Book 1: Dancing With Lightning [Naruto]

Round Two

"You two are such babies." Naruto complained from where he sat next to the bed.

Hoshino groaned as he sat up in his bed. He gazed across to Kakashi who was already sitting up in the bed across from his own.

As it turned out, when someone other than an Uchiha uses the Sharingan, there is considerable risk. Due to the fact that Kakashi's chakra is incompatible with the Sharingan, it uses a great deal of chakra whenever it is used. After his extensive use of it during his fight with Zabuza, Kakashi was suffering with chakra exhaustion, as well as a number of smaller injuries.

Thus Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto and even Tazuna had to help not just the injured Hoshino to the Land of Waves, but Kakashi as well. Eventually though they had made it to Tazuna's house without too much fuss.

"I'm just glad nothing's broken..." Hoshino murmured.

"If you hadn't thought to slow down his kicks with your chakra, you might not have been so lucky." Kakashi said. "It was fast thinking in a tight spot." He complimented.

Hoshino flushed. After seeing Kakashi in action, getting praise from him was complimentary indeed.

"That's lucky?" Sakura asked, staring at Hoshino's badly bruised chest. Hoshino suddenly felt self-conscious, even though his bottom half was fully clothed and under a blanket.

"It could, and should, have been far worse. If his ribs had broken and pierced his heart, he might not have made it at all." Kakashi said. Hoshino's eyes widened; he had no idea how close he had come to serious injury, or worse.

Sakura bit her lip and leaned forward, sitting cross-legged on the floor between Hoshino and Kakashi's beds. "Well hopefully Gato doesn't send any more shinobi our way," she said, "at least while the two of you are recovering."

Kakashi lowered his head, as if deep in thought. It didn't skip Hoshino's notice.

"What is it, Kakashi-San?" Hoshino asked.

"I don't think Gato will send anyone else." Kakashi said slowly.

Hoshino couldn't understand Kakashi's logic at all. There's no way a man of Gato's immense wealth couldn't afford to send more ninja. Defending the bridge builder against another attack seems inevitable.

"He must have heard that Uzumaki Naruto was here and knew it was pointless!" Naruto claimed confidently.

"You're such a loser..." Sasuke grumbled.

"Yeah Naruto, can't you be serious for one minute?" Sakura agreed.

Hoshino fought the urge to sigh. He decided to change the subject back. "Why wouldn't Gato send anybody else? He's one of the richest men in the world." He pointed out.

Kakashi still looked thoughtful. "That's true, however Zabuza was a rogue ninja. That he was hired most likely means that none of the Hidden Villages would accept Gato's mission."

Still, Hoshino had no idea what he was talking about.

"But sensei," Sakura began, "why wouldn't the villages take his mission if he had the money to pay for it?"

"All the villages, not just the Leaf, thoroughly investigate the details surrounding any assassination missions. Assassinating a bridge builder so that a nation's economy remains in the control of a ruthless business tycoon?" Kakashi looked between the four of them. "That's a major red flag. Say for example the Leaf accepted Gato's mission to assassinate Tazuna and followed it through. The Land of Waves stays under Gato's control, they become even more impoverished and desolate than they are now and the Leaf is to blame. These are the sorts of acts that lead to war between nations. It is for that reason that no Hidden Village will commit to a mission that could devastate another nation, unless during war time." He explained. "There have been three Great Ninja Wars in the past, but the last of them ended years ago. Nobody wants to see another." Kakashi said gravely.