Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Faith in Humanity ❯ Training ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Karrafear 
Sasuke and Sakura underwent 2 weeks of intensive training under Naruto's guidance. Will it be enough? How far have they come?
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.13.2007 | Updated On: 04.14.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.7K | Visits: 691 | Status: Completed
Sasuke and Sakura underwent 2 weeks of intensive training under Naruto's guidance. Will it be enough? How far have they come?
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.13.2007 | Updated On: 04.14.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.7K | Visits: 691 | Status: Completed
Title: Faith Arc - Faith in Humanity (PG-13)
Author: Karrafear
Summary: AU. What if Naruto survived a murder attempt on his life at the age of 6 and had to leave Konoha for his protection. Now 12, Naruto and Jiraiya returns to face the genin test.
Author: Karrafear
Summary: AU. What if Naruto survived a murder attempt on his life at the age of 6 and had to leave Konoha for his protection. Now 12, Naruto and Jiraiya returns to face the genin test.
Disclaimer: Naruto is an anime and manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. It does not belong to me; I'm simply using the characters and plot for my own creative devices.
"Demon's talk", /Thoughts/, "Speech", 'Speech emphasis', (FLASHBACK), Titles, (Author's interruptions)
Warning: Naruto OOC - somewhat dark version of Naruto - very cynical and cold. This chapter will be a LOT slower than the other 2 chapters and prologue. I wanted to concentrate on characterisation, not only on Naruto but also on Sakura and Sasuke. Focusing on how they slowly start to respect, trust and even depend on each other. In this chapter, Naruto will become slightly nicer to Sakura and Sasuke, so all you fans out there better cheer! There will be MANY similarities between the dialogue in the manga and the dialogue here.
Pairings: eventually NarutoXHinata. However, it's gonna be so slow it's practically non-existent.
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Chapter 3: Training
Early the next morning, both Sakura and Sasuke arrived at the woodland area that Naruto had instructed them to go to yesterday, to receive their supposed training. It had taken Kakashi a whole night of persuading, but in the end, they had finally agreed that there really was no choice in the matter. If they had to fight against Zabuza and his apprentice again, they would need to become stronger fast. And the quickest way currently, was to learn from Naruto. Both of the genins were a bit nervous about the prospect to start off with, but they were also determined to get stronger.
Finding Naruto leaning against a tree waiting for them, Sakura and Sasuke stood in rigid stances, apprehensive about what Naruto would be teaching them. Naruto raised his eyebrows and looked at his pupils steadily, analysing their reactions. After a while, he sighed and rubbed the back of his head with a look of irritation on his face. He really didn't want to do this... but he didn't want them to die either. Standing up straighter, Naruto gazed at both Sasuke's slightly annoyed expression and Sakura's nervous one.
"For today, we will be doing the tree climbing exercise." Naruto lectured as if he was talking to some 5 year olds.
Sasuke lifted a delicate eyebrow in reaction. "You're kidding right? Climbing trees?" He looked at Naruto as if he expected Naruto to grow a second head.
"Yes, Sasuke." Naruto hissed between clenched teeth. He really didn't want to put up with Sasuke's attitude problem at the ungodly hour of 5 in the morning. "I did say TREECLIMBING, but this exercise is slightly different from what you are thinking about."
Sakura blinked in confusion and ask. "Then what kind of... (Trying to find a better term but failed) tree-climbing is it?"
"Climbing trees without the use of hands." Naruto said and then started to demonstrate. /Action speaks louder than words anyway, so action it is./ Doing a simple hand seal, Naruto concentrated, pushing the right amount of Chakra onto the bottom of his feet. He then started walking up a tree nonchalantly as if he was strolling through a park. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at the unnatural display and Sakura's mouth hanged open.
/Heh. If they think this was hard, try doing this on a cliff edge!/ Naruto silently complained, since that was exactly what he had to do when he was training with Jiraiya. /That sadistic bastard!/ He was, at the time, thrown off a cliff, just for the fun of it. Naruto really hated cliffs. His first encounter with them happened when he had to perform the Kuchiyose no jutsu and have Gamabunta jump out of the cliff to save his life. Since then, he'd had nothing but bad experiences when dealing with cliffs. With this climbing exercise, he was (once again) thrown off a cliff edge, and was expected to climb his way out, using only his feet. That is, if he didn't die when he reached the ground in the first place. /That bastard of a teacher... But I did pay him back pretty good! (Naruto smirked silently) Jiraiya's hair had stayed a permanent pink colour for months later./
Back to the present, Naruto finished his demonstration by ending up standing upside down from a thick branch protruding from the tree. "This is how you climb a tree without hands." Naruto waited for his stunned students to recover before he continued. "Now it's your turn. Gather Chakra around the bottom of your feet and climb a tree."
"Wait a minute! How does learning how to climb trees suppose to help us become stronger?" Sakura asked. Though nervous of Naruto's reactions, she really did want some answers and was willing to get scolded for that. She had always been an inquiring child, always curious as to how things worked and why. So to her, it felt very much like the Academy days again, where she would raise her hand and hope the teacher answered her question instead of telling her to be quiet.
However, Naruto was not one of those patient teachers working in the Academy. He sighed again. /Why must they be so bothersome!/ "I'm assuming that both of you know how to channel Chakra right?!" At their confused nods, he continued. "This exercise is to teach you how to control your Chakra properly, without wasting it! It forces you to bring out the exact amount of Chakra to the exact position on your body, which in turns, help build up your stamina so that you can continue fighting for a lot longer. And also, (theoretically) if you can learn this precise control, you should be able to master any jutsu."
Seeing that they had nothing else to add, Naruto picked up two kunais from his hidden pouch and threw them to the ground, directly in front of Sasuke and Sakura. "Use those kunais to mark how high you can make it up a tree before you are no longer able to control yourself. This is an exercise that is learnt through trial and error so I expect the two of you to help each other out when you need to. That's all. Firstly, show me how much control you already have."
Both Sakura and Sasuke did exactly as they were told. They've already had discussions with one another before hand about this, and agreed that they were willing to give Naruto the benefit of the doubt for now, because they really didn't know exactly how difficult the training session actually was. Sasuke concentrated on putting the correct amount of Chakra on his feet. He ran towards one tree, jumped off the ground, took three steps up said tree, but immediately felt his feet cracking against the trees bark. Marking his progress, Sasuke then jumped down safely. /Damn. This is harder than it looks!/ Sasuke cursed under his breath.
"Hey. This is actually pretty easy." Both boys looked towards Sakura in shock. /She had figured it out almost immediately!/ The same thought went through both boys' mind. /Damn, it took me a full week to be able to reach the top!/ complained Naruto, slightly jealous at Sakura's natural ability to control her Chakra well. /Then again, she didn't have a demon sealed inside of her./ Naruto thought in excuse.
"It seems like Sakura is the first one able to control Chakra precisely." This comment was aimed directly at Sasuke's pride. /It deserves to be wounded a bit; if only to push him to his limits./ Naruto thought to himself. "Alright, continue until you are completely worn out. I want to see how long your stamina can last."
After only 10 minutes of watching Sakura go up and down a tree, she collapsed in exhaustion. /Damn, her body's Chakra amount is so small it's practically useless/ Naruto thought disappointingly. Then he looked towards Sasuke's progress. /Though not as good as Sakura's handling of Chakra, he certainly has a lot of more Chakra reserves to spare! Damn, I'm going to have to leave them to train alone and do my guard duty over Tazuna soon./ Naruto thought, looking at the rising sun.
"Sakura." Naruto called as he jumps down from his upside down perch, which he had never really left since his demonstration. Sakura looked up at him in surprise, wondering what he wanted.
After Naruto lands lightly on the ground, he stood straight up and looked over Sakura's exhausted body with a critical eye. /No. This will most definitely not do.../ "Sakura, your control over Chakra is almost perfect. But your greatest weakness lies in your limited Chakra reserve. You need to build up a lot more stamina if you wish to fully participate in any battle." He stated firmly.
Sakura nodded in silent reply. She knew that she was the weakest in the group, but didn't know how else to change that fact. She just didn't have enough Chakra to do practically anything other than the basic stuff you learn in the Academy. "How can I build up my Chakra reserves then? Naruto...kun." Even Sakura had to admit that the training wasn't as bad as she'd feared. And being able to do something useful for once really did help her self-confidence. She really does want to help the others in battle - and to do that, she had to become stronger.
