A Deal with The Demon

-The Morning After-

The members of team seven, together with Ino, Shika, Naruto, and Asuma, prepared to undertake some training the following morning in a small area in the Nami no Kuni forests.

Team 10 and Asuma sensei discovered that Kakashi had yet to teach Sasuke and the others tree climbing while they were deciding what to train team seven in last night. Tree climbing should have been taught in the second week of taking in a team, or at the very least before the squad went on a C-rank task, which astonished Asuma.

Of course, Asuma chastised Kakashi for not teaching his pupils something so fundamental and crucial sooner.

Of course, Kakashi attempted to justify his absence by claiming that he had been busy teaching his squad to work together.

Normally, such justifications would not hold water, but given how terribly the members of team seven got along with one another and how they couldn't work together until just a few days ago, they did. Asuma understood Kakashi's point of view, but he nevertheless chastised Kakashi for not instructing his crew how to climb in threes before embarking on this operation.

Tsunami made sure Kakashi didn't do anything too rigorous while he was at Tazuna's house so he could relax and recuperate more quickly. Normally, Kakashi would use this time to read one of his Icha Icha books, so this would not be an issue. However, as Naruto was doing his examination on Kakashi, he removed the book from him, indicating that he needed to concentrate on his recovery rather than reading his book. Although Naruto claims that he is stealing Kakashi's book as a punishment for not teaching his trainees how to climb trees before they embarked on the assignment.

"Now that we're all here and know what we're going to do for the next several days, I think we should provide a demonstration of how to accomplish tree climbing,"

Would you want to teach them how it's done, Naruto?" Asuma said this as he turned to Naruto.

Naruto nodded and began channeling his Chakra to his feet while explaining everything to Sasuke and the others.

He just went up the tree and up to a huge thick branch on a high portion of the tree after he had done describing what to do to the others.

When Sasuke and Sakura saw this, they were both startled since they had never seen anything like what Naruto was doing before. Choji claps for Naruto, making Ino snicker.

After Naruto demonstrated how to accomplish it, he rapidly leapt to the ground, prompting Asuma to tell the other three Genin to try it as well.

Of course, the three Genin nodded, and they each picked their own tree, channeled their Chakra to their feet, and tried to climb the tree.

Sakura walked up the tree she had picked without trouble on the first try, which came as no surprise to Asuma, who had read Sakura's academy report, which revealed she had perfect control over her Chakra.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was having trouble climbing the tree, falling to the ground after just a few steps, whether it was from pouring too much or too little Chakra to his feet in order to hold himself on the tree.

Shika decided to give Choji a few points here and there since he was having difficulties channeling enough Chakra.

Asuma decided to send Naruto and Sakura to watch Tazuna while he and his men constructed the bridge, seeing that Sakura had previously practiced tree climbing.

Of course, both Genins nodded, as if doing what Asuma requested was no trouble, and they went together towards the bridge.

Ino was irritated because she had hoped to spend some time with Naruto, but Asuma had other ideas.

Soon after, Asuma returned to protect Tazuna's family in case Gato's men attempted to abduct them and compel Tazuna to comply, leaving Shikamaru to keep an eye on Sasuke and Choji.

After a hard day, the members of Team 7 and Team 10 sat down to have supper with the Tazuna family at a tiny table in the living room. Kakashi, who was now healthy enough to go about a bit, and Inari, Tazuna's grandson, who mostly kept to himself, were also among the group.

Naruto and Sakura had spent the most of the day atop the bridge, protecting Tazuna and his crew. Naruto even assisted in the construction of the bridge by creating clones to assist the laborers.

Shikamaru also kept an eye on Choji and Sasuke as they practiced tree climbing, where Sasuke was making solid and steady progress, having already climbed half of the tree before falling. Choji was on the same level as him.

Inari had maintained his distance from Naruto and the others for the last several days, despite Naruto, Sakura, and Ino all attempting to befriend or converse with the small child. But if one of them would try, he would demand at them to leave and then rush away weeping.

When they inquired as to what was wrong with Inari, Tazuna proceeded to tell them about Inari's stepfather Kaiza, who had attempted to stand up to Gato and his thugs but had been beaten and murdered in front of everyone by Gato's men.

Sakura tried to strike up a conversation with Ino by asking how Sasuke and Choji were doing in their training when they were all eating supper together. Of course, Ino responded that they were both progressing, but that neither of them had reached the pinnacle.

As Sakura and Ino continued to converse, Inari abruptly interrupted them.

