Chapter 19: Gatō's Treasure
"Alright, Naruto, cut it out."
Kakashi glanced at Naruto, who was busy kicking and punching the two captured ninja while muttering under his breath.
"I have questions for them."
Hearing that, Naruto finally stopped reluctantly.
He was certain that strange freeze and color fade just now had to be the system's doing. But what unsettled him was that no options had popped up this time.
That ripple that flashed into existence and disappeared an instant later—it felt like the system had suffered some terrifying glitch. Naruto had no idea what had just happened to make the system appear and then retract.
Was it broken?
Naruto felt a twinge of unease. The last time, during the bell test, he had chosen to go all out to seize the bells instead of giving up and lying flat.
That option had been strange to begin with—do nothing? Wouldn't that just hurt everyone, himself included? Even if he gained Wood Release, Team 7 might have been doomed.
At the same time, Naruto realized something else.
The system's options weren't balanced. They seemed more… random. The system didn't have emotions; it just triggered options unpredictably.
Neither the proactive options nor the "lie flat" options were perfect. Every choice came with an opportunity cost.
Take Mizuki's offer, for example. Naruto had chosen to refuse and earned max-level fishing skills. But in doing so, he had lost the chance to obtain the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
Still, Naruto didn't regret it. Few people could use Multiple Shadow Clone anyway—he'd get it sooner or later.
But if he had accepted Mizuki's offer, he would have been dragged into that disgusting play set up by the Third Hokage's inner circle, forced to spout words of loyalty to the village while choking down his revulsion.
After thinking it all through, Naruto understood one thing: the system was just a tool. Whatever choice he made, it was simply there to help him improve his situation.
With the system, he didn't have to rely on anyone else to gain jutsu. He didn't even need to bond with the Nine-Tails; he could just extract its power directly.
That was the true purpose of the system—to spare Naruto a lot of unnecessary trouble. He could refuse what he didn't want and get what he did.
Naruto thought to himself silently: This must be the real meaning behind the "Lying Flat System."
"You okay?" Sakura asked worriedly.
"I'm fine." Naruto waved his hand, signaling that he really was alright.
Hearing this, Sakura relaxed slightly, but then she hesitated, as if remembering something.
"Naruto… why did you freeze up back there?"
"First real fight. I got a little nervous."
"Really?" Sakura let out a small sigh of relief and tried to comfort him. "I was terrified too. My whole body went stiff."
It was less Sakura comforting Naruto and more comforting herself. When Kakashi had been sliced into five or six pieces by those Mist ninja, her face had gone paper-white.
Naruto just nodded and said no more.
Meanwhile, Kakashi's interrogation was bearing fruit. The two Mist-nin were the Demon Brothers, targeting Tazuna specifically.
But when asked about Tazuna, he kept his mouth shut.
The mission was already underway. Even if something seemed off, abandoning the client wasn't an option. After some thought, Kakashi decided Team 7 would grit their teeth and see it through.
When they finally reached the opposite shore of the Land of Waves and boarded a boat to the island, Tazuna revealed the truth.
"The one who wants me dead is a shipping magnate. You've probably heard his name." Tazuna's face showed helplessness.
...
As Tazuna explained, the situation became clear.
Gatō was the head of a shipping company, a powerful figure with ties to both the underworld and legitimate business. Publicly, he ran a company. Privately, he used his wealth to hire ninja for illegal acts.
He had set his sights on the sea-locked Land of Waves, aiming to control the waterways, gain influence on the island, and eventually seize total control.
The island's only bridge was under construction, and this old man was the only one who knew how to build it over the sea. If Gatō killed him, the bridge would never be completed.
Naruto leaned against the side of the boat, hand skimming the water's surface, already scheming how to make a fortune off Gatō.
The Land of Waves might be dirt poor, but Gatō was a bona fide tycoon. Since Gatō would end up dead anyway, why not cash in on it?
After all, being a ninja was about earning money to survive. Missions didn't pay much, and you couldn't just keep working forever.
Ninja had their prime years. In big clans, most only ventured out as young adults to gain experience. After that, it was a nine-to-five life of incense and tea.
Since Naruto no longer planned to chase the Hokage dream, he'd have to rely on himself in the future—and he'd need plenty of money for that.
Dating, buying a house, traveling.
Come to think of it, Jiraiya's lifestyle wasn't so bad—traveling everywhere, visiting hot springs with women from all over.
Even in his fifties and sixties, the guy was living it up.
Lost in thought, Naruto barely noticed when the boat reached shore.
Tazuna's deception gave Kakashi a headache, but they had no choice but to continue the escort. Team 7 didn't object, so the plan was set.
All they had to do was get Tazuna home safely, and the mission would be over.
"What should we do once this mission's done?" Kakashi asked lazily as they walked. "How about we take two days off?"
"Sounds good," Naruto agreed immediately.
"Great," Sakura said with a smile.
Sasuke stayed silent, eyes scanning their surroundings. As the mission neared completion, the others seemed to have lowered their guard, even talking about post-mission plans. He frowned slightly.
If ninja were always like this, they wouldn't survive long.
"Hey, how much farther?" Naruto turned to Tazuna with an unfriendly look. "Old man, answer me."
Unlike Sasuke, Naruto wasn't worried about Zabuza showing up again. With Kakashi around, they'd be fine.
Even if Uchiha Madara himself appeared, Kakashi could probably hold his own. Kakashi, the man who could fight anyone to a draw.
With such a powerhouse backing them, Zabuza's ambush would be nothing more than a joke.
Besides Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto could fight too. Three against one—Team 7 held the advantage. Naruto's mind wasn't on Zabuza anyway; he was still focused on the man behind him, Gatō.
"System, system, come on out," Naruto urged silently. "I can't handle this whole robbing-the-rich-to-feed-myself thing alone."
System?
System-sama?
[Ding!]
The familiar mechanical chime sounded. Naruto sucked in a sharp breath, the noise ringing in his ears like heavenly music.