Wave Aftermath
Later that day, everyone in the Wave was celebrating—everyone except a broody genin, his sensei, and a team of Kumo ninja supporting a boy who had been orphaned once more. Tsunami suggested burying Zabuza's remains in the forest behind his house. Naruko and Hinata helped Haku dig the grave while Bee crafted a sword-shaped tombstone.
"Here lies Zabuza Momochi, once a ninja of Kirigakure—loyal yet persecuted, drastic yet necessary. You will be remembered," Hinata said solemnly, as Naruko comforted Haku.
"Haku, Zabuza died an honorable death—and received a burial, something not all shinobi are granted. We offer you a place with us in Kumogakure. You may serve as a shinobi—or choose not to," Bee proposed kindly.
"Haku—please... Zabuza-sama entrusted me to your care. Wherever N-san, wherever N-sama goes, I will follow," Haku sobbed. Hinata exchanged a worried look with Naruko.
"Haku-san, you are free. Zabuza wanted you to be—he asked N-chan to watch over you. You are no slave, no tool. You are your own person," Hinata said gently.
"If I must be my own person, then I choose to serve," Haku replied earnestly. "I don't know anything else. I'd be happy serving someone with a greater purpose. And as a bonus, N-sama is kind-hearted. Please, allow me to serve you."
Both girls frowned, sensing the boy's fragile dependence on servitude. Haku seemed incapable of caring for himself without direction.
Hinata took a deep breath. "Haku-san, since serving seems the only way you know how to live—and since there are those who would abuse your kind spirit—I, H. Uzumaki, wife of N. Uzumaki, as matriarch of the Uzumaki clan, hereby offer you the choice to serve our clan, for as long as you wish to remain."
"If you join us, we will trust you with our secrets. From that moment, your life becomes bound to discretion. Failing to keep them... will have consequences," Naruko said, her expression turning serious.
"I don't care. I want to serve you. Please, have me," Haku pleaded, kneeling and bowing before them. The girls grasped his hands and gently helped him up. As their eyes met, Naruko's eyes glowed red—and the world dissolved into a starless black void.
A Moonlit Invitation
When Haku awoke, he was standing in a forest of towering trees. The clearing was bathed in moonlight. "Where am I? How did we get here?" he wondered—when movement caught his attention. A massive being approached, her huge paws landing with a tremor beneath her, and a roaring bonfire illuminated a grand wooden house.
"So—you wish to serve my children…" boomed a powerful yet feminine voice. "Interesting. Your first reaction was to leap in front of them to defend them... Not very self-preserving. Hmm. I like you. You will serve us."
"Tell me your name, Ice Boy."
"I—I am Haku. I don't want to carry my father's name anymore. If it's alright with you, I'd gladly be called 'Haku Momochi,' in honor of the man who raised me."
The massive furred head dipped to regard him.
"I'm Kurama—the Nine-Tails Fox, eldest and strongest of the bijū. But you may call me Kurama. Don't speak my name to outsiders."
"Are you a Biju?"
Kurama tilted her head. "Why do you ask if I was a bijū?"
"My father, Zabuza Momochi, tried to kill the Mizukage, who had ordered bloodline purges. He said Yagura was kind yet powerful—but then he went mad. Zabuza believed it was because he was a jinchūriki. No disrespect—but I need to know: did Yagura go mad because of a bijū? And who is your jinchūriki? Can I trust them?"
Kurama's tails pounded in the clearing. "Some bijū are violent—but genocide? That would take a very powerful genjutsu. Do you know which bijū was sealed within him?"
"Zabuza-sama told me that Yagura hosts the Three‑Tails, Isobu," Haku said.
"Isobu is the calmest of us. He doesn't kill like that—he'd only act to protect his seal. Yagura must be under a powerful illusion. Tell me—do you know anything of the bijū–host bond?"
"Zabuza-sama said Yagura had complete control over the Sanbi," Kurama snarled, her nine tails lashing in fury. Naruko's eyes glowed bright red in sympathy.
"So—it was him. That damn Uchiha! (Howl) He couldn't match me head-on, so he enslaved my brother! We will have our revenge. That bastard will pay!"
"Kurama-sama, please calm yourself. Losing control might leak chakra—and draw unwanted attention." Kurama closed her eyes and breathed deeply, settling her rage.
She looked at Hinata. "Thank you." Then she turned to Haku. "Naruko is my jinchūriki—and I'm connected to Hinata as well. The night I attacked Konoha… I was provoked. Baffling, but I was resisting an attempt to control me. Biju rarely attack without reason. If you join us, you will wear a seal to guard our clan's secrets—hyūga and Uzumaki family names. Do you accept?"
Haku bowed deeply. "I will serve your clan—and proudly wear your seal. This gives me purpose... and a path to avenge Zabuza-sama."
