721Naruto Uzumaki - The Greatest Prodigy
Chapter 21
Note :- So, welcome back to this journey guys. I hope you're all doing well in these times, hopefully the situation is getting better now and our lives are getting back to normal. Anyways thanks for the support you've shown towards this story so far, regarding the previous chapter I received I received some mix reaction from you all, just to make it clear, if you have any questions, ask me properly with your active accounts because Fanfiction site doesn't allow to respond to guest reviews. So if you have any questions or suggestion or even if you want criticize do it in a proper manner and be respectful because I'm not forcing anyone to read my stuff, it is as simple as that.
Now that out of the way thank you to the readers who are kind enough to drop suggestion and new ideas for me to improve, seriously guys you are the best...THANK YOU
Before you guys go any further I would like specially thank WarriorsCre3d for such a wonderful cover poster. I was so excited to share it with you guys.
Discord link - /kTXhq6g (Join the me there guys, lets talk)
Talking - Normal Human
Thinking - Normal Human
Talking - Summon/Bijuu/Jutsu
Thinking - Summons/Bijuu
(Disclaimer :- I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters. This is only for entertainment )
A pained groan escaped Kakashi's lips and his lone eye flickered several times trying to adjust to the light. After his vision cleared, he was greeted with the concerned faces of Sakura and Ino hovering above him.
"Kakashi sensei...are you alright?" Sakura asked, while Kakashi shifted to a sitting position with Ino's help.
Kakashi looked around at the familiar faces of his students, and team 10. They all looked perfectly fine to which Kakashi let out a sigh of relief.
"How are you feeling?" Naruto asked from his position near the window where he sat relaxed with his back against the wall. Shikamaru and Sai set next to him, while Sasuke sat across from Kakashi with Choji next to him.
He realized they were currently in a room which was not very big, albeit big enough for the Leaf ninjas to settle in for the time being.
"My body feels like it's on fire," Kakashi muttered with a flinch and placed a palm over his covered eye. The fight with Zabuza had really taken a toll on him. His team was lucky that team 10 intervened.
Otherwise...
He didn't want to think about that. His team was alive and that's all that mattered to him.
"Your sharingan is amazing," Sakura said, her face worried. "But it puts a lot of stress on the body. I'm not sure if it's good or bad."
"Where are we?" Kakashi asked.
"After you passed out, Tazuna-san invited us to his house." Choji responded, coming over to sit near Kakashi.
Kakashi gave a nod in response. He was grateful they were all safe. "What happened to-"
His eyes widened in realisation as he recalled the events that had happened before he passed out. The last thing he remembered was the hunter ninja taking away Zabuza's dead body. His head turned towards Naruto.
Naruto was already looking at him like he was expecting this reaction from Kakashi.
But just when Kakashi was about to open his mouth, the bedroom door opened and a woman with long raven coloured hair entered. She was wearing a short sleeved pink shirt with the ends of the sleeves fading into red, and a long blue skirt.
Following behind her was an elderly man, who Kakashi recognised as their client, and a kid wearing a blue and white striped hat over his spiky black hair. He also wore a green jumpsuit over a yellow shirt.
"Ohh...you're up sensei!" The woman said, holding a tray of food. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Not really, I don't think I'll be able to move for a week" Kakashi said sheepishly when he tried to move his arm but flinched when a sharp pain ran through his body.
"Then you shouldn't move around for a while!" She replied good-naturedly before blushing while crouching down and placing the food in front of the Leaf ninjas. "My name is Tsunami and this is my son Inari."
She then turned to her son and said gently, "Say hello to them Inari, these are the ninjas that escorted grandpa."
The little kid just gave a blank look to the ninjas before he opened his mouth. "Mom, they're going to die. There's no way a person can win by going against Gatoh."
"Heyy..." Ino shouted pointing a finger at him. "What did you say brat?" I don't know who this Gatoh is. But he doesn't stand a chance against us."
"How stupid, there is no one stronger than Gatoh." Inari glared back at her. The Leaf ninjas were taken back a little by his response but and Ino was about to reply when Naruto interrupted her.
"Calm down Ino, we're not here to argue with some brat." To which Inari snapped his head towards Naruto in anger but took a step back at the sight of his blue eyes turning blood red for second.
"You should leave before it's too late," Inari said hurriedly, and ran out without another word.
"Please forgive him!" Inari's mother quickly said. "He's not used to talking with strangers."
