Captain Blues: It's time for the end of the Wave Saga. Will you guys hate me? Only one way to find out.
Ansatsuken
Chapter Thirteen: The Long Goodbye
[Theme of the Infinite Night (Naruto's Mindscape)
Before the Story from Deltarune]
Naruto opened his eyes slowly and found himself staring at a familiar star-filled sky. Naruto leaned up and looked at his surroundings and muttered, "This place again…."
"You're finally awake," A familiar voice from behind him.
Naruto turned around to see his dark echo, who sat on his knees as ethereal chains bound him to the glowing water below him. "Did I do that?" Naruto asked with a distant tone.
"I don't know how you did it, but yeah, you did," His echo said with an exhausted tone.
"How long?" Naruto asked.
"Two days…." His clone answered.
Naruto turned his body to face his echo with great difficulty and said, "You look as exhausted as I feel."
"Because we are," His replica replied with a wry grin. "It was our body's first time using the Satsui no Hadō. Having all the power that comes with embracing the Satsui no Hadō being forcefully returned inside us was not a good idea."
Naruto looked confused, which caused his replica to groan out in annoyance. "Such an idiot. Think of the Satsui no Hadō like it is poison. If you ingest enough of this poison, it damages you. In forcing the Satsui no Hadō back inside, you poisoned yourself."
"Neat. Explains why I'm so exhausted…." Naruto groaned out.
"You won't be able to do it again," His echo told him with a weak glare. "I was so close. So close to being free. So close to getting revenge. So close to killing Zabuza, but that idiotic girl interfered."
"I know," Naruto told him softly.
"You may have been able to stop me this time, but eventually, you will slip up, and I will be free again. And when that happens, you will never break out of it. I will have the vengeance that you keep denying yourself to have against Konoha. And I will reveal in it," his clone warned. "Consider that my warning to you. As the last act of my goodwill today."
"Thank you for that," Naruto told him with a faint but determined smile. "I will do everything I can to keep you at bay until I can figure out how to stop you for good. I will not allow your darkness to overwhelm me again. That's is my solemn vow to you."
His echo laughed faintly. "Very well," he replied. "Now get going. You have a family to get back to."
Naruto nodded and shut his eyes as the area began to brighten around him.
[Theme of Wave (Afternoon)
The Queen's Fury from Legend of the Dragoons]
It had been a full forty-eight hours since Naruto defeated Zabuza, and the village of Wave was ecstatic.
Gatō had been tried and found guilty for all the wrongdoings he had done to not only the villagers in Wave, but to everyone he had wrong.
After the man relinquished all the money and deeds he had taken from everyone, Gatō was executed by having his arms cut off as he hung from a cross in the village square, much like the beloved Kaiza.
Zabuza currently laid in the hospital, ironically enough with Tsunami, who worked as a nurse, tending to his wounds there.
And as for Wave's hero, Uzumaki Naruto had remained unconscious since the battle with Momochi Zabuza while Haku tended to him. At first, Naruto's team refused to let Haku see them due to her affiliation with Zabuza, but they quickly folded when Emi turned her deadly teary eyes at them.
But the caveat was that someone from his team had to watch over here.
After the battle, Sasuke was her overseer. On the first day of his unconscious state, Kakashi was the overseer, and today, it was Sakura.
"Emi-chan, you need to get to sleep," Haku chided gently to the five-year-old, who sat beside Naruto's bed as he slept.
"I know," Emi yawned out. "But I don't want to miss Naru-nii when he finally wakes up."
"I know you don't, sweetie," Haku replied, her hand brushing Emi's hair tenderly. "But Naruto-kun will be sad if you were sleepy when he's awake. You know how much he loves to play with you."
Emi looked conflicted, which made Haku smile.
"Tell you what. If you go to sleep, I will wake you the minute Naruto-kun wakes up. No matter what time it is," Haku told her with an earnest expression.
"Really?" Emi asked.
