The team arrived at Tazuna's home in a matter of hours. Sasuke and Naruto went in and laid Kakashi on a futon laid out in an empty room by Tazuna's daughter. Everyone waited in the main room for Kakashi to wake up.
After some time, Kakashi began to stir, waking up I think I overdid it with my sharingan
"Ah waking up I see. Are you alright?" Tazuna's daughter said as she came in to check on him.
"I've been better, it'll be a week before I can move normally" He said getting up, holding his head
'See, it's better if you don't move so just lay down" she advised him
"Right" with that, Kakashi laid back down on the futon.
Soon after, everyone came into the room. "Hey look, Sensei is coming around" Naruto said
Hinata walked up to the futon and knelt down next to Kakashi "S-Sensei I'm glad you're ok, b-but please if the sharingan takes this m-much out of you, I-it's better not to use it a-as much"
"Sorry for worrying you guys" Kakashi said
"Well he did take down one of the most powerful ninja assassins, so we'll be safe for a while" Tazuna said wiping his head with a towel
"R-Right, but I'm still curious a-about that masked ninja" Hinata said
"He's from the elite tracking unit of the village hidden in the mist, those masks are only wore by the most elite shinobi" Kakashi said
"A-And what is it t-that they do?" Hinata asked
"The ANBU Black Ops also known as the inferno squad destroy all traces of a rogue ninja's corpses. The shinobi's body contains many secrets ninjutsu, chakra, special medicines used on his body. Theses are the secrets of his village, if his enemies find them, his people will be in grave danger. For instance, if I were to die at the hands of an enemy, he would try to analyze my sharingan. In the worse case my entire jutsu could be stolen and used against our home village. It is the sacred duty of the shinobi trackers to prevent this, to keep the village secrets safe. If a ninja betrays his village the trackers hunt him down, eliminate him and obliterate every trace of his existence, that's their speciality." Kakashi explained. Then he sat up, holding his head feeling uneasy What is this? If Zabuza is finished, why do I feel this way? Something's wrong, it's like I missed something.
"Hey, are you ok?! Sensei?" Naruto asked seeing the look on his teacher's face.
Kakashi was brought out of his thoughts and looked up at everyone "Hmm oh yeah, to finish what I was saying tracker ninja deal with the body immediately on the spot so there's no room for error"
"Is that really important?" Naruto asked
"Think about it, do you remember what that tracker did with Zabuza's body?" Kakashi asked his students
"W-We're not sure, h-he must t-taken it away somewhere." Hinata said then thinks about it and eyes widen "B-But you said tracker m-must deal with the b-body on the s-spot!"
"Exactly what I was thinking, Hinata. He should have worked on Zabuza right there. Think of the weapons he used for the take down. Do you remember what they were?"
Sasuke thought about and his eyes widened "Throwing needles, no way!"
"Exactly, none of it adds up" Kakashi said
"What are you all talking about? You demolished that assassin" Tazuna said
Kakashi sighs "Here's the truth, Zabuza is still alive"
Everyone gasps, Naruto waves his arms around "But we saw his body, Believe it!"
"S-Sensei y-you said t-there was no v-vital signs o-of life" Hinata said confused
"That's true, his heart stopped but that was a temporary state to stimulate death. The weapons that tracker used can pierces deeply but lowly kill unless they hit a vital organ, not in the neck. They're modified for needles used for medical treatments. Trackers are trained to know every detail of the human body, causing the heart to stop temporarily while keeping the body alive is an easy matter for them. First he carried Zabuza's body away even though it's much heavier than he is. Second he used those needles, which are rarely fatal. From thesis two factors, we can conclude that the tracker wasn't trying to destroy Zabuza, he was trying to save him" Kakashi explained
Tazuna looks at Kakashi "Come on, you're overthinking this, aren't you?"
"Encountering suspension, the ninja prepares quickly, hesitation leads to disaster, every shinobi knows this saying" Kakashi said then hears a grunt, looks over to see Naruto grinning He's exactly pleased to hears Zabuza's alive, now Naruto got another shot at it
"S-Sensei you said w-we must prepare q-quickly b-but you are unable to move m-much" Hinata pointed out
Kakashi chuckles "I can still train you"
"B-But even with your s-sharingan, it was difficult for you t-to defeat him. I-I'm not sure h-how last minute training will h-help us"
"Hinata, I was able to stop Zabuza because you all helped me, you've grown" Kakashi said then turned, looking at Naruto smiling through his mask "Naruto, you've grown the most"
Naruto smiles "so you've noticed Kakashi-sensei, now things are gonna get better, believe it!"
"I don't believe it and nothing's going to be good" a voice behind them said
Everyone turned to see a young boy, clothed in green overalls and a hat on his head, standing in the doorway.
