'Thoughts'
"Technique/Demon/Bijuu" Talk
"Demon/Bijuu" Talk from inside
'Technique in head/Demon/Bijuu' Thoughts
Reviews
UnsanMusho: Maybe she will, maybe she won't, who knows…
Samuel Santillan: I'll put her in.
deniswanheda: Entendido, señor.
biginferno: Got it.
Harem so far (help it expand by suggesting)
Amaru, Ameyuri, Anko, Fuu, Fem!Haku, Hanabi, Hinata, Hotaru, Ino, Kaguya, Kin, Konan, Kotohime, Koyuki, Kurotsutchi, Mei, Sakura, Samui, Sara, Sasame, Shizuka, Shizune, Shion, Tayuya, Temari, Tenten, Tsunade, Yakumo/Ido, Yugao, Yugito, Yukata
Chapter 8: Wave III
It had been awhile since Naruto started training separately with his clones. The real one was standing in the middle of a clearing. He took a deep breath and dispelled his clones. He got the experience and memories of the others and smirked at a particular one.
'Seems like Kurama's clone and my clone had a bit of a dispute,' he noticed as a small chuckle escaped his lips.
He heard footsteps approaching him and turned around to find the disguised Bijuu walking towards him.
"Your clone definitely had a short fuse," Kurama spoke.
"Well, yours did say some things that ticked him off, ya know," Naruto mentioned with a sly smirk.
"It's not my fault your clone complained about a little pain," Kurama retorted as he cracked his neck.
"Let's see how you can handle being electrocuted from a literal bolt of lightning," Naruto countered as he made the Snake hand seal. "Lightning Release: Disappearance-"
"I GET IT, I GET IT!" Kurama interrupted, causing Naruto to laugh. "Anyways, let's get going… we're done for now."
"Where to, Bijuu?" Naruto inquired with a grin.
"... I know you did not just say that…" Naruto's grin only got wider as he turned around and walked away. Kurama longingly sighed before catching up with him.
The two of them walked throughout town and saw the sadness of it. Kids were sitting by walls with their heads down and wearing ragged clothes, the adults had signs begging for money, the stores were barren and barely had anything. Everything about this town was depressing, and Gato caused it to happen.
'I feel so bad for these people… they don't have any money, nor food to sustain themselves… how could Gato do this…?' Naruto asked as he looked around.
'Money-hungry businessmen. He knew what he was doing choosing this place instead of a random village in one of the other lands. These people may be protected by the sea, but they're not protected by people who know how to get here,' Kurama responded with a glare. 'This place must've had some good land and fishing for him to take it over.'
'We need to find Gato fast,' Naruto declared.. Kurama looked at his Jinchuuriki from the side and nodded.
The two came back to Tazuna's house and saw that dinner was on the table. Naruto smiled while Kurama disappeared, not wanting to take any food from the others. Sasuke was already glaring at Naruto.
"Wow, it smells really good in here!" Naruto exclaimed as he went to take a seat next to Kakashi.
"Thank Tsunami for that. Her cooking's pretty good," Tazuna said as he glanced at his daughter.
"Oh please, don't flatter me. It may smell good but it might not taste good," Tsunami scoffed. Naruto instantly dug in and began eating.
'Wow! This really is pretty good!' Naruto thought as he continued eating. He couldn't help but notice that Sasuke was glaring at him… again. Naruto cocked an eyebrow at him, but ignored the raven-haired genin and continued eating.
"So, Naruto, how'd your training go?" Kakashi asked as he looked at the blonde.
"It went great Kakashi-sensei! I learned a lot of things," Naruto responded with a smile.
"So great you hurt yourself, huh?" Kakashi asked, looking down.
"Hurt myself? Whaddya mean?" Naruto wondered.
"You mean you forgot the bandage wrapped around your hand and wrist?"
Naruto looked down at his right arm and saw that his hand and a part of his wrist were wrapped in bandages.
'W-What the hell? I don't remember putting on bandages…' Naruto thought, slightly surprised to see them, but kept it hidden.
"It was Kirai who put them on you. It's to cover the black stuff," Kurama spoke.
'But why this much?'
"Because that's how much there is."
Naruto took a second to process that before looking back up at Kakashi and grinned. "Oh yeah! Guess I did forget! Haha!"
"Well, as long as you're fine then that's good. We don't want you hurting yourself." Naruto nodded and continued eating.
After everyone was done, they remained at the table while Tsunami was cleaning the dishes.
"Hey, Miss Tsunami, let me help you with that," Naruto volunteered as he got up from the table.
