6/15/2017 EDIT: I think I need a song for this merging because this is becomign quite tasking. Wish me luck, my dudes.

Naruto opened his eyes, excitement already rushing through his veins. He hopped out of his, quickly stripping his pajamas, a smile lighting his features. He bounded around his room while trying to get his clothes together, tumbling and tripping every now and then. Through his enthusiasm, his pants tangled underneath him. He flailed his arms around, yelping slightly as his back hit the ground. As if on some cue, Zabuza walked in, seeing his son on the ground. The older man chuckled, helping Naruto up, "You okay?"

Naruto grinned, nodding his head so fast that Zabuza thought it'd fall right off, "Yeah! I'm so excited!"

His father's eyes darkened slightly, the ghost of a frown matting his features before disappearing. The boy in front of him didn't seem to recognize this. The frown was quickly replaced with a small smile, albeit it was a little forced but Naruto didn't need to know that. Zabuza ruffled his son's hair, "Well, I'll let you get ready. Kisame is about done making breakfast so I'll see you in the kitchen." That got the boy up and moving. His Jiji was a master in the kitchen. Zabuza watched his son for a second before exiting the boy's 'crate room'. That name really has stuck as have all of their nicknames and roles in this household. As the older male walked around the house, ending up on the front porch, he couldn't help but remember the past.

Zabuza knew from the time Kushimaru became a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, taking his mentor's spot, that he had a thing for Jinpachi. The young love that blossomed in that insecure seventeen-year-old was almost laughable but Kushimaru was in his own little world at that point. It became even more evident when Jinpachi had announced that Kushimaru was his best friend and no one else could have him. That possessive bastard. It was just a matter of time before those two got together. Therefore, the nicknames of Grandpa and Granny just stuck. Zabuza laughed quietly, suddenly remembering the look on Kushimaru's face when he was dubbed as Granny. The poor man was flushed red for the next few hours and babbled on about how that was completely idiotic. However, over the next few years, he fit into that role completely. Like a mother hen looking after her – or should he say his – chicks who kept getting in trouble. Jinpachi was a different story altogether. That man was so stubborn about the whole thing and it became really annoying fairly quickly. He didn't want to get attached to Naruto for some apparent fear that no one knew about and kept his distant, even more so when he was given the role of Grandpa. Then when Kushimaru let himself care for Zabuza's son, Jinpachi started to put in effort of being a proper grandfather to Naruto. Then there was Jinin's role of Uncle. If Zabuza had to admit, Jinin acted more like a closed off cousin than an uncle of sorts. However, Naruto was all for Jinin being his uncle. The boy wanted story after story from the man and Jinin couldn't refuse him. Well, he had tried, but Naruto has proven himself to be very persuasive… especially when he starts crying. Everyone hated when the kid cried, hurt them more than a wound on the battlefield. It wasn't until Naruto was able to walk that Jinin finally slid rather smoothly into his role of the cool Uncle. Everyone was really surprised when he announced to the group that he was now a proud Uncle.

It was a sight to see.

Zabuza sighed, he really missed those three. It was strange without their constant bicker in the house. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, with the addition of Naruto, was a tight nit family. Each came from different backgrounds that they felt the need to hide. Each had different lives that they needed to live. Each had different personalities that they needed to show. Each had different stories that needed to be shared. Each had a different passion that needed to be given out. So, they came together to form bonds of eternal friendship and love. Zabuza knew that with their line of work, there would be some causalities. He didn't believe then that it would hurt as much to lose one of his swordsmen friends because it didn't hurt when he ruthlessly killed his past friends in the Academy all those years ago. However, over the years, he found out how wrong he was. So very wrong. It hurt ten times as much than before. When Kushimaru had died, Zabuza felt his heart stutter to a stop for a few seconds. His world froze and everything seemed broken, fraying around the edges of reality. He kept believing that this wasn't happening but with Naruto's call to his Granny, Zabuza knew it had to be. Then Jinpachi's departure struck almost as hard, like a broken piano string still thumping around wildly in the heart of the piano. Jinpachi was one of his closest friends in this world. That man has been there for Zabuza too many times to count and Zabuza couldn't forget those times. However, Jinin's death took the cake. It was like a shock directly to his heart, stopping it for a good week or so. His heroic death wasn't in vain for Zabuza's son was still thriving as proof. Those three… when their names are mentioned, it's like individual knives cutting into Zabuza until he was numb, inside and out. He missed them so much. Their family was torn because of it. No one on this entire earth could possibly take their spots in their family of misfits and orphans. No one.