"On my honor," Haku said as she placed a hand to her heart.
Emi yawned again.
"Okay…." Emi finally said. "But, can I sleep beside Naru-nii, Haku-nee?"
"I think Naruto-kun would like that very much," Haku told her.
Emi gave her the brightest smile before the little girl hugged her. "Thank you, Haku-nee," Emi whispered before the small girl kissed her cheek.
"You're welcome, Emi," Haku whispered as she hugged the smaller girl back, struggling not to cry at the number of emotions she felt for this tiny girl. She released Emi, who carefully crawled over onto the bed and snuggled beside the right side of Naruto's body.
"Goodnight, Naru-nii. I hope you wake up so we can play again," Emi told the unconscious blond before she pecked his cheek and closed her eyes.
And after ten minutes, she was out like a light.
Haku leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of Emi's head and whispered, "Sweet dreams," before she pulled away to watch them with a soft expression on her face.
Haku had made this comparison before, but staring at Emi sleeping beside Naruto made Haku think of a daughter napping with her father, making her chest fill up with adoration. She wondered if this was how her father felt about her and her mother before discovering their secret Kekkai Genkai.
"Emi is attached to Naruto," Sakura noted.
"She was the moment they met," Haku replied. "It's hard not to be truthfully."
"How did you guys meet her?" Sakura asked.
"Naruto-kun and I were going to have a picnic, and we happened to come across her. She was dirty and looked malnourished. Emi reminded me of myself when Zabuza found me, orphaned and alone. I was going to ask her to come with us, but Naruto immediately asked her out for lunch. At the time, I just thought he knew what I wanted to do, but now, I know it's because he had that same thought I did when I saw her," Haku explained with a faint smile.
"Kami, compared to how he is typically back home, it's like he has a different life here," Sakura commented.
"What do you mean?" Haku asked.
"Well, ever since news got out that Naruto defeated Zabuza and was instrumental in getting Gatō, I've been hearing so many stories about him helping at the bridge, helping a lot of the villagers, saving lives. Hell, He did not even tell us about Emi until the two of you were taken by Zabuza. It's like I don't even know him," Sakura explained.
Haku narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
"He did not tell you or your team about what he did?" Haku asked.
Sakura shook her head. "Not at all, and that's not like him. Usually, he would be the first to blab about some good deed he did. But then again, ever since he met that old man, he hasn't been the same," Sakura answered.
"I see," Haku murmured. "What was he like before that old man?"
"Well. Naruto was a hyperactive prankster. Truthfully, and this stays between you and me, his pranks were pretty funny, and I would laugh at them all the time. Especially when he painted the Hokage Monument," Sakura explained, giggling at the mention of his last prank.
"But after that old man, he became more focused on his skills as a shinobi. Naruto was, and still is, an excitable baka, but now, he's more about helping people and trying to make them smile. Which is rough considering no one likes him at home," Sakura told her.
"Do you know why?" Haku asked her.
"No idea, honestly," Sakura answered. "Ever since I was a little girl, my parents stressed out to me that Naruto was not supposed to be trusted. They said he was an emotionless demon in disguise. I did not believe that. But I followed their orders."
Sakura let out a bitter chuckle. "I did worse than that. I demeaned him. I abused him. I treated him like he was nothing. I knew that he had a crush on me once upon a time, and because of how annoying he was, it made my treatment of him more comfortable."
Haku turned to her with a dangerous sparkle in her eyes, but it faded when she saw a sorrowful expression on Sakura's face. "It wasn't until he broke down and cried about killing one of the Demon Brothers that made me realize how fucked up I was for treating him that way."
Haku's shoulders slumped. "You're not the only one that mistreated him," Haku told her softly.
[Theme of Sadness:
Kanashimi No Jikai Yokoku from Yu Yu Hakusho]
"You know my story and the person that I was affiliated with. I intended to bring harm to him and your team," Haku explained.
