Chapter 6 revised and edited. Review or PM me on what you think about this chapter now.

Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Naruto anime/manga all I own are my original characters and plot twists.

'Talking'

"Thinking"

'Heavily demonic voice'

'Fox talking'

"Fox thinking"

*expression*

Jutsu

Flashback

Chapter 6 – Training, Dreams and Preciousness

Kakashi was exhausted and was lying on a mattress in Tazuna's house. After using his Sharingan for an extended period of time he used up too much chakra and was suffering from chakra exhaustion. Team Seven was gathered around Kakashi when Kakashi spoke. 'I think, Zabuza is alive.'

'What!' Screamed Sakura in fear.

'Sakura how does a tracker ninja dispose of a body?' Asked Kakashi.

'Tracker ninja destroy the body as quickly and efficiently as possible.' Recited Sakura before her eyes widened slightly.

'Exactly. Also the weapons he used where senbon needles which stun and hardly ever kill unless they strike a vital organ none of which are in the neck. Therefore based on this evidence I think it's safe to say he wasn't trying to kill Zabuza but was trying to save him.' Concluded Kakashi.

'So what do we do now?' Asked Naruto in a level tone.

'Well I'm no condition to fight right now so I think it's time I trained you three a bit more.' Said Kakashi while giving his patented eye smile

-line break-

Team Seven had journeyed outside and walked into an area laden with trees. After travelling a certain distance into the woods Kakashi stopped and turned to face his Genin.

'Ok the exercise I am going to teach you now is the tree walking exercise. To do this you build up chakra in the soles of your feet and simply walk up the tree.' Said Kakashi who then proceeded to demonstrate walking up the tree using only his chakra.
While Sasuke and Sakura were surprised Naruto had a look of indifference on his face. Kakashi saw this and wondered why Naruto wasn't surprised.

'Naruto have you seen this exercise before?' He asked.

Naruto shook his head and replied 'No I can do it though.' Naruto then walked up the tree as well to the amazement of his teammates while Kakashi merely raised an eyebrow.

'I can also walk on water.' He stated in a bored tone.

'Hmm ok here is the plan. Sasuke and Sakura, you two climb the trees and mark where you get up to with these kunai.' Said Kakashi while throwing down two kunai.

'Naruto you come with me.' Naruto and Kakashi walked off until Kakashi stopped and asked Naruto an important question.

'Naruto do you know anything about what happened in the village fifteen years ago or how it may affect you?' Asked Kakashi cautiously.

'Well Kakashi-sensei I assume you are talking about Kyuubi.' Kakashi's eye widened as he did not expect Naruto to know about that.

'H-How do you know about that?' He asked.

'Well on my fifteenth birthday he spoke to me and gave me a gift. He allowed me to use his chakra and sign the summoning contract for foxes. In exchange he gained access to my sense and thoughts and can now speak to me at will but I can still block him out if I want to.' Finished Naruto.

Kakashi composed himself before speaking.

'So this means you have access to a large amount of chakra right.' Naruto nodded. 'Ok then before I get on to what I want to, I have to ask for the safety of the village, can you control it?' Said Kakashi with the most seriousness Naruto had ever seen.

'Yeah even if I summon him he told me that his will is partially under my control so if I expressly forbid him from, say, destroying the village he won't be able to, which I'm assuming is the reason you asked.' Said Naruto sensing Kakashi's distress.

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief and then spoke again.

'Ok Naruto since you have such an ample amount of chakra I'm going to teach you one of the many jutsu I have copied over the years. This move is called Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu.' Said Kakashi before showing Naruto the hand signs and then told him to practise.

"Hey Kyuubi, how can I use fire style if I have a wind affinity?" Asked Naruto.

'Just when I think you have a brain you go out of your way to prove me wrong. I told you that you're natural affinity is easier to do, I didn't say it's the only element you can use. In any case I have a fire affinity and therefore so do you when you use my chakra, so if you want, use my chakra when you use fire style jutsus so it is easier for you.' Said Kyuubi in a bored drawl.

Naruto tapped into Kyuubi's chakra and proceeded to attempt the jutsu. He aimed at a tree in front of him, made the hand signs and then said 'Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu.'

