Land Of Fire :
Outskirts :
The midday sun hung high, but its warmth failed to penetrate the sudden, icy atmosphere that had settled over the road. The scent of pine and dust was now choked by the metallic tang of blood and the sour stench of Sakura's sickness.
( How could Naruto---)
Sakura remained doubled over in the bushes, her frame shuddering with every convulsion. Sasuke stood a few paces away, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles were white just as his face , He stared at the Demon Brother on the ground—specifically at the jagged splinter of white bone protruding from the man's forearm.
It was a unnecessary kind of violence, and it had been executed with a speed that made Sasuke's own movements feel like they were mired in mud.
( I saw Nothing .....I turned and everything was over )
Naruto didn't flinch. He looked down at the whimpering Chuunin beneath his boot, his expression as flat and unreadable as a polished stone. He wasn't interested in the pain; he was interested in the result.
His hand reached down, gripping the Shinobi's other gauntlet with a crushing strength, while his free hand forced the man's head back to meet his gaze.
"I am still waiting," Naruto whispered. His voice was devoid of heat, his eyes still Blank , devoid of any light , which made it more terrifying. "Who sent you? Who is your target? And how many more of you are---?"
As Naruto began to apply a rhythmic, soul-crushing pressure to the man's skull and shattered limb, the Shinobi began to flail, a strangled keening sound escaping his throat.
Shunshin.
"Alright, Naruto. That's enough. I'll handle the interrogation from here." Kakashi appeared beside them, his hand resting firmly on Naruto's shoulder. The Jonin's eye was narrowed, his usual lethargy replaced by a sharp, cautionary edge.
"…Ok, Captain," Naruto replied simply. Light returning to his eyes , He shrugged, releasing the man and stepping back with a fluid grace. He didn't look like a boy who had just committed a brutal act; he looked like a Happy go lucky Kid , that they were all familiar with for the past weeks.
Naruto walked toward the others. Sasuke was now standing beside Kakashi, trying to regain his composure, while Sakura was wiping her mouth, her eyes darting toward Naruto with a new, paralyzing kind of fear.
"You okay, Sakura?" Naruto asked, his voice dripping with a practiced 'CONCERN' "Did I scare you? Sorry about that."
Sakura didn't answer. Her head remained tucked down, her body incapable of meeting his gaze. She had spent two months viewing Naruto as a loud, wealthy, and slightly eccentric teammate. That illusion had just been shattered. In its place stood something else.
Kakashi began dragging the two unconscious Mist Shinobi toward a nearby tree, his voice regaining its casual lilt. "Anyhow, let me just say: Good job, Team 7. You too, Sakura, for protecting the client."
Sakura sat on the grass, recalling how everything turned out and also hearing Kakashi sensei , addressing her speacially ,her mind a whirlwind of self-loathing.
( But I didn't do anything ) she thought bitterly.
( I just stood there and watched Naruto break a man like a dry twig )
Naruto watched them both, nodding inwardly. Mostly according to plan.
Since the formation of Team 7, Naruto hadn't been interested in the "Will of Fire" or the sentimental bonds Iruka preached about. In these two months, he had treated the D-rank missions with a professional detachment. He did them because he had to, not because he cared about the village's gardens.
He had already established the persona about Naruto not caring about anyone that he does not acknowledge , And those D Rank missions and this one were the same .
Naruto had sensed the Demon Brothers the moment they left the gates. He knew Kakashi and the ANBU squad trailing them had noticed as well. Naruto even gave a signal to his CAPTAIN , who replied back with watch and see attitude , All this was just to show an obediant and active Shinobi .
After all everyone know Naruto is a sensor , If he didn't react than that would be problem , seeing Captain's reply , Naruto's mind turned , and he waited for the chance that came soon.
If Naruto wanted he could have ended the fight faster than Sasuke or sakura can even react , he could have ended the fight efficiently too , but he didn't .
The Answer was simple , despite the 2 months Together , In Naruto's eyes , whether it's Sasuke or Sakura , both didn't really respect or acknowledge him enough , Sakura forgets everything , her mind only allows Sasuke-kun , she has changed but not enough
The same is true for Sasuke , who only has one goal in mind , and everything else is just a convenience , Only Kakashi treats this Team as some LIfe-death companions or something precious .
