Chapter XIII

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Naruto rubbed his face with his good hand, the join at his right wrist still feeling a little fragile from his amateur surgeon act. He really did not want to tell this story, not least because telling it meant he would have to relive it, to acknowledge what he was and how he got that way. And how would his team react? It seemed like it was finally time to find out.

He began at the beginning, as he had read that every good story should. "So, you know how I'm the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, right? And I grew up without my parents and no one really looking after me?" He didn't wait for his team's confirmation, eyes flicking to Kakashi, who looked grave. The Jounin nodded, and Naruto continued.

"Well, Sarutobi thought the best thing would be to get me off the streets as early as possible and get on with my education. I guess the Kyuubi thing kinda ensured that I would need to become a shinobi, or at least to learn how to fight, so I was enrolled in the Shinobi Academy. And I sucked." He picked idly at a stray thread at the cuff of his sleeve, staring fixedly at his lap instead of at his friends.

"I don't know if it's because I was so young or too dumb and impatient, or because of the Kyuubi's seal messing with my chakra, or any of a hundred other things, but I just could not get jutsu to work right for me. Not just that, but I was slow to learn other things, too. Taijutsu forms went in one ear and out the other; my aim was a class joke. By the time I got to my last year of classes, I didn't have a single friend, and I was a real brat because of it. When I failed the graduating exam, I felt terrible. I felt trapped. I didn't think I would ever be a shinobi, would ever be anyone important or even happy. Then I got an offer."

Sakura started to make a questioning noise, but Sasuke shushed her. Naruto was grateful. He took a shuddery breath. "I was ten years old. A man approached me, one of my teachers from the Academy. Offered to put me in touch with some people who would perform non-invasive tests and, in exchange, would give me private training. That seemed like a pretty good deal to me, better than another year in a classroom of people who thought I was an idiot and whose parents hated me. So I said yes. Next thing I new, I was waking up somewhere different."

Naruto risked glancing upward, but immediately wished he hadn't. Sasuke and Sakura looked like they were treading the line between pitying and horrified, and Kakashi looked worse, what could be seen of his face carefully kept blank.

"I was there for over a year. I wasn't exactly sure how long until I got out, but it was weird. For one thing, I never left the building that entire time. Never saw out of a window. I was also being monitored most of the time, I think. But the weirdest part was that the training they were putting me through really seemed to be working. I was better at things I had learned before, could visualize abstract concepts I never would have understood before. I was having original ideas, mastering jutsu and techniques above the skill level of my peers. It seemed too good to be true. Maybe that's why it took me so long to start being suspicious." Now his voice went flat, his recitation taking on a mechanical quality.

"I only ever really saw two people that whole time. One was the guy looking after me and teaching me, really no more than a kid himself. The other, well, turns out she was my mother." Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to cry as his voice wavered.

"Kushina?" Kakashi broke his silence, sounding shocked. "Is she still-?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not anymore," he said softly. "She was teaching me sealing. Then the guy in charge of whatever was being done to me did something to her. Put her under a genjutsu, I think. Anyway, she attacked me." He swallowed, and blinked hard, barely surprised at the tears sliding down his face.

"She thought I was someone else, someone who had killed someone important to her. She said she hated me. She was choking me and- I don't know what I did, I just needed to breathe. And suddenly-" he broke off. His head was throbbing just remembering, and his breath was coming quicker, his voice wet and thick-sounding. "I don't even know how it happened. She was trying to kill me and I was begging for her to stop but- I don't know-" He broke off to wipe his eyes on his sleeve. "And I did something. I still don't know what but she let go. She was bleeding and already dying and- and she said I was her son and-"

Naruto took a shuddery breath, trying to collect himself. "After that I didn't trust the tests anymore. She died and no one came to save her or to stop her trying to kill me, to stop me killing her. It wasn't long after that that I met the Kyuubi for the first time. He clued me in a little. Told me what was being done to me during those "non-invasive" experiments." Naruto voice turned bitter, cracking on the last few words.

"They were injecting me with things in my sleep. They probably kept me under with some kind of drug, and then gave me the injections. I had already started to realize I was losing time every time they took me in for testing, and according to the Kyuubi, this was why. The stuff they were giving me- it was what made me smarter, more competent. But it was no drug. It was DNA from other skilled Shinobi."

"Human experiments?" Sakura's voice sounded choked and high. Naruto looked up, nodded at her, hunching his shoulders.

"It gave me powers, specific abilities, some of which I had already been trained to use by the same kid who taught me to throw a punch. But it changed my body, too. Everything's different, now. I don't know how half of it works, but I swiped some notes on my experimentation before I escaped, so I plan to figure out what I can do when we make it back to Konoha."

"How did you escape?" Sasuke asked hoarsely.

Naruto shrugged. "One of the powers they gave me. The thing I did to Zabuza was another one."

"And the Sharingan?" Sasuke asked, mind clearly working quickly, "You have Uchiha DNA?"

"It's likely," Kakashi said quietly. "You have a Rinnegan, too, and presumably at least some of the powers associated with that. Naruto, do you know who authorized these experiments?"

Naruto's mouth twisted. He knew that look in Kakashi's eye. "You've guessed, haven't you? Sarutobi told me human experiments were kind of this guy's MO. Apparently it was this guy named Orochimaru, one of Sarutobi's old students. No one ever mentioned his name to me while I was there, but the Kyuubi called him the Snake Sannin."

Kakashi bowed his head tensely, as if deep in thought. Without looking at Naruto, he said, "Then I'm sorry to ask, Naruto, but are you in any danger?"

Naruto scrubbed a hand through his hair, exhausted and aching from a long day. "I've been a target since the day I was born. But in regards to this, I don't know. Probably? This Orochimaru guy invested a lot of time and effort in me. He'll probably send someone after me sooner or later. But if you're asking if I'm dangerous, well. I don't think so. I barely know how to use my powers. I guess the real danger is that I'll use them without thinking and end up hurting someone, but that's not very likely. These days I overthink everything."

The pseudo-hunter nin crouched over Zabuza's motionless body, fingers tracing over the bandages covering the larger man's mouth and throat. Carefully, they drew out a pair of clippers, reaching forward to snip away the bandages.

"Gonna have to drain some blood," they muttered. "And you already lost so much when that crazy kid cut your arm off. Last time I use poison senbon on you, Zabuza-san, promise." They reached up, clippers in hand, but the movement was arrested by another hand shooting up to grasp their fingers.

"I'll do that," Zabuza rasped, half sitting up. The other chided him softly as he gripped the senbon in his left hand, yanking them out of his own neck.

"You shouldn't do that," the other hummed. "You'll pass out again."

Zabuza didn't even glance up. "What are you still wearing that mask for?" He asked, dropping the senbon to the forest floor and shifting to examine the stump of his right wrist, neatly cleaned and bandaged, but with blood already starting to seep through in places.

"Sorry," the other replied, voice soft but clearly suppressing laughter. They reached up to remove the mask. "It just reminds me of the old days."

Zabuza glanced up at that. "You're so weird, Haku. How do you look so innocent and still be a devious asshole. You did not need to take me down that hard. Where's the rest of my arm?"

"I learned from the best, Zabuza-san," Haku said, a smile playing around his mouth. "I have your arm on ice. I can still reattach it, I think, but you shouldn't be up and about for at least a week, maybe two, in any case. If I find the right herbs, I can even try to take away some of the pain and the truly amazing scar you're going to end up with. Wouldn't want to damage your good looks, would we?"

Zabuza reached up and planted a hand on Haku's face, shoving him backwards onto a pile of leaves, grumbling even as Haku snickered. "Shut up, kid. Just get us out of here."

"As you wish." Haku scrambled up and bowed theatrically. Then he paused. "What are we gonna tell Gatou about that kid?"

Zabuza shook his head, offering Haku his hand to help him up. "Maybe nothing. I guess he's still young, but I've never even heard of what he did. Maybe we need to do some digging. In regards to Gatou, we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it."

"We seem to be having a lot of trouble with bridges lately," Haku said slyly. "Maybe a different idiom would be better."

"Shut up, kid."

When Kakashi woke up the next morning, he was just in time to slap away the hands of his genin, clearly intent on peeling away his mask to see what lay beneath. It was like a sixth sense, knowing when someone was about to get a glimpse of his face. He sat up a little too quickly, pausing for a couple of heartbeats while his head stopped spinning.

"I'm gonna go ahead and assume this was Naruto's idea," he said, deadpan.

Naruto's guilty, "No!" and Sakura and Sasuke's equally emphatic, "Yes," was all he needed.

Kakashi groaned, stretching. "How did you guys sleep?"

"Fine," they chorused, dutifully. Kakashi narrowed his eye at them. Liars. Even though they had slept in the next room, he had heard them all whispering together until the early hours of the morning. Naruto in particular looked distinctly unrested.

Kakashi leaned back, propping himself up on his arms. "Well, we said that when we got here we would make a decision about staying versus leaving. Any thoughts?"

Before anyone could answer, Tazuna arrived, carrying a small boy on his hip. "Hello Konoha shinobi," he said brightly. I'd like you to meet my grandson, Inari. Inari, these are the people who saved grandpa's life yesterday."

"Yeah, yesterday. And a week ago, on the way here," Naruto muttered.

Inari, for his part, took one look at them before burying his face in Tazuna's shoulder, glowering. He looked a little like a crab, a bucket hat pullet low over his dark eyes. At first Naruto assumed he was just shy, until he heard a high, muffled voice say, "They're too young."

"Oh my god, it's genetic," Sasuke said, before he could stop himself. Inari turned and glared at him.

"You're all going to die," he said, with more venom than Naruto had ever heard a ten-year-old manage. "Gatou will kill you."

"No we won't," Sakura said, directing an uncertain smile at Inari. "We've been trained for this, we're all capable-"

"Don't argue with him, Sakura," Naruto said. "He's not going to believe us. We'll just have to show him by saving his grandpa again so he can finish the bridge, won't we?" He addressed himself to Inari.

"You're stupid," Inari shot back. "You should leave if you don't want to die." Inari struggled until Tazuna put him down. He purposely turned his back. "I'm going to my room."

Tazuna and his daughter, Tsunami, had barely begun apologizing before Naruto stood up. "May I follow him?" He asked Tsunami, who looked surprised. She nodded, and Naruto left, ascending the stairs until he stood outside Inari's door. He could hear the young boy's sobs. He raised his hand to knock on the door before he heard a single word gasped out from within the room.

"Dad," Naruto slowly lowered his hand. He had been right, Inari wasn't going to let himself hope. They'd just have to show him.

He went back downstairs to find that Kakashi had already gone outside, accompanied by Sakura and Sasuke. He quickly followed, nodding to Tsunami and Tazuna.

Outside, Kakashi was pacing, every once in a while putting a hand up to his head. Naruto suspected that he had been a little more drained by his fight with Zabuza than he was letting on. Once he spotted Naruto, he stopped.

"Like I was saying before, we don't have to stay," The Jounin said brusquely. "It was underhanded of Tazuna to play that card. For all we know, that kid may be right, we could die. Even if we stay, there may be nothing we can do for these people. We don't owe them anything. So what's your verdict? Stay or go back for help?"

"Inari may have been an unworthy way of getting our attention," Sakura said, "But it's not like it didn't work. I still vote we stay. We're better than any of them give us credit for. How long do you think we have until Zabuza is back on his feet?"

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair. "A week? More? Less? Depends whether they're going to try to reattach his hand."

"He's a swordsman. Plus, that hunter brought his hand with them. I'd guess they are," Sasuke said reasonably.

"Closer to two weeks then, if we're lucky," Kakashi said. "Still vote we stay, Sakura?"

She nodded, eyes flicking over to Naruto. "Not- not to be insensitive or anything, Naruto, but Zabuza is still alive, and that's on us."

"I agree," Naruto said. His hands curled into fists. "We have some breathing room. I suggest we work out some kind of plan, do some training. Maybe help on the bridge, if we can. The sooner it's complete, the better." He thought of Inari. He was pretty messed up by the time he was that kid's age. He had to do what he could.

"Well I'm in," Sasuke said offhandedly, "If anyone's interested."

Kakashi rubbed at his exposed eye. "I swear you kids will be the death of me. All right. If that's what you want, time for a crash course. I want you to have a rough plan of attack worked out by this afternoon, too. And I'll ask Tazuna if there's anything we can help out with on the bridge."

"What are you going to teach us?" Sasuke asked, alert.

"Wall-walking, for a start. Or tree-walking, whatever," Kakashi corrected, looking around at the forest surrounding the bridge-builder's house. "Water-walking from there. Something tells me it's a good idea when staging the defense of an island. From there, probably strategy and whatever I can remember about how people are trained in Mist. It can only help. I don't have enough time to get you all to master much else."

"Um," Naruto said, raising a hand, "I already know that stuff, the wall-walking and water-walking."

