There were a lot of things that I never thought I would ever find myself doing—applying make-up to Haku's face was just that. According to another response that we had received from the Sandaime in Konoha, Haku was to pass off as female upon entering Konoha, with Zabuza going under a similar process in the form of a disguise. Haku passing off as female shouldn't be too hard, and the make-up was mostly for aesthetic, which Haku just wanted to wear.
Zabuza, on the other hand, was a little annoyed that he had to remove his bandages off his face and use a small transformation technique to hide his jagged teeth. He also had to store his sword into a sealing scroll, since the Kubikiribōchō was a huge giveaway to his identity. It is rather hard to ignore that Zabuza is one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Tomorrow is the day we leave Wave and right now, we are just preparing Haku and Zabuza for their identification pictures for when we arrive at Konoha. Even though they're allowed into the village, they still have to keep quiet on their presence because Zabuza still has a bounty in the bingo books. Haku is…mostly safe, for the most part, since one thing Zabuza had managed to do with Haku was keep the boy's existence under wraps. Considering the prejudices that existed in Kirigakure in regards to those with kekkei genkai and the bloodline purges that have occurred...it was probably for the best for Haku.
Haku was never officially registered under Kirigakure's ninja registry, which was the usual standard, as shown with other Genin from both that village and other hidden villages. Through technicalities, Haku, despite being quite skilled, has no rank whatsoever. In fact, the hitai-ate on his forehead was mostly to show his affiliation with Zabuza.
Going through that logic, Haku wasn't in need of asking permission to switch villages, as he never had anything officially tying him down to Kirigakure. However—what was keeping that from happening is the fact that, legally, Haku was considered a civilian and, therefore, still considered a child through civilian standards, which puts Zabuza as his guardian. As Haku's guardian, Zabuza stood as the only technicality tying Haku down to Kirigakure. Until Zabuza's situation was resolved, Haku couldn't make the switch in villages either.
Politics sure are troublesome…
"Steady…" I found myself saying as I carefully applied a light shade of pink lipstick to Haku's lips. I was holding his chin in my left hand, trying my hardest not to screw up.
For the past half hour or so, I have been helping Haku with his appearance. From his hair, to his state of attire, to now—I have had a hand in helping enhance his already feminine-looking appearance. It was strange…in the sense that Haku was completely into this. Unlike with Neji, who was always reluctant with anything that left him looking remotely like a girl, Haku didn't mind.
If I had to be honest, I was quite enjoying this. I was getting a lot of Kuranosuke vibes from Haku and I loved it. I may have also gotten some Ringo vibes, but I was more informed about Kuragehime than Uta no Prince-sama. It just felt nice to have some sort of connection to my past life—even if it was through these means.
At the moment, it was just the two of us, alone, in the guest room. Tsunami had lent me her make-up kit, which she rarely used, as well as a mirror, in case Haku wanted to check his reflection. For the most part, it was rather quiet in the room, which was part of my goal when I asked everyone to leave. The other, was making sure that no one was there to watch me do my job, which certainly took a huge weight off my shoulders.
I don't like being watched…
"Hmm…" I pursed my lips as I looked over Haku's face. One of the things that I liked about Haku was that he didn't need much make-up, but that also made my job much harder because I didn't want to accidentally go overboard with the make-up. I tried to stay as subtle as ever, and I think I just managed. "Okay, you can open your eyes."
And when Haku did, I nearly had a heart attack. People should not be that pretty! It just isn't fair and yes, I'm jealous—extremely. I just…want his hair and maybe his face.
"Is there something wrong, Chōko-san?" Haku asked me as I removed my hand from his chin.
"No…maybe…" Excuse me for a moment while I lament my plainness. It should only take a moment.
Haku blinked a few times and grabbed the mirror on the floor to take a look at his reflection. Once he had seen himself in the mirror, he looked at me and smiled. "You did a great job!"
I felt my cheeks heat up. "N-No problem…"
"So why do you look so sad?" Oh, goddammit, Haku—stop looking at me with those eyes!
"I'm not sad…" Okay, maybe I am—but I don't want to talk about it.
"Are you still mad at me that I won't return your ribbon?" Haku asked. "Or maybe…it's because you're jealous?"
Oh fuck, he saw right through me! "Am I…that obvious?"
Haku just smiled. "No, not really… You're just not the first girl to give me that look."
Really? "Do tell."
"Working with Zabuza-sama has given me so many opportunities to meet new people," Haku explained. "And among those new people, were girls like you."
"Like…me…" I repeated.
"Hmm…" Haku thought for a moment. "Well, yes and no…Most of those girls refused to acknowledge that I was male, but you…you're different. Why is that?"
