"Yo," greeted Kakashi, as Naruto sat at the dining table.
"Feeling better?"
"Much, I should be back to 100% in another few days. Until then we need to start rotating guard on Tazuna, he insisted he go back to working on the bridge today."
"Isn't that a bit too risky?" asked Sakura.
"Hn," grunted Sasuke, agreeing in his own way.
"Yes, which is why I said we'll have a rotating guard on him starting today," he repeated. "So, any volunteers for first watch?"
His request was met with complete silence.
"I have training to do," said Sasuke, standing and leaving the table.
"Mah, you'll have to guard him tomorrow then," said Kakashi, watching the boy leave.
"We'll watch him today," volunteered Sakura.
"We?" asked Naruto and Kakashi in one voice.
"We, me and Naruto," she clarified.
Naruto wanted to groan but let it go for now, at least until they were able to talk in private at the bridge.
An hour later Naruto and Sakura were standing guard at the bridge while Tazuna got to work.
"So what was this all about?" asked Naruto.
"We can both get training done this way. You can use your stone skin then recharge and I can heal you and recharge, we both win that way," she answered. "Better than either of us just trying to train on our own."
"I suppose," said Naruto. "You've gotten pretty serious about this training thing, huh?"
Sakura blushed slightly and looked away from him embarrassed. "I don't like being a Fangirl. It makes feel like I'm really the 'dobe' of the class instead of you."
Naruto would have groused about the 'dobe' comment but decided to take the high road on that one. She was a friend so he could let that go.
"Anyway, let's get to it," she said, smiling.
Naruto formed the team and invited her then they both got right into training, both being cautious to never let their chakra points drop below half just in case they were attacked. They actually both gained quite a few skill levels in the process
Finally Tazuna called it a day and sent his workers home. Naruto and Sakura escorted him through the town market and their meager offerings, it was very downtrodden and hopeless feeling. It was quite sad.
Once home, Tazuna gave the small bag of rice to Tsunami before sitting down at the kitchen table and leaning back.
They were joined shortly thereafter by Sasuke and a young boy they had yet to meet The young man looked a great deal like Tsunami even with part of his face obscured by a blue and white bucket hat that seemed popular among fishermen.
"Who are you?" asked Sakura, noticing the boy first.
"This is Inari, my son," said Tsunami. "You have been training long hours so you've missed him the last few days seeing as you get home so late."
"Why?" the boy asked softly.
"Why what?" asked Naruto, meeting the boys eyes.
"Why do you bother? You're just going to die."
"Oh, is that so?" asked Naruto. "And who is going to kill us?"
"Gato, you moron," snapped the boy. "You can't beat him, no one can."
"Won't know until I try," said Naruto. "Besides, it's not like we can back out now."
"Then you'll die, just like . . ."
"Like who?" asked Sakura, trying to coax the boy to reply.
"I hate you all, you stupid ninja have probably never known a day of hardship in your lives. Smiling and laughing like nothing matters. You'll die and then Gato will kill my grandpa and my mom and then maybe me too and it will be all your fault. You should run away and maybe Gato will forget about it."
"Coward," said Sasuke softly. "You're a coward boy. You don't know what you're talking about, not in the slightest."
"There is no such thing as a hero, so don't try to pretend you're brave or something."
"We're all heroes, kid," said Kakashi softly. "We're ninja, being a hero is in the job description even." He could have also pointed out that if he was paid enough money he'd be a villain too but that was neither here nor there.
"Liars, you're all liars. Heroes don't exist. There is no such thing." He cried out then ran for the stairs.
"You'll have to forgive the boy," said Tazuna. "He's had a hard time since his father passed . . . well . . . not passed exactly. He was murdered in the town square, executed by Gato's goons."
Naruto frowned and set down his bowl. "I'm done, I'll be out training, sensei."
"Don't stay out too late," said Kakashi, knowing full well it was unlikely he'd see Naruto until he was hungry, maybe in the morning for breakfast if then.
"I'll keep an eye on him, sensei," volunteered Sakura.
"Oh, you've been spending a lot of time with, Naruto-kun. Does someone have a bit of a crush?" asked Tsunami, giggling slightly.
"Hell no!" shouted Sakura. "No chance in hell, not even if he was the last man on earth. Never going to happen lady."
"Oh my, such a passionate response. So it's that kind of relationship?" asked Tsunami, forcing a false blush.
Sakura's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Forget it, he can take care of himself. I'm going to bed after a nice hot shower. Suddenly I'm feeling sick to my stomach." She quickly retreated up the stairs doing her best to ignore the laughter that chased after her.
You've slept on the cold hard ground. HP & CP are 10% restored.
Naruto grumbled irritably when he finally woke up. And despite the fact that an angel seemed to be looking after him he still felt tired and sore and just plain irritable.
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