Chương 5: chapter 5
More Issues Arise in Wave
Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto.
A/N: I apologize for not responding to some of your PMs or reviews right away. It seems that the FF mail system was having a rough day and I wasn't getting any E-Mail updates. There won't be too much action in this one, but the next chapter will more then make up for that I assure you.
It wasn't the first time Naruto had ever gotten angry, but something about the way the bitch had defiled his parents' names had rubbed him wrong. Then the emo-teme had to open his oh so holy mouth to add fuel to the fire. The fact that their sensei at least didn't seem to care that the arrogant prick got knocked on his ass (Which was a plus to the short but still there 'reason not to hate' list for the man) was pleasing, but he was still a little angry. When he left the house he really had no destination in mind and soon found himself in a clearing quite a distance from the village. Not really having anything else to keep himself occupied with he decided to test his new sword.
He planned out a few exercises in batches of a thousand. The first exercise was drawing the blade. In the middle of a fight, this simple action could save someones life. If you were not used to how quickly you could draw your own blade then you would have no idea how far you would need to plan ahead to block anything with said sword. Creating about twenty clones, each began the first exercise as a group. The sliding of the blades out of their sheaths was heard throughout the dark surroundings as he went through the motions. By the time he was finished he knew that the drawing of the katana was slower then the ninja-to he was so used to by almost double because of the positioning of the scabbard and the length of the sword. Given that his drawing speed was still extremely fast with his ninja-to, his speed with the katana was still rather fast. Next on his list was swings. He went through each main direction. Both shoulders to the opposite waist, both waists to the opposite shoulder, head to stomach, stomach to head and a straight thrust from both sides.
By the time he was finished he had worked up quite a bit of a sweat. He assumed a meditative position before dispelling his clones. He felt the drawl of his consciousness as their experiences entered him. As he sat, lotus style, on the ground. He found out over the course of his training with them that the information was absorbed faster with the less information he took in. By meditating he was able to tone down his sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch senses at will. Tonight he shut down all but his hearing, as he wanted to be able to tell if someone was trying to sneak up on him. He was pleased that none of his so called comrades decided to show up. He wasn't sure what he would have done if they'd have pissed him off again.
As the information came to an end he dropped out of his trance like state and made his way back to the house. He was only a little tired, but he'd done enough today. Upon entering the house he borrowed the dining room table for a moment to seal away his gear before slipping it into his pants pocket. He wanted to keep all of his gear on him at all times on this mission since he didn't trust any of his companions with his possessions especially the Uchiha, his bitch and the mutt. Walking quietly into the room he was assigned to, he found his previously arranged sleeping bag and futon were now shoved off to a corner and looked as though it had gone through a blender. Sighing he turned around and left. It seemed that his supposed comrades didn't know when to quit. It was nothing he hadn't dealt with before though so he simply made his way outside and found a nice thick tree branch to relax in. At least it wasn't raining tonight and the breeze felt nice. All in all it was a better environment to sleep in anyway rather then next to two potentially hostile people. He found a nice crook in an old tree and leaned back in it, falling asleep with a great view of the moon through the branches.
• • •
The next morning the residents of the house were surprised when no one knew where Naruto was. Only three seemed to be remotely worried about him though. Kakashi, because the boy was technically under his charge since he was the highest ranking ninja on the mission. Then there were Tazuna and Tsunami, simply because the boy seemed to be able to relate to their plight somewhat. It wasn't until halfway through breakfast that the door opened revealing A slightly disheveled Naruto causing Sasuke and Kiba to smirk.
"Naruto, where were you?" Kakashi stated a bit angry that the boy had left the house and not said anything.
"Training." Was his only reply before joining them at the table and grabbing some breakfast.
"Have a nice sleep dobe?" Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of the boy being forced to sleep anywhere but in a comfortable futon or sleeping bag like the rest of them.
"Yes, teme, it was very relaxing."
The sincerity in his voice was enough to wipe the smirk of the Uchiha's face. "Sleeping anywhere but in a nice futon like the rest of us must have been uncomfortable at least."
"And what makes you think I slept anywhere but in the bed I prepared when we got here?" His own smirk made Kakashi suspicious and he turned to the other two boys, waiting for their answer. Kiba was about to answer but got stopped due to a courteous elbow from Sasuke.
"I think I would like to know why as well." Kakashi glared at the two boys along with Tazuna and Tsunami, though at least theirs had no KI behind them.
"Don't bother Hatake. It doesn't matter. I'm used to such things." He began to turn and walk out the door, but stopped when Kakashi addressed him, and then everyone.
"Naruto wait a moment please. I've made plans for all of us to begin a training schedule. You will all be required to practice until I say otherwise or the mission is finished. Now unfortunately our unexpected guests yesterday are alive and well..."
"But Kakashi-sensei, I thought that hunter-nin killed him."
"Typical. Thinking everything you see is what it looks like." Naruto ignored the glare Sakura sent him.
"Naruto is on the right track, you must always look underneath the underneath. I'm guessing he knows more about this too."
Before Naruto could answer, it was Sasuke to put in his two sense. "Hmph, So now we have to fight that hunter-nin and there's a chance that Zabuza isn't dead."
"Wow, so there is a brain in there under all that ego." Naruto replied with an expression of mock surprise before chaining to a deadpan look. "From what I said, and Kakashi's affirmation, that would be the assumption of anyone with half a brain cell. Heck I bet the fleabag could have gotten to that conclusion eventually," Kiba didn't seem to hear as he was too busy munching on a piece of bacon. "but yes Zabuza is still alive. Although he will be in recovery for awhile. The 'hunter-nin' used senbon for a reason. Normally a difficult weapon to use effectively, once mastered it is mainly used to disable rather then kill. Though killing is possible it is also very possible to put someone into a death like state. When we were talking to the hunter-nin after it was insinuated that Zabuza was not dead and that the hunter was not really one. The reaction as you saw was for him to make a hasty retreat."
"Ok, so then why are we training? Only Kakashi sensei was able to take on Zabuza, and the hunter-nin looked and sounded about our age. If that is true then we should be fine the way we are right?"
Naruto was regretting accepting this mission. It was quickly grinding on his nerves at how little they could comprehend of the real world outside the academy let alone outside the village. "Sakura, if you have an eighty percent chance to beat someone in a fight today, or an eighty-one percent chance tomorrow, which would you pick if defeat meant death?"
