Reflections

"He's usually around training Ground 3," Naruto explained, leading the way with his hands behind his back. "At the memorial stone."

It was the next morning, and the sun had risen above the horizon and painted the sky a beautiful bright blue.

"I see," Rin replied, looking ahead with a frown, keeping an eye on the road for anyone that seemed overly familiar. "Because of…what happened?"

"Yeah, probably," Naruto replied.

It had been requested that Naruto's parents, a term he never thought he'd be able to use for people that were actually alive, stay hidden and be relocated to a safe-house where Naruto would be able to visit or live with them until they were ready to be formally reintroduced to Konoha.

Naruto was thinking visit. He was still pretty ambivalent about the whole thing.

Rin, however, was just a Chunin who died in the previous war and thus was significantly less recognizable. Which meant that she was free to look for her wayward sensei, so long as she kept her mouth shut about what happened and avoided anyone that might've recognized her, which she summarized as Maito Gai.

"Naruto!"

The orange genin looked up and saw Sakura and Sasuke running up to him.

"Hey, Sakura! Sasuke," Naruto greeted with a wave and Sakura hugged him tightly. "Do you guys know where sensei is?"

"No," Sasuke shook his head. "We were just looking for you to start our training. Who's this?"

"Wait, yeah," Sakura loosened her hug just slightly to give a suspicious glance at Rin.

"I'm Nohara Rin," Rin answered with a bright smile. "I'm looking for Kakashi-san and Naruto agreed to help me."

"Did you try training ground three?" Sasuke asked.

"We were just on our way there," Naruto replied. "Guys want to come?"

"Sure," Sakura replied, letting go. "Why does she need to find Kakashi?"

"Look, I can't tell you much right now," Naruto said, getting really quiet and cautious as he could as he looked in every direction. "But Daisuke's involved."

Sakura froze, rapidly switching her gaze from Naruto to Rin, then back again. Sasuke was staring directly into Naruto's eyes, his skin having gone pale and his hands were shaking.

Rin just looked at the two with surprise. "Um…can I ask what happened?"

Sasuke looked at Rin and frowned, digging into his pockets and retrieving a bingo-book. "Here, his entry is on page one-oh-one, you can read it on the way."

"Great, and guys? Can you keep an eye out for Bushy-brow's sensei?" Naruto asked quickly. "The Hokage's got some big announcement and Rin's a part of it…and he'd recognize her."

"Stealth escort," Sasuke nodded, taking a position directly to Rin's left. "Got it."

"We can do that," Sakura replied, taking the position to Rin's right.

"Awesome, let's go," Naruto said, pointing forward.

Rin opened the bingo-book and started to read aloud, though quickly. "Shimoda Daisuke. Triple S-class threat. Wanted for unlawful dissemination of S-class secrets and antagonism to Konohagakure. No ryo bounty. If encountered: Flee on sight. Do not fight or attempt to apprehend. Do not refer to his age or call him a 'child'. If retreat is impossible, kowtow and beg for mercy; you will probably get it. Report sightings directly to the Hokage upon return to the village."

She closed the book, eyes wide as dinner plates. "I didn't think a Triple S-class designation was possible."

"That's just Daisuke for you." Sakura's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the streets. She was startled for just a second. "Green beast at three o'clock."

"Walk faster, don't make eye-contact," Sasuke took command. "Naruto, if green beast moves to engage, use clones to get Rin out of the engagement zone."

"Got it. I'll also use mass shadow clones to cause a distraction," Naruto muttered in reply.

Maito Gai was standing with his Genin team, having treated them all to dango sticks from a vendor stand set up down the street directly to their right. He was talking loudly, boisterously as he usually did.

Naruto kept his hands in the seal for his clone jutsu inside his sleeves. Sasuke was fingering a smoke-bomb to use in case of emergency. Sakura was going over possible scenarios and lines she'd have to use to pull Maito Gai's attention either away from the team, or onto her so the others could make a smooth getaway.

