章 19: Chapter 19 Gato's Wealth

"Alright, Naruto, that's enough."

Kakashi glanced at Naruto, who was still punching and kicking the two Kirigakure's Shinobi while muttering to himself.

"I need to ask them some questions."

Hearing this, Naruto reluctantly stopped.

He was sure that the momentary pause and desaturation of the scene were caused by the system, but strangely, no system options had popped up.

That fleeting ripple, appearing and disappearing instantly, felt like the system had experienced some dreadful glitch. Naruto wasn't sure what had happened to make the system appear and then retract so quickly.

'Was it broken?'

Naruto felt a bit uneasy. The last time, during the bell-grabbing test, he had chosen to give his all rather than doing nothing and take it easy.

That option didn't make much sense anyway. Doing nothing? That would harm both himself and others. Even though he would gain Wood Release, it could have meant the end of Team 7.

At the same time, Naruto also realized one thing.

The options given by the system weren't balanced, they seemed more random. The system had no emotions and just triggered options randomly.

Whether it was a proactive choice or a passive one, neither was a perfect option. Once a choice is made, he will inevitably have to pay the opportunity cost.

For instance, with Mizuki's invitation, Naruto had refused and gained full-level fishing mastery. However, at the same time, Naruto lost the opportunity to obtain the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

However, Naruto did not regret it afterwards. Only people can use Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, so he will get it sooner or later.

If he had agreed to Mizuki's plan, he would have to step into the touching drama set up by Sandaime and the other higher-ups, and force himself to suppress his nausea while expressing his loyalty to the village.

After summarizing everything in his mind, Naruto also realized something. The system was just an aid, and any choice was meant to improve his situation.

It is precisely because of the existence of the system that Naruto can obtain Ninjutsu without relying on anyone, and he doesn't even need to establish any bond with Kyubi to directly draw its power.

This is the true purpose of the system, to save Naruto from many troubles. He could refuse things he didn't want to do and obtain everything he desired.

Naruto thought silently, 'This is probably the true purpose of the Take It Easy System.'

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." Naruto waved his hands to indicate that he was really fine.

Hearing this, Sakura felt a bit reassured but soon remembered something and hesitantly asked.

"Naruto, why did you just stand still earlier?"

"It was my first real battle, so I panicked a bit."

"Really?" Sakura showed a relieved expression and said comfortingly, "I was also shocked just now, my whole body went stiff."

Rather than comforting Naruto, Sakura was comforting herself. When Kakashi was sliced into pieces by the two Kirigakure's Shinobi, Sakura's face turned as white as paper.

Naruto nodded and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, Kakashi's interrogation was progressing. The two Kirigakure's Shinobi were known as the Demon Brothers and were after Tazuna.

But when Tazuna was asked about this, he remained silent.

The mission had been accepted, so even though something felt off, abandoning the client was not an option. After some thought, Kakashi decided to push forward and complete the mission with Team 7.

It was not until Team 7 reached the other side of the Land of Waves, aboard a boat heading towards the small island, that Tazuna revealed the truth.

"The person who wants me dead is a wealthy tycoon from a shipping company. I'm sure you've heard his name." Tazuna said with a helpless expression on his face.

As Tazuna continued to explain, the whole situation became clearer.

Gato is the owner of a shipping company and a significant figure who operated both legally and illegally. He ran a company on the surface, but secretly hired Shinobi to carry out unlawful activities.

It was this Gato who had set his sights on the island country of the Land of Waves, which is surrounded by sea on all sides. He wanted to control the waterways to expand his influence on the island and eventually gain complete control over it.

The island's only bridge was under construction, and the old man in front of them was the only one who knew how to build it. If Gato kills him, the bridge will naturally not be built.

Naruto leaned back against the boat, letting his hand touch the flowing seawater as he pondered how to make a profit from Gato.

The Land of Waves was a poor, dirt-eating island nation, but Gato was a bona fide tycoon. Since Gato was going to die eventually, Naruto thought he might as well seize the opportunity to make some money.

After all, the purpose of being a Shinobi is to earn money to live. Continuously doing missions didn't bring much money, and he couldn't work forever.

Shinobis also have a prime age for their work. Shinobi from large clans generally only trained and did missions during their youth. After that, they lived a more stable life, with regular hours and leisurely activities.

Since Naruto has decided not to work towards becoming Hokage, his future life depended solely on himself, and there are plenty of things he needed money for.

Dating, buying a house, traveling.

Come to think of it, Jiraiya's lifestyle wasn't bad either, traveling everywhere and visiting different hot springs with different women.

Even in his fifties or sixties, he was still living well.

While Naruto was lost in these thoughts, the boat reached the shore.

Tazuna's lie gave Kakashi quite a headache. They could choose to abandon the mission. However, one of the purposes of taking a C-Rank mission was to train Team 7, so Kakashi decided on the next plan.

As long as they safely escorted Tazuna home, the mission would be considered complete.

"What should we do after this mission?" Kakashi mused leisurely as they walked, "How about giving Team 7 another two days off?"

"That sounds good." Naruto was the first to agree.

"That's great." Sakura said with a smile.

Sasuke didn't say anything, but his eyes are scanning their surroundings. As the mission neared its end, he frowned slightly when he heard that the others seemed to have let down their guard and even discussed their plans after the mission.

'If all Shinobi were like this, it would be hard for them to survive for long.'

"Hey, how much longer until we arrive?" Naruto turned to Tazuna and asked impatiently, "Old man, say something."

Compared to Sasuke, Naruto is not worried about Zabuza suddenly appearing. After all, with Kakashi around, there should be no real problem.

Even if Uchiha Madara came, Kakashi could still beat him. Kakashi was so powerful that he could fight anyone on equal terms.

With such strong backup, Zabuza's ambush would only become a joke.

Besides Kakashi, there were also Sasuke and Naruto who could fight. With three against one, the advantage was on Team 7. That's why Naruto didn't pay attention to Zabuza. He was always thinking about Gato, the financial backer behind Zabuza.

'System, system, please come out.' Naruto thought silently in his heart, "I can't pull off this Robin Hood act without you."

'System?'

'Daddy System?'

[Ding!]

The familiar mechanical voice sounded, and Naruto took a deep breath. At this moment, the sound was like music to his ears.