Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Naruto or any characters in this story; it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 13: Calm Before the fight
"Umm, five minutes, and I'll wake up Tsunami-san." Said Naruto after he felt a slight and delicate touch around his right shoulder.
"You'll probably catch a cold if you stay sleeping like that." A soft and gentle voice spoke.
"...Huh?" It was then that Naruto realized that several things were out of place. The voice that he had heard wasn't Tsunami's voice; the slight breeze, the chirping sounds made by birds, and the hard and slightly cold sensation he felt indicated that he wasn't in his sleeping bag back in Tazuna's house.
The blonde groggily opened his eyes, and sat up with great effort before his eyes took in his surroundings. It was apparent to him that he had passed out while training. His eyes continued moving through the clearing, illuminated with the early rays of sunlight of the day. His sight eventually landed on a face he hadn't ever seen before, a face he deduced was the owner of the voice that had awoken him.
"Who are you?" Naruto blurted out as his brain slowly caught up to his more awake body. It took his foggy brain a few more seconds to register the appearance and facial features of the one that had awakened him. It was a fair-skinned girl, a couple of years older than him, he guessed, with long and loose jet-black hair, warm brown eyes, and a pink sleeveless yukata.
Naruto didn't really spend time thinking about girls and how pretty they were after he had dropped his little crush on Sakura years ago. Still, he had to admit that this girl was really pretty. "I'm s-sorry." Naruto apologized without knowing why while his whiskered cheeks gained a slightly pink undertone. The blonde studied the soft and delicate features that had an air of pureness and elegance. 'She kind of reminds me of Hinata.' The blonde broke his train of thought as he coughed into his hand. "I mean... what are you doing here?" This voice seemed an octave lower than what it had previously been.
The woman just giggled. "I'm gathering medicinal herbs."
"Medicinal herbs?" Naruto repeated with curiosity as he tilted his head.
The woman gave Naruto a smile and a nod. "Yes, herbs that can help heal injuries, sicknesses, and other things." Her eyes moved to a basket on her left, and Naruto's eyes followed. He noticed the basket was completely empty, meaning she had yet to gather the herbs she sought.
The blonde scratched his cheek as he averted his eyes. "You know... I could help you if you want." Naruto murmured which surprised the girl.
"Really? You wouldn't mind the trouble? I wouldn't want to be a bother so early in the morning."
"Not at all." Naruto didn't murmur this time, and he gave her one of his toothy grins, which displayed his larger-than-normal canines. "Just tell me which herbs you need, and I'll help you get them -ttebayo!"
The woman wasted no time showing Naruto the specific herbs she sought, and the blonde diligently looked for them through the woods. As the sun continued to rise and the minutes went by, the herbs they had been looking for gradually accumulated in the basket.
"You got up pretty early to do this Nē-chan." Naruto noted as he plucked another herb from the slightly wet ground, thanks to the early morning dew.
"I could tell you the same thing. What were you doing in a place like this so early in the morning?" the girl enquired with curiosity as he put another herb into the basket.
"Oh, I was training late yesterday, and I guess I was too tired and fell asleep at some point." The blonde confessed as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Training? Could it be that you are a ninja or something? I mean with that hitai-ate you are wearing you certainly give the impression of being one."
Naruto nodded. "Yes, I am!" Said Naruto with a big grin.
"Well, you must be a pretty good one then... but why were you training?"
"I need to get stronger." Naruto answered with determination burning in his cerulean orbs.
"But why do you need to get stronger?"
Without knowing it the girl brought forth a question that Naruto had been asking himself ever since team assignment day, where Kakashi had asked them about their dreams for the future. 'It's not because of the mission, not really. I would be training even if we weren't on a mission, so it's not that. I guess I want to surpass Tou-chan but...'
"I'm not sure to be honest." Naruto confessed in a defeated tone. The girl saw the light leaving the previously bright eyes of the blonde as his posture sagged. "I used to have a dream not so long ago but it's not really for me anymore. I have a goal but... it doesn't feel enough, you know." Naruto, who often kept things to himself, couldn't explain why he expressed his thoughts with someone he had met not even an hour ago but he felt comfortable.
"Don't you have anyone precious to you?" The girl asked, and for a brief second, she saw the dullness in blue eyes deepen, and it was there that she understood something. That they were similar to each other.
