I'm not quite genius enough to create Naruto. Nor are my artistic skills of any worth. Why do you think I'm on and not deviantART? My point exactly. I can claim some ownership, though; Mizu is my creation. As well as Ren and Ukari. And some of the scenes. So please… asketh before you stealeth, and your head shall remaineth connected to thy shoulders…eth. Enjoy.

Mizu and Haku still met often during the passing year, Mizu searching for him after every mission. They grew steadily closer, Mizu professing her love exactly one year after their first encounter. Zabuza was tolerant of their relationship, to put it kindly, but he never let Mizu stay for long, only allowing her to remain for a few days in peace. "Serious impediment on our relationship," Mizu once joked, "but we'll deal."

Out of boredom and an inability to find Haku, Mizu followed a jonin and his gennin squad on a simple C-rank mission: to escort and protect the bridge-builder Tazuna on his journey home, to the Land Hidden in the Mist.

She let the gennin and the jonin know she was coming along, but kept her face covered with her kitsune ANBU mask. Only the jonin, Hatake Kakashi, knew who she was. She made it clear to Kakashi she was only there as a last resort, and that the mission was still his and his squad's.

They were wandering along, Mizu listening to the pointless chatter of the gennin.

"I will be Hokage! Believe it!" the boy in the bright orange jumpsuit exclaimed.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Tazuna responded.

"Naruto…" the girl said warningly.

"Naruto? Uzamaki Naruto, by any chance? I've heard you've given Sarutobe plenty to complain about," Mizu said, smothering a laugh.

"Sarutobe?!" the girl exclaimed.

"Yeah. You know, the Hokage's name? Aren't you top of your class in academics, Haruno? Shouldn't you know that?"

The girl flushed. "Of course I do! I just… I've never heard Hokage-sama referred to by his first name."

"Ah, yes, I would be one of the few who would call him Sarutobe." Mizu lapsed into silence.

"Why do you always wear that fox mask, anyways?" Naruto demanded.

"Shut up, Naruto," the last member of the squad hissed.

"You're the Uchiha boy," Mizu said.

The boy nodded.

"Sasuke, right?"

he nodded again.

She rolled her eyes. "Talkative one," she murmured. Mizu returned her attention to Naruto. "Because if I take it off, you'll figure out who I am. And then I'd have to kill you, because no one can know who I am. Of course, killing you would be no problem for me. In fact, it might be a little too easy. But you're a gennin, and you're from the same village as me. Right now, it's no where near an even enough match for me to be satisfied."

The team was stunned into silence. "Finally," Mizu murmured to herself.

They continued on, and Mizu noticed a puddle. "But it hasn't rained for weeks," she thought, confused. "Oh. Oh." She decided to say nothing, though. It wasn't her mission.

A pair of chuunin erupted from the puddle. "Ooh, this looks interesting," she thought. She watched the event unfold, disappearing into the shadows.

"Well handled," she said to Kakashi later.

"They needed training," Kakashi responded.

"You know this probably means there's going to be more," she speculated. "Maybe jonin, or rogue ANBU."

Kakashi frowned. "I know."

"I'm off. I'll see if I can head them off at the turn."

Kakashi nodded, and Mizu left.

"Please, Haku…" she moaned, flying through the trees. "Please, no…" she reached a clearing near the river. She felt the senbon at her back before she heard them. She dropped to the ground, rolling, and turned to face her assailant. She saw a boy in the trees wearing brown and green and a Mist ANBU mask.

A grin tugged at her lips. In a loud, clear voice, she said, "Now, that can't be the mask I made for my Haku can it? No, because he'd recognize this kitsune far too easily."

The boy hesitated. "Mizu?"

Mizu removed her mask.

The boy removed his. It was Haku. He dropped to the ground. "Mizu!"

She grinned. "Missed you too, Haku," she said warmly.

He picked her up and spun her around, grinning at her delighted squeals.

"So tell me this, Haku," Mizu asked after they relaxed in the clearing, "you aren't planning to take out a bridge builder named Tazuna, are you?"

Haku flushed.

"Oh, dear," Mizu murmured.

"Why?"

"I'm protecting him."

Haku paled. "I won't fight you," he swore.

"After a year, we're finally getting our battle," she said, referring back to the carnival. She stood, brushing a kiss across his lips. "See you later."

Haku stood as well, catching her wrist. He pulled her into a deeper kiss. Mizu was left breathless when they finally broke apart.

"What…?" she stuttered.

"If… something happens."

Mizu was immediately sober. "Nothing will happen, Haku. We'll be together after all of this blows over. I promise."

"Still, just in case…" Haku pulled her into another kiss.

Mizu rested her forehead against his. "I won't loose you," she whispered, pain at previous losses evident in her eyes.

"I know."

Mizu pulled away, fear in her expression. She put her mask back on. "Until our battle," she said.

Haku replaced his mask. "Until our battle," he repeated.

Mizu raced back. She quickly spotted Kakashi and pulled him aside. "There is eminent danger. Momochi Zabuza is ahead."

"Why didn't you take him out?"

Loyalty to her village and love for Haku warred within her. "It's not my fight," she responded finally.

Kakashi watched as she turned and walked away.

And thus begins the end. But will it end the way you think? Review, s'il vous plait! Je vous adore!