What a cute little boy Hinata thought
"Who are you?!" Naruto shouted pointing at the boy
Tazuna kneels down and opens his arms for a hug "Gah! Inari, where've you been?!"
"Welcome back, grandpa!" Inari said running into his grandfather's arms
Inari's mother went up to him"Inari, that was very rude! These ninja helped your grandpa and brought him here safely!" She said putting her hands on her hips
"It's ok, it's ok I'm rude to them too" Tazuna said smiling and chuckling, patting his grandson's head
Inari looked at the ninja and then at his mom "Mom don't you see? These people are going to die. Gatou and his men will come back and find them and wipe them out!"
Naruto stood up angrily "What did you say, brat?!" He then points at Inari "Listen up, you know what a super ninja is? Well that's me only a lot better, I'm gonna be Hokage! This Gatou or Batou or whatever he's called is no match for a hero like me!"
Inari looks at the ground "Ha there's no such thing as a hero" looking up at Naruto "You're just full of stupid ideas!"
"What you say?!" Naruto said about to attack when surprisingly Hinata holds him back "D-Don't go harming a l-little boy, please c-calm down!"
"If you want to stay alive, you should go back where you came from" Inari said as he heads to the door
"Inari, wait where are you going?" Tazuna asked Inari opens the door
"To look out at the ocean, I wanna be alone" he then closes the door. Tazuna looks back at the ninja "Sorry about that"
Naruto grunts, still pissed off at what Inari said "Hinata, you can let go now, I'm fine"
Hinata blushes realizing she was still holding onto him and let's go "O-Oh sorry about that" then blinks realizing something. That's strange, even if I'm holding him back, touching him should make my heart beat faster than this. Shouldn't it? She thought wondering what was going on with herself
Naruto starts leaving the room "I'm going to the bathroom" he said closing the door. He only said that so no one would follow him, he was really going to look for Inari. He started stomping around the house, climbing the stairs "Who does that brat think he is?! I'm gonna put him in his place right now!" He said as reaches the top of the stairs and stomps down the hall. Then he hears Inari sobbing and stops "Huh?" He then gets close and peeks through the slightly opened door of Inari's room, looking at Inari. He's crying?
Inari was on top of his desk in front of an opened window, crying holding a picture of a man, a few teardrops went on the picture "No daddy no!" He said as he continues to cry.
Naruto looks at the ground, feeling bad for Inari and walks away.
That same day, Kakashi took his students to the forest for some training as he was on clutches. "Alright training starts now"
"Right!" Naruto said energized
"First, we will begin with a review of chakra, which is the ninja basic source of power. Understanding chakra is important!" Kakashi said
"We know that" Sasuke said
Naruto nods "He's right, a long time ago we learned about um catchra"
"Chakra" Kakashi corrected him then looked at Hinata "Hinata would you please explain?" He asked
Hinata nods and looked at her teammates "Y-You see chakra is the elemental life source a ninja uses in jutsu. I-It's the source of all his power. This energy h-has two forms, physical energy which e-exist in all the cell in the body, all working t-together. And spiritual energy, the p-primal source of power t-that grows t-through training and experience. These t-two energies must be drawn out in order t-to perform jutsu. Lastly hand signs focuses and releases the chakra."
Kakashi smiles through his mask and pats her head "Right on all points, Iruka had some excellent students"
Hinata smiles at the praise she received "Thank you, s-sensei"
"What's the point of all these explanations? The whole point is to learn the jutsu, isn't it?" Naruto asked frustrated
Sasuke spoke "Naruto is right for once. We're already using chakra energy in our jutsu."
"No you have not mastered this power, you barely scratch the surface of it" Kakashi said
"What do ya mean?!" Naruto said annoyed
"Calm down and listen, it's just as Hinata said you have to draw on physical and spiritual energies and then combine them within yourself but how do you do that? Each jutsu requires types of chakra in different portions. You must select and combine them in exactly the right way. Up to now, you've just guessed at the portions, hoping they'd come out ok. Even if you produce a lot of chakra, unless you can balance and control, it's all worthless. The jutsu won't work at all or it'll just be a joke. You waste so much energy that way and then you're out of chakra and you can't fight at all, you're just a target." Kakashi said
"So uh how do we change that?" Naruto asked
"Train so hard that controlling your chakra becomes second nature. To achieve this goal you must be ready to put your life on the line" said Kakashi
"W-What are we t-to do?"asked Hinata
Kakashi chuckles "Climb a tree"
"Climb a tree?!" The students asked surprised and confused
"That's right but there's just one rule, no hands" Kakashi said showing his hands
"What? You're kidding right?!" Naruto said
"Am I? Let's see" Kakashi said as he formed a hand sign and after a few moments started to climb up the tree without using his hands.