"If you say you're male, then you're male." Who am I to say you're not, just because of your appearance? "Prettiness has nothing to do with gender."
"Well said…" Haku seemed impressed. "Since we're on the topic of prettiness, how about I make you pretty?"
I blinked. "Huh?"
…
…
"Are you two ladies done yet?" I couldn't even begin to imagine what was going on through Zabuza's head when he walked in on Haku and I. My glasses were off, my eyes were closed, and Haku was in the middle of applying make-up to my face. It was pretty quiet after Zabuza had opened the door…and just as quickly as he had opened the door, he closed it.
"Wh-What happened?" I almost opened my eyes, but Haku stopped me.
"Nothing happened, now just keep your eyes closed," Haku calmly said. "We wouldn't want to mess up, now would we?"
True…but I still want to know what's up after this. As soon as Haku is done applying my make-up—why am I even trusting him to do a good job when he asked me for help? That was certainly a question that was plaguing my mind until after Haku had done his job and I had gotten a good look at my reflection.
I was wearing my glasses, since I really can't see anything, such as my reflection, without them. The joys of being a glasses-wearing girl with hyperopia—it sure does limit my ability to apply my own make-up without any hassles. Anyways, I was looking over what Haku had managed to accomplish, and that was concealing the markings on my cheeks. I consider that a good start, because clan markings were something you had to be careful about concealing, as Hana, Kiba's older sister, can confirm.
You had to be able to conceal the markings without bringing any attention to the make-up used in the area. As Suzume-sensei had once said in kunoichi classes, make-up used to hide markings, tattoos, or scars, has to appear natural. The fact that Haku was able to do this so easily just made me wonder why he even bothered to ask for my help.
Then I noticed my eyes and holy crap, Haku knows how to use liquid eyeliner—like, what the hell?! That took me years of practice and I know for sure that Haku has never taken a kunoichi class, having learned everything from Zabuza, so what the hell? How?
"I might have learned a few things going undercover as a hikkomi at a few brothels." Haku's smile was so innocent, but his words… "Oiran have quite the education—even more than the typical geisha, if you know what I mean."
God dammit, I don't want to know what he means, but this fucking knowledge I have on oiran prevents me from saying otherwise, because I know what he means! Ahhh…this is why I started getting awkward around kunoichi classes once the sexual education came into play. I am so glad that seduction missions are Chuunin-only…
And optional, did I mention they're optional, because they totally are and that certainly took a lot of pressure off of me when I learned that and ahhhh, I'm totally blushing, aren't I?! "I don't want to know what you mean!"
Don't look at me with that face!
Thud!
"Uugh…" For quite a brief moment, I saw stars…then I saw the ceiling and felt a throbbing pain in the back of my head. And after a few seconds, I saw Haku's pretty face, looking at me with his big, brown eyes.
"Are you okay?" Haku looked concerned. "Is your head fine?"
"Fine…" Sort of…okay, my head is hurting, but I don't think it's that bad… "Please don't say stuff like that again."
It makes everything awkward and I don't do well with awkward…
"Oh, I apologize, then!" Haku smiled. "So what did you think? Did I do a good job or…?"
I sat up and adjusted my glasses before looking at my reflection again in the mirror Haku held up for me. "It's…good—though, why did you ask me to do your make-up for you?"
"Because you look like someone who would enjoy such a job!" was Haku's response and dammit—he was right! "Also, I hope you don't mind the shade of lipstick I used on you, but I thought it would be nice for us to match!"
"Lipstick?" I blinked and looked at my reflection again. Pale pink…the exact same color I had used on Haku. I'm honestly surprised at how it doesn't look gaudy on me. "Haku…"
"Hmm?" Haku tilted his head to the side.
"Thank you…" For being alive…you and Zabuza—just thank you.
…
…
As soon as the pictures were taken, Zabuza was quick to replace the bandages that had once covered the lower half of his face. Haku, on the other hand, was content to keep his current appearance. As for me, I would have continued wearing the make-up Haku had applied to my face, but then Kakashi told me to remove it and threw a small towel in my face.
To say that I was annoyed would be an understatement. I have had too much experience with make-up to know a good job when I see it and to have to remove it not even an hour after it was applied—ugh, it just pissed me off. Like, what a waste!
At least Naruto managed to use Shisui's camera to take a picture of Haku and I while we were dolled up, so it wasn't that much of a waste, I guess… I'm still mad. I mean, taking off make-up is an annoying task within itself. It's what made me both like and hate make-up.
