Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Naruto or any characters in this story; it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Chapter 12: A Broken Nation

Kakashi blinked a couple of times as he regained consciousness. He looked around the small bedroom and tried to stand up, but his body immediately protested by sending a shock of pain that made him lie down again.

"It seems that I overused my Sharingan... I'm out of shape.' Kakashi mentally acknowledged.

"Oh, you are awake." He heard an unfamiliar sweet voice that undoubtedly belonged to a woman. He tried to stand up again to see who the voice belonged to.

"Please take it easy. Are you alright?" The voice got closer until his eyes met an attractive face. The woman had long midnight blue hair, gentle deep brown eyes and wore a short-sleeved pink shirt with a long blue skirt. Kakashi deduced that she was around his age.

"Not really... it will be hard to move for the next week or so. By the way, have you seen a hyperactive blonde, a black-haired boy and a pink-haired girl?"

"Oh yeah, you mean your team. Let me call them." Tsunami raised her voice, although it was still gentle, and called the preteens. "My name is Tsunami; thank you for guarding my father on the way here."

"Nice to meet you Tsunami-san. Thank you for taking care of me."

"I haven't done much Kakashi-san. Naruto-kun has been the one who has been watching over you." Tsunami said just as the blonde entered the room but himself. Kakashi stared at Naruto in surprise from his lying position, and his student quickly averted his eyes. The copy ninja was a little surprised that Naruto had watched over him, especially by how he would talk to him sometimes. He was about to thank, but a chill went down his spine, and his eye widened.

'My book!'

His thanks would have to wait until he could confirm the safety and well-being of his precious novel.

"Kakashi-Sensei! You are awake!" The voice of his female student could be heard as she entered the room with Sasuke in tow. "You were amazing fighting Zabuza, but if your Sharingan tires you that much maybe you shouldn't use it." Sakura brought up a valid point that Kakashi had often debated in the past, but since it was a gift from Obito, he didn't want to do a disservice to his friend's memory. Also, it didn't use to be that much of a problem, but he had become lax in his training for the last couple of years.

"I'm sorry Sakura."

"Well, it doesn't matter. You managed to get rid of Zabuza, or at least the other guy did." Tazuna expressed with relief.

"Who was that guy anyway?" asked Naruto.

"He was an ANBU black ops from Kirigakure from an elite tracking unit whose purpose is to hunt down nukenin."

"That's so cool." They heard Naruto say, but Kakashi frowned as he remembered the encounter. He mentally recounted the events and had a bad feeling about it. 'What am I missing? Even though I checked for the pulse, something doesn't seem to fit...' Kakashi's eye widened as realization dawned on him.

"What did that oinin do with Zabuza's body?!" Kakashi asked with urgency.

The three genin glanced at each other before Naruto shrugged. "He just picked up the body and left."

'It seems my suspicions were right...'

"What's the big deal Sensei?" asked Sakura.

"Oinins are supposed to destroy the body on the spot and only keep the head intact as proof of the kill."

"Destroy the body and only keep the head? What for?" asked Naruto while Tazuna and Tsunami were unnerved by the nature of the discussion.

"The body of a ninja can reveal a variety of things. Secret ninjutsu, kekkei genkai, or even the composition of our antidotes. For example, if I were to die behind enemy lines and the enemy kept my body, they would investigate every aspect of my Sharingan until they unveiled all of its secrets. Oinins tried to avoid that by destroying the body of their village's nukenin." Sasuke gave an involuntary shudder when he heard Kakashi's example. Even though he hadn't awakened his Sharingan, the prospect of having his eyes ripped out and studied unnerved him in a way he had never felt.

"But why didn't the oinin follow that procedure then?" asked Sakura before realization dawned on her. "It can't be!"

Sasuke and Naruto felt a little out of the loop. "I don't get it. What happened?" Naruto asked.

"What weapon did that oinin use on Zabuza."

"A senbon..." The Uchiha's black orbs widened as he understood what Sakura and Kakashi meant.

"What are you getting at?" Tazuna had a bad feeling about the way they were talking.

"Zabuza may be alive." Kakashi said.

"What?! But you checked his pulse and confirmed he was dead!" Naruto complained.

"It's true I did check but..."

"But?!"

"He was probably only in a near-death state. I think he hit Zabuza in the perfect spot to induce him into that state. It's not out of the realm of possibility, oinins know all about the composition of the human body. It probably wasn't even that hard for him to do so. He wasn't aiming to kill Zabuza but to get him out of that situation."