Everyone looked amazed "He climbing straight up with only his feet!" Naruto said
Kakashi kept climbing until he hung upside down from the branch "Well you get the idea. Focus the chakra to the soles of your feet and use it to connect to the tree. This is one way to apply the power of chakra"
"That's cool and all but how does it help us fight Zabuza?" Naruto asked
"It's the only way to fight him, Naruto. That the entire goal of this training. First you'll learn how to draw a precise amount of chakra to a precise point in your body. This is difficult even for advance ninja, this type of climbing requires a sidle mix of physical and spiritual energy and the bottom of the feet are the most difficult points to focus chakra. Are you getting the picture? If you can master this, you'll be able to master any jutsu, well theoretically. Second point is to learn to maintain your chakra levels. When a ninja is focused in battle it's even harder to control and maintain his chakra level, a deadly mistake. To avoid this maintaining chakra must become second nature, effortless. Well I can talk about this all day but that won't advance your skills, will it? You need to apply the power of chakra through training" Kakashi said then threw three kunai knives at the ground, near his students feet."Use the kunai knife to make the tree at highest point you can climb without using your hands. Then try to get pass that mark the next time and the next. At first you'll need to run up the tree so that your momentum can take you as high as possible, until you get use to it, ready?"
Naruto takes the kunai out of the ground and grins "I'm more than ready! This is gonna be no sweat all the way, believe it!" Then looks up at his sensei "Remember what you said Sensei, I'm the one whose grown the most!"
"You're definitely the one who talks the most, now get focus and do it!" Kakashi said
Ok first I need to draw the chakra to the bottom of my feet Naruto thought as he and the others closed their eyes and focused their chakra. After a few moments, Naruto opened his eyes "I got it! Charge!"
The students starting up the trees like Kakashi instructed. Naruto only took two steps up and falls backwards on his head, whining and grunting.
Sasuke was running up the tree, trying to get as far as he could. However when he took another step, the surface of the tree break and he starts the fall but not before he marks his point on the tree and lands safely on the ground. This is harder than I thought, the balance has to be perfect. If the chakra is too strong, it smashes the tree and pushes you off he thought as he looked beside and sees Naruto rolling on the ground holding his head. But if it's not strong enough, you just tumble back down like Naruto. I hope Hinata isn't in the same state as he is. He looks to the tree where Hinata was but doesn't see her, then looks up and eyes widen.
"Well that's about what I excepted from Sasuke and Naruto" Kakashi said to himself as he looked at his two male students, then saw Sasuke looking up at the tree Hinata was using and turned to see Hinata sitting on the branch of the tree.
"I-Is this ok, sensei?" Hinata asked
Kakashi smiles through his mask "That's very good Hinata! Nicely done"
Naruto gets off the ground and looks up "I guess you did ok" It really ticks me off that she could do it and I couldn't.
Hinata looks at Naruto and sighs just ok? I thought he would be happy for me but he seem annoyed.
Sasuke glares at Naruto for his response to Hinata "She did a lot more than you did, loser"
Naruto glares at him "What you say?!"
Sasuke ignores him and looks up at Hinata and gives an encouraging look, he would smile but he didn't want Kakashi or Naruto to see him "You did good Hinata, I know your determination would bring you far"
Hinata's heart started to pound hard and her cheek were warm at Sasuke's words Oh Sasuke, that was very sweet then smiles "T-Thank you guys"
"We'll not only does Hinata understand chakra, she can control and maintain it as well. We talked about someone becoming Hokage one day right? Seems like Hinata got the best chance of that, wouldn't you say? And as for the great Uchiha clan, maybe they're not so great after all" Kakashi said to the boys.
"S-Sensei that was u-uncalled for!" Hinata scolded him Why would sensei say such mean things like that?
Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other, theirs eyes narrowed with sudden motivation.
Alright, I think they're motivated, of course Naruto and Sasuke both have far more chakra within. If his training works, their mastery of chakra will become a valuable asset. Kakashi thought catching a look at the expressions on their faces
"Alright! First I'll match Sasuke, then I'm going all the way to the top! Believe it!" Naruto said determined.
From a distance, Inari was watching them train. After hearing what Naruto said, he started walking away thinking about the man in the picture he was holding while crying "Hah, what a waste of time. They don't know what they're up against"
Hours pass and team 7 were still in the woods training. Naruto ran up the tree again only to fall once again, adding to the injuries already on his head. Sasuke was panting, kneeling on one knee as he looked up at the marks he made on the tree. Hinata was on her knees, panting looking at her teammates.
