The Psychic, The Swordsman, and The Sorcerer
Chapter 36
I don't own Naruto (Masashi Kishimoto), X-Men (Marvel Comics in association with 20th Century Fox), Zorro (Public Domain as of 1995, despite Zorro Production Inc. wishing for it to be otherwise), or Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling in association with Warner Bros. Studios). Fun Fact: In the Zorro stories, Don Diego, in order to maintain his secret identity, would hold a perfumed cloth over his mouth and nose when in the presence of those beneath his station, in order to maintain his disguise as a classist nobleman who abhorred violence or any activity that would work up a sweat. This chapter is something of an interlude before the actual dinner chapter in order to establish some things and give us Zabuza's "intimidating father" speech.
Tenten was frantically searching her closet for something elegant to wear at the dinner in Uzumaki Manor. She didn' know th owner well enough to know whether he'd care, but she wanted to make a good impression with Zabuza, so she was looking for the best choice available. It was at that moment that she found it. It was perfect for her plans. taking it off of its peg, she got ready to go.
Zabuza was looking for Sai to discuss their incoming guest, when he bumped into Naruto.
"Ah, Zabuza," the blond said cheerfully, "Looking for something?"
"Your valet," he replied, having gotten used to the blond's innocent facade enough to not bother trying to prove his theory until he had evidence, "I invited Haku's little friend over for dinner. and I wanted to let him know."
"Which one?" he asked, "Oh, and he's out for the day. I'm not sure if he's going to come to dinner, but he's on a date with Miss Kurama. I'm making dinner."
"It's that girl with the buns in her hair," Zabuza answered conversationally, "So, we're having either four or six people at the table for dinner?"
"No, three or five," the blond responded, "I've got some paperwork to deal with, so I'll be eating in the basement office."
"Alright then," he replied, "I'll be sitting in the study, so if you wind up answering the door for Haku's friend, tell her to meet me there."
"Sure," Naruto shrugged, "Consider it taken care of. Just don't make a mess while you're in there."
Upstairs, Haku was trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation. The bun-haired assassin was going to be in the Manor, her place of residence, eating a meal with Haku and her adopted father, who seemed to have formed a strange theory of them being friends. As Haku continued her plotting, however, there was a knock at the door.
"Welcome to the Uzumaki Manor," Naruto's clone grinned, "Zabuza wanted you to meet him in the study before Haku comes down. Another one will ring the bell when dinner's done."
"Okay, thank you," Tenten stated, before gesturing at her chosen accessory, "Is this alright for the occasion?"
"Of course," the blond responded, "We're pretty relaxed about these things around here."
While this going on, Sai and Yakumo entered the kitchen to find that it was bursting with movement as clones moved around, preparing food in different sections. Amidst the group, the real Naruto approached the duo, a basket that was covered with a blanket in his hand.
"It seems that either Zabuza or Haku invited a guest, so I made you a picnic basket in order for you to have peace and quiet," he explained, "I hope you both enjoy your evening."
'Thank you, sir,' Sai responded in their sign language as he took the basket and Yakumo nodded her thanks. That exchange completed, the pair of artists left the blond and his clones to their business.
In the study, Zabuza was polishing the Kubikiri Houcho as Tenten entered the study.
"Why don't you take a seat," he inquired, slowly dragging the cloth along the edge of the blade without taking his eyes off of the newcomer. To what he considered her credit, the girl, for her part, didn't flinch at the emotionless stare he was giving her.
"Yes sir," she replied, pulling out the wakizashi she'd picked out for this night in order to polish it. She wasn't sure what was going on, but, if he was going to clean the weapon she coveted, she was going to clean her wakizashi.
Zabuza had to resist the urge to chuckle at the girl's audacity. Either she was making a laughable attempt at intimidating him, or she was trying to seem less intimidated than she was. Nevertheless, he had important business with the girl, so he cut to the chase and said, "So, you're the girl that Haku's always talking about... Well, it's nice for us to have a quiet chat between the two of us."
"Yes, sir," Tenten agreed, still unsure of what exactly was going on, but deciding that politeness was the best bet. She wanted to make a good first impression, after all.
Grinning behind his bandages at his victim's obvious uncertainty, the Demon of the Mist continued, "You know, I've spent years raising Haku. Even when we were on the run and I was barely getting anything even close to steady pay as a missing nin for hire, I always took care of my kid. I even ignored a few high-paying contracts that would've been easy for me because it would've run the risk of putting Haku in danger. I even moved to this village just because I thought that Haku deserved a permanent home, a home that had stability and safety. Which is why I find it necessary for us to have this conversation. Haku thinks of you as something of a rival, after all..."
Tenten blushed at that. She knew that their relationship had progressed rather far over the past month, but she hadn't thought that Haku thought so highly of her. Mentally shaking herself, her cheeks were slightly red as she said, "I feel the same way, sir."
"Good," he nodded, putting away his polishing cloth as he once more strapped the Kubikiri Houcho across his back, "I'm glad to hear that. I just want you to know something before we're done with this little talk. Haku is my kid, even if we don't share a drop of blood between us, which is why I'm going to tell you this once. I'm arguably the greatest Swordsman that Kiri has ever produced. I know every single vulnerable point on the human body. I was a member of the Kiri Anbu and led shinobi into battle against impossible odds. I can kill dozens of men with my arms tied behind my back. In my time, I've performed 191 official missions and countless unofficial ones, and the amount I've failed to carry out can be counted on one hand. Most importantly, I'm a master of Silent Killing. If you ever break Haku's heart, they'll be spreading word about all the things that happened to you before I finally let you die as a cautionary tale about people who hurt my kid. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir," Tenten nodded. While she didn't plan on ever ending her slowly blooming relationship with Haku, the threat, coupled with the glare that had suddenly intensified was rather intimidating. As the man rose from his seat, she had a greater understanding as to why the man was known a The Demon of the Mist.
"Glad we understand one another," he said cheerfully, as if he hadn't just issued a threat with an absolute willingness to carry it out, "Now, why don't you tell me about yourself? Haku says that you're a weapons expert, and I saw your match with that boy from Sound. That was fairly impressive..."