Chapter 9

Growing Admiration

Arashi checked over her supplies and slipped out of the house. As a precautionary step, she left a shadow clone behind to continue keeping the area around them in check.

It had been a while since she was active outside the village. She preferred the feel of paper in her hands from the safety of libraries and the smell of antiseptic in a hospital to the uncertainty of missions. At one point she had been more than willing to do whatever it took to shine, in the hope that she would further her career and gain recognition. She had a goal, she was driven, and she wanted to make her father proud. That motivation went away – it chased after the boy who existed in the shadow of all her thoughts.

She might not have agreed with Kakashi's decision to keep his team involved in Tazuna's mission, but… Can I really blame him?

Ibiki was a logical, cold man and he imparted a lot of his reasoning to his students – even Arashi who wanted to mimic her father's caring ways. He would not agree with the decision to continue the mission. Daisuke and Akio would not agree with continuing the mission.

But I think Sensei respects Kakashi. She found herself thinking. And if Sensei respects him and his judgment, I probably should, too.

For the first time in a very long time, Arashi Ran wanted to do well. She wanted to do whatever it took to safeguard her mission and to show that she was competent.

It did not take her long to find Giichi's home. The sun was setting, and she wondered if it was rude to bother him but decided that she did not care. She wanted more information.

She knocked on the door, careful to not sound aggressive.

After several moments, the door cracked open and Giichi peered out. "You're that shinobi that's been watching Tazuna."

"Yes, I am. I wanted to talk to you. Are you free for a chat?"

His expression turned dubious. "About what?"

"Tazuna-san's safety. Things you might have heard. If there's anything I can do to help." She replied.

He chewed at his lips, uncertain. "I don't know."

"I'll make it quick." She assured him. "I want to help."

"I don't want to get involved."

"One conversation and I'll be gone like nothing ever happened."

"Hear her out, Giichi." An older woman's voice interjected.

"Fine." He relented.

She slipped inside and he locked the door behind her.

Arashi took in her surroundings. It was a simple, but comfortable home. The older man was uneasy with her presence, but the woman – Arashi assumed it was his wife – regarded her warmly. She had a kind face, framed by graying brown hair.

"What do you want to talk about?" The man prompted her.

"You mentioned to Tazuna-san that his life was on the line. Why?" She asked. "Is it because of what happened to Kaiza, or have you heard of anything else going on?"

His weathered face hardened. "There's been talk on the street. Mostly rumors, but you never know."

"What kind of talk?"

"Gato's been hiring people. Every criminal he can find."

"For what?" She asked.

"I don't know. I'm not even sure if it's true." He replied. "Why would he hire just common thugs if Tazuna's got ninjas guarding him?"

Arashi shrugged. "Where are these rumors coming from?"

"I don't know where they came from, originally." Giichi mumbled.

"There's a drug house in sector C. It's right up on the waterfront, so it's hard to miss."

"Agari!" The man scolded. "If we go stirring things, it'll only get worse!"

"Sector C?" Arashi repeated. "Thank you, Agari-san. I'd like to investigate it, myself. I won't mention your involvement. Once I leave, this conversation never happened."

"Thank you, girl." The woman replied. "I'll trust that you know how to take care of yourself, but I still want to tell you to be careful."

"You don't have to worry about me." Arashi assured her.

"You never came here." Giichi stated. "We've never spoken before, alright?"

"Exactly." She formed a hand-sign and transformed into an impoverished girl with clothing that matched the local style. "I'll be going now."

It did not take long for Arashi to locate the building. The taste of salt on the air might have been refreshing if not for where she was. There was no resistance as she entered it, but she felt eyes pinned to her the second she stepped inside. Men and women laid about, but the kunoichi set her focus to a few people at the back. There was a smaller man with dark hair and eyes with two larger men lounging with him. As hard as they tried to come off as patrons or bystanders, it was obvious that the man with dark hair was a drug dealer and the other two men were acting as bodyguards.

A disheveled civilian entered and shoved by her on his way to the same people.

