As the last of the rogue ninjas dropped with a satisfying thud, silence settled around the group for a heartbeat—broken only by the faint rustle of leaves and Tazuna's nervous gulp.
Kakashi gave a sideways glance toward the old man, tone deceptively calm.
"Do you have anything to say, Tazuna-san?"
Naruto stepped forward with a mock serious look, brushing his hands off like a shinobi fresh from paperwork rather than battle."Yeah, Master Builder—this wouldn't have anything to do with secrets you forgot to tell your favorite intern, would it?" he said with a gleam in his eye.
Tazuna stared at him, caught somewhere between guilt and dread. "W-What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know," Naruto continued, arms crossed like a disappointed apprentice, "stuff like... being targeted by hitmen? That sorta minor detail?"
Tazuna laughed nervously. "Heh… so I might've slightly downplayed the danger. Budget reasons!"
Karin raised an eyebrow. "You lied."
Sasuke just muttered, "Typical civilians."
"I didn't lie," Tazuna argued, "I strategically omitted a few things."
Kakashi let out a long sigh. "So we've got enemy shinobi, a high-value target, and zero accurate intel. Perfect."
Naruto gave an exaggerated groan, then leaned in toward Tazuna, pointing a finger at him.
"Okay, sensei—lesson one in mentoring your protégé: full disclosure! How can I build bridges if you're out here building lies?"
Tazuna groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Why do I feel like the roles here are backwards...?"
"You accepted me as an intern," Naruto said with a wink. "No take-backs."
The old man muttered something under his breath about cursed redheads while they resumed their journey, Karin and Sasuke smirking beside him.
But the group wasn't laughing for long. They all knew this mission had just taken a sharp turn into dangerous territory.
Near Nami no Kuni
Shrouded in mist, nestled deep within the silent forest, two shinobi lingered in the shadows.
"Zabuza-sama… they failed."The voice was soft, almost melodic—calm yet edged with tension. It belonged to a pale-skinned shinobi with delicate features—Haku.
Towering before them was a broad-shouldered man wrapped in white bandages. Momochi Zabuza, once counted among the legendary Kirigakure no Shichinintai. Now, he was more feared than revered—still known far and wide as the Kirigakure no Kijin.
"Hmph. Just as I thought…"Zabuza's gravelly voice rumbled like thunder under his breath."Tazuna—he's just a bridge-building geezer. No way he could afford a full-fledged jōnin from Konoha. Most likely, they sent a jōnin instructor with fresh genin. The usual low-budget move."
He scoffed, then muttered, "Still… if they wiped out four of our men, that jōnin might be more than some hand-holding babysitter. Probably an elite-level at least."
He gripped the hilt of his massive weapon—the Kubikiri Hōchō—its weight familiar, like an old friend with a thirst for blood.
"Haku. Once they cross into Nami no Kuni, inform me immediately. I'll handle this myself."
There was a moment's hesitation.
"But, Zabuza-sama…"
His gaze sharpened. Cold. Uncompromising.
"Are you doubting my decision, Haku?"
The pale shinobi lowered their head slightly, voice gentle but firm."…No. I'll do as you say. I'll keep watch from a distance."
With Naruto and His Group
The stars hung lazily above, the crackling of firewood adding a cozy soundtrack to the cool night. Dinner was well underway, and the rich scent of spiced boar meat and broth drifted through the clearing like a warm blanket.
Naruto sat cross-legged by the fire, poking at the soup with a lazy grin. But before he could even lift his chopsticks—
"Aaah~ open up, Nii-san!" said Karin, holding out a piece of juicy grilled boar between her chopsticks with a smug little smirk.
"Wait—Karin, seriously?" Naruto blinked.
She leaned in, eyes sparkling. "You cooked, so you deserve to be fed. Now, quit stalling."
With a sigh—and a dramatic roll of the eyes—Naruto opened his mouth, letting her pop the meat in. "Happy now?" he asked, chewing.
"Very," she replied proudly, as if she'd just scored a victory in a life-or-death battle.
Nearby, Sasuke quietly chewed his own food, giving them both a brief side-eye. Whether it was judgment, indifference, or pure confusion was anyone's guess.
Across the fire, Kakashi sat with his usual one-handed mask-flip technique—swiftly lifting, inserting food, and re-sealing the mystery in one fluid motion. If someone had blinked, they'd have missed the elusive glimpse of his real face.
Then came the inevitable question.
"Hey… are those two… lovers or something?" Tazuna asked, watching the scene unfold like it was some soap opera.
Kakashi didn't even blink. "You could say that."
Tazuna's brows shot up. "Wait, for real? But they're—wait, are they—?"
"It's complicated," Kakashi deadpanned, taking another bite.
Tazuna just sat there in stunned silence, watching as Karin proudly fed Naruto a spoonful of soup next, while the poor boy looked like he was caught between protest and enjoyment.
