Tazuna

"A C-rank mission: escort Mr. Tazuna to the Land of Waves. This is the most suitable one for you all at the moment."

Receiving a C-rank escort mission from the Hokage building meant they could finally leave the village. Everyone present felt incredibly excited; this was their first time venturing beyond the village gates.

Mufeng Uchiha began to recall the details of this mission from the original story. Tazuna had deliberately concealed the true nature of the task, masking a B-rank mission as a C-rank one.

There would be two Kirigakure missing-nin ambushing them on the road. The key figures were the Demon Zabuza and Yuki Haku, who possessed Ice Style. It would be a pity if those two were to die.

Moreover, Gato, who appeared in this mission, was a massive tycoon! As the saying goes, rob the rich to help the poor. A scumbag like Gato had no right to possess such wealth. It should belong to those capable of holding it, so I will graciously accept it.

After accepting the mission, they approached Tazuna, who was currently chugging from a bottle of sake.

"Hic—what is this? Just a bunch of kids? Hey, are you sure this little shrimp can protect me? No, no, get someone else."

Seeing a silver-haired, sickly-looking middle-aged man leading a group of half-grown brats, Tazuna was immediately displeased. Could these people really protect him? He'd probably end up having to protect these little brats himself.

"Old man, it's just an escort. We are more than enough. Don't tell me that for the pittance of a C-rank mission, you expected to hire Chunin or Jonin? You're acting suspicious, old man."

Mufeng Uchiha suddenly turned aggressive, closing in on Tazuna with his Sharingan already activated.

"Brother Mufeng, this uncle is indeed being excessive. Just ignore him calling you a shrimp; be the bigger person and don't bicker with an old man."

Naruto Uzumaki spoke with an air of maturity, leaving everyone around him speechless. Had he not realized that the shortest person on the scene was actually him, Naruto Uzumaki?

Facing the demon-like Mufeng Uchiha, the nerves Tazuna had numbed with alcohol suddenly sharpened, and he began to stutter.

"Stay back! I am your employer! Konoha ninja aren't allowed to attack civilians, and I was just worried about the safety of the road!"

Tazuna's stammering immediately aroused the suspicion of Kakashi Hatake, who sternly questioned him.

"Sir, are you hiding something about this mission? You had best tell the truth; this concerns the lives of ninja."

The killing intent of a Jonin enveloped Tazuna. As a mere civilian, Tazuna had never seen such a display and, with a mournful face, confessed everything.

"Stinking old man, who are you calling a shrimp? I'm not short, I just haven't grown up yet! When I grow up, I'll definitely be taller than all of you!"

Only then did Naruto Uzumaki realize the "little shrimp" comment was directed at him, but everyone else's attention was already fixed on Tazuna's deception.

"This old grandfather is truly pitiful. Why don't we just help him?"

Tazuna wept as he spoke of his deceased son and his helpless grandson. Sakura Haruno was moved by his words, her heart softening as she considered agreeing.

"Sakura Haruno, you need to realize that the opponent we are facing is the Demon Zabuza. He is a Jonin no weaker than Kakashi Hatake."

"And it's not just him; there are other missing-nin. They are all killers. Do you think you can fight those people? Or do you expect someone else to protect you? Don't be naive."

"You pity him? Tazuna hid this vital information, causing the village to misjudge the mission rank as C and assign a team of Genin to execute it."

"They claim the village has no money to issue higher-rank missions, but to hide mission details like this—isn't that being irresponsible with our lives!"

This was reality. In the original story, if Naruto and the others weren't the protagonists, any other Genin squad attempting this mission would likely have died.

Such behavior was a complete disregard for the lives of others; it could not be excused by simply saying, "We don't have the money to issue a higher-rank mission."

"Mr. Tazuna, for a mission like this, we have the right to refuse."

Kakashi Hatake highly approved of Mufeng Uchiha's words. As a battle-hardened ninja, he knew the importance of intelligence; it was often the key to a person's survival.

Hearing that they might refuse the mission, Tazuna panicked, casting pleading looks at Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and the two Uchiha brothers.

This time, Sakura Haruno lowered her head, and Naruto struggled with his thoughts, while the two brothers remained cold-hearted and unmoved.

It seemed they were going to reject the mission outright. Just as Kakashi Hatake was about to speak, Mufeng Uchiha stepped in first.

"Not necessarily. If you can hand over a portion of the rights to the Great Naruto Bridge to us, we will accept this mission."

"Let's be clear, this is a private deal. I suggest you think carefully. Don't let the sickly look of this silver-haired uncle fool you; he is the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake, who has copied over a thousand jutsu. If you miss out on him, you won't find anyone better for this price."

The barrage of titles left the old man Tazuna stunned, his wrinkled face bunching up.

He was the only hope for the bridge in the Land of Waves; he had to go back.

The bridge was the key to changing the Land of Waves. To simply hand over a portion of its rights—he would be failing the people of his land!

But if the bridge couldn't be built, there would be no future to speak of. Finally, he made up his mind.

"I agree, but only a portion of the rights to the bridge. Remember, only a portion."

He understood this was Tazuna's bottom line and couldn't push any further, especially since who would own the bridge in the future was still up in the air.

"It's a deal. Don't go back on your word."

Kakashi Hatake wanted to say something, but seeing that his students had already negotiated, he held his tongue.

The Demon Zabuza was indeed a difficult opponent. If he were alone, he truly couldn't protect the three of them.

But with Mufeng—a genius who had learned the Second Hokage's Water Style in such a short time—his displayed strength was no weaker than an average Jonin.

With him there, the safety of The Three Genin would be assured.

This mission could also serve as a test for them, a trial to transform into true ninja.

As for the deal between Mufeng Uchiha and Tazuna, he would just pretend he hadn't heard a thing.

Once everything was settled, they quickly finished the exit procedures. As they walked out of the village, everyone looked around with curiosity.

"So this is the scenery outside the village. It's so beautiful!"

"Big Brother Mufeng, we're going to run into ninjas this time, right? Just watch me, Naruto Uzumaki, take them all down with my Wind Breathing."

Sasuke Uchiha stared at Mufeng Uchiha's back without a word. Honestly, he found it increasingly difficult to understand his own twin brother these days.

He was pondering why Mufeng Uchiha wanted that Great Naruto Bridge so badly. Knowing full well that their opponent was a jonin, he still acted so relaxed—was he really that confident in his own strength?

He tightened his fists as well; this escort mission was also a test of his own years of training.

Mufeng, I will prove that I am the older brother and you are the younger one!

Kakashi Hatake, meanwhile, looked utterly listless, acting as a tour guide while dealing with the endless stream of questions from Naruto Uzumaki.

He felt like he was taking a group of children on a field trip; at the end of the day, they were just a bunch of kids.

If Rin and Obito were still here, they would surely be out on missions with their own students just like me.

In these few, he saw the shadows of his old friends once again.

Mufeng Uchiha walked along, observing his surroundings. What followed would be a true life-or-death struggle. Demon Zabuza, between your Water Style and mine, who is truly stronger? I'm looking forward to it.