Haku stood in front of the expansive window of the room and looked out at the forest beyond. Beautiful morning daylight shone through the trees and the songs of various birds could be heard as they flitted around to begin their day.

He reached up to let down his hair and it fell nearly to his waist in a black cascade. After changing clothes, he stepped out into the woods to look for herbs and ingredients, working quietly in the warmth of the sun. a bird perched on his shoulder and he smiled faintly at it.

Haku reached up to let down his hair and it fell nearly to his waist in a black cascade. After changing clothes, he stepped out into the woods to look for herbs and ingredients, working quietly in the warmth of the sun. a bird perched on his shoulder and he smiled faintly at it.

The bird tilted its head at the boy curiously before flying off. Haku watched it fly away, over to an unconscious boy in the grass. It landed on his forehead and tapped his face with its beak.

The blond boy moved slightly at the bird's harassment and Haku's eyes widened in recognition. Standing slowly, he stepped closer to the blond. Standing over Naruto, Haku clenched his hands into fists and reached down toward Naruto, frightening the birds away.

Sakura rubbed her eyes with a yawn as she sat down at the table for breakfast. "Good morning."

"Here." Tsunami placed a bowl in front of her with a smile.

"Thank you." Sakura smiled up at her gratefully and began to eat.

Kakashi sat cross-legged, fiddling with the protective metal plating on his gloves as he looked to an empty spot at the table.

"Naruto didn't come back last night, either?" Tazuna's eyes rested on the empty space and his brow rose slightly.

"He's such a fool." Sakura rubbed her eyes again and held up a hand. "He's been out every night, climbing trees. He might be dead already from using too much Chakra."

"I wonder if he's okay." Tsunami held a tray with a bowl as she frowned slightly. "To think a child's out in the middle of the night."

"Well, you don't need to worry." Kakashi spoke up, leaving his glove alone as his hand became still. "although he may not seem to be, he's a full-fledged Ninja."

"I wonder..." Sasuke thought aloud with his hands clasped together. "That idiot's probably all pooped out right about now."

He stood abruptly and walked towards the door.

"Sasuke?" Sakura looked at him as he stopped for a moment.

"I'm going for a walk."

"But... we're about to eat." Sakura was interrupted by the door's opening and closing, then she looked at Sasuke's plate, which was already empty. Her eye twitched slightly. "That was fast."

Inari sat silently in his seat with his food untouched as his hands rested in his lap.

Haku sat beside Naruto and reached out to his neck, his hand hovering over it as he thought.

He changed his mind and instead placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder to shake him awake. "You'll catch a cold if you keep sleeping here."

Naruto's eyes opened finally and he blinked as the person came into view. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then looked back at the stranger. "Who're you?"

Haku smiled, closing his eyes and giggled.

Naruto blushed at the *girl's* smile. "U-Uh... did you wake me up, Neechan? I mean..." He scratched his cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm gathering medicinal herbs." Haku answered and glanced towards his basket.

"Herbs?"

"Yes." Haku smiled again. "For healing injuries, sickness, and the like."

A while later, Naruto squatted and helped pick sprouts and place them into the basket, then sat cross-legged. "You've got a lot to do early in the morning, Neechan..."

"You, too." Haku looked up at him. "What've you been doing in a place like this so early?"

Naruto grinned and chuckled. "Training!"

"Could it be... that you're a Ninja?" Haku played along so that the boy wouldn't realize who he was. "What with that headband..."

"Is that what I look like? Is it?" Naruto's blush deepened and he pointed a thumb at himself. "Yup! I'm a Ninja!"

"No kidding" Haku rested his hands on his lap. "You're great, aren't you?"

Naruto laughed and scratched his head.

"But... why are you training?" Haku's eyes fell down on the basket.

"As for me, I want to get stronger!" Naruto answered with a grin.

"But you already look strong enough." Haku looked back up at him.

"No, no!" Naruto rested his hand on his lap. "I want to get even stronger!"

"What for?" Haku watched the boy carefully.

Naruto clutched a fist smiled faintly. "To become the best Ninja in my village! I'm going to get everyone to recognize my strength! And I have to prove something to a certain person!"

"Is that for the sake of somebody? Or is that for your own sake?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked and Haku giggled.

"What's so funny?" Naruto made a face and narrowed his eyes.

"Do you have somebody precious in your life?"

"Precious?" Naruto blinked again. "What is it you want to say, Neechan?"

Haku's eyes fell as memories resurfaced in his mind.

