Zabuza was quite satisfied with the gains from this trip. Seeing Xia Li's expression, he curled his lips and said, "Looks like he doesn't usually act like this… cough, he himself doesn't usually act like this either."
"Well then… this is where we part ways."
Zabuza left with Haku and a few light treasures. He didn't want to see Xia Li again—someone who could casually take half his spoils. Otherwise, he might not be able to keep what he had left. As for the other side… he also didn't want to keep Xia Li around.
After they left, Xia Li sighed. The harvest hadn't met expectations, but…
A faint smile appeared on Xia Li's face as he looked at the large treasures Zabuza and Haku couldn't carry away. He took out a large stack of sealing scrolls.
Just because they couldn't take them didn't mean he couldn't.
One could only say—sealing techniques were truly divine skills!
As long as these treasures could be dealt with later, even if the wealth was far from what Xia Li had imagined, it would still be enough to make him rich. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about money for the rest of his life.
Although he hadn't lacked money since becoming Jiraiya's disciple, who would ever complain about having too much?
Soon, Xia Li left Gato's hideout with a satisfied smile and casually used the Flying Thunder God Technique. This time, he directly chose the mark on Naruto as his destination.
"Another wave, another wave~"
Chapter 125: The Mission Ends
When Xia Li arrived at the bridge that was still under construction, he looked around. The scene wasn't too bloody. It was probably because Kakashi had considered the emotional tolerance of Naruto and the others, so he had handled things in a relatively "restrained" manner.
At that moment, Sasuke and Sakura were panting but physically fine, while Naruto seemed somewhat distracted.
"Well done." Xia Li's tone softened.
"Haha, of course. I thought I was going to kill that guy." Sasuke tried to laugh in response, but only the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He then looked at Naruto and couldn't help saying, "Hey, you idiot, can't you even handle something at this level?"
"Hm?" Naruto responded absentmindedly, glancing at the people lying on the ground—especially thinking about the ones who had fallen by his own hand. He didn't feel like replying to Sasuke's mockery.
Sasuke looked at Naruto and realized he truly wasn't responding. Could it be…? A trace of worry appeared in his eyes.
"Alright, Naruto. Take a break." Xia Li gently ruffled Naruto's short blond hair, lifted his chin slightly, and pointed toward the bridge in the distance.
"Naruto, look."
"Hm?" Naruto asked, confused.
"This time, you really protected this bridge. In the future, it will become the lifeline of the Land of Waves. So not only did you defeat the bad guys—you protected their hope." Xia Li smiled softly, then glanced at Sasuke and Sakura. "You're the same as always. You did well."
"Hmph." Sasuke turned his head, glancing at Naruto while Xia Li's hand still rested on Naruto's head. Forget it—Naruto probably needed the comfort.
By now, Sasuke had gradually begun to acknowledge this somewhat foolish but equally hardworking physical monster.
As for Naruto, listening to Xia Li's words and looking at the bridge under the rising sun, he seemed… to see light.
Kakashi watched the scene with a faint smile. Although he had initially thought Xia Li was pushing them too hard, he now realized Xia Li truly wanted them to grow—not just in strength, but in mental resilience as well.
In that regard, it was quite admirable.
Suddenly, Xia Li paused, then smiled again and looked toward the other end of the bridge. "Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura—go receive your cheers."
The three froze, then followed Xia Li's gaze. The people of the Land of Waves were approaching with weapons in hand, disbelief written across their faces.
"Everyone, this was their achievement," Xia Li said. His voice wasn't loud, but the wind carried it clearly to every ear. All eyes immediately turned to Naruto and the others.
Those gazes—filled with admiration, gratitude, and longing—made something inside the three of them shift.
"Go." Xia Li gently pushed them forward. Seeing them surrounded by the crowd, he smiled.
"Mm, very good." Kakashi also watched the three.
"Sorry for transferring your credit to them, but they need this encouragement more right now," Xia Li said.
"Of course. I'm their teacher. I was wondering how to handle it myself. You did well—really well," Kakashi replied sincerely.
Xia Li said nothing, thinking to himself that if he had once received such treatment… well, that was unlikely. In the future, he would walk alone.
"Sometimes I really don't believe you're the same age as them—whether in build or mentality," Kakashi suddenly remarked.
"Who knows? Maybe I'm even older than you," Xia Li said casually. Counting his previous life and this one, that might actually be true.
Kakashi laughed, assuming it was a joke.
"By the way, you just used the Flying Thunder God Technique, didn't you?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah. You figured it out."
Kakashi inhaled sharply. Although he had suspected it before, hearing Xia Li confirm it still shocked him.
That was the technique that made his teacher famous across the ninja world. Most outsiders might not know its name, but as the Fourth Hokage's disciple, how could Kakashi not?
The Fourth had even tried teaching it to him, only to find he lacked the talent for it—something Kakashi regretted.
"Surprised?"
