Hi everyone! I know it's been too long since the last update, and right now, I'm working on bringing these updates in faster! The downside is less words per chapter, but I think it will ultimately be better this way. I hope you enjoy what I'm giving you now, and Happy New Year!


"Why is that bridge so important anyway?" Naruto asked as he continued to stare in awe at it.

Tazuna sighed. "That bridge is going to connect our island to the mainland. With it, it will increase trade, growing our economy. People interested in doing business here will have an easier time getting to and from the island." Tazuna said. "We've always had ferrymen, but they can only carry so many people at a time. With a bridge, literally anyone can come in, and even allow our own people who work on the mainland a faster and more reliable path."

Naruto blinked. "Okay…that actually does make a lot of sense. Then why would anyone want to destroy it?"

Tazuna was silent for a moment. "For once you asked a good question." He grumbled. Soon, the shore was becoming clear. "Here we are." Tazuna parked the boat at one of the docks, a ferryman coming in to anchor it. "Welcome…to our humble country." Tazuna gestured them to disembark.


As they walked with him down the street, they saw "humble" was a nice way of saying poor. Most of the buildings were one story, consisting of wood and a metal roof. Many people were loitering about, most of which dressed in torn and dirty clothes. The streets were paved but rough, the infrastructure not well maintained, and stray dogs and cats were everywhere. Sakura heard of places like these, "shanty towns" she heard they were called. Naruto looked around, twisting his head left and right. Kakashi suddenly held his head steady. Naruto, still not paying attention to where he was going, walked right into Kakashi. "What!?" Naruto yelled in frustration.

"Try not to look like you're out of town."

"But we are out of town."

"Look around you, Naruto!" Kakashi hissed. "NO ONE here has any money to guarantee a meal the next day, and they all look hungry. If they see you're clueless walking these streets, they'll pick you as a target and take your money."

A kid with a hat suddenly bumped into Naruto and ran away as soon as he made contact. "HEY!" Naruto yelled back, taking the kid to be merely ill-mannered.

"Like so." Kakashi muttered.

Naruto suddenly felt a tad bit lighter. He patted himself, and upon feeling his right pocket, he realized it was empty. "I'VE BEEN ROBBED!" he screamed in panic.

Tazuna slapped his face. "I'm surrounded by morons!"

"Go get it." Kakashi ordered. "We'll be waiting for you." Naruto took off in the direction he saw the kid run off to.


The boy ducked around a corner and crouched behind a building. Taking a quick breath, he relaxed and began to look through the wallet, hoping it was a dumb rich kid he picked. However, all he found was a few yen. "Well, better than nothing." He then pulled out a card, and his eyes quirked as he looked at the picture: the boy he had pickpocketed earlier painted his face white with red stripes, giving off one of the most ridiculous faces he had ever seen. Either this was a memory of a really bad audition for a Kabuki play, or some hilarious new disease he never heard of.

Suddenly, something from above dropped down on him, knocking him down the stairs. "OW, OW!" Finally, he reached the end, and groaned from the impact.

As he lay gripping his aching head, a hand picked up the wallet. His victim from before stood triumphantly over him. "That's what you get for messing with Konoha's Number One ninja! Naru-"The pickpocket quickly responded with a surprise kick right between the blonde's legs. "…TOOOO!" he squeaked in a high-pitched voice. As he collapsed to his knees, the pickpocket quickly got up and ran off. Naruto summoned all of his will power just to stand, his legs threatening to buckle under his weight. "I think its best I don't tell the others about this." He thought sheepishly.


"You sure you're okay?" Sakura asked the returned Naruto as they continued walking down the street after Kakashi and Tazuna.

"I said I'm fine!" Naruto grunted.

"Walking bowlegged isn't 'fine'." Sasuke dryly replied.

"Shut up, teme!"

"Here we are." Tazuna sighed. Finally, they came upon the client's house. It was…okay. It definitely needed a remodeling, but the wood and roof was solid; he also had glass windows confined with iron bars. Sakura heard that many poorer places had windows like these; made it harder for thieves to break in. It wasn't an especially desirable house, but it was certainly more presentable than the neighboring residences. "Welcome home. My daughter should be getting dinner ready now."

Tazuna knocked on the door, and a minute later it was opened for him. "Papa!" His daughter, a black-haired woman exclaimed upon seeing him. "Welcome back!" she said as she wiped her hands with a dish towel.

"I was only gone for a few hours, Tsunami." He replied as he hung his kusa up. "Sweetie, these are the body guards that I hired. This is Hatake Kakashi." He motioned towards the jonin as he continued down the line. "This is Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura…and Naruto."

"Hey." Naruto waved as he forced a smile and resisted the urge to hold his groin.

The woman bowed, and turned to the other corner of the house. "Inari! Come say hello to your grandfather's guests!"

Someone bounded down the stairs, a boy a couple of years younger than them. He had black hair like his mother, and was wearing a blue T-shirt and black shorts. He looked unimpressed upon seeing them, but nonetheless bowed in respect…but upon getting a good look at Naruto's face, his eyes widened, as did the orange ninja's. "AHHH! YOU!" They yelled and pointed simultaneously.

"You two know each other?" Kakashi asked.

"He was the pickpocket!" Naruto yelled.

"Inari! Is this true!?" Tsunami yelled.

Inari said nothing as he ran back up the stairs. "Hey!" Naruto shouted as he went after him. "Get back here!"

"I'm so sorry!" Tsunami bowed to them. "We tell him not to do it, but-"

"It's alright." Kakashi said, holding up his hand. "I'm sure you're doing your best to discipline him, and Naruto did get his money back; as long as he doesn't try that on any of us again, we'll be okay."

Sakura did her best to conceal her suspicion. "If his grandfather could hire us…why would he be a pickpocket?"


Though Naruto caught up to Inari fairly quickly, the boy still reached his room first and slammed the door. "Hey!" Naruto slammed against the door. "Get back here!"

