Memories || OPEN

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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The fog made the air dense and humid, which would have made any foreigner in the area find it hard to breathe, but since Haku had grown up in the northern reaches of the Land of Water, he had gotten used to both the hot humidity of the southern regions and the freezing temperatures of the northernmost parts. The Land of Water had quite diverse climates, especially set next to countries such as the Land of Wind, and some villagers even in Kirigakure found it hard to believe that it could snow in the north. Usually in Kirigakure, the snow would melt before it even hit the ground, and when it was cold enough, the few inches of snow that would fall were a surprise or an excuse to play to the villagers. The hard-hearted shinobi mostly looked at the villagers with disdain when this happened.

But only some. Young Haku remembered that while some children played in the white fluff, he was running through the town in rags chasing down some starving dog so that he could survive for another few days. He remembered that he would sometimes go for days without a morsel to eat, and he remembered that at other times, he was glad just to find a half-chewed loaf of bread that could last him until the end of the week. He would cry with happiness, but there were times when even his tears were coming out dry because of a lack of fresh water that he was able to get by collecting a few handfuls of snow and waiting for it to melt in his mouth. It was a harsh life since his village has disowned him, but he was lucky that Zabuza had happened upon him on that icy bridge.

All of these visions of the past swirled through Haku's mind as he stared down the path that led to the snowy village where he had grown until Zabuza took the orphan under his wing and trained him in the ways of the shinobi. When he became a tool is when he felt his life had really started. He had been born anew with Zabuza.

The grip of Haku's empty flower basket faltered for a split second, then he readjusted himself and took a slow, deep breath. His gaze drifted down to the neatly-woven leafless branches. He had only been able to live this long thanks to Zabuza's help and support. He owed the other his life and so much more, but he had no way to express his gratitude toward the man. He could only keep trying to keep out of trouble so that he could tend to Zabuza's battle wounds from who-knows-where.

With this thought, he straightened himself up and looked eastward where he knew of a nice field of flowers and herbs that grew in abundance and began walking.

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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As Haku sauntered down the hard-packed dirt trail, he glanced at his surroundings. The fog around him was dense enough to only allow him to see no more than half a mile from where he stood, but the low visibility did not bother him. If any passers-by saw him, they could easily mistake him for a young village woman on her way to gather herbs for her sick family or something of the like. His ankle-length pink kimono definitely would not tip them off that he was indeed a male, though he wouldn't mind. He had gotten strange comments from drunken men roaming the streets, but as soon as they knew his gender, they were quick to run.

When he reached the field, it was a sight to behold. Dots of blue, red, white, yellow, and pink were scattered through a field of mossy green, and large trees spurted from the sides to nestle the clearing into a tiny cup of humbleness. The pallid mist fell like a veil on the field and gave it the appearance of a mystical world all its own. The sun was blocked by the same fog, but some rays still managed to mingle into the sanctuary, though Haku loved every inch of the place.

He took a few steps into the clearing before dropping lightly to his knees to fumble about near the base of one of the trees to scavenge out a few of his needed herbs, most of which he found among the grasses and flowers, but others of which were hidden in less colored areas outside the perimeter of the field. He only gathered the freshest and greenest and left the others to become fertilizer for newer herbs for later harvesting. Hopefully, he thought to himself, these will help Zabuza-san.

Haku could make out distinct sounds such as gaily-chirping birds and squirrels dashing up trees and leaving the splinters their claws had dug out to fall to the ground, and every sound he could pick out only helped him feel more and more at home.

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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It didn't take long, but before Haku realized it, his basket was already half-filled, which was more herbs and roots than he needed to make medicines and antidotes, not to mention that he was able to find more than a few wild mint plants growing from which he harvested an abundance of the leaves for food and bathing. He also hoped that it would help Zabuza to relax every once in a while and let some of the tension go, but he was not holding his breath for it.

Haku began walking from the field, but before he did, he glanced back to take in the mystical area once more. He always hated leaving such beautiful places, but there were times where he just needed to do other things, one of these being getting the herbs back to the hideout and drying them for later use.

After a few minutes of sauntering about with no action, Haku came upon a solitary lake that was in a rather concealed location. It had been a while since he'd taken a bath or just sat in the water, so without much thought, he set down his basket by the edge and began undressing, which didn't take too long with the simple garments he had been wearing. The choker he kept on for laziness' sake, and he took a handful of the mint leaves and placed them on the surface around him. The fresh scent was definitely soothing, and Haku closed his dark eyes as a small smile crept onto his lips. So far, the day had been quite peaceful, and he was rather enjoying himself.

As his eyes were closed, his other senses were taking control. He realized just how soft the moist grass was that he used as a pillow. The mint leaves were not too overpowering, so he could also smell the earthy scents around, and the merry animals were happier than ever. He felt a light chuckle escape his throat as he nuzzled deeper into the water and settled his shoulders on its banks. It felt so good to just lay back and enjoy nature.

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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For quite a while, Haku's mind was nothing but blankness. He allowed himself the pleasure of just laying there and doing nothing for a few minutes. His muscles relaxed, and his breathing was well-paced. It was very nice... though he began wondering what Zabuza was doing.

