Author: G.A.M.M.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 4:

'Heart'

Hinata ran of out the shed after Naruto. She would not let her friend fight alone.

Naruto was already at the mob. He kicked the grownups in the shins and screamed at them to stop. None of them paid him any more notice than the pleas the woman had made for her child.

The little Hyuuga Heiress ran to the little Uzumaki's side, punching and screaming along with him.

One of the villagers looked down at her in annoyance. He must have decided she wasn't important, because he looked away almost immediately. Then he did a double-take and stared at her.

"It's another freak!" He shouted. "Look at her eyes!"

"Kill the boy too!" Another shouted. "Look at his hair! He must be a freak too!"

Half the mob turned to face Naruto and Hinata.

"Run, Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled.

Hinata couldn't move. She was rooted to the spot in fear.

The woman got to her feet and pushed her child behind her.

"Stand back, son." She said softly.

"What are you doing mommy?" The little dark-haired little boy asked fearfully.

"I can't let them harm those children. They're not from around here. I knew the risks when I chose to live here. They don't. I can't let them die because of us."

The half of the mob that had them surrounded recovered from their shock and charged forward with weapons raised.

"I'm sorry." The woman whispered.

The men standing next to Naruto and Hinata fell down in a heap.

Naruto grabbed Hinata by the hand and started running. Some of the men ran after them, but they fell down too.

The woman was doing something. Naruto knew she was.

Whatever she was doing he hoped she kept doing it.

Naruto and Hinata ran.

And ran.

It was almost dawn.

Naruto and Hinata trudged wearily, half-frozen, through the snow.

Naruto knew they had nearly died, and not just because of the mob.

After the woman had stopped the mob, Naruto and Hinata had headed south, back towards the coast along the road they had come in on. The gentle snow had quickly turned into a full-on blizzard.

It was his fault they had almost died. He hadn't been thinking clearly and had pushed too hard. Who knew something as beautiful as snow could be so deadly?

He should have known better and listened to Hinata. He recalled how she had realized their peril earlier than he did.

"A-n-no, N-N-Naruto-k-kun... iff we s-stay out-t here m-m-much longer..." Hinata trailed off, teeth chattering in the freezing cold.

The snow was coming down faster and faster. Naruto had never thought the pretty white-stuff could be dangerous. He was beginning to change his mind.

They had been walking for hours. Neither of them wanted to caught by bad people again. These people were even worse than the ones who had captured them. At least they hadn't been trying to kill them. Naruto remembered how the other bad people had tried to trick him. They had tried to make him think Konoha was a place full of bad people. He knew it wasn't true. The people in Konoha had been mean to him, but they had been nice to each other. There were even a few of them who had been nice to him. Like that old guy at the ramen stand.

No, they couldn't stop. They couldn't let bad people catch them again. They had to keep going.

"J-just... just a little f-f-farther." He insisted. "It's j-just a litt-ttle s-snow."

They could do it. They couldn't let the snow beat them.

Hinata's face screwed up with determination and she didn't utter another word of complaint for some time.

After another hour there was so much snow in the air that Naruto couldn't see more than a few feet. The blizzard had turned into a whiteout.

"N-N-Naruto-k-kun... I c-can't..."

Hinata stumbled and fell to her knees, sinking deeply into the snow.

She was right, continuing would be a bad idea. Naruto couldn't feel his fingers, his toes, his hands, his feet, his arms or his legs. He could barely move them at all anymore. They had to find shelter somewhere and soon.

He helped Hinata get up. She took a few more steps and stumbled again. Her stomach growled.

"You sh-should of e-eaten m-more." Naruto teased, trying to rouse her spirit.

Even so, what he said was true. She didn't eat enough. She never did.

The little girl tried to get her feet, but her strength had left her.

"I... I c-c-can't m-move..." She whispered tearfully. "G-g-go on without-t m-me."