"It's quite alright," Kakashi said with his famous eye smile. "He's just a kid."
Tsunami nodded. "But please, I hope you enjoy this lunch," she said while offering them the food. "We weren't expecting any guests any time soon. So this is all we have at the moment."
"We're already grateful to you for allowing my team to rest in your house," Naruto said kindly. "We don't want to cause any more trouble for you and your family."
"Nonsense," she said. "You saved my father's life. At least give me a chance to repay you all back in some kind. Right father?"
"Absolutely!" Tazuna added with a nod. "You guys saved my life even after I lied about the mission and now that you killed that swordsman, I can start working on the bridge."
Kakashi sighed and looked at Naruto, receiving a nod in response before he broke the news. "I wish what you said could be true but-" everyone looked at him. Kakashi gave them all a look before he continued.
"Zabuza is still alive."
A stunned silence fell over the room.
"W-what!" Choji stuttered with a shocked expression over his face. "What do you mean, he's still alive? We saw that masked guy kill him in front of our eyes."
"Pursuing nin are supposed to eliminate the corpse on the spot." Everyone's attention turned towards Naruto when he spoke.
"So?" Ino asked in confusion.
"What did that boy with the mask do with Zabuza?" He questioned when he saw their confused expressions.
"How should we know? The masked boy took Zabuza away."
"That's right," Naruto said. "All he needed to do was bring back the head as proof. Also, the weapon that boy used to kill Zabuza is questionable."
"It was just a long needle." Shikamaru answered with wide eyes. "Could it be that-" He looked at Naruto for conformation, who nodded in return.
"Yeah, it was just what you're thinking."
"What are you guys are talking about?" Tazuna asked, appearing uneasy.
"But how can he still be alive? You confirmed that he died," Sasuke said, looking at Kakashi.
"I did confirm it." Kakashi responded, nodding. "But he was most likely merely in a near death state. Also the weapon the hunter nin used has a low fatality rate unless it hits a critical spot. It's mostly used in acupuncture healing and such."
"One, he took away Zabuza's body despite Zabuza being heavier, and second, the weapon he used has a low fatality rate," Ino said, shifting back into a sitting position. "If this is true then it means that boy must be working with Zabuza."
"Maybe you guys are thinking too much." Tazuna said in a light manner, but the sweat was visible on his forehead.
"No, once a ninja feels that there's something weird, he must prepare for it before it's too late." Naruto said. "It's one of the ninja's iron rules."
"But the good news is that with the kind of injuries Zabuza suffered, he will probably be out for over a week or so," Kakashi said lightly, trying to cheer the mood. "That gives us a perfect opportunity to prepare for our next encounter with him."
"But how are we going to match against someone like Zabuza with just a week of training?" Sakura asked and the others nodded. "And from the looks of it, that masked boy must be strong too, if he could put Zabuza in a near death state without killing him."
"Also, don't forget that you're also out for a week scarecrow sensei." Kakashi's eye twisted at the nickname used by Sai, who continued. "And I doubt dickless and ugly could improve enough to stand against Zabuza."
"Why you idiot-" Ino held Sakura away from bringing her fury on to him.
"Calm down forehead," Ino said.
Shikamaru ignored the two girls as he mused, "No matter how much we train, we can't defeat two highly ranked ninjas with just a week of training."
"That is true," Kakashi said, "but you guys won't be fighting Zabuza. Leave him to Naruto and me. You all will be enough to corner that masked boy."
"But in your condition, are you able to train us?" Sakura asked.
"Now now!" Kakashi tilted his head with a hidden smirk behind his mask. "I never said I'll be the one to look after your training."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, seeing where Kakashi was going with it. "I'm sure my dear friend Naruto would gladly-"
"No...!"
Kakashi's face fell at his blunt answer. "He didn't even let me finish my sentence." Kakashi thought. Team 10 shook their heads, apparently used to his behaviour.
But team 7, or more specifically Sasuke and Sakura, looked at him in shock.
"What?" Sasuke glared at him in disbelief. "Didn't you listen to Kakashi? We need to be ready for them, and for that we need to get strong."
"It's your team, Kakashi. Deal with it," came a flat response from Naruto. "Besides, we also need a squad to guard Tazuna-san on the bridge. So you train your students and my team will go with Tazuna."
Kakashi thought over Naruto's words before accepting it. Tazuna's protection was very important, but so was the training of his team. He would be a fool to take his students on a battlefield without any preparation.
