(A few days later)

Ⅰ

"Lower it a bit! Just a bit more!"

"Yeah, that's it. Steady there."

"Where is me hammer?"

"In the toolbox, sir."

"Need some help here!"

"Coming, Tazuna-san!"

At the site, the workers moved around tirelessly, focusing on their assigned tasks. Immersed in their labor, the thought of stopping their hands wasn't allowed. They had to finish it. To complete the bridge as soon as possible.

Tazuna-san is the head director of the construction. He was the one who proposed the idea of building a large bridge in Nami no Kuni. For a long time, the Nami no Kuni had been isolated from the other neighboring countries, receiving no aid. They were doing fine before Gato arrived. It had made the situation a lot worse, making everyone's life miserable.

Because of this, the only way to fight back is to build the bridge. If the bridge could connect to the main big continent, the Hi no Kuni, it could help them break free from Gato's control.

But of course, it's still a lot of risk. Being exposed to the outside, you could never know when Gato's men might strike.

"I have to admit, he is brave."

"What makes you say that?" Sakura asked.

"Well, he is very determined to complete the bridgeーdespite the fact that Gato wants him dead," I replied. "That kind of courage… it's not something that anyone can have."

"Ah, that's true." Sakura nodded thoughtfully.

Sakura and I were at the site, watching over the bridge builder from afar. Kakashi-sensei and my uncle asked us to accompany him to the bridge as we were the only ones who had completed the tree-climbing.

"So… Darren." Sakura turned to me. "About what Inari said a few days ago."

"Yeah?" I glanced at her.

"Is it true? You are an…"

"Yeah, it's true." I nodded.

"I see." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Then slowly, she leaned towards me with her eyes flickering with curiosity. "Do you remember anything about where you're from? Your hometown, for instance?"

I was surprised. I didn't think she would be interested in knowing more about my background.

Then again, when Inari pointed out that I was an Ijin, it sparked interest among those who didn't know the truthーlike Sakura, Sasuke, Tazuna-san, and Tsunami-san. For Kakashi-sensei, however, I wasn't sure about him. With his face always concealed beneath that mask, it was difficult to read his thoughts.

"Well… not really," I replied, shaking my head. "Ever since that incident, I can't remember it…"

"Oh…" She was saddened to hear it.

"But, it's not all that bad." I smiled. "Konoha is my home now, and I am very grateful I was given a place to live."

"I see." Sakura's expression softened. "It must have been difficult for you to adjust to our lifestyle. I can't imagine what it was like for a six-year-old to go through all that. Like learning our language."

"That's true." I nodded, "But, as far as the language goes, I somehow already knew how to speak it."

"Really?" She was surprised to hear it.

"Yeah." I continued. "I'm not sure why, but I think it might've had something to do with my parents. They probably have visited Hi no Kuni at some point and learned how to speak it. After all, they were traveling merchants, so they might have taught me how to speak when I was little."

"Hmm… that's interesting." A thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Was the Third Hokage surprised to hear you speaking in our language?"

"Oh, he did." I laughed, remembering the scene vividly. "I remember he asked my name in a few easy words like, 'Hi. I Hiruzen. You are?' He was shocked when I answered my name fluently. It was like he was struck by lightning."

"I can picture that easily." Sakura covered her mouth, giggling quietly. Her laughter lingered for a bit before her tone shifted to something more serious. "So… were you surprised when Inari realized you were an Ijin?"

I scratched the back of my head, considering her question. "A bit. But… it can't be helped. I mean, no Konoha shinobi like me has this striking hair with crystal-clear eyes."

"Right. But…" she mulled over my reply. "I somehow could tell you were from Konoha."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow, turning back to her. I was about to ask her more about it, wanting to know what made her feel that way. But then, Tazuna-san's shout caught our attention, causing our heads to turn to the scene.

"What do you mean you can't come to work?!" he asked.

We saw a worker standing in front of him, taking off the safety helmet from his head.

"I just can't, Tazuna-san." the worker said, carrying a somber expression. "I don't know how long we could handle it. Why can't we just stop the project and just stay indoors?"

Tazuna-san was furious. "This bridge is our only hope to be free from Gato's control! We can't let that madman control us anymore! Think about the children, Yoshio."

"I…" the worker stammered, looking down. He then handed the safety helmet to Tazuna-san and apologized to him. "I am sorry. Even if I do want to make my kids' lives better… I can't risk leaving them without a father. You should spend more time with Inari while you still can."

With those parting words, he walked away, leaving Tazuna-san behind.

Tazuna-san stared down at the helmet, gripping its edge tightly. He was disappointed that another worker had left the project. But he couldn't blame them. After all, it is indeed a huge risk to build the bridge under Gato's oppressive watch.

Ⅱ

After we brought Tazuna-san back to his house from the construction site, Sakura and I headed into the woods. We wanted to check on our friends' progress with their training. When we arrived there, my uncle stood nearby. With his arms crossed, he was overseeing the training.

"Is that all you got?" My uncle said in an authoritative tone. "You should all be able to climb up to that height by now."

