Unshackled: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 20: Soil

Sei's eyes were locked on the large steel door, specifically on the knob that could only be twisted if you applied chakra to it. This feature was to keep civilians from wandering into private shinobi matters. In fact, it was widely used throughout the Shinobi Nations as a means to guard village secrets.

However, this door was different than the other doors in the Leaf Village. This door was specially designed to recognize specific chakra signatures. As far as Sei knew, only the upper class members of Root were allowed access.

A door she also had access to.

But it wasn't the door Sei was interested in, but rather what resided on the other side. To her, the steel was only a thin veil that separated her destiny from herself.

A destiny she had to seize if it were ever to come to fruition.

She reached out for the doorknob, but halted as her hand was shaking sporadically. Her dark void-like eyes were glued to her hand. Why was she shaking? She knew fear, she was taught to control it in all situations but one.

But this was not it. She shouldn't be afraid, and yet. . .

She grabbed her wrist forcefully, clenching her teeth in a rare bout of anger, furious that her body seemed to have a mind of its own. She needed her body to cooperate with her! She didn't need fear to dictate her actions.

A small part of her wanted to just charge through the door and slice through everything she could. Though it was a certain death sentence, it almost seemed better than having to deal with the conflictions and unresolved feelings in her heart.

She needed to follow Naruto's instructions to the letter. She didn't want to disappoint him, let alone fail him. She wanted his praise and admiration. And for that to happen, for her dream to become a reality. . .

She just had to kill the man that laid behind this damn door. . .

Haku was worried. It had been days since she had seen the blond that had given her a new reason at life. She knew he had the exams, but the last she had saw of him was when he had almost collapsed from pain before the First Exam.

She had tried to take him to the hospital, but somehow to her shock, Naruto had vanished from her arms mid-body flicker. She almost got in trouble when she had practically broken the Hokage's door down in order to ask the Third about Naruto's whereabouts.

She had been calmed down when Hiruzen had informed her that the blond was in the middle of his First Exam, safe and sound.

His kind words had settled her heart a little, but the worried ice-user couldn't help but fret about the boy's wellbeing. A part of her knew that it was unhealthy, her attachment to Naruto.

Was it because he had picked up the broken pieces of her heart after Zabuza had died? Was that why she held him in such regard?

She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts. She stopped the running water of the sink and looked at the newly cleaned dishes sitting neatly on the drying rack. She had been staying with Naruto, cleaning up the place and taking care of dishes as thanks for letting her stay.

She had pondered about getting her own apartment but realized that she'd have nothing to fill it with. Plus, she liked the company whenever Naruto was around.

The squeak of the front door being open reached Haku's ears and the raven-haired teen was ready in an instant, three ice senbon appearing between her fingers as she held her right hand in a fist.

"This is private property!" She called out. It wasn't really the smartest decision to let an intruder know your whereabouts, but Haku was a skilled kunoichi who lived in the most powerful village of the Shinobi Nations, she figured she was pretty safe.