Naruto sighed, shaking his head a bit but decided to tell her the truth. "It requires intensive Taijutsu training. Once you build up enough physical stamina, you're spiritual stamina will also increase automatically. But I won't lie to you, Sakura. To do that in such a small amount of time, will require seriously intensive physical exercises."
Sakura shivered a bit at the explanation. /Am I ready for that? I ... don't know.../ But looking back at Naruto's determined eyes, Sakura finally made a decision. /I won't be left behind. Sasuke-kun will master how he controls Chakra soon and then... I'll be the only one that can't participate in any battles. I don't want that. I need to become stronger./ With that mental preparation, Sakura nodded in acceptance. "I understand. And I'm willing to do what ever it takes."
Naruto nodded back in satisfaction, and smiled gently at her, proud of her dedication and courage. He then turned around to address Sasuke and his Chakra exercise, leaving Sakura to get some more rest before he puts her through intensive training.
Early the next morning, both Sakura and Sasuke arrived at the woodland area that Naruto had instructed them to go to yesterday, to receive their supposed training. It had taken Kakashi a whole night of persuading, but in the end, they had finally agreed that there really was no choice in the matter. If they had to fight against Zabuza and his apprentice again, they would need to become stronger fast. And the quickest way currently, was to learn from Naruto. Both of the genins were a bit nervous about the prospect to start off with, but they were also determined to get stronger.
Finding Naruto leaning against a tree waiting for them, Sakura and Sasuke stood in rigid stances, apprehensive about what Naruto would be teaching them. Naruto raised his eyebrows and looked at his pupils steadily, analysing their reactions. After a while, he sighed and rubbed the back of his head with a look of irritation on his face. He really didn't want to do this... but he didn't want them to die either. Standing up straighter, Naruto gazed at both Sasuke's slightly annoyed expression and Sakura's nervous one.
"For today, we will be doing the tree climbing exercise." Naruto lectured as if he was talking to some 5 year olds.
Sasuke lifted a delicate eyebrow in reaction. "You're kidding right? Climbing trees?" He looked at Naruto as if he expected Naruto to grow a second head.
"Yes, Sasuke." Naruto hissed between clenched teeth. He really didn't want to put up with Sasuke's attitude problem at the ungodly hour of 5 in the morning. "I did say TREECLIMBING, but this exercise is slightly different from what you are thinking about."
Sakura blinked in confusion and ask. "Then what kind of... (Trying to find a better term but failed) tree-climbing is it?"
"Climbing trees without the use of hands." Naruto said and then started to demonstrate. /Action speaks louder than words anyway, so action it is./ Doing a simple hand seal, Naruto concentrated, pushing the right amount of Chakra onto the bottom of his feet. He then started walking up a tree nonchalantly as if he was strolling through a park. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at the unnatural display and Sakura's mouth hanged open.
/Heh. If they think this was hard, try doing this on a cliff edge!/ Naruto silently complained, since that was exactly what he had to do when he was training with Jiraiya. /That sadistic bastard!/ He was, at the time, thrown off a cliff, just for the fun of it. Naruto really hated cliffs. His first encounter with them happened when he had to perform the Kuchiyose no jutsu and have Gamabunta jump out of the cliff to save his life. Since then, he'd had nothing but bad experiences when dealing with cliffs. With this climbing exercise, he was (once again) thrown off a cliff edge, and was expected to climb his way out, using only his feet. That is, if he didn't die when he reached the ground in the first place. /That bastard of a teacher... But I did pay him back pretty good! (Naruto smirked silently) Jiraiya's hair had stayed a permanent pink colour for months later./
Back to the present, Naruto finished his demonstration by ending up standing upside down from a thick branch protruding from the tree. "This is how you climb a tree without hands." Naruto waited for his stunned students to recover before he continued. "Now it's your turn. Gather Chakra around the bottom of your feet and climb a tree."
"Wait a minute! How does learning how to climb trees suppose to help us become stronger?" Sakura asked. Though nervous of Naruto's reactions, she really did want some answers and was willing to get scolded for that. She had always been an inquiring child, always curious as to how things worked and why. So to her, it felt very much like the Academy days again, where she would raise her hand and hope the teacher answered her question instead of telling her to be quiet.
However, Naruto was not one of those patient teachers working in the Academy. He sighed again. /Why must they be so bothersome!/ "I'm assuming that both of you know how to channel Chakra right?!" At their confused nods, he continued. "This exercise is to teach you how to control your Chakra properly, without wasting it! It forces you to bring out the exact amount of Chakra to the exact position on your body, which in turns, help build up your stamina so that you can continue fighting for a lot longer. And also, (theoretically) if you can learn this precise control, you should be able to master any jutsu."
Seeing that they had nothing else to add, Naruto picked up two kunais from his hidden pouch and threw them to the ground, directly in front of Sasuke and Sakura. "Use those kunais to mark how high you can make it up a tree before you are no longer able to control yourself. This is an exercise that is learnt through trial and error so I expect the two of you to help each other out when you need to. That's all. Firstly, show me how much control you already have."
Both Sakura and Sasuke did exactly as they were told. They've already had discussions with one another before hand about this, and agreed that they were willing to give Naruto the benefit of the doubt for now, because they really didn't know exactly how difficult the training session actually was. Sasuke concentrated on putting the correct amount of Chakra on his feet. He ran towards one tree, jumped off the ground, took three steps up said tree, but immediately felt his feet cracking against the trees bark. Marking his progress, Sasuke then jumped down safely. /Damn. This is harder than it looks!/ Sasuke cursed under his breath.
"Hey. This is actually pretty easy." Both boys looked towards Sakura in shock. /She had figured it out almost immediately!/ The same thought went through both boys' mind. /Damn, it took me a full week to be able to reach the top!/ complained Naruto, slightly jealous at Sakura's natural ability to control her Chakra well. /Then again, she didn't have a demon sealed inside of her./ Naruto thought in excuse.
"It seems like Sakura is the first one able to control Chakra precisely." This comment was aimed directly at Sasuke's pride. /It deserves to be wounded a bit; if only to push him to his limits./ Naruto thought to himself. "Alright, continue until you are completely worn out. I want to see how long your stamina can last."
After only 10 minutes of watching Sakura go up and down a tree, she collapsed in exhaustion. /Damn, her body's Chakra amount is so small it's practically useless/ Naruto thought disappointingly. Then he looked towards Sasuke's progress. /Though not as good as Sakura's handling of Chakra, he certainly has a lot of more Chakra reserves to spare! Damn, I'm going to have to leave them to train alone and do my guard duty over Tazuna soon./ Naruto thought, looking at the rising sun.
"Sakura." Naruto called as he jumps down from his upside down perch, which he had never really left since his demonstration. Sakura looked up at him in surprise, wondering what he wanted.
After Naruto lands lightly on the ground, he stood straight up and looked over Sakura's exhausted body with a critical eye. /No. This will most definitely not do.../ "Sakura, your control over Chakra is almost perfect. But your greatest weakness lies in your limited Chakra reserve. You need to build up a lot more stamina if you wish to fully participate in any battle." He stated firmly.
Sakura nodded in silent reply. She knew that she was the weakest in the group, but didn't know how else to change that fact. She just didn't have enough Chakra to do practically anything other than the basic stuff you learn in the Academy. "How can I build up my Chakra reserves then? Naruto...kun." Even Sakura had to admit that the training wasn't as bad as she'd feared. And being able to do something useful for once really did help her self-confidence. She really does want to help the others in battle - and to do that, she had to become stronger.
Naruto sighed, shaking his head a bit but decided to tell her the truth. "It requires intensive Taijutsu training. Once you build up enough physical stamina, you're spiritual stamina will also increase automatically. But I won't lie to you, Sakura. To do that in such a small amount of time, will require seriously intensive physical exercises."
Sakura shivered a bit at the explanation. /Am I ready for that? I ... don't know.../ But looking back at Naruto's determined eyes, Sakura finally made a decision. /I won't be left behind. Sasuke-kun will master how he controls Chakra soon and then... I'll be the only one that can't participate in any battles. I don't want that. I need to become stronger./ With that mental preparation, Sakura nodded in acceptance. "I understand. And I'm willing to do what ever it takes."
Naruto nodded back in satisfaction, and smiled gently at her, proud of her dedication and courage. He then turned around to address Sasuke and his Chakra exercise, leaving Sakura to get some more rest before he puts her through intensive training.