So while Naruto and his team guarded the workers, he could focus his attention on his students. "Fine, we'll have it your way."
"You say it like you have any other option," muttered Naruto with a shake of his head before standing up. "You guys rest, I'll take a walk around the town and see if I can find anything important."
"At least finish your food first" Tsunami said, to which he raised an eyebrow and pointed towards his empty plate. "Ohh."
"When the hell did he finish that?" Was the thought of everyone in the room.
"What's up with him?" Choji wondered after Naruto left. "Is senpai upset about something?"
"Who knows?" Ino shrugged and let out a sigh. "But since the encounter with that Zabuza guy, he's been pretty quiet."
"He hasn't changed a bit." Kakashi mumbled to himself with eyes closed. His ninja talent was exceptional; there was no doubt about that. But what troubled Kakashi about Naruto was his behaviour.
As a shinobi, they were supposed to kill their emotions. Their sole purpose was to be a tool for achieving the goals of their village and country. Words like emotions and attachment were considered unnecessary things.
For him, Naruto was that shinobi, a perfect image of how shinobi should be. But he was still human, and had been forced to bear the burden of the village on his shoulders, denied the love of a family and forced to grow up alone. He wondered if Naruto had become attached to someone. Getting attached wasn't necessarily a problem, but getting too attached was a recipe for trouble.
Kakashi sighed, hoping that whatever was going on in Naruto head wouldn't affect them on their mission.
(With Naruto)
After exiting the house and walking a mile, Naruto came to an area where he could see people on the streets and various shops lining the road. He carefully observed everything happening around him as he continued on his way.
There were no feelings of joy in the villagers, like he was used to seeing back in the Leaf village. He was also shocked to see the condition these people were living in. The businesses also looked dull, and there were many empty stalls.
All in all the whole atmosphere of this place looked gloomy.
He never expected the situation to be this bad, looking at the poverty. It felt like Gatoh had sucked the life out of this place.
Wherever he looked, all he could find were people suffering. Even vegetables didn't look fresh. The only thing that was plentiful were the various kinds of fish being sold. He supposed that was to be expected, being an island.
He had learned from Tazuna that due to the shortage of products and high taxes, doing business was almost impossible for the common man, who had to consider the daily threat of Gatoh's men.
Naruto noticed some faces turning towards him, looking at him in suspicion. He could understand their behaviour since what he learned was that they had zero trust since Gatoh took over the island.
He walked further until he saw a man being pushed by some men armed with swords as he tried to defend himself. Nearby, a small girl around the age of 7 was being protected by a woman who Naruto assumed was her mother.
"We want our pay...you piece of shit." one the man sneered throwing the poor man down and kicking him.
Everyone around the area was just watching the brutal scene unfold, but no one moved to help him. The woman pleaded repeatedly as she shielded the little girl. "P-please...we don't have any money left."
"Well then, we have another option," said another man with a sick grin on his face, eying the woman and child, and moving toward them. The woman moved back with her child, her face contorted in terror, until her back hit the wall behind her.
"S-somebody please h-help us!" The woman cried helplessly, her eyes wildly looking around.
"Hehehheh, you'll bring a lot of money for us," the man leered. He stretched his arm out to grab her, but he didn't reach his target. So fast that he was barely visible, Naruto appeared before him and gripped the man's wrist tightly.
"Arkk," the man winced in pain. "W-who are you?" He stuttered, his staring into the cold and dangerous blue eyes that were glaring him. A deadly silence fell over the area.
"Leave before we make you!" threatened one of the thugs, pointing his sword at Naruto. "Do you even know who we are?"
Naruto tilted his head and shifted his narrow gaze towards him. "I've no interest in knowing any of you," he stated, tightening his grip on the man and making him cry out in pain.
Crack...
"AAahhhggg!" The man screamed in agony holding his now broken wrist when suddenly a kick connected to his chest sending him skidding on the ground unconscious.
Then Naruto grabbed the other man by his neck before slamming him to the ground. The other remaining thugs shuddered and took a collective step back in fear while pointing swords towards him.
"Pick up your trash and get lost from here," Naruto growled, his stare deadly. "Or else-" he left the word lingering in the air and without wasting any time, the remaining thugs started running away.
"Papa!" a little girl shouted in her small voice and jumped in her father's embrace.
"Everything's fine honey!"
Naruto turned towards the injured man, who was being held by the woman and the small girl. "Why were they beating you?" He asked.
