Chapter 39: Venting

Konoha Gate

"Alright~~~~~, let's go!" Naruto shouted excitedly as he walked out of Konoha's gate.

"What are you so excited about?" Sakura asked, a bit exasperated, looking at the overly enthusiastic Naruto. Even for a slightly higher-ranked mission, there was no need to be this excited.

"Sakura-chan, this is my first time leaving the village! I've never left this village since I was born, unlike you, who's been to so many places," Naruto said excitedly to Sakura.

"Hey, is this kid really okay? He doesn't seem like a ninja at all," Tazuna said, pointing at Naruto and addressing Kakashi.

"Hahaha, he'll be fine. With me, a jonin, along, there won't be any problems," Kakashi said with a laugh to Tazuna.

Naruto's mind was still replaying Tazuna's earlier words, and he couldn't hold back any longer. "Hey, you damn old man! I really feel like punching you! You're the worst client ever!" he said, about to charge at Tazuna.

Kakashi quickly grabbed Naruto, holding him back. "Hey, Naruto, don't cause trouble. We need to get going."

"Please rest assured, sir. Naruto is a qualified ninja," Sakura said, giving Tazuna a cold glare.

Tazuna was startled by Sakura's icy gaze. "Is...is that so?" Tazuna was feeling guilty, trying to provoke them to expose any weaknesses. Sakura's cold tone made him even more apprehensive.

At that moment, in the trees not far from the group, two pairs of emotionless eyes were silently watching Tazuna and Team 7. Both figures were masked, wearing headbands with the symbol of Kirigakure. Seeing Team 7 continue on their way, the two figures didn't speak, disappearing from the trees with a shunshin.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto called out.

"Hmm? What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi looked at Naruto.

"What kind of country is the Land of Waves?" Naruto asked curiously. He was clearly excited about his first mission outside of Konoha, taking him to another country.

"The Land of Waves, huh? It's a very small country, surrounded by the sea," Kakashi said.

"Are there ninjas in the Land of Waves, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked again.

"No, the Land of Waves doesn't have ninjas. Naruto, didn't your teacher explain this in the Academy?" Kakashi looked at Naruto with his usual deadpan expression.

"Hey, Naruto, did you skip class again after I left?" Sakura, hearing Kakashi-sensei's words, immediately guessed what had happened and asked Naruto.

"Uh... hehe," Naruto replied awkwardly, unable to speak.

"Alright, it seems I need to fill you in on some basic knowledge. Listen carefully," Kakashi said resignedly. "On this continent, there are five great nations: the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, the Land of Wind, the Land of Water, and the Land of Lightning. Each of these five countries has a hidden ninja village, serving as its military force, maintaining a balance of power with the other nations. The ninja villages are not controlled by the Daimyo (feudal lords). The Daimyo provide economic support to the ninja villages, and in return, the ninja villages provide military protection. Their status is equal. Besides these five great nations, there are many smaller countries around them. However, these smaller countries are often economically less developed, and some don't have ninja villages. They have to commission missions from the five great nations. The Land of Waves is one such country without a ninja village."

Kakashi explained all this to Naruto as they walked. "Oh~~~ I see, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, looking like he half-understood.

As the group crossed a small wooden bridge and entered an open area, Sakura noticed a puddle on the ground. She immediately understood what was going on and looked at Kakashi. Kakashi had clearly noticed it too. Seeing Sakura look at him, Kakashi subtly shook his head.

Sakura understood that Kakashi wanted to see who the attackers were targeting. She didn't expose the situation directly. If she did, that old man Tazuna certainly wouldn't admit to lying about the mission rank.

After the group passed by, two figures gradually rose from the puddle, throwing chains to ensnare Kakashi. "First one."

Kakashi offered no resistance and was bound by the chains. The two Demon Brothers, smirking, stood on either side of him. They pulled the chains in opposite directions, and Kakashi was instantly ripped to pieces.

Seeing the Demon Brothers appear, Sakura immediately used Earth Style: Hardening Technique and quickly concealed herself, prioritizing caution. From the Demon Brothers' swift actions, Sakura felt their strength was similar to that of the subordinates of the leader ninja she'd encountered when she was younger. She'd been so weak back then, utterly helpless against such enemies.

But she wasn't the same as before. Sakura didn't go to protect Tazuna. Instead, she quickly moved away from him, waiting for the Demon Brothers to attack Tazuna before delivering a decisive blow.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto was stunned, unable to believe that Kakashi-sensei had been so easily defeated. Before he could react, the Demon Brothers dragged their chains, preparing to bind Naruto.

"Second one."

Naruto, shocked by Kakashi-sensei's apparent demise, was frozen in fear, on the verge of being captured.

Clang!

A shuriken flew out, pinning the chains firmly to a tree. Then, a kunai was embedded on top of the shuriken. It was Sasuke. Seeing Naruto frozen in fear, Sasuke had rushed to his rescue.

The Demon Brothers tried to pull the chains but couldn't. Sasuke jumped onto their arms and kicked off, sending them tumbling to the ground. However, as expected of ninjas from Kirigakure, they were decisive. They immediately abandoned the chains, ignoring Sasuke, and one attacked Naruto with his clawed gauntlet, while the other quickly moved towards the unprotected Tazuna.

These were ninjas, existing solely to complete their missions. Realizing Sasuke was difficult to deal with, they immediately attacked the weaker Naruto, and then split up to attack the mission target. Sakura, watching from the side, couldn't help but admire their efficiency. However, seeing one of them attacking Tazuna, Sakura quickly formed hand seals. Just as he was about to slash at Tazuna...

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"

The Demon Brother was instantly trapped, unable to move forward. Tazuna, being close to the Demon Brother, was also caught in the swamp, staring at the clawed gauntlet inches from his face.

"Gulp," Tazuna, drenched in cold sweat, swallowed hard.

"Phew, I finally get to deal with you properly, old man," Sakura said, seeing Tazuna's terrified expression, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.

But it wasn't over yet. Sakura revealed herself and, with a flick of her fingers, shot out water bullets. She'd added poison she'd learned from Shizune-senpai to these water bullets. She aimed for the Demon Brother's shoulder, and the water bullet pierced through, causing blood to flow profusely. Soon, the poison took effect, and the Demon Brother's face started to change color.

The poison wouldn't kill him instantly; it would only paralyze him. But without an antidote, he would eventually die. Sakura wouldn't show mercy to her enemies. After the devastating experience she'd had as a child, she truly understood the cruelty of this world. To protect those she cared about, she couldn't afford to be soft-hearted. However, she hadn't delivered a fatal blow; there was still much information she needed to extract.

Meanwhile, the other Demon Brother, who had attacked Naruto, had been subdued by Kakashi, who had suddenly reappeared. However, because Naruto hadn't moved, he'd still been injured on the back of his hand by the Demon Brother's claw.