Naruto pondered the question, and his mind first pictured his mother and father but quickly got morbid since they weren't alive anymore. Other people started appearing in the front of his mind. Yoshino, the Ichiraku's, Shikamaru, Hinata...
"I have a few people that are precious to me." Naruto said as a smile developed on his face. "I don't have many but the few I have... I would do anything for them." The hollowness she had previously seen in his eyes was replaced by an intensity that burned brightly.
The girl couldn't help but smile at the blonde's words as she closed her eyes and pictured the one person who was precious to her. "You know... I believe when a person has something precious to protect, that's when they can become truly strong." Again, an image of Kushina and Minato appeared in the front of Naruto's mind but this time he smiled.
"I'll never forget that. I promise and I never go back on my word -ttebayo." The blonde said and the girl smiled back.
"You'll get strong." She concluded before she stood up and dusted herself. "I hope we meet again..." She said as she started walking, but she stopped suddenly. "Oh, I almost forgot. I'm not a girl. I'm a boy."
Sasuke had been looking for his blonde teammate since the hyperactive member of team seven had been a no-show at breakfast. He had just spotted him sitting in a clearing but what caught his attention was the attractive female he just passed on his way. Sasuke continued walking until he reached Naruto, who had his mouth open and eyes wide.
"This world is full of mysteries." Naruto said absentmindedly.
The Uchiha just lifted a curious eyebrow and bonked his teammate on the head.
"Ouch! Hey! What are you doing here Uchiha?! And what was that for?!" Screamed the blonde after coming out of his trance.
"You forgot breakfast Uzumaki."
The blonde's stomach let out a resounding growl when he was reminded of the food he had yet to eat.
Sasuke and Naruto returned to Tazuna's house silently until Sasuke spoke up. "Who was the girl that was with you in the clearing?"
A devious grin formed on Naruto's face before he schooled his features. "Why? You thought she was pretty?"
Sasuke grunted in response as he kept his eyes looking forward.
"You know... it was a guy not a girl."
Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks and his neck snapped to turn towards the blonde.
"Not that it has to stop you. You can still go for him if you want."
Sasuke caught up with his blonde teammate and repeatedly bonked him on the head. "Idiot! I'm not into that stuff." The Uchiha exclaimed as he glared.
"Really?" Naruto faked being surprised. "I thought... well, with all the girls behind you in the academy, and you never pay them any mind..."
Sasuke's glare intensified. "I could tell you the same thing."
"Huh?" Naruto said, this time genuinely surprised. "No girl liked me back at the academy, much less that way."
"...Idiot." Sasuke muttered. The pair resumed their walk in silence after that brief exchange.
When they arrived, Naruto saw that everyone was waiting for him. "Good morning, y'all. Sorry that I didn't come back yesterday. I was too tired and fell asleep in the woods."
"Tch." Inari let out as he closed his fist and shook his head before leaving the room.
"Good morning, Naruto. Did you advance in your training?" Kakashi said with an eye smile, and the blonde noted that his Sensei no longer had his crutches with him.
Before he could answer, a voice interrupted him. "You shouldn't stay out there Naruto-kun." Naruto followed the voice and saw that it came from a frowning Tsunami.
The jinchuriki just grinned sheepishly, which caused the woman to sigh and smile. "I'll serve you breakfast in a bit." Said Tsunami as she turned, her midnight blue hair flowing with hair.
"Thank you, Tsunami-san." He answered as his eyes were entranced by the flowing hair of their hostess. Not tearing his eyes away from the hypnotic mane he sat next to Sakura.
They didn't exchange words until Sakura swatted him in the arm. "Stop being a perv, and don't stare at Tsunami-san." Sakura muttered.
"What?! It's not like that! I just like her hair." Naruto muttered back.
"Yeah right." Sakura rolled her eyes.
While the preteens may have thought they were being discrete they spoke just loud enough to be overheard, which caused both Kakashi and Tazuna to chuckle while Tsunami smiled.
After eating a full meal and filling his stomach the blonde was ready to begin his day. "So what are we doing today?" Naruto spoke.
"Sasuke you are finished with your training, right?" Kakashi asked.
He received a nod in response. "Good. Then you and Sakura will guard Tazuna for the day."
"Awesome! I can train even more!" The blonde interrupted with a big grin.
"Not so fast Naruto." The words caused Naruto's grin to disappear. "You aren't going to be doing what you have been doing but will still train." Kakashi finished.
