Recap: After having a successful survival test, Team seven has their first real mission, not the stupid weasel one but a protection and escorting type one. Missing-nin Zabuza attacks, but he gets defeated of course...right?
Qqqquestions?
And this is a BIG chapter folks:)
Chapter 3: Changing our hearts
After having such a vigorous night of training Naruto fell asleep at the bottom of the tree. Itachi appeared by Naruto's spot. 'You're still here, Naruto?'
"...Hello?" A voice called.
Naruto suddenly awoke with a startle. "What?!...Who are you?" He asked as he wiped the drool off his face.
Itachi took a look at this person. She was a very beautiful "girl", she wore a flowery pink kimono along with a black choker and in one hand she carried a basket nearly half-full of herbs.
"My name is Haku." The girl answered with a smile.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto proudly proclaimed, standing straight up.
"Itachi Uchiha." Itachi answered as well. 'This is definitely the hunter-nin we met before and there is no doubt in mind what she actually did to Zabuza, but what am I to gain from attacking a member of the Yuki clan?'
"It's nice to meet the both of you!"
Itachi noticed the girl's basket, it wasn't full yet. 'Although, her jutsu won't be easily defeated with the fire jutsu I posses. If I go head to head with her right now there's also a possibility of Naruto attacking me.' "Haku, let me help you with that." Itachi offered.
"Oh this? You don't have to."
'Defeating Naruto will be easy, with the nine-tails factored in, even if he'll resent me, it is all for the better of Konoha.' "I insist."
"Well if you insist." She turned around and pointed to a section of the field. "Most of them are this way."
"Hey! I'll help too! Besides Itachi just picks all weeds!" Naruto yelled as he ran after them.
Haku, Itachi, and Naruto went over to a special section of the field and began to pick up some herbs. "Itachi! You're only picking the weeds up!" Naruto pointed out.
Haku laughed. "No Naruto, Itachi's picking up the herbs, you're picking up the weeds." She sweetly said.
Naruto's face started to turn a dark shade of red as he sheepishly threw the weeds back on the ground.
"...Naruto, Itachi, if I may ask, do you have a dream?" She asked, plopping another handful of herbs into her basket.
"To be the Hokage! That is my dream!" Naruto exclaimed.
"I don't have a dream." Itachi simply stated. 'If I attack my own teammate the Konoha council will act hostile to me since I am an Uchiha. Although I could care less whether they hate me or not they'll cease to keep me in the shinobi program and I won't be strong enough to keep my promise.'
"My dream is to protect someone precious to me." Haku said. "I believe you are strongest when you're fighting to protect someone precious." Haku explained, picking up more herbs.
"Yeah I agree!" Naruto exclaimed. 'Like Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan and...' Naruto looked over to Itachi. 'and you too...Itachi-weasel.'
"..." Itachi stared at the ground, he realized something. 'Fighting to protect someone precious?' He thought about Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto. 'Then what have I been really fighting for?...Not one of them are the least bit precious to me.'
As soon as Haku's basket was filled to the brim, she stood up. "Thank-you both, for everything." She thanked. "Oh, and I'm a boy." With that, he began walking away
*sweat drops* "Wow. He's prettier than Sakura." Naruto said aloud in amazement. He pumped his fist into the air. "Alright! I got a tree to run up!" He yelled.
Itachi began walking back. "When you're done, Naruto. Just go back to Tazuna's."
'Huh? There's something off about Itachi today.' "Hey Itachi! Come on and race me to the top! I bet I'll win!"
"That is the last thing I want to do, I've finally realized what I am truly fighting for...my promise."
That night back at Tazuna's...
Everyone waited for Naruto to burst through the door yet again.
*BAM*
The door burst open and Naruto stumbled in, although he had bruises and scratches all over his face, his wide grin proved he was super happy. *ha* *hu* "I finally did it! I made it to the top! You should've seen me, Itachi!"
Itachi took a look at Naruto. "Do you honestly think I care?"
Naruto's smile dropped. "What..."
"You're just wasting your time!" Inari yelled, tears streamed down his face. "Gatō will defeat you! He always does!"
That was it. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST...BELIEVE IN US?! The only thing you are is a cry baby!" Naruto yelled, he left the room making everything go silent.
Inari ran outside to the porch while Itachi and Sakura left the table and walked back to their rooms.
Kakashi stood up and went outside to the porch, he saw Inari sitting down and sulking. Kakashi sat down next to Inari. "Inari, I'm sure Naruto didn't mean what he said, Naruto also grew up without a father and suffered through a lot in his life."
