Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
-A Testament of Things that Never Will-
Yuri watched the warm sun rise slowly over the green forest and cast its rays onto the stone and metal construction site that was the bridge, the cause of all the trouble. He had gotten up early, well before the sun, to give Kurenai a bit of a break and talk with Kakashi. The man approved of him bringing the young Hyuga to the bridge and warned him to be careful.
He glanced behind him and saw Hinata was also looking at the sun. Her eyes practically shone and he made himself a promise that she wouldn't go out the way she did in his timeline.
"I assume that Yuhi-san told you why you were coming with me this morning?" he asked.
She shot a nervous glance at him and looked down quickly. "Hai," she stammered.
He frowned. He knew that the girl had little to no confidence and from that demonstration he knew that it was going to be a difficult and slow journey to fix it. He studied her submissive stance, her downcast eyes, and the way she played with her hands. All of it spoke of confidence issues that stemmed from self-consciousness and perceived self-worth.
He thought about how to get her to open up to him which would be the hardest part of this entire training session and turned to watch the laborers work on the bridge. A thought came to him as he watched and he asked the young Hyuga, "Tell me Hyuga-san, can you perform any other taijutsu other than the Juken?"
She glanced at him and shook her head.
"Answer the question aloud, Hyuga-san," he said calmly with an ounce of command settled in.
She jumped and said in her typical stammer, "No, I don't."
"Do all the other Genin know the Academy Style?" he asked and turned his full attention to her.
She paused for a moment and nodded but stopped mid-way. "Hai," she said and Yuri could actually see the knowledge of her being the only one to not knowing the Academy Style crush her pathetically small confidence.
"How does that make you feel as a shinobi?"
"Weak. Useless. Pathetic," she squeaked out.
He looked at the laborers on the bridge and asked, "Do you know how to build a bridge, Hinata-san?"
His decision to use her name was a simple one, she was already questioning her worth but by calling her by her own unique name he was subtly showing her that she was important, that she was special.
"No, Karasu-sensei, I don't," the young Hyuga answered and sunk even more into herself.
He chuckled and said, "Nor do I."
She looked up at him with surprise in her eyes.
"What? Did you honestly think that I knew how to do that?"
Her cheeks grew red with embarrassment.
"You think very highly of me," he remarked. "Wanna know something else? I don't know how to identify medicinal herbs and I haven't the foggiest on how to actually make a healing salve. You, however, do."
She squirmed under his full attention and replied, "It's nothing, really."
"Truly?" he questioned. "Well then, I'll just go tell Sarutobi-san, Nara-san, and Kakashi that you helping to save their lives was nothing. I'll also let them know that you being the only one of the group to know how to create healing salve is an entirely worthless skill and that they should forget about the aid you provided them."
She didn't say anything. Perhaps it was because of the revealed importance of her knowledge or being told that she had helped save their lives that held her tongue but for the time being she only stated at him with a mixture of nervousness, confusion, and a small amount of pride.
"I don't know how to create a healing salve," Yuri continued, "but that doesn't make me useless, weak, or pathetic. It is simply a skill that I don't have, exactly the same as your lack of knowledge in the Academy Style. Lacking knowledge or abilities is nothing to be ashamed of. All it means is that you have an area that you need to work on."
"But," she finally said, "I'm not as strong as everyone else. My little sister can beat me in a spar, that's how weak I am. How pathetic I am."
Yuri sat down next to a tree and said, "Let me tell you a secret, Hinata-san. If you fought against me when I was your age you would wiped the floor with me."
Her eyes widened and she stuttered, "But you're so strong now."
"Not nearly strong enough, I'm afraid." He shook his head and said, "The biggest difference between you and me isn't our skills or our determination, it is our thoughts."
"Our...thoughts?"
"Yes. Even after being destroyed in every spar I participated in, even after being called useless by everyone around me, even after graduating from my Academy class as the weakest of the group I never once thought that I was useless or pathetic. I had big dreams as a kid and I worked hard to reach them. I spent many hours training alone and I often worked myself so hard that I would pass-out in the middle of the field only to wake up the next morning and begin training again. I thought that I was going to be someone and worked with that goal in mind."
He looked at her and said, "Our thoughts can act as self-fulfilling prophecies. Wants, needs, desires, all of these are thoughts in our minds and it is these thoughts that drive us, that make us who we are today. I wanted to be great and it was that thought that drove me to becoming who I am today. Tell me, Hinata-san, what do you want to be?"
