-1Hinata found herself shaking slightly as she opened the door to Haku's room. She pasted a smile on her face and went it.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Haku-san, ogenki desu ka?" she asked automatically, out of habit with her patients.

"Ohayo, Hinata-sama," Haku replied. Hinata's mind froze momentarily at her name.

"The Hokage says you are free to go this evening!" Hinata said, busying her shaking hands. "Nice change, isn't it?" She could feel her pulse throb painfully in her neck as she scribbled Haku's stats on the release form.

Haku smiled. "Not really…" he murmured.

Hinata turned around. "Why not?" she asked, surprised. Usually patients went crazy in the hospital after a stay, even for a little while.

"I'd have to go back to living with Naruto," Haku said, a slight smile lingering on his lips.

"Ah," Hinata said with a soft laugh.

"Besides, it's better here with you coming to see me every day," Haku said softly, a small frown on his face.

"Eh?"

Hinata had stopped what she was doing, then she smiled again. "Then I'd be sure to visit you at Naruto's house," she said.

Haku looked back up at her, surprised. Hinata checked his stats again, to be sure, then began applying fresh ointments and wrapping clean bandages around the wounds.

"How'd you get all these horrible cuts and bruises, Haku-san?" Hinata conversed, noticing that his body supported numerous injuries. Not all like last night's image… Hinata shook her head and applied a salve to a cut. She tried focusing on being gentle as to not re-visualize last night's dream.

"I was careless," Haku said simply.

"I see," Hinata said, moving to the one on his abdomen.

"And this one?" Hinata inquired.

Haku hesitated. "It's a long story… Maybe another time," he said quietly.

"Gomen," Hinata said, bowing. "I didn't mean to pry." Her fingers moved quickly, and in no time, she finished. She stood, checking the time. "My shift is over in around ten minutes…if you wait, I can walk you to Naruto's place," Hinata offered.

"…That'd be nice," Haku said.

"Alright, then, I'll change out of my uniform and come back for you," Hinata said.

"Hai."

Hinata quickly left and changed, all the while wondering why she had offered. After last night, she had become nervous around him, thought she was curious as to why it was him in her dream and not Naruto, or maybe even Neji, since she had kissed him like that the other day. Haku did seem interesting to her, though she had never thought of him in a sexual way, so why…?

Hinata frowned and shook her head, then pulled a light sweater over her head. She finished dressing and made her way back to Haku's room, running her fingers through her hair like a comb, her head buzzing with many statements and questions. She found Haku already changed and ready to go.

"Ja, Haku-san, let's go, shall we?" Hinata smiled.

Haku nodded and they both left.

:-:-:

The file said it was around six years ago, when Naruto was twelve?" Tsunade said, her hazelnut eyes sliding off the paper to meet Kakashi's.

"Yeah," Kakashi answered. "The boy, Haku, and Zabuza were a team. They were harder than any other B rank."

"Noted," Tsunade said. "The report said you killed Haku when he moved in front of Zabuza to defend him? And when Gato and his people came, Zabuza, wounded badly, finished off most of them with only a kunai in his teeth?"

"Yes. Then Zabuza killed Gato, and his people fled. Zabuza collapsed, and as a request, I put him beside Haku's body. Then he died."

"Mm," Tsunade mused. "Sou desu… You used your Chidori attack against Haku, and went through his abdomen," Tsunade muttered. "That explains the hemorrhaging…"

"Godaime, you said it was half-healed?"

"Yes. It seems his bloodline limit has healing properties…" Tsunade said, rifling through the papers.

"Healing properties?" Kakashi asked, shifting in his seat. "How convenient."

"Apparently so. Haku probably never died back then… His body most likely took the impact, then shut down to a dormant state where he could heal slowly."

Kakashi said back in his chair. "Is that so?"

Tsunade's finger tapped her lip absently. "Hmm… We could take Haku in, since Mist thinks he's dead," Tsunade murmured, mostly to herself. "He certainly is very strong. A genius bloodline user…"

Kakashi scratched his head. "Are you sure? I doubt our people will just accept a guy from Hidden Mist, even if he's all kind-looking and polite."

