Chapter 17: The Way in Which Baki and Zabuza Found Themselves Inducted Into Genma's Group of Friends (The Reason why the Sand Siblings and Haku Were Now Part of 'The Cult'): Things were, more or less, back to normal. Even with the hiccup that had been Team 7's first out of village mission, things were stabilizing once more. Although Genma still couldn't truly understand why the Hokage had allowed a missing nin from Mist to live in his apartment, even with the excuse of him being the man's probation officer.

..~..~..

The start of the mission had been almost disastrous. They had been attacked by the (most probably self-named) Demon Brothers. Although Genma was proud to admit that neither he nor Kakashi had to step in to fight because of the genin's quick response time.

Naruto used a jutsu Genma had never seen in action before. A 'Shadow Clone' jutsu. One of the jutsu that had been sealed inside of the scroll he and his friends had stolen a few months back... Something that he really should not be flaunting around, considering how he'd stolen from the Hokage to learn it.

With four Narutos holding the surprised mercenaries down, Sakura and Sasuke teamed up with a giant fireball that engulfed them both and burned them so well that they wouldn't be getting up any time soon.

Genma was proud to see that the kids worked well together. But he was pissed off when he heard the person they were supposed to be escorting admitting that the mission was a thousand times more dangerous than what they'd been led to believe.

The only reason they continued was because the kids believed that they could finish up successfully. If it hadn't been because Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all boasted about being ready for anything, Genma would have insisted they turn back and hand this mission off to someone better prepared for more dangerous mercenaries.

They'd left the Demon Brothers tied up to a tree for the proper authorities to arrest them when they were stumbled upon. But before they completely continued, Genma gave the kids a big speech and warning about biting off more than they could chew. He still hadn't recovered completely from his injury and even though Kakashi was strong, he wasn't invincible.

The kids had all just smiled broad back at him, assuring him that they would be fine.

~/~

Things went smoothly once more as they continued on their journey. But when things went bad, they really went to shit.

Genma had once gone against members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He had seen that large and horrifying blade wielded by another man that he wasn't sure on how to categorize when it came to terrifying. Zabuza Momochi was a fearsome foe. But the group that he and his old teammates had faced during their exam had been that as well.

But they had won. They'd managed to get Tazuna to his destination, none of the kids had died, and the mercenaries that had attacked them had given up before they had gotten killed.

That Haku kid was kind enough, Naruto insisted. Even though he'd gotten really close to murdering both Naruto and Sasuke before Sakura had been able to create an opening large enough with her fireball jutsu for her teammates to escape through.

Zabuza currently had poison running through his veins and it made him sluggish and slow, although it wouldn't kill him. With their combined forces, Genma and Kakashi had been able to stop the man from completing his mission. And unlike the last time, there were no 'hunter ninja from Mist' looking to keep Zabuza's body from falling into the wrong hands.

"What are we supposed to do with them?" Kakashi sighed as they made their way across the bridge and past the villagers that had amassed to fight off Gato.

Quite frankly, that man had been stupid to turn against Zabuza. Especially because that meant that, technically, he and the ninja from the Leaf were no longer enemies.

"He'd get killed if we leave him here, right?" Sakura asked softly, frowning softly as her eyes looked over Haku's injured form.

The boy had been insane. He had tried to save Zabuza from a blow that would have killed them both if Zabuza had not managed to push him away at the last moment and take part of the hit. If it had gone like Kakashi had planned, Zabuza would have died. But because he had managed to wrench off the dog at his shoulder at the last second, he had been able to move and take it to the arm.

With all of the injuries he had sustained during the fight, Zabuza was as defenseless as a newborn cub. And Haku wasn't any better off, seeing how he had been injured quite a bit by Gato's men while he tried to protect his master.

"He would. He's a traitor, Sakura." Genma knew that tone of hers. She was thinking up of something that she knew he would not like. And he was usually never able to tell her no. "Which means, if we don't want trouble with Mist, we should hand him over."

"But they helped us out in the end." Naruto frowned, then looked at Sasuke over Haku's shoulder to get him to agree.

Both boys were carrying the boy, much like Genma and Kakashi were balancing Zabuza's weight. Naruto, unlike Sasuke, had apparently spent some time with Haku. When that had happened, Genma wasn't sure. But the blonde was adamant about having the boy around and would undoubtedly fight for this.

(Naruto wouldn't say it, but Genma knew that this was because he identified with the boy.)

(Sometimes Genma really regretted the children being so kind.)

"They're dangerous to leave running around..." Sasuke admitted with a heavy sigh, which made both his teammates glare at him. But he didn't really react to that and instead continued, "But if they were indebted to us, they couldn't really hurt the Hidden Leaf... And aren't strong allies much better than strong enemies?"