She hesitated but answered, "I want to become a kunoichi that my father will be proud of."
"Good, that's a good want."
"But he always tells me-"
"Words only hurt us if we let them, Hinata-san," Yuri interrupted. "Sure, your father's words will hold more weight than others but they are only words and words can be deceiving. You mentioned that your little sister always beats you in spars, tell me about that."
"We spar at least three times a week and Hinabi-chan is amazing at the Juken. Otou-sama makes use spar but...I can't bring myself to hurt my little sister."
Yuri frowned, "If you think going easy on your sister and allowing her to get an inflated ego is helping her then you have a strange sense of aid, Hinata-san. All you're doing is helping her die."
"W-what!?" she gasped.
"A spar is supposed to be the closest thing to actual combat that a shinobi can take place in and going easy on your partner is exactly the same as lying to them and telling them that they are better than what they really are. It is during spars that a shinobi learns how to take a hit, how to fight through pain, and how to fight against an opponent who is just as strong or stronger than them. My rule for spars is simple: besides killing or permanent injuries anything is allowed."
"Now, that is enough of that," he said and stood up. "Since you are still a low to mid Genin I'm not going to be teaching you elemental manipulation and your chakra control must be near perfect since you're a Hyuga so I'm going to teach you a new taijutsu."
"But the Juken-"
"Can be beaten and, if it is, you will need something else to fall back on. Now, we will spar for a few minutes so that I can gauge your skill and we will take it from there."
He waited for the young Hyuga to enter her Juken stance and then attacked. He pressed her and he was impressed with her flexibility and the quick thinking she showed. He backed off slightly and allowed her to attack and her biggest weakness was revealed. Hinata was gentle and timid by nature, there was no changing that, and her attacks reflected it. They were soft, fast, and predictable. He allowed her to push him back a little more and stopped the spar.
"Very good, Hinata-san. I am incredibly impressed," he praised and with how the girl flushed he knew that it was one of the few compliments that she might have gained in her life. "Your skill with the Juken is exceptional for one your age."
She looked down and a smile, a true smile, crossed her face.
"Don't look down," Yuri said. She hesitated but eventually moved her eyes to meet his. "What you lack most is confidence and we have already discussed how to fix that but there is another trick you can use to help."
"A trick?" she asked.
He nodded. "When talking to someone, never look away from their eyes. You will feel uncomfortable the first many times you do this but it will make you appear more confident to the other person and, in turn, they will treat you as if you have more confidence than you actually are. Also, consciously slow your breathing. If you come off as calm and relaxed it goes a long ways in appearing confident."
Hinata took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"You don't need to change who you are, Hinata-san, and I would never ask you to do that. You are, by nature, a shy person but when it matters I do want you to act as if you are in control of everything you do. Got it?"
"Hai," she said and a hint of relief flashed in her eyes.
He smiled and rose to his feet. "Good. Lets move to the taijutsu that I want to teach you. As a Genin, the vast majority of your fighting will be physical so it is good to have a strong taijutsu base. Your exceptional in your flexibility and speed but lacking in strength but this isn't a bad thing nor a good thing. That's just how it is.
"The style that I will be teaching you has only one kata. It has no attacks and it's only purpose is to evade an opponent. It is called, Yugana Suteppu, and is completely made up of fast movements and flowing jumps. The entire point of this taijutsu is to outmaneuver your opponent however with the combination of your Byakugan and some added touches of the Juken it has the potential to become something unique and powerful."
The navy-haired girl gave him a confused look and asked, "You know the Juken?"
"No," he answered. "It will be up to you to create this new style but I have faith that you will be able to pull it off. Now, lets begin."
-A Testament of Things that Never Will-
Yuri, Hinata, and Tazuna arrived back at the old man's house a little after noon. The workmen were taking a lunch break and Tazuna wanted to return to his home before construction began again. The young Hyuga's training had gone well and she was learning the Yugana Suteppu as fast as he expected and figured that she would have the kata down in a little under a week's time. The hardest and most frustrating part for her would be adding the Juken into it. His Hinata had never done such a thing and the idea of doing it had come to him as a whim. He honestly had no idea how the new form of taijutsu would hold up in a battle but from what he could envision it had the potential of becoming something great.
