Fell From My World (A Naruto Story)

Chapter 6: All For Love

Kakashi said, "Well done, Sakura. You are the best right now at controlling your chakra, huh?"

He definitely knew how to motivate Sasuke and I. Both of us glared at Sakura. Naruto however was smiling proudly at Sakura. Why did he have to be such a goddamn good person all the time?!

"Listen, you got this," I said to myself, keeping my cool. "Come on, Ai, show them how it's done..." Focus. But I couldn't do it.

At least Naruto and Sasuke weren't any closer than me or I would've felt even more like a failure. Sakura left to go with Tazuna to the village while the three of us stayed all the day in the forest, running up the tree only to fall down again and again. I was bruised, sore, and frustrated, but I wasn't giving up.

"Kakashi, why do I suck?" I said, angrily kicking the tree and stubbing my toe. "OW! THIS IS SO NOT MY DAY!"

Kakashi looked at me and sighed. "The more chakra you have, the more difficult this task becomes. You will get what you put in. Keep trying."

I looked at Sasuke and Naruto. They both looked as frustrated as I felt, but the fight in their eyes never disappeared. I did what Kakashi said and kept trying despite my soreness and misery. Sakura came to get us around dinnertime.

"Still at it, huh?" she said, smiling. "I thought climbing trees was your thing, Ai?"

I silently fumed, but Naruto and Sasuke looked at me right away for my reaction so I tried to stay calm and not let it show she was getting to me. "That. Does. Not. Bother. Me." I said through gritted teeth.

Over dinner, Tazuna's grandson Inari sat with us for the first time; he had been mostly avoiding us since we had been there. And in the middle of dinner, Naruto pointed to a picture with a face cut out of the family.

"Who was that?" he asked, his mouth full of rice.

Inari immediately balled up his fists, and his mom looked shiftily at him and the rest of us.

Tazuna sighed. "Inari's stepfather and my son-in-law. He was nothing short of a hero. And he died protecting this village. With great honor."

Inari burst into tears, knocked his chair over, and ran upstairs.

Naruto sighed, "I feel kind of bad. Guess I shouldn't have brought it up."

I stood up from the table. "I'll go talk to him. I can understand how he's feeling."

All eyes followed me as I left the room, leaving my dinner untouched behind. I ran upstairs and immediately heard crying. I followed the sound to a room down the hall and knocked twice softly.

"Go away," Inari yelled.

I opened the door a few inches anyway. "Uh...hi, it's me," I said popping my head in.