A Twist in the Cycle

by Sunga Azul

Madara committed a grave sin. By surviving when he should have died, he disrupted the cycle of reincarnations that had been ongoing for centuries, and now Ashura has reincarnated in an Uzumaki, which could only lead to more chaos. Fūinjutsu Naruto!

4. Chapter IV - Invisible I

Chapter IV - Invisible I

Winter's final days in Konoha were unforgiving. The season, which had already been uncharacteristically harsh, now clung stubbornly to the village, drenching it in relentless rain and biting cold. Even the bravest shinobi found themselves reluctant to abandon the comfort of their blankets. But for Team Seven, comfort was a luxury they could not afford. Duty demanded their presence at the training field, no matter how unwelcoming the morning air.

The first to arrive, as always, was Sasuke. Hands buried deep in his pockets, he leaned against one of the three wooden posts standing in the heart of the field. The high collar of his uniform provided some protection, but not enough. Despite the long-sleeved shirt he wore beneath, his foot tapped lightly against the frozen ground, betraying the cold seeping into his bones.

Soon, another figure emerged through the misty drizzle. Sakura, ever punctual, though never particularly eager for these early meetings, approached sluggishly. The biting wind had drained the color from her cheeks, leaving her shivering despite the arm warmers she wore. Her movements were stiff, her breath visible in the air like tiny ghosts vanishing into the gray morning.

"G-g-good m-morning, Sasuke-san," she stammered through chattering teeth.

"Hmm." Unlike before, the Uchiha did not simply ignore her. A nod—brief, but present—was his reply.

With a barely contained groan, Sakura slumped down against the nearest post, wrapping her arms around herself in a vain attempt to fight the cold. Her muttering was nearly lost to the wind, but Sasuke, standing close enough, caught the irritation lacing her words.

"Stupid Kakashi-sensei, changing his mind for no reason…"

The schedule had shifted unexpectedly. Their supposed week-long evaluation had been cut short after only three days. Apparently, that was enough for Kakashi to be satisfied with their progress.

To Inner Sakura, however, this was a conspiracy of the highest order.

'That bastard! I bet he planned this just to watch us suffer in the cold!'

Sasuke, despite himself, disagreed. He wasn't happy with Kakashi's whims, but he wouldn't let something as trivial as bad weather get in the way of his training. Strength was earned, not guaranteed. And he had no intention of falling behind.

Not that he'd say any of that to Sakura. After all, antagonizing her now—especially after the tentative peace they had recently reached—would only make things more complicated.

So instead, he merely exhaled, watching as his breath curled into the frigid air, and prepared himself for another long, freezing morning under their enigmatic sensei's command.

A few minutes later, the last member of the trio arrived. Despite the cold, Naruto's appearance hadn't changed much. His usual orange and black jacket was already warm enough, so he didn't need to add anything extra. The only difference was the pair of blue gloves covering his hands.

"Yawn… Good morning, Sakura-tan, Teme."

Once again, Sasuke responded with a simple nod. Sakura, on the other hand, just huffed, refusing to even look at the redhead.

"I already told you not to call me that!"

Ever since the trio had gone out for lunch the other day, Naruto had taken to calling her that ridiculous suffix, much to her irritation. At first, it had been a joke, but after seeing how much it annoyed her, he had doubled down, using it at every opportunity.

"Gyahahahaha!" Naruto laughed shamelessly, earning only a pout from the young kunoichi in response.

"Humph, idiot."

Poof!

Amid a cloud of smoke, Kakashi appeared in a rare moment of punctuality.

"Good morning, everyone! Ready for some training?!"

Seeing their sensei arrive on time, a shiver ran down Sakura's spine. The last time this had happened, she had spent four days alone in a dangerous forest. And for some reason, she had the unsettling feeling that today wouldn't be much different.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei, what are you going to teach us? A super jutsu that can destroy mountains? Or create tsunamis?" Naruto asked, bouncing on his feet, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Hehehe, I like your enthusiasm, Naruto-kun! I just hope you keep it up until the end of the training…"

Months ago, Naruto would have dismissed the comment as harmless bravado. But now, with his heightened senses, he could feel the amusement radiating from his sensei like an itch on his skin. And every time Kakashi was this entertained, it only meant one thing—misery was about to follow.

'C-come on! This is actually a chance to show off how awesome I am in his face!'

"Now, to answer your question, how about we start with something lighter? A little run to warm up from the cold sounds good, don't you think?"

Naruto grinned, confidence swelling.

'Ha! See?! In the end, it's just a run. I won't even break a sweat!'

...

'A little run, my ass!'

Naruto had no idea how long they had been running. Minutes? Hours? Time had blurred into a haze of aching limbs and ragged breaths.

At first, it had been exactly as Kakashi said—a light jog along a flat, easy path. Nothing to worry about. But after barely ten minutes, their sensei veered off into the forest, and all hell broke loose.

There was a reason Konoha shinobi preferred to travel through the trees. The terrain beneath the towering forests of Hi no Kuni was a nightmare—uneven ground riddled with thick roots, each one a twisted trap waiting to send them sprawling. Mud pools swallowed their feet up to the shin, making every step a struggle. And yet, instead of slowing down, Kakashi gradually picked up the pace. A slow but steady escalation of their suffering.

When he noticed them falling behind, the jōnin had the audacity to glance over his shoulder and say, in that damnably amused tone of his:

'You asked for this training, and now you're slacking off? Well, if this is too much, we can stop and do some D-rank missions instead. I'm sure Hokage-sama has a few sewer-cleaning jobs available.'

Faced with that horrifying alternative, the trio had no choice but to grit their teeth and push forward. But willpower alone had its limits, and Naruto could feel himself teetering dangerously close to his.

Glancing back, he took stock of his teammates' conditions—and what he saw only deepened his concern.

Sasuke, usually the closest to matching Naruto in endurance, looked wrecked. His breaths came in sharp, uneven bursts, his sweat-drenched hair clinging to his forehead. Bloodshot eyes burned with sheer, stubborn defiance, but Naruto could tell—it was willpower keeping him moving, not strength.

Sakura, on the other hand…

She was a disaster.

The pink-haired kunoichi was running on sheer desperation, her movements sluggish and mechanical. Drool dripped from the corner of her mouth, her vacant eyes staring ahead, unfocused. Her head bobbed in a slow, tragic rhythm—drooping forward as if she were about to collapse, only to snap back up at the last second, over and over again.

For a fleeting moment, Naruto considered calling it quits for their sake.

Then, just as his thoughts began to solidify, the trio burst from the treeline and stumbled back onto the training field.

Kakashi came to a casual halt, completely unfazed.

"Alright, team! I think that's enough running for today!"

Naruto barely had time to register the words before his legs buckled. With a collective thud, all three of them collapsed onto the cold, unforgiving ground.

Kakashi turned to them, hands on his hips, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"Mah, mah… a little run like that, and you're already dropping like flies? Come on, get up—I didn't authorize a break yet."

Groaning, the trio forced themselves upright, though they wobbled like newborn deer. Even the gentlest breeze might have knocked them over.

Sakura, in particular, looked like she had spiritually departed from her body.

"Now, how about some push-ups?"

No one had the energy to protest.

Dragging themselves into position, the trio followed their sadistic sensei's lead as he began the next round of their suffering.

"Let's go, everyone! Just keep up with me. Down… up! Down… up!"

The only response was the sound of their exhausted groans mixing with the relentless winter wind.

...

"Down… up!"

Sakura had lost count long ago.

Her arms felt like dead weight, the burning in her muscles long since morphing into numbness. Each push-up felt heavier than the last, as if gravity itself had turned against her. Her body screamed for her to stop, to collapse, to surrender.

And yet, she didn't.

Not because of Kakashi's orders, nor out of pride—but because of what stopping would mean.

To give in now was to accept she wasn't ready. That she was useless. That all the whispers in the back of her mind, the ones she tried so hard to drown out, were true.

And that terrified her more than the pain.

"Down… up!"

'Huff… When… huff… will this… huff… end?'

That was the worst part. Kakashi hadn't given them a number to aim for. No goal, no finish line. Just an endless, torturous rhythm.

With each repetition, she prayed—this one will be the last.

And each time, she was wrong.

'He's doing this on purpose… I know he is…'

"Down… up! That's it, everyone! You can stand up now!"

Relief crashed over her—only for her arms to betray her completely.

With no strength left to support her, Sakura collapsed face-first into the dirt.

She didn't groan, didn't curse—hell, she barely even registered the impact. She was simply too exhausted to care.

For two whole minutes, Kakashi allowed them to catch their breath.

Then—

"That's enough of a break. We still have a lot to do, and we're already behind schedule. Now, let's move on to squats!"

A strangled noise, something between a whimper and a groan, escaped Sakura's throat.

Still, like a zombie, she forced herself to her feet.

'How long is this going to go on?! At this rate… I'm going to die!'

...

'It was way heavier than I expected.'

Sasuke sat on the ground, drenched in sweat, his muscles aching from overuse.

After endless squats came sit-ups, then jumping jacks, and finally, pull-ups. One after another, each exercise drained them further, until even he was left gasping for breath.

Naruto, someone Sasuke had never once seen tired, was hunched over, hands braced against his knees, panting hard.

And Sakura?

She wasn't even moving.

Flat on her back, arms sprawled out, the only sign of life was the ragged rise and fall of her chest. But in the end, there was nothing Sasuke could do except swallow any complaints.

'After all, I asked for this.'

When he had pushed for more training, he, like Naruto, had envisioned something useful—new jutsu, techniques to increase their firepower. He wasn't naive; he knew physical conditioning was important. But if this was all they were going to do…

Disappointment simmered beneath his exhaustion.

As if sensing his frustration, Kakashi spoke, his words slicing through the weight of their fatigue.

"That wraps up the physical training for today, everyone."

The trio barely reacted.

"Today, I joined you to show you what the training regimen is like. But starting tomorrow, you'll be doing it on your own. You're shinobi; this is your career on the line. If you can't motivate yourselves, take off those hitai-ate and go back to being civilians."

The exhaustion, the complaints, the frustration—everything was swallowed back at the weight of his words.

Kakashi had always been like this. He didn't hold their hands, didn't coddle them. He simply showed the way. The rest? That was up to them.

Then, as if to soften the blow, Kakashi clapped his hands together, his usual lazy demeanor creeping back in.

"Mah, that said… how about we train your chakra a bit now?"

"Finally!"

Naruto's voice rang out with excitement, his energy seemingly restored in an instant. It was almost comical—after barely surviving Kakashi's brutal training, he now looked as if he hadn't just been crawling on the ground moments ago.

"What awesome jutsu are we going to learn, Kakashi-sensei?!"

Kakashi's visible eye curved into an amused smile.

"Today, my little students, you're going to learn how to climb trees!"

Naruto's enthusiasm screeched to a halt. 'Huh?! What's so complicated about climbing a tree?'

Sakura, who had only just managed to sit up, turned a deadpan stare on their sensei. Her voice was as lifeless as her body.

"We already know how to climb trees, sensei..."

"Of course, this training isn't about climbing trees the way you learned in the Academy!"