"They work for Gatoh; every shopkeeper here has to pay a certain amount of money every week. Otherwise they'll shut down our businesses," The man said with his shoulders slumped in defeat. "But we have hardly any money for ourselves and because of the high taxes it is impossible to run a business. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't intervened. I can't thank you enough."
The woman to his side also nodded gratefully but she still seemed shaken by the earlier events.
By now the rest of the people had started gathering around them. "Why didn't any of you here try to stand up to them?" Naruto asked to all the people there.
"I don't think you are from here young boy. Otherwise you wouldn't have asked this," an elderly man answered from the crowd. "That man is too powerful and all the people who have tried to oppose him have met a very unfortunate end."
"Yeah, he has an army of his own, and now with your actions today, they're gonna came back with more men to look for you."
"Is that so?" Naruto narrowed his eyes as they continued talking about how dangerous Gatoh was and what he had done to this island since coming here.
No wonder Gatoh was able to oppress them for this long. These people had caged themselves in their minds in fear of Gatoh. No matter what Naruto could have said, their minds wouldn't change.
So without anything else, Naruto turned and started walking away from the crowd.
"Hey... where are you going?"
"Someone has to make sure they don't came back to trouble you."
"Huh...?" But Naruto's only response to their confusion was his retreating form.
(With Kakashi & Team)
Kakashi had seen a lot of ups and down in his life. At a very young age he had lost both his parents and he didn't really have a lot of friends, as he had always thought that friendship and attachment would only hinder the ability of a shinobi. He'd learned to accept the ninja rule that you had to let go of all your emotions and live only for missions.
But it was this belief that had resulted in the loss of both his teammates. He'd been too stubborn to admit how wrong that rule was. Maybe, if he had realised it sooner, his friends and sensei would've been still alive.
Now, whenever he looked at his students, he couldn't help but compare them. They were so different but still so similar in so many ways that it sometimes it scared him.
What if he failed them too?
That is why he always emphasized the importance of teamwork on his students now. But he now wondered if he had put so much time and effort into that guidance that he failed to make them realise the danger of being ninjas.
Looking at Sasuke, all he could see was a person driven by hate with no other ambition, and Sakura who worried more about her looks and dresses than her training.
His gaze shifted to the pale boy walking ahead of him. Sai was maybe the strongest member of his team but he doubted that he would save a life of his comrade at the cost of a mission.
Kakashi could only let out a sigh as he walked with support of the sticks. He was in a mess and didn't know how to get out of it.
"Why does their team get to rest while we have to train our asses out here in this forest?" Sakura huffed with a pout on her face and arms folded.
"Like Naruto said, someone has to always stick by Tazuna and his family's sides," Kakashi responded. "But look at the bright side. We can use this opportunity to work on our individual strengths before facing someone like Zabuza."
"We could have done this mission on our own. Without anyone's interference," Sasuke stated, earning a disapproving look from Kakashi who shook his head.
"Being confident is good Sasuke, but over confidence is a sign of stupidity. We were lucky Naruto and his team arrived to our rescue. Because of that, our chances against Zabuza and his partner have increased."
"Hnn."
Kakashi could only shake his head at Sasuke's typical response. He really needed to let go of that superior attitude if he wanted to grow stronger.
"Speaking of that Naruto guy, do you know him sensei?" Sakura questioned. "He wasn't the sensei of team 10 at the time of graduation if I remember correctly."
"Well..." Kakashi thought over it for a moment before speaking. "Naruto and I were old subordinates and I was his squad captain." He said. "As for him being the sensei, he is only a temporary replacement for Asuma Sarutobi, as he was assigned on a separate mission."
"Really...?" Sakura said in surprise and even Sasuke looked at him curiously.
Kakashi nodded, not giving them any more details about Naruto's past and his involvement in the Anbu. That was classified information.
Sai, who was being quiet up till now, put up a smile and received an annoyed look from his teammates. "We shouldn't really trust someone like Naruto. People like him wear a mask to hide their true nature and to deceive the people who trust them the most."
The way he spoke in such a light tone with a straight face made Kakashi narrow his eyes. Of course Sai would know about Naruto and his past with the foundation; after all, he himself was currently a part of that organisation.
Kakashi still didn't understand why the Hokage allowed someone like him in a genin squad, knowing full well where his loyalties lie. After all, Sai was still a member of an organisation lead by Danzo.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked.
"Well...you wouldn't understand, knowing the history of your clan," Sai said. Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. "They were full of traitors themselves."
