Sakura: "What do you mean?"
"According to the original story, Naruto encounters Haku after he removes his mask and has a conversation with him," Naruto said in a lowered voice.
"I'm planning to try my luck and see if I can trace Haku's movements to find their hideout ahead of time."
"That's a good idea, but Haku and Zabuza have been fugitives for years. Their counter-surveillance awareness must be extremely strong."
"That's why I said I'm trying my luck." Naruto nodded. It was only a casual move on his part. If it didn't work, it wouldn't matter.
For Naruto, the greatest unstable factor at present was Zabuza and Haku.
Zabuza wasn't under Gato's control. After suffering a setback this time, he would target Kakashi specifically next time.
And it was possible that he would take the Team 7 trio into account as well.
"There's one more thing I think you need to pay attention to—Gato's side," Sakura suddenly said.
"What?"
"I went over everything again. Don't you think Gato has an excessive number of subordinates?" Sakura's expression was serious.
"They started by attacking us with a company-sized force, then sent a large army to hunt down Haku, and even distributed food publicly throughout the Land of Waves..."
Naruto frowned slightly. "A numbers game won't work. Not many people can put on a show in front of the Nine-Tails. It's not like they're facing Madara."
"This isn't merely a numbers game. I feel like it's a little like a pyramid scheme."
Naruto's expression stiffened. "All right, then. Once we find that bastard, we'll take him out immediately."
Early the next morning.
Naruto lay down gently at the place where he had trained in the woods before, eyes tightly shut as he waited for Haku to arrive.
Bored, he began recalling the manga.
"To be fair, Haku really is a flashy little minx," he thought.
In his memories, Haku had long hair, wore women's clothing, and even applied light green eyeshadow.
What guy puts on green eyeshadow...
Suddenly, inspiration struck Naruto, and a stream of information began surging into his mind.
"Konoha's Imperial Army is here." Naruto murmured softly. He had received the memories transmitted by the Shadow Clone that had been dispelled.
Excellent. Next, let Kakashi in the Land of Waves experience the righteous group beating from Konoha.
And these reinforcements... Hmm. Unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
"Little brother, you'll catch a chill sleeping here."
Naruto opened his eyes, and the appearance from his memories began overlapping again and again.
He really was wearing eyeshadow!
Naruto pretended to be groggy and said, "Ugh—I actually fell asleep here."
"What are you doing here?" Haku asked, seemingly casually.
Naruto stretched. "Me? I'm waiting for a passing road roller. Once it arrives, I'll hit it with a full Ora and blow it apart."
Haku: "?"
"Training. I'm training."
"I see." Haku adjusted his hair. "You're wearing a forehead protector. Does that mean you're a ninja?"
"Someone wearing a forehead protector isn't necessarily a ninja. They could also be a rogue ninja."
Haku paused slightly. "Are you training so you can capture rogue ninjas?"
Naruto shook his head.
"I'm training so I can survive."
"Suppose you're walking down the street, eating hot pot and singing, when suddenly some bandits... I mean, a rogue ninja, kills you. How would you feel?"
Haku fell silent.
Naruto asked, "Is there someone you care about?"
"...Of course." Haku's voice wavered slightly.
With that, Haku was about to sink into a flashback about Mr. Zabuza.
"I know you're about to start reminiscing, but don't start yet." Naruto interrupted the process. "I am indeed tracking the rogue ninjas' whereabouts. They've killed people, and I need them to give the victims' families an explanation."
"An explanation?"
"Yes, an explanation." To keep Haku's emotions stable, Naruto didn't say that killing him would be the best explanation.
"A hero was killed by evil villains, and now the rogue ninjas want to kill the hero's family as well," Naruto said calmly.
"You understand, right? Sometimes, ninjas kill so that more people won't meet their end."
He lightly patted Haku's shoulder, and Haku instinctively shrank back.
Haku's feelings were complicated.
Will following Mr. Zabuza cause even more people to die?
No, that's not right.
Mr. Zabuza is my benefactor. He is my everything...
Haku was still immersed in his inner struggle and failed to notice that Naruto had already strode away.
"Boss, can you summon Ninja Dogs?"
Kakashi saw Naruto running back in a panic.
"What happened?"
"I left a scent on someone I suspect is an enemy. I need a Ninja Dog to guide me now."
Naruto raised the herbs in his hand.
He had crushed herbs found near the woods and rubbed them repeatedly between his hands, leaving behind a faint scent.
Afterward, while talking with Haku, he had taken the opportunity to pat his shoulder, attempting to leave the scent there.
Of course, Haku's purpose in coming here had been to gather herbs. Naruto had merely added another layer of insurance.
"Please, Boss. We have a chance to strike first."
"...Got it." Kakashi propped himself up, circulated Chakra for a moment, and began forming the technique.
"Ninja Art: Summoning!"
"Poof!" Amid a cloud of blue smoke, Pakkun the Ninja Dog appeared. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked Naruto up and down.
"Kakashi, this is that boy, right?"
Naruto: "You know my Lord Dio too?"
Pakkun: "?"
"My tongue slipped. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, a Genin for two and a half months."
Naruto turned to Kakashi again. "Boss, one isn't enough. I need more Ninja Dogs."
"What, are you questioning my sense of smell?" Pakkun let out a faint whine from his throat.
"The enemy isn't the only one carrying the scent of herbs. There are herbs in the nearby forest too. I need more Ninja Dogs to help eliminate irrelevant possibilities."
Kakashi thought for a moment, then summoned more Ninja Dogs.
Naruto placed the herbs in front of the pack. After carefully sniffing them, the dogs scattered in different directions.
"Now we just wait for the results." Kakashi looked at Naruto and nodded approvingly.
"Nicely done, Naruto."
Sasuke, who had been preparing to go out and train nearby, froze when he heard that.
For some reason, ever since joining Team 7, Sasuke felt that his presence had been growing weaker and weaker.
Have I become weaker? Or has Naruto been improving too quickly?
Combining Naruto's ruthless fighting methods with his Sharp-Tongued attitude and unshakable composure before powerful enemies, Sasuke's mentality became unbalanced.
How exactly does this dead-last manage to do it?
"Hey, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted. "You're free for now, right? Spar with me."
It should be noted that the trio had already completed their Tree climbing training.
As soon as Naruto heard him, he suppressed a laugh. The moment Sasuke lifted a leg now, Naruto already knew what kind of fart he was about to let out.
"My foolish—uh, teammate." Naruto clasped his hands behind his back, looking just like a leader overflowing with paternal authority.
"Stop always thinking about fighting, fighting, fighting. We do need to compete, but we must seek unity through competition. With your mindset, you'll have no chance of being selected for any awards later."
Sasuke: "Quit rambling. Are we fighting or not? Don't tell me you're scared."
"Sure, let's fight. Today, I'll show you the might of your Nine-Tails grandpa."
Naruto rolled up his sleeves and decided to use the Great Memory Restoration Technique to help Sasuke recall the Night of the Nine-Tails.
"All right, stop fooling around. I have the latest intel." Sakura pushed the door open and gestured for them to listen.
Before you continue