A Little Kindness

Battle on the bridge 1

   Team 7 had been training harder than ever in an attempt to learn and master their new Jutsu's. Finally at the end of the week they had done just that. While they hadn't mastered their jutsu's they could effectively use them in battle, should the need arise. Which Kakashi was hoping would be later more than sooner. Unfortunately he had a bad feeling in his gut, and if there was one thing he had learned in his career, it was to trust that feeling. "Today is going to be the day isn't it?" He asked himself, as he readied himself for what was to come.

   Kakashi made sure that his team was prepared for he believed was about to go down, and set out a plan for his Genin to follow. He, Sakura, and Sasuke would all head over to the bridge and gaurd Tazuna, as that was the most likely place that Zabuza would strike. While Naruto would stay behind and gaurd Inari and Tsunami, in case Zabuza tried to attack them while they were away. Or if any of Gato's other hired thugs tried to show up. With Naruto having such a close bond with Kurama, Kakashi believed that Naruto would be able to stall and delay Zabuza enough for backup to arrive. Which would be summoned from the shadow clone that Kakashi was going to leave with them, while the others would be taking along a clone of Naruto. With the plan set out and in motion, everyone quicky went about their business.

   "This is soooooo boring." Naruto complained as he sat on the roof of Tazuna's house. "I'll admit gaurd and lookout missions are some of my least favorite to do. But they are necessary, especially in this case." Kakashi's clone lectured his student as he too was on the roof keeping and eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Doing a complete sweep of the area with his sharingan, every so often. "I know, I just wish something would happen." Naruto continued to conplain, which made Kurama facepalm at just how childish his host could be at times. "Try and think of this as training, and it won't be so boring hmmm." Kakashi suggested as he had just finished another sweep. "Do you sense any chakra signatures?" The clone asked after a few seconds. "Nothing within my 30 kilometer range sensei." Naruto replied back as he was sitting with his eyes closed, and a very concentrated look on his face. "They could be masking their chakra. Why not check with your other senses?" "Hai sensei." Naruto said as he opened his eyes, which were now red with a slit in each eye, showing that he was using Kurama enhanced senses. "Nothing that sounds suspicious, wind, leaves blowing, birds flying. No talking or footsteps. I don't smell anything different either." Naruto said as he used his senses. "I don't smell anything either." Kakashi responded after a few seconds. "Wait!!, you smell that?" The clone responded almost urgently. Which caused Naruto to reactivate his Kyuubi senses. "Is that blood?" Naruto asked as he strained his senses to pick up anything else. "Indeed it is, do you hear anything?" The clone asked as he uncovered his sharingan again. "Yeah, its faint, very far off. I can hear a boar squealing in pain." Naruto explained as he pointed in the direction of the noise. "Could be a hunter, but I don't think anyone is stupid enough to go out that far away from the rest of the town with the amount of men Gato has lurking around. So most likely it's a couple of his hired thugs. Naruto make a clone to go check it out." The clone instructed. To which Naruto obeyed as he sent out his clone to search the area.

   After a few minutes Naruto knew all he needed to know. "Big group of them. Around 10 or so headed this way." Naruto explained after he got his clones memories. "Good job Naruto, let's go warn Inari and Tsunami. And have them hide somewhere." The clone suggested, but stopped when he looked at the panicked look on Naruto's face. "What's wrong?" The clone asked urgently. "They're going to get Inari." Naruto yelled. Before he seemingly disappeared in a red blur. Before the clone could even ask him what he ment. Not knowing what was going on, he quickly decided to follow after Naruto.

   "Well what do we have here?" A random thug asked as he looked down at a trembling Inari. "Looks to me like a little birdie has gone too far away from it's nest." A second thug said from the right. "What should we do with him?" A shorter thug said from behind Inari. "How about we kill him, I haven't killed anything in ages." Said a tall skinny one to the right. "Jinzo you literally just killed a boar less than two minutes ago you braindead idiot." Said a fourth thug that was standing beside the first one. "You call that a kill Kenta, poor thing was already dying anyway." Said Jinzo as he tried to defend himself. "It was grazing in the middle of a field!! You chopped its head off before it could do anything!! Kenta yelled in exasperation. Beyond tired of his cohorts antics. "Damn thing didn't even put up a fight." Jinzo continued on as if he didn't hear Kenta's growing frustration. "What and you think the pipsqueak will put up a fight?" The second one asked, as he entered himself into the conversation. "Enough of the yammering, I'm gonna kill the kid, then we're gonna go kill the woman." Said the first one, who was obviously in charge. But before he could even take one step he, along with the rest of the thugs, were all blown back by a powerful wind.