"No." He deadpanned immediately, but Genma knew that this was already a lost battle.

Sasuke had agreed with Naruto and Sakura. When he thought something was good, it usually happened. And from the way Kakashi was looking away from him and not saying a single thing; looking very much like a kid caught with his hands in the cookie jar; it was more than evident what he thought of this whole thing.

Beside him he could hear Zabuza groan and shift just slightly, but say nothing. And Haku didn't seem like he was in any position to think about anything, much less try and talk them against this.

"This is a Swordsman of the Mist."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"He is standing in my office with his student."

"Yes, once more, sir."

"... Shiranui..."

"In my defense-"

Genma tried to defend himself. But then the Hokage raised his hand and stopped him. "No need. I am more than aware that you were outnumbered... Although... Did you at least try?"

"... I was outnumbered five to two." He was loathe to admit it, but it was the truth.

"Five?" The older male's eyebrow quirked up in question, which then made Genma gesture to the boy standing beside Zabuza in the middle of the room.

"Team 7 as a whole went against me. And Haku wanted to live. Zabuza was the only one that did not want to end up here."

"I still don't want to be here." The man grunted, arms crossing over his chest as he undoubtedly frowned behind his mask.

Haku, though, bowed with a soft smile. "We are extremely grateful for you not having killed us upon our arrival, Lord Hokage."

"I was outnumbered, sir."

The Third Hokage glared at him for a moment before sighing heavily and nodding. "Alright. But this will all be on your head, Shiranui. Now, is your apartment large enough for two more to live in it?"

Genma blinked in surprise at the question, "Why would you ask-" Then his eyes widened and he frowned. "You're not sticking these two with me!"

"I am. You have a habit of picking up strays after all. Two more wouldn't hurt."

"Lord Hokage-"

"I am sure Naruto would not mind having another brother. And who better to keep a man like Zabuza Momochi under control other than the person that saved him from getting killed by the village he betrayed?"

"Kakashi was there too." Genma tried, only to have the man wave him off and shake his head.

"It's you or these two are sent back to the home filled with those they betrayed that now want them dead."

Genma couldn't believe this... But he couldn't say no to the Hokage either. He'd never hear the end of it from Team 7.

"Come on, Haku! We can show you around the village!"

It was unsettling how well Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura got along with a boy that had tried to kill them all not even more than a month ago. How could they be such good friends with someone that had literally gotten within an inch of killing Sasuke?

The only thing that brought Genma some kind of comfort was that, even though Team 7 had accepted Haku and Zabuza much too well, the more distrustful of the kids like Shikamaru, Hanabi, Neji, and Shino had not. Ino had immediately gushed about the new boy's hair and fashion sense, Hinata had enjoyed finally having someone to speak to about flowers, and Tenten liked having a new friend around that wasn't as annoying as the rest of the males.

Chouji, Rock Lee, and Kiba, much like Team 7, had taken to Haku almost immediately. A new friend meant new pranking possibilities, after all. And from what he had heard from whispers around his apartment, the kids already had a master prank in place that would use Haku's unique gifts.

The older kids just accepted Haku's presence as something they would have to get used to. Even though Kotetsu didn't like him; if Shino didn't trust him, then Kotetsu had enough reason to doubt him; Izumo and Hana liked him. Hayate was currently away on a mission, so he could not really judge the kid. And Iwashi just accepted him as a new kid that would eventually burrow his way into Genma's heart like the rest had managed to do.

"We have already walked through the village many times, Sakura... Are you sure it is not alright that Zabuza goes with us? All he has done since we managed to come here has been stay in the apartment with Genma."

Haku was a respectful enough boy that didn't ever start any kind of conflict. Which was actually pretty interesting, seeing how Naruto was so predisposed to conflict whenever annoyed. Even though he loved them both, Naruto was known to have his tiffs with both his teammates. Although with Haku, all Naruto did was smile broadly and ask to show him his favorite places around Konoha.

Dare he think... Could Naruto possibly have a crush on the long haired boy?

Genma smirked around his senbon at the thought of the young blonde possibly having a crush on someone, but shook his head with a soft chuckle. He was getting much too domestic. These thoughts were supposed to be left for parents and annoying siblings. He was much too cool to be thinking about such things.

"Haku, go with your friends. I don't really want to go out in the village." Zabuza grunted from the windowsill farthest from the kitchen, eyes closed while his left leg dangled, right leg pulled up to his chest.

The dark haired boy frowned softly at his words, then pressed, "But you have not gone out in two weeks, Zabuza. You need to get some fresh air-"

"Get enough from this window, kid."

