Curiosity killed the cat is how often the saying goes whenever something unexpected comes up so the Hidden Village of the Leaf's Rookie Nine plus Team Gai expected that something might go wrong when they decided to suddenly follow their troublesome blonde jinchuuriki Uzumaki Naruto on the way home. But they were curious and they couldn't help it if they were being honest. Surprisingly, all of them wanted to know more about their resident prankster. However, that wasn't the exact reason why they were stalking him but it was another factor and this is where they were all a little bit worried too. The past few months, even before the Chuunin Exams, Naruto always comes to their team meetings with fresh bruises, mostly on his arms, but one on his left leg, like he busted his anterior cruciate ligament. He claimed that he got involved in an accident with a project he was working on, but that was a tough sell since he wouldn't tell them what the project even was and the fact that he was working on a project is already unbelievable to Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Hatake Kakashi, their sensei.
"It's just a thing I'm working on," he said during one of their team sessions, clearly trying to redirect their conversation.
"For our team?" Sasuke himself had asked, trying to get to the bottom of this.
"No . . . it's just another interest of mine. But it won't interfere with our team," the usually boisterous and outgoing Naruto said firmly and he'd continued to be evasive about the details of it.
At first, they didn't think too much about it but as his consented absences were getting more and more frequent, it was putting Sasuke and Sakura to the edge so much that the latter even shared it to Yamanaka Ino.
Needless to say, the self-proclaimed gossip queen of Konoha spread word to the others in the Rookie Nine plus Team Gai and this resulted in the current group that was trying to follow Naruto, who was on his way out of the gates of the village.
What made the whole affair even interesting is that he's not even in his usual orange jacket and orange pants get-up and instead, he was wearing a plain white shirt, black cargo shorts, and a tied bandana in his head. He also had a backpack with him.
"Whatever Naruto is doing would be twice the trouble," Shikamaru yawned as he and the rest of the group followed the blonde.
"I don't know what that Naruto is doing but it better be worth our time," Sakura grumbled as she felt she could have used this day to impress Sasuke for the ninth time this week.
"Na-Naruto-kun…" Hinata could only whimper as she and her team was in the back of the pack.
It didn't take long before Naruto and the rest of the Konoha 12 that was following the former discreetly (depending on who you ask) towards the limits of the village's territory and from there, there was a cart station where Naruto hitched a ride. The rest of the genin did the same thing as they went on a three-hour journey towards a destination only the blonde knows.
While they were on the journey, they were starting to wonder where the heck Naruto (and they, by extension) would be heading.
"Did you all try to pry information from Naruto? This looks to be too much for a simple project," Ino asked, her curiosity now piqued.
"If only it was that easy. Naruto, who's usually very hyperactive, is very evasive about it when we asked him once," Sakura sighed.
"That's why we followed the troublesome blonde, right?" Shikamaru lazily pointed out. "Although I don't know why we have to go. We didn't even ask permission from our senseis…"
It wasn't long before the carts that they were all riding stopped and as soon as they stepped down from their ride, the rest of the Konoha 12 were stupefied upon seeing where they were.
"Eh? Isn't this…" Choji was so shocked to see where they were standing.
"Well, from what the old man told me, this should be the city of Miyakojima…" Shikamaru said.
Situated in the far-end coast sandwiched between the Land of Earth and Land of Wind, Miyako City is a lively port city-state that is considered an outlier among other cities, towns, and villages in the whole Elemental Nations. In contrast with the more traditional Oriental-style layout and infrastructure of almost every place in the Elemental nations, the city of Miyakojima had grid street type of layout with houses and buildings mostly made out of stone, crushed corals, cut rocks, glass, and earthen-like roofing. The streets were paved with carved stones and pebbles glued with mortar mixed with ash, clay, and straw.
Also, there was no shinobi seen in the streets and instead, there were men wearing armor resembling those of the samurai. If Shikamaru is to be asked, the shinobi of this city are probably hidden from public view. Not that he was underestimating the men in samurai armor but he doubts a city this large and rich won't have capable shinobi as deterrence.