"Hello, Charu." The dealer greeted him. "Back for more?"

"Yeah. This is the last time, Daigen."

"Sure." He crossed his arms. "I'm thinking you still owe for last time."

"Money's hard to come by." Charu explained. "I can pay for part of it."

"Well, there is a job coming up that you can do." The man began.

"Really?" The civilian lit up. "What kind of work?"

"It's a little bit of blood money, but it spends the same." Daigen replied. "It's for the big man. He has money to spend, so if you get in good with him, you'll end up well off."

"W-when?" Charu asked.

"Just hang around a bit and keep an ear out. I'll let you know when it comes."

"Thank you." He smiled, sickly. "But, I just…"

"Well, until you can pay in full, I'm afraid I'll have to cut you off." Daigen shrugged.

Arashi stood to the side as one of the bodyguards drug the civilian out of the building.

"Now, what about you?" The dealer leered at her. "I've not seen you here before. How can I help you?"

"I need something to help my father." She lied. "He's in a lot of pain."

"I see." He nodded, feigning sympathy. "Life's been hard for a lot of us, that's for sure."

"Yeah." She agreed with an intentional tremor in her voice.

"How do you plan on paying?"

"I don't have money, but," she looked down at her feet. "I can pay in other ways."

"Other ways?" He repeated, but she knew he got her meaning.

She nodded but continued to avoid his gaze.

He eyed her up and down. "Well, I don't normally make this kind of exception, but if your father needs help, then I'll just have to oblige."

"Thank you." She whispered, meekly.

He extended his hand to her and she wrapped her fingers around his. His bodyguards continued watching their clientele as he led her farther into the building and to a room in the back. The lighting was dim, but she was able to make out enough to see that it was a bedroom. The moment the door was shut, he grabbed her by the hips and lifted her onto a table next to the bed. Her throat tightened as she bided her time.

He undid his pants and slid himself between her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist, placed her hand against his abdomen, and stared into his eyes. Satisfaction ran through her as her chakra scalpel slid under his ribs and toward his heart.

"Shhh." She whispered. "If you call for help or resist, this scalpel will leave a laceration bad enough that you'll bleed out in seconds."

His breathing became shallow and erratic, but he nodded in acknowledgement. She could see the fear in the white of his eyes.

"Good." She whispered and her lips brushed against his ear. "I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer – quietly – to the best of your ability."

He nodded again.

"Remember your life depends on how well you answer."

He swallowed audibly.

"So, what kind of job are you hiring for?"

"Gato's looking to double cross the ninjas he hired."

"Double cross? How?"

"Wait till he fights those leaf ninjas and then attack 'em when they're weak."

"How many men?"

"Dunno."

She tightened her grip.

"I-I don't know. I'm not the only one recruiting. We were told to get as many as we can."

"What kind of timeframe?"

"We're waiting on Gato's word."

"Fair enough. What kind of estimate can you give me?"

"Don't know."

She shifted her hand and he writhed.

"I don't know!" he gasped. "I'm not the only one hiring and I dunno who will even show when it happens."

"I'll believe you this time." She rested her chin against his shoulder and thought about her next course of action.

"Th-thank you."

"So, are you the one in charge of this establishment?'

"Yeah."

"Where do the drugs come from?"

"Gato."

"I figured." She pursed her lips. "Who else? Who else is hiring?"

"I don't know – his personal bodyguards, other dealers – I just don't know."

"I see." She pulled back to examine him. "Thank you for being willing."

"Please, just let me go. I'll answer whatever, but please don't hurt me."

"Shh." She reminded him.

She never intended to let him live.

The medic placed her hand on his forehead and rendered him unconscious in a few seconds. Once she was confident that he was out and would not feel it, she drove her scalpel into its target and shoved his body onto the bed.

Not as much information as I would have liked, but it's something. We have to actively watch our backs.

She considered killing the bodyguards and burning the building down but decided that it would cause too much of a scene. Daigen had no visible signs of what caused his death and she intended to leave it that way. Arashi slipped out through the window and escaped into the night.

