This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

Waking up the next day in the bed I was told I could use was something of an experience. It sure was a lot softer than my bed back in Konoha. I honestly had a tough time getting out of bed. I was just that comfortable.

I was given a toothbrush and a cup for my personal use. The first nasty surprise didn't come from Inari as I had expected. The kid indeed welcomed me with a hug and apologized for being so bratty with me before.

No the nasty surprise came from Sakura who was apparently not told I was sleeping in Tazuna's home. I came down for breakfast and out of nowhere I hear a shout. "What in the holiest of hells is that thing in here? I thought that I could eat breakfast without having to see it!"

I thanked Tsunami for the offer of breakfast and was about to leave before she grabbed my arm and forcefully dragged me back to my seat and pushed me down till I was seated. "Naruto I am not letting you leave till you eat a healthy breakfast. Sakura we are not uncivilized in this house. No shouting is allowed. Talk in a civil tone or forget about your meal got it?"

Seems Tsunami didn't like the way Sakura talked about me or maybe she just didn't want someone setting a bad example for her son. I was feeling quite welcomed either way.

I looked at Inari and tried to look like a really strict instructor. "Inari after breakfast and we take care of those dishes you are taking some self defense lessons from me from now on."

Gone was the bratty kid I met and instead now he was a polite one. "Mind telling me why should I learn these things?" I looked at Tsunami and she looked like she wanted an answer to the same question.

I smiled and looked at Kakashi before answering. "To better protect yourself and those you care about. Inari we live in a dangerous world. We need to know how to defend ourselves or someone will notice this and they will try to take advantage of you if you are helpless."

I quickly said a small prayer and began eating my breakfast. To me it was a tasty breakfast, but then again I also learned a few recipes after eating some of the things she prepared.

Inari got up and took some of the dishes to the kitchen sink, and I took the rest. We decided with a game of rock, paper, scissors who would do what. Since I won I washed and he dried them.

"That is awfully nice of you both Naruto, Inari. I really appreciate the help with the dishes." I cleaned off myself and told her it was the least I could do to thank her for the meal.

I walked with Inari to a nearby wall. The wall needed sanding and painting. I took a sanding disk and gave it to him. I showed him what to do. "Sand these walls, big circles counter clock wise."

He looked really tired by the end of it, but he did sand all the wooden walls. I told him he did good and we walked into the house for dinner.

The next day I grabbed a pair of rags and told him to clean all the windows, "Like with the walls clean all the windows, circles but this time clockwise." He didn't like it but he did as I told him. It took him all day but every window looked spotless.

Any complaint he had was not even spoken as Tsunami hugged her son and thanked him for cleaning the windows.

The next day I gave him a bucket of paint and a brush. I showed him what to do. "Paint all these walls just like I showed you. Up, down all the walls." It took him four cans of paint to paint all the walls.

I was quite proud of the progress he made. His mother was absolutely delighted that her son did so much around their home. Tazuna was in tears that at least one member of his family was into construction work as much as he was.

It took him till the following Saturday for Inari to complain. He refused to do the next thing I told him to do. "You are supposed to teach me self defense, all I been doing is chores! Naruto when as you going to teach me how to fight."

I looked at him with a smile, "Inari that is exactly what I been doing. Teaching you to better defend yourself." The next thing he did made me stop smiling. He dropped the spatula and screamed at me.

"Bullshit! You haven't taught me anything at all! All I been doing is boring useless chores!"

I looked at him as if I was indeed an instructor. "Show me sand the wall." He moved his arms in circles with any real motion. I showed him he real movements by grabbing hold of his hand.

"Now show me window cleaning!" Again he moved in a haphazard way. I showed him the proper movements by grabbing his hand again.

"Now show me paint the wall!" I showed him the right movements again like those time before.

"Show me sand the wall." As he was about to move I punched in his direction and he used the movement he learned from sanding the wall to deflect my strike.

I did this with the rest and each time he stopped a kick or a punch or a combination of punches and kicks.

"So you say I didn't teach you anything. It looks to me like you did learn somethings from my teaching. Hand to hand combat is a matter of constant practice and repetition. I made you do those chores to make you repeat the moves so much they became almost an instinct."

"Second reason is that you lack the physical condition and stamina to learn any other way. I got a few weeks so I have to train you in a limited amount of time. Now pick up that Spatula and do as I tell you. This will be the end of your basic training. By the end of my training you will wish we had continued with the useless chores. I promise you that!"

It took me faster than expected, the kid was a sponge. Every move I taught him and every chore I gave completed without any complaints. Now if only Sakura was as willing to improve as Inari, but then again it would take a miracle for that to happen.

The month finally came to an end and Zabuza's pretending injury was scheduled to cure tomorrow. I managed to spread quite a few rumors around town, and Gato has lot all but his either most loyal, or down right psychotic employees.