"I read from a book back in the academy that the city of Miyakojima is the only gateway between the whole Elemental Nations and a rumored New World in the far west but I didn't expect this kind of scenery," Sakura said as they watched, "Iruka-sensei however basically believes that the end of the Elemental Nations is the end of the world."
"Just because Iruka-sensei believes it doesn't mean it's a fact," Shikamaru snorted, "We've seen stranger and troublesome things happen and we shouldn't be surprised if they're trading with people from a land that we haven't heard before."
Sasuke hummed in agreement and so did the others.
"But with that said, where is that troublesome blonde?" The Nara kin member grumbled as he scanned the whole area.
"I-I will use my Byakugan to track down Na-Naruto-kun…" Hinata volunteered as she activated her doujutsu and began to look around her surroundings. It took her some time as for weird reasons, her Byakugan are picking up not only chakra signatures but also bluish to purple energy from people who were obviously traders and foreigners seeking to do business in Miyakojima. But eventually, she was able to track down Naruto's chakra signature as she finally saw the dense chakra reserves of her crush as well as his fox-like second chakra lurking in his chest.
"Na-Naruto-kun is in that large shop near the docks!" Hinata said and quickly, they all ran towards the mentioned shop, which was somewhat far from where they were standing as their origin point was in a hilly point and the distance between the hill and the shipyards would make a normal person tired from walking all the way through it.
After having to thread to a crowded portion of the streets of Miyakojima, they were finally standing near the building that Hinata spotted. They weren't able to get near the entrance as there were people standing near the entry hall. People who looked nothing like an average Elemental Nations resident as they were wearing armor of pure, beaten iron, iron morion helmets, broadswords, and leather shoes.
"The Pergrande Kingdom really needs the cannons and your native products as soon as possible. Can you make them in three weeks?" The Konoha 12 members heard one of the armored men speak in a somewhat regal and calm manner.
"Look, melting and casting steel cannons takes time. They don't grow from trees, you dolt." Everyone's eyes widened as they heard the crude and familiar voice replying to the armored man somewhat harshly. That's Naruto!
"Naruto, language!" A middle-aged man wearing a kimono smacked Naruto before he apologized, "Mister Tiago, I'm sorry for his somewhat rude response but yes, they do take time because we have to make sure that all parts of the cannon meets our manufacturing standards. Don't worry, our little boy Naruto here is actually a good weapons manufacturer, if only a bit lacking in manners."
Wait, what?! The rest of the rookie and Team Gai nearly dropped their jaws at the unexpected information they heard about Naruto.
Naruto, meanwhile, grumbled as the man in kimono continued, "With that said, we will try to fast track your order for 20 bronze cannons in three weeks. But in exchange, give us something valuable from your lands."
The armored man named Mister Tiago pondered upon the suggestion of the man in kimono before nodding while showing off the four chests carried by his companions, "Fine then, Mr. Murata. I will have 30 steel cannons, 100 of your experimental bolt-action hand cannons and in four weeks' time. You can have here our myrrh, frankincense, and gold as well as the finest wines in exchange."
The man in the kimono named Murata smiled as he shook hands with Tiago while replying, "You may take five of our steel cannons with the carriage as the first batch but I have an additional request. We want to have your finest silver as well. It's not easy to source materials to make your weapons, you know."
This time, it was Tiago who grumbled as he motions to his men to bring in another chest while replying, "Fine. As long as their quality is the same as the rumors I heard, then I have no complaints."
The men then put down the five chests while they carried off the five artillery pieces, which were complete with carriages and wheels. As soon as Tiago and his men left, Naruto summons his shadow clones to carry off the four chests boxes inside the building while the original one…
"Oi, guys, you may come out now."
"Wait, how does Naruto know that we're here?!" Sakura frantically said as the said blonde quickly turned his head towards the bush where the large group was hiding.
"Look, Sakura, I can hear you and your pink hair is standing out too much in the bushes," Naruto sighed at the group's poor hiding spot.
Wait, no Sakura-chan?! What the hell?! Everyone hidden in the bush thought with funny faces as they slowly stood up from their hiding spots.
