A/N: Wow, I'm finally decently happy with this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Nor do I make a profit on this.
Text examples:
"Hello." Biju or jinchuriki using biju's powers speaking
'Hi.' Person thinking
'Hi there.' Person speaking through mental link
'Howdy.' Biju speaking through mental link
Chapter 20: Aftermath
Kurenai watched as Anko and the two swordsmen headed into the forest. Once they were out of sight she turned to follow Naruko, who was leading the way back towards Tazuna's home. She paused though once she noticed that the Hunter had moved to follow the others.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kurenai asked seriously.
The tone Kurenai used made Haku to stop in his tracks and face the woman.
"I was following Naruko." Haku said.
"I can see that, but why?"
Haku shrugged, "It seemed like the right thing to do."
"Even though we were enemies only minutes ago?" Kurenai asked.
"The only reason we were enemies in the first place was because Zabuza and I were being paid. Now that Gato's dead we're not enemies anymore. Our fight was nothing personal." Haku said as he looked Kurenai straight in the eyes.
"What about the demon brothers?" Kurenai asked.
"What about them?"
"Well I'm thinking that since they're not here they either fled or my genin took care of them."
Haku paused for a moment at the news, but soon let out a deep breath. "They work with us for the money. Neither Zabuza nor I had any personal connection with them. If they are truly dead then so be it. It is not my place to seek vengeance for them."
Tension hung thick in the air as the two stared each other down. It was then that Kurenai let out a small laugh.
"Well said. You need that kind of mind set. You have to separate your personal feelings from your professional behavior. You're a fine ninja…" Kurenai trailed off.
"Haku. My name is Haku."
"Hmm. Haku. That's an unusual name for a girl."
Haku couldn't help but chuckle, "Well you see I'm actually a boy."
Kurenai blinked a few times before she turned a little red in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. The way you dress and act made me think that you were a woman."
Haku laughed again, "I'll actually take that as a compliment."
Once again Kurenai felt confused, but got over it as Haku began to follow the group again. Kurenai just shook her head and followed as well.
-Forest-
"So are you really Naruko's cousin?"
Arashi glanced at Anko before his attention went back to the road.
"Kind of. We know we're related but I think we're more like distant relatives than cousins." Arashi said.
"How do you know?" Anko asked curiously.
Arashi shrugged, "She summoned her dad and he bit me. He said I had the blood of an Uzumaki."
Anko let out a laugh, "That sounds like Kurama alright."
"So you've met him?" Arashi asked.
"Yeah, once or twice. He's a nice enough guy but he's damn protective of Naruko. This one time about two months ago I saw Naruko and her parents walking around the village and some asshole threw a rock at the kid. Big mistake. The old fox caught the stone and chucked it back at the asshole so hard that it broke the guy's nose. Kurama even lectured the ass about proper behave afterwards. It was hilarious to see."
Arashi chuckled, "That does sound funny."
The two fell into a comfortable silence then as they continued to follow Zabuza further into the forest. As they walked Anko made sure to study her surrounding so she could make her way back in case something happened. Arashi seemed to notice this and chuckled.
"You don't have to worry about getting lost. Zabuza will guide us back." Arashi turned his head towards Zabuza and cupped his mouth with his one hand, "Isn't that right Zabuza?" Arashi called.
The swordsman grumbled something under his breath as he continued forward.
Anko looked back and forth between the two men. "So how do you two know each other?"
"We met in a little town in the Land of Mist. Zabuza and Haku were looking for work and I was following a lead on Orochimaru. The village was attacked and we ended up working together to take out the bandits. After the battle was over we got some drinks and chatted together. I think he only put up with me because Haku told him to." Arashi said with a chuckle.
Anko smiled at the story. "Not bad gimpy. You must be pretty good with that sword to keep up with the Demon of the Mist."
"Did you just call me gimpy?" Arashi asked incredulously.
Anko smirked. "Yep and there's nothing you can do about it."
Arashi just shook his head as he followed after Zabuza. He had learned long ago that there are just some battles you cannot win. Besides if Anko was the type of person he thought she was, she only called him gimpy to get a rise out of him. He would not give her that satisfaction.
