The moment Haku disappeared into the forest, a familiar orange blur launched itself from the bushes. Nine-Tails landed squarely on Naruto's stomach with all four paws, bouncing twice before settling into an indignant crouch.
"Oof." Naruto grabbed the fox by the scruff and deposited him on the grass beside him. "You're heavier than you look."
"Naruto." Nine-Tails' tails swished with agitation, all nine of them visible for a brief moment before he remembered to hide most of them. "That human wanted to hurt you. I sensed the intent clearly. But—" The fox's ears flattened in confusion. "The strange thing is, this old demon didn't feel any actual malice from him. None at all."
Naruto sat up, brushing grass from his clothes. "Yeah, I noticed. Pretty contradictory, right?"
"That's exactly why I spared his life." He stretched his arms overhead, feeling the pleasant looseness in his muscles from lying in the sun. "Otherwise, he'd be nothing but red mist right now."
Nine-Tails shuddered. Having witnessed Naruto's Heavenly Ascension Fist reduce boulders to powder, he didn't doubt it for a second. "What do you think his story is?"
"Don't know. Don't really care right now." Naruto picked up his backpack and held it open. "Come on, back inside. I need to meet up with Kakashi-sensei."
The fox's whiskers drooped at the sight of the bag. "Do I have to?"
"You know the rules."
With a long-suffering sigh that would've done any house cat proud, Nine-Tails hopped into the backpack. Naruto heard the zipper pull itself closed from the inside, followed by some creative grumbling about indignity and being treated like luggage.
Naruto vanished from the clearing.
He reappeared beside Kakashi so suddenly that a nearby bird took flight in alarm. "Kakashi-sensei, I didn't find any danger."
Kakashi's visible eye crinkled. Despite his bandaged hands, he managed a subtle gesture toward the path ahead. "Good. Let's keep moving then."
The river crossing came sooner than expected.
Naruto had been watching the forest thin out, the trees gradually giving way to marsh grass and the thick, salt-tinged smell of water. Then the path opened onto a weathered dock, and beyond it, a wide river stretched toward the distant shape of what must be the Land of Waves.
A boat materialized from the mist, its oars dipping silently into the gray water. The boatman was older than Tazuna, his face weathered by decades of wind and spray.
Tazuna stepped forward immediately, his voice dropping to a murmur as he exchanged words with his friend. Naruto couldn't hear everything, but he caught fragments: "Thank you," "dangerous," "won't forget this."
The boatman waved them aboard without a word, his eyes wary as he took in the team of ninja.
"Everyone, listen carefully." Kakashi kept his voice low as the boat pushed away from shore, his tone suddenly serious despite his relaxed posture. "Kirigakure ninja specialize in Water Style techniques. That means if there's an ambush, it'll come from the water itself. Stay alert."
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura responded in unison.
Naruto's eyes tracked across the river's surface. His Ki sensing spread outward like ripples, searching for the telltale pulse of human life beneath the water. Nothing. Just fish and the occasional river turtle disturbing the silt below.
Sasuke's Sharingan flickered to life, the three tomoe spinning lazily as he scanned for chakra signatures or hidden threats. His eyes narrowed at a few suspicious shapes in the water that turned out to be nothing more than submerged logs.
Sakura gripped a kunai beneath her jacket, trying to watch everywhere at once and mostly succeeding in making herself dizzy.
The crossing passed without incident.
When the boat nudged against the far dock, Tazuna turned to embrace his friend, gripping the old boatman's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know this puts you at risk."
"We've been friends for forty years, Tazuna. A little risk won't change that." The boatman's smile was tired but genuine. "Besides, someone has to stand up to that bastard Gato eventually. Might as well be us old fools."
After the boat disappeared back into the mist, Tazuna's entire demeanor shifted. His shoulders straightened, and something like pride crept into his weathered features. "Well then, Kakashi-sensei. Let's get you all to my house. The old man's going to treat you properly."
Kakashi nodded his acknowledgment.
Naruto fell into step beside Tazuna as they followed a dirt path away from the river. "Mr. Tazuna, I need to warn you about something."
"Hm?" Tazuna glanced at the blonde boy.
"I have a really big appetite. Like, really big. You're going to want to have your family prepare a lot of food."
Tazuna barked out a laugh, the sound echoing across the marsh. "Haha, don't you worry about that, kid. We've got plenty." His eyes traveled over Naruto's frame with the confidence of someone who'd never seen a twelve-year-old eat three cows. "You're what, twelve? Thirteen? Sure, you're tall, but how much can you possibly eat?"
Behind them, Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a look. Sakura mouthed the word "idiot" at the bridge builder's back.
