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After using the Flying Thunder God, he appeared in front of a small wooden cabin.
Naruto walked toward it with a firm step and a slight smile on his face.
He didn't hesitate to knock softly on the door.
"Stop ignoring me, come on, I know you're in there, Zabuza-san."
But, contrary to his expectations, it was Haku who opened the door.
The image of Haku's body fading into a smear of blood and flesh on the ground, the result of his Rasengan, invaded his mind for an instant, forcing him to take a step back instinctively.
No matter how much he tried, he could never get used to seeing alive someone whose death he had caused with his own hands.
"Naruto, you've taken too long…" she said with a kind smile. "Zabuza-sama hasn't stopped complaining about your delay."
Naruto rolled his eyes.
Ever since he revived them, about six months ago, just one day before the Chūnin Exams—like all the others—they had been hiding in this cabin.
Naruto had decided to extend a hand and help them.
Zabuza and Haku were fugitives wanted by Kirigakure, mainly because Zabuza was a rogue ninja, a former shinobi of the village who had become an outlaw mercenary.
Haku, as his protégé and companion, was also marked as a fugitive.
Kirigakure considered them a threat and sought to capture or eliminate them for their crimes.
But after that mission in the Land of Waves, Kirigakure believed both had died.
After bringing them back from the chat group, Naruto made sure to keep the secret so everyone would go on believing they were dead.
Zabuza and Haku hid away and built this cabin in a place few dared to tread: the Forest of Death.
They had stayed there ever since, waiting for him.
Naruto had given them a chance to start over, without living in the shadow of fear or constant persecution.
Surprisingly, Zabuza accepted that life, seeking peace and quiet for Haku's sake.
His desire to rebel against the tyranny Kirigakure suffered under Yagura Karatachi was overshadowed by his yearning to see Haku happy.
It seemed that Haku's state before dying had marked him more than he showed.
But Naruto didn't allow Zabuza's desire to free Kirigakure from the Bloody Mist Era to disappear from his mind.
After bringing them to the Forest of Death, he had promised to return soon to take them back to Kirigakure and end Yagura's oppression, as Yagura was under Obito's control.
And for these six months, Zabuza had waited for that moment with patience and determination.
Now, finally, he had returned to fulfill his promise.
"I suppose Zabuza's out hunting?" Naruto asked.
Haku nodded, stepping aside to let him in. "Zabuza-sama felt like having stew for lunch."
"Then I've arrived at the perfect moment," Naruto joked, suddenly feeling hungry.
His stomach growled hungrily, and he placed a hand on it with a cheeky smile.
Haku brought a hand to her mouth, trying to hide her smile.
"By the way, Haku… are you a man or a woman? I've always wondered…" Naruto couldn't contain his curiosity and abruptly changed the subject, completely out of the blue.
Haku had the appearance of a woman, acted like one, and wore a delicate pink dress with a black choker.
Yet Naruto still wasn't sure.
Haku tilted her head, puzzled by the question.
"Can't you tell just by looking at me?" She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.
Only then did Naruto realize that if Haku really was a woman, his question might have been very offensive.
"Mhpm," Haku replied, ignoring him, and turned toward a corner of the cabin, starting to prepare the stew's sauce, chopping carrots.
Naruto nodded to himself at the soft sound that came from her mouth as she walked away.
"Yes… without a doubt, must be a woman," he thought, convinced.
...
"Ah, you're here too." Naruto looked at Suigetsu with evident boredom, barely paying him any attention.
Suigetsu, who had just entered through the door, stared at him in surprise. Naruto was sitting at the table, resting his head on one hand, waiting.
"You could at least look a little happy! Or at least not make it so obvious you don't give a damn about seeing me!" Suigetsu protested, offended.
When he brought him to the village, Naruto had sent him to Zabuza and Haku, since the three of them had belonged to Kirigakure in the past.
Also, he thought it would be a good idea for him to spend some time with one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, given his obsession with them.
Besides, both Suigetsu and Zabuza were wielders of the Kubikiribōchō.
Naruto believed Suigetsu could learn something from Zabuza.
The door creaked open again, and a gust of air entered along with Zabuza's tall and bulky figure, carrying a couple of cuts of meat wrapped in a rag.
Without saying a word at first, he crossed the room with heavy steps and set the package on the kitchen table.
"There you go, finish that," he grunted, casting a glance at Haku.
