Disclaimer: I'm hungry, and I don't own Naruto. I don't know which is worse.
No matter how pure a person's intentions were, or how much they suffered on the behalf of others, it was surprisingly easy to have them doubt your intentions. Naruto learned that lesson very quickly while he tried to convince his fellow leaf ninja to spare Zabuza Momochi from the death he most likely deserved through words.
Iruka didn't bother contradicting Naruto throughout the entirety of the discussion, but he couldn't help but wonder what the real reasons for saving the wanted criminal's life were.
"He did what was right to him." the blonde had defended,"-and I promise you that was the first time he tried to kill me!"
Somehow, that argument wasn't very comforting. It merely added to the fraternal rage that the Umino had become the container to after seeing Naruto as ragged as he was. If it weren't for the Kyuubi, the chuunin was sure that there would be a great deal more physical scarring. People didn't get kidnapped by power-hungry missing ninja and escape unscathed, and there was no way in heaven or earth that Naruto Uzumaki would betray his village.
Kakashi seemed far more at ease with Naruto's pleas. While he at first had some reservations about Naruto's loyalty, it only made sense that he would want to keep Zabuza alive after all the hell he'd gone through to make sure everyone he could save was still breathing. Understanding this, Kakashi sided with his shortest genin through the objections of everyone else. There would be repercussions to the decision, but Naruto was going to have to face an ANBU investigation when he arrived home in Konoha anyway. It was protocol for any shinobi who went AWOL, whether Kakashi agreed with it or not.
Jiraiya was by far the most confused by this turn of events. Why would the prodigal ninja even bother to worry about a wanted criminal who had almost killed him? He seriously doubted that Minato's son had become a spy for a person who had separated him from his village until he was desperate enough to send out a message on a wild animal(or tried to kill him, for that matter). Still, the blonde had repeatedly pushed for the man's life, and in the end, Zabuza Momochi was left unconscious and sopping wet on the forest floor.
Haku's gentle voice was what brought him out of his involuntary slumber. It sounded hurt, but not nearly enough to make Zabuza care in any way. Without opening his eyes, he knew that the jinchuuriiki had escaped his grasp, and without opening his eyes, he knew that his young ward was attending to a wound he'd sustained while attempting to kill said bijuu container.
"Master Zabuza?" the familiar effeminate voice urged him to stir further, as Haku had noticed the change in the older man's breathing patterns. Zabuza groaned. The question directed at him may have been nothing more than a two-word address, but it had undertones of a different question-one that he would answer in time. For now, however, Haku would just have to settle for not knowing exactly what had gone on. The two's schedule hadn't changed, and they still needed to leave the country before a new set of ANBU found their location.
Naruto kept pace with the rest of the group as they headed for Tazuna's house after assuring the group that he could handle running. The trip was strangely silent, thanks to Kakashi's orders to hold their questions until they'd reached their destination, and Naruto couldn't help but be uneasy. He had gotten his wish to be reunited with his friends, but he felt a pang of guilt in knowing what he had put them through.
Ahead, he could see Iruka's head turn to look at him from time to time, checking to see if he was still present with them. Similarly, he could feel the pervy sage's eyes boring a hole in the back of his skull for whatever reason. On top of that, Sakura carefully avoided looking at him altogether. If he could read their minds, life would have been so much easier right then.
"Oh, Kami…my feet hurt." Sakura's voice grumbled, jerking Naruto out of his introversion. He looked to the rear of the group to find her struggling to find a foothold on a limb. Without so much as a word, Naruto took a leap backwards and offered her his hand, which she looked at in mild horror. Instead of taking it, she bounded ahead, leaving a somewhat hurt Uzumaki in her wake.
What was wrong with his hand, anyway? Naruto looked down at it to find nothing amiss, and Sasuke gave an amused expression when he sensed is rival's distress.
"What's the big deal?" Naruto asked no one in particular, bounding from tree to tree once more.
"Probably the smell, moron." Sasuke informed his semi-friend from the left, prompting a glare from his blonde companion.
"You try smelling like a flower after a month in a wet forest." he muttered, all of his guilt vanishing with the familiar Uchiha-induced annoyance crawling under his skin.
The rest of the journey to Tazuna's house went on without incident. It was nearly noon when the group arrived at the familiar building, and Naruto had never thought it would look so beautiful. The thought of having a full meal and a bath was enough to make him drool. His body, though supplied with energy by Kyuubi, was really beginning to have enough of the strain put on it.
When Tazuna's daughter opened the door, she had to admit she wasn't prepared for the crowd of six shinobi, let alone the one who was presumed dead bowing at her feet. She watched in amusement as the young ninja kissed the floorboards and then looked at her with sparkling blue eyes. When her initial shock wore off, she recognized the expression Naruto was giving her(a noverbal and infantile plea for food).
"Well, you all must be very hungry!" she chimed, extricating Naruto's starving hands from her skirt,"-I'll go prepare something in the kitchen.
"Get up, Naruto, you're making a fool of yourself." Kakashi said gruffly. His student regarded him from the floor that he was currently rolling around on happily.
"-and you're making a mess of their floor."
"Oh, er… my bad." Naruto stammered, barely having enough time to sit up before an awe-stricken voice called his name.
"NARUTO?!"
Naruto looked up to see Inari stumble down the stairs in his baggy work coveralls. The boy's eyes were brighter than he had seen them before, and his skin looked like it had seen a lot more sunlight.
"Hi, Inari!" Naruto responded casually, holding up his hand in a wave. The builder's grandson was in front of his face within seconds.
"You look terrible! Are you okay?!" Inari pressed, actually sounding his age with his excitability.
"Yeah; told you I wouldn't die." Naruto assured the younger kid, giving him a thumbs up.
"Where were you?" the black-haired child inquired.
"Lost." came Naruto's immediate reply.
"You didn't come back just because you were lost?" Inari gaped, misunderstanding the simplicity of his role model's answer. "Why didn't you ask for directions?"
Somewhere in the room, Iruka snorted with mirth.
Naruto didn't bother validating that particular question with an answer, and he knew he wouldn't hear the end of this anytime soon.
During the meal that followed, Naruto thanked Tsunami for the meal voraciously. Every other bite was marked with a chorus of praise for her cooking before he was silenced by a smack to the back of the head. Inari's mother didn't mind, though.
After lunch, Naruto recounted his life as Zabuza's hostage. He left out a few parts(it should be no mystery as to which were omitted), but the process did take some time. Every now and then, there would be a sound of disbelief or an interruption, and Naruto noticed that Iruka's face was steadily growing paler. Kakashi took notes on his testimony, which he then placed onto his summon beast's collar with a report.
Shortly after the Hatake sent Pakkun as a courier to Konoha, it was unanimously decided that Naruto was to take two baths, the first being a dip in the lake outside. As if to add insult to injury, it was also unanimously(after some hand movements from Kakashi) decided that there was to be someone watching him at any given time, as the situation required. With Zabuza still alive(people weren't too happy with him for that decision), and his loyalty still legally in question, he was't even allowed to bathe unaccompanied. When Sasuke was assigned to be Naruto's watchdog, it was unclear as to who was more unhappy with the idea.
Author's note: Two trips down, one to go! I am having quite a summer. Sorry about shortness... I...er...was mimicking Hemmingway!(o-o)
Thanks for all the praise, guys. (You know who you are)