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A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, creating a soft rustling sound as five figures silently advanced along the dirt road.
After being out for half a day, the three young genin had initially been excited—it was their first time leaving the village—but they quickly grew accustomed to it.
Naruto had also been curious about the world outside Konoha. However, once they left the village, all he saw were roads and trees—trees that were thick and abundant. Despite years of war in the Naruto universe, nature still thrived.
Naruto could have left the village anytime using his teleportation magic or illumination spells. Both could illuminate an area within a five-meter radius, and by placing one spell every five meters, he could extend his field of vision indefinitely, allowing him to open portals wherever he wanted. He could even ascend step by step into the sky if he wished. If not for his limited mana, he could've pushed his vision all the way to the Andromeda Galaxy and opened a portal there to see if any fairies awaited him.
But he wouldn't live long enough to do that anyway.
Naruto and Sasuke walked ahead, about seven or eight meters in front of the other three. Kakashi and Sakura flanked Tazuna on either side.
Naruto wore black shorts and a white t-shirt, his hands casually stuffed into his pockets. Sasuke, dressed in white shorts and a blue t-shirt, mirrored Naruto's posture with his own hands in his pockets. The two walked side by side.
At first, Naruto hadn't kept his hands in his pockets, but after seeing both Sasuke and Kakashi do so—and recalling that Ming (a character from another series) also liked walking this way—he decided to follow suit.
As they passed two small puddles, Naruto shot Sasuke a knowing glance, leaving him to interpret its meaning. It hadn't rained in over two weeks, yet here were puddles in this scorching heat. What kind of nonsense was this? Did they think they were fountains?
"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto called back to Kakashi.
"Hmm?" Kakashi lazily drawled out his response.
"Come here for a moment—I need to talk to you." Naruto planned to lure Kakashi away so the two hidden figures in the puddles would directly target Tazuna.
Kakashi immediately understood that Naruto knew about the trap.
Just as he quickened his pace to reach Naruto, something unexpected happened.
Two figures emerged from the puddles, charging straight toward Tazuna. Their appearances were bizarre—one wore a breathing apparatus, while the other had horns atop his head. Claws glowed ominously on one hand, and chains shaped like gears extended from the other. They swung their weapons mid-air, linking the chains together, preparing to slice off Tazuna's head and claim the first kill.
The attackers moved swiftly, far faster than Sakura, whose hand hadn't even reached her kunai pouch before the duo closed in behind Tazuna.
However, someone was faster. As soon as the pair confirmed their target, Naruto surged forward, shattering the earth beneath his feet, while Sasuke's body briefly flashed with electricity.
Boom! Boom! Two resounding kicks sent the oddly dressed assailants flying. Their bodies skidded across the ground until they finally came to rest far away.
"Showy nonsense."
That was Naruto's verdict.
Then, to his surprise, the body he'd kicked twitched a few times, its head lolled to the side, and just like that—it was dead.
It was Naruto's first time killing someone. While he felt a pang of guilt, what weighed heavier on him was embarrassment. He hadn't even used much force. Compared to sparring with Sasuke or Kakashi, this opponent fell far too easily. How did he die so quickly…?
Having slaughtered pigs countless times, the sight of blood didn't faze him much.
The enemy Sasuke had kicked wasn't faring much better, gasping feebly. It was clear he wouldn't last another two days.
"These two are chūnin from Kirigakure," Kakashi finally chimed in, feeling the need to contribute somehow. His students were proving far too capable, making him feel utterly irrelevant as a teacher.
Turning to Tazuna, Kakashi asked, "You didn't mention that we'd face ninja attacks, did you?"
Pausing thoughtfully, he added, "With the appearance of shinobi, this mission has already exceeded the scope of a C-rank."
After another pause, he concluded, "Whether we continue or abandon the mission is up to you."
He was the leading jōnin, not their parent.
"Let's keep going," Naruto grinned. They'd come this far; how could they possibly turn back now? If Zabuza scared them off, forget fighting Kaguya—they might as well lie in bed waiting for Infinite Tsukuyomi instead.