I'm so tired, how are Naruto and Sasuke about to keep going like this? Hinata thought looking at the marks on both of her teammates trees. They're making progress, I think that's good but I don't think Naruto likes his progress at all, she looks as he was throwing a tantrum.
Kakashi sighs, looking at his team I guess that's it for today, they all are exhausted"Ok team, that's enough for today"
"What?! No way, I can keep going!" Naruto argued
"Until what? You die from using too much chakra. We have time, save your energy until tomorrow" Kakashi said
Naruto sighs and nods "Ok, let's get back to the house" Kakashi said as he started to walk back with his team follow. Sasuke follows but then a wave of dizziness hits him, collapsing onto his knees.
Hinata sees this "Sensei, S-Sasuke collapsed!" rushes to him and kneels next to him "S-Sasuke, are you o-ok?"
Sasuke shakes his head, getting the dizziness out of his head "I'm f-fine, just tired"
Kakashi looks at his students "I'm not surprised, your chakra control was unstable, you were using too much of it, so it's natural you'd be a bit dizzy. Naruto help him up on our way back"
"No way, I'm not touching Sasuke, not until he says sorry for calling me a loser!" Naruto said folding his arms
I never thought Naruto would be immature like this. I know they are rivals and all but we are still teammates Hinata thought as she looked up at Naruto and then at Sasuke "I-I'll help him" she said blushing as she put his arm over her shoulder and helps him up.
"Thank you Hinata, at least someone is showing team spirit" Kakashi said as he started walking again with Naruto following close behind him
Sasuke and Hinata were not far behind, but going slow as Hinata was supporting some of Sasuke's weight. He looks at Hinata "you don't have to do this"
"I d-don't mind, Sasuke. Y-You need help a-and I'm happy to do w-what I c-can" Hinata said turned to look at him and their eyes meet. Hinata looks into Sasuke's eyes and Sasuke looks into hinata's eyes. I see why the other girls like him, he really is handsome Hinata thought then realizes she was still looking at him and turns away from him, blushing hard "S-S-Sorry Sasuke!"
Sasuke looks the other way blushing as they started walking again "Don't worry about it" he said. Then at the corner of his eye, he peeked at Hinata. She really is different from all those other girls. He thought as he looked back on the survival exercise, the night after the demon brothers attacked and when they first fought Zabuza. His eyes widen as he realized the answer to the question he asked himself the night they camped out. So that's why I've been feeling this way, it's because...I really like Hinata.
The next morning came and everyone were doing what was needed to be done. Kakashi was still recovering but felt better enough to go on guard duty. He told everyone their assignments. Hinata was to guard the bridge builder that morning since she was the only one that mastered the tree climbing technique. As for the boys, he told them to continue to try and master the technique.
Hinata sat on one of the metal poles looking at the men at work on the bridge and yawns, rubbing her eyes. "You always this lazy?" She look in the direction of the voice and sees it's Tazuna carrying a larger piece of metal over his shoulder. "Where's that weird blond kid and the other one with the attitude?"
I'm not sure you're one to talk when it comes to attitude "T-They're in the f-forest, t-training by c-climbing trees" Hinata said
"Too tough for you?" He asked
"N-No I mastered the t-tree climbing technique, so K-Kakashi-sensei sent me here to guard you" she said
"I see" Tazuna said as he put down what he was carrying
One of the workers walked on to him "Tazuna I need to talk to you"
Tazuna turned and looked at him "What about?"
"Thing is I've been thinking a lot about the bridge and I decided I've push my luck far enough, I want out" the worker said
"Now you going to quit on me, just like that?! You're kidding!" Tazuna said angrily
"You know, I stayed on because of our friendship but I'm putting my life on the line everyday I stay here. Gatou and his thugs will show up eventually and when they do, they'll kill you and the bridge will never be finished anyway. It's a lost cause Tazuna, why don't we stop now while we can still get out of this alive?" The worker asked
Hinata was watching and listening to the whole conservation, having a concerned look on her face, waiting for the bridge builder's response.
"No chance" Tazuna said
"Huh?!"
"This is our bridge. Our island is poor and it will stay that way until this bridge connects us to the main land. Calm, trade and hope that's what we're building here!"
"There's not going to be much hope if we're all dead"
Tazuna looks at his worker "It's already noon, let's break for lunch" he said walking pass the worker.
The worker turns, holding out his hand "Tazuna, let's not end it like this"
"Save your breath. Oh and don't bother coming back after lunch" Tazuna said as he continues to leave.
Hinata sat there as he walked away and looked at the ground, feeling sad that a friendship ended because of this bridge that was suppose to be hope to the people of this island. A hand came onto her shoulder and she turned to see her sensei, smiling down at her.