Naruto suddenly realized they were in big trouble. He was getting weaker very fast. He wouldn't be able to go on much longer either. The only reason he was able to go on at all was because he had eaten more than her that day and was a little stronger than her. If it weren't for Ero-Sennin's physical conditioning they would have collapsed hours ago. For once, Naruto understood why the old hermit had insisted on strengthening their bodies first. If Jiraiya had given in and started teaching them taijutsu, they wouldn't have had the fortitude to carry on in their current situation. The old pervert had probably saved their lives by holding firm and making them train their bodies. Even so, they were at the limit of their endurance. If he didn't find a way to get them out of the snow they might... they might...

We could die! He thought in terror. We could really die out here!

"I-it's ok-k-kay. I'm f-f-feeling b-bet-tter n-n-now... I feel... warm... I'll b-be ok-kay. You g-g-go on."

Hinata was wearing a peaceful expression on her chilled face. She looked content, sitting there in the frigid snow. Did she somehow find a way to get warm?

No, something wasn't right. How could she be warm? Naruto walked over to her and put his hand on her chest. It was so cold that even his numbed-hand could feel it.

"N-no you're n-n-not." He said.

Something was wrong with her. Her eyelids were beginning to droop. She looked like she was getting sleepy. It was almost like...

She's dying! He thought in absolute horror. Hinata-chan is dying!

A massive surge of adrenaline poured through his veins. He felt new strength rush into his body. He needed to protect her. He needed to save her. She was his most precious person. He couldn't let her die.

"You're coming with me." He said firmly, temporarily overcoming the cold with his adrenaline rush.

He wrapped his arms around Hinata and picked her up. She felt as light of a feather. With this strength, he could do anything.

Naruto staggered on doggedly through the snow. After a little time passed his feet began to falter. He was at his limit, even with all the adrenaline in his system.

No... where did my strength go?

He was running out of time. In desperation he ran head-long through the whiteout. He lost track of the road and trees began to appear around him. He was running so fast he nearly collided with several of them. The last of his strength was leaving him. His legs felt like they were made of stone. He began to trip and stumble. He pushed even harder, hoping he would somehow find a way to save his best friend. Hinata was the nicest person ever. She made him feel happy and at home when he was with her. She wasn't like Konoha's villagers or the bad people. She liked him for who he was. That thought alone drove him on long after he should have succumbed to the freezing cold. His Uzumaki vitality was the real reason he hadn't yet succumbed, determination alone could not save a person from the cold, but Naruto didn't know that. In his mind, it was his will to save his beloved friend that gave him the strength to carry on.

Even so, it was not enough.

His feet hit something and they both fell face-first into the snow. Hinata wasn't awake anymore. She laid motionless in the frozen white blanket. Her face was as white as a ghost.

No... Naruto felt tears running down his cheeks. They froze before they could drip to the ground. Hinata-chan...

He pushed himself to his knees and lost his balance. His back hit something hard and round.

Stupid log! He cursed. Wait...

Hope filled his heart.

He crawled on his hands and knees to the side of the log.

Yes!

In their travels through the forests of the Land of Fire, Naruto had noticed that some critters liked to live inside logs. This one must have been such a log, for it was hollow on the inside. It would be a tight fit, but the opening was just large enough that he could crawl inside if he slid on his stomach. Hinata was smaller than him, if he could do it, so could she.

Naruto crawled back to her. Her chest rose and fell very slowly. She was barely breathing.

He needed to get her inside the log.

"W-w-wake up." He said, shaking her. "W-wake up."

She wasn't waking up. Maybe she couldn't. The determined Uzumaki prepared himself for one final effort.

Naruto wrapped his hands around her ankles and dragged Hinata by her feet. Slowly and agonizingly he pulled her through the thick snow towards the log. He stopped several times to catch his breath, which came in short ragged gasps. After a few more tries he managed to get her to the entrance of the log. He lied down on his belly and scooted inside. He grabbed her ankles again and pulled her in behind him.

It was still too cold. She wasn't getting better. Freezing wind howled through the log. He needed to do something.

He remembered the little snow houses they had built for their snowmen. Maybe he could use the snow to turn the log into a better shelter. He didn't think the fluffy snow could block the wind, but he had to do something.

He scooted out the back-end of the log. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely use them. He scooped the snow around the opening in the log and packed it as densely as he could. When he finished he crawled to the other side and scooted back inside again. From inside the log he scooped more snow to seal-off the other opening. It seemed to be working. Who knew snow could be strong enough resist the elements?