"YOU GOT YOUR MONEY! NOW GO AWAY!" he shouted from inside the room.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Naruto yelled back as he continued banging on the door.

"If you're looking for revenge, let it go." Kakashi placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Come on; Tsunami-san's getting dinner ready. This will be our first real meal in days." Naruto wanted to protest, but the thought of having real food quickly overwhelmed his pettiness, as he followed Kakashi down the stairs.


Inari just breathed, relieved he left. "Just my rotten luck." He thought. Looking up at his stand, he reached for a photo resting on it. Looking at the picture, he saw himself from two years ago, wearing a beige hat. To his right was his mother, leaning down at his level. To his left, his father, a burly man with spikey hair also leaned down on his shoulder. Looking at him, Inari struggled to hold back his tears. "Daddy…"


The ninja and Tazuna's family was gathered at the dinner table, each having a modest helping of the local fish and rice. "I already know the details of our mission, and the nature of your problem." Kakashi said later that night after dinner. "However, I kept my genin in the dark. Now that we're in the privacy of your own home, perhaps you would feel comfortable explaining your situation to them?"

While Sakura and Sasuke listened intently, Naruto and Inari just glared daggers at one another. "I told you about my bridge." Tazuna said. "You're simply protection from the Yakuza until I can complete it."

"The Yakuza want to destroy your bridge?" Sasuke asked. "No offense, sir, but while I can buy the local mafia wanting to extort you, it would be counter-productive for them to stifle your country's growth. What would enrich the rest of the population would prove profitable for them as well in the long run."

Sakura just looked at Sasuke in shock. "Wow! I never knew Sasuke-kun was so smart!"

Tazuna snorted. "Looks like your bunch of kids has a brain among them." He muttered to Kakashi. Turning back to the rest of them, Tazuna said "It's not so much the Yakuza themselves that's bothering me. They're just being paid to stifle my mission. It's the man above them who concerns me: Tsume Gato."

"Gato?" Naruto asked. "Isn't that 'cat' in some weird language?"

"Baka." Sakura sighed, no longer surprised by his lack of awareness. "Gato is one of, if not THE, richest man on the continent."

"It's true." Tazuna answered affirmatively. "He's the one that does not want my bridge built."

"But Gato is a billionaire." Sakura said. "Wouldn't he also benefit if your nation's economy improves? He could invest in- "

"You're thinking of Gato's legitimate businesses." Tazuna cut her off. "Don't let his public appearance fool you; he's a butcher and a thief!" He slammed his fist on the table, shaking it hard enough to startle even Tsunami. Tazuna blinked as he caught himself. "Sorry." He sighed as he withdrew his hand. "I…I don't wish to really explain the details…but Gato has made his money by extorting others, his corporation a front for his real income: protection money, illegal goods and the black market. Before, our nation was isolated and poor, but we survived. We had pride. However, Gato soon took hold where his thugs extorted us at every turn. We pay, with cash, food, or other…. ways." He stopped. "Anyway, Gato gets money off of our people. Our military is non-existent, and he has members of our own council under his pay-roll to look the other way."

"Why doesn't the Daimyo do anything!?" Naruto suddenly shouted.

"The Land of Waves doesn't have a Daimyo, Naruto." Kakashi explained calmly. "If you're talking about ours, the Land of Waves is not part of the Fire Empire. Politically speaking, he has no reason to intervene."

"And in the eyes of the rich and powerful, he has done nothing wrong." Tazuna finished. "He silences snitches, and if someone high up does find out, he has the money to keep them quiet." Tazuna groaned as he took a bite of his food. "You're too young to understand politics, kid. You're in for quite a shock when you grow up."

"You think Gato will really stop?" Kakashi asked. "Even if you complete the bridge?"

"Once we open the bridge, we'll have access to the mainland like never before. Even if Gato decides to cause a ruckus, other interests will catch wind and if nothing else, give him a major headache. It wouldn't be as inconsequential as before." Tazuna then coughed. "Unless, of course, you're planning on…"

"That is not what we signed up for." Kakashi interrupted, raising his hand sternly. "We were hired for body guard work, not an assassination." Naruto and Sakura gulped at the suggestion. Yes, they had it bored into their skull to fight to kill…but to kill someone on the spot? A man who probably didn't even know how to fight or defend himself on his own? That…

"If by chance he shows up to kill you himself, that's his life on the line. But I will not endanger my team any more than necessary." Kakashi answered firmly.

"I'm sorry." Tazuna sighed, waving him off. "You're right. You're guarding my family; that is exactly what I told the Hokage." As he returned to his dinner, he thought "I should have been more specific to the hothead."

"If this guy is so dangerous, what's stopped him from coming after you?" Naruto suddenly asked. Inari suddenly slammed his fists against the table. The boy refused to look up as his fists tensed, everyone silent from the tension filling the room. Finally, he stormed off. "What?" Naruto blinked.

"Who said he hasn't already?" Tazuna growled, clearly displeased with the blonde kid.

"Naruto, you baka!" Sakura hissed as she bonked him across the head again.

Tazuna could do nothing but palm his face. "We're doomed!"


The next day, Kakashi took the three to guard Tazuna. Well, more like trail Tazuna. "Shouldn't we be with him?" Naruto asked as they watched him walk to work from the rooftop of a building.

"If we're right there with him, we'll be more vulnerable. Whoever's targeting him would start by attacking us first, and we'll all fall…leaving Tazuna at their mercy. What's more, if we're out there in plain view, anyone targeting him will just wait for us to leave. In order to truly protect Tazuna, we cannot let our presence be easily seen. Up here, we will be able to see them before they see us. And IF they attack…we can get the drop on them and end the threat." Kakashi then thought "If we're lucky."

"You make it sound like someone worth fearing is trying to kill him." Sasuke muttered.

"We must always consider the worst-case scenario, Sasuke." Kakashi answered. Staring down, he noticed he was getting far away. "Let's catch up. We mustn't let him stray too far away from us."