After the shock passed, Naruto let out a resigned sigh. "I told you not to fuck up again."

"Naruto! Don't speak to Sensei like that!" Sakura scolded.

"Aren't you reading too much into it?" asked Tazuna hoping they were only the conclusions of an exhausted man.

"No. In our world, if something seems off, it's better to prepare before it's too late. those who don't sooner or later will pay for their carelessness." Kakashi said firmly.

"But how are we going to prepare? You won't be able to move for a while." A preoccupied Sakura asked.

"I'll assign you a special training." Kakashi answered with simplicity. The words 'special training' earned him two curious glances from his male students, but Sakura wasn't as interested.

"Training? B-but even if we train, we won't be strong enough! Even you had a lot of trouble with him!" Sakura expressed. 'Is he trying to get us killed?!'

"I had trouble with him, but I got out thanks to Naruto and Sasuke. We four are a team, not just you three." Kakashi replied with wisdom.

"So what kind of special training are we going to do?" Sasuke asked. He was excited about doing something other than teamwork drills but didn't show it too much.

"It doesn't matter what you all do; you will all die." A young but monotonous voice spoke.

All the members of team seven followed the sound of the voice and saw that it came from a young child about eight, who wore a green jumpsuit with a yellow shirt and a white hat with two blue stripes. Though he had the face of an innocent child, his eyes reflected a coldness unusual for someone so young.

"Inari!" Tsunami called her son's name but was at a loss for words. The boy then rushed towards Tazuna and hugged him fiercely before running out of the room.

"What a bright kid." Naruto said as silence reigned over the room before he stood up. "Are we going to begin this special training or what?"

Kakashi let out a sigh. "Give me five minutes."

After changing into a new uniform and getting a set of crutches courtesy of Tsunami, Kakashi took his team to the woods near the house.

After arriving at a good enough place, Kakashi analyzed Sakura and Sasuke briefly before his eye moved to Naruto. 'I don't know how he learned to walk on water, but if he knows, he most likely knows how to do this. I honestly was looking forward to seeing him struggle with this. It was fun when Minato-Sensei taught Obito and Rin how to do it.'

"So what is the training we are going to do Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura asked.

"It's a difficult training method that requires that you put your life on the line to master it." Kakashi said seriously. He saw the excited faces that Sasuke and Naruto held while Sakura had a more impassive expression.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked getting a little impatient at his Sensei's need for drama.

"Tree climbing..." Immediately the faces of all the genin dropped into a blank stare. "But it's not regular tree climbing. You will climb a tree without using your hands." Sakura's and Sasuke's faces went from blank to confounded, while Naruto still looked unimpressed.

'Judging by his face he has already done it.'

"But how are we going to do that?" Sakura inquired.

"Naruto here will demonstrate." Kakashi said with an eye smile. That seemed to catch the blonde off guard, and then he eyed Kakashi skeptically. He had tried to be careful not to show that he knew some things that weren't taught in the academy but apparently, Kakashi had figured it out. "I already know that you can do it, Naruto. Why don't you give your teammates a demonstration." His tone was still cheerful.

Naruto gave a slight nod, approached the nearest tree, and walked on the tree until he reached a branch and stuck upside down, completely ignoring gravity.

"Naruto is focusing chakra on the tenketsu in his feet, enabling him to stick to the tree."

"And how is this supposed to make us stronger?" Sasuke asked skeptically.

"It's a chakra control exercise. It helps you to be more efficient with your chakra and not tire out so quickly." Said Naruto before he dropped to the ground and landed swiftly on his feet.

"That's correct Naruto. With enough chakra control you could be capable of mastering almost any jutsu you desire." Kakashi added which piqued Sasuke's interest. "Anyway, get to it." The Jonin threw two kunai at the ground. "Use that to mark your progress."

"How does Naruto know this already?" Sakura asked, causing all of them to stare at the blonde. Naruto was a little impassive at the stares he was receiving. Luckily, he had prepared a good enough excuse beforehand thanks to Hinata.

Naruto shrugged and then scratched the back of his head. "I trained with Hinata before graduating, and the Hyūga clan is famous for their chakra control, so she taught me a few things."

Kakashi might have believed the lie if it wasn't for one minor detail, the way in which Naruto scratched the back. Both Kushina and Minato did it when they were lying or not being entirely truthful. A soft smile appeared behind Kakashi's mask as he remembered them.

"Anyway, begin the exercise. If you manage to do it, continue to increase your endurance." Kakashi then signaled the blonde to follow him.