Dinner at Tazuna's House
Later that evening, Konoha and Kumo nin gathered for dinner—and Naruko and Hinata sat with two glaring Konoha genin. Kiba and Akamaru tried to break the ice.
"So, girls," Kiba began cheerily, "want to go with me to the village? We're heroes now, and they're partying in our honor. Let's go have fun!"
"Kiba-san," Hinata said gently, "we appreciate it, but there's a misunderstanding. Haku-san is a boy. N-chan is a hermaphrodite—she has both male and female. And I'm in a relationship with N-chan. So please… don't flirt with us."
Kiba turned bright red and everyone laughed (except the serious genin). Naruko, ever playful, stretched dramatically.
"Bah—don't let that discourage you, Kiba. We'd love to go! Maybe help you meet a nice girl, even! But," she paused dramatically, wrapping a playful arm around Hinata, "eyes off my wife, bugger!" Even Kiba couldn't help but join the laugh at Naruko's joke.
Dinner wound down happily… until Sasuke stepped forward, glaring at Haku.
"I demand a rematch. Now that my bloodline's awakened, I'll show you your place!"
"I have no need nor motive to fight you, Uchiha-san," Haku replied politely.
Sasuke withdrew a kunai—only for Naruko to snatch it from his hand.
"Are you serious? Konoha nin are known for honor… trying to ambush an ally in his own home?! Kami help us—what are they teaching you at the Academy?"
Naruko grinned at Sasuke, then winked at Kiba. "Want me to fix his attitude for you?" she quipped.
Naruko declared, "If you want to spar, fine—but not full power, and weapons only!" She gestured at a pair of wooden kodachi.
Sasuke snarled, Sharingan aflame. "Do not underestimate me!"
Naruko smiled. "Relax, kid. Too intense, and you make mistakes. Let's go!" She drew a pair of wooden blades and leapt forward.
Sasuke blocked them with kunai, but Naruko cut the pressure, pressing him back. "See? You're not at full strength! Wait till I go serious."
Sakura fans cheered; Hinata and Bee glanced uneasily at Kakashi.
Sasuke shot shuriken, but Naruko dodged—and spotted wires attached to them.
"Now you set a trap? Laughable."
Naruko started pantomiming a dramatic performance: "Oh no—I've been ensnared by an evil ninja wire! Will this cruel fate force me to submit? Oh, Sasuke-kun... what will you do to my—pure and chaste body?"
Her playful moans and exaggerated sounds made Sasuke, Kiba, Kakashi—and even Sakura—blush furiously. Sakura had to cover her mouth.
"A-Ah! He's a pervert!" thought Sakura in horror as Naruko struck a seductive pose, hip popped, body arched. Sasuke's nose bled visibly.
Naruko giggled. "Looks like the mighty Uchiha is tempted by my curves. His nosebleed—evidence! But let's see… I'm wooden Kodachi, you're wielding kunai. Guess who's got reach?"
Sasuke's glare turned blood-red; Naruko grinned—confident, playful, and unapologetic.
"You seem to forget that you're still trapped! No trick will change that, bitch!"
"Oh, poor old me! What shall I do? Is the cruel Konoha ninja going to punish me?" Naruko pouted.
"That's it—I'm ending this now!" Sasuke spoke through tightly formed hand seals.
Naruko giggled. "Oh no! I'm still trapped… or am I?"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke expelled five small flame orbs toward Naruko. It was a sure hit, but she channeled wind chakra into her wooden kodachi, cutting the wire and backflipping away. The flame orbs exploded harmlessly on the ground.
Kakashi began to intervene—but Bee grabbed his arm. "Don't stop them. Sasuke's temper makes him predictable. As long as he's enraged, N‑chan's winning."
"What Bee-sensei means," Hinata added, "is that if Uchiha‑san doesn't control his temper, he falls for every trap N‑chan sets. Even his strongest jutsu are useless against her style."
In the clearing, Sasuke pressed forward while Naruko danced around his attacks—taunting and evading. The rookie Uchiha was being humiliated.
"Stay still, damn it!" Sasuke snarled.
"Why, Sasuke‑kun?" Naruko teased. "Don't you want to chase me anymore? Am I not desirable? Oh, you break my heart…"
"AAAAARGH! I hate you, you insufferable blond bastard!" Sasuke roared.
Naruko's eyes slitted predatory. "Oy, duck butt, relax your anus. Don't involve my deceased parents—or I'll ravage your butt so hard you won't walk again!" The forest fell silent. Akamaru hid in Kiba's jacket; Sakura tensed, feeling like sizzling bacon.
Sasuke paused. "Was that… genjutsu?"
He glared and cast his clan's signature.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball!" The massive inferno surged at close range—but Naruko, reading his hand signs, anticipated it.
When the smoke cleared, Sasuke stood alone in the clearing. No sign of Naruko—and no burned body. He relaxed—until her voice echoed from the mist.
"So… little Emo‑suke burns my favorite bush and expects applause? And you insult my wife while you're at it?"
