When the two looked more closely at their surroundings, they noticed that all the workers had left the bridge, leaving only the construction materials and machinery. The workday was over for the day.
"Oh no, I think we've wasted too much time! Tazuna should be home by now! If Kakashi Sensei finds out, he'll be mad at us." Sakura said, nervously biting her lower lip.
"If I find out, what?" the stealthy jonin asked right behind them. Kakashi appeared unnoticed.
A shiver ran down their spine. Slowly, they turned around, only to find themselves staring at the copy-ninja figure, who wasn't even bothering to look at them, more focused on reading his small orange book, ICHA ICHA.
"Ka-Ka-Kakashi Sensei! You see, I can explain! The thing is…!"
"You both went wandering around, wasting time on who knows what, while Naruto and Sasuke were training like crazy nonstop. I came to find you because everyone was already back home, everyone except you, of course..."
"It was Goten's fault! I told him no, but he kept insisting and wouldn't leave me alone! I was going to go crazy, sensei, I swear!"
"What? My fault? But you agreed and came with me! You can't blame me for everything, you're responsible too!" Goten immediately retorted, a little scared of what Kakashi might say to him.
Big mistake.
Sakura began to turn around very slowly, looking at the Saiyan with her eyes spitting fire, with a large vein on her forehead and an exaggeratedly forced smile, clenching her teeth so hard that they were almost going to break.
"...But of course it was all my fault! Sakura had nothing to do with it, I swear!" Poor Goten squealed in fear, now looking small compared to Sakura.
For some inexplicable reason, the kunoichi had become gigantic in front of him. A flaming background even appeared behind her, while she threatened to hit him like never before.
"That doesn't change anything. As far as I'm concerned, both of them are responsible," Kakashi declared, putting the R-rated novel in his back pocket and turning his attention to the boys.
"Luckily, I'm in a good mood. I got enough rest, not to mention the mission is officially over. But I don't want it to happen again; otherwise, I'll have to give them a well-deserved punishment."
"Of course it won't happen again, Kakashi-sensei, we promise!" Sakura said as she bowed deeply. Seeing that Goten wasn't following her, she grabbed his head and shoved it down beside hers, forcing him into the bow.
"Okay, let's go home. It's starting to get dark, and dinner's almost ready." The jonin started walking, followed closely by both children.
"You have to admit that at least you had a good time," the Saiyan whispered in Sakura's ear after they had been walking for several minutes.
Of course, she had a great time! In fact, she had never had such a fantastic and unreal experience in her entire life. It had been wonderful, and the best part was that she thoroughly enjoyed it.
"It wasn't that bad, but nothing more..." She also answered in a low voice, while an almost imperceptible blush colored her cheeks.
Kakashi didn't stop to ask them what the hell they'd been doing, because honestly, he wasn't interested at all. He assumed it was just young people's stuff, like wandering around and wasting time.
But he never imagined what they'd actually done, and above all, what Goten had done. Despite the risky nature of the situation, acting with compassion was the best decision.
"Another one, please!" Trunks demanded forcefully.
"B-but you've already had more than 40 bowls, kid. Do you even have a way to pay?" asked old Teuchi, owner of Ichiraku, Naruto's favorite ramen stand in all of Konoha.
Without saying anything, Trunks untied the small sack of coins that Asuma had given him from his orange belt and threw it on the counter, for Teuchi to take.
"Just tell me if I have enough. If so, bring me another bowl. I'm still not satisfied."
When the shop owner opened the small leather bag, coins spilled out onto the counter, including a few large bills, which were more than enough to pay any bill. It wasn't often a child carried that much money.
"O-of course. This is enough for over a hundred special bowls, and I think you'd still have a little left over."
"One hundred bowls? What do you take me for, a beast? One hundred bowls is rude; everyone knows that eating too much is impolite. I'll just have five more if you don't mind." He grumbled, almost offended by Teuchi's comment. "If Goten were here, though, I would have to order all one hundred… just so he could burn through every last ryo in one night. Hopefully that bastard earns his own money soon—otherwise, we'll starve to death."
"Here you go, young man, enjoy it," Ichiraku's owner said as he handed him another order.
Five bowls of ramen later, Trunks found himself sitting at the counter, a smug smile on his face as he patted his stomach.
"Ahhhhh, that was delicious! Naruto was right, this food is the best!"