The wind stopped rushing through the log. Naruto turned his head and looked at Hinata. She wasn't breathing anymore. His heart nearly stopped beating. Then she coughed and took a shallow breath, and he let out a sigh of relief.

It was still freezing inside their little shelter. He needed to warm them up somehow. His friend wouldn't last much longer.

Naruto remembered the first day they had met. They had slept under the straw together. He remembered how warm they had been.

He slithered his way over to her backwards and crammed himself into the tiny space between her body and the log. He pressed his body against hers and wrapped his arms around her. He held her that way until he began to feel sleepy. He took his hand and pressed it against her chest. She hadn't warmed up at all. Hinata was still freezing. Her clothes had froze around her. Naruto realized his own clothes were frozen as well.

He pushed himself off of her in desperation. What more could he do?

He remembered the times they had been caught in the rain. Ero-Sennin would find them shelter and have them dry their clothes up by the fire.

"Take your clothes off, kids. You'll get sick if you stay wet. Take them off, change into your spares, wrap them around yourselves, and come sit by the fire."

They didn't have any other clothes with them. He definitely couldn't make a fire.

But they did have wet clothes, and they were wearing them.

Naruto clenched his fingers over and over again, working a little feeling back into them. He twisted his body about, wiggling his way out of his coat. He repeated the process with his shirt, pulling it over his head. He tried to take off his pants, but his boots were getting in the way. He struggled to try to pull them off.

"But they feel squishy, Ero-Sennin!"

"Wet boots are better than no boots. Now quit whining, boy."

He stopped trying to take off his boots. Instead, he slowly worked the cuffs of his pants over the boots and pulled them off. He did the same with his underwear. He stuffed his clothing off to the side and wiggled back towards Hinata. He unabashedly stripped her, immune to the perverted thoughts of a certain pervy sage he knew. Ero-Sennin was funny. Why would he want to see a girl naked, or care if she was?

Of course, he had never seen a naked girl before. He had caught Ero-Sennin peeping on girls, but he had never seen them himself. What was so great about naked girls anyway?

Eh? Where's her thingy? All people have a thingy. What's that strange hole? Ewww... gross.

He dismissed his odd thoughts. It didn't matter if she was weird and didn't have a thingy. She was his best friend and he needed to get her warm. He gently lifted Hinata and put their shirts, pants and underwear beneath her. He crawled on top of her and pulled their coats on top of him, draping them all around them. He wriggled against the bare skin of her chest and legs, trying to get comfortable.

She feels so smooth... it's kinda nice. The observation was completely platonic, as only a child's could be.

He finally got comfortable and stopped moving. He took her arms and draped them around his middle. He then carefully wrapped his arms around her shoulders and behind her neck, nestling his head under her chin. It felt good to be so close to his friend. It was like a never-ending hug.

He struggled to stay awake as long as he could. After a while, he started to feel warm. Naruto worried that he was getting sick like Hinata, but she felt warm too. Maybe they would be okay. As weariness finally overpowered him, Naruto's last thought was that if they didn't wake up, at least they would be together. At least he would be with his most beloved person, and that was a comforting thought.

The first rays of the sun were peaking over the horizon. Hinata woke up first and shook Naruto awake.

"A-ano... N-Naruto-k-kun." She stuttered, blushing furiously. "Wh-why are w-we n-n-naked?"

"Err..." Naruto wasn't sure why she seemed so embarrassed. Maybe it was because he had seen she didn't have a thingy. "Sorry. It was super cold. This was the best I could do." He said, shrugging.

"Oh." Hinata replied. "Ano... would you please g-get off m-me and t-turn around."

Naruto wriggled his way off of her, doing as she asked. Of course, being Naruto, he had to ask: "Why do I need to turn around? It's alright, Hinata-chan. I'll keep your secret, okay?"

He heard her rustling around in their clothes. She was probably trying to get dressed.

"Ano... Naruto-kun, wh-what secret?" The little heiress asked, sounding confused.

"You know..." He said, blushing to match her. "How you don't... you know."

"Ano... I d-don't know..."

