"Pff—"
Naruto couldn't help but burst into laughter watching Sasuke stare sympathetically at the little beggars—especially because he had used the Transformation Technique to change his face.
Sasuke's expression chilled.
"What are you laughing at?"
Naruto pushed one palm forward lightly.
"Forgive me. That was rude. But I owe you an apology—I can't help you with this."
Sasuke grew anxious.
"Why not!?"
Naruto's eyes gleamed.
"There are many reasons. Primarily because you're not being honest—not with me, and not with yourself. And frankly, your motivation for helping these kids is… amusing."
"Compensate them? You don't even know what they want most, yet you talk about compensation? Ridiculous."
"Tell me—do you truly want them to grow strong so they can survive in this world?
If so, why only these six? There are children the same age all along this street. Why not help them too?"
Sasuke opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Naruto's gaze pierced straight through him, stripping away every layer of defense. Every thought, every hidden impulse, lay bare.
His mind wavered. Naruto's cold voice struck him:
"I'll ask again. What is the real reason you want to help these children?"
Sasuke looked blankly at the ground. His eyes drifted over the children, then finally to the dead old beggar.
"I feel guilty… If—"
"There is no 'if'."
Naruto cut him off with icy indifference.
"Even without your handful of money, these beggars were always going to die. In a country without hope, their fate was sealed the moment they were born. And don't forget—the money you gave them was stolen from someone else."
Sasuke's eyes hardened.
"Kadō isn't a good person!"
Naruto's voice dripped with mockery.
"Oh, so as long as someone isn't good, you can rob him guilt-free?
And you even convinced yourself that all of this misery is Kadō's fault, isn't that right?"
Sasuke didn't answer. He didn't need to.
Naruto's gaze sharpened.
"Do you even remember who you are? Do you think you have the luxury to pity others? Even if I did help you—what exactly is your plan?"
"Let me guess. You want me to use Flying Thunder God to bring your Shadow Clone here regularly. You'll teach these kids ninjutsu while wearing that fake face. Then once they can stand on their own… you'll vanish quietly. Correct?"
Sasuke stiffened. After a long silence, he lowered his head.
"Yes."
Clap. Clap.
Naruto slowly clapped his hands.
"You don't even dare help them with your real face, yet you call this guilt? As I thought—'conscience' is just another name for cowardice. And that is yet another reason I can't help you."
Sasuke panicked.
"Then… then what if I help them as Uchiha Sasuke—?"
Naruto's killing intent exploded, cold enough to freeze bone.
"If you dare approach them as Uchiha Sasuke, I won't just refuse to help.
I'll kill you.
And them.
Myself."
Sasuke's breath caught. Cold sweat gathered instantly. His instincts screamed to step away from Naruto's gaze.
Because he knew Naruto meant every word.
And he knew how unbelievably stupid his suggestion had been.
After a long silence, Sasuke exhaled shakily.
"I still want to help them… not to compensate, but to ease my own heart.
So tell me—what should I do?"
Naruto calmly took out a dagger.
"Good. Since you finally understand that your compassion is just moral self-comfort, then let me offer a suggestion."
"But first, you need to see what they actually need."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"What are you planning!?"
Naruto didn't answer. He crouched down and tapped each child lightly with his palm—six in total.
The oldest girl awoke first.
"Papa Terushima—!"
She threw herself onto the cold corpse and wept. But the moment she noticed Naruto and Sasuke, she clamped her hand over her mouth, tears falling silently like pearls.
Naruto was surprised. Beneath the sorrow, her eyes held… composure.
The remaining children woke soon after. Unlike the girl, fear filled their gazes from the beginning. They all huddled against her, faces blank and hopeless.
A moment later, the girl noticed how unnaturally quiet the street was. She wiped her tears, stood cautiously, and whispered:
"It's… the nice man from earlier?"
Sasuke nodded, conflicted.
Naruto extended the dagger.
"Sachiko, do you want revenge?"
The girl flinched in surprise—he knew her name—but once she heard "revenge," she nodded hard.
Naruto raised his other hand. Five more daggers appeared before her.
"And do you want your little brothers to join you? I can give each of you the same chance."
Sasuke frowned and inhaled—then froze.
Sachiko had already taken one of the daggers.
She looked back. The other children covered their eyes.
She shook her head.
"They… can't."
Naruto dismissed the extra daggers. Then, as the girl stared wide-eyed, he rapidly formed seals and created dozens of Shadow Clones that scattered across the district.
A few breaths later, Naruto took Sachiko's arm.
"Come. I'll take you to avenge him."
Whoosh.
They vanished instantly.
The remaining children, peeking through their fingers, trembled violently and curled into themselves.
Sasuke sighed heavily.
In that girl… he saw a reflection of himself.
Afternoon, Academy – Second Period
Naruto and Sasuke had returned. Their real bodies sat in class, though neither was paying the slightest attention.
Sasuke's mind was a storm—first reflecting on his actions, then trying to decipher Naruto's scheme for the Land of Waves.
Before they left, Naruto had made Sachiko kill her enemies with her own hands.
Then he and Kadō visited the daimyo's estate, seized eighty percent of the treasury, and installed Kadō as the new daimyo—leaving the former daimyo's fate entirely to Kadō.
Kadō's first decree was to establish relief shelters. He vowed that no beggars or refugees would ever appear on the streets again. He swore loyalty to Naruto as the true master of the Land of Waves.
Sachiko and her five siblings moved into the estate as well—at Sasuke's request. He even taught the girl how to refine chakra.
Unexpectedly, Kadō immediately opened a small academy in the estate's outer courtyard and even asked Naruto and Sasuke to serve as instructors.
To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto didn't outright refuse. Instead, he said he would "evaluate the children's talent" next time they came to collect money.
Sasuke wasn't confused by Naruto's methods—only shocked.
Once he saw the logic, he realized every "unsolvable" problem he'd worried about no longer existed.
Not only was Naruto far stronger than him…
Naruto's worldview and methods were on an entirely different level.
Naruto, meanwhile, was studying the soon-to-unlock Soul Harvest feature.
It was strange—by its description, it targeted souls, especially those of the dead.
But how was that different from capturing invading spiritual projections inside his mindscape?
As he pondered, Kurama—sitting nearby—pointed at the floating notification window.
"Naruto, that sharp-toothed guy has already returned to the Land of Water. But can he really approach Isobu?"
Matatabi spoke next,
"Exactly. And Naruto, why do you think the Fourth Mizukage is under genjutsu? Zabuza's memories insist that he's a perfect Jinchūriki with full control over the Three-Tails' power. What kind of genjutsu could control a perfect Jinchūriki for so long?"
Naruto's eyes glimmered.
"Whether he's controlled or not, the Byakugan will reveal the truth once the Mist-nin examine him.
And someone who can freely use their Tailed Beast's power isn't necessarily a perfect Jinchūriki. For example—Kumo's Yugito could fully control the Two-Tails Matatabi."
Kurama jabbed a claw through the notification window, closing it.
It fell silent for a moment—remembering events from ten years ago.
Then, in a low voice:
"I have a bad feeling.
This… might be related to the Sharingan."
(End of Chapter)
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