Not even that Hōzuki kid – Mangetsu if he recalled correctly – who was currently being trained by the Mizukage so he may be able to use Jinin's sword. Those bastards. Zabuza had heard that Yagura was trying to find Kushimaru's sword so he could give it to Mangetsu's little brother, Suigetsu. Mangetsu was progressing extremely fast from the rumors he'd heard around the village the last time he stopped at the Mizukage's office for his mission reward. Mangetsu was around Chōjūrō's age as of right now and was flexible in what he could do. It was astounding, really. However, Zabuza knew that when the day came for Mangetsu to become a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, things wouldn't be the same in the house. If Mangetsu is at all one with the Village Hidden in the Mist, that could mess up their plans. Plus, if Mangetsu became a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, that means that he'll most definitely will find out about Naruto. If that happens… well, Zabuza didn't want to think about that. It's too much.

"Zabuza?" A deep voice said behind him, snapping the man out of his thoughts. The black haired man turned around, coming face-to-face with Kisame. He looked down at Zabuza's hands before stating solemnly, "You broke the porch." Following Kisame's line of sight, Zabuza could clearly see pieces of wood clutched into his hands which had come from the porch. He hastily dropped the blocks of wood, rubbing his hands of the impending splinters. Kisame sighed quietly, "Zabuza, we need to talk."

"Huh?"

"As your teammate and best friend, I know when you're upset or angry and as of right now, that's all I'm seeing." He said.

Zabuza directed his eyes elsewhere, flopping down on the steps of the front porch, "Yeah, you could say that."

Kisame sat beside him, "You want to talk about it?"

"I'd rather not…" His eyes looked so lost, so empty.

The shark-like man poked his arm, "It'd make you feel better and you know that."

He sighed, "Yeah, you're right." It was silent for a few seconds, the only audible noise being their breathing. "I… When Ameyuri said those things – you know, the ones about me wanting Naruto to d-die – I really broke. I hate that she thinks so lowly of me… of my fatherhood. Naruto is my sunshine, my only sunshine. I love that kid with all of the heart I have left." Zabuza ran a hand through his hair, eyes narrowing in thought, "So… I went to him. I felt like I had to prove to Ameyuri that I do care about my son… that I don't want him to die. Kisame, I…" He let out a growl, clawing the place above his heart. Zabuza could feel the ache again, the pain that always plagued him when it came to his son. Kisame did nothing to stop the man's self-harm, knowing that his interference would do worse things to Zabuza. Said man looked at him, eyes desperate and worried, "I don't cry, Kisame. Demons don't cry. Demons don't cry when their parents die in a horrible fire. Demons don't cry when they are abandoned and given to the orphanage. Demons don't cry when the orphanage abuses them nearly every day. Demons don't cry when they are made to murder everyone in their Academy class. Demon don't cry when some of their closest friends die. I… I used to be a demon, Kisame, but then I met Naruto. He's the light to the dark hell of my soul and I guess that mean that I… that I'm not a demon. However, when I… I – Fuck… When I saw him just lying there, so peaceful as if he'd actual p-passed away, I-"

"You're right, demons and monsters don't cry, however," Kisame looked at his best friend, placing a hand on his back before rubbing it soothingly, "Zabuza, you can cry if you want. You know I won't mind." Zabuza's eyes were wide, holding them back with every fiber in his being. His fists clenched together, whitening by the force. He shook ferociously, the unshed tears taking a toll on him. Kisame nodded slowly, "Just let it out."