Unbeknownst to him, when he had turned, Sakura's eyes had widened in surprise. That was the first time he had ever smiled in her presence, in the entire time that she had known him as a teammate. /He... looks younger... when he finally smiles./ Sakura thought, though nowhere as sexy as Sasuke-kun's smile (if he ever did smile naturally and not that smirk). /Naruto's smile was genuine. It wasn't faked and it was most definitely not forced./ Sakura made a silent promise to herself then, she wants to improve the relationship between the members of team 7 so that they will never feel so isolated again, especially Naruto. She really wanted all three of them to work as a team.
"Sasuke." Called Naruto. Sasuke looked up at Naruto from his resting on the ground. He was currently breathing heavily with slight exhaustion. He had reached half way up the tree, though he was still disappointed that Sakura could be better than him in that respect.
Naruto decided to give him some tips. He may not like Sasuke Uchiha very much, but he didn't want the kid to die just because of his own incompetence. It would be a waste for the sole survivor of the Uchiha tragedy to die in such a dishonourable way. "Listen Sasuke. Chakra uses Spiritual energy as well as Physical energy, so you can't get too excited. To gather Chakra on your feet, you have to relax and focus on the tree. Don't give in to your frustrations or anger, if you do, you will never improve."
"I know that." Snapped an irritated Sasuke. He did know all that but it was still difficult for him to concentrate. With the added pressure knowing that Sakura had already reached the top and Naruto was way out of his league, Sasuke was starting to feel slightly inferior to his two-team mates and this thought was not helping his mood.
Naruto silently seethed. /I'm trying to help you, you bastard prick.../ Taking a deep breath, Naruto forcefully calmed himself down enough to continue with his tip. Even without Sasuke's outwardly acceptance, he still had to help the kid because he had already agreed to it. And by god, Naruto Uzumaki does not go back on his words.
"Your biggest problem, Sasuke, is your superiority complex! Can't you just accept that people are different? You cannot compare people and state that one is stronger than another simply because they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. What gives a man true strength is his will to face a seemingly impossible conflict and deal with it! Using anger and hate to fuel your power will bring you nothing but suffering, and believe me, I know that pain very well. If you give in to your darkness, you will become nothing but a murdering monster... You won't even be human." Naruto exclaimed, exasperated with the infuriating boy.
Sasuke glared at Naruto full force. His anger wasn't just due to the fact that Naruto had insulted him directly and without pause, it was also because Naruto had hit a little bit too close to home with his words. Yes, he had been using hate and anger to fuel his ambition to kill his brother. But who gave Naruto the right to tell him what to do with his life? How dare Naruto tell him what he was doing is wrong! But with every word that escaped Naruto's lips, Sasuke knew they were all true. Deep inside of him, the small child that he once was shivered in fright as the cruel words bombarded against his thin protective shield.
"Sasuke." Called Naruto. Sasuke looked up at Naruto from his resting on the ground. He was currently breathing heavily with slight exhaustion. He had reached half way up the tree, though he was still disappointed that Sakura could be better than him in that respect.
Naruto decided to give him some tips. He may not like Sasuke Uchiha very much, but he didn't want the kid to die just because of his own incompetence. It would be a waste for the sole survivor of the Uchiha tragedy to die in such a dishonourable way. "Listen Sasuke. Chakra uses Spiritual energy as well as Physical energy, so you can't get too excited. To gather Chakra on your feet, you have to relax and focus on the tree. Don't give in to your frustrations or anger, if you do, you will never improve."
"I know that." Snapped an irritated Sasuke. He did know all that but it was still difficult for him to concentrate. With the added pressure knowing that Sakura had already reached the top and Naruto was way out of his league, Sasuke was starting to feel slightly inferior to his two-team mates and this thought was not helping his mood.
Naruto silently seethed. /I'm trying to help you, you bastard prick.../ Taking a deep breath, Naruto forcefully calmed himself down enough to continue with his tip. Even without Sasuke's outwardly acceptance, he still had to help the kid because he had already agreed to it. And by god, Naruto Uzumaki does not go back on his words.
"Your biggest problem, Sasuke, is your superiority complex! Can't you just accept that people are different? You cannot compare people and state that one is stronger than another simply because they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. What gives a man true strength is his will to face a seemingly impossible conflict and deal with it! Using anger and hate to fuel your power will bring you nothing but suffering, and believe me, I know that pain very well. If you give in to your darkness, you will become nothing but a murdering monster... You won't even be human." Naruto exclaimed, exasperated with the infuriating boy.
Sasuke glared at Naruto full force. His anger wasn't just due to the fact that Naruto had insulted him directly and without pause, it was also because Naruto had hit a little bit too close to home with his words. Yes, he had been using hate and anger to fuel his ambition to kill his brother. But who gave Naruto the right to tell him what to do with his life? How dare Naruto tell him what he was doing is wrong! But with every word that escaped Naruto's lips, Sasuke knew they were all true. Deep inside of him, the small child that he once was shivered in fright as the cruel words bombarded against his thin protective shield.
In the present, before Sasuke could snarl back in automatic response, Sakura butted in, trying to calm the storm before it explodes. "GUYS!! STOP IT!! WE'RE SUPPOSE TO WORK AS A TEAM HERE!! A TEAM!!! THAT MEANS THAT WE HELP EACH OTHER, NOT TRY TO KILL EACH OTHER!!! Please... please stop arguing."
Both Naruto and Sasuke had stopped talking when Sakura butted into the conversation, but they were still standing rigidly, and the tension in the air was still high. Sighing, Sakura understood that it was up to her to keep her team together. No matter what it takes, she won't let them be isolated again.
"Sasuke-kun, please just listen to Naruto for once. Just because I can control my own Chakra slightly better than you doesn't mean anything. It might be because I have so little Chakra to control in the first place, and I don't have any special bloodline abilities either. So there really isn't any comparison at all." Turning to Naruto, Sakura continued her reasoning. "And Naruto-kun, can you please be a little bit more patient with us. We're not like you; we don't know all these things and are just starting to grasp the concepts of them. I know that we don't have time, but we are doing the best we can." Sakura explained softly.
A long silence ensures but Naruto finally decided to break the ice. "I... apologise, Sakura-san, Sasuke-kun. I'm... not use to travelling with a group. And to rebuff your suggestion Sakura, I too, took a very long time to master all these things, so I know what you guys are going through. However, since I am new at this… teaching (cursing Kakashi mentally), I'll try to be a bit more lenient, but I also expect you two to give it your all."
Now, it was both Naruto and Sakura's turn in waiting for Sasuke's reply. It took a while but Sasuke finally beat his own stubbornness into submission and stated a short: "Sorry. I'll try harder." Naruto sighed, knowing that Sasuke won't be changing his attitude and way of life anytime soon. /Oh well, at least we're not at each other's necks anymore./
Looking up at the sun, Naruto realized that a lot of time had flown by, almost an hour had passed since the beginning of the training and he still had to get back to guard over Tazuna. Giving Sasuke an even look, Naruto surrendered. "Fine, Sasuke. Return to what you were doing before. And when you are able to go up and down the trees easily for close to one full hour without stressing, I'll start teaching you jutsus and stuff." Both Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. /Naruto is going to teach me jutsus?!/
Naruto turned around then and left Sasuke to his own exercises. He walked towards Sakura, whom had just recovered from her previous exhaustion. /Okay, now what to do with Sakura./ A light bulb went up in Naruto's head and he immediately changed direction, walking towards his backpack (of which he had brought with him the night before into the forest). He took out two worn looking, long, common grey cloths.
"Sakura, come over here." Sakura did as she was told. "Tie these cloths around your fingers and palm like a bandage." Once again, Sakura followed his instructions word for word but didn't understand the reason behind these actions. Noting Sakura's confusion, Naruto explained. "For today only, I'll give you some simple exercises that will test your physical body and tire you out but won't hurt you much. First, I'll expect you to do at least 100 push-ups by the end of the day. I don't care how many breaks you take as long as that 100 push-ups is reached. And another thing, to improve the power of your punches, I want you to continuously punch this tree (indicating the big tree behind him) until you leave a dent at least half an inch thick into the tree. The cloths are to protect your knuckles and fingers from bruising too much."
Sakura's eyes widened at Naruto's order. 100 push ups will probably make her completely exhausted and then she still had to punch a tree!? Opening her mouth to complain about the difficultly of the second command, she was cut off as Naruto grinned at her and slammed his open palm onto another tree just next to him. The sudden impact sent slight shockwaves into the ground and plenty of leaves started falling from said tree. When Naruto finally removed his hand, a finely detailed handprint was revealed on the surface of the tree, it had a dent one inch deep from the surrounding bark. Both Sakura and Sasuke underwent shock at Naruto's show of power. There was absolutely no Chakra involved in that slam.