( I am not babysitter and i don't have time to forge these bonds either , especially with Sasuke )
By allowing the attack to progress just far enough, Naruto had created a theater of dominance.
He could have ended the fight efficiently—a quick strike to the temple, a clean kill. But he had chosen brutality.
The message was clear.
For Sasuke: He needed to see that while he was busy "countering" and "reacting," Naruto was already ending the threat. He wanted the Uchiha to feel the gap in their lethal efficiency—to remind him of the cold, crushing weight of true violence that he hadn't felt since the night his clan fell.
To remind him that while he played at being an "Avenger," Naruto was the one who possessed the stomach for darkness.
( ALl to envoke resonance just like every other time )
for Sakura, to establish a hierarchy of fear that would ensure she never mistook him for a Nobody again. The Bell Test had been a warning; this was the realization. He wanted her intimidated, her loud, banshee-like tendencies replaced by a quiet, subservient caution.
( Despite 2 months the girl goes back to her ways easily ...hope she wakes upto reality with this )
And it was for the village—a signal to the Hokage and the elders that their "Fox" had teeth and also his own darkness.
This was the first encounter of Jinchuriki against enemies and Naruto did all of this Brutality .
it was to make sure that everyone understands that Uzumaki Naruto doesn't have a shred of empathy against his enemies like the original blonde who was playing house most of the time .
Naruto already established his persona of Not caring about the people he doesn't acknowledge , and now this statement is to tell that Naruto is not a Sun full of optimism but there is also darkness inside somewhere , which only comes when facing enemies .
( well it's not an act though )
Naruto turned away from the trembling Sakura and walked over to Sasuke. He let a small, mocking grin play on his lips. "Whoa, you okay, Sasuke? Your face is a bit pale. ?"
Sasuke's jaw tightened. He looked at Naruto, his dark eyes burning with a mix of fury and a dawning realization that the gap between them wasn't just about chakra—it was about intent.
"…Worry about yourself, Naruto," Sasuke spat, turning his back and walking toward the client.
Naruto watched him go, his Mindhub already calculating the next move.
( Still a twelve-year-old kid inside ) he mused.
( He wants to kill his brother, but he can't even look at a broken arm without shivering )
"Now then," Kakashi said, turning his attention to the trembling Bridge Builder. "Mr. Tazuna, I think it's time we had a very honest conversation about why Chuunin-level assassins are hunting a 'simple' C-rank client."
Tazuna looked at the broken men, then at the blood on the grass, and finally at the blonde boy who was casually cleaning a speck of dirt off his sleeve. The old man took a shaky swig from his bottle, but the sake couldn't drown out the cold reality of his situation.
" Oh Captain , Did you already found out about them "
Naruto asked , and Kakashi spoke after nodding
" Chunin from the Village hidden in the mist , they are also known to continue the fight no matter the sacrifice "
" well then all you got were lies than "
Naruto chipped , according to his observation , the enemies we Genin , not chunin , as for continue to fight , Naruto scoffed
Kakashi nodded a little
" well they are rogue from the mist , and just because they call themselves Chunin , doesn't mean they are "
" So they targeting Old man , Me or The Last Uchiha "
Naruto spoke light-heartedly , but his words silenced the clearing , even Sasuke looked up and stared at Kakashi
( Well he is smart to duduce that but not this time )
Kakashi shake his head and continues
" They Seem to be coming after you Tazuna San "
"...what ?/ "
" We haven't heard anything about you being Targeted by Ninjas , The Content of the request was Supposed to just be prootection from Gangs , theives , bandits and the like ..."
" ....." Tazuna stood there silent
" This is a Mission B Rank or higher , The request was supposed to be for Backup protection untill you finished building up your Bridge....."
".."
"IF our enemies were to be Ninjas , The Mission would have been estimated as an expensive B rank Mission , it appea-----"
Naruto walked away with the stupid Nonsense while yawning , he stood under a shade of the tree while peeking at the sky.