   "You're not touching either one of them." Came a very angry voice. All of the thugs looked up from their positions on the ground to see a very pissed off Naruto standing protectively in front of Inari. "N-naruto!?" Inari exclaimed in surprise. "Inari I'm taking you back to your mom, no arguing." Naruto said as he made a clone. Which proceeded to scoop up Inari and run away with him. "Hey get back here brat!" One of the thugs yelled as he took off after the clone. Only to receive a kunai to his hamstring for his effort, as he fell painfully to the ground. "You have to deal with me now, and unfortunately for you I'm in a bad mood at the moment. So I'll give you one chance to turn around and leave. And nothing will happen to you."

   "And we're supposed to be scared of a pint sized brat like you?" Jinzo said while laughing, as he was once again unaware of the situation he was in. And he got punished for it, as Naruto in a burst of speed apperaed behind him, and knocked him out with a roundhouse kick to the back of his head. "I'm not going to ask again." Naruto threatened with an aura of seriousness surrounding him. Which the rest of the thugs, must have caught onto. As the rest of them picked themselves up of the ground, and readied themselves for a fight. Some of them with weapons and others with their bare hands.

   "And just like that they all charged at Naruto at once. Who had deactivated his chakra cloak, but not his advanced senses. And was using them to stay ahead of the thugs. Using his increased sight, smell, and hearing to keep track and predict what the thugs were going to do next. In a way similar to the sharingan, without the ability to predict your movements. As Naruto dodged each and every incoming strike that the thugs attempted, as he waited for them to give him an opening. But quickly realizing that they weren't going to give him one, he decided to make his own. Quickly taking out a kunai, he threw at one of the thugs incoming sword strikes deflecting it. As the kunai bounced off of the sword and pierced another thugs foot, pinning him to the ground. As another thug ran into him, knocking them both over. Now having his opening, Naruto quickly went on the offensive. Taking out one the thugs with a well placed uppercut. Before making a couple of clones. And using the smoke they created as a distraction to take out another thug, with a roundhouse kick to the stomach, which no doubt broke a few bones.

   As the clones teamed up and took out another thug with a series of coordinated strikes. Before they were taken out by a different thug, who cut through them with a broadsword. Leaving the entire area covered in smoke, and blocking everyone's vision. Right as Naruto lept to the side, as he heard a kunai being thrown from behind him. As it went soaring straight toward another thug, piercing his heart and ending him. As Naruto turned towards Jinzo, who had finally pulled the kunai from his leg, and was slowly hobbling over toward him. As Naruto lept toward him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Then kicked him in his bad leg, and threw him over his head toward the remaining thugs. Taking them all out, except for the lead thug. As he and Naruto squared off against each other, Naruto pulled out a couple of kunai to defend himself against the thugs' tanto.

   With a primal rage filled scream the head thug ran at Naruto, who merely sidestepped the attempted charge. Which just enraged the head thug even more as he started randomly swinging his tanto, in an attempt to decapitate Naruto, who easily blocked every swing. Before throwing one of his kunai into the leaders leg, forcing him to a knee, as he screamed in pain. Before kneeing him in the face, and breaking his nose. Which caused the head thug to scream yet again, as he fell over backwards onto the ground. Then Naruto threw his other kunai at the leader's hand, cutting off one his fingers and making him drop his tanto. But before he could scream for a third time, he was out cold, as Naruto punched him in the face.

   Kakashi appeared right as Naruto had finished dusting himself off. Quickly looking around the clearing he gave a small impressed whistle at Naruto's handy work. "Not bad, but where's Inari?" The clone asked after it's quick assessment. "I sent a clone to take him back to the house." Naruto replied as he deactivated his senses. "Why dont you head on back, I'll finish things here." Kakashi's clone suggested/demanded as he started tying up one of the thugs. "Sure, we need to prepare if anymore of them show up." Naruto said as he got ready to leave. "I don't think anymore will show up." The clone said, making Naruro stop in his tracks." What do you mean?" He asked as he turned toward the clone. "They sent a group of ten thugs, I bet they were hoping to overpower us with sheer numbers. They probably thought that ten would be enough to get the job done. And likely didn't plan on sending any backup. Just head back to the house and rest up. Wait and see if the others need you." The clone explained as he finished tying up the fourth thug. "Hai sensei." Naruto replied as he disappeared in a red blur.