Hand Signs [A Deaf Naruto Fanfiction]

Chapter Ten: Hero

Kurama laughed at his struggles. A lot. Apparently there wasn’t anything the fox could do to help him because it was something he had to learn on his own. That didn’t mean he didn’t know and understand why Naruto was struggling.

It was a fact known only by a few (because they’re the only ones who cared or saw it regularly) that Naruto had massive chakra reserves. He could easily match any jounin. The problem was that he hadn’t had good control when his reserves had been smaller. The blond was starting chakra control with jounin level reserves that would only grow with time, as his body grew taller and gained more muscle. This, of course, meant his control was abysmal.

Progress on the tree was slow for Naruto.

Sakura had gotten the hang of it immediately which was impressive… until Kurama told him just how small her reserves were. Apparently she would need to work twice as hard to expand them since she hadn’t come from a shinobi family nor did she have a Bijuu sealed within her. Apparently he had both, even if Kurama refused to elaborate further. It was nice to know he came from a shinobi family, a clan--even if they didn’t exist anymore it only meant that he wasn’t abandoned or given up on purpose.

Sakura had also stuck her tongue out at him when he tried to congratulate her, so there was that.

Luckily for him, Sasuke wasn’t faring much better than he was. He had less chakra than Naruto (most people did) but it wasn’t by nearly as much as it was with most. Both boys bounced between using too much, and subsequently getting shot off the tree, or too little and not being able to stick at all.

When they found the perfect medium, the challenge was maintaining it. He found the amount of chakra he should use easily enough but keeping that level constant took more effort than it should’ve, at least in Naruto’s eyes. He’d seen plenty of shinobi walk up walls in the village, and knowing this exercise made it much clearer how the ninja who used to pursue him after his pranks were able to get to him so quickly. Naruto used his muscles to climb and they used chakra. How unfair. They made it look effortless too, barely even thinking about it before transitioning from the ground to a wall or tree. Naruto wanted to be like that.

“Practice then, Brat. You’re not used to using your chakra like this, once you get the hang of it, it will be simple just like everything else you do.”

Kurama liked to make jokes about that, how he tended to pick up on things more quickly when he was seeing it or experiencing it. When he first started learning sign, he’d been really surprised with how quickly Naruto took to it, especially since he tended to find studying and repetition painfully boring. Even without pretty much needing to know it, he still enjoyed it and it was fun being able to talk to people while others watched clueless. It made him feel like he was a part of something super secret and cool. It was also nice not being the one left out of things for once.

Every time he’d tried to bond with his team he was shot down, and shot down hard. He was also pretty sure they forgot most of the sign language lessons Iruka-sensei gave them anyway since they never used it. Naruto thought the two top students would’ve caught on by now, honestly (it would make it easier than telling them, in any case). He tried to become a friend to them, they already tended to write him off because of his status as the Deadlast in class (though in the end it was only because he failed the actual exam and received a field promotion instead). He’d hoped having a proper relationship with them would make it easier to tell them but they didn’t want to and even though they’d never really gotten along, it hurt that they wouldn’t even make an effort to try.

Him and Sasuke actually worked pretty well together when the Uchiha put aside his hatred and focused on what was important. They’d gotten along well enough before starting at the academy and there was no reason why they had to be rivals since they were teammates so he didn’t see why they couldn’t be friends. Naruto could also tell he was suspicious. He didn’t know how close he was to piecing things together or even if he was suspicious of the right things. For all he knew, Sasuke just thought he was taking some kind of steroids to be better after sucking so bad for so long (even if he wasn’t 100% at fault for that).

Their first attempts were pretty similar, using too much chakra and blasting themselves off the tree. Based on Sasuke’s face and Sakura’s loud, outraged cry (“Shut up, Sensei! Sasuke won’t like me if you say that!”) he assumed their teacher made some snide remark about their less than stellar performance. Naruto wasn’t nearly as embarrassed by it as Sasuke was, it stung being shown up by someone who constantly insulted him (it felt like he was only proving her right) but her opinion of his performance didn’t matter in the long run. He’d get there eventually and when he did it would be even more impressive because he was a fresh-faced genin capable of wielding the power of a jounin (even if he didn’t completely know how to utilize that power to its fullest potential).

Tuning them all out was easy when he could barely hear them to begin with and without the distractions, Naruto focused on his chakra and his tree.

