AN : I had to restart this for a third time from scratch so it's been
a very long time.
Disc:see chapter 1
Chapter 6
Naruto was watching actually lying in an open field of the forest. He had followed Sakura and she had caught him. In her confused state of mind she had lashed out at him. He rubbed his head and found a boy his approximate age looming over him. he seemed relaxed but tense at the same time.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yeah, just a bit shaken." He rubbed the soft spot on his forehead where Sakura had hit him and looked closer at the boy. He looked almost feminine but the little bit of subtle betrayed him as male. There was something unsettling about him but Naruto couldn't put his finger on it. "I'm Naruto, what's your name?" He asked.
"I'm Haku. . ." He took an herb from the ground and put it in his basket. Naruto narrowed his eyes, where had he eared that name before recently. "You're a ninja aren't you?"
"Yeah, and I'm gonna be the best ever to get the name of Hokage and people will recognise me for it, not for anything else!" He said with pride and gusto.
"You want that for yourself or are you doing so for someone?" Haku asked Naruto.
"Huh?" Naruto had launched in his usual tirade and was trying to rewind what Haku had said.
"I mean, do you do it for your own self or do you have something greater then glory?" Haku asked serious as he picked his medical herbs.
"The name of Hokage is given to the strongest ninja of the leaf." Naruto said. "The ninja who bears the name has only one mission, to protect the village of Konohagure. Also, my teacher said the duty of those who are strong is to protect the weaker people." He was stating something Ranma had taught him as well as his 3 different stays in the academy.
"That's good, I was taught that you're truly strong when you defend someone dear to you." Haku said as he got up. He left the clearing and Naruto called to him.
"I know that, that's why I'm strong." Naruto said as he walked towards the other end of the clearing.
"Maybe we'll see each other again." Haku said mysteriously.
"I'm sure of it." Naruto answered as he jumped to the trees.
Naruto arrived at the construction site to find Sakura training by herself in the techniques he had taught her the day before, she was getting better and better and he watched silently as she walked on the surface. She was steadier then the previous day but she couldn't go as far because she was troubled.
"Oi, Sakura-chan!" He called, she turned to him abruptly and fell through the water as she lost her concentration.
"Na-Naruto! You surprised me!" She said as she regained the beach. She focussed once again and restarted. It was getting harder for Naruto to concentrate on training then the previous day. Sakura was in her sports underwear and quite wet. He swallowed and immersed himself into the waters like he had done the previous day. The kiss was still fresh in his mind and her curves, oh those curves, that had been pressed against him and. . . Naruto plunged his whole body into the cold liquid hoping to calm himself and his hormones. Sakura was ¾ of the way to him at the moment and walking slowly nearer.
"You can do it Sakura-chan!" He encouraged.
'Why is he so distracting! He's frustrating, irritating and annoying! Why is he able to distract me like that! Why did he have to kiss so damn good that bastard! He's so damn muscular and that body! ARRRG! He's just not Sasuke! I don't want to be falling for him!' Inner Sakura screamed in indignation.
"DAMMIT!" Sakura screamed as she sinked once again. "Why?" she asked towards Naruto with tears in her eyes. She was going towards him still and Naruto looked like a deer caught in the headlights when she got close enough to hug him and hit him at the same time. He had never dealt with crying girls except for his little sister and this was totally different. He could ear Sakura mutter silent negations that made no sense. "I don't want to." She repeated over and over again as she hit his chest lightly. He tried to sooth her as best as he could but couldn't find anything to say to a crying girl. Even his father was at a loss as to what was the thing to do when it came to women most of the time.
"It's okay Sakura-chan, it's alright." He felt stupid for repeating that but after a minute she finished sobbing and stopped hitting him.
"It's not okay you moron, I can't be. . .you're not Sasuke and I can only. . ." She was trying to tell him something but Naruto couldn't really understand the implications here. All that he knew was that Sakura was both pressing herself against him and struggling to get away. That's how it felt it was for her and he let her go to make up her own mind. She took hold of his soaked muscle shirt he had decided to wear and stayed still as she fought her emotions.
"Sakura-chan. . ." Naruto started but Sakura interrupted him.
"Let's just get back to training. I need to think about all of this." 'Whatever this is' she thought.
"If that's what you want." Naruto relented. They went back to practice with earnests. Sakura seemed to put her frustration into her efforts, hoping the exhaustion would make her problems lessen while Naruto instructed her as neutrally as possible. By the time lunch came, she had made her way to Naruto by walking and was now starting to get a feel of going faster. She was getting exhausted and Naruto stopped the session.
"Enough Sakura, you'll exhaust your chakra if you do anymore. We'll eat lunch and start on your forms and some exercises to boost your reserves." He rose out of the water and walked up to her. He extended his hand to support her and she just took it without thinking about anything. She immediately felt something off about herself, something tickling at the border of her mind. It expanded a bit and she clearly heard Naruto's voice.
'Sakura-chan looks so hot! Badthoughts!badthoughts!' He smiled at her as he supported her. She shook her head, he hadn't said a thing yet she eared him perfectly.
"Did you say anything Naruto?" She asked just to be sure. His eyes widened as he panicked.
"Did I say that aloud!?!" He asked in a shout as was habitual.
"Did you say what? I don't think I saw you talk." Sakura was in shock, was she showing signs of a bloodline ability emerging all of a sudden, could she be gifted with ESP or something like that. It could be playing with her head and make her feel weird. 'YES! That's it! It was just those stupid feelings perturbing my brain and making it like I liked Naruto!' Inner Sakura screamed in glee.
Naruto flinched as he actually eared Sakura saying her feelings were stupid. He didn't understand how he could though. 'Maybe it's my imagination, she didn't say anything. Yeah, just a manifestation of my worst fears.'
Sakura turned to him instantly with her eyes wide as saucers.
'Do you. . .do you hear me Naruto?' She asked with her mind, finally understanding how it worked slightly.
"Errrrr, are you okay Sakura? I'm right next to you so why wouldn't I ear you?" He asked. If he was going crazy at least he was hearing her voice so it wasn't that bad. Sakura's mind went crazy as she tried several times to talk with her mind to Naruto again or to perceive his thoughts but to no avail. They reached the beach and ate their lunches in silence. When the day ended, Naruto was once again dragging a barely conscious Sakura back to Tazuna's place.
This time however, her mind was in so much of a jumbled mess that she fell asleep in his arms.
"You pushed her too hard Naruto." Kakashi said when they passed the doorframe.
"She asked me to push her hard so I had to respect her wishes, if I hadn't she would have done so anyway Kakashi-senseï, and with the way you pushed Sasuke. . ." The ebony aires boy was puking his diner in an obstinate attempt to get more energy as he ate more.
