Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to its writers, animators, and producers. I gain nothing but writing and editing experience from writing this.
Summary: After waking up from a horrible dream Sakura's life takes a turn for the...well something? She only hopes it will be good and will end better than her dream suggests her life will. The secret family trade is hers to learn, and in the process she will become a stronger kunoichi. Sometimes all it takes is a little wake up call.
A/N: Thank you to those who suggested names; that was helpful, and I've finally done some research for myself as well. I mostly looked into the alternate meanings to kanji present in names, so I've come up with a few possible names.
Before there are protests, I do realize I could use English names and thereby skip (as some term) useless insertions of Japanese. If did use English, the names would be reduced simple descriptions of the dogs' characteristics. Then Team 7's name I would just grasp at straws because what English word captures what I want? Enduring or Persistent fall short. So in a way, using Japanese for these names gives it more depth…
Justification aside (which sounds awful, but this is the internet and who knows who could be offended), Team 7 will play with names throughout the chapter, and since the original posting of this chapter I have come up with names.
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter, and thank you again to all those who have read, reviewed, favorited, or placed this on alert. I really do appreciate all your support and continued readership despite the recent erratic updates. ~ Much love, depressedchildren Edited 12/20/2015 & 5/24/3016
Chapter 38: Returning Home I
Week Twenty-two cont.
"Akio?" Naruto murmured thoughtfully with his hands laced behind his head as he stared up at the clear blue sky. He always liked that color, although maybe that was because his eyes were a similar blue and he liked to think his parents—at least one of them—had the same colored eyes.
Naruto's ninken ignored him and began rooting around in the underbrush. Naruto sighed and shook his head before stretching out where he sat.
They were less than a day away from Konoha, but they had stopped so the puppies could take a break. Although Naruto and his teammates had been working with their ninken, the puppies were well, just puppies. They did not have the conditioning Naruto and his siblings had, at least not yet. So, they set up camp and were going to pass lunch here before they continued onto Konoha. If they pushed the puppies, they might even make it back by dusk.
Naruto looked around the camp as he continued to think of names for his ninken. Nee-chan went through her kata while her ninken watched her from the shade where he was panting. Teme-nii was making some kind of stew out of a rabbit his ninken caught while said puppy sat attentively by his side. Naruto frowned and looked back over at his ninken, which was now digging at the roots of a tree behind Naruto. Why did Sasuke get the one who was all-all…well! Gah! Naruto's ninken would sit by him "attentively" when he cooked or ate, but it was just so he could have some food Naruto might drop. Sasuke's ninken was more, well, behaved. Even Sakura's ninken would ignore her to do something else or even try to steal food from her plate, but never Sasuke's ninken.
"Isamu?" Naruto murmured again as he looked back at his ninken. The puppy continued to ignore him. Sighing again, his shoulders slumped forward. He was trying to think of manly names for his ninken, but he hadn't responded to a single one. Apparently ninken responded to certain names more than others, and in this way they picked their own name. According to Sensei, it was like a final test; they had to name the ninken what they wanted to be named.
Speaking of Sensei. The Jounin sat in a tree above camp with his pervy book out, which definitely pissed the blonde off until he followed the man's line of sight. He wasn't looking at his book and he hadn't flipped a page since Naruto began watching him. No, Sensei was staring down at them rather than at his pervy, stupid book. Then the Jounin blinked and stared right at Naruto, which made him swallow a little nervously. Sensei gave him an eye-smile and then proceeded to look at the book. Naruto looked away awkwardly and shifted his focus to Yamato, who was leaning against a tree in boredom. With nothing interesting going on, the blonde sneaked a look back at Sensei, who was staring down at them again.
Naruto swallowed thickly and looked away as his stomach twisted in a mix of emotions. It was as if Sensei wasn't really looking at them, yet at the same time he was. He…he kind of seemed…maybe guilty? Naruto bit his lip and shifted his focus back to his ninken. The wiry-haired puppy laid in a hole it had made at the root of the tree. Great, now he'd have to wash the puppy again!
Frowning, he fixed the ninken a glare of sorts. He'd figure out a name for his ninken or his name wasn't Uzumaki Naruto! "Arata," no reaction, damn it; he was even trying not so manly names now. "Masaru. Atsuko," the puppy just stared back at him in boredom with his muzzle propped on his crossed paws. "Kichi," he actually yawned and looked away from Naruto. The blonde glared harder at the puppy. "Mori," the ninken looked back at him with his head cocked to one side, as if confused or maybe interested. Well, that was a start. "Mori-o" no, that sounded awkward even to his own ears.
"You're getting desperate," Teme-nii commented with some exasperation. Naruto whirled around and glared at the Uchiha.
"Yeah, well at least I'm trying to name my ninken!" Naruto would deny it if anyone said he was pouting, but it really annoyed him that neither Sasuke nor Sakura even tried to name their ninken. Didn't they want to pass the final test?!
Nee-chan paused in her kata's; she was panting somewhat as she shook her head. "Do you two have to bicker now?" She wiped at her forehead, "It's too hot for that."
Teme-nii rolled his eyes. "He's the idiot trying to force names with his ninken." Naruto narrowed his gaze further and his face contorted in anger. Stupid Teme always had to make fun of him, even after all they went through together; although, the normality of the shared insults was reassuring.
"What?!" Naruto snarled. "Do you think it's just gonna come naturally? You haven't even tried to name your own ninken, or are you still sore that she's a girl so you don't even want to try to name her?"
Nee-chan sighed as if in defeat, and Teme-nii glared back at Naruto. Each of the puppies perked up at the tense atmosphere, and Sasuke's ninken whined slightly as she nosed the Uchiha's side.
Sensei decided now to intervene. "Mah, mah," he tried with a placating gesture. "You'll each find the right name in time; it's not a big deal."
Teme-nii turned away in disgust; he would never be as…open to what the Jounin said as he had before, and Naruto could understand that. He even felt a bit annoyed at what the Jounin had to say, so Naruto kept glaring over at the other boy.
If things worked out like training and gaining the ninken's trust, then Naruto would be lucky to give the puppy a name in a month if not a year. The wiry-haired puppy didn't listen to him as well as the other ninken listened to their summoners. Plus, the puppy often did the opposite of what he told him to do. It was only when Naruto practically yelled at the puppy that it even listened to him.
Sensei tried to tell him the puppy needed to hear his authority, otherwise the ninken thought he was just giving the puppy suggestions. Sensei also said something about how Naruto had played with the puppy so much in the beginning that he thought of Naruto more as a playmate than a commander. But…Naruto didn't have the heart to be sterner with the puppy, and he liked playing with the puppy; it made him feel less…haunted by the men he had killed.
It just wasn't fair that his ninken wouldn't listen to him while the others listened to his siblings just fine. It was like things always came to them so easy, but he had to really struggle for it.
Naruto frowned as he looked down at the ground. In his peripherals, he could see Teme-nii absentmindedly pet his puppy, as if to comfort the creature. Nee-chan was beside her ninken, and she was calming him down before the puppy tried to snap at them—he confused the tense atmosphere for an impending fight.
Something wet and cold nudged Naruto's elbow—he had rolled up his jacket sleeves due to the heat. He smiled slightly when he looked down to see his grubby ninken was there and nosing him. The puppy's big brown eyes were practically asking what was wrong. The blonde couldn't help but smile slightly. What a friend he had found in this dog…hmm, that was a thought. "Tomo…?" he murmured as he looked down at the puppy.
