Chapter 76: Kyuubi, Haku, and Waving
-Naruko, Seal-
"You are the most idiotic monkey I've ever seen!"
The roar shook her clothes, yet Naruko just continued smiling. "Kura-chan! You care! I knew you did."
"SHUT UP! You buffoon! Stop with your games. Your body can't handle such pressure, and you know it!"
Staring at him for a moment Naruko would bow her head slightly. "I know. But what else was I supposed to do? Anything else they would have been able to counter."
There was a growl as titanic tails slammed against the gate. "Then use my chakra, you idiot!"
Naruko instantly shook her head. "No! I promised only to use it against Jinchuriki and the Otsutsuki. I'm not gonna break my promise, y'know?!?"
"At risk of your death?!?"
Naruko glared, and in response, Kurama glared as well. "I'm not breaking my promise to you, you stupid fox!"
"Then you'll die! Just fucking use my chakra when you have to!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"HAH! Gotcha." Pulling down her eyelid and sticking out her tongue at him, Naruko wouldn't even react as a roar shook the seal. "Gotcha too admit that you care AND that you agree I shouldn't use your chakra! Hah!"
The bars shook again, this time from his claws spearing into them. "You pathetic fleshbag! Besides, that's not how that works you said yes first!"
Naruko froze. "That's.... true? Shit, y'know. Fine! You win! I tricked myself." Slumping slightly with a pout she'd slowly nod. "Fine. I'll use your Chakra when needed. Happy?"
"Ye-" He froze as she began to grin at him. "No it's not like that-"
"So the tsun~dere~ finally admits his feelings, ne? Don't worry Kura-chan! I care for my little brother too! Now say it, say it!" He closed his eyes slumping to the ground. "K-chan? Kura? Kurama? Hello! Don't ignore me!"
-Haku-
His chest heaving as he leaned against the tree, and his limbs shook slightly from the exertion he had just gone through. Taking a few moments to calm down, he'd look over Zabuza-sama, only to sigh. 'He still got hit slightly.' Leaning down to inspect his chest, Haku grimaced behind his mask. Poking and prodding a little, a frown would appear on his face. 'That's not good. He needs to get to a medic as soon as possible. That Jutsu...'
Eyes flickering behind his mask, Haku would frown. 'It could break my Ice Mirrors even at full power. What was that? It was like a Bijuudama, but as a Shuriken, and with wind style?' Thinking for a moment, his eyes grew slightly. 'Didn't Yagura-sensei tell me about a jutsu like a Bijudama? The 'Rasengan' used by the Fourth Hokage? Then in that case...' For a second his face paled as his pupils dilated. 'That Yamanaka Jonin... isn't a Yamanaka!'
Haku couldn't stop his hands from shaking slightly. 'Naruko Uzumaki... Yagura-sensei told me about you. The Kyuubi Jinchuriki. Or as our spies call you - the Princess of Chaos. So that's your Genin team. But the question remains... how did you know who I was?'
Slowly lifting up Zabuza-sama again and carrying him on his back, Haku would scale a tree and begin leaping away, a frown hidden behind his mask. 'Spies? Impossible. I've never been spotted with Zabuza-sama since coming back to Kiri before this. If there was one, then one of the Shinobi would have been left alive - wait, what if they were? We don't truly know that all of the scouting party was eradicated... but even then, how would my name be known?'
Pondering on it, eventually, he'd shake his head. 'I'll tell Yagura-sensei, maybe he'll know.'
-???-
'Target is heading back to Kiri. Good, he'll lead us straight towards Yagura where I can complete my mission.' Continuing to stay perfectly still even in their henge, she silently waited for the moment for her mission to commence.
-A week and a half later-
Resting on a tree with her arms hanging off the sides of the branch, Naruko idly listened to the banging, cracking, and shouting as the bridge was slowly being completed. Ignoring the slight tingling across her body she would slightly tilt her head. "Yes, Sakura?"
Speaking up hesitantly from the ground Sakura would say, "Sensei. The bridge is about to be completed. Are we leaving tomorrow?"
Naruko nodded her head. "Yes, our mission is complete." Sakura shifted slightly, a conflicted look on her face. "Say it Sakura."
Taking a deep breath Sakura would finally end up saying, "But Sensei what about the people? Look at them, starving, poor, and many with their houses destroyed."
Naruko would stare at her for a long time, before finally sighing. "Sakura. Tazuna lied to us about the mission - yet we still continued onwards, and then even stayed - even though we are at war, and at any moment the full force of Kiri could come down upon us while I'm still injured. The reality is, if we stay we die. There is nothing more we can do for these people. We've helped them, but now - they have to help themselves. It will be up to them to talk with the Hokage, make amends, and come up with a deal. But we can't do that. Remember Sakura, you can lead a horse to water, but that doesn't mean the horse has to drink it."
There was sadness in Sakura's eyes as she bowed her head turned towards the ground. "Yes, sensei."
Naruko frowned, unseen by Sakura. 'Foolish child... when you do everything for someone, they often continue to ask for more. There always needs to be a line, or else you are no longer helping them, but instead serving them. Saving them once is fine - but now that they have the bridge, now that they are temporarily free - it has to be up to them to make that first step.'
"Begin to say your goodbyes Sakura, and tell the team to do the same. We leave at sunlight."
"Yes, Sensei." Sakura slowly walked off, and once she was gone, Naruko leaned back closing her eyes. 'There's only so much I can do for them Sakura. Your heart is large, but it needs to be tempered. There are times when you should give someone the shirt off your back - and there are times when you shouldn't. There are even times when you should take someone else's shirt off their back. You can't even begin to comprehend how much it would take out of Konohagakure to protect the Land of Waves from Kiri throughout this entire war...'
Grimacing, she'd clear those thoughts away and slowly begin to sink into a nap. 'If we weren't in wartime, my answer might be different, I truly am sorry Sakura.'
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
BalancedSelfInsert
BalancedSelfInsert DOBBY IS FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. NO. MORE. WAVEEEEEEEEE!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone