Because I Love You - Chasing After You

by The Flare Blade

Hiruzen knew that Tazuna's request was much more dangerous and important than it first appeared to be. He needed experienced ninja for the mission, but his hands were tied because of politics... until he sees a loophole. Using an educational project as cover, he will send two teams to Wave! A Naruto retelling with Hinata as a main character but with canon teams. (Ch1-5 revised!)

18. Chapter 18 - Guiding Light (Sun)

Hey everyone!

Thank you all for the great feedback last chapter! It made me very happy, especially since I now have over 400 favorites and 550 followers. Again, thank you all!

So. If you take a glance below, you will notice this "arc" is labeled as "Intermission". It will be a micro arc with 3 chapters, bridging the Wave arc and the Chunin Exams.

And about that... I have slightly good and slightly bad news for you guys.

The slightly bad news is that, thanks to Perentie Fan's review—aim your pitchforks and torches at them—I got a couple new ideas for this chapter... which should be a good thing, but they were pretty difficult to work with and part of why I took so long to post this. (The other parts being college being the usual pain in the butt, and the fact that Zelda: Breath of the Wild is actually a flawed but really good game. I had many, many doubts, but Nintendo shattered most of them and completely robbed me of my free time during March).

The result is that progress was slow and the length of the final chapter would become a bit too big even for my tastes. Since the chapter had two distinct halves (Naruto/Hinata, as I explained in the last chapter's A/N), I decided to not leave you guys without an update till May/June and post the first half now. Or the first third I gues since Hinata's part got too big. This might make this specific chapter a bit too "wave-ish" for some, but there are elements from future arcs too!

This is the good part. These chapters will also work to get some padding elements of the chunin exams arc out of the way earlier (namely various character introductions as well as a couple particular conflict introductions)

Just one last thing: this is me acknowledging my work's flaws (which doesn't excuse them), but... this chapter is very dialogue-heavy. It might not be a good idea to read it all in one sitting, but it's up to you.

Nonetheless, I hope you'll enjoy it!

---

Intermission

Chapter 18: Guiding Light (Sun) [Current Version: 1.0.3]

---

For three long minutes, the sharp sound of pages turning were the only things that broke the silence in the Hokage's office as Hiruzen swiftly scanned the report he held. He was mostly flipping through the document, actually, but experience allowed him to quickly find key points in the report and have a comprehensive notion of the mission's relevant happenings with ease.

The report on the mission to the Land of Waves had some very interesting pieces of information, far more than he had ever expected, even. But most importantly...

"I must say," he raised his gaze, meeting the eyes of all genin assembled in the room, "you six have been very lucky. Missions that change parameters so drastically usually involve at least one casualty or career-ending wound, but here you are, alive and well. And from what I've read, all of you performed admirably during the entire mission, too."

"Yeah!" Naruto jumped suddenly, fist held high in the air. "We rocked, didn't we!?"

"Settle down," Kakashi calmly placed his one free hand on the boy's back, keeping him from bouncing around; the other hand, as always, was holding his favorite adult novel.

"Now, now, Kakashi. He has a right to be commemorating this success," Hiruzen chided, smiling. "They all have! This mission had everything to be a tragedy, but because all of you worked so well, this story didn't end that way. All nine of you should be proud of this!"

As if glad he was remembered, Akamaru barked in agreement from his cozy spot atop Kiba's head, and the little dog wasn't the only one that showed his happiness. From satisfied smirks to smiles of relief, from Naruto blowing a defiant raspberry to Kakashi only for the man to ruffle his blond mane in return, it brought forth a pleasant atmosphere to the room, and it was what finally lifted the weight from Hiruzen's shoulders.

He had made the right decision after all.

"Well," the Hokage began, clearing his throat, "the mission was a resounding success, but there are still some things we need to speak about. Firstly, where is the young man that came with you, as mentioned in the report? Haku, I believe?"

"Yes. He is in the waiting room, Hokage-sama," Kurenai answered.

"Hmm... I see." Without giving the topic another thought, Hiruzen placed his hand on the handle of one of his desk's drawers and pumped chakra into it. The drawer popped open, and he hunted for a bundle of thin envelopes bound by an elastic.

"Now, for what I'm sure you've been eagerly expecting: your payment."

Taking care not to accidentally knock on the various piles of paperwork that infested the sides of his desk, he quietly distributed the eight envelopes to his ninja. Almost all went from excited to disappointed very fast once they saw how much was inside.

"Hey, this is barely better than what we got from D-ranks!" Naruto exclaimed, angrily flipping the empty envelope upside down in hopes that maybe something was still there. Once he was sufficiently disappointed, he shoved the envelope inside his backpack like his peers and teachers had done.

"The C-rank's reward that Tazuna paid for was split between you eight, but these missions were meant to be paid only for four," Hiruzen explained, eliciting quite a few expressions of shock from the younger ninja.

"Wait! Hold on, you mean we went through all of that just for... this?" Sakura couldn't help but question, carefully controlling her expression and tone to keep her... explosive inner thoughts in check.

Hiruzen easily saw through her façade but didn't pay it any mind. "You see, Sakura, we work with tightly controlled budgets. Even though Kakashi had warned me that the mission changed rank via his dog summon, I couldn't set aside the rest of the reward money until I knew for sure what kind of mission I would need to pay for."

Sakura adopted a thoughtful pose in response. "Hmm... that makes sense," she conceded, though her voice betrayed hints of uncertainty still. Her mind briefly considered other factors Hiruzen didn't talk about, such as the possibility of failure or even deaths, but tried to forget about it all.

"This is normally not a very bureaucratic process, but even if its split in eight, an S-rank mission pays quite well. I believe that in three days I'll have all the money I owe each of you... which is exactly the amount of days off that I'll be giving you, by the way."

"Three days!?" Naruto, Sakura and Kiba all blurted out in unison. Their three quieter friends kept silent but were just as surprised by the news.

"Well, if it had been just a C-rank it would've been only one day, but the protocol for S-rank missions is very clear: three days," Hiruzen said, smirking at the genin's dumbstruck expressions.

Sharing an amused glance with Kakashi and Kurenai—who he imagined had purposefully withheld this information, knowing the kids wouldn't react well to their salary—the old man started to mess with his desk drawers again while the genin collectively cheered at the good news. He locked up the money drawer with a hand seal and opened the one right above it, which had no locking mechanism. From inside, he drew a black folder, with the letter S on the cover, and a plain white one.

"Moving on, Team 8. As clan heads, your parents hold considerable influence. I agreed to send them copies of every relevant report that involves you, which basically means everything but D-rank missions. The mission report will take a while to be ready since I need to examine it further, but there's a secondary report here about your training sessions that I can already send to them. All you need to do is hand this to my secretary in the waiting room and she will make the copies for you," Hiruzen said, all while splitting the report's pages between the two folders.

He then offered the white folder in the general direction of Kurenai's squad, and Shino boldly stepped out of the background to grab it, bowing afterwards.

The old Hokage nodded in return. "The mission report itself will be sent to them in the near future, of course." In the near future, meaning as soon as he had fully read the report and made an edited version with things he thought would be best kept under wraps omitted, such as the incident with Naruto's seal, or the true objective of the mission which was hidden from the genin but outlined in the report. "Lastly," he continued," I believe some of you need to visit the hospital to have your wounds healed, correct?"

"Yeah, me, Akamaru and Sasuke," Kiba confirmed, using his good arm to motion towards himself/Akamaru, and then Sasuke, who still was using crutches to move around.

Hiruzen shifted his gaze to Kakashi, who had his nose buried in a volume of Icha Icha Paradise, but was surely paying attention to everything around him. "Do you mind taking them to the hospital?"

"...Well, I suppose I don't have much of a choice," Kakashi replied in a bored tone, flipping a page of the book.

"Why, yes. You suppose correctly. And with that, I believe most of you are free to go. Enjoy your free time!"

Most of the ninja assembled bowed respectfully to their smiling Hokage and prepared to leave the room. Naruto, of course, didn't care for such trivialities, which allowed him to notice that Kurenai didn't bow either. It was easy to do the math—unlike Sasuke, she wasn't wounded in a way that would stop her from showing respect.

Guessing that Kurenai was the one Hiruzen meant to exclude from the dismissal, Naruto cheerfully waved to the Hokage as the others moved to leave.

"See ya, old man!"

He had only managed to take a couple steps Hiruzen called out to him.

"Now, now, Naruto. Don't you think we have something to discuss before you leave?"

The boy stopped. 'Oh, that's right!' he remembered. 'The fox!'

That pause was just long enough that the other genin turned around too, while Kakashi kept walking. Sakura and Kiba looked at him with a simple mixture of curiosity and suspicion, and a single raised brow was the only thing that betrayed Shino's thoughts. But Sasuke... there was something burning behind that onyx-colored glare he was aiming Naruto, almost like an unspoken promise. Even though Sasuke never actually intimidated him before, this time Naruto almost found himself gulping under the weight of that disconcerting stare.

A small sigh—barely audible but blaringly loud in those two seconds of silence that followed Hiruzen's words—drew Naruto's attention away from Sasuke, and his eyes landed on Hinata, who was watching the others as well. The girl looked saddened by the distrust that polluted the doorway, but making eye contact with him was all she needed to soften her features. What once had been a frown became a small smile, and Naruto could feel her silent attempt to both comfort and encourage him.

It immediately made the words she had spoken on that hill, only a few hours before, echo in his mind.

"To me... you... you're a hero."

No matter how nicely she had put it... Naruto knew it wasn't the truth. But in the face of someone who believed in him so earnestly, he felt compelled to live up to that noble image. A Hero—an example to be followed!

He could not falter. No... he refused to, and faced the others with a wide grin.

"I'll catch up with you guys later, alright?"

Not giving them a chance to answer, he doubled back to Hiruzen, only barely hearing his fellow genin's footsteps as Kakashi called out to them from somewhere beyond the door.

