Review Corner:
Hitake Emi-chan: Thank you very much. Sorry the updates are going so slowly. I'm glad you like my story so much. I quite like my Naru as well. My sister is doing something similar to Harry Potter in her story. I guess making evil seductive ukes is just our thing! And they are quite yummy aren't they?
axe_swordsmanwielder: Hmm, thank you. Don't worry I hate Ssauke, this is a GaaNaru only story, though adding Itachi for a threesome doesn't sound bad. Thank you for saying you like my story. I hadn't been aware there were any similar to my own. I am glad you like mine better though. And thank you for the idea, but the only one they would explain things to would be Kakashi, and he still hadsn't proven himself just yet. I'm not a fan of you reveal the big secret or the sad past before everyone so they feel shocked or sad or guilty. No mine will be different. Sure it gets things out of the way, but it's annoying. Thank you for your review!
Catlady172: Yea, I thought that would be great! After all Naruto plays the ditzy yet insane blonde in this story! Yea, sad to say it will be the chapter after next for him. I really wish I could just pop him in, yea know? However, I must push my fangirl aside for the good of the story....
jenniebennie: That is so like my idea! *Points* Stay out of my mind! *Coughs* Anyway, it will be absolutly wonderful. Though Sasuke is such a moron it won't stop him, only make him try harder. -_-' And his sister Temari will no doubt tackle Naru! Yea, I love my scene with Zabuza. He's still ruff and gruff, and not a fan of affection, however he's so used to being glomped he just lets them hang off of him. *Giggles* Hope this update is okay.
Kyuubi no Goddess: Thank you!
Key:
((Author))
'Normal thoughts.'
Memories and or dreams
Memories in a person's point of view.
"Talking"
'Kyuubi, thought to Naru, same for Shukaku. Inner personals.'
'Thoughts for demon's.'
'Thoughts that are transferred.'
"Jutsu, spells, attacks, exclamations. Demon's speaking."
Time switch or change of view or lyrics.
-----------------
Last time! On Demon Customs!
"Zabuza-Sama!" Everyone jerked in shock at the sudden happy shout. The next thing that happened was Naruto was leaping up and at the Missing-Nin. Sasuke, Tazuna, and Kakashi's eyes all widened in fear. Naruto landed on the handle of the sword and jumped toward the tall man, and they all shouted his name in fear when Zabuza turned toward him at the same time and… caught him in a hug. Everyone face faulted, while being majorly confused. Naruto however happily nuzzled the neck of his favorite and only uncle while taking in the familiar scent. It had been so long since he was with a Clan member, and even longer since he had been with Zabuza and the others. Zabuza merely shook his head and chuckled holding the boy up. "You've gotten bigger Naru-Chan." He said with a grin and ruffled his hair. "And you're still over dramatic." He said cheekily as he pulled back. They started bantering lightly, leaving the others in the area to stare at the scene in shock.
-------------------
"So how are the others?" He asked as Zabuza finally jumped down from the sword after pulling it out. Zabuza glanced down at the blond taking in his appearance. Other then the odd outfit he was wearing and the mask he seemed the same. "Fine. They should be on their way to see you while you're here. At least the ones that can." He said calmly placing his sword back at his back. If he hadn't let the others know Naruto was in the area… Well Haku had learned that even a tool can harm its master. He shivered slightly pushing down the thought of the other females being angry with him. He agreed with Naruto on that view. Females were terrifying. Or annoyingly disgusting. They continued on like this until Kakashi finally came out of shock. "Excuse me…" He muttered, calmly. Zabuza and Naruto both turned toward him. "Yes?" They asked together causing him to twitch lightly. 'Did they plan this?' He couldn't help but wonder. "How do you two know each other?" He asked with a slight frown, his hand finally coming from his jackets' pocket. Naruto blinked. "Sarutobi-Sama didn't tell you? I thought he would…" He muttered then grinned. "Zabuza-Sama is one of the ones that raised me." He said happily with a slight giggle, hugging the man's arm. Kakashi's eyes widened and he nodded. "Hokage-samadid mention something, but he didn't give names. Something about not breaking your trust." He said. "Sooo… we aren't going to fight are we?" He asked hesitantly. He would rather avoid it if he could. Momochi Zabuza had vanished off the scale years ago. No one knew what his skill level was anymore. His rank was currently a question mark. And seeing he had been an A-Rank before…
Zabuza gave him a bloodthirsty grin. "We could, but I would never go against Naru-Chan. Kid's family, and as such you guys are off limits. But we could spare if you're up to it?" He said with a one armed shrug. It would be interesting to go against the famed 'Copy Nin'. Naruto blinked and pulled back to look up at Zabuza. "Exactly why are you here?" He asked, with a cute confused expression. Zabuza jerked his head toward Tazuna. "I was ordered to kill him." He said, causing Tazuna to pale and the other three to tense. "But since your guarding him, seems I have to find a new job now. Thanks to your 'sisters' I'm not that desperate that I can't quit a job. I have quite a bit of money now. But I'm going to hold it off for a while." He said. Naruto tilted his head. "How come?" Causing Sasuke to twitch at how cute he was, Sakura to glare, Kakashi to sweat drop, and Tazuna to wonder if this kid was really a ninja. Zabuza ruffled his hair with a chuckle of amusement. "If I quite too soon, he'll just hire someone else, someone who would hurt you. Doubt he would find any one stronger than me but… I don't want to take the chance. No, I'll be tracking you guys… for awhile, so I can throw him off my track. Meh, I might have to fake being injured, or something. "He said with a shrug. Naruto nodded. "I see. So you're the only one at the moment?" He asked. Zabuza nodded. "I'm the only one you would have to worry about. Besides your Aniki-Sama, everyone else he has is gang members and samurai's. So I'm his main offense at the moment." He said, crossing his arms.
