14 Chapter 14: Training Complete! Calm Before the Storm!

"997....998.....999...1000!" Naruto gasped as he flipped over onto his back.

He was drenched in his sweat and his body was screaming in pain. He'd been pushing his body over the limits over and over the past two days. He was exhausted and he could barely keep his eyes open as he breathed.

"Who knew this kind of training was being done by Lee and Guy." Naruto mumbled to himself.

He thought back to Kakashi when he explained his training.

-earlier-

"Naruto, the way to open the gates is to flood your body with chakra and direct it to the gates within your chakra system. However, before we do that, we need to train your body as hard as we can. That way, your body will handle the massive strain of opening the gates." Kakashi explained.

"The first gate, the gate of opening is located in your brain and it will allow you to use 100% of your strength instead of the usual 20% that your body naturally limits you to."

Naruto nodded as he listened.

"So starting now, we are going to push you far beyond your limits to quickly strengthen yourself, then we'll have you rest on the fifth day onward to make sure you are recovered enough to fight." Kakashi finished.

"Right!" Naruto nodded.

He then began pushing his body by doing push ups, sit ups, running, sparring, and other physical training exercises. Even when he felt exhausted, he continued to push himself.

-present-

He sat back up and began training again. He was determined to get as strong as possible so that he wasn't helpless. He would make sure that none of his friends died this time.

He started punching at a tree he picked out earlier, leaving dents in the bark as he went. His fists had started to bleed, but by the time he finished resting, they would heal back up. He repeated this over and over until the sun set. Even when the moom rose high into the sky, he was still training.

"Yo."

Naruto turned around to see Sasuke watching him.

"Hey, finished with your training?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, everyone is just waiting on you to come back." Sasuke said.

"Alright, tell them I'll be fine." Naruto replied as he went back to training his body.

Sasuke frowned as Naruto's attitude towards him pissed him off. He walked over to Naruto and picked him up by his shirt.

"What's your problem?" Naruto yelled as he got picked up.

"What's yours? Everyone is waiting for you and you're just going to blow them off?" Sasuke snapped back.

Naruto blinked in surprise at Sasuke.

"Hehe, I'm surprised you of all people are lecturing me on this." Naruto said laughing.

"Wha-! I just dislike it when you're trying to act cool." Sasuke said embarrassed as he looked away and released Naruto.

"Hmph! Stay here for all I care, I'm heading back."

Sasuke turned to leave.

He turned around and faced Naruto. The two stood there quietly as the wind blew between them.

"True strength comes from the desire to protect." Naruto said seriously as he stared at Sasuke.

"What are you talking about-" Sasuke began.

"It's why I'm strong." Naruto cut him off, surprising him.

"I'm strong because of my desire to protect. My friends, and my cherished people." Naruto said as he looked down and clenched his fist.

"I train as hard as I do, because I never want to lose them, and find myself alone again."

Sasuke looked down as he thought over Naruto's words.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said looking up. Bringing his attention back to him.

"I'm sure you'll get a lot stronger if you have something you want to protect too." Naruto said grinning.

"hmph" Sasuke smirked.

"I'll tell them you're not coming back" He said as he ran off.

"Eh? Wait, wait, I'm coming too!" Naruto yelled out as he chased after Sasuke.

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The two arrived at Tazuna's house and walked inside to find everyone sitting around the table getting ready to eat.

"Looks like you two made it on time." Kakashi smiled.

Everyone then gathered around the table to eat. Tazuna was laughing hard as everyone ate, because Naruto and Sasuke had begun competing on who could eat more.

"I want some more!" The two shouted as they lifted their bowls. They looked over at each other and glared before getting nauseous and bending over to throw up.

"Jeez, what's the point of eating so much if you're just going to throw it up?" Sakura asked exasperated.

"Well, at least they're full of energy." Kakashi replied.

"Gahahahahahah" Tazuna laughed.

Tsunami smiled warmly at the scene as she served another bowl to the two. Inari however just scowled at everything and quietly ate his food. But as time went on, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Why?" He said quietly.

"Hmm?" Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi looked over at Inari.

"Why what?" Naruto asked.

"Why are you all trying so hard?! Gatou is just going to kill you all. You don't even stand a chance!" Inari yelled.

Naruto looked down for a moment. "Hmm, that's a tough question, I guess it's because I don't want to have any regrets!" Naruto grinned looking at Inari.

Inari was surprised at the words spoken by Naruto, as well as Tazuna and Tsunami. Kakashi smiled fondly at Naruto's declaration.

"Huh?! What's the use of regrets if you're dead? In the end it doesn't even matter!" Inari shouted.

"Inari, that's enough! What would Kaiza say if he saw you?!" Tazuna shouted.

Inari looked at Tazuna as he got upset, then he ran out of the room as he cried.

"Inari! Wait!" Tsunami called out after him. She then left the room as well to go after him. She turned around and berated Tazuna for mentioning Kaiza in front of Inari.

Naruto sighed and left as well, feeling his appetite disappear. Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi then turned to face Tazuna.

"I take it there's a story here" Kakashi said.

"Yes, Kaiza was a father figure to Inari a long time ago." Tazuna replied while sighing out. He grabbed his bottle and took a large swig from it.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to hear what happened." Kakashi said.

"You see, this all started when Inari first met Kaiza." Tazuna began explaining.