The ninken cocked his head to one side before he began nosing the blonde again in an attempt to get Naruto to pet him. The puppy was waging his tail, and somehow Naruto could imagine he was smiling—it probably has something to do with how the puppy's mouth was open.
Grinning, Naruto began to scratch the puppy behind his ears and his tail began to wag more. So far the puppy had been responsive to Mori and Tomo, but those seemed so boring and kinda feminine! Still he had made more progress than his teammates in the naming department.
While petting his furry companion, he looked back over at his teammates. "What are you thinking of naming them, huh?"
"Why rush things when it could happen naturally," Teme-nii responded almost too casually as he shrugged. Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly in suspicion. Crazy snake lady's training made him think the other boy was trying to cover something up.
"Oh yeah?" Naruto challenged with a grin making its way across his face. "I bet you've been trying to name your ninken too when we're not around, dattebayo!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the other boy and watched as Teme-nii's eye twitched, but there were telling signs just beneath the twitch. Naruto grinned more. "Neh, no need to tense, Sasuke-san," he said the formal name as annoyingly as he could
Now the boy was gritting his teeth. This went along with his annoyed eye-twitch from earlier, but it also suggested he was angry with himself. Oh yeah, Teme-nii had been doing exactly what Naruto had been, but he's embarrassed about it! It was obvious from the way the other boy tensed and held his breath when Naruto had accused him. His actions now only confirmed what Naruto had observed.
"Shut up, idiot," there was no stutter in Teme-nii's voice; they had been too trained to give such obvious tells, but Naruto still knew he was right and had caught the Uchiha.
So Naruto grinned broader even as Nee-chan rolled her eyes at his antics. "What were thinking? Yūrei?" Naruto teased. Teme-nii gritted his teeth more as he resolutely stared at their camping fire and began to stir the stew a little violently. Naruto pressed on with a grin stretched ear-to-ear, "She follows you around like she's haunting you, 'tebayo. Plus," he added "it makes her sound more fearsome."
Nee-chan began to chuckle and Teme-nii snapped his gaze over at her, "Like you can talk!" He then sneered over at her, "You've basically settled on Kouken." Nee-chan and her ninken both perked up at that.
"At least he responds to it," Nee-chan shot back, while Naruto soaked up the whole scene with delight. "She's never going to respond to Yūrei no matter how much you call her that," Sakura pointed out a haughtily
The two continued to scowl at each other, and Naruto couldn't take it anymore; he began to laugh. It felt so…so good to bicker like this. It made him feel like a kid the way they argued over these petty things. He could almost forget that missing-nin he…he ripped apart. His laughter abruptly died and he stared down at his hands. It was odd how those thoughts and images would just hit him suddenly. He could be eating and then he'd remember making the "town-line."
He could run away from the memories through petty arguments and jokes, but then they would hit him again. He felt the weight of his actions with each breath, and in his dreams he saw each man he killed. Sensei made them talk about what had happened, made them…describe what they did and how they felt, but that didn't stop the nightmares. The talking made it all real, and it made him have to face what happened, but it didn't stop the pain and self-disgust.
But Naruto was a shinobi. He was a weapon because of that title and his jinchūriki status. They all were weapons because of a piece of metal with an engraving of their village symbol on it. Team 7 killed eighty men, and Sensei said they would have to kill more people someday because…because they were ninja. It was a ninja's job to kill in order to secure safety or a better future for his or her country. That was what it meant to be a shinobi, Naruto had realized, but he didn't like it.
Naruto didn't want to kill, and he wished there was another way to be a ninja. He wished there was another way than death to solve conflict, but not everyone saw that. Gato came to mind. He was such a…rotten man who used death and pain to ensure his own corrupt rule over an entire island. Was Gato the Hidden Villages but on a smaller level? Didn't Konoha do similar things to ensure their control and power—sure it was toward outside forces and supposed rebels, but didn't that answer Naruto's question?
Two points of weight fell on his knee, and he felt his ninken's furry muzzle against his hands. The blonde opened his eyes, unaware that he had closed them, and looked down at the almost pleading puppy. He also noted that Nee-chan had come closer to him while he had been lost in his thoughts. She looked at him with some concern but she seemed unsure as to whether she should comfort him. Teme-nii had moved closer to Naruto too and his ninken looked between the two boys almost worriedly. Then there was Sensei, who stood beside Naruto with his hands shoved in his pockets.
Naruto swallowed thickly as he looked back down at his summon. Had he really concerned all of them so much?
Naruto heard Sensei sigh, and then the ground crunched and shifted as the man crouched down beside him. "Naruto-kun," he started, and the blonde hesitantly turned to face the Jounin. "Why don't you tell your teammates what you have been thinking?" It was a gently asked question, but Naruto felt physically repulsed; however, he refrained from letting his discomfort show.
But he couldn't stop all the signs from showing, as he saw from his teammates' own reactions. He had tensed at the question and couldn't breathe, which made his own teammates look more concerned. The seconds ticked by slowly and with such…presence, but eventually Naruto shook his head. No words came to him when he tried to explain why he wouldn't talk; after all, his thoughts were…were practically treasonous.
Sensei sighed but he looked like he had been expecting this. The Jounin then beckoned for Nee-chan and Teme-nii to come closer. They both did, but Teme-nii with more reluctance—although Naruto knew it was because Sensei had ordered the move rather than the Uchiha not wanting to come closer to Naruto.
"I know that look, Naruto-kun" Sensei began, and Naruto looked over at him uncertainly. Which look was this? Sensei eye-smiled at his confusion, but if felt…hollow, fake. "There comes a point in every ninja's life when…he or she questions what he or she is doing." The man's words were slow, and Naruto could tell he was choosing them carefully.
Naruto frowned but looked at the man more fully. He was a little fearful and wary about what the Jounin would say; would Sensei say he should resign from shinobi duties? One thing was certain though, a glance at his teammates showed they were just as invested in what Sensei had to say as him, even if Sasuke was begrudgingly invested.
Sensei looked down at the ground with his hands clasped in front of him while his arms rested on his knees. "It is…unfortunate that you three have begun to question this life so early in your careers," Sensei paused and looked up at them, and Naruto imagined he was grimacing given the way his mask shifted, "but given the circumstances…it cannot be helped."
It was still for a long moment while Naruto shared uneasy glances with his teammates. The ninken shifted uneasily too and each climbed into their respective summoner's lap for comfort from the tense, somber atmosphere.
"So…" Sensei started again, "each of you should share what you're questioning."
Naruto stared at the Jounin with his mouth open in disbelief. It was one thing to talk about the killing but-but this!
"You first," Teme-nii choked out with a hard look in his eyes.
Sensei's eye softened, and Naruto imagined the man was smiling slightly at them, "I told you already."
"No you didn't!" Naruto blurted out. When had he ever—
"Obito made me question my shinobi code and what I had been doing," Sensei responded calmly.
"That was for the better though," Naruto whispered, "mine can't be."
Sensei looked at him with that soft look in his eye, "It's always for the better. Our convictions become stronger or change, and we find a new path."
What was that supposed to mean because right now it felt like everything Naruto had done so far had been to help his own greedy, Gato-like country. There was nothing noble in being a shinobi, and everything he hoped to be was just a lie. He was just a murderer, a monster…
"Tell us another," Sasuke demanded softly, and Sensei tensed marginally before he relaxed.
"After the Kyuubi attack," he began softly, and Naruto felt his stomach drop, "I had lost everyone on my team and…well." The Jounin gave them an eye-smile that radiated bitterness, "I was in a bad place but I kept moving through my career and joined a certain…branch."