However... Kurenai was still in the room. Naruto briefly wondered if she was related to what he had to discuss with the Hokage, but even Hiruzen seemed a bit confused by her presence.

"Kurenai, is something the matter?" the Professor asked patiently, noting with interest how she was subtly fidgeting. Naruto didn't, but it was hard not to notice her discomfort. Or was it something else?

"Actually... yes, there is. I need to... inform you of a certain incident, Hokage-sama,"

"Another?" The old man's eyes quickly darted between Kurenai and Naruto. "Is this related to...?"

Kurenai cut him off by shaking her head. "No, Hokage-sama."

"Hmm..." Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. Kurenai had left her request vague, implying a desire for privacy and leaving room for him to dismiss her if he deemed Naruto's issues a higher priority. Logically speaking, very few things could be as important as looking for a potential flaw in the seal that separated Konoha from its doom, but...

"Very well, then," he acquiesced, intrigued by her nervousness. "Naruto, do you mind sitting in the waiting room while we talk?"

"Oh... okay." Some people might call Naruto stupid, but he knew better than to think he had a choice in the matter. Shrugging, he once again turned and left the room, ignoring the two chunin that closed the door as he left.

---

Naruto only had to walk down the nearby corridor for a few seconds to arrive at the waiting room. Before even setting foot inside, he saw the first significant part of the room through the door: a long row of chairs hugging the wall, with a table nearby, full of magazines to distract people from the monotonous wait. But for the only person that was there, though, the magazines were clearly unnecessary.

Naruto didn't know what was so interesting about the old-looking book Haku was holding in his hands, but the Yuki looked completely lost in thought as he stared blankly at the cover.

Once he actually stepped into the room, he was able to see the only other relevant area within: the secretary's little office in the corner of the opposite wall, which was hidden from his sight until he entered.

The secretary was an elderly, white-haired woman who was completely nondescript save for her wide and absurdly thick glasses that covered her dark brown eyes: absolutely unremarkable. A massive shelf filled to the brim with dusty tomes and scrolls loomed over her and her workplace, which consisted of little more than a wooden desk and chair. The shelf aside, it was practically the same arrangement as the Hokage's office, only more compact.

In front of the desk were the members of Team 8, watching as the secretary was arranging two thin piles of documents over a scroll on the desk. It was a rather long scroll, and Naruto noticed the slightly unstable stack of paperwork by the floor that likely had to be moved from the desk because of it. While the Uzumaki couldn't see what was written on it, he did see the unknown characters glowing as the old woman held a hand sign.

The scroll flashed purple, reacting to her chakra, and the secretary immediately grabbed one of the small piles to put it into a brown folder, which she then handed to Hinata. "Here you go, sweetie," the old lady smiled warmly.

"Thank you!" Hinata replied, mirroring the secretary's expression as she grabbed the folder. It was only then that Naruto saw that Shino and Kiba held similar folders in their hands.

"Man, that's a nice sealing array you got there." Kiba whistled in awe, eyeing the scroll's seals. "Three copies in less than a minute? My mom would be jealous. The Copy Seals in her office are way slower."

"Well, as you can see, there are some perks to being the Hokage's secretary," the old woman laughed sweetly as she went about reorganizing her desk. It was incredibly disturbing for Naruto.

With the efficiency of an aged, experienced professional, it took her only a few seconds to place the second pile of documents in a familiar white folder, roll up the scroll and shove both items into her desk drawer while simultaneously continuing to make small talk with Kiba and Hinata. But as she was about to bend over to grab the stack by her desk's feet, her eyes met Naruto's and narrowed dangerously.

While the woman was rather unremarkable to the average person, to Naruto, she truly wasn't. Many people in Konoha disliked him to various degrees... but the Hokage's secretary was the rare kind of person where "dislike" was an understatement.

She almost never directed a word to him or even paid him much attention each time he got stuck in the waiting room—usually because of a prank. But when she did... oh, Naruto could still remember how badly she had scared him with nothing but her glares when he was much younger, a small boy that had just accepted Hiruzen's kind offer to teach him how to write and read.

She had been accusing him of something. Blaming him for something.

That had been all his younger self had managed to decipher from her bone-chilling glares... glares that sometimes had even followed him to his sleep, haunting him in nightmares. It took him years to learn to ignore her and withstand her presence—he could always feel when he was in her sights, somehow—but the reason for such a clear display of hatred had always eluded him.

Until now. It had been her lunch break in the last time he came to the Hokage's office, for his registry photo...but as he once again felt that familiar sensation that made hanging out with Zabuza in his demon shroud look appealing, Naruto thought that he finally understood her actions.

"Naruto? Back already? That was fast, dude."

Kiba's voice freed him from his thoughts. All of Kurenai's genin were staring at him in mild curiosity, thanks to the secretary giving his position away, and Naruto clung to this opportunity escape from her glare.

"Oh, er... Kurenai-sensei is talking with the old man right now, so they kicked me out for a bit," the blond shrugged, hoping it looked natural. "I didn't actually talk to him just yet."

Before any of Team 8's members could reply to that, though, the secretary spoke.

"Of course, as marvelous as sealing arrays can be, fuuinjutsu is not always such a good thing," she spat, coldly and bitterly, contrasting heavily with her earlier tone. "Quite the opposite."

Though the old lady spoke as if Naruto hadn't even been noticed, she still kept her eyes glued on him. He took a step back without even noticing it.

"Hmph." The secretary turned away to focus back on her job. "Now then," she smiled pleasantly, with a voice that lacked any of its previous edge, "is there something else I can... help with...?"

If Kiba and Shino were somewhat confused by the old lady's odd "acknowledgment" of Naruto, they were now completely lost as they saw their usually meek and sweet teammate was returning the favor with a cold glare of her own. It didn't even compare to the secretary's previous showing, but it was enough to force the woman to trail off.

Quite honestly, Naruto felt sorry for Hinata as he watched her. Her fists were balled up, quivering, and her open mouth obviously suggested she wanted to say something. But between her earlier admission that she struggled to talk to people and the Hokage's law forbidding her to speak up openly about what the secretary had just alluded to...

He saw the exact moment Hinata realized that the situation was simply beyond her, when her head lowered and a sigh seemed to escape her lips. Her expression was one of defeat and guilt, and when her head turned just enough for her lavender eyes to focus back on him, Naruto had the sensation she was trying to apologize for something.

She looked guilty, and Naruto was having none of it.

His reply was in the form of a small smile, just like the one she had given him before leaving with Kakashi and the others. He hoped she'd get his message, but the secretary found her voice before Hinata could react to it beyond widening her eyes.

"Is something the matter, dear?" the old woman asked, with genuine worry. "Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

Hinata turned to glare at the woman one last time before storming out of the room without honoring that with a response, or even saying goodbye to anyone.

Needless to say, such rudeness from the usually polite Hinata shocked all present, Naruto included.

"Hey! Hinata, where are you going!?" Kiba called out to her, to no avail. "Man... the hell was that?" he turned to Shino, whose raised eyebrows gave away his surprise. Even Akamaru had his little head tilted in confusion.

The Aburame kept silent, but he did shift his head a so that he could see Naruto again, and Kiba followed suit.

"Uh... don't ask me!" Naruto shrugged, hoping that his genuine surprise was enough to sell his own reaction as born out of ignorance. "Girls are weird."

Kiba seemed to accept that, but Naruto wasn't sure Shino bought it. The Aburame kept staring for a couple seconds longer before turning to Kiba.

"...Perhaps it would be best if we followed her." Both promptly said their farewells to Naruto and the old secretary—who still seemed confused—and left the room as well.

Naruto found it impossible to stop the dumb smile blossoming on his face as he watched them leave.

Given how strongly Hinata had reacted to what he'd told her just a few hours before, he supposed that maybe it was for the best that a scathing look was as far as she could go. In the end, Hinata failed to do anything in his defense... but to Naruto, it really was the thought that counted.

That she wanted to defend him in the first place made him giddy on the inside. Neither the secretary's brief sidelong glare before she went back to her work nor his own lingering disbelief that someone was truly on his side could ruin that, or muddy the sensation, like what happened with Iruka due to the roller-coaster of emotions that had been his last day as an academy student.

It suddenly dawned on Naruto that he was standing around in the middle of the hallway, and he decided to sit down to wait for Hiruzen to summon him. However, his usual spot at the corner of the room—as far away from the secretary as possible—was already taken by Haku.

'Oh. I forgot about him.'

It had been easy to overlook the Yuki's presence, given his silence. It would also be easy to just sit down elsewhere and maintain said silence, ignoring the mysterious glint in the boy's brown eyes when they made contact with his own blue orbs in the one moment Haku tore his eyes away from the book he held—which, Naruto curiously noted, was still completely closed.

But as he had once spoken to the Hiruzen's grandson, Konohamaru, there were no shortcuts to become Hokage. There was something he needed to do... something difficult, but he needed to do it.

Resolute, he approached Haku and sat down beside him.

"Hello, Naruto-san," the Yuki greeted him politely. Neutrally. There was a slight smile on his face, but Naruto could feel that it was a bit forced.

"Uh... hey," Naruto replied awkwardly. As much as he had something important to talk about, he decided to start with a little small talk. "So, what's up with this book?" he asked, keeping his voice low. Though she was far away and fully buried in paperwork, Naruto didn't want for the secretary to eavesdrop on them.

The question made Haku chuckle a bit, with no true humor to it. "I suppose it must look odd, doesn't it?"

The melancholy in Ice-user's voice made Naruto wary of prodding further, but his curiosity spoke louder. "Yeah... you've been staring at it, but you're not reading it."

"I can't." Haku's eyes fell to the book's simple, title-less cover. "This is my sister's diary, you see."

"Oh."

What Naruto could see, was his idea of small talk being mercilessly tossed out of the window, never to be found again.

"We were always on the run because of missions or hunter-nins, so there wasn't much time or space for anything but essentials like clothes and weapons. This is basically the only thing of any value she had, so I've kept it," he explained. "But even though she... isn't here anymore, I won't read this. I already made that mistake once."

