashi-sensei…" he whined.
Kakashi sighed. "Look, think about it like this," he said. "It's important for shinobi to work hard and persevere, but it is also important for a shinobi to know when to relax. Burnout happens to ninja. That's another reason why we operate in teams: so that a shinobi doesn't have to do everything by himself," Kakashi gave him a pointed look, and Naruto once again found himself reluctantly agreeing with his teacher.
Teamwork, Naruto realized. It was Kakashi's most important lesson to his students. Naruto felt ashamed that he had nearly forgotten that in his desire to grow stronger. The bell test had been a humbling lesson, and one that he should not forget. After all, no matter how strong he became, as a Konoha shinobi teamwork would always be critical. When he became Hokage, it would be even more critical. A Hokage who forgot the values of teamwork would only end up getting his subordinates killed.
Naruto remembered Team Seven's first encounter with Zabuza. Hadn't Kakashi, despite his superior skill, been outmaneuvered by Zabuza? Yet, for all of Zabuza's strength, he himself had been outmaneuvered by two rookie genin. Naruto's cunning plan had required Sasuke's assistance to work. Their teamwork had forced the eyebrow-less jounin to release Kakashi-sensei from the water prison. Right, he decided. I won't forget again.
"Right!" Naruto agreed with his sensei's words, smiling brightly. Kakashi smiled back.
"Sakura," Kakashi called casually. "Let's go."
"Eh!?" Clearly, Sakura was not happy about being dragged away from Sasuke. The boy in question, however, looked relieved enough that it showed through his stoic mask.
"Not 'eh,'" Kakashi mimicked. "You're still on duty. Let's go." Reluctantly, Sakura was parted from Sasuke. Tazuna and his two accompanying ninja left for the bridge.
Uchiha Sasuke casually put down his spoon, finished with his early morning meal. He ignored the twinges of pain that even that slight movement produced. Sasuke frowned as he looked at Naruto. The dobe was still standing there like the idiot he was, staring in silence at the floor, as he had the entire time since Kakashi and Sakura had left. Clearly, the idiot was straining his mental capacity to the point of collapse and he had no brain power left to multitask. Whatever had caused the normally loud blond to be so thoughtful, Sasuke didn't know. However, he could guess, and Naruto had been like that since he had returned from visiting Haku.
Thoughts of Haku changed Sasuke's mild frown into a dark scowl. Thinking of the masked shinobi that had defeated him always brought a bad taste to his mouth—though that might have just been acid reflux from Tsunami's cooking. Sasuke rather doubted it was the second reason. He could remember with bitter clarity how completely the other shinobi had outclassed him. There was even his incredibly embarrassing rescue of Naruto. What had possessed him to save that idiot in the first place?
The feelings he had felt at the time had already been forgotten in a tide of bitterness and envy. He didn't remember the feeling that had risen up inside of him when it looked like he was going to see another important person die in front of him. Naruto's defeat of Haku had buried the memory that he had even considered Naruto to be an important person—a friend, a teammate, a rival, and someone who shared the pain of being an orphan.
There was one good thing that had emerged from that battle, and it was the one good thing that Sasuke could recall. His Sharingan had awoken. The feeling had been incredible. Enabling his bloodline changed the way he perceived the world. In the battle with Haku, it had even allowed him to catch some of the faster ninja's movements. It had changed the tide of the battle; of that, Sasuke was sure. Had Naruto not been in the way, Sasuke had no doubts that he would have crushed Haku. The power of the Sharingan undoubtedly surpassed Haku's bloodline limit. Finally, after all these years, his Sharingan had manifested and he had taken the first truly significant step on the road to killing Itachi.
Now that he had the Sharingan, he would be able to put Naruto in his place. The blond continued to dream that he could surpass Sasuke, a genius born from the Uchiha clan. For a while, in the aftermath of the bridge battle, Sasuke had harbored his own doubts. But he no longer doubted himself. Even if the blond did have some hidden talent or special power, the Sharingan would not let Sasuke down. Special power, Sasuke thought, his eyes narrowing. Sakura had said something about Naruto's battle with Gatou's thugs… something about a special power.
"Naruto," Sasuke said, snapping the blond out of his reverie.
"Sasuke?" he asked quizzically. Naruto was surprised. Normally, he was the one to initiate dialogue with the Uchiha.
Sasuke uncharacteristically hesitated. He felt stupid even asking. Naruto, have a special power? It was ridiculous. Still…
Sasuke gasped, "Died?" He quickly brought his head up to stare at Sakura. "Did Naruto kill him?"
Sakura hesitated, but Sasuke's gaze bored intensely into her. "I don't know the details, but…" she trailed off briefly, not able to meet Sasuke's gaze, "It seems like he did."
Sasuke turned to stare at Haku's still form, and then to Naruto, whose hands were stained red with blood.
"Sakura told me about your fight with Gatou's men," Sasuke said abruptly, watching Naruto through dark, narrowed eyes. Naruto flinched, causing Sasuke's eyes to narrow further. Could he really have a special power? "She said you used some sort of strange power. What was it?"
