Chapter 5: The Shinobi's Heart
"Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape."
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
Naruto & Kakashi
'This isn't done yet.' Kakashi frowns. He dumps Gōzu's body unceremoniously against the trees when his thrashing finally calms. He stares blankly at Meizu's corpse, his partner and brother...gone just like that without even much of a fight.
'I'm sure we aren't alone; these two can't have been the only ones coming after Tazuna. This is about to get trickier.' Kakashi assesses.
Naruto studies the trees and bushes as they get closer to the docks, sunlight falling in jagged patterns of gold and amber slowly becoming layered with a growing gray, stench of blood and mist filling the air.
Kakashi glares at Tazuna awaiting a further explanation, Tazuna finding his voice when Naruto's stare turns to him as well.
"I'm sorry, I admit it now that this has happened! I couldn't afford the payment for a B or A ranked mission and had to lie in order to have enough ryo to pay for protection. Nobody in Wave can afford the true cost of this assignment, not when Gatō has had his men inflating the prices to astronomical ranges just to be able to do regular business or shopping for months now."
Kakashi's brows furrow at this new insight, peering back to his team.
"Alright, form the Manji formation around Tazuna; now!"
Naruto shifts himself to rush over just as the mist turns into a complete deep fog, swallows icy water so suddenly it paralyzes him in place.
"Water Prison!"
A sphere forms around his body completely locking him in place, figure of a man appearing out of the haze.
And all at once he feels his heartbeat rise in tempo in his ears again.
'What is this?!'
"Heh, shame Meizu and Gōzu couldn't have lasted a bit longer. Guess I'll take care of this job and end the bridge-builder myself." A man regards from his left. Dark eyes flash to him, chuckling at Naruto's attempts to break free.
"The Demon of The Hidden Mist: Zabuza." Kakashi mutters under his breath.
His earlier assumptions and concerns unfortunately have rung true.
"Good thing I took care of you first kid, no amount of wind jutsu is going to help you break out of there. I'll have my water clone take care of the rest of your lot." Zabuza signals, clone slithering forward for Tazuna.
Kakashi pulls down his mask revealing his sharingan, Zabuza cracking his hands eagerly.
"Ah, the famous copycat ninja: Kakashi of the Sharingan I presume? The bounty I can get on your head will bring me fame far and beyond Kirigakure, probably enough ryo to fully complete my coup against the Mizukage."
He adjusts the size of the water prison before he can take a step closer, chuckling.
"I'd be careful of your next move, wouldn't want to have your little subordinate here die on his very first mission now; would you?"
Kakashi says nothing in return, eyes Sakura and Sasuke who nod faintly, Sakura stepping forward first.
"Mr. Tazuna, stay behind me." She orders, tightening her fists.
While it isn't as much time as she would've liked to practice Earth-related techniques, it's time to put what she's quickly learned and read about to use.
"Earth release: Earth Flow Spears!"
Sakura punches ground, spikes rising up in a torrent of stone straight for Zabuza's clone, body melting back to earth as mud and dirt needle into its legs.
Zabuza chuckles at the haphazard path of the spears. Hardly a barrier really, ground barely upended despite the initial strength behind her first punch. "Hmph, mildly impressive girl, but none of those spikes even got near me."
Sakura smirks, jade eyes glittering with mirth. "I created multiple paths of spears; this one wasn't meant to target you from the front."
And Zabuza twists too late then to see Sasuke standing upon a spear from behind, blows out a stream of fire and shuriken that forces him to move back.
His water prison instantly breaks, Naruto sucking in gulps of air while wringing water from his clothes as he topples down. He shakes out water from his ears, nods thankfully at both Sasuke and Sakura at their makeshift plan. All 3 hurriedly form a wall of protection around Tazuna, Kakashi blocking Zabuza from directly slashing through to them with his Kubikiribōchō.
"I'm your opponent now and nothing left in your arsenal will be able to defeat me." Kakashi promises.
