Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"Naruto" – Talking

'Naruto' – Thoughts

Naruto – Flashback

Naruto – Jutsu

Cracking Gaps: Sins of a Family

How Humble the Arrogant Can Become

Previously on Cracking Gaps: Sins of a Family,

And so, they took a boat ride until they had to walk on land once again. But when Keiji got scolded for striking a rabbit; Naruto realized that action actually was a signal never to be found. "Duck!" He directed his team and client to hit the dirt and just in time for a large object to move in the air like a fast pace boomerang that was embedded in one of the trees.

"Aww…I wanted a little more blood. You raised your team too good Konoha." A voice had pierced the air and even made the natural mist so thick that it was nearly hard to see. Despite all that, Naruto kept his cool and saw the one person who tried to kill his team clearly.

"Zabuza Momochi. A-rank Missing Nin from Kirigakure. Former member of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū. The Kirigakure no Kijin." Naruto said and once his team got a good look, they were nearly scared out of their heads.

Zabuza was a tall and noticeably muscular man with pale skin, short spiky black hair, brown eyes, and small eyebrows. He was normally seen wearing bandages like a mask over the bottom half of his face. Under his mask, he had a relatively narrow jawline and jagged-teeth, a trait he shared with his fellow Swordsmen. He wore his forehead protector sideways on his head, and prior to his defection from Kirigakure, donned the village's Anbu uniform and flak jacket. After his defection, and during his first appearance, he was seen shirtless, with his chest only covered by a belt to which he attached his Kubikiribōchō, wearing baggy pants with the striped pattern typical of Kirigakure and mimetic wrist-warmers extending up to his elbows, with matching leg-warmers.

And one of the things that made the Genin wary of Zabuza was the Kubikiribōchō itself. The blade has two cut outs, a circle close to the top and a semi-circular one nearer the handle that aptly fit the sword's purpose of decapitation. The latter notch allows a strap to be wrapped around the weapon, making it easier for the user to carry.

"It seems that my reputation precedes me even after how I was run out of my home for trying to save it. Don't you dare try to say there is a better way than I did in hopes to save my village!" Zabuza said until he shouted like he wanted to beat what Team Seven was going to say next. "Anyway, I get to face the infamous Twisted Eye of Konoha eh? The one Jonin who set the new record as the youngest Jonin and your skill in Ninjutsu and other shit are just dandy but one time, one of your Genjutsu actually killed someone on its own. I am scared~!" That should be sarcastic but Zabuza might say that way by accident; he really meant it because once he started shaking, he kept that up.

"Team, this will hit harder than when I got you guys together. If I fall, never forget what I have trained you and try to get Tazuna to safety!" Naruto said, "That is what Shinobi really do!" Naruto said like he wanted his team to abandon him for the sake of the village. But something else happened and it was something that was going to be craved into the hearts like the picture on a stone tablet.

"Hai Sensei!" They instead steeled their glaze and their Chakra so much that it was leaking out a near solid glow. It was like Zabuza's Killer Intent and Kirigakure no Jutsu couldn't bring them down. What a team!

XXXXX

At the Hokage Tower in Konoha,

"What are you saying Hokage-sama?" Mighty Guy, one of Konoha's Jonin that specializes in Taijutsu, asked while freaking everyone out. Guy is a tall and well-built man with high cheek-bones, thick eyebrows and black hair cut in a bowl style. Guy wears a green jumpsuit, orange striped leg warmers and the standard Konoha flak jacket. His forehead protector, is on a red cloth and is worn around his waist, like a belt. His hair also had the shape of his signature bowl-style though a bit longer and shaggier, framing the side of his face.

As for freaking everyone for asking a question like everyone else, you see that Mighty Guy was the loudest man in Konoha. It ripped everyone's earbuds to listen to him rant and yell about the 'Flames of Youth' all day, nonstop. But that all changed for the better when Naruto became Jonin and was acquainted with Guy; let's just say that it took only a few minutes for Naruto to trick Guy into speaking a lot calmer and to threaten him into becoming sterile and mute if it ever happened it again. Who knew that a boy three times younger than Mighty Guy could be so sadist and yet a savior to everyone's ears. But all that was merely over half a year ago and after hearing Guy's ranting for years was a hard habit to get over.

