AN: Hey guys, what's up? Sorry it took a bit, but like I said before, spring is over and school is back in session. Anyway, We've almost hit the 100 fave mark! That's so awesome! This story has only been out a little over a week, so I'm really proud!
Erazor djinn: Thank you! I'll try to update every week, but I won't promise anything. Promises are bad lol.
Aluriea: I'm glad you like the story! In response to your oil and water comparison, I would compare Naruto to soap. He is going to be the component which will combine the two.
Belligerent King: I thank you for your compliments! I worked very hard on this story, so I'm glad for this kind of feedback!
kooloowarrior: I'm basing this on actual samurai conduct, not the one in the anime. However, if I ever get my facts wrong, please do tell me about it!
Avenger13579: Thanks! The concept comes form all the other samurai! Naruto stories on the site, so its due to them I came up with this idea.
SNake57575: That would be the case, wouldn't it. Shion even offered to have his kids, and he still didn't get it!
Ino laid Naruto's head in her lap, running her hands through his hair. She was so happy, so very happy, to see him alive and well. She turned her head to the house and cried out.
"Shikamaru, Asuma! Get out here quick!" Her throat burned with the yell, but she didn't care. The rest of the team had to know that Naruto was alive. Shikamaru was the first to rush out, soon followed by Asuma. They stared in shock at the boy, who had his head turned to them, a small smile on his face.
"Hey guys. I'm okay." Naruto tried to raise his voice, but he couldn't find the strength to do so. It came out hushed, but they heard him clear as day. Shikamaru rushed to Naruto and embraced him, the tears he had stemmed just moments before coming back full force. Asuma could only stare at the boy, stared in both relief and wonderment. Naruto had been dead, there was no way anyone could have had a blade as large as Kubikiribōchō stabbed through their chest and survive. Asuma's expression hardened once he realized what had saved the boy from death's door.
'The Kyūbi.' Asuma could only think of one reason for the fox healing Naruto, and it was for self-preservation. Still, he was amazed at the power of the Kyūbi's chakra, to be able to bring a man back from the brink of death was nothing short of extraordinary.
"How are you feeling Naruto?" Asuma asked. Naruto looked at his sensei, and gave a reassuring grin.
"I'm fine sensei. I'm just really tired." Naruto replied weakly. Despite having just woken up, he felt as if he hasn't slept for days. Asuma nodded and picked the boy up and brought him inside, closely followed by Ino and Shikamaru. The jōnin took the boy to the upper floor of the house, to a spare room that was to be shared by Shikamaru and Asuma. Before entering the room, Asuma turned to his students.
"Stay out here for now guys. I need to perform an evaluation of Naruto's health, and I can't have any distractions." Ino and Shikamaru nodded their heads in understanding. Asuma entered the room and closed the door behind him.
Asuma laid Naruto down on a bed, stripping his student of his armor and placing it all to the side. Naruto was telling the truth, his body was completely unmarred of any injury. Naruto glanced at Asuma's leg, still bandaged and slightly red.
"How's the leg, Asuma-sensei?" Naruto asked. Asuma glanced down at it. To be honest, he almost forgot he was stabbed, being too distracted by everything else that happened today. Now that it has been brought back up, though, he could feel the painful aches and throbbing of the wound.
"I haven't really thought about it. I've been too concerned about everything else going on today." Naruto frowned.
"You shouldn't be up either Asuma-sensei. You should be resting that leg." The boy stated in a worried tone. Asuma sighed, and took a seat by his student.
"I know, Naruto, but there's so much yet to do." His eyes narrowed. "I still need to hunt Zabuza down for what he almost did." Naruto placed a hand on his sensei's lap.
"Asuma-sensei, Zabuza-san did what he had to do for his own mission. He told me it was "nothing personal, just business." I don't hold it against him, and neither should you." Asuma turned a sharp gaze to Naruto.
"It's not that simple Naruto! He almost killed you! You're my student, and had it not been-" Asuma caught himself. Naruto met his teacher's gaze
"Had it not been for the Kyūbi, I would have actually died." Naruto finished his teacher's sentence in a low tone. Asuma's gaze softened.
"So you know then. Had it been anyone else, Naruto, they would have died. It's just," Asuma paused, trying to think of the words. "I would have never forgiven myself if you had died, Naruto. And taking out my anger on the one who killed you, the one who almost killed you, seemed like the easiest way to relieve myself of that guilt." Naruto's frown deepened.
"Asuma-sensei, vengeance is not something one should pursue so easily. It changes people, fills them with hate and scorn, makes them into completely different people. I don't want that to happen, especially to my precious people." Asuma stared at the boy in quiet shock. How could this boy forgive people so easily?
"Why do you think that Naruto?" Asuma asked. "How is it that you can so easily forgive people for what they have done to you? How can you not hold a grudge?" Naruto sighed.
"It's not that I forgive people easily, Asuma-sensei. If someone murdered my precious people in cold blood, I would hunt them down and bring them to justice. However, if one of my comrades is struck down in the line of duty, I know that their killer was doing their own duty to their country. I know that there is a very thin line between justice and vengeance, but I know the difference between the two."
"And what is that, Naruto?"
"Understanding." Naruto replied smoothly. "Vengeance does not care about understanding the reasons for someone's actions. Justice, however, does. Vengeance is served with a bias, where as Justice is served in neutrality. Justice gives the accused a chance to defend themselves, where as Vengeance allows no such thing."
"And where did you learn this Naruto?" Asuma asked in genuine curiosity. Where had Naruto gained such insight from? Naruto looked down, remembering fond memories.
"I learned from my adopted father, Hitsugaya Kisuke. He is the one who taught me the way of the samurai, and over saw my training for most of my life. Most of everything I know comes from him." Naruto smiled at the thought of his father. He missed him so much. He turned back to Asuma.
"So what's the plan, Asuma-sensei?" Asuma stared blankly at Naruto for a second, the thought suddenly coming to the forefront. With Naruto's untimely "demise" he had only wanted to stay long enough to kill Zabuza, and then leave. Now he was conflicted as to whether to abandon the mission or complete it. Naruto grew worried at the Sarutobi's silence.
"We are continuing the mission, right sensei?" Naruto asked. Asuma sighed.
"I... I don't know Naruto. With all that has happened, I honestly think we should turn back."