As he said this a massive ball of fire came out of his mouth turning the tree into a smouldering pile of ashes. Naruto kept doing this until he barely used any chakra to do it. After Naruto mastered this jutsu the fox spoke 'Now that you have mastered this jutsu and experienced how to use fire style jutsus I'm going to teach you one of my strongest fire style jutsus. The only drawback is that you can't use this skill without my chakra, whereas you could have used either my or your own chakra for the Grand Fireball Jutsu this is not the case with this one. This technique is called the Nine-Tailed Fox Fire Stream and its strength increases depending on how many tails you unleash, more tails, more power.'

Naruto tried to use this in his Kyuubi form but it didn't work so he reluctantly allowed one tail to appear and then tried it. Naruto growled in pain as the one tailed cloak covered him.
Naruto crouched down into a fox like position with his palms touching the ground. He gathered his chakra in his chest and let it travel up his throat before opening his mouth while thinking "Nine-Tailed Fox Fire Stream."

A wide stream of fire was immediately expelled from Naruto's mouth and after it ejected his mouth it doubled in size and rushed at the tree. A loud bang was heard indicating the breaking of wood so Naruto stopped his jutsu so observe the damage.

Not only did the stream burn the tree he was aiming at, but it also went right through it as well as another five behind it. Naruto was amazed but then collapsed to the ground panting. As this was his first time unleashing the first tail he was extremely exhausted so he decided to stop training and see how Sasuke and Sakura were doing.

-line break-

Naruto walked back to where they had been and found them still there running up the tree in Sasuke's face or panting or the floor in Sakura's case.
Both had managed to reach the top so Naruto walked over to them.

'Yo you guys mastered this yet, huh oh great Uchiha?' Asked Naruto with a sarcasm heavy voice.

Sasuke back flipped off the tree and gave a small scoff before turning away from Naruto.

Kakashi appeared at the same time Sasuke landed back on the ground.

'Ok guys I think we have done enough training so starting tomorrow we protect the bridge builder as he builds the bridge.' Announced Kakashi.

-line break-

When they returned to Tazuna's house they sat down to eat dinner at the table. Inari, Tazuna's grandson had been watching them train today and finally started to speak to them.

'Why are you guys training so hard, it's not like you are going to be able to change anything? You guys are just kids you won't stand a chance against someone like Gato.' Said Inari in a flat tone.

'You want to know why. It is because I'm going to become the Hokage, it's my dream.' Replied Naruto.

'Dreams are just that, dreams and only stupid little kids believe them. Anyway why are you sticking your nose in our business for? Gato has hundreds of men and all of them will tear you to shreds if you go against him and for what? You have no idea what it is like to suffer that's why you dream, you think everything works out well, but it doesn't!' Shouted Inari angrily with tears coming to his eyes.

The entire room went silent. Kakashi stared concernedly at Naruto knowing just what he had to endure.

Naruto's bangs were covering his eyes as he spoke.

'You think I don't know what it is like to suffer? Kid, you have no idea what it's like to suffer! In fact I think you're nothing but a coward!' Naruto shouted as he looked Inari straight in the eye glaring at him heatedly with an oppressive aura falling over the table.

Inari begun to whimper but before he started crying he went to his room.

'Naruto you went too far go and apologise to him.' Demanded Sakura.

'Shut up Sakura you shouldn't talk about matters you have no idea about!' Thundered Naruto.

Sakura whimpered but wisely shut her mouth.

After a few seconds the oppressive aura lifted.

'Well Naruto you shouldn't be too hard on him.' Said Inari's mother Tsunami in a soft voice.

'I suppose I should tell you why Inari is the way he is.' Said Tazuna tiredly.

Tazuna told them about Kaiza and how he taught the Land of Waves and Inari what the true meaning of courage was, as well as his relationship with Inari and how close they were. He then finished by telling them how he died at the hands of Gato's oppression.

There was silence when Naruto spoke up 'Inari is still a coward but, I will promise you all this: if I ever meet this Gato I will kill him.' With that he left the room and went into the woods to train.
Kakashi however went to speak with Inari.

-line break-

'Mind if I join you?' Asked Kakashi, having found Inari had left his room and gone outside. Inari didn't respond so Kakashi sat down on the pier like construct next to Inari outside the house looking out at the water.