"Well tomorrow obviously. I don't know what a dead last like you would have as far as ambitions, but I don't plan on dieing anytime soon."
"Ok...well we didn't need the last part, but the first part proves the point. If training every day until those two decide to attack gives us even half a percent better chance of beating them then wouldn't you say it is worth it?" At her realizing nod he gave himself a small pat on the back. "This isn't the D or C rank missions that the Hokage gave you anymore. Once the demon brothers came into play it became a high C low B-rank. With Zabuza in the mix it's now a high B to mid A-rank. Add in the hunter-nin who's abilities we know nothing about and the fact that more ninja have shown up over time, meaning a possibility of more enemies in the future, we are currently stuck on a mid to high A-rank mission with no backup able to assist us. We need every bit of help we can get, so if that means I have to personally put two hundred pound weights on all of you, I will do it." He narrowed his eyes at them daring them to tell him otherwise.
Sakura and Kiba both swallowed audibly while Sasuke just glared at the insinuation that Naruto would think about forcing him to do anything.
"Well now that that's out of the way, excellent explanation by the way Naruto." Seeing a nod of thanks from the boy Kakashi continued. "So if you'll all follow me, we'll get to the training." He got up and, with the aide of a crutch, made his way outside followed by a small congregation of curious genin. Before they disappeared into the forest Naruto, who was bringing up the rear, as he really didn't want to go along, created a few kage bunshin to watch over the house. 'Never hurts do be safe, good thinking Naruto.' Kakashi seemed to be gaining more an more respect for the blond with each action he made and every time he opened his mouth. This was nothing like the reports he saw from the boy's school days.
They soon arrived at a small clearing with a few large trees. Stopping in the center Kakashi turned to his charges. "Ok today we are going to climb trees." Naruto chuckled when Kiba started climbing the closest tree to him. It obviously wasn't going well since the tree was so large around that it would cause a grown man to struggle with wrapping his arms a third of the way around. "No Kiba we are going to climb trees without using our hands." A resounding crash was heard as the surprised Kiba fell backwards off the tree. It couldn't have hurt much since he was only a couple feet up, but he still managed to land on his head.
"Sensei how are we supposed to climb without using our hands?"
"Once again the brain sees it at face value." While he thought he had said it quiet enough it apparently was still heard by the bubblegum princess as she turned, ready to yell at him.
"Once again Naruto is correct. You will climb them by manipulating chakra through your feet. This exercise will help you with chakra control and capacity" Making a ram seal Kakashi began walking / limping up a nearby tree to demonstrate. Getting to the first branch he tossed kunai in front of each of them before turning around and heading back down. "So that's it. Use the kunai to mark your progress and try to beat your previous attempt each time. You may want to get a running start at first to build up momentum."
Sasuke and Kiba wasted no time getting to their practice as they rushed towards the trees. Sakura on the other hand followed her sensei to the T, walking up to the tree before placing a foot. A thud was heard as Kiba once again found himself on his back. Shortly afterward Sasuke was doing a back flip off the tree once he put a little too much chakra into a step. Both boys glared at their targets before making another attempt. Sakura on the other hand was already at the first branch and taking a little break. She called out to Sasuke once to show off her own skill, but only earned a glare in return when said boy saw that she had done better at something then him.
"Good job Sakura. Since you got this down already I guess that means you're on guard duty for today." Kakashi was proud that at least one of them got it, but that was short lived.
"Ne, Kakashi-sensei. She should keep at it."
Kakashi turned to the blond that he completely forgot about and his eyebrow rose. "And why do you suggest that Naruto?"
"As you said this exercise builds both control and capacity. She was able to control her chakra well enough to get to the first branch on the first try, but she had to take a break after she got there. That points to a lack of capacity. She should keep climbing to build her reserves up."
Kakashi had to admit he was right. "Sakura, never mind continue the tree climbing exercise. If you start feeling weak though, take a break." Sakura just nodded and went back to the tree while Kakashi turned back to Naruto. "Now tell me, why aren't you climbing a tree as well?"
"Is your memory that bad Hatake?" Seeing the look on the jōnin's face spoke worlds. "Yeah...What was I doing when I first showed up?" And there goes the light bulb, dim, but technically on. "Yep I was water walking. Get any of those three to try it and they'll sink like rocks. Now think about how wide that waterway is and how long I stayed standing on it. You see I don't need to do this exercise for control or capacity. Now if you'll excuse me I have a bridge to guard."
"Just one more thing. How did you beat Kafu?" The question had been bugging Kakashi the more he thought about. He gathered that Naruto had surprised the jōnin, but exactly how a genin could surprise a missing-nin of jōnin level just didn't stick well with him.
"When he was close enough I put an explosive note on a branch as I crouched to jump to the next one. When I landed I stopped and turned. Like a moth to a flame the overconfident man stopped on my trapped branch to tell me off, and like an overconfident man he never realized what was happening until it was to late. I had intended to just weaken him a little to make it a more even fight, but I guess he was so caught off guard that he slipped off the branch and fell all the way to the forest floor breaking more then a few bones I'm sure. After that it was just a matter of the final stroke."
Luck...It was mostly luck, but still this kid was smart enough to not panic, and instead try to make a situation where his chances increased. "You know Kafu is a missing-nin with a bounty. If you had cu..."
"It's sealed in a scroll in my left pants pocket."
Not only had Naruto killed, but he also did his research it seemed. "You've seen the Bingo Book?"
"Sealed in a scroll in my right pants pocket. I figure if I'm leaving the village I better know who else is out here and what they're capable of. If I find myself facing one I will know whether to fight or flee then."
Yeah, definitely did his research. This kid was good, far too good to be a genin. Kakashi began to wonder if the Hokage had already known Naruto's strength when he'd assigned the teams. This kid was easily better then his entire genin squad. Sure he had Sakura for the brains, Sasuke for muscle and Kiba for tracking, but Naruto seemed like the full package. Kakashi knew chūnin that couldn't or wouldn't risk what he did. He began to wonder if they were going to have another Uchiha Itachi on their hands. Unfortunately he wouldn't get his answer today.
"As much as I would like to sit and chat, I think we have a client that wants to get to work. I'll speak to you later if we have time." Naruto jumped off towards the house before Kakashi could say anything more.