The black-haired Jonin saw Naruto and Sakura standing on top of the water while the other Genin tried to get their feet under them. It didn't surprise him in the least that the pink-haired girl had already gotten water walking down and Naruto, well he had already taught him how to do it. Having Genin who had only recently gotten out of the Academy work on water walking was unheard of but with the situation that they were in the unheard of was something that would have to be ignored.
He watched the Genin as they struggled to stand and fell into the water. They would be great, better than their counterparts from his timeline, he would make damn sure of it. He would give each of them the nudges that they needed to get serious about being shinobi and he would provide them with the tools that would allow them to gain strength that they wouldn't have been able to otherwise.
He mused if what he was doing was playing Kami, changing the outcome of this timeline but he shook his head and steeled his determination. He didn't really care for the answer of the question as it wouldn't affect what he was doing and what he would do. The timeline had become unique the very moment he had arrived and there was nothing he could do to change that.
"Kami, damn it!" the familiar voice of Sasuke echoed over the water.
Yuri looked to the boy and found that he had fallen into the water. He had a very introverted personality but when he grew frustrated or angry he would often vent his anger on those around him.
"You have to change the amount of chakra to compensate for the changing of the pressure of the water," Naruto said as he offered his hand to the other boy.
Sasuke shot a glare at the blonde and growled, "You've said that before but that doesn't help me!"
"Try again, Sasuke," Naruto said and shook his hand a little.
"What's the point!" the boy barked back. "You're not helping me and just keep repeating yourself. Forget this, I'll figure it out on my own!"
Sasuke swam quickly back to shore and stormed off to the other side of the house. Naruto frowned and he went after the black-haired boy Yuri called out, "Stop, Uzumaki-san."
Naruto looked over at the Jonin, a displeased look on his face, and waved.
"Control your emotions and go aid the others," Yuri said. "I'll speak with Uchiha-san. Also, be prepared to come to the bridge with Tazuna and myself after lunch. We will be the evening protection."
The blonde nodded and went over to the other Genin without argument. The others were getting the exercise better than Sasuke and he understood why. Sasuke had more chakra than any of the Genin currently trying to learn the exercise, with the only possible exception being Choji, and as such he was going to have the hardest time getting the exercise down pat.
"Karasu-san," Kurenai called and waved from the dock.
Yuri departed from Tazuna, ordered Hinata to join the other Genin, and went to stand beside the red-eyed Jonin. He nodded to one of his clones that stood next to her and it disappeared. He gained the memories of the clone and those of two others and found out that the Genin had done some sparring and some worked with tree walking before they moved to water walking. It wasn't a terrible idea to have them do a little tree walking as it allowed them to focus on controlling and feeling their chakra and he approved of the idea.
"How did things go with Hinata?" Kurenai asked with a hint of eagerness.
Yuri looked at the girl who was walking on the water perfectly. He had expected this as good chakra control was necessary for the Juken to be used effectively but was happy to see that she had moved to help the other Genin who struggled with it. She looked down for a split second but then looked over to him. He smiled at her and she gave him a somewhat confident nod. She looked into Ino's eyes as she help the girl stand and started to give her hints and explanations about how to perform the exercise.
"Things went well," he said simply. "I have her learning a new taijutsu-"
"What?" Kurenai interrupted him. She looked at him, aghast, and asked, "Why would you do that? The Hyuga are extraordinarily strict when it comes to their clan members and taijutsu. She's going to get into trouble if they find out about this."
Yuri tilted his head to the side and asked, "Why should I care what the Hyuga think?"
"It's not you I'm worried about, it's Hinata. She already has issues with her father," she explained, "and this will only go to make him more angry with her."
"She mentioned her relationship with her father briefly but I think that her learning this new taijutsu will be less trouble for her and more for me."
She gave him a puzzled look and asked, "How do you figure that?"
"Just a feeling, really," he muttered.
In all actuality he knew exactly why it would be trouble for him. The Hiashi he knew had been more concerned about his daughter's safety than he ever let on and he showed little approval to make her work harder. It had backfired on him but he had pressed on with it in hopes that the girl would quit being a shinobi on her own. It would look bad for the main branch of the Hyuga clan but he was a man who cared more for his family than what the other members of his clan thought. He came off as a hard a cruel man but under it all had been a father who had desperately wanted to protect his children and didn't know how. The man would come to him as soon as he heard that he had been the one to teach the young Hyuga her the new taijutsu and that would be an interesting conversation to say the least.
