I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

What Can a Ninja Protect?

After seeing the bandits blocking the road, a disheveled samurai rushed out first, gripping the hilt of his rusted katana as he loudly shouted his name.

The leader of the bandits, unimpressed, ignored the samurai's bravado and flung a kunai straight at him. The blade found its mark, grazing the man's arm. Several other wandering samurai flinched at the sight, their expressions tightening as they instinctively backed toward the convoy, their hands gripping their hilts in wary hesitation.

Standing nearby, Naruto Uzumaki observed the scene with amusement. He glanced at the bandits in the distance and then at the winking samurai, recognizing the exaggerated movements as a poorly executed ruse. A smirk formed on his lips.

Over the past half-month of traveling outside Konoha, Naruto had encountered bandits frequently. Initially, he thought the Land of Fire's law and order had merely deteriorated, but the reality was far more structured—organized crime had evolved into an industrial system.

The guards of the caravan and the bandits up ahead were clearly in collusion, running an extortion racket along the trade routes. Those who could afford to hire a Hidden Village's shinobi naturally commissioned missions to eliminate bandits. But for those lacking the necessary funds, surrendering to exploitation was their only option. True resistance was impossible.

The current standoff between the downcast samurai and the bandits was doomed to fail—not because of skill but because Naruto's unexpected presence had disrupted the established hierarchy of corruption.

Realizing this, Naruto casually picked up a small stone from the roadside. Channeling his Wind Release chakra into it, he flicked the stone forward with pinpoint accuracy. The bandit leader's eyes widened in shock as the projectile struck his forehead with a sudden burst of concussive force, rendering him unconscious. The remaining bandits froze in place, their resolve shattered.

Naruto stepped forward and rifled through the unconscious bandit's pouch, eventually pulling out a Konoha forehead protector—its metal plate crudely scratched through the center. A missing-nin.

Turning to the caravan members, Naruto instructed, "They're still alive. Tie them up and hand them over to the nearest town's police force. They'll know what to do with them."

After witnessing Naruto's effortless display of power, the caravan leader's demeanor shifted entirely. His voice carried newfound respect. "I've seen many shinobi before, but never one as powerful as you."

Naruto, uninterested in flattery, merely shrugged. However, he accepted the leader's gesture of goodwill, settling into a private carriage at the front of the convoy.

"Fourth Hokage, it looks like law and order in the Land of Fire is fine as it is. No need for shinobi to maintain order, right?" Naruto's voice was laced with sarcasm.

Inside the sealed space of his subconscious, Namikaze Minato let out a sigh, his expression turning slightly strained. "Naruto, shinobi are mercenaries. If people can't afford them, there's no one to protect them. But... there are still many ninja who act out of a sense of justice."

Naruto chuckled but offered no further comment.

Shinobi were indeed mercenaries. Without payment, they wouldn't serve the people of the Land of Fire. At best, they might intervene out of personal morals, but that alone couldn't solve systemic problems.

In fact, because Hidden Villages operated like hired military factions, rogue shinobi often turned into powerful threats. Even an ordinary genin could seize control of a village or rule over bandit territories.

The strangest part? These mercenary organizations controlled the military power of entire nations, yet the daimyō had little say in their affairs.

After traveling for several hours, the convoy halted once again. This time, however, it wasn't bandits or rogue shinobi blocking the way.

A noble from the Land of Fire was passing through.

According to law, commoners were required to yield to nobility, bowing their heads in respect as their retinue passed.

As the noble's palanquin curtains were drawn open, the caravan leader and passengers immediately lowered their heads. Even the ragged samurai maintained perfect posture, adhering to the rigid social order.

Unlike the others, Naruto remained seated in his carriage, his gaze unfazed. The noble's hired shinobi—likely chūnin from some lesser Hidden Village—failed to notice his presence, and their convoy passed without incident.

Watching the retreating noble, Naruto smirked. "So there are still people in the Land of Fire who can afford shinobi. Looks like our job as ninja is just to protect the wealthy."

Minato furrowed his brows. For the first time, he found himself aligning with Kurama's cynical perspective.

Naruto's personality wasn't inherited from him or Kushina. Instead, his worldview eerily mirrored that of the Nine-Tails. Correcting that perspective would be far more difficult than Minato had anticipated.

The journey resumed, but mere minutes later, the convoy came to another abrupt stop.

Up ahead, the noble's palanquin lay in ruins—split cleanly in two. Blood seeped from the broken wood, pooling onto the dirt road. The noble's guards, shinobi hired for protection, lay lifeless nearby, their expressions frozen in stunned disbelief.

What terrified the convoy more, however, was the lone figure perched atop a nearby tree.

A man with jagged shark-like teeth.

A massive sword, nicked and battle-worn, rested against his shoulder.

The Kubikiribōchō—the Executioner's Blade.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. Momochi Zabuza? No... something was off. Zabuza should be with Haku, and his attire didn't match the Akatsuki's signature red-cloud cloak.

Minato's voice cut through Naruto's thoughts. "Naruto, that's Loquat Jūzō, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

Recognition dawned. Jūzō—an elite jōnin of Kirigakure, one of the few to survive Might Duy's rampage years ago.

Damn. Just my luck to run into an Akatsuki member during a simple escort mission.

Jūzō vanished. A blur of movement.

Naruto barely dodged as the massive Kubikiribōchō came crashing down, cleaving straight through the carriage he had been sitting in. The severed halves collapsed in a heap of splintered wood.

With a flicker of movement, Naruto unsheathed the katana at his waist. Wind chakra surged along the blade's edge, turning the steel razor-sharp.

A sudden gust howled through the battlefield. Vacuum Wave.

The slicing wind shot toward Jūzō, who twisted mid-air, barely evading the deadly arc. His eyes flickered with intrigue.

"I didn't expect someone as strong as you to be doing bodyguard work for nobles."

Naruto blinked. Wait. He doesn't know I'm a Jinchūriki? He's not after me?

After a brief pause, Naruto replied, "I'm just traveling. Guarding a caravan along the way."

Jūzō scratched his head. "Ah. My mistake. Thought you were hired to protect that noble. I was just here for the bounty."

Without hesitation, he casually reached down, severed the noble's head, and prepared to leave.

Before departing, he glanced back. "By the way... you're strong. Ever thought about joining Akatsuki? We've got great benefits. Would be a waste for someone like you not to."

Naruto shook his head. "Not interested."

Jūzō shrugged. "Shame."

And just like that, he was gone. Not out of fear, but because his mission was already complete. He was an assassin, not a brawler.

As the convoy resumed its journey, the atmosphere had shifted. The caravan leader, the samurai, even the passengers—all looked at Naruto with newfound reverence.

If not for him, they'd all be dead.

Naruto, however, paid them no mind. He retreated into the depths of his subconscious, gazing at Minato.

"My lord, it seems even nobility isn't guaranteed protection from shinobi. So I ask again—what can a ninja truly protect?"

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