"But you didn't," Sakura said. "The good guys won at the end of the day."
Haku's gaze rested on Naruto's form as guilt began to build in her chest. "Only because I fell in love with him," Haku admitted.
"That was the only reason I disobeyed Zabuza," Haku said. "Suppose I hadn't fallen in love with him. All of you would have been killed, Emi would still be alone, and this village would still be under Gatō's thumb."
"You don't know that," Sakura said.
"I do!" Haku yelled out. "My mission was to infiltrate your team and gain his trust and love." Haku's vision became blurry as she stared at Naruto and Emi's sleeping bodies. "I lied to him about everything that I was, and when I had the chance to tell him the truth, I froze. I was too weak to stand up to Zabuza for the people I love."
Haku blinked, which caused tears to fall down her pale cheeks. "And because of that weakness, I put Emi and myself in danger. I put Naruto in great peril to the point that he succumbed to darkness to free us."
"Do you know what he told me that day before Zabuza came? He said that he wanted me, him, and Emi to be a family. But family doesn't lie to family. Family doesn't corrupt family!" Haku told her as the tears continued to fall in a steady stream.
In her mind, she could see the radiant blue eyes of Naruto turn into the hate-filled violet eyes of his corrupted form, and it only made her sob. "Because of my deceit and my weakness, he fought Zabuza and became corrupted. I corrupted him. Just like Zabuza sought out to do. I was still his tool in the end…."
"Haku," Sakura whispered as Haku started to sob openly, her hands gripping the covers beneath her palms.
"Even when I tried not to be, I'm just Zabuza's tool. A lying, worthless tool. That's all I am. How can Naruto love me now?" Haku asked, more to herself than to Sakura.
"It's super easy, barely an inconvenience," Naruto's voice croaked out.
[Theme of Awakening:
Turnabout Sisters ~ Music Box Melody~ from Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)
Haku's head snapped up as Sakura let out a gasp. Haku watched as Naruto's eyes slowly opened as an exhausted smile formed on his face. "Hey…." Naruto whispered.
"Y-You're awake!" Haku gasped out.
"Of course, I am. I made a promise after all," Naruto replied with a small, cheeky expression appearing on his face.
Haku stared at him in disbelief.
"I promise that no matter what happens in the future, I will always come back to both of you," Naruto's voice said as he echoed in her mind.
"How long where you awake?" Sakura asked.
"To hear the whole thing," Naruto replied with a crooked smile. "Decided I deserved a dramatic reveal after enduring that ass-kicking two nights ago."
"Cool. Um, I'm going to go find Sasuke-kun," Sakura said as she rushed out the room, leaving them alone for a moment before she popped her head back in and said, "Welcome back to the land of the living, hero."
And then Sakura left again.
Haku watched as Naruto turned his head to see Emi, and a gentle expression appeared on his face. "How long has she been here?" Naruto asked her.
"Since the night you came here," Haku replied. "Tsunami-san and I made sure she ate and cleaned up after herself, but she refused to leave your side."
"And you?" Naruto asked.
"I could not leave you. Not after what I've done," Haku told him.
Naruto groaned as he lifted himself upright, careful not to wake up Emi before he gave Haku a look. "I heard everything you said to Sakura, and while I don't want to take away from how you feel, you're ridiculous."
Haku blinked.
"Remember what I told Zabuza that day? We had the same mission for the same purpose, but we both screwed up by falling in love with the enemy," Naruto told her. "And do you remember what I told you before he showed up?"
Haku thought back to their conversation before Zabuza appeared.
"This mission is almost done. Kakashi-sensei believes when it's near completion, Zabuza and his accomplice will come and fight us…" Naruto told her. "I know we can beat them, so I'm not worried about that. I am worried about what comes next. I know that once this mission ends, we will be leaving Wave and going back home. But I don't want to leave without you or Emi…"
"W-What are you asking?" Haku asked him, begging him not to say the words she knew he would because she knew that she would not be able to refuse him in her heart.