He changed the subject and asked, "Was Sasuke getting frustrated from the start?"
"Hai," she replied. "The others were getting headway right from the get go but he was having trouble with just being able to stand. As it is, he has only been able to stand for five seconds before he falls but then you should know this from your clone's memories."
"The memories I gain from clones are strange things, like being in two places at once. I can't recall being at the bridge without also recalling being here instructing the Genin as well. Sometimes just a little clarification is nice to have," he explained.
"Sounds odd," she muttered.
He nodded his head slowly. "I'll go speak with Sasuke. Think you can manage here?"
The raven-haired beauty smirked and said, "I have the Genin helping each other to form better bonds. I'm just here to make sure none of them drown."
He grinned and left her and the Genin. He went around the house and saw the Uchiha standing in the shallows. He had a look of anger and frustration on his face as he lifted one of his feet from the water and placed it slowing down. It held and he slowly placed pressure on it until his other foot was out of the water but just as he set his other foot down he fell into the water.
He rose, cursing and angrier than he had been originally.
"Uchiha-san," Yuri said. He had closed the distance between them and could hear the boy's heavy breathing.
Sasuke shot a glare at him and snapped, "What do you want!?"
Yuri frowned and unleashed a slight amount of killing intent. "Get over here," he said and pointed to the grass near him. "Now."
The boy hesitated but eventually pulled himself from the water and walked over to Yuri. He looked down at the ground, never once matching the black-haired Jonin's heavy gaze.
Yuri sat down on the grass but didn't indicate for Sasuke to do the same. He studied the Uchiha for a moment and finally said, "You're angry. Why?"
Sasuke looked at him, his eyes full of impatience, furry, and a slight amount of embarrassment. "I can't get this stupid exercise!" he snapped. "Everyone else is getting somewhere but I can't even stand. Sakura got it right away, Naruto already knew it, and I was having the most trouble with it out of everyone here. I tried asking Naruto for tips but he just kept repeating the same thing over and over again. You told me that friends were going to make me stronger but as it is I'm better off figuring this out by myself."
The Genin had gotten his breathing under control by the time he finished his rant and Yuri didn't say anything as the boy talked. Sometimes a good rant was what someone needed to calm down.
Yuri didn't say anything for a little, just incase Sasuke wanted to add something and when it was apparent that he had said his piece Yuri said, "You disappoint me, Sasuke-san."
Sasuke's eyes widened and he took a step back. "What did I do? I tried to figure it out with Naruto but he just said the same thing. If it didn't help the first time why would it suddenly make sense the second or third time?"
"Sit down, Sasuke-san." The boy did, albeit slowly. "Calm yourself. I'm disappointed in how easily you allowed yourself to lose control. That outburst was completely uncalled for and the mounting anger and frustration that you didn't handle responsibly only made it more difficult for you to perform the water walking exercise."
"But-"
"We are taking this one thing at a time, Sasuke-san," Yuri said sternly. He watched the boy and when he was sure that he wouldn't interrupt again, he continued. "As a shinobi, you must always be aware of and in control of your emotions but just because I say that doesn't mean I don't understand how frustrating it can be to not figure something out as fast as others. It can be infuriating and it is a frustration that I am personally familiar with."
Sasuke sighed and asked, "How do you deal with it, Yuri-sensei?"
"I keep constant awareness of my emotions. You must know when you have gotten too frustrated to continue with your training and you must know that taking a break or a step back isn't a bad thing. I've seen people work themselves to the bone to try to understand a new jutsu and they sometimes have gotten very upset while doing so. The funny thing about them is that it is only when they calm down that they notice that they were doing something wrong or they notice a trick that they had missed. Anger and frustration are not necessarily bad things but too much of them can mess with your thinking and make you miss things that might be very apparent. Do you understand what it is I'm telling you?"
"You're telling me that I have to have better control of my emotions. I-I can't let my anger control me," he answered slowly. He took a deep breath and let it out. "I feel foolish for letting that happen."
"As you should," Yuri stated.
Sasuke smirked. Yuri knew that the boy liked it when people were honest with him, it was the reason him and Naruto got along so well. He was used to people telling him how strong and great he was for being the best of the Academy class but what he really wanted was someone to tell him how things were.