"And interact with people that aren't Genma or Kakashi." The boy finished without missing a beat, now completely used to getting interrupted at all times.

Zabuza grunted at his words then turned to look at him through narrowed eyes, "I'm fine, kid. Go out with your friends and have some fun."

When Genma looked up from his spot on the dinner table as he ate his breakfast, he found that Naruto, Sasuke, Haku, and Sakura were all looking over at Zabuza with worried frowns on their faces. Clearly, they all worried about Zabuza's health and his choosing to stay in a kind of self-imposed confinement within Genma's home, even though he could walk around with supervision.

Sighing softly, the man smiled over at them and stood up from his seat. "Don't worry kids, I've got this."

All of the kids looked over at him with quizzical expressions, then Sakura smiled and nodded. "Alright, Farmer man." Then she turned to the three males and motioned for them to follow her. "Let's go guys, we can try and meet up with Team 8 or 10 and have some kind of joint exercises."

Naruto looked at her with apprehension, but Sasuke soon agreed and moved to open the door. Haku looked behind and over at Zabuza, clearly hesitating because he wanted Zabuza to go out, but Sakura urging him to walk out had him leaving without saying anything.

Once they were all gone, the senbon enthusiast clinked the senbon in his mouth against his teeth, shoved his hands into his pants pockets, and walked over to the large man by his windowsill.

Honestly speaking, he didn't mind having Haku around. The rooming arrangements were simple, Naruto and Sasuke's room had enough space for another bed once their old chest was taken out, and the long haired boy didn't care for luxury as long as he had a place to sleep. Besides, he was a nice and calming presence around the household that didn't have to threaten to get Naruto to listen.

Sure, Sasuke and Naruto got along excellently. But they were brothers at this point. And the one thing brothers did better than any others was fight. They looked after one another, made sure each other was safe and sound, and helped out whenever the other needed it. But when they fought, they went at it like cats and dogs. Having Haku around made Genma know that he wouldn't have to get called in for Naruto getting into trouble every other day.

Zabuza, on the other hand, was more of a wild card. He'd taken Genma's bed because he was too big to sleep on the couch, which meant that Genma was now stuck sleeping outside of his own room. If he wanted something to change, he'd have to either move into a new apartment or ask Zabuza to share. Which he wouldn't because he wasn't suicidal.

Besides the one unfortunate occurrence that was Zabuza taking over his room, Genma couldn't complain. Even though the man was grumpy on his best days and terrifying on his worst, he didn't cause any trouble. He just stayed out of the way and didn't cause any trouble. Which made distrusting him that much harder. But trusting him less so easy at the same time.

"Yo." Genma called out to get his attention, then continued once Zabuza was looking at him. "Get dressed and eat something. Let's go to the training grounds so you can stretch your legs."

The Demon of the Mist's eyes narrowed upon hearing him speak, then he grunted, "I don't want to go out."

Genma shrugged, "Thought you'd enjoy fighting me again. Without any weapons this time, of course, seeing how your sword was taken away from you..." Then Genma sighed softly, motioning for Zabuza to move with his head, "Come on, I know you're itching to do something. This'll be a good way to blow off whatever steam you've got against me."

The mongrels wanted Zabuza to go out. Zabuza needed to get some fresh air. And Genma felt like the only true way to begin to build any relationship with this man was through sparring.

He could try and kill him... But that was highly unlikely, seeing how Haku was so enraptured with the life they were now living...

"I could kill you."

Even though the man growled this out, it had barely any venom within. Which made Genma have to suppress a smirk lest he risk angering the other man.

"I trust you to not kill me."

~/~

"You mean to tell me that Genma's newest strays are two known criminals?"

"Yup, Lord Hiashi."

Hiashi quirked an eyebrow at Kotetsu's overly upbeat answer, then turned to look at his nephew, who looked back at him with a soft frown. "And what do you two think of them?"

"I have not spent enough time around either of them to have formed a proper opinion, Lord Hiashi." Neji answered honestly, then turned to look at Kotetsu.

The spiky haired male frowned softly, crossing his arms over his chest, "That Haku kid is nice enough. And he's already friends with about half of the kids. Even though Shino doesn't really trust him. And Zabuza... Well... I can't say I could ever say something nice about a bastard like him."

It was odd to hear Kotetsu sound so serious and haunted. But it was something that didn't truly surprise Hiashi. He had come to learn a lot about this young man over the years together and hearing that he was not a fan of one of the members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist did not come as a shock to the Hyuga. Although... He had not fought in the war... And the Swordsmen of the Mist had not been around for quite some time in a complete unit, they were all disbanded... Just how did Kotetsu even know about these men enough to hate them?

