At the same time, elsewhere...
"Ah! My fingers!" a surviving Chunin from Kusagakure gasped in pain, realizing he had lost three fingers on his right hand. His abdomen was also pierced by a wooden stick, causing excruciating pain in his organs and making him break out in a cold sweat. Blood flowed out like a broken wine barrel, making him feel dizzy from blood loss while the pain kept him conscious.
The agony was unbearable!
He quickly tried to use chakra to stop the bleeding temporarily. "Damn giant!" he cursed, feeling the intense pain in his fingers. "And that traitorous ninja! We kindly took them in, and she betrayed Kusagakure!"
As he clutched his injured hand and struggled to stand, he suddenly heard a voice.
"Don't speak ill of Dad!"
The voice sounded particularly young, like a child's. The Chunin turned in surprise to see a blond kid not far behind him. The kid looked familiar.
Wait!
The Chunin's eyes widened as he remembered. "It's that blond kid from beside the giant!!"
If the blond kid was here, could the giant be nearby too? The thought made his hair stand on end, and he frantically looked around but saw no giant, only the blond kid.
Huh?
Did the kid get separated?
"You need to apologize to Dad!" Naruto said angrily. "It was your Kusagakure that attacked us first, and now you're badmouthing Dad!"
"Kid..." The intense pain in his hand made the Chunin irritable. He stared at Naruto with a cruel smile. "You appeared just in time. I can use you as a hostage."
That way, he could safely escape Kusagakure and avoid the same fate as the leader. He reached for a kunai with his good hand and, with a swift move, appeared in front of Naruto, the kunai aimed at his neck.
However, an unexpected scene unfolded. The blond kid reacted!
Yes. When the Chunin disappeared, Naruto felt a shadow before him. Startled, he leaned back and stepped away, instinctively creating a few meters of distance, surprising the Chunin.
"Tch!" The Chunin spat blood. "Didn't expect the kid next to the giant to be anything special. But in the end, you're just a kid."
"Damn! You're a bad guy too!" Naruto held a kunai he had picked up earlier.
"Ha! Kid, doesn't your hand shake holding a kunai?"
The Chunin sneered, "A kunai has some weight."
His killing intent was palpable, making Naruto swallow hard. A Chunin who had killed many released killing intent that could terrify a child. Naruto was no exception. He was only five, and his hand trembled, not because of the kunai's weight but out of fear.
"No!"
Naruto suddenly bit his tongue, the pain making him more alert. "I am Whitebeard's son! I'm also a member of the Whitebeard Pirates! Dad said I'll be the captain of the first division when I grow up!"
Naruto bit his tongue harder, the pain clearing his mind. "I... I can't be afraid!" Blood in his mouth, Naruto glared at the Chunin, his small body exuding a bit of killing intent.
He couldn't disgrace the Whitebeard Pirates! Nor could he disgrace Dad! If he feared one ninja, how could he be Hokage? How could he be the captain of the first division of the Whitebeard Pirates?
"Hmm! Quite impressive," the Chunin thought, but he said, "In the end, you're just a kid. You must be important to that giant, right?"
An idea struck him. "If I capture you, can I use you to control the giant? That way, the giant will be my servant!"
As he said this, his abdomen throbbed in pain, and he cursed, "Damn giant!"
"Don't! Insult! Dad!"
With unexpected speed, Naruto, fueled by a month of grueling self-training, charged at the Chunin, gripping the kunai tightly. Though he lacked technique, his furious charge resembled an enraged boar.
"What?" The Chunin was shocked but quickly regained his composure.
Just as he was about to react, he felt his hand being restrained. Turning his head, he saw, "Hatake... Hatake Kakashi?!"
Kakashi had grabbed his wrist, his deadpan eye looking at the Chunin. "How can a ninja target a child? The ninja world is no longer in a constant state of war." Kakashi's calm words fell on deaf ears.
Hatake Kakashi, saying this? He had killed more children than anyone!
Splat—
The Chunin's eyes widened, his pupils trembling as he looked down at his abdomen. Naruto had reached him and stabbed him with the kunai, blood soaking Naruto's hands.
Naruto hadn't planned this. He just didn't want the Chunin to badmouth his dad. Each insult fueled his anger more.
Kakashi stopped the Chunin but not Naruto.
"This is the world outside Konoha," Kakashi said, watching Naruto. "If you can't handle this, you should go back to Konoha."
Kakashi's words spurred Naruto on. Just as he was about to let go, Naruto gripped the kunai tighter, pushing it further into the Chunin's body until it was fully embedded.
"I..." The five-year-old Naruto gritted his teeth. "I must stay with Dad! This is my resolve, this is my ninja way!"
"Guh..." The Chunin's mouth filled with blood, his face showing despair and disbelief.
"Ouch... I seem to have strengthened your resolve," Kakashi smiled under his mask, unsure if it was intentional or accidental. "But kids shouldn't kill; it can scar you. Wait until you're a bit older."
Kakashi snapped the Chunin's neck, ending his life.
...