"But we can't abandon our first C-rank Asuma-sensei!" Naruto protested. "We were caught off guard last time, that was all! Now that we know what we are up against, we know how to defeat them, 'ttebayo!" Asuma grunted as he lifted himself up.
"We will see, Naruto. If you can convince your teammates to continue, then we shall. Otherwise, we will be heading back to Konoha." With that, Asuma left the room with a small limp in his step. Naruto laid back down on the bed and groaned. He laid there for a few minutes, just thinking of how close he came to death. He really must thank Kyūbi for healing him the next time he meets the fox. Naruto heard the door open again, and turned his head to see who it was. It was Ino and Shikamaru.
"How are you feeling Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.
"I feel like I haven't slept for days. It's so hard to move my limbs." Naruto admitted. Ino came up and hugged him.
"I'm sorry we couldn't protect you Naruto-kun. I wish we were able to help more back there." Ino said in a low tone. Naruto weakly wrapped an arm around her.
"It's fine Ino. Everything's going to be all right."
"No it's not!" Ino yelled. "We barely did anything Naruto! Shikamaru freed Asuma, but I just watched as you were impaled by Zabuza! I was too weak to do anything!" Ino started crying again, ashamed of her incapability to help. Naruto rubbed small circles into her back, trying to comfort her.
"Ino, you were there to protect Tazuna-san. That was your job. I just wasn't careful enough, so my loss was my own fault." Naruto cooed. Shikamaru groaned and sat at the foot of the bed.
"We still should have done something more, Naruto. I should have tried to help you bind Zabuza. I had a technique that would have worked, but I was too panicked to think about anything but freeing Asuma." Tears welled in his eyes once more, and he grit his teeth. "I'm sorry for failing you Naruto!"
"You didn't fail me Shikamaru. We fought a jōnin, someone way out of our league, on our first mission out of the village nonetheless. We just weren't prepared, and we made some mistakes. But if we learn from our mistakes, then we will become stronger for it." Naruto reassured his friend. They all sat there for a moment, venting their emotions and bonding with each other.
"So what are your thoughts about the mission guys?" Naruto asked. Both of his teammates grew silent, contemplative looks on their expression.
"The logical choice would be to head back." Shikamaru answered. "But, knowing you, you would want to stay and see this troublesome thing through." The Nara sighed in slight exasperation, but had a smile on his face. "Well, the logical choice is not always the most interesting one. I'm in."
Ino nodded in agreement. "I'm in too. As long as we work together, we can accomplish anything!" Several large growls erupted in the room, making the occupants blush in embarrassment. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, a shy smile on his face.
"So, uh, when do we eat?"
The team minus Naruto met downstairs for dinner with Tazuna's family. There, they met Tazuna's daughter Tsunami and his grandson Inari. Tsunami seemed like a a polite and pleasant woman, but Inari had a melancholic attitude. He was quiet throughout the entirety of the meal, never looking at anything but his food or his family. It somewhat unnerved the genin of Team Asuma. Tsunami placed on assortment of food on a plate and gave it to Asuma.
"This is for the boy who is resting upstairs. He must be hungry." Tsunami said with a caring smile. Asuma handed the plate to Ino.
"Ino, go upstairs and give Naruto his food. I want to make sure he is up and about by tomorrow." Ino nodded and took the plate, hastily making her way back upstairs. She knocked on the door before peering inside, seeing Naruto lying still on the bed, his eyes open.
"Naruto-kun, I have your food." Ino said as she approached him. Naruto sat up and smiled at Ino.
"Thank you Ino-chan." He reached out to grab the plate, but Ino held it back. He stared indignantly at her. "I can feed myself, Ino-chan." Ino shook her head as she sat next to him.
"No. You need to rest Naruto, so I'll feed you." She picked up a bit of rice and held it to Naruto's mouth. "Now open wide." Naruto stared at the chunk of rice in front of his face. Ino pouted at Naruto. "Come on Naruto, don't be stubborn!" Naruto sighed as he relented, closing his mouth around the morsel. Ino hummed in satisfaction as she picked up some fish next. This continued until the plate was empty. Ino set the empty plate aside and examined Naruto. He only had some boxers on, allowing her to see his toned chest. She placed a hand on his sternum, where the sword had pierced him, Not so much as a scare remained, the skin perfectly unblemished.
It was not the first time she saw him shirtless. He had taken off his haori multiple times during training, the sheer intensity had him coated in sweat by the time he was done. Ino's hand moved lower, to his abs. It wasn't quite a six-pack, but it was firm. She remembered Naruto always pushed himself with his warm-ups. One-hundred crunches and push-ups, fifty squats, and twenty laps around the training ground. Naruto was so fit for a twelve-year old. He had not even stopped growing yet! Ino blushed at the thought of an older, super-model Naruto.
"Ino-chan?" Naruto's voice knocked Ino out of her dream-like state. "Are you okay? You kind of zoned out a little bit there." Ino blushed harder at being caught. She stuttered out a response, looking away as she did so.
"Y-yeah, Naruto-kun. I-I was just thinking about how well you've healed." Naruto looked down at himself. The Kyūbi's chakra sure did wonders. As he looked up at Ino, a thought suddenly came to mind, making him blush. He still remembered his experimentation with his clone. That one moment of lip lock was actually pretty good, but the kiss on the cheek, when compared to the original, was kinda sub-par. So, by that logic...
"H-Hey, Ino-chan?"
"Yes, Naruto-kun?" Ino replied, but did not meet his gaze.
"Remember the day before we left for this mission? When you kissed me on the cheek?" Ino blushed harder at that. Oh yeah, she remembered.
"Y-Yeah."
"D-Do you think we could try that once more, o-on the lips?" Naruto asked shyly. Ino's back straightened. Oh Kami, he was asking if she could kiss him again! And on the lips too!
"I-I... Um..." Ino sputtered.
"I-I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to!" Naruto quickly assured her. "I was just curious."
"No, I want to!" Ino blurted out. Naruto stared at her in surprise. Ino shied away from his gaze. "I mean, no- wait yes!" She threw her hands into the air. "Argh! Why is this so difficult?!" She screamed in frustration.
"S-So you do want to?" Naruto asked in confirmation. Ino's face was as red as a tomato, but she nodded in affirmative. Naruto's cheeks grew scarlet. "A-All right then."