That did it. A furious Sasuke launched toward Sai and punched him hard in the jaw, making him spit out blood.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura gasped at the scene before her.
Sai looked back at Sasuke, whose eyes were burning with rage. "What? Couldn't handle the truth?" He smiled despite the blood trickling from the gash on his face. Sasuke gritted his teeth as his fist tightened.
"Why you freak -"
"That's enough you two," Commanded Kakashi, forcefully gripping Sasuke's shoulder and pushing him back. He glared at Sai and said, "And you, that's not any way to speak to your teammates."
To which Sai just give him a blank look before shifting his gaze towards Sasuke again. "I apologise for my comment." But his expression said otherwise.
Sasuke didn't respond with anything other than a glare before he shook Kakashi's hand from his shoulder. Sakura looked like she wanted to say something to console her crush.
Kakashi could only let out a tired sigh at the situation, before he continued on his way while his students followed him quietly. He soon came to a stop though, looking around at the large trees surrounding them.
"This place looks perfect."
"So...what are we going to train?" Sakura asked, observing the area before she looked at Sasuke with a sweet smile. "What do you think Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke grunted and looked away. Her face fell in defeat.
Kakashi cleared his throat to get their attention. "I'm going to teach you how to climb trees," he said, earning surprised and dumb looks from his two students while Sai was busy looking at the scenery.
"What...we already know how to climb trees, sensei," came an annoyed response from Sakura.
"Heheheh..." Kakashi laughed awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, not what you guys are thinking. It's more of an advanced level of exercise."
"We'll believe it when we see it," Sasuke stated with a pointed look at Kakashi.
"Kids..." Kakashi sighed and shook his head. Why was it so difficult to handle teens? Or were his students exceptional? He didn't really know.
(Hours later)
It was late in the evening when Naruto arrived back at the house. Sensing the chakra signature of every one present, inside including his team, he was thankful that at least they were not running around carelessly.
He knocked on the front door and the sound of footsteps approached the door.
After a moment, the door swung open and a tired looking Sasuke stood in front. "Ohh it's just you."
He looked at the packages Naruto was carrying and moved back, allowing Naruto to enter and closed the door behind him.
The first things Naruto saw were the faces of everyone except Kakashi and Shikamaru, who he assumed were resting in the next room. Ino and Choji looked relieved to see him.
"Where were you? We were so worried," Ino said. Her eyes flicked to the package in his hands. "What's that?
"Naruto-san you're just in time for dinner," Tsunami said, walking out of the kitchen.
Naruto lowered the box and gently placed it on the table in front of Tsunami. "I hope this will be enough for your family."
Tsunami looked at the box curiously before opening it. She gasped when she found various vegetables, fruits and different ingredients inside. She looked at Naruto in surprise and asked, "W-where did you get all this? It's impossible to buy this many items here in the market."
"You don't have to worry about that Tsunami-san," He responded gently. "I heard your conversation with Tazuna-san that you're running low on supplies and knowing that we're also staying here for the time being, I'm sure this will be enough for a month or so."
Tsunami couldn't stop the tears in her eyes as she wiped them before smiling gratefully and bowing. "Thank you...thank you, you don't know how much this means to me and my family. You are a blessing to my family and I'm sure you'll restore joy and happiness back on this island."
"You don't have to thank me Tsunami-san. I'm just doing my job," he replied.
"Bringing food for my family is not a part of your job Naruto-san," Tsunami stated with a generous smile.
"Don't mind it Tsunami-san, Naruto-sensei is just shy around people." Ino giggled softly while Choji smiled.
"Ohh...is that so?" Tsunami responded with a soft chuckle before she once again smiled at Naruto and said, "You can freshen up while I a prepare a table for dinner."
Naruto give a small nod before he turned towards the genins. "Is Kakashi up?"
"He is resting upstairs," Sakura said.
"And Shikamaru? Don't tell me he was sleeping all day."
Choji gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head. Ino rolled her eyes and said, "What do you expect from that lazy kid?"
Naruto sighed and rubbed his forehead in annoyance. "Choji, go bring that fool down here and tell him if he isn't here in 5 seconds, he'll be up running all night."
Choji instantly ran to call his childhood friend.
Naruto took an empty seat next to Ino just as a startled Shikamaru appeared. "You called me sensei?"
Naruto stared daggers at him. "Sleep well? I hope we're not disturbing you?"
