Ch. 11 : Preparations

A/N : A chat with the Kyuubi, a mysterious reunion, and making ready for war.

Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto, Star Wars, or any obscure references to other owned or written material, either official or those of fandom. They are all property of associated parties.

"Ah, and so the prodigious student returns."

This trip took Naruto much less time to reach the beast's domain. Rather than wandering around the carnival grounds for a while like before, he arrived only half a mile away. With purpose behind his strides it took him only minutes to reach the barker's unnatural freak show.

The flare in the boy's eye spoke volumes of his irritation. Even standing before the mighty 'Demon Fox', Naruto's anger would not be swayed.

"Cut the crap, Mikhail. What the hell is going on? What are you doing to me?"

A flash of something ran behind the insidious man's eyes that should have warned Naruto that something was wrong. Unfortunately it didn't penetrate the haze of anger coursing through the boy, and he continued his rant.

"Something's happening to me, and I know you are the cause of it! I have been getting angrier faster. I have been lashing out at those who serve me. I have even threatened my own team, as annoying as they can be!"

While he could have silenced the boy at any time, Mikhail allowed the boy to rave. Let him dig his own grave deeper, if he must. Besides, the demon was taking a great deal of amusement from the ignorance Naruto was showing to the black storm clouds floating in from behind him, sinking their twisted world into farther darkness.

"I don't care how powerful you think you are! I am not going to just stand idly by while you twist and manipulate my mind! You don't even offer any explanation, you just stand their on your damned pedestal"

Sure the boy might have a point, but he was starting to piss him off. He would be wise to-...

"You're pathetic! Trapped in here unable to do anything, and you still think yourself so high and mighty! I bet you-"

"ENOUGH!"

In a flash the anger and confidence Naruto had been feeling all just drained away as though the bottom of his stomach had been torn away entirely. For the first time since his last arrival the thought struck him that he was standing before possibly the strongest being in existence, trapped or not. Another, entirely unwelcome thought followed it. He had pissed said being off.

"You had best watch yourself, boy. I may be trapped in your pathetic mind, but I will be shown the respect I deserve, or I will destroy you."

He wasn't shouting, but the icy tone he was using almost made Naruto wish that he was. To emphasize his point, Mikhail had stepped away from his usual place and was slowly approaching the terrified human. As he advanced, the weeds and plant-life at his feet shriveled and died from the toxic energy that was emanating from the beast.

"You think you are safe from me while I am trapped here? I have more power over you than you would care to believe. At any moment since your birth I could have killed you. With a mere thought, I can flood your body with enough Dark Energy to poison a village."

Naruto had began backing away from the malicious entity, but each step backward was matched by a step forward, slowly closing the distance between them despite his best efforts.

"I could then take control of your vile corpse and destroy everything you hold dear."

Mikhail caught the rebellious glint and grinned cruelly.

"You think me wrong? That you have nothing worth destroying? How sad. What about the old man and his precious daughter? What about your old school teacher that cares oh so much for you? Oh, and did I forget the old man who has cared for you through your childhood?"

Alongside the terror striking at the boy was a crippling sense of guilt. There was no deceit on the demon's behalf. Why would there be?

"The only reason I have refrained from cutting you down and possessing you like every other host I have had is because you have potential. Your strength is one that I have never seen rivaled, but even that will not protect you should you anger me again. Do you understand me?"

Unable to even stammer out a response, Mikhail took the boy's nodding as an affirmative. Instantly the cloud of judgment faded and Naruto was able to breath again.

"Wonderful! I'm glad we were able to have this little chat. Someday you may grow powerful enough to challenge me, but until then you play by my rules. Now..."

The gnarled man drew up a chair and sat down in it backwards, the back facing Naruto.

"...what can I do for you?"

If possible, the abrupt change in attitude served to unnerve the boy even more.

"I-I wanted to know what you were doing to my mind..."

After the exhibition of such brutal power, Naruto couldn't seem to conjure up the indignation that had led him here in the first place. Admittedly, he wasn't exactly giving it a valiant effort, but that wasn't the point. Surprisingly, the being before him only shrugged his shoulders, sending ripples through his cloak.

"That is a thought I have been giving attention to for some time now, actually. My best guess is that since you have started utilizing the abilities I gifted you upon our union, it has opened the flood gates between my energy and your own."

"So it is your fault! N-not that that's a problem or anything!"

Seeing the warning glance Mikhail shot him, Naruto was quick to amend his accusation.

"Yes, I suppose if you were to put it that bluntly, it would not be untrue. If it continues at this rate, our energies will infuse completely, and become one."

"You mean we will become the same person!"

The shudder that ran through the powerful beast would have been comical, had it not been an vague insult.

"Ugh, don't even go there! I hate to imagine myself becoming the same as you."

"Hey! What's wrong with me!"

Mikhail ignored that.

"While not a completely outlandish thing to assume, you are wrong. While we will share the same energies, it won't define us as a single being. My power will mix with yours and vice versa. Eventually they will mingle so effectively, they become the same shade."

"You mean like the red and blue of the force?"

"Exactly. It will look the same and we can use each other's power, but it won't be the same,"

"Okay, well that's a relief... I suppose."

"You suppose?"

Naruto was obviously troubled by the thought, but he was having trouble putting it to words.

"Your energy is going to mix with mine."

"Right."

"And you're evil?"

"What did I tell you about evil?"

"Right, right. But you know what I mean! You're... meaner... than I am."