"Now that we've covered that we can move on to what you said about friends. You said that you're better off figuring this out by yourself and there is a ring of truth to that. There are times when you just need to work something out by yourself and there are also times when you understand it better if you do it alone. But, I ask you, how much of what you know about being a shinobi was taught to you?"
Sasuke thought about it and said, "The majority, I guess."
"Exactly," the Jonin said. "I don't want you getting into the mindset that you are better off alone as that is a path that will only make you weak and foolish. Alone, you would never have been taught the majority of what you know and almost the entirety of your strength and abilities would be gone as well. We rely on others more than you might think. You rely on your sensei to teach you how to become a better shinobi, you rely on your friends to help you in battle and to push you to get stronger, you rely on a blacksmith to make your weapons, and you rely on farmers to grow your food. We are all interconnected in some form or another and to think that you can go about your life with only your own strength and abilities is the epitome of foolishness. In all honesty, you are never really alone."
"I...never really thought about it like that," the boy said.
"Looking at it this way, you could have asked Sakura, Kurenai, or even my clones to help you," he said.
Sasuke bowed his head slightly.
"Now, to the last thing that we need to talk about," Yuri said. "Tell me, what troubles are you having with water walking?"
The boy looked at him with a grateful look and said, "I'm having trouble figuring out how to change my chakra quickly enough to match that of the changing of the water pressure."
"Ah, that is the hardest part about it."
"Naruto tried explaining it but I just don't understand what he means since he is telling me something that I already know."
Yuri nodded and said, "You understand the mechanics well enough, Sasuke-san, so there is nothing I can tell you there." Sasuke's face fell and Yuri spoke before he could, "But I do know what the problem is."
"What is it?" the Genin asked with slight hope in his voice.
"Of all the Genin learning this exercise, with the exception of one, you have, by far, the most chakra. Because of this, it will be much harder for you to get a hang of this exercise. You can understand how to do it but now you have to get your body and mind to do it unconsciously. Changing the amount of chakra that you're emitting is a simple thing but it is very difficult to do it quickly and it is one of the hardest things a Genin must learn how to do. With the amount of chakra you have, it is like controlling the flow of a river compared to the other's streams. It will naturally be more difficult for you to do and you must remain calm and take it slowly.
"My advise to you is this. Meditate on what we have talked about and when you feel calm and in control I want you to sit on the dock and place only your feet into the water. When you have gotten that down you can start adding more and more weight. Doing it this way will allow you to concentrate more and will be less frustrating because you won't be getting soaked every time you mess up. Remain calm and I have faith that you can do it."
Sasuke smiled and said, "Thank you, Yuri-sensei." He thought about something and asked, "Why are you calling me 'Sasuke-san' now?"
"If it bothers you, I can always start calling you 'Uchiha-san' again," Yuri said as he stood.
"I don't mind." He paused and said, "I should apologize to Naruto, shouldn't I?"
"That is your decision, Sasuke-san, but I've always found that apologies are painless ways to build bridges. Good luck and grab some food after you've finished meditating."
The boy closed his eyes and his breathing started to become more controlled and longer. Yuri watched him for a moment and left. He found that the Genin had gone inside for food and Kakashi was sitting on the dock with a full plate next to him.
"Eat before you go back to the bridge," the silver-haired man said.
Yuri sat down next him and began to eat the offered food. "We should think about increasing the number of Jonin going to the bridge in about five days. They should be ready to attack at the earliest then."
"Agreed," Kakashi said. "Sasuke had an outburst from what I hear."
"Hai, but I handled it. We all get frustrated sometimes."
The man glanced at him and said, "I've been thinking of a way to bring out his Sharingan but it won't be the nicest of things to do."
"I can't imagine it will," Yuri agreed. "But if it did manifest it would be a good boost to his fighting ability. I'm not sure it would be of any benefit in the battle to come but if bandits show up it would be good for him to have. What did you have in mind?"
Kakashi told him his idea and when Yuri considered it he could see how it might work. It would be risky in the area of mental trauma to the boy but if he consented it would be at least worth attempting. Sasuke was strong and Yuri knew that he would pull through.
"Yuri-sensei," the voice of one Naruto Uzumaki rang from behind the two Jonin and they looked to see the blonde and the bridge builder waiting at the end of the dock.
Yuri set his now empty plate down and said, "Start feeling better, Kakashi."