"What's the point of it all? You'll all Die regardless; none of you can defeat Gato; he's just too powerful! You will Die."

"We all bloody die except this one here," Naruto deadpanned before pointing to Sasuke, who grinned.

"He's a Uchiha Elite, he can't die," he added sarcastically, to the delight of his teammates, with the exception of Sasuke, who hissed angrily at Naruto...

SLAM

They came to a halt as Inari smacked his hands on the table, making a loud bang, and then glared at each of them.

"No, you're mistaken! You're all going to Die because you have no idea how it is for us here, and no one can overcome Gato!" The tiny kid screamed.

After hearing this, Sasuke grimaced at Inari's outburst and was ready to react, saying that a weakling like him wouldn't know anything about them, when Naruto interrupted him.

"Don't pretend like you know anything about us, brat," Naruto said, "because we're a lot stronger than you think, and we have no intention of dying to filth like Gato."

"ALL OF THIS OBSCENE TRAINING IS A WASTE OF TIME! GATO HAS AN ENTIRE ARMY! THEY ARE GOING TO BEAT YOU DOWN AND DESTROY YOU! THESE INTERESTING THINGS YOU ALL SAY MEAN NOTHING! THE STRONG ALWAYS WIN, AND THE WEAK ALWAYS LOSE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO." Inari screamed.

"Listen, child, I'm well aware of your father's..." Naruto was attempting to empathize when he was abruptly stopped.

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT UP?! I'M SICK OF LOOKING AT YOU! THIS IS A COUNTRY ABOUT WHICH YOU KNOW NOTHING! YOU ARE JUST ALWAYS LAUGHING AND PLAYING! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SUFFER, TO LOSE PEOPLE YOU LOVE, NONE OF YOU DO!"

The room became quiet almost instantly. Ino, Kakashi, and Asuma all stared at Naruto at the same time, and they could see he was emitting a little trace of his deadly intent.

More Killing Intent was released as Naruto's eyes were abruptly clouded. His eyes were hidden from his hair.

"Listen up, you whiny little scumbag. We're not going to quit simply because some wealthy jerk with an army of unskilled thugs threatens to murder us. And how dare you make assumptions about myself or my teammates that WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SUFFER?! FUCK YOU!" Naruto screamed and rushed over to Inari.

Everyone, even Sasuke, was becoming a bit frightened.

Ino wanted to comfort him, but she realized he was boiling right now.

"Calm down, Naruto." Kakashi attempted, but failed, to soothe his younger brother.

"NO! HE'S THE ONE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND JACK-SHIT ABOUT SUFFERING! I'm sad to hear about your father. Gato's treatment towards him was Torture, but you still have your mother! YOUR GRANDFATHER IS STILL WITH YOU! MEALS COOKED IN YOUR OWN KITCHEN! A COMFORTABLE HOUSE TO RETURN TO! I GREW UP BY MYSELF! I DID NOT HAVE A FAMILY TO RETURN TO! I WAS THROWN OUT OF STORES! ON MY BIRTHDAY, I WAS BEATEN BY DRUNKS! I WAS HATED FOR SOMETHING OVER WHICH I HAD NO CONTROL. DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE HUNGRY? FOR SIX MONTHS, I WAS ON THE STREETS. I WAS NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO EAT FROM THE GARBAGE BY THE PEOPLE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS LIKE TO FEEL THAT EVEN EATING DIRT WOULD BE WORTH IT!" Naruto screamed an outburst of wrath.

Inari's face was flushed, and tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

"IT'S NOT JUST ME, EITHER! SASUKE HAD LOST EVERYONE IN HIS FAMILY! BEFORE HE WAS EVEN AN ADULT, KAKASHI-NIISAN LOST EVERYONE HE HAD EVER CARED ABOUT! SO, YOU LITTLE ASSHOLE, SHUT THE FUCK UP! DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PAIN AND SUFFERING IF YOU WANT IT TO END! MAN UP AND STOP BEING A LITTLE BITCH! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A COWARD OTHERWISE!"

"Enough with this Naruto!" Asuma stated with a strict tone.

Naruto was still enraged, and he realized he had to go before killing the little child in front of him.

"W-Where are you going?" Ino inquired, concerned.

"OUT. I NEED TO GET SOME AIR." As he closed the door behind him, Naruto muttered.

Leaving a tearful Inari and a slew of astonished friends and senseis in his wake.

"Is what he stated true, Sensei?" Shikamaru inquired, his gaze falling on Kakashi, who regretfully nodded.

