In which there are wake-up calls.
Kakashi had immediately lifted the unconscious Haku up and made his way to Tazuna's house as soon as possible.
It was hard to navigate through the crowd of celebrating people, but they did.
The rest of team seven followed, Sakura being carried by Sasuke. They cleaned him up and dressed his wounds as best as possible, but all they could do was wait. The back of his skull was bleeding heavily from the iron ball, and his burns ran the high risk of becoming infected. Kakashi thought he had a concussion.
In the meantime, the village was filled with a passion she had never seen before. People held their heads up high in the streets and looked each other in the eyes as they walked past. They worked day and night on the bridge, and at the current rate, would be done in less than two weeks. The candyboy carried water from the creek, the former prostitute helped Tazuna to direct workers across the bridge.
Haku slept on.
Naruto was sent with some villagers to test the waters now that Gato was gone. They were able to bring back many fish and other goods, supporting the village until the bridge was done.
Haku slept on.
Not being able to hold it off any longer, they buried Zabuza. Putting his giant sword as a grave marker. Tazuna bowed his head in respect.
Haku slept on.
Kakashi was with Tazuna at the bridge now, finally better enough to get out of bed. Haruhi had coddled his something fierce because of it.
"Are you sure you're okay? I can have Tsunami bring something up." She chattered, kneeling on the bedside table.
"Nah. Having you here is enough." He eye smiled.
She laughed, taking it as a joke before jumping down.
"I'll tell her to make Miso soup. I know it's your favorite."
He was delighted. But not just because of the soup.
And that's where she was now. With Tsunami in the kitchen. Haku was in one of the spare bedrooms, still sleeping. Kakashi said he could wake any day now though. Sakura was there watching him as she was still recovering herself. She bore Haku no ill will, which was just further proof of her maturing attitude.
Sasuke and Naruto had come away the least injured, and proved it by a fierce water walking competition. Which Naruto was losing until she gave him the idea to split up his chakra with shadow clones.
Tsunami was bustling around the kitchen, having achieved some inner peace, as she was glowing like never before. Standing up for herself had done something no amount of money ever could. It had given her self-pride. Her husband was back into the picture, tape sealing the rip until it almost wasn't visible. She sang as she worked.
Come to think of it, when was the last time Haruhi had sang? Or even hummed?
It must have been before they left for wave. Slowly she picked up a tune, that one from Tangled. Tsunami paused in her cleaning before starting up again. She was just getting in her groove when she heard Sakura yelling.
"Stay here!" She said to Tsunami. She jumped down and bolted towards the guest room.
A wide eyed Haku was sitting up and breathing in huge gulping breaths. The burned side of his face was turned towards her as he whipped his head frantically around the room.
"Zabuza, where is-"
Sakura was standing back stiffly.
"Haku, it's okay! We won't hurt you!" She raised her empty hands.
"That is not what I asked." He said tersely. His hands clenched the sheets. Sakura adopted the deer in the headlights look so Haruhi stepped forward, clearing her throat, eyes on his burned hand.
"Zabuza killed Gato for betraying you."
"You were hit from behind from one of Gato's thugs. Gato betrayed you guys so Zabuza fought and killed Gato and his thugs. He died from the injuries he sustained from the mob." She blurted. Like ripping off a band aid.
Silence.
Haruhi was just about to jump ship when he moved.
"I...see. Thank you." The hollowness made her flinch.
And he closed his mouth and didn't say anything else. That was worrisome. Sakura said about getting food for him and left.
Haruhi couldn't help but feel worried about Haku and his future. He would probably be allowed to come back with them to Konoha as a genkai kekkei user and one of an almost extinct clan at that. And the fact that he was... scarred from fire. The left side of his body, most notably his face. It was significant. The few patches of skin that had healed were shiny and puffy while the rest needed skin grafts to heal. The only reason Haku hadn't died from infection yet was because of a basic cleansing jutsu Kakashi knew. And then with Zabuza gone too...
Haruhi was worried. Her maternal side was kicking her in the ass whenever she caught sight of his hand.