Rin was just looking at Gai, lost in her thoughts as the energetic and boisterous boy had grown into an energetic and boisterous man.

He had grown just as Kakashi had.

She brought her gaze down to the road.

The world had gone over twelve years into the future and here she was, having been brought back as she was after she had impaled herself on Kakashi's Chidori. It had to be done. She knew it had to be done. For the safety of the village, for Kakashi's safety. But now, for her second chance at life? Her choice complicated things.

So, while they passed the road down which Maito Gai was standing, training his own Genin team. It was had not to wonder how things would've happened if she was never kidnapped by those Kiri-Nin. If she had never become the host of the Three-Tailed beast.

Would she have been able to train her own team of Genin? Have her own little team of students running around, carrying forth the torch. Ideally, she and Kakashi would've been together and have had their own little set of munchkins running around, bringing smiles to their parents.

Rin let out a breath as they left the village proper and started on the path to the training grounds.

They came to training ground three and the group moved off the path. Cutting through the trees, they saw Kakashi standing at the memorial stone, flanked on either side by Chunin.

Naruto held a hand up for the group to stop. "Last time Sensei saw her, he ran. We don't want to freak him out again."

"Take it slow and easy," Sasuke whispered back.

"Why would Sensei run?" Sakura asked with a frown.

"He has good reason." Rin sighed. "It was my fault, that's all you need to know."

Sakura blinked. "Okay."

"S ranked secret, Sakura," Naruto told her with an apologetic look over his shoulder. "It'll come out in a few days, anyway."

"Well, that's a relief," Sakura sighed, folding her arms. "With all the secrets I've gotten involved in, I was almost wondering if I was breaking the law by breathing."

Sasuke shushed everyone. "They're talking."

"I should've guessed he'd wind up doing something like this," Kakashi said hollowly. "He just thinks of something that seems like a good idea and just…does it."

"Sensei, isn't it a good idea, though?" Nichiren asked with a frown. "He brought her back."

"I mean, yes," Kakashi said. "It is. I just wasn't prepared for it. Not even a little."

"It's a huge shock," Hisako said kindly. "It really is. But now you can talk about it and you can make things right."

"I killed her, Hisako-chan." Kakashi sounded broken. "You can't just talk to someone about that."

Naruto stiffened and looked to Sakura, who was mouthing the word 'what' at him. Sasuke's own eyes were wide.

Rin adopted a resolute expression and stepped out from the group. "Excuse me."

"Wait-wait-wait," Sakura attempted to reach forward to stop her from leaving. "You don't know if he's going too-"

"Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered. "I think she's right, here."

Sakura looked at him, then nodded. "Okay, we'll watch from here."

Rin slowly started walking forward, hands held behind her back. She stopped when she came within five paces of Kakashi, and both Hisako and Nichiren were looking at her.

"She's right behind me, isn't she?" Kakashi asked with a haunted voice.

"Brown hair, purple cheek tattoos?" Hisako asked in return, frowning deeply as she examined the returned Kunoichi with worry.

Kakashi's breath caught in his chest and he, glanced ever so slightly over his shoulder before snapping his attention forward.

Nichiren also examined the new arrival and frowned. But then he walked around his sensei and bowed in greeting. "Hi. I'm Nakamura Nichiren, it's nice to meet you."

"Nohara Rin." She returned the bow. "I'm not sure…how much you know, but I can't say much. It's an S-class secret for now."

"Sensei told us Daisuke brought you back from the dead," Nichiren answered flatly. "Because he can do that now. Apparently."

"Keep your voice down," Rin rebuked with a frown, gesturing to team 7 hiding behind the bushes. "We do have onlookers."

Nichiren saw Team 7 and went completely pale.

"Nichiren, you idiot," Hisako barked and glared. She turned to the girl, appraising her as if she was a potential enemy. "So, why are you here? To haunt our sensei for the accident?"