"Yes, he was skin and bones when I found him on the streets," says Kakashi.

THE ROOFTOP

Naruto was now seated on the roof, attempting to cool off. He knew it was terrible to shout at the boy, but something within him broke. He had no idea he was still harboring so much rage in his heart. But he's at a loss on what to do about it.

When he heard someone approaching him from behind, he was startled out of his thoughts.

It was Ino who then sat down directly next to him. Naruto just leaned in closer and placed his head on her shoulder, while she rested hers on his.

"Hey," Ino murmured.

"....Hey." Naruto retaliated.

"I must admit, some of the things you said to Inari were rather nasty. Aren't you aware that he's simply a bumbling little kid?" Ino was the one who inquired.

"I used to workout till my bones were shattered when I was his age. And after the third time, I didn't cry quite as much." Naruto remarked.

"Naruto-kun, not everyone is like you. Your dedication and desire are not shared by everyone. To be honest, I always assumed you were some kind of superhuman." With a chuckle, Ino remarked.

"I suppose that's true, haha." Naruto laughed weakly, but Ino could see he was still in pain.

"Naruto-kun, I'm concerned about you. You're not the sort to shout at anybody, much alone a child, simply because they irritate you. Why were you so irritated?"

"My parents... I'm not sure what they think of me at times. Do they approve of what I'm doing? Would they be... disappointed?" Naruto admitted it.

"They would never be disappointed, no matter what. They'd be pleased with you; the only thing that would make them unhappy is not being able to see how bright you are, and not being able to feel your warmth and the brightness you show everywhere."

"Thank you, Ino-chan,"

Naruto then carefully raised his head from Ino's shoulder, gazing into her stunning sky blue eyes.

Her lovely, creamy skin glistened in the moonlight. Her beautiful blonde hair was gently blowing in the breeze. Her gaze never strayed from his, as if she were seeing directly into his soul. Naruto believed she had the appearance of an angel.

He then grabbed her soft face with his right hand and pushed his head closer to hers, kissing her on the lips.

Naruto then automatically intensified the kiss by slipping the tip of his tongue into her lips and pleading with her to let him in. He forcefully grasped her slender waist and drew her into his lap. She rested both of her hands on his shoulders, while he put one hand on her waist and stroked her thigh with the other.

Ino was so taken aback by the overwhelming pleasure she was experiencing that she happily opened her lips wide, allowing Naruto's tongue to explore and taste every inch of her. In a fight for supremacy, his tongue collided with hers. And, being the stamina monster that he is, Naruto was winning, as he pressed his tongue further down her neck and continued to suffocate her.

Ino threw her arms around Naruto's neck and held the back of his hair with her fingers, forcing his head closer to hers and intensifying the kiss even more.

Naruto was on the verge of losing his sanity. Ino's hair smelt like wildflowers and her tongue felt delicious. He wished for the kiss to last forever, and she felt the same way.

They kissed for about 7 minutes before breaking apart to get some air. Ino was panting fiercely, and her cheeks were flushed scarlet. Naruto then placed his brow on hers, staring into each other's eyes.

"Thank you, Ino-chan,"

"It's my pleasure, Naruto-kun," says Ino.

They remained together for a bit until Naruto got up and dust his trousers.

"Listen, I'd like to go for a little run. I'm still irritated with Inari and need to vent my frustrations." Naruto remarked.

"Do you want me to accompany you?" With hope in her eyes, Ino inquired.

"No, you've been training all day and need a break. Besides, I'd want to spend some time alone." Naruto said.

"Oh...okay," Ino expressed her dissatisfaction with the situation.

Naruto bent down and kissed her forehead as a slight consolation when he saw her sorrowful tone, but it was enough to bring a grin back to her face.

"It'll just be for a short time, Ino-chan. Okay, I'll see you in the morning." Naruto remarked, a warm grin on his face.

"Alright. Make sure you don't stay out too late." Naruto couldn't help but laugh as Ino spoke in her normal dictatorial tone.

"As you desire, Ino,"

Naruto then proceeded to the wooded region where they had previously practiced, where he created a single Shadow Clone, who then wielded their Katanas.

Naruto and the Clone then engaged in a Kenjutsu duel.

Inari

Inari is now sitting at the house's docks, clutching his legs close to his chest. He couldn't get the harsh remarks from Naruto out of his head. However, it's possible that the blonde was correct. Perhaps the youngster is a coward. But, after the death of his father, he has lost his bravery.