Naruto was deeply conflicted. He knew that Sakura had seen something on the bridge—he remembered their late night conversation all too well—but he had no idea that she would have spoken about that to Sasuke. What did she tell him? But then, did he really want Sasuke to have an inkling about the Kyuubi's presence within him? Sakura having a piece of the puzzle was bad enough as it was. Naruto had no doubts that Sasuke would hold it against him if he found out about it.
Naruto laughed, causing Sasuke to twitch in anger. "Special power?" Naruto mocked, amused. "Me?" he laughed again. Slowly, his laughter faded and he looked seriously at Sasuke, whose hands were folded tightly together in anger. "I wish I had a special power," Naruto said. All I have is a curse. "The first thing I'd do with it is beat you up." Naruto smirked at his rival. Sasuke sneered back. "Sakura-chan probably just couldn't see well because of the mist," Naruto reasoned. Seeing Sasuke nod, Naruto relaxed slightly. His insides had wound up tightly in nervousness without him knowing it. "If that's all, I'm going out to train."
Sasuke watched the other genin leave. Of course Naruto doesn't have any special powers, except maybe stupidity. Sasuke felt oddly reassured. That's what happens when I listen to Sakura's babbling, he thought, disgusted with both the pink-haired kunoichi and himself. Slowly, Sasuke smiled. Things were starting to look up. He had obtained the Sharingan. No doubt Naruto's defeat of Haku was some sort of fluke, and killing a couple of non-ninja mercenaries was nothing important. It also looked like they had all but completed their first C-turned-A rank mission, since the main threats had been eliminated. Now all Sasuke had to do was recover, and then he could begin work on mastering the Sharingan.
Sasuke stood gingerly, ignoring his aching muscles as he did so, and deposited his bowl in the sink. On his way out of the kitchen he grabbed a peach. He slowly walked outside and began to leisurely stroll around the deck in order to exercise his legs, feeling oddly peaceful. The fruit was quite good, the sun was warm, and all was right with the world. Maybe I can get Kakashi to help me with my Sharingan, Sasuke mused, taking another bite out of the peach. He paused when he heard Naruto's voice. Curiously, he kept walking and turned the corner. Sasuke stopped, staring.
Naruto was training again. However, it was not like any training Sasuke had ever seen before. The dead-last was, like Sasuke, taking a casual stroll out in the nice weather. Unlike Sasuke, his walking was all done on top the blue-green coastal waters of the Wave Country. Sasuke was completely unaware of the way his features had steadily tightened into a snarl at the sight of Naruto walking on water. He was also not aware that he had crushed the peach in his tightened fist, or that his nails were digging furrows into his palm that would soon pierce through the skin.
Naruto…
Suddenly, the blonde's name seemed like a curse as it rang through Sasuke's mind.
Immediately after successfully diverting Sasuke's suspicions, Naruto had gone out to the deck and began training his chakra control once more. He had figured out how to successfully stand on water, but his control wasn't perfect yet. That had been made clear earlier, when he had lost control and fallen in after hearing that Haku had awakened. Naruto was determined to master the Suimen Hokou no Waza to the point where his control didn't waver, even under duress. If he ever had to fight on water, it wouldn't do if he fell in every time he was distracted. Besides, if he stayed on the water long enough it would become good stamina training as well.
Naruto felt a flash of killing intent. It wasn't nearly as potent as Zabuza's or Kakashi-sensei's had been, but it had manifested enough to attract his attention. He looked up quickly, trying to spot its source. He frowned when he saw nothing unusual. The killing intent was gone as well.
Was it just my imagination? Naruto wondered. Then he noticed that he had been distracted from the exercise, but had nonetheless managed to stay standing on the water. Naruto looked down at his feet, seeing the steady ripples of water emanating outward his feet, and grinned happily. My training is already producing results, he exulted. His grin grew wider as a new thought occurred to him. If that's the case, then let's try something different.
Konoha's number one most unpredictable ninja brought his hands up to form the seal for Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. A moment later, the distinctive, high-pitched sounds of Kage Bunshin forming, along with the accompanying bursts of smoke, announced the arrival of nearly twenty solid copies of Naruto. All of them stood as easily upon the water as the original did.
The greenish blue waters near Tazuna's seaside house quivered as twenty one shinobi sent their chakra into the water, creating ripples that spread out and began to batter against each other. Naruto stood still, listening to the sound of water rippling, moving, lapping against the shore. Naruto took a deep breath, taking in the cool, salty morning air. He grinned at his twenty reflections and made a fist.
"All right!" Naruto shouted, his grin turning slightly feral. "Let's go wild!"
Shouting and the sounds of fierce fighting quickly erupted behind Tazuna's home as Naruto and his Kage Bunshin engaged in close combat with each other.
When Kakashi, Sakura, and Tazuna returned home, they were met at the door by Tsunami and Inari. Tsunami smiled, greeting her father and his bodyguards warmly. Inari bounced up to Tazuna and launched into a rapid fire explanation of his day.
Sakura shook her head at the sight, thinking about how different Inari had become from when she had first met him. The sullen brat he had been had given way to a cheerful, talkative young boy. In fact, now that Sakura thought about it, he seemed to be changing into a miniature Naruto, at least personality wise. She didn't ponder things for long though. After all, Sasuke-kun was just inside.
