บท 66: Chapter 066

"Better," Sasuke lied with a smug look, not wanting to give Naruto the satisfaction of knowing he was having difficulties with the exercise. "Pretty soon I'll have this exercise complete."

"Oh?" Naruto said with a raised eyebrow. "So you call ten steps higher than last time better? I didn't realize that an 'elite' Uchiha felt such a small amount of progress was something to be proud of."

Oh no, Kakashi sweatdropped as his blond student began antagonizing his raven-haired student. This doesn't look good.

"Naruto-baka! Stop-" Sakura did not get to finish as Naruto tossed her a small glare laced with killing intent, not in the mood to listen to her shouting.

Sasuke stiffened in his seat as he glared at Naruto, "How did you know that? Were you spying on me?"

"Hardly," Naruto scoffed, "I have several clones stationed around the house for added protection. One of them simply saw you training."

"And what do you care!" Sasuke hissed, angry that the dobe was making fun of him. And that the dobe had surpassed him in something he should be able to do easily.

"You're my teammate, of course I would care," Naruto said with a shrug, surprising Sasuke and the others. "I may dislike your stuck-up attitude, but you're still my teammate." Naruto looked over at Sasuke, the sides of his mouth twitching upwards a bit. "And if you ask nicely, I may just be willing to lend you a hand."

Everyone looked over at Sasuke, who seemed to be having some kind of inner debate. The raven-haired Genin looked over at Naruto to see the blond looking at him with a calm expression.

When did the dobe become like this? He asked himself. Ever since that Genin test he's been like this. No…I think he was like this even before that. But I don't know how or when. When did he change?

Sasuke closed his eyes for a second as he tried to decide what to do.

"I…" Sasuke paused, as if what he was going to say next was some kind of sin, "I would like your help…"

Those who thought Naruto might say no just to string the Uchiha along were surprised when the blond just gave a nod, "Then wake up around 7:00 tomorrow morning and we'll get started on tree climbing."

Kakashi looked at the two and gave a small smile that went unnoticed under his mask, I guess there was nothing to worry about. Naruto seems to be getting through to Sasuke after all.

What's going on? Wondered Sakura as she looked between her two teammates. One minute Naruto-baka is insulting Sasuke-kun, and the next he's offering to help him? Does he have some kind multiple personality disorder or something?

CHA! THAT'S GOT TO BE IT! WHY ELSE WOULD HE ACT LIKE SUCH A BAKA! SHANNARO! Inner Sakura ranted, seemingly in agreement.

However one person there was getting fed up with the way these ninja were acting. Tears began to form in Inari's eyes as he glared at Naruto. An act which did not go unnoticed by said blond.

"You got something you want to say kid?" asked Naruto as he eyed the now ready to burst Inari.

Inari stood up and slammed his hands down on the table, "Why do you guys bother to try so hard! No matter how hard you train, you're no match for Gato's men! No matter what glorious claims you make or how hard you work when facing the strong, the weak will only end up getting killed!"

Naruto smirked at the kid, "You know you're exactly right."

Everyone who had been expecting some kind of outburst looked over at Naruto in surprise as he spoke.

"The weak will always be defeated by the strong," The blond looked up at Inari, his smirk widening a tad. "Gato and his men are weak, there nothing but cowards who pick on people who can't even put up a fight against them. They can only fight against people who don't have the strength, or the will to fight back. Against a fully trained shinobi, a bunch of thugs means nothing." Naruto put his head down on the table as he looked away from Inari, "We are not weak. Don't lump us in the same category as you, we're nothing alike."

Inari's tears began to run down his face even harder than before as he glared at Naruto, "I'm glad we're nothing alike! I'd hate to be like you! You don't know anything about this country, yet you keep being so nosy! What the hell do you know about me! I'm different from you; you're always acting so happy, like you don't even have a care in the world! You don't know how hard life can be!"

Naruto lifted his head up and glared at the kid, unconsciously channeling killing intent into his gaze, enough so that Inari's eyes widened and he began to shake. Having never experienced killing intent, Inari was unable to properly defend himself and was forced to sit back down, as his legs were no longer capable of supporting him.

"Listen to yourself, bitching and moaning about your life. Thinking you've got it so hard," Naruto's voice was soft, an almost unnoticeable whisper. Yet it somehow managed to carry across the entire room, and was thick with a rage that even Sakura, oblivious as she normally was to Naruto, could hear. Several of the people in the room flinched, including Inari.