The Team eventually followed Tazuna to the bridge. If Naruto thought it was impressive from the water, he was truly amazed by what was happening up top on the actual bridge. He marveled at the construction crew hard at work, with machines and tools he never saw before. The bridge also wasn't just a road; Naruto noticed the middle was being spaced to make room for what seemed to be parks. "We're working on making the bridge both a link for trade AND a tourist attraction." Tazuna explained. "We want to have places for newcomers to take a break and relax." As he helped himself inside his small office in a trailer, he put on his hard hat. "Well, looks like it's not going to be as fun as I feared today." He shrugged. "Make yourselves comfortable."

Kakashi nodded. Looking around, he saw one of the parks had been filled with grass and tall oak trees. "Excuse me, would you mind if we trained over there?" he pointed to the area. "I'll have one of my dogs watch you. If something happens, I'll be there." Kakashi quickly cut his thumb (which worried Tazuna there for a second) and a rough-looking shepherd dog, roughly the size of a large ram, appeared. "Look after him." Kakashi ordered the canine. The dog growled, but it was clear he was following his summoner's orders.

Kakashi had his students follow him towards the park. The trees were not nearly as large as the ones that surrounded their village, but they were still a good two stories at least. "The three of you managed to climb trees like you normally would without breaking your neck. I believe it's time you knew the proper way to climb like a real ninja." Kakashi approached a tree, and placed his foot on it. And then the next. And the other after that. He was literally walking up the tree, like he had glue under his feet!

Naruto and Sakura could only in shock. Sasuke, however, didn't show that same surprise. "Finally." He thought. "Something useful."

Finally, Kakashi reached the highest branch that could support his weight, and slid to the other side, hanging upside down like a bat. "Whoa, that's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yes." Kakashi smiled under his mask. "This IS cool." Kakashi suddenly released his hold (somehow) and came down to the ground, landing perfectly on his feet. "As ninja, you are expected to maneuver in all terrains at top speed and efficiency. Before the time of chakra, we used hooks attached to gauntlets, such as tekko kagi. However, upon the discovery of chakra, we have found it was better to channel that chakra into our feet, and used it to increase our gravitational attraction to other objects." Though it went over Naruto's head, he was still all in for this and ready to follow his teacher's instructions.

"Now, I want you three to climb these trees." He said, pointing to three that seemed to be about the same in height. "Because you are all new at this, I suggest you try a running start." The three got ready. "Look inside of you. Feel the energy, like we've practiced every Friday. Now, I want you to push that energy into the soles of your feet." The three's faces scrunched in concentration. "Run up the trees as fast as you can; no reaching for the branches. When you feel yourself about to fall, cut the bark with a kunai, and mark that as your limit to break. Be careful of how you land." The three opened their eyes, looking at the trees ahead of them. "Ready…" Kakashi raised his hand "…GO!" he shouted, throwing it down.

The three ran towards their trees. Naruto ran straight up. On his second step, he felt something stick to his foot. "Holee-! It's working!" However, upon his third step, that sticky attraction was gone as his foot slid down. "AH!" Naruto quickly cut the bark as he fell onto the back of his shoulders. "Ow…"

Sasuke fared better; upon his sixth step, his grip loosened. Landing on one knee, he scoffed at his progress. "Not good enough."

The two boys looked to their kunoichi teammate, expecting her to have done about the same as them…but she was not on the ground with them. Looking up, they saw she was going higher. She was running at a steep slope, but it seemed gravity was ignoring her as she didn't fall. As she reached the top, her foot slipped. "AHH!"

"Sakura-chan!"

Naruto ran towards her tree, but Sakura never touched the ground. Digging deep, she kept her foot in place, as her feet stuck to the tree, holding her at a nearly ninety-degree angle. Her descent halted, she cautiously placed her other foot higher, and walked up to the top. "Yay." She smiled, sticking her tongue out and displaying the victory sign and throwing the kunai down to the ground.

"Whoa!" Naruto exclaimed. "That was awesome, Sakura-chan!" "Though I gotta admit, I am a bit jealous." He thought silently.

Sakura nodded, and looked to Sasuke. He looked at her, and just looked away, scowling. Sakura frowned. "Even if I do something right…Sasuke-kun is still so cold to me…"

"Well done, Sakura!" Kakashi congratulated her sincerely. "It seems that despite your low chakra capacity now, you have excellent control over it." Sakura quickl, descended the tree, now confident in her agility and new-found skills. "I think there's no point in you sticking around here since you've done exactly what I wanted. You and I will watch over Tazuna-san. You two, get to it!" he ordered his male genin. The two boys moaned as the two left.

The two staring at each other, they prepared for a challenge. "I'll get to the top before you!" Naruto exclaimed.

"In your dreams!" The two resumed…


An hour later, Tazuna announced to the two that he needed to leave to sort out some finances. As Naruto and Sasuke had not made much progress in their training since then, Kakashi and Sakura decided to accompany him. As before, Kakashi and Sakura kept watch from the rooftops. For the most part, nothing noteworthy happened. One thing that caught their attention was when a young girl in a pink kimono, carrying a carrying pole across her shoulder with buckets of flowers walked up to him. She made her sales pitch, Tazuna turned her down. She politely went on her way. Nothing that seemed to warrant alarm, but Sakura could swear that the girl looked up at them before going on her merry way. If only she knew Kakashi silently confirmed her suspicion.

Sakura went back to keeping an eye out for everything, when Kakashi gripped her shoulder. "Look over there." He motioned towards the northeast side.

Sakura saw what seemed to be a gang of Yakuza walking down the alley. And they were about to cross paths with Tazuna. "You think it's trouble?"

"He said Gato was hiring Yakuza to harass him." Kakashi reminded her. "I'll handle them. You keep your eye on Tazuna." Sakura nodded as Kakashi leaped across the rooftops.


However, it seemed the Yakuza reached their target first as they immediately accosted the old man."I told you thugs, I don't have any money!" Tazuna shouted back.

