Hello fellow fanfiction writers and readers this is my first attempt at writing one tell me what you think in the reviews. A big thank you to Xenolov who did the beta read and really helped clean it up. This will be a FEMHAKU AND JON SNOW romance story eventually.

Prologue

When Haku woke up she was laying on her back with a tingling sensation running through her. It seemed as if she was laying on the softest grass ever. Moreover, the sky was presenting the strangest sight to her eyes. It was mainly white, the only exception to it were the different colors, constantly shifting in random patterns. It was a sight that would be admired by almost everyone who saw it.

After a while of, her attention shifted to her chest caked with blood, where the Chidori had pierced her soft flesh, leaving a giant scar in its wake. The deadly attack had obliterated her chest bindings while the rest of her clothes were pretty much torn apart from the intense battle.

Finally done looking at herself, she decide to focus on her surroundings. Standing up, her eyes widened and a gasp left her lips as her mind processed what she was seeing. Whichever direction she looked in, there was an unending amount of grass covered ground. The lone exception was a giant white castle standing tall and proud in the distance.

A sudden thought crossed her mind, and realization hit her like a fireball jutsu, 'I must be dead.' It was a saddening thought, and yet she managed to smile. She died while protecting her beloved master. She was at peace and felt contented with her actions. A feeling that was matched by the atmosphere of this place.

'Is this the afterlife? It looks so serene…'

She continued to walk as idle thoughts entered her mind, 'Will my mother be here? Can I find her?'

A cluster of memories came, unbidden, to her mind. Her mother's lighthearted laugh, her smile with those cute little dimples. The delicious seafood stew she made with squids, ginger, tuna, and scallops every Sunday for dinner.

But thinking about her mother made her think about the man that she had called father as well. He did play a pivotal role in changing her life forever. He was a pillar of strength that she could lean on whenever she fell down. His deep, baritone laugh, the way his eyes would light up whenever he brought sweets from a nearby town in the beginning of every month.

However, she could never forget the few frightening moments that signaled a great change in her life, for better or worse.

Flashback

"Mommy! Look what I can do! See what I made. Isn't it pretty?!" Haku exclaimed.

Indeed, it was a beautiful thing to look at. The water was floating in between her two hands, constantly changing shape with bits of ice mingling among it.

Haku's mother gasped at what her daughter was doing right in front of her, but Haku wasn't paying attention to her mother's reaction. Too entranced by what she was doing, she never saw her mother moving and gripping her arm, a bit too harshly.

"No! You must never do that! Do you hear, child?! You must never do that again, you wicked wicked child!" Her mother cried out in a panicked tone with eyes clouded with fear and worry. It made Haku all the more frightened.

"Momma… what is it?" She sobbed, trying to resist the urge to cry as her mother shook her arm, "You're hurting me..." The voice that left her lips was meek and so very scared. Her eyes grew moist and shiny.

SLAP!

In a flash, Haku's mother had struck her across the cheek. Realization dawned on her just moments after on what she had just done, making her stiffen in fright.

"Oh…. oh, I'm so sorry, my darling. I-I'm sorry." Haku closed her eyes as her mother apologized and hugged her tightly.

Neither of them saw the man who had witnessed the whole thing.

The next day

Sleeping came in fits after that particular incident. Haku wondered why her mother panicked in such a way.

She twisted and turned in her bed in order to find a comfortable position. All of a sudden, Haku bolted from her bed as the sound of something crashing in the kitchen jolted her. Her parents were shouting in the kitchen. Tip-toeing out of her room, she sneaked across the house and stopped just around the corner leading to the kitchen. The voices of her parents became clear enough for her to decipher what they were saying.

"You're one of those freaks, aren't you?!"

"H-Honey keep your voice down! You'll wake Haku," Her momma seemed scared, just like her, "You're drunk too... so please calm down. We can talk about this after you've slept." She sounded so meek and frightened. Her parents had never argued or fought like this before.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about this…" Her father paused. He never talked like this before. He was breathing deeply, trying to get himself under control,"I feel physically sick right now!" His anger exploded at a moment's notice. It made Haku jump in fright.

"Honey please... P-Please calm down, I'm begging you."

"No.. No No NO! I WON'T LISTEN TO ANY OF YOUR LIES!"