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Naruto was outside walking through the woods. He didn't have any real destination in mind. He just needed to get some air and clear his head. Even knowing how everything played out, Naruto couldn't stop feeling everything just as strongly as the first time. When he thought back to the first time he heard the story, it had given him a new perspective on Inari. The kid was just trying to deal with the death of a parent, same as Sasuke. While he never knew what it was like to have parents in the first place. Even though he had met both is father and mother, it was during times where they didn't have a lot of time to really get to know each other.

He sighed and scratched his head, I better clear my head with some training, Naruto thought. He summoned his bo staff and began swinging it around. He went through the motions of blocking and attacking. He swung the staff over and over as sweat dripped from his forehead. I need to be faster, he thought, he swung the staff again and again, swinging it faster each time. His muscles became taught as he pushed himself harder.

He continued swinging his staff until he fell onto his back from exhaustion. He breathed heavily as his chest rose and fell. He then closed his eyes to take a rest before he continued training. But soon, he passed out.

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Inari was sitting on the edge of the wooden deck, everyone was turning in for the night. Just then, the door opened behind him and Kakashi walked out, he then took a seat by him.

"I heard about Kaiza from Tazuna." Kakashi said.

"Then you know why everything you do is pointless." Inari said looking away from anger.

"I wouldn't say that, from what I heard, Kaiza was a real hero to the people here." Kakashi replied.

"Well, there's no such things as heroes! All they do is break promises and die!" Inari yelled back.

"You know, I think what Naruto said earlier affected you more than you think." Kakashi said.

Inari looked back at Kakashi before gritting his teeth and yelling. "Well he should mind his own business, he doesn't know what it's like to lose someone important!"

Kakashi frowned inwardly to himself. "You know, Naruto grew up with no parents." Kakashi said looking up at the sky.

Inari looked at Kakashi in surprise.

"You see, Naruto hasn't had anyone to care for him from day one, and he has had to work hard to earn what he has today. So in all likelihood, Naruto might be the only one who could possibly understand where you're coming from."

Inari looked down as he listened.

"Naruto has chosen that it would be better to work hard and change his life, than to let life control him" Kakashi smiled as he spoke to Kakashi.

"Well, you've listened to me long enough. Goodnight." Kakashi got up and left Inari alone with his thoughts.

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Morning came and the birds chirped in the trees. A figure was picking herbs and placing them into a basket they carried. They glanced over and saw a blonde haired kid laying on the ground unconscious. He walked over and kneeled down beside the boy. The figure was Haku and he remembered that the blonde was from the group that fought Zabuza. He slowly reached his hand down towards the boys throat.

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Sakura yawned as she walked into the dining room where she saw Kakashi, Sasuke, Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari there.

"Naruto didn't come back last night?" Tazuna asked.

"He was probably out training, that's all he ever does." Sakura said rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Will he be okay? He's only a child." Tsunami said.

"Don't worry, despite his looks, he's a true shinobi." Kakashi answered.

"Maybe he did die though." Sasuke said to himself.

Inari thought back to what Naruto said about not living with regrets as he looked down at the ground.

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Haku reached his hand down and tapped Naruto on the cheek.

"Wake up, you'll catch a cold if you sleep here." Haku said.

"Hn?" Naruto mumbled, then he sat straight up when he saw Haku kneeling beside him.

Haku? Why is he here? Naruto wondered, then he remembered what happened from before and relaxed. Right, he showed up picking herbs last time as well.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked.

Haku smiled.

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"Is this what you were looking for?" Naruto asked as he handed Haku a herb.

"So this is medicine huh?"

"Thanks for helping out." Haku said.

"You sure are working early." Naruto commented.

"So are you, what are you doing out here so early."

"Training" Naruto grinned.

"Training? That forehead protector, are you a ninja?" Haku asked.

"Yup" Naruto replied.

"Why are you training?" Haku asked.

"So that I can become stronger!" Naruto announced.

"But you already look strong enough." Haku replied.

"Nope, I need to be stronger." Naruto laughed.

"Why?" Haku questioned.

"To protect those I care about!" Naruto said staring deeply into Haku's eyes.

"There are too many people stronger than me, so I need to train more so I can be strong enough to protect my cherished people from them!"

Haku looked down in thought as he remembered his past.

"Looks like you will become someone truly strong." Haku said getting up.

"Let's meet again sometime." He said as he left.

"Sure! I hope your friend gets better soon!" Naruto called out.

Sasuke had gone looking for Naruto and heard him shouting when he passed Haku. He couldn't help but look at Haku again because he felt something off about him.

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It was the final day of their training and Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura went to see Sasuke's results from training. Sasuke had managed to finally climb to the top of the tree without getting a running start proving that he had gotten a good control over his chakra.

Looks like everyone has improved and are growing well. Kakashi thought as he smiled. The group went back to Tazuna's place and Kakashi sent the three of them to watch over the bridge building as he stayed behind. He was doing push ups with a single finger while Tazuna was sitting on his back.

"I wanted to ask you this earlier, but why didn't you leave after finding out I lied to you all." Tazuna asked.

"To abandon your duty is not courageous. Below the courageous, there is nothing. Those are the previous Hokage's words. That is the way of the shinobi, shinobis don't move because of money alone." Kakashi answered.

Tazuna got off of Kakashi as he stood up, he checked himself over. My body is about back to normal now, Kakashi thought.

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Zabuza held an apple in his hand as he crushed it to pieces.

"You're almost all better." Haku observed.

"We should go soon." Zabuza commented.

"...yes." Haku replied.