Naruto walked alongside his Sensei for a few minutes; he was a little anxious that Kakashi would start questioning him, so he shot his own question before he could. "So... you were ANBU right?"

Kakashi turned his head instantly after hearing the words, and his lone eye examined Naruto. "Zabuza ripped your shirt during the fight, and I saw the tattoo and your shoulder when we took you to Tazuna's house." The blonde added quickly.

"I see... well yes. I used to be part of ANBU."

Naruto's face lit up in curiousness. "Really? What was your codename? What was it like? How long were you there? Why did you quit?" Naruto quickly bombarded Kakashi with questions about the special task force.

"That's... confidential." Naruto's expression instantly formed into a sour expression. Kakashi studied the blonde before sighing. "It was a long time ago, and I quit because Hokage-Sama believed I would be a good Jonin Sensei."

"Oh... It must have sucked to leave a cool job to become our Sensei. I always thought that ANBU are super cool! Do you think I could become one?"

"It doesn't suck Naruto. I'm actually enjoying it more than I ever imagined. Although I didn't understand it then, I see what Hokage-Sama meant now. And well, as for you becoming a member, I think you could, but I don't believe it's a good idea."

A frown developed on the blonde's face. "Why? You don't think I'm good enough to be one?" Naruto accused.

"Calm down Naruto; It's not because of that. I don't think you would like it, or more precisely it won't be good for you." Naruto gained a confused expression on his face and Kakashi elaborated. "ANBU agents deal within the dark side of the shinobi world. You would come to see or do things that would haunt you in your sleep for the rest of your life. It's not for everyone. Although a certain skill level is required to be recruited, other factors come into place. Some of our best shinobi haven't ever been part of ANBU."

"What other factors?"

Kakashi went into deep thought for a few seconds. "Undying loyalty to the village and a certain darkness. You must be willing to do anything and everything that will be asked of you. I had to do things that I'm not proud of." He supplied Naruto and left it at that. He didn't want someone like Naruto to experience that side of their world if he didn't have to. Naruto was about to ask another question, but Kakashi spoke first. "By the way, thank you for looking over me when I was out." He said with an eye smile.

Naruto averted his eyes, and his demeanor became slightly shy. "It's nothing." He muttered.

"And thank you for not taking the opportunity to ruin my precious book." To make his point clear Kakashi brought out his collector's edition of Icha-Icha Paradise. Naruto quickly forgot his shyness and instantly brought out a kunai to slash at the book, but Kakashi hid it just in time.

"It wouldn't be fun if I didn't get to see your expression just after I shredded to pieces." The blonde said and smirked which caused Kakashi to smile under his mask. They walked in silence for a few more seconds before Kakashi came to a stop.

"So, what are you going to teach me?! Oh, I Know! You are going to teach me about Nature transformations! Aren't you?! Sasuke can already use Katon, and you seem to know how to use Suiton!" Naruto was bubbling with excitement.

Kakashi still smiled under his mask. It wasn't often he got to see this side of Naruto but before they began, he had to ask the blonde a question for his own peace of mind. "Easy there. Before we begin I want to ask you something."

Naruto nodded expectantly.

"Have you ever met or heard about a man named Shimura Danzō?"

Kakashi received a blank stare that turned into one of confusion. "No, I'm sure I have never heard that name. Why?" Kakashi let out a sigh of relief after not seeing any signs that the blonde was lying. He honestly didn't mind that Naruto had learned a few things he hadn't taught him as long as the blonde wasn't learning them from Danzō or one of his subordinates.

"It's nothing. Let's begin with your training."

"Yeah! So where were we? Nature transformations? Right?"

"Nope. There is no way for me to check your elemental affinity at the moment, so it would be pointless to train you in that at the moment."

"Elemental affinity?" Naruto repeated after hearing the term for the first time.

"Everyone has an element their chakra leans more towards too. For example, my affinity is for Raiton, but I still can use other nature transformations. However, it's increasingly more difficult to use an element you don't have an affinity to. So, if I train you in an element that's not your affinity, your progress would be slow as a snail."

"Oh." Naruto deflated. Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder that the blonde didn't swat away instantly. "Don't be like that. I promise if you master what I will teach you, I will check your affinity when we get back to Konoha."

Naruto's brows furrowed, and he tensed a bit. "You promise? I don't want you to go back on your word later. That's for cowards."

Kakashi felt a pull of familiarity at the words but decided to ignore it. "I promise."

Naruto visibly relaxed, and his excitement returned. "So, what are you going to teach me?!"

