Ginsa no Naruto 4
(Naruto of the Silver Sand)
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and all things related to it. This story is simply a
product of Cuius-of-Caelum's imagination, i just got their permition to rewrite naruto as a boy.
Chapter 4: Roaring Light and White Snow
Kakashi groaned when he woke up. "Ugh, I used my Sharingan too much…"
"Are you okay, Sensei?" A woman with dark blue hair asked when she noticed he was awake.
"No, I'll barely be able to move for a week…" He replied and tried to sit up.
"Then you shouldn't move around for a while, Kaka-ni." Naruto told him as he and his teammates entered with Tazuna.
Kakashi reluctantly agreed as he laid back down.
"The Sharingan is amazing, but it puts a lot of strain on the body, I'm not sure if it's good or bad." Sakura said as
she sat down next to him, checking him over again.
"I'm sorry." Kakashi murmured.
"But you defeated such a strong ninja. We should be okay for a while." Tazuna said.
"At least until Zabuza recovers. Then we'll have to deal with him and the one in the mask." Naruto added.
"It will take him about a week to recover from those wounds, and then…we'll have our rematch." Kakashi stated.
"Sensei, how are you going to prepare for this before it's too late? You can't move for a while…" Sakura asked.
Kakashi looked thoughtful for a few moments. "I'll put you through some training. Even if you won't be able to
increase your skills that much, I'll still give you all something to work on while I recuperate."
"I already have something to work on that'll be helpful against Zabuza's mist." Naruto told him, getting a nod and
permission to work on it.
"Hn, this is getting interesting." Sasuke said.
"No, it's not." A voice said from behind them. Turning they saw a boy with spiky black hair and dark-colored eyes
wearing a green jumpsuit with a yellow shirt and a simple pair of sandals, as well as a blue and white striped hat.
"Inari! Where were you?" Tazuna exclaimed. "I'm home, Jichan." Inari said as he rushed and hugged Tazuna.
"Inari, say hello to them. These are the ninja that escorted Ojichan." Tsunami told him.
"It's okay. Right, Inari?" Tazuna said. Inari just looked at the ninja from under his hat before turning to his mom.
"Kachan, they're going to die. There's no way a person can win by going against Gato." He told her.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, brat." Naruto said sarcastically. "Don't worry kid, we'll protect your old man
until he finishes the bridge. If Gato appears I'll personally bring his head to you."
"How stupid. Do you think you're a hero? There's no such thing." Inari scoffed. "If you don't want to die, you should
just go home."
Naruto narrowed his eyes on him. "You're starting to annoy me. We should just go home you say?" He asked as he
stood up and walked behind Tazuna.
"Fine, we'll just go home, but first why don't I do Gato a favor and kill your old man now?" He asked as she put a
kunai at Tazuna's throat. Everybody in the room froze.
"Naruto." Kakashi warned but Naruto interrupted him. "Shut up, Kakashi." he told him, giving him a quick glance
before turning back to glare at Inari. Sakura who was sitting next to Kakashi gasped when she caught a glimpse of
Naruto's eyes. She saw something that made her question if the person in front of her really was her teammate.
Naruto's eyes weren't the normal happy and cheerful red; they were a darker crimson red and there was a
ruthlessness in them that said he'd kill anyone in his way. "W-what are you…?" Inari stuttered.
"Right now Tazuna-san is the only hope this country has against Gato; this of course means Gato wants to get rid of
him, by killing him. To prevent this Tazuna-san hired us to protect him. Now you're telling us to leave. You understand
what I'm getting to don't you? By telling us to leave you're dooming Tazuna-san and this country to death." Naruto
explained before pushing the kunai tighter against Tazuna's neck, causing it to bleed slightly. "So why don't I do us all
a favor and spare Gato the trouble?"
Inari fell to his hands and knees with tears in his eyes. "N-no please, don't!" He pleaded. Naruto kept his glare on him
for a few seconds before scoffing and letting go of Tazuna, who slumped down and took deep breaths. Walking to the
door Naruto paused and looked over his shoulder at Inari. "Grow up kid, and learn to think before you speak." He
told him coldly before storming out.
The rest was left in silence as Tazuna's family hugged each other. "I'm sorry about that. Naruto-kun means well,
but…he had a hard childhood and because of that is somewhat eccentric and acts violently and rashly sometimes."
Kakashi apologized.
