Chapter 5: Family, Losses, Pain, and Heroes
Kagome opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar room. She was laying in a futon. The last thing she remembered was fighting Zabuza and the hunter-nin ending Zabuza's life. Then the hunter-nin taking Zabuza's body and the mist was cleared. Soon after everything went black.
"Oh good, you're awake." A female voice said. Kagome turned her head to the side and saw a woman with long dark blue hair sitting beside her. She was wringing the water out of the towel over a bowl.
"Who are you?" Kagome asked, gazing at the woman.
"My name is Tsunami." The woman said, smiling at Kagome.
"I'm Kagome." Kagome said with a small smile.
"It's nice to meet you, Kagome-chan." Tsunami said. When Kagome looked at her, she was reminded of both of her mom from Tokyo and her other mom in Konoha. It was weird how she was able to meet another female who reminded of her mom. Then she heard the door to the room opened. Naruto, Kirara, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Sakura walked into the room; relieved that Kagome was finally awake, except Sakura though. Tazuna came in a minute later.
"How are you feeling, Kagome-chan?" Naruto asked as he sat next to the futon. Then Sasuke sat next to Naruto. Sakura sat next to Sasuke. Kakashi sat at the end of the futon.
"Other than having a splitting headache, I'm fine." Kagome said as she pet Kirara who sat in her lap. She didn't expect that the 'eye' would require so much of her energy. She had to make sure not to use it too much.
"Please don't do that again, Kagome-chan. You really scared us there." Naruto said, worried.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that, Naruto-kun." Kagome said, scratching the back of her head nervously.
"By the way, what was that pattern we saw in your eyes?" Kakashi asked. Kagome was silent at that moment. She knew that they all saw her eyes during the battle. She remembered when she first received the 'eyes'. Midoriko appeared in her dreams when she was ten years old.
Flashback:
Kagome opened her eyes and saw herself in a training ground. She was wondering how she got here. Then she saw a familiar figure walking towards her.
"Hello, Kagome." Midoriko said when she stopped in front of Kagome.
"Midoriko-sama, what are we doing here?" Kagome asked.
"I came to give you a gift, Kagome." Midoriko said.
"A gift?" Kagome asked, confused.
"A kekkei genkai." Midoriko said.
"A kekkei genkai?" Kagome asked.
"Hai, you'll be the first one to receive this eye technique." Midoriko said.
"Really?" Kagome asked, excited.
"Hai. It's called Mikomegan." Midoriko said.
"Mikomegan?" Kagome asked, her head tilted to the left.
"Eye of the Priestess Technique." Midoriko said.
"What does it do?" Kagome asked.
"It's like the advancement of the Sharingan and the Byakugan combined. You're allowed to use any nature transformation your opponent is using once you sense his aura. You're also able to sense anyone who has a hidden presence. You'll be able to see anyone's true form if they disguise themselves. You advance in strength and speed as well. It protects you from any genjutsu, too." Midoriko said.
"Wow, that sounds amazing!" Kagome said with excitement.
"But there's a drawback to it. You'll use an enormous amount of chakra and your miko-ki as well. So you'll be heavily exhausted afterwards." Midoriko said in a warning tone.
It made sense to Kagome. Every powerful technique required a certain amount of chakra, especially nature transformations. Like the fire techniques of the Uchiha clan. They 'burn' a lot of chakra from the user. Then it will be harder for them to use another nature transformation.
"I understand, Midoriko-sama." Kagome said, nodded. Midoriko knelt in front of her and placed her hands on Kagome's shoulders. Midoriko had a worried look on her face.
"It will be painful as I put it in, Kagome." Midoriko said, "Are you sure that you want to accept this gift?"
"Hai. I want to become a strong shinobi so that I can protect those who are precious to me and defeat the Akatsuki!" Kagome said with determination. Midoriko gave her a soft smile. She knew the young girl before her grew more determined everyday ever since she was reborn in the shinobi world. She had the strangest feeling that Kagome seemed to be much more happier living in this world.
"Alright then." Midoriko said as she held out her hands and two small lights appeared in her palms. The lights shaped into a familiar pattern she had seen on Hitomiko's chest: the meaning of her name.
"Are you ready, Kagome?" Midoriko asked.
"Hai." Kagome said with a nod.
"Now, close your eyes." Midoriko said.
