"When people are protecting something truly special to them,
they truly can become as strong as they can be." – Uzumaki Naruto
Kiba pant in exhaustion and his body bruised as he finally reached the highest branch, exactly as the sun was setting, signifying the end of the day, and the end of the bet he so foolishly started. He never would have thought that Naruto and his team, NARUTO, of all people would be able to beat him in something he was born at. Being a ninja. Him? Being defeated by a civilian and a dead-last? That was something he thought was impossible, or something that would have happened when they grew older. But it happened, and now he was the one being laughed at for being the weakest.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! I won't let this happen again. Just you wait at the Chuunin exams Naruto!"
Then Kiba looked down
"Now...How to get down..."
"He finally reached it?" Kakashi asked as he kept reading his book.
Kurenai glared at him before sighing "Yes, after a while, and after almost suffering from chakra exhaustion too" Kurenai said to Kakashi with a tinge of proudness. It was rare to have a genin with the level of will and commitment that Kiba had, especially in this generation where there weren't a war that forced them to grow for some years. Well, she would have thought Naruto would have it especially since he kept shouting that he would surpass the other hokages and gain the acknowledgement of the village. That changed when she saw Naruto effortlessly done the tree exercise as if he already had chakra control like he trained with his chakra for his whole waking life. Well... she wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Still, it changed her point of view of Naruto from an aspiring ninja to a prodigy that was destined to be as a great ninja like the Hokages Naruto admired.
"...Kurenai?" She heard Kakashi say, snapping her from her concentration.
"Yeah?" She replied with an unexpected irritated voice
"I guess, you're just confused about my team aren't you?" Kakashi said with a sigh
Kurenai looked at Kakashi "Yeah, how the hell Naruto knew how to balance and control his chakra when he... wasn't given the chance to do so? Don't change the subject Hatake, I saw how effortlessly he'd done it" Kurenai said to Kakashi
"Maa maa, why are you so concentrated in Naruto? How about cute Sakura, or cute AND angry Sasuke?" Kakashi asked playfully which was replied with a look of irritation
"Because I know his real story. His real roots. He may be Uzumaki, but I know he is a Namikaze. Minato Namikaze to be precise. I might trust you Kakashi but there might be a chance that you had him under your wing when you were ordered not to interact with the boy."
A pause was heard. Kurenai felt Kakashi was trying to not let go of his emotions long hidden away as his eyes bored into her. "Well..." Kakashi started to say when a knock was heard
"Jounin-san, it is time for dinner!" She heard Tsunami said through the door.
"Alright Tsunami-san, we're going down! K-", Kurenai said before realizing that the man she was talking to was gone and a trace of smoke was left.
"Dammit Kakashi, what are you hiding?"
"Jiraiya of The Sannin?"
Jiraiya drank his sake in one swoop before he looked at the man from his seat, and grinned.
"After so many years and yet you tread my existence like I'm a stranger. I feel hurt" Jiraiya said as he pretended to hold his chest with pain.
"I remember that I told you that you aren't welcome here especially after peeking the baths of the holy priestesses, plus desecrating the holy grounds with your pitiful summons"
"Well, I'm sorry but you know the nature of my works. Especially after seeing you read it like it was your holy book. AND for your information, toads are one of the greatest summons in this world." Jiraiya said to the man as he leaned back into his chair which only got a look of annoyance.
"I will personally throw you out of here if you do not tell what you want, Jiraiya of the Sannin."
Jiraiya's grin turn serious as he looked the man straight to the eyes "I know who you worship and many people consider him as a myth. I, for a fact, thought he was one until seeing and witnessing it in my own eyes. Now, I need more information and I know that you have something in which I need."
The man stared at Jiraiya for a whole minute before performing a seal and a door opens besides them "It seems that this is one valid need that may affect the waking world as we speak. Alright, Jiraiya of the Sannin. You may access the church of the Rekudo Sennin"
"Yo, that was delicious! Arigatou, Tsunami-baachan!" Naruto (trying to channel his 12-year old personality) said before receiving a (chakra-powered) punch from Sakura in the head "Ow!"