"So Naruto do you think we can put in a cargo lift in the middle of the bridge like that?" Tazuna asked me as we all ate breakfast. I put down my orange juice to answer that.

"I don't see why not. With the seals in place we don't have to worry about the structure being overburden. In fact the more weight we place on it over time the stronger and longer it will last."

Kakashi was just watching us while eating. Inari was helping her mother carry the dishes to the sink since he was already done eating. Sakura was having seconds and Sayomi was drinking her juice while watching me.

I can tell she is not happy one bit that I spent all my free time training Inari, instead of spending some of it with her. She might look like a guy right now, but deep down I get the feeling that she feels very much like a neglected lover. She hasn't said a word to me or about me in days.

"I wouldn't worry about those guys quitting Tazuna. I can make as many shadow clones as needed, and we don't need slackers or traitors. Don't you worry that bridge will get finished or I am not the son of the Fourth Hokage."

Sakura just glared at me and decided to finally say a word today. "I guess that means the bridge will never be finished, cause there is no way in hell you of all people are a son of the Fourth Hokage."

I was to correct her, but Kakashi decided to do it first. "Actually Sakura Naruto is his son by birth, me and Mizuki are his brothers because the Fourth and his wife adopted both of us."

"I guess he told us because he trying to trust us more. Very big of you to do that little bro!" Sakura had to be sworn to secrecy since she liked to gossip.

Tomorrow was the final battle against Gato. I decided to try and relax them a little. "You might want to sleep well tonight. I get the feeling our final battle against Gato tomorrow. We nearly have the bridge finished he must be feeling the pressure."

I went outside to see if there was anything I could do to make their home safer. 'I wouldn't put it out of the real of possibilities with Gato. He is the sort that would either take both Tsunami and Inari as hostages, or kill them when Gato tries to get Tazuna to give up and he refuses to cave in.'

A few seals around the house and a few well hidden shadow clones should be enough, or at least I hope it is. It would feel very much like a defeat if we didn't manage to keep those two alive.

I decided to sleep in comfortable, home like surroundings. Outside and as far away from humans without causing me to put the mission at risk. I know I agreed to sleep in the room they so kindly offered me, but there was another reason for me to do this.

"So Haku just to be sure Zabusa wants to be the one to kill Gato?" Haku was wearing a rather nice set of clothes, had her hair down in a particularly nice and wholesome way, I guest it was a little surprising seeing her in a flower print kimono with a petal print obi.

"Yes, father is absolutely furious after he finished reading that bastard's personal journal. I was too after he wrote that he planned to get me addicted on a rather nasty drug and sell me to a brothel. I am glad to see that you are a man of your word."

I smiled at her, "Trust me, the Council in Konoha will fall over themselves to include a man of your father's skill level. The only problem I would see is that if you aren't Chuunin, they might want to use the CRA on you. I don't think your father would be happy of you being treated like that."

She smiled a rather unusual way and came closer to me. "I know that law quite well, and I do appreciate your concern. You don't have to worry about me in that regard. I am a Chuunin in my last village. But honestly is that why that teammate of your pretends to be a guy?"

"You mean Sasuke? How did you figure it out? I thought she had done an admirable job of hiding her gender." She just put a hand to her mouth to make her laughter sound less loud than it was.

"The way she looked at me when you gave me my pet spoke to me loud and clear. She was giving me the glare of a woman who was bitterly jealous and considers you hers. I never seen a guy glare at me like that, but a young woman in love well it was to be expected. I would do it too had I a lover in my life and felt threatened that another woman might take him from me."

I decided to get back to our main points of discussion before we got to any intimate details about my relationship with Sayomi or her telling me about some old flames in her past.

"As far as I see it, I see no problem with your father's plan. Be sure to tell him to get the demon brothers to use a better genjutsu. Gato may not be as smart as he thinks he us, but that last one they used was painfully foolish."

She couldn't help laughing as I told her about it. She got up and smiled, "I wouldn't worry too much. I am sure they thought that a group of genin was never going to notice it. This taught them a valuable lesson, don't assume things in face value. Father will be happy that you agreed with the plan. Sweet dreams Naruto, tomorrow will be a busy day."

As we finished our discussion I felt the presence of someone nearby. "And here I though my godfather was the only one that enjoyed peeping. Why did you hide Sayomi? We were just having a discussion on tomorrow's battle."

She came out of hiding and boy did she look mad. "Really? It looked to me like she was undressing you with her eyes, and you two were having quite the little romantic moment. I can't blame you, she doesn't have to hide her gender like I do!"

I could hardly believe it, Sayomi Uchiha was actually jealous. "I should have known you humans would not know this, but get this straight Sayomi. My kind mate for life! I think you can pretty much figure out why being jealous is unnecessary."