"I'll find a way… Haku-kun already consented to that and something else…" Tsunade said. "Although I need to keep a close eye on him. He's emotionally wrecked, poor boy. You can see it in his eyes."

Kakashi ignored the desire to whip out his book. He just got it yesterday, and was only half way through it when he was summoned. "Yes…" he said absently.

"We're leaving it to Naruto and Sakura, since they were the ones attached to this whole situation. Hopefully they can bring Haku out of his past…"

:-:-:-:

Surprisingly, Hinata and Haku talked on the way to Naruto's apartment complex, rather than the awkward silence Hinata was expecting. She hated uncomfortable silences, but, thankfully, they found something to talk about as soon as they left the room.

Haku fingered his stomach, touching the bandage around the wound gingerly.

"Will you tell me about it now?" Hinata asked timidly. She was curious, even if it wasn't polite to ask of his past if it were possibly painful to him.

Haku walked a few steps in silence. Then, he looked sideways at Hinata. "There was a fight," he said.

Hinata waited for him to continue, not knowing what to say.

"You know the bridge, connecting Wave Country to the mainland?"

Hinata nodded. "The Gread Naruto Bridge," she said.

Haku nodded. "It was named after Naruto-kun… His determination on his first real mission, I believe, led him to defeat the enemy… Zabuza and I."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Naruto-kun did that to you?"

Haku shook his head. "No. His sensei, Kakashi-san, was using a lightning-imitation attack on my… Zabuza, and I moved in front of him. That's all I remembered for the right before I…well, died."

Hinata brushed her hair out of her eyes. "How awful…"

Haku stared ahead. "I was a coward. I had not wanted to live if I had no purpose to… Naruto had taken that from me by escaping my mirror attack and defeating me…" his voice dropped. "Nobody had escaped my ice-mirror technique… Not being strong enough to serve Zabuza, I requested for Naruto-kun to kill me then. He couldn't. There was a change in him - I sensed it - I had struck down the raven-haired boy with him, and he was furious, his chakra, it was amazing. I figured that if a twelve year old boy on his first real mission could beat me, two years his senior and much more experienced…well, I lost the will to live. As he struggled to think, I realized Zabuza was loosing, so I left Naruto and went to Zabuza. I served him, but it didn't matter. I now know he was killed by Gato's men."

Hinata, silent, looked up toward the sky, then opened her mouth to speak. "The world is a cruel place." she murmured. "But… loosing the will to live…I know what it feels like, and it's not a pleasant feeling. Like you have no purpose to live, to exist. As if nobody longer needs you…" Hinata closed her eyes.

Haku's brows furrowed. "The world is a cruel place to you too, I would think," he said.

Hinata opened her eyes and looked at him.

"You also live to serve people, am I not wrong? Not just at the hospital, but every day of your life, as what you were born for."

Hinata lowered her head.

"Ever since you were a child, you had to carry something heavy, being tied to a noble family, as you are. Being born for one main purpose, to serve your family."

A peculiar look appeared on Hinata's face. "I don't think about it that way, because then I realize how helpless I am, how weak I really am, and I'd turn to pitying myself until I was no longer able to carry on my family."

"Gomen," Haku said. He closed his tired eyes and took a deep breath.

Hinata could not help but realize his deep brown eyes as he opened them.

"Konoha is a wonderful place," Haku said. "It's peaceful here."

"Yes," Hinata agreed softly. They neared Naruto's apartment and stopped. Hinata knocked on Naruto's door, and Naruto, swimming through the Styrofoam, opened the door to greet them.

"Yo, Haku, you're back," he said.

"Yes, I am," Haku replied smoothly. Hinata giggled. Naruto's mind was still in his preteen days.

"You got him to talk," NAruto suddenly said, staring at Hinata. "You got Haku to talk," he repeated.

Hinata blinked, then blushed. "I guess…"

"Wow, Hinata, you're amazing. Haku must really like you." Naruto said, smiling.

Hinata's cheeks burned, Haku must have felt awkward also. "N-not really," she spluttered. Haku looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"Uh, I guess I'll be going now," Hinata said. Her eyes lingered on Haku's face, then she turned and left.

Naruto looked at Haku, who was still looking toward the Hyuuga girl. "You got the hots for her, Haku," he grinned.