"I'm putting her to bed for now, she'll sleep the night I'm sure." Naruto went to the room she shared with Tsunami while they stayed there. He put her on her futon and left the room, he passed Inari's and saw the boy looking at the sea, he sat next to him without being invited. He peeked at the picture and associated the tear with the one from the picture in the dining hall.
"Your father huh?" Inari looked at Naruto surprised.
"Who cares anyway, he died uselessly." Inari said.
"Do you like to wallow in self pity? That's pathetic." He got up as Inari glared at him.
"What would you know? He died uselessly fighting Gatou just like you'll die soon!" He exclaimed. Naruto turned to him with a feral look in his eyes that almost made the young boy wet his pants.
"You damn brat, just continue crying like a damn drama queen from a soap opera. You know nothing of the true harshness of life you little punk. You at least have a father to grieve." Naruto turned back to the door. "I had nothing, no one would look at me. I have family now but I know what real hardship is like. Your father died then live up to him you whimp." He left the room and a crying Inari. He went for his own supper and Kakashi left the table to give his speech to Inari.
Three days later, Sakura was given a break off training, Kakashi was almost ready for Battle and in the worst case Zabusa was going to be as well. Naruto however decided to go all out in a forest clearing with his father's techniques. He took a couple of heavy rocks hoping to weigh himself down further and released his chakra as much as he could. He wasn't prepared for the massive amount that rushed to his muscles, it was enough to shatter the rocks he had strapped and rip his clothes apart. The weights fell to the ground and he shrugged. He burst into motions which would have seemed random to the untrained eye. He was in fact boosting his own speed by using his motions instead of wasting the power he put into them. He wanted to exhaust himself as much as he could before he started on his jutsus. He then got a brilliant idea.
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" He divided himself in two and both grinned as they went through various stances. Naruto dashed at himself and a battle where he fought himself was joined, it was followed by numerous similar attempts against varying numbers of himself.
Sasuke had followed him hoping to make some of Naruto's jutsus his own but he was unable to copy to way his chakra gathered.
Sakura was hidden somewhere above both Naruto and Sasuke, she watched as her crush tried to copy the techniques and failed. Her eyes, however, were drawn to Naruto, his shirt was ripped apart and his pants were mostly destroyed showing him in another way. He was wet with perspiration and it made him almost desirable.
Kakashi was looking as well, hidden from all his pupils and looking at Naruto.
'If you go and work so hard. . .' He thought.
The next morning, Naruto was sleeping in.
'. . .You'll be burned out.' Kakashi finished as he turned to his other two pupils.
"We'll let Naruto sleep in today, he trained all day yesterday. We'll be alright by ourselves." Kakashi announced.
'YES! Time alone with Sasuke-kun!' Inner Sakura celebrated somewhat less loudly then usual. She didn't seem as enthusiastic as she had before. They left the house to get to the bridge.
Naruto screamed when he woke up.
"ARRRRG! I OVERSLEPT!" He dressed and seized a small lunch before he jumped to the trees to rejoin the bridge. Half way there, he saw the bloodied carcass of a wild boar. He landed, suspicious of what had happened.
'Definitely a bladed weapon, two guys with katanas, they were either coming from Tazuna's place or going there. If I had to put my money on either it would be a no brainer.' He jumped to a branch and looked at both ways, the bridge was getting attacked, that was sure but if the house was attacked and they took an hostage it would just turn to the worst. He took his decision, the house had priority since the rest of his team was at the bridge. He jumped towards Tazuna's residence.
He arrived there to find Inari charging two nameless samurai goons. He grinned as the boy finally showed his backbone. He acted to save the boy, it would have been a waste for him to find some courage only to die. Instead of slashing through flesh, the samurais dented their swords on a pad of metal. Naruto was holding the hatless Inari and his mother just behind them when he turned.
"Good job delaying them Inari. I made a mistake the other day, you are someone strong." The Samurai turned but Naruto was already moving, not really in the mood useless chatter. They were down before they knew what happened.
A little bird landed on Naruto's palm and turned into a scrool. He looked surprised as he read the mission order. His eyes turned dark as he tied the two goons.
"Watch them Inari, the others are at the bridge and you can bet they'll have a fight on their hands." He looked at the boy who nooded almost dumbly before Naruto dashed to the trees once again, he let loose his weights to gain more speed and pumped just a bit of chakra into his legs.
While this was happening, the remainder of team seven was fighting at the Naruto bridge. It had begun with sasuke dispatching a dozen of Zabuza clones. The team appeared through the mist, Zabuza right behind his three former students.
"Still missing your little sleeping beauty I see." Zabuza smirked behind his mask, without this saotome, they had a normal genin team to fight.
"I'll take Kakashi, you have the others." He said.
"I want the kunoichi, she bruised me last time, it's my turn." Sonja looked almost maniacal as she eyed the green haired kunoichi. Sakura didn't waver as she prepared for battle.
"You two. . .our mission isn't to take out those shinobi, we have to protect Tazuna. If you can get out of here, take the opportunity and rejoin Naruto you may stand a chance if you are as a full group." Kakashi knew it was stupid, they couldn't get away, Sasuke was too centered on the battle and Sakura had no chance if they double teamed her. Zabuza thickned the mist that was already rolling in and started to battle Kakashi. Sasuke and Kohaku charged one another as Sonja approached Sakura cautiously trying to find a way to break through her defences. Haku was in the back, ready to kill anytime.
Sasuke hadn't activated his sharingan but he had released his weights. Now lighter and thus faster and stronger, he had no real problem. He dashed so fast that Sakura could barely follow him. Kohaku lost both his swords and fell victim to his Taijutsu. He was on his knees before Sonja or Haku could charge him.
"Sonja, take care of the kunoichi. This one is too much for you." Haku warned as the girl used kawarimi to get her teamate out of harms way. Haku stood proud in front of the Uchiha. They charged and joined battle. Haku blocked the first kunai strike and composed his water needle technique. Sasuke jumped using chakra control and launched his own projectiles which Haku dodged. He landed behind the masked boy and attacked. Haku dodged the first swipe of sasuke's kunai and barely did the second but his third heel strike met a resounding hit.
'Incredible, he managed to take Haku in speed.' Zabuza was surprised.
"Surprised? Don't be, Sasuke is the most gifted of his class, Sakura is the smartest and Naruto. . ." Kakashi smiled mysteriously. "He's the most unpredictable ninja of the village."
"You have to be careful Haku, he's not a normal genin." Zabuza instructed.
"You're right Zabuza-san." He said as he made a serie of seals, Sasuke felt the icy presence around him but was surrounded. "Makyou Hyoshou" Haku said as the demonic mirrors surrounded Sasuke. He entered a mirror and the battle started anew. With Haku inside his mirrors and Sakura about to get jumped by Sonja, Zabuza started to fight with earnests. They had only been trading weapon blows but now Zabuza was unleashing his Kirigakure no jutsu.
