(At Zabuza's Hideout)
In a cone-shaped house in the middle of the forest, Zabuza was resting in his bed. He did not like the fact that he had lost to Kakashi, let alone the fact that he was then immobilized and wounded by his blond-haired Genin, who then nearly killed him. Speaking of the blond, Zabuza saw that there was more to that Genin than meets the eye.
Moments later, a short man dressed in a business suit with two samurai bodyguards entered the room and went over to Zabuza.
"What do I see here? The great 'Demon of the Bloody Mist' is crippled after facing a few kids and some ninja? I'm beginning to believe that I'm not getting my money's worth with you, Zabuza. Perhaps I ought to kill you now and spare myself the pain of losing my money," said the short man, whose name was Gatō.
Gatō walked over to the masked ninja and reached out to strangle Zabuza when a figure came out of nowhere and stood before the short man, tightly holding his arms before twisting it hard.
"You will in no way harm Zabuza. I won't allow it," said the young hunter-nin, who was no longer masked. Much to the older man's surprise, it was a young girl. The girl had a very pretty face, dark brown eyes, and dark hair that was tied up in a bun on top of her head, with two bangs hanging down and framing her face. She wore a green kimono with brown pants and a long, brown obi.
"Remove your hands from our boss, you little bitch!" yelled one of the two samurai bodyguards. The girl simply threw senbon at specific points in their arms, rendering the men helpless.
"I purposely missed your vital points, so don't test me," she warned.
"You brat! I expect both you and Zabuza to finish the job you started! I will not tolerate failure from either of you! Get the job over and done with, or suffer the consequences!" shouted an angry Gatō, leaving the room with his bodyguards while rubbing his injured arm.
"Haku, there was no need for you to intervene. I could have taken care of matters myself," said Zabuza, holding on to a kunai under the bed sheet.
"I was aware of that, but as your instrument I must always protect you, no matter the circumstance," Haku said with a smile.
Zabuza sighed, and said, "I will recover soon. After I get back to full strength, I'll make sure Kakashi suffers for putting me in this condition. I'll kill his little brats, too."
"The blond one among them looked more dangerous than the others," Haku said, then continued, "He was ready to finish you off had I not taken you away from there."
"That blond kid's name is Naruto."
"Really?" Haku said with interest. "So that's his name."
"Haku," Zabuza warned. "Be as cautious against Naruto as you would be with Kakashi."
The girl simply nodded.
(Later That Night)
Naruto decided to take the first watch and summoned thirty-five kage bunshin to survey and patrol the house and the surrounding landscape and beach. Some of the clones also hid themselves among the trees, while others transformed into the nocturnal animals roaming about the forest. As for Naruto himself, he was standing guard while sitting on the roof of the house, with the full moon shining ever brightly over him. The blond was still bothered by what he felt earlier after he saw that red-haired woman. The experience he felt was not only foreign, but it felt good, as though he instinctively knew she was a kindred spirit.
Who was that woman, and why did my mind and body react that way when I got closer to her? Naruto wondered, knowing that his body's unexplainable reaction to the woman wasn't anything perverted, to his surprise. Tazuna said that he doesn't know of any gorgeous woman in Nami No Kuni with long red hair. She even looked a little bit like my mother!
Naruto sighed and relaxed. "…Everything's so peaceful out here."
After another hour, a clone from each sector dispelled, giving Naruto their complete detailed report about their patrol with visuals. He took a moment to close his eyes to absorb the memories of his clones and understand what each of them sent to him. After a couple of minutes, he opened his eyes again, now having all of the memories his clones gave him. Naturally, before dispelling, the clones had made more clones, so the spots weren't unoccupied. Some of them were even sent to spy on the town, and from what Naruto saw from his clones' memories, the situation was bad. The horrendous living conditions of the people and the marketplaces were even worse than he'd pictured after hearing Tazuna's story. Without a doubt, something had to be done.
Naruto had organized his disguised kage bunshin to be his eyes and ears. He was going to use them as part of the new spy network he started forming a month ago. The idea came to him one night after a dream he had about some informants that came to meet up with him at an undisclosed location. He then thought about what Hiruzen told him about Jiraiya's spy network, and how it needs lots of funding to keep it going, thus Icha-Icha Paradise.
"Perhaps I ought to start writing my own book series so I can fund my own spy network. I wonder what I should call it," Naruto said to himself as the gears in his head started turning. As that happened, Hinata and Hanabi's faces came to mind.
"Now why did those two come to mind," Naruto asked himself, and then bam! It hit him! "That's it! I'll call it, The Moon's Eye Above the Fireworks: A Lone Ninja's Tale. It's perfect! I just need to come up with a series of captivating storylines involving drama, romance, suspense, adventure, action, shocking plot twists, and let's not forget the hot explicit love scenes."
Pulling out a pen and pad from inside his jacket, Naruto started writing down everything that started coming to mind, and ideas started flooding his mind. There was one lead male protagonist, two lead female protagonists, a few antagonists, and a couple of other main and side characters. He just needed to come up with a couple of names for his characters for his new book series.
Besides serving as surveillance, his clones were also on the lookout for that mysterious red-haired woman, whom they had yet to find.
(The Following Morning)
Kakashi was up early and walking around with crutches. Though he was weakened, he was still able to perform his assigned duties. He made his way downstairs and found Naruto there waiting for him.
"Naruto," Kakashi greeted. "I take it you had a peaceful night?"
"It gave me much time to think without any distractions. And seeing as you're awake now with no one else around, I can talk to you in private," Naruto said.