"You keep changing the designated height, Asuma-sensei!" Naruto shot back. "Whenever we get close, you raise it up! Then the next, and the next!"

"He is right!" Ino chimed in, catching her breath. "Can't we just take a break already? We have been doing this for six hours straight!"

"I am hungry, Asuma-sensei!" Chouji cried.

One glance at my friends was enough to tell how exhausted they were. Their clothes were covered in dirt, and the sweat dripped down their forehead.

"Oh? Giving up already?" My uncle said, a sly grin went across his face. "That's a shame. Well then, I'd better let Tsunami-san know not to prepare your dinner tonight."

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" Naruto, Chouji, and Ino shouted in unison.

Shikamaru and Sasuke on the other hand were too tired to respond. They remained quiet as they focused on conserving what little energy they had left.

"Then, do it again until I am satisfied." My uncle remarked.

Watching it from the side, I shook my head and sighed at his rigorous training.

"Does he always do that?" Sakura asked, her worried tone was noticeable.

"All the time," I replied. "Let me take care of this."

I slowly walked up behind him and coughed softly to get his attention. "Hey, Uncle Asuma. Kakashi-sensei wanted to see you. He has something to discuss."

"He does?" He turned back.

"Yeah." I nodded

"What about?"

"Oh, something to do with Tazuna-san's work. He thinks we should help with the construction."

"He said that?" He raised his brow.

"Uh-huh."

"Hmm…" he rubbed his chin, thinking thoughtfully. He then turned back to the others and granted them a ten-minute break. As he walked away, they all collapsed onto the ground and felt relieved for a momentary break.

"Finally…!" Naruto exclaimed. He spread his arms wide as he lay flat on his back.

When Sakura and I slowly walked up to them, Chouji raised his head up and called out to me weakly. "Do you have… something I could have a bite, Darren? I am dying…" His hand was shaking. He was reaching out to me for food in a desperate plea.

I knelt beside him and pulled an energy bar from my pouch. "Here."

His eyes suddenly lit up and he immediately took it from my hand. With one big bite, he finished the energy bar. "Oh, thank you Darren! You are a lifesaver!"

Chuckling softly, I shook my head as I gently patted his back. "Don't mention it."

"So, how did it go today, Darren?" Naruto asked, turning to me.

"Same as usual." I replied.

"Any workers left?" Chouji asked.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Just one this time."

"One, huh." Ino joined in. "Better than yesterday, I suppose. But still…"

"I know." I sighed. "If this continues, he won't have enough workers to finish the bridge."

"What about that thing Kakashi told youーlending a hand?" Shikamaru asked.

"That was something I just came up with. So you all can take a rest. But, I wouldn't be surprised if it came to that…"

"I see…" Shikamaru muttered. He laid his back on the ground with a groan. "Man, this is such a drag. I'd never thought we'd be doing training on a mission. Maybe we should have kept doing those D-ranked assignments. After all, they are the besー"

"Don't you dare say it, Shikamaru." Ino shot back, her eyes narrowed. "You are seriously not gonna admit that, right?"

"I am starting to feel that way, Ino. I mean look at Chouji." He pointed at his best friend. We could hear his stomach rumble. "He looks hungry."

"He is always hungry, Shikamaru." Ino corrected it. "Don't be a smartass."

Shikamaru sighed as he closed his eyes. He was ready to take a short nap.

"Anyway, how is the tree-climbing? Everyone doing good?" I changed the subject.

They all shook their heads, except Sasuke, who stayed silent as usual. Naruto threw his arms up dramatically, complaining about my uncle. "Your uncle is too strict, Darren. I don't know how you put up with him!"

"Well, I have gotten used to it." I chuckled. "When I was small, he would train me until I couldn't move my legs."

"Have you ever tried to escape?" Ino asked, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Of course, many times!" I nodded. "I'd always make an excuse like I had a stomach ache and needed to go to the bathroom. I would try to sneak my way out and it worked sometimes. But, I got caught more often so… at the end of the day, he would double the volume."

"Yikes! That's brutal." She winced.

"It sure was." I shook my head.

"Does he still train you like that even now?" Chouji asked.

"He does," I replied. "But right after we were accepted as genin, I stopped running away. And when I became more willing to learn, he eased up a bit."

"Willing to learn, eh?" Ino turned to Shikamaru who kept his eyes closed.

"I'm not listening," Shikamaru said.

"I didn't say anything," Ino replied.

"I know." He turned his body around. "But I'm not listening."

"Geez… what a lazy bum." Ino remarked with a deep sigh.

"Say, could you give us some tips on tree-climbing, Darren? Like how do we maintain our chakra control when we climb up." Naruto asked.

"Oh well…" I slowly turned to Sakura and asked her if she could help teach them.

"Wait, me?" She was taken aback.

"Yeah, you." I continued. "I am not good at explaining how chakra controls work. And besides, you were the brightest girl in the class, so maybe you could help them."

As soon as I said it, I felt a sharp glare directed at me. Slowly, I turned towards it and saw Ino narrowing her brow.