"So you're from Naturo, huh? He's our best customer, so anyone who comes on Naruto's recommendation is more than welcome," Teuchi replied with a smile. "You should have said so sooner. Since you're from him, I'll give you a special discount. Besides, you've almost finished all the ingredients; you've only just met your quota for the day, so I'll have to close earlier than usual."
"Wow, thank you very much, sir," Trunks said as he handed the money. "I'm having a friend over for dinner soon. So I recommend bringing as much food as you can, since he eats as much as I do. See you then."
With that, Trunks walked off, leaving an incredible pile of dirty dishes on the counter, and of course, a more than stunned Teuchi.
"How is it possible for a boy to eat like that?" asked his daughter Ayame, Ichiraku's assistant. The young woman was shocked by the grotesque spectacle she had just witnessed against her will.
"I have no idea…"
Ino was exhausted. She barely had time to rest after returning from the mission when her mother asked her to take care of the flower shop as a favor, as she had errands to run. Her father was away on a mission with his group, so she had to work alone.
To make matters worse, the number of customers that day was higher than usual, and she had a hard time managing on her own. At least it was all over now. Once she'd served the last person, she tidied up the place a bit, took the money she'd made that day, and got ready to close everything up. Tomorrow, with more time to spare, she could help her mother clean up more thoroughly.
"Ufff, this day has been the worst," she said to herself in an annoyed tone, closing the entrance to the establishment almost angrily.
She hadn't even taken two steps before she saw someone she hadn't expected to meet again.
It was Trunks, walking down that same street, his hands clasped behind his head and whistling without any apparent concern.
Ino was about to ignore him, as she was annoyed with him for the way he said goodbye. Besides, her bad mood from the difficult work day she had to endure didn't help her much.
However, the Saiyan passed very close to her, so the encounter was inevitable. For a few seconds, they just stood facing each other, immersed in an awkward silence, as if each was waiting for the other to start the conversation.
"So you're still here, huh? Or should I say boorish, slovenly, and downright ill-mannered?" Ino said, planting both hands firmly on her hips as she took the lead.
The truth was, she almost felt like hitting him. The kunoichi didn't even notice his strange behavior until a few minutes had passed. After all, what did she care about the way Trunks had left? She didn't understand why such a thing would have offended her. Perhaps she needed to get even with someone, which wasn't uncommon for her.
"H-hi Ino, I didn't know you were h-here…" He began to stutter, not feeling mentally prepared for the unexpected encounter.
"Of course, you didn't know. If you did, you wouldn't have taken this path, would you?" she said reproachfully, taking a couple of steps toward him and pointing a finger threateningly, so close it almost touched his nose.
Trunks was scared. He wanted to back away, but he was petrified. He didn't understand the strange power the kunoichi had over him, making him become such a nervous wreck in her presence. Now that she was scolding him, he felt even more bewildered and awed.
"H-hey, I'm really sorry if I offended you by leaving like that. I-I seriously didn't think it would matter that much to you..."
His timid words caught Ino off guard. She hadn't expected such a response from him, and she felt strangely exposed.
"Oh, Please! I just thought it was very rude and impolite of you, that's all!" She crossed her arms and turned her head away in indignation, so the boy couldn't notice how embarrassed she was now. Somehow.
"Anyway, I'll be here for a while. That's why I didn't say goodbye to you, because I think I knew I'd see you again... you know, if you live here and I do too... well, it was possible we'd run into each other like this... well, it's not like I was looking for you... it was a coincidence... it's just that..."
He couldn't finish his halting and confused speech when the kunoichi interrupted him. "Wait... are you saying you're going to live here now? In Konoha?" she asked, unable to hide her astonishment.
"W-well, yeah. Even the Hokage said that while I'm here, I should train on your team, I think it's Team 10. Asuma Sensei told me to come to the training grounds in the morning… though he forgot to tell me where it is…"
"This is too strange to be true... The teams are supposed to have already been chosen! It's impossible to change them just like that! Although it was the Hokage himself who made the decision, so he must have had a reason for this... I can't complain either. It's not that I dislike Trunks at all, maybe it's even a good thing..."
"Hey, Ino! You ok?" he asked, snapping her out of her strange trance, raising an eyebrow in obvious confusion, as if the girl in front of him were completely crazy.
"Yes, yes, it's nothing! I'm just a little tired, that's all!"