"I'm not that old! But thank you still, Naruto" Tsunami replied with a smile and a tinge of satisfaction as she saw Naruto get punched in the head
"I-It actually was very delicious, Tsunami-san" Hinata said with a kind smile
"Thank you, Hinata-chan! It's a family recipe coming from my mother. She seasons the fish with the juice of a western fruit called Lemon, it adds a ting of acidity that makes it very delicious!" Tsunami proudly says as she cleans up the table.
"Where's Kiba? It was so quiet without his slobbering and side comments!" Sakura said loudly (Clearly trying to channel her 12-year old personality)
"Kiba-san is outside, still trying to do the chakra exercise, which I believe is pointless at this hour. You ask why? It is because exhaustion does not lead to a better result for training." Shino replied.
"Don't worry Shino, he finally reached the highest branch a while ago. I believe he is trying to go down now..." Kurenai said with a chuckle.
"Well, that's because Kiba is an idiot who takes things too seriously" Sasuke replied which got a raised eyebrow from Kurenai and a silent laugh from Naruto.
"Why are you trying so hard and so happy if you're just going to die?"
This quiets the table as the attention turns to a little boy. "Inari!" Tsunami said going to her son before being stopped Tazuna.
"Gato's men are strong. You don't stand a chance"
"Then we try..." Naruto said as he stares at Inari's eyes "or we die trying!"
"Don't you get it!? Gato's men are too strong! So why even fight?! You're all gonna die anyway!" Inari shout with fervor
Naruto stares at Inari before laughing which makes Inari angry "What!? You think it's not the truth?" Naruto shakes his head and pats the boy's head.
"I... had a friend once, who believed that life was all evil and bad because bad people ruined it for him. I told him that Life wasn't evil nor bad. It's only evil or bad if you make it that way. I managed to convince him because I tried! I tried and almost died! But it worked! So why not try?! That's why my ninja way is to protect all my loved ones or die trying! So don't tell me that you're just gonna give up!" Naruto replied to a dumbstrucken Inari.
"Naruto-kun! That's too much!" Hinata said to Naruto before Kurenai stopped her. "Sometimes, someone needs a quick lesson in reality..." Kurenai said to Hinata
Inari stood there dumbstrucken as he processed the words that was said to him, before going into tears "Shut up! You don't know real pain! You're just gonna die! Like him!" Inari shouted before running outside.
"I'm sorry about Inari, Jounin-san! He changed when his father died..." Tsunami said starting to apologize but Kurenai shook her head "No, I get it, I get it. Don't worry, Tsunami-san, this won't affect the mission given, I assure you." Kurenai replied to which Tsunami sighed with relief and went back to the kitchen. Kurenai looked at the blonde ninja, who had a weirdly neutral face, and looked at where Inari left then sighed.
"I'll talk to Inari, Shino and Sakura, take first watch."
"Wow! Thanks for the food Kakashi-jiisan!" The boy said as he saw the ramen being served
Kakashi sweat-dropped before smiling and patted the small human in front of him "No worries. Just in the duty of being a ninja" He replied, which he got a look of admiration. "When I get strong and big I really wanna be a ninja like you, Kakashi-jiisan!" shouting the little boy before slurping the ramen
'Reminds me of one little blond kid before-' Kakashi thought before he remembered the past
Kakashi watched from the rooftops as he saw a small blond boy at the streets, bruises at his body and a cut at his lip. Kakashi just breathed long and hard. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Minato didn't deserve his child to be treated like this. No, the boy didn't deserve to be treated like a pariah if all he ever was a hero. He was supposed to be the child of the Hokage, and Kakashi was supposed to be the cool onee-chan that Naruto would looked up to.
It wasn't long before the blond boy stumbled into someone. Another disillusioned villager.
"What the hell! Get lost demon brat!" The villager shouted raising his hand to strike Naruto
"Please no more!" Naruto shouted raising his hands to protect himself.
And that's when Kakashi snapped.
Kakashi immediately shunshined to Naruto, holding his sword near the villager's throat
"One more step, and you're dead" Kakashi whispered to the ear of the villager. As he felt the villager's trembling body, he was satisfied and threw him to the ground, after which the villager just ran amusingly. Kakashi sheated his sword and looked at the boy who just looked at him in awe. Kakashi just raised his brow.
"What kid?"
"Inu-san, why did you help me?"
Kakashi looked at the boy with hidden sadness, as Naruto looked truthfully confused on why someone would help him.