If Rin was angry, she did a good job not showing it. "I'm here to apologize, and explain."

"Apologize," Hisako repeated disbelievingly. "For what?"

Rin took a deep breath. "When we were a team, I was abducted by Kiri nin. They sealed the Sanbi into me with the intention of the seal breaking when I was returned to Konoha, and sealed away my ability to explain what happened."

"Oh," Hisako replied quietly, her stand-offish attitude melting instantly. "You were being pursued."

"Yes. He created a Chidori and I got in front to it to save the village," Rin took a deep breath and shook the memories from her mind. "But I never got the chance to explain and say I'm sorry. Now I've been brought back and Kakashi was the first person I wanted to see. I never wanted to put him through that. Ever."

Hisako took a few steps back, letting Rin have an unobstructed path back to her sensei. "Well, welcome back. Is Daisuke doing well?"

"Shimoda-sama looked well when I spoke to him," Rin replied. "He mentioned that he and the Third had some misgivings, but I don't want to pry."

"Double S-class secret," Nichiren answered with a nod.

Rin hummed, then she looked up at the Jounin whose back was still turned to her. "Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi felt like his legs were made of ice and he was breaking out into a cold-sweat under his mask. His lungs had almost stopped functioning again and his eye was leaking.

"Kakashi-san, please talk to me," Rin asked, her expression full of concern as she extended a hand to try to take his. "Please. Say something. Anything. Please."

Kakashi finally gasped and took in air and was able to turn, ever so slowly, to face his old teammate. "What can I say, Rin-chan?"

Doing everything he could to keep the shaking in his limbs from stopping him, he knelt down to Rin's eyelevel. Only his single eye was showing, little streams pouring from it and soaking into his mask. "What can I possibly say? I'm sorry I killed you? I'm sorry I broke my promise to Obito in the worst way possible?"

"Kakashi," Rin sighed, reaching out a hand.

"There is nothing I can possibly say that could make this okay," Kakashi continued, his voice shaking. "Nothing that could ever make up for how I failed you and Obito."

Rin frowned, then turned it into a small smile. "Well, I'm glad to be back."

Kakashi was speechless again.

"And I'm glad I got to see you again," Rin continued. "I'm sorry for how much I put you through and I hope that we can be friends again."

"We never stopped being friends," Kakashi hollowly objected. "Never. I came to visit you at the memorial stone every day to make sure you knew how things were going."

"Kakashi-san, thank you," Rin said, her smile growing sad. "But I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything," Kakashi breathed.

"I need you to forgive yourself," Rin replied. "Okay? Please try that. For me."

Kakashi's head fell and he stared at his hands, opening and closing them reflexively. He suddenly felt the urge to wash them again, as he had in the days immediately following Rin's…untimely death. But he looked up and saw Rin. Not bleeding, not angrily berating him for murdering her, not dead, but alive and smiling at him.

"Okay," Kakashi finally breathed. "Okay, I'll try. For you."

Rin rushed in and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck with a joyous shout.

Back in the forest where Naruto was watching, the two remaining members of Cell Thirteen approached them. Hisako placed a hand on her hip. "So, did Daisuke bring anyone else back?"

"Yeah, but I can't tell you who," Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "I just found out last night…wait, you don't think sensei's going to get in trouble for this, is he?"

"No, I think we can issue a pardon right here," An old voice replied behind them.

Team 7 all jumped five feet in the air from startlement and whirled around, only to see that the Hokage had caught up with them.

"Hokage-sama," Hisako bowed. "Thank you for pardoning our sensei. And us. We didn't know it was a secret."

"It's no trouble," Hiruzen waved it off, puffing on his pipe with a smug, satisfied smile. "Besides, it's being announced in a few days. I can only imagine the look on Onoki and A's faces when they find out."

Hiruzen took cover behind the bushes with Naruto. "I am very, very glad to see that happen finally. When he first saw her last night, he ran as far away as he possibly could."

