I'm In Naruto (Kakashi X Reader)

By the end of the day, both Sasuke and Naruto reached the very top of their trees.

"Are you ready to go back?" Sasuke called out to Naruto.

"You bet!" Naruto replied enthusiastically.

I smiled at the two of them as they descended. Once they were on the ground, I began healing them. Walking up and down a tree repeatedly was exhausting, and I knew they'd need to recover their strength. When I finished, we walked back to the house together, supporting each other as we went.

When we arrived, we couldn't help but grin as we announced, "We made it to the top!"

I handed Naruto off to Sasuke and went to sit down for dinner. They followed shortly after. As we ate, the bridge builder and Kakashi-sensei began chatting, but the moment was interrupted by Inari's voice breaking through, trembling with tears.

"But why?" he said, his voice cracking.

Naruto, mid-bite, turned to him. "What did you say?"

"Why do you train so hard, to the point of collapsing, when it's all going to be for nothing?" Inari's tears fell freely now. "No matter what you say or do, you're going to die at Gato's hands. The weak always lose to the strong—always!"

Naruto slammed his hands on the table, his voice sharp. "Shut up! I'm not like you!"

Inari's eyes widened before narrowing. "No, you shut up! Just looking at you makes me sick!"

"That's enough!" I snapped, my voice firm as I glared at Inari.

Inari whipped around to face me, anger bubbling beneath his tears. "What do you know? You stick your nose in where it doesn't belong, acting like you understand! You don't know what it's like to suffer, to be treated like dirt!"

I felt a surge of anger rise within me. "Everyone suffers, Inari. Some people just don't show it. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, they push forward. If you're going to cry and play the victim, fine, but don't drag others down with you!"

Naruto stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "I'm done listening to this!" he barked, storming out.

Sakura frowned. "Naruto, that was harsh..."

"Harsh or not, he's not wrong," I said quietly. I pushed back my chair and stood. "Thank you for the food."

I followed Naruto outside, finding him by the riverbank. His head hung low.

"Was I too harsh?" he asked softly, not turning to face me.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "You said what you felt. Don't feel bad about that."

He glanced at me, his expression conflicted. I smiled reassuringly. "Come on, let's get some sleep. We'll need all the energy we can get to guard the bridge builder tomorrow."

Naruto nodded, and we headed back inside. After making sure he was settled, I went to find Kakashi-sensei to discuss the plan.

I found Kakashi-sensei outside, speaking quietly to Inari, who sat on the porch steps with his head in his hands. As I approached, I stayed hidden in the shadows, listening to their conversation.

"Inari," Kakashi began in a calm, almost fatherly tone. "Naruto and Y/N might have been harsh, but they don't hate you. They've lived through things you might not even imagine. Naruto grew up without parents, and the people in the village treated him horribly. Y/N? She didn't just lose her family—she had to fight to protect herself and others from a young age. And yet, they never gave up."