The two blondes faced each other, both blushing heavily. They inched closer to each other, staring into the other's eyes as they leaned forward. Before they made contact, both broke out in a fit of giggles at the awkwardness of the kiss attempt.
"Heheh, we're so bad at this." Ino giggled. Kami, where had all her confidence gone?
"Hahaha, yeah." Naruto admitted with a chuckle. Both waited for the laughter to subside, and then tried once more. Both closed their eyes and leaned forward. Lips made contact, and sparks flew. Their confidence soaring, the two embraced each other. Ino remembered something she read in a romance novel, and licked Naruto's lips, asking for entry. Naruto obliged and opened, their tongues lashing out at each other. The two fought for dominance for what seemed like hours, but was only few minutes. The two broke apart, gasping for air, a thin string of saliva still connecting the two. Ino spoke first, panting in between words.
"That... Was..."
"Amazing." Naruto finished breathlessly. Screw that clone moment, this was so much better! The two moved to reengage, but were interrupted by the door opening.
"Hey Ino, what's taking you so-" Shikamaru was silenced by the scene before him. The blondes stared at Shikamaru, who stared back at them. They stood there for a moment, silence prevailing over the awkwardness of the situation. Shikamaru slowly backed up, closing the door just as slowly as he retreated. When the door clicked into place, Ino and Naruto could hear the Nara's feet quickly running away from the room. The blondes let out a breathe they hadn't known they were holding.
"Let's make sure the door is locked next time." Ino said. Naruto nodded in agreement before seizing her lips once more.
"So, uh, why did you want to switch rooms with Ino again?" Asuma asked his slightly agitated student.
"It's because Ino could do a much better job at taking care of Naruto than I ever could." Shikamaru replied.
"But wouldn't they mind when sharing a room with-"
"Trust me. They wouldn't mind at all." Shikamaru cupped his hands over his mouth. "Ino, I'm taking your room!"
"Okay!" Came her response.
Naruto awoke the next morning with Ino resting on his chest, her hair let down and in her night clothes. He felt much better than yesterday, and was itching to get up and stretch. But he would wait until Ino woke up first. Naruto looked down and played with the her hair, the platinum blonde tresses feeling silky and soft. A few minutes passed before Ino stirred, trying vainly to rest some more. She dug her head into Naruto's chest, attempting unsuccessfully to force herself asleep. Naruto let out a small laugh and rubbed her back.
"Ino-chan. It's time to get up." Ino groaned, but raised her head, her hair in a mess and a tired look on her face. She yawned in his face, letting him face the full brunt of her morning breathe before lifting herself off his body, rubbing her eye as she did so.
"What time is it?" Ino asked as she stretched. Naruto looked out the window. The sun was just rising over the horizon.
"About seven o'clock." He answered. Ino pouted at him.
"You couldn't let me sleep for another hour Naruto-kun?" Naruto smiled at her.
'I'm sorry Ino-chan, but I wanted to get up and move around." Ino slumped against him once more.
"How are you feeling, Naruto-kun?"
"I'm feeling great, much better than yesterday." Naruto raised himself upright, stretching his arms with a groan. Ino got off him and the bed and the picked up a scroll. From it she unsealed a set of clothes, a towel, a toothbrush, lotion, and a shampoo bottle.
"I'm going to go take a shower." She said as she left the room. Naruto got off the bed as well and stretched the rest of his body.
"Might as well work out while I wait." Naruto walked up to the ceiling of the room and began to squats. Ever since he found out how to use chakra to stick to surfaces, Naruto began to incorporate it into his training so he could get the most out of the exercise. Not only was it helping him make his workout sessions more difficult, it was also increasing his chakra control.
One.
Two.
Three.
One-hundred ninety.
'What's taking Ino so long?' Naruto thought. Do girls usually take this long to bathe?
One ninety-one.
'It feels so good to be able to move around again. That weak feeling I had yesterday was the worse.'
One ninety-two.
'I have to get stronger, so that will never happen again.'
One ninety-three.
'I never want to see my precious people cry because of me, ever'
Ino walked back into the room, humming to herself. "I'm done Naruto-kun!" She called out, not noticing him on the ceiling. Naruto dropped down to the floor, making a thump that startled Ino. "Naruto! Don't scare me like that!"
"I'm sorry Ino-chan." Naruto apologized, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "What took you so long?" Ino pouted at him.
"Don't you know how long it takes to properly moisturize and exfoliate?" She rebutted. Naruto only sighed in response. "That's what I thought." She noticed the thin coat of sweat covering his body. "You working out?"
"Yeah. Nearly got to two-hundred squats." Naruto grabbed his own bathroom necessities before heading towards the bathroom. When he entered, he locked the door and stripped. He entered the shower and let the water run over his being. Naruto sighed in relief as the water, still warm from Ino's session, washed the grime away from his body. He scrubbed until all the dirt was gone from his being, then exited the shower. Naruto dried himself, wringing the water from his hair then pulled it into its ponytail. He quickly got dressed in his regular clothing after brushing his teeth, foregoing the hitai-ate for comfort purposes, then exited the bathroom. He went downstairs and saw the rest of his team waiting for him, as well Tazuna's family, food on the table. He noticed Asuma had a pair of crutches waiting by his side.
"Ah, Naruto, so nice of you to join us." Asuma said, patting to a seat next to him. Naruto sat down, looking at the woman ad boy next to Tazuna. The woman smiled at him.
"Hello, I'm Tsunami. I'm Tazuna's daughter" She gestured to the boy. "And this is my son, Inari." The boy glowered at him, an angry look in his eyes. Naruto bowed to her.
"I am Uzumaki Naruto. It it a pleasure to meet you and your family, Tsunami-san." He replied politely. "I would like to thank you for your hospitality." Tsunami waved off the compliment.
"Of course, Uzumaki-san. You are protecting my father, so the very least we could do is provide you with shelter and food."
Naruto turned to Asuma. "So what's the plan Asuma-sensei?"
"Well, Zabuza is not going to be active for at least a week. That stab wound I gave him was deep, something he won't be able to recover in just a few days. We won't have to worry about him until then. But my leg wound won't fully heal until the same time. That gives us a week to train for the upcoming battle." Asuma explained.
"But who will be guarding Tazuna-san in case one of Gatō's goons comes after him?"
"You three will be taking turns protecting Tazuna. Shikamaru is taking watch today, you tomorrow, then Ino the next and then the cycle repeats." Naruto nodded in understanding, and the group began to eat.