After a little while he was able to maintain a constant level of chakra for about half the way up the tree. It wasn’t great but it was progress. He maintained the belief that Sasuke’s was only higher because he was taller and therefore had longer arms and went back to ignoring him. They were his teammates and he should be glad they’re doing so well. A team was only as strong as its weakest link and Naruto vowed it wouldn’t be him.

“I think that position goes to the pink banshee.” Kurama said it so casually and Naruto’s concentration broke forcing his body to slide down the tree just before he could mark it.

His face was red from trying to hold in his laughter. It was probably wrong of him to agree but he couldn’t help it. How were they supposed to work as a team when a part of that team was more concerned about Sasuke getting the smallest scrape than about ensuring that her team and her objective remained safe? The answer was that they couldn’t function as a team with her behavior. He hoped she grew out of it or that Sasuke put her out of her misery and either took her on a stupid date and end things once and for all or date someone else.

He supposed worst comes to worst, he could just tell his rabid fan base that he was gay. It wasn’t true, if half of his dream had anything to say about it (you couldn’t restore a clan with two men, unfortunately), but it would get them off his back.

Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi-sensei were all looking at him funny by the time Naruto came back to himself. Apparently it wasn’t appropriate to fall off a tree and almost burst into laughter. At the very least, Kakashi-sensei didn’t look suspicious about what caused the laughter so Naruto took it as a win. He still wasn’t anywhere near ready to tell anyone about his bond with the fox, couldn’t until he’d gained at least some favor as a shinobi. Even if they trusted him, he was still a kid in their eyes and they wouldn’t trust that he wasn’t somehow being manipulated.

After a while, Sakura was exhausted--not surprising given her low reserve levels--but both Naruto and Sasuke were still going. Naruto’s progress began to flatline and he could feel Sakura and Sasuke’s mocking gaze, even if he wasn’t looking at them.

He decided if they wanted to play that game he could play too, in fact, Naruto was the best at it.

He approached Sakura, who was laying back, breathing heavily beneath her tree. He crouched down to her level and gave her the eyes. The pinkette had never experienced their power before and wouldn’t know that there was an ulterior motive behind his actions.

“Hey Sakura, can you give me some tips?”

It was an impactful question. Naruto had gotten used to asking for help when he needed it but never from or even around his team--though in this case he wasn’t asking for the advice she’d give. It clearly took her by surprise, her bright green eyes widened significantly and she didn’t respond immediately.

He couldn’t actually hear much of her response, which was unusually quiet for her but it did the trick. If Kakashi-sensei wanted teamwork and Naruto wanted to be a functional team with them, it was going to happen, no matter how underhanded he had to be to achieve it.

At the very least, it would get Sakura used to working with him and it seemed to please Kakashi-sensei that he was relying on his teammates.

~()~

Eventually, Kakashi-sensei sent Sakura away to guard Tazuna while Naruto and Sasuke continued practicing into the evening.

He actually found his chakra was easier to control the less he had, and that kind of progress would certainly help in the long run. Sasuke periodically attempted to goad him into competitions and it made him want to laugh. For all Sasuke used to call Naruto’s “one-sided rivalry” with him childish, it was more than clear now that the Uchiha was just as into it (if not more into it) than he’d been. Both boys were covered in dirt and bruises and by the time night fell, they were both out of breath but unwilling to give up.

They both ran up the tree again and Naruto fell first, but not before leaving a deep scratch in the trunk. Sasuke was doing better and Naruto had an internal struggle over it. It wasn’t because of a rivalry, it was his personal disappointment and Kurama had to continuously remind him that Sasuke had more chakra than an average genin but Naruto’s dwarfed it and it would take more time for him. It helped, but only marginally.

There was more than once that his frustration with his struggles got the better of him and forced his concentration to break. This was no different. He picked himself up again, as he always did, and closed his eyes, his hands forming the Ram sign. He used to help focus his chakra, to ground himself and keep himself calm as he brought just the right amount of energy into his feet.

He opened his eyes and he could practically feel the fire burning in them as he stared at the tree with determination.

“--to.”

He took a few steps toward the tree.

“Naruto!”

He tripped, face planting into the ground. He picked himself up and glared at Sasuke.

“Don’t distract me while I’m concentrating!” It was the closest he’d been to that behavior since he made friends with Shikamaru and Iruka-sensei started helping him.

He dropped the glare and looked at the older boy wearily. Sasuke wasn’t one to talk to him first, in fact Naruto was pretty sure he could count on one hand the number of times he said anything to him that wasn’t an insult. The number of times the Uchiha used his name was even lower.