It was difficult to be courageous in the face of the people who had taken his beloved father, whom the small boy regarded as a national hero. Inari sincerely believed that his father was invincible and that he would always defend him.

But when he witnessed his father, Kaiza, abused, broken, crucified, both limbs sliced off, and finally killed, his heart, like everyone else's in the little nation, was entirely destroyed.

He just did not want anybody to suffer in the future. Because heroes don't truly exist to him.

After then, Inari heard footsteps coming from behind him.

"Do you mind if we talk?" Kakashi was the one who wanted to make sure the youngster was okay.

The silver-haired woman Jonin then sat at the pier, close to the tiny child, staring out into the clear oceon.

"You know, Naruto is never like that. He may be a jerk at times, but overall he is one of the nicest people I've ever encountered. Even back when he was your age. And don't worry, he doesn't despise you."

".....Your grandpa informed us about your father's death." Inari remained quiet but attentive once again.

".....I, too, lost my father when I was a child. And, like you, I was changed by his death. Since then, I've turned into a prickly jerk. But just when I thought I'd finally figured out how to make things better for myself, things became much worse as I started losing the people I cared about one by one."

"Was it true what Naruto said?"

"Yes. Naruto, Sasuke, and even myself are among them. We'd all been through a lot."

"Ah, I see."

"Naruto, on the other hand, never gave up. He refuses to give up no matter how difficult life has become for him. And it was his perseverance and willpower that always managed to inspire others around him. As for me, I'd have given up hope of ever being close to anybody again, and I wouldn't have ended up with a younger brother like him."

"We know we're 'butting in,' but we wanted to assist. We might have returned to our village, but your Grandfather is unlikely to survive the journey. But, since it was the proper thing to do, we remained. We also requested backup to ensure that your family is safe. And a part of me knew it would be Naruto's choice."

"So....if he were me, what would he do right now?"

"Inari, he WAS you. He was a sorrowful young guy who had many times had his heart shattered. My impression is that he was fed up with sobbing and resolved to take action."

"He understands what it is to be strong, despite the fact that he is young and constantly learning. The same as your father. I believe he understands your situation more than any of us. Naruto undoubtedly told himself a thousand times what he said to you before, as nasty as it seemed."

Inari was unsure of how to feel at the moment. Maybe he underestimated the blonde with the whiskered face. But was he ready to trust someone else again? Let alone someone strong enough to take down Gato? He doesn't want anything to happen to anybody else as it did to his father.

He just wishes he could reclaim his lost bravery before it's too late.

"If something is genuinely essential to you... if it's heart-breaking, even if it's tragic... you keep on trying and trying, even if you lose your life, you carry on guarding it with these two arms! ... Then, even if you die, you will have left behind evidence that you are a man... for all time..."

What am I supposed to do, Tou-chan?

"...what would you do?" Inari pondered, a tear streaming down his already tear-streaked face."

Tomorrow

Zabuza apprentice Haku, who had been tending Zabuza's wounds for the previous few days, was now sitting by his bedside as he recovered from his fight with Kakashi. Haku had also been guarding him from Gato, who had arrived with his two want tobe Samurai goons Zri and Waraji the day before.

When Gato attempted to touch Zabuza while he was incapacitated, Haku shattered his arm and swiftly overpowered Zri and Waraji before fleeing; Gato had warned that Haku would pay for breaking his arm.

Haku saw the brightness of the early morning sun shining through the window as Zabuza slept in his bed. Because Zabuza was still asleep and it was so early in the morning, Haku decided to go buy additional herbs to cure Zabuza's ailments.

Haku started to quietly exit the room after quickly changing into a pink sleeveless, low-cut kimono with light red borders and little plum-colored swirls. But before Haku could depart, Zabuza, who had awoken, spoke out.

"Haku, where are you going?"

"Forgive me for awakening you Zabuza-sama, it wasn't my purpose to wake you, I was simply going out to harvest herbs to assist cure your injuries," Haku swiftly turned back after hearing Zabuza's voice.

"Hmph! Fine, but don't go on for too long"

Later

Haku had collected all of the essential plants to help treat Zabuza after an hour and a half, but it was just before Haku could start walking back. The user of the Ice Release notices some trees that seem to have been hacked down.

Haku decided to explore more and traveled up to where the cut trees were, where she saw a wide area with numerous more trees that had been chopped down by what seemed to be a single cutting slash.

Haku knows a bit about swordsmanship after training with a former member of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Sh. As a result, Haku understood that whomever did it was capable of chopping down a massive tree with a single slash.

