CHAPTER 15
TITLE: Stepping Stones
Naruto was late.
While this in and of itself wasn't particularly unusual when it came to Konoha's resident prankster" a blizzard in Konoha certainly was. Masaru Yamanaka stood shivering in the cold, a heavy scarf wrapped around him, his arms folded inwards to keep him warm in the face of the churning blizzard that was raging all around him.
Every once in a while Masaru had to close his eyes against a bitter breeze that stole every ounce of warmth, and dried out his eyes with every bitter gust.
Dusty white snow billowed past him as he sought the cover of the alley wall. He stood braced against an alley wall, his eyes firmly on the road that led to the middle of the village. The same one Naruto used to travel back home every day after his studies. He pondered why the village paraiah always chose to travel down the center of the village, when there were so many alternative; some even faster; routes back to his apartment.
In the past, he believed it was simply a lapse in judgement. A coincidence borne from the simple conclusion that Naruto simply hadn't thought it through.
But as the weeks passed, and Yamanaka Masaru spent more and more time with the boy, he decided that his prior conclusion was hasty, and a bit concecending.
He wasn't entirely sure what the answer was. And decided that it must be one of two conclusions. Both rooted in one of Naruto's most surface level traits.
Boldness.
It's possible that he stayed in the public eye out of spite. A way to force the village to see him, to recognize him, to never forget his face.
The second, came more from a question. That being, ' Why should I be forced to hide when they won't even tell me why they hate me?'. Deciding for himself that he should not be forced to live in the shadow of their hate, but to bathe in it. To welcome it, only to return it with interest one day.
A sudden, piercing breeze shocked him out of his thoughts and forced him off his feet; sending him stumbling backwards. He gritted his teeth against the cold, 'Damn this godforsaken weather! I'm far too old for this.'
Just then, just as he regained his footing, he heard a voice, carried by the wind.
And as he listened closer, leaning against the harsh wind, he recognized it, heard it come closer and closer. He peered deeper into the blizzard, only to see a flash of yellow emerged from the sea of swirling white. Yellow... and blood red.
Masaru gasped, and forced his aching legs to move, moving forwards against the wind, drawing closer and closer to Naruto. He heard his voice more clearly now, not speaking, just the heavy, harsh rasp of his breathing.
He walked faster, meeting Naruto's bruised and bloodied face as he looked up. Naruto smiled widely at him, revealing a set of blood stained teeth, "H-H-Hey, O-Old... M-Man..."
Naruto's teeth chattered together against the cold, and Masaru embraced him, only now noticing his meager clothing. His only clothing being his orange cargo pants, and his white shirt with the Uzumaki swirl. Masaru opened up his jacket, inviting the young man in, "Naruto, what on earth happened to you? Where's your jacket, or that red scarf of yours?"
Naruto sniffled, wiping his face clean of blood and snot, "T-The... J-Jerks back there. T-They... T-Took em'."
Masaru frowned, walking the 8 year old down the trail, in the direction of Naruto's apartment, "'Jerks'? Did they do this to you as well?" Naruto shrugged, "I-I would've had em', B-But they were a lot older. I bit one real g-good t-though. Hah... next t-time I'll—"
"Next time!?" Masaru explained, stopping to look at Naruto.
Naruto looked surprised at first, then looked away, "J-Jerks like those, they don't just stop at one. They were messing with H-Hinata earlier. Next time, they'll find m-me."
Masaru frowned, continuing his walk, "You were protecting her."
Naruto shrugged, then sneezed loudly, wiping his face with the back of his now bloody hand.
Masaru stared at him, "Good."
Naruto turned to look at him now, quirking his head to the side, "Good?" Masaru nodded, "One should always protect one's comrades. Even against fellow comrades."
Naruto scratched his head, "...Comrades? W-What's that mean?"
Masaru nodded, "You aren't a ninja yet Naruto, but in time you may understand what it means to protect your village. To protect your family." Naruto scoffed, "Jiji says I should never fight my classmates. Even when they're being total assholes."
Masaru shook his head, "Language. But as always, the Sandaime is mostly correct. Except, in this instance, they were harassing a felllow citizen. Who will also, in time, become a shinobi just like you."
He looked ahead, his eyes losing focus as he drifted off into deep thought, "Protecting your comrades' and the village, should supersede everything else. You were right to protect Hinata, even if it did escalate to violence. We are shinobi after all. Violence is our trade. Like it or not."
Naruto seemed to listen, remaining silent for a long while after he was done, "Wouldn't mind being better at using violence rather than taking it." Masaru chuckled, but upon seeing the frustrated, despairing look on the young Uzumaki's face, he quieted himself.
Masaru was silent for a while after that, his eyes trained on the approaching silhouette of Naruto's apartment complex. He smiled thinly, "Oh I have no doubt you'll improve in time. The path of a shinobi is long, painful and bloody. Sooner or later, I'm sure you'll learn all there is to know of violence."
He nodded to himself, 'Yes, more than you ever even wanted to know. You'll learn, Naruto Uzumaki.'
(Italics Above)
"Excuse the hell outta me! What was that!?"
Naruto stared dumbfounded and jaw hanging as he turned over his sensei's previous words in his head.
"Zabuza's probably still alive."
Sasuke and Hinata seemed just as shocked, with the last Uchiha staring emptily ahead, and Hinata covering her mouth with her hands. Kakashi sighed heavily as he sat back in his bed, "Think back, what are Hunter ninja supposed to do?"
Naruto shook his head, placing his hands on his hip, "What the hell does that have to do with anyth-"
Hinata gasped, stepping back, "They're sent to deal with missing nin, do keep them from spreading village secrets." Kakashi nodded, "And what did that hunter-nin do with the body?" Naruto swallowed, looking up at Kakashi, "She took it away."