Naruto's eyes widened as he inferred the answer: ANBU. So this mission hadn't been his first ANBU mission? And how old would that have made Sensei when he first joined ANBU, like…thirteen or fourteen, maybe even fifteen? He supposed it all depended how long after the attack. Absentmindedly, Naruto noted that weird-eye guy had shifted uncomfortably at this talk.
The Jounin continued speaking. "It took years of that work but I began to wonder if this was what my teammates would have wanted me to do. Did I honor their memories by doing this?" his hand gravitated up to his covered eye as he said that, but he quickly continued. "Did my sacrifices even help the village?"
The man shook his head, and stared up at Team 7 prepared for them to ask a question, but Naruto and his teammates were looking at the Jounin practically captivated.
"What happened?" Sakura breathed out, and Naruto nodded his head emphatically.
The Jounin gave a short, almost sarcastic laugh. "I ended up…securing a certain village secret before enemies could kidnap or kill that secret." Something in the way he said "securing" made Naruto think that stood in for something else, and then he started to wonder what that secret was and how someone could kill or even kidnap a secret. So wrapped up in these thoughts, Naruto missed Sakura's glance over at him and that Kakashi eye-smiled in response to it.
"After that day, I realized my duty to the village and my sacrifices were meaningful." He paused briefly. "So…who would like to go first?" the man asked, but there were no takers.
Although Team 7 was silent, the world around them continued going, and Naruto almost felt affronted that the sun was shining so brightly above them and that birds deeper into the forest were singing. It should be raining or there should be storm clouds above them, not a perfectly clear and sunny day.
"I…" Nee-chan began, and Naruto was so thankful for the break in the silence; however, the girl faltered. Nee-chan held her ninken close to her chest and seemed lost. "I keep thinking what my parents will think of me…" she trailed off as she gazed in front of her without really seeing anything. "I…I keep wondering if they will be able to tell…if…" she shook her head slowly.
After a long moment wherein Naruto didn't dare to breathe lest it break her out her thoughts, Sakura continued speaking in a very quiet voice, "I…I've realized that being a ninja is death, so much death…" Nee-chan grimaced and then glanced back over at Naruto for a moment before proceeding on. "I'll have to keep killing won't I—to protect what's precious to me?" she asked the question to Sensei who nodded slowly. Nee-chan nodded in understanding too and looked down at the puppy's head. "I-I'll never be the daughter I was before, will I?" she asked in a tight voice.
Sensei shook his head, and Naruto could tell the Jounin was thinking about how to respond. Sakura shut her eyes tightly and looked to be near tears, but finally Sensei gave a verbal response. "A lot of civilian raised shinobi struggle to relate with their families after something like this," Sensei stated, and Naruto wasn't sure if that was supposed to be comforting or not. Sensei continued though with some hesitance. "The scale of morality you grew up on…it will have changed because of this experience and…and it will continue to change throughout your career. It likely will be hard for your family to accept." It was clear to even Naruto that the man was thinking carefully about how to explain this and that the words would escape him for a moments at a time. The silence stretched for a few seconds longer until the Jounin spoke his final piece, "Sometimes we must kill in order to protect; sometimes we must take life to preserve life."
Nee-chan nodded slowly with her eyes still closed, but she had not cried despite the tears welling up in her eyes. Sensei then turned to Naruto and Teme-nii, but neither of them would look at him nor speak up. He could feel the expectant stares, but he couldn't say it. His thoughts were too…too treasonous. He looked over at Sasuke pleadingly, who grimaced in return and looked away. The staring continued for longer than Naruto was usually comfortable with, but-but he couldn't say it…it was treasonous…
The Uchiha gritted his teeth and flashed Naruto a glare, but he finally broke the silence. "I've been wondering how…how that man could-could-could do what he did!" Teme-nii choked the words out and his ninken pressed close to his body and licked his arm. Teme-nii looked up at sky as he tried to keep his composure. "I keep wondering if he felt or f-feels any remorse, and how…how could he not feel it."
Teme-nii was shaking slightly as he tried to keep ahold of his composure. "And then I think…could…could I snap like that? Could I…" Teme-nii couldn't get the words out, and they froze in his throat.
The way he was now looking into the camp fire made Naruto think he was talking more to himself than to them. "I…I remember when he…" the tears were welling up, and the boy just closed his eyes tightly, but that made them start to fall, "that man was kind and cared for me, but then…then he did that to our family. What if I…what if I did that too…if snapped. Or…have I missed something…?" the last thought seemed to horrify and surprise Teme-nii at the same time. He then looked over at Kakashi as if he wanted to ask him something but he stopped himself and looked away. There was doubt written on his face, and he seemed lost.
Sensei was quiet for a long moment as he thought and Teme-nii brooded. All of these silences were making Naruto more and more anxious; it felt like this pressure was creeping up from his stomach, and it made it hard to sit still. He felt like he was twisting on the inside, and the silence was just making his own fears and concerns want to burst out—but he couldn't do that…shouldn't speak those things.
"I worked with him occasionally," the Jounin stated quietly, and Naruto nearly sighed in relief. "When we learned what happened…I was surprised. Maybe he did snap because what other explanation could there be?" Teme-nii looked over at him and something passed between them, that Naruto doubted he'd ever understand. It was silent again, but only for a few moments. "I've also wondered if I missed something. But he was isolated within the clan and amongst his peers, so perhaps no one saw the signs of him cracking?" Kakashi asked slowly, and Teme-nii looked away.
That silence was back, and Naruto could see how tortured the other boy was. He couldn't tell what Sasuke was thinking, but he had his hands held together in front of him so tightly that his knuckles looked even whiter than they normally were. Sensei was also looking at Teme-nii, almost contemplatively, and Nee-chan looked ready to comfort Teme-nii.
However, mercifully, Sensei broke the silence with a sigh. "I don't think you'll be like him," Sensei stated softly, which made Teme-nii look over at him with barely disguised surprise and…relief. "You have two teammates who care about you deeply, and you feel remorse." Sensei paused and looked thoughtful for a distressingly long moment, "I think this unfortunate experience has shown how easily death can be dealt and how irrevocable it is too."
Teme-nii swallowed and nodded his head slowly, though Naruto didn't know quite what Sasuke had taken away from this talk. The Uchiha looked more conflicted and thoughtful than before, and yet what had been gnawing at him had abated.
Sensei then looked to Naruto, and the blonde could feel the weight of his teammate's stares. He swallowed but didn't speak up. "Otoutou," Sakura encouraged softly, and Naruto grimaced when her bright green eyes softened at him with concern and caring.
"I…I can't…it's bad," Naruto looked down at his ninken so he wouldn't have to see their looks. He didn't want to disappoint his sibling, and that was all he'd do if he spoke up!
"We won't judge you idiot," Teme-nii shot out in a subdued voice. He was looking at him neutrally, but Naruto could see some…well, gentleness in the expression too.
"You can tell us," Nee-chan urged as she set a hand on his arm.
""Thoughts are one thing and actions are another. Being confused or worried is different from acting on those concerns and worries," Sensei stated with a knowing look directed at Naruto, and the boy couldn't help but flinch.
The blonde swallowed thickly and felt his puppy lick his hand. "I…" He wasn't sure how to explain it, so maybe it would be better to explain how he came to this thought? "G-Gato killed and threatened and-and stuff those who opposed him, don't…don't…" Naruto shook his head violently when that approach failed because he couldn't say it: don't we do that for Konoha.