"Okay, so... aren't you going to tell me where the training camp is?" he asked, as if trying to spoon-feed the words out of her. The roles had reversed, as Ino's behavior seemed even stranger now.
"Yes, that's right. You see... It's a bit complicated to explain, especially since you probably don't know the village very well yet," the blonde replied thoughtfully, trying to find the easiest way to give her directions. "What do you say we meet tomorrow right here, in front of the flower shop? It would be easier if we went together, but I warn you to pay close attention, because I'm not going to show you the way twice!"
"I-I-I'm sure, don't worry about that," he replied nervously, still unfamiliar with the kunoichi's strong and sometimes haughty nature. "I live just two blocks from here now, in a small apartment they assigned me, so I won't be late."
Judging by his explanation and the location, Ino guessed it must be the set of apartments the village used to set aside for those affected by disasters or orphaned children, like Naruto. It was definitely a filthy place to live.
"You better be, because I really hate being kept waiting. If you're not here by the time I get here, I promise I'll leave, and you'll have to fend for yourself!"
Trunks's stunned expression was a picture of wonder. A thick drop of sweat even began to trickle down the back of his head.
"What's wrong? Do you have any objections?" the kunoichi asked in a challenging tone, her hands on her hips.
"No, not at all! I-I agree... early... here... understood." He answered immediately, trying to calm the girl down as quickly as possible.
"Good, I'm glad you got that straight. On my team, I'm the one who gives the orders, so you'd better get used to it! Maybe Shikamaru comes up with some plans and all that... but I have the final say, and I decide what's best!"
She thought that, since he was a newcomer, it wouldn't hurt to lie a little and proclaim herself as an authority figure.
After a long silence, during which Trunks obviously didn't object, Ino decided to end the fortuitous encounter between the two. "I think that's all. Then... see you tomorrow, Trunks." She said goodbye with a slight wave of her hand as she turned around and began her journey back home.
This time, it was the Saiyan who stood motionless, watching the blonde until she turned the corner and disappeared from sight. Curiously, Ino also turned her head, making sure she saw Trunks one last time that night.
Without even knowing it, Trunks had repeated the cycle. He had fallen victim to his curse, the curse of the Saiyans. The Achilles' heel of the lineage born for combat and fighting. The true weak point of the strongest warrior race in the entire universe.
Which one? Their tails? Nothing like that… Proud, stubborn, and impulsive women!
Women with strong characters.
Back in the Land of Waves…
Naruto and Sasuke were locked in a fierce food competition, as the training in the forest not only exhausted them but also intensified the rivalry between them. At least the Uchiha now considered him a rival, as Naruto demonstrated great tenacity and determination during the tree-climbing exercise.
"I want some more!" they shouted in unison once they finished their respective plates. The two were so angry that their gazes shot lightning bolts at each other.
At that precise moment, Kakashi arrived with Sakura, who was once again scolding Goten for leaving his shoes outside. The kunoichi simply didn't understand the boy's strange habit yet. Before returning, the three of them went to a small market to buy some supplies and contribute to dinner at the old bridge builder's humble home, because all together, there were a lot of mouths to feed.
The small group's arrival came at the exact moment Naruto and Sasuke had vomited everything from eating too fast and too much. Sakura brought both hands to her mouth, completely disgusted and embarrassed by their behavior (for the first time, she was a little disappointed in Sasuke), but Goten's laughter brought her back to her thoughts and silenced him when she threatened to hit him as usual.
"I think you should stop. Throwing up won't help you at all," Kakashi commented, though he was actually watching the way Sakura was treating the Saiyan.
He could tell that for some reason, the boy easily submitted to the kunoichi's irascible temper, as if he were already accustomed to similar treatment. He also noticed that Goten ended up paying more attention to her than to him, who, incidentally, was the adult in charge. Perhaps Sakura was more adept than Kakashi at controlling the Saiyan.
Without wasting any time, Inari's mother began preparing a soup in a huge pot with the vegetables and meat the jounin had bought with his own money. She would have brought more if the market shelves weren't so empty.
Only the three of them were left to eat. Sakura settled for just one plate, because as always, she wanted to watch her figure. Kakashi secondhand his portion and was satisfied. On the other hand, Goten was a beast.
Everyone thought that at some point the boy would end up throwing up the entire room, but instead, he repeated one dish after another, as if his stomach were some kind of bottomless pit that was never fully filled.