With curiosity eating away at him, Hiashi decided to indulge himself. He sent Neji off for some more training with both of his cousins, then turned to Kotetsu once the boy was gone.

The young male had grown up before his eyes. From a hyperactive teenager with a slight problem with authority, Kotetsu had grown into a sturdy and strong young man.

Would this sensation of pride be the same one he felt when Neji finally hit this age? Or would it be even stronger when it came to his nephew? And how would he feel when both his daughters were strong young women, more than capable of defending themselves against all the bad in the world?

Kotetsu looked at him with unsure dark eyes, then sighed and hung his head, "One of the Swordsmen killed my cousins during the war. My parents made sure to let me know that, if ever I should see one, I should run away as fast as possible. Just the mention of any kind of sword terrified my family... My cousins were killed brutally, Lord Hiashi... What killed them... It couldn't have been human..."

Hiashi had heard of the Swordsmen's brutality on the battlefield, but had been fortunate enough to not have seen it with his own eyes. If what Kotetsu said was true, then his deceased cousins had not been afforded a swift or humane death. And it would explain just why he held so much apprehension towards the man that now stayed in Genma's home.

"You worry that the same will happen to Genma if he is not careful."

Kotetsu gave him a sad, lopsided smile, one that he never gave anyone else. The man was proud and wanted to present himself as strong and sure of himself at all times. But when alone with Hiashi, he pushed his pride to the side and allowed himself to crumble and be sad. And Hiashi did not mind being the one he turned to, seeing how it was better than Kotetsu getting himself hurt by trying to hide his pain at all times.

"How are you so good at reading people?"

Even with all of the years that had passed and all the things the male had experienced, Kotetsu could still sound like an awe-struck and amazed child. It was unfair that someone so innately pure and innocent had to deal with so much weight upon his shoulders.

"Years of practice, Kotetsu." Hiashi smiled softly at him, hoping to offer him some support without having to speak. Then he nodded at the man, "Shall we accompany the children in their training? I believe they would be more than grateful if you would teach them some forms when it comes to wielding weapons."

Kotetsu nodded soberly, a pace he barely ever adopted. So Hiashi got up from his spot knelt before the male, offered his hand, pulled Kotetsu up, then walked out of his room and towards the training area where his children waited.

He would not be surprised if Kotetsu was hurt by his parents aversion to swords... One of the greatest weapons in his arsenal, after all, was a beautifully crafted sword gifted to him by Izumo a couple of years ago. Something he had wanted for years, before tragedy had struck and his parents had been killed. Something he had received only a few days before their deaths.

When the time came for the Chunin Exams to be hosted in Konoha, Genma didn't pay too much attention to the buzz about them. He was currently busy trying to pull Zabuza into something akin to a 'friendship'- even though he would feel a thousand times better if someone else ended up putting Zabuza up and taking the weight off his shoulders. And because he was busy with this and his usual work, he didn't have much time to speculate about genin becoming chunin in the next few months.

His disinterest in the Exams quickly turned into interest, though, when the teachers of all the kids ended up signing them up compete.

In complete honesty, he wasn't prepared to see any of the kids in such a setting. He still remembered his own Exams and he didn't remember them fondly. Those memories were some he'd never forget and not for good reason. He wasn't sure if any of them were prepared for what they would find.

But when they told him, they all looked so proud and ready. Even Sakura, who still had trouble believing in her own skills, was prepared to take part in the test alongside her best idiots.

Kiba, of course, was ready to 'kick some ass and bust some heads'. Shino and Hinata were much more tame, but were still excited at the possibility of moving up in the ranks.

Shikamaru was indifferent. He'd be fine if he passed the exams, he'd be fine if he failed. Ino, though, had a fire in her eyes that gave Kiba and Naruto a run for their money. Chouji, much like Sakura, was somewhat worried but still excited.

And Team Guy was just happy that their teacher allowed them to participate this year. He hadn't allowed it last year because he thought they were still too young. But now they would be competing alongside their younger friends to pass these exams.

Because of this, Genma was worried for two reasons. The first being that he wasn't wholly sure that the kids were ready for such a torturous exam. The second, and the one that terrified him, was that they ran the risk of destroying friendships as they tried to ascend in the ranks. And no promotion was worth losing a good friend.

He would have to trust that the kids were ready for the risk that came with fighting their best friends and hope for the best. Because he refused to be the one to tell them any kind of bad news while the kids were flying high on their clouds of illusions of the future.

... The kids could do this... They could go into the Chunin Exams as great friends and walk out without anything having changed. Genma was sure of it.

