A/N: Back from the Cinema (Son of Rambow) so thought I'd update. R&R!
A Story of A Hero
"Kari-chaaaan? Kari-chan are you asleep?" Naruto's voice asked as I felt a poke to my shoulder. I grunted, burying my face in my pillow to escape the source of noise. "Sasuke! What did you do?!"
"Someone had to carry her back and you had already gone running off ahead, at least I know the meaning of teamwork."
"Ha! You would'nt know teamwork if it was shoved in your face on a spoon!"
"Ugh... shut up will ya?" I mumbled.
"Sasuke-kun, you're back. Is Kari ok? Her breathing seems slightly off. Naruto stop pestering Sasuke-kun he was only being a gentlemen! At least he has manners!"
"Dinner's ready!"
"Kari get off already. I carried you all the way here I'm not carrying you to the table as well."
Reluctantly I opened my eyes to be met with a mass of dark navy hair. As I lifted my head it tickled my face. I turned my head only to be met with a violent orange. I blinked to see it was Naruto. I was on Sasuke's back, Sasuke and Naruto seemed to be glaring at one another and Sakura seemed rather impatient. I slid off the Uchiha's back feeling jelly-legged the moment I touched the floor. I shrugged it off and followed Naruto towards the table.
"This is fantastic, it's been ages since we had so many guests around our table!" said Tazuna. Naruto and Sasuke were stuffing themselves like there was no tomorrow. I felt sick just watching them. How they could shovel in so much so quickly was beyond me. Myself and Sakura ate like we were taught to, slowly. I gave up pretty quickly though, just watching as they shovelled more and more in. In there competition Naruto was far more of a messy eater, being so used to guzzling ramen morning noon and night. Sasuke ate a little more gracefully, but with just as much gusto.
"MOUSUKOSHIHOSHII!" Sasuke and Naruto cried at the same time, cheeks puffed out to there fullest extend giving them the appearance of hamsters. I want some more. I'm getting used to the voice now, though it is still rather annoying. Suddenly though, both rivals stomach gurgled from the strain and they turned and threw up on Tsunami's freshly cleaned floor. Seeing that scene, I slammed my hands over my mouth and ran into the bathroom.
"SONNANI TABE TI I NI TSUMORINARA SORE WOGERUAPPU!" Sakura screeched in disgust. Don't eat so much if you're going to puke it up. Thanks, I really wanted to understand that…
My stomach settling down I returned to the table, trying my best to ignore the smell of fresh sick. Kita had her paws over her nose and suddenly didn't find her own dinner very appetising.
"I have to eat" Sasuke said stubbornly, wiping his mouth and grimacing at the taste.
"And I have to eat more than him. It's the only possible way I'll get strong enough to beat him" Naruto said, just as stubborn.
"That's true, but puking won't help you" said Kakashi. He turned to Sakura deciding to change the subject. "Why don't you tell us about your day then Sakura?"
"Tsunami-san I'll help you wash up" I said, standing to help her collect plates. She smiled appreciatively.
"Arigatou Kari, that's kind of you."
Sakura immediately went into a long speech on how she went to help Tazuna with groceries when a smarmy guy tried his luck and she gave him a good 'CHA!' and made violent motions with her fists a mad fire in her eyes. Then she became saddened as she told us about a little beggar girl that reached her hands out towards her and had said 'Misushite kudasai?' which translated to 'Please Miss?' according to the know it all voice in my head. Sakura had given her some candy, but said how she was upset she couldn't do more for her.
It showed Sakura's softer side and showed that she did have a big heart locked in her ribcage. Even though she's got a short temper and an obsessive attitude she's actually a pretty good person. After all, she'd tried to help me settle in and made me feel more at home.
"Excuse me this picture is torn is there some reason for that?" Sakura asked. During my moment lost in thought Sakura had gone over to the wall and peered at a picture, her observant eyes noticing the missing quarter that looked to be carelessly torn out of the photograph. "Inari you kept glancing at it all through dinner, it looks like there was someone else in the picture but they got torn out, I mean that's kind of strange isn't it?" Sakura asked. I could feel the sudden tension from Inari, Tsunami and Tazuna. Tsunami had paused washing the next plate and I looked up, pausing my drying of the cutlery to look at her.