He stared at the shark-like man slowly, lip quavering. Kisame gave a small, reassuring smile. It was then that everything just broke. The dam of sorrow came down, tears leaving his eyes. The sobbing came afterwards making his heart snap back and forth with every pang. It hurt. Everything hurt. Why did this have to happen? "Oh god, Kisame, everything just… It just got out of control, I-" Zabuza covered his mouth, eyes wide while the tears just left his eyes, "I can't help but h-hate myself. I keep blaming myself for what happened to N-Naruto." Kisame frowned, reaching over and giving his best friend a side-hug, rubbing his arm reassuringly. "Kisame, I shouldn't h-have… he shouldn't have g-gone on that mission! It wasn't s-safe for him and it's all m-my fault he's this way." Zabuza felt the anger bubbling up in his chest again, the pang in his heart more prominent the more he talked, "N-Naruto… He could have… Oh god, he could have d-died and I-I would have… It'd be all my fault. I'm a terrible father, n-no wonder Ameyuri said that I wanted my son to d-die. I practically s-sent him on a suicide mission. I… I-I just…" He fell silent, eyes wide as the tears just kept falling.

Kisame nodded in understanding while he let Zabuza get everything out. It hurt the shark-like man to hear his best friend babbling on about how much he blamed and hated himself, about how he was a terrible father. Kisame knew that this would be one of the only times Zabuza would let down his barriers and cry before stuffing all of his emotions back up. Kisame hasn't had to force Zabuza to do this for a few years. I guess everything just caught up to them. It really was just too much. After a while, Zabuza finally quieted down. Kisame patted his back, "Better?"

The shorter man gave his best friend a weak frown, eyes still red, "I hate crying."

He sighed, "Yes, I know but sometimes you just have to let everything out."

Zabuza looked into the circling mist, giving a small smile, "Thanks… I guess."

"You're welcome." Kisame grinned.

He chuckled before his eyes turned serious, "That's not the reason you came out here though, is it?"

"Correct. I just have a few questions that I wanted to ask you." Kisame stated.

Zabuza rolled his eyes, "Of course you did. Ask away."

"Are you okay about leaving Naruto with me?" That first question wasn't one Zabuza had expected and it tore directly through him.

He sighed, "As a matter of fact, no. Absolutely not."

Kisame blinked, cocking his head to the side in confusion, "Then why the hell are you letting me take him?"

"Because… you're right." Zabuza stated slowly, the words becoming lumps in his throat, "I don't have what it takes to train Naruto as if he's on the battlefield. I worry that I'll hurt him so much that he'll hate me, that I could accidently… kill him." He sighed. Kisame was going to say something, but his best friend turned to him, eyes dark and scared. "I don't want to lose him." He whispered, "Though, when he almost died, I realized too late that I wasn't training him properly. There needs to be another to train him. Ameyuri and I have too much parental worry to train him enough to draw blood. Chōjūrō is young and is inexperienced in training someone far younger than him. You are the most logical person to train Naruto. He respects and looks up to you so he'll follow any directive you give him. You are a ruthless trainer and… you'll train him like he's on the battlefield, something that I've failed to do." Kisame nodded. Zabuza looked at his hands, "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, why nine months? You said six earlier." He questioned.

He chuckled, "I doubt you'll believe me if I told you."

Kisame scoffed, crossing his arms, "Try me."

"I still don't know if it's a dream or not, but Kushimaru and Jinin appeared before me when I had gone to see Naruto. They said that they couldn't rest peacefully while Naruto and I are in a state of mourning and depression." Zabuza sighed, "They said that the reason Naruto hadn't woken up earlier was because he was in a… a traumatic coma. They'd advised that I give Naruto nine months of training so he could heal from his trauma. They told me that I was the only person who could do that for him."

The two stared into the mist for a while. Kisame smiled slightly, "Thank you, Zabuza, for allowing me the opportunity to train Naruto."

