By late afternoon, Zabuza and Haku had finished the basic structure of their wooden house.
It wasn't elaborate—just a single-story dwelling with two rooms, a cooking area, and a small covered porch—but it was solid. Earth Style had dug the foundation. Water Style had mixed and shaped the clay for the walls. Fire Style had cured the wood beams to prevent rot.
They stood back to admire their work, sweat cooling on their skin as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
"We'll need to get furniture," Haku said, already mentally cataloging what they'd need. "Bedding, cooking utensils, lamps..."
"Later," Zabuza grunted. "At least we have walls and a roof. That's more than we've had in years."
It was true. As missing-nin, they'd spent most nights in caves, abandoned buildings, or simply sleeping in trees. Having an actual house—even an empty one—felt almost decadent.
Footsteps approached through the grass.
Shikamaru appeared around the corner of the house, his arms laden with books. His sharp eyes swept over the new construction with an assessing gaze.
"Momochi-san, Haku-san." He bowed politely. "My name is Shikamaru Nara. I'll be training you in breeding techniques and farm management. Please take care of me."
He set the stack of books down on the porch floor, then walked a slow circle around the house, examining the joints, testing the stability of corner posts, checking the roof line.
"Beautiful work," he said finally, genuine approval in his voice. "You're both skilled craftsmen. That's good—it means you'll pick up farm management faster. The principles are similar: attention to detail, understanding systems, patience."
"Thank you, Shikamaru-san," Haku said with a small bow. "Please guide us well."
Zabuza nodded his agreement, keeping his expression neutral.
The three of them settled onto the porch floor, kneeling in a loose triangle with the books between them.
Shikamaru studied Haku for a moment, taking in the delicate features, the graceful movements, the almost ethereal quality. "Haku-san, you're very beautiful." He said it matter-of-factly, without any suggestive undertone. "I think you'd be well-suited to the aesthetic aspects of farm management—singing to the animals, managing their bathing schedules, that sort of thing."
Haku blinked, slightly taken aback, but nodded.
Then Shikamaru's gaze shifted to Zabuza. He took in the height, the broad shoulders, the obvious physical power. "And Momochi-san—you're tall and strong. Very impressive. Which means the heavy labor will fall to you. Cleaning the pigsties, hauling manure, that kind of work."
Zabuza's visible eye twitched. Can tall people not catch a break? Why does being tall automatically mean hard labor?
But the boy had been sent by Naruto. Insulting him would be insulting Naruto. And Zabuza had already learned what happened when you disagreed with Naruto's "suggestions."
He swallowed his pride and nodded. "Understood."
"Excellent." Shikamaru began distributing books like a sensei handing out textbooks. "These cover all the basics of farm management. They're written in standard ninja world common language—pictures and text together. Anyone who can read ninjutsu scrolls can understand them."
The books piled up quickly in front of each of them. Seven, eight volumes each.
Zabuza looked down at his stack and read the titles with growing dismay:
How to Clean the Farm to Keep Animals in a Dry and Comfortable Environment
Dry and Wet Treatment of Manure
How to Store Fertilizer and Maximize Its Efficiency
Advanced Composting Techniques
He sighed internally and glanced over at Haku's pile, hoping for moral support.
Haku was examining his own books:
What Type of Music Makes Pigs Grow Healthier and Happier
One Hundred Massage Techniques for Cows
What to Do If Pigs Don't Like to Eat or Sleep
The Psychology of Livestock Contentment
Zabuza felt his eye twitch again. Differential treatment. This is what happens in a face-focused world.
He wanted to scream. I want the world to feel my pain!
"All right," Shikamaru said, standing and dusting off his pants. "You both should start reading tonight. In three days, we'll have a preliminary examination. Good luck!"
He bowed once more and departed, leaving them alone with their mountain of homework.
Once Shikamaru's footsteps had faded, Haku picked up the top book from his stack. His eyes were bright—actually bright—with something that looked uncomfortably like enthusiasm.
"Zabuza-sama, let's begin studying."
Zabuza stared at the thick volumes in front of him and felt a headache forming behind his eyes. "I'm a physical laborer," he muttered. "Do I really need to read all this? Can't I just roll up my sleeves and do the work?"
"Zabuza-sama..." Haku's voice carried gentle reproach.
The look he gave Zabuza—patient, expectant, slightly disappointed—was impossible to ignore.
"Fine. Fine!" Zabuza grabbed the top book and yanked it open, flipping pages with more force than necessary. "Let's see what's so complicated about shoveling shit."
Haku smiled softly and bent his head over his own reading.