"Don't worry too much about it, Hinata. This is how life is" Kakashi said as he watched the worker leave "In these types of situations, some friendships are strengthen, others are lost. One cares for the hope and will continue on, the other cares for his life. I know it seems unfair but that's life"
Hinata looked at the ground and nods. I wish things could be different though.
Kakashi pats her head "Why don't you go back to the house and guard Mr. Tazuna's daughter and grandson? I'll take care of things here"
"B-But sensei you're still recovering" she pointed out
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, now go on" he said chuckling
Hinata get up and started walking but looked back at her sensei and sees him waving, telling her it's ok. With that, she takes off back to the house.
Minutes after, she arrived at the home to see Tazuna's daughter coming out with her purse. Tazuna daughter looked up and sees Hinata "Oh hello. I guess now you're going to be guarding me?"
"Y-Yes, my sensei will be g-guarding your father. So um w-where is your s-son?" Hinata asked not seeing him with his mother.
"Inari is at a friend's house playing. So this can give us some girl time. I'm glad too, living in a house with only boys is so exhausting. It's refreshing to talk to a girl now. So I'm off for groceries for tonight's dinner, I'm sure you'll be accompanying me?" She said as she started walking in the direction of the stores
Hinata nods and follows her, they walk in silence for a couple of minutes. Inari's mother was growing tired of it and begins to speak " So Hinata, that's your name was right?"
"Y-Yes"
"I never told you or your friends my name, that was rude of me. My name is Tsunami, feel free to call me by my name no matter what my father says" She said
"O-Ok, thank you" Hinata said smiling
"So girl to girl, I see that you may have a crush on a certain boy." Tsunami said teasing her
Hinata blushes hard and looks at the ground "W-Well I u-um"
Tsunami giggles "It's ok, you can tell me, beside soon you and your friends will be leaving. So there's no way for me to tell them, no that I would anyway. So who is it? Is it someone on your team?"
Hinata thought about what she said It would be nice to talk about it "I-It's N-Naruto"
Tsunami eyes widen "The blonde boy?" She asked and sees Hinata nods. I was so sure it was the other one she thought then looked down at Hinata and sees a confused look on her face after giving her answer. She seems confused after giving me her response. Maybe I can help "Hinata if you don't mind me asking, why is it that you like him?"
Hinata fidgets with her fingers "W-Well no matter what p-people say about him, N-Naruto doesn't let it get to him. He has a lot of confidence in himself and I w-wish I was like that t-too"
Tsunami looks at Hinata, then back at the road "Well hinata in my opinion, you seem to admire him instead of love him"
Hinata eyes widen and looks at her with a confused look
Tsunami sees this and smiles at her "Did you know there's a difference between admire and love?"
"I-I alway thought they were the same" Hinata said
"Well some people think that but they're not. You see admiration is like looking up to someone for something like a talent or features one person has. It usually in the form of respect. In your case you see Naruto for his confidences and determination" Tsunami said
Hinata eyes widen Have I really just admired Naruto all this time? Could that be why my heart wasn't racing when I touched him the other day? "W-What about Love?"
Tsunami smiles "Well Love comes from the heart. It's like you get that intense beating in your heart so hard to explain that sometimes your hearts skips a beat." looks at Hinata "To sum it up, when you admire someone you want to be like them, when you love someone, you want to be with them"
Hinata places her hand over her heart, thinking about what she was just told and all the time she has been watching Naruto. I have a lot to think about Hinata thought "I s-see, thank you f-for explaining this"
Tsunami smiles "It's no problem". She looks around and sees the store she needs to go into "Here we are"
Hinata goes into the store with her, looks around and see very little items and food.This is a store? There's barely anything here. Then she sees a man coming up from behind Tsunami trying to take her purse and moves grabbing his hand "W-What are you doing?!"
"S-Shit!" The man said throwing a punch at Hinata but she dodges and moves behind him attacking the pressure points of his neck causing him to pass out.
Tsunami saw the whole thing and smiles "I'm amazed, thank you Hinata" she says as she was paying for the groceries.
Hinata looked at her "Y-You're welcome but weren't you scared?"
Tsunami exits the store with Hinata and begins their way home "A little but I knew you wouldn't let anything happen to me. You're a strong girl Hinata, I just know it"
Hinata smiles feeling a bit more confident in herself "Thank you"
As they were walking, Hinata observed the town, seeing homeless kids sitting against building, seeing one rob a store and run away as the owner was chasing him. I was so caught up in my conservation with Tsunami, I didn't see how truly poor this town is. Tazuna was right, the Land of Waves is a impoverish nation. She was brought out off her thought by a tug behind her jacket. She turned to see a little boy probably around Inari's age look up at her.