The comment drove Naruto into silence, understandably.

"My apologies. I shouldn't be talking about... something as heavy as this," Haku shook his head. He had spent an entire week alone with his thoughts, grieving and wondering about his own future. He yearned for something to distract him from that, but there hadn't been much time for idle conversation after he arrived at Tazuna's house, between lunch and the final preparations for their trip back to Konoha. As such, Haku was now in a village that he knew next to nothing about, and decided that this was the chance to correct that.

"Maybe we should talk about something else, Naruto-san? How about—"

"No."

The question died on Haku's mouth.

"Look, I know... I know you don't want to talk about any of this," Naruto started, head hung too low for his face to be seen. "I know that this really doesn't matter in the end, but still... I... I need to say something."

When a reply didn't come, Naruto raised his head and saw Haku's gazing intently at him. He didn't know what to make of the silence at first, but just as he was about to take it as a sign to continue...

"...You feel responsible for her death."

"What?"

"It's written all over your face," Haku said, making Naruto sigh.

"I... guess I can't hide it, huh?"

"You can't hide it, nor should you feel that way," Haku shook his head, forlornly. "What happened on the bridge that day... none of it was your fault, Naruto-san."

"She... she only tried to go help Zabuza like that because she thought you were dead." Naruto muttered, not understanding why Haku's semblance was one of sympathy and sorrow rather than anger and hatred.

'So I was right.' Haku closed his eyes to steady himself. 'You were trying to kill yourself, weren't you, sister...?'

"And that was my fault!" Naruto continued, struggling to keep his voice low. "Just... how can you even say it wasn't?"

"Because I made you use that power in the first place." Haku's eyes reopened and he turned to Naruto. "I don't understand your ability, but I have a suspicion that it was connected to your emotional state. Am I right?"

"I... honestly, I don't understand it very well," the Uzumaki confessed, looking a bit lost. "I can't use it whenever I want, so... I guess?"

"Hmm..." Haku briefly reconsidered his hypothesis, but he saw nothing else that could justify how their fight had gone. "If I'm right... it means that you only made use of your power because of how I fought you."

Naruto began to scratch his head, internally cursing himself for not remembering those events very well.

"You see," Haku continued, "I don't like to fight. If I'm able to, I'd rather allow or force my enemies to flee, and if that doesn't work, knock them out rather than kill them. But in a way, that means I didn't take our fight seriously enough until it was too late."

If there was one thing Naruto did remember clearly, was how disrespected he felt throughout their fight. At the time, he had thought his masked opponent was just toying with him and Sasuke, but even though he now understood that wasn't right, the underlying point was still the same: Haku could've ended the fight without much difficulty before the Sharingan and the Kyuubi's chakra even became factors.

"Hmm... I think I see what you're trying to say," Naruto said, after a moment of silence.

"Furthermore," Haku's gaze once again fell to his sister's diary, "It was my fault she was even there in the first place."

To Naruto, that statement came across as Haku feeling guilty about letting Haru enter their fight. He wasn't wrong—it was certainly part of the package—but what Haku truly blamed himself for was allowing his sister to participate in missions.

The diary was a painful reminder of his failure. The one entry he had read should've made him realize how bad of an idea it would be to let her join him and Zabuza during missions, but he had thought about it wrongly. He had encouraged her at first because he believed she should be able to defend herself just in case... and later, because he thought it would bring Haru some peace of mind if she was with him and Zabuza, despite how dangerous it was. It worried him, but he also trusted Zabuza's judgment.

He should've opposed it. He should've protected her! But instead...

"Umm..."

Naruto's little noise of uncertainty drew Haku's attention to him, and at that moment, Haku noticed his vision was blurred so much that he couldn't even spot Naruto's whisker marks.

Quickly, he wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Naruto didn't answer at first, giving Haku time to recover and giving himself time to gather his own thoughts. But as soon as he saw Haku had recomposed himself, he proceeded. "You know... you're wrong too. Maybe you had some fault, yeah... but in the end, it was still my fault."

The Ice-user, now scowling, was just about to snap at Naruto... but the younger boy didn't give him room to interrupt.

"I could've stopped her. I know I could've!"

The boy's distress made Haku stop himself. "...From what?" he prodded.

"From going after Zabuza. I... I had a chance to stop her."

His guilt was so strong, that Naruto couldn't even remember what he had been about to do before Haru fled. All that his mind could focus on was that the girl had run towards her death and he failed to do anything about it.

As for Haku... these words brought about a realization. It didn't soothe his heart any, but perhaps for Naruto, it might. His voice came out almost as a whisper.

"I think... my sister would still end up doing it, no matter which one of us tried to stop her, or how. Zabuza was simply that precious for her." Haku knew that he, despite having all the signs and clues, wouldn't have figured out Haru would be willing to throw her life away for Zabuza until it was too late... and he wasn't sure him being alive or dead would've influenced her.

Naruto's only answer was to frown as he tried and failed to understand that logic. Not Haku's, but Haru's.

No, perhaps logic wasn't quite what he wanted to understand.

"Was Zabuza truly that important for you guys? I mean... he didn't even seem to care!" the genin blurted out, indignant. Zabuza's reaction to Haru's sacrificial stunt was still clear in his mind, and he simply couldn't fathom how a person as cold as Zabuza would be able to evoke such devotion from another person.

"To her... he was a hero," Haku began. Naruto almost choked when he heard those words, but Haku didn't notice it. "Our father had abandoned us, and we had to live on the streets. Eventually Haru became extremely ill... and it was Zabuza who saved us. But he had said that there would be a price," he spat. He remembered very well how cocky Zabuza had been, knowing Haku effectively didn't have a choice. "I had thought Zabuza didn't care, too. But my sister always insisted otherwise, and... I guess she saw something in him that I never saw."

"Huh? You mean that... he actually cared?"

Naruto could remember some signs. Despite Zabuza's callous words, he had been completely furious when Gatou killed Haru. But... if that was the case...

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" Haku smiled bittersweetly at Naruto's disbelieving expression. "It has been a week already, and I don't think it has sunk in for me just yet."

While not being his last words, what Zabuza had said back in the bridge was something Haku couldn't get out of his mind.

"Haku... Please, forgive me, for... never treating you and your sister like you deserved. I didn't want to accept it... to embrace those emotions... but to me... you two were more than just tools."

It was painful to share those words with Naruto. Zabuza's ideology that emotions were a weakness had always bothered Haku, but now that he could see just how much they all lost because of it... it was torturing.

"Zabuza said that, huh...?" Naruto spoke in a low growl. "That bastard used your sister as a human shield when she tried to protect him, and he still had the nerve to say something like that!?"

"Oh... he did that, didn't he?"

"I saw it happening!" the blond boy almost screamed, getting up. Something about Haku's neutral tone was maddening enough that Naruto didn't know how he even managed to keep his voice down. The motion did earn him a glance and a raised eyebrow from the secretary, though, but the woman went back to her paperwork before Naruto spotted it.

He also never caught the traces of the fury he thought Haku's features should've been rightfully displaying. There was only something akin to understanding, there, and Naruto didn't reflect that expression in the slightest.

"Your sensei reacted similarly to you, on the bridge" the Yuki mentioned. Kakashi's cold, harsh accusation that Zabuza had only been trying to alleviate his own guilt for his part in Haru's death had stung. Haku had always known they were disposable but... to throw her at Kakashi's attack like that?

"I had expected... worse from you, Kakashi. That you'd go through her anyways or... use her as... hostage. If you did that... I... wouldn't be able to fight you. You'd kill me... and then do who know what to her. I just couldn't... let that happen."

Those words instantly made Naruto remember Haru's reason for declining his offer to go to Konoha with him: the fear of what might have happened to her in a foreign village because of her rare bloodline. Had that been Zabuza's worry? Naruto had no doubts self-preservation was part of it, but considering what Hinata implied back on the bridge, had he been trying to spare Haru from such a fate, in a twisted way?

...It did make him wonder why Haku didn't exhibit a similar fear now, though, and how he could've believed Zabuza so easily.

When Naruto posed that question to the Haku, the first part of the Ice-user's answer was but a small laugh. "A person might hide their emotions from you using words, actions, and even carefully masking their expression, Naruto-san. But their eyes will always show you the truth... it's just a matter of whether or not you are willing to look for it."

Under the weight of Haku's words, Naruto lowered his gaze to the ground. '...The eyes, huh?'

He could remember trying at many points to understand other people's emotions, but he had always failed again and again, until it was all but spelled out for him. From why the villagers treated him with so much disdain, years ago... to more recent events, like his struggles to understand Hinata and even Sasuke.

Thinking back, it was no wonder Mizuki had fooled him so easily.

Perhaps there was some wisdom in what Haku was saying, but Naruto quickly realized he couldn't make use of it just yet.

"Zabuza always treated me and Haru as if we were tools... and he always made it clear to us that our relationship wasn't anything more than that," Haku continued, sighing. "Perhaps if I had noticed all of this earlier..."

While the Yuki lost himself in a sea of what ifs, wondering if perhaps he could've helped Zabuza to open up if he had recognized the signals... Naruto clung to the unknown logic behind the swordsman's behavior.

"Do you know why he did that?" he looked up to Haku again, who was fiddling with the sleeves of his blue yukata. "I mean... I don't see the point of pushing you guys away, if he truly cared."

"He always told me that emotions are a weakness that the enemy can exploit. That's why he was so guarded," Haku answered, stiffly, remembering how Zabuza had always criticized his gentle nature. It took years for the swordsman to accept he wouldn't be able to turn Haku into a cold killing machine. "I personally don't agree with that but..."

"But?"

Haku's features contorted in disgust. "As ninja, we are always under someone's command. Be it a jonin-sensei, a squad leader, a jonin commander, a kage, or even a daimyo. We are paid to do, not to think or feel. As much as I'm against that kind of thinking... it is the rule of our world. And going against those rules... well," he scoffed, "there is a reason Zabuza became a missing-nin."