After the meal was done, Shikamaru and Tazuna headed out to the bridge while Ino and Naruto helped Tsunami clean up. Asuma was patiently waiting outside for his students to come once they were done. As they were cleaning up, Ino noticed a picture that was partially torn. She inspected it closer, noticing that it was a photo of Tsunami and Inari with a man, who's face was torn off.
"Tsunami-san, who's the man in this photo?" Ino asked. Tsunami's normal smile was replaced with a sorrowful frown. The woman replied, although hesitantly.
"That... His name is Kaiza. Was Kaiza." She replied in a sad tone. Naruto joined the conversation.
"Was? What happened to him?" He asked. Tsunami sighed, suddenly feeling twice her age.
"When Gatō first began his takeover of Nami, Kaiza stood up to him, tried to rally support against him." Tears began to fall from her face. "He was murdered by Gatō, to be made an example of, to crush any opposition to Gatō's rule." Inari rushed out of the kitchen and up stairs.
"Just what was Kaiza to you guys?" Naruto inquired. "He must have been really close if his death elicits that sort of reaction from Inari." Tsunami turned her gaze downward.
"He was like Inari's father. His biological father had died before he was born, but Kaiza stepped in and filled the gap. He made our family immensely happy while he was alive, but his death changed Inari. He's so pessimistic and hopeless, and much more angry than he was before. Just the mere mention of Kaiza make him incredibly upset."
"I'm so sorry for your loss." Ino said. Naruto nodded in agreement. Tsunami tried to give them a smile, but it only made her seem forlorn.
"It's fine. I'm mostly over Kaiza's death." She lied. It still troubled her greatly, but she tried to put on her same caring face for her son and father. "Well, I thank you for helping me, but I believe your sensei is waiting for you. I can clean up the rest." She wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a little bit.
"Are you sure Tsunami-san? Asuma-sensei will not mind-"
"It's fine. Now go, please." Tsunami cut Naruto off a bit forcefully. She had not meant to come off as mean, but she was emotional right now and she did not want to cry in front of strangers. Naruto nodded and left the house with Ino close behind.
Zabuza could only stare at the ceiling with boredom. He should have been on guard, taking that stab was complete carelessness on his part. But he couldn't help but feel saddened at the samurai boy's death. He blamed it on his own soft spot for children. That boy was strong, he would give him that.
"Zabuza-sama?" Haku asked her master in worry. Zabuza turned to his apprentice.
"I'm fine Haku. I'm just thinking about that samurai boy." What was his name again? That girl screamed it but he couldn't remember. Niteru? No, that wasn't it. Oh well, no use in wondering about a dead man's name.
"He was rather skillful, that samurai." Haku said. She observed the fight between the boy and her master, and had to admit the boy put up a decent fight considering the circumstances.
"Where are Gōzu and Meizu?" Zabuza asked. Two shadows jumped down from the ceiling.
"We are right here, Zabuza-sama." Gōzu replied. Zabuza had sent Haku to retrieve the brothers after hearing of their capture. Zabuza was never one to forget his subordinates.
"What can you tell me of the team you encountered?" He asked. He knew they were still there, if for nothing else than to get revenge.
"They have a Nara and a Yamanaka, and the jōnin is Sarutobi Asuma, a former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja." Meizu replied. He was still a bit peeved about how easily green genin caught him off guard and beat him so easily.
"Haku, when do you think I can start fighting again?"
"Not for a good week at least, Zabuza-sama. If you try to fight as you are now, the wound would hamper you and scar, forever doing so for the rest of your career."
"Zabuza!" A voice shouted from the shadows. A short man, fat man emerged along with two mercenaries. "What do you think I'm paying you for? Certainly not to be beaten by a group of brats!"
"These "brats" are stronger than those two sellswords you have there, Gatō." Zabuza replied with slight agitation. Kami, dealing with this man grated on his nerves. Gatō scoffed.
"You really think they could defeat my bodyguards? They're samurai you know!"
"Them? Samurai? One of the brats I killed was a true samurai. To call your goons samurai is a disgrace to the name." Zabuza mocked. That one boy showed more honor in that single fight then these two men have in their entire lives. Gatō fumed.
"I'm not paying you to be a smart-ass! Your job is to kill that damned bridge builder!" Gatō approached the swordsman's prone form. "Look at you! So damn pathetic. I could kill you know if I wanted to." Gatō reached forward to place his hand on the missing-nin's neck, but was tightly gripped around the wrist by Haku.
"Don't you dare lay your filthy hands on Zabuza-sama!" Gatō wrenched his now broken wrist back from Haku.
"Gah! You little bastard, you broke my wrist!" Gatō's guards tried to approach, but where held back at claw point by the Demon Brothers. Gatō rushed back in slight apprehension and tried to put on a face of anger. "Just get it done! If you fail me again, you'll wish hadn't." With that, Gatō and his escort left Zabuza's hideout.
Zabuza sighed in relief once the man left. "The little shit. He doesn't realize how close to death he just came to." He turned his head back upwards. "Haku, go out and find some herbs. Gōzu, Meizu, watch Gatō and report back if he tries to betray us." The group of shinobi nodded and quickly left to follow their orders.
"Asuma-sensei, what should we do?" Naruto asked.
"Well, I actually wanted to teach you how to manipulate wind chakra. Ino, on the other hand, will be increasing her stamina and chakra control." Asuma answered. Ino pouted at him.
"Mou, why does Naruto-kun get to learn cool stuff while I have to run around in circles?" Asuma sighed.
"I'm sorry Ino, but like I said before, I can't teach you water or earth manipulation. If I could, I would teach you too. But as it is, the most I can do is help you with your physical abilities." He pointed Ino to the lake around the house. "You will be running around the entire perimeter until I say to stop." Ino groaned, but slowly walked to her assignment. "Come on, Naruto. We're gonna need to head to the forest for a bit."
The two walked to the forest edge, still insight of Ino. Asuma reached up and plucked two leaves off the branch of a tree. He handed one to Naruto.
"All right, listen closely Naruto. To manipulate wind chakra, you have to have adept control over shape manipulation. From what I saw with your chakra coating your sword, I assume you already have it down, ne?" Naruto nodded in confirmation. "Next, I want you to try to cut this leaf with only your chakra," Asuma held his leaf in front of Naruto, which was then promptly cut in half. "Like so."