"A solid blue-collar worker like you?" their apparent leader asked as he swung a wooden sword over his bak. "I'm sure you don't have a lot…but you've got some."

Tazuna growled, narrowing his eyes. "This isn't about my money, though…isn't it?"

"Nope." The leader smirked.

He was about to signal one of his flunkies, when something red and pink collided into him and knocked him down. "Tazuna-san!" Sakura said, pulling out a kunai and putting the senior behind her. "Get behind me!" Though she put on a brave face, in truth, she was terrified; it took everything she had to move that one man, and she wasn't certain if she did any real damage. Now, she was facing a whole mob of them! One mistake, and it was over for her!

"Heh. That's cute." The yakuza leader sneered as he dusted himself off. "Move along little girl; I'm actually a pretty nice guy, and I don't like beating up on kids. I'll let you go and forget this happened." Sakura said nothing as she tensed up. Sighing, the leader waved her direction. "Beat her."

One ran forward with a stick at her. She ran into him, neutralizing the swing and punched him in the stomach. Though she caused some pain, she felt her fist bounce back almost immediately. She was about to retaliate, when someone kicked her down. Before she knew it, the rest were all upon her. "Ahh!" Sakura tried to get up, but the various kicks and punches kept her down.

"Let her go, you animals!" Tazuna ran forward and punched one across the face. Immediately afterwards, two grabbed his arms and restrained him.

"Now you've done it, old man!" The yakuza turned on Tazuna and began gathering around him.

By some miracle, Sakura was still conscious. She looked at Tazuna, about to be hurt. "No…he's under my protection! I can't let this happen!" Gripping her kunai, she let out a scream.

One of them turned, and was met with her sandal's sole in his face. It was enough to make him fall over, a single tooth bouncing out of his mouth. "Waste this little bitch!" he yelled as he held his mouth. One took a swing with his bokken, which Sakura ducked under and retaliated with shuriken in his arm. "Agh! The others ganged up on her, but Sakura's seemingly berserker rage managed to throw them all off. One went down hard from a toe-scoop to his groin, another was forced to drop his weapon when Sakura embedded her kunai into his shoulder. Whatever happened before, this gang-up unleashed a new side of Sakura that not even she was certain lived inside of her. "Come on!" one said as he helped his nakama up. "Let's get out of here!" Others followed suit.

One by one, the yakuza abandoned their prey and retreated. Tazuna took a look at Sakura. "Are you alright?" Sakura was now hunched over on her knees, covered in cuts and bruises and panting heavily. Tazuna stared at what was before him. "I asked for Hiruzen's help…to put someone's kid through this?"

"Well done." Kakashi emerged from the alley, carrying one Yakuza over his shoulder and dragging another across the street, looking no worse for wear.

Sakura was about to say something, but Tazuna stepped in front of her and glared at Kakashi. "You were there the whole time!?" he shouted angrily.

"I never let my clients out of my sight." Kakashi replied nonchalantly as he discarded the two thugs.

"Your student, a little girl, was taking on armed men BY HERSELF you bastard! And you did NOTHING to help her!"

"Oh, it was certainly brave of you, letting her protect you!" Kakashi snapped, suddenly grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off his feet like he weighed nothing. "You think those nobodies were bad?" he asked as he eased the man back onto his feet. "When she grows up, she will be facing ninja and other warriors that will chew these men up like gum and spit them out. And I won't always be there to protect her, nor can she grow if I keep helping her each time she has trouble. She and the others will eventually have to face killers by themselves. Better to start with normal men; the first battles are always the hardest…" Coming down from his little tirade, he turned his attention back to Sakura. "How are you feeling, Sakura?"

Sakura winced as she put on the toughest face she could muster. "I…I'm fine, sensei…"

She tried walking towards him before she stumbled. Kakashi helped her stand. "Easy."

Tazuna sighed. "We're going to the doctor."

"I understand you have important business to attend to. I'll take care of Sakura as soon as we are able…."

"Screw it. She's going to the doctor." Tazuna hissed. "I'm the client. I can't tell you how to raise your students." He grabbed hold of Sakura's shoulder and pulled her towards him. "…but I can order you where to go. And I'm ordering that we go to the doctor." He looked down on her. "He's a friend of mine. Won't charge a thing."

Kakashi sighed. "Fair enough. As long as it's your preference, I think this works out for both of us…"


"You're going to be fine. A few bandages and you should be right as rain within a day." The doctor said. Sakura nodded as she held her arm out. The doctor pulled out wraps, smearing a balm all over it. As he wrapped her cuts and bruises, Sakura hissed. "Easy." The doctor assured her. "The sting means it's working." Sakura held still as he patched her up. "What were you doing to get this girl into trouble, Tazuna-san?" the doctor asked.

Tazuna just sighed. It wasn't wise to shout that you hired ninjas, even to close friends. "Just do your job."

"Favor, you mean." The doctor corrected him as he finished wrapping Sakura up. "You get paid for a job. Nowadays, favors are all I ever do for anyone around here." He mumbled.

As he left to organize his equipment, Sakura turned to Tazuna. "Um…Tazuna-san?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"People who hire us normally pay a fee, depending on the mission." Sakura said out of the blue.

"Yeah, that's how it goes." The bridge-builder answered non-chalantly.

"Sakura…" Kakashi warned her.

"Yet it seems, you, plus everyone around here, barely make enough to live." Sakura continued. "Even C-class missions can be expensive for high-class citizens. Yet this doesn't seem to be a problem for you." Tazuna was rendered silent by Sakura's accusation before she had to spell it out. "Why would the Hokage approve this mission? Or rather…HOW did you get him to approve this mission?"

Tazuna looked nervous as he turned to Kakashi for help. "Go ahead and tell her." Kakashi shrugged. "I already know."

Tazuna sighed as he explained. "Truth of the matter is…Hiruzen and I are old friends."