"When it is all said and done, I want you both to come back with me," Naruto told her with earnest blue eyes. "This is the first time in a long time I've been this happy. Being with you and Emi made me feel that I had a family for the first time. And I don't want this to be just a one-time thing. I want this to be every day."
Haku's eyes widened.
"Seems you caught on," Naruto told her gently. "I knew that you worked with Zabuza, and by that point, I knew of my feelings. After our kiss, I swore to myself by hook or by crook that you would survive so that I can have that family with you and Emi."
Fresh tears fell from Haku's face, but Naruto leaned forward and wiped them away. "And while I hate that I was unable to defeat Zabuza without that darkness overwhelming me, I made a promise that if you decided to come with me, I would return to you and Emi no matter what the cost."
"Naruto," Haku whispered as his hand rested on her cheek. She placed her hand on top of his, his warmth filling her soul.
"I know that you feel like you're this terrible person for initially deceiving me," Naruto continued. "And I understand because I felt the same way about deceiving you. And not only that, I also felt this way after taking the lives of four people during this mission."
Haku watched as Naruto pulled his hand from beneath her own and stared at them both, a brief haunted expression forming on his face. "Meizu, I killed to defend myself and my team, and to protect that woman, I killed those three men without a second thought. I was even willing to kill Zabuza to save you and Emi."
Naruto closed his hands then looked back at Haku. "It is like Zabuza said, we are shinobi, and to be a shinobi, we're trained to infiltrate, steal, fight, and murder our enemies. But we also use those same skills to protect, serve, and rescue those who are helpless."
Naruto then looked back at her and continued with, "But unlike Zabuza, who probably used those skills in a self-serving manner and for those with wicked intent, you used your skills to serve Zabuza due to wanting to repay him for taking care of you. In my eyes. It shows that you are loyal. The way you were gathering herbs for Zabuza, the way you did not hesitate to care for Emi, even when I was out of the picture, and the way you felt guilty about hurting her and the people in this village tells me that you have compassion and empathy for them."
Naruto took her hands into his own. "Zabuza may have taught and raised you with his twisted philosophy in mind, but your loyalty, empathy, and compassion are all your own. If you were indeed Zabuza's tool, you would not be able to comprehend those things, let alone feel them. You would be just a mindless drone, and that's not you. You are a human being. The very same human being I love and that I still want to have a family with," Naruto finished with a gentle smile.
Haku was speechless.
"So, does that answer your question from earlier to do I need to-" Haku interrupted Naruto's words with a passionate kiss, and to her everlasting joy, he returned her affections with a kiss of his own.
The two slowly separated, but instead of seeing the joy on Naruto's face, there was apprehension.
"What's wrong?" Haku asked.
"From that kiss, I know that you want what I want, and that is to be a family. Well, you were right about one thing. Family does not lie to family. There is one thing I need to tell you. I hope you don't hate me after this."
[Theme of Wave (Evening)
Together in Peace with You from Legend of the Dragoons]
"Well, well, well. Look who is finally awake!" Tazuna exclaimed.
Naruto smiled at Tazuna and Kakashi as he walked into the kitchen with his right arm slung around Haku's shoulders.
"Welcome back to the land of the living," Kakashi said with a raised cup.
"Thanks, Tazuna. Thanks, Sensei," Naruto said as Haku helped him to his seat. He was still weak from his actions two nights ago.
He hoped this would wear off soon.
"Where are Sasuke and Sakura?" Naruto asked as Haku helped him to his seat.
"They are with Tsunami to get some groceries for dinner tonight," Tazuna said. "In celebration of your awakening."
"Yeah, you've been the talk of the town for the last two days," Kakashi said. "Someone told the villagers about your exploits in defeating Zabuza and taking Gatō down," Kakashi explained as he subtly looked at Tazuna, who had taken a drink from his flask.