"All right." Naruto tried focusing his chakra into a sharp edge, only to nick the side of the leaf. "Ugh. This is harder than you make it out to be." Asuma stared at Naruto for a moment, coming to a sudden realization.
"Naruto, you know the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu as well, yes?" Asuma asked. Naruto nodded.
"Hai. Hokage-sama gave me a scroll explaining all the details about it."
"Then you know that anything your clone learns or experiences, it transfers back to you after they dispel." Naruto gasped in shock.
"That's right! That means I can cut down on my training time by however many clones I make to work on it!" Asuma nodded in confirmation. Naruto immediately formed the hand sign. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" One hundred Narutos puffed into existence. Already knowing their purpose, the Naruto clones plucked leaves from several trees and got to work. Asuma nodded in satisfaction before turning around to check Ino's progress.
"Hey Ino! Don't think I can't see you walking! Get moving or I'll have Naruto throw rocks at you!" Asuma shouted.
"Naruto-kun loves me too much to do that!" She replied. Naruto frowned at his sensei.
"Don't threaten her, bribe her instead. It works several times better." Naruto cupped his hands around his mouth. "Ino-chan! If you work really hard, I'll take you shopping when we get back home!"
"... Are you paying?" She asked. Naruto grimaced. His wallet would become several times lighter, but the end result was worth it.
"Yes! But only if you work as hard as you can!" The two males could see Ino pick up her pace.
"Anything for you Naruto-kun!" She called back. Asuma looked at Naruto, giving him an awed stare.
"You sure have a way with words Naruto." Naruto shook his head at his sensei.
"Please. If you've been around Ino for long enough, you'd know that she loves shopping." Naruto went back to his training. After a few minutes, Naruto heard one of his clones rush up to him.
"Boss! I've got it down!" The clone said excitedly. Naruto looked on as the clone grabbed another leaf and split it down the middle. Naruto grinned at the clone.
"Good job me!" He congratulated. Naruto then dispelled all of the clones, creating a large cloud of smoke. Asuma heard the loud pop behind him and turned to see a grinning Naruto. Naruto grabbed a fallen leaf and split it with ease. Asuma smiled at him.
"Good work Naruto. Now we can get to the fun part." Asuma pulled out two shuriken from his pouch. "Watch closely Naruto." Asuma threw one shuriken into a far away tree, sticking into it by a point. Asuma threw the other shuriken at the same tree, but this time clapped his hands together. "Fūton: Reppūshō (Wind Release: Gale Palm)!" A sudden rush of air propelled the shuriken, launching several times faster into the tree. When it impacted, only one point of the star was sticking out of the tree, the rest of it having buried itself into the trunk. Naruto looked on in awe.
"Wow! You'll be teaching me that?" Naruto asked in amazement. Asuma smirked.
"That's right. With this, you can fluctuate the air around you, allowing you to force air to propel projectiles forward at a much faster speed, or push away incoming missiles." Asuma clapped his hands together once more. "To do this, you have to expel your chakra as wind from your body. The hard part is controlling the force and direction of the wind." Asuma demonstrated, Naruto clearly seeing the air currents fluctuating around Asuma in whatever way he willed it. Naruto nodded before creating another clone, who equipped his bow and notched an arrow. Naruto clapped his hands together and nodded at his clone, who let the arrow loose.
"Fūton: Reppūshō!" A large jet of wind projected the arrow forward at sonic speed. When the arrow hit the tree, it went through it and the tree behind it, the arrow head coming out of the back of a third tree. Asuma and Naruto gaped at the sheer power of the technique, shocked into silence. Naruto and his clone broke out of their shock and danced about. "We are awesome dattebayo!"
'Such power and control on his first attempt! Asuma thought. He coughed, turning the Narutos' attention to him once more. "Well then, it seems that you have already mastered this technique. That was all I had planned today, so you are free to do whatever." Asuma hobbled back to the dock to observe Ino. Naruto smiled and dispelled his clone. It was such a nice day, perfect for a forest stroll. Naruto headed further into the forest, exploring the beauties of nature.
As Naruto was wondering aimlessly about, he saw a girl about the same age as he was picking herbs. She wore a pink sleeveless-kimono with a red trim, with plum-colored swirls on it. Her hair was long and unbound, allowing beautiful black tresses to fall to her back. He carefully approached the girl, who had not yet noticed him. He stood a few feet away and coughed to get her attention. She jumped a bit and looked back, her hair framing her pretty face and her brown eyes staring at him with slight apprehension.
"Ah, I'm sorry for startling you like that. I have no ill intentions." The girl slowly stood up.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him, her voice calm yet stern. Naruto met her gaze.
"I was just out for a walk. It seemed like a perfect day for one and I had nothing else to do." Naruto bowed to her and introduced himself. "I am Uzumaki Naruto." The girl hesitated slightly before doing the same.
"I am Yuki Haku." She replied in an equally polite manner. Haku examined Naruto, slightly blushing at how handsome he was. Naruto turned his gaze to her basket.
"What are you doing in the forest Haku-san?"
"I am picking herbs to make a salve for my friend. He was wounded in a fight." Haku explained without letting out too many details. She noticed the wakizashi by Naruto's side. "What is someone as young as you doing with a sword?"
"I am a samurai. I have come here with my teacher to train." Naruto replied. His Bushidō forced him to speak only truths. It didn't say he couldn't tell half truths.
"What could drag a samurai and his teacher all the way to wave country?" She asked in a slightly suspicious tone. This couldn't be the same samurai Zabuza-sama fought, could it? She examined him closer. No, it can't be. He wasn't wearing any form of hitai-ate.
"I've heard that the sushi served here in Nami no Kuni was excellent. " Naruto noticed how empty Haku's basket was. "Would you like some help picking herbs?"
Haku glanced down at her basket. She had been out here for about an hour and had found so little of the herbs she needed. "I would appreciate that, Uzumaki-san." Naruto flashed her a smile, causing her to blush slightly.
"Of course. The faster you get these herbs, the faster you will be able to help your friend. And please, call me Naruto, Yuki-san." Haku giggled at bit.
"And you may call me Haku, Naruto-san." Naruto immediately set to work helping Haku gather the proper herbs, the two trying to make small talk while collecting. "So, what are you training for, Naruto-san?" She asked him.
