I returned to the bridge, hoping Kakashi didn't catch me slacking.
Of course, after I put and tugged Sakura into the bed.
Came back to see Naruto playing around with kids on the bridge.
I would've stayed on "playing around ", if I didn't notice the crossbows in their hands.
I just stand there and look at the sight in front of me.
He is teaching them one of our team-based ranged assault formations.
Is that even legal? Teaching civilians ninja tactics?
With a long sigh, I approach them.
I see Inari there.
He runs up to me.
"Naruto nee is teaching us how to fight the bad guys", he says.
"He sure is", I say with a wry smile. "Better safe than sorry, don't want another Gato just walkin' in here now, do we?".
"Over my dead body", Says Inari. Now that is not something a kid should say.
And then he looks at the axe. Stars are his eyes.
For once Inari looks like a kid.
But hesitant to ask. A ninja doesn't just teach people their secrets unless it's Naruto of course.
With a sigh, I unsheath it and hold it in front of Inari.
"Is it okay? Don't you ninjas love your secrets?", he says.
I sighed 2 times in a row today. Not wanting to lose any more of my lifespan, I just shove it in Inari's hand.
"Feel any difference?", I ask.
Inari looks a bit confused. He inspects the heavy axe thoroughly. Well, it is just a normal axe though.
"Aside from it being heavy, I see no difference ", he says.
It's like asking a monk if it feels any different to eat rice with a golden bowl.
Unless he understands its value.
I get closer to his ears.
"This is the axe I used to cut Gato's hands off", I whisper.
Inari recoils at my words. Taking a few steps back he looks at the axe again, holding onto it even tighter.
"I heard he cut your uncle's hands", I added.
Inari nods. That's exactly what happened.
I hold onto his shoulder.
"You are a man, Inari. Your Mom's, and your village's safety is in your hands. I know it is a heavy burden. But there is a way to ease the burden", I say.
Inari is as attentive as a solder.
"Don't ever hesitate. Do what you must to protect. No matter how dishonorable, or how shady you have to be.
And lastly, don't ever regret ", I say.
I turn and start walking away. Feeling badass.
It feels good to use talk no jutsu my way for once.
"Naruto nee says, his ninja way is to never give up", Inari says.
I turn back.
"Is that your ninja way? To protect and never regret?", Inari asks.
I look at the sky and ponder his words.
There is a certain line in every area that can never be crossed.
Am I willing to cross that line to protect? Will I regret it, to protect my people and the village that I live in? The village that my clan and my sister sacrificed so much for.
"Yes", I answer with a smile.
"I will protect and never regret", I add.
Yes, I may regret some things at some point.
But, that will have to be a problem in the future.
For now, let's get Naruto back to guarding before he spews more of technics to the public and is court-martialed.
###
It has been a month.
The bridge is finished.
To think, such a large bridge can be finished within months.
It's kind of justified, considering we have trees as tough as rocks[ Hashirama trees], some advanced mix of concrete that only Tazuna knows.
It's just Portland cement.
I said the ratio to Tazuna's face, and he gulped on his Sake like a fish out of water.
Made me a deal to never reveal his secret recipe.
Uchiha clan will invest in his research.
Industrials it.
We will see what we can do.
And on Jabuja's front.
It seemed like Jabuja and Haku are on good terms now.
But Haku has yet to decide if he wants to go with us.
It's not like I don't want him to go.
I can play my defacto clan leader card to put him under me, they won't be able to touch him.
Although I will owe some favors to Hairuzen other clans might not like the Uchiha clan harboring another kekkei genkai.
But, still ...don't wanna see the duo separated.
Why?
But Sakura saw them sit down and talk. So, that's something? How the heck did she see them? She healed and up and runnin'. She runs so much, I don't even most of the time where she goes.
She just up and vanishes sometimes, and appears again after 30 minutes or so.
We do train a lot though. I graduated from tree-dropping to wood chopping into planks.
Of course, using the widow's cheeks technique.
Maybe I should call it just the cheeks technique.
At last, the day came, and Kakashi entered the room of us playing Uno.
"The bridge is finished. The contract ends.
We leave by 500 tomorrow", said Kakashi and left.
With a heavy sigh, we pack up and go to bed.
It kinda became like a vacation at this point.
But, can't wait to get back to the village.
We got up early in the morning.
At the bridge, we took a last look at the town and turned around.
As we leave, I hear a sound from behind.
Quietly a few people gathered to tell us goodbye.
Sakura has quite a Fanclub.
Then Tazuna comes forward.
He shakes my hand. Others see it as a normal handshake.
"It's as good a time as any", tazuna says.
"For what?", I ask.
"The bridge's name", is muses.
"Oh! Why not name it after our lord and savior Naruto Uzumaki, he trained you guys fighting?", I say with grine.
Naruto smacks me. I stick out my tongue. Sakura pulls him away.
"It's not like we didn't think about it. The kids like the boy", Tazuna rubs his chin.
"But the guys, the workers, they like you ", he points at me.
Wha?.....whataatt?
"Sheeesh...I worked like 10 or 12 days with you guys", I say with a blushed face.
"You know what they call you? The red-eyed mole. You made 13 holes in the bridge without us knowing", Tazuna has a vein popping.
"Oh come on. They saved your ass. And I filled them up. So, give it a rest", I huff.