"It's a chakra control exercise..." Kakashi waited for Naruto's reaction, and sure enough, the blonde scowled.

"I already know water walking..."

Kakashi nodded. "I know it was quite the surprise seeing you do it when Zabuza attacked me, but I'm sure you will enjoy it more than you did water walking and tree climbing. Pay attention." Kakashi put his crutches down and brought his hands together to make it easier to mold the chakra necessary while Naruto observed intently. He wondered what Kakashi would do when he suddenly couldn't see him anymore.

"Huh?"

"Behind you."

Naruto instantly jumped the far as he could before Kakashi could do anything to him. Naruto was about to scream at Kakashi not to do that, but Kakashi spoke before him. "In case you didn't realize, that wasn't my normal speed. I channeled my chakra to my legs to temporally increase my speed. It's called Shunshin no jutsu (Body flicker jutsu). It's what you have seen me or other ninjas in the village do."

"That's so cool! How do I do it?!"

Kakashi chuckled. "The theory is simple enough. When you were learning to do tree-walking did you usually slip off, or were you pushed back?"

Naruto's brows furrowed as he remembered with distaste the painful experience that it was to learn tree-walking. "I think both happened, but I was pushed off more often than I slipped. Why?"

"The concept is similar. When you were pushed off the tree, it was because you used too much chakra. You have to channel enough chakra through your legs and feet to get the momentary burst of speed. Try focusing more chakra on your quadriceps and hamstrings than on your feet. You will crack the ground and lose balance if you channel too much chakra to your feet. Give it a try."

Naruto nodded excitedly and brought his hands together to channel the necessary chakra. He tried to remember the feeling of being pushed off the tree as a measurement. 'More to my legs than to my feet.' He repeated in his mind.

Kakashi observed the blonde with interest, curious about how it would turn out. One moment the blonde stood before him, and the other he heard a loud crash to his right. The blonde had crashed into a tree face-first and now was mending his red face. Kakashi had to let out a chuckle at the scene. 'It's not the same as tree walking, but it will do.'

"Ouch."

"Ah, I forgot to tell you, you may lose track of your surroundings the first couple of times. When you aren't used to it, you suffer a slight tunnel vision effect; try to focus on moving on a straight line before you attempt other angles."

"You tell me this now." Naruto complained as he rubbed his tender cheek. He had a few more colorful words to say to his Sensei, but a question appeared in his mind. "Why didn't you use this when you fought Zabuza?"

Kakashi gave him an eye smile. "Good question. There were several reasons." He said before he brought his left hand up. "First, I already had poor visibility because of the mist. Second, I felt I didn't need it with Zabuza's speed. Third, it takes a little time to mold and direct the necessary chakra, time that Zabuza would have used to kill me, but the fourth and most important reason is that it is practically impossible to use the shunshin while you are engaged in battle."

"..."

"Although there have been a few shinobis that could use it here and there in battle only one was ever known for being lethal and extremely proficient while using the shunshin."

"... Then what the hell is the point of learning it if it is useless in battle!"

Kakashi was glad that Naruto focused more on the practicality than the flashiness of the jutsu. "Oh, come on Naruto. Don't be like that. It still is a good chakra control exercise and good for a quick getaway."

That didn't seem to cheer up the blonde who was still scowling. "Who was the guy?"

"Uchiha Shisui, they called him Shunshin no Shisui." Kakashi replied.

"Let me guess, another UcHiHa GeNiOuS." Naruto said in a mocking tone.

Kakashi chuckled. "I never met him, but yes. He considered one of the best and brightest the Uchiha clan had ever produced."

Kakashi's answer caused Naruto's brows to furrow for a different reason. "If the Uchiha clan was so full of geniuses how come they were... well you know. Is Sasuke's brother really that talented?" Everyone knew how Sasuke's brother had gone mad and murdered the entire clan.

Kakashi's demeanor changed after hearing his student's words and he couldn't help that his mind flashed back to some of the worst images he had seen that day. "Shisui died before the massacre, of that I'm sure, but as for Sasuke's brother... some people say that maybe he was the greatest genius Konoha ever produced perhaps only second to the Yondaime Hokage." Who was a greater genius? Itachi or Minato? Kakashi really couldn't tell but it was a fair question.

Despite the somber subject they were discussing, a rogue thought approached Naruto's mind. 'Tou-chan would have whopped his ass.'

"I'll appreciate it if you don't bring this subject again, especially when Sasuke is around." Kakashi said seriously. Naruto wasn't that tactless to talk about that when Sasuke was present, but he nodded regardless. "Enough chat for now. Get to it." Kakashi said before he brought out his novel.

