The journey from Land of Sound to the Land of Lightning was short—conveniently along the planned route. Uzumaki Chito had suggested bringing Neji, knowing they could take him along without any detours.
"If we pass through the Land of Hot Water and the Land of the Moon, we'll reach the Land of Lightning," Kakashi said, glancing at the map.
"These two are small countries with little land area," Might Guy added, leaning in to study the map as well.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Neji sparred, testing their recent improvements.
Neji's Gentle Fist grazed Naruto's arm in a near-perfect strike. However, Naruto countered with a tail swipe in his Nine-Tails mode, sending Neji flying.
Neji landed hard, clutching his stomach and looking pale. "You're too ruthless, Naruto! This Nine-Tails mode is cheating," he said, groaning.
Naruto grinned. "You're not bad yourself. You held out with Rotation for quite a while. If you'd had more chakra, you could've kept going."
Their exchange drew smiles from the group. Despite their youth, Naruto and Neji's abilities were far beyond what anyone their age could typically achieve.
Might Guy sighed theatrically. "I'm officially leaving this group . I can't keep up with you geniuses."
Naruto pulled Neji aside, lowering his voice. "Grandpa said I should talk to you about the Land of Lightning. Does it have something to do with your family?"
Neji's expression hardened. "The Land of Lightning is responsible for my father's death," he said calmly, though his clenched fists betrayed his anger.
Naruto placed a reassuring hand on Neji's shoulder. "Then we've got a score to settle. Don't worry—this time, it's not just about cleaning up bandits."
The group entered the Land of Lightning under cover, aware of the region's might. As one of the most powerful nations, its borders were heavily guarded. Refugees and rogue ninjas frequently entered the country, many turning to banditry.
Naruto had obtained information about the distribution of bandit groups through the black market, pinpointing their locations on a map.
"Let's start with the nearest hill," Naruto suggested, pointing at the closest red dot.
In a small roadside noodle shop, a group of locals discussed recent events.
"Have you heard about the mysterious group clearing out bandit camps?" one patron asked.
"It must be the work of Kumo ninjas," another replied. "Their methods are too precise and professional to be anyone else."
"Whoever it is, they're doing us a favor. With fewer bandits, the caravans are safer."
Unbeknownst to them, the "mysterious group" sat at the table beside them.
"These noodles are pretty good," Naruto said between slurps. "Not as good as Uncle Teuchi's ramen, though."
"Focus, Naruto," Tsunade scolded. "Have you reviewed what we've collected so far?"
Naruto blinked, then grinned. "We've done great! Thirteen bandit groups down, and there should be plenty of treasure."
Tsunade sighed. "The combined wealth of those thirteen groups is less than 800,000 ryo. That's nothing for a village like Shin-Konoha."
Neji nodded in agreement. "800,000 ryo would barely cover half a year's expenses for the Hyuga clan. For Shin-Konoha, it's a drop in the ocean."
"I think it's a lot," Naruto said, scratching his head.
Tsunade scoffed. "I could lose that in an afternoon." There was a hint of pride in her voice, though it was clear she wasn't thrilled about her gambling habits.
"You're going to be the Hokage of Shin-Konoha," she continued, glaring at Naruto. "You need to understand the value of money."
"I get it, I get it!" Naruto rubbed his head where Tsunade had swatted him. He pointed at a red dot on the map. "This is our next target—the largest bandit group in the Land of Lightning."
The group's reactions varied.
"Sounds boring," Kakashi said, not looking up from his book.
"I hope it'll at least give us a warm-up," Neji muttered skeptically.
Might Guy crossed his arms. "Not as exciting as a youthful frog-jumping contest!"
If the bandits had overheard this exchange, they might have coughed up blood. Unbeknownst to them, the weakest members of this group could rival the strongest jonin in most villages.
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