"What do you wish to discuss with me?" Kakashi implored. Naruto gestured for him to follow him outside. Kakashi shrugged and went outside with Naruto. They walked several yards away from the house until they were out of hearing range. Taking a breath and exhaling, Naruto turned to face Kakashi. The expression Kakashi saw in Naruto's eyes was not the same the boy usually exuded. This look showed an entirely different person Kakashi was not familiar with.
"Kakashi-sensei, tell me your history with my father and mother. I want to hear it out of your own mouth," Naruto requested, getting straight to the point. Kakashi knew this would happen someday, but he was a little surprised that Naruto chose now to do so.
"Tell me how you found out about your parents," Kakashi said.
"Did you ever plan on telling me about them, or were you expecting to die with the truth while leaving me in the dark?" Kakashi was about to respond, but Naruto didn't give him a chance. "And please spare me the crap speech about my parents having many enemies outside Konoha. I heard that abominable excuse from jiisan already before I told him off for lying to me all these years while allowing the stupid ones of Konoha to have their way with me," he retorted before Kakashi could even speak. Kakashi eyed Naruto carefully and found that the Naruto standing in front of him wasn't to be lied to or played with, and he had already come close to killing him two months ago.
Sighing, Kakashi began, "Minato-sensei was like a second father to me after the death of my father, Hatake Sakumo. My father, as you already know, was once a strong, highly respected and renowned shinobi. He believed in being there for his comrades and friends, and considered betraying your comrades as being one of the vilest acts anyone could do. But one day, during a mission, his teammates were ambushed and he was caught between fulfilling the mission or saving his comrades. He chose to rescue and save his comrades. That led to not only the mission ending in failure, but it also led to the deaths of several people he and his team were sent to rescue.
"My father was disgraced by the Konoha council and he lost face with everyone in Konoha. He fell into a deep depression and committed ritual suicide in front of me when I was around six years old. I was a Chuunin at the time. I was considered an extraordinary prodigy during that time, but, after my father's death, I concluded within myself that rules and completions of missions were of greater importance and priority than the wellbeing of teammates and others. This continued even after I was part of Minato-sensei's team with Rin and Uchiha Obito as my teammates. I was thirteen by then, and I was a Jounin. It was Obito who changed my way of thinking."
"How so?" Naruto inquired.
Kakashi explained, "It was during the Third Shinobi World War. Konoha and Iwa were at war with each other, and the deaths from both sides were mounting before Minato-sensei tipped the scale in Konoha's favor, giving us victory. Before that, however, our team was sent to Kusagakure to destroy a bridge over there that was being used as the main supply route for Iwa ninja. During the mission, Rin was captured, and Obito suggested we rescue her. I opposed the idea and stated that completing the mission was of more importance than rescuing Rin. With some disgust and disapproval of me, Obito told me that many say that those who don't complete the mission are trash, but in his opinion, those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash. I eventually followed him to rescue Rin, and in the scuffle that occurred, I lost my left eye. Obito, however, had awakened his Sharingan.
"Though Rin was rescued shortly after, we were ambushed again, and Obito was fatally wounded by a boulder that fell and crushed most of his body. With his last breaths, he asked Rin to surgically transplant his remaining left eye into my left eye socket. Hurt by his death, I went out to kill the men who had ambushed us. I didn't get far, but Minato-sensei arrived in the nick of time to save Rin and me.
"After the war, with Konoha gaining victory over Iwa, Minato-sensei became the Yondaime after Sandaime-sama stepped down as Hokage. Rin and I continued training under Minato-sensei, but Rin later died on a mission with me. But her body though was never found."
"Were you aware that an Uzumaki clan once existed, a clan my mother and I are descended from, a clan that helped build our village? The very spiral you wear on the back of your Jounin flak jacket is my clan's symbol. The Shodai Hokage decreed that all Konoha ninja were to wear my clan's insignia along with the crest of Konoha as a representation of the ties the Senju clan shares with the Uzumaki clan. It's insulting that Konoha's ninja wear the symbol belonging the very clan they offended through their abuse and mistreatment of me," Naruto spat.
"I was aware of your clan's existence and its destruction by enemy nations that feared them," Kakashi alleged.
"I meant to ask jiisan this, but where was Konoha when Uzushiogakure needed them before my clan's foreign enemies engineered their destruction?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi sighed lowly. "…It was a turbulent time and the Shinobi World Wars were horrible. Konoha was dealing with Amegakure, Kumogakure and Iwagakure. Konoha lost many members of the Senju clan as a result. Though Tsunade is alive, we don't know her exact whereabouts. What the Sandaime did to try to help the Uzumaki clan, I'm not really sure."
Naruto accepted that, finding no deception in Kakashi's explanation. "What do you know about my mother, if anything?"
"…Before my teammates' untimely deaths, Minato-sensei introduced us to your mother shortly after he had married her. I admit, even I couldn't hold back the blush that crept up on my face upon seeing her. She was a very beautiful woman with long, red hair. It was quite comical seeing Minato-sensei appearing on the training field, grumbling something along the lines of temperamental women whenever he lost an argument with Kushina. Now that I think about it, if there was anything I knew about your parents, from what I know, Minato never won a single argument with her," Kakashi recalled.
"I'm sure it was amusing," Naruto remarked.