Despite the odd look Sasuke was giving him, he wasn’t worried about Sasuke being suspicious of Naruto not hearing him call his name. The blond was known for zoning out and not listening when he was focused, even when his hearing wasn’t a factor so there was nothing unusual about the behavior.

The Uchiha looked away for a brief moment and when he looked back Naruto could just barely make out the light pink dusting his cheeks in the orange light of the setting sun.

“Y-yo asked Sakura to give you some tips before…” Sasuke’s voice was quiet but the quivering of his jaw gave his stuttering away. “What did she say to you?”

Oh. Now he understood. Sasuke was too proud to listen when he asked for tips and now that his progress began to flatline, he realized he needed them. He was embarrassed too, but at least he was making an effort. There was a time when Naruto would’ve just kept trying even though his method wasn’t working. There was also a time he would’ve laughed and left Sasuke to fend for himself but he wanted to be a proper team with these people so he decided to have mercy on the ravenette and give him what he wanted--but not before messing with him (consider it payback).

“I’m not telling.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened as his blush disappeared. He looked more affronted than angry and the look was almost funnier than his embarrassment from earlier. His eye twitched and for a while neither boy moved.

Of course he did end up telling him, but not before teasing him a bit more. Sasuke really needed to lighten up.

~()~

Before Sasuke was able to use any of Sakura’s advice they were called in for dinner. He wasn’t home alone so he made sure to remember the manners Iruka-sensei (Naruto wondered if he would object to being called Iruka-nii instead) ingrained in him. No matter how hungry he was from the training he forced himself to eat slowly and neatly. Sasuke on the other hand, abandoned his manners as soon as they were allowed to eat and shoveled the soup and bread into his mouth quickly-even if he was neat about it.

No matter how slowly he ate, the food was gone quickly and he was still hungry. He used a lot of energy practicing the exercise (they went with minimal breaks for nearly ten hours) and his body was screaming at him to replenish the calories he’d lost. It was one of the many lessons Iruka-sensei had taught him, particularly when he was grilling him about his diet (unfortunately ramen wasn’t a good source of nutrients even if it was a good source of calories). The deal had been that he had to have balanced meals before training and he could have ramen a few times per week after training. He took it, of course, because ramen but also because it was the first time anyone ever cared to look after his nutrition and health. He even got a little bit taller! It wasn’t much, he was still the shortest out of all the rookie teams, but it was better than nothing.

Both him and Sasuke asked for seconds (Naruto only took another piece of bread and some vegetables) and Sasuke looked like he was ready to be sick from the speed he ate. Part of the blond felt bad and the rest finally realized why normal people didn’t eat so fast. He’d never had that problem while eating ramen, but it happened occasionally with less filling foods too. Since it took more to fill him anyway, he used to end up overeating because he would eat faster than his body could process it (that’s how Kurama described it, anyway). Being around Iruka-sensei and sharing dinners with him helped with that a lot--that didn’t mean he couldn’t easily destroy ten or more bowls of ramen from Ichiraku.

After dinner they had hot tea--which was amazing-- and the conversation Naruto had tuned out (it was mostly buzzing anyway) came to a close. The quiet of the house was peaceful for a while until a muffled voice behind him said… something.

Kakashi-sensei didn’t translate but he did subtly direct Naruto’s attention to Sakura who was standing in front of a torn photo that was hanging on the wall.

“--ari was staring---through dinner.-- looks --ike someone --icture was deliberately torn---.”

Tazuna, his daughter and his grandson froze, eyes hardened or completely shadowed over. The atmosphere became tense and uncomfortable and the grief in the air was constricting. Naruto hated it.

He couldn’t hear what Tsunami said, likely the identity of whoever was missing from the photo (maybe a brother or a husband or something, since the figure was distinctly masculine).

“---once called a hero--this town.” Naruto could only catch the end of Tazuna’s sentence but he understood. Whoever it was, he was dead and he’d likely died to save the life or lives of other people.

Inari slid away from the table and ignored his mother’s cry to go to his room. She followed him.

“Dad! I’m always telling you not to talk about that person in front of Inari!” Something about the sentence, yelled loud enough for Naruto to clearly hear, rubbed the blond the wrong way.

Tazuna ended up explaining everything, while Kakashi-sensei subtly translated for him.

Apparently the man had been Tsunami’s late husband and Inari’s stepfather. They had been really close and Inari really looked up to the man. Inari also used to smile and laugh a lot then--Naruto hadn’t seen the kid smile once since meeting him let alone laugh. He understood the feeling, not entirely since he’d never lost anyone, but he knew the pain of loneliness uncomfortably well.

