Master of Type Disadvantages!

After a few quick laps around town, Uzumaki Gamu and Mito settled into an inn!-Mainly because the town really was tiny. It seemed to have only a hundred-odd residents, so there wasn't much to see!

After checking in, Uzumaki Gamu chatted with the innkeeper and learned a little about the town!

Although there were trees, water, and farmland here, the oasis was only large enough to support a hundred-odd people. Any more than that was beyond its capacity!

...It felt like a completely different place from that future city with its towering skyscrapers.

Based on what he had seen in the movie, Uzumaki Gamu came up with a reasonable theory!

At present, the dragon vein was here, but no one had harnessed its power. Only its leaking energy had turned the surrounding land into an oasis, drawing people from nearby areas to settle in this little town. Sometime in the future, someone would discover how to use the dragon vein's power, expand the oasis and the settlement, and turn this little town into a city-state!

Then, its people would use the dragon vein's power to make their country prosperous, until a puppeteer named Mukade traveled back from the future to the Ancient Kingdom of Roran. Through political scheming, he took control of the country and used the dragon vein's power to manufacture puppet weapons. Naruto, who traveled back with him, joined forces with Minato Namikaze, who was still alive in that era, to defeat him and stop his evil plan.

As the villain, however, Mukade resorted to taking everyone down with him after his defeat. He sent the dragon vein's power into a frenzy, intending to bury all of Rōran along with himself. To protect Rōran's people, Minato used the-ridiculously badass-Sealing Jutsu he had learned from the Uzumaki to seal the dragon vein's power! This saved Rōran from being blown sky-high!

However, deprived of the dragon vein's power, the city gradually lost its vitality. After it was caught up in a war, it became nothing more than history, and its surviving inhabitants moved elsewhere to places where they could live!

Well, that should be more or less how it went~ Uzumaki Gamu thought.

In short, this was currently just a desert town. Apart from the untapped dragon vein underground, there was nothing particularly special about it.

As such, Uzumaki Gamu had little interest in the place and planned to move on after spending one night at the inn.

Mito, on the other hand, was very interested in this little foreign town. She went around talking to people and learning about its customs!

Then, eight o'clock that evening rolled around. Uzumaki Gamu, who was sitting in the square tinkering with his ninjutsu, suddenly looked in a certain direction!

A few seconds later, Mito returned with the Body Flicker Technique and asked, "Second Brother, did you see them?"

Uzumaki Gamu nodded. "Yeah, a whole group is making its way toward town. Judging by their formation... a few dozen people? Riding camels, all armed... Are you guys the Forty Thieves?"-Their appearance reminded Uzumaki Gamu of the Forty Thieves... Maybe they really were bandits?

Mito asked, "Are they after you, Second Brother?"

Uzumaki Gamu shook his head. "Doesn't look like it... Most of them can't even mold chakra. They seem like ordinary thieves? Anyway, let's wait and see!"-Not everyone in the Hokage World could use chakra. Many people lacked the talent to mold chakra and use ninjutsu. These ordinary people generally worked in other professions, though some who were simply good at fighting became hired muscle or samurai, competing with ninja for work... Competing with practically superhuman ninja who could soar through the skies and burrow underground was no easy life.

Since they didn't know what the group had come for, Uzumaki Gamu and Mito stayed put and found somewhere to hide-most of the approaching people were ordinary people without chakra, so they couldn't detect ninja who were deliberately concealing themselves.

Once the suspected thieves entered town, they immediately began smashing things and looting.

"They really are bandits~" Uzumaki Gamu couldn't help remarking from the shadows.

The more chaotic the times, the more bandits and thieves there were! Things were a little better in the Land of Fire, where powerful ninja clans left ordinary thieves and mountain bandits no room to survive. Or rather... the ordinary ninja clans handled all the smashing and looting themselves, leaving these ordinary people no chance to get involved!

But in the chaotic Land of Wind, there was room for them to operate!

The Land of Wind already had few ninja to begin with (anyone truly capable would go be a ninja in another country. Who would willingly suffer in this godforsaken place? Of course, there was evidence for the Land of Wind's shortage of ninja: the Puppet Technique was invented precisely to compensate for a lack of manpower. Give one person a puppet, and they effectively had the fighting power of two... Sunagakure really had it rough~), and their quality wasn't great either. This left room for bandit gangs made up of ordinary people to survive!

Back to the point: since they were thieves, stealing was their main occupation, and they had come to this little town to steal!

After an initial bout of smashing things to intimidate the residents, they brought someone who appeared to be the mayor into the town square. Then came the usual threats and demands for money!

