Naruto: Different Path

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Seeing Naruto successfully fuse with the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, Danzo took out a scroll and said, 

"Naruto, you've successfully integrated Hashirama's cells. Here is a scroll that will allow you to learn Wood Release." 

"How much you can master depends entirely on you." 

Naruto accepted the scroll from Danzo, feeling the vitality flowing through him due to Hashirama's cells. 

Naruto did not doubt that he would recover quickly even if he suffered a serious injury now. 

Though he had gained the First Hokage's regenerative abilities, he needed to learn about Wood Release.

Naruto opened the scroll Danzo gave him and went outside the base to find an empty field to practice. 

Since no one was there to guide him in Wood Release, the training didn't go smoothly initially. 

However, Naruto made noticeable progress after just one day due to his perfect integration with the cells and excellent chakra control. 

As he was practicing, Danzo appeared behind him at some point. 

Watching Naruto's Wood Release, Danzo remarked, "To have mastered this much in just one day, you're already stronger than Yamato was." 

Your fusion is indeed as perfect as we expected.

"But still, at this level, it won't be much use in real combat," Naruto replied. 

Danzo turned back toward the base, saying, "Go rest for now. I'll give you a week." 

"Once your Wood Release has reached a certain power level, you'll carry out this mission. Given how well you've integrated, a week should be enough."

Over the next week, Naruto stayed at the base, continuing to train in Wood Release. 

By the end of the week, he had reached a level similar to Yamato's but still far from matching the First Hokage. 

Just as Naruto felt ready to head back to Danzo's base, he suddenly heard a voice. 

Entering his consciousness, Naruto was surprised to find that Kurama, the Nine-Tails, had initiated a conversation with him, which had never happened before.

In his mindscape, behind the massive iron gate sealed with the kanji for "seal," 

Kurama echoed, "Kid, I didn't expect you to master Wood Release. Quite a surprise." 

"Among all the jinchuriki, you're among the more interesting ones. You've piqued my curiosity."

Naruto responded, "We've been together for a long time now. Even though we don't communicate much, I'd like us to become friends, not enemies, if possible."

Kurama's voice sneered behind the gate, "Kid, you don't understand. The world of ninjas isn't as simple as you think." 

"If it weren't for your Wood Release, I wouldn't have bothered talking to you." With that, Kurama fell silent, and Naruto returned to reality.

From Kurama's words, it was clear that his interest in Naruto was tied to Naruto's newfound ability in Wood Release. 

However, Naruto wondered why Kurama hadn't appeared when he learned more powerful techniques before. 

After some thought, Naruto recalled the battle between Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju, in which Kurama had also participated. 

The power of Wood Release could suppress Kurama's strength, which explained why Kurama had shown up now. 

The presence of Wood Release made it even harder for Kurama to break the seal.

Understanding this, Naruto continued toward Danzo's base. As agreed, it was time to start his mission. 

Danzo greeted Naruto with the same expressionless face and said, "Ryujin, this mission is for you alone." 

"The difficulty surpasses S-rank. If you don't have absolute confidence, don't risk it. The mission's time frame is three months."

"Understood," Naruto answered briefly. In Naruto's view, this mission wasn't something that had to be done, and it might not benefit either side. 

But Danzo saw things differently. He believed the Land of Fire, situated between the Five Great Nations, would be safer if neighboring countries were weaker. 

In his eyes, no means were too extreme for Konoha's safety. Since Naruto had accepted the mission, he was determined to see it through. 

However, given the mission's long duration, Naruto had some additional plans in mind. 

Among the great nations were smaller ones that acted as buffers, helping to prevent major conflicts between the larger countries. 

Even during the Great Ninja Wars, the homelands of the large nations were often spared, while the small nations were left in ruin. 

However, in times of peace, these small nations benefited greatly. Naruto would have to pass through smaller nations to reach the Land of Earth. 

He could go through the Land of Rain or the Land of Grass. 

