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They got back onto their mats, except Zabuza called Haku over so Nekomi could be alone to talk with the boys. Naruto was sitting beside Nekomi and Gaara was on the other side, collapsed against Nekomi's lap.
Naruto whispered "You all passed out. Are you ok?"
"Yes." Nekomi looked at Gaara who was starting to wake up. "Gaara-chan?"
Gaara whispered, hoarsely "Kaasan, you're ok."
"Yes." Nekomi answered with a smile.
He looked up at her "Did I do it?"
"Yes, you did a great job." And she was proud. He had been able to push the demon back like she couldn't. Even though it was his mind, he had to habe been strong to do that.
Gaara looked down "Did you..."
Nekomi smiled "I meant every word I said, Gaara."
Gaara smiled. Nekomi hugged him, then reached out and hugged Naruto too. Then she let go "Now, go to sleep, my boys." Gaara looked at her. He still looked a little nervous.
Nekomi said, softly "Gaara-kun, you can sit up for a few minutes with me, you go on to sleep, Naruto-kun."
"Can't I stay up too?"
"No, now go on."
"Awww..." Naruto went on to the mat. Nekomi sat on her mat with Gaara.
Gaara said, quietly "I've been scared to go to sleep before now, I...what if something happens?"
Nekomi said "He can't take you over when you sleep anymore. You're safe."
"Promise?"
"Yes, the seal is a strong one. And besides, if something did happen, I'd take care of it."
Gaara paused, then looked back at Nekomi "What should I dream about?" He asked, seeming kind of embarassed.
Nekomi said "Think about nice things."
"Like swinging?"
"Like swinging."
"How do I dream?"
Nekomi smiled, though it was a sad one. Poor boy. She said "You just relax and think of good thoughts until you fall asleep, then you'll dream. You don't have to do anything."
"That's it?"
"Yep."
"Can I..." Gaara looked uncomfortable.
Nekomi guessed his request. She said "You can stay here with me until you fall asleep, then I'll put you on the mat, ok?" Gaara nodded. Nekomi let him put his head back in her lap and she stroked it until he fell asleep then put him back on the mat with Naruto.
She then sighed softly. Poor boy, what the both of them must have gone through. She looked up to see Zabuza looking at her. She started, then whispered "You're still awake?"
He chuckled softly "You're insane, you know that? I've never met anyone like you."
She whispered back "I probably am. Let me fix that phantom pain for you." She walked over quietly and put one hand on Zabuza's forehead and the other on his leg and closed her eyes. Zabuza did too. A few minutes later, Zabuza noticed that the pain was gone.
He whispered, surprised "But we didn't go anywhere."
Nekomi chuckled "It's like healing. You don't have to go anywhere for that. Get some sleep, Zabuza-kun."
Zabuza smiled and said "You too, Nekomi...chan."
In the morning...
Zabuza woke up to the smell of rice and fish. He stumbled into the kitchen only to find himself the last one up. "Wha..."
Nekomi chuckled at Zabuza's ruffled appearance "Ohayo, Zabuza-kun."
Zabuza asked "How am I the last one up? When it's training time, the brats all want to sleep in, but when there's food it's another story."
Nekomi teased "Ah, do you not find yourself in a similar position this morning, Zabuza-kun?"
Zabuza blushed lightly in embarassment "I...overslept. By accident."
Nekomi smiled "Did my food wake you up?"
Zabuza grumbled "Yes. The smoke from it was choking me."
Nekomi challenged "Then you came the wrong way to avoid it. I guess you don't want any of the smoky food, either."
Zabuza said "I'll still take some."
Nekomi smiled triumphantlly and gave him a bowl and they all ate.
Haku said "It's really good."
Zabuza was still thinking of last night. He called "Haku?"
"Hai?"
Zabuza tried "Uh...Haku, I'm pretty much your adopted father, right?"
"Hai," Haku answered, surprised.
Zabuza said, in a voice that was almost too low for any of them to hear "Then, could you call me toussan?"
Haku went wide eyed "Really?"
Zabuza nodded, with a faint blush. This was embarassing, but after seeing the relationship Nekomi had with the boys, he wanted that kind of relationship with Haku. Haku answered, with a smile "Hai, Zabuza...toussan?"
Zabuza smiled.
Nekomi said "Awww."
Zabuza growled "Hey, all this doesn't mean that I'm not still a tough guy!"
Nekomi smiled "I know."
"I mean it!"
"I know."
"Grrr, then quit smiling at me when I say it!"
Nekomi kept a chuckle down and put on a serious face. She said "We leave after training." Zabuza went out. Nekomi chuckled lightly.
Haku asked "Why are you laughing?"
Nekomi said "I'm not making fun of Zabuza, so don't be angry."
Haku looked confused "Then what?"
Nekomi smiled "He thinks that because he's a man, he shouldn't show his emotions; that when he does, it makes him look weak. That is what I found humorous."
"Why?"
Nekomi said "Because it takes a truly strong man to be able to show his feelings and talk about them. Being a ninja does not mean killing off your emotions. It is true that it is necessary to be in control of them, but showing that one cares is not a sign of weakness. Caring about someone is what makes you human. It gives you something to fight for and makes you strong."
Haku said "Really?"
"It is what I believe."
Haku looked up at Nekomi with teary eyes. "Zabuza-san wants me to call him toussan. I've thought of him like that since he found me a year ago, but...my real father...he..." She sniffed.
Nekomi said "Tell me about it, Haku-chan, believe me, I've heard a lot of bad things in my time. I won't judge you."