Sasuke brought his hand to his chin, "The choice of weapon was strange too. She could've used any kind of ranged weapon to kill Zabuza, and she chose the one shinobi tool that would cause the least damage."
Kakashi nodded gravely at them both, "They're senbon needles. They are used by some shinobi for some kinds of assassinations, but are rarely used in battle by those unaccustomed to their use. They are much more common for medicinal use like acupuncture. Something that might explain his death-like state." Naruto rolled his head back, "So he could be back any minute now."
Kakashi shook his head, "No, his injuries were still severe enough to incapacitate him. Couple that with the factor that, the human body wasn't meant to be forced into a near-death state like that, and you get a fairly long recovery period. Even for a shinobi. He'd be a fool to come here so soon, he'll probably wait until he's as healthy as possible to come back. A week or so probably."
He leaned forwards, narrowing his eyes at them all, "Which means, that gives us time."
Hinata stepped forwards, "Time for what sensei?"
Kakashi grinned, "For training of course."
He grunted loudly as he hit the floor, sending twigs and leaves flying on impact. He didn't get up at first, panting hard, staring up at his own mark of progress. A thin slash in the bark barely eight feet above the ground.
He groaned with frustration and pain as he got up, rising to a seated position. He rubbed the back of his head, then turned to Sasuke. The Uchiha was experiencing far more success than him, his slash mark at least another five feet higher up than his.
As he looked the raven haired genin tried again, running seamlessly from the dirt floor to running up the trunk. Sasuke grunted with effort, grimacing as he bent his knees to slash at the tree, launching himself off the trunk in one smooth motion.
He landed with a soft thud, panting with effort as he looked up to gauge his progress. Naruto looked as well, seeing a shallow cut in the bark a few inches higher than his previous record.
He clenched his fists, griping fistfuls of dirt and pine needles in his palm.
'Dammit! What's the deal!? I worked for weeks just to make it up one step! How did that snobby bastard figure it out so fast?'
He rose from the ground, dusting his hands free of dirt and debris, catching the Uchiha's eyes in the process. Their gazes locked, and neither said a word. The Uchiha scoffing scornfully, turning back around to continue his training.
Naruto's cheeks colored, and he turned away as well. He looked ahead to see Hinata with Kakashi at the river, working on her own training. They both stood on the water, what would have been an impossible sight not a few minutes ago. Had Kakashi not explained the differences between wall walking, and water walking.
He remembered Hinata's bashful declaration of how she was already practiced in chakra control, from her position at the top of the tree.
He crossed his arms, looking closer, peering past the wall of thin trees and branches to see Hinata stood on the water. Naruto couldn't quite hear what was said, but recognized the familiar tone in Kakahsi's voice when he was in the middle of teaching.
Her eyes were screwed tightly shut, her hands in the seal of concentration. The fingers in both hands were tied together, all except her thumb, index, and middle fingers; those sticking straight up in the air.
She bobbed in the water, her stance frequently disturbed by the high waves and ripples created by their sensei, who also stood in a familiar stance. Naruto hummed in thought, 'Man, they've been doing that for a while. We've been split up for training for at least an hour...'
He looked closer, Hinata was nearly soaked by now, her fine white Keikogi shirt was dripping, tinged grey with moisture. Her hair was in a similar state, although from what he could see the Hyuuga failed to notice.
As he watched, she suddenly plummeted, plunging deep into the water. He winced, knowing how cold the water must be.
Hinata burst through the surface of the river, panting hard, hacking up water. But despite her obvious exhaustion, she reached out a hand, pressing her palm into the water.
To Naruto's amazement, the water remained firm against her palm. She reached out her other hand, using both to pull herself from the water, panting and shaking all the way.
He frowned, still watching. Then, making a decision, he walked forwards, descending the mild decline as he made his way to the duo.
The air felt like it was on fire as she dragged in one breath after another. Filled her with life and pain in one gasp. Her body craved the oxygen, yet her lungs protested the abuse she put them through as she clawed her way up. Carefully channeling chakra to cover her hands and knees, knowing one slip would bring her back to the city depths of the nearly frozen river.
Her shivering and chattering teeth made it all the harder, but she eventually found herself back on her feet agian, breathing hard, but ready for another run through the gauntlet.
She stood with her arms dropped, staring at her sensei a few feet away for a few seconds before the jounin shook his head.
"You're nearly out of chakra, head back towards the house." He told her.
Hinata frowned, a flare of stubborn anger rising to the surface, but Kakashi sensed her irritation, and raised a hand. "You've done well. Very well in fact. But have not one, but two of us succumb to chakra exhaustion would be unacceptable. There's other kinds of training you can do without risking your health."
She hesitated, blushing at her insolent attitude, "Y-Yes S-Sensei."
She trudged to the shore, sighing in relief the moment her legs hit solid ground. It took all of her willpower not to collapse, knowing that if she did, it was likely she wouldn't get back up again.
She continued walking, finding a study tree to lean on.
Kakashi and her had been doing this for what felt like hours. Repeated instanced of concentrating, on not losing concentration. Keeping the flow of chakra constant, up to the point where the action was reflexive. It was maddening, but Hinata could see the sense in it.
Kakashi would occasionally send large waves her way, channeling his own chakra to flare against the surface of the flowing water, disturbing it in order to make waves large enough to sink her.
She bore the training as proudly as she could, constantly filling her mind with images and thoughts that would drive her to push past her limits. She thought of many things, but the most helpful thoughts tended to circle around Naruto.
She remembered the way he fought Zabuza, his plan coming together at just the right time. Coupled with how useless she was, how without her presence it would have likely made the fight all the easier for them all. She frowned, looking up at the ridge above her. She couldn't see him from here, but she was able to see the trees that him and Sasuke were practicing on.
