Naruto: Heaven Rewards Diligence

After locating Princess Koyuki Kazahana, Shisui sought out Zabuza. To his surprise, Zabuza's presence was even more imposing than before—his spirit and aura far more vigorous.

Shisui was pleased.

It seemed Zabuza had made great progress during this time.

"I have a mission. Interested?"

Shisui slid a folder across the table.

Zabuza picked it up, scanning the contents carefully. When he finished, he looked up, his face darkening.

"You think too highly of me, don't you? This is a whole shinobi village you're talking about—even if it's a small one!"

His voice rose as he jabbed a finger at the papers. "And now you want me to annex it? Don't tell me you actually think that's possible! Helping Koyuki ascend the throne and secretly taking control of the Land of Snow—do you think the nobles will just stand by and agree to that?"

Seeing Zabuza's anger, Shisui waved a calming hand. "No need to get so worked up. I've already prepared some support for you."

"How many people?" Zabuza asked coldly.

Shisui raised a single finger.

"One? You're joking, right?!"

Zabuza slammed the table, glaring at him in disbelief.

Was this supposed to be some kind of sick joke?

In the original tale, Naruto only defeated Dotō Kazahana thanks to a mix of luck and his protagonist's miracle. In reality, conquering an entire shinobi village was anything but simple. Dotō himself could at least be considered an Elite Jōnin. With the enhancement of the prototype Chakra Armor, he had surpassed the level of ordinary Elite Jōnin. If not, Kakashi wouldn't have needed to deal with him so seriously.

"Don't rush to conclusions. First, see who this 'one person' is."

Shisui smirked, gesturing toward the shadows.

A figure emerged, shrouded in a cloak and straw hat. Though concealed, Zabuza instantly recognized him. His eyes lit up, and excitement welled up in his chest.

"Lord Naruto! Why are you here?"

Zabuza's tone was filled with barely restrained eagerness.

"What? Am I unwelcome?"

The newcomer removed his hat, revealing a youthful face framed by bright blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Though still somewhat boyish, there was no mistaking the strength in his gaze.

Naruto smiled faintly at the awestruck Zabuza. "Relax. I came mainly to assist with the Land of Snow. It's marked as one of our future bases. And besides—the Chakra Armor Dotō developed still has value. It just isn't perfected yet."

"Once we improve and stabilize it, even Genin could be elevated to Chūnin-level strength, and Chūnin to Jōnin. That kind of power will give us an endless pool of reliable soldiers, while our core elites continue to expand in strength."

Hearing this, Zabuza's blood boiled with renewed determination. "Since Lord Naruto is personally overseeing this mission, then I have nothing to fear."

Zabuza had been among Naruto's earliest followers. He knew firsthand just how terrifying Naruto's strength had become. With Naruto's help, his own abilities had been reforged:

Any ninjutsu below S-rank could be accessed at will.

His taijutsu had been retrained from the ground up.

Even his chakra refinement method had been overhauled.

Now his chakra reserves had doubled, and his strength stood firmly at the quasi-Kage level.

"Don't get too relaxed," Naruto cautioned. "What you see here is only my Shadow Clone."

"What?!"

Zabuza's excitement faltered into dismay.

Naruto chuckled, patting his shoulder. "Don't look so disappointed. My clones have been optimized. Even under attack, they won't vanish so easily unless their core is destroyed instantly—and there are very few alive in this world who could manage that."

"Now come. It's time for the mission."

Naruto gestured for Zabuza to follow, then paused as something occurred to him.

"Right—bring Haku along. Her Ice Release will be invaluable in the Land of Snow. In that environment, her potential won't just be like a fish in water—it'll be even greater."

"Yes!" Zabuza replied firmly.

…

The three of them moved as a small unit. No large force was necessary; with Naruto present, numbers were meaningless.

Now they sat across from Sandayū Asama, a middle-aged man who gave off an air of honesty and dependability. But Naruto, whose ability to read people had long since reached frightening levels, easily saw through the man's façade to his true nature.

This man was cunning—his words polite, but his eyes full of ambition.

"Ninja-sama! As long as you can help Lady Koyuki restore and enrich the Land of Snow, we will reward you handsomely!"

Sandayū Asama addressed Zabuza with practiced courtesy. Having dealt with shinobi before, he had some idea of their nature.

Especially the man before him—Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist.

This was the infamous shinobi who once attempted to assassinate the Mizukage and lived to tell the tale. His strength was undeniable, yet even so, Sandayū harbored doubts. His original plan had been to wait a few more years, gather the loyal retainers of the former daimyō—Koyuki's father—and build up strength in secret.

But fate had shifted. A shinobi had uncovered Koyuki's identity and was willing to help her reclaim the throne.

Regardless of the outsiders' motives, this was an opportunity too rare to pass up.

To take back the country, they needed shinobi strength. Dotō Kazahana controlled an entire shinobi village, and he himself was at least of Jōnin caliber.

"I don't want to go back! I won't! How could we possibly stand against Dotō? You'll all die!"

Koyuki's voice cracked with fear as she shook her head violently. Terror written across her face, she turned and fled.

Sandayū grimaced, bowing apologetically. "Forgive me. My lady is… strong-willed. I'll bring her back at once—"

A cold voice interrupted him.

"No need."

The words came from the cloaked youth seated in silence until now. In the next instant, Naruto's figure vanished from sight.

Sandayū and the others stiffened in surprise. His speed was frightening.

So young, yet so capable… And with Zabuza at his side, their confidence surged.

…

Naruto did not rush after Koyuki. Instead, he trailed her quietly, watching her weave through the crowd until she reached an empty, deserted street. Out of breath, she slumped to the ground, sobbing, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

Naruto stepped forward, stopping just beside her. His blue eyes regarded her with cold indifference.

"Are you done crying? If so, come back with me."

His flat voice rang in Koyuki's ears.

She looked up at him, startled by his handsome but detached expression.

"You…! Don't you know how to treat a woman gently?" she snapped, puffing her cheeks in irritation.

Koyuki had no idea this was only a Shadow Clone, and even Naruto himself sometimes wondered why his clones seemed to develop exaggerated quirks of his personality. One clone might be unpredictable, another overly blunt—this one carried a cold, straightforward edge.

Women only slow me down.

Perhaps he only allowed himself to smile around people he truly trusted. Or perhaps it was simply the nature of Shadow Clones, fragments of him without a complete soul.

"You don't understand!" Koyuki pushed herself up, glaring stubbornly. "Dotō's power is overwhelming! You'll die if you face him—leave me alone, I don't need your help!"

Naruto vanished in a flicker of speed and reappeared behind her, giving her a sharp kick on the backside.

She yelped and tumbled forward onto the ground. It didn't hurt much, but humiliation flared across her cheeks.

As she turned back, ready to explode with anger, she found Naruto glaring at her with fierce blue eyes.

"Stop crying! Stand up!"

Her anger faltered under his commanding tone. For some reason she couldn't explain, she lowered her gaze, her face flushed.

"…Oh."

Meekly, she dusted herself off and shuffled to stand at his side, fingers fidgeting nervously with her sleeves.

Naruto blinked, momentarily thrown off. What the hell? Does this woman… have a masochistic streak?

He had braced himself for a storm of rage—yet this was all?

...

TN:

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