"Oh, I don't really need help with this-"
"It's fine, believe it! I know how to wash dishes," Naruto joked before grabbing a dirty plate and washing it.
"Oh, thank you," Tsunami thanked before finishing up her plate and placing it to the side.
Sakura looked up at a picture that was hanging from the wall, and noticed that someone's face was torn off from it. "Excuse me, this picture is torn, is there some reason for that?" She then turned and looked at the young boy. "Inari, you kept glancing at it all through dinner. It looks like there was someone else in the picture but they got torn out. I mean, that's kinda strange, isn't it?"
Naruto noticed Tsunami paused her dishwashing and he looked up at the woman to see her face frown. Tazuna looked up and Inari flinched while Kakashi looked at Sakura.
Tsunami resumed washing the dishes. "It's my husband."
"... They used to call him a hero in this land… " Tazuna spoke, looking at the table. Inari got up from his chair and walked to the door.
Tsunami turned around. "Inari where are you going?!" The boy opened the door, then left.
Tsunami stepped forward but then looked back at Naruto.
"Don't worry, Miss, I'll finish these for ya," Naruto said with a small smile.
"Thank you," Tsunami thanked as she nodded and left the room.
It was silent for a moment.
"Inari's so-I mean what exactly happened to him?" Sakura asked.
"Hm… is there a full story behind this?" Kakashi wondered, looking at the old man.
"I told you why Inari was like that… but I didn't go into full detail, so let me do it this time…" Tazuna told Team 7 about Inari's stepfather, Kaiza and how he came into Inari's life. Kaiza was a real father to Inari since the boy didn't know his own. The man knew courage and knew how to instill it into people. But then, Gato came along and ruined it. He brutally beat up Kaiza with a gang of thugs and turned his arms purple and useless. The next day, Gato put the man on a pole and killed him in front of everyone. That was the day Inari started to never smile again.
Naruto closed his eyes before opening them. He neatly put back the dishes and walked to the door.
"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked.
"To train." Naruto left the door and quickly went to find Tsunami. After searching around a bit, he found her in her room with the door slightly open. He slid the door open some more and lightly knocked on the wood. Tsunami turned around to see the whiskered blonde at her door.
"Hi. Mind if I come in?" Naruto asked. The woman shook her head, and Naruto walked inside. He sat down next to her and looked at the night sky. "It's pretty nice outside, dontcha think?"
Tsunami glanced up and saw it too. "Yes… it is…"
"What's up?" Naruto asked as he looked at her. Tsunami looked back at him.
"Just… Inari… I worry for him, a lot. He's changed since… since Kaiza died and… he's so pessimistic about everything. He doesn't smile, never enjoys anything, and I don't know what to do… I can't comfort him because he just pushes me away…" Tsunami responded as her eyes began to tear up.
"I think… he just needs to know that heroes do exist in this world," Naruto said, looking back at the night sky.
Tsunami looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean: I'm going to prove that heroes do exist to Inari. Maybe then, he'll change the way he thinks about this world," Naruto declared as he stood up. He looked down at Tsunami. "And that's a promise to you!"
The woman's eyes slightly widened. "To… me…?"
Naruto grinned. "Of course! You're in pain as well from Kaiza's death, not just Inari. You deserve to revert back to your old self too."
"Oh… thank you… really…" Tsunami said as she looked at the floor.
"Hey." Tsunami looked up at Naruto. "I feel like if you smiled again, you'd look a lot more beautiful than you do now, believe it."
Tsunami's eyes widened even more and she lightly blushed. "Since when were ninja so flirty…?"
Naruto only smiled before he turned around to leave. "I'm gonna go train, cheer up, Miss Tsunami!"
And with that, Tsunami was alone in the room. She thought back to what he promised her and the compliment he gave with a small smile. 'You better keep your promise.'
Naruto was standing in front of Kurama.
"What're you gonna be training on now, Kit?" Kurama asked with a slight head tilt.
"Yin, Yang, and Yin-Yang Release. Those are the three I don't fully know yet," Naruto responded.
"Thankfully I'm here for that, right?" A familiar voice joined in. Naruto and Kurama both looked around to find the voice. They both looked up and saw Kirai… hanging upside down in the air…
"Since when could you fly?" Naruto asked the woman. His guard went up.
"Yin Release comes in handy, ya know," Kirai replied as she flipped upright and slowly floated to the ground. When she touched the ground, she struck a pose and smiled.
Naruto and Kurama both looked between her and each other with confused faces. Kirai peeked an eye and looked between the Jinchuuriki and Bijuu before groaning and falling out of her pose.