Kakashi sighed heavily as Naruto continued pestering him about how Haku should be a part of the exams.

He'd explained enough times already why the boy could not be part of them. First, he did not have a team. Second, he was from the Mist and a traitor. Third, he was under probation. Fourth, he wasn't even a genin in the Hidden Leaf.

But did Naruto listen?

Of course not. The hardheaded blonde could be a complete idiot sometimes.

"Come on, Kakashi Sensei! He's got amazing abilities! It'd be a shame if he wasn't a chunin!"

Sasuke and Sakura had long since understood why it was that Haku did not qualify for the Exams. They had long ago left to go and find Ebisu, muttering about needing some tips from the man that had taken up a big chunk of Sakura's training.

Kakashi felt guilty about leaving the girl behind when it came to the strong attacks. But he soothed this guilt by reminding himself that in the poisons department, he had been able to teach her a lot more than Ebisu would ever have been able to do. Not as much as Genma, he would never fool himself into thinking he knew as much as the senbon lover. But enough to make her a true danger in the stealth and kill department.

"Naruto..." He really felt like tying the kid up and just leaving him to fate in the training grounds. But if he did that, Genma would get angry and scold him. And even though he didn't mind Genma being angry with him, it would most probably mean that he would not get free food from his friend. And free food was the best kind of food.

"Scarecrow!"

Grunting at the nickname, Kakashi passed his hand through his hair, "... Want to go and get some ramen?" Then, after a brief pause, he added, "I'll be paying."

It would be a distraction and would hopefully get Naruto's mind off of Haku for a few minutes. Minutes that would be peaceful heaven spent in blissful silence.

"Let's go, Scarecrow!"

One day as Team 7 and Haku walked down the streets of Konoha, they met up with Konohamaru and his little friends. After a brief conversation in which Sakura was left giggling at Konohamaru and Naruto's 'rivalry', they all decided to set out together and get some food. All was well, really, until Konohamaru decided to have a race no one else wanted to be a part of. Even though the older kids told him they wouldn't run and his friends tried to stop him, the honorable grandson set off on his own.

The only reason he stopped was because he was stopped. Not by his friends, but by a large road black in the very middle of his trajectory. He fell flat on his but and shouted at the rude blocker, telling whoever it was that they were complete jerks.

His tune changed suddenly when a hand grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him up into the air to face a painted purple face and dull brown eyes.

"What were you saying, squirt?"

"Put me down, you big oaf!"

"Konohamaru!" His friends shouted in surprise and fear, which made him look back at them to find them staring at him in worry.

"You know, you should be a bit more respectful of your elders." The monster with the painted face growled at him, face coming closer to glare into the young boy's face. "Now say you're sorry."

"You were in the way!" Konohamaru scowled, pursing his lips in distaste. "Do you know-"

His words were not allowed to be completed. Instead the painted person that had grabbed him began to shake him violently, all the while growling, "I told you to apologize, squirt."

"Hey! Let go of him!" Konohamaru heard Naruto shout out, then, when he looked back at his friend, found him marching up and towards them. "Why don't you mess with someone your own size?!"

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted, although Sasuke and Haku said nothing. Instead both males remained quiet as they watched the scene unravel before them, mind analyzing everything before they acted.

"The little brat ran into me and started insulting me. Why do I have to take all of his shit?" The mean painted monster growled as he looked away from Konohamaru over to Naruto, glaring over at the blonde. "If he just says sorry, I will gladly leave him alone."

"I'll never say it! You're the jerk that was standing in the middle of the street!"

"And you're the jerk that was running in the middle of a crowded street!"

Both males growled and glared at one another after this shout from the monster, sneering in one another's face. Konohamaru did not like the way this person shouted and spoke to him. It was unlike anything anyone else dared to do. The only person to ever dare stand up to him so fiercely was Naruto, but even he hadn't been such a big jerk.

"Kankuro, you're shouting at a kid. Please calm down."

It was at this point that Konohamaru noticed that there were two people standing behind the jerk that had grabbed him. One was a female with blonde hair done up in four different pony tails and the other was a male with bright red hair. The girl looked annoyed and had been the on to speak up, all the while the boy looked indifferent. The girl had her hitai-ate wrapped around her neck and the symbol on it was that of the Sand Village.

"Oh, come on, Temari, the little jerk needs to learn some mann-"

"Kankuro."

If Konohamaru had been scared before, there were no words to explain how he was feeling once the red head had spoken up. His whole body froze up and had a shudder shatter straight through it. His heart clenched and his chest tightened uncomfortably. And it was all because of the boy's cold and emotionless voice.

"Let go of the boy."

