Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

"Naruto-kun, why aren't you saying anything?" Hana asked.

Naruto hesitated, then let out a long sigh.

That reaction struck Inuzuka Hana as odd. She had just asked why there was a conflict—nothing too personal.

"Is it because you're fighting over a girl you like, and you're too embarrassed to admit it?"

"How could that be?"

Naruto thought Hana was overthinking it. Kiba wasn't especially strong, his looks were average, and most importantly—his head was full of dogs. How could someone like that possibly compete with him over a girl?

If Naruto had a crush on Akamaru, then sure, Kiba might have the guts to fight him for her.

"Ah, I'm getting old. I really can't guess what you boys are thinking anymore," Hana said with a half-joking sigh. Since Naruto didn't say anything more, she dropped the topic and turned her attention to the path ahead.

She was a bit like Kiba—talkative and restless.

Before long, the silence got to her. She bent down to pet one of the dogs and asked, "Naruto-kun, which of these dogs do you think is the cutest?"

Naruto lowered his head, his gaze drifting to the half-zipped green vest she was wearing.

Not many beautiful kunoichi in Konoha wore flak jackets. Hana was kind of a big deal.

"I think Sister Hana is cuter than the dogs."

If you're talking to a dog lover, the right answer is that all dogs are cute. If you're talking to a dog hater, say the opposite.

But if you're talking to a woman—flattery is always the best answer.

Naruto's response lit up Hana's face. She couldn't help but laugh behind her hand. "Kiba could really learn a thing or two from you."

"I'm just speaking my mind," Naruto replied with a confident smile.

"Pfft~ Okay, okay!" Hana burst out laughing again.

The two chatted and laughed for a while. Hana developed a good impression of Naruto, calling him a funny and handsome little brother.

She thought to herself: If only her foolish younger brother could learn from him.

Later in the afternoon, after they'd finished lunch, they stopped to rest and waited for their replacements to arrive and take over the patrol.

But ten minutes passed, and no one showed up. That wasn't just unusual—it was wrong.

This wasn't some casual mission. Escorted prisoner transfers near the border were second only to full-scale war in importance. A delay of even one minute could lead to serious punishment—let alone ten.

Naruto and Hana exchanged looks, instantly realizing something was off.

"Naruto, stay here and keep watch. I'll go back and check. If anything happens, I'll send Chixue to alert you right away."

Chixue was one of Hana's ninja dogs.

Naruto nodded. "Go ahead. Be careful."

After Hana left, Naruto stood still, glancing around. The wind rustled through the trees, and he could faintly hear the sound of branches snapping.

"It's chaos again, huh," he muttered, leaning against a tree as he quietly waited.

Of the Five Great Nations, only during the reign of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara had there been true peace. Every other time, war loomed just beneath the surface. Given the chance, they would go crazy tearing each other apart.

Now, with tensions running high between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, Naruto wouldn't be surprised if someone made a move.

Even if Konoha itself sparked conflict to justify attacking another village—he wouldn't be surprised.

But this time, Konoha wasn't the one picking a fight.

So who was it?

Lost in thought, Naruto closed his eyes. The sounds around him grew more chaotic. He heard the crunch of dead leaves underfoot.

Three enemies, cloaked in invisibility techniques, had surrounded Naruto in a triangle.

"This mission will be a huge win. If we can wipe out this Konoha squad, it'll be a big step forward for our village."

"Best-case scenario? We spark another war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind."

Grinning at the thought, one of the attackers crept up on Naruto and swung his longsword in a wide arc. If the blow landed, it would slice Naruto clean in half.

Konoha shinobi really haven't improved. Even with danger looming, this kid was dozing off?

As if asking to die!

The sound of a blade cutting through the air came from Naruto's left. His eyes snapped open. In a flash, he pulled out a kunai, crouched low, and darted upward in a blur of motion.

Steel clashed.

In that instant, the invisible ninja locked eyes with Naruto—and saw only death staring back at him.

It was like looking into the eyes of the Grim Reaper.

Before the attacker's body even fully appeared, blood sprayed into the air. The kunai—strengthened by the Nine-Tails' chakra—cleaved through both sword and body like paper.

"Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—"

He didn't even finish the sentence before collapsing.

Naruto stood there, cloaked in the faint shimmer of the Nine-Tails' chakra. It had enhanced the quality of his kunai, letting it cut through the attacker's weapon like butter.

Then came the second wave.

A sudden spike of chakra hit Naruto's senses. He spun around just in time to see two crackling balls of lightning fly toward him.

"Lightning Style: Triple Thunder Orbs!"

The balls zipped forward, striking Naruto's chest with explosive force—

—but his body burst into mist.

