Tree Climbing

Kakashi and Zabuza's second clash did not last long. With every move read in advance by the Sharingan, Zabuza ultimately fell to Kakashi and slumped beneath a tree, unable to move.

"Mm, Naruto, go finish him."

Kakashi covered his left eye. After overusing its power, his body was close to giving out. Looking at Sasuke, who was down and unable to rise, and Sakura, who was protecting Tazuna, only Naruto could still move.

"Got it!"

"Cough, brat, you're going to kill me?"

"Yeah. We may not have any personal grudge, but the mission's principle is to kill any enemy we encounter. Goodbye."

Naruto gripped a kunai and walked toward Zabuza, speaking without hesitation.

"What wonderful eyes. I wonder what kind of childhood you must have had to possess such beautiful eyes. Wonderful. Come on! Don't hesitate. Cut my throat!"

Zabuza's gaze grew fervent as he looked at Naruto. What kind of eyes were those? No confusion, no fear, not the slightest doubt about what he was doing.

Most people showed fear, excitement, or nervousness when killing someone, but this was the first time he had seen eyes as utterly still as Naruto's, as though he had lived through a hell on earth.

Whoosh!

Just as Zabuza finished speaking, two Senbon suddenly flew through the air and pierced his neck, ending his life in an instant.

"Hey, my bounty!"

Naruto cried out in surprise and turned toward a nearby tree. At some point, a masked youth had appeared on one of its branches.

"I have been waiting for an opportunity to kill Zabuza completely. Thank you."

A slightly hoarse voice came from beneath the mask, making it impossible to tell whether the speaker was male or female.

"Teacher Kakashi, he seems completely dead."

Naruto crouched down and poked Zabuza's neck with his kunai. Watching the whole thing made Haku's heart leap into her throat, and she nearly could not stop herself from rushing over to cut Naruto down.

"Yeah, it seems that way. She is a member of the Mist Village Anbu Pursuit Force."

Kakashi fell silent for several seconds. Without even looking at Zabuza, he briefly explained the Mist Village pursuit force to Team Seven, then said nothing more, watching Haku warily with his one eye.

"Since you know I am from the pursuit force, that makes things easier. His corpse contains too many secrets, so I will take it."

Haku walked over to Zabuza's body, hoisted the much heavier man onto her slender shoulders, and vanished from everyone's sight.

"Sasuke, are you okay? You look like you're about to die from exhaustion."

Naruto walked over and plopped down beside Sasuke. Now that he had relaxed, he was exhausted too. Shadow Clones and the Rasengan really were not techniques to be used casually.

"And you have the nerve to say that? How much Chakra do you have left?"

Sasuke shifted position and lay flat on his back as he looked at Naruto.

"None. If we'd eaten that rabbit, this wouldn't have happened."

"You idiot, you're still thinking about that rabbit!"

After Zabuza appeared, Sakura had long since thrown the rabbit into some unknown corner. Now, she could only come over to Naruto and Sasuke and give them some water to help them recover their strength.

"You two were really amazing. You worked hard."

The sight of the two of them fearlessly facing a powerful enemy together was deeply etched into Sakura's heart. She was proud to have companions like them. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a smile, the satisfaction of defeating a powerful foe rising in both their hearts.

"While you three seem to be having a nice moment, I'm about to die here. Help me call an ambulance."

The next day

"Where am I?"

Kakashi, who had fainted from exhaustion, slowly woke up. An unfamiliar ceiling and the scent of seawater greeted him. Looking around, he found himself in a small house by the sea.

"Mr. Ninja, you're awake. I'll go call your students."

A black-haired woman entered Kakashi's view. It was Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, who had been taking care of the unconscious Kakashi.

"Teacher Kakashi, you sure can sleep."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks and complained.

"Looks like he overused the Sharingan. He'll probably have to stay in bed for a week. Sigh."

Kakashi looked at Sasuke, who was already lively and energetic again, and sighed. Using something that was not his own was troublesome. Sasuke had overused his eyes as well, yet the difference was enormous.

"Kakashi..."

"Ah, I know what you want to ask. It is a memento from a very close friend."

Seeing Sasuke's hesitant expression, Kakashi took the initiative to explain.

"I see."

"Naruto, Sasuke, come over here."

"What is it?"

"You two have improved quickly. Sasuke awakened the Sharingan, while Naruto has even mastered an advanced ninjutsu like the Rasengan. Your progress has far exceeded my expectations."

"What, you just called us over to praise me? I'll accept it."

Naruto put his hands on his hips and laughed proudly at the praise.

"However, you do not know Water Walking, and you cannot even climb trees. It is as unreasonable as a newborn baby flying before it has learned how to walk."

"Water Walking means standing on the surface of water like you and Zabuza did?"

