Warmth of a Cold Touch

He had no one.

Haku stood in front of Zabuza’s resting site. A few days had passed since the man’s death. Days that Haku spent mostly unconscious thanks to his wound. He only woke this morning thanks to Kakashi’s minimal training in the medics.

A part of him wished he hadn’t woken up. At least then he wouldn’t be alone.

But if that happened, he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his promise to Zabuza. “Master, “ he whispered softly as he thought of the man he’d respected and come to see as his father. Haku played the part of Zabuza’s tool well, but in his heart, he’d always felt as though he was the man’s son.

“Hey, you shouldn’t be sad.”

Haku didn’t bother turning at the soft words. He knew exactly who was behind him and he had no desire to see the blond. He could sense the boy’s massive chakra from a mile away.

“My master is dead,” he bit out, irritated with the other boy’s presence. How could he not be sad? His only precious person was gone.

“I know. It’s just…I don’t think he would have wanted you to be sad. He wanted you to be happy.”

Haku didn’t respond, letting his silence speak for itself.

Apparently that would not satisfy the blond. “He wanted you to live for your dream, remember?”

He snorted. “What dream? I was Zabuza’s tool. I have no dreams, no ambitions.”

“Then you need to find one. I know it’s not easy, but every one needs a dream, otherwise…it gets too dark.”

Haku turned slightly to gaze at the blond. He knew, from their meeting in the woods and battle, that the boy was more than he appeared to be, but this was different. The boy had seen hardship and experienced the kind of pain of loneliness Haku had.

“You’ve experienced this darkness?”

Naruto turned his head to the side and looked at the horizon before them. His eyes were dull with the darkness that can only be a result of painful memories. “I’m not like other people. Some say I’m not even human.” He paused, took a deep breath and released it. “I’m different and most of the villagers know and hate the thing that makes me different. For a long time it was just me and the old man. That should have been enough, but it wasn’t. Then I found my dream.”

Staring at Naruto, Haku could feel his buried pain, the misery he kept hidden behind his large smiles and it humbled him. He knew what the boy experienced was just as painful as what he’d experienced in the Land of Water. He, at least, had Master Zabuza. Naruto only had an old man to protect him from a village full of hatred. “What is your dream?”

Naruto looked at him. “I want to be Hokage. I want to be the strongest ninja in my village. I want to protect them and make all of those people recognize me.”

He wants to lead his village just like Master Zabuza, but where my master wanted to rule with an iron fist this boy wants to protect the very people who scorned him. “I hope you achieve your dream. A good leader is hard to come by.”

“I will be Hokage. I will be better than all the rest and I won’t let anyone stop me from achieving my dream.”

At his words Haku thought back to what Master Zabuza asked him to do. This boy was so strong, stronger than Haku, hell, maybe even stronger than Master Zabuza. He made a decision then and there. “Yes, and I’ll help you.”

“Huh?” Naruto looked at him dumstruck. “What?”

“I said I would help you achieve your dream, whatever it is. If it is to be Hokage I will help you do that.”

“Why?” Naruto asked softly. His spirit sounded broken, torn by the very thought of someone helping him. Haku clenched his fingers into a fist irritated with the villagers of the Leaf and how their hatred had scared Naruto so deeply that he wondered why anyone would help him.

“It’s because a good leader needs great subordinates. I am older and somewhat wiser. I will teach you what I do know and learn whatever I don’t.”

Naruto smiled. “Thank you, Haku. You’re a good friend.”

“Friend?” he asked, shocked. He had been thinking that he would now become Naruto’s tool and make Naruto’s dream his dream. But a friendship? “I’ve never had a friend,” he admitted.

Naruto’s mouth twisted into something akin to a grimace but not as bitter. “Me too. No one wanted to be my friend. I just hoped…” he trialed off.

Haku strode forward. “Yes, I’ll be your friend, your first friend, just as you will be my first friend.”

Naruto nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, friends.” He held out his hand for a handshake. Haku accepted it.

“Come on, let’s go back to Tazuna’s. I’ve been gone so long your teacher probably things that I am halfway to the Cloud by now.”