"Nnngh..." Naruto's fingers curled up in a ball.

If there was a nearby desk had been a couple feet closer, he'd have slammed his fists into it. Naruto had to make do with his knees, which hurt a bit, but he didn't care about that or about being overheard.

"That's so much bullshit!"

"N-Naruto-san...?

"That's not what we're supposed to be! Not at all!" he got up, baring his teeth. "We're supposed to help people! To help make a better world, not just do anything for money! What you're saying is all wrong!"

On the back of his mind, Naruto realized that for Haku, there hadn't been much of a choice. They, as missing-nin, had to take whatever jobs they could or go hungry... if not turn to banditry. But his outburst went beyond Haku's situation.

His head and tone lowered a bit when he next spoke. "I get what Zabuza was thinking. And in some ways I guess he was right, about emotions. But if we don't feel, we can't do the right thing! We can't make our own choices!"

"... And what about your village, Naruto-san?" Haku, somehow, found it in himself to play devil's advocate. Or perhaps... demon's advocate. "If you receive a mission such as ours... to kill a good man for the wrong reason, but you only find out when you actually get there? Would you abandon the mission, knowing how much that would hurt your reputation and your village's?"

Hake had expected that the question would give Naruto some pause. That the blond would see that nothing is as black-and-white as his naive, idealistic views made it sound.

But while Naruto had always known there was a dark side to being a shinobi, his answer came without a shred of doubt in it, almost cutting off Haku as he posed the question.

"That's not the reputation I'd want to have! And not what I'd want for the Leaf either!" Naruto's teeth were still in full display, but where before they showed anger, now they just completed his self-assured grin. "And if they have a problem with me, then I'd just have to become Hokage even faster! I'd never allow my own village to become like that! Believe it!"

Haku, rendered speechless by Naruto's resolution, could only stare in awe at the boy. There was... some sort of aura that surrounded Naruto as he spoke.

Even knowing how naive Naruto was being, Haku found himself led by the pull of his words... but the spell was broken when both heard a scoff from the other side of the room. Neither had the chance to address it, however, as another person chose that moment to join them, drawing Haku's attention.

"Kurenai-san?"

"Just what is happening here?"

Naruto turned around to see Kurenai by the hallway leading to the Hokage's office, looking at him skeptically.

"Oh... h-hey, Kurenai-sensei!" he smiled broadly at Kurenai, but she didn't buy his fake casualness and only narrowed her eyes at him. Kiba liked to use that tactic too, and it was just as easy to see through.

"Naruto, there are people working here," she scolded, pointing at the secretary. "I could hear you from the office."

"Hehehe... sorry for bothering you and the old man. I guess I got a little carried away." Naruto, of course, was purposefully apologizing only to Kurenai. He felt a chill going down his spine, telling him this wasn't lost on that certain someone.

"Well... Hokage-sama wants to see you now. Be on your best behavior, okay?" she added, softening her tone.

"I'll try, I promise," Naruto smiled, prompting Kurenai to do the same. The woman excused herself and left the room with a small but very noticeable smile.

Naruto watched her go curiously, and then turned to Haku. "I guess I'll... uh."

Once again, the Ice-user was gazing down at Haru's diary, deeply lost in his own thoughts. There was something different about the way Haku was looking at it now, though, and with the older boy's previous words in mind, Naruto couldn't help the frustration that came when he didn't know what he could see reflected in those brown eyes.

"I guess I'll be going," he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Once he was gone, though...

"Excuse me, miss?" Haku tentatively looked up to the secretary. Unlike the glacial glares he caught her shooting at Naruto earlier, she regarded him rather neutrally.

"What is it?"

"I... I think I need some fresh air, is there somewhere else I can go to wait?"

The old woman pointed to a hallway on the other side of the room. "Second on the left takes you to the roof, dear. If you feel unwell, the infirmary is on the floor below, third to the right. You can leave your bags in the chair, though. I'll watch them for you!"

He reflected her smile, though his was forced. "Thank you."

Rising, Haku left the room.

'Naruto Uzumaki... what an interesting boy.'

---

Finding the door to the Hokage's office wide open and its owner busy signing some papers, Naruto wasted no time in entering.

His footsteps were loud enough to alert Hiruzen to his entrance. "Ah, Naruto," he looked up from his work. "I hope I didn't make you wait for too long? I do know you detest waiting," he chuckled.

"Nah, it was okay," the blond replied as he closed the door. "I was talking with Haku, so it was no big deal."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at that. Considering the history between the two—which the report had outlined—it made him become curious... but they had more pressing matters to discuss, and it made him motion for Naruto to halt when the boy went to sit on the nearby chair.

"I believe it would be better if you were standing up for this next part," Hiruzen clarified, rising from his own chair—under protests from his back—to make his way around the desk. "This might seem a little weird, but would you please lift up your shirt for me? I need to inspect the seal on your stomach."

"Uh... okay?" Somewhat unsure, Naruto had just finished unzipping his jacket when it struck him. "Wait, my seal is on my belly!? How come I never saw it?" he asked, inspecting himself and finding nothing unusual underneath his shirt.

"If you use your chakra, the seal should react to keep the Kyuubi's from mixing with your own. But, alternatively," Hiruzen made a trio of hand signs and lightly pressed a glowing finger to Naruto in the gut. "I made a little jutsu that can also reveal sealing formulas," he explained with a small laugh.

Naruto watched with mild wonder as black markings spread from where Hiruzen touched. "Wow... and I thought explosive tags looked complex." Sure, the spiral in the center looked simple enough. But the intricate writing that surrounded said spiral and expanded outwards at eight different points? It was completely alien to Naruto.

"It uses the Eight Trigrams Sealing Technique, which is indeed very complex. Few fuuinjutsu techniques are strong enough to keep a bijuu's chakra at bay," Hiruzen said, lowering himself to get a better look. His eyes darted over the seal on Naruto's stomach multiple times, occasionally even brushing his finger over the sealing formula, examining it as best as he could.

After an agonizing couple minutes where Naruto fought valiantly to not burst out laughing from Hiruzen's accidental tickling, the old Kage rose and silently returned to his chair. Naruto took it as a cue to do the same.

"Uh, so?" he prompted.

"From what I can see, your seal is fine, Naruto. But I'm not an expert in the subject," Hiruzen sighed. "It will take about months for him to arrive, but I'll contact someone more knowledgeable about seals to give it a look."

"Well, okay," Naruto shrugged. "But say, if this thing is working... I don't get how the fox could've used its chakra on me back in the bridge."

Hiruzen grabbed and lighted his pipe. "Under normal circumstances, the fox can't aid you. But you can take from its chakra, to a degree, as long as you know how."

"What!?" Naruto squawked. "W-wait, isn't that dangerous?"

"Very. Your seal is strong, but the fox can influence you as long as you make the decision to call upon it, just as it can choose to deny you. But if you didn't know about it... hmm." Hiruzen took a drag on his pipe. "Would you mind telling me what happened on the bridge? I read about it in the report, but perhaps hearing from you might give me more to work with."

"...Okay" he mumbled, fidgeting a little. "I... I think I can try."

As much as Naruto disliked remembering those events, he told Hiruzen about everything he did while on the bridge until the fox's power receded for the second time. He had already given a brief version of the story to Kakashi and Kurenai, but this time he didn't hold anything back and retold the story to the best of his abilities, including what he could remember feeling at the time.

Hiruzen listened to the entire tale in silence.

"So... that's about it. After Hinata showed up I didn't get to use that power again," Naruto concluded. "Haku saw a lot that I don't remember, though... maybe he could help."

"I see. I will try to get his version as well, but believe I already understand what happened." Hiruzen put the pipe down and focused on Naruto, who was staring at him with clear unease in his eyes. "The moments the fox's power spiked correspond to when you saw or heard about one of your friends dying, doesn't it?"

"I guess," Naruto quietly nodded, and despite the tense atmosphere, Hiruzen held back a smile for the briefest of moments.

"And I suppose you don't remember anything about the bijuu that, surely, was covered in the academy, correct?"

Naruto just laughed nervously. Hiruzen had, more than once, remarked that he would regret not paying attention to classes or skipping them altogether...

"The bijuu are creatures of raw chakra, of which half is spiritual energy, connected to emotions. My theory is that the fox's chakra reacted to the intense emotions you felt during those moments. The seal managed to hold it back for the most part, but your distress was enough to make some of the chakra go through."

The boy practically wilted.

"Strong emotions, huh..."

In retrospect, Hiruzen's words held a ring of truth. He had never felt so overwhelmed by his own emotions than that one moment when he believed Sasuke had died in his arms, and hearing Haru talking about how she had killed Kiba and Hinata only minutes afterwards... his memory was compromised, yes. But Naruto would never forget how badly he had wanted to kill. Every fiber of his being had been screaming for blood... it was horrible enough to make him shudder just from remembering.

Hiruzen's hawk-like eyes didn't miss it. "Do you wish to talk about it, Naruto?" he offered gently, softening his features.

"...Not really."

"I see... but please," the old man smiled, "remember that I can always make some time for you if you need me."

Of course, Hiruzen was an extremely busy man. He even consistently failed to make some time to spend with his family, but Naruto... he had to think as a Hokage. From that perspective, Naruto was a priceless resource, and Hiruzen knew that the boy would probably never accept to undergo therapy. His childhood experiences wouldn't allow it, and Hiruzen knew that it was his blame and his responsibility to assist Naruto if he so needed. Or, at the very least, send Iruka to help him.

"Nah... I'm cool. All this means is that I'll have to train even harder to keep this from happening again!" he tried to assure the old Kage. Though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, the intention behind those words was genuine—Naruto knew he never wanted to feel that way again.

"...That's a good way of looking at it," Hiruzen relented, wisely accepting that pushing wouldn't work. "Perhaps working on new jutsu would be a good start for now. I've read that you already discovered your affinity, yes?"

