Land of Waves

Team Seven finally arrived at the house of the bridge builder, feeling the weight of their journey.

"Tsunami! I am home!"

"Oh, dad! Welcome back! Who are they?"

"These are the super cool ninjas who protected me."

"Dattebayo."

"Hello,"

"Hn."

"..."

"Is that a bandit on your back? The mask surely is scary."

"That is our sensei who is currently unconscious, he wouldn't have been if I was allowed to initiate chest compression—"

"Naruto…"

"I'll stop stating facts, for now. Dattebayo."

Then they were greeted by the bridge builder's daughter, a kind and welcoming woman named Tsunami. She introduced herself warmly, "Hello, I'm Tsunami. Please, come in and make yourselves at home."

With her help, they carefully carried their unconscious teacher, Kakashi, inside and placed him gently on a bed. Tsunami's concern for their well-being was evident as she offered them food. "You all must be starving. Please, have something to eat."

As they were about to settle in the living room, Tsunami paused and wrinkled her nose. "But before you eat, you really should wash up. You all smell... like you've been through quite an ordeal."

Naruto sniffed herself and grimaced. "This body is fresh like steaming ramen. No need for such mundane tasks."

Sakura turned pink with embarrassment. "A bath sounds like a good idea," she agreed as she nudged Naruto.

Tsunami led them to a pond in their backyard. "There's only one pond, so you'll have to take turns. Girls and boys at different times."

Sakura glanced nervously at Naruto, who stood stoically as ever. She had been skeptical about sharing a bath with Naruto, but seeing her indifferent demeanor, Sakura shrugged it off. "Alright, let's get this over with."

In no time, Sakura and Naruto found themselves at the pond, stripping down for their much-needed bath. The cool water was refreshing as they stepped in, and Sakura couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.

Naruto was staring at Sakura. Sakura shuddered. Was s/he a crossdresser? She glanced at Naruto's crotch just to be sure. Nothing. Thank…wait! There was nothing?! Like nothing-nothing?!

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said emotionlessly. "Is there something you want to say?"

"Uh…"

"Because I believe looking at my… is wrong."

"N-Naruto, do you want me to rub your back?" she offered, hoping to break the ice.

Naruto turned to her, expressionless as always, and cocked her head to the side before replying in a monotone voice, "That would be okay."

Sakura hesitated, then took a deep breath and began to scrub Naruto's back. To her surprise, Naruto's skin was flawless and smooth. "Wow, Naruto, your skin is so beautiful and flawless. What kind of beauty products do you use?"

Without a hint of emotion, Naruto responded, "My skin is made of silicon. It is dust and any sort of attack proof."

Sakura blinked, then burst into laughter. "Very funny, Naruto."

Naruto's face remained blank. "It's true. My hair is also—"

"Don't say anything more," Sakura cut her off, rolling her eyes. "You're so annoying sometimes."

Despite the absurdity of the situation, Sakura couldn't help but admire Naruto's white hair. "Your hair is great too."

Naruto remained unflustered, "My hair is made of—"

"Naruto!" Sakura splashed her with water, shaking her head. "Just... stop."

Naruto shrugged, her expression unchanged. Sakura sighed and continued scrubbing her back, unable to suppress a grin. There was something oddly comforting about Naruto's peculiar nature. Despite everything, she felt a strange camaraderie growing between them.

As they finished their bath, Sakura found herself laughing more freely. Naruto's unintentional humor had lightened the mood considerably. They stepped out of the pond, feeling refreshed and, for the first time in a while, genuinely amused.

"Thanks, Naruto," Sakura said, patting her on the back. "You always know how to make things interesting."

Naruto simply nodded, her face as stoic as ever. "You're welcome, Sakura-chan."

Naruto and Sakura headed back to the house, the aroma of Tsunami's cooking wafting through the air. As they entered, they saw Kakashi and Sasuke already seated at the table.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you feeling alright?" Sakura asked, concern lacing her voice.

Kakashi waved a hand dismissively. "I'm just fine as a horse, Sakura. Thanks for not letting Naruto hit my chest."

"You're wel—"

"Are you really okay, sensei?" Naruto cut in. "Shall I initiate emergency chest compression?"

Kakashi gulped. "Naruto, are you a medical ninja?"

"Negative."

"Then please don't try to treat me."

She gave him a blank look. "Dattebayo."

"That was a 'no', right?"

