Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. There, I said it.
I sat and stared at the body lying at my feet, and then lifted my head to face the man who had brought me here. Haku was unconscious, looking dead, with the wound from Kakashi's attack still in his shoulder. However, it was unmistakable that his chest was, incredibly, rising and falling. That was not supposed to happen. I looked at the boy again, and then back towards the man, in shock.
The longer I looked at him, the more apparent it became that I was not going to get an answer without asking a question. Thus, with a sigh, I asked, "Why did you bring me here?"
"Why not?" Well, there was the answer of a lifetime. In fact, it wasn't an answer at all; it was another question, which helped me not at all.
I sighed, and rolled my eyes. "Kakashi, give me an actual answer."
"You are here because you said you know something about what is supposed to happen here. Therefore, can you tell us what is going on?" When he looked at me he seemed sincere, so I decided this was the truth. It made sense, after all.
"Honestly?" I had to ask, and he nodded in silence. Ignoring the fact that Sakura was there and had no idea what was going on or why I knew what was supposedly happening, I told him, "No, I don't know what's going on. He's supposed to be dead, he never comes back. Zabuza died beside him, or was supposed to. Don't tell me Zabuza's still alive?"
"No, Zabuza is dead, we checked to make sure. He does not get to come back to life after all of that, but Haku is alive. Not well, but alive. So you do not know why he's here now?"
"Kakashi-san, I do not know why Haku is alive after you shoved your fist through him when trying to kill Zabuza. I am sorry that I can't offer you more help than that, but perhaps you should explain to your student why I know so much about that mission when I wasn't even there," I offered, with an innocent smile. He turned to Sakura, who was standing there stunned and confused.
As he realized what had just happened in front of her, he tried to think of some way to talk himself out of this mess. I was not in the mood to listen while he tried to cover for his mistake, so I wandered off, ignoring him when he tried to get my attention.
Later, not much later because Kakashi had basically come up with some stupid lie and came racing after me, I was being dragged back to Haku. I sat down in front of the unconscious boy, waiting for some type of explanation from Kakashi. This time it came without prompting. "We brought him back, because we didn't know what else to do. He dug himself out of the grave, and then collapsed again. This time, when he wakes up, he is going to know that Zabuza is dead. What happens then, we have no idea. I wanted you to come out here because you have some experience and some knowledge of these people that we don't have."
"What did you tell Sakura?"
A sigh penetrated the momentary silence following my question, and then an answer. "Caruh, please, don't change the subject."
"It was merely a question, Kakashi-san," I told him, not taking my eyes off of the chained boy in front of me.
"I told her that you were partially psychic and could read people by looking at them."
"And she bought that?" This time, I actually did turn around and look at him. I was shocked she could be fooled by so simple a lie, but the truth was right there before me. She was the ditz I'd always thought she was; she believed that I was psychic. I sighed in disbelief, and then tried my best to avoid conversation until it was absolutely necessary.
Which apparently it was, only five minutes later.
"Caruh, what happened before you woke up here?"
I wasn't going to give him any answer except silence. Partially because I was annoyed, but just as much because I didn't really remember what had happened.
With a sigh, he brushed off my non-answer for the time, and lifted the unconscious boy into his arms. He then walked to a tree somewhere out in the middle of the mass of hundred year old oaks surrounding Konohagakure. Before I could react, Haku was chained to a tree. I noted that he would have a lot more than Zabuza to complain about once he woke up as the pain that would be in his arms alone would be murder. I didn't understand what Kakashi was doing, but I knew I hated this. It was wrong. Then Kakashi surprised me even more by what he did next.
"Come on, he's fine there, let's go." Those were Kakashi's words as he looked at the young man he'd chained to an oak, and they cut my heart to shreds. He sounded so cruel talking like that, I wanted to scream at him to find a heart. In his eye, though, I noticed something: a fleck of appreciation and regret for how things had to turn out. Therefore, when he turned to leave, I followed him without question.
"What are we going to do now?" I asked, curious and worried about Haku. Looking back, the sight of Haku's nearly dead form chained so helplessly to the tree sent chills through me. Could he even survive like that? I wasn't sure.
"We are not going to do anything. I am going to go train my team, and you are going back to my apartment. This time," he added, with a glance towards me saying that he didn't trust me, "stay there."
"Aye, aye, captain," I answered sarcastically, but I did as he said. In fact, this time I managed to make it six whole minutes in the apartment before leaving again. I had wasted no time when I got back, and I took with me the small bag of food I had made for the one I was going to visit. That done, I made my way towards the trees once again.