It took me a total of ten minutes to remove my make-up. My face was slightly red in areas where I had rubbed a bit too hard and I had gotten soap in my eye during the removal process. I was not in a good mood when I walked out of the bathroom. And when Kakashi showed up to check up on me, to see if I had done as I was told, I threw the damp towel I had used to clean my face at him. I scowled when I saw him catch it before it could even slap him in the face.
"You are the worst sensei ever…" I spat at him, scowling when Kakashi reached down to ruffle my hair. No one knew how to read me better than Sensei, himself… He definitely knew I hadn't meant what I had said.
Still didn't make it any less annoying…
…
About an hour later, I was with Sasuke and Naruto in the guest room, where Naruto was rubbing down the fox kits to keep them warm. Sasuke was currently talking it over with Hanī about his contract with her. And I was looking through all the sweet loot I had pocketed from Gatou's base.
Just looking at all this pretty, shiny jewelry certainly made me feel better, after what Kakashi made me do…Dammit, now I'm thinking of that stupid ring again. Uurgh, I really wanted it, but why did it have to freaking fit him?! I made a face as I slipped a bracelet on my left wrist. At least this fits me…
I still want my ribbon back… "Hey, Naruto?"
"Yes?" Naruto turned to me.
"Where did you buy my ribbon?" Maybe I can find a replacement there…
…
…
I yawned loudly as we made our way to the finished bridge the next day. Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari, and a few others were there to see us all off. Promises were made to visit and Naruto had a rather tearful farewell with Inari, who was sad to see him go. Sasuke was rather calm, as were Zabuza and Haku.
As for me, I was contemplating on what exactly it was that I was feeling. Was I sad? I…don't know, but there's some part of me that feels a sense of stability. Maybe…it was because most of what had been stressing me out was finally over. I went into this entire situation without a plan and, honestly, I'm amazed everything turned out the way it did.
I nearly killed someone in the process, and I'm pretty sure I'll be having nightmares of what could have happened, had I not hit the right spot. Thankfully, I haven't had any…yet. Maybe just seeing Haku alive and well was enough to prevent it.
Hahaha, oh man—if this is going to turn into what happened before the Uchiha Clan Massacre, where my mental health benefited from just seeing Sasuke and Itachi together, then this is seriously gonna suck.
I yawned again, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. I was exhausted. About halfway through the night, Naruto's fox kits started crying and woke all of us up. It took about two hours before they stopped crying and fell asleep. To be honest, it was at least better than not being able to sleep, but the exhaustion from interrupted sleep is still there.
"How long do you think it will take before we get to Konoha?" I asked Kakashi.
"Since we're no longer guarding a civilian, it shouldn't take us that long," Kakashi replied. "Then again, Naruto does have his kits…"
"Riiight…" There was that…hmm… "Hey, Naruto, what do you think of Yuu for the albino kit?"
We never did start naming them just yet…and I've had my eye on the white-furred fox kit since I first laid my eyes on it. So far, it was the only one we can really name without it getting mixed up with the other kits. Naruto was planning on buying collars to differentiate the kits after we name them.
"Within two weeks or so, the kits' coat should be changing colors-ttebayo!" Naruto said as he looked at the sleeping fox kits in the basket he was carrying. "It usually happens when the black eye streak appears."
"How do you know this?" Kakashi looked questioningly at Naruto.
"Once again, not me…" Again, I am more for birds than any other animal, even though I do like me some foxes.
"I got really bored one day and looked up a book about foxes at the library-ttebayo!" Naruto explained.
"Why foxes?" Haku asked.
"They…seemed interesting." Naruto was hiding something and I think it most likely had to do that he looked up foxes because of the Kyuubi.
"It proved useful in this situation, didn't it?" Sasuke pointed out. "I don't see anything worth questioning it anymore."
Yup, totally has to do with Kurama…
…
…
It took us a total of two and a half days to reach Konohagakure at the speed we were going at. Truth be told, we could have arrived in two days, but then we had to take some time to prepare Zabuza and Haku for their disguises, so that their appearances matched their identification pictures.
Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo were rarely ever seen on their own without each other. I wasn't that surprised to see them on guard duty today when we had approached the front gates of the village. Thanks to Kakashi sending one of his ninken to deliver a message the day before we left Wave, Kotetsu and Izumo had the identification pictures with them, which made entering Konohagakure much easier than it would have, had they not had the pictures.
It honestly felt good to be back home, even though we still had to report to the Mission Assignment Desk before anything. Still—seeing Haku's pretty face turning heads was worth it. He certainly seemed to be enjoying it and complimented me on my make-up skills…then Kakashi literally got in between us and forced a change in subject in regards to the fact that what was originally a C-rank mission became an A-rank, with input from the Hokage. Luckily, thanks to the raid at Gatou's base, Wave actually had the funds to pay for such a mission.