Hidden in the shadows, Uzumaki Gamu couldn't help thinking, I never thought I'd see this outside of television. Well, I did spend too long holed up at home before. The stronger individuals are in a place, the more easily this sort of thing happens!

Beside him, Mito asked, "...Are we just going to watch?"

"...That's all we can do~" Uzumaki Gamu said with a shrug-this was a classic plot in traditional wuxia novels!

A young hero left the mountains, happened upon innocent people being bullied, and nobly drove off the villains, winning everyone's praise... Then what?

After punishing evil and earning a good reputation, the young hero could simply leave. But the innocent people couldn't go anywhere-their homes were here! If the fleeing villains returned for revenge, only those innocent people would suffer!

Of course, he could wipe out every last villain, but... could he be sure they had no accomplices who would come back for revenge? Besides, killing people outright for the sake of strangers... wouldn't that make him the terrorist?

The real solution was for the locals to rise up themselves-and judging by their current reactions... that wasn't happening!

While talking with the innkeeper, Uzumaki Gamu had learned that the townspeople loved peace and disliked fighting. They had no ninja... They didn't even have anyone guarding the town... With nothing to defend yourselves, who else would the bandits rob?

After Uzumaki Gamu explained this to Mito, she silently nodded-she thought his reasoning made perfect sense too!

Besides, Uzumaki Gamu had another reason not to act... Apart from these bandits, there was another group near the town.

Meanwhile, the bandit leader was indeed threatening the mayor to hand over food and valuables, and the mayor's answer amounted to-even the landlord had no grain to spare~

All right, if the mayor had actually phrased it like that, the bandit leader probably would have chopped him down on the spot!

Still, the meaning was accurate-the town had already been robbed two days ago, and they truly had no spare money or food now. If they handed over their remaining water and food, they might die!

"Who cares whether you live or die! Hand over the food! Otherwise, I'll kill every last one of you... Then I can take the food anyway!" the bandit said coldly-now that was going too far!

Mito's gaze turned cold as she hid in the shadows, but she still had no intention of acting-they weren't children anymore. They wouldn't charge out to fight someone just because their blood was boiling (perhaps Hashirama would?). More importantly, they were ninja!

Ninja didn't let personal feelings interfere with their missions. Besides... they hadn't even accepted a mission! These people had nothing to do with them!

And the bandit leader wasn't merely making empty threats... He really drew his blade!

Just then, a little girl under ten suddenly rushed into the square, stood in front of the mayor, and cried, "Don't hurt my dad!!"-Uh... Was that the mayor's daughter?

It seemed she had run out of her house to protect her father.

When the little girl appeared, Mito began struggling to hold back-adults dying was commonplace in this era, but watching a child die...

"Stay back! Go home!!" The mayor hurriedly tried to push his daughter away.

But the bandit leader didn't care. After giving the mayor a cold look, he grabbed the little girl and lifted her up, threatening, "Oh~ So you've got family. Perfect. If you don't hand over the money and food, you can watch her die!"-What a deranged piece of scum. He wouldn't even spare a child?

Seeing his child in danger, the mayor immediately dropped to his knees and repeatedly knocked his head against the ground, pleading, "Sir!! We really don't have any food left! You can take your anger out on me. Please, spare my child!!"

"Who the fuck wants to take their anger out on you?!! Give me the food already... Forget it. You probably won't behave until you see blood. In that case..." The bandit leader's blade was already sweeping toward the little girl!

Mito clenched her fists-she couldn't take it anymore!!

When something became intolerable, there was no need to tolerate it!!-Mito was about to act!

However, someone beat her to it!

Hiss!!-Amid the crackle of lightning, Uzumaki Gamu caught the bandit leader's blade with a hand wreathed in Chidori. At the same time, he snatched the little girl from the bandit's grasp and tossed her behind him.

Looking at the bandit leader as though he were already dead, Uzumaki Gamu said, "Demanding money is one thing, but isn't killing people going too far?"

Why did he look at him as though he were already dead? Because this bandit leader had made one mistake.

There's only one reason you're going to die, bandit leader. One very simple reason: you pissed off my little sister!-Sure enough, this guy was a sister fanatic!

Of course, Uzumaki Gamu wasn't shameless enough to say that aloud. He merely stared at him as though he were already dead!

Seeing Uzumaki Gamu act, Mito immediately flickered over and shielded the little girl!

The little girl under Mito's protection had kept her eyes fixed on Uzumaki Gamu ever since he appeared. Then... determination suddenly filled her eyes, as though she had made some momentous decision!

Looking at the suddenly appeared Uzumaki Gamu and Mito, the bandit leader frowned and asked, "Are you two... ninja?"

"Of course!" Uzumaki Gamu answered.