"Old man, can I…tell them?" Naruto asked.

The Hokage puffed on his pipe. "Yes. But before you do, I want to impress on everyone here that I will be watching all of you very carefully over the next couple of days and that your pardons don't excuse future abuses of the law. Remember that."

Nichiren just blinked. "I'm out. I'll just find out with everyone else."

"Aw, Nichiren-senpai-" Naruto started to whine but he was gone in the blink of an eye. "Hmph. Well, whatever. I can't wait to introduce you to my Mom, Sakura."

Sakura made to protest with the obvious, 'Naruto, your parents are dead', but then her brain caught up to her mouth as it was trained to do and shut it before she could stick her tabi in it. Her eyes went wide. "He brought your parents back?"

Naruto simply nodded with a happy smile.

With a joyous laugh, Sakura hugged Naruto again, holding as tightly as she could. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"

Of course, they were quickly separated. By Sasuke, who was staring into Naruto's eyes with his two-tomoe Sharingan. "Explain. Now."

"Woah, woah, woah," Hisako placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Take it easy."

"There's not really much to tell," Naruto replied quickly. "I got summoned to the Hokage's office and there they were."

Sasuke immediately let Naruto go and went into a kowtow before the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, please. I beg of you, if you have any idea where Daisuke-sama is, please tell me. I have to ask him to revive my clan. Please."

"If I knew where he was, I would let you go to him," Hiruzen replied. "Especially now. But I have no idea where he is. Our only lead is that he has a base underground somewhere and that it's quite large."

"We'll find him, Sasuke," Naruto said resolutely. "He'll bring them back, I know it. We should go talk to Ino."

"Why her?" Sasuke asked, slowly rising.

"Because she pulled some memories from Daisuke when she was inside his head," Naruto replied quickly. "If anyone would have at least some idea of where his base is, it would be her."

"Mitarashi-Sensei," Ino approached the special Jounin with a small bow. "I was hoping to ask you a few questions."

Anko, who was feeling the headache from yet another bender she had gone on last night, looked at Ino with a very disinterested eye. She was sitting at Ichiraku ramen with a chicken-flavored bowl of ramen in front of her, designed specifically to help one handle and fight off hang-overs. She almost told the brat to scram right there.

But this is one of Daisuke's friends, Anko reminded herself. One of ones who actually cared about him, at any rate.

So, she just sighed. "Alright. What is it?"

"How did Daisuke come to hate the Hidden Villages in general?" Ino asked, taking a seat beside her.

"Ino-chan, what can I get you?" Ayame asked with a bright smile.

"The usual," Ino replied, immediately turning her attention back to Anko.

Anko simply finished chewing on the noodles that she had stuffed into her mouth. "I don't know."

"But you were his partner," Ino replied, disconcerted. "You'd know more about him than anyone else, wouldn't you?"

"I know that he's one of the kindest, most generous boys the world will ever know." Anko stirred her ramen with a depressed, apathetic expression. "And that he's only been met with betrayal and backstabbing in return, except from a few people."

I wish I was one of the exceptions, Anko thought to herself.

"So, you think that the people in the village turned him against the village?" Ino asked with an inquisitive expression.

"It would make sense," Anko replied.

"Here you go, Ino," Ayame delivered the bowl with a smile.

Ino paid quickly.

"What're we talking about?" Ayame asked curiously.

"Mitarashi-sensei was Daisuke's partner, so I'm asking her to help me figure out his mindset," Ino replied with a determined expression. "But she seems out of it."

"I've got a hangover," Anko groaned, rubbing her eyes with one of her hands. "So yeah, I'm not up to one-hundred percent."

"Oh," Ino said. "I didn't realize."

"Is fine," Anko waved off.

"So, what did you ask her?" Ayame asked.

"Why Daisuke hates the villages," Anko replied. "She's trying to figure out how he got there."