"Hai." Kagome said as she closed her eyes. She clutched onto her shorts as Midoriko placed her hands over Kagome's eyes. A stinging pain entered her eyes. It felt like her eyes were being disintegrated by Sesshomaru's poison. She bit her lip, trying not to scream out loud. After a few minutes went by, the pain finally stopped and a soothing feeling entered her eyes.
"You can open your eyes now, Kagome." Midoriko said. Kagome slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Midoriko who was holding a mirror in front of her. Kagome looked into the mirror and was shocked to what she saw. Her irises were pink with the eight point star in each eye.
"Wow." Kagome said, touching the corner of her eye.
"Kagome." Midoriko said.
"Hai?" Kagome asked, looking up at Midoriko.
"You must promise me that you will not tell anyone about your eye technique." Midoriko said.
"Why, Midoriko-sama?" Kagome asked.
"If other shinobi find out about it, they'll do whatever they can to obtain it." Midoriko said, "This technique is very powerful and more advanced than the Sharingan and the Byakugan."
"I understand. But can I tell to those I trust with my life?" Kagome asked.
"Hai. But for now, just wait." Midoriko said, "Promise me that you won't tell anyone."
"I promise, Midoriko-sama." Kagome said with a bright smile.
Flashback Ends
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, sensei." Kagome said.
"Why?" Kakashi asked, his brow arched.
"I promised." Kagome said.
"I understand." Kakashi said. He had feeling that she didn't want to tell them. But at the same time she wanted to. That eye technique was something he had never seen before. He wondered if she was able to create it somehow or maybe someone gave it to her. It made him really, really curious.
"Kakashi-sensei, I hate to tell you all this, but...Zabuza is still alive." Kagome said.
"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed, shocked. They thought Zabuza was dead!
"A-A-Are you sure?" Tazuna asked in disbelief.
"I thought you said he was dead when you checked him, sensei!" Sakura exclaimed.
"I thought he was. Sorry." Kakashi said, "But how did you know, Kagome?"
"His actions made me feel suspicious of him." Kagome said.
"His actions?" Sasuke asked.
"The hunter-nin. Hunter-nin are supposed to dispose the body, not take the whole body. He would only need the head. Also, the senbon needles he used. They're rarely fatal when they hit an organ, not the neck area. They can make someone go into a death like state." Kagome said.
"So what you're saying is that…" Naruto began to say.
"Zabuza is still alive." Sasuke finished.
"Hai. That hunter-nin is his accomplice." Kagome said.
"This isn't good." Kakashi said, sighed. He didn't expect to run into this kind of problem. It'll probably be a week until Zabuza comes back. Not to mention it would take that same amount of time before Kagome could finally be ready to fight.
"Don't worry, I'll be up and ready by tomorrow, sensei." Kagome said, breaking Kakashi out of his thoughts.
"Alright then, we'll start training b-" Kakashi began to say.
"Why should you? It's a waste of time! You'll be dead anyway!" A voice piped near the doorway. Everyone turned and saw a young boy, around 7 or 8 years old, with raven hair wearing a green striped hat with green overalls standing in the doorway. For some reason, he looked angry.
"Inari, there you are!" Tazuna said, smiling when he spotted the boy.
"Grandpa!" Inari said, smiled while running towards Tazuna and wrapped his arms around his neck.
"Inari, that was very rude. These ninjas escorted Grandpa here with their lives." Tsunami scolded with her hands on her hips.
"She's right, Inari. If it weren't for them, I never would have made it home alive." Tazuna said.
"They're not going to live long anyway, mom." Inari said as he released Tazuna and began to walk out of the room.
"Inari, where are you going?" Tsunami asked. Inari looked over his shoulder.
"To look at the ocean." Inari said and went around the corner of the hallway.
"Why that little…!" Naruto began to say with a tick mark on his forehead and clenching his fist in front of him. Then he stomped after him.
"Naruto-kun!" Kagome yelled. But he ignored her and followed after Inari. Kagome sighed. She guessed that he wouldn't listen to her this time. She hoped that he would listen the next time.
Naruto walked with fury towards Inari's room. Just when he was about to open the door, he heard crying. Through the crack of the door, he saw Inari holding onto a picture.
"Dad...why?" Inari asked as tears went down his cheeks and fell onto the picture in his hands. A picture of a man with a 'X' shaped scar on his chin. Outside of Inari's door, Naruto forgot about his anger and started to feel sorry for the young boy on the other side of the door.
