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Haku bit her lip. She was dreading this. While she didn't trust Konoha, Kakashi's treatment of her had still been relatively fair. She knew this could change it. Most people were willing to give you a break once, but tended to draw back once you went behind their back. Still, she had a moral obligation to do this. Then there was the question of Naruto. How would he take it? She was going to be asking him to keep a secret from his commander.
She sighed. She really should have left him behind. Maybe it wasn't too late. “Naruto, maybe you should go back to Tazuna's,” she said.
Naruto blinked and drew back. She could see the betrayal in his eyes and it hurt. “What? Why?!” he demanded.
“I have something I have to do.”
Naruto frowned. “You don't trust me?”
“No I do,” she replied, “I just have to do something that Kakashi-san might not approve of, and I know he's going to order you to tell him everything we've done today.”
Naruto blinked and smiled. “Well all you have to do is ask me to keep it secret and I will!”
“I don't want you to keep a secret from your commander,” Haku replied with a frown of her own. “It could get you in trouble.”
Naruto smiled knowingly. “Kakashi-sensei taught us that ninja who disobey their orders are trash, but those who betray their friends are worse than trash. I won't tell anyone your secrets, even if it kills me, dattebayo!”
Haku couldn't help but go slightly agape. That was one of the strangest nindo she'd ever heard. She'd always been taught that a ninja's role was simply as a tool. They were to follow their orders without exception, but this was different. The idea of looking after your friends first appealed to her own nindo that becoming strong came from having precious people to protect. She had to admit to herself that her opinion of the one eyed jonin had just risen a great deal. She'd remember it.
What really stunned her though was Naruto's promises. He'd already made it very clear to her that he didn't break his word once given, and in the world of the shinboi that was a very loaded statement. Ninja can and will kill you to get to your secrets and a promise to keep them unto death was very serious indeed.
Making Uzumaki, Chapter 4
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