"What do you mean, Haku-san? I train to get stronger." "He replied as if it were obvious.
"Yes, I know that Naruto-san. But I meant for what reason are you getting stronger for?" She clarified. "Are you getting stronger for someone else? Or for yourself?"
"I'm getting stronger for my precious people, Haku-san." Haku nodded in satisfaction.
"Then you will definitely get stronger. Fighting for those you cherish is a noble goal."
"I'm glad you think so, Haku-san. My precious people recently became hurt because of me. I was too weak to protect them. I never want to fail my precious people again." Naruto said passionately. Haku hummed in approval.
"I understand what you mean Naruto-san. I never want to see my precious people hurt again either." Their conversation continued for another hour, ending when Haku's basket was filled to the brim with herbs. She bowed to Naruto. "Thank once again, Naruto-san." He returned the gesture.
"Of course Haku-san." Before she left, Naruto called out to her. "Haku-san?" She turned to face him.
"Yes Naruto-san?"
"Can I see you again?" Haku blushed at the boy's question. She was going to say no, but the words already left her mouth.
"Of course. Let's meet here tomorrow after dusk." Quickly realizing what she just said, her blush deepened and she made a hasty retreat. "Have a good evening, Naruto-san!" Haku called as she fled, basket in hand.
"You too Haku-san! I'll see you tomorrow!" Naruto called to her fading form. Naruto sighed as he made his way back to Tazuna's house. The sun had started to fall below the horizon. Hopefully, he would make it back in time before everyone would start to worry.
Naruto managed to make it back just as dinner was beginning. He took a seat next to Ino, who he had noticed looked dead tired. Besides that, dinner had gone on just like breakfast this morning. Tazuna was drinking some sake, Inari was his usual glum self, Shikamaru had a bored look on his face, and Asuma looked somewhat anxious to go outside to smoke. After they had finished eating, Shikamaru tapped Naruto on the shoulder.
"What is it Shikamaru?" Naruto asked the pineapple-haired boy.
"I'm bored. I've brought my shōgi set with me and I want to play against you."
"Of course Shikamaru." Naruto said as he got up. But he was suddenly grabbed by his left arm by Ino.
"Mou, I'm tired. I need Naruto-kun to be my pillow." Ino whined. Shikamaru grabbed the blonde's right arm.
"Just grab a regular pillow. I need my shōgi fix now." Shikamaru replied as he pulled Naruto to him. Ino pulled back.
"But I've never slept so well before in my life with Naruto-kun as my pillow!" Naruto was pulled to the right.
"Too bad. If I don't play shōgi now, I won't be able to go to sleep." Naruto was pulled to the left.
"But I need my beauty sleep!" To the right.
"I need to actually sleep!" To the left.
Then the right again.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Right.
"Okay okay! I can do both! Just let go of my arms, it feels like you're tearing them off dattebayo!" Naruto yelled. After his friends released him, he created a clone. "Here, this clone will go with you to sate your fix while I go to bed with Ino-chan." He told Shikamaru. The Nara grabbed the clone's hand and lead him upstairs to his room. Ino jumped on Naruto's back.
"Carry me!" She ordered. Naruto sighed and brought her upstairs to the bathroom so she could wash up and get changed, him doing the same after Ino was done. All ready for the night, Naruto laid down with Ino on the bed, getting into a comfortable spot. Ino snuggled up against him and Naruto held her close. They fell asleep, enjoying each other's embrace and warmth.
Haku stealthily tried to sneak past Zabuza, but the missing-nin was too aware.
"Haku, what took you so long?" Zabuza asked from his bed. Haku fumbled around for words.
"I-I just had some trouble finding the right herbs, Zabuza-sama." She responded as she tried to hurry to her room.
"What's the hurry, Haku? You're not trying to hide anything, are you?" Haku let out a small 'eep'.
"O-Of course not, Zabuza-sama. I'm just tired." Haku hastily opened the door to her room and locked it behind her. Her face was crimson now, and she took comfort in hugging her pillow as soon as she plopped down on her bed. She couldn't get that boy, Naruto, out of her head. And she was meeting him tomorrow after dusk! Oh, what have she gotten herself into?
'Naruto-san.'
Naruto arrived at the meadow, face to face with the giant fox demon. Kyūbi was mildly surprised from the boy's arrival.
"My, you really did come see me again." Kyūbi said. Naruto nodded.
"I never break my promises, Kyūbi-san." Naruto sat down by the fox, who did nothing but stay in its prone form. "I must thank you for healing me, Kyūbi-san. You do amazing work." The great fox chuckled.
"Do not get the wrong idea, kit. I only did so because your life is tied to mine." Naruto looked up at the demon.
"You still saved my life. That still warrants thanks, even if the reasons were selfish." Kyūbi stared at the boy for a moment.
"... You are welcome, Naruto." Naruto met the fox's gaze.
"What is your true name, Kyūbi-san?" The fox demon stayed silent, contemplating.
"How do you know it is not Kyūbi?" The fox asked. Naruto shrugged.
"It just seems more like a title." Naruto explained. ""The Kyūbi no Yoko" is like a vague description of what you are. It does not define you."
"You are correct in the assumption that Kyūbi is not my name. However, do you honestly believe me to so freely give my name to just anyone?" Naruto shook his head.
"No, of course not. I ask only out of curiosity. If you do not wish to tell me, that is your decision. I will respect it." A silence hung in the air, only the gentle breeze in Naruto's mindscape providing any sort of sound.
"... You are the first of all of my hosts to ask my name. You are the first of them to truly wish to get to know me. For your troubles, I will allow you to know the true name of the Kyūbi no Yoko." Naruto listened intently. "Kurama. That is my name. Do well to remember it, for I will not repeat it." Naruto smiled brightly at the fox.
"Thank you Kurama-san. You honor me with this trust." Kurama hummed in amusement.
"This is my only gift to you in your endeavor to know me. You will get nothing else."
"Your name is a great boon. It will be all I need to break the ice around your heart." Naruto reached out to stroke Kurama's fur, but paused."Is it all right if I touch you, Kurama-san?" Kurama stared at the blond's hovering hand.
"... You may, Naruto." Kurama hummed in approval as Naruto's hand snaked through the fox's fur, a pleasant feeling coursing throughout its being. Maybe this boy's goal wasn't so impossible after all.