The last time he saw his master, Zabuza was gathering a few cronies to work for him. They had been hired by Gatou to take out someone named Tazuna who was building a bridge to the mainland, and though it didn't seem like such a big deal to Haku, Gatou acted like he really needed their help. He did not beg, but he offered a hefty sum of money for completing the job, and since the duo was running low and unable to get payment any other way, Zabuza had taken the deal and allowed Haku to do as he pleased for a while as he was recruiting underhand shinobi to work for them so that Zabuza would not have to actually do any of the work. With the money they would be receiving from assassinating this bridge builder, Zabuza would have plenty to pay off the subordinates.

However, Haku wished that he could help, if only a little. This thought caused him to shift uncomfortably in the lake, stirring up a mist of dirt and knocking a few clods into the water. He sighed lightly and glanced at his reflection. It was so odd that he was a villager cast out because of a kekkei genkai, but life was life, and bad things happened to everyone. He just hoped that karma would be enough to reward him for his loyalty to Zabuza.

But what could Haku do? It wasn't like he could just go to Konohagakure where Tazuna the bridge builder currently was stationed, otherwise he would, but Zabuza had dissuaded him and said to leave that to the men he picked up off the streets.

Of course, Haku knew Zabuza hadn't just grabbed Haku because he was expendable. In fact, Haku was a tool that was meant to be used for a long, long time. Not like those others who Zabuza used then threw away. Otherwise, Haku would have been disposed of long ago. No, Haku was certain that he would stay at Zabuza's side for years to come.

Standing up, Haku stretched and wiped himself dry with his hands before slipping his cherry blossom-colored kimono back on and fixing his hair so that it would lay down flat. He picked up the basket again and began walking to one of the villages to hopefully get information about Gatou and Tazuna from the villagers, though with the shabby economic state, he wasn't sure if he could get much without giving something up.

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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It wasn't long before Haku's sandals were shuffling about on dirty gravel than the regular trails that wound through the misty country. He had arrived in a desolate country of roughnecks who seemed to constantly be giving him an eye of some sort, whether the person wanted to steal that tiny basket of herbs, any money he had on him, or simply take him into a dark alleyway and do one of two things, both of which Haku was not fond of mulling over.

His current attire was the most appropriate thing to wear, however, now that he thought about it. If he was dressed in his more masculine kimono, he would seem like a weak little boy strolling about in a dangerous area, and he was certain that if that were to happen, then the even more dangerous people would be chasing him down the streets and trying to take everything he had. But since he was wearing this pink kimono, those same people could possibly be after him, but he had the element of surprise on his side. If they were to strip off the clothing, Haku could quickly take advantage of their being stunned by his gender and knock them out or run away. He did not want to have to resort to violence if he could avoid it, but if the men were persistent, then that would probably be the only choice.

Haku sighed and peered forward, once again remembering that he needed to buy new sandals. He began scanning the shopping area, making sure to avoid eye contact with anyone, until he found a shoe store. He walked in and began looking until he found a pair of high wooden sandals with a leather thong that were similar to the ones currently on his feet and purchased them for a small fee. When the cashier asked if he wanted a bag to carry them in, Haku pondered for a second before accepting the offer. If someone was in need of shoes, they would not even know what was in the bag unless they had seen Haku walking out with something that he hadn't been carrying before he entered the shoppe.

He exited the store and glanced around again until he found the local bar. He briefly thought that he should have bought the sandals later so that they wouldn't be stolen from him once he sat down, but what was done was done. He entered the tavern to a room that became suddenly and abruptly quiet. Knowing that he was being watched by more than a few people, Haku walked to the bar and sat down before declining a drink from the bartender. He had come to listen to gossip, not drink his way to depression like many of the others had.

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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When the conversations began picking up again, it was mostly just drunken mumbles, most of which were quite a task to translate into actual words. Some were actual words, but they had not strung themselves together into sentences. Others completed this feat, but they were nothing but drunken talk. People cursing others that were no longer alive and many similar acts. The men doing this had bloodshot eyes that couldn't stay open for more than a few seconds, and they had to close so their owners could concentrate. They reeked of alcohol, and the bags under their eyes that were usually colored purple, blue, or black had been dyed red with drunkenness along with their noses, cheeks, and ears. Haku could not understand why someone would want to drink away their problems like this. They all seemed to have no purpose in life, nothing to live for and nothing to do. Nowhere to go but in an endless circle that would have them in the same places.

Haku felt a ping of sympathy for the drunkards, but if they chose to waste their lives away by drinking alcohol and being stuck in the past, he would not feel anything more.

However, just as he was about to get fed up and walk away altogether, he heard actual speech that caught his interest. Something about Gatou...

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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To the one who did not know of Gatou, someone could have easily mistaken the jabber to be about something petty like a friend, family member, or neighbor, but then again, Gatou was a powerful business leader that almost everyone knew. Haku could also be safe to assume that there were many others in the bar that wanted this information as well, so as he listened, he also shifted his gaze around the bar in an attempt to find these other people. He did not mean to kill or incapacitate them, but merely to pinpoint their locations so that if a brawl was to break out, he would know which to avoid first.

