Sakura asked, "So… how should we put it?"
"According to the original story, Naruto meets Haku once before the real battle. At that time, Haku isn't wearing a mask, and the two of them have a conversation," Naruto said in a lowered voice.
"I'm planning to try my luck and see if I can trace Haku's movements and find their hideout ahead of time."
"That's a good idea," Sakura replied, "but Haku and Zabuza have been on the run for years. Their counter-reconnaissance awareness must be extremely strong."
"So it really comes down to luck," Naruto nodded. To him, this was just a casual attempt—failure wouldn't matter much.
Right now, the biggest unstable factors were Zabuza and Haku.
Zabuza wasn't fully under Gato's control. After this defeat, he would likely poison Kakashi next time.
There was also the possibility of a three-man combination attack.
"There's one more thing you should be paying attention to," Sakura suddenly said.
"It's Gato's side."
"What about it?"
"I've been observing them. Don't you think Gato's manpower is a bit… excessive?" Sakura said gravely.
"They first sent a small squad after us, then mobilized a large force to surround Haku's area, and now they're even openly distributing food inside the Land of Waves…"
Naruto frowned slightly. "A human-wave tactic is useless. Very few people can stand in front of the Nine-Tails. They're not Madara."
"It's more than just numbers," Sakura said. "It feels… a bit like a pyramid scheme."
Naruto's expression stiffened. "Hold steady. Once we locate Smekta, we kill him immediately."
…
The next morning.
Naruto lay quietly in the spot where he used to train in the forest, eyes closed, waiting for Haku to appear.
He was a little bored, so he began recalling the manga.
"Honestly, this little Nanba—Haku—is such a show-off," he thought.
"I remember she had long white hair and light green eyeshadow."
What kind of boy wears green eyeshadow?
Suddenly, inspiration struck him, and a flood of information poured into his mind.
"The Konoha Imperial Army has arrived," Naruto muttered after receiving memories from a shadow clone.
Excellent. Next, let Kakashi from the Land of Waves experience the righteous street-gang combat of Konoha.
The reinforcements were unexpected—but also perfectly reasonable.
Rustle.
"Little brother, sleeping out here will make you catch a cold."
Naruto opened his eyes as memories overlapped with reality.
She really was wearing eyeshadow.
Feigning drowsiness, Naruto said, "Uh… I guess I fell asleep here by accident."
"What are you doing out here?" Haku asked casually.
Naruto stretched lazily. "I'm waiting for a passing steamroller. When it comes, I'll blow it away with my Ora."
Haku: "?"
"Training. Just training."
"Is that so?" Haku brushed her hair aside. "You're wearing a forehead protector. Are you a ninja?"
"People who wear forehead protectors aren't necessarily ninja," Naruto replied.
"They could also be traitors."
Haku froze slightly. "Are you training to capture missing-nin?"
Naruto shook his head.
"I train to survive."
"Imagine this—you're eating hotpot and singing on the street, when suddenly bandits—uh, traitors—attack you. How would you feel?"
Haku fell silent.
Naruto asked gently, "Do you have someone you care about?"
"…Of course," Haku said, her voice trembling slightly.
She was just about to sink into memories of Zabuza.
"I know you're about to start reminiscing, but hold on," Naruto interrupted.
"I am tracking missing-nin. They've killed people, and they need to give an explanation to the victims' families."
"An explanation?"
"Yes, an explanation," Naruto said calmly, choosing not to say that killing them would be the explanation.
"A hero was killed by a villain. Now that missing-nin wants to kill the hero's family," Naruto continued.
"You understand, right? Sometimes ninja kill to prevent even more deaths."
He patted Haku on the shoulder. Instinctively, she stepped back.
Haku's emotions churned.
Would following Lord Zabuza really cause more people to die?
No… that can't be right.
Lord Zabuza was her benefactor—her everything.
Still lost in her inner struggle, Haku didn't notice that Naruto had already walked away.
…
"Boss, can you summon a ninja hound?"
Kakashi looked up as Naruto rushed back.
"What happened?"
"I left my scent on a suspected enemy. I need ninja hounds to track it."
Naruto raised a handful of herbs.
He had crushed medicinal plants found near the forest, rubbing them between his palms to leave a faint fragrance. While talking with Haku earlier, he had casually patted her shoulder, transferring the scent.
Haku had come to gather herbs anyway—Naruto was just being cautious.
"Boss, please. This is our chance to strike first."
"…Understood." Kakashi propped himself up, circulated chakra, and formed seals.
"Ninja Art: Summoning!"
Poof! A puff of green smoke appeared, and the ninja hound Pakkun emerged, squinting as he examined Naruto.
"Kakashi, is this the kid you mentioned?"
Naruto blinked. "Lord Dio, you know me too?"
Pakkun: "?"
"Sorry—Uzumaki Naruto. I've been a genin for two and a half months."
Naruto turned back to Kakashi. "Boss, one hound isn't enough. I need more."
"Are you questioning my sense of smell?" Pakkun growled.
"The forest also smells like these herbs. I need multiple hounds to eliminate false trails."
After thinking for a moment, Kakashi summoned several more ninja dogs.
Naruto placed the herbs in front of them. After sniffing carefully, the dogs scattered in different directions.
"Now we wait for the results," Kakashi said, nodding in satisfaction.
"Naruto, well done."
Sasuke, who had been about to go train, froze when he heard that.
For some reason, ever since joining Team Seven, Sasuke felt his presence fading.
Was he getting weaker?
Or was Naruto improving too fast?
Naruto's ruthless fighting style, his sharp tongue even against powerful enemies—his mental state seemed… unstable.
How did this dead-last manage that?
"Hey, Naruto!" Sasuke called out. "You free? Spar with me."
Notably, all three had already completed the tree-climbing training.
Naruto barely held back his laughter. When Sasuke lifted his leg, Naruto already knew what kind of "performance" was coming.
"My foolish, uh, teammate," Naruto said, hands clasped behind his back like a benevolent leader.
"Don't always think about confrontation. We need competition, yes—but also unity through competition. With your current mindset, you'll never win any awards."
Sasuke snapped, "Stop talking nonsense. Are you scared to fight or not?"
"Come on," Naruto rolled up his sleeves. "Today I'll remind you just how powerful your Nine-Tails grandpa really is."
He decided to use the Great Memory Restoration Technique to help Sasuke recall the night of the Nine-Tails.
"Enough!" Sakura pushed the door open. "I have new information. Everyone, listen."
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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