Naruto nodded once more and turned to Tazuna with a smile. "Would you mind if Zabuza and some others stop by while we are here? Since there aren't any enemy ninjas after you anymore, we can complete the mission without going out of our duties." He said. Kakashi reached up rubbing his chin. "That's right. Gang members and small samurai's do fit under our guide line for C-Rank missions….Though the numbers are a bit high with just how many there are, that doesn't change it from a C-Rank." He said with a nod, mentally he was happy he wouldn't have to be scolded by the Hokage or Iruka… He shivered slightly. He was beginning to become too attached to Naruto. Tazuna sighed in relief and grinned. "So you guys can stay until I finish the bridge right?" He asked. Kakashi sighed and pulled his book out. "Yes, yes." He muttered. Tazuna turned to Naruto and grinned. "Kid as long as you make sure they don't try and kill me you can have them come by. Thanks to you, I won't have to worry about after you guys leave." He said and reached out ruffling the brat's hair. Naruto grinned up at him from beneath his mask. He leaned forward cupping his mouth with his hand. "Glad to help. I don't think we would have let you on your own anyway." He said in a whisper as if telling an important secret. Tazuna chuckled giving the boy a final pat on the head.
Zabuza crossed his arms leaning against the back of the tree. "So this is your team brat?" He asked. Naruto looked back over to him and nodded. "My sensei Hatake Kakashi. And my teammates Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke." He said pointing to each in turn. Zabuza glanced over all of them, and kept his face blank. 'So the Copy nin, He seems rather lazy but seeing his reputation I'm not surprised. The girl doesn't seem like much. Probably the type with little chakra and a wicked temper. And that's Itachi's younger brother. This is interesting…' He thought, and pushed away from the tree. "Interesting team, brat." He muttered. "I'm going to get Haku, he and the others can ruff me up, that way I can 'play sick' for while. I'll make sure to visit you though." He said. Ruffling Naruto's hair once more, he vanished in a splash of water. Naruto waved happily until the water finally vanished. He then turned around placing his hands behind his back with a cute smile. "Shall we go?" He asked cheerfully. Tazuna and Kakashi smiled at the blonde, Sasuke starred as Chibi Sasuke tackled Chibi Naruto, and Sakura grit her teeth together. 'Stop trying to fool them!' She shouted in her mind.
-------
"Tsunami! My beautiful daughter! I told you I wouldn't die!" Tazuna called out in relief as he hugged the woman that had let them inside. She stared at her father with an arched brow and pushed him off. "Really father. You shouldn't drink so much." She said stealing his jug and pouring it down onto the ground. Tazuna starred with wide eyes and cried mourning his drink. The Kohona Nin just sweat dropped at the scene. Tsunami shook her head and turned to the group. "You're the ninja's father hired, right?" She asked politely. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "That's right." He muttered. 'This was the woman he said would hate all Kohona if he died?' He thought watching her. She smiled brightly. "Well, thank you for looking after him. I'm Tsunami. Who are you?" She asked as she led them to the sitting area. Sakura smiled slightly. "I'm Haruno Sakura." She said, as they all took a seat. "Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke muttered eyes still locked on the blonde. Kakashi eye smiled. "Hatake Kakashi, Jounin of Kohona." He said, it was more a force of habit then anything. "Uzumaki Naruto, Nice to meet you." Naruto said with a sunny smile that could be seen even through his mask. Tsunami smiled back at him. "Aren't you adorable?" She asked with a slight giggle and pats the boys head. Sakura's eyes narrowed while the others smiled in agreement. 'He's at it again…' She thought in disgust. "You have to feel sorry for them. They don't know what he is. It's not their faults." Inner Sakura said with sad eyes.Sakura nodded and watched the others in pity.
Later
"So that's what happened?" Tsunami asked as she added the vegetables to the pot on the stove. Naruto nodded, as he continued to dice whatever she handed him. Luckily he had brought a scroll with food and ingredients. Tsunami had been thankful that she didn't have to try and find enough food for her guests at the store. Naruto had agreed to let her use them if he got to help. "So you'll stay until the bridge is finished, and Zabuza will be helping trick Gatou?" She asked in amazement. She wasn't a ninja so she didn't know about Zabuza, but she did know missing Nins were dangerous. Narutonodded again, tasting the broth. "Yea. I visited Wave when I was younger. I hate seeing it in this condition. And though Zabuza joined him, I know he hates seeing it like this as well. This is where I met him, after all. I couldn't just go back home without worrying about everyone, and Tazuna-San." He said with a cheerful smile. Tsunami had to resist the urge to glomp him and settled on nodding. "Well we are thankful. And with your help maybe the bridge can get done faster." She said cheerfully. Naruto grinned back. "Yep. Since we don't have to worry about any enemy Nins we can use most our time helping out with the building. And with my Kage Bunshin this will be simple." He said brightly. Tsunami blinked in confusion. "Kage Bunshin?" She asked in confusion. Naruto looked at her. "It's a jutsu that allows you to make real copies of yourself. So even if all the workers quit I could make replacements." He said. Tsunami's eyes widened in amazement. 'Wow. Ninjas really are something else…' She thought. Naruto glanced at her from the corner of his eye. 'It's weird. She's the first human I haven't felt any malice or darkness at all in… No cruelty… Just a faint echo of pain and sadness. Rising hope…. How strange…' He thought. Kyuubi was oddly silent.
