Disclaimer: Piggy and Belle own absolutely nothing…. except maybe pocket lint. We have lots of pocket lint…oh, and random keys that we can't find locks for…yeah

"Speech"

'Thought'

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Chapter 6: Snow Child

Three months later

The grey light of dawn had begun to filter through the sky, casting shimmering lights of the freshly fallen snow. Nature seemed to so pure, so simplistic.

So utterly oblivious to the chaos it surrounded.

'Damn, I underestimated their numbers'

It had been three days since he last slept. His mind was too exhausted to think on much more than a basic level. He focused on the warmth of the little body in his arms, on the cool steel against his back, and on the steady chakra signature of the pursuers.

He knew he couldn't last much longer. He had long since blown through his chakra reserves. The injuries to his right arm were too severe for him to use his sword. He raced through the boggy marsh to throw them off his trail for a while. It was a break, but it wouldn't last long. He needed to get out of here, to find somewhere where they could both rest. He spotted the river and moved closer. In this cold climate, the water would be icy, but the current would carry them swiftly down stream. There was a chance they would freeze to death. One the other hand, he knew that the hunter nin would kill them both when they caught up. There was no other option.

He clutched his arms tighter around the girl and dove into the freezing water.

The world went black.

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He crouched low and waited silently. His prey was just sitting there, gasping in the cool morning air. Stupid little creature, trying to survive out of the natural order as if it had the right to defy the seasons.

He pounced.

Naruto grinned down at his now captured pet toad.

"What are you doing outside Baka?! It's winter! Toads don't belong outside in winter. Come one let's get you home."

Naruto and the Toad, rather aptly named Baka, began to march home. Naruto had never seen snow so clean before. In the village it was always muddied and full of garbage in his section of town.

Perhaps it was because he was focusing so intently on his surroundings that, as he passed over the small bridge near his house, he noticed a flash of black along the edge of the river. Leaning closer over the edge, he got a better look.

There, half in and half out of the water, was a man with a wrapped face and camouflage pants. He wore no shirt and had a sword strapped to his back. A girl who looked no older than Naruto was trying vainly to drag the man out of the water. She had dark hair the veiled her face and her pale skin was marred with bruises and cuts.

Naruto gasped, drawing the girl's attention. She looked up at him with frightened brown eyes.

"Please!" She coughed slightly "Please help me!"

Naruto wasted no time on words. He jumped off the edge of the bridge and moved to help the girl drag the man from the water. Once that was done, he took his coat off and attempted to cover the man. It barley covered the man's chest but it was something. Naruto looked up at the girl.

"Follow me! I don't live far from here. We can get my dad to come back and get this guy."

The girl hesitated, but finally nodded. She seemed too tired to protest much anyway.

Naruto took the girl's hand and dragged her to his house. Once there he burst through the door and raced into the kitchen.

"Dad!"

Kano looked up from his book with a surprised expression

"What? Did the toad die?"

"NO!!! I found this girl, and she was trying to pull some guy out of the water, and he's not awake, and she needed help, and it's really cold outside, and he's not wearing a shirt!"

Everyone in the kitchen turned to stare at Naruto and the girl with fish-like expressions. In some part of his mind that wasn't panicking, Naruto noticed his sister's friend Tsunami was sitting at the table as well. She blushed slightly at the 'no shirt comment' but otherwise looked concerned.

Kano snapped out of his shock and stood abruptly.

"Show me" he ordered Naruto.

The boy nodded and raced out of the kitchen, taking time to, literally, throw Baka at Michie. Kano grimly followed Naruto out of the kitchen and out into the snow.

Michie, Tsunami, Baka, and the girl were left in silence.

Tsunami turned to Michie. "Do you need help?"

Michie gathered her wits and shook her head. "No. I'm sure I can handle it. You just go on home. Inari needs a bottle soon anyway."

Tsunami nodded and exited the kitchen, but not before stopping to wrap her scarf around the silent little girl.

Tsunami smiled. "You look cold."

She left without another word.

Michie knelt down so that she was at eye level with the little girl.

"My father and my brother have gone to help your friend. So why don't we get you warmed up. Come sit by the fire while I make you some hot chocolate."

Michie sat the little girl in a big, comfy chair and then piled warm blankets on top of her. She left for a moment to make the hot chocolate. When she returned she found the girl burring her face in Tsunami's scarf. Her shoulders shook as she cried quietly.

Michie placed a hand on the girls shoulder and got her attention.

"You seem to be having a rough time. Why don't you tell me what happened. First though, tell me your name. It seems rude to keep saying 'you'."