-Tazuna's Home-
Tazuna had been nervous since they left his bridge. He was very confused as to why it seemed like the Konoha ninja had joined forces with the very people who had tried to kill him just a few weeks ago. The only reason he could think of was that they were trying to lure the enemy into a trap, so it came as a surprise to him when nothing happened. Nothing at all happened. They were even sitting down and having dinner with the Hunter. He just could not wrap his head around it.
"Can you pass the soy sauce?"
It took a moment for Tazuna to register that the question was directed towards him. Tazuna turned to his left to see that it had been Naruko who had asked for the soy sauce. The bridge builder gave a slight nod before he grabbed the sauce and handed it to the red head.
"Thanks." Naruko said as she poured some of the sauce onto her food.
She then looked at the person sitting across from her, "Do you want some Haku?"
Tazuna stared intently at the bottle. He had seen how fast the red head had moved on the bridge and had no doubt that the girl could have somehow switched out the bottle of soy sauce for poison.
"Thank you." Haku said as he took the bottle.
The bridge builder held his breath as Haku poured the sauce onto his food and took a bite. A minute had almost passed before Tazuna started to breathe again. Nothing. Nothing had happened.
"Why didn't anything happen?" Tazuna thought aloud.
The whole room went quiet at his question. Many looks were exchanged before Kurenai cleared her throat.
"What are you referring to exactly?" Kurenai asked.
"I'm referring to why nothing has happened to the woman who tried to kill me." Tazuna stated solemnly.
Kurenai looked from Tazuna to Haku and back again. "If you're referring to Haku, firstly he never tried to kill you. He only ever went after me or my students. Secondly, if you had not guessed by my choice of pronouns, Haku is a man."
"Actually sensei Haku's a woman." Naruko said.
Both Haku and Kurenai turned towards the red head.
Kurenai raised an eyebrow at her student. "But he told me he was a boy."
Naruko shrugged, "And 'she' told me 'she' wants to be a girl. So I say we treat 'her' like one."
Haku had gone wide eyed. He, no she did not think Naruko was the type to reveal secrets. But now that Haku thought about it she had never told the red head not to tell others about her wish to be a woman. The ice user glanced around nervously as she realized that everyone at the table was looking at her.
"Sensei, Naruko, I think you're both mistaken. I believe Haku has always been a woman and that she just hid the fact from others. After all she looks like a regular girl to me." Hinata said honestly.
Haku was surprised by Hinata's words but she was also very grateful for them. The ice user mouthed a silent 'Thank you' towards the Hyuga.
Tazuna cleared his throat and regained everyone's attention. "Back to the point here, she may not have directly tried to kill me but she still helped that demon attack us. So I want to know why you aren't doing anything about her."
"It's simply because she is not our enemy anymore." Kurenai stated. "In the world of ninja an enemy can become a friend just as easily as a friend can become an enemy. Haku has done nothing wrong since Gato was dispatched and she shall remain with us until Zabuza returns to collect her. You can't hate her just because she was involved with Gato."
Tazuna grit his teeth but he never got a chance to speak his mind.
"Grandfather, I agree with her." Inari said.
All eyes, including Tazuna's, turned towards the boy.
"We can't hate her. It's just like hating Naruko for being a half demon. It's not right." The boy turned to look at the red head. "I'm sorry for the way I acted. I caused you a lot of problems. I'm sorry."
Naruko just grinned widely. "It's in the past. Don't worry about it."
Inari returned the smile and Tazuna was left to contemplate the words of his grandson.
-Forest-
"How much farther is this place?" Anko asked.
"Not far. It should be right up ahead." Zabuza replied.
The snake user nodded as the three continued on their way. And just as Zabuza said they reached a clearing in the woods after a few minutes. The group stopped and gazed at the mansion before them. The building was tall and lavished in reds and greens. It was clear that no expense was too great for Gato when it came to his mansion. The sight put a sour taste in Arashi's mouth. He had seen the state of the rest of the land and definitely thought that killing the man was the right choice now. While he observed the mansion he noticed movement at various points throughout the field.
"We've got company." The samurai stated.
The other two ninja nodded, they had seen the guards too. Anko glanced around quickly before she smirked.
