No, Naruto isn't mine. Nor is Haku. Or Haku would be alive. Of course. I really need to change this whole, no-Haku-is-not-mine thing. Oh, I know! I'll write a fanfic making him mine! Oh, wait… I'm doing that now, aren't I? Enjoy.

Mizu lay in Haku's bed, her face buried in his pillow. She wasn't crying; she was memorizing his smell, knowing it would probably be the last time for a long time. All three know Mizu was going to follow; only two knew why.

Mizu sat up slowly. She took down her bao-baos, running her fingers through her hair. Her hair fell in ringlets around her shoulders, from being wound so tightly all night. Haku tugged at the end of one.

Mizu smiled softly at him. They had been doing small things like that all night and most of the morning, so as not to attract Zabuza's attention.

"You'll follow?" he mouthed, half-hoping she'd say no; half-whishing she'd say yes.

Mizu sighed, her eyes sliding closed. She nodded once.

"It'll come to a fight."

Mizu fell back. "I know," she moaned silently.

"I won't fight you."

"I won't kill you."

"You might have to."

"I'd rather die myself."

"Your dreams?"

"Half-formed thoughts. Half-baked ideas."

Haku sat up, an idea taking shape. He didn't want to admit to himself how much he wanted the idea to live. "What if they could come true?"

Mizu shook her head, pain evident on her face. "It's too late. Everyone fears me."

"I don't fear you."

"You're a fool."

"Or fearless."

"A fearless fool."

They both laughed softly. Haku sighed. He wouldn't go so far as to say he loved her, but he certainly had to sort through the new strong emotions he had for her. "What was with…?"

Mizu held up her hand.

"Yeah."

Mizu sighed. "There were three of us, you know. I was the youngest, Ren the oldest. We were triplets, but we looked different. Well, I did from the other two. They had dark red hair, deep green eyes. You could tell how I stuck out. Ukari kept her hair short, which was really the only way you could tell the two apart. One day, some random person came up and grabbed Ren by the hair. I shrieked, and he pulled out his sword and sliced open my arm, from shoulder to wrist."

She rolled up her sleeve and showed Haku the thin white scar against her tan skin, indeed running from shoulder to wrist.

"Ukari tried to run." Mizu's mouth was an angry slash. "She died first. Ren tried to pull away, to go to her twin. He slid his sword across her throat. I shrieked again, and he sliced open my other arm, as well as my legs and torso. He left me to die."

Haku's eyes skimmed over her body. He noticed thin white lines covering her body. Scars, he realized.

"He went in, and I listened to the shrieks of my family as he killed them. I was too weak, too cowardly to attack him, so I watched as he walked away, my clan's blood on his hands. I swore then that I would find him and make him pay for killing my family."

She sighed. "I was unable to make it into town completely before passing out. I dreamt vividly, though, of my sisters' violent deaths. I was told later I shrieked a lot. When I awoke, I was in the hospital, and almost a week had passed. I enrolled in the academy, and quickly made it to the top, even surpassing the Uchiha boy. Within the span of a few years, I was an ANBU captain. I went out on my own and tracked down the man who murdered my family. I can assure you, he is unable to harm anyone else now. When I returned, I told Sarutobe I was done with the whole ANBU scene. He told me that he agreed. I was excited until he said it was time I move on to higher things. He said I had too much talent to waste. I continued training.

"And now," she sighed, "I'm The Angel. Feared by everyone."

"I repeat," Haku said, "I'm not afraid of you."

"You're a fearless fool. You're not supposed to fear me." Her mouth twitched up at the corners.

"Haku."

They sighed. Mizu followed Haku out. She watched him with longing as he prepared to leave. He turned, suddenly, and picked Mizu up around the waist and spun her around. He pressed his lips to hers.

When they finally broke apart, Mizu was blushing. Now all three knew why.

Well? S'il vous plait, review. I will love you forever-est if you do. Please? Vous connaissez je vous adore. Au revoir, mes amis!