Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Mission Completed
When Natsuro arrived at the still unfinished bridge, he saw the scene around him; it wasn't very bloody. Kakashi must have considered Naruto and the others' ability to handle it, so the attacks were relatively "light."
At that moment, Sasuke and Sakura were both breathing heavily, but they were fine; Naruto, however, seemed a bit out of sorts.
"You did well," Natsuro said, his tone softening.
"Heh, of course! I was going to kill that man," Sasuke wanted to respond with a smile, but in the end, he just curled the corners of his mouth and looked over at Naruto. He couldn't help but say, "Hey, idiot over there, you're not really that shaken up, are you?"
"Ah?" Naruto came to his senses, looking at the fallen crowd around him, especially remembering that some had fallen at his hands. He wasn't in the mood to respond to Sasuke's taunt.
Sasuke glanced at Naruto, surprised that he really didn't react. Could it be…? Sasuke began to feel a bit worried.
"Alright, just rest for a while, Naruto." Natsuro reached out to ruffle Naruto's golden hair, then gently lifted Naruto's head, pointing towards the distant bridge. "Naruto, look."
"Hmm?" Naruto looked confused.
"You really protected this bridge. This bridge will ultimately become the lifeline of the Land of Waves, so not only did you kill those wicked men, but you also safeguarded the hope of the Land of Waves." Natsuro smiled gently as he spoke, then turned to Sasuke and Sakura. "You both did great too."
"Hmph~" Sasuke turned his head away, glancing at Naruto and at Natsuro's hand still resting on Naruto's head. Well, Naruto really did need more comforting.
Over the past few days, Sasuke had gradually come to accept this somewhat silly yet hardworking powerhouse.
As for Naruto, listening to Natsuro's words and looking at the bridge along with the sun that was just rising, he seemed to… see the light.
Kakashi watched this scene, and a smile appeared on his face. Although he felt that Natsuro was somewhat pushing them too hard, he also sensed that Natsuro truly wanted them to become stronger.
Not just in strength but also in mentality. This was quite good.
Suddenly, Natsuro paused and smiled again, looking towards the other side of the bridge. "Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, go receive the cheers that belong to you."
The three were momentarily stunned, then followed Natsuro's gaze to find the people of the Land of Waves rushing over with weapons, their expressions filled with disbelief.
"Everyone, this is all thanks to these three," Natsuro announced. Though he didn't shout, the wind carried his voice clearly to everyone's ears, and immediately, all eyes were on Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
The fiery, admiring, and grateful gazes made the three feel as though something in their hearts had changed.
"Go on." Natsuro gently pushed them toward the crowd, watching as they were surrounded, smiling.
"Hmm, not bad at all." Kakashi's gaze was also on the three.
"Sorry for passing your achievements onto them, but they need these cheers more at this moment," Natsuro said.
"Of course, I'm their teacher. I was already thinking about how to handle this situation. You did very well, really well," Kakashi sincerely replied.
Natsuro didn't say anything, contemplating how he would feel if he received such treatment… but it seemed he wouldn't, as he had been acting alone later on.
"Sometimes I really can't believe you're the same age as them, in terms of both physique and mindset," Kakashi suddenly said.
"Who knows? Maybe I'm older than you," Natsuro casually remarked. He figured that combining his past life and this one, he was probably older than Kakashi.
"Haha." Kakashi just smiled, taking Natsuro's comment as a joke.
"By the way, you were using the Flying Thunder God just now, right?" Kakashi suddenly asked.
"Yeah, you figured it out a long time ago, didn't you?" Natsuro admitted.
Instantly, Kakashi inhaled sharply. Although he had suspected it, hearing Natsuro confirm it still shocked him.
That was a technique that had made his teacher famous throughout the ninja world! Most ninjas outside didn't know the name of the Flying Thunder God, but Kakashi, as the Fourth Hokage's student, could not be unaware of it.
Moreover, the Fourth Hokage had even taught it to him, but he ultimately found that he had no talent for that technique, which Kakashi felt a bit regretful about.
"Are you shocked?"
"Of course, after all, only the teacher learned that technique…" Kakashi couldn't help but say.
"The Second Hokage also knew it; he was the founder," Natsuro responded.
At once, Kakashi was momentarily silenced but continued, "Still, only you three have learned it. If word gets out that you learned your teacher's technique, it would probably cause quite a stir."
"What's the point? In the end, it's the person who's strong. Ninjutsu is just a means; being famous doesn't make you invincible just because you learned it," Natsuro said flatly.
The Flying Thunder God was different from the Sage Mode, which could be mastered instantly; it was an auxiliary ninjutsu, and its effectiveness depended on the individual.