Kakashi's lazy smile widened, as if thoroughly enjoying their reactions. The moment he spoke again, he got exactly what he was expecting—Naruto's eyes widening in sheer bewilderment.

"Today, you're going to learn how to climb trees without using your hands!"

Even Sasuke, who had been listening quietly, blinked in surprise before quickly piecing things together. 'Now that I think about it… I've seen shinobi walking on walls before. So that's what this is about.'

Naruto, as impressionable as ever, was instantly hooked.

"Alright, Kakashi-sensei! I'm in!"

Sakura, however, wasn't so easily convinced. Whether it was exhaustion clouding her mind or her natural skepticism kicking in, she narrowed her eyes at Kakashi, arms crossed and think.

'You expect us to believe that's possible?'

Seeing the girl's skepticism, Kakashi simply shrugged and replied.

"Well, it's better to show than to tell."

With a casual ease, Kakashi formed a single hand seal and strode toward a nearby tree. Then, without breaking stride, he stepped onto the trunk and began walking straight up—defying gravity itself.

The trio watched, wide-eyed, as their sensei calmly scaled the tree, stopping only when he was completely upside down, hanging effortlessly from the soles of his feet.

Even Sasuke, the most composed among them, couldn't help but be impressed. It wasn't every day you saw someone standing on a tree sideways, let alone upside down.

"Got it now?" Kakashi asked, his voice as nonchalant as if he were standing on solid ground.

The three genin nodded.

"Good. To do this, all you need to do is focus the right amount of chakra on the soles of your feet."

Sasuke, however, looked at Kakashi cynically. While he acknowledged it was an interesting technique, it hardly seemed worth their time when they could be learning offensive jutsu instead.

"And how is this going to make us stronger?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Kakashi's visible eye curved into an amused smile.

"Ah, that's actually the main point, Sasuke-chan."

Sasuke twitched at the nickname, but before he could complain, Kakashi continued.

"The soles of your feet are the farthest point from your chakra network's core. That makes this exercise a serious test of chakra control. If you use too little, you'll fall. Too much, and you'll be thrown off."

He paused to make sure they were following before adding,

"As for why chakra control is important… well, the next things I plan to teach you will be impossible to learn without it. Most jutsu require not just raw power, but precision. If you lack control, best case? You waste energy. Worst case? The jutsu fails, and you leave yourself wide open to an enemy attack."

The weight of his words silenced any remaining doubts.

"Always remember, kids—chakra is a resource. Waste too much, and it could be the difference between life and death."

Seeing that his students had finally taken the lesson seriously, Kakashi pulled three kunai from his holster and tossed them onto the ground in front of them.

"Of course, just listening to me won't be enough. This is something you need to feel with your own body. Take these kunai and use them to mark your progress. Your goal is to climb higher each time." Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "Oh, and don't try to take it slow like I did. Get a running start—momentum will help."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei!" the trio responded in unison.

Wasting no time, each of them snatched up a kunai, formed the hand seal, and charged toward a tree.

And the results?

Well, they were definitely unexpected, at least for the genins.

Naruto barely made it three steps before something went horribly wrong.

With a loud crack, the redhead was launched backward, crashing onto the ground with enough force to rattle his teeth. A fresh hole remained in the tree where his foot had been, as if it had just been struck by a sledgehammer.

Sasuke, on the other hand, fared slightly better. He managed five solid steps before his foot slipped, forcing him to push off and flip backward, landing smoothly on the ground.

But the biggest surprise?

Sakura.

In a single, effortless burst, she sprinted all the way to the top and perched herself on a branch—completely unfazed.

Kakashi, watching the results with amusement, analyzed each of them in turn.

'As expected, Naruto has the most chakra. For him, this exercise is going to be a nightmare.' He glanced at his crimson-haired student, who was now sitting up, rubbing his head and muttering curses under his breath.

Then, his gaze shifted to Sasuke.

'Sasuke-chan has a lot of potential. It won't take him long to adjust.'

Finally, his visible eye trailed upward, where Sakura was swinging her legs idly from her spot in the treetop.

'I already knew her chakra control was good, but this? Impressive.'

"This is actually pretty easy," Sakura mused, tilting her head.

Under normal circumstances, she might have looked adorable saying that. But given her utterly deadpan expression and disheveled state, the whole thing had an oddly eerie vibe instead.

Down below, her teammates finally snapped out of their daze and gawked at her in disbelief.

Sasuke clenched his fists.

'Losing to Dobe is one thing. But losing to Sakura? Unacceptable!'

Naruto, meanwhile, grinned up at her.

"Heh, guess I'll have to master this now. Can't let you stay ahead of me, can I, Sakura-tan?"

Sakura smirked, sticking out her tongue at them.

Unfortunately, her moment of triumph was short-lived. She felt it—the weight of Kakashi's stare. That damn smiling eye. And she knew, with every fiber of her being, that misery was coming.

"Very good, Sakura-chan. You really are talented when it comes to chakra control."

Sakura's chest swelled with pride.

"But…"

Her stomach dropped.

"Your reserves are quite pitiful. So, to fix that… start running up and down the tree. Over and over."

Sakura's eye twitched.

'Running?! Again?! Are you trying to kill me, Kakashi-sensei?!'

Inside her mind, Inner Sakura was already wailing in despair.

'I HATE RUNNING! DAMN YOU, KAKASHI! CHA!'

Meanwhile, their sensei simply smiled, utterly unbothered by her suffering.

'Hehehe… I can't wait to take them to the hot springs for water-walking training.'

---

A week had passed since Team Seven began their new training regimen.

Much to their dismay, the cold showed no mercy. More than once, they had been forced to run through the freezing winter rain, their bodies aching, breath fogging in the bitter air.

But as if that weren't miserable enough, Kakashi had added a cruel incentive—if they didn't finish their morning exercises before he arrived, they would be stuck with the worst D-rank missions for the day.

It only took one sewer-cleaning job for Team Seven to learn their lesson. Now, they never slacked off again. Which was why, at this very moment, they were in the middle of countless sit-ups, with no set number to aim for—only the limit of their endurance.

"Just one more. Come on, I can do it."

Naruto grit his teeth, sweat pouring down his forehead like a waterfall as he fought to lift himself up one more time. And then—

"That's it! I'm done!"

His strength gave out, and his head hit the ground with a dull thud. As if that had been some unspoken signal, the other two followed suit, collapsing instantly. Their logic was simple—If the most resilient one of us gave up, then we've done enough.

Flat on his back, Naruto turned his head, glancing at his teammates. Sasuke keeping up wasn't surprising. Sure, Naruto had always had the edge in endurance, but the Uchiha wasn't far behind.

But the real surprise?

Sakura.

In just a week, the pink-haired kunoichi had made huge progress. It wasn't smooth or pretty—she still ended up half-dead by the end of every session—but she never let herself fall behind.

Of course, there was still a clear gap. By the time Sakura finished one push-up, Naruto had done twice as many, and Sasuke had outpaced her by at least fifty percent. But still—progress was progress.

And Naruto couldn't help but look at her with a mix of astonishment and pride.

"Huff... Is there... huff... something... huff... on my face, Naruto?!"

If there was one thing Naruto had learned over the past few days, it was that Sakura became ridiculously irritable during training.

'Geez, I know you hate physical exercise, but do you have to take it out on me, Sakura-tan?!'

"It's nothing, Sakura-tan. I'm just not used to your new haircut yet."

Sakura huffed, looking away. Her once-long hair now barely reached her shoulders. The boys had been stunned when they first saw the change. And when Naruto asked why, her answer had been blunt—

'It was just getting in the way during the training. I don't want to be the kunoichi who died because her long hair got in the way.'

Given the absolute disaster her hair had been after their first day—tangled, full of twigs, leaves, and even mud—neither of them could argue with her reasoning. Hell, if they had been in her place, they might have done the same.

Back in the present, Sakura simply let out another breath, deciding that wasting energy snapping at Naruto wasn't worth it. Instead, she focused on catching her breath.

Kakashi still hadn't arrived.

Which meant this—this—was her only chance to recover before their suffering continued. As if summoned by Sakura's exhausted thoughts, a cloud of smoke erupted in front of them. From it, Kakashi emerged.

"Good morning, everyone! I hope you've been training diligently today!"

Though his tone was as lighthearted as ever, his lone visible eye curved in amusement, the trio knew better. He wasn't just making small talk—he was assessing them, gauging their exhaustion, searching for any sign that one of them had slacked off.

Sakura felt his gaze linger on her and gulped. But, much to her relief, Kakashi soon moved on.

"Mah, mah, seeing the state you're in, I guess I don't need to worry! Now, how about we check on your tree-walking progress?"

With that cue, the trio reluctantly hauled themselves up and, without delay, began walking slowly up the trees.

As Kakashi had predicted, Naruto had struggled with the exercise the most. His massive chakra reserves made control a nightmare, and he had fallen more times than he could count. But refusing to fall behind, he had pushed himself to train long after missions—late into the night, long after his teammates had gone home.

And finally, as of yesterday, he could confidently say he had mastered it.

'Well done, Dobe!'

Surprisingly, the one most pleased by Naruto's success wasn't Naruto himself—it was Sasuke. He had mastered the exercise three days ago, but, much like with Sakura, Kakashi had forced him to keep going—pushing his limits until his chakra reserves were exhausted in order to expand them.

But now that Naruto had caught up, there was only one logical conclusion.

'We are finally moving on!'

To Sasuke's delight, that was exactly what their sensei had in mind.

"Well, it seems you've gained enough mastery over this. Time to take the next step. Come over here so I can explain it to you."

The trio made their way over to their sensei, watching as Kakashi bent down and picked up a stone about the size of his palm.

"I'm sure you all noticed how strong I was during the bell test," he began, rolling the stone between his fingers. "But have you ever wondered how that's even possible in the first place? I'll tell you right now—it's not just physical training."

"Chakra," Sasuke answered immediately, not even giving his teammates a chance to think.

Kakashi's visible eye curved into a pleased smile.

"Sharp as always, Sasuke-chan! Yes, it's thanks to chakra that we shinobi can perform superhuman feats. One of the most fundamental ways we do this is through Kyouka."

The name alone made Sasuke's brow twitch in interest.

"Kyouka, simply put, is a technique that enhances the properties of something—whether it's your body, a weapon, or even your spirit."

"To learn this, we'll start with the most basic level of Kyouka: internal strengthening. This focuses on reinforcing your body—improving muscle strength, bone durability, and even sharpening your senses. The potential is limitless, only constrained by your chakra reserves and control. When applied properly, it becomes second nature."

To demonstrate, Kakashi casually clenched his fist—

Crack!

The stone in his grip shattered like brittle clay, crumbling to dust between his fingers.

Naruto gawked.

Sakura paled.

Even Sasuke, who had been trying to keep his cool, had to admit—it was impressive.

"Of course, like all things, this technique has its weaknesses."

Kakashi dusted off his hands, continuing.

"First, you must constantly supply chakra to the strengthened area. Stop for even a second, and the enhancement fades. Second—and this is the dangerous part—if you use too much chakra, you can severely damage yourself. Without proper control, you could tear your muscles, rupture your organs, or worse—completely destroy one of your senses."

