Naruto marched toward Inari's room.
Knock knock. "Inari, let's talk."
"No!" came the shout from inside.
"You don't want your mom to get hurt, right?" Naruto wasn't impatient. He knew Inari was an emotional kid even in canon.
"Staying here is dangerous. If we're protecting you, the enemy can't know where you are." He explained patiently.
A tiny voice answered, "So what…"
"What?"
"I said so what?!" Inari screamed. "People who fight Gato never end well. If we die, we die. Is some hero really going to come save us?!"
"Konoha's combat power is number one in the world. You think they can't save you?" Naruto snapped. He could pout himself if he wanted, but dragging his family into despair talk?
Say something human, will you?
Doctor Naruto—who'd read a little child psychology—decided this patient needed personality-correction fist therapy.
"You want your mom to live?"
"No!"
"Then you don't want to live either?"
"I don't care! Just go away!" The voice cracked, tears edging in.
Naruto smiled slightly, already about to dive inside to feed Inari some Nine-Tails-brand "dragon fruit."
Kid just hasn't been beat enough.
"Naruto." Sakura came upstairs and stopped him, signaling that she'd handle it.
"You sure?" Naruto lowered his voice. "This brat's more stubborn than a bull."
Sakura said calmly, "You're forgetting his emotional knot. His dad is the key. And you talk too rough—full-on dude mode. I'll try."
"Yeah, fair." Naruto nodded. My talk-no-jutsu needs grinding.
If she failed, he'd just knock the kid out and move him anyway.
Naruto headed back downstairs to Kakashi's room.
"Boss—you awake?" Naruto pushed Kakashi back onto the bedding so he wouldn't sit up.
Kakashi looked at Naruto and Sasuke. "Good work. I heard what happened. Moving is the right call. Once we relocate, we'll train somewhere safe and raise your ability more."
He meant tree-climbing practice—keeping chakra anchored under the feet to walk up a trunk.
"Got it. Boss, I'm going into town to check Gato's movements."
"Alone?" Sasuke turned.
"You watch the boss and guard the crystal… I mean, the house." Naruto slapped Sasuke's shoulder.
Sasuke was itching to go. "I'll come too. Sakura alone should be fine."
"Sakura isn't exactly a 'wife who takes care of people.'"
Sasuke blinked. Wife? What's that?
Also… I'm not a man?
Naruto sped out the door.
…
Wave Country, streets.
As a small fringe nation, Wave's streets were narrow. Weathered gray-brown wooden houses crowded along stone paths, making everything feel tight.
Naruto found a straw hat to hide his loud hair, swapped into plain clothes, and blended in.
Petty theft broke out constantly. Thieves stole openly, beggars sprawled on the roadside, and nobody even reacted.
Every face was tired, numb.
"Seems about the same as canon," Naruto muttered, scanning for anything off.
He started thinking like the enemy.
If I were Gato, what would I do?
Everyone knows Tazuna's the hard core, so he's priority.
What else? Zabuza is a huge risk. He kills on impulse, and one man equals a whole mercenary army.
If I were Gato, I wouldn't mess with Zabuza right now. I'd let him recover.
…No, wait. If I were Gato and had a brain, I'd just run. Picking a fight with the protagonist is suicide.
Yeah, that guy's logic is definitely not normal.
While Naruto was thinking, he spotted a large group marching toward him—mercenaries, judging by their gear.
"Crap!" Naruto's gut dropped. Gato's already coming for Tazuna?!
Alright. I'll lure them somewhere empty, then feed them Nine-Tails dragon fruit.
He moved to confirm their direction.
What Naruto didn't notice under his oversized hat—because he was short and the brim hid his view—was the flyers in their hands.
The mercenaries began distributing leaflets to the crowd.
"Hello, please take a look at our Wave Country presidential candidate," a scar-faced man told a passerby.
"O-oh…" The man accepted a flyer shakily. On it was a portrait of a confident-looking man.
"Who's that?"
"Our next president candidate—Mr. Gato," Scarface said reverently.
"Let me explain Mr. Gato's vision. Many say he's the source of Wave's chaos, but that's wrong. Wave has been rotten for ages—corruption everywhere. Mr. Gato saw the suffering and chose revolution!"
"Being stuck with a bunch of vermin, how could politics ever work?"
"And people who resisted with violence aren't normal citizens anymore—they must be dealt with by heavy fists!"
He pressed a small bag of grain into the man's hands.
"Anyone who supports Mr. Gato gets enough food and wages, guaranteed!"
"Giving money and food to the upper class is bribery. Giving it straight to the people is subsidy!"
Naruto listened, thunderstruck.
What the hell is this?
Wave Country Springtime?
He walked up. "Uh, excuse me—who are you guys?"
Scarface snapped to attention. "Loyalty! We are President-Elect Gato's advisory corps. Please support Mr. Gato!"
Naruto looked down at the flyer. Gato's photo looked weirdly charismatic.
"So, quick question," Naruto said slowly. "How many candidates are there?"
"Only Mr. Gato. The others all withdrew once they heard he was running!"
"…Then what's the point of campaigning?"
"To educate the people on Mr. Gato's ideals," Scarface said earnestly.
"He says that even if the presidency is guaranteed, a president without public support has no roots. The laws he'll pass later will need the people behind him."
Naruto rubbed his teeth. "You know what… that almost makes sense."
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