Heart of Ice: a Naruto Story

Heart of Ice

     Naruto Uzumaki was angry, no, he was outright mad.
     They were on a mission to the land of Waves to protect the bridge builder Tazuna. According to Tazuna, the mission was a C- Rank. However, so far, the mission was anything but a rank C mission.
   As it turns out, the bridge builder was being targeted by Gatō, one of the wealthiest men in the world. Gatō had attacked Wave and put it under his rule. Wave, being an island far from the mainland, had no other way of beating Gatō but to build the bridge Tazuna was building. If the bridge was completed, Gatō's reign of terror will end. However, Gatō did not want that so he sent Zabuza Momochi after the bridge builder's head.
    They clashed with the demon brothers where Naruto was reprimanded for freezing up in the face of danger. Later on, the clashed with Zabuza, an A-rank criminal wanted for a failed coup d'etat against the Mizukage of Kirigakure no Sato. Kakashi, Naruto's team leader fought him while Naruto and his teammates, Sakura and Sasuke protected Tazuna. Zabuza trapped Kakashi in a water prison jutsu. Naruto and Sasuke managed to free Kakashi who fought with Zabuza and was about to finish Zabuza off when a hunter nin (ninja who hunt for criminals; the missing nin like Zabuza) supposedly killed Zabuza. Kakashi, exhausted from using the Sharingan (a special eye that can copy jutsu, detect and break illusions etc) for too long, collapsed which force team 7 to carry him to Tazuna's house.
     After Kakashi regained consciousness, he told them that Zabuza did not die rather he was put in a death like state. Kakashi started training them on the tree walking exercise, a chakra control exercise.
   But that was not the reason for his infuriation. It was Inari, Tazuna's grandson who called them fools for standing against Gatō. Naruto called him a coward and went out to cool off. Where he pit himself with shadow clones as his method of training. The exhaustion caught up with him and he collapsed.

   Present Time
   A girl with a pink kimono and a basket was walking in a clearing collecting herbs when she saw Naruto Uzumaki sprawled on the ground sleeping. She then saw the headband with the Konoha symbol on the metal.
  'So this is one of the ninja the bridge builder hired? What is he doing here? I should kill him lest he interferes with Zabuza-sama's mission.' However, the boy started stirring, so she resorted to waking him up.
   "Hello," she started shaking him awake.
  The boy's eyes opened.
   "You're awake," she said.
  Immediately he saw her, he grabbed her wrist and twisted it to her back and held a kunai to her neck.
    "Who are you?" He asked seriously.
     The girl winced before replying.
    "I'm a local around here. I was picking herbs to... treat a friend when I found you sleeping there then I decided to wake you up and then thins happened," she said referring to their current position.
  "Oh, sorry, but am rather tense right now," he said, letting her go and rubbing his neck sheepishly. " I'm Naruto by the way."
   "Oh, I'm Haku."
  "Can I help you collect the herbs, Haku-chan? As an apology."
   "Sure, Naruto-kun"
  Just like that, they started picking the herbs, with Haku helping by showing him the right herbs.
   'When I asked if I could help, I noticed her stiffening. It was well hidden, but not good enough for me not to see. When explaining the reason for collecting the herbs, she hesitated before telling me about this friend. Her posture is one for a kunoichi on guard.' Naruto mused before realization hit him. 'Don't tell me...so she is the fake hunter nin.'
    "So, care to tell me why you were sleeping all outside? You could've caught a cold or something." Haku asked.
    "Hey! I was training not sleeping!" He exclaimed indignantly, pouting and catching her off guard.
    "Why? Do you have someone you want to protect? I mean one you care about?" She asked trying not to lose her composure.
    That's when Naruto started to think.
  Flashback
"Sakura-chan, can you go on a date with me?"
  "No you baka. How many times do I have to tell you; no one will ever go on a date with you!" She replied hitting him with a chakra infused punch.
.
  "The next match is Naruto Uzumaki vs Sasuke Uchiha."
  Naruto was defeated within the blink of an eye, making the fan girls go all 'wow' and squeal, "Sasuke-kuuuun!"
  .
  "That troublesome blonde."
  "That dobe, he'll never be a ninja, right Akamaru?"
   "That brat"
   "Stay away from him."
Flashback End.
   In his reminiscing, Naruto didn't notice tears falling from his eyes.
   "Naruto? You okay?"