Kekkei Genkai: Haku

"Kid's still here, huh?"

Haku's eyes cracked open at the sound of the irritated man's voice.

"I already told you, Inuyasha." He could already hear the heavy sigh in her voice. "Haku-kun was left under my care for the time being. I'm not going to leave him out in the cold just because you don't like the fact he's here whenever you decide to show up for free food." Her sleeves rustled lightly, suggesting her movements, before the sharp crack of a bowl hitting the hut floor confirmed that he had come for just that. "And besides, he's already better at helping me catalog all the medicinal herbs I've gathered than you could ever hope to be."

"Keh." The clink of chopsticks was quickly overtaken by a half growled grumble of, "You're too nice for yer damn good. It's going to get you killed one of these days when I'm not around, K'gome."

Haku's brow furrowed inward at that.

"Haku-kun's just a child." The way she had said that simple sentence made it seem as if she was reminding a child of that fact herself. "He's young and impressionable, that's all."

"That other guy he came here with ain't, though."

Listening to her shift upon the mat near the fire pit, Haku pictured the way her mouth would twist at the corner, her blue eyes giving off a dangerous glint, before she would wave her hand dismissively toward the silver haired man accompanying her. The vivid thought made his own mouth twitch almost immediately, especially when he heard the answering grumble that Inuyasha gave in return.

"Haku-kun's not like that." The huff in her voice was obvious. "He's smart, kind and thoughtful, unlike you, and he's—"

"Kagome." Inuyasha seemed to wait just long enough to listen to her huff again, before continuing, "I ain't saying you can't help the kid out, okay? I get it." Even Haku wondered if he honestly did, though, considering how often his visits resulted in a fight between the two. "But that Zabuza, he's… The things I've heard, they're… bad. Whatever he left that kid here for, with you, it can't be good."

Haku bristled ever so slightly then, his eyes narrowing at the mention of Zabuza.

"Don't give me that look, Inuyasha." Kagome only sighed, no doubt shaking her head. "Zabuza-san's not part of the Mist Village anymore. Haven't you seen his headband? He's gone rogue, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to…?" The splintering sound that followed was no doubt caused by Inuyasha breaking another set of chopsticks, and yet Haku still felt himself flinch in the dark at Kagome's hiss of outrage. Inuyasha's heavy sigh nearly drowned underneath it, before he chided her by saying, "That's exactly why you should be worried! I mean, damn, Kagome, do you even hear yourself? A rogue shinobi? Out here? Just, what…? Dropping some random kid off on you while he goes out to do some light work for the week? It sounds fishy, and you know it."

Haku's lip tightened into a straight line at the implication.

Zabuza had not simply left him. He had a use for him, after all, and Kagome's teachings were merely—

"Inuyasha." Kagome's voice became small, halting the thought, as Haku forced himself to strain his ear for any vital information. "That was… years ago, and we're barely on the border of Wave Country here. I know you're worried about me, but I'm fine. I haven't…" She paused. "I don't think Zabuza-san knows, that's all. That's why I'm not worried."

"And if he does?"

Haku's brow creased, suddenly unsure about what they were actually talking about.

Only the sound of Kagome's clothes shifting answered Inuyasha, no doubt from having turned away from him.

"Dammit, Kagome." Inuyasha seemed to snarl like a dog afterward. "You can't just act like it might not happen again. They're still out there looking for people, even to this day." Something about the way the silver haired man said that made Haku's spine tense. A distant memory filled with blood and ice made him hold his breath, as he listened to the sound of Inuyasha's voice softening, obviously trying to coax the young woman into acknowledging him once more. "I know this is all different than it should have been, and I know it's my fault, okay? You can hate me all you want for that."

Kagome released a snort of a laugh, as she said, "I don't hate you, Inuyasha. I'm just… disappointed."

"Keh." Clearly uncomfortable with the conversation himself, Inuyasha's weight shifted upon the floorboards and made them squeak quietly. "I just don't want to find out you had to run off again because you were forced to kill another ten men, okay?"

Haku felt his eyes widened.

What?

Was Kagome… a shinobi herself?

"Trying to find you last time was a nightmare with the way everything smells like seawater and shit around here," Inuyasha grumbled. "And that Zabuza guy isn't like those guys from before, either. He's… different. Savage. If he's like them…"

The world seemed to still, as the words fell from Inuyasha's mouth in the other room.

"They're so damn worried about anyone and everyone that might have one of those fucking kekkei genkai, there's no telling what he might do to you if he finds out you can heal like you do."

A kekkei genkai?

Kagome had a kekkei genkai… like he did?

Was that why she lived alone, out in the woods?

Why she had been so surprised to see them when Zabuza first chose to pass through the area?

"I told you, Inuyasha, I'm being careful." Kagome's clothing rustled, as she began to sort through various things nearby as quietly as possible in an attempt to no doubt busy herself once more. An obvious and clear indication that she wanted to simply forget about the whole thing and move on. "I'm just teaching Haku-kun the basics, so there's nothing to worry about. He's not going to need any emergency healing just picking herbs and sorting through them as he learns what kind they are."

"Tch." Haku could almost see Inuyasha rolling his eyes at the response. "Why do you always have to be such a damn, stubborn wench?"

"Excuse me?" Kagome hissed. "Sit!"

Jolting upright, Haku looked around wildly at the loud crash that followed.

"Don't call me a wench, you idiot," Kagome huffed. The sound of her getting to her feet made the sole survivor of the Yuki clan swiftly pull his blanket up over his head, wondering what could have possibly made that sound without her being alarmed herself. "I swear, if you made me wake up Haku-kun…!"

"Fucking, god damn—!"

…just who in the world had Zabuza left him with?