"Heh looks like the training is too tough for the dobe. I knew he couldn't cut it as a ninja." Kakashi just sighed and shook his head as the comments about Naruto started to fly. He would do nothing to stop them of course. Not out of hatred for Naruto. No, after learning some of what the boy could do he was beginning to regret taking on the Uchiha, Obito be damned. His three students were more of a headache then he could deal with. Now if he had three genin of Naruto's quality they would be doing nothing but C-ranks and low B-ranks which would at least let him do more then babysit. 'So much for the once mighty ANBU captain.'
• • •
Naruto met up with Tazuna as he was about to head out. The man seemed relieved when Naruto told him about what transpired at the clearing. Apparently Sakura had not made a good first impression on the man. On their walk to the bridge they had a great time telling jokes at the other genins' expense. Naruto learned even more fuel for himself as Tazuna went over the fight with the demon brothers. Apparently Kiba had been scared stiff, as was Sakura. Sasuke showboated too much and Kakashi had to rejoin the fight at the end to save everyone.
Not one to receive without giving Naruto talked about the academy days and how the Uchiha was treated like a god where ever he walked while Sakura scampered faithfully behind him. Kiba was nothing more then an overgrown dog that thought every woman was his for the taking. Tazuna had his chance to laugh at Naruto's recounting of the encounter in front of Ichiraku's, though he was a bit angry that the boy would treat a girl like that. He had already caught him looking at his daughter in a way that made him uncomfortable. When he told Naruto that, he was relieved when the blond said he'd make sure nothing happened.
Upon arriving at the bridge Tazuna was approached by one of his workers apparently the man no longer was willing to put his life on the line for their future. He was dismissed and told not to come back as Tazuna seemed to age a little more. "Its getting harder and harder Naruto. It seems one or two people quit every day. Pretty soon there will be no one left. As much as I want to finish this bridge and give my family a better life, it slows down little bit by little bit. Even if they all quit though it won't matter to me. I will finish this bridge with my own two hands if needs be."
"Well I don't know much about building bridges, but I am a little handy with tools. Not to mention I can do the work of many people. Just tell me what needs done and I'll make sure it happens."
Tazuna looked at the boy for a minute, seemingly measuring him up. "Well I don't know how you're going to cover for multiple workers, but if you're willing who am I to turn you away? Tell you what, you show me how you're going to do this and I'll give the work out till you can't handle any more."
The words had barely slipped out of his mouth before the whole end of the bridge was covered with Narutos who all at once said "Where do ya want us."
Shaking out of his staring, Tazuna reminded himself that these were ninja, and for as much as he knew about ninja anything was possible. "O-ok then um, we'll start here..." It took Tazuna over half an hour to find jobs for all the clones, but he stuck to his word and by the time he got to the last one there the bridge was covered in copies of the same ninja, with more copies running errands in town. He had gotten a bit inventive when he learned that Naruto could climb on the sides of things, and even upside down. He had the boy checking for faults in places normal men couldn't even consider looking. Each went wandering happily off with some spackle in a bucket to patch up any flaws they might find on the sides and even the underside of the bridge. Turning to the last one he was trying to think of something else he might be able to have done when the boy turned to him.
"Don't worry about finding me something I already have a job. Since I'm the original I will be guarding you."
Tazuna nodded in acceptance and started his rounds to check on his workers. The men seemed a bit more at ease with so many bodies around. The fact that it was all the same person didn't seem to affect them at all as such a large grouping of ninja, no matter what rank, would be a deterrent for an attack. It would prove to be one of the most productive days he had seen in his life. Not to mention the bridge would be one of the best both on top and underneath. He was now debating hiring ninja for future bridge building just so he would have workers that could check the structural integrity of the entire bridge without the aide of pulley systems or barges.
Little did the man know, but the boy beside him was actually still training too. Not just with the clones under the bridge either. No, Naruto had upped his resistance seals by a large amount. Just because he was heads over his peers did not mean he was going to relax. Years living on the street was more then enough time for him to find out that you may live through one beating just to get a worse one tomorrow, and he had had enough beatings in his life to not want any more. Even walking right now would be training. It may seem odd to those that watched him that he walked with an even pace and was working up a sweat, or that he moved his arms more then needed, but it was necessary to get the full effect of the workout.
Even after Tazuna was finished with his rounds the boy didn't stop moving. While Tazuna oversaw his workers from a point near the current construction area, Naruto stood nearby and practiced with his katana and ninja-to. Every now and then he would see the old man look over and follow his katana, admiring its quality. He may have been a bridge builder, but no one in this area lived as long as he did without seeing at least a few blades. He wasn't going to ask the boy about it now though. There was work to be done here and he was the one in charge of it. The day was going smooth and he had more workers then ever. He'd be damned if he was going to waste even a minute of it.
Around lunchtime Tazuna called everyone in to eat. Naruto told him that the clones that could, would continue through since they didn't need food. Naruto himself brought out a fishing line and caught his own meal, much to the interest of the workers. They had lived here all their lives and had never seen anyone catch fish with such ease. It wouldn't be but a couple minutes before Naruto would hook a fish before dropping the line again. Once he stopped at four they were a little disappointed, but everyone went back to their own lunch because they knew that they had a long afternoon of work ahead of them, and with the sudden ambition their boss showed, they knew he was going to push them every second of it.
The afternoon went much like the morning, save for Naruto having to dispel some of his clones, do to jobs being finished and thus not needing their help anymore. The newest part of the bridge would need to be finished before anymore spot checks could be made underneath, and there were no more errands for the day. Naruto was still training with his blades when Tazuna called it a day. The workers all went home while Tazuna, with a huge smile on his face, waited with Naruto until the last of his clones had found a place to stop what it was doing. They soon found themselves back at the house looking at an exhausted Sakura with her head down on the table, and Kakashi reading his little orange book while Tsunami was working in the kitchen.
"Where is the king and the court jester?" Sakura would have screeched at him if she had the energy to, but she settled for glaring at him, which looked more like she was falling asleep then anything to be worried about to the two new arrivals.
"They decided to keep at it. They were both about twenty feet off the ground by the time we left. Sakura pushed herself a little too hard and got a slight case of chakra exhaustion."
"I see. Well if you don't mind I'm going to borrow your bath Tazuna. I think I smell pretty ripe about now from all the training I did." Tazuna just nodded while Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Naruto disappeared into the bathroom.