Naruto stood relaxed in front of his pupils as they try to recover from their surprise. Eventually, he grew tired of their silence. "Well, that's it for today. I've got to go protect Tazuna-san while he works on the bridge. The two of you stay here and train. You may return to the house for lunch, dinner and snacks if you are too tired. That's all. If you guys have improved sufficiently enough within the week then I might consider teaching you new stuff. But don't expect to learn them too fast."
With that said, he left his teammates in the woodland and left on his mission. Reaching the house, he made a small greeting to Tazuna, Tsunami and Kakashi, ignoring the irritable brat sitting by the table. He had his late breakfast and was off with Tazuna-san to work.
"Sasuke-kun, please just listen to Naruto for once. Just because I can control my own Chakra slightly better than you doesn't mean anything. It might be because I have so little Chakra to control in the first place, and I don't have any special bloodline abilities either. So there really isn't any comparison at all." Turning to Naruto, Sakura continued her reasoning. "And Naruto-kun, can you please be a little bit more patient with us. We're not like you; we don't know all these things and are just starting to grasp the concepts of them. I know that we don't have time, but we are doing the best we can." Sakura explained softly.
A long silence ensures but Naruto finally decided to break the ice. "I... apologise, Sakura-san, Sasuke-kun. I'm... not use to travelling with a group. And to rebuff your suggestion Sakura, I too, took a very long time to master all these things, so I know what you guys are going through. However, since I am new at this… teaching (cursing Kakashi mentally), I'll try to be a bit more lenient, but I also expect you two to give it your all."
Now, it was both Naruto and Sakura's turn in waiting for Sasuke's reply. It took a while but Sasuke finally beat his own stubbornness into submission and stated a short: "Sorry. I'll try harder." Naruto sighed, knowing that Sasuke won't be changing his attitude and way of life anytime soon. /Oh well, at least we're not at each other's necks anymore./
Looking up at the sun, Naruto realized that a lot of time had flown by, almost an hour had passed since the beginning of the training and he still had to get back to guard over Tazuna. Giving Sasuke an even look, Naruto surrendered. "Fine, Sasuke. Return to what you were doing before. And when you are able to go up and down the trees easily for close to one full hour without stressing, I'll start teaching you jutsus and stuff." Both Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. /Naruto is going to teach me jutsus?!/
Naruto turned around then and left Sasuke to his own exercises. He walked towards Sakura, whom had just recovered from her previous exhaustion. /Okay, now what to do with Sakura./ A light bulb went up in Naruto's head and he immediately changed direction, walking towards his backpack (of which he had brought with him the night before into the forest). He took out two worn looking, long, common grey cloths.
"Sakura, come over here." Sakura did as she was told. "Tie these cloths around your fingers and palm like a bandage." Once again, Sakura followed his instructions word for word but didn't understand the reason behind these actions. Noting Sakura's confusion, Naruto explained. "For today only, I'll give you some simple exercises that will test your physical body and tire you out but won't hurt you much. First, I'll expect you to do at least 100 push-ups by the end of the day. I don't care how many breaks you take as long as that 100 push-ups is reached. And another thing, to improve the power of your punches, I want you to continuously punch this tree (indicating the big tree behind him) until you leave a dent at least half an inch thick into the tree. The cloths are to protect your knuckles and fingers from bruising too much."
Sakura's eyes widened at Naruto's order. 100 push ups will probably make her completely exhausted and then she still had to punch a tree!? Opening her mouth to complain about the difficultly of the second command, she was cut off as Naruto grinned at her and slammed his open palm onto another tree just next to him. The sudden impact sent slight shockwaves into the ground and plenty of leaves started falling from said tree. When Naruto finally removed his hand, a finely detailed handprint was revealed on the surface of the tree, it had a dent one inch deep from the surrounding bark. Both Sakura and Sasuke underwent shock at Naruto's show of power. There was absolutely no Chakra involved in that slam.
Naruto stood relaxed in front of his pupils as they try to recover from their surprise. Eventually, he grew tired of their silence. "Well, that's it for today. I've got to go protect Tazuna-san while he works on the bridge. The two of you stay here and train. You may return to the house for lunch, dinner and snacks if you are too tired. That's all. If you guys have improved sufficiently enough within the week then I might consider teaching you new stuff. But don't expect to learn them too fast."
With that said, he left his teammates in the woodland and left on his mission. Reaching the house, he made a small greeting to Tazuna, Tsunami and Kakashi, ignoring the irritable brat sitting by the table. He had his late breakfast and was off with Tazuna-san to work.
------------------------------------------------
Standing guard all day was incredibly boring. Naruto had created several clones to guard the place from all corners. But since nothing was actually happening, Naruto almost fell asleep while on his post. He woke up abruptly due to some commotion between the builders. It seemed one of them chickened out and didn't want to take the risk of his life, and so he wanted to quit. /Heh, cowards./ Thought Naruto. But as he studied the man's face more clearly, as well as the expression on Tazuna-san's face, he realized something. /They're scared. Not just for their lives, but also for old man Tazuna too. They're worried about him./ But Tazuna-san was determined to bring hope back into the Wave country residents by finishing this bridge, no matter what they said, he refused to give in.
/Is that what my father was like?/ wondered Naruto for no particular reason. /He knew that the cost might be too high but still determined to continue on. Refusing to give in to the fear but resigned that others may not feel the same./ Naruto sighed and shook his head to clear his mind. He really didn't need to think about this right now.
/Is that what my father was like?/ wondered Naruto for no particular reason. /He knew that the cost might be too high but still determined to continue on. Refusing to give in to the fear but resigned that others may not feel the same./ Naruto sighed and shook his head to clear his mind. He really didn't need to think about this right now.
------------------------------------------------
After Tazuna-san had finished his shift with bridge building, the two of them decided to walk down the streets of the Wave country, going grocery shopping. Naruto was very surprised at the number of people walking around holding signs that say they would willingly take any job available. Yes, he had been to the Wave country before but it wasn't like this back then. Then again, the last time he had been here, it was several years ago, Gatou had not shown his head back then.
Walking into the grocery shop, Naruto became even more depressed as he looked at the range of rotten vegetables and its limited number. /All the children outside would starve./ Naruto thought depressingly. However, in that moment, he felt someone trying to get close to him. /A thief./ Not wanting to cause a scene, Naruto turned around quickly and sent a glare at the would-be thief. The thief became scared under the scrutiny of Naruto's deadly glare, and ran away.
Walking back to Tazuna-san's home, they were stopped again by a small-orphaned girl, to which, Naruto gave her his entire pack of energy bars. He wasn't a child anymore and didn't carry candies, but the Ninja energy bars would most definitely sustain the child and her friends for a few days at the very least. Tazuna-san then took the opportunity to explain their country's hopeless situation and that the only hope left was to complete that bridge.
/Hope./ Naruto thought. /Hope is the strongest of all human emotion./
Walking into the grocery shop, Naruto became even more depressed as he looked at the range of rotten vegetables and its limited number. /All the children outside would starve./ Naruto thought depressingly. However, in that moment, he felt someone trying to get close to him. /A thief./ Not wanting to cause a scene, Naruto turned around quickly and sent a glare at the would-be thief. The thief became scared under the scrutiny of Naruto's deadly glare, and ran away.
Walking back to Tazuna-san's home, they were stopped again by a small-orphaned girl, to which, Naruto gave her his entire pack of energy bars. He wasn't a child anymore and didn't carry candies, but the Ninja energy bars would most definitely sustain the child and her friends for a few days at the very least. Tazuna-san then took the opportunity to explain their country's hopeless situation and that the only hope left was to complete that bridge.
/Hope./ Naruto thought. /Hope is the strongest of all human emotion./
------------------------------------------------
It was that night, during dinner, that Naruto felt slightly different from what he usually felt in the midst of strangers. For most of his life, the only person he would ever willingly sit next to while eating was the pervert Sennin himself. Naruto may not admit it, but the murder attempt on his life while he was 6 had permanently scarred him psychologically. He doesn't trust people enough to sit next to them and eat, especially strangers. Most of the time, he would order food, then find some place else to sit and eat in silence. This was probably the first time he had ever eaten food with so many people before, Iruka not included of course.
Naruto found it to be a surprisingly pleasant feeling. He relaxed in the company and continued to eat his food slowly and silently, while watching Sasuke and Sakura chow their food down, eating slightly more than usual. Once they both finished with their first bowl, they asked for seconds. Kakashi wondered at that and decided to ask. "Sasuke, Sakura. What's gotten into you two? You usually don't eat so much."
