Chapter 13: Intimidating Kakashi

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In the dead of night, a few people sat around a campfire, grilling delicious fish. Sasuke took a bite with his hand, savoring the taste.

Everyone was eating seriously, except for Naruto. He had a bruised, bitter expression and watched them eat with a longing look.

He couldn't eat; his face was too swollen from the beating he had received earlier. Just moving his mouth caused him pain.

"Sasuke, you have no conscience. You don't know how to be gentle," Naruto complained softly.

Hearing these words, Sasuke looked disgusted. This kind of ungrateful guy should be beaten even harder, he thought. With Naruto's rapid healing, he would be fine by tomorrow anyway.

Seeing no one paying attention to him, Naruto, despite his longing for the fish, kept quiet.

As the night deepened, everyone gradually fell asleep. How did Sasuke know this? Because he could hear Naruto talking in his sleep.

"Heh heh heh, stop running away, I'm coming for you!"

"Hurry up and put down the Ichiraku Ramen."

"Sasuke, I hate you...hmm..."

Sasuke turned his gaze to Kakashi, who was still awake, reading a book with great interest. From time to time, Kakashi trembled with excitement.

It didn't take Sasuke long to realize Kakashi was reading a certain masterpiece by an unscrupulous ninja. The Legendary Three Ninjas were known for their vices: porn, gambling, and drugs.

Sasuke leaned against a tree trunk and let his consciousness enter a virtual space, beginning to match up with an opponent.

This time he encountered Madara. Facing Madara, who had super shadow-level strength, Sasuke was taken down by a series of powerful combos.

As Sasuke's strength increased, the opponents he faced in the virtual space grew stronger. Shadow-level adversaries were becoming more common, and Sasuke rarely won these matches.

Though his strength posed a threat to shadow-level powerhouses, he was still a bit short of defeating even the weakest of them.

Shadow-level ninjas were the backbone in any era, and those who could reach such heights were formidable and not to be underestimated.

Sasuke fought vigorously, and the night passed quickly.

As the light of dawn began to spread, Kakashi carefully put his book away, his dark circles betraying his exhaustion.

"Is it already morning? It feels like I just started reading," Kakashi muttered.

After cleaning up and extinguishing the bonfire, the group hurriedly set out, mainly due to Tazuna's constant urging.

"Let's go, ninja-sama."

Naruto's face had healed, and he now held the rope leading Zabuza and Haku, treating them like dogs.

They had been awake for a while but, with their chakra sealed and injuries still fresh, they could only follow Naruto's lead in silence.

Zabuza glared fiercely at Naruto, vowing to kill the brat if given the chance. Haku, on the other hand, remained expressionless. His gentle nature meant that even in captivity, he showed no signs of distress.

Sasuke spared Zabuza's life because he had plans to recruit him as a subordinate.

He didn't think of himself as a natural leader who could make enemies kneel at his feet. Instead, he had other means to ensure loyalty.

Haku, with his near-extinct ice ninja abilities, would make an excellent assassin after proper training.

Zabuza, with his experience from the Blood Mist Village, was ruthless and skilled in silent killing techniques. Sasuke could use him to carry out covert missions and amass wealth.

Sasuke believed this was a wise decision. He couldn't do everything alone and needed to build his own forces.

The next step was to find a secluded spot to control Zabuza and Haku and let them escape.

Sasuke never worried about what Kakashi might think. He was planning to rebel and kill the Hokage anyway; Kakashi's opinion didn't matter.

"Sasuke, what are you thinking about? Why do you have such an evil expression?" Naruto said bluntly, not noticing Sasuke's cold gaze.

"Ouch…"

Another lump appeared on Naruto's head as he squatted down, his face twisted in pain.

Sasuke began to doubt his decision. He originally wanted to guide Naruto towards a darker path, but was this funny guy even suitable?

Or would Naruto really change? That was a question Sasuke needed to consider.

Naruto was still young, his mind influenced by the Will of Fire. There was still time to change his thinking.

But first, Sasuke needed to help Naruto get rid of his habit of talking too much.

With this in mind, Sasuke gave Naruto a few more knocks on the head.

The Land of Waves was an economically closed and impoverished country. The climate wasn't suitable for growing crops, and the only source of sustenance was the sea.

Unfortunately, trade in the Land of Waves was controlled by the evil merchant Gato, who didn't allow anyone to encroach on his interests.

The assassination attempt on Tazuna had been ordered by Gato, who had specifically hired Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist.

If not for Sasuke's increased strength, they would have faced a fierce battle.

Sasuke looked at Tazuna, who was deep in thought. Despite his rough and unkempt appearance, Tazuna was a top-notch professional in bridge-building.

If Tazuna could construct trade bridges to other countries, the Land of Waves might regain its prosperity.

"Uncle Tazuna, don't worry. It's just Gato. I'll take care of him for you."

"Ah! I'm so grateful to you, Sasuke. I don't know how to thank you for your kindness."

When Tazuna heard Sasuke's words, the worry in his heart immediately dissipated.

Sasuke thought to himself, He should be thanking me for bringing him to the Land of Waves. While gaining a large amount of wealth, he might also win the favor of a beautiful young woman.

Kakashi, standing nearby, frowned. "Sasuke, this isn't what we agreed on initially."

"We're supposed to deal only with ninjas. As for civilians, we're not responsible for them. If there's a dispute between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves, it will be difficult for the Hokage to handle."

Sasuke looked dismissively at Kakashi and said coldly, "Is it difficult?"

"There's nothing difficult about it."

"Kakashi-sensei, you're always so timid. No wonder you haven't made any progress over the years."

Kakashi's tone turned stern in response to Sasuke's rude words. Despite being a high-ranking ninja, he couldn't allow his student to disrespect him.

"What? Do you want to fight me?" Sasuke pulled out his sword and looked at Kakashi with anticipation.

If Kakashi dared to challenge him, Sasuke wouldn't hesitate to engage.

After all, in the virtual space, he often lost less than he won more against Kakashi.

Kakashi raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, indicating he didn't want to escalate the situation. Sasuke was as strong as a monster and had a fiery temper.

Despite his usually cold and indifferent demeanor, Sasuke was ruthless and ready to draw his sword at the slightest provocation.

"It seems I'll be getting another scolding from the Hokage when we return," Kakashi thought.

Sasuke sheathed his sword and sneered internally. "Don't worry, Kakashi. Your Hokage's days are numbered, and you won't have to worry about being reprimanded anymore."

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