On the way back to Tazuna's house, Naruto clenched his fists in his pockets. The silence was driving him crazy. He wanted to scream, to tell them not to worry, that he would take care of everything. But the words were stuck in his throat. He saw Sakura's back, a few steps ahead of him. She walked rigidly, her shoulders tense. She didn't seem like the same girl who had celebrated with him on the lake shore just a few hours ago.
"Hey, Sakura-chan," he said, trying to make his voice sound normal. "Are you okay?"
She flinched, as if he had pulled her from a nightmare. She turned to look at him, and for a second, Naruto saw pure panic in her eyes before she hid it.
"Yeah, of course," she said, too quickly. "I'm just... thinking about what they told us."
"Don't think so much," Kiba cut in, trying to sound cocky, but his voice betrayed the tension. "We just have to be ready to bite when they show up. Right, Akamaru?"
Akamaru whimpered again, this time hiding his snout in Kiba's jacket.
"Your dog doesn't seem very convinced," Shino murmured, his voice as monotone as ever, but the words carried an unusual weight. "My kikaichū are also restless. They sense the hostility in the air."
"We all sense it," Hinata said softly, almost a whisper.
Naruto wanted to tell her not to be afraid, but how could he? He felt it too. It wasn't fear for himself. It was fear for Sakura, who had almost died. For Hinata, who was too good for this world. For Sasuke, who threw himself into danger without hesitation.
When Tazuna's house appeared through the trees, a fleeting sense of relief washed over them, immediately followed by a new wave of apprehension.
The door opened before they reached the porch. Tsunami came out to greet them with a wide, warm smile.
"Welcome back!" she said, drying her hands on her apron. "Just in time! Dinner is almost ready. You must be exhausted and hungry, how was your training?"
"We're fine, Tsunami-san," Kurenai interrupted her, her voice serene, a contrast to the anxiety of the rest. She placed a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder. "There was a small accident during training, that's all."
"An accident?" Tsunami repeated, not believing it. Her gaze swept over the genin, searching for injuries, finding only grim faces. "An accident doesn't sound like this."
"The nature of chakra is sometimes unpredictable," Kakashi added, with a light tone that fooled no one. "No one was hurt. That's the important thing."
Tsunami watched them a moment longer, knowing they were lying but too scared to push. She stepped aside and let them pass. "Dinner is ready. You must be hungry."
The smell of grilled fish and rice filled the house, but no one's mouth watered. They entered the main room and found Tazuna sitting at the table, his gaze lost on the wall. Inari, his grandson, was in a corner, hugging his knees. He looked at them with resentment.
"You're late," the boy said, his voice laced with a bitterness beyond his years. "Did you go play at the lake while Gato's men surround us?"
"Inari!" Tsunami scolded, scandalized.
"No, he's right," Tazuna said, his voice hoarse. He turned to face the ninja, and his face showed a deep desperation. "You shouldn't be here playing around. You should have left. Gato doesn't play games. He destroys everything he touches."
Dinner was torture. The only sound was the awkward clinking of chopsticks against ceramic bowls. Naruto tried to eat, but he could barely take a bite. Tsunami tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy, offering more rice, asking if everything was okay, but her words were lost in the tense silence of the room.
Inari didn't move from his corner. He watched them all, his childish eyes filled with a silent hatred.
Finally, Kakashi placed his chopsticks on his empty bowl with a soft, deliberate click. Everyone, even Inari, looked up at him.
"We are not abandoning the mission," Kakashi said.
Tazuna looked at him, and a single tear rolled down his weathered cheek. He said nothing, just nodded slowly.
"I agree," Kurenai seconded instantly. "The Hidden Leaf Village doesn't turn its back on those it has promised to protect. That's not our way."
A spark ignited in Naruto's chest, displacing some of the fear. That was the spirit. That's what he wanted to hear.
"Yeah!" he exclaimed, slamming his palm on the table. "We're going to kick that Gato guy's ass, and all his henchmen! I swear it!"
"Your enthusiasm is admirable, Naruto, but brute force won't win this battle," Kakashi said, his one visible eye moving from one genin to the next. "They want us to panic. They want us to rush in and make foolish decisions."
"And it's a rather obvious trap," Kurenai continued, adopting an analytical tone. "Most likely, since we aren't retreating, they want us to focus our attention on the bridge. It's the perfect bait. They know we can't let them destroy it. They expect the jōnin, the main force, to go running over there."
"Leaving the house unprotected," Sasuke finished, speaking for the first time. His eyes shone with a cold, calculating light. "They want to separate the leaders from the rest."
"Exactly," Kakashi nodded.
"So, what's the plan?" Sakura asked. "How do we fight that?"
"We don't fall into the trap," Kakashi replied. "We do what they don't expect. We give them what they want, but on our terms. We will divide our forces on purpose."
He spread a map of the area on the table, pushing aside the dinner remnants. The yellowed paper showed the river, the forest, and the half-built line of the great bridge.
"The bridge is the main battle," Kakashi explained, pointing to the structure on the map. "That's where they'll send their best men. It's an open fight, a direct confrontation. Ideal for a jōnin."
"We should both go, Kakashi," Kurenai said, her brow furrowed. "It's the safest option to neutralize the main threat quickly."
"No," Kakashi replied calmly. "If we both go, we leave six genin here to defend three civilians against an unknown number of enemies who, judging by the explosive at the lake, are experienced in infiltration and assassination. It's an unacceptable risk." His gaze rested on Naruto for an instant. "One of us goes to the bridge. The other stays here and leads the defense."