"First one to be seen has to buy lunch for the others." The snake user said with a devilish grin before she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Huh?" Was all Arashi could get out before he noticed that Zabuza had disappeared as well. "Oh come on, I'm not even a ninja."
He knew he was outmatched in the stealth department so he figured he should take the smart route. With a grin on his face he took a seat under a tree and watched as Anko and Zabuza went to work.
Anko had taken care of six of the guards in less than three minutes and she noticed that Zabuza was making just as much progress. The feat impressed her. Not many could keep up with her when it came to assassination. Then again Zabuza was a renowned assassin. The mystery factor was Arashi. Since the little game had started she had not seen the man anywhere. She thought that he would have goofed up by now, but clearly she had underestimated him again if he could avoid even her detection.
The game went on for another five minutes. Once all the guards around the perimeter had been taken care of Anko stepped out of the shadows followed shortly by Zabuza. The two regarded each other with a respectful nod and turned to look for the third member of their group. It was then that they noticed Arashi leaning back against a tree near the edge of a forest. When they made eye contact Arashi waved and got up off the ground.
The samurai grinned as he approached, "I guess it's a tie then."
Anko looked annoyed as she stared at the young man. She grit her teeth and was about to go off on the red head when Zabuza laughed. The big man threw his head back and laughed loudly. The sight was so unusual that it quickly diffused the tension and caused the other two join in as well. Once the moment passed the three sobered as they faced the entrance.
"Alright. Let's get in there and see what we can find." Anko said as she stepped forward and threw the doors open. She had had her fill of silent killing for one day and was now in the mode to make some noise.
With the two swordsmen trailing behind her the snake user began dispatching those she came across. It was quick work for the three as they made their way through the mansion. It took them roughly three minutes to clear the entire mansion. They were not trying to be subtle so things moved more quickly than it had when they were playing their game.
"So where to know?" Arashi asked Zabuza.
The Kiri demon shrugged. He had only ever seen the mansion's first two floors. He did not know where Gato would be hiding anything. The group decided to search the mansion for anything they could find. The trio searched high and low and eventually Anko came across a hidden door in the wine cellar. She called for the others and they managed to get the door open with some less than subtle means. What lay before them was a long dark tunnel that slowly dipped deep into the earth.
"Well that's not ominous or anything." Arashi said sarcastically before he shook his head and began to walk down the tunnel.
Anko and Zabuza followed the samurai into the tunnel. After a few minutes they could no longer even see five feet in front of them. They did not try to produce any light though is case it gave them away. They relied on their training and it seemed to work well enough as they slowly moved deeper into the tunnel. They travelled so deep that they could no longer make out the way they came in nor see that it had closed behind them.
-Tazuna's home-
"It's getting late." Kurenai remarked offhandedly as she gazed out the window.
"Worried about Anko?"
Kurenai rolled her eyes and was ready to give Naruko a glare for the comment but when she turned she realized that it was not the red head who had spoken. Haku sat on the couch with a book in her hand as she looked at Kurenai with a small smile on her face. The genjutsu user shook her head slightly before she turned to look back out the window. Haku just smiled knowingly before she returned to reading her book.
Upstairs Naruko was lounging on her mat as she enjoyed the quiet. She had been combing her tails while she waited for Hinata to get out of the shower. After about half an hour the red head began to wonder why Hinata was taking so long but the thought died when she heard the door open. Hinata came into the room and closed the door behind her. Naruko was about to go great her girlfriend but stopped when she saw the red in the Hyuga's eyes.
"Come here." Naruko said warmly as she opened her arms for her blue haired princess.
Hinata did not hesitate to walk into Naruko's out stretched arms. The red head pulled her in tight and the Hyuga let out a sigh of contentment. The moment ended though when Naruko pulled Hinata down to the mats they both shared. The blue haired teen blushed slightly when she realized that she had accidentally straddled her love. Hinata breathed deeply to try and calm herself but that only succeeded pressing her chest more firmly into the red head's. Naruko giggled at the action before she tucked her head underneath Hinata's chin and nuzzled the Hyuga's neck. Hinata released a pleasant sigh as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. The red head inhaled deeply. She still loved the scent of lilacs.
