Snake's Prodigy

Testing The Water

Arriving two nights before the confrontation with Zabuza Momochi and Haku Yuki; Naruto walked in utter silence, only the sound of the wind and natures alluring moonlight accompanying him during the nightly stroll back to Tazuna's home. The familiar inarticulate reverberation had Naruto's attention piqued, staring in the direction of the sound enthrall. Taking only a few mere steps in the direction his attention was averted, Naruto then espied on his two teammates. Sasuke and Mito were both still climbing trees as they were when he departed. Their clothes littered in dirty, tattered cloth here and there, sweat beating down their brow and faces. 'Exertion... Excellent' Growing curiously mischievous and evil, Naruto surveyed and analyzed their training, they still were not quite at the very top of the large trees they have been marking.
"Ngh, Ugh!... ow, that one really hurt!" With a wince and statement of pain falling down through the chilled air landing on her back, Mito cringe and panted through the prolonged training regimen multiple times. Sitting up  rubbing her sore muscles she glanced up at Sasuke's progress,  Sasuke was only a hair ahead of her now compared to the very start of training.
"I suppose Naruto is a great mentor... You know, since your catching up to me so quickly." Mito stated looking down at the ground in deep thought rapidly lifting her head with a faked smile, as Sasuke fell back off the tree trunk and landing safely on his feet panting lightly from the exertion of training she sheepishly smiled to avert the impression of sadness.
"The last few days you've been addressing Naruto by name. To be honest it's a bit suspicious and strange of you" Sasuke heard the kunoichi's remark about his friend and retorted upon it weary.
"I just... acknowledge and accept my own horrid judgement that I placed on Naruto. From now on I will defend and protect him... Like the sister I always should have been to him. I'm done treating him like some pariah and an outcast when he has done nothing wrong..." Mito finally was able to speak her mind like she wanted to with a proud grin; it was just to someone else.

Flashes of the memories, cruel, unspeakable things done or even said towards the young Jinchuriki brought tears to Mito's eyes. Salty tears of regret and pleading penitence that shall never come. 'Naruto... You've always been alone'

Mito wished to speak directly to Naruto about her revelation and change of attitude towards him, but instead her attentive audience was now Sasuke. Unaware that he was silently listening nearby, Mito continued to pour out her new and refined respect for her lost brother she had always pushed aside.
"Sasuke... Naruto's been... Through enough, I want to make things right. Make amends with him, get to know him" Mito said determined as she then charged back up the tree trunk running up it's length, tears trickling silently as they slipped from her eyes. Fueled with confidence she balanced her chakra perfectly, ready to complete her training. As Mito came close to passing Sasuke's slightly ahead lead, a slender sharp kunai flew through the whistling air cutting the breeze and thrown directly at her feet. Swiftly showing off how well her reaction and reflexes are; fast and smooth Mito veered any danger. Mito jumped off the tree, leaping multiple times off other trees until she landed onto an adjacent branch across, eyeing the area the kunai flew out from with narrowed eyes and cautious. The Genin both proceeded with stillness to verify what was happening and the nature behind the sneaky assault, taking slow steady steps into a fighting stance.
"Who's there?" Sasuke shouted and Mito took a stance prepared to face the enemy. The young shinobi's made their secret observer smirk. Entertained so much by the sight of their discomfort, Naruto began cackling, and with a twirl of his wrist a white kitsune mask appeared in his hand placing it upon his identity concealing it from the world. Looking at his teammates through the forest treeline Naruto watched as the tension in the air tightened, asphyxiating with anticipation.