Tazuna’s hands shook as he explained and his eyes welled with tears that fell onto the table below.

The words bravery and hero were tainted in Wave because of the incident that took the man’s life and that’s where Naruto’s understanding ended. Was there really no hope? He’d been alone from the beginning, spoke to the ghosts of Hokage’s past and animals just to feel like he wasn’t. They had been his heroes, the Yondaime in particular (Kurama always found that funny for some reason, Naruto assumed it was because the Yondaime had been the one to seal him away). He looked up to them, respected their sacrifices for the village and had grown up wanting to protect what they’d given their lives for.

Inari had met his future stepfather when the man saved him from drowning after he attempted to save his pet when bullies threw it into the water and quickly became attached--another thing Naruto understood. Without Iruka-sensei, Jiji and Shikamaru (and later Choji, Shino, Lee and Gai-sensei), Naruto had no idea where he would be or what kind of person he would’ve become. Especially if he’d had no one at all.

Kaiza inspired Inari because of his strength, and he inspired the town too.

There’d been a storm, the dam had broken and an entire section of the island was at stake. They needed to tie a rope to fix it but the currant was too intense and Kaiza offered himself, knowing it was likely to kill him. He fixed it and lived and from then on became known as a hero to the island.

It was inspiring and he couldn’t help but be reminded of the Hokages he’d looked up to. Naruto thought Kaiza would’ve made a good Kage if Wave had been a shinobi village.

After that was when Gato had shown up and Kaiza, as the town hero, was a direct threat to his rule. He had him kidnapped, beaten and then strung him up for the whole island to see. His arms, which he’d sworn to use to protect the island he’d come to love, were bruised black.

He was publicly executed by Gato’s hired thugs and Inari had seen everything.

Kaiza smiled until the bitter end.

Naruto understood, then, why the village’s, why Inari’s hope had been robbed. To him it was something like a betrayal. He’d sworn to protect them and by dying he couldn’t fulfill his promise. It was the wrong way to think about it, especially since Gato’s only strength came from his ability to pay people off.

It was why the brat was so sure they would die.

Unfortunately for Inari, Naruto didn’t really know when to give up. He didn’t plan on dying anytime soon and he vowed to prove to Inari that there were heroes. Even if they were dead.

~()~

Naruto spent the whole night training until he dropped and every night following that dinner. He would get the exercise down until he could do it without even thinking and he’d make sure Gato couldn’t control the village anymore.

He passed out at some point from the overexertion, like he had every other night, and when he woke up it was early morning. He was dirty, he had feathers all over his jumpsuit and there was a person hovering above him.

At first he’d thought the figure was a girl but something about her seemed off and Kurama seemed to agree. The androgynous person had long brown hair and brown eyes filled with regret and concern--the kind of concern that lead to violence. They wore a sleeveless pink kimono that was loose and covered any possible indicators of gender and a black choker that blocked Naruto’s view of a possible Adam's apple. Kurama agreed that the person was most likely a boy and Naruto couldn’t help but think something about him was familiar.

He was sure he’d never seen the boy’s feminine face before in his life and this was his first time in Wave Country so there was no reason he should be familiar except…

“Except for the presence you felt after the two chunin attacked.”

There had been two. One was like water but sharp like metal and the other was cold as ice. The chill he’d felt following them on the way to the island, the power he’d felt from the fake hunter nin… They were coming from the feminine boy in front of him.

Naruto knew there was no way for him to win a fight against the boy alone, he wasn’t skilled enough yet--maybe with Kurama’s power but they agreed that the usage would be too suspicious before they had the key to the seal or were given express permission.

He pretended he didn’t know that the androgynous boy was the one who faked Zabuza’s death and put on his best confused expression.

“Who’re you?”

The brunette laughed, giggled, too quiet for the blond to hear. He was really pretty and he couldn’t force down the embarrassed flush from the thought. He shouldn't find his enemy pretty but it was a truth he couldn’t escape.

Naruto was suspicious of the lack of an answer but didn’t show it.

“What are you doing here?” He spotted the basket not too far behind the older boy but couldn’t see its contents.

“I’m gathering medicinal herbs,” For Zabuza. Naruto couldn’t help but wonder exactly how the two knew each other but regardless, it was clear the older boy cared about the swordsman. There was a protective spark that lit in his eyes as he said the words and Naruto thought he understood. “For healing sickness and injuries and the like.”

