Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
The Land Of The Waves
Sakura sighed as she sat on the edge of the bridge - the part of it that was already built at any rate.
"You sure seem bored sitting by yourself." Tazuna commented as he passed by. "Where's the blond kid and the other one?"
"They're training." She replied smiling at the old man.
"You don't have to?"
"I've already recieved more advanced training than the boys from my mother, since she's one of the sannin. Kakashi taught me the basics of a couple of jutsus yesterday, but there isn't enough time to polish them on this mission, and it's best if someone is here in case Gatou has hired other ninja."
Tazunas' eyebrows rose at that. "A sannin? Tsunade?"
"You know of her?"
"Does any one not?"
Sakura laughed softly. "My teammates didn't - not until they met her at any rate. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Tazuna looked slightly increadulous. "Can you help?"
"Well, not with the actual building." Sakura admitted. "But I do have my mothers strength, so I can move things for you, or something like that."
While he still looked slightly skeptical he asked her if she could move a pile of timber to the other side of the bridge for him. She readily agreed and began moving things, only stopping when she saw one of the workers confronting Tazuna. Putting the wood she was carrying down she walked over into hearing distance.
"This is the bridge we started building together" Tazuna was saying. "Believing it would bring resources into our poor country."
"But if we lose our lives!"
"It's already noon, lets stop for today. Giichi...you don't have to come tomorrow."
Five finutes later Sakura and Tazuna were walking through the town. Sakuras' eyes were downcast and her medic insticts were screaming at her that she had to help these people.
"Tazuna, would you ming telling the boys I'll be back in a couple of hours?"
"What, why?"
She managed to give him a half-hearted smile. "Even if I'm not going to be here for long, I still want to help. So that's what I'm going to do."
"You'll be able to handle yourself?"
"I'll be fine, I promise."
He nodded. "I'll tell them."
Sakura only got back to Tazunas' house a couple of minutes before dinner was ready, and even then it was only because Kakashi had come to get her. She was starting to run out of chakra, but she was mostly satisfied with the days work. She had managed to heal dozens of people, and had used supplies that she had bought or found in the woods to make a large batch of supplements which she had distributed around the worst off in the community. Hopefully it would be enough to keep them healthy - or at least not on the verge of death - until the bridge was finished and they could get more food.
The boys had immediately accosted her, wanting to know where she had been and if she was alright. It had taken a while to calm them down, it seemed both of them had taken on a sort of overprotective brother role when it came to her. While this was amusing, and Sakura didn't really mind it too much, she did think it might cause problems later if they took it too far.
Diiner itself was...well...moderately unpleasent...for Sakura; not because of the food, Tsunami was a good cook, or the company, that was fine. It was the fact that the boys kept stuffing their faces before throwing it all up that managed to disturb her. Soon enough however she went, as they called it, 'demon Sakura' on them. This just meant that she smiled sweetly at them while asking them to eat properly and exuding a dangerous intent.
The way the two boys immediately complied - and were obviously, although it was hidden rather well by Sasuke, terrified to disobey her - and apologised to them all, was amusing to the rest of the company. Even Inari, though he probably wouldn't want to admit it.
It was shortly after that Skaura noticed the framed picture on the wall. It was of Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari, but the top corner of it had beed torn off, aswell as the person in it. Glancing around the table at the three others in the picture she wondered if she should ask or not. Eventually she decided to do so.
"Why do you have a torn picture on the wall? Inari-san was staring at it all through dinner. It seems like someone was purposely removed from it."
It would have been impossible not to notice the effect this had on them.
"It's my husband." Tsunami told her quietly after a few moments of silence.
"And" Tazuna added. "The so called Hero of this country."
Inari slammed his cup down on the table and quickly walked out with Tsunami calling after him.
"Father! I've told you not to talk about that man infornt of Inari!"
"What's wrong with Inari-san?" Sakura asked hesitantly, thinking she probably shouldn't have asked in the first place.