"As of lately? Not really, but I know what you mean."

"Well if it keeps going like you say it probably will, does that mean I am only going to keep getting darker?"

The old man sighed at this. He had foreseen this conversation coming, but he had been desperately hoping for more time to prepare. His opinion was biased on this subject, but he couldn't very well lie to the boy and risk alienating him. His plans required that the boy actively sought his guidance.

"To an extent. Just as we will never become exactly alike, you will only become as dark as I am if you choose to. You will only ever travel as far down that road as you allow yourself to."

"Yeah, but how do I know how far I want to go? I don't know if I'm ready to be like you or even Bane!"

"I... I don't know. This is something you are going to have to figure out on your own. Ask others for advice, if you must, but I can only give you advice on the Dark Side. The side of power."

At the look of disappointment, Mikhail rubbed his face in frustration. The damn kid was a bad influence on him.

"Look, being dark aligned doesn't mean you have to choice but to be bad, alright? Your Master understands this better than any human I have ever known. Ask him about it sometime, and maybe you won't feel as strongly as you do."

"Right... I think I might. But hey, you know what that means?"

For some reason, he didn't like the smile on the kid's face.

"What?"

"If you can be a bad influence on me, that means I can be a... good influence on you!"

For the first time since the day all life was wiped out in an instant, the mightiest of the Bijuu wept.

XxXxXxX

After the equivalent of a few hours intensive training, Naruto returned to the mortal world. When they had finally finished their discussion, Mikhail had decided to train Naruto to be more fluent in the use of the Spear of Midnight Black, a technique that the boy hadn't used since his demonstration.

The Demon lord had him not only practicing to conjure it faster, but also to use it in combat fluently. Now instead of only being able to throw it at the enemy like a projectile, Naruto had enough training to use it as a melee weapon for more versatility. As long as his opponent wasn't too well trained in their own weapons of course.

When he came to, he was surprised to notice a few changes in his situation. It was daylight as opposed to the night sky he had zoned out while watching. Morning specifically, judging from the sunrise. Then there were his damp clothes, probably from the dew through the night and morning. Finally was the most important. He was not alone. Not too far from where he was standing, a young girl was picking at plants, unaware of his presence.

"Excuse me! What time is it?"

The girl looked up, startled, and seemed pretty surprised to see another person this far out into the forest. Her soft pink robes fluttered in the brisk breeze and her long black hair fell down her back in beautiful waves.

"Umm, it's still really early, I think. Why? How long have you been out here?"

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, then picked up his jacket and shook out the moisture clinging stubbornly to the sides.

"All night, apparently. I must have fallen asleep."

"You know, that's probably not good for you. Sleeping out all night like that? You can get sick."

"Sick? Me? Nah, it'll take a little more than some cool air and moisture to knock me out of the game. Thanks for the concern though. If you don't mind me asking, why are you out this far into the forest? I didn't think anyone came out here."

The girl turned from him shyly and continued to pick the herbs that she needed.

"I usually don't, but there are some herbs out here that don't grow anywhere else on this island, so I don't have much of a choice. Besides, like you said people don't usually come out here so it's good to have a peaceful moment to yourself."

Naruto laughed quietly and in agreement.

"True enough. So do you need a hand picking some of those herbs? I don't know too much about plants, but I'm good with my hands."

The girl hesitated for a moment, one hand going to rest on her opposite wrist as though toying with something. Still, she smiled happily and nodded. For one breathtaking moment, Naruto was shocked by how beautiful she was in the breaking light.

"Alright, I would like the company. Thank you."

She showed Naruto the specific herbs she was looking for, and they continued slowly through the forest, enjoying the sounds and company. Occasionally Naruto would point out a plant and ask the girl what it was and what it could be used for, and she would surprise him with her botanical knowledge.

"So what are you doing out here this early in the morning? Surely you didn't sleep here."

Th blond shifted back onto the balls of his feet and pressed his knees into the soft earth, balancing himself while he looked up at the clear blue sky.

"I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I guess I did. I was working on some things last night, and I must have dozed off."

"It must have been some pretty hard training for you to fall asleep."

"I guess you could say that, but it's not so much training as it is meditation."

"Meditating? I didn't know ninjas meditated. Don't you usually just strengthen your body and practice shooting fireballs and stuff?"

Again, Naruto laughed as he shifted his weight so he could look at his companion without falling over.

"Normal ninjas do, yeah."

"But you aren't a normal ninja?"

"I'm not normal at all."

"Why is that? You look normal to me."

"It's..." Naruto sighed and rubbed his eyes. "It's complicated. I'm just not like most people."

"And that difference makes you weak?"

He looked up at her in surprise and confusion. The question caught him off guard enough that he grabbed a plant without looking and a large thorn embedded itself in his palm, making him hiss.

"Weak? What are you talking about? Do I look weak?"

The girl laughed into her sleeve, accentuating her beauty and allure. She knelt down next to the boy and carefully drew the thorn out, making sure not to do more damage to the tissue around it. From a pouch in her robes she drew a small container of ointment and rubbed a bit onto the cut. Naruto was pleased with the numbing sensation that worked over the sore area, and allowed his natural healing rate to take over from there.

"Well a normal person doesn't train himself to the point of falling asleep in the forest. Neither do really strong ninjas, as far as I know."

Naruto laughed again and stood up, stretching out the kinks in his back.

