AN: So, I'm trying my hand at FanFiction once again. I don't exactly have a good run with completing my stories, but this one will be different. The cause? I have an outline. Albeit, an unfinished one, but I've got this outlined to chapter six. So, without further ado, I present to you the first installment of Tied Together…

The Village Hidden in the Leaves was quite a large city, despite its name. It was home to the Land of Fire's military force, led by a legendarily powerful individual known as the Hokage. Said Hokage was sitting behind a small wooden table in the Mission Assignment Building, staring at a peculiar blond preteen. The boy, Naruto Uzumaki, frowned even further than he had been before. His team, consisting of Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and led by Kakashi Hatake, was known as Team 7. The team, minus Kakashi, had recently been given their ranks of genin, the lowest rank in the Leaf's military. As such, most missions they were assigned were menial, simple things, like mowing a lawn, painting a fence, or, most recently, catching a runaway cat. However, this just wouldn't work for Naruto.

"No! No more stupid D-rank missions! I want a real mission, not some dumb house chores!" the blond shouted, pointing an accusatory finger in the direction of the Hokage. A man with a scar across his face, sitting next to the Hokage, one Iruka Umino, sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had been Naruto's teacher while he was learning the ways of a shinobi, and this kind of outburst was completely normal for the blond, but...

"NARUTO! Show the Hokage some respect, you brat," Iruka shouted angrily. "You are a genin. A new one at that. Therefore, you will be assigned D-rank missions until your sensei deems you ready for something harder!"

Naruto wouldn't give up that easily, "But Iruka-sens-"

Iruka stood up, slamming his palms on the desk in front of him, scattering a few papers to the floor. "No 'buts', Naruto! This is for your benefit, so that you can build the needed teamwork to tackle a harder mission."

However, it seemed Iruka just wouldn't have his way today as Kakashi stepped forward, his gravity-defying silver hair gleaming in the fluorescent light of the room. "Actually, I believe they're ready."

"Wh—what?!" the scarred man shouted, surprised. "They've only been ninja for a month now, Kakashi! They can't possibly-"

"Alright," the Hokage spoke, reaching for a scroll tucked into a bin with a 'C' label plastered on its front. Withdrawing the scroll, he unrolled it, briefly skimming over its contents before nodding and humming to himself in approval. "This should be simple enough. A C-Rank mission," he tossed the scroll to Kakashi before continuing. "It's an escort mission, so you should have no trouble handling this. That is, if you're as prepared as you think, Naruto?"

Naruto grinned foxily, giving the old man a thumbs up, "You bet, gramps!"

"Sakura, Sasuke?" the man's gaze fell to the other two genin now. Sakura nodded, a determined look on her face. Sasuke simply opted for a grunt of approval. "Very well then. Your job will be to protect the bridge builder, Tazuna as he makes his journey back to the Land of Waves. Once there, you will stay as body guards while he finishes construction of his bridge."

As if on cue, the door behind the genin slid open, allowing a tipsily drunk man to amble into the chamber. "Hey, Hokage," he hiccupped, "you got those escorts yet?"

The aforementioned Hokage nodded his affirmation, "Yes, Tazuna-san. That would be Team 7, here and ready for duty."

Tazuna shot a look at the three shinobi before sending an incredulous look at the Hokage. "How're three kids gonna help me finish my bridge? They don't look too strong, especially that short, stupid lookin' one."

"Hahahaha, who's the short stupid looking one?" Naruto exclaimed. However, much to his disappointment, his two teammates moved closer to him, highlighting the height difference between them. Realizing that he was at the receiving end of Tazuna's insult, Naruto made an attempt to rush forward and end the drunken man. Of course, Kakashi wouldn't allow this to happen, "Now now, Naruto," Kakashi chastised in an overly-jovial tone, holding Naruto's arm behind his back. "We don't want to kill our client, do we? Bad for business, and the like." Kakashi stepped forward, "Tazuna-san, as Team 7's leader, I can assure you that they are more than capable. Even with Naruto's… interesting personality."

