Chapter 075

Haku looked at the blond next to her wide-eyed. The tone of his voice, the way it sounded so helpless. It was the exact same tone she herself had before Zabuza found her. It was then she realized why this boy had reminded her so much of herself.

A part of her should have realized it sooner, and was now berating herself for having not seen it. She looked into his eyes and saw the same pain she herself had felt before she was given a purpose. The pain of loneliness, the feeling of having people hate you for something beyond your control. The blond had the same eyes that she had.

"I had people very dear to me once…a long time ago," Naruto looked over at Haku in surprise as she started talking. "My parents. I was born in a small snowy village in Mizu no Kuni. My parents were very kind people…and I was happy. But…when I grew up and began to learn the ways of the world…something happen."

Naruto noticed Haku's expression getting depressed, "You don't have to tell me something like this, just because I shared some of my past with you." He told her as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Haku looked up and her eyes widened as she realized what she had just been about to tell him, something that only Zabuza knew of. She was about to heed his advice and stop, but for some odd reason felt compelled to tell him. Like there was some kind of force that was pulling the words out of her mouth, compelling her to let the blond know of her past so that he would understand that he was not alone.

"No," She shook her head. "I…want to tell you…I've kept this in for so long, maybe telling someone will help."

Naruto looked at her before nodding and offering a smile, "So, what happened?"

"My father… he had gathered a mob, and then he killed my mother." Naruto gaped at her as she told him that, not even able to truly comprehend what she was saying. "Then, he tried to kill me."

"What?" asked Naruto, sounding like he didn't understand what she was telling him.

"The country of Mizu has had endless civil wars, and those with Kekkei Genkai came to be hated. Because of these clans with Kekkei Genkai bloodlines were used as weapons in countless battles. As a result these clans were blamed for the cycle of war that had plagued the country. After the wars, these clans were forced to hide their Kekkei Genkai, or be willing to risk getting butchered by the hunter squads specifically designed to kill Kekkei Genkai clans."

"You have a Kekkai Genkai?" asked Naruto as he realized where this was going.

"Yes," Haku said, "My mother was from one of the clans that carried a Kekkei Genkai. My father discovered this…because I had been careless enough to use it…"

A few tears came to Haku's eyes but she wiped them away. "I had discovered my Kekkei Genkai's powers and had gone to show my mom, I had thought they were so cool at the time and wanted her to be proud of me. I remember her slapping me for it and telling me to never use it again. However, my father had also seen me use my abilities. I remember coming home one night and…my father…he had killed my mother and tried to…tried to…"

Haku had to pause as more tears came and she cursed herself for showing such weakness and in front of an enemy no less! Someone she shouldn't even be telling this too! She should not have even told him this much in the first place. Not only did she have nothing to gain from telling him, but he could use this information against her and Zabuza should he figure out who she was.

She was shaken from her thoughts when Naruto came closer to her and wiped away the tears on her face.

"I think I understand," he said, looking at her with a look of understanding and compassion. He too had noticed the look she had when she was talking about her past. He had seen her eyes whenever he looked in the mirror, more often than he cared to admit and more often than anyone else would ever know. When the pressure of the villagers' hatred became too much he would gain those eyes, and considering how much hatred they had for the blond he looked like that quite often.

He shook his head and focused on the girl in front of him, "You don't have to say anymore…"

She knew she should follow the young man's advice, as there was no reason to tell him potentially harmful information. However…

…Haku shook her head, "No. I want to…" She took a deep breath before continuing. "After that he had tried to kill me and I…I was forced to kill my own father and the rest of the mob that was with him. In my panic I had accidently activated my kekkei genkai and used it to kill them. After that I ran…I ended up living on the street, scavenging for food from the trash cans…everyday coming a little closer to death until I wanted to die…I…"

Naruto was not sure how, why or when it happened, but before he knew it, Haku had bowled him over, clutching to him like some kind of lifeline. For several minutes Naruto was too shocked to do anything other than lay there, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Thankfully, his experience with Anko, while so completely different from this new situation it was not even funny, had enabled him to know what to do when a member of the opposite sex was hugging you. Either hug back, or make a smartass comment about the person hugging you being a child molester.

Naruto decided to go with hugging.

He wrapped his arms around Haku's shaking form, one hand going to the small of her back and the other going into her hair and running through it, much like how his grandfather figure, Sarutobi would hug him when he was depressed.

"It's ok…" Naruto said in a soft voice, "let it all out…"