How much does a person need? Depends on the person. And the circumstances. Tazuna, for instance, was overjoyed like a child when he saw familiar lands—or rather, waters. All because the escort team was insane, especially the jonin mentor. The most sane seemed to be the girl named Tenten. The gray-eyed genin boy seemed like a monster, and the mini-copy of the jonin was essentially no different from her sensei...
A lot had happened in those three days. On the first day, the architect nearly died from overexertion. Tazuna wasn't young anymore, and running dozens of kilometers a day was too much for an old man, especially since he'd led a sedentary life before. On the second day, the architect nearly died three times. Once from a heart stop and lack of air—the damn jonin had no intention of sparing the client, ignoring all of Tazuna's complaints. The second time—from a pair of Hidden Mist mercenary shinobi. The third—from a concussion: the stone that hit his head was hefty, but Tenten diagnosed a bruise and no concussion, so when the jonin returned, those monsters wanted to march again. But Tazuna, learning from experience, asked to be carried on a stretcher or something like a palanquin.
The naive architect sighed in relief when the male part of the team started building a portable wooden box on two poles. True, the poles seemed short, but shinobi knew best how to build for themselves. After all, they were the ones carrying it. The architect thought he'd finally relax, sip sake, maybe even nap en route. But no such luck. As soon as Tazuna climbed into the palanquin box and pulled out a bottle from his backpack, it was tossed upward; banging his head painfully on the "ceiling," the architect cursed foully, but that was just the start. The next two days turned into pure hell for Tazuna. He didn't suffer from seasickness and never got motion-sick in boats or carriages. But this time, the monster team seemed to torment the poor old man on purpose. The palanquin shook him like nothing else could. Peeking out a side hole, he was horrified—they weren't carrying him on the ground but in the air (!), leaping from branch to branch. Later Tazuna learned shinobi called this "tree-hopping." Why attach poles to the box if each shinobi carried it in turn? And why not run on the ground—the architect didn't get that either. Not only did his body collect bruises and contusions from it, but breaks in such travel mode weren't every few hours but every eight...
"Glory to the Kami," the pale-green architect uttered, dropping to his knees. "I'm almost home. Just a little more..." he whispered. Tears welled in his eyes. But under his hat, no one noticed.
Three days of hell. Three! By morning of the fourth, the ordeal ended. Wiping his eyes under his glasses and blinking, Tazuna raised his head and looked around.
Nami Strait, separating the mainland from his homeland, was lit by the rising sun. The strip of sky near the water shimmered orange, the golden rays fanning upward into the clouds. Moments later, distant seagull cries sounded.
"Beautiful," Tenten assessed the view. "You don't see sunrises like this in Konoha."
"This dawn is as splendid... as our Dawn of Youth!" Gai declared, stretching his lips in his signature grin. His student just nodded vigorously at his sensei's words.
"I hate to interrupt the admiration," Neji said coldly, stepping slightly forward. "But we have a mission. We'll cross the strait on foot, and carry the architect in the box again?"
"No-no-no!" Tazuna jumped up to full height. "No more boxes. And you treat clients horribly anyway. I'm covered in bruises and scrapes from your travel method. I demand material compensation for the moral and physical damage you inflicted du..."
The architect cut off mid-sentence. The activated Byakugan of the sharply turned Hyuga stared at him, sticking further words in his throat.
"Did you say something?" Neji frowned. Veins around his eyes seemed to bulge even more.
"N-no," Tazuna rasped.
The Hyuga snorted, but his dojutsu stayed active, his gaze scrutinizing the man intently.
"Bear in mind, deceiving shinobi about the mission's content and nature is basically breaking the law. Withholding mission details equals deception. Do you know the penalty for deception?"
The architect paled further, hands trembling involuntarily:
"N-no... I d-don't..."
The Hyuga paused, fixing the client with a stern gaze, then suddenly deactivated his Byakugan and turned away.
"I don't know either," the genin said grimly. "But remember: agreeing to complete the mission is our choice. We could've ditched you and refused such a client. But we're here. And we'll finish the mission..."
"In the name of the Power of Youth!" Lee yelled. "Four days left. We'll complete it in a week! No—earlier. In five days. No... four days! Definitely!"
"Lee!" Tears welled in Gai's eyes. "You're splendid. My school!"
"Gai-sensei!"
"Lee!"
"Gai-sensei!..."
Neji just shook his head at the meaningful exchange between jonin and genin. As teacher and student hugged tightly, sobbing like little kids, Tenten rolled her eyes tiredly...
"Pretty big," Tenten said in surprise, eyeing the unfinished bridge. Through the fog, only the outlines were visible, but even so, its monumentality impressed the girl. Though not too wide, its massive rounded pillars supported the spans, raising the upper part nearly fifteen meters above sea level.