Naruto's cut in the wood was likely about a dozen feet up if she could guess. Below the cut being broken and blasted bark, the lighter tones of the deeper layer of the tree obvious to see.
She looked over to Sasuke's tree, noting how much higher the cut was, feeling bad for Naruto. She shook her head after a momont, 'It's alright. Naruto always finds a way."
She remembered, years ago, how Naruto defended her in the snow. She remembered how cold it was, their words, their insults, but most of all she remembered the color red. The vibrant red blood that dripped from his broken nose, the brief splashes and splatters that spilled when they held him down and kicked him.
The red of his warm scarf, torn to tatters by those older kids.
But through it all, Naruto never quit, never stayed down. Even when he probably should've.
The boys were long gone, their cruel laughter carried away by the wind, leaving Naruto in a heap. He lay on his back, breathing hard, brief splatters of blood surrounding him.
Hinata hurried over, kneeling in the snow over him. Thier eyes locked, and Hinata blushed, looking away briefly.
"U-Um... T-Thank you. For, uhm..." She trailed off, her nerves getting the best of her.
Naruto got up, groaning as he went, taking a moment to blow his nose free of dried and frozen blood, "No problem. Those guys are jerks. Don't listen to that stuff they said."
Hinata smiled gently, "M-My name's H-Hinata. W-What's y-yours?"
Naruto smiled widely, thrusting a thumb into his chest as he spoke...
"Hinata!"
The shout brought her crashing back into reality, the memory shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.
She let out a high pitched 'meep', immmediately covering her mouth, her skin hot with embarrassment.
Naruto reeled back, startled and confused, "Whoa! Are you alright Hinata?" She straightened, holding out her hands in front of her, waving them frantically, "I'm so sorry Naruto-kun!"
Naruto snorted, smiling at her, "No worries! I guess you're pretty spaced out after training that hard with Kakashi huh?"
She sighed, calming herself down after a few breaths, "Y-Yes, tired..."
Hinata looked at the Uzumaki, her eyes catching the subtle dark half moons under his eyelids, the slightly sluggish way his body now moved.
Naruto frowned at him, and Hinata stepped forward to speak, "You were having a nightmare Naruto."
The blonde paused, his jaw dropping as he turned to look at her. Hinata fought the urge to turn away from his intense eyes, but she made herself meet them, narrowing her own, "You looked... like you were in pain."
Naruto's gaze dropped from hers, rubbing his arms, almost holding himself, "It's fine. They usually don't bother me too much. Sorry if I scared you."
Hinata frowned at him, something in her screaming at her to do something, anything. She was tired of being a hindrance, an obstacle to the greatness of those around her. Sometimes it seemed as if she was kind of negative force that sapped the worth of everything around into herself. Leeching off the greatness of her clan, her classmates, and now Team 7.
She scowled to herself, 'I refuse to bring this team down like this. Naruto is the kind of person to go completely out of his way to help. There has to be something I can do.'
Naruto quirked his head at her, his smile fading. The hyuuga princess snapped to the conversation, nodding at him, "I-I mean, of course! I, well... Chakra control is very important for a Hyuuga to master, but standing on water requires a lot of concentration."
Naruto nodded along, holding his hands behind his head, looking away, "Yeah, I guess. That stuff did look pretty brutal." Hinata held her arms around her, shivering at the memory, "Yes, Mizu no Kuni doesn't seem to like me very much. It's nothing like the weather back in Konoha."
Naruto huffed out a laugh, his eyes widening suddenly, "Oh yeah, I meant to ask you something."
Hinata perked up, "Really, what is it."
Naruto paused, crossing his arms to look bashfully away. Hinata frowned, leaning in, following his eyes.
The blonde looked back at her, cupping a hand to his mouth, "Would you mind giving me some tips on wall-walking?" He whispered. Hinata nodded almost instantly, feeling something warm inside her when she realized that she finally had something to give back to the Uzumaki.
"Of course Naruto-kun." She said.
Naruto quickly looked to either side of him, rapidly turning back to her, still whispering. "Also, could you not tell Sasuke? Please?"
Hinata's smile fell a bit, "W-Why is that?"
Naruto's frowned deepened, looking irritated almost to the point of anger. She felt tempted to lean away from him, but something told her that the anger wasn't directed at her. Proving her point, he turned his glower back to the ridge, his eyes trainied on a tall tree riddled with thin gouges and cuts.
Hinata understood, giggling to herself.
Naruto looked back, looking affronted, "What's so funny?"
Hinata tried to stop herself, but she continued on, holding a hand against her mouth, 'Boys...' She lamented.
She regained control over herself, shaking her head, "Nothing Naruto-kun. I'll give you some tricks I know. But first I have to tell you that it's all in the basics..."
Naruto marched up the hill feeling like a victorious king. He listened to Hinata for as long, and as silently as he could before she was taken away by Kakashi. But it was more than enough.
He made it to his tree, sharing a look with Sasuke, who now looked significantly dirtier than he'd last seen him.
He was panting, staring up at his highest record, standing nearly twenty feet off the ground. Sasuke turned to him with a smirk, before throwing the kunai at the tree, and crossing his arms. Just staring at him, daring him to beat him.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, but couldn't wipe the smirk off his face.
He felt his mind stir, and was immediately aware of the fox awaking from his slumber, "I hope what the Hyuuga child told you is of use.
Naruto smirked, 'Just watch.'
The Fox rumbled in amusement, "Hmm, what have you learned while I was resting?
Naruto walked up to the tree, pulling a kunai from his holster, 'Hinata explained how the whole chakra thing works. Now what I'm doing makes a lot more sense.'
"... Is that not what the Eye-Thief said earlier. Information that you of all people should've known...
Naruto scoffed, 'No, and if you were awake to help me you'd have known that.'
The Fox was silent for a while, "...Explain."