Zabuza sure looked smug when Kakashi had mentioned this.
"Just know I'll be handling this," Kakashi told me. "You don't have to worry about saying anything—the Sandaime should know about it. Just focus on heading home to check in with your mother after we report our mission."
"Okay…why are you only telling me this, though?" Is there something I should know?
"Maa, we're going to need your clan's help with Haku and Zabuza," Kakashi replied. "And it would make it easier for all of us if you gave them a heads up before I bring these two over."
Oh…that's what it is… "You know, it would be nice if you were there as support, considering the explanation I'm going to have to give Kaa-chan when she notices my hair and finds out about the A-rank."
"She shouldn't find out about the A-rank until later on, when your father gets home," Kakashi said before ruffling my hair. "Just stay calm and be yourself."
Right…myself… "Gotcha."
Well, this is gonna be a pain in the ass…thanks a lot, Kakashi! Way to throw me under the bus! You are so lucky I got as much pretty jewelry as I did! Nobody wants to see an angry Ageha…nobody.
…
I didn't stick around too long for the mission debriefing that occurred after we had checked in at the Mission Assignment Desk. Iruka looked about ready to faint when he saw my short hair and saw that Naruto was a proud parent to nine fox kits. He also looked close to strangling Kakashi for allowing us to continue with the mission when it had escalated from its supposed C-rank to what it was now, which was an A-rank.
We had spent a total of three weeks in Wave, not including the days it took us to get to and return from Wave. Altogether, however, our mission lasted a duration of approximately four weeks. Four weeks equals to twenty-eight days, which was exactly a month…and in only a couple of days, Chōji and I would be turning thirteen. I seriously feel old, but more so in the sense that I'm reaching the next stage in life—which is adolescence.
Uuugh, I am totally not looking forward to puberty… Though, in hindsight, it isn't too bad—I mean, I made it this far in life to reach this stage without dying. Let's just hope I can make it to adulthood as well…me and everyone else.
…
When I had arrived home, I felt safe…then I entered the compound and literally ran into my brother.
Thud!
"Oww…" Okay, nobody move…my glasses fell off.
Should probably find a way to fix that problem one of these days...
"What the…Chōko, you're home—what happened to your hair?!" Oh shit, I forgot about taking Chōji's reaction into consideration!
Ahahha, fuck.
"Ehehe…" My laughter was awkward, as was the expression on my face as, even without my glasses, I could tell that whatever expression Chōji had on his face was of concern. "I can explain?"
Oh hell, I had a lot of explaining to do. But before that—could I get a little help finding my glasses?
Without even needing to say anything, Chōji handed me my glasses and then helped me off the ground. A few seconds after I had placed on my glasses, Chōji suddenly embraced me and told me, "Welcome home."
My heart felt rather warm and fuzzy just hearing those words. "Sorry if I worried you…"
Chōji released me and then placed his hands on my shoulders. He looked over me, his gaze focusing on my hair, most likely, before asking, "What happened?"
"It's…complicated…" And by that, I mean this is a matter that I need to tell Mama. "Do you have anywhere you need to be or what?"
"Asuma-sensei invited us out for barbeque to reward us for our progress," Chōji replied.
Barbeque…Chōji loves barbeque—and I'm keeping him from that?! "You can go ahead! Don't let me keep you waiting! I'm fine! I've been meaning to cut my hair, so don't worry!"
"Chōko, you've been gone for a month and this is how you return," Chōji remarked. "I have every reason to worry, so explain. Barbeque can wait."
"Uumm…" I bit my lip. "Look, this is something I have to tell Kaa-chan, first…you can go! You'll find out later, when you come back. Kakashi-sensei and the others will be here, so you'll hear the whole story."
Chōji looked at me for a good, long moment before sighing. "Fine—but only because you're telling me I can go!"
I smiled at Chōji and nodded. "Okay…see ya around!"
Chōji left after that, running as fast as his legs could carry him. When it came to barbeque, Chōji would do just about anything. If I recalled, Asuma had used that to his advantage in getting Chōji to participate in the preliminary part of the Chuunin exams…
"Hmm…" It's already that time of the year for the Chuunin exams, though whether or not it will take place this coming month or the next was a question I still haven't figured out. Hopefully, it's next month, when I'll have had enough time to recuperate from that A-rank—speaking of which, I still need to tell Mama.