Naruto arrived back early the next morning, having spent the night outside cooling off. Kakashi had asked him if he
could guard Tazuna while he watched over Sasuke and Sakura's training. That's why he was sitting by the railing of
the bridge, seemingly meditating while watching over Tazuna. What he was doing wasn't meditation, though it was
similar. He was concentrating on feeling all the metal around him, and differentiating between them. He had always
been able to feel the metal around him to a small extent, but nowshe was training to increase that ability. If he
mastered it then it would be a big help against Zabuza and his Kubikiribocho. At the same time he was helping the
bridge builders by using his silver sand to carry the materials where they needed to go. It took a lot of
concentration, but it was worth the effort, this way he would get better at multitasking.
"May I have a word with you, Tazuna?" He heard, drawing his attention to in front of her, where a man had
approached Tazuna. "What is it, Giichi?" He heard Tazuna ask.
"Well, after thinking about it…can I quit this bridge building?"
"W-Why all of a sudden?! Not you, too…" Tazuna exclaimed.
"Tazuna, I've known you for a long time. I want to help, but if I get too involved, Gato will come after me, too."
Giichi told him. "Everything will lose meaning if you die. Why don't we stop building this bridge?"
"I can't do that." Tazuna said. "This bridge is our bridge. This is the bridge that we've been building with the people of
the town in the hopes that distribution and transportation will increase to this poor Nami no Kuni, which possesses
few resources."
"But if we die…" Giichi argued weakly.
"It's already lunch time. Let's stop for now." Tazuna said and walked past him. "Tazuna!" Giichi yelled after him. Tazuna
looked over his shoulder at him. "Giichi, you don't have to come anymore."
"Giichi-san. You say that if you continue you might die…but have you not realized if you don't continue you will die?"
Naruto said as he opened his eyes and stood up to follow Tazuna. "This bridge is the country's last hope. If it stops
being built, then this country is finished and it will only be a matter of time until Gato finishes bleeding it dry. Think
about that before you quit."
"So where are we going?" Naruto asked as he followed Tazuna. "I've been asked to buy the ingredients for tonight's
dinner." Tazuna answered. As they walked Naruto got a closer look on the depravity of the country, orphans lining
the streets, children having to steal to survive and beggars with signs saying they'll do anything for food. It made
him sad, it made him angry, and it reminded him of his early childhood. Before his thoughts could go down that dark
path Tazuna spoke up.
"This is it." He said and walked into a store that barely had anything. While he waited for Tazuna to buy what he
needed he noticed a man reaching for the pouch on her lower back, probably hoping it had money and steal it.
Spinning around he launched him out of the store with a kick to the face. "I don't care how poor you are, trying to
steal from a ninja is moronic." He glared at the man who quickly scrambled away.
Later once Tazuna bought what he needed and they were walking back to his house Naruto felt a hand grab the
back of her shirt. Turning around expecting another man, he was surprised to see a young child. The child gave him an
innocent look and put her hands up. "Give me…" She asked with a smile.
Naruto's eyes softened as he looked at child before reaching into one of her pockets, pulling out a sandwich and an
apple that he hadn't eaten. "Here, take this." He said, crouching down to the child and giving her the food. The child
gasped in happiness and thanked him before running off into the crowd.
"Ever since Gato came, it's been like this. The adults here have all become cowards. That's why we need that bridge
right now. It will be a symbol of courage. We need it to get back the spirit in this country, for the people have
decided to do nothing. If only…if only that bridge is finished, this town will return to how it was before. Everyone
will return to normal." Tazuna proclaimed.
Naruto clenched his fists. "I promise you…I'll kill Gato! Even if it costs me my life…I'll destroy him!" He declared with
crimson rage in his eyes.
"Um, why are you hanging a torn picture? Inari-kun was watching this during dinner the entire time. This torn part
looks like someone intentionally tore away the person who was there." Sakura asked after they had eaten that
evening.
"It's my husband." Tsunami said, washing the dishes.
"He was a man known as the hero of this town." Tazuna told them. Inari stood up from the table and left, ignoring
his mother asking where he was going. "Tosan, I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari!" Tsunami reprimanded
her father before running after Inari.