"It's… my husband" said Tsunami. She emptied the washing bowl now finished cleaning.
"They used to call him a hero in this land" said Tazuna solemnly. Inari got up.
"Inari ha dokoni iku no desu ka?!" Inari where are you going?! Tsunami cried. Inari walked out the room slamming the door behind him.
"Otousan nitsuite hanasukotoha deki nai you ni shite kareno maeni Inari shittero desho!" Tsunami cried following Inari out the room. Father you can't talk about him like that in front of Inari, you know that!
"Inari's so... I mean what happened to him?" Sakura asked, not sure how best to put it.
"Is there a story behind this?" Kakashi asked curiously. Tazuna took a deep breath before beginning his tale.
"He wasn't his real father, he came into our family later, and he brought so much happiness. He and Inari were very close in those days. Inari used to laugh all the time, but then..." I could see unshed tears' glimmering in the old mans eyes and one by one, they broke free, landing on the table in front of him. I began to rhythmically stroke Kita, who was sleeping peacefully in my lap. "But then all that ended, he never laughs or smiles anymore, ever since the day everything changed..."
"The word courage was stolen from this island we were left feeling powerless, hopeless and Inari suffered the most. Ever since that day, ever since IT happened" Tazuna spat the word it, as though it was cursed to his mouth.
"Tell us, what happened to Inari?" asked Kakashi, his voice seemed soothing, as it always was. Just a word from him and Sasuke and Naruto would lose the will to continue their argument. Until a moment later they found something else to disagree on of course.
"First you need to know about the man, his father, the man who taught us the word courage, the man who was a hero in this land" said Tazuna taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes.
"A hero?! Really?" Naruto asked, his eyes lighting up.
"You can decide that for yourself, he came here about three years ago." said Tazuna replacing his glasses. He told the tale as if he read it from a book, we all listened carefully, not daring to interrupt. It was as though we were pulled into a memory, a clear picture being painted in our minds as he spoke. It was almost as if I sat on the sidelines as a ghost.
"Poochi!" a young Inari cried, he was being held back by two bigger boys, the biggest was infront of him holding a small white dog.
"That's not his name, starting today his name is shooting star and he's my dog now" said a boy holding Poochi.
"No he's not and his name's not 'shooting star' I've had him since he was a puppy, he's my friend and he doesn't belong to you!" Inari cried as he struggled against the boys holding him.
"You just shut up!" the boy holding Poochi cried. He smirked ant threw Poochi into the water.
"POOCHI!" Inari cried as Poochi desperately tried to swim.
"See what happens when you don't listen to me?" the boy said. "Now I'm not gonna lift a finger to help him, ok you can let him go."
"Why did you do that! My dog is gonna drown!" Inari cried falling to his knees as he watched helplessly.
"Hn if he's your dog go jump in and get him, be a big hero" said the boy. Inari hesitated. "After all that talk, you're not gonna let him go under are you?" the boy asked. "Hahaha he wont even help his precious little Poochi, ha you made such a big deal about him go get him!" the boy said kicking Inari into the water. Inari struggled trying to stay up, yelling at the top of his lungs.
"I think you went too far Akane I mean he could really drown or something" said one of the other boys.
"AAAAH HELP! PLEASE!" Inari cried.
"Hn forget about it" said Akane.
"I dunno" said the boy. Akane grabbed the front of the boy's shirt.
"You say one more word and you're going in next you got it?!" Akane threatened.
"AAAAH I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Inari screamed. All of a sudden, Poochi seemed to learn how to swim. "AAAH POOCH!" Inari cried desperately.
"Hey! shooting star's running away! Get him!" cried Akane. He and the other two boys ran off. Inari couldn't stay up any longer and sank under the surface...
"Waking up huh? Finally" said a man's voice. Inari opened his eyes and sat up. "I had a little talk with those kids, they wont bother you again, here eat" said the man holding up a fish on a piece of wood.
"Did you pull me out of the water Mr?" Inari asked.
