War, Peace, and Love (Naruto Fan Fiction)

Battle at the Bridge

Naruto, showing his unwavering determination, shouted, "Me too, believe it!"

The swordsman, twirling his blades confidently, declared, "Heh, if that's how you want to do this, I'll gladly take both of you on."

However, his companion intervened, raising his arm to halt the confrontation. "Hold on," he said, directing their attention to Ella. "The woman next to the weird-looking blond kid, isn't that..."

The swordsman paused, his confusion growing as he inspected Ella more closely. "Huh. Yeah, that looks exactly like her."

The two men were now even more bewildered and uncertain about their next actions, leaving Ella and Naruto cautiously awaiting their decision.

The swordsman finally spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen over them, and he began to sheath his weapon. "We should probably tell the boss about this."

His companion nodded in agreement. "I agree." The two ninja exchanged a glance and then turned away, their decision made. They started retreating, making their way back to their hidden base.

Ella, somewhat disappointed by the sudden departure, expressed her frustration by crossing her arms and pouting. "Tsk. Cowards. I wanted to fight," she grumbled while her eyes remained fixed on the ground.

Tsunami let out a sigh of relief as Naruto assisted her back onto her feet. She embraced Inari tightly, her maternal instincts kicking in as she checked him over for any injuries. "You can't scare me like that, Inari!"

Inari wore a remorseful expression. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just wanted to stop feeling scared."

Tsunami held him close, her worry and love for her son evident in her embrace.

Inari stood up and approached Naruto and Ella. "How did you know those samurai were coming after us?"

"Well," Naruto began, "Ella noticed a cut-up boar in the forest, and we saw sword markings on the trees. All of them led back here. So, we headed back since we were worried."

"Inari," Naruto continued, a touch of nervousness in his tone, "Sorry about yesterday. Sorry for calling you a sissy." He rubbed the back of his neck with a small chuckle. "Ah, forget it."

Naruto reached out, placing his hand on Inari's head with a warm smile. "You're strong."

Inari looked up at Naruto, shocked, as Naruto casually placed his hands in his pockets. Inari's eyes began to well up with tears, and he hid his face. "Damn it," he muttered. "I decided I wasn't gonna cry anymore. You're going to make fun of me and call me a crybaby." 

Ella, equally surprised by Inari's emotional response, prepared to say something to Naruto. What did Naruto say to him that he is reacting that way?  However, before she could speak, Naruto addressed Inari.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, looking down, surprising both Inari and Ella.

"It's alright to cry," Naruto continued, offering a reassuring smile as he placed his arms behind his head. "When you're happy."

Ella sighed softly, not wanting to interrupt the emotional moment between Naruto and Inari. "Naruto," she said gently, "we need to head to the bridge. If they attacked here, I'm sure the bridge is in danger."

"Yeah, you're right, Ella-chan," Naruto replied, tearing his gaze away from Inari. He looked back at the boy. "You can handle it from here, right?"

"Yup," Inari affirmed, wiping his eyes.

Naruto and Ella swiftly started running toward the bridge, their concerns growing about the safety of their team. Ella couldn't shake the worry from her mind. If an attack happened here, Zabuza and Haku must already be at the bridge. I hope our team is safe, she thought anxiously.