'With this deep mist I can't use Sharringan.' Kakashi thought.
"Kohaku was right then, the sharringan really is just a parlor trick." Zabuza was smirking under his mask. He swipped at Kakashi who didn't have time to dodge and received a long gash.
Outside the mist, Sakura had her own troubles, fighting normally was already tough but with protecting Tazuna-san it was even tougher. Souja attacked not Sakura but was aiming for the bridge builder. The old man was already flat on his back as he tried to make himself as invisible as possible.
Sakura released her weights but Sonja took the opportunity to throw a hard punch which caught her under the jaw. Sakura was almost sent flying but by exercising chakra control under her feet she remained almost immobile. She countered with a left hook which sent the other girl back quite a bit.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had activated his Sharingan and was still having a rough time of fighting Haku, the Mist shinobi was faster then him and the sharingan could barely follow. His body was far from ready for this kind of speed and the incessant passing from one mirror to another was quite unnerving.
Sonja was smiling, with the advantage of either attacking the target or the bodyguard she had the undisputable advantage in this battle. She attacked Sakura with a series of different projectiles and slashes as she sent other attacks towards Tazuna. Sakura was still wearing her weights this time, accustomed to the familiar burden and she didn't feel hampered in the least. Those lumps of metal were protecting her from the kunais and shurikens that Sonja used.
"I tire of this." She said through the mist. She composed a jutsu and Sakura saw the opportunity. She released her weights and dashed to Tazuna. Sonja was far from finished with composing her jutsu but Sakura was about to turn tail and run. She didn't have the time to get to her.
Haku saw the same thing and sent a hail of neddles towards Sakura making her want to collapse.
"She was mine Haku!" Sonja shouted to her teamate. An inhuman scream filled the air. She felt shivers run down her spine as an evil source of chakra exploded from where Sakura was on her knees.
'What evil Chakra!' The mist nins thought as Kakashi frowned with only one word on his mind.
'Kyuuby. . .' He knew he had to hurry but even with the summoning scroll a possessed Naruto would be impossible to defeat if he was motivated enough.
"Your pupils made a mistake Zabuza." Kakashi announced to the missing nin.
"They hurt one of your pupils Kakashi, that happens when shinobi battle, we're tools of death." He was smirking like a shark.
"You may be called the demon Zabuza. . ." Kakashi trailled off, serious like hell as he drew his summoning scroll and started the ingei to the technique. "But they just provoked a real demon. . ."
Naruto was running to the battle scene only to be greeted by Sakura. He immediately knew she had been in a battle. Her weights were off and he could see the blood leaking from various wounds.
"Sakura-chan!" He exclaimed.
"Na-ru-to. . ." She struggled to say this. Naruto then took notice of the needles peeking out of her neck and other muscles. She took another step forward, still dragging Tazuna off the battlefield and Naruto met her before she made a second one. Tazuna dropped to the ground, now unconscious, and Sakura into his arms.
"Sakura. . .come on Sakura. . .don't you die on me Sakura. . ." He pleaded silently. Tears slipped out of his eyes and he screamed like an animal towards the heavens.
"I don't have the time for this anymore." Haku announced as he charged an attack from within his mirrors. Sasuke was able to follow the Ingei but not the technique. He narrowed his eyes, he had had his doubts about it but it made no doubt anymore, Haku was from an advanced bloodline. "Suiton, Hyousou no Jutsu!" (ice sculpture technique)
Even as Sasuke released the weights on his vest he knew it was to no avail. The mirror right above him had melted leaving him soaked and it was already hardening. He made a quick serie of seals and put his fingers to his lips. He poured all of his chakra into the technique hoping to free himself and damage the boy. It wasn't as successful as he had hoped but it freed him. It wasn't enough for him to evade the rain of needles that pierced him.
'I'm wasting too much chakra.' Haku though as he dispelled his ice mirrors. He turned to the source of chakra, it was intense and it oddly felt evil. He had felt killing intent but never like that. He prepared for the battle of his life.
Sakura was somewhere dark, it looked like a sewer actually.
"Hello!" Her shout echoed through the virtual walls of the place as she moved forward. It felt so cold and lonely. "Anybody!" She shouted again, this time her cries were answered by a bestial growl from a bit deeper. She moved towards the sound and stopped in front of a gigantic gate with a seal stamped in front of it. Sakura jumped back as eyes that were purely evil gazed at her.
"So. . .you're the pathetic human female my vessel has chosen as his mate? What a joke!" The animal growled. Sakura took an instinctive stepp backwards at the inhuman voice and shivered as she felt the killing intent.
"What are you? Where am I?" She asked in a frightened voice.
"You're inside my mind Sakura-chan." Naruto's voice sounded behind her. She turned to the boy who looked extremely sad and angered at the same time.
"Naruto?" She asked as she looked at him. He moved in front of her and faced the animal she had yet to identify.
"Trying to take over my mind are you?" He asked.
"If it wasn't for this seal, you would be dead by now boy!" He growled. Naruto growled back at the beast but didn't flinch. He even turned his back to it.
"You're just as pissed as I am that they hurt Sakura-chan." He said as he walked towards the girl. The beast growled again.
"Me? The mighty Kyuuby angered because they hurt a human girl?" He asked his container. "Don't be stupid boy, she could just as well die and I wouldn't care!"
Sakura gasped at the identity of the caged being, it now had the distinctive figure of a fox.
"Naruto?" She asked the boy who looked at her sadly now, he was sure she would reject him now that she knew.
"The demon wasn't destroyed Sakura-chan. It was sealed inside a new born baby by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. . .me." He said, the pink haired girl gasped at the admission as the demon smirked. It feasted upon their conflicting emotions. It wasn't enough to give him power but it was sustenance.
Naruto frowned and turned to leave.
"I don't know how you came here Sakura but you should get out. It's the first time I come here in my mind. . .I just hope you still have a body to go back to." Said as he faded. The presence of the fox disappeared and Sakura was back in the dark recesses of her own mind.
Naruto had been able to talk to sakura, it had unfortunately been right in front of the Kyuuby. When he returned to reality, he was still holding her prone body, a mere second had passed between the time in his mind and the real time. He gently put her on the ground. She smelled alive but she was gravely hurt. He frowned. He could feel the terrible chgakra of the kyuuby around him. It was terrifying and invigorating at the same time. He grinned as he charged, intending on taking care of the first mist nin he saw. It was a twisted sight to behold the berserk Naruto. It was gracious and violently bestial at the same time. He moved so fast Sonja couldn't react before he had her by the neck and was choking her slowly. His vicious hold made her pass out swiftly as he burst forward towards Haku. The boy triewd the same strategy he had used against Sasuke with a twist. When Naruto took to the air he simply twisted and sent his ice shuriken right at him. The weapons were deadly accurate and would have hurt Naruto had he not been radiating as much chakra. The weapons melted and harmlessly touched the boy.
