Sasuke, My Foolish Teammate

Sakura: "What do you mean?"

"According to the original story, Naruto encounters Haku after he takes off his mask, and they have a conversation," Naruto lowered his voice.

"I plan to try my luck and see if I can find their hideout early by tracking Haku's movements."

"That's a good idea, but Haku and Zabuza have been on the run for years, their counter-reconnaissance awareness must be very strong."

"That's why I said I'm trying my luck." Naruto nodded. This was just a casual move on his part; it wouldn't matter if it didn't work out.

For Naruto, the biggest destabilizing factors right now were Zabuza and Haku.

Zabuza wasn't controlled by Gato. If he suffered a setback this time, next time he'd target Kakashi with poison.

Moreover, he might even consider the three-person team.

"There's something else I think you need to pay attention to, and that's Gato's side," Sakura suddenly said.

"What is it?"

"I reviewed it, don't you think Gato's subordinates are a bit too numerous?" Sakura's expression was serious.

"The initial attack on us involved a squadron, the encirclement of Haku involved a large force, and they're openly distributing food within the Land of Waves..."

Naruto frowned slightly: "A human wave tactic is useless. Not many people can show off in front of the Nine-Tails, unlike Madara."

"This isn't just a human wave tactic, it feels a bit like a pyramid scheme."

Naruto's expression stiffened slightly: "Alright, as soon as I find that guy, I'll take care of him immediately."

The next morning.

Naruto lay down gently in the place where he used to train in the woods, his eyes closed, waiting for Haku's arrival.

He was a bit bored, so he started recalling the manga.

"Honestly, Haku is really flamboyant for a guy," he thought.

In his memory, Haku had long hair, wore women's clothes, and even had light green eyeshadow.

What kind of boy wears green eyeshadow...

Suddenly, Naruto had an epiphany, and information began to flood his mind.

"Konoha's Imperial Army is about to arrive," Naruto murmured softly. He had received memories from the dissolved Shadow Clone.

Excellent, next I'll let Gato of the Land of Waves feel the righteous mobbing of Konoha.

And this reinforcement... hmm, unexpected, but understandable.

Rustle, rustle.

"Little boy, you'll catch a cold sleeping here."

Naruto opened his eyes. The image from his memory began to overlap.

He really is wearing eyeshadow!

Naruto feigned grogginess and said, "Mmm-- I actually fell asleep here."

"What are you doing here?" Haku asked, seemingly casually.

Naruto stretched: "Me? I'm waiting for a steamroller to pass by. When it arrives, I'm going to flatten it with one blow."

Haku: "?"

"Training, just training."

"Is that so," Haku adjusted his hair: "You're wearing a headband, does that mean you're a ninja?"

"Not everyone who wears a headband is a ninja, they could also be rogue ninja."

Haku was slightly stunned: "You're training to catch rogue ninja?"

Naruto shook his head.

"I'm training for survival."

"Imagine you're on the street, eating hot pot and singing a song, and suddenly you're ambushed by bandits... rogue ninja, how would you feel?"

Haku remained silent.

Naruto: "Is there anyone you care about?"

"...Of course." Haku's tone wavered slightly.

With that, Haku was about to fall into Mr. Zabuza's flashback.

"I know you're about to start reminiscing, but hold off for now," Naruto interrupted the spell: "I am indeed tracking the movements of rogue ninja. They killed people, and I need them to give an explanation to the families of the deceased."

"An explanation?"

"Yes, an explanation." To stabilize Haku's emotions, Naruto didn't say that killing them would be the best explanation.

"A hero was killed by villains, and now the rogue ninja are going to kill the hero's family," Naruto said calmly.

"You can understand, right? Sometimes, ninja kill to prevent more lives from being lost."

He patted Haku's shoulder, and Haku instinctively flinched back.

Haku's feelings were complicated.

Would following Mr. Zabuza lead to more deaths?

No, that's not right.

Mr. Zabuza is my benefactor, he is my everything...

Haku was still lost in his own struggle, not noticing Naruto had already strode away.

"Boss, can you summon Ninja Dogs?"

Kakashi saw Naruto running back in a hurry.

"What's wrong?"

"I left a scent on what I suspect is the enemy, and now I need Ninja Dogs to help guide me."

Naruto held up the herbs in his hand.

He crushed the herbs he found near the forest and rubbed them repeatedly on his hands, leaving a faint scent.

Afterward, while talking to Haku, he patted his shoulder, attempting to leave the scent on his shoulder.

Of course, Haku's purpose for this trip was to gather herbs; Naruto was just adding an extra layer of security.

"Please, Boss, we have a chance to strike first."

"...Understood." Kakashi pushed himself up, circulated his Chakra for a moment, and began to cast.

"Ninjutsu: Summoning!"

"Poof!" With a puff of smoke, the Ninja Dog Pakkun appeared, squinting as he looked Naruto up and down.

"Kakashi, this is that kid, right?"

Naruto: "You know me too, Lord Dio?"

Pakkun: "?"

"Slipped up, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, a Genin for two and a half months."

Naruto then turned to Kakashi: "Boss, one isn't enough, I need more Ninja Dogs."

"What, are you doubting my sense of smell?" Pakkun let out a low whine.

"Not only does the enemy have the scent of herbs on them, but the nearby forest does too. I need more Ninja Dogs to help eliminate irrelevant options."

Kakashi thought for a moment and summoned more Ninja Dogs.

Naruto placed the herbs in front of the dogs. They sniffed carefully and dispersed in different directions.

"Now we just wait for the results," Kakashi said, looking at Naruto and nodding approvingly.

"Naruto, well done."

Sasuke, who was preparing to go out for training nearby, froze upon hearing this.

For some reason, ever since joining Team 7, Sasuke felt his presence becoming weaker and weaker.

Am I getting weaker? Or is this guy Naruto improving too fast?

Combined with Naruto's ruthless combat style from before and his unwavering composure when facing strong enemies, he was somewhat losing his mental balance.

How did this dead last do it?

"Hey, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, "Are you free for a bit? Spar with me."

It should be noted that the trio had already completed their tree climbing training.

Naruto heard him and suppressed a chuckle. Sasuke's every move now was as predictable as the smell of his farts.

"My foolish, uh, teammate," Naruto said, hands behind his back, acting like a condescending leader.

"Don't always think about fighting, fighting. We do need to compete, but we need unity within that competition. With your mindset, you'll never get any awards or recognition in the future."

Sasuke: "Shut up, are you going to fight or not? You're not scared, are you?"

"Let's go. Today I'll show you how powerful your Nine-Tails grandpa is."

Naruto rolled up his sleeves, deciding to use the Great Memory Restoration Technique to help Sasuke remember the night of the Nine-Tails.

"Alright, stop fooling around. I have the latest intel," Sakura pushed the door open, signaling for them to listen.