Zabuza tried to focus on the words in front of him, but they seemed to swim on the page. Questions were formatted in multiple choice, each one more absurd than the last.
Then he found one that made his brain stutter:
Question: What should you do if you see wet droppings in the animal enclosure?
A: Sweep up directly and classify together with dry feces.
B: Sweep up directly and classify together with wet feces.
C: Leave it alone and let it decompose naturally.
D: Carefully observe its color and shape to determine if it's normal. Check if it's brown or contains blood. If normal, classify with wet feces. If abnormal, consult Farm Director Shikamaru for further treatment.
Zabuza's eye lit up. Finally, an easy one!
He used the process of elimination like a proper ninja analyzing an opponent's weakness.
First: dry and wet clearly shouldn't be mixed. That ruled out A.
Second: you couldn't just ignore it as a farm worker. That eliminated C.
Third: D was way too complicated. Why bother Shikamaru over every little thing? A professional should handle basic problems independently.
Obviously, the answer is B.
Feeling confident for the first time in hours, Zabuza marked his answer with a pen, then flipped to the back of the book to check.
His confidence shattered.
The correct answer was D.
"What?!" He stared at the page like it had personally betrayed him. "How is it wrong? I chose right! There's a mistake in this book!"
Haku looked up from his reading. "Is something wrong, Zabuza-sama?"
Zabuza thrust the book at him wordlessly, pointing to the offending question.
Haku read it carefully, then smiled—actually smiled, warm and gentle. "Zabuza-sama, you did choose incorrectly. The feces are important indicators of animal health. Color, consistency, frequency—they all reveal whether the animals are sick or stressed. That's why you choose the last option."
Zabuza's eye widened. "Oh! So I just have to choose the longest answer! That's the trick!"
"No, no." Haku shook his head, still smiling. "It's not about length, Zabuza-sama. You can't just pick C when you don't know the answer, either. That kind of test-taking strategy won't work here. You actually need to understand the material."
Zabuza slumped against the wall of their new house, the book falling closed in his lap.
He felt his head throbbing. This is it. This is what I hate most in the world. Studying. Tests. Having to memorize things instead of just doing them.
But Haku was already bent over his books again, making quiet notes in the margins, his expression peaceful.
For Haku, Zabuza thought. I'm doing this for Haku. And maybe, eventually, for that dream of overthrowing Yagura.
He picked up the book again and forced himself to read.
After leaving Zabuza and Haku to their studies, Shikamaru made his way back to the main farmhouse where Naruto was sitting on the porch, Nine-Tails curled in his lap.
"Shikamaru." Naruto stood as his friend approached. "Thank you. Really. I mean it."
During his absence, Shikamaru had transformed the farm. The pigs were noticeably fatter, their coats glossy with health. The sheep were more active, their wool thick and clean. The cattle herd had doubled in size, with several cows visibly pregnant.
It wasn't just maintenance—it was improvement. Growth. Excellence.
"It's nothing, Naruto." Shikamaru's smile was genuine, lacking any of the self-deprecation that used to color everything he said. "Honestly, I enjoyed it. I think—" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "I think management might be what I'm meant for. Whether it's people or animals, planning and coordination make my brain work in ways I actually like. It's not troublesome at all. It's... satisfying."
Naruto studied his friend, noting the way Shikamaru stood straighter now, the confidence in his voice, the light in his eyes that hadn't been there months ago.
"In that case," Naruto said decisively, "I'm officially hiring you as Farm Director. High salary, year-end bonuses, the whole package."
It was exactly what he needed. With Shikamaru managing operations, Naruto could focus entirely on training. And his training was approaching a critical point—he could feel it. His spirit, energy, and body were nearly unified, hovering on the edge of breakthrough.
Just a little more. Just one final push, and he'd achieve true unity. His Iron Body would advance to Greater Accomplishment. His Heavenly Steps would reach the third level, allowing him to literally step on air.
Then gravity itself won't be able to hold me down, Naruto thought. The sky will be my limit—and then I'll break through that too.
"I'd be honored, Naruto," Shikamaru said, bowing formally.
The new title seemed to energize him. His eyes swept across the farm with proprietary satisfaction, already cataloging tasks, planning improvements, thinking three steps ahead.
"I should get back to work," he said. "Evening inspection won't do itself. As Farm Director, I need to make sure everything's perfect before nightfall."
He walked away with purpose in every step, head high, shoulders back.
Here, Shikamaru thought with quiet pride, I'm the king. Not of people—of pigs and cattle and sheep. But a king nonetheless.
Naruto watched him go with a satisfied smile.
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