-A Testament of Things that Never Will-
Naruto was tense all throughout the walk to the bridge. This was his first serious mission, his first serious assignment, and he wasn't going to mess anything up. He watched Yuri scanning their surroundings and did the same. Kakashi and Yuri's ambush training had taught him what to look for and he studied the trees around them closely for potential threats.
They made it to the bridge with no issues and Yuri and he went to the side of the bridge where the grass was short and the trees were a little ways off.
"Naruto-san," Yuri said and the blonde was slightly surprised that the man had used his name.
"Hai," he responded.
His sensei walked to a tree and sat down next to it. "I would like to talk to you about your teaching of Sasuke-san."
"The bastard got mad at me for no reason," Naruto said and was surprised at his sudden anger. "All I did was try to help him and he just snapped at me."
"I understand that and I'm not saying that you have done anything wrong but teaching can be a difficult thing and I want to explain something to you for when you begin teaching others."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow and asked, "What, did I do something wrong? I explained it the way you did."
"And I'm not saying you did," Yuri said. "However, there is a lesson that you would do well in learning. You explained to Sasuke how to do the water walking exercise the way I explained it to you and yet he voiced that he didn't understand. So, I'm curious, why didn't you explain it a different way?"
"What do you mean?" the blonde asked, confused. "The way you explained it worked perfectly for me."
Yuri smiled and said, "Allow me to explain in a different way. Look at that tree," he pointed to one near them. "At the very top of that tree is a leaf called Leaf-san. Could you please explain to Leaf-san how he should get to the ground."
Naruto was completely bewildered as to why Yuri was having him do such a strange thing but the man had never done something without purpose so he decided to play along. "I would tell Leaf-san to fall and that he would reach the ground that way."
"Alright, so Leaf-san falls," the Jonin said, "but as he falls he runs into a branch. Leaf-san is confused. You told him all he had to do is fall and that he would reach the ground but now he is stuck in a branch."
"Well, Leaf-san needs to get out of that branch."
"Leaf-san is overjoyed at your instruction and jumps out of the branch. He falls but, this time, he is taken by the wind and is wrapped around a branch. Leaf-san is shocked by this. He did everything you told him. He fell and he jumped but now he is stuck again."
Naruto scratched his head. He had no idea where Yuri was going with this and it was kind of humorous hearing his sensei talk about the leaf in a monotone voice. He realized that Yuri was waiting for his instruction and he said, "Leaf-san needs to unwrap himself from the branch."
"Leaf-san does this and starts to fall again. However, he finds another branch in his way. You never said anything about what he is supposed to do in this situation and crashes into it."
"He should have avoided it."
Yuri smirked and said, "Now hold on, Naruto-san, I have a question. Why didn't you give any of these instructions to Leaf-san before he even started falling?"
"Because I thought he would know what to do as he was falling. It is plain logic that, if you wanted to reach the ground, you would avoid the branches and watch out for the wind." He paused and a light bulb went off in his head.
"I take it you understand now?"
Naruto nodded slowly. He had been so stupid. The answer had been right in front of him the entire time and he had been unable to see it. "Just because I think something, may it be instructions or something that I am working on myself, is simple to understand doesn't mean that others will think the same. "
"So, in the case of Sasuke-san," Yuri said leadingly.
"I should have asked him what the problem he was having was and then figure out a way to answer it."
"Very good, Naruto-san. Everyone understands things differently and it is up to the sensei to figure out a way to explain things in a way that the students will understand. But, in the same regard, everyone hits branches and a unique explanation must be given to them for them to understand."
The blonde nodded and said, "I understand now." He looked Yuri in the eyes and said, "Being a sensei is hard."
"That it is, that it is," the Jonin said.
A loud noise drew their attention to the bridge and they saw that some steel beams had fallen to the ground. The workers scrambled to clean up the mess and make sure it didn't happen again.
"Yuri-sensei," Naruto questioned, "why don't we help them?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you or Kakashi-sensei must have a jutsu that can help them finish that bridge faster," he said and pointed toward the bridge.
Yuri sighed and said, "We could but we can't."
"Why not? Wouldn't finishing the bridge for them make their lives easier? If you can help, shouldn't you?" Naruto asked.