"I...Umm..uhh, I mean not really." Shikamaru blinked in confusion. "I was about -"
"Forget it," Naruto said, letting out a tired sigh. His students blinked in confusion at this. Normally in such situations Shikamaru would have been begging him for forgiveness by this point. Naruto would've never shrugged it off with just a simple 'forget it'.
There must be something wrong with him today.
"Just settle down here for dinner."
The members of team looked even more confused as he stood up.
"Senpai?" Ino inquired.
Naruto felt so disengaged with everything around him, like his mind was somewhere else ever since the fight with Zabuza.
"Are you alright?" Ino pressed, when he didn't respond.
"Yeah," he responded casually. "I'm just tired that's all; you guys don't have to worry."
"Well...if you say so."
Naruto nodded and went to freshen up a bit to cool down his head. There were a lot of things going on inside his head which he couldn't share with them.
After he left, Shikamaru let out sigh of relief before he settled down in the chair that Naruto was sitting in a moment ago." Consider yourself lucky Shikamaru," Choji commented, to which Ino grunted in response.
"Yeah.. when you last upset Naruto, you had to do all D-rank missions alone for a day." She let out a small giggle remembering that day much to Shikamaru's annoyance. "Hehe...I still can't forget that day."
Shikamaru groaned as he put his head down on the table. "What a drag," He muttered.
Sakura was sitting with a frown and tapping her fingers on the table as she watched the interaction between team 10. She was surprised at the way they talking with each other.
She felt jealous. Why couldn't team 7 be like that?
There had was once been a time when Sakura and Ino had been best friends. But now they couldn't even talk without it breaking out in a fight.
She looked towards Sasuke, who was sitting quietly with his eyes closed and arms folded, ignoring everyone. Sai was nowhere to be found. In fact, she hadn't seen Sai since they had got back from the forest.
She wasn't too worried though, knowing he must be somewhere painting. But Sakura wished that he would've been here, so they could at least give the image of a perfect team. She didn't want to give a bad impression of team 7, especially not in front her love rival.
But thinking about that, Sakura was surprised by Ino's behaviour. Ino hadn't even tried to start a conversation with Sasuke since they got here.
Though, this could be one of her tactics, Sakura thought. If that were the case, then she had to be careful from now on. She couldn't let Ino succeed.
The sound of footsteps brought Sakura out of her thoughts. A moment later, Kakashi and a drunk looking Tazuna made their way towards them and settled down. Almost immediately after, Sai also arrived and sat down beside Kakashi.
"How are you feeling Kakashi sensei?" she asked.
"Mahh...no need to worry Sakura," he responded with a crinkle of his eyes. "I'm feeling a lot better now." Glancing around, he then asked, "Naruto still hasn't arrived?"
Just when she was about to respond, Naruto answered. "I'm here Kakashi." He sat down with his wet hair, looking refreshed.
"So did you find anything out there?" Kakashi asked.
"Nothing important," He responded, with a look for Kakashi that clearly said "Well talk later." Kakashi nodded. He then thanked Tsunami, who appeared and placed the food on the table, much to everyone's delight.
"Tazuna-san," said Naruto. The old man looked at him with his heavy eyes and blinked a couple of times "When are you going to start the construction on the bridge?"
"Well...me and my boys were going to start working on it tomorrow morning," Tazuna said. "Why? Is there any problem?"
Understanding his concerns, Naruto shook his head. "There's no problem Tazuna-san, rest assured. I was just asking since my squad will be going with you. Gatoh's men could try to cause misfortune there, so we can't be taking a risk with that."
"Wait...does that mean we won't be training like team 7?" Choji questioned as the genins looked at each other in surprise.
"I didn't say that." Naruto shot them a look. "We'll work on something and Kakashi will stay here with his team while we go with Tazuna-san. We can't let him go out in the open unguarded."
"And who made you the leader for this mission?" Sasuke glared at Naruto, surprising everyone with his sudden outburst. "This was our mission, not yours. So who are you to decide what we can and can't do?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes but other than that, looked supremely uninterested. He wasn't in the best of moods and the last thing he wanted was to entertain some self-obsessed genin. "When I'm talking to my team, I'm only talking with them, do you understand genin."
Sasuke gritted his teeth. "We could have done this mission on our own," Sasuke said, making Kakashi shake his head in embarrassment at the look on Tazuna's and his daughter's faces. "We don't need any extra weight to pull us back."