After a few minutes of silence Naruko pulled away a little so she could look Hinata in the eyes.
"You were crying." Naruko said softly.
Hinata could only nod.
"Why?" The red head asked.
"I killed people today."
Naruko nodded. She understood. The first time was always the hardest. "Don't worry. It'll get easier. Before long you won't feel bad about it."
Hinata shook her head, "That's just it. I don't feel bad about it. I don't feel bad at all."
Naruko looked questioningly at her girlfriend, "So what's the matter then?"
"I killed people and I felt nothing. Shouldn't I have felt something? Anything at all?" Hinata asked as tears started to fall from her eyes once again.
Naruko finally understood what the teen meant and pulled her in close. She placed a kiss on her love's forehead.
"It's okay Hinata. You're feeling something now. That's what matters. The reason you didn't feel anything before was because they were trying to kill you. It was either you or them. And I'm really glad that it was you." Naruko said sincerely before she pulled Hinata in for a kiss.
The blue haired teen gave in quickly as the kiss deepened and she buried her hands in Naruko's red mane. Naruko moaned when Hinata accidentally pulled her hair. The sound caught both teens by surprise and they slowly parted. Both refused to make eye contact as blood rushed to their cheeks. After a long moment Naruko finally looked back at her girlfriend.
"I kind of liked it when you pulled my hair." Naruko admitted sheepishly.
Hinata took in a breath before she pulled the red head in for another kiss and this time when she pulled Naruko's hair she did it on purpose.
-Underground Tunnel-
"How the hell did this happen?" Anko asked as she dodged another large chunk of rock.
"Are you really surprised that Orochimaru had this placed trapped?" Arashi countered with a stressed tone.
"No! What I want to know is who the dumb ass that triggered it was?!"
"Well don't look at me! You were the one who had the lead before all this happened!"
Zabuza just grumbled as he sliced another boulder in half. He was getting tired of listening to the two of them argue. The group had been dodging, smashing, and slicing rocks for more than an hour as they slowly made their way deeper into the tunnel. None of them had gotten hurt, but the shear amount of projectiles that they had to deal with annoyed the hell out of them. So it was not a surprise when Anko finally snapped. The snake user had been grumbling rather verbosely for quite some time and it was clear that she had hit her breaking point when she let out an aggravated yell.
"To hell with this!" Anko shouted before she bit her finger and made several hand signs in quick succession.
When she slammed her hand to the ground a giant black serpent with a white skeletal head appeared from a puff of smoke. The serpent had four horns, which resembled the horns of a bull, on top of its head and pale white eyes. The serpent turned and regarded Anko with a small nod just before a rock shot from the wall and landed on the serpent's tale. The black creature let out a pained hiss before it dove towards the ground and started to dig a new path. The three humans quickly followed the serpent down the new tunnel. Their new route was a bit more cramped then their previous one but no one complained since they no longer had to deal with any flying rocks.
Anko let out a laugh after a while, "That actually went according to plan."
"You do realize now that you've said that something will go wrong, right?" Arashi asked with an arched eyebrow.
The brown eyed women just shrugged as she walked down the new tunnel. They continued on for some time until they reached a large underground cave that was illuminated by some kind of moss. The group took note of another opening that they guessed was where they would have come out if they had continued on down the original tunnel. Anko dismissed her summon as they walked further into the cave. Once they reached the center of the room the ground shook beneath their feet.
"Not again." Anko stated in an irked voice.
The bombardment of rock that they had experienced in the first tunnel was preluded by a similar rumbling and Anko was annoyed at the thought that they might have to deal with the flying rocks again. So she was relieved when a large creature broke out of the ground instead of more boulders crashing down on them from above.
The beast was covered in dirt and had long nasty claws. It opened and closed its mouth making a gnashing sound as its teeth scrapped together. It was truly a frightening sight.
"Is that a giant badger?" Arashi asked in a surprised tone.
Anko nodded, "I think it might be a badger demon."
Zabuza just shrugged. He did not care what it was. He was just going to cut it up regardless. The beast seemed to have been able to sense the Demon's intent because it took half a step backwards towards what the ninja had realized was a metal door in the wall.
