Kimimaro was not having a good time. When he originally accepted the invitation to join his father and brother on a diplomatic mission, he'd agreed whole heartedly. It was a chance to get out of the hospital, to see the world like old times. Best of all, it was a chance to see Zabuza-sama act as Mizukage.
Not the boring kind, but as The representative of Mist. Sadly he had just had to lose his temper and get a lecture. He embarrassed his village.. honestly he deserved everything and anything Haku was going to throw at him later for making a scene. But still, he felt his complaints were valid.
Yes, the place was clean and well-kept. Kami, he'd even admit it gave this feeling of 'being home'. But it wasn't fit for an ambassador. Especially for Lord Zabuza. If this was how wizards treated their prospective allies, Kimimaro had to wonder how they got any in the first place.
You pamper the diplomats, soften them up for negotiations. You want them to be your friend, so you treat them like the best of friends. You want them to feel like they can trust you, like they owe you for the special treatment. What you don't do is dump them in the middle of nowhere with Kami damned civilians.
Either these wizards were so sure in their superiority that they didn't think anyone else could harm them, or they were just plain stupid. Probably just the over inflated ego of the former, mixed with the later. Oh he couldn't wait to show these wizards how wrong they were.
At least the food was good.. That was one of the few positive aspects about the trip, aside from some personal time with his family. Kimimaro sighed as he took another bite of mashed potatoes. Hopefully Haku's training could distract him during the trip so he doesn't lose his cool again.
Also, Zabuza-sama would only be around for another two days, so least he wouldn't have to suffer much longer. Small victories. Take them when you can get them.
Haku on the other hand was rather enjoying himself. Harry and Ron were stumbling over each other for his attention , talking about their school, spells they've learned over the years, and things they've done.
It wasn't like the ice ninja was going to stop them. If they wanted to feed him information about everything and anything, why stop the poor souls? Also he found their slight bickering rather cute, in the same way puppies playing tug-a-war with a bone is cute.
That's not to say it wasn't informative. With a few well placed questions, innocent comments here and there, he kept the conversation going in the direction he wanted, mainly useful information instead of funny anecdotes.
The boys didn't seem to mind though. They talked about their adventures in the first, second and third year, what creatures they met. Personally Haku wanted to see if a basilisk could be tamed. He was sure with enough time and research a jutsu to speak snake could be managed. Kami, they'd probably just need to find someone with the snake summoning scroll and it could be finished within the month.
Finally lunch was concluded after a brief, but polite struggle between Haku, and Kimimaro against Mrs. Weasley. Yes, they were being properly fed. Yes, her cooking was delicious, but no. They could not have -another- plate. It took them a few minutes, but they managed to escape the table and head outside, with Kimimaro politely offering if they wished to watch.
Not because he wanted to be polite, but it'd raise fewer questions later. After all, who gets suspicious of an open invitation? If you guessed the smart or paranoid, go grab yourself a cookie for being correct.
Zabuza stood to the side with the Weasley's and other guests, arms crossed as if to judge the training. Well they were going to open up with a small spar regardless. So maybe he would be.
"Kimi-kun. I do wish to remind you, you are still not at full health, so do not strain yourself too far. We wouldn't you to spend the remainder of the trip bedridden, now would we?" Haku gave his sugary sweet as he stopped at one end of the clearing. Since they were only to use Taijutsu and Kenjutsu, they wouldn't require a lot of space to avoid damage to the environment or people.
"Thank you for your concern Ha-kun, but that does not mean you should hold back. I am a member of the Hidden Mist just as much as you are, and I wish to be treated as such, regardless of my condition." Kimimaro smiled right back, he knew he was in for an ass-whooping, but he was going to take it like a man.
"What does he mean Lord Mizukage? Is Kimimaro ill?" Mrs. Weasley asked, motherly instincts taking over as she looked at the white haired boy. She turned her head to Zabuza who kept his gaze focused on the clearing, or specifically the occupants.
"Until a year and a half ago Kimimaro suffered from a life threatening bone disease. Until that point, people could only slow the progress of the disease. Do not worry Weasley-dono. He is a tough brat, and it'll take more than a bit of training to injure him. If I felt his life was in danger, I would have left him in the village. Now please, stand back and enjoy the show."
