Happy Birthday to me. I'm officially 28yrs old.

In the spirit of this, here's my gift to y'all.

Disclaimer: The rights to the sources used are not mine. This story is a nonprofit piece of creative literature meant solely for entertainment.

Hikari to Yami

Chapter 6: Waves at Dawn

"I didn't expect you to be so cutthroat, loser," Sasuke commented as the Genin of Team 7 sat on the side of the rode while Kakashi spoke more with Tazuna. "You were always so damn cheery in the Academy."

Naruto said nothing to that, silently eating a ration bar. Just a bit ago, a pair of ANBU had come and taken the knocked-out bodies of the Demon Brothers. They did their job diligently, not saying anything and vanishing in just a moment with only a nod to Kakashi.

"How could you do that, Naruto?" Sakura asked softly, guilt laced into her voice.

"I don't feel like risking my life for someone who seems to think it's okay to do it for me," Naruto answered blandly. "Let me tell you something you really need to know, Sakura. The world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a cruel and nasty place. And I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit you as hard as life will. But it's not about how hard you're hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward." (1)

His cerulean orbs bored into her emerald ones, and she couldn't help feeling so small under their gaze.

"That…is how you survive," he finished. "By taking the hits, getting back on your feet, and giving them back." Nudging his head towards Tazuna, he added, "Wave is taking hits because of Gatō right now. Tazuna wants to try and get them to stand back up, but unless they do something about Gatō, they'll just get beat back down to their knees."

"You still need to hit back too, Hikari…" Yami spoke up within his mind, but he didn't respond.

"But…what can they do?" Sakura challenged. "They're struggling as it is, and Tazuna had to lie just to get help from the village."

Sasuke scoffed at that, earning her attention. "Isn't it obvious? They expect us to do something about Gatō. Tazuna only accepted Naruto's stipulation if we deal with him for good. What do you think that means?"

The pink-haired girl swallowed heavily at her crush's question. She didn't need to answer, for the three of them all knew what Tazuna would prefer in the end.

"What I'm curious about is what the Hokage will do when he reads Kakashi-sensei's message," the Uchiha continued. "Will he order us to return, or maybe send us some backup?"

Naruto noticed someone approaching and spoke up, "Sensei, incoming."

The Jonin looked away from the bridge builder and stepped up beside his Genin to greet the newcomer. As they got closer, he recognized the uniform, their mask, and the long purple hair flowing behind them as they arrived.

When they landed, Kakashi gave his signature eye-smile and greeted, "Good to see you, Cat."

She stood up from her landing crouch and nodded back to him. "Senpai. Lord Hokage sent me as backup for your squad based on the assumed threat level of the mission and the change in parameters."

"Change?"

"Yes. Due to the parties involved, this mission is now three-part; escorting the bridge builder, protecting the bridge builder, and the disposal of Gatō."

The silver-haired man sighed at that. "I see… I admit I was hoping we wouldn't have to get involved with Gatō. My Genin don't need to deal with something like this so soon in their careers."

"I understand, senpai; but these are our orders," Cat replied.

"Well, I suppose we'd better introduce you to my team. These are Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and-"

"I'm glad you're here, Cat," Naruto interrupted as he, much to Kakashi's surprise, gave a genuine smile to the ANBU woman.

And the man could sense her smile as she said back, "I'm looking forward to seeing how much you've improved, Naruto-kun. I hear you're the one who gave Tazuna-san his ultimatum."

"I get enough crap back home," he defended. "I don't need it out here… Things were supposed to be different…"

She stepped closer to him and pulled him in, one arm hugging him to her as her free hand gently brushed the top of his head. "I know…"

The rest of Team 7, having come to realize that Naruto wasn't as he portrayed himself in the Academy, were surprised at how close he was to one of the village's covert operatives. Based on how they spoke and how she was quick to comfort him, they had known one another for quite some time.

As they pulled away, Kakashi turned to Tazuna and informed him, "We'll be continuing on with the mission. You should be more than safe with myself and one of our ANBU protecting you while my Genin provide support."

While the man was still angry about how the whiskered blonde brat had offered him an ultimatum, he was grateful that the Leaf Ninja weren't going to just leave him to fend for himself. And based on the masked woman's sheathed sword, he could only hope that she would use it to get rid of that greedy bastard, Gatō.