Naruto just gave his Sensei a confused look, which caused the Jonin to elaborate. "You are going to be helping me train. I need to stretch just to see how much I have recuperated, and I also want to see how much you have progressed."
The grin reappeared on Naruto's face as a fire blazed his eyes. "You are on! But don't blame me if you end up bedridden again!" An excited Naruto proclaimed he wanted to show Kakashi how far he had progressed with the technique.
"We'll see about that." Kakashi responded pleasantly while giving his student his signature eye smile.
Naruto didn't know why but felt slightly put off by his Sensei's tone, and his bravado wavered.
Team Seven and Tazuna stepped outside and were about to go their separate ways, but Tazuna shouted.
"Wait! Can the blonde do his clone thing again so I can take a few of them to the bridge so they can help me build the bridge?"
Kakashi was about to speak but Naruto shrugged and produced twenty clones before he could speak his mind.
'He should really be more careful with how he uses that jutsu.' Though Kakashi.
. "All right guys, you know the drill. Follow the old geezer's orders, and let's get this bridge done!"
"Hell yeah!"
"You go it boss!"
"We will get it done in no time dattebayo!"
The original Naruto then turned to Tazuna. "You take care of them, old man!"
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Come on squirts, let's get going." The twenty Narutos, Sasuke and Sakura frowned but followed Tazuna.
The herd of blondes and his companions silently walked towards the bridge until one of the clones got bored and decided to entertain himself by bothering Sasuke.
"So... Uchiha... after we get rid of Gatō and finish this bridge, are you going to look for that guy to ask him out on a date?" the clone asked as the rest went into a fit of laughter.
Sakura nearly fell to the ground in horror. 'No way Sasuke-kun is gay! No way! I refuse to believe it!' She desperately hoped that she had heard wrong or that Naruto was just being his usual self.
The clone that spoke only lived a few more seconds before Sasuke smacked him out of existence. Still, in the remaining clones, a collective thought was going through their minds regarding their deceased brother's action.
'Worth it. Totally worth it.'
"Oi! Don't do that again! I know these brats are annoying, but they are free labor so don't kill any more of them." Tazuna said.
"Hey! What did you call us?!" all the clones spoke at the same time.
Naruto chuckled and snickered as he received the memories of the clone that ceased to exist.
"Something funny Naruto?" asked Kakashi.
"Huh? Oh no, nothing. It's just a received a memory of one of my clones that played a prank on Sasuke." The blonde Genin explained while walking next to his Sensei.
"You should be more careful on how you use that jutsu. It's not only the memories you will get back once they pop."
"What do you mean?" asked the Uzumaki.
"It's not a well-known fact since most shinobi don't use the jutsu for a prolonged time like you, but the exhaustion also comes back to you once the clone is dispelled. Also, if the clone stays for too long, when it dispels, all the memories it has gathered will be crammed back into you at once." Kakashi explained.
"Huh? I never really notice." Answered Naruto, which caused Kakashi to sweat drop. 'I guess that explains the headaches I have been having.'
After that exchange of words, their walk was silent as they traversed the woods. During the quiet walk, Naruto's mind went towards the stranger he had met earlier in the day. 'Precious people?' He thought before his eyes drifted toward his Sensei, and he couldn't help but wonder what Kakashi was to him. Just a sensei? A brother? Or a brother who abandoned him? Did he save him from Zabuza only because it was a tactically sound decision? He had to admit that his opinion of the Jonin had increased, and he found him cool but... it didn't change the fact that he had never appeared before team assignment day. He had rather mixed feelings about the copy ninja to say the least.
"Naruto?" Kakashi spoke but he received no reply as the blonde seemed to be in his own world while he held a frown.
"Naruto..." he tried again.
"Huh?"
"We are here."
"Oh... all right."
"Is something on your mind?"
"No."
"As I expected." Kakashi answered with an eye smile but didn't get the expected reaction. Instead of Naruto laughing or lashing out in a fun way, his eyes turned cold as he stared at Kakashi with a slight glare, the same glare he saw him with the day they met for team assignments.
"..."
"... Well show me how much you have progressed with the shunshin." Kakashi said after his joke landed flat.
