"A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them."
Victor Hugo
Episode 1: Haku
By: DropDeadThenDance
I was never more amazed by anyone other than her. She was a graceful, powerful, and level headed shinobi. I was always so proud of her when I brought my classmates over and we would get to see my big sister’s skills first hand. She would sometimes show us demonstrations and she would even teach us some of her techniques for fighting.
It was because of Ross that I was excelling in school. My grades were near the top of my class in almost all of my subjects, the only thing I lagged in now was hand to hand combat. I would always beg Ross to teach me, but she said she wanted to wait until I graduated and became a Genin. It bugged me, but I tried my best to respect my sister’s wishes, especially because of Kohaku.
It was a Saturday afternoon and I was waiting for Ross to come home. Rock Lee was in the kitchen making some kind of energy drink for us. I heard a loud squeal and I turned my head. To be honest, I don’t really like babies, but Kohaku was really special to me. She was a lot like a baby sister, but she was really my niece.
She stumbled towards me with her nook in her mouth and I crouched down and scooped her up as she reached my arms. She squealed excitedly as I tossed her in the air a few inches and caught her again. “Bo!” she giggled as I pulled her to my chest. I smiled at her as she poked at my hair.
“Let’s see what Lee is doing,” I said as I started towards the kitchen.
“Eei!” she squealed again.
Rock Lee scooped her out of my hands as soon as I walked in the room and Kohaku laughed as he spun around once with her. “Haku!” he practically cheered. “How are you today? Did you sleep well?” he asked as he bounced her. She just laughed at him, reaching forward to poke him in the face, no doubt.
“Eei, Eei,” she laughed and he smiled.
Ross had told me, when Kohaku was born, that she was named after Zabuza’s first apprentice. When I asked her why she just smiled and said she didn’t want him to be forgotten. We didn’t find out that Haku, her nickname, had any problems until she started talking. For awhile we taught it was just baby talk, but now that she’s more than a year old, we’ve found that she has a speech problem.
She always calls Rock Lee Eei, she calls me Bo, and she calls Ross Ah-ma. Her speech hasn't really changed since she started talking and her nook didn't really help us understand her. Although, Ross never seemed to have any trouble. In fact, she knew exactly what Kohaku was trying to say even when no one else understood her. Maybe it was just a mom thing.
Rock Lee set her feet on the floor and she stumbled but stood firm. She walked across the floor dutifully and I crouched down, watching her as she took one step at a time. I wondered if I walked the same way when I was a baby, or if Ross did too. I found similarities between Ross and Kohaku all the time, and some that made me think of Zabuza as well.
Her eyes were just like Zabuza’s, as was her complexion, but she had Ross’ nose and hair, soft and glossy. She acted like Ross a lot too, as far as I knew, because she was determined and she always wanted her way, but she was able to compromise pretty well for being a baby.
I heard the front door click and open. Kohaku’s head turned sharply, the bell hanging from her right ear jingled as she toddled that way. “Ah-ma!” she squealed and I heard Ross’ laugh from the next room. I jumped to my feet and Rock Lee followed me to the next room. I saw mother and daughter having a moment when I walked into the living room.
Ross was still dressed in her ninja gear; her Konoha forehead protector adored her neck and she wore a black, long sleeved shirt under a dark green vest. Her pants were tan and had pockets down the sides. The bottom of each pant legs was wrapped shut with gauze that went down inside of Ross’ black ninja sandals and, finally, she wore her small katana on her hip and Zabuza’s massive Kubikiri Houcho on her back as he did.
I had seen Ross wield that sword once since she had obtained it, but only because I had never been on a mission with her. It was both amazing and terrifying to her swing the sword in wide arches as if it weighed nothing, like Zabuza had done before her. Under Ross’ clothes I knew she was well built, her shoulders were lean and thick with muscle that I had seen when she’d wear tank tops.
No one wanted to mess with her it seemed, not since she became a Jonin this year. People that knew her were proud of her, like Konohamaru and me, and I sometimes wondered what Zabuza would say if he saw what an amazing ninja he helped create. Part of me asked a more depressing question though, and that was if he was alive, and if Kohaku would ever get the chance to meet him. Would he love her like we do?
Ross glanced at me, her black hair was cut short in the back and her eyes glimmered in the sun. “How’s school?” she asked as Kohaku leaned on her chest, her eyes closed happily.
“Awesome!” I told her as Rock Lee nodded behind me. “Rock Lee has been helping me with my stamina training!” I explained further and I saw the slight worry cross Ross’ brow. I beamed at her. “I’m the faster in my whole class!” I felt pride in that statement.
I knew Ross was proud of me, but she worried that Rock Lee and Gai-sensei were a bit hard on me. Their training just required a different point of view, that’s all. I mean, sure, running laps over and over again sounds like it would be totally pointless, but it really worked wonders for me. Rock Lee said I was becoming an amazing ninja, just like Ross, and that inflated my ego in a way you would not believe.
Kohaku snuggled against Ross’ chest and her mother kissed her forehead briefly before she handed her off to Rock Lee who cradled her gently in his arms. She wasn’t asleep, but she was content to know that her Mom was home. Ross peeled off the massive sword and carried it to her bedroom, which resided on the first floor of our house.
Zabuza and Ross had moved to Konoha a long time again, but after I moved in and Kohaku was born, Ross added an upstairs. My room and Kohaku’s room were upstairs along with a bathroom, however, Kohaku still slept with Ross at night. Her room was on the far side of the house, where Zabuza’s use to be, and her old room was converted into a-would-be art studio filled to the brim with paints, sketches, paper, brushes, and whatever else Ross felt she needed.
Baby wasn’t allowed in there of course.
When Ross remerged from her room the gauze on her legs had been removed and her sandals discarded by the front door. She left the green vest in her room, but her forehead protector stayed hanging gently around her neck. Kohaku put her hands out to her and Ross scooped her up, tossing her in the air and making her giggle.
Rock Lee smiled at the sight and I nodded approvingly. I loved my life here and nothing would change that, ever.
The End
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Chapter notes:Ross: Why the fuck are you putting me through this again?
Me: Because people like you, deal with it you cold hearted bitch.
Ross: Eh, the summary for this doesn't sound anything like me... I'm no where near that moody -_-
Me: It's supposed to be interesting, damn you! Anyway, Hi everyone! As you can see, I FINALLY decided to make a second book in the series that is Fire Escape! I'll name the series later, although if you have any ideas I would MAJORLY appreciate any ideas YOU READERS might have :D
Rate and review people! Thanks for coming!
Ross: Stop begging for reviews! It makes us sound desperate!
Me: That's the whole point >:D