Zabuza's voice was devoid of every emotion aside from pride as he finished 'talking' to his host. "Enough chatter brats! I'm getting impatient, and unless both of you wish to fight me as well, you will get into your stances!" He roared, letting himself vent slightly from being stuck on diplomat duty for now.
Both students nodded, each focusing a miniscule amount of chakra into a sealing array tattooed onto their body. One puff of smoke later, and a katana in its sheath strapped onto Kimimaro's back with a round, white object tied to the hilt. Haku mimicked his actions, but his puff of smoke was lower, revealing a similar katana tied to his waist, held parallel to the group.
Oddly enough to the gathered witches and wizards, Haku also had a similar round white object tied to the hilt of his katana. Both bowed to each other while they untied their masks without looking.
Haku placed his mask on first. It was a smooth white oval with scarlet snowflakes dancing across the lower half in place of a mouth along with thin, curved eye holes and Kiri's symbol etched on top. "Snow, reporting for duty, sir." The ice shinobi held himself in a stance that looked relaxed to the civilians, but to Kimimaro and Zabuza, it was the stance of an assassin at rest, ready to strike at any moment.
Kimimaro's mask was of similar shape, but with a human jaw bone painted on the bottom half in a deep red. Like his brother's, the eye slits were slightly curved, and Kiri engraving, but in addition, his trademark scarlet dots in place of his eyebrows. "Bone, reporting for duty, sir." Kimimaro held himself in a similar manner to Haku, getting ready to draw his blade the moment the signal was given.
Zabuza nodded, before Hermoine took her turn to interrupt things. "Sir, if I may ask. Why are they wearing those.. masks?" The elder children and Weasley were also about to ask, mostly because Kimimaro's mask was similar to the masks of the old Death Eaters, not that the ninja's knew that.
Oh how the Mizukage wish he could just ignore the question, but he was to make positive relations. Since he couldn't say that Haku and Kimimaro were both Hunter-nin, tasked with finding and killing traitors to the village he told them a half truth.
"It is traditional attire in our village, as well as training. The mask has blind spots that the wearer must compensate for through their other senses or skills. As for the titles I am about to announce, they are just another tradition. At a certain age they can choose or be given nicknames. Any other questions Granger-san?"
Zabuza gave said witch a sidelong look, who just nervously shook her head. "In that case. In an official spar between peers, with the Fifth Mizukage Zabuza Momochi as acting judge. The match shall be between Haku of the Ice, against Kimimaro of the Dead Bone Pulse. Are the fighters ready?"
Both nodded their heads slightly, eyeing each other as they both made the last adjustments to their hidden chakra weights. What? It'd be a lot easier and much more practical to fight when being weighed down with an extra hundred pounds on each arm and leg, instead of just holding back and putting on a show. It was supposed to be training after all, and just going through the motions only teaches stagnation.
"Begin!" Zabuza yelled, grinning a bit. It was rare he got the chance to see Kimimaro fight, with his busy schedule, and Kimimaro's on and off trips to the hospital.
With a speed that caused the wizard's jaws to drop, Kimimaro charged forward. He had the advantage in Taijutsu, and he hoped to use that for as much as it was worth.
Sadly for him, Haku had other ideas. With a flick of his wrist the bone user was forced to halt his charge as Haku's katana swept across Kimimaro's chest, drawing a small line of blood from Kimimaro's chest. Normally it'd have been blocked by his bloodline limit, but Kimimaro was being forced to give up his greatest advantage against the lightning fast monster that was Haku.
The ice ninja took advantage of his opponents brief stall to take another swing, managing to get two more shallow cuts onto Kimimaro's chest before the younger fighter managed to get into his rhythm, dodging and ducking three strikes for every one didn't.
It took him a minute, but Kimimaro finally got a chance to draw his sword as Haku jumped back, flicking his arm. With a flash of steel, Kimimaro swiped the senbon out of the air. Good thing too, since any one of them hitting would have paralyzed a limb. Specifically his arms. Haku's a nice person, but never let it be said that he won't hold back to win.