Tazuna's house was modest but well-maintained, a two-story structure with a small garden and a view of the water. The moment they approached, Tazuna cupped his hands around his mouth. "I'm home!"
The front door flew open.
A woman rushed out, her face lighting up with relief and joy. She was younger than Tazuna by a few decades, pretty in a careworn way, with dark hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. "Dad! You're back! You're actually back!"
"Of course I'm back." Tazuna's gruff exterior cracked, revealing genuine warmth. "Did you think some thugs could stop me?"
The woman's eyes swept over Team Seven, taking in their hitai-ite and gear with visible relief. "You brought ninja. Thank goodness." She pressed a hand to her chest, then composed herself and bowed. "Thank you all so much for escorting my father home safely. I'm Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter. I've prepared dinner for everyone. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable."
"We appreciate your hospitality," Kakashi said, speaking for the team.
"By the way," Tazuna said as he led them inside, "where's Inari? I thought he'd be out here to greet his old grandpa."
Tsunami's expression faltered. Her smile became strained, and she looked away. "He's... he's in his room."
"Still?" Tazuna's shoulders sagged. "Tsunami..."
"I know, Dad. I know." Her voice cracked slightly. "But what can I do? Ever since Kaiza..." She trailed off, unable to finish.
Tazuna sighed, a sound full of old grief. "Yeah. Forget it. Come on, everyone. Let's at least get you fed properly."
Naruto stepped up to Tsunami as they entered the house, giving her his most disarming smile. "Hi, Tsunami-san. Just so you know, I really do eat a lot. Like, probably way more than you're thinking. I haven't had a proper meal in days."
Tsunami blinked at him, and despite herself, despite the worry about Inari that had been gnawing at her all day, she found herself smiling back. There was something about this blonde boy's face that just made everything feel a little lighter. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I promise you won't go hungry."
Behind Naruto, Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. "Could you be any more shameless?"
"Probably," Naruto said cheerfully.
Kakashi's visible eye curved with amusement, though he said nothing. In his experience, there were worse sins than being direct about one's needs.
Night fell over the Land of Waves, and with it came the promised feast.
Tsunami had truly outdone herself. The dining table practically groaned under the weight of the dishes: grilled sea bream with crispy skin, steamed clams in sake broth, tempura shrimp the size of Naruto's fist, octopus salad, seared scallops, crab croquettes, and at least three types of fish Naruto couldn't identify.
Being a coastal nation, the Land of Waves had an abundance of seafood. Naruto, who'd grown up in landlocked Konoha eating farm-raised cattle and sheep, stared at the spread with undisguised interest.
His stomach growled audibly.
Everyone gathered around the table. Everyone except Inari, who remained sequestered in his room. Neither Tazuna nor Tsunami made any move to call him out.
"Please, everyone, eat as much as you'd like." Tazuna gestured expansively at the feast, his chest puffed with pride. Sure, the ninja had extorted an extra ryō from him, but he'd started the deception. They'd saved his life multiple times already. The least he could do was feed them well.
Naruto's face fell.
The disappointment was so visible that Tazuna noticed immediately. "Naruto? Is the food not to your taste?"
Naruto shook his head slowly. "No, it's not that. Everything looks amazing. It's just..." He gestured vaguely at the table. "This won't be enough. Not even close."
Tazuna blinked at him. Then he threw his head back and laughed, loud and long. "Haha! You're a funny kid, you know that? Look at all this food! This could feed a dozen people! You really think you'll still be hungry after all this?" He wiped a tear from his eye. "Trust me, kid, if anything, you'll eat so much you'll make yourself sick!"
Tsunami giggled behind her hand.
Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura said nothing. They simply stared at Tazuna with identical expressions of pity.
The bridge builder's laughter trailed off uncertainly. "What? What's with those faces?"
Kakashi's eye shifted to the table. "I'd start eating if I were you. Quickly. We have training after this."
His words had barely left his mouth when Sasuke and Sakura moved as one.
"Thank you for the meal!" they chorused, and then their chopsticks became blurs of motion.
Tazuna and Tsunami froze, mouths hanging open.
Team Seven descended on the feast like a natural disaster. Chopsticks flashed in the lamplight. Dishes emptied faster than seemed physically possible. The sound of chewing and swallowing filled the room like a strange percussion.
The fastest was Naruto.
His chopsticks moved so quickly they seemed to disappear entirely, creating only the impression of food vanishing from plates. Whole fish disappeared down his throat, bones and all. Shrimp shells crunched between his teeth without even a pause. A entire plate of tempura existed one second and was gone the next, not even leaving crumbs behind.
Thirty seconds.
That's all it took.
Naruto set down his chopsticks and surveyed the empty table with a critical eye. Every plate had been licked clean. Every bowl scraped bare. Even the garnishes were gone.