Tazuna hesitantly nodded before sighing, and rubbing the back of his neck, "Well… alright, just meet me at the gates tomorrow at nine in the morning." Then the drunkard slowly ambled out of the room.

Naruto let out a growl of irritation, "I swear, that guy…"

A hand was placed on the Uzumaki's shoulder, "A client's a client, Naruto," Kakashi said, "Even if you don't like them, you have to deal with them. They are your paycheck after all."

The blond genin simply pouted. I know Kakashi-sensei's right, but… Reluctantly, he nodded his head. This was his chance to prove himself, his first C-Rank mission, and he wouldn't let his team down. So, he would deal with it, even if that meant swallowing his pride for the duration of the mission.

The next morning...

Screw swallowing his pride. This was not happening. They had literally just left the gates of the village, setting out on the three day journey to Wave, and Tazuna was already grating on Naruto's nerves, adding super to his sentences wherever it would fit.. Of course, Sasuke's typical attitude didn't really help Naruto's overall mood, either. Stuck in his brooding, the blond failed to notice the two puddles they passed. Normally, puddles wouldn't really be of note, but the issue with these? It hadn't rained in weeks.

Kakashi seemingly noticed the discrepancy, his body stiffening slightly in preparation for the inevitable ambush. And then it came. Two shinobi, both with gas masks, and clawed gauntlets emerged from the water, before shooting a barbed chain out of their gauntlets, straight at Kakashi, entangling him in metal. Then, the chains pulled tightly, biting into Kakashi's flesh, shredding him.

"Kakashi-sensei!" The chorused shout echoed, as the ninja rushed forward, toward the genin. A chain shot out of the other's gauntlet, flying straight towards Naruto, who could only stand in shock as his sensei's corpse fell to the ground. Before the barbed chain could make contact, however, Sasuke threw a volley of shuriken, catching a link of the chain, pinning it to the tree. "Naruto, get down!"

Naruto reflexively jumped backwards, but he wasn't quick enough. One of the claws on the gauntlet caught the back of his upheld hand, leaving a small laceration in its wake. Clutching his hand, the blond looked up in shock as he saw his sensei, behind both of the enemy ninja, holding a kunai to each of their throats.

One of the assailants made the mistake of trying to disarm Kakashi, only for him to receive a swift blow to the head, knocking him out cold. The jonin followed up on his counter with a roundhouse to the other's skull, send him into unconsciousness as well. Sighing, Kakashi clapped his hands together and turned to Tazuna, "Care to explain why the Demon Brothers of the Hidden Mist were after you, Tazuna-san?"

The man, who was decidedly more sober than he had been the day before stood there in slight shock at how easily Kakashi had dispatched the foes. "I, uh… I, well… You've heard of the business tycoon Gato, correct?" He received a nod form Kakashi, "Well, he's, ah… He's set up a base of operations of sorts in the Wave, where he does all sorts of dirty dealings. He's a major player in drug and slave trade, and he keeps our country tightly in his grasp. That's why I'm building the bridge, to connect us to the Land of Fire. It'll give us the economic freedom to resist Gato's controlling hand. He… doesn't want the bridge to reach completion, so he must've hired those missing ninja to take me out."

Kakashi's visible brow furrowed in irritation, "The presence of the ninja easily makes this mission B-Rank, maybe even lower A. We are not prepared for a mission of this caliber, so, we will be forced to turn back and terminate this mission. Naruto needs medical attention, too."

For the first time since the fight, everyone's attention was on the blond. "Their claws were poisoned, Naruto. We need to drain the-"

Kakashi was cut off as Naruto took a kunai, digging it into the back of his hand widening the gash. More blood seeped out, carrying the toxins with it. "No. I can't turn back. I'm done running away! Kakashi-sensei, we can't let that guy have his way with the Wave anymore. We have to help!"

The silver-haired jonin gave one of his smiles, "Naruto, that's great and all, but if you lose any more blood, you could die." Immediately, Naruto let out a startled shout, clutching his wrist, desperately trying to stop the flow of blood. However, it proved unnecessary as the cut was already closing.