Sasuke-kun was indeed just inside. In fact, it looked like he had hardly moved since she had left him in the morning. He was sitting quietly, apparently reading one of Tazuna's books on architecture. Poor Sasuke-kun, she thought at the sight. He must have been so bored. Kakashi-sensei should have taken Naruto instead of her. Sasuke-kun shouldn't have been left alone with Naruto of all people. Shannaro! Inner Sakura punched her fist in the air, reflecting her frustration with this morning's turn of events.
Kakashi-sensei came up beside Sakura, startling her out of her thoughts. "Sasuke," he greeted the boy. "Where's Naruto?" Kakashi asked when Sasuke didn't reply. Sasuke lifted his hand to point towards the back of the house.
"Outside." There was a dark undertone to Sasuke's voice that the silver-haired jounin did not like. He frowned for a moment, eyeing his most talented student. Kakashi dismissed his momentary worry with the mental equivalent of a shrug.
"Ah, thanks," Kakashi turned and went back through the front door. As Kakashi made his way to the back of the house, he began to hear the sounds of combat. Naruto's voice rang out from multiple throats. As Kakashi turned the corner he saw over a dozen Naruto clones locked in what was apparently a prolonged taijutsu battle.
Naruto and his clones were panting furiously for breath, and all of them sported torn clothes and bruises. He's been at this for a while, Kakashi observed. Naruto's movements were uncharacteristically sluggish and his general condition hinted at a level of exhaustion that was rare in the blond genin, given his naturally high stamina.
The battle lasted another two minutes. Naruto and his remaining clones were all exhausted, but the desire for victory meant that none of them stayed on the defensive for long. Kakashi watched the final, chaotic brawl with a critical eye, noting the flaws in Naruto's technique. He needs help. Badly, was the conclusion that Kakashi came to. Naruto's taijutsu was incredibly sloppy. While that was something Kakashi had known, he had not known how terrible Naruto's form was. Watching Naruto fight what was essentially himself, without Sakura or Sasuke to draw Kakashi's attention away, showed Kakashi just how badly the blond genin's education had been screwed up.
There were only three left. One Naruto stood still on the water, glancing back and forth warily. Around him, two other Naruto clones circled slowly. They had apparently declared a temporary truce in order to get rid of the third Naruto. Sunlight beat down harshly, casting a fierce glare down upon the ocean. Blue green water reflected sunlight, the surface becoming nearly blinding to look at in some spots.
Beads of sweat rolled down Naruto's cheeks. More flowed down in forehead, dripping down into his eyes, but he dared not blink. He was hot, tired, and his muscles ached. He was also determined to finish things. Naruto kept his eyes on the Kage Bunshin in front of him, using his peripheral vision to study the reflections in the water. The glare may have been annoying and limited his visibility, but it also allowed him to see the reflection of Kage Bunshin behind him, even as distorted as the water was by ripples and other disturbances.
The circling Kage Bunshin charged simultaneously from opposite directions, hoping to exploit the defending Naruto's blind spot. However, Naruto did not stand still to receive the attack. The instant he saw the Kage Bunshin to both sides of him move, he abruptly launched himself to the right and made to attack one of the charging clones. His charge was met with a swift punch.
Naruto slapped the punch aside and moved inside the clone's guard, following up with a brutal hit to the hollow of the shadow clone's throat. The clone's esophagus collapsed and he popped out of existence. Naruto turned just in time to meet the second clone's charge, but he was a step too slow. The Kage Bunshin feinted, launching a fist at Naruto's solar plexus. Quickly, Naruto stepped back, his hands moving to intercept the oncoming punch.
This was exactly the reaction the shadow clone wanted. He quickly lashed out and swept Naruto's forward foot out from under him, causing the real Naruto to lose his balance and fall into the water. The clone grinned down at his distorted reflection, heady with triumph. He was still grinning when a trio of shuriken erupted from the water and pierced his body, causing the clone to explode in cloud of white smoke.
Naruto emerged from the water moments later. He laboriously used his hands to push himself above the water, wincing as he did so. For some reason, he felt a chilling sensation… It was as if he had been hit with shuriken. Naruto shrugged to himself as he staggered to his feet.
Despite his clear exhaustion, Kakashi noted that the blond genin was able to remain steady on the water. In fact, Kakashi had noticed that there had not been a single waver in control during any moment of the fight he had just witnessed. Considering that Naruto had only learned the skill that morning, his progress was nothing short of phenomenal, especially in view of the fact that Naruto was not what one would call the sharpest tack in the box.
Had it been Sakura, Kakashi would have taken it for granted that she would master the skill of water walking quickly. After all, her ability to control and mold her chakra was the greatest of her generation.
Kakashi had no doubt that the Uchiha would master the skill quickly as soon as he learned it. Sasuke was a genius of the infamous Uchiha clan, a prodigy who could master shinobi talents at speeds few could match. Of course, if his Sharingan was developed enough Sasuke would not have to learn how to walk on water—he could copy it from someone else.
