A day later, the sky was clear and crisp, bathed in brilliant sunlight.
That morning, as usual, Team Seven, led by Kakashi, arrived at the Hokage's Office to turn in their collected claw mark mission.
"Well done," the Third Hokage said with a gentle smile, offering a word of praise. "I have a stack of D-rank missions here and one C-rank mission. Which would you like to take?"
"C-rank!"
Before he could finish speaking, Team Seven exchanged glances, their minds united, and declared in unison.
Kakashi, however, remained engrossed in his copy of Make-Out Paradise, seemingly indifferent to the conversation.
"Third Hokage Grandpa!" Naruto leaned forward, shouting, "We've done so many D-rank missions already! Give us the C-rank mission first!"
"Heh heh." The Third Hokage chuckled, nodding at the blond-haired boy before him. "Very well. I'll assign you the C-rank mission."
With that, the Third Hokage gave a few instructions to an aide standing nearby. The aide bowed respectfully and hurried out.
A few minutes later, a short, slovenly old man staggered into the room, reeking of alcohol.
Tazuna!
Sasuke's heart stirred as he observed Tazuna—the man who outwardly appeared brash and drunk, yet whose eyes held a clear, sharp intelligence.
Accepting this mission meant Sasuke could finally face a truly formidable opponent in a life-or-death ninja battle!
He couldn't care less about Tazuna's drunken act, the falsified mission report, or whether Konoha was genuinely deceived or complicit in Tazuna's charade. His sole focus was combat!
Because the current Team Seven differed drastically from their counterparts in the original timeline, no unpleasant incidents occurred.
After agreeing on a meeting time, the group dispersed.
The next morning dawned bright and clear, with a refreshing breeze and radiant sunlight.
Team Seven gathered, chatting idly for a while, before Tazuna arrived shortly after.
With Naruto's boisterous shouts and Tazuna's palpable anxiety, the group officially embarked on their mission to the Land of Waves.
The Land of Fire occupied the continent's center, while the Land of Waves lay to its east—a tiny island nation separated by a narrow strait.
The closest point between the two countries was barely a thousand meters apart, even narrower than the strait between the mainland and Hong Kong in Sasuke's previous life.
It was at this narrowest point that Tazuna's bridge was being constructed.
Team Seven had embarked on missions outside Konoha before, though this was their first mission abroad. The distance was actually shorter than their previous journey to Kofu City, the border city of Fire Rain.
For ninjas traveling at full speed, the journey from Konoha, in the heart of the Land of Fire, to the Land of Waves would typically take only three to four days.
However, considering Tazuna's lack of stamina, they proceeded at a more moderate pace.
The group traveled by day and camped at night, taking a full week to finally reach the Land of Fire's coastal border.
Along a narrow forest path, the five travelers moved silently. Sasuke and the other two Genin formed a triangular formation around Tazuna, while Kakashi trailed two steps behind, bringing up the rear.
This wasn't a paved road, but rather a well-worn dirt track carved out by countless travelers over the years.
As in his previous life, the coastal region of the Land of Fire was oppressively hot. Despite several days of relentless sunshine without rain, a small puddle had inexplicably appeared in the middle of the path ahead.
Naruto's eyes lit up instantly at the sight of the puddle. He glanced at his teammates, who seemed oblivious to its presence.
Naruto nodded to himself, grinning smugly.
'As expected, only I, Uzumaki Naruto, noticed something was off!'
'Such crude Water Release and Transformation Jutsu...'
Sakura immediately saw through the disguise. While the others likely sensed it was a trap, they couldn't pinpoint its nature.
But Sakura, a master of Water Release, recognized at a glance that it wasn't water!
Seeing Sasuke and Kakashi still acting as if nothing was amiss, Sakura swallowed her words and pretended nothing had happened.
'Teacher Kakashi is an experienced Jonin, and Sasuke is a genius ninja with both keen judgment and decisive action. If I noticed it, they must have realized it long ago.'
'Teacher Kakashi and Sasuke must have their own plans or are considering some deeper meaning!'
'Yes, that must be it!'
Kakashi secretly observed the group's expressions.
'It seems only Naruto is eager to act!'
With this thought, Kakashi feigned complete absorption in the book in his hand and stepped over the puddle.
Bang!
The moment Kakashi crossed the puddle, the water transformed into two Mist Village rogue ninjas, their faces twisting into cruel, bloodthirsty grins as they lunged at him.
"First prey secured!" the Demon Brothers roared triumphantly, already envisioning Kakashi torn to shreds!
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
But in the very next instant...
A deafening roar of wind erupted as the Demon Brothers startled, catching only a blur of motion rushing toward them from the corner of their eyes.
Before they could react, a brutal spinning kick slammed into their faces, sending them sprawling backward with agonized cries.
They crashed into the towering tree behind them, losing consciousness and lying motionless.
"Hmph!"
Landing gracefully, Naruto scoffed, gazing at the unconscious Demon Brothers with an air of having seen through their charade all along.
"I must admit, your disguise was flawless. Any ordinary ninja would have been completely fooled."
"But I, Uzumaki Naruto, the legendary genius, saw through your deception from the start!"
With his hands clasped behind his back, Naruto struck a pose mimicking Sasuke's usual nonchalant demeanor, exuding an air of effortless superiority.
Kakashi's lips twitched slightly, and he clapped half-heartedly, offering a perfunctory compliment. "Well done, Naruto. Impressive insight."
His expression then turned icy as he fixed a stern gaze on the pale-faced Tazuna. "Mr. Tazuna, C-rank missions aren't supposed to involve combat between ninjas. You owe us an explanation."
Tazuna's face drained of color. Then, just as in the original timeline, he recounted the Land of Waves' plight and his personal story.
Sasuke, uninterested in the story, walked straight toward the Demon Brothers and activated his genjutsu.
After Tazuna finished speaking, Kakashi remained calm as ever, while Naruto, ever eager to champion the underdog, clenched his fists.
Seeing his teammates remained silent, Naruto refrained from speaking immediately. Instead, Sakura stroked her chin thoughtfully, as if something had occurred to her.
When Kakashi showed no reaction, Tazuna gritted his teeth and prepared to kneel.
Kakashi, startled, rushed forward to help him up, sighing, "Mr. Tazuna, I can't make this decision alone. I need to consult my students before giving you an answer."
With that, Kakashi led Naruto and Sakura aside. At that moment, Sasuke approached and announced, "I've extracted some information from the Demon Brothers."
Everyone turned to look at Sasuke.
"The Demon Brothers' superior is Demon of the Hidden Mist Momochi Zabuza, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
Upon hearing this, Kakashi's expression darkened slightly. "Zabuza? This could be troublesome."
Naruto, either too simple-minded or genuinely unaware of who the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were, leaned in curiously.
"Hey, is that Zabuza guy you mentioned really strong?"
___
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