"Since Kagome is still resting, we'll start our training." Kakashi said. Everyone had different thoughts about Kagome not training with them. For Naruto, he knew that she probably wanted to train with them. For Sasuke, he wanted to see more of her skills. For Sakura, she has a chance to show her skills to Sasuke (even though she doesn't have any). Then Naruto asked what "chakra" is. Sakura began her explanation.
Kagome-chan. Naruto thought as he tried to reach Kagome's mind.
Kagome was sitting in the futon while reading one of the plant books that belong to her mom (in the Naruto world) with Kirara sitting in her lap. Then she started reading another book about the human body. After that, she started to read a book about nature transformations. She was trying to find some sort of weakness to Zabuza's water transformations. But she didn't know what the fake hunter-nin has. Which troubled her. Then she heard Naruto calling for her.
What is it, Naruto-kun? Kagome thought as she closed her book.
Could you mind telling me what "chakra" is again? Short version please. I'm starting to lose Haruno here. Naruto thought as Sakura was explaining about "chakra".
It's the basic energy source for all jutsus. Both physical and spiritual. Kagome thought.
Thanks, Kagome-chan. That's make it much more simpler than Haruno's version. Naruto thought.
No problem. Now what are you doing for training? Kagome thought.
Don't know. Kakashi-sensei is about to tell us. Naruto thought.
"So what will we be doing?" Sakura asked which brought Naruto out of his connection with Kagome.
"Climb a tree." Kakashi said.
"Eh?" Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura asked at the same time as their eyebrows twitched. Was their sensei trying to pull their leg or something?
"But the catch is that you can't use your hands." Kakashi said, his right eye crinkled into an upside down 'U' shape.
We're going to climb a tree without using our hands, Kagome-chan. Naruto thought.
We did that lesson before, Naruto-kun. Remember, Uncle Koichi taught us. Kagome thought.
Oh yeah! Now I remember! Thanks, Kagome-chan! Naruto thought.
You're welcome, Naruto-kun. Kagome thought.
Back to Naruto and the others:
Kakashi walked up into the tree without his hands. To them, Kakashi made it look so easy. Their sensei threw three kunais near his students' feet. They looked up at him.
"Make sure to mark your progress as well." Kakashi said. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura concentrated their chakra into their feet. Waiting for their sensei's signal.
"Are you all ready? On your mark, get set, GO!" Kakashi said. Everyone ran up into the trees. Sasuke managed to get halfway there before he fell, luckily he regained his balance.
"This is easier than I thought!"
Sasuke looked up and saw Sakura sitting on a branch in a tall tree. She smiled at her success.
"Well done, Haruno." Kakashi said. Sakura turned towards Sasuke, waiting for a compliment. But she never got it. Sasuke frowned and turned away. Sakura slumped her head down.
I thought Sasuke-kun would be impressed...instead I made him mad. Sakura thought.
"Wait a minute, where's Naruto?" Kakashi asked, looking left and right. Sasuke and Sakura also looked left and right.
"Up here!" Naruto said. Everyone looked up and saw him standing on a tree branch higher than Sakura's. He was grinning with his arms crossed.
"Naruto-kun, where did you learn how to do that?" Sakura asked, tilted her head to the side. Sasuke and Kakashi were wondering the same thing as well.
"Uncle Koichi taught me and Kagome-chan this when we were little." Naruto said.
"Interesting." Kakashi said as he rubbed his chin. He didn't expect Naruto to get higher than Sakura. He began to wonder who this 'Uncle Koichi' is. From his point of view, he sounds like a highly talented jounin. But why would he teach Naruto and Kagome at early ages? Did he see potential in both of them? Perhaps he'll ask the Hokage when they get back or maybe their mother might know.
What they didn't know was that Inari was watching them. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He knew it was a waste of time for them to train. He also knew that they would die sooner or later.
Later at the bridge:
Sakura yawned as she sat by herself as Tazuna and the workmen worked on the bridge. While Naruto stood near the railing, staring at the water. To her point of view, it was starting to get boring as they watched Tazuna and workmen. She wondered how Naruto was able to get up higher than her when they climbed the trees. Well, he did say that 'Uncle Koichi' trained him and Kagome. She got curious about him. She knew that everyone hated Naruto ever since he was born except Kagome and her mother. Was it possible that one other adult who didn't hate Naruto?
"Hey, where's that kid with the attitude?" Tazuna asked after Sakura yawned.
"Oh he's still training, climbing trees. But don't you worry, I was the best so I'm here to protect you." Sakura said as she flicked her bangs out of her face. Tazuna scoffed at her statement which caused her to glare at him.