Naruto snorted.
"Because of that and other details of your activities during our mission here, you're hailed as Wave's hero," Kakashi summarized.
"So that's what Sakura meant earlier," Naruto said before he frowned. "I wasn't trying to be a hero, though. I took down Zabuza for personal reasons. All I did was help with the bridge and some errands some of the villagers needed."
"Stop downplaying your achievements Naruto," Kakashi said.
"It's true. You guys took down all of Gatō's men, and it sounds like Sasuke was able to secure Gatō during my fight. You guys deserve the credit here, not me," Naruto said.
"Naruto, there is much more to being a hero than defeating the bad guy. You helped secure their future by supplying clones to quicken the construction and worked on it on your own as well. You went out of your way to assist anyone and everyone that needed your help. You saved the life of a woman who would have been raped, tortured, and murdered by three of Gatō's men," Kakashi told him.
"He's right," Tazuna said. "Ran, the woman you rescued, has been the leader in singing your praises since you saved her. The entire village has. You defeating Zabuza may have been for a personal reason, but for everything else, you can take credit for."
"I was only trying to help," Naruto said, humbled by the words from his sensei and his client.
"Well, you did far more than that," Tazuna said. "We're in your debt, kid. Anything you want, we can get for you."
"Anything?" Naruto asked.
"You name it," Tazuna said.
Naruto looked at the table thoughtfully.
"What's on your mind, Naruto-kun?" Haku asked.
Naruto looked at Haku and said, "I have one part of my family coming with me. But I need the other."
Haku's eyes widened in realization before she smiled.
With that, Naruto turned to Tazuna. "Tazuna-san, can you speak to Kaede-san for me?" Naruto asked.
"Kaede? Sure, but what about?" Tazuna asked.
"Emi. I wish to adopt Emi and take her from Wave and to Konoha with me," Naruto told him.
"Naruto!" Kakashi exclaimed as he stood up from his chair.
"I know, I know. With being a shinobi and everything, it's dangerous," Naruto said. "But there is no way in hell that I'm leaving Emi behind."
"Naruto. Need I remind you of two things. One: You are a mere sixteen-year-old Genin who has no experience with children. And Two: Your status in Konoha is not favorable."
Naruto frowned.
"It's dangerous enough for you, Naruto, considering what you hold," Kakashi said, ignoring Haku's words. "And while I can't persuade you from not bringing Haku, you want to bring A five-year-old into that life? I would be crazy to allow that."
"Oh, so I'm old enough to take lives, but I'm too young to raise one?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi paused.
"Kakashi-sensei, I will not leave Emi behind here. Wave is a beautiful village with beautiful people, but I care about Emi and her life. I wouldn't be able to focus without her. Yeah, there are some risks with some of the villagers at home, but I faced down a damn Jōnin. The Demon of the Hidden Mist of all Jōnin. I am willing to fight anyone to protect them. And if anything happened to Emi here while I was away, I would never forgive myself."
"Besides, I will be there with her," Haku said. "I won't allow for any of those short-sighted, ignorant people that can't tell Naruto apart from that monster."
Kakashi's eye widened.
"You told her?" Kakashi asked.
"He did because family does not lie to family," Haku said. "The mere fact that your village has someone as warm and compassionate as Naruto and treat him so heinously is angering to me. And like Naruto, Emi means everything to me, and I will kill anyone that brings harm to her."
Naruto stared at Kakashi for what felt like eons before the sound of small footsteps was heard coming down the stairs, and when Naruto looked back, he saw Emi at the platform of the stairs. Her eyes were wide and wet as her small frame shook with emotion.
Naruto felt a soft smile form on his face as he stood up from the chair and approached the stairs. "Hey there, Emi-chan," Naruto said.
Emi sniffled and ran to Naruto as she cried, "Naru-nii!"