"Yeahh...just like you did against that sword man," Ino stated with anger, which earned her a glare from two members of team 7. "Let's get this straight!. If it wasn't for us, you and your team wouldn't be sitting here enjoying this meal."
"Don't talk to Sasuke-kun like that, Ino pig!" Sakura retorted.
"What you gonna do billboard brow?"
"Guys...stop it." Kakashi spoke, brow twitching in annoyance. "No need to fight. We are on a mission as a team and Naruto is right." He glared at Sasuke to make his point clear.
But Sasuke wasn't having any of it and was about to argue when Kakashi continued. "One team has to stay back in case they try to target Tazuna's family. We can't let our guard down even for a second."
"The bridge is the only hope left to save the people of this island." Tsunami spoke, looking down in sadness. "Many people have sacrificed their lives in hopes of freedom."
"The bridge will get completed Tsunami-san. We will make sure it," Kakashi stated, bringing a small smile to the woman's face.
"We can discuss this issue later. Let's enjoy this wonderful meal for now," Tazuna said and raised a cup of sake before gulping it down. "Aaahhh... that hit the spot."
"Father... I think that's enough." Tsunami tried to stop him while smiling embarrassingly.
"Ahh..don't worry Tsunami, heheh." He chuckled making everyone sweat-drop at his drunk expressions.
Flashback
Naruto didn't know how to describe the scene in front of him, all he could see were the bodies of his comrades lying dead, ground soaked with their blood. It was an image captured in his mind that he knew would forever live in memories.
His face was hidden under his mask but if anybody could see him, they would know he was scared. His hands shook as he looked at the ongoing battle between the Konoha Anbu and the Kiri ninjas.
They had infiltrated the Land of Waters after getting the intel on a meeting taking place between Kiri and Iwa to set up a secret alliance between the two villages. Their mission was to eliminate both the Kiri and Iwa secretly to create tension between the two countries.
This mission was important in terms of stopping the aggressive posture of Iwagakure towards the Land of Fire, like it had been doing since the end of the 3rd great ninja war.
Everything was going alright and they had successfully infiltrated the area before the meeting could take place. But what they hadn't known was that the 4th Mizukage, Yagura himself, would be leading the group.
They were not so stupid to attack a Kage who also happened to be a jhinchuriki. Such a move would be inviting conflict itself.
So before they could make a decision, they were discovered and in an instant they were surrounded by dozens of Kiri ninjas. It soon turned into a bloodbath of Konoha ninjas.
Naruto dodged the strike of the much larger opponent and before his opponent could turn, Naruto pushed his blade in the back of the Kiri ninja, killing him instantly.
He did the same to two more enemies but his eyes kept on looking around to find a glimpse of purple hair. After running through the enemies, Naruto finally found it.
But she was lying bloodied on the ground and a short man was standing over her with a bow in his hand, ready to strike.
Everything stopped around Naruto and his eyes widened. Her eyes found his through the mask, and Naruto could tell she was still trying to give him a smile of assurance.
Naruto didn't know what happened but all he could feel was a crazed sensation, his body suddenly burning like somebody had spread acid on him and the only thought running through his mind was to erase everything that stood in his way.
CRACK
The ground cracked beneath his feet and the wind picked up, making it almost impossible for everyone to stand their ground. Even his mask cracked under the pressure
A blue aura started surrounding his body as the ground continued to crack under the pressure.
"What incredible chakra," Yagura muttered, narrowing his eyes and shielding his face. "Who is this kid?"
"AHHHHHHHHH..." Naruto let out a loud scream to the heavens as his chakra grew uncontrollably into the atmosphere. "Ahhhhhhhhhh" he let out another scream as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
"N-naru-to..." A soft whisper from Yugao was lost in the chaos. All she could do was lay helplessly and watch him struggle. She tried to call out his name but couldn't speak.
In the next moment, the chakra that was once blue burned to red and an invisible force knocked everyone to the ground. A black cloud covered the sky, and a crack of thunder sounded through the clouds.
BOOMM... with that sudden blast, everything went black.
The only thing on Naruto's mind was the image of Yugao's bloodied body.
End Of Flashback
Naruto's eyes shot wide open as he jolted upright. Gulping in a deep breath, he rubbed his head to shake off the memory. He'd been trying to forget it for the past 3 years. But today's encounter with Zabuza had forced those memories to resurface again.
"Fucking bastard..."
He doesn't know what actually happened that day and how they survived their encounter with the Mizukage. But what he will always remember was all the distraction, the dead bodies, and Yugao's pained eyes looking at him.