Sasuke was very interested in this technique and asked about it.

"Yes, it is a Chakra control technique..."

"Grandfather!"

Kakashi was interrupted as a child wearing a small white round cap threw himself into Tazuna's arms and cried out in delight.

"Inari, hurry and greet the ninja who brought your grandfather home."

Seeing that her son had interrupted their conversation, Tazuna's daughter embarrassedly knocked him on the head.

"...No. They're all going to die anyway."

Inari raised his head, looked at Kakashi and the others as though they were already dead, and spoke expressionlessly.

"What did you say, you brat?!"

Naruto was the first to lose his temper and wanted to go teach him a lesson, but Sakura fortunately grabbed his clothes.

"Naruto, don't act rashly."

"Anyone who resists Gato will die."

Inari spoke bleakly. Seeing his eyes, Naruto calmed down a little. They were eyes struggling in despair after losing all hope.

"I won't die. I'll keep living properly until I become Hokage, until I become a hero!"

"What hero? You sound like an idiot. People like that do not exist. What good are nice words in front of the strong?"

"Then want to make a bet? Let's see whether I die at Gato's hands or become a hero."

"Who cares about you? If you don't want to die, just go home."

Inari deeply hated Naruto's hopeful eyes. He kicked him hard, then ran upstairs crying.

"I'm terribly sorry. That child lost his father, so his emotions are very unstable."

Tazuna sighed and told them a story, the story of a man hailed as a hero in the Land of Waves.

"Let's not talk about that. We defeated such a powerful ninja, so we should celebrate."

"No, Zabuza is not dead. That is what I was just about to say."

"What?!"

A chorus of shocked cries erupted in the house.

"The Mist Village ANBU pursuit force would not take a corpse back with them. Taking the head would have been enough. Everyone's Chakra was exhausted at the time, so I did not expose it. I am afraid there will be a fierce battle once Zabuza recovers."

"So before that, you need to become stronger. First, tree climbing."

Leaning on a cane, Kakashi led the three members of Team Seven into the woods beside the house.

"You are all very familiar with the theory behind Chakra, so I will not explain much. Watch carefully. Gather Chakra in the soles of your feet."

Kakashi chose a small tree over ten meters tall and began walking up its trunk. He walked onto a branch as if on level ground, then hung upside down beneath it and looked at the three below.

"As long as you can use Chakra effectively, you can reach this level. Sasuke, are you thinking that with the Sharingan, this would be easy?"

"Yeah."

"This is the foundation of ninjutsu. The principle is the same. If you can control Chakra more precisely without activating the Sharingan, the Chakra you expend when using the Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique in the future will be greatly reduced."

"The same goes for you, Naruto. The Rasengan is a ninjutsu that tests control immensely. Your control should not be bad. I will give you one day to climb to the top of the tree. Sakura, since you are a girl, I'll give you two days."

Kakashi tossed a kunai at each of their feet and pointed at a large tree at least twenty meters tall ahead of them.

"Okay, watch me!"

Naruto formed Hand Seals, directed Chakra to his feet, grabbed a kunai, and charged toward a tree. However, it was not as simple as he had imagined. He gathered too little Chakra, failed to stick to the trunk, and fell flat on his back.

Smack!

Sasuke did not fare much better. He gathered too much Chakra, crushed through the bark, and fell down. Unwilling to accept it, he glanced at the footprints he had left on the trunk.

"Oh? Looks like I have the best score."

Sakura's smug voice came from above. Naruto and Sasuke looked up in surprise. Sakura was already sitting on a branch over ten meters high, smiling down at them.

"Looks like I misjudged. Sakura is Team Seven's most talented one. The future Hokage and the young man from the Uchiha Clan do not seem all that impressive."

Kakashi smiled. His provocation stirred Naruto and Sasuke's competitive spirits, and they picked up their kunai and began practicing at the same time.

After an unknown amount of practice, night had completely fallen. After dropping from the tree once more, Sasuke looked at Naruto, then walked over as though he had made up his mind.

"Um, Naruto..."

Sasuke fidgeted like a shy girl, mumbling a few words quietly.

"I can't hear you. Are you hungry?"

Naruto, who was concentrating Chakra according to the tip Sakura had given him, was interrupted and shot Sasuke a glare.

"The trick you asked Sakura about earlier... can you tell me?"

Sasuke's face turned red with embarrassment. Just thinking about having to ask this Dead Last for help filled him with shame.

"Sure, but why don't you ask Sakura yourself? She would be happy to tell you."

"..."

Sasuke turned his head away and ignored Naruto's words.

"I told you to be a little gentler with girls, didn't I? You're being such a jerk."

"Fine, fine, I get it. Just tell me already!"

"You didn't listen at all, did you? Hey!"