"W-what? Hots?" Haku asked innocently, turning his head to look at Naruto. "Hots…for Hinata-san? What is 'hots'?"

"Feelings," Naruto said, smiling as a sudden look crossed Haku's eyes.

"H-how do you - how can you tell?" Haku asked, incredulous, too stunned to attempt to deny it.

"Ah, you're so obvious," Naruto said, waving his hand. "Come on, already. I'm hungry and I didn't eat lunch yet."

Haku followed Naruto into the apartment, wrinkling his nose as he went. He was starting too dislike miso already. Naruto sat himself on the couch where a bento with onigiri sat on the messy coffee table. He started eating.

Haku sat down on the small lounge chair in front of Naruto with his eyebrows raised. "Why don't you explain now, Naruto-kun?" he requested.

Naruto chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed before speaking. "Just the way you look at her, Haku. I can tell," he said, biting and finishing the one he hand in his had. He reached for another one.

Haku stared at the magazines and candy wrappers that littered the soiled surface of the small table. "When a person likes another, does he… become feverish when too close?" he asked, his blank expression not changing.

Naruto's eyes widened and he coughed on rice. "T-too c-c-close! Like, body!" he spluttered. "You were close to Hinata-chan?"

Haku looked up. "That's not exactly what I asked. Don't infer things, Naruto-kun."

Naruto gave one final cough before clearing his throat and starting on another rice cake. "All hot and dizzy, eh?"

"Yes…"

"Short of breath?"

"…yes."

"What to do something, like an impulse…"

"Uh…" Haku glared at Naruto.

"Hell…yeah," Naruto said, leaning back and putting his arms behind his head. "You get all hot and…sweaty, I dunno, and you just wanna pin her down and make her yours-" Naruto looked at Haku, who stared at him, wearing an incredulous, blushing face.

Haku furrowed his brows. "You…want to do that to Hinata-san?"

"Well…" Naruto drawled, leaning back and looking at the ceiling again. "Hinata's cute enough…hella cute, actually. I dunno. She's too shy, I guess…"

"So you don't want to do that to her?" Haku asked, almost sounding relieved.

"I didn't say that," Naruto said, blinking and focusing his sapphire eyes on the ebony-haired boy. "Whey did you think I accepted Hinata's offer?"

Haku raised his eyebrows.

Naruto's eyes left Haku's and unfocused on the quietly humming ceiling fan. Occasional wafts of air touched their skin, a relief compared to the warm day.

Haku's eyes settled on an ad for lingerie in a magazine, his mind lost in thought. Both sad silently, unmoving.

Naruto's chest rose and fell steadily. He blinked occasionally, almost lazily, enjoying the cool touch of the random breezes the ceiling fan provided and the pictures in his mind. His arms rested idly on his stomach, and rose and fell with his shallowing breathing. Yawning, he stretched.

Haku sat, lost in thought, half-lidded, and he stared across the room at nothing particular. What would become of this situation? He knew Hinata had many willing donors already. How would her clan choose? His fingertips touched his stomach and he frowned. He would have to become stronger in any case.

Naruto sighed and laid down on the couch, his eyes tired. "Imagine what Neji will do to us if he finds out," he mumbled softly.

Haku didn't reply, but furrowed his brows even more. Yes, her cousin. He seemed extremely strong, from what he's heard from his small chats with Hinata in the hospital. No doubt he would be extremely protective of her. Haku sighed and closed his eyes, longing for the couch to sleep on, but too polite to pull out Naruto's futon. He sank lower in his chair and closed his eyes, and let the heavy scents of miso lull him to sleep.

And Hinata, a good deal away, had no clue that two people were dreaming about her.

:-:-:-: Oh em jee, I am so so so so so SORRY. I haven't update in like forever, and I feel so bad. My muse had run off, and I'm still working on my writing, so it will probably take longer to write my chapters, though I WILL DO IT! flame of youth burning in eyes Uh, hopefully this satisfies you, though I understand if it totally does not, and umm...sorry! (bows x 100) Hopefully my muse will run me through with a couple hundred senbon and Haku will help me write, but toodles for now...LOVES!