"Dinner." She called out setting the table. She looked down at it with pride. It was the first time in a long time that it had been this full. She prided herself on being able to make good food with the small portions she normally had, but she was happy she would be able to actually feed her family completely this time. She had to admit she was becoming attached to the blond. He was so sweet and he really was helping out. She giggled slightly. She looked up when her father's awed exclamation, and grinned slightly. It had been a long time since she had felt this carefree. Even Inari paused for a moment, before sitting down. She beamed in pride. Since hisdeath, it had been so hard to reach her son. Any hint at all was good enough for her. They all sat around the table, and she had to force back a grin. "Wow. I haven't seen anything like this since before Gatou came. How'd you do it Tsunami?" He asked. Tsunami looked up from making her own plats and smiled. "Naruto-Kun of course." She said. Everyone paused to look at her. She giggled slightly and reached over ruffling his hair. "He had this scroll that had all kinds of food and spices and things in it. He said as long as he could help cook, I could use it while he and his team are here." She said with a smile. Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, we were hired to protect Tazuna and make sure he completed the bridge. You shouldn't have to go out of your way to take care of use, that's our job. It was the least I could do. And with some many of us, and how bad everything is I guessed it would be hard to find enough food for all of us anyway." He said in an embarrassed tone.
Kakashi watched the blond and smiled happily. 'That was a good call. Helping the client in any way is part of shinobi protocol.' He thought nodding his head in pride. Sasuke was starring at the food with wide eyes now. 'Naru-Chan made the food. This is food made by my Naru-Chan?' He thought in amazement. "We can taste Naru-Chan's wonderful cooking. It has to be a sign! Eat, eat you fool! It was made by our precious!" Chibi Sasuke screamed clutching his chibi Naru. Sasuke nodded, not knowing t5aht he was nodding in real life, and started gathering more food then normal. Sakura however starred at the food with wide eyes. 'That's his plan. He's trying to poison us all. And poor Tsunami-San fell right into his trap.' She thought. "What a monster." Inner Sakura said in sympathy.Sakura looked up at Tsunami. "Tsunami-San, if you needed help in the kitchen you could have asked me." She said politely. "Arghh! We missed a chance to cook for Sasuke-Kun!" Inner Sakura suddenly screamed fisting her hair.Sakura twitched slightly. 'He planned this I know he did.' She thought in malice. Tsunami looked up and smiled slightly. "Oh, it's alright. I'm sure you were very busy. And Naruto offered. So don't worry about it." She said kindly. Sakura nodded and sulked, picking at her food though she wouldn't dare take a bite now. Naruto saw this and grinned evilly in his mind. As long as he cooked she wouldn't eat. Maybe she would dire this way? He cackled in his mind, and echo coming from his Otou-San.
Inari watched everyone from his place. He couldn't stand it. "You know you're going to die right?" He asked. Everyone turned to look at him but he was watching the shinobi. Kakashi frowned watching the boy. Naruto simply tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked. Inari lowered his head and watched them blankly. "There's no way you can win against Gatou…" He mumbled. Tsunami's smile was removed once more, and Tazuna grabbed his sake bottle. Naruto watched the boy, while Sakura and Sasuke frowned. Kakashi shrugged pulling out his book. "We are ninja. It is our job to complete the mission, no matter what." He said flipping a page in his book. Inari snorted and pushed away from the table. "If you don't want you die, you should leave…" He said walking toward the door. Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the boy. It was a blow to his pride to hear a brat speaking of him that way. Tazuna watched him leave. "Where are you going Inari?" He asked. Inari paused on his way out the door. "To look at the ocean from my room." He said and closed the door behind him. Tsunami and Tazuna watched after them. Tazuna sighed, placing his bottle back down. "Sorry…" He muttered glancing at the ninjas. Kakashi starred at the door with a slight frown. Sakura was frowning also lost in thought. Sasuke snorted pushing his thoughts away and continued eating. He couldn't waste something his Naru-Chan made after all! Naruto starred after the boy with an odd look on his face. That boy reminded him of…
Morning
Kakashi stood in the middle of the forest smiling at his students. "Since we shall be here for a while, this sit he perfect time to start training!" He said happily. Sakurasmiled happily nodding and placing her hands on her hips. "Hell Ya! It's about time!" Inner Sakura shouted. Sasuke leaned against a tree, foot propped up and arms crossed. Naruto looked with cute naivety, causing Kakashi to sweat drop. 'This kid… Is the Kyuubi vessel...?' He thought. 'I wasn't sure what I was expecting but not this…' He thought an pushed the thoughts away. "Ok… Before that… I want to talk to you about the shinobi ability, chakra." He said. Naruto blinked tilting his head. "We already know about that." He said in confusion. Sasuke nodded. "Naruto is right. We can already use jutsu." Sasuke said in slight annoyance. Kakashi felt like rolling his eyes but stopped. "Nope!!" He called out cheerfully. "You guys are not using chakra properly." He said calmly. Sasuke glared at him, and Naruto's eyes widened slightly, Sakura however glared. "What!?" She screeched, causing the males to wince. Naruto whimpered slightly, 'That should be listed as a dangerous, lethal attack…' He thought his ears flattening to his skull. He could feel some of his Otou-San's chakra leak to them. When Naruto could finally hear again, Kakashi had finished speaking and was about to reveal what training they would be doing. He leaned forward placing his finger before his face. "Tree climbing." He said seriously.
