Chapter three.
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Naruto was now on his way to wave country as he had made camp. Naruto looked in his bag as he had found a book on how to make camp along with how to cook and a book on how to care for a sword. Naruto then though saw something he missed before, two scrolls.
Blinking Naruto pulled them out and opened the first one. "Tree climbing? Water walking?" Naruto debated which one to open first and went for water walking, hey it sounded cooler to him but then glancing around he saw no water so instead he went for tree climbing.
Naruto opened the scroll and began to read. "Ok so too much I blow off and too little I slip." He summarized and then went to a tree backing up some. Naruto sprinted forward only to be blown off of the tree. "Damn too much." Naruto thought to himself.
/
Naruto was walking down a path three days later as he had his pack slung over his shoulder. Naruto heard cursing as he saw a man with a straw hat walking forward. He looked upset at something, "Uhm hello sir?" the man blinked seeing Naruto.
"Huh what do you want?" He slurred and Naruto could tell he was drunk.
"Look mister you seem kind of dr..." Naruto stopped when he noticed a ninja dashing forward at the man who stumbled tripping down as the ninja was about to attack. Drawing his sword Naruto slammed his sword down at the claw the man had. He then noticed the chain on his claw as a second appeared ready to attack Naruto. Naruto jumped back and dodged the swipe then brought his sword sideways swiping at the man.
Naruto leaned back as he then slashed clashing with the man's clawed gauntlet. Naruto then noticed the other rushing towards the bridge builder, Naruto ran towards him stabbing at the man with his sword. Naruto felt his sword stab into the man as he pulled it out. The ninja dropped groaning in pain, "You bastard!" One ninja yelled rushing to Naruto.
Naruto side stepped and swiped at the man sideways with his sword. The Nin grabbed his sword with his clawed gauntlet and pushed back. Naruto grunted as he was being held back the metal stopping the man's hand from being cut. Naruto began get pushed back as the man was about to fling Naruto off.
Naruto switched using only his left hand to hold the blade as he reached back grabbing his knife and slashed the man's neck. The man stopped as he went limp and Naruto moved out the way. He had just killed two more. Naruto looked at the drunken man who blinked.
"So you want to tell me why these guys were after you?" The old man blinked.
"I'm a bridge builder headed to wave country," Naruto blinked and nodded.
"Oh that makes since, the ninja were hired to kill you." The man blinked and nodded. "Since it's an island it is easy to rob and stuff that happen a lot?"
"Unfortunately," The man said with a sigh.
"But what are you doing here and not in wave?"
"Well I went to get some help but we didn't have enough money to hire any ninja, I tried to lie but their Hokage saw right through it and kicked me out." Naruto blinked at him.
"So you went to Konoha?" The man nodded to him.
"Well I can help you," The man blinked.
"Why? Don't get me wrong just curious."
"Simple I want to help," Naruto said to him. "That and I need some money." The man chuckled.
"Well it's not much money kid but are you sure you can handle it."
"The name is Kitsune and what choice do you have?" Naruto asked him.
"Well I'm Tazuna, Kitsune," Tazuna held his arm out as Naruto shook his hand.
"But I got one question this guys here they are missing Nins I thought it would only be bandits." Tazuna sighed.
"Well you see there is a man named Gato who owns all our ports."
"So he gets all the money." Naruto finished quickly as Tazuna nodded.
"Yeah he hired some Ninja to hold off against us."
"Ok then so not only bandits but Ninja also," Tazuna nodded to him.
"The bridge will be finished in a few weeks." Tazuna said as Naruto nodded to him. "Well let's…"
"One more thing," Tazuna glanced with a raised eyebrow. "I can't leave them like that I need to bury them."
"Huh how come?" Tazuna asked.
"Wouldn't you want someone to bury you?" Tazuna nodded as Naruto began to dig. He had grabbed his knife ready to start.
"Hey kid why don't you use their gauntlets it will probably be easier." Naruto looked and saw the chained gauntlets that had claws on them and nodded.
"Yeah," Naruto grabbed the gauntlets and slid them on letting the chain hang behind him. He began to dig then as the dirt gave away easily.
/
Naruto and Tazuna both walked forward as the two had just crossed the lake and were headed to the town. Naruto then heard it, a bush moving as he stopped. Tazuna saw him stop and did the same thing. Naruto took out his carving knife and made a notion for Tazuna to move. Tazuna backed away as Naruto through his knife.
He then pinned a white snow rabbit to the tree his knife stabbing right beside it in the tree. "It's just a rabbit?" Tazuna said confused.
"Better safe than sorry," Naruto replied at Tazuna's nod. Naruto walked to the rabbit and took his knife back in his case taking the rabbit before it could run off. "It will be some good food also." Naruto said wondering how to cook the rabbit.
Naruto's eyes perked, he had leaved in Konoha alone a lot of times and he had learned to take the small hints of attackers. "Duck," Tazuna blinked but when Naruto turned around and grabbed a long Zanbato with his clawed hand Tazuna fell back. "Well that was close."
"Your actually not bad brat," Naruto looked and saw a man approaching him as the mist grew thicker.
"Who are you?" Naruto said tossing the Zanbato away.
"Shouldn't have done that brat," In the next instant the man disappeared. Naruto blinked but then heard a clung he saw the Zanbato was gone and sighed. "I probably should have kept that." Tazuna gulped as Naruto spoke.
"Stay close old man," Tazuna didn't respond to being called old man only nodded shifting closer to him. Naruto then saw the man appear ready to slash horizontally though him. Naruto reached for his knife and blocked the attack grunting some.