Kakashi had already known of Naruto's enormous potential regarding his chakra reserves, but for a while it had seemed like that was all that Naruto had going for him as a ninja—stamina and bull-headed determination. The last of the Hatake family had come to know that Naruto had a tendency to defy expectations, but he had not realized how extensive this trait of Naruto's was. Over the course of this mission Naruto had changed dramatically, to the point where, appearances aside, it was difficult to recognize that the naïve boy who had left Konoha several weeks ago and the capable genin training on the water were the same person.
"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto greeted, acknowledging Kakashi's presence.
"Yo."
"When did you get back?" the blonde asked while he wrung the water from his jacket.
"Just now," Kakashi replied absently, his eye trained on his book, which he had quickly retrieved from his pouch before Naruto had noted his presence. Kakashi looked up from his book curiously when Naruto made no further attempts at conversation. Naruto was still trying to squeeze the water out of his jacket, and was apparently content to ignore his sensei. The jounin frowned at Naruto's back, considering whether or not he should offer his advice on the boy's taijutsu. Finally he shrugged to himself. I'll think of something when we get back to Konoha. He turned to go back inside.
"Naruto," Kakashi said, stopping as a thought occurred to him. "Now that Haku is awake, it's your responsibility to keep a watch on her." Considering the history between Sasuke and Haku, putting Sasuke on watch duty would likely end up with one or the other dead. He doubted that Sakura would be able to stop Haku, should the nukenin attempt anything.
That left Naruto and himself. Naruto was the best choice, since he was the one who had incapacitated Haku in the first place. Besides, those two seemed to share an understanding of some sort, so it was probably for the best. "She's still too weak to move much, so having the doctor and his family watch over her is fine for now. But, starting tonight, I need you to start keeping an eye on her."
"Right," Naruto said quietly. He frowned glumly as he looked out towards the blue horizon. Guilt curled in his chest as he thought about Haku. He wasn't looking forward to confronting her again… not at all.
Sakura stared uneasily at the dark, smooth surface of the wooden table. She fiddled with her fingers and smoothed out imaginary creases in her dress. Occasionally, Sakura would peek shyly at Sasuke, who sat across from her in what she had come to know his classic 'brooding' pose. Tazuna and his family were upstairs and Naruto and Kakashi were outside, doing who knows what.
They were alone together, which was great in Sakura's book. Unfortunately for Sakura, Sasuke was brooding with particular intensity. That meant that all of her attempts at conversation were ruthlessly shot down. When he caught her staring at him too long, he would snap at her. Sakura's happiness at being alone with Sasuke was rapidly plummeting into despair at being ignored by Sasuke.
Worst of all was that she had no idea why Sasuke was angry this time. He had not been so angry when she left in the morning, and she doubted that Inari or Tsunami could have upset him so much. That only left… Of course, Sakura sighed. Naruto. It made perfect sense to Sakura. Naruto had done something incredibly stupid or offensive again, and had gotten Sasuke angry. Having drawn her conclusions, Sakura stood up abruptly. Righteous anger was already filling her as she stalked (gracefully, of course—Sasuke-kun could still see her, after all) towards the door in order to hunt down Naruto.
"Sakura."
Sakura stopped as abruptly as she had started. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, turning towards her crush and favoring him with a sweet smile. The boy still didn't look at her, and after a few moments Sakura began to wonder if she was imagining things. Sasuke stared intensely at the wall opposite to him, and his hands clenched convulsively together in a white-knuckled grip for a brief moment. He relaxed visibly, letting out an inaudible sigh.
"Do you know how to walk on water?" he asked finally.
Sakura blinked. She hadn't been expecting a question like that. "Sure," she replied innocently. "Naruto begged Kakashi-sensei to teach us something new this morning, and we both learned it…" Sakura trailed off. If she had thought that Sasuke's glare was bad before, it was now several times worse. The young Uchiha was almost quivering with anger and frustration. Suddenly, it occurred to Sakura why Sasuke was mad. "But, I'm not very good at it, and it took Naruto forever to even get the basic concept down! He plunged into the water so many times, it was-"
"Sakura!" Sasuke interrupted her harshly. Quickly, the pink-haired girl ceased her babbling, staring at Sasuke with wide eyes. Sasuke held her gaze for a long moment, his eyes burning into hers, and not in a good way. "Shut up."
The kunoichi stared at Sasuke's back as he left the room. Her bottom lip quivered, and she bit it hard to stop its movement. The coppery taste of her own blood touched her tongue. Tears threatened to fall from suddenly watery eyes, and Sakura sniffled. She shook her head almost violently and urgently wiped her tears away. I'm not going to cry, Sakura thought fiercely to herself. I'm a ninja too.
"A shinobi must not show any emotion, in any situation," Sakura whispered bleakly. "A ninja must put the mission first, and have a heart that does not allow tears." It was the 25th clause among many that Konoha taught its young students. It was one of the many rules that governed ninja behavior, all of which Sakura had studied and knew well. It was one of the many things she was rapidly discovering that she was a failure at.
She was learning all too well that she did not, could not, possess the heart that a shinobi was supposed to have. Sakura was bitterly beginning to realize that the knowledge she had accumulated in the Academy, and the grades she was so proud of, meant very little in the field. Over the course of the mission, she had not been able to accomplish anything of note. She had wept and trembled while her teammates fought and bled. Her dream of impressing Sasuke seemed farther away than ever.
