Side Quest, Bridge Builder

Such a genius, a glimpse of his potential is enough!

As for Sasuke, his mouth hung wide open at this moment.

"Big brother... you've gone straight past the Three Tomoe? I remember when I had two, you hadn't even awakened your eyes yet, and now you've already surpassed me?"

Sasuke was completely bewildered. The reason Uchiha Sora had been called a loser before was precisely because he hadn't awakened his eyes for such a long time.

Now, he had actually come from behind to take the lead, which truly shocked everyone present.

As for Deidara, he curled his lip, seemingly long accustomed to this.

"Master is a man capable of creating art; a mere Sharingan is something he could surely master in a heartbeat!"

Facing the shock of the crowd, Uchiha Sora coughed once.

"Alright! What did you two seniors come to find me for this time?"

Uchiha Sora asked again, but this time, the answer was completely different.

"Well... the Hokage wants you to solidify your current status. Even though you are very strong, the people in the village don't know that, so it's just a formality."

Kakashi looked polite, as if he were facing someone of his own standing.

"As for this mission, it's not difficult. It's just to escort a Bridge Builder. This guy is from a small nearby country. At most, he might be ambushed by a group of bandits; the difficulty is at the lowest level!"

Jiraiya also said in his usual boisterous manner.

Seeing this, Uchiha Sora frowned.

Having read the original work, he understood this Bridge Builder arc; they should encounter Zabuza.

But this wasn't right!

According to the original story, shouldn't this have happened a long time ago?

Could it be that his arrival had altered the timeline?

Uchiha Sora could only think as much.

However, although there were discrepancies, the overall difficulty shouldn't be much different.

Zabuza, as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, had strength roughly on par with Kakashi.

And that was Kakashi from the early stages of the Hokage era.

To deal with him, Uchiha Sora felt an AK-47 would be enough!

"Let's go! Since it's a mission for Konoha Village, completing it is our duty."

Uchiha Sora agreed readily.

Just like that, Uchiha Sora followed them to the main gate.

Only then did he see Naruto and Sakura Haruno waiting at the entrance.

At this moment, the two of them were also looking at Uchiha Sora in shock.

"Sora! You're this strong? Someone even wanted to fight you before! I think his name was Choji!"

Naruto immediately tattled on the spot.

Sakura Haruno, on the other hand, looked lovestruck.

"Sora! Do you have a... no! Do you have a teammate right now?"

Uchiha Sora's appearance was quite good; he had inherited Sasuke's uninhibited nature and Madara Uchiha's wildness.

In any case, he was definitely one of the most handsome men in the Hokage world.

Facing the question, Uchiha Sora gave a serious cough.

"Ahem! Sorry, I already have a teammate."

Uchiha Sora certainly couldn't say he didn't; he already had Hinata.

As for starting a harem, that was something he absolutely couldn't afford.

At the very least, his current strength didn't allow for it.

However, Sakura Haruno was not discouraged, her eyes still shining brightly.

"Is that so! That means there's a chance in the future!"

Uchiha Sora hesitated for a moment and nodded.

"I suppose so!"

The conversation between the two was very strange; perhaps only the two of them could understand it.

Kakashi, standing to the side, urged them on.

"Let's go! The client this time can't wait any longer. He said the escort of the blueprints cannot be delayed!"

Uchiha Sora nodded, and just like that, the group soon left the village. At the village gate, Uchiha Sora spotted the client for this mission: an old man with a white beard. In the original work, this guy was someone who disguised himself as a Bridge Builder, but in reality, he was concealing the conflict between two countries and was also involved with a local gang.

It even involved the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who were considered top-tier ninjas in the early days of the ninja world.

It could be said that this mission was not D-rank at all; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to classify it as the highest A-rank.

Uchiha Sora did not expose him, however, because he had a specific goal for this trip. Since his long-term mission was to save his older brother, he knew he could hardly achieve it on his own.

After all, his brother was surrounded by freaks like Nagato!

Therefore, Uchiha Sora intended to cultivate his own team and win through sheer numbers.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered recruiting Deidara or training Sasuke.

Thus, Uchiha Sora's mission was to recruit a companion—not Zabuza, but Haku.

That's right!

Uchiha Sora's target was Haku. Of course, this wasn't because of his looks, but because Haku was one of the rare medical ninjas in the Naruto World capable of pressure-point strikes.

Furthermore, he was proficient in the art of assassination. In the early stages of the ninja world, he was essentially one of the power ceilings—a near-perfect, well-rounded warrior.

Compared to Zabuza, whose role overlapped with his own, what Uchiha Sora lacked was support, not just another combatant.

"Everyone... you're all ready, right? This mission isn't difficult, so I hope you'll protect me well!"

The Bridge Builder chuckled, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

Kakashi nodded.

"Although these are all ninja students, they are very strong and among the best of their peers. Especially Uchiha Sora, who is from the Uchiha clan; protecting you will certainly be more than enough."

Jiraiya curled his lip.

"Why didn't you introduce me? Regardless of anything else, I am one of the Legendary Sannin. With me around, what petty thief would dare provoke us?"

The Bridge Builder only chuckled, seemingly hiding something.

However, the group didn't pay it any mind, treating this mission more like a sightseeing trip.

Along the way, Uchiha Sora, Deidara, and Sasuke formed one squad.

Sakura Haruno and Naruto were in their own separate groups.

Kakashi and Jiraiya served as the team leaders for this mission.

For the moment, none of them felt any tension, not taking the mission seriously at all.

Just like that, chatting and laughing along the way, they soon left the village's perimeter and reached the true wilderness.

In the Naruto World, any area classified as wilderness was a lawless zone—a place where no one cared.

"No one cares" meant the Five Great Ninja Villages didn't care, the Five Great Nations didn't care, and even ordinary small-time ninjas didn't care.

Such places might contain a few small countries or villages.

But in the Naruto World, these were nothing more than desolate backwaters.

Without chakra, a place didn't even deserve to be called part of the ninja world.

At this moment, on a desolate hillside overgrown with weeds, one particular spot had been meticulously cleared.

Hidden there was a small courtyard.

Zabuza stared coldly at the slip of paper in his hand.

"Interesting... the target for this assassination will be passing by a bridge not far from here. Let's go, the mission is on!"

Behind Zabuza, Haku stepped out, still wearing his signature mask.

"Once this mission is complete, will we be able to rest for a while?"

Zabuza let out a cold laugh.

"Not a chance. As assassination ninjas, do you really think we'll ever have a peaceful life?"

"How long has it been, and you're still dreaming? We are assassins, not playing house. Once you step onto this path, there is no turning back!"