Dusk sank low and the sun bled red into the western hills.
In the forest.
Tazuna walked along, drinking as he went. He glanced at Naruto, who looked despondent, and slurred, "Kid, you okay? If you're scared, go home and suck on a bottle."
After confessing the full truth about the mission, Tazuna felt oddly lighter — the only thing that still weighed on him was Ayato's demand for thirty percent of the Land of Waves' future profits.
Sasuke walked ahead with his hands in his pockets, turning to sneer at Naruto. "If you're scared, don't hang around me, coward."
"What did you say, Sasuke!?" Naruto's face darkened. He clenched his jaw and tightened his fists, furious and ready to take Sasuke on.
"You're human — no one is perfect. Since we're all flawed, you happen to be a coward."
Ayato pulled a tricolor dango from Naruto's pack and smirked, the tone laced with mockery as he popped one into his mouth.
"You jerk!" Naruto's expression twisted.
Ayato eyed a scratch on Naruto's right hand. "Those thugs' fingernails were poisoned. You better treat that wound. Kids are so troublesome — work on not being a burden, yeah?"
Naruto stopped dead. He shoved a kunai into his own right hand; dark blood welled and ran down his skin.
Everyone froze, staring at him.
"Naruto, what are you doing!?" Sakura's eyes widened as she snatched gauze and rushed to him.
"Wait—Naruto seems to have something to say." Ayato draped a hand over Sakura's shoulder and — as usual — gave her a casual pat on the butt.
"Pervert teacher! Hands off!" Sakura's cheeks flamed; she jabbed Ayato's hand hard enough to make him withdraw.
Ayato looked back at Naruto.
At last, the Nine-Tails' brat is waking up.
"Why is it always me holding everyone back? Why am I always the one who drags behind? Damn it!" Naruto's eyes were red and shiny. His voice trembled but held a stubborn edge.
"I should be stronger than before. I'll complete missions. I'll follow Ayato-sensei's training every day."
"I don't want to just wait for someone else to save me anymore."
"I won't give up. I won't run. I won't lose to Sasuke. I want to prove myself to Ayato-sensei." Naruto's words choked him with emotion — a tear glimmered as he steadied himself.
Sasuke snorted, hands in his pockets, watching coldly. "Idiot. You're still a long way off."
"Naruto…" Sakura was wordless. She hadn't expected him to speak like that.
A ninja's way — his nindō — huh?
"I'll use this pain as my oath. I'll become strong enough to protect you and earn Ayato's approval!" Naruto raised his bleeding right hand and drove the kunai deeper — straight through his palm.
He stared at everyone with fierce resolve. "Say it and do it. That's my ninja way."
From that moment he swore to become a firm, unyielding shinobi — someone who could stand beside Squad Seven and face any enemy.
Ayato clapped slowly and smiled. "Well said. If I see your growth, I might even give you an award someday."
The Nine-Tails' brat developing a stronger will was exactly what Ayato wanted — a stronger tool made the master's rewards come faster.
"Just don't bleed out while you're trying to look cool." Ayato flicked his dango stick toward Naruto's hand.
"Wh-what! Am I going to die? What do I do, what do I do, Ayato-sensei!?" Naruto panicked.
"No worries. If you die I'll buy you a coffin — they're on sale right now." Ayato grabbed Naruto's palm and watched as the wound began to knit itself closed.
The Nine-Tails' chakra. Self-healing with massive chakra reserves was convenient indeed. Ayato had even more chakra than the Nine-Tails; healing was trivial for him.
"Hey — is that what a teacher should say?!" Naruto protested, indignation returning.
Sakura rubbed her forehead. "Say whatever you want — still an idiot."
Laughter fluttered around them for a moment, then a pale mist rolled in, blanketing the area. White fog coiled down between the trees, and a chill settled into the air.
"Fog?" Squad Seven's faces tightened. The white haze thickened until it almost swallowed sight — visibility dropped to a hand's breadth.
"What's with the fog? Weather change?" Sakura asked, puzzled.
"A storm front?" Naruto grumbled, annoyed at the shifting temperature.
Sasuke frowned. Something about the fog felt off.
"Everyone, get down." Ayato calmly ate his tricolor dango and activated his Transmigration Eye's clairvoyance. He spotted a giant blade spinning and streaking toward them.
"Get down?" The team hesitated, bewildered — then, on a silent cue, all of them crouched and covered their heads.
Why lie down now? Is Ayato messing with us again?
"Seriously — another prank?" Naruto muttered as he crouched, annoyed.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a violent gust swept through.
A massive blade ripped through two tree trunks and hurtled directly over their heads.
The executioner's blade spun like a shuriken. Squad Seven felt only the roar of wind as the cutter cleaved the air — the blade aimed straight for Ayato's neck.
Ayato didn't flinch. He raised his thin dango stick and, with the faintest motion, stopped the blade.
CLANG.
The huge sword struck the slender stick; a gale of dust shot into the sky. The massive blade thudded into the ground, while the fragile wooden skewer remained intact.
"Bringing me a gift? Don't be so polite." Ayato popped another dango into his mouth, picked up the fallen executioner's blade, and slung it over his shoulder.
His clairvoyance had already revealed the hidden wielder — Zabuza, the one who'd tried to make a dramatic entrance by burying his blade into the trees and stepping onto it to look imposing.
Want to make an entrance? No dice.
Want to pose like a show-off? Failed.
Now that executioner's blade is mine.
Ayato loved nothing more than watching someone's attempt to look cool fall apart.
He shouldered the enormous sword like a casual accessory and grinned.
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