"You, I don't believe. That Kagome girl, I can." Tazuna said.
"Oh yeah? What's wrong with me?" Sakura asked with a tick mark on her forehead.
"She looks more alert than you. Not as lazy either." Tazuna said, carrying more blocks of metal.
"I agree with you, Tazuna." Naruto said. Tazuna and Sakura turned towards Naruto who walked towards them.
"Kagome-chan has trained everyday so that she can become strong. She would train for hours until she got exhausted. She studied from every book she could find on the shinobi world. Kagome-chan wants to be a strong shinobi so that she can protect those who are precious to her." Naruto said.
"To my point of my view that girl is strong and smart as well." Tazuna said.
"Well, I'm stronger and smarter than her." Sakura said, smugly.
"Did you know what a Bingo book was before Kagome explained it to us, Haruno?" Naruto asked.
"Of course." Sakura said, lying. Truth be told, she didn't even know that hunter-nins carried Bingo books. Actually, she never knew what a Bingo book was.
"Did you know that Kakashi-sensei was in the Bingo books?" Naruto asked.
"No." Sakura said with her head slumped down. She didn't know that her own sensei was a security threat. She couldn't believe that Kagome had that kind of knowledge. But she got it through trespassing into the Hokage tower! It was illegal information.
"Also Iruka-sensei said that you have very weak jutsus." Naruto said. A cloud of gloom hung over Sakura's head.
"That girl is strong I can tell you that." Tazuna said.
"Hai, she is." Naruto said, smiling. He was telling the truth. He knew that Kagome is already a strong and smart shinobi. He had a feeling that she would catch the attention of the Hokage. Actually, she might become the next Hokage. But Kagome had told him that she would help him become the next Hokage.
Kagome resumed to her readings as she sat in the futon when she finished her conversation with Naruto. She remembered the days when Uncle Koichi would come over and help them train. He was unsure when they both asked him about it. But he eventually gave in to the idea. Then she sensed an aura outside of the room.
"If you want to talk me, you should come in instead of hiding outside." Kagome said without turning her head away from her book. She heard the door open and footsteps coming towards her. She looked up and saw Inari staring at her.
"Is there something you wish to ask me?" Kagome asked.
"What are you reading?" Inari asked, pointing at the book.
"Oh, some books on the human body and nature transformation jutsus." Kagome said.
"Why do you need to read those?" Inari asked.
"To think of a strategy." Kagome said, going back to her reading.
"A strategy?" Inari asked as he sat near the futon.
"Hai. In order to defeat an enemy, you need a strategy. You have to know what your enemy's weakness and strengths are. I know that all powerful jutsus have drawbacks." Kagome said.
"Drawbacks?" Inari asked.
"Consequences. For fire transformations, they use up a lot of their energy in their first attack which makes it harder for them to use the same jutsu again. So I'm trying to find a weakness in any of the water transformations. But so far I only found lightning and can't seem to find anything else." Kagome said.
"Maybe you should take a break." Inari said.
"Perhaps you're right." Kagome said and then sighed after she closed the book. Kirara mewed, wanting more attention from her owner. Kagome smiled softly at Kirara and gently petted her. Kirara was purring as Kagome stroked her fur and started scratching behind her ears. Then she noticed that Inari was staring at her.
"Would you like to pet her?" Kagome asked. Inari looked up at Kagome and shyly nodded. Kirara jumped out of Kagome's lap and sat in front of Inari. He hesitantly placed his hand on top of her head and gently rubbed her ears. She instantly purred at the sensation.
"She likes you." Kagome said as Kirara jumped into Inari's arms and rubbed her cheek against his.
"You seem to have a close relationship with that blonde haired boy." Inari said.
"Naruto-kun? Well, he's my brother. But we're not blood related though." Kagome said.
"Why's that?" Inari asked, curious. Kagome had a sad expression on her face.
"Naruto-kun didn't have anyone when he was a baby. No one wanted to take care of him. But my mother decided to raise him as her own." Kagome said.
"Why did she decide to raise a child that wasn't her own?" Inari said, his head tilted to the side.
"No child should be left parentless. Naruto needed someone to love and care for him. For me, I treat him like a younger brother. But he's actually a week older than me." Kagome said with a small smile. At that moment, a picture of someone Inari knew appeared in his mind. A man around Kakashi's age who had short spiky brown hair and black eyes with a small white rope tied around his head and had an 'X' shaped scar on his chin. He had a heart warming smile on his face.