"...Really? To me, you're just brats who've picked up a few tricks. Trying to play hero at your age-are you tired of living?" A wind release chakra reaction suddenly appeared on the bandit leader's blade... Was he a ninja too?

Yes, he could be considered a ninja... At least, he could use chakra, something Uzumaki Gamu had naturally noticed from the start! So he wasn't surprised!

As the bandit leader wrapped wind release chakra around his blade, he couldn't help laughing inwardly. This stupid brat probably rushed out to save someone without even realizing I'm a ninja... Let me teach you something, kid. Wind release counters lightning release. Against me, you don't stand a chance... What?!-The smug bandit leader suddenly reeled in shock.

Because... Uzumaki Gamu's lightning release was overpowering his wind release!

Holy shit, a master of type disadvantages? Were you Ash from Pallet Town?

Well, of course Uzumaki Gamu wasn't a master of type disadvantages. The reason this happened was naturally... his opponent was just too weak!

Could a genin's wind release threaten an elite jonin's lightning release?

The bandit leader suddenly realized something... He had bitten off far more than he could chew!

How is this possible? He's only a fourteen-year-old kid!! This was an adult's stubborn pride-the bandit leader refused to admit that he was weaker than the child before him... Much weaker!

After all, that would hurt his pride far too much. Besides, if he embarrassed himself in front of his men, how could he keep his standing in the underworld?

Then Uzumaki Gamu suddenly said, "Killing people is wrong... For the sake of my red hair, do me a favor and take your men out of here!"-After all, Uzumaki Gamu had red hair too, so why couldn't he activate the Respect-Respect Fruit? (Author: If you could gain the abilities of a red-haired character, whose would you want most? Uzumaki Gamu: Well... Adol Christin. It'd be nice to wake up to a beautiful girl whenever I reached a new world~ Author: Got it. You're a red-haired lecher too~)

Of course, Uzumaki Gamu wasn't saying this out of newfound mercy. Rather... killing someone in front of a child was bad. He would let them leave first, then intercept and kill them outside town-with the Six Eyes, they had absolutely no chance of escaping him!

And the bandit leader's response to Uzumaki Gamu's power of respect was...

"Die, you stupid brat!! Aaargh!!"-The bandit leader had barely finished speaking before Uzumaki Gamu sent him flying with an iron-fisted punch!

He rolled across the ground several times before stopping.

"You fucking idiot! I gave you a way out, and you spat on it!!" Uzumaki Gamu cursed furiously-unable to read the situation, appreciate a favor, or take a hint. Another offense on the list, and a straight road to death!

Keeping a child from seeing someone killed wasn't difficult-he could simply drag the man outside town and finish him off there.

Yet just as Uzumaki Gamu was about to act, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"-An A-rank wind release ninjutsu. Chakra projected from the fingertips became a sharp blade that struck the enemy on a gust of wind!

The bandit leader lying on the ground was beheaded just like that!

At the same time, another group of a dozen or so ninja appeared and captured all the remaining bandits!

Seeing them, Mito told Uzumaki Gamu, "Second Brother, they were waiting nearby earlier."

"Yeah... I saw them too. They don't seem to be with the bandits. Well, they could be pretending, of course. Anyway... let's talk to them first!" Uzumaki Gamu turned his attention to the man who had just used Wind Blade!

The man wore a cloak and stood coolly on a rooftop. Framed by the moonlight, he looked like a formidable expert!

Something about his appearance seemed faintly familiar to Uzumaki Gamu... Where had he seen him before?

I remember him, but not clearly... If someone from this era was mentioned in the main story, he must be a major figure... Could it be? Uzumaki Gamu had a rough idea! (A brief aside: when I wrote this, those slackers at MoreFun still hadn't announced Reto's moves and skills, so I could only describe him based on leaked information I'd seen-he could use Wind Blade, and another move called Divine Wind. That move... At least a wind release technique with the same name, Wind Release: Divine Wind, appeared in the movie Naruto's Death. It used chakra to control wind spheres that attacked like remote weapon pods... I don't know whether it'll be that one.)

Just then, the mayor suddenly cried, "L-Lord Reto!! Have you come to save us?"

So he really is the First Kazekage? Uzumaki Gamu confirmed inwardly.

Hearing the mayor call to him, Reto flickered down to the ground and said gently, "That's right. We rushed over as soon as we received word... After all, everyone in Rōran has supported us financially. We couldn't possibly abandon you!"-Apparently, supporting them was part of the reason Rōran Town had no money.

Still, things probably weren't as straightforward as Reto claimed-Uzumaki Gamu had seen them waiting outside town earlier, yet they hadn't acted until Uzumaki Gamu intervened. That clearly didn't fit the kindhearted champion of justice Reto was presenting himself as... Of course, that didn't necessarily make him a bad person. Uzumaki Gamu could sense that they truly had wanted to come out and save people.