"I've heard rumors that Gatou hired that guy Zabuza that ended that first Academy test."

They were talking in hushed whispers, but Haku -- and probably others -- could hear them just fine.

"Yeah. They say on the streets that he was hired to kill that old guy building the bridge."

Well, Haku wasn't surprised that information about them had leaked out. One of Gatou's men had probably did it so that there would be fear and a raised alertness circulating through the town so that when the danger approached, they would be ready. The person could have done it without realizing that it would have them prepared for the coming battle, in which case, that person was definitely not all that intelligent.

Well, that was all that Haku needed to hear. In the direction that this was going, there was a chance that his name would be mentioned, and if that happened, then there would be trouble, and Haku wanted to avoid any trouble at all costs. As such, as he walked from the bar and noticed eyes on him, he kept his gaze low and walked soundlessly from the tavern.

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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As Haku meandered through the streets, he felt as if there was someone following him. He did not let on any signs that he knew that he was being tracked but instead continued walking, even stopping at a few of the shops and wandering around inside just to see if he was indeed being watched. This proved true after the second confirmation, and he kept his guard up while his senses sharpened themselves to keep the intruder from attacking and injuring the man.

He could just paralyze the other by hitting near his vital points with senbon, but he still wanted to avoid this if he could, so instead, he tried to plan an escape route. This did not work, however, since he was in unfamiliar territory, but he did try to memorize the turns he was taking in the dirt road so that he could run away if the situation called for it.

He still held on to the bag with his shoes and the basket of herbs, so he was certain that he looked like a helpless lost village woman. He wished now that he was wearing his Tracker uniform, but he would have to settle with what he had.

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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Haku turned a corner, and as soon as he did, the stalker leaped out of hiding. It was one of the guys from the bar... and he looked very proud of himself. Perhaps he had sneaked out after Haku and trailed him in an attempt to beat information out of him. Haku did not like fighting, but if he had to defend himself, he would. He had an escape route planned out mentally, but it would be a challenge to fend off attacks and flee at the same time. He had done it before, yes, but it would still be a difficult task. Unless, of course, this man wasn't as smart as he appeared to be and was actually just the town ruffian or something of the sorts. If he was a bounty hunter, however, it would be as before.

The man pointed an accusing, bloated finger in Haku's direction. "Hey! You're Haku, Zabuza's lackey, aren't 'cha?"

Well, as diminutive a word as it was, the man was correct. Haku was indeed Zabuza's subordinate, and he would protect him at all costs. Haku made no show of accepting or denying the statement, which Haku supposed the man took as a "yes."

"HAH! That damned pussy better not have sent you out here to do his work! A girl to do a man's work! It's laughable! Ha! HAH! Ha-ha-hah!"

Haku was able to pick up from the slight slurr of his speech that he was probably speaking out of drunkenness, and the insult wasn't the worst he had heard, but no one would get away unharmed after insulting Zabuza in front of him.

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."

[Haku]

"ωнєη α ρєʀѕση ... нαs ѕσмєтнιηɡ ιмρσʀтaηт тнєy wαηт тo ρʀσтєcт ..."

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Haku could only guess that the man was used to being drunk, because when he walked, even though he was still wobbling, it wasn't as bad as many of the others he had seen before. Granted, he wasn't that old--not nearly as old or wise as Zabuza--but he could still tell when someone was intoxicated. The bright redness airbrushed under his eyes and across his cheeks, nose, and ears, the bloodshot eyes, the chest convulsions of hiccups... yes, there was definitely not a soberness to the man.

As he drew nearer, Haku took a step back, but the man just kept walking. He moved back, and the other quickly made up ground. Before he could get caught, the young man turned completely and began walking at a fast pace that made the other have to jog. It wasn't long before Haku had to start running, though he didn't go his normal speed to avoid suspicion from the villagers that only saw a drunken man chasing a young lady around the streets. He saw some of the people giving them an eye like they wanted to help, but none of them actually came to his rescue. All the same to Haku and maybe even better, since this way, it would be easier to take care of the random attacker.

Haku successfully ran out of the town and into the misty woods before he jumped onto one of the trees and watched as the man below him froze and searched for him. There were so many places he could hit... jugular... heart... kidneys... but he only needed to put him in a sort of coma to knock him out.

Haku reached into his kimono and shuffled around until he pulled out two steel senbon. He waited until the man stood back up from rummaging around in the bushes before he released the weapons. They flew straight at the man and pierced his neck, making him collapse onto the ground.

Haku flitted to the ground and kneeled down beside the man to check his pulse. He was still alive.

Haku sighed and adjusted his basket. He needed to get the herbs to Zabuza before they browned and wilted, so as he turned and began walking, he tried to think of something to preserve the vegetation to keep them fresh.

" ... тнαт'ѕ ωнєη тнєy cαη bєcoмє тʀuℓу ѕтʀσηɡ."