Sasuke:
Sasuke leaped down from the tree after he got a little farther up the tree. He had been training since Kakashi started the challenge. He had to get higher than Naruto and Sakura. He breathed heavily and sat against the tree. He began to wonder how hard Kagome trained to go against Zabuza. He knew that the man was a jounin with a bloodlust. When they were in the mist, he almost couldn't move his legs and a shiver went up his spine. Then he heard footsteps coming his way. He readied his kunai until he saw who came into his eye sight: Naruto. He didn't expect to see him here. Naruto walked up to him and held a water canteen and a rice ball.
"Kagome-chan said you need energy in order to continue training." Naruto said. He handed them to Sasuke who kindly took them. He undid the wrap and started eating the rice ball.
"Why aren't you at the bridge with Sakura?" Sasuke asked as Naruto sat down beside him.
"I went back to Tazuna's house to check on Kagome-chan. She wanted to make sure that you wouldn't overwork yourself. So she sent me." Naruto said, "Also, being near Haruno was starting to get annoying."
I can imagine. Sasuke thought as he ate his rice ball. He knew that Sakura can be quite annoying without even knowing it. He opened the water canteen and took a gulp of cold water. After satisfying his thirst, he decided to bring up a certain question.
"Naruto." Sasuke said, staring at his half eaten rice ball.
"Hai?" Naruto asked.
"How did you managed to graduate from the academy?" Sasuke asked. No one had ever told him how he managed to graduate. It made him curious for some reason.
"As it turns out, I did pass. But Mizuki convinced Iruka-sensei that something was wrong with my shadow clone, which made me fail the test. He tricked me of another way of graduating. That's when I found out that I had the nine tailed kitsune sealed inside of me. The reason why everyone hated me. I used the shadow clone technique to beat the living daylights out of Mizuki after he severely injured Iruka-sensei." Naruto said, "Kagome-chan got a chance to beat him up as well."
He remembered how angry Kagome was when she found that Mizuki tricked him. Kagome hit him really hard at his private part. Mizuki groaned even louder at the pain. Luckily, he and Iruka-sensei were turned around at that time. Both of them winced when they heard his pain. Strangely enough, they felt no pity for him. After all, he did deserve it for everything bad deed he had done. When they turned him in, Kagome 'accidentally' dropped Mizuki onto the floor. He groaned a little bit after he was dropped to the ground.
"Another thing, who is this 'Uncle Koichi' you've mentioned earlier?" Sasuke asked. He wondered if that man was the one who helped Naruto and Kagome get stronger. He had to be a strong jounin in order to teach the two of them those ninja techniques.
"His name is Koichi Uchiha. He's a friend of Kagome-chan's mother." Naruto said.
"WHAT?!" Sasuke exclaimed. There was another Uchiha survivor?! How come no one never told him?!
"Hai. He's the one who trained me and Kagome as we grew up." Naruto said, "He's a really strong jounin. I've always looked up to him as an uncle like Iruka-sensei."
"Where was he on the night of the Uchiha massacre?" Sasuke asked. He wondered why he wasn't there when the clan was slaughtered.
Naruto's face fell when he heard Sasuke's question. He was glad that Uncle Koichi wasn't there at that time. But he felt sorry for Koichi since he couldn't protect his wife from the one who slaughtered his clan.
"Uncle Koichi had a fight with his wife and went over to Aunt Hana's to babysit me and Kagome while Aunt Hana went out on a date with Iruka-sensei." Naruto said, "He stayed with me and Kagome-chan for the night. It wasn't until the next morning when Uncle Koichi was told that the clan was murdered."
What Naruto and Sasuke hadn't noticed was that Kakashi was listening to their conversation. He was wondering why Naruto had stopped by Tazuna's house and headed towards where Sasuke was training. To satisfy his curiosity, he decided to follow the blonde haired ninja.
So that's who Uncle Koichi is. Kakashi thought as he rubbed his chin. He had heard about the other survivor of the Uchiha massacre. Koichi Uchiha had graduated very early from the ninja academy. He was a Sharingan master by the age of eleven. When he turned twenty-one, he got engaged to a woman in the Uchiha clan. Three months later, they were married. He had heard rumors that their child died at birth. He was spending most of his time with Hana Higurashi and her children, Naruto and Kagome. He began to wonder what their relationship was. But he could tell that Iruka had feelings towards Hana and Koichi seems to want them to get together. So that ruled out that Koichi having feelings towards Hana.