This time Naruto was prepared for the screech. "Tree climbing?!" She shouted in annoyance. Naruto dropped his hands and sighed. While it had still hurt it was only on a human level that way. Kakashi nodded. "Yeah…" He said. He was wondering if he would get fired by…doing something to the girls voice. Naruto and Sasuke both looked at him, while Sakura's eyes narrowed again. "What kind of training is that?" She asked in annoyance. The others were thankful that she wasn't screeching again. Kakashi sighed. "Well wait until I finish." He muttered. "This isn't a normal tree climbing. You'll be climbing without using your hands." He said. Sakura gained that odd face again. "How?" She asked, while Sasuke looked up in confusion. Naruto kept that ditzy blank face. Kakashi brought his hands into a seal. "Well…watch." He said. He walked over and placed his foot on the tree and continued up. Sakura and Sasuke watched with wide eyes, while Naruto watched in cute confusion. "He's climbing vertically… with just his legs…" Sakura muttered in amazement. Kakashi stopped upside down on a branch. "You understand, now?" He asked. "Gather your chakra in the bottom of your feet and climb up a tree. This is something you can do once you can use chakra well." He said as he starred down at them. Sakura growled up at him. "Wait a minute!! How is learning to climb a tree going to make us stronger?" She shouted. Luckily she was so angry it was just a shout. Much to the three guys and animals relief. Kakashi closed his eyes. "Here's the main part. Listen closely. The purpose of this training is…"
[[Ughh! I'm so tired of explaining what we all already know! Lets' skip forward a bit shall we?]]
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke glanced down at the kunai they each held. They each made the ram sign, and concentrated. A second later all three took off toward the trees. Sasuke made his way up the tree, when he felt himself start to slip he made a make and pushed off leaving a foot shape in the tree. He did a curled back flip and landed in a crouch, looking to the tree. He panted lightly. 'I can't believe it would be this hard. Too much chakra and the wood cracks. That would mean too weak and you don't stick at all. 'He thought and glared at his mark. "This is pretty easy!!" Sasuke and Kakashi both glanced up at the voice. Sakura was sitting at the top of her tree her tongue sticking out, with the kunai stuck in the trunk beside her. Kakashi glanced at her. "Looks like your good with controlling Chakra Sakura…" He muttered. Sasuke growled and looked to the ground. Sakura slumped over on the branch. 'I wanted to impress Sasuke-Kun. Why does this happen?' She thoughts slightly saddened by his lack of reaction. Kakashi nodded and frowned. "But where's Naruto?" he questioned. "Over here." The tree looked over to see Naruto sitting cross legged under s tree branch. Sakura and Sasuke's eyes widened at the sight. Kakashi frowns lightly. "Seems you're the best at chakra controlling Naruto." He said in confusion. Sakura growled her hand brushing the tree bark. 'How dare he show me up!' She thought. Sasuke frowned looking to the ground. 'Naru-Cahn is better than I am. I can't even get half way up and he's already there. Even Sakura is at the top. What is wrong with me…?' He thought in anger. 'If this is all I can do how can I ever kill him, how can I protect Naru-Chan?' He questioned himself.
"Sasuke-San." Sasuke looked up at Naruto when he spoke his name. "The only reason Sakura and I can do this… is because we have a smaller amount of chakra. The smaller the amount the easier it is to control. You have a large amount so…." He said trailing off. Sasuke suddenly grinned. 'So I can't do it because I have a large supply of chakra.' He thought. He nodded. 'That means I just have to try harder. I'm not weak I just have more potential!' He thought. Standing up he made his way back to the tree. Kakashi watched it all with a slight smile. 'Of course. Sasuke would listen to anything Naruto says. And though it might have made his ego worse, at least Naruto was willing to help the team.' He thought. He watched Sasuke land once more and saw he had reached higher, he eyes smiled. "Naruto is right of course. Sakura, I want you to run up and down the tree as many times as you can. Until you can't stop or you can stand upside down." He said. Sakura sighed but nodded after she realized Sasuke would be with her. Kakashi nodded dropping to the ground. "Naruto come with me." He said, Naruto nodded and also dropped. Sasuke frowned when he saw them leaving but only grew more determined. "I'll finish this soon so I can show Naru-Chan how much better I've gotten.' He thought.
Kakashi walked with Naruto away from the other two. He noticed the little boy walking away from their clearing with clenched fists. He paused and looked at Naruto. "I know you don't have a small chakra supply, so why did you say that?" He asked. Naruto glanced at him and smiled cheerfully. "To help Sasuke-San and make him feel better. You know he likes to be the best. If I hadn't aid that… hatred would have taken control…" He muttered in slight sadness. Kakashi watched him carefully. He was a master of masks and he was beginning to see one etched onto Naruto's face. He would have to ask the Hokage. He seemed to be the only one Naruto actually trusted here. "I see. Then did you already know the exercise? And please, don't use that mask. I hate you speaking like a ditzy idiot when you can't be." He asked. Naruto nodded. "Zabuza taught me water walking. Since I had trouble with my control he taught me backwards. Doing the hardest to easiest. It helped me better." He said calmly.