Sakura audibly gulped. The thought of accidentally crippling herself was enough to send a shiver down her spine. Sensing her growing panic, Kakashi reassured her.

"Relax, Sakura-chan. Thanks to the tree-climbing exercise, you all now have the chakra control necessary to avoid crippling yourselves. If you're careful, nothing bad will happen."

Sakura let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

Sasuke, on the other hand, remained tense. He trusted Kakashi's words, but the risk still existed. And with his ambitions, permanently injuring himself was not an option.

"With that said, let's move on to the first exercise." His gaze flickered toward Naruto. "Naruto-kun, take off your jacket and come here."

The redhead grinned, practically buzzing with excitement.

"Right away!"

Naruto, buzzing with excitement, wasted no time following Kakashi's instructions. He practically ripped off his jacket, eager to dive into the next phase of training. What he didn't expect, however, was for Kakashi to suddenly weave a rapid sequence of hand seals as he approached.

"Ninpou: Kage Hari no Jutsu!"

Before Naruto could react, Kakashi grabbed his arm. And then—Countless needles materialized out of thin air and sank into his skin.

"What the hell are you doing, Kakashi-sensei?!"

Instinctively, Naruto tried to yank his arm back, but Kakashi's grip was unbreakable.

"Calm down, idiot. If I miss even one of these needles, I could accidentally sever a nerve—and we don't want that, do we?"

Naruto froze. His heart lodged itself in his throat. His breath caught, his body stiffened, and for a split second, genuine panic shot through him. Then—

"Mah, mah, it was just a joke, Naruto-kun." Kakashi's eye curved into a lazy smile. "Can't you tell? It doesn't even hurt."

Naruto blinked. Now that he thought about it… It didn't hurt. In fact, he could barely feel the needles at all. Still confused, he glanced up at Kakashi, searching for an explanation.

"I placed them in specific acupuncture points to minimize damage to your body," the jōnin clarified.

Naruto exhaled, finally calming down.

Seeing this, Kakashi took that as his cue to continue.

"Now, listen up. This is your next training exercise. Your goal is to push the needles out by strengthening your muscles with chakra. If you use too much, you'll break them—causing the chakra to dissipate. If you use too little, they won't even budge. When you manage to remove all the needles, you'll have mastered the technique." Then, without missing a beat—"Now, you two—take off your jackets and come here."

At this, Sakura immediately turned and marched into the forest. Naruto barely registered it. After all, it made sense that she wouldn't want to remove clothing in front of them. But then—

Sasuke followed her.

And the strangest part? Sakura didn't question it. Not even a little. As if this was completely normal.

Naruto watched them disappear between the trees, blinking in confusion. Then, from beside him—

"Hehehehehe."

Naruto turned to see Kakashi chuckling to himself. His confusion only deepened.

'Why do I feel like I'm being left out of something?!'

---

A cool breeze swept through the clearing, scattering newly bloomed petals from the trees. Winter's grip had loosened, its lingering chill now nothing more than a fading illusion as spring made its quiet entrance.

Three weeks had passed since the exercise in the Forest of Penitence. But for Team Seven, it felt like much longer. Between their grueling training regimen and the steady stream of missions, their days blurred together. Even their supposed free time was swallowed by the endless "homework" Kakashi assigned them.

And now—

Naruto and Sasuke were locked in a fierce spar, exchanging blows as they walked along the vertical wall of a massive cubic rock. A creation of Kakashi's, the rock had been introduced weeks ago, right after they had mastered the needle exercise. The next step was applying Kyouka in combat. And, because their sensei never made things easy, they had to do it while maintaining tree-walking. Each day, the genin took turns sparring in pairs.

Today was Naruto vs. Sasuke.

For Naruto, these spars were an absolute nightmare. Having to focus on not falling off the wall while simultaneously strengthening his attacks was like trying to look left and right at the same time.

The fact that his opponent was Sasuke made things even worse.

The natural strength advantage Naruto's physique once gave him had vanished the moment they both mastered the first stage of Kyouka. Now, Sasuke could not only match him—at times, he even surpassed him. Their clashes had become a grueling deadlock, neither able to overpower the other.

The only edge Naruto had left? Stamina.

Unlike Sasuke, he could last much longer in a drawn-out fight. Which was why his strategy was always the same—prolong the battle, wear Sasuke down, and strike when the Uchiha was too exhausted to react.

That moment was now.

Both were dripping with sweat, their movements slowing. Then—Sasuke slipped. A moment of carelessness. A moment Naruto wouldn't let go to waste.

Without hesitation, he stomped down on Sasuke's foot, crushing his toes against the rock.

Sasuke's breath hitched. He immediately tried to yank his foot free, but Naruto's grip was ironclad. With no other choice, the Uchiha lashed out, aiming a desperate kick at Naruto's calf—

Exactly what Naruto wanted.

The instant Sasuke lifted his leg, Naruto struck. Instead of stomping, he kicked—sweeping Sasuke's only foothold out from under him. And with nothing left to hold him up, gravity took over.

Sasuke twisted mid-air, scrambling to press his hands to the rock in an attempt to stop his fall—But Naruto was already there. With a final, brutal kick to the chin, he sent Sasuke crashing to the ground.

The impact kicked up dust. Naruto exhaled hard, his chest rising and falling with deep, labored breaths.

"Huff... my win, Teme... huff... let's take a break," he panted, descending to the ground as well.

As if nothing had happened, Sasuke climbed out of the crater without a single scratch. The only sign that he'd just been kicked face-first into the ground was the way his chest heaved, his breath still unsteady from the fight.

Naruto exhaled, shaking his head.

'I'll never get used to this…'

This wasn't the first time he had seen firsthand how ridiculous Kyouka could be when it came to durability. No matter how many times he knocked Sasuke down, the Uchiha always got back up, barely worse for wear. Even knowing the mechanics behind it, Naruto couldn't help but be impressed.

Meanwhile, Sasuke simply flopped onto the ground, leaning his back against the rock wall. His eyes, however, weren't on Naruto anymore. They were locked onto Kakashi in the distance—watching as their sensei trained a replica of his red-haired teammate.

Naruto sat beside him, stretching his legs out in front of him. Almost immediately, his sharpened senses picked up on it—that twinge of envy radiating from Sasuke.

It wasn't new.

Ever since Kakashi introduced the idea of using Kage Bunshin for training, Sasuke had been quietly stewing in frustration.

Naruto couldn't blame him.

When Kakashi first mentioned the method, he had been shocked too. He had known for a while that his clones transferred memories back to him when dispelled—but he had never really thought about how that could be used for training.

'Thinking about it, maybe that's for the best. Otherwise, I might not even be alive…'

Because the moment Kakashi explained the method, he had also immediately laid out the dangers.

'Naruto-kun, pay close attention. You must never, under any circumstances, use more than one clone for training!'

Kakashi's voice had been sharper than usual, his expression dead serious.

'There's a limit to how much information your brain can handle at once. If multiple clones train for too long, the sheer flood of memories could fry your neurons. It would be lethal. So don't even think about it. Besides, for what I'm teaching you now, one or multiple clones won't make much of a difference.'

Faced with that warning, Naruto had no complaints. Becoming a vegetable wasn't on his list of goals.

But what had surprised him was Sasuke's reaction.

The moment Kakashi had finished explaining, the Uchiha had immediately demanded Naruto teach him the jutsu. There had been a storm of emotion emanating from him—so intense that for a moment, Naruto had genuinely wondered if Sasuke would try to force it out of him.

Thankfully, Kakashi had stepped in before things could escalate.

'Forget it, Sasuke-chan. You don't have enough chakra reserves to create a long-lasting clone and train at the same time. This method would only do more harm than good for you.'

Sasuke had clenched his jaw at that, his frustration palpable. But then Kakashi had said something else—something that, for some reason, had instantly shut him down.

'Not to mention, once you awaken the Sharingan, this method will automatically become useless.'

That had been the end of it.

Naruto still had no idea what the hell a Sharingan was, but whatever it was, it had been enough to make Sasuke back off. And now, as Naruto glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, he could tell—it still bothered him.

Sasuke hated the fact that Naruto had something he couldn't use. But there was nothing either of them could do about it.

Which brought Naruto to his actual problem—figuring out what the hell he was even doing with this training.

For the past few days, Kakashi had been teaching one of his clones Fūinjutsu. Or rather, he had been trying to teach it. Because as it turned out—

Nothing made sense.

The moment they started, Naruto realized he couldn't understand a single damn thing Kakashi was explaining. Worse—Kakashi didn't even understand the seals Naruto had been using up until now. It was like they were speaking two completely different languages.

With no other choice, Kakashi had forced him to start from scratch, teaching him Fūinjutsu properly.

Naruto hated it.

Kakashi's method was rigid—full of rules, formulas, and best practices that Naruto wasn't used to. His own method had always been flexible, with more possibilities for changes.

More than once, he had questioned if this was even worth it. But with no other way to expand his knowledge, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure it.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

Turning his head, he spotted Sakura—staggering toward them.

Without a word, Sakura flopped down beside the duo, sighing as she reached up and began pulling countless leaves from her tangled hair.

"Scaring off the poor animals again, Sakura-tan?" Naruto teased, smirking.

"Shut up, Naruto!" she snapped, practically growling.

Naruto just laughed.

While two members of Team Seven sparred, the third focused on personalized individual training. Kakashi had assigned each of them a jutsu to master, tailored to their abilities.

Unfortunately for Sakura, hers was by far the hardest to practice.

She had been given Genjutsu: Shinrin Jubaku no Genkai, a jutsu that trapped the target in an illusion where massive trees sprouted from the ground, binding their limbs and torso.

The problem is that a genjutsu always needed a target. And without one, Sakura had no way of knowing if she was making any progress. Which meant she was forced to venture into the forest surrounding their training grounds, hunting for animals to test it on.

To add even more to her misery, Sakura was a terrible hunter. She had no tracking skills, no stealth, and was instantly noticed by her targets. She ended up spending more time chasing animals than actually practicing her jutsu.

Her only other option was Kakashi's assigned "homework." For her, that meant painting trees.

According to their sensei, forming a clear mental image was key to executing genjutsu effectively. So, as part of her training, she had been tasked with painting them—over and over again. She had painted so much that her house was now littered with drawings, covering every available space.

Still, the effort had paid off. Even if catching test subjects remained a nightmare, at least she could now cast the genjutsu with confidence.

"I told you—just get a pet to practice on! Problem solved!" Naruto grumbled.

He still didn't understand why she wouldn't take his advice. The excuse about not wanting to get an animal just to practice jutsu was, in his opinion, complete bullshit.

"I already said no, Naruto! And besides—" she shot back, eyes narrowing, "you haven't even finished mastering your jutsu!"

Inside her mind, Inner Sakura was practically sharpening a kunai.

'We should use you as a test subject, you idiot! Cha!'

Naruto stiffened.

"W-what?! O-of course I've mastered my jutsu!"

It was a terrible lie. And it was obvious to everyone.

Naruto was way more interested in discussing Fūinjutsu with his clone than practicing the jutsu Kakashi had assigned him. In his mind, just being able to cast it was good enough. He hadn't even touched his "homework."

