Since when did Naruto get so smart?A shocked Sakura wondered. I've never heard him talk like this.
CHA! He's merely trying to make Sasuke-kun look bad! Inner Sakura shouted. Don't fall for his tricks! He merely wants you to think he's better than Sasuke-kun! SHANNARO!
Yeah! You're right! Well it's not gonna work! Stupid baka!Sakura nodded her head in agreement with her inner… conscience.
Listen to the dobe, trying to sound intelligent.Sasuke snorted, not wanting to admit, even to himself that he was jealous of how quickly the Naruto caught that fact. Why does he even bother, all it does is make him look like a fool.
He really has come a long way,Kakashi thought to himself. He's seems to have put in a lot effort to change himself from how he used to be. The incident with Mizuki can actually be considered a blessing in disguise with how much Naruto has grown. I think you'd be proud of him…sensei.
"The gaki is right," Tazuna said with an imperceptible nod. "On an island nation the man who controls the sea, controls everything from finance to government, to our very lives. Anyone who even attempts to stand up to him…disappears. However, even Gato has fears…and the one thing he fears is the bridge."
"Which of course is why Gato is after you," Naruto said with a nod. "Once the bridge is complete it will connect Nami to the mainland, and you won't need ships to get supplies. Since you're the master bridge builder, you're in Gato's way and he wants to off you."
"That means that this Gato is the one who hired those ninja," Sasuke said, already planning on what he would do when more ninja showed up. This is my chance to prove my superiority as an Uchiha.
"That still doesn't answer my question," Kakashi said as he looked at Tazuna pointedly. "If you knew this was going to happen, knew that Gato was dangerous, why did you lie about the mission?"
"That's kind of obvious isn't it?" Narutoasked rhetorically as he thought over some of the things he had read on economics and political maneuvers that could be applied to this situation. "If Gato has been here for over a year, that means he's had a year to place a chokehold on all imports that come into Nami. And if he's even half as corrupt as Tazuna is saying he is, then chances are high that he's placed ridiculously high taxes on everything. I doubt this country even has enough for a B-rank mission. Am I right, Tazuna?" asked Naruto, turning to look over at Tazuna.
"No you're right," Tazuna said. "Our country has never been a major metropolis, and since Gato has come our country has been reduced to nearly nothing. We are poor to the point of emptiness, even our nobles have very little money, and what they and the rest of us have hangs in the balance of building the bridge."
Tazuna sighed, "As it is, we poor people are the ones who are paying for this mission; we simply don't havethe money to afford a B or higher rank mission. They were too expensive." Tazuna looked up at the group of Konoha ninja. "If you drop me off and abandon me when we get ashore, there will be no bridge. Gato will no doubt kill me before I can even get home."
A thick silence hung over the ninja as they digested everything.
"I don't think you need to worry about that Tazuna-ojisan," Naruto said, getting everyone's attention. "I think it was pretty stupid thing to lie about the mission. You knew you would be up against a man who was not adverse to hiring ninja, and that he could afford to hire ninja that were far more skilled then a group of genin. Had you gone to Hokage-jiji and been honest, he would have been able to arrange some kind of agreement to give you a team of Chunin or even Jonin and set up some kind of payment plan." Tazuna looked down at hearing that.
Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "That being said I can at least understand why you didn't say anything. You had no way of knowing whether or not we would have helped you if you had been honest, and since we've already agreed to take this mission, and since Emo-The-Wonder-king over here," Naruto hiked a thumb up to point at the scowling Sasuke. "Was so adamant about us getting a mission, we can't afford to go back without a large black spot on our record."
Once again everyone was silent as Naruto spoke; sounding so different than what Sasuke and Sakura remembered him being at the academy.
"Well…I suppose we can continue the mission." Kakashi said at last. "However, if at any point I feel we're out of our league and I order us to abandon the mission, you three will follow my orders to the letter. Are we clear?" he asked in a commanding voice.
The three genin nodded at their sensei's words.
"Thank you," Tazuna mumbled as he looked at the group.
The boat continued to move silently as they made their way closer to Nami.
.
.
.
.
.
.
🎉The novel is only available in PDF format, with more than 500 chapters, you can visit my Patreon page🎉
🎉patreon.com/MhUzumaki🎉