"Yeah!" Naruto almost jumped in his chair, and the sparkle Hiruzen was fond of seeing in his eyes returned. "Kakashi-sensei had me and Kiba use chakra on a weird paper thingy, and mine split in half!"

"Wind," Hiruzen nodded to himself. "It's a powerful element, and quite rare."

"Well, yeah..." Naruto's excitement wavered. "Kakashi-sensei said he doesn't know a whole lot about working with Wind. He can use it, but he didn't train with it. I'm kinda worried he doesn't know how to teach me about it, cuz he said it would've been better to keep improving my chakra control and had me climbing trees. Again," he huffed, arms crossed.

"Hmm..." Hiruzen scratched his chin. "You always did have problems with chakra control, but I wouldn't worry too much. My son, Asuma, is one of the sensei that will be working with you as part of my project. His affinity is Wind as well, and I'm sure he will be willing to help you if you hit any roadblocks."

"I hope so! I can't wait to start shooting a tornado or something cool like that!"

Hiruzen couldn't help but smile with the boy, but for a different reason. Naruto's words were the same boisterous ones as always, but he could see in the boy's eyes that he had a deeper purpose for seeking out power. A new fire, that went beyond the wish for personal glory and fancy magic tricks.

'His parents would be proud.' Hiruzen knew.

But such flames required a fuel to remain lit. He had seen a glimpse of what was to come the day before the two genin squads left, but he needed to confirm it himself... especially given a little, seemingly unimportant detail he had found in the report.

He cleared his throat. "Now then... while this incident with the Kyuubi greatly worries me, I must confess that I'm relieved that it did happen."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up. "...What are you talking about, old man?"

"If our theory is correct... then this only happened because your bond with your teammates and even Team 8 became much stronger during this mission. Am I right?"

Hiruzen had expected that Naruto would react bashfully to his words. As he got older, Naruto had become disillusioned with the idea of making friends, and when Hiruzen started bothering him about it, his only answer always had been that "the guys are really annoying and the girls only want to know about their Sasuke-kun", dismissing the idea entirely.

But to his pleasant surprise, Naruto's blue eyes began to sparkle as he graced Hiruzen with one of his brightest smiles.

"Yeah! A lot of stuff happened, you know?" And without even being asked to, Naruto rapidly began to talk about his friends and the changes that they—and himself—had gone through in these past two weeks.

He shared with Hiruzen that both of his teammates were becoming a lot nicer to him and even were willing to help him out where he struggled. It was one of the reasons Hiruzen had built this squad, and the old man couldn't help but be happy that things were going according to plan... even if it took drastic measures from Kurenai's part to bring those changes in them, including Naruto himself.

He spoke about how Kiba became a lot less aggressive once he got defeated in combat—Hiruzen couldn't stop himself from laughing at how happened, with a fart of all things—and especially once they worked together in a few spars. The camaraderie born from fighting with and against other people was something Hiruzen had always appreciated seeing in his subordinates.

The Uzumaki even spoke about Inari, and how the little boy matured during their mission, inspired by Naruto's own ideals. It was because of that story that Hiruzen saw for the first time that Naruto had, indeed, the potential to one day be a leader worthy of the hat he currently wore.

Somewhat to his expectations, Naruto confided that he still didn't understand Shino very well, but also said that the Aburame was "kinda cool, in his own weird way." It did amuse Hiruzen very much to hear that, and he was glad that Naruto was open to the idea of bonding with someone so radically different from himself.

But towards the end, Naruto's brimming confidence vanished, replaced by the insecurity and fear that Hiruzen remembered seeing in him only when Naruto had been much younger... when he didn't know how to hide it.

When the boy's gaze fell to the floor and there remained, Hiruzen started to become worried.

"What's wrong, Naruto?"

The reply didn't come right away.

"...Sakura-chan, Kiba and Shino felt it," he began, in a voice off-puttingly quiet. "They don't know what went wrong in the bridge, but they know something happened and I know they think it's me. And Sasuke... we fought together. He knows there was no way I could've beaten Haku by myself."

Hiruzen leaned forward, hands clasped in front of his face and elbows planted on the desk. He didn't need to ask anything.

"I'm afraid that this is a choice you will have to make on your own, Naruto. Telling them the truth comes with a risk, I know, but leaving them suspicious about yourself and what you are capable off can harm your relationship with them just as much, especially with your actual teammates... which can have its consequences during missions. They won't be as trusting as before. If this problem explodes at the wrong time, it might end up with all three of you dead."

Naruto gulped, visibly stricken.

"But while I can't help you... I can tell you what I'd do in your place. I'd strengthen my bonds with them as best as I could, and I'd definitely tell them the truth sooner rather than later, lest the events of the bridge repeat themselves. As long as they truly are your friends, they won't abandon you because of your burden."

"Hmm..." Naruto began to mull over those words of wisdom, trying to come to a decision. Before he could, however, Hiruzen had an epiphany.

"Actually, I may be able to do a little thing for you..."

He shared his idea with Naruto and, with a mix of relief and disgust, watched as the boy's mood brightened once again. It wouldn't do that much to help his situation, but...

"Ha!" Naruto puffed his chest, smug and prideful. "I told Iruka-sensei that it wasn't stupid!"

Hiruzen just sighed wearily. "Just remember that you, supposedly, have no recollection of it."

"Will do!" he nodded readily. His joy wavered a bit when Hiruzen grew serious and kept staring at him. "Uh... did I do something?"

"No. And that's the problem." Naruto blinked, puzzled. "When we began to talk about your friends, don't you think you forgot someone?"

Albeit far from a harsh one, it was more an accusation than a question, Naruto realized.

"Well... Hinata, huh?" Naruto smiled guiltily, scratching his head. "Sorry, old man... I didn't know if you'd be mad with me or not, you know?"

"Mad at you?" Hiruzen echoed, and his features softened as he shook his head. "Naruto, I read the report. It's not your fault that the fox's chakra overwhelmed you in that moment, nor it was your fault that someone happened to see you."

"Huh? No! I wasn't talking about that," Naruto replied in confusion. "It's just that... well, I told her the truth. About the Kyuubi and everything."

If Hiruzen had been taking a drag that moment, the pipe surely would've fallen to the floor.

It took him some moments to recover from how casually Naruto dropped that bomb. "That was... risky," he eventually managed.

"I thought so too. But then I remembered about that law," Naruto shrugged. Despite treating it as if it was nothing, recalling how that conversation began still sent his heart racing.

"Heh... is that so?" Hiruzen couldn't deny that, despite this particular law being a sore spot for him, the idea of Naruto of all people purposefully using a law like that was very amusing. But more than amused, Hiruzen was relieved. He had seen what went on between Naruto and the other genin after he stopped Naruto from leaving.

"Yeah... like I said, I thought you'd be angry since it's supposed to be a secret, so that's why I didn't say anything, but you just told me to tell the others one day so... but that's just part of it. I kinda still don't know what to even think about all that happened earlier today," the boy admitted, sighing, making Hiruzen realize why this incident wasn't mentioned in the reports.

"It's all so confusing and weird!" Naruto continued, almost pouting. "Just when I start to think I'm getting it, she goes and makes everything messy again."

Hiruzen was laughing before he even realized it, which Naruto obviously didn't take too well.

"This isn't funny, you know!"

"Well, well... why don't you tell me about what happened?" Hiruzen offered, ignoring the boy's glare. "Perhaps I can help you make some sense out of it all."

"Hmm..." Naruto crossed his arms and considered it. "Okay, we can try it."

If Hiruzen had to choose the best verb to define how Naruto explained things to him, "to blab" was by far the most appropriate. A ramble where finding the actual beginning, middle and end was all but impossible, especially when the boy sprinkled bits of other conversations or interactions with Hinata that Hiruzen lacked the context to decipher.

But he had heard enough to understand the heart of the matter. When Naruto stopped talking and just looked at him expectantly, Hiruzen began to talk.

"When you don't understand something, charging headfirst into it is usually the worst thing you can do. This goes for people as well... especially for those that are quiet and introverted, like young Hinata," he advised. "Despite it all, you still chose to be her friend, no?"

"Well, yeah." Naruto wasn't crazy enough to miss such an opportunity. Who knew if he'd ever find another person willing to be his friend after finding out about the Kyuubi? While he didn't know exactly what he was getting into—she had admitted to practically stalking him at some point after all—this was a chance he couldn't afford to miss.

But still...

"Then just take your time, and be patient." Hiruzen paused, both to let the words sink in and to take a drag from his pipe. While the boy digested his words, the Hokage watched him carefully.

"Hmm," he eventually put his pipe down again. "I suppose you've already come to this conclusion on your own."

With his mouth and eyes wide open in an almost comical fashion, Naruto almost asked Hiruzen how he knew, but his mind went back to the little chat he had with Haku. 'Man... am I really that obvious?'

"And it looks like something still bothers you."

'Well. Guess that is a yes...'

As if to prove Naruto's point further, Hiruzen smiled knowingly. "Heh... I think I know what it is."

'Definitely a yes,' Naruto pouted. He, somehow, felt mocked. "Well, yeah. There's something," he admitted, "but... I don't know what it is."

Naruto only knew that what he was feeling was weird—much like the person that brought about the sensation now that he had the time to stop and reflect upon that conversation, without Haku's presence to remind him of something else, that is.

"Understandable," Hiruzen began. "I suppose you never met anyone that holds you in high regard without you going out of your way to earn it. A bad impression to overcome is usually easier to deal with than high expectations you must meet. After all, if someone doesn't expect anything from you..."

Naruto's eyes brightened with understanding. "That sounds about right!"

It was obvious to him, now.

Naruto knew the truth—he was a loser. But apparently, Hinata didn't. While he considered that he might be selling himself short—she did point out he did a lot of awesome things already—her words still didn't match up with the reality that he lived in... and what would happen if she suddenly saw him for who he was?

The Professor sighed. "This might sound like a whole new problem for you, I'm sure. But Naruto... it's basically the same as the issue you have with your other friends."