Naruto inhaled deeply and tired again, but he could feel the nerves building up. "I-I know it's wrong to think like that but ninja…we're just murderers" Naruto couldn't stop himself from grimacing, "and-and don't we just do what Gato's thugs did?"
His teammates looked at him like they had never thought of that, and Kakashi sighed slightly but it wasn't in disappointment. "What else do we do though, Naruto-kun? Killing and threatening is part of our duties, yes, but we threaten other countries through shows of strength to keep them from attacking or starting wars, and we kill those who threaten the safety of our clients and our country."
Naruto nodded and looked down at his ninken. He knew it was for some greater good, but it still felt wrong. "I…I just wish there was another way!"
"The Yondaime did too," Sensei murmured, and Naruto looked over at him in shock. Sensei was eye-smiling sadly yet fondly—or at least that was the impression Naruto got. "His teacher also thought there was a way; in fact, he wrote about it."
Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion, but his look must have prompted Sensei to explain. He pulled out his pervy orange book, "Jiraiya-sama wrote a book about a Gutsy Ninja; it was his first book, but it wasn't as well received as these." He stowed the porn away, but Naruto still felt shocked. Seriously? Some pervy writer wrote a serious story about a ninja trying to find a different way to be a ninja? Naruto couldn't describe the feeling slowly bubbling up in his stomach, perhaps it was…hope?
Sensei seemed to sober. "Unfortunately, there isn't a different way to be a ninja yet, and there are times when we must kill and we must be mercenaries for higher. Being a ninja is not glamorous or noble. We sacrifice ourselves for the betterment of our nation and for our precious people."
Naruto frowned but nodded. He understood that now. Maybe that was why he was so angry that the civilians killed Gato… Ninja did the killing, so why did they have to soil their hands? Weren't ninja supposed to protect them from having to do such things?
"Gato had to die, didn't he?" Naruto murmured. "Even after he lost his power."
"Yes," Sensei murmured, and Naruto realized then that he needed to hear that confirmation. "You'll find that hate is a strong emotion and will drive people to do the unthinkable." Sakura glanced over at Sasuke as Sensei said this, and Sasuke looked down while frowning in thought. "To the villagers, there was too much hurt and fear to let him live. If he should escape and regain his money…what would happen them?"
Sensei sighed again and seemed to be thinking. "You were all correct when you deduced that Gato would always be a threat to Nami no Kuni. If Nami no Kuni was a shinobi village, someone might even be hired to take Gato out, but that was not our place or our duty. That does not change that Gato needed to die for the betterment of Nami no Kuni." He paused for a moment, and amended himself, "if only because he could be a threat if he regained his power."
Naruto knew it had to happen, but it didn't settle with him well. It was all messed up and wrong.
"I'm going to find a more peaceful way," Naruto murmured to himself before he looked up at his teammates and grinned, "dattebayo!" They shook their heads slightly but smiled at him nonetheless. Naruto would still protect his precious people, but he'd find a new way to be a ninja; he had to.
"Well," Sensei stood up and clapped his hands together, "I think the pups rested enough and the food is all done. We should eat and then keep moving before we camp for the night."
Naruto shot to his feet and his ninken wagged his tail beside him. Onward to Konoha! As he began to turn toward the road, Naruto's stomach began to growl loudly…but yeah, Sensei was right, lunch first.
…
The rest of the journey that day had been quiet, well… the dobe continued to force names on his ninken, and the summons each made their own noises throughout the day that begged for attention. The bookworm's summon was perhaps the quietest, though he did tend to wander off from her, though it wasn't as bad as Naruto's summon. That puppy… the dobe always had a clone out to catch it when it would go chasing after some animal it heard in the underbrush. Although, Sasuke's personal shadow had slipped away from him again, so she wasn't receiving any well-behaved puppy awards today either.
He slowed down as he looked around the underbrush. He whistled twice in a low pitch before he heard the summon running toward him. Oh, what a surprise, he thought sarcastically. Sasuke stared at the ninken as it came to sit before him with a flower between its teeth, roots still intact. Was this the summon trying to tell him what she wanted to be named? "Hana?" he tried, but the dog didn't respond to him and just stared up at him.
"What is it then?" he asked as he crouched down. He heard a chuckle behind him and he couldn't help but scowl.
"I believe she wants you to have it," that jounin butted in, and Sasuke barely refrained from throwing a glare at the man. Sasuke instead closed his eyes before holding out his hand to accept the flower. She dropped it into his hand and then rubbed her head against his leg. Refraining from rolling his eyes, he pet the ninken before straightening.
"Alright my personal shadow," he drawled and began to turn around, the ninken was at attention which made Sasuke pause. "Bikou?" he tried, and the summon began to wag her tail with her ears perked up. Either she liked the name or she thought that was an order? He shook his head, "Let's catch up to the others." The bookworm and dobe had had to run off ahead of them to catch their wandering ninken.
He put the flower into his backpack, since the ninken kept bringing him more and more flowers whenever he'd let them fall to the wayside, and then started to jog after the others. The puppy kept up well enough, and he was pleased that she was getting faster.
However, with the relative silence, Sasuke could not stop from thinking back on the earlier conversation. He was conflicted to say the least, and not just because that Jounin seemed to know what he was talking about and had been trying to console him… Could Sasuke have been missing something? That man had changed so completely and so suddenly…it didn't make sense. Though that Jounin said that man didn't have anyone…not really.
Sasuke looked up in time to see the bookworm bodily pull her summon off of a little rabbit, and the dobe get headbutted in the back of the leg by his ninken. Sasuke's own summon brushed up beside him and he thought about what that Jounin said. With the dobe and bookworm, how could he end up like that man?
Sasuke thought back to what he realized earlier too. Those men they killed were never going to come back. That man would never come back either if Sasuke killed him, but Sasuke could remember when that man had been onii-san. He had comforted Sasuke when he was younger and had given him the attention no one else in the family really would. Father was so preoccupied with the clan or that man that Sasuke was brushed aside…and mother…she tried to give him attention but then father would…would reprimand her? Sasuke thought he remembered them talking loudly one night about…about what? Mother coddling him? Onii-san had been the only one to really give Sasuke attention when he was younger.
He could remember vaguely those moments when that man had been a brother to him and…and Sasuke couldn't kill him if he remembered those things because…because Sasuke had siblings of his own now, and if he could kill that man despite what he could remember, then couldn't Sasuke kill his teammates too? Couldn't he become just like that man? And what if he was wrong about everything? What if there was something he was missing, and he killed that man needlessly. Killing that man would be a permanent deed, and if he was wrong…if he had been deceived for whatever reason… Sasuke wasn't sure what to think anymore; he wasn't sure of anything.
He heard a familiar whine and looked back down at the ninken as he slowed down from his jog. He raised an eyebrow, and the summon brushed up beside him. Shaking his head, he picked her up and began to carry her. She set her muzzle against his shoulder and rested her paws up there too.
Team 7 were all traveling close to each other again, but they didn't talk. Sasuke knew that was odd of them, especially of the dobe, but he couldn't bring himself to speak up.
Of course that Jounin had to be the one to break the silence, and with a heavy sigh no less—what, were they being an annoyance to him, a chore?! "Alright, we need to talk about hobbies," the Jounin stated in that stupid chipper tone.
All Sasuke could think was: What?! Sasuke turned to look at that Jounin, and he couldn't help but wonder what the man was on? Why bring up hobbies sudden—oh… Sasuke turned away and refused to look at the man. It still pissed him off how the man was trying to help and comfort them after having abandoned them for a mission he should have died on. Was the jounin just trying to assuage his own guilt or something?!