"I want another one!" he exclaimed, raising his twentieth empty bowl.
"I-I'm sorry, Goten, b-but it's over, there's nothing left…" Inari's mother answered, unable to stop herself from stuttering.
"How do you manage to eat so much? It's amazing! If I could do it, I'd eat so much ramen I'd barely be able to walk again!" Naruto exclaimed, half surprised and half excited. He wanted Goten to share his secret with him, so he could devour the largest amounts of his favorite food.
"Naruto! Are you an idiot? Why would anyone want to eat like that? It's disgusting!" Sakura scolded, sitting next to the Saiyan until she moved away slightly due to disgust and shock.
"Well, if there's nothing else, it doesn't matter. I think this is fine. They say you should eat in moderation."
They all fell backwards at the same time because of the Saiyan's cheeky comment.
"YOU HAVE NOT BEEN MODERATE AT ALL! YOU EAT LIKE AN ANIMAL!" Sakura shouted, completely out of her mind at the tailed boy's implausible statement.
" Apparently, Saiyans have a huge appetite. Maybe they have a very fast metabolism and need a lot more food than the average human..." Kakashi thought carefully, and not without reason, once he was able to recover from his fall.
There wasn't much else to say. After dinner, the jounin ordered his apprentices to go to bed early, as he planned to return to Konoha tomorrow morning. Both Naruto and Sasuke were so exhausted from training that they fell asleep fairly easily. Goten wasn't as tired, but he always tended to go to bed a little early, mostly on his mother's orders.
Due to the available space, the two genins and the Saiyan slept on their respective futons in the same room, but they had no problem with it. Fatigue overcame any possible argument with Sasuke.
Sakura, meanwhile, shared a room with Inari's mother. Although she didn't train as hard as her two teammates, she still had no problem falling asleep. That night, she had a rather unusual dream, one she hadn't had since she was a child.
It was about her soaring freely through the skies, with utter grace and ease, as if it were something natural to her, something she'd done all her life. Unlike those dreams she'd had in her childhood, this one was much more real, more vivid, perhaps because she'd already experienced it firsthand, making everything clearer and more vivid.
There was only one small difference. She wasn't alone. Goten was at her side, watching over her, making sure she didn't trip or, for some reason, lose her powers and end up falling into the void as usual. She felt safe with him. She would never forget that dream. But the next morning, she would try to suppress her emotions and ignore everything related to it.
That same night, in a desolate place hidden deep in the forests of the Land of Waves, a pair of ninjas had yet to fall asleep. The place was Zabuza Momochi's lair: a peculiar conical structure suspended by ropes of varying diameters, which extended outward and were haphazardly anchored to the tree trunks.
Haku took charge of feeding the Mist Demon as best he could, just after changing his bandages and placing the medicinal herbs on his wounds. The pain the jounin felt throughout his body was brutal, but still bearable due to his great stamina. However, the boy couldn't tolerate seeing him suffer so much, more from humiliation than from the fractures, so in a moment of desperation, he opted to give him the other mysterious medicine.
"I see you're still not in shape. At this rate, it'll take us a long time to accomplish our mission, and Gatō is getting a little exasperated," Haku commented casually, trying to get a few words out of his master. Zabuza responded with a slight grunt, not in the mood to think about the obvious problems his deplorable condition was causing him. "You should try eating this. I hear it has some healing properties," he said, somewhat hesitantly handing the small seed to the rogue ninja.
"What is this rubbish? A small bean can't be enough to help me, no matter how good it is," he declared distrustfully, uttering a grimace of disgust that managed to stretch his bandages.
"Do you have a better option?"
Haku was right. It was better than nothing, so with a sigh of reluctance, Zabuza removed his bandages as best he could and agreed to eat the seer seed.
As soon as he finished chewing and swallowing the strange bean, he felt his energy return to normal, as if a mysterious force had been hidden inside him all along, finally daring to emerge when he needed it most. Not only that: his wounds healed completely, and his bruises, bruises, and bruises healed immediately.
Simply a miracle.
The reaction was so abrupt and sudden that he felt his muscles swell as a result of the restored chakra flow, which normally coursed through every fiber of his being, even managing to undo some of the bandages covering his injured limbs. At the same time, a strange creaking sound broke the sepulchral silence that reigned in the quiet room, the result of his broken bones knitting and joining together again.