Haku could hear someone opening a drawer and rummaging around in it. It felt as if her heart would burst out of her mouth at any moment.

"H-Honey…. P-Put that down, please!" Haku could hear her mother crying now. An urge came over her, to run in and find out what's happening between her parents, but she felt so scared to go in there...

"No, I'm done listening to you. This ends, NOW!" Her father sounded like a maniac at that moment.

"N-No, don't, DON'T-," Her mother screamed in pain as Haku ran into the kitchen.

"Momma what's goin-," Haku words died in her throat. She couldn't believe at what she was looking at. Her mother was bleeding from her chest. Her father standing over her with a bloody knife clutched in his hand.

There was so much blood…

somuchbloodsomuchbloodwhywhywhy

A tortured sob left her lips. Her eyes wide and lips quivering. She trembled.

whywhywhy

Her father turned to her with a manic look in his eyes. Utter loathing and hatred just waiting to be unleashed. He took slow steps towards her, his intentions clear. But there were tears streaming down his face.

Fatherkilledmotherwhywhywhy

"D-Daddy…. I'm scared-" She sobbed, "What are you doing? Why…." A whimper left her involuntarily.

Her eyes locked to her mother's dead ones. Dull, empty of life, cold.

She felt so cold… Her blood was freezing..

So cold, So cold and freezing

"I'm only doing what's right, Haku. I'm sorry," He was still crying when he raised the knife to end her life.

"S-Stop…. Stop daddy… Stopstopstop, STOP!," Her eyes were clenched shut. She did not know how and why it happened. Time came to a standstill as something cold went through her. The next moment, a great and fatal explosion sounded out with wood cracking and splintering into a million pieces.

Some of them nicked her skin, scratching it, making her hiss in pain.

A second passed. Then another… and another.

Haku, frightened beyond her wits, managed to finally open her eyes, only to see her father impaled through the heart by a humongous spike of ice jutting out from the ground. His blood dripped to the ground, adding to the already massive amount present on the house itself was in shambles. Multiple ice spikes had pierced the walls and roofs.

For the life of her, Haku could not move an inch. Her body could only tremble in the wake of the horrifying event. Her eyes blurred as tears flowed down her cheeks. She was feeling dizzy. Her heart was in so much pain. So much. It was unbearable, but there was no one to comfort her. A hollow feeling was present in her. It was strange.

She could not remain in this house for a moment longer. Haku bolted outside, into the freezing snow, leaving her childhood to rot in the ruined excuse of a house. A cold and terrifying world awaited her.

Flashback End

Haku wiped away her tears. She hadn't really thought about her parents death in a while, 'I suppose I didn't want to think about it.'

What came next was her life in the streets, sleeping in alleyways, eating out of the garbage, the cold, and worst of all at night the flashes she would see when she shut her eyes. She had become hollow inside. There was no one precious to her that was still alive. Her parents were dead and gone for good.

Meeting Zabuza had changed her life and gave it meaning again. He saw something in her, taking her in, and teaching her whatever he could. How to fight, spying and espionage, reading others body language and predicting their next move. He taught her and gave her the skills to survive in this unforgiving world, for this act of kindness, in her eyes at least, her master became her most precious person.

Meeting Naruto was... interesting, to say the least. He had the same eyes as hers, someone who had faced a lot of hardships, just like her, 'I hope my words of wisdom will guide him in his life.'

She kept walking in a random direction, still lost in her thoughts. But all it took was a blink of her eyes to snap her attention back to her current situation. Her expression distorted into a frown.

She was in a completely different area. Had she been so lost in her thoughts as to ignore the change in her surroundings?

What was once an area filled with serenity and life was now replaced with darkness and death. A feeling of dread hung in the air. There were large bones and stone structures dotting the desert landscape in the distance. The sky was covered with innumerable giant chains with hooks on the end. Strange spheres were littered about everywhere.

A cough interrupted disrupted her train of thought. She whirled around, her limbs tense and ready for a fight, but instead a gasp of delight left her. Standing in front of her was her master, Zabuza. The bandages around his mouth were missing, exposing his sharp teeth. But he was covered in blood. A sight that made her breath hitch and worry to engulf her being. And yet her master seemed to be in good shape judging by the smirk on his face.