"When he was your age, Naruto used to cry a lot just like you...but unlike you he got tired of crying. I think he's just upset about how much he sees in himself when he looks at you." Kakashi explained.
Inari stared at Kakashi, there was something about Naruto that just gave him some sort of hope.
The next morning...
Seeing how bruised up Naruto truly was, Kakashi decided to leave Naruto in bed while the rest of Team seven left to protect Tazuna while he finished the bridge. As soon as they arrived, however, an unsettlingly thick fog covered the bridge.
Itachi looked around. "What's going on, sensei?"
"I'm not sure, but be on guard just in case."
Sakura moved closer to Itachi, she wasn't sure what she could do except become another burden.
Suddenly, several Zabuza clones appeared in front of Itachi and Sakura. Itachi took out a giant shuriken and hurled it at the clones, easily, they evaded it. However, much to their surprise, the giant shuriken circled back and destroyed the clones.
'I knew he was going to come back.' Kakashi thought to himself as Zabuza and the hunter-nin appeared.
"Are you surprised, Itachi?" Zabuza asked.
Kakashi pulled out a kunai knife. "Fortunately, no."
Itachi used his giant shuriken, and clashed with Haku's own kunai knife. "I had a feeling I would meet you here, Haku." Itachi said.
"..."
Itachi jumped back and weaved several signs as fast as he could. "Fire release: Great Dragon flame technique!" Itachi yelled, a gigantic fiery dragon head spewed out of his mouth and shot straight towards Haku.
Quickly, Haku leaped into the air to evade the attack.
"Disperse."
The dragon head dispersed into a huge fiery explosion. With no time to dodge, Haku got caught in the explosion.
Itachi looked up. "..."
Somehow, Haku landed on the bridge with nothing but a slightly burnt leg. He was quick.
'Interesting, he dodged the entire attack.'
This time it was Haku's turn to attack, he threw several senbon at Itachi but easily he dodged them.
'So the Uchiha brat can keep up with Haku?' Zabuza thought to himself, watching the two battle.
Haku prepared a powerful jutsu. 'He's better than I thought, much better...' "Demonic mirroring ice crystals!" Haku yelled, several ice mirrors surfaced and circled around Itachi.
"My next move will have to be-"
"HEY GUYS! THE HERO'S FINALLY HERE!" Naruto yelled as he ran over to the battlefield. "Sorry I'm late, I had to take care of some business."
Zabuza was about to step in when he saw the hyper ninja running towards them.
"There's no need. I will finish them both." Haku reassured as he slipped into the mirrors.
Zabuza stood back. Trusting Haku to finish them off.
'Ok...with Naruto attacking from the outside I think we can-'
"Yo what's up!" Naruto greeted.
Itachi looked back to see Naruto was already in the mirrors with him. "Ha weasel! I won't let you take all the credit!"
'Perfect.'
"Alright! I think all we gotta do is take these mirrors down!" Naruto created several shadow clones, time and time again the clones tried to break the mirrors but each time they failed.
Haku appeared in all of the surrounding mirrors. Between his fingers he held several senbon. 'I'm sorry for this...' "This is where it ends." Haki threw the senbon at Naruto and Itachi, although it was too weak to do any major damage, it still inflicted some pain.
"Aargh! Nothing's working!" Naruto yelled.
"Wait a second! Itachi you baka! Your fire jutsu can melt this ice!" Naruto pointed out as they got hit with another round of senbon.
"I can't melt a kekkai genkai."
OoO
'Those two...that has to be a kekkai genkai.' Kakashi lifted up his forehead protector and decided to stop Haku himself, this battle was going to end early.
A large sword blocked him from going any further. "Your battle is with me, Kakashi and no longer can your sharigan work against me. I've already figured out your trick." Zabuza hissed, disappearing into the mist.
"Sakura! Protect Tazuna!" Kakashi instructed.
"I'm already ahead of you, sensei!"
In a flash, Zabuza swung his sword, Kakashi quickly ducked before his body got cut in half. Taking a closer look at Zabuza, he noticed his eyes were closed shut, rendering the sharigan useless. "My speciality is killing based only on sound." Zabuza explained, with that he disappeared once again. "That's why they call me, Demon of the Mist."
'Where is he? Wait...I know where he'll attack next.'
Zabuza ran up to Tazuna, he raised his sword and attempted to execute him once and for all
*SLASH*
Just before it hit, Kakashi shielded the attack with his arm. "Ka-kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screamed, blood dripped down from Kakashi's arm and landed in front of her.