Naruto's eyes widen at how quickly he turns the tables on the infamous Demon Swordsman by matching him blow for blow, blocks his blade from slicing straight through his hands.
'Is this the strength Kakashi-sensei's been hiding? What it means to be a jonin?'
"Water Release: Great Waterfall!" Kakashi copies him, vortex of water slamming into him, trees and rocks turning into projectiles crashing into him from every direction.
Kakashi doesn't waste a moment, kunai poised at Zabuza's throat before he can re-balance himself.
"Don't move. I've been copying your every ability and movement since you first entered the field."
But before he can make the killing blow, two needles jab into the opposite side of his neck, body instantly slipping downwards.
A hunter nin covers his body before any of them can get too close.
"This man's kill is mine alone." He states before disappearing just as fast back into the mist.
Kakashi notes the man's speed, deactivates his sharingan deciding not to give chase when they've all exhausted too much chakra in such a short span of time. His gaze turns first to Naruto, retrieves a towel from his bag.
"Are you okay?"
Naruto looks himself over, nods slowly. "I'll be okay once I dry off some more and get into something a bit warmer y'know."
His attention goes to where Zabuza once laid, sighs and clicks his teeth at the lack of blood, the way this new guy supposedly came in right at the perfect time to stop Kakashi-sensei's killing blow.
'He's not dead.'
Naruto & Sasuke
"What did you mean this wasn't the first time you've had to do this?" Sasuke pants out, wipes beads of sweat away from his forehead. The sun is falling quickly in shades of orange to deep vermilion, ink black of nightfall slowly seeping across the sky.
Kakashi-sensei ordered them to train in the tree-walking exercise to better control their chakra, perfect more in their nature affinities if time allotted before nightfall. It looks like they're only going to be able to complete the former of his set objectives.
'I didn't get a chance to even ask him about that sharingan eye he has. It's a kekkai genkai unique only to the Uchiha clan, so how and when did he acquire it? And from who?' Sasuke frowns.
He pushes aside the thoughts for now, they need to head back to Tazuna's house before one of Gatō's men finds them out here in the forests. At worst, it will be Zabuza and that masked figure who may or may not have already taken his bounty for himself.
Sasuke looks at the scratches to his tree marking his progress before his gaze turns to Naruto's.
Neck and neck with him in this annoying tree climbing exercise since this afternoon, may even soon surpass him at the rate he's going.
'All of Sakura's advice isn't coming as easily as I expected.' Sasuke rubs his head.
Rather as well use this mini break to gather some information on his enigmatic teammate.
Naruto shrugs, cobalt eyes falling to the dirt pulling up blades of grass.
"It means exactly what you think; I've had to kill somebody before." He states blandly to answer his earlier question.
Sasuke stiffens only slightly this time, features a mix of confusion and worry he's never actually seen upon his usual cool and indifferent mask he broadcasts to the world.
He clicks his tongue, blows out a breath watching the sun's slow descent. "...How?"
Cerulean clouds over, Sasuke clearly testing how far he can push him. "Why? Do you need extra encouragement and tips on how to murder your brother?"
Sasuke glares right back, balling his fists. He wills himself to ignore his sardonic tone and even mention of Itachi knowing he's equally pushing at his rage. "Just tell me; you'll never fully gain my or Sakura's trust if you don't give us even just a little insight into your past."
Naruto rolls his neck, considers what it will mean to drudge up old memories, memories Old Man Third has told him specifically time and again should stay buried forever if he doesn't want to truly be imprisoned in Konoha's jails or sealed chambers.
"It happened probably around 2-3 years ago now. I just recall that it was shortly after I turned 10 that a man, maybe a former ANBU or some chunin approached me thoroughly pissed that in a decade's time, I still lived while his mother was dead, just a memory to all that knew her."
And when he shuts his eyes at times, he sees him there in the dark, hazel eyes rimmed with red, potent scent of sake and cigars on his breath.