Naruto nodded as his face became determined, and he started to train.

Several hours had passed, and Naruto was still going hard in his training. Kakashi had left a couple of hours ago to go back to rest, so the blonde was totally alone in the forest.

'I think I got the handle of it more or less. It isn't as difficult as when I first tried tree-walking, but it's a little weird I guess.' A panting, dirty, and bruised Naruto thought as he took a moment to breathe. The blonde had made much progress on mastering the shunshin and stopped crashing into unsuspecting trees almost an hour ago. He had the direction down; at the moment he was trying to get used to the landing.

'This shit is supposedly useless in battle... I wonder...' The blonde stopped his train of thought and made a familiar cross-handed sign. A clone appeared next to him and nodded in his direction. Naturally, since they were both Naruto they had the same idea. They both fell into a fighting stance and prepared for combat. Both blondes engaged each other as they tried to use shunshin in the fight. It went as expected. The blonde and his clone even started crashing again into nearby trees, or they would get hit before they could build up the necessary chakra. It was frustrating but somewhat fun. So each time the clone would pop he would make another one to take his place.

It wasn't until the sky was already dark that Naruto stopped. He was hungry, cold, exhausted, and had a bitch of a migraine. 'Oh fuck! It hurts so fucking much.' Naruto mentally complained as he dragged himself back to Tazuna's house. He had attempted to make a clone to carry him but when the clone appeared, he just scowled, flipped off his creator and puffed out of existence. He heard something as he stumbled through the woods on his way back.

"Stupid fucking tree!"

'No way! Is that Sasuke?' he heard a few more curse words accompanied by frustrated grunts before he could spot the Uchiha. Sure enough, he was a total mess panting and glaring at the tree in front of him.

Naruto let out a chuckle that alerted Sasuke of the blonde's presence. "What's so funny Uzumaki?" Sasuke said as he glared at his teammates.

"Oh nothing. It's just funny to see you struggle for once I guess." Naruto answered which caused Sasuke's eye to twitch violently. The blonde laughed some more before he looked around and saw that Sakura was nowhere in sight. "Where's Sakura? I would have expected that she would have at least tried to keep you company." At the mention of their female teammate, the scowl the Uchiha held deepened, and he muttered something Naruto didn't hear.

"What did you say?" asked the blonde.

"I said she got it on her first try and now she is resting!" Sasuke's voice came out louder than he had wanted, but he was so frustrated that he didn't care.

"Oh... really? Damn, that was quick." Sasuke didn't need that piece of information as it just applied salt to his already wounded pride.

"How long did it take you?"

"Around a week or so I think." Naruto then turned to see where Sasuke had marked with his kunai. "You are making good progress though."

"It still isn't good enough... I'm not good enough yet..." Sasuke said the second part of the statement in a much softer voice, almost inaudible, but Naruto still heard it. Whether Sasuke had meant for him to listen to that, he didn't know; but he guessed it wasn't intended for his ears. He examined the frustrated Uchiha for a few seconds. Like in many things, Naruto could relate to Sasuke, especially now. He knew how it felt not to be good enough. In a moment of teamwork that would have made Kakashi proud, the blonde decided to help Sasuke. He examined the tree and saw that it had the tell-tale sign that meant that Sasuke was putting too much chakra.

"You are using too much chakra."

That comment didn't help as it only made Sasuke's glare harden. "I know that!"

"Temē! I'm trying to help you! Can you try it again so I can see what I can help you with!"

Sasuke stared at Naruto briefly before turning his head towards the tree and repeating the exercise. Naruto paid attention to see at what point Sasuke was making a mistake. Sure enough he saw it. The Uchiha landed back on the ground and turned towards the blonde expectantly.

"You are too tense. Chakra is both spiritual and physical, remember? Try to relax a bit so you don't use too much chakra. Find a balance that works for you, and keep it. Don't try to go faster the higher you go on the tree. Keep the same pace for as long as you can, don't try to force it by trying to run faster."

Sasuke thought about the blonde's words, which made sense to him, so he decided to try it. He took a deep breath and tried to relax as much as possible as he remembered Naruto's advice. Sasuke started running towards the tree with a set speed in mind, and he started walking up the tree with greater ease. Sasuke didn't even notice when he surpassed his previous mark by almost two meters. Sasuke hopped down and analyzed the progress.

He turned to face the blonde but didn't meet his eyes. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Naruto said, and suddenly his stomach let out a loud grumble.