Zabuza breathed raggedly, sweat dripping from the shock. The intense pain caused by his broken ribs had vanished. He stood up as if nothing had happened, ruffling his bed sheets and even scaring Haku. The two, completely speechless, exchanged looks of profound bewilderment, unable to believe what was happening.
"What the hell was that supposed to be? Where did you get that damn seed? I'm perfectly healed, I dare say I'm better than ever!" he exclaimed loudly, checking the perfect mobility that had returned to each of his limbs.
Even after healing completely using traditional means, the damage he'd sustained was enough to leave several of his joints sore for a while longer. But almost as if by magic, he was back to perfect condition. Haku couldn't believe it either, but he could see that what Goten had said was completely true, to a greater extent than he could have imagined.
It was not a placebo effect, nor a powerful painkiller that drugged the jounin and made him ignore his pain, because he was able to take his immense sword and brandish it from side to side, demonstrating absolute normality in the mobility of his limbs that, until a few seconds ago, were useless and paresthetic.
"I see what that boy said was completely true... you're cured..." Haku commented with a blank stare, not focusing on any specific point. However, another thought crossed his mind: if Goten was truly able to provide such a genuine and effective cure to the deserting ninja, it was for the simple reason that he fully trusts his powers and, therefore, his ability to defeat them just as he had warned.
Not only that. Haku analyzed Trunks' abilities and realized how difficult (if not nearly impossible) it would be to defeat him, even teaming up with his mentor. But he knew he'd already left for Konoha, so he hoped to heal Zabuza so he could strike again. However, Goten's declaration and the confidence he displayed in giving them the cure meant he could also deliver a beating, in the most subtle of cases.
"Which boy are you talking about? Who gave you that miraculous seed?" Zabuza asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It was that tailed boy who accompanied Kakashi and his team. He can somehow sense people's chakra and was able to identify me as the tracker who picked you up unconscious after your encounter," Haku spoke bluntly, trying to ignore the angry change of expression that crossed the jounin's face during his unexpected response.
Zabuza didn't know where to start. He almost wanted to kill Haku for giving him a strange object that could have turned out to be a potent poison. But on the other hand, that wasn't the case; the cure actually turned out to be genuine. The more appropriate question was another one.
"Why? Why did he help you if he knew you were the enemy?"
"He said he could sense my pure energy and my good intentions. I don't know how, but that was enough for him to entrust me with the seed. It all happened when I was gathering medicinal herbs in the forest." He paused briefly, waiting for a response from the stunned Zabuza. "Silence is consent," he continued. "He also said your energy is evil, but that if someone like me cared for you, there was a chance for change…"
"What is that damn kid talking about? We'll go kill them all right now! Who does he think he is, telling us what to do or how to act? He's not even a ninja, he's not even a damn shinobi!" He screamed wildly, his eyes bloodshot, kicking the table and smashing every object in his path inside the small lair.
Once his tantrum had subsided, he found himself breathing heavily. He couldn't contain his fury at such helplessness. First, he was brutally beaten by a small monster from who knows where, and then a boy with a strange monkey tail showed him the most ridiculous compassion he'd ever received from anyone, as if he really wanted to humiliate him and help him heal quickly, only to break every bone he wanted again.
At some other time in his life, that kindness might have meant something to him. Now, his soul was too rotten, corrupted, long dead for such a thing to matter. His body, riddled with wounds inflicted throughout his long career of blood, death, and pain, was nothing more than an empty shell of what a complete human being could once have been.
But as he well knew, he wasn't conceived as a monster. He was once human. That small humanity that might still be part of him emerged at the words his favorite weapon, or rather, his broken tool, dedicated to him.
"You know how important you are to me. I am your weapon, and I am at your complete disposal. If I must give my life to accomplish your goals, I will not hesitate for a second to return and face that boy. But if you come with me, you will die. It is a lost battle, a suicide. I cannot allow you to sacrifice yourself in vain. Send me if you wish, but please, I don't want you to go."
Haku's gaze reminded him of the barefoot, abandoned, starving boy he'd rescued many years ago on that bridge in the Land of Water. He was broken; his weapon had lost all the edge it once had. It was bound to happen.
Haku had always been very weak and compassionate; he hated pain, and therefore, he tried to inflict as little pain as possible on his victims.