"Still, your father loved your mother, and whenever he wasn't busy with his duties as Hokage or training me, he spent his time with Kushina. Even though I didn't know Kushina as well as Minato-sensei did, I saw that she was a powerful kunoichi who could have become Konoha's first female Hokage if she had lived. She was beautiful, loving and caring, but a frightening woman when angered," Kakashi explained.
"Were you aware that my mother was a Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi before I was?" Naruto queried.
"Excuse me?" Kakashi blinked.
"My mother was the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi before I was, and before her was Uzumaki Mito, the Shodai's wife who was the first Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi. My Uzumaki ancestors were Jinchuuriki because only an Uzumaki can hold Kyuubi. Anyone else who attempted to become the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki would die, and Kyuubi would be released. Were you aware of that?" Naruto inquired.
"No, I was not. What I'm hearing now is, in fact, news to me. But since you say that your mother was the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi before you and that the Shodai's wife was the first one before her, that changes everything I was brought to believe about Kyuubi's attack on Konoha thirteen years ago," Kakashi admitted.
"What do you mean?" Naruto questioned.
"Back then, Kyuubi suddenly appeared and started wreaking havoc and destruction on Konoha, killing everyone in its wake. We didn't know why it just appeared and started attacking everyone and everything, and since your mother was the Jinchuuriki then, I don't know what happened that led to Kyuubi's escape."
Naruto explained, "When a female Jinchuuriki becomes pregnant, the seal holding the bijuu gradually weakens, and upon labor and birth, the seal is at its weakest, with the bijuu having a strong chance to escape. That was the case with both Uzumaki Mito and my mother. They both had to be outside and far from Konoha during their time of giving birth. But foul play was involved during my birth when an unknown intruder came and attacked, killing those who were attending to my mother and father. Among the victims was jiisan's wife. Kyuubi's attack was the result of the intruder's attack. It's possible that man was using Kyuubi as a tool to attack Konoha."
Kakashi nodded, better understanding the circumstances of the attack.
"But tell me, what did you do when Kyuubi attacked?" Naruto inquired.
"I, along with every other ninja of the younger generation, was forced to go to a safe location to ensure we survived, since the older generation didn't want any of us to die fighting Kyuubi. When we heard Yondaime joined the fight, we all wanted to help, but they wouldn't allow us. We were trapped in a containment seal and forced to stay out of the fight until it ended," Kakashi clarified.
"How did you feel when my parents died?" Naruto queried.
"My sensei's death was what hit me the hardest, since he was the only major attachment left in my life. I was also saddened by Kushina's death, as she was a friend who I cared about as well."
"Why weren't you there for me?" Naruto asked coldly. Kakashi sighed again; he knew he was going to be asked that question, and he also knew that Naruto wasn't going to like his answer.
"The death toll on the civilian and shinobi populations was high, and the village couldn't spare their remaining forces. We had to put up a strong front while rebuilding our forces and keeping enemy nations from attacking us. With the Yondaime gone, Sandaime-sama had to retake the seat as Hokage, but there was still a power vacuum within the shinobi ranks. I later joined the ANBU, and in time I became an ANBU captain. This left me with very little to no time for anything else, as I was sent from one mission to another to protect Konoha, though I did look in to see how you were doing from time to time. Many of my missions were A-rank to S-rank, and I couldn't put them aside for personal agendas or feelings."
Naruto spat on the ground before he sneered at Kakashi. "Jiisan at least made the effort to try to help me. He lost his wife just minutes or less after my birth, and he also lost a dear friend and successor in my father. But in spite of all this, although mistakes were made, he made the effort to be there for me regardless of his personal feelings and loss surrounding my birth.
"You, on the other hand, never once talked to me or approached me after all these years until I was assigned to your team with the obsessed fangirl and her so-called prince trying to steal my girlfriend. All I hear is that you buried yourself in your work in an effort to escape reality, while leaving the son of your father figure to fend for himself. You knew and bonded with my father, something I can never do because of his demise, and never once did you think of returning the kindness my father showed you to me when I needed you. No, like all the others who should have been there for me, I was left to be traumatized at the mercy of Konoha's populace, who treated me cruelly because they needed some outlet for their own anger and grief."
There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them. Kakashi was trying to think of something to say, but he couldn't think of anything plausible to say that Naruto would accept. He recalled two months ago that Hiruzen warned him that Naruto wouldn't immediately forgive him with open arms when he came to confront him.
"I know what I'll say next won't change the past, but I'll say it still…Uzumaki Naruto, I'm sorry," was all Kakashi could actually say. Naruto was about to say something when both he and Kakashi heard Sakura and Sasuke coming out of the house and making their way over to them.
"There you two are. We were wondering what happening to you both," Sakura said.
"Tell them nothing about this conversation," Naruto requested. He took a breath and exhaled before he turned to the group and gave them his typical large goofy smile.
"Hey you guys, Kakashi-sensei and I were just having a chat! Nothing for either of you to be worried about," Naruto greeted.
Sasuke snorted skeptically. "A real 'chat' with Kakashi? I hardly find that believable."
"Believe what you want, teme, it's what you do best anyway," Naruto retorted. Sakura was about to hit Naruto, but Kakashi intervened.
"I'm happy that both you and Sasuke finally decided to join us. Now that you three are here, I'll teach you all a new jutsu. Now if you will, follow me into the woods," Kakashi said. The three did as they were told. Naruto pulled out his notepad and started writing down some things that started coming to mind.
Kakashi, in the meantime, was deep in thought about Naruto. He found Naruto to be more than he let on, and their encounter with the Demon Brothers and Zabuza, and his recent conversation with him, was all the proof he needed.