"What training did he do?" Kakashi asked Tazuna as the man sat down heavily at the table.
"What didn't he do. Those clones of his are amazing. Versatile too. He covered every job I'd lost a worker for and I actually had to create some others just so all the clones he made wouldn't go to waste."
"Hmm clones don't affect the main body physically though. What did the real Naruto do?"
"He walked around with me and when I wasn't walking he was practicing with those two blades of his. Which I must say, that katana looks to be one very nice piece of work. I wonder where he got it."
"He got it off a ninja he defeated." Kakashi threw a side glance at Sakura to let Tazuna know that he didn't want to say much more about it in front of the girl. Receiving a nod of understanding from the man he continued. "All I know is that the sword is very powerful in its own right if handled properly. If he's already training with it then he has a high probability of being able to use at least some of its potential."
Sakura finally gaining some strength back, turned towards her sensei. "He should give it to Sasuke-kun then. If it's so powerful then only Sasuke-kun is worthy of having it if it's going to be used by a anyone."
Kakashi couldn't help but feel ashamed at his student, but didn't have time to reprimand her as the door swung open and the two other teammates stumbled in, looking like they had just been through a war. "Ah, training went well then I assume?"
"Hn."
"Uhn."
The two boys slumped on the table and took up the same position as Sakura, hoping to see food in front of them before too long. At about the same time Tsunami, Naruto and Inari all entered the room. The later two took their seats while Tsunami set out the food. "Dad we're going to need more groceries for tomorrow night. Could you stop in town and pick some up?"
Tazuna sighed before nodding. "Hai, hai."
"We'll send Sakura with you just in case." Kakashi really just wanted to be away from the girl for awhile. After she had collapsed during tree climbing from exhaustion, which he had warned her not to push herself into, he had to carry her back to the house and listen to her grumbling and whining about not being able to see her Sasuke-kun. It was grating on his nerves how much she worshiped the boy. For now though they would eat.
They only made it a few minutes into dinner before Inari decided that people weren't pitying him enough and started his little outburst. "Why do you try so hard? You'll just die like all the rest. Gatō is too strong!"
"Hn, don't lump me in with your loser villagers. I am an Uchiha. I don't die. I will take down anyone who stands against me."
"Yeah! Sasuke-kun can take on anyone! This Gatō guy doesn't stand a chance with him around!"
"Me and Akamaru will plow down anyone to complete our mission. Isn't that right boy?"
"Arf!"
Kakashi and Naruto just sat there and continued to eat. At least they did until they were dragged into the conversation. "See even your sensei and teammate know better then to come up with hopeless ideas! They're the only smart ones here!"
Naruto just shook his head. The kid just didn't know when to shut his mouth. "While I'll agree with you that I am smart, I have to say you don't know anything about us. Sasuke, while he is an arrogant prick, does have a few decent moves. Kiba with his clan jutsu would be more then enough to take on a few thugs. Sakura...well she has good chakra control. Not sure what she can do in a fight, but maybe she just hasn't found her niche yet. Sure they have Zabuza and that masked nin, but we have Kakashi here who is world renowned for his abilities as a ninja. He'll be taking on Zabuza while the rest of us take on the masked nin. Four on one seems like good odds to me. After that all we need to do is find Gatō and clean up the mess."
"You are just too soft. You praise your comrades' abilities and walk around all smiles, but you've probably never had a hard day in your life." Kakashi visibly cringed at Inari's words. As Naruto glared at the boy.
"If you want pity from someone for your so called 'hard life' don't even think of coming to me. You don't know the meaning of the words that come out of your mouth." The boy had enough sense to back away from the glare, but Naruto's words just made him angrier.
"I don't know a hard life? I DON'T KNOW A HARD LIFE?! I've watched as our villagers have been beaten or killed. I've seen the way people are forced to steal just to survive. I've gone hungry many nights because the grocers in town don't have enough food to supply everyone. I THINK I KNOW A HARD LIFE!" Inari screamed as the tears started to come forth.
"No kid, you've had some hard days, but you are far from a hard life. You have family, people who are there for you. You have a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in. You have seen people beaten or killed, sure, but you don't look like you've taken a beating in your life, and I doubt you've ever come close to dying. Have you ever wandered the streets, picking through trash to find your next meal? Have you ever slept in an alleyway in the rain because there was no where else? The villagers that you see oh so much of, do they glare at you like you are the bane of their existence? No huh? I thought not. No, you don't know the meaning of a 'hard life'." The group watched as Inari teared up and ran out of the room. Naruto just grunted and turned back to his meal.
"Naruto was that really necessary? He's just a little kid, you didn't need to say such things. Besides what kind of person would even stand to live like that? Stop making up stories to scare children." Sakura, now the target of Naruto's glare, shrunk back from him.
"Haruno, don't even think for one second that you know me or my life." Appetite now gone, Naruto stood and walked across the room. Stopping at the door he turned to one of the few reasonable people still present. "Hatake, I'm going to train. I'll see you in the morning."
"Hai..." The man watched as the door closed.
"Hn, where does he get off acting so rough. He doesn't know half of what he was talking about. I've never seen him with even a hint of sadness during the academy. Dobe just thinks to highly of himself." Sasuke was reminded of his own lonely life. He was pampered even after his clan was killed, so the only thing he was really without now was his family.
"Where did he even come up with half of that." Kiba couldn't imagine living with any of those things Naruto said. He had always had his clan around, a bed to sleep in and food on the table. Being the son of the clan head had it perks. Money was never an issue.
"Because that was his life..." Kakashi would be in for a long night of refusing to answer questions as he didn't want to broach a subject concerning Naruto's privacy without the boy's consent. After a few hours of getting denied information, team seven finally went to bed. Though with the lack of information that they craved, the implications of the pariah's life were quickly forgotten.
In a clearing North of Tazuna's house Naruto was busy reshaping the landscape. "Stupid little brats. I would like to see any of them live through one day of my life without curling up into a ball and crying." Trees fell and were quickly shredded as his wrath tore the forest apart. Splintered logs lay in his wake as a gleaming black blade sliced through more wood. He wasn't one for needless destruction, but tonight he used it for anger management. If he'd have stayed in that house tonight there would have been three very bruised genin before he tired out. He stopped after the fiftieth tree fell to his blade. Looking around and breathing slightly heavy he sighed. 'That should be enough for now...no.' He took a deep breath and swung his sword again.