Kakashi nodded. "Good. Practice tree-walking a couple of times to get warmed up, and then you can come and help Sasuke and Sakura."

Naruto looked around, picking a suitable tree. Once having reached it, he lifted a foot, making sure the bond between it and the tree was strong before climbing. The texture of the bark made it a little tougher than wall-walking, but at least it wasn't moving the way water did. He paced up and down the tree a few times, pausing to stand upside down on a high branch to watch Sasuke and Sakura's progress every once in a while. After no time at all, he had worked up to speed, running up and down the tree. There was only one hairy moment, when he went to put his foot down and nearly slipped, but he caught himself. Heart pounding, he took another few circuits before coming back down to the ground.

By that point, Sakura looked like she was making real progress, while Sasuke kept trying to tackle it head-on, running as high as he could before he concentration broke and he pushed off, landing hard, knees bent.

Kakashi acknowledged Naruto. "Think you can give these guys some help? I need to go talk to Tazuna about a few things."

Naruto nodded, heading over to Sakura. She seemed like she knew what she was doing. She was getting tired too quickly, though, and Naruto suggested that she work on trying to build her chakra reserves for the future. In the meantime, he gave her pointers on how to cut down on the amount of chakra she was using. It wasn't long before Naruto turned his attention to Sasuke, confident that Sakura would reach her goal within the hour.

Sasuke was a little trickier. He seemed to be able to recite the theory behind wall-walking, and be able to do it at speed without really thinking about it, but the bonds would dissolve when he got up to speed, forcing him to kick off and start over. He wasn't really getting how what he was supposed to do and what he was instinctively doing intersected. Naruto suggested he take it slower. As he pointed out, Sasuke could already form and release the bonds quickly enough to run while performing the technique. He just needed to strengthen his bond and focus on what he was actually doing.

It was then that Naruto's attention was caught by Sakura calling out. She was dangling smugly beneath a high branch, seated as though in an invisible sling.

"How're you doing that?" Naruto asked, walking up her tree to meet her. Sasuke tried to follow, slowly putting one foot in front of the other, stepping off on a lower branch to rest.

"Chakra strings," Sakura said.

"Makes sense," Sasuke said, head tilted back, "You've made a kind of net for yourself. As long as you can keep the strings together and dissolve them at will, you won't get tangled up and you've got a nice vantage point." He smiled, started to climb again. "As long as you can get down safely."

"I guess I could kawirimi down to the ground," she said doubtfully.

"Or haul yourself onto a branch by shortening the strings or lengthening them to reach the branch below," Naruto suggested.

"Hmm," Sakura concentrated. Suddenly she dropped a few feet with a shriek. For a split-second, Naruto braced himself to push off and catch her, but she just hung there, leaning back and forwards like she was on a playground swing and grinning. "Good thing I wear shorts under my dress," she said nonchalantly.

"Okay," Sasuke said, "That looks incredibly weird. But you guys are gonna have to teach me chakra strings, I want to try it."

"First you've got to master tree-walking," Naruto said sternly. "Come on. Try to finish before lunch so we can spend the afternoon coming up with a battle strategy."

Sasuke nodded, chastened, and hopped down, returning to his own tree.

Naruto looked down at Sakura swinging back and forth serenely. "You should work on your chakra reserves," he told her. "Water-walking is tougher than wall-walking."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied. She swung higher, lengthening the chakra strings as she did so, and dissolving them at the peak of the swing, landing hard but intact on the forest floor. Naruto had to admit, that did look like fun.

That afternoon, after they had all eaten and Kakashi had returned outside with them, they got down to work, trying to hash out a plan. Sasuke was thinking of something involving what he called a "wind-mill" shuriken and shadow clones, which sounded pretty interesting. Sakura was of the opinion that they should have more than one contingency plan, and maybe number them. Naruto thought that while that was a good idea, they should also do some sparring first, to get an idea of each other's fighting styles to play to their strengths.

While Kakashi and Sakura discussed the relative benefits of having rigid plans, Naruto drew a scroll out of his pocket, unsealing a tiny, six-inch mannequin, similar to a model off of which he had based one of his earlier puppets. He unsealed a tiny screwdriver, too, tightening a couple of the little doll's joints, turning it over in his hands as he listened. When he began to manipulate it with chakra strings, operating it like a marionette, the voices of the others trailed off. He looked up to find them watching him.

"What?" he asked.

"What's with the doll?" Sasuke asked, beating Sakura to the punch.