What followed for the next ten minutes to the ninja was a slow and deliberate chess match in the form of blades. The weights held back Kimimaro's overpowering strength, while reigning in Haku's speed to manageable portions. Being forced to the same physical level, much less the level of mid range genin forced the ninja's to think tactically, having to think two steps ahead of their opponent, since they could no long play to their strengths.
To them, it was an interesting lesson in reading their opponent. To the spectators, it was simply watching a pair of teenagers, barely older then the twins go at each other with weapons, not seeming to care about the injuries taken or inflicted. The fact it was a struggle to see follow the movements of Haku and Kimimaro at times also threw them off.
They moved as if trained from birth, dodging blows the wizards thought would be lethal, hitting with swipes thought to be missed, or when Haku felt like being mean ducking and blocking needles thrown too quick to see.
"Alright brats!" The teenagers stopped the instant Zabuza spoke, the tip of Haku's blade gently pressed against Kimimaro's throat, a single drop of blood running down his neck. Not to be undone, Kimimaro's blade was held at the center of Haku's chest, ready to be driven into his heart.
"I'll call it a draw for now in Haku's favour. Haku, you are still to damn passive. Your aim with senbon is nearly impeccable, so damn well use it. Don't forget that there are more targets than center mass and the arms. Try to get into the habit of aiming to for the feet. As for you Kimimaro. You rely too much on your ability to take a hit and keep going. Haku is a hell of a lot more fragile than you, but still kicks your lazy bones around like a punching bag. Work on flexibility. Specialization is fine, over-specialization is suicide."
Zabuza sighed. "If it was anyone other than you two brats I'd call Haku a slacker for being unable to get a decive win against someone coming off a terminal illness and I'd call Kimimaro a coward for not getting back into training earlier. Stop letting those damn doctors baby you. If they complain when you get back home, tell them you have my orders to leave as soon as you feel ready for action. That's all for now. Haku, help Kimimaro look less like a pincushion that got rolled on by a hedgehog, please. After that, individual exercises for the rest of the night."
"Yes Zabuza-san~" Haku smiled as she took off her mask, using the string on the katana's sheath to tied them together, Kimimaro copying her movements, although he winced in pain at random intervals. The senbon wouldn't leave a lot of lasting damage, but they still stung like hell.
Finally shaking herself out of amazed silence, Molly sprung into action, stomping over to Zabuza who hadn't moved an inch since the fight began. "By merlin's beard! What are you thinking, giving children weapons and telling them to fight?! They could have gotten seriously injured! Maybe even killed! What kind of father does that to their own children!?"
Faced with an angry parent chewing him out, Zabuza simply stood his ground, looking down at his host with a raised eyebrow. "The kind that wants them to learn to protect themselves." Was his only response.
"By almost killing each other!?"
Zabuza shrugged. "Evolution through fear. People grow stronger when facing down pain or death. Coddling them will hinder their progress."
This seemed to infuriate Molly further as she pointed to the teenagers being discussed. "What about their feeling? Do they want to this?! Did they agree to this?! Shouldn't they have a chance at a normal childhood instead of being training to be killers!? They are just children."
Sadly she didn't know that Haku and Kimimaro already had blood on their hands. Haku's in self-defense, and Kimimaro in service to a greater cause either in the name of Zabuza or the Mist itself.
"Why are you asking me? If you desire an answer, talk to the brats. They have been old enough to make their own decisions since I found them." Zabuza kept his voice level, though he felt a headache coming on. Great, hopefully a small nap would get rid of it.
Molly turned to walk over to the boys in a huff to ask the poor dears their opinion. In her haste, she wasn't paying attention to the second last word, specifically what it was implying. Hermoine however, had no such issues and was the only one who caught on to the possibilities.
"Well dears, are you being forced to do all this? Don't you want to be normal teens, go to school instead of getting stabbed with weapons? Don't worry you are safe here, he can't force you to do anything." Molly said, going from motherly fury incarnate to loving and caring at the drop of a hat.