"Well you have a point there, but just because I train and work hard doesn't necessarily mean that I'm weak. It just means that I am serious about training and that I want to be stronger."

"But you look pretty strong already, why do you train as hard as you do?"

The boy glanced at her with a fire in his eyes and a confident smile.

"Because I have things I need to do that are impossible at the strength I am now. If I want to help people and change the world, I need to be stronger or it won't last."

"You're going to change the world, huh? And are you doing that for yourself or for someone else?"

He looked taken aback by the question, one he definitely wasn't expecting.

"Well, I guess in some ways it is pretty selfish, I'll admit. But mostly it is for other people. I can do things to help people that they can't do themselves, so it is my responsibility to do everything I can, right?"

The girl stood up and turned to face the same direction as him, staring up at the sky as well.

"That's all well and good, and you may very well become quite powerful. But if you want to become truly strong, you need to fight for someone other than yourself. Someone you care for more than yourself, and would be willing to give everything for their safety and happiness. That is how you get strong."

"I think you and one of my Masters would get along really well. He told me the same thing a few months ago."

The girl smiled happily.

"Then your Master must be really strong!"

Naruto looked down sadly and shrugged his shoulders.

"He is, but it still wasn't enough to save all the people he cared for. What happens when all your strength isn't enough? Then what?"

The girl could only stand there, shocked. She had never thought of that before, and Naruto could sense it. He leaned against a tall tree and crossed his arms, not taking his eyes from the girl's. Soft brown met unyielding blue, and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"It is still a good ideal to follow and one that I plan to adhere to. I just need to find someone like that, huh? What about you? You sound like you speak from experience."

"Yup, I have someone I care about a lot! He means more to me than I can ever explain."

"And is he who these herbs are for? He must have gotten pretty badly hurt recently to need this many of them."

The girl frowned at the comment. Was it possible he had caught on to who she was? She had been careful not to give anything away, but she might have let something slip. She was enjoying his company but if he knew who she was, she was going to have to take him out. She wasn't about to allow her Master to come into any danger while he was still injured.

"Well he did get hurt, but he is really tough so I'm sure he will be fine. The rest of these herbs I'm going to make into poultices and save for later. You never know when you might need them after all."

"Good point. Well, make sure you tell him to take it easy on his arm okay? A dislocation that bad can lead to really serious complications if he rushes the healing process."

Almost before he had finished speaking, the girl was moving. Her aim with the deadly senbon was perfect and would no doubt have incapacitated him before he could even defend himself... Had they left her hand. Haku found herself completely immobile and defenseless, and all the kid had done was lifted a hand! Amazing, but terrifying.

"Fine, you've caught me but it will do you no good. Zabuza-sama will never negotiate for my release, so you have nothing to gain. I am his tool, nothing more."

Naruto almost laughed in his disapproval.

"And this is the man you fight for? The man who means more to you than your own life? It sounds to me like he is nothing but a bastard, and doesn't deserve you."

Her outrage at the statement almost overpowered his Force Grip, but he channeled more power into it, and she was forced to give up her struggles. It was only tiring her out, and wasn't aiding her situation any.

"Don't you call him that again! He saved my life and gave me a home, it is only right that I serve him!"

"So by saving your life, he owns it? Is that how it works? I could kill you now, but I'm not going to. Does that mean you are going to follow me around too? Of course not!"

Naruto released his technique and allowed her to fall to her knees.

"Your life is just that, yours.Regardless of what other people might say, they can't take that from you. If he really sees you the way you do, then I would suggest you rethink your attachments. The worst possible person to dedicate your life to, is one who doesn't care if you live or die. Trust me on that one"

Without sparing her a second glance, Naruto turned from her and walked away in the direction of Tazuna's house. He walked for a few seconds, then hesitated. Without turning he addressed her over his shoulder.

"One more thing. I would suggest you talk to Zabuza about your career plans. There is a storm coming that is bigger than he knows and if you aren't careful... you might be swept away. If you aren't going to help me with my plans, then stay out of my way."

With everything said, he continued on his way and left her alone in the forest. She sat silently for a few minutes thinking about everything, then started picking up the herbs that had fallen out of her overturned basket. In the silent solitude, no one was there to comment on the tears sliding from her eyes.

XxXxXxX

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, where's Naruto? I didn't hear him come in last night and he wasn't in his room when I got up."

"Same here. I guess he just stayed out all night doing... whatever it is he does."

Sasuke continued eating while his teammate and leader talked. He didn't feel any compelling desire to tell them what Naruto had told him last night, nor that he had taken off into the woods afterward. The dobe would be alright, he had no doubt about that. That didn't make him any less of an idiot though.

"Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry about being out all night, I guess I just fell asleep."

"Naruto! You had us worried sick! What's wrong with you, staying out all night like that! You could have been attacked by Zabuza's little buddy! You could have been mauled by wild animals and we would never have known!"

"Aw Sakura, I didn't know you cared!"

The comment was followed by laughter not only from him, but the other two males on the team as well. Sakura tried to make a comment or insult, but couldn't think of anything so she settled for huffing into her seat and continuing with her breakfast.

"So Naruto, what were you doing out in the forest all night?"

Naruto shrugged noncommittally and sat down happily when Tsunami brought him a heaping plate of food. Fresh pork, eggs, rice, everything he could have possibly asked for. For some reason that thought made him think of the Ichirakus, and he made it a mental point to check up on them when they returned to Konoha.