Snow fell steadily from the sky and blanketed the ground. A small orphan boy sat huddled beside a dumpster. As people dropped trash inside and walked away, he scampered over and rummaged through to search for anything edible.

A hungry street dog barked at the boy and snapped to defend its meal. The boy only stared coldly at the animal and kicked it hard, knocking it back with a yipe before he continued searching the trash. The dog got up, growling more aggressively as its pups joined it.

The boy slowly walked away from the dumpster and wandered until he found himself on a bridge overlooking a wide river. He sat on its edge and pulled his knees close in an attempt to stay warm. After some time, a man's footsteps approached and the boy glanced up to see the man that stared down at him as their eyes met.

Haku blinked slowly and the memory faded. Finally, he looked back up at Naruto, who had been watching her (him) quietly.

"What is it?" Naruto saw her (his) expression shift from bittersweet to a faint smile again.

"When a person has something precious, they want to protect..." Haku began. "that's when they can become truly strong."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly and he remember what Tazuna had said about Kaiza before, then Kakashi's promise to protect his comrades, and Iruka acting as a shield to protect Naruto from Mizuki's Shuriken.

Naruto smiled broadly and nodded. "Yeah! I know that well, too! I've got lots of people I care about, and I want to get stronger so I can look after my sister, too. We've always got each other's backs, so I can't slack off and let her down."

"I see." Haku smiled faintly and reached to grab the handle of his basket as he stood. "You'll get strong, then."

Naruto nodded quickly. "Yup!"

"I hope we meet again somewhere." Haku turned and his expression shifted as he looked away from the boy, his eyes becoming colder as he walked away. After a few steps he stopped. "Oh, and... I'm a man!"

Naruto's mouth dropped and his face paled. "T-That can't be! He's prettier than Sakura!"

As Haku continued on his way he passed Sasuke, who had been looking for Naruto. Sasuke stopped and glanced back at the stranger before looking at Naruto, who sat cross-legged with his brows furrowed and his arms crossed, muttering to himself.

"Why? That's so strange... The world is full of mystery..."

Sasuke stopped in front of Naruto, then smacked the top of his head.

"Ouch!" Naruto rubbed his head and looked up at Sasuke. "Hey! What're you doing?!"

"Did you forget about breakfast, you idiot?"

Naruto blinked and laughed.

"Naruto?!" Sakura called out through the trees as Kakashi walked carefully beside her with a crutch. She looked around at their tree-climbing spot and frowned slightly. "What in the world is Naruto doing? And Sasuke hasn't come back from his walk either..."

A Kunai knife was thrown at them from above and stuck into the ground in front of them. Their eyes rose to a high branch near the top of the tree where Naruto rested on a branch with a goofy grin.

"No way!" Sakura's eyes widened slightly. "Naruto can climb that high now? Wow!"

Naruto waved at them. "How 'bout that?! How 'bout that?! As for me, I can climb this high now!"

He stood upright on the branch and put his hands on his hips boastfully, then his foot slipped and he began to fall backward. "Woah!"

"Oh, you idiot!" Sakura gaped at him as he slipped and Kakashi's eyes widened.

"This is bad!"

Sakura screamed as Naruto stuck to the underside of the branch with the bottoms of his feet and laughed.

"I gotcha!"

Sakura and Kakashi blinked up at him as he smirked.

"You felt for it! You fell for it!"

"Don't scare us like that!" Sakura yelled and clenched her fists. "I'll kill him later for this! Cha!"

Kakashi rested a hand on his hip and sighed to himself. "He's grown a little, eh"

Naruto's feet popped off from the branch as he lost focus and their eyes widened again.

"Naruto, you moron!" Sakura gaped. "It's because you went overboard!"

Naruto screamed as he plummeted to the ground and Sasuke quickly ran up the tree, clinging to the branch as he gripped Naruto's ankle.

"You fool." Sasuke scowled at Naruto as he dangled helplessly.

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto exhaled and looked at him.

"Nice job, Sasuke! You're so awesome!" Sakura squealed as her cheeks warmed.

Kakashi chuckled to himself and smiled. "These kids are really growing."

Inari sat atop his desk in silence as he held a picture in his hands. The sounds of the sea came through the open window and he let out a quiet sigh.

"Naruto Uzumaki, huh?"

Zabuza crushed an apple in his hand and gritted his teeth as he glared. Haku stood to the side and kept his eyes on him.

"You've recovered considerably."