"I told you, I will protect you all with my life!" He held out of his other arm and a charge of electricity started to build up.
XxxxxXxxx
Itachi had enough of this, he was tired of Naruto exhausting himself. "Give up already, Naruto. What don't you understand? There is absolutely nothing you can do."
"I understand, that I will never give up trying!" Naruto replied.
'That's good Naruto, protect those who are precious to you.' Haku thought to himself while he continued attacking.
Itachi knew this battle was going down-hill fast and no matter what he could think, nothing would work. At that instant, everything changed. Suddenly his eyes began to sting. "...what's happening?"
He looked in the mirrors and saw Haku physically jump in and out of at lightning speed, giving the illusion he was in all mirrors at once. Finally, Itachi had the upper-hand in battle. 'Is this power I now I have? This must be the power of the...sharigan.'
"Itachi!"
Naruto jumped in front of Itachi as a sudden barrage of senbon came straight at him. "Why are you even trying to protect me?!" Itachi pushed Naruto out of the way, and caught the incoming senbon in between his fingers.
"Is that even a question?!" Naruto yelled "I protect you because...because...you and Sakura and Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei, all of you are precious to me!"
"..."
Itachi waited for Haku to jump between mirrors to land his strike. Right at the perfect moment, he threw the senbon and pierced straight through Haku's burnt section of his leg.
Haku noticed Itachi's eyes. 'Itachi, he has the sharigan now?' Hedecided to focus his attacks on just Naruto. He would be an easy target to kill.
"I'm sorry but I have to end this." Haku apologized.
Itachi noticed's Haku movements, there was a doubt in his mind who his target was. (...'"I protect you because...because you and Sakura and Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei, all of you are precious to me!"')
Haku directed a barrage of senbon at Naruto, he exhausted way too much chakra for him to even try to dodge.
Just before the senbon landed on Naruto, Itachi shielded them away from him. "...! Itachi!"
'...From now on I fight because of my beliefs, not because of a...promise.' Itachi bent down and coughed up a mouthful blood. It was a miracle he hadn't died by now.
"...Itachi! Why did you protect me?!" Naruto yelled. "...I thought you didn't...care about us!"
"Is that even a...question? You helped me realize who I was fighting for, Naruto." He looked back and smiled despite the hellish pain he was in. "Team seven is precious to me!"
Itachi tipped over, quickly, he used his arms and caught himself. "I can't die yet, because now, I finally have a reason to live."
With all the blood loss Itachi's hand grew weakened, before he fell down, Naruto caught him just in time. "Itachi...ITAAACCHIIIII?!"
'Itachi really is good.' "Naruto, is this your first time experiencing...death?" Haku asked.
Naruto's blood boiled. "ITACHI ISN'T DEAD!" He yelled, fangs grew from his mouth and fell onto his lips while his fingers nails formed into sharp claws. A foxed shaped cloak of blood orange wrapped around him, even his wounds began to heal.
'This chakra feels...different...evil.' Haku thought.
OoO
Kakashi and Zabuza both sensed a new chakra, a different chakra, that concerned them both for different reasons. 'That can't be Kakashi's chakra, this chakra belongs to a tailed-beast.'
'The nine-tails chakra, what will I do if it gets out of control?!' Kakashi thought to himself as he pulled out a scroll smeared with blood.
"It's over, Zabuza." Kakashi said.
OoO
Naruto swung his chakra tail and whipped it on the air. Seeing as there was nothing he could do, Haku went back to his regular attack. He threw several senbon at Naruto but just a mighty roar reflected all the senbon.
Haku took a different approach this time, with Naruto's new powers, his senbon were useless. He went front on and went to attack him close-range but before Haku could even reach Naruto, Naruto's chakra arms extended and grabbed Haku. He flung Haku through one of the mirrors, breaking it easily.
With one mirror broken, the rest shattered, destroying the jutsu.
Haku landed far off in an obsolete part of the bridge, pieces of his mask started to crumble and fall onto the bridge. Naruto rushed over to Haku in order to finish him off, he grabbed Haku by his shirt collar and reeled back his arm for his final punch.
"IT'S OVER YOU BAS-"
More pieces of his mask fell off, revealing his entire face.
"...! Haku!" Naruto's fox cloak dissolved, returning him to his original form.
Haku looked up. "Why are you sparing me?" He asked.
Out of anger, Naruto punched Haku in the face making him fall backwards.
