Living Twice: Altering the Present

by MRAY 4TW

He... knows. They say the future is written in stone but he knows that while that may be true, he's the artisan, molding it into the one he wishes. He'll change the future when it arrives. Time manipulation... like no other! Naruto has the knowledge but what will he do with it? It's his responsibility... and his curse. NaruKin Naruto/Kin.

10. Chapter 10

Living Twice

No one's been killing brain cells to figure it out, huh? Aw, you guys are no fun. You could try, you know. Anyway, as pertaining to the previous chapter; Naruto isn't dark. He's not bloodthirsty, he's not excessively violent. I mean, someone who reviewed claimed that they got offended; me thinks it's the graphic violence. If no one else is complaining, I suppose the amount of it was just bit too steep for only one person. Let carnage continue…err, somewhat.

Disclaimer: I wasteD five minutes trying tO thiNk of a unique way To dO this. hoW? plaiN aNd unAdoRned. i Used capiTal letters tO do it.

Yeah. Like an obvious Wonderword, you know?

10.

Kakashi slid backwards in a running man stance; without missing a beat, he was already charging the stocky man again, with his hands already going through handseals. "Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu!" (Fire release: Great Fireball technique)

Even his enclosed distance, the man still leapt to the side and dodged the fireball that flew through his previous place in a marvelous show of speed. The Hatake glanced over to Naruto who was squaring off with the Demon of the Hidden Mist, and secretly worried; this was despite Naruto telling him frequently not to. Pulling his attention away from his student, he refocused on the Shipping Magnate who seemed to be like some sort of soft and pudgy speed demon.

And was fighting in his business suit. Of all eccentricities that Kakashi had seen, even larger than his own, or even Gai's, this one was the most unique he had ever laid eyes on.

"Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan eye?" The man said with a rather devious, yet taunting smirk. "I expected more from you."

"And I expected you to be like this." He replied plainly. Naruto had already told him how the day was going to turn out, so like him, nothing would surprise him or faze him. It didn't stop him from fretting though. What with Sakura and Sasuke holding off and even killing Gato's thugs and general no-gooders, Tazuna having the nerve to drink while watching them, and Naruto fighting a very dangerous A ranked missing nin who was one of the legendary Swordsman, with an even more notorious sword.

Yep. After this, if so much as a girl came up to him and neutered him without anesthesia for reading smut, he wouldn't even bat an eyelash.

"Is this how Naruto lives?" The man muttered. "To expect everything, and unable to genuinely react unless it's truly earth-shattering? To know if people were planning a surprise party? To know people's hearts before they themselves knew? An incredible gift? Or a curse?" He shook his head. 'For now, it helps. I still need to-'

Although he expected it and braced himself for it, he got decked in his right cheek and sent flying away a dozen meters and bounced up as he touched the ground. He wouldn't yell his pain though. He'd take it like a man.

"I can't believe I had to get my hands dirty!" The man cackled.

"And I can't believe I had to fight a mediocre user of an experimental swift release." The Hatake said dryly. He rubbed his face with the lateral side of his arm to alleviate the sting. The man wasn't necessarily all that strong, but he was using his entire body to over-propel his attacks. He had to run intercept the Scarecrow at full speed, before hitting him to exaggerate the attacks. The punch was more of a push than an extended piston. Gato wasn't really an experienced fighter. If he was, Kakashi was sure that his head would have been knocked clean off his body from the single punch.

But he was still incredibly tough to beat. Without the sharingan, at least. Naruto claimed that it was imperative that he stalled the man.

'But what next?'

Naruto on the other hand, wasn't lost in thought like his teacher, or lost in a melee fight like his teammates. He was lost in a memory.

What should have happened (One Week before – Meeting with Haku)

He had decided to try some variant to his training that morning. He took to the forests for some privacy, and once there, had created a gauntlet to run through. He had once tried this training regimen a few days prior, but Tazuna wasn't pleased that a stray rock nearly brained him when he came out to investigate the noises of him yelling and grunting. Lest he harm someone else, he needed some privacy.