Tazuna then looks at Naruto, he is crying while holding Inari. Sakura gently patting them on the back. It looked wholesome until their snot came out of their nose.
What the heck dude? We both cringe at the sight.
"That settles it. I'm naming this bridge "red mole", Says Tazuna.
I shrug.
"Suite yourself ".
"Might as well paint it red", I add.
"No...", Tazuna replies.
#######
We jump across trees and hop over bushes.
I see Haku casually skipping across with us.
His expression was as solemn as ever.
I guess, in the end, he decided to join us.
What about Jabuja?
Well...he is right by me jumping across the plain.
It feels weird.
Weird as hell.
How the .....heck.....
I looked at Naruto, he smiled and gave me a thumbs-up.
I look at Sakura. She just shrugs.
I look at Kakashi.
He ignored me.
So .....Jabuja decided to come with us.
The x swordsman of the mist, the X Akatsuki member will walk right through the front gates of Konoha.
This.....this is huge. Huge to an astronomical level.
The amount of info he has, even his cold dead body will be more valuable than any kekkei genkai-filled clan.
Oh my god, forget about Haku, Danzo and the council members will be all over him. The moment he steps foot in the goddamn village, They will either want him dead or locked up so deep under the village that he will never see daylight.
"Quite looking at me like that!", Jabuja hisses at me.
I shake my head.
"Looking at a dead man walkin' ", I say bluntly.
Thankfully, the others were a few meters in front of us and didn't hear my statement.
"Is that a threat?", Jabuja asks me.
I feel relieved and insulted at the same time that he had no killing intent in that question. More like slight amusement.
"I'm just sayin', you high up on that list", I explain. I know that explains nothing.
"Kid, it's adult's business. So, stay out of it", he says.
Eh? .....what kind of adult business did he pull?
... ..... .....
Oohh.....my eyes shot up to my forehead.
"You contacted the Mizukage.....the new one!", I thought out loud. Oh, that will make sense.
Suddenly I am off my feet. Flown across the forest, slammed on a tree so hard, that my breakfast almost came out.
For the past few months, I have seen Jabuja and talked quite a bit. He snapped but never resorted to violence.
But now he has me by the throat. Pressing my trachea with his arm.
"How do know?"
Eh? The Mizukage changed! Was it supposed to be a secret? Is that a secret....and Jabuja is going to Konoha? .....oooooohhhhhh Konoha has a hand in this. And Jabuja is mixed up.
Oh my god....this is so fucking interesting that I feel my face twice.
"You.....fucking .....worked with Konoha to ...", I somehow blurt.
Jabuja with wide eyes pushes more.
"Shisui.....", I blurt out the name. He pushing so hard that my spine will break. That is some weird ass reaction. He .....worked with Shisui to kill Mizukage? Or, Shisui give HIM a hand?
What was Shisui planning? Wasn't he supposed to keep The Mizukage under control? Or was he...ooooooooooo!!!!!
Me and Big Mouth. Now, I'm going to die.
Of course, that makes sense. There is no way, no matter how talented, Danzo can never put Shisui inside the bloody mist, to put a genius on the dead Mizukage to control him. He needs an inside man. And that's Jabuja.
Oh my god.
Danzo you slimy bitch.
But then he switched sides? Killed the Mizukage?
Betrayed Danzo? Now, worked with the Hokage to bring Mei into power? Or, he teamed up with Shisui. Either way, he has some deep connection concerning the current status in the Chigiri and Konoha.
Maybe he still working for Danzo. And Hokage doesn't know shit.
Maybe he has a new assignment.
Oh my god, I .....I can't die like this.
"I'm...an.....uchiha.....I know...stuff", I somehow blurt. I point my shotgun axe at his torso.
"I will.....blast .....your...tummy"...
"Not before I break the spine, you will drop like a puppet before pulling any tricks", he hisses.
Good point.
He let go of my neck.
My teammates are far in front, Jabuja could've snapped my neck in an instant. but I know, he can't kill me if any of my assumptions are correct.
"I'm watching you, kid. Haku spared your life, doesn't mean I will. One wrong smell and I cut you in half, Sasuke Uchiha ", Jabuja says.
"Noted", I say while coughing. Can't get angry at that full-name threat.
Either way, I .....I think I don't want any part in this.
As long as he has enough mojo to not get killed the moment he steps foot in the village, I don't have anything to say.
But ... man...I wanna know.
There is so much stuff I wanna know.
Maybe, I want a part in this.
I get up while rubbing my neck.
"Well, whoever you are working for, I hope you kept Haku out of this", I muse.
Jabuja doesn't say anything.
"Konoha is way nastier then I thought", I end the conversation. I have severely underestimated Danzo. Now, I know why Hairuzen....ehm...Hokage-sama keeps him around.
Jabuja still doesn't say anything, but he is giving me the side eye.
I zip my lips shut. Don't wanna be on the hit list of the best assassin in the world, or Danzo, or the Hokage, ....or the current Mizukage, or the Akatsuki [ if he still has a connection].
Oh my.....God.
I am never thinking out loud ever again in my life.
Jabuja here is one hell a of kind soul.
I owe my life to him now.
"Welcome to the world of real ninjas", says Jabuja as he reads my expression.
There was .....malice. And it was cold.
Cold....
Cold....
So cold...
Where is Kakashi by the way? Where the heck is he when you need him? God, this will leave a bruise on the neck.
Oh well, let's catch up.