• • •
The next day found team seven all talking around the dining room table, acting like last night never happened. Kakashi had talked to Inari about Naruto's past. Trusting the boy with a little more information then he gave to his own students. It was rather sad that he could trust someone he just met more then those from his own village, but they probably would have just used the information to further verbally abuse Naruto and he wouldn't allow that to happen if he could prevent it. He was a little worried that Naruto hadn't come back last night, but out of all the genin there he was the most capable, so he put it to the back of his head. "So, since today is an off day for building, Sakura will be assisting Tazuna in getting groceries while Kiba and Sasuke continue training."
The three nodded as they finished breakfast and set about their tasks. Tazuna and Sakura headed to town while Kiba and Sasuke headed East towards their clearing. Kakashi stayed in the house opting to do some indoor training in his room. Being still a bit weak from his overuse of the sharingan, he was sticking to normal exercises like situps and pushups.
In the fresh cut clearing Naruto had made last night a young female was picking around the area looking for plants. She hadn't noticed the boy laying in the middle of the clearing, nor the pile of freshly cut wood stacked nearby until she was almost upon them. She was soon brought back to awareness as the body moved, cracking some twigs under his weight. Nearly dropping her basket of herbs she cautiously walked over to him and leaned down to get a look at his face. She gasped at recognizing him. Now an internal debate raged in her head. She could leave now and not worry about anything, or she could kill him and save her group some trouble later on.
Cursing herself for not bringing any weapons with her, then cursing the boy for sleeping on top of his, she slowly reached out a hand ready to choke him to death before she stopped. This wasn't a good situation and she could tell it. Her without a weapon and him loaded to the teeth, yet all out of her reach. If she tried for one he would probably wake up, and if she tried to choke him he'd definitely wake and she would be at a loss. She was brought out of her debate as someone spoke.
"I would go for stomping on the throat, even if it doesn't break their neck they would be in so much pain that they would leave themselves wide open for more attacks."
She jumped back from the boy as he slowly opened his eyes before turning them to her. All without moving his body. It was almost as if he didn't consider her a threat. The defensive posture she took proved that she was trained, but he still didn't know who she was. At least she hoped not. She watched in fascination as he slowly rose to his feet, brushing himself off as he stood. "So, can I ask what you are doing here?"
"Picking herbs...for a friend...he's very ill you see." She bent down to make it look like she was picking up another plant from the ground. With any luck he would dismiss her stance as just getting ready to bend down for the plant.
"Uh huh. Well I would advise against giving him that one. It's poisonous."
She looked down at what she was about to pick and realized that she was indeed about to pick up one of the more toxic of this area's plant life. Despite herself she blushed in embarrassment. "You seem to have some knowledge of plants. Are you a woodcutter?" She looked at the pile of wood behind him and raised an eyebrow at the amount piled up.
"Hah! No I'm no woodcutter by trade. I have split a few logs recently though as you can see."
"Oh? Then what do you do?"
"I'm a ninja! And this is where I was training."
"A ninja? Isn't that dangerous. Aren't you afraid you'll get killed?"
"I may, it comes with the territory. If I die that just means I was meant to, so I won't run away from it. If I was meant to die so soon I would have been killed many times already."
"I see, and why is it that you are here ninja-san?"
"I am here to stop a tyrant from oppressing this village. Why are you here nurse-san?"
"To protect my precious person. Do you have a precious person ninja-san?"
"Hai. I have a few people precious to me. That is why I won't die here...hunter-san."
The girl froze. 'He knows oh Kami he knows and I don't have any weapons. I'm dead!' She turned to run but was stopped as she found herself encircled by his arms, then felt his hot breath by her ear.
"Now, now hunter-san. It would be rude to leave without at least introducing yourself. I am Uzumaki Naruto, and you are...?"
"H-Haku, Mamochi Haku!" What was he thinking. Was he going to rape her? If that was his goal she didn't have any way to stop him.
"Mmm, Haku. That's a nice name. Now Haku I noticed something when we got close like this, and I want you to tell me about it. Why do you have a seal on you?"
'What is he talking about. Zabuza-sama never said anything about a seal on me, and I haven't put any on.' She was lost in confusion as Naruto found the time to examine the seal on the back of her neck. "L-Let me go! I need to get back to Zabuza-sama!" She wriggled hard, fighting his grasp until he let her go. She ran to the edge of the clearing before his words made her stop.
"By the time this is over you will remember what you lost Haku-chan."
She saw him smile, but was far too distraught to think about it, so she ran. She ran away from his confusing aura and back to her home. To the man who had picked her up from the brink of death and gave her a life.
Back in the clearing Naruto had his eyes closed and was going over the seal he saw in his head. He had seen its likeness before in a scroll on basic sealing and was trying to recall its details. It was a memory modification seal, something to hide a section of someone's past from themselves. It was clear to him that there was someone out there that didn't want the girl to remember a key part of her life, and he was going to find out why. Gathering the rest of his belongings that he had stashed nearby he made his way back into town. He had plans too after all, and now they just became a little more difficult.
• • •
Sakura had never seen a village in such a dire situation. Of course that wasn't saying much since the only village she had seen was Konoha, which was one of the largest ninja villages. She knew they were wealthy in comparison to most, but to see a village that was so torn by someone's greed was an eye opener for one as sheltered as her. Tazuna had lead her down the dusty streets as she peered into alleyways which were crowded with those that could no longer afford to pay the living taxes put on them by Gatō's regime. It was clear that the man would have to be stopped, but just how to do that was the difficult part. From what she gathered he was not one to openly confront people, choosing to stay behind closed doors instead and let his thugs and mercenaries do the legwork.
By the time they reached the grocer, Sakura already had a knot in her stomach while Tazuna chose to keep his eyes on the ground. Upon entering the building she soon realized just why everyone here was so thin. The shelves barely had anything on them, and those food items that were there looked like they had to fight for survival Just as hard as the villagers. Shriveled up vegetables, half dried out fish and crumpled boxes. The only good thing she saw was that there were no mice scampering around, but that was probably due to the lack of food as well. The rodents would rather choose to live in the wild and scavenge then stay in a poorly stocked building.
