The trees whispered in the wind, their branches swaying gently as the sun filtered through the canopy. A serene quiet wrapped the forest path, broken only by the occasional chirping of birds and the steady crunch of footsteps.
Team 7 was on the move.
Naruto walked ahead, his posture relaxed but his senses razor sharp. The grass underfoot was soft, but he could feel every vibration through the soles of his sandals. His cultivation-enhanced perception painted a vivid picture of the surroundings—every rustle, every breath, every unnatural silence.
Tazuna, the bridge builder they were assigned to protect, trudged alongside them with wary eyes. There was tension in the air, a heavy undercurrent no one voiced, but all felt.
Suddenly, Naruto's gaze snapped to a small puddle on the path ahead. A water puddle… in the middle of the dry path?
His eyes narrowed, a faint flicker of Yang Qi shimmering in his pupils. His right eye pulsed with the Divine Eye of the Void. He looked toward Kakashi, who had already noticed it. Their eyes met briefly, and with a silent nod, the message was clear.
An ambush.
Kakashi's glance was sharp, silent: "Don't alert the others."
Naruto nodded imperceptibly and continued walking. So they're testing us already, he thought. Fine. Let them try.
Just as they reached the puddle, the trap was sprung.
Clang!
Two shinobi burst from the puddle—chains shooting out like serpents. In a blink, the chains coiled around Kakashi and yanked him toward them. His body twisted, his chest pierced—
And then… poof.
A cloud of smoke erupted as his body split in half—revealing a log. Substitution technique.
Sakura let out a sharp scream. Her legs trembled and gave out beneath her. She collapsed onto the ground, trembling, her eyes wide in horror.
"Stay calm!" Naruto barked. He and Sasuke leapt in front of Tazuna, forming a protective wall between him and the attackers.
Sasuke didn't hesitate. With his Sharingan awakening under stress, he moved like lightning, kunai flashing in his grip. He engaged the first of the two—known as the Demon Brothers. He parried a strike, dodged the chain, and spun around for a counter—but his stamina was depleting fast.
His breath was heavy, sweat dripping down his forehead.
"Tch… damn it!" he cursed as his chakra ran low. One of the brothers knocked him back with a brutal kick to the gut.
The second brother lunged toward Tazuna.
But he never made it.
A flash of movement—Naruto appeared behind him like a ghost.
His right arm extended.
Crunch.
His hand pierced straight through the man's chest, his golden bloodless arm shooting out from the brother's back, soaked in crimson.
Time stood still.
The brother gasped, coughed blood, and slumped forward. Naruto let the body fall, his eyes calm, face unreadable.
The other brother screamed in rage, eyes turning bloodshot. He charged blindly at Naruto—but Naruto sidestepped and with a clean movement, chopped him at the back of the neck, rendering him unconscious. He summoned a chain from his Dantian, laced with Yang Qi, and bound the remaining enemy.
Sakura stared, horrified. She was shaking.
He just… killed someone. Just like that.
Sasuke, still panting, watched Naruto with wide eyes. He had never seen such cold efficiency, not even from upper-ranked shinobi. Who... is this guy?
Kakashi landed lightly on a tree branch and slowly stepped down, observing the scene. His visible eye narrowed as he looked at the corpse, then at Naruto—who stood, his hand dripping with blood, yet his expression was as calm as a lake.
He didn't flinch. Didn't hesitate. He even avoided letting the enemy suffer. So calm… so detached.
"You've killed before?" Kakashi asked quietly.
Naruto glanced over his shoulder. "This isn't the first time someone has tried to kill me," he said simply, walking over to a nearby stream to rinse the blood off his hand.
Kakashi didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Tazuna, who stood frozen.
"You've got some explaining to do," he said coldly.
Tazuna exhaled slowly, guilt creasing his face. He looked down, ashamed. "I… I lied," he confessed. "This mission... it's not a simple escort. The Land of Waves is under the control of a tyrant—Gato, a crime lord. I didn't have the money to pay for a higher-ranked mission… so I lied to get help. If I don't finish the bridge, my people will suffer. We're being starved and enslaved."
His voice cracked near the end. "I had no choice."
Kakashi looked at his team. "It's up to you three. We've completed our C-rank contract. We can go back."
Sasuke clenched his fists. "Tch… I hate being manipulated. But I hate being weak more. I'm staying."
Sakura looked unsure, but then nodded. "We've already come this far…"
All eyes turned to Naruto.
He shrugged. "Gato sounds like scum. Let's finish the bridge."
Kakashi smiled faintly beneath his mask. "Alright. We camp here for the night."
Night fell gently, casting shadows across the glade. A fire crackled softly in the center of their small camp. Tazuna rested on a mat, dozing off. Sakura sat beside Kakashi, while Sasuke leaned against a tree.
Naruto sat cross-legged away from them, refining the Void Stone in his palm. Its eerie shimmer pulsed rhythmically. The stone fed spatial energy into his Dantian, where it turned into fine threads of Void Qi.
Kakashi walked up to Sasuke and Sakura.
"While we're here, I might as well train you both," he said.
He handed Sasuke a scroll.
"Phoenix Flame Sage Jutsu. You've got good chakra control and fire affinity. Learn it."
Then he turned to Sakura.
"For you, a Genjutsu pattern. It focuses on sensory disruption—effective with your precise chakra control."
Sakura brightened, eager to prove herself.
Kakashi looked toward Naruto. "What about you?"
Naruto waved his hand lazily. "I've got my own path."
Kakashi didn't press. He could feel it—Naruto wasn't just training; he was evolving.
Hours passed.
As the fire dimmed, Naruto continued to meditate. The night wind brushed his cheeks gently. His senses felt everything—the whisper of a falling leaf, the breath of every creature nearby.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps.
Sasuke.
The Uchiha heir sat beside him silently. For a while, neither spoke.
Then, Sasuke broke the silence. "You really killed him back there."
Naruto nodded. "He would've killed you, Tazuna, maybe Sakura too. No room for mercy."
Sasuke looked down at his hands. "I froze once. On a mission with my father. I couldn't move. He… had to kill three rogue ninja to protect me."
There was vulnerability in his voice that surprised even him.
"I swore I'd never be helpless again," he said.
Naruto looked up at the stars. "Power is the only truth in this world. And I will ascend beyond mortality itself."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Immortality?"
"I will break the limits. Cultivate my body, my soul, and step into eternity. Only then will I protect everything I care about."
Sasuke stared at him for a long moment.
"…You're crazy."
Naruto smirked. "Maybe."
Then they both laughed—an honest laugh.
They stayed up for hours, trading stories, pain, and hopes. For the first time, there was no competition. Just two boys burdened by pain, dreaming of a future only they could see.
The next morning, they moved again.
Mist began to gather—slowly, unnaturally thick. The air grew damp, oppressive.
Tazuna stopped at the riverbank and pointed. "We'll take that boat. It'll take us closer to the bridge."
The boatman was silent, nodding as they boarded.
As they approached the other side of the river, the mist grew heavier.
Then… a killing intent surged through the air.
Naruto's eyes snapped open.
Kakashi stood straight, Sharingan already exposed.
A towering figure emerged from the mist. A massive sword strapped to his back—wrapped in bandages. A headband with a slashed-through Hidden Mist symbol.
Zabuza Momochi. Demon of the Hidden Mist.
"Well, well," he drawled. "They really sent brats to guard you, old man."
His voice was calm, but laced with menace.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "So… the real threat shows up."
Zabuza grinned. "This'll be fun."
To Be Continued….