Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

"Gender reassignment surgery?" Even Haku, who is usually reserved in expression, looked utterly shocked upon hearing this.

"That's right, gender reassignment surgery!"

Naruto snorted, "I want you to lose your dignity and understand your position!"

Though these were his words, Naruto's inner thoughts were quite different.

In truth, even without Haku's interference on the bridge, Naruto could have carried out the plan. At worst, he could have knocked out both Zabuza and Haku, then used his shadow clones and Transformation Technique to stage the entire scene by himself.

The desire to turn Haku into a girl had long been a personal wish of Naruto's, and now he had a fitting excuse to make it happen.

In his past life, Naruto remembered how fans debated Haku's gender while watching Naruto. Initially, even he was misled, after all, with Haku's cute appearance, he seemed nothing like a boy. And to this day, some people still think of Haku as a girl.

So why not make Haku a girl once and for all, settling the debate?

The most important thing is… the Haku in front of Naruto is even cuter and more beautiful than in the anime, and Naruto is afraid that he couldn't to extricate himself from him/her?.

Naruto considered himself a true man. How could he develop feelings for a boy? This inner conflict had been eating at him.

Turning Haku into a real girl would bring him peace of mind, after all. It was only natural for a boy to like a girl.

"This... doesn't sound like much of a punishment," Haku murmured, feeling hesitant.

Hearing this, Naruto was taken aback for a moment.

"Not a punishment?"

He couldn't understand what Haku meant.

After all, for a man, castrating himself and losing his manhood is the most inhumane punishment.

'Could it be that Haku could think of an even harsher punishment?'

Zabuza, who is standing nearby, stepped in to explain, "To help Haku focus more intently on missions, I already arranged for him to undergo the reassignment. That way, he wouldn't let any unnecessary emotions slip during battles."

"What?"

Naruto stared at Zabuza with wide eyes, no longer caring about his image.

He never expected that Zabuza would be so ruthless that he had already cut off Haku's manhood.

'No wonder Haku looks so much like a girl, it turns out he had changed his gender a long time ago.'

However, for this matter, Naruto only wants to say, 'Nice work, Zabuza!'

'No, wait... that's not right.'

After clearing his throat, Naruto hesitated: "Uh, Haku, why don't you... remove your shirt so I can verify this?"

"Don't look at me like that. I'm just confirming the facts to make sure you two aren't deceiving me."

After a long while, Naruto nodded in satisfaction and said, "Alright, it's true. Very good, in that case, forget about the punishment this time, but don't let it happen again. Next time, I won't be so forgiving. Understood?"

"Yes, Naruto-sama, we understand!"

Zabuza and Haku replied in unison.

"Okay, lead Kin and Gin with you to transfer Gato's assets. You must act secretly and don't act on your own. Follow my plan precisely. If there are any problems, report to me immediately."

With a few final instructions, Naruto dissolved the shadow clone, dispersing into a puff of white smoke to return to his main body. If he stayed there for a while longer, he was afraid that he would be unable to hold back and bursted out laughing...

Meanwhile, Naruto had just finished lunch when a flood of memories rushed into his mind, leaving him feeling momentarily unsteady… even making his nose bleed.

"Naruto, what's wrong with you?" Sakura asked a little worriedly.

Having witnessed Naruto's heroics, Sakura now felt much more appreciative of him, especially since he'd saved everyone, including Sasuke. So she has only gratitude in her heart.

"It's nothing. I'm fine."

Naruto replied, waving his hand, though his eyes were dazed, and blood continued to trickle from his nose.

"You said you were fine, but you're bleeding. Was it an internal injury from the fight earlier? Don't hold back. If anything's wrong, let us know so we can treat it in time."

Sakura frowned, her brows deeply furrowed.

Naruto waved his hands, "Really, I'm fine… I just thought of something that made me happy."

'To be precise, it was something... exhilarating.'

The memories from his shadow clone were still flooding back, full of scenes from his 'inspection' of Haku.

Naruto had to admit, the gender transformation techniques in the Shinobi World of were far more powerful and refined than anything he'd seen in his previous life… even beyond what they could do in Thailand!

If someone says that Haku is a girl, Naruto would raise both hands in agreement, as there wasn't a single flaw in Haku's appearance.

'Haku, what a lovely girl!'

…

A month went by in a flash.

Sasuke's injuries had fully healed, and the bridge in the Land of Waves was finally completed.

Today was a day of celebration, a perfect day for the bridge's inauguration.

At nine in the morning, the bridge was bustling with people.

Not only were the workers present, but townsfolk from all around had gathered. Since driving away Gato, the people of the Land of Waves had regained their vitality, and their faces now radiated with joy and hope.

Standing in the center, Tazuna called out, "Everyone, quiet down! I'd like to say a few words!"

At his words, the people on the bridge paused, turning their attention toward him.

This bridge, this symbol of hope, had been Tazuna's doing. To the people, Tazuna was now a hero. He held more importance in their hearts than even the Daimyo of the Land of Waves.

As the crowd quieted, Tazuna nodded in satisfaction.

"Today is a special day. Our bridge is finally complete. I want to thank all the workers and townsfolk who supported this effort. Every single one of you played a vital role!"

Clap, clap, clap!

A roar of applause erupted from the crowd.

Tazuna gestured for silence and continued, "Most importantly, we owe our thanks to the Shinobi from Konoha. Without their help, we wouldn't have driven away Gato, nor regained our courage and sense of self-worth!"

"In particular, Uzumaki Naruto's bravery touched me deeply. So, I'd like to make two announcements!"

"First, I want to name this bridge in honor of Naruto. It shall be called 'The Great Naruto Bridge!"

"Second, a portion of the toll collected from every crossing will go to Naruto, a ten-yen share each time!"

"As many of you know, I couldn't afford to hire these Konoha's Shinobi, and I did conceal some of the details. But Naruto didn't abandon us, he stayed with us and saw the bridge completed. I feel these two gestures are more than deserved. What do you all think?"

Tazuna looked around at the townsfolk.

Without any pause, the people below expressed their opinions one after another:

"Agreed!"

"No problem!"

"Absolutely!"

The words varied, but the sentiment was unanimous, as everyone supported both gestures.

Naruto, who was standing on the side, felt a bit speechless. He had indeed proposed these conditions to Tazuna, but he hadn't expected Tazuna to handle it so eloquently. After a few remarks, he could make all the people accept this matter voluntarily.

'As expected, even at such an old age, Tazuna is not an easy person to deal with, he is an old fox.'

However, since Tazuna had kept his word, Naruto had no reason to be concerned with the details.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the bridge was officially named 'The Great Naruto Bridge'.

Shortly afterward, children, including Inari at the front, swarmed Naruto, begging for his autograph. They had either witnessed or heard about his heroic deeds.

To these kids, Naruto was a genuine hero.

Naruto found it hard to refuse, and truthfully, he was quite pleased by this.

'So this is what it feels like to give someone an autograph, huh...'

Naruto's emotions gradually became complicated and his face gradually fell.

But as time wore on, Naruto's initial pride shifted to boredom, and he couldn't wait for it to end.

Unfortunately, it took a whole hour before he was finally free.

However, this delay brought him an unexpected benefit. In his mind, he heard the long-missed voice of the system:

[It is detected that the host has stayed on the Great Naruto Bridge for one hour. Sign-in successful. Reward: ...]