The brunette wasn’t innocent, not entirely, but he could feel the good in him the same way he felt it in Zabuza. Being a shinobi meant completing your mission, if their mission was to kill then they had to kill. When he thought about it from that perspective it was really hard to dislike them.

They weren’t much different from Team 7 in that regard. Their missions just happened to be exact opposites. Kill the bridge builder, Tazuna. Protect the bridge builder, Tazuna.

He decided to help.

Whether he helped or not, the other shinobi would still end up with the herbs and Zabuza would still be healed. It didn’t make any difference so he didn’t see the harm. No matter what, within the next few days the boy would be back with Zabuza to try to kill Tazuna again.

He could only hope it could end without blood being spilt.

“You’ve got a lot to do in the early morning,” He said conversationally as he placed another plant in the basket.

The brunette looked up at him.

“You, too. What have you been doing in a place like this so early?” Naruto was sure he’d seen the kunai he’d fallen asleep holding and knew exactly what he was doing but if he was going to play civilian Naruto would play along. At the very least, it was easy to understand what the older ninja was saying because his responses were so clipped.

“Training.”

Brown eyes widened and an emotion Naruto couldn’t name swirled through them.

“Could it be that you’re a ninja or something?” Even civilians recognized shinobi hitai-ate but maybe in countries without ninja didn’t so he’d let the comment pass and nodded his head.

“No kidding. You’re great, aren’t you.” The brunette was laying it on thick but Naruto knew the boy was watching when he’d unleashed his plan and knew there was some truth. Both shinobi were well aware who’d be the one walking away from a fight between the two. “But… why are you training?”

There was more to the question than what it seemed but Naruto wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking for.

“I want to get stronger,” To gain respect, to protect his friends, to be an asset to his team, to live up to the legacy his heroes left behind… There were so many answers to the question but he voiced none.

“What for? You already look strong enough.” It was a blatant lie unless he was looking for an easy fight.

“So everyone in my village will finally acknowledge me.”

“For the sake of somebody else, or for your own sake?” Naruto wondered briefly why he wanted to know so badly, what he had to gain from it before realizing exactly why. He wanted to know if he was someone he could respect.

“Both.” Though he still had trouble with it, he was starting to learn that being selfish occasionally was okay. He wanted acknowledgement, yes, and that was for him. But he wanted to use the strength he earned to protect those closest to him, and though that, earn the acknowledgement and respect of the villagers. Prove to them that he wasn’t the monster they thought he was.

“So you have somebody precious in your life?”

His mind flashed to Iruka-sensei and all the times he’d spend with him the last few months. He thought about Shikamaru and Choji and Shino who’d become some of his closest friends and Lee and Gai-sensei who weren’t far behind them. He thought about how Kurama had been with him through everything, even if he only found out about him fairly recently. He thought about the Sandaime, who was like a grandfather to him and finally, he thought about Team 7. How Kakashi-sensei had shown concern for his health by giving him vegetables when he popped in through his window while he was eating cup ramen (apparently he hadn’t heard that Iruka-sensei had gotten to him first in that regard). He thought about Sasuke, who seemed to slowly be accepting him in some weird Uchiha way the blond would never understand. He thought about Sakura and how he so desperately wanted to be able to work with her properly on a functioning team.

Yes. He had precious people in his life. They were the people who saved him from the loneliness he’d been drowning in for so many years. The ones who saved him from becoming something else entirely.

Naruto wondered what could’ve happened between the brunette and Zabuza to make him consider the Demon of the Mist someone precious. The look in his brown eyes was familiar and Naruto couldn’t help but assume that Zabuza had done for the older boy what Iruka-sensei had done for him.

“I do.” He finally answered the question that had been hanging in the air.

“When a person has something precious they wish to protect, that’s when they can truly become strong.”

He sounded so sure, Naruto couldn’t help but believe him.

He thought about how Inari’s stepfather was strong both physically and in his desire to protect. He remembered Iruka-sensei taking the large kunai to the back from him and the strength he felt flowing through him when Mizuki was about to kill his beloved teacher. How Kakashi-sensei vowed to keep them safe and he knew without a doubt that the brunette was right.

“I know that, too.” He gave the other boy his best grin and it was genuine.

He smiled back before grabbing his basket and beginning his walk away.

“The you will become strong. I hope we can meet again somewhere,” The atmosphere changed slightly with the ominous remark (though it was only ominous because he knew the boy was Zabuza’s assistant). “Oh, and… I’m a boy.”

Naruto figured, but he let the boy assume he hadn’t. He certainly looked feminine enough to be a girl and the blond thought he did it to be dramatic.

