Gato was dead.
He was found in his own home, his eyes wide in a fixed stare, as if the last thing he saw had been something truly horrifying. He had foolishly hired a band of ronin, believing their numbers could stand against a ninja, and had even looked down on Zabuza.
After learning that Zabuza had been dealt with, he had gathered his men to finish off the bridge builder, Tazuna.
He never got the chance. Before he could act, he and every last one of his subordinates were eliminated, leaving no survivors.
The age of the samurai hadn't just passed, in the face of shinobi, it had never truly begun. For over a thousand years, this world had belonged to the ninja.
--**--**
"The mission is complete."
With a sharp flick of his wrist, a black-clad ninja slung the blood from his tachi before slowly sheathing it. He stood over Gato's corpse, speaking quietly into a small wireless earpiece.
This was Genmei Uchiha. Following Tekka, Izumi, Yashiro, and Inaho, he was the latest clansman to pass Satoru's trial, a rising star among the Uchiha survivors.
"Good work," Naruto's voice, spoken by a Shadow Clone, replied through the device.
At the sound of his voice, Genmei straightened his posture, his tone filled with reverence. "It is an honor to serve you, Naruto-sama."
In the hearts of the remaining Uchiha, Naruto's standing had eclipsed even that of their own clan head. Their admiration for him was absolute, a sentiment quietly stoked by Fugaku from behind the scenes.
"Tell the others to absorb Gato's assets as quickly as possible," Naruto instructed. "The man was a fat pig, dripping with wealth. This should keep us funded for a long time."
On the surface, Gato was the president of a shipping company. In reality, he controlled the economies of several small nations, using every ruthless method imaginable to bleed the common people dry and become one of the world's richest men. The sheer scale of his fortune had been enough to catch even Naruto's interest.
But Gato's vision had been fatally narrow. As an ordinary person, he couldn't grasp the chasm of power that separated a common ronin from a true shinobi. Worse, he was stingy, hiring a mob of cheap swords-for-hire instead of paying for proper ninja. It was hard to say if he was more stupid or just pathologically greedy. He was practically a walking treasure chest, waiting to be claimed.
"If anyone stands in your way," Naruto's voice continued, cold and clear, "kill them without mercy. And if you run into trouble, call on the Fuma clan for assistance."
The Fuma were a declining ninja clan, dreaming of restoring their former glory. They were masters of shurikenjutsu, with the Fuma Shuriken as their signature weapon, and possessed a deep understanding of chakra research.
But without a kekkei genkai of their own, they had slowly faded into obscurity. They had minor ties to both Orochimaru and Pain, in fact, one of the current Six Paths was a Fuma ninja, but they mostly existed in the background.
After being subdued by the Fourth Hokage years ago, they now served as vassals to the Uchiha, whose own numbers and temperament were ill-suited for the less direct tasks required. It was better to let them be what they were: a sharp, deadly blade.
"Use the shipping company's funds to begin manufacturing Chakra Armor. Go all out. The more we have, the better. They'll be very useful later."
A specialty of the Land of Snow, Chakra Armor was a unique invention developed by its ruler, Doto Kazahana. The suits could generate barriers to block ninjutsu, enhance a user's physical defenses, and could even be fitted with wings for flight. For the average shinobi, it was a powerful, life-saving tool.
Not long ago, that northern country had been conquered and folded into the Land of Whirlpools growing list of vassals. After witnessing what true power looked like, Doto, much like Mui from Hozuki Castle, had pledged his undying loyalty.
As for the actress Koyuki Kazahana, who had been so reluctant to rule? This suited her perfectly. She was free to pursue her career in peace.
"Yes, sir! I will not fail you!" Genmei declared, his voice trembling slightly with fervor. In his excitement, his three-tomoe Sharingan flared to life, spinning rapidly in his eyes. His admiration for Naruto was practically worship, a sentiment shared by many others in his clan.
"Oh, and one more thing," Naruto added. "Establish a branch base in the Land of Waves."
"Understood."
Three days ago, the daimyo of the Land of Waves had also sworn fealty, his only condition being that his life of idle luxury could continue.
'Pathetic,' Naruto thought, glancing at a map of the world spread before him. 'All of them, from the daimyos to the so-called nobles of the Five Great Nations, are rotten to the core. As long as they can keep their pleasures, they care for nothing else. A pack of pampered, useless aristocrats.'
His finger traced a line on the map. The country just below the Land of Snow...
"The next target is the Land of Demons," he said into the earpiece. "Notify Izumi and Inaho to head there. Tell them to be careful. That monster, Moryo, has power on par with a Tailed Beast. If necessary, they have permission to summon the Box of Ultimate Bliss. They're both immortal. I'm sure Satoru would love to fight a creature like that."
'Besides the Chakra Armor,' Naruto thought, 'I was also interested in the equipment used by the Sky Ninja. A pity they don't seem to exist in this world. I'll have to forget about their wind-release tools for now.'
--**--**
A week later, with Gato no longer a threat, the Great Naruto Bridge was officially completed. With Sasuke, Karin and Naruto assisting in building the bridge in form of training, though they claimed it was for protection. The security provided by their presence made them want to name it Great Konoha Bridge, but Karin and Sasuke were against that. Kakashi as well, as it would seem like Konoha was trying to acquire territories outside Land of Fire. They finally settled on Great Naruto Bridge.
During that same time, Gato's shipping company was quietly absorbed into Naruto's growing network, and Izumi and Inaho arrived in the Land of Demons, where they had their first skirmish with a religious leader named Yomi.
"Well, that wrapped up without any real trouble," Kakashi said with a lazy sigh, leading Team 7 on the road back to Konoha.
Though they had faced a powerful enemy like Zabuza, the mission had felt more like a vacation.
'Having students this strong certainly makes things easy,' he thought, his gaze drifting to Sasuke. 'The only downside is that they learn so fast, there's not much sense of accomplishment for me.'
His gaze settled on Sasuke. He had grown very fond of the boy over the past few weeks, seeing a reflection of his younger self in his student's quiet intensity. 'I wonder if this is how Minato-sensei felt about me.' He had noticed that Sasuke, for all his skill with Fire Release, knew almost no Lightning Release jutsus. So, he had taught him his own signature jutsu, the Chidori. Sasuke had mastered its foundational form in just a week and was already adapting it to his own fighting style. At this rate, the upcoming Chunin Exams would be no challenge for him.
Kakashi then glanced at Naruto and Karin. Their strength was easily on par with Sasuke's, if not greater. A team like this could probably take the Jonin Exams and pass. They were, without a doubt, the strongest genin squad this year.
Finally, his eyes fell on Sakura. He let out a quiet sigh.
--**--**
Without Tazuna slowing them down, the journey back to the village was several times faster. Once they arrived, Kakashi dismissed them.
"Sakura," Naruto said suddenly, just after Kakashi had dismissed them.
She turned, surprised. "Yes?"
"Do you want to come have dinner at Sasuke's place with us?" he asked. "We're a team, after all."
Sakura stared, stunned. She never would have imagined Naruto inviting her anywhere, let alone to Sasuke's house. For a moment, it felt like a dream.
"Yes!" she blurted out, a wide, genuine smile spreading across her face.
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly, a fox-like grin touching his lips as he watched her, a hidden plan already taking shape.
===============
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.