The Prodigy | Naruto Fanfic

Chapter Five 💫

"This fog is thick, you really can't see anything!" Sakura breathed. Instead of responding sarcastically, I chose to ignore her. Instead, I focused on the small cat in my arms. It was still sleeping, and I assumed that this cat was my spirit animal.

What else could sleep for fourty eight hours?

Out of the mist, an unfinished bridge appeared. "Whoah!" Naruto shouted, "That's a huge bridge!"

"Hush, kiddo. Why do you think we are using a motorless boat? Be quiet!" Tazuna said, and rowed his oars again. I huffed. Sometimes, Naruto was an idiot.

"Tazuna." Kakashi said, "You need to tell us why these ninja are after you. If you don't tell us, I'm afraid we'll have to leave you ashore."

Tazuna sighed. "I guess I have no choice but to tell you. The one who seeks my life is very short, but casts a long and deadly shadow."

"Deadly shadow? Who is it?" Kakashi pressed.

"You know him, at least I'm sure you've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world, the shipping magnet Gato."

"Gato? Of Gato transport?"

"Yep."

"Who? What?" Naruto just tuned into the conversation, and everyone rolled their eyes.

"Gato." I muttered, and everyone's heads turned to me. "A very famous and powerful business tycoon, from a very powerful and famous company. However, he also sells drugs and other illegal goods using gangs and ninja. He's been known to use the seven swordsman for his dirty jobs quite a lot."

"That's right, Saya." Kakashi praised. "How do you know that?"

"My three older brothers partake in numerous illegal affairs, I know a lot about the black market and such." I told him. It was the only way I could keep track of them. I absentmindedly turned my locket around in my free palm.

"Really? How so?" Tazuna asks, and I got flustered. I forgot he was there.

"I read the bingo book, sir."

Tazuna nodded, and continued. "It was only about a year ago that he set his sight on the land of waves. He came to the island and used his wealth to take total control of the shipping department. Anyone who tried to stand in his way simply disappeared. In an island nation, the man who controls the sea controls everything. Finance, government, our very lives."

We stayed quiet, surprised at this sudden information.

"But, there's one thing Gato fears. The bridge that could connect the island to the mainland. Then, everyone can get food without relying on him. He would lose control of the city."

"So.. what?" Naruto asked.

"We protect good man," I pointed to Tazuna, talking to Naruto as I would a toddler. "While he is building the bridge. Bad people don't want him to build the bridge, so we stop them from stopping him."

Naruto nodded in sudden comprehension, and Sasuke grumbled, "Oh, we're here."

We all left the boat, walking through the island's dense forestry.

"This is stupid." Naruto started complaining almost immediately.

"Idiot." Murmured Sakura. I watched Naruto's face fall, and he grew quiet.

I felt bad for him. Why wasn't he sticking up for himself?

"Hey Sakura, lay off, okay? Leave Naruto alone."

She didn't respond.

We walked in Silence for a bit, before Kakashi looked at us. "Set up camp, Tazuna's tired." Tazuna started to say he wasn't but Kakashi cut him off. "Tazuna I can see in your walk that you are exhausted. Also, it's time for lunch."

Tazuna didn't say anything, so Kakashi turned to us. "Naruto. Saya. Get firewood, preferably dry. Sasuke, Sakura, set up the tents." Sakura blushed and I rolled my eyes.

I didn't trust leaving the sleeping kitten with anyone else, so I made a shadow clone and handed it off to her.

Naruto and I trudged into the woods, and it wasn't until we were out of earshot that he turned to me. "Thanks for sticking up for me back there, Saya. Even though I could've defended myself, believe it!"

Oh Kami. I sense a super personal conversation coming on.

"It's okay, Naruto."

"It's just, I'm never used for people standing up for me like that!"

"Yeah, me either."

He stayed quiet for a bit longer, picking up branches. I noticed that he picked up mostly wet ones, which wouldn't be good for a campfire, but didn't tell him that. He was probably feeling stupid enough.

I hoped the conversation was over, but it wasn't.

"Saya, do you think anyone actually likes me?" Oh no, tough question. I thought for a second, before smiling.

"Yeah, there's someone else that cares deeply for you."

"Saya, I'm not talking about old gramps or Iruka sensei or you. You guys are my friends! I meant, in the other way."

I picked up another branch. "Neither am I."

He blushed. "Y-You mean it? Who is it?"

I smiled again. "You'll see." I was thinking of Hinata, but she didn't want him to know that.

With my arms full of dead branches, I jumped away too fast for him to see. I left Naruto alone to think, and I think that is the first time he's ever done that.

- - - - -

Tazuna was asleep in his tent, and I sighed in relief.

"I really like pink hair, don't you, Sasuke?"

"Sakura, nobody cares about your hair." I said, mostly to myself, and she just scoffed.

"You're jealous because it's better than your old lady white hair."

"Kakashi sensei, may I please fight her? Pretty please?"

"After a mission, perhaps you two may spar for training purposes." He brushed me off, but I smiled and turned to Sakura.

"You're so dead."

She just scoffed. "In your dreams, Saya."

Something in the bushes rustled, and Naruto threw a kunai at it. A white rabbit leaped out harmlessly, but I threw a kunai at it. A white rabbit? Please. These people need to try harder.

Sakura gaped at me. "Saya, you're heartless. That's a defenseless bunny!"

Kakashi, however, turned to me. "Nice eye, Saya. That was a ninja in disguise."

"What?" Naruto asked, and we all watched in horror as the white rabbit transformed into a large masked man, and I recognized him immediately as Zabuza of the seven swordsman.

"You're dead." The man glared at me, and I froze. Flashbacks from the villagers chasing and threatening me pushed at the edge of my mind, but I brushed them off. Now, I could fight back.

A masked ninja jumped out of the woods after him, throwing senbon needles into his neck. Kakashi checked Zabuza's pulse, and sure enough, he was dead.

I cuddled the purring kitten close to my chest as the hunter ninja picked Zabuza up.

"Thank you. I will return him to the hidden Mist at once, where we will dispose of his body properly."

I narrowed my eyes. His chakra levels rose and fell in a smooth motion, signifying that he was lying.

"Liar." I murmured, taking everyone by surprise. "What do you really want with him? I know his body is worth around 300,000 ryo, but that isn't a reason to lie."

The masked kid obviously wasn't expecting this, but he chuckled. "You caught me. I guess I have to dispose of you too." I stared at him wide eyed. He was going to kill me? Was my family reputation so popular that I was in the bingo book?

In a blink, he ran straight towards me, kunai bared.