"Umm, what is all this?" Naruto questions slowly.
He can't make heads or tails if he should be pleased with so many offerings for his 10th year sacrificial gifts or just annoyed it's simply more trash and hand-me-downs the civilian of Konoha couldn't just be bothered to actually throw away.
Hiruzen smiles patiently, points to each item as if they're pieces of gold or sets of jewels.
"Really?! Come now Naruto, I thought you would recognize these presents better than even me! Starting from your immediate left is a yo-yo, followed by an original origami set, a set of wood blocks and carving tools, and finally, your own personalized bento and chopsticks set."
Danzo worried that they're risking spoiling him with so many gifts, but he needs to be able to assure both the public and shinobi forces that there is no cause to fear any calamities coming to Konoha for the approaching fall seasons with how dry and humid the summer months have been.
Naruto picks up the yo-yo first, string instantly snapping off causing the wheel to roll away somewhere into the living room.
He watches it go, sighs. Hiruzen's grip on his shoulder tightens just faintly, nudges him to continue on anyways.
The origami is missing four sets of paper, the wood blocks are uneven and thin...
And the bento box doesn't even have his name: just the moniker Nine Tails scribbled hastily on the side. The edges are cracked, Naruto holding the broken side up to the kitchen light taking in his scarlet eyes.
"These gifts are shit. I'm not blind or so dumb to realize that." He mentions aloud breezily.
Hiruzen's hold fully tightens as the power flickers above, ground rumbling slightly at his feet.
"Language Naruto! I know these aren't...the best, however you must recall the last few months have been poor for businesses. The boom of shinobi missions from the summer months has dried up and trickled down to families-"
"So you're okay with me getting broken objects and stuff nobody wants year after year?!" Naruto snarls.
He whips up a hand that instantly blows him away, slamming into his opposite kitchen wall with a loud crack and boom.
ANBU instantly put a kunai to his throat not a second later, topple and hold him to the ground.
"Let him go. I can handle him!" Hiruzen orders while wiping a smear of blood from his lip.
"But Lord Third, he just-" The first man starts, Hiruzen holding up a hand.
Nobody moves and Hiruzen steps forward, expression darkening.
"I mean it Maeda; release your hold on Naruto or I'll have you fined and without pay for disobeying commands."
Maeda reluctantly removes away his blade, Naruto instantly sitting up, rubs at his throat.
Azure burns into black, studies Hiruzen with barely concealed upset now.
"I hate these stupid gifts! They mean nothing when the rest of the year I'm treated like I'm invisible; nothing." Naruto bellows.
Hiruzen sighs, pats at his head as Naruto angrily swipes at tears that betray him. He shoves his hand away when he says nothing more on his concerns, lights above dulling his expression to one of resignation.
"I'm going to give you the rest of the night to cool down and then I'll be back first thing in the morning to talk with you properly."
Naruto watches Sarutobi go, gaze going back to his worthless gifts, eyes focusing in to the wood carving tools.
To the blade.
'I'm throwing the rest out.' He decides, pocketing the knife.
Going to the dumpsters behind his apartments always makes him uneasy, more than once running into frisky couples who eye him in disgust for interrupting sloppy kisses, drunken men asking him for more liquor, and worst of all the addicts chasing whatever high they can get to forget a deadly mission or lost loved one.
It's the latter that greets him as soon as he tosses the bag of gifts away.
"Huh, the deity throwing away all our hard earned ryo? Is this what my mom had to die for a decade ago now?" A man's voice slurs out too close to his ear from behind.
Naruto freezes, half-turns to see a man in disheveled business attire. His eyes are glazed and wet, points his kunai forward with a rising manic grin.
"Used to be a shinobi back in the day, was on my way to making jonin and then that Fox Demon's attack destroyed it all. Battered my knees and shoulders to the point I'm considered no longer 'fit' for missions. Had to take this silly job selling the weapons I once honed on the field just to make ends meet, all because of you." He rambles on, spit flying, voice rising to a fever pitch.