They would meet again but next time neither would be on his own. The brunette would have Zabuza and Naruto would have his team and they’d be forced to fight again.

He couldn’t help but hope nothing would go too terribly wrong. He had a feeling that the boy would be a good friend if the circumstances were different.

His thoughts were interrupted by the konk to the head he’d been given by Sasuke.

“Ow! Hey, why’d you do that?” Of course as he was thinking about how he and Sasuke got along marginally better he had to go and do that.

“Idiot! Did you forget about breakfast?”

Oh.

Sasuke was worried about him. That was new.

Naruto only grinned at him.

After eating, Kakashi took Sakura with him and they went to look for Naruto. He hadn’t come back for breakfast like he usually did and it was concerning, especially since he couldn’t hear and Zabuza could be returning any day.

They walked out to the tree Naruto had been practicing on but didn’t see him in the area.

“Naruto?”

There was no response but not long after, a kunai came flying from the tree and landed at their feet. Sakura and Kakashi’s eyes were drawn upward to find Naruto resting on a large branch on the tree, grinning down at them proudly. He was really high up, especially for someone with as much chakra as he had (Naruto had more than Kakashi did and that was without factoring in the chakra from the Kyuubi).

“No way… Naruto can climb that high now? Wow…” It was kind of rude of her to have so little faith in her teammate, especially since she was unaware of his massive chakra stores that would make it more difficult for him. Kakashi had known he’d get it eventually, it only surprised him that it took such a short amount of time.

“How’s that?!” He sounded so proud of himself too.

After nearly a week of frustration, Kakashi could easily imagine the pride he felt at seeing the fruits of his labor. He’d never really had many problems with chakra control and the only struggle (outside of emotions) he’d ever dealt with was when he’d invented Chidori (via failing to complete his teacher’s technique).

The idea of chakra and techniques led to Kakashi finally remembering that conversation he’d intended to have with Naruto days earlier. He’d forgotten all about it with all the chaos and with the blond training all night every night, it completely slipping his mind.

The blond got up from his position on his stomach and stood tall and proud but something about his behavior seemed different. He could tell it wasn’t an imposter but it was odd.

He stumbled backwards.

“Oh, you idiot!” Kakashi could hear Sakura hiss but he was too distracted to care.

The branch Naruto was standing on was too high and a fall from there could seriously hurt or even kill him.

“This is bad,” Kakashi wasn’t in any shape to be catching the blond but he was prepared to ditch his crutch to do so in a split second.

Sakura screamed.

Naruto didn’t fall.

The blond’s feet stuck to the underside of the tree branch like glue and he smirked down at them looking even prouder than before. Kakashi was pretty sure the kid was trying to give him heart failure. He hadn’t heard of the blond playing many serious pranks recently and perhaps that should’ve been a warning. He’d even seen Naruto’s suspicious behavior.

“Gotcha!” Kakashi didn’t think he’d ever heard the blond sound so confident in all the time he’d known him. Not genuinely at least.

“Don’t scare us like that!”

He was definitely doing better than Kakashi expected but with his level of control he was bound to fall for real if he didn’t stand up right again.

It didn’t take long before the jounin’s fear became a reality.

Naruto’s foot slipped and he began to plummet downward. He didn’t make it far before Sasuke caught him by the ankle, standing upside down on the same branch Naruto had been.

The blond’s surprise was real and Kakashi was happy to see the Uchiha slowly getting closer to his teammates. Or one of them, at least.

Kakashi wondered if this was what being a parent felt like.

He’d have to ask Iruka.

Naruto ended up spending the day racing Sasuke up the tree. It was competitive but it wasn’t the same as their rivalry had been before. They were both having fun and their frustration was aimed at themselves and not each other. If someone had told him he’d be having a good time hanging around Sasuke even as little as a few weeks ago Naruto would’ve called them insane. He’d never have believed Sasuke would ever even bother making an effort to get along.

This. Racing each other in this way was better than any rivalry could ever be and it almost felt like they were on their way to becoming friends.

“Shall we go back?” Naruto considered himself lucky that their respective trees were far enough apart to warrant Sasuke speaking louder than usual or he’d have never heard him.

For once the smirk he was wearing seemed more like a smile.

“Okay!”

~()~

They arrived back late and they ended up having to support each other as they walked, exhausted from the intense hours spent competing and trying to improve.

“What happened to you guys?” Tazuna voiced his concern loud enough for Naruto to piece what he said together and he grinned.