Naruto's ears turned red and he blushed to the roots of his hair.

"Err... how you don't have a... um... a thingy."

Hinata's head swiveled around so fast Naruto thought it would fly off her shoulders. She took one look at said thingy and...

"Eep!"

Naruto used "Bakamono no jutsu." It's super effective! Hinata fainted.

"Err... crap."

He decided to dress her himself. He had already seen her secret once, so it didn't really matter. He dressed himself after he was done, and gently roused her conscious again.

"Oi... you all right, Hinata-chan?"

His face was mere inches from her.

"Eep!"

Hinata fainted again.

What the crap?! This is stupid!

He dragged her out of the log and stood next to her, peering out into the mist. Light was beginning to filter through the trees and haze. The sun was just beginning to rise in the east, banishing the shadows.

Naruto took a handful of snow and rubbed it on Hinata's face.

She sputtered and revived instantly. "W-what was th-that for?"

"Please don't faint again." Naruto pleaded. "It's okay that you don't have a thingy. It's okay if you're weird. You're my best friend, Hinata-chan. I don't care if you're different!"

Hinata's face turned redder than a ripe-tomato, but she did not faint.

"Ano... I'm a g-girl N-Naruto-k-kun."

The little blonde cocked his head. "So?"

A large sweat drop appeared on the back of the heiress' head.

"Ano... g-g-girls are d-different." She explained.

"It's okay, Hinata-chan. I know you're different." He assured her.

"N-no... Ano... all g-girls are d-different. We d-don't have..." Her fingers poked together frantically. Naruto was worried she would faint again. "Th-th-thingies!" She finished with an embarrassed shout.

Naruto was thunderstruck. Girls didn't have thingies? Then how do they...

"Then how do you go to the bathroom?"

"Eep!"

The shy little girl predictably fainted yet again.

He rolled his eyes. This was dumb. Why did she keep fainting like that?

He roused her once more, deciding to drop the topic.

"Let's go find Ero-Sennin." He said.

Together they made their way out of the woods and began to walk down the road again. The blizzard had passed and the snow fell gently once more.

Ten minutes later Hinata stopped, poking her fingers together. Her expression was one of raw determination.

"Ano... w-we g-go out of our h-h-h-hole." She whispered timidly.

"Ooooh! Nooow I get it! Thanks, Hinata-chan! You're the best!"

With that they continued down the road. Naruto prided himself on learning something new that day.

(Will wonders never cease!)

Aisuhana of the Yuki clan stumbled down the road with her son behind her.

She had done a terrible unforgivable thing, but she had to keep going.

Now that she had taken action, she couldn't look back. She had to find a place where she and her son could get asylum.

She was bone-weary. Attacking the men of the village had taken a lot out of her. She was no ninja, and never intended to become one.

Aisuhana and her son rounded a bend in the road. Walking in the opposite direction was a man carrying a massive sword.

No... they hired a ninja to kill us! I won't let him kill my son! I must fight! I have to take him by surprise!

She fought heroically, but she was no match for the man. It was over in less than a minute.

Aisuhana laid on her back with a kunai embedded in her gut. She gazed at the clouds of her homeland and asked the kami why fate was so cruel.

"Hmph." The man huffed. "What a waste. That ability of yours had potential." His gaze turned to her son. "I'll tell you what- that wound will kill you eventually. I'll take your kid with me. Consider it my apology for taking your life. The brat is yours right?"

"No..." Aisuhana pleaded weakly. "Please..."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of your kid. I'll teach the brat to use that ability. It will be a useful tool."

Aisuhana no Yuki moved her lips in wordless protest.

"On second thought, I'll end your suffering. I may be a demon, but there's no point in prolonging the inevitable."

The dark-haired man approached her with sword raised. Her son threw himself in his path. The man swatted him out of the way like a fly.

No... my son! Forigive me... I have failed! She closed her eyes and waited for the end, tears of regret sliding down her cheeks.

Yet, she felt neither the cold-bite of steel, nor the colder embrace of death.

Something crashed into the the man, startling him and stopping the final blow.

"Oi! Leave them alone!"

Not something... someone!

Aisuhana turned her head, opening her eyes to look at her savior.