"What are you writing, dobe?" Sasuke asked.
"Poetry," Naruto answered bluntly.
Sakura almost tripped on hearing that before turning to Naruto suspiciously. "Poetry? Seriously?"
Naruto begin reciting what he wrote,
"As a lone young ninja, I walked into a new town
Wanting to start my life anew with the need to settle down
In my early life, I had gone from battle to battle
Finishing my enemies as though they were cattle
I risked my life to rescue a daimyo's daughter
And I did away with the kidnapper like a bull to the slaughter
Wanting no more to spill blood with my blade
My new travel began this life-changing escapade
Though I don't know what the future has in store
I'm sure in this town I'll find the love I'm looking for"
"That was really good, Naruto. To be honest, I thought you were going to recite something perverted and obscene," Sakura admitted.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. What about you, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.
"Your use of rhymes was catchy and entertaining, leaving the listeners wanting to know what will happen next. It sounded to me like an introduction to an interesting story," Kakashi expressed.
"Are you trying to write a book, Naruto?" Sasuke questioned.
"Would you read if I was?" Naruto replied.
Sasuke grunted, "No."
"Your loss," Naruto shot back as he placed his pen and notepad back in the pocket inside his jacket.
(Two Hours Later)
A young red-haired woman in her twenties was walking through the woods barefoot, enjoying the serene environment. As she continued her trek, her eyes came in contact with a group of Genin that appeared to be doing training of some sort with their Jounin sensei watching them. From what she saw, they were practicing scaling up trees without the use of their hands. A moment later, her eyes fell upon the blond Genin that she saw yesterday.
"That's the one that saw me yesterday," the woman said to herself. "He and his team are from Konoha, but why are they here?"
The woman moved closer to where the others were but stayed in hiding as she stealthy moved from tree to tree until she was close enough.
Naruto, in the meantime, was walking through the woods after secretly leaving to practice his new wind jutsu. Before sneaking off into the woods alone, he made a kage bunshin and switched places with his clone to have it stay with Kakashi and the others. A minute later, he felt the same sensations he experienced yesterday.
"There goes that feeling again," Naruto thought aloud as he looked to see the same red-haired woman hiding behind one of the trees watching Kakashi and the others. Naruto placed a cloaking sheet over himself and stealthy moved closer to the unknown woman. The closer he got, the stronger the feelings he was experiencing within his being became.
Who is she, and why is my body reacting like this? Naruto wondered. The woman in question sensed something approaching her. She leaped and ran up one of the tall trees until she was at the top of it.
Damn! Naruto thought. I can't confront her without blowing my cover to the others. Somehow she detected me. But seeing her scale up that tree clearly indicates that she's a kunoichi. Is she a spy or an ally?
Naruto looked to see Kakashi and the others making their way back to the house after the Jounin instructed them that it was time go back. The blond looked up again, only to find that the mysterious red-haired woman was gone.
Got away again, Naruto acknowledged. But I'll be sure to confront her next time.
Naruto quickly followed after Kakashi while removing the cloaking sheet and putting it away. He substituted with his kage bunshin and had the clone dispel itself so he could absorb the memories of what happened during the past two hours. From what Naruto saw, it wasn't much.
(Three Days Later)
Kakashi was starting to feel better after his depletion of chakra and "Naruto," Sakura, and Sasuke were still training to do tree walking. Naruto himself was busy in a secluded location, working on his new wind jutsu with eight kage bunshin. A day earlier, Naruto learned that Sakura punched out a man she mistakenly took for a pervert trying to grope her butt, when in reality he was trying to steal her purse. It was after spending the day in the village that Sasuke and Sakura understood the gravity of the situation Nami No Kuni was in because of Gatō's tyranny.
Also during the three days, the Genin took turns guarding Tazuna as he and his workers continued their construction project on the bridge. When it was Naruto's turn to stand guard, he summoned kage bunshin in large numbers to help with the bridge project to speed up the process. Naruto chose to work for free, acknowledging that the other men were more in need of money than he was. Tazuna was very grateful, especially since a few of his workers had quit a few days ago out of fear after they received threats from Gatō.
(Later That Evening)
Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke entered the house after a long day. Naruto spent his day guarding Tazuna and helping with the construction of the bridge, while Sasuke returned completely exhausted from his tree walking training. Sakura had been assigned to watch over Tsunami and Inari, the latter of whom would every so often be seen sitting alone by the dock or strolling around with a disheartened appearance.
When Naruto, Kakashi, and the other Genin returned home, they were welcomed by the smell of home cooking.
"You're all back!" exclaimed a happy Tsunami as she put the food on the table. "How did your day go?"
"It went rather well," Sasuke responded. "Though I must confess that tree walking requires better chakra control than I currently have."
"Don't worry about that, Sasuke-kun. I'm confident that you'll have it mastered in no time," Sakura said, encouraging him.
"Actually, Sakura, I mastered it today," Sasuke corrected.
Sakura cheered, "That's great Sasuke-kun! I knew you could do it!"
Minutes later, Inari entered with a hostile look on his face as he looked up slightly to see the tired-out Genin and their sensei eating their dinner.
"Stop your foolishness," Inari said, his voice full of anger. "Why do you all continuously train, knowing you're fighting a battle none of you will win? None of you know anything about this place. None of you know what it means to suffer hardships-"
"Enough!" Naruto strongly ordered, immediately silencing the youth with a voice that grabbed everyone's attention as they all turned to look at him. "I know enough about hardships, boy...a lot more than you think!"
