A Promise to Keep Until I Die

I returned to the conscious world to see Sasuke standing over Naruto. He was covered in cuts, bleeding, and had senborn needles sticking out of him. I pulled myself to my knees, frightened by the amount of blood I saw.

"Geez...all you ever do it get in the way," he said.

Naruto looked up at him. "Sasuke! You-" He stopped, staring.

"What's with that face...moron," Sasuke gasped.

"Why?!"

"I hated you..."

"But why?! Why me? I never asked for your help!" Naruto shouted.

"I don't know. My body just moved on it's own idiot," he said.

I stumbled to my feet and ran over to them as Sasuke fell back. I took his hand, staring down at him. This couldn't be happening. Not Sasuke. He still had so much to do! This couldn't be happening!

His hand tightened around mine. "That man...I promised myself I wouldn't die until i killed him...Don't you two die..."

He was gone. The last Uchiha in the Leaf Village was gone. He...no...it couldn't be. There was no way...

"He landed a blow on me and without flinching, died to protect you. To protect a precious person, knowing it was a trap, he was still willing to jump in. He is a shinobi that deserves respect."

Haku's words wrapped around me like a cloak. A shinobi that deserves respect...

"Is this your first death of a friend? This is the way of the shinobi."

I lat Sasuke's hand go, hating myself because I couldn't hate Haku. I couldn't hate him because all he wanted was to help one person, just like me. He wanted to help Zabuza fulfill his dreams just like I did. And I couldn't hate him for it, no matter what.

I could feel Naruto's anger and hatred gathering and releasing the nine-tails chakra. The cuts on his hands healed as the chakra spread through him. I didn't try to stop him. Somehow, I thought he wouldn't do anything that he would regret.

He was Naruto. And Naruto wasn't a killer.

"You, you're from that time..."

I looked up and saw Naruto. He had stopped himself when he saw Haku's face...had they met before?

"Why did you stop?" Haku asked. "I killed your precious friend, yet you can't kill me?"

I stood up slowly. Naruto looked towards Sasuke and back to Haku.

"Dammit!" He slammed his fist into Haku's face. I walked towards them, feeling like a lead wait had settled in my chest.

Haku wiped blood away. "What happened to your intensity? You can't kill me with that...There are people who make this mistake. Not killing the enemy because of pity, letting them leave with just their lives. Can you understand...not have a dream; not being needed by anyone...the pain of simply living."

"What are you trying to say?" Naruto asked.

Haku smiled. "Zabuza has no need for a weak shinobi. You have taken away my reason for existing."

Naruto's eyes widened, filling with comprehension. "Why for a guy like that-?! He's a bad guy who takes money from a criminal! Is that eye-browless freak the only one important to you?!"

"I...had people very dear to me, a long time ago," Haku said. "My...parents. I was born in a small snowy village. I was happy...my parents were very kind people. But...when I grew up and began to lean the ways of the world, something happened."

"What happened?" I asked softly, standing beside Naruto.

Haku looked at us, his eyes hard. "My father killed my mother. And then he tried to kill me.... The country of mist had had endless civil wars and those with advanced bloodlines came to be hated. After the wars, clans with advanced bloodlines had to hide the truth of their own blood. For those who were discovered, only death awaited. My mother was from one of these bloodlines...my father discovered it and before I had realized what I had done, I had killed him! At that time, I realized the most painful thing...that in this world I am a person who is unwanted."

There was pain in Haku's eyes that reminded me of Naruto. He looked at Naruto.

"You said you wanted to become the best ninja in your village and have everyone acknowledge you. Now if someone who acknowledged you from the bottom of their heart appeared, wouldn't that someone become the most important person to you? Zabuza-san took me in knowing I was of advanced bloodline. The blood that everyone hated, he desired."

Tears fell from his eyes as he smiled. "I was so happy."

"Naruto-kun, please kill me."

I frowned. "What does killing you achieve Haku?" I asked. "What does anyone gain by your death?"

"Why are you hesitating?" he asked. He didn't answer my question.

"I don't understand!" Naruto shouted. "Is being strong the only reason for you to be alive?! You could have been acknowledged for something else..."

"The day I met you in the in the forest, I thought you were like me. You should be able to understand. I'm sorry you will have to stain your hands."

"Is this...is this the only way?" Naruto asked.

I looked away. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't fair. Why Haku? Why Sasuke?

"Please fulfill your own dreams...both of you."

Naruto pulled out a kunai. "If we had met under different circumstances we might have become friends," Naruto said.

"Thank you," Haku replied.

As Naruto ran towards Haku, I heard a sound like birds. I knew that it was Kakashi and I knew that Haku-

As Haku dodged Naruto, I ran without thinking, pushing myself. I was exhausted but as Haku jumped in front of Zabuza I managed to shove into him, toppling us both to the ground.

"ZABUZA!"