Sakura Haruno looked inexplicably excited at the news.
"Great~ We finally don't have to keep taking missions to find cats and dogs."
Kakashi shifted his Konoha Forehead Protector and decided he should remind them of something first.
Then he lazily added,
"This is your first mission as ninja, so don't get too excited."
"Once we leave the village, it won't be as safe as it is inside."
After a pause, Kakashi thought for a moment and continued,
"Forget it. This mission isn't particularly difficult. With me protecting you along the way, there shouldn't be any problems."
"Just learn and observe as much as you can. If you don't understand something, ask."
Though I can't be bothered answering.
Kakashi left the rest unsaid.
He couldn't be bothered.
Wouldn't it be better to spend that free time reading a book?
Still, as their teacher,
there were things he ought to say. Nothing wrong with that.
Everything was ready.
The five of them set off early, carrying their luggage and travel rations.
Tazuna never went far without his liquor. Every so often, he picked up the flask hanging from his waist and took a few swigs.
The smell of alcohol clung to him.
It was a little overpowering.
Naruto was fine with it. He wasn't particularly fond of "horse piss."
If only the liquor didn't look so cloudy,
it might have been his kind of drink.
He might even have asked for a few cups and had a little taste.
The road was boring, and there were no phones or other devices to pass the time.
So Tazuna found a topic to keep the conversation going.
"I remember clearly stating in my mission request that I needed Konoha's strongest ninja to escort me. I assume you're all very capable?"
Talk about asking for the moon!
Paying the least,
yet expecting the best ninja to escort him.
Was he dreaming or what...
Tazuna was just trying to flatter them.
Naruto and the others didn't take it seriously.
But the very next moment,
Sakura Haruno grew even more pleased with herself, practically getting cocky.
"That's right! You've got a good eye."
Tazuna nodded, not giving her words much thought.
"I've heard the Hokage is the strongest ninja in Konoha?"
Sakura Haruno perked up, stars in her eyes.
"That's right! Lord Hokage is the strongest in our village. Any ninja who becomes Hokage is outstanding in every way..."
Sakura Haruno went on and on.
And, every now and then,
she sneaked a glance at Naruto.
She clearly remembered that Naruto's goal was to become Hokage!
That was her goal now, too!
Mm... A worthy young woman of Konoha: ambitious, virtuous, and responsible!
She aimed to become the Hokage's wife!
What she didn't know,
was that Naruto really did want to become Hokage, but that was for the future.
He'd be the kind of Hokage who left everything to others.
The title was his; everyone else could handle the troublesome work.
What sane person could keep up with files piled higher than a mountain?
After Sakura Haruno finished, she looked at Kakashi with satisfaction.
"By the way, Kakashi-sensei, are there no other ninja in the Land of Waves?"
And so Kakashi had to give them a lesson.
Behind every great nation,
there was a ninja village serving as its military force.
The same went for the competition between nations.
Naruto was completely uninterested.
He didn't care much about this stuff.
Put simply,
the ninja world was ruled by the survival of the fittest.
Whoever had the biggest fist made the rules!
"Many small countries lack the strength to establish ninja villages, so they don't have ninja."
"But they can recruit ninja by issuing missions."
"It's convenient that way, and both sides get what they need."
After Kakashi finished, he lazily yawned.
Sakura Haruno still wanted to hear more.
That was the charm of a good story.
She'd learned a lot today, things she'd never known before.
"Master, be careful. Do you see those two puddles up ahead?"
"There are two chakra signatures in them."
"Their strength is around Chunin level."
Kurama began to warn him from inside.
His tone was respectful.
He was sure Naruto had already noticed.
He was only chiming in to say it aloud.
His purpose was simple enough.
He wanted to earn Naruto's approval.
To prove that Kurama wasn't completely useless.
Mm... He still had a tiny bit of use.
The corners of Naruto's mouth curved slightly.
His gaze drifted toward Kakashi.
Kakashi had his hands in his pockets and looked perfectly relaxed. He must have noticed something was off.
Sakura Haruno and Tazuna both seemed unaware that danger was about to descend.
They were still chatting and laughing.
"Two no-name Chunin, huh? The Demon Brothers? Too bad I'm not who I used to be."
Naruto grinned, thinking to himself.
He recognized the two assassins, of course.
They were Zabuza Momochi's subordinates, rogue ninja from Kirigakure, known as the Demon Brothers.
The next instant,
everything changed.
Suddenly, two puddles on the ground gave rise to a pair of muscular men dressed in black, wrapped from head to toe, with masks covering their faces.
Sharp spikes bristled along their arms and bodies.
In the blink of an eye,
the moment they appeared, they targeted the person they considered the greatest threat there: Kakashi.
"First one!"
The Demon Brothers spoke in sinister voices, like vengeful ghosts come to claim a life.
Whoosh, whoosh...
They didn't strike until they did—and then, in an instant, a spiked chain gleaming with a bone-chilling light wrapped around Kakashi.
In a flash, blood sprayed everywhere, and Kakashi was cut in half!
Their first attack was lethal.
They showed no intention of holding back.
The teacher who'd been chatting and laughing just moments ago
was killed in an instant.
The grisly scene made Sakura Haruno, a girl, let out a shriek.
"Ahhhhhh..."
It had all happened too fast.
Sakura Haruno's face went deathly pale. All the strength seemed to drain from her body, and she instinctively tried to turn and run.
But she couldn't move a muscle.
Her most basic fight-or-flight response had taken over.
A faint smell of urine spread through the air.
Fortunately, it wasn't too noticeable.
After seeing their first attack succeed, the Demon Brothers grew even more arrogant.
"Second one!"
They charged straight toward Naruto.
They looked like people hell-bent on throwing their lives away, as if they were rushing to hand out free gifts in the middle of the city.
"Reckless" and "hardheaded" weren't enough to describe the Demon Brothers' heroic deeds.
Even Kurama, inside Naruto, grinned.
"What a pair of death-wishers. Since when were Chunin so brave? The one over there is the big bad wolf. If you're picking a fight, at least choose the right opponent."
Visible blue chakra spiraled around Naruto's hands, gathering into whirlwinds.
Crackle...
God-Level Taijutsu was no joke.
Naruto burst forward with tremendous speed.
Two small balls of swirling chakra slammed into the Demon Brothers, one straight into each man's heart!
There was plenty to go around!
"What's going on?!"
Terror filled the Demon Brothers' faces, and the light gradually faded from their eyes.
Their internal organs were crushed and twisted into a mess.
Their clothes were torn to shreds, too.
There was no gruesome spray of blood!
But their insides had been completely destroyed.
A few seconds later, both men's vision went black. They hit the ground, dead as dead could be.
The Demon Brothers died without ever understanding
why a mere Konoha Genin had such a terrifying technique.
After living in Konoha for more than ten years,
Sakura Haruno, one of the sheltered flowers, saw blood again!
Her delicate body wouldn't stop trembling. She covered her mouth with both hands as nausea surged up.
"Ugh..."
With the danger gone, Sakura Haruno's face turned ashen. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground, kneeling with her legs splayed to either side.
She stared blankly at Naruto.
Naruto had killed someone!
He'd killed them!!
Before you continue