Naruto : Shadow King

[Outskirts of Land of Wave]

Shika took his time talking with Haku. He didn't want to directly hire the boy, besides the fact that he might not agree, there was also the problem with the boy's current mindset. He was skilled no doubt, but whether he had any fighting spirit left in him mattered the most.

A man without any ambition, anything to cherish and need. Why would he work under Shika, without getting something in return?

"So, why you are here again. Another mission ?" Haku asked, now he was a little calm, after only talking with Shika that he remembered the boy, it was becuase of this boy that he lived on. Because what the boy told him back then…

"Ah nah… I left the village." Shika smiled and waved his hand.

Haku who was now a little relaxed as back to his preparation work for today's meal paused after hearing this…

Raising his beautiful eyes, which could make anyone praise him for their beauty, as soon as they mistook him as a girl that is…, he looked at Shika, almost glaring like asking….'Is that even some kind of information that you should tell someone you just met?'

However, Haku didn't say anything, just kept on staring at Shika. Living by Zabuza's side ever since he was barely eight, at least gave him enough mindset to know that this was no slip of tongues from Shika. Haku's mind worked fast, and soon he connected the dots.

"You know I was a Shinobi ?" He muttered in a slow voice, Shika heard him and just smiled back.

A grim look appeared on Haku's face, he deliberately spoke low and even risked revealing his identity in case, Shika didn't know it earlier.

Civilians won't hear that low mutter of his, only a train Shinobi. As for revealing his identity, huh…

If Shika wanted to kill him, he didn't need a reason like that, he could have just done so… so his intention was something else.

"What do you want from me ?" All the calculations happened in just a fraction of seconds inside Haku's mind and finally, he decided that instead of attacking Shika or trying to make a break out of there, just ask him.

It's not like he cherishes his own life that much either now, unlike earlier he had a goal, someone to work for, someone to call home.

Now!

Now he was all alone…

"What I want…? Hmmm" Shika didn't reply directly, he took his time and thought about it, and he genuinely gave it a thought.

"I want to stop the unnecessary bloodshed that this world has been accustomed to. I want to stop an upcoming war and every other war which might happen after that. I want to bring peace to this accursed world…" Shika led out a sigh, he wanted to do that, there was no lie there.

But again, who doesn't want this in this world, in their own way, almost everyone who has experienced war at least once has thought about ending the pointless bloodshed. Everyone does think about it, but the reason the question is whether can they?

"What you want from me ?" Haku asked again, not even pretending to hear what Shika just told him. The idea was too good to be true for him honestly, he once had thought like that, but he soon learned how utterly powerless he was in the grand scheme of things.

"I want your help… to achieve this dream." Shika's smile never wavered while talking about him.

"And if I say no, then…" Haku tense up. He knew that this might end up in fight. How ironic it would be that the boy who asked him to live on is the one who kills him. But maybe that's for the better after all…

"Then I walk off from here. However, I personally believe that somewhere inside you, you want the same. Dreaming of a life where you can have hope…if no then why listen to me back then and live on ?" Shika slowly shifted his weight, making himself comfortable, currently both were sitting down on the ground, it was an open camp where Haku live, 'Almost felt like camping back in earth.'

He even dared to take a piece of meat from plate Haku was preparing for himself and boldly ate it in front of him.

Haku didn't mind it, in fact this showed that Shika really had no hostile intent. he was sitting almost defenceless in front of him. If the fact that Haku didn't knew that this person was able to fight off many Konoha Shinobi and even Zabuza's to some extend, Haku might even believed that he could kill the boy.

"Don't mind me, take your time. I just want you to know that I could use someone like you. That there is a war coming, a war bigger than anything this world has seen.

Many will die if we don't do something about it. Though I believe that between us, you understand the true price of war better.

It's a sincere request, don't give up. Just living will never fill that hole in you…" Shika kept on talking but that last few lines touch something in him. Something deeper in him.

The price of war, the hole in him. It's like the boy was able to read his heart. Like nothing was hidden in front of him. All of his secrets were revealed in front of him.

Unconsciously he gritted his teeth's, tugging his lips between his canines and blood leak out.

"You know nothing about me, don't talk like you understand what I have gone through…" Haku mutter trying to hold back his anger.

This anger was no on Shika but life itself. He lost his mother when he was only 5, it was his father who kill his mother and if not for his blood line awakening, he too long would have died.

It was his village which chased him down, bring him to that miserable situation . He had nothing to call home, nothing to live on.

And that was when Haku met Zabuza.

Sure the man sure him like an weapon, but at least he was needed, he had an purpose.

"Yes, I don't understand your pain, I have no right to call you out on that until I personally went through that…

But I understand your heart. Because that is exactly what everyone of us at one point have desire.

To save this world, to end this everlasting conflict…

The only difference is that there are many who can't even believe that something like that is possible. Or just simple gave a world which could be peaceful.

Understandable, conflict will exist until the twilight of mankind.

However, peace in our times…

Now that a goal worthy to pursue…" Shika slowly got up, after throwing the last piece of meat he was saving during his ongoing monologue.

"Thanks for the meal… it was refreshing too just leisurely talk to you here, almost reminds me of a girl I like…" Shika throw a smirk at Haku which caught him off guard. Wondering whether Shika mistook him as a girl, nothing knew to him, but this might explain a little.

'He like me ? Or after my body…' Haku purse his lips, many things starts to roam in his mind by now, especially about whether what Shika talk about right now was even real or he was just after himself… but just as this doubts were penetrating his mind, Shika's next words shattered his doubts.

"Shame you are a boy, otherwise I might have pursued you…." Shika turn back, showing Haku his back and wave to him.

"Though, you would have been for a heck of a competition…hahahaha…" And after saying that he was gone.

Just like that… just like what he said…

'He walked away…'

xxx

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