Naruto strode upstairs toward Inari's room.
"Knock, knock." He tapped on the door. "Inari, let's talk."
"Go away!" a roar came from inside.
"You don't want your mother to get hurt, do you?" Naruto wasn't in a hurry. He knew from the original story that Inari was extremely emotional.
"Continuing to stay here poses a hidden danger. If we want to protect you, we can't let the enemy know your location," Naruto explained patiently.
A tiny voice came from within: "So what...?"
"What?"
"I said so what?!" Inari roared. "Anyone who resists Gato never comes to a good end. Dead is dead. Is some hero really going to emerge to save us?"
"Konoha's combat power is the absolute best in the entire Shinobi World. Trust me, we can save your lives," Naruto said, his displeasure rising. Feeling sorry for himself was one thing, but dragging his family down while whining about death at every turn?
Was that any way to talk?
Dr. Naruto, who had a basic understanding of child psychology, concluded that the patient needed treatment through the "Personality Correction Fist Therapy."
"Do you want your mom to live?"
"No!"
"Then you don't want to live either?"
"If I don't, I don't! Can you just get away from me?!" The voice from inside already carried a hint of crying.
Naruto smiled slightly, preparing to instantly dive into his Mind Space and treat Inari to some Nine-Tails-style dragon fruit.
Clearly, he still hadn't beaten him enough.
"Naruto," Sakura walked upstairs and stopped him, signaling that she would try to persuade Inari.
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Naruto lowered his voice. "That brat is more stubborn than an ox."
Sakura said calmly, "You probably forgot his emotional knot. His father is the breakthrough. Besides, you talk too much like a rough brute. Let me try."
"Ah, right. Good point." Naruto nodded, acknowledging that his "Talk No Jutsu" still needed further refinement.
Well, if Sakura couldn't manage it either, he'd just knock the kid out and move him elsewhere.
He walked downstairs toward Kakashi's room.
"Chief, you awake?" Naruto quickly pushed Kakashi back down onto his futon, gesturing for him not to get up.
Kakashi glanced at Naruto and Sasuke. "Not bad, work. I heard what just happened. Moving is definitely the right call. Once we've relocated, we'll find a place to train and elevate your abilities further."
What Kakashi was referring to was tree-climbing training—the exercise of continuously channeling chakra to the soles of one's feet to walk up trees.
"Got it, Chief. I'm going to head out to the streets to check out Gato's movements and scout the area."
"Just you by yourself?" Sasuke turned his head from the side.
"You look after the Chief and guard the nexus... I mean, guard the house." Naruto patted Sasuke's shoulder.
Sasuke clearly looked eager to try. "I'll go along. Sakura should be fine on her own."
"Sakura isn't exactly a housewife-type who knows how to take care of people."
Sasuke wore a blank expression. A housewife? What on earth was that?
Aren't I a guy?
Naruto quickly strode out the door.
...
The streets of the Land of Waves.
As a small, peripheral nation, the streets of the Land of Waves were not wide. Dilapidated wooden houses, dominated by tones of gray and brown, flanked both sides of the stone-paved path, making the visual space feel increasingly cramped.
Fishing gear hung beneath the eaves, and the surroundings were permeated with the scent of sweat and a faint smell of fish.
Naruto grabbed a bamboo hat to cover his conspicuous long hair, and changed into a plain outfit, making him completely indistinguishable from the people around him.
Acts of theft broke out on the street from time to time; thieves openly picked pockets while beggars slumped along the roadside, yet no one paid them any mind.
Weariness and numbness permeated everyone's faces.
"Doesn't seem much different from the original story," Naruto observed his surroundings closely, trying to find any unusual clues.
At the same time, he began to put himself in the enemy's shoes.
If my soul transmigrated into Gato, what would I do right now?
Everyone knew Tazuna was the hardest nut to crack, so dealing with him was the top priority.
What about other aspects? Zabuza was a huge hazard; he would start hacking people down over a single disagreement, and single-handedly, he was worth an entire mercenary legion.
If I were Gato, I wouldn't mess with Zabuza right now. I'd just let him rest and heal in peace.
Tch, no. If I were Gato, I'd run away right now. Going toe-to-toe with the protagonist is pure suicide, isn't it?
Right, but that guy's thought process was clearly different from ordinary people.
As he was thinking, Naruto suddenly noticed a large group of people appearing ahead, marching in his direction. Judging by their attire, they were clearly mercenaries.
"Uh oh!" Naruto muttered inwardly. Gato was coming after Tazuna right now!
Alright, first he'd lure them to an isolated spot, then treat them to some Nine-Tails-style dragon fruit. Naruto immediately formulated a counterattack plan.
He needed to confirm their movements.
In truth, Naruto's bamboo hat was a bit too large, and his build was relatively short, so he hadn't noticed the flyers clutched in the mercenaries' hands...
Those mercenaries began methodically handing out flyers to the surrounding townspeople.
"Hello, please take a look at our Land of Waves presidential candidate," a man with a massive scar carved across his face said to someone nearby.
"Oh, oh..." The person tremblingly accepted the flyer, which bore the portrait of a man printed on it.
"Who is he?"
"He is the new presidential candidate for the Land of Waves, Mr. Gato," the scarred man said, a trace of reverence appearing on his face.
"Let me introduce Mr. Gato's philosophy.
Many people think Mr. Gato is the root cause of the chaos in the Land of Waves, but that's simply not true. The Land of Waves has been ailing for a long time, riddled with graft and corruption everywhere. Seeing the suffering of the common people, Mr. Gato resolutely launched a revolution!
After all, how could you ever govern well when hanging out with a bunch of parasites?
Besides, some people previously organized armed resistance—these are no ordinary individuals, so we must strike them with an iron fist!"
With that, he handed the passerby a small bag of grain.
"For anyone willing to follow Mr. Gato, an ample supply of food and full wages are guaranteed!
After all, handing money and grain over to the upper classes is bribery, but distributing money and grain directly to the masses is called a subsidy!"
Naruto listened quietly to the scarred man's high-sounding speech, completely shell-shocked.
What on earth was all this?
The Land of Waves Spring, or what?!
Naruto couldn't help stepping forward to ask, "Excuse me, who are you people?"
The scarred man immediately whipped his head around. "Loyalty! Faith! We are Mr. Gato's presidential advisory group. Please give Mr. Gato your full support."
Naruto took a flyer. The Gato portrayed on it looked high-spirited and ambitious.
"So, I have a question," Naruto said slowly. "How many candidates are running in this presidential election?"
"Just Mr. Gato alone. All the other candidates heard Mr. Gato was running for president and unanimously chose to withdraw from the race!"
"...Then what's the point of handing these out?"
"To let the general public understand Mr. Gato's philosophy, of course," the scarred man said earnestly.
"Mr. Gato said that even though the presidency is in the bag, a president without the people's support is like duckweed without roots, and some of the policies and laws we enact later will require everyone's backing."
Naruto felt a twinge in his teeth. "You know, believe it or not, that actually makes a damn bit of sense."