'Why would Haku be with someone who thinks like that?'
'Because to Haku, Zabuza is like Iruka-sensei or Ji-chan. Zabuza was the first person to care for Haku and Haku will die to protect him.'
Naruto nods in understanding, making Sasuke look at him oddly. 'So how can I help him? I can't imagine anyone would ever make me change my mind about Ji-chan or Iruka-sensei.'
'You have to convince Haku that his existence DOES matter, and you have to convince Zabuza that shinobi CAN be more than tools or killing machines.'
'Yeah but how?'
'You'll figure it out,' Naru-nii simply states. 'You're me after all. I have faith in you.'
'Hmm,' Naruto's mind wiggles with suspicion at the puddle ahead.
'What?' Naru-nii asks.
'There's something weird about that puddle'
With a lot of mirth in his voice, a humored Naru-nii asks, 'what's weird about it?'
'I don't know,' Naruto responds. 'I guess it's just weird to see a puddle all of a sudden.'
Hearing Naru-nii chuckle a bit, he then advises, 'well since you're on mission, you should definitely keep your eyes open, just in case.'
With too much energy to just wait and see, Naruto simply takes out a shuriken and tosses it with deft accuracy at the puddle. To Naruto's great surprise, a clawed hand shoots out of the dematerializing water, 'clanging' against Naruto's blocked shuriken.
'Huh,' Naruto thought to which Naru-nii laughs and says, 'have fun using up that energy!'
Naruto didn't know what to expect from his first battle, but he's full of energy and he'd been sparring against multiple clones with Sakura's accurate tactics for weeks, making him rather calm.
Despite the power aching to be released as a pair of ninja sprint toward them with deadly intent, Naruto thinks, 'thank Kami.' Without even acknowledging his team or sensei, Naruto crosses the middle and index of each hand and shouts, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."
"What makes you think they're working for anyone," Tazuna stiffly asks.
"Because they would've let us by if we weren't a target," Kakashi answers. "I think it's time you were open with us, Tazuna-san."
Tazuna, of course, explains the real circumstances of the mission. Team Seven were told of the destitute living conditions the people of Land of Wave is suffering due to the greed of a shipping magnate named Gat and how he uses Gat Company as a front for illegal dealings.
"Gat's effectively bankrupted our country with his company's monopoly on shipping and the only way to revitalize our economy is to build a bridge to the mainland."
"Naturally he wouldn't want this bridge to be built," Kakashi easily interprets. "Ma, ma, what to do this is easily an A-Rank mission It's likely to only get harder from here on out"
"Please, we can't go back," Tazuna proclaims. "I have to continue! Everyone is depending on me to finish this bridge!"
After all the help Naru-nii's given Naruto, helping Haku has been the only request he's ever made, and truthfully, after hearing a bit about the supposedly girl-looking boy, Naruto would've helped him regardless of Naru-nii's request.
So, Naruto shoulders his pack and easily chimes in, "we're wasting time, Kakashi-sensei. The faster we get there the faster we can help these people!"
INO
Ino was upset. No, she was angry. Outraged even. Kurenai-sensei and Ino had just left the second most popular grocery in the marketthe same grocery she shops in, her clan shops in, most villagers shop in at least once or twice.
While the number one grocer in the market has more product, they can be overpriced, which is why the number two spot will always have business. The number two grocer, Mitsuwa's, is also run by a retired shinobi which means active military receive discounts.
Kurenai explained the reconnaissance was a twofold plan, though she would only share the first, which was walking in the blond idiot's shoes.
Ino didn't see the point, however, Kurenai mentioned Narutodespite only earning genin rank paydoesn't have the type of expenses that would keep him perpetually poor. So, Kurenai had entered the most popular of the grocer separately to observe, while Ino, henge'd as Naruto, shops for basics.
Before Ino can get one thing in the basket, she's chased out with a broomstick 'a broomstick, of all things!'
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