Oh no...

Standing defiantly between the ninja and Aisuhana was a little blonde boy. There was nothing a kid like him could do up against a monster like that man. What was he doing charging in so recklessly? He would be killed!

"Ano..." A soft feminine voice said courageously. "S-s-stay a-w-way f-from th-th-them!"

A girl the same age with short dark-blue hair ran to the boy's side.

"What the hell are a blonde brat and a Hyuuga doing around here?" The man pondered aloud. "Hmph, I suppose I might as well take you with me too. You have guts, boy, and the girl's eyes will be useful when she learns to use them. It'd be a waste to leave you here. People around here don't understand the value of good tools..."

Jiraiya raced through the early morning light.

Last night Gamakichi had returned and confirmed his fears.

The farm they had been staying on was the same one where the woman with the kekkei-genkai had been discovered.

When he got back to the shed Naruto and Hinata were gone. A few dying men with torches were laying in the field. Obviously, the woman hadn't gone down without a fight. Jiraiya followed the trail of the mob to where it ended near the edge of the village. The crowd had dispersed there, and the footprints of a woman and a child turned south to follow the road to the coast.

Jiraiya found another set of smaller tracks heading in the same direction. They were older than the woman and the child's and he assumed they were Hinata's and Naruto's.

Adrenaline poured through his body and Jiraiya felt a massive protective instinct wash over him. It was completely unlike what he had felt for Nagato, Yahiko and Konan. He ran with every ounce of speed he could muster, flying heedlessly down the road. He was responsible for Naruto and Hinata. If the children went and got themselves killed he would never live it down. On he ran, through the flurries of snow. The snow turned to a blizzard and the blizzard turned into a whiteout. Jiraiya was forced to slow to crawl for fear he would lose the trail.

An hour before sunrise the blizzard began to die down and Jiraiya pressed on again with everything he had. After another mile he realized that he had somehow lost the trail. In desperation he doubled back, hoping he had somehow missed Naruto and Hinata during the whiteout. The chances of them surviving in such conditions were slim. However, they had the vitality of their Bijuu to help them, and if they were together they might find some sort of shelter and survive by huddling together and conserving their body-heat.

The sun came up over the horizon and Jiraiya felt complete despair for the first time in his life.

If they died... if they died... no they are alive! They must be!

He ran stiffly down the road, the cold catching up to him at last.

He turned the corner and his heart nearly stopped.

There in the middle of the road were Naruto and Hinata.

Standing next to them was Momochi Zabuza.

Jiraiya was overcome with relief and at the same he was overwhelmed with gut-wrenching fear. His children were in the hands of the Demon of the Hidden Mist.

Another wave of adrenaline passed through him and the area was filled with his incredible killing intent.

"Naruto, Hinata!" He shouted. "Get away from that man!"

His two young charges spun to look at their guardian in awe. He was like a hero out of the stories, always arriving in the nick of time.

Momochi Zabuza turned to face him, unleashing his own killing intent.

"Who are you?" He called in a loud voice.

"Leave the children alone and I'll let you live." Jiraiya said dangerously.

"Why should I? These three will be valuable tools."

Jiraiya suddenly noticed there was another child draped over Momochi's arm. He was punching and kicking the Demon of the Mist in an act of futility. On the ground was the woman he assumed had the kekkei-genkai. She was bleeding and near death. Jiraiya immediately concluded that the kid was the woman's child.

"I am one of the Sannin, the Toad Sage, Jiraiya! You stand no chance against me Momochi. Let the children go now!"

"Impossible! You're bluffing." Zabuza scoffed. "What interest would the legendary Jiraiya have in these children?"

The ground around Jiraiya cracked under the pressure of his powerful chakra output. The aura around him turned from blue to green in the blink of an eye as he entered Sage Mode.

"This is your last warning Momochi!"

Zabuza brandished his massive Kubikiribocho blade, setting the child down and preparing to fight.

"So be it." Jiraiya whispered.

In less than a tenth of second he used a shunshin and teleported behind Momochi hitting him with a punch that sent him flying into a tree. Momochi crashed into a tree and slumped over in a heap.

Then he melted into water.

