"Hiccup."
Tazuna let out another loud, liquor-scented burp. Emboldened by the alcohol, he finally started to vent the frustration that had been stewing in his gut. He gestured sloppily at the kids surrounding him.
"A bunch of brats," he slurred. "Are you really supposed to protect me? Especially you, the short one with the stupid-"
"I'd think very carefully about how you finish that sentence," Naruto cut in, his voice dangerously low.
Tazuna's drunken haze seemed to evaporate under the anger of Naruto's gaze.
'This kid's eyes are terrifying,' he thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow. It was the kind of stare that even the toughest chunin instructors back at the Academy couldn't hold for long.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You may be the client, but that doesn't give you the right to be disrespectful."
"Right, right..." Tazuna stammered, nodding quickly.
"Alright, Naruto, that's enough. Don't scare the man," Kakashi said, walking over and placing a placating hand on Naruto's shoulder. He then turned to the rest of the team. "We'll gather at the main gate in half an hour. Don't be late."
Karin muttered under her breath, "As long as Kakashi-sensei isn't late, we'll be on time. So, I guess that means we have two and a half hours." His reputation for tardiness was a running joke within Team 7.
"I promise, I'll be on time for once," Kakashi insisted, though his eye-smile didn't seem entirely convincing.
--**--**
Half an hour later, the members of Team 7 were assembled and, with Tazuna leading the way, they set off for the Land of Waves.
As they walked, Kakashi offered some routine advice about life as a shinobi. When he casually mentioned that they wouldn't encounter enemy ninja on a C-rank mission, Naruto felt the distinct thrum of Tazuna's heartbeat suddenly quicken.
They made good time, moving at a steady pace through the countryside. By noon, they were already a good distance from Konoha. If not for their client slowing them down, they likely would have been on a boat by now.
'This world is so small,' Naruto thought as he watched the landscape roll by. Most of the land was uninhabitable wilderness, with civilization clustered into the Five Great Nations and a handful of smaller countries. The planet itself felt tiny, a far cry from the vastness of the worlds he remembered.
As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, casting long shadows across the path, Naruto sensed two new presences nearby.
'Chunin-level, maybe a little weaker.'
Ahead of them, two puddles had formed on the otherwise dry road, shimmering unnaturally in the fading light. A faint trace of malice seemed to rise from them like heat.
'Their stealth is clumsy,' Naruto noted.
Sasuke and Karin had noticed them too, as had Kakashi. In fact, the only ones who seemed oblivious were Sakura and Tazuna. No one said a word, they simply continued walking.
The moment the group passed the puddles, two figures erupted from the water, their faces obscured by breathing masks. A chain tipped with sharp blades shot out, wrapping tightly around Kakashi.
"First one down!" one of them yelled.
With a sharp tug, they pulled the chain taut. Kakashi's body was torn to shreds in a spray of blood.
But before the two assassins could celebrate, a blue blur moved with blinding speed. Naruto was on them in an instant, a single powerful kick sending each one flying. They slammed into the trunks of nearby trees with a sickening crunch, their bodies slumping to the ground, no longer a threat. The fight was over before it had even begun. For a team of their caliber, chunin-level opponents were hardly a challenge for anyone but Sakura.
Kakashi reappeared from the trees, completely unharmed, and efficiently tied up the two unconscious ninja.
"Kirigakure chunin," he said, examining their gear. "Known for fighting to the death, no matter the cost." More accurately, they were the Demon Brothers, Gozu and Meizu, rogue ninja who served Zabuza Momochi. But they weren't well-known, so Kakashi had no reason to recognize them.
His visible eye hardened as he turned to their client. "Mr. Tazuna, I think you have some explaining to do. Why are Kirigakure ninja trying to kill you?" His voice was cold. "An encounter with enemy shinobi automatically makes this a B-rank mission, at minimum."
Falsifying the rank of a mission was a serious offense. A C-rank was meant for escorting civilians against bandits, not trained shinobis. To knowingly send genin into a situation this dangerous was a deep betrayal of trust. After all genin's were lifeblood of all villages, an act of deliberately putting them in danger could be considered as colluding with enemy village to kill them.
"I... I have my reasons," Tazuna stammered, his face pale and slick with sweat. "Circumstances I couldn't avoid."
"Save it," Naruto interrupted, stepping forward. "I don't care about your reasons. We're continuing the mission. Team 7 doesn't quit." 'As for the price difference,' he thought, 'you'll be paying for it one way or another.' The Third Hokage might be interested in Gato's assets, but Naruto had his own plans for the Land of Waves, especially given its proximity to his ancestral home, Land of Whirlpools.
He glanced at their team leader. "This is good, Kakashi-sensei. We could use the combat experience." He then shot a pointed look at his other two teammates. "Sasuke and Sakura are the only ones who haven't been in a real fight yet, right? Think of it as a warm-up for the Chunin Exams."
The comment was a subtle reminder, but Kakashi caught the implication immediately. 'So Naruto and Karin already have combat experience from their time in Root.' He had noticed the easy familiarity between the two, it was clear they shared a history. Naruto's final point was the most compelling. Genin without real-world fighting experience were at a severe disadvantage in the exams, they might as well be fish on chopping block. Kakashi himself had been a veteran of countless battles by their age.
After a moment of thought, he nodded. "Alright. Team 7, the mission continues."
"Yes!" Karin cheered, grabbing a slightly pale Sakura by the arm.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted, saying nothing. But a faint tremor of anticipation ran through his hands, and he clenched them into fists at his sides.
With the matter settled, the group picked up their pace and soon reached a small port town. The Land of Waves was an island nation, cut off from the mainland, which was why Tazuna's bridge was so critical. The shipping magnate Gato controlled the entire economy by controlling the sea routes.
'It's a foolish strategy,' Naruto mused. 'Instead of stopping him from building the bridge, it would be far more demoralizing to let him finish it and then destroy it or just take over it.' If it were him, that's exactly what he would do.
As they discovered, no boatman was willing to take them across the water. Gato's name was spoken in fearful whispers, and no one dared to cross him. But as the lead bridge builder, Tazuna still had a few connections. He eventually found an old fisherman willing to risk the journey, and they were ferried across the misty waters toward the Land of Waves.
Even before they made landfall, Naruto felt it, a powerful presence, watching them from the shore.
'This one's strong,' he thought, comparing the energy signature to his sensei's. 'Even slightly stronger than Kakashi. Kakashi really let himself go in these years.'
The air suddenly grew heavy. A massive blade, as tall as a man, spun through the fog and embedded itself in a tree just ahead of them. A figure landed silently on the hilt, looking down at them with an arrogant smirk.
"No wonder the Demon Brothers failed," a voice rasped from behind the bandages covering his face. "They ran into the famous Copy Ninja, Kakashi."
Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist, had arrived.
--**--**
(EN: Regarding Karin's codename Shin, it's just a codename, it can be given to anyone and can be reused after the asset is dead. I am sorry for the confusion it caused, We will be more mindful of such matters in future.)
===============
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.