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[+200 power stones = +1 extra chapter]
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Naruto's gut twisted as he watched the Mist rogue ninja writhe on the ground after his punch. Something about this felt off.
"Sasuke! Where's your Sharingan? Hurry up and do your thing!"
Sasuke, despite his drained chakra, trudged over. "What exactly am I supposed to do?"
"Use your Sharingan's genjutsu to squeeze intel out of him," Naruto said, hauling the rogue ninja upright.
This was one of Naruto's lessons to Sasuke, how the Sharingan could be a tool for interrogation. He didn't have the eyes himself, but he knew their potential.
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, locking the rogue ninja in a hypnotic trance. The man, clearly no elite, succumbed instantly.
"How many of you are there?" Sasuke demanded.
"Three," the rogue replied dully.
"All here?"
"Yeah."
"Why kidnap kids?"
The rogue scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "What else? Selling them for ryō to spoil my woman. You think I'd keep them as pets?"
Sasuke's jaw tightened. "You have a wife, yet you tear families apart? Ever think about what you're doing to them?"
The rogue sneered. "Why should I care?"
Naruto nudged Sasuke. "Forget the moral lecture. Ask him if his wife's hot."
Sasuke shot him a bewildered look. Sakura and Kakashi stared.
'Really?'
Naruto waved a hand. "Never mind. Pretend I didn't say that."
Sasuke resumed the interrogation, digging for details.
The full story emerged, these rogue Mist ninja had fled to the Land of Fire, broke and desperate. To fund their vices, they'd turned to child trafficking. The "wife" was just a bar girl, and the kidnapped children had already been sold off.
Once they'd learned everything, Naruto snapped the rogue's neck and tossed the body aside.
"Mission's done," he announced, dusting his hands. "Head back without me. I've got other business."
Sakura gasped. "Naruto, you're not coming with us?"
Naruto shook his head.
"But the Third Hokage said you'd be in danger outside the village!" she protested.
Naruto patted his stomach. "Relax. I've got insurance."
1.5 tails worth of Kurama's chakra, more than enough to handle most threats in the shinobi world.
Kakashi frowned. "I'm not letting you go alone."
Naruto sighed. "Kakashi-sensei, who needs protection more, me, or these two?" He jerked a thumb at Sasuke and Sakura. "Besides, who's the captain here?"
Kakashi hesitated. "You'll regret this... or, well, maybe not. But you're the one taking the risk."
Despite his misgivings, Kakashi deferred to Naruto's authority.
The team wrapped up the mission, informing the village chief where the children had been sold. Then, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura set off for Konoha.
Naruto, meanwhile, turned east, toward the sea.
Beyond the Land of Fire lay the tiny island nation of the Land of Waves.
That was his real destination.
He'd picked this mission precisely because of its proximity to Waves. In the original timeline, Team Kakashi had intervened in the Gatō affair. But with Naruto's interference altering events, he feared Gatō might have already seized control.
If so, Naruto would "liberate" Waves, and "borrow" some of Gatō's ill-gotten ryō.
If not, he'd track Gatō down anyway.
'And borrow some ryō.'
Gatō was practically a walking ATM for time-traveling shinobi. Naruto saw no reason to break tradition.
Sure, he already had 200 million ryō, equivalent to about 10 million in his past life. But ninja expenses piled up fast.
'Three hundred million', he mused. 'Then I'm set for life.'
With that in mind, Naruto shot toward the Land of Waves at full speed.
Bad News, Naruto arrived too late.
The black-hearted tycoon Gatō had already extended Waves taxes for ninety years.
Ninety, that was 150 years by Konoha's standards.
'But the real kicker? The plot had changed.'
In the original timeline, Team Kakashi handled this. Now, it was Team Guy.
Which meant, Guy vs. Zabuza.
Here's how it went down: Zabuza injured Rock Lee.
Guy retaliated with a kick so fierce it knocked sense into Zabuza, literally.
The Demon of the Hidden Mist beheaded Gatō on the spot, looted his fortune, and fled with his pretty boy apprentice, Haku.
When Naruto learned this from Team Guy, he nearly screamed.
'That was my money!'
Tenten, noticing his distress, sidled up. "Hey, Naruto, you're the one who sold those photos a while back, right?"
Naruto blinked. "Yeah. Why?"
She leaned in. "Any chance you'd take more? For a fee, of course."
Naruto crossed his arms. "No way. I have standards."
Tenten smirked. "Name your price."
"Not happening."
"100,000 ryō per shot."
Naruto scoffed. "Please. Like I need chump change."
"500,000."
"You think I'm that desperate?"
"One million."
Naruto hesitated. "Well..."
"Three million," Tenten cut in.
Naruto coughed. "It's not the money. There's no camera here."
"Five million. Right now."
Naruto grinned. "What pose and outfit do you want, sis?"
Nearby, Guy, Rock Lee, and Neji facepalmed in unison.
.....
After a while, Naruto and Tenten stepped out of the photo studio. The owner stood at the door, scratching his head in confusion. "Kids these days sure know how to have fun," he muttered to himself.