Kakashi nodded starring at the boy. Finally he sighed. "You have your reasons. I won't ask you to explain. And I won't order you to drop it. It's probably better that the villagers think you really are an idiot blonde. But can I ask you to drop it around me? I won't judge you on anything until you explain. That's a shinobi oath" He asked. Naruto looked to the ground in thought. Kakashi was his father's student… He was someone that his father trusted. And he could remember his scent. Kakashi had been one of the ANBU that had protected him… Perhaps he had found another person to join in his plans. Kakashi never seemed loyal to Kohona. More the memories of the people that he had known. He spent more time at the memorial stone then in the village. He smiled at him slightly when he looked back up. "Sure." He said.
-------
Haku sat before the bed that held Zabuza. He glanced over when the door to his room was opened. Gatou walked in with a smirk. "So even you have come back defeated. It looks like The Mist country ninjas are pretty pathetic." He said in a mocking voice. His samurai bodyguards at his side. The slowly moved closer. "You can't even avenge your men? And you call yourself a devil? Don't make me laugh." He taunted walking closer. Zabuza continued to stare blankly at the ceiling. The samurai moved their swords closer, fingers unlocking them from their sheathes. Haku glanced at them. 'An attack?' He wondered. "Hold on for a second…" Gatou said placing his hand on their blades and moving closer. "Hey, there's no need to stay silent…" he said moving his hand closer to Zabuza's neck. How about…." Suddenly he grunted in pain.
Haku clenched the man's wrist even tighter than before. His eyes narrowed and wild looking as he glared at the hand that dared go near Zabuza. "Don't touch Zabuza-Sama with your dirty hands." He hissed angrily, jerking his arm back more. Gatou tried to pull away in panic. "Gu!! You…!!" He stuttered. The bodyguards took that as a signal to move the jerked forward, hands coming up for their blades. Haku shifted his head, moving back and releasing Gatou. Both men froze at the blades against their neck. Pressure was already being added small trails of blood slipping along the blades. "You shouldn't do that…I'm pissed off right now." Haku quietly hissed at them, eyes wide and filled with malice. Both men started sweating even more. 'A monster?' They thought. Gatou watching in panic and suddenly backed up pulling his guards with him. "One more time! If you fail one more time…you won't be welcome here anymore. Remember that!!!" He shouted in panic. They ran toward the exit and he slammed the door shut.
Haku sat silently and Zabuza glanced at him. "Haku…You didn't have to…" He muttered grasping the kunai in his hand. Haku bowed his head slightly. "I know. But as we know it's too early to kill Gatou…If we cause a commotion here, they will be after us again. We have to be patient." He said with a cheerful smile. Zabuza sighed looking toward the window. "Yeah… you're right….besides we have to stick to the plan." He muttered with a pout pushing himself up in bed. The illusion cancelled so he wasn't wounded anymore. He winced slightly rubbing his stomach and shoulders. "Though you guys could have gone easier." He muttered. Haku giggled. "You know Hinamori and Yukina have been waiting for a reason to hurt you. At least they healed you right after." He said. Zabuza pouted beneath his bandaged. "I'm still sore." He muttered. He sighed and lay back down. "Make sure to tell the brat and other brats I said hello, will you?" He asked. Haku nodded. "Of course Zabuza-Sama." He said with a grin.
-----
Sakura gasped for breath as she lay at the base of the tree. She stared up at the sky trying to take in more air. Across the clearing Sasuke panted in his kneeling position as well. Sakura groaned lightly and turned her head. 'I'm worn out… What stamina Sasuke-Kun has…' She thought looking at him with amazement. She really wished Sasuke-Kun would ask her for some advice. But it didn't seem he would after all. She didn't want to hurt his pride but she really wanted to help him. She sighed and leaned back against the tree. Despite being able to climb easily, she just didn't have the chakra or stamina for this. 'And Kakashi-sensei and Naruto still aren't back…' She sighed. Kakashi however was watching the scene form the trees. 'Perhaps leaving Naruto with Sasuke would be better? Sasuke would listen to Naruto… And he would want to impress him; Sasuke doesn't care for sakura… And she probably won't get any better at this without some Taijutsu training anyway…And I don't think Naruto could take seeing the village the way it is now' He thought and sighed.
He glanced at the fading sun and decided to call it quits. Naruto had left to make sure the plan with Zabuza was going as planned. Besides Sasuke would probably work better with some rest and Tsunami and Naruto's cooking. Kakashi giggled. 'He is good I wonder who taught him. He and Tsunami make a great pair. But main try to sneak one bite…' He thought and rubbed his bruised hand. 'Civilian women can be deadly when it comes to three things. Crushes and or idols, Perverts, and cooking. And with how Naruto acts almost identical a female must have been involved with his raising. Or he could be a natural uke. At least Naruto doesn't threaten my book, he doesn't like it I can tell, but he doesn't glare and try to destroy it.' He thought. He clapped his hands catching the other attention. "Time to turn in." He said with a happy smile. "Tsunami and Naruto should be finished with dinner." He said. When he opened his eyes Sasuke was already gone, causing him to blink. Sakura just whimpered and held her stomach.