Not that he cared, he was already dissing his sensei anyway. Kakashi had already placed strict limits on his Fūinjutsu training, warning him not to practice it alone. Apparently, if he messed up, he could end up accidentally killing himself.

Which, honestly, was the only reason their sensei hadn't just handed him a scroll and left him to figure it out himself.

"Humph, if you have time to waste annoying Sakura, we'd better get back to our spar, Dobe," said the Uchiha.

Such defense was unimaginable months ago, but now it was a common occurrence. Sasuke had become strangely close to the pinkette, at least from Naruto's point of view.

The raven now responded to the kunoichi whenever she tried to interact with him. In return, all of Sakura's approaches seemed more natural.

Before, the redhead could sense the kunoichi's predatory desire from a mile away, but nowadays the pinkette had a warmer emotion towards the Uchiha, almost like a younger sister looking up to her older brother.

"Sorry, sorry, I promise I won't disturb your girlfriend anymore, Teme. But who would have imagined that the great insensitive and stoic Uchiha Sasuke would be so protective of his beloved."

Of course, regardless of anything, Naruto wouldn't miss a golden opportunity to tease his companions. But, unlike what a stranger would expect, neither of them had blushing faces or embarrassed looks, but rather disgusted frowns.

'No matter how many times I've seen this, I'll never get used to it. Teme is fine, but what's up with you, Sakura-tan? Just the other day, you were practically worshipping the ground he walked on.' Thought the redhead to himself.

Before the Uchiha could give a sharp response, a voice in the distance caught the trio's attention.

"Mah, why are you three just sitting around? Is training so easy that you have time to chat?"

Kakashi's voice rang out across the clearing. And the moment the trio saw that smiling eye, they knew.

It was a threat.

Without wasting another second, they scrambled back to training.

---

Deep within a forest near the center of Konoha, three figures moved swiftly, weaving through the trees with practiced precision.

Team Seven was in the middle of their first pursuit-and-capture mission.

As they neared a clearing, Naruto suddenly raised a hand, signaling his teammates to halt. He leaned toward Sakura, lowering his voice.

"Target's in the clearing. Work your magic, Sakura-tan."

"Got it."

Without hesitation, Sakura crept to the edge of the clearing. Her sharp eyes locked onto the target, and in an instant, her hands blurred through a sequence of seals.

'Shinrin Jubaku no Genkai!'

The illusion took hold immediately.

Caught in the genjutsu, the target froze, completely immobilized. No matter how much it struggled, its body was incapable of escaping the grip of the branches that only it could see.

"Teme, now!"

Sasuke was already moving. In a flash, he leaped into the clearing and subdued the target with practiced ease. Seconds later, Sakura and Naruto emerged from their hiding spot, making their way over to the Uchiha.

Naruto crouched down, inspecting their prize.

"Hmm… left ear tag confirmed… That's it, everyone, we got our target! Mission to capture the cat Tora, complete!" he declared triumphantly. Then, his eyes gleamed with mischief. "Ah, Sakura-tan, don't release the genjutsu yet! I need to test my new seal on him!"

Sakura frowned as she watched Naruto pull out a slip of paper, his grin downright maniacal.

"Seriously, Naruto, why can't you act like a normal person when Fūinjutsu is involved?"

Naruto, already pressing the seal onto the unfortunate cat's forehead, turned to his teammate, looking deeply offended.

"You don't understand, Sakura-tan!" He placed a dramatic hand over his heart. "Fūinjutsu is more than just seals—it's an art! How could an artist like me not take pride in my creations?" Then, with an infuriatingly smug smile, he added—"Of course, no matter how great my artistic skills are, you shouldn't be jealous, Sakura-tan. I'm sure that one day, your paintings will reach the level of my seals!"

A vein popped in Sakura's forehead.

Her knuckles cracked.

'Screw it if he's stronger than us, we'll fight to the death if we have to!'Inner Sakura encouraged.

The beating that was about to take place would have made ANBU flinch—But before she could lunge, Sasuke interrupted with his usual apathetic tone.

"Let's go. Knowing Kakashi, he'll make us take on another mission before the day's over."

Sakura huffed, shooting Naruto one last death glare before stomping after the Uchiha.

Naruto just cackled, delighted by her irritation, before following along—paralyzed cat still in his arms.

---

"Team Seven reporting successful completion of the mission: 'Capture the pet cat Tora,' Hokage-sama."

Despite his usual laid-back attitude, Kakashi's tone was crisp and formal as he addressed the village leader.

The Sandaime nodded approvingly. "Well done. Naruto, please return Tora to Lady Shijimi."

"Got it! Let me just remove my seal!"

Without wasting any time, Naruto peeled off the slip of paper stuck to the cat's forehead and handed the struggling creature over to its owner.

"Ohhh, my cute little Tora-chan! I was so worried about you!"

Madame Shijimi let out a dramatic wail as she smothered the poor animal in a crushing embrace. Tora, for its part, thrashed desperately, tiny limbs flailing as it tried—and failed—to escape the death grip.

Sakura sighed.

'No wonder it ran away…'

Sasuke, however, was far more concerned about the fact that the wife of the most important figure in the country was in Konoha.

'What is the Daimyo's wife doing here?!'

It wasn't unusual for nobles from the capital to request missions from Konoha—but this was always handled through intermediaries. Rarely did high-ranking figures leave the capital to make a request in person.

Which meant something was off.

'There's no way this cat escaped from the capital and ended up here. It must have run away after arriving… so that can't be the reason for her visit.'

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, mind shifting through what he had been taught as a child.

As an Uchiha, he had grown up with a clear understanding of the village's political landscape. And if there was one thing his parents had drilled into him, it was the importance of the Daimyo.

'If he's in the village, something big is happening…'

While Sasuke quietly pieced together the implications, Naruto was enthusiastically chatting away with their sensei.

"See, Kakashi-sensei? My Shinkei Saidan worked perfectly!"

The seal was an advanced version of his Nagare Seigen, restricting not only chakra flow but physical movement as well. Against high-level shinobi, it wouldn't hold for long—but sometimes, a single second was all that was needed to decide a battle. It was a technique he had shown Kakashi some time ago, though it was still in its testing phase.

A tired sigh escaped the jōnin's lips.

"Naruto-kun," Kakashi muttered under his breath, making sure Lady Shijimi didn't hear, "we shouldn't be using untested seals during missions—especially when the target is the Daimyo's wife's cat."

But to his dismay, Naruto barely reacted, his expression completely unbothered. Unlike Sasuke, Naruto had no understanding of the noble class or their importance. To him, the Daimyo was just some distant figure—someone who existed in a world that had nothing to do with him.

He simply did not care.

Kakashi, however, mistook his indifference for simple airheadedness.

'I'll have to do something about this boy before he causes trouble…'

"Thank you very much for entrusting us with this mission, Lady Shijimi," said the Sandaime, offering a polite nod as the plump woman finalized the payment.

Then, exhaling a slow stream of smoke from his pipe, he shifted the conversation.

"Now, for your next mission… how about something a little different, Team Seven?" The room went still, all eyes on the Hokage. Then, he made his announcement—"I think it's about time you took on your first Rank-C mission."

The reaction was immediate.

"Hell yeah! It's about damn time, Hokage-jiji!" Naruto practically exploded with excitement.

'Can't disagree…' If there was anyone hungrier than Naruto for higher-ranked missions, it was Sasuke. The rapid progress he had made in recent weeks demanded a real test—a challenge worthy of his efforts.

'I can't believe I'm agreeing with Naruto.'Old Sakura might have been content sticking to harmless Rank-D missions. But after weeks of intense training, she was more than ready for whatever came next.

'Let's kick some ass! Cha!'More confident than her? Only her Inner personality.

Hiruzen's gaze shifted toward their sensei. "What do you think, Kakashi?"

The jōnin studied his team, and for a brief moment, pride flickered in his eye.

'It's only been a few weeks, but they've come a long way… They still have a long road ahead, but they're more than ready for a Rank-C.'

"They're ready, Hokage-sama," Kakashi confirmed without hesitation.

"Very well," Hiruzen nodded. "Your mission will be to escort the engineer Tazuna back to his homeland in Nami no Kuni and protect him while he completes the bridge he's currently working on."

Kakashi's eye narrowed slightly.

'Strange… An escort to Nami makes sense, but why request protection while building a bridge? The kind of desperate bandits who would attack a construction project shouldn't exist in Nami…'

As if sensing his unease, the Hokage simply offered a knowing smile. That only made Kakashi more apprehensive.

What neither of them realized was that their silent exchange hadn't gone unnoticed. Naruto, keenly aware of the tension, frowned. 'What's up with those two?'

"Airi, bring Tazuna in to meet the team that will escort him." The Hokage's secretary nodded and quickly left to retrieve their client. What none of them expected—

Was that Tazuna would be a drunk.

The man who walked in was disheveled, unshaven, and reeking of alcohol. His white hair and beard hinted at his age, his glasses perched slightly askew on his sun-weathered face. But whatever dignity his years of labor should have given him was entirely overshadowed by the nearly empty bottle of sake in his hand. Judging by the deep flush on his cheeks, he had definitely been drinking. And judging by his clothes, he hadn't bathed in days.

Tazuna took one look at Team Seven and let out a loud, unimpressed scoff.

"What's with this bunch of brats? You really expect me to believe they're capable of protecting me?" he grumbled, taking another swig of sake. Then, his bleary gaze landed on Naruto. "Especially that redhead with the thug face. He looks more likely to pick my pocket than defend me from bandits."

Naruto's eye twitched.

'Who does this drunk old man think he is?!'He was this close to snapping back—But before he could, Kakashi clamped a hand over his mouth, smoothly cutting in.

"Heheheh… I'm a jōnin, so there's nothing to worry about."

Sasuke simply gave an amused smile, while Sakura barely managed to contain their laughter at the sight of Naruto being physically prevented from running his mouth.

'Serves him right. Maybe now he'll learn not to mock others!' Sakura thought smugly.

Unbothered, Tazuna took another swig and puffed out his chest.

"I'm the super engineer Tazuna! I expect you to give me super protection until I return to my country and complete the bridge!"

Kakashi sighed. This was going to be a long mission.

"Alright. I believe early tomorrow morning is a good time to depart, isn't it, Tazuna-san?"

The old man gave a lazy nod.

Kakashi turned to his team.

"That's it, then. Meet me at the village gate tomorrow at 6 a.m. And don't forget to bring enough gear for at least two weeks—that's how long it'll take us to reach Nami no Kuni. You're dismissed."

Without another word, the trio left with Tazuna in tow, leaving only Kakashi and the Hokage in the office.

"What's this about, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi's voice was calm, but his lone eye held a rare flicker of displeasure.

Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe, his gaze steady.

"Your insight is as sharp as ever, Kakashi," he said, exhaling a thin stream of smoke. "It makes me want to hand this hat over to you more and more."

The silver-haired jōnin visibly shuddered. "Don't even joke about that, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen huffed in amusement.

"Humph. In my youth, every shinobi aspired to the position I hold... but I suppose times have changed." Then, his tone shifted. "I assume you've noticed the Daimyo's presence in the village."

Kakashi gave a small nod, waiting for the explanation.