Every battle that happened, every encounter that took place, the demon of the mist felt the boy's heart shatter little by little, slowly leading him towards his inevitable debacle.
"You're a broken tool, you're useless to me..." He replied with his icy-cold gaze, that gaze that the boy claimed was identical to his own, but which, in reality, didn't resemble him in the slightest. What Zabuza didn't understand was that the feeling of profound pain and suffering that overflowed from both of their gazes was what made them kindred spirits.
With determination, Haku took a senbon needle, ready to bury it in his chest, right over the pressure point that would end his useless life. "I'm so sorry. You gave me the opportunity and the courage that no one else in this world gave me. If you think that courage is already lost, my life is mere existence without meaning."
His movement was stopped in midair by Zabuza, who firmly grasped his wrist, preventing him from committing suicide. His words were unexpected for Haku, who had never expected to hear such a remark from him.
"You're not the only one. I'm broken too. Since I failed in that coup, I've sunk to a level I never imagined, working for a wretch like Gatō for mere coins. I thought those two brats had humiliated me. But it was I who destroyed every shred of honor and pride that comes with the life of a shinobi, and for longer than I can remember."
He was right. Thinking back to his time as an ANBU, as one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, as the leader of an insurrection trying to assassinate the Mizukage, and comparing it to his current job as a hitman, trying to kill an old bridge builder on the orders of a dirty and corrupt merchant, only made him realize how far he'd fallen.
How much worse would it be if he ended up dying in a cause like this! Which was likely considering the incomprehensible power of those two children. If they belonged to Konoha, then the village had a pair of lethal weapons at its disposal, the likes of which he'd never seen before in his life.
The creaking of the bedroom door being opened brought the pair of renegade ninjas out of their thoughts, only to be met with the unpleasant presence of a small being, but with a large shadow, a product of the invisible influences and threads he was pulling under the table.
"Well, well, so the great Zabuza was defeated and beaten to a pulp by a miserable brat. Apparently, your reputation was just dirty propaganda, because as far as I'm concerned, you're nothing more than a failed attempt at being a ninja." Gatō sneered, being closely escorted by four defiant and dangerous-looking thugs.
"However, I see that you're more of a coward." He continued, looking the jonin up and down. According to his sources, Zabuza had been a wreck after the fight, but now he looked in perfect condition. "Or should I say, a con man. You've messed with the wrong man if you think you can fool me with a simple trick like that."
By now, Gatō was convinced that Zabuza had taken his advance pay and had agreed to a farce with the unknown boy, feigning injury to escape with the money before completing his job. With a slight gesture of his hand, the ruthless tycoon signaled his men to draw their katanas and finish off the jounin and his disciple. He no longer planned to use them to kill Tazuna. They were no longer of any use to him.
Poooff!
He didn't even have time to react. When the small merchant realized what had happened, the four assassins collapsed to the ground without warning, lifeless. Haku, with his enormous speed, drew his needles and launched them with great precision at several vital points, killing the attackers instantly.
The guy had underestimated them. He really thought he was dealing with low-level scum, not professionals in the world of war and battle. Had he known, he would have come better prepared.
"W-what did you do, you damn brat?" he asked, completely frightened, taking a couple of steps back in pure panic. Once again, Haku's blinding speed carried him right behind him, making any escape attempt impossible.
"You're absolutely right, Gatō," Zabuza snapped, giving the little fellow a violent, vicious glare. "I'm not what I used to be. I admit I've sunk too low. But that's about to end. I'll find other ways to achieve my goals, but rest assured, it won't be by working for wretches like you."
"W-wait, don't do anything stupid! I'll pay you ten times what we agreed on! I-I mean, twenty times more!" The small-time gangster began to beg with all his might, while Zabuza's great shadow loomed over him, sealing his fate.
His words were muffled thrashings that tried to shield him from inevitable death. The guy was finished. Approaching slowly, his expression grim, Zabuza ended that night with two things.
One of them, the insignificant and filthy life of Gatō, whose skull he took in his hands, squeezing it little by little until it burst like a rotten melon. The other, his degrading and humiliating pursuit of money.
It wasn't all about economic power. There were other ways to gain followers to achieve his goals, only more difficult and laborious. Through military campaigns, advocating for empathy, and other civil armed conflicts, he could forge the necessary alliances that would help him achieve his goal. He just had to risk his neck a little more. But after all, that's what being a ninja meant. It was part of the job.