"Well, because I'm a cool onii-chan, Naruto" Kakashi answered, secretly fulfilling one of his biggest unfulfilled goals.
"But why?" Naruto asked as he looked into Kakashi's eyes with curiosity.
"Because I know something that you don't. Now...I can see that you haven't eaten yet" Kakashi asked as he saw how thin Naruto's face looked
"The...man didn't want to give me even some rotten fruit because he said I was a demon... I'm I a demon, Inu-niichan?"Naruto asked, which Kakashi mused over the answer. Kakashi found the answer then eye smiled.
"Well, you will be once you started eating. Now do you know something called Ramen?"
Kakashi shooked his head and looked at the boy. This kid reminded him of Naruto so much, he was thinking that this was probably what the universe sent him to do something right.
"I sensed you were here, Kakashi" He heard a familiar voice say in which Kakashi, lazy as he was, didn't bother to turn around and just snapped his chopsticks before slurping his noodles
"This isn't usually like you, disregarding the sanctity of a mission just so you could...I don't know, help a kid. Kakashi. You were ANBU for kami's sake, what the hell happened?"
"Maa, Kurenai" Kakashi said as he swallowed "Sometimes, a man gotta do what a man gotta do."
"And risk the mission? Kakashi, we are Jounin-senseis, and our genins are being followed by an S-Rank Missing Nin, we need to be more prepared and vigilant." Kurenai said firmly to Kakashi, to which Kakashi replied with an eye smile
"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I trust my little genins anyway. Now if you excuse me Kurenai, I have a ramen to finish and a boy to teach." Kakashi said to Kurenai who had a look of shock.
The Next day
"Thank you Naruto, for helping me with your clones!" Tazuna said as he watched in awe at the work the clones were doing. At first he was worried at what damage an inexperience boy like Naruto would do to the bridge but over time he saw Naruto getting more experience and more and more faster as he saw a clone getting poofed out, adding to the phenomenons surrounding the blonde boy.
"No problem Tazuna-jiisan! Lemme just finish Section A then we could probably go back at the top and start the railings!" Naruto shouted to which Tazuna replied with a grin and a thumbs up.
To what Tazuna didn't know, every Naruto that was at the bridge was all clones, and in-fact the original was nowhere close to the bridge, as he opted to remain at the house and stayed back as Kakashi and the rest of Team 7 and Team 8 left to watch Tazuna finish his bridge, all but the exception of one.
"It's funny, Kiba. You always looked down on me when we were kids. But now..." Naruto whispered with a low tone as he watched up the branches as Kiba slashed the tree with an understandable fury. He always admired Kiba, not because of any lowly but because of his faith and loyalty to his friends and Konoha, in whatever situation. A view that they both shared. That's probably how he appointed Kiba as an ANBU captain in the future under Sai.
"Heyya Kiba!" Naruto shouts cheerily to Kiba, as he grew tired at hiding himself. It gave a surprising result as Kiba yipped in surprise and threw the Kunai in his general direction. Naruto caught the Kunai and threw it aside.
"WHAT THE! Naruto!?" Kiba shouted in surprise. "I thought you were Kurenai-sensei and the others?!"
"Well, I still am! My shadow clones, specifically!" Naruto said to Kiba in a cheery tone, being careful to not slip his more adult personality. Kiba stared at Naruto for a few seconds before getting another kunai from his leg-pack and returned back to slashing the tree.
"So, why ya here then? You want to smother it in my face that you're better than me? Like that teme?" Kiba asked in spite. Naruto just raised his brow and giggled.
"What?! You laughing at me huh?!"
"No! You're just being an idiot! I'm not doing any of that! I ain't nothing like that Sasuke-teme!" Naruto said to Kiba. Kiba stopped slashing and looked at Naruto
"Then answer a question that's in my head for the whole day, Naruto! How did... How did you get so strong?" Kiba asked Naruto, as he stared at Naruto at his eyes.
"I...Because I need to get strong... I need to get strong, and I got strong because of my team and for my home. Because when people are protecting something truly special to them, they truly can become as strong as they can be."
Kiba looked at Naruto in surprise as he wasn't expecting that kind of answer. He was expecting something usually like 'I wanna be hokage' but that wasn't the case. He looked at Naruto, determined and believing his own words.
"You..." Kiba started to ask but was interrupted when he heard a woman scream coming from Tazuna's house.