Haku invoked the demonic ice mirrors and tried the same technique he had used against Sasuke but it was no use. Naruto was simply overpowering his each and every moves. He waited for the final blow as his face mask broke to reveal Haku. Naruto didn't stop his fist completely but he changed the angle of his attack just enough for the boy to simply be knocked out. He turned to where Sakura had been laying unconscious. His face loomed over hers as she woke up.
"Daijobu Sakura-chan?" He asked her. He was frightened of her reaction and it showed in his eyes.
She tried to speak but it wasn't possible. She tried to move but her nerves were still paralysed. Only her eyes showed any feelings, she didn't look frightened of him at the moment but that might have been because of the disorientation. Naruto turned around as he felt the gathered chakra of the Raikiri. Before Kakashi could unleash his move however, Gatou appeared at the end of the bridge to kick the inert form of Haku.
"How useless, At least I have a contingency plan." He said as his mercenaries came into view.
"We were betrayed." Zabuza stated. He turned to Kakashi. "We have no reason to fight like this anymore."
"Hai." The silver haired ninja ordered his cute nin dogs to release the missing nin but kept the Raikiri up. It would be a waste of his precious chakra to release the technique, especially if it had a use.
"We'll just have to kill every one of you useless ninjas and pillage the town as punishment. I think I'll enjoy watching as they pillage." Gatou remarked.
Naruto eared it and his look turned to look menacingly at the group.
"You're Gotou?" He asked. The small man nodded with his maniacal smile but it slipped off his face as Naruto burst forward. The slice at the man's head was clean and simple, he never had the time to even think about his death. Naruto moved back in his original position as his teacher looked at him. The boy was shaking now but he didn't show the turmoil of his emotion after having killed.
"Naruto? Why did you kill him?" He asked his pupil. Sakura's eyes widened as she could only see the back of his head.
"I received a mission order. It was an A-type mission, an assassination on Gatou." He was schooling his features but he couldn't stop the suddering from his voice. The bandits hadn't taken to it but Kakashi and Zabuza had.
"First kill eh kid?" The masked ninja asked as he was turned to the threat at hand.
"What is it to you no brows?" He asked back. It was all the affirmation Zabuza needed.
"Well now, what do we do? Kill them all and take the place over?" One of the bandits asked with a feral grin. Naruto was the one to answer as he produced a ball of red ki.
"No, you won't." He said with a frown. He jumped to the air and threw the ball at the bridge making a large indentation in the pavement and weakening it enough for the portion of the road to shatter and all of them to fall to the waters below. The show of power was enough to make sure they ran.
And the battle was over.
Two days later, the mist ninjas had a visitor.
"So. . .we have a new Mizukage." Zabuza said from his place. A hunter nin was near him.
"Hai, and he's reinstating you and your team to the village, it's one of your old team mates from your rebellion who staged his own a week ago." Zabuza nodded and got up.
"Then I guess you won't mind us leaving after you, we were hurt in battle and we need a little recovery." He was weary of the man, it wasn't sure he hadn't lied about it. The hunter nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
The next day, they were gone.
Naruto was the only one still fit do do the protection job for Tazuna while Sakura and Sasuke recuperated so he hadn't been able to see much of Sakura since then. He did have a few words with Kakashi though.
"It's hard isn't it?" The man asked the teenager, no the man he had to remind himself.
"Does it ever get easier?" He asked his teacher, normally Ranma would have answered that but he was away and his shadow was always coming and going.
"Depends on wetter or not you want it to. Some ninjas just shut their feelings when it comes to killing while others keep them." He said sadly.
"Why would you want to keep them, it's so unsettling, so sad and. . .and. . .disturbing." He said still shakily.
"To remind yourself that killing isn't enjoyable, some take pleasure from doing things like this, they become monsters. Zabuza is one of those people, he may never say it but he cares for his team. He buried his feelings so far that he seems to enjoy killing. It's something that causes people to fear him." He said making a difference between the two ways of dealing with killing.
Naruto gazed at the river and seemed to think deeply.
"I almost enjoyed it." He said darkly.
"Huh?" Kakashi said surprised, Naruto couldn't possibly be really like that.
"When I was berserk after Haku hurt Sakura. I had power then and I almost enjoyed hurting them. But then, when I felt her waking up, just as I was about to finish Haku for good, I thought of why the villagers hate me, would I be just as bad as Kyuuby if I killed for pleasure." He said darkly.
"And you spared him, it makes you better then the stupid kitsune." Kakashi stated.
Naruto poundered on this for a moment and gazed still at the river, this time, it wasn't darkly, he just enjoyed the view.
"I've decided sensei, I won't burry my feelings like Zabuza and neither will I keep them to rot in me. I'll make my own way as a ninja and if I need to kill again I'll do it but I won't just bottle it up afterwards." He said. "I'll just make my own nin-do and move on." He affirmed as he looked at the stars. Kakashi nodded and left him. As he passed the door he didn't turn to look but he talked to Sakura who was leaning on the wall.
"You know don't you?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, he's the Kyuuby's container, the seal to the demon was imposed on him as a child. You can't tell anyone you know this Sakura. It's the law and the penalty for telling someone is instant death.
She swallowed a lump in her throat and moved to the door.
"I need to speak with him, if only to tell him it doesn't matter." She said determined. Kakashi nodded and went away to sleep.
Sakura saw Naruto, he was looking at the stars and the crescent moon over their heads.
"Naruto. . ." She started.
"I'd understand if you didn't want anything with me anymore Sakura-san." He said. His saying san after her name hurt more then her injuries she realised.
"I wouldn't dream of it Naruto-kun." She told him as she approached. His head straightened. Sakura always called him Naruto but never with the suffix kun. "You have the demon sealed inside you. It's not as though you are to blame for the fact that it was nor does it mean you're the demon." She said. She moved to stand next to him and gazed at the scenery as well. Naruto's face changed in an instant and his smile reappeared.
"Thank you. . .Sakura-chan." He whispered as her looked at the moon and stars over them.
End of this chapter.
An: It took timer but I have a real life and other stories you know. I'd like to thank all my reviewers for their support and say this first arc of Naruto (Naruto bridge arc) is over with, now it's either the chuunin exams or what I had planned for diverging, since there are a few story time months between the two (not really but I can change it at will) I'll probably put a bit of filler space for the next chapters. It's about someone using some forbidden jutsus that go haywire.