And to think that thanks to the pair of brats, he was able to regain some of that pride as a shinobi he thought had died long ago. Now, he had to embark on a long journey with Haku, who had ceased to be a mere tool that day, becoming a valuable ally, a comrade-in-arms, a friend. It's not necessary to wait for death to change the way you see certain things. There's always time.
The next morning, news of Gatō's death spread like wildfire throughout the Land of Waves. In a country that relies on the sea as its natural protection, he who rules the sea rules all.
Immediately, the stocks of many of his major companies plummeted, leading to almost instant support from other merchants who had been sidelined by the late magnate to invest their capital and interests in the bridge's construction.
They even wanted to hire Tazuna to direct, plan, and develop similar projects throughout the country, facilitating land communication and thus improving the standard of living of all the people living there. It was like a miracle from the sky... a miracle inexplicably brought to us by Zabuza.
That same morning, dozens of tracking ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist were seen everywhere, arriving in the small country along with the news of the murder committed by the rogue ninja. While Gatō was undoubtedly a disgraced but unprovable criminal, he was still an important and influential figure, bringing renewed attention to the jounin of the mist and his apprentice. Such a murder was supposed to bring them closer to the whereabouts of the fugitive shinobi, but it was already too late; both were far away.
Kakashi was shocked by everything; he never expected things to turn out this way. The boys didn't expect it either. Goten was the least impressed, as he didn't understand much about these political matters, but Sakura represented the other side of the coin. Ever since she found out everything, she kept surreptitiously watching Goten, because she knew better than anyone what had happened.
While everyone was packing their belongings, Kakashi was outside Tazuna's house, waiting for them to begin the return trip. It was unusual to see the jonin so punctual, but this time, he wanted to get back quickly to have his conversation with the Hokage.
Waiting next to him was the kunoichi, who looked visibly nervous and was biting her lower lip insistently, hesitating whether to tell her sensei about what had happened.
"Kakashi Sensei… I wanted to tell you something regarding my outing yesterday with Goten…"
"Don't bother," he replied almost immediately. "It doesn't matter anymore. Just be careful not to do it again. You both disobeyed an order."
"No, you see, it's not that, what happens is that..."
"Don't think I'm thinking something is going on between you two, either. You don't have to make excuses for it. And if there is, believe me, I'm not interested." He interrupted her again, as apathetic and sullen as usual.
But, shaking her head from side to side to shake off the thought, Sakura continued resolutely. That's when she explained everything that had happened as briefly as possible, completely omitting the part about the walk through the skies, and just like that, the jounin seemed to realize what had happened.
Goten's action, to say the least, was supremely stupid. Later, he'd have to talk to him about it... Although at the same time, the boy ended up avoiding a potential social uprising, a product of the tension the town was experiencing during these precarious times.
Goten did it purely out of compassion, a trait he undoubtedly inherited from Goku. But unwittingly, he ended up making a decision that perhaps prevented the death and suffering of many. If he so chose, Gatō could assemble a small army of low-level assassins to accomplish his goals and prevent an uprising.
"So that's what happened. I didn't expect it, although it does explain Zabuza's strange behavior," Kakashi commented, assuming a thoughtful expression. "Maybe he couldn't stand being Gatō's plaything anymore, not to mention he realized he wouldn't be able to come back and face Goten. I'm just curious about that strange seed. Will it really be that effective?"
"When it comes to Goten, strange things happen, so maybe it's not so unlikely," Sakura replied, recalling how they had flown together. If that was possible, then a small seed with great healing qualities was also possible.
Kakashi had to agree with her, especially since he knew the origins and secrets of both children. Now he realized how unnecessary his question had been.
"You never cease to impress me, Goten. Despite your naiveté, you made the right choice and have saved us all a lot of trouble. You may not have the attitude of a leader, but you certainly stand out in other ways."
The jonin abandoned his thoughts when the three boys left through the door of the humble house, from where Tazuna, Inari, and his mother kindly said goodbye to them.
Kakashi waited until everyone caught up so they could leave together. Last was Goten, whom he watched from afar as he put on his pair of boots and ran over to where they were, only to catch up with Naruto and start talking to him as usual.