"Only your stomach is bigger than your mouth." Sasuke joked with a smirk. "I think it's time we head back."

Funnily enough, Sasuke was the first to forsake his table manners as he vacuumed every dish that Tsunami had prepared for the team.

Team Seven and Tazuna were enjoying a tasty and nutritious breakfast that Tsunami kindly prepared, Kakashi had his favorite novel on hand, and he flipped the pages lazily as he heard his cute little genin talk.

"So how did the training go yesterday?" he asked because he hadn't been present for yesterday's dinner.

"I already got it down Sensei!" Sakura said proudly while Sasuke and Naruto had their mouths stuffed with Tsunami's food; although Sasuke regained his table manners, Naruto still ate with reckless abandon.

The statement got him to lift his eye from his literature. "You did?" he asked mildly surprised.

Sakura gave her a nod and a smile. "Yes! I even practiced after I got it as you told us Sensei."

"That's good Sakura. For how long did you practice?"

Sakura furrowed her brows as she tried to remember. "I think I did it for an hour or so. I was too tired to continue after."

Kakashi just hummed in acknowledgment. "How about you two?" he asked, referring to Sasuke and Naruto.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm getting there but I still have a few problems."

Kakashi nodded and turned his sight to his remaining student. "I'll be done soon." Answered Sasuke, but by his slightly frustrated tone Kakashi deciphered that he was having problems with the exercise.

The conversation stopped then and Kakashi resumed his reading. The only sound that could be heard was the loud munching the blonde made.

"This is delicious Tsunami-san!" Naruto spoke with his mouthful of the tamagoyaki Tsunami had prepared. Sakura's eyebrow twitched thanks to Naruto's table manners.

Tsunami giggled. "I'm glad you like Naruto-kun."

"It's delicious *Burp* sorry." Naruto apologized sheepishly after accidentally letting out a loud belch while in mid-sentence. Sakura's mouth hung open in disgust after hearing the loud sound.

Naruto stood up. "I'll be right back. I need to pee." He said hastily before making his way out of the room.

Tsunami let out another giggle as she washed everything she had used to cook. "Naruto-kun is certainly unique."

"I'm so sorry about him Tsunami-san!" Sakura apologized.

"Oh, there is no need t-"

"He wasn't raised properly, I swear, but what can you expect when you have no parents? If I did half of the things Naruto does, I would have to spend all my time in my room or doing chores around the house!"

A deafening silence was the response she got so she felt the need to speak again. "He often tries to pick fights with Sensei or me and can also be so selfish. I guess it's what happens when you don't have parents to n-"

"Sakura, be quiet." Kakashi said in a rough tone. Sakura promptly closed her mouth and turned to look at her Sensei who had an ice-cold glare in his only visible eye. "Follow me outside." He said in a commanding tone. Kakashi stood up from the table, and Sakura followed behind with a confused expression on her face.

There was no sound except the running water from the sink for a few seconds until Tazuna spoke.

"Is it true?"

Sasuke, who had a sour look, answered by giving him a slight nod.

Kakashi was mad. Plain and simple. He hoped that the blonde hadn't heard her because if he did he wasn't planning on stepping in any time soon to rescue her from the sure beating she would have gotten.

"Do you know what you just said?" Kakashi spoke in a controlled but slightly angry tone.

"...Mmm about Naruto not being raised properly because he had no parents?"

"Yes Sakura, that. Do you know how an orphan will feel if they heard those words?"

"...Mmm"

"You don't Sakura. Do I need to remind you that Naruto isn't the only orphan on the team?"

Sakura gasped as she remembered that her other teammate and crush also happened to be an orphan.

"Yes Sakura. Sasuke is also an orphan and I happen to be one too."

"I-I d-didn't mean t-to..." Kakashi saw a few tears appear in Sakura's eyes.

"Not everyone is as lucky as you Sakura. I won't tell you anything more but if I ever hear you say another comment like that you are going back to the academy. Are we clear?"

Sakura could tell by her Sensei's tone that it wasn't an empty warning, so she just lowered her face and nodded. "Good."

Naruto came back into the room simultaneously with Kakashi and Sakura. The copy ninja observed the blonde closely to see if any signs meant he had heard Sakura's comments but thankfully, he found none.

Naruto saw the sad expression and puffy eyes Sakura had. "Is something wrong Sakura?"

"Ehh... mmm no, nothing." She said without looking Naruto in the eyes.

Naruto shrugged off the strange behavior and spoke. "All right, time to train!" He exclaimed as he clapped his hands together.

