I would like to start off saying that I apologize for my lack of upholding my responsibility as a writer. Things have just been a bit hard over summer and every time I would sit down in front of the computer to type I would suddenly lose interest.
Just two weeks ago I was out of town and my dog of 11 years had to be put down. Ever since I have been thinking numerous things, and have felt both guilty and regretful. Not being able to be there put a strain on me and I have been more than a little distraught. I've been wondering whether or not he felt betrayed that I wasn't there. My very last words to him were 'Cya later Cody' before I left for the month.
But, after reading a ton of other amazing fan fictions my inspiration has been reignited, and I intent to come back fighting.
Here it is. Chapter 12.
The most awkward dinner ever was taking place right inside of Tazuna's house. After the battle everyone had come here for a feast, including Haku and Zabuza. When Tazuna, Sakura, and Sasuke woke up to Kakashi and Naruto playing a game of Spades with their recent enemies that were quite shocked.
Kakashi ended up winning with Naruto in second, Haku in third, and Zabuza last. Zabuza was ignored as he accused the rest of them to cheating so he pouted until dinner, refusing to play another game. They all deadpanned at the sight of a grown man and A ranked missing-nin pouting over losing a card game.
As dinner rolled around they all took their seats at the table. Zabuza and Haku on one side, Naruto and Kakashi on another, Of course Sakura just had to sit next to her 'Sasuke-kun' despite his protests, and lastly Inari and Tazuna. Tsunami was working in the kitchen for a lot of the time so she didn't take a seat, although Naruto disagreed, asking when she would eat.
"After you are all done eating, of course!" She happily chirped, returning to the kitchen before he could press the issue. When the food came to the table they got another surprise from a certain missing nin.
"Ugh, VEGETABLES!?" Zabuza groaned cradling his head in his hands sadly.
"You don't like vegetables?" Naruto asked, cracking up a little.
"No, I don't, as a matter of fact." Zabuza replied, poking at said vegetables disgustedly.
Naruto just couldn't hold it in anymore.
"HAHAHAHAH! WHO THE FUCK DOESN'T LIKE VEGETABLES!? HAHAHAAHA!" He pounded his fist on the table while holding his gut as he laughed.
"SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU LITTLE GAKI I'LL KILL YOU!" Zabuza shouted standing up angrily.
Tsunami's shadowed form appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, angry red eyes and the flames of hell flickering behind her. If Naruto didn't know any better he would have thought the women had used a genjutsu.
"Zabuza-san! You do not threaten to kill people at the dinner table, and if you don't like your vegetables so much then I guess you don't want them." Tsunami walked over and took his dinner away, leaving him sputtering out excuses. Naruto was about to laugh some more until the mother turned her glare upon him.
"And you, Naruto-kun, what did I tell you about swearing in front of Inari!?" She took his dinner as well, leaving him with a lost puppy like gaze.
"Foooood... where'd you go?" He whined childishly putting his head in his hands and crying dramatically.
"Since you two don't know how to behave at the table you will not get dinner and will have to go outside." Tsunami continued as she came back.
"Bu-" Naruto started.
"Outside." Tsunami said again. Naruto and Zabuza excused themselves and walked out the front door, grumbling angrily the whole way. Neither said a thing to Tsunami, however, because there is nothing as scary as an angry mother.
Everyone broke out into a round of laughter at the two's expense.
"Mom?" Inari spoke up, silencing everyone.
"Yes dear?"
"Why'd you kick Naruto-nii and Zabuza-san out for using the words 'fuck' and 'hell'?" Inari asked innocently, staring curiously at his mother.
Gritting her teeth, Tsunami marched to the door.
"AND DON'T EXPECT TO FIND A WARM BED IN THIS HOUSE TONIGHT EITHER!" She yelled at the two before slamming the door and turning back to Inari.
"Just know that you should never use that kind of language young man, otherwise you'll end up like those two." Inari paled at the words and nodded furiously, returning to his meal.
