When Naruto arrived at the bridge Sasuke and Sakura were still waiting for a chronically late Kakashi. After having his life irrevocably changed within a day it honestly felt good to have something go as routine. Sasuke gave the usual grunt at his arrival while Sakura looked unsure how to greet him. Naruto, for his part, wondered if he was supposed to tell his teammates he was now married. The blonde genin simply sat down to get some rest after an emotionally charged morning.

"Naruto," Sakura began after they all settled in. "I'm sorry about what happened to Haku. It seems like she would have been a sweet person and an amazing friend in another world but some things aren't meant to be. Haku probably did some bad things as a missing-nin. Yeah, she did it for the man who saved her from the streets but she tried to assassinate Tazuna."

Naruto clung onto the memory of Haku stating missions like Wave were rare for them. He knew that meant she had assassinated innocents at least once but if she couldn't be saved, could he? Could anyone? Would Konoha have taken the mission from Gato for the right price? There had to be a better way.

"Don't worry about it. It all worked out." Naruto managed to give his trademark grin.

"Really?" Sakura smiled at his words. "What happened to Haku? I thought she was going to be deported back to Kirigakure."

Naruto kept his wide smile plastered on his face. "She was never a ninja of Kirigakure so there was no obligation to send her there. The only reason she was arrested was just suspicion."

"Oh," Sakura was visibly relieved. "So what's her ultimate fate?"

Naruto had to keep himself from fidgeting. "She got married."

Sakura took a step back in shock. Sasuke just scoffed.

"So they made her a breeding mare." Sasuke shook his head darkly. "I suspected that would be her fate given her Kekkei Genkai. It's what would have happened to Hinata had Iwagakure successfully kidnapped her. Zabuza would have sold me to one of the Hidden Villages had he captured me."

"What's her husband like?" Sakura was on edge, prepared for bad news.

"A thirty-something-year-old who views her as a spoil of war," Sasuke sardonically remarked.

"Her husband is around her age."

"You met him, dope?"

"I was at the wedding," Naruto said vaguely.

"The wedding already happened?!" Sakura looked scandalized to hear this given her love of romance. "I thought she was just engaged with the ceremony to happen shortly."

"I said she got married," Naruto reiterated.

"I thought it was just a usual case of you conflating things."

Naruto looked away petulantly at her words. He didn't want to continue on this subject matter anyways. Sakura did seem apologetic to insult him so soon after trying to be supportive.

"The ceremony was likely planned before any of us even stepped foot in Konoha," Sasuke reasoned. "The boy was likely a third or fourth son or maybe even a close cousin of a clan head. That way the clan gets access to what was historically a treasured Kekkei Genkai of Kiri."

"Did she at least seem happy at her wedding?" Sakura sat beside him.

Naruto thought back to their wedding day, yesterday. Haku had seemed determined to hold herself proud. She smiled at him but he couldn't be sure if that was real and if it was then it was probably gratitude for rescuing her cell.

"It looked like she was in it. She didn't look miserable or scared if that's what you were talking about."

Sakura hummed in response. The trio sat in silence knowing they had at least twenty minutes before Kakashi would arrive.

Sakura broke the silence by sighing.

"I'm making this offer purely as a friend. Do you want to go to Ichiraku ramen later? I'll cover as much as you want. You're a good boy Naruto. I'm sorry for what happened to Haku and want to help you recover from this. Even if she has a considerate husband her age it must have been hard to see her handed off to someone else that way."

Naruto wondered if it was okay to spend time with other girls like that, especially one he had been trying to date not even a month ago. Naruto would get mad if Sasuke and Haku started hanging out by themselves. It was better to play it safe and turn this down for now since he was going to Ichirakus with Haku and Jiji later.

"Jiji is taking me to get some Ramen later." Naruto obviously omitted the presence of his newly-wed wife.

"Good. He could actually afford to treat you." Even Sasuke chuckled a little at that.