" The Mission is too soon for us , Let's give it up "
Naruto heard Sakura talk and nodded inside his head , cowardice or not , this is a rational decision , soon The clearing got quiet , Naruto looked up and saw everyone looking at him
" what ?? "
" *sigh* I am asking , should we continue this misssion ? "
" you Asking ME ?/ what about Sakura and Sasuke "
Naruto pointed himself and asked
" Sasuke wants to go and Sakura wants to retreat , So what do you think "
"/...um , I will leave that decision to captain "
Naruto shrugged and yawned while keeping his back to the tree .
Kakashi's eye twitched at the Blonde's response
( Just what is he thinking , he was the one who asked for exciting mission and now he doesn't show any interest )
Kakashi saw how everyone looked at him and sighed inside , slowly he calculated his team's prowess with himself
( Naruto is special Jonin , Sasuke and Sakura needs to grow too ,.....and there is also ANBU Guards ,.... There shouldn't be any problem )
Kakashi nodded and spoke up
" Alright then , we will continue the mission "
" THANK yOU THANK YOU "
Tazuna cries while holding Kakashi's feet , Sasuke grunted and Sakura's face paled , while Naruto looked at Kakashi
( Is it wrong to think that Kakashi deserves to lose his teammates ?? Maybe not , he knows My situation After all )
Soon Team 7 Moved for the rest of the day till seeing the setting sun , after getting to a clearing Team 7 Pitched the tent , Naruto noticed how Kakashi left the Demon brothers tied to the tree and also how one guard from the Anbu seems to be misssing .
Naruto thought they will reach Land of waves in evening but the distance seemed a bit more
( well we are walking on foot with civilian speed , so as expected I guess )
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The Hokage Office :
Third Hokage read the latest intelligence send by Kakashi , reading the full report , The Third Hokage's brows furrowed , In the end he simply covened a meeting about Naruto's status .
Soon the meeting hall was filled with Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka inoichi
" So what do you think "
After reading the report , Shikaku massaged his head and spoke up
" I always thought he was too normal "
Hearing this Hokage looked at his Jonin advisor with an interrogative gaze
" what do you mean "
Inoichi starts to speak up here
" For a Child who has been obstractised by the whole village and .....well his circustances and how he was brought up , it is only natural that there is some mental issues "
Hokage heard both of his advisors and continued
" Isn't it worrying "
" Not seeing it till now was most worrying "
" ....is that so "
" at least it's directed to enemies "
" well he got out of the village first day and got attacked , maybe a panic response "
The Hokage and his advisors discussed till late night about Naruto's change and darkness
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7 Days Later :
The air was thick, a cloying grey blanket that swallowed the sound of the oars dipping into the water. It had been seven days since the encounter with the Demon Brothers—seven days of forced marches and high-alert camping. The Team 7 that sat in this small, cramped boat was a different creature than the one that had left Konoha's gates.
Sakura sat huddled near the center, her eyes darting nervously into the white abyss of the fog. She had recovered from her sickness, but the silence she maintained was heavy with the realization that the world outside the Academy was not made of textbooks and controlled spars.
Sasuke sat across from her, his arms folded, his gaze fixed on the mist. He was chasing a ghost—trying to map the speed Naruto had shown against the brothers. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw that jagged bone and the indifferent look on Naruto's face. It galled him. It fueled him.
Tazuna was hunched over, the smell of old sake replaced by the sharp scent of anxiety. He knew that as the fog thickened, they were crossing the threshold into Gato's territory.
Naruto sat at the bow, his hands resting loosely on his knees. , feeling like a coiled spring ready to snap. His Kagura's Mind Eye was humming, vibrating against the dense, moisture-laden chakra of the Land of Waves. This wasn't just weather; it was an ecosystem built on hidden intent.
(Seven days,) Naruto mused, his mind partitioned and calculating. (The Demon Brothers were a scouting party. By now, whoever is on Gato's payroll knows their 'hunters' never checked in. The next move won't be a puddle in the road )
The boatman whispered a warning to stay quiet, his voice barely a breath against the mist. The muffled sound of the engine was the only heartbeat in the silence.