C&C are welcomed and flames are used to strengthen my doton and morph it into a lava missile! See ya
Godai
Disc:see chapter 1
Chapter 6
Naruto was watching actually lying in an open field of the forest. He had followed Sakura and she had caught him. In her confused state of mind she had lashed out at him. He rubbed his head and found a boy his approximate age looming over him. he seemed relaxed but tense at the same time.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yeah, just a bit shaken." He rubbed the soft spot on his forehead where Sakura had hit him and looked closer at the boy. He looked almost feminine but the little bit of subtle betrayed him as male. There was something unsettling about him but Naruto couldn't put his finger on it. "I'm Naruto, what's your name?" He asked.
"I'm Haku. . ." He took an herb from the ground and put it in his basket. Naruto narrowed his eyes, where had he eared that name before recently. "You're a ninja aren't you?"
"Yeah, and I'm gonna be the best ever to get the name of Hokage and people will recognise me for it, not for anything else!" He said with pride and gusto.
"You want that for yourself or are you doing so for someone?" Haku asked Naruto.
"Huh?" Naruto had launched in his usual tirade and was trying to rewind what Haku had said.
"I mean, do you do it for your own self or do you have something greater then glory?" Haku asked serious as he picked his medical herbs.
"The name of Hokage is given to the strongest ninja of the leaf." Naruto said. "The ninja who bears the name has only one mission, to protect the village of Konohagure. Also, my teacher said the duty of those who are strong is to protect the weaker people." He was stating something Ranma had taught him as well as his 3 different stays in the academy.
"That's good, I was taught that you're truly strong when you defend someone dear to you." Haku said as he got up. He left the clearing and Naruto called to him.
"I know that, that's why I'm strong." Naruto said as he walked towards the other end of the clearing.
"Maybe we'll see each other again." Haku said mysteriously.
"I'm sure of it." Naruto answered as he jumped to the trees.
Naruto arrived at the construction site to find Sakura training by herself in the techniques he had taught her the day before, she was getting better and better and he watched silently as she walked on the surface. She was steadier then the previous day but she couldn't go as far because she was troubled.
"Oi, Sakura-chan!" He called, she turned to him abruptly and fell through the water as she lost her concentration.
"Na-Naruto! You surprised me!" She said as she regained the beach. She focussed once again and restarted. It was getting harder for Naruto to concentrate on training then the previous day. Sakura was in her sports underwear and quite wet. He swallowed and immersed himself into the waters like he had done the previous day. The kiss was still fresh in his mind and her curves, oh those curves, that had been pressed against him and. . . Naruto plunged his whole body into the cold liquid hoping to calm himself and his hormones. Sakura was ¾ of the way to him at the moment and walking slowly nearer.
"You can do it Sakura-chan!" He encouraged.
'Why is he so distracting! He's frustrating, irritating and annoying! Why is he able to distract me like that! Why did he have to kiss so damn good that bastard! He's so damn muscular and that body! ARRRG! He's just not Sasuke! I don't want to be falling for him!' Inner Sakura screamed in indignation.
"DAMMIT!" Sakura screamed as she sinked once again. "Why?" she asked towards Naruto with tears in her eyes. She was going towards him still and Naruto looked like a deer caught in the headlights when she got close enough to hug him and hit him at the same time. He had never dealt with crying girls except for his little sister and this was totally different. He could ear Sakura mutter silent negations that made no sense. "I don't want to." She repeated over and over again as she hit his chest lightly. He tried to sooth her as best as he could but couldn't find anything to say to a crying girl. Even his father was at a loss as to what was the thing to do when it came to women most of the time.
"It's okay Sakura-chan, it's alright." He felt stupid for repeating that but after a minute she finished sobbing and stopped hitting him.
"It's not okay you moron, I can't be. . .you're not Sasuke and I can only. . ." She was trying to tell him something but Naruto couldn't really understand the implications here. All that he knew was that Sakura was both pressing herself against him and struggling to get away. That's how it felt it was for her and he let her go to make up her own mind. She took hold of his soaked muscle shirt he had decided to wear and stayed still as she fought her emotions.
"Sakura-chan. . ." Naruto started but Sakura interrupted him.
"Let's just get back to training. I need to think about all of this." 'Whatever this is' she thought.
"If that's what you want." Naruto relented. They went back to practice with earnests. Sakura seemed to put her frustration into her efforts, hoping the exhaustion would make her problems lessen while Naruto instructed her as neutrally as possible. By the time lunch came, she had made her way to Naruto by walking and was now starting to get a feel of going faster. She was getting exhausted and Naruto stopped the session.
"Enough Sakura, you'll exhaust your chakra if you do anymore. We'll eat lunch and start on your forms and some exercises to boost your reserves." He rose out of the water and walked up to her. He extended his hand to support her and she just took it without thinking about anything. She immediately felt something off about herself, something tickling at the border of her mind. It expanded a bit and she clearly heard Naruto's voice.
'Sakura-chan looks so hot! Badthoughts!badthoughts!' He smiled at her as he supported her. She shook her head, he hadn't said a thing yet she eared him perfectly.
"Did you say anything Naruto?" She asked just to be sure. His eyes widened as he panicked.
"Did I say that aloud!?!" He asked in a shout as was habitual.
"Did you say what? I don't think I saw you talk." Sakura was in shock, was she showing signs of a bloodline ability emerging all of a sudden, could she be gifted with ESP or something like that. It could be playing with her head and make her feel weird. 'YES! That's it! It was just those stupid feelings perturbing my brain and making it like I liked Naruto!' Inner Sakura screamed in glee.
Naruto flinched as he actually eared Sakura saying her feelings were stupid. He didn't understand how he could though. 'Maybe it's my imagination, she didn't say anything. Yeah, just a manifestation of my worst fears.'
Sakura turned to him instantly with her eyes wide as saucers.
'Do you. . .do you hear me Naruto?' She asked with her mind, finally understanding how it worked slightly.
"Errrrr, are you okay Sakura? I'm right next to you so why wouldn't I ear you?" He asked. If he was going crazy at least he was hearing her voice so it wasn't that bad. Sakura's mind went crazy as she tried several times to talk with her mind to Naruto again or to perceive his thoughts but to no avail. They reached the beach and ate their lunches in silence. When the day ended, Naruto was once again dragging a barely conscious Sakura back to Tazuna's place.
This time however, her mind was in so much of a jumbled mess that she fell asleep in his arms.
"You pushed her too hard Naruto." Kakashi said when they passed the doorframe.
"She asked me to push her hard so I had to respect her wishes, if I hadn't she would have done so anyway Kakashi-senseï, and with the way you pushed Sasuke. . ." The ebony aires boy was puking his diner in an obstinate attempt to get more energy as he ate more.