Uugh, considering how Chōji had reacted, I'm hoping Mama won't react similarly…
…
"What happened to your hair?!"
Abort! Abort! Abort!
"Oh no you don't, little lady!" Nooo, release me! "You will explain to me what happened to your hair, right now."
Oh god, this was a terrible idea—Kakashi, you ass, you should be the one dealing with this!
Why did I tell Chōji to go?! Whyyyyyyy?!
…
…
When Kakashi arrived at the compound later in the evening, with the others, Mama was not pleased. She was glaring at Kakashi the entire time, while I stood at her side, inwardly crying over how scary she could be when she wanted to. I almost thought that she was about ready to grab Kakashi by his flak jacket and demand an explanation…then Kakashi spoke up.
"If you wish to learn more of your daughter, I suggest you speak with him," Kakashi said as he gestured at Zabuza, who seemed slightly intimidated by Mama's stare.
I swear I could see the fire in Ageha's eyes ignite when her gaze focused on Zabuza, who was in a civilian disguise. When Mama suddenly grabbed Zabuza by the shirt, I was worried about Haku's reaction, considering how protective he was of Zabuza.
Fortunately, Kakashi managed to apprehend Haku, so that he wasn't a danger to my mom. Unfortunately, Zabuza still had to deal with Mama's rage.
CRASH!
And there goes that sliding door, with Zabuza!
"Kaa-chan!" Oh god, dammit, mother, don't antagonize the missing-nin!
"Tell me why my daughter's hair is short!" Ageha's voice boomed. "You are ten seconds away from getting thrown through another door!"
Mama, stop! You're attracting attention from the other clan members! Mama, nooooo!
…
…
About half an hour later, after my father had managed to calm Mama to a certain point so that she was no longer throwing Zabuza around like a rag doll, we were all sitting at the dinner table, eating dinner. Chōji had arrived not too long ago and was getting the memo from Mama, who still wasn't too happy to hear that her daughter's hair was cut off with the intention of it being a trophy.
"I thought your mother was a civilian…" Zabuza certainly looked worse for wear after his encounter with Mama.
"Allied Mothers Force," I answered with a sigh before biting into a pork bun.
The Allied Mothers Force was an age-old Konohagakure team made up solely of all the mothers in the village who were more than capable of fighting back when the opportunity arose. During wartime, they would protect the village and those left within it until their loved ones returned from war. Mama's mother was part of the generation that defended Konoha during the Third Shinobi World War.
"Wow, this is delicious!" Haku suddenly said, most likely in an attempt to change the subject. "Did you make this, Akimichi-san?"
Ageha blinked and smiled at Haku. "Why, yes I did, Haku-chan—you don't mind if I call you that, do you, dear?"
Haku smiled and shook his head. "Not at all…though, I am a boy."
"My, and such a pretty boy at that!" Mama—Mama, no! "Who did your make-up?"
"Why your daughter did," Haku replied calmly. "She is certainly skilled."
I felt my cheeks heat up when he said this. I averted my gaze and focused on eating dinner.
"Your daughter is also the reason I'm still alive." Haku, don't you dare lie! "To be honest, if she didn't do what she had done, I probably would have done something I would have regretted."
What do you…oh shit, Haku's got a point—he could have gotten a Lightning Cutter through the chest had I not put him in a state of momentary death and freaked out when I did.
Oh god—I need a moment…
"Is there any reason why you're wearing Chōko's ribbon?" Chōji's question nearly caused me to choke on the food I had in my mouth.
I swallowed hard and blurted out, "He's borrowing it!"
…
"Sorry…" I looked down as my face started to heat up immensely. I was blushing…hard.
Then my father started laughing. "Chōko must really trust you to lend out her ribbon like that!"
"I have never gone a day without seeing that ribbon in her hair until now," Mama added. "Then again, I have never seen her with short hair until now."
Oh shit—she's glaring at Zabuza again!
Mama, please don't!
"Ahem, first impressions aside, there's a favor we'd like to ask of you," Kakashi decided to change the subject. "As you already know, this person here is Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist and a missing-nin from Kirigakure."
"I have been made aware of this when I found out about the A-rank upgrade your C-rank mission received," Chōza remarked. "Tell me—why is there a missing-nin with you?"
"He's going to switch villages and live with us-ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. "It was my idea and Jiji is working on it!"
…
"So I take it you need the Akimichi clan's support for this action, am I correct?" Chōza looked at Kakashi.
Kakashi ran his hand through his hair. "That is correct…I hope you can put aside your differences for this cause. Without Zabuza, we cannot accept Haku into the village, as Zabuza is his guardian."