"What about hobbies?" the dobe asked still lost at the sudden conversation topic, though the bookworm seemed to know what Sensei was getting at considering she was less confused than either Sasuke or the dobe. "You know I like pranking people, and Sasuke-san likes training," Sasuke could tell the blonde had to keep from saying something else instead of his name.
That Jounin laughed slightly while the bookworm made a noise. "What about me Naruto-san, what were my hobbies?" she teased, and the dobe began blushing in embarrassment.
"I know what your hobbies are Sakura-san," he replied embarrassedly, "flower arranging and having tea."
While Sasuke's honorary siblings teased each other, that Jounin chuckled for a moment longer. However, the man sobered, and halted the bookworm and dobe's childish antics. "You each remember the academy stressing the importance of hobbies, no?"
Sasuke hadn't bothered to remember that and it seemed like his teammates hadn't either. He could hear that Jounin's amusement drain out of him as he spoke. "There is a reason. Ninja without hobbies and who only live for the missions and training…they are not always the most stable, especially after a hard mission. After a bad mission…" he could hear that Jounin trail off, perhaps thinking about his own bad missions and what happened after, "ninja need something to do that isn't related to shinobi life and will let them center themselves again."
Sasuke bit his lip. He did feel off kilter, and he could tell his honorary siblings were similarly off balance. Still…he didn't want to hear this from that Jounin.
"So…it's for our mental health?" the bookworm asked softly.
"Yes." There was a pause, "Most ninja do something with their hands or something meditative. Do any of you have something like that?"
It was quiet, and Sasuke tried to think of anything he did that was like that. He meditated but that was to work on the spiritual aspect of his chakra, and he doubted that was the kind of meditation that Jounin meant. He could tell his teammates were similarly puzzled as they tried to think about what they did that could be considered a hobby like that.
Then the bookworm spoke up hesitatingly. "I sometimes sew, and I drink tea…" She grimaced as she looked back at that Jounin—like she was seeking approval from him.
He could hear that Jounin hum before he responded, "Is tea drinking a meditative practice?" The bookworm grimaced slightly before shrugging uncertainly.
"Neh, Sensei," the dobe spoke up, "could you give us some ideas?" He looked so hopeful as he looked back at that Jounin—why did his teammates continue to rely on that Jounin?
It was silent amongst them for a while as they continue walking down the path—they would have traveled by the trees, but the puppies were not that skilled yet. In fact, they had added several days to their journey back because of frequent stops for the young ninken. Although the puppies had each made great strides in their stealth, speed, and endurance since they had summoned them, they were still just puppies.
That Jounin hummed again in thought, but remained silent much to the dobe's disappointment. The blonde's shoulders fell down and he turned to look forward with a frown on his face. The bookworm was equally disappointed, but Sasuke wasn't surprised the Jounin hadn't spoken; it's not like he was ever all that forthcoming with things, especially anything personal.
That Jounin sighed suddenly. "Reading," he stated. The dobe and bookworm turned around to look at him in surprise. "Reading can be a distraction that works for some, myself included. And a…a focused meditation that isn't meant for training can work for some as well." There was a pause, and Sasuke knew what the Jounin meant by the meditation. "That's what I do in front of the memorial stone," he stated as if that hadn't been clear before.
The dobe and bookworm shifted uncomfortably as they continue walking forward; the ninken fortunately stayed close by their heels. That Jounin coughed slightly. "Uh…" the man began thinking more deeply on the matter. "I believe Hokage-sama once collected pipes and different tobaccos, though I don't encourage any of you to smoke," that Jounin laughed weakly, and Sasuke imagined he was chagrining beneath his mask.
The dobe and the bookworm laughed slightly, and Sasuke rolled his eyes. However, that Jounin continued speaking, though his voice faded slightly as he turned to speak behind him, "Yamato-kohai, you have a garden, don't you?"
Sasuke glanced behind him to see the Mukouton user drop down from the trees and walk beside that Jounin. "Yes, Senpai. It is a vegetable garden. I also know some ninja collect vintage coins or purposely try to sample different kinds of their favorite food." That Jounin looked slightly disgusted at the last comment, and Sasuke could have sworn that Yamato guy was teasing that Jounin, but those weren't the Jounin's hobbies…
"Thank you, kohai," that Jounin replied dryly, and the mukouton user disappeared from sight again, though Sasuke could see him up in the trees for a brief moment. Sasuke turned back around and felt his ninken scratch at him slightly. Rolling his eyes, he set the summon down only for it to run off. He stopped walking and waited along with the rest of the team—the summon always came back so he would just wait.
"So…we should garden?" the dobe asked.
That Jounin shrugged with one hand in his pocket. "Figure out what works for you. Jiraiya-sama writes, Asuma-san I believe plays Go with the Nara clan. Kurenai-san weaves, and I know a few ninja who throw pottery, whittle, knit, paint—really any craft that speaks to that ninja."
The Jounin then grimaced slightly and sighed. "However, there are ninja who do less productive or healthy things to cope, like Tsundae-hime. She gambles and drinks." The Jounin looked away and shook his head before he continued, "Some ninja enter abusive masochistic or sadistic relationships, and others just use sex or harmful substances to cope."
The mood was tense and Sasuke felt uncomfortable from just hearing how some ninja coped. "As your Jounin instructor, I am supposed to ensure you have a healthy outlet," he paused, "and if you fall into unhealthy ones while genin, it is my duty to help you."
They were all silent and processing this when Sasuke's ninken came back with yet another flower, and the dobe spoke up. "Wait…people can have healthy maso-what's-it relationships? Isn't that where people like pain?" The bookworm began to choke in surprise, and Sasuke just stared straight in front of him; why would the dobe wonder about that!?
"Ah…" the Jounin began uncomfortably, "well, yes. Um…" he coughed slightly.
"Why?" the dobe asked with his face scrunched up in disgust.
Sasuke looked over at that Jounin and it seemed the man was short circuiting. "Yes, Sensei, why?" he asked mockingly while smirking at the man.
That Jounin closed his eye and coughed uncomfortably. "You see… people have sexual preferences," he started uneasily. "Um…sometimes people do um…enjoy that, and uh…" he seemed to forget what he was saying. "Uh, well, the-the important thing though is uh…" the jounin coughed again, and Sasuke felt a smirk tug on his lips while the dobe looked genuinely puzzled.
"Neh, Naruto-san, Sasuke-san," the bookworm addressed both of them, "Kakashi-sensei isn't the person you should be asking." Why did the bookworm butt in and save the Jounin? Though…Sasuke caught a mischievous look in her eyes. "I mean, it's not like sensei to be in relationships, right? He probably doesn't know much about it."
"Oh yeah!" The dobe laughed a little and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry Sensei, I forgot." That Jounin looked caught between relieved and mortified. Instead, he just dropped his head forward and motioned them to continue on.
Sasuke kept smirking as he knelt down beside the ninken and took the new flower and put it into his backpack.
As Sasuke straightened, he thought of something. That Jounin had trudged ahead of them, so Sasuke hurried up and tapped his teammates on the shoulder before holding up his hands. Are we getting back at him? He signed.
The bookworm frowned slightly, but the dobe looked pensive. I suppose we could since he didn't tell us. The dobe frowned slightly and amended his message I know he could not but still we should. On principle.
The bookworm looked to the side resigned and nodded her head Okay, but what?
Gossip? The dobe suggested.