When I found the tree I had been looking for, I sat down in front of it and stared at the still unconscious Haku. Laying the food out before me I leaned back, resting on my elbows and looking up at the sky as it turned to dusk through the leaves. This marked the end of my first official day in Konoha, the first day I was awake the whole way through it. A lot had happened, but more was to come. The day, as I was about to find out, was far from over.
The peaceful silence was soon shattered by someone shouting. "Zabuza's dead! You killed him! You did it!" Looking over, I watched as Haku went into what can only be described as a fit. He started flailing his arms and legs, trying desperately to break the chains binding him, and I wanted more than anything to help him, though I was unsure if it was a good idea.
As it turned out, he didn't need help. With the sound of a snap and chains falling to the ground, I realized that Haku was hurling himself at me. I was frozen in place, but as his hands brushed my neck I was finally able to move again and managed to drop and roll away. This time when I looked up, I was too scared to do anything except stare. I forced myself to scoot further away, but was rather shocked to see that Haku was holding a sterling silver chain with a miniature sword replica of the same metal in his hand. My hand shot immediately to my neck and noticed that what was supposed to be there, wasn't. He had not been reaching for my neck, he had been reaching for my necklace.
Suddenly, I realized why he wanted it so badly and my heart dropped. Squirming the rest of the way out of the chains so he was free of them, he held it over his wrist. Then, with a quick flick, he tried to shove the dull, artificial weapon into his veins. He was horribly desperate to join Zabuza if he was resorting to this so quickly. With a quick kick to the hand that was holding the necklace I sent it flying, to land a few feet away. I was not going to allow him to die on me, no way on earth! Especially not a suicide!
He looked at me, and then tried repeatedly to find other ways of killing himself. First, he drew some of his own senbon needles, and I had to allow one to pierce through my hand before I could force them away from him. Then, he decided he was so desperate that he was going to try suffocating himself. Obviously that did not work, and when he came to realize how futile it was he released his own throat only to go into a jutsu aimed solely at himself, which I barely had a moment to dispel with my own chakra. I had no idea how I managed that, but it worked out well enough. Not only did I dispel it, but apparently there was enough force behind it to send him backwards into a tree and from there back into unconsciousness.
Before I knew what was going on, Kakashi was there with Iruka, both of them leaning over Haku. Kakashi looked up at me, his eye telling me that we had much to discuss, and I was rather annoyed that he was mad at me. Still, he looked me over, and asked, with a hint of concern in his voice, if I was alright.
"Oh, I'm okay, all things considered," I responded, showing him my hand. Gently, he pulled the senbon out of my flesh and wrapped my hand before the two of them carried Haku off. Kakashi carried Haku and Iruka followed to make sure they made it back without interruption or problem. It was clear what direction they were headed to: the Hokage's Tower.
I picked up my necklace and raced off after them. Clearly, they had come when they had heard Haku's shouts and had made it in time only to see me use my chakra. That was just lovely.
By the time I got there, they had already locked him in a cage with his arms and legs chained down so he couldn't hurt himself anymore. I didn't like this one bit, but before I had a chance to protest Kakashi had me cornered.
"Caruh, why didn't you tell me you'd unlocked your chakra?" he demanded.
"You didn't ask, now did you?" I answered.
Rolling his eyes, he grabbed me by my good wrist and pulled me off to a training field. "You are going to learn how to control it."
"Why? I did pretty well back there," was my weak protest.
We stopped in the middle of a field, and he turned. "Then prove to me that you know what you're doing." He started seals and I knew I was doomed if I let him finish that jutsu. As soon as he released the fire-type jutsu, I could only cover my head with my hands and scream. The barrier that surrounded me protected me from attack, and I looked up rather sheepishly.
"Okay," I admitted, "I have no idea what I'm doing, but somehow when I panic it makes itself work."
He nodded, and gave a simple, "I see." I was going to say more when he added, "It looks like we're spending the rest of the night training."
I told you it was here! ^.^ Anyway, I hope you all love me again, as I'm editing Chapter 5 as you read this and I will hopefully be posting it as well tonight (parhaps...?) or tomorrow. By tomorrow night definitely.
This hopefully makes up for my inattention the last couple weeks, though I have my excuses they aren't good enough for neglecting all of you. If you do like this story, please review it so I know I have enough fans to not stop where SamuraiKai did, thanks!
My best wishes to everyone and I will be seeing you all again soon.