"I know he thinks Jutsu should be public," Ayame ticked off on her finger. "And that the village enabled behaviors he finds shameful. You told me that. The main question feels like it should be 'why does he find being willing to serve the village shameful'."

"Anko said he's dealt with a lot of betrayal," Ino replied.

"That is definitely true," Ayame nodded. "For most of his life, no one really spoke to him unless they wanted something."

"That sounds like a pretty good reason to hate the villages," Anko replied breathily. "You know, in combination with all the backstabbing and stuff."

"It doesn't feel like that's right, though," Ino said. "It feels like he just hates the world. As in, he has this vision, this idea of what the world should be like and since the world isn't it, he hates it."

"Do you think it has something to do with that memory you showed me?" Ayame asked interestedly. "You know, the one with the wagons?"

"What's this now?" Anko asked, letting the clump of noodles fall from her chopsticks.

"I pulled a memory," Ino said, pulling a storage scroll from her pocket, unfurling it on the counter and pulling from it a single, folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and Anko couldn't understand what she was seeing. "He sitting here…"

She explained what each square was, and picture slowly started to make sense. Daisuke was sitting in some kind of wagon and hit another wagon and then darkness.

"Do you have any idea what this is, Anko?" Ino asked with a frown.

Anko just shook her head. "Nope. He never told me about it."

"I just wish I could ask him." Ino shook her head. "…I wish he would've come see me before telling Naruto about his…you know."

"Why?" Ayame asked.

"I could've helped him talk through it, help him figure out a way to tell Naruto that didn't wind up with him a Missing Nin," Ino suggested with a deep frown. "I could've offered to go with him, to try to make sure he didn't get himself killed…or try to get him to spend the night at least…"

Ino stopped herself dead in her tracks, her cheeks pink. She realized that, yes, she did say that out loud and yes, it was very embarrassing.

Anko just chuckled, sipping up the last of the broth. "Yeah, good luck with that last one. Anyway, I got to head up to the mission desk, I'm helping dole out D-ranks today."

"See you later, Mitarashi-sama," Ayame waved while Ino buried her head in her hands.

Get him to spend the night, Anko shook her head. How is one girl so smart yet so dumb?

Anko put her hands in her pockets and continued to walk toward the mission office. She looked up at Hokage Rock and found her expression shift into a frown as she saw Hiruzen's stony face sticking out amongst the heroes of the village.

She looked down and kicked a can of elixir down the path.

What would I even do if I saw Daisuke-kun again? Anko thought to herself in a depressed slump. Apologize? No. He's heard too many of those. Especially from me. Apologies are worthless.

Anko looked both ways as the empty can fell into the storm drain.

Definitely offer to go with him. Anko nodded. Definitely offer to help him with anything he's doing. Not that he needs help. Support, then. Give him moral support. Offer to go with him, serve him and support him in anything he needs. I need to make restitution for how I failed him.

She came to the gate and slowly pulled it open. He pulls the seal off my shoulder, visits me in the hospital and helps me train back to fighting shape and how do I thank him? Shout at him over a mistake, hold a kunai to his throat when he gets justifiably angry at his teammate and then don't support him, again, when he brings Sarutobi's crimes to light.

I could host a tea ceremony for him, Anko thought, perking up, only to lose it a second later. No, Daisuke doesn't like tea. Which is weird, but okay.

There was a thought, niggling in the back of her head. A reminder, something she wasn't wanting to think about. Daisuke wanted me.

She knew that Daisuke lusted after her. It was flattering, in a way, getting the attention of such a powerful shinobi, even if he was only twelve. Well, thirteen, now. She also knew that, from her time spent with him and her time as his partner, that the lust wasn't the reason he stayed with her and helped her. It was because of his devotion to doing the right thing, even if he couldn't always see clearly what it was.

And he lusted for her even when seeing the real her; the damaged science experiment that was dumped like refuse once she stopped being useful. The insecure girl who just wanted to be accepted by the village in spite of the things her traitor sensei made her do.