"Excuse you," Naruto said, semi-seriously, "It's an action figure."

Sakura patted his hand. Naruto eyed her warily. Since they had stayed up the night before, he had sensed a certain reluctance on the parts of her and Sasuke to get too close to him. Had he been imagining it? They had grilled him for what he knew or was willing to tell them about his new physiology. He had confessed to what he knew; the strings, the mouths on his palms, what he knew about his cursed state. If it repulsed them, they hid it well, but seemed a little too pitying for his tastes. Not really their faults. How else does one react to hearing the kinds of things he had told them?

"Don't worry, Naruto," Sakura said cheerfully, "Some of us, at least, acknowledge that traditionally gendered toys are bullshit."

"It's not a toy," he mumbled.

"No, it's not, is it?" Kakashi said, slowly. "Naruto, were you taught anything about puppetry?"

"Yeah. I've even made a couple," Naruto said. "I don't know if it's the most useful thing in battle, though, seeing as a lot of my other abilities may turn out to be most effective at close range."

"Still, it's worth keeping up those skills, if you happen to be faced with a fighter who wants to keep you at a distance or if you want to do the same."

Naruto shrugged. He hadn't told them about turning Kushina into a puppet. He wasn't sure why he had done that, now. It had been to honor her, but he wasn't too sure when he would be ready to use her again.

Sasuke stood up, stretching. "I think we should resume this later. I want to try to master tree walking today, so we can do water-walking tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Very wise," Kakashi said, rising, too. Sakura and Naruto scrambled to their feet. "I'll supervise for a while, see the progress you made this morning."

Haku rushed over to Zabuza, who was struggling to sit up. He attempted to push the larger man down. "No, Zabuza-san. You need to lie down and rest."

Zabuza grunted in reply. "Gatou's supposed to pay us a visit today. It would be best if I didn't appear completely defenseless."

"But you are completely defenseless," Haku pointed out primly. "I can be your set of hands. I won't let him lay a finger on you."

"I know you won't, kid. But it's about making a display. Gatou's a thug, but he's also a businessman. I'll bet you anything he comes with at least two bodyguards, just so they outnumber us."

"I'm stronger than them," Haku said with immediate certainty. "You trained me well. I can protect you." Like you protected me. He didn't say it, but the words hung in the air.

Zabuza ensured that the bandages were concealing the lower half of his face completely. "I know, kid. But if he thinks I'm a sitting duck, we're gonna be harassed by mercs trying to tie off a loose end with a pretty bow. And since I can't be moved for a while-"

Haku sighed. "I get it." He drew out a senbon needle, twirling it deftly between his fingers. "But if he tries anything-"

"Easy, we still want to get paid, if possible."

Haku tsked. "Working for such a man is deplorable, you're better than this."

"Well I'm not particularly employable with a price on my head, now am I?" Zabuza asked sardonically.

Haku shrugged. "We could help build the bridge."

"Yeah?" Zabuza said with a bark of laughter. "What do you know about bridges?"

Haku was silent for a minute. At last, he asked, "What are you going to tell Gatou about the boy who took your hand?"

Zabuza considered for a moment. "Nothing," he said at last. "If we can point that kid at Gatou the moment we get paid, maybe he can kill him off for us while we get out of dodge."

Haku's lips tightened. "We need to know more about what he can do. We may end up fighting him again."

"Haku, no."

"He wouldn't recognize me!"

"What kind of intel do you expect to gain from a casual conversation? 'Gee, the weather sure is nice, and by the way what do you know about human voodoo?'"

"Then I'll spy on him."

"Haku, do not spy on him."

Haku made a frustrated noise. "At the risk of sounding like a brat, why not?"

"Because he might see you, and I'm in no condition to provide backup."

"Then I'll make sure he doesn't see me. And even if he does, you know how fast I can move. I'll be fine."

"No, Haku."

"Why?"

"Because," Zabuza cast his eyes around, took a breath, as if steeling himself, "Because I need you here, with me. I need you."

Haku let out a sigh. Check and mate. Very clever, Zabuza-san.

"…Fine." He straightened his shoulders, taking up a position by Zabuza's bed. "When did you say Gatou was going to get here?"

"Any minute now." Just then there was a knock at the door, and Gatou let himself in without waiting, followed closely by two bodyguards. Zabuza and Haku glanced at each other, sharing a look, and Zabuza's mouth under his bandages moved into a smirk. Haku carefully kept his expression neutral. He couldn't stay mad at Zabuza-san.

