The Legend of Konoha's Shooting Star

The Country That Had A Hero

"The word 'courage' has been stolen from the people of this island... and from Inari..." Tazuna said grimly, furrowing his brow. "Ever since that day... because of that incident..."

"!" the others were taken aback to see the tough old man on the verge of crying.

"That incident? What happened to Inari-kun?" Kakashi asked.

"..." Tazuna removed his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Before I get to that, I first... have to tell you about the man who was called the hero of this city."

"Hero...?" Naruto asked.

"It was about three years ago when that man and Inari met..." Tazuna said, deciding to start from the beginning.

«« Flashback ««

"Pochi!!" Inari cried as two bullies held him back while the boss kid, Akane, took his dog.

"Wrong!!" Akane said. "This is Shooting Star. He's my dog starting today."

"He's not Shooting Star, that's my Pochi!! Give him back!!" Inari shouted. "Pochi is my friend! I won't give him to you!!" A vein throbbed on the Akane's head.

"Shut up!!!" he snapped angrily, annoyed that he was talking back. "Hmph!" The boy smirked evilly as he tossed the whining dog off the pier.

SPLASH!

"Pochi!!" Inari gasped in alarm as he watched his canine friend struggle to keep his head above the water.

"Hehe. That's what you get," Akane taunted him. "I don't care about that dog anymore. Hey, let him go," he ordered his friends.

"What are you doing!?" Inari demanded incredulously as they released him. "You're gonna kill him!!!"

"Heh! He's your precious dog, right?" Akane asked mockingly. "Go save him. Hurry up."

"Guh...!!" Inari flinched, looking guilty as he hesitated.

"What's wrong? Look, Pochi's going to die."

'I can't let him die!! He's my only friend!!' Inari thought anxiously, trembling as he watched his dog struggle to survive. 'But... But... sorry, Pochi... I can't swim...' He squeezed his eyes shut, too afraid of drowning to jump.

"Hey, if he's your dog, then jump in!!" Akane told Inari, giving him a kick.

"WAAA!!!" Inari yelled and alarm as he fell off the pier and into the rough water.

"This is bad, Akane-san..." one of the other boys said when they saw how much he was struggling to keep his head above the water. "If he can't swim..."

"Ahh!! Help me!!" Inari cried desperately, thrashing wildly in the water.

"Forget him!!" Akane told his underling sternly with a vein throbbing on his head as he grabbed the other boy by the front of his shirt.

"But... But..." the boy said timidly.

"Then, do you want to save the pet?" Akane asked dangerously.

'I don't want to die... Someone save me...' Inari cried internally, choking on the water.

»»»»»

"This isn't very important, but... Right then, Pochi remembered he could dog paddle..." Tazuna commented.

"..." The others stared at him. How ironic...