Neither Mist-nin mentioned that Zabuza couldn't be stopped regardless of what pretty words they said. But that didn't worry the teens. While he didn't show it often, Zabuza had a soft spot for his brats and they knew he cared for them, as much as they cared for him.
Kimimaro was the first to speak up. "I assure you Weasley-san. This is the path I have chosen. It is an honor and my pleasure to serve as a member of the Hidden Mist. As Zabuza-sama stated, in our country I have been a legal adult since the age of six. I do not need to be pampered and waited on. Zabuza-sama would never force me to do something I do not agree to and I have the utmost respect for him. As for our training. I understand that it may seem extreme to you, but myself and Haku are protegés. We have long passed the point of were standard -safe- training is worth our time. If we wish to get the most out of our potential, there are risks we must take. Isn't it a mothers dream to see her children become the best they can be? The ends justify the means. So long as I grow, I will continue with my excercise."
With his speech finished Kimimaro bowed slightly before walking away from the clearing to start pulling needles out of his arms and torso. Hopefully Haku wouldn't be too long. Help was always appreciated when dealing with removing dozens of senbon.
Now it was Haku's turn, and while Kimimaro was polite enough, he turned on the charm. "Weasley-san. You have no idea how much your concern means to me. It is a welcome change of pace, but I must agree with my brother. Zabuza-san has nothing but our best intentions in mind, regardless of how crude his actions may seem. He does not see us as tools to be thrown away. We are his children, and we simply hope that you respect that. Like Kimi-kun, I choose to follow Zabuza's teachings, just as I chose my path. I can promise our spares will be less bloody in the future, but we will not change our minds. I hope you can respect that choice. Now if you please excuse me. I have a brother to de-needle." He finished with a small giggle, thinking Kimimaro was getting off light so far. Next week was when his real punishment began.
Haku bowed as well before joining his brother, gently pulling out the needles that had been embedded in the boy's back. That'll teach him to try some poorly thought out spinning moves in the future.
Molly just didn't know what to say, so she said nothing at all and went inside to think things over, mumbling something about how crazy and insane these new wizards were. Most of the Weasley's followed her, expect for Ron who was pumped from the 'wicked cool' fight he just saw, and was dragging Harry off to for some duelling practice.
Zabuza looked at the only wizard left, who oddly enough was looking back at him. She had a hint of fear in her eyes, but she hid it remarkably well.
Hermione stood in place for a moment before gathering the courage to walk over to Zabuza, stopping to stand in front of him and bow. Finally, someone being respectfull, well not that he could blaim the wizards. Different cultures and what not. "Yes?"
"Um.. Lord Mizukage, if it isn't too much of a hassle, may I ask you a few questions?" Well, Zabuza had to admit she was a brave little thing. Since he had nothing else to do now, and he didn't feel like meditating just yet he decided to humor her.
Now to play every ninja's favorite game. 'Interrogations and Lies.' At least with a child interrogator he probably wasn't going to be skewered or literally probed for answers. Probably.
"I have some time, so I will answer as best as I can brat."
He had to smirk at the girl's reaction to being called a brat. Obviously she was the 'mature' type of civilian. Ah well, not his place to call her out on it.
"I was just wondering.. no one seemed to be paying attention. But you said you 'found' Haku and Kimimaro, what do you mean by that?"
"Well brat, you certainly don't pull any punches. But that is not my story to tell. Ask them nice enough and they might give you an answer. I recommend not pushing though. It isn't too sensitive a subject, but old scars can still bleed just like fresh wounds.."
Hermoine just nodded, storing that away for later. "Is everyone in your village a swordsman?"
"No, we just use them more than most people."
"Are you a swordsman as well?"
"Yes."
"How good are you?"
"Define good."
"Are you better than Haku and Kimimaro?"
"If they worked together, they might beat me in a straight up sword fight, but personally they need some improvements."
"What's the symbol on your hat mean?" Hermoine knew there were other questions she should be asking, but when an -adult- wasn't telling her to stop with the never-ending stream of question, she'd roll with it until they did.
"It is the kanji for mizu, or in english, water."
"So your title is water related?"
"Mizukage translates roughly to Water Shadow."
"Why? I do not mean to judge, but why water specifically? Are there other Kages?"