Naruto just grunted and prepared to perform the jutsu. Without stopping to think about the instructions for the jutsu the blonde made a half-ram sign, and as if he had done it a thousand times, the blonde performed a flawless shunshin. He disappeared from sight and appeared fifteen meters away before repeating the technique and appearing in his initial location without stumbling.
'Impressive... I didn't expect him to get so quickly.' Thought Kakashi, quite impressed by his blonde student's progress. "Good job Naruto, you even surpassed my expectations." Kakashi praised which the blonde answered with a snort.
"Are we going to spar or what?"
Kakashi sighed. "Don't be so hasty, but to answer your question, yes. Come at me when you are ready."
The blonde didn't nod or give any other indication than simply making a half-ram sign again, which made the copy ninja wonder. He didn't wonder for long since he had to stop a punch aimed at his jaw. The silvered-haired man caught the punch as his hand smothered the much smaller one that belonged to the blonde, and then he ducked under a kick roundhouse kick and disengaged.
Kakashi inwardly chuckled. 'Leave it to him to completely ignore me when I say something is impossible.'
Naruto again did the one-handed sign, and an instant later, Kakashi brought his right arm to block a kick that had a surprising amount of power behind it. The blonde then aimed a flurry of punches at Kakashi that Jonin swatted away. After dodging another roundhouse kick, Kakashi kicked Naruto's support leg, which made the blonde lose his balance for a second, but with great control of his body, Naruto recovered just in time to jump back.
'It's even harder than in the bell test even if he has been recovering since we arrived... tch I didn't do all this training for nothing.' Thought the blonde before redoing the hand sign.
Kakashi was ready this time, and when Naruto was close enough, he lifted his left knee. The blonde Genin was an inch away from landing face-first right into Kakashi's knee but managed to weave his head just in time. What he couldn't dodge was the chop that his sensei landed in his right trapezius. Naruto felt his arm go limb and had to bring his left arm up to block a kick from smashing his whiskered face. Although the blonde managed to stop most of the force behind the strike, he wasn't properly standing, and thus, he was sent flying to his left. The blonde skidded against the ground before regaining his composure and getting on guard. The blonde tried to do a half-ram hand sign again, but Kakashi took the initiative this time. The copy ninja rushed at his student, swatted his hand, and landed an elbow in the blonde's face in the same motion before putting a left hook in the Uzumaki's liver. He fell to the ground and writhed in pain while Kakashi stood over him with his hands in his pockets and his lazy posture.
'I'm surprised by how well he has implemented the shunshin given the time he has had to train, but he is years away from properly using it; he has to understand that if he tries to pull this during a fight at this moment, it's going to cost him.' Thought Kakashi after analyzing Naruto's performance up that point. "Naruto, I didn't tell you what I told you about the shunshin to challenge you... I already countered your speed and you could barely dodge my counter. If I were taking it more seriously I would have landed it. Also, I already interrupted you whilst you were molding chakra. I said those were the two main problems with the jutsu. You have made good progress with the jutsu, but you are far away from being able to use it in battle.
"I know! Dammit! I know!" Naruto screamed from the ground as he used one hand to hold his stomach and the other to hit the ground.
Kakashi sighed. "Don't get so frustrated; everyone has to go through a process to adapt a jutsu to their fighting style. Just because you can perform a jutsu doesn't mean you are to use it in battle. I have also had to go through that process."
"Tch."
"Mā Mā, don't get so frustrated. Just fight like you usually would, trust me."
Naruto lifted his head, and he locked eyes with Kakashi from the ground. They remained in a stare-down for a few seconds until Naruto relented by giving a slight nod. The blonde took a deep breath and swallowed the pain as he stood up with some difficulty. He resumed his usual stance as his eyes were filled with a renewed determination.
"Good." Said Kakashi as he prepared to reengage his student.
They sparred for a while until Kakashi felt satisfied enough with the work he had put in and how Naruto had performed. After sparring, Kakashi went over some of the mistakes Naruto had made during the fight and what he could do to improve upon. After taking everything in, Naruto had a question for Kakashi.
"What's the plan for when we fight again?"
Kakashi closed his eye and thought about the question for a second before opening his eye again and looking toward the sky. "Like before, I will engage Zabuza alone."
"But."
"No buts, and that's a direct order. Besides, we have to assume Zabuza will bring that fake oinin to assist him; you guys will have to handle him while I deal with Zabuza. As for how you deal with him, I trust the three of you will handle him appropriately, just like you did when Zabuza captured me." Kakashi encouraged with an eye smile.