Naruto stood from his seat and walked over to Inari and stood in front of him, towering over the boy with a battle-hardened expression and cold blue eyes that pierced through his soul. Inari cringed in fear from the feeling that penetrated through him the moment he stared straight at him with those unbreakable blue eyes of his.
Tsunami and Tazuna had worried expressions on their faces, hoping Naruto wasn't going to do anything against Inari. Sakura and Sasuke watched while looking at Naruto's expression while they, too, felt Naruto's aura. Kakashi stayed silent as he waited to see what would happen next.
"You say we don't know anything about suffering hardships, right? Well, kid, that just shows how narrowed-minded and ignorant you are. The only one on my team that's lived a relatively peaceful life is Sakura. Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke lost their families early on in their lives. As for me, my parents were killed the day I was born.
"I grew up never knowing what it's like to feel parental love and discipline. I never had a father to teach and guide me or a mother to love and raise me. Since birth, I grew up being ignored, scorned, hated, and looked upon like unwanted trash by my entire village. Heck, I was even thrown out of the orphanage when I was six!
"Parents pulled their children away from me with hate-filled eyes, telling their children to have nothing to do with me, and that I was a monster. In time, that same poisonous hate corrupted their children, and they too scorned, bullied, and hated me. I've been called cruel and vicious names, and my very existence was spat upon. I spent countless nights crying alone, never knowing why everyone hated me so much, why they never wanted me around, why nobody wanted to be my friend. I grew up being lied to by those I trusted, and only recently did I learn the truth.
"During the early years of my life, I used to wonder why I never had parents, never had a family, and never had friends who cared about me. I had to learn to fend for myself while I was in danger of being consumed by the ever growing hate and bloodlust that was developing within my soul, wanting payback for how I was so terribly wronged by the people of the village, and even now I'm fighting to keep that hardened and darkened side of myself at bay.
"Thankfully, I managed to find important people who saved me from becoming the very monster everyone else thought me to be. So tell me, Inari, can you relate to my suffering and nightmares?" Naruto concluded with a cold and hardened tone.
Inari and everyone present was left speechless at Naruto's words. Sakura was in total disbelief at what she heard. All she knew about Naruto was that he was a perverted troublemaker and prankster who caused mayhem wherever he went. What she heard just a moment ago went against everything she thought she knew about Naruto. Sasuke had considered Naruto to be his rival ever since they were nine years old. He competed against Naruto not only to try to prove who the stronger and smarter ninja was, but also for the acknowledgment and affections of the Hyuuga heiress. Seeing this side of Naruto made the Uchiha put into question who Naruto really was.
Kakashi saw a pattern to Naruto: whenever that look in Naruto's eyes changed, the blond's personality and character completely changed to one that he and only he was familiar with, as though he was an entirely different person. Kakashi suspected that that was the true Naruto and that the other one they were used to was an intricate illusion.
You're a true deceiver and illusionist, Naruto, Kakashi thought. I wonder how long it'll be before you decide to drop the mask. Though I still wonder when and how your changes took place. I don't know if you'll ever forgive me, but I'll try to make it up to you.
Inari got up and dismissed himself to his room upstairs.
"I never would have known you had such a bitter life, Naruto," Tsunami said sympathetically. "Why would people from your own village treat you so cruelly?"
"It's a long and dark story, and I'd rather not discuss it…I have my reasons," Naruto said. "By the way, I saw a picture of a man with a cross shaped scar under his chin in Inari's room. Where is that man?"
Sighing, Tazuna gave a detailed account to everyone about what had happened with Inari and the man who became his surrogate father, whose name was Kaiza. The old man explained how Kaiza saved Inari from drowning one day after the boy was bullied by the older boys of the village. Tazuna expanded, "From that day, Kaiza quickly became a hero in Inari's eyes, and the two were inseparable. My daughter too, became very close with the man especially after seeing how Inari loved him so much. Many others happened to regard Kaiza as a new hope for the people, seeing as he possessed such a carefree yet courageous heart and spirit.
"Everything was going so well for everyone," Tazuna continued before giving a dejected expression. "But later, Gatō and his men came to our island and took over. Kaiza was the only man brave enough to defy and stand up to his cruelty. But he was later captured, and Gatō and his thugs had Kaiza publicly executed in front of everyone. It crushed Inari's poor heart seeing Kaiza killed. Adding to this terrible misfortune was that my daughter Tsunami was planning on marrying and settling down with Kaiza. Like my grandson, my daughter was heartbroken by that horrific event, and she cried many times thinking about how her son had lost two fathers and how she had lost two lovers."
Everyone was silent after hearing Tazuna's story. Tsunami wiped away the few tears that spilled out of her eyes as she remembered what happened. Naruto and Sasuke didn't say a word as Sakura gave a sympathetic look to Tazuna and Tsunami. A moment later, Naruto started to walk off…
"Please excuse me," said Naruto calmly as he performed a smokeless shunshin and left the scene.
That is not Naruto. That is that not the same guy, Sakura thought. "Kakashi-sensei, what Naruto said about himself, was it really true?" Sakura asked.
Kakashi nodded solemnly, "Every word of it. There was no exaggeration to Naruto's life story. He was being serious."
Sakura didn't know what to think. She always thought she had Naruto figured out, and now she found that she truly knew nothing about who Naruto really is. Sasuke, too, was deep in thought about what he heard from Naruto, and hearing Kakashi confirm Naruto's story to be true made the Uchiha wonder what realities about himself Naruto hid from everyone.