Gatou was speaking already, insulting Zabuza, calling him pathetic, maybe. Haku would like to see Gatou recover from losing an arm. Or maybe just lose an arm without recovering.

It was only when Gatou grew impatient with Zabuza, moved to the bed and reached out, as though to move aside the bandages or place his hand around Zabuza's throat, that Haku moved, blocking the short man's hand with the back of his own, meeting his eyes with a gentle expression that promised agonizing death.

"Please don't touch him," Haku said pleasantly. "Those bandages are clean. Wouldn't want you touching them with your filthy hand." He heard the two bodyguards loosening their swords in their sheaths. Quick as a flash, he was standing between them, their swords in his hands and pressed to their throats. "Just try it," Haku said cheerfully.

Gatou was visibly sweating. With a cursory attempt to pull himself together, he blurted his ultimatum. "One more chance. You get one more chance, Zabuza." He then beat a hasty retreat, taking his protection with him.

Zabuza sighed, pulling the kunai he held in his left hand out from under the blanket. "Thanks for not letting me get a word in edgewise."

Haku shrugged, blood still boiling. "If you wanted people to think you were chatty, you wouldn't have covered your mouth in bandages."

Naruto woke very early, rising quietly and pushing back a curtain, rubbing his eyes and yawning. The sun was barely up yet, the forest still fairly dark. He tried to go back to bed, but after half and hour of lying there in silence, he decided to get up. He pulled on the warmest clothes he had brought and tied his headband on out of habit before heading outside to sit with his back against a tree. He shivered, wrapping his arms around himself, and letting his chin drop to his chest as several sleepy birds began to make their presences known.

Now, maybe dozing off in an unprotected location when no one knew he was out here wasn't the best course of action. But he had never been one for good ideas at the crack of dawn, and that didn't seem like it was going to be the case anytime soon.

Haku woke up early, preparing to venture out into the forest to gather herbs. He let his hair down, running his fingers through it to try and make up for the fact that he often kept it tied back instead of combing it. He glanced at his reflection in the window, taking a moment to admire himself, something he rarely indulged in, before he left, basket over his arm.

He traveled quite some way, lost in thought, an eye out for the types of plants he was looking for. It wasn't long before he knelt, putting down his basket and beginning to gather herbs, using the clippers he had nearly used not so long ago to remove the bandages from Zabuza's throat and drain his blood. Funny how that worked.

Alone in the slowly lightening forest, he allowed himself to relax a little, humming under his breath. As he leaned forward to gather a plant that was out of reach, however, he heard a quiet stirring noise to his left. He was instantly on the alert, head snapping around.

His eyes widened at what he saw. It was that kid, the one from before, sleeping alone in the forest, propped against a tree, completely unprotected.

His first thought was that Zabuza had been right. He had clearly been spotted. This had to be a trap- but the kid wasn't moving. Only the gentle rise and fall of his chest showed he was even alive. Haku stood cautiously, gathering up his basket and edging closer.

He could kill the boy right now. It wouldn't be too hard, provided he didn't wake up. But no, Zabuza had said he might be useful.

Instead, Haku reached out, gently shaking the kid's shoulder. The reaction wasn't what he expected. The kid curled up, knees to his chest and arms wrapped tightly around himself as he opened his eyes, squinting through the pale dawn light.

"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously.

Haku smiled gently, trusting to his innocent-looking face. "Just a friend," he said. "You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here."

"Sleep-?" The kid looked around, suppressing a yawn and rubbing he back of his neck. "Oh, damn. Guess I just had to get out of the house before I could doze off."

"Yeah?" Haku asked, interested, "Why's that?"

The kid rubbed his arms. "I don't know. I didn't used to get claustrophobic, but now… I just don't know." He looked at Haku properly for the first time. "Who are you?" he asked again. "What are you doing out here?"

Haku smiled, offered his hand. "I'm Haku," he said, and, gesturing at his basket, "I'm out here picking herbs for a friend who's pretty sick." Which is your fault, incidentally.

The kid shook his hand, "Naruto," he said, smiling. "Mind if I see what you've found?" Haku gestured him to go ahead, and Naruto leaned forward, glancing at what was in there and plucking a small plant from Haku's basket. "I don't remember what this is called, but it's for infection, right? And this one-" Naruto picked out another plant, "Is for pain." Haku nodded, raising his eyebrows.