That must be an effect of the Fox… Kakashi thought sullenly. True to his thoughts, twelve years ago, when Naruto was born, a giant behemoth of a fox, known as the Kyūbi attacked the Leaf. It had claimed many lives before the Fourth Hokage managed to seal away the beast in a newly born baby. That child, was Naruto Uzumaki. Kakashi's frowned deepened as he tried to take his mind away from the dark topic, turning to Tazuna, "Alright, Tazuna-san. We'll continue the escort, and protect you on the bridge. However, you need to give us full disclosure from here on out. If Gato is already sending B-Rank missing ninja after you, then we can only expect it to get harder from here on out."

The older man nodded, before sighing, "I'm sorry I lied to you all. It's just, our country is so poor, we couldn't scrap together enough money to pay for anything above a C-Rank contract. That's why this bridge is so important, not just for me, but for my country as a whole."

Kakashi simply nodded, while Naruto stepped forward, punching his open palm with his other fist, a determined grin on his face. "Alright. Let's do this!"

There days later...

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

A short pause.

"How about now?"

"Nope."

One more brief moment of silence.

"Now?"

Kakashi sighed. This kid... "No, Naruto. Asking continuously isn't going to help us get there any faster," the sensei lectured, before stiffening slightly. Was it just him, or did that bush move a little too much to be the wind? Naruto seemed to catch this too, as he quickly let out a battle cry before flinging a kunai, straight at the bush. Only to see a rabbit jump out, fleeing from the flying metal.

While Naruto was whining over how he scared the 'poor bunny', but Kakashi was distracted by something else. That was a white rabbit, and it was the dead of summer. A substitution, most likely. Which would mean… "Get down!" Kakashi shouted as he shoved Team 7 plus Tazuna backwards, jumping with them. A deep, maniacal laugh resonated through the air, cutting the genin to their core. The amount of killing intent expressed in that simple laugh was astounding, and it was enough to stall the team and Tazuna.

"Well, well, Kakashi Hatake, eh?" a voice, presumably belonging to the one who had laughed earlier. A figure dropped down from the tree directly in front of them. It was a man, carrying a massive cleave-like sword, with a Hidden Mist headband adorning his forehead, a scratch running through the emblem adorning its metallic surface. "This'll be fun…"

Kakashi's gaze darkened as he drew a kunai, mentally gauging his opponent's strengths and weaknesses. "Zabuza Momochi… Demon of the Hidden Mist."

Said 'demon' chuckled again, "So you know who I am, I'm honored." The swordsman brandished his weapon, a blood thirsty gaze adorning his features. "Enough talk."

Zabuza rushed forward at blinding speeds, rearing the sword back for a horizontal attack, but he wasn't fast enough, as Kakashi ducked under the swing before sending a couple jabs straight into Zabuza's stomach, sending him skidding backwards.

"Heh, you're good, Kakashi," Zabuza grinned under his bandaged mouth. "But you're not good enough!" With a yell, he charged forward again, this time, slipping around Kakashi's guard, landing a solid slash on the jonin's upper arm.

This is going to be a complicated fight. I'm gonna have to use it. Sighing, Kakashi reached up to his headband, uncovering his other eye. A scar ran down the man's eyelid. And behind that eyelid, was a Sharingan, the kekkai genkai of the Uchiha clan.

"Using the Sharingan already, Hatake? Am I too much for you to handle?" the swordsman taunted. At this comment, Sasuke's eyes widened. How could his sensei have the Sharingan? Only Uchiha can have that!

Kakashi locked eyes with the swordsman, the two not daring to make a move. Finally, the tension broke, and Zabuza held up a hand sign, calling out, "Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Almost instantly, fog rolled in, covering the landscape, and obscuring everyone's vision. Kakashi spared glances around him, before his ears finally honed in on footsteps. Ducking at the last possible second, Kakashi narrowly avoided the edge of the blade. Flipping backwards, the jonin started forming hand signs rapidly, before shouting, "Katon: Fire Ball!" Exhaling, a large sphere of flame shot out of his mouth. The inferno made contact with the swordsman, only for him to dissolve into water and steam.