"That's our way in." The brown eyed woman stated with a grin, the beast in front of her all but forgotten.
"Um, we still have to deal with the badger." Arashi pointed out.
Anko shrugged before she turned to Zabuza, "Want to take care of it?"
The big man responded simply by bringing his blade to bear. He walked slowly towards the beast. Each step he took seemed to release more of his power. By the time he was half way to the badger Zabuza was in such a dark state that it appeared he really was a demon. The badger stood up on its hind legs bringing the beast to its full height. It towered over Zabuza, but the swordsman showed no fear. With a roar the two charged at each other.
"Stop!"
The voice had come out of nowhere and threw both the beast and the demon off course. Zabuza turned and searched the area to see if he could find the source of the voice. It did not take him long to notice a head sticking out of the ground near the badger.
"Badge, you have to stop. They're really strong and they'll kill you if you fight them." Said the head.
Badge the badger made some quick barks and snorts.
"I know Orochimaru told us to guard this place but that's no reason to get ourselves killed."
Badge snorted and growled.
"Hey, don't be like that. We'll be fine. We could always just escape."
There were some more noises from the Badger but no one besides the head sticking out of the ground seemed to know what the noises were. Anko, Arashi, and Zabuza all just stood and watched the exchange. It was quite an interesting sight to behold. Several minutes passed as the two conversed before Anko finally shook herself out of the strange trance.
"Hey." She said to get their attention. "Can you let us in?"
The boy and the badger turned to look at each other and then back to Anko. They nodded simultaneously and the snake user smiled.
"Thanks." Anko said with a kindness that was almost on the same level as when she talked to Kurenai. She saw a bit of herself in the boy. He was clearly one of Orochimaru's experiments and she wanted to treat him well because she knew how bad a life that could be.
The boy popped out of the ground. He appeared to be no more than ten. He had white hair with black streaks in it that made him look like his badger counterpart. There were even black tattoos that stretched from his hairline to below his eyes. He also did not have anything on besides a loin cloth. He approached the metal door and pulled a number of levers in what appeared to be a particular order. He stepped away as the door opened.
"Here you go." The boy said.
Arashi raised an eyebrow, "Well that was easy." He then glanced at Anko. "This smells like a trap."
The brown eyed woman shrugged, "If it is we'll handle it."
She walked forward and regarded the boy with a nod, "So what's your name kid?"
"Anaguma. And that's Badge." The boy said as he gestured to the badger.
The badger nodded and Anko returned the gesture, "So mind showing us around?"
The boy and badger shrugged and lead the way into the new area. Anko motioned for the others to follow as she turned and walked through the entrance.
-Tazuna's Home-
Kurenai had been up all night. She had let her genin go to sleep because she knew that she would not get any herself. Anko was still missing and it worried the black haired woman. She knew that Anko could handle herself and that she was in the company of two skill swordsmen, but that still did not help the unreasonable part of her mind that said that the brown eyed woman could be hurt. Kurenai was used to the feeling however and dealt with it by keeping herself busy all night. Usually by reading and doing various things around the house. When morning finally came she assisted Tsunami with breakfast, much to the surprise of her students. They had no idea she could cook. They had just finished eating when they heard the front door open.
"Hey is anyone here?"
When Kurenai heard the voice she almost shot out of her chair but she reined in her gut reaction and stood slowly before she made her way into the living room to see Anko standing just inside the doorway. At the sight of the younger woman Kurenai let out a sigh of relief as a smile appeared on her face. She stepped forward and placed a hand on Anko's shoulder.
"What took you so long?" Kurenai questioned.
Anko was about to reply when a loud boom was heard in the distance. Kurenai glanced out a window and saw a trail of smoke in the distance. She turned back to Anko and saw that the woman had a satisfied smirk on her face. Kurenai just shook her head.
"Your doing I take it?" The black haired woman asked.
"You know it." Anko said with a large smile. She could not help it. She got a real kick out of destroying Orochimaru's property.
"Hey Anko. Where do you want this stuff?"
Kurenai looked up and saw Arashi standing behind Anko with a box tucked under his arm and Zabuza standing next to him with several more. Her eyes widened when she took in the small boy outside that seemed to be riding a giant badger. Kurenai looked curiously at Anko. The younger woman did not even need to hear the question before she answered.