"Ugh, you were supposed to clap, but nevermind." The woman crossed her arms and looked at the blonde. "Alright brat, which one first? Yin, or Yang?"
"Why only those two?"
"Cause Yin-Yang requires knowing both and combining them," Kirai responded.
"Alright… let's go with Yin first," Naruto said. Kirai nodded.
"Okay, these three releases are gonna be harder to explain than Magnet Release, so get ready," Kirai warned. Naruto nodded. "Yin Release is a release that gives form to nothingness using spiritual energy and the imagination"
Naruto crossed his arms as he thought about this and nodded. "So… my shadow, for example, is something that doesn't really have a form since I can't touch it, and by using Yin Release, I can give it some sort of form… right?"
Kirai and Kurama both looked at the boy a bit shocked.
"Wow… I didn't expect you to understand it instantly… but… yeah," Kirai confirmed with a head nod.
"Alright, what's the first Yin Release technique I'll be learning?" Naruto asked the entity.
"First, create a clone to test it on."
Naruto nodded. "Shadow Clone Technique!" A clone popped into existence in front of the three.
"Alright, this Yin technique is called: Yin Release: Hell." Kirai said.
Naruto cocked an eyebrow at that. "Why's it simply called 'Hell?'"
Kirai smirked. "Because, when using this technique on someone, you blind them of sight and they get trapped in a black room. That black room is a box that I created simply so that I could play with them."
Naruto was surprised to hear that. "So… is this a genjutsu?"
"Oh no, this is very real, just try it for yourself," Kirai said. "Make the Ox hand seal too."
Naruto looked at his clone and took a deep breath before making the Ox seal. "Yin Release: Hell."
Naruto's eyes widened as a small, black box formed underneath the clone before it expanded and trapped him inside. The box was about as big as Tazuna's house.
Naruto and Kurama took a step back while Kirai smirked.
"Oh… this is where the fun begins. Hopefully your clone can take a little damage," Kirai said as she disappeared. The walls of the box became more transparent and Naruto and Kurama could see the clone looking around confused.
All of a sudden, a multitude of blacks spikes shot out from the inside walls and impaled the clone. They quickly retracted before a black hand came out from the floor of the box and grabbed the clone. The hand squeezed hard, causing the clone to shout in pain before the hand threw him against one of the walls. As the clone was peeling off the wall, black appendages shot out from the same wall and quickly strapped the clone against it, preventing him from moving.
A black head formed from the opposite wall and it looked like a bull head with white eyes and a zigzag mouth. The head opened its mouth and a black orb quickly formed before it shot out a black beam that consumed the trapped clone. Naruto and Kurama's eyes were wide at the… over excessive moves Kirai was using.
After the head was done, it retracted into the wall, leaving nothing except the wall itself. The box quickly minimized back into a smaller form before it disappeared from existence.
Kirai appeared behind Naruto and Kurama with a content look on her face. "Ah, that was refreshing."
"That was… very unneeded," Kurama spoke as he looked at the woman.
"Whatever do you mean? I mean… the technique is called 'Hell…' is it not?" Kirai asked as she slightly tilted her head.
"...You know what, nevermind," Kurama said, dropping the subject.
"Hey, Kirai," Naruto spoke.
"What's up?"
"If I were to use the moon for one of my techniques, would that be Yin, Yang, or Yin-Yang Release?" Naruto wondered as he looked up at the celestial body.
"Well, Yin Release uses spiritual energy to make forms out of nothingness, and Yin-Yang Release is a combination of both, so what does that leave you with?" Kirai responded.
"Wait… if Yang Release uses physical energy… I can't touch the moon, ya know!" Naruto pointed out as he looked at the woman.
"ERR! Wrong. You actually can touch the moon, so it would be Yang Release," Kirai denied as she put her hands on her hips.
"What? How can you touch the moon?!" Naruto questioned.
"There's a clan living there right now," Kirai responded as she looked up at it.
"Really…? What clan…?"
"Part of the Otsutsuki Clan. I believe the branch family is living on there currently."
"What are the Otsutsuki Clan doing on the moon?" Kurama was the one to ask with a quirked eyebrow.
"The moon is where Kaguya is sealed," Kirai told, making the other two's eyes widen. "The moon was created by Hagoromo and Hamura sealing Kaguya. Hamura opted to watch over Kaguya and made his own family on the moon. The branch family got tired of the main family for some reason, had a war, main family lost, and now the branch family rule over the moon."
"That is…"
"Unexpected?" Kirai guessed as she looked at Naruto.
"For a lack of a better word… sure…" Naruto confirmed. He soon began thinking about something. "... Would the branch family know I'm using the moon for one of my techniques?" Naruto inquired.