The little boy hold out his hands "Please!" He said smiling. Hinata looked at him, his clothes were worn out and he had scratches around his body. She give a sad smile and dig into her bag and pull at the lunch she brought for herself "H-Here you go"
The little boy smiled brightly "Oh thank you so much" he said then ran off, holding the box of food close to him.
Hinata wipes some of the tears that came to her eyes "This is how it's been since Gatou came here. The children suffer and the adults are too afraid to stand on to him" Tsunami said. Hinata looked up at her and she looked back "They've lost all hope. That's why my father is determine to finish the bridge. It'll bring comers and trade, not only that my father believe it to be a symbol of courage. We must restore the spirit of our people." Then she smiles "When this bridge is finished, people will start to believe again, that they can live with dignity. We can't let Gatou stop my father!"
Hinata looks at her and then looks in the direction of where the forest is. Sasuke, Naruto we must help these people!
Tsunami looks in the direction Hinata was looking and smiles "Hinata, can you cook?"
"O-Oh yes, cooking is o-one of my favorite h-hobbies" Hinata said
"Then let's get back to the house and cook dinner for your friends and everyone else. I could use the help"
"O-Ok I'd be happy to help!" Hinata said smiling
They got back to the house and send the next couple of hours cooking. By the time they were done, all the boys came home, sitting at the table.
Hinata came out of the kitchen with Tsunami with plates of food and pass them around. She sat down in the middle of the table while Naruto and Sasuke sat at the table's sides, glaring at each other. I wonder what happened between them this time she thought as she begin to eat.
Tazuna chuckles "This is fantastic! It's been ages seen we've had so many guest around the table" he said as he watched Hinata and Kakashi eat calmly while Sasuke and Naruto were trying to finish their food first "I want some more!" They both said finishing their first plate and glares at each other but both turn blue and started to puke.
"You s-shouldn't be eating l-like that if t-this is the result of it" Hinata said to the boys
"I..have to eat!" Sasuke said wiping his mouth, looking at her
"And I have to eat more than him, it's the only possible way I'll get strong enough to beat him" Naruto said
Kakashi nods "That's true but puking won't help you"
After dinner, everyone was sitting down relaxing but Hinata took it upon herself to look fully look around the house. A torn picture caught her attention "E-Excuse me but t-this picture seems to have b-been torn. I-Inari you w-were looking at this picture all through d-dinner. There seemed to h-have been someone e-else in the picture b-but was removed"
The members of Tazuna's family stiffen as she mention the picture. Tsunami recovered first and continued doing what she doing "It's my husband"
"They use to call him a hero in this land" Tazuna said looking mournful
Inari got up from the table and head to the door. Tsunami looked back and saw him leaving "Inari, where are you going?!" He ignored his mother and slammed the door. Tsunami stopped what she was doing and went after her son "Father you can't talk about him like that in front of Inari, you know that!" She said closing the door behind her.
Everyone looked at the door Inari and Tsunami went through. "W-What happened to I-Inari?" Hinata said
"Hmm, is there a story behind this?" Kakashi asked
Tazuna "He wasn't his real father, he came into our family later and brought so much happiness. He and Inari were very close." Tazuna said then he voice became shakily "In those days, Inari use to laugh all the time" He started to clutch his fist "B-But then" everyone looked at him as a few of his tears fell on the table "All that ended! Inari never laughs or smiles anymore. Ever since the day everything changed. The word courage was stolen from this island. We were left feeling powerless, hopeless and Inari suffered the most, ever since that day, ever since it happened!"
"Tell us, what happened to Inari?" Kakashi asked as he and his students gave Tazuna their full attention. Tazuna took off his glasses and wiped his tears "First you need to know about the man, his father. The man who taught us the word courage, who was a hero in this land"
"A hero, really?" Naruto asked
"You can decide that for yourself. He came here about 3 years ago. His name was Kaiza, a simple fisherman who came here from another land to follow his dreams. Inari and Kaiza were inseparable, the boy had never known his real father, so you can imagine what it meant to him to have Kaiza in his life. He looked up to him and followed in his foot steps like a real father and son. Kaiza spent more and more time with us until he just naturally became a member of our family. And then when this town needed him, he became something more." Tazuna said as he told about what Kaiza did "From that time on, Kaiza was consider a hero in this land, he taught us all the meaning of courage and Inari was so proud to be his son. But it wasn't long after that Gatou showed up and took over. He terrorized the whole village, only Kaiza stood up to him and Gatou couldn't have a local hero getting in his way. It took his whole gang to stop one man" Then Tazuna told them about the day of the execution. "Since then, Inari has changed, so did Tsunami and all our people. We lost our will."
Naruto sat there thinking back on what Inari said about being a hero and how he saw Inari crying in his room. He then got up and try to move but fell flat on his face.
