Before reaching the actual waterfall for his baptism, Naruto could draw out the deepest malice from people's hearts using the Nine-Tails' chakra.
For the current Naruto, the twenty-plus years of experience from his previous life were enough to protect him from being profoundly affected. Moreover, some of Kurama's malice had already been restored, so the chakra Naruto absorbed was purer than before.
He could feel a surge of power rising from every cell in his body. A faint red chakra enveloped him, warming the surrounding air slightly.
Without hesitation, Naruto pushed off the ground and charged at Haku, moving at lightning speed, ready to punch through Haku's mask!
At the same time, Sakura spun her Fuuma shuriken and threw it toward Zabuza's "body"! Everything happened in an instant.
Kakashi instinctively wanted to stop him, but he was too exhausted to move, so Sasuke supported him.
Haku's heart sank as he quickly dragged Zabuza aside.
"Boom!" Naruto's thunderous attack echoed through the air. His muscles tensed as he adjusted his stance, quickly wrapping chakra around his legs and kicking at the missing Wind-Release shuriken.
"Damn, almost sliced my leg," Naruto sneered as his body fell forward toward a tree trunk from inertia. He kicked off sharply and charged at Haku again, red chakra wings sprouting from his back, boosting his speed dramatically.
Although Naruto maintained a basic level of reason, his fighting style had become more violent, as if he were determined to fight to the death.
Haku kicked the central handle of the Fuuma shuriken, bouncing it away, and then threw flying needles toward Naruto's pressure points.
Using Kurama's chakra, Naruto effortlessly deflected all the silver needles, headbutted Haku and Zabuza away, while Sakura had already moved behind Haku.
Haku rolled angrily several times.
"How dare you attack the handsome body of Master Zabuza!" Cracks appeared on his mask, hair flying in every direction, and his previously cold demeanor vanished entirely.
Naruto stood before him, half-smiling: "Little chick, your black foot is showing, isn't it?"
"Bossy little girl falling for the CEO," he thought. That was… pretty amusing.
Haku began forming hand seals with one hand, clearly intending to immediately reunite Naruto with his family.
Then, something strange happened.
A large group of masked ninjas in silver armor emerged, moving in formation, attacking toward Tazuna. Sasuke was shocked and instinctively threw all explosive shuriken from his bag, yelling at Naruto: "Naruto, we retreat!"
He felt like a battlefield nanny—sometimes taking care of Tazuna, sometimes Kakashi.
He had given so much for this team…
"Linbei's Kaldor!" Naruto cursed. He couldn't chase Haku now, or the enemies would seize the crystal, Tazuna would die, and all he could do was laugh and say GG.
"Boom! Boom!!" The traps Sakura had set earlier began to trigger in succession, causing massive casualties among the enemy. Blood and smoke filled the battlefield, turning it into chaos.
The trio regrouped: Naruto carried Kakashi on his back, Sasuke carried a terrified Tazuna, and Sakura threw the remaining assassination tools at Haku, preventing him from forming an ice shield.
However, Haku's secret techniques required his enemies to be within his release range. Min and Ying both agreed: the original Naruto was clever, otherwise just throwing explosive tags from outside would have been enough to give Haku trouble.
"Swish! Swish!" The five fled in panic. Before leaving, Naruto deliberately summoned a shadow clone, sending it racing toward Konoha Village.
"Damn, you're the only one who knows how to use crowd tactics, huh? I'll go back to Konoha for reinforcements and leave the whole squad to you. Let's see what you've got!"
Sakura gave Naruto a thumbs-up for his cleverness.
…
After a long and grueling trek, the group finally escaped the enemy's encirclement. They quickly asked about Tazuna's home and began considering whether to relocate for safety.
In the original story, Kaldor's mercenaries specifically targeted Tazuna's house, intending to kidnap his family as hostages.
If Naruto hadn't overslept, Tazuna's daughter and grandson might have been in danger.
"The original story didn't move the house just to show Tazuna's grandson growing up—it was purely for character development. But now, if we don't move, it would be too foolish."
Naruto regained his focus, insisting they had to leave. Otherwise, he would have to witness Kurama's true malevolence firsthand.
"Kishimoto knew nothing about Naruto," Sakura nodded. Meanwhile, their conversation was inadvertently overheard by Sasuke and Tazuna, who looked confused.
Sasuke cleared his throat and interrupted: "We really can't stay here, and it's best to avoid the bridge entirely for now."
"Exactly!" Naruto patted his forehead. "Uncle, stay with us for two weeks. Once the Konoha Empire army arrives, we'll decide what to do next."
Sakura covered her face. The Konoha Empire army? What on earth is that?! Can you be serious?
Tazuna, emotionally stirred, said: "No! We absolutely cannot stop building the bridge. It's our only hope in the Land of Waves…"
His eyes glistened with tears.
"Dad!" Naruto lightly tapped the back of his head, impatient. "Can you see a little clearer? I'm not stopping you from building; I just want you to pause for a while."
"Also, stopping work will cripple Kaldor, so he won't trouble your colleagues. Understand?"
"I'll write a suspension notice," Sakura said, feeling some sympathy for Tazuna. She considered Naruto a sort of rogue. "I used to post on Twitter often, so the wording should be fine."
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "I thought you were a streamer. After all this fuss, you're just a public servant?"
"A public institution," Sakura said calmly.
"Hey, I'm telling you," Naruto said with a mocking grin, "those men around you must feel so accomplished after conquering you—they're speedrun players and public servants…"
To Naruto, Sakura radiated tremendous personal charm. In his previous life, he would have gladly been her friend.
Or perhaps that cheerful Sichuan girl didn't realize this fertile land nurtured both body and soul…
Hmm, except for mu 0.
Sakura: "Climb."
Naruto: "Got it."
The group raced back to Tazuna's house at lightning speed. Sakura explained the situation to Tazuna's family.
Of course, the elder agreed to relocate. Even if he hadn't, Naruto would have ensured it.
"I don't want to move!" Tazuna's grandson Inari shouted, then quickly ran upstairs.
Tazuna's daughter looked apologetic, cautiously asking: "Can we move in a few days? Inari needs to prepare mentally, and this gentleman here also needs care," she said, pointing to Kakashi on Sasuke's back.
"Leave now," Naruto said expressionlessly. "Ma'am, we can't count on Kaldor showing mercy. Besides, we encountered two waves of attacks on the way here. If they come later, it'll be too late."
With that, he strode upstairs, then turned to Tazuna's daughter and smiled:
"Don't worry. I won't let him defeat you."
Children love their home—it's only natural.
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "A Witty Life in the Naruto World" is 30 chapters ahead there