"It would but this isn't our fight. We were hired to protect Tazuna and that is what we are doing. That bridge is the way the people of Wave are fighting against oppression. I could use a doton jutsu that would rise the earth from the water and finish that bridge now if I wanted but if I did that then the people of Wave would suffer for it. All actions have consequences, some good and some bad. Yes, by finishing the bridge the suffering would stop sooner but they will also not learn to depend on themselves. If I don't allow them to fight this battle alone, to build this bridge with their own strength, then I will be stealing away their confidence in their ability to fix their own problems. They will become dependent on others and they will be taken advantage of in the end. I want to help, Naruto-san. With every fiber of my being, I want to help but this is a battle that they must fight alone."
"But why?"
"Imagine if you were fighting a battle," Yuri said. "Imagine if I, during your battle, killed your opponent and didn't let you fight it with all your strength and heart. What would you think of your skills?"
Naruto rubbed his chin and answered slowly, "I would begin to doubt my abilities. I would question how strong I really was and my confidence would dwindle." He looked up and said, "I see what you mean but I don't like it, Yuri-sensei. I have the strength to help them, I want to help them, but, from what you said, I can't. That really calls into question what it is I fight for. I want to fight, to grow stronger, so that others don't have too but if I can't help with other's battles then what is the point?"
Yuri's eyes locked onto his for a moment and Naruto thought he saw a hint of sorrow in them. Did his sensei understand the internal battle that waged in him? He had thought he knew what it was he wanted to fight for but now he had begun to question it. He wanted to fight so that others didn't have too but with Yuri telling him that the people of Wave had to fight this one on their own made him question his conviction and doubt his reason for fighting.
"One of the hardest things a shinobi will struggle with is finding a purpose for growing stronger," Yuri said softly. "You want to fight and grow stronger so that others don't have to and, while that is a noble and compassionate reason, it is ultimately selfish."
"What do you mean?"
"If you fought every battle for everyone then none would have the chance to grow stronger, to gain confidence in their skills and in themselves. It is easy to fight battles for others, Naruto-san, but it is very difficult to know when all you can do is stand and watch. You can lend your voice, encourage them, teach them, but in the end they must fight their own battles. To say that you want to fight other's battles for them is to say that you don't want to take the hard road and allow the person to stand on their own two feet. This doesn't mean you should allow the other to die in their battle but you must let them fight till they have shown the world their resolve."
Naruto looked down. Had he been so selfish? He had thought that fighting for others was a good and proud reason to fight but Yuri had just told him that it was selfish, that he was, in other words, not allowing others to grow in their own strength. He, now that his conviction was put into a new light, had wanted to be a crutch for everyone to lean against and while that wasn't necessarily a bad thing it did have unintended consequences.
"Then...what is it I should fight for?" Naruto whispered.
He had struggled with this problem ever since Ayame had asked him what he wanted to grow stronger for. He wanted to protect others, he wanted to be a shield for the innocent, but he, at the same time, wanted others to grow under their own strength and efforts, not his. He tried to put it into words, what it was he wanted, but nothing he thought of sounded right. He would analyze it and find some way it was flawed or could be manipulated to mean something that he didn't want.
Naruto rubbed his chin. Perhaps he was thinking about this too hard. He was having trouble with putting his conviction into words so why didn't he just get rid of the words? He thought about that. He knew what he wanted to do but he also knew what had to be done. He couldn't protect everyone, nor should he since, by doing so, he would be hurting those he wanted to protect. He also wouldn't allow others to die in their battles if he could help them.
On a more complicated and philosophical note, he didn't want his conviction to be twisted but the only way that could happen was if he put words to what he fought for. Not putting words to it freed him to fight for what was fair and just while at the same time allowed him to do what he felt was the best option. Words wouldn't be able to stop him because his conviction was more than just words. It was the way he wanted to live, the reasons he wanted to fight, his purpose for growing ever stronger.
"I-" he started to say but stopped. He swallowed and said again, "I will fight for my own convictions. I can't and won't put them into words because to do so would weaken and limit them. Words can be twisted but my convictions can hold strong against the strongest of onslaughts."
The sound of the working men quietly took over the air. Yuri didn't say anything and Naruto had began to worry that he had said something wrong. He reevaluated his thoughts and found that they held to his reasoning but what if Yuri had seen something he didn't?
A faint chuckle filled the air and a small, soft smile graced Yuri's face. The man looked at Naruto with pride in his eyes and he said, "Very good, Naruto-san."