"What's wrong with Inari-kun?" Sakura questioned. "It seems there's a reason behind this." Kakashi said before Tazuna
started explaining. He told them of a man named Kaiza who saved Inari and became his role model and father figure
and eventually his step-father. He told them how Kaiza became a hero by saving a large part of the town by jumping
into highly dangerous, rapid torrents and attaching a rope so the villagers could close the dam that had broken up
because of the rain. And he told them how Gato arrived and captured Kaiza, beating him up before executing him
publicly in front of the villagers.
"Inari changed ever since that time. Tsunami and the people of this town as well." Tazuna finished his story. While
listening Naruto had gotten more and more infuriated, and when Tazuna finished it was close to boiling point.
Determination stronger than ever he stood up, knocking the chair he had sat on over, and walked to the door,
pausing only to tell the others to not wait up, before running off into the forest, where he spent the night training,
destroying the clearing he had found.
A girl with long black hair and brown eyes was picking herbs near the clearing Naruto had spent the night
practicing. She wore a pink, sleeveless kimono, with pale red edges and decorated with small plum-colored swirls,
that went to her ankles. Around her waist was a simple white obi tied in a bow, she also wore a pair of light brown
sandals with dark straps, and a dark-colored choker around her neck. A bird landed on her shoulder and gazed
inquisitively at her, causing her giggle slightly. Then the bird flew away abruptly, drawing her attention to a sleeping
redheaded boy lying on the grass in a ruined clearing with burnt and broken trees and upturned ground, on top of
which the bird landed to join its friends.
The girl blinked in surprise before seeing the hitai-ate the boy was wearing and recognizing him as one of the ninja
that had fought her master. Cautiously she walked up to the sleeping boy, looking at his peaceful, and admittedly
beautiful, face. Kneeling down she shook her head, what was she thinking? This was an enemy she was thinking about.
She reached for the boy's throat to snap his neck, but her hand stopped and she couldn't make herself do it. Then
she switched target and instead shook the boy's shoulder. 'He's not an enemy right now.' She rationalized it to herself.
"You're going to catch a cold if you sleep there." She said.
Naruto groaned when he woke up by someone shaking his shoulder and talking to him. "Huh?" He murmured and
opened his eyes to see a beautiful girl crouching over him. Sitting up as the girl leaned back he asked her sleepily.
"Who are you?" However in his mind he was having a hard time not panicking, he recognized this girl's scent as soon as
he woke up, sitting next to him was the oinin that was in league with Zabuza. He wanted to hit himself for being so
careless, if she had wanted to the girl could have killed him while he was sleeping.
The girl smiled in response, becoming even prettier. "My name is Haku, what's your name?" For some reason he didn't
understand Naruto found himself blushing from Haku's smile. "I'm Naruto. What are you doing out here so early in the
morning?" He asked.
"Picking herbs." Haku answered. Naruto raised an eyebrow in fake confusion. "Herbs?"
"That's right. It's to cure injuries and illness." Haku responded. Naruto nodded in understanding. "So someone you know
is ill?" He asked.
"Yes, my master. I'm picking these to help him get better quicker so he can get back to his job. He hates just lying in
bed." Haku told him. Naruto nodded again and offered her help, even though he should have attacked while Haku's
guard was down.
"What are you doing here so early in the morning, in a destroyed clearing, Naruto-san?" Haku asked while they
picked the herbs she needed.
"I was training and must have passed out." Naruto said.
"Are you a ninja or something? That hitai-ate is…" Haku asked. Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I'm a ninja from Konoha. My team
were hired to protect the local bridge builder while he builds the bridge to save this country."
"Wow, that's amazing." Haku said. "But why were you training, you seem like you are already strong?" She asked.
"To become stronger, and protect the ones precious to me. And to help save this country, there's a man, a powerful
man that's been hired by Gato to kill our client. That's why I'm training right now, so I can help my sensei defeat him
and kill Gato. That man has destroyed this country, and I'll see him destroyed for it!" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes
darkening. Haku gave him a smile.
"That's a good reason. A person is able to become truly strong when they wish to protect someone they cherish." She
said.
Naruto gave a small grin in return. "Yeah, I understand that. Yesterday…someone told me of a man who said "Protect
whatever is important to you with these two arms, no matter how tough or sad it is, even if it costs you your life."
And that's exactly what I intend to do. I'll destroy anyone who endangers what's precious to me."
They smiled at each other in understanding before Haku stood up and grabbed her basket. "I have all the herbs I
need for now." She told Naruto. Turning to leave she paused. "I hope we can meet again, Naruto-san. I enjoy speaking
with you."
