Reborn as a Nara

thirteen

C H A P T E R       1 3
— Grief is like a broken dam

Guilt was a very horrible feeling, Naruto knew this very well. Guilt was seeing Iruka-sensei all bloodied up that night he graduated. Guilt was knowing Jiji had to fight for him so that he didn't get locked up for stealing the scroll and then being exhausted after that. Guilt was accidentally ruining Shikamaru's picture, the one he had his whole family inside, and seeing his wave it off despite the obvious pain from losing it.

Guilt was now, the feeling that clenched around his heart and won't let go, lingering there like a leech. It was there again because Naruto knew that if he hadn't scared Inari into running away in tears, perhaps the little kid would have just stayed in the forest observing them. Or maybe he'll continue arguing. But for one, Naruto was almost absolutely sure that Inari wouldn't be kidnapped now. His mother wouldn't be crying. And Tazuna wouldn't look so troubled and willing to give his bridge up.

Guilt was a horrible feeling and Naruto hated it.

A warm hand pushed his back slightly, it was Kakashi-sensei. Naruto looked up to meet his teacher's eye, catching the reassuring glint in it. He clenched his fist as they stayed perched on the tree, observing for a good entrance into the compound.

"Don't overthink, Naruto," Kakashi-sensei said.

Naruto stilled a little before he nodded, "This is still my fault, dattebayo."

"It's not. If it's anyone's fault, it's Gatou's," Kakashi-sensei shifted, so slightly and softly that Naruto wouldn't have thought he even moved had he not been inches away from Kakashi-sensei. Naruto nodded, right? It wasn't his fault, he just had to save Inari.

"When are we going to enter, Kakashi-sensei?"

"In two minutes," Kakashi-sensei said. He pointed towards an entrance to the north, "See that entrance there. Two blocks away, we go in from the roof."

"Oh," Naruto nodded and whispered, "Can I go and find Inari?"

"No." Kakashi-sensei shot him down, "Follow behind me, we'll find Inari together."

For a moment, Naruto wondered if he could get away with arguing but then he remembered that this was an actual mission. It wasn't a training exercise, Kakashi-sensei wasn't Iruka-sensei, and this wasn't a dummy with no life they were trying to retrieve but Inari who was a little boy. With that in mind, Naruto promised to himself, he'll do everything he can to save Inari.

"Okay," he replies to Kakashi-sensei, making the word sound more like a promise than anything else. If Kakashi-sensei noticed anything, he chose not to say anything. Both of them were quick, Kakashi-sensei quicker than him, but they made it to the roof and waited. Crouching on the roof, Naruto saw the men and women who littered everywhere around the compound.

Naruto wasn't sure what he expected as he looked down at the people, maybe someone weird like Zabuza with bandages around his mouth and a big sword. But the people here carried swords, had a few scars, and wore traditional Samurai clothing but they looked normal. They didn't look evil. There was a bunch of them laughing and playing cards, with one of them drinking sake.

They looked so normal.

"Naruto, we're going in now," Kakashi-sensei jerked his head. Naruto straightened up and followed closely. There was a hole ripped through the roof, Kakashi-sensei did it so quickly that Naruto didn't even understand how. All he knew was that before they jumped, Kakashi turned and looked at him seriously.

"Coat your feet with chakra, we're going to walk on the ceiling crouching. No sounds, alright?"

Before Naruto could even reply, Kakashi-sensei slipped in. Naruto gaped at how smoothly his teacher had done it before following the motion, coating his feet with chakra. Not as smooth, clumsily, in fact, Naruto still made his way in. Once they were crouched on the ceiling, Kakashi moved to block the roof hole again.