"Depends on what the technique is and what it does," Kirai answered with a shrug.
Naruto put a hand to his chin and hummed. 'So… that'll be a yes…'
"Anyways, let's continue with a Yang technique," Kirai voiced. "As you said before, Yang Release uses physical energy, but, it uses that energy to give life to forms that have none."
"Give life to forms that have none? Whaddya mean by that?" Naruto asked with a puzzled face.
Kirai smiled as she walked over to a tree. She placed her hand on it and the tree expanded before it started transforming into some sort of golem.
It opened its eyes and they were a glowing white as it looked down at Naruto and Kurama.
"That's what I mean," Kirai answered. Naruto and Kurama were a bit shocked to see the wooden golem.
"Wow…" Naruto whispered. Kirai took her hand off the golem before it turned back into a regular tree. "But wait, with Yin Release it could be easier to perform techniques since it uses the imagination and whatnot, but Yang uses actual things, but that could only go so far… Yin Release seems like it's better in general."
Kirai crossed her arms as she smirked. "Your imagination could only go so far too, Naruto. Use your creativity for Yang Release. That way, it could be on par with Yin Release. I have a feeling your imagination's pretty good, now use that fascinating creativity of yours and create some good Yang techniques."
Naruto thought about it, then smiled and nodded. "Alrighty!"
"Wait, shouldn't you at least show him a Yang technique before having him make new ones?" Kurama joined in.
"Oh… yeah, you're right…" Kirai said as she scratched her cheek. "Okay, first Yang technique. Yang Release: Shura Jinkun!" She made the Monkey hand seal.
Kirai instantly grew in size and Naruto and Kurama had to crane their necks up to try and find Kirai's face… but… her breasts were in the way of that…
"How do we tell her we can't exactly see her face from here?" Naruto asked his Bijuu. Thanks to her height that was taller than Kurama in his Bijuu form, she was blocking the moon as well.
"Maybe shout. She could probably hear you," Kurama suggested with a shrug.
Naruto took a deep breath before placing his hands next to his mouth. "KIRAI! WE CAN'T SEE YOU, YOUR GIANT BOOBS ARE IN THE WAY!"
Kirai leaned forward and could barely see Naruto and Kurama. She looked at her chest and realized she couldn't see them if she was standing up straight.
"Oh… oops," the entity said as she reduced back to normal size. She looked at her chest and held her breasts up. "Damn you Kaguya and your hidden bust size…"
"Uh… Kirai, maybe not do that in a place like this…" Kurama advised as he looked around.
"Why? There's no one here, they're most likely asleep," she pointed out.
"Yes, but not everyone goes to sleep at this time," Kurama countered. "If someone saw your giant self in the woods, they'd cry Bijuu and alert everyone else."
Kirai opened her mouth, but shut it when she didn't have a comeback. She sighed as she put her hands on her hips. "Fine, fine, just know the hand seal and do it in private."
"It's Monkey, right?" Naruto guessed as he made the hand seal. Kirai nodded. "What about Yin-Yang Release?"
"Eh, get more acquainted with Yin and Yang, then I'll teach you," Kirai answered before ruffling the blonde's hair. "Anyways, I'll see you soon, probably, see ya!"
Kirai disappeared, leaving the Jinchuuriki and his Bijuu alone in the forest. Kurama looked at Naruto.
"You wanna spar?" Kurama asked.
Naruto looked back at Kurama with a smile. "Of course I do!"
It was the next morning and there was a girl out in the forest, picking up herbs. She was wearing a pink, sleeveless kimono with pale, red edges and decorated with small plum-colored swirls. She had a white obi around her waist and wore light brown sandals with a black choker.
A bird landed on her shoulder and she smiled at it before the avian flew off of her shoulder and headed somewhere else. The girl followed it with her eyes, and soon saw the body that was in the middle of a clearing.
The bird landed on his hitai-ate, and it turned slightly. The girl caught sight of it, and her eyes slightly widened before narrowing. She slowly got up and walked over to the boy. The girl stared at him for a moment, before reaching for his neck.
Back in Tazuna's home, Sasuke, Sakura, Tazuna, and Inari were sitting at the table, Kakashi was sitting on a step, screwing in the metal for his glove while Tsunami was getting a plate ready.
"Naruto's not here? Looks like he was out all night again," Tazuna speculated as he looked around.
"I don't know what that idiot's doing, but he's probably dead by now," Sakura assumed with a tired look. "You know, from using up too much of his chakra, or possibly someone attacking him."