"Do you think we can take care of someone like him? I mean, isn't the guy an ANBU... He seemed barely older than us, and after all my training, I feel like I have barely advanced." Naruto asked in a rare show of self-doubt as his hands tightened into fists.
Kakashi lifted an eyebrow at the statement, thought it was covered by his hitai-ate. "Just because you can't use the shunshin while fighting doesn't mean all this training was useless. As I told you, the shunshin also works as a chakra control exercise. You may not have noticed, but I was moving considerably faster than when I did in the bell test, and you were keeping up. Your body is more used to moving at higher speeds, which helps your reflexes and coordination. You have progressed a lot in a short period of time. For being someone who always complains about geniuses you are quite talented."
The blonde just averted his eyes at the praise. "I just work hard." He mumbled, and Kakashi chuckled.
"As for the one helping Zabuza, that guy isn't an ANBU most likely. Although his skills with the senbon and the mask are something you might expect from an oinin, it doesn't necessarily mean he is one. He probably only uses the mask to throw other ninjas off into a false sense of security like he did with us. If he was, he probably would have tried to attack me at some point, but he didn't." Kakashi explained.
Naruto fell into silence once again before another question came to him. "Back when we met Zabuza you said he was one of Kiri's most famous nukenin. Is that true?"
"Yes, he is famous for trying to kill the Mizukage a couple of years ago; He failed and has been on the run ever since."
"He tried to kill the Kage of his own village?! Why would he do that?!" Asked the baffled blonde. It was unheard of to the blonde for a shinobi to try to kill his own Kage. He had obviously studied and knew about the death of Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage, but they died in battle and were definitely not killed by the shinobi under their command.
Kakashi shrugged. "It could be for several reasons, but he isn't the first or last one to try and kill the yondaime Mizukage."
"Not the first or the last one?"
"Kirigakure no Sato is a vastly different village than Konoha. Historically, Kiri is considered the most brutal and savage village of the five great nations."
Naruto remembered that Iruka mentioned something like that back in the academy once, but he didn't go into detail during the lecture. "Why do they have that reputation? How bad is it?"
"In Konoha, to graduate you only need to be able to perform the three academy jutsu, have passing marks in your subjects, and then pass the test your Jonin will assign to you, but in Kiri... well, the graduation requirements are a little different."
The blonde lifted a curious eyebrow. "Different?"
Kakashi nodded. "In Kiri, ever since you enter their ninja academy, you are paired with one of your classmates. Everything you do inside the academy you have to do it with your partner. You sit, eat, perform class activities, train, and do tests with the same partner all throughout your years in the academy. When the graduation day comes, you have to do one thing... You have to kill the partner that you have known for years. That's how Zabuza first got his reputation as Kirigakure no Kijin. Instead of killing his partner, he went on a rampage, killing everyone in his year." Kakashi explained somberly.
Naruto's mouth hung open, but no sound came as he took in the revelations. "T-that's horrible!" he said after the initial surprise passed.
"It is. Practices like that, among other things, is the reason Kiri has so many nukenin, why they created a special oinin division in their ANBU, and why they are currently in a civil war."
"They are in a civil war?"
'What are they teaching kids at the academy these days?' Kakashi wondered before he spoke. "Yeah, but that's not important at the moment. Get back to training and come back for dinner in time. But don't forget we are on a mission; you shouldn't exhaust yourself. We will have to fight soon."
Naruto took that piece of wisdom and nodded. He observed the retreating figure of his Sensei, who was walking back on the same path they came from.
Naruto seldom followed Kakashi's advice to be careful and not exhaust himself, but even then, he was walking back to Tazuna's house with a slow and sluggish step while looking quite beat up. Both from the spar with Kakashi and the extra training the blonde had done after his Sensei had returned to rest. Although tired, he enjoyed the walk. The sky that not long ago was painted with beautiful orange tones was now utterly dark as the stars shone brightly. The faint moonlight illuminated his path, and the soothing and rhythmic sound of the nearby sea accompanied him as he approached the house.
As the blonde arrived at Tazuna's, the succulent smell of the dinner Tsunami was preparing entered his nostrils before reaching the door. When he opened the door, he saw that everyone was gathered at the dinner table and that Tsunami was beginning to serve the food.
"Cutting it close Naruto." said Kakashi, not looking up from his novel.
The blonde grinned. "I'm still on time. Man, I'm so hungry!" Naruto said before he greeted everyone else.
Inari ignored his greeting and instead scrutinized the blonde's disheveled appearance. The hair that stuck out in every direction, the grime and scratches he could see in his orange jacket and blue pants, and the tired expression on his face. 'Idiot!' He thought.
"Just a little more and the bridge will be complete! Those clones of yours surely have helped a lot brat. They work even harder than some of my best men; some of your clones even stayed there, putting everything back in its place." Tazuna finished with a boisterous laugh that filled the entire room. Tazuna regained a much calmer expression when his laughter receded, and he spoke. "I've been meaning to ask for a while now... Why did you guys stick around even though I lied about the mission?" Tazuna asked while looking at Kakashi.
Kakashi folded his hands and thought about how best to answer before a phrase came to the front of his mind. "To see what is right and not without doing it speaks of a lack of courage. A student will do as he or she sees." Kakashi said as he remembered one of Minato's favorite phrases. "It was a teaching of our late Yondaime Hokage." Naruto, who was resting his head on his hands, let out a tiny smile after hearing the words Kakashi had spoken.
After hearing Kakashi speak of courage, Inari's mind started replaying memories of his dad and the gruesome death that he suffered. Inari couldn't contain his rage any longer, and he spoke with eyes full of tears.
"Why...?" he asked in a strangled voice that caught everyone's attention.
"What is it?" Naruto asked as he only lifted his head a fraction to look at Inari.
Inari stood up from his chair and slammed his hands on the table with all the strength a child could muster.
"Why do you desperately work so hard until you get like that?! There's no way you'd be a match for Gato's men even if you train! No matter how many things you say or how much effort you put in! The weak always lose against the truly strong!"
"Good thing I'm not weak like you." Naruto answered before resting his head back.
"Shut up!" Inari screamed as tears continued to stream down his face. "Looking at you makes me sick! You come here and stick your noses without knowing the first thing about this land! You are right! I'm not like you, who's always acting so carefree not knowing the first thing about pain!"
A humorless chuckle came from Naruto. "Not knowing the first thing about pain?" Naruto lifted his head to lock eyes with Inari before they moved to Tsunami and Tazuna. "You are funny kid, but are you just going to lie down and cry all day?" Naruto asked, but Inari just sniffed as he glared daggers at the blonde. "I thought so." He said as he stood up. "An idiot like you will cry forever without doing anything."
The blonde sluggishly walked out of the house without knowing what to do. A part of him wanted to continue training, but he felt drained, and Kakashi's advice still stood. After a few steps, a sudden rush of memories hit the blonde brain, and the blonde dropped to one knee as he clutched his head in pain. The clones that Tazuna had left at the bridge had finally dispelled.
The blonde felt his consciousness slipping as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body started to fall backward, but it didn't hit the ground. Kakashi stood behind the blonde, supporting his weight.
The copy ninja sighed as his eyes examined his exhausted and barely conscious student. 'It seems that it finally caught up to him.' He thought before he carefully lifted Naruto and slung him over his broad shoulders. After hearing that Tazuna had left a couple of clones at the bridge, he decided to keep an eye on the blonde just in case something happened, and his hunch was spot on like usual.
Kakashi walked back into the house with Naruto in tow. When he entered the residence, he found that Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari were nowhere to be seen; the only ones still at the table were Sakura and Sasuke.
"Kakashi-Sensei! What's wrong with Naruto?" Sakura asked with concern as she saw the blonde being carried over Kakashi's shoulder.
"He exhausted himself, barely making it a couple of meters out of the house before he collapsed."
"That idiot. Is he going to be okay?" Sasuke spoke.
"I don't think he is suffering from chakra exhaustion; if he is, it's probably not too bad. He will most likely be up and about and back to his usual energetic self by tomorrow. There is nothing to worry about; he just needs to rest." Kakashi explained, but those weren't his honest thoughts.
After that quick exchange, he carried Naruto to his bed and laid him down. 'Most people would have died after using so much chakra.' Kakashi thought as he looked at the now sleeping figure of Naruto. The resemblance to his late Sensei didn't escape his watchful eye; it never really did, but he always tried to ignore it. However, as the blonde entered puberty, that resemblance became stronger. 'You are so much like them... creative, perceptive, hardworking, driven, brash, and stubborn. I'm sorry you never got to meet them. I know they would be proud if they saw you now.' He thought as an image of Minato and Kushina entered his mind.