The gauntlet consisted of two long lines of clones who were all armed with kage-copies his blade-baton, rocks, and anything else he scavenged about the place. He had created the clones, while he slung over his shoulder a bag with said rock (actually a river-stone) a two-by-four which was a foot and a half in length, and a metal pole.

He got the feeling that he was under control. Not his, but something else's. He recognized the feeling, and knew that it was what he called the Fore-Experience. He decided that he would just let things progress naturally, and so it did.

Halfway running and fighting through his own gauntlet, suffice to say, he got knocked the fuck out by a flailing large block of wood to the back of his head.

…

…

…

"H…W…p…"

"H..y…W..k..up."

His eyes rolled around under his eyelids as he came to. He felt some pressure on his shoulder and it shook, as if someone was shaking him by it. As he opened the windows of his sight, he saw that what he presumed was right. His vision blurred, but soon cleared as he saw someone crouched next to him.

"Hey, wake up. You shouldn't sleep out here-"

He pushed her aside as he got up. "I wasn't sleeping. I was…well…unconscious, yes. But not sleeping."

The girl frowned. "Unconscious?" As he turned from her, she saw him grasp the back of his head in pain. "Were you attacked or something of the sort?"

"You ask too many questions." He bit out shortly. He himself had no idea why he would speak this way, but he was under the influence of the Fore-experience. All he did was for a reason, but only a few times he actually did have control over himself during this rather mystical event. That wasn't always preferable, and could make things unpredictable.

"I'm sorry, a'right?" He heard himself say. "Ugh, my head hurts, and it's doing wonders for my mood."

She nodded in understanding. From Naruto's perception and eye for detail, he felt that she may have seen his case already with other people. "That's quite alright. Are you sure that you're fine? You just said that you were unconscious. And I can see…" She looked around and saw his only few things that he brought to train. "A metal pole, a river stone and a piece of lumber…" Glancing aside, she saw his weapon. "And this thing."

He turned to her to see what she was talking about, and saw that she was holding his primary weapon. "Hold up, girlie. Best give that over before you cut yourself."

She gave it to him laterally. He felt that it was a bit too much of a show that a civilian would go through to hand over a weapon. Many would just give him handle first, thinking that he wouldn't kill them with the sharp end, or for their safety, hold the handle first and give it to him at the sharp end.

This person gave it to him laterally to avoid offending him, while negating any risk of hurting herself; not to mention give them a decent leeway to dodge should he become hostile.

"Huh. Arigato." He thanked her as he took it from her. "You didn't say you were a ninja."

Her eyebrows lifted. "I'm not. What would give you that idea?"

"The way you gave me back my weapon. Or the fact that you so easily noticed something as barely out of place as a smooth stone, nearly hidden by grass. You just up and believed that I had something to do with it."

She smiled, which confused him. He tensed himself, but was surprised when she giggled a bit. "Well, that's true. I am."

He frowned. "Hmm. Well, thanks for your concern, and I'll take it that your non-violent approach towards me was done in an effort to avoid a confrontation. I'll honor it. Seeing that you 'may'," He made dramatic air quotes at this. "Have had some actual concern for me, what is it that you need?"

She brought a finger up to her chin, and stroked it. "Well, I came here to pick some herbs. Since you and I both know that we're possibly counter-combatants, would you still help me collect them for my master's ill health?"

"Momochi, I presume?"

"Hai."

"Meh, I knew he was going to live, anyway. The sooner he gets back up to fighting snuff, we can duke it out and everyone can go about their daily lives." He said firmly with reckless abandon. "Sure."

They each made their way around the clearing side by side, picking out what she needed. They chatted like friends during this, rather than enemies. There were several key topics like what kind of moral and idealism they both fought for. Naruto told her his, and she hers to him. A full fifteen minutes fled during the task, but they continued talking long after that. Naruto hoped that this 'incident' could be repeated. He did enjoy her company, and hoped that they wouldn't need to fight to the death the next time they met.