'It was either they leave me to return and tell everyone how badly I fucked things up, or we accept their help and let them take charge of the negotiations,' he mused sourly. 'I know trying to get one over on a ninja village was risky, but I never imagined that the consequences would be this bad…'

The man just nodded and the group of six continued on. He was in the center with the girl, the two boys were flanking them, their teacher was up front, and the masked woman was holding the rear. With luck, he would make it home safely.

It was a little over a day later that found them all on a boat silently moving across the waters through some dense fog. While barely visible, the bridge Tazuna was building could be seen and it was admittedly a very impressive structure.

Impressive, but still easily destroyed with the right people.

Naruto didn't say anything, his gaze on the water and his distorted reflection. His blue eyes narrowed for a moment before relaxing when his reflection changed to Yami's.

"You're troubled…"

'…I still feel guilty about what I did,' he answered her. 'Tazuna may have been trying to trick us, but he only had the best intentions for his family and country. It's not his fault that Wave is being subjugated, and it sounds like he's one of the few people actually trying to do something.'

"Like you told Haruno, the world is a cruel place, Hikari. No matter how many are saved, there's always someone suffering. Even if Wave is saved from Gatō and his cronies, there's another country under someone else's thumb."

'I know that…'

"You can't always do what is right, Hikari… Sometimes, you have to do what is necessary…"

'…even if it makes me the villain…?'

"There are no heroes or villains in this world, Hikari; only the victorious and the defeated. History is decided by the victors, as are the so-called heroes and villains of the world."

Her face faded back to his, showing him the reflected image of his somber frown. His gaze stared at his own before he felt a hand gently place itself on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Cat asked him softly.

"…I don't know," he answered honestly.

Cat saw the confliction in his eyes. Taking a moment to look around, she saw the others weren't looking their way and cast a simple genjutsu to make it look like they were sitting together watching the water. In reality, she took off her mask and revealed her face to the young Uzumaki teen.

"Cat…?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"Yugao," she told him with a smile. "My name is Yugao Uzuki."

"Well, I wasn't expecting this," Yami spoke up with interest.

"I wanted to show you my face, so you could see that I trust you with something I'm under orders and oath to keep secret. I wanted you to know that you can trust me, Naruto-kun; that I care about you."

"…why?"

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Kakashi looking their way from the corner of his eye. She knew he'd see through such a basic genjutsu, and it was honestly sad that the two "best in class" Genin couldn't even feel that something was off.

Looking back to him, her smile softened as she answered, "Because you're the last link I have to someone who looked after me like I was her daughter; someone who would've loved you unconditionally if she had lived through that night…"

His eyes widened at who she was referring to. "You… You mean my-?"

She gently pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him while nodding once. "I do. She was my sensei, and she was someone who looked out for me when I was moving up in my career."

Naruto remained silent, even when she removed her finger from his lips.

"I swear to you, Naruto-kun," she spoke firmly, "I only want you to be happy. You never asked for anything that happened to you; the Kyuubi, your parents' deaths, the bigotry of the village. None of that is your fault, and it's unfair that all of it happened to you."

He was fighting tears at this point because he wasn't sure if Yugao truly did care for him when she looked after him. Part of him believed she was just doing her job, but hearing her say this, and seeing the genuine care in her eyes…

It made him happier than he realized; happy enough to lunge forward and hug her tightly as he let his tears fall against her armored chest.

And as he wept, she held him close and whispered soothingly into her ear as a single tear fell from her own eye. Yugao never told anyone, except for her fiancé Hayate, but one of her recent missions did more damage than she could've dreamed. While Hayate was left with a chronic cough and weakened lungs, she was cut near her womb.

She could never give birth, and while she could ask for a surrogate to carry any remaining eggs, she didn't want to. After all, she already had someone she looked after and loved.

She already had a son.

"You sure?" asked a man rippling with muscle with a face mask made of bandages and a massive blade strapped to his back.

"Yes. The bridge builder is guarded by a trio of young ninja – most likely Genin in rank – a Jonin with silver hair wearing a face mask and their headband covering an eye, and what looks to be a member of the Hidden Leaf ANBU."

The response came from a soft-spoken person wearing a mask that linked them to the Hidden Mist Hunter Ninja. They were taking a knee before the man, with their head bowed submissively.

"Hmm… So, we got a trio of brats, Kakashi of the Sharingan, and a Black-Ops member," he mused. "Keep an eye on them, Haku. Get as close as you can without getting spotted and tell me what you think of them."