Afraid of making a mistake, Trunks got up extremely early, so early that it was still dark. So much so that he sat down in front of the flower shop and couldn't help but fall asleep. People walking by looked at him strangely, as if the boy were some kind of homeless person sleeping on the streets, which wasn't at all common in Konoha.
When Ino arrived at the agreed place, she couldn't help but laugh, seeing how seriously the boy had taken the matter.
"Wake up, you lazy bastard!" she shouted, not too loudly, but at least enough to startle him and make him stand up abruptly.
"Much better. I see you're at least early. That's a good start." She said, placing both hands on her hips as she turned around and started walking straight toward the training grounds.
"What's wrong? Are you just going to stand there all day? This way!" She complained after taking a few steps and noticing the boy wasn't following her, still in shock from the way she had woken him up.
They walked for about ten minutes in complete silence until they reached the blessed training grounds. There was Chōji eating chips as usual, and Shikamaru lying under the shade of a tree.
They both greeted Ino with a slight gesture, but they were particularly surprised to see that Trunks had arrived with her. They all thought the boy had already left the village.
"Oh, I see you have company. Tell me, did you show Trunks around the village after the mission?" Shikamaru said with a slight smile.
"Of course not! I just helped him get here, idiot," the kunoichi replied with a slight blush. "Besides, it's none of your business what I do or don't do. You'd better mind your own business."
"How troublesome. Believe me, I have more than enough with my own affairs. I don't care what you do. Just thinking about it annoys me," Nara concluded, closing his eyes. He always thought girls were very troublesome, so making them even more embarrassed wasn't an option for him. Because of this, he always gave up easily.
"I see you've arrived on time," Asuma's voice suddenly sounded, approaching his students with a calm stride. "Although I admit I didn't expect it from you, Trunks. Yesterday I completely forgot to tell you where we were meeting. You must have had trouble finding the training ground," he said with a slight smile, placing a hand on the back of his neck for his carelessness.
"It doesn't matter. I ran into Ino by chance yesterday, and she offered to show me the way this morning," he said, clasping his hands behind his head. He could have asked someone else for directions this morning and gotten there on his own, albeit a little later. If it had been Goten, it would have been a different story. Little Son was terrible with directions.
"Yes, but it was just to get out of training early," the proud kunoichi immediately stated. "I want to make it clear that I won't be anyone's babysitter. As a new member of this team, Shikamaru and Chōji will be the ones to teach you the rules." What the kunoichi really didn't want were misunderstandings of another kind. Rumors were spreading like wildfire, and she had to keep her options open against Sasuke.
"That's too much trouble for my taste," Shikamaru said, arms crossed. "You're not my sensei. I don't understand why I should listen to you and teach the new one..." He couldn't finish. Despite his incredible intelligence, he was only just now processing the information and realizing it. Only the sound of a bag of chips falling to the floor brought him out of his trance.
"That's right. Apparently, Ino has already found out about everything. But you don't. Shikamaru, Chōji, I hope you welcome Trunks, our newest member of Team 10."
"Our new teammate?" Nara and Akimichi asked in unison, unable to hide their enormous surprise. Neither of them understood how they were just going to include a boy on a team at this point. A boy who didn't even attend a ninja academy and, worse yet, didn't belong to Konoha. It was too strange. Could he have something to do with that mysterious message Asuma helped him deliver to the Hokage?
"Before you ask, I must tell you that yes, it is official and, for the moment, irrevocable. It was the Hokage's express decision, and no, you are not to know anything more about it. It is a classified matter." He explained as briefly as possible and in a rather serious tone of voice. Sarutobi anticipated Chōji's gesture, who was about to open his mouth not to eat, but to ask the reason for such a decision.
"And that's why you called us here this morning? To give us the news?" Shikamaru asked, freeing himself from the Hokage's strange last-minute decree. Now, he just hoped to return home as soon as possible and do what he did best: nothing. But his sensei's response was discouraging.
"Well, no. I had planned a simple training session for today. But Trunks' inclusion on the team has thrown a bit of a wrench into my plans. So I rearranged everything and came up with something different." He explained to the group with an amused smile, which caused the genin to shudder a bit.
When Asuma smiled at them like that, it only meant that training wouldn't be a walk in the middle of a field of flowers.
"Too bad, I see it's busy here too." A strange voice sounded behind them. Strange to everyone except Asuma.
It was none other than Maito Gai and his group, who were looking for a free spot for their morning training session.