Then, a reasonable guess would be that Reto had merely wanted to appear at the perfect moment, reinforce his glorious, righteous image, and make it easier to ask this place for money later?

The Land of Wind's knack for squeezing out funding really did get passed down through the generations~

That referred to Fourth Kazekage Rasa-another fellow who thought about funding all day long. Of course, Rasa had his own difficulties. When he took office, Sunagakure really was dirt poor. He had to subsidize it by selling the gold dust he extracted from the desert just to keep it from going bankrupt (a reasonable guess was that Rasa became the Fourth Kazekage thanks to his Magnet Release: Gold Dust).

Back to the point-Reto wasn't a purely good person, but he wasn't evil either. Perhaps he was a passionate yet extremely pragmatic politician who wanted to save his country?-That was Uzumaki Gamu's first impression of Reto!

Once they saw their town had been saved, the townspeople who had been hiding in their homes ran out... Why did this feel like "guns in hand, follow me"? Well, Let the Bullets Fly really deserved cultural heritage status!

While the townspeople cheered, Reto approached Uzumaki Gamu and offered his hand. "Hello, unnamed ninja. Thank you for helping the people of this town!"

Uzumaki Gamu shook Reto's hand and declared righteously, "No need to thank me... Drawing one's blade against injustice is what anyone with a blade of justice in their heart would do!"-That was completely different from what you'd been thinking while hiding in the shadows earlier!

Reto froze briefly at those words, but he quickly regained his composure and said normally, "My name is Reto. I lead a ninja organization nearby. Judging by your skills just now, I imagine you aren't a ninja from our Land of Wind?"

"My name is Gamu Uzumaki. I'm a ninja from the Land of Fire... This is my younger sister, Mito Uzumaki," Uzumaki Gamu said, introducing Mito.

"Oh~~ Gamu Uzumaki? I seem to have heard that name recently..." Reto pretended to search his memory-well, he hadn't lost his memory. He only said that because he didn't want Uzumaki Gamu to know he had previously sent people to intercept him.

That morning, after spreading the news about Uzumaki Gamu, Reto had still sent people to investigate his whereabouts. Naturally, they hadn't found him-Uzumaki Gamu wasn't that easy to track!

Reto hadn't worried too much about it-his intuition told him he would run into Uzumaki Gamu sooner or later, so he was in no hurry!

Then, that afternoon, he had received a report-a bandit gang was rushing toward a town under their protection!

Rōran had paid them protection money, making its people their employers of sorts. Considering the organization's long-term operation, Reto and his men certainly couldn't ignore this place... Otherwise, who would pay them protection money in the future?

Of course, Reto himself didn't want to see innocent people bleed either, so he immediately brought his subordinates over!

Then, just as Uzumaki Gamu had guessed-to maximize his gains, Reto hadn't acted immediately. Instead, he waited for the most suitable opportunity to make a dazzling entrance and inspire even greater trust among Rōran Town's residents!

However, that decision allowed Uzumaki Gamu to intervene. Although Reto was glad to have encountered Uzumaki Gamu here without having to search for him again, his plan would fall apart if Uzumaki Gamu stole all the glory. Thus, Reto immediately flickered into the scene and killed the bandit leader without holding back... Normally, he should have captured him and seen whether he could recruit him, or at least exchange him for money... So that counted as a loss, didn't it?

Well, he would find a way to make up for that loss through Uzumaki Gamu!

After watching Uzumaki Gamu fight, Reto had settled on his plan-he absolutely had to befriend Uzumaki Gamu!

His strength was unfathomable, and with his Uzumaki background on top of that, he would definitely become an important figure who couldn't be underestimated. Befriending him would certainly bring benefits!

That was why Reto spoke to Uzumaki Gamu so warmly, making sure he didn't leave even the slightest bad impression.

Reto intended to bring them closer with his next remark, but unexpectedly, Uzumaki Gamu spoke first.

"It's only natural you've heard my name. I'm one of the Land of Fire's three outstanding young talents. By the way, I've heard your name too, Mr. Reto... They say you're the strongest in the Land of Wind?" Uzumaki Gamu asked.

"Huh?... No, nothing of the sort. There are still quite a few seniors in the Land of Wind who are stronger than me..." Although he aspired to rule, Reto understood one principle well-stockpile grain, and delay claiming the crown!

Without absolute strength, drawing too much attention would only make him everyone's target. For the sake of ultimate success, Reto didn't care about meaningless fame!

Still, although he didn't care about fame, Reto was now very curious-why had Uzumaki Gamu suddenly started praising him?