For a moment, all stood still, nobody moved. Then the boy with the painted face scoffed, rolled his eyes, and lowered Konohamaru closer to the ground. But instead of letting him down on his feet, the jerk allowed him to drop onto the floor with a surprised 'Oof'.

"Happy, Gaara?"

As Konohamaru jumped up and dusted himself off, he listened in to see if any of his friends would say anything. Maybe Sakura would call the jerk out on being a big meanie. Maybe Naruto. But it was the most surprising of them that spoke up.

"... Gaara?"

Hearing his name come from somebody that wasn't the painted jerk made the red head's face actually emote. Then he looked over at Team 7 with slightly widened eyes, only for them to widen just a tiny bit more.

"Haku? You live in the Village Hidden in the Leaves?"

The usually quiet friend of Team 7 walked forward with a soft smile on his face as he nodded, "Master Zabuza and I are now living here. It is quite the interesting story, if I could tell you the truth."

"Really? Your little guard shark truly allowed you both to come all the way here?" Gaara's face looked only marginally surprised, much like his voice didn't sound too emotional. In Konohamaru's eyes, he didn't even seem all that intrigued by what was occurring. Even though Haku did.

"Yes, he did... Would you..." Haku faltered for a moment, then smiled brightly, "Would you care to join me for lunch? We could catch up, eat a bit... It could be like old times."

Haku was completely hopeful. So much so that Konohamaru felt bad for the guy. This red head was as much a jerk as the monster that had a painted face. There was no way that he would actually agree to-

"Just you and I?" The red head asked, then narrowed his eyes as he looked at the floor. After a moment of thinking, he grunted out, "Sure. Kankuro, Temari, tell Baki I found an old friend and am going to come back to our quarters later on in the day."

The blonde girl looked at the red head uncertainly, all the while the jerk with the painted face shrugged. "Are you sure about that, Gaara? Wouldn't you want us to come along?"

"Yeah, Haku." Naruto agreed suddenly, looking over at his friend, "Don't you want some company other than a guy that we've never seen before in our lives?"

Konohamaru had never seen Haku look angry. He wasn't even sure if the guy could get angry. But from the way his eyes narrowed and his whole stance tensed, the boy guessed he wasn't pleased with his friend's words.

"I have known Gaara for long enough, Naruto. Now I will be going with my friend for lunch. Please tell Genma that I am safe, am more than aware of the rules, and will keep from getting into any kind of trouble. If any questions arise, Zabuza will be more than helpful with the answers."

With these final words, Haku motioned for the red head to follow him. And soon enough they were both walking away, leaving the Konoha natives more than a little bit confused.

"You all know Haku?" Sasuke asked both people left behind by the Sand native.

The blonde girl looked him over for a second as she contemplated her answer, then sighed and nodded, "Yeah. They've been friends for a long time now..."

"Would you mind explaining this?" The Uchiha asked, then smiled charmingly, "We'll buy lunch."

When Genma heard knocking at his door after Team 7 had informed him of Haku's odd friend, he didn't expect much. Maybe one of the kids wanted to sleep over the nights before the exams because of anxiety. Maybe one of the older kids wanted to muscle their way into his apartment for the heck of it. Hell, maybe Hatake or Namiashi just wanted some free food.

The person that appeared at his door, was someone he didn't even know.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience, but I was told that I would be able to find the last member of my team in your home." The man before him had dark skin, one eye covered by an interesting looking headdress, one visible brown eye, and unique markings on his face. He spoke politely yet with strength, which spoke to him being sure of himself. "My name is Baki and I am from Sunagakure."

"Did I just hear Baki?" Zabuza suddenly called from behind Genma, then the senbon enthusiast felt the large presence of the Demon of the Mist looming over him. "You and those runts of yours are here for the Chunin Exams, aren't they? They're about Haku's age, right?"

Zabuza had gotten much more talkative recently. He still clammed up about things that he deemed unimportant or too personal, but he didn't mind speaking as much as before. And he even offered to begin a few conversations during the early morning, when he was just a tiny bit vulnerable from early morning grogginess.

Apparently, for a time after he had found Haku, they had wound up in Suna. During their time there, they had met the Kazekage's children and Haku had befriended the man's youngest kid. Gaara, apparently.

"Zabuza?" The dark skinned man's eye widened in surprise when Zabuza appeared by the doorway, but soon composed himself and nodded at him. "It's good to see you're still alive and free. Somehow managed to avoid getting killed in Mist?"

"Yeah... Lot of good that did me..." The man murmured almost regretfully, then offered, "Haku and Gaara aren't back yet. But I'm sure Genma wouldn't mind you staying here until they decide to appear."

