𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 | 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐨 [HEAVY EDITING]

𝟏𝟑 | 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐫𝐚

I'm grateful that the rest of the journey to Mister Tazuna's home is a short one.

He'd collapsed after his battle with Zabuza, leaving the rest of us and the bridge-builder to take care of him while unconscious. Trying to transport him from point A to B would've been difficult if it weren't for my brilliant idea, and so, I used a Transformation Jutsu to turn into our Sensei to help Mister Tazuna carry him there.

The whole time back, I couldn't stop myself from stewing. I didn't get much of a chance to contribute to the team besides rescuing Naruto from the undertow of the water, which I mean, yes, that's obviously something I should be proud of for being able to do - I'd saved my best friend, after all - but as for contributing to the fight? I couldn't even get one good swift kick to Zabuza's butt in before that masked boy swooped in.

Slouched against the wall connecting to the room Kakashi-sensei rests in, I tuck my head down into my lap and sigh. There is one other thing I suppose I'd helped with - and I thank Makara-sensei for teaching me all about it. The Land of Waves is bountiful in medicinal herbs. I've never had to apply my knowledge before now, but I know all about the different herbs and plants and flowers that help with all kinds of things, so I'd gone out and gathered the ones I recognized from her texts to create energy salves and pain medicines to help him get better more quickly.

Hearing footsteps from within his room, I lift my head and peer inside to find Tsunami, Mister Tazuna's daughter, now standing over our Sensei. As appreciation for us protecting her father, she'd insisted on taking care of him for us.

"Waking up, huh?" she says. "Are you alright?"

"I've been better," Kakashi-sensei admits. "It'll be a week before I can m-move n-normally." He forces himself to sit up, groaning in discomfort.

"See? It's better if you don't move, so just lie down. Kari?" Jumping up, I enter the room.

"Yes?"

"Do you have anymore of that medicine from last night?" she asks me. "It worked wonders overnight; he never even made a sound. And, in the meantime, would you call the others to come in?"

"Okay; I'll be right back." And I run out of the room and into the kitchen, grinning, where I then find the others and Mister Tazuna sitting down, eating breakfast.

"What are you smiling for?" Sasuke asks me, a piece of bread sticking out of the side of his mouth.

"Kakashi-sensei's okay and it's all thanks to me," I say, somewhat pompously. Naruto gasps sharply, slamming his hands on the table and shoving himself to his feet.

"What? Really?!"

"Y-Yeah, but you should finish your breakfast first," I stammer out, surprised by his loud reaction. "He's still a little woozy from the pain, so I'm going to get him some more medicine." Looking a little irate, he sits back down to shovel his own food into his face.