"Uhhh..." the blond thought about it for a moment. "It is?"

"Trust this old fool for a moment and just be yourself, Naruto. You'll be fine, I promise." Seeing as Naruto was still fidgeting a little, he decided to go for a dirty trick as a taunting smirk spread across his wrinkled face. "Perhaps you forgot your confidence when packing your things before lunch today?"

"Well, I gu—hey, how do you know that!?"

"Hahaha! I've known you since you were half your size, boy! You always leave these things for the last minute," Hiruzen replied between laughs.

Naruto tried to look angry—to Hiruzen's further amusement—but eventually cracked a smile as well. "Heh... thanks, old man."

"Well then," Hiruzen coughed. "I suppose that's all we had to talk about for now."

"Actually," Naruto interrupted before he could be dismissed. "Can I talk you about something else?"

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. Naruto no longer displayed fear, insecurity or anything special in his body language and expression. "...Very well. Go on."

"So, you see..."

It took the Uzumaki a couple minutes, but he eventually managed to tell Hiruzen all about the interactions he had with Zabuza and the Yuki siblings, as well as what he had gleaned from the bridge battle.

The old Hokage's first instinct was to scold Naruto for letting his guard down around a stranger—one that turned out to be an enemy, no less—but he stopped himself. Leaning forward a bit, he spoke up once Naruto stopped talking.

"I'm afraid I don't quite see where you are going with this."

Naruto shifted around in his seat. "I guess what I'm trying to ask is... if we ninja really are tools, like Zabuza kept saying. Are we really just... things to be used?"

Despite his vehemence when talking to Haku only minutes before, he couldn't help but doubt it all. He was young, but he was well aware life not always was that simple.

Hiruzen let out a long, weary sigh while he considered his answer for a moment. Eventually, he rose from his chair and motioned for Naruto to get closer. "Come with me for a second."

A little confused, the boy did as he was told to, and Hiruzen led him towards one of the windows on the back of the room.

"Wow... you've got a pretty good view of the village from here." Naruto commented idly, to which Hiruzen merely hummed in agreement. The old man's eyes darted around slowly, taking in the sight of the village he swore to protect with his very life.

"Your question is rather broad," Hiruzen began. "Let's imagine for a moment that your mission to the Land of Waves didn't happen."

"But why? What does that eve—"

"Just bear with me for a second," he shushed the boy, stoically, as he held his arms behind his back. "Now... imagine that you are a jonin, and that I just called you to my office to give you a mission."

Naruto easily visualized an older version of himself entering the office. Taller, muscular... a complete badass.

In neon orange.

"It's an A-rank assassination mission, not because of the danger, but because of how well the client paid for the mission. He demands a powerful ninja sure to get the job done, with no chance of failure."

"Sounds like me, hehehe..." Naruto couldn't help the cocky smirk that spread across his lips.

Hiruzen was still very serious. "Your client... is a powerful magnate, owner of a shipping company. His name is Gatou, and your target is a simple bridge builder living in a nearby country, the Land of Waves. A man named Tazuna."

Naruto's smirk violently turned upside-down. Haku had given him a similar scenario, but...

"I believe you know where this is going. So, after entering the country and stalking out the target to guarantee a job well done, you find out about the state of the country and what Tazuna's bridge means to all parties involved. Would you give up on the mission and go back to Konoha, reporting your failure, or do you go through with it?"

As Hiruzen predicted, the answer was immediate.

"Of course I wouldn't do it! It's wrong!" Naruto yelled, repeating the same thing he had told to Haku.

Hiruzen nodded simply, betraying nothing. "If the bridge were to be completed, like it was in reality, old trade routes between Wave and Fire would be reopened, and we'd benefit tremendously on various levels from not aiding Gatou. There's a clause in mission contracts that allows ninjas to abort their mission at any point if said mission would cause a negative impact in Konoha or the Land of Fire in general upon completion, so you'd be free to refuse this as long as you can prove that claim."

Naruto crossed his arms. It took him only a couple seconds of thinking before he threw that notion into the trash can. "What are you trying to say, old man?"

"Now... Gatou was someone who held a lot of power and influence, despite not being a politician," Hiruzen continued. "In this hypothetical scenario, even if the bridge were to be completed, Gatou would still be alive. Despite it being a legitimate breach of contract, someone with a reach as far as Gatou's would be able to spread the word about "how Konoha can't be trusted" among other things. Our village's reputation would take a big hit from your refusal to kill Tazuna... which in turn, would affect many of our most powerful and expensive clients around the country and beyond. Your reputation, too, would be destroyed."

"I still wouldn't do it!" Naruto stomped the floor. "There's no way I'd kill someone innocent because of a greedy scumbag like Gatou!"

"I realize that, Naruto." Hiruzen nodded, glancing at the boy beside him, whose stare was ferocious. "But think about it for a moment. If our main clients start to lose their trust in the village, we'd get fewer mission requests. With fewer missions, we'd earn less income. With less income... how would we sustain things such as the Konoha Hospital, which depends on the public coffers?"

Confusion soon overtook Naruto's anger. "...Huh?"

"If this spark becomes a raging fire, the effects this would have in the population would be massive. Some of the ninjas and other public servants would need to be fired because they cost more too much for us, taxes would need to rise, budgets for our services would become smaller and their quality would inevitably go down, which causes a snowball effect. One that can be very hard for a village to recover from."

It dawned on Naruto, then, why, Hiruzen had him look out the window. Everything revolved around the village: what was good for it and the thousands of families that lived there.

"Our line of work is not an easy one, Naruto. There will be times where you will have to make difficult choices, and sometimes, there will not be a right answer. Especially if you one day end up right there," Hiruzen pointed to the Hokage Monument. "And this is not considering the possibility of a war breaking out. In our little example... I'm absolutely sure that, sooner or later, we'd be weak enough for Kumo or Iwa to wage war on us again."

"W...war?! Holy shit..."

Seeing that Naruto was becoming rather pale, Hiruzen gently placed his hand on the boy's shoulders and led him back to his chair. "Before we go back to your question about tools... remember that you're still rather young and inexperienced, Naruto. The reality you grew up with here in the Leaf is drastically different than the one in the Mist, where Zabuza and his men lived."

"Oh... I remember Zabuza saying something like that!" Naruto exclaimed, a bit too loudly for Hiruzen's hearing. "About their graduation exam, right?"

"It starts from there," the Hokage nodded as he made his way to his own chair, across from Naruto. "The Mist is famous for intentionally breeding killers, from even before they become genin. That village accepts many assassination missions and for cheaper prices than others—it's their specialty. Our village on the other hand, doesn't deal with those very often. We receive such requests, yes, but we analyze them very thoroughly before considering to accept them. This example I gave you had its purposes, but it's not something I'd ever allow to happen in reality."

"Because you'd try to get info on who Tazuna is?" Naruto guessed.

"That, and it wouldn't be you that I'd choose," Hiruzen clarified, pointing at the boy. "Those kinds of missions are given to people that chose to be assassins for the village. It's not a path we force anyone to take, so there's less of a moral burden on the ninja and more of a guarantee the mission will be done. Provided we accept the request, of course."

"Hmm..." Crossing his arms, Naruto tried to absorb all of that information, but it was a lot to take in.

"Unlike the Hidden Mist," Hiruzen moved to finish his piece, "our village deals with a rather wide variety of mission requests, and few are as grave as assassinations. Such as, for example, escorting civilians across the country, dismantling bandit camps, or capturing dangerous criminals. Knowing this, what answer would you give to the question you asked me?"

Naruto took a moment to narrow his gaze at the Professor for effectively avoiding the question, but complied. It took the boy almost two minutes of silent thinking (which Hiruzen used to get a little bit of paperwork done), but Naruto eventually admitted defeat.

"I... I dunno."

Hiruzen put his pen down. "Exactly."

"...Eh?" Naruto didn't know what to make of Hiruzen's smile.

"When talking about ninjas as tools... the question revolves around how much freedom a ninja has to make their own choices, regardless of what the village needs of them. It changes from village to village, mission to mission, and ninja to ninja. But," the old man's features darkened, "from what you've told me, the case with Zabuza was very different from the normal reality of a ninja, even one from Kiri."

"Uh... r-really?" Naruto stuttered, a bit hesitant by Hiruzen's apparent mood swing.

"Children are easy to mold and to manipulate, Naruto. The boy, Haku, was trapped because he needed to take care of his sister. The girl who unfortunately passed away, however... it is clear to me that Zabuza manipulated her emotions. Where a normal person would have a choice, people like her wouldn't see any other option, because their loyalty binds them to only one choice in certain situations. In this case... they are more like puppets than tools, if you ask me, regardless if the "user" cares about them or not."

For a few brief moments, Hiruzen simmered on his own bitter regret as the ugly reality born out trusting one of his closest comrades resurfaced in his mind to haunt him. ROOT was still a sore spot for the Professor... especially with his growing suspicions that one Danzo Shimura had only moved his operations deeper into the shadows, rather than ending them entirely.

When he snapped out of his reverie, he saw something very familiar: Naruto's face all scrunched up as he tried to make sense of everything he heard, to little success. It gave Hiruzen a sense of nostalgia, as he had seen that expression very often on Naruto's face when he taught the boy how to read and write at a basic level, years ago.

"Ah... forgive me, Naruto" Hiruzen sighed, shaking his head at his own foolishness. "You are still just a genin—you shouldn't be worrying about these kinds of difficult concepts and situations just yet. I suppose I went a little too far with my ramblings, haven't I?"

"Uh? Oh, nonono!" Naruto waved his hands wildly in denial. "It's cool! I mean... yeah, I guess I'm a little bit lost... but it did help clear my head a little. I'm glad we had this talk, you know?" he confessed with a small, soft smile.

Hiruzen reflected that, initially, but his smile soon gained an edge of teasing. "Oh, you're glad we had a talk... now that's rare! You're usually so grouchy when we have these one-on-ones."