"I don't think you should talk about Naruto like that," Tsunami spoke as she set down a plate at an empty seat. "He may seem like an idiot, but I don't think he actually is one."
"Don't worry, Naruto's completely fine," Kakashi assured as he finished screwing his metal in.
"Sakura might be right," Sasuke voiced. "That idiot might have wasted too much of his chakra and is lying dead somewhere in the middle of the forest, but if that's the case, I couldn't care less." Tsunami sent him a glare, but returned back to the sink.
Out in the forest, the girl was now crouched beside the whiskered blonde, unsure of what to do. She reached for his neck, and was about to choke him, but instead, moved her hand to his shoulder and lightly shook it.
"You'll catch a cold if you sleep here, wake up," the girl told. The whiskered blonde stirred awake, and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and looked to the left to see a girl there.
"Oh… wow… uh… hi, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked as he saw the girl's face. 'Well isn't she beautiful…'
"I'm gathering herbs," she answered with a smile.
"Herbs? For what?"
"My friend is hurt and I offered to get him some herbs," the girl responded.
"Oh, I can help with that, ya know!" Naruto offered with a bright smile.
The girl was slightly taken back, before she smiled again. "Thank you, I'd appreciate it."
Naruto got up and so did the girl. He followed her to a spot where there were lots of herbs and began picking at them.
"So, why'd you get up so early anyways?" Naruto asked, trying to start a conversation.
"I like it early. It's calm but I didn't think I'd find anyone sleeping out here in the woods," she replied as she looked at the blonde.
"Oh, heh… I was out training all night, since I'm a ninja, ya know," Naruto said as he pointed to his hitai-ate.
"I kinda figured you were, but you could also be playing dress-up," she propounded with a smirk.
"Uh huh, and what are you supposed to be, huh, flower girl?" Naruto retorted.
The girl looked up at Naruto. "So, you wanna play like that, huh?"
"You're the one who started it, sis, not me," Naruto defended as he put his arms up.
"Whatever you say, Mister Ninja," she said as she made air quotes.
"You sure you're collecting herbs for an injured friend and not for a wedding?" Naruto asked with a smug look.
"Oh that's it, get over here!" The girl declared as she lunged at Naruto. The whiskered blonde did a back roll and tried to jump back, but the girl was surprisingly fast and tackled his legs. She quickly traveled up his body and pinned down his arms.
"You're a ninja, huh? You don't seem like it," the girl told with a smirk.
"... Ya know, seeing you up close like this… you're really beautiful," Naruto told. The girl blushed and she loosened her grip, which allowed Naruto to flip her over and now he was on top.
The girl's eyes widened at the sudden movement as she stared into the boy's ocean eyes. He gave her a foxy grin.
"Shouldn't have let your guard down!" He spoke apprised. The girl didn't hear his words for a second, but when she did, she pouted and turned away from him, blush still on her cheeks.
"Y-You shouldn't say those things so carefree," she lectured, refusing to look at him.
"Who said I was just saying them carefreely?" Naruto asked as he slightly tilted his head. The girl whipped her head to look at his face. "I wasn't lying when I said you were beautiful."
She was shocked for a moment as she looked at his eyes and realized he wasn't lying. They stayed like that for a moment before the girl took a deep breath and her blush faded just a little bit. "Can you get off me now?"
"Oh, right, sorry," Naruto apologized as he backed up off of her. She stood up and dusted off her kimono before looking at the blonde.
"Tell me, why did you become a ninja? I hear it's a very dangerous job," the girl wondered.
"Well, it's not really just a job, but a lifestyle, and yes it is dangerous. But I'm doing it because I wanna protect my village and become the Hokage someday!" Naruto answered with a clenched fist.
"You want to protect your village, huh? That's a great goal to have and I hope you achieve it," the girl hoped as she bowed.
"Oh, thanks! But I still have a long way to go for that to happen," Naruto pointed out before picking up the girl's basket and handing it to her. "You should probably get going now, don't wanna keep your friend waiting," Naruto mentioned with a grin.
The girl's eyes slightly widened. "You're right, I'm sorry, but I should get going now. Thank you for helping me collect herbs… uh…"
"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki," the whiskered blonde finished.
She smiled. "Thank you, Naruto. My name is Haku."
"Thank you, Haku, for waking me up as soon as you did," the boy thanked with a grin. She nodded and walked away.
Haku walked a good distance before her instincts kicked in and caught a kunai thrown from behind her. She whipped her head back to see it was Naruto who threw it.
"See you on the bridge, let's have a good fight."
Before Haku could say anything back, he vanished. The girl stood there for a moment, shocked at what he said to her.
