Naruto: Different Path

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As Jiga watched Naruto run away, he grabbed Princess Haruna with a disgusting laugh and sneered, 

"I can't believe how stupid you are, trusting a kid. But that kid made the right choice to run away." 

"Otherwise, he'd die here, too. Now, weakling, you're going to die by my hand!" With that, Jiga swung his giant hammer towards Haruna. 

She closed her eyes in fear. At that moment, Haruna felt death creeping so close. 

She realized that if she hadn't said those things earlier, Naruto might not have run away, and she wouldn't be in this situation. 

People often think faster than usual in a split second between life and death. Haruna started to reflect on everything. 

She remembered being sent as a hostage to other countries from a young age for the safety of the Land of Vegetables, enduring torment and suffering. 

Because of that, she stopped trusting anyone and grew bitter toward the world.

Deep down, Haruna had always been kind, but her experiences changed her. Now, as she faced death, she began to reflect on her actions. 

Her father, the Daimyō, always acted in the country's best interest, and as his daughter, she felt she should do something for the Land of Vegetables as well. 

It wasn't her father's choice to send her as a hostage—he had no other option. But now that she understood this, it seemed too late.

Just as Jiga's hammer was about to crush her, Haruna opened her eyes and saw Naruto blocking the massive weapon with a kunai. 

Her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly stood up, asking, "Didn't you run away? Why did you come back? You're no match for him!"

Naruto replied, "You never know until you try. I only ran to teach you a lesson—life isn't always easy." 

"Even though people call me a prodigy of the Leaf Village, I've faced many hardships to get where I am today."

"Now, even someone like him isn't a match for me. Despite my age, I'll take him down soon."

Haruna was stunned by Naruto's words, while Jiga burst into laughter, "Kid, are you joking? I can crush weaklings like you with one swing of my hammer." 

"I thought you had some brains for running away earlier, but now I see you're just a fool. You and that dumb princess can die together!"

Jiga swung his hammer directly at Naruto. Due to the hammer's magnetic force, it homed in on Naruto's forehead protector. 

Naruto quickly formed hand signs. 

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" 

A powerful blast of wind formed through the compressed chakra. The force not only deflected the hammer but also sent Jiga flying backwards.

Haruna watched in disbelief. She couldn't imagine that a boy as young as Naruto could use such a powerful jutsu. 

Combined with what he had said earlier, it made her reflect even more on her life. Jiga, too, was shocked. 

This kid had been scared enough to run before, so how could he now use such a powerful jutsu? He quickly got up, ready to attack again.

But by then, Naruto had already closed the distance, holding a Rasengan near Jiga's chest. 

Feeling the powerful chakra in Naruto's hand, Jiga realized that if Naruto struck, he would die instantly. 

Jiga shouted, "Wait! How can a kid like you gather such powerful chakra?"

Naruto replied, "I didn't gain this power overnight. It took years of hard work." 

"Your jutsu is interesting, too, but you didn't put in enough effort to develop it fully, so this is the limit of what you can do." 

"The strength of a jutsu isn't just about the technique itself but also about the person who wields it."

Jiga, enraged, shouted back, "What would a brat like you know about jutsu? I'll crush you!" 

He swung his hammer again, but Naruto's Rasengan hit his chest first, sending Jiga flying through the trees. 

His body slammed into the ground, lifeless. Naruto looked at Jiga's fallen body and said, "This is the true meaning of ninjutsu." 

"Unfortunately, you'll never understand it now." He then turned to Haruna and said, "Let's go. You still need to return and inherit your father's position."

Still in shock from seeing Naruto defeat Jiga so easily, Haruna couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. 

She knew how formidable Jiga was in the eyes of most ninjas, yet Naruto had taken him down with little effort. 

It wasn't until Naruto called out to her again that she snapped out of her daze and followed him toward the Land of Vegetables, her trust in him now unwavering.

Naruto noticed the change in Haruna's attitude. All that was left now was to deal with the two remaining enemies. 

As dawn broke, Naruto and Haruna arrived near the town in the Land of Vegetables. From the outskirts, they could already see the town ahead. 