"Well, arigato for your time, Naruto-san."

"And you yours. Hold on, if you can help Zabuza, can you fix my head? It still hurts like a son-of-a-"

"Oh yes. Because you have that much faith in a complete stranger." She answered in a half-serious, half-joking tone.

"You're not a complete stranger, but you are strange to me."

She playfully punched his shoulder. "As are you, friend. Hai. I know the Shosen. But you'll have to exercise blind faith and turn your back to me, while I lay hands on your head. Do you have that much trust in me?"

…

A few minutes later, his head no longer hurt him. "Well, this has got to be the weirdest day I've ever had the pleasure of living. Blind faith, huh? Friends?" He held out his hand to shake.

She took his hand without hesitation. "Friends."

"If we see each other on the battlefield, let's just fight to knock each other unconscious?" He asked hopefully.

She formed three senbon from ice between her fingers. "I excel at doing that."

Naruto was only mildly surprised. "Ah. The ninja who jumped in to knock out Zabuza with needles to the neck." He took out his weapon and swiped it down hard to release the catch. "I as well, should the occasion demand it."

"Goodbye, Naruto-san."

"Sayonara, Haku."

And with that, the friends/enemies turned their backs in an about turn and left in separate directions. Blind faith in one another, to not strike each other in the back.

And he admired that. He wished for it to happen again.

What should have happened (One Week before – Meeting with Haku) END

A tear ran down his cheek as he barely expended the effort to dodge the man's dropping slash. 'Was it because I was a coward? Because I didn't want to knock myself out? Is it because I decided to just take a half hour's worth of sleep hoping for the same effect? Is it my fault why I bonded with her without her even knowing of it, and then killing her?'

"You son of a god-damn bitch! You killed my tool! Your fuckin' life is mine!"

"…" More tears ran freely. They clouded and blurred his vision, but he had the knowledge necessary to dodge the elder man's strikes with his eyes closed. " Did I poison time against myself?!" He yelled at the man.

The swordsman was confused, and even the others looked up to see the Uzumaki awash in tears. "Is it your fault? Or mine? I forwent one step. ONE STEP! And she's DEAD! Is it my fault?! OR IS IT HER LOYATY TO YOU?!"

The swordsman saw the youngster caught up in his moment and stopped as well. "What's your problem?! You killed her! Not me! I'm avenging her, not you!"

"Pull yourself together, Naruto." The boy muttered, as he visibly flinched from the nuke nin's accusation. "Damn-it-all; I don't know anymore. I just wanted to be her friend, you know? We met, and we became friends. But just before that actually happened, I bitched things up. Because after all my training by inflicting self-injury to increase my reaction time and spontaneous reflexes, it turns out that I didn't have the balls to knock myself out to meet her in the end. I just took a nap. Does that make sense?"

"Naruto!" Kakashi called out in jest. "If we survive this, I'm going to seek counseling for you. If you don't mind, wrap this up before the rest of us get seriously hurt or worse. Three…two…one…" The man said in a countdown as if preparing himself.

The man was sent flying away by another punch to the face by Gato. "I'd rather 'worse.'" The businessman said while smirking.

Naruto turned back to face the swordsman. "I suppose my teacher's right. The future isn't always set in stone, but I poisoned it against myself. I can't keep second guessing my actions. Whoa. Déjà vu. Hmm. Déjà vu for that déjà vu. And again…and again…err, alright stop. I hate that cycle." Naruto slapped his own cheek in chastisement and ignored the older man's befuddled stare. "I apologize for my emotional state. I suppose I can grieve later if I can; provided you have a snowball's chance in hell of killing me but can't, seeing that I know all that you will do."

Zabuza hesitated for a long moment. The brat knew what he would do? Like a sharingan, if that was how it worked? Seeing the future? Time-traveling, maybe? Preposterous-

"I can tell that you don't believe me. But I don't care. Come thee hither, Momochi, and be killed by a twelve year old." The blond said plainly. He lifted his blade-baton and pointed at the man in a challenge. "She's not here to bail you out if things get tough, and you don't have to worry about my teacher's intervention. This is strictly between us."

