At Konoha's training grounds, a pitch-black, blood-eyed crow dove from the sky. Its shadow streaked across the dirt like a tiny darting speck under the sun.
Uchiha Sasuke paused mid-training, lifting his gaze from the grass. Through the windblown field he spotted the black speck circling overhead, blocking the sunlight for an instant.
A faint sense of strangeness crept over his sharp face. Narrowing his eyes, he was about to awaken his Sharingan—
"Sasuke!"
Sakura's voice called from a distance.
The pink-haired girl stood at the edge of the training field, holding a lunchbox, her long hair rippling in the wind. Under the sunlight she seemed rimmed in a soft golden glow.
"Thanks." Sasuke stepped forward, taking the box. He noticed it had two tiers. "The other one's for that guy?"
"Yes." Sakura nodded, smiling awkwardly. "After that day, Kakashi-sensei was furious. Naruto's been punished—he has to complete twenty D-rank missions alone. Until he finishes, Team 7 can't take any more missions."
"Kakashi meant well," Sasuke said as he bit into a rice ball. "If the village had found out the truth, the punishment for that idiot would've been much worse."
Sakura's eyes flickered with worry at his words."Kakashi-sensei even rewrote the mission report. He made it look like we acted under his command instead of going off alone. Naruto took full responsibility, so we didn't have to be punished with him."
"But it's strange—Gato's shipping company suddenly went bankrupt. They say he couldn't repay his debts, and then he was killed in a mutiny by his own hired rogues."
Sasuke simply grunted, "Mm."
Later, Sakura arrived on the street where Naruto was supposed to be working, but found no trace of him. Looking up, she spotted him sprawled on a rooftop, sunbathing.
"Naruto, it's time to eat!"
At once, Naruto rolled to his feet and leapt down. The place was an abandoned old house on the edge of a bamboo grove.
The summer breeze rustled through the bamboo leaves. Behind the house was a grassy slope, glowing vividly green beneath the sunlight.
The two sat on the slope, eating rice balls. But Sakura's eyes seemed distant, her expression distracted even as she spoke.
"What's on your mind?" Naruto asked.
"N-nothing…" Sakura forced a smile, though her face soon dimmed again with melancholy.
"Naruto," she said quietly.
"Yeah?"
"Why did you want to become a ninja?"
"To live," Naruto answered after a moment's thought. "Ninjas earn decent pay, and there are benefits too. For someone like me—what else could I do if not this?"
Sakura blinked, then whispered an apology.
"It's fine." Naruto waved it off, taking another bite. "Being a ninja is just a job. It's not like I planned to stay one forever."
"…I really envy you, Naruto," Sakura admitted softly.
"Why?"
"Because it feels like I can't do anything. Whenever danger comes, it's always you and Sasuke who step forward. Sometimes I wonder if… maybe I'm not cut out to be a ninja at all."
"That's not true." Naruto turned toward her. "Didn't you graduate ranked third in the whole class?"
"Yes."
"Then that proves you've got talent. You just haven't found your direction yet."
"Direction?" Sakura lifted her head.
"Yeah. A path." Naruto's voice was firm. "Team 7 is the most unusual genin squad of our generation. You don't need to compare yourself to me or Sasuke."
"The Uchiha clan were always warriors—masters of taijutsu and shuriken. Sasuke's path was determined from the beginning. Those eyes of his… Do you know the secret of the Sharingan?"
"Secret? About Sasuke-kun…?" Sakura's heart skipped as she remembered the eerie red glow of his eyes back in the Land of Waves.
"The Uchiha are a clan of hatred," Naruto said flatly. "Sasuke carries a heavy burden. That hatred drives him to grow stronger. His eyes… they're a terrifying weapon. Someday, they might even rival the Hokage himself."
"H-hatred…" Sakura's face turned pale.
"Yeah. So you don't need to worry too much. You'll find your own ninja way." Naruto packed up the lunchbox. "For example—what about medical ninjutsu?"
"Medical ninjutsu? Why that?" she asked curiously.
"Because it demands precise chakra control. And you're naturally gifted in that area. I think you'd be perfect for it."
"Thank you, Naruto," Sakura said sincerely. "Without you, I don't think I could have realized that myself."
"We're teammates, aren't we?" Naruto stood, looking down at her with a gentle smile. "Go home and think it over. I've got work to do."
And with that, he vanished from sight.
Sakura stared after him, her gaze complicated. At last she sighed, picked up the lunchbox, and left.
Naruto didn't actually do any of his assigned missions. Instead, he found another rooftop and lay back down to sunbathe.
A panel appeared before him, opening his system inventory at a thought.
Inside was a dazzling pile of treasures and cash. A satisfied grin spread across his face. With this much wealth, he would never need to work again in his life.
But alongside his joy came a wave of emptiness.
With so much money—why still risk his life?
How should he spend it? Buying real estate in Konoha was pointless—two years from now, Pain would level the entire village.
No, the next step was to break free from Konoha's control. The Nine-Tails sealed in him didn't have to belong to Konoha.
After all, his cheap old man had shoved that fox inside him without even asking for consent. Was he supposed to be Konoha's weapon for seventy years?
On the rooftop, Naruto jolted upright, heart pounding.
Damn. I can't just stay here.
He wasn't short on money anymore—he could live ten lifetimes and never run out. If he let himself be chained as Konoha's tool, wouldn't that be a waste?
One tree alone can't make a forest. One hand alone can't clap.
To truly gain power in Konoha, he would need a clan at his back. He had to grow stronger, build a family, and use his wealth to restore the lost glory of the Uzumaki sealing arts.