She guilty averted her eyes.
Sakura returned with his meal and he finished it quietly. Haruhi was gonna have a talk with Haku, let him know his options and that he wasn't alone. She waited patiently and Haku seemed to realize it was his cue.
"Where is Zabuza buried?" His head was bowed. Once long beautiful hair was charred and filled with split ends from the fire.
Haruhi couldn't help but stare. She had never seen someone this hurt up close before.
"We'll take you to see his grave as soon as you're better."
Haku placed his dishes to the side. He curled his knees to his chest and hair fell in his face, and she was violently reminded of a starving child on a bridge. He looked lost again.
"What will become of me?" He whispered, more to himself than her.
"I am a broken tool. Purposeless."
"Haku, you are not a broken tool!"
"Look at me!" He shouted, and it was so out of character she blinked.
His hand was cupping his burnt face, and his eyes were filled with pain. She took a deep breath. Then another. She ran her hands through her frizzy hair.
What could she say?
Her hand twitched upwards before she stopped.
"Zabuza said while you were unconscious he cared for you. He said you mattered to him and then he defeated Gato for you. Despite being severely wounded, he laid himself down next to you. And you know this as well, when people care for someone they want what's best for them. Zabuza wanted what was best for you. Do what's best for you then, Haku."
"But Zabuza, he was my purpose. I am nothing without him." His voice trailed off, sounding like the child he was.
Haku's eye, the one that wasn't inflamed and squeezed shut was glassy and lost. He swayed from where he was sitting up.
Haruhi took a deep, shaky, breath.
"You said he was your purpose, and now that he's gone you have none. No purpose. Well, he can still be your purpose. You can still live for him-even though he's gone. Live in memory of him. Zabuza cared for you, and would want you to be happy. Please, come with us."
Haku hugged his knees tighter, before a bittersweet smile curled up on his face.
"You're just like Naruto. You have a way with words, that make people reconsider, feel empathy. Did Naruto perhaps, learn this from you?"
Haruhi blushed.
"Perhaps. I don't want an answer now. Rest, and we'll take you to see Zabuza."
Haku's head was already lolling to the side, and exertion had cause his hands to tremble. He nodded and she left the room, signaling to Sakura in the hallway to come later for the dishes.
It would be a while yet until dinner time when the boys would come back, and Haruhi was kinda bored after the talk with Haku. With how stubborn Naruto was there was a strong chance he would come back with them. Haruhi herself was feeling a bit under the weather.
She was homesick. She missed pizza too. Everyone was getting antsy from being away for so long and with the bridge scheduled to be done in a week had everyone on the edge of their seats.
Sitting here and waiting was horrendous. She wished Kakashi would come back as teasing him was always fun. What was she doing before Haku?
Absentmindedly, she started singing under her breath. It was that one song from tangled, from when they were on the boat. For some reason, it reminded her of Kakashi.
"And at last I see the light~" She hummed, amused with herself.
It was a lovely song, and belting out each note did make her feel better. It reminded her of rainy days in her house, singing along to chosen songs (This had been a song of choice) while her Italian friend made pasta and the others dramatically danced on her couches and made pillow forts.
She ignored the faint flutter in her heart.
She and Kakashi made pillow forts too. Even if he talked mostly about how structurally unsound it was.
What a nerd.
"Um, Haruhi-sensei?" She snapped out of it.
"Yes Sakura?" The girl was standing to the side and giving her a strange look.
"You were smiling at nothing, I just wanted to know what was so funny?"
"O-oh, I was? Well, it was nothing."
Sakura left and Haruhi picked up the rest of the song, falling into a quick nap. They would be back soon. Kakashi would be back soon.
She again ignored the flutter in her chest at the thought. She was homesick, that was all.
"-ruhi, wake up."
She mumbled, turning back into the pillow. A prod between her shoulder blades had her blinking open her eyes.
"Dinner time, Haruhi."
She jumped up.
"Kakashi! How did it go?"
"You'll find out at dinner."