Lust wasn't new, though. Lots of people lusted after her. Young men, old men, hot men, ugly men. It was something she learned to brush off as she adopted the behavior of a blood-thirsty nymphomaniac as a public façade to stop people from looking so closely.

But she didn't adopt the façade with Daisuke, and he was still attracted to her. But he didn't try to put on airs to attract her or try to tell her pretty little lies. He was always perfectly, brutally, matter-of-factly honest with her. He didn't care if it might've hurt his non-existent chances with her and he certainly didn't care that she was a damaged science-experiment. If he didn't want to tell her something, he didn't tell her. If he did, he did. It was that simple.

It was that simplicity that she liked about Daisuke.

It was that simplicity of his that made her lust back.

Anko sighed as that thought crossed her mind, and she hit her head on the gate bars once, twice.

And that's why it was so easy to turn on him. Anko was frowning deeply out of shame. I shouldn't have felt that way. It was wrong. Is wrong. Still wrong. He's only thirteen and I'm almost to the age where no one would actually want me for anything serious. Needed to put some distance between him and me. Suggest we maybe were just like a brother and sister, get mad at him over stupid things so he would stop looking at me like that…but I wanted him to look at me like that. So, I just let him keep coming back…

She was keenly aware that her twenty-fifth birthday was this year. The saying that no one wanted a fruit cake after the twenty-fifth, even if she wasn't sure where it was from, felt very true. She felt like there no real chance of her ever being able to settle down and have kids, even though that was exactly what she had wanted to do. Her reputation as the village bicycle, even if earned only by her persona, didn't allow for much in the way of anything long term.

But if I saw him again, should I make the offer? Anko asked, moving to the academy building. I mean, I believe the kid deserves a harem of willing slaves. There's no question in my mind about that. But the idea of sharing a bed with him? It makes me feel queasy.

Anko pushed open the door. The worst part is that I'd probably enjoy it. All that strength of his? And his speed? Hm…

"Hey, Anko!" Iruka called with a wave of his hand. "Good to see you! I was afraid you wouldn't be in today."

"Yeah, had a bad hangover," Anko replied, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly with a smile. "The boss hasn't come in yet, has he?"

"He did, actually," Iruka said.

Anko's face fell. The Hokage knows I'm late. Crap!

"He came with a crate of D-rank scrolls," Iruka explained, gesturing. "We're to hand them out to every Genin team today – the Hokage's got this big announcement planned for tomorrow. Also, he said that he didn't care that you were late, just that you might need to stay a bit later."

Well, that's okay, Anko let out a sigh of relief. "Did you say anything to him?"

"No, but I did notice you've been on more than a couple benders lately," Iruka replied with a concerned frown. "Anything I can help with?"

"You can wet my kunai for me," Anko said with a dangerous grin, balancing a kunai on her finger by the tip. "I'm thirsty."

"On second thought, never mind." Iruka's expression shifted to one that was mortified, then he started being very, very busy with paperwork.

Being back on the subject of Daisuke.

I should probably make the offer when I see him next, Anko thought morosely. She felt a little sick with shame at herself. He wants me, I want him, I owe him and I might enjoy it enough to get over the fact that he's thirteen.

She took a deep breath. So, there's my plan, I guess, if I see him again. Apologize, beg to come with him, offer to share myself with him and finally, finally, make some restitution to the boy I betrayed.

Who knows, maybe he'll want to wait, too, Anko thought with some level of hope. I mean, he is a giant prude so it's not that unlikely...

Of course, I don't think I'll ever see him again. Anko started moping over the morning's paperwork everyone at the mission desk had to start when they got in. I think I truly scared him off. Probably better for him, he can find a girl that didn't stab him in the back a million times after saving her from her sensei.