"How did you know that we're here, Naruto?" Choji asked sheepishly while munching on his potato chops.
"I may not be the sharpest tool on the shed but seriously, you're too many to be discreet." Everyone was somehow very embarrassed or surprised to see how Naruto managed to see through their hiding spot but more importantly, they were shocked to hear how Naruto did not address his female teammate like before.
"Oi, Naruto…are you sure that's you?" Surprisingly, it was Sasuke who asked.
Instead of blowing up in an exaggerated way, Naruto merely looks at the Uchiha with a raised brow, "I know it's hard to believe it but it's good old me. No one abuses the Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu more than I do, dattebayo."
Yep, that's Naruto. Everyone deadpanned.
"Oh, are these your friends, Naruto? I'm Murata Tane, by the way, kids…" Out of nowhere, the middle-aged man Murata popped out behind Naruto and introduced himself quickly.
"Well, not really friends, old man. Merely acquaintances and colleagues who were put together on the same team and in the same class…"
If the rest of the genin were being completely honest, they were totally taken aback by Naruto's somewhat dismissive remark about them.
Before Sakura can say something, Naruto beat her to the punch, "With that said, it would be too harsh if I left you all under the hot sun so as a gesture of hospitality, please follow me."
The whole group then wordlessly followed Naruto and Murata as they were ushers into the large shop which looked more like a warehouse. It didn't take long for them to step inside the building. And then they stared.
It was like walking onto the set of a Steampunk show. Everything was decorated in a futuristic Victorian style. The walls were all painted dark brown and prototype weapons hung on them in heavy brass frames. There were also pieces of objects displayed on the wall containing gears, cogs, gun barrels, compasses, gun sights, brass casings, strange clocks, cannon wheels and other clockwork pieces.
"Does Naruto-kun really work here?" asked Hinata, voicing what they were all thinking. This didn't look anything like what they were expecting Naruto's workplace to look like.
The further in they got, the more it looked like the home of a mad black market trader of arms and smuggled goods. Shelves and cabinets were filled with bullets of different caliber, books on weapons technology, maps, sextants, and small brass and gear devices that, when fitted together, would form into a weapon that they have never seen. The lights were all refitted gas lamps, converted to use electricity, and in the living room was a computer with a keyboard refitted with antique typewriter keys, a touch screen panel with a blank canvas, and documents.
The room at the back of the warehouse was where they found all the Naruto clones working and it was easily the most productive, if not chaotic, room in the house. Ten sets of what looked like a multi-barreled machine gun was currently being assembled by the clones while on another edge of the room, another clone was busy filing the slide of what they call a repeating automatic handgun. Some of the clones were refilling cartridges while the others were simply sorting out tools. An ice cream freezer stood beside the refrigerator, decked in brass like its counterpart.
After all 11 visitors spent a good half minute staring, Tenten finally opened her mouth.
"Di-Did you all design these…exotic weapons…"
"Well…you could say it like that…" Naruto shrugged as he motions one of the clones to bring something to the rest of the Konoha 12. The clone then brought a tray of glasses filled with cold milk as well as grapes and cookies.
"H-How did you even find the time to make all of these?!" Sakura had enough of what she sees as too much deviation from how they know Naruto as she points an accusing finger at the blonde, "Are you trying to mess with me and Sasuke-kun's time?"
Naruto merely looked at her like she was an annoyance, "What I do in my private time is my own business. And why do you think I would mess your time together, if it's anything even remotely close to that? Shouldn't you be happy that I left you alone with Sasuke?"
It was a rhetorical question but one that really made Sakura stop ranting. Indeed, she has been always left alone with Sasuke ever since Naruto's absence has become more frequent but even then, her progress in trying to lure the last living Uchiha in Konohagakure has been…stagnant and was no different from the last time Naruto had been present.
"It's somewhat a surprise coming from you but at least, it sure looks like you're not being that loser that everyone in the village knows," Ino said.
"Thanks, I guess?" Naruto did not know if she's being sarcastic or not.