The Day His Worldview Collapsed

The woodland path was uneven, but that did nothing to dampen Son Goten's soaring spirits.

Haku had not shaken off this strange little boy.

To him, this was just a young child, perhaps overly affectionate because his family was too poor for him to have seen much of the world, or perhaps because he lacked an older sister's care.

As Mr. Zabuza's tool, Haku rarely experienced such pure goodwill, even if that goodwill came mixed with some inexplicable enthusiasm.

"Big sister, what do you usually eat?"

Son Goten swung Haku's hand, his face full of curiosity.

"Your skin is so nice. Do you have some secret? Like drinking dew?"

Haku glanced down at him, his eyes curving slightly.

"There's no secret. Following that man, just getting enough to eat is already difficult."

"That man?"

Son Goten keenly picked up on the key words.

"You mean that bandaged weirdo, right? I knew it was him!"

He stopped walking, looking indignant.

"An old guy who looks that creepy must have abused you plenty."

"Why don't you stop hanging around him and come home with me?"

"We have all the ramen you can eat, and I can catch fish, too. I promise I'll feed you until you're nice and plump."

Haku gently shook his head, looking toward the distant mist.

"You don't understand."

"He's the most important person to me."

"For him, I would give anything, even my life."

Son Goten froze for a moment.

He did not quite understand this talk of throwing away your life for someone else.

In a Saiyan's value system, first came staying alive, then growing stronger, and finally enjoying food and fighting.

Of course, for him, there was one more item: collecting beautiful women.

"Someone important, huh..."

Son Goten rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I have important people, too."

Haku was a little surprised.

"Your parents?"

"No."

Son Goten raised his head, his black eyes sparkling as he stared straight at Haku.

"My future wives."

"I want to give each of them a home, protect them from being bullied, and let them happily eat delicious food every day."

Haku could not help laughing.

"Wives... plural?"

"Of course. That's a man's dream."

Son Goten sounded perfectly justified, even tugging Haku's slender hand closer to his chest.

"I think you fit my definition of someone important perfectly, big sister."

"Want to consider it?"

Had he made such a blatant advance on Tenten or Ino, he probably would have been slapped already.

But Haku simply took it as a child's joke.

"You're still young. When you grow up, you'll understand that some bonds aren't so simple."

Haku gently patted Son Goten's head.

Son Goten grew a little anxious.

Why are you still treating me like a child?

Looks like I'll have to take drastic measures.

Since the verbal offensive isn't working, I'll have to get physical.

There happened to be a raised tree root up ahead.

Heaven is on my side.

Son Goten calculated the angle and force.

Just as they were about to step over the root, Son Goten very "accidentally" knocked his toe against it.

"Ow!"

An exaggerated cry rang out.

Son Goten lost his balance and pitched forward with the momentum.

Straight toward Haku's arms.

That lunge contained technique, acting skill, and an endless yearning for a soft, fragrant embrace.

Haku reacted extremely quickly.

As a skilled fighter with a kekkei genkai, catching a falling child was practically instinctive.

He did not dodge, but opened his arms and securely caught Son Goten as he fell toward him.

"Careful."

Son Goten was ecstatic.

The plan worked!

He took the opportunity to bury his face in Haku's chest.

Even through the clothing, he could sense that cool, delicate fragrance growing stronger.

Is this what heaven smells like?

Son Goten closed his eyes and rubbed his face against him hard, looking utterly intoxicated.

That rub was meant to let him experience an older girl's softness and warmth.

However.

The sensation he expected never came.

No softness.

No bounce.

Only... hardness?

It felt like crashing into an iron plate wrapped in cloth.

No, to be precise, it was a solid set of pectoral muscles.

They were even a little harder than Sasuke's trained muscles.

Son Goten instantly froze.

He felt as though time had stopped.

He remained in Haku's arms, his face still poised mid-rub, his entire body seemingly immobilized by a jutsu.

Something's wrong.

Something is beyond wrong.

Son Goten abruptly raised his head, his wide eyes filled with bewilderment and disbelief.

What met his eyes was still that exquisite, refined face, prettier than any woman's.

Hair like ink, skin like fine cream.

I wasn't seeing things.

He lowered his head again, staring fixedly at Haku's chest.

Flat.

It really was completely flat, without even a rise.

"Could it be chest bindings?"

A thought popped into Son Goten's head.

That must be it.

It's perfectly normal for ninjas to bind themselves tightly for ease of movement.

To verify this guess and salvage his crumbling understanding, Son Goten shakily reached out with that wicked little hand.

"You..."

Haku was just about to ask whether he had hurt himself in the fall when he saw the child press a hand against his chest.

He did not just press.

He grabbed a handful.

And gave it a firm squeeze.

The rock-hard muscles conveyed a sense of strength, with absolutely no feminine characteristics whatsoever.

Those were pectoral muscles developed through years of Taijutsu training.

Crack.

Son Goten heard his own heart breaking.

It was the crisp sound of a dream shattering.

He raised his head and looked at Haku, his lips trembling, unable to say a word for a long time.

Haku seemed to realize something, too, an embarrassed blush rising on his beautiful face.

He released his supporting hold on Son Goten, took half a step back, and smiled somewhat apologetically.

"Um... did I give you the wrong impression somehow?"

Son Goten still clung to one last shred of hope, gazing at him pleadingly.

"Big... sister?"

Haku coughed softly. Though his voice remained gentle, it shattered all of Son Goten's fantasies.

"Actually, I'm a boy."

Boom!

Those words were sharper than Zabuza's great sword and deadlier than Kakashi's Lightning Blade.

They struck Son Goten squarely on the crown of his head.

Son Goten felt his vision go dark, the entire world spinning.

How is that possible?

Such a pretty face.

Such a gentle voice.

Such an incredible natural fragrance.

And you're telling me this is a guy?

"I don't believe it!"

Haku looked at the little boy before him and sighed helplessly.

"I'm not lying. I really am male."

"Although I look a little like my mother, that's the truth."

Facts spoke louder than words.

Especially that real sensation against his palm just now, which could not possibly have been faked.

Son Goten dropped onto his backside, his eyes vacant, as though he had lost his soul.

He looked at the hand that had just touched Haku's chest and felt a wave of revulsion.

I'm no longer clean.

I actually held a man's hand for half an hour.

I even buried my face in a man's pecs and rubbed against them for ages.

"This world... is too treacherous."

He muttered to himself, looking at Haku's still-beautiful face as sorrow welled up inside him.

"If you're a guy, why do you have to be so good-looking?"

"Isn't this fraud?"