The little girl let out a chocked sob "My name is Haku."

(who didn't see that coming….)

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Naruto watched from the corner of his eye as Michie bandaged the last of the 'scary big man's' wounds. When he and Kano had returned, they found the girl; Michie said her name was Haku, asleep by the fire.

At present Kano was staring thoughtfully at the man, Michie was putting away her medical supplies, and Naruto was reading a comic book. Suddenly Kano stood up and stretched.

"Michie, why don't you go put that little angel in your bed so she can get a proper rest. Naruto, you scat too. I need to have a talk with our friend here."

Michie looked over at the man, surprised to see that his eyes where open. She sighed, but obeyed her father and took Haku upstairs. Naruto pouted for a moment but then he left to go read more comics in his room.

Kano and the man where left alone. They stared at each other for a moment; it was the man who finally spoke.

"Who are you people and why are you helping me?"

"It's rude to ask for a name if you haven't introduced yourself first, but I'll let that slide since I already know who you are Zabuza-san." Zabuza jerked in surprise but Kano continued "Don't look so surprised my dear Demon of the Mist, I have a copy of the Bingo book. As for your second question…I'm not really helping you. I'm helping little Haku. Whatever stupidity you have yourself steeped in, I doubt she deserves to suffer with you."

Zabuza look at Kano and frowned "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I've heard about you. I've heard about your attempt to over throw the Mizukage. One man against the entire army of Mist; it's no wonder you failed."

Kano sighed. "I don't blame you for it Zabuza. You're young and stupid…everyone is at some point. The Mizukage is a tyrant, he should be overthrown. What I do blame you for is dragging that little girl into this. She's too old to be your daughter…is she your sister or a hostage?"

Zabuza sat up in a rage, Kano noticed that he had reopened the wound on his side; it was bleeding through his bandages.

"Damn you, I don't stoop so low as to take hostages! I have no relation to that girl but I know that the hunter-nins would kill her regardless of whether or not she was with me. She has a kekkei genkai. It's a waste to have someone with such talent die so young. She could be an amazing weapon in a few years…" Zabuza trailed of and clutched his wounded side.

Kano rubbed his face and sighed "Lie down Demon or you'll bleed to death."

"A little cut like this won't kill me." Even so Zabuza fell back against his bedding

"Why did you help that girl?"

"I told you, she could be a weapon."

"Liar. I've lived to long to fall for bull shit like that. If she was just a tool to you, then you wouldn't have gotten hurt to protect her." Zabuza looked away and Kano chuckled "So it seemed the Demon of Mist is not such a demon after all."

"Fine! So maybe I did save her, so what? She was starving! She was sleeping on a bridge! Her father tried to kill her! I couldn't just leave her there, no one is that heartless!"

For a brief second Kano marveled that even the Demon of the mist had not yet lost all of the naive wonder mankind was want to possess.

Zabuza scowled and glared at Kano. "What are you looking at?!"

Kano chuckled and shook his head "Nothing. Nothing at all….do you intend to try and overthrow Mist again?"

Zabuza blinked "Of course not. Any support I had was scattered after the failed attempt. Right now I just want to escape the hunter-nin. Maybe I can become a mercenary."

"What if the hunter-nin suddenly dropped your trail? What if they never came looking for you again? Would you be willing to stay in one place? Maybe live life as a civilian? Give the little angel the life she deserves?"

Zabuza stared at the man like he had just grown a second head "…I guess that wouldn't be so bad. It doesn't matter though, it will never happen. Hunter-nin don't just vanish into thin air!"

Zabuza shivered a bit at the calm smile on Kano's face "Just leave that to me Zabuza. The hunter-nin won't be a problem."

With a weary nod Zabuza went back to sleep.

Kano silently left the house, disappeared into the night.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

If anyone thought it strange that an entire squad of hunter-nins vanished into thin air, they said nothing. Zabuza and Haku seemed tense for awhile but after several months, it became clear the Mizukage would send no other ninja after the duo.

Soon after Zabuza had recovered, he and Haku began to rent a pair or rooms for Tsunami and Tazuna. Haku took an immediate liking to Tsunami's baby, Inari, and referred to him as her little brother. Naruto and Haku remained close friends.

And so time past and life went on.

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Yeah…..sorry this chapter took so long. The truth is I kept rewriting it. I still don't like how it came out but……oh well.

So now the Zabuza and Haku factor has been added. Haku is a girl because I find it easier to write and I like fem Haku. If all goes well the next chapter should be out soon and the time skip should occur in two or three chapters.

Thank you for your patience.

Please review, I write faster if people review.

-Belle