The reality of chasing Sasuke had proved to be far different from her fantasies. Early on, back in the Academy, she had imagined that if she was pretty enough and smart enough to catch his eye everything would fall into place. While she had worked hard and proved to be the smartest student of their year, Sasuke had never once praised her for it.
Worse was that, as hard as she tried, he had never acknowledged her as cute, or pretty, or in any way feminine. Of course, if good looks were the way to Sasuke's heart then Ino probably would have beaten her to it, if some older, more developed girl didn't do it first. Still, during her later Academy years her rivalry with Ino and, to a lesser extent, the other girls in the class had kept her from dwelling on her total failure to make any progress with her crush. Once they had been put on the same team, Sakura had believed that she would finally be able to snag the elusive Uchiha. The thoughts of spending all of that time together, alone—Naruto didn't count—had made her shiver in glee.
Of course, things did not go that well. Sakura discovered, to her chagrin, that Naruto did count. He counted more than she did, apparently. As much as Sasuke tried to ignore Naruto, the blond idiot was always able to provoke a reaction from the normally stone-faced boy. Sasuke paid attention to Naruto. At first, Sakura had assumed that it was because Naruto just naturally irritated Sasuke, but she soon began to suspect that it was something else.
Sasuke acknowledged and feared Naruto's potential, at least on some level. It was something that shocked Sakura. How could anyone in their right mind believe that Naruto, the 'dobe,' could ever match up to Sasuke? Naruto had been Sasuke's self-proclaimed rival for years, but no one had ever suspected that Sasuke took it seriously. But ever since the bell test Sasuke had started to take the rivalry he had with Naruto seriously, even though he tried to hide it.
The mission to the Wave had confirmed Sasuke's worst fears about Naruto's potential and shown Sakura sides of her two teammates that she had always been blind to before. Sasuke was afraid that Naruto would surpass him. It was a hard truth for Sakura, who had always held Sasuke up on a pedestal and viewed Naruto as a failure, to swallow. Sakura's perfect image of Sasuke was starting to crack. Somewhere, deep inside herself, she was beginning to question if Sasuke was worth the pain.
It was not something she was able to consider seriously for very long. The implications were simply too great, and too painful to bear. For so long, she had invested everything in chasing after the raven-haired boy. Her hopes and dreams for the future were all bound to Uchiha Sasuke. In the end, he was the reason she had come so far as a kunoichi. Her appearance was carefully crafted around what she believed that he liked. All of her noteworthy accomplishments in the Academy had been attempts to impress him. The reason she was a kunoichi had become intimately tied to Uchiha Sasuke.
She was a ninja because Sasuke would be nothing but a ninja. She had forgotten her original reasons for wanting to become a kunoichi in favor of Sasuke. Everything she was today, she was for him. Not for herself, or her friends, or her family, but Uchiha Sasuke. The idea that he wasn't worth what she had done for him was simply ridiculous. It was as ridiculous as saying that she wasn't the one who would snag him in the end. It just wasn't something she ever could or would doubt.
Ever.
Even as Sakura brought her emotions under control and went to freshen herself up in the bathroom, the tiny little seeds of doubt that had burrowed deep within her heart were beginning to blossom. A plant's roots can burrow through stone, opening and widening cracks in a previously unbroken surface, and the walls that kept Sakura's heart safe from doubt were not as strong as stone.
Stars shone brightly in the sky as night deepened its hold on the small island of the Wave. The bright, waxing moon continued its slow march across the night sky. Uzumaki Naruto sighed as he trudged towards his current objective, the house and clinic where Haku was presently being held.
Takanagi Jyushiro was one of the few doctors still living in the Wave, with his wife and assistant Kanako, and he was the only one with medical facilities available to him. Those medical facilities consisted of a few rooms of his surprisingly large, if run-down, house that had been converted to serve as a clinic. It was a far cry from Konoha's large, well-appointed hospital, but it was the best the Wave had. Jyushiro and Kanako were warm and welcoming, and very different from any of the doctors Naruto had ever met. But then Naruto had never met a single genuinely nice doctor in his life, so even their disposition made them unique to him.
The night air in the Wave was crisp and cool, with the slightest tang of seawater, and in the distance the young ninja could hear the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore. Normally Naruto would have been running, or leaping from branch to branch in the trees, in order to get to his destination faster. Tonight however, he was had no inclination to hurry towards the clinic. His usual impatience was tempered with dread. Naruto had never dealt well with guilt, and he was dreading facing Haku because of it. He didn't feel it often, but when he did it clung to him persistently, and he didn't know how to get rid of it.
Naruto felt guiltier than he had ever felt before in his life, and surprisingly, it wasn't about his first time killing. He had gotten over that—well, not really, but he was starting to come to terms with the fact that his team would be dead otherwise, so he was beginning to accept the necessity of it. Nightmares and the constant weight of his conscience were a small prices for him to pay for their safety.
