Chapter 38: Zabuza is Here with His Little Boy!

"So, the target of these two Kirigakure ninjas is actually you, right?" Sakura spoke from behind, her voice slightly muffled by the large bag she was carrying.

"Those two are at least Chunin-level," she continued. "They've been tailing us since we left the village. If they're this cautious, someone must be pulling their strings—likely a Jonin."

Her gaze turned to Dazna. "That means this mission has been upgraded to an A-rank, Mr. Dazna. I get that you have your reasons, but this is far beyond what we signed up for. Team 7 consists of Genin who graduated just two months ago. If something had gone wrong back there, do you understand the consequences?"

Kakashi's voice carried a cold edge.

Dazna remained silent, his head bowed.

Naruto noticed Nijiru's excitement at the mention of a Jonin. He didn't speak up, though—this wasn't his decision to make. Instead, he glanced at Naruto with eager anticipation.

Sakura hesitated, her resolve wavering.

"Don't be scared!" she suddenly blurted out. "With Naruto-kun here, nothing bad will happen!"

That was when Dazna began his performance.

The Secret Art of Guilt-Tripping.

"Our country is poor," Dazna sighed, his voice thick with emotion. "Even our daimyo barely has money."

He wiped at his dry eyes as if trying to summon tears. "We could only afford a C-rank mission... That was already the limit of what we could pay. If we raised the reward, we wouldn't even have the funds to buy materials for the bridge."

His voice trembled. "If you don't protect me, I'll surely die. And if the bridge isn't completed, the Land of Waves will remain under Gato's rule..."

Seeing Team 7 remain unmoved, he went for the kill.

"Forget it," he said in a broken voice. "I won't be selfish. I'll go back alone. I accept my fate. But my grandson... he's not even ten. And my daughter, she'll be left all alone. She'll probably spend her whole life resenting Konoha's ninjas..."

"Forget it," he sighed again, turning away. "I shouldn't push my luck. You should all go back."

Before Dazna could take a step, Naruto casually remarked, "Alright, let's head back then."

Then, with a completely straight face, he added, "Oh, by the way, we're only twelve."

Dazna froze.

His act shattered instantly. Giving up all pretense, he lunged at Kakashi and clung to his leg, openly wailing.

Kakashi blinked, looking down at the man in bemusement.

Why are you begging me? Naruto's the one making the decisions here!

And more importantly—

"Don't wipe your nose on my pants."

..

Naruto crossed his arms. "You have two choices. One: go back alone while we return home. Two: write an IOU. A-rank missions require A-rank payment."

Dazna didn't hesitate. "I'll write the IOU!"

He knew begging was pointless. These Konoha ninjas wouldn't budge. Still, an IOU? That was just a piece of paper. If the bridge was completed, he could pay them back. If it wasn't... well, there'd be no one left to collect the debt, would there?

They're a bit naive, Dazna thought. But if they're willing to compromise, I'll take it.

Little did he know, he wasn't the only one playing a game here.

"Alright, let's go," Kakashi ordered, and Team 7 set off once again.

Sasuke had to suppress a smirk.

Sakura, on the other hand, was nervous. Their enemy was an unknown Jonin.

Sure, they had beaten Kakashi, but that was during a training exercise. If a Jonin truly went for the kill, even Kakashi-sensei would struggle to keep them safe.

She must have been lost in thought because Naruto slowed down and handed her a ninja tool bag.

"Hold onto this."

Sakura blinked, hands full with her luggage. Seeing this, Naruto wordlessly tied the bag around her leg. Even through her clothes, her pink hair practically bristled from the proximity.

"It's full of explosive tags. If things go south and we can't react in time, throw them all. Your perception ability has improved a lot through training. Even if an enemy Jonin tries to ambush you, these will help you escape—or take them down if you time it right."

Sakura stared at him, wide-eyed.

Her lips trembled. Naruto-kun... are you worried about me?

Then, in true Sakura fashion—

"Idiot!" she huffed, quickly following the group.

…

That evening, Team 7 sat down for a simple meal. They had dried meat, rice, and even some pickled vegetables. The three Genin ate heartily, while Kakashi eyed their food.

Sakura was having none of it.

"If Kakashi-sensei wants to eat, then you'll carry the luggage tomorrow!"

Kakashi sighed. "I'm the only Jonin here. I need to stay in top form to ensure your safety."

He made a fair point, so Sakura reluctantly backed down. But as she glanced at their dwindling rations, she felt a pang of regret.

"That reminds me..."

She shot a sharp look at Dazna. "You still owe us, don't forget that!"

Dazna grumbled under his breath. In the end, Sasuke—Erzhuzi—reluctantly handed over some of his food to the old man.

…

The next morning, a thick mist blanketed the area.

Using the cover of low visibility, the group resumed their journey toward the Land of Waves. After traveling through the night, Dazna had learned a bit about his escorts. One thing puzzled him, though.

"I've been wondering… If you knew I lied about the mission, why are you still helping me? An IOU alone wouldn't be enough to convince you to take on an A-rank mission."

Kakashi's response almost made the Genin choke on laughter.

"If you do not do what is right, you are not brave. A strong general has no weak soldiers."

His voice was solemn. "This was the lesson of the previous Hokage. It is also the way of the ninja. We don't just work for money."

Dazna looked stunned.

But Sakura frowned. She knew better.