"Hey Haku," Zabuza said. A chuckle following soon after.

"Za-Zabuza-sama…." She whispered, "What are you doing h-here?"

Her master raised his eyebrows in bemusement, "You're a smart one, Haku. You should know."

Despair was all she knew as she realized the only way a man could end up here.

"Bu-but I protected you! A-Against... the Chidori Zabuza-sama." She cried out.

Zabuza shrugged, a bit too nonchalantly for her liking.

"Gato," The name was spat like poison, "the little midget that he is, was planning to betray us from the beginning. After the fight he had a small army of men waiting to take us out, he was going to collect my bounty." He paused, "Never should've trusted that little shit but we needed the money," Zabuza whispered to himself, but she heard it nonetheless.

"Oh…. I see..." It saddened Haku knowing that her sacrifice had meant nothing in the end.

"Don't worry, Haku. When the moment came, I killed most of his men and himself with only a kunai held in between my teeth."

"Between your teeth?" She questioned exasperatedly

He seemed annoyed at her tone, but he still answered, "Kakashi managed to wound both my arms making them useless, so I used what I had." They both shared a laugh over that one, but it was a bitter one for Haku.

'Still… My sacrifice didn't mean anything at all. I couldn't protect Zabuza-sama in the end.'

Zabuza placed his hand on her shoulder, seeing her sullen and downcast expression. Knowing exactly what she was thinking. It was about time he came out with the truth..

"Hey Haku.." She turned her face towards him. He smiled a small smile, "Don't get downtrodden over a small matter like this, brat. You're more than a tool to me, you hear that?" There was a long pause. He felt a little amused seeing her bewildered face, "If I'm being completely honest with myself, you're more like a daughter to me. So get the thought about being a tool out of your mind, got that?" He grinned at her.

Zabuza didn't really know how to say all this emotional stuff in a tactful manner, so he just outright said it. No point in beating around the bush.

"If there's one thing I know, it's that you've proved your worth, Haku. Never consider yourself a tool anymore, cuz you're not." He said sternly, but his eyes were a bit moist.

Her mouth dropped after Zabuza finished his speech. She faltered a bit as she tried to think about what could have caused Zabuza to act like this. However, no immediate answer came to mind.

"Zabuza-sama? What happened to cause this…. change of heart?" Haku questioned as her voice wavered.

Zabuza smiled as he looked at her, "That brat covered in orange happened. Damn kid knows how to make people see his point. Wouldn't be surprised if convinced every ninja to follow him to their deaths." Her master laughed without restraint for what felt like the first time. A laugh that was contagious.

She chuckled. It certainly seemed like a task Naruto would prove successful in.

Though it looked like her mentor had something more to say. He sure was hesitant about it. When she gave him a pointed stare, he sighed and continued, "Alright, there's one more thing that I have to tell you," He paused for a bit to collect himself. How should he break it to her?

"I kinda made a deal for you."

A deal? What sort of deal? She stared at him, silently beckoning him to answer the unasked question

"A deal that will give you a chance to live again." He smiled.

A chance to live again? How? When did he even make the deal? Haku was left bewildered at his claim, "How is it even possible? I'm dead, Zabuza-sama. Who did you even make a deal with?" Haku murmured.

"That would be me."

Haku jumped in fright as the voice behind her sent shivers down her spine. Never had she heard such a voice. It felt like the life, or what was left of it, was being sucked out of her. An all encompassing fear engulfed her as she trembled. Slowly but steadily, she turned her face around to stare at what was possibly the most terrifying sight she had ever seen. No words came out of her mouth as she stared at the translucent being with shaggy, long white hair. A purple body covered by a stark white robe and beads hanging down it's neck. A vicious grin was present on it's face, showing the razor-sharp teeth it possessed.

"Are you the Shi-Shinigami?" Haku asked. Her voice sounded meek and so very weak.

"I am.. Although, I prefer Shinigami-sama." Shinigami said with a deep baritone voice. There was a warning in there for her to watch what she says.

Taking the hint, she nodded her head and bowed,. "A thousand apologies, Shinigami-sama."

Shinigami nodded his head, "In order for you to be given life your master, Zabuza, has agreed to let me devour his soul."

