"Too arrogant."
Hatake Kakashi thought that Sasuke was a bit too arrogant.
However, Uchiha Sasuke's arrogance seemed justified. At twelve years old, he had already mastered the once-renowned Body Flicker Technique in the ninja world!
Hatake Kakashi had already witnessed Uchiha Sasuke's strength during the bell test, but he didn't expect that what he saw in that test was only a fraction of Sasuke's true power, as revealed during Sasuke's fight with Haku.
Uchiha Sasuke.
The sole survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre, he carried the will and the power of the Uchiha clan on his shoulders.
Fire Release.
Body Flicker Technique.
Three Tomoe Sharingan.
Uchiha-style Kenjutsu and Shurikenjutsu.
Hatake Kakashi glanced at the admiring young girl, Haruno Sakura, and then at the disgruntled Uzumaki Naruto, who was picking his nose, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
These two kids probably don't realize…
Just how much they differ from their teammate…
Kakashi's gaze slowly moved to Uchiha Sasuke, as if seeing his younger self in this black-haired boy.
Twelve years old…
With Jonin-level combat abilities…
This was a child even more talented than himself.
Uchiha Sasuke raised his ninja sword and lifted Haku's chin, looking at the delicate face, and threatened calmly, "Now, take us to Gato immediately. You wouldn't want Zabuza to die here, would you?"
"…"
Haku's eyes lowered slightly.
Whether it was Uchiha Sasuke's power or Zabuza Momochi's life, Haku had no power to refuse. After all, Haku was not an official ninja and had no obligation to follow the ninja code to protect the client.
Besides…
Zabuza-sama had always looked down on Gato, hadn't he?
"I'll take you."
Haku covered his injured shoulder with his hand, struggled to stand up, and slowly led the group forward.
"…"
Uchiha Sasuke revealed a mysterious and satisfied smile.
Hmph, if everything goes as expected, Orochimaru should have killed Gato in the Land of Waves by now, right?
According to the records in the real world, Orochimaru and Akihara Kagura conspired to kill Gato and split his wealth, with Orochimaru, the rogue ninja, bearing all the infamy…
This kind of thing…
Is quite taboo.
Ninjas are not bandits but legitimate mercenaries.
In times of peace, ninjas have always been tools for commissioned tasks. If the ninjas of a village started to rely on their power to randomly rob the wealthy, the ninja employment system would collapse. Those who break this system would never receive commissions again and would be despised and hunted by all ninjas!
Losing credibility in accepting commissions would reduce ninjas to outlaws hunted from all sides, a fate that would be disastrous for them.
Thus, even though Gato was a weak but extremely wealthy villain, no ninja had ever killed him. Instead, more ninjas sought to cooperate with him.
Of course.
Uchiha Sasuke was not interested in that money.
Because according to his knowledge of the real world, Orochimaru, the rogue ninja, should appear in Gato's castle to seize his wealth…
In the real world…
Team 7 had suffered a great loss at the hands of Orochimaru!
Uchiha Sasuke was very eager to meet Orochimaru, to know what he was like in this world, and whether he had ever encountered Akihara Kagura.
There was another possibility.
This world's Orochimaru might have encountered Akihara Kagura, since Orochimaru was one of the first to contact Akihara Kagura. If so, Sasuke might also find a way to leave this world…
It can't be…
There's no trace of Akihara Kagura in this world, right?
However…
Uchiha Sasuke was once again disappointed.
In Gato's castle, Orochimaru did not appear. Instead, there was just the wealthy Gato and his gang of thugs, causing Sasuke to ponder the workings of this world.
This world…
How does it function?
The C-rank escort mission in the Land of Waves appeared…
Why didn't Orochimaru show up here?
Uchiha Sasuke couldn't figure it out and could only conclude that he might have arrived too early. He habitually started acting according to his original personality: "Forget it, let's kill everyone here and put the blame on Zabuza, so as not to damage Konoha's reputation. After it's done, we'll split Gato's money seventy-thirty…"
"Hmm?"
Zabuza's face immediately turned vicious, glaring at the black-haired boy in front of him, seemingly unconvinced: "You want to pin the blame for killing the client on me, yet I only get thirty percent of the money?"
"Thirty percent is yours."
Uchiha Sasuke retorted, a disdainful smirk on his face: "This thirty percent is your retirement fund…"
That was the rule of Root.
The rule set by the second leader of Root in the real world.