It was a feeling he didn't want to experience ever again. Just the thought of losing Yugao made his mind go crazy to point that he didn't know what he would do if it happened.
Now, sitting on the roof of the house, he stared toward the horizon and the reflection of the moon on the surface of the sea.
He forced his mind to recall happier memories. The smiling face of Yugao flashed in front of his eyes. "You're making me go crazy... Idiot," he muttered.
"Ahhh...do I know this idiot you're thinking about?" said a voice behind him, before the said person came to stand next to Naruto with his famous eye smile. "I hope you're not keeping secrets from your former captain."
"Kakashi... you shouldn't be moving too much, you're still recovering," Naruto responded with a roll of his eyes, seeing the laid back personality of the famous copy ninja.
Kakashi waved his hand and said, "I'm feeling a lot better than before." He looked at Naruto carefully. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you."
Naruto give a corner look to his former Anbu captain. "About what?"
"Well...I'm seeing my old subordinate after a long time. So I wanted to know how he's been and how the life of a Jounin sensei has been treating him."
"Jeez...Kakashi, you've changed a lot. The Kakashi I know would never even think all this, let alone talk about it," Naruto responded amusingly. "You actually sound like some old grandmother."
"Do I?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes before he responded. "So...how's your sex life?"
"Wh-what..."
"Ahh...what was that purple haired girl's name again who's always hanging around you? yut- no yuki...yu-gao, yeah Yugao, right?"
Naruto flushed.
"You can ask me if you want any pointers on how to perform in bed. I'm the best man after Jiraya-sama to give advice," Kakashi went on. "Or you can learn it from him by reading his holy books." Kakashi pulled the orange covered book out like it was some sort of sacred item. "The latest Icha Icha edition, signed by Jiraya-sama himself."
Naruto's eyes twitched in annoyance and embarassment. "Shut up Kakashi, and don't you ever read that book in front of my students."
"You are no fun Naruto," Kakashi responded in defeat and shook his head in disappointment.
"And you're getting annoying as you're age progresses," Naruto fired back, making Kakashi crack a laugh.
"It's still very easy to get you worked up, Naruto," He said with a laugh, receiving a glare from Naruto.
"Anyway, did you find anything about Gatoh or Zabuza?" Kakashi asked.
"Nothing on Zabuza, he'll probably be out for a week or so," Naruto said, taking out a scroll from his jacket. "But this guy Gatoh, he doesn't make a lot of appearances in public, always making his thugs do his bidding. Though I prepared the map of this island and marked most of his hideouts, which can at least give us a starting point to catch this guy."
"Hmm, that's good." Kakashi nodded as he looked at the map and said, "Anything else?"
Naruto shook his head. "No, I'll start scouting these areas tomorrow and see if I can get any lead on him or Zabuza."
"Let me know if I can be any help. I don't want to leave all the work to you while we're supposed to work as a team," Kakashi said while rubbing the back of head.
Naruto rolled his eyes and muttered, "You'll probably get in my way."
Kakashi shook his head. "Anyway, do you want to talk about anything?"
Naruto give him a confused expression. "No, what do you wanna talk about?"
"Well, nothing, just wanted to know how everything's going."
"There's nothing to talk about Kakashi. I'm absolutely fine," Was the final response from Naruto, realising that Kakashi was asking about his behaviour since the encounter with Zabuza. That was something Naruto didn't want to talk about right now.
"Well, if you say so Naruto." Kakashi gave him a final look. "Anyway, I'm going to take rest. Don't be up all night."
With that, Kakashi bid him goodnight.
Naruto watched him jump down the roof. After he left, Naruto sighed and took a long breath before he laid back and looked at the moon, muttering a soft, "Good Night."
To Be Continued...
Finally...it is done, took a lot of time than I expected but anyway I hope you liked the chapter. I actually wanted to finish this wave arc in a single chapter because honestly, I think this whole arc is boring the only interesting part about it was a battle between Kakashi and Zabuza also when Naruto tap into the nine tails chakra for the first other than I don't know...
Though I give small flashback to throw some light on Naruto's time in the Anbu to atleast add something different in this arc. Also, I still haven't decided on Zabuza and Haku but to make it clear I not going to make them join Konoha if they survive.
So let me know what you guys think about this chapter or if you have any suggestions fell free to message me or if any questions, usually I try to respond as many as reviews whenever I can (if they are relevant)...
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Bye, until next time...