chap. 14 - New Friend

While Naruto and Kakashi are on the bridge doing their escort, Sasuke and Sakura are at Tazuna's house to protect Tsunami and Inari.

I, obviously "went to train" somewhere else.

Kira took me where Isobu was reforming, when I get there, I see the giant turtle/crab, who senses me arriving, looks me up and down.

"You must be the traveler right?" he is quite calm.

"Traveler?" I am intrigued by that name.

"Yes, Kurama said that a traveler from another land would come to ask me to be his biju companion." he answers still calm. "I accept the deal, but I want you to promise me that you will not make me go out into combat unless it is really necessary."

I remembered another detail of Isobu, he is a slacker.

"Isobu, I'm not going to lie to you. I need your strength, I don't want you or any other biju in combat. You are creatures of nature, who have unfortunately been trapped and used. The sad thing is that I need to follow the same path so that I can free you one day."

I answer him with all my sincerity. I really want to set you free, as it should be.

"That's why I accepted the traveling deal. It is impossible to lie to Kurama, and she gave me her word that you don't want war or to control us, you just want peace and freedom. Not just for you, but for us bijus too."

She stands up a little, puts hand/paw very close to me.

"Before you create the seal, just say hello to me and let's be friends."

I play along and feel that she is fine with it. I honestly don't understand how this interaction works, but I don't worry too much either.

After that, I create a seal that to anyone would only read three and tape it to my chest. Isobu doesn't resist and enters the space.

With this finished, Kira takes me to Tazuna's village again, it was already night, so pretending to return from my training, I meet up with team 7, have dinner with Tazuna and his family and the story continues as it should.

Two days later, Gatõ, seeing that Zabuza would not return, goes with his mercenaries to the bridge to kill Tazuna. What was a stupid plan, since besides losing his mercenaries in the fight against Naruto and Sasuke, he still found himself arrested and losing all his fortune to Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter.

----------------- Remembrance of the events at Jutsu ----------------

I was studying near Tasuna's house when two mercenaries appeared on my radar. I quickly subdued them, which was no trouble at all, thanks to the assassination skills I had learned from Kira.

I went to Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, and asked her if she would be able to run a company, helping her country out of poverty and have money to hire security for her land.

She accepted and said she could do it, so I took her to Gatõ's hideout, where the idiot left no guard, left her there, went to the bridge, kidnapped him, forced him to sign the papers where he transferred everything to Tsunami, and then threw him into the sea.

Problem solved.

----------------------------------- End of the Remembrance jutsu ---------------

Kakashi was obviously aware of everything that was happening on the bridge, so he saw me kidnapping Gatõ, when I returned with Tsunami, he asked me for explanations.

After everything was explained, he, who had a vast knowledge of mercenaries, due to his time working and traveling, recommended a respected group, who would not sell themselves to others for higher prices, and we continued the mission until the bridge construction was finished.

The mercenary group arrived a day early, so everything was settled, and now that the bridge is completed, it is still being called the Naruto Bridge, since some things have not changed, such as the moral lesson Naruto gave Inari.

A week later, we arrived in Konoha, and went to report to the Third.

"Team 7 reporting mission, Hokage-sama" Kakashi hands over the scroll with the mission report.

We wait for Sarutobi to finish reading the report, he dismisses the trio and it is just Kakashi and me left.

"Your idea was splendid Nox, but I want to know why." she lets out the smoke from her pipe.

"I did it so that their small village can have the means to live a better life." I answered truthfully.

"How was your vacation and your training?"

"Very well, although being on a mission is not the best of vacations." I replied while laughing. "But at least it was good to be with my friends and see your evolution."

"I see that you are more relaxed. If you need to talk about your first mission, don't hesitate to look for me, or Tsunade, or even your teachers. They can help take the burden off your heart." I sense that he is really concerned.

"Thanks Third Grandpa, I feel good really," I see him relax his body.

"Go home Nox-kun, before Tsunade comes in and knocks the building down." the Hokage dismisses me.

So I go home to be with the family for a bit.

SARUTOBI POV ----------------------

Seeing Nox leaving the building. "What do you think Kakashi ?" I light my pipe.

"That he's hiding too much." I hear him answer, as I take a parchment and hand it to him.

He starts to read, I see his one eye opening wider and wider. "Now I know what the boy has been through. I understand your concerns Hokage-sama." he rolls up the parchment again and hands it to me. "What did the anbu team, report after they came back?" he asks me curious.

"No one can get into Kisaragi village. There is a mist in the village that induces strong central nerve stimulation, causing stabbing pain in anyone who touches it. We got some of the fog, but we can't reproduce it, or even create an antidote." I let out some of the smoke.

"I will ask Hayama to keep an eye on the boy, and on you as well. Get some rest, the Chunnin exams are approaching." I nod dismissively to Kakashi and go back to thinking about the boy.

'I hope you really got over it boy. Or Tsunade will destroy the village.'

I let out one more puff to relax.

NOX POV ---------------------------

Arriving home, I see Grandma talking to Naruto and Shizune.

"Don't worry kid, we will overcome these problems and live in peace someday." I hear Isobu telling me.

"I know Isobu, I know. But I don't understand why people can't just live their lives in peace," I whine. "Greed is something I can't understand Isobu."

"What do you mean boy?"

"In my old world, people craved money, always wanting to have more, more and more. Even if they had enough, to live well, they still wanted more and more."

"What good did it do to have so much, and then die without being able to take anything? What's the point of wanting so much for nothing? I'll never understand."

"If you don't understand boy, neither do I. I don't have the same greedy feelings as you humans, so I can't help you there. Sorry." he is really upset that he can't help me.

"Don't worry, Isobu, I know you'd like to help me. And you're already doing that by talking to me. You're a good friend," I join in the family conversation.

'Thanks kid, you're a good friend too.