Naruto laughed. It was a happy sound. Haku thought he could get used to hearing.

The walk back to Tazuna’s was quiet. Haku’s mind was occupied with thoughts on why the Leaf ostracized him. The Leaf was not like the Mist. They revered bloodlines and unlike Cloud and Stone, they were supposed to treat each shinobi as an individual and valued quality over quantity. Naruto was an orphan. His statement had alluded to that. Still, he was young but strong ninja. With a little guidance he could go far. His first mission out of the village and he had captured Master Zabuza’s attention and defeated him. His chakra alone…

His chakra was massive. No doubt his teacher hadn’t gotten to masking yet, since none of the genin did it, but he wondered if Naruto would ever be able to hide something so large.

Then there was the change in his chakra. During their fight it altered in color and potency. It started off blue but then became a frightening red. The only time he’d ever experienced anything similar was when Zabuza attempted to assassinate the Mist leader.

Haku paused. Naruto is a demon vessel.

It made sense. The boy looked to be about twelve years old and around the time of birth the Nine-Tails attacked the Leaf village. The Fourth died defeating it. Everyone claimed he had killed the demon, but more than a few people had speculated that the Leaf was lying. A demon that powerful should have been impossible to kill. Even the lesser ones had to be sealed, whether in a human or inanimate object to keep them from rampaging across the land. The Nine-Tails was the strongest of them all. However, that view had dropped off when the demon didn’t reappear and no word on exactly how it was defeated was known.

Then there was the isolation and the hatred the villagers had shown Naruto. An old man, someone wise enough to have witnessed the life of a demon vessel or two would know the difference between the boy and the demon. Others wouldn’t.

It explained everything.

“Haku, be careful.”

Haku lifted his head in surprise. He’d always walked into a tree he was thinking so hard. “Sorry,” he murmured to Naruto.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re almost there. I hope Tsunami already finished dinner. I’m starved.”

He was hungry too. It probably hadn’t been a good idea to skip lunch, especially as he wsa still healing. Thankfully, they had already reached the house. The door opened to reveal Kakashi standing on the inside of the doorway. He didn’t raise his gaze from his pornographic book. “I hope you boys had a nice walk.”

Naruto darted a glance at him. He gave him a small nod. “Yes, it was nice, Kakashi,” he said.

“Good. Good. Get in here and clean up.” He turned and strode deeper into the house. “Haku, you might want to reapply that salve I put on your wound. It is a combination that dulls the pain receivers and accelerates healing. It should stop working in about an hour. You might want to do something about it.”

“I will.” He followed Kakashi, Naruto beside him.

“We’re back,” Naruto called out as they entered the home.

“Stupid Naruto, where have you been?” Sakura yelled the words as she stomped across the room.

Haku moved to stand before Naruto. “He was with me. Is that a problem?” he asked, his tone of voice making it clear that there better not be a problem. He was not in the mood to deal with the stupid girl. Her loud, high voice had been the first thing he heard this morning. Then as now, she had been yelling at Naruto. Haku had no intention of experiencing a repeat performance. He was in enough pain as it was. He did not want to add a headache to it.

“Uh, no.” She backed away a little.

“Good,” he said, grabbed Naruto’s hand and pulled the boy closer to him. “Come, I need to change the dressing on my wound,” he said quietly enough that only the blond could hear him.

“Okay. Sure.” Haku lead the way to the room he was resting in with Kakashi.

Though it seemed to take forever they managed to reapply the salve and redress his wound. Haku then re-dressed. As he made his way back to the dinning area he could feel the salve working. He couldn’t help wondering just who invented it. He was always more interested in being a medic-nin and it peaked his attention. Maybe if the Leaf accepted him he could work at their ninja hospital and learn under one of their masters. After all the village was the one that birthed Tsunade, the greatest medic-nin of all time.

When they reached the dining table they found two empty seats remaining. They were right next to one another. Perfect.

Haku took one and then Naruto took the other. “Thank you, Tazuna, Tsunami. I know I am not an honored guest, but I appreciate your hospitality.

Tazuna smiled. “You suffered underneath Gato too.” Tsunami nodded her head in agreement.