Haku sniffed. She said "My father found out that I and my mother had a kekkai genkai that involves ice and, he killed her." She hiccuped and her voice grew shaky "He tried to kill me too, but I killed him first. I didn't want to kill him! He was nice before he found out that I'm...that I'm..."
Nekomi was over to Haku and hugged her in a blink. She said "No, you are not a monster. You were defending yourself."
"But I...Zabuza-san says that I should hide my emotions..."
Nekomi said "No, he's just afraid of showing his. You're a good girl, it wasn't your fault. You can't help something you're born with."
"But I..."
Nekomi said "All you can do is do the best you can from now on, and don't be afraid to show your emotions."
"Hai..." Haku said, shyly.
Just then Zabuza came back in "Well, is anyone going to train before we go?"
Haku paused. Nekomi gave her a little push "Hai...toussan." She smiled.
Zabuza was surprised, but he let a smile show briefly "Then let's go train already.
Nekomi said "We'll go in about an hour, so just some light training." She walked outside with the boys.
About an hour later, Nekomi started gathering up her stuff and getting it sealed in the scroll.
Naruto thought this a good time to talk about what had happened yesterday with Gaara. He asked "What happened?"
"Kaasan saved me."
"From your demon?" Naruto remembered the talk they had had only a few days after they had met where he had learned that both of them had demons in them.
Gaara nodded "It wanted to hurt me, but Kaasan put it in a cage."
"Oh, so you can sleep now. So you really did go to sleep last night. I didn't know 'cause you woke up before me."
"Yeah, I can."
"What was it like?" Naruto asked, curious.
Gaara smiled "It was...good. I think I'll do it more often." Then Nekomi was done and Zabuza was ready too. The four gathered around Nekomi and dissapeared.
The five reappeared on dry brown earth overlooking hte sea. The children looked at the view in awe.
Naruto said "So this is a cliff..."
Gaara said "And that's the sea...it's big."
Naruto said "The air smells funny."
Nekomi said "That's salt air." She breahted in deep. "I've always loved salt air." She sighed in contentment, then went back to the task at hand. She checked the soil. It wasn't the best, but it could be improved. She said "Don't follow now." The group cried out as Nekomi walked off the end of the cliff.
She said "Hey, I'm just hanging off the side." They looked over. Zabuza, Haku and Gaara sweatdropped.
Naruto cried "Cool!"
Nekomi walked down the cliffside some more and memorized the area. She dropped down and took a look at it from the bottom, then climbed back up, knocking on the cliffside every few feet. She went into one cave.
Naruto was bending over the cliff edge, watching "Kaasan, where'd you go?"
Nekomi's voice came from up under them "In here." They felt the ground tremble a little. Just then Nekomi appeared beside them, making Zabuza jump.
"Don't do that!"
"Sorry. It's good and solid down there, but I will build in supports."
Zabuza interrupted "Then why did it shake?"
Nekomi said "I kicked the wall pretty hard. It's not too damp either, surprising for it being this close to water. I'm pretty sure I can work with it."
Zabuza shook his head "What now?"
Nekomi said "Now we return home. Tomorrow I send out the clones."
Zabuza said "That's another thing. Are you sending out summons or clones?"
Nekomi thought on it. She had thought about sending both, but now that she had thought about it more, clones would work better. She didn't want to ask her summons to travel over such long distances. She answered "Clones."
"How many are you going to send?"
"At least 12."
"Won't that take a lot of chakra?"
Nekomi said "Yes, it will. That's why I'm taking the rest of the day off when we get home."
Naruto said "Kaasan, you said we'd stop by that town..."
Nekomi frowned "That's right. I promised them ramen and dango.' She said "Right. I forgot, onto the town then, but...we'll have to be in disguise."
"Why?"
Nekomi said "We don't want people recognizing us. Can Haku henge?"
"I haven't taught her."
Nekomi thought "Hmm, I have necklaces for the boys...I bet no one will recognize Haku if I dress her up as a boy though."
Zabuza snorted "Haku, a boy."
Haku said "I could pretend to be a boy," quietly.
Nekomi got the necklaces out and put them over Naruto and Gaara's heads and took the clothes out for Haku and sent her behind a tree to change. Zabuza asked "Will we use codenames?"
Naruto said "We've got those already. I'm Akari."
Gaara said "I'm Banshou."
Nekomi said "Kagomi."
Zabuza said "Big change there, Nekomi."
Nekomi said "Last name's Mino. What about you two?"
Zabuza thought. He had it! He could just split up the name of a swordsman he knew. "I'll be Ken, Haku can be Shin..." When he saw Nekomi's face darken, he realized his mistake. "Shino. Haku can be Shino." Her expression lifted.
She asked "How do we know each other?"
Zabuza blushed a little "Well, you're already travelling as a family..."
"Go on."
Zabuza blushed some more "I could go as your husband." He glanced at Nekomi, who was thinking about it.
Initially she didn't like the idea, but it was just pretend, right? Nothing would come of it. "Alright."
Zabuza smiled "Then let's go there, already. I'm hungry." Haku came out from behind the tree. While Nekomi did her hair up, inner Zabuza jumped up 'Alright! She said yes! Woohoo!'
Zabuza thought 'Shut up. I don't even like her like that.'
'Just keep telling yourself that.'
Zabuza thought 'Damn this blushing' as he felt his face grow warm again. He looked away, but put his hand on Nekomi's shoulder and they left for the town.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO So, what do you think guys? R and R and let me know. Ja ne.