We arrived at Tazuna's house just before dusk. The weight of the battle still lingered in the air, but the old bridge builder led us inside without a word, his expression grim. His daughter, Tsunami, greeted us with cautious kindness, ushering us toward a simple but warm meal.
Kakashi barely made it through the door before collapsing into a chair. His face was pale, and a thin sheen of sweat coated his skin.
"Sensei?" Naruto asked, concerned.
Kakashi gave a lazy wave. "Just chakra exhaustion. That fight took a lot out of me."
His Sharingan had been active for too long. Even for someone as experienced as him, it had limits.
"You should rest," I said, crossing my arms. "We don't know when Zabuza will resurface."
Naruto looked confused. "But he's dead, right?"
I met Kakashi's gaze.
"No," he said simply. "That was staged."
Naruto blinked. "Eh?"
"That boy—Haku—was working with Zabuza."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "A fake Hunter-nin."
"Exactly." Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temple. "They needed a way to get Zabuza out of there without us interfering. I wouldn't be surprised if he was already recovering by now."
Naruto clenched his fists. "So we're just waiting for him to come back?"
"Pretty much."
"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "Pathetic."
Naruto shot him a glare. "What'd you say, bastard?!"
I sighed. "Enough."
I was already tired. The battle hadn't drained me nearly as much as Kakashi, but it had left me tense, my mind running through every possible outcome.
Zabuza was dangerous. But Haku…
Something about him unsettled me. He hadn't killed Zabuza. He'd saved him. There was more to that relationship than just a master and tool.
I filed it away for later.
Tsunami placed bowls of steaming rice and vegetables in front of us. "Please, eat. You need your strength."
Naruto perked up immediately, practically inhaling his food.
I ate more slowly, mind still turning.
The door creaked open, and a small boy hesitantly stepped inside. He looked around our age, with messy brown hair and wide, distrustful eyes.
Tsunami smiled. "Inari, come say hello to our guests."
The boy, Inari, scowled. "Why bother? They're just going to die."
The room went silent.
Naruto paused, chopsticks halfway to his mouth. "Oi, what's that supposed to mean?!"
Inari crossed his arms. "You don't understand. You think you're so strong, but Gatō is going to kill you all. You should just give up before you get hurt."
Naruto's face twisted in anger. "We're not giving up! We're going to protect your village!"
Inari scoffed. "You don't get it. No one can stand up to Gatō. My dad tried, and he—" His voice cracked. "He was killed for it."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Tsunami placed a gentle hand on Inari's shoulder, but he shrugged it off and stormed out.
Naruto looked frustrated, but for once, he didn't snap back. Instead, he just clenched his fists, staring at his half-eaten food.
I watched Inari's retreating figure. I wasn't angry at him. He was a kid who had already lost too much.
But that didn't mean he was right.
I turned back to my food. "Rest up. This isn't over."
Kakashi nodded. "We'll start training at dawn."
—
The next morning, Kakashi had us standing by the riverbank, the mist still clinging to the trees.
"Tree walking," he announced. "You're going to learn chakra control."
Naruto tilted his head. "Eh? But I can already do that. I can run up trees just fine."
Kakashi smirked. "Not like this."
With casual ease, he stepped onto the trunk of a tree and walked straight up it.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "WHAAAT?!"
"Chakra control," Kakashi repeated. "It's fundamental. You need to focus your chakra into the soles of your feet in just the right amount. Too much, and you'll blast yourself off. Too little, and you won't stick."
He gestured to the trees. "Your goal is to reach the top. No hands."
Sasuke eyed the trees thoughtfully. "Seems simple enough."
I smirked. "Let's see if you can back that up."
Naruto grinned. "Oh, it's ON!"
Both of them took off, sprinting toward the nearest tree.
Sasuke made it about halfway up before losing his grip and dropping back down.
Naruto… well. He barely got two steps up before smacking face-first into the bark.
I sighed. "This is going to take a while."
Kakashi chuckled. "You too, Raiden. Show me what you got."
I shrugged. "Fine."
I stepped forward, placed a foot on the trunk—
And casually walked all the way to the top.
Naruto gawked. "WHAT?!"
Sasuke scowled. "Tch."
Kakashi just laughed. "Well. That was fast."
I leaned against a branch, smirking down at them. "Your turn."
Naruto groaned. "This is gonna suck."
I just chuckled. It would be a long day—but I had a feeling it would be worth it.