Zabuza studied the boy with care. So far, he had demonstrated himself to be more than a credible threat. Even when he had gone all soft with his emotions, he still made him look like a fool using a sledgehammer to kill an ant, when a single sandal would have been enough. He was quick to dodge, probably had brutal finishes, and seemed to have some sort of trump card that ensured him victory. Before he could hesitate or lose face and influence, he lifted Kubikiribōchō and slammed it midway on the side of the bridge. He repeated it twice more until it cracked and kept on it like a wild animal until he broke it in two. The large upper part fell off into the water below but he did not mind. Once he killed everyone, the sword would rebuild itself from the iron in blood. What he broke off could be dubbed as old blood, and the brat in front of him had the new.

Naruto wasn't fazed; he had expected the action.

"Now, half the weight and length means twice as easier to swing. Twice as easy means you'll be dead twice as fast." Zabuza remarked with a razor-toothed smirk.

"If the sword makes the man a swordsman," The Uzumaki countered. "Then you're now half of zero. You've defied logic to become worse than you were before."

A growl was all he had to warn him before he had to leap backwards to avoid a diagonal swing. "Nothing elaborate. Still relies on brute force, rather than intricate swordplay." He tapped a seal at his belt while expending a little chakra to unseal a yellow balloon. "Watch me disarm you without me even striking you."

Naruto quickly gripped the baton in his teeth while removing shuriken from his pouch. A second later, three shuriken were headed for Zabuza's face, chest and gut. Fearing that he could be subject to a trap if he avoided them, he decided that he'd block them by holding his sword upside down at a diagonal angle. Although it briefly blocked his vision of the boy, he was able to peer over a side, just to see that the balloon broke on impact on his fingers holding the sword.

It did not feel painful.

"What was that, brat?!" The man cackled as he reassumed his stance.

"Vegetable oil." He said simply, after removing the baton from his mouth and holding it tightly again. "Why don't'cha take a swing, huh?"

To hell with that shit. Did he think that this was some kind of a game? Cooking oil?!

He ignored the boy's jest as he charged at him. The boy simply stood still as he deliberately waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Zabuza swung the sword at the boy's midsection from the right, and Naruto only blinked. The man was sure that the brat was done for, but his own weapon slipped from his grasp when he had over-swung it. The zanbato swung and curved around Naruto and flew off in a spinning frenzy until it cleaved through two bandits at the waist who never saw it coming as they charged at the other two genin.

Halved organs, blood and other such gut-filler splashed over the people there, and was enough to startle Tazuna enough to quit his drinking. He continued soon after in celebration. "Hip hip hooray, for friendly attacks!" The man cheered in a slur, raising his bottle as if in a toast before chugging it again. Sakura was disturbed as some splashed her all over her mid-torso, but Sasuke seemed to handle it fairly well.

"Scratch two. Thanks, Naruto." He muttered. "That means two less for me to put down."

"What the fuck, Momochi?!" Gato screamed. "Watch what you're doing!"

"…" Zabuza turned away from the sight of his sword bereft of him, and back to the boy who still hadn't moved.

"You do realize that you're going to die, don't you?" Naruto intoned with stark evenness.

"I'm not some harmless fool just because I lost my sword!" The man answered angrily with a scowl. Leaping backwards, he ran through nearly a dozen handseals. "Suiton: Daibakufu no jutsu!" (Water release: Great Waterfall technique)

A fantastic-in-size deluge of water rose up from the side of the bridge, and forced everyone to beat feet to avoid getting pummeled. As Kakashi grabbed Tazuna and leapt back away with his charge over his shoulder. Naruto, instead of running away like smart people, sprinted to the waterfall before it crashed down unto him, and practically dived through the foot of it.