53 years ago…

Tazuna sighed as he waited for the fish off the dock to bite. Dressed in nothing but a green t-shirt, dark blue shorts and a straw hat, he was a natural for living off the coast. No one said it would be easy though. "Aw man, come on, bite already…" The key to fishing was to relax; Tazuna, like most dock men, sat down with his legs hanging off the edge, his feet barely avoiding the surface. Suddenly, he felt a tug on the line. "Finally!" Tazuna stood up and tugged…and nearly fell over. "Ugh! This one's tough!" He struggled more, but whatever he snagged refused to be moved so easily. "What the hell did I snag, a Great White!?" He pulled more, finally making some headway, though not without great effort. "I better not have snagged a log after all this trouble…" Finally, with one last tug, he saw his prize: a boy, about his age! "What the-!?" The boy was wearing a brown sash with a fishnet shirt underneath; his body was littered with shuriken and other sharp objects. His hook managed to catch him! "HELP!" Tazuna yelled back onto the island. "Somebody, help!"


The young ninja hissed as he tried to sit up. "Lie down." A woman said as she eased him back into the bed. "You're lucky you snagged my son's line." Hiruzen looked further down the room, seeing the boy she mentioned leaning against the wall at the far end. Again the ninja hissed as the woman applied a balm to his chest. "Even luckier you managed to stay alive until he could find you. You were covered in spikes and all sorts of things everywhere. I'm still shocked there was someone left to save after all we just saw."

It took a while for the boy to answer. "…thank you." He finally whispered. Then, stronger, he said "I have to get back."

"Back to where?"

"My team. My village. They need me." He repeated.

"Well, you will do them no good if you try to go out like this. You need your rest. And when you can walk again…well, we'll help you find your friends any way we can."

"Careful." The boy warned her. "There might be others looking for me. And they're not friendly."

She looked at him, and nodded in understanding. Then she turned to Tazuna. "Sweetie, he'll be having your bed for the time being."

"What!? But Moom-!"

"No buts, young man!" she chastised him. "You brought him here, and now he needs our help!" Patting him on the head, she said "I've got the extra futon out, alright? It will just be for a little while."

"But why can't you let him have your bed?"

He was suddenly cut off with a sharp punch across the head. "HE'S STAYING IN YOUR ROOM!" she growled, her voice dropping a few octaves to the point she was indistinguishable from a bear. "UNDERSTAND!?"

Tazuna froze and trembled in fear. "Yes ma'am." He squeeked.

His mother's mood did a 180 and smiled at him. "You sleep well, honey. And play nice."

Soon, both Tazuna and the genin settled into their new beds. "Thanks a lot." Tazuna muttered.

"Hey. You were the one who pulled me out in the first place."

This caused a vein to pop in Tazuna's forehead. "Don't remind me!" he hissed.

The genin sighed. "Sorry. I'd move if I could."

"Yeah, yeah." Tazuna conceded. "Sorry. It's just…different."

"Change can be hard." The genin said. "At least, that's what my sensei tells me."

Tazuna just stared at the door. "Your sensei sounds like a wise man."

"He can come off like that." The ninja smiled. Then, he sighed with exasperation. "Most of the time, he acts like a complete fool."

Now this caused Tazuna to raise an eyebrow. "Oh-?"

"He has hopes of becoming a comedian after he retires from being a ninja. Can't say it's looking good for him." Tazuna began to snicker, before it became full-blown laughter between the two. For a moment, at least; the genin had to hiss as his ribs refused to cooperate. "Owowow…" he groaned.

"Sorry, sorry!" Tazuna waved. Giving him a moment to calm down, Tazuna finally felt at ease to lower his guard. "I'm Tazuna, by the way."

"Sarutobi." The ninja replied. "Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Forgetting it was nighttime, the two began to chat away…


"We were friends ever since." Tazuna finished. "And I requested this mission…as a favor. Sorry if I wasn't forthcoming about it." Tazuna said. "But I really do appreciate that he sent you four over here."

Sakura smiled. "No, it's fine. I just wanted to know, that's all."

As Sakura got back on her feet, Tazuna whispered to Kakashi "I trust you're able to do your job fine, but these three? They're the same age from when I met Hiruzen, and she barely won against a squad of Yakuza."

"They're still learning." Kakashi whispered back. "Besides, you haven't seen what my two boys are capable of."

"I sure hope they're as good as you say they are, because if I know Gato, he has some real heavy hitters lined up." He warned him. "Those crooks? They are probably just the warm-up."


It was common in Wave to see vendors walk by foot to scavenge the streets, looking for anyone who would buy their merchandise. What seemed to be a flower girl carried beautiful snow flowers in two baskets on her carrying pole. Despite the long distance she traveled, she didn't appear to be tired. She eventually made her journey to the bridge under construction. Though she could not cross over to the mainland, the parts deemed stable enough were open to the public. She made her way up, briefly asking the construction workers on break if they wanted to make a purchase, almost all of whom turned her down.

As she neared the end, she saw two boys in one of the parks. One dressed in an orange track suit, the other in a blue shirt and shorts. Both were resting against the trees, clearly exhausted from a long workout. The girl took notice, and walked into the park, approaching them. Without saying a word, she took out some flowers from her bucket. "We don't have any money." Sasuke raised his hand (of course he was lying) to stop her.

"For you, free of charge." She replied as she placed the flowers at his legs. "Whatever boys like you are working on, you need as much encouragement as possible."

She then stared at Naruto, who seemed to be out cold. Slowly, she began to reach for his hiate. Sasuke, getting nervous, secretly reached for his kunai. When her fingers came close, Naruto seemingly jolted awake and caught her hand. "HEY!" he huffed, relaxing upon seeing who he stopped.

"Well, you're not completely hopeless." Sasuke sighed as he relaxed.

"Sorry." The flower girl said as she reached back for her snow flowers. "I only wished to bring you good luck."