"Come out and face me, you blonde whore!" He hissed.
"Tsk, tsk," Naruko's voice drifted from everywhere. "Why so angry, duck butt? Trying to insult my family or call me a whore? Disrespecting my wife? Unless… oh Kami, Emosuke is a little homosuke, isn't he? Want my butt because I'm partly female? Too bashful to offer yours, so you offer mine? Hahahahaha!"
Her laughter rang from all sides. Kiba and Sakura glared, disturbed and angry. Sasuke clenched his sharingan-stung fists, rage boiling.
Kiba whispered, "Is N-sama hunting like Zabuza-sama?…"
"It is called Naruko's favorite tactic," Hinata explained. "She corners prey… teases them… then strikes."
Sasuke panted, scanning for Naruko. A bush rustled—
"SASUKE‑KUN! IT'S A TRAP!" Sakura screamed.
He jumped aside as a hail of senbon rattled where he'd stood. Lightning fast, he threw kunai with wire tags at the origin. When the tags exploded, his neck tingled. He backflipped, releasing a Great Fireball at the culprits. Heart pounding—he thought he'd won.
"Oh, poor Emosuke looks happy to burn my bush. Want a piece of my ass? Ask permission from my jealous wife first!" Naruko's voice teased from behind a tree.
Sasuke repeated the wire-shuriken trick—trapping Naruko against the trunk. Before she could escape, his variant of Great Fireball ignited the trap.
"Ahhhhhhh, it burns—noooo…" Naruko screeched as flames licked the tree. Then her voice drifted mockingly from elsewhere: "…or maybe not."
"Emosuke, Emosuke, my cute duck-butt—! That's the first competent move tonight. Hope you're better in bed than battlefield, or your clan's screwed." Laughter echoed all around.
"Lightning Style: Sparkling Web!" Naruko called from atop a tree. Senbon set up in a cone-shaped web, shocking and paralyzing Sasuke's injured body. Three Narukos emerged and pressed odachi blades to his neck.
"What does the queen say?" One asked.
"Off with his heads—ah!" chorused the others. Then poof—they vanished.
"And... cut!" Naruko popped into view. Sakura nearly fainted. "Hah! My win. You see, Sasuke‑kun—your jutsu packs power, your speed is impressive, but you're so easy to enrage. Ninjas are sneaky; we exploit everything. I lured you, emotionally rattled you, pushed your ego. If you expected honor, try bodyguarding or samurai work."
Naruko brushed the back of Sasuke's neck; he winced as a small shock lifted his paralysis. "I admit it, you're stronger—but I lied when I said I wasn't going all out."
"Dam right he is!" "That bitch only won with tricks!" Sakura yelled. Kiba and Kakashi sighed; even Bee and Hinata shook their heads as they extinguished the small fires.
Naruko began to step away—but Sasuke, furious, pulled out a kunai and lunged.
Before he got near, a kunai pinned him in the neck—and Hinata's icy grip seized his arm.
"What do you think you're doing, Uchiha-san?" she asked, calm and measured.
Sasuke sneered, "Is this sneaky too?"
"The spar is over," Haku said firmly. "Threatening an ally isn't smart."
Kakashi's jaw dropped—but Bee gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let me be clear: we're not Konoha, not your allies. Maybe in Konoha you get away with anything—as 'the last Uchiha.' But not here," Hinata said softly. "If you attack us, I'll seal your ability to perform jutsu for life… rip out your eyes… and send you back to Konoha as a gift. Konoha only wants your genetics. No gonad damage = no problem in their eyes. Understand?"
Sasuke gulped, ashamed.
"How dare you!" Naruko shouted, silencing Sakura with a hand over her mouth. "Don't insult my H‑chan, pinky! If your duck-butt wanted to attack me freely, I can do the same to you." Her snake‑slit pupils glared.
"Let's all calm down. It's a misunderstanding… Sasuke acted in rage, N‑chan said some harsh things too. Let's end the night here," Kakashi interjected.
Aftermath
In the days that followed, the Kumo team raided Gato's properties, distributed mission funds, and rebuilt the bridge with villagers. Tsunami transformed Gato's mansion into an inn for travelers and became leader of the Wave.
A Private Conversation
"Before we leave, Kakashi-san, I need to speak to you privately."
They walked aside. Bee handed Kakashi a scroll.
"N‑chan might've told you—but my brother, the Raikage, seeks an alliance between our villages. Your team will enter the Chūnin Exams soon. This scroll contains a draft alliance treaty and the true story of N‑chan and H‑chan. It must remain secret. Tell Sarutobi-sama that the Uzumaki will share the full tale personally—and warn him not to harm them. Someone is watching over them—someone who won't hesitate to finish what began when Naruko was born."
Kakashi nodded gravely.
The next morning, both teams departed for their homes—leaving behind the Wave Country and the rebuilt Great Bridge of Hope.