Naruto steps back, quickly considers his options to escape this man far burlier and enraged than the usual stranger he has to deal with.
"Just saw the Hokage and his elite guards leaving your house Kid, couldn't let this opportunity pass me up!" He beams, licking his lips.
Absently, Naruto digs for the pocketknife with the one hand out of his sight.
Pocketknife vs tanto blade.
"I didn't harm your Mother." Naruto feebly attempts to say that only falls on deaf ears.
This man isn't going to leave this alleyway until one of them is dead.
He rushes him and Naruto ducks, jabs where he's seen shinobi in various scrolls instruct for an instant knock out.
The neck.
"Get away from me." Naruto growls, jabbing again for his cheek lopsidedly as the man clumsily attempts a slash for his chest.
He topples backwards, grabs at his neck as a spray of crimson leaks out.
Naruto gapes at his own hands and clothes, equally coated in blood. A metallic taste hits him like a punch, a horribly pungent wave that seeps across the alleyway in a storm.
"Bastard. You won't get away with killing me, deity or not. Rules go both ways."
He stumbles down before he can fully finish speaking and Naruto curls backwards as his body stiffens, bile escaping into a puddle at his feet.
'I did that; I'm just like he said.' His thoughts spiral.
'Leave. Just leave.' He pushes his feet to go, to bury the sight into the deepest recesses of his mind.
The following morning his body is discovered by a pair of joggers and another tenant taking out his trash: Okumura Nakaya.
A man who enjoyed cheap booze, gambling, and according to a family friend who knew him from his Academy days: drugs.
His latest vice.
Police and neighbors assume his crumpled body found in this dead-end alleyway is a result of said addictions, a drug deal gone wrong.
Not the result of their village's jinchuriki he dared to cross paths with.
He listens to Old Man Third for once and keeps his head down in the following weeks, avoids the times when his neighbors will most likely be out and about. He waits to do his grocery runs an hour before the shops close, goes only to and from the Academy with pitstops to Ichiraku's only on the weekends. Anything to avoid people's stares for a while, at least until people move on to the next piece of major news in the village.
Naruto tears and rolls up said article involving Nakaya from Konoha News Today, blends it with the top story from Konoha Rattler discussing possible suspects and motives. They burn together over his stovetop as he waits for them all to become a charred ball of ash to throw away.
Sasuke's gaze is cloudy after hearing his spiel, cracking his hands.
"We aren't going to be like that Naruto; you know this."
"I do?" Naruto snorts dryly.
Sasuke nods, rolls his eyes. "Yes moron, strange as you may see it, but this is the most...normal I've felt since my family's massacre. I know it's not the same as being the village's jinchuriki, but I thought you were moving past that."
Naruto crosses his arms, thinks of Hinata and the expression she'll have once she sees a new futon in the living room...
"I am."
'Could've fooled me.' Sasuke thinks flatly at his stubborn look.
He points back to their trees when he says nothing else, how far they've gotten up each time.
"Look, let's just finish up here and then head back to Tazuna's place?"
Naruto half-smiles then, accepts Sasuke's helping hand up.
"Deal. Loser gets first watch for the night."
Hinata & Hanabi- Naruto's Apartment
"Ah, finally! He's really not here!"
Hanabi whispers her surprise mostly to herself, curls her arms around Hinata's waist without a second thought.
Hinata blinks as she deactivates her byakugan, taking in the sight of her sister again this close since being sacrificed.
'Ah, so my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.'
She brushes snow and pine needles from her hair absently as she burrows closer, glancing around for a Hyūga guard or attendant carefully standing watch. However, there's just one set of footprints that lead up to Naruto's door.
It's only her.
'She came alone?'