Back to the meeting now, "But I thought that when you assigned your Youthful children to Naruto-kun, there won't be a problem."

"I know Guy but we have discussed just last night and we were told that the C-rank mission has turned into an A-rank. We need Team Seven back and as soon as possible. That is why I am giving Team Nine this job to bring my children back and give them a real C-rank mission." Minato said and Guy sighed. Both Jonin were great friends and even thought Guy was an eccentric Jonin, he was able to raise a fully successful team in just one year. To do this means that Guy was thinking that Naruto was a poor excuse for a teacher to allow all this to happen; if only this was easier for everyone involved then the world will be happier.

"So why the Sensei of Team is called the Twisted Eye anyways Guy-sensei?" Tenten of Team Nine had to ask. She was a woman that has black hair and steel-grey eyes. She wears her hair in Chinese-style buns on either side of her head with short fringe-bangs falling over her forehead protector which she wears in the traditional manner. Tenten wears a pink sleeveless qipao-style blouse with red sleeve trimmings and yellow fastening buttons as well as dark green pants, a pouch adjusted to her thigh, and standard blue ninja sandals. Her appearance is a reference to the Chinese culture of a growing girl.

Tenten is training with her weapons in hopes of becoming a weapons master, a female one at that to prove that woman can be as good Shinobi as any man. That is why she idolizes Tsunade of the Konoha Sennin who became the world's strongest and best Medical Shinobi.

"Yeah Guy-sensei! I heard that Naruto-san had gotten that nickname ever since he broke the record as the youngest Jonin in our village's history!" Rock Lee, also of Team Nine, shouted in response to that first question. "He even helped me with my problem before I was assigned to you Guy-sensei!"

Lee was a man who possesses very thick eyebrows and large, rounded black eyes with prominent lower eyelashes. After joining Might Guy's team, his appearance changed considerably to emulate his idol and sensei. His hair is now cut and styled into a bowl-cut style like Guy, and he also began wearing the same attire, consisting of a green jumpsuit, orange leg warmers, and a red forehead protector worn as a belt. The only difference in his attire were the bandages he regularly wears around his hands and wrists, which also cover a set of stitches on his left hand, a trait that was due to his rigorous Taijutsu training.

Lee also was a man who proved to have no talent in Ninjutsu or Genjutsu whatsoever because of a birth defect that prevented him from supposedly modeling chakra into Jutsu but Naruto knew better. The defect only prevented Lee from releasing the chakra from his body and it is still being generated. The blonde taught him how to still use chakra in Lee's Taijutsu by using it to enhance his attributes and increase his strength, speed and agility. That was how Lee heard of Naruto's nickname.

"It is because Naruto-san is not only a prodigy in Ninjutsu but also Genjutsu. His illusions take on many forms and directly attacks the senses and even the living brain. What is more Naruto-san even took an interest in general autonomy which includes human. That is how he knows to use his Chakra for his illusions." Neji, the final member of Team Nine, answered. It was no surprise since he used to think that only those born in clans were the only ones worthy of becoming prodigies but Naruto had proved him wrong. As a result, Neji foolishly tried to challenge the blond Jonin but lost to Naruto's illusions which had hindered Neji's ability to fight or even use his Chakra. That was how fearsome Neji learned that Naruto truly was.

Neji was a man that had fair skin and long black hair. When his Byakugan, his eye based bloodline power, was not active he has featureless white eyes. Neji wore a khaki shirt, a dull blue shirt beneath that, and mesh armour beneath that. He wore dark brown shorts, blue shinobi sandals, and wrapped bandages around his right arm, chest, and right leg. He tied his hair back in a loose ponytail tied a few inches above the end. He wore a black forehead protector, under which a smaller headband with two straps that framed around his head.