"...Inari had a father, but not related by blood. They were very close, like a real father and son...Inari would laugh alot back then...but, since the incident with his father Inari has changed." Tazuna went on to explain how Inaris' father, Kaiza, had saved his life and had later saved a large portion of the village by diving into rapids so he could tie a rope to the gate and the others could pull it shut. And then how Gatou had publically excecuted him as an example to he rest of the community not to go against him.
There was silence for a few seconds after his tale was finished. Then Naruto got up and started to go towards the place they had been training, ignoring Kakashis' warning not to go train, instead proclaiming he was going to prove heros' existed. Sakura smiled slightly as he left, Naruto had alot of determination, she was sure he would manage it.
The next morning Naruto still hadn't come back - he had been training all night long. Telling the adults and Sasuke where she was going so they didn't worry, Sakura went to go make sure he wasn't too badly off. When she got there she sighed. Naruto was passed out on the ground, covered with cuts and bruises. Putting down the basket that contained his breakfast she began to heal him. When she was almost finished she felt a chakra signature and stiffened. It was the same chakra that she had felt from the masked boy when he had taken Zabuza.
Slowly she turned, and looked at the boy that stood there. If she hadn't already been sure it was a boy, there was a high likelyhood she would have thought him to be a girl. His hair was dark and fell mid-way down his back, while his features were all very feminine.
"Hello." The boy said.
"Hello." Sakura answered back, her gaze wary.
"Is there a problem?"
"That depends, are you going to give me one?" The boy seemed slightly surprised but recovered fast.
"I don't plan on doing so at the moment if that's what you mean."
"Then I'm fine. A word of warning though, while Naruto and Sasuke - my two teammates - may be idiotic and annoying I do care about them, and if they get hurt because of you I promise I will return the favour twice over. Understood?"
The two pre-teens stared at eachother, evaluating how much of a threat the other would be, and if, for the time being, they could trust eachother. Shortly the boy nodded and Sakura smiled sweetly, before going back towards Tazuna's house.
Dinner that night was much less disgusting than the previous night. Naruto and Sasuke came in half way through, holding onto eachother for support, and covered in more injuries aswell as a heap of dirt. They announced they both made it to the top. Kakashi then told them that the next day they would be going with Sakura to the bridge to protect Tazuna, and Tazuna told them happily that the bridge was almost complete.
"WHY DO YOU GUYS BOTHER TO TRY SO HARD?! NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRAIN YOU'RE STILL NO MATCH FOR GATOUS MEN! NO MATTER WHAT GLORIOUS CLAIMS YOU MAKE OR HOW HARD YOU WORK. WHEN FACING THE STRONG THE WEAK ONLY END UP GETTING KILLED!" Inari suddenly burst out, shocking everyone, and crying at the same time.
"Whatever kid." Naruto replied. "I'm not like you."
"I'D HATE TO BE LIKE YOU! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS COUNTRY AND YET YOU'RE BEING SO NOSY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?! I'M DIFFERENT FROM YOU, YOU'RE ALWAYS CLOWNING AROUND AND ACTING SO CHEERFUL, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HARD LIFE CAN BE!"
Sakuras' eyes went wide. This was not going to end well.
"So it's okay for you to pose as the star in a tragedy and cry all day? Just keep on crying forever you idiot. You little sissy."
Inari stood shocked for a moment before he started to cry harder and walked out. Seeing as Kakashi was planning to follow him Sakura shook her head slighly so he could see it and followed Inari herself.
She found him sitting on the deck over the water outside.
"You mind any company?" She asked softly, not wanting to provoke him again. She knew that wasn't what he needed right now. When he shook his head a bit she lowered herself onto the wood beside him, her legs swinging slightly as she stared up at the starry sky.
"Naruto didn't mean what he said the way it came out you know. He just doesn't know how to control himself properly when it comes to things like this, and you struck a nerve for him...Tazuna-san told us about your father you know. We know you've been through quite a bit. But the thing is you aren't the only one who grew up without a father, Naruto and I did too." Inari looked over at her, startled. "When I was five my dad and almost his entire side of the family were killed, and Naruto probably had it rougher than either of us. He was an orphan since birth you see, and as far as I know until he was placed on the team with me and Sasuke he never had any friends, infact I think he was bullied quite alot...but despite that he has never complained. I've never seen or heard about him crying either. Instead he does his best to change things for himself, to get people to acknowledge him and trying to reach his dream. In a way Naruto is the strongest of all of us, not physically, or mentally, but he's definately stronger than anyone I've ever met emotionally. He's probably the peron who understands what you're going through better than anyone else, that's why he's acting like this, because he's concerned about you."