Hinata clicks her tongue, stomach churning at the potential repercussions that could come to her, to Hanabi for breaking so many rules without care. She smells of jasmine and peony, rich scents probably imported from the Land of Tea or Mountains.
Smells she's practically forgotten since being given away...
Hanabi peers around to double check they're truly alone, moonlight bouncing off her auburn locks shining them with a milky white glow. She pushes her way inside the apartment without any further greeting, Hinata's brows furrowing as she gives follow.
"Hanabi? What...What are you doing here? Does Natsu know where you've gone? Neji? F-Father?" Hinata sputters out.
Hanabi half turns to look at her as she plops off her shoes by the entrance, cheeks flushed pink from the cold and the thrill of seeing her again in secret.
"Nope! I planned this by making sure Father would be too busy in a late-night meeting with the Elders. Lady Natsu fortunately is helping in the kitchen since Head Chef Hizeki called out sick this week! Hirika is supposed to be watching me, but you know how she always slacks off on her assigned duties."
Hinata gathers her voice before her throat gets too dry. "And Neji?"
"What about Neji? Hmph, he's too busy meditating or training by himself to care what I'm up to!"
"So, nobody knows you're here? Hanabi, you can't just visit me without at least getting approval-"
Hanabi shushes her with a finger to her lips, unzips her jacket pulling out a hastily wrapped package, tape and paper bag ripped at the sides from its tumbling on the journey to get here.
"I brought you a birthday gift! I know it's like 3 months late, but I made it in secret and had to wait for the right opportunity to give it you! And it has some special stuff I got from the Rinne Festival too!" She chimes out giddily, puffing her chest up proudly.
Hinata feels her shoulders fall, slowly gestures for her to take a seat while she makes tea and finds whatever snacks she and Naruto have kept around.
"Open it! I won't leave until you do!" Hanabi proclaims behind her.
Hinata laughs gently as she puts the kettle on, knows she's being serious despite her pout when she glances back to her.
She rejoins her at the table, tape giving way to reveal her book of flower presses, seeds for the garden she'd originally wanted to plant for spring by the pond, her favorite vanilla and blossom lotions tucked between her favorite novels, long sleeves, and summer dresses.
Hinata peers back up to Hanabi, pearl eyes glowing with warmth at her expression of wonder.
"How? I-I thought Father would've thrown away any leftover belongings I had that I didn't manage to get packed into one of the chests in time?"
Hanabi grins. "No, well I mean he did put most of your stuff not on your bookshelf into storage, but not these things! Like the family photos or even your bed linen too, he kept those all in the same place. It...It almost looks like you just stepped away for a moment, that you're not gone."
Her voice crackles towards the end and Hinata steps forward hugging her back against her chest.
"I'm not gone Hanabi, just...sacrificed."
Hanabi snorts between her tears, waves a hand around flippantly. "You are in the eyes of the family. You live in Konoha's worst neighborhood known for its crime and squalor conditions, forced to live with a monster all because of a dumb tradition!"
Hinata rubs her back. "I'd rather this than destruction to the village. A gift had to be given one way or another to appease a village's jinchuriki, even you know this rule."
Hanabi squirms, pulls back from her just slightly.
"Father. I think he misses you and just won't say it aloud."
Hinata goes rigid, frostiness crawling up her face before she can fully hide it.
"Is that so? Then why is he not here with you? Why hasn't he visited even once since he sacrificed me?"
Her heart plummets at Hanabi's stricken look as if bitten by the sharpness of her tongue, calming and schooling her features.
"I-I just mean that if Father really cared like you said, he would've come by now or even had a guard come check in on me. I've heard throughout the marketplaces he received a very generous 'donation' from Lord Third as thanks for being the clan to make an offering to the jinchuriki. It's brought attention and honor to the clan-"
Hanabi shakes her head, puts her hands to her ears defiantly not wanting her to go on.
"Ugh, you sound just like a rule book Big Sister! I don't care about honor or anything of that sort!"