She jumped on his awaiting hand, and hugged his thumb excitedly. They would be going back soon! She would be going back soon!
"…"
...She would be going back soon.
Dinner was a happy affair, with Inari laughing and smiling as he told them of his day in the village. He had played tag with the candyboy, whose name was Akio.
Tazuna spoke of their great progress and how it would be complete soon, especially now that Gato had stopped scaring away villagers. Ren, the former prostitute, was a great help. When Sakura mentioned Haku's brief awakening, conversation stopped.
"Kakashi-sensei, Haku has to come back with us! He didn't do anything permanent and he's strong! You have to let him!" Naruto yelled.
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully.
"The village would most likely grant him sanctuary, but it's ultimately up to him Naruto."
"Haku's doing better. I figured we we should let him see Zabuza's grave before we ask anything of him." Haruhi put in.
Everyone agreed that was a good idea.
Haruhi laughed at Naruto's dramatic retelling of almost drowning and she smirked along with Sasuke as he told how he had to fish Naruto out. Sakura then butted in, saying how she was better than the both of them combined at water walking.
Kakashi murmured to her about trying it herself, and she found herself nodding in agreement before she really considered what he was saying.
She might as well-it's not like she was gonna be here much longer in the first place.
(Interlude-Sasuke Uchiha)
His shoulders were hunched over and his hands were curled into fists in his pockets. He grit his teeth to keep from snarling.
Naruto walked next to him and behind Tazuna, mouth curled into a scowl and arms crossed behind his head.
Sasuke's lip curled in disdain as he stepped on a piece of trash. The brown water squished between his toes unpleasantly. Why was he even here?
He thought back to the dinner yesterday. Haruhi had yelled at them after he and the dobe ate too much, and now, after guarding Tazuna, they were going into the village with him.
Sasuke did like it.
He had mostly stuck to just the bridge and the outskirts of wave, never going too deep into town. And Sasuke didn't see why Kakashi would listen to Haruhi. She wasn't a ninja.
There was no point to this.
They walked past a woman in rags, carrying an empty basket. He looked at her in puzzlement and she hurried to escape his gaze. Why would she carry around an empty basket?
"OOPF!"
"Hey, watch it!" Naruto yelled.
Sasuke scoffed. The dobe could never be quiet.
He cracked open a lid, to see a dirty little child that had run into Naruto with his butt in the dirt. Sasuke paused, eyes opening fully.
The child's age was extremely hard to tell. Skinny arms, rags for a shirt where his ribs were clearly visible through the large holes. His knobby knees knocked together as he tried to stand up.
Naruto stood to the side, mouth opening and closing in surprise. He stared speechless at the boys skeletal fingers, at his sallow face.
He was suffering from severe malnutrition.
Naruto made an aborted move to help him up, but paused when the boy flinched.
The boy reached down into the dirt, picking up two empty candy wrappers before running away. For a moment, the only sound was the wind.
Despite being surrounded by people walking, it was eerily silent, and Sasuke wasn't sure why it had taken him this long to notice.
No one was speaking. No one looked up from the dirt road, or laughed.
Sasuke's limp hands fell out of his pockets.
"This is why I am building the bridge."
Tazuna's voice shattered the silence, startling Sasuke like a bucket of cold water to the face. Tazuna wasn't drinking or scowling like he usually was, a look of dead seriousness replacing it.
"Children suffer, and the adults do nothing. That is why I build the bridge."
Tazuna he lifted his bag, and walked on.
He and Naruto exchanged glances, and Sasuke was mollified to see his own guilt reflected in Naruto's eyes. They wordlessly caught up to Tazuna, silent as graves. Sasuke noticed the woman in the alleyway, heavy makeup unable to hide her eye bags. The store they went in had empty shelves up to the ceiling.
It was so different from konoha, where there was so much food the extra was thrown out at the end of the day.
Sasuke thought back to the dinners he had. He thought of Haruhi and how she had yelled at them.
Maybe she knew what she was talking about afterall.
He clenched his fists.
That bridge was getting built.
No matter what.