"Not so fast Naruto. You have another assignment for today." Kakashi said.

"What?" Naruto asked in evident confusion.

"You will guard Tazuna today while he works on the bridge, and Sasuke and Sakura will continue to train."

"Man! Why do I have to guard this fossil while Sakura and Sasuke get to train?!" A tick mark appeared on Tazuna's face but he decided not to comment.

"You are further ahead compared to your teammates so it's more important for them to catch up, and I'm still recuperating so you are the obvious choice." Responded Kakashi. Naruto's shoulders slumped because he knew that made sense.

"You heard him squirt. You are coming with me." Tazuna said as he stood up from the table to exit the house. Naruto just grumbled but followed the old man.

It took a couple of minutes longer, but Sasuke and Sakura eventually walked out of the house to head back to the woods where they had trained yesterday. As they walked Sasuke didn't seem even to acknowledge Sakura's presence and she could feel the coldness that emanated from him.

"Sasuke-kun I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mea-."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." It was the only thing the Uchiha said before he quickened his pace and left Sakura alone.

Naruto had been a little curious at first. Watching something this big in construction had caught his attention initially, but he quickly became bored by everything that surrounded him.

'I wish I could be training instead of being here. This is so boring! I can't even read about fūinjutsu because I need to pay attention to the old man. I wanted to learn about privacy seals and barrier seals.' The blonde thought as we leaned against the rail and watched the men on the bridge carry stuff around.

"Tazuna, you got a minute?" he heard one of the workers say as he approached the man he was guarding.

"Huh? Sure, what's the problem Giichi?" Tazuna asked someone who was his longtime friend.

"Eh, well... about this bridge... I want to quit." The man said, unable to look Tazuna in the eyes. Naruto had overheard the man, and because he was bored, he decided to see what was happening.

"What?! Why?!"

"You know why. Look, we are friends, and I really want to help, but I don't want to be on Gatō's target list like you are. Is it really worth it to continue building this bridge if we are going to die?"

Tazuna didn't respond for several seconds as he only stared with a penetrating sight into the eyes of his old friend.

"It is." He said loud and clear without any sign of doubt in his voice.

"But Tazun-"

"Don't bother coming back tomorrow." Tazuna said as he walked away.

Giichi just looked down before he started walking his way back towards the village.

"Coward." Naruto didn't mutter, stutter, or whisper when the man passed by him.

The man turned on his heel. "Watch it brat. You don't know anything."

Naruto snorted. "What are you going to do? I already know you are the type that bitches out." To prove his point Naruto stood straighter and looked the man dead in the eyes. Giichi's words died in his throat as he looked at Naruto's threatening eyes, and wordlessly continued his way off the bridge.

'Man what a coward.' Naruto thought after what had just transpired. He turned to look for Tazuna and had to admit that his respect for the man had grown after seeing him telling his old friend to fuck off.

"Hey old man!" Naruto shouted as he made a cross-handed sign.

"What do you want?!" Tazuna shouted back without turning to look at the blonde. He was in a foul mood after having another of his workers and his longtime friend quit.

"To help!" the resounding voice of several Narutos were heard around the bridge. Tazuna turned and he found around seventy blondes grinning at him.

Tazuna grinned back. "Well get off your ass and come here then!"

"So, you say we are here to pick up some ingredients for dinner?" Naruto asked as he walked around the center of the village. If the blonde had to summarize the atmosphere, it was depressing as hell. 'Konoha may have some rough-looking neighborhoods, but nothing comes close to this.' Naruto thought as he observed multiple people with signs that begged for food or some work.

Tazuna nodded. "We are here actually."

Naruto stopped looking around and faced forward. He saw a desolate shop with empty shelves, except for a few carrots and other vegetables. Naruto turned back to look outside the store and noticed several thin kids to the point of malnutrition waiting outside with a hopeful look in their eyes. Naruto tried his hardest but couldn't take his eyes off the sad scene while Tazuna bought what he needed. When he finally managed to tear his eyes off the depressing view, Naruto looked around to see what food was available and then took out his wallet and counted how much ryō he had on hand.

Naruto bought everything his limited amount of money allowed him and made some clones to carry the bags outside.

"Hey kids come here." Naruto said with a friendly smile. Immediately a dozen kids rushed towards the blonde and looked at him with big eyes full of hope. "You can have all of it. Just don't fight over it, okay?"

"Thank you so much!" several of the kids said before they rushed to grab food from the bags.