Hinata's stare hardens once more. "You should; you're heiress to the Hyūga clan now. I know it bothers you, though you have more responsibilities now. You'll have to represent the clan properly not just to Konoha, but to the other nations as well."
Hanabi wrings her hands about the edges of her jacket, a sour topic she clearly doesn't want to get into right now.
She peers up at Hinata again, squirming, pearl eyes still wet with tears.
"Come back home Big Sister, you can hide in the Branch quarters; we can figure out a way! Or at least live with your sensei. I heard the maids gossiping about it last week after lunch."
Hinata chews her bottom lip, wonders how she can word that doing such a thing will cast shame immediately onto the clan, will probably make Lord Third rescind back the ryo, luxuries, and additional perks he's given the Hyūga.
And that doesn't even include how Naruto would react to such a scenario occurring.
He already treated Kurenai-sensei like a fly, if he was here now, he'd probably attempt to blow Hanabi right back out the door for making such a statement.
At her silence, Hanabi peers around, huffing.
"Where do you even sleep? This place is so tiny and dirty, even smaller than the Branch rooms!"
Hinata shrugs, feels her own face heat with a need to defend Naruto's accommodations.
"Still think this place is a piece of trash, huh? You had maids and servants who used to do the very work you're doing now." Naruto chuckles humorlessly, watching Hinata dust out his carpets. Taking advantage of a rainy winter day for Hinata seems to mean doing the laundry, washing the dishes, reorganizing the pantry cabinets, and right now: cleaning the carpets.
Things he never saw use in cleaning when they'll just get dirty again within a few days.
Hinata half looks at him, stomach twisting under his continued mocking stare before returning back to knocking out dirt and grime from the tail end of his living room carpet.
"It's...partially dirty because you don't take the time to properly clean up after yourself." She whispers.
Naruto's eyes narrow at her tone, flicking her neck with a finger none too gently while scoffing. "You sound like our Old Fart of a Hokage."
He smirks seeing red stain her cheeks at his insult, moving beside her properly a moment later.
"Alright, which chores still need to be done y'know?"
Hinata studies him warily, he actually wants to help her with his chores? He's never out right asked her about what tasks need to be done around the apartment, usually ignoring her questions of where he keeps his cleaning supplies until he gave in and bought some with some mission ryo.
Now a month later, he watches her pattern of movement and starts on whatever rooms she doesn't go to first.
Naruto knocks their shoulders together lightly. "Yeah, I'm a slob, but I'm not letting you do all this crap alone. Contrary to whatever your clan told you about me a month ago in preparation, I'm not some heartless deity or monster unwilling to do a helping hand."
Hinata's blush worsens, scrambles to find the right words to not offend him.
"I-I've never called you any of those things!"
Naruto nods, rare grin lighting up the azure of his eyes.
"I know, so tell me what I need to do to help already. Probably going to be some sweeping and mopping; right?"
This isn't perfect, but at least it isn't under Father's oppressive staring at how her sparring sessions are not up to par for her age or Neji's snarky comments.
"The sofa for now, it's not like Naruto had been prepared for my arrival. But, ahh it's not that bad! And before you ask, no Naruto hasn't harmed me, nor has he tried to eat me!"
Hanabi's eyes widen a fraction, but wisely stays quiet this time instead of peppering her with more questions and assumptions on how worse off her life has apparently become from her viewpoint.
Hinata glances to the kitchen clock, it's nearly 9:00 pm.
A night guard or Natsu will soon notice if they haven't already that Hanabi has been gone nearly an hour.
"I have a new mission in the morning I need to get plenty of rest for, and you need to get back home."
Hanabi groans audibly making her laugh, gulps down her tea so messily and noisily in a way she won't get to do again for a long while.
"I'm going to find a way to break you out of here Big Sister! Just be patient with me and get stronger so you can wipe that stupid smirk off of Neji's face!"
