Spring in the Land of Waves

Gato was clearly playing a whole new game.

Instead of following the original plan or developing military power, he was playing democracy.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He was now eighty percent sure that this guy hadn't read the original Naruto story.

It wasn't about disrespecting the young master, but democracy simply wouldn't work here. Military might was the absolute path to victory.

This guy is most likely from Korea... I didn't expect a foreigner to be transmigrated here too, Naruto thought.

Well, that was a lot of information.

"Can I get some food?" Naruto, embracing the "since I'm already here" spirit, decided to ask Scarface for provisions.

"Of course," Scarface said, reaching into the bag.

"Wait a moment," Naruto interrupted Scarface's spellcasting. "My family of seven wants to support Mr. Gato. Can we get seven portions?"

The trio + Kakashi + Tazuna's family of three – everyone was a loyal citizen of Mr. Gato.

"Uh, this..." Scarface was stunned. How did this become a bug?

Naruto patiently explained, "Think about it, if my family members go out to support you, they'll get food anyway. Why not just give it all to me now, and I'll make sure my family understands later."

Scarface scratched his head. He felt like the person in front of him was trying to trick him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it...

After Naruto's persistent persuasion, Scarface finally gave all seven portions to Naruto.

Naruto was very satisfied.

This is what you call Talk no Jutsu! (Tactical lean back.jpg)

He packed all the food into one bag. It contained not only rice but also some vegetables, fruits, and grains – a very rich variety.

"Did Gato do something good?" Naruto muttered to himself, squeezing out of the crowd and starting to walk back.

Since supporting Gato meant receiving food, many people were already gathering around the mercenaries.

They knew Gato's brutality, but they couldn't care less. If they didn't eat, they would starve to death.

The hungry fishermen began to push and shove each other, their emaciated bodies rubbing and colliding.

The smell of sweat and fish mingled, and the temperature of the crowd rose, turning the cramped street into a steamer.

In the distance, they could vaguely hear the mercenaries shouting, "Mercenaries, attention! Salute Commander Kaka! Loyalty!"

Naruto looked back, a sense of unprecedented absurdity welling up inside him.

A forest on the border of the Land of Waves.

After finishing his lesson, Kakashi let the trio train by climbing trees.

"Even though this is childish, we still can't be careless," Sakura said, listening carefully to Naruto's explanation without any wishful thinking.

Sakura: "He might be faking it. Like the top expert in Stormveil Castle in Elden Ring. His damage isn't high, but if he touches you, he teleports behind you and kills you with one strike."

After Naruto informed them of the situation, everyone decided to move.

It's worth mentioning that Sakura successfully convinced Inari. It seemed her Talk no Jutsu was no less than Naruto's.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sasuke, having just finished a round of tree climbing, joined them.

He suspected Naruto and Sakura were isolating him, never including him when they had private conversations.

"Nothing, Sakura's just sharing her tree-climbing experience," Naruto said casually.

Just like in the original story, Sakura achieved the best results. She even surpassed the original Sakura, quickly reaching the top.

"Is that so..." Sasuke's tone became hesitant. "Can... can you tell me?"

Upon hearing this, Naruto immediately decided to tease Sasuke. "Sakura says she'll tell you if you become her boyfriend."

"What?" Sasuke's eyes widened. Why could Naruto just listen, but he had to offer himself?!

Sakura shot Naruto a glare. "Don't listen to his nonsense. I'll tell you the secret to climbing trees."

"Putting on an act. You weren't saying that before," Naruto lied without batting an eye. "Honestly, Sasuke's looks are quite good. Aren't you the least bit tempted?"

"There are many handsome guys in my hometown," Sakura said calmly.

"Aren't they all girls?"

"...There are also many straight handsome guys. Yeah, I had quite a few people chasing me back then."

"So you look down on paper people?"

Sakura glanced at Naruto. "Sasuke's been a bit crazy since he killed Karin. I wouldn't dare like someone like that."

Sasuke looked confused. "Who is Karin? When did I kill anyone?"

What puzzled him the most was why Naruto and Sakura always gossiped about him right in front of him, instead of talking behind his back.

Could they at least respect the person involved!

Sakura turned to Sasuke. "But aren't you going to kill people sooner or later like this?"

Sasuke froze.

Sakura continued, "Your dream is revenge, right? Even if you don't touch anyone midway, won't you end up killing people in the end?"

Sasuke got a little angry. "He's someone I have to kill. If I don't kill him, the Uchiha clan cannot rest in peace!"

"The path of revenge is destined to harm the innocent," Naruto interjected. "The one you're seeking revenge against killed your entire clan, right? Then he must be very strong. To kill him, you'll have to constantly practice killing, which means you'll have to harm innocents, won't you?"

Sasuke was stunned again.

"And what will you do after you kill him? Your life goal will be gone," Sakura added.

Sasuke: "I will revive the clan!"

Sakura: "Then stop thinking about killing people. Reviving a clan requires political skill and connections. And you definitely can't bypass Konoha. Instead of thinking about how to kill someone, you should think about how to gain the Hokage's support."

Sakura stared at Sasuke. "Excuse me, will Lord Hokage openly support you killing someone?"

Sasuke fell silent.

He had never thought about these questions. Rather, Sasuke's entire life had been like a puppet on strings.

First, he was manipulated by Itachi, then by Obito, and finally, just when he thought he had figured things out, he was blocked by Six Paths Naruto.

In the end, he wandered the world as atonement, forever alone, under the guise of protecting the village.

How tragic.

Seeing the atmosphere turn cold, Naruto quickly patted Sasuke's shoulder. "It's okay, Sasuke. No matter what you want to do, we'll definitely support you."

With that, Naruto looked at Sakura and winked. "Right, sis?"

Sakura was silent for a moment, then nodded.

What she didn't say was, what if Sasuke were to be possessed by someone else in the future.

Sakura explained the key points of climbing trees to the two of them again, and Naruto and Sasuke continued their training.

She herself headed to the vicinity of the bridge, posted a notice about the work stoppage, and greeted the surrounding workers.

That evening, in a certain hut by the sea.

"Thanks to the food Naruto brought, we can have a feast tonight."

The madam cooked a delicious dinner for everyone. The trio wolfed down their food, while Kakashi and the madam ate slowly. Only Daz and Inari were in low spirits.

"There might be more tomorrow," Naruto said vaguely, chewing on a plump piece of ham.

"Will they be distributing food again tomorrow?" Sasuke asked.

"They won't just advertise for one day. Tomorrow, Sasuke, you go and say that your family of nine believes in Mr. Gato, cry a little, and try to get as much as you can."

Sakura was speechless beside him. You've already taken all the good things from the Land of Waves...

"Oh, there's one more thing," Naruto said, turning his attention to Sakura.