(Meanwhile In Inari's Room)
Inari sat there on his bed holding a picture of Kaiza. The man looked so happy and carefree.
"Back in this room again, I see," Naruto said, startling the boy. The blond approached Inari and stood in front of him.
"Come," Naruto ordered as he held Inari and body flickered with him to the beach. Tsunami went to check on her son, only to find that he was gone.
"Where did he go?" Tsunami asked aloud.
(At The Beach)
"Inari," Naruto said calmly. "Hear me out, please. I will not deny that you went through a painful experience, but you're thoughtlessly going at it as though you're the only person in Nami No Kuni who's suffering. Your mother and grandfather take no delight in seeing you behave the way you do. In fact, you're the one who's adding more to their discomfort by your continuous brooding and pessimistic outlook. I know you truly loved Kaiza, but so did your mother and grandfather. Instead of dwelling on the tragic ordeals you went through, what you should be doing is feeling grateful that you still have your family there for you.
"Believe me when I say that not everyone in Nami No Kuni is as fortunate as you. I've seen how others live in this country as a result of Gatō's tyranny, and I definitely hate what Gatō has reduced this beautiful country to and how many lives he has ruined. Kaiza was a brave man for challenging Gatō and his army, and it's sad that you and your family lost him. But you can't keep your mind in the past, because that's what's preventing you from seeing what's happening now in front of you. You're overlooking the bravery your grandfather is showing by defying Gatō so openly."
The young boy was stunned at what Naruto was telling him.
"Your grandfather risked his life to get aid from a foreign shinobi village, knowing he'd be killed if he were discovered on his way to employ our team. He and many others are risking their lives in order to save Nami No Kuni, and everyone who lives here, from Gatō's oppression. Gatō may appear strong and untouchable, but the truth of the matter is completely different: Gatō is afraid of your grandfather. He fears what the completion of Tazuna's bridge will mean for him. That's why he wants your grandfather dead so desperately. Your grandfather is a serious threat to Gatō, just like how Kaiza was.
"Kaiza fought to protect those he loved and cherished as his precious people, and, likewise, your grandfather is doing the same."
Naruto looked out at the ocean. "You have a beautiful home with an amazingly beautiful ocean to gaze upon, Inari. Don't fill it with sadness and misery because it won't honor Kaiza's memory as the hero you saw him as."
Inari looked at Naruto with a dumbfounded expression. All that time he never thought of his grandfather in such a way, and Naruto helped him to see it clearly.
"I suffered a great deal in my life, but I too had heroes and heroines who saved me, and among them were my girlfriend Hyuuga Hinata, her sister Hanabi, their father Hiashi, the Sandaime Hokage, and a few others. I had to learn to count my blessings and remember the good things I have now rather than dwelling on the misfortune I went through in my early years. I have precious people I want to protect with my life, just like Kaiza and Tazuna. You ought to be proud of your grandfather for his selfless and brave spirit."
Naruto turned and headed towards the house. He then stopped and turned halfway to Inari and advised, "Count your blessings, Inari. If you truly want to make your grandfather and Kaiza proud of you, then I suggest you find someone or something precious to you, and fight to protect them."
With those words, Naruto dismissed himself from Inari's sight, leaving the boy alone with his thoughts. The young boy stared at the picture and contemplated deeply on everything Naruto just told him.
"Inari! Inari are you out here?" Tsunami called out as she ran around looking for him. Inari turned to see his mother looking for him. Naruto pointed to where Inari was, and Tsunami hurried over to him.
"Inari, are you alright?" Tsunami asked worriedly. Inari looked at his mother before embracing her.
"I'm sorry mommy," Inari cried. "I'm sorry for always making you and grandpa so sad. I'm so sorry."
Tsunami knelt down and embraced Inari.
"Naruto-niichan is right. Grandpa is a hero, I'm sorry for not seeing that. I was stupid and selfish," Inari cried.
"It's all right, Inari. We're not angry at you. We're just happy that you're alright," Tsunami consoled as her son cried on her shoulder. A few minutes later, Inari pulled away and said, "I'm not going to be sad anymore, because Grandpa doesn't want us to be like that. I'm going to do everything I can to make you and grandpa happy and proud of me just like Naruto-niichan said I should do."
"I'm so happy to hear that, Inari," Tsunami said as she embraced her son again.
(A Few Days Later)
Haku stood up and walked over to the window. Releasing the bun, her hair fell down to just under her shoulder blades. Twelve minutes later, she left the cone-shaped house and went walking into the forest. She now wore a pink kimono with red cherry blossoms on it and brown sandals. She carried a basket and was humming slightly to herself.
After an hour of walking, she came upon what she had searched for. Kneeling down, Haku started to pick herbs useful for medicines. Soon, her basket was almost full. A bird landed on her shoulder, and she smiled at it, cooing slightly at it before returning to her task. Haku was startled when the bird suddenly flew off. Feeling slightly down, she followed where it was going.
She saw the bird land next to a boy lying on the ground on his back. The boy had blond, spiky hair, and a Konoha forehead protector. He was wearing an orange jump suit and blue sandals.
Haku got up and walked towards him. The bird flew off, as if thinking that the girl was going to kill the boy. Instead, she crouched down in front of him and shook him awake.
"Hey, you'll catch a cold, sleeping here," she said kindly. Naruto was awoken from his slumber by a gentle nudge. He opened his eyes and looked up at a very pretty girl who was at least two years older than him. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes before looking at her.
