**Chapter 11: Bringing Haku Home**
"Mmm... Naruto-nii."
Just as Naruto was drifting off to sleep, Haku's delicate voice startled him awake.
"What is it?"
Rubbing his drowsy eyes, Naruto stumbled out of bed and staggered to the bathroom door.
"This... no water is coming out," Haku said, a hint of frustration in his gentle voice.
"Oh... you don't know how to use the shower?" Naruto asked, sliding open the door and stepping inside. "It's really simple. I'll show you."
"See? Just turn this knob like this, and the water comes on. Turn it the other way to turn it off."
Naruto groggily twisted the faucet, then turned to head back to bed.
But when he glanced at Haku, he froze.
"Um, Haku, I'll just leave you to it. Take your time."
Instinctively fleeing the bathroom, Naruto's face burned crimson.
*To see such a beautiful woman up close, and so completely...*
"What's wrong with Naruto-nii? Why is he in such a hurry?"
Haku, puzzled, stepped under the cascading water and began washing himself...
"Hah... Haku, don't... we're still young..."
His face flushed slightly, Naruto mumbled incoherently in his sleep.
There was no doubt he was talking in his sleep.
"Ugh... so hot..."
Wiping his forehead, Naruto slowly opened his sleepy eyes and felt something soft and warm covering him.
"Smells nice... like shampoo."
He took a few deep breaths before noticing Haku leaning against his shoulder, sound asleep.
Ruffling Haku's silky hair, Naruto gently cupped his face, finally getting to see how truly beautiful Haku was in reality.
"Uh..."
Brushing aside Haku's hair, Naruto was momentarily stunned by the breathtakingly beautiful face before him.
As pure as a lotus flower, Haku looked like a celestial being untouched by worldly concerns—so beautiful, so innocent.
After lingering over Haku's face for a few more moments, Naruto tried to sit up and get out of bed.
"Uh..."
His expression stiffened. Gently lifting Haku's delicate body, Naruto carefully moved him to the side, tucked the blanket around him, and then slid out of bed.
"Hah..."
Naruto glanced down at himself and shook his head with a wry smile. "This is what happens when you have *that* kind of dream..."
He rushed to the bathroom and took a cold shower, shaking his head to clear his muddled thoughts.
After drying off, Naruto dressed and sat on the edge of the bed, gazing out the window with a distant look in his eyes.
"Naruto-nii, are you already up?"
Haku propped himself up on one elbow, his delicate body naturally snuggling against Naruto's waist, his face radiating dependence.
"It's unbelievable," Naruto thought to himself, still feeling a bit dazed. "In less than a day, Haku and I have already reached this point."
"Haku, are you awake?" Naruto turned and scooped Haku into his arms, smiling down at him.
"Mm-hmm. Naruto-nii, it's been so long since I've felt this comfortable," Haku murmured, his face glowing with contentment.
After cuddling with Haku for a while, Naruto let him down to wash up.
"Haku, after a brief stop in the Land of Waves, we're heading home," Naruto said, smiling at Haku as they walked.
"Mm-hmm," Haku replied, nodding gently with a radiant smile.
*Clang... clang...*
The distant sounds of hammering grew louder as they approached—it seemed they were building a bridge.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei..."
Naruto waved from afar, approaching Kakashi with Haku in tow.
"Hmm... Naruto... Honestly, you didn't need to take so long just to handle whatever it was..." Kakashi sighed, looking at Naruto with exasperation.
"Hehe, Kakashi-sensei wouldn't blame me, right?" Naruto grinned, leading Haku by the hand to Kakashi's side, acting as if they were the closest of friends.
"Aiya... Naruto, is this 'something' you mentioned just bringing back a cute girl?" Kakashi asked, shaking his head in amusement.
"By the way, Kakashi-sensei, nothing happened between yesterday and today, right?" Naruto quickly changed the subject.
"Well... not exactly nothing. Just some trivial matters," Kakashi paused. "Yesterday afternoon, a man named Kado arrived with a group of thugs. Two of their leaders were called Aggregate Slash or something like that. But they were all weaklings, easily dealt with."
"Oh, I see," Naruto nodded in understanding.
"Naruto... you've been out here gallivanting around all this time by yourself! You..."
Sakura spotted Naruto from afar and hurried over, her voice laced with anger and some unidentifiable emotion.
But as soon as she reached Naruto's side, her indignant cry died in her throat.
"This girl..."
Sakura's heart clenched inexplicably as she watched Haku holding hands with Naruto.
*Why am I... feeling this way? Does Naruto have a girlfriend now?*
Sakura's fair complexion paled slightly, and her vision blurred.
"Oh, this is Haku," Naruto introduced.
"Oh, oh..." Sakura mumbled, unsure of what was happening to her.
"Haku, this is Sakura. She's got a bit of a temper, but I still like her a lot," Naruto said, patting Sakura's shoulder proudly as he introduced her to Haku.
"Oh, hello, Miss Sakura," Haku greeted with a sweet smile. Anyone Naruto liked was someone she liked too.
"Oh, hello. Naruto, come here for a minute!"
Sakura barely restrained herself from punching Naruto in the face. With a dark expression, she hooked her arm around his shoulder and dragged him away.
"Sakura, what's wrong? Do you finally have feelings for me? Look at us like this, tsk tsk..." Naruto leered at Sakura, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as they walked.
"Yes, I have *strong* feelings for you," Sakura purred, her hands gliding across Naruto's chest.
"Uh... Sakura, we can take things slow. No need to rush," Naruto stammered, his head spinning with excitement.
"Mm-hmm, we can be together like this in the future too..." Sakura pressed her hand against Naruto's stomach, gently massaging it. "Like *this*!"
*Wham! Oof!*
Naruto doubled over, nearly spitting blood from Sakura's sudden punch. He stared at her in terror as she casually dusted off her hands.
"Serves you right for teasing this beauty," Sakura huffed, turning her back on Naruto with a flourish.
"Forget it. This little brat's too stubborn to train. I'll fatten her up and kill her later!" Naruto rubbed his stomach, desperately trying to justify his failure to himself.