Outside on the porch -
Zabuza and Naruto sat a good five feet apart from each other on the porch, sending heated glares at each other every few minutes.
"I blame you, gaki."
"This is all your fault, no-brow." A tick mark appeared on both their foreheads.
A sigh came from Naruto's lips and the tension in the air dissipated.
"So, Zabuza. We're gonna be leaving in around 2 or 3 days. What's the plan, you gonna come with us?" Naruto asked, staring up at the stars in wonder.
"To Konoha? You were serious about that?" At Naruto's light nod Zabuza let a sigh of his own out.
"I dunno gaki, I'll talk it over with Haku I suppose."
"How did a brute like you get a sweet girl like that to follow you anyway, Zabuza?" Naruto asked, turning to look at the older nin.
Returning his gaze Zabuza sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night.
"Have you heard of the Land of Water?" Zabuza questioned, and when Naruto shook his head he turned to look at the moon, a distant look in his eye.
"A place ravaged by war, and since there was numerous Shinobi with Kekkei Genkai in their most recent, those with the special abilities came to be feared and hated in the thoughts that they would only bring more war. That little girl gets hers from her mother and it was kept from the husband. Somehow the man found out and established a mob, killing his wife and trying to do the same to Haku. Haku killed her father before he killed her, something that I think haunts her to this very day. She was living on the streets for a long while after that and when I found her she looked malnourished and was eating out of a garbage can. I told her to become my weapon, and I fed and clothed her. I guess she just is really thankful I rescued her when she was young or something.
"Or she looks at you like her new father." Naruto suggested, getting a startled look out of Zabuza.
"You really think so?" He asked quietly.
"Yeah, sure. She would probably take one of Kakashi's Chidori for you!" Naruto reassured and bright smile on his face before it turned somber again.
"But I assume you haven't told her yet, have you?"
"Told her what?" Zabuza asked.
"That she's the best daughter you could have asked for of course!" Naruto said cheekily, his smile returning full force.
Zabuza looked shocked, and before he could say anything a loud grumbling from both their stomachs interrupted.
"Now lets go find some food ne?" Naruto asked, standing up and brushing himself off and starting to walk in the direction of the forest.
"Gaki..." Zabuza called, making Naruto stop and look at him.
"Thanks...for...the, you know... talk." Zabuza blushed and looked away with closed eyes a frown marring his face. Naruto broke out laughing and managed in between his breaths.
"Anytime Zabuza."
The day to return to Konoha -
"Do you have to go Naruto-nii?" Inari asked, a bright smile on his face despite his best friend.
"Of course, Inari. I can't fulfill my dream in this little town!" Naruto exclaimed, a hand planted firmly on Inari's head. "I can only hope you fulfill whatever it is your dream is, Inari. Remember what I told you though?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah, 'don't act like you have a stick up your ass like almost all the Uchiha!'" Inari repeated loudly, drawing Tsunami's gaze over, her face darkening.
"Ah, well bye Inari, hope to see you again some day." Naruto said before dashing off, running past a startled Kakashi. "I'm going on ahead Kakashi-nii, catch you later!"
"Wait Naruto!" Kakashi called to no avail as Naruto was already gone, and with a sigh followed after waving goodbye to Tazuna and his family.
With that Sakura and Sasuke followed.
Soon they were all walking together again, Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura.
"Uh, Naruto..." Kakashi called ahead.
"Yea?"
"Weren't Zabuza and Haku supposed to come with us?" He asked, causing Naruto to stop in his tracks.
"Shit."
"Gaki!" A yell was heard, drawing everyone's eyes to the direction they just came from. The sight they were met with was an embarrassed looking Haku barely keeping up with an absolutely furious looking Zabuza who appeared to have just woken up.
As they caught up Zabuza went straight to Naruto with a murderous look in his gaze.
"What happened to waking us up?" Zabuza asked, not in the least bit tired from his long run.
