Konoha - Hokage's Office
Tsunade slammed the mission scroll heavily on the table, causing ripples to spread across the surface of the teacup.
"Asuma, you'll be leading this time." She looked up at the elite Jonin with a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Although it's only a C-rank mission, considering the special circumstances of the Land of Waves..."
"Understood." Asuma exhaled a smoke ring, his gaze sweeping over the young ninjas before him. "I'll bring these brats back safely."
The temporary members of Team 7 standing behind him had various expressions:
Neji crossed his arms, his Byakugan gleaming faintly with a bluish light.
Rock Lee Li was enthusiastically doing push-ups.
I carefully inspect my ninja tool bag Tenten.
Ino and Choji then huddled together to share potato chips.
"Hey! Why is Shikamaru allowed to slack off?!" Ino suddenly realized, pointing angrily to the side—a genius from the Nara Clan was being forced by Shizune to deal with a mountain of documents, waving at them with utter despair.
Tsunade snorted coldly, "If that kid dares to skip class again, I'll make him finish compiling ten years' worth of medical records!"
"Alright, let's get down to business." She unfolded a map of the Land of Waves. "The Naruto Bridge, rebuilt by Tazuna, has been open to traffic for several months, but recently there have been reports that Gato's remnants are operating in secret."
Tenten, someone raises their hand to ask, "But wasn't Gato killed by Zabuza?"
"That's right," Asuma continued, "But his mafia remnants are still around. According to intelligence, these people are lurking in an abandoned shipyard in the eastern part of the Land of Waves, specifically extorting passing merchant ships."
Neji suddenly spoke up, "If it's just an ordinary gang, why send two squads?"
The office suddenly fell silent. Tsunade and Asuma exchanged a glance.
"... Because of the Heavenly Screen..." Tsunade finally sighed. "Guy has to stay in the village, Kakashi is patrolling the border, and we really don't have enough manpower right now..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood—since the Heavenly Screen displayed those future scenes, Konoha had to redeploy all its high-end combat forces.
"Don't worry, Lord Hokage!" Rock Lee suddenly jumped up, his youthful passion seemingly materializing. "I will definitely use these fists to protect the peace of the Land of Waves! Just like Naruto-kun did back then!"
"Idiot, don't yell in the Hokage's office..." Ino sighed, but secretly a smile crept onto her face.
The next morning, Naruto Bridge
The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, swept over them. Asuma's squad stood at the bridgehead, gazing at the dilapidated fishing village in the distance.
"Just like Naruto said." Choji sighed, munching on potato chips. "I'm really poor."
Neji's Byakugan had already detected something amiss. "At the three o'clock position, about 400 meters away, there are three people who appear to be monitoring us."
"Stay alert." Asuma stubbed out his cigarette. "Remember, they might have hired wandering ninjas."
Everyone nodded. Tenten unfurled the scroll, Neji clenched his fists, Rock Lee tightened his Forehead Protector. Just as they were preparing to act—
"Everyone in Konoha!"
Grandpa Tazuna arrived in a hurry with a group of fishermen. His face was weathered, but his eyes remained stubborn.
"Finally, you're here! Those bastards burned two more fishing boats last night!"
Asuma patted the old man on the shoulder. "Leave it to us."
The outskirts of the abandoned shipyard in the Land of Waves
On the sea, a dilapidated merchant ship lay silently at anchor. Inside the cabin, a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses was wiping a pistol, his eyes behind the lenses gleaming with greed.
"Lord Sato, everything is ready." A scarred ronin knelt on one knee. "As you instructed, our men have taken control of three warehouses at the dock."
Sato —formerly the third-in-command of the Gato Group, now self-proclaimed "the new master of the Land of Waves"—slowly curled the corners of his mouth. "That old codger Tazuna, does he really think he can turn things around just by building a bridge?"
He stood up, his impeccably dressed suit a stark contrast to the crude thugs around him. Five wandering ninjas stood silently in the shadows, emanating a faint but palpable aura of killing intent.
"Konoha ninjas..." Sato sneered, "They're nothing but paid lackeys. If Gato had just offered double the price back then..."
"Report! Report!" A thug rushed in, flustered. "The Konoha ninjas have arrived! They're over by the bridge!"
A commotion immediately broke out in the cabin. The one-eyed man, the leader of the five wandering ninjas, frowned. "Wasn't the operation supposed to be next week?"
Sato smashed his wine glass. "What's the panic!" He looked around at everyone, "We have over a hundred people, plus five ninja masters. Konoha only sent six people this time, what's there to be afraid of!"
He pulled out a wad of cash and slammed it on the table. "As planned, kill Tazuna first, then take control of the docks! The reward will be doubled afterward!"
Meanwhile, at Naruto Bridge
"Neji, how's the situation?" Asuma, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, casually but actually warily observed his surroundings.