When Haku looked around the area, she spotted many enormous holes on the earth, as if pounded by someone or something. Haku also noted numerous huge dry areas of grass and flowers, all of which seemed to be brown and shriveled, as if all of the moisture had been taken from them.

After witnessing this, Haku observed a person resting on the ground in the clearing, surrounded by a big patch of flowers. As Haku got closer, it appeared as if the flowers were prospering around him, as if they were becoming stronger as a result of being so near to him.

When Haku approached the individual, she saw that the individual in issue was a young blonde haired lad with a long Katana.

What drew Haku's attention was The Konoha headband that was wrapped around the boys' head.

"Did they ask for reinforcements? A Konoha Shinobi...but not one of the ones that Zabuza-sama encountered when he battled Hatake Kakashi?

If that's the case, why did they send a little kid, who seems to be the same age as Kakashi's Genin...

He must be part of another squad, and if so, he must be surrounded by others" Haku was concerned, since Kakashi was a formidable opponent to confront.

"I need to get rid of him right now, since given the status of this region, he certainly has some talent and might be a threat to our objective," Haku reasoned as she pulled a pair of Senbon needles.

However, before Haku could even try to attack Naruto, the young Hyoton user heard a moan from Naruto, and his eyelids slowly opened. When Haku saw this, she hurriedly placed the Senbon needles away before Naruto fully awakened.

"Are you alright?" Haku said as Naruto awoke.

"Huh?" said Naruto, who had completely awakened and was looking straight up at Haku. As he brushed the sleep from his eye, Naruto questioned, "Sorry, did you say something?"

"I said, "Are you okay?" I saw you on the ground and had no idea what was wrong with you ", said Haku.

"Oh apologies, I think I must have fell asleep during my training break last night," Naruto said, who was a bit embarrassed.

"You should be extra cautious, since sleeping on the ground outdoors can give you a cold or make you sick," Haku cautioned.

"Nah, I'm well, I've never been ill in my life," Naruto said.

Haku just nodded and rose up, but as he did so, he spotted the basket full of plants next to him. "Oh! Are you a herbalist who collects medicinal plants?"

Haku only nodded at first, somewhat shocked that Naruto knew the plants were for healing. "Eh yeah, I'm, a friend of mine had an accident, and I was gathering some herbs to help treat him," Haku said half-truthfully.

Hearing this, Naruto just nodded and went back to looking through the herb basket "Hmm, you seem to have a sizable herb collection for treating injuries. There is one you're missing, however, that would be pretty beneficial."

"What would it be?" Haku inquired, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Here I show you, it's not a difficult plant to locate," Naruto said as he led Haku to some trees and started searching for the plant. While searching for the plant, Haku and Naruto began to converse.

"Tell me Naruto-san, how is it that you know so much about herbs for healing and medicine?" Haku said as the two conversed.

"I like reading a lot about medicine and how to help people," he says.

Haku nodded in agreement since it made logic, and the young Hyoton user found it intriguing as well.

Naruto eventually discovered the herb he was seeking for and presented it to Haku; the plant was a little weed-like plant with small white blossoms on the top. "This is Aloe," Naruto said, "and it's a fantastic plant for healing wounds and injuries, as well as a good digestive aid, for treating menstrual cramps, and as a moderate sedative." He then went on to explain how to transform it into medication properly.

Naruro assisted Haku in gathering additional weeds and placing them in the basket after showing him the plant.

"Tell me Naruto-san, do you have anybody valuable to you, someone you would want to protect?" Haku said, jolting Naruto out of his stupor.

Naruto paused for a bit before responding, "I have my older brother, Anko, Ino, and My Team."

Haku smiled a bit at this, for it was evident by the way Naruto talked about them that he really cared about them all.

"What makes you ask?"

"Well, I feel that when a person... has something vital to defend... that's when they may really become powerful," Haku said, and Naruto couldn't help but agree.

Haku had acquired enough Milfoil and chose to return to Zabuza soon after.

"I guess I've spoken enough...thank you for your assistance, Naruto-san; it's been pleasant talking to you," Haku said.

"It was wonderful talking to you Haku, but I'm curious about Zabuza." With a smirk on his face, Naruto inquired nonchalantly.

Haku froze in place, turning to face the blonde; she wanted to move but couldn't move a muscle. What is this? Why can't I move?

"I don't want to hurt him; all I want to do is give him another opportunity to destroy Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage," Naruto said before dissipating his paralyzing Sharingan Jutsu.