"Hey beautiful, what are you doing here?" Naruto inquired with a smile. "Did I die somehow and become a wandering spirit for you to take with you to the afterlife?"
Haku smiled and answered kindly, "No, you're very much alive like me. I'm picking medical herbs."
Haku gestured to her basket.
"Ah, I see," Naruto acknowledged as he sat up on the ground.
"By the way, I'm Haku," the girl greeted.
"I'm Naruto," he replied in return.
"Are you a shinobi?" asked Haku.
"I am, what of it?" Naruto responded.
"Well, what were you doing out here?" Haku asked.
"I was training intensely by myself before I decided to take a break," Naruto replied straightforwardly. "I must have passed out at some point."
"Why would you be training? You look very strong already if you ask me," Haku said.
Naruto grinned cheerfully, "Ooh, it makes me so happy when hot-looking maidens like you acknowledge me as the strong and confident alpha male that I am. Still, I want to become even stronger so that I can one day revive my lost clan as its new leader and become the Hokage of my village."
"So, you train because of your precious people, and the family you wish to have?" Haku figured.
Naruto replied, "Were my motives that obvious to you?"
Haku couldn't help but smile brighter and blush at what Naruto said to her. She spoke, "I believe that you have people precious to you, and that you're working harder to become stronger to protect them. I believe that if you have someone to protect…you can become truly strong."
"It's clear that we have a mutual understanding of each other's feelings about things," Naruto said. "But tell me, do you have anyone precious to you that you seek to protect? Or are you in search of someone to become that precious person?"
"Oh, I do have someone precious to me. In fact, that's why I was gathering all these herbs. They're to be used as medicine for him," Haku explained.
"In that case, beautiful, I'll let you continue on your way," Naruto said. Haku nodded and smiled before she stood up from where she had crouched down and took her basket. She turned and started walking off from Naruto. As she was walking off…
"And just so you know, I'm a boy," Haku said plainly.
Naruto scoffed, "Liar! No boy can ever smell so feminine. Those pheromones coming off you are definitely from a woman!" Naruto grinned mischievously. "Like I said before, I take pride when hot looking maidens like you acknowledge me for the strong and confident alpha male that I am."
Haku frowned and blushed, slightly annoyed at Naruto and how he saw through her lie. She was even more annoyed at the implications Naruto was suggesting. Naruto watched her retreating form until she was completely out of sight. Turning, Naruto started walking off away from the scene, heading back to the house where Kakashi and the others were.
I know she's that fake hunter-nin, Naruto thought, but there was no point in alerting her to the fact that I'm aware of this, since she didn't pose a threat to me.
Just then, Naruto stopped as one of his kage bunshin popped. He absorbed the information and experience that was being transferred to him.
"Found you," Naruto said before he used his acquired transparency jutsu and body flickered to where the kage bunshin previously was. He found himself standing on top of a high tree branch. The young red-haired woman was surrounded by some of Gatō's wannabe samurai thugs. Naruto decided to watch and see how things would play out in case she didn't need his help.
"Hey sexy," one of the thugs said smugly. "You look lost and lonely. How would you like to come and provide your company to us?"
"Sorry," the woman replied. "but I never substitute unwanted trash for men."
"What was that?" the second thug yelled angrily as he prepared to pull out his sword. "I think we should teach you a lesson!"
"Forget that," the third thug suggested. "How about we have a little fun with her instead? Besides, I haven't had a woman in a while, and right now I'm in need of a good lay."
"I'm down with that idea," the first thug agreed, eying the young woman up. "I can tell that this gorgeous broad here is an untouched virgin, and I'd love to be the one to screw her till she passes out."
Naruto saw that the three thugs had rape in mind, something he couldn't allow. He was about to intervene when he saw her race through a set of hand seals before clasping her hands together. Chains made out of solidified chakra suddenly started popping out of the ground and binding the thugs in their place. The three would be rapists struggled to break free, but to no avail.
"You three crooks work for a man named Gatō," the woman stated. "I want to know everything you know about his operations."
"Like hell we'll talk!" the second thug remarked. The woman frowned and caused some more of the chains to go around their necks before beginning to strangle them. At the same time, the rest of the chakra chains tightened around them. The men found it difficult and painful to breathe.
"I'll ask again," the woman said. "Tell me everyone you know about Gatō."
"We don't know anything about him!" the lead thug confessed. "We're just hired mercenaries paid to do a job! That's all, I tell ya!"
"Consider your jobs done in advance," the woman replied before making a hand seal, which caused the chains to break all three of the men's necks, effectively killing them. Releasing the seal, she dropped the corpses of the men down onto the ground as the chakra chains formed from her seals vanished.
"Great," she muttered. "Another dead end."
The bare-footed woman took to the trees and started running off, jumping from tree to tree. Naruto followed in hot pursuit, not wanting to lose track of her this time. After ten minutes, the woman found herself a good distance from where she killed the three thugs. She leaped down from the tree branch and landed gracefully on the ground.
"For someone who doesn't use sandals, you're sure fast on your feet," Naruto complimented, startling the woman as he revealed himself to her when he dropped the transparency jutsu. She looked up and saw Naruto crouching down on a tree branch above the tree she was standing under.
"It's you," she acknowledged, "the one called Naruto."
"I'm flattered you know my name but I don't know yours yet. I will admit that it wasn't easy tracking you after seeing you for the first time several days ago. As a kunoichi, you're quite elusive. But as a ninja myself, I learned to search for and hunt for many things, even the chance to meet and bless my eyes with the sight of gorgeous women like you," Naruto remarked.
