Haku's world was a blur of motion and muffled sounds. The last thing she registered before darkness claimed her was the unexpected face of Mirikatoji Takito and a younger, unfamiliar boy.
When consciousness flickered back, it was to the sting of smelling salts and a gentle hand supporting her head. Her vision swam, then focused on the boy from before. He was young, perhaps her age or a little older, with an oddly calm demeanor despite the chaos she vaguely recalled. His hair was dark in the dim, misty light, and his eyes, though shadowed, held a keen intelligence.
"Easy," the boy's voice was surprisingly steady. "You inhaled some of Takito-sama's sleeping gas. It's not lethal, but you'll be disoriented for a bit." He offered her a waterskin. "Drink."
Haku, still dazed, accepted it and drank deeply. The cool water cleared some of the fog in her head. She tried to sit up, memories of her capture and the ensuing fight rushing back. "Zabuza-sama... the loyalists..."
"Are being dealt with," a new voice cut in. Takito emerged from the thicker mist, his expression unreadable. Beside him, Zabuza Momochi materialized, Kubikiribōchō glinting faintly. His usual fierce demeanor was tinged with a rare concern as he looked at Haku.
"Haku, are you injured?" Zabuza's voice was gruff.
"Just... the gas, Zabuza-sama," she managed, pushing herself to a sitting position with the dark-haired boy's help. "They ambushed me. Hunter-nins, loyal to Yagura."
Takito nodded. "Their leader and a few others got away, but we neutralized the ones holding you. They were clearly expecting someone, but not necessarily us in this fashion." He glanced at the boy. "Minori, good work. Your quick thinking with the secondary diversion and assisting Haku-san was commendable."
The boy, Minori, simply nodded, his gaze returning to Haku. "Are you sure you're alright, Haku-san?"
Haku met his eyes, a flicker of gratitude warring with her ingrained caution. "Yes... thank you, Minori-san. And you, Takito-sama."
Zabuza grunted. "Looks like your arrival was timely, Takito. And your apprentice isn't half-bad." He eyed Minori with a critical gaze that softened slightly. "Haku is my most valuable tool. You saved me considerable trouble."
"We're on the same side, Momochi-san," Takito said smoothly. "The contact, Osamu, should be waiting. The sooner we depart, the better. The loyalists who escaped will report this encounter."
Minori helped Haku to her feet. She swayed, and he instinctively steadied her, his arm briefly around her waist. Haku felt a strange warmth at the contact, an unfamiliar sensation. She quickly regained her balance, a faint blush dusting her cheeks, hidden by the low light. "I can walk, Minori-san."
"Of course," he replied, stepping back but remaining close.
The group moved quickly through the now-thinning mist, Zabuza leading the way with Takito, Haku and Minori (Naruto) following. Naruto kept a watchful eye on Haku, noticing the slight tremor in her hands. His first kill was still fresh in his mind, and he could only imagine how terrifying being captured must have been.
They reached a secluded part of the docks where a grizzled man, Osamu, waited impatiently by a small, unassuming fishing trawler that looked far more seaworthy than its appearance suggested.
"About time!" Osamu grumbled. "Heard some commotion. Thought you'd all been caught. Get in, quickly. The tide waits for no one, especially not fugitives."
As they boarded, Naruto found himself next to Haku near the stern. The sea air was cold, and Haku shivered slightly. Without a word, Naruto unslung his own outer cloak – a simple, dark, travel-worn one – and draped it over her shoulders.
Haku looked up, surprised. "Minori-san... you don't have to."
Naruto just gave a small, almost imperceptible smile, a flicker of the real boy beneath the 'Minori' mask. "Takito-sama says it's inefficient to let an ally freeze. Besides," he added, his voice softer, "you look like you could use it."
Beneath the moonlight, Haku felt that unfamiliar warmth spread through her again, chasing away some of the night's chill and the lingering fear. She pulled the cloak tighter. "Thank you."
The trawler's engine rumbled to life, and they slipped out of the harbor, leaving the port city and the Land of Fire behind, heading towards the uncertain future of a war-torn Kirigakure. Naruto watched the receding lights, a sense of finality washing over him, quickly replaced by a burgeoning resolve. Haku, beside him, stared out at the dark water, her thoughts a whirlwind, but the weight of the borrowed cloak was a small, steady comfort.