A Mizu-Bunshin? He's better than I thought.

He still wasn't good enough. Jiraiya sensed Momochi's presence directly behind him.

How predictable.

The Toad Sage's hair stiffened and became rock-hard and razor-sharp. It shot out behind him and there was a sickening sound of sharp barbs piercing soft flesh.

Momochi stared at his chest in disbelief. "You... you really are..." He rasped.

Jiraiya spun around and punched the Demon of the Hidden Mist in the jaw, sending him flying into a tree yet again. Momochi impacted with the sound of splintering wood, slumping to the ground. It had been the real Zabuza this time. He doggedly pushed himself to his feet.

"Kirigakure no jutsu!"

Thick mist began to form across the road.

Does he really expect that to work?

Jiraiya effortlessly drew a large amount of chakra and released it in an instantaneous burst. The mist cleared away before it had a chance to obscure his vision.

"It's over Momochi." He said softly. "You're wounded and bleeding. That punch probably gave you a concussion. I can see from your stance that you can barely stand."

Zabuza laughed darkly. "So, you truly are Jiraiya. I never thought I'd have the honor of dying in combat with one of the Sannin."

"You won't." The Toad Sage said firmly.

Momochi's eyes narrowed. "What?"

He can go to hell if he thinks I'll kill him in front of the children.

"Leave now." The Toad Sage commanded. "I spare your life only because I will not expose these children to more needless bloodshed. Here-" Jiraiya summoned a scroll and wrote quickly in a cramped hand. "I can see from your hitai-ate that you have been denounced by Kirigakure. This is a letter of amnesty. You can take it to Konoha and find asylum there, if you choose. Had I not found them, you would have taken care of these two." He said, gesturing to Naruto and Hinata. "Even if it was for the wrong reasons, you would have saved their lives. It seems even someone like you has a heart. For that I owe you a debt." He threw the scroll at Momochi's feet. "Consider that debt repaid."

Zabuza bent over and picked up the scroll, moving slowly from his injuries.

"I will take your scroll. Perhaps I can trade it for something."

"I doubt it will be worth much outside of Konoha. At least it will prove you're not just a demon from the mist." Jiraiya said harshly, his eyes turning to the children.

"Ninjas are tools to be used. That is the only reason I would have taken them." Momochi said coldly.

"That's not true!" Naruto stood to his full height, seeming taller than the Demon of the Hidden Mist despite his puny stature. "Ninjas are people like everyone else! Even if you're the strongest ninja in the world, you're nothing without a heart! That's why I'm going to be Hokage one day! I'll prove to the world that the answer to stopping people like you lies in the heart-dattebayo!"

Zabuza's eyes widened in disbelief. Who was this brat to say such things?

"A runt like you, become Hokage? I don't think so." He chuckled. "A ninja must kill his emotions to become an efficient tool. That is the way of the ninja!"

"No! The way of the ninja lies in the heart!" Naruto shouted.

Zabuza flinched for a fraction of a second. The brat's conviction was nothing short of astonishing.

"The way of the ninja lies in his fists. Who are you to tell me, Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, what true nindo is?"

The young boy stood up even straighter and seemed to grow even taller, if it was possible.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be Hokage someday! I don't care if you're the Demon of the Hidden Mist! I'm not gonna run away and I never go back on my word! The Hokage's word is always true-dattebayo!"

Zabuza put the scroll in the pouch of his vest and shouldered his Kubikiribocho blade. "So you're going to be Hokage someday, is that right, brat?" He chuckled humorlessly.

There was no way a stupid runt like him could ever become Hokage. It didn't matter what he believed. Ninjas were only tools to be would never become Hokage with that stupid nindo of his. The world was harsh and cruel. A ninja had to be even more harsh and cruel to survive in the ninja world. A soft kid like him would be destroyed before he had a chance to become Hokage. One day the brat would be all used up. Then he would die like all ninja should die. A glorious death in mortal combat with a worthy enemy was the only fate a ninja could hope to fulfill.

He doubted the moronic runt agreed with that hard truth. He was a fool who would die before he accomplished anything worthy of note.