"Yes, four other. I am from the Land of Water, so I am the Mizukage. If I was from the Land of Fire I'd be the Hokage, but some other brat already has his sights set on that damn title, and I don't feel like the hassle would be worth it." Zabuza snorted, thinking of a certain blonde, orange jumpsuit wearing moron.
"Ah.. is everyone in your country a wizard, or are there muggles as well?"
"Muggles?"
"Non-magical people."
"So civilians. Things are more or less the same as they are here. We just don't hide our powers."
"Really? That must be nice.. probably not fighting about something as stupid as blood status..."
"Brat, a bit of advice. There are few things in this world that are infinite. One of them is human stupidity. Learn that lesson now, and it'll save you some trouble down the road."
"Oh.. okay.. um.. what kind of magic do you guys do?"
"More or less the same stuff you do, just a bit differently."
"Different how? Does it require a different focus than a wand? Or do you rely on other objects? Like swords."
"Dunno, it's just different. I'm a leader, not a scientist." Zabuza just shrugged, Hermoine decided to ask again later.
"Oh.. how long have you been in charge?"
"Couple years."
"Ah.. well um.."
"Nothing else?"
"No sir."
"Alright then." Zabuza just stood in place. He'd spent the last two years of his life as the Kage of a village on the brink of collapsing, so a bit of quiet, and relaxation was earned at this point. Especially if he was going to be going back in a few days, and lose his second in command a week later.
That was just a nightmare waiting to happen. Now he really was starting to regret this idea. He should have just ignored the wizards, kept the brats back in Kiri and keep up with their training there. Hell, he wouldn't even need to send the full four members to the Chunin exams.
Sending Haku by himself would have been overkill, sending Chojuro and Suigetsu as well? The four of them could probably take on every chunin hopeful at the same time and come out with only a few scratches and pleased smiles. But what's done is done. He threw his lot in with the wizards. If this doesn't pay off, Mei is getting a public execution by spanking.
It'd be a fitting way for her to go. Kami, she'd probably joke about how she'd been a naughty girl... That thought sent a small shiver down Zabuza's spine.
Meanwhile in the head of the fourteen year old gryffindor girl, were questions she wasn't exactly comfortable asking outloud. Most of them being along the lines of "Are all the girls in your village as pretty as Haku?" or "Are all wizards as ruggedly handsome as you in your village?"
Thankfully for both peoples sakes, she beat down her curiosity of how old Zabuza was, along with if he was married. She was not into older men, nor was she going to try and seduce an ambassador.
She was not an idiot. Like Ronald or Harry. Thought that may be a slight bit of jealousy speaking at the fact her two best friends fawning over the new girl.
Zabuza barely had to look at the girls face to get a guess at what was going through her head. He almost pitied the girl, but even after two years of being a slightly better guy than before, he still had to chuckle as he waited. Oh these poor, poor wizards are going to get the shock of their lives.
"Brat. Kimimaro and Haku are probably finished with removing the senbon. Why don't you go bother them instead of me?" He didn't even look at the girl as he spoke.
"Ah, sorry Lord Mizukage... I didn't mean to be rude." Hermoine bowed and turned to leave before Zabuza's voice stopped her.
"Brat, in a private situation such as this. Momochi-san would be enough. I am not petty enough to force my proper title when simply having a chat. Kami, if you feel especially brave, feel free to just call me Zabuza-kun instead of Lord Mizukage." Still didn't look at her, arms still crossed. Since the girl probably didn't know the difference between honorifics, Zabuza decided to have some fun himself.
Sure no one would get the joke, and he might not be around to see this ticking time-bomb go off, but just imagining the look on Haku and Kimimaro's face was worth it.
Hermoine bowed again. "Sure, Lord Mi- Momochi-san. It has been an honor talking to you."
Zabuza just nodded as Hermoine finally left. Well, one day almost down, two more to go. Lovely.
Haku had an issue. It was nothing too important or life threatening. But it was a problem that if solved, would result in him jumping for joy.
The issue?
Simply chakra control.