With five million ryō now in his pocket, Naruto grinned. Of course, he couldn't spend that much every day, this fortune would have to wait until they returned to Konoha. Though he hadn't managed to loot Gatō's riches, the wealthy woman's coins had more than made up for it. This trip had been worth it.
Still, Naruto had one last question about Zabuza. He turned to Neji. "Hey, brother-in-law, with those sharp eyes of yours, did you see where Zabuza ran off to?"
Neji's face twitched at the nickname. "Brother-in-law…?" He sighed. "Are you planning to chase him down and steal the money he took?"
Naruto waved a hand dismissively. "Steal? That's such an ugly word. He owes me. I'm just collecting a debt."
Neji stared at him blankly before relenting. "…He went to the northern port."
The northern port? Before the bridge was built, the Land of Waves relied entirely on boats for travel. Someone like Gatō would definitely have a private vessel. If Zabuza was still there, Naruto might still catch him.
"Thanks!" Naruto cheerfully bid farewell to Tenten and Might Guy before grabbing Neji and darting off.
Neji's voice cracked in protest. "H-Hey...?!"
Standing atop a rooftop, Naruto scanned the rundown port below. "We're here. Where is he?"
"Put me down first," Neji grumbled, his face flushed. As a prodigy, he wasn't used to being hauled around like a sack of potatoes. The moment Naruto released him, Neji nearly tumbled off the roof but caught himself at the last second.
After steadying himself, Neji activated his Byakugan and scanned the area. A moment later, he pointed at a nearby building. "There." Then, without another word, he turned and fled, he'd had enough of Naruto's antics.
Naruto ignored Neji's retreating figure and focused on the target. As he approached, two samurai stepped forward, blocking his path. "Kid, scram. This isn't a place for you."
Naruto's friendly expression vanished. His eyes glowed crimson as an overwhelming wave of killing intent crashed into the two men. Their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed unconscious.
Kurama's voice echoed in his mind. "How was that?"
"Not bad," Naruto admitted. "Though your killing intent's a bit overkill."
Kurama chuckled. "What's wrong with that? I absorbed it from the other Nine-Tails."
Naruto smirked. "Call it 'Conqueror's Murderous Intent.'"
Kurama snorted. "You and your nonsense."
Still bantering, Naruto entered the building, only to find Zabuza waiting in ambush. The moment he stepped inside, the massive Kubikiribōchō came crashing down from above. Naruto sidestepped effortlessly, catching the blade with one hand.
Zabuza yanked the sword back, with considerable effort.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You're stronger than I thought."
Internally, he sighed. 'I really need to learn that superhuman strength technique. Can't keep embarrassing myself like this.'
Kurama laughed. "Hah! Serves you right for showing off without the skills."
Naruto huffed. "Kurama, lend me some chakra."
"You need my power for this guy?" Kurama sounded almost insulted.
"Of course! After all the treats I've given you, it's time you returned the favor."
Kurama grumbled but obliged. Crimson chakra surged around Naruto, forming a menacing cloak. Zabuza's eyes widened in horror, he'd already been traumatized by one tailed beast.
"W-What do you want?" Zabuza demanded, his bravado crumbling.
Naruto smiled sweetly. "All your ryō… or your lives. Your choice."
Zabuza stiffened. Naruto's wording implied he knew about Haku's presence. With a resigned sigh, the rogue ninja surrendered.
Gatō's fortune was vast—Zabuza hadn't been able to carry all of it, but he'd taken a substantial amount. After securing his prize, Naruto gave one final warning. "Keep the rest of Gatō's money. It should be enough for you. But if I hear you've turned into another Gatō…"
Another pulse of killing intent made his threat clear.
Zabuza nodded stiffly, while Haku remained silent at his side.
With the ryō safely stored in his system space, Naruto left triumphantly. On the way back to Konoha, he reunited with Team Guy, who had just completed their mission, and traveled home with them.
Back in the village, news of the upcoming Chūnin Exams spread quickly.
[Ding~ System Mission: Participate in the Chūnin Exams. Rewards vary based on performance.
C-Rank: 1 Simulation Chance
B-Rank: 2 Simulation Chances
A-Rank: 3 Simulation Chances
S-Rank: 5 Simulation Chances]
Naruto blinked. This was the first time the system had offered such a flexible task. "What if I refuse? Will you give me another mission?"
[Ding~ Yes. This system prioritizes free will and will never force Host.]
Naruto grinned. "Nah, I'll do it. The Exams sound fun anyway."
"How's the ranking decided?"
[Ding~ Based on Host's performance during the Exams.]
With up to five simulation chances at stake, Naruto decided to take this seriously. He gathered his team to discuss their plans.
Sasuke's eyes gleamed with excitement. "The Chūnin Exams? Perfect. There'll be plenty of strong opponents to test myself against."
...
T/N: Thanks for the support from: Lam Sha, Black Widow, Hamza Masfar, Lord Of the Mysteries, Andrew, Jiri Stehule, trey hill, Agustin Monti, Tightless, Impulsionimulsion.