Hinata settles her back into her jacket, sneaks into coat's pockets her favorite chocolate and candy drops.
A question settles in her thoughts once alone again to just the dark, thoughts she couldn't bring herself to say aloud. Quietly, she watches slivers of moonlight as they run across the wood flooring, listens to the low buzz of cicadas and fireflies in the distance.
She's grown too comfortable here in just a quarter of a year.
'What if I don't want to leave?'
Naruto
Time passes in ups and downs in Wave.
Tazuna introduces him to his family. His grandson Inari takes one look at him and the rest of Team 7 and deems them too weak and foolish to try and go up against Gatō's men. Naruto doesn't bother with his outright hostility, his world too black and dreary to believe in hope since his stepfather's recent passing.
The ups come in trying the unique seafood dishes that can't be found in Konoha, Tsunami's fond pouring over old photos of Inari as a child, Kaiza happily taking him to Tazuna's woodshop to see him at work on various projects.
Life before Gatō took over.
Sakura eyes his hand's twitching, he spent nearly two hours creating the trap to steal this Warring States Era book, the Uzushiogakure clan a mere footnote in chapter 3 out of a 50-chapter novel.
'That can't be just it alone.' Naruto burns holes into the novel.
It isn't just Old Man Third who's suppressed knowledge of his clan, he'll need to dig deeper into the private scrolls and history books kept in the Central Library's backrooms now he annoyingly realizes.
Sakura snaps a finger by his ear breaking him from his thoughts. "Didn't take you as one to read."
Naruto chortles dryly. "Yeah, well knowing what year the First Hokage founded Konoha wouldn't have exactly helped us back there in dealing with Zabuza and The Demon brothers."
Sakura smiles bemusedly right through his sarcasm.
"Haven't you ever heard of history repeating itself? Generations teach each other the mistakes they made to hopefully prevent it from happening again in the future."
Naruto yawns, gets up to stretch. He could ask then why nobody ever treats him or the past jinchuriki of the village with just a bit more respect outside of yearly offerings, act like he wanted to be put in the position of holding Konoha's deity of destruction.
"Wait, where are you going? Lunch is going to be ready soon!" Sakura mentions as Naruto heads for the door.
"I'm just taking a short walk around, to see what the civilians are up to." Naruto waves before she can get another word in.
His feet take him into a corner of grasslands not far from Tazuna's home, pausing when he sees a flutter of what looks to be a pink kimono, a flash of long dark hair.
Naruto's eyes narrow, stays back for a moment to watch as they search the fields before abruptly peering up at him. A beckoning smile and wave aren't enough to get him too close, cautiously keeping towards the edge of terrain.
"Why are you out here alone? I thought most of the women liked to stay indoors in fear of Gatō's men attempting to kidnap them...and worse." Naruto asks point blank, searching the forestry for any herbs he can at least bring back to Tsunami to cook later. He doesn't recognize this woman from the other villagers Tsunami and Tazuna showed them during their initial arrival to Wave.
Brows knit together hearing Gatō's name, blades and roots crumpling to the ground from a too tight grip. "None of his men scare me considering what I've seen of their skill, never mind the fact I'm a guy."
Naruto blinks, does a double take looking over his figure before slowly nodding. "Oh, huh. You're not ugly and I assumed maybe you were just super flat; my mistake."
He blows out a laugh then, shaking his head. "Is this how you talk to every girl you come across?"
Naruto shrugs feeling his face warm, Hinata popping to mind before shaking her image away. "No. It wasn't an insult y'know."
The boy hums in return, clearly not believing him. "To answer your earlier question, I'm picking herbs that will help aid in wound care and prevent spread of infection. A shinobi who wins a fight or battle may have to worry next about the cut they gained killing them before they even make it back to their home village."
Naruto considers this, pulls at mix of clover and watercress.
"That's only if the shinobi actually has something worthwhile to come back home to."