"Don't overestimate the Hokage's salary."

Even after all this time they still startled at Kakashi's inexplicable appearance.

"YOUR LATE!"

"YOUR LATE!"

Naruto and Sakura were of one mind as they screamed at him. They were clearly mad and not afraid to show it unlike Sasuke who was mad and tried to pretend like he didn't care.

"Sorry I was just doing my duties as Teacher last night. That sometimes means showing kids around the road of life." Kakashi winked at Naruto with his concealed eye.

The blonde genin shrinked at that reminder while Sakura just huffed. Sasuke eyed Naruto suspiciously.

"We'll be advancing onto water-walking today. Sakura will explain what it is to you, Naruto." Sakura looked annoyed at that but did but prepared herself to explain.

"You remember tree-walking." Naruto nodded. "Water-walking can be seen as the next step. It's as the name suggests, when you use chakra to be able to walk and stand on water. It required a greater degree of chakra control since water is a fluid while the tree is a solid, that means volume and area of the surface of water is easily subject to change. This is especially true in cases where the body of water is in constant motion like a river or the ocean."

"Cool," Naruto's eyes lit up. "It's great to see you're finally taking your job as a sensei seriously."

"Sensei none of us have any swimsuits on us? Should we go home and change?" Sakura seemed ready to leave and do just that.

"No." Kakashi ignored Sakura's immediate indignation. "Sometimes on a mission you aren't prepared and have to make due. Professional shinobi never change their wardrobe when crossing water because they don't expect to get wet. Also your ninja gear is supposed to be all purpose so let this teach you a lesson."

After that they quickly settled into training. The nearest body of water was right below them so Kakashi deemed it suitable since it wasn't running water. Naruto and Sakura just accused him of being too lazy to find or make a pond.

Sakura managed to grasp the technique immediately but struggled to remain in the water for prolonged periods of time. Naruto and Sasuke were immediately drench on their first attempt and kept getting drench despite their best efforts. Kakashi immediately set Sakura to work with some basic katas on the water to test her stamina and after some time passed Sakura finally fell through.

"It's a good thing my clothes are red." Sakura covered her chest regardless with a red face. She managed to climb back onto the surface of the water with some effort.

Naruto and Sasuke climbed back onto the nearest steps after another unsuccessful attempt at water-walking. Naruto was clearly frustrated while Sasuke stopped trying to hide his.

"Why isn't this river running?" Naruto did appreciate not being swept away but was still curious.

"It was stopped due to the decision that having a running river in the village is a security risk and a safety risk for civilians. Similar to why every tree within a mile of the village walls was cut down." Sakura steadied herself on the water.

Naruto growled as he felt his clothes start to slip with all the water on them. He started to take them off before Sakura started screaming.

"I don't want to see you in your boxers, Naruto!"

"They probably match his wallet," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto blushed a deep red and tied his pants tighter so Sasuke wouldn't discover he was right.

"Alright," Kakashi closed his book. "I've been amused enough for one afternoon. You can all have a one hour break. I would have a small meal to avoid water cramps and change into swimsuits like Sakura suggested."

"You just wanted to see us get drenched." Sakura walked off without hearing Kakshi's confirmation.

"Naruto, be sure to pick up your pretty wife from the Hokage's Tower." Kakashi flipped through his book.

"What!?" Sakura froze and appeared by Naruto's side in an instant. Even Sasuke soon joined her.

"Yeah," Naruto trailed off. "I married Haku, bye!" Naruto ran off without another word. Or tried to anyway before Sakura grabbed his collar.

"So the reason you were at her wedding is because you were marrying her?"

"You should have been there," Kakashi gave a convincing sigh. "Naruto and Haku looked so cute together."

"Why the dope," Sasuke pointed to Naruto. "He's a clanless orphan with nothing to his name."

"Naruto isn't clanless. I would hope your education was remiss to neglect the Uzumaki clan."

