"It's finally over." Tazuna muttered, collapsing to the ground, eyes wide as he watched the severed head roll before him like a grotesque game of bowling. The chill creeping up his spine wasn't from the cold, but from the realization that his life had just been narrowly spared.
"That's amazing…" Naruto sat cross-legged, still processing the carnage around him. His wide eyes flicked between Gojo and Sasuke, who, to Naruto's surprise, was looking as calm as ever.
Even with Gojo being ridiculously powerful, it was Sasuke's calmness that stood out. Why was Sasuke so composed? This was their first real battle, and not a single scratch marked him. He hadn't even gotten his clothes dirty while standing up to protect Naruto.
Naruto's gaze shifted to Sakura. She was equally composed, having rushed forward without hesitation to shield Tazuna's grandfather.
They were all members of Team 7.
It stung.
A burning sense of humiliation washed over him. His teammates were growing stronger, while he was just… lagging behind.
Sensing Naruto's self-inflicted spiral of embarrassment, Sasuke glanced over at him with the slightest of smirks. "It's good you're unhurt, you little underachiever."
"What'd you say, Sasuke?!" Naruto snapped, fists clenched, rising to his feet. "You wanna fight?!"
"Everyone has their shortcomings," Gojo interjected casually, lifting Naruto off the ground with one hand, his smile playful. "For instance, you're a coward, but hey, keep trying to improve."
Naruto glared at Gojo. "I'm not a coward!"
Gojo scanned Naruto's hand, his tone turning slightly more serious. "You've been nicked. Those guys were using poisoned blades. You've already been struck. Another troublesome burden."
"I'm not useless!" Naruto shouted, eyes burning with determination. Without thinking, he pulled out a kunai and jabbed it into his right palm, blood spraying in all directions.
Gasps filled the air. Everyone froze, unsure of what Naruto was doing.
"Naruto, what are you doing?!" Sakura shrieked, rushing to him, a wad of gauze in hand.
Gojo barely reacted. He watched with mild amusement, noting that Naruto's reckless attitude had finally kicked into gear.
"Now, now, kid." Gojo said, his voice nonchalant. "You're finally waking up. Good for you."
"Why am I always behind?!" Naruto cried, his voice cracking as he looked up, eyes brimming with tears. "I train every day, I do my best... Why am I always weaker than everyone else?"
"I won't be a burden anymore! I'll get stronger! I can't rely on others all the time! I won't be left behind!" His declaration was loud and defiant.
Sasuke, ever the stoic one, quirked an eyebrow. "That's some foolish determination."
"Well said!" Gojo cheered, clapping his hands in mock approval. "As a teacher, it's moving to see my students finally get their act together."
Despite his words, Gojo was inwardly pleased. Finally, the Nine Tails brat was maturing.
"Well, your hand's bleeding all over the place," Gojo pointed out, as if Naruto hadn't already noticed. "You might wanna stop that before you bleed out."
Naruto, in a panic, gasped, his eyes wide. "Ehhh? Am I gonna die? What do I do now?!"
Gojo activated a flicker of blue chakra and began to heal the wound, but before he could even begin, he noticed the injury was already starting to close on its own. The power of the Nine Tails at work.
"Don't worry, it's fine," Gojo said with a shrug. "Even if you do die, I'll get you a coffin—special price, of course."
"HEY! Is that how a teacher should talk?!" Naruto shot him an annoyed glare, hands on his hips.
Gojo just smirked. "Well, now that the fox brat has finally grown up, let's get back to the job at hand."
Turning to Tazuna, who was still shaking like a leaf, Gojo continued in a tone so casual it could have been a Tuesday afternoon. "Old man, those three men in black weren't just bandits. They were ninjas."
Tazuna's face turned pale, eyes wide with horror.
"The contract said you were dealing with bandits," Gojo continued, kicking the severed head aside like it was a piece of trash. "But surprise, surprise—same difference."
"These guys were professional assassins," Gojo said with a glint in his eye, as if he was discussing the weather. "There are others who want you dead, aren't there? Rogue ninjas from the Mist Village, maybe?"
Tazuna stumbled backward, his face turning a few shades lighter. "W-What do you mean?"
Gojo, now looming over him, gave him a cold smile. "I warned you, old man. If you're involved with anything beyond mere bandits, then our students' lives are on the line."
"You better start preparing for your demise," Gojo added with a cheerful grin, as if suggesting Tazuna take a vacation.
Team 7 exchanged glances, their faces set with a quiet understanding of just how serious things had become.
Tazuna, after a long, shaky breath, finally spoke. "I want to build a bridge. A bridge that connects the Land of Waves to the Fire Country. This bridge is our hope. It will help our country flourish. We'll have enough to eat, and the people won't have to starve anymore."
He paused to take a swig from his flask, the bitterness of the situation lingering. "But there's a man, a businessman named Kato, who wants to stop us. He wants to monopolize all the wealth. And Kato…" His voice faltered. "He killed my son."
Tazuna sank to his knees, his forehead touching the dirt. "Please. Please save our country. We don't have much… but we'll give you everything we have."
Gojo chewed on his lollipop, seemingly unfazed by Tazuna's desperation. He pulled out a handful of candy from his pocket and offered it to his students with a carefree grin. "This candy's delicious, you guys want some?"
Tazuna looked at him, dumbfounded. He had just poured his heart out, and Gojo was handing out candy like they were at a snack bar.
"I understand that money's tight," Gojo finally spoke, his voice dropping to a cold tone. "But don't misunderstand me, old man. Do you think we do this out of the goodness of our hearts?"
He bent down, placing a hand on Tazuna's shoulder. "There are no heroes here. You want me to risk my students' lives for your bridge?"
Gojo took a step back, crossing his arms. "If you want us to help, I need more compensation."
Tazuna, clearly at a loss, stammered, "How much do you want?"
Gojo's smile grew. "Ten million. Though, I'll be reasonable. The Nine Tails kid's medical expenses, plus compensation for Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno's emotional damages… We're talking fifteen million ryō."
Tazuna's jaw dropped. "We don't have that much!"
Gojo raised an eyebrow. "You don't? Well, I guess we'll head back to the village then. Good luck with that bridge."
Tazuna looked from Naruto, who had hurt himself and now seemed like an even bigger burden, back to Gojo, who was acting like an extortionist.
"Eh? What?" Gojo asked with feigned innocence. "It's a work injury. Can't blame me for that, right?"