I should have gotten the names of other drug dealers, but I doubt they would have much more information. She chewed at her lips. Besides, I don't really feel like going on a killing spree.

She slipped back into Tazuna's house and released her clone. Hints of light tinted the sky – she was out longer than she expected. She noted that Naruto was still out and knew from the clone's knowledge that he had been out the entire night. Sasuke and Sakura were asleep. Kakashi was awake and waiting near the door for her.

"You're such a morning person." She mumbled.

The Jounin replied in an educational tone, "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

"You sound like an old man," she replied. "And I guess you look like one, too, with that gray hair and your crutches."

His expression soured. "I don't look old."

"Sure." She considered walking by him to go to sleep but decided she should speak with him about what she found out first. "So, I learned something."

"Oh?"

She took a step closer to him and spoke, quietly. "Gato's hiring as many criminals as he can. They plan on betraying Zabuza after he fights you, when everyone will be weak from the battle."

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. "Were you able to find out when Zabuza plans on making a move?"

"No. They're waiting on word from Gato before doing anything. The closest thing I could find out was soon."

"Well," he sighed. "At least we know to expect it."

"I can handle them when the time comes." She assured him.

"Oh? You've been a lot more agreeable."

She blinked. "I've been nothing but agreeable since my mission began."

He gave her a flat look but said nothing.

"Well, anyway." She cleared her throat. "We should probably fetch Naruto."

"Mahh - he'll find his way here when breakfast is ready." Kakashi replied.

She frowned.

"Is there any threat nearby?" He inquired.

There was nothing wrong with his signature, his chakra level was stable, and there was no sign of distress.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Then you should rest." He replied and his eye closed in a smile. "You've earned it."

She eyed him as she tried to determine if it was a passive aggressive jab or if it was a genuine compliment. "Alright."

Arashi stared at her feet as she walked by him and crept into the room she shared with the Genin. As soon as her head found a pillow, she fell asleep.

The smell of food stirred her awake, but fatigue fogged her thoughts. She might have slept for a few hours, but she knew that she could not rest the entirety of the day. Knowledge of Gato's plan was enough to keep her on her toes.

She sat up, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and felt around on the floor for her glasses. Once they were returned to their place on her face, she took a deep breath and scanned the area.

Time to check on N..

She shot to her feet, snatched her belt of scrolls, ran by her boots, and rushed out of the room. Stumbling from exhaustion, she found her stride as she dashed through the dining room where the rest were having breakfast.

"Arashi!" Kakashi found his feet, without the aid of a crutch, "Are they coming?"

"Don't know – the masked boy is near Naruto and Sasuke!"

The medic did not stay to find out what they were doing. As soon as she was outside, she bit her finger for blood and summoned Sukai. She continued running down the pier, her bare feet protesting against the wooden planks. The bird glided next to her, his head cocked in inquiry.

"I might need you to snatch a couple Genin from the ground." She explained. "I'll need you to circle around above and look for an opening in the trees."

"Ak – trees!"

Trees were problematic when trying to get a giant bird close to the ground.

"Yeah – I know!" She slipped her scrolls back into their place on her body. "There's a shinobi that might be very dangerous nearby. I don't want him hurting Naruto or Sasuke."

"The Genin or the shinobi?" He asked. "Which is my focus?"

"The Genin, unless I signal for you."

With that, he beat his wings against the air and rose far overhead. She made it to the end of the pier and dashed into the trees where the two boys were. Though she was not panicking, she was nervous. At no point should she be in direct combat with another ninja – it was not her place and she was ill equipped for it. What use was a medic if they died in combat?

She swallowed over a lump in her throat. I stand a better chance than those kids, though.

Arashi slowed her pace as she drew closer – the masked boy had withdrawn away from Naruto and Sasuke. She meticulously scanned the area, extending her senses as far as she could, but the only ninja she detected was the boy. He did not appear to be stalking the area and was moving at a leisurely pace away from their location.

But why was he even here?