"Umm, Ino?" I asked nervously. With how narrow her brow was, I felt a chill run down my spine.

"Really, Darren? Did you mean it?" she quietly said. There was a faintly threatening tone in her words. I had to be careful with my reply if I didn't want her to get mad.

"Well… umm…" I stammered. I tried to find the right words to calm her down, but she stood up and walked away before I could do it.

"Where are you going?" Chouji asked.

"To get some fresh air. Alone." Ino replied. Her tone was sharp, and she clearly meant it. She eventually went further into the woods, disappearing from our sight.

After seeing her gone, I was confused by her sudden shift in behavior. Was it something I said that struck a nerve? All I did was state the fact that Sakura was the brightest girl in our class. I thought she would have kept her cool about her uneasy rivalry with Sakura—especially in front of Sasuke. However, this wasn't the case.

Ⅲ

Back at the house, dinner was served. Chouji and Naruto wasted no time as they devoured their meal. Uncharacteristically, Sasuke joined in as well. We were all surprised to see him eating quickly and asking for seconds.

"I… never thought Sasuke would eat this much." I quietly said.

"Yeah..." Sakura nodded. Her chopstick stopped moving as she stared at the three boys wolfing down their meal.

Taking a glance at Ino, she too had the same reaction. She looked dumbfounded by the scene as well. However, as soon as she realized I was staring at her, she swiftly turned her face away.

"This is gonna be troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed, scratching the back of his head. He often makes such remarks not because he believes it. It's just how he sees it out of habit.

This time, however, he turned out to be right. The three of them kept eating without giving a breakーthey overdid it and ended up throwing up. We had to clean up the mess afterward and apologize profusely to Tazuna-san for dirtying the place.

But the owner of the house shook his head and laughed in delight. "No worries! It's been a while since I had guests at home. I am glad to see you all enjoying my daughter's cooking."

His daughter nodded in agreement. She was pleased to see us enjoying the meal. However, she later warned the three of them not to do it again.

Ⅳ

After the meal, as we were having a warm cup of tea in the dining room, Tazuna-san leaned towards me with a curious expression. "So, Darren. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." I turned to him.

"You are an Ijin, right?"

I nodded.

"Then, is it true that the Ijin could build a bridge out of stones and have it last for hundreds of years?" He curiously asked.

"I… guess so." I replied, a hint of uncertainty creeping into my tone.

However, Tazuna-san didn't seem to notice it and he continued enthusiastically. "I've heard this from my old work buddy who traveled a lot, you see. He told me stories about how advanced the Ijin's technology is."

Taking a sip of his tea, Tazuna-san began to share more. "When I was young, all the bridges I had built were made of wood. They were inexpensive and quite easy to work with. Allowing me to construct one in a relatively short amount of time. However, there was one problem: wooden bridges don't last long. You have to repair them before they rot, which could take months.

My dream as a bridge builder was to build a bridge that does not need much maintenance. It must be strong, stable, and also resistant to weathering. So, when my old work buddy told me about a sustainable bridge made entirely of stone, I didn't believe him at first. There was no way someone could build a strong bridge with only stones.
But then, when he showed me a picture of them and explained that those bridges made by Ijins can withstand for years, it was… an eye-opener.

So right away, I went to look for stones: to buy and transport them back here. However, as soon as I discovered that cement was as durable as stone and far more adaptable in building on a large scale, I immediately gathered every bit of money I had and spent on those materials. They were expensive, no doubt. But they were much easier to transport on a boat, so it was worth the investment."

I was deeply surprised to hear that. Learning how the Ijin inspired him that there was a possibility of constructing a sustainable bridge, I didn't know it was what drove him to pursue his dream further and turn it into a reality.

As he finished sharing his story with us, he looked at me with a sincere gaze, "The reason why I wanted to tell you about this is because… you probably still feel bothered by what my grandson said to you the other day. And umm… he had gone through a lot of things, you see. Especially when hisー"

"Father!" Tsunami-san shouted, intervening in our conversation. When we turned her, she was shaking her head to the side, as if she wanted us not to talk about the incident.
Tazuna-san remained silent, as he looked over at the stairs. There, he saw Inari standing nearby.

"Inari…" Tazuna-san called out, his expression was surprised

But Inari did not respond to his grandfather as he quickly went up the stairs. Seeing him going back to his room, Tsunami-san soon followed her son. However, before she went after him, she turned around and said this in a serious tone. "How many times do I have to remind you of this father? Do not talk about him when Inari is around."

With that, she left the dining room.

A heavy, tense atmosphere filled the room as we all gazed upon the bridge builder. We slowly noticed his shoulder was shaking, facing down.

"What did…happen to Inari?" Sakura asked.

"He…" Tazuna-san quietly said. His lips trembled as he looked raised his head up. Then we saw his eyes filling up with tears. "He had a father. A father who is not blood-related. They were close. Very close. Back then, Inari used to laugh and smile. He was a… happy kid. But…"

His eyes were swelling as the tears trailed down to his cheeks. "On that day… he had changed."