"I'm putting her to bed for now, she'll sleep the night I'm sure." Naruto went to the room she shared with Tsunami while they stayed there. He put her on her futon and left the room, he passed Inari's and saw the boy looking at the sea, he sat next to him without being invited. He peeked at the picture and associated the tear with the one from the picture in the dining hall.
"Your father huh?" Inari looked at Naruto surprised.
"Who cares anyway, he died uselessly." Inari said.
"Do you like to wallow in self pity? That's pathetic." He got up as Inari glared at him.
"What would you know? He died uselessly fighting Gatou just like you'll die soon!" He exclaimed. Naruto turned to him with a feral look in his eyes that almost made the young boy wet his pants.
"You damn brat, just continue crying like a damn drama queen from a soap opera. You know nothing of the true harshness of life you little punk. You at least have a father to grieve." Naruto turned back to the door. "I had nothing, no one would look at me. I have family now but I know what real hardship is like. Your father died then live up to him you whimp." He left the room and a crying Inari. He went for his own supper and Kakashi left the table to give his speech to Inari.
Three days later, Sakura was given a break off training, Kakashi was almost ready for Battle and in the worst case Zabusa was going to be as well. Naruto however decided to go all out in a forest clearing with his father's techniques. He took a couple of heavy rocks hoping to weigh himself down further and released his chakra as much as he could. He wasn't prepared for the massive amount that rushed to his muscles, it was enough to shatter the rocks he had strapped and rip his clothes apart. The weights fell to the ground and he shrugged. He burst into motions which would have seemed random to the untrained eye. He was in fact boosting his own speed by using his motions instead of wasting the power he put into them. He wanted to exhaust himself as much as he could before he started on his jutsus. He then got a brilliant idea.
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" He divided himself in two and both grinned as they went through various stances. Naruto dashed at himself and a battle where he fought himself was joined, it was followed by numerous similar attempts against varying numbers of himself.
Sasuke had followed him hoping to make some of Naruto's jutsus his own but he was unable to copy to way his chakra gathered.
Sakura was hidden somewhere above both Naruto and Sasuke, she watched as her crush tried to copy the techniques and failed. Her eyes, however, were drawn to Naruto, his shirt was ripped apart and his pants were mostly destroyed showing him in another way. He was wet with perspiration and it made him almost desirable.
Kakashi was looking as well, hidden from all his pupils and looking at Naruto.
'If you go and work so hard. . .' He thought.
The next morning, Naruto was sleeping in.
'. . .You'll be burned out.' Kakashi finished as he turned to his other two pupils.
"We'll let Naruto sleep in today, he trained all day yesterday. We'll be alright by ourselves." Kakashi announced.
'YES! Time alone with Sasuke-kun!' Inner Sakura celebrated somewhat less loudly then usual. She didn't seem as enthusiastic as she had before. They left the house to get to the bridge.
Naruto screamed when he woke up.
"ARRRRG! I OVERSLEPT!" He dressed and seized a small lunch before he jumped to the trees to rejoin the bridge. Half way there, he saw the bloodied carcass of a wild boar. He landed, suspicious of what had happened.
'Definitely a bladed weapon, two guys with katanas, they were either coming from Tazuna's place or going there. If I had to put my money on either it would be a no brainer.' He jumped to a branch and looked at both ways, the bridge was getting attacked, that was sure but if the house was attacked and they took an hostage it would just turn to the worst. He took his decision, the house had priority since the rest of his team was at the bridge. He jumped towards Tazuna's residence.
He arrived there to find Inari charging two nameless samurai goons. He grinned as the boy finally showed his backbone. He acted to save the boy, it would have been a waste for him to find some courage only to die. Instead of slashing through flesh, the samurais dented their swords on a pad of metal. Naruto was holding the hatless Inari and his mother just behind them when he turned.
"Good job delaying them Inari. I made a mistake the other day, you are someone strong." The Samurai turned but Naruto was already moving, not really in the mood useless chatter. They were down before they knew what happened.
A little bird landed on Naruto's palm and turned into a scrool. He looked surprised as he read the mission order. His eyes turned dark as he tied the two goons.
"Watch them Inari, the others are at the bridge and you can bet they'll have a fight on their hands." He looked at the boy who nooded almost dumbly before Naruto dashed to the trees once again, he let loose his weights to gain more speed and pumped just a bit of chakra into his legs.
While this was happening, the remainder of team seven was fighting at the Naruto bridge. It had begun with sasuke dispatching a dozen of Zabuza clones. The team appeared through the mist, Zabuza right behind his three former students.
"Still missing your little sleeping beauty I see." Zabuza smirked behind his mask, without this saotome, they had a normal genin team to fight.
"I'll take Kakashi, you have the others." He said.
"I want the kunoichi, she bruised me last time, it's my turn." Sonja looked almost maniacal as she eyed the green haired kunoichi. Sakura didn't waver as she prepared for battle.
"You two. . .our mission isn't to take out those shinobi, we have to protect Tazuna. If you can get out of here, take the opportunity and rejoin Naruto you may stand a chance if you are as a full group." Kakashi knew it was stupid, they couldn't get away, Sasuke was too centered on the battle and Sakura had no chance if they double teamed her. Zabuza thickned the mist that was already rolling in and started to battle Kakashi. Sasuke and Kohaku charged one another as Sonja approached Sakura cautiously trying to find a way to break through her defences. Haku was in the back, ready to kill anytime.
Sasuke hadn't activated his sharingan but he had released his weights. Now lighter and thus faster and stronger, he had no real problem. He dashed so fast that Sakura could barely follow him. Kohaku lost both his swords and fell victim to his Taijutsu. He was on his knees before Sonja or Haku could charge him.
"Sonja, take care of the kunoichi. This one is too much for you." Haku warned as the girl used kawarimi to get her teamate out of harms way. Haku stood proud in front of the Uchiha. They charged and joined battle. Haku blocked the first kunai strike and composed his water needle technique. Sasuke jumped using chakra control and launched his own projectiles which Haku dodged. He landed behind the masked boy and attacked. Haku dodged the first swipe of sasuke's kunai and barely did the second but his third heel strike met a resounding hit.
'Incredible, he managed to take Haku in speed.' Zabuza was surprised.
"Surprised? Don't be, Sasuke is the most gifted of his class, Sakura is the smartest and Naruto. . ." Kakashi smiled mysteriously. "He's the most unpredictable ninja of the village."
"You have to be careful Haku, he's not a normal genin." Zabuza instructed.
"You're right Zabuza-san." He said as he made a serie of seals, Sasuke felt the icy presence around him but was surrounded. "Makyou Hyoshou" Haku said as the demonic mirrors surrounded Sasuke. He entered a mirror and the battle started anew. With Haku inside his mirrors and Sakura about to get jumped by Sonja, Zabuza started to fight with earnests. They had only been trading weapon blows but now Zabuza was unleashing his Kirigakure no jutsu.