The medic slowed down and covered the rest of the distance at a walk. The grass and leaves between her toes made her feel silly for running out without stopping to prepare. Sukai circled the area, well above the tops of the trees. She pulled off her hitai-ate and used it to signal to the bird with flashes of light – in a code that indicated that he needed to stay around but there was no urgency. In response, he gained altitude and continued to patrol the area.

By the time she reached the boys, they were on their way back.

Naruto looked at her in confusion. "Neh, Sis, you look rough."

Arashi sighed and rubbed her temples. "You need to stop sleeping outside, Naruto-kun."

"Where are your shoes?" Sasuke mumbled.

"Back in our room." She replied, sourly. "I sensed one of the rogue shinobi out here and thought you were both going to die. I didn't think much about stopping to put my boots on."

Naruto's head whipped around and he pulled a kunai out. "Where? Near? Are they coming?"

"Just the one and he seems to be staying away." She replied. "He was probably just scoping the area out, but I was afraid you were being attacked."

"You're a medic, though." The Uchiha commented. "It's not like you would've been that useful in a fight."

It was true and a fact that she openly acknowledged, but something about the way he said it struck a nerve.

Arashi crossed her arms. "I've killed people, y'know. You're just now learning how to climb trees – a skill I was able to do long before graduating from the Academy. You might've been top of your class, kid, but that was pretty much a given for anyone in your family."

If looks could kill, she would've left the mortal coil in that instant.

"Whatever." Sasuke spat.

"I love you, too, brat." She replied in an overly sweet tone. "I was willing to die for you two. Keep that in mind."

"Oi – Sis – like, what should we do?" Naruto interjected.

"Oh, well, I figured we could make our way back to Tazuna's house, make sure everyone is okay, and keep an eye on the situation." She replied. "They're probably freaking out right now and you need breakfast."

The Uzumaki pulled at his hair and screeched, "So, we have to just walk away? When that masked kid is pretty much right here?"

"Yes." She replied.

"That's not how I work – I'm going to prove that I'm a hero!" The boy turned on his heel and began looking around with a kunai in his hand.

"Naruto-kun, you can't prove you're a hero if you're dead."

"I'll prove it to you, too, y'know!" He yelled. "If I'm going to be Hokage someday, I'll have to face these situations head on!"

"And if you're going to be Hokage someday, you need to learn wisdom and how to bide your time." She hissed.

"Whatever!" He huffed.

Naruto began to walk away, but she caught him by the arm with a death-like grip and leveled her mouth with his ear. "I can sever each and every joint in your body so that it's impossible for you to move and drag you back to the house where I'll keep you immobilized for the rest of the mission or you will willingly come back for breakfast."

The blood drained from Naruto's face. "Heh, yeah, I guess I'm starving."

To get her point across, she dragged him the first several yards while he protested.

"And just to let you know, that shinobi is pretty much out of range now. We'll have our opportunity to fight them soon, when we're all more prepared." She explained. "And you can prove that you're a hero at that point, Naruto-kun."

He pouted and glared at her in response. Once she deemed that he was bullied into submission, she released her grip and fell into step with the two boys.

"So, how's it been going? I heard that Sakura pretty much has it down." She asked.

"It's been hard, but I'm getting there!" He replied. "It's, like, y'know, frustrating and exciting at the same time!"

"That's how I felt when my dad taught me how to use the Shosen Jutsu. He worked with me day after day until I got it down." Arashi replied. "Anything worth learning takes a lot of discipline."

"Was your dad the one that taught you how to focus your chakra to your feet, too?" Sasuke asked.

"He sure was." She nodded. "He's always been my hero. He taught me how to focus my chakra and how to use healing jutsu, on top of continuing to teach me about medicine, medical procedures, anatomy, and physiology. I've never been particularly good with kunai or shuriken, though, and that's probably because he never focused much on that, either."

"Oh." Naruto formed an O with his mouth.

"What did your Sensei teach you?" Sasuke probed.

She blinked. "What's the interest in me all of a sudden?"