"Alright, so, the bridge is finished," I said, looking over my shoulder at the fine handiwork that I had wrought. "So, if you guys don't mind, I'd like to get your money situation squared away so I can pay everyone for the work they just lost."

Let's be honest, the bridge wasn't just good because it invalidated Gato's Shipping empire. It was good because it ensured a lot of good, hardworking men good, honest work for a long time. Which I just ended by just finishing the darn thing.

Tazuna, the bridge-builder was speechless.

"Seriously, I got a pallet of ryo right here," I said, bringing said pallet of insane amounts of ryo out from my storage scrolls and setting it on the ground ahead of me with Chakra-strings. "And I know everyone needs to get paid. So…"

"Now hold on just a second!" Tazuna shouted, pointing at me. "Just who are you?"

"No one of consequence."

"No one of consequence my eye!" Tazuna now looked outraged at my casual disregard for his demand. "I demand to know who you are? No one can just build a whole bridge from nothing and then pull money out of nowhere to pay the men they just put out of work."

"Fair enough." I shrugged with an amused smile. "My name is Shimoda Daisuke. I'm an ex-ninja and I wanted to help. Unless you don't want the money…"

"No, no, no," Tazuna immediately put his hands up to stop me from going. "We want the money. We just, uh, needed to know who to name the bridge after."

"I wouldn't go that far." I smiled genuinely. "But I'm flattered. Thank you. Now, you have a ledger or something that tracks who gets paid what?"

"Yes, come inside," Tazuna said, gesturing me to follow him into the shed behind him. I did, and it was just a small office with a desk and a ledger. Two chairs on wheels, which he sat at and offered to me. "Now, we had…"

As he explained to me about how much everyone was getting paid, I was running calculations on how much money that would wind up being all at once and I wound up realizing something. A thirty-person construction crew, making that pitiful amount… "Wait, hang on."

"What's wrong?" Tazuna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, by my calculations, I actually have enough ryo to pay them all an equal amount of money that's greater than what they were making," I pointed out with a nod. "Well, everyone except for you. You would make a quarter less. But it would be even."

I was testing him. Because I'm a god, I guess, and that's what we do. Or something. Anyway, managers typically made more than the average peon because leadership is hard. Nothing really wrong with that, in my opinion. I wanted to see what he thought of his men.

Tazuna just snorted. "Like I care. you just finished the bridge and solved all our problems. I can take a small pay-cut for that."

"Cool," I said. "Let's get everyone paid and then you can take your new fortune home with you."

"Hey," Tazuna stopped me from leaving. "Thanks, kid. I mean it."

…wait.

I'm not mad.

I'm not mad!

I'm actually not mad!

"You're welcome," I finally replied with a smile on my face as I opened the door. "You mind getting everyone in line so I can pay them?"

"You got it."

So, the old man called the group of worried, angry, disgruntled construction workers together. "Everyone! You're getting paid for all the time you lost on the bridge. The ex-ninja here has enough money to actually give you all a bonus!"

Shame it actually cuts my savings in half, but meh. It's money, who cares?

Actually, I could probably…hm…

That's an idea to use later.

For now, time to pay everyone.

The pallet of Ryo was quickly disseminated between all the workers, gathered in large rucksacks that I provided. With jutsu. Because I can do that. The men were happy, I was happy, everything was good. I turned to Tazuna. "Okay, I'm going to put some protections on this bridge so it can't be easily destroyed and maybe try putting some guards because I know Gato is going to hire some ninja to destroy the thing. Probably Kirigakure, because he has a standing arrangement with them."

"Are they going to come after us?" Tazuna asked with a frown.

Ooh, valid point. Especially since I know Tazuna because he had to hire bodyguards. But the bridge is finished, and it's finished because of me. So, in theory, he should be moving his targets. Tazuna's just a bridge builder. Buuuut… "I don't think so. I'd head home, my friend."

Tazuna looked into my eyes.

Charisma Check Success: 10/6.