'He knew the whole time… didn't he?'
Kakashi was walking out in the forest, looking for his blonde genin. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the kid standing upside down on a tree branch.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto greeted with a smile.
"Hey," Kakashi greeted back, putting his hand up.
"What're you doing' out here by yourself? Where's black and pink?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the nicknames. "They're still at Tazuna's home. They didn't wanna come with me to get you."
"Of course they didn't," Naruto said with a sigh.
"Well, before I retrieve you, I do want to talk to you for a bit," Kakashi revealed as he walked closer.
Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Talk about what?"
"Talk about you."
Naruto flipped backwards and stuck to the trunk of the tree before walking down it. Once he got to the bottom, he unstuck and stood on the ground.
"What do you wanna talk about me for?" The blonde asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"I want to talk about why no one's supposed to talk about you being a Jinchuuriki," Kakashi answered.
Naruto's eyes slightly widened. "Alright, I'm all ears."
"When Minato-sensei sealed the Kyuubi inside of you, only Lord Hokage and a few other shinobi were there to witness it happen. Lord Hokage told a select few of what happened because it was important, but one of those people leaked that information to the village. Lord Hokage knew about this and quickly put a rule up as to not speak about it since it was supposed to be classified information," Kakashi explained.
Naruto scowled after hearing this. "Do you know who Gramps told this too?"
"Sadly, no, but I do have my suspicions," Kakashi responded.
Naruto grit his teeth before taking a deep breath. "I'll talk to Gramps about this."
"Don't do anything drastic. This person is still a part of our village," Kakashi mentioned.
"But this person leaked an important secret, I don't think they're really a part of our village," Naruto told as he crossed his arms.
"You're possibly right, but you yourself can't speak out about it, no one would believe you."
Naruto remembered that he was a Jinchuuriki and that Kakashi was right, which made him furrow his brow. "Damnit… you're right… and Gramps probably did something about it, but it didn't work and he doesn't know it…"
"Just forget about it for now, we do have a mission to accomplish," Kakashi said as he put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto nodded and lost his angry look. "You're right."
"You wanna head back or you gonna be out here training till dinner again?" Kakashi asked as he turned around.
"I'll head back," Naruto answered, walking next to Kakashi.
Kakashi and Naruto both returned to Tazuna's home and saw Tsunami sitting at the table alone. Kakashi walked up the stairs, leaving Naruto and Tsunami alone.
"Welcome back, Naruto," Tsunami spoke as she looked at the blonde genin. He smiled as he took a seat across from her.
"Hey Tsunami!" Naruto greeted with a grin. Tsunami got up and went to the counter. She grabbed a plate and brought it back to the table, setting it in front of Naruto.
"You forgot to eat breakfast, didn't you?" The woman guessed with a smile. Naruto's stomach answered for him once it rumbled. He sheepishly grinned.
"Y-Yeah… thank you for the food!" The whiskered blonde began eating.
After a few seconds of silence, Tsunami spoke. "Are you ready, Naruto?"
The eating blonde looked up at Tsunami and swallowed. "If you're talking about fighting Zabuza, yes, I am. I know for a fact we'll win against him! And we'll get this Gato man too!"
Tsunami smiled and nodded at his determination. "I wish you luck."
Naruto smiled before they changed the subject and began having a friendly conversation.
It was dinner time and Team 7 plus Tazuna's family were eating. After they were done, Naruto sat back in his chair, relaxing.
"In a few more days, the bridge will be finished, I have you to thank for that," Tazuna announced as Tsunami began collecting the plates.
"You've all done great, but you still got to be careful," Tsunami warned.
"I've been meaning to ask you this but I haven't the chance until now… Why did you stay and protect me, even after you found out I lied to you to bring you here?" The bridge builder asked as he looked up at Kakashi.
"Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader, cowardice cannot survive," Kakashi quoted.
"Huh?" Tsunami asked, looking at the cycloptic jounin.
"That was a quote from the Shodai Hokage."
Tsunami thought about that, while Inari looked at Naruto. He grew sadder as flashbacks of Kaiza came rushing at him, and couldn't help but start to silently cry.
"But why…" Inari spoke, getting Naruto's attention.
"Hm?" The blonde asked as he looked at the kid. "What'd you say?"
Inari slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "All this stupid training is just a waste of time! Gato's got a whole army, they'll beat you down and they'll destroy you!" He shouted, causing the others in the room to look at him. "These cool things you all say, they don't mean anything! No matter what you do, the strong always win and the weak always lose!"