They quickly got what they could from their list, checking off only five of the items as available. Paying the outrageous prices without one word from Tazuna they headed back to the house. Sakura couldn't stand seeing people live this way so she followed Tazuna's lead and kept her eyes on the ground, barely hearing the familiar voice as she passed someone, but not placing it as she tried to block out what she saw.
"Ah feels almost like home."
When she turned her head to see who had spoken she was met with the closing door of a building. At this point she no longer cared what anyone said. The atmosphere here was too depressing, so putting it to the back of her head she fell back into step behind Tazuna.
The old man beside her however, used to the ways of the village, was not so blind. He knew that an unguarded purse here meant no food, and no food meant no life. People here learned the hard way that even when you look like you're not looking at anything, you still need to be aware of everything. Thus it came as a surprise when the boy that was passing them had spoken. Sure they had found out that he'd had it rough, but to hear someone make such a comment as if they would have rather lived here was a bit more then he'd expected. He would leave the boy to his peace though. He knew the building that Naruto had entered and knew he was up to something, but at the moment just didn't want to think about it. He had far too much on his mind already.
Behind them in a small store stood Naruto, looking around at the available supplies. Oddly this store was well stocked unlike everywhere else in the village. Seed packets and tools lined the shelves while an old man stared at him, perplexed, from behind the counter. Naruto went around picking through the items on the shelves as the man got up and walked over to him very cautiously.
"Um s-sir, if you are here for money I-I am sorry but I don't have enough for the p-payment this week. Pl-please let me off this one time. My business isn't doing well with all of G-Gatō's restrictions and w-well..."
Naruto was for the most part ignoring the man until he heard Gatō's name. "So Gatō is restricting farming here too. No wonder this place is so stocked."
When he talked the man realized that Naruto was not with Gatō and quickly got excited. "S-so you are here to buy something then?" His hopes had risen exponentially with his revelation.
"Well, first I'd like you to tell me a bit about this restriction that this Gatō guy put on you, and why you can't sell anything." Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man, letting him know to leave nothing out.
"O-of course. Gatō doesn't allow anyone to have their own farms or gardens anymore. If we try to start one up he just sends in his thugs to destroy anything in the area and 'punish' us..."
"Continue." Naruto urged keeping his eyes trained on the man's actions and body language. It was obvious the man was hesitant in divulging the information, as it could cost him a potential sale and some much needed money.
"Well with no one able to garden or farm, my stock just sits here and my family goes hungry. I tried once to start a small garden in secret, but they found out and took away my wife. Now I have only my daughter and one son. I'm sure by now they've killed her or slaved her away, but I hope to see her at least once more. If only to bury her properly..." The old man lowered his head in sadness and shame.
"I see. Well I'm going to need supplies. Gather what is on this list please while I get the rest that I need." Naruto took his list and tore it in half. Giving one piece to the man he began his search around the store for his portion. The owner of course knew his store better, so by the time Naruto had half his portion the man came over an helped him. Within twenty minutes they had everything on the list crowding the counter. Ringing up the total there were tears in the man's eyes as Naruto handed over the money for the items. It was overpriced, but he didn't blame the man. He had a family to provide for after all.
Naruto took out one of his blank scrolls, quickly sealing everything away, just as someone else came through the door. Two someones in fact. Both wore ragged clothes, but had the look of hardened fighters about them. "Hey old man. We're here for your payment. What's this? A customer? Hey small fry, there are consequences for what you are planning you know."
"Really gentlemen? Well I'll have to deal with those when they come." Naruto took his scroll and shoved past the men.
"Hey punk. Just who do you think you are?" One of the men tried to take a swing at the boy, but his target seemed to disappear. The pair looked around then spotted the boy walking down the street away from them. "Come on Bunjiro, let's get that brat. If he can afford to shop in a place like this then he must be an outsider, and that means he has money." The one who spoke darted out the door as the now named Bunjiro looked back at the owner. "Don't worry old man. Once we're done with the brat we'll be back for your payment." The owner could just cower away and pray that the boy kept himself safe. No one who valued their life treated Gatō's men like that and got away with it.
Naruto ran away into the forest, leading the two mercenaries away from the town. He had to slow his pace a little to stay in their line of sight so they wouldn't give up. No, he didn't want that. He had plans for them. He'd been through these woods few times now and knew exactly where he was going. Up ahead was a small outcropping that overlooked the ocean. A perfect place to stage a little 'accident'.
"Come on Bunjiro we're catching him! He's boxing himself in, we'll have easy pickings this time."
"Shut up Masao, I am keeping up! Let's just get this over with before I add you to the casualties list." The two glared at each other before turning their attention back to their prey.
'So they don't like each other. Even better. It would have been troublesome if they were friends.' Naruto cleared the line of trees and ran right up to the ledge with both men hot on his heels. He slowly turned as they landed behind him.
"So, giving up? Just hand over your cash and we won't hurt you...much."
"Hmm, how about I tell you a story instead."
"Shut it kid we don't care what you have to say."
"Oh but this story involves you. Don't be hasty now. It all begins with a scared little boy. He's running through the forest as fast as his little legs can carry him with two angry monsters behind him. They run and run, but no matter where he tries to go they follow. Soon enough he finds himself with his back to a cliff as the monsters close in on him." Naruto tried his best to act out the emotions in his little 'play'.
"Yeah and then they eat him and toss his remains over the side. Whatever kid. If you're not going to give up willingly..." Masao began to pull his dagger out of its sheath. "...then we'll have to do this the hard way."
"Oh but there's a moral to this story. You see the boy was not really a scared little boy. He was a young warrior who made his living by exterminating monsters. He killed the monsters that were chasing him and made it look like they fought each other to the death. That way the monsters' den would think they just fought each other and fell over the cliff to their deaths. The moral is, never judge someone by their looks, even if it's a scared little boy. See your partner gets it." He pointed over to Bunjiro, but instead of staying in one spot his finger lowered and started moving over towards Masao's feet.
Masao's eyes widened as he saw Bunjiro's head roll into his line of sight, then to the sword that he hadn't even seen the kid draw."Y-you bastard!" He thrust his dagger only to hit nothing but air. He twisted around to find his target only to turn right into the pointed tip of a katana. The blade went right through his eye socket and with his rushed momentum, was pushed a couple inches into his brain. A look of shock froze on his face.