Everyone looked at him "You better take the day off, no more training. You've used too much chakra, you keep pushing it and it could kill you" Kakashi said as he watched his blond student struggle to get up
" I'm going to prove it!" Naruto said
"P-Prove what?" Hinata asked
Naruto stands up with shaky legs "That it's true. That in this world there are real heroes!" With that said, Naruto rushed out as fast as he could into the night to train some more.
The next morning came and Naruto was laying in the grass asleep with scratches on his face and a kunai knife still in his hand. The birds that were on him flew away as a stranger wearing a pink kimono walked up to him and shook him. "You'll catch a cold if you sleep here, wake up"
Naruto wakes up, rubbing his eyes looking at the stranger "Who the heck are you?" He said as he blushed getting a good look at the stranger. "I mean, hi there where did you come from? You know what are you doing out here and all that"
"I'm gathering herbs"
"Herbs?" Naruto asked
"Yes, that's right. They're for treating illnesses and healing wounds"
After being woken up, Naruto volunteers to help the stranger gather herbs. "You start work early, huh sis?" Naruto asked
"I like it early. It's calm but I didn't think I'd find anyone sleeping out here in the woods" Naruto chuckles and grins "I'm training!"
The stranger looked surprise "Are you a ninja? Because I noticed that headband you're wearing. Or are you just making a fashion statement?"
Naruto blushes "You noticed that?! Alright! Only super cool ninja can wear these!"
"Oh really? I see that's very impressive but does that mean you're training for something dangerous?"
"I'm just developing my skills so I can get stronger!" Naruto stated
"You seem very strong now isn't that enough?" The stranger asked
"No, No I need to get stronger and stronger. I have to keep practicing!"
"Why is it so important?"
Naruto pumps his fist "So I can become the best ninja in my village, so everyone will know who I am and they'll all respect me. There's also a certain person I kid that I have to prove something to!"
"So are you doing it for this certain person or all you doing all this training for yourself?"
Naruto looked confused "Huh?"
The stranger starts giggling
"Hey, what are you laughing about? What's so funny?!" Naruto asked a but annoyed
The stranger stops giggling and looks at Naruto, smiling "Is there someone who's precious to you?"
"Someone who's.. What are you saying, sis? What do you mean precious?"
The stranger seemed to be lost in thought, Naruto was sitting there waiting. Hmm what's she thinking? The stranger looked up at him "You see, when a person has something they want to protect, then they become genuinely strong"
Naruto looked at the stranger, thinking about what he just heard and thought back to Kaiza protecting the village, Kakashi protecting the team from Zabuza and Iruka protecting him from Mizuki. "Yeah I hear you, I know exactly what you're saying"
The stranger smiled and starts to get up and grabs the basket of herbs "You will get strong, very strong. Goodbye, we'll meet again sometime" starts walking away but stops for a moment "Oh, by the way I'm a boy" with that he went on his way
NO WAY, HE'S PRETTIER THAN SAKURA! Naruto thought as he got the shock of his life
Sasuke was in the woods taking a walk and looking for Naruto. He saw the stranger Naruto was talking to walking towards him as he was walking, they passed each other but Sasuke looked back at him. Then he heard a voice and turned to see Naruto talking to himself and whacked him on the head.
"What the hell was that for?!" Naruto asked rubbing his head
"You little twerp, did you forget about breakfast? You really are a loser" Sasuke said
Naruto looked up at him and grins and starts telling him about what he and the stranger were talking about.
Kakashi and Hinata were in the woods, looking for the boys after they didn't come back to the house "I-I wonder why are they? N-Naruto was out all night and S-Sasuke haven't come back since breakfast" Hinata said worried about her teammates
Out of nowhere, a kunai knife came landed before Hinata and Kakashi. They looked and saw Naruto high in the tree grinning. "H-He's so h-high up now!" Hinata said
"What do ya think?! High enough for you guys. I mean it's a long way down!" Naruto said as stood up on the branch he was laying and and slips starting to fall
"Naruto!" Hinata shouted
"Uh oh" Kakashi said
Instead of falling, Naruto used his chakra and was now standing underside down from the tree, grinning and laughing "Ha Ha just kidding! You guys really fell for it!"
"T-That's not funny Naruto! Y-You can't play like that w-when you're up so high" Hinata said scolding him. He really is immature!
"Why do I think this is going to end badly?" Kakashi wondered
As Kakashi predicted, Naruto lost control of his chakra and started to fall. Kakashi eyes widen and Hinata screamed. Before Naruto could get far from the branch he fell from, Sasuke ran up the tree beside the one Naruto was on and jumps on the branch catching Naruto by his ankle while using the tree climbing technique to himself from falling. "You really are a loser, Naruto"
Naruto looks up "S-Sasuke?!" Hinata looked up and sighs in relief "Sasuke s-saved him thank goodness!"