Naruto blinked. "Oh." Reaching for them, he replied "Thank you." He then took a good look at her. She was quite pretty, with pale skin, dark eyes, and long, black, flowing hair. Her pink kimono also upped the pretty factor. The blond ninja began to blush profusely. "I-I'm Naruto by the way."

"Haku." The girl smiled, bowing. "What could you be doing to wear yourself out so much?"

"Oh, we're ninja in training!" Naruto smiled, giving her a thumbs up.

"Naruto!" Sasuke hissed.

"What?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "The hiate are a dead giveaway!" he pointed to the headband.

Sasuke wanted to retort, but to his annoyance and utter shock…he couldn't. Naruto actually had a good point! "Damn it!" Sasuke shot up, and looked at his tree. He had about six marks on the tree, showing that he managed to climb about 3 meters before falling off. Sighing, he began to quickly walk up the bark, suddenly jumping off at the top of his highest mark.

"Looks interesting." Haku said.

Handing her jug of water to Naruto, the ninja greedily drank it (forgetting that the girl probably had her lips to it and he was doing the same). "Thanks. I needed that." He sighed, handing it back and wiping his mouth.

"So, you're training?" Haku asked.

"Yup! Just you wait, you're never going to find a stronger ninja than me one day!" Naruto bragged.

Haku smiled back. "I've no doubt." She said as she brushed her hair away. "May I ask you something?"

"Ask away!" Naruto enthusiastically said.

"Remember!" Sasuke called as he managed to add another mark. "Secrets!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto hushed him.

"Tell me, do you have someone to get stronger for?"

Naruto was about to answer, only to find himself struggling. "Uh…well…no not really." He shrugged, scratching his head.

"I heard that when you have someone to fight for, that's when you truly become strong."

Naruto began to answer, though he wasn't confident if it would count. "…Well…I had a primary shinobi instructor back at home."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He's pretty strict, but he's a good guy. I helped him out one time…though I don't think I became strong." Naruto chuckled. "The guy giving him trouble was kind of an idiot, and I was just too clever for him."

The two shared some friendly laughter. "Well, however you help those close to you out, that is becoming strong." Haku looked to the sky, seeing the sun had begun to turn to the other side. "I better get back to my route." She said, picking up her carrying pole. "It was a pleasure to meet you, uh…"

"Just Naruto." He said. "I don't have a surname, so don't worry about coming off as impolite."

"Neither do I. So don't you worry either." She bowed. As she turned around, Naruto started to check her out. As if sensing what he was doing, she suddenly said "Oh, just so there's no confusion or trauma if we meet again…" Haku began. "…I'm a boy."

Naruto's jaw dropped, and his face turned white as he watched him (her?) walk off. "I-Impossible!" he screamed in his mind.

Sasuke, having overheard the conversation, couldn't help but smirk. "Well, better luck next time." He said. "Maybe you'll have more luck with your tree!"

Naruto turned to see his three marks on the tree, less than 2 meters. "Damn-!" With that, he got to work.


Night came, and Team 7 was once again gathered at Tazuna's dinner table, though it could hardly be routine. "Sakura-chan!?" Naruto cried out as he observed the bandages all over her. "What the heck happened to you!?"

Sakura chuckled nervously, scratching her head. "Just a little tussle, that's all. You should see the other guys." Sakura answered. She was actually quite flattered that Naruto would show such concern for her. She looked to Sasuke, who seemed disinterested. That…well, that hurt. "He acts like he doesn't care."

"Dinner's ready, everyone!" Tsunami called.

Once more, a serving of fish and rice was given to every guest and family member. It started normal enough, but Sakura noticed Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be trying to eat more than the other boy. Quickly they finished their bowls, and held them out to Tsunami. "Seconds, please!" they called. Seeing that one called from more food, they glared daggers at each other.

"Naruto, Sasuke!" Kakashi scolded them. "You ate all the food you could, and eating more will not help with your training tomorrow!" he yelled. "Our guests are feeding us more than they can afford, and you will appreciate what they DO feed you!"

Naruto and Sasuke relented. "Well, if you need to eat just to be strong, I think my grandpa got a raw deal." Inari muttered.

"What would you know about being strong!?" Naruto yelled slamming his fist on the table. "We're doing our best to get stronger right now, so if you think you can do a better job, feel free to step up to the plate!"

"I don't have to!" Inari yelled. "I already know you're not strong enough, NONE OF YOU ARE!"

"WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT, YOU BRAT!?" Naruto yelled back.

"IF YOU'RE SO STRONG AND MIGHTY, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN PAPA DIED!?" The room fell dead silent. "WHO PROTECTED HIM THEN!?" With that, Inari pushed himself away from the table and ran up to his room.

Naruto was just stunned silent, the words getting to him. Sakura suddenly punched him across the head. "Naruto, HOW DARE YOU!?" she shouted.

"Sorry!" he whined.

Even Sasuke spoke out against him. "You should have just ignored him, dobe. You can't please everyone!"

Tazuna sighed. Suddenly, he got up, walking towards the cabinet to grab a lantern. "I think there's something you all need to see."


Tazuna led the team down the dark streets. Though they didn't want to admit it, the streets of the Wave village were far scarier at night. The obvious poverty around them made them fear they were going to be ganged up on by thieves, even with their intense training. Sakura in particular was most fearful; even though she managed to drive off a whole gang of yakuza, it still taxed her considerably. She wasn't certain if she could manage it again. Her first instinct was to cling to Sasuke, genuinely afraid for her life, but she held back. She got to know him enough that he did not like weakness.

Sasuke, by contrast, was calm. He had already dealt with something worse on a night much like this. He stopped when he saw a familiar silhouette on the rooftop. Even from the distance, he could make out a short pony tail blowing in the wind. And the figure's eyes…were red. This caused Sasuke to stop, his normally bored expression widening in panic. "Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. "Are you okay?"

Sasuke blinked as he looked to his teammates, then back to the roof where he saw the shadow. It wasn't there anymore. "…it was nothing…" he mumbled as he caught up with the others.