Now I know what you are thinking. Haku is great at chakra control, he is the only known ninja capable of one handed seals. His mastery of water and ice techniques was far beyond his years, among the best in the Hidden Mist.
But no, his issue wasn't chakra control for techniques. It was chakra control in his muscles. The ice ninja knew he wasn't the physically strongest of shinobi his age. He relied on speed and superior techniques for his combat prowess.
If only he could make his hits worth a damn.. Well, worth more of a damn. He didn't hit like a light breeze, but he also was wasn't strength oriented. He'd heard of the Legendary Sannin Tsunade, Kami, he even met her when she helped heal Kimimaro. But still, he didn't think her technique would be this difficult to copy or recreate. If it relied on medical knowledge, he should have been fine.
Haku wasn't a medical-nin by any stretch of the imagination. He had the textbook knowledge about acupuncture points, as well as every biological weakness and strength of the human body for assassinations. But he wasn't a healer. Nor did he wish to be one.
With a small sigh, Haku decided to work on it later. He'd been bashing his head against this specific brick wall for two months so far. Two months more doesn't sound too bad. Such a shame that he couldn't just ask for tutoring in the technique, being from a different village after all.
Ah well, if a technique could be created once, it could be recreated with hard work and persistence.
With that in mind, Haku sat down, seeing Kimimaro meditating on top of a nearby hill. Good, he's growing his chakra reserves. He could always do with more, especially so he can use his fifth dance more than twice a day. But enough about the bonehead.
Haku seemed to have barely closed his eyes to start his meditation that he felt a presence. The joys of being a sensor ninja. Can't just ignore people, even when you want to. Then again it is rather helpful against ambushes.
The mystery person sat down across from Haku, and kept quiet, which was nice, even if her presence alone was a minor bother.
It took five minutes of waiting before Haku finally broke the silence, keeping his eyes shut. Might as well work on sensory skills since meditation is now out of the question. "While I enjoy the company, I do hope our time won't be spent in absolute silence. I believe that is for friends closer than we. I hope that we do get to that point at someday, but for now conversation seems the best route."
One well-practiced smile later, and he heard a female giggle. So it was either.. Ginny, yes, her name was Ginny. Or it was Hermoine. Alright.. time for a small gamble.. Ginny was inside, but had more than enough time to double back and get here. Hermoine was talking to Zabuza-san last he saw.
Hm.. ah well, he can play it off as a joke if he's wrong. "For what do I owe the company Granger-san?"
"How'd you know?"
"I didn't, but thank you for the confirmation."
"Not bad... what are you doing? Meditation?"
"Correct Granger-san. Most would have said taking a nap, but yes. Meditation is my current pursuit."
"Should I come back later? I don't want to interrupt."
"Oh, no no no. Don't worry. Company is always welcome. I prefer to enjoy my quiet, self-reflection with a cup of jasmine tea in one hand, and a good book in the other." Romance books most often, and Ichi Ichi if it had been a particularly bad day.
"Then why are your eyes still closed?" Damn this girl asks a lot of questions.
"While I am no longer meditating, I -am- trying to get a feel for nature, simply listening and trying to sense what's going on. A little inner peace does wonders to conversation skills. If my actions offend you Granger-san, I would be more than happy to open my eyes."
"No, no. It's fine. I was just curious. May I ask you a personal question? It may be rude to ask, but I'm a bit too inquisitive for my own good. Or so I've been told." Haku had to think this over. He could think of a narrow selection of questions she might ask from information given so far.. Yes, this would work perfectly. Useless information shared in exchange for possible knowledge.. and Hermoine did seem to be the brains of the operation.
"Of course you may ask. Though I may not answer." Haku teased gently, getting a small smile from the younger girl. Not that he could see, but still. What he could sense on the other hand where the chakra signatures of every wizard within a mile. He committed himself to memorizing each one while half listening to Hermoine.
"I was wondering... Lord Mizukage said he found you and Kimimaro. Did he adopt you?"
"Why yes, he did do that. I believe.. roughly eleven or ten years ago. But I'm assuming you wish to hear tale that accompanies that action as well, hm?" Haku grinned playfully, it was times like this that he really enjoyed cross-dressing. It just made the job so much easier. Women connect better with people they believe to be woman, while a man with enough alcohol and proper flirtation will be spilling his guts out in a heart beat.
