It was around two in the morning and I still couldn't sleep. I sighed and looked around for any signs of Sakura being awake. Sadly, I have to share a room with her. I made sure she got the bed and I sat in the corner of the room where it was darkest. Sometimes you have to sacrifice luxuries to get peace. She didn't talk to me or look in my direction all evening, and Sasuke stared at me the whole time. I needed some peace. I needed a hot spring! I smiled slightly and looked in my bag. I grinned when I found my white bikini that Kakashi bought me the day before we left, because he thought I'd like one. I guess in the end, I did want one. I took that and the towel I used to take my shower earlier and silently slipped out the window. Sakura stirred for a moment but went back to sleep.

I looked around the town and finally found one, but it was closed. I sighed and went around to the back of the hot spring building and I found a fence and I knew that on the other side of the fence there would be a hotspring. I didn't care if I accidently went into the boys side of the hot spring because nobody should be in there.

I easily jumped the fence and sighed happily. I slipped off my clothes and put on my swimwear, getting into the spring as soon as I did. It felt so relaxing! I closed my eyes and not even minutes later a boy in black swim trunks stepped in and sat on the other side. I opened one eye and peered at him. He looked like a girl but from his un covered chest I knew better.

"What are you doing here?" I growled. He had ruined my peace time. He looked like he just noticed me and furrowed his brows.

"I could ask the same." his voice sounded girly too!

"T'ch." I looked away but soon looked back with a sigh. The boy stood up in the water and came to sit next to me.

"What's your name?" he asked innocently. I opened both eyes and looked at him for evidence of fear. Nothing. I smiled a true smile then.

"Aerith." I replied. "Yours?" he smiled slightly.

"Haku." then he paused. "Are you a ninja?"

"Yeah, but my team sucks and I'm not allowed to show all of my skills." I frowned at the end. They would be afraid if I did.

"Why?" he asked confused. Of couse he'd be, he didn't know how powerful I was. I didn't know how powerful I was either.

"My eyes." I answered truthfully. I opened them a little bit wider for Haku to see.

"I think your eyes are pretty, Aerith-chan." he told me and I widened my eyes. He could probably see the one new emotion that I've never felt before.

Hope.

"Really?" I asked with a happy smile. He nodded.

"You shouldn't care what people think because they shouldn't have a say." he splashed a little in the water while he talked. He was a really nice person. "Do you fight for something important?" he asked after a moment of silence. I thought about it for a minute.

"My roommate, Sasuke Uchiha." I answered after I thought about it. "He is special to me." Haku just smiled.

"I am what you could say a ninja, I also fight for my friend, my sensei." I nodded.

"Can I see a jutsu?" I asked with a grin. "I'll show you one of mine in return." I decided to change the subject, and I saw that Haku realized that I wanted to talk about something else.

"Sure." He took a senbon out of his hair and I watched it while the senbon formed a ice coat over it and then go away. "I control ice." he explained while putting the senbon back in his hair perfectly like he didn't even mess with it.

"That's really cool, Haku-san." I smiled.

"Please, just call me Haku." I nodded my head. "Your turn." he said after a moment and I nodded.

"Okay." I thought about something to do and decided to test my eye power thing. I thought of Sakuras hatered toward me and my eyes glowed a faint white. I carefully turned to Haku and concentrated on the senbon that helped pin his hair up. I clentched my hand slightly and raised very slowly. The senbon slowly came out but I soon realized that not only the senbon was moving but his long hair was too. I quickly relaxed my hand and grabbed the falling senbon.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get your hair, just the senbon!" I apologized. "I'm new at this whole thing." My eyes turned back to its normal purple and I tried to fix Hakus hair that he somehow made it perfect after doing his little trick. He laughed.

"It's alright Aerith-chan." I smiled slightly, but panic was still seen in my eyes. I didn't want to lose my chance at a new friend. A friend I could tell everything to. He grabbed my hand with the senbon softly and took the senbon out of it. He then easily fixed his hair and slid the senbon back in its rightful place.

"Please, just call me Aerith." I teased slightly. He nodded with a warm smile.

Suddenly he took his thumb and stroked my cheek. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks slightly.

"There's no need to be afraid of what people think of you. You are who you are." I nodded slightly but didn't get very far because Haku hugged me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I sat there shocked but soon put my arms around him. We stayed there for a moment then Haku pulled away. I looked at him slightly confused.

"I need to go back to my sensei, I suspect you snuck out to come here?" he raised an eyebrow and I smiled guilty. He nodded. "I hope to see you soon Aerith. I enjoyed your company." he told me and stepped out of the hot spring, walking back to the locker room.

"Bye Haku!" I called out and we waved to me with a smile. I sighed and decided it was time to leave.

♥

Nobody ever noticed my disapperence last night, but they did notice how happy I was. Kakashi noticed first, then Sasuke.

"My, you look very happy..." Kakashi observed in the kitchen. I smiled slightly and looked at him.

"What's today's plans?" I asked cheerfully.

"Uh, guard Tazuna-San while he finishes the bridge." he looked down at his empty bowl of soup and my eye twitched. I never saw him take a bite! Sneaky fellow. I nodded at him. Sasuke came into the kitchen and paused. He looked at me and frowned, but didn't say anything. He sat down on the other side of me and grabbed his chopsticks, breaking them so they'd be seperated.

"What's with you this morning?" he asked finally. My eye did a major twitch and I looked at him.

"Is it not okay to be in a good mood in the morning?" I asked with a scowl.

"No." he replied simply. I sighed.

"When are we leaving?" I asked finally. We decided that Naruto was going to stay back because he overused his chakra to get to the top of his tree and could barely stand. Not like anything would happen today. My mind went back to Haku. He was so kind to me, and not afraid.

"Now." Tazuna said as he walked through the kitchen. I almost laughed at Sasuke. He only got one bite of his soup. Sakura came in and she looked tired, her hair stuck up in random places. I frowned.

"Why do you look so tired? You slept like a baby all night." I asked and she glared at me before turning away, completely ignoring me. I narrowed my eyes sad and huffed, crossing my arms. I felt the urge to go punch on my training tree out in the back. I stood up along with everyone else, ignoring Sakura's whines about not being able to eat, and walked outside, following Kakashi and Tazuna.

♥

As we walked to the bridge, what we were greeted with was not a pretty sight. Dead bodies of the bridge workers were spread out on the ground. Kakashi quickly lifted his headband and gave us the orders of protecting our client, Tazuna.  

I took the front this time and prepared for the worst.

"Still bring those kids around, Kakashi? Oh, and my sweet angel is alive?" my eye twitched as Zabuza said that. Me? Angel? No.

Kakashi frowned.

"You are a creep." he commented and Zabuza got angry.

"I guess it's time to make an appearance if the little princess is going to fight. Haku!" he called and I felt my heart freeze over. As the Haku that I knew from last night appeared next to Zabuza, it was only confirmed. Haku had a mask on but I'd know that hair anywhere. My eyes flared white.

"You... traitor!" I screamed at him.