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She had been in Zabuza’s care now for nearly a year. After the promised “only for a week” had passed, he figured Ane might’ve been pulled into another mission. After a month, he’d given up and couldn’t wait it out anymore. He’d already run out of what Ane had given him, formula and diapers, and they were expensive as hell. On a whim, he decided to try to replace the items himself and quickly found that even if Ann wasn’t on formula, the disposable diapers were way out of budget, but cleaning cloth diapers wasn’t something he was willing to do either.

He was forced to go back to accepting missions, and what’s worse is that he actually had to consider the requirements. Solo work, low-risk, less than a day long, and even then, he had to make sure it was something he could finish within a few hours. Ann slept well, but he always felt uneasy leaving her out of sight, even if he was only in the other room.

Once he started missions again, he started to notice that strange packages were left in the communal kitchen near the mission room on a regular basis. They were tucked away, usually with items he had left for future visits, and always stamped with an image of a peach. It was obvious it was meant for him, especially because of the image of the peach, and it was odd that it always had what he needed for Ann, including clothes she would grow into or stuff she needed, like teething rings. Someone clearly knew.

And yet he didn’t question why. He took the package when there were no eyes to watch him. He wasn’t in a position to be picky, especially since whoever had sent it clearly wanted him to receive it. If they wanted to negotiate with him because they had leverage, it would have happened already.

However, no one came to him. The package never showed evidence of tampering, and neither did the products within it. He didn’t need to question it. He carried on as if nothing was happening.

But nothing never happened. Because at home, there was always something. And it usually involved screaming. Earpiercing screaming that would probably lead to tinnitus, and Zabuza would accept that, because if the brat was ever quiet for longer than a few minutes, it made him uneasy. He almost wished he had that suspicious quiet.

Almost.
Zabuza~Arrgghhh! Can't a guy just lay in bed without a kid screaming every two seconds?
Ann screamed more trying to pull on Zabuza's pant leg from the ground
Zabuza~What do you want?
Ann~Bobble?
Zabuza~Your bottle?
He got an affirmative noise from her, so he got up and picked up the year-old toddler with him. She started to giggle and pull at his mask
Zabuza~Hey stop that. You're gonna choke me
He pushed her insistent hands down repeatedly before finally sitting her down on the table.
Zabuza~Stay put. Be careful
She raised her arms up and brought it down again on her lap. Zabuza sighed and made her a bottle of formula. After giving it to her, he carried her back to the bed
Zabuza~ *sigh* This kid's a pain...
Ann~Nuh night...
she slowly fell asleep and Zabuza sighed again
Zabuza~Kid is such a pain...It’s been a whole year now too ...Ane where the hell are you? I can understand if they sent you on more missions but I swear if you ran out of me...May as well figure her s**t out now…
He went to the kitchen to make some more of the formula, put it in an insulated bag to keep it warm, and set it next to Ann. She likes to get into things, so pulling the velcro wasn’t going to stop her.
Zabuza~Brat should be smart enough...I should also put this with her...I don't understand how she can sleep with it...
He put her pacifier on the bag and a stuffed cat that's almost as big as her. Both were part of the diaper bag Ane had left him with, but he still found it ridiculous that babies needed it. Zabuza watched her swing her arm as she fell deeper into sleep. He’d get at least an hour if she stays asleep.

Zabuza made his way to the Mizukage, practically barging in.
Yagura~Hmph, Zabuza...Do you need something?
Zabuza~Yeah, my sister. She's been gone for a whole year. And she left me with a bunch of her stuff to watch
Yagura~No one told you? That mission that she was assigned last year, she accomplished it right before dying. Surprising actually. Considering she scares the Sanbi
Zabuza~Dammit Ane...that's all?
Yagura~ She was wearing a locket.Other than that, that's all.
He tossed the piece of jewelry to Zabuza. Zabuza opened it to see Auron on the right then Anne and her baby in her arms on the left.
Zabuza~Did you open it? Pretty damning evidence of her and Auron having a child. Wasn’t he part of a clan?
Yagura~I have no need to know about your family's personal life.
Zabuza~Did Ane tell you though?
Yagura~She did. It’s already been done. If the child is anything like Ane or Zabuza she would have been a great tool. Try not to hint off too much that you have her. Now, if you need missions then go to the other room. It's there now
Zabuza~Yeah, thanks
Zabuza eyed the young man as stuffed the locket in his pocket then left the office quieter than he came in. He didn’t like the look his stupid pink eyes held for just a moment. This was probably what Ane had meant when he last spoke to her. He was ready to get home now though, before the brat found a way to make a mess of anything.

When he got back, he could hear soft snores from Ann. He went over to his bed to find her with a new bottle in her mouth and the other one at her feet. Zabuza sighed and laid down beside her . He reached into his pocket and took the locket out. He looked at the inside again, seeing how much Ann had changed from having a squashed baby face to an even mix of his sister and brother-in-law. Luckily, Ann looked a little more like Auron, which would help keep her identity hidden. Ane didn’t want anyone to know about Ann, and he didn’t want anyone to know he had a weakness. She sighed and slid the necklace over her head, removing the now empty bottle without disturbing her.
Zabuza~Brat should have something to know who her parents...She'll probably stare at it all day when she gets older
He set the bag and the empty bottles on the floor then brought Ann closer to his chest and slept. This way, if she wakes up, she wouldn’t be able to sneak off without waking him first.