"No, we have to eat." Said Sasuke punctually; smirking slightly at the dumfounded expression on Kakashi's face.
"We're gonna need a lot of energy to continue the training so we'll need all the nutrients we can get, Kakashi-sensei." Added Sakura proudly. Though completely bruised from head to toe, Sakura seem to be in an incredibly good mood.
Both Kakashi and Naruto nodded in acceptance, feeling quite proud that Sasuke and Sakura were getting along so well and were probably improving a lot too.
After dinner, it was Sakura that asked about the picture on the wall. Unbeknownst to her, the tension in the room heightened slightly. The statements that follow led to Inari's subsequent leaving of the table and made the rest of the Ninja group curious. Well, Naruto was curious but not bad enough to stick his head into other people's business.
After Tazuna-san's sad story of Inari's father, the room fell into complete silence. Naruto was the first to move, he stepped confidently towards the door. But before Kakashi could ask him what he was doing, Naruto answered back: "I'm keeping watch tonight as well. So the rest of you can go to sleep without worry. I'll expect Sakura and Sasuke tomorrow morning, same time, same place." And with that said, he left.
Naruto found it to be a surprisingly pleasant feeling. He relaxed in the company and continued to eat his food slowly and silently, while watching Sasuke and Sakura chow their food down, eating slightly more than usual. Once they both finished with their first bowl, they asked for seconds. Kakashi wondered at that and decided to ask. "Sasuke, Sakura. What's gotten into you two? You usually don't eat so much."
"No, we have to eat." Said Sasuke punctually; smirking slightly at the dumfounded expression on Kakashi's face.
"We're gonna need a lot of energy to continue the training so we'll need all the nutrients we can get, Kakashi-sensei." Added Sakura proudly. Though completely bruised from head to toe, Sakura seem to be in an incredibly good mood.
Both Kakashi and Naruto nodded in acceptance, feeling quite proud that Sasuke and Sakura were getting along so well and were probably improving a lot too.
After dinner, it was Sakura that asked about the picture on the wall. Unbeknownst to her, the tension in the room heightened slightly. The statements that follow led to Inari's subsequent leaving of the table and made the rest of the Ninja group curious. Well, Naruto was curious but not bad enough to stick his head into other people's business.
After Tazuna-san's sad story of Inari's father, the room fell into complete silence. Naruto was the first to move, he stepped confidently towards the door. But before Kakashi could ask him what he was doing, Naruto answered back: "I'm keeping watch tonight as well. So the rest of you can go to sleep without worry. I'll expect Sakura and Sasuke tomorrow morning, same time, same place." And with that said, he left.
------------------------------------------------
Several days passed in this fashion. Starting from 5 in the morning, Naruto would instruct Sasuke and Sakura what they would be doing for the rest of the day. By 7, Naruto would leave with Tazuna-san to work and guard him there. After work, they would go grocery shopping and return home to rest. After dinner, Naruto would instruct Sakura and Sasuke to rest plenty because the next day would be even harder. And then he would leave to do his watch of night duty.
For a weak, this went on, but by the end of the week, everyone had become slightly worried over Naruto's health. Yes, he did finish his breakfast, lunch and dinner, but he hadn't been getting enough sleep and the dark shadows around his eyes are proof of that. Even Sasuke was starting to be slightly concerned over his droopy-eyed expression.
Kakashi had asked Naruto (or ordered him) to rest for a while and let the other two take over or just simply stop doing the night duties, but Naruto had vehemently refused. His argument back was that "Now would be the perfect time for the enemy to attack because Zabuza would be close to full recovery. Not to mention that he had made a promise and he always kept his promises."
Kakashi almost regretted the fact that he had conned Naruto into this situation and was forced into reluctantly agree to let the teen do as he pleased. The only thing Kakashi and the other two genins could do now, was to try and get stronger or better as soon as possible to relieve Naruto of his burden.
Time passed. Kakashi was slowly recovering, and both Sakura and Sasuke had improved tremendously. After the first five days of either practicing tree climbing or physical training, both were given the opportunity to learn something new. Naruto opted to teach them how to enhance normal weapons such as a kunai with Chakra.
(FLASHBACK)
"Okay, listen up. Sasuke, since you've got more Chakra in reserve and your aim is already pretty good, I'll be teaching you how to enhance the power of a kunai using Chakra. And Sakura, since you are better at controlling the Chakra flow, I'll be teaching you how to enhance the control over the direction of the kunai using Chakra. The concept may be the same but the end result is completely different."
Here, he demonstrated the effects of each. First, Naruto threw a normal kunai at a tree and it embedded itself into the tree like normal. Next, he enhanced another kunai with Chakra and threw that at the same tree. This kunai's power had been enhanced and so, it easily smashed its way right through the tree's thick trunk completely.
"That's the difference between a normal kunai and a Chakra enhanced kunai for power." Naruto looked back at his stunned students.
But he did not pause to let the information sink in. Naruto performed a seal quickly and formed a Bunshin. When he threw a normal kunai towards his very own clone, the clone dodged out of the way easily missing the kunai by a mile. Next, he showed them the same kunai, enhancing it with Chakra and threw it once again at the clone. The clone jumped away to miss the kunai but the kunai suddenly changed direction in mid air and flies back towards the clone again. The clone managed to dodge against the kunai several times until it ran out of room to dodge and became lodge in the back with said kunai, disappearing into a cloud of smoke.
"And that is the difference between a normal kunai and a kunai enhance with Chakra for control. It's also called the "Chakra seeking kunai", because it follows the opponent until it is embedded into something with a high amount of Chakra, or you can direct it with your own Chakra using manipulation techniques." Naruto concluded his demonstration.
(END FLASHBACK)
It had taken the two several more days but they've finally managed to learn those techniques as well. As expected, Sasuke had taken to the power enhanced kunais more while Sakura always prefer the enhanced control over the movement of the kunai, instead of the power it exerts.
After those practices, Naruto had also taught them some useful but low level jutsu that aren't very well known. These jutsu do not take up much Chakra and can be used easily like the basic Academy jutsus.
Sakura was taught how to disguise herself with invisibility Genjutsu as well as how to create illusionary Bunshins to trick the opponent into thinking that they were real Kage Bunshins. Both these tricks do not use up much Chakra so Sakura was able to perfect them easily.
Sasuke, on the other hand, opted for more offensive jutsus. He had learnt Naruto's own jutsu called "RaiKan Mahi no jutsu" (Lightning shock paralysis), which when used in conjunction with Taijutsu was very deadly and effective. Basically, Chakra is forced into the palm of the user's hands and then converted into electricity. When used in hand to hand combat, anywhere the user touches his opponent with his Chakra infused hands, the opponent will be shocked with a burst of lightning and will be paralysed for a time, enabling the user to finish him off easily. The longer the user has a hold on his opponent, the longer and more painful the shock and paralysis.
After that, Naruto asked them to find some time to spar against one another. Their different styles complemented each other. Sakura would usually be defensive and used tricks to get around her opponent. Sasuke, being physically stronger, prefers to use all out hand-to-hand combat skills and be more offensive. The two of them had learnt, in a very short time, how to work as an efficient team. However, because, for most of the time, Naruto wasn't with them, their teamwork with the blonde was still slightly strained but they've all learnt how to respect and trust each other through out the training period.
Kakashi had asked Naruto (or ordered him) to rest for a while and let the other two take over or just simply stop doing the night duties, but Naruto had vehemently refused. His argument back was that "Now would be the perfect time for the enemy to attack because Zabuza would be close to full recovery. Not to mention that he had made a promise and he always kept his promises."
Kakashi almost regretted the fact that he had conned Naruto into this situation and was forced into reluctantly agree to let the teen do as he pleased. The only thing Kakashi and the other two genins could do now, was to try and get stronger or better as soon as possible to relieve Naruto of his burden.
Time passed. Kakashi was slowly recovering, and both Sakura and Sasuke had improved tremendously. After the first five days of either practicing tree climbing or physical training, both were given the opportunity to learn something new. Naruto opted to teach them how to enhance normal weapons such as a kunai with Chakra.
(FLASHBACK)
"Okay, listen up. Sasuke, since you've got more Chakra in reserve and your aim is already pretty good, I'll be teaching you how to enhance the power of a kunai using Chakra. And Sakura, since you are better at controlling the Chakra flow, I'll be teaching you how to enhance the control over the direction of the kunai using Chakra. The concept may be the same but the end result is completely different."