'With this deep mist I can't use Sharringan.' Kakashi thought.
"Kohaku was right then, the sharringan really is just a parlor trick." Zabuza was smirking under his mask. He swipped at Kakashi who didn't have time to dodge and received a long gash.
Outside the mist, Sakura had her own troubles, fighting normally was already tough but with protecting Tazuna-san it was even tougher. Souja attacked not Sakura but was aiming for the bridge builder. The old man was already flat on his back as he tried to make himself as invisible as possible.
Sakura released her weights but Sonja took the opportunity to throw a hard punch which caught her under the jaw. Sakura was almost sent flying but by exercising chakra control under her feet she remained almost immobile. She countered with a left hook which sent the other girl back quite a bit.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had activated his Sharingan and was still having a rough time of fighting Haku, the Mist shinobi was faster then him and the sharingan could barely follow. His body was far from ready for this kind of speed and the incessant passing from one mirror to another was quite unnerving.
Sonja was smiling, with the advantage of either attacking the target or the bodyguard she had the undisputable advantage in this battle. She attacked Sakura with a series of different projectiles and slashes as she sent other attacks towards Tazuna. Sakura was still wearing her weights this time, accustomed to the familiar burden and she didn't feel hampered in the least. Those lumps of metal were protecting her from the kunais and shurikens that Sonja used.
"I tire of this." She said through the mist. She composed a jutsu and Sakura saw the opportunity. She released her weights and dashed to Tazuna. Sonja was far from finished with composing her jutsu but Sakura was about to turn tail and run. She didn't have the time to get to her.
Haku saw the same thing and sent a hail of neddles towards Sakura making her want to collapse.
"She was mine Haku!" Sonja shouted to her teamate. An inhuman scream filled the air. She felt shivers run down her spine as an evil source of chakra exploded from where Sakura was on her knees.
'What evil Chakra!' The mist nins thought as Kakashi frowned with only one word on his mind.
'Kyuuby. . .' He knew he had to hurry but even with the summoning scroll a possessed Naruto would be impossible to defeat if he was motivated enough.
"Your pupils made a mistake Zabuza." Kakashi announced to the missing nin.
"They hurt one of your pupils Kakashi, that happens when shinobi battle, we're tools of death." He was smirking like a shark.
"You may be called the demon Zabuza. . ." Kakashi trailled off, serious like hell as he drew his summoning scroll and started the ingei to the technique. "But they just provoked a real demon. . ."
Naruto was running to the battle scene only to be greeted by Sakura. He immediately knew she had been in a battle. Her weights were off and he could see the blood leaking from various wounds.
"Sakura-chan!" He exclaimed.
"Na-ru-to. . ." She struggled to say this. Naruto then took notice of the needles peeking out of her neck and other muscles. She took another step forward, still dragging Tazuna off the battlefield and Naruto met her before she made a second one. Tazuna dropped to the ground, now unconscious, and Sakura into his arms.
"Sakura. . .come on Sakura. . .don't you die on me Sakura. . ." He pleaded silently. Tears slipped out of his eyes and he screamed like an animal towards the heavens.
"I don't have the time for this anymore." Haku announced as he charged an attack from within his mirrors. Sasuke was able to follow the Ingei but not the technique. He narrowed his eyes, he had had his doubts about it but it made no doubt anymore, Haku was from an advanced bloodline. "Suiton, Hyousou no Jutsu!" (ice sculpture technique)
Even as Sasuke released the weights on his vest he knew it was to no avail. The mirror right above him had melted leaving him soaked and it was already hardening. He made a quick serie of seals and put his fingers to his lips. He poured all of his chakra into the technique hoping to free himself and damage the boy. It wasn't as successful as he had hoped but it freed him. It wasn't enough for him to evade the rain of needles that pierced him.
'I'm wasting too much chakra.' Haku though as he dispelled his ice mirrors. He turned to the source of chakra, it was intense and it oddly felt evil. He had felt killing intent but never like that. He prepared for the battle of his life.
Sakura was somewhere dark, it looked like a sewer actually.
"Hello!" Her shout echoed through the virtual walls of the place as she moved forward. It felt so cold and lonely. "Anybody!" She shouted again, this time her cries were answered by a bestial growl from a bit deeper. She moved towards the sound and stopped in front of a gigantic gate with a seal stamped in front of it. Sakura jumped back as eyes that were purely evil gazed at her.
"So. . .you're the pathetic human female my vessel has chosen as his mate? What a joke!" The animal growled. Sakura took an instinctive stepp backwards at the inhuman voice and shivered as she felt the killing intent.
"What are you? Where am I?" She asked in a frightened voice.
"You're inside my mind Sakura-chan." Naruto's voice sounded behind her. She turned to the boy who looked extremely sad and angered at the same time.
"Naruto?" She asked as she looked at him. He moved in front of her and faced the animal she had yet to identify.
"Trying to take over my mind are you?" He asked.
"If it wasn't for this seal, you would be dead by now boy!" He growled. Naruto growled back at the beast but didn't flinch. He even turned his back to it.
"You're just as pissed as I am that they hurt Sakura-chan." He said as he walked towards the girl. The beast growled again.
"Me? The mighty Kyuuby angered because they hurt a human girl?" He asked his container. "Don't be stupid boy, she could just as well die and I wouldn't care!"
Sakura gasped at the identity of the caged being, it now had the distinctive figure of a fox.
"Naruto?" She asked the boy who looked at her sadly now, he was sure she would reject him now that she knew.
"The demon wasn't destroyed Sakura-chan. It was sealed inside a new born baby by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. . .me." He said, the pink haired girl gasped at the admission as the demon smirked. It feasted upon their conflicting emotions. It wasn't enough to give him power but it was sustenance.
Naruto frowned and turned to leave.
"I don't know how you came here Sakura but you should get out. It's the first time I come here in my mind. . .I just hope you still have a body to go back to." Said as he faded. The presence of the fox disappeared and Sakura was back in the dark recesses of her own mind.
Naruto had been able to talk to sakura, it had unfortunately been right in front of the Kyuuby. When he returned to reality, he was still holding her prone body, a mere second had passed between the time in his mind and the real time. He gently put her on the ground. She smelled alive but she was gravely hurt. He frowned. He could feel the terrible chgakra of the kyuuby around him. It was terrifying and invigorating at the same time. He grinned as he charged, intending on taking care of the first mist nin he saw. It was a twisted sight to behold the berserk Naruto. It was gracious and violently bestial at the same time. He moved so fast Sonja couldn't react before he had her by the neck and was choking her slowly. His vicious hold made her pass out swiftly as he burst forward towards Haku. The boy triewd the same strategy he had used against Sasuke with a twist. When Naruto took to the air he simply twisted and sent his ice shuriken right at him. The weapons were deadly accurate and would have hurt Naruto had he not been radiating as much chakra. The weapons melted and harmlessly touched the boy.