He thanked them again, unsure what else to do in the face of such kindness. Then almost as one every one started to eat.

Haku was about a quarter of the way through his soup when he realized that Naruto and Sasuke was kicking each other. He ignored it, figuring it was not his place to interrupt the dynamics of their team. Then Sasuke spoke.

“Hn. Dead-last.”

Haku straightened and glanced around the room waiting for someone to reprimand Sasuke. No one did. Tazuna and Tsunami looked a little uncomfortable, but resigned. Kakashi hadn’t even looked up from his book and Sakura was watching Sasuke out the corner of her eye, trying not to appear as love struck as she was. When he realized the rest of the Leaf team wasn’t going to say something so he did.

“Why do you call him that?”

Sasuke jerked his head up and looked at Haku in surprise. No doubt no one had ever called him out before. His gaze shifted to a glare. Haku refused to be cowed. Zabuza was a thousand times scarier when his sleep was interrupted and Haku conquered that every morning when he woke him up to start their day.

“Because he is. Naruto barely passed.”

Tension rode the air at those words. Though he didn’t turn his head, Haku knew Naruto stiffened at the statement.

Sakura was the one answered his question. Of course she had defended her crush. Haku had only been among the Leaf for a small amount of time but that was one thing that quickly became clear. The girl was lovesick for the stoic boy. “And?” he murmured softly, but loudly enough for the entire room to hear.

Kakashi lowered his book and looked at Haku in question. Haku ignored him. If he wasn’t going to speak up, Haku would.

“Well, Sasuke was rookie of the year. He got the best scores of all the academy graduates,” Sakura replied succinctly as though that explained everything. To her, that might have. She was so very green. No doubt this was her first real mission, first experience with violence.

“Are you still in the academy?” he questioned.

“No,” Sakura said. The lowness of her voice made her hesitation clear.

“Then who cares where you stood in the academy?”

Sasuke snorted. “Of course you would say that. You didn’t go to a ninja academy.”

Haku smiled. It wasn’t one of his attractive ones. No, it was one of the sadistic ones Zabuza always called him out on. “No, I didn’t. You did and you still couldn’t defeat me. Naruto, the dead-last of your class did, not you, the rookie of the year. Still, think your academy standing is impressive?”

Sasuke glared at him for a few seconds before turning away. Haku’s smile broadened. Haku learned a few things traveling with Zabuza. One lesson was that clan members were heavily concerned with status. Sasuke might be an orphan, but he was still part of the Uchiha clan and acted like it.

He watched Sasuke lift his spoon up and take a bite of his food. Only then did he dart a glance to Naruto. Blue eyes wide, the boy was staring at him in surprise. As though no one had ever defended him. Red-hot anger filled Haku at the realization that it probably was that rare. His gaze tightened as he looked at the room around him. By accident his vision landed on Kakashi’s. The Copy-nin looked into his eyes and nodded his head to him once before returning to his book.

Startled, Haku wondered what that was about. Sharingan Kakashi had thanked him for putting his star pupil in his place. It didn’t make any sense and then he realized that it made a lot of sense. Kakashi could have defended Naruto but it would seem like he was coddling the young boy and that was the last thing a ninja wanted. Sasuke, and probably Sakura, would have seen any attempt by him to stop their belittling actions as a sign that Naruto was in fact as weak as they believed him to be. It would have made things worse.

Haku as an outsider and someone who defeated Sasuke in real battle would not be perceived the same way.

For the first time that day Haku smiled. It hadn’t been much but he’d made a difference to Naruto. That was all that mattered.
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AN: Please bear with me. I expect the story will move slowly at first. I don't plan on having them just jump in bed.

About Haku: I see him as being the character that questions the established "truths". As an outsider he is not just going to accept things as is. He's going to really look at the Leaf and their actions and in some cases call them on it.

R&R&R: I would really appreciate it if you guys would read, review, and rate the story. I'm new at this and any feedback is good feedback as I want to do this right. For some time now I've been looking for a M/M NaruHaku or NaruKimi and decided to get off my ass and write one. So here we are.