He got back up. "I failed my master. Now I am nothing more than a broken tool. All I have left is to die." Haku explained.
"Why do you want to die so badly?" Naruto asked.
"Because, from the time I was born, I've always been of no use to anyone...except for one..."
OoooO
Flashback...
In the Land of Water, I once lived in a small village, however, a war broke out, changing everything. After a narrow victory by our people, those possessing a kekkai genkai were feared and hated as they were a reminder of the past war.
My family and I were once peaceful, but my mother hid a secret that she kept even from her own husband. My mother possessed a kekkai genaki.
Haku sat by the river bed, although he was tasked to bring back clean water, Haku was completely mesmerized by the cuteness of the bunny that drank the river water. "Such a cute bunny!" Haku gushed.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a duck drove past by it and water was about to splash on the poor thing. Somehow, Haku was able to manipulate the water, letting the bunny hop away, dry. Quickly, he filled the pail, wanting to show his mother a newfound gift
After discovering my ability to manipulate water I decided to show my mother. It was then and there I realized something. I too had possessed a kekkai genkai.
He ran to the back of their small house. "Mother, mother, look what I can do!"
Haku's mother turned around, she saw Haku manipulating the water right before her eyes.
"...This happines I worked so hard to build." His mother raised her hand and slapped Haku right on his face. "I DON'T EVER WANT YOU TO DO THAT AGAIN!" She shouted.
His mother bent down, she felt so horrible after slapping him. "I'm sorry..." She hugged Haku. "Just please never do that again."
In the shadows, however, Haku's father had already seen everything.
...once I did she shouted and slapped me, unknowingly my father saw my special ability and gathered up a small mob to kill my mother and I.
Finally after gathering up a small mob, he found Haku and his wife. Haku's dad raised his ax as tears fell from his eyes. With one mighty swing, he lodged his ax into her skull, cracking it and spewing blood everywhere.
They already killed my mother so they attempted to kill me next. However, out of complete fear and anger, I created several large ice spikes and killed the entire mob, along with my father and I was horrified by what I had done.
With no where else to live I ran away from my village and survived on the cold streets and for the longest time, I experienced the worst pain of all; rejection.
Haku crawled over to an area of the cold stone bridge, he was starving and absolutely miserable.
By fate, a young Zabuza walked up to the boy. He looked deep into his eyes and saw a reflection of himself in them, a part of him who was forced to kill all his classmates, a part he could never forget. As the days grew colder Zabuza finally asked the boy a question.
"Boy, what's your name?" Zabuza asked.
"Haku."
"Come with me Haku and become my weapon."
That day when Master Zabuza asked me to come with him I felt needed again and I joyfully accepted. Master Zabuza made me useful, he gave me have a purpose and that is why he is my precious one who I wish to protect.
OoooO
"Now that you've defeated me, I am nothing but a broken tool." Haku finally finished.
OoO
Using the blood stained scroll, Kakashi summoned several ninja dogs. Despite it being blindingly foggy, the dogs tracked Zabuza and restrained him.
Kakashi walked up to them. "My dogs are only play-biting with you, at my command they could easily rip your flesh apart.
"How did you even...do this?" Zabuza asked.
"When you were going for Tazuna, I only let you cut my arm so my blood would be on your sword. With that my dogs could instantly track you."
Kakashi hand glow with electricity. "This will be the end for you." He charged at Zabuza with his famous move; the lightning cutter.
OoO
"Do you truly want this?" Naruto asked again as he got out a kunai knife.
"This is what I truly want."
Naruto began walking over to Haku, gripping his kunai in his hands. "You know what the funny thing is? I bet we could've been really good friends." Naruto sighed, then made up his mind, he charged at Haku with all his might.
Haku held up his palm and stopped the kunai, blood profusely dropped down. "...I'm sorry Naruto. I can't die here." He said.
OoO
Kakashi charged at Zabuza with the Lightning cutter. As he was doing so, mirrors started to appear around Zabuza as Kakashi's footsteps progressed even further towards his target.
*bam*
Kakashi looked up, he saw that his jutsu impaled straight through Haku instead of Zabuza, just barely missing his internal organs. 'It happened, again. History always manages to...'
'...repeat itself.'
The village...
'Now it's my turn to save you, Naruto.' Inari knocked on someone's door, he had on kitchen made armor, the door finally opened up. "Would you like to join the rally to defeat Gatō?" Inari asked.
"No. Go back home, kid."
"Oh..."
