"Is that the kid? The Uzumaki Clan…"
It was night, and a bonfire blazed in the center of the camp.
The female staff of the film crew held hands, singing and dancing in front of the fire, while the men sat in twos and threes around them, drinking and chatting, talking about everything.
In the darkness far away, a team of newly arrived Kusagakure Ninja crouched low, secretly observing Naruto who was holding a guitar and playing a cheerful tune.
"I heard he knows some Ninjutsu. Be careful not to be discovered by accident and affect the Village's reputation."
Mamura Tsuchiishi warned in a low voice.
"Such a small kid? Hmph, and a genius at that…"
The leading Ninja sneered. He was just a five or six-year-old kid. What could he do even if he knew Ninjutsu?
"Wait a little longer. We'll make our move tonight! Disperse!"
With a whoosh, three Ninja behind him instantly vanished, blocking the other three directions of the camp.
He was surrounded…
Kagura Mind's Eye clearly detected the movements of several people.
Naruto's smile subtly held a hint of coldness. He then put down his guitar and looked at Kazehana Koyuki: "I'm going to the restroom. Want to come along?"
"Who would want to come along?!"
The girl's pretty face flushed: "You pervert!"
Naruto hummed, stood up, and walked into the darkness outside the camp, precisely in the direction where the new team leader was located.
"Hmm? Did he come out on his own?"
The leader's eyes lit up when he saw Naruto's figure.
Mamura Tsuchiishi frowned slightly, feeling that something wasn't quite right: "Could he have discovered something?"
He had heard from the director that Naruto knew some Ninjutsu, and he was quite surprised when he learned that Naruto could use clones to provide harmony for his main body.
To be able to use physical clones at such a young age, he would be considered a genius even in the major Ninja Villages!
Therefore, he was somewhat cautious about kidnapping Naruto.
"A kid this age, discovering a Jonin?"
The leader beside him scoffed: "I think you just don't want to affect your mission, do you?"
Mamura Tsuchiishi shook his head: "Although that's part of the reason, after all, if someone goes missing for no reason during my duty, it will be difficult for me to explain to the employer."
"A bunch of civilians… Forget it. I'll treat you to a meal later. You go back first. Don't delay the Village's mission."
The leader waved impatiently and quietly moved towards Naruto's direction.
Mamura Tsuchiishi frowned slightly, his figure flickered, disappearing from his spot, hiding in the dark and observing the other party's movements.
He still felt that something was amiss, so even if the employer might suspect him, he wanted to personally see the mission completed.
In the distance, the small figure stumbled into the darkness, looking around, seemingly searching for a suitable place to relieve himself.
Suddenly, a ghostly figure appeared behind him, forming his hand into a blade and striking the back of the boy's neck.
"Mission accomplished!"
Seeing the leader carrying Naruto back, Mamura Tsuchiishi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems I worried too much."
"Well… it's not wrong to be careful. This time, I owe it to you. Thanks anyway!"
The leader waved his hand, recalled his teammates, and sped away carrying Naruto.
Looking at the direction where they left, Mamura Tsuchiishi quietly breathed a sigh of relief, a relaxed smile appearing on his face. Finding a rare bloodline for the Village was a considerable achievement…
Just as he was thinking about how to explain to the film crew, there was a sudden dull thud, and an orange-red fox tail pierced through his chest.
Feeling the sharp pain in his chest, Mamura Tsuchiishi's eyes widened in disbelief.
He turned his head with difficulty, catching a glimpse of the small, blond-haired, blue-eyed figure behind him.
"It's… you?!"
Mamura Tsuchiishi wanted to warn his teammates, but the blood foam constantly gushing from his throat choked his voice. In the end, he only made a gurgling, bubbling sound and weakly lowered his head.
Under the Gekko, Naruto slightly lowered his head, his fair, small face behind his bangs obscured and unclear.
With a flick of the fox tail behind him, the blood was completely shaken off.
"It's my first time killing someone. I'm a little unaccustomed to it."
Naruto patted his chest, where his heart was pounding fiercely, and his adrenaline seemed to be surging.
He had heard from friends that for a first kill, as long as one's psychological quality was decent and the killing method wasn't particularly gory, there wouldn't be much of a reaction.
It wouldn't be like in novels where one had to vomit.
That kind of situation usually happened on battlefields, when bodies were too dismembered and the smell of blood was too strong, leading to such adverse reactions.
Or perhaps it was due to the fear of being discovered or arrested. In reality, the unease and pressure brought by this fear were far more intense than that of taking a life.
In a world where lives were as cheap as grass, for someone like Naruto, who often hunted, the negative impact of a first kill was actually not significant.
"Naruto…"
In his mental space, the Nine-Tailed grinned: "Your hand is trembling. It seems you're not so calm after all…"
"Natural reaction."
Naruto clenched his fist, feeling his limbs stiffen slightly. This was a natural reaction caused by adrenaline; at this point, he wouldn't even feel pain if he stabbed himself.
After a simple adjustment, he turned his head to look in the direction of the camp. Mamura Tsuchiishi's three subordinates were guarding the film crew not far away.
Naruto formed a hand sign and transformed into Mamura Tsuchiishi's appearance, calling the three out.
Then, with a single Wood Release: Impaling Spikes, he sent them to the Pure Land…
"Noobs…"
Looking down at the three bodies, riddled with tree branches like sieves, Naruto shook his head and sighed: "I thought they would at least suspect something."
"After all, no one would expect a Jonin to be replaced by a five-year-old kid."
The Nine-Tailed, however, understood: "Your strength itself defies logic."
"That's true…"
Hearing the Nine-Tailed's words, which he wasn't sure were objective analysis or flattery, Naruto chuckled softly.
He stomped his foot, and twisted, vine-like tree trunks emerged from underground, slowly engulfing the bodies of the several people.
Then, Naruto deactivated Nine-tails Mode and quickly ran towards the camp, finding Okamura Tensai, who was directing the actors.
"Mr. Okamura!"
"Oh, Naruto…"
Okamura Tensai's usually serious face broke into a kind smile upon seeing Naruto: "Is something wrong?"
Naruto pointed in the direction he had come from: "That Jonin Mamura asked me to tell you that their Village was attacked and they need to return immediately, so they have to abandon this mission."
"However, he said that because the filming location is near the Land of Fire border, the possibility of danger is small, so there's no need to worry too much."
"Is that so…"
Okamura Tensai frowned. Although he had some complaints about Mamura's unannounced departure, he could understand his urgency.
"The Village was attacked… Then there's nothing we can do."
His assistant on the side hesitated: "Director, then what about us…?"
"Continue filming!"
Okamura Tensai waved his hand. Hiring Ninja was just for insurance; he couldn't waste the film crew's time over Ninja matters.
With so many mouths to feed in the film crew, it was a significant expense each day!
Naruto was not surprised by Okamura Tensai's reaction. He also didn't want to delay others' time because of himself.
The people in the film crew had been very kind to him, and such pure goodwill was the hardest to betray.
Tonight, he would only do two things: save Karin and take down Kusagakure!
As for whether Kusagakure would cause trouble for the film crew…
Naruto felt they probably wouldn't have the time.