Naruto: I Am Uchiha Sasuke!?

Kakashi frowned and looked at Tazuna, who remained silent.

"Mr. Tazuna, Konoha has rules. If you're withholding information, we'll have no choice but to abandon the mission."

Hearing this, Tazuna sighed helplessly.

"Alright, I'll tell you… The truth is, there's a dangerous man who wants me dead."

"A dangerous man?"

Kakashi's expression hardened. This was more than just a simple escort mission.

"You've heard of Gato, right?"

"What? Him?!"

Kakashi's eyes widened. "That guy controls much of the maritime trade and is a well-known tycoon in the ninja world."

"Yes, but what most people don't realize is that he's a complete scumbag who stops at nothing to get what he wants. He's known for working with criminals and rogue ninjas, seizing companies, and even controlling entire countries…"

Tazuna clenched his fists and continued, "About a year ago, Gato set his sights on the trade routes of the Land of Waves. Using his immense wealth, he quickly took control of all maritime transport… For a small island nation like ours, that means he's got a stranglehold on the entire economy. To make matters worse, he imposes outrageous transportation fees, making life unbearable for the people."

"And the bridge I'm building? It's the one thing that threatens his grip on the country… So, of course, he wants me dead."

Tazuna explained everything in detail, and the team finally understood the gravity of the situation.

"Mr. Tazuna, why didn't you mention any of this when you requested the mission?" Kakashi asked.

"Because I couldn't afford the cost of a B-rank mission," Tazuna admitted with a bitter smile. "Gato is a tyrant, and the Land of Waves is just a small country… We don't have the money to hire a team to fight off ninja assassins."

His voice suddenly turned dramatic.

"But don't worry about me! Just treat this as the C-rank mission it was supposed to be. Even if I die, it's no big deal! Well… except for my poor ten-year-old grandson, who will probably cry his heart out. And the people of the Land of Waves, who have been desperately hoping for the bridge to be completed… But aside from that, no one will care, haha!"

Sasuke and the others were speechless.

This old man was seriously guilt-tripping them.

Kakashi turned to his students. "Sasuke, what do you think?"

With his own strength, Kakashi wasn't too concerned about Gato's hired thugs. Besides, this could be a valuable experience for the team.

"Hmph," Sasuke scoffed. "You and Naruto have been getting all the action. We can't just back down now."

"Of course not!" Naruto pumped his fist. "We're finishing this mission!"

Sakura nodded as well. With Kakashi leading them, she felt reassured.

"Then it's settled."

Sasuke smirked.

Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist?

Even he wouldn't make Sasuke retreat.

Besides… he had his own reasons for heading to the Land of Water.

"Alright," Kakashi said, "but first, Naruto, your wound needs treatment."

He pointed to Naruto's arm, which was still dripping blood.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Kakashi-sensei! This is nothing!"

"Really?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "At this rate, you'll bleed out before we even reach the Land of Waves."

"WHAT?!" Naruto panicked. "No way! I haven't even become Hokage yet! Somebody help me!"

A while later, they arrived at the shore, where they rented a small fishing boat.

The mist over the sea was thick, limiting visibility.

After some time, they finally neared their destination.

"Looks like we made it without being spotted by Gato's men," the fisherman sighed in relief.

Tazuna chuckled. "Yeah, thanks to you taking this secret sea route, we avoided his eyes and ears."

He turned to the Konoha team. "I really appreciate your help. Please take care of me on the way to my house."

"Got it," Kakashi replied flatly.

"I just hope we don't run into any more trouble before we get there. If another ninja shows up, they might be a Jōnin…" he muttered to himself.

This was supposed to be a simple C-rank mission.

Now he was up against elite ninjas.

What a joke.

Oh well, he thought. At least the kids will get some valuable training.

Suddenly, Kakashi's expression turned sharp as he glanced toward the trees.

Without a word, he flicked his wrist, sending a shuriken flying.

A soft rustling—

And a snow-white rabbit darted out from the underbrush.

"What's wrong, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, sensing his unease.

"It's nothing… I must have been imagining things." Kakashi shook his head. "Let's keep moving and finish this mission quickly."

Sasuke didn't look convinced. He glanced back at the woods, his brow furrowing slightly.

In the dense foliage, a pair of cold eyes watched them.

"Interesting… So it's Konoha's famous Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi."

A low chuckle.

"This just got a whole lot more fun."

Zabuza Momochi smirked.

Suddenly, Sasuke tensed.

"Naruto! Sakura! Stay sharp!"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"He's coming!"

Out of nowhere, a massive blade came hurtling toward them—

"Scatter!" Kakashi ordered.

The team was already prepared and leaped out of the way.

BANG!

The enormous sword embedded itself into a tree with a muffled thud.

A lone figure landed on its hilt, staring down at them with an eerie, murderous gaze.

Naruto swallowed hard.

The pale-skinned ninja had a thick bandage wrapped around his lower face, his expression as cold as death itself.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Naruto muttered.

Kakashi's eyes darkened.

"I should have known… The Demon of the Hidden Mist—Momochi Zabuza."

Sakura and Naruto shuddered at the name.

Sasuke, however, simply clenched his fists.

The real fight was about to begin.

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