Zabuza was gloating as he was sure that his A-ranked technique had pounded the brat into a smeared paste, but the boy emerged on his side of the jutsu breathing heavily. He muttered something along the lines of 'path of least resistance' before he dashed towards the older man in a near kamikaze run.

Before Zabuza could regain the offensive by using another technique, Naruto was already swinging his baton in a drop at the man's head in a right-handed feint, before using his left hand to punch the man in the liver. The older man went to block the feint with his left hand, but caught the boy's fist in his right. He was about to simply knee the shorter boy in the chest when Naruto twisted the baton, and pulled it back to him. A 'cut-esque' pain became known in his arm he used to unintentionally sacrifice for the feint, and realized that the boy had dragged the blade portion over his arm. Deciding to just grit through the pain and kick the boy after-all, he followed through, only to hear a cracking sound below him.

And realized that it was his kneecap. The boy had just smashed into it with his baton handle when both attacks met each other half-way.

"Graah!"

"I'm right-arm dominant." Naruto commented coolly. He then slashed upwards at the man's hand still holding on his left one, and made a savage cut there under the wrist. It wasn't sharp or powerful to cut clean through the hand, but it was strong enough to cut through his tendons that controlled the fingers & thumb, as well as his radial artery. Ruby liquid ran freely as Zabuza's hand downgraded from being able to make fists and handseals to only doing a slack-palmed slap.

The Uzumaki leapt backwards before Zabuza could throw a haymaker at his throat with his better arm. He knew that Zabuza was practically finished already, and it was barely fifteen minutes since everyone met each other on the bridge. "Damn this blessed curse…" Naruto muttered.

He twirled the baton and caught it neatly at the handle again in decent showmanship as he prepared his stance. "Time to go…"

Zabuza felt a pang of fear, but quickly suppressed it. If the boy was this strong now, what would he be like in months? Years? He had a brief strike of cold shivers but stood as best he could on his uninjured and injured leg. "Do it then. All of this won't bring her back, anyway."

"…I know."

Naruto ignored all else as he held his baton to the side, angled low to the ground as he charged the man. "I'll try my best to make this as painful as possible. It'll assuage my guilt!" He yelled.

Zabuza held up his better arm in preparation while holding his worse-off one close to his chest. "Do it!"

"Raagh!" The boy roared as he made it within arm's reach and expended massive effort to jab the end of his weapon through the man's old wound in his thigh. It was actually the same leg as the handicapped knee, and virtually left Zabuza standing on only one good leg. The boy ignored the fact as he yanked out his weapon and slashed with it upwards and the blade pulled across the man's exposed midriff and his poor-condition arm.

Flinching from the assault, Zabuza tried to pull back unsuccessfully, as Naruto brought the blunt side of his weapon down on his healthy wrist. Hearing a crack there, Naruto held up on the momentum brought it to the side. He then swung it back and walloped the man on his hip. Quickly creating a shadow clone that flanked around the man, both raised the blade portion of their weapons.

And in the minute following, Zabuza's own reality was filled with nothing but pain as the two of them, in a flurry of swipes and slashes, lacerated his flesh all over. Nothing was really spared, except for any straight-through stabbings. He got his tendons cut, arteries slashed, veins parted and muscles nearly diced completely.

The clone kicked the hemorrhaging man to his knees and yanked his head back by his hair. There, Naruto faced him and bloodshot eyes stared into each other. One pair was filled with physical pain, and the other, emotional.

Zabuza knew that he was close to complete exsanguination, and wished for nothing more than to be healed again. In that moment, he recalled Haku who would usually tend to his wounds.

"The pain is difficult, isn't it?" He heard a garbled voice coming from his would be dispatcher. Realizing that he was dying, he readied himself fully for it.

"Do you have any last words?"

Zabuza's scowl deepened. "Yeah…" he coughed up blood and it spattered his bandages. "Fuck off, you puss-"

Naruto hacked his bladed side into the side of the man's neck at the collar, cutting off the man's sentence. The man's thinning volume of blood poured into his throat on the inside, and rushed likewise down his chest to mix with his earlier wounds he had suffered. The blade was deep in his flesh, and the shadow clone behind him hacked his sword unto the other side as well.

