Nue's POV
Sasuke had asked me stay behind so he could talk to me. I sighed, losing patience because he hasn't said anything in over ten minutes. "Are you gonna stand there all day or are you going to say something?" I asked, impatiently as I petted Kiyoshi while he was wrapped around my arm.
I had asked him to stay out of this situation, no matter what, because I didn't want him poisoning Sasuke.
Sasuke looked at me before finally opening his mouth to speak. "You know... you kind of scared me back there... when Naruto said you ran off without telling anyone." He admitted as he looked at the ground.
"Why would you be scared if I left or not? You don't care about me anyway. Not you or the team." I said as I crossed my arms over my chest. "If we didn't care about you, we wouldn't have gone looking for you." He said, looking at me straight in the eyes.
"Hmph," I closed my eyes with a frown. But on that note, he was right. "Listen, ff we're done talking here, I want to catch up with Naruto. I need to talk to him." I said. I turned around and began to walk away.
Well, that was the plan until Sasuke grabbed my wrist. "Let go!" I ordered. "Why do you hate me?" He demanded. "Let go, Uchiha!" I repeated as I tried to get my wrist out of his hold. "Answer me!" Sasuke ordered me.
Damn, when did he get to be so persistent? "I said, let go!" I said, shoving him away from me. Once his hand let go of my wrist, I made a run for it. But I wasn't fast enough and Sasuke was able to catch up me.
I let out a cry of fright when he grabbed both of my wrists from behind and held them tightly. "Let go, Uchiha! This isn't funny!" I yelled as I tried to rip myself out of his hold. I wanted to use my wings and tails to get him off me, but I didn't want to risk exposure.
Man, I wish I had Maria right now. "Nue, stop struggling. Just tell me why you hate me." Sasuke said. I stopped moving for a moment. I frowned before yanking myself out of his hold and turning around to face him.
"You wanna know the truth! Fine! I hate you because you pretend you're all cool and better than everyone else when deep down inside, you're scared! It annoys the hell out of me! Ugh! I just can't help it! Every time I see you with a face that says, "This is no big deal,", I just wanna hit you all the time!" I practically screamed.
It was quiet for a while as I panted a little from my outburst. "Is that why?" He asked, slightly disappointed. "Yeah," I sighed heavily, realizing I sounded like a volcano that just erupted.
"Look, I'm sorry I blew up at you. It's just that... I don't know. You just make me so angry, and sometimes, when I see you, my anger just boils a little bit inside. Either because I hate you that much or you're just that annoying. Or it could be something else," I said, thinking about that last guess of what it could be.
"Sasuke, I don't know what happened when you were young. But for whatever the reason, I'm sorry. I don't know what kind of pain or suffering you've been through, but I'm sorry." I said, apologetically.
I know I could never experience what Sasuke's been through. But I'm sure it couldn't have been good. "You're different." Sasuke said after a long moment of silence. I shot him a confused look.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, of all the fangirls I have, you came to hate me."
I deadpanned. "That's what's bothering you?" I asked.
"Not really. But what is bothering me is that I can't get a read off you. I'm able to read Naruto and Sakura easily. But you, for some reason, I can read off of. It's almost strange." Sasuke said. Okay, I'm not getting the point here at all.
"Care to put some sense into that?" I asked. He sighed, then explained himself. "When we first met, I thought you were like all the other girls in the academy. But not you. You were different. You avoided me and never even looked at me. As I got closer to you, you just kept pushing me away."
I tilted my head to the side. I still don't understand what he was trying to tell me. "Sasuke, could you just get to the point? I don't get what you're saying." I said. Sasuke looked at me straight in the eyes.
"What I'm trying to say is... Who are you, Nue Houjuu Satori?" He said. "Who... am I?" I repeated. "What kind of question is that? I'm Nue Houjuu Satori." I told him. My right hand grabbed the side of my head.
For some reason, my head was starting to hurt. As the pain got worse, both of my hands grabbed my head and I fell to my knees while closing my eyes tightly. "Aaahh!" The pain was getting worse.
"Nue? What wrong?" Sasuke asked as he grabbed my shoulder. I gasped when I saw an image in my head. I saw flames and people screaming. "No!" I quickly stood to my feet and backed away from Sasuke.
I hugged myself as my body began to shake. "What's happening? What is this?" I said, my body shaking violently. "Nue," Sasuke said, stepping closer to me. When I saw his face, I saw someone else as well. It looked like Sasuke, but a little bit older.