Tazuna observed the blonde as he gave away all the food he had bought. He saw that the blonde was about to turn back but at that moment a grown man came running in, trying to rip some food out of the hands of a little girl. Before Tazuna knew it, the man was lying unconscious on the ground with several bruises adorning his face.

"If anyone else tries something like that you will end up worse than that idiot!" Naruto shouted to the multiple people who had stopped to look at the scene. The blonde made some clones and ordered them to watch the kids while they ate the food.

After giving the clones their orders, the original blonde just walked back next to Tazuna.

"You didn't need to that brat." Tazuna said but there was no harshness in his tone.

The blonde shrugged. "I know how it feels to be hungry and not being able to buy food."

"You do?" asked a surprised Tazuna.

Naruto just nodded. "Besides, someone did something similar for me; it's the least I could do."

Team seven and Tazuna's family were finishing the dinner Tsunami had prepared for them and everyone was present, even Inari. Sakura had felt extremely miserable all day and had barely talked after the situation her words had caused earlier in the day. Looking back, she knew she had said something terrible and couldn't look at her blonde teammate without feeling like shit.

Not enjoying the current silence, Sakura stood up from the table and started to look around until she spotted a picture she had seen Inari looking at throughout dinner.

"Ano Tsunami-san, why is that picture torn? Inari-kun was looking at that picture throughout dinner. Who is the one in the picture whose face is torn off?" Immediately, an uncomfortable and tense silence flooded the room.

"It's my husband." Answered Tsunami answered in a monotone way. It was very clear to Team Seven that Sakura had just mentioned something taboo among the family.

"He was a man that was regarded as the hero of this town." Said Tazuna. Inari knowing that this conversation was too painful to hear slowly stood up and made his way out of the dining room closing the door with a loud bang.

"Tou-san! What have I told you about talking to him in front of Inari!" said an angry Tsunami before she left to look for Inari.

"What happened to Inari-kun?" asked a now concerned and regretful Sakura.

Tazuna sighed. "Inari had a father not related by blood. It was like they were a real father and son; they loved each other and were always together. Inari hasn't always been the kid you see today. He used to be a child who laughed and loved without care. However..." Tazuna started to let his tears flow without remorse. "However, Inari has changed... ever since that day."

"That day?" asked Kakashi.

"Yes, the day the word bravery and hope were stolen from the people from Nami no Kuni and Inari."

"What happened that day?"

"Inari's father was seen as the hero of this land. He was a brave man who fought and risked his life to protect this land. Kaiza was his name. He saved us from a flood, and when Gatō started to lay down his fist upon this land he was the one who opposed him the most. Gato learned that the village saw Kaiza as a hero and as a symbol of hope. So he killed him to break us, but he did it in a way we would never forget. He crucified Kaiza in the middle of the town for all of us to see his mangled and beaten body, and then he killed him in front of everyone. Gato made a demonstration out of Kaiza's death of what happens to those who oppose him. That day marked the change in Inari and the rest of this town." Team 7 all sat quietly after Tazuna's explanation until Naruto stood up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going Naruto?" asked Kakashi.

"Training."

Naruto had already wanted to train since the morning, but after seeing the state of the village and hearing Kaiza's story, the blonde felt a desperate need to get as strong as possible. So, he repeated the same thing he did yesterday. He spared with his clones while trying to use the shunshin. The blonde lost track of the time until he eventually also lost consciousness.

Author's notes:

Sup people? Thanks for the 300+ favorites and I hope you liked the chapter. I want to address some reviews before thanking everyone. I know it may look like I'm bashing Sakura, but I'm just setting up things. It's not bashing just for the sake of it so please guys trust me and let me cook :)

Alright with that out of the way I want to thank the people that left a comment and review. It wasn't that good of a week compared to previous ones, mainly because the site went down the day after I posted chapter 11, so please guys leave a comment and review. It motivates me to know that you like the story and the feedback helps me improve it. So I want to thank the people who left reviews and comments. Thanks to MagneticDucky, st0rmrid3r, STAG98, InsanityDeath, Uzumaki Ramen, TeutonWolf, and Crinighnight for your reviews. Special shoutout as always to MN306 for being the beta and also I want to thank ecoBlade. He is another writer I met, and he has a pretty cool fic. His fic has similarities with this one at the beginning so if you liked mine so far you should definitely give his a look. It is called "Of Scrolls and Chains"

So anyway that's all for this week; see you in seven days and remember that I always try to respond to your reviews via PM, I've been a little busy this week, but I will get to it i promise.