"Thanks! Ah, you know. Some of this and some of that. Mostly meditation though."

"Uhh, Dobe. You do know meditation means sitting quietly, right?"

Naruto slapped himself on the forehead.

"Of course, I knew I had forgotten something!"

This got a round of laughs from the table, and Naruto dug into his breakfast heartily. He hadn't realized how hungry he actually was. It helped that the food was really good as well, but that could go without saying.

"So Sensei, what are we doing today?"

"Well Sakura, you and Sasuke are going to guard Tazuna and the gang on the bridge and work on your tree-walking technique and stamina."

"And what about you and Naruto?"

"We are going to be working on something different, though we may go into the village and pick up some supplies for Tsunami-san. Remember to take your headsets, okay guys? If you see anything suspicious, report to me okay? We can't afford to take any chances."

"That's right, especially with me and my men almost having the bridge finished!"

Naruto shot the old man a glance, surprised and interested that he hadn't told Kakashi about the rebellion that was coming. After all, an elite Konoha Shinobi was an extremely valuable asset. Especially if he could be convinced to help them out. He must have a reason for not mentioning it.

Kakashi nodded in agreement with the old man, then stretched his arms and stood up.

"Well, it's about time we all started going our separate ways, you think? The faster we get this done, the faster we can all go home and Wave will be the proud owners of a successful country of their very own again!"

Cheered up by their leader's motivational mini-speech, they gathered their equipment and separated into groups to do their assigned duties. Well, most of them were cheered up.

"Hey! I'm not done eating!"

XxXxXxX

The heavy storm clouds made for a foreboding atmosphere as Naruto and Kakashi made their way through the dreary capital of Wave Country. On all sides were starving people and pitiful homeless children. Practically every man they passed had some variation of the sign around their neck or on the ground next to them, begging for work. Unlike normal markets, no vendor was insensitive enough to call out their wares. They knew that few had the money to just walk up and buy something, and they cared enough not to rub salt in the festering wounds around them.

Tsunami had requested that Naruto and Kakashi both go to the village and get some ingredients for the night's dinner. Though he had no doubt that the boy could handle everything by himself, Kakashi had insisted on accompanying Naruto on the trip, but had been silent so far. Rather than pressing his commander on why he had come along, Naruto had remained quiet and made sure to examine everything around him. By burning the sights and sounds and misery into his mind, he was solidifying his intent. There would be no hesitation when the time came to free Nami no Kuni.

"It's a sad sight, isn't it?"

Naruto showed no surprise that his Leader had addressed him, only answering his question and continuing with purpose.

"Yeah. Yeah it is."

They were both quiet again for a little while, going about their business. The older man only spoke again after they had acquired their groceries and were returning to Tazuna's family home.

"Unfortunately, it isn't such an uncommon sight. This kind of suffering can be found in every city in the world. Even Konoha, though I guess you would know that better than anyone."

"Why? Why would people just sit back and let others destroy their lives like that?"

Kakashi hefted the bags in his arms and looked up at the sky, watching the clouds drift closer and closer. It was a tough question, and one he wasn't sure he could answer. The best he could do was give him the same advice his Sensei had told him when he asked that same one.

"Life is a gamble, for all of us. Every day, every action is just a spin of the wheel that will decide whether we will become happier or not. When dealing with a situation like this, many people are willing to try to sit it out. To just ignore everything around them, and try to survive the things they can't. They do this in the hope that eventually, life will get better. That they will get a lucky spin and things will sort themselves out and start looking up. Honestly? I guess there's nothing wrong with that for the masses. But for people like you and me? Like everyone who has the power to change things? It just isn't enough."

"And what happens then?"

"Then the people with the strength to change things either try to share their strength with other people, or they go about it on their own. They use what they were born with and they lash out at the big gamble if life. They step outside the restraints that have been forced upon them, and they do what it takes to give themselves another chance at happiness. Most often, this ends with rebellion."

Through his words, Naruto sensed that Kakashi had a sense of disapproval.

"But isn't that a good thing? Doing what it takes to make things better for not only yourself, but everyone else who is suffering alongside you?"

"Only if it is successful. Because whether it is or not, it will lead to death. A war on a smaller scale is still a war, and there are always casualties in war. Innocent people who only wanted to make things better for their family, for their friends, for the people they care about. That sacrifice is all well and good if it leads to victory, but what happens when it doesn't, huh? People die and things only get worse, because the strong are no longer there to fight back."

The pain in Kakashi's voice screamed personal experience, and Naruto had to wonder who he was thinking of specifically when he said that. The hurt in the man's voice almost made it seem like he had given up hope in working to make things better, and Naruto could hardly believe that such a strong man could lose his faith.

"But what about when it works? When the smoke clears and the sun rises on a brand new day. When all the hard work has paid off and everyone's lives have gotten better. Doesn't that make the sacrifice worth it, if it was willingly done? The alternative is to continue to lie in the streets and just wait to die, like all those people back there."

Naruto pointed back to the marketplace, a righteous fury in his voice and burning in his eyes.

"Personally, I would rather die in rebellion than live under tyranny, and I know you do as well. All these people need is hope that they will succeed, and they can change everything for themselves."

Kakashi looked down at him sternly, his visible eye burning just a fiercely.

"And is that why you have decided to help the rebels?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't lie to me, Naruto. I know you and I know what you are capable of now. With your ability and your technology you could easily hand these people the means to victory and you just said so yourself, that you aren't the type to just sit by and let people suffer. So why didn't you tell me? Why did you feel it was necessary to sneak around behind my back?"

