Beautiful Boy in a Kimono
After the conversation, Naruto left Uzushio Village with Hōzuki Mangetsu and Momochi Zabuza.
Before his departure, he entrusted the internal affairs of Uzushio Village to Shisui Uchiha, advising him to seek assistance from Homura for governance and from the Uzumaki Clan's leader, Ashina, for external diplomacy. With these arrangements in place, Naruto effectively became a hands-off ruler.
Shisui accepted this responsibility without much hesitation. He had been involved in the village's reconstruction and witnessed its gradual prosperity firsthand. This, in itself, had been his long-standing wish ever since he became a shinobi.
Menma-sama's delegation of authority signified trust, and Shisui had no intention of betraying that trust. He was determined not to let the Uchiha lose their last sanctuary in the ninja world.
However, Shisui also came to realize that Menma-sama was not without ambitions.
Menma-sama had enemies—powerful ones. The masked man responsible for the Nine-Tails attack on Konoha and the one now controlling the Fourth Mizukage were the same person. This masked figure had his own hidden agenda, which conflicted with Naruto's path.
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A Shadow Following in the Distance
Beyond the borders of Uzushio Village, Mangetsu and Zabuza—now technically free—did not feel the relief they had expected.
Although they had regained their freedom, Naruto followed them at a distance of twenty or thirty meters, watching them silently. They hesitated, unsure whether they should acknowledge the poor attempt at disguise.
If they did, they feared that Naruto might grow angry and imprison them again in Uzushio's underground prison.
If they ignored it, they felt as though they were betraying their skills as elite shinobi. The unease gnawed at them like ants crawling under their skin.
After some internal debate, Hōzuki Mangetsu and Zabuza decided to let things be.
After all, power dictated everything. Even at its peak, Kirigakure would not dare provoke a Kage-level powerhouse like Naruto.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were said to be capable of hunting down the Five Kage, but that was only under specific conditions—seven against one. Normally, each Kage was surrounded by formidable jōnin guards, making such an assassination nearly impossible.
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Aboard the Ferry to the Land of Water
As they boarded the ferry departing the Land of Whirlpools, Mangetsu noticed Naruto standing on the deck, wearing dark sunglasses and gazing out at the sea.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Mangetsu spoke up:
"If Menma-dono planned to go to Kirigakure with us, why didn't you say so earlier?"
Naruto turned to him with an exaggerated expression of mock surprise. He sighed dramatically and said, "So my disguise wasn't good enough after all. I should've known better than to underestimate an elite of Kirigakure—the famed Hōzuki Mangetsu, who once dared to assassinate the Mizukage as part of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
His voice was loud enough to catch the attention of nearby passengers. Several cast wary glances in their direction.
Mangetsu's face darkened instantly. Was Naruto insane? Speaking so loudly about an assassination attempt on the Mizukage?
He and Zabuza had, indeed, planned an attack, but it had been a covert operation, not something openly declared in public.
"Lower your voice, Menma-sama," Mangetsu muttered, for the first time addressing Naruto with a respectful honorific. He prided himself on treating everyone with equal standing, but at this moment, he had to swallow his pride.
Naruto smirked, clearly pleased with himself. "Relax, they can't hear our actual conversation. I chose to follow you two to protect you."
Zabuza frowned. "Protect us?"
"To be precise, I'm protecting the intelligence inside your heads," Naruto clarified.
Mangetsu's confusion deepened. They were both jōnin—why would they need protection?
Naruto glanced at the storm clouds gathering over the distant sea. "Under normal circumstances, you two wouldn't need my help. But the moment you step outside Uzushio's borders, the masked man's forces will target you. I assume you don't want to alert the enemy by making rash moves."
Mangetsu's expression stiffened. "Even if the masked man is powerful, he wouldn't extend his surveillance as far as Uzushio. It's thousands of miles from Kirigakure. Unless…" His eyes narrowed. "Is he monitoring the Uchiha?"
Naruto nodded slightly. "That's correct. The masked man has been keeping tabs on the Uchiha within Uzushio's territory. That's why, when you landed on the island, you were intercepted by Shisui and captured."
He let that statement sink in before continuing, "Had Shisui not uncovered your memories of plotting against the Fourth Mizukage, you two would've been used as test subjects for experimental jutsu—just like the masked man's previous spies who infiltrated Uzushio."
A chill ran down Mangetsu and Zabuza's spines.
Kirigakure's Blood Mist era had been brutal, but the idea of long-term experimentation sounded far worse than their deadly academy exams. The mere thought was enough to unsettle them.
Naruto added with a knowing smirk, "Of course, if the masked man captures you instead, you'll likely become a vegetable—in the most literal sense. Who knows? Maybe you'll even awaken Wood Release in the process."
Mangetsu swallowed hard.
A sinking feeling told him that, once he and Zabuza returned to Kirigakure, even if they attempted to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage, they would only be playing supporting roles. The real battle was between five Kage-level monsters.
Neither he nor Zabuza had the power to change the tides.
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Arrival in the Land of Water
The journey from Uzushio, near the Land of Fire's coastline, to the islands of the Land of Water took two and a half days.
During this time, Mangetsu's perception of Naruto shifted. Initially, he saw Naruto as an enigmatic and formidable Kage-level figure. But after spending time together, he began to see another side—one that was playful, gluttonous, and oddly skilled in disguises.
After all, who would've thought that a seemingly incompetent Genin could possess such overwhelming strength?
Along the way, Naruto also exposed a disguised White Zetsu floating among the driftwood. Mangetsu and Zabuza bore witness to how the clone, once captured, was reduced to an empty husk—rendered completely brain-dead.
Upon landing on the shores of the Land of Water, the two immediately sought out their respective informants. It was then that they received grave news: Kisame Hoshigaki had failed in his assassination attempt on the Daimyō of the Land of Water.
Their expressions darkened.
In the past, they might have celebrated Kisame's downfall, happy to have one less competitor.
But now, understanding that the Fourth Mizukage was merely a puppet of the masked man, they realized the implications. If Kisame was forced to defect, it was only a matter of time before they became the masked man's next targets.
Perhaps… their entire assassination plan had been orchestrated from the shadows all along.
Naruto, on the other hand, remained unfazed.
Kisame had undoubtedly been recruited by Obito and had likely joined the Akatsuki by now. After all, the Eye of the Moon Plan was an enticing offer for those who had lost faith in the world.
Naruto's own objective in the Land of Water was different—he was here for the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails, aiming to collect their chakra. As a Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, gathering the chakra of other tailed beasts would greatly enhance his strength.
At that moment, a young boy wearing a Kirigakure forehead protector and a delicate kimono appeared in the distance.
Naruto instantly recognized the swirling mix of water and wind chakra around him.
There was no doubt—this was Haku of the Yuki Clan, Zabuza's loyal ward.
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