The shadow clone repeated his action, and slashed into the sinew of the man's neck. Naruto re-did as well and crimson liquid splashed all over them as vital jugular vein and carotid vessels were cut in two. The process nearly done in a few more drop-hacks, the clone dispersed and Zabuza's head bowed and sagged.

Naruto drew back his leg, steeled himself and punted the man's head off of his shoulders, since only a little sinew that had truly kept it connected to his body. The resultant energy also forced the headless corpse unto his back, and Naruto inhaled deeply. He then expelled it in a shuddering breath as blood flowed in a slight torrent from the dead man's neck like a bottle that's barely stopped up. Stepping aside, he unrolled a storage scroll as he approached the head.

Taking it up in both hands with his fingers grasping the back, he stared at it for a minute.

And realized that the practical murder really didn't help with the guilt.

He tickled the inside of his own throat with his tongue and snorted. Coughing a bit, he spat a phlegm loaded projectile-spit unto the man's face, and then sealed it.

That helped a bit more. But not much.

=X=X=

"Well, you were right, Naruto."

"Of course I am."

Kakashi had his sharingan revealed and held Sasuke behind him. Naruto was at his sensei's side and both stared at the stocky business man. "For Kami's sake, Naruto, if you hadn't done that when you did, Sasuke would have gotten his neck pierced clean through with the man's cane."

"Hey, it was all you. Besides, we had to let it go that far so the guy behind us could just get his damned new strain of pink-eye."

The newly sharingan-ed boy squirmed as he tried to get between the two ahead of him. "I want to fight him as well! I must test my new eyes!"

"Calm down, Sasuke." Naruto chided. "This fat midget here is faster than Kakashi-sensei, as hard as that is to believe. He's using swift release, and he can kill you faster than the blink of an eye."

The raven haired youth blinked his sharingan eyes slowly and smirked. "I'm faster than him as well, then."

"Not the time for jokes, you two. Naruto, what's the plan?"

"Why are you asking him?" The last Uchiha queried.

"I trust his judgment." The man muttered under his breath.

"We shoot the bastard." Naruto said firmly. He saw his teacher about to argue and continued. "Yeah, yeah, four second rules apply, and he's too fast. Someone's gotta be holding him, while someone else blows a hole through his chest. It's an experimental new mugshot I got developed. It's no longer just spread and shrapnel. Lets just say that it has something of a bit more brute-force to it. One of you two with your fancy eyes are going to have shoot him to make sure you don't miss."

"But who the hell's holding him?" Sasuke asked, and both sharingan users turned to Naruto.

…

…

…

A few minutes later found Gato slipping up on some cooking oil on the smooth and slick ground and his arms being held unto by at least two shadow clones on either side. Kakashi grabbed the man's legs using a Double Decapitation Suicide and pulled him down to his waist into the ground.

Upon which, Sasuke got to use a mugshot for the first time. The thing had a few iron marbles in it, and no one needed an explanation how Gato had multiple pieces of tiles in his chest, and at least three holes through which if one were to look carefully, see daylight on the other side.

=X=X=

"I rather like this weapon. But why the hell did you engrave 'have a nice day' on it?"

"Ugh. Only Naruto." Sakura remarked as she took it from him to look at it for herself. It wasn't reloaded yet, but she still feared it. She had seen what it was capable of, and right now, it was if it were threatening her safety just by holding it. She quickly passed it to Naruto, who replaced it in his backpack.

"Its just for laughs, alright?"

"Never pegged you for a joker." She deadpanned. "You're like some coldblooded killer, now. What with Mizuki, the bandits and chunin, the so-called Zabuza and his apprentice, and your assist on Gato."

"I'm not a coldblooded killer. And she was my friend, ok?" Naruto sniffled. "I regret killing her."