"I...uh...forgot..?" Naruto answered weakly, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Zabuza twitched and for a second Naruto thought he was going to reach for the Kubikiribōchō.
"Fine, lets just go..." Zabuza finally ground out between gritted teeth and started walking ahead of the group, Haku following at a more sedate peace. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth Naruto immediately began walking once more, keeping pace with Haku. After a few minutes of shock the rest of the group followed.
"So, Haku, did Zabuza talk to you last night?" Naruto asked hesistantly, glancing at Haku and already knowing the answer when a soft smile settled on the girl's face.
"He did." She responded, a happy tone working it's way into her voice.
"That's great!" Naruto said, happy for his friend.
"So how is it in Konoha, Naruto?" Haku asked, staring curiously at her companion.
"Eh... it's the biggest shit hole on the planet." He said with a bored tone, shocking almost everybody. Oblivious to the heated glares from Sakura he continued on. "...and if it wasn't for a few select people I personally would have left a looong time ago. Not that I could make it that far..."
"If it's so bad there why did you invite us to come with you?!" Zabuza shouted, shooting an angry glance over his shoulder at Naruto.
"Most of my quarrels with Konoha are because of what they have done to me in the past..." Naruto growled.
They continued to walk in silence after that for a long while, until Naruto groaned.
"Ugh! It's so damn hot!" With that he began peeling off his clothing, throwing his vest and shirt over his shoulder as he walked. Haku glanced over before looking away with a slight blush.
"Damn gaki those are some grizzly scars.." Zabuza said, turning Haku's eyes to said scars.
"What, did you think I was lying about what I told you before?" Naruto asked, rolling his eyes.
"I guess I did..." Zabuza mused, leading to another long, awkward silence.
Gates to Konoha -
As the odd group approached the gate both the guards stood to attention, and Naruto ran ahead of the group.
"Ah! Kotetsu, Izumi!" He called waving a hand.
A loud bout of laughter broke out from Kotetsu as Izumo gained a throbbing tick mark above his eye.
"Wait a sec, why is that so familiar." Izumo wondered out loud, causing his partner to recollect himself.
As they sat in thought for a few minutes the group finally reached them.
"I know!" Izumo said and pointed a finger at Naruto. "You're that masked figure from a few years ago! The ANBU!" He yelled, drawing everyone's gaze to Naruto.
"No, I'm not an ANBU, that other ANBU was calling me one to help me get back into the village to meet with the Hokage, something you two were holding me from doing." He explained quickly, not wanting anyone to get the wrong idea.
The two gate guards were flabbergasted, and looked frozen with shock. Shrugging, Naruto walked past, motioning for everyone to follow. Zabuza deadpanned at the lack of security from one of the supposed strongest villages.
In the Hokage's office -
"So you're telling me you saved the country of Wave by freeing them from the tyrannical rule of Gato, and that Zabuza here turned a new leaf because he was betrayed by said Gato, who hired him to kill Tazuna." The Hokage asked slowly, and at the nod of heads he let out a sigh.
"All this on a simple C - Rank mission?" More heads nodding in confirmation.
"So do tell why you brought Zabuza and his surrogate daughter back here?" He asked, massaging his temples to delay the coming headache from all the paperwork.
"I had suggested that Zabuza come here to Konoha to join our village, offering protection and some easy pay." Naruto spoke, stepping forward to address the Hokage. Sarutobi looked over Naruto carefully, and at the nod of Naruto's head let out another sigh.
"Alright, I trust your judgement Naruto... but I will have to ask both Zabuza and Haku to get a once over from Inoichi to make sure they check out okay, any complaints." Haku and Zabuza shake their heads.
"Good, you will be staying in the apartment right next to Naruto's. He will show you, so just follow him. Dismissed." At the authority in the Hokage's voice everyone left the room.
And that's it. Expect another chapter soon.
And on the relationship I am only willing to write a relationship including either Temari or Anko. I'm weird like that, so just say whether you would like to see a relationship and if you do with which of said people.
Review and all that junk.