Kakashi had a long list of regrets, but he wasn't used to being able to talk and see them every day. Yes, Kakashi had concluded shortly after the day he met team seven that Naruto was another number of things he wished he had acted differently towards.
'I have never been able to get it right, have I? Tou-san, Obito, Rin and now Naruto.' Kakashi spent a little more time reminiscing about the past and how things could have been different. He had felt that his relationship with the blonde, although still complicated, had improved. Still, it was flimsy if he had to describe it, and he had yet to completely figure out the blonde. One moment, they would jab at each other, which would be funny, but there were times, like after his joke today that it would feel awkward.
'If only I had been in your life...'
Kakashi buried those thoughts and feelings before he stood up and was about to exit the room when his sensitive ears picked up a sniffling sound over the light snoring the blonde was producing. Turning in that direction through a window, he saw Inari sitting alone outside the house while looking at the sea. Kakashi exited the room and walked where he had seen the kid.
"Got a minute?" he asked as he approached. Inari didn't express anything that indicated he didn't see the silvered-haired man sitting next to the kid. He stayed silent for a moment as his eye looked towards the sea and the large bridge that could be seen in the distance.
"We heard the story about your father from Tazuna-san." Kakashi broke the silence. "Like you, Naruto never had a father while growing up... actually, he didn't have anyone." Kakashi said with a hint of regret, and the words made Inari turn to face him. "He grew up alone and doesn't even know who his parents were. He also had a lot of trouble making friends and went a long time without having one... but I've never seen him cry or sulk about it. I'm sure he has. He likely has cried so much that he grew tired of it. What he told you earlier, he has probably told himself the same things countless times. He didn't mean any harm by it; he understands how you feel. Just think about that before you judge him." Kakashi finished as he stood up and left Inari to think about what he had just told him.
Naruto yawned and stretched his body as he awoke. Unlike the previous day, he did it by himself and the temptation to go back to sleep was much more present. The blonde moved around in the comfortable sheets before he resigned himself, and with a final big stretch and yawn, he lifted his body from the bed. The blonde rubbed his eyes as he tried to swap away the drowsiness he was feeling. He finally opened his cerulean eyes and looked around the room, only to find no one. He looked out the window and blinked several times to ensure he saw correctly. On the horizon, he could see the sun setting as the sky was painted orange and yellow. The blonde rushed and exited the room only to find his team seated at the dinner table.
"Look who finally decided to wake up." Kakashi said as he leisurely flipped a page of his novel.
"How long was I out?!" Naruto asked in a rush.
Sasuke shrugged and kept a blank expression before speaking. "You've been lazing around for a couple of days now. We already took care of Zabuza while you were getting your rest." The Uchiha said with a smirk.
"You what?!"
"It wasn't that hard, but anyway, at least you have stopped lazing around, and we can leave for Konoha now." Sasuke added.
Naruto just stood frozen, his jaw nearly hitting the floor after hearing the Uchiha. The gobsmacked blonde remained like that for several seconds until the pinkette of the team started giggling before she burst out laughing, and Sasuke's smirk widened.
"What are you laughing for?!" Asked Naruto.
"Mā Mā Naruto it's a joke." He said before chuckling. "You only slept for most of the day after you exhausted yourself, against my advice, I might add, but nothing has happened while you were out, but you should rest. Tomorrow we are all escorting Tazuna to the bridge."
"That wasn't funny!" Naruto screamed as Sakura's laughter increased.
"I don't know Naruto. I thought it was pretty funny." He said with an eye smile.
"I'm going to get y'all back for this -ttebayo!"
Author's notes:
Sup guys! I apologize for not posting last Friday. I wasn't happy with the chapter that I had written so I took extra time; hope you like it! I know this chapter might be a little boring but don't worry the arc will end next Friday and that chapter is packed with action! As always special thanks to MN306 for looking through my work and correcting my mistakes. Thanks to OFARiolu, Shinobi scribe of the Kage, Bored1345, and HurZysn for leaving comments and Reviews. I have answered you via PM in case you guys want to check. Special thanks to Pokemonmaster17 for his comments.
Please leave your thoughts in the form of a review and have a great day :)
