Sakura watches over Tazuna as the other two continue their tree climbing. As Tazuna works, yet another of his employees asks to stop working on the bridge for hear of Gatou. They fear for their families. Tazuna won’t quit. He started this bridge believing that it would bring in resources to the super-poor country. He tells his worker that he doesn’t have to come to work… Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke are still working their way up the tree, neither wanting to lose to the other.
Tazuna decides to stop through town to get something on his way home for dinner. Sakura can’t believe how poor everyone is. The stores barely have anything. A small kid begs Sakura for food on the street. Tazuna tells her it’s been this way since Gatou came. Everyone gave up hope, but if he could just finish the bridge, the city could return to what it once was.
Naruto thinks back to Sakura’s tips on how to gather chakra into his feet. He can’t be too impatient. He must relax and focus on the tree. He tries again, but Sasuke interrupts him. Sasuke asks Naruto for the tips Sakura told him, but Naruto refuses to tell him.
Sakura asks why there is a torn picture on the wall. She saw Inari staring it during dinner, and it looks as if someone was deliberately torn from it. That seems to be a sore spot for the family, but Tazuna explains. The man was Inari’s father, but not related by blood. He was very close.
There once was a man called the hero of this country. Three years ago, Inari first met him. Inari was being tormented by some local kids who were trying to take his dog, Pochi, away. The head bully got mad and threw the dog into the river. He told him that if he cared so much about the animal, he would dive in and save him. Unfortunately, Inari couldn’t swim. The bully pushed him in and Inari thought he was done for. Pochi, on the other hand, learned the dog paddle right then and swam to shore.
When he awoke, a man had saved him. He seemed to understand Inari and told him to choose a live of no regrets. No matter how tough, he must try, even if he loses his life. The man’s name was Kaiza and he had come to town to fulfill his dream. Soon, Kaiza became part of the family. One day, there was a terrible storm and it looked like part of the city would be flooded. Kaiza volunteered to jump in the river and tie the rope to save the village. From that day forth, he became a town hero. Gatou was not happy with him, though, and decided to martyr him as an example. He sent his men to capture and crucify Kaiza in the center of town as a warning to anyone who opposed him. He told the people that this man had been conducting terrorist activities against Gatou Corporation and as punishment, publicly executed him. The little boy watched as his father figure was killed before his eyes.
Inari grew bitter because Kaiza was no longer there to protect him and the people of his country. He believed his dad was a liar. From that day, everyone in town changed. Naruto is moved by the story and wants to prove that heroes do exist.