" We are close ! THe Bridge should be visible soon ....When we reach the side of the bridge , We will be in Land Of Waves "
Soon the Boat croosed under a Half Built bridge , with all construction halted , leaving the equipments and tools around ,
" whoaa , That's big "
" It's Huge "
" oyy you guys , keep silence , I took this boat under the bridge , cutting the engine and rowing the boat by hand , all to make sure they won't find us , it will be huge trouble otherwise , do you understand "
The Boat got silent with the serious warnings from the Boatsman , Kakashi looked at Tazuna with a lazy eye
" Mr. Tazuna , I want to ask something before we arrive at pier"
".....hm"
" The Identity of your assailants and the reason they are after you , "
Naruto also looked back , The Demon Brothers didn't know much , they were just goons ordered to take out tazuna by some pretty lady , that was their contact . This information was mostly useless.
" If you don't tell us , than Our Mission may end the moment we land "
" Yes , Please listen , This may be the scope of your mission , But Actuall I am being Targeted a terrfying merchant , you may have heard his name Before "
"..." X3
" A Shipping Magnate by the name of Gato "
" GATO ?? Gato ....of the Gato company "
Kakshi spoke in surprise , and Sakura asked
" who ?/ What ? "
Naruto yawned without looking back at the introduction of Tazuna , Tazuna introduced Gato ,about his identity in Light and then his heinous crimes of the dark , Tazune spoke quite a while and then also spoke of the bridge's importance and the reason why he was getting Targeted by that kind of man
" Since you are building the bridge , You have become a hinderance "
sakura deduced , and Sasuke also spoke up
" Then those Ninja's from before were also Gato's men ?/ "
" I still don't understand , if you are facing someone like Gato then why did you hide it from us "
Naruto yawned while listening Tazuna and about the Land Of waves circumstances , In the end the story was the same as any normal tragedy , weakness and poor , It's not that naruto can't understand or empathise with these people , but he never considered himself a Hero .
( That's just how Life is , That Tazuna is also sick in head , with C rank money , it would have been better to move to some new land with his skills )
Tazuna spent money for a C Rank mission , But he only got lucky in the end , Most C rank missions are for a team of Genins , maybe leading them would be 1 Chunin.
Except for Team 7 , any other team will meet casualties , and Tazuna will definitly be among them .
Gato hired Elite Jonin Like Zabuza , But they have to meet Someone Like Kakashi , The Jinchuriki , The Avenger , and a Pink Banshee .
( Is Luck real ? )
Naruto looked above in the mist , while listening Tazuna's bitching
" -- My Daughter will blame Leaves Shinobi and My Grandson will definetely cry...hahaha OH but it's not your fault at all though "
Kakashi scratched his Forehead Protector and loked at TEam 7 , Sakura and even Sasuke looked uncomfortable , Naruto still has his back towards them , His chakra calm .
Sighing , Kakashi spoke up
"Well , I guess we have no choice , Let's continue as his bodyguards "
" Oh ! I am most grateful *hihi* "
Ignoring the smirking Tazuna , Naruto soon noticed his ANBU guards moving from a long distance .
( They finally got the boat .....but because of the river the distance is quite far )
Naruto also understood their difficulties , There was only one Boat willing to take them here , everyone else denied , As for Water Walking , it consumes Chakra and definietly not for travelling .
Soon the Boat entered a Tunnel , and after a while , The mist cleared up with sunshine and land of Waves welcomed Team 7 .
" woahh "
" so beautiful "
Naruto and Sakura looked at Land of waves , or the town , The building were mostly made on Water , A medival Fantasy town with water flowing beautifully.
" Then Tazuna , This is as far as I go , See you around "
" um , you have been a big help "
" be careful "
Naruto looked at them and his suspiciouns were confirmed
( NO wonder , we got a boat this fast at the pier )
Team 7 walked the mud path and Naruto saw , Kakashi moving with a helpless expressions
( has he already deduced the next threat will be of Jonin level and not some chunins or Genin ........he is still at ease , is this confidence or arrogance )
Team 7 moved along the way , and Soon Naruto confirmed a Chakra .
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Author's notes :
how many chapters should I use on waves arc .
Most fans know the story so describing anything in detail seems redundant
What do you guys think ?
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