Naruto knelt with some difficulty and held both arms open as the small girl slammed into him at top speed, which sent him down on his butt. "I was so worried! I thought you would go away!" Emi cried as she hugged Naruto's neck tightly.
Naruto felt tears prickling his eyes as the small girl cried against him, and slowly, he wrapped his arms around her carefully. "There, there, my little Emi. It's okay," He cooed as she continued to cry.
"H-Haku-nee was s-supposed to wake me up when you woke up," Emi sniffled out.
"I know, but I told her not to wake you up," Naruto told the girl sweetly. "You were so tired, she told me, so I wanted you to get some sleep. That way, we could play all day when you woke up."
"W-Well, I'm up now," she sniffled out with a pout. "Does that mean w-we can play?"
"Of course we can," Naruto said with a happy expression. "After I finish talking to my sensei, all three of us are going to take you to the park, okay?"
Emi hid her face into Naruto's neck and nodded, her little arms wrapped around his neck tightly. Carefully, Naruto stood up and held Emi in his arms as he looked at Kakashi and gave the man a pleading, "Please."
Kakashi seemed to look at Naruto, then Haku, then Emi before he looked to Naruto. Finally, the Jōnin sighed. "It would be hypocritical of me to argue against this," Kakashi's eye softened as he looked at Naruto. "Considering I once wanted the same thing and regretted being talked down from it. Raising a child is a lot of work and patience. Are you sure you're up for that?"
Naruto and Haku looked at one another then smiled before they nodded to Kakashi.
"Alright, but you have to talk to the Hokage immediately," Kakashi said.
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei, and thank you," Naruto said with a grateful expression.
"Well, with that settled, we should get going," Tazuna said as he stood up. "You guys have to go to the park, and Kaede's place is right nearby. Might as well kill two birds with one stone."
"We're going to see Kaede-baa?" Emi asked.
"That's right," Haku said as she stood up and held her arms out to Naruto.
Emi whined and gripped Naruto tight before he whispered, "It's okay. I'll be right here…."
Emi nodded and loosened her grip, and reached out to Haku, who grabbed her and held her close.
"We're going to see Kaede-san so we can ask her permission to take you away," Haku asked.
"Take me away?" Emi asked.
"Yeah, to my home," Naruto said. "So we can be a family together."
"Family?" Emi asked. "Like how Mommy and Daddy and me were before they left?"
"Exactly," Haku said as she gave Emi a soft smile.
Naruto could see Emi's little mind turning before she slowly smiled. "So you two will be my new Mommy and Daddy?"
Naruto was struck into silence at the question, but a large smile was on his face.
Haku blushed at Emi's words, but her smile matched Naruto's. "I think we both would like that," Haku finally said." But Emi-chan, would you like that?"
Emi scrunched her nose up in thought before a bright smile appeared on her face, and she nodded enthusiastically. "My Mommy and Daddy left me alone…Will you two leave me alone too?" Emi asked with a sad expression.
"We would never leave you, Emi," Naruto told her. "No matter what happens in the future, we'll always be here with you."
"You're our little Emi," Haku said with a smile on her face. "And we love you so much. We would never leave you."
Emi looked at them for a moment before a bright smile appeared on her face. "I have a new Mommy and a new Daddy!" Emi exclaimed happily.
A heartwarming expression appeared on Narut's face at the thought of that. For all of Naruto's life, all he wanted was a family, and after years of envious emotions towards his friends and strangers in his village, Naruto finally had a family to call his own.
He wiped a stray tear from his face as he broad smile appeared on his face.
For as long as he remembered, everyone hated him, but now, it was all worth it for this moment of absolute joy.
[Theme of Wave (Morning)
Ending Theme from Legend of the Dragoons]
Along with Haku and a jubilant Emi, Team Seven stood at Wave's gate as an entire crowd stood before them, lead by Tazuna and Inari.