"Do you flirt with and compliment every female you see, even those clearly much older than you?" she asked as she crossed her arms over her breasts.
"No, I only do that with the sincere and lovely ones like you, who have the tendency to hide behind objects so they can watch and admire me while in hiding. Sorta like what my girlfriend and her kid sister do. You obviously share a common trait with them," Naruto teased.
The red haired woman replied, "Funny. While I admit that I've been watching you for some time, it wasn't for romantic reasons I'll tell you that."
"So why have you been watching me all that time?" Naruto asked.
"I was in the forest that day when you guys first arrived here. I went to investigate why Konoha ninja were here in Nami no Kuni, and that's when I saw you from behind the tree by his house."
"We were hired to protect Tazuna and his family until he completes the construction of his new bridge. Though the mission was higher ranked than what this country could afford, we decided to continue the mission anyway," Naruto elaborated.
"You and your friends are quite the noble shinobi, unlike most I've run into in my travels," the woman remarked.
"Tell me, why are you here in Nami no Kuni? I know you're not an enemy, seeing as we both want Gatō out of the picture. I saw how you tried to interrogate those three wannabes for information about him," Naruto said.
"I've only been here a few weeks. By the way, my name is Honoka, and I've traveled from place to place. I don't have a home or family to go back to. After seeing Gatō's cruel rule over this poor country and the people living here, I've been trying to come up with ways to overthrow him. I can handle taking on those armed thugs, but going against Zabuza alone would be suicide, and he has his young female partner."
"Her name is Haku; she looks to be two years older than me, she has a nicely shaped figure from head to toe, though she has a B-cup rack. She has soft-looking creamy tan skin, long black hair with a sweet smile and adorable face that can melt any good man's heart.
"Haku is very knowledgeable about the human anatomy, knows a great deal about pressure points and has the ability to put anyone in a deathlike state. Her weapons of choice are long needles. She knows a lot about healing herbs and cares for those precious to her like Zabuza. I'm assuming that was why she was gathering the plants in the first place considering how badly wounded he was after our last encounter," Naruto concluded. Honoka looked up at Naruto with a flabbergasted expression. In a brief yet very detailed summary, he gave her a whole lot more information on Haku than she had been able to attain, and Naruto only had two run-ins with the girl.
"What kind of a ninja are you?" Honoka asked.
"One of a kind!" Naruto remarked.
"Such modesty," Honoka snickered cynically.
"And what about you, Honoka? I saw your display earlier and I must say I like your seal jutsu with those solidified chakra chains. They were pretty cool," Naruto praised.
"Thanks. Chakra chains and fūinjutsu have always been my strongest points. But I do know some water jutsu," Honoka replied.
"I'm very knowledgeable in seals too, and we have something in common, though I don't have any expertise in chakra chains through seals like you do," Naruto said with his trademark smile before he flipped down to the surface over to Honoka. When he reached her, Naruto saw that she was six inches taller than him, not that it bothered him anyway.
As he was about to say something, he started feeling the same sensations rising in his being again and now that he was standing so close to her, what he was now feeling was at its peak. Naruto had to focus hard and keep himself together.
It's that feeling again, Naruto thought to himself. Only this time, it's a whole lot stronger than it ever was before. Why am I feeling this about her?
Honoka saw the look of wonder and curiosity in Naruto's expression as he gazed at her.
"Naruto, are you alright? What's the matter?" Honoka asked, concerned.
"Who are you? Ever since I saw you for the very first time by Tazuna's house, my mind and body have been reacting towards your presence in a way I can't even describe in words," Naruto explained.
"Reacting to my presence?" Honoka inquired skeptically. "What are you talking about?"
On a sudden impulse, Naruto reached out and clasped his right hand around her left hand. Upon doing so, something unexpected happened, as though a link of some sort was made between them. They felt a sudden strong jolt travel through them before they felt warmth of familiarity and mutual understanding toward one another, as if they were seeing someone dear they thought they had lost long ago. Naruto felt like he found his older sister, though he was his parents' firstborn and only child. For Honoka, she felt as though she found her lost younger brother in spite of the fact that she too was an only child before her parents' untimely deaths.
After another minute, Naruto slowly removed his hand off from Honoka's. Another minute of silence went by before Honoka broke the silence. "What's your full name, if I may ask?"
"Uzumaki. Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto answered.
Honoka gasped with widened eyes as she held her racing heart. "Uzu-Uzumaki? Did you say Uzumaki?"
Naruto saw tears building up in her eyes before falling down her face.
"Good heavens! Another Uzumaki, like me!" Honoka said through joyful tears as she reached out and embraced Naruto affectionately. "I'm Uzumaki Honoka! We're of the same clan! Our long lost Uzumaki clan!"
Naruto couldn't believe what his ears heard. It was so much all at once hearing and seeing another Uzumaki before his eyes holding and crying happily while embracing him.
"Another Uzumaki, like me," Naruto repeated lowly as he allowed her words to sink deep into his heart. When it did, he also burst into tears and silently cried happily as he embraced Honoka.
"I'm not alone anymore! I found a precious Uzumaki sister!" Naruto exclaimed as he laughed happily.
In Naruto's first real mission outside Konoha, he found something precious that money and fame could never buy: a survivor of his clan. How will things change with Uzumaki Honoka now in Naruto's life, and what reactions will this trigger from Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, and the rest of Konoha later on? Find out next time!
For those who're not familiar with Honoka, watch Naruto Shippuden ep. 227.