"He came to discuss an interesting proposal. A certain engineer met with the Minister of Finance, offering him a stake in a bridge connecting Hi no Kuni with Nami no Kuni." The Hokage paused, blowing out another puff of smoke. "I believe you already know who I'm talking about."

Kakashi's mind instantly connected the dots.

"And what did he want in return?"

Hiruzen's lips curled into a knowing smile.

"That's where things get interesting. He only asked that Hi no Kuni oversee the administration and protection of the bridge once it's completed."

Kakashi blinked.

"What?"

Even without being an expert in international relations, he knew that was strange. Bridges weren't exactly prime targets for bandits. The only real threat to one would be a war—like with Mizu no Kuni—but as far as he knew, that wasn't on the horizon.

"Seeing the absurdly favorable conditions, the Minister of Finance agreed immediately. But later, he consulted Daimyo-sama, who then came to consult me earlier this week." Hiruzen turned toward the window, gazing out over Konoha. "When I heard the details, I contacted Jiraiya. It didn't take long for him to respond."

A wistful smile touched the elder's face.

Of his three students, Jiraiya had been the one he least expected to bring him the greatest pride. Now, the Gama Sennin was not only Konoha's strongest active shinobi but also the mastermind behind the village's intelligence network.

And yet, to Hiruzen's disappointment, Jiraiya had rejected the Hokage title, choosing instead to wander the continent while training his latest disciple.

"According to Jiraiya, the former Daimyo of Nami, Namiyoshi Haruto, passed away two years ago. His son, Toshiro, took his place. Unlike his father, Toshiro is more interested in a life of indulgence than in governing his people. And with that in mind… Gatō approached him."

At that name, Kakashi's entire demeanor sharpened. To the world, Gatō was just a businessman—a shipping mogul with vast trade routes.

But any experienced shinobi knew better.

Gatō was far more than that.

He was the public face of the Takikage-gumi, the largest criminal syndicate in the Elemental Nations. Drugs, gambling, prostitution, loan sharking, assassinations—the Takikage-gumi thrived in every dark corner of the underworld. They were so powerful that several nukenins had sworn allegiance to them, forming a military force rivaling that of smaller hidden villages.

"It didn't take long for Gatō to win Toshiro's favor. And with that, his influence in Nami no Kuni grew steadily."

Hiruzen's expression darkened.

"By controlling all trade and securing the Daimyo's backing, Gatō now rules Nami with an iron fist. The country has become a massive red-light district—a distribution hub for the Takikage-gumi's drug trade across the Elemental Nations."

Kakashi listened, silent.

"After discussing the situation with Daimyo-sama, we concluded that this bridge is the work of a dissident force in Nami. Once completed, it could break Gatō's monopoly. Without Hi no Kuni's protection, Gatō would simply seize control. That's why Tazuna went to the capital and practically gave away the bridge in exchange for security."

Kakashi's fingers twitched.

"Then why did you assign my team to this mission, Hokage-sama?" His voice was still calm—but there was an unmistakable edge to it now.

Kakashi had no qualms about dealing with a vermin like Gatō. But he wasn't alone, he had his students with him, and those kids weren't ready for a challenge of that level yet.

Hiruzen let out a slow breath.

"There's a risk that Gatō has already caught wind of Tazuna's plans. If that's the case, he would undoubtedly send Takikage-gumi assassins to eliminate him."

Kakashi's fist clenched.

"Which puts us in a difficult position," Hiruzen continued. "If I send an obviously strong force, Gatō may suspect Hi no Kuni of plotting a takeover. That would force him to become far more cautious—possibly even calling for reinforcements from the Takikage-gumi's main body."

Kakashi felt the trap closing around him before the Hokage even said it.

"That's why I need a genin team that won't draw attention. And you, Kakashi, are the only jōnin I trust to handle high-level threats while keeping your students alive."

The silence stretched between them. Then, Hiruzen delivered the final blow.

"Your mission is to serve as bait for Gatō's forces while Team Ro ensures that Nami falls under Hi no Kuni's sphere of influence. Understood?"

Kakashi closed his eye for a long moment. This mission… This wasn't a Rank-C escort. This was a high-stakes maneuver—one with political consequences. Refusing the Hokage's orders was one thing. Interfering with the Daimyo's plans? That was suicide.

He hated it, but he had no choice, with a resigned sigh, he gave a slow nod.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen's gaze softened.

"Good. But don't forget, Kakashi—your students' safety is the priority. If the situation becomes too much to handle, retreat immediately."

Kakashi said nothing. With nothing more to discuss, he turned and left, disappearing from the office.

The Hokage was left alone with his thoughts.

He let out a weary breath, staring down at the village below.

'It's been over forty years since I first wore this hat… and yet, I still hesitate before sending them out there.'

His grip on his pipe tightened.

'I suppose that just means I'm still human.'

---

While Kakashi and the Hokage discussed the details of the mission, Naruto strolled aimlessly through the bustling streets of Konoha.

The early spring weather had drawn out more people than usual, the warmth luring them from their homes. The roads were packed, conversations blending into a steady hum of life.

Not that the redhead paid much attention.

One of his biggest achievements in the past week had been gaining near-total control over his sensory abilities. The chakra control exercises had done wonders for his skill, allowing him to adjust his sensitivity at will.

Now, he could filter out the chaos around him—ignoring everything except immediate threats. It made navigating a crowd so much easier. It also let him tune out the occasional prejudice, letting him focus on something far more important—

The insult he had received from their so-called client.

'Sigh… You really don't know who you were messing with, old drunk. But don't worry.'A mischievous grin stretched across his face. 'This mission is long enough for me to teach you a lesson… Gyahahaha!'

Lost in his thoughts, Naruto didn't even realize he had stopped walking—Until someone screamed in his ear.

"Are you gonna come in or just stand there with that creepy smile, Naruto? Move it! You're scaring customers—hey, are you ignoring me, idiot?!"

The sudden spike of malice in his senses made Naruto react on instinct. In a flash, he jumped back, kunai in hand, eyes sharp. Only then did he register who was standing in front of him.

Ino.

The blonde Yamanaka blinked at him, wide-eyed, her mouth slightly open.

Naruto let out a long sigh, sliding the kunai back into its holster. Then, arms crossed, he shot her a scowl.

"Sssh, Ino, didn't anyone ever teach you not to sneak up on a shinobi? You're lucky I recognized you before attacking. You really need to be more careful, ya'know?"

With each word, the irritation in Ino's chest built. By the time he finished his little lecture, her face had twisted into a mix of disbelief and outrage. Then—

"IDIOT!"

With a single, furious shout, she spun on her heel and stormed into the shop, slamming the door behind her.

Naruto stood there, stunned.

'I try to warn her nicely, and she curses me out?!'

He sighed, shaking his head.

'I guess I'll never understand girls…'

Naruto sighed to himself before stepping inside the shop.

At the counter, Ino sat flipping through a magazine, pointedly ignoring him. She didn't even glance his way as he approached.

"Hey, Ino!"

No response.

"Come on, don't be like that."

Still nothing.

"I was just trying to help, ya'know?"

Silence.

"At least tell me what I did, Ino-chan."

Despite her indifferent expression, Naruto knew she was pouting. And it amused him to no end.

'Well, guess I'll have to use my secret weapon.'

He straightened up, adopting a dramatic tone.

"Sssh, and here I was, thinking of sharing some extremely important information about Uchiha Sasuke… but it seems that's of no interest to Yamanaka-sama. Guess I'll just have to quietly take my leave."

Slowly, he turned toward the exit.

Then—

"Ahem!"

The loud, totally not suspicious cough echoed through the shop.

"I guess since you've come all this way, it would be rude of me to let you leave before talking..."

Ino still refused to look at him, doing her best to act uninterested. But Naruto didn't even need his sensory abilities to see through her. A wide grin stretched across his face. Then, he burst into laughter.

"Gyahahahahaha!"

Ino rolled her eyes, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

"Ha ha ha, very funny, redhead. Now—how about you actually start talking about why you're here?"

Naruto strolled up to the counter, leaning against it. Then, with his most innocent smile, he blinked at her.

"What do you mean, Ino-chan? I thought I already told you?"

His wide-eyed, innocent act was so obvious it was insulting. Ino narrowed her eyes.

This wasn't the first time Naruto had come to bother her. After the whole Forest of Penitence mess, he had shown up to thank her for the intel she had given him about Sasuke. And since then—

He had just kept coming back.

At first, it had been just to annoy her. But after one too many "If you're not buying anything, get out" lectures, he had done something ridiculous.

He had taken up gardening— At first, it was just an excuse for him to visit the shop, but he ended up developing a liking for the hobby.

And now here they were.

"Humph. You never actually tell me anything about Sasuke-kun. And now you suddenly want to hand out free information?" She crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Go fool someone else, Naruto."

If Ino had to pick the worst part of Naruto's incessant visits, it would undoubtedly be his absolute refusal to share anything about his teammates. No matter how many times she pried, he never slipped up. By Kami, she knew more about Team Seven through other sources than through Naruto himself. But now—

He smirked.

"Heh, I guess you're starting to know me better, Ino. I have a favor to ask… and if you agree, I might just tell you some interesting things."

Ino's brow arched.

"And what favor would that be? I'll warn you now—if it's anything shady, I'm telling Otou-san!"

The moment she mentioned her father, Naruto shuddered.

He had unfortunately crossed paths with the older shinobi multiple times during his visits. And every time, without fail, Inoichi's irritation with him seemed to grow. If Naruto didn't know the man was just a doting father, he might have been offended by how much hostility he got.

"Sssh, calm down. I just want you to take care of my plants."

Ino blinked. Of all the things she had expected… that was not one of them. Then, realization dawned. Right, he lived alone. Her expression softened just slightly.

"Alright. And for how long?"

Naruto rubbed his chin.

"Hmm… I think two months?"

"Two months?! What the hell are you doing for two months?! And what about your team?!"

"Hey, no need to shout, you know?" Naruto huffed. "It might be longer, but no worries—Team Seven's coming with me."

Ino's eyes widened.

"Wait—what?"

Before she could demand an explanation, Naruto grinned.

"We got a Rank-C mission in Nami no Kuni. Cool, right?!"

"What?! Already?! How is that even possible?! Asuma-sensei said we shouldn't even think about that until next month!"

Ino wasn't the type to slack off just because she acted carefree. As the only daughter of the Yamanaka clan head, it was expected that she would take over one day. And to do that, she had to become a jōnin. Anything less was unacceptable. Yet here was Naruto—a boy she had always assumed was beneath her—getting ahead of her.

Her fists clenched.

Naruto, of course, immediately took the opportunity to rub it in. "What can I say? We're just that amazing!" He puffed out his chest dramatically.

Ino's eye twitched.

"Hrrr! This is all the fault of those two lazy idiots! Just wait—starting tomorrow, I'm making their lives hell!"

One thing Naruto had learned from his interactions with Ino—She was ridiculously competitive. Almost as bad as Sasuke. But unlike the Uchiha, what moved her was not a desire for power but rather a feeling of vanity.

Unfortunately for her, her teammates didn't share her enthusiasm. And her sensei? He seemed to care very little. Which meant that, while Naruto's team was actively training, Ino was stuck with two slackers and a lazy teacher. Honestly? Naruto couldn't blame her frustration.

