Here it is Chapter two. Please review, flames are welcome and I do no own any of Naruto. Sad but true. May crack pairings live forever!
Chapter Two
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She covers the earth with a breathtaking cloak
The sun awakes and melts it away
The world now opens its eyes and sees
The dawning of a new day
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The newly fallen blanket of glistening white snow sat mostly unscarred aside from the trail of small footprints and body prints from where two children must have fallen. The two said children lay within the snow out of breath, panting heavily in the glistening white blanket of snow. One was a chocolate hair boy with dark brown eyes and the other was a small pink haired girl with dazzling emerald green eyes. Both had smiled dotting their small innocent faces.
"Sakura…?" Haku called panting heavily as he lay within the snow a few yards away from the pink haired girl who was flapping her arms and legs to make a snow angel.
"Yes Haku…?" She asked looking over at her dear friend."
"I'll make you a deal… I never stuff snow down your back if you never stuff snow down my shirt okay?"
"Why Haku, I like seeing you dance funny."
"Do you like doing the snow dance?"
Sakura remained silent for a brief moment remembering how it felt to have snow down your back before nodding and smiling brightly at the boy laying down next to her. "Okay Haku kun, I promise.
Haku smiled and sat up waiting for Sakura to do the same, when she did he began to speak again. "And as a token of my good nature I will bestow upon you a gift Sakura chan."
"A gift? Really Haku kun, a gift for me?" Sakura squealed bouncing up and down in the snow.
"Yep a gift just for you, and do you want to know what it is?" Haku asked leaning forward with his hands behind his back. When Sakura did the same he took his chance and reacted by chucking a snowball in her face and running off laughing. "Ha right in the kisser!"
"Ugh, Haku kun get back here! I have a present for you too!" Sakura cried scooping up a handful of snow and chucking it at the chocolate haired boy who was running for his life.
"Sorry Sakura chan but something tells me I wouldn't like your present very much." He cried as he continued to run for his life while avoiding the assault of snow balls hurled at him. His joyful laugh piercing the atmosphere like the ringing of bells.
The shimmering pure white snow crunched under a pair of strong hiking boots as a slightly bearded man hauled a few dead animals over his shoulder as he continued on his way towards a quant little cottage positioned cutely on the side of nicely sized foothill surrounded by small hills. He would have to hide the rabbit from Haku, if he saw the dead animal he loved so much there would be a lot of water for him to clean up and he wasn't too happy about making his only son cry so much.
A blanket of newly fallen snow was slightly disturbed by a trail of small footprints leading up to the small cottage door. Stopping in his own tracks, he bent don to exam them. They were very small and light, barely leaving a decent dent in the powdery substance. They could be Haku's but then if he recalled correctly his son wasn't this light nor this small and he wore a different type of boot. These foot prints belonged to someone else.
Setting most of his game away in his smoke house he quickly dissipated the short distance arriving at his front door. Being closer to his house he could see a great deal of disturbed snow around the building. Most of it was overturned and run through and he could spot a few snow angels…or what was left of them. What they looked like were far from what they were once were, littered with handprints and footprints galore.
Removing a worn brown glove from one of his hands he lifted the small latch with his cold fingers and proceeded to open the cherry wooden door. His eyes landed on a pair of boots, two scarves, a pair of earmuffs, a red and white stripped hat, two pairs of small gloves and two heavy winter jackets still wet with melted snow.
"I'm home." He called proceeding to shut the door behind him with his foot while removing his own snow covered winter coat and hanging it up on a peg attached to the wall.
"Shhh, honey you don't want to wake them." His wife whispered helping him remove his wet garments and pecking his lovingly on the cheek.
"Them?" He asked in confusion stepping out of his boots. "Who are 'them'?"
His wife smiled and tugged at his arm bringing him further into the living room and pointing over the side of the couch. He looked at his wife for a moment before peering over the piece of furniture for himself. His rugged frost bitten face melted into a smile as he drew his wife into a embrace.
In front of the fire laying on a large fur blanket were two huddled figures sleeping next to each other. The first one he recognized as his son Haku and presumed the second one to be one of his friends. She was a very small skinny child with shoulder length cherry pink locks that fanned around her slumbering head like a heavenly pink halo. Her legs were pulled up to her chest to contain their warmth with only one arm wrapped around them. His son, Haku, was also in this position with his legs draw up to his chest, encircled by only one arm. The other arm was reaching out over the small distance to grasp the slumbering girl's own hand in his own. It warmed his heart to see their small fingers entwined in such and innocent loving way.
"How long has Haku know her?" He asked in a whisper as his wife led him into the kitchen to pour him a cup of warm tea. "I don't remember her."
"Her name is Sakura and Haku has know her a couple weeks now. He found her crying in the forest a few days after you left on your hunting trip." She whispered back handing her husband a steaming cup of his favorite flavored tea.
"Then let me guess, those snow angels outside the house are theirs." He laughed softly remembering the footprints outside the small one story building.