Yet, there was something about the brat. Something that sparked an emotion in the recesses of Zabuza's black heart. There had been a time where he too wanted to change the world. His dream had been to become Mizukage and usher in a new age of the ninja world. At that time, he had believed his conviction would be enough to accomplish his goal. He would depose the Mizukage and show the world what ninjas truly were: tools.

Tools to shape the world as they saw fit. Tools to rule the civilians who lived in ignorance and fear of their awesome power.

That dream was gone now. His coup d'etat had failed. Now he had nothing left.

Nothing but the ignorant words of a pint-sized idiot. The thought filled him with unadulterated rage.

Conviction can't change the world; power can. That is the truth. A ninja is only as useful a tool as his strength allows. That is my nindo.

Naruto put his hand out in front of him, challenging the Kiri missing-nin.

"Believe it."

Zabuza broke into a fit of uproarious laughter, clutching his ribs, wiping tears from his eyes.

He had never met anyone more utterly retarded than the little blonde brat. Zabuza would escape from Kiri territory and survive. He had to if he wanted to see the brat crash and burn.

"I like you brat. Maybe I will go to Konoha: just so I can see you fail."

Zabuza formed a single hand sign and disappeared in a swirl of mist.

The way of the ninja is to be a powerful and useful tool. You will come to understand that some day, Uzumaki Naruto.

Jiraiya stared at Naruto in awe.

This... this child. With conviction like that, he could change the world! Even I, Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, was moved by his words! Perhaps it was he the Great Toad Sage...

That line of speculation ended as the two most important people in his life broke-down in tears.

They truly were his most precious people. Jiraiya had come to accept that now. It didn't mean he was happy with his situation. He would still prefer to wander the world freely, writing his novels, flirting with women, drinking sake, and spying for Konohagakure no Sato. Yet, he could not deny he would be reluctant to hand them over into someone elses care. Who but he could ensure their safety? Who but he could make sure they became excellent shinobi and fulfilled their dreams?

I do care about their dreams. Jiraiya realized. I need to punish them for disobeying me, but that can happen later. They need me now. Once they've made it up to me I'll start teaching them taijutsu. I will help them become strong enough to fulfill their dreams. Perhaps one day, when he is more mature, Naruto really will have a shot at becoming Hokage. I would like to live to see that day.

The objects of his thoughts ran to him in tears, their trial finally over. Jiraiya took them in his arms and held them close. He had almost lost them. He would never leave them like that again.

"Mommy!" The other child ran to his dying mother, clutching her hand.

The woman was in bad shape. With a gut wound like that, she wouldn't last much longer. She would pass out from blood loss and die in an hour or so if something wasn't done.

"Jiraiya... listen..." She rasped in voice so soft it was barely even a whisper. "My name is Aiha no Yuki. My son is now the last of the Yuki clan. Please... take my son away from this place. It is my dying-wish. Take him somewhere where can be accepted for who he is."

"Mommy! Mommy!" The boy turned to the Toad Sage. "Please, you have to help her!"

Jiraiya looked at the young boy with determination in his eyes. "I'm sorry Aiha, but I can't do that."

The woman used the last of her strength to lock gazes with Jiraiya. "Promise me." She mouthed, though no words came out.

Jiraiya put his hand over his heart. "No! I can't make that promise! I won't be saddled with another child! I already have enough to deal with as it is!"

"Please..." She mouthed, blood frothing on her lips.

"I can't make that promise... because I'm going to make sure you both go to that place!"

The Toad Sage raced forward, pushing the children out of his embrace and biting down on his right thumb. He ripped open Aiha's kimono and put his right hand between her breasts.

"Forgive me, I'm not very good at his."

A dull red light flickered in his left hand, which hovered over her abdomen. He spread the blood from his thumb on his fingers and began to draw on the breast directly over her heart.

"E-Ero-Sennin! Now isn't the time for that!"

"Shut it, child!" Jiraiya barked. "I'm trying to save her life! Shut up and let me concentrate!"

He removed his left hand from between her breasts and performed a series of hand signs with god-like speed.

"Fuinjutsu: Iji!" He shouted, clapping his hands together and pressing them down against the seal with a flash of brilliant blue light.