"So you have money for such a monster. But when it comes to ordering an A-rank mission, Land of Waves is poor..." Neji muttered discontentedly.
Tazuna just slumped his shoulders and hid his wary gaze under his "onion" hat. He didn't answer the genin, pretending not to hear.
"Those stone blocks must be pretty heavy," Gai mused, scratching his chin. "Dragging them would make great training."
"Yes, sensei!" Lee shouted enthusiastically. "In the name of the Power..."
"Quiet now," the ferryman panicked. "I told you not to make noise. Think why we're rowing with the motor off?.. So we don't attract attention, so no one spots us."
Rock Lee nodded frantically at the ferryman's words and put on his most serious face. Tenten nearly laughed seeing the genin like that. But when she noticed the tense look and activated Byakugan of the Hyuga, her smile faded fast:
"What is it?"
"They left my field of view," Neji began, scanning the surroundings. "But there were four. Looks like one jonin and three chunin."
Tenten glanced at her teacher.
Gai's face was calm, but his thick brows furrowed slightly. The jonin thought briefly, then outlined the plan:
"We land and head to the target's house. If they attack—Lee and I distract and fight them off. Neji and Tenten, you guard the client. Clear?.."
"Yes, sensei," the trio said quietly but clearly...
Ten minutes later, the boat cleared the stone tunnel, and five minutes after, they disembarked on a small wooden pier near dense reed thickets.
"Well, my job's done," the ferryman said. "Goodbye and good luck."
Despite the early morning and not-too-hot weather, the guy was sweating. It struck Neji as suspicious, so after goodbyes, the genin lagged behind the group and watched the ferryman. The guy reached for the boat's motor...
"Start the engine and I'll kill you, ferryman. Got it?"
Engine noise gives away position badly, and though no surprise attack from mercenaries was expected, he didn't want their location and arrival time calculated so easily.
The guy's hand froze midway, then he gulped noisily and turned toward the Hyuga. Seeing the bulging veins around the pupil-less eyes—which the ferryman hadn't noticed before—the guy rolled his eyes and fainted. Inspecting the body in the boat, Neji sneered contemptuously.
"Faker," he muttered. You can't fool Byakugan; the ferryman's bodily processes didn't match unconsciousness. His racing heartbeat, speeding up by the second, gave him away especially.
Spitting on the sorry ferryman, Neji headed to his team. After a dozen breaths, engine noise sounded, and turning, Team Gai saw the ferryman speeding off full throttle...
"Saitama, this isn't the time for jokes," Anko started boiling. "We're on a mission. Save your antics."
The guy and girl had nearly reached Land of Waves. Just cross the strait, and they'd be there. Mitarashi wasn't sure if Team Gai needed help, but orders were orders, so she'd complete the mission. But certain circumstances had stopped the tokubetsu jonin.
"What're you talking about?" the bald guy didn't get it. "How to walk on water?"
Anko exhaled slowly and began explaining:
"You're a shinobi. Any adult shinobi can walk on vertical surfaces and water using chakra..." Seeing incomprehension in the bald guy's eyes, Mitarashi continued: "You've seen how Naruto trains. Remember, he walked on trees and water?"
"Oh yeah..." Saitama scratched his chin, fishing for memories. "I remember. Something like that. So what? I'm not a shinobi. Why walk on water? Isn't swimming easier?"
The kunoichi gritted her teeth, lowering her head. Irritation shook her. She'd long accepted Saitama pretending to be a dumb, unskilled idiot. But... not on a mission?! How to knock sense into this moron?
The girl spun on her axis and kicked the guy's bald head. But her foot hit like a steel beam, and Saitama just stood there like a statue, scratching his head puzzledly:
"Why hit me? Wanna spar? We haven't eaten yet. Let's eat, then spar."
"Saitama!" Anko hissed, pointing at the forehead protector tied around the bald guy's neck. "You're a shinobi. Act like it..."
For the next minutes, the kunoichi chewed out Saitama for improper behavior and fooling around on his first serious mission. She also explained what she considered improper, reminded him of great shinobi like Hashirama and Madara. Then talked about how enemies could attack any moment, and Saitama wouldn't take them seriously, possibly dying from carelessness or endangering his partner—her. She spoke of the Hokage and Will of Fire. Of supporting each other and much more.
First minute, the bald guy listened silently. Second, he got bored counting sky-flying birds, yawning periodically. Third, his eye twitched, annoyed by the verbal torrent. So no surprise he snapped eventually:
"Damn, enough yapping already! Can't you be concise?! Ten words, explain the problem."
Anko puffed up and, turning away, strode confidently to the water's edge:
"Don't fool around. Follow me. We're short on time."
"Well," Saitama scratched his nape, "why not say so sooner."
Mitarashi just snorted; channeling chakra to her feet, she walked on water, ignoring the bald shinobi's words. But a sudden "glub-glub" behind made the kunoichi turn.
