Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

AN: 146 reviews, 123 favorites and 174 alerts, thank you all for this. I am so sorry for the wait for this chapter but things got to me and I had to postpone this for a little bit. I hope you all are still on board this story and I hope that you can forgive me for the wait. The battle on the bridge starts next time and we'll move away from the Wave Arc and into my original arc. Be ready to see Naruto, Sasuke and Lee kick some ass in that arc.

This chapter's kinda short but the next one will be up ASAP, and by that, I mean on Monday or Tuesday.

Enjoy

Chapter 10- The Land of Waves Part 5

Naruto was lying under the trees in the forest where he and his team were practicing their tree climbing. He ran out here after he got into a screaming match with that brat Inari. The kid had the nerve to say that they were all gonna die to Gato if they didn't pick up their shit and get out. And then he gets into Naruto's face and tells him that he doesn't know how it's like to be miserable and to suffer. That was when Naruto flipped the batshit angry switch and started yelling at the kid. How dare that kid tell Naruto anything when he didn't know what Naruto had gone through in his life!? Naruto's life was the textbook definition of miserable, up until fairly recently anyway when he got his daughter and even started his friendships with Sasuke, Sakura, and even Lee, whom Naruto saw as a close friend. Without the four of them, his life would still be miserable and lonely. But he still knew how it felt to be lonely and miserable and the kid had to bring those feelings back.

Naruto kicked a branch that was a couple feet away from him and tilted his head in confusion when he heard a muffled cry of pain after it flew past the bushes. He got his answer when Lee strolled out of the bush, rubbing his cheek where Naruto saw dirt and a small twig. So the branch hit Lee? At least Naruto got that answer.

"Ouch. Naruto, you should really be more careful when you kick things. You can hurt someone." Lee motioned to the small cut that was visible on his face. Lee leaned against the base of the tree where Naruto was still laying against. "You alright? You ran out of there awfully fast."

Naruto shrugged at the older genin, "I guess. I'm just angry that that kid thinks he has it so hard when he doesn't even know what it means to suffer or be miserable. He doesn't know how it's like for others."

"And by 'others' you mean 'you'." It wasn't a question. Lee hit the nail on the head and caught what Naruto was trying to say. Lee might've looked a little bit on the dense side when it came to most things, but he can be really smart and perspective when he needed to be. And this was just one of those times.

Naruto nodded his head, "Yeah… I mean me. I might look like I'm not upset about anything and at this point in my life; I got nothing to be upset about. I'm finally getting friends, I have my own little girl, and I finally graduated after three tries. I have nothing left to be angry or upset about, but after Inari started shooting his mouth off about how we don't know what it means to suffer, I remembered what it feels like to be all alone and I got angry. I know I shouldn't have called him a brat and all of that other stuff I said, but I can't help it, you know?"

Lee nodded at him, sliding down the tree so he was sitting next to Naruto. "I know what it means to be alone too." Naruto looked to him in fascination. He didn't know that the loud and energetic Rock Lee knew what it was like to be alone. "Before I met Guy-sensei, I was a complete failure. I can't do ninjutsu or genjutsu and my taijutsu isn't as good as it was a few years ago. I was the dead-last of my class and everyone made fun of me for being a 'fake' ninja. No one wanted anything to do with me and my own parents were embarrassed by me for trying to achieve something they thought was a waste of my time. But I didn't want to give up,"

Naruto nodded in agreement. If you wanted to do something, you shouldn't give up on it.

"Although there were many times when I wanted to quit and save myself what ever pride I had left." Lee smiled. "But then I met Guy-sensei and I finally found someone who actually gave me the time of day. He helped me to perfect my taijutsu into what it is now and he's still helping me to improve. He helped pull me up from the dirt and he's helping me to become the best taijutsu user in the village."

"You two really are close, aren't you?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah and I'm glad I met him, just like I'm sure you're glad you met Naomi." The mention of his little girl made Naruto smile. "We both started off as alone but now we have people who we care for and who care for us. Sasuke might be a bit angry at times, but even I can see that he sees you as a friend."

"He shows it in his own way," Naruto slowly nodded, thinking of Sasuke's jabs at him and how Sasuke liked to beat him in what ever it was that they did. But he also remembered how the Uchiha had saved his life a few times in their fight against Riku and against the Demon Brothers. I guess you can say that Naruto and Sasuke were friends in a way.

"Sakura sees you as a friend. If that conversation you two had earlier today is any indication." Lee let a smirk roll its way on his face. "If I didn't know you two and I was watching from a distance, I would say you two looked like you were dating."

