NIGHT FELL once more in the Land of Waves. After Naruto's stunt earlier, Kakashi decided that he still needed to train more as well as Sasuke. However, Yuri noticed Doremi and Yaragi's quick thinking when saving Naruto and decided that they had proven themselves at mastering chakra control in the soles of their feet.
Hence they were sitting at the kitchen table with everyone else in Tazuna's house. Everyone besides Naruto and Sasuke.
"They're both late this time. I wouldn't have expected that from Sasuke." Sakura spoke, her voice laced with concern over one of the boys in her team.
Just then, the front door squeaked open revealing Naruto and Sasuke, holding each other up as both were clearly exhausted from training til dusk.
"What have you been up to? You look like something the cat dragged in." Yuri pointed out as she placed a plate of cooked fish in front of Kakashi, not before purposefully hitting him in the back of the head with the edge of the dish.
"We made it." Naruto breathed out. "We climbed all the way to the top."
Kakashi hissed and sent a glare to Yuri who returned the favour before turning to the two boys with a nod. "Good. Now we move on. Starting tomorrow, you're all bodyguards for Tazuna."
The Naruto, Sasuke, Doremi and Yaragi quartet cheered in excitement as they were finally done with training.
The motley group of people had finished their supper, they once again sat around the table drinking tea like the previous night.
"In a few more days, the bridge will be finished. I have you to thank for that." Tazuna announced, showing his appreciation to his guests. "I've been meaning to ask you this but I haven't had the chance until now. "Why did you stay and protect me even after you found I lied to bring you here?" His first question was directed to Kakashi. "And why did you stay and protect me when it wasn't your mission?" The next was toward Yuri.
"Those who stay from the path of justice have no courage. But under the wing of a strong leader, cowardice cannot survive. That was a quote from the First Hokage."
Yuri rolled her eyes at the dramatics Kakashi performed. "My mission is to kill one of your attackers. Within that comes the mission to protect victims. In the Mist Village, it was taught to save yourself before others. I teach my students the opposite."
A moment passed of silence as Tazuna soaked up their words, appreciating their kindness even though he did not deserve it. But the faint sound of tears hitting the table could be heard from Inari. "But why?" He croaked out through strained tears. Everyone turned their attention to the boy.
"What'd you say?" Naruto asked with furrowed brows.
Inari scoffed, standing abruptly from his seat. "All this stupid training is just a waste of time! Gatō has a whole army, they'll beat you down and destroy you! These cool things you all say... they don't mean anything! No matter what you do, the strong always win and the weak always lose!"
The older shinobi looked at the boy with melancholy in their eyes while the young ninjas peered at Inari with a hint of hatred, Naruto being the most prevalent.
"Just speak for yourself. It won't be like that for me, you got that?" Naruto scoffed at the child before lowering his tired head once to the tabletop.
Inari groaned in annoyance. "Why don't you be quiet! Just looking at you makes me sick! You don't know anything about this country! Quit butting in! Always laughing and joking around... you don't know what it's like to suffer and be treated like dirt."
Kakashi looked over at Naruto expectedly as the boy continued. "Listen to yourself! Whining and complaining like some sorry little victim. You can whimper all day for all I care. You're nothing but a coward!"
"Naruto! You went too far!" Sakura scolded her friend. But Naruto only grumbled and rose from his seat and left for the guest bedroom.
══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══
SOME TIME had passed as the genin had retired to bed, leaving Kakashi, Yuri, Tazuna, Tsunami and Inari - though the last had stormed away to find comfort. Tsunami, the concerned mother she is, grew worried at her son's absence so Kakashi and Yuri offered to look for him. Not together, of course, but both of them happened to ask in unison.
They begrudgingly left the house together after wishing the builder and his daughter a goodnight and a promise to return Inari as soon as they find him.
"You didn't have to join me." Yuri voiced out to the tall man who strolled beside her.
Kakashi hummed. "And you didn't have to join me." He countered.
The ombre-haired woman groaned. "You're unbelievable." She muttered.
The Leaf Ninja shrugged. "It would be rude to let a woman go out at night alone."
"I'm a renowned shinobi!" She argued back, her face turning red out of anger.
"Still."
The two continued to walk in silence until they reached the pier. There, they found Inari sniffling on the edge, his knees tucked under his chin as he cradled himself. "Can we talk to you?" Kakashi softly spoke to the small boy as the two jōnin approached him.
Without uttering a word, Inari gently nodded. Yuri and Kakashi sat on either side of the boy, all three of them looking out to the full moon and rippling waves. "Naruto can be a little... harsh sometimes. But he doesn't hate you."
"Your grandfather told us what happened to your father," Yuri continued.
Kakashi nodded. "You probably don't know this but Naruto also grew up without a father. In fact, he didn't know either of his parents. And he didn't have a single friend in our village." Kakashi revealed, resulting in Inari looking up at the man. "Even still, I've never seen him cry, sulk or give up. He's always eager to jump in. He wants to be respected, that's his dream and he'll put his life on the line for that in a heartbeat."
"I guess he just got tired of crying and decided to do something about it," Yuri spoke. "Even though he's young and possibly stupid, he knows what it means to be strong like your father did."
Kakashi sighed at the subtle insult she threw at him by calling his student stupid but carried on. "I think he knows better than any of us what you're going through. What Naruto told you earlier, as cruel as it sounded, he's probably told himself that a thousand times."
"I understand it's hard, Inari. But you'll never be alone. Not ever." Yuri smiled up to the moon. "Your father is looking down at you always and I'm sure he'd be upset to find you crying every day for him."
"Yuri's right." Kakashi nodded. "Parents want the best for their children, no matter how far away they seem to be."
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