Saitama followed briskly. Though now he was... waist-deep in water. In surprise, Anko nearly sank to her neck but composed herself and asked:
"So you weren't joking? You really can't walk on water?"
"Anko, why the hell would I joke?" Saitama asked puzzledly, stopping. "We're on a mission. They even paid me."
Mitarashi's eye twitched. She faced an SS-rank shinobi who didn't know basics. What hole did he crawl from? Only Naruto or other naive kids would buy that hero-from-another-world nonsense. And how to reach Land of Waves? They could hire a ferryman, but that'd take time. The distance wasn't too great to cover shinobi-style on water.
"Don't look at me like that," Saitama requested.
"Like what?" Anko snapped from her thoughts.
"Like I owe you money," the guy croaked.
Anko snorted, but a moment later forced a smile:
"Not sure about money, but you'll owe me for sure."
The girl approached Saitama, crouched, and offered her hand. The bald guy eyed it warily. He didn't wanna owe anyone. What if they demanded money in return?..
"Bijuu!.. huff, Saitama, huff, I hate you..."
"For what?"
"You're, huff, too heavy..."
Anko carried the bald hero piggyback. She ran across the strait at a good clip. For the girl, this "stroll" with the bald guy on her back was quite the trial, like Gai's "Power of Youth" training. Chakra drain was way higher than running solo.
The jonin had nearly crossed all of Nami Strait. The unfinished bridge loomed rightward. Shore was close.
"You're a pretty comfy mount, soft," Saitama drawled, eyeing the risen sun.
Anko flushed crimson and ground her teeth:
"I'll drop you right now..."
"No biggie. I offered to swim beside you from the start. Why stress?" the bald guy didn't get it.
"You'd swim slow; I'd carry you faster," Mitarashi explained grumpily.
"Hm..." Saitama pondered. "Or maybe you like it?.."
"Shut up!"
Earlier, before boarding the boat, Gai and his student had to remove and seal their weights so the flimsy vessel wouldn't sink under the load. Once Team Three and client hit solid ground, the green duo wanted to don the extra weight again for passive training. But Neji managed to reason with sensei and teammate with solid arguments. Arguments in the form of one enemy jonin and three chunin spotted by the Hyuga during scouting—they worked, though the genin initially doubted convincing the green beasts.
"Unknown how many more," Neji said quietly. "That quartet of mercenaries might not be the only shinobi..."
"We'll see," Gai said on the move. "Stick to the plan for now."
The five moved leisurely, strolling pace, to avoid traps if needed. Neji periodically activated dojutsu and scouted, but the mercenaries hovered on the periphery before exiting Byakugan range temporarily.
Land of Waves air was humid, making it hard for genin to breathe unaccustomed. Ground was damp too. Despite scant clouds and frequent sun warming the earth, Team Three saw light fog in the forest. Considering noon approached in hours, the phenomenon struck the Hyuga as odd.
"Artificial fog," Neji frowned, eyeing the vapors. "Sensei, they're waiting for us," he told his teacher.
Gai said nothing. He froze briefly, signaling halt; genin obeyed instantly, Neji and Tenten closing tighter on the architect. For a minute, they stood like statues. Tazuna even held his breath.
The jonin's thick brows furrowed as he seemed to listen.
"Down!" Might roared. Birds startled and flew from perches at his shout.
"Whish"
With the jonin's yell came the sound of cleaved air. Genin hit the dirt at once; Neji tackled Tazuna, slamming his head into soil. The architect groaned at the treatment but didn't complain, mouth filled with damp earth and humus.
Might leaped up, battle-ready. Lee followed his teacher's example; the others lifted the spitting client and slowly withdrew him sideways.
A two-meter cleaver had just whizzed overhead, embedding in a tree. A man appeared on it suddenly. He stood half-turned to Team Three. Bare sinewy torso, bandaged mask, and Kirigakure forehead protector marked the shinobi.
"Maito Gai, Konoha's Green Beast, right?" the stranger rasped. "No wonder the Demon Brothers failed..."
"Who're you?" the bushy-browed jonin frowned. "That's your greeting?" Might nodded at the sword that nearly took their heads.
"You could say that," the shinobi grinned under his mask. "I'm the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Momochi Zabuza. You must remember me..."
"First time hearing," Gai shook his head, cutting off the foe. "We have a mission, so spit it out quick—what do you want—and we'll go."
The man calling himself Zabuza chuckled softly:
"How short your memory, Green Beast..."
"Sensei, three in ambush at three o'clock!" Neji interrupted the Mist shinobi.
The masked man squinted at the Byakugan genin.
"Hyuga... What an inconvenient genin," he waved dismissively.
Moments later, three Mist chunin with forehead protectors appeared before him. They looked alike, utterly unremarkable: see 'em and forget in minutes. Identical pale-gray vests emphasized their sameness. Unlike the demon brothers, no respirator masks. Landing under their commander, they crouched low, ready to spring. Each held a tanto.