"Aaaanyways," The old bridge builder, Tazuna, smiled warmly. "Naruto's actions saved us multiple times during our travels together. We owe her a lot."

Naruto, sitting down at the table, replied sheepishly, albeit robotically. "I am aware of my awesomeness."

Tazuna leaned back, his eyes twinkling as he looked at Naruto. "You know, Naruto, when we first started this journey, I had my doubts about you. You seemed... different."

Naruto tilted her head, her face emotionless. "Different?"

"Yeah, different," Tazuna said, nodding. "But during our travels, you showed incredible bravery. You faced danger head-on and never backed down. You saved us from those thugs on the bridge. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to me."

Naruto's eyes flickered with a hint of emotion. "Thank you, old man."

Tazuna chuckled. "No need to call me 'old man.' Just Tazuna will do."

Sakura, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "Naruto may be strange, but she's proven herself time and again. We couldn't ask for a better teammate."

Kakashi nodded. "Indeed. Naruto's resourcefulness and courage are invaluable. Although I still need answers."

"I shall provide them."

Sasuke clenched his hands. 'What is she? Is she like HIM? Beloved and trustworthy, center of attention before turning into a mass murderer?'

Just then, a childish voice cut through the warm atmosphere. "You are all going to die."

The team turned to see a small, stern-faced boy standing in the doorway. Tsunami introduced him as her son. "This is Inari, my child."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Why do you think we're going to die?"

Inari's expression was resolute. "Gatou is very strong. You can't defeat him no matter how hard you try."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Inari cut her off. "You're too weak to fight someone like him."

Tsunami warned him, "Inari, don't misbehave with our guests."

"They are going to be corpses in a week!"

"Inari!"

Inari sneered, his eyes flashing with defiance. "The boys are going to die, and the girls are going to be made slaves."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah! And you are—"

"We can defeat this Gatou." Naruto stated. "I can easily take out all of his troops. Kakashi-sensei can assist too."

"Maa, maa, Naruto, I think I'll pass."

"Pass out?"

They blinked before Sakura yelled. "Hey, Baka! Don't skip about Sasuke-kun!"

"You all are pathetic," their attention shifted back to the boy. "You no nothing about suffering. You have no idea what it means to lose someone. You haven't faced the real world yet. You grew peacefully, founded by people you love, how can you understand the true pain?"

Naruto's expression remained robotic, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes. "You think I know nothing about being in constant threat?"

Inari scoffed, "You don't understand anything."

Naruto cocked her head, her voice taking on an oddly mechanical tone. "How do you know that? Are you a spy?'

No reply.

"How do you know we're not under constant threat? Your information is incorrect."

The room fell silent. Inari stared at Naruto, his bravado faltering. There was an unexpected gravity to her words that resonated with everyone.

"We live in a military village where we are under the threat of being attacked every moment. There are 189 orphans living in the orphanage. There are 356 children who live in the alleys. There are 10965 graves in the cemetery—only shinobi. There are more than 300 children who live empty-stomached every night. There yes no one for them to sing a lullaby, no want to say 'Good morning', every month more than 10 of those children die. No, it isn't poverty that kills them— it's loneliness."

Her speech was robotic, but there was too much motion behind those words. Kakashi believed that if she could cry then she would've been streaming tears by now.

"No, you are the one who does not understand. It is you who doesn't know anything." She continued. "I do not have the information about whom you lost, but at least you have a grandfather for you to spend time with, a mother who looks after you. There are thousands of people out there living alone," she gazed at him, her eyes gleaming. "Are you really that knowledgeable about pain?"

Silence.

"No matter how strong Gatou is, we will definitely defeat him and take away all his Raman…eh…" Naruto faked a cough, catching herself. "We will liberate the country. Dattebayo."

Naruto then did something that left everyone slack-jawed. She opened her mouth so wide that it seemed a small ball could fit inside, and then she shoved an entire bowl of rice into her mouth in one go.

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged astonished glances. Tsunami and Tazuna looked equally bewildered. Kakashi just sighed and shook his head.

Naruto swallowed the rice and stood up. "I'm going to train in the woods for some time."

Without waiting for a response, she walked out, leaving the room in stunned silence. Inari watched her go, a mixture of confusion and something akin to respect and fear in his eyes. Sakura and Sasuke were left to ponder the odd blend of seriousness and humor that seemed to define their teammate.