"Definitely complicated," Tazuna muttered and went back to eating.
A few moments later, the laughter and teasing mellowed into a quiet hum of contentment. Naruto glanced at Tazuna again, this time with more intent behind his eyes.
"Sensei…" he said suddenly, his voice softer but edged with curiosity. "About your enemies. Can you tell us more? Who exactly are we up against?"
Tazuna blinked. "That's… well…"
He hesitated. The fire crackled louder in the pause.
"It's alright," Naruto added quickly. "You don't have to if you're not ready. We just want to know who we're protecting you from."
Karin and Sasuke both turned toward them, their expressions sharpening with the same quiet seriousness. Even Kakashi's chopsticks stilled.
Tazuna finally sighed, his shoulders slumping.
"It's Gato… the shipping magnate. But he's not what he pretends to be. He used money and hired thugs to rule through fear. What I'm building—the bridge—it's standing in his way."
He looked into the flames, voice growing rougher.
"My son… he was supposed to lead the project. But Gato had him killed. I… couldn't just let it end there. So I picked up the pieces. I swore I'd finish the bridge. For him. For our village."
A silence fell, this time thick and weighty.
Naruto stood up slowly, his gaze burning with a quiet fire.
"Tazuna-sensei… I meant it earlier. I'm really proud to be your student. Even if this is temporary."
Tazuna looked up, visibly surprised.
"You're risking everything to fight back, not for power, but for people. That kind of strength… that's the kind of man I want to be."
He bowed his head slightly with a sincere smile. "We've got your back. Believe it."
Karin placed a hand on Naruto's arm, smiling warmly.
Kakashi closed his lone eye, nodding in silent agreement.
Even Sasuke offered a quiet "Hn," which in Sasuke-language was basically an oath of allegiance.
And for a moment, despite the looming threat and the darkness ahead, the firelight made the whole group feel… like home.
After they slept peacefully with each taking rotation, which is except Tazuna.
The journey continued under a silver sky, the morning light dappled between swaying trees as the group pressed on. The trail was calm—too calm, if you asked any seasoned shinobi—but none of them said it out loud. The air might've been peaceful, but the silence between the birdsong? It buzzed with the promise of something waiting.
Still, they didn't let their guard down. Not once. Not when a branch snapped too sharply. Not when the wind seemed to pause. Especially not when Sasuke's eyes flicked back every ten steps and Kakashi's pace never once relaxed.
Eventually, the forest gave way to a wide, glimmering river—the final threshold before Nami no Kuni.
"There," Tazuna said with a smile, motioning to a rickety wooden boat tied to a post. "We take this across. Once we're on the other side… that's my home."
Something in his voice had shifted—fond, familiar, almost wistful. Over the past few days, Tazuna had grown strangely attached to his unlikely little escort squad. But none more than Naruto. The boy's bright energy, relentless questions, and oddly sharp mind had struck a chord in him. He wasn't just a bodyguard anymore. He was starting to feel like… family. Similar way how he felt having Inari, his grandson.
The river stretched before them like a silver mirror, calm but cold, the dock creaking ever so slightly under the shifting breeze. The boat that would carry them into Nami no Kuni floated lazily, moored at the edge, waiting in silence.
They hadn't boarded yet.
Naruto stood near the edge, one foot up on the worn wooden planks, leaning in with his usual curiosity.
"So those support beams—you said you're using steel-reinforced ones, right?" he asked, eyes gleaming with interest. "What about when the tide rises? Will the foundation hold?"
Tazuna scratched his head, clearly amused, and gave Naruto a soft nudge. "You've got a builder's brain in that ninja head, eh? Not bad. Not bad at all. Yeah, we factored in the tides. But with funding the way it is, we've had to cut corners. That's why this bridge is so important. It's not just a structure—it's freedom. From Gato. From fear."
Naruto nodded, soaking in every word like a sponge. For a second, everything felt calm. Normal. Like they were just a ragtag family on the way home.
But then—
The wind dropped.
The sounds of birds and rustling leaves vanished like someone had pulled a plug on nature itself.
The air grew heavier, colder—thick enough to taste.
A mist, slow and creeping, slithered across the riverbank, curling around their ankles like ghostly vines.
Tazuna took a step back, frowning. "Wait… this mist—it's not supposed to be like this. Not here. Not this thick."
Kakashi's visible eye sharpened immediately. His posture shifted from relaxed to ready, tension crackling off him like static.
"This isn't natural."
Karin's pupils narrowed, her chakra sense flaring. "Something's out there. Close. And strong."
Sasuke's hand was already at his pouch, kunai drawn in a flash without a word.
Naruto's expression darkened, his senses locked onto the blank horizon ahead.
"Tch," he muttered. "Looks like someone wants to test the waters."
They hadn't even stepped into the boat.
But the Hidden Mist had already begun to close in.
The Kiri no Kijin—was waiting.And he wasn't here to talk.