"Alright," Tazuna said, grabbing his rucksack and shouldering it. "You have anywhere to stay?"

"Yeah, I've got a place," I replied with a smile.

"Goodbye, Shimoda-sama," Tazuna bade farewell with a wave, walking off the bridge and making his way home.

First thing is first.

Reinforcement Field.

With just a stomp of my foot, the bridge became nigh-indestructible. It would only last a few days, until the chakra stores that I gave it wore out, but that's all I needed. Second, was to potentially summon some body guards.

Summoning Jutsu.

"Hey, we actually got summoned for once!" Captain Shizo was grinning like how penguins grinned – the muscles around their stiff beaks curling up. "Alright, what can we do you for, Daisuke?"

"How do you guys feel about long-term guard duty?" I asked them.

"How long we talking, here?" Shizo asked.

"Thinking a few weeks at least," I replied.

"Captain, this would be a great time to practice non-arctic combat tactics and maneuvers," Masato pointed out, raising his flipper in the direction of the ocean. "And the weather's actually pretty nice here."

It was misty and foggy and fairly chilly so…yeah. I guess they would think the weather is nice. "Just stick around and protect this bridge that I just built. If anyone tries to blow it up, slap them around but try not to kill them unless you have too."

"We looking at common riff-raff or Shinobi for combatants?" Shizo asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Both," I said. Then I had an epiphany. "Wait, wait, wait. Wait right there, let me grab something really quick."

FTG seal at my feet, just in case, and teleported to the Vault.

What are the odds of Konoha getting involved in this bridge incident in spite of the fact that I just did Naruto's job for him? And what are the odds of Naruto actually being involved? Honestly, I don't know. Probably pretty slim.

I was in my office, and my eyes locked on a wooden container with half a tailed-beast lodged in it. I grabbed it and went back to the bridge. "Okay!"

Intelligence Check Success: 10/10.

Fuinjutsu Check Success: 100/100

I engraved a seal at the top of the canister. "If you see a hyperactive, blonde ninja in an orange jumpsuit, he's a friend of mine. Don't hurt him. Instead, poke him in the stomach with this, this end first. Then de-summon yourselves."

It does two things.

Number one, it lets me know when Naruto got poked with a stick. Second, it injects his seal with the Fox's other half, meaning he has the full Kyuubi. I'll probably need to be there to smooth over the injection, hence the seal letting me know when it's been popped.

I wonder what the Kyuubi is going to feel like when I'm in person with it?

Guess I'll find out.

"You got it Shimoda," Shizo nodded, handing the canister to Riku. Then he turned to face the squad. "Men! We need to immediately scout the area. Engage in stealth maneuvers. Masato, get started on a map of area surrounding the bridge. Riku, secure provisions from the wildlife around the area. Get us fish, man! Rookie, you're with me, we're going to find a secure point to establish a basecamp, somewhere that's got good sightlines on the bridge. Move out!"

They got on their stomachs and left, zipping across the bridge and into the water below.

Next stop, Anko!

Well, no. No, no, no.

I need to be patient with this.

Let's take a couple days. Figure out how to make this right.

First thing is first, learn how to make Dango. Because I need a new hobby, and I remember how much I love all things confectionary, I think that hobby might be baking. Like cookies, cake, pies…and Anko likes dango. So, I'm going learn how to make Dango, make a bouquet and present her with it when I show up at her doorstep.

Then I'll need to get into the right mindset, which I'll go into more detail later.

…before I go. Should I just go ahead and kill Gato?

That's trickier than it sounds.

Scumbag or not, the man is the leader of a large company that is currently providing more than a few honest men honest jobs. If I kill him, that company goes bust and all those honest men go without pay, which is bad.

But he also causes a lot of pain as a criminal and while it might be painful in the short-run, having him and his organization gone will be better long term, which is my general thing.

…alright, fine.

Let's go kill Gato first and then I'll go start working on baking as a hobby and then I'll go see Anko.