"All right..." Zabuza turned his hand over and let the apple pieces fall to the floor. "Just a little more, Haku."

"Yes." Haku nodded obediently.

Naruto and Sasuke stood at the very tops of their trees with the moon high above them, breathing heavily.

"Shall we go back?" Sasuke closed his eyes with a faint smirk as he crossed his arms.

"Okay!" Naruto grinned and nodded as he looked over at Sasuke.

Tsunami set plates down in front of Kakashi and Tazuna as Sakura let out a quiet sigh.

"They're late." Sakura looked over at the boys' empty seats. "And not just Naruto this time, but Sasuke, too."

The door opened and Sakura turned to see Sasuke and Naruto step inside, with Sasuke supporting Naruto as they walked.

"What happened to you guys?" Tazuna looked up from his plate to the boys. "You're really muddy and really wiped out."

Naruto glanced up at the old man and chuckled. "We both climbed up to the top."

Kakashi nodded at them in acknowledgment. "Good. Naruto, Sasuke... you'll also start guarding Tazuna with Sakura."

Sasuke smirked and Naruto raised his hand into the air with a cheer. "Got it!"

They wobbled and fell to the ground and Naruto rubbed his backside. "Ow!"

"You idiot." Sasuke looked at Naruto with a scowl as the others laughed at them.

After dinner, Naruto pushed his plate to the center and patted his stomach with a contented sigh.

"In just a little bit, the bridge will be complete." Tazuna announced as Tsunami began to clear the table. "It's all thanks to you guys."

"Even so, don't let your guard down..." Tsunami frowned slightly and held a stack of plates in her hands.

Tazuna rested his hands on the table and glanced to Kakashi. "I've really wanted to ask you for a long time now... why are you still here even though I lied about the mission?"

Kakashi closed his eyes momentarily and rested his elbows on the table. "To see what is right without doing it bespeaks an absence of courage. Like master, like man." He glanced back up at the old man. "It's a teaching of the late Hokage."

"Hmph." Inari scoffed quietly under his breath as he kept his head down and his eyes on the table. After a moment, he looked over at Naruto, whoresting his eyes and nearly asleep. Inari's eyes started to water as heremembered his father and his fate for his courage.

Inari began to cry softly with hot tears rolling down his face and fell onto the table. "Why...?"

Naruto glanced up at the boy and sat up. "What is it?"

Inari slammed his palms down and stood, meeting Naruto's eyes.

"Why do you desperately work so hard until you get like that?! There's no way you'd be a match for Gato's men even if you train!" Inari sniffed and clenched his jaw. "No matter what cool things you say or how much effort you make... the weak always lose out against the truly strong!"

All eyes fell on him as a heavy silence settled between them.

Naruto made a face and rested his head against his arms once more. "...Shut up. I'm not like you."

"Shut up!" Inari sobbed harder. "Looking at you makes me sick! Sticking your nose in even though you don't know anything about this land! I'm not like you who's always acting foolish, not knowing anything about pain!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and his expression darkened. "So... You're just gonna cry all day like the lead in a tragedy? An idiot like you can just cry forever!" Naruto lifted his head to eye the boy with his brows furrowed. "You crybaby!"

Inari's eyes widened and Sakura scowled at Naruto. "Naruto! That's a bit harsh!"

Naruto stood, sticking a hand into his pocket as he walked away without a word and Sakura's expression softened as he left the room.

"Naruto..."

Kakashi watched Naruto leave, then looked back at Inari, who cried harder and kept his hand clenched into fists as his side.

Inari sat at the edge of the deck, overlooking the sea with his legs drawn close to chest.

"Got a minute?" Kakashi asked and stepped towards him slowly. Inari turned to look at him over his shoulder and nodded shortly. Kakashi sat beside him with his legs dangling over the edge of the deck and looked out onto the serene sea where the nearly complete bridge stretched out before them on the horizon.

"Naruto didn't mean any harm with what he said..." Kakashi began. "He's just uncouth, so..." He paused. "We heard the story about your father from Tazuna. Like you, Naruto never had a father as a young child... Actually... he doesn't know either of his parents. Not only that... he didn't have a single friend. The only person he's had is his sister."

Inari blinked and looked up at the Jonin. "What?"

"However, I've never seen him sulk, be timid, or cry." He looked over at Inari, who was watching him. "He's always eager, wanting to be acknowledged by someone. If it's for the sake of his dream, he always risks his life." Kakashi paused again and his eyes fell onto the water below. "He's probably tired of crying."