"And if I'm noticed?" Haku asked.

"Play the role you're wearing; a Hunter Nin following the trail of a bounty."

"By your will, Lord Zabuza."

After having left the boat, the group made their way through some misty forestry, their guards up with the limited visibility. Their positions were the same, but Naruto offered kunai with explosive tags to his fellow Genin. After telling them how long of a delay it had, they accepted them and had the explosive knives ready to be flung at a moment's notice.

Naruto also asked the Kyuubi if he could enhance his senses with some chakra. Grudgingly, the Bijuu adhered to the request, knowing that his host needed all the help he could in foreign territory.

So, with enhanced hearing and smell, Naruto made sure to take a sniff of the air every few feet. Mostly, he smelled the wet grass and the trees, with the occasional animal that happened to be nearby.

What Naruto didn't account for was that his sense of touch was also enhanced. So, when the mist in the air barely turned colder, he felt that chill magnified compared to the others. So, he slid his kunai out of his sleeve and took a ready stance, getting his teammates to instinctively mirror him while Kakashi and Cat expanded their senses outward.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"There's a chill in the air, sensei," he answered quietly so only the group could hear him. "I felt it as we were moving."

Looking to Cat, Kakashi saw her barely nod in agreement; looking as if she hadn't moved her head at all. With her acknowledgment, he spoke aloud, "Come out! We know you're there!"

It took a few moments, but the individual revealed themselves to be a Hidden Mist Hunter Ninja. "I apologize for putting you all on edge. I was following a lead on the Demon Brothers. They were said to be spotted in the area and I felt the need for discretion."

The Jonin nodded and gave them his signature eye-smile. "Ah, then I'd be happy to inform you that we dealt with them the other day on the road a few miles from the Hidden Leaf Village. We have them in our custody, so I'll be sure to inform Lord Hokage so that he could send a missive to the Mizukage."

The Hunter Ninja nodded once in agreement. "That should be fine. I'll be sure to let Lord Mizukage know to expect a message. Safe travels, Leaf Ninja."

With that, they left in a burst of speed, vanishing into the mists.

After a few moments, the ninja all relaxed while Tazuna was the only one who was left on edge. "W-What the hell was that?"

"Just another ninja going about their business," Kakashi answered calmly before turning to Naruto and nodding to him. "Nice work on spotting them, Naruto. That kind of perception can save your life."

"Thanks, sensei," the Uzumaki replied, replacing his kunai into his sleeve.

"Let's keep moving. Tazuna, how much further?"

After taking a moment to compose himself, the bridge builder answered, "Should be a few more miles, maybe a bit more. It's hard to tell with all the mist and fog."

The Jonin nodded in understanding, once again taking point as they resumed walking to their client's home.

And yet, despite the situation being handled, Naruto couldn't help feeling that there was more to that Hunter Ninja than they thought. He just hoped he was being paranoid.

But then again, paranoia was just another expected part of the ninja lifestyle.

"I wasn't able to get much before I was spotted," Haku reported, sounding ashamed.

"What did you get?"

"I was spotted because of one of the Genin, surprisingly."

"Really? Were they a Sensor?"

"Either that or they had incredible perceptional awareness. They spotted me because the mist in the area I was in was colder than the others; but I made sure that it was barely any colder. They either sensed my chakra, or they could feel that minute change in temperature."

"So, either he could sense you, or his nerves made him paranoid, and he got lucky," Zabuza mused. "Still, either way, it's impressive that he forced you to reveal yourself. What did you tell Hatake?"

"That I was following a lead on the Demon Brothers. Turns out, they never reported because they were already handled by Kakashi and his team. They're in the custody of the Hidden Leaf now."

"Which means that Hatake more than likely knows about me being here," the man concluded. "And that means he'll be more prepared when I reveal myself."

"I'm sorry. I should've been more careful," Haku tried apologizing, but Zabuza waved it off.

"No, Kakashi already knew I was here. At least he isn't aware that you're working for me. We can still catch him, his brats, and that ANBU by surprise when the time comes. In the meantime, I have another task for you."

"Yes, sir?"

"Try to catch that blonde who noticed you alone. Get a read on him, see if it was just a fluke. If it wasn't, he may be useful in the future." He chuckled and added, "After we deal with the others first, of course."

"Of course, Lord Zabuza."

"I'd like to thank you Leaf Ninja for escorting my father here safely," Tsunami, the daughter of Tazuna, said gratefully. "It means the world to me."