My eyes widened when Sasuke reached his hand towards me. "Stay back!" I said, slapping his hand away from me. I can't be around him. I have to get out of here. I ran off, ignoring the pain in my head. I didn't know where I was going.
I just had to get away from Sasuke. My brain began to pound against my skull, making the pain increase and unbearable.
Haku's POV
I was picking out some more herbs for Zabuza until I heard crying. Was it that Naruto boy I ran into earlier? I turned around and saw Nue, lying against a tree with her knees pulled to her chest and her face buried in her knees.
I stood up and walked over to her with the basket of herbs in my hand. "Nue?" I said, softly as I gently touched her shoulder. She flinched, then lifted her head, looking at me. "Are you all right?" I asked her.
I noticed she had been crying by the tear stains on her face. "Why are you crying?" I asked her. Nue flew herself at me, hugging my waist. I gently placed my hand on her back. "Please," I looked down at her as her shoulders trembled.
"Please help me." Nue pleaded as she kept her face hidden in my chest. "I don't understand. What is it that you need help with?" I asked, concerned. "My head... It hurts. I don't know why. There's images in my head and I don't understand them. Please, Haku. Please help me." She begged.
My eyes softened as I saw her in this depressing state. "I think I know who can help you. Zabuza might know what's going on." I said to her. "Zabuza?" Nue repeated. I nodded before picking her up, bridal style. Nue had hold of the basket of herbs while I carried her to the hideout.
I was concerned about Nue Houjuu. Is this really the Nue Houjuu Zabzua told me stories about? He told me she was cold, heartless, and always avoided humans. Yes, I know what she's hiding under her cloak, and I know she's not human.
But I didn't care. This Nue Houjuu seems so... innocent. She's nothing like the stories Zabuza has told me about. Maybe she's changed.
Once we were at the hideout, Nue was asleep in my arms. I put her one of the spare bedrooms and gently placed her on the bed before pulling the blanket over her. Nue rolled on her side, her back facing me.
I gently ran a hand through her hair and kissed the top of her head. I left the room for her to sleep, then walked to Zabuza's room to heal his wounds.
(Some time later) Nue's POV
I don't know how long I slept. But what I did know for sure, is that I was laying on something soft and comfy. Am I still with Haku? I opened my eyes a little and felt something warm on top of me. A blanket? Now I'm certain that I wasn't outside anymore.
I sat up and took a look at my surroundings. A bedroom? How did I get here? Actually, where am I? I got out of bed and opened the door. "Hello?" I called, softly. I waited for an answer, but it was quiet. After waiting a few more seconds, I decided to walk down the hall.
To be honest, I didn't know where I was going. "Did you sleep well?" I jumped at the sudden voice and turned around. "Jeez, Haku. Don't do that. You nearly gave me a heart attack." I said. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention." He apologized.
"Don't sweat it. Hey, do you know where I am?" I asked. "You're in Gato's hideout. It's pretty far from the Tazuna's house," Haku explained. "Oh," I said. "You said wanted answers, right?" He asked. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Right." I said, remembering.
"Zabuza asked me to bring you to him once you've woken up. Follow me," Haku said. He began to walk down the hall as I followed him. "Nue, can I ask you something?" Haku asked as we walked down the hall.
I looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "What clan are you from?" He asked me. I stopped walking and looked at the ground. "I don't know." I answered quietly. "You don't know your own clan?" Haku questioned as he stopped walking as well.
I shook my head. Haku stared at me before walking again. "This way," He said, leading me to who knows where. I followed close behind him.
After walking down the long hallway, he opened a door to a big room. I think it was a training room. And whoa, this place is huge! I looked ahead and saw Zabuza training with his Executioner's Blade.
"Zabuza," Haku called to him. Zabuza stopped training and looked at us. "Thissss guy is bigger than he lookssss. " Kiyoshi hissed. Whoa, I totally forgot Kiyoshi was around my arm. He's been so quiet, it was like he was never there.
"You said it." I replied to his statement as I stared at the Demon Zabuza. Haku and I walked over to him. "It's about time you woke up. You've been asleep for six hours." Zabuza said, once I was in front of him.
"I told you those sleeping pills weren't doing me any good," I whispered to Kiyoshi. He stuck his snake tongue at me, hating the fact I was repeating myself. "Um, Mr. Zabuza," I spoke. "Just call me Zabuza." He said as he set his sword down.