Naruto stepped backwards, staring up at his own prior slash in his tree, 'Hinata said that each technique needs a certain amount of chakra. Some techniques can be more powerful the more chakra you put in, but others won't work if you use too much.'
"Like the techniques those humans called, the 'clone technique'.
Naruto nodded, looking down, seeing all the spots of torn and blasted bark. Some even darkening at the edges. 'Yup, I've been using too much. My chakra control isn't that bad since I've already learned how to do this earlier. But...'
Naruto frowned, glancing at the smug Uchiha, 'Hinata... doesn't know about you.' The fox hummed thoughtfully, "So the changes you've been going through...
Naruto nodded, frowning, 'They basically reset my control. I have no idea how much is too much anymore. I have to start from scratch.' He stopped moving backwards, readying himself for a sprint."You don't seem terribly upset at this new revelation.
Naruto shook his head, 'No, because now, I know what I have to do." He launched into his sprint, concentrating, going deep inside himself. He could sense it now, as he couldn't before. His own chakra.
It was alive, in every sense of the world. Pulsating, beating, changing, blazing chaotically. It was potent now, and so much chakra was channeled through his feet now, he was likely to shatter the tree entirely.
He felt his feet pounding the dirt, his senses alerting him to the rapidly oncoming tree. His focused his chakra just in time, leaping from the soft earth, to hard oak.
He continued to run, his chakra almost too strong, nearly sending him sprawling. He clamped down on his control, bringing the output down.
He ignored everything else except the tree.
The only sound in the whole world, was the sound of his sandals beating rhythmically against the tree.
The only things he could see was the cracked pattern of bark that was only occasionally disrupted by jagged holes in the bark, and the rapidly approaching long slash cut into the wood.
He held on for as long as he was able, moving past his record in only a few more steps. He ignored the growl of outrage from Sasuke, holding on to every scrap of control he had.
After a few more seconds, he could hold it no more, and he cried out as he lashed his blade at the tree, springing from the tree in an arc. He waited for the inevitable impact, but mistimed the jump. A half a second more passed than it should have, and he spun too far backwards, sending him tumbling as soon as he hit the ground.
He kept rolling, coming to a sudden stop when his head was snapped back against another tree.
"Ack!" Naruto explained, rubbing behind his head.
His eyes widened when he saw his progress, his gaze drifting higher and higher, eventually reaching an area dangerously near the top, at least a dozen feet above Sasuke's record.
All traces of pain and fog fatigue left him in an instant, and he scrambled to his feet, leaping high in the air. "Hell yeah!"
Sasuke glared at him then his own tree, turning away from Naruto with a growl before running at his own tree again.
His feet pounded against the tree, his mark making it about a half foot higher than his last attempt. Sasuke landed with only a soft thud, instantly turning back around to run again. Never sparing Naruto even a glance.
The Uzumaki heard the challenge loud and clear, laughing loudly to himself, 'You're on!'
Naruto's legs shook as he made his seat at the table, sighing in relief as the throbbing pain faded away. He leaned back in his chair feeling the exhaustion all the way down to his bones. Though he perked up at the delicious smell coming from the kitchen.
His stomach growled loudly, and he held a hand to it, mildly embarrassed.
Kakashi glanced over at him, "Worked up an appetite have you?" He said with a wink. Naruto smirked at him, "Hell yeah I did! Made it nearly to the top of the tree earlier. Should be at the top by tomorrow dattebayo!"
Kakashi's visible eye crinkled into his version of a smile, "Very good. I must say, all of you have improved greatly since we began as a team. You, most of all Naruto. Keep it up."
Naruto felt his cheeks warm at the praise, chuckling lightly. He heard an angry rumble from the fox, but he ignored it.
Hinata piped up from across the table, her face and hair still damp from her own brutal training, "It's true Naruto-kun. I'm glad that whatever I said helped you in your training."
Naruto smiled at her, about to reply when Tsunami emerged from the kitchen, ladle, and heavy metal bowl in hand, "Dinner's ready everyone!"
Naruto nearly cheered, his mouth salivating at the heavy smell of broth coming from the bowl. One by one, all of those around the table took their seats while Tsunami filled bowl after bowl.
All of team 7 now sat at the dining table along with Tazuna's family, with Kakakshi sat on one end, and Tazuna at the other.
Naruto sat next to an empty chair, across from Sasuke and Hinata. The former, now glaring at him across his steaming bowl of noodles and broth.
Naruto glared back, his mouth upturning into a snarl, 'What the hell is this guy's problem? He makes fun of me and Hinata for being 'weak', and now he's pissed that I'm getting stronger?'
"This is but a taste of what is to come boy... Many an insect dreams of becoming a bird of prey. Envy will become a common flavor on the wind, as your power continues to grow..."
Sasuke and Naruto maintained their staring contest for only a few more brief seconds until he heard footsteps to his left.
Naruto looked and saw Inari stomp his way to the empty seat beside him. He roughly pulled the chair out, plopping himself down with a pout.
Naruto's eyes focused in on the young boy, especially the pale white and green hat pulled carefully over his red rimmed eyes. Inari seemed to catch his eyes for a moment, only glaring at him for a split second before looking away.
He felt the pang of sympathy run through him, remembering a similar scene in his own memory.
The day he swore off crying forever.
He'd barricaded the door that day, unearthing a plume of dust from a long period of absence. He scowled at the memory, it made sense to give the 'fox-brat' the old decrepit apartment. He coughed and groaned as he hurried to push every bit of old creaky furniture against the door.
His sobs were interrupted by a series of coughs from the dust in the air, his eyes stinging from repeated futile attempts to wipe his eyes free of tears.
He used every bit of his 8-year old strength, his heart beating out of his chest with a cruel concoction of exhaustion, fear, anger.
