Promises Kept

A/N: Sorry about the delay I kind of misplaced this chapter for a few days… I had finished it a few days ago on another computer and saved it on a disk then ended up losing the disk. I finally ended up just e-mailing it to myself.

Any ways enough about that let’s get on with the story.

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Team Seven and Haku stop for the night less then twelve miles from Konoha. While they could have easily finished the journey that evening Kakashi decided to allow the others to rest-up and continue in the morning. As they set up camp Kakashi couldn’t help but notice how subdued Naruto was and how his eyes lacked their usual sparkle and joyfulness. ‘I’m sorry Naruto,’ he thinks sadly, ‘I never expected any of you to have to bloody your hands so soon.’

Naruto sits slightly away from the others, leaning against a tree while his eyes remain locked on the dancing flames of the campfire as if hoping they would somehow burn the images from his memory. “Hey dobe,” a voice calls to him though he makes no signs of having even heard them. “Dobe,” the voice calls again. Sasuke nearly growls his frustration as he walks over to Naruto and stands in front of his blonde teammate. “Dobe,” he says again, waving his hand in the other boy’s face.

“I heard you the first time now say what you wanted to say,” Naruto finally replies calmly.

“When we get back I want to spar with you,” the Uchiha replies ignoring Naruto’s seemingly rude behavior.

“No thanks,” Naruto replies, not really bothering to look up at his teammate. “I don’t like the idea of my techniques being copied.” The momentary flash of emotion in Sasuke’s eyes went unnoticed by the blonde who still continues to stare past the raven-haired boy. “I’ll help you with your training if that’s what you want,” he offers, “But I’m not going to let you copy what I worked hard to learn.”

“What’s the mater Dobe, scared I might beat you?” Sasuke asks trying to bait the boy.

“I’m not of you,” Naruto replies now looking down at the ground. “But for you. Your desire to rebuild your clan is admirable,” he tells the other boy, “And I can respect that but your ambition to kill Itachi will only end up getting you killed.”

“What do you know?” Sasuke asks angrily. “You’ve never had everything taken from you so how would you know how I feel?”

“You’re right,” Naruto admits as he looks up at him. “I never had everything taken away but unlike you I never had a family to love me. I never had anything that could e taken away until Raven-niisan took me in.” Naruto sighs as he motions for the others to sit down around him so he doesn’t have to repeat himself.

“My parents died the day I was born,” he tells them after they sit down. “I lived in an orphanage until I was almost four when they finally kicked me out. After that I lived on the streets and had to fend for myself like Haku after her parents’ death.” Sakura and Sasuke are both shocked to hear their teammate’s confession while Haku and Kakashi just looks down sadly having already known this about the blonde shinobi.

“This wouldn’t have been so bad except for the villagers’ constant hatred of me for something that happened the day I was born that I had no control of,” he tells them, “I can’t tell you what it is just yet. Someday I might but till then I ask that you not mention any of this to anyone as no one from our generation is supposed to know anything about it as it is an S-Class Secret. After raven-niisan took me in he started to teach me about being a shinobi and is still training me to be the strongest Shinobi I can be.

“It was during these lessons that he taught me the secret and meaning of true strength,” he says, pausing just long enough to see the almost eager anticipation on Sasuke’s face. “The secret to true strength isn’t to find something worth training or even fighting for,” he tells them, “It’s finding someone worth dying for.”

“What kind of bullshit is that?” Sasuke demands. “Find someone worth dying for, how is that supposed to help me get strong enough to avenge my clan?”

“It’s not,” Naruto answers as both Kakashi and Haku nod their agreement, “It means that if you want to become truly strong then you need to find someone precious enough that you would be willing to give up your life to protect them. Only when you’re willing to sacrifice your own life without a moment’s hesitation then and only then will you know true strength.”

“The Will of Fire,” Kakashi says softly although they all heard him. “When I was still a Genin the Fourth Hokage taught my squad about the Will of Fire,” he tells them. “It wasn’t until after I lost my best friend on during the last Great Shinobi War that I fully understood what he truly meant. The Will of Fire is what connects everyone in Konoha making us all part of a large extended family. It is the desire to protect those who are precious to us it is through that desire that we are able to obtain true strength for it is only when we are wiling to sacrifice ourselves to protect those precious people that a Shinobi’s true strength is revealed.”

“Hai,” Naruto replies, “Raven-niisan taught this to me along with the Code of the True Shinobi. He said that these would guide me to becoming a strong shinobi and that as long as I remained true to these my strength would know no bounds.”

“It sounds like a load of crap to me,” Sasuke tells them. “But if that is what it takes to become stronger then I’ll give them a try,” he adds looking at his Sensei and then to his blonde teammate. “That is if you’re both willing to teach me.”