Inari looked down and pulled his legs closer.

"So, he knows the true meaning of the word strong... Like your father did." Kakashi glanced over at the boy again, then back out to the sea. "Naruto might understand your feelings the most."

Inari looked back up at Kakashi, who smiled.

"What Naruto said earlier... There's no mistaking that he's told himself that same thing over and over again."

"Okay, then! I leave Naruto in your hands." Kakashi led Sakura and Sasuke out of the house, nodding at Tsunami as they stood with Tazuna, prepared to return to the bridge.

Naruto lay on his mat deep in sleep, snoring quietly and his chest slowly rose and fell.

"Because he's used his body to the limit... I don't think he'll be able to move today." Kakashi explained to Tsunami.

Tsunami nodded. "Mr. Kakashi... are you feeling all right?"

"Yes, somehow." Kakashi chuckled.

"We'll be going now!" Tazuna waved at his daughter and turned, beginning to walk away with the Ninja following him.

"What're you doing?" Gato sat on a plush sofa with one leg crossed over the other as he held a phone to his ear. "I didn't hire you guys for charity work..." He scowled, not getting a response. "Hey, are you listening, Zabuza?!"

Zabuza tossed the radio to the bottom of the boat and stomped on it, crushing it into pieces, then glanced up at his protégé. "Shall we go, Haku?"

The boy fixed his mask into place with a nod and glanced upward at the bridge as they drew closer and the sounds of construction rang in their ears.

Naruto's eyes opened slowly and he looked around the room groggily before sitting up quickly.

"I overslept!"

Naruto ran to the kitchen and found Tsunami, who was washing dishes. "Hey, hey! Where is everyone?"

Tsunami smiled and turned to see him. "Naruto, your sensei wanted you to rest and relax today."

Naruto growled in frustration and rushed back to the guest bedroom, dressing quickly.

"I knew it! They left me behind!" He zipped up his jacket and tied on his headband, then ran out of the house. "I'll be back!" Naruto called to the woman over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him.

Inari sat in his room quietly, listening as Naruto rushed around the house loudly and then left.

Naruto rushed to the bridge, leaping from tree-to-tree to cover more ground quickly to catch up.

"Darn it! They could've woken me up!" A dead animal caught his eye and he slowed to look at it from above, noticing its hide covered in wounds and blood.

"W-What the heck is this?!" Tazuna's eyes widened as he saw his friends and fellow builders unconscious on the bridge before him. One of the men tried to move, and Tazuna came closer to him. "What's going on? What happened?!"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he looked over the area. "It couldn't be..."

"Inari!" Tsunami called upstairs. "Come give me a hand!" She paused and called again. "Inari!"

"I'll be right there!" Inari called down from his room.

Gato's assassins smirked as they stepped closer to the house and reached to draw their swords.

A thick fog rolled in and consumed the bridge and Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. "This mist...!"

He turned and took a defensive position with his arms out as a shield for his students.

"Sasuke! Sakura! They're coming."

The two Genin took their place and fell into defensive stances. Sasuke clenched his jaw as he looked around the mist and listened with his Kunai drawn.

"I knew he was still alive..." Kakashi muttered under his breath and formed a hand sign. "Making an appearance so soon, eh..."

"Say, Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura held up her own Kunai up. "This is the Hidden Mist Jutsu, right?"

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Kakashi." Zabuza's voice echoed around them. "I see you've got those brats with you as always."

Sasuke's hand trembled as his heart pounded and his grip tightened on his Kunai, and Zabuza chuckled.

"He's still trembling. Poor thing."

Their eyes widened as Zabuza appeared before them with his sword drawn as he smirked, surrounding them entirely with his clones.

Their eyes widened as Zabuza appeared before them with his sword drawn as he smirked, surrounding them entirely with his clones.

Sasuke smirked slightly and chuckled. "I'm trembling... with excitement."

"Do it, Sasuke." Kakashi glanced toward his student with a smile, whose smirk grew.

Zabuza gritted his teeth and lunged, just as Sasuke rushed forward and slashed through the clones efficiently. Each of the seven clones splattered into a puddle on the ground.

"I can see it!" Sasuke narrowed his eyes in the mist.

"Well, well. So, he could see the water clones, eh?" Zabuza stepped out from the mist with Haku beside him, stopping at a distance from them. "That brat's grown quite a bit." He glanced toward the boy beside him. "This means a rival has emerged, Haku."

"So it seems..." He agreed and his eyes rested on Sasuke from behind his mask.