Our covers died Sasuke signed back
Then we spread the gossip the bookworm started.
The dobe's eyes grew wide in excitement and he waved his hands at that Yamato guy's position. Can you understand us?
The mukouton user appeared through the tree line and nodded slightly. The dobe grinned broadly Want to help us humiliate sensei? The man raised a large eyebrow before he nodded minutely. Good we'll need some help from higher ranked ninja.
How do we know we can trust him? The bookworm interjected, and Sasuke looked over at her in disbelief. Had she not seen him teasing that Jounin? The dobe gave her a similar look, so the bookworm sighed and looked away from them while shaking her head.
"What are you three plotting?" That Jounin asked tiredly from ahead of them. He hadn't even turned around, and Sasuke almost felt offended that he assumed they were plotting something because they weren't talking and were behind him.
"Us plotting?! Please Sensei, we learned our lesson," the dobe exclaimed at first affronted and then solemnly.
That Jounin just looked back at them over his should, clearly unimpressed. The dobe sighed, "Fine, we were wondering about our mission when we get back. You know the one that made us have to go on this one." Sasuke refrained from looking at the blonde in confusion because that would blow their cover, so he just frowned. He thought that crap about the chuunin exam mission was just to manipulate them into going on the mission even though they knew Tazuna had been lying.
The Jounin looked at the blonde in surprise before he nodded. "I will tell you when we make camp." What?! Were they seriously going to be looking for infiltrators in the chuunin exams? That was a lot to expect of them, and yet…Sasuke wanted to rise up to the challenge. He almost couldn't wait for them to make camp.
…
Sakura had anxiously waited the rest of the day for this. They had finally finished setting up camp, and there was food cooking over the fire while Yamato-san was on guard duty. Sensei had set up some privacy seals, but they had yet to begin talking.
Naruto was about done with this waiting. The blonde was fidgeting almost violently in his seat; his ninken picked up on his anxiety and was beginning to fidget too. Her ninken was becoming annoyed with their behavior, but she soothed him by running her hand down his back.
"Oh come on already!" Naruto cried out suddenly, and Sensei sighed as he shook his head.
"I'm trying to think where I should start."
"Well how about why Konoha believes an ally would plan an attack?" Sasuke snapped, and Sakura sent him an unimpressed look before focusing on Sensei who just sighed with his eye closed in exasperation.
"Sensei," she began hesitantly, "I've been hearing from traveling merchants that Suna is falling on some hard economic times. Could they be planning the attack? But that doesn't seem like enough motivation and their forces aren't strong enough, right?" Sakura had been trying to think for four weeks now on how there could seriously be infiltrators at the chuunin exam when only allies would be there. She had wondered how that could even be a possibility, so she was trying to piece together with what she had heard that might be motivation, but she hoped she was wrong.
"Not unless they worked with another ally," Sasuke reasoned next to her. "I don't really know how our relationship with Ame is, and I think things with Kiri resolved themselves, right?" Sasuke asked Sensei, though it seemed he'd rather not ask the question.
"What about a new nation or a smaller one?" Naruto piped in, and when Sakura looked back at Sensei, she had a feeling he was frowning.
"I heard there was some new hidden village in Kusa called Otogakure," the man murmured before he shook his head as if to get himself to focus. He sighed again and dropped his head as if ashamed. "I had said there might be an attack because we needed to go on the mission for my alibi," Sensei confessed at last, and the boys looked outraged but Sakura just felt uneasy.
"So we don't have a mission?" Naruto asked in disappointment mixed with anger. Sasuke was glaring at Sensei again, and Sakura could imagine there would be conflict soon.
"You said we had a mission for the chuunin exams!" Sasuke hissed as he clenched his fists tightly.
Sensei held up his hands in a placating gesture, "You do, but not for what I told you." Sakura felt like there was a heavy weight on the Jounin's shoulders; he was troubled and concerned though he hid it fairly well.
"In approximately two months," he began as he looked at each of them seriously, "there is to be an international chuunin exam." Sakura was shocked but she didn't know quite what this meant for them; she could think of implications, but she wouldn't say any of them. Sensei continued speaking, though he was staring down at his clasped hands instead of them. "Each of the great nations will present five teams; the lesser nations will present three." He looked up at them pointedly, "You three are one of Konoha's five teams."
"What?!" Sasuke looked like he couldn't believe this, while Naruto looked ready to explode.
"So cool!" the blonde shouted while practically vibrating in anticipation.
However, Sakura could only stare in disbelief, "Really?" Were they even ready for something like this?!
Naruto began jumping up and down in excitement as he practically shouted: "We are going to kick everyone's ass dattebayo!" Sasuke began to smirk at the blonde's words and even looked a little confident too.
Sensei's expression was serious though, and didn't inspire much faith in her. "What is it?" she asked softly and felt more nervous than she thought possible.
Naruto paused in his cheering, and Sasuke's smirk fell. Their positions changed as they took in the almost worried stance of their sensei. The boys regarded him with their own serious expressions, and Sakura felt like they were going to war for a moment with how dour the mood had become.
"This exam is a chance for every nation to show their strength through the younger generations. They will be putting forward the genin they know will make it to the final, public round. These genin will be vicious, powerful, and only considered genin because of their rank."
Sakura felt her stomach drop as she swallowed nervously; however, Sensei wasn't finished. "More than that, there will Kages, high ranking foreign dignitaries, and genin with precious bloodlines at this exam; you can expect that there will be more than few assassins hiding in the stands for the final round."
"S-so you don't think we can do it?" Naruto asked quietly, for once without his bravado.
"I believe you three need every advantage you can have. You need to make allies too, but be careful with whom you make allies." Sakura swallowed thickly as she looked over at her teammates.
Sasuke was frowning but he spoke up after a moment. "How can we make allies with anyone other than Knonoha teams? We'll be targeted by Iwa and probably Kumo too. This will just make a war and a bloodbath."
Sakura could see the appraising and approving look Sensei threw him. "You're correct," he began before eye-smiling, "which is why every team will be dressed up the same with the same masks. There will be some way to distinguish between teams, but those were the stipulations I learned of."
Sakura looked down at the ground uncertainly, but Naruto was the first to break the silence. "So then, we'll need to keep our affiliations secret and make allies with whomever we can trust?" Sensei nodded his head once, and Naruto looked thoughtful before a smile split across his face. "This is going to be so awesome!"
Sakura laughed slightly, and Sensei began to chuckle—even Sasuke smiled a little at Naruto's reaction. However, the blonde sobered and looked confused as he added on, "So…Was that the mission we had with the chuunin exams?"
Sensei shook his head, "No."
"Then what is it?!" Naruto pressed excitedly.
"I said you would need every advantage, and chuunin exams typically follow the same format. You will be participating in the Chuunin exams starting in less than a week."
"Huh?!" Naruto looked at Kakashi-sensei like he had two heads, while Sakura furrowed her brow. So they were to participate in the exams to get an idea of what they'd have in the international exams.
"You will drop out after learning what the second phase of the exam is. You must not complete the second phase," Sensei stressed. Naruto instantly looked torn, but then he sighed and nodded his head. Sasuke just seemed a little puzzled.
"Why are we still hosting the exams if there's an international one coming up?" Sasuke asked, and Sakura had a sinking feeling in her gut.
"Besides that hosting the chuunin exams has been a year in the making and will be a boost to our economy?" Kakashi-sensei began almost flippantly. "Well, the International exams only allow five genin teams from the great nations, so this exam period will let the teams not going to the International Exams a chance for promotion."