Kurenai looked at him intently. Naruto could see the silent battle in her eyes: the desire to protect her students versus the cold calculation of strategy.
"You have a decisive advantage in a one on one fight against an elite opponent," Kurenai finally admitted, professionalism winning out. "I am better suited to coordinate an area defense with my genjutsu and the team's support."
"My thoughts exactly," Kakashi said. "I'll go to the bridge. But I can't cover the entire perimeter and fight at the same time. I need an assault team. Fast, adaptable, and lethal."
His eye fell on the members of his team. The tension in the room became almost unbearable.
"Sasuke," Kakashi said. Sasuke didn't react, but Naruto saw him straighten imperceptibly. "Your speed and your Fire Style will be our main offense."
Sasuke nodded once, a sharp, precise gesture. A shadow of a smile pulled at the corner of his lips.
"Sakura," Kakashi continued.
Sakura held her breath, her green eyes wide.
"The enemy will use traps. Explosives, wires, low level genjutsu to confuse us. I need your analytical mind and your perfect chakra control to detect and disable them before they reach us. Your job will be to detect and neutralize tactical threats."
A wave of color returned to Sakura's cheeks. She nodded, her jaw tight with determination. "Understood, sensei."
"Good," Kakashi said. He then turned to Kurenai. "That leaves us with the Protection Team."
"Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino," Kurenai took command, her voice clear and authoritative. "Your mission is the most critical of all: the protection of Tazuna and his family. Priority number one: survival. If the house is attacked, your first and only objective is evacuation. Shino, your insects will create a diversion. Kiba, you'll use your sense of smell to find the safest escape route. Hinata, your Byakugan will give us a 360 degree view to avoid ambushes. And Naruto..."
Naruto's mind stalled. Kurenai's words blurred into a dull hum. Protection Team? Evacuation?
"Your role is to act as a defensive barrier," Kurenai continued. "You'll use your Shadow Clones to create a perimeter, to confuse the enemy, to give the others the time they need to get the civilians to safety. You are not to engage the enemy directly. Your function is to delay them, to stop them, to be an obstacle."
Naruto stood up. The movement was so sudden that the chair scraped against the floor.
"Got it," he said, his voice echoing in the silence.
He turned, ignoring the senseis, and walked directly toward Tazuna's family. The bridge builder looked at him with tired, defeated eyes. Inari glared at him from his corner.
"Listen to me carefully," Naruto said, his voice firm, without a hint of doubt. He stopped in front of Tazuna. "Kakashi-sensei and the others will handle the bridge. That's fine. Because I'm staying here."
He turned around slowly, so everyone in the room could see his face. His blue eyes burned with absolute conviction.
"With me here, nothing is going to happen to you. Not to you," he said, looking at Tazuna, "not to your daughter," his gaze fell on Tsunami, "and not to the kid."
Then, he approached his new team. Kiba stared at him in amazement, and Shino was motionless, watching him. He placed a firm hand on Hinata's shoulder, who flinched at the contact.
"And you guys don't have to worry either," he told his new team, but his gaze lingered on Hinata. "Tazuna's whole family will be safe. I'll make sure of it. Believe it!"
The warmth of his hand seemed to pass through the fabric of Hinata's jacket and set her skin on fire. Her face, already pale, turned a deep red, rising from her neck to the tips of her ears. She blushed, unable to speak, feeling her heart hammer against her ribs. The combination of the unexpected touch and the overwhelming certainty in Naruto's voice left her breathless.
Kakashi observed the scene, his one visible eye curving into a smile no one could see. Kurenai nodded slightly, an expression of pride on her face. The despair in the room didn't completely vanish, but Naruto's confidence had opened a crack in it, letting in a ray of hope.
Later, insomnia led Naruto to the porch. The moon was a thin crescent in the sky. The wooden door slid open softly behind him.
"Can't sleep either, huh?" Sakura said quietly, sitting down next to him.
He shook his head, not looking away from the bridge.
"I'm scared, Naruto," she suddenly admitted. "What if I mess up? What if I don't see a trap?"
"You won't mess up," he said with a certainty that surprised himself. "You're the smartest person I know. And if something goes wrong, Sasuke will be there. He's fast. And... he's strong."
Sakura let out a small laugh, a mix of sadness and relief. "Thanks, Naruto. Hey... be careful tomorrow, okay?"
"You too," he replied. "And Sasuke. Look out for each other. You're a team."
"We will," she promised. "And, Naruto... you better protect this place, you hear me? If I come back and find a single scratch on Hinata, I'll beat you up!"
Naruto smiled, a genuine smile. "You can bet on it! Believe it!"
The door slid open again. Sasuke's silhouette was framed against the light. He walked past them and, with an agile leap, landed on the roof to begin his watch. He stopped at the edge.
"Don't die, loser," his voice floated down to them. There was a pause. "It would be... troublesome."
And with that, he vanished into the shadows.
Naruto and Sakura stared at each other, wide eyed.
"Did he just...?" Sakura began.
"I think so," Naruto finished.
A small smile found its way onto Sakura's face. "Well... I guess that's the closest to a 'be safe and good luck' we're ever going to get from him."
Naruto nodded, feeling a strange warmth spread through his chest. Despite the fear, despite the separation, for the first time that night, he felt that everything was going to be alright. They were still a team. And they would fight, together or apart, until the end.