He looked up at Tazuna, his expression perfectly serious. "Mr. Tazuna, is there more? I've only eaten about ten percent of what I need."
"I... there's... yes..." Tazuna's brain struggled to catch up with what his eyes had just witnessed. He turned to Tsunami in a daze. "Tsunami, could you... more food..."
Tsunami nodded mutely and fled to the kitchen.
Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura set down their own chopsticks with matching expressions of defeat. Between the three of them, they'd managed maybe four or five bites total before Naruto had cleared the entire table.
"You know," Sakura said mournfully, "one of these days, I'd like to actually finish a meal."
"Good luck with that," Sasuke muttered.
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Well then. Since we're waiting for more food anyway, why don't the three of you go practice your chakra control? Walk up some trees, work on your balance. By the time you're done, dinner should be ready."
"Why do you work so hard?"
The voice came from the hallway, small and bitter and choked with tears.
A door slammed open. A boy stood in the doorway, barely over four feet tall, with dark hair and darker eyes that shone with unshed tears. His hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists at his sides, and his entire body trembled with emotion.
"Training, getting stronger—what's the point of any of it? It doesn't matter how hard you work or what pretty words you say. In front of true strength, in front of people like Gato, the weak can only lose. They can only die."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
The cheerful atmosphere evaporated like morning mist. Everyone went very still.
Tazuna's face went pale. "Inari! Don't talk like that! Apologize right now!" His eyes darted to Naruto, remembering with vivid clarity how this blonde boy had trampled a chunin to death like he was stepping on an ant. If Inari said the wrong thing, if he pushed too far...
"I'm not apologizing." Inari's voice cracked. "I'm just telling the truth. You can't beat Gato. No one can. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you—"
Naruto stood.
The movement was so sudden that Inari flinched, but Naruto was already walking toward him with measured steps. He stopped directly in front of the boy, towering over him with his 1.7-meter frame.
Then Naruto reached down and grabbed the front of Inari's shirt.
He lifted the boy clean off his feet, bringing him up to eye level. Inari dangled there, too shocked to struggle, staring into Naruto's blue eyes.
"Do you..." Naruto's voice was soft, almost gentle. "Do you think we're weak?"
"Naruto, please!" Tazuna lurched to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Please spare Inari! He's just a child! He doesn't understand what he's saying! He's been through so much, he's just—"
Naruto turned his head to look at Tazuna. The bridge builder's words died in his throat at the expression on Naruto's face.
It wasn't angry. It wasn't violent. It was just... measuring.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Tazuna," Naruto said quietly. "But I'm twelve years old. I'm also a child."
The implication hung in the air like a blade.
Tazuna's legs gave out. He sat down hard on the floor, his face ashen.
Then Naruto smiled. It transformed his entire face, bright and warm and completely disarming. "Haha, I'm joking."
He set Inari back down on his feet, gentle as placing a teacup on a table.
The smile faded. Naruto crouched down until he was at eye level with the boy, and when he spoke again, his voice carried absolute certainty.
"If you don't train, you'll never defeat the strong. Not ever. You won't even have a chance to try." His blue eyes held Inari's without wavering. "So if you want to beat people like Gato, you need to take action. Real action. Training is real action. What you're doing right now?" He shook his head slowly. "This is just incompetent rage."
Naruto stood and walked back to his seat at the table, leaving Inari standing frozen in the doorway.
Incompetent rage.
The words echoed in Inari's head, cutting deeper than any insult. His hands shook. His vision blurred with tears.
He covered his face and ran, his footsteps pounding up the stairs until a distant door slammed shut.
The silence that followed was oppressive.
Tazuna picked himself up off the floor slowly, moving like a man three times his age. He looked at Kakashi and the others, his expression weary and apologetic. "I'm sorry about that, Kakashi-sensei. Inari, he... he's been like this ever since his stepfather was killed by Gato. Kaiza was a good man. A hero. He tried to stand up to Gato, and..." Tazuna's voice caught. "Well. We all saw what happened to people who resist."
He sighed, the sound carrying years of accumulated grief.
"The boy's been broken ever since. Thinks there's no point in trying. No point in hoping." Tazuna looked toward the stairs where Inari had disappeared. "I don't know how to fix him. I don't know if he can be fixed."
Naruto said nothing, but his jaw was set in a stubborn line that Kakashi was beginning to recognize.
Tsunami emerged from the kitchen carrying another massive tray of food, her eyes red-rimmed but determined not to cry. "Dinner is served," she said quietly.
This time, when Team Seven ate, there was no joy in it. Just the mechanical motion of chopsticks and the sound of chewing in a too-quiet room.