Considering the presence of the Akatsuki in the Land of Rain, Naruto decided to travel through the Land of Grass instead. 

Fortunately, the Land of Grass maintained relatively good relations with Konoha. 

However, as a member of the Anbu, Naruto couldn't reveal his true identity and would have to disguise himself as a traveler.

In addition to completing Danzo's mission, Naruto wanted to learn more about the hidden Grass Village. 

It was said that most Grass Village shinobi were skilled in Fire Release, but they also had a unique sealing technique that surpassed Konoha's abilities in certain ways. 

Of course, ordinary citizens are the majority in any country and usually belong to the lowest social strata. 

These people were treated better in larger countries like Konoha, but smaller countries often had more chaos. 

For example, Konoha had strict rules against harming civilians, but the rules weren't always so clear in these smaller places.

As Naruto walked through a small town, he noticed quite a few beggars. 

Most of them sat on the roadside, their eyes dull, waiting for others' charity. But one young beggar stood out to Naruto. 

Unlike the others, this beggar seemed deep in thought, and his eyes burned with an intense dissatisfaction. 

Naruto approached him, tossing some coins at his feet, and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you used to come from a wealthy family." 

"Something happened to make you end up here begging. Since you're so unhappy with this life, why are you still here begging?"

"Who are you? My business is none of your concern!" the beggar snapped.

Naruto calmly replied, "If I could allow you to fulfill the wish you thought impossible, would you come with me?"

The beggar looked at Naruto skeptically, "You look like just a kid. Why should I trust you?"

Seeing the doubt in his eyes, Naruto glanced around to ensure no one was watching. 

Suddenly, he grabbed the beggar's hand, and instantly, they appeared in a dense forest—a spot Naruto had marked before entering the town, just in case. 

Seeing the sudden change in scenery, the beggar collapsed in shock. 

After a while, he finally spoke, "You... you have such unbelievable power. You're a ninja, right? How strong are you?"

"Very strong. Close to Kage-level," Naruto replied.

Hearing this, the beggar immediately knelt, "I'm willing to follow you. Please, tell me what you need from me."

Naruto's smile slightly crossed as he said, "First, tell me your story." 

If the beggar remained stubborn, Naruto had already planned what to do, but now things were going smoothly. 

His instincts told him that this man was far from ordinary. The beggar raised his head and began, "My name is Ryusen." 

"My father was once a merchant. I always followed him in business, and we were quite wealthy." 

"But one day, my father came into possession of a strange treasure map, and from that moment, our peaceful life began to unravel..."

Ryusen recalled his sorrowful past, his face showing even deeper signs of weariness as he recounted his story. You could tell this event had dealt him a great blow. 

He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and continued, "My father accidentally found the treasure map in a forest." 

"At night, it emitted a blue glow, something ordinary maps don't do. But my father couldn't open it; some mysterious force sealed the map." 

"He had no choice but to seek help, but little did he know that this act would inadvertently reveal the secret to others."

"People are greedy, and under the influence of greed, they are capable of anything." 

"Friends could become enemies, and even family members might not be trustworthy in such a situation." Ryusen sighed, steadying his emotions, and continued, 

"At first, my father sought help from a close friend he trusted deeply, hoping they could unlock the map together." 

"But that man tried to kill my father to keep the treasure for himself. Luckily, my father discovered his intentions in time." 

"However, just as my father was about to handle the situation, something unexpected happened—my uncle Ryuto betrayed us."

"He teamed up with my father's supposed friend and forced my father to hand over the treasure map." 

"My father, having anticipated such betrayal, had hidden the map in a secret place that only he and I knew about." 

Ryusen's eyes filled with hatred as he clenched his teeth, saying, "They tortured my father, but he never revealed the map's location." 

"In the end, they killed him. I realized the dire situation, so I fled in the middle of the night." 

"To force me out of hiding, they massacred all 30 of my family members, including infants who had just been born." 