-----
Sakura yawned as she sat on the bridge. A second later she winced and grabbed her stomach. She knew not eating was going to hurt her, but she would be the one to prove that monster for what he really was. All around her was the sound of work. It was a boring job to be on guard duty. She had tried to help out as Kakashi had suggested, but she was too weak from hunger and lack of muscle, had her sitting out. Tazuna glanced over at the girl. He wasn't sure what to make of her. She refused to eat any of the meals. But if Tsunami made a snack or something, that wasn't involved with the food Naruto had brought, she would gladly eat it. Such a hatred of someone that was supposed to be your comrade… But it did equal their Sensei's apathy and the Uchiha's obsessions with the blonde. But she was hurting herself by doing this. However, he wouldn't but in, it wasn't his place. As long as Tsunami knew it wasn't her fault he didn't care. "You seem bored all by yourself." He said gaining her attention. She paused in the middle of rubbing her stomach and looked at him. "Where the blonde and the other kid?" He asked. He felt slightly disturbed at the malice that appeared in her eyes at the mention of Naruto, and the adoration at the mention of the other. If he didn't know she actually felt such a 90 degree angle for them he would think she was bipolar. And yet it didn't make it any better in his mind. That could that girly boy have done? Besides taking the attention of the one she liked, that is. But Blondie didn't seem to show the same attention back. He paid more attention to Hatake then the Uchiha.
The girl blinked bringing her hands to her lap. "They are training." She said softly. Tazuna blinked, "You don't have to?" He asked in confusion. He knew Hatake didn't really pick favorites. He seemed to set them up the best they would work. Leaving Blondie with the other was a good idea. Though why she wasn't doing anything… The girl held her hands up and arrogant expression on her face. "Since I'm so superior… Kakashi-Sensei asked me to protect you." She said with a conceited attitude. "Really?" He asked, though he doubted that was the real reason. She was probably sent to gain some muscle, but because of her weakness form not eating she couldn't do anything anyway. He might as well help the best he could. He would take her to the shop so she could grab something to eat. No doubt she would cook it when the others where away so as to not hurt Tsunami's feelings. He placed the wooden bar down, giving off a faint "Urg!!" He wasn't going to force the girl to change her mind, even if he didn't understand it, but he might as well help out with the training she was supposed to be getting.
"Hey Tazuna!!" A voice called. Tazuna glanced over his shoulder seeing one of his workers standing there. "What is it Giichi?" He asked the man. The man took off his helmet placing it under his arm. "I'vebeen doing a lot of thinking recently and…can I stop working on the bridge?" He asked. Tazuna's eyes widened as he stared at the man. "Why is that?!! This is so sudden! Not you too!" he called out in slight anger slight sadness. To think the courage of wave had vanished this badly. And all because of a fat little man with money! "Tazuna, we've been close for a long time now. I want to help you, but if we continue this Gatou will notice us. And if you get killed, then what's the point?" He asked, anger and fear in his voice. "Why don't we quit now…building the bridge…?" He said trailing off. Tazuna starred at him for a few moments. Sakura watched in shock and worry. Were they really this scared of Gatou? Tazuna gave a loud sigh. "I can't do that." He said calmly. "This bridge…is our bridge. This is the bridge we started building together believing that it would bring resources into our super poor country. "He said as his eyes moved over the structure with a slight smile. Giichi jerked back for a moment then leaned forward in anger. "But if we lose our lives!!" He shouted to Tazuna. Tazuna merely turned away from him. "It's already noon, let's stop for today." He said walking away. He paused and looked over his shoulder as he pulled off his hat. "Giichi, you don't have to come here tomorrow." He said. And that was that.
Later
Sakura walked beside Tazuna as they walked through the city. "Where are we going?" She asked, looking up at him. Tazuna sighed, pulling his hat lower. "You're supposed to be training no doubt. And helping at the sight is most likely part of that. Not eating is stopping you form doing that though. So we're going to try and find something so you can make your own meals when the others aren't around." He said, with a frown. She looked up at him and suddenly felt guilty. They were to be helping him, and he had to go out of his way to help her. 'It's his entire fault!' She thought. She gazed around the village, with a frown. 'What's with this village?' She wondered, forgetting her anger at Naruto. "Here we are." Tazuna said gaining her attention. She noticed a kid sitting in front of the store and clenched her bag. They walked in gaining the normal welcome. Sakura paused once they were inside though. "There' hardly anything here to buy…" She muttered. Now she felt even worse. Tazuna helped her pick out okay things, and she bought the food with her own money, refusing Tazuna's help with that. She suddenly felt a hand near her… "Kyaa!!" She screamed turning around with a high kick. "Pervert!" She screamed. "No, I was…" The man managed before he was kicked across the room, head and body jerked around. Tazuna starred with wide eyes. And he had done this because he felt sorry for stopping her training….