"How can she become your friend in one morning?"

"We never even met, by certain applied theories but don't ask me to explain. It's difficult, rough and I'm dredging up too many emotions." Naruto held his head down and stared at his feet. "It's my fault. I should have just done what I did the first time without a single deviation, and by doing so, I followed the second one. It was just some stupid mistake! Kami!"

Kakashi put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can relate." He gestured for Naruto to follow him so they could speak privately. "Let me tell you a story from my youth, during the events of the Third Great Shinobi War…"

=X=X=

"Well, so in essence, you could always think of it that you freed her from living her life as his tool. She told you that he was her purpose for living. There wasn't really a delicate way to handle that situation."

"I suppose so."

"Hey, it sounds like you two really hit it off. If you can be friends in the afterlife, that doesn't mean that you should go off yourself."

"Sensei!" Naruto chastised. "Don't make me have to shoot you!"

The man eye-smiled. "Sure you will." He ruffled the boy's hair, which said Uzumaki pretended to detest. "Anyway, come on. They're about to name the bridge."

"To hell with the bridge. I just wanna go home." The boy groaned as he approached the rest of his team. "This mission has been taxing on my nerves."

"And this one taxed my mental health."

"You too, huh?"

"Quiet, you."

"Sensei?" Naruto peered up into his teacher's face.

"Hmm?"

"Don't tell them that I know future events."

"I have to, Naruto. The report demands all transpirings. Even if I don't, how are you going to explain how I let you fight Zabuza? They'll write my judgment to be as trustworthy and credible as a six year old's."

"The Sandaime knows. I told him already." Naruto remarked, as he now eyed the festivities. Apparently, all of Wave seemed to have a turnaround in the one week since Gato's death. The country had assimilated his wealth, and the bridge already built. All that was necessary was the bridge to be named, and fully christened.

"You did?" The Hatake was genuinely surprised.

"He spies on me. I'm sure he would have figured it out sooner or later. So I told him the very day after I killed Mizuki." Naruto answered matter-of-factly.

"Anyone else?"

"My surrogate sister, Ayame-nee. You know, the one in the ramen stand? I told her the very next day after I found out myself about it. Sometimes, I help her gambling. I don't like the practice, though." He scowled at this. He could make a killing by gambling, but despised the practice.

"I should get in on that."

"Nope! Don't bother. It's just the three of you. No written records, and I want it to stay that way. Imagine. A genin with my knowledge. Relentless kidnappers, users by powerful men in high places, generals who would take advantage-"

"I know I would." The man admitted. "I can see why you would keep it secret. But why tell me, instead of lying?"

"You're my teacher. And I knew that I could trust you. You didn't look the part to just tell anyone needlessly. I excepted you from the Hokage, because that's mandatory."

"…"

"…And the fact that you figured it out. Don't make me regret it. Cause if you do, don't even think that you're going to fight me, cause I'm at least one step ahead of you. All the time."

Kakashi suddenly had his index and middle fingers pointing at the boy's face, or more accurately, an inch from his eyes. "Are you sure?"

The boy grinned. "I'm sure. Haven't you realized where my hand is?" He glanced down repeatedly to gesture to the man to do the same.

Kakashi looked down and saw that the boy had a kunai centered above the location between his fourth and fifth rib. "Vitals. Nice work." He pulled his hand back. "Scary as hell, though."

"Arigato. I had it there just before you decided to intimidate me."

They finished closing the distance and Sakura fumed. "Where were the two of huh? You guys are late!"

"We got lost on the road of life." (x2)

"…"

"I'm joking. Have they picked out a name yet?" Naruto questioned. He looked on at the clamoring drunkards in which Tazuna was centered in, and smiled as he saw Tsunami and Inari chastising him.

"The Super Fantastic and Great Tazuna BRIDGE!" The man yelled. Someone in the crowd dumped a jug of iced water over the man's head and slapped him in the face.

"Not a chance in hell, yah bloody drunk!"