Here, he demonstrated the effects of each. First, Naruto threw a normal kunai at a tree and it embedded itself into the tree like normal. Next, he enhanced another kunai with Chakra and threw that at the same tree. This kunai's power had been enhanced and so, it easily smashed its way right through the tree's thick trunk completely.
"That's the difference between a normal kunai and a Chakra enhanced kunai for power." Naruto looked back at his stunned students.
But he did not pause to let the information sink in. Naruto performed a seal quickly and formed a Bunshin. When he threw a normal kunai towards his very own clone, the clone dodged out of the way easily missing the kunai by a mile. Next, he showed them the same kunai, enhancing it with Chakra and threw it once again at the clone. The clone jumped away to miss the kunai but the kunai suddenly changed direction in mid air and flies back towards the clone again. The clone managed to dodge against the kunai several times until it ran out of room to dodge and became lodge in the back with said kunai, disappearing into a cloud of smoke.
"And that is the difference between a normal kunai and a kunai enhance with Chakra for control. It's also called the "Chakra seeking kunai", because it follows the opponent until it is embedded into something with a high amount of Chakra, or you can direct it with your own Chakra using manipulation techniques." Naruto concluded his demonstration.
(END FLASHBACK)
It had taken the two several more days but they've finally managed to learn those techniques as well. As expected, Sasuke had taken to the power enhanced kunais more while Sakura always prefer the enhanced control over the movement of the kunai, instead of the power it exerts.
After those practices, Naruto had also taught them some useful but low level jutsu that aren't very well known. These jutsu do not take up much Chakra and can be used easily like the basic Academy jutsus.
Sakura was taught how to disguise herself with invisibility Genjutsu as well as how to create illusionary Bunshins to trick the opponent into thinking that they were real Kage Bunshins. Both these tricks do not use up much Chakra so Sakura was able to perfect them easily.
Sasuke, on the other hand, opted for more offensive jutsus. He had learnt Naruto's own jutsu called "RaiKan Mahi no jutsu" (Lightning shock paralysis), which when used in conjunction with Taijutsu was very deadly and effective. Basically, Chakra is forced into the palm of the user's hands and then converted into electricity. When used in hand to hand combat, anywhere the user touches his opponent with his Chakra infused hands, the opponent will be shocked with a burst of lightning and will be paralysed for a time, enabling the user to finish him off easily. The longer the user has a hold on his opponent, the longer and more painful the shock and paralysis.
After that, Naruto asked them to find some time to spar against one another. Their different styles complemented each other. Sakura would usually be defensive and used tricks to get around her opponent. Sasuke, being physically stronger, prefers to use all out hand-to-hand combat skills and be more offensive. The two of them had learnt, in a very short time, how to work as an efficient team. However, because, for most of the time, Naruto wasn't with them, their teamwork with the blonde was still slightly strained but they've all learnt how to respect and trust each other through out the training period.
------------------------------------------------
Finally, one day almost two weeks after their fight with Zabuza, Naruto was found sleeping, lying on the ground against a tree with his arms wrapped around his knees. This was the sight that greeted Haku, early in the morning as he went to pick the herbal weeds he needed.
Deciding he should wake the boy up even though Haku easily recognized Naruto as one of the leaf ninjas that had fought Zabuza-san, but he didn't want to fight right now. As Haku's hand reached closer and closer towards a sleeping Naruto, he was completely surprised when Naruto's hand immediately snapped up and grabbed onto Haku's wrist tightly. It was then that Naruto started yawning widely while waking up groggily.
"Uhm..." Naruto looked up with blearily eyes at a stranger. "uh... who are you?"
Haku smiled gently. "I'm just a villager. I saw you sleeping here on this uncomfortable ground so I thought I would wake you."
Naruto realized he was still holding onto Haku's hand and immediately let go of it. Then, he gave another mouth splitting yawn and stretched his arms to the sides. Scratching his head sheepishly, Naruto grinned at the boy. "Sorry about that. It would actually be safer if you called me up from a distance away."
Haku blinked innocently but he also noticed the dark circles that surrounded Naruto's normally vibrant blue eyes. "You look really tired. Maybe you should just return to sleep. I won't bother you this time."
Naruto shook his head and smiled. "No thank you. I can't sleep now. I've still got some training to get done."
Haku looked at him curiously again, then made as if he only just recognized the ninja head protector. "You... that head protector...are you a ninja?"
Naruto tapped the head protector strapped around his head proudly. "Yep."
"Wow, you must be really strong." Haku said amazed.
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly and looked at the ground instead, as if ashamed. "I guess."
Haku blinked in confusion. "You don't seem very enthusiastic about being a ninja... Why?" He asked curiously.
Naruto shrugged helplessly again as he continued to focus on the ground and let the silence stretch. Haku had almost given up hope for any answer and started shifting around to gather the herbs he wanted. He was again shocked when he heard Naruto whisper.
"Do you... know... that sometimes... people are born with a destiny… that they don't like... and can't change?" (1)
Haku, with his back to Naruto, nodded in understanding, though was still slightly taken back and tense around the subject that Naruto was talking about currently.
"I'm one of those people. I... have a burden... in which only I carry and no one else. Because of that, I... can't trust people. I… don't let them get close. And then... I become lonely."
Again Haku nodded in understanding, still with his back to Naruto. /This conversation is bringing back a whole shit load of bad memories. I thought I've put all of these memories behind me./ Haku thought sadly as he tried to imagine what Naruto had gone through in his life.
"So... I decided to change myself. Now I'm a ninja. I have to become strong. And I have to find some answers." Naruto concluded. (2)
Pipped with curiosity and intrigue, Haku asked: "Is it for your benefit or are you fighting for someone else?"
Another long silence ensued. "I don't know exactly. Sometimes, it's purely for me. But other times... I just don't want others to be hurt."
Taking a deep breath of courage, Haku turned around to face Naruto once again. He was surprised at the amount of sadness reflected in those lonely blue eyes. Taking another deep breath, he asked: "Do you have someone who is important to you?"
This time, it was Naruto's turn to look confused. Haku giggled at his expression and decided to elaborate. "When a person has something important to protect, that's when they can truly become strong."
Naruto took sometime to think about that statement. /It's the same thing that Pervert Sennin said to me./ Without looking at Haku, Naruto answered the original question. "I can understand... But I guess, I'm still looking for my most precious person... or.. in a way, my most precious person... is no longer within my reach." /Father.../
Haku nodded again, then stood up and started walking away, indicating that he had gathered enough herbs and needed to get going. "You will become strong. Let's meet again somewhere sometime."
"Yep!" Naruto called out after him.
"Oh.. and one more thing... I'm a boy." Haku smiled as he continued on his way.
"I know!" Naruto smirked behind him.
As Haku walked away, Sasuke came in the opposite direction and looked over Haku suspiciously but ignored it as a coincidence.
Deciding he should wake the boy up even though Haku easily recognized Naruto as one of the leaf ninjas that had fought Zabuza-san, but he didn't want to fight right now. As Haku's hand reached closer and closer towards a sleeping Naruto, he was completely surprised when Naruto's hand immediately snapped up and grabbed onto Haku's wrist tightly. It was then that Naruto started yawning widely while waking up groggily.
"Uhm..." Naruto looked up with blearily eyes at a stranger. "uh... who are you?"
Haku smiled gently. "I'm just a villager. I saw you sleeping here on this uncomfortable ground so I thought I would wake you."
Naruto realized he was still holding onto Haku's hand and immediately let go of it. Then, he gave another mouth splitting yawn and stretched his arms to the sides. Scratching his head sheepishly, Naruto grinned at the boy. "Sorry about that. It would actually be safer if you called me up from a distance away."
Haku blinked innocently but he also noticed the dark circles that surrounded Naruto's normally vibrant blue eyes. "You look really tired. Maybe you should just return to sleep. I won't bother you this time."
Naruto shook his head and smiled. "No thank you. I can't sleep now. I've still got some training to get done."
Haku looked at him curiously again, then made as if he only just recognized the ninja head protector. "You... that head protector...are you a ninja?"
Naruto tapped the head protector strapped around his head proudly. "Yep."
"Wow, you must be really strong." Haku said amazed.
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly and looked at the ground instead, as if ashamed. "I guess."
Haku blinked in confusion. "You don't seem very enthusiastic about being a ninja... Why?" He asked curiously.
Naruto shrugged helplessly again as he continued to focus on the ground and let the silence stretch. Haku had almost given up hope for any answer and started shifting around to gather the herbs he wanted. He was again shocked when he heard Naruto whisper.