Just as Haruna began to feel relief at reaching her destination, Renga appeared, floating in mid-air, blocking their path. 

This kind of jutsu, allowing one to hover in the air, was something only a few elite ninjas could master.

Seeing Renga made Haruna tense again, unsure if Naruto could defeat such an opponent. Renga descended and said, "Kid, hand over Princess Haruna." 

"My jutsu is far beyond your understanding. Besides, your comrades are already in my grasp. If you want them to live, give me the princess." 

"Though, I should thank you for caring for Renga and Jiga for me. A country only needs one Daimyō. Even brothers are just pawns to be used."

Once again, Haruna looked at Naruto, fearing he might give her up to save his friends. Naruto, however, was thinking carefully. 

It seemed Renga had defeated his team, but now Renga had captured Hinata and the others. 

Still, with Renga here, Naruto knew his friends wouldn't be in immediate danger.

Naruto looked at Renga and said, "Someone like you would never keep your word. Even if I handed over Haruna, my friends wouldn't be safe. So, no—I refuse."

Renga sneered, "Smart move. But that means you'll die here." 

He formed hand signs and launched a flurry of ice shuriken. Due to their transparency, these icy projectiles were hard to detect.

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!" Naruto raised a thick wall of earth to block the ice shuriken. 

Renga realized that his attack couldn't pierce through the solid earth wall, so he prepared to use an even stronger jutsu. 

As the sun started to break through the clouds, Renga grinned, "This is perfect weather for me to fight in." 

"You and the Daimyō are both equally foolish. I'll send you to meet him soon." 

He used ice crystals to form a giant convex lens, focusing sunlight into a deadly beam aimed at Naruto.

Feeling the heat grow more intense, Naruto created several shadow clones and quickly pushed Haruna out of harm's way. 

He dodged the focused sunlight and said, "Your jutsu is clever, using sunlight like that, but your strength is lacking. Plus, this technique is too slow."

To Renga, Naruto seemed to vanish, and in panic, he raised an ice shield. However, Naruto's Rasengan easily shattered it. 

Naruto followed up with a series of punches, knocking Renga to the ground and leaving him incapacitated.

Renga, struggling to accept what happened, collapsed and muttered, "How can this be? How could a kid like you defeat me?" 

As he tried to get up again, Naruto kicked him a few more times, ensuring he couldn't move. 

Despite his defeat, Renga still spat out threats, saying, "Even if you defeat me, it won't make any difference." 

"The great nations will eventually devour a small country without a leader."

Naruto hadn't considered this much, but another voice suddenly interrupted: "I'm afraid that won't happen." 

Naruto turned to see Shizune, who had just arrived along with Shikamaru. 

After being rescued, Hinata, Choji, Hyuga Yurinojo, and Kikunojō, who had been captured, were also with them. 

With their arrival, it was clear that Lenka's entire plan had failed. It turned out that Tsunade had learned about the coup in the Land of Vegetables. 

Since the daimyo of that country had once done her a favour, she sent Shizune to handle the situation. 

At this moment, Haruna walked over to Lenka, kunai in hand, prepared to take her revenge and end his life. 

But after a struggle within herself, she decided to stop. Kindness had always been her true nature; this was when she regained her sense of self.

A bit taken aback, Naruto saw Haruna, who had been through so much, break down in tears. 

She hugged him, this young boy who had saved her, unable to bear the emotional weight of everything that had happened. 

Though startled, Naruto could understand. 

Women, after all, tend to be more emotionally fragile, and after enduring such a huge shock, she had finally reached her limit.

After she calmed down, Shizune, Shikamaru, and the others helped Haruna officially inherit the position of daimyo. 

Thanks to Konoha's assistance, things proceeded smoothly. Once everything was settled, Naruto and his team prepared to leave. 

At that moment, Haruna requested Shizune, hoping that Naruto could stay in the Land of Vegetables to assist her. 

Everyone present quickly realized what she meant, and some were surprised. 

Hinata, however, looked particularly concerned, silently thinking, "Don't take Naruto away from me!"

Naruto noticed Hinata's expression and smiled, saying to Haruna, "For me, becoming Hokage is my true dream." 

