After Gato was completely liquidated by the long-resentful residents of the Land of Waves in the most primitive and satisfying way, Team 7's escort mission also came to its true end.
After Gato's death, the bridge construction site was bustling with activity. All the workers who had been scared away and forced to leave by Gato's violence and threats had now returned to the site with their tools. Their faces no longer showed the sorrow and fear of the past; instead, they were filled with genuine smiles, and their eyes sparkled with anticipation and hope for the future.
Logically, with Gato, the root cause of all the chaos, now eliminated, Team 7's escort mission was more than successfully completed. However, the four, master and disciples, still decided to follow protocol and stay until the bridge was fully completed before returning to Konoha.
"Following protocol" was just one of the plausible reasons. Another, more practical reason was that Kakashi's condition was truly not good.
The fierce battle with Zabuza Momochi, especially the constant high-alert Sharingan maintenance afterward, dealing with the unprecedented psychological pressure and enormous Chakra consumption brought by Menma, had almost completely drained him.
He could barely stand, urgently needing a few days of rest to recover his Chakra and energy, and was completely unable to endure a long journey.
Naruto originally planned to use these few days of rest to continue his training, but this plan was interrupted by Satsuki with an unusually strong attitude.
After seeing Naruto use that ominous crimson Chakra earlier, Satsuki's heart had been on edge, and Kakashi's warning about "that power being dangerous" echoed repeatedly in her mind.
She didn't care how Naruto explained that he was just a little tired and fine; she insisted that he, like Kakashi, must rest completely and relax, absolutely not allowing any form of training.
"What if there are imperceptible hidden injuries or dangers left behind?!" Satsuki's tone was uncharacteristically stern and undeniable; her concern for Naruto's physical condition had reached an almost overprotective level.
Faced with Satsuki's almost overflowing concern and the deep unease hidden beneath her strong demeanor, Naruto ultimately chose to compromise.
He gave up the idea of secretly training. Anyway, the Menma clone was still out handling organizational and Kakuzu's affairs, and a few days wouldn't make much difference to his training. More importantly, he didn't want Satsuki to worry.
This compromise, to some extent, also reflected a subtle and profound bond between the two. Naruto and Satsuki, to a certain degree, were both "docile" to each other.
Naruto was willing to tolerate and accept all of Satsuki's emotions and concerns, while Satsuki almost placed Naruto above everything else.
However, due to Naruto unconsciously "boosting" Satsuki's affection level too high in the early days, even somewhat... deviating from the norm, the deep-seated possessiveness, protectiveness, and fervent emotions within Satsuki were forcibly suppressed beneath her calm exterior.
If Naruto had not responded to her concern with such a gentle, almost "docile" attitude at this moment, but had shown impatience or rejection, it is likely that Satsuki's extremely suppressed and somewhat pathological emotions would have immediately erupted uncontrollably like a breached dam, a scene Naruto would definitely not want to see.
Therefore, during these rare few days of rest, Naruto was happy to be idle, obediently accompanying the resting Kakashi, and incidentally enjoying, or rather, being compelled to accept Satsuki's meticulous, somewhat anxious "care," allowing both his body and mind to fully relax.
Sakura, on the other hand, voluntarily took on the responsibility of looking after the resting Kakashi. At the same time, she dutifully carried out the procedural escort mission, staying on guard at Tazuna's house or near the bridge construction site. In her free time, she would also accompany Tsunami to the market to buy groceries.
Walking through the streets of the Land of Waves, Sakura could clearly feel that the atmosphere of the entire country had undergone a drastic change.
The gloom and fear that once clouded everyone's faces had dissipated, replaced by a light and hopeful aura.
Even public safety had improved significantly. She remembered that the last time she went out with Tazuna, she had to be extra careful of pickpockets, but this time, although the people around them were still not wealthy, the unsettling, prying gazes had almost disappeared.
This obvious change made Sakura's mood involuntarily relax a lot.
Meanwhile, Kakashi, lying in his room resting, though unable to move his body, his thoughts were unusually heavy.
This mission was completely out of control, primarily due to the appearance of Menma. Kakashi almost suspected that he had awakened some kind of jinx-like ability where his words came true—no, he didn't even say it out loud, he just considered the possibility of the Akatsuki organization's involvement in his mind... and then that terrifying figure truly descended with overwhelming power?!