"Same here. I'll be here for a couple of days, if you want to find me." Naruto responded. For some reason, even
though they both knew they were enemies, they couldn't help but like each other and feel comfortable in each other's
presence, and they both left, hoping they would meet again as friends, and not as enemies.
The next day Naruto returned to the clearing where he had met Haku, and not long after they met again. After
that they decided they would meet there every day for a few hours, where they talked and connected, discovering
that they had similar pasts and could relate to one another. This was the last time, the day before the week ended.
"My master will be up to his normal strength tomorrow." Haku said as they were saying goodbye. This halted Naruto
in his actions for a few seconds, having to come to terms with that they would fight as enemies the next day.
"I see, that's good…" Naruto said lamely. They stood in silence for a minute or so, before Naruto turned to leave. He
was stopped by Haku grabbing his arm. Turning back to her Naruto was caught by surprise by how close Haku was.
His face blushed without his consent when he was stricken once again by how pretty Haku was. He had noticed this
several times during their meetings, occasionally he would find himself staring at Haku while she was doing something
that seemed to accent her beauty, and then he'd catch himself and blush while looking away, wondering what was
happening to him.
His thoughts were swept away when Haku leaned forward, pressing their lips together in a sweet kiss. Naruto stood
wide-eyed in shock before he relaxed, his eyes dropping as he kissed back. Once the need to breathe became
overpowering they broke away, looking at each other with glazed eyes. Then the sound of someone approaching them
snapped them out of their clouded minds and Haku disappeared, leaving Naruto with confused mind and body as Sasuke
entered the clearing.
"What are you doing Naruto?" He questioned when he saw Naruto just standing there looking off into the distance.
Naruto shook his head, pushing his whirling thoughts to the back of his mind and turned to Sasuke. "Nothing, what is
it?"
"Kakashi asked me to come and get you; it's dinner time."
"The bridge is almost complete. It's thanks to you." Tazuna said as they ate that evening. "Especially you, Naruto-san.
Your help has been extremely helpful."
"I wanted to ask this before, but why are you still here even when I lied about the request details?" He asked of
them.
"Not doing right when you know it is right is a coward's way." "There are no weak soldiers under a valiant
commander." Kakashi quoted in answer, causing Tsunami and Tazuna to express their confusion. "They're the teachings of
the previous Hokage." He explained.
"Why…" Inari said quietly, drawing the attention to him. "Hmm?" Naruto questioned lazily. Inari stood up, slamming his
hands on the table.
"Why are you trying so hard that you end up like that?!" He yelled at them, referring to how the three Genin
looked worn and beaten up from training. "You can't beat Gato's men even if you train! No matter how hard you try
and say those good-looking words, weak people are going to lose against strong people!"
"Shut up. We're different from you; we've trained for years to become strong. Unlike you we don't bitch and moan
when life gets tough, we rise to the challenge and beat it down. A few mercenaries aren't going to beat us." Naruto
said.
"Shut up! It pisses me off when I watch you! You don't know anything about this country, and you're so nosy! I'm
different from you, someone who doesn't know any real pain and just laughs all the time!" Inari yelled at him.
"Is that why you're pretending to be the main character of a tragedy and just crying? An idiot like you can just keep
crying. You crybaby! Keep pretending you're the only one who knows pain in this world if you want to and judge
others without knowing what they've been through. But I won't be like that, I'll stand up against the things that are
pushing me down and beat them back." Naruto told him off coldly. Then he stood up, walking to the front door where
he stopped and glared over his shoulder.
"You say I don't know anything about this country? Every day when I walked with your old man through town I saw
how horrible the state of this country is, how children are begging on the streets and sleeping in cardboard boxes!
And Gato's the fault, so I'll rip his head off, even if it costs me my life. I promise you that!" Then he left.
Later Inari was sitting on the dock of the house when Kakashi walked up to him. "May I?" He asked before sitting
down.
"Naruto-kun didn't say that out of spite. he's stubborn. We heard about your father from Tazuna-san. Naruto is the
same as you in that he had no father when he was young. Actually, he doesn't even know what parents are. He also
didn't have a single friend. However, I never saw him grow timid, get sulky, or cry. He's always desperate to make
people recognize him for who he is. And he's able to put his life on the line for that dream. He probably got bored
of crying a long time ago." Kakashi explain to Inari.
