Morning came softly, brushing Nami no Kuni in gentle hues of gold and pale blue. The mist still lingered across the waters like a veil not ready to lift.
Inside Tazuna's house, the rhythm of a new day played out in perfect, practiced harmony.
The clatter of chopsticks, the soft rustling of packed cloth—bento boxes being tied with care. Steam rose from fresh rice. The scent of grilled fish and pickled vegetables filled the air.
Naruto, already up and buzzing with energy, bounced on the balls of his feet as he secured his lunch. His red hair was a wild mess, and his cheeks were full of rice, but he was ready for another day of bridge-building glory.
"Oi, old man!" Naruto called with a grin. "You ready to watch your apprentice outperform the master again?"
Tazuna scoffed, strapping on his tool belt. "You mean the master of dropping hammers and nailing his gloves to the wood? Yeah, I'm thrilled."
Karin, wiping her hands on a dish towel, smirked from the kitchen doorway. "Try not to build the bridge upside down today, Naruto."
Naruto stuck out his tongue.
Tsunami handed over their bento with a smile. "Eat properly, all of you."
And then, a surprise voice chimed in.
"I'm coming too!"
It was Inari, standing at the doorway, wearing a little vest and his most determined expression. His hands were balled into fists, lunchbox slung across his shoulder.
Tazuna blinked. "You? Why?"
Inari stepped forward, puffing out his chest like a brave soldier. "You all help us every day… It's time I helped, too. I wanna see the bridge. I wanna help finish it!"
Naruto gave a proud nod. "He's got more guts than most adults I know."
Tazuna rubbed his beard. "Well… Alright then. But don't slow us down, squirt."
Inari grinned.
With bento in hand and purpose in their steps, the trio—Tazuna, Naruto, and Inari—set off into the foggy morning, boots hitting the dirt path in rhythm.
A builder.
A shinobi.
And a boy trying to be brave.
They didn't know it yet, but this morning—so normal, so full of light—might just be the last quiet one for a while.
Because in the distance, across the misty waters, fate was sharpening its blade.
When they arrived at the bridge site, a thick curtain of mist blanketed everything—heavier, denser than usual. It curled low around their feet and clung to the edges of the stonework like a secret trying to whisper.
Naruto squinted into the white. "Whoa. Fog's got an upgrade today…"
Tazuna's brow furrowed, but he said nothing right away. Instead, he set down his tool bag with a grunt.
"Sensei," Naruto called with his usual enthusiasm, brushing off the eerie chill. "Let's start today's work!" He was already grabbing his gloves, tightening them around his hands. "I'm ready to show you my next-level stone-stacking technique!"
Tazuna cracked a small grin, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Alright, knucklehead. Yesterday, we secured the main beams. Today, we lay the foundation—stone, clay, layer by layer. No gaps, no shortcuts."
Naruto nodded with a sharp, "Yes, Sensei!" and ran over to the pile of stones they'd gathered earlier.
Inari stood off to the side, wrapped in a scarf too big for his face, arms crossed as he watched. "Just tell me what to do. I'm not gonna sit around like some baby."
Tazuna nodded. "Good. You help Naruto bring the clay from the cart. Careful, it's heavy."
Inari rushed off with a determined grunt, and Naruto followed right after—a blur of red hair and boundless energy, the mist swallowing their forms as they moved.
But behind Tazuna's eyes, thoughts churned.
This mist… it wasn't natural. It didn't just roll in like this. Not this thick. Not this early.
He knelt down slowly, feeling the bridge beneath his hands.
"Let's work quickly today," he muttered under his breath. "Just in case."
The tools clanged. Clay squelched. Stone met wood. From a distance, it looked like any normal day at the bridge.
But the mist knew better.
And so did someone watching from within it.
They continued working in steady rhythm, the scrape of stone against beam and the squelch of clay underfoot the only sounds breaking the silence of the thick white fog.
Inari had just returned from dragging another bucket of clay when he froze, eyes locked on something deep within the mist.
"… Grandpa. Naruto." His voice cracked. "I saw someone."
He dropped the bucket.
Naruto and Tazuna paused mid-task, the sound of clay hitting the wood jarring in the eerie quiet.
Naruto's head snapped toward Inari. "You what?"
"I—I saw someone standing in the fog. Right there." He pointed shakily toward the edge of the bridge where the mist was thickest, swirling unnaturally slow.
Tazuna's face paled as he instinctively stepped in front of Inari.
Naruto quickly wiped his hands on his pants and jogged over, crouching to meet Inari at eye level.
"Hey, hey," Naruto said gently, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Calm down, Inari. Deep breath."
Inari looked up at him, wide-eyed, heart pounding in his chest. "I swear I saw them. A shape. It was just… watching. Not moving. Just… standing there."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. He stood up and stared into the mist. The fog refused to part, stubborn and thick like a curtain drawn tight.
"…Sensei," Naruto said without turning around, his voice lower now, serious. "Keep Inari behind you. Don't let him wander."
Tazuna gripped his tool tightly. "Is it them?"
Naruto didn't answer right away. Instead, he slowly reached behind and unclipped the kunai from his pouch.
"Maybe," he said. "But if it is…"
His red hair caught the pale light, flickering like a warning flame against the grey.
"…then we're not alone anymore."
Naruto took a cautious step into the thick fog, the cold tendrils wrapping around him like whispers of the unknown. The bridge behind him faded, swallowed by the grey, until only silence accompanied his footfalls.
And then—
There she was.
Haku stood quietly, poised like a still painting against the rolling mist. Her long, dark hair danced softly in the breeze, and her expression… calm. Too calm.
Her eyes lifted, and when they met his, the chill in the air melted just a little.
"Hisashiburidana, Naruto," she said with a faint smile, voice calm but hiding things—layers behind layers.
Naruto's eyes widened, and he froze mid-step. "Haku…"
He'd imagined this moment. Worried about it. Doubted it might come. But now that it had… he didn't know whether to be relieved or guarded.
Tazuna's voice cut through the fog. "Naruto! Who is it?"
Naruto blinked, then turned slightly, calling back, "It's Haku! She's back!"
A beat of silence.
Then—
"She's back?!" Inari shouted with sudden joy, and before anyone could stop him, the boy dashed forward into the mist, nearly slipping on the slick stones. "HAKU!"
Tazuna chuckled, dropping his tools. "Well, work can wait a minute for this," he muttered and followed Inari in, stepping into the mist like a scene from a legend.
As the three shapes converged in the fog, the reunion felt… fragile. Like something that could break if anyone spoke too loudly.
Naruto stood there, still staring at her, unreadable.
"…Why now?" he finally asked.
Haku lowered her gaze. "Because I had to make sure it was my choice… to come back."
Naruto didn't smile. But the tightness in his chest eased.
Tazuna and Inari caught up a second later, Inari practically crashing into Haku with a hug. "You're back! You didn't leave for good, right?"
Haku smiled gently, brushing his hair back. "No. Not for good."
But as her eyes flicked up toward Naruto again, there was something else in them.
A secret.
A war still rages inside her.
And Naruto could tell.