It was odd to hear Zabuza sounding so... Relaxed. But the only times he was ever even remotely happy were when Haku was around. And if Genma was interpreting stuff correctly, Haku having an old friend like Gaara still around must bring some type of happiness to the jaded man.

Genma looked Baki over one more time before he pushed Zabuza away from the doorway and himself, then stepped to the side and offered the man to come in. "Would you like something to drink or eat? I'm making dinner right now."

When the Chunin Exams finally came around, all of the kids were excited. And if the kids were excited, there was no word for how the older kids were feeling.

"Are you guys really going to set bets on the kids?"

Izumo was the only one that was truly flabbergasted by the betting that he was seeing take place. Especially because of all the people that were currently betting on the children.

"Hush, kid. This is completely fine. It's not money so it's not illegal. We're just trading information and favors." Tonbo smiled slyly, bandages around his eyes crinkling because of the movement. "You should be happy Anko isn't here to get in on the action. Then shit would get dangerous."

At this, his fellow partner in crime, Shimon, nodded his head sagely and added, "If she were here, we'd be talking about who dies when and how much each head would cost. And that shit is fucked up."

Izumo grunted at his elder's words, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Even though it may be fucked up, there was no doubt in his mind that the men before him would still be taking part in the betting, no matter how macabre.

In all honesty, he had expected this to happen. Seeing how Kotetsu was one of the most excitable people in the world and how proud he was of his 'little Aburame brother', Izumo completely expected him to begin betting. And Iwashi wasn't any better off, deeming Neji and Hinata the finalists that would end up going toe to toe in the final round of the Chunin Exams.

What he hadn't expected was Hayate and Hana taking part in the betting as well.

"Come on, guys, you haven't seen Sasuke and Kiba! These two are going to go the distance. Mark my words!" In a show of sudden pride in her picks, Hana smacked her hand down on the table they were sat around, all three of her dogs barking in agreement behind her.

"Sakura and Naruto." Hayate coughed out in a much more sedated manner, then just barely smirked at everyone around him, "These kids... I know what I'm saying."

The chunin around them all had their favorites. Tonbo had his eye on Shikamaru simply because of his Nara heritage. Iwashi had reason to believe that both of his Hyuga charges would be getting far. Hana was of course betting on the two she was the most attached to. Hayate's picks were somewhat odd, but understandable considering how much time he spent trying to avoid the pink haired girl. And Shimon believed that Rock Lee and Neji were going to be the ones going head to head in the end. Maen Nara, oddly enough, deemed Tenten to be one of the ones getting to the finals and another to be a member of another village.

Izumo didn't know which kid he would be voting on. He felt kind of bad that there were some that weren't even considered likely to win, like Chouji or Ino. But with the other genin being as strong as they were, Izumo wasn't all that surprised. While both kids had a good head on their shoulders, they were a bit behind on their training. They were skilled and strong... But Izumo knew they just weren't ready to win the Chunin Exams.

Although he did hope all the kids were able to pass the first two stages of the test. That way they would be able to walk out with their heads held high and say that they had done their best.

"You guys are sick." He grunted with a shake of his head as he crossed his arms over his chest, then looked to the side to find Ibiki Morino heading their way. "And I think it's about time we go."

Hana and Hayate all blinked in slight surprise as all of the chunin around them began to get up from the table, "Wait, where are you guys going?"

"With me. These are all proctors during the first phase of the examination." Ibiki answered in his gravelly, yet somehow relaxed tone.

This made Hayate's eyes narrow and he questioned, "Is there no conflict of interest? I mean, I think just about everyone here has some kind of relationship with at least one of the Hidden Leaf hopefuls."

"That's true. But I'm more than sure that my men are able to separate duty and feelings professionally." The scarred man grunted as an answer, then looked over at Kotetsu. "Isn't that right, Hagane?"

Being singled out made Izumo's best friend bristle, "Oy, why am I getting singled out?" Then he crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his nose high in the air in a show of disdain. "I may love my little brother, but if I catch him cheating, I'll kick him out! I know the damn rules, Morino."

The older of the two grunted and shook his head slightly, then motioned for everyone to follow him. "Let's go. We only have an hour to set up and make sure everything is ready. Hagane, Kamizuki, you know what your first task is."

Once Ibiki's back was turned and a good part of their colleagues had their backs turned, Kotetsu screwed his face up in a mocking gesture that made Izumo smack his shoulder. Then the more sedate of the two smiled over at the friends they were leaving behind, "We'll see you once we've finished up with our job, yeah? And, please, no more talk of betting once we come back."