He must have seen great potential in Kagome and Naruto in order to train them. Kakashi thought.
Later at Tazuna's house:
"This is stew is delicious, Tsunami-san!" Sakura said before taking another spoonful. When Tazuna and Sakura came back from the bridge, a beef stew dinner was waiting for them as soon as they entered the house. A few minutes later, Sasuke and Naruto came back from training.
"Thank you. But it was really Kagome-chan who caught the boar and helped me cook it." Tsunami said.
"Really?" Tazuna asked, shocked that the girl before him was able to carry a heavy animal like a boar. Not to mention on how to make a great tasting stew.
"Hai. It's the least I could do." Kagome said, "After all, you let us stay here when I was unconscious."
"Well, it was the least I could do since you did risk your lives to get me back home." Tazuna said.
"You were always the best hunter back home, Kagome-chan." Naruto said, giving a closed eye smile.
"What do you mean, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, confused. Everyone else had the look of confusion.
"Oh, when the butcher in the village didn't want to sell us any meat, Kagome-chan would go outside the village and hunt for us." Naruto said.
"You did what?!" Kakashi exclaimed. Not only did Kagome sneak into the Hokage tower, she snuck out of the village to go hunting. What else did she do? For some strange reason, he felt like he was already growing grey hairs, despite his young age. Even though no one would be able to tell if it's his hair color or if he really has grey hairs.
"Well, the butcher was just plain rude. I noticed that he would sell meat to everyone but us." Kagome said, crossing her arms.
"This stew is great, Kagome-chan!" Inari said before he took another spoonful of the stew. Tsunami and Tazuna were shocked at what they just saw: Inari was smiling as he ate the stew. They had a feeling that he was easily attached to Kagome. For them, it had been a long time since Inari had smiled like that.
Inari seems to be attached to Kagome. Kakashi thought. He knew that anyone would easily get attached to Kagome. There was something about her that drew people towards her. Even he couldn't figure it out.
After they finished dinner, Kagome kindly helped Tsunami clean up and served tea. It was peaceful until Sakura brought up an uncomfortable and sensitive question.
"Why is that picture torn?" Sakura asked, pointing at the picture that was hanging on the wall near the stairway. Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari were silent.
"That's my husband." Tsunami said as she continued to wash the dishes with Kagome. Tazuna's expression fell, remembering Kaiza.
"Everyone called him a hero." Tazuna said, looking down at his tea.
"There's no such thing as a hero." Inari said, darkly. He remembered the day when his father was taken away from him in the most cruelest way. He quickly stood up and went upstairs to his room. Tsunami was about to go after him, but she stopped when she heard his door slam. She let a sigh of sadness. She didn't how to calm Inari down. She knew that Inari will probably never recover from that incident.
"What happened to his dad?" Sakura asked, noticing the silence.
"Gatō and his henchmen killed him in front of everyone. It scarred Inari very deeply." Tazuna said, "Kaiza wasn't Inari's real father, but Inari treated him like he was."
"Inari was lucky, huh?" Kagome asked. Everyone looked at her with confusion.
"Not many people would care about a child that wasn't sired from them. But it's a relief to known that there are some people who treat others like family."
"I believe you're right, Kagome-chan." Tsunami said with a small smile, "Thank you."
Naruto had a small smile as well. He was shocked when he found out that he wasn't Hana's real son. But he realized that she still treated him like her own son, just like how Kagome treats him as her little brother. Now that he knew Inari's dad's story, he decided to go and talk with him. As soon as he got up and walked towards the stairs, he collapsed. He groaned at the soreness in his legs. After his small talk with Sasuke, the both of them decided to train together. Which took hours until they got exhausted. If they trained any longer, they probably wouldn't be able to walk to the house.
"Perhaps, you guys should get some sleep if you want to train tomorrow." Kakashi said.
"Good idea." Naruto said, groaned.
The next morning:
Everyone walked down to the breakfast table and noticed that two people and a cat were missing.
"Where's Kagome, Kirara, and Inari?" Kakashi asked.
"Kagome and Kirara went to get some herbs in the forest. Inari went with her." Tsunami said.
"Inari went with her?" Tazuna asked, shocked.
"Hai, I was surprised as well." Tsunami said, smiling as she remembered of what happened early this morning.
Flashback:
"I'm going out for a little bit." Kagome said.
"Where to?" Tsunami asked.
"I know that there are some plants in the forest that I can use for medicine. So I plan on getting some." Kagome said.