A flash of embarrassment flashed across the Uchiha's face and he mumbled, "Nothing."

Naruto piped up, "I dunno about Sasuke, but now that I'm a ninja, I guess I'm wondering what it was like for you and if it's kinda the same for us?"

"My Sensei is a very busy man. He was very methodical in teaching my team how to work together, gather information, and complete missions. We had a lot of training outside of missions and he was very heavy handed in making sure we were up to his standards." She paused as she thought. "He taught us to have very thick skin, too. When I think about it, I owe a lot to him. He's seen me at some of my highest and lowest points. I still go to him for advice."

"That's really cool, Sis." Naruto scratched at the back of his head. "Our Sensei's just late all the time."

"Really?" Arashi knit her eyebrows together. But he's up so early? How's he late?

"What do you think of Kakashi-Sensei?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm not sure. I can't get a good read on him." She blurted out. "He's considered elite, though. Ex ANBU."

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "ANBU?"

"Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai - Special Assassination and Tactical Squad. It's an organization that collects some of the best." She chewed at her lip. "I probably shouldn't have mentioned that about him, though. It's usually kept secret. Relatively, anyway."

He stared at her with wide, impressed eyes. "That's so cool, y'know!"

"If it's secret, how do you know?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm a sensor type." She reminded him. "Ran into him while he was in uniform several times."

"So, you just remembered him from that?" Naruto asked. "Do you remember everyone that way?"

"Well, no – I usually only remember signatures that I familiarize myself with or make a point to remember."

"Signatures?" Naruto echoed.

The rest of the walk back to Tazuna's house was full of questions about sensory, chakra, and signatures. One boy seemed to get it – Naruto was more confused by the end of their trip than he was at the beginning.

After calming everyone down, it was decided that Arashi would stay on high alert and Sukai would be left to patrol the area from above. It equated to the medic being bored and feeling trapped indoors for most of the time. Day after day, Sasuke and Naruto stayed out while she either escorted Tazuna or guarded the house.

When she did get to see the Genin, she could tell that there was development. There was also an increase in anticipation and tension in the household. As time passed, they drew nearer to the day when they would inevitably be confronted by Zabuza and then they would have to deal with the criminals that were hired to follow up after him. Arashi was confident that she could handle any number of thugs that turned up, but her concern grew for Team 7.

She found herself hovering around Kakashi – not only because he was stuck there with her and she continued to study him for the sake of her fuinjutsu – but she found herself wondering about him. There were moments when the curiosity that overtook her as a child seemed to return and she would excuse herself to go to a different room. She wanted to know what his hobbies were, and she wanted to know about his likes and dislikes.

Arashi wanted to know Kakashi on a personal level and it made her uncomfortable.

It's not like there's anything wrong with trying to make friends with a colleague. We're going to be working together for a long time. It only makes sense that we need to get along and if we're companionable with each other, that will just make things easier.

There was an issue with that belief, though.

Arashi tried to ignore the ripple of the Jounin's muscles under his clothing – it was easy enough when he was wearing his vest and sitting away from her – but he had coerced her onto his back while he did pushups to get himself back into the rhythm of things. His signature made her skin tingle, the sound of his breath as he counted each repetition in a low voice to himself made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, and she found herself taking in the broadness of his shoulders. She hoped that Tazuna and Sakura would not notice that she was staring since they were in the room, as well.

He's kinda tall.

Her thoughts drifted as they rose, lowered, rose, and lowered.

And he's probably pretty strong.

He kept her on her toes in conversations.

He's sharp.

She thought back to her interaction with the drug dealer. The way that he had pressed himself between her legs made her stomach turn in disgust, but she wondered how she would feel if it had been…

She rolled off Kakashi's back and blurted out, "I just remembered; I need to look at something really quick."

He paused and looked at her, holding himself up with a single finger. "Oh? Well, if that's the case, I'm sure Tazuna and Sakura could take over."

Arashi walked away without replying and leaned against a wall in a different room. Her face burned and she tried to clear her head.

This is no good.

