"Heh, I love how you act all prickly while hiding what you really feel."
At Naruto's words, Sasuke flushed and pouted. "Who's hiding anything? Who are you calling prickly?"
"Me, I meant me. Hehe..."
While they bickered, Tazuna's daughter finished shopping. All they could say was that the food over the next few days would probably be rather poor.
"Naruto, Sasuke, let's go home."
The journey home went smoothly, without a single incident.
Once they arrived, Tazuna's daughter went to prepare dinner, while Sasuke pulled Naruto outside, apparently wanting him to teach him the knack of Water Walking.
Sakura had yet to fully master Gecko Wall-Walking, so she headed into the woods to train on her own.
After discussing the plans for starting work on the Great Bridge with Tazuna, Kakashi returned to his room, utterly drained, to rest.
Meanwhile.
Zabuza's hideout was filled with sobbing.
Zabuza held the girl in his arms, stroking her long hair as he gently comforted her.
"Ever since I picked you up and took you with me, you never cried this loudly, no matter how hard or exhausting your training was. Haku, I'm sorry. It took me being on my deathbed to realize you were the person closest to me. All those ambitions and grievances were nothing but empty dreams."
"Lord Zabuza, please don't say that. I'm your tool. I've never felt that I was suffering. My wish has always been to become a useful tool in your hands."
The more Haku spoke like that, the more Zabuza's heart ached.
"Haku, from now on, you're no longer a tool without feelings. You're my little sister, my family. I want you to live happily from now on and face the world with a smile. Do you understand?"
Haku went blank at those words. Little sister,