A water clone?! Where—his thoughts were cut off as he felt a hand grabbing his shoulder. "Suiton: Water Prison!" Before Kakashi had a chance to react, he felt a sphere of water enveloping him, siphoning away his chakra. I can't move!

"Heheheh… I've got you beat, Kakashi! Is this all you've got?!" Zabuza taunted. "Here, let me provide you a front row seat to your brats' demise." The fog started to disperse, showing a water clone of Zabuza standing just a few feet away, his sword shouldered. Kakashi shot a glance towards his team and client, seeing the panicked look on their faces.

Zabuza slowly walked towards the group, laughing manically, swinging his sword as if he was playing some sort of screwed up game. Naruto took a step back as the swordsman drew ever closer, flinching as his back bumped into Sasuke. Turning around briefly, he made out a determined look on Sasuke's face, a hand on his kunai holster. If Sasuke was this confident…

Naruto elbowed Sasuke, "Hey, Teme, got a plan?" Truth be told, Naruto had some ideas, but for once, he wasn't eager to rush into them head first, as he would likely lose his head if he did.

"I have one, Dobe." Almost silently, they rapidly discussed their plan of defense, Zabuza getting closer with each passing breath. Finally, when he was about ten feet away, Naruto let out a shout.

"Alright! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Instantly, twenty more Naruto's rushed the sword-bearing ninja. They weren't exactly landing any hits, but that was to be expected. Reaching into his pack, Sasuke pulled out a massive folded shuriken, flinging it at the hulking assassin. Zabuza simply laughed, raising his sword to block. His parry was successful, however, he didn't quite expect what happened next. Another shuriken was right behind the last one, and he had let his guard down!

With no time to react, the water clone was sliced in half, shifting back into lifeless water. The second shuriken continued onwards before making an unexpected turn, going right for the original Zabuza, who was still holding up the water prison. He had no choice but to dodge at the last minute, releasing Kakashi from his confinement. Then, the shuriken disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a smirking Naruto.

Kakashi grabbed the blond before pushing chakra to his legs, flipping backwards away from his assailant. Landing, he sent a glare up at the former Mist ninja. "I will not allow you to hurt my comrades!" No more holding back. I've gotta go all out on this one. Seeing Zabuza forming the start of a jutsu, Kakashi did what the Sharingan did best. He copied it, mimicking it hand sign for hand sign.

"How are you-" Zabuza started to ask, but he wasn't able to finish.

"Reading your moves?" Kakashi said, completely deadpan. Zabuza simply let out a growl of frustration. This couldn't be happening. Just as he formed the last hand sign, Kakashi called out, "Suiton: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

A giant serpent of water rose out of the ground before shooting towards Zabuza at an insane velocity. The torrent hit the swordsman head on, sending him flying back through a tree. He lay there, on the ground, his back presumably broken. Kakashi walked over to the fallen enemy, ready to end it when Zabuza spoke. "Can… you see the future?"

Kakashi simply stared at him for a moment before replying, "Yes. I see your death." As he finished his statement two senbon came screaming past his head, lodging themselves in Zabuza's neck.

"Woah," Naruto breathed out in awe. "That was awesome, Kakashi-sensei"

Sasuke simply huffed, "Idiot. That wasn't Kakashi, it was someone else."

Naruto was about to make a protest when his sensei walked over, gazing into the distance. "Sasuke's correct. It looks as though a Mist hunter ninja has dealt with our little problem." The three others followed Kakashi's stare, and found themselves observing a kimono clad, masked ninja, a Mist emblem adorning the forehead.

The ninja, who seemed to be about the same height as Sasuke, jumped down from the tree, landing gracefully in front of them before the spoke. "Indeed. I'd like to thank you for distracting Momochi. I've been after him for quite a while, but I've never had the opportunity to strike."