“We both climbed to the top!” We. Not I or even Sasuke and I. We. It was nice.

Kakashi-sensei nodded and signed as he spoke.

“Naruto, Sasuke, you’ll both begin guarding Tazuna next time!” Naruto assumed that was their teacher’s roundabout way of saying I’m proud of you.

He was slowly starting to realize that, if Iruka-sensei was the mother hen, the Kakashi-sensei was the emotionally stunted dad. It was kinda weird but it was also nice. He didn’t mention this to Kakashi-sensei. Not yet.

Both Naruto and Sasuke recognized the praise for what it was and cheered...leading to them both falling, since their limbs were weak from the strain they’d placed on them. Sasuke’s cheeks turned pink in embarrassment and he called him an idiot but he couldn’t help but laugh with Kakashi-sensei and the others. He’d blame it on adrenaline if he was questioned.

Dinner went by quickly and with his stomach satisfied and his body exhausted, Naruto was almost ready to crash. He was barely paying attention to anything past Tazuna’s thanks since the bridge was nearly complete.

He started dozing off at the table. Normally his manners would’ve been better but he didn’t think he’d ever been this tired before and decided to apologize for it later. He could feel eyes burning into him for a while but he ignored it in favor of resting his head while Kurama worked on his bruises.

There was a muffled voice before hands slamming on the table snapped Naruto out of his sleepy state.

“Why do you work so desperately hard until you get like that?!” Inari had tears running down his face as he yelled, his tone of voice conveying his anger and grief as much as his eyes did. “There’s no way you’d be a match for Gato’s men even if you train! No matter what cool things you say or how much effort you make... the weak always lose out against the strong!”

The brat’s whining was beginning to get on his nerves. Just because he had no hope, didn’t mean Naruto had to abandon his beliefs so they suited an eight year old.

“Shut up, kid. I’m not like you.” He normally wasn’t so rude, especially to kids (and especially when he was staying in said kid’s house) but the constant negativity that followed the brat was beginning to affect him.

Inari didn’t listen.

“You shut up! Looking at you makes me sick! Sticking your nose in even though you know nothing of this country! I’m not the one who’s always acting frivolous not knowing the first thing about pain!”

Naruto snapped. This kid had no right. He had no clue about anything Naruto had gone through! He didn’t know how hard he had to work for just a single friend! He was the one who knew nothing about true pain! His stepfather protected him, died trying to save his country and that was the thanks he got?

Naruto was having none of it.

It had been a long time since he felt this angry and Kurama wasn’t even trying to calm him down.

“So you’re gonna cry all day like the lead in a tragedy?” His words were like poison and his tone was low. “A crybaby brat like you is the one that knows nothing. So go ahead and keep crying and see what that helps!”

The words on their own weren’t that hurtful, at least to someone older, but the tone he used chilled the room to the bone. He knew they’d never seen him even close to angry before, no one had really. Anger was rare for him. He tended to project his insecurities and frustrations as anger but when he was actually angry, he was an observant enough kid to get you exactly where it hurt.

Sometimes brats needed to be taught a lesson. He’d been taught far worse ones by far less pleasant people and he didn’t need some snot nosed brat who still had family despite his loss telling him about pain.

“Naruto! That’s a bit harsh!” It wasn’t. It was exactly what Inari needed to hear, what he deserved to hear. Especially since he’d been treating his mother and grandfather like they meant nothing the entire time they’d been there.

Naruto got up without a word and left.

He didn’t need Sakura of all people judging him for his outburst. If Inari should be preaching about pain to anyone, it should be her.

Inari stared wide eyed at the blond. He reminded him a lot of his father with his stupid grins and lessons his pride. It was unfair. It was stupid and they were all going to die so it was pointless anyway.

The anger, the venom in his voice had been almost tangible and it shook him to the core.

Crybaby.

“Don’t cry, Inari.”

He cried harder. His father would be so disappointed in him.

“Got a minute?” Kakashi asked the eight year old who was moping on the dock.

He didn’t give a verbal answer but Kakashi took the look he was given as permission and sat next to the child. He wasn’t good at comfort, didn’t receive much as a child from anyone other than his father and his teacher (and his teacher’s wife), but he felt that Inari needed to understand.

“Naruto didn’t mean any harm by what he said,” He wasn’t entirely sure that was true, but if it wasn’t, he hadn’t meant to cause much harm. “He’s not normally so uncouth.”

It was true. Naruto tended to be both friendly and reserved, he was usually well mannered (definitely not something he learned living alone) and he’d never seen the boy so angry.