"That's why he knows the true meaning of being strong. Just like your father. Naruto might be the one who
understands you the most. What Naruto said to you before…those are probably the words he's been telling himself
over and over again." He left Inari with those words, only giving Naruto, who was lying on the roof of the building,
a glance before walking inside.
Before going to bed that night Team 7 had held a meeting where Kakashi told them that he expected Zabuza to
appear the next day and they would all go to the bridge to protect Tazuna.
"Kaka-ni." Naruto called out when they were getting ready to go to bed. "Hmm?" Kakashi returned.
"If Zabuza and his ally shows up…will you let me fight Zabuza?" He asked of him, shocking everyone into dead stop.
"N-Naruyo are you crazy?! You can't fight that man! Even Sensei had trouble against him!" Sakura exclaimed. Naruto
ignored her however and kept his stare on Kakashi.
"I can't let you do that Naruto-kun, no matter how much you've trained." Kakashi told him.
"I know Zabuza is a strong fighter but the reason he is feared is because of his silent killing. But this whole week
I've trained on being able to counteract that. I can sense all metal in a wide area around me and his Kubikiribocho is
going to be like a bright light in the dark of night! I know I can beat him in a straight up fight. Face it Kaka-ni I'm
better equipped to face him!" Naruto tried to convince him.
"Naruto I need you to face the other one." Kakashi started but Naruto surprised them all by dropping to his hands
and knees.
"Please Sensei! I can't fight Ha-…the one in the mask! I beg you to not make me!" Naruto pleaded with his head bowed
low to hide the tears in his eyes. His team was stunned by this turn of events, no one more so than Kakashi, who
knew Naruto better than anyone. He didn't beg. It just wasn't something he did, yet here he was, begging him to let
him face an opponent he had trouble facing.
When he looked up at him with teary eyes he knew something had happened during the week, had he met Zabuza's
Oinin and befriended her? He did almost say a name when he talked about the Oinin. Either way he found he couldn't
deny his wish when he spotted that he was trembling. Sighing he closed his eye in resignation. "Very well. I'll trust
you to deal with Zabuza, at least until I've dealt with the Oinin." He said, shocking Sasuke and Sakura.
"You're letting him?!" They both exclaimed as Naruto sagged in relief. "Thank you." He thanked him weakly.
"W-What's this?!" Tazuna exclaimed the next day when they reached the bridge to see all the workers beaten up and
knocked out. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Then a cold mist drifted in over the bridge. "He's coming!" Kakashi said and they formed around Tazuna and readied
themselves.
"Kakashi-sensei, this is his Kirigakure no Jutsu, right?" Sakura asked. Then Zabuza's voice reached them.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kakashi. And you're still carrying those kids. He's shaking again, how pitiful." He said,
referring to Sasuke. Then several Mizu Bunshin appeared and surrounded them.
"They're just clones; the real one is over there!" Naruto said and pointed in front of him. One of the clones noticed
Sasuke giving a smirk. "I'm shaking with excitement." He told it.
"Go for it, Sasuke." Kakashi said. And as the clones attacked, Sasuke moved and destroyed all of them. "Oh? He can
defeat the water clones. That kid's gotten stronger. A rival has appeared for you, Haku. And that other one noticed
where I was." Zabuza said as Haku and he appeared from the mist.
"So it would seem." Haku said as the two teams faced off. "Sorry, but Sasuke and Sakura here will be guarding
Tazuna-san. Your opponents will be us, Zabuza, Haku." Kakashi said as he and Naruko stepped forward.
"So that redhead will be your opponent, huh? We make the first move, go." Zabuza told Haku. "Hai."
Haku sped towards Naruto, only to be stopped by Kakashi. "Sorry, but your opponent will be me." He said to Zabuza
and Haku's shock.
"Ha! You would leave your little Genin to fight me, Kakashi?!" Zabuza exclaimed. His answer came in the form of
several tendrils of silver sand attacking him, forcing him to dodge back.
"If you want to fight Kaka-ni you will have to kill me first." Naruto proclaimed as he appeared in front of him.
"Heh, fine. I'll kill you first." Zabuza said and readied his sword as the mist thickened.
If you're worried about this suddenly turning into a Naruto/Haku pairing, don't be. This is still very much a
Naruto/Gaara. Naruto is just experiencing his first love. Don't like that? Too bad.
Translations:
Jichan/Ojichan = Grandfather
Kachan = Mom/Mother
Tosan = Dad/Father