-A Testament of Things that Never Will-
A mist fell over the woods and droplets of water began to form on the many leaves and branches of the forest. The black-haired man didn't move and he could feel water begin to stick to him. Soon, little drops of water began to run down his arms and face, tickling him as they went along their course, but he didn't move to wipe them away.
Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, was thinking. Perhaps thinking wasn't the correct word but it was the one he had settled on when his mind went down the course it did. He had been one of the seven strongest shinobi of Kiri, not including the Mizukage, before he had attempted a coup d'etat. He had done unspeakable things in his life and it was when he had met Haku that he began to think about things in a different light. He could finally see the destruction of Kiri in the future, the slaughter of its people, and he knew that he had to try to stop it. He had failed, of course, but he would be damned he didn't try again.
He had become a mercenary to gain the funds to stage a larger coup and he had almost reached his goal. This would be his final mission but it left a disgusting taste in his mouth. He fought to save Kiri from a tyrant, yet here he was placing Wave under the control of another. He beat the thoughts down and promised that when Kiri was at last free he would return and save Wave. It wasn't the best of options but Kiri came first.
The mission would have been simple if not for the involvement of the Konoha shinobi, which had taken him by surprise. He didn't want to kill them, which was why he had beaten Asuma Sarutobi so severely but the man just wouldn't leave. He had to respect the man's resolve to stand and fight a battle he knew he would lose but if he had just left with his Genin then everything would have been over by now. Instead, more Konoha shinobi showed up and had pushed him and his comrades back, severely injuring him in the process.
He had decided that they would have to kill the Konoha shinobi. It would make political meetings with the village tense after the coup but he had to if he wanted to save Kiri. Sacrifices had to be made.
He shot his eyes to his left, not moving his body an inch, and focused his hearing. The sounds of heavy foot falls and leaves brushing against each other could be heard and two minutes later a man emerged from the forest and into the clearing the building Zabuza and his company were staying in occupied.
The man was huge for a shinobi. Standing at well over six feet, barrel chested, legs as thick as a tree trunk, and with arms bigger than Zabuza's thighs the man was more suited to be a bandit than a shinobi but Zabuza knew his skills. Thick brown hair went down to the man's shoulders and a large beard covered his face. His brown eyes were alight with humor and a general love for life. Heavy metal armor with scratches and gouges from previous battles donned the man and he looked so far from a shinobi that Zabuza still had a hard time believing it, but looks could be deceiving.
"Har har har," the man laughed loudly. "About time I got here."
"You're late, Tsuyo," Zabuza muttered.
The man waved a hand, his armor clanking as he did. "Now, don't be like that. I'm here ain't I?" Tsuyo looked him up and down, taking in the many bandages that covered him. His eyes lost their happiness and took on a more serious look. "What happened?"
"Konoha shinobi. Four Jonin and nine Genin. The Jonin are Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi Hatake, and some other guy I didn't recognize from the Bingo Books."
The man nodded slowly and said, "Then things have taken a more serious turn. Perhaps it would be better to abandon this job."
"We can't do that. Gato is paying too much to do that. After this mission we will have enough to return to Kiri and this time succeed in a coup. Kiri can't afford to wait any longer."
"So you would trade one tyrant for another here?"
Zabuza snarled and snapped, "Damn it, Tsuyo, what choice do I have? The longer we wait the more people that die in Kiri."
"And if we put Gato in charge here then the people of Wave will die too," the large man countered.
"We've discussed this before."
Tsuyo sighed heavily and said, "I am willing to follow you, Zabuza, but this isn't the way to do it. However, as I see that you haven't changed your mind in the two weeks I've been gone I'll drop the issue."
The man pounded over to Zabuza, his massive maul clattering against his back. He sat down next to the man and the two didn't speak for some time.
Finally, as the sun was setting, Tsuyo said, "I have a salve that will help you wounds."
"Haku already treated us," the swordsman returned.
"With the pathetic herbs that grow here?" the man asked. He laughed loudly and said, "What I have is made from the herbs of the Fresho Gardens in Kumo."
"Truly?" Zabuza asked, his curiosity perked. "Where did you get something like that?"
"From gambling of course," the man said and laughed. "I accepted it as payment from Tsunade of the Sannin who owed me quite a hefty sum of money."
Zabuza smirked behind his bandages. "A shame that she inadvertently worked against Konoha by doing so. How soon will we be in fighting order with that?"
"Four days."
-A Testament of Things that Never Will-
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