"You sure surprised me earlier…" He muttered as they walked down the street. "What's going on with this city?" She asked still slightly angered. Suddenly there was a tug at her dress, and she froze. 'Again!' She thought. Spinning around however, she found a child, holding out her hands. Sakura smiled softly and reached into her pouch pulling out some candy she dropped it in the girl's hands. Her expression lit up with a huge smile and she happily ran off. Sakura and Tazuna watched the girl run off. "It's been like this since Gatou came." Tazuna finally said to her question. "All the adults have lost hope." He said blankly. Sakura watched the village in sadness. Tazuna sighed and continued. "That's why we now need that bridge. A symbol or courage… We need for the people to lose their fear and regain the desire to stand up for themselves again. If that bridge…if that bridge can be completed, the city will return to that time… The people will return to how they used to be… At least that's my dream. To help them gain their pride back, which Gatou and his men have taken away." He said his mind on the unfinished bridge. Sakura looked up in sadness. 'Sasuke-Kun… Kakashi-Sensei… is this why you agreed to complete the mission?' She wondered. She completed ignored that it was Naruto that agreed first and talked Kakashi into continuing.
----
Sasuke panted as he ran up the tree. Once he reached as far as he could he left yet another mark. He used the trees to get down to the ground and kneeled panting. He looked up and saw all the marks that lined the tree as he went. He glanced over and saw Narutowas upside down on the branch reading a scroll. Apparently it was on healing, herbs and potions. They had found out the Wave had lots of different kinds growing around here. Naruto was trying to learn which was which. He smiled at the cute expression Naruto made when he was thinking. His gaze then landed on the tree again and he growled. Naruto blinked and looked down when he heard the growl. He glanced between Sasuke and the tree. He was doing good, but nowhere near what he could be doing. 'And I can't have weak meat sacks… The pink is bad enough.' "Sasuke-San…" He muttered. Sasuke's ear twitched and he looked up in Naruto's direction. 'Naru-Chan's talking to me!' He thought in happiness. "Would you mind some advice…?" He said trailing off in uncertainty. Sasuke almost had to slap himself from turning into goo. His Naruto was so cute and shy when he wanted to be. He stood up and nodded slightly. Naruto gave a cute smile and placed his scroll in his lap. "Take a calm breath and relax. You have to think of nothing but the tree, and your chakra. Go about it calmly not emotionally. The more relaxed you are the better you'll do." He said with a cute tilt of his head. Sasuke gave a sharp nod and turned back to the tree. He took a breath and cleared his mind. Dashing toward the tree, he focused on the surface beneath his feet. Once he started to slip again he marked the spot and used the tress to reach the ground again. Looking up his eyes widened. There was a large distance between the new mark and the last. He had almost made it to the top. He turned and grinned slightly at Naruto. Naruto waved at him before returning to his scroll. Sasuke's grin turned into a smirk. 'Just you wait Itachi! I'll prove myself to Naruto soon!' He thought and ran back toward the tree.
Dinner
Tazuna looked around the table and grinned. "Wow! This is super fun!" He said happily. "It's been a long time since we ate with so many people." He said grinning at everyone. Naruto returned the grin, while the others ate. Sakura however sat there playing with her food but every so often she would take a bite of the sandwich in her lap. Tsunami stood at the sink washing the dishes that had been used and dirtied already. She smiled though, agreeing with her father. The house had felt so empty for so long… Kakashi glanced over his students while the meal was underway. Sasuke seemed a bit happier so he guessed Naruto had helped him after all. He wondered if he had reached the top yet or not. Sakura seemed to finally realize how made it was for the people here, though he sweat dropped at the sight of her sneaking food. He would only hope she would grow out of the hate she held for Naruto. The atmosphere seemed good… However like all things the good atmosphere ended. Sakura was glancing around waiting for dinner to be over so she could finish her own, when she caught sight of the picture on the wall. "Hey, why do you have a torn picture on the wall? Inari-Kun was starring at this during lunch. It seems like someone purposely removed the person that was in the picture?" She asked glancing around at the others. All three civilians froze for a moment. Tsunami stares ahead as she answered her voice almost blank. "It's my husband…" She muttered. Tazuna stared at the table and spoke. "And… The man called the hero of the city…" He said slowly.
The sudden silence was broken when Inari pushed away from the table and left the room. Tsunami turned around at the sound. "Inari where are you going?" She asked in concern. The boy ignored her and slammed the door on his way out. "Inari!" She shouted her eyes widened in worry. She suddenly turned and glared harshly at Tazuna. "Father! I have told you not to talk about that man in front of Inari!" She shouted. She gave an apologetic smile to Naruto and ran after Inari slamming the door behind her. Sakura stared at the door with a confused expression, "What's wrong with Inari-Kun?" She asked slowly as if not knowing how to react. Sasuke was starring after the two as well while Naruto calmly sipped some tea. He had already gotten the story when they were cooking. He was unsure how to feel about it. On one hand the man had sounded like a worthy meat sack, sacrificing himself for his village. On the other the way the brat and villagers acted annoyed him. The thing he hated more than Kohona's meat sacks were cowardly meat sacks. Tazuna sighed and glanced at the four before him. Kakashi was glancing at the photo now. "There seems to be some kind of explanation…" He muttered. Tazuna nodded slowly and sighed again heavily and starred at the picture. "Inari had a father not related by blood. They were very close, like a real father and son…Inari would laugh a lot back then…" He muttered trailing off. It caused Naruto's hands to tighten around his glass. The brat annoyed him. If his Otou-San had been hurt he would get revenge, even if it was futile and the other person was weaker. He would try his hardest. He growled slightly before taking another drink. He could feel warmth and calmness coming from his link to his Otou-San and sighed. It would do no good to get worked up, especially over a brat of a meat sack.