"Okay, then. Uh, Zabuza. How are you felling since your battle with Kakashi-sensei?" I asked him. "Why would you care, runt? You don't care about my wellbeing." He spat. "What?! I didn't say anything like that at all! I've hardly even talked to you!" I said.
He looked me in the eyes, studying me. "You seriously don't remember me, do you?" He asked in a soft, yet sad, tone. "Remember what?" I asked. Wait a minute. Is he talking about the Houjuu Clan? Holy crap.
"Zabuza, if you know something about me, or anything about my clan, please tell me. I have to know why... how I'm the only one with... with these on my back." I said before yanking off my cloak, revealing my wings and tails.
"What a beautiful sight." Haku said, smiling. "They aren't beautiful. They're terrifying. They scare people, make them run away." I said with a frown. "Nue, don't put yourself down like that." Zabuza said as he lifted my chin slightly with his hand
"I want to know the truth. Who are you and how do you know about the Houjuu Clan?" I demanded. Zabuza sighed. "Boy, you're clueless. I'm your uncle." Zabuza said. My jaw dropped open. "M... M-M-My u-uncle?" I stuttered.
No way... There's no way the Demon of the Hidden Mist is my uncle, my relative!
Zabuza's POV
I sighed as Nue started stuttering. It was hard for me to believe that this girl was my missing niece. She looked and sounded like her. But I know this isn't her. It couldn't be her. The Nue Houjuu I knew doesn't usually smile or give a crap about anyone except her people.
She was sometimes cold and antisocial. Hell, she hardly said a word to anyone. This girl was kind and a bit cheerful. "Nue, how long have you been living in the Leaf?" I asked her. "Only for a few weeks now. I kind of hate it." She answered as she moved her red wings a little.
"What's the last thing you can remember from the Houjuu Clan?" I questioned her. "Nothing." Nue said. "Nothing? Nothing at all?" Haku asked. "Nope. My mind is about as blank as a sheet of paper," She said as she tapped the side of her head.
"Yep. Blank as paper." She said, confident with her answer. I sweat dropped. At least she's honest about it. "You've definitely changed." I said, deadpanning. Nue sweat dropped. "Care to fill me in? Because I don't have a clue what I was like when I met you." Nue said.
I sighed a bit. But I was actually glad to see her again. I glad she's alive. But why doesn't she remember me? Does she have amnesia? "Zabuza, I'd like to know about the Houjuu Clan. I want to understand what these things mean." Nue said, calmly.
"I guess I'll have to tell you since you can't remember." I said as I sat down. "The Houjuu Clan is a very rare clan. They're ones who possess three red wing-like features on the right side of their back and three more on the left side, except they were blue and arrowed-shaped." I explained.
"Like these?" Nue said as she moved her wings and tails.
"Exactly." I answered. "They look truly beautiful, Nue." Haku commented. "You say beauty. I say ugly." Nue said, moving them around a bit. "They may look ugly in your point of view. But I think they make you look beautiful. Like an angel." Haku said, smiling as he touched one of her wings.
"Hmph. Do angels have wings like these and scare people wherever they go?" Nue asked, frowning a bit. I petted her head. "At least he's trying to cheer you up. The least you can do is smile for him." I said. "You're right. I'm sorry, Haku." Nue apologized as she bowed her head, politely.
This is definitely not the Nue Houjuu I know.
Nue's POV
'This kind of explains why they're not afraid of me. I'm actually glad they're not afraid of me' I thought with a small smile. I was still pretty shocked at the fact I was the niece of an assassin. But how come he doesn't have wings and tails like me?
"Anyway, back to what I was saying. The Houjuu Clan possessed an unspeakable power," Zabuza continued. "If one of them got hostile, emotional, or too confused to understand something, they start to harness a dark power." He said.
"A dark power?" I repeated. Wait? Like the power I had back at the castle? Back when I fought Genshi? "But one day, all hell broke loose when a madman attacked the clan. Our numbers decreased by the second. However, there was one girl who was willing to risk it all just to save her people. Despite of being how old she was and how small she was, she kept fighting, not caring about the injuries she endured. That little girl... was you, Nue Houjuu." He finished.
I gasped in disbelief. Me? I fought against the enemy? At what age? "How old was I at the time, Zabuza?" I asked him. "You were four years old when you were defending your clan. You didn't care what it took nor how much chakra you used. You just kept fighting." Zabuza said.
"That's very impressive. I don't think I would've been able to fight at that age." Haku said. "This is all so... weird. I don't remember any of this. None of this rings a bell. Why can't I remember?" I asked, my eyes wide with confusion and shock.