Naruto knew that he had been caught. He wasn't sure how Kakashi had found out, but he honestly wasn't that surprised. The man was the Elite after all, why wouldn't he know?

"Because we had to convince you to just continue the mission that we would get paid for. Why would you be willing to do things just out of the sake of charity if you weren't willing to help an old man save his family safely?"

Whatever he was expecting, the laughter wasn't it. He just watched as Kakashi smiled with his visible eye.

"You really don't think that highly of me, do you? I'm hurt. You really think I wold have just left him to die?"

"Well... you said-"

"Yeah, I know what I said. But that was just checking you guys out to see if you had the will to do what was right, regardless of the risks. I wouldn't have left him in the forest. I would have brought him back with us and had the Hokage assign him another team that was better prepared to suit his needs, regardless of his lie."

Naruto had to laugh as well in not only embarrassment, but also relief. He had been worried about the man assigned to be his instructor and leader up to that point.

"Heh heh. Well I'm sorry. But does that mean you are going to help me save Wave?"

"Well we will still have to discuss it with the rest of our team and see what they decide, but why don't you tell me what you had planned first and we'll go from there."

"Alright, well what I was going to do was..."

XxXxXxX

After a long discussion with Kakashi, Naruto felt considerably better about the plan for the rebellion. With the cyclops on their side, their chances had just increased dramatically. All he was waiting for now was HK to arrive with the supplies and his bodyguard units. His companion had also dropped subtle hints that they might be having more company upon his return, but he couldn't be sure. He might just have been talking about explosives. He might be one of his best friends, but that Droid was nuts!

"What's this? You're ignoring me now? I'm insulted!"

Naruto barely had time to dodge the flurry of blows, courtesy of Kakashi. After their discussion Kakashi had insisted on having another review session about his current abilities, and then decided to have a sparring session to keep his hand-to-hand combat skills up. He would have been doing better than he was too, if Kakashi hadn't insisted that he didn't use his Force abilities. After all, it would be detrimental if he 'became to reliant on them'. Naruto didn't particularly feel the need to point out the man's Sharingan. Pissing off someone you were sparring with was usually presumed to be a bad move, after all.

They had been fighting for twenty minutes already, and even Naruto with his monstrous stamina and physical attributes was gasping for breath. When Kakashi got in another combo and a 'fatal' hit, he called a halt.

"Alright, I guess that's about it for today. Whatever your Masters did to you in that break of yours, it stuck. You're pretty well off physically, you just need to be a bit more fluent in your movements and you will be fine. Against unarmed opponents at least."

"Yeah, that's about what Master Kyle keeps telling me as well. Still, thanks Sensei."

"Ah, so if I want you to show me some respect, all I have to do is smack you around a little bit, huh? Works for me."

The grin on his teacher's face had him laughing, even though it hurt to breath. For a little while he was content to lie in the grass and just stare upwards, not focusing on anything. When he felt he could speak without coughing up a lung, he glanced over at Kakashi, who was reading his little orange book.

"So Kakashi-sensei, who were you talking about earlier?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when you were talking about rebellion and stuff, you sounded like you were talking about someone in particular. If you don't mind me asking, who did you lose?"

The silver-haired man sighed and slipped his book into a pouch on his vest. He leaned heavily against a tree and crossed his arms. It took him a moment to answer, but when he did it was with a somber tone that seemed out of place coming from such a carefree man.

"His name was Obito, and he was my teammate, my rival, and my... my best friend."

Naruto could feel the hurt the man was feeling, so he just nodded and didn't press him on the subject. It was obvious that Kakashi was still suffering from it, and he wasn't about to reopen healing wounds. God knew he had enough of them himself to know what it was like. The most he could offer the man was a soft consolation.

"I'm sorry."

Kakashi smiled sadly at him and shrugged halfheartedly.

"It's the life we chose when we became Shinobi."

"Right. Well, how about we go enjoy some of the glory of being heroes and get some of Tsunami's great cooking?"

Kakashi grinned and pulled his book back out of his pocket, heading out of the forest and towards the house. He had regained his usual nonchalant composure, and was striding along lazily.

"Sounds like a plan."

XxXxXxX

"What do you mean, you want to help the people rebel against Gato!"

Naruto had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at his female teammate, and settled instead for rubbing his forehead in exasperation.

"Exactly what it sounds like. I want to help these people get back on their feet. The bridge is a good start, but it isn't enough. At the rate Gato is going, he would probably either destroy it or take control of that too."

Kakashi flipped a page in his book.

"Naruto's right, Sakura. Gato isn't going to stop just because of a land-bridge. The problem is, it isn't just his decision alone to make. You guys are a team now, and you have to collaborate as a team. So... you know... start collaborating."

Naruto drove a fist into the table, making the dishes rattle and startling the three non-combatants at the table.

"I don't see what there is to think about! We either help a village who needs us, or we don't. What decision is there?"

Sasuke sat forward, breaking his silence to speak his own two cents.

"Baka, we don't know the first thing about their forces. Even with Kakashi-sensei I highly doubt we would be able to take on an entire fortress plus Zabuza and that masked guy."

"That's the thing, it won't be just us. Tazuna, you about ready to tell them?"

The old man went white and shot a nervous glance towards Kakashi. The smile he got in response soothed his nerves and he shrugged.