"Not bad kid the name's Zabuza Momochi," Zabuza said has he seemed to smile underneath his bandaged mask "You executioner." Naruto reached behind him and swiped at his head with his knife as Zabuza turned to water.
"Ninjutsu," Naruto said as if thinking. "He can make clones of water so what next?" Naruto thought out loud as he heard chuckling.
"Guess it was just a fluke you are still wet behind the ears boy." Naruto got ready to defend wondering where he would be attacked from. Naruto glanced around only to see Zabuza about to kill Tazuna. Naruto rushed and attacked as he blocked attack with attack. Naruto reached out and clawed him with his gauntlet while using one hand to defend. Zabuza didn't turn into a water clone.
"Those are from the demon brother," Zabuza said and glared at Naruto. "Damn brat," Zabuza then vanished as Naruto blinked and turned to look at Tazuna.
"Did he leave?" Tazuna said.
"I'm not sure he could be trying to get me to lower my guard. Just in case stay close." Tazuna nodded as he stuck close to Naruto who then picked up the rabbit.
"Want some?" Naruto said ready to kill it with his carving Knife.
"CHAPPY-CHAN!" Naruto heard a yell and glanced only for a small white mask too flash beside him taking the rabbit.
/
Naruto now appeared in with Tazuna in the village. As he looked around he saw how all of them were quiet as if waiting at any moment to hide from anything. Some took glances at him and his fox mask as Naruto continued to walk with Tazuna.
The duo then found his home as Tazuna opened it. "Tsunami I'm home!" Naruto saw a women with long blue hair come down as she looked between them.
"Tou-san is this the ninja you hired?"
"I'm no Ninja," Naruto said to her as she blinked.
"I ran into him after the Hokage refused due to lack of funds. Any way he has agreed to help us out." Tsunami nodded to him.
"Well then I was about to start dinner why don't you two set down Inari will be down in a minute."
"Who is Inari?" Naruto asked them.
"He is my grandson!" Tazuna stated proudly. Naruto smiled at Tazuna behind his mask. "Anyway we should get ready to eat. Tomorrow I'm going to work on the bridge alright but today is a day off." Naruto nodded as they sat down.
"It's fine it will give me time to sharpen my blades." Tazuna nodded to him as they then heard footsteps. "You're going to die mister." Naruto turned and saw a kid with a white bucket hat and blue strips.
"You must be Inari," Naruto said as Tazuna nodded.
"You should leave you will die if you stay here." Inari stated. "Just go on and get out you will only cause trouble for us!" Inari shouted as Tsunami looked away and Tazuna sighed.
"So your just spineless." Naruto said as the other two gawked at him while Inari growled in anger.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW YOU PROBABLE NEVER HAD IT HEARD IN YOUR LIFE!" Inari yelled before stomping off slamming his bed room door closed.
"I'll go talk to him." Tsunami said only for Naruto to stand up.
"No let me go he needs to hear what I have to say." Tsunami debated but nodded as Naruto then stopped. "First tell me what happened to him to make him like that." Tazuna nodded and told him about Kaiza Inari's second father.
/
Naruto walked in Inari's room and saw him on the roof through his window. Naruto crawled through it and sat next to Inari who looked the other way. "It was hard wasn't it?"
"What would you know?" Inari whispered quietly.
"I know a lot about loneliness." Naruto said as Inari blinked and saw Naruto remove his yellow fox mask. "When I was a kid my village spurned me. They always yelled at me kicked me out I always thought hey I am going to be a ninja I'll become Hokage and show them. Though I failed Graduation twice and my third time I had almost passed every aspect. Though there was a single Jutsu that got me, the bunshin."
Naruto said as Inari was absorbed into the tale as Naruto continued. "Well that day I went home not sure what to do. A man came in then with a Ninjato, he attacked me. He said that his child would have graduated if it wasn't for me. I… I killed him." Naruto said as Inari's eyes widened.
"I ran away after that taking a knife. I was afraid the Hokage would kill me if he found out. I had thought I was a monster. That the Hokage would kill me simple because of harming his people," Naruto said as Inari scooted closer.
"After that well I began running around, I knew the Hokage sent search parties but if I kept going in circles they would think it was a lost trail. After that well I found a bandit camp." Naruto said thinking about it all. "There was a woman in the middle I saw them about to rape the girl. Without thinking I rushed in there. Somehow I killed each one of them it is all still a haze to me. I saved the girl and I thought everything would be alright then."
"Wait then where is the girl now?" Inari asked.
"It didn't end there after the bandits were dead I went to the girl. The girl told me to look behind me. I turned and saw a huge bandit of a man. One of the bandits who was still alive told him to help him calling him boss. The man then stated how they were weak and useless."
Inari was shocked that a guy would kill his own but then he suppose Gato would to.
"The Man was about to kill me as he pinned me down. When he stuck with his sword though instead of killing me something else happened. The woman sacrificed herself for me. She then told me thank you for tying." Inari' eyes widened.
"In a rage I killed him and then I knew what I would do. I would use my life in order to bring peace or find a way towards peace. If I back out now sure I would live, but how could I live with myself? I couldn't, You may think me a fool Inari."
"But then I am a proud fool."
Inari's eyes widened as at Naruto as Naruto then took out his knife behind his waist. "Here if you believe Gato will always win walk away. But if you believe there is a chance no matter how small it is take this knife and protect your family whenever the time comes." Inari looked at the knife as he then looked at Naruto.
Inari then reached for the knife.
/
Chapter end.
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