The bridge loomed through the morning mist, half-built and shrouded in silence. Naruto walked with Team 7, his hands in his pockets, his grin wide. "This bridge is gonna be epic!" he shouted, but his eyes darted to the shadows, expecting trouble. Tazuna was nervous, Kakashi alert, and Sasuke's hand hovered near his kunai. Naruto's distrust kept him on edge—Team 7 was his squad, but they weren't his allies, not yet. Power was his only guarantee, and today, he'd need it.The mist thickened, and Zabuza appeared, his massive sword glinting. "Kakashi of the Sharingan," he growled, his voice cutting through the fog. "Hand over the old man."Naruto's grin didn't waver, but his heart raced. This was it—a real fight, a chance to test his strength. Kakashi revealed his Sharingan, ordering Team 7 to protect Tazuna. Naruto summoned a dozen shadow clones, shouting, "Let's take this guy down!" But Zabuza's water prison trapped Kakashi, and his clone attacked, scattering Naruto's clones like leaves. Sasuke and Sakura fought back, but Naruto was thrown to the ground, his arm bleeding from a shallow cut."Pathetic," Zabuza sneered. "You're just kids."The word stung, but Naruto's anger flared hotter than his fear. He wasn't just a kid—he was the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, and he had power Zabuza couldn't imagine. He reached for that burning chakra, feeling it surge, wild and raw. His clones reformed, stronger, faster, driven by the fox's energy. He charged, distracting Zabuza long enough for Sasuke to free Kakashi. The fight turned, but Zabuza vanished into the mist, leaving a warning: he'd be back.Naruto collapsed, panting, his grin shaky but intact. "Told ya I'm awesome!" he said, but inside, he was shaken. The Nine-Tails' chakra had saved him, but it was too wild, too hard to control. He needed more training, more power, to face someone like Zabuza and to force the village's secrets into the open. Kakashi's praise—"Good work, Naruto"—felt hollow. He was still hiding something, and Naruto's distrust only grew.Back at Tazuna's, Naruto bandaged his arm, his mind on the fight. The Nine-Tails' power was his edge, but it wasn't enough. He needed to master it, to make it his own. And he needed to watch his team closer—Sasuke's skill, Sakura's potential, Kakashi's secrets. They were tools, not friends, and he'd use them to grow stronger, to get the answers he deserved.
