Haku was fairly sure that the three Konoha Genin thought that he hadn't noticed them. They had approached, observed, and disappeared in a somewhat-regular pattern for a few hours now, never getting quite close enough in the right direction for Haku to actually see them.

"Soo, what's your name, 'ttebayo?"

Haku did not startle, though he also had absolutely no idea how the blonde had gotten so close. "…My name is Haku. Yours?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo!" Naruto grinned. "And we have a proposition for you!"

"What?"

"Are you interested in becoming an honorary member of Team Dadless?"

Haku blinked, turning to face the pinkette of the Genin team. "I-I beg your pardon? Dadless?"

The pinkette grinned. "Yeah! You're really kind to these kids and it's really admirable! Oh, um… Sakura Haruno, by the way! Feminine."

Naruto nodded excitedly. "Yep! And you're really cool with all your medicine knowledge! Masculine for me and Sasuke!"

Who is-

"You clearly don't have a father or parents if you're this kind," a new voice interrupted Haku's train of thought, and he quickly placed it to the third Genin, who continued speaking; "and honestly? Neither do we."

What kind of jump in logic is that!? "I do have someone to call a father." Well, technically. Zabuza would never admit it, and Haku definitely wouldn't, not out loud. Oops.

"But not your actual father?" Sakura clarified.

"I- no?"

"Close enough, 'ttebayo!"

Kakashi blinked, staring at the now-unmasked hunter-nin. That was sitting on Tazuna's porch. "Maa, what did you three do?"

"Found an honorary member for Team Dadless!" Naruto announced proudly.

Oh hell. "Well, I suppose it is nice to properly meet you, hunter-nin-san."

The hunter-nin smiled pleasantly. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Oh, so THAT'S why you seemed familiar!" Naruto grinned and What? What had Naruto picked up on that was familiar?

The only reason Kakashi had noticed was the hunter-nin's extremely cold chakra signature.

And Kushina had been a powerful sensor, even if she rarely used said ability for anything other than pranking.

Of course.

Haku headed for the door, but found it blocked by the Copy-nin. "Excuse me, Copy-nin-san. I must be going back."

"Maa, I cannot, in good conscience, let a civilian go home alone when it is so late out. Tazuna-san has offered to let you stay the night."

Haku stared at the Copy-nin. He knew full well that the Copy-nin knew full well that he knew full well that the Copy-nin knew that he wasn't a civilian.

Haku also wasn't particularly inclined to cause a scene. "I see. Thank you."

Zabuza forced himself to his feet, past the buzzing that was the recovery from his false death. Haku had been gone far too long.

Something was wrong.

But Zabuza wasn't nearly stupid enough to go after Haku as he was now.

Fucking Gato. At the very least the idiotic civilian man would have food to snatch.

Inari charged onto the half-finished bridge, out of breath. "THEY- THEY TOOK KAA-SAN!"

Everyone's heads- including Haku, who was tied up in Chakra Chains- snapped over to the boy.

"Team…" Kakashi sighed. "Dadless, stay here. I'm taking care of this."

Sakura glanced sideways at Sasuke and Naruto as Kakashi disappeared into the trees. "We're not leaving him, are we?"

"No." Naruto made five Shadow Clones, Chakra Chains pulling Haku in close. "Guard the bridge, 'ttebayo!"

"Right, Boss!"

"How are you planning on tracking him, exactly?" Tazuna asked, tense.

"Chakra sensing," Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he ran past. "Naruto."

"Already on it!"

Sakura followed the two, already dreading what they might find.

Kakashi very carefully did not look back at the three Genin that had followed him, prisoner in tow.

Actually… "Maa, it seems we each have a hostage, Gato. Why not a trade?"

Gato laughed, Zabuza even more tense than before when he caught sight of Haku. "Now why would I do that, Shinobi? I certainly don't want that one back."

Kakashi's eye narrowed at the conman, already on guard with Zabuza's earlier declaration of anger at Haku's… disappearance.

And a sword burst out from Zabuza's chest.

Naruto froze at the suddenly not just chakra-exhausted but impaled figure of Haku's father-figure.

Haku had also gone stock-still, even as the temperature of the clearing plummeted.

Naruto silently agreed with Kira. This was Not Good.

Naruto let his chakra chains fizzle out, leaving Haku unrestrained.

Sakura blinked. Oh. Gato was so dead. So. Eternally. Dead. She had not missed how much Haku admired Zabuza. She had not missed how much Haku cared for Zabuza, nor how, from what Haku had said, Zabuza cared in turn.

She had not missed any of it.

Sasuke shifted his feet to keep them from getting trapped by the ice creeping over the ground.

Wait.

What?

Ice?