Arashi was able to avoid the Jounin due to escorting Tazuna to the bridge. She considered joining in and helping but deemed that it would be better if she stayed alert and let them do their job. From her vantage point, she could see that the bridge was almost complete, and she was growing anxious to see it done. Once the bridge was done, Team 7 would be released from their responsibilities there and they could return to Konoha.

Mostly, she wanted to be away from Kakashi and her increasingly confusing opinions about him.

This mission is going to kill me.

The medic sighed and leaned back against a stack of stone.

They made it back to the bridgebuilder's home late that evening for dinner. Tazuna's family was present, along with Kakashi and Sakura, but Naruto and Sasuke were out training. They had almost finished eating by the time that the boys came stumbling through the door.

"You're finally back!" Tazuna commented. "Looking like something the cat dragged in."

"Heh – both of us…" Naruto panted. "We made it to the top of the tree."

Sasuke mumbled, "I told you if you didn't take a break, you'd wear yourself out, you dope."

"Good." Kakashi replied. "Naruto, Sasuke, starting tomorrow you two can help Sakura protect Tazuna-san. Arashi can stay here to look after Tsunami and Inari."

Naruto lit up and Sasuke tried to hide his pleasure.

"Alright!" Naruto yelled and threw his fist up in the air.

The motion knocked them off balance and they fell backwards.

"You are such a loser!" Sasuke hissed.

A chorus of chuckles filled the room. The medic made sure the boys had food and watched with amusement as the Uzumaki fell asleep on the table moments after finishing his portion.

"In a few more days, the bridge will be finished, and I have you to thank for that." Tazuna announced.

"Father, that's great, but you still have to be careful." Tsunami fussed.

"Yes, of course." The old man regarded Kakashi. "I've been meaning to ask you this, but I haven't had the opportunity until now. Why did you stay to protect me even when you found out I lied to bring you here?"

"Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader cowardice cannot survive." Kakashi replied.

"Huh?" Tsunami looked at him, baffled.

"That was a quote from the first Hokage." Kakashi explained.

Well read, well educated. Arashi felt a grin tug at the corner of her mouth.

Inari shook as tears spilled over his cheeks. Quiet sobs slipped past his lips despite his efforts to keep them under control.

"Why?" The young boy whimpered. "Why?"

Naruto shifted awake and squinted at Inari. "What's wrong with you?"

Great.

Inari erupted. "All this stupid training is a waste of time. Gato's got a whole army! They'll beat you down and they'll destroy you! 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."

"Just speak for yourself. It won't be like that for me. You got that?" Naruto retorted without lifting his head from the table.

Arashi rubbed her temples. Everyone let the spat unfold.

"Why don't you be quiet? Looking at you makes me sick. You don't know anything about this country! You're just butting in! Always laughing and playing around. You don't know what it's like to suffer and be treated like dirt!"

"Uh." Arashi wanted to push him into the ocean again.

Naruto fell silent for a moment before replying. "Listen to yourself whining and complaining like some sorry little victim. You can whimper all day for all I care. You're nothing but a coward!"

Inari sat and sobbed harder in response.

"Naruto! You went too far!" Sakura yelled at him.

Naruto kicked away from the table and left the room.

"Did he, though?" Arashi asked, not caring that it might offend Tazuna or Tsunami. "Almost everyone in this room has suffered the same amount or worse than Inari. He has no right to take out his anger on his guests who are here to protect his family. He needs disciplined, not babied."

With that, she stalked out of the room.

That's it for this chapter. Next chapter Zabuza is back and the Land of Waves arc will be wrapped up. I'm very glad to be close to the end of it. I don't know why, but it's been a difficult arc to write through. I think I was just used to writing content that did not have to adhere to the canon events in pre-Shippuden.

I apologize if any of this felt clumsy or rushed.

VeraciousFFConsumtion – Thank you for the review! I'm hoping that my overall plans for the story will be fun to read. I just have to get past some of this earlier content. Haha Kakashi won't be too happy about it, but Arashi can be sly when she needs to be (or she can mess it up royally).