A Boy's Growth, the Passing of Courage

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed.

With Naruto and Kakashi's help, Uncle Tazuna had made much faster progress on the bridge over the past few days.

After just over ten days, it was nearly complete.

Naruto and Sasuke, meanwhile, had been busy training day and night.

That evening, an excited Naruto and Sasuke pushed open the door to Kakashi's room. "Kakashi-sensei, we finally did it! We can both climb all the way to the tops of the trees now!"

Kakashi looked pleased and patted the two boys on the head in approval.

"The bridge will be finished soon. Now that you two have finished training, you'll come with me to protect Uncle Tazuna tomorrow and give Shinki a day off."

Neither Sasuke nor Naruto had any objections.

They both knew that Shinki had been handling the protection assignment throughout the ten-plus days they had spent training.

He had even helped the islanders build the bridge every day.

He had been so exhausted lately that he practically fell asleep as soon as he got home.

Tired as he was, he seemed very content.

Perhaps this was what Kakashi-sensei meant by "doing what's right and cultivating yourself."

"Don't worry. Let Shinki get some proper rest tomorrow. Sasuke and I will take full responsibility for Uncle Tazuna's safety."

Naruto grinned, flashing his white teeth as he spoke confidently.

Now that he had finished his training, he felt his control over Chakra had reached a new level.

He could hardly wait for something to happen to Uncle Tazuna tomorrow so he could show what he could do.

"Mm."

Kakashi nodded and sent them both out.

The next day.

After working on the bridge for more than ten days, Shinki was ordered by Kakashi to rest.

When Kakashi first told him, he refused.

Although helping the islanders had been exhausting, Shinki had found it very fulfilling.

Nor had he given up training his strength. He had gained further insight while working, improving his control of Taijutsu and his use of Chakra.

Only when Kakashi insisted that he take a day off did he go back to sleep.

Shinki had just gone back to sleep when a commotion downstairs woke him.

He got up and went downstairs, where he found Uncle Tazuna's daughter struggling with two samurai...

A few minutes earlier.

Two samurai had shoved open the door to Tazuna's home, cursing as they said they needed a hostage.

Then they set their sights on Uncle Tazuna's daughter and tried to take her outside.

Just then, one of the samurai noticed Inari.

The two samurai began discussing whether to kill the brat, since they only needed one hostage.

They had only just entertained the thought when Tazuna's daughter threatened them with her life.

She said that if the samurai dared hurt her son, she would bite through her tongue and kill herself, leaving them without a hostage.

In the end, the samurai, unwilling to complicate matters, had no choice but to take the woman outside.

Inari, hiding behind the door, saw everything clearly.

But fear kept him from saying a single word the whole time.

In the end, he could only watch as the samurai took his mother away.

By the time Shinki came downstairs, Inari's mother had already been taken outside by the two samurai.

Inari lay behind the door, crying out of fear and self-reproach.

Just as Shinki was about to step forward and ask what had happened, Inari, who had been kneeling on the floor crying, suddenly stood up and clenched his fists.

He remembered what Shinki had told him a few days ago.

"Heroes protect what they hold dear."

"This time, I won't run away again."

With that, Inari ran out the door.

Shinki had been standing behind him the whole time, and seeing the change in the boy's attitude made him genuinely happy.

It seemed Inari had finally inherited his stepfather's will and would no longer retreat in fear.

Of course, Shinki didn't think Inari could rescue his mother from the two samurai, so he decided to help him.

In the woods outside Tazuna's home.

Inari's small, scrawny figure stood in the way of the two burly samurai.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you take my mother away."

Inari's voice trembled with fear.

But his movements and his gaze were exceptionally firm.

Inari's mother looked at her son, who seemed like a stranger to her now, and for a moment saw her husband in him.

Then her gaze grew downcast, because he knew how her husband's life had ended.

"Inari, you've become just like your father."

"Hey, brat! We were going to let you off, but since you're asking for death, don't blame us for showing no mercy!"

One samurai drew the Samurai Sword at his waist and pointed its tip straight at Inari!

Seeing this, the woman resorted to the same threat. "If you dare hurt my son, I'll bite through my tongue and kill myself without hesitation!"

The other samurai, who was holding the woman, struck the back of her neck with the edge of his hand, knocking her out cold. "Women are such a nuisance."

The two samurai closed in on Inari.

Watching the two ferocious-looking samurai slowly approach him, Inari trembled and backed away one step at a time.

The samurai in front waved the gleaming long blade in his hand, a playful and cruel look in his eyes. "Don't worry, brat. I won't kill you in one stroke. I'll cut off your arms first, then your lower legs, and let you..."

The samurai described his cruel method of killing with a perverse look on his face. He loved the feeling of holding someone else's life in his hands.

As Inari listened to the bloody scene the samurai described, his whole body shook like a sieve with fear.

"Don't touch me! There are several ninja protecting my grandfather. If they find you, you're dead!"

Inari spoke with forced composure.

The samurai scoffed. "Heh heh... ninja?"

"They're just a bunch of people who can't show their faces in broad daylight! Tell him to come on over. Let's see if he can last two moves against my Samurai Sword!"

The samurai had only just finished speaking.

Shinki appeared behind Inari, holding a Kunai.

The two samurai stepped back in fright at the sight of the brat who had appeared out of nowhere.

They noticed the Forehead Protector on the red-haired brat's head and confirmed who he was.

Once they recovered, the samurai saw that their opponent was just a child and immediately grew arrogant again. "You're the ninja this brat was talking about, aren't you? That red hair makes you look like a tomato."

Shinki hated being called that more than anything. "A tomato? (ꐦ ಠ dish ಠ)"

"Oh, did that make you angry? Today I'll show you how to slice a tomato." One samurai drew his long blade and darted forward, slashing at Shinki.

After the samurai moved, Shinki raised the Kunai in his right hand to meet the long blade.

"Clang!!"

Holding the Kunai in one hand, Shinki blocked the samurai's long blade!

His other, free hand rapidly formed hand seals!

At that moment, the other samurai charged in too, bringing his long blade down!

Shinki raised his head.

Sunlight reflected off his Forehead Protector, dazzling both samurai for a moment.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!!"