Naruto slid his blade out of the man's head and wiped it off on the ragged before the Masao's body went limp and he dropped to the ground. 'Its a good thing they were just regular mercenaries and not ninja. If they'd had any training at all that could have been a lot messier.' He searched their pockets quickly before sealing away anything of value and pushing the corpses off the cliff. Taking a few minutes he created one Kage bunshin, and sparred with it slowly, being sure to include the blood splatters in the path of their fighting scrapes. Then taking out his pipes again, he began playing a soft tune as he made his way back to his clearing, ignoring the few drops of blood that were now drying on his arm.
• • •
At dinner that night Naruto was the last to come to the table. He was dirty and sweating, but had at least washed his hands. Nothing spectacular happened at this meal until Sakura noticed a couple odd patches of color on his arm.
"Naruto what is that on your arm?"
He looked down and noticed the long dried droplets before turning back to his plate. "Blood." He said nonchalantly.
"Hah you cut yourself training? What a moron!" Kiba was laughing while trying to stay upright in his seat while Sakura joined in and even Sasuke gave a chuckle.
Naruto fixed him with a bored gaze. "Who said it was my blood?" All laughing stopped.
Kakashi sighed. "Who was it this time Naruto?"
The boy chose to finish what was in his mouth before answering. "Two mercenaries. They annoyed me when they were trying to push a store owner to give them 'payment'...I lead them away from town...then killed them in a way that it would look like an accident." He never stopped eating as he explained his day. Meanwhile everyone at the table but Kakashi and Sasuke was looking at him in horror. Kakashi looked to be thinking while Sasuke looked a bit pissed off. That or he was constipated. One of the two.
"You didn't leave any evidence did you?"
"What do you take me for? I slashed their clothes with each others weapons making sure to cut in such a way that I could take their belongings and if anyone finds them they will chalk it up as a loss in the fight."
"Their weapons?"
"If anyone wants to go diving at the base of a cliff in the choppy ocean to search for them, then they deserve to come to conclusions."
Kakashi nodded his head. It was a well thought out assassination. Had Naruto been his student he would have been proud. Looking at said students he could only hope they grew up quick. Sakura was shaking, Kiba looked like he was going to be sick and Sasuke looked like Naruto had just stolen is life savings. "Well team seven will continue our tree climbing exercise tomorrow while you guard Tazuna again." Tazuna looked relieved at the news. If the boy could kill then he had the best chance of protecting the bridge aside from Kakashi himself.
"When are we going to protect the bridge Kakashi? That is our mission too, and we were the ones originally assigned to it. Why let the dobe take all the glory?" Sasuke spat.
"Because you are still in training and I am your sensei. Until you complete the tree climbing you will continue with that exercise. Now eat. You need to rest before tomorrow. It's going to be a long day." Kakashi had no idea just how right he was.
That night Naruto was up much later then everyone else, going over the seal he saw on Haku. He had sheets of paper spread out in front of him with numerous seals drawn on each. Half the pages held the seal that he saw, the other half showed possible counter seals. While it was true that each one could remove the seal, each also came with drawbacks. One would severely weaken the person while another would render them completely immobile, though for a shorter amount of time. Each counter he had came with its own downside and he was having difficulty deciding which would be best. Sighing to himself he packed up his supplies and headed out into the night.
It was routine for him now to sleep outside. He didn't mind though. The air here was crisp and clean and the breeze was relaxing. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and it was just nice to watch the stars as he fell asleep. Climbing into a nearby tree he was soon dozing off thinking about seals and techniques.
• • •
the next day as team seven headed into the forest to once again attack their greatest foes, the trees, while Naruto and Tazuna headed for the bridge. Despite the sickening feeling he had in his stomach, Tazuna wanted to know more about what the blond had been doing in that store yesterday. No one in this town was dumb enough to go there. Though if anyone had the ability to do that it was his companion for the day. "Naruto, what were you doing in a farming supply store yesterday?"
"The same thing anyone who goes to such a store does. I was buying supplies."
"But why? You don't really strike me as the gardening type."
"I don't really strike you as the killing type either I am guessing, yet I have done so on numerous occasions."
"That's true, but I feel I should warn you that growing anything won't go without consequence around here. Gatō won't stand for it. Anyone who has tried to grow anything has been punished."
"I could say the same about building bridges Tazuna-san."
Tazuna laughed hard and scratched his head. "That is true isn't it."
"You will know why soon enough. Until then I ask that you keep my business a secret from my peers. This is just one of many things in my life that I don't want them knowing about."
"I understand. I won't tell a soul, and Naruto...thank you"
"Hai."
The two arrived at the bridge to see all the workers from two days ago already at their stations. Without being told to, Naruto made his Kage Bunshin army to fill in the gaps. The day went by much like the previous time, with Tazuna leading his men and Naruto doing what exercises he could. It wasn't until late afternoon that they called it a day. Due to their new progress, with Naruto's help, they were going much faster then previously, and the timetable for completion was shortening much faster then any of them had hoped. Everyone left in high spirits that day and for the first time in months their families would see them come home with smiles plastered on their faces.
Dinner at Tazuna's was a bit more of a spectacle. It seemed that the two other boys were finally able to make it to the top of the tree and Sakura was able to make it without a break. Sticking to his word Kakashi promised that they would be on guard duty as well the following day making them all a little happier...well, at least team sevens genin were happier. The rest were resigning themselves to having to deal with the three all day.
As they were cleaning their plates there was a knock at the door. Naruto went to open it with his hand on his ninja-to, but was caught off guard when a spear was shoved right through the door and into his stomach. Tsunami and Sakura screamed as Naruto fell backwards onto the floor holding his wound. Kakashi was on his feet the moment he heard metal meet flesh, and he rushed to the door taking a defensive position in front of his downed comrade. Kiba and Sasuke meanwhile shook themselves out of their shock as they took up guard positions in front of the family, both trying but failing to hide their smiles.
The door burst open and showed a man in his early twenties with a long spear held out in front of him. When he saw Kakashi though his eyes widened and he dashed out into the night. Kakashi yelled over his shoulder as he pursued. "Sakura! Tend to Naruto. The rest of you stay on guard!" The three genin just stood there and stared after their sensei. Seeing no one moving, Tsunami pushed past the boys and rushed to Naruto's side to check his wound. She was no doctor, but right now they didn't have a choice since none of the boy's comrades seemed to care one bit about him.