Kakashi decided after Naruto and Haku returned from playing with Emi at the park that they would leave the following morning. While Haku wanted to stay an extra day so Naruto could heal, she came around to the idea, so now, here they were, ready to leave for Konoha the next day.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Tazuna said to the group. "Sure we can't convince you to stay one more day?"
"I wish we could, but we have a long trek back," Kakashi said. "So we want to get a move on now so we can make it back to our village before nightfall."
"Understandable," Tazuna said. "Well, from all of us here, we'll miss you all."
"Please, they'll probably miss the dope more than us," Sasuke muttered, only for Sakura to nudge him slightly before she bowed.
"Thank you for lending us your home," Sakura said.
The group bowed, except Emi, who tilted her head in confusion before she mimicked her parents.
"Thank you," The shinobi chorused in unison, followed by Emi's tiny, "Thank you."
The crowd chuckled before Inari stepped forward to Naruto, who stared down at him. "What's up, Inari?" Naruto asked.
Inari looked at him with a tearful expression. "I'm so sorry about all the mean things I said," Inari said sadly.
Naruto chuckled and knelt to Inari's level and said, "Hey, don't worry about it. Really. I should be thanking you after all."
"Thanking me? Why?" Inari asked.
"I wanted to protect your village already, but after what you said, I trained as hard as possible. Your words fueled me to become stronger, so without you, I wouldn't have been able to do what I did," Naruto said before he placed a hand on Inari's head.
Inari stared at him before he frowned, tears falling from his eyes, and without warning, he lunged forward and hugged Naruto's neck as he cried. "Thank you for saving all of us," Inari whimpered into his neck.
Naruto returned the hug tightly and whispered, "Anytime," as his eyes grew misty.
The two broke apart, and Inari rubbed his eyes with his forearm while he sniffled out, "You're so c-cool. I can't wait to be like you when I grow up."
"Really?" Naruto asked.
Inari nodded.
With a smile, Naruto unfurled his headband from his bicep and stared at it. "I went through a lot to get that headband," Naruto explained. "The person who gave me this protected me with his body when I was at my lowest point. He was one of the few people that inspired me and wanted me to be better."
He placed the headband in Inari's hands and said, "I want you to have this. So that way, If you ever find yourself feeling sad or weak, I want this to inspire you, as it did me, to be strong and protect everyone you cherish with all of your might and to know that even though I'm not here physically, I'll always be there to cheer you on."
Inari looked at the headband and then back to Naruto and gripped it tightly with a determined smile. "Understood, Nii-chan," Inari said.
Naruto held out his fist to Inari, who gave him a fist bump before the pair embraced again. After the embrace, Naruto stood up and faced Tazuna, but this time, the man held out a sledgehammer to Naruto. "From Urameshi and the boys. As a token of thanks for the help on the bridge," Tazuna explained.
Naruto took the sledgehammer as he said, "Thanks. And tell Urameshi to propose to his girl already. She's going to get old and croak before his feet get warm."
The two shared a laugh before a woman stumbled out from the crowd behind Tazuna.
The woman had brown eyes and long brown hair that she wore in two ponytails with a strand of hair hanging between her eyes. She wore a simple dress with a red outfit underneath, along with a simple sash and shoes.
"Thank goodness, I was not too late," the woman said.
"Ah, Ran, you made it," Tazuna said before he turned to Naruto and said, "Naruto, this Ran. The woman you saved from those punks."
With a bright smile, Ran rushed to Naruto and immediately engulfed him in a tight hug. "Thank you for saving me that day," The woman whispered as she hugged him tighter.
Naruto was stunned for a moment before he realized who this was and returned the woman's embrace. "It was no problem at all," Naruto whispered into her shoulder.
The woman broke away and flushed a little as she said, "My brother Nan always said that shinobi were not to be trusted, but you proved otherwise. I will never forget this." The woman said.
"I'm glad I was able to turn your opinion around," Naruto said with a smile.
The woman's eyes widened before she reached into her dress and pulled out a white headband with a solid gold plate in the middle with the kanji for "Wave's Eternal Hero" written on it. "I made this for you. To have as a thank you for saving me," Ran said as she held it out to Naruto with a bow. "I wanted to give this to you before you left."
"This is…." Naruto drifted off as he took the headband with a grateful smile. "I don't know what to say," Naruto admitted.
"How about, thank you," Kakashi said.
Naruto flushed and said, "Thank you, Ran-san."
Ran smiled and said, "You are welcome. Um, if you're ever by the Land of Rice, my village lies at the foot of the mountain there. Please come and visit sometime. Nan and I will make you a heroes' feast."
"I'll be sure to do that," Naruto replied.
"Alright, hero, we need to go," Kakashi said.
"Right," Naruto said with a nod to his sensei before he said, "Thanks again," To Ran before he shared a firm handshake with Tazuna, another fist bump with Inari, and with a shout of "Goodbye!" Naruto hoisted Emi onto his shoulders.
"Bye-Bye!" Emi shouted with a wave as the villagers began to scream their farewells and good lucks.
Naruto grasped Haku's hand with a smile, and together, the group walked away from Wave and began their trek back to Konoha.
"I wish I could have seen them off," Tsunami said to a fellow nurse with a sigh as they walked towards the room where Momochi Zabuza resided.
"You're telling me. That silver-haired man you had protecting your father was a damn hunk," The nurse said with a fan of her hand. "What I would have given to ride that man."
"Tanaka-san!" Tsunami gasped out with a scandalized tone, inwardly agreeing with the woman.
Kakashi was a wonderful man, and if she weren't still mourning Kaiza, she would have made a pass at him.
Ah well.
Maybe in another life.
As Tsunami and Tanaka reached Zabuza's door, she found that the door cracked open.
How strange, the door was locked when they came by earlier.
Tsunami opened the door and gasped out when she saw that the bed was empty.
Zabuza was gone.
[Theme of Purpose:
Title Theme from Eternal Champions]
On a hill at the edge of Wave, A hooded figure with a large blade stood, watching as the Konoha shinobi walked into the distance.
The figure paused and grabbed at his chest in pain as wisps of violet chakra flowed from his chest. The wind suddenly blew, blowing open the cloak to reveal the figure's chest, which had a long and jagged scar running up it, barely visible by the medical wrap around his torso.
The wind also moved his hood back to reveal Momochi Zabuza, who had a broad grin and a glint in his glowing violet eyes.
"Take care of her Uzumaki Naruto. And grow stronger because one day soon, I will be back to finish what we've started," Zabuza said as he turned around and began to walk out the village's second exit to his next destination with a new mission.
To battle Uzumaki Naruto once again.
[A/N Theme:
Title Theme from Eternal Champions]
Captain Blues: AND THAT IS IT! The Wave saga has concluded!
The Rapacious Princess: *Tosses confetti into the air*
Captain Blues: Thank you, Naruko. Now, as you guys have noticed, Naruto has left Wave with Haku and Emi safe and sound. While I was sure many of you knew this already, it time to make it official!
Ruby-Eyed Queen: PAIRING UPDATE!
Naruto/Haku/Hinata/Tayuya/Guren/Ryūzetsu/Samui
Captain Blues: And what is that? A new name? Trust me, that arc will be great, and it will also involve a certain foul-mouthed Oto-nin, who I've also planted the seeds for her first appearance in this very chapter.
BUT FOR NOW, It is time to work on our dear Hyūga Heiress. My goal for each of these girls is to make their romance with Naruto as good as Haku's, and I do have different ways to do it. BUT, I also plan for the girls to love each other as well. A Poly!Naru/Harem? Has it been done before? Maybe but I'm taking my crack on it.
Plus, Emi will be heavily involved with one of these arcs but which one? Only I know for now hehehehehe. So, I'm super excited for you guys to see that. So until then, time to set sail!