"Sounds like you're rooting for the other side, kid," Naruto pointed out with a smirk. "Believe me, it won't be like that for me, I'll stop Zabuza and Gato-"
"Why don't you be quiet?! Just looking at you makes me sick! You don't know anything about this country, you're just budding in! Always laughing and playing around, you don't know what it's like to suffer and be treated like dirt!" Inari yelled. Naruto flinched at the last sentence and lost his smirk to slightly wide eyes. Kakashi's eye widened a bit as he looked at his blonde genin.
"Kit… do not blow a fuse…" Kurama told the blonde, but he ignored his Bijuu. Naruto stood up and slammed his hand on the table, causing the plates to jump and the table to slightly crack. Inari looked at his eyes and flinched back. They were red with black slits as he stared at the kid.
"I don't know what suffering is?! Do you know how I used to live when I was younger than you?! I was living in a shithole in my own village! I was always having to run away from people and I was never safe, not even in my own home! People tried to kill me every day just for being alive! Do you know how that feels?! Being hunted and not knowing why?! And I didn't even know my parents! I didn't have anyone to cry to when it was a bad day, no, I had to cry to myself for comfort! Just cause I live in Konoha, and I have fun, and I laugh, doesn't mean that I was living a prosperous, carefree life. It means I dealt with pain too and I don't wallow in it like you do! I know exactly how it deals to be treated like dirt, I had it worse than you, so don't ever say that I don't know what suffering feels like! Just cause you've had it bad, doesn't mean you get to be a selfish prick and try to bring the mood down with you. People have it worse than you! So suck it up, kid! Kaiza is dead, yes, but that doesn't mean you get to mourn every fucking day of your life! No, you push past the pain and suffering, and be the best you can be! Especially to someone who you cherish and love! And you're not even trying to do that! Stop being such a coward, and man. Up!" Naruto shouted. He took a moment to try and calm down while Inari stared at him, stunned to the core.
Everyone else looked at Naruto differently. Kakashi looked at him a bit surprised, Sakura just stared at him with wide eyes, Sasuke couldn't care less, Tazuna and Tsunami both looked at the blonde in shock. Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. They were still red.
"Naruto, you took it too far! He's just a kid!" Sakura shouted at the blonde, but he wasn't dealing with her shit at the moment.
Naruto whipped his head at Sakura with wide eyes. "I have so much shit to say to you, but I'm biting my tongue to the point I'm tearing it in two." Sakura slightly flinched at the statement and didn't dare open her mouth against him again.
He looked at Tsunami. "I'm sorry, I'm going outside." Most of them watched as he left the dining room and out of the door. The room was silent, before Inari began silently crying and ran out through the back.
Kakashi walked out of the house and found Inari by the water, huddled in a ball.
"Can I talk to you?" The Leaf jounin asked. Inari glanced at him, but didn't say a word. Kakashi took it as an invitation, and sat next to the kid.
"What Naruto said… surprised even me. I didn't know that he could be as serious as he was. At first glance, he looks like an idiot, but when you really get to know him, he's a pretty smart and clever ninja. He could probably get close to beating me, a jounin, if we were seriously fighting," Kakashi spoke as he looked out into the ocean. Inari looked at him from the corner of his eye, slightly intrigued with what he was saying. "And he's been through a lot, given from the outburst he had, so understand that he didn't yell at you for no reason, it just hurt him to be reminded of the past. And something else he didn't tell you, was that he never had any friends either."
Inari fully looked at the cycloptic jounin. "Huh? Really?"
"Yeah. But still, I've never seen him quit, or give up, or sulk. He's always eager to jump in and take the lead. He wants to be respected by the people of his village, that's his dream, and he'll put his life on the line for that in a heartbeat. My guess is… he just doesn't want to see people in such a low state like you when they have the chance to change and be better. You have an opportunity, you're just not seeing it, and he wants you to," Kakashi explained. Inari looked at the water, thinking about that. "He may be young, and has a long way to go, but he still knows what it means to be strong. Just like your father did. I think he knows better than any of us what you're going through. What some of Naruto told you, like 'push past the pain and suffering,' or 'suck it up,' he's probably told himself that a thousand times, maybe even more." Inari looked back at Kakashi with a shocked face trying to take in what Naruto's gone through, and truly how strong he is.
Morning came and Team 7 and Tazuna, besides Naruto, were outside in front of the house, ready to leave for the bridge.
"Okay, I leave Naruto in your hands. Seems like he pushed himself again and probably won't be awake for a while. It'll be a surprise if he gets up and is able to move," Kakashi said with an eye smile.
"Alright, if that's all, let's get a move on," Tazuna said as he began walking away with Team 7 following.