He can feel his eyes peering on him, waits for Naruto to say more. "I'm only seen as my village's weapon, ignored otherwise except for the yearly traditions of-
"Appeasement. Yes, I heard about it some growing up back home too. My parents always feared the stories of what could happen if the beast of Kirigakure and the other nearby villages went on a rampage if a proper emblem or gift wasn't given up by the wealthiest citizens, that civil war could break out again using the power of ice and water to rain down storms and floods." He interrupts quietly.
Brown bores into blue, light grin etching his features. "But, is it really so bad being used as a tool? That's a shinobi's purpose after all; isn't it? To be used as their village's 'weapon' or 'tool' to carry out successful missions and generate income to make their nation more powerful, the best of the best."
Scarlet pools into azure, sneering. "My purpose in life isn't to suffer or be treated as a weapon."
At Naruto's tone he dials back his smile, switches gears. "Well, that's one way of looking at it yes, a shinobi at the end of the day is still a human being after all. People who laugh, curse, smile, cry, and love in the company of family and friends when not on a mission. I'm sure despite the ways we've grown up, there's someone you care about back in your home village; right?"
Violet hair and pearl eyes coil into his thoughts once more, sighing and looking away. "Not really. I mean, she was given to me as my annual sacrificial gift. I don't see her that way though, at least I haven't in a while. I partially only wanted this mission just to be able to have enough ryo to get her a better sleeping arrangement."
Naruto frowns, realizes he's dawdled and said too much, pursing his lips while moving to stand.
The boy remains, studying the bundle of herbs he twines up.
"I'm sure before this mission of yours ends, more blood will be on your hands." He mentions.
Naruto glances back towards the harbor, the crackle of harsh blue-black waves contrasting the gray clouds overhead, rolls his shoulders slowly at the thought. "...Good. Gatō isn't anyone worth crying over and neither are the men that work for him."
He leaves him there in the fields, mentally prepares himself for the scolding Kakashi-sensei and Sakura will give him for wandering off alone.
They watch each other from the corner of their eyes, always alert no matter the situation.
Zabuza winces as he sits up, Haku setting the herbs to the side to brew for later into a mix of tea and pastes, sends him a scolding look to lie back down and rest after the fitful night he had of fevers.
"Why didn't you kill him Haku?" Zabuza grunts out between clenched teeth.
It's clear that boy is stronger than he looks, has the potential to even kill him if angered enough.
Haku's smile slips then, peers out the window as Naruto continues backtracking the way he came. "You know I hate killing unless absolutely necessary, we'll face each other on the battlefield soon enough to determine who's stronger of us."
'And if the worse happens, I'll do my best to protect Zabuza as a faithful tool until the very end.'
Zabuza's stare turns harsher, ignores spasms of pain rippling through him like sparks of fire. "Answer my question properly Haku."
Haku's expression dampens, smiles forlornly knowing what tomorrow and the next days ahead could bring them both at his plans for a rematch with Kakashi, what it will mean if Gatō finds out they've failed to take down Tazuna.
"His eyes. They...reminded me a bit of my own before I met you."
-x-
Alright, got one last chapter out of my system before 2023 ends lol. I'm glad so many of you are loving this story, it's makes it so hard with my love of writing it to focus on finishing up my other works ha-ha, but plan is to update this again in the New Year. I'm going to recover from a sinus infection I've had and spend time relaxing with family on vacation the rest of the week, so updates will get a bit slower until later on in the month.
Naruto's conversation with Sakura is loosely based on my own conversations with friends from nursing school that none of our patients have asked us trivia questions like what year was the Red Cross founded?! But Sakura is quickly learning book smarts don't translate to skill on the field! She'll be investing her time in various subjects, not just medicine moving forward.
As always, pa-tre-ons get early access to chapters and extra goodies like a spicy mistletoe themed one-shot for NaruHina and my other original works! I go by TheLovelyMidnightWriter there!
Let me know your thoughts!
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