"A number of the men and some women in this village have had enough of Gato's crap. We have been working behind the scenes trying to build up a resistance, but progress was slow for a while. This bridge project was our last hope at recruiting more people to the cause, but fortunately it worked pretty well. As it is, we number about one to every two of them."

Sasuke hissed at the odds, and Sakura just dropped her head on the desk. An untrained militia against experienced mercenaries? It wasn't looking good for the resistance, and they hadn't even decided yet. Tazuna must have caught their reactions, because he waved his hands

"No, no! It's better than all that, I promise. We have a benefactor outside the village somewhere that is supplying us with a bunch of stuff that we really needed. Medicine, food, that sort of thing. We also got the message that the last of the stuff was going to be delivered tonight and that the rebellion is going to be soon."

That little tidbit made Kakashi perk up, and he divided his attention between his precious and the old man.

"What do you mean? What was the last of the supplies supposed to be, and how soon is this battle going to occur?"

Tazuna seemed thrown off by the sudden intensity of the Jonin's questions, and he sat a little farther back in his chair.

"Uh, whoever this guy is, he was going to send some of his men over with armor and weapons for us to use. We're a peaceful village! We don't even have a proper militia since most of our business is through trade. All the companies generally would protect their own interests, and us through association. As a result we don't have the tools of warfare."

"I see. And these men are going to arrive tonight?"

Tazuna nodded a little shakily, and Kakashi just sighed.

"Dammit. I was hoping to have a little more time to prepare, but I guess there is nothing to be done about that now, huh? Well, do you at least have an idea for a time that this guy was supposed to arrive?"

The old man just gave a vague shrug in response, and Kakashi sighed before turning to Tsunami.

"Ah, Tsunami-san. Do you think little Inari should be going to bed? It's getting late and we need to make plans for tomorrow."

"Of course, come on Inari."

The young boy glared at the gathered ninjas with the hint of tears in his eyes. The entire time the team had been staying at Tazuna's house, they had only seen the boy a few times and every one, his eyes were red and puffy. Clear signs of recent and heavy crying. While Tsunami had already ventured to tell the Konoha Shinobi the tale of why her son acted as he did, they had yet to hear it from Inari himself. In fact, the boy had hardly said two words to them the entire time!

"Why do you even bother when there's now way you're going to win? Gato is just going to kill you lie he did everyone else!"

Kakashi glanced up in surprise, Sasuke just scowled, Sakura looked outright shocked, and Naruto... Naruto ignored him.

"What makes you think that we are going to lose?"

Inari looked up at the Jonin and glared.

"Because he is really strong and he has killed everyone who went against him already!"

Kakashi just laughed and stretched his arms, hooking them behind his head.

"Don't worry kid, I think w are going to be able a couple of bandits that he is going to throw at us. We already won against who I think might be the strongest one of the group. So relax, we got this covered."

The words that should have comforted the boy only seemed to anger him eve more, and he started shouting.

"No, you don't! People like you come into our town and think you know everything about what's going on, but you don't! You think that you are really strong and then you try to fight Gato and hi men. What happens then? Then you die, everyone you brought dies, and then Gato make everything worse for the people who live here! You think you're helping, but you aren't! Why don't you just leave!"

It came as a surprise when Naruto pushed his chair back from the table and stood tall.

"And you have given up on everything. You are stuck living in the past and refuse to acknowledge what is going on right now. All you think about is what you have lost, not what you have right now and how to protect them. You lost someone close to you, I understand that that must hurt, and I sympathize, but you aren't thinking about everyone you still have. Your mother cares for you, and worries every time you leave the house to cry. Your grandfather loves you so much, that he is risking everything to build a bridge that will save this village so that people like you can live happily without being scared."

The blond strode forward, closing the distance between himself and the boy easily. While scared of him, Inari found himself unable to look or back away.

"You say we're all going to die? I don't think so. You see, we aren't the only ones who are going to fight back. There are a lot of other people in this village who are ready to fight for what they believe in. I wish there were more of us, but unfortunately there are too many people like you who are just willing to sit in their houses and cry about how bad things have gotten for them. Guess what? If you don't force things to get better, they never will. Happiness isn't just going to fall into your lap, you have to work for it and make it happen!"

Everyone except Kakashi was surprised by Naruto's outburst, but he wasn't done.

"People like you make me sick, you know that? All you do is bitch and moan that your life is so hard, but you don't make the slightest effort to make things better. You grandfather? There is someone I respect, but you?... You're just a crybaby."

He turned from the now crying boy and headed for the front door.

"Naruto, where are you going?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm going to keep an eye out for our visitor."

"Alright, but don't go too far. I want you here in case anything big happens. As soon as this guy shows up, I want you back in here. We are making plans, and you are a big part of it."

Naruto nodded and closed the door behind him, stepping out into the cold night air. Everyone watched him go except Inari, who had ran off to go to his room. Tsunami looked back at her son sadly and sighed.

"I'll go after him."

Kakashi nodded as the woman left and Tazuna spoke softly.

"It sounds like he really knew what he was talking about when he said that."

Kakashi glanced at his other two students, wondering if it was right for them to hear what he was about to tell Tazuna, but decided that they might as well. It was their right to know a little about their teammate if they were to be expected to work together.

"He does. Those are words that he probably has told himself many times in his past. His life was pretty rough up until rather recently, but he refused to sink any lower than what he was forced to. Every time I saw him, he was either working hard to accomplish his goals and make himself stronger, or doing things to make sure he could keep that smile on his face for as long as possible."

