AN: Hey everyone, bit of a time skip since last chapter, but I wanted to let everyone know that relevant information will be shown in flashbacks or mentioned as needed. Also, for those worried about Naruto becoming some revenge obsessed edge lord wanting to burn Konoha to the ground, he isn't. He won't feel any guilt kicking their asses if they try anything, but this Naruto honestly just doesn't feel they're worth plotting some big revenge scheme against which would result in a war which would guarantee to hurt those in his new home.

AN2: You'll notice I deleted several of my older stories along with posting a new one. I posted that new one because I wanted to have a story for each of the current Dragon Age games. I deleted the old ones because I was looking back over them and I realized I really doubt I'll ever come back to them. Most of those were my first flailing attempts at stories which didn't have any real inspiration beyond those first few chapters, were adopted first chapters from other writers who have left the site, or similar situations. I don't plan to post any more new stories (apart from any that win in the Percy Jackson Poll currently up) until I complete more of the ones I already have started.

Gift of the Demon

Chapter 3

-Kakashi-

Frowning, Kakashi looked about at his students. Team Seven, consisting of the Rookie of the year Sasuke Uchiha, the pink haired fan girl queen Sakura Haruno, and the Root spy Sai all sat around the table of their client Tazuna. Sakura and Sasuke were both exhausted from their work doing the tree climbing exercise while Sai just calmly sat drinking tea, having apparently known the exercise long before now. Thus the issue was Sasuke was Jealous, Sakura was angry for her obsession's behalf, and Sai either lacked any sense of tact or just didn't give enough of a damn to show any.

That said, hearing a knock at the door was both a relief at the edgy teenagers being distracted and new worries at a potential threat on the other side. "Who is it?" Tazuna called out, this being his house and it also letting the shinobi hide to strike from the shadows as needed.

"I am looking for the Bridge Builder Tazuna, I have a gift for him." A confident woman's voice called back from the other side. Kakashi gave Tazuna a silent nod, Kunai at the ready should this person prove to be an assassin. Gulping nervously, Tazuna opened the door to reveal a tall blonde woman with a Kumo headband on her forehead. With her were three people that could only be a genin team given their ages. There was a robed young redhead with a gourd on his back, a girl who looked just as confident as the group's leader with violet hair and sunglasses, and a muscled blond boy who looked familiar.

"I'm Tazuna, what did you need?" the old drunkard asks, shaking like a leaf in a storm despite Kakashi's reassurances.

"We came to present a gift of good faith in the hopes that you will be willing to form a trade contract with our village soon." The blonde women, who must have been a Jonin, explained as she pulled out a pair of scrolls. She unrolled the first which showed it was a sealing scroll. Not wanting to risk it having explosives or some other manner of attack, Kakashi threw his kunai only for it to hit a wall of sand coming from the gourd of the robed redhead. The girl with shades had unsealed a bow and was aiming it right at Kakashi, team seven already out of the shadows and ready to fight.

"Given that we have a non-aggression treaty that could easily be seen as a declaration of war Sharingan Kakashi." The Kumo kunoichi looks him dead in the eye as she finishes unsealing the contents of the scroll to reveal a severed head.

"That's Gato!" Tazuna gapes slack jawed at the sight of the terrified expression on the severed head.

"Indeed." The Kumo kunoichi nods with an amused smirk, "This second scroll is full of Ryo that his records show he stole from the village of Wave. I hope this is a suitable sign of good faith."

"O-of course!" Tazuna's shock was wearing off and being replaced by euphoric glee, "If Kumo was able to do this for Wave then I'll be more than happy to discuss a trade agreement miss-?"

"Yugito Nii." The woman nodded as she unsealed the second scroll for Tazuna, revealing a few chests of Ryo. A crowd already forming, likely drawn by Tazuna's earlier shout, "This is my team. My daughter, Hinata Nii, and the brothers Gaara and Naruto Kikanbo." Kakashi's eyes widen at the names he hadn't heard in years, trying to determine if they were the same people that went missing so many years ago or if it was just a coincidence. Sadly, this meant he wasn't paying as much attention to the idiots he was stuck calling his students as he should have been.