Despite being outdone and beaten from explaining to Tenten, Guy was still proud of Neji. It turned out that being utterly defeated by Naruto had humbled Neji to a margin that the former was starting to act a like more modest and respectful to his other teammates and the rest of his peers. "Exactly Neji! That is why he is called the Twisted Eye, because his Genjutsu ranged from not only his hands but also his eyes. I once heard that Naruto even cast a Genjutsu from his right eye and that that Shinobi who happened to Naruto's pray had confessed to everything despite being known as a hard minded Shinobi who got his own reputation from resisting mind walking techniques and even the truth serum. That was when Naruto-san had gotten his nickname!" Guy had finished his lecture when he realized that they were right in Wave Country but there was no battle.

Instead, there was something out of a warzone. With trees and the earth looking like an earthquake had passed through and the event he nearby lake was acting stormy. It was something that not even Guy had ever seen until,

"Sensei, I see Team Seven and they are at a humble house several meters in that direction. And I can see civilians in that home!" Neji said with his Byakugan activated. That told them that they had missed the fight between Naruto and the one thing that made the Hokage send them out of their way in the first place.

"Okay then team, let's go and see if Naruto-san can fill us in on what is going on." Guy instructed and his team nodded. But they just couldn't put this aside; what could have happened between Naruto and whatever convinced their Hokage to send here to the country of Wave?

XXXXX

After a few minutes, they finally came across a humble house that seemed to be that of a fisherman since the sound of moving water could be heard on the other side from facing the front door. Nevertheless, Tenten walked up and knocked on the door. After another couple of minutes, someone came to the door and opened it to reveal a very young and attractive woman.

She was a very well-endowed figure with black hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a similar model to that of a housewife. She wore simple clothes complete with an apron and her hair was freely swaying in the wind. She still smiled at the sight of the Shinobi team,

"May I help you?" She said in a tone that only a hard-working mother can muster.

"Yes madam. Is this the house of Tazuna the Bridge Builder? Our village told us to find another Shinobi team here." Guy said in a more mature and respectful voice, one that he personally used when addressing clients or otherwise civilians from outside the borders of Konoha.

"That's my father and yes he is here with a Shinobi Team. Their leader is talking to my father while his students are outside training." She said, "My name is Tsunami, please come in." Team Nine thanked Tsunami for the warm welcome and entered the house to find Naruto in something of a living room with the client in question. When Team Nine entered the living room, Naruto noticed that and greeted them.

"Hello Guy. If you and your team are here then I can guess why." The blonde Jonin said to the confusion of Tazuna.

"What do you mean? Are you going to abandon the mission after all?" Tazuna asked in a voice that begged for a 'no'.

"Not at all Tazuna-san. It is another matter. They are here to make sure that two of my students return back to our village instead of staying here." Naruto said and Team Nine nodded in a guilty way that made Tazuna grow red.

"Why should the Shinobi I paid with all the money I have left have to leave before the bridge is built!? I need someone to protect me while I finished my masterpiece that is going to save my country!" Tazuna blew up in Team Nine's face and got them to flinch in guilt because he knew what he was talking about and Team Nine also knew that.

"Sorry Tazuna-san but we have our orders." Guy tried to settle the client down until another door opened which suddenly erased the thick atmosphere.

"We are done Sensei. One hundred pushups, two hundred sit ups and one hundred laps around the yard. All in just around two hours." Keiji said which explained how his breath intake was sharp and that he and his clothes were covered in dirt. The same for Mito and Hinata who just collapsed on some vacant seats while the latter found some space in Naruto's lap. "Can we please take them off so that we can take a bath? Please~!" Team Nine was shocked to see Keiji, the Hokage's supposed spoiled son, politely asked of something and even Mito joined him.

"You may while I will handle Hinata's bathing okay?" Naruto said and his remaining students saw that tone in his voice. I guess there is nothing a man can do to be slightly over-protective of their girls. Just not in the margin of telling everyone she sees to scram or such.

"O-okay Sensei." Keiji said with his tired tone making his voice sound like that of a beaten puppy that is too sweet to hold any grudges. He and Mito then rolled down the sleeves of their dirty jackets and trousers to reveal some kind of bracelet that had some familiar markings on. The two heirs then touched each of these markings which caused some kind of unlocking sound. Team Nine then saw the two of them getting back up and stretched their arms and legs to cause a very loud cracking sound that happens when you pop the bubbles around your knuckles.