Out in the forest Kakashi had already caught up to the man and gave him a quick death. It was just a random mercenary that Gatō had sent to try and take the old man out. The orders were written out in a letter in the man's back pocket. Grabbing the letter Kakashi made his way back to the house and met with a sight that filled him with rage. Naruto was still on the floor being tended to by Tsunami while Sakura stood off to the side glaring down at the boy. Her two teammates were actually trying to pull Tsunami away from the boy, but were being held back by Tazuna and a pissed off Inari.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Kakashi's booming voice stopped all action in the room. "Sakura why aren't you helping Naruto instead of Tsunami?"
"I-I froze up, I was scared, I'm sorry." Though she said the words she didn't look the part one bit.
"And why are you two keeping the client away from his daughter?" He leveled his glare on Sasuke and Kiba who flinched a little.
"You told us to protect them. We were trying to keep them out of harms way."
"And you didn't think it would be easier to protect them if they were all TOGETHER. Our mission is to keep Tazuna and his family safe. That includes his daughter. You should have brought them over to her and guarded them HERE. All three of you get out of my sight. I don't want to see you again until tomorrow. You make me sick." The three genin rushed out of the room. Happy do be away from their sensei's harsh glare.
Meanwhile Kakashi rushed to Naruto's side to help Tsunami. He urged her hand away so he could get a better look at the wound. His eyes widened when he saw it. 'It's healing itself from the inside out. This must be the demon's doing. It's not going to let its host die if it can help it. For once I thank its existence.' He pulled out his medical kit and began to bandage the wound up before taking Naruto to his own room. He wasn't about to risk leaving him in with the other two boys. Fox or not there were still ways to kill him. None of those in the house had noticed that through the whole ordeal Naruto had never made a sound. No cries of pain, hardly any twitching muscles...barely a sign that anything was wrong at all.
• • •
The next morning Kakashi was in a very bad mood. He hadn't gotten much sleep as he was watching over Naruto. It was only when Tazuna came in and offered to be on guard that he allowed himself to close his eyes. The enemies he was worried about were no longer just outside the house. No, he was worried about those inside the house now as well. Should they show any sign of foul play Tazuna would be able to at least wake him up, if not deter them himself from entering. When he awoke the next morning Tazuna had confirmed his suspicions that something was amiss when he was told that the other genin had tried to 'see how Naruto was doing', but they were easily turned away with a terse 'He's fine' from Tazuna and a promise to wake their sensei if they didn't go back to their rooms.
Currently he was sitting across from said genin and glared at them through the whole meal. Once breakfast was over he told them to meet out front in ten minutes. As much as he would have loved to make them train all day, he didn't trust to leave them alone. Naruto was out of commission for now which meant someone had to guard Tazuna. This meant Kakashi himself would go along with his team. Leaving any of them behind would result in some questionable circumstances, of that he was certain. He followed closely behind them as they went to their rooms. Making note of how many times they looked between him and the room the Naruto was currently resting in. He broke off into that room while they got ready, and didn't come back out until he saw them standing out front from his window. Making a quick check of their rooms he grabbed Sasuke's weapon pouch which he most likely 'accidentally' left behind and went outside.
When he arrived outside Sasuke was about to say something but didn't have time as he had to catch the pouch that was headed for his face. Looking down at the bundle he realized what it was that he caught. He glared at his sensei before turning and heading off towards the bridge. Apparently Kiba and Sakura had been in on the plan too as they scowled a bit before heading off as well. Tazuna brought up the rear with Kakashi. He had seen the exchange and was slightly confused.
"What was that all about Kakashi?" He whispered so the kids wouldn't hear him.
"They are planning on doing something to Naruto. I don't know what yet, but I have a hunch. Naruto is kind of the village pariah. It wasn't until recently that he showed anything that would show he had any kind of intelligence. I think the boys are threatened by it and Sakura is so blinded by her crush on Sasuke that she'd go along with anything he said."
"Would they really do that? Harm their own friend?" Kakashi snorted and almost burst out laughing, causing said genin to stare back at them in confusion.
Kakashi waved them off and they turned back forwards. "They are no friends to each other. I don't know the extent of it but Sasuke was the rookie of the year, Sakura was the top kunoichi and Kiba is a possible clan heir. Naruto on the other hand was the dead last, thus their disrespect for him. I think now that he's showing his true abilities, they can't comprehend it. They were all so used to being so far ahead of him that now that it's him over them they can't handle it and would rather be rid of him and call it an accident."
"So it's jealousy then? I thought that type of thing would have been discouraged in ninja at a young age."
"Normally yeah, but anything that involves Naruto is far from normal. He's hated by most of the village, so it's only natural that the hate the older generation has towards him got passed down to the younger generation. Such a waste. I would love to have three of him over the group I have now."
"I see...it's a good thing you are in charge of them then..."
"Oh?"
"If it's as bad as you say then another team leader may have let them go forward with their little plan."
"True...I hadn't thought of it that way." By this time they had made it to the bridge to find workers scattered everywhere. Some bleeding others barely conscious. Tazuna ran up to one that looked to still be alive.
"Fujio what happened?!"
"Tazuna...Demon..."
The group heard evil laughing as a thick fog began to roll in over the bridge. "So I guess our little present last night didn't do too much damage. Oh well, at least he got the worst of the little pests it seems," Out of the mist in front of them walked Zabuza and Haku. "and it looks like they're still afraid. Rooster head over there is shaking in his shoes."
Sasuke scowled at the man. "I'm shaking from excitement."
"Oh really?" Suddenly there were clones of Zabuza standing on every side of the group.
"Sasuke. Do it."
Sasuke didn't waste any time as he blurred out and each clone splashed into water. "Oh? It seems you have a rival in speed Haku."
"It would seem that way Zabuza-sama."
Kakashi pulled up his hitai ite, revealing his sharingan. "Feel privileged Zabuza. No one has seen this eye twice and lived to speak of it." In truth Kakashi was a little upset that the clones hadn't at least injured the boy, but maybe there was hope for that yet. He needed something to knock the boy down a few pegs. Maybe it would get his mind of their blond ally. He didn't have time to think though as the mist thickened and he found Zabuza inside his guard. Forced away from the group he called out to the others. "Sasuke, Kiba go after the other one. I'll take Zabuza, Sakura protect Tazuna!"
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