It was just a shadow clone.

Naruto never used his real body recklessly. If he had to fight seriously, he would go all-in from the start—not throw kunai at invisible enemies.

The clone's purpose was simple: draw them out.

And it worked.

As the clone vanished, a giant blue Rasengan descended from above at blinding speed, slamming into the lightning-user's head.

The chakra vortex exploded outward. Blood, flesh, and shattered bone filled the air.

All that remained was a pair of legs on the ground.

"Huff… huff…"

Panicked breathing and the sound of retreat echoed nearby. Naruto didn't hesitate—he dashed after the last attacker.

"Coward. If you're scared to die, why pick a fight?"

His voice was low and sharp. The fleeing enemy nearly broke down in tears.

This wasn't a romance story. These weren't tears of joy.

This was pure terror.

He had thought he was attacking some green rookie. Instead, he'd walked straight into the jaws of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

If I had known… I would've gone after the woman with the three dogs!

But regrets came too late.

Naruto's kunai flashed.

Swift. Precise. Ruthless.

It pierced through the man's throat with a sickening crunch.

A clean kill.

Even in death, the man—wearing Iwagakure gear—was frozen in fear. His mouth hung open, his eyes wide in horror.

Naruto crouched down to inspect the body. Just because he wore the Iwa uniform didn't mean he was truly from Iwagakure. He could be a decoy, a mercenary from another village sent to stir up conflict.

Disguises were common in the ninja world.

After a careful check, Naruto couldn't figure out which village he was really from, so he let it go.

"They were too weak. Probably just cannon fodder. I should regroup with the others."

Just as he was about to leave, a glowing "1" appeared on the back of his hand.

Bai was requesting a live connection.

Naruto paused and accepted.

A calm sea stretched before him. Zabuza stood inside the ship's cabin, guarding the captured Konoha ninja and the crew of Princess Gale.

On the deck, Bai and Orochimaru initiated the call.

They had just defeated Asuma and Kurenai, and after thinking it over, decided they should report the situation—just in case the prisoners were people Naruto cared about.

As the image stabilized, Bai spoke up.

"Master Naruto, we captured several Konoha ninjas en route to the Land of Snow. We'd like to ask how you want to handle them."

"Who are they?"

"Jonin Yuhi Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma. And three children. One of them seems to be from the Hyuga clan."

"Kurenai, Asuma… and Hinata?" Naruto said, surprised. "What were they doing in the Land of Snow? And how did you run into them?"

"We couldn't find a ship big enough, so we… borrowed theirs," Bai explained gently. "They were escorting the film crew of Princess Gale and headed the same way."

"Borrowed, huh…"

Orochimaru couldn't help smirking. Leave it to a sweet girl like Bai to call hijacking a boat "borrowing."

Naruto didn't think much of it. He had never imposed strict rules on his people. As long as they didn't do anything to harm his interests, he didn't care.

Besides, Bai always informed him when something like this happened. That was good enough.

"Alright. Don't abuse them. Treat them fairly."

"Understood," Bai nodded.

Naruto thought for a second and added, "Be a little nicer to Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Hinata."

Bai: "…"

You really shouldn't have said that. Now I want to kill them.

Of course, that was just a fleeting thought. Naruto's orders always came first. Personal feelings didn't matter.

After a short exchange, Naruto ended the call, saying he was busy.

It was the quickest disconnect they'd ever had. Bai blinked in frustration.

Orochimaru teased her. "If you like someone, you should say it. Bottling it up never ends well."

"Mind your own business," Bai snapped coldly. "And I already told you—I'm not that stupid."

She turned on her heel and walked back into the cabin. Orochimaru followed, chuckling to himself.

The Princess Gale crew had real money—the ship was massive, with room after room below deck.

Bai walked into the first cabin, where the captured Konoha ninja were being held. Zabuza remained inside to make sure no one escaped.

"Yuhi Kurenai. Hyuga Hinata. Come with me. You'll be moved to another room."

Since they were Naruto's people, Bai couldn't justify locking them up in the same room with male prisoners.

They had to be kept separate.

"Cowards! If you've got a problem, come at me! Don't drag the others into it!"

Asuma's voice roared as he stood protectively in front of Kurenai.

Behind her mask, Bai narrowed her eyes.

Even during the earlier fight, she'd noticed how this bearded man, Sarutobi Asuma, kept shielding Kurenai.

Now he stood in front of her again—even though the children clearly needed protection more.

This man had feelings for the woman Naruto liked?

Orochimaru's lips curled in a sinister smile as he whispered, "Bai, shall I do Naruto-sama a favor and remove this nuisance?"