"Yeah that was them, the two wanted to go out and play in the snow for a few hours and ended up spending the whole day out there. They looked so cute running around chucking snowballs at each other."
"It sounds like the two had fun out there."
Haku's mother noticed the tired tone in her husband's voice and stopped her work and looked into his eyes with concern. "Honey, is there something wrong? Did something happen on your hunting trip?"
"No, not at all. The hunting trip was great, I snatched a lot more game than I hoped to and was really happy how much there was left over for next year but…"
"But…?"
"But… it was just this little thing that happened in the village on my way back. There was this guy there poking a fight at one of the…the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Zabuza no less. Apparently they wanted this guy to do something for them and he wouldn't. I don't know what it was about but it was getting pretty ugly."
"He went picking a fight with Zabuza?!" She asked in shock and disbelief as the color continued to drain from her face.
"Yeah, I guess so. I think he insulted the honor and respect Zabuza had for the Shinken chan. I was really shocked at how much he cursed and disrespected that clan of all other clans. It was just…disgusting." He spat. "A few other people were greatly offended and were ready to take off his head too. I don't know how he got out of there alive but one thing is for sure, he's never going to work in this town again."
"Serves him right for disrespecting the Shinken chan. Has he no shame?"
"Obviously not."
"Oh well, it will come back to curse him in the end, let's not dwell on it."
Haku's father nodded solemnly to himself pushing the disturbing memories out of his mind. "Anyway, how long have they been asleep?" He asked pointing towards the two slumbering bodies.
"Oh a while now. The two of them were out there for hours in the snow chucking snow balls at each other. It was just the cutest thing you could imagine. Speaking of that, I should wake little Sakura up. It's almost twilight and I don't want her to be late getting home." Haku's mother said heading over towards the sleeping two.
Bending down she started to rub the slumbering girls back. "Sakura….Sakura honey it's almost time for you to head home darling." She whispered softly to the wakening child.
"Mmm, thank you for waking me." Sakura groggily whispered back sitting up. She tried to stand up but was jerked back by something. Looking down she saw Haku's hand was still entwined with her own and he wouldn't let go. Trying to pull away again she grunted in displeasure when Haku's hand remain firmly latched to her own. He mumbled something in his sleep and pulled on her arm causing her to fall back down with a soft thud.
Haku's mom laughed lightly as she bent down to pry her son's hand away from Sakura's. Frowning a bit in displeasure she was displeased to find out her son had a grip like a vise! He just wouldn't let go of Sakura's hand.
"Um honey could you help me a bit over here. Haku won't let go of Sakura." She called over to her husband chuckling a bit in embarrassment.
"What do you mean he won't let go?" He asked coming over to the three.
"I mean he won't let go of Sakura. He has a grip like a vise for heaven's sake."
"Oh come on you just have to give him a gentle tug. His grip can't be that tight-ugh." He grunted surprised at the strength of his only child. "Wow, that's…uh…quite a grip he has there but nothing to worry about."
His wife smiled to herself and placed her hands on her hip watching her husband try to break the hold her son had on his best friend with little success.
"It will just be a minuet dear, I don't want to hurt the poor boy you know." He chuckled nervously rubbing the back of his head.
"Do you think I should wake him up?" She asked.
"No you don't need to do that, I can do this." He replied sternly.
Haku's mom chuckled to herself and smiled at her husband's actions. 'Men and their stupid stubborn pride.' She thought with amusement at the scene before her.
Finally after a few minuets of prying without any luck Haku's father got an idea. Slipping his own hand between the two he was able to free Sakura's hand from his son's iron grasp.
"Thank you Mr. Haku's dad, sir." Sakura whispered with a smile before running over towards the door to grab her stuff.
Halfway to the exit she turned around and rushed back to Haku's side. Bending down she placed a quick peck on his cheek before running out the door with a wave before treading through the clear white snow on her way home.
Haku's mom laughed when she noticed the obvious difference in her son's sleep behavior as he smuggled deeper into his pillow with a bright smile and heavy red blush. His dad just rolled his eyes but you could see the faintness of a small smirk resting on his lips.
"They're just kids." He muttered to himself as his wife latched onto his arm.
"So, you can see they both care for each other deeply if you watch them for even the smallest amount of time, it's so obvious." She spoke remembering when Haku stuffed snow down Sakura's coat and then hugged her tightly to make to snow melt. Sakura had paid him back be stuffing snow down his shirt of course ans then that escalated into a full fledged snow war. "I think Haku looks after her like a big brother would though. I've seen them playing together and he is fiercely protective of her as if she were a younger sibling. Neither of the two have one if I am not mistaken, making their bond deeper and stronger." She spoke quietly with a soft, caring smile.
"Well I'm glad Haku found a precious person that he wants to protect."
"Yes I am glad as well. A precious person is something no one should be without."
There it is, Chapter two. One more to go and I will be done. I know Haku Sakura is not a popular pairing and yes it's crack but I would really like it if you reviewed please! Also this chapter contains major spoilers for Left in Bleeding Broken shards. Review ja ne!
(Shinken divine sword)