Naruto: Princess of the Moon

CH 9: HEROES DO EXIST

"Eh! It's so high up here!" cried out [Name], stars in her eyes as she looked down the bridge with a huge beam on her face, the poor Sakura trying to pull her away from the railing in fear of the princess falling, "[Name]-sama, please be more careful!"

Hearing the whole commotion, Tazuna approached both girls, a log over his shoulders, "What are you kids doing here? What happened to the kinpatsu and that stuck-up boy?"

Moving away from the fence of the bridge, much to Sakura's relief, the [Surname] replied, "They have tree-climbing training with Kakashi Sensei. It should take them a while."

"You girls don't have to do that?" wondered the older man, the pinkette answering proudly and boastfully, "I'm- We're exceptional, so Kakashi Sensei told us to guard you."

At that, the man halted in his step, "Honto ka?"

Cue to Sakura growling and tick marks appeared on her face, NANI O?!

Just as Tazuna was placing the log down with the others, a man of around the same age as him approached, sweat running all over his face, "You got a minute, Tazuna?"

"Huh? What's up, Giichi?" Tazuna stood up and turned towards him, wiping the sweat from himself. The man by the name of Giichi turned nervous, his eyes not meeting his friend's, "Uh, actually... I gave it a lot of thought. Building this bridge... will you let me quit?"

"Why so sudden?! Not you too!" cried out Tazuna.

Giichi stayed calm, expecting that reaction, and tried to persuade his friend, "Tazuna, I've had a bond with you from the old days. I'd like to cooperate, but if we push it too far, Gatou will set his sights on us, too. Also... if you get killed, everything is lost! Why don't you just stop building the bridge?"

The men stayed in silence, Tazuna being the first to break it, "Not a chance... This is our bridge. This is the bridge that everyone in town has built believing that it would generate distribution and transportation for this poor Land of Waves that has few resources."

"But if it goes so far as to take our lives..." trailed off the frightened man, Tazuna walking away, "It's already afternoon, let's call it a day. Giichi, you don't have to come back tomorrow."

A shadow fell over [Name]'s face, her fist tightening.

These people are dying because of the lack of food and medicine and they are worried about not being killed by Gatou? They are dying either way, so what is there to fear. The only way they can survive now is by risking their lives and finishing the bridge. Not sitting around, hiding in fear, just waiting for death to come.

There's no point in living like that.

Turning into her cheery self, [Name] sprinted towards Tazuna, stopping in front of him, "Ne, is there anything I can help with before we leave?"

The man stared down at the girl in shock, mouth hanging open, "N-Not really. All there's left is to carry those logs, but they are really hea... vy..."

He was left speechless when she took a whole group of logs and carried them over her head easily, "Where do I put them, Tazuna-san?"

"T-There i-is fine..." he shakily pointed which direction, eyes bulging out of their sockets.

After staying working on the bridge for a while longer, the sun began to set and the group went on their way. But confusion overcame Sakura as they went down the streets of the town in place of going the way home, "Say, where are we going?"

"I was asked to get some ingredients for dinner on the way home." answered Tazuna.

The girls looked around at the place, lips pursing and frowning at the sight. A young man with a signal that said he would do any job. A child stealing and running away without anyone doing a thing. And worst of all, little kids sitting on the ground just waiting for Death to take them with no hope in their eyes.