Door after door Inari got the same answer: no. The villagers had lost hope just like he once did. It felt like there was nothing he could do.
Inari walked over to the last house of the village. He knocked on the door."Please just help me!" Inari pleaded.
"That's impossible, Gatō always wins. Why would you want to go against that?" The woman asked, she had such a miserable look on her face.
"I just...I just want to protect everyone I love! Don't you understand?! Crying wo-"
The door slammed in Inari's face, saddened, he walked all the way back home.
Inari trudged back to his house. "I guess the only option is to go alone." As soon as he stepped foot through the doorway, Tsunami bent down to his level and placed her hands on his shoulders. "What are you trying to do, Inari?!"
Inari raised his strainer. "I'm going to fight Gatō!"
"What aren't you understanding? You can't fight Gatō!" She yelled.
He stepped back from her. "I am Kaiza's son so I have to fight and be a hero!" He turned around and ran off.
Unfinished Bridge...
Naruto looked around, Haku was no where to be seen. 'What happened to Haku?' He picked up his kunai and ran off to search for him. Naruto kept on running and running until he finally found him. "...! HAKU!" Naruto yelled as he ran up to them.
'Good Haku.' Zabuza pulled out his sword and attempted to slice Kakashi, quickly, while carrying the corpse, he jumped away from Zabuza's strike.
"Sensei!" Naruto yelled.
Kakashi took his hand out of Haku's body and laid him on the ground. "Naruto, stay out of this." He ordered.
With the mist nearly cleared up, Sakura, walked up to Naruto, she didn't see Itachi with him. "Where's...Itachi-kun?" She asked.
"..." Naruto looked away, he squeezed his fist, he wasn't strong enough to protect him.
"I understand." Sakura escorted Tazuna to find Itachi herself. Finally, she found Itachi lying in his own pool of blood with senbon all over the place sticking up from his back.
"Itachi-kun..." Sakura started to say, she bent down to Itachi's level and held his hand.
"I was always one of the best students in our class, I knew the very first to the very last rule to being a shinobi." Sakura said to Tazuna. "Do you know what the first rule is to being a shinobi?"
"..."
Tears dropped down on Itachi's hand. "Shinobi must never show their feelings."
Faintly, Sakura felt Itachi's hand squeeze her own. "...Itachi-kun..." Sakura broke down and cried, breaking the first rule of shinobi.
OoO
Zabuza and Kakashi clashed again, lightning cutter to blade. Every single time, Kakashi knocked back Zabuza. With one fellow swoop, Kakashi's Lightning cutter shot through Zabuza's arm, rendering it useless. Zabuza used his one good arm and held up his blade to attack, yet again, Kakashi knocked him back and with another fellow swoop of his kunai he struck Zabuza's other arm, making both of his arms practically useless.
The blade dropped onto the bridge.
"So the great demon of the mist finally drops his sword?"
Everyone turned around to see Gatō himself, along with his gang, arrive at the bridge. "You still haven't killed Tazuna yet I see. We'll just have to execute him ourselves."
"What will you do now, Zabuza? Looks like Haku's dead." Gatō said out loud, seeing Haku's cold, lifeless body.
"Haku was just a tool to me. Now he is useless." Zabuza scoffed. "I could careless."
Naruto could take this any longer. "What're you talking about?! You were precious to Haku and now you're just...just throwing him away like that?!" Naruto yelled. "You don't treat others like objects! Haku was never your tool!"
"..."
He clenched his fist, tears started streaming down his face. "Haku died believing he was a tool. Nothing more than just an object for your use," Naruto said a bit more quietly. "Haku's dream...his dream was to protect a bastard like you, protecting you was his entire life!"
"..."
Zabuza stared at Haku's lifeless body.
OoooO
Flashback...
"Haku, hurry up and put that thing down." Zabuza ordered as they trudged up the damp hill.
Haku sadly dropped the brown rabbit and let it hop away, in front of Zabuza. He dropped his head in dismay. "...Fine kid, play with it." Zabuza grumbled.
Haku's head lifted up as he continued to play with the brown rabbit.
Training...
This time, Haku practiced throwing senbon at live targets. Each throw, he hit them perfectly. Zabuza walked over and inspected the targets. They weren't dead like he wanted them to be. "You're too nice, Haku. You hit them all in the least lethal places." Zabuza pointed out as he took out the senbon from their bodies.
"I apologize Master Zabuza, next time I'll kill them and become your ultimate weapon."