He glanced at Hinata before continuing, "And I can't abandon my comrades in Konoha. I have to stay with them." 

"Princess Haruna, I'd rather be your best friend, and in the future, if I need your help, I hope you won't refuse me."

Haruna understood Naruto's words and smiled. "Of course. The Land of Vegetables will always welcome you and the people of Konoha." 

"If you need my help, just say the word." Standing nearby, Yurinojo and Kikunojō also smiled and nodded in agreement.

Always thinking ahead, Naruto quietly left a marker in the area, knowing he might soon need their help again. 

After saying their goodbyes, the people of Konoha and the Land of Vegetables parted ways, having deepened their bond once more.

Back in Konoha, the team reported their mission to Tsunade. 

Sighing, Tsunade commented, "Naruto's missions always seem to take unexpected turns." 

"Even simple ones become something much more complicated." Still, overall, she was satisfied with how everyone had performed. 

After the debrief, the group dispersed, each returning to their homes. 

Naruto wandered around Konoha, grabbing food at a local restaurant before heading home.

Later that night, Naruto teleported to Haruna's side using the Flying Thunder God Technique. 

She had been preparing for bed but jumped in surprise at Naruto's sudden appearance. 

However, seeing that it was him, she greeted him happily, "Naruto! Have you changed your mind?" 

"The damage to the Land of Vegetables is worse than I imagined, and I was just feeling overwhelmed."

Naruto noticed that Haruna, now dressed in her formal attire as the daimyo, carried herself with newfound dignity. 

He thought, "If this had been back when we were in school, I'd be ecstatic." 

But now, Naruto had a specific reason for being here. As a friend, he admired her, but his main purpose was to ask for her help.

Naruto smiled and said, "Princess—no, I should say 'Daimyo'—you've misunderstood. I didn't come here to stay. I need your help with something." 

"In return, I'll assist you in rebuilding the Land of Vegetables. How about that?"

Haruna felt a bit disappointed but kept her smile. "I understand what you mean, Naruto. We'll always be friends." 

"If you need help, of course, I'll do what I can, but what exactly do you need from me?"

Naruto explained, "What I need shouldn't be too difficult for you. I need about 300 acres of land, preferably in the mountains but not too far from the city." 

"I'll also need full control over the area—no interference from anyone." 

"Publicly, it should be declared part of your domain, not my land. How does that sound?"

Trusting Naruto, Haruna nodded. "That shouldn't be too hard." 

"The Land of Vegetables may be small, but we have plenty of places like that. But why do you need it?"

Naruto replied, "I can't tell you the details right now, but as part of the deal, I'll help you rebuild the country. Now, get ready—we're heading out." 

"You're going to show me the areas that need reconstruction."

Haruna was confused. "Now? At night? Wouldn't it be easier during the day?"

Naruto grinned. "It's easier to do this at night when people aren't around. It'll help us move more efficiently." 

He put on a mask and added, "By the way, I'd like everything we're doing to remain a secret."

Haruna nodded, leading Naruto to the areas in need of rebuilding. 

Upon seeing the ruins, Naruto shook his head and sighed, "Those rogue ninjas didn't care about this country at all." 

"Destruction is easy; rebuilding is the hard part."

Haruna also sighed, agreeing with him. Naruto then smiled, saying, "Don't worry. With my help, rebuilding won't be so difficult." 

He formed hand signs and said, "Water Style: Giant Waterfall Technique!" 

A massive torrent of water surged, washing away the ruins and leaving behind a clean plot of land.

Next, Naruto used the "Wood Style: Four-Pillar House Technique," causing rows of wooden houses to rise from the ground. 

About twenty buildings were constructed in an instant, forming a small street. Haruna stood there, completely astonished by Naruto's powers.

Naruto continued to create more houses until a small town took shape. With just a bit more work, the town would be ready for people to move in. 

After finishing, Naruto was exhausted, panting from the effort. 

Equally amazed and grateful, Haruna realised how much she had benefited from this "deal." 

If ordinary workers had been in charge, it would have taken forever and cost a fortune in materials.

Haruna arranged a place for Naruto to rest to show her appreciation, giving him a temporary residence in the Land of Vegetables.

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