“We heard the story about your father from Tazuna,” It was best the kid knew, so he could understand. “Like you, Naruto never had a father as a young child… Actually he doesn’t know either of his parents. Not only that. He didn’t have a single friend.”

He did now but that wasn’t the point he was trying to make. Naruto’s friends were recent additions to his life, he didn’t grow up with them.

Inari looked up.

“What?”

Kakashi didn’t acknowledge him and continued while Inari gazed back into his reflection on the water.

“However...I’ve never seen him sulk, be timid, or cry,” Not tears of sadness, anyway. Not recently. “He’s always eager, wanting to be acknowledged by someone. If it’s for the sake of that dream, he always risks his life.”

He thought back to how Naruto jammed the kunai in his hand to bleed out the poison, how he declared that he wouldn’t need to be rescued again. He thought about the life Naruto lived until just a few months before.

“He’s probably tired of crying. So, he knows the true meaning of the word strong. Like your father. Naruto might actually understand your feelings the most. What he said before… There’s no mistaking that he’s told himself that over and over again.”

He could tell by the look in Inari’s eyes that he understood.

When Naruto woke up the following day, he knew immediately that he overslept.

When he asked Tsunami where everyone went she said that Kakashi-sensei had wanted him to spend the day resting but Naruto wasn’t having it. No.

He got dressed quickly and ran out the door, bouncing quickly through the trees like a frog to meet up with his team on the bridge. Then a slaughtered boar caught his attention…

He made a split second decision.

~()~

Swords swung and Inari’s hat flew but in the boy’s place was a log, cut into thirds.

“Kawarimi?” One of the thugs questioned.

“The woman,” She was gone. “Hmm?”

“Sorry I was late,” Naruto laid Tsunami on the ground carefully while Inari clung to him. “Heroes usually appear on the scene late, so…”

Inari gasped.

“Naruto-nii…?”

Naruto placed the eight year old on the ground.

“You did great, Inari!” He meant it too. He truly showed that he could be brave, could be strong to protect his mother. He earned Naruto’s respect. “When you distracted them, it gave me time to save your mom.”

Inari’s eyes threatened to water as he looked at his mother who was unconscious but otherwise safe.

“Naruto nii-chan, how did you know that those samurai were here?”

The blond smiled at him.

“In the forest there was a boar that was cut up by swords. Other than that, there were trees with lots of cuts that headed in the direction of your house so I got worried.”

“I see…”

The moment was ruined by the two thugs.

“If it isn’t the no-good ninja that Tazuna hired,” one taunted loudly.

“Let’s go.” The other prepared to draw his sword.

They charged.

“Here they come!” Inari’s voice was shaky but he stood by Naruto and his mother and didn’t run.

Naruto whipped a pair of kunai at his opponents, which they expertly blocked with their swords. Unfortunately, they never met Naruto before and thus didn’t know about his unpredictable and unconventional techniques. He smirked at them.

“Fools.”

The samurai kept coming but his clones were right behind them. They never saw the twin kicks coming. The clones dispelled and the thugs went down, knocked out cold.

Inari looked at him with a similar awe to Konohamaru.

“W-wow…!”

Naruto chuckled to himself and grinned at Inari, holding out his fist.

Inari grinned back.

“Naruto-nii, you’re just like… a Ninja!” He couldn’t tell if the brat was teasing or not.

“Brat! I was a ninja to start with!”

They dissolved into laughter before Naruto tied the thugs up tightly. They took a moment to appreciate their teamwork that was only interrupted because Naruto sneezed.

“Do you have a cold?” Inari’s newfound concern was cute and touching.

“No, I’m okay. Anyway, Inari, sorry about yesterday...”

“Huh?”

“For branding you as a crybaby. Forget I even said it. You’re strong!” The blond gave the younger boy his best smile and ruffled his hair.

The small brunette teared up and berated himself for his sniffling.

“Dang it! I said I’d never cry again but… Now you’ll laugh at me again and call me a crybaby.” Naruto didn’t recall laughing at Inari but he was quick to reassure him nonetheless.

“What are you saying? It’s okay to cry when you’re happy.”

“Naruto nii-chan…”

Naruto turned away from Inari, back in the direction he came from.

“Now then, I can leave the rest to you, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Okay. I’m going to hop over to the bridge for a bit.”

With that, he left Inari grinning, tears still running down his chubby cheeks. Naruto couldn’t help but smile too.

But as he got closer to the bridge, he got the sharp feeling that something was very wrong.