Kakashi nodded as the masked ally walked over to the corpse of Zabuza, inspecting their work. Naruto peeked around Kakashi before hesitantly asking, "What's a hunter ninja, sensei?"

Kakashi spared a glance down at Naruto before ruffling his hair, much to the blond's ire. "A hunter ninja is someone who is tasked with hunting down crminals and missing nin or a village. They have to find and eliminate their charge so no village secrets can be lost."

The hunter ninja in question nodded, still pouring over Zabuza, "Your sensei is correct." There was a slight pause. "I must take care of him, so I bid you all farewell." Without pause for a reply, the ninja body-flickered away, leaving three stupefied genin, one impressed bridge builder, and one very suspicious Kakashi.

Tazuna's House, later that day...

Naruto sat at the table in Tazuna's house. What his sensei had said just before they had arrived worried him. Kakashi believed that the hunter nin was actually an accomplice of Zabuza, who'd only put Zabuza in a near-death state. When Naruto had asked why he thought that, Kakashi explained that hunter nin were supposed to dispose of the body then and there, not taking it with them.

If that was the case, and Zabuza was still around, then he would have to get stronger. He'd never let himself be defeated by someone like Zabuza! Nodding to himself, Naruto finished off his meal before dismissing himself from the table. However, before he managed to leave the room, Tazuna's grandchild, Inari made himself know.

"You're all going to die," the boy said bleakly. It came out so abruptly that it took everyone a few seconds to recover. The Uzumaki was the first to utter a word.

"What…?" It came out almost like a growl. Who is this brat to tell me that? The blond's fist clenched at his side.

Inari turned to face Naruto, standing from his chair as he did so. "I said, you're going to die! No one can stand up to Gato and get away with it!"

Before anyone had a chance to react, Naruto's fist had collided with the top of the pessimistic kid's head, sending him face-first into the floor. Shouts of "Naruto!" were heard as Tsunami rushed over to her son, checking him for injuries.

"Listen here, kid," Naruto stood with his arms crossed in front of Inari. "I'm not gonna die. Not here. I don't care what Gato thinks he can do, I will live on to become Hokage, dattebayo." Without giving anyone a chance to respond, Naruto stormed out of the room.

Kakashi chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "I apologize for my student's outburst, Tazuna-san, Tsunami-san. I'll be sure to talk to him. He… had a pretty rough life growing up, so I guess it just irks him when people give up so easily." Without waiting for a response, Kakashi stepped out of the room, going up the staircase after Naruto. He eventually located the blond sitting on the roof of the building. Without saying a word, Kakashi simply opted to sit beside Naruto.

After a minute or two, Naruto broke the silence, his gaze moving from the stars above to his sensei's masked face. "Kaka-sensei… How come some people give up so easily? I don't get it."

Kakashi sighed, taking a moment to collect his thoughts before he responded. "I suppose it's a lot easier when they grew up as easily as I'm assuming he did. You might not have a wonderful life, by any stretch of the word, but your upbringing made you develop an unrelenting determination, which is amiably your best trait. When you have someone there who will love you and care for you, it's a lot easier to just… give up when things don't go well. When you're all alone, you have to fend for yourself more than is probably healthy."

Naruto's eyes widened. How did Kakashi know so much about this?

As if sensing the mental question from his student, Kakashi continued. "Like you, I lost my parents to something out of my control. I was young when it happened, maybe five or six. I came back from the academy one afternoon and found my father, dead. He'd committed suicide.

"I had to fend for myself from then on out. I was so mad at the world, and at myself for not being able to stop it from happening, and I poured all of that into my training and studies. That's how I became ANBU at the age of fifteen."

Naruto simply blinked, not sure what to say. Luckily for him, he didn't have to say anything. Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's back, "Get some sleep, Naruto. We'll need to be at our all for training tomorrow."