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They arrive in Konoha the following afternoon and after a brief conversation with the guards at the gate they make their way towards the Hokage’s office to deliver their report. After nearly twenty minutes of relaying their story of the events of their C-Ranked turned A-Ranked mission with the Hokage asking the occasional question they finally come to the reason for Haku’s being there.

“So you wish for me to allow her to join Konoha as a kunoichi?” he asks them while evaluating the possibilities and possible repercussions.

“Hai,” Naruto answers as he steps forward. “She has no allegiance to any Hidden Village nor does she have anywhere else to go. Her combat and medical skills would be a good addition to our forces and while her bloodline makes her a target for execution in Kiri it may prove to be quite valuable to Konoha.”

The Hokage’s almost sudden laugh startles them until he regains his composure and offers the blonde boy a friendly smile. “I see Raven-kun has done a fine job on your diplomacy,” he tells the Genin before turning to look at Haku. “You may stay in Konoha for the time being,” he tells her, “You will undergo a one month probationary period in which you will be monitored by the ANBU. After that time we will test your abilities to determine what your ranking shall be.”

“Thank you Hokage-sama,” Haku bows gratefully.

“You are welcome, Haku-san,” he tells her. “During your probationary period you can stay with Naruto and Raven,” he adds before looking over at the boy in question. “I trust you to show her around and to inform Raven-kun about her situation.”

“Hai Hokage-sama,” Naruto replies.

“You are dismissed,” he tells them before returning to what he was doing before the welcomed interruption. ‘He’s too young to understand the horrors of paperwork,’ he thinks to himself, ‘At least Raven-kun was smart enough to refuse the position when I offered t to him. Poor Naruto you truly have no idea what you are in for when you become Hokage.’

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Naruto lead Haku through the streets of Konoha in relative silence, ignoring the hateful glares and heated whispers as they passed. Haku noticed the way the villagers seemed to almost if not completely despise the blonde boy and was about to ask him about it when he simply shook his head indicating that he didn’t wish to discuss the matter just yet. After nearly an hour of walking they finally arrived at their destination. “Raven-niisan should be home shortly,” he tells her as they remove their footwear inside the doorway before making their way further inside the house.

Haku sat at the informal dinning table near the kitchen while Naruto made them both some sandwiches for lunch. When Naruto finally sat down to eat she decided to ask him the question that has been plaguing her mind since leaving the Hokage’s Office. “Naruto-kun,” she begins, “Why do the villagers hate you?”

Naruto sets his half eaten sandwich down and looks at it sadly. “Because they see me as a monster,” he tells her. He can tell that his admission surprises and shocks her and he debates with himself for a few moments before deciding to tell her his secret. “Since you’re going to be living here you might as well know that I’m the container for the Kyuubi No Kitsune.”

“The Nine-Tailed Fox…” Haku gasps, “I thought the Yondaime killed the demon.”

“No creature alive, human or demon is strong enough to kill Kyuubi-chan,” he tells her. “The best Yondaime was able to do was to seal her inside me.”

“Kyuubi-chan?” Haku asks him, “Why do you call the demon that?”

Naruto smiles warmly at the shocked girl. “Raven-niisan taught me to speak with her to see if she would be willing to help me with my training and she was more then willing seeing as how she still feels like it’s her fault that I’m so hated by the villagers,” he tells her. “Kyuubi-chan may be the most powerful of the Nine Bijuu but she is very kind and gentle. She didn’t attack Konoha like everyone claims but was attacked by mistake and only fought in self-defense.”

“I see,” Haku says looking down at the table. “She is the secret to your power.”

“Not entirely,” Naruto laughs. “I’ll admit that she helped. I mean her healing abilities alone allowed me to recover from Raven-niisan’s sadistic training regiment each night and the knowledge and skills she taught me each night helped with my education and diplomacy but most of it was Raven-niisan’s training and his insistence that I continually work myself to death,” he says with a sound that can only be described as a half chuckle half groan.

“It wasn’t all that bad was it?” a voice asks from behind them. The both turn around to see Raven walking into the kitchen before sitting down beside Naruto. “I mean come on it has made you stronger hasn’t it?” he asks with a smirk before giving the boy a sympathetic look. “Tousan told me about what happened on your mission,” he tells his ward. “I wish that I could tell you that it’ll get easier but I’d only be lying to you. I can say that you eventually learn out to deal with it. Has hard as it is to take a life it is all to often a necessary evil, especially for a shinobi.”

“Hai,” Naruto replies sadly, “I just wish it didn’t have to be.”

“I agree,” Raven tells him “Just remember that if it hadn‘t been you then it would haven been someone else. Sounds cold I know but it’s the truth,” Raven adds. “As much as it hurts you to have been the one to do it keep in mind that by you doing what had to be done you spared someone else from having to go through what you’re going through.” Raven stands up and moves to head out the back door. “Since you just got back from an A-Ranked mission I’ll let you have today and tomorrow off from training,” he tells the boy before heading outside to begin his own training.

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