Author's note: Well, thanks to Mark being nice and reviewing you get the next chapter! This chapter started quite a few arguments between my beta-reader and I, but that might just be because it's fun to argue for the sake of arguing with your best friend. xD So, now it's up and I still require at least three reviews to update!

Lots of love, Alaki

Disclaimer: Do I own Naruto? Yeah right, I haven't even got my first job yet, if I owned Naruto I wouldn't even need a job!

Ew, pink.

I had only accepted the bright-colored kimono to be polite. If it were up to me, the kimono would have been a dark purple, covered in blood red flowers, but you can't always have what you want. That is something I have learned throughout my lifetime.

I stood in front of the mirror, watching myself attempt to tighten the obi to fit my starved, ninty-five pound frame. Picking up a brush from the table beside the mirror, I glared hard at the color, wishing for it to change. I made a mental note to create a jutsu that would change the color of what I was wearing.

Quickly pulling the tangles out of my waist-length purple-black hair, I made my way back to the bedroom I would be borrowing for as long as I was here.

Haku's eyes fell on me with a surprised expression the moment I stepped in to my room. "You look much more like a proper ninja now that you've had a bath. I couldn't even tell what color your hair was before," he then paused, giving me a scrutinizing look. "It is a very interesting color. It appears black, but shines purple in the light."

I gave him a small smile and nodded. "It is kind of different, isn't it?" He nodded in agreement. My clan was well known for their unique colorings.

I snapped myself back into reality just in time to hear Haku say, "at least your coloring is the only odd thing about you," he said almost jealously, "I have the kekkai genkai of my clan and I look like a girl. Although, the androgyny doesn't bother me very much. It's the looks people give me when they find out I'm a boy," he chuckled nervously.

Judging by Haku's nervousness, the ninja probably didn't talk about himself often. This would be a great opportunity to get to know my new teammate better. The best way to encourage some one to share their past with you is to share yours with them. Thus, I prepared myself to disclose some rather important information about my self.

"Dui bu qi," I whispered, looking in to his eyes.

Haku gave me a look of utter confusion. "What?" he asked. He obviously didn't speak the language. I gave him a small smile.

"It means 'I'm sorry' in a language my master taught me," I clarified.

Haku nodded, appearing a little less confused. "What are you apologizing for?"

I grinned in response. "For keeping secrets from you," I explained, continuing as his confused expression became a glare. "My odd coloring is a result of my clan's kekkai genkai. Also, there are certain things that must be kept a secret, so, I apologize for that, as well. Dui bu qi."

Haku appeared to be fighting the urge to ask me about those certain things but decided to ask about me instead. "Well, what was your family like?" was his question.

I gave him a grin that was neither sad nor happy, for some reason talking about my family both depressed and exalted me. Also, had I not just told myself that I wouldn't talk about my family unless he asked?

In response to his question about my family I told him, "we were a family of shinobi. About a year before my father moved us from the village, my mother died during an S-ranked mission. She was part of our village's equivalent of Konoha's ANBU. My mother, no matter how hard and ruthless she was during missions, was the sweetest, most loving, and kindest woman who has ever lived in our country."

Here I paused in my thoughts, watching a bug crawl across the floor.

"Our village was... lesser known than most," I began. "Despite this, it was one of the most powerful, as our leader is one of the most powerful shinobi of his generation." My voice fell in to a hero-worshiping quality, making it obvious how much I loved my Master.

Haku smiled at this and prompted me to continue. "What about the rest of your family?" he asked.

My smile faded and I let out a small "oh," before taking another moment to think of who to mention next.

"I have a cousin, Yousei. He is four years older than me," I began. "I guess he's alright. He and I are the only two to inherit the kekkai genkai of our clan in several generations, therefore, we are expected to wed when I turn eighteen," I paused with a disgusted expression on my face. "I don't think I like the idea of marrying a cousin, especially one so close to me."

I glanced at Haku, who was giving me a sympathetic look. "That's horrible. I can see why you left the village," he nodded. That wasn't why I left, but I let it go. "Is there any one else worth mentioning?"

Glad for an excuse to stop talking about my uncomfortable arranged marriage, I quickly moved on.

"There's Rin," I paused to smile in recollection of the excitable little girl before continuing. "She was six years old the last time I saw her. She's not actually related to us, but Yousei's parents adopted her when she was only a year old, and it has always felt as if she belongs with us."

I paused in thought, trying to remember any other family members worth mentioning. The image of my father flashed in my mind. At first I thought of how kind he'd been before mother had died, but this led to the later years, when he was cruel and abusive. He later dragged me out of the village, my only home, and abandoned me. I chose to keep his memory to myself.

I pulled myself out of those thoughts, trying to remember some one else important. I was so sure there was another person, but after a moment, I decided it was unimportant at the moment. I'd already let out more than Haku needed to know.

"What has your life been like, Haku?" I changed the subject quickly. My turn.

Haku gave me a surprised look, then hesitated, probably trying to decide whether or not he should be exposing his history. I gave him a reassuring smile, encouraging him to share his secrets. He smiled back.

"Zabuza is my family," he began. "We aren't related, but he is the only good thing that has happened to me in my lifetime. I was still very young when he found me on the street. I can't remember very much before that." He trailed off with a warm smile covering whatever emotion or lack thereof brought out by the loss of memory. I returned the smile, with a bit of added sympathy, covering my suspicion. I felt as though he was hiding something, but I let it slide. He wasn't the only one keeping something to himself, and he was quick to change the subject.

"You will begin your training within the next few days," he informed me. "Though we will begin with the easy stuff, you will need strength nonetheless. Please get some sleep, Shan-san. Good night." He gave me a small wave as he stood and made his way towards the door.

"Goodnight, Haku-kun," I said with a grin. His concern was very becoming.

I stood and turned towards the bed, taking a step before pausing and looking down at the pink kimono Haku had given her to wear. As much as I despised the color, it would need to last me until we went to a town and had a chance to buy another. I had no way to know when that would be at the time.

While I did not want to sleep naked, I also did not want to wear the kimono to bed and dirty it. I bit my lip in thought, and finally gave in, untying the obi around my waist. Haku was a polite boy, I was sure he'd ask permission before entering in the morning, and as I had not seen Zabuza since before I'd passed out, I felt assured that I had a good chance of not being seen sleeping naked.

Letting the rest of the pink atrocity fall to the ground, now wearing only undergarments, I laid in to bed, wrapping the blankets around me tightly and snuggling in to them. For the first time in two years, I fell asleep with not a single worry in my mind.