If I'm still sane by the time I'm finished with their training, it will be a miracle Kakashi thought smiling through his mask "Alright, so are you guys coming back to the house?"
"I'll be staying here to train. I have to make sure I have this technique mastered perfectly" Sasuke said as he and Naruto got down.
"Yeah me too, I won't let Sasuke get the best of me!" Naruto said Kakashi sighs
"Alright then but don't push it, can't have you two dying from lack of chakra. Let's go Hinata" he said as he turned to walk back
"O-Ok sensei" she said as she watched Naruto go back to the tree, Sasuke was about to follow "S-Sasuke wait!"
Sasuke stopped and turned to her "Need something,Hinata?"
She shook her head and pulled out a bottle of water and some crackers from her weapon pouch "H-Here, take this"
Sasuke looked at them and took them, looking at her.
"Y-You were exhausted from u-using too much chakra last time. I-I thought this could help keep your s-strength up" Hinata explained with a smile
She really is cute when she smiles Sasuke thought as he was looking at her, putting them in his pouch and smiled at Hinata "Thank you for caring, I'll use them when I need to" with that said, he ran back to the tree and started climbing
Hinata stood there for a moment with her hand above her racing heart. That smile of his..she thought as she began to smile and blush ..really makes me happy. With that, she turned and ran back to catch up with Kakashi
By the time it was dark, Naruto and Sasuke returned from the woods saying that they reached all the way to the top. Kakashi congratulated them and said that all of his students are going to guard Tazuna the next day.
"In a few days, the bridge was be finished, I have you to thank for that" Tazuna said
"You've all done great but you still have to be careful" Tsunami advised
Tazuna looked at Kakashi "I've been meaning to ask you this, but I haven't had the chance until now. Why did you stay to protect me even after you found out I lied to bring you here?"
"Those who stray from the path of justice, have no courage. But under the wing of a strong leader cowardliness can not survive" Kakashi said
"Huh?" Tsunami asked
"That was a quote from the First Hokage" Kakashi stated
Inari looked at him then at Naruto and thought back about the memories of his father on the day he was called a hero and the day he was executed and started to tremble. Then he thought about the picture of his father he had in his room, tears start falling onto the table "But why?"
Naruto looked up at Inari "Hmm what you say?"
Inari slams his hands on the table, standing from his seat, glaring at him "All this training is just a waste of time! Gatou has a whole army, they'll beat you down and they'll destroy you. These cool things you all say they don't mean anything! No matter what you do, the strong alway wins and the weak always lose!"
"Just speak for yourself, it wouldn't be like that for me. You got that?" Naruto stated
"Why don't you be quiet?! Just looking at you makes me sick! You don't know anything about this country, you're just butting in! Always laughing and playing around, you don't know what it's like to suffer and be treated like dirt!"
Naruto stiffens at that last sentence "Listen to yourself whining and complaining, like some sorry little victim. You can whimper all day for all I care!" He looks up giving Inari a glare "You're nothing but a coward!"
"Naruto, y-you shouldn't have s-said that" Hinata said scolding him
Naruto grunts and walks away with his hands in his pockets
Kakashi watched as Inari continued to cry at the table and got up and went out the door. He give Inari a few minutes to himself and went out to see that Inari was sitting at the edge of the porch, hugging his knee, looking out at the water "Can I talk to you?"
Inari turned to see Kakashi sitting next to him but doesn't say a word, turning back to the ocean.
"Naruto can be a little harsh sometimes but he doesn't hate you. Your grandfather told us what happened...to your father. You probably don't know this but Naruto also didn't know his father, in fact he didn't know neither of his parents and he didn't have a single friend in our village."
"Huh?" Inari said looking up at Kakashi
"Still I've never seen him cry, sulk or give up. He's always eager to jump in, he wants to be respected, that's his dream. And he'll put his life on the line for that in a heartbeat" Kakashi said as he remembered the moments Naruto was most determined "My guess is he just got tired of crying and decided to do something about it."
Inari thought back to his father and turned his sight to the water.
"Even though he's young and still learning, he knows what it means to be strong, like your father did. I think he knows better than any of us what you're going through" Kakashi saw Inari looking at him and looked back "What Naruto told you earlier, as cruel as it sounded, he's probably told himself that a thousand times" Kakashi said smiling through his mask as he started to get up and looked at the sky "it's late, you should get to sleep"
Inari nodded, getting up going back in the house. As he was on his way to his room, he heard snoring and peeked through in the room the snoring was coming from and saw Naruto in his pjs, already asleep. He stood there watching him for a few minutes thinking back at what Kakashi said and walked to his room, retiring for the night.