"They're long dead with their village and what few surviving members there were scattered to the wind. Is Naruto even a confirmed member of that clan?" Sakura gave the blonde a dubious look.

"Wait, I have a clan?" Naruto looked at Sakura hoping for her to elaborate more.

"Another time," Kakashi said. "Are you really going to leave your pretty little wife waiting at the Hokage's tower?"

"Are you two living together?" Sakura was scandalized at the very thought. She held in a silent shriek when Naruto's silence answered her question.

"Did you even know what to do on your wedding night," Sasuke smirked at him.

"I need to go get Haku, bastard." Naruto rushed off.

"Really, Naruto?" He heard Sakura incredulously asking Kakashi before her voice faded.

His sense of direction might not have been the sharpest of his peers but after years of visits he could hone in on the tower with ease. He wondered if Haku was approved to use chakra yet and if she could teach him water walking. He wondered if she knew anything about his supposedly dead clan. In his rush he nearly ran into team Kurenai.

"Sorry guys," Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I just had something to do here."

"You almost stepped on Akamaru if it wasn't for Hinata." Kiba clearly wasn't pleased. The Inuzuka prized their dogs and treated them like comrades.

"Please forgive him Kiba," Hinata softly insisted. The Hyuga heiress's shyness concealed her elegant martial prowess. Her deft moves redirected him from trembling over Akamaru without tripping him.

"Naruto likely does have reason to be lost in thoughts. He just returned from a long mission." Shino's tone was carefully neutral as always and the lower portion of his face was hidden under his collar with his eyes under sunglasses.

"You three shouldn't make assumptions about your comrades from rumors. Thousands of rumors fly around about what ninjas did during missions and not all of them are true," The team leader Kurenai scolded him.

"What exactly are you doing here, Naruto?" Hinata avoided his gaze while she pressed her fingers together.

"Oh, just here to meet somebody," He said nervously.

"The Hokage again," Kiba assumed. "How Lord Third took such a liking to you when no one else can stand you I'll never know."

"Hey now," A sultry voice called out. "Little Naru is quite the cutie. And do you really want to insult him in front of his wife? Don't fall for appearances."

A woman in a long trench coat over a body suit made of mesh under a skirt strolled towards them with her arm around Haku's shoulder.

"Hey Kurenai," Anko gave a little wave.

"Anko," Kurenai regarded her.

"Well here you go Naruto," Anko left Haku in front of her husband before departing back inside the tower.

Haku looked tired. Naruto had left her at the tower this morning and from her expression one would think it the end of the day instead of the afternoon. She still managed a smile that Naruto couldn't help but be charmed by.

"Naruto," Haku greeted him with a slight bow of the head.

"Who's this cutie? And what is she doing with Naruto?" Kiba gave her a smile.

"I'm a friend of Naruto's," Haku said in her soft voice.

"Really how did Naruto end up with such a cute girl like you?" Kiba gave Naruto a suspicious look.

Maybe it was the inevitability of the news getting out, maybe it was Haku's irresistible face made even more enticing by her fatigue, maybe Kiba just pissed him off. Naruto walked next to Haku and held her hand like he saw heroes do in romance films.

Naruto looked Kiba in the eye defiantly. "She's my wife."

Kiba broke out into laughter so strong he nearly collapsed. Shino raised an eyebrow visible above his sunglasses. Hinata's jaw dropped and she looked oddly devastated.

"Damn it," Kiba laughter subsided as he struggled to breathe. He looked at Haku. "You're a nice person for letting him embarrass you like that, any other girl would have slapped him."

"He is my husband and I would appreciate it if you didn't insult him." Haku turned to Naruto who was red in the face and struggling to avoid throwing a tantrum in front of his wife. "I'm ready to return home, I don't want to keep you anymore."

"How much are you paying her, Naruto?"