Jiraiya removed his hands and studied his work. He had done a hack-job with the Katon jutsu, but it had at least stopped some of the bleeding. He had always been horrible at medical jutsu, but he could use a weak Katon to cauterize a wound. As for the seal he had put over her heart...

"Mommy!" The eight-year-old shook his mother. "She's not breathing!"

Jiraiya nodded calmly.

"The seal I placed on her has put her into stasis. She has a bad gut wound and she might still bleed to death, but now she has a chance. She will breath in a moment. Watch."

Sure enough, Aiha took a single deep breath and let it out, albeit very, very slowly.

"That seal has slowed down her metabolism so she only has to breathe a few times a minute. It should keep her alive long enough for me to find someone who can heal her."

"B-b-but!"

Jiraiya walked up to the frightened boy and put a hand on his shoulder.

Should Aiha die, he would be responsible for him. No matter what happened, he would make sure the kid found a good place to live.

Gotta start somewhere. He thought, not unkindly.

"What's you're name kid?"

The boy gazed into the Toad Sage's eyes, but he did not see him. He was staring at something only he could see.

"Haku." He whispered. "I am Haku."

A/N: Sorry for the late update.

Yes, I saved Haku's mother. I had several reasons. One of them was, as a reviewer said, that I have never seen it done before and wanted to try it out. I also wanted to demonstrate that a parent doesn't have to die to traumatize their child (as you will see later in this fic.) I chose the name "Aisuhana" for Haku's mother. She didn't have a name in the canon and "Ice Petal/Flower" seemed appropriate. She abbreviates her name as "Aiha" which mean "Love-Hate" because having a name like Aisuhana would be asking for trouble in Kiri territory, like advertising her kekkei-genkai. Jiraiya will confront her on this nickname later and it will have some small relevance to the plot later on.

I am not done with Zabuza, obviously. You'll have to wait and see what happens to him. Also, I thought that the fight between Jiraiya and Zabuza was realistic, even if it was short. Zabuza may be a high-Jounin almost on par with Kakashi (at least in my opinion) but he didn't believe Jiraiya was Jiraiya. He underestimated him and used a standard tactic which Jiraiya predicted to end the fight. Had he taken Jiraiya seriously, the battle could have lasted a lot longer, though Jiraiya certainly would have won. Remember Sannin are near-god-like in this fic, almost on par with the truly god-like Kage.

I thought this chapter described Naruto's thoughts, feeling and personality pretty well. I had a "derp" moment and put in the pokemon reference because it was too perfect.

Translation notes: "Kirigakure no jutsu" means "Hidden Mist technique". Fuinjutsu: Iji means "Sealing-technique: Preservation." "Iji" can also translate as "medical practice" or "spirit/will." It seemed a good name for the technique. I think Jiraiya's actions were plausible in this chapter. He has a good reason for not exposing the children to bloodshed, and given his genius, I think cauterizing a wound with a weak fire technique and knowing a seal like "Iji" is well within his abilities as a Sannin. You'll notice he has begun thinking of Naruto and Hinata as children and not kids, and occasionally thinking of them by name. This represents how he is slowly getting over his reservations about being a parental figure.

Another side note: The local yocals of the northern Kiri village all have black hair or dark brown hair. Most people living in rural areas like that live their whole lives within five miles of where they were born. It is doubtful they would ever have seen blonde hair before. That is why they thought Naruto had a kekkei-genkai (which indeed he does.) They thought Hinata had one too (indeed so does she) because of her eyes, obviously.

One last side note: About some of the spelling I'll be using. Words like "Hyūga" and "Jōnin" are a pain to always have to copy and paste. So I will be adding "u's" to those words and words like them to make up for my laziness. They would be pronounced "Hyuuga" and "Jounin" when spelled in english anyway.

Thank you for reading and reviewing. I will be posting the last chapter of ANBU (before the hiatus) next, followed by a chapter of NARUTREK and then The Vagabonds or Guardian: Reloaded!

I went back and finished 'Snow.' I recommend going back and reading it since it now gives much more insight into Hinata's development in this fic.

Now on 9-10 week hiatus (boot camp).

Next chapter title:

'Ripple Effect'

-G.A.M.M.