"Have a bite to eat first, and then we can talk all about it" said the man. "Hm, so your dog abandoned you too huh? In my country dogs are very loyal; they stand by their masters'. Then again you abandoned the dog first so what can you expect?" said the man.
"I really wanted to save him but I just… froze" said Inari sadly he looked down as his eyes began to shine with unshed tears. "I was just… so scared, I guess I just don't have any courage" Inari started to cry. The man put a hand on Inari's head.
"Hey don't be so hard on yourself, you're a kid, when I was your age I was scared too, it's no big deal but always remember this, live your life so you'll have nothing to regret, if you care about something protect it no matter how hard you've got to keep trying, even if you have to put your life on the line. Protect it, with both arms and never give in" said the man.
"His name was Kaiza he was a simple fisherman who came here from another land following his dreams" the name Kaiza caused a knot to form in my stomach, yet I couldn't think why. "After that Inari and Kaiza were inseparable, the boy never knew his real father, so you can imagine what it meant to him to have Kaiza in his life. He looked up to him and followed in his footsteps like a real father and son. Kaiza spent more and more time with us until he just naturally became a part of our family and then when this town needed him he became something more..."
A man burst through the door.
"We got trouble Kaiza the flood gate's open and the water's rising! The whole lower district will be flooded!" the man cried desperately.
"Nani?!" Kaiza cried.
"Otousan!" Inari cried.
"Inari get me some rope, hurry!" Kaiza cried.
"Right!" said Inari.
"See where the gate is we need to get a line out there and pull it closed!" said one of the many people who stood in the rain. Inari and Kaiza had rushed to the problem, the dam gate pushed open by the fast, strong current.
"A line?! You'd have to swim out there to do that it's impossible! No one can make it through that current!" cried another.
"If we don't do it the whole district will be flooded, it's the only way!"
"I'll do it!" Kaiza cried.
"Kaiza!"
"Don't be foolish you'll never make it!"
"Otousan!" Inari cried worried.
"Don't worry, nothing can stop your dad!" said Kaiza. "This is our village so we've got to do everything we can to help" Kaiza had a rope tied around his stomach. He jumped into the water.
"Otousan! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!!" shouted Inari. Kaiza reached the gate and grabbed it panting.
"He made it! He tied the rope on! Everybody c'mon!" cried a man in the crowd.
"From that time on Kaiza was considered a hero in this land, he taught us all the meaning of courage and Inari was so proud to be his son. But it wasn't long after... that Gato showed up and took over, he terorrised the whole village. Only Kaiza stood up to him. Gato couldn't have a local hero getting in his way. It took his whole gang to stop one man."
"All that talk about how you're going to protect this village with your two arms. Heh heh, those arms aren't much good now are they? You've still got that defiant look in your eye though. Well my men will get rid of that" said Gato. He laughed. "Get to work on him."
"Get down there!" said one of Gato's men kicking Kaiza to Gato's feet. Gato's men laughed. Two of them raised two huge hammers and brought them down on Kaiza...
The villagers stood at the fence staring at Kaiza in horror. He was tied to a cross his body black and blue, completely limp.
"Hey listen up! This man has defied the Gato Corperation. He's disturbed the order of this land. His punishment is execution" said Gato. Shocked murmurs passed through the crowd. "Let this be an example so no one will stand in our way again."
"Otousan!" Inari cried tears streaming down his face.
"Inari don't" said a man next to him. Kaiza looked up and smiled.
"Do it" said Gato to one of his men. The man drew a sword.
"Otousan iie!" Inari sobbed. "
OTOUSAN!!" the sword struck Kaiza throwing blood through the air."And Kaiza he…" Tazuna stopped, unable to continue. I looked down sadly feeling my heart go out to Tazuna, Tsunami and especially Inari.
Naruto got up, slipped over and fell flat on his face.
"What are you doing down there Naruto?" Sakura said.
"You'd better take the day off, no more training. You've used too much chakra, if you push any harder it could kill you" said Kakashi sternly. I went over and helped Naruto up. Slinging his arm across my shoulders and hoisting him to his feet.
"I'm gonna prove it" said Naruto.
"Prove what?" Sakura asked.
"I'll prove that in this world, there are real heroes!"