"I fled in a rush, disguised myself to avoid being hunted, and ended up here as a beggar."

"Later, I found out that my uncle orchestrated everything. My father trusted him with everything, but he betrayed us."

Naruto asked, "From how you talk, it seems your father was wealthy. Didn't he have any means of protection?" 

Ryusen replied, "My father had many guards initially, and my uncle wouldn't have stood a chance." 

"But somehow, my uncle hired some ninjas, and under their jutsu, even the strongest guards became useless." 

"It seemed like my uncle was in a partnership with those ninjas; otherwise, with his limited power, he wouldn't have been able to hire such skilled shinobi."

Hearing about the involvement of the ninja, Naruto felt the situation was more complicated than he had initially thought. 

The treasure must be far more valuable than he had imagined. 

Ryusen's mention of the map piqued Naruto's interest, but he refrained from saying anything. 

To his surprise, Ryusen continued, "If you can help me get revenge, the treasure map is yours as a token of my gratitude."

This was precisely what Naruto had been waiting for. He replied, "Since that's the case, follow me. 

As for the treasure map, let's first find a safe place and discuss our next steps in detail. Come with me."

Naruto led Ryusen deeper into the forest until they reached a spot that Naruto deemed hidden. 

He pressed his hand to the ground, activating Earth Style. After a tremor, he opened up a space underground. 

It wasn't particularly large, just about the size of a regular home. 

Then, using Wood Style, he reinforced the structure and created rooms and basic furniture. 

He also made an entrance, camouflaged by a large boulder and surrounded by trees that appeared to have grown naturally.

Even if someone stumbled upon the area, they'd never suspect something was hidden below. 

Naruto entered the hidden space first and said, "This will be your hideout for now." 

"It's very well concealed, so no one will find it. If anyone does come here, they'll likely regret it." 

"I'll also set some traps around. For now, don't leave this place unnecessarily. If you need anything, just let me know."

To Ryusen, Naruto's abilities were nothing short of miraculous. 

Only a god could create a secure hideout in Ryusen's eyes in such a short time. 

He felt more confident than ever that following Naruto was the right decision. Naruto left him some food and supplies to last a few days. 

For now, Naruto didn't rush to claim the treasure map. 

He had just arrived here and wasn't familiar with the local environment, especially the local ninja. 

No matter how strong Naruto was, it was crucial to gather information first. So, Naruto returned to the nearby town. 

He needed a base of operations to buy supplies, which he could teleport to the secret hideout using his Flying Thunder God technique.

He also needed to gather intelligence on the local area and better understand the situation. 

For the mundane tasks, Naruto could use shadow clones to gather information. It wouldn't be a big deal even if the clones were discovered.

The next step was to scout the nearby ninja village. 

While the number of shinobi in this area wasn't high, many of them were skilled in binding techniques, and, according to rumors, some could even prevent others from using chakra. 

Naruto approached the village cautiously, but he noticed it was heavily guarded. 

Normally, small villages needed more resources to maintain such a large number of ninjas, so infiltrating them was easier. 

But what he saw didn't match his expectations. 

Naruto carefully observed the trees and noticed that some of the ninjas didn't belong to the village. 

Though they disguised themselves, their movements and behavior differed from the local Grass ninjas. 

This subtle difference was hard to hide without long-term cultural immersion. 

It was clear that ninjas from another nation were involved, likely helping the Grass Village solve some issue.

Naruto couldn't yet determine which major nation was involved, but this was a tricky situation. 

If he caused too much disturbance, the Grass ninjas would be alerted, complicating things. 

He was here alone and couldn't afford to reveal his identity, so he would have to take things one step at a time.

Naruto returned to the hideout he had prepared. Ryusen, even more anxious than Naruto, quickly asked, "Master, how did it go?"

Naruto set down the supplies he had brought and said, "First, tell me where the treasure map is hidden. Here are the things we'll need for the mission." 

"Get ready, and we'll find a chance to retrieve the map."

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