"Wait, training?" Naruto started to ask. His sensei simply opted to flash him a peace sign before body-flickering away. Despite their earlier talk, Naruto quickly reverted back to his old self, letting out a frustrated cry of, "Damn it, Kaka-sensei!"

The next day...

So, this is what Kakashi-sensei meant by training, Naruto thought grudgingly, landing roughly on the ground after yet another failed attempt of climbing a tree with no hands. He was supposed to be focusing chakra to his feet to maintain attraction to the tree's surface, but it just wasn't working. The bark kept exploding and igniting under his feet, much to his distress.

"Naruto, you're still putting way to much chakra into it. Try lowering it some more," his sensei spoke the advice, while he reclined against a tree, casually reading his book.

"I'm trying, Kaka-sensei!" the blond Uzumaki shouted indignantly. And he really was trying. It just seemed impossible for him to lower his chakra output any further. Damn it…

Sasuke wasn't having much better luck, his maximum height just about a foot above Naruto's. Sakura on the other hand…

"This is fun, Kakashi-sensei!" the pink-haired girl shouted as she reached the top of her tree, yet again. She had mastered the exercise within ten minutes, and she wasn't afraid to flaunt it. Of course, Kakashi still had her doing it, to improve her control even further.

Said sensei gave one of his patented smiled, "Good! Keep it up, Sakura. Maybe you could show your teammates your technique?"

Sakura nodded, making her way down the tree before running over to Naruto and Sasuke, who were both lying on the ground, panting. She looked at her two teammates, her gaze lingering on Sasuke.

She's still obsessing... Kakashi thought sullenly, shaking his head. He'd have to fix that.

"Alright, Naruto, Sasuke-kun. You need to send small amounts of chakra to your feet, and expel it from them. This will take advantage of the natural attractive properties of chakra, and allow you to stick to the tree. What seems to be happening with both of you, is that you're both using too much chakra, which, while still holding its attractive traits, is so attractive that it rips the bark off the tree. So, start with the lowest you can get, and work your way up."

Kakashi gave a thumbs up, still reading his book, "Great explanation, Sakura. Naruto, Sasuke, think you can give it a try?"

Both boys had since gotten up and dusted themselves off. Sharing a determined, competitive look, the genin made a rush for their trees. Their feet made contact with the bark, this time, sticking more firmly than it had before. Another step was made. Then another. Two more. Six more. And then, with a startled yelp, Naruto lost his already flimsy control, plummeting to the ground. Still, that was more than double how high he'd managed last time.

Sasuke let out a slight laugh at his teammate's flop before finding himself being affected by gravity as well. With a pained grunt, he slammed into the ground.

"Nicely done, you two. That was a vast improvement," Kakashi praised before glancing at the horizon, seeing the sun slowly drifting down, painting a wonderful array of colors across the sky. "We should probably head back. Sun's setting."

Sakura nodded, and walked over to their sensei. However, Naruto and Sasuke weren't willing to leave just yet. "Not yet, Kaka-sensei. I've gotta beat Teme!"

Kakashi sighed. These two… I swear their competitive nature is going to drive the so far… but I fear it may cause a lapse in teamwork as well… Shaking his head dismissively, he relented, "Alright. You two can stay here for two more hours. We'll see you back at Tazuna's." With that, he left.

Naruto and Sasuke spared another glance at each other before starting yet another determined run.

...

Two hours later, Naruto and Sasuke came through the doorway of Tazuna's home, panting, their bodies scratched and bruised from their numerous failed attempts. All things considered, they had made good progress…

Tsunami was the first to notice them, "Hello, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun. How was training?"

Both of them shared a glance before something miraculous happened. They shared an open, whole-hearted laugh. It was a rarity to see Sasuke even smile, so this laugh was almost like a heavenly melody. And Naruto was the one who'd brought it out of the brooding preteen. Finally calming down, Naruto spoke up, "It was great, Tsunami-neechan!" The blond grinned foxily, giving her a thumbs-up. Sasuke simply nodded his confirmation, a smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Tsunami smiled, "That's great! I just finished cooking, so you two were right on time. I already set food at both of your spots." As if on cue, both of the genins' stomachs growled loudly. They quickly rushed into the dining room snatching their seats. Breaking their chopsticks the two dug in.