Inari seemed shocked by what she had just told him. She smiled towards the younger boy and got up "Goodnight Inari, sleep well."
The next morning Tazuna, Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura headed for the bridge, as for Naruto...well...he was still asleep. Kakashi had decided that he should have a little more rest since he had pushed himself so hard the previous day.
Upon reaching the bridge however it became obvious that today was not going to be in any way easy. The bridge workers were beat up and lying scattered across the bridge, although they were still alive. Sakura quickly started to carry the workers over to the side of the bridge and heal them as she did so - only a small amount though since she knew she needed to be prepared for the fight.
Then the mist started to thicken. The four of them, including Tazuna made a back to back square and a menacing voice rang out through the fog.
"Long time no see Kakashi. I see your still with those brats...the poor kid's shaking again."
It was true, Sasuke was shaking. But as a large amount of water clones appeared over the bridge he raised his head and replied in his most cocky voice that he was shaking from excitement. Sakura almost wanted to face plam at how arrogant he sounded. Honestly, he had learnt to tree-walk and now he thought he could take on a jounin level ninja? The urge to do so got stronger when Kakashi tells him to do it.
...Admittedly Sasuke throwing his weapons in such a way did manage to get rid of the clones, but still.
"Hmm. He saw through the water clones. That brat has grown. Looks like a rival has appeared, eh Haku?"
"It does indeed." A short way infront of they could see through the mist the real Zabuza, and a few steps behind him stood the same fake hunter-nin who had save him when they last fought.
"Oh, it seems our thinking was right on the mark Sakura. That masked one, he's obviously Zabuzas' comrade, standing right next to him and all..."
"I'll fight him." Sasuke told them, still as arrogantly as earlier. Sakura bit her lip slightly, Sasuke was good, she knew that, but she wasn't sure if he could deal with the other boy, something told her he shouldn't be underestimated. She wanted to help him, and to make sure he didn't get to badly hurt, but Kakashi had asked her the previous night that if they ended up fighting she should stay out of it as much as she could. While she could understand this, since she was after all a medic, and most of her techniques would either damage the bridge badly or not be very effective due to their surroundings and opponent, it didn't stop her from being worried. "Tricking us with that stupid act...I hate bastards like that the most."
"An impressive young man." Haku commented. "Even though the water clones have only 1/10th the strength of the original, still very impressive."
"But we have the advantage." Zabuza said harshly. "Go!"
"Yes."
The next moment Sasuke was defending himself from Haku's attack, the next they were engaged in an all out taijutsu battle. Sakura watched the battle intently, although she still kept a close watch on Zabuza just in case. At first it had seemed like they were evenly matched, and then they started to use weapons and ninjutsu and who had the upper hand kept seeming to change. When Sasuke managed to land a good hit, sending Haku flying backwards it became obvious that Sasuke thought he would be having no trouble at all, and that Kakashi also thought he would win with relative ease.
"It looks like I have the advantage in speed." Sasuke stated insultingly.
"I can't have you underestimating my team and calling them brat." Kakashi said conversationaly, but with a hard edge underneath. "Sasuke is the leaf village's number one rookie, Naruto is the hyperactive, show off number one loudest in the village, and Sakura is the prodigal daughter of Senju Tsunade."
"Senju!" Zabuza then started to chuckle. "Haku, do you realise? At this rate we'll be pushed back."
"Yeah. We can't have that." Haku made a seal and the water lying on the bridge rose up, encircling Sasuke before solidifing into and icy prison. Sakuras' eyes went wide as she watched, Sasuke was trapped in a jutsu made from a kekkai-genkai, and the likelyhood of him getting out was very slim.
Kura, I think we may have a problem.