"And Haku is a survivor of the Kirigakure bloodline purges," Sasuke added. "Even with the new Mizukage, attitudes take time to change."
"Please?" Naruto looked at my parents with those eyes of his. "They need us-ttebayo…"
I could see Mama's expression starting to soften, though my father still seemed unconvinced. It was probably difficult to get past the fact that Zabuza had cut off my hair as a trophy and had intended on taking me as his student.
"If not for me, then do it for Haku," Zabuza decided to speak. "He deserves a second chance, unlike me."
That was by far the most unselfish thing I had ever seen Zabuza do. It was rather jarring, but then again, Haku was involved and whenever Haku was involved, Zabuza had a tendency of showing his true colors. It was through this that my father had finally made a decision.
"I'll see what I can do," is what he said. "Keep in mind that you still have to receive a pardon from your Mizukage."
"Jiji's working on that, too-ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. "So did you hear that, Haku? You and Zabuza get to stay here with us!"
"I'm glad." Haku smiled. "What about you, Zabuza-sama?"
Zabuza tried to act passive, but failed when Haku looked at him with that face. Zabuza sighed and patted Haku on the head. "It's not over just yet, you know."
"I know." Haku nodded his head. "But it is a start…"
"Right…a start…" Zabuza sighed. "Gonna be a pain in the ass to get through Kirigakure to meet up with Mei."
Wait, what?
"That's what happens when you're a missing-nin," Kakashi stated. "And that's why you shouldn't leave your village."
"Don't use me as a lesson!" Zabuza snapped at Kakashi.
"Wait…what did he mean by that?" I thought all we had to do was wait for a response from the Mizukage!
"Did you really think it was that easy for a missing-nin like me to receive a pardon from Mei?" Zabuza looked rather amused. "I have to meet up with her in person—that's how these things work."
"And guess who's escorting us to Kirigakure!" Haku smiled innocently.
"We are, dattebayo!" Naruto laughed. "Jiji said it's going to be a C-rank mission!"
"Another one?" Chōji made a face. "Didn't you just get here?"
"We did…" Sasuke sighed. "But we're not leaving until the Sandaime makes arrangements for the trip to Kirigakure."
"Apart from the trip, we also need special permission, as we are foreigners to Kirigakure," Kakashi explained. "Fortunately, for us, the Godaime has already gave word that badges granting us access to her village have been sent. They should be arriving by the end of this week, so do take the time to prepare."
One mission right after the other…at least this one is a legit C-rank.
"Couldn't they have sent someone else to do such a mission?" Mama doesn't seem so pleased with the news. "They've only just returned!"
"We are responsible for these two," Kakashi stated. "As such, it is our duty to escort them to Kirigakure in order to receive a pardon from the Godaime Mizukage, Terumī Mei."
"Besides, it was Naruto's idea in the first place." Always ready to give others up, that Sasuke was. "It was only fitting we get the mission."
"Ahaha…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head.
I looked at my teammates and sighed. "You guys are too much, sometimes…"
"Don't worry—I will still protect you with my life," Kakashi said with a smile on his face, his right eye curved upwards.
"As their sensei, it's only natural for you to do such." Chōza nodded his head. "Now is there anything else I should know?"
"Maa, there is something I need to speak to you in private for…" Kakashi stood up from his seat. "Shall we?"
"Very well." Chōza stood up as well.
The two left the table after that, leaving the rest of us behind. Mama tried to force a smile as she looked at Zabuza, who seemed slightly unnerved by her stare.
"So how did a missing-nin like you raise such a kind boy as Haku?" Wow, Mama, just wow…
"Honestly, it's a question I've always wondered myself," Zabuza admitted. "Haku is whoever he wants to be, and I probably should be content with that instead of trying to force him to be who he isn't."
I think Zabuza was referring to the "tool" mindset he tried to reinforce on Haku. That still doesn't make this conversation any less jarring. I mean, Zabuza is still the Demon of the Mist (and for good reason), but he is also a guardian to Haku and, by the looks of it, a very good one.
"So did you know your daughter called Haku, 'gorgeous'?" Shut up, Zabuza!
"Again, Chōko?" Mama, noooo! "I hope she didn't catch you by surprise too much, Haku-chan."
Oh my god, this is embarrassing…
"She actually did," Haku was not ashamed to admit that. "But it seems this isn't the first time she's done it."
"Chōko has a tendency to speak what's on her mind," Mama continued, even though I telling her no. "Fortunately, it's always good things—like compliments and the like. And in case you're wondering, she had meant what she said to you."
