Naruto x Shisui - Iruka - Kakashi - Gaara - Itachi - Shikamaru - Minato - Shino - Neji - Kimimaro - Haku - Konohamaru - Yagura - Sasuke

Servants: Utakata - Genma - Jugo - Inari - Obito

Pets: Hidan - Kisame - Kabuto

Seme! Naru x Uke!Harem

Previously:

A certain someone had a raging blush on their face and disappeared back outside before the two men could notice that their activities were heard by someone.

*Later That Day*

It was the afternoon now and everyone was sitting at the table for dinner.

"I'm glad that you're recovering well, Kakashi-san. But do you think you should be up and moving so soon?" the kind-hearted woman of the house questioned with concern. Kakashi eye-smiled and lifted a placating hand.

"Maa. I'll be fine, Tsunami-san. Thank you for your concern and hospitality. I'll be back in shape after about a week's rest." he reassured.

She sighed in relief, "that's good."

Sasuke placed his chopsticks down and turned his attention to his teacher.

"So what are we supposed to do in the meantime? I don't want to be doing nothing the whole time you're disabled. I need to keep training and getting stronger! Not sitting around wasting time." He stated. Kakashi gave him a stern look.

"While I do understand your concern, Sasuke, you would do well to remember that I am in charge here. There is something I will have you all focus on while I recover, but there is something I must tell everyone first," he made eye contact with his students and then with Tazuna.

"Zabuza is still alive."

The reactions at the table were to be expected; Tsunami and Tazuna both gasped and sat up rigid in their seats, Sakura had a horrified expression while covering her mouth, Sasuke grit his teeth and clenched his fists, Inari bowed his head so his hat shadowed his face except for the pressed thin lips, and Katsuro closed his eyes and leant back in his seat with his arms crossed.

"What do you mean 'Zabuza's alive'? We saw that hunter-nin kill him and take his body!" Sakura shouted in fear.

"I fear that the hunter-nin that we saw is more than likely his ally. The rule of hunter-nin is to never be seen and also, to dispose of the body right then and there as to gain any secrets their village's rogue-nin may have. The fact that they carried him away spoke of their false identity as a hunter-nin." The silver-haired man sighed as he explained. "While he is alive, I'm sure that he is in as bad a shape as I am and will be needing, at best, two to three weeks to recover from our fight and the near-death state his comrade put him in."

Everyone was silent as they drank in the information that was dropped into their laps. That was, until the youngest person at the table spoke.

"See. This is why you should just go away."

"Inari?!" Tsunami gasped.

"Why would you say that, Inari? These people protected me and kept me safe on my return home!" Tazuna argued.

Inari looked up quickly, "It's pointless! Gato will always get what he wants and there's nothing you can do about it! All you're going to do is end up dead if you keep defying him! But if that's what you want, then be my guest!" He ranted in anger.

His mother and grandfather began reprimanding him about his outburst but he ignored them. Sakura hugged herself and curled inward. Sasuke was practically growling at Inari's words as he glared hatefully at the younger teen.

Katsuro, though. Katsuro was silent with eyes closed as he listened. Finally, he opened his cold eyes and looked right into the dark ones of the boy.

"If I had done what you suggested so many years ago, I wouldn't be here today." His cold words pierced through the voices. Everyone immediately quieted down when they heard his words.

"You know what, Inari. Be a coward. Let your mother who loves you, feeds you and clothes you with what little that she has and opens up her home to 4 strangers, die because you are a coward. Let your grandfather who is working on saving this village, alongside so many other workers at the bridge, die because you are a coward. Let all these people who are holding on to hope that they will one day be free from a disgusting and worthless pig like Gato die because you are a coward. Because at the end of the day, those who bow down and willingly let themselves be shit all over by assholes like him might as well be just as bad as he is." The dual-haired genin stood up from the table, still keeping eye contact with Inari. "If you don't want that- if you truly don't want them to die, then fight." His voice grew hard and his eyes slightly brightened. "Fight until your every breath hurts, until your body breaks and your blood burns. You fight until you lose consciousness and even then you still fight. Because the moment you stop fighting is the moment he wins and controls you like you're his plaything. It's the moment you have lost your dignity and will to live."

With those words, Katsuro slipped away and out the door leaving behind a heavy atmosphere and racing thoughts.

Sakura was the first to snap out of it and turned to Inari.

"I'm sorry about him, Inari-" she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder but he slapped her away and hurriedly darted out the room and upstairs to his room where they could hear his door slam.

Tsunami looked upset and downcast.

"Inari… He lost hope almost a year ago. When his father was…" she choked and covered her mouth and curled into herself. Tazuna laid a hand on her shoulder with understanding and looked at the three ninja.

"There was a man named Kaiza who Inari loved very much and was like the father he never had. He was Inari's hero. Kaiza tried to bring the people together to fight against Gato, but… it was to no avail. Kaiza was captured, tortured and killed in front of the village as an example to those who dare to try to revolt against him. Inari was so traumatized by his father's death that he lost hope in us ever getting rid of Gato. That's why I'm building this bridge. Trying to give hope to those who couldn't find it." He explained over Tsunami's muffled sobs.

The three members of Team Seven absorbed his words and understood where the younger teen was coming from.

Tsunami wiped away her tears and lifted her gaze with a determination shining in them.

"That's why, please! Protect my father until the bridge is complete! That bridge is the only way we can truly be free from man's terror." She requested.

"Rest assured, Tsunami-san. We will complete our mission and your village will be free from Gato's clutches as soon as your bridge is built. That is something I can promise you." Kakashi reassured the teary woman.

"Sensei is right! We won't abandon you and help however else we can!" Sakura quipped sincerely. Tsunami gave a sigh that visibly relieved her tension. She looked toward the door that Katsuro left out with worry.

"Will your teammate be okay? He seemed really upset… not that I don't blame him. Just hearing what he said gave me a pretty dark picture of his childhood," she looked up at the rest of Team Seven, "Was he really so bad off as a child? Does he have any parents?"

Sasuke looked away from the table and crossed his arms across his chest. Sakura nervously drank from her cup while Kakashi gave a solemn nod.

"I don't know too much about his childhood before he came back to the village, but based on what I heard from him himself, I regret to say that it was a pretty brutal situation he was in before he was saved and taken out of the village. I can't begin to understand what he went through so young, but to see him rise up above what should have been a hopeless situation, I couldn't be more proud. He's so much stronger than people give him credit for. I just hope to help him nurture that strength and pass it on to the next generation in hopes that they don't repeat past mistakes." The masked shinobi answered. The table was quiet after that before everyone was done eating. Katusro came back in and carried his silver-haired mate back upstairs while Sakura helped the brunette woman with dishes and the others got ready for bed.

Throughout all of this, a certain raven was deep in thoughts about his fellow male genin. To find out that he was an orphan just like him and that his early childhood was as dark as Kakashi made it out to be. He wondered how the dual-haired teen got so strong and how he could get him to become stronger.

'I'll find out your secret, Katsuro.'

AN: Sorry for the super late update! [Well, if you've been following me since I started posting this fic you know that it takes me a long time to post... :'( ] But rest assured! I've been writing much more lately and already have the next 2 chapters ready but needing some proofreading before I post them XDDDD Things are starting to get good, in my opinion, and I can't wait to share it with all my lovelies 3 Please hang with me as the story progresses! I promise, you won't be disappointed... maybe, lol :)