At Konoha's training ground, a pitch-black, blood-eyed crow dove from high above. Sunlight cast its shadow onto the muddy ground, forming a tiny black dot that streaked past at incredible speed.
Sasuke Uchiha stopped training and raised his gaze from the grass, looking into the distance. Through the fierce wind and swaying grass, his eyes fixed on the black dot circling above the training ground, blocking out the sun.
The lean-faced Sasuke sensed something strange. Narrowing his eyes, he was about to activate his Sharingan.
"Sasuke!" Sakura's voice called from afar.
The girl stood at the edge of the training ground, waving with a food box in hand. The wind swept through her long hair, gilding her entire figure in sunlight.
"Thanks." Sasuke stepped forward to take the food box and noticed that it had two layers. "Is this for that guy?"
"Yes." Sakura nodded and gave an awkward smile. "After we came back that day, Kakashi-sensei got really angry."
"As punishment, Naruto has to complete twenty D-rank Missions by himself. Until he finishes them, Team Seven can't accept any more missions."
"Kakashi meant well. If the village found out, that guy would probably face an even harsher punishment." Sasuke spoke as he ate an onigiri.
At that, a trace of worry flashed across Sakura's face.
"Kakashi-sensei altered the mission report, changing our independent actions into collective action under the leadership of a Jonin. Naruto also took all the responsibility himself, so we didn't have to be punished along with him."
"But for some reason, Gato's shipping company mysteriously went bankrupt. I heard Gato couldn't repay his debts, and he himself died in a rebellion by the Rogue Ninjas beneath him."
"Mm."
Sakura arrived on the street where Naruto was carrying out his mission. She looked around but saw no sign of him. When she looked up, she happened to spot Naruto lying on a rooftop, sleeping in the sun.
"Naruto, it's time to eat."
Hearing her, Naruto sprang up like a carp and leaped down from the roof. It was an abandoned old house beside a Bamboo Forest.
The summer breeze drifted by, and the bamboo leaves throughout the forest rustled softly.
Behind the house was a low slope covered in short green grass, which looked even more strikingly verdant beneath the sun.
The two sat on the slope, eating onigiri. Sakura seemed to have something on her mind, and as she spoke with Naruto, a distracted look occasionally crossed her face.
"What are you thinking about?" Naruto asked.
"N-Nothing." Sakura forced out a smile, but her face soon slipped back into a dazed, lost expression.
"Naruto."
"Yeah."
"Why did you become a ninja?" Sakura asked.
"To survive, I guess. Ninja commissions pay well, and becoming a ninja comes with plenty of benefits." Naruto pondered for a moment before speaking. "For someone like me, what else could I do if I didn't become a ninja?"
Sakura froze for a moment, then apologized.
"It's fine." Naruto waved his hand and took a bite of his onigiri. "A ninja is just a job anyway. I never planned to be one forever."
"I really envy you, Naruto," Sakura said somewhat despondently.
"Why?"
"Because I feel like I can't help with anything. Whenever we run into danger, it's always you and Sasuke who step up." Sakura hugged her knees and curled herself into a ball.
"Sometimes I wonder if I'm just not suited to being a ninja."
"That's not true." Naruto looked at Sakura. "Sakura, I remember that when you graduated, you ranked third in the entire school, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then that proves you have talent for being a ninja. You just haven't found the right direction for yourself yet."
"Direction?" Sakura raised her head at those words.
"Yeah, direction." Naruto spoke with certainty. "Team Seven is probably the most unusual Genin team in this class, so you don't need to compare yourself to Sasuke and me."
"The Uchiha Clan has always been a clan that excels at combat. Whether it's Taijutsu or Shuriken techniques, they're all passed down through the family."
"And Sasuke's path was decided from the very beginning. Those eyes of his... do you know the secret of the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan?"
"Sasuke-kun's secret?" Sakura asked, stunned.
She suddenly recalled Sasuke's strange, red-glowing eyes in the forest of the Land of Waves, and she could not help becoming tense.
"The Uchiha Clan is a clan of hatred," Naruto said. "He carries an incredible secret, and hatred drives him to grow stronger without stopping."
"Those eyes of his are incredible weapons. Maybe they could even defeat Lord Hokage."
"Hatred?" Sakura's face turned pale.
"Yeah, so don't overthink it." Naruto packed up the food box. "Sakura, you have your own ninja way too. You just need to find a path of training that suits you."
"For example, what about Medical Ninjutsu?"
"Why Medical Ninjutsu?" Sakura asked curiously.
"Medical Ninjutsu requires extremely precise chakra control from a ninja," Naruto explained. "Sakura, you have talent in that area, so I think you could try learning Medical Ninjutsu."
"Thank you, Naruto." Sakura spoke sincerely. "Without you, it would have been hard for me to—"
"It's fine. We're comrades, aren't we?" Naruto stood up and looked down at the deeply moved Sakura. "Go back and think it over properly. I'm going to carry out my mission first."
With that, he vanished from Sakura's sight.
Sakura stared in the direction Naruto had disappeared, her gaze complicated. In the end, she sighed, picked up the food box, and left.
Naruto did not go do some mission to find cats and dogs. Instead, he found another rooftop, lay down, and continued sunbathing.
A panel appeared, and with a thought from Naruto, the system storage opened.
Looking at the dazzling array of treasures and cash inside, Naruto revealed a satisfied smile. With this money, he would never have to work for money again for the rest of his life.
Yet amid his delight, Naruto was struck by a wave of emptiness.
With so much money, did he still need to risk his life?
How should he spend this money? Buying Konoha real estate would definitely be a loss. In two years, Pain would level Konoha to the ground in one go.
The next step was to break free from Konoha's control and gain independence. The Nine-Tails in his belly belonged to Konoha, but it did not necessarily have to keep belonging to Konoha.
Besides, when his useless old man, Minato Namikaze, stuffed that fox into his stomach, he had not even asked for Naruto's consent. Wouldn't that mean serving Konoha as a slave for seventy years?
On the rooftop, Naruto sat with one leg crossed over the other. A jolt ran through him, and he suddenly sat upright!
Damn it, he could not just stay here.
He was no longer short of money. He had enough to last ten lifetimes, so wouldn't it be a waste if he were tied to Konoha as a weapon?
One tree could not support a forest, and one hand could not make a sound.
If he wanted to hold power in Konoha, he needed a clan behind him. Once he became stronger, he would establish a family line and use this money to revive the glory of the Uzumaki Clan, the clan of seals.
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