"But Sensei, in class Naruto would only ever screw around! He wouldn't even listen to Iruka when he was trying to lecture him."

Kakashi just shrugged, having never seen Naruto in class.

"I'm just telling you what I saw. He is stronger than he looks, especially now that he has people who can really teach him how to use what he was gifted with."

"What do you mean? Isn't he just like you guys?"

Kakashi could only laugh at that, and shook his head.

"No, Tazuna-san. He is more different than you could possibly believe."

The Jonin's words left them all wondering about the boy they thought they knew. Who was he, truly?

XxXxXxX

Naruto sat on the roof of Tazuna's home, staring up at the full moon. Out here in Wave there were much less lights than in Konoha, so it was easier to see the stars in the sky. He had never really realized how many there really were before coming out here. It was his first time outside the bright city lights of Konohagakure.

While he may not have payed attention to everything that was taught in the academy, he was known to pay almost fanatical attention to anything that peaked his interest. One of those things was astrology. As he lay on the roof breathing deeply to calm himself down, he entertained himself by pointing out the constellations that he could identify. Orion, the great hunter. Ursa major and minor, the two bears. Even the big dipper was shining brightly tonight. Sometimes he envied their peace.

About half an hour had passed since the confrontation inside, and though he was a little irritated at himself for lashing out at the kid like that, he didn't regret it at all. The boy needed to wise up, and if no one else was going to do it, than he would. His thoughts were interrupted by the crackling in his ear, signifying his Comm Link sparking to life.

"Query : Are you there, Master?"

"Yes HK, I'm here. Where are you? Are you almost ready?"

"Answer : Yes Master. My squad has already distributed the supplies to the strategic points around town and alerted the key leaders of the rebellion. I am with the Magnaguards with the last of the supplies to bring to Tazuna. It should take us no more than two minutes to reach your position. Query : Are you ready for my arrival?"

"About as ready as I'll ever be. Start bringing them in. Oh, HK. Do you think we are going to win this thing?"

There was silence on the other end of the line, before a simple answer.

"Answer : I believe we are going to give it one hell of a fight."

Naruto laughed at his homicidal little buddy.

"You know what? That's good enough for me. I'll see you when you get here."

He killed the link and jumped off of the building, landing easily and bouncing back up with a spring in his step. His confidence had been fully restored, and-... Wait a second. What did he mean Squad? Resigning himself to the not unwelcome surprise, he pushed the door open again and reentered the house.

"They are going to be here soon."

Both Kakashi and Tazuna looked up from their maps and plans in surprise.

"Uhhh... they?"

"Yup. I think you are going to get a kick out of this. Sir, I think you might want to bring your grandson down now. He is going to want to see this. Oh, and Kakashi-sensei, the messenger is bringing a couple of friends with him. I think you will recognize them."

Kakashi's visible flesh paled at that, and his eye widened.

"Oh, you have got to be shitting me!"

The grin he got as a response from Naruto was all the answer he needed, and he practically slammed his face into the kitchen table in exasperation. Tsunami watched in shock as the cyclops started mumbling various threats and curses under his breath, hoping he would stop before her son came downstairs. Some of those words he definitely didn't need to learn at such a tender age!

Her worry was unwarranted, as the man seemed to calm down well before Inari came trudging down the stairs in his pajamas. Her son yawned softly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. When the boy surveyed the group, he recoiled visibly the second his eyes landed on the blond, but Naruto only smiled at him gently.

"You seem so sure that we are going to die. But that is just because you think Gato is more powerful than he really is. A man can only be as strong as his opponents allow him to be. He keeps you and your village in fear because he knows you all have the strength to threaten him, if he doesn't stop it. Tyrants like him find the strongest people he can, and gets rid of them before they can show other people their strength and share it with them."

As though he could pick up on who Naruto was talking about, Inari started to tear up. Instead of yelling at him again like he expected him to, Naruto walked over to the boy and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Kaiza was a good man, and you should be really proud to have been so close to him. But your actions lately haven't been giving his memory honor. Would he have wanted you to cry for him for hours, every day, or would he have wanted you to get stronger so you could protect yourself and your mom when he wasn't there?"

Inari looked up in puzzlement and surprise. He had to admit, Naruto was right. Plus it was like he was just trying to set him on the right track instead of scolding him for his actions. Like... he would have.

"I... I know. But you have to understand! Otasan was the strongest person I know, and Gato was still able to..."

Naruto saw the boy start to tear up again and pulled him into a hug. Inari tensed against him for a second before just accepting it and crying into his shoulder.

"I know, and that was the worst thing Gato could have done. But there is something even sadder about it. If everyone in your village, not just you or your Mom, but everyone had stood up against him when Kaiza did, you all probably would have won. It doesn't matter how strong one man is, okay? But when one man is joined by another strong man, and another, things become possible. Where one would have failed, three will excel!"

Inari bit back his tears at that point and looked up into Naruto's bright blue eyes. For the first time ever, Inari saw something in the boy's eyes that made his heart leap. Those were the same eyes that his Dad used to look at him with when he would start talking the same way.

"And you don't just have three strong people in your village, you have hundreds! The only thing stopping you from fighting back was the fear that they would be alone. Everyone might want to fight, but unless they talk to everyone else about it, they will never know and think they are the only one. Kaiza knew this, that's why he was the first one to stand against Gato. He hoped to rally your village in rebellion, but Gato caught him before he could do anything. You want to know something awesome though?"