But that didn't mean he wasn't going to laugh at her misfortune.

"Gyahahahahahaha!"

Ino glared as Naruto keeled over, laughing.

"Are you done?" she deadpanned, irritation now directed at him.

Naruto finally got himself under control, still chuckling.

"Sigh… Alright, fine, I'll take care of your plants. But that's it. Don't expect me to clean your house or anything like that."

"Of course!"

Ino narrowed her eyes.

"Now—spill. Tell me the news about Sasuke-kun!"

She leaned forward, face just inches from his.

Naruto leaned back immediately.

'Man, I'll never get used to your mood swings…'

No matter what mood she was in, the moment the topic shifted to Sasuke, it was like a switch flipped. Excitement lit up her whole expression.

"Calm down, calm down, I'll tell you," Naruto said, raising his hands.

Then, after a brief pause, he thought—

'How am I going to tell her this...Ah, screw it. I'll just be direct.'

He exhaled.

"I'm sorry, Ino… but I think you should give up on Teme."

The moment Ino processed Naruto's words, all her excitement snapped into pure rage.

"What do you mean by that, redhead?!"

Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her expression thunderous.

Naruto hesitated.

"Well… Sakura-tan and Teme have been getting pretty close lately..."

For a moment, Ino just stared at him. Then—

"WHAT?!"

Horrified, she lunged across the counter, grabbing Naruto by the collar and shaking him violently.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! YOU TOLD ME SASUKE-KUN HATED FOREHEAD! HOW COULD SHE HAVE WON HIS HEART IN JUST A MONTH?! SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED! HEY—WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING ME, NARUTO?!"

Naruto, his vision blurring from the aggressive shaking, had no choice but to grip her shoulders and yell—

"CALM DOWN!"

Ino froze. Her hands loosened slightly, her frantic breath hitching.

Naruto took the opportunity to pry himself free, rubbing his temples.

"Okay, deep breath, yeah? I'll answer you if you let me."

To his immense relief, Ino actually listened, taking a few deep breaths. When she finally nodded, he sighed.

"Look, I don't know what's going on either. This all started about three weeks ago, after we had a survival exercise. Since then… they've been getting closer and closer."

Ino lowered her head, shoulders slumping in despair.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck, suddenly very aware that he sucked at comforting people. He was still trying to think of something to say when—

Ino's head suddenly snapped up, her eyes were blazing with determination.

"Naruto, are they dating?" she asked, her voice eerily calm.

Naruto blinked.

"Uh… I don't know…? To be honest, I think not yet."

Ino nodded to herself, as if coming to some grand realization. Then, she met his gaze, her expression turned serious.

"Naruto—I need your help."

In his mind, Naruto sighed.

'Sigh… Of course, she wouldn't give up. The worst part? I won't even be able to refuse—she'll just keep bothering me until I give in.'

"What exactly is your plan, Ino?" he asked warily.

Ino leaned forward, eyes gleaming with determination. "You need to make sure those two are never alone together during this mission!"

Naruto blinked.

"That's it?"

"That's everything!" she insisted. "When you come back, I'll find a way to get close to Sasuke-kun—but that'll be useless if Forehead makes her move first! I need you to be my ally in this, Naruto."

The redhead frowned. His relationship with his teammates had been going well lately, and actively interfering with that for Ino's sake?

Yeah… that wasn't exactly an appealing prospect.

"I don't know, Ino. I don't want to mess up with those two, ya'know?"

Ino groaned in frustration.

"Come on, Naruto! You're the only one who can help me with this! Look, I don't even need you to destroy whatever they have—just make sure they never get a chance to be alone!"

Naruto hesitated. On one hand, this was not how he wanted to spend his mission. On the other hand…

She was offering a deal. And there was something he had been meaning to ask her about. Ever since he gained control over his sensory ability, he had realized something—If he wanted to improve it further, he needed a deeper understanding of emotions.

The problem? He had no idea where to start.

That is—until he remembered Ino. Her clan specialized in mind techniques. If anyone could help him figure this out, it was her.

Naruto crossed his arms, giving her a calculating look.

"Well… you once told me your clan specializes in understanding the mind, right?"

Ino nodded slowly, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"So," he continued, "I'll help you with this—as long as you teach me a bit about how the mind works. Deal?"

He barely finished speaking before Ino grabbed his hand in an iron grip.

"Deal! Just make sure those two don't get together before you get back!"

Naruto sighed again.

'Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?!'

---

That night, in an apartment in Konoha's upscale district, Sasuke checked his gear one last time. His weapons were accounted for, rations packed. But his focus lingered on a small container—the pills Sakura had bought for him earlier today.

'Remember to take these every day, Sasuke-san, or your menstruation will start.'

Sasuke took the warning seriously, he would not be caught off guard like last time. The last thing he wanted was to become a liability again.

Since the day Sakura had discovered his secret, the two had grown closer. At first, Sasuke had been terrified of what she might do with the information. But little by little, he realized—she had no intention of exposing him.

Despite all those years she had wasted fawning over a lie, Sakura accepted the revelation in stride. Instead of turning away, she had stayed. Whenever she had the chance, she filled in the gaps—the knowledge he should have received had he attended the special kunoichi classes.

There was no way he wouldn't come to appreciate the pinkette after that.

It made him think about what it would be like to attend the academy in his old persona alongside Sakura. Going out with her friends, shopping, playing—everything he had once dreamed of when he was a little girl.

But that was a past he would never have, and thinking about it was pointless.

'What's the point of thinking about what should have been? My reality is what it is.'

Sasuke pushed the thoughts aside, stripping off his clothes as he prepared to sleep. As he unwound the bandages constricting his chest, his fingers paused.

His delicate features tightened.

The moonlight from the window cast a pale glow over his bare skin—over the undeniable evidence of the sex he was born with.

His jaw clenched.

'They're still growing…'

His hands trembled slightly as they ghosted over the soft curve of his chest.

A reminder.

A threat.

Sasuke hated looking at it.

Because every time he did—He was forced to remember.

That night.

The night he killed them all.

The night Satsuki—the innocent girl who adored her older brother—died.

And from her ashes, Sasuke—the avenger boy who lived only to bring justice to the clan—was born.

'This mission is another step forward. Another chance to grow stronger.'

It didn't matter. None of it mattered.

Not his past. Not his name. Not the weight of a reality that was never his to choose.

Only one thing mattered.

'Just wait, Itachi.'

His fingers curled into fists, nails digging into his palms.

'Soon—I will rip your head from your shoulders…'

His breath came slow and steady, burning with quiet fury.

'And drag it to Chichiue.'

---

The next day, the trio met at the designated spot and, without delay, set off on their journey.

Since Tazuna was a civilian, they had no choice but to move slowly, traveling at a walking pace toward Nami no Kuni.

At first, conversation flowed freely. Mostly from Sakura, who alternated between asking Kakashi questions and checking on Sasuke.

Naruto, on the other hand spent every available moment insulting their client. Unfortunately for him, Tazuna had thick skin. With years of experience dealing with smart-mouthed workers, the old man had no trouble firing back at Naruto's jabs—matching the redhead insult for insult.

Much to Naruto's irritation—And Sakura's delight.

By now, three days had passed since Team Seven had left Konoha. Ahead of them loomed a subtle shift in territory—They were about to leave the first perimeter patrol circle.

This zone was extremely safe, as a large portion of Konoha's patrol force focused their efforts here. But beyond it encounters with bandits weren't uncommon.

Not that anyone on Team Seven was particularly worried. If anything—The two "boys" were eager for some action.

Sakura, in contrast, was calmly chatting with their sensei. "So you're saying there are no ninja in Nami, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi barely glanced up from his book.

"That's right. With their natural sea protection and limited land, it wouldn't make sense for them to maintain a hidden village," he explained lazily. "Of course, this is also due to the excellent political skills of their former Daimyo—Namiyoshi Haruto."

At that name, Tazuna subtly lowered his hat—his grip tightening, sadness flickering in his eyes.

Of course—Naruto immediately noticed. And, naturally, he seized the opportunity.

"And what was so great about this Daimyo?" Naruto asked, directing the question to Kakashi—

But side-eyeing Tazuna the entire time. Before Kakashi could even think of responding—

"Watch your mouth, you moron!" Tazuna snapped, voice sharp with irritation. "Haruto-sama was the greatest leader Nami ever had!"

Naruto's grin stretched wider. The definition of smug, and the exact kind of expression designed to piss someone off.

Tazuna scowled. Naruto—Absolutely delighted.

"Naruto-kun, be more respectful when talking about a Daimyo, or you'll end up getting yourself killed one day."

Kakashi's tone was mild, but the warning was clear. He wasn't about to let things escalate. Before Naruto could argue, the jōnin continued, smoothly redirecting the conversation.

"To answer your question—Haruto-dono was a brilliant politician. Thanks to him, Nami not only remained independent despite being caught between three major powers, but it thrived. And considering Nami's lack of military strength and resources, that's no small feat."

Sakura furrowed her brow.

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei… I thought only Hi no Kuni and Mizu no Kuni had hidden villages near Nami. What's this third power you're talking about?"

For someone who prided herself on her theoretical knowledge, not knowing this was unacceptable.

'I bet he's making this up! Cha!' Inner Sakura raged, fully doubting her sensei.

Kakashi simply chuckled.

"Well, it's no surprise you don't know, Sakura-chan. This power was destroyed a long time ago. If I'm not mistaken, even before I was born. But once, to the north of Nami no Kuni, there was a hidden village in the Uzu Archipelago—Uzushiogakure no Sato."

"Uzushio…?" Naruto frowned, something stirring in the back of his mind. "I feel like I've heard that name before…"

Kakashi gave him a sidelong glance.

"That wouldn't be surprising, Naruto-kun. Even though the village was destroyed long ago, its legacy still lingers. In fact—" He turned slightly, motioning to his back. "—see this symbol? The red spiral on my vest? That's the mark of Uzushio—and the clan that founded it."

The trio stared at the emblem, eyes widening in realization.

"Actually," Kakashi continued, "it's said that the spiral in Konoha's symbol itself comes from them."

Sakura's mind raced.

"But… why would a foreign village have so much influence on Konoha, Kakashi-sensei?"

For her, the idea that an outside power had shaped the very identity of Konoha—without her ever hearing about it—was unbelievable.

Kakashi's voice was calm, but there was an underlying weight to his words.

"Because the clan that founded Uzushio—the Uzumaki—had been allies of the Senju since time immemorial. Their bond was so strong that they often intermarried. For example—the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama, took Uzumaki Mito as his wife."

Sakura was fascinated—

But before she could ask more questions—

Naruto suddenly shouted, loud enough to make a few birds scatter from nearby trees.

"Now I remember! My fūinjutsu scroll was made by someone named Uzumaki Ashina!"

Even Kakashi was caught off guard by Naruto's words. He hadn't expected his student to casually drop the name of Uzumaki Ashina—the last leader of the Uzumaki clan. The name wasn't widely known, but Kakashi, as Minato's student, had heard it plenty of times.

After all, Uzumaki Kushina had never once missed an opportunity to brag about her great-grandfather whenever the Uzumaki clan was mentioned.