"You know your stuff, I'm impressed," he said, as Naruto returned the plants to his basket.

Naruto shrugged. "Plants aren't really my thing. Although," and he paused, looking around before picking a plant by his right foot. "This one's also pretty good for pain. It has to be applied topically in some kind of poultice. Chewing it up works if you're desperate, but it tastes terrible, I warn you."

Haku was smiling by then. There was definitely more to Naruto than he had reckoned on.

Naruto, perhaps mistaking Haku's silence as awkwardness, hastily went on, "So, how did your friend get hurt? You said they were sick, but judging by the pain killers and disinfectants, I'm guessing they were injured and that got infected?"

Haku was caught off guard, somewhat. "He was hurt working on the bridge," he said, thinking fast. "You sure seem to know a lot. Are you a shinobi, by any chance?"

"I guess the headband kind of gives it away," Naruto said guiltily, adjusting it. "Yeah, I am."

"Then can I ask you something?" Haku asked, pressing forward. To his interest, Naruto pressed himself back against the tree behind him, seemingly uncomfortable with Haku so close.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Why do you do it?"

Naruto blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, why put your life on the line? Why choose such a dangerous line of work?"

"You can die from bridge-building as easily as from doing what I do," Naruto mumbled.

Haku waved this away. "My friend will live. This injury is just something that will remind him to be careful in the future. You must have a reason for what you do. Do you do it for someone?"

Naruto shrugged. "There are plenty of people I want to protect," he said carefully. "I will get stronger to make sure my friends have someone to rely on if they ever need me. But everyone I know is their own person already. I guess I do what I do so I can have that for myself. Because I have friends I can rely on now, but I didn't always. I don't know, this sounds selfish, doesn't it?"

"Not at all," Haku said quietly, surprising himself as much as Naruto. "Autonomy is a gift many people would do anything to protect."

Naruto nodded slowly. "It's not that I don't want to rely on others," Naruto said. "I just want to know my own limits first, to know how much I can rely on myself. I don't want to belong to anyone."

Haku was surprised. What did that mean? "You are very wise for someone so young," He said, wonderingly.

Naruto scoffed. "You're at least as young as I am. And you're ten times prettier than anyone I've ever met."

Haku looked Naruto over carefully, but there was not a trace of embarrassment or seduction there. That was just what he thought, no strings attached. "I'm a boy," Haku said pointedly.

Naruto smiled wryly, "Doesn't change anything."

Now Haku was blushing. He quickly picked up his basket, standing as he did so. Naruto stood, too, and offered his hand. Haku grasped it briefly. "You are very unusual, Naruto," he murmured.

"Don't I know it," Naruto said. "No one like me anywhere."

"I guess not," Haku said absently. He left without another word, passing a dark-haired boy as he came to collect Naruto, mind already turning over what Naruto had said. 'I don't want to belong to anyone.' Who do you belong to, Naruto?

Naruto followed Sasuke inside, thinking hard. I swear I've heard Haku's voice before, but where?

When they arrived, he saw Sakura standing by the wall, studying a picture. Inari, Tazuna, Kakashi, and Tsunami were all seated by the table, waiting for Sasuke and Naruto to come back. As they entered, Sakura spoke. "This picture- Inari kept looking at it before. It looks like it's been damaged. Was there someone else in it?"

Naruto's focus sharpened. Sasuke tensed. "Careful Sakura," he said quietly. "Don't pull any threads you don't want to unravel."

Tazuna and Tsunami didn't hear Sasuke, instead twisting around to see the picture in question. Inari's grip tightened on the edge of the table.

"Ah," said Tazuna. "That was Inari's father. He was a real hero."

Inari abruptly pushed his chair back, the legs scraping across the floor. He bounded up and ran out, his face hidden by the brim of his hat. Naruto didn't wait to ask permission this time, but raced after him, following at a short distance.

Inari stalked along purposefully. Naruto wondered how he could see where he was going, but when Inari sat at the end of the pier, he realized that the boy must have come down here many times before. Naruto came up beside him softly and sat down, legs dangling off the edge of the pier. Didn't say anything.

After sniffling for a little while, Inari spoke. "My dad saved me here, once. These mean kids tried to drown my dog and then kicked me in after him. I couldn't swim. I swallowed a lot of water and passed out. Then he saved me." Inari scratched at the wood beneath his fingers, carving grooves with his nails.