"Be grateful she isn't here or you would be soaring through those trees right now," Naruto warned, although he had a blush forming on his face. He did enjoy that conversation that he had with Sakura today. Even if it was mostly about him and his crappy parenting skills, he still liked talking to her without her yelling at him over something stupid that he did. He hoped they can have more talks with just the two of them and with no yelling involved.

"But she isn't here, so I got nothing to worry about." Lee smartly answered. "And did you notice how she said that Naomi was yours and her daughter? Sounds to me like there's something going on between you two and you just don't know it yet."

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that because I like having a head on my shoulders and I'm not gonna ask Sakura about anything like that." Naruto said.

"I'm your friend too, Naruto. That's why I'm out here right now talking to you." Lee continued honestly, dropping a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I don't like seeing my friends hurt or sad. If you need anything, whether you need someone to talk to or what ever, you can always come to me. I won't turn you away." Lee smiled. "Remember that we aren't alone anymore and that we have people that care about us." Lee stood up from his spot on the ground. "Feel free to follow me back to the house, unless you wanna get eaten by a wild bear."

Naruto paled at Lee's choice of words. "They aren't bears out here… right?"

"Wanna find out?"

"No!" Naruto jumped up from his spot on the ground and started to run back to the house, Lee following behind him at a much slower pace, laughing to himself at the cruel joke that he gave to Naruto.

…

"I did it!"

Naruto and Sasuke stumbled into the doorway of the house, a long day of climbing trees having gotten past them. It's been a day since Naruto and Lee's conversation in the woods about their loneliness and the two genin were closer friends then they were before. Naruto and Sasuke still needed to finish climbing up the trees before the week passed them by and they had to fight Zabuza and his gang again. The two boys weren't ones to waste a day when they had training they could do.

"I think you mean 'we' did it." Sasuke spoke up. "I climbed the tree too, you know?"

"Oh yeah, sure, what ever." Naruto passed off Sasuke's words as nothing, which made the Uchiha twitch and glare at him. "Yeah, we both managed to climb all the way to the top."

Kakashi nodded at the two exhausted genin, "Good. Starting tomorrow, then, you'll both start guarding Tazuna while he's on the bridge."

Naruto and Sasuke nodded at him, Naruto's weight pulling them both down to the ground as Sasuke was holding onto him and Naruto decided to fall down. Sasuke pulled himself away and stood back up with much more effort. "And that, ladies and gents, is Konoha's newest father." Kakashi gestured to the downed Naruto. "My oh my, how life just likes to throw you all of these unexpected and funny circumstances."

"Shut up," Naruto spoke from the ground, his team laughing at his misfortune of lying on the ground.

…

Two days after that, which made the estimated return of Zabuza the next day, Naruto was taking a stroll around the house. Sasuke, Lee, and Kakashi were taking their shift in guarding Tazuna at the bridge, which left Naruto and Sakura to await their turn. Speaking of which, Naruto was trying to find her. He hasn't had a chance to try and talk to her since the conversation that they had a couple days ago about Naomi and his parenting skills, which he still felt sucked.

He wanted to talk to her and ask her if she wanted to hang out a bit before they had to take their shift and watch Tazuna. Lee's talk with him about how they were all friends now gave Naruto even more sparks of confidence to ask his friends if he wanted to hang out and spend time with each other. And on the bright side, Sasuke and Lee couldn't interrupt their moment like they did a few days ago.

Finding his way to the room in which she was staying in, Naruto used the little manners he had and knocked on the door. She was obviously in there since he could hear her humming to herself. He knocked again, which made her humming stop; showing that Naruto probably jerked her back to reality from what ever it was that she was doing.

"It's Naruto," he said as if telling who it was would get her to open the door. "Can I come in?" he asked.

He didn't hear her respond to him, so that frightened him just a tiny bit. He did hear the sound of rustling feet and then the jingle of the doorknob. Naruto stepped away from the door to leave a little bit of room. The door opened and Sakura stood on the other side, dressed in her usual attire for the day.

"Hey," Naruto greeted her. "How've you been?"

"Fine, thank you. Is there something I can help you with? I'm kinda busy right now." Sakura motioned behind her to something that Naruto couldn't see and it looked like she didn't want him to see it either.

"What you doing?" he asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Something," she dragged out with a smirk on her face.

"Can you tell me?"

"I really can't. You'll spoil it."

"Spoil it for whom? Sasuke?"

"No, for Naomi…" Sakura smacked her face. "Damn, I did not mean to do that."

"Are you making Naomi something?" Naruto lit up like a light bulb in a dark room. "I have to see it now. What are you making for my baby girl?"

