Naruto and Sasuke were looking at the group of over one hundred thugs standing between them and the almost finished bridge. Sakura was behind them, her hands on kunai as she stood in front of Tazuna.
In front of the motley crew of thugs a short man with a frizzy hairdo stood. Naruto and Sasuke immediately knew who it was.
Gato spoke, "I don't know how you managed to do it. Killing an A-rank ninja and defeating two of my C-rank ninja. I suppose it's time for me to kill you huh?"
At the end of his final word, the thugs surged forward, hoping their numbers would be enough.
Naruto let a large grin run across his face. Then without using a single hand sign, he brought over 90 clones into existence. Sasuke immediately began weaving hand signs. Sakura immediately started backing up, increasing the distance between Tazuna and the businessman Gato.
[Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu]
A large fireball exploded from Sasuke's mouth. It's heat singing the ground beneath them. Naruto tossed a few kunai after the fireball had left Sasuke's control. Hidden in the shadow of the flame they landed near Gato. Then poofing, two Naruto clones appeared.
Gato screamed in surprise and tried to jump back but Naruto viciously stomped on the man's foot. While around them, Naruto clones took out man after man, this clone beckoned for Sasuke and the original Naruto to come.
Naruto yelled out in the chaos, "I have Gato! Surrender or he dies! Meaning no money for you!"
The thugs all paused, surprised that the boys had so easily gotten to Gato. None of them moved and the clones took advantage. Using the small pause, they all knocked out as many people as they could. Naruto grinned and grabbed Gato by the scuff of his neck.
In a much quieter voice he said, "Sasuke, what should we do with the man? He's rich, if we can get hold of his accounts-"
Sasuke interrupted, "We should give as much money as possible to the land of waves. Most of it has been stolen from their work."
Naruto nodded then dragged the fat businessman to the edge of the bridge. Naruto set the man on the railing, his back to the water.
Sasuke spoke in the most chilling voice a kid can muster, "Give us the location of your money, and how to access it…"
Naruto grinned at the man, "Or we drop you into this water. A fall from this height, at your weight, could break something so badly you may not be able to swim."
Gato's face paled dramatically as the thought of dying came into his mind. Naruto pushed the man closer to the edge, making him squirm. The man immediately began to speak. Sasuke mentally recorded what he said and then the two boys tied him up. They dragged the businessman across the bridge towards the town.
As they were moving, Kakashi appeared in front of them. The two boys filled in their sensei on what occurred. Kakashi was surprised but hid it under his normally lazy expression. The man gave the boys a thumbs up before he spoke.
"We'll jail these thugs and you can take whatever they've got on them. Are you going to leave Gato to the townspeople?"
Naruto nodded solemnly before dragging the man into the town. Naruto returned to the bridge a few minutes later and the team resumed their original plans of leaving. The thugs were jailed and Naruto took whatever pocket money they had on them. Then he told Kakashi where Gato stored his money and which accounts to check. The next day the Copy Ninja headed out deeper into the land of waves and found the money. There he took as much money as he could store in storage scrolls. Then he gave almost all of it away leaving some both for the mission price, and for Naruto who'd asked for some.
Within a week the team finished serving Tazuna and were ready to leave. They were all sitting around on the bridge, waiting for Tazuna who said he had a gift for them. Suddenly the townspeople approached holding something large under a white cloth. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other with understandable confusion.
As they did, a small boy approached them, wearing his fisherman's hat. Naruto looked at the boy and recognized that it was Inari. Naruto bent down, and decided he would apologize.
"I'm sorry Inari-chan. I was kind of rude to you.." he paused, "However, it was for good reason. I don't want you to be weak. Because contrary to what you believe, it is not the strong who prey on the weak, it is the weak who do."
Inari smiled and replied, "Okay! I will be strong like you, Naruto-Oniichan!"
Naruto grinned and replied, "You'll never be as strong as me, though!"
He then proceeded to flex his recently gained muscle. Sasuke, who was next to him, had his face drop into disbelief. Sakura shook her head in mock annoyance. By then, the villagers had arrived and sat the massive structure on the ground. Naruto looked upon it and side-eyed Sasuke with a raised eyebrow.
Tazuna stood in front of the villagers and began to speak.
"This bridge was built with minor interruption because two kids, two friends, managed to defeat thugs. Our country was saved because of these two friends and this country is beginning to recover because of these two! So today we commemorate their contribution!"
As Tazuna finished, a crow cawed high in the sky. Naruto looked up and almost missed the cheering of the people.
However as he looked back down, a large bronze statue stood, slowly being raised onto the large arch at the beginning of the bridge. A bronze statue of Team Seven, with Kakashi standing behind the genin. Even in the picture, Kakashi had his Sharingan out. Sasuke had a small smirk on his face, Naruto was grinning with a kunai in his hand, and Sakura was making a peace symbol.
Naruto's face brightened.
"WHOA! That's so cool!" Naruto yelled, getting chuckles from the crowd.
Tazuna nodded nonchalantly, "Indeed. This bridge will forever be commemorated as The Great Friendship Bridge. Thank you, team 7!"
The town all bowed thankfully. Then people began to disperse, some talking to the team before they had to leave. Then the team left, and running back to Konoha was much quicker than leaving it.
Within twelve hours, they arrived back at the Village gates and checked in with the gate guards.
Then immediately headed to the Hokage building. The team dispersed after communicating with the third Hokage. Naruto, however, went with Sasuke to get some training in and check if Raito had sent the crow after them. They'd been given a few days off as they waited for Kakashi to prepare something for them.