Koizumi Sand Tortoise stood warily, ready to evade. He scanned the area for the masked woman, who could strike at any moment. Chakra pooled under his feet, prepared for a quick escape if necessary. But after a tense wait with no sign of her, he let out a sigh of relief and swiftly moved toward the direction of the other Sand ninja team.
However, Naruto had been lurking nearby, watching his target like a patient lion. Koizumi was a Jōnin, though his strength barely touched elite Chūnin level. Naruto knew his earlier success in eliminating two elite Chūnin was due to his pre-arranged Flying Thunder God markers and his enemies' unfamiliarity with the Immortal Binding Rope's powers. But a seasoned Jōnin like Koizumi would likely find a way to avoid or counter Naruto's next attack. Naruto preferred battles that showcased the full, devastating capabilities of his Immortal Binding Rope rather than prolonged fights.
As Koizumi ran for ten minutes, his intuition warned him that the masked woman was still lying in wait nearby. He decided to lure her into making the first move.
With a poof, he created a Shadow Clone that pretended to rest in a clearing while he hid, ready to strike the masked woman when she attacked.
Soon enough, Naruto's clone appeared near the Shadow Clone, and with a swift flick of the black-gold rope, it bound the clone. But as the Shadow Clone vanished in a puff of smoke, Koizumi smirked, hands flying through seals as he called out, "Wind Style: Hurricane!"
A fierce gust swirled from his palms, growing rapidly, and shot toward the masked woman. She tried to dodge, but the wind shredded her form. Yet, to his surprise, the woman dissolved into white mist—a Shadow Clone.
"Another Shadow Clone?" Koizumi realized. Instinctively, he tried to leap away using the Body Flicker Technique, but it was too late. The real masked woman had already appeared behind him, her black-gold rope shooting toward him with lethal precision.
Despite Koizumi's quick reflexes, the rope caught his right foot and wound up his body in a heartbeat. He struggled furiously, but his chakra was sealed, and his strength waned rapidly, leaving him helpless like a trapped beast.
Desperate, Koizumi croaked, "Are… are you Konoha's ninja?"
"Oh, I'm Konoha's enemy," Naruto replied coldly.
A flicker of hope flashed in Koizumi's eyes. Clinging to survival, he pleaded, "Then you should spare me! I'm part of a mission to destroy Konoha. If you're truly their enemy, we can work together!"
Naruto scoffed, "I may want Konoha's downfall, but I want your points even more." Ignoring any further pleas, he swiftly ended Koizumi's life with a kunai.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for killing one Jōnin and two elite Chūnin, earning 120 points."
Naruto chuckled, admiring the Immortal Binding Rope's power. This ability was perfect for ambushes. But he held back from eliminating more Sand ninja; if Sunagakure sensed their forces were mysteriously thinned, they might suspect their plan was compromised and pull out of the Konoha Crush plan. Naruto couldn't risk that—he needed it to proceed as intended, ensuring the Third Hokage and others would meet their end.
So, he returned to the Land of Waves, with his newly earned points untouched, awaiting further use.
---
Meanwhile, Haku returned to the hideout with supplies, only to find Zabuza's decapitated body lying on the ground. Her tears fell freely; for Haku, who had known only hardship, Zabuza had been her sole light, her reason for existing. But now that light had been snuffed out, leaving her aimless and devastated.
As she grieved, Gato and his thugs barged in, furious that Zabuza had failed to complete his mission. But when Gato's guards tried to block Haku's exit with Zabuza's body, she released a flurry of ice senbon, taking down the guards and disappearing into the night, a lost soul with no destination.
---
In the following days, Naruto focused on training. By the third day, Gato had recruited over a hundred rogue ninja, from Chūnin down to Genin, all eager to storm the bridge.
Naruto sensed their approach and moved to intercept them, taking on the form of the red-haired masked woman once more. Surrounded by over a hundred clones, each wielding the Immortal Binding Rope, he charged into the crowd of rogue ninja like a predator among prey.
One by one, the ropes snared each rogue ninja, rendering them powerless. The clones worked methodically, kunai in hand, ending the lives of each bound enemy in swift succession. In mere moments, the battlefield transformed into a scene of carnage.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for eliminating rogue ninja. Total earned: 178 points, for a new total of 300 points."
Naruto chuckled at his amassed points, deciding to save them until he found a worthwhile new ability to purchase. Meanwhile, Gato, frozen in terror, was quickly bound with the Immortal Binding Rope. Naruto approached him with a cold voice.
"Surrender, or die?"
---
Over the next few days, Naruto continued training in secret. By the time the bridge was completed, Team 7 was ready to return to Konoha. Kakashi puzzled over the absence of any further attacks from Zabuza, unaware that Zabuza had already met his end at Naruto's hands.
As they made their way home, Sasuke and the rest of Team 7 remained unaware of the extent of Naruto's accomplishments. With the two unique abilities he'd gained and the wealth of resources he'd acquired, Naruto now had the freedom to slip in and out of Konoha, securing his own path in the ninja world.
-----------------------------------------------------------
**Thank you for reading **
This is my patron if you want to help me
I will post there some advanced chapters
patreon.com/Sabitos777