"Kiba you shouldn't insult a missing-nin with Ice Release." She rested a hand on her hip as she gave him a disapproving look.

"You too Kurenai?" Kiba gave his sensei a puzzled look.

"Her explanation is accurate Kiba," Shino adjusted his glasses. "Apologies, my insects smelled something odd about your chakra source. The affinity was like nothing they ever tasted, a few scouts froze upon contact with you."

"Hey!" Naruto pointed at Shino. "Don't cover Haku with your creep bugs!" Haku nudged Naruto back.

"It's fine Naruto," She still had the same serene smile on her face. She pulled up her sleeves to reveal a few specks the eye could miss or mistake as dirt. "I knew his scouts wouldn't be a threat. Ice kills insects." The specks were motionless as Haku swept them off.

"If you're a missing-nin with some kind of unique chakra type then it would make even less sense for you to be with this guy." Kiba's thumb pointed at Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto encountered Yuki Haku on a mission and brought her back to Konoha. Conditions for her new life in the village included her marriage to him," Kurenai explained since the duo tacitly gave consent.

"I've heard of that happening before," Hinata whispered. She looked white as a sheet and more downcast than Naruto could ever remember seeing her before. Kurenai leaned in on her with her arms wrapped around her.

"You knew about my wedding." Naruto looked at Kurenai uneasily. He imagines Hinata probably finds the thoughts of marrying so young and a missing-nin scandalous since she was a rich clan heir.

"Every Jonin in Konoha has heard about it by now," Kurenai didn't take her focus off her. "I hope you treat your wife well." She took a catatonic Hinata into the tower.

"Your wife seems to be as much of a unique character as you." Shino gave them both a nod before following.

Kiba gawked at them. "Marrying this dope, must have been your punishment, huh?"

Haku's smile became as icy as her heritage. Kiba took a step back and even Naruto had to resist the urge.

"I was a student of Zabuza Momoichi. One of the seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He was feared for his instant assisination techniques, ninja would fall over before they even realized they were dead." She took a few steps forward. "I have Anbu minders and routine check-ins at the Hokage tower. I'm a dangerous individual, I caution you to keep your distance."

Naruto grabbed Haku's hand and ran. The girl allowed the boy to lead her away from the shaking Inuzuka.

"That was just like when Zabuza scared us all stiff back when we first met him," Naruto huffed as they ran.

"I was his student," Haku reiterated.

"Yeah but," Naruto frowned. "I don't want you getting in trouble over Kiba. Please don't do that sort of thing again. I'll clean that mutt's face if he does that."

"I don't mind getting in trouble defending you," Haku said.

"I mind," Naruto countered. "Kiba won't snitch on us and I doubt you'll get in trouble. If you do, I'll claim I made you do it."

"Why are you wet?"

Naruto's clothes were damp. He removed his jacket and tried with his pants before Sakura screamed at him. The sun was still at its zenith and Naruto's activity managed to shake some of the water off. He still pledged to change into his swim shorts when he returned home.

"We were doing water walking training."

"Oh," Haku tilted her head and placed her hand on his face in a motherly position. "I've already mastered the fundamentals of water-walking. If I get cleared for Chakra use soon I would be happy to help you, husband."

Naruto's face flushed at the word husband. "Do you know when you're getting approved?"

"I didn't dare ask but it's likely to be a few weeks. They wouldn't give a former missing-nin that kind of permission after less than a day of our marriage."

"We should probably get home," Naruto stated. "I need to drop you off and get my swim shorts. Maybe you could explore Konoha while I'm gone?"

"I don't think it's wise for me to go anywhere without you as my aid," Haku informed him. "Too much could go wrong and I'd probably be accused of spying immediately."

"After my training ends later today, jiji is going to take us out for ramen."

"At that ramen stand you raved about on the way home?" It frequently came up on their way back about why Konoha was the greatest.

"Yeah it's great. Ichiraku makes the greatest food on the planet." Naruto gave her an easy smile at being reminded of one of his favorite places.