Hermoine nodded. Then realized she was an idiot and spoke. "Thank you, but I won't force you to tell me."
"I don't mind. But I will warn you, it is not a happy story."
"Oh okay.. I think I can handle it."
Haku nodded as he shifted in place to get comfortable, and to stop his legs from falling asleep before he began. "Before I was a member of the Hidden Mist, I was born and lived in a small, snowy village in the Land of Water. My birth parents were simple farmers, and everything was good. I had a pleasant childhood till I was.. five or six.. the age is a bit of an iffy detail, I hope you don't mind. I'm not entirely sure why, but one day my father went crazy... he attacked my mother and myself, killing her. But sadly, even at a young age I wasn't the easiest target.."
The boy sighed, the memory didn't haunt him after ten years, but it was still a pain to relive things. Also getting a few pity points might work in his favour. So he just continued. "In ensuing fight between my father and myself, I won, killing him in self defense.. and there I was. A child, who'd lost everything by one of the people who gave it to me... I spent a year after that wandering the Land of Water.. eating out of trash bins, fighting off wild dogs and sleeping in the streets."
A small, female hand was placed on Haku's left shoulder. Probably Granger trying to be comforting. "Thank you.. but after a year, I had stopped to rest on a bridge, it was what seemed like a normal day. I remember being hungry at the time, so I mustn't have eaten in the past few days before that point... but that's the day I met Zabuza-san. It was rather surprising. A member of the Hidden Mist stopping to talk to a street rat like myself.. he called me unfortunate. Said I was going to end my life unwanted by anyone. That I would die with neither freedom nor dreams. He was right, I didn't completely understand it at the time, but his words rang true. So I said the one thing that was on my mind. I told him, he had the same eyes as me. The eyes of the forsaken, ones who'd been abandoned. After that, he simply took me in. I don't know his exact reason why, but he finally gave me a purpose. Something to live for. A reason to get up in the morning. Zabuza trained and raised me personally from that point on. I am his first child, and I will forever be in debt for the care he has given me. I would lay down my life for Zabuza if needed."
Haku took a small breath. "So yes Granger-san. I am adopted, but the man who killed my mother, is not the man I consider my father. He doesn't deserve that title. Zabuza is my one, true father."
"I.. see." Hermoine didn't exactly have a response.
"Granger-san. May I ask you a small question?"
"Of course." Not like she could really deny Haku the opportunity after that bombshell.
"Do you have any dreams, or hopes for the future?"
"Yes. I want to enjoy the time I have with my friends for as long as possible. And I hope that we will stay with each other to the end, no matter what. Why?"
The girls response got a genuine smile out of the ice ninja. "That is a lovely dream Granger-san. I asked you this because I have a dream to. I want to protect someone precious to me. To work for that person. To fight for that person. To make that person's dreams come true. That is my dream. And Granger-san."
Haku brought a hand up to gently take Hermoine's hand off of his shoulder and into his own, finally opening his eyes to stare at her. "Our dreams are rather similar I think. You want to be there for, and help those you care about. I can certainly respect that. I believe that when a person has someone important to protect. That is when the can truly become strong. You are a bright young girl, and your friends are very lucky to have you."
With a notion to put his training off until tomorrow Haku stood up, letting go of Hermoine's hand to dust himself off. "Now Granger-san. Why don't we go inside? I have heard a bit about you from Potter-san and Weasley-san. But I'm sure their descriptions didn't do you justice, and I would love to hear your side of the story regarding the basilisk." Haku said with a kind smile as he offered Hermoine a hand to help her up.
If what Haku had learned was true, Hermoine didn't exactly have the most female friends. So of course he was going to fix that issue. Out of the goodness of his heart? Partly. For the sake of the mission? Absolutely. It was a winning situation for everyone involved. Perfect.
AN: Edit: Whoops. One of the tough things about writing Haku is having to switch between describing him as a he, while having everyone else call him a she. So um.. thanks to MadxHatter123 for pointing out that mistake. I very much appreciate it sir.