While Team Nine were confused on this, it didn't take long for Guy to smile and realize what was going on. "Naruto, you are still the genius I still know you as! What better way to train anyone in Taijutsu!?"

"I haven't found a better one yet Guy and by the looks of the faces on your students, they haven't gotten this special aid in their training. Why is that?" Naruto said until he glared at the fellow Jonin once he said that last statement. Guy suddenly lost his good mood and looked down in shame.

"Uh…Naruto-san?" Tenten wanted to break the ice in form of the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Just Naruto, Tenten. I am not that old." The blonde smirked and Tenten just sighed,

"Whatever, just is Guy-Sensei so down?"

"Because if he couldn't teach you all Taijutsu then that is like dirt on his new shirt. It is embarrassing." Naruto answer before going into his sack while Tenten went on,

"But he did teach us Taijutsu, just look at Lee!" Naruto just sighed and went on, focusing on finding what he wanted to find.

"I am not going to look at Lee. I am going to look at the entire Team Nine in terms of Taijutsu. Have any of you trained in the field as hard as Lee or even Guy like he did as a Genin? Don't you know anything about Guy's history as a Shinobi?" Naruto asked and when he didn't get an answer immediately, he left it as a 'no'. "Whatever, I need to make sure that no one is far away or far behind while I am still a Konoha Jonin. Here they are!" Naruto before taking out a single scroll. While Team Nine wondering what he meant, Naruto opened the scroll to reveal the Kanji for 'weights' and one for 'Taijutsu' directly beneath.

Using his hand to send chakra through the Kanji Fuinjutsu, Team Nine saw that the contents were very similar bracelets to the ones that Team Seven had on. Team Nine were then creeped out by the expression on Naruto's face as he lifted them up to the same level as his head; that look could only be described as sadist fun.

XXXXX

A week had passed since Team Nine had arrived and they seemed to have forgotten that they needed to just pick up the Hokage's heirs and return them back to the village. Instead, Team Nine were caught up in what they could only moan and groan as, "This is torture!" Birds flew in flocks, fish evaded fisherman's hooks and small creatures suddenly decided to find a new home, one that is further away from that racket.

"I am telling you that this is nothing but child abuse! I can't even feel my legs!" Tenten, on the ground with bruises on her skin and dirt on her clothes, complained. But she wasn't alone. Not far away from her 'resting place' were the rest of Team Nine and the entire Team Seven. And they all were in no better form than Tenten herself.

"Please Tenten-san, don't say another word." Keiji said, straining to the pain throughout his body and the aching of every single muscle under his skin. Tenten, however, didn't get why he did ask of that.

"Oh you think I am just annoying and a whining brat like you were!?" Tenten yelled in Keiji's direction and only got the male heir to look the other way. That really hurt him like all the times he had to remember the hard way that his ways with woman weren't as close to romantic than he originally thought before he was assigned with his twin sister to Naruto's Team Seven.

"Tenten-san, what we mean is that if Naruto-sensei heard us complain then he will force every single one of us to go to bed at night with the weights increased and that is without any dinner. Sensei is that type of Jonin and instructor." Funny to hear Mito come to Keiji's aid since the two weren't at the best of ends even though they were both parts of the pair until they first became Genin. "It happened every time we did whine during the last three months Tenten-san."

That caused everyone in Team Nine to shudder, like a cold wind came out of nowhere and caused quite the breeze under the muddy clothes. Just how hard was it with Naruto's training that had caused two of the most spoiled kids imaginable to become the exact opposite? Now they are completely humble, to a fault, never even tried to make themselves look superior ever since Team Nine arrived where they were in the Country of Wave. It was scary to think about it all; just what horrors and harsh training Naruto forced his team to go through and do all this in just three months.

End of Chapter 8.

*I felt like since I have been having success in one place and failure in another, it is time to get back to the big stuff. Hope it is still good because I have been feeling like I been struggling to balance.*