It was Naruto's turn to watch Tazuna today. Asuma was going to teach Shikamaru fire release while Ino was to run around the lake again. Naruto watched on in disinterest as Tazuna and his workers constructed the bridge. Ugh, Shikamaru was right, it was boring. He suddenly got an idea.
"Hey, Tazuna-san!" The old man to him. "You need some help?"
"Sure, any aide at all would be greatly appreciated." He replied. He got Naruto suited up in a hard hat with a tool belt. With a grin, Naruto performed a hand sign.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" One hundred Narutos puffed into existence. Tazuna stared gob smacked at the amount of manpower he could get from this kid. "Just tell us where you need us!" They said in unison. Tazuna had a small smile on his face. He should just get this kid to guard hi all the time.
With all the Naruto clones that helped today, the bridge was completed about a sixth faster than it would have been with just the regular guys. At dusk, Naruto and Tazuna went back home and helped Tsunami prepare the dinner table. His team joined him shortly. Naruto noticed Asuma's beard was a bit singed, and Shikamaru was unusually slouching.
"What happened Asuma-sensei?" He asked. Asuma glared at Shikamaru, who, although aware of it, did not turn to meet it.
Asuma had just finished teaching Shikamaru nature transformation. He had to say, the boy had some talent. The Nara had only taken about an hour to complete it.
"Well, it seems that you seems you got fire manipulation down pat." Asuma complimented Shikamaru, who smiled at the praise. "You and Naruto have great potential, I'm telling ya." Asuma pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips. Before he lit it, he was tapped by Shikamaru.
"Let me try to light it." Asuma handed the boy the lighter, but Shikamaru shook his head. "I meant with fire chakra."
Asuma stared at the boy nervously. Sure, the boy was good, but the jōnin didn't think he could control the flame all that well. But the silent, pleading look the Nara gave him forced him to say yes. He sighed and stuck out the cigarette.
"Fine, just be careful." Shikamaru grinned and let loose a small spark of flame.
It wasn't the cigarette that caught fire.
The group ate in relative silence, due to tension in the air from multiple sources. Suddenly, Inari spoke up, the normally quiet boy's voice had a tinge of anger as he spoke in a low tone.
"You're going to die." Everyone turned to the boy. Tsunami gasped, shocked by her son's words.
"Inari!" She scolded, but he pressed on with a louder, angrier tone.
"Gatō is going to kill you all! You should just go back!"
"We can't go back Inari-san. To do so would mean we gave up." Naruto responded. Inari let tears fall down his face as he continued to scream.
"Why even try when you know you're gonna fail! The weak always lose to the strong, so why even bother!"
"It is better to try than to have never tried at all, Inari-san. If we don't try, how will we know if we can't do something?"
"You say that now, but you've never experienced true misery! You have no right to say such things when you've never suffered!" Naruto cast a piercing flare at Inari, which made him flinch and pause in his tantrum.
"Be quiet!" Naruto shouted, Inari's words destroying his usually calm demeanor. "You know true suffering, true misery? I highly doubt that. There are many people in the world who are pushed from their homes, lost all their loved ones, and struggle to live! At least you knew Kaiza, and knew that he loved you, and you still have your mother and grandfather! Me? I don't even know my true parents! I was abused for something I had no control over! But you don't see me crying, whining that my life is hard. So don't you dare say that you've suffered, experienced true misery, when in reality you have only grazed the surface!" Naruto rose from the table and headed outside to vent. His teammates were too shocked to try and stop him. They had never seen Naruto like that, ever. Inari eventually recovered and ran upstairs. Asuma sighed as he hobbled outside as well. He needed a smoke.
Haku walked past Zabuza again, claiming to be getting some more herbs. Zabuza allowed her to go, albeit suspicious of what she is actually doing. Haku headed towards the meeting spot with a nervous deposition. She needed to try to end this little excursion with Naruto before it was too late. And she had just the idea.
She spotted Naruto at their spot with a somewhat sour look on his face. She called out his name as she approached him.
"Naruto-san!" Naruto looked up and smiled at her. He began walking towards her.
"Good evening, Haku-san. I am glad to see you." Naruto said with a bow. Haku giggled.
"And I am glad to see you, Naruto-san." She sat down at the base of a tree, gesturing for Naruto to join her. Naruto promptly did so, and took a seat right beside her. "You seemed a bit upset when I first saw you, Naruto-san. What's the matter?" Naruto scowled.
"I recently got into this argument with a little boy who believed himself to know all about suffering." Naruto responded in a bitter voice. "He had lost his father several years back and uses that as an excuse to make others feel sorry for him. It would have been all right had he not accused me of ignorance to suffering."
"What is your experience of suffering, Naruto-san?" Haku asked. Naruto hesitated, unsure if he should tell someone who he just met yesterday of his past. He relented and told her.
"I was an orphan, Haku-san. I never knew who my parents were or where they were from. I lived in an orphanage since I was a baby. The headmistress there was kind to the others, but always ignored me when I needed help. When I turned four, she started hitting me, lashing me with a belt. I was denied food if I spoke of what she did." Haku gasped. Such maltreatment of a child that young of age?
"Why did she do that to you, Naruto-san?" Naruto let out a somber chuckle as he resumed.
"I asked her that once, when it first began. "Why are you hitting me? What have I done wrong?" She told me it was because of what was held inside of me, what that something had done to her. Because of something I had no control over, I was to be punished for its misdeeds." Haku nodded in somber understanding. Naruto turned to Haku, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry Haku-san. I should not burden you with my past." She shook her head.
"It's fine, Naruto-san. I went through something similar. You see Naruto-san, I have a kekkai genkai." Naruto's eyes widened.
"Are you a shinobi, Haku-san?" He asked.
"No Naruto-san, I am not." Technically, Haku was only trained in the shinobi arts. She was not actually a licensed shinobi. "You see, Naruto-san, I come from the Yuki clan of Kirigakure. Or rather, my mother was. The Yuki have the ability to use Hyōton (Ice Release). We can create ice from only our chakra, and can shape it into whatever we like." Haku raised her hand and an ice sculpture of a swan appeared in her palm. Naruto looked at it in awe.