"Hmph, that's all your fault for not seeing how genius my pranks are!" Naruto snapped... until Hiruzen began to snicker, and Naruto couldn't help but join the old Hokage for a good laugh.

It wasn't much, really, but it did manage to dissolve the heavy atmosphere that their conversation had brought into the room.

"But, seriously," the Uzumaki began. "Thanks for talking with me, old man."

"It is only my duty," Hiruzen replied with a small smirk. "Now then... I suppose that's all for now, correct?"

"Yeah," Naruto rose. "So you'll call us later to get the money from the mission, right?"

"Yes, just come back three days from now and I'll have your money. And don't waste it all in ramen!" Hiruzen scolded preemptively.

"Ramen is not a waste! But okay, whatever." With a dismissive but enthusiastic wave, Naruto made to leave the room. "Bye!"

"Oh, before you go," Hiruzen called him, "please tell that boy, Haku, that I'll call him in a few minutes. I think these old bones of mines need a small break!"

Rolling his eyes at the old man's laughter, Naruto grunted something about smoking under his breath and left the room.

The door closed, isolating Hiruzen from the world if only for a few minutes. The old Kage gladly made use of the chance and slumped in his chair, heaving a weary sigh as he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to rest for a moment.

He needed that little break from his own thought. Being reminded of ROOT was a sure way to ruin Hiruzen's mood, as the Hokage within him couldn't help but ponder once again if his investigations on the matter could be trusted. He had quite a few spy reports about ROOT after he ordered for the organization's dismantlement, and while they all confirmed that Danzo had done as he had told... Hiruzen had always doubted it.

His gut didn't let him believe it, and he wasn't the only one. Kakashi had come to him more than once to report on the suspicious behavior of some ex-ROOT ninja who were integrated into the ANBU, but if ROOT still existed, Danzo had hid his tracks well. It didn't help that Danzo had convinced him—for security reasons, he had argued—to keep ROOT undocumented and effectively nonexistent as far as the Leaf's own document archives were concerned.

It didn't take a lot of effort to hide a ghost.

"I am too old for this shit."

Giving up on that train of thought once again, Hiruzen grabbed his pipe and rose from the chair, making his way to one of the nearby windows.

While his old habit of smoking was useful to clear his mind for a couple minutes, once the old man's eyes landed on the Fourth Hokage's stone head, a different and just as troublesome thought started to bother him.

Despite what he had spent time talking about with Kurenai, he supposed nobody could escape their doubts over past decisions. It was simply human nature, and though one of his monikers was "The God of Shinobi", Hiruzen knew he hadn't attained godhood just yet.

In all of his years as Hokage... this was the first time in his career that Hiruzen found himself questioning how he built a genin squad. Each year, Hiruzen had to go over the academy reports on each student, hear the class's main teacher's opinion on each student, and carefully look over his roster of available jonin that were eligible for the role of sensei. Usually that combination of factors didn't weigh on his mind, but this time he couldn't help but wonder.

Team 7 had been an easy squad to build, really.

The policy of grouping the top two students of the year with the worst one tended to work very well, in Hiruzen's experience. That setup allows the jonin-sensei to give a little more attention to the student that struggled the most in the academy without really affecting the other, more advanced genin in the "safe" period of working through D-rank missions. The two top genin could also help their remaining teammates to keep growing even without their sensei's help, too.

Having the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi and the last Uchiha in the same team made it impossible to have anyone but Kakashi Hatake as their teacher. He was one of the precious few able to intervene if the Kyuubi threatened to break free, and also the only one that could teach Sasuke about his Sharingan, once it awakened.

Having those three individuals in the same squad was a very alluring idea to him, as a Hokage. They had the potential to make an extremely powerful assault squad... but it was the fourth element, Sakura Haruno, who now caused Hiruzen to doubt himself.

Iruka Umino, the sensei in charge of Naruto's class, knew very well which of his students would become the top two and dead last and made it a point to note that having Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all in the same team would be, in his words, a complete disaster.

He noted that there was a love triangle between them, made of two strong but unrequited and superficial crushes, with hatred and deep dislike filling all the other blanks in their dynamics. On top of it, all three of them were impatient hotheads—even if Sasuke usually could keep himself in check. Hiruzen had seen the chunin's point, but he also saw a chance to motivate Kakashi to teach that specific squad. Those three eerily resembled Kakashi's old team, even if they were far more volatile. It had everything to work once they got past their differences, matured and got to truly know each other as time passed.

But Hiruzen had briefly considered another Team 7, which Iruka himself had suggested: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha... and Hinata Hyuuga.

Hiruzen had to admit the chunin made a compelling argument. Iruka believed that Hinata was the right person to deal the flames caused by Naruto and Sasuke's constant bickering, as the girl was more likely to try to stop them from fighting rather than always picking a side and adding fuel to the fire or letting it burn freely. A Hyuuga as part of an assault squad was also a very interesting idea that provided the team with a tracker that, unlike Kakashi, did not require the highly draining summoning jutsu to do that job.

The true kicker was the girl's personality and the dynamic she, supposedly, would bring to the team. According to both what he had read from Iruka and what he had gathered from the few times he had seen the girl in previous trips to the Hyuuga Compound, Hinata was a kind and gentle child who would be more suited to the role of emotional support that Sasuke and Naruto would need, when compared to Sakura. And while she herself was in need of emotional support due to her cripplingly low self-esteem and shyness... Iruka had reported that the blue-haired girl seemed to have a crush on Naruto of all people.

The plan was that having those two in the same team would help Hinata overcome her issues by interacting with Naruto, while also helping the boy to form a bond with someone that genuinely wanted to be his friend. The fact that she didn't have an obsessive crush on Sasuke like every other girl in her class and didn't seem to envy him like all of the boys increased her chances of becoming friends with the brooding Uchiha, who reacted very negatively to that kind of attention.

While all of that made sense, Hinata was the only Hyuuga of her class and thus the only one that could complete a tracking squad with Shino and Kiba. None of the trio's tracking abilities were perfect on their own, but putting them all together while backed up by an experienced tracked and illusionist like Kurenai... Hiruzen wasn't willing to part with that idea. Sakura undoubtedly would've become a fearsome genjutsu specialist like Kurenai, but that created a redundancy in the team's skillset. Kakashi, on the other hand, would be able to direct the girl in various other directions depending on her own choices.

What had also made Hiruzen opt to ignore Iruka's suggestion was, in a way, the very foundations of his arguments. Hinata was someone that had deeper issues than a normal civilian girl like Sakura, and her role as the emotional pillar of the team would rely on her being able to overcome those issues in a timely fashion. Hiruzen feared that the girl could end up retracting even deeper into her shell when faced with Naruto and Sasuke's constant conflicts and her own perceived weakness; Kakashi didn't have the tools to deal with that kind of personality, unlike Kurenai, who could also provide the care the girl so obviously didn't receive in her own household. Sasuke was unlikely to help her on his own and Naruto's social unawareness could lead to misunderstandings—which they did in reality, from the boy's retelling of their interactions in Wave.

Hiruzen's other fear was that Hinata's presence on the team could create an even worse dynamic between Sasuke and Naruto. While there was a love triangle in the Team 7 he ultimately went with, its foundation was on superficial crushes. Hiruzen was sure that they would go away in time... but not as much with the arrangement Iruka suggested.

He saw the potential danger that it would be if the constant exposure to Hinata's gentle and supportive nature caused both Sasuke and Naruto to fall for her. Both boys grew up alone and could end up latching on a person that offered a genuine escape from that, which would be the recipe for a disaster. He had seen, a few times, squads falling apart due to love, and considering both of the boys had a risk factor—the curse of hatred and the Kyuubi's influence—it was too risky of a bet for Hiruzen to make.

But as much as he saw the doubts that troubled Naruto as he spoke about the shy Hyuuga, Hiruzen also saw a spark in the boy's blue eyes. As confused as Naruto ended up being by the girl's actions, Hiruzen knew he was thrilled by the chance of connecting with someone who liked him, even if he didn't realize the underlying crush she obviously had on him. The sentimental fool within Hiruzen wondered if perhaps he had made another mistake in keeping Naruto away from the one person he knew hadn't been affected by the fear and hatred the older generations imparted to the younger ones. After all, Hiruzen knew he had failed Naruto once before by creating a law that was meant to protect him... and ultimately condemned him to a childhood of loneliness.

That brief interaction by his doorstep had shown him the merit of having those two on the same squad, and Hiruzen now wondered if he really should've maintained his idea of having Naruto and Sasuke together. Unlike with the Uchiha, there had been another person who could become Naruto's sensei, and swapping Naruto and Shino around was not completely unviable.

Shadow Clones are versatile enough to validate Naruto's inclusion in a tracking squad, and even if they were inferior to an Aburame's kikaichu, he would've made the team more equipped to handle eventual conflicts, be it by fighting or fleeing. Shino wouldn't provide much raw power to an assault squad, but his abilities were could still cause widespread havoc to assist his teammates during fights, while his stealthy tracking abilities could provide new combat strategies for a squad originally built for all-out offense...

Shaking his head, the old man removed his pipe from his lips and breathed out a puff of smoke.

"Humans sure are a funny bunch."

Despite his words to Kurenai about choice and regret, here he was, doing the same thing he had advised her against. And much like he had also advised Naruto against, here he was, worrying about a problem that was set to solve itself on its own, thanks to his educational project.

Resolving to leave the past in the past, Hiruzen decided to stop worrying and watch. He had made his fair share of bad decisions in his past, but he had a feeling that this one... this was the exact opposite.

---

Naruto had to give Hiruzen's secretary some credit. Yes, the old witch made no efforts to hide just how badly she despised him, but unlike many others he had met, she didn't let personal feelings get in the way of doing her job. He needed directions, and she gave him directions. Nothing more, nothing less.