Naruto felt guilty because he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Haku's pain was his fault. Rationally, he knew that there had been a lot of things out of his control during that battle, but reason and guilt didn't necessarily mingle in the same circles. As soon as he began to think about it, he would begin to imagine scenarios where he had been stronger, or faster, or smarter, or if he hadn't…
Naruto shook his head angrily, his hands balling into tight fists, as he tried to shake that train of thought. Allowing himself to get sucked into a cycle of what-ifs and self-recriminations was stupid and it didn't change anything. I need to focus on the future, on how to make things better, not on what went wrong. His thoughts brimmed with renewed determination, and he began to pick up the pace towards the Takanagi residence.
"How are you feeling, dear?" Haku forced a smile at the concerned, motherly hovering of the nurse.
"I'm fine, Kanako-san," the girl murmured quietly.
"Your stomach is alright?"
"Yes. The soup was delicious, and my stomach is just fine," Haku smiled again as the woman beamed at the praise. It wasn't an entirely forced smile either. Tonight was the first time she had been allowed to feed herself since she had been injured, and it was nice to have some independence back. As a plus, the soup had been genuinely good.
"Is there anything you need? Some water, or…?" It had been a very long time since Takanagi Kanako had needed to take care of a live, injured patient and her professional decorum had long since evaporated. She had two children, both boys, and they were both grown and had left home years ago. The slim young girl on the bed seemed more like a daughter than a patient after spending several exhausting days and sleepless nights struggling to save her life and nurse her back to health.
"No, thank you," Haku replied politely.
"Well, all right. I'll just take this tray and leave you to your rest." Kanako leaned over the side of the bed slightly, picking up the tray from across Haku's lap. A pale, slim hand flashed towards the woman and back in a quick, deft movement that only another ninja could have caught sight of. Kanako began to walk out of the room with the food tray.
She stopped at the doorway, hesitating, "If you need anything, just ring the bell and I'll come right away, okay?"
"Yes." Apparently satisfied, the nurse left, closing the door as she went.
Haku regarded the item she had pilfered from Kanako critically. Haku had no idea why the woman had been carrying around a small kitchen knife, but she was grateful that Kanako did. The knife was rather dull and scratched, as well as slightly bent to the right, but it was serviceable for her needs. Lightly, she pricked her index finger with the point. Blood welled immediately from the puncture wound, and Haku nodded in satisfaction. It would do.
"Zabuza-san…" the girl murmured into the still silence that had come over the room. "I was a failure as your tool. Because of me, not only were your dreams never fulfilled, but you lost your life as well." Haku sighed and looked at the blood welling from her fingertip again. She smiled sadly, "I should have died on that bridge. Now I have no reason to live."
Blank hazel eyes slid shut, and Haku took the small knife into a two-handed grip, pointing upwards. Trained muscles tensed. A noise shook her concentration. The door creaked open, and light flooded into the dark room. Haku's eyes snapped open. Naruto-kun. There was no time left.
The blue-eyed boy was stunned by the sight that greeted him, but only for a second. He was moving even before Haku drove the knife towards the junction where the neck met the jaw with lethal force.
The sound of sharpened metal slicing into living flesh is something all ninja become intimately acquainted with, sooner or later. Naruto dearly wished that he had not had some many chances to memorize it recently.
Drip.
Haku's eyes opened slowly. She wasn't dead. She could clearly feel the exertion in her arms as they struggled to force the knife higher.
Drip.
So where was sound of dripping blood coming from, if not her?
Drip.
She looked down and saw that a calloused, tanned hand had wrapped around the blade of the knife. Red blood ran freely down the sides of his hand, falling down and staining her yukata. More continued down and wrists and forearms, soaking into his jacket. Some blood was dripping down to the floor, creating a surprisingly loud dripping noise, which was the only sound in the room aside from Naruto's harsh breathing and the thumping of her own heart in her ears.
"Cut it out," Naruto growled, his voice rough with rage. There was no sign of pain in his face or in his voice, despite the fact that the knife had surely cut deeply into his hand.
Haku stared at him with wide eyes. Finally, she shook her head. "Let go, Naruto-kun."
"No." His voice was flat now.
"Let go," she said again, this time more forcefully. Haku struggled to force the tip of the blade to her throat. Naruto's hand shook as he struggled against her.
"No."
"Let go!" Haku growled, her eyes wild. With all of her strength, she brought the blade closer. Release was so close. Why was he interfering?
"No." Naruto's face had become totally expressionless, but his eyes gleamed brightly with emotion as he stared down at her.
"Let go!" She was screaming now, heedless of who heard her. "Let me die!"
"No," he said firmly. "I'm not going to let you die."
Haku seemed to collapse in on herself. Tears streaked down her face, and the strength seemed to suddenly leave her arms, leaving her with a tenuous grip on the knife. "Please," she begged, "let me die."
"No."
"Why!? Why do you care? I'm worthless! I failed Zabuza-san. I tried to kill you and your friends!" She sobbed. "I even killed my own parents. I'm a monster… I deserve to die!"
Naruto was trembling. He bit his lip, struggling to reign himself in. The taste of blood filled his mouth.
"I have no dreams left. With Zabuza-san gone, I have nothing." She stared up at him with dead eyes. "Please, let me die."