Kakashi finally broke the silence, his voice soft. "Sometimes, the strongest resolve comes from the strangest places. Let's not underestimate Naruto."

oOo

The next day, as the sun climbed over the horizon, the group gathered around Kakashi, their eyes filled with anticipation. Kakashi, leaning nonchalantly against a tree, began, "I've got some news for you all. Zabuza is not dead. The hunter-ninja who took him away was fake."

Naruto's eyes glinted with a strange light as she replied in her usual monotone voice, "I knew it all along. It was merely a test to assess your observational skills, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi chuckled, amused by her robotic bravado. "Sure, Naruto. Well, in any case, we need to prepare for the possibility that Zabuza will return. So today, I'm going to teach you some techniques to strengthen your chakra control."

Sasuke, ever the skeptic, crossed his arms. "Techniques?"

Sakura, ever the diligent student, leaned in, eager to learn. "What kind of techniques, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi pushed himself off the tree and started walking towards the woods. "Follow me and you'll see."

The team followed him to a clearing surrounded by tall trees. Kakashi pointed to the trees. "Today, you'll learn how to climb trees using your chakra. It's an essential skill that will help you in battle."

Naruto tilted her head, her expression as blank as ever. "Climb trees? Using chakra? What is the purpose of this exercise?"

Sasuke huffed. "Sounds simple enough. We can climb trees already."

Kakashi's eye crinkled in amusement. "Not like this." He walked over to a tree and began to walk up its trunk, hands casually in his pockets. The team watched in awe as he made his way up to the first branch without using his hands.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wow, that's incredible!"

Naruto's eyes followed him with mechanical precision. "Analyzing technique... Impressive."

Sasuke, always determined to be the best, immediately tried to mimic Kakashi's actions. He took a few steps up the tree before his chakra control wavered, and he slid back down. He tried again, his face set in concentration, but he kept falling.

Sakura, on the other hand, managed to walk up the tree on her first try, her control precise and efficient. Naruto, with her perfect chakra control, also climbed up effortlessly, her face still devoid of any emotion.

Sasuke glared at the two girls from the base of the tree, his frustration growing. Sakura tried to cheer him up. "Don't worry, Sasuke-kun. You'll get it. Just focus on your chakra."

Naruto, however, took a different approach. "Failure rate: 100%. Probability of success: minimal," she teased in her robotic monotone.

Sasuke's pride couldn't take the constant mockery. "That's it!" he snapped. "Naruto, I challenge you to a spar. Let's see if you can back up that big mouth of yours."

Naruto's head tilted slightly, as if calculating the odds. "Challenge accepted. Initiating Duck-butt-kicking mode."

The two squared off in the clearing, their teammates watching intently. Sasuke charged first, his speed and agility evident as he closed the distance between them. He threw a punch, which Naruto effortlessly dodged, her movements almost too smooth, too calculated.

But Sasuke wasn't done. He quickly followed up with a series of kicks and punches, pushing Naruto back. Her movements, though precise, seemed almost slow compared to his fury. With a final, swift move, Sasuke managed to trip Naruto, sending her to the ground. He pinned her down, his breath coming in quick gasps. "Get off me," Naruto said, her tone still robotic, despite being winded.

Sasuke's eyes blazed with anger. "Are you underestimating me by not using your full strength?" he yelled.

Inside Naruto's mind, a heated debate was raging. 'Grant me access to 100% potential of the body. I will make sure he cannot revive his clan anymore. Dattebayo.'

-Denied.

'Why?'

-The Leaf is not under attack. No Leaf ninja is in danger. No civilian—

'Silence.'

Before the debate could continue, Sasuke kicked her butt as he stood up. "Ouch, that was humiliating," Naruto muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Sasuke shot her an angry look as he walked away, his pride still stinging from the earlier taunts.

Sakura ran after him, her voice filled with concern. "Sasuke-kun, wait!"

Naruto stood up, dusting off her butt, her face still devoid of any emotion. She looked at Kakashi, who was watching the entire scene with amusement. "Kakashi-sensei, shall we continue the tree climbing exercise?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Eh, no, Naruto. How about you accompany Tazuna today as his guard?"

"Assignment accepted."

oOo

"Are we going to light up the museum?"

"After I collect some puppets."

"Tch, always after those dolls, eh? That's what girls do."

"That's rich coming from someone who looks like a girl."

"Haaaaa! Take that back, old-timer!!"

"I never gave you anything that I should take back."

"Ugh! So annoying. How far is the Land of Wave?"

"We'll be there in a week."

TBC