Neji's Byakugan veins bulged. "Around 10 o'clock, about 80 people; around 3 o'clock, about 30 people. Among them, five showed Chakra activity, likely rogue ninjas."
"Tch, they really did hire ninjas." Tenten unrolls the scroll, "Should we notify the village for reinforcements?"
Asuma smiled and shook his head, "Consider this level as your practical training."
"That's awesome!" Rock Lee excitedly tightened his Forehead Protector. "This is youth!"
Ino sighed and facepalmed, "Idiot, this isn't a competition..."
"Here it comes!" Neji suddenly warned.
Through the sea fog, a dark mass of people surged in like a tide. Sato, at the head of the group, stood at the bow, shouting through a megaphone:
"Konoha! It's not too late to leave now! We only want Tazuna's life!"
Asuma sighed, his Chakra Blade slowly unsheathing itself. "So... I hate this kind of opening line the most."
The battle erupted instantly!
Asuma slashed into the enemy ranks like a ghost, his Chakra Blades drawing elegant arcs, and five wandering ninjas were knocked down before they even had time to form hand seals;
Neji's Byakugan sees through everything, Gentle Fist strikes precisely on the pressure points of every enemy attempting a sneak attack;
Tenten unleashed a torrential downpour of ninja tools, pinning more than a dozen thugs to the spot, too afraid to move.
Rock Lee transformed into a green whirlwind, and wherever he passed, enemies fell to the ground;
Ino's Mind Body Switch Technique caused several armed ronin to kill each other;
Choji's Human Bullet Tank completely crushed the last line of defense...
The battle ended in less than ten minutes.
Sato slumped onto the deck, half of his gold-rimmed glasses shattered. He watched the Konoha members approach, his hands trembling as he raised his pistol.
"No, don't come any closer! I have money! I'll give you double... no, ten times the reward!"
Asuma kicked the pistol away, and the cigarette butt bounced precisely onto his forehead. "Save your breath. You haven't learned a thing from Gato's lesson."
In the distance, Tazuna arrived with the fishermen. The old man looked at the villains bound like dumplings, tears welling in his cloudy eyes.
"Great... great... finally..."
The sea breeze sweeps across the newly built Naruto Bridge, and the hanging wind chimes tinkle crisply, as if telling the story of the nation's rebirth.
Land of Waves - Tazuna Family
The setting sun bathed the wooden cabin in a warm orange-red hue. As Tazuna led Asuma and his group to the end of the path, a boy wearing a blue hat burst out like a whirlwind.
"Grandpa! Is that Naruto -nii?" Inari's eyes lit up as he peered out barefoot on the dirt road. "He looks so cool in the Heavenly Screen! That Rasengan— "
The sound abruptly stopped. The boy stared blankly at the unfamiliar Konoha people, his disappointment evident. "Ah... it's not Naruto."
"Inari!" Tazuna gently tapped his grandson's head with his pipe. "These are all Naruto's companions."
"Really?" The boy instantly came to his senses, his eyes wide with surprise.
Rock Lee darted forward, giving him his signature thumbs-up. "We're all Naruto's best friends! The passion of our youth binds us together!"
"Nah!!" Inari stammered excitedly, "How's Naruto doing lately? He was amazing when he defeated Pain in the Heavenly Screen! And also, his final battle with Sasuke-- "
"You brat, let the guests in first!" Tazuna chuckled, then turned to Asuma and explained, "Ever since Naruto and the others defeated Gato, this kid has idolized Naruto."
Under the warm light, everyone sat around a low table. Inari's mother brought out homemade plum wine and fresh sashimi, and the aroma quickly filled the entire room.
"That kid Naruto..." Asuma sipped his sake, a smile playing on his lips. "He's training with Lord Jiraiya right now."
Neji picked up the conversation. "He gets stronger every day."
"That's right!" Rock Lee waved his chopsticks.
Inari, listened intently. "As expected, Naruto- nii is the best..."
As night deepened, the sound of waves gently lapping against the shore filled the air. While Ino was helping the housewife clear the dishes, she noticed an old photograph hanging on the wall—a young Inari standing on the newly built Naruto Bridge, surrounded by the entire Team Kakashi.
"This is..."
"This was taken before I left." The woman gently wiped the photo frame. "People in our country are very grateful to Naruto and his friends."
As dawn broke, the Konoha members bid farewell at the dock. Inari chased after them to the end of the pier, waving her arms vigorously.
"Please tell Naruto! When I grow up a bit more, I'll definitely go to Konoha to find him! I want to become a hero like him!"
Asuma smiled and nodded, packing the boy's vow and the salty sea breeze of the Land of Waves into his bag. On the return ship, gazing at the Bridge of Courage receding into the distance, he suddenly said to his students:
"This is what you are meant to protect."
The five young people followed his gaze—under the rising sun, fishermen had already begun their day's work, and merchants and travelers came and went on the bridge. That bridge, once stained with blood, now bore witness to countless ordinary yet precious moments of daily life.