Zabuza jumped down, deftly yanking the stuck sword from the tree. On ground, he slung the cleaver over his shoulder and said:
"That old man's ours. Out of the way, or you all die..."
"Damn... my head hurts," was the Uchiha's first thought upon waking.
Opening his eyes, he squinted at the bright light hitting them. Nausea churned; thoughts jumbled. Last he remembered: D-rank weeding mission and pondering why Naruto got so strong so fast. Then he sorta suggested sparring to the blond... And nothing. Occasionally fantastical images surfaced, but he couldn't make sense of them.
Sasuke tried rising, but any motion shot pain through his skull. He carefully raised a hand to his head.
"Bandaged? But when'd I get hurt?"
Did the spar happen, and Naruto beat him? Why no details? How?
The Uchiha slowly looked around. Logically, hospital bed. Symptoms screamed concussion. How long—he had no clue. Sun said morning. At least a day, maybe more.
"What'd that idiot hit me with?"
The ward door opened, and in walked...
"Sakura? What's she doing here? Though..."
Knowing Haruno—her crush on the brunette—it wasn't surprising. Probably worried. The pink-haired kunoichi was head-over-heels for the Uchiha.
"Sasuke-kun, you're awake," the girl blushed slightly.
The brunette snorted. Averting gaze sharply, he nearly cried out from the stabbing head pain.
"Careful," Haruno said worriedly, approaching the bed. "No sudden moves..."
"What're you doing here?" Sasuke asked grumpily.
Sakura's reaction was odd. She smiled sadly, reminiscing.
"What do you remember last?" she clarified.
Sasuke snorted again but didn't shake his head, answering honestly: he remembered almost nothing from before the spar.
"Naruto-baka," Sakura fumed, clenching fists. "That idiot can't gauge his strikes? Fits him: all brawn, no brains..."
She ranted a bit more about what a moron Uzumaki was, then told Sasuke what happened at Training Ground 66.
Naruto led them to the clearing and showed his true capabilities. First, his training and techniques. Clones, clone sparring, ninjutsu practice... As the kunoichi spoke, Sasuke's "fantastical" images clarified. He recalled bits, but foggy and with effort.
The blond-vs-Sasuke spar, per Sakura, lasted mere instants. As the Uchiha closed in, he flew back like a bullet from a counter. The strike itself... Sasuke unfortunately didn't remember. But Haruno said she didn't even grasp what happened. One Uzumaki hit—and Sasuke lay unconscious ten paces from the blond. Some training fight.
Post-spar, Naruto rushed to the brunette's body, checked pulse, lifted eyelids to eye-check, then shouldered him to the hospital. Sakura couldn't keep up—Naruto was too fast—but arrived later, allowed visits as teammate.
Sasuke'd been out couple days. Medical ninja patched him; boy's health now fine.
Sasuke clenched his fists.
It's beyond comprehension. When did Naruto get so strong? Is it all because of his teacher? Then Sasuke absolutely needs to win the favor of this Saitama, learn more about him from Naruto, and then try to ask to become his student. The gap between him and Uzumaki turned out to be enormous, and at first Sasuke blamed himself for his weakness, feeling inadequate as a shinobi. However, after giving it some serious thought, he concluded that this situation was actually to his advantage. He now had a worthy rival to catch up to—and better yet, surpass. After all, to get revenge on his brother, Sasuke must become much stronger. And the opportunity to have a mentor who could turn even an idiot like Uzumaki into a monster was priceless.
"Know what, Sasuke," Sakura interrupted the brunette's musings. "I signed up for iryoninjutsu courses."
Sasuke didn't immediately grasp what Haruno had said.
"Then at the Training Ground," she continued, "when I saw Naruto's real abilities, and then you unconscious... I realized I was useless. I'm the weakest in our Team Seven. So to be useful to you both, it'd be better if Team Seven had a Medical Ninja. I don't know what rank I can reach, but I like iryoninjutsu..."
Sakura fell silent for a moment. Her cheeks flushed pink.
"And also... I like... I mean..." she stammered. "I like you..."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow questioningly, but it wasn't very noticeable under the bandages. The girl blushed even harder:
"I... I don't want you to die. That's why I became a Medical Ninja!" Haruno blurted out in one breath, lowering her head.
She probably meant to say something else, but Uchiha understood and just nodded slowly in response, his thoughts returning to Uzumaki. Sasuke had to become stronger; he had no time for the feelings of this weak girl. He only accepted equals.
Or those who were stronger. He'd accepted Uzumaki.
'Someday I'll surpass you, Naruto. And I'll settle things with Itachi. Until then... my immediate goal is Saitama. My goal is to become his student...'
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: patreon.com/Granulan