"Mmm… that was delicious!" Naruto shouted happily, Tsunami simple smiled and thanked him.

Of course, this happy moment didn't last long. "Good thing you enjoyed it. Could be your last."

Naruto shot a glare at Inari, but he reigned in his emotions this time, simply opting for a curt response, "Why do you have to be such a pessimist, kid?"

Inari scoffed at him, turning his head to gaze out of the window. "I'm not being pessimistic. I'm being realistic."

The Uzumaki simply shook his head at the kid, muttering under his breath, "At least I'm not some big baby who cries about every little thing that could go wrong…"

Unintentionally, he'd spoken loudly enough for Inari to hear him. Instead of getting mad, however, the boy started sniffling, before running out of his room. Naruto looked down at his hands, not wanting to meet the glares of his teammates.

"Naruto, you idiot. Go tell him sorry," Sakura chastised, before finishing the last of her food. Sasuke gave a grunt of agreement. The blond looked to his sensei, to see his input, only to be met with a passive look that told Naruto exactly what he expected to happen. So, Naruto got up, and followed Inari up the stairs.

Rounding a corner, he found the kid in what he assumed was his bedroom. He was sitting by the window, holding a picture Naruto couldn't quite make out from that distance. He was whispering something to the image, and thanks to his hyper-sensitive hearing, Naruto could make out every syllable. "Why did you leave me, dad?" he sniffled. "I don't know what to do…! I want to be brave, but… I just, I-I don't…"

Reluctantly, Naruto made himself known. "Hey."

Inari let out a startled sound and whirled around, realizing who it was. "Wh-what do you want…?" The boy rubbed his nose on his sleeve.

Naruto slowly walked into the room before sitting next to him. He took a glance at the framed picture in Inari's lap. "Is that your father?"

The boy looked at him for a moment before looking back at the picture longingly, nodding slowly. "Yeah. He… wasn't my real dad, but… he was as close as I got. I never knew my real dad."

Images of Iruka and the Third Hokage flashed in Naruto's head. "I understand the feeling. I never had any parents growing up, not even a mom as nice as Tsunami-neechan. But I had my teacher, Iruka-sensei there for me. He was like an older brother to me. On top of that, I have gramps." At Inari's confused look, the blond elaborated. "That's what I call the Hokage. He's always helped me out when I was growing up."

There was a reluctant pause, as silence filled the room. Naruto finally spoke up, "I'm sorry Inari."

Inari simply nodded before letting out a sigh. "It's okay… I'm sorry I don't have any confidence in you. It's just, after what they did to my dad…"

Naruto looked at him expectantly, wanting to hear more. "What did they do?"

Inari shuddered. "He… he openly resisted Gato, and Gato decided to make an example of him. They executed him, in public… That's why I can't justify going against Gato, it's just too dangerous…"

Naruto frowned. He understood the kids reasoning, "I'm sorry to hear… but don't give up."

Inari looked at Naruto, his eyes wide. How could this genin sit here and tell him to 'not give up' when he lost his father because of that same attitude.

"When you give up, you're losing your chance to change things, for the better. That's why I've vowed to never give up. I made an oath on my blood that I would never run again, and I meant it, dattebayo."

Inari averted his gaze. There was something in Naruto's voice, some kind of conviction. It made him desire to believe what Naruto was saying, so badly. But… he just couldn't. So, instead of saying anything he simply nodded. Sighing, Naruto got up, stretching before walking towards the exit of the room. He hesitated at the door way, and hand on its frame, "Just keep that in mind, next time you have to make a tough choice. It could make the moment, or break it."

Little did Naruto know, a certain Fox was listening in as well...

AN: Well, thank you everyone for reading! This has been the first time I've written a chapter that broke the 5K word mark. If you enjoyed, please leave a review down below. If you want to see more, be sure to follow the story!