Just Talent

Wind-Wave Forest, a seven-story suspended tower supported by tree trunks.

The monstrous figure removed its mask and gently stroked Zabuza's hair as he lay on the soft couch.

She was young and beautiful, with a purity and elegance that seemed out of place in this world. Her ink-black eyes were like two jewels set in a face as fair as snow.

Her name was Haku, a fifteen-year-old boy.

When Haku was six, his father gathered a group of villagers, killed his mother, and intended to kill him as well.

Driven by fear, he activated the special ability of his bloodline, the Kekkei Genkai, summoning hundreds of ice needles that pierced the bodies of all the villagers except himself, leaving them riddled with bloody holes, and he escaped the village.

He wandered, begged, and due to his striking appearance, was even tricked into becoming a male prostitute.

Another outburst of killing, another escape.

The world was vast, and the entire world was filled with malice.

But in the end, he was fortunate to meet Momochi Zabuza. On that snowy day, squatting barefoot on the bridge, he met the man who truly needed him.

"From today on, your bloodline is mine. Come with me."

Haku nestled against Zabuza's chest, as if hearing those words that had stirred his heart once again.

"I understand, I am Mr. Zabuza's weapon. I will obey your commands, please keep me by your side like a kunai."

He said. It was just that the last time he said it, he had smiled like a flower, but now he was as cold as ice.

Haku regretted it immensely.

True ninjas should abandon all emotion, but his innate kindness made him unwilling to kill Naruto and the other children, so he chose to lie low.

Under the guise of finding a weakness in the Sharingan.

Zabuza did not force him, tacitly accepting his choice.

They had only agreed that if he were defeated, Haku would seal his pressure points to fake his death and rescue him under the guise of Kirigakure's pursuit force.

But that child with six whiskers and a smiling face, with a sudden, unsealed strike, destroyed everything.

It destroyed his lifelong aspiration, which was to help Zabuza achieve his dream.

A cramping ache in his chest, a belated realization, struck him. He was almost suffocated, and finally, tears streamed down his face.

"I'm sorry, I haven't grown up yet," he said, wiping his tears. "Forgive me one last time, Mr. Zabuza."

Knock, knock, knock!

The door was pounded heavily.

"I spent so much money hiring you to kill an old man! How could you let him go home safely!"

Haku's entire face instantly collapsed, killing intent surging to the top of his head.

He formed a hand seal with one hand and screamed, "This is all your fault, you beasts! Thousand Killing Water Flight!"

Water and wind elements condensed in the air, forming dense, sharp ice cones like a torrential downpour.

Swish!

The ice cones shot through the air, and the door instantly vanished.

The knockers, ronin guards, were all unrecognizable, impaled like ice hedgehogs.

Haku reached out to close Zabuza's eyelids, got out of bed, grabbed the Kubikiribōchō, which was nearly twice his height, and dragged it on the floor as he stepped out of the room.

Moments later.

"Ah!!!"

Roars, screams, piercing the tower and passing through the forest.

In a wooden house by the coast, Kakashi lay flat on the tatami.

Tazuna's daughter, the widow Tsunami, knelt beside him, feeding him porridge spoonful by spoonful.

"Is Naruto still at the plank walkway entrance?"

Tsunami nodded. "Ever since Teacher fainted, that child has been guarding at the tree, he hasn't come back to sleep."

Kakashi pondered, struggling to push himself up with his right arm. "I can drink it myself."

He took the porridge and gulped it down. After finishing, he tried to stand up, but his legs were too weak.

"Can you find me two sticks?"

Tsunami smiled gently, got up, and went out of the house. A moment later, she returned with a pair of crutches. "Try them on to see if they fit."

"Thank you." Kakashi's spirits lifted. He pushed himself up with the ground, stood straight, and stumbled towards the door.

Tsunami asked, "Do you need me to help you?"

Kakashi shook his head decisively, pulled up his mask, walked to the water plank walkway, and took a deep breath of the ash-scented air against the sea breeze.

"Teacher, why are you up!"

Haruno Sakura jumped from the second-floor window. The tattered red qipao's hem was cut short, revealing her long legs, which connected to the pale, delicate toes in her sandals.

Kakashi squinted and smiled, "I want to go see Naruto."

"I'll accompany you."

"Mm."

Haruno Sakura also hadn't seen Naruto for four days.

After the masked man left, Kakashi had immediately fainted. Naruto, without hesitation, took command and arranged their actions.

He assigned Sasuke to patrol the village, tasked himself with guarding Kakashi and Tazuna's family, and stood watch at the village entrance's wooden walkway.

Based on Kakashi's condition, no action was permitted before then.

Although Sasuke was unhappy, he didn't refuse, and she naturally obeyed the arrangements as well.

The road was quite lively, with constant begging sounds, mostly from children, but a closer look revealed adults watching from the alleys.

Haruno Sakura couldn't stand seeing the children disheveled and miserable. She had plenty of candy in her ninja pouch and gave it to them whenever they asked.

This led to the beggar children surrounding her and Kakashi, not letting go even when they were glowing, and trying to search her bag.

Kakashi said coldly, "Sakura, get the kunai."

"But they're all children."

Kakashi's voice grew heavy, "Get the..."

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out from the bridge entrance.

"Hey!"

The beggar children quickly lined up in two rows and stood at attention, raising their left arms diagonally and shouting fanatically, "Greetings, Little Commander!"

Across the strait between the islands, Naruto descended from the treetops, stepped on the water's surface, hands in his trench coat pockets, and walked step by step onto the wooden walkway.

Kakashi found it incredible that Naruto had learned to walk on water. He had only used it in battle and hadn't even taught him the technique or its principles.

This kid's talent was comparable to his own.

Haruno Sakura watched Naruto walk towards her between the two rows of beggar children. The scene was quite bizarre, yet inexplicably harmonious.

Just as she was about to greet him, she heard Naruto say, "Teacher Kakashi looks much better. You must be almost able to run, right?"

Haruno Sakura was speechless and disappointed.

"Soon," Kakashi smiled and tapped his cane. "Thank you for your hard work."

Naruto waved dismissively.

Kakashi said, "I had planned to come out and teach you guys the lesson on gathering and controlling chakra to walk on tree trunks. It seems now only Sasuke and Sakura need to learn."

Hearing this directly from her teacher at this moment, Haruno Sakura was forced to confront a fact she had been ignoring.

The former dead last had surpassed her.

Naruto said with rare humility, "It's just talent, nothing to be proud of."

He genuinely believed it.

Haruno Sakura looked at Naruto's flowing, sun-kissed blonde hair and his confident, spirited eyes. She was momentarily stunned and lowered her head, suddenly feeling a bit too shy to look directly at Naruto.

Kakashi said, "Sakura, take me to find Sasuke."

Haruno Sakura's heart suddenly tightened. She glanced at Naruto, saw no expression on his face, and waved, "Goodbye."

Naruto replied, "Goodbye."

Haruno Sakura couldn't discern any emotion in his tone. As she walked, she turned back and asked, "Why do these children listen to you?"

"We've had a few practice sessions," Naruto said, hands behind his back, his black trench coat fluttering in the sea breeze.

Haruno Sakura couldn't understand, and Kakashi's gaze drifted.

In the forest on the opposite shore, Haku, dressed in a light pink kimono with a floral pattern, emerged from a field of flowers.

She tilted her head to the right, her gaze unfocused as she looked towards Naruto.