~Morning after~

(Y/N) slowly open her eyes, groaning. She sat up on the tree branch she had been sleeping on, hugging her dragon plushie tightly. Last night, she had fallen asleep on a tree near the forest clearing where Naruto was training. She was supposed to make sure that he didn't die from chakra exhaustion, so she stayed close to monitor him.

(Y/N) sealed away her plushie in a ninja scroll she always carried around in her weapon pouch. I honestly don't understand sometimes how trees can be so damn comfortable.

Her ears twitched, as she heard Sakura and Naruto's voices coming from the forest. What time is it? I should go.

She jumped down from the tree, walking towards the training clearing. She heard yelling, so she walked faster.

She raised her eyebrows at Sasuke, who was hanging down from a tree branch holding Naruto's leg tightly.

What the heck? Sasuke never helps.

(Y/N) sweatdropped. "What did I miss, Kashi?"

Kakashi and Sakura turned to look at her, with awkward chuckles. Kakashi was walking with a small crutch, still injured from the fight. He looked at his student and stared, glancing at her, and then the dangling Naruto and Sasuke. These three have gotten pretty good.

(Y/N) looked up at Sasuke and yelled. "Oi, Sasuke! Drop Naruto, I'll catch him!"

"Huh?! (Y/N)-chan! You sure?!" Naruto yelled in slight panic. He adored his best friend and all, but he was slightly scared that she'd prank him and let him fall to his death.
Sasuke scoffed. "Huh? As if you'll, but whatever." The scratched up Sasuke let go of Naruto's leg.
Naruto yelled as he fell, silently praying that (Y/N) would catch him. And she did.

(Y/N) jumped and caught Naruto before he touched the grass, landing swiftly with him on her back and dropping him softly. He was her bestie, after all. "There you go."

"Ne, ne, (Y/N)-chan! I did it! I finally climbed up the tree! I can go super high now!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, unconsciously expecting (Y/N) to praise him.

(Y/N) grinned and put her arm around his shoulders. "That's great I knew you'd do it! Never doubted you for a second!"

                      ~><><><~

Back at Tazuna's house, later that day, (Y/N) came through the door, dragging/carrying both Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke had been very reluctant to even lean on her for support, but Naruto had no problem with her dragging all his weight.
Both boys were scratched all over and dirty from all the training they did.

"We finally made it to the very top." Naruto announced with a tired smile, as he leaned on (Y/N).

Kakashi, Sakura, Tazuna, And Inari were all sitting at the table, waiting for them to sit down so that they could eat dinner.
Kakashi smiled under his mask, nodding at them.

"Good. Next time, you'll both protect Tazuna." Kakashi said.

(Y/N) smirked slightly. Obviously. Naruto did great!

Naruto grinned widely. "Yosh!" He cheered, almost making the three of them fall back from the movement. (Y/N) held on to both to stop them from falling over and dragged them to their seats, gladly seating down too.

While Sasuke and Naruto were climbing trees, she had been training her own way. She had sat down on a tree branch, reading scrolls she had brought with her about the Ryudo jutsus. She still had to work on the Fire Blossom Jutsu, clearly, given that she had passed out last time she had tried to do it. She read the scrolls intently, her eyes fleeting from side to side as she studied the Fire Blossom Jutsu and a couple of new ones she didn't know yet. While Naruto and Sasuke were training, she had been focusing on chakra control to attain Fire Blossom control. It had been pretty tiring.

The three wolfed down their dinner, hungry as ever.

As Tsunami took the dirty dishes from the table, Tazuna looked at the ninjas gratefully.

"The bridge is almost finished, all thanks to you." Tazuna said with a small smile, looking at the ninjas.
"Just don't push yourself too much." Tsunami said with concern for her old dad, as she walked away to the kitchen.

"I wanted to ask you this before, but why are you still here even after I lied to you about the mission?" Tazuna said, a hint of shame in his dark eyes.

Kakashi closed his eyes, putting his hands together on the table. " 'Not doing what is right, when you know that it is, is the way of cowards. There are no weak soldiers led by a brave commander.' Those are the words of the last Hokage."

(Y/N) nodded in agreement, slightly disappointed that she never got to meet the Fourth. He must have been a great guy.

Inari listened to Kakashi's words, and looked at the tired Naruto, not able to expect much of him and believe his words. Tears fell from his eyes, as he recalled his father. He stood up suddenly, slamming his hands on the table. "Why?! Why do you work so hard that you end up like this?! You will never be able to beat Gato, even if you train! It doesn't matter how much you strain yourself, nor your heroic words... the weak will always lose against the strong!"

(Y/N)'s eyebrows twitched, slightly annoyed with the kid. He has no room to speak, as he has given up already.

Naruto gave no reaction, only looking away. "Shut up, we're different from you."

Inari glared at him and clenched his eyes, furrowing his brows as he cried. "You shut up! It makes me mad to see you like that! You don't know anything about this country yet you're so nosy! I'm different from you! Someone who doesn't know true pain and only smiles all the time!"