After a few minutes, he was done. The fear was long gone now, the source of his anxiety now all the way across the village. Locked up in his tower. He reasoned that the old man probably wouldn't follow him, not all the way to his apartment. And even then, that was what the barricade was for.
He leaned heavily on his knees, taking in huge gasps of breath, eventually lowing himself to the ground, his back braced against an old dresser.
Unwanted, more sobs escaped his mouth, painful and desperate to escape. He held his hands against his mouth, trying in vain to contain his sadness.
Then he heard a stiff knocking against the door.
He panicked, leaning hard against the door, his sobs now escalated to full on bawling. He screwed his eyes shut, holding his hands against his ears, praying that the Hokage hadn't found him.
"What're you looking at?"
Naruto blinked, realizing that he'd been sitting here staring at Inari for Kami knew how long. He smiled, chuckling as he muttered an apology, turning back to his freshly poured meal.
He nearly jumped when his eyes met Sasuke's again, his cold, dark eyes boring into him. Naruto blinked in confusion, 'Has he been staring at me this whole time?'
He continued to stare, eventually bringing a handmade spoon to his moth to eat from his bowl. Naruto gave a deadpan stare, looking blandly at the miffed Uchiha.
Then he shrugged, 'Fine. Game on bitch.'
And so he glared too, also eating his own meal, still scowling. Sasuke did the same, glancing to the window briefly. A strange new glint appeared in his eye, and he started eating again, only much faster than before.
Naruto hestated, confused, then his eyes widened when he realized Sasuke's goal of finishing his meal so he could go back outside to train.
Naruto's scowl darkened, 'Oh hell no you don't!'
Naruto slurped his own meal as fast as he could, taking in huge gulps of thick broth. He stopped abruptly when something in his body refused the liquid outright, forcing it back up.
His legs shook as the nausea hit him, and a short glance at Sasuke newly green visage showed how he was in a similar state.
They both rocketed from their chairs to the backyard door, both tripping and pushing each other on the way. Eventually leaning past the door to vomit their meals back up to the dark green grass below.
Kakashi sighed behind them, "Really you two, don't let Tsunami-san's wonderful cooking go to waste."
Naruto was the first to recover, sitting up and moving back to his seat. He flinched as he met Hinata's gaze, her smile much too earnest, with the faint edge to it, "Yes Naruto-kun, that would certainly a shame. I helped make it after all..."
Naruto swiftly turned and bowed to Tsunami, "S-Sorry Tsunami-san."
The woman of the house just smiled at him, bowing back before refilling their bowls, and bringing the metal bowl to the kitchen.
Sasuke was the next to take his seat, foolishly choosing to glare at the Hyuuga, until said kunoichi activated her bloodline. Staring back at the dark haired boy with an intense stare that managed to make him turn away.
Naruto covered his mouth to stifle a loaugh, but he was too late to stop his outburst. Hinata turned her terrifying gaze to him, prompting him to look down to his meal.
'Sheesh, what's with girls sometimes they're really scary...'
'Hmm, indeed. I despise your former race, I truly do. However I cannot help but respect the amount of fear the females of your former kind instill in others."
The table was quiet for a long while, until the old man finally spoke, clearing his throat, "Uhh, well shinobi-san. What's the plan from here on out? I only planned as far as the village. But that other ninja isn't dead, then..." He trailed off, rubbing his hand together nervously.
Kakashi set his spoon down, "Well Zabuza won't be fully recovered for at least a few more days, but who knows what might happen until then. For now, one or more of us will be watching you and your men just in case."
Tazuna nodded, looking satisfied as he grinned at Kakashi, "Very well. I thank you for the hard work of you and your students Kakashi-san."
The sensei of team 7 just nodded gratefully, turning back to his meal.
Inari stirred to his left, leaning on the table to glare at Kakashi, "You know—"
"Inari." Tsuami said, her tone low in warning. Inari promptly shut up, turning to look to his mother, "But, I... They—"
Tsunami shook her head, "You promised me you were going to at least try and be nice. They're only doing the jobs your grandfather paid them to do out of his own pocket..." Inari gaped for a moment, but eventually declaring defeat, slumping in his chair, angrily slurping his soup.
Naruto cleared his own throat, unused to long periods of silence. HE glanced around the room, looking for something to talk about, when his eye caught a family portrait in the corner of the room.
It was a family photo, of a slightly younger Inari, absent his hat, with a small wooden crossbow in his left hand. Tsuami looked mostly the same, her black hair tied in a ponytail. Tazuna was there in the back, his foreman's uniform cleaner then, more neat.
They all seemed happier in the photo, their smiles unburdened and free. Maybe it was due to the presence of a fourth, a man, roughly Tsunami's age.
His hair was brown, nearly the same shade as Tori's. Although his was spiky, but neat and ordered somehow, bound with a white headband. His skin was darker, similar to Tazuna, but with none of the grumpy demeanor of the old drunk.
Kaiza seemed unbothered in the photo, carefree as he ruffled Inari's hair as he laughed, nearly dropping the crossbow he held.
Naruto cocked his head in confusion, turning to Tsunami, "Tsunami-san, who's that in the picture?"
Everyone stopped, the only one to move being Inari, who only looked away, staring at the floor to his left. Tsunami and Tazuna both frowned sullenly, the old man reaching forward for the bottle of sake that sat in front of him, "His name was Kaiza."
Inari sprung from his seat without a word, running for the stairs.
"Inari!" Tsunami called.
But Tazuna shook his head, "Let him go."
Tsunami watched her son run up the stairs, eventually disappearing, a loud slam announcing to all that the boy had finally reached his room. Tsunami's head snapped around to Tazuna, "You know that talking about him upsets him." She said, her voice icy.
Tazuna poured himself a cup of the steaming liquor, shaking his head again, "And these shinobi need to understand Gato if they're going to fight him. They deserve to know, they saved my life. It's the least I can do."
