Bait

"Don't tell anyone yet, Kakashi. Wait until I'm ready," Naruto said.

"Don't worry, I understand," Kakashi said, trying to ease Naruto's anxiety. "And... I'm sorry. I should have been there for you. If I'd known earlier, I would have taken you in." Kakashi lowered his head, his tone filled with remorse.

"It's okay. It wasn't that bad, really. If you'd taken me in, I might never have met Hinata." A faint smile appeared on Naruto's face.

"Hinata?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"When Hinata was eight, her father cast her out of the Hyuga Clan because he thought she was too weak. She's lived with me ever since. And she's my girlfriend." Naruto explained, and Kakashi couldn't help but laugh.

"If you're thinking about anything perverted again, I won't let you off," Naruto warned.

They kept talking as time slipped by without them noticing.

"Well, Naruto, we'd better head back. It's getting dark outside," Kakashi said.

The next day, everyone quietly enjoyed the breakfast Tsunami had prepared.

"Listen up. Once we're done eating, we'll start training. Zabuza may come back with people, so we need to be prepared. We'll take turns protecting Tazuna and his family," Kakashi said. Everyone nodded.

They continued eating for a few more minutes until everyone had finished. Sasuke's injuries had improved enough for him to walk, but he still couldn't engage in strenuous activity.

"Sakura, Sasuke, Kiba Inuzuka, Naruto, and Hinata, come train with me. Kurenai Yuhi and Shino will stay behind to protect Tsunami and Inari. After training, I'll take some of you to the bridge to protect Tazuna. Any objections?" Kakashi asked. Everyone nodded.

... Training in the Forest ...

"All right, we'll start with chakra control," Kakashi said.

"Chakra control?" Sakura asked curiously.

"That's right. We all know how to use chakra, but you don't yet know how to control it properly. This exercise will let you fight longer, and you'll learn new ninjutsu faster too," Kakashi explained.

"We'll start with tree climbing," Kakashi said. "Focus your chakra on the soles of your feet, then walk up the tree. Once you can reach the top twice in a row, we'll move on to the next exercise."

"Like this," Naruto said as he walked toward a tree. When he reached it, he stepped onto the trunk and began walking upward. The other members of Team Seven were stunned to see Naruto walking sideways up the tree.

"Oh, Naruto, you're already very skilled at this," Kakashi said. Sasuke ground his teeth.

"Idiot, how did you do that? Teach me," Sasuke said, but Naruto ignored him.

"Hey, Hinata, I'll learn it within an hour. Just watch me," Kiba Inuzuka bragged.

Hinata shot him an impatient glare.

"Get started. Naruto, Hinata, come with me to the bridge," Kakashi said. They nodded and headed toward the bridge to protect Tazuna.

The bridge was bathed in bright sunlight.

Kakashi was reading his little yellow book and giggling like a madman. Naruto couldn't help shaking his head when he saw him take it out.

"Hey, Tazuna. This is so boring. Can I help?" Naruto asked.

"The more hands, the better," Tazuna replied. But before he could say anything else, Naruto made a hand sign and said:

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Around a hundred clones appeared. Kakashi's eyes widened when he saw the blond create so many clones.

With Naruto's shadow clones helping, work on the bridge progressed very smoothly. At this rate, the bridge should be completed within two weeks.

Gato had nearly destroyed this town. If their mission succeeded and Tazuna completed the bridge, they might be able to recover from all this.

That evening, Naruto and Hinata strolled through the streets, looking at the shops and restaurants as they tried to pick somewhere to eat. Then they suddenly heard a commotion nearby.

"Move it, old man. We've already told you, you have to pay up," one of Gato's men said.

"B-but I already paid this month..." the shopkeeper replied.

"The boss says you've shipped a lot of goods this month, so you have to pay more tax too," he said. "If you can't pay, we'll take your wife away." After saying that smugly, he began roughing the man up.

Seeing this, Naruto and Hinata immediately threw punches and kicks. Gato's men took a thorough beating and fled in panic with their injuries.

"Summoning Technique!" Naruto shouted. In a puff of smoke, a small black fox with only one tail appeared. His name was Night Maple, a spy fox skilled at sneaking around and gathering intelligence.

"Naruto, what do you need me to do?" Night Maple asked.

"I need you to follow those two men and find out what you can about Gato."

The fox vanished in a flash.

... One Week Later ...

The week passed quickly, and they prepared to face the final battle at the bridge.

"Is everyone ready?" Kakashi asked. Everyone nodded. The fox Naruto had sent to gather intelligence and watch Gato had returned with a report. The fox had discovered that Zabuza would attack today, since Haku's shoulder injury and Zabuza's chakra had both recovered.

"How about we leave Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba Inuzuka here? Their taijutsu is good enough to deal with the thugs Gato sends. The rest of us will go to the bridge. If necessary, Sasuke and I can deal with Haku, Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai Yuhi-sensei can handle Zabuza, and Shino will provide support and protect Tazuna," Naruto suggested.

"Sounds good. Then everyone, follow the plan. Is Tazuna ready?" Kakashi asked. Hinata nodded. After all, Tazuna would be the bait used to draw out the enemy.

Everyone began to move out. Before leaving, Naruto gave Hinata a light kiss and said:

"Good luck. If you need me, use this ring to contact me." Hinata nodded.