I covered my face as all attention focused on me. I'm pretty sure my face was redder than a tomato. God dammit, Mama, why?! Why?! What did I ever do to deserve this?!
"As I had said before, I really did appreciate your compliment." Shut up, Haku—you're making this worse!
Then everyone started laughing, and that's when I realized that today was so not my day.
"You guys are awful!" I refused to look at anyone in the eye after that.
…
Sometime later, I could be found hiding under the covers of my futon, which is where Chōji found me after dinner. Despite what had been a terrible first impression, Zabuza had managed to get on my parents' good side. Of course, Haku probably helped in that regard.
"So why was Haku wearing your ribbon?" Chōji asked me.
I peeked out from under the covers and found myself looking right at my brother. "You know how Zabuza gave me a haircut? My ribbon was still on my braid and he gave it to Haku. And because he gave it to Haku, I'm not getting it back until I replace it with another ribbon."
"I see…" Chōji nodded his head. "So…our birthday is coming up and I was wondering if you were going to spend it with your team or…what? I need to know since you keep forgetting to come home."
Oh right—that's a thing...aahaha, whoops!
I laughed awkwardly. "Don't worry—I'll try to come over for dinner at the least!"
Chōji smiled. "That's good to hear. It's nice that you're getting along with your team, but try to remember to come back home every once in a while."
"So…" I said as I sat up. "What's been happening since we left Konoha?"
"Where do I start?" Chōji said as he sat down next to me.
"Any C-ranks for you guys?" C'mon, spill!
"Yeah, we just got off one a couple of days ago," Chōji replied. "Team 8 is currently on a C-rank mission—they'll be back in a few days."
I see… "So what was it that you had to do?"
"We had to escort someone, like you, except our mission kept its C-rank." Chōji chuckled before ruffling my hair. "I never thought I'd see your hair like this."
"Me neither…" I mean, I never intended my hair to get this short. "Been referring to Team 7 as Team Spiky Hair because of it…"
"Team Spiky Hair—oh, I see!" Chōji caught on and when he did, he started laughing. "You know, Ino's not going to like it when she sees your long hair is gone."
"Oh, it'll grow back…" It's just hair. "It's better than having that long braid getting stuck on a branch or something…"
Never again!
"Hey, Chōko…?"
"Yeah?"
"It's good to have you home again."
"It's good to be home."
…
…
A couple of days have passed since we had returned to Konohagakure. It felt nice to be home again after being away for so long. A month may not be much, but after all these years spent in this village, it sure felt like a long time. Right now, I was showing Haku around town, as I looked around for the shop where Naruto had gotten my ribbon. Today was going to be the day that Haku would return my ribbon—I'll make sure of that.
One thing about Haku that stayed consistent was his use of make-up, even though he had long since dropped his female disguise…well, around most people, that is. I don't really mind, though, as Haku usually asked me to do his make-up and that was something I really liked to do.
It was sometime past noon when we finally came across the shop I was looking for. Upon entering, my eyes were quick to fall upon a large selection of ribbons that were on display on a table near the entrance. There were various hair accessories, ranging from headbands to hairpins, alongside the ribbons. There was also a small mirror that was propped on the table and a middle-aged woman kept a close eye on eyes from the register after we had entered.
She greeted us with a smile, taking a special interest in Haku, recommending a hairpin to him. Haku smiled back at the woman and said that he would consider it. I made a face at Haku as I looked through the ribbons.
"You sure know how to make people feel good…" I'm starting to feel a little suspicious of him.
"That's how I am…" Haku's smile was innocent…a little too innocent. "So what do you have in mind for me?"
Hmm…what color would go good with Haku—I know! "Your name means white, so I'm thinking of a white ribbon to match."
Haku blinked. "White?"
"It's also the color of snow!" And I know your kekkei genkai revolves around Ice Release! "So what do you think of this ribbon?"
I held out a pure white ribbon toward Haku. The ribbon looked exactly like the one Naruto had gotten me five years ago—the very same one Haku was currently wearing in his hair. Haku looked at the ribbon for a good minute before smiling.
"I think that would be lovely," is what he said before untying the green ribbon in his hair. "I guess it's time for me to return your ribbon now…at least let me tie it for you."
"Okay…" At least I'm getting my ribbon back—finally!
It didn't take Haku too long to tie the green ribbon back into my hair, though what puzzled me was the way in which he tied it on. It was only after he had told me to look in the mirror that I found out what he had done. He had helped me find an alternative to wearing my ribbon, since my hair was no longer long enough to wear in a braid.