A second passed as she processed what was just said. Her head whipped around towards her mentor and she cried out, "Zabuza-sama! I can't d-"

"Stop right there, Haku…" He interrupted her, "You've been with me for nine years. Regretfully, for all those years, I only ever thought about how you could be useful as a tool. Now, I've been given a chance to do something good for you, as a real teacher would. I'm not going to let this chance slip away," He spoke with strengthened resolve.

She quieted after that, not knowing what to say. All Haku did was turn her head back towards the Shinigami.

The being nodded to himself and spoke up, "One tidbit that I forgot to mention is that I cannot send you back to the shinobi realm. It would cause too many unnecessary problems for me and the others. So I'm sending you to a different realm. Do not worry, it won't be mundane, there will be plenty of excitement and danger. That is the only thing I have to say. Do you accept?."

She hesitated, "M-May I have a moment with Zabuza-sama?"

"Very well... Do not take too long. I have other matters to attend to." With that said the Shinigami disappeared before their very eyes.

"Haku before you start I think you should take this deal. This could be your one chance to find real happiness, you can make your own life, and maybe have a family of your own." He stated in a hurry before Haku could say anything. Though she may seem composed on the outside, she definitely was scared on the inside. Her fingers twitched and eyes dilated. He did spend nine years teaching the girl, so he definitely knew when she got nervous.

Haku looked into Zabuza's eyes and started to shed a few tears. In an awkward attempt to comfort her, he wrapped his arms around her with an uncertain expression on his face. It took Haku a moment or two to calm down, "I'm sorry…"

"Eh? It's okay…" He quieted himself down, "Now what's wrong?"

Haku nervously bit down on her lip and sighed. "It's just that.. I've been with you for nine years. Now you want me to go to some other realm where I know no one…" She looked at him with pleading eyes, "I'm scared Zabuza-sama.. of what will happen."

"It's true. All of this does sound really overwhelming, but I trust in your abilities, Haku." He ruffled her hair and smiled, "You're a tough girl, no doubt. I believe you can brave this new world with or without me."

Her eyes watered as she heard Zabuza. Offering him a tentative smile, she quickly ran and hugged him around the waist, making him grunt.

"I guess this is goodbye then.." Her voice came out muffled as she pressed her face in her mentor's chest.

Feeling awkward at the sudden turn of events, Zabuza questioned, "Do you have any plans for supplies and ninja tools once you reach the other realm?"

She nodded against his chest. There were multiple seals etched onto the underside of her left arm that contained all the ninja supplies she needed.

Plus there was the katana contained by the seal on her right forearm. It was one of her most prized possessions, made by one of the people that Zabuza trusted. It was specifically designed for her. It's sight was etched onto her brains.

A beautiful piece of work it was. The grip of the sword was wrapped in blue cloth with snowflakes stitched onto it. Twenty-eight inches long with stars of martensite crystals imbued into it, the blade was made of two alloys. One was chakra conducting metal, allowing her to channel her Hyoton at will and the other came from Zabuza's very own sword, the Kubikiribocho. The katana was able to repair itself with a few drops of blood.

It's scabbard was equally impressive to look upon by anyone. Coated in blue with white snowflakes.

She only used the sword on rare occasions. Either when she was facing an incredibly strong swordsman or a large group of enemies.

She felt happy that she would still have a piece of her past life with her when she ventured into the unknown realm.

Taking a step back, she offered her mentor a sad smile, "I think I'm ready." I'll never be ready… How can I be ready when you're going to be devoured in order to grant me another chance.

"There's still time if you want to-" "Haku, I know what I am doing." grunted Zabuza sternly.

She made to speak again but a single look from Zabuza made her stop and back down.

The Shinigami appeared from behind Haku and stretched out a single long pointy finger that looked more like a knife, "Word of advice, make sure you can play the game well."

Confused at what was being said, she questioned, "What game?"

Shinigami just chuckled at her question and poked her in the chest. A bright white light surrounded her before she left the realm of the dead.

"Do you think she will be okay?"

"I will have to wait and see.."

Realm of Kami

'So Shinigami took a soul that was supposed to go to me. Where did he send it to I wonder.' Kami thought. It didn't take her to long to find the missing soul. "So he has sent a soul to play the game. He took a soul that was supposed to go to me. I will have to return the favor." Kami smirked. She already knew who she would choose.