Chapter 20: The Truth of the Mission
Naruto's words hung in the air long after he had finished speaking. Slowly, Sasuke's shaking subsided. His trembling fists unclenched, finger by finger, and his wide, dilated pupils began to settle.
He's right, Sasuke thought, the rage draining out of him like water from a cracked vessel. I'm not the only one. Others have suffered too. Just because they don't speak about it doesn't mean it didn't happen. They carry their burdens silently. They grow in the dark.
No one doesn't work hard. There are only those who don't cry out in pain.
Kakashi and Sakura had also been affected by Naruto's words. Kakashi's visible eye narrowed thoughtfully as he studied the blond genin. There was something beneath Naruto's surface—something deep and carefully hidden. Sakura, meanwhile, had her small hand pressed over her slightly open mouth. Her heart trembled inexplicably.
A heavy silence surrounded the group.
Finally, old Tazuna broke the quiet. He walked over to Kakashi, his weathered face creased with grudging admiration as he looked at Naruto.
"Well," Tazuna said, "you Konoha folk certainly produce some impressive youngsters. That kid… even an old man like me has to respect that."
Kakashi smiled but said nothing.
Sasuke took a deep breath, forcing the last of his agitation down. He let out a sharp snort and turned his head away, but his posture was no longer coiled with fury. He seemed, at last, calm.
The group resumed their journey.
Tazuna immediately attached himself to Naruto's side, insisting to Kakashi that Naruto should stay close and protect him personally. Sakura, still confused, drifted over to Kakashi and tugged at his sleeve.
"Kakashi-sensei," she whispered, "what did Naruto mean back there? I didn't understand any of it."
Kakashi glanced at Naruto, walking a few paces ahead, his expression unreadable. "You'll understand someday," he said quietly.
Sakura nodded uncertainly, her gaze drifting back to Naruto. She stared at his back as if trying to see through him, to uncover whatever secret he carried.
But she couldn't. She was from a different world—one without the cruelty and intrigue that lurked beneath Konoha's sunny surface. She had known only a happy childhood, innocent and unshadowed. How could she possibly understand the darkness Naruto had navigated for years?
Even so, his words had touched something deep inside her. She felt it, even if she couldn't name it.
——
Not long after they resumed walking, Kakashi's tone shifted. He smiled, but his eye was sharp as he addressed Tazuna.
"Mr. Tazuna," he said lightly, "don't you think it's time you explained the real situation of this mission? Why are ninjas trying to assassinate you?"
Tazuna flinched. His face went pale, and his eyes darted away. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said quickly.
Kakashi's smile vanished. He raised a hand, signaling for everyone to stop.
"Then there's nothing more to discuss. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura—turn around. We're going back to Konoha."
Sakura looked confused, not understanding the sudden change. But Naruto and Sasuke had already pieced it together.
The rogue ninjas hadn't been targeting them—they were fresh genin with no enemies. The target had been Tazuna all along. And Tazuna, rather than being shocked by the attack, had been suspiciously unsurprised, as if he'd known ninjas might come for him.
According to Konoha's mission protocols, any mission that involved potential conflict with ninjas was automatically ranked C-rank or higher. Tazuna had hidden the truth. He had lied.
Seeing that Kakashi was truly about to leave, panic flooded Tazuna's face. "Wait! Please don't go! If you leave, I'm as good as dead. I'll tell you everything—I swear!"
And so Tazuna told them the truth.
The Land of Waves had been seized by a wealthy shipping magnate named Gatō. But Gatō didn't just employ hired thugs and rogue swordsmen—he had ninja in his employ. Powerful missing-nin who enforced his will through terror and bloodshed.
That was why the people of the Land of Waves couldn't fight back. How could ordinary civilians resist trained killers?
The ninjas who had attacked them were almost certainly Gatō's men.
Tazuna had hidden the truth because he couldn't afford a higher-ranked mission. If he had been honest, Konoha would have classified this as B-rank—or even higher—and the fee would have been far beyond his means. So he lied, hoping that perhaps, just perhaps, the ninjas sent to protect him wouldn't encounter Gatō's assassins.
A foolish hope. And one that could have cost them all their lives.
After Tazuna finished, Kakashi's expression was grim. "This mission is far more dangerous than we signed up for. According to Tazuna, Gatō may send more ninjas—stronger ones. Even I may not be able to protect all of you if we continue."
Sasuke's fists clenched. His jaw tightened.
Sakura's small hands trembled as she remembered the blood, the kunai, the sheer, paralyzing terror.
"It's all right to back out," Kakashi said gently. "No one expected this. The wisest choice would be to return to Konoha, report to the Hokage, and let him decide how to proceed. This mission is beyond our original agreement."
Tazuna's face crumpled with despair. "Please," he begged, his voice cracking. "Please don't abandon me. If you leave, I'll die. And the Land of Waves… my people… there will be no hope left for any of us. I beg you—save my country!"
Kakashi did not waver. His gaze remained steady as he looked at his three students.
"What do you three think?"
Sasuke lowered his head, wrestling with himself. His fists opened and closed. His teeth ground together. The attack had been terrifying—he couldn't deny it. The blood, the speed, the sheer killing intent… he had frozen like a rabbit in a trap.
But he refused to run.
He raised his head, his dark eyes blazing with renewed determination.
"I want to continue the mission," Sasuke said firmly. "This is exactly the kind of training I need. I won't let myself freeze like that again. I demand to continue."
Kakashi nodded slowly, then looked at Sakura.
Sakura hesitated. Her heart pounded at the memory of the attack. But she looked at Tazuna's desperate face—an old man begging for his homeland—and felt something harden inside her.
"I want to continue too," she said, her voice small but steady. "Tazuna-san needs our help. And… and if we face enemies, I'll do my best to protect myself."
Kakashi turned last to Naruto.
Naruto smiled.
Everyone's eyes were on him. Tazuna looked at him with barely concealed hope. After Naruto's display against the two rogue ninjas, he had become, in many ways, the anchor of the team. His decision carried weight.
"Let's continue, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said simply.
Kakashi exhaled. He had expected nothing less.
"All right," he said, his voice firm. "We move forward. But from here on, you will not leave my side. Form a diamond formation around Tazuna. Protect him with your lives. Understood?"
Sasuke and Sakura nodded, their expressions hardening with resolve.
The group resumed their journey, but now every eye was sharp, every sense alert. The road to the Land of Waves stretched ahead—winding, uncertain, and filled with unseen dangers.
And somewhere in the shadows, stronger enemies were already waiting.