"Yes, Zabuza-sama," Haku replied softly, already taking the meat to cut it and add it to the pot. The smell of the stew instantly intensified, filling the cabin with such a warm aroma that Naruto felt his stomach roar mercilessly.
"Oh, that smells amazing!" he exclaimed, almost drooling as he tried to hold back from going straight to the pot.
Zabuza turned toward him, and his sharp gaze was like a bucket of cold water.
"And you? You finally show up after six damn months, and the first thing you do is drool over my food?"
Naruto raised his hands, smiling cheekily.
"Come on, old grouch, you know I always keep my promises. I just… got a little delayed."
"A little…" Zabuza let out a short, bitter laugh. "If Haku hadn't convinced me, I'd have gone to get you myself… and trust me, it wouldn't have been to greet you."
"Then you'd have ended up the same as last time," Naruto said with a mocking smile.
Zabuza's forehead immediately tensed, and a thick vein popped as if it might burst.
In a swift movement, he unstrapped the Kubikiribōchō from his back and swung it at Naruto's neck without warning.
Naruto, without losing his calm, simply leaned slowly back in his chair, letting the massive blade pass a few centimeters from his face.
He didn't even blink.
"Tch…" Zabuza grunted, clicking his tongue in frustration as he put the sword back on his shoulder. "Someday I'll separate that head of yours from your body."
Meanwhile, Suigetsu had quietly approached the kitchen, trying to sneak his hand into the pot to steal a piece of meat.
Whack!
Haku smacked his hand with the wooden spoon without even turning her head.
Suigetsu pulled back, frowning.
"Ow! Are you trying to starve me? Let me snack before dinner!"
"Wait for dinner like everyone else," Haku said calmly, moving the pot a little farther from him. "Besides, the meat's still raw, idiot."
Naruto, watching the scene, couldn't help but laugh.
After an hour, the steaming stew with its irresistible aroma was finally ready; Haku calmly began serving everyone, starting with Zabuza.
As Haku filled the plates, the aroma filled the cabin, making Naruto's stomach growl so loudly that even Zabuza raised an eyebrow.
"For the love of… Did you come here that hungry, or have you not eaten in days? This isn't a charity for starving beggars," Zabuza grunted.
Naruto ignored him completely. He took a spoonful, and as soon as the stew touched his tongue, a delicious warmth spread through his body.
He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring each bite.
"Haku, this is amazing," he finally said with a sincere smile. "You really know how to cook… unlike Reika or Karin…" he muttered the last part to himself.
No matter how much they tried, Reika and Karin always burned everything.
That's why it was always him or Hinata who cooked.
Haku lowered her gaze slightly, blushing, but couldn't hide the satisfaction the compliment brought her.
Naruto looked at her with a raised eyebrow, slightly uncomfortable seeing her blush.
He still didn't know if she was a man or a woman, which only made it seem stranger.
Zabuza grunted from his place, though it was obvious he was also enjoying the food in silence.
After a while, silence settled over the cabin, broken only by the soft sounds of spoons and plates.
...
"So, what's the plan, brat?" Zabuza asked, growling in frustration.
Clearly, he didn't like having to work alongside Naruto.
Naruto, who had spent the night in the cabin with Zabuza and Haku, now walked at the front of the group. The four of them—including Suigetsu—were heading toward Kirigakure.
"What plan?" Naruto raised an eyebrow in genuine confusion.
Zabuza, without losing composure, imitated him and raised an eyebrow too. "You don't have any plan?"
Haku, walking beside Zabuza, looked at him in surprise. "Do you really not have anything prepared?"
Naruto shrugged calmly. "Not to brag… but do we really need a plan?"
"Of course we do!" Zabuza roared. "We're going to infiltrate Kirigakure and kill the Fourth Mizukage!"
Naruto tilted his head, as if he didn't understand the problem. "Again… is a plan really necessary?"
For him, it didn't matter if he walked in through the front door, smashed it down, or shouted his arrival from the rooftops; all of Kirigakure didn't have even a fraction of the power needed to so much as touch him.
It might have sounded arrogant, but it was the truth.
Even so, no matter how much he trusted his strength, he wasn't going to walk in through the main gate and kill the Fourth Mizukage in front of all of Kirigakure.
"Well, I'll figure something out along the way," Naruto replied, with a tone so relaxed it made clear how little he was worried about the matter.