"Of course. After all, my teacher once used that technique…"
"The Second Hokage could use it too—he created it," Xia Li replied.
Kakashi paused, then continued, "So now only the three of you can use it. If word spreads that you've learned the Fourth's secret technique, it'll cause quite a stir."
"What's the point? People are what make power strong. Ninjutsu is just a method. Even if it's famous, learning it won't make you invincible," Xia Li said coldly.
Flying Thunder God wasn't like Sage Mode. Once Sage Mode was mastered, the user's strength would soar. Flying Thunder God, however, was a support technique—its effectiveness depended entirely on the user's own ability.
If Xia Li faced the Fourth Hokage now and dared use Flying Thunder God against him, he'd probably be beaten senseless.
Kakashi was silent for a long moment before saying, "I've learned something today."
But then Xia Li suddenly froze. "Sage Mode?"
The term triggered an explosion of thoughts in his mind.
When the Nine-Tails had mocked him earlier, he hadn't reacted at the time. He had always relied on chakra perception, but…
The most fundamental aspect of entering an empty state wasn't chakra perception—it was sensing natural energy!
It wasn't spiritual energy, nor was it part of the chakra system. It existed before chakra itself…
So if the Nine-Tails said he could never learn the Way of Chakra—what if his perception wasn't chakra at all?
Was that possible?
Many ideas surfaced in Xia Li's mind, but he eventually calmed down. He decided to continue pursuing this direction.
After all, he hadn't found a better path forward yet. Even if it ultimately failed, so what? At least he had a goal.
Returning to reality—
Soon, Xia Li saw Naruto walking over again with his usual bright smile, directing people to carry away the bodies.
"What's going on?" Xia Li asked Sasuke.
"Naruto told everyone to collect the bodies. He said that even if they were bad people, their corpses shouldn't just be left in the wild. Everyone agreed," Sasuke replied with a slight smile.
Xia Li was stunned and looked at Naruto giving instructions. He hadn't expected Naruto—usually slow to react—to be the first to think of that.
Xia Li smiled. Yes… this was the Naruto he remembered.
Kakashi sighed inwardly as well. Despite all the changes during this mission, everything had been worth it. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had all grown tremendously.
Time passed. The bodies were buried. Everyone said their goodbyes with smiles. Xia Li and the others began heading back toward Konoha.
The bridge was named "Naruto Bridge," just like in the original story. Given the honor Xia Li had given Naruto—and Naruto's own request afterward—it wasn't strange at all.
Unlike their arrival, which had been filled with incidents, the return trip was smooth. They reached Konoha safely.
"Well then, the mission is complete. Go home. And don't slack off—reflect on your shortcomings. Dismissed," Kakashi said in his usual lazy tone.
"Kakashi-sensei, will we get missions like this again?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"Hmm… who knows?" Kakashi replied thoughtfully before disappearing—he needed to report to the Third Hokage.
Naruto jumped in dissatisfaction.
"Don't rush. There'll definitely be similar missions in the future," Xia Li said.
"Alright, dismissed," Xia Li added.
No one objected this time. Although Naruto and Sasuke wanted to invite Xia Li along, they remembered he had his own home.
Xia Li walked home, glancing at Naruto walking the same direction. Naruto's house was along the way.
Recently, Naruto had moved back to one of the most luxurious districts of Konoha—something he had always owned but hadn't dared live in before due to bullying. Now, as a ninja, he could finally return.
In fact, Naruto should have moved back long ago. He hadn't before because he was worried Xia Li wouldn't know where he lived.
And if his identity were ever revealed, he might even inherit the Fourth Hokage's property.
When Xia Li first learned this, he had been quite envious. But now? He could afford it too.
Thanks, Gato~
Chapter 126: Like
Time flowed like water.
Since Naruto's first mission, quite some time had passed. He hadn't received another "high-difficulty" mission—likely because the Third Hokage had been startled by what happened and assigned lower-level tasks instead.
Meanwhile, Xia Li returned to his busy yet relaxed routine, moving between different teams.
His genjutsu studies now focused mainly on dispelling techniques. Kurenai felt a bit regretful about that.
It wasn't that Xia Li wouldn't continue studying—it was just that he no longer needed Kurenai to teach him. The rest he could handle on his own.
Under Might Guy's guidance, Xia Li's pure taijutsu progressed slowly—and he still hadn't seen Guy's true strength. The gap was simply too large.
As for ninjutsu: his Lightning Release improved under Kakashi's Chidori training. Wind Release… Xia Li smiled. The Rasenshuriken was finally complete.
Even without testing it, he could feel the terrifying power within.
He had also replicated Mount Myōboku's Flying Thunder God formation—though essentially a reduced, copied version. During replication, his own limitations became obvious. Some markings were probably unnecessary, but he couldn't tell which ones, so he copied them all.
He carved the formation into his bedroom ceiling and concealed it.
At that moment, Xia Li was walking out of the Hokage's office, heading toward Asuma's team.
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