Once More by ItsHardToFindAPenName

Chapter 19: are Family

Even with all the destruction around, it's still beautiful to see so many people working together like this.

Konoha citizens and Suna shinobi were working side by side to clean up the warzone and tend the wounded. From time to time, laughters and playful slaps to the back could be heard from corners of the village, where shinobi and workers were sitting together, drinking cold tea and chatting joyfully after a hard day of labor.

Their work was pretty much of a breather though, considering the thousands of orange blondes running around, helping them in anyway they could.

Naturally, many people, both of Suna and Konoha, were baffled.

"Can't believe I would live to see a day when that brat becomes helpful," a Konoha resident sneered.

"Well, I don't know, he seems pretty good to me," the Suna shinobi next to him noted. "He was the one who defeated our village's jinchuriki after all."

"Yeah right," the Konohan sneered again. "As if he could do that without Sasuke-sama's help. I bet he just hid in some hole and waited until Sasuke-sama subdued the demon, then jumped out to take the spotlight."

THWACK!

The worker stumbled to the ground painfully; his cheek now swollen with a red handprint. It was Haku who had just slapped him.

"You bastard!" She yelled, not even caring that everyone was gawking at her. "How dare you? Naruto-kun risked his own life fighting that jinchuriki to save your lives! If you have time to sit here and say things like that, why don't you just go out there and fight that jinchuriki yourself!"

The man pushed himself up in anger and snarled at Haku. "You don't know what you're saying, stupid girl. That brat is no better than..."

Then he squeaked in fear when a slab of wood crashed down on the ground right between his legs.

Zabuza's head poked out from behind the wood pole. "Oops, sorry, didn't see you there."

"You..." the civilian growled and started to rise from the ground again, but he was still smart enough to stop when he saw the giant zanbato behind Zabuza's back.

And he was completely startled when the bandaged man's face appeared right next to his right ear in just a blink of an eye.

"Listen up, idiot," the Kiri swordsman whispered. "Trust me; you don't want to mess with jinchuriki. Every single one of them have more than enough power to erase villages like this one from the world map. So..." he lowered his voice, so that only the worker could hear him, "...You should feel lucky that the brat is too kindhearted and forgiving to even consider doing that. But remember: never try to poke the eye of a sleeping dragon if you don't want to die."

Then he stood straight up and walked away, waving at Haku to follow him, leaving the civilian worker trembling in fear behind.

"What was that for, Dad? You nearly scared that man to death!" Haku complained when they were out of the ear range. Zabuza just shook his head.

"Haku, no matter how good a kunoichi you are, you're still too young. There are things in this world you cannot understand... not yet."

Naruto Uzumaki... he stared at the sky. If this is what you have suffered during your childhood, I must say, you're incredible. All those years being treated like an outcast, a failure, a monster, and you still haven't snapped. Instead, your heart is always filled with kindness and love to all those people who despised you. You're much better than me... no, than anyone I've ever known in this world.

He looked at the girl who was pouting next to him, and smirked internally. Maybe someday I can even entrust my daughter to you...

"That Zabuza... Is he trying to make people hate me even more?"