"He told me that people should protect what they love with their own two arms," Inari said softly. "He wasn't from around here, but when there was a flood, he jumped into the water himself to close the flood gates. He taught me how to fish."

Inari stopped talking. He was silent for so long that Naruto risked prompting him. "What happened to him?"

Inari's voice was bitter, and he sounded like he was choking back tears. "Gatou came to town. Since dad was a big hero, he resisted. Gatou cut he arms off and then killed him in town square. I watched." Now Inari was definitely crying. "He lied to me! He couldn't protect what he loved!"

Naruto swallowed. That was a hell of a thing. "He didn't lie to you," Naruto said gently. "Trust me, I know what being lied to feels like. Your dad died trying to make sure you didn't suffer. That's what your grandpa is doing with this bridge, making sure you have a good life."

Inari shook his head, sobbing and spattering tears around him. "It won't matter, Gatou will kill everyone. He's too strong."

"Gatou can't oppress everyone here. The people will fight back. And we're here. We can help."

"People keep quitting work on the bridge. They're too scared. No one will fight back."

"Inari," Naruto said sharply, "You're right, heroes don't exist. One person can't defeat all the people Gatou has working for him. But there are four of us, and there are people like your grandpa and your dad who are more afraid of living under Gatou's rule than they are of dying."

Inari was silent for so long after that that when he stood up, Naruto thought he was going to leave again. Instead, Inari took his hat off, thrusting it at Naruto. "Hold this," he said. Naruto took it, nonplussed. Inari took his shirt off next and kicked off his sandals. "I'm going for a swim," he said brusquely. He glanced at Naruto, and he understood.

"I'll keep watch," Naruto promised. I'll make sure nothing bad happens. Inari nodded, raised his hands above his head, and dived in with barely any splash.

Naruto turned Inari's hat over in his hands before setting it down by the kid's shirt and sandals. He leaned back on his hands, watching Inari resurface.

A/N: And here it is, in record time!

1) Naruto finally tells his his team the whole story! A couple of people had told me they wanted the full exposition, so I apologize to those who didn't want to sit through the first eight chapters or so condensed into about a thousand words. Sorry, not sorry.

2) Zabuza wakes up to the familiar mask of his faithful tool, Haku. (Just kidding I actually love Haku.)

3) If you can spot the parallelism between the beginning of this scene and the beginning of the last one, you get a cookie. Inari makes his first appearance, Team seven continues to be noble as hell, Sasuke continues to be irrelevant, (Just kidding, Sasuke is one Cool Kid, ask anyone) Naruto teaches Sasuke and Sakura tree-walking, and Sakura invents the chakra swing. Which... is awesome.

4) I get to make a dumb unoriginal and yet highly successful joke about puppets. Naruto is a paranoid bastard because that's just his lot, and he reveals that he can use puppets. He just isn't ready to show off his dead mom puppet yet.

5) Zabuza gives Haku a very stern talking-to. So stern. Like, at least a nine on the sternness scale. And then Gatou turns up and Haku almost gleefully murders someone because he a loose cannon. Like, who let the cannons out, loose. Put a goddamn muzzle on your cannon before I call cannon control. Damn.

6) Naruto's a claustrophobic traumatized child.

7) Haku is a beautiful androgynous-expressing stallion. I spelled every one of those words wrong. Thank you, spellcheck. Seriously, if you don't headcanon Haku as some kind of genderqueer identity, what's the point? Meanwhile, Perfection continues to blaze new trails by having Naruto actually... have no "precious person"... he just wants his life back. You can bet your bottom dollar that's what he's been using his eyelash wishes for. (Also meanwhile my birthday is in less than two weeks and I continue to talk like I am ninety. Fuck the police.)

8) So I actually have Inari tell the story of his father. Writing like a ten-year-old talks is hard. Anyway, in the end, he shows Naruto how far he's come, both by showing him that he can swim and in trusting Naruto to watch over him. Aww.

So here you go, I hope you like this one. I would estimate that Wave Arc will be over in maybe... two chapters? Don't hold me to that. If you liked this, please review! If you didn't, please don't. But, as I am convinced that the people who send me hate don't actually read my story and just kind of stare vacantly at their screens before hitting review, I feel safe enough to call the people who send me hate wieners. Because they will never read this far. Don't be a wiener! If you liked the chapter, drop me a line! I love you guys so much. Stay safe, and remember that self-care is very important.

Pax.