Haku invoked the demonic ice mirrors and tried the same technique he had used against Sasuke but it was no use. Naruto was simply overpowering his each and every moves. He waited for the final blow as his face mask broke to reveal Haku. Naruto didn't stop his fist completely but he changed the angle of his attack just enough for the boy to simply be knocked out. He turned to where Sakura had been laying unconscious. His face loomed over hers as she woke up.
"Daijobu Sakura-chan?" He asked her. He was frightened of her reaction and it showed in his eyes.
She tried to speak but it wasn't possible. She tried to move but her nerves were still paralysed. Only her eyes showed any feelings, she didn't look frightened of him at the moment but that might have been because of the disorientation. Naruto turned around as he felt the gathered chakra of the Raikiri. Before Kakashi could unleash his move however, Gatou appeared at the end of the bridge to kick the inert form of Haku.
"How useless, At least I have a contingency plan." He said as his mercenaries came into view.
"We were betrayed." Zabuza stated. He turned to Kakashi. "We have no reason to fight like this anymore."
"Hai." The silver haired ninja ordered his cute nin dogs to release the missing nin but kept the Raikiri up. It would be a waste of his precious chakra to release the technique, especially if it had a use.
"We'll just have to kill every one of you useless ninjas and pillage the town as punishment. I think I'll enjoy watching as they pillage." Gatou remarked.
Naruto eared it and his look turned to look menacingly at the group.
"You're Gotou?" He asked. The small man nodded with his maniacal smile but it slipped off his face as Naruto burst forward. The slice at the man's head was clean and simple, he never had the time to even think about his death. Naruto moved back in his original position as his teacher looked at him. The boy was shaking now but he didn't show the turmoil of his emotion after having killed.
"Naruto? Why did you kill him?" He asked his pupil. Sakura's eyes widened as she could only see the back of his head.
"I received a mission order. It was an A-type mission, an assassination on Gatou." He was schooling his features but he couldn't stop the suddering from his voice. The bandits hadn't taken to it but Kakashi and Zabuza had.
"First kill eh kid?" The masked ninja asked as he was turned to the threat at hand.
"What is it to you no brows?" He asked back. It was all the affirmation Zabuza needed.
"Well now, what do we do? Kill them all and take the place over?" One of the bandits asked with a feral grin. Naruto was the one to answer as he produced a ball of red ki.
"No, you won't." He said with a frown. He jumped to the air and threw the ball at the bridge making a large indentation in the pavement and weakening it enough for the portion of the road to shatter and all of them to fall to the waters below. The show of power was enough to make sure they ran.
And the battle was over.
Two days later, the mist ninjas had a visitor.
"So. . .we have a new Mizukage." Zabuza said from his place. A hunter nin was near him.
"Hai, and he's reinstating you and your team to the village, it's one of your old team mates from your rebellion who staged his own a week ago." Zabuza nodded and got up.
"Then I guess you won't mind us leaving after you, we were hurt in battle and we need a little recovery." He was weary of the man, it wasn't sure he hadn't lied about it. The hunter nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
The next day, they were gone.
Naruto was the only one still fit do do the protection job for Tazuna while Sakura and Sasuke recuperated so he hadn't been able to see much of Sakura since then. He did have a few words with Kakashi though.
"It's hard isn't it?" The man asked the teenager, no the man he had to remind himself.
"Does it ever get easier?" He asked his teacher, normally Ranma would have answered that but he was away and his shadow was always coming and going.
"Depends on wetter or not you want it to. Some ninjas just shut their feelings when it comes to killing while others keep them." He said sadly.
"Why would you want to keep them, it's so unsettling, so sad and. . .and. . .disturbing." He said still shakily.
"To remind yourself that killing isn't enjoyable, some take pleasure from doing things like this, they become monsters. Zabuza is one of those people, he may never say it but he cares for his team. He buried his feelings so far that he seems to enjoy killing. It's something that causes people to fear him." He said making a difference between the two ways of dealing with killing.
Naruto gazed at the river and seemed to think deeply.
"I almost enjoyed it." He said darkly.
"Huh?" Kakashi said surprised, Naruto couldn't possibly be really like that.
"When I was berserk after Haku hurt Sakura. I had power then and I almost enjoyed hurting them. But then, when I felt her waking up, just as I was about to finish Haku for good, I thought of why the villagers hate me, would I be just as bad as Kyuuby if I killed for pleasure." He said darkly.
"And you spared him, it makes you better then the stupid kitsune." Kakashi stated.
Naruto poundered on this for a moment and gazed still at the river, this time, it wasn't darkly, he just enjoyed the view.
"I've decided sensei, I won't burry my feelings like Zabuza and neither will I keep them to rot in me. I'll make my own way as a ninja and if I need to kill again I'll do it but I won't just bottle it up afterwards." He said. "I'll just make my own nin-do and move on." He affirmed as he looked at the stars. Kakashi nodded and left him. As he passed the door he didn't turn to look but he talked to Sakura who was leaning on the wall.
"You know don't you?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, he's the Kyuuby's container, the seal to the demon was imposed on him as a child. You can't tell anyone you know this Sakura. It's the law and the penalty for telling someone is instant death.
She swallowed a lump in her throat and moved to the door.
"I need to speak with him, if only to tell him it doesn't matter." She said determined. Kakashi nodded and went away to sleep.
Sakura saw Naruto, he was looking at the stars and the crescent moon over their heads.
"Naruto. . ." She started.
"I'd understand if you didn't want anything with me anymore Sakura-san." He said. His saying san after her name hurt more then her injuries she realised.
"I wouldn't dream of it Naruto-kun." She told him as she approached. His head straightened. Sakura always called him Naruto but never with the suffix kun. "You have the demon sealed inside you. It's not as though you are to blame for the fact that it was nor does it mean you're the demon." She said. She moved to stand next to him and gazed at the scenery as well. Naruto's face changed in an instant and his smile reappeared.
"Thank you. . .Sakura-chan." He whispered as her looked at the moon and stars over them.
End of this chapter.
An: It took timer but I have a real life and other stories you know. I'd like to thank all my reviewers for their support and say this first arc of Naruto (Naruto bridge arc) is over with, now it's either the chuunin exams or what I had planned for diverging, since there are a few story time months between the two (not really but I can change it at will) I'll probably put a bit of filler space for the next chapters. It's about someone using some forbidden jutsus that go haywire.
C&C are welcomed and flames are used to strengthen my doton and morph it into a lava missile! See ya
Godai