"You little brat!"
Zabuza angrily gripped his executioner's blade: "You think I'm going to kneel and beg in front of you?"
But having been defeated by Uchiha Sasuke with a single glance in their previous battle, Zabuza dared not act rashly and could only glare fiercely at Sasuke…
"Hmph…"
"There are plenty who would want to kneel before me but don't even qualify…"
Uchiha Sasuke wasn't bothered by Zabuza's hatred, continuing to mock him like he was an insignificant ant: "Zabuza, you're a useless failure who will never achieve anything significant in the ninja world. Stop thinking about ninja commissions. Take this money and go find a place to hide and retire with your men!"
"You!"
Zabuza, gripped his executioner's blade, ready to fight for his honor!
"Zabuza-sama!"
Haku quickly restrained Zabuza!
"Alright, everyone."
Hatake Kakashi stood to the side and quickly tried to mediate, fearing further conflict. He sighed and said, "Let's deal with Gato and his men first..."
After speaking, Kakashi glanced at Uchiha Sasuke, feeling conflicted. At times, he thought Sasuke was a cold-hearted youth, and at other times, he believed Sasuke was just a sharp-tongued but soft-hearted kid.
Sasuke seemed accustomed to talking about killing; yet, he was willing to spare Zabuza Momochi and Haku...
"Yes, yes, let's deal with them first..."
Uzumaki Naruto chimed in, echoing his teacher.
Throughout the journey, Naruto had been asking a lot of questions, learning much about Haku and Zabuza's past. He even felt sympathy for Haku, who had managed to escape...
However...
Talking about killing so casually made the blond boy feel strange, and a shiver ran down his spine.
Regardless...
Gato's fate was sealed.
Uchiha Sasuke moved like a phantom through Gato's castle, swiftly killing Gato and his fearsome guards.
The castle was instantly awash with blood.
Team 7's Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura shivered in fear.
Even Hatake Kakashi, who had walked in darkness, and the deadly rogue ninja Zabuza Momochi could feel the chill from Sasuke's blade...
"You Konoha really have a genius on your hands..." Zabuza, still weak from escaping fake death, stood beside Kakashi, watching Haku cover the gaps, and said coldly, "This kid is ruthless. Every strike is fatal; he never swings twice. Such a cold-blooded person would be an asset in the Mist..."
Kakashi remained silent.
If one of his subordinates killed two enemies without flinching, Kakashi would be proud of their composure...
But if the same subordinate killed over a hundred people without flinching, and that subordinate was only twelve years old, Kakashi would be a bit worried...
Even if he wanted to ask more...
He would have to wait until the Gato matter was settled.
Sasuke and Haku moved swiftly, clearing out Gato's castle. Zabuza and Haku left with several boxes of money.
"We're rich!" Naruto beamed at the remaining money boxes on the ground, stars in his eyes. "I can eat so many bowls of ramen when we get back to the village!"
"You idiot..." Sasuke rubbed his forehead and grabbed Naruto, who was about to rush over and grab the money. "We should divide the money three ways..."
"Huh?" Naruto scratched his head.
"Thirty percent for you, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei..." Sasuke generously offered them several boxes of money.
Kakashi looked at Sasuke, saying softly, "Theoretically, half of the mission income should go to the supervising Jonin, but according to your division, Naruto, Sakura, and I only get ten percent each..."
"That's already a lot." Sasuke raised his eyebrows.
Why was his teacher not satisfied at this moment? In the real world, Kakashi had trained Akihara Kagura, who once took 320,000 ryo on a mission and only gave Kakashi 10,000 ryo, and Kakashi didn't get angry. It seemed there were still differences between the two Kakashis...
"Forget it."
"Thank you for sparing us beggars."
Kakashi shook his head. He didn't care about the money; he was watching Zabuza and Haku leaving, his expression growing serious. He asked tentatively, "Sasuke, are you just going to let your enemies go?"
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"Aren't Konoha and the Mist enemies now?"
Sasuke glanced at Kakashi and replied casually, "A rogue ninja from the Mist with money will surely cause trouble for the Mist. This should be beneficial for Konoha, right?"
Kakashi's expression suddenly changed.
This somewhat insidious political maneuvering, though still a bit immature, reminded Hatake Kakashi of someone.
"But…"
"I'm still more merciful in my actions."
