Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

It wasn't just Tazuna who was puzzled, even Kakashi and the others couldn't fully grasp Naruto's reasoning.

After dealing with the two Kirigakure's Shinobi, the group set off once again.

Not long after they walked, Sasuke walked up to Naruto and asked in a low voice, "Naruto, why did you suddenly agree to this? A ten-ryo toll per crossing isn't a lot, and it's nowhere near enough to cover our current mission fee."

Naruto chuckled and said, "You don't get it. The Land of Waves, as an island nation, relies heavily on maritime transport. Every shipment crossing those waters costs a significant amount. Once the bridge is completed, people will naturally choose it for transportation. Think about what will happen over time?"

"We'll have a continuous stream of income!" Sasuke said subconsciously.

After saying that, he couldn't help but take a deep breath, finally realizing Naruto's intentions.

Although each toll wasn't much, the revenue would accumulate daily.

Not to mention B-Rank commissions, as long as given enough time, the earnings could easily surpass those of an A-Rank commissions.

Whoosh!

Kakashi flickered to the two's side and asked in confusion, "Naruto, you have more than just money on your mind, don't you?"

"Kakashi-sensei, what else have you discovered?" Naruto asked with a smile.

Kakashi thought aloud, "If this bridge is named after you, everyone will know that the Konoha's Shinobi provided assistance, which would strengthen diplomatic ties between the two nations. The people of the Land of Waves would be grateful, and even if they prosper in the future, they wouldn't dare withhold the toll fees, given Konoha's reputation. This way, the toll income remains secure."

"Exactly!"

Naruto's smile deepened. Fame and profit, he was aiming for both.

"But aren't you worried about this plan failing?"

Sasuke still had his doubts. feeling that Naruto's approach involved quite a bit of risk.

Naruto waved his hands and said, "What's there to fail? If we abandon the mission, Tazuna will get assassinated, and the bridge will never be completed. The Land of Waves would then fall completely under Gato's control. So even if Tazuna suspects I'm taking advantage of the situation, he has no choice but to agree."

Sasuke's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but applaud, "Naruto, you're really incredible! When did you come up with all this?"

Naruto just smiled without answering.

Seeing that familiar smile, Sasuke couldn't help but felt a chill, "Could it be… you started planning all this from the moment he insulted you?"

Recalling Naruto's every move, Sasuke realized that Naruto had been manipulating Tazuna from the very beginning.

'As expected, when Naruto smiled, fate became unpredictable.'

'This guy is really full of bad intentions.'

Sasuke felt fortunate that he had signed a Servant Contract with Naruto. With it, he doesn't have to worry about being caught up in one of Naruto's schemes.

"So, you never thought of rejecting this mission from the beginning."

Kakashi frowned and said, "It's just that what you said earlier made me a little concerned. What if Gato really hires a powerful Shinobi?"

Although Naruto knew that the strongest person hired by Gato was Zabuza, he couldn't reveal that directly to Kakashi.

After thinking for a while, he replied, "What's there to worry about? I've already set up Flying Thunder God's marks along the way. If it's a Jonin, we can take them. If it's a Kage-level Shinobi, we'll just escape if we can't beat him. Besides, I don't believe that a Kage-level Shinobi would stoop so low as to assassinate a commoner. If they did, I wouldn't mind spreading the word and letting the world see that person's disgrace!"

"That's true." Kakashi thought for a moment, then nodded as his expression relaxed.

With the Flying Thunder God Technique's marks in place, they didn't need to worry about their own safety.

However, when Naruto thought of Zabuza, many more thoughts came to his mind.

Back when he watched Naruto, Zabuza and Haku were the first antagonists who had truly moved him.

The tragic ending of the two made him sigh even more.

Now that he'd crossed into this world, Naruto was determined to change their fate. He wouldn't allow them to meet a tragic or sorrowful end.

Without much conversation. Naruto trailed at the back of the group, quietly working through different ideas.

No other assassins appeared on the way. After passing through a dense forest, the ocean finally spread out before them, shrouded in mist that made it difficult to see beyond a few feet.

Tazuna approached the shore and fired a signal flare.

Soon after, a boatman in a sleeveless shirt rowed a small boat to the shore.

"This is a boatman from the Land of Waves. You can rest assured."

Tazuna explained before climbing aboard. After checking for any threats, the rest of the group followed him onto the boat.

As they set off, Tazuna began recounting the events of their journey to the boatman, engaging in casual conversation for a good while.

The wooden boat gradually sailed into the thick mist.

In the thick mist, they could barely see anything besides a faint, grayish blur. Eventually, they glimpsed the silhouette of a massive, unfinished bridge, with its edges cut cleanly and several large machines on it… a testament to the halted construction.

The boatman, wearing a straw hat, rowed silently, his expression growing serious, "We're almost there, Tazuna. It seems we haven't been discovered yet."

"I'm truly sorry for the trouble." Tazuna apologized.

Then, the boat eased into a large archway under the bridge.

Passing through the bridge tunnel, the sudden sunlight dazzled everyone, making them squint.

As they adjusted, they were greeted by a scene that was a stark contrast to the earlier misty landscape. Blue waters spread out before them, with green trees occasionally poking up through the shallow areas.

Along the edges of the water stood a platform constructed of wooden stakes, dotted with dilapidated wooden houses.

The boat docked at the shore, and as they disembarked, the boatman cautioned them, "This is as far as I can take you. Be careful from here on!"

Once the boat was out of sight, the group continued forward, now officially within the territory of the Land of Waves.

But not long after stepping onto the land, Kakashi's expression suddenly changed. He pulled out a shuriken and hurled it into a nearby bush.

"Everyone, stay alert!" Kakashi warned sternly.

But the next moment, a little white rabbit leaped out of the bushes, clearly frightened, and dashed off into the distance.

Sakura's tense heart relaxed instantly, and she couldn't help but complain: "Kakashi-sensei, please don't scare us like that."

Naruto crouched down and said with serious tone, "Everyone, stay sharp! Sasuke, Sakura, you two guard Tazuna-san!"

Sasuke didn't argue, but instantly moved to shield Tazuna.

Sakura, however, didn't follow suit. Instead, she continued to protest, "Sasuke, don't get all worked up like Naruto. We all saw it's just an innocent white rabbit."

"Sakura, come here!" Sasuke urged.

After hearing Sasuke's order, Sakura did not refute and ran to Tazuna's side honestly. However, her face was full of indifference, and she just felt that everyone was overreacting.

Seeing this, Naruto couldn't help but frowned and said, "Sakura, stay vigilant! Didn't you learn anything in school? That's a snow rabbit!"

"So what if it's a snow rabbit? It's still just a harmless little bunny..."

Mid-sentence, Sakura's expression changed drastically, "Wait, snow rabbits only have white fur in winter, when there's little daylight. But it's summer now, which means… this rabbit was kept indoors, away from sunlight, specifically to be used as a replacement?"

Realizing her mistake, Sakura quickly pulled out a kunai, alert to any danger around them.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a whistling sound cut through the air from a nearby tree.

Naruto quickly shouted, "Everyone, get down!"

Everyone immediately dropped to the ground as a massive blade spun through the air above them, slicing dangerously close to their heads.

The enemy has appeared...