Naruto closed his eyes, breathing harshly. "Naruto-kun. Please… kill me."Dull, hopeless eyes stared at him, and despairing words twisted their way into Naruto's brain. Then there was blood. So much blood…
"Monster!" Those eyes were so cold… What had he done wrong?
"I'm sorry, forgive me, I'm not a monster, please, please, look at me!"
"Get away from our child!" Another playmate lost, another peer poisoned against him.
"No! I didn't mean it. Please come back! Don't leave me alone!"
"You are the monster fox that killed Iruka's parents, the Kyuubi no Youko!"
Wordlessly, Naruto raised his free hand and brought in sharply across Haku's face. The loud smack seemed to echo through the room, and the distraught girl stared at him, stunned.
"You're not a monster," Naruto said forcefully. His hand came back down to rest lightly on his stomach. "If you are, then what does that make me?" he asked quietly.
"Eh…?" Haku blinked, still off balance.
"Twelve years ago, the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked Konohagakure no Sato," Naruto intoned, his voice barely above a whisper. He gripped the fabric of his jacket tightly. "The Yondaime Hokage wasn't able to kill it like most stories say…" Naruto trailed off, uncertain if he really wanted to continue.
His knuckles whitened as he squeezed the fabric around his stomach even tighter. Naruto bit his lip. He barely felt it when an incisor broke through the skin. Warm blood welled up from the small wound and Naruto tasted the bitter, copper taste of blood as it filled his mouth. Naruto raised his gaze, meeting Haku's eyes. For a long moment, Naruto stared at her. He saw, and felt, her confusion and her pain… her loneliness and despair.
"The feeling that your existence is needed by no one in this world."
In the end, it had already been decided. There was no other choice that he was willing to make. Naruto sighed and smiled faintly. "Instead," the young jinchuuriki murmured, "he sealed the Kyuubi into a newborn baby." Naruto paused again, his smile becoming bittersweet.
Distraught as she was, Haku was nonetheless an extremely sharp young woman. Realization was swift in coming. Her eyes widened. "You…" she breathed.
The hand that had clenched the jacket above the seal relaxed and fell limply to his side. "Me," he said, matter-of-factly, his smile widening faintly at Haku's astonished look. Haku was gaping now, openmouthed. "If you're a monster," Naruto continued slowly, deliberately, "then what am I?"
"I…"
"Ever since I was just a kid, everyone in Konoha hated me," Naruto related, his tone almost nostalgic. "I didn't know why until I graduated from the Academy."
"You… didn't know…?" the pain, the despair, the feel of Naruto's blood growing cold on her skin, was all forgotten. Haku was enraptured by his story. The kinship she had felt with the boy made more sense with every new revelation.
Naruto nodded, "Sandaime-ojiichan made a law. No one was supposed to talk about it… the fact that I had the Kyuubi in me." Naruto's smiled again, this time with true fondness. "He was trying to protect me," he murmured. His smile faded, "But he couldn't protect me from their eyes. He couldn't stop them from ignoring me, from shunning me, from hating me… No matter what I did, it was never enough, and I never understood why they were like that."
Haku blinked rapidly, her eyes suspiciously wet. She remembered all too well the way she had been treated in the alleys of Kirigakure. No one had anything to spare for a dirty beggar child, not even the acknowledgment that she was alive. For a time, it had seemed like she did not exist in the eyes of the world.
"The kids saw the way the adults treated me," Naruto said. "Even to them, I was an outcast. It was like I was dirty, or had some kind of disease. No one wanted to come near me, at least not until I had spent several years in the Academy." Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji hadn't cared. He was just a fellow slacker, if a stupid—but funny—one.
For a while, he had dared to hope that he might have found friends. But no matter how much they seemed indifferent to the rumors and the stigma that surrounded him, none of them were ever willing to truly allow him in, to let him be their friend. He still wondered sometimes, Did their parents say things about me? Most of his peers had been poisoned against him through their parents. But once several scorned him, the rest had quickly followed. Were they just afraid of what the other kids would say?
Dirty. Unclean. Haku shuddered. To possess a bloodline limit in the land of Water meant death. Those whose blood carried such traits were filthy. They were less than human. In the slums of the Hidden Mist, the filthy, ragged children that roamed the streets were the same as stray dogs. They didn't exist, except to kick out of the way the way one might kick a stray pebble on the street. But those who did acknowledge their existence represented death—mentally or physically, and for an unlucky few, both, dragged across slow and agonizing years—to any homeless children caught in the shadows.
"Thanks to Sandaime-ojiichan, they couldn't touch me. But they made sure I knew how much they hated me," he took a deep, shuddering breath. "I got tired of crying a long time ago," he continued quietly, looking Haku in the eyes. He glanced briefly, deliberately, at the knife and back, "I even thought about… that… once or twice. But that's the easy way out, the coward's way out, and I won't ever let them get me down!"
Haku mentally recoiled. I'm not a coward, she wanted to scream. But she had no energy for it, no true passion or anger left within her. An overwhelming emptiness engulfed her like the morning fog rolling in from the ocean. She had nothing. She was nothing. Was it so wrong to just… end it all?