Tsunami looked upset, wanting to argue, but when she looked to Naruto and rest of his team, her eyes softened. Sighing deeply, she sat down silently. More emotions on her face than Naruto could even comprehend.
Tazuna was silent for a long while, downing his cup in one gulp, taking off his glasses to wipe a tear from his eye, "Let me tell you of the hero of our village."
After the tale was finished, Tazuna sat back, looking tired. Tsunami laid a hand on her father's back, rubbing it as he rubbed at his eyes once more.
The table was silent once more as the story set in. Kakashi seemed reserved, but his eyes held an intensity Naruto last saw when he was fighting Zabuza. An edge of violence that told Naruto that the crime lord had just earned a new, very powerful enemy.
Hinata also seemed angry, but was more saddened than enraged, while Sasuke was silent and unreadable as always.
Naruto clenched his fists beside him, the injustice of the story making his blood boil.
The fox heard the story and scoffed, Heroes? Ha, what a ridiculous notion. You of all people should know the awful truth. It seems like that boy is the smartest among these fools. He said scornful, dozing back off as soon as it was clear that Tazuna was wrapping up his story.
Tazuna took another sip of sake, his face flushed with drunkenness by now, "Now Inari has lost all hope in heroes. Just like most of the village. That's why this bridge is so important. We're isolated, but if we can establish a chain of supply to other villages, we can finally get out from under Gato's thumb."
Tsunami nodded, moving the bottle away from her father, "Yes. This is why Inari is so distraught. If the father figure that he looked up to so much couldn't kill Gato, in his mind, no one can."
Naruto's chair screeched against the hardwood floor as he stood. All eyes turned to him as he wobbled on his own two feet, struggling to keep himself upright.
He fought against his exhaustion, commanding his legs to remain still. His heart beat loudly, the anger and inspiration from the story of a man who gave his life for his family pushing him onwards.
Hinata cried out, seeing what was about to happen, and Inevitably, after only a few steps, he collapsed. Sprawling out on the floor, the voice of his sensei calling out to him, "If you're thinking about training, forget it. You have to give your muscles time to rest and regain your chakra before you go out to train again."
Naruto growled, pushing his arms out to lift him from the ground, "I'm not done yet, I'm gonna prove it. If it's the last thing I do."
HIs muscles shook as he rose, finally raising his tired body off the ground, walking to the door. He rested on the archway, turning to look back at those seated at the table, a grim smile on his face, "I'm gonna prove that heroes do exist."
In the end he didn't train for very long, despite the fact that his blood was up after Tazuna's story, and some helpful competition from Sasuke after he saw Naruto go outside. The both of them were simply too tired to go on.
So they both went inside to rest, beginning again bright and early the next morning.
Naruto had to concede Kakashi's point, feeling much more rested. His body evidently too tired to even conjure up any nightmares. He was upset at first to see Sasuke had beaten him outside somehow, but felt his anger fade as he saw that the Uchiha had yet to beat his record.
He inwardly celebrated his victory quickly, before turning to run up the tree.
He frowned in concentration as he always did, running for the tree as fast as he could, heading for the trunk faster than usual.
He extended his foot forwards to make his first step, but found himself propelled from the tree instead.
He flew backwards landing squarely on his back, sliding several meters before stopping. He rubbed his head, "Oww... What the hell happened?"
He heard a familiar rumbling in his head, "Hmm, it appears as if the changes in your chakra, and body have at last fully matured.
Naruto groaned, standing up, "I don't speak nerd."
The fox growled, "The changes have finished. Until your body grows more accustomed to change, this will be the extent of the changes for now."
Naruto dusted himself off, glancing at Sasuke for a moment, who seemed not to notice him. Too focused on his own training. Naruto looked at his tree again, noticing the lack of cracks or chakra burns on the tree, realizing that his sudden jump was due to the sheer force of his feet, not any disturbance in his chakra.
He concentrated, using the techniques Kakashi and Tori taught him, focusing on the world around him.
Naruto gasped, feeling as every sense expanded far beyond his previous limits. It was far too much information, the sounds, tastes, and smells bombarding him with detail after detail.
A beetle was munching on a leaf 10 meters away, it's hard carapace grinding and clicking as it climbed the leaf, biting chunks out of the green plant it sat on.
A fox tended to it's kits in a burrow a dozen meters behind him. The layer of caked dirt and clay made it harder to hear, but he was vaguely aware of three kits, who whined softly to their mother. Naruto held his head, straining to concentrate, slowly filtering the information, cutting off the flow of chakra to his senses.
After a few seconds, everything went back to normal.
Naruto panted for a while, shaking his head in disbelief, 'Fucking hell! And now my whole body's like that?'
"Yes, it is another tool that you must learn to control if you are to grow.
Naruto groaned, gripping his hair in both hands, 'All that training, all that time, and now cause of the Fox I have to start ALL OVER AGAIN?!'
"Dobe!"
Naruto jumped, "Ah! Oh, what the hell teme!?"
Sasuke said nothing, looking at him strangely for a moment, one eyebrow raised. Naruto got up quickly glaring at the Uchiha, "What the hell are you staring at?"
After another moment, Sasuke growled and looked away, looking as if he were debating something with himself, "You talked with Hinata earlier." Naruto nodded, wondering where this was going, "Yeah, well, uh. I asked for some advice. You know, since she's already doing the water walking thing."
Sasuke nodded along, his cheeks reddening more and more by the second, "W-Well, what kind of advice?" He more or less demanded.
Naruto's face scrunched up, 'Sounds more like a demand than a question.' Naruto's eyes widened, and he grinned at the Uchiha, feeling a particular itch he hadn't felt in a while.
The kind of itch he felt when he felt like playing a prank.