'What Naruto said was cruel but true. Let me tell you something about him and you might understand him a bit better. In or village Naruto is an outcast, no friends and no family. There are many in our village who despise him for something he had no control over.' Begun Kakashi.

Inari raised his head a bit and looked out at the water thinking that Naruto had suffered a great deal considering that he, Inari still had a family.

'As cruel as it was that which he said to you, he has probably told himself that a million times. My guess is he got tired of crying and doing nothing and decided to do something about it. That is why he wants to be Hokage so everyone will have to acknowledge him.' With that Kakashi left leaving Inari to think.

-line break-

Naruto was enraged that there were people like Kaiza who suffered because of people like Gato. Naruto was not truly aware of the depths to which humans could sink, this however widen his view significantly. He begun training mostly push ups and log kicks but he kept thinking about the injustice of it all, he didn't even notice he was tapping into Kyuubi's chakra until he saw his leg had a red chakra cloak around it which accompanies the first tail. He became angrier and angrier and before he knew it he had unleashed the second tail then in a wild rage he launched the Nine-Tailed Fox Fire Stream and decimated twenty trees in front of him. Not satisfied he then turned around in a circle and launched the stream in all directions which led to him decimating the area and burning anything within a five hundred metre radius. Naruto's cloak then receded and he promptly passed out due to chakra exhaustion.

-line break-

Naruto awoke to someone shaking him.

'You'll catch a cold if you sleep here.' Said the voice.

'Huh what?' Said Naruto waking up. He looked up to see the face of a girl. 'Oh hi there.' Said Naruto.

'What are you doing out here?' The girlasked.

The girl had long black hair, pale skin and large, dark brown eyes. Her long hair was loose and she wore a pink sleeveless, low-cut kimono, with pale red edges and decorated with small plum-coloured swirls, that went to her ankles.
Around her waist was a simple white obi tied in a bow, and she wore a pair of light brown sandals with dark straps. To add to this quite feminine appearance, she also wore a dark choker around her neck.

'I'm not too sure I came out here to train but now I'm not sure what I'm doing here. What are you doing here?' Replied Naruto confused.

'I'm gathering medicinal herbs.' Replied the stranger.

"Wow she is really pretty." He thought.

'Kit she, is a boy.' Said Kyuubi.

"What?" Shouted Naruto in his mind slightly shivering.

'This person is the hunter ninja you met before.' Replied Kyuubi with a bit of mirth in his voice.

"Well let's see." Thought Naruto.

'Hey can I ask you a question.' Naruto asked the stranger. The stranger nodded.

'Are you the hunter ninja who saved Zabuza?' Asked Naruto seriously.

'Before I answer, will you react rashly if I tell you the truth?' The stranger asked. Naruto shook his head no.

'In that case yes I am the hunter ninja.' Was the honest reply from the stranger.

Naruto thought about it for a while and then only one question came to mind.

'Why?' He asked.

'Why what?' Replied the stranger.

'Why do you serve a person like Zabuza?' Asked Naruto.

'He is precious to me.' The boy stated. 'Do you understand what it means to have precious people?' Questioned the boy.

Naruto thought about it, his mind went straight to Iruka then The Third Hokage and everyone else who acknowledge him as himself and not the Nine-Tailed-Fox.

'Yeah I understand what you mean and I guess, like you I would be more than willing to help them as well.' Replied Naruto.

The boy smiled and spoke 'Very well then you now have your answer. Rest now for later we will meet in battle and we will have to fight to do what we can for our precious people.'

'Wait! Before you leave I would like to ask you two things.' The boy waited. 'What is your name and do you have a dream?' Asked Naruto genuinely curious.

'My name is Haku and my dream is for Zabuza's dreams to become a reality. What are yours?' Asked Haku.

'My name is Naruto Uzumaki and my dream is to become the Hokage so everyone will acknowledge me.' Said Naruto.

'Well it was nice to meet you Naruto.' Said Haku with a small smile.

'Likewise Haku. Although we may be enemies at one point I would like to ask you if you will be my friend?' Asked Naruto.

'I would like that.' Haku said smiling. Naruto extended his hand.

'Friends?' Questioned Naruto.

Haku hesitated for a moment then took his hand and shook it 'Friends.' He agreed.