Following her curt but simple words, Naruto found himself walking up the stairs that led to the Hokage Tower's rooftop, where Haku was supposed to be. And while a small part of Naruto was wary and considered the possibility that he had been tricked, he found Haku near the edge of the rooftop, head raised towards the Hokage Monument that loomed over the village. The Ice-user was probably lost in thought again, Naruto realized, but he quickly turned around from the sound of Naruto's footsteps.

In his left hand, he still held Haru's diary... and in the other, a fistful of needles. Naruto had to take a step back when he saw the other boy's aggressive stance and weapons, but Haku relaxed when he realized who was there.

"Oh! Naruto-san... I didn't know it was you," Haku said, apologetically, while hiding his needles back within his sleeve—Naruto had no idea how that worked.

"It's fine," Naruto waved him off. "I just came here to tell you that the old—I mean, the Hokage will see you in a couple minutes. He's just taking a little break now."

"Ah... I see."

"So whatcha doing out here?" Naruto blurted out as he approached, making Haku smile at his unrestrained curiosity, and then at the blond's scowl as a rather cold breeze passed by. "I know those chairs downstairs are not that great, but its way better than having to deal with this wind."

"Well, perhaps," Haku tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear. "I am used to the cold, but it is getting rather late, isn't it?"

Naruto looked at the sky, surprised. He had lost track of the time, but the sun was almost setting already. The trip from Wave to the Leaf still took a few hours, even without a civilian slowing them down. Since they had left the country only after lunch, it was no wonder that it was almost nightfall.

"But to answer your question... I was just thinking about a few things while appreciating the view," Haku confessed, turning his back on Naruto and gazing at the four stone heads up above again. "Your village is beautiful, but this monument is simply breathtaking. Clearly, there was a lot of care put into it."

Naruto found himself nodding to that. "Yeah, I've seen it up close. They really went all out with it... but it's missing something, you know?" Haku briefly turned around only to see the cockiest of grins plastered across Naruto's face. "It ain't perfect till my head is up there too!"

Haku had to hold back a laugh at how excited Naruto was. "You did say something about becoming Hokage before. I assume that's your dream?"

"Yup!"

"But... you know it's not that easy, right?" Haku asked, growing serious. "I don't mean achieving just your dream, but actually being the Hokage."

Naruto's smile disappeared. "Yeah... I know. I was talking about that just now with the old man, actually. I... I admit I don't know or understand everything about being a Hokage, but I still want the hat, you know?"

"And why is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"...At first I only wanted to be Hokage, because that'd mean I was really strong. I wanted to be a hero, and... well, I still do. But," he raised his finger, pointing to the diary Haku still held. "I met her in the woods a few days before the bridge, and it's funny, she actually asked me this stuff too. She told me that I shouldn't become strong just to for the sake of it, but that I should be strong to protect the people who are the most important to me, and... I kinda like that idea, you know?"

Turning around slightly, Naruto's blue eyes wandered around the village, and so did his mind.

So many things had happened these past few weeks, and even if not all of them were pleasant, Naruto was happy that he lived through them. He had seen what happened to people when the bonds they forged with others collapsed... from Sasuke's obsession with revenge to Inari's shattered hopes, from Haru's attempt to kill herself to the fear that tormented him that week at the thought of how his friends would react if Hinata spilled the beans about the Kyuubi.

But as he formed more bonds and found new meaning in old ones, he realized how important that concept is—the power that something as simple as a friendship could have.

How precious another life could be to someone.

"Naruto-san," Haku eventually broke the silence that formed between them. "Just... keep in mind that's not all there is to it."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto frowned slightly.

"Because of our circumstances, my sister's views were very limited. She had the right idea, but her focus was only on Zabuza and me... her family, as shoddy as it was. Everyone else simply didn't matter."

Naruto's eyebrows rose. 'Family? Is... that what she was trying to say back then?'

If that was the case, it was no wonder that he felt he had missed something important. The only bonds he had that were close to something like family were with Hiruzen and Iruka, but neither could really give him the constant attention and unconditional love that he saw parents giving to their kids and vice-versa, whenever he passed by such families in the village.

"You see, Naruto-san," Haku continued, "everyone that is precious to you, even in small ways... they have precious people of their own too. Every life is important in its own way. You can't just focus on your little circle."

"Hmm... true," Naruto scratched his chin. "True. But hey, if it's about protecting everyone..." he grinned widely again. "That's all the more reason for me to become Hokage, dontcha think?"

Haku barely had the chance to open his mouth to reply when a small cloud of smoke blew up nearby, revealing a lizard-masked ANBU.

"Hokage-sama is ready to see you."

"Oh! Of course, I'll be there soon." Haku went to bow, but the ANBU disappeared before he could. Shrugging, the Haku shifted to face his only other companion. "Naruto-san, it was a pleasure to talk with you."

"Uh... sure?" Naruto laughed awkwardly, feeling embarrassed somehow as he watched Haku leave.

However, the Ice-user turned back before he reached the stairs.

"I don't know if we will meet again, so I'll just say that I truly hope that one day you'll achieve your dream, Naruto-san. Our world needs more people that think like you do. Even... if that and the way our world works are at odds."

Haku had just expected a smile or some other sort of cheerful reply, but Naruto's features tightened, and Haku could see the boy's determination shining brightly in his blue eyes.

"The old man told me that things in your country are different, you know? And that even here, sometimes bad stuff can happen... but if that's the way our world works, then screw that!" he roared. "That's not the way I work, and that's not how things will work when I become Hokage either!"

"...It's not going to be easy," Haku warned him once again, but Naruto just shook his head.

"I know, but I don't care how hard it will be! Listen: I never give up. I'll keep trying until I find a way, because that's how I do things! That's my ninja way of doing things!"

Once again, Haku sensed something akin to an aura of sorts surrounding Naruto as he spoke. Perhaps it was his mind playing tricks on him, or the setting sun that was casting a powerful light from one direction and leaving the other in shadows... Haku didn't know. But it was overpowering, and as crazy as it sounded, Haku found his doubts in Naruto's odds of success being washed away completely.

Somehow, someday... he'd find a way to do it. It brought a smile to Haku's lips.

"...I shouldn't keep Hokage-sama waiting," the Yuki eventually said. "I hope we will meet again, Naruto-san!"

Waving goodbye one last time, Haku went down the stairs, leaving Naruto by himself.

The blond turned around and looked at the streets below once again. Few of the villagers could actually stand him—he had no reason to protect or care about those people.

But he loved this village with all of his heart. How couldn't he? From the forests to the crowded marketplaces, from his favorite ramen stand to the lone swing near the academy grounds, from the Hokage Monument to the hot springs... this was home. His home!

And even if those people continued to dislike him, to hate him, to ignore him... he would give his all to protect the village and those dear to him.

"If Iruka-sensei knew about the fox and changed his mind... if Hinata discovered everything but didn't care... then I've still got a chance!"

His fists clenched. Things would change.

And he wouldn't give up until then.

---

A/N:

Whew!

This chapter wasn't my biggest, but it was pretty tough to write despite all that I had planned. Those conversations were pretty difficult!

As you can see, this is from where Naruto officially gets his "ninja" way in my fic (which made that part a bit too corny for my tastes but I couldn't get around that). All these talks about tools, puppets, and the way the world works will make an impact in forming Naruto's thought process later on, considering the major villains of the future arcs and also the figure of Jiraiya, who will give him even more to think about in terms of how the world works. He now has a few different perspectives to work with and, yes... everything isn't as easy as he had thought it would be (or more accurately, he didn't think about those things), but he'd be dammed if something as simple as playing on the hardest difficult and going for the best rank is going to stop him!

The little OC I built for this chapter, the nameless secretary, will show up a couple chapters in the future but she is not really important herself, hence why I chose not to focus on describing her. You will get a little piece about it next chapter. Blame Perentie Fan for her existence, haha.

You guys probably can guess it, but the dilemma of when and how to talk about the Kyuubi to his non-Hinata friends will be a big issue for Naruto going forward. The emotional stakes for Naruto are a lot higher than in canon now (he's kinda vulnerable atm, as I'm sure everyone noticed), but luckily he can count on a few people like Hiruzen and Hinata, right?

...I honestly don't know what to think of this chapter in terms of quality. Does this suck? Is it average, or perhaps a good chapter? My Beta thought it was amazing, but this chapter accidentally really focused on why kid!SimplePotato liked Naruto as a series in the first place and, as he himself said, I can't exactly trust his nostalgia-induced opinion. He gave this chapter a 9,6/10 if you can believe that... and it was an older version full of mistakes, even!

So.. hearing your thoughts would be nice! A Review can really brighten an author's spirits. It seriously helps us to work on our fics, and having an actual idea of how well I did this time around would be nice too!

As for the next chapter—Hinata's side of this day, starting from a little after she left—it's something I've got on my mind for a long while but I already know it will be very troublesome to write. I don't know which side of the equation will win out when I do start writing it, and between the length and college being college... I'm hoping for a late May update, but am expecting to drop it mid-June. No promises, tho.

Finally, thanks to SimplePotato for beta'ing this for me, even if I had to let him play the first few hours of the new Zelda so that he could actually be bothered to help me. Nohrian Scum. Extra shout outs to Serious Sam and Ander Arias for giving me extra opinions about my content and decision to split things up. I've already talked about their fics here (My Precious People and Son of the Sannin respectively), so if you haven't read them just yet... what is wrong with you? Review this chapter and go read their work!

Oh, I should also thank Theblueswordsman for the shout out in their fic, Uzumaki Naruto Chronicles Rewrite. Thanks!

See you guys later!

---

Changelog:

1.0 to 1.0.1 (04/22/17)

A few typos that gio08 pointed out got hunted down and executed with extreme prejudice. As well as another typo that was very close to one of those.

1.0.1 to 1.0.2 (02/07/17)

Modified a couple sections to add the forgotten backpacks to match the next/previous chapter's continuity, and added a little bit to Kurenai's exit.

1.0.2 to 1.0.3 (08/12/18)

Modified the opening A/N, which was horribly outdated. I was innocent enough to think this would be a 2-chapter arc. Damn you, Hinata!