(Y/N)'s eyes widened and darkened at that, taking it to heart. You...you! Have no idea! You have a family who loves you! She stood up from the table with a jump, pushing her chair back harshly. She glared at Inari with fangs bared slightly, she looked down, gulping and struggling to form words. "You have no right!"

Naruto's eyes darkened, as he hid his face in his arms. "So you pretend to be the protagonist of a tragedy and always do nothing but cry? An idiot like you, can just keep on crying. Crybaby!" He said, glaring at Inari.

(Y/N)'s eyes glossed over, as she couldn't bring herself to say what she truly thought. Naruto stood up from the table abruptly, grabbing (Y/N)'s arm and dragging her away.

Inari just kept crying, sobbing silently. (Y/N) could only hear his sobs and scowl, completely disgusted with the kid's behavior.

You, who gave up long ago, who does nothing but cry at his demise instead of doing something, have no room to complain of your circumstances and speak to us like that. You have a family. We have nothing. (Y/N) thought that, as she and Naruto walked away and entered one of the rooms.

                        ~><><><~

"Please take care of Naruto. He's strained his body to the limit, he probably won't be able to move until tomorrow." Kakashi said to Tsunami.

It was morning already, but Naruto was still asleep in his room. (Y/N) had tried to wake him up to at least say goodbye to him before they left, but couldn't. His body was too tired after all that training. She wanted to stay in with him, in case something happened, but Kakashi wouldn't allow it. He needed her to protect Tazuna.

"Kakashi-san, are you sure you feel well enough now?" Tsunami asked the white haired man with concern, even though he didn't need the crutch anymore.

"Yes, kind of." Kakashi said with a small laugh. He had his usual carefree expression, but he looked a bit concerned, at least to (Y/N).

"Well, we are leaving then. Goodbye!" Tazuna said, as the five of them left the small house porch.

As (Y/N) walked beside Kakashi, she glanced back at the house, thinking of Naruto. I hope he's okay...
She walked with a slight skip in her step, as she fumbled with her weapon holder and the scrolls inside.
As they walked towards the bridge-which was not too far-she kept repeating the tips to perform the Fire Blossom Jutsu in her head, like a mantra.

When they reached the bridge, Tazuna stopped mid-way. They all did.
They stared with shock and confusion at the bodies of all the bridge workers.
They appeared to be alive, just unconscious. The tools were everywhere, and the materials screwed up.

"What happened?!" Tazuna exclaimed.

(Y/N) narrowed her eyes at the bodies, getting closer to her team on instinct. Could it be... Definitely. There's a trace of his scent... Maybe someone else. That masked boy probably. They smell like salty water and mud.

Mist started forming at their sides, surrounding them in a thick white curtain. Kakashi looked around and pushed back towards Tazuna.
"Shit, Sakura, Sasuke, (Y/N), he's coming!"

The four of them surrounded the old man, all of them pulling out kunais as they looked alert at the mist.

"Sensei, this is his Hidden Mist jutsu, right?" Sakura said, as she held on to her kunai.

(Y/N) rolled her eyes, as she held a kunai in one hand, and a shruiken in the other. No Sakura, no, it's the other ninja's we met technique, obviously. She mocked sarcastically, her patience on the low. She needed Naruto to replenish her 'Naruto' bar and make her less hot-tempered.

"Sorry for making you wait, Kakashi. You're still carrying those kids around, I see." Zabuza's voice echoed throughout the mist.
"He's trembling again, poor kid."
He obviously referred to Sasuke, who was shaking in his stance.

Suddenly, copies of Zabuza appeared, right in front of them. One Zabuza with his sword ready to strike in front of Sasuke, who barely smirked. Both (Y/N) and Sasuke smirked, surprising the clones.

"I'm trembling from excitement." Sasuke said with a smirk.
(Y/N) smirked, as she held on to her kunai in her stance. "I have to say the same here."
Kakashi smiled at Sasuke. "Go for it, Sasuke."

Sasuke jumped, and in a flash with his kunai in hand, slashed through all the water clones, leaving (Y/N) with a disappointed pout because she didn't get hers.
Sasuke landed smoothly back on his spot. I can see them.

"Huh, he took out the water clones. That kid's got stronger. Looks like you have a rival, Haku." Zabuza said, as he came out from the mist, along with his masked accomplice.

(Y/N) stared at the masked guy. I recognize his smell from somewhere. But I haven't seen that guy before, I think.

"Oh, and the girl who passed out is here too. Ready to be captured girlie? The bounty on your head is pretty high. Every village wants the last Ryudo dead." Zabuza said, smirking under the cloth covering his face.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at them. Of course. Outside Konoha, the Ryudo are like ghosts, sought after and mysterious. And known for being extremely powerful and dangerous.
Sasuke glared at the enemies, not really keen to the idea of them taking (Y/N). They had been really close when younger, after all. Their families used to be very close to each other. As if.

(Y/N) snarled at the rogue ninjas, baring her large fangs.
"Just try to! I'll bury my fangs into your necks!"