"Agreed," Sasuke smirked. Leaving the village had indeed been a wise decision. Just stepping out, they encountered life-or-death combat, albeit against pitifully weak foes. Who knew what stronger opponents lay ahead?
He remembered something Naruto once said: "A person needs dreams. Otherwise, what's the difference between us and Kakashi, that lazy bum?"
"You two…" Sakura fretted worriedly.
"Sakura-chan, don't worry. We'll protect you," Naruto reassured her with a grin. He decided to give her some motivation. After this incident, perhaps she'd start developing the mindset of a true shinobi.
"Mm," Sasuke coolly replied, brief and to the point.
None of them paid any attention to the fallen Mist ninjas. There was no point saving them. They continued onward.
Bringing up the rear, Sakura remained deeply troubled.
I'm completely useless. Whether it was during the last test or now, even one of Naruto's shadow clones is more helpful than me.
Upon reaching the shore, a boatman arrived to ferry the group across the river.
Tazuna's country was an island nation, accessible only by boat.
Onboard, everyone sat cross-legged. Out of boredom, Naruto pulled out a fishing rod from his storage and began fishing.
"Tazuna-san, can you explain the situation with those attackers now? We're already this far," Kakashi asked.
"My country…"
Tazuna recounted the story of a nation secretly ruled by a merchant named Gato, who oppressed the people mercilessly, plunging the land into poverty. To change their fate, they aimed to build a bridge connecting them to the outside world.
Finally, he resorted to moral blackmail, pressuring the group to continue protecting him.
Unmoved by his tale, Naruto continued fishing without batting an eye. This has nothing to do with me. I grew up watching anti-Japanese resistance dramas. If you don't fight back, then you deserve to be ruled.
I'm only here to fight Zabuza.
When the boat docked, Naruto caught just one fish. He tossed it back into the sea and reeled in his fishing rod.
They still had a ways to go before reaching Tazuna's house, and Naruto began to grow vigilant.
From this point onward, they could be attacked at any moment. Moreover, Zabuza was incredibly powerful—on par with Kakashi in terms of raw strength.
Though Kakashi was infamous for being evenly matched with anyone, it didn't mean much. Zabuza's abilities were undoubtedly at the elite jōnin level.
A man who graduated by slaughtering over a hundred classmates and clawed his way out of mountains of corpses—this was Zabuza Momochi.
"Everyone, stay alert," Kakashi warned.
For a fleeting instant, a surge of killing intent had triggered Kakashi's senses, prompting him to warn the team.
Naruto instantly drew his mithril kunai and tossed two more to Sasuke and Sakura.
He knew Kakashi must have sensed something. After all, they were rookies fresh out of the academy, while Kakashi was a seasoned veteran who'd spent decades navigating the shinobi world.
A massive blade spun through the air, heading straight for the group. Clearly, its wielder intended to decapitate all four in one strike.
Naruto stowed his kunai and produced a mithril pickaxe instead. Gripping the handle firmly, he positioned it vertically in the path of the incoming sword.
Bam!
A thunderous impact reverberated as the blade ricocheted off, sending Naruto sliding backward five steps.
Sharp-eyed, Naruto noticed a chip in the blade where it had struck his pickaxe.
So mithril was indeed strong enough to withstand Kubikiribōchō's edge.
A figure leapt from the forest canopy, grabbing the hilt of the blade mid-air. Landing gracefully, he planted the sword into the ground and stood atop its handle.
Before them stood a man wearing a Kiri forehead protector, his face wrapped in bandages, exposing his bare upper body.
"Kid, your weapon is quite unusual," Zabuza remarked, glancing at the nick in his sword.
Of course it was unusual—after all, Naruto was wielding a pickaxe.
When he saw the massive sword hurtling toward them, Naruto doubted his kunai would suffice, so he opted for the pickaxe instead. Sure, it looked ridiculous, but better that than getting sliced in half.
As for why he didn't simply duck or dodge? With his reckless personality, he conveniently chose to forget such options existed.