Inari sniffed.

"W-what?"

Naruto grinned foxily and winked at him.

"He was too late. Right now, at this very second, there are tons of guys passing around weapons, armor, and medicine that Gato and his men have never even seen before! There is no way he even has a chance!"

Despite the pain he felt at talking about the father he was never going to see again, Inari felt himself laugh. A hot ember was starting to burn in the boy's chest, and all it was going to take was a little bit of a gust to bring it to life fully. And what do you know? Naruto had a hurricane on the way.

"By this time tomorrow, Gato and every man he brought with him is going to be gone and you'll never have to worry about them again. After that? Wave is going to belong to you guys again! Your Mom will be safe, your grandfather will be able to finish the bridge without worrying about Gato and his men attacking him, and everything will go back to being okay. And do you know why that is?"

Inari shook his head.

"Because you and your friends are super strong and tough, and you're going to kick Gato's big old butt?"

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, that too, but no. We're going to win, because it isn't just us and your village fighting."

"It isn't?"

Naruto grinned proudly again, the fire burning brightly in his eyes.

"Nope. I have more friends on their way, and when they get here? Gato doesn't stand a chance."

As though choreographed, there was a heavy knock on the door. Kakashi was the first to get to the door and open it, and when he saw who it was he hung his head and muttered quietly.

"Oh son of a bitch."

"Suggestion : Might you step out of my way, Meatbag? I must speak with the Master."

Kakashi didn't say a word. If he was surprised at all at the arrival at the three Droids, he didn't express it. He just stepped out of the doorway and opened it wide, allowing everyone else to see the newcomers. At the fore stood HK-47 with a large blaster in his hands, and behind him looking over his shoulder were the two Magnaguards that kicked the hell out of Kakashi during the bell test.

Everyone in the gathered group had a different reaction to the sight. Sakura recoiled in fear, though she remembered they were on Naruto's side they were still pretty intimidating. Especially the red one from earlier. Sasuke shifted his glare between them and Naruto. He still found it hard, if not impossible, to believe that Naruto could command respect from such powerful machines. Kakashi was still sizing them up, probably trying to figure out their weak points. Naruto knew for a fact that he was still pretty sore about losing to the two Magnaguards in their first and last fight. Tazuna was staring at them in outright shock. He had heard rumors from the one man who had supposedly seen the Herald's face, but he and everyone else had refused to believe that the man was actually a walking, talking machine. Guess the man hadn't been drunk after all. He owed someone an apology and a drink. Inari had a strange combination of fear and hero-worship going on, though it was partially pointed toward Naruto. Still, he hadn't taken his eyes off the Droid's, which was understandable. They all seemed to be taking it pretty well. Well, except for Tsunami.

Tsunami fainted.

XxXxXxX

After a short round of introductions and an insistence on Naruto's part that he did in fact, not need anyone killed at the moment, Tsunami was carried upstairs and Inari was sent to bed. Still, it was pretty funny in Naruto's opinion. After Naruto had promised that the big bad monsters weren't going to hurt him, Inari had gone straight to their sides and were checking them out and asking a multitude of questions, both to Naruto and the Droids themselves. They practically had to force the boy to go to bed.

Once they were taken care of, the plans were started. HK informed Naruto that he had brought a small squad of five -50s with him, both to help with distributing the supplies and the fight itself. When the morning came, they would begin the rebellion. Team Seven and the Magnaguards would proceed to the bridge and wait for Zabuza and Haku there. Naruto had been insistent on that, which had surprised Kakashi. When asked why he thought Zabuza would be up and about earlier than his wounds had permitted, Naruto just shrugged and mentioned vaguely that he had seen it happening. Writing it off as a 'Force' thing, Kakashi had accepted and tweaked the plans as necessary.

While they were on the bridge fighting Zabuza and Haku, the rebels and HK's squad minus one would make a move on Gato's fortress. Armed with the new armor and weapons and given instructions on how to use both properly, they had been ordered to meet up in the town square and follow HK-47's orders from there. His squad would be on the tallest rooftops surrounding the fortress and provide fire support until the fight went inside the walls, where they would leave their position and follow the rebellion inside the fortress, going first to soak up damage.

In the meantime, the last -50 would stay behind in Tazuna's house to guard Inari and Tsunami. While Kakashi had tried to convince the man that every Droid was needed to storm the fortress, Tazuna had been insistent and Naruto agreed with him.

If all went well, the fight would be short and sweet. There would be few casualties thanks to the armor and Gato's forces would be routed quickly. With the confidence that only came with a decent plan, they all went their seperate ways to get a good night's sleep. They were able to sleep all at the same time and with peace of mind, thanks to the Magnaguards and HK-47 keeping watch on the perimeter, thanks to their lack of a need of sleep.

Though they split up and went to their separate beds, they all had the same thought before they fell asleep.

'Tomorrow, everything changes...'

A/N : And there you have it. Next chapter the fight begins, and in the next chapter the fight will end. Will everyone survive? Will they even be victorious? Guess you are just going to have to wait and see. No promises that this will come out before Thanksgiving because I plan to make it a longer than normal chapter, but I will try to have it up before December.

Shout out to a fantastic writer by the name of Nugar. If you haven't read his work called 'People Lie', I highly recommend it.

As always, don't be a stranger.

Stay Frosty
- Nikolai