It was a beautiful morning as a young girl made her way into the forest. The sun was shining brightly with a cool breeze blowing through the air.
The dew on the green grass along with the numerous sounds of the woodland critters truly created a peaceful and serene ambiance.
The girl moves swiftly and elegantly through the woods with the basket in her hand, keeping her eye out for anything of use to her. As he went deeper into the forest, she came upon a section that looked like a war zone.
Trees were slashed and chunks of the earth were overturned. It looked like a battle took place but upon closer inspection she spotted a blonde clad in bright orange, sleeping peacefully among the debris. The young girl started as she recognised him immediately.
'He is the loud one from the team of Konoha-nin that Zabuza-sama encountered'. Thought the girl now identified to be the accomplice of Zabuza. She paused as she carefully weighed her options.
'It would be so simple to kill him right now in his sleep' were the thoughts running through her mind as she approached Naruto. She crouched down beside him and reached out her slender hand towards his neck in a motion that looked like a choke before diverting at the last second and gently shaking the boy awake.
"Hey if you sleep out here you'll catch a cold you know." Spoke the girl in a soft voice. This was what Naruto heard as he groggily regained consciousness.
As his bleary eyes took in his surroundings, he focused on the person whose touch he could feel. From the sweet scent wafting from the person he could tell it was a girl.
He focused on her face and a huge blush covered his face as he took in her porcelain skin, long brown hair that framed her beautiful face and her chocolate brown eyes that gazed at him with concern.
He could feel his heart thumping in his chest and could only find one appropriate word to describe her.
"Tenshi."
Was whispered out by Naruto as he gazed almost drunkenly at the girl. The girl for her part had a light blush from being called an angel coupled with the intense gaze of the young boy.
She just smiled beautifully at him instead, increasing his blush. He quickly snapped out of his funk and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he spoke to her.
"Did you wake me up Tenshi-chan. By the way, what are you doing here?" He questioned bashfully as he scratched his cheek. The girl felt a little embarrassed once again at the nickname but soldiered through with her response.
"Picking herbs." Was her reply.
"Herbs?" Questioned Naruto quizzically.
"That's right. It's to cure injuries and illnesses." She said and Naruto noticed how soft and gentle her voice sounded.
So free of the usual hatred or contempt that he's become accustomed to. It gave him a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. Being the emotionally stunted boy that he is, he had no way of identifying what these sensations were.
All he knew was that he liked the fuzzy feelings it gave him and he didn't want it to end. With that in mind he offered to help the pretty girl to pick the herbs that she wanted.
As they got to picking, Naruto would occasionally steal glances at her, if she noticed she never made it known. He decided that he wanted to hear more of her lovely voice.
"Tenshi-chan, why are you doing a tedious job like this in the morning?" He asked.
Again a little dusting of pink made its way to her cheeks from constantly being called an angel.
"Please don't call me that. My name is Haku." Stated the girl. Naruto's smile just widened at hearing her name but caught himself as it was only polite to introduce himself.
"Nice to meet you Haku-chan, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konoha!" He exclaimed boisterously, pumping his fist to the air, causing the girl to honestly giggle at his goofiness. Naruto was struck one more by the overwhelming feeling of warmth from the incredible sound of her giggles.
It was delicate, like the sound of tinkling bell. He didn't understand why but he desperately wanted to hear more of that sound.
"It's nice to meet you too Naruto-kun." She responded with a dazzling smile turning the poor boy into a blushing and stuttering mess. Haku just giggled a little in her mind.
She honestly thought the boy was cute. He seemed so full of life and innocence. His smile was infectious and she found herself being drawn in by him. She knew that Zabuza-sama would not approve but she wanted to know more of this strange boy.
"What are you doing here so early in the morning Naruto-kun?" She questioned. He finally got his wits about him and answered with a big grin on his face that made his eyes squint, making him look like a mischievous fox. She thought it was quite cute.
"Training!" Was the emphatic reply to her question causing her to blink at him.
"Are you a ninja or something?" She enquired even though she knew he was. She felt a little guilty about deceiving him but she didn't want to give herself away as yet.
She didn't understand why though as he was technically the enemy but something deep inside her was calling out to this boy. It was almost primal. She needed desperately to know what it was. "That hitai-ate is..."
"Do I look like one? Do I look like one?" He questioned excitedly happy that someone was able to recognise him as such. Haku once again giggled at his energetic personality. "That's right, I'm a ninja." He finished pointing his thumb to his chest.
"Wow, you're amazing." She commented causing him to blush and puff out his chest at the compliment. She could honestly say she found him endearing with all his little quirks.
But she need to know something important first. "But why are you training?" She asked.
"I want to become stronger." Was his honest reply.
"But you look strong enough already." Replied Haku.
"NO, I want to become stronger and stronger." Countered Naruto. Haku looked a little pensive.
"For what reason?" She questioned.
"To become the number one shinobi in my village. I'm going to make everyone acknowledge my power." He stated boldly. Haku didn't reply immediately instead took a little time to gather herself.
"Are you doing that for someone else…? Or for yourself?" She inquired. His response would let her know the kind of person he truly is.
Naruto honestly looked a little lost at that point. For him he never thought about that. He just powered on with his belief that if he became strong he would become Hokage and then everyone will acknowledge and respect him. Haku just giggled at the cute confused expression on his face.
Although Naruto loved the sound of her giggle he was a little put out that she was laughing at him.
"What's so funny?" He demanded with a pout on his face that made her giggle even more. After she finally gathered herself she put on a gentle smile that made his insides turn to goo.
"Do you have someone important to you?" Asked Haku. The question honestly made him freeze up, something that her sharp senses spotted immediately.
Naruto for his part was having flashback of his life that were entirely unwelcomed. He felt his stomach turn at the thought racing through his mind and force himself to ignore it. He just did what he did best and asked a stupid question.
"Important? What are you getting at?" He asked quizzically. There was silence in the clearing after that. Haku for her part noticed his inner turmoil and decided to ignore it for now.
Instead she lost herself to her own memories of living on the street and digging through garbage so she wouldn't starve. It was a painful time for her to think about.
They were both unaware of the parallels of their lives and the similar conditions that they grew up in. Naruto for his part would never claim to be a genius but he was perceptive enough to pick up the sombre expression on her face and the change in the atmosphere of their conversation.
As Haku continued to reminisce, Naruto looked on at her with worry in his eyes. Even though they didn't know each other long, he felt a connection with the girl that he never felt with anyone before.
He wanted desperately to see her beautiful smile again. Just as he was about to say something, she finally looked up at him and straight into his eyes.
Her gorgeous chocolate brown eyes bore into him and made him feel as though his soul was being bared to her. When her pretty pink lips moved, her sweet voice spoke the words that would be forever engraved into his soul and change not only his life but the course of the world as well.
"A person is able to become truly strong when they wish to protect someone they cherish."