"Hey, old man, what are you talking about?" Being doubted about their strength, Sakura frowned, clearly displeased.
"Mr. Tazuna, these are all ninjas who graduated from our academy. You can rest assured." Sensing the tension, Hiruzen stepped in to smooth things over.
Tazuna narrowed his drunken eyes slightly, glanced at Team 7, then nodded. "Oh? I am Tazuna, a super famous bridge builder. Before I go back home and finish my bridge, you better put your lives on the line to protect me!"
Naruto simply smiled at Tazuna and didn't comment. Though the old man had deliberately concealed the mission's difficulty, Naruto didn't really blame him. The Land of Waves was truly too poor, with all its resources monopolized by the tyrant, Gato.
"Don't worry, Mr. Tazuna." Kakashi nodded at the old man before addressing his team. "Alright, you three go get your things ready. We meet at the village gate in two hours. And don't be late."
Sakura scoffed, crossing her arms. "It's you and Naruto who are always late."
"Alright, dismissed." Kakashi coughed awkwardly before vanishing in a blur.
"See you later." Naruto waved at them before heading home. For the past twelve years, he had never stepped outside Konoha. Now that he finally had the chance to leave on a mission, he couldn't help but feel excited.
After grabbing his backpack, stuffing in a couple of spare outfits, and picking up some dry rations, Naruto made his way to the village gate. When he arrived, the rest of Team 7 was already there—shockingly, even Kakashi was on time.
"By the way, are these brats really capable? They don't exactly look strong." Tazuna had been waiting at the gate and couldn't help but voice his doubts upon seeing their young faces.
That remark annoyed everyone, but they held back. "Mr. Tazuna, please rest assured. With me as their jonin, nothing will go wrong." Kakashi gave a confident nod.
With that, the four of them began their journey out of Konoha. The road stretched out endlessly ahead, flanked by thick bushes and towering trees. The Land of Fire was the largest nation in the ninja world, though much of its terrain remained untouched, filled with vast forests. The continent had endured war after war, leaving its population scattered and reduced. Otherwise, such expansive wilderness wouldn't have remained undeveloped.
Swoosh! Swoosh! After walking for about twenty minutes, a faint rustling came from the bushes. Naruto's ears twitched. He caught the sound and instinctively glanced at Kakashi. Kakashi also noticed the disturbance. Seeing Naruto's look, he gave a slight shake of his head, signaling him to stay quiet.
Though Naruto didn't fully understand Kakashi's intention, he complied. Moments later, they spotted a puddle of water in the middle of the road ahead. "Tch, what a pathetic disguise." Naruto smirked. The sun was high, and it hadn't rained in days. There was no way a puddle would be there naturally.
'Are they serious?' Naruto bent down, grabbed a rock, and casually tossed it into the puddle. Plop. The rock hit the water—yet instead of creating a splash, it bounced off unnaturally, the surface trembling slightly.
[Gōzu anger value +26]
[Meizu anger value +35]
Naruto smirked. 'Oh? Looks like they're getting mad.' Feigning ignorance, he reached for another stone.
"Naruto, can we hurry up? Why are you playing with water right now?" Sakura, oblivious to the oddity, shot him an exasperated look.
Naruto grinned. "Fine, fine. I won't play anymore. But man, I really need to take a leak." Naruto stretched, pretending to scan for a good spot. Then, as if spotting the puddle for the first time, he beamed. "Perfect!"
He strolled over, loosening his waistband.
[Gōzu anger value +99]
[Meizu anger value +99]
"YOU LITTLE—!"
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Just as Naruto was about to, ahem, relieve himself, the puddle exploded into white smoke. Two masked ninjas burst out, their expressions twisted in pure rage. Dressed in tight black cloaks, they wielded a long, serrated chain between them, swinging it wildly as they lunged at Naruto.
"Naruto! Be careful!" Sakura gasped as the chain wrapped tightly around him, digging into his skin.
"Hmph! That's what you get for mocking us!" But before they could savor their victory— Poof! Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke, replaced by a wooden log.
"You two seriously need to work on your disguises." Naruto's voice came from above. The brothers looked up to see him perched on a tree branch, grinning down at them.
"He figured it out that fast?" Sasuke muttered, slightly impressed. When it came to simple awareness, Naruto had beaten him again.
"Naruto, well done." Kakashi stood protectively in front of Tazuna before glancing at the other two. "Sakura, Sasuke, I'll leave these two to you."
Kakashi had noticed the enemy long before, but he had deliberately stayed quiet, wanting Sakura and Sasuke to gain experience. Unfortunately, their awareness was still lacking. But with a Jonin and Naruto backing them up, they had nothing to fear.
Meanwhile, as the two Demon Brothers prepared to fight, Naruto casually leaned back against the tree trunk, sighing. "Man, you guys are really bad at sneak attacks. Maybe try hiding in a tree next time? Or, I don't know, not making it so obvious? I could smell your frustration from a mile away."
[Gōzu anger value +120]
[Meizu anger value +130]
Their faces darkened with rage. "SHUT UP!"
Naruto just chuckled. "Hey, don't get mad at me. I'm just giving constructive criticism."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Can we just take care of them already?"
The fight was about to begin, and despite the tension, Naruto couldn't stop himself from grinning. Making people mad was just too much fun.
(End of this chapter)