Something landed in front of Tsunami and she was surprised. It looked like Naruto, but the hair was more frizzier.
"N-Naruto? I thought you were in bed," Tsunami thought.
"He is. I'm a clone of his and will be filling his spot until he awakes," the clone spoke as he turned around and smirked. "Take care of Kit until he can move." Before Tsunami could respond, the clone dashed off to catch up to Team 7.
Kakashi looked back and saw the clone, knowing exactly who it was. "Nice of you to join us, Naruto's clone." This caused the others to look at Kurama.
Sasuke scoffed at seeing him. "Great, now we have this dobe's clone with us. Hopefully he doesn't screw up the mission."
"He's probably too weak to do anything. He'll just get in the way," Sakura added.
"I'd keep your comments to yourselves, or else I'll slit both of your throats without a second thought," Kurama threatened. Sasuke put his guard up as he recognized that voice while Sakura flinched.
"What do we call you?" Kakashi asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Call me K," Kurama responded.
"Sounds good, now let's move a bit faster, Team."
Naruto woke up a little after Team 7 and Tazuna left. He stretched before going downstairs and seeing Tsunami at the sink.
"Morning Tsunami, where is everyone?" Naruto greeted as he yawned.
The woman turned around and smiled. "Hi Naruto. Your team left for the bridge. Your sensei wanted to let you rest, you got the day off."
Naruto smiled before putting his hands behind his head. "Sorry Tsunami, but I can't have the day off, I made a promise, remember? But I will stay here for a little bit."
"Oh, really?" Tsunami asked. Naruto nodded before going back upstairs and changing. He went back downstairs and helped Tsunami with the dishes.
"Oh, you don't have to help Nar-"
"I got nothin' else to do, so I might as well help you with this, Tsunami," Naruto interrupted as he looked up at her.
Tsunami looked at him skeptically. "Are you trying to pull something?"
"If I were to pull something, it'd be you," Naruto slyly responded with a smirk. Tsunami blushed before bumping him with her hip.
"You jerk! You and your mouth will get you in trouble!" Tsunami told.
"If I were to be caught in public, I wouldn't mind," Naruto said with a shrug as he washed a plate.
"Stop making sexual innuendos with me you're only a kid!" Tsunami scolded, but her blush never left her face.
Naruto snickered. "I'm a teen to be exact, Tsunami, and there's nothing stopping me from making them."
Tsunami thought about a comeback. "Well, there's me!"
"And how are you gonna stop me?" Naruto asked, genuinely curious.
"I'll-" But before she could finish, there was a knock at the door. Both Naruto and Tsunami looked at the door, then at each other. The whiskered blonde activated his Byakugan and saw through the wall. Two men were at the door with swords and devilish smirks.
"Tsunami, don't open the door yet."
"Hold on, what the heck is this?!" Tazuna questioned with wide eyes as he saw his men lying unconscious and hurt on the bridge. "What happened?! Someone was here, someone got to them!"
"Could it be…" Kakashi suspected as his mind instantly went to Zabuza Momochi. A heavy mist began rolling in, which confirmed Kakashi's suspicions. "Sasuke, Sakura, K, get ready!" Everyone stuck their backs to each other, watching out for the enemy.
"Kakashi-sensei, it's Zabuza, isn't it? This is his Hiding in Mist Technique," Sakura deduced.
Sasuke smirked after hearing that. 'I finally get to fight him myself and prove how strong I am!'
"Ah, Kakashi, it's so nice to see you again. I see you have those brats with you, and you brought the blonde one too," Zabuza spoke.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm just a clone, not the actual kid," Kurama corrected with a smirk.
"Oh? Where is he then?" Zabuza asked.
"Things happened and he trained too hard. He's sleeping now, but he'll be here, just wait for him."
"Heh, I can wait." Just then seven Zabuzas appeared around the group. "But for now, let's get started."
"You wanna take the lead, K?" Kakashi asked Kurama, but before he could respond, the raven-haired Uchiha took out a kunai and instantly slashed at Zabuza's clones. "Or… not…"
The clone's turned into water. "Huh, you can see they were clones? Good for you, you're learning."
"Come out and show yourself, Zabuza! Your fights with me! Sasuke Uchiha!" Sasuke declared as he frantically looked around for the missing-nin.
"Unfortunately, I don't want to fight you. I'd rather fight the blonde than you, so you can take on my partner, Haku," Zabuza replied. Sasuke grit his teeth at that. He didn't want to fight some hunter-nin, no, he wanted to fight the jounin missing-nin!
"He seems to be impatient, take your time with him and piss him off," Zabuza said, and Haku nodded as she took out three senbon.