Land of Waves
Since Naruto and the other two were undergoing hellish training, the duty of protecting Tazuna fell on Hongshi's shoulders.
Hongshi stood in the middle of the bridge, arms folded and legs spread apart. With his exceptionally powerful build, he stood motionless like an iron tower.
"Hey! Tazuna, is this guy asleep?"
Although Hongshi's eyes were open...
"Zzzzz"
Tazuna stepped forward and waved a hand in front of his face, then sighed and told his companion, "Ah, he can even fall asleep like this."
"Tazuna, watch out!"
Clang!
A steel cable used to hoist bridge-building materials suddenly snapped, sending an iron pillar as thick as a thigh falling straight toward Hongshi and Tazuna.
Tazuna hurriedly crouched and covered his head with both hands. "Hongshi, wake up! We're going to die!"
Bang!
The iron pillar struck the back of Hongshi's head. His body shuddered, and he rubbed the back of his head. "There are mosquitoes in this weather, too?"
Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ What?!
Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ
Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ
Only then did Tazuna stand up and brush the dust off his backside, laughing awkwardly. "Ha... haha... hahaha, that's Hongshi for you. I knew all along nothing would happen."
Faced with the silence around him, Tazuna continued, "All right! It's noon. Let's take a break! Hongshi, let's go home for lunch."
"Sure, sure!"
The two walked into town together, but the sight there took Hongshi somewhat by surprise.
Throughout the town, men and women, young and old, all looked listless, squatting on the ground with vacant eyes. There was no telling what they were thinking.
Although he had seen this scene in the manga, seeing it in reality still affected Hongshi deeply. "Damn capitalism!"
"???"
"Stop! Catch that thief!"
A dark figure darted past Hongshi and Tazuna.
Tazuna told Hongshi, "My daughter asked me to pick up some vegetables on the way back so she can make lunch."
Hongshi: "(≖_≖), didn't you just see a thief run past?"
Tazuna waved a hand. "Don't mind the details."
"???"
A seven- or eight-year-old child squatted outside the vegetable shop, his head lowered, his skin sallow and his body skin and bones. He had clearly been starving for a long time. The sight tore at Hongshi's heart. "I fucking feel like letting Gato go was a mistake."
"Ah! Here we are!" Tazuna headed into the vegetable shop while Hongshi crouched in front of the child.
Seemingly without any hope, the child merely glanced at Hongshi before lowering his head again. "You don't want to give me money, and I don't have anything to give you, either."
"??? You think I'm a robber?" Hongshi asked, "Kid, what's your name?"
"..."
"How old are you?"
"..."
The child said nothing, remaining in the same position.
"Kid..." Suddenly, Hongshi felt someone touch his backside. His body shuddered, and his right fist shone white. "⁽⁽ଘ(ˊᵕˋ)ଓ⁾⁾ Ah! That feels so goo...!!! Fuck your mother! Nuclear Heavy Fist!"
Boom!
The owner of that hand wore a coat, a hat, and sunglasses, making it impossible to tell what he looked like. The last thing he saw alive was a fist glowing with white light.
The enormous blast of energy blew a crater five meters across into the ground. The earth was scorched yellow and gave off black smoke, while the man was nowhere to be found.
The deafening noise made everyone nearby stop and stare.
"You! You're so strong!"
Just as Hongshi was wondering how to wrap this up, the child behind him stood up, his eyes filled with admiration. "Please teach me how to become strong!"
Hongshi stopped worrying about everyone else's stares and turned to look at the boy. "Oh? Why do you want to become strong?"
The boy lowered his head. "My parents were killed by a gang of bandits. I only survived because I hid in the cellar. Because I'm too weak, all I can do is live in pain. I don't want that. I want to protect more people!"
Hongshi saw sincerity in the child's eyes. After thinking for a while, he nodded. "Hmm... all right."
"Really?!"
Hongshi asked, "What's your name?"
"My name is Kamiaka Hieimon."
"Whoa, what an arrogant name."
"???"
Hongshi continued, "I came to the Land of Waves on a mission. Once it's over, I'll leave."
Kamiaka Hieimon said urgently, "Please take me with you!"
Hongshi smiled. "Sure. Become my son... no, become my disciple. Bear my name and do as you please in the Shinobi World!"
"That's great!"
On the way home, Tazuna wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You really gave me a fright back there!"
Hongshi scratched the back of his head. "I couldn't control myself."
"Ever since Gato came here, this place has been like this! As long as we overcome Gato's intimidation and finish this bridge, we can make them go back to the way they used to be!"
Hongshi nodded. "Exactly. It's a symbol of courage! As long as we finish it, it'll definitely have an effect!"
Tazuna pointed at Hieimon, who was following behind them. "Hey, who's this guy?"
Hongshi said, "He's the disciple I took in. I think he's pretty talented."
Tazuna sighed. "Ah, there are thousands upon thousands of children like him. Who could save them all? Just take care of your own business."
Hongshi continued, "Yes, I'm taking care of my own business."
Three days later
In the forest
Naruto and the other two each held up a hundred-jin rock while standing on a pool of water. All three had their eyes closed, their faces drenched in sweat and their legs trembling nonstop. They had clearly almost reached their limits.
Meanwhile, Kakashi and Hongshi had built a campfire nearby and were roasting two rabbits.
Kakashi looked at the golden-brown rabbit meat dripping with fat. "Mmm, that smells so good!"
Hongshi picked one up and deliberately strolled around in front of the three. "Mmm, look at this rabbit, so big and plump. Look at this meat, so fresh and tender..."
Sakura: "(艸皿艸)"
Naruto: "(╬￣皿￣)"
Sasuke: "(#｀皿´)"
Splash! The three fell into the water one after another. "Hongshi, I'm going to kill you!"
Kakashi watched the three wolfing down their food. "You three have grown a lot over the past few days. You've improved in every area. Good work!"
Faced with the awkward silence, Kakashi said, "Don't eat so fast. At least say something!"
Looking at Naruto and the other two after they had eaten their fill, Kakashi sat up straight and told them, "I reckon Zabuza has pretty much recovered by now. We need to be careful."
Sakura looked somewhat worried. "Doesn't that mean Mr. Tazuna is in serious danger?"
Kakashi nodded. "That's right. We have to be careful during this time. Judging by Zabuza's personality, he definitely won't give up easily!"
Naruto clenched his fists. "Yeah! This time, I'll show that masked kid the results of my training!"
Sasuke: "I'll definitely defeat them!"
Kakashi smiled. "That's some good motivation. Isn't it, Hongshi? How's that disciple you took in doing now?..."
Hongshi: "...Z...zzz..."