Naruto also shared a similar fear as Sakura. He wouldn't show it, putting on his best neutral face (which was still clearly nervous). Soon, they left the village as they entered a forest. "Aw, come on." Naruto whispered under his breath. "It's even darker in there."

"Tazuna-san, are you sure this is safe?" Sakura asked.

"It doesn't matter." Kakashi answered nonchalantly, trailing the three. "He hired us as body guards, so it should all be fine. Right?" Sakura and Naruto repressed a groan. It was clear Kakashi only said that to assure Tazuna.

"Here we are." Tazuna said as he shone his lantern on a large cross. Naruto looked at it, but didn't immediately know what it was. "Isn't that supposed to be some kind of religious symbol?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes." Kakashi answered. "But a cross of this size has another purpose."

"What?"

Sasuke provided the answer for him. "Torture. And humiliation. You nail an enemy's hands to the sides and put him up for all to see, or to do with as they please." Naruto looked straight at it, gulping.

"Remember when I told you that Gato secretly has a hold on us?" The genin nodded. "We used to simply accept it. You pay your 'protection money', and you could usually get by. At least, that's what we used to believe. Once we put our proverbial tails between our legs, he demanded more. And that's when people started getting hurt."

"Why didn't you just stand up to him!?" Naruto demanded. "You…you can't just let someone like that walk over you like that! It's not right!"

Tazuna looked at Naruto, his expression a bit hard to read. "We tried. Or at least, someone tried." Tazuna took a deep breath as he remembered him. "My son-in law."

Sakura blinked. "You mean Inari's father?"

"Yes." Tazuna nodded. "Kaiza was something of a goofball, but he was proud, and did everything in his power to provide for his family, always bragging about his two strong arms." Tazuna's scowl then broke out into a small smile. "Inari really looked up to him. He taught him how to stand up to bullies, how to fish…and how, despite how little we had, how we can find happiness in everything around us."

"He sounds like a good guy." Sakura agreed.

"It was around the time Gato got more serious about his criminal empire. It was at that time I realized we needed to connect with mainland economically. Of course, Gato didn't want to put up with that, but he couldn't afford to kill me just yet; he didn't want a valued community member like me to become a martyr. Instead, he just had some of his goons to beat me. I got hurt pretty bad, and Inari was greatly upset about it. I don't remember very well what happened afterwards, but apparently Kaiza went to confront Gato personally."

Naruto smiled genuinely. "Sounds like a hero."

"Well, I don't know about you, kid…but to me, you gotta win to be considered a hero. Kaiza…didn't."

"So they killed him." Sasuke said.

"Yes. But not immediately. They left him for dead, right on that cross." Tazuna pointed to it. "Normally, when people crucify an enemy, they nail their hands to the cross, just like you said. However, Gato had him tied to the post instead…because they severed his arms before leaving him there." Even Kakashi was stunned silent. "Kaiza always prided himself on his 'two strong arms'. And Gato knew how much they meant to him, so he probably took them away out of spite. He died shortly after we got him down." Tazuna breathed. Turning to face the ninja all in the eye, he growled "NOW do you see what you're up against? Even if you've got the strength to take him on, he will get to you in other ways. He knows how to crush a person's soul; after all, he's been doing it his entire life."


When the team returned to the house, Kakashi gathered them all in a room. He could tell one of them had something to get off his chest. "We should go out there and take him out!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke and Sakura silently nodded; they weren't as gung-ho as Naruto, but they still agreed with his general idea.

"That's not a good idea." Kakashi said flatly.

"He's extorting and murdering people!" Naruto shouted back. "HOW can that not be a good idea!?"

Kakashi rubbed his hand over his mask. "I take it none of you know of the Ninja Mission Clause?"

"I don't see what that has to do with this!" Naruto replied.

Kakashi answered anyway. "The Ninja Mission Clause was formed upon the creation of the Five Major villages and the Kages. It was dictated by the Daimyos as a compromise for the independence of the major villages, such as ours. They couldn't stop us from taking any mission…but they could stop us from overstepping our boundaries when on those missions. If we overstep the parameters of our mission, it could start an incident."

Naruto blinked. "What does this have to- "

"Think about it." Kakashi warned him sternly. "If the mission's goal was to take Gato out, he would have been dead as soon as I got here. And quite frankly, none of you would have been included in it." Kakashi continued. "Gato is a powerful businessman, however he may have obtained his wealth. He has powerful friends among the continent's upper classes. If we simply assassinate him when we were not ordered to, it could start talk of either refusing contracts with our village, or rally the Daimyo armies to attack. Even if we win the battle, we could very well lose our way of life."

Naruto was just shell-shocked at what their jonin leader told them. "I thought…"

"You thought what?" Kakashi said as he stood up from his chair. "We're mercenaries, Naruto. We offer our services to those who pay the price…usually." He said "We do what we do not to help people. We do what we do to survive. It's an ugly truth of this world; but the sooner you realize that, the better."

Naruto just looked away, unwilling to believe what he just heard. "It is probably BECAUSE of Gato's influence that the 3rd sent us to protect Tazuna rather than confront Gato outright; the political consequences could be huge. If he felt he had to return a favor to a friend, it was probably best to do so playing it safe." Looking at Naruto's face, he could see the anger and disappointment in him. Sighing, Kakashi tried to soften the blow. "Still, there is a high chance we will come into conflict with Gato, whether we like it or not." Kakashi reminded them. "If he makes the first move, officially we can't be held responsible for actions that got him killed." Kakashi stretched as he got up. "The futons are ready. I suggest we turn in for the night; I'm taking first watch. I've a feeling tomorrow is going to be a real doozy." Kakashi then patted Naruto's shoulder. "It will work out, Naruto. Either Gato backs off…or…" Kakashi stopped himself. "Well, let's just say you just might get what you asked for."


"I think we've let Tazuna go about his business for far too long." Gato growled, gripping his cane. "You said you were going to evaluate his protection before making your move." He addressed Zabuza. "Have you completed your…research?" he asked.