"No thanks needed, ma'am," Kakashi replied. "We're simply doing our job."

"You can stop pretending to be so generous," Tazuna scoffed as he set his hat on a hook. He looked to his daughter and admitted, "They know I tried to trick them."

Tsunami frowned at him before she sighed and gave the ninja a deep bow from the waist. "I'm so sorry… I know it was wrong, but we-"

Kakashi rose a hand to stop her. "The matter has been handled by Lord Hokage. We've been tasked with protecting your father, as well as handling Gatō."

Tsunami looked confused. "Handling him how…?"

"In whatever way gets him to let go of his hold on your country," Cat answered. "Of course, since you are family of our client, we will keep you safe as well, ma'am."

The woman looked visibly relieved at that, and her smile became a bit brighter. "Thank you again."

"Why are you thanking them, mom?" the young boy, Inari, asked her with a frown. "They haven't done anything yet."

Naruto took one look at the boy, and he didn't like what he saw. In the boy's expression, he saw what he could've been; an angry kid who looked down on anyone who would offer to help.

A kid who gave up, and hated people who hadn't yet.

"You're saying that us bringing your grandpa back is nothing?" he challenged. "You heard what he told your mom, right? We could've left him back there and kept the money he paid for lying to us. Instead, we brought him back, we're here to protect him and you, and we'll be dealing with Gatō."

"Yeah, until Gatō buys you guys off like everyone else," Inari fired back with a glare. "After all, all you ninja care about is money, just like him."

Naruto frowned at him, but Cat placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Such a hateful child," Yami mused. "But, you could've been this child too, Hikari. I can see why his words are getting to you."

'I don't like looking back on what I almost became; what I was before I started pushing my feelings aside and pretending to be happy… It was easier, but you showed me that it wasn't healthy…'

"I'm glad you realize that now, Hikari. Maybe in saving this country, that boy can see it too…"

After that, the five ninja were offered two rooms by Tsunami. Sakura and Cat took one room while the guys took the other. Before they took their rooms, Kakashi pulled them all together to tell them his plan for their stay.

"So, seeing as you all are relatively trained, I'll assign two of you to guard Tazuna each day while training the other and keeping an eye on the man's family. In the meantime, Cat will search for any clues on where Gatō is located and do some scouting on his base. Once we have enough information, Cat and I will deal with Gatō while the three of you will remain here and keep watch over Tazuna and his family. I'll leave some of my hounds here to help you all at that time."

The Genin nodded in understanding while Cat hummed thoughtfully. "Naruto-kun," she spoke up, "what kinds of seals have you managed to make combat ready?"

"Mainly explosives and smoke seals. I'm currently studying the basics on barrier styled seals. I figured they could come in handy for helping protect the house."

She nodded at that. "Good thinking. I'm familiar with some types of barrier seals, so I'll leave a Shadow Clone with one of yours to help you learn how to create a decent barrier. I'll have the Clone set it up with you so that you get both theoretical and practical knowledge with it."

"That's a good idea," Kakashi agreed. "Naruto can learn about the barrier and how to maintain it while still either protecting Tazuna or training with me."

"Shouldn't we learn it too?" Sasuke asked with a frown.

"Seals are tricky, Uchiha-san," Cat answered him. "Without prior knowledge of the basics, you wouldn't be much help; probably even be a detriment to it."

"But don't worry," Kakashi appeased before Sasuke could get upset. "I'll be sure to help you with your Fire Ninjutsu while we're here. And Sakura, I'll help you get a better handle of your Medical Ninjutsu, as well."

"Thank you, sensei," she replied gratefully while Sasuke grunted in acquiescence.

"Tomorrow, I want Sasuke and Sakura guarding the bridge. I'll have one of my hounds with you while I secure the surrounding area of the house and Naruto learns about the barrier with Cat's Shadow Clone."

"Yes, sensei," the Genin responded before they were dismissed for the night.

When they were alone, the Jonin turned to his old colleague and asked, "How did he take it?"

"He already knew about her, but it still hit him pretty hard that I knew Lady Kushina personally."

"Right… I still need to talk to him about Minato-sensei. I don't know how he found out, but he's keeping his awareness of them pretty close to the chest. I doubt Lord Hokage knows that Naruto's aware of his parentage."

"I don't think we should inform him, senpai."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Because, while he may give an outward appearance of caring for Naruto-kun's well-being, I believe he's more concerned about losing a military asset than a hurt and angry kid."