Yesterday, Kakashi-sensei seemed ready to turn back. If Naruto hadn't agreed to continue, would he have said something different?

Naruto, sensing her glance, merely smiled.

This was obvious.

Even Kakashi was acting.

That old man (Hokage) must have known all along. The C-rank mission was just an excuse.

It was merely a superficial formality between nations.

Normally, the background of a mission's employer would be investigated.

More importantly, the ones carrying out this mission were invaluable assets to Konoha—

The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

The Uchiha with the Sharingan.

This was Naruto's first mission outside the village, and the Hokage himself had assigned it as a C-rank.

But was it really?

The Fire Nation had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Land of Waves. And yet—who stood above the Hokage?

The Fire Daimyō.

It was likely that the so-called C-rank mission was a mere pretext. In reality, the Fire Daimyō had sent Kakashi, an elite jōnin, under the guise of a mission to covertly meddle in the Land of Waves.

In other words, the mission was never about mere bandits.

The real objective? Eliminating Gato's criminal syndicate.

Who was Tazuna?

A renowned bridge builder. He had said it himself—if nothing stood in his way, the bridge would be completed. And once that happened, with a stable means of transportation, economic prosperity would follow.

On paper, Konoha was only receiving the reward for a C-rank mission.

But in reality?

The Fire Daimyō had likely already begun secret dealings behind the scenes.

And when the dust settled, the spoils would be divided—between the Daimyō and Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Yes. Not Konoha.

Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Even in the original timeline, Kakashi had shown a rare moment of surprise upon learning that their enemy was backed by Gato's forces.

Was the Gato Company particularly strong? Not really. Kakashi alone was more than enough to wipe them out.

What truly shocked him was something else entirely—

A mere rogue ninja was about to challenge a financial powerhouse of the underworld?

A sponsor of this caliber?

Naruto understood. This time, he had no other objective.

He had come to claim Gato's fortune.

"It's almost time. Zabuza will appear soon. Haku should already be watching from the shadows."

"Haku… One of Kishimoto's earliest tragic characters."

"A bloodline limit user."

'The beginning of the bloodline supremacy theory.'

"Actually, Haku's situation isn't too different from mine."

"Because of their bloodline limit, the Hidden Mist Village turned them into scapegoats for their internal strife."

"As expected of you, Obito."

'The only difference is that in the Mist, it wasn't an old fox like the Third Hokage playing political games.'

"If I recall, Kimimaro suffered the same fate. His clan dared to resist, but in the end..."

'Haku's destiny will mirror his mother's—both choosing to die for someone they loved.'

Naruto sighed at this twisted world.

"Bloodline suppression… Fate is inescapable. Once you are marked, there's no turning back."

"Unless you have a cheat code."

"What?"

Sakura blinked, not understanding his words.

But Kakashi and Sasuke's eyes sharpened.

If you recognize your fate is cruel, but still push forward despite knowing the pain—

Then suffering is your fate.

In the original story, one man refused to accept his destiny. And in the end, he almost succeeded.

Who?

Of course—

The true Sixth Lord of the Underworld.

Yakushi Kabuto.

Others relied on bloodline. He had none.

Others relied on talent. He had none.

Others relied on resources. He had them, but barely.

So, what did he do?

He relied on himself. He changed himself.

There's a saying—

What defines the turning point in a person's life?

Hahaha… amniotic fluid.

When it came to emotions, Kishimoto was a master.

One word summed it all up—bonds.

And what kind of bonds?

All of them.

Look at Gaara and Naruto.

Look at Sasuke and Naruto.

Look at—

Oh, right.

Haku and Zabuza were perhaps the most obvious example.

And as if summoned by thought—

A chilling sense of malice filled the air.

Momochi Zabuza had arrived. And with him, his so-called 'weapon.'

Kakashi quickly steadied his shaken heart. He had already noticed the abnormality.

The mist was thickening.

Sasuke had yet to react, still caught up in the weight of Naruto's words.

Sakura, however, sensed it soon after.

"There's a flaw!"

From the darkness, Zabuza raised an eyebrow, lifting his executioner's blade.

Little did he know—this 'flaw' had been deliberately exposed by Kakashi.

Enemies in the open were much easier to deal with than those lurking in the dark.

And this alone revealed Zabuza's arrogance.

Whoosh—

The massive sword cleaved through the mist.

"Get down!"

Kakashi shouted, pushing his perception to the limit.

The four genin immediately dropped to the ground.

A famous scene?

Please.

Did Zabuza even realize who he was trying to show off to?

Konoha's future 'B-rank' King—Sasuke Uchiha.

The pink-haired mistress of Konoha's genjutsu arts—Sakura Haruno.

The village's number-one matchmaker—Hatake Kakashi.

And me?

I am not the Naruto from the original timeline.

No more pretending to be weak.

I start with you.

The executioner's blade was now mere inches away.

"Naruto-kun, get down!"

Sakura rushed forward in panic.

But the next moment—

The massive blade came to a sudden halt, hovering steadily before Naruto.

Sasuke's eyes widened.

In that instant, he understood.

His plug-in... he had found it.

And he was going to max it out.

"Naruto... you?"

Kakashi's expression was filled with disbelief.

Zabuza sneered, thinking he had already won.

"Haha, don't worry. Your turn is coming soon—"

But then he turned.

Zabuza: "???"