"I see, make sure to come back for breakfast." Tsunami said.
"Hai." Kagome said as she went towards the door and started to turn the knob.
"Can I come with you?" Inari asked. Kagome looked over her shoulder and saw Inari standing on the last step of stairs. He looked nervous as he waited for Kagome's answer.
"Sure, Kirara and I won't mind for some more company." Kagome said, smiling at him and Kirara mewed. He smiled back and followed her out the door.
Flashback ends
"It seems like Inari has taken a liking to Kagome." Kakashi said, smiling underneath his mask.
"I think you might be right, Kakashi-san." Tsunami said. She was glad that Inari was taking a liking to Kagome. She hoped that Kagome might be able to heal Inari's scar.
In the forest:
"So this plant will be able to heal cuts?" Inari asked, gazing at the plant he held in his hand.
"Hai. But most of its minerals along with the other ingredients will blend together into the medicine paste I need to make." Kagome said as Inari handed the plant to her.
"A medicine paste?" Inari asked, his brow arched. Kagome nodded.
"Hai, the paste will prevent infections from spreading inside of the wound and make it heal a little bit faster." Kagome said, kneeling on the ground while holding the plant in front of her.
"Wow, that must be very handy to have." Inari said.
"Hai, I always make some when I have the time." Kagome said, picking a few more plants.
"Where did you learn to make medicines?" Inari asked, watching her.
"My mother taught me ever since I was little. Let's just say I'm very studious of anything that catches my interests." Kagome said, looking up at Inari with a closed eye smile.
"I can easily tell." Inari said. Then Kagome heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them.
"Inari, get behind me." Kagome said. Seeing how serious she was looking to where the footsteps was coming from, Inari stood behind her. A figure soon appeared on the path towards where the plants are located. The figure was a young man with an androgynous appearance. He had raven colored hair that was as long as Sakura's, pale skin, and large dark brown eyes. He was wearing a pink kimono with a black choker around his neck and wore a pair of wooden clogs on his feet. Kagome sensed the young man's aura, it felt familiar to her. The young man walked up to them and kneeled down to pick the herbs.
"Medical herbs?" Kagome asked, watching the young man pluck a few herbs from the ground.
"Hai." The young man said as he plunked the herbs.
"Are you a healer?" Kagome asked.
"Hai, I'm just getting some herbs for medicine." The young man said.
"I see." Kagome said. She grew curious of the young man before her. His aura and his voice sounded familiar to her, but she couldn't place it. While she was thinking, the young man was done picking.
"Well, I must be going now." The young man said as he stood up with his basket in hand.
"I see. Stay safe." Kagome said. The young man nodded. He started to walk away, but then he turned his head over his shoulder and smiled at Kagome and Inari.
"Have a pleasant day." The young man said. Then it hit her: the young man in front of her is the hunter-nin! Even though she knew who he was, she couldn't fight him. Not with Inari around. There could be a slight possibility that Inari might get killed. Inari's voice brought her out of her thoughts.
"I've never seen her around here before." Inari said as he and Kagome watched the young man walked away.
"Inari, that wasn't a girl." Kagome said, "It was a boy."
"HEH?!" Inari exclaimed.
Back at Tazuna's house (hours later):
"Where's Sasuke-kun? He's never been out this late before." Sakura said in a worried tone.
"I'm worried about Naruto-kun as well. I hope that the two of them don't take their training too far." Kagome said in a worried tone as well. She remembered the time when she and Naruto were little, they would train and train until they fell to the ground. Uncle Koichi said that if they collapsed like that again, he'll stop training them.
The door opening brought Kagome out of her thoughts. She looked towards the door and saw Sasuke and Naruto supporting each other as they came in. They had a few scratches here and there all over. Strangely enough, they seemed pleased with themselves. She didn't really need to sense their aura to know that.
"What the heck happened to you two?" Tazuna asked, "You look like someone who dragged the cat in."
"We did it." Naruto said, "We made all the way to the top."
"Congratulations, you two." Kagome said with a smile. Sasuke went stiff and his cheeks had a tint of pink on them.
"Very good, you two. Sasuke, you'll be with us to guard Tazuna at the bridge tomorrow." Kakashi said, smiling underneath his mask.
"Alright!" Naruto said while punching his fist in the air. When he did that, he and Sasuke fell onto the floor.
"Naruto, you idiot!" Sasuke said. Everyone in the room laughed, except Inari.
Dinner had ended and Tsunami and Kagome began to serve everyone tea.