"A war broke out in Kirigakure. At the orders of the Yondaime Mizukage, all the bloodline clans were sentenced to death. Our blood could not be allowed to the "dirty" the blood regular, "pure" shinobi have. My mother managed to escape into a village on the border of Mizu no Kuni, where she posed as a civilian woman. There, she met my father, a civilian man, and birthed me. As I grew older, I unlocked my ability to manipulate ice. After discovering my power, I showed my mother. I thought she would be proud. Instead, she slapped me and told me to never use my power again." Several small cracks began to form in the swan.
"At the time, I had no idea about the bloodline purge, but I obediently did as my mother told. However, in that one instance, my father saw my power. Later that same day, he killed my mother and almost killed me. My powers flew out of control, and my basic instinct kicked in. I impaled my father on a pillar of ice." The ice swan shattered, ice shards sparkling in the air. Naruto stared at Haku in sorrow. To imagine having your family killed in front of you and having to kill your own father yourself? Haku started to cry but felt Naruto embrace her.
"I'm sorry, Haku-san. I did not mean to make you relive such sorrow." Haku hugged one of Naruto's arms to her chest as she sobbed. After Zabuza adopted her, she tried to never think of the event again. Now, she just told her past to this stranger, this samurai boy she met only yesterday. Haku grimaced.
She couldn't become attached attached to this boy. He would eventually leave, or she would leave after completing her mission. Haku finally ceased her crying, meeting Naruto's gaze with her tear-stained face.
"Thank you Naruto-san. I really needed that." Haku told him. He smiled back at her.
"Of course Haku-san. Everyone needs to cry. That is part of our anatomy. Besides," Naruto pulled back from her and wiped the trails of her tears away. "I could never allow someone as beautiful as Haku-san to be filled with such pain." Haku gently clasped Naruto's hand.
"About that Naruto-san," Haku paused as she leaned forward, lips by his ear. "... I'm a boy."
"WHAT!" Naruto instantly pulled back, Haku smiling at the boy's reaction. The blond squinted his eyes at her. "No way, you're lying!" He accused the girl. Haku giggled.
"No, I really am a boy!" She insisted.
"Then prove it!" Naruto demanded. Haku blushed slightly.
"A-And how would I do that, Naruto-san?" Naruto came in close. Her blush grew more intense.
"Like this, Haku-san." His lips met hers, shocking the girl into silence. What was happening?! Why was he suddenly kissing her? Why didn't she push him back? Why was she enjoying this feeling? Haku's mind was fried. Naruto pulled back from the minute-long kiss. "Ha, I knew you were lying!"
"W-What?" Haku replied in a small voice, her mind just coming back from the kiss.
"When I was younger, an Onii-san told me that a girl would either slap me or do nothing when I kissed her, and a boy would immediately push me back and say "What the fuck are you doing!?" You didn't do anything when I kissed you, so that means you're a girl!" Naruto raised his arms in victory. "Yatta! I'm right again dattebay-" Naruto was cut off when Haku rushed for his lips again. She could only think about devouring the boy's lips to invoke that ecstatic feeling that filled her being the first time. What she got was an even more powerful feeling once Naruto began to kiss back, his tongue asking for entrance which she happily obliged. A battle of the tongues emerged, Naruto quickly dominating Haku's less experienced tongue. The burst of furious passion ended after a few minutes, the two parting with heavy breathes and a thin line of saliva connecting their mouths.
"That... Was..."
"Amazing, I know." Naruto finished cheekily. Haku rested her head on his chest as the two peered up into the night.
The rest of the week was a similar routine. Naruto was sent to guard Tazuna at the man's request, of which the blonde spammed an army of clones to help with the bridge construction. Then after the day was done, Naruto replaced himself with a clone and sneaked off to see Haku. After their time was done, Naruto would return to Tazuna's house and switch with his clone, happily falling asleep in Ino's embrace. By the week's end, most of the bridge was finished. Naruto and Shikamaru got a few new jutsu from Asuma, whose leg has fully recovered. Ino's chakra reserves and control were significantly increased, as well as her stamina and speed. But the week's end also signaled the return of Zabuza, who had no doubt also recovered. Asuma gathered his team together to discuss a plan.
"Okay boys and girl, as you know, there is a very high chance that Zabuza will appear on the bridge today. We all need to go together, so Naruto will make shadow clones to guard Inari and Tsunami. Now, all three of you will need to be on guard, as Zabuza has an accomplice. Assuming he is about chūnin-level in skill, you will all need to be on guard. Ino, you are in charge of guarding Tazuna. Naruto and Shikamaru, you two will be dealing with that unknown ninja. I'll handle Zabuza."
"But Asuma-sensei, why can't Naruto just create clones to protect Tazuna while I help them fight?" Ino asked. She didn't like it when she couldn't help her friends when she knew she could.
"It's because Naruto's clones are too easy to destroy. A single hit would make them burst." He explained. Ino slumped, but Asuma put a hand on her shoulder. "I promise that this will not happen all the time. You will get to fight." Ino nodded, reassured. "Make sure to get some good rest tonight. You'll need every bit if energy for tomorrow."
They all nodded in unison. They were prepared now, and they wouldn't let what happened before happen again.
They were ready.
Next time on Return to Prominence
Naruto grunted as he felt several senbon hit his biceps. Kami, these things were so annoying! He clapped his hands together. "Fūton: Reppūshō!" The next barrage of senbon were deflected. "Face me with honor, shinobi!" Haku appeared in all the mirrors around Naruto.
"Forgive me samurai-san. To fight you one on one would be my downfall. As I still have use to Zabuza-sama, I cannot die just yet." Haku's actual body appeared from above Naruto. "Hyōton: Seihyō Keimusho (Ice Release: Ice Prison)!"
Haku threw an ice senbon at Naruto, which stuck to his helmet. The senbon began to spread around Naruto's helmet, creating a growing layer of ice. Naruto, feeling the ice begin to cover his head, quickly unstrapped his helmet and tossed it to the ground. The helmet landed with a clatter before becoming fully encased in ice. Haku gasped as she now saw the samurai's true face.
"N-Naruto-san?" Naruto saw the masked shinobi stepped out a mirror in front of him, taking off her mask. His jaw dropped in surprise.
"Haku-san?"
A/N: Ahh, so good to finally get this chapter out! Testing is coming soon and I'm trying to find a balance between work time and me time. Ugh. School sucks. Oh well.
Please, if you liked it, leave a review! If you have any criticisms, please also leave a review. If you have any questions, please PM me! I'll see you next time. Ja ne!