Uchiha Sasuke changed his tone and sneered, "Zabuza Momochi's strength is weak. If I give him too much money, he might use it to seek death at Mist. I only gave him thirty percent, giving him another choice. That trash should take the money and quietly retire somewhere in the ninja world to await his death..."
In his cold words...
There was a trace of human warmth.
Uchiha Sasuke believed he had considered everything thoroughly enough, at least letting Zabuza Momochi contemplate retirement. If Zabuza still chose to seek death, it wouldn't be Sasuke's fault...
Of course...
Theoretically, Zabuza Momochi could not escape the fate Sasuke arranged for him.
Since Zabuza killed his employer, Gato, once this news spread, a rogue ninja like Zabuza, who violated the ninja code, would surely be rejected by Mist and no other ninja village would dare accept him. In the end, he could only choose to retire with Haku...
With plenty of intelligence from the real world, Uchiha Sasuke had heard about some of Zabuza Momochi's deeds, knowing that he was also the kind of guy who would do anything for his village, even choosing to participate in the future ninja world war against Akihara Kagura...
"Next..."
"Shall we wait for the bridge to be completed?"
Uchiha Sasuke changed the subject mid-sentence, still wanting to wait in the Land of Waves for Orochimaru to appear.
Fortunately.
Team 7's mission was to protect the bridge construction, so time-wise, they could still stay in the Land of Waves for a while without being too rushed.
In the end...
Things took a slight turn.
Uchiha Sasuke stayed here with the intention of eagerly waiting for Orochimaru, but Orochimaru never showed up. Even after the bridge connecting the Land of Waves and the Land of Fire was completed, he did not appear, making Sasuke once again question the reality of this world.
How come...
It still seems a bit disconnected from the real world?
After Team 7 waited for the bridge to be completed in the Land of Waves, they returned to Konoha under the leadership of Hatake Kakashi and encountered a group of ninja from other villages upon returning to the village.
"Chunin Exams?"
Uchiha Sasuke immediately recalled his past regrets.
In the real world, due to Akihara Kagura's autocratic decisions, many people, including himself, were disqualified from participating in the Chunin Exams...
By the time he returned to Konoha, he was already a high-ranking member of the Root, and soon after, the ninja world war broke out. After the war, he directly became the third leader of the Root, never having the chance to take any exams again...
This time...
He could finally participate properly!
The thought emerged in Uchiha Sasuke's mind and was immediately suppressed. He was the third leader of the Root; how could he still have the mentality of a twelve-year-old genin, caring about a small Chunin Exam?
"Let go of Konohamaru!"
Uzumaki Naruto's voice brought Uchiha Sasuke back to reality.
Uchiha Sasuke looked up to see Uzumaki Naruto with his little follower, Konohamaru, and a few other kids, having a conflict with the ninjas from Sand.
The leader of the Sand ninjas...
Was none other than Gaara, the son of the Fourth Kazekage.
Coincidentally, Gaara was also the luckiest participant in the Chunin Exams in the real world, constantly advancing without fighting. First, during the preliminaries, the future taijutsu expert Rock Lee angered Akihara Kagura and was disqualified on the spot, allowing Gaara to advance without a fight. Then, during the main exam, Uchiha Sasuke was disqualified for being late, allowing Gaara to advance once again.
Later in the ninja world war...
Rock Lee's teacher, Might Guy, demonstrated the power of the Eight Gates, making everyone realize that taijutsu experts could also rival Six Paths-level ninjas. Uchiha Sasuke himself became a Six Paths-level warrior with the chakra given by the Sage of Six Paths...
Given all that...
It made Gaara's participation in the Chunin Exams seem incredibly lucky, even leading to him becoming the Fifth Kazekage of Sand.
"Hmph…"
"This time, your luck won't be so good..."
Uchiha Sasuke clenched his wrist, determined to properly participate in the Chunin Exam, his eyes fixed on Gaara.
"Kankuro!"
Gaara's hair stood on end!
A sense of fear instantly welled up in the red-haired boy's heart!
Gaara stared at Uchiha Sasuke, feeling as if he had encountered his nemesis, his heart filled with discomfort: "Kankuro, we should go... Also, what's your name, black-haired one over there?"
"Uchiha Sasuke."
After Uchiha Sasuke reported his name, he caught sight of a group of ninjas from Grass passing by the end of the street, among them a red-haired girl with glasses, causing his heart to skip a beat.
That was... Karin?