"So it's unlikely there would be an attack then?" Sasuke stated in slight annoyance, perhaps at how they had been misled.
Kakashi shrugged. "That could always be a possibility, however unlikely. An attack would take years of planning, and could cripple competition at the international exams." He shifted slightly as he continued on, "It may be unlikely but it never hurts to be overcautious."
Sakura nodded her head in agreement. She still felt uneasy about the whole attack thing. Her stomach kept tying up in knots, and she couldn't shake the sense of foreboding when she thought of the chuunin exams. "Kakashi-sensei?" she began slowly, "could you tell us anyways what we should look for if there is going to be an attack?"
Kakashi-sensei looked at her with his eye narrowed slightly, and she wondered if he thought she had a vision. She didn't but it was just this sense of foreboding she couldn't shake. However, the Jounin nodded after a short pause. "There are no definitive signs, honestly, but one could be an unusually large or small number of teams participating from a specific country. Normally Sunagakure will have six to eight teams on a good year. Amegakure has about four, and Kirigakure sends six to eight teams too."
"What else?" Sakura needed to know the signs, she just…just didn't feel good about the chuunin exams. Though where her discomfort and unease came from she couldn't say. There probably wasn't even going to be an attack, but discussing these possibilities would set her at ease.
Sensei sighed in thought and ran a hand through his hair. "I suppose teams wandering around without their guides? It's really all circumstantial though."
Sakura slowly nodded and stared back at the campfire. The boys were thinking too and remained quiet while the puppies just poked around in the underbrush. Sasuke's ninken came out from somewhere suddenly and was carrying a plant it had caught in between to sticks that it held closed with its teeth.
"That's poisonous," Sakura murmured in confusion as she stared at the plant trapped between the sticks. "Its sap is paralytic."
Sasuke looked at her in confusion before he caught sight of the plant the puppy was trying to drag toward him. Weird, why would she do that? Sakura looked at Sasuke who was just as puzzled.
"Hey, Sasuke-san," she called for his attention, and he looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "What other plants has she gotten for you?"
Sasuke opened his pack and pulled out the two flowers, and Sakura's eyes widened as she recognized them from lectures (given by professors and Ino).
"That one's roots are poisonous too, and this one's seed when ground up can create a sleep inducing powder." Sakura pulled each flower out as she explained what it did.
"Neh," Naruto interjected, "D'you think she smelled them in your poisons?"
"Perhaps she thinks you should start your own poisonous plant garden?" Kakashi-sensei mused.
Sasuke frowned slightly but nodded after a moment. "There's an old green house in the Uchiha district," he stated more to himself than to them.
Naruto looked over at Sasuke for a moment. "Neh, Sasuke-san, you have lots of land, could I start a garden maybe, 'tebayo? I have Ukki-san at home and I kinda like taking care of him, but I was thinking about maybe… um…" Naruto blinked nervously when he noticed Sakura and Sasuke staring at him.
"What?" he asked uncertainly.
"Ukki-san?" Sasuke mumbled in disbelief, and then Sakura couldn't keep back her laughter.
"Hey! Shut up, he's always there for me when I come home and—"
"Maybe we should all just start a garden at your place, Sasuke-san!" Sakura was still laughing at the blonde because it was just so….so Naruto.
"Why not, we need a hobby," Sasuke drawled with a slight smile on his face as he looked over at the blushing blonde.
"Try to find something meditative if gardening works for you three as something productive to do," Kakashi-sensei advised, and Sakura had to smile. The boys were not the most receptive to the advice, but they understood where it was coming from.
Sakura murmured her thanks while the boys began discussing what kind of plants they would grow. Soon enough, she was wrangled into the conversation because she could remember the academy and Yamanka lectures about plants.
…
Week Twenty-three
Naruto inhaled deeply at the sight of the walls on the horizon. The sun had barely risen and they were nearly to Konoha. Sensei had insisted they leave early so that as few people would know about their summons as possible. Naruto had also heard something about paperwork, but that seemed more like something sensei was complaining about than anything they had to worry about.
"You may want them to start acting more covert," Sensei drawled, "The less people who know, the better."
Naruto nodded and crouched down beside his puppy. The puppy's folded ears perked up slightly as he nosed Naruto's hand. He petted the summon slightly before he became serious, and the puppy seemed to notice that because he straightened up. "Remember your training?" he asked softly. "Time to hide," he ordered.
The puppy cocked its head to one side, and Naruto sighed before he jumped up into the trees. The ninken barked slightly as he took after Naruto who made a shushing noise from his hiding spot. He was the last in place, but in his defense, his ninken didn't listen to him as well as the others listened to his siblings. Sakura's puppy had learned to follow her hand signs. Sasuke just had to point to a shadow and get out of sight for his puppy to comply almost immediately.
With the ninken sneaking, they began to race toward the village. As the towering walls drew closer and closer, Naruto felt relieved. This was home, and he missed it. There was this scent he could only find in Konoha. It was a mix of dead foliage, tree sap, food stands, and something so uniquely Konoha he couldn't describe it.
Maybe he was reviled by the citizens, but Konoha was still his home and he had missed it—especially Ichikaru's Ramen. Ramen…
Mouth salivating, he pushed his legs faster and saw his puppy dart from one shadow to the next below him along with the other ninken. Naruto's siblings were darting from branch to branch too, and he flashed them a smile whenever they looked his way. They were going to be home, and he wasn't as nervous about it as he had been earlier. Sure…they weren't the same, but they had each other.
The gates loomed ahead of them, some five feet away from the edge of the trees. This was one of the lesser used entrances and so it would afford them some more secrecy. Sensei and weird eye guy dropped down and approached the guards. Sensei signed for them to follow him.
Naruto dropped down beside his puppy and motioned for it to stay and even mumbled the command before he left. His teammates just had to hold up a hand and their puppies knew to stay; would Naruto's puppy ever be trained to that point?
There were two chuunin at the entrance; both looked tired and bored. Naruto didn't recognize them, so he doubted they had been to the teahouse. He went through what Naruto learned was check-in procedures, and Sensei showed their documents. They even got slapped on the back to check for henge before the chuunin used the release technique to remove any other genjutsu on them. Nodding, the chuunin sat back down tiredly.
"So, Hatake-san, how was mission?" one asked, and Naruto knew the man didn't know Sensei all that well if he used the jounin's last name—Sensei hated his last name for some reason.
Both Jounin moved forward and stood before the guards casually, essentially covering their immediate view of the forest behind. That was the cue then… Naruto made a beckoning motion that the guards would not be able to see. His teammates did the same. Of course, Naruto's ninken came bursting out of the underbrush, but then Teme-nii's and Nee-chan's puppies were stealthily moving toward them, which got Naruto's puppy to act the same.
"Mah…" Sensei was saying as this went on, "just an escort mission, though…" He trailed off and scratched the side of his mask.
"What?" the other chuunin asked a little more interested.
"Ah, well…" Sensei sighed, "The client lied."
The two chuunin looked shocked, and weird eye guy spoke up then. "It was nothing we could not handle, and the genin just guarded the client."
The chuunin nodded and relaxed slightly before gesturing to weird eye guy. "So why were you on it?" he asked.
"I was evaluating the genin, though it seems it was for the best that I had come along," weird eye guy said with a slight smile. By now the puppies were next to them, and the Jounin began to say their goodbyes while essentially blocking the genin and their puppies from view.