Seeing Naruto all excited at what it was that Sakura was making for his daughter brought a smile to her lips. She's never seen Naruto so excited for anything before, and the boy got excited for a bunch of things. This was a new level in its own. She couldn't hide it from him now; he'll just sneak in later and find it himself anyway. Best to do it now so she didn't have to kick his ass later for breaking and entering.

"Fine, come look." Sakura ushered him in. Naruto gladly entered and looked around fast to try and find what ever it was that Sakura was about to show him. "Calm down, you'll see in a second." Sakura moved past him to the floor where she left her little gift for Naomi. She pulled it up and Naruto saw that it was the makings of a little hat. "They didn't have a lot of string, but since it's for a baby, I figured this was enough."

Naruto was shell-shocked. "Sakura-chan… you're making this for my baby?"

"She calls me mommy, so she's my baby too." She reminded. "And this will be good for those days when it gets really cold out. You buy her a lot of toys, but you lack out on clothes, Naruto."

"I thought we established that I'm not the perfect parent," Naruto reminded.

"I know. But you're still learning. This is just one of those lessons. Less toys and more clothes." She smiled at him. "There's no such thing as the perfect parent. There are only those that are better than others. You're a good daddy to Naomi. You love her and would do anything for her and you try your best to give her everything and anything. That's a good parent and don't forget that."

Naruto smiled at her and nodded, "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

"No problem," she set the incomplete hat down. "Can I ask you something?" Naruto nodded. "What are you gonna do when people find out about Naomi? I know that you like to think that no one has to know, but there's gonna come times where you'll need to tell someone about her. You got lucky with Lee and Guy. What happens when Hokage-sama finds out?"

Naruto was afraid that Sakura would ask him this. He was afraid of anyone asking him this. Even two weeks later since he found Naomi and he still hasn't come up with an answer to her question.

"I was gonna tell Hokage-jiji when I had no choice left. I'm scared that if I tell him, he'll probably take Naomi away from me and put her in the orphanage. I speak from experience that that place is not good to the younger kids. Naomi will get hurt over there and I can't have that happen to her."

"Just tell him that and he'll let you keep her."

"If I knew for sure, I would, but I'm still scared that he'll take her from me. Even if I only found her two weeks ago, she's become this important person in my life, maybe the most important person to me. I can't imagine my life without her in it now. I can't even imagine life before her sometimes."

Sakura felt bad for him. Naruto was so scared that Naomi was gonna get taken away from him and that his life was gonna become meaningless. He didn't have a reason to worry. Sakura would vogue for him to keep the baby and she was sure Sasuke, Lee, and Kakashi-sensei would too. If all of them spoke together, Naruto had nothing to worry about.

"That shows you're a loving father. You want her in your life and are scared to lose her. You got nothing to worry about with losing her. If it makes you feel better, I'll vogue for you to keep her."

Naruto was speechless. Sakura would really do that for him? For someone that a few weeks ago that she couldn't stand? "You would really do that for me, Sakura-chan? You would help me keep my little princess?"

Father Naruto was one of the things that Sakura could just call cute and adorable for hours on end.

"Yeah, I would. I want her in my life too. I love her and I don't wanna lose her either. I even overheard Sasuke saying that the kid was nice to have around, as it makes you less annoying and easier to deal with."

Yep, that was Sasuke all right.

"And Lee wants to meet her officially. You guys are friends now and Lee said that he can't wait to show her all the..." Sakura grew a little awkward here. "Things that is youthful."

Naruto liked Lee a lot, but he wasn't gonna let his daughter become as crazy as him or his sensei.

"You got people who want her in their lives and they aren't gonna give her up without a fight. Don't be scared when the fight hasn't even started. Who knows, maybe you have nothing to worry about and you'll be able to keep her regardless?"

Naruto nodded and smiled, grateful for everything that Sakura has told him. Another thing he was grateful Naomi brought him was the beginning of his friendship with Sakura, and hopefully more in the future.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, Naruto."

…

Day 7, the day that Zabuza was supposed to return, came and Team 7, minus Naruto, found themselves heading towards the bridge for another day of bodyguarding. Kakashi had that strange feeling that something was gonna happen and he had every right to have it.

Especially since the crew for building the bridge was knocked away and the equipment was ruined.

Mist rolled in and like Kakashi suspected, Zabuza, Riku, and the masked ninja were all there waiting.

Round Two was ready to begin.

End of Chapter 10 of The Fox's Cub

Check back on Monday or Tuesday for the next chapter and the end of the wave arc.

I liked the NaruSaku and NaruLee moments.

Hope you enjoyed.

Next Time: The Land of Waves Part 6