"The boxes are full of research material and samples. The kid and the beastie were guarding the entrance to the lab, but the kid had enough sense to know that they couldn't beat us so he let us inside." Anko stated.
Kurenai glanced at the boy again before she turned back to Anko and nodded. She trusted the younger woman's judgment.
-The Bridge-
With everyone back together and the threat dealt with, construction on the bridge commenced once again. This time though the workers had the help of several ninja as well, making the work progress much more quickly. Hinata used her Byakugan to help guide the builders as well as spot any structural weaknesses. Shino had his insects do detail work on the bridge where the workers could not fit. Naruko added pure labor force by summoning a large number of clones. Arashi was splitting wood like there was no tomorrow. Everyone contributed in some way, even Zabuza helped by staying away from the bridge so he did not worry the builders.
A few days after the battle, Naruko approached Zabuza and Haku during her lunch break. A thought had been running through her head for some time and she wanted to make it known.
"I think you two should come back to Konoha with us." Naruko stated.
The words stunned both of the Kiri ninja and they simply looked at each other dumbfounded. After a moment Haku cleared her throat and turned to face the red head.
"Why do you say that Naruko?" Haku asked.
"I want you two to join my clan." The red head said with a large smile.
Once again the Kiri ninja were surprised the point of speechlessness. And once again Haku spoke up first.
"Naruko, I don't think that will be possible." Haku said sadly.
The red head visibly deflated at the words. She had been hopeful that the father and daughter would be willing to join her. They did not have a home of their own after all.
Zabuza placed a hand on Haku's shoulder and nodded towards Naruko, "You should go with her."
Haku just blinked a few times, "What?"
"Think about it Haku. This is a chance for you. You've never had a home before and she's offering you one. Family, friends, a constant roof over your head. It's everything I could never give you." The Kiri demon said solemnly.
Haku shook her head as tears threatened to spill down her checks, "But what about you?"
Zabuza shrugged, "I'll be fine. I'm a survivor, you know that." Zabuza then did something no one ever expected. He pulled Haku into a hug. "You're a good kid Haku and you've been like a son to me. I just want what's best for you."
Haku could not help the tears that fell from her eyes. Zabuza really cared about her and she could not be happier about that.
Naruko watched the scene with a pleasant smile on her face.
-Outside Tazuna's Home-
With the added assistance of the ninja the bridge was completed ahead of schedule. There was a party thrown at its completion and it was named the Jiyu Bridge. With their mission completed the ninja gathered their things and prepared to leave.
Konoha ninja walked outside Tazuna's home and found quite a surprise. Haku, Anaguma, Badge and Arashi were all standing outside with bags next to them. The only people who did not seem surprised by the group were Anko and Naruko. Kurenai looked over the group with a curious eye before she turned and saw the smiling faces of Anko and Naruko.
"Okay, I know that we're taking the kid back with us because he could have information on Orochimaru but why are the other two here?" Kurenai asked seriously.
Naruko smiled sheepishly, "Well you see they've agreed to join the Uzumaki clan so they're coming back with us."
Kurenai just stared for a moment before she grit her teeth, "Naruko, you can't just do things like that! We can't just invite a missing ninja and a rouge samurai back to the village just because you want them to join your clan."
"I'm not a missing ninja." Haku spoke up.
"And I'm not a rouge samurai." Arashi added.
Kurenai turned and looked at the curiously.
"I was trained by Zabuza. I have never been a Kiri ninja so I can't be a missing ninja." Haku said honestly.
"I was discharged from the Land of Iron's military when I lost my arm. I'm a ronin, and I have the right to seek out a new home should I choose to." Arashi said with a small smile.
Kurenai looked between the two before she just shook her head, "I'll let the Hokage sort this out."
Naruko let out a small cheer as she ran up and hugged her soon to be clan members. Hinata had to smile at the sight. The smile slipped though when she saw the blush on Haku's face. The Hyuga decided to have a talk with Haku later. The Hunter deserved this moment of happiness.
With their goodbyes said they set out for home.
A/N: I'm sick and don't feel like writing this part.