Once they were past the guards' station, Team 7 began running toward the hokage's tower, though they tried to remain undetected, and Sensei even gestured for them to head for the window of the Hokage's office rather than going into the building. They picked up the puppies for that, but they were soon in the Hokage's office with the old man staring at the ninken in surprise.
"Hey Hokage-Jiijii!" Naruto exclaimed as he set his puppy down. It began to sniff the room intently. Like Naruto, the others set their puppies down. Sasuke's ninken kept close to his side whereas Sakura's moved in front of them and was in a ready position, as if to attack or defend.
The old man closed his eyes slowly and looked over at Sensei. "You realize how much paperwork that will give you," he drawled.
Sensei sighed heavily, "Yes, but it was in the team's best interest to have some way to communicate." Naruto saw the Jounin sign something, but it was too fast for him to tell what it was; however, he did notice how the old man's kind face hardened. Then Jiijii made some sign, and Naruto felt as if people had left. A glance toward his teammates suggested they had felt what he had and the puppies had stiffened.
The old man sighed slightly as he got up and moved toward the window. "The secretary will have the proper forms for you to fill out when you leave, Kakashi-kun," he stated. Once at the window, Jiijii folded his hands behind his back and looked over his shoulder at Team 7, "I assume you three know your mission will be redacted and you will not be allowed to speak about what really happened."
"Yes, Hokage-sama" Teme-nii and Nee-chan chorused while Naruto said, "Of course Hokage-Jiijii, dattebayo!"
The old man smiled slightly before he sobered and looked forward out the window. "Report," he ordered, and Naruto knew that wasn't direct at him or his team.
"As you learned from the summon I sent back," Sensei spoke evenly as he faced the Hokage, "Tazuna-san had lied about the mission rank and what dangers we would face. In the official report we only came across the Demon Brothers of the Mist and a genin ranked missing-nin from Kirigakure.
"In actuality…" Sensei began, "Momochi Zabuza and his apprentice were also hired by Gato: a businessman with a chokehold over Nami no Kuni. With the rank changed I couldn't leave my charges without some protection, and so I left our medic with them in Nami no Kuni. To replace our missing man, I recruited Momochi and his apprentice."
As Sensei was speaking, Naruto felt…conflicted. Part of him was mad at hearing the jounin rationalize why he had abandoned them, and yet…he could understand and he was thankful sensei had left the ANBU medic with them. Teme-nii, however was practically shaking in anger and resentment. Nee-chan moved up beside him and grabbed his hand. Naruto mimicked her but not because he wanted to calm Sasuke down. Sasuke needed someone to stop himself from doing anything stupid, and this felt like it helped.
"You may debrief that part later, what happened in Nami no Kuni?" the old man asked in a clipped tone.
"Officially, Gato sent the majority of his forces to hold the village hostage. The genin wished to protect the village, so Yamato-san and I fought Gato's men and his one genin ranked missing-nin. The genin took the villagers out of the village. Then my genin and I placed traps around the village."
The old man nodded slowly and turned to look at them all. "Will the villagers say anything about what actually happened?" he asked in cold voice.
Naruto hadn't thought about that and he glanced over at Sensei in a panic. Would…would there be a war because of that? Sensei just shook his head.
"I informed Tazuna-san what the consequences would be if anyone in the village did. He assured me that they were too indebted to us to speak against our official statement, and none of Gato's thugs survived or saw my genin." Sasuke scoffed slightly at the "my genin," and Naruto had to frown slightly at his brother's reaction.
The old man nodded again and turned back toward the window, "Continue."
Sensei was silent for a moment, and the old man began to turn around to look at him, but then Sensei proceeded on. "In reality, my genin rescued the villagers and made sure none of Gato's thugs reported back to him."
It looked like a physical weight fell on the old kage's shoulders, but he still nodded before motioning Sensei to continue.
"The genin helped repair damages and guard the village in addition to the client, and Sakura-chan healed those who were injured. Unfortunately, Sakura-chan had also been injured severely during the attack and our operative was exposed while healing her." Naruto gave a sideways glance at Sensei and thought the man looked pained while he talked about Nee-chan being injured.
The Hokage nodded again, "What else?"
"Upon my return, we took up a contract to kidnap Gato for the village. This is the same officially, though the villagers asked for the contract after more of Gato's forces tested the traps around the village." Naruto was getting tired of the standing and being quiet, but this was a debriefing, so he shouldn't complain.
Sensei continued reporting, "Naruto-kun made clones to survey Gato's headquarters and report on guard rotation, and I officially made clones to go with him as an exercise of sorts. While the clones took care of the contract, my genin signed my summoning contract and summoned ninken." Sensei shifted slightly, "This was to provide the genin with a way to communicate in the future."
The old man looked over his shoulder and gave Sensei a hard look. The Jounin shifted slightly, and Naruto wasn't sure what expression passed over him, but it seemed enough to make the Hokage smile. The old man even looked at the Jounin knowingly, "I see…" He smiled gently at each of Team 7 before adding, "I don't see why this won't be approved." The old man turned back around but his hands flashed in signs Naruto didn't know.
Sensei coughed slightly in discomfort, but continued reporting. "Once the bridge was completed we continued home."
"And how are our relations with Nami no Kuni?" the old man asked.
"Tazuna-san has offered his services with no labor costs, and the villagers preparing to take over Gato's shipping business will offer us any imports they receive first and at a discount; I have the contracts with me." The old man nodded again and turned around prepared to dismiss them.
"One more thing, Hokage-sama," Sensei stated with an eye-smile. "Tazuna-san named the bridge after these three," he gestured to them, and Naruto felt his heart start to beat up in his throat. Would the villagers or Tazuna get in trouble for not including Sensei?!
The old man frown slightly before he seemed to understand something and his expression relaxed. "I see…and what was the name?" He asked with a slight smile.
"Ganbaru Shinobi," something in sensei's voice was sad but…but proud; it seemed bittersweet.
"Ganbaru Shinobi…" the old hokage repeated before he smiled a little sadly too, but Naruto knew the old man was proud of him and his teammates nonetheless. Jiijii smiled a little broader then, "Ganbaru Shinobi, you three are dismissed."
Naruto would have raced over and hugged the old man, but he just bowed his head slightly and went out the window, like his teammates, with his puppy in hand. They'd be formally debriefed later about their mission for the chuunin exams, so he'd wait until then to give the old man a hug.
As they ran toward the Uchiha district as discreetly as they could with their ninken following after them in the shadows, Naruto had to look back at his teammates…his siblings. He couldn't help but smile as he thought: We are the Ganbaru Shinobi…
TBC
A/N: So, as can be witnessed in the chapter, Sakura's ninnken is male and really that's because of one fact that I read. Female dogs don't always get along when in the same space because of instincts that make them a little more territorial. So two male dogs and a female dog would work better within the team dynamics, though there will still be some butting heads. That's the only reason it's male dog because otherwise her ninken has been following female dog characteristics. I upped its aggression this chapter and will continue to do so because usually male dogs are harder to call off and are more aggressive in general.
As for the Bridge/Team 7…I read up on the saying "Ganbaru," which means something like to commit oneself fully to a task and to bring that task to an end (toughing it out despite the circumstances), and/or going beyond what is needed to finish a task. I was also looking at "Gaman" which is a Buddhist term (?) for enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity. Dignity and Team 7 (mostly Naruto) just kind of clashes in my mind…. So…I went with the former. I read somewhere that someone can have a Ganbaru spirit, so I hope that means it can be applied as a kind of adjective. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me. So I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and thank you for reading ~ much loved, depressed children