"What about Konoha?!" Sakura screeched, glaring indignantly at the old bridge builder "We're the ones who've been working our asses off trying to protect you and you'll just go and trade with another village?!"

"I hired you to escort me home and you all barely wanted to do that." Tazuna scowls at her, "Hell, your sensei ordered you to continue on and get me here safely but you three chose to ignore that and fight that shinobi we came across. Why would I value that over these people who killed the monster that has been oppressing and murdering our people? Especially with that done before they even ask for a trade agreement."

"How?" Sasuke demands angrily, "How did weaklings like you get past Zabuza and his accomplice?" Kami damnit all, he had to beat the arrogance out of that brat at some point.

"They worked for Gato because they needed money. We simply provided them proof that Gato planned to betray them and offered them new work to get by." Yugito smirked condescendingly at Sasuke, the Uchiha heir's blood clearly boiling at being talked down to.

"And I would watch the insults runt." The musclebound blond glared at Sasuke, "Especially from someone who's clan got killed in a single night. Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones after all."

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Sasuke's hands flew through hand seals before spitting out a great fireball jutsu, Kakashi unable to move fast enough to stop him as he was still stuck using crutches and in pain from the exertion of his kunai throw. He needn't have worried though, as the blond unsealed a massive greatsword and slammed it into the ground, stopping the fireball. Purple chakra seeped from the genin's flesh as Naruto snarled, wrenching his weapon from the dirt.

"Your Sensei has an excuse in that he was being cautious and wasn't sure if we were pretending or not." Naruto snarled at Sasuke while leaking killing intend which wasn't near enough to affect Kakashi himself, but it dropped Sakura and Sasuke to their knees while Sai looked wary. "You have no excuse. I will be bringing this to my Kage. I hope you're satisfied with what you've done here, we will be expecting reparations."

"And I want you gone." Tazuna was glaring angrily, the villagers outside looking ready to become a mob "You just attacked the people who rid us of Gato!"

"But what about our pay?" Sakura whines.

"Sakura, we should leave." Kakashi was smart, and experienced, enough to recognize that staying and arguing the point would not end well and might even cost Konoha more contracts in the future. Tazuna throwing their packs out of his house only emphasized this. "Sai, grab them." He ordered the far more experienced of his 'genin' who nodded calmly and knocked out both of the irrational members of the team. "We'll be going now." He nodded as best he could to the civilian bridge builder before limping away, Sai carrying their packs while his ink beasts carried Sakura and Sasuke. He had to get back to Konoha as soon as he could, the Hokage needed to know about this!"

-Naruto-

Seeing the Konoha shinobi disappear from sight, Naruto scoffed and resealed his sword. He hadn't thought about Sasuke Uchiha in years, having put his childhood bully out of his thoughts. It was rather sad that the little bastard hadn't grown up at all in the years since they last fought. Turning to the civilians he smiled, shaking the hands of everyone who wanted to meet and thank him and his team for saving them from Gato.

"So what happened to that guy with the big sword? Zabuza?" the bridge builder Tazuna asked.

"We let him join our village." Yugito-Sensei answered, "He was a missing nin because he refused to go on a genocidal purge on his Kage's orders and tried a coup. It failed and he's been taking what jobs he could to stay alive ever since. He's camped with his apprentice to finish recovering and will return to cloud with us. We are more than willing to remain to guard your bridge until its finished while he does so."

The civilians all cheer at that, the workers rushing to the bridge while everyone else starts gathering what they can to throw a party. "You alright Naruto-Kun?" Hinata asked as she approaches, her shades gone now that the Konoha group weren't there to recognize her eyes, "At seeing…them again?"

"I'm fine Hinata-Chan." He smiled at her happily "Honestly, I don't really care much about the shit they did in the academy, we were all kids back then anyway. No, it's the stunt they pulled here that pissed me off. It doesn't matter now though, we have a job and partying to do!" as he spoke, Naruto laughed and slung his arms around the shoulders of his teammates who returned the wide grin eagerly.

"I'll take first watch at the bridge." Yugito-Sensei told them with a fond smile "You three enjoy the festival and help out around town."

"Yes Sensei!" they saluted before running off, eager to join the festivities.