The way Haku had tied the ribbon into my hair was rather cute. It reminded me a lot of a certain Dragon Ball character who was capable of switching personalities through a simple sneeze. The longer I looked at my reflection, the more I felt like keeping this tie. It helped that I had kept my bangs—probably the only thing that was left over after my haircut.
"Do you like it?" Haku asked me.
I blinked and turned away from the mirror to look at Haku. "Yeah, I like it—thank you!"
"No problem," was Haku's response. He seemed oddly calm, despite having just given up a gift that Zabuza had given him.
"Say…since you tied my ribbon for me—can I do the same for you…?" I really wanted to return the favor…
"Right after you pay for it!" Haku replied.
I blinked again and smiled. "Okay, fair enough!"
A couple of minutes later, Haku could be seen leaving the shop with me. A white ribbon had replaced the green ribbon that had been tied around his ponytail. Haku and I matched, in the sense that we both wore ribbons in our hair. And when I saw how well the white ribbon had suited Haku even more than the green, Naruto's words popped up in my head.
"There's just something about that ribbon that just makes it part of you! It's what makes you…well, you!"
Naruto was certainly right about that, I guess. Going by that logic, the reason why the white ribbon fit Haku so well was because it just belonged to him. It's…weird that Haku and I even got into a situation involving a ribbon. Still, he seemed happy, so I guess I should be, too.
"Oh, and Chōko-san?" Haku looked at me.
"Hmm?" I blinked.
"Happy birthday!" he said with a smile on his face.
Oh, I guess it is my birthday…ahaha, I can't believe I forgot something like that! "Thank you!"
…
…
…
A/N 3-24-18 MORE EDITS IN!
So Vampirelover12100 drew another cute picture of Chōko! I highly suggest you go check it out, so the link is on my profile!
By the by, Chōko now has her ribbon on in the same way Lunch/Launch from Dragon Ball wears it, so expect her to keep that look from here on out since the long hair is gone! In any case, the way Haku has been so far, he's starting to give me Kuranosuke vibes. Kuranosuke is a character from this josei manga, called Kuragehime, or Princess Jellyfish. I highly recommend it, as it is a great read and watch—only eleven episodes for the anime, by the way! And the manga is still ongoing!
As for Ringo, he's from Uta no Prince-sama and absolutely LOVE his character design and it's such a shame that otome games rarely ever get localized, because that is seriously the reason why my information on this pretty, pretty man is so limited. Ugh, I really want to play Uta no Prince-sama since the anime left me a little unsatisfied—I want more, dang it! DX
So the reason these two guys were brought up is because of their crossdressing habits and, currently, Haku shows an interest in it, here. It's more that I see Haku being someone who has an interest in female fashion, much like Kuranosuke. That's pretty much it, so no judgement, please!
One thing I noticed about Haku is that he technically was never given a missing-nin status, in fact, he doesn't really have a rank of some sort, in terms of is he a Genin, Chuunin, or whatever. All there really is to know about him is that he learned everything from Zabuza, who would have most likely kept quiet about him. I mean, Haku does possess a kekkei genkai in a hidden village were bloodline purges have occurred… So I thought I'd give my input on where Haku stands in this fic.
Anyways, shout out to kitsunelover300, for being reviewer #390, and potterinu, for being reviewer #400! Shout out to anonymous reviewer, Cool Guest, for being reviewer #410 and since Cool Guest was an anonymous reviewer, another shout out goes to SmileRen for being reviewer #411! SmileRen also happens being lucky reviewer #413! Honorable mentions go tothe, Ash6751, who has given the Neji/Chōko pairing a cute nickname by the name of NeKo, anonymous reviewer Reiki, Almighty Pyro, and my good friend, Unstable Fable! It's good to hear from every one of you and thank you so much for all the support! I really appreciate it!
Since I'm pretty sure a lot of Haku/Chōko shippers are going to latch onto this chapter, I might as well mention that another poll was added up on my profile. It's been added to accommodate to the recent addition to the suggested ships, and unlike the other poll, you have four choices on this poll. So have fun everyone and I'm keeping the first poll open to avoid bias and just to have something to compare to the new poll, so again, just have fun! Ship who you want to ship, I won't judge!
So with that out of the way, a future trip to Kirigakure is near! Except to see some very familiar faces and names once Team 7 arrives there, which will hopefully be in a couple of chapters. And before I forget, try to give a happy birthday to Chōko, who has finally turned thirteen, alongside her brother, Chōji! I thought it'd be a good way to show where the story is, time-wise, so I'll just say this now…the Chuunin exams will be coming soon, so be prepared! We're heading into plot-heavy territory!
So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I certainly found it interesting! Until next time, everyone! KD out! XD