Zabuza chuckled and grinned, looking over to his best friend. However, that grin started to look sinister, his eyes starting to form a dark glint. "Kisame, we are going to go over some… rules before your departure, alright?" He smirked. Kisame sat frozen, nodding quickly. He should have known that this was going to happen.

"Are you ready?" Zabuza asked, fixing that straps on his son's traveler's backpack.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, "Yes sir!"

"I want you to behave for Kisame, alright?" He ruffled the boy's hair.

His son leaned into the touch, "I will!"

Chōjūrō bent down, hugging his friend, "Be safe."

Naruto blushed by all the attention he was getting. Kisame chuckled at this, "Alright, guys, I think that's enough." His great-grandson gave him a thankful look before trotting over to him. Ameyuri was in the kitchen, wallowing in her guilt. Naruto had given her a short lived hug before running towards the front door earlier, but she didn't give him a proper good-bye. Zabuza was still furious at her, the two barely making eye-contact. Maybe the two can sort this out when Naruto goes off the train?

Kisame grabbed the boy, getting an excited squeal out of Naruto before plopping him on his shoulders. He grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. He waved to his fellow teammates, "Well, we're off."

"I love you!" Naruto called as Kisame ducked under the doorframe, walking through the mist. Though Zabuza couldn't see directly through the mist, he followed them out through their chakra until it was gone. Probably a shunshin. He let a worried sigh out, a hollow feeling in his son. Naruto will be fine, Kisame is there in case anything goes wrong.

Yeah, nothing to worry about.

Zabuza's Rules for Taking Care of His Ball of Sunshine:

1. Give his ball of sunshine as much attention as you can.

2. His ball of sunshine loves hugs so be sure to give him lots.

3. His ball of sunshine is very energetic, so make sure that you have had some coffee earlier that day to keep up with him.

4. You may have to fight his ball of sunshine to bed, so be prepared for some constant bickering and whining that will get annoying really quick.

5. Be sure to tell me about how my little ball of sunshine is doing or you'll be skinned alive.

6. Make sure not to train his ball of sunshine directly after he eats, always wait at least thirty minutes or else he'll get sick.

7. If anything bad happens to my little ball of sunshine, you'll will know the true meaning of pain.

8. If his ball of sunshine has a nightmare, be there for him and tell him everything is going to be okay.

9. If number eight doesn't work, you'll have to stay all night in his ball of sunshine's bed.

10. Make sure to give his ball of sunshine a lot of love.

With these simple rules, Zabuza's ball of sunshine will be perfectly fine. If you don't follow these rules, you will die. It's plain and simple. Would you rather keep living or die by the hands of a worried father?

A/N- Another crappy and short chapter. I promise the next one will be longer because that's all of Naruto's training and coping with his trauma happens. Yeah, that chapter is going to make me cry… like a lot. I can't wait! I love writing emotional chapters that hurt my heart. I'll admit, it takes me a lot to write. I don't cry often but if I cry while writing an emotional part of the chapter, then I know it's good enough. Yeah, I'm rambling, but oh well. If you have any questions, head over to my He's My Son: Q&A Book. You can ask anything that pertains to this story as long as it's not asking about what happens next because I won't answer it. Well, I think that hits every part of this Author's Note, better end it. Until next time, Author-chan out!

Q&A:

#19: I don't know if this was asked before, but I know that before the idea of Zabuza, you were originally going to have Mei Temuri adopt Naruro. Why her? Why not someone Naruto's actually familiar with in the original show?

Garnet_Dagge from Wattpad.

This is an interesting question.

When I was originally plotting out the fanfiction with Mei Terumi, I had a lot of fluffy scenes everywhere. I wanted a very family-oriented fanfiction. However, those types of fanfictions are not my forte. I live to write drama and depressing scenes. I just could not for the life of me do that with Mei Terumi. I chose her because she was old enough to take care of a child like a mother and strong enough to protect him. Plus, she became the Mizukage like when Naruto became fourteen or something.

I'm really not sure why I chose to use such an unfamiliar character. It really boggles me.

Hope that answered your question!