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly.

"You should take very good care of that scroll, Naruto-kun. Uzumaki Ashina was the last leader of the Uzumaki clan. Anything written by him is of immeasurable value—especially when it comes to fūinjutsu."

'No wonder we were hitting a wall… Trying to teach him Konoha's sealing style after he was already initiated into the Uzumaki style must have just confused him. Sigh… this complicates things.'

Naruto, however, still looked skeptical.

"Is it really that important, Kakashi-sensei?"

The redhead frowned, struggling to believe something he had found by chance on the street was actually valuable.

Kakashi exhaled, his voice turning more serious.

"Naruto-kun, one of the reasons Uzushio was wiped out was because of how powerful their fūinjutsu was."

The air grew noticeably heavier.

"At the time, both Kumo and Kiri joined forces to destroy Uzushio and take its secrets for themselves. But if there was one thing the Uzumaki clan never did, it was surrender. Rather than let their enemies claim their knowledge, they destroyed everything they had accumulated and fought to the last man."

Even Sasuke was taken aback by the sheer brutality of the story. For him, it stung even more—Because, unlike the Uzumaki, the Uchiha Clan had been butchered in a single night. Their legacy hadn't been fought for. It had been erased before they even had a chance to resist.

"Why wasn't something like this taught at the academy, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Kakashi hummed in thought, scratching his chin.

"Hmm… well, as far as I remember, it was taught…" He tilted his head slightly. "Ah—I see. You probably only got the summarized version. Something along the lines of, 'Konoha ended up entering the Second Great Shinobi War after the destruction of one of its allies.'"

He gave them a pointed look.

"Guess who that ally was?"

A wave of understanding passed through the trio.

But then—Kakashi's voice lowered slightly.

"There's another reason why people—especially the older generation—don't like to talk about it much."

The casual air from before was completely gone.

"The biggest thing that tied Konoha and Uzushio together was the bond between the Senju and Uzumaki clans. But Konoha isn't just made of Senju. When Uzushio fell, many other clans weren't willing to risk going to war over an ally that was already gone."

There was a brief pause. Then, Kakashi continued, voice softer—

"Even so… Sandaime-sama chose to go to war."

His gaze drifted slightly, as if recalling something distant.

"And many who lost family in that war blamed the Uzumaki for their suffering."

Sakura lowered her head, processing the weight of what she had just learned. She understood the pain of those who had suffered because of that war—

But even so…

She couldn't help but feel that blaming the Uzumaki was deeply unfair.

"So you're saying there aren't any Uzumaki left?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms. "I don't want some random person showing up claiming my scroll is a 'family heirloom.'"

That scroll was his. The first thing he had ever owned that felt truly valuable, and he wasn't handing it over to anyone.

Kakashi chuckled, his visible eye glinting with amusement.

"I don't think you need to worry, Naruto-kun. The survivors of Uzu's destruction scattered across the Elemental Nations, but I doubt any of them will track you down—especially not for an introductory scroll."

Then, as if unable to resist teasing him, he added,

"But if you're so concerned, maybe be a little cautious around any other redheads you meet."

Naruto blinked. "Redheads? What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi's eye curved into a telltale smile.

"Hehehe… besides being famous for their fūinjutsu, the Uzumaki were also known for their red hair and violet eyes."

The words had barely left Kakashi's mouth when—

Everyone turned to look at Naruto.

Even Tazuna.

The redhead scowled.

"Huh? Why are you all looking at me?" he demanded.

Then, a loud snicker escaped him.

"Don't tell me you actually think I'm from some lost great clan?! Me—of all people?! Gyahaha!"

The idea was so ridiculous that he couldn't even entertain it. Ever since he could remember, he had been an orphan. Later, when he finally got access to his records, they told him what he had already known—

That he was the son of a nameless couple of merchants. Two travelers who had happened to be in Konoha at the worst possible time. The Kyuubi attack had erased any trace of them. No bodies. No belongings. Not even a single picture.

And that was fine, Naruto had made peace with it, he had to, because thinking about what ifs was nothing but a waste of time.

Kakashi, however, was unfazed by his dismissal.

"It's a possibility," he said lightly. "Like I mentioned, the last Uzumaki scattered, and many stopped using their surname to avoid being hunted down and experimented on. So, I wouldn't be surprised if your grandparents were pure-blooded Uzumaki, Naruto-kun."

The jōnin had been considering this theory ever since he read his student's files. Naruto's appearance made the connection obvious—

But without solid proof, Kakashi had never been able to say for sure.

Naruto's expression darkened slightly.

"Forget it." His voice, usually so full of energy, was flat. "Even if it's true, so what? That clan doesn't even exist anymore. Being their descendant wouldn't change a damn thing."

His hands clenched slightly at his sides.

"I've lived my whole life as just Naruto. That's not going to change now."

It was one of those rare moments where his usual bravado slipped—Revealing something far heavier underneath.

Kakashi exhaled softly.

'That's not exactly how it works, Naruto-kun...'Even with these thoughts, Kakashi didn't dare express them. This was clearly a topic the redhead enjoyed talking about, and discussing it in the middle of a mission wasn't a good idea.

"Well, it could all be a coincidence," he admitted, tone gentler now. "I only mentioned it because Nami was close to Uzu. Someone there might see your appearance and make the connection."

He glanced at his student, watching the tension in his shoulders. Then, with a casual shrug, he added,

"But I agree with you—it's better not to dwell on something you're not even sure about. It won't do any good."

Not that it worked very well. Naruto kept his expression carefully neutral, refusing to show the mix of emotions swirling inside him. Out of everyone there—

It was Sasuke who understood him most. Because who else besides him—someone who had lost everything—could possibly know what that felt like?

But understanding wasn't the same as knowing what to do. And so, Sasuke said nothing.

He only glanced at Naruto, sympathy flickering in his eyes—Before looking away. Because he knew—Naruto would hate to see it.

What Sasuke didn't know, however—Was that Naruto had felt it anyway.

He always did.

'Sometimes I forget how annoying this thing can be… If only I could turn it off completely instead of just dialing it down...'

Naruto shoved the thought away, focusing instead on his surroundings—And that was when he noticed it.

Something was off.

Not far ahead, nestled in the dirt path, was a puddle of water. Which, in itself, wasn't strange. The problem It was radiating two distinct malicious intents.

Naruto's muscles tensed.

'What the hell is that? Enemies?'

His first instinct was to stay quiet, but he knew that he has to warn Kakashi. Naruto had already accepted that his ability couldn't stay hidden forever. So, he had been preparing an excuse—something believable enough that no one would suspect the Kyuubi was involved.

'Tch… I just have to hope he buys it.'

Naruto locked eyes with his sensei, about to speak—But before he could even open his mouth—Kakashi's expression didn't change.

He simply gave his famous eye smile and made a subtle hand signal.

The message was clear.

'I'm aware—don't expose it.'

Relief washed over Naruto.

'Whatever it is, Kakashi-sensei has it under control. He's a jōnin, and those two don't have nearly as much chakra as he does.'

And so—The team walked past the puddle without incident. For a few tense steps, it was as if nothing was wrong. Then—The attack came.

Naruto had to force himself not to react before Kakashi did. But every second of inaction felt like an eternity. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

'Come on, Kakashi-sensei, do something…'

Still—

Nothing.

Then, before he could stop himself—

Naruto whirled around. But it was already too late. His stomach plummeted as his eyes locked onto the sight before him.

Kakashi—Restrained.

Chains wrapped around his body, held taut by two figures clad in ominous long cloaks. The redhead barely took in their clawed gauntlets, the gas masks obscuring their faces—

Because his attention had already snapped to one terrifying detail. Their hitai-ate, both of them bore a crossed-out symbol—A mark of nukenin.

A low, gravelly voice cut through the tension.

"One down."

With just two words and a sharp pull—Kakashi was reduced to pieces.

For a moment, no one moved. Naruto could barely process what he was seeing.

Sakura's face had gone deathly pale, her mouth opening in a scream that wouldn't come.

Even Sasuke, usually composed, looked shaken. But he was the first to react.

The instant he moved, Naruto snapped back to reality.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Twenty clones materialized around the enemies, forming a tight perimeter.

"Same as always, Teme, Sakura!"

Without hesitation, Sasuke flung a shuriken, pinning one of the enemy's chains to a tree. To be safe, he followed up with a kunai, driving it through the shuriken's center hole to secure it.

With their enemies briefly restrained, Naruto's clones charged in. But the assailants reacted with terrifying speed. They released the chains instantly and—

Half of Naruto's clones were annihilated in a single motion. The remaining ones quickly scattered, forcing the nukenin to divide their attention.

That was all Team Seven needed.

As the two enemies tore through the remaining clones, Sasuke circled behind the spiky-haired one, forming hand seals at blinding speed.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

A massive fireball roared toward the enemy.

The nukenin moved to dodge—Only for thick branches to explode from the ground, locking his limbs in place.

Sakura hadn't been idle. She wasn't just staying close to Tazuna—She had been waiting for an opening. And the moment it came, she struck.

"Shinrin Jubaku no Genkai!"

The enemy screamed as flames engulfed him. Sasuke didn't wait, he pulled out six shuriken and hurled them, aiming for his vital points.

But the nukenin was no ordinary opponent. He reinforced his body with Kyouka, resisting both the fire and the projectiles. Out of the six shuriken only one managed to pierce his flesh, and even then, it wasn't deep enough to kill him.

But Sasuke had noticed something. The enemy had focused all of his reinforcement on his vital points. Which meant—

His arms and legs were left vulnerable. Fire licked up his limbs, burning away fabric and flesh.

Sasuke clicked his tongue.

'Damn it!' He had wounded him—But it wasn't enough. 'What do I do now?!'

The easiest way to break through Kyouka was to use Kyouka itself. But Kakashi hadn't taught them how to imbue weapons yet and with the enemy still burning, getting close for hand-to-hand combat was impossible. Then—

"TEME, WATCH OUT!"

Naruto's panicked voice snapped Sasuke's attention to the side.

The other enemy had broken free—And was now rushing straight at him.

Sasuke twisted, trying to move but his opponent was faster. There was no way he'd make it in time. He barely had a second to brace himself—

Then a blur of movement. A crushing impact. And the nukenin's body suddenly stopped cold.

Sasuke's wide eyes focused—And his breath caught.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura's relieved shout confirmed what his mind was still processing.

Kakashi stood there completely unscathed, not a single scratch on him. And his would-be attacker?

Unconscious. Held effortlessly in a one-armed chokehold.

The spiky-haired enemy, still smoldering from Sasuke's attack, snapped free from Sakura's genjutsu and lunged forward, hoping to catch Kakashi off guard.

But the jōnin—

Didn't even flinch.

With a single step, he dodged the desperate strike And with unbelievable speed struck the back of his neck.

The nukenin crumpled instantly, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

Seeing how effortlessly Kakashi had dealt with the enemies, Sasuke pouted.

'Show-off…'

Naruto wasn't any happier. 'Humph! If you were gonna handle it yourself, you should've done it sooner!'