Naruto's voice bled hot with passion, "I decided to become Hokage and I made that my dream even though most of the village wouldn't mind if I died. I'll force them to acknowledge me! I'll protect them with my life, no matter how much they hate me or how much they've hurt me!" Naruto paused, his nostrils flaring as he sucked in a deep breath. "I'll become Hokage," he repeated strongly. "I'm not the stupid fox. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, damn it! I'll show that to everyone, no matter how hard it is or how long it takes! I'll show it to them, no matter what!" Naruto shouted fiercely, his face red. He panted, trying to catch his breath.
"I…" Haku tried to speak, but she couldn't form the words. Whatever the purpose of his speech was, it had certainly derailed her momentum. But her grief was too strong and too fresh to be put off for long. She looked away from him, breaking eye contact. "I don't have anything left," she whispered.
"You still have your life," Naruto countered, his voice still somewhat breathless. "As long as you have that, you can find new dreams," he continued with increasing strength as his breathing leveled off.
"My dreams were Zabuza-san's dreams. That's all." She stared down at the blood staining her yukata.
Naruto nearly shouted in frustration. Haku still hadn't let go of the knife. Instead, he settled for a sigh as he looked at her. She was sitting so still, her posture still proper despite her trying to commit suicide. The moonlight from the window and the light from the hall only served to highlight how pale and fragile-looking she was. She was like a broken doll. "I'm sure Zabuza wouldn't have wanted you to die," he said, hoping that might do it.
It didn't. "But Zabuza-san is dead, and my reason for living died with him. No one in the world needs me..."
"Then I'll need you," Naruto blurted. He mentally paused, as his brain tried to unscramble what he'd just said. Haku's head whipped up, and she stared at him with the wide-eyed look that he was rapidly becoming familiar with.
"Wha-?"
"I don't want you to die," Naruto said quickly, his mouth moving before his brain caught up with it. Surprisingly, it was provoking a reaction from the girl, so Naruto followed his instincts and spoke from the heart. "If you died… I would be really sad. So please," he begged her, "live."
"I…"
"If you need a reason to live," Naruto interjected quickly, hoping to head off another denial, "then do it for me! If you have to be needed by someone, then I'll need you!"
In the shocked silence that followed, he slowly raised his hand and brought it down slowly to rest on top of her head. What am I doing? Naruto wondered even as he patted her head in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. He had seen fathers do that to their children back in Konoha, so he figured it was a good thing. Of course, he was twelve and she was more like fifteen, so it would probably be awkward if the situation was not already so bizarre and tense.
"I need you," Naruto declared firmly. Haku, who had been staring down at her lap, snapped her head around and stared intently into his eyes as if trying to read his mind. Naruto meet her searching gaze with what he hoped was a steady, reassuring look. He took a deep breath. "I swear, by the pain and the blood of my right hand," he paused as a feeling of déjà vu swept through him, "that for as long as I am alive, I will need you." Immediately after finishing his statement, he felt vaguely embarrassed by his grandiose vow. But it sounded like something a proper hero would say, so he went with it. Again, his mouth moved before his brain could formulate his next statement. "Will you follow me?"
He paused again. That didn't come out quite right…
"Yes," Haku murmured, still staring at him with wide hazel eyes.
"Please, live… wait, what?" Did I hear that right?
Slowly, her grip eased on the knife. Naruto plucked it from her grasp before she could second-guess herself and moved it out of her reach. He turned back to find her still considering him intently. The emptiness and the pain seemed to be gone from her eyes, replaced by something Naruto wasn't familiar enough with to name. She tilted her head slightly and smiled at him.
"Yes, I'll follow you, Naruto-sama."
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto is the creator, and owns the rights to Naruto and all the characters and situations contained therein. This is a non-profit work of fiction.
Author's Notes:
Well, that's the end of chapter 3. I hope you enjoyed it.
The issue of romance seems to have come up a lot. I'll say this: there will be romantic relationships (the straight kind) in this story, but they won't start in earnest until around the post time-skip timeframe (again, the 12 year old issue). That's not to say there won't be moments before then, however. The groundwork for all of the future relationships Naruto will have will (possibly) be laid out before then. As for what the pairings are, I won't say. You can probably guess what they will be as you read through, but I won't confirm or deny any pairings until they happen, since I'm a believer in not spoiling the story. They are already decided, however, so don't bug me too much about them.
Visit Tempered in Water's forum at: http://www . fanfiction . net/f/51642/ (remove the spaces). If you're too lazy to copy, paste, and remove the spaces, you can follow the link in my profile. I don't want to clutter my notes (even more than they already are) with review responses, so if you raised an issue or a question in a review, look there to see my responses. You can also use it to ask me questions or just to bug me about progress on the next chapter.
Comments and/or criticism are welcome. However, if you're going to criticize, please do it in a constructive manner (in other words, don't just tell me that I fail as a writer, tell me why I fail). I'm still very much an amateur writer, so any help is appreciated.
As with before, I was the only one who proofread this chapter, so there may be mistakes that I missed. If you see any, please point them out.
I'd like to thank everyone that took the time to read this story, and especially those who took the time to review. I appreciate it.
Thank you for reading Tempered in Water!