Luckily for him, both chunin that weren't part of T&I smiled at him and agreed, "No more betting. Promise. See you two later."

With this assurance, Izumo thanked his friends and wrapped an arm around Kotetsu's shoulder to drag him along. Instead of fighting him off, his friend just wrapped his arm around Izumo's waist and smiled at him, "Think we'll be able to fool them with the genjutsu?"

The day that the exams started, Genma was not able to accompany the kids to the first stage. They had wanted him to go with them. But because most of T&I was taking care of the first stage, someone needed to stay behind. And seeing how he was the person with the biggest amount of connection with the children, he couldn't truly be a proctor.

Along with him, Baki and Zabuza decided to tag along. Haku had been left to accompany his friends to and from the Chunin Exams as moral support.

It was odd, if he was telling the truth, to allow two outsiders to come into the T&I department while he worked simply because he had nothing better to do. But they were harmless enough and Genma's job that day was just to make sure that the rookies left to the paper work didn't mess anything up. There weren't any dangerous documents they could get their hands onto. So there was no true danger. Besides, they wouldn't be anywhere near any of the prisoners. Everything would be okay.

"You have quite the colorful assortment of children, Shiranui-san... Just how did you come about taking care of so many different kids?" Baki asked conversationally as they walked through the front doors of the building designed to make civilians think this was the true location of T&I.

Humming in though, Genma asked, "I haven't told you that story, have I, Zabuza?"

"No." The man replied bluntly. "You fill my head with a lot of different stories but have forgotten to tell me about one of the most interesting ones."

His rather crude words made Genma smile softly, then he shrugged, "Well then, good thing we've got a day to ourselves."

So he spent the rest of his day answering a lot of Zabuza and Baki's questions, asking his own whenever he deemed it necessary.

~/~

When the three men returned to Genma's apartment, it was to find all of the teams waiting for them. Not only the ones from Konoha. The three genin under Baki's tutelage were there as well, along with Haku.

"We all passed the first stage, Farmer man!" Genma heard Kiba shout as soon as he had entered through his door, then found himself being tackled into a hug by a broadly grinning Naruto.

"We're all going to the second stage!" Naruto cried out in glee, which made Genma smile as he patted his head softly.

"That's good to know, kids." Then he glanced over the three that Baki taught, sizing them all up, "You three too?"

The red head known as Gaara grunted with a nod, only for his older brother to answer, "Yeah. But don't worry, we'll wipe the floor with these Konoha weaklings in the second stage."

"No way, Drag Queen!" Kiba growled in anger, "We'll show you!"

"Please, Dog Breath." The blonde girl rolled her eyes with a smirk on her lips, "Heel, boy. Don't get any slobber on me."

"Seriously, Kiba, calm down. We don't even know what's going to happen next. We may not even be fighting them." Ino shook her head at the Inuzuka's theatrics, then smiled sweetly at Genma, "Bear passed by for a few seconds but then had to leave. He asked us to tell you that the Hokage wishes to speak with you and Zabuza as quickly as possible."

It was odd that Bear was now back to being on the Hokage guard platoon. But after what his kids had done, he couldn't blame the government officials for taking a few precautions. What they had done proved that there needed to be more security around the Hokage if they didn't want anything bad happening to the man.

"Sure thing... Uh..." Genma hesitated for a moment, then breathed out and looked at Baki, "Would you mind?"

The man looked at him for a moment as he thought, then shrugged, "I wouldn't mind making them some dinner. Kankuro, come and help me."

Out of all his kids, Genma would have thought Temari would be the one to know how to cook. But he had been known to be wrong before.

"But-"

"Come on, Kankuro, I don't mind helping either." Chouji smiled kindly over at the paint covered boy, then at his teacher, "Would you...?"

The question was left in the air. But Baki quickly answered.

"Sure thing, kid. You know this place better than I do. Now you kids need to relax and get prepared for the second stage." Baki grunted, quickly taking control of the situation.

Genma smiled softly at the childish groans that came from some of the kids, then motioned for Zabuza. "Let's get going."

The man nodded and walked out and Genma was soon to follow, although he stopped right before he finished closing the door. "Baki, if some chunin decide to barge in here, they're allowed to. They don't bite and are basically harmless, but if they start annoying you, just sic Kiba, Ino, and Tenten on them. They'll quickly calm down."

The man gave him a strange look, as if unsure of how to take his words, but soon nodded. And with this assurance Genma smiled and closed the door behind him, then led Zabuza all the way towards the Hokage's office.

..~..~..

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Zabuza and Baki are now part of Genma's friends, no matter what Genma may say. He likes Zabuza, he really does. He just refuses to admit it. Don't forget to review!