If Natsuro faced the Fourth Hokage now and dared to use the Flying Thunder God, he would probably be beaten badly...
Kakashi remained silent for a while, and his normally blank eyes showed some changes. After a long moment, he said, "I've learned a lot."
At that moment, Natsuro suddenly paused. Sage Mode? He thought of Sage Mode, and his mind exploded with memories of previous scenes.
Previously, under the Nine-Tails' taunts, he hadn't reacted in time. Though he had always used his sensing abilities to detect chakra…
The fundamental essence of the Void State wasn't sensing chakra; it was sensing natural energy!
Although it wasn't used to sense spiritual energy, it also didn't belong to the chakra system. It existed even before chakra was born...
So, if the Nine-Tails said he couldn't learn through chakra, what if his sensing ability wasn't based on chakra?
Was that a possibility? Natsuro thought frantically but ultimately calmed this thought down, deciding to continue exploring in that direction.
After all, he hadn't found a more suitable path for progress with his current sensing ability, and even if he ultimately didn't succeed, it wouldn't matter much. At least he would have a goal, right?
As Natsuro's thoughts returned to reality, he soon saw Naruto, who had returned to his original cheerful self, directing the villagers to lift the bodies around.
"What happened?" Natsuro asked Sasuke, who had also come over.
"That idiot Naruto asked everyone to help collect the bodies, saying that even if they were bad people, they shouldn't just be left to rot in the wilderness, and everyone agreed." Sasuke replied, a slight smirk on his lips. Although he hadn't expected it, he felt pretty good about it.
Natsuro was taken aback, looking at Naruto directing the villagers, completely surprised that the usually slow-witted Naruto would be the first to think of this issue...
Then, Natsuro smiled. Yes, this was the cheerful Naruto Uzumaki he remembered. At that moment, Natsuro was glad that he hadn't changed the most fundamental part of him.
That essence was the reason he and many others like him loved Naruto.
Kakashi also sighed. Although there were many twists in this mission, it was worth it. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had all experienced unbelievable growth during this mission.
Kakashi couldn't help but glance at Natsuro, marveling at the Third Hokage's foresight. Without Natsuro's presence, this mission would have been much more troublesome; Zabuza wouldn't have retreated so easily.
Had the Third Hokage sensed something was off about this mission beforehand? Kakashi pondered...
As time passed, all the bodies were buried, and the group bid farewell amid laughter. Natsuro and his companions headed back to Konoha.
Just like in the original story, this bridge was named the Naruto Bridge. After all, both Natsuro giving the honor to Naruto and Naruto's subsequent requests had greatly increased his presence among the villagers.
So, naming it the Naruto Bridge wasn't strange at all.
Unlike the chaotic journey there, the return trip was smooth, and the group returned to Konoha without incident.
"Now this mission comes to an end. Everyone go home. By the way, don't relax when you get back; keep working hard and reflect on your shortcomings during the mission. Alright, dismissed." Kakashi said in his usual half-dead tone.
"Kakashi-sensei, will we have more missions like this in the future!" However, Naruto did not intend to leave, speaking excitedly.
"Well... who knows?" Kakashi thought for a moment while supporting his chin, then immediately disappeared from the spot. He still needed to report the details of this mission to the Third Hokage. The sooner he reported, the sooner he could relax; he had no time to waste here.
"..." Naruto jumped up, expressing his dissatisfaction.
"Alright, don't be so hasty; there will definitely be more missions like this in the future," Natsuro said. He wasn't the lead Jonin, so he didn't need to make a report.
"Then let's disband for now," Natsuro said.
"Okay."
This time, no one objected. Although Naruto and Sasuke wanted to invite Natsuro, they thought about how he had his own home and gave up on that idea.
Natsuro walked toward his home, sighing as he glanced at Naruto, who was heading in a similar direction. Although they were going in the same direction, Naruto's house was in the central area...
Recently, Natsuro had learned that Naruto actually had a home in the most luxurious part of the village, but he generally didn't live there because he was often bullied when he stepped outside. It was only after gradually becoming a ninja that he moved back into that house.
Naruto should have moved back a long time ago; he hadn't done so earlier because he was worried that Natsuro didn't know where it was, so he stayed away. But now that he had informed Natsuro, he moved back, making it much more convenient for missions and gatherings.
So… Naruto really was a property owner, and not just one house. Moreover, if Naruto's identity were revealed, he should also inherit the Fourth Hokage's property, which wasn't just some rundown place...
When he found this out, he felt quite envious. Fortunately, he didn't need to envy anymore because he could afford it now.
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