Sasuke and Kakashi both looked to Tazuna in question. Their eyes widened as they took in Tazuna's trembling clenched fist. "But… But Inari changed…since the incident with his father…" He paused again tears gathered in his eyes though he kept his face blank. Not for the first time Naruto was impressed with the meat sacks control. "The word "courage" has been stolen from the people of this island… and from Inari. Ever since that day… because of that incident." He said. Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasukeall looked to the man in concern wondering what he was talking about. What had taken the courage of Wave? Kakashi finally decided to speak since the others weren't. "That incident? What happened to Inari-kun?" He asked silently. It would seem he was about to learn the full truth of what happened in wave. Sakura noticed that Naruto didn't seem to be paying attention and growled lowly. 'That vile monster. Doesn't he care?' She shouted in her mind. 'Phff. Of course he doesn't! Monsters don't care! They don't have feelings!' Inner Sakura reminded her. Sakura nodded slightly turning back to the others. Tazuna removed his glasses in silence and rubbed his eyes. "Before I get to that, I first have to tell you about the man who was called the hero of this city." He muttered. Sasuke blinked with a slight frown. "Hero?" He asked in confusion. Inari had muttered a few times at how hero's' didn't exist and were a waste of time. To hear someone have that title made him wonder what happened even more. "It was about 3 years ago, Inari met that man. His name was Kaiza, a fisherman who came here to follow his dreams. After that, Kaiza and Inari became very close. It may have been because Inari's real father died before he got to know him, but he and Kaiza were inseparable, like a real father and son. It was only a matter of time before Kaiza became a part of the family." Tazuna said with a slight smile.
Sakura rested her head in her arms listening to the story with a small smile. As Tazunaspoke a small smile grew on his face. The others listened to the tale of a man who gave his all for the village. Sakura was amazed someone would actually do something like that to protect the village. Jumping in like that with only a rope. Sasuke and Kakashi had a good amount of respect for the man. Suddenly Tazuna turned grim. "…But Gatou came to this city…" He muttered trailing off. Kakashi blinked and frowned beneath his mask. "And then this incident happened?" He asked. Tazuna's gaze drifted back down to the table in silence. Sasuke and Sakura watched the man with frowns. Naruto sighed and watched the tea in his glass as it swirled. Kakashi leant forward slightly. "What exactly happened?" he asked. Tazuna stated shaking. Naruto closed his eyes and lost all slight respect and impression he felt for Tazuna. 'Meat sacks are so pathetic…' He thought in annoyance. He could feel his father shaking his head with a sigh. Mo matter how much Kyuubi tried to get him to see some meat sacks were okay, it was hard to do so. Though he had been provenwrong a few times, however a few out of thousands was not impressive. Tazunalooked up at them gaining his nerve. "In front of everyone Kaiza was…put to death by Gatou!" He said harshly. Sakura's eyes widened. "What?" She muttered. Sasuke starred at the old man in shock, while Kakashi stared at him with a serious expression. Naruto had a slight frown on his face. He hated the fact that a meat sack he could have respected was killed in such a way. All the more reason to get rid of Gatou, he was the second worst kind right after cowards.
Tazuna sighed sadly staring back down at the table. "From that day Inari changed…as did Tsunami… and the whole city…" He muttered. Sakura sat there numb her gaze locked onto the picture once more. 'How could someone do something like this? I mean I know Naruto could he's a demon, mother told me so, but for a human….' She thought. She had always separated Narutoform humans in her mind since he was a demon. But to find a human that could act the same? She just...didn't understand. How could a human be like that? Even Inner Sakura was silent. Sasuke sat there his eyes locked on the table. He could understand the annoying brat a bit better now. It reminded him of 'that' night. His fist clenched under the table. If people could do that, then his brother wasn't the worst monster as he had thought. At least Sasuke hadn't witnessed his parent's deaths. Though his brother had forced him to watch with the illusion, everyone had been shaded and white he hadn't seen anyone's face clearly. Though he had seen death he hadn't been able to tell who died how, for all he knew Itachi could have shown him only one person being killed over and over again… Sasuke frowned. 'Why am I even thinking this? Itachi must die! …But wasn't he also the one to told me to get stronger? That I could reach his potential… What if that's what he wants? Do I really want to listen to a man who killed my clan?' He wondered while starring at the table. Kakashi frowned glancing over his students. He was surprised by Naruto, but he didn't seem shocked by any of this…' Of course. He has been with Tsunami. She most likely already told him…' He thought nodding his head.
The silence was broken by a knock on the door. Tazuna looked up and glanced at it. Kakashi shook his head and pushed himself up walking toward the door. "Who is it?" He asked before opening it. "A friend of Naruto's." Came the reply. That caught the room's attention. Naruto suddenly grinned. "I recognize that voice!" He called out happily. Kakashi blinked and opened the door revealing…
Shadow: So it's easy to say, this story, Though I love it so... will be going on hold. Shiva's home life is in disrepair at the moment. We still can't find the story and have decided to continue from scratch. That's going to be a real pain, we only remember a few moments that were going to happen. Though I promise you if we don't get something done, before next Chirstmas... Well there is no if we don't. After next Chirstmas it will be updated at a normal level, if my brain dies in the process. Though I will be helping my little sister with her stories. Shiva won't be writing any time soon. And I'll need something to occupy me while I'm writing up the chapters for this story. Our little sister's account is MariashaAziza. Maybe I'll pop in. Hope you're not too angry. Till, I can get something done!
______ShadowEclipse.
----------ShivaIce.