"Uncle Zabuza, did you get a look at the people who were massacring my clan? Do you know why I can't remember my people?" I asked, frantically. I could see a blush creep across Zabuza's face underneath the bandages.
"Uncle Zabuza?" I asked. Haku chuckled a little. "I think he's a little shocked at the fact you called him "Uncle". Maybe he's use to you calling him just Zabuza." Haku said. "Oh." I looked at Zabuza and waved my hand in front of his face.
"Hel-lo? Come back to me, Zabuza." I said, patting his cheek a little. He blinked, snapping out of it. "Right. Anyway, from what I can remember, I saw a red cloud." he answered.
"A red cloud?" I repeated, confused. I don't think those clouds exist. "No, it was a cloak. A black cloak with red clouds on it. A group, I think. I'm not entirely sure. My memory's a bit fuzzy." Zabuza admitted.
"A group of people wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them." I repeated in a mutter. It wasn't a lot of information about them, but at least I had something; At least I knew what these people were wearing.
If they're a group, then they must be wearing the cloaks daily, right? They must have a hideout, right? "Do you have a picture of parents?" I asked. "Not really. But I do have a picture of your father." Zabuza said.
"May I see it?"
"Yeah?"
He handed me a photo of me and someone who looked like me.
"Is this him?" I asked. "Yes." Zabuza answered. He looked pretty young to be my father. "Why do I look a little bit older in this photo?" I asked.
"When you were a child, you got careless and drank something your father was making. It turned you older for a few days until the effects wore off. While you were in that state, your mother thought it would be a good idea to take a picture of you and your father." He explained.
I stared down at the photo as the faces looked back at me. "I know my people weren't human, so what were they called? Let me guess: monsters?" I asked looking at him.
"Outside the clan, yes. You guys were called monsters. But inside your clan, you were referred to as Nues." Zabuza answered.
"Nues?" I repeated. Just like my name? That's weird.
"Yeah, they had a weird form, too. The body of a raccoon dog, head of a monkey, legs of a tiger and a snake for a tail. But you guys were a lot bigger than in a picture." He said. (See picture above).
"I have to admit. That does sound pretty weird." I said, agreeing with him on the 'weird form' part. "Nue, now that you know a little more about yourself, what will you do now?" Haku asked. I blinked before staring at the ground.
"I'm gonna find them. I'm gonna find those people in the black cloaks and find out why they killed my clan. Everyone has a reason for doing things, right? Well, they must've had a reason why they killed my people." I said, getting slightly angry.
"Revenge is a dark goal, Nue." Zabuza said. "I didn't say anything about getting revenge. But not that you brought it up, yeah, I also want to kill them. Thanks for the idea, Uncle." I said, giving him a thumbs up. He face palmed in response.
"I think I gave you the wrong idea." Zabuza mumbled. I smiled before yawning. "You're still tired?" Haku asked. I nodded my head, sleepily. "How can you still be tired after a six hour nap?" He asked. I shrugged my shoulders as I rubbed my eyes.
"Nue, before you doze off, I need you to listen to me," Zabuza said. I nodded, telling him to go on and say what he had to say.
"Tomorrow is the day we'll be putting your team in a temporary death state. I think it's best if you don't get involved. Haku will wake you up to tell you when we're heading out." He explained.
"Okay. But if you hurt my friends, I'll have no choice but to step in and fight you." I said, seriously, but my voice was being taken over by sleep. Haku smiled at me as he watched me about to fall asleep. Then, I did fall asleep. But it was a light sleep.
I felt myself being picked up, then carried somewhere. "You're a strong girl, Nue. You're willing to do anything just to protect your loved ones. Even if it means getting hurt. You have a strong heart." I heard Haku whisper.
I don't care if I do get hurt. All I want is to keep my friends safe. They're important to me. That's all I care about. I felt my body being placed on something soft. I'm guessing it was a bed. "Sleep well, Nue." Haku whispered. I felt him plant a light kiss on my forehead before leaving.
I smiled in my sleep. Mother, Father, everyone. Forgive me. I'm sorry I couldn't save you all. But I'm going to make it up to you. That's why I vow to find the people who murdered you. Your deaths will be avenged. That is my pledge to you. I will not fail you. I promise.
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Double thumbs up for triple update! Nue finally knows who and what she is! What do you think? Vote and comment. Sayonara!!
Kureiji out~