The Strong's Pity

6:30 AM.

Haruno Sakura bid farewell to her parents, slung her pack over her shoulder, and walked towards the gates of Konohagakure.

Knowing Naruto had borrowed money from Hinata, she felt relieved, yet also a bit sympathetic.

After all, she had never worried about money, and she treated missions as training.

During their time together, Team Seven had spent so much time together that she had discovered many of Naruto's strengths: resilience, optimism, bravery, and so on.

"Agree to Naruto? But... Sasuke is just too handsome!"

Her heart still leaned towards Sasuke, but she didn't want to reject Naruto's confession.

Because Naruto had said it was the last time, and he was serious.

If Sasuke married someone else, she might actually end up marrying Naruto.

The walls of Konohagakure stretched majestically, and Haruno Sakura spotted Kakashi waiting beneath the gate from afar. She was surprised he wasn't late.

She jogged forward, waving with a bright smile, "Kakashi-sensei! Good morning!"

Kakashi flipped his palm. "Good morning."

Haruno Sakura bowed. "This is my first mission outside the village, and my parents asked me to thank you for your care on their behalf."

Kakashi smiled, his eyes narrowing. "Haha, this is the first time I've heard thanks."

He almost forgot there was still a student in the squad with a complete family.

Haruno Sakura paused.

6:59 AM.

"Good morning!" Naruto yawned as he ran out from the right street.

He was always so tired, no matter how much he slept.

At the same time, Sasuke emerged unhurriedly from the left street, as if they had coordinated their timing.

As Naruto walked up to her, Haruno Sakura realized he had grown taller than her. She remembered he had been half a head shorter than her when they graduated.

Looking closely, his once-round, kitten-like face had matured, his jawline sharpening, exuding a heroic aura.

"Hey, I paid that much money just to have three brats escort me?"

The client, Tazuna, a grizzled old man with a stubble, clutching a wine bottle and reeking of alcohol, said, "Especially this girl, she's staring at the two boys like she's got a crush."

"Don't worry, I, a Jonin, am here too," Kakashi said, resting one hand on his hip. "Now that everyone's here, let's go!"

The tall, heavy, solid wooden gates slowly swung outward under the pull of the pulleys and ropes, revealing a dense forest.

The group of five walked out of the village.

Naruto had never been outside the forests of Konohagakure before. Going abroad this time felt like a bird escaping its cage.

Tazuna, while drinking, rambled on about how the Land of Waves was an island nation with scarce arable land and food shortages, and even the Daimyo was poor.

People starved to death every day, and there were hardly any stray children left.

The entire nation was counting on him to repair the great bridge connecting them to the mainland for seafood trade.

Naruto felt a deep sense of empathy.

This was the tragedy of the weak; they could only beg for the mercy of the strong, while the strong had the right to choose between mercy or exploitation.

The paradise established by his adoptive father was the best embodiment of mercy for the weak.

The only requirement was loyalty.

Suddenly, Naruto felt a killing intent.

The killing intent emanated from a puddle in the middle of the road ahead.

The sun was high, and it hadn't rained yesterday, so it was clear a fool was hiding in there.

Naruto casually walked towards the puddle, his cells rubbing together to gather Chakra.

Standard ninja techniques were divided into Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, but Naruto's martial arts had no such distinction; it was like a fusion of the two.

In essence, it was using intelligence to mobilize Chakra and launch attacks, eliminating the need for complicated hand seals.

To deal with these sneaky attackers, he just wanted to blast them with a single punch, and the best technique for that was the ultimate Yang and ultimate strength, the ultimate move of his adoptive father's lifelong enemy!

"180,000 Volts Power! Whale Killer! Hegemonic Fist!"

Naruto's body twisted as one, and the moment his left leg stepped over the puddle, he spun and punched down with immense force.

This punch was incredibly simple and direct, as if it lacked any technique whatsoever. It slammed into the sharp steel claws that met him from the puddle.

A chain sickle also flew out, aiming for the back of Naruto's neck.

There were actually two ninja hiding in the water!

Seeing his bare fist about to meet the weapon, Sasuke, who had reacted after Naruto's sudden move, roared, "Idiot! Stop!"

He pulled a Kunai from the tool pouch on his leg and shot it at the chain pulling the sickle back.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing exploded.

Steel claws, an artificial forearm, were driven into the masked ninja's upper arm by Naruto's fist.

Piercing his shoulder, bones cracked, and blood and flesh splattered.

The ninja's eyes nearly burst from their sockets, proof of his intense pain, yet the mouth covered by an iron mask remained silent as if mute.

Naruto didn't stop, spinning and swinging his arm, catching the kunai Sasuke had thrown by its grip and slamming it into the ground like a scythe.

He had the initiative; these two masked ninjas had no time to gather chakra or use ninjutsu, engaging him purely with strength.

In an instant, one of the two fierce, shifty-eyed ninjas lay crippled on the ground twitching, while the other, disarmed, retreated frantically.

At this moment, Kakashi, who had been guarding Tazuna, exploded into a log, having long since used the Substitution Technique to disguise himself.

Kakashi's true body suddenly appeared behind the retreating ninja, clamping his elbow around the enemy's neck and hoisting him into the air like a doll.

Kakashi looked at Naruto with his single visible eye, filled with surprise.

He was the Fourth's student, so he naturally knew Naruto's mother was from the Uzumaki Clan, a clan known for its vigorous life force and a special sensory talent.

However, the most prominent characteristic of the Uzumaki Clan was their red hair, yet Naruto had inherited the Fourth's blonde hair and had also inherited this special ability.

His original intention was to test Team Seven's combat response capabilities, but Naruto had shattered it with his own strength.

Kakashi, holding the suffocating ninja, walked towards Tazuna and dropped him, "These are Chunin from Kirigakure, known for their willingness to fight to the death."

"A C-rank mission does not include dealing with ninja. I think you owe us an explanation as to why you've encountered such enemies."

Tazuna's expression was conflicted, and he remained silent.

Splat!

Naruto stomped on the crippled ninja's head, crushing it like a watermelon, ending its suffering.

"Blech!" Haruno Sakura gagged loudly, her disgusted retching sounding as if she would expel her lungs.

When Naruto began fighting, she had hallucinated images of his arm being crushed and his head being sliced off by the scythe, rolling away.

She hadn't expected Naruto's fist to be so hard, his movements so decisive, and his killing so simple, so effortless, without even a flicker in his pupils.

It was as if he had killed a hundred people.

"Disband, return to the village," Kakashi said, seeing Tazuna's continued silence. "The village will refund your bounty within seven business days."

Team Seven turned, except for Naruto.

His gaze was filled with immense pity, the last gift of the strong to the weak. "All the money?"

"All of it." The old man, as if compelled by some magic, nodded.

He was sober, or rather, had never been drunk. He closed his eyes and shouted forcefully, "Don't go! I'll tell you everything!"

"I was afraid to tell you because the enemy's name is too great, you've definitely heard of him," Tazuna said, ignoring the blood pooling on the ground, running to Naruto and grabbing his arm. "Gato!"

Naruto: "Teacher Kakashi! Who is Gato!"

"Chairman of the shipping company, the fourth richest man on the world's wealth rankings." Kakashi had no intention of abandoning the mission, only wanting to force the old man to reveal the mastermind.

"How did you get involved with him?"

Tazuna poured out his troubles. "Gato controls all the ports in the Land of Waves. For an island nation, this means controlling everything. That's why I wanted to build the bridge."

Naruto asked doubtfully, "What if he blows up the bridge after it's built?"

Tazuna said slowly, "I'm afraid too, but building the bridge is our only hope."