"Do you... know... that sometimes... people are born with a destiny… that they don't like... and can't change?" (1)
Haku, with his back to Naruto, nodded in understanding, though was still slightly taken back and tense around the subject that Naruto was talking about currently.
"I'm one of those people. I... have a burden... in which only I carry and no one else. Because of that, I... can't trust people. I… don't let them get close. And then... I become lonely."
Again Haku nodded in understanding, still with his back to Naruto. /This conversation is bringing back a whole shit load of bad memories. I thought I've put all of these memories behind me./ Haku thought sadly as he tried to imagine what Naruto had gone through in his life.
"So... I decided to change myself. Now I'm a ninja. I have to become strong. And I have to find some answers." Naruto concluded. (2)
Pipped with curiosity and intrigue, Haku asked: "Is it for your benefit or are you fighting for someone else?"
Another long silence ensued. "I don't know exactly. Sometimes, it's purely for me. But other times... I just don't want others to be hurt."
Taking a deep breath of courage, Haku turned around to face Naruto once again. He was surprised at the amount of sadness reflected in those lonely blue eyes. Taking another deep breath, he asked: "Do you have someone who is important to you?"
This time, it was Naruto's turn to look confused. Haku giggled at his expression and decided to elaborate. "When a person has something important to protect, that's when they can truly become strong."
Naruto took sometime to think about that statement. /It's the same thing that Pervert Sennin said to me./ Without looking at Haku, Naruto answered the original question. "I can understand... But I guess, I'm still looking for my most precious person... or.. in a way, my most precious person... is no longer within my reach." /Father.../
Haku nodded again, then stood up and started walking away, indicating that he had gathered enough herbs and needed to get going. "You will become strong. Let's meet again somewhere sometime."
"Yep!" Naruto called out after him.
"Oh.. and one more thing... I'm a boy." Haku smiled as he continued on his way.
"I know!" Naruto smirked behind him.
As Haku walked away, Sasuke came in the opposite direction and looked over Haku suspiciously but ignored it as a coincidence.
------------------------------------------------
A few hours later, while Naruto has gone with Tazuna-san to the bridge, Kakashi decided to check up on his student's progress. He made his way towards the woodlands and followed the sounds of fighting that he could hear. Upon reaching the clearing that Naruto had used to teach Sasuke and Sakura, he was shocked at seeing his two students sparing against one another.
Sakura jumped from a perch on a tree, holding a kunai tightly in her hand. She then landed perfectly on top of Sasuke, whom also had a kunai in his hand. A high pitch sound resulted from the impact of the two kunais striking each other. Sasuke then pulled his full weight against Sakura's kunai and since he was heavier, he was able to push Sakura off of him. Sakura jumped off gracefully, finishing a somersault in mid-air and landed onto the ground lightly.
Both then threw their kunais at each other. Sasuke decided to take a defensive stance while Sakura ran towards him in a charge. The kunai that Sasuke threw at Sakura was charged with Chakra increasing its power so when it struck against Sakura's kunai, it forced Sakura's kunai off course and continued on its journey towards Sakura. However, Sakura was too fast and she immediately stepped toward the side to avoid the kunai with her speed. Sasuke's kunai impacted onto the ground and a resulting explosion can be heard through out the woods, the crater of the impact was at least a meter wide.
Sasuke grunted at his missed opportunity but had to duck quickly to avoid Sakura's previous kunai, which was charged with Chakra to maintain control. The kunai changed direction again in mid air and heads back towards Sasuke, whom was doing his best to avoid the flying kunai. Ducking, dodging, sidestepping and jumping, Sasuke just managed to avoid the kunai each time. He became so focused on the kunai that he did not immediately see Sakura running towards him in high speed from his blind spot.
Sakura suddenly appeared beside Sasuke and punched him in the face with all her power behind it. Sasuke took the punch, but immediately formed a small set of seals afterwards, Chakra was then formed on his right hand and he struck her in the stomach with it while he was thrown back from the impact of her punch. Sakura, too, fell onto the ground due to Sasuke's attack, which led the two of them into a tie.
"Oi oi! Very good moves, Sakura! Impressive manoeuvring Sasuke!" Kakashi called to his students as he clapped his hands in appreciation. However, he was curious about the seal that Sasuke had preformed against Sakura, because in all his years, Kakashi had never seen it before. "Sasuke, what jutsu is that? The one you just used." He asked.
"It's called RaiKan Mahi no jutsu. It changes Chakra into electricity and shocks the opponent while paralysing them." Sasuke answered breathlessly, his jaw still in pain due to Sakura's punch.
"I see." Kakashi nodded. /Must be one of Naruto's jutsus. Damn, wish I had my Sharingan on just then. Oh well. There'll be other opportunities./
Kakashi looked over his students and was highly impressed at how much they have grown. Just watching the previous fight, Kakashi was able to determine that both of them have improved on their speed and strength. Sasuke had also become exceptionally fast, almost as fast as Naruto (or as fast as the Naruto that had fought against Kakashi that first time, Kakashi was still unsure how fast or powerful Naruto actually is). Sakura too, had improved tremendously. Her petite little body had developed quite a lot of firm muscles around, indicating that she had been very hard at work doing physical exercises everyday. Not to mention they were both pretty good fighters now. Soon, they will be able to finally give Naruto the time to rest and sleep properly in a real bed as the three of them would take over all the night watches and day guards. Kakashi, himself had almost completely recovered.
Both then threw their kunais at each other. Sasuke decided to take a defensive stance while Sakura ran towards him in a charge. The kunai that Sasuke threw at Sakura was charged with Chakra increasing its power so when it struck against Sakura's kunai, it forced Sakura's kunai off course and continued on its journey towards Sakura. However, Sakura was too fast and she immediately stepped toward the side to avoid the kunai with her speed. Sasuke's kunai impacted onto the ground and a resulting explosion can be heard through out the woods, the crater of the impact was at least a meter wide.
Sasuke grunted at his missed opportunity but had to duck quickly to avoid Sakura's previous kunai, which was charged with Chakra to maintain control. The kunai changed direction again in mid air and heads back towards Sasuke, whom was doing his best to avoid the flying kunai. Ducking, dodging, sidestepping and jumping, Sasuke just managed to avoid the kunai each time. He became so focused on the kunai that he did not immediately see Sakura running towards him in high speed from his blind spot.
Sakura suddenly appeared beside Sasuke and punched him in the face with all her power behind it. Sasuke took the punch, but immediately formed a small set of seals afterwards, Chakra was then formed on his right hand and he struck her in the stomach with it while he was thrown back from the impact of her punch. Sakura, too, fell onto the ground due to Sasuke's attack, which led the two of them into a tie.
"Oi oi! Very good moves, Sakura! Impressive manoeuvring Sasuke!" Kakashi called to his students as he clapped his hands in appreciation. However, he was curious about the seal that Sasuke had preformed against Sakura, because in all his years, Kakashi had never seen it before. "Sasuke, what jutsu is that? The one you just used." He asked.
"It's called RaiKan Mahi no jutsu. It changes Chakra into electricity and shocks the opponent while paralysing them." Sasuke answered breathlessly, his jaw still in pain due to Sakura's punch.
"I see." Kakashi nodded. /Must be one of Naruto's jutsus. Damn, wish I had my Sharingan on just then. Oh well. There'll be other opportunities./
Kakashi looked over his students and was highly impressed at how much they have grown. Just watching the previous fight, Kakashi was able to determine that both of them have improved on their speed and strength. Sasuke had also become exceptionally fast, almost as fast as Naruto (or as fast as the Naruto that had fought against Kakashi that first time, Kakashi was still unsure how fast or powerful Naruto actually is). Sakura too, had improved tremendously. Her petite little body had developed quite a lot of firm muscles around, indicating that she had been very hard at work doing physical exercises everyday. Not to mention they were both pretty good fighters now. Soon, they will be able to finally give Naruto the time to rest and sleep properly in a real bed as the three of them would take over all the night watches and day guards. Kakashi, himself had almost completely recovered.
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That night, Naruto literary slumped onto the chair and table due to his fatigue. Even he had to admit those two weeks of hardly any sleep and continual watch and teaching duty was wearing him thin with exhaustion. The others, sitting around the dinner table, all looked at him with varying signs of worry in their eyes. Even though Sasuke and Sakura have been training hard but at least they received decent amounts of sleep and food everyday. Naruto wasn't even eating properly anymore due to his tiredness making him have no appetite for food.