"The Third Lord of Konoha was your defacto guardian, wasn't he?" It was obvious in light of his revelation as Jinchuuriki.

"Yeah, jiji was the best." Naruto could feel his smile was a little forced.

"Here we go," A new voice broke in. Naruto and Haku could feel their hands being taken and led away. It was Kakashi taking them in a direction that certainly wasn't his house.

"Sensei," Naruto looked at Haku. Despite the fact she was in the same position, or maybe because of it, he still looked away red-faced. He could see Haku smile in his peripheral vision.

"I decided to tail you. I know your wife is a pretty little thing but you are running out of break time. I also decided to move our second phase of training to the streams." Naruto tried to take his hand away but it didn't budge in Kakashi's iron grip.

"Also," he continued. "I decided to treat you two since I heard Lord Third was. Iruka will be joining us for a quick lunch. I don't want you suffocating Haku with nothing but ramen," Kakashi explained.

Naruto avoided looking at Haku but he could swear he almost heard her giggle.

Naruto did eventually figure out where they were being led to. It was the same familiar path he walked for years in hopes of being a shinobi. It was the Academy.

Iruka was waiting for them inside the vacated classrooms with four bento boxes on the desk.

"Welcome Naruto, welcome Haku." Iruka clearly was prepared, he probably planned the whole thing. "I'm glad you two could make it for lunch."

"I didn't know it was happening until Kakashi-sensei dragged us away." Naruto glared at Kakashi while Haku covered her mouth with a hand. Kakashi just stood there holding there hands like he was their father.

He let go and took a seat at the end of the four desks they set aside. Iruka took the other end leaving Naruto and Haku sitting together in the middle.

"So this is where my husband went to class?" It was obvious given the sign and his familiarity with the place.

"Yeah it is," Iruka gave a nostalgic sigh. "He was one of our most energetic students."

"Really?"

Naruto never imagined he would be embarrassed by his pranks, his targets would be. He was the student that failed every test and laughed about it. He was the class clown who was so gungho on being a ninja he took the graduation exam early but still failed it. He had more imagination than actual ambition.

Now, his poor study habits and mischief was coming back to haunt him.

"Oh, we should just eat," Naruto tried to sound casual. "I have to train again in an hour." He looked to Kakashi hoping for support.

"I set the time, and we have more than enough of it." Kakashi's single eye smiled.

Naruto tried to stuff his mouth with as much food as possible. When Iruka began with tales of all his pranks, his grades, and attempts to be popular he forced himself to laugh between bites. He could feel the teasing glint in Haku's eyes, and he could feel her respect for him as a husband evaporate as she probably started looking at him like a rambunctious little brother.

Iruka thankfully left out the ostracization, and loneliness he had gone through by his classmates. Naruto thought it was over until Kakashi started talking. Haku nearly laughed out loud multiple times when he brought up his blunders on his early missions. The seal broke when he mentioned the Konohamaru corps.

"The Third Lord's grandson sees you as his boss?" Haku's smile was a splitting grin.

"Recently he is trying to surpass his master. They pulled his pants down shortly before we left Konoha."

That was it. For the first time he heard Haku openly laugh. He imagined it was the first time in years she had done that as well. His face was burning in his hands but he looked at her worried when she didn't breathe for a while. She noticed his worried glance and held a placating hand up. She only stopped laughing when she ran out of breath and took several moments to catch it.

Naruto glared at both of his teachers who only gave him pleasant smiles in return.

"When were you going to introduce me to your pupils?" Haku said with labored breath.

"Well lunch is done, let's go." He took Haku by the hand and led her out.

"I'll be sure to tell the Konohamaru corps about the lunch you two have with the Third Lord. Don't worry Haku, I'm sure they'll be there."

Naruto, for the first time in his life, wasn't sure if he wanted to go to Ichirakus later.