OoooO
Zabuza as well felt tears rolling down his face, this kid, got him to cry. Zabuza tore off his bandages revealing incredibly pointed teeth. "Yeah that's right, I bet you're surprised I'm not a demon." He motioned to Naruto. "Blonde kid, give me that kunai." Zabuza instructed.
Naruto handed him a kunai and he clamped it in his mouth, immediately, he took off towards Gatō's incoming gang. Zabuza slashed through his gang with ease, the pain he felt didn't matter since he kept on-going. His only goal was to kill Gatō.
Zabuza quickly approached Gatō. "There's only one place demons like you and me go to," Zabuza started to say.
"What're you going to-" Gatō stammered, terrified.
"WE'RE GOING TO HELL!" Zabuza screamed, he struck the kunai in his stomach making blood splatter everywhere. Gatō tipped back. "No, no! I don't want to go there! Please!"
Zabuza lifted up his leg and pushed Gatō into the lake, where he finally drowned.
"Thank-you. Haku." Zabuza huffed, with the last of his energy he fell down.
Sakura and Itachi...
Itachi shifted his head. "...Sakura?" Itachi hoarsely asked. "ITACHI-KUN!" Sakura squealed, she picked Itachi up and squeezed the life out of him.
'...she's removed all the senbon...' "Sakura, what happened to Haku?" Itachi asked.
"Kakashi-sensei...killed him."
"Is that so?"
"...Sakura, it would be nice if you stopped hugging me." Itachi added.
Sakura let go of Itachi and he tried standing up, but because of his overuse of the sharigan, the strain was unbearable. *ha* *ha* "Zabuza's still alive isn't he?"
"Your chakra is nearly depleted! You'll die if you fight!"
"I don't have time to care about things like." He got back up and coughed up more blood, despite everything, he continued walking. "I've already calculated-"
Sakura grabbed onto Itachi's arm. "I'm sorry, but no matter what calculation you've come with, I cannot allow you to be so reckless."
"...!"
OoO
With Gatō dead, the gang attacking the town had to be good enough. Althought, with the little numbers they had, the gang still charged for the town. Using the last bit of his chakra, Kakashi weaved several signs. Thankfully, as the gang neared the town the an arrow landed right in front of them.
'Good. I won't have to waste my chakra.'
"We're coming to save ya' guys!" Inari yelled, he along with the whole town population created a small army of themselves, all of them were prepared to attack. The gang, intimated by just their sheer numbers ran away and boarded their boats they came on.
With them gone, Kakashi walked up to the nearly dead Zabuza. "I would like to see Haku again one last time...please." Zabuza pleaded.
"Of course." Kakashi complied, he picked up the body and laid it next to Haku.
Light snow drizzled down onto Zabuza and Haku. "I wondered...are you crying Haku?" Zabuza looked up at the falling snow. "You've always been by my side and now I'll return your favor."
"I'm sorry for treating you the way I did, I wish you knew that I don't think of you as a tool."
With his last words Zabuza stated the truth, his desire. "My only wish is to go where you're going."
"You will be with Haku in death, I know you two will be together, forever." Kakashi remarked.
XxxxxXxxx
After everyone finally left Zabuza and Haku's burial ground, Naruto still stood there. "From now on, I will never let anyone tell me how to live my life."
With a big smile on his face, Naruto ran over to the bridge where the rest of his team along with Tazuna and Inari were waiting.
"Thank you Team seven for completing the mission and saving our village." Tazuna said, a hint of sadness showed, it would be a while before they got to see each other again.
Naruto looked at Inari, he was definitely about to burst into tears at any moment. "It's okay to cry, as long as they're happy tears!"
"I'm not gonna cry!" Inari replied.
"...Yeah well me neither!"
Naruto and Inari turned around and began bawling their eyes out. "Idiots." Sakura grumbled.
As Team seven walked off into the distance, Tazuna thought up of the perfect name. "This bridge is going to be called The Great Naruto bridge." Tazuna announced. "For Naruto helping my grandson earn his strength."
Inari wiped his tears away and smiled. "Yeah okay!" He exclaimed as he ran off to tell the village.
A/N: Sorry guys I didn't get to the part I wanted, but at least this arc is FINISHED! Start your engines folks! Chūnin exams begin next chapter! The boring part, but...but...still a part.
Day 3 of my re-edits. If you are reading this on July 10/11th of 2015, I advise you to wait a day before reading Chapter 4. Unless I already have updated it, if so, you'll know immediately.
Note! So far the plot has stayed fairly consistent with the real thing, yeah that's about to change, big time.