The only occupant in the house that didn't look at Naruto in worry was Inari. He glared hatefully at Naruto from across the table as his mother served his food. Finally, without reason, Inari just couldn't take it anymore and decided he needed to shout at someone to release his pent up frustration, anger and hurt. Naruto just so happen to become the lucky contestant to bare the blunt of it.
With tears leaking from his eyes, Inari shouted at Naruto. "Why do you guys bother to try so hard?! No matter how hard you train, you're still no match for Gatou's men!! No matter what glorious claim you make or how hard you work, when facing the strong, THE WEAK WILL ONLY END UP GETTING KILLED!!"
Everyone was shocked at Inari's sudden outburst, but Naruto just ignored it all and buried his head in his arms on the table. A softly spoken word was all his answer. "Whatever."
Inari's passionate shouts continued. "I'd hate to be like you!! You don't know anything about this country, yet you're being so nosy!! You are completely different from me!! You don't know how hard life can be!!"
Naruto's temper flared at the last sentence. He slammed his hand down onto the table so hard that the entire room reverberated with the shockwave; surprisingly the table was still intact after the impact. Naruto gazed steadily at the tearful Inari and said in a soft softly but icy voice. "So it's okay for you to pose as the star of a tragedy and cry all day? Then just keep on crying forever, you cry-baby." Inari's lips trembled at the coldness of his words. "I'm glad I'm not like you. Because if I were, I would have committed suicide a long time ago."
A long pause settled in the room, for no one else had anything to add, nor do they know how to cut the thick tension hanging in the air. Most of them (with the exception of Kakashi) didn't understand why Naruto had said what he said. Naruto continued with his argument in an icy tone. "Don't you ever tell me I don't know how hard life can be. Because I do know..." Inari's eyes widened slightly as Naruto's own eyes started turning slightly amethyst in colour. "And I accept it."
Finally finished with what he wanted to say, Naruto turned around abruptly and left the room, mumbling something about finally sleeping in a real bed. Kakashi had already spoken with him before hand, stating that Naruto would stay at home for the next few days to get his strength up while the other three would take turns to do all the other duties.
Once Naruto had left, the silence continued. Kakashi, unable to contain the silence, broke it with his own assurances. "Inari." When the boy didn't look up, Kakashi decided to keep going anyway. "Naruto didn't mean any harm by what he said. It's probably just the stress that he's been under lately that has pushed him to say those words. Don't worry about it okay?" However, these words did little to alleviate the tension; everyone did eventually continue on with their meal, but in complete silence. Naruto didn't even touch his dinner, again.
The only occupant in the house that didn't look at Naruto in worry was Inari. He glared hatefully at Naruto from across the table as his mother served his food. Finally, without reason, Inari just couldn't take it anymore and decided he needed to shout at someone to release his pent up frustration, anger and hurt. Naruto just so happen to become the lucky contestant to bare the blunt of it.
With tears leaking from his eyes, Inari shouted at Naruto. "Why do you guys bother to try so hard?! No matter how hard you train, you're still no match for Gatou's men!! No matter what glorious claim you make or how hard you work, when facing the strong, THE WEAK WILL ONLY END UP GETTING KILLED!!"
Everyone was shocked at Inari's sudden outburst, but Naruto just ignored it all and buried his head in his arms on the table. A softly spoken word was all his answer. "Whatever."
Inari's passionate shouts continued. "I'd hate to be like you!! You don't know anything about this country, yet you're being so nosy!! You are completely different from me!! You don't know how hard life can be!!"
Naruto's temper flared at the last sentence. He slammed his hand down onto the table so hard that the entire room reverberated with the shockwave; surprisingly the table was still intact after the impact. Naruto gazed steadily at the tearful Inari and said in a soft softly but icy voice. "So it's okay for you to pose as the star of a tragedy and cry all day? Then just keep on crying forever, you cry-baby." Inari's lips trembled at the coldness of his words. "I'm glad I'm not like you. Because if I were, I would have committed suicide a long time ago."
A long pause settled in the room, for no one else had anything to add, nor do they know how to cut the thick tension hanging in the air. Most of them (with the exception of Kakashi) didn't understand why Naruto had said what he said. Naruto continued with his argument in an icy tone. "Don't you ever tell me I don't know how hard life can be. Because I do know..." Inari's eyes widened slightly as Naruto's own eyes started turning slightly amethyst in colour. "And I accept it."
Finally finished with what he wanted to say, Naruto turned around abruptly and left the room, mumbling something about finally sleeping in a real bed. Kakashi had already spoken with him before hand, stating that Naruto would stay at home for the next few days to get his strength up while the other three would take turns to do all the other duties.
Once Naruto had left, the silence continued. Kakashi, unable to contain the silence, broke it with his own assurances. "Inari." When the boy didn't look up, Kakashi decided to keep going anyway. "Naruto didn't mean any harm by what he said. It's probably just the stress that he's been under lately that has pushed him to say those words. Don't worry about it okay?" However, these words did little to alleviate the tension; everyone did eventually continue on with their meal, but in complete silence. Naruto didn't even touch his dinner, again.
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That same night but much later, found Inari and Kakashi sitting outside in the docks together. Kakashi tried to find away to broach the subject at hand and decided to start with the obvious. "Tazuna-san told us about your father."
Seeing some reaction, Kakashi continued. "Like you, Naruto also grew up without a father. Actually, he's never known any of his parents and he's never even had a single friend either." /Jiraiya is considered his guardian and Iruka is practically his brother, so no, Naruto does not have any friends./ "The truth is, he's had a rougher past than you." /Better not mention the part about the murder attempt./ thought Kakashi.
"Huh?" came Inari's confused expression.
Kakashi looked into Inari's sad eyes and emphasized his next point. "But I have never seen him cry or complain." Pausing for effect, he continued. "It's because of that... (Looking for the right word) isolation that sometimes, he doesn't trust people. It's a VERY lonely existence he'd had to live through. But he's still trying to fit in, to care, to be in a group, and to earn that group's acknowledgement. He's probably sick and tired of crying and being alone. He knows what it really means to be strong, perhaps even more so than your father, or myself. Naruto may understand your feelings better than anyone." Kakashi explained.
"What?!" Inari's eyes showed a little bit of indignation and refusal, not understanding how Kakashi could compare him to Naruto.
Kakashi smiled at him indulgently. "Because even though he doesn't show it, Naruto doesn't seem to be able to be NOT concerned about you." /I remember I overheard Jiraiya-sama saying something about Naruto having a major weakness when it came to kids in pain, especially the younger ones./
The next day, Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna all set off towards the bridge. Naruto was left in the house to finally have some peace and quiet to sleep.
Seeing some reaction, Kakashi continued. "Like you, Naruto also grew up without a father. Actually, he's never known any of his parents and he's never even had a single friend either." /Jiraiya is considered his guardian and Iruka is practically his brother, so no, Naruto does not have any friends./ "The truth is, he's had a rougher past than you." /Better not mention the part about the murder attempt./ thought Kakashi.
"Huh?" came Inari's confused expression.
Kakashi looked into Inari's sad eyes and emphasized his next point. "But I have never seen him cry or complain." Pausing for effect, he continued. "It's because of that... (Looking for the right word) isolation that sometimes, he doesn't trust people. It's a VERY lonely existence he'd had to live through. But he's still trying to fit in, to care, to be in a group, and to earn that group's acknowledgement. He's probably sick and tired of crying and being alone. He knows what it really means to be strong, perhaps even more so than your father, or myself. Naruto may understand your feelings better than anyone." Kakashi explained.
"What?!" Inari's eyes showed a little bit of indignation and refusal, not understanding how Kakashi could compare him to Naruto.
Kakashi smiled at him indulgently. "Because even though he doesn't show it, Naruto doesn't seem to be able to be NOT concerned about you." /I remember I overheard Jiraiya-sama saying something about Naruto having a major weakness when it came to kids in pain, especially the younger ones./
The next day, Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna all set off towards the bridge. Naruto was left in the house to finally have some peace and quiet to sleep.
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(1) Sorry, I just couldn't resist adding stuff that Neji had talked about before hand. In this way, Naruto doesn't have to act like such an ignorant ingrate when he faces Neji in the Chuunin Exam.
(2) A little bit of Hinata in there too when he explains that he wants to change himself. Yes, Naruto does admit he is already strong, but he doesn't want to feel so insecure all his life, and so, he decides to face his problem head on.
(2) A little bit of Hinata in there too when he explains that he wants to change himself. Yes, Naruto does admit he is already strong, but he doesn't want to feel so insecure all his life, and so, he decides to face his problem head on.