Zabuza smiled under his mask. "But of course. I know the main threat is the Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi. And one of his pupils is apparently an Uchiha."

"Should I know about them?" Gato asked, uninterested in those names.

"He comes from a well revered ninja clan." Zabuza answered. "I thought there no more of them. Still, those two will be the most worrisome to me. Nothing I can't handle, of course, but I can't afford to be overconfident."

"And the others?"

"Nobodies." Zabuza answered with confidence. "From what Haku has told me, she barely won against your measly Yakuza. And the other…is a bit of an idiot. I just had to be sure I had a proper understanding of all variables before I began the execution."

Gato nodded. "Then, I suggest you finally get to your job. How you go about this task is up to you." As Gato continued filling out some paperwork, he added "Oh, and take out his kids as well."

Zabuza's eye quirked. "That was not in the contract."

"It is now."

Zabuza sighed. "Very well. Women and children are double."

"WHAT!?"

"You can either retract back to just the old man, increase the payment…or find yourself a new assassin." Zabuza said. "But I must caution you; there aren't many out there better than me. And I can't promise you complete control over them either."

Gato could only stare at him in fury, squeezing his pen so hard that it cracked. "Fine." He relented. "But you better make good on your end of the bargain!"

Zabuza smirked under his bandages. "I intend to." He lightly bowed before walking away.


"We're attacking the family as well?" Haku asked within their private quarters.

"Yes." Zabuza nodded. "Gato intends to punish the old man completely for defying him in the cruelest way possible." He said. Scratching his chin in thought, he said "Still, with Hatake Kakashi protecting them, this will be difficult to accomplish."

"I will assist you, Zabuza-sama." Haku bowed.

"Not only will you assist me." Zabuza said as he kneeled to his level, lifting his chin to meet his. "I shall allow YOU the honor of the main kill."


The next day came; the three genin expected it to be a day very much like any other. They ate a meager breakfast of eggs and rice cooked by Tsunami, and brushed their teeth. At first, they believed that Naruto and Sasuke would simply return to the trees while Tazuna got to work with Sakura and Kakashi guarding him as before. As they approached their jonin standing by the door, Kakashi said "Let's try something different today." Turning to them, he said "Sasuke. I imagine you're further along the tree exercise than Naruto, am I right?" Sasuke nodded, while Naruto turned his head and snorted. "You'll come with me to watch over Tazuna at work. Naruto, Sakura: You're going to watch the family."

Sakura blinked. "Why the change, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Just a feeling is all." He answered.

"Well, if that's your decision, fine by me." Tazuna sighed as he got his toolbox together. "If you've made up your mind, come with me. Otherwise, I'll leave you behind." Kakashi and Sasuke travelled after him.


From a distance, Haku observed Tazuna's household. Soon, he observed Tazuna leaving the house, Kakashi and Sasuke travelling after him. "It seems Kakashi has detected our presence."

"More specifically, he detected YOUR presence." Zabuza said.

"Forgive me, Zabuza-sama. I-"

"Don't be." Zabuza assured him. "This is exactly how I planned can sense you, but not ME. Now, follow Kakashi; he must continue to detect your presence and not mine. Do not attack them until they reach the bridge; I want them as far away from here as possible."

"Understood." Haku replied. His body slowly became transparent as he disappeared completely.

Even so, Zabuza was not alone; two other ninja were beside him. They seemed to be twins, short, covered in all black and wearing scuba-like masks. Like Haku, they too were his apprentices. However, unlike Haku, their talent was non-existent; it took him forever just to train them to this mediocre level. "Prove your worth to me." He commanded them.


And that's all for now.

As for some notable changes, I had Sakura get in a fight. In the original, she kicked away someone while escorting Tazuna, but I think it was more in retaliation for sexual harassment (if I remember correctly, someone tried to grope her. Considering that was Part 1...ew). Here, she is not only genuinely defending him but learning a lesson as well. Kakashi in this version wants his students to genuinely grow; he'll put them in danger to a point, but will intervene when it's clear any of his students are in over their heads

The other noticeable change I made is giving Tazuna and Hiruzen a connection. In the original, Tazuna SOMEHOW tricked Hiruzen into letting him pay for a C-class mission. Not only that, but once he found out, Kakashi continued with it, presumably out of the goodness of his heart. Realistically, I'm certain someone of Tazuna's character would have raised some red flags according to the rules set by Kishi (then again, he does have a terrible habit of breaking those rules). Making him and the third friends and the mission more of a favor seemed like a better way for this to go, especially if Tazuna is an individual strapped for cash.

However, this change also had an unintended side-effect: I had to make Sarutobi younger. In this version, Tazuna is 65, and Hiruzen is two years older. Both are old men, but given Tazuna's background, it just didn't feel right to have him working in construction in his mid-80s. I picked his 60s; old, but could be in reasonably good shape to continue.

In the long run, this also meant I will have to make the Sanin younger (think early forties by the time they are introduced).

Another change I made was making Kaiza Inari's biological father. In the original, he was...just some dude who randomly showed up out of nowhere. Nice and all, I guess. In the West, this would very much read "STRANGER DANGER". I guess we can chalk that up to cultural differences (Japan is generally much safer than most of America and Europe), and just thought maybe I should make him family.

One other detail worth talking about was the clause Kakashi mentioned. When you think about it, in a fantasy world based on Feudal Japan, I'd imagine the main political powers would not allow independent villages of mercenaries and assassins to exist unchecked. I think the clause would act as a stopper; the ninja can operate in any manner they have to as long as it's within the parameters of the mission outlined by the client. They can't just fight and kill as they please without dire consequences should they go beyond what the mission allowed them to. As you can see, Naruto is troubled by this limitation, but of course this is going to help him grow up. Not in the same way canon did, where he just seems to accept the system as is, but to understand the challenges he will face and work to find something better.

More changes on the way, but I hope so far they've all proved to be enjoyable to you!