Vision of Truth I: Cat and Fox (Naruto)

Someone Precious

"I can be strong for you now
You taught me how

I learned from you that I do not crumble
I learned that strength is something you choose
All of the reasons to keep on believing
There's no question that's a lesson
I learned from you"

- "I Learned From You" by Miley Cyrus

Chapter 14: Someone Precious

The red chakra pulsed in the air as I raced to the ice mirrors, sliding underneath them at the last second. From my position on the ground, I spotted a collapsed Sasuke, seeming lifeless. I had to worry about that later. I had enough trouble on my hands. Suddenly, Naruto punched Haku thriugh one of the glass mirrors, and they all shattered while Haku landed on the bridge several yards away.

The opposing boy stood at the same time as me. His mask was cracked, and he looked worn and beaten down. Naruto appeared ready to charge at him again. The  red chakra eminated from him, and his eyes were red and slitted, making him almost appear like a fox. I saw no humanity in those eyes, but I did feel it underneath the rage.

"Naruto!" I shouted. I ran to Haku and stood in front of him. "Naruto, stop!" Instead of putting up a shield, I faced Naruto with my arms at my side in a vulnerable position. I felt no fear as Naruto came at me with a punch; it appeared the Nine Tailed Fox did not distinguish between friend or foe. I took a deep breath and called out to Naruto's chakra with my own. "You have to stop, Naruto. This isn't you. You know who you are. Stop."

Inches from my face, Naruto halted. The red chakra faded, and he looked at me with astonished blue eyes. "Katsumi?" he said. "What are you doing? What am I doing?"

So, he had no recollection? I logged that knowledge away. "The beast took over." I did not want to say too much with Haku listening. "I stopped you."

"I - I could have killed you. Why didn't you use a shield?"

"You didn't hurt me, and I knew you wouldn't. My shield wouldn't have worked. I wasn't trying to protect Haku. I was protecting you."

"You think standing against him is protecting him?" Haku said in a soft voice behind me.

"Yes." I slowly turned to look at him. To my surprise, his mask had broken and fallen off, revealing his face.

"You're the one we met in the forest!" Naruto exclaimed.

I had many questions for Haku, but I thought I should answer his first. "I stopped Naruto because he was attacking you out of blind rage. I did not want him to do something he would later regret. If he had killed you in that state..." I paused. "If he had made a conscious decision and I thought that decision was wrong, I still would have stopped him - not by doing anything to hurt him but by standing in his way. Yes, I do consider that protecting him. It is protecting him from himself.

"I would never stand by and let him do something that is aggregiously wrong. I wouldn't support his dreams if they were morally corrupt. I would challenge him to be better than that and support him in becoming the person I know he is capable of being. Maybe I would follow him into the darkness... only so I could drag him back out again. I will always do what is truly best for him, not what he wants me to do. And I'll do it because that is what he has done for me... and because he is precious to me." I would not become like my great-grandfather. I would not put my affections for one person above everyone else. I would stay on the path of justice no matter what.

"Katsumi..." Naruto murmured.

Haku lowered his head. "I see. You may have it right. If so, your wisdom far exceeds mine. Perhaps you can live this way because you have multiple people you care about, while I only have Zabuza. And this day has shone me that I am no logner of any use to Zabuza."