Falling for Naruto

We can do this

The sleep I had that night was filled with pain and hard to wake up from. Somber filled my body as I rose for the morning. Sitting down on the ledge looking at the table I frown.

"Did Naruto stay out all night?" I ask.

Sakura yawns rubbing her eyes. "You know how simple he is, Yasu."

I roll my eyes. "I would not sleep out in the open in our own village."

Tsunami walks over holding a few dishes. "I hope he's alright. Children shouldn't stay out alone in the wood for the night."

I frown a little. "give him some credit."

"He's a true ninja despite his appearance," Sensei states happily.

Sasuke, brooding over his hands, sighs. "I dunno... I wouldn't be surprised if he was dead."

"Ouch, that sounds terrible coming from you," I shake my head.

From the corner of my eye I see Inari sitting at the table quietly. Lunch time and Dinner time is when we saw Naruto again. On the next morning Sensei, Sakura and I looked to see where Naruto and Sasuke were. Neither on the ground, I stepped back when a kunai came down toward us.

"Wow impressive," I smirk.

Naruto grins from several feet in the air but begins to lose his balance. Sakura's panic makes me pause before he catches himself. It was the second time that made my heart drop, I stared as Sasuke appeared in a flash and caught the falling blond.

"That was stupid," I glare.

"Hehe"

A few hours later Sensei is training with Sakura and Tanzuna on his back. I take my hair down placing my bells on the ground.

"I've been meaning to ask, but why are you still here?" Tanzuna asks.

"We can't just abandon our duty." I state as the curtains of my hair fall over my eyes.

"Abandonment of your duty is not courageous." Sensei states simply. "Below the courageous there is nothing. That was the previous Hokage's words."

"That's the way of the shinobi, and we don't move due to money alone."

As night fell, I helped Tsunami with the cooking and found that simply pulling my hair up was not an option. Sakura had attempted to braid my long hair and twist the braid into a bun.

"They're back," I grin as Sasuke and Naruto walk in the door arm in arm grinning like fools.

Two steps are all it took before they both collapsed, Sakura assisted with the food while I helped pull the two in to chairs.

"The both of you can go with Tanzuna tomorrow." Sensei declares.

"Do you want all of us to go?" I ask.

With a nod I smirk.

"I'm worn out from today's bridge work. At any rate it's almost done," Tanzuna states happily.

As I bandage Sasuke and Naruto up I notice Inari watching from the hall as hot tears run down his face like a fury,

"Why?

"WHY DO YOU GUYS BOTHER TRYING SO Hard?" He screams. "NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRAIN, YOU'RE STILL NO MATCH FOR GATOU'S MEN! WHEN facing the strong the weak will end up getting killed."

Silence followed his words. I took a chance to look at my sister and then at Inari. Ready to say something when Naruto's words came first.

"Whatever kid...