Naruto cleared his throat loudly, and for some reason, the sound carried. "I have an idea for the name. This bridge was built with a basis in belief. It's inspired by people who wished for better, built by persons who fought for change. All of us have our role to play in it's construction, and it is a product of one thing."

"What's that?!" Inari yelled in curiosity.

"Faith." The bond answered simply, as if it were obvious. "That is my suggestion for the name. The Bridge of Faith."

"Hmm. It's the best I've heard so far." The bridge-builder mused. "And I'm tired of having to hash it out with these people who don't want my name in it. The Bridge of Faith it is!"

And a cheer was lifted then, that surely had the dead mutter that their sleep was disturbed.

Yep. Very crappy, sappy, and…and… aw, you guys and gals can be the judge. Tell me what you thought. This (out-of-character) Naruto is going to be a halfway between a blood thirsty killer and his goofy nature. Perfect mix. He's not dark like I said before, but will not hesitate to stoop to bloody violence. Finally, we can head back to Konoha. That's why I rushed this chapter. I know you can tell. But frankly, I don't think you care all that much. There wasn't going to be much of a fight scene in this chapter, anyway. It was a resolution.

Recap of all that happened as a result of the conclusion. (Please read.)

-This was never canon in details. So scratch the original Haku meeting from the anime/manga, with him training all night and junk.

-Gato. For the sake of not going through a lengthy explanation, I'll just say this. He was born in some (Unspecified Village) with Swift release and 'ran' away (I laughed at this) when he was a genin. The guy used speed for everything, but couldn't really fight. Take my plausible explanation and g't outta 'ere.

-Sasuke developed his Sharingan when Gato came close to killing him. Nearly a speedy death, but it was activated as Naruto and Kakashi had planned, and they saved his life at the last second. Details, detail. Can't too bother with those. Naruto's the protagonist here, not the Uchiha kid.

-Sakura can take care of herself, to some extent. She's not necessarily strong, but she's becoming desensitized, and I have plans to make her able to actually put up a solo fight.

-Sasuke and Naruto aren't best friends. They're just friends who can work with each other. But not necessarily a good Sasuke. I just never bashed him, you know. So he's not a complete douche, and you read how he got confident, excited and (a bit) prideful when he unlocked his Sharingan.

-Kakashi and Naruto are closer. I want them to be able to look out for each other in fights, and stuff like that. Not brotherly, fatherly, just very dependable on one another.

-Naruto is only overpowered because of how he knows future events. He's had no future training or anything of the sort, so get rid of that notion.

-The blade-baton is not pointed. It's rather triangular, based on how one side is sharp and the other blunt. It extended all the way to the top, so Naruto can't really stab with it all that well. He can jab with it, but it won't pierce none too good.

-Ayame gambles. If you may, consult chapter 5 where Naruto was walking with the cat past the ramen stand. I hinted at this. In chapter 3, its clear that I did not mention what happened in the whole meeting between the Sandaime and Naruto. The Anbu who reported to the class? Did the meeting involve him? Nope.

-Shotguns. Birdshot is basically spread and scatter, with multi-pellets. Buckshot, is like a single slug. His experimental mugshot has three buck, and the rest is all bird. (Ceramic tile) Remember the iron marble that Naruto looked at when he was reloading it? He reloaded a mugshot with it during his later training days.

-Inari didn't bring the whole town to help fight in time. All they came there in time for, was to clean up a bloody mess. As I stated, the fight with Zabuza wasn't even fifteen minutes properly, and the one with Gato after that was about five minutes in estimated length. In canon, that fight must've dragged out for hours. Ugh.

-Naruto has bloody finishes, fights mostly with household supplies that have plausible effects, and is mostly a close range expert with no jutsu under his belt save for the Kage Bunshin technique. But hey, Kakashi is a walking encyclopedia on jutsus, huh? Plans, plans.

-Lastly, Naruto's a badass. Period.

That's all.

Valete omnes,

MRAY 4TW.