The journey across the sea to the Land of Water was fraught with tension, not from external threats, but from the undercurrents within their small, temporary alliance. The fishing trawler, while sturdy, offered little privacy. Zabuza spent most of his time sharpening Kubikiribōchō or staring grimly at the horizon, occasionally barking orders at the Demon Brothers, Gozu and Meizu, who had joined them from another of Osamu's contacts just before departure and now assisted Osamu with sailing.
Takito was a quiet enigma, often conversing in low tones with Osamu, presumably about the route and conditions in Kirigakure. He also spent time observing Naruto, offering quiet corrections on his stance or subtle advice on reading the wind and waves – lessons in situational awareness that extended beyond mere shinobi training.
Naruto, still under the guise of Minori, mostly kept to himself, practicing his chakra control by subtly manipulating the water tension around his fingers or reviewing fuinjutsu theory from memory. However, his attention often drifted to Haku.
She was quiet, almost ethereal, moving with a grace that belied the deadly skills Zabuza had alluded to. After the first day, she had tried to return his cloak, but Naruto had insisted she keep it, claiming the sea air didn't bother him as much. He'd then discreetly used a heat-circulating seal he'd woven into his undershirt – a small trick Takito had taught him for cold environments.
Their interactions were sparse but meaningful. One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, they found themselves sharing a quiet space at the railing.
"You're not from around the port city, are you, Minori-san?" Haku asked softly, her voice barely audible above the waves.
Naruto, careful not to break his cover too much, replied, "No. Takito-sama and I... we've traveled a lot."
"Takito-sama seems very skilled," Haku observed. "And very... certain."
"He knows what needs to be done," Naruto said, a note of conviction in his voice. "And he always has a plan." He paused, then, feeling a strange urge to connect, added, "Zabuza-sama is also a formidable shinobi. You're loyal to him." It was more a statement than a question.
Haku's gaze softened. "Zabuza-sama gave me purpose when I had none. He saw value in me when the world saw only a monster." The words were laced with a quiet pain that resonated with Naruto. He thought of his own past, the neglect, the feeling of being unseen, unimportant, until Takito.
"Purpose is important," Naruto murmured, looking out at the endless water. "Having someone who believes in you... it changes things."
Haku looked at him, a flicker of understanding in her eyes. "Yes. It does." She noticed the way he sometimes absently traced patterns on the railing, almost like writing. "You seem to know a lot about... patterns. Seals, perhaps?"
Naruto tensed slightly. Takito had warned him about revealing too much of his fuinjutsu skill too soon. "Takito-sama believes in a well-rounded education."
Zabuza, who had approached unheard, grunted. "Seals, eh? Useful. But in Kiri, it's blood and steel that talk loudest these days." He fixed Naruto with a hard stare. "You any good in a real fight, boy? Or are you just Takito's baggage?"
Before Naruto could respond, Takito's voice cut in, calm and cool. "Minori is more than capable, Momochi-san. He has... unique talents that will prove invaluable. Underestimating him would be a mistake."
Zabuza snorted but didn't press further. He knew Takito wasn't one for idle boasts.
Later, when Naruto was alone with Takito, his sensei spoke. "Zabuza is testing you, Naruto. He respects strength. Haku is observant; she senses your depth. Continue to be cautious, but don't be afraid to let them see glimpses of your competence. Trust is earned, especially in times of war."
"I understand, Takito-sama," Naruto said. He also understood that Haku's keen perception was something to be wary of, yet he found himself drawn to her quiet strength and the shared sorrow he sensed beneath her composed exterior.
As they neared the Land of Water, Osamu grew more agitated, frequently consulting charts and muttering about loyalist patrols. The air grew colder, the mists more frequent. They were entering the domain of the Bloody Mist.
One morning, Osamu pointed to a jagged coastline shrouded in mist. "Kirigakure approaches. Or what's left of it that's friendly. We'll make landfall at a hidden cove known to Mei-sama's forces. From there, you're on your own."
Naruto felt a thrill of anticipation mixed with apprehension. This was it. The next stage of his life, and the proving ground for everything Takito had taught him. He glanced at Haku, who stood stoically, her eyes fixed on her homeland. He wondered what awaited them in the mists, and what role he and Haku would play in the bloody conflict to come.