This coincidence filled him with a deep sense of powerlessness and lingering fear.
After a calm analysis, Kakashi deduced that Akatsuki's main objectives for this outing were twofold. Firstly, it was very likely to recruit powerful rogue Ninja, especially Haku with his almost extinct Ice Release Bloodline Limit.
Now that they had been saved by Menma, they must have become new members of the Akatsuki organization.
Secondly, it was probably for funds. Robbing the immensely wealthy Gato would undoubtedly provide the organization with a huge amount of operating expenses. The impatient demeanor of the other Akatsuki member Menma brought along already explained everything.
However, more than these strategic-level speculations, what most disturbed Kakashi was the incredible "repair" ability Menma displayed.
That was not Medical Ninjutsu, absolutely not! Medical Ninjutsu requires a process, precise Chakra control, and healing time.
What Menma did was instantaneous "restoration"! Pulling dying people back from the brink of death, repairing fatal injuries... If this ability were confirmed and spread, it would be enough to overturn the entire Ninja World's structure and understanding! Its strategic value and impact on people's hearts might even be more terrifying than the pure destructive power of the Great Spiraling Ring.
This information must be immediately and quickly sent back to Konoha.
Although his body was still weak and his Chakra far from recovered, he still forced himself to sit up, bit his thumb, and formed hand signs with the little Chakra he had recovered.
After the Summoning Jutsu, a Ninja dog was summoned. Kakashi, with the fastest speed and most concise language, orally conveyed to the Ninja dog the key information about Menma's instant repair ability, the recruitment of Zabuza and Haku, and Gato's elimination, ordering it to deliver the message back to Konoha as quickly as possible, personally handing it to the Third Hokage.
Watching the Ninja dog disappear with the encrypted scroll in its mouth, Kakashi collapsed back onto his bed, exhausted. He had done what he could, only hoping the Village could respond to this as soon as possible.
During the next few days of rest, Naruto noticed something unusual. He found that even Kakashi's favorite *Make-Out Paradise* seemed to have lost its usual appeal.
Although Kakashi still held the orange book, his gaze often lost focus, and he didn't turn a page for a long time, clearly looking preoccupied and lost in thought.
This absent-minded state was extremely rare for Kakashi.
This Land of Waves mission, especially the encounter with Menma, had brought an unprecedented impact to Kakashi. The feeling of powerlessness in the face of absolute strength, the feeling of insignificance with life and death completely controlled by others, deeply rooted itself in Kakashi's heart.
He felt incredibly fortunate, fortunate that Menma seemed to have no intention of harming them at the time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable. But as a Jonin, he understood a principle—a Ninja must never entrust his own and his comrades' safety to the enemy's mercy or luck!
This time was good luck, but what about next time?
If he encountered the same or even more dangerous situation next time, and he was still in such a half-baked state, unable to even cover for his students, create a glimmer of hope, or even perish with the enemy... then after his death, what right would he have to face his teacher? What face would he have to meet Obito, who sacrificed himself to save him?
As soon as he thought of that possibility, a strong surge of self-loathing anger rose from the bottom of Kakashi's heart. He felt deep anger and shame for his years of dwelling on the past, muddling through, and indulging in laziness and self-numbness.
This emotion was so strong that he secretly resolved to completely change once he returned to Konoha! He would double his efforts to make up for the years of wasted time and neglected training!
He even, for the first time, entertained the thought of finding Might Guy to undergo high-intensity Taijutsu training together—though just thinking about it made his muscles protest.
Thus, in a seemingly calm atmosphere of recuperation, everyone had their own thoughts and ideas quietly brewing.
Days quietly passed, and the bridge of the Land of Waves, this structure embodying hope and sweat, was finally completely finished!
When the last bridge plate was firmly secured, a deafening cheer erupted from the crowd! Gato's shadow was completely a thing of the past, and the bridge leading to the outside world, to a new life, was now unobstructed! The Land of Waves had finally truly made it through to dawn!
Afterward, Tazuna bid a final farewell to Team 7. He repeatedly expressed his inexpressible gratitude to them and solemnly promised that after he had sorted out and settled the internal affairs of the Land of Waves, he would immediately set off for Konoha to supplement and pay the remuneration for this mission according to the true mission standards.
At this point, the Land of Waves mission finally came to a successful conclusion, and the four, master and disciples, embarked on their journey back to Konoha Village.