Sasuke saw the change coming, his earlier embarrassment gone in a flash, he glared now, crossing his arms angrily, "Well?" He felt content watching him squirm for a bit, nearly laughing out loud as Sasuke's text began to grind.
'Make them pay Naruto...'
He started, stilling when he recognized the voice.
It was only now that Naruto realized that being injured like a normal person sucked ass.
He limped from his apartment, against the orders of his newest ANBU guard. He glared up at a rooftop, unable to see anyone, but quite sure that was where she currently hid herself. Being a bird and all...
He grunted, turning away from the busy streets, and the rooftops, heading towards a stream he knew of.
It was supposed to be his first day back at the academy today, but the previous night was anything but restful. He tossed and turned for hours until he finally admitted defeat, getting up to wander the village.
He held his chest gingerly as he walked, holding the bandages fast to his wounds, praying that he wouldn't slip and inadvertently open the wound.
Naruto's fingers rubbed gingerly at the lines of deep cuts and cracks. Tracing a criss crossing pattern of wounds that went up his chest and back, burns in between them where chakra had torn his body apart.
He winced at the memory, only scarcely remembering certain events, large blank spots coating his memory of his kidnapping.
He walked along an old beaten path, knowing ever turn and bend, having visited this particular spot dozens of times. It was his second favorite spot, a close second to the spot on top of the Yondaime's head. A beautiful, sparkling pond in the middle of nowhere.
It was also a private spot, a spot owned by no clan or person in the village. He struggled near the end of the trail, walking at an incline for a few feet, eventually reaching the crest of a hill, when he saw someone.
He froze, watching a boy with short black hair, and an Uchiha crest on their back turn his head to look him. Sasuke flinched when he noticed him, apparently also thinking that this spot would be abandoned. Their eyes met, and Naruto squinted his eyes at him.
The Uchiha's dark eyes studied him, one eyebrow raising, asking him, 'What the hell's wrong with you"'
Naruto just narrowed his eyes at him, 'None of your business asshole.'
As if hearing his thoughts, Sasuke shrugged, turning back to the water. Naruto frowned, making his way to his usual spot.
His legs moved sluggishly, carefully shuffling one leg in front of the other, eventually reaching the frail wooden railing at the edge of the pond.
For a while he just stood there, admiring the calm morning sunlight reflecting gently against the smooth, ripping waves.
"What happened to you." Sasuke asked, his voice cutting through the calm of the churning water in front of them.
Naruto swallowed hard, the claw marks in Iruka's neck, and faint images of Masaru's ruined body flashed through him. He shook his head vigorously, glaring at the Uchiha, "What do you care?"
Sasuke looked taken aback for a moment, genuinely surprised at his outburst. He looked away from him, gripping the wooden railing with increasing force, "I don't." He said quietly. His anger apparently gone.
Silenced descended once more, and Naruto saw how the Uchiha's apparent anger dissolved. All the heat left his eyes, leaving something empty behind. Something sad, in the middle of melacholy and guilt.
The feeling was contagious, and despite his earlier reluctance, he now felt compelled to say more.
He licked his lips nervously, not looking up at Sasuke, "Someone... Someone close to me... Someone I, cared about. Tried to... hurt me." He rasped, the words feeling faint and opaque, as if speaking about a dream, instead of his own cruel reality.
Sasuke was silent for a while, shuffling anxiously to his right, "And?"
Naruto looked at him incredulously, "And? What do you mean, 'And'?!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he shrugged, "And, what else?"
Naruto looked away again, finding his curious, yet intense gaze had to bear right now.
"A-And, that's, well. That's how I got hurt."
Sasuke hummed in consideration, "What happened to him?"
Naruto said nothing for a while, his heart rate beginning to rise as more and more images and memories surfaced. He did his best to concentrate on the water, the steady, familiar sight soothing his mind like cool ice to a wound.
"He's dead." He mumbled.
"You killed him?" Sasuke nearly yelled, both incredulous and a bit skeptical.
Naruto said nothing, feeling his stomach lurch as the image of Masaru's unrecognizable corpse sitting in the corner of the room. The stench of blood and spilled guts filling the room, the only distraction from Iruka's body, the thick, slippery blood of both pooling in the center of the room.
He gagged, looking down, focusing on the water again, breathing hard.
"...How did it feel." Sasuke asked slowly.
He shook his head, a thousand words coming to mind to describe his experience. But only one answer that felt honest.
"I don't know."
Sasuke's head whipped around to stare at him, causing the blonde to shrink in on himself, "You don't know?"
Naruto shook his head, "There was, someone else there... They... got hurt. I couldn't really think about it."
That shut Sasuke up, whatever rebuttal he was about to say dying on his lips. His mouth closing swiftly. Sasuke frowned, his eyes softening, "Iruka, right. That's why he's not here. He's dead."
Naruto felt tears well up in his eyes, a thousand emotions swirling around, guilt binding it all together.
N-Naruto... It's—Ack. It's... not..."
He shook his head again, a few tears spilling from his eyes. He rubbed them, not wanting Sasuke to see him like this, but when he stole a glance, he was surprised to see that the Uchiha seemed sad as well. Something dangerously close to empathy in his dark, usually stoic orbs.
It disappeared nearly instantly, Sasuke turning his head so fast his hair shook. Looking away from Naruto, wiping his own eyes.
Naruto stared at the Uchiha in disbelief, remembering an announcement out of hte blue a few months ago. Something to do with the Uchiha clan. He'd been sleeping of course, not paying attention to the announcement, which earned him an hour of cleaning under Iruka-sensei's supervision.
Naruto pursed his lips, "What about you? Something bad happened right? About your clan?"
Sasuke turned with such speed and force Naruto flinched back, hard. Sasuke loomed in front of him, all tenderness completely gone, staring at him eye to eye. His stare as angry and hateful as could be. The Uchiha breathed in ragged breaths, glaring at Naruto for all he was worth.