At first, he had fully believed that his sensei had been torn to pieces. It wasn't until just moments ago that he realized Kakashi was perfectly fine. The shock had thrown him off so much that he had hesitated—And in that opening, the other nukenin had slipped past his clones and attacked Sasuke.

Sakura, meanwhile, studied the scene with narrowed eyes.

'He must have used Kawarimi along with an area genjutsu…'

Inner Sakura, however, was far less analytical. She was fuming.

'Kakashi, you IDIOT! How dare you make us worry!'

Oblivious (or ignoring) his students' frustration, Kakashi dusted off his hands and gave them his usual eye smile.

"Well done, team. You performed better than I expected." Despite the compliment, his voice held a clear note of amusement—Which only deepened their irritation. "But we can discuss your performance later. First, let me tie these two up."

Approaching a nearby tree, the jōnin efficiently used the nukenin's own chains to bind them. Then, as an extra precaution, he pulled out two paralysis seals from his pouch and slapped them onto the unconscious men.

Once satisfied, he turned back to his students.

"Now, let's get to the important part." His tone grew a touch more serious. "First, let me praise your performance again. For the most part, you made smart decisions—but there were some mistakes along the way."

His visible eye shifted to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-chan, you were right to avoid close combat. These two had poisoned gauntlets, and a single scratch would've been enough to doom you."

Sasuke gave a subtle nod, absorbing the information.

"You also correctly assumed that your opponent wasn't completely taken out by your Gōkakyū. However, in the process, you ignored your surroundings—which left you open to attack from the other enemy."

Sasuke exhaled, already well aware of his mistake.

Then Kakashi turned to Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, in your case, you were too focused on Sasuke."

The redhead's eye twitched.

"It's good to care about your teammate," Kakashi continued smoothly, "but it would've been more useful if you had trusted him and focused on holding off the other enemy."

Naruto scowled and turned his head away.

'Oh, sure, lecture me about distractions—when you were the one who distracted me!' As much as these were the redhead's thoughts, he knew his sensei was right.

Kakashi, of course, ignored him and moved on.

"As for Sakura-chan—" The pink-haired girl straightened immediately. "—the timing of your genjutsu was excellent. However, the enemy broke free too quickly. So, there's still room for improvement."

Sakura puffed out her chest, even with the critique, the praise was more than enough to overshadow it.

"That said," Kakashi continued, "these two were at least chunin-level. So your performance was commendable." Then, with a casual eye-smile, he finished— "I'm sure if you had faced just one of them, you would have won."

As soon as he finished, the jōnin turned his expression back to the old engineer with a serious glint in his one visible eye. "Now, how about we have a little talk, Tazuna-san?"

Tazuna stiffened.

"W-what is it?"

Since the attack began, the engineer had done his best to stay unnoticed. But now, with Kakashi's attention fully on him—

A wave of guilt radiated off the old man, Naruto felt it instantly.

Kakashi, however, remained composed.

"These two are nukenin from Kirigakure no Sato. And based on their performance—" his tone remained light, but his next words were anything but. "—they're at least chūnin-level."

A groggy voice cut through the air. One of the nukenin had woken up, glaring at the shinobi who had defeated him.

"How did you notice our attack?" he demanded bitterly.

Kakashi gave him an eye-smile.

"With this hot sun and several days without rain, there's no way that puddle could be real."

Then, just for a fraction of a second—His gaze flickered to Naruto.

'That explains it for me… but what about you, Naruto-kun?'

Before Naruto could react, Tazuna snapped.

"If you knew, then why did you let them attack us?!" His voice carried a sharp edge of accusation.

Kakashi, utterly unfazed, answered smoothly.

"I wanted to find out who their target was."

Then, his own gaze sharpened. And this time—Tazuna was the one who looked away.

"H-huh? W-what do you mean by that?"

"I wanted to know if they were after my team—" Kakashi's voice remained calm "—or you, Tazuna-san."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

"Throughout the attack, even while fighting, their focus was always on you."

Tazuna's shoulders slumped.

Caught.

Red-handed.

"The village wasn't informed that there would be shinobi after you," Kakashi continued. "Your request was only for protection against bandits."

His tone never rose, never wavered but the weight behind it was undeniable.

"This is an entirely different situation." He exhaled through his nose. "This mission is now, at minimum, Rank-B. And my team isn't prepared to handle something of that level."

At that, both Naruto and Sasuke bristled. They wanted to protest but a single look from their sensei shut them up.

"I don't know what your circumstances are, Tazuna-san," Kakashi continued, "but by withholding information, you could have condemned me and my students to death."

His words hung in the air, heavy and final.

"Therefore—" Kakashi turned away. "—we're returning to Konoha."

"WAIT, KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Naruto broke the silence, stepping forward. This time, not even his sensei's warning look could stop him.

"What the old man did wasn't right—" his fists clenched "—but we can't just stop here and leave him to die!"

He gritted his teeth.

"Let's at least hear what he has to say!"

Naruto didn't particularly like Tazuna but walking away now left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"I agree," Sasuke said, crossing his arms. Unlike Naruto, his reasoning was far less noble. If they went back now, who knew how long it would take for them to get another mission this dangerous?

His progress was already too slow.

He needed this challenge.

Kakashi then turned to the only team member who hadn't spoken.

Sakura hesitated. The others had decided so easily but she was scared.

She knew how dangerous this was.

'Why are you scared?' The voice in her mind rang sharp. 'We trained hard so we wouldn't be a burden. We deserve this mission! Cha!'

Inner Sakura's fire was relentless. And as much as she hated to admit it—It was the push she needed.

She lifted her chin.

"Let's continue, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi exhaled heavily. If he was being honest, he had hoped they would hesitate, so he could use it as an excuse to abandon the mission.

But now that was impossible.

"Very well, you win." Then, his eye flicked to the engineer. "Start explaining, Tazuna-san."

The old man sighed in relief and quickly launched into his story. Everything he said matched what Kakashi had already expected. For the jōnin, this was nothing new.

But for his students it was the first time they were hearing about the state of Nami no Kuni, and Tazuna, ever the crafty old fox, painted Gatō as the ultimate villain. By the end of it, their indignation was palpable.

It was obvious—The trio was hooked, there was no way they would back out now.

'I'll have to remember to teach them later not to trust every sad story they hear...'

"Then it's decided." Kakashi's voice cut through their thoughts. "But before we leave—"

His tone shifted. Sasuke and Sakura immediately picked up on it.

"Sasuke. Sakura. Come here."

This was the most serious he had been all day. Not even when reprimanding Tazuna had he sounded like this. Sakura glanced at Sasuke—But the Uchiha merely shrugged and started walking.

She quickly followed.

Once they stood before Kakashi, he pulled out two kunai and handed them each one.

Sakura frowned.

Sasuke eyed him questioningly.

Then—

Kakashi spoke.

"Use these kunai to kill the two nukenin."

His voice left no room for argument.

"One target each."

To Be Continued

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Glossary of Techniques

Kyouka (Enhancement): One of the most basic shinobi techniques but also one with the most limitless potential. Its function is to enhance aspects of the body—strength, endurance, perception, and even mental state are some of the things that can be improved with Kyouka. Its downside is that if used carelessly without the necessary control over the amount of chakra used, severe injuries can occur, even to the point of crippling the user.

Ninpou: Kage Hari no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Shadow Needles Technique): Born from a variation of the Kage Bunshin, the Rank-C ninjutsu Kage Hari is a technique that creates multiple replicas of a single needle. Its advantage over its predecessor is the significantly lower chakra cost, as replicating a needle is far less complex than replicating a person.

Genjutsu: Shinrin Jubaku (Illusion Technique: Forest Binding): A Rank-C genjutsu, Shinrin Jubaku creates the illusion of a tree sprouting from the ground and binding the torso and limbs of the target, affecting two of their senses: sight and touch. Since it's a simple genjutsu, it's not very difficult to break free from, depending on both the skill of the caster and the target's ability to dispel genjutsu.

Fūinjutsu: Shinkei Saidan (Sealing Technique: Nerve Cutting): An evolution of Fūinjutsu: Nagare Seigen (Sealing Technique: Flow Restriction), this seal retains its predecessor's ability to reduce the amount of chakra circulating through the target's network while also adding the function of locking movements from the neck down. Since Naruto doesn't yet know more advanced security techniques, it's still relatively easy for more experienced shinobi to break the seal, keeping the redhead's newest creation at Rank-C.

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Responses to Reviews:

Dragon master 124: Well, Hiruzen really made some very questionable decisions in handling the aftermath of the Kyuubi attack. He had the best of intentions, but as they say, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." But it would be unfair to blame only him for that. There are more players in this scenario who not only disrupted the Sandaime's plans but also have their own plans that don't bode well for Naruto. Just one thing—all the dialogue about the Uzumakis and Naruto's "parents" isn't the main reason Kakashi doesn't make the connection between Naruto and Kushina and Minato. The reason is something else, and the brief mention of Jiraiya in this chapter is a hint toward that.

Imperial539: I think this chapter answers that question, lol. To be honest, this was something I planned from the moment I came up with the idea for this fic. The whole thing about Madara surviving and messing up the cycle of reincarnations was with this in mind. I just didn't include it in the fic's description because it will have significance in the story but won't be the main focus. Not to mention, it would be much cooler to make it a surprise. In fact, originally, I planned to only confirm it when Naruto found out, but I thought it would be better to get it out of the way after the last chapter.

The ultimate deity: I hope this chapter answered your question! Kakashi still isn't a perfect sensei—far from it—but in this fic, there will be more moments of him teaching his students something. After all, I have to justify Team Seven's growth, and what better way to do that than by using Kakashi for it?

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Author's Notes

Well, that was quicker than I thought again, and once more, don't get used to it. First of all, thank you for the 100 followers of this fic! I started this fic because it was something I wanted to read, and seeing that 100 other people want to see more of it and managed to get past the first chapter (which I'm dying to rewrite but won't) is really cool. The story might be a bit slow, but I promise you this isn't just a retelling of canon. I have big plans for this, and I can't wait to put them into practice.

As for this chapter, we had some really cool things. The first was the introduction of Kyouka. At first, I thought about not naming it and just going with chakra enhancement, but that would've been boring, so I gave it a name. The inspirations are obviously the Enhancement Nen from HxH and Armament Haki from One Piece, but this will have its own unique aspects and more advanced stages of proficiency.

Another thing was the confirmation of Satsuki/Sasuke's gender. As I mentioned in my response to Imperial539's review, this was something I planned from the start, and I'm happy to finally show it in the fic. I thought the scene of her reflecting at night was a bit out of place, but I liked it so much that I decided to leave it as is.

Now, about the Wave arc, as you can see, things are a bit more complex than in canon. At first, I thought about ways to better justify the whole situation—the village not knowing anything and Kakashi just deciding to continue the mission on a whim isn't exactly convincing. So, I came up with this whole political context along with the introduction of the Takikage-gumi, which was supposed to appear much later in the fic. As for who's behind it, the name is a pretty obvious hint.

I think that's it for now, folks. The next chapter will probably be a bit shorter. I was planning to end this one after the confrontation with Zabuza, but when I saw it was already over 16k words, I decided to end it with this cliffhanger. That means we'll probably have four parts for Wave. I want to wrap this up soon, so expect that. Ja ne!