Chapter 25, Part 4: The Flawed Equation
The next several days of travel were a study in strained professionalism. The explosive tension of the first night had settled into a cold, wary truce. Naruto kept his distance, a silent, brooding predator. Sai remained placid and observant, his fake smile a constant, unnerving presence. Sakura and Yamato did their best to maintain a semblance of normalcy, while Kakashi watched over them all, a weary shepherd trying to herd a wolf, a viper, a wounded deer, and a loyal hound.
On the fifth day, with the Land of Grass on the horizon, Kakashi called a halt in a secluded, rocky canyon.
"We're close," he announced, his voice echoing slightly off the stone walls. "From here on, we assume we are in enemy territory. We need to prepare for the rendezvous at the Tenchi Bridge. We will run simulations."
He looked at each of them, his gaze serious. "Our teamwork is... non-existent. We are a collection of individuals, not a unit. That is our greatest weakness. Today, we address it."
He laid out the scenario. "The target is Sasori's spy. We don't know their identity, their abilities, or their loyalties. We will run three simulations. One: the spy is hostile and attacks on sight. Two: the spy brings unexpected backup. Three: the spy attempts to flee."
He pointed to Yamato. "Yamato, for this exercise, you will play the spy. Use your Wood Style to create clones for backup. Don't hold back. I want to see how we react under pressure."
Yamato nodded. "Understood, Senpai."
What followed was an absolute, unmitigated disaster.
In the first simulation—"Hostile Spy"—Yamato's wood clone attacked. Sakura immediately moved to a defensive position to provide support. Sai, following his Root training, hung back, observing and waiting for a clear opening. And Naruto...
Naruto simply walked forward.
The wood clone launched a barrage of sharp, wooden projectiles. Sakura yelled a warning. Naruto didn't even raise his hand. He let the projectiles slam into him, where they shattered harmlessly against the invisible armor of his passive Reiatsu. He continued his slow, deliberate walk, drew his massive cleaver, and bisected the clone with a single, contemptuous swing.
"Simulation over," he said, his voice flat.
Kakashi rubbed his temples. "Naruto, that's not teamwork! What if that was a real opponent with a more powerful attack?"
"Then I'd block it," Naruto replied with a shrug.
In the second simulation—"Unexpected Backup"—Yamato created four wood clones that attacked from all sides. Sai finally acted, his brush flying as he created two ink lions that intercepted one of the clones. Sakura engaged another, her monstrous strength shattering its wooden form with a single punch. Yamato himself, as the "spy," engaged Kakashi.
That left two clones for Naruto. He sighed, a sound of profound boredom, and swung Nozarashi in a lazy, horizontal arc. "Kenshō." The wave of golden energy shot forward, not only obliterating his two targets but also forcing Sai's ink lions and Sakura to dive for cover as it carved a new trench through the canyon wall.
"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled, exasperated. "Watch your field of fire! You almost took out your own teammates!"
"They should have moved faster," Naruto grunted.
The third simulation—"Fleeing Spy"—was the worst. As Yamato's clone made a break for it, Sakura and Sai gave chase. Naruto, however, simply stood still.
"He's getting away!" Sakura shouted back at him.
"So go get him," Naruto replied, not moving an inch.
Kakashi appeared beside him in a swirl of leaves. "The mission is to capture the spy, Naruto. As a team."
"It's more efficient if they chase him," Naruto stated, his logic cold and detached. "He's fast, but they're faster. If they fail, I'll step in. Wasting my energy on a simple chase is inefficient."
Kakashi let out a long, weary sigh. The problem was clear. Naruto wasn't a team player. He was a force of nature who saw his "teammates" as secondary, optional tools. His strategic mind, forged in the brutal efficiency of Unohana's training, saw no value in convoluted team tactics when overwhelming force was a simpler, more guaranteed solution.
"This isn't working," Kakashi said, calling a halt to the disastrous training. The team gathered, the frustration palpable.
"Our coordination is a mess," Yamato observed, stating the obvious.
"It's because he won't cooperate!" Sakura accused, pointing at Sai, whose detached approach had been a constant source of friction.
"My objective is to complete the mission. Engaging in reckless, uncoordinated assaults is counter-intuitive," Sai replied with his infuriating smile.
"Enough," Kakashi commanded, silencing them. He turned his attention to the core of the mission. "We need a plan for the actual rendezvous. Sasori was a master of puppets and disguises. The safest approach is for one of us to go in disguised as him to meet the spy."
"I will.. ." Sakura
"No," Naruto cut her off, his voice flat and absolute.
All eyes turned to him.
"You're not strong enough," he said, the words blunt and without malice. It was a simple statement of fact. "If the spy is a trap, you'll die. If they bring backup, you'll die. Sending the weakest member in as the primary point of contact is strategically moronic."
Sakura flinched as if slapped, but she couldn't argue. She knew he was right.
"Then I will go," Yamato offered. "My Wood Style is perfect for capture and restraint."
"Also no," Naruto said, shaking his head. He finally pushed himself off the rock he was leaning against.
He stepped into the center of the group, his expression serious. "There's only one logical choice." He pointed a thumb at his own chest. "I'll go."
Kakashi's eye narrowed. "Naruto, a disguise requires subtlety, deception..."
"And what if the deception fails?" Naruto countered, his voice sharp. "What if it's an ambush? Who is the best equipped to handle any unforeseen variable? Who can take any hit they throw at him and not even flinch? Who can eliminate any number of enemies that might appear without breaking a sweat?"
He let the questions hang in the air, the answers obvious to everyone.
"I don't need to be a perfect actor," Naruto finished, a smirk touching his lips. "I just need to be indestructible. I'll transform into Sasori's puppet. I'll walk in there, get the information, and if anything goes wrong... I'll just kill everyone who isn't us."
His plan was arrogant. It was brutal. It was completely devoid of subtlety.
And, as Kakashi reluctantly admitted to himself, it was also completely foolproof.
Tbc