Naruto could only lean back, confused as he stared, and slowly but surely, Sasuke calmed down, turning away from him with a low, bestial growl.
He leaned against the railing, gripping it hard, his head lowered, "My... Someone, close to me. He... He killed my family. My parents, my clan, everyone. Leaving only me. Just me." Sasuke grated, his pain so deep and guttural Naruto truly felt for the lone Uchiha, frowning in sympathy.
Naruto felt a closeness then, a connection that he couldn't describe in mere words. He nodded, looking away, "What'll ya do now?" He said quietly, almost certain of his answer already.
The last Uchiha didn't dissapoint, turning to Naruto, sheer determination in his expression, his black eyes narrowed to slits, "I will find him. I'll find the strength to find him, to avenge my clan. To restore the honor and prestige of the Uchiha, and get justice for the death of my parents."
Naruto breathed in, moved by his determination, inwardly wishing he had a similar goal. His traitorous mind nonchalantly wished that perhaps it may be better is Masaru was alive. If only to find him and kill him himself."
He breathed out a ragged, tired breath, knowing that vengeance just wasn't in him.
'Besides, now I know real violence. It's not flashy at all, just bloody and miserable.' Naruto snarled to himmself, kicking a stone into the water, "Well I can't do that can I. Now I'm stuck here, so helpless a stray kitten could beat the hell out of me!"
He raged, kicking the barrier, only managing to shake it slightly, and also aggrivate his wounds. He winced, holding an arm to his chest.
He paused for breath, leaning on the railing, staring at the the smooth pebbles and stones under the clear, calm water.
"Saying you're 'stuck here' is a funny way of saying that you're still alive, dobe." Naruto frowned, turning back around to face Sasuke, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Sasuke stepped forwards, looking him in the eye, "You're still alive Naruto. I don't know how, but you are. And that means something." Naruto's eyes widened and he looked away again, "I shouldn't be..."
"But you are!" Sasuke roared, startling Naruto into looking at him again. "You're still here, even though he tried to kill you. That means something you idiot."
Naruto ignored the insult, to preoccupied in deciphering the meaning of Sasuke's words. 'That means something? Like what?'
Sasuke frowned deeper, sighing in annoyance, loooking away again, "It means you have another chance. That you have a chance to get stronger, to make sure that you're never that helpless again!"
Sasuke's face scrunched up, "My... He tried to kill me. He ruined me, took everything from me! And I'm still here. Still fighting. And nothing will stop my from avenging my family." By now, Sasuke's face was inches from his, but Naruto couldn't look away, feeling as if he'd just been handed a golden ticket. A chance for something else, a chance at another goal.
He stared, completely speechless as Sasuke backed off, regaining his breath from his outburst. For a while, they just stood there. Each one gauging the other, both silent. After a while, Naruto started to smile, the coldness in his heart fading as he made his realization that he wasn't as alone as he thought.
Surprisingly Sasuke is the one who broke the silence, getting embarrassed from the attention, his cheeks growing red, "What's with that look on your face idiot?"
Naruto snorted, his smile only widening, "What look?".
Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Are you gonna make it to the acadmy on your own, or do you need someone to carry you." He said, gesturing to the trail that led uphill to the center off the village.
Naruto's legs quivered at the sight, but he bolstered his resolve, smirking at the Uchiha, "Well, if you're offering, that does sound nice."
The Uchiha almost smiled, huffing as he walked off.
"Hn, dobe." He said, definitely not under his breath.
Naruto lagged behind for a moment, frowning as he recalled Sasuke's words from before,
'He tried to kill me. He ruined me, took everything from me! And I'm still here. Still fighting.'
Naruto frowned, looking down to his belly, raising the white shirt to see the seal on his stomach. Hard lines cutting through it in a cracked sort of pattern, the lines raised like scars on his flesh.
His hand warmed at the touch, "Well, at least I haven't lost everything." He said, feeling a new energy in his limbs as he made the climb, feeling ten tons lighter.
Naruto snapped back to reality, his eyes meeting dark ones, Sasuke staring expectantly at him. Naruto smiled, a warm feeling spreading in his chest, "Hinata-chan said it was all in the basics."
Kakashi watched from his spot near the house, Hinata sitting near the river, drinking water from a water bladder.
He nodded, 'She's coming along nicely. Her chakra control is superb even for a Hyuuga. Soon, there'll be very little I can teach her without more experience in the field.'
His eyes swayed to the two boys in his squad, Naruto explaining; in his own fractured, Naruto-like way; the method he used to improve his chakra control.
He gestued to himself, pointing to his ankle, sticking himself to a nearby tree, demonstrating.
He could see the way Sasuke he grew more and more angry, eventually blowing up at him, "Dobe! It's 'Tenketsu' not 'Tensuku' if you're gonna explain something—"
"Well excuuuse me for trying to help. It doesn't matter what it's called, its the shit in our bodies that... You know, makes chakra!"
"It doesn't make chakra! They're specific points where our pathways connect and diverge, they're like pressure points. Our bodies make the chakra."
"Agh! Do you want help or not!?
They continued to argue, but Kakashi couldn't help but smile, despite the growing noise of loud arguments and insults. He was confident now, that were once stood a group of genin, now stood a team. He chuckled, "Is this why you stuck around sensei, for this."
No one answered, and he shrugged, "You really were a sap Minato-sensei."
Hey guys, me again
Chapters 1-17 have been edited to make some revisions, and add some life and much needed substance to this story. As such, they're worth a read through, both to catch up as I release more chapters, and to alert you on what is different about the story.
I can't say for sure when the next full chapter will be up, but I am sure that it won't be too long until then. Again, I'm glad that I'm back, and plan to make the most of the time that I have back home.
Stay safe,
KCMC66