The moment he heard that the mission was about to end, Naruto didn't even think—he shouted without hesitation.
Back when the Hidden Mist ninja appeared, Naruto's blood had been boiling.
At last, a real chance to prove his strength had fallen right into his hands!
Payment? Compensation? That didn't matter in the slightest. What mattered was facing strong shinobi. That was all he wanted.
"Haruto-nii, I want to continue this mission! I'll definitely protect old man Tazuna!"
Naruto met Senju Haruto's gaze, their eyes locking. His voice rang with unshakable determination.
"Please."
Sasuke and Sakura both turned toward Naruto.
"What an idiot…" Sasuke couldn't help but curse him inwardly for being so naive. Yet despite himself, he agreed with Naruto's resolve.
A shinobi has no reason to back down.
If he couldn't endure even this much, how could he ever catch up to that man?
"I agree with Naruto," Sasuke said firmly, his voice steady but low.
Sakura's eyes flicked nervously between Naruto and Sasuke.
Sasuke, the prodigy of the Academy—always top of his class.
Naruto, who had returned from training atop Mount Myōboku, wielding power beyond compare.
Neither of them feared the enemy before them.
But when the ambush had struck, her own hands and feet had frozen, refusing to obey her will.
Everything she had learned… had vanished from her mind in that instant.
So when Haruto had announced that the mission would end here, and that they would return to the Leaf, she had secretly felt a wave of relief.
Yet Naruto and Sasuke—both had chosen to push forward instead.
"…Fine…"
Tazuna looked at Naruto and Sasuke, and for the first time in a long while, a faint spark of hope flickered inside him.
But with that came a heavy realization.
If he kept hiding the truth, he would lose his only chance.
Maybe his own life wasn't worth much.
But when he thought of the Land of Waves and its current plight…
"I can't afford to die," he thought with a deep sigh.
Finally, he laid everything bare.
"Alright… I'll tell you the truth. The one who sent shinobi to kill me—you must have heard of him. His name is Gato."
The moment Tazuna spoke that name, Kakashi froze in shock.
Gato—the shipping magnate.
One of the few men in the world whose wealth rivaled even the daimyō of great nations.
"That's right. On the surface, he runs a shipping company, trading in legal goods."
Tazuna nodded grimly and continued.
"But in reality, Gato colludes with the mafia, hires rogue shinobi as killers, smuggles contraband, seizes property—he even strips entire nations bare. He's a super villain!"
"Now, with his private army, he controls every seaway around the Land of Waves. For an island nation, control of shipping means control of everything."
"The people suffer. Even our daimyō is helpless. He tried raising an army to fight back, but against Gato's thugs and hired shinobi, he didn't stand a chance."
"And so, all of the Land of Waves' hope rests on the bridge I am building. The only thing that can threaten Gato's hold."
He paused, shame flickering across his face.
No matter how evil he made Gato sound, this was still the Land of Waves' problem.
Not Konoha's. Not the Land of Fire's.
"But I promise you this: once Gato's schemes are destroyed, I'll find a way—no matter what—to pay for this mission."
Tazuna clenched his fists tight, staring at Haruto with desperate hope, as if in prayer.
Seeing this, Naruto immediately stepped in, unwilling to let the chance slip away.
"See? We can't just abandon him!"
"You're too naive."
Haruto's cold laugh cut through Tazuna's plea like steel.
"I've heard of Gato as well. If he's truly as powerful as you claim, do you really think one bridge can topple the kingdom he's built?"
"He could simply seize it for himself. Or destroy it outright. As long as Gato lives, he has a hundred ways to crush your little dream."
Haruto's words struck like icy water, mocking the naivety of both Tazuna and his people.
The truth was harsh. If not for Zabuza's final brilliance in dragging Gato down, if not for the people rising with newfound courage, the fate of the Land of Waves would never have changed.
The bridge itself? Meaningless.
Unless the true root of the problem was cut away, it didn't matter whether the bridge was finished or not.
Even Tazuna staggered at Haruto's words, his face pale.
Sakura looked at him with pity.
She, too, could tell that deep down, Tazuna had thought the same, but had never dared to face it.
Now that Haruto had spoken it aloud, he was left speechless.
Even if the bridge was completed, even if it inspired hope—could it really overcome Gato's mafia, his shinobi mercenaries?
"…Then how about this?"
Seeing Tazuna's shoulders slump, Haruto spoke again.
"We'll take care of Gato for you. Once he's gone, his underground empire will collapse into dust."
"That won't just change the Land of Waves' fate—it will restore your sea routes as well."
"What?!"
This time, not only Tazuna, but Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all froze.
Especially the three genin.
They'd only just heard Gato's name for the first time, yet even from Kakashi and Tazuna's words, they could tell how vast and dangerous his power was.
And Haruto… wanted to eliminate him outright?!
"Of course, removing someone like Gato is no B-rank or even A-rank assignment."
"This would be an S-rank mission. The kind that can decide the fate of nations. Naturally, the fee would be… a little higher. But in exchange, the problem would be solved permanently."
"Think carefully, Tazuna. Do you want to commission us to rewrite the destiny of the Land of Waves—or end things here?"
Haruto finished in one breath, then fell silent, waiting for Tazuna's answer.
The entire Seventh Squad drew in sharp breaths.
Especially Kakashi.
"An S-rank mission… that's the level tied to nations themselves. The minimum cost would be over a million ryō. Even with Gato's control over the Land of Waves, it's doubtful they make that in a year…"
He swallowed hard, his mind reeling.
And Haruto calls that 'a little higher'?!
Haruto's expression didn't waver.
"After all, I'm not some demon, Tazuna. If you can't accept it, just reject me outright. I won't make things harder for you."
"As for the fee… if necessary, I can take it up directly with your daimyō."
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