"Be careful tomorrow, Father." Tsunami said. Tazuna nodded at her.
"The bridge will be completed in a few days." Tazuna said, "But I have to ask you something…"
Kakashi arched his brow when Tazuna turned towards him.
"Why did you decide to stay and help me even though I lied to you to bring you all here?" Tazuna asked. Kakashi simply folded his hands and said, "To abandon one's duty is not courageous, below the courageous there is nothing...A quote stated by the first Hokage."
Inari glanced at Naruto who was wiped out and then back at his cup of tea. He remembered the day when he saw his father die. He was covered with bruises and bleeding all over while he was tied to a pole. At his last moment, he was smiling.
"Why?" Inari asked with his fists shaking underneath the table. Kagome turned towards Inari and noticed something dark in his aura. It gave her goosebumps that appeared along her arms.
"Huh?" Naruto asked, looking at Inari who had his bangs covering his eyes. Then he shot up and slammed his fists onto the table.
"There's no point with your stupid training! It's just a waste of time! Gatō has a huge army out there and he'll destroy you all!" Inari shouted at everyone. His eyes showed angry, but there was worry in them as well. Kagome could probably guess that Inari easily doubts anyone who can possibly defeat Gatō. Back in the feudal era, she started to believe that Inuyasha would never be able to defeat Sesshomaru. But he did cut off his left arm, which was probably the only time he ever won a battle against Sesshomaru.
"No matter what you say or do, the strong will always lose!" Inari shouted at Naruto.
"Are you just pretending to be the main character of a tragedy?! You're nothing but a coward and that's what you'll always be!" Naruto shouted while pointing at Inari.
"Naruto!" Kagome shouted as she stood up from the table. At that moment, Inari left the table and ran out the door. Naruto snapped his head towards Kagome and froze at her gaze. She was really mad at him. He had never seen her look so angry at him before. He remembered the days when she was mad at him for small things like trying to skip classes or trying to pull a prank without her. But this expression on her face was new to him.
"Naruto-kun, why don't you go to bed. I'll talk to Inari." Kagome said in a soft, yet stern tone. Naruto looked down at the ground and gave a small nod. Kagome walked around the table and went out the door.
Outside Tazuna's house:
Inari sat down at the edge of the dock while pulling his knees close to his chest. He gazed at the moon as the previous event entered his mind. That boy, Naruto, was right. He is a coward. He heard footsteps coming towards him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Kagome with Kirara on her right shoulder.
"May I sit with you, Inari?" Kagome asked. Inari nodded. Kirara jumped off her shoulder and squeezed herself into Inari's arms. Inari released his knees and held Kirara close to his chest.
"As a shinobi, we have lost many friends, comrades, and even family members in our line of work." Kagome said as she sat down beside him, "You know, Naruto never knew his real parents as he grew up. The village despised him and treated him like trash. But he didn't give into despair. He wanted to do something about it. He wants to become Hokage so that the village will come to respect him. Those words Naruto had said before...he had said them to himself many times. I have never seen him cry. Not even once as we grew up."
"But didn't your mom raise him?" Inari asked, still looking at Kirara who was staring at him.
"Hai, he was shocked when he found out that my mother wasn't his real mother. But my mother still treated him as her own son. Just like your dad treated you, Inari." Kagome said, looking up at the moon. Inari looked up at her in shock. How did she know that his father wasn't his real father? Did his grandpa tell them about his father when he left the room?
"Naruto-kun would understand you the most, Inari. You want to know why?" Kagome asked.
"Why, Kagome-chan?" Inari asked, looking up at Kagome.
"It's because he knows the true meaning of strength. Just like your father." Kagome said, "You know, the real reason why I wanted to become a ninja was because I want to be able to protect those who are precious to me."
Inari looked up at Kagome with amazement. She was right. She and Naruto knew the true meaning of strength. The same strength his father had. 'Protecting something that precious to you with these two arms even if it costs you your life' was what his father would always say. Inari began to think that maybe Kagome and Naruto are the two arms that came to save them and to defeat Gatō once and for all.
"Kagome-chan." Inari said, looking down at Kirara.
"Hai?" Kagome asked, turning towards Inari.
"Do you think that you'll be able to defeat Gatō?" Inari asked as he started to pet Kirara.
"Do we have a chance you mean?" Kagome asked.
"I think you might have one." Inari said, truthfully.
"Then I believe we do." Kagome said, smiling at Inari who gave a small smile back.
Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself.
-Walter Anderson