Kakashi sighed at that, nodding in agreement. "I noticed that, as well…"

"No matter what happens, senpai, I'll be looking after Naruto after this mission."

"Finally decided to hang up the mask? It won't be easy, you know."

"I do… But I owe it to his mother and to him to look after him. Besides," she smiled behind her mask, "I'm looking forward to offering him a family back home. Hayate-kun agrees with my choice."

"I'm glad to hear it," the Jonin stated before he left Cat to her thoughts.

Late in the evening, Naruto was seen sitting up in a tree and lounging on one of the branches. He had spent a few hours practicing the Surface Walking exercise, and he decided to take some time to stargaze.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a voice called up to him, prompting him to look down and see a young woman standing at the base of the tree he was on.

Dropping down, he landed in a crouch before standing up to get a better look at her. She had long, black hair that fell to her mid-back, a slender figure, and dark brown eyes. For clothes, she wore a pink, sleeveless kimono, with pale red edges and decorated with small plum-colored swirls that went to her ankles. Around her waist was a simple white obi tied in a bow, and she wore a pair of light brown sandals with dark straps. She also wore a dark-colored choker around her neck.

All-in-all, she was a very pretty young woman.

"Yeah, it is," he finally answered her earlier question. "What are you doing outside so late, if I may ask?"

"Oh, I'm searching for some herbs for both cooking and for my father," she answered. "I know that the men who work for Gatō are fewer at night, so I can get passed them easier. I've heard what happens to girls around my age, so I tend to stay hidden indoors during the daytime."

Naruto looked disgusted at that. "Geez… The more I learn about this Gatō bastard, the more I want to beat him senseless."

"A sentiment I share, but I lack the ability to do much of anything against him. Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Haku. It's nice to meet you," she introduced with a polite bow.

"Naruto," he greeted, bowing back. "Naruto Uzumaki."

Hearing his family name nearly made Haku break character. She had been told by Lord Zabuza about the infamy of the Uzumaki Can; how they founded a nation and made the Hidden Villages that invaded it pay for their actions in blood. While the Uzumaki were left homeless and scattered after the war, those who had attacked were left weakened and with considerably less manpower.

If this young man before her was truly of Uzumaki decent, then Lord Zabuza would be very pleased to have him join them.

"Are you really?" she asked, her surprise mostly genuine and barely an act. "The Uzumaki lived not too far from Wave before their nation was lost. I thought there were no survivors. Or at least, those were the rumors."

Remembering what Yami said, Naruto quoted, "History is decided by the victors… I bet those that destroyed my ancestral home boasted how my clan was wiped out…"

"I see… I apologize if I upset you."

"No, it's fine… I've never met any other Uzumaki, anyway. I only know that my mom was one. As far as I know, I might be the last if not one of a handful."

"That's sad to hear, the loss of such a noteworthy clan… I hope you have something to remember them by."

'If you mean a massive, angry fox that can only be held safely inside an Uzumaki, then I suppose I do,' Naruto sarcastically thought, earning an amused snort from Yami while the Kyuubi huffed.

"At any rate, it was lovely meeting you, Naruto-san. I hope we can talk some more another time."

Hearing her hopeful tone made him happy. He never really had friends back home, so it was nice to think he could make one here in Wave.

"How about tomorrow night?" he offered. "I like to stargaze at night, so I'll be out here again."

She gave him a beautiful, yet small, smile and nodded in agreement. "I'll see you tomorrow night then, Naruto-san."

"Looking forward to it," he bid as she left. When she was gone, Naruto looked back up at the starry sky, and he swore he saw something streak by in a blink. Feeling hopeful, he whispered, "I wish I could make a real friend out here…"

Yami said nothing, silently watching Naruto make his wish before returning into the house. She was unaware of the frown on her face when his thoughts lingered on Haku.

She just hoped that this possible friendship wouldn't get in the way of him doing what needed to be done.

1~ I offer a slice of my birthday cake to whoever can guess where this slightly edited quote comes from!

And that is the first part of the Wave Mission. I hope you all like the small changes I've implemented so far.

How will Naruto's talks with Haku go? Will she be able to keep up the charade of being a helpless young woman? Or will she come clean when she gets to know our favorite blonde Uzumaki?

Until next time! Happy Birthday to me!

Stay safe, healthy, and positive!

Dreaming of the Future

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