C12 Zabuza and Naruto

Hong's recent declaration took his peers in Class 7 by surprise, challenging their perception of him. "Just for that, you pushed someone to the brink of suicide?"

Zabuza and his pale companion exchanged wordless glances, at a loss for words.

The outcome might have been favorable, but the journey there was difficult to stomach.

Still, one couldn't ignore the fact that Hong's ideas bordered on the dangerous. A slight misstep, and he'd be no different from that guy who always asked, "How many floors can you carry a bag of rice to?"

But let's get back on track.

"Hmph! Am I supposed to thank you? Enough talk. What do you plan to do with us?"

"Just leave."

"That's it? We're free to go?"

"What else? Should we invite you to dinner before you take off?"

"Aren't you concerned that once we're back, we'll regroup and become your enemies again?" Zabuza persisted, determined to get a clear answer.

"It's irrelevant. If you come back, I won't be letting you leave a second time!"

Zabuza couldn't hide his disdain for Hong's dismissive attitude, but he knew that he and Bai could easily take on Kakashi and the three youngsters. However, with Hong's inscrutable strength added to the mix, they stood no chance.

What he failed to realize was that in the original story, it was Class 7, whom he deemed unbeatable, that ultimately defeated them!

"Hmph, we'll abandon the mission. But just so you know, our employer is among the wealthiest in the world."

"If he finds out we've quit, he'll surely spend even more to hire stronger ninjas. You'd best be prepared."

"Bai, let's get out of here."

Watching Bai and Zabuza walk away, Hong pondered whether, in his past life, Kado was too trusting of Zabuza or simply too miserly, thinking that Zabuza and his mafia could handle the situation on their own.

But with Zabuza bowing out of the mission, would Kado be willing to invest more in hiring more formidable ninjas?

Certainly. The Wave Country was his lucrative 'gold mine,' after all!

Given my current strength, I should be up to the challenge. Yet, for extra security, I'll head to the mall and invest in some potent abilities. I've been saving for this moment; it's time to put them to use!

After many years, Hirome had only spent a thousand points to purchase the most affordable weapon available—the Heaven Leaning Sword. Since then, he had resisted the temptation to browse the mall, fearing he might impulsively spend more!

With the points he earned today, he now had a grand total of 190,000 points. It was time to carefully consider which abilities were worth the exchange.

"Mr. Hirome, I'm sorry. I misjudged you!"

Naruto was feeling guilty. He had thought so poorly of his big brother who had placed so much trust in him. It was inexcusable!

"Hirome, you jerk, why do you have to make such a fuss? Hmph!"

"Mr. Hirome, how come you're so strong?"

Sasuke was only interested in power. The fate of his enemies didn't concern him much.

"Well, it's not that I'm too strong; it's just that they're too weak, haha!"

"I want to challenge you!"

"Ah, the mission takes precedence. Let's postpone the challenge for another day!"

At the moment, Sasuke didn't possess any abilities that piqued Hirome's interest.

If it were a more advanced version of Sasuke, Hirome would be more than willing to give him a lesson and acquire some desirable abilities from him.

"You..."

"Alright, let's pack up and keep moving!"

"Mr. Kakashi, we should heed Zabuza's final words. We may encounter even stronger enemies ahead."

Hirome didn't forget to remind Kakashi on the road. Kakashi had come to the same conclusion, "You're right. This mission doesn't look like it's going to wrap up easily."

Kakashi was now somewhat regretful for having taken on this mission. Initially, he had just wanted to take the kids out for a bit of fresh air, but he hadn't anticipated running into such complications. What a hassle!

...

They arrived safely at the Da Zha Na family's home.

Kakashi started the specialized training. Except for Hirome, the other three began practicing their Chakra control as per Kakashi's guidance.

Meanwhile, Hirome found an ability in the Merchant Shop that caught his eye—the Slow Fruit, priced at 190,000 points.

The Slow Fruit, a type of Devil Fruit from the One Piece Universe, required a specific hand gesture to emit a light wave. Any enemy hit by this light wave would move extremely slowly for 30 seconds! (This excluded its ineffectiveness against light-emitting objects.)

Haruno Hirome held the peculiar fruit in his hand, a surge of eagerness warming his heart, compelling him to eat it right away.

Yet, he paused, as if a thought had struck him.

Only after snapping a selfie with the fruit did he fiercely bite into the Slow Fruit.

"Damn, it really tastes awful!"

Host: Haruno Hirome

Abilities: God Level Healing Arts, Medical Ninjutsu (Proficient), Physical Technique (Upper Ninja), Three-body Technique (Upper Ninja), Kunai Throwing (Upper Ninja), Mangekyo Sharingan (Uchiha Fugaku, concealable), Gougakyu Arts, Chakra (Elite Upper Ninja), Shuriken Usage Technique (Proficient), Instant Movement Technique, Sword Technique (Upper Ninja), Shadow Clone, Chidori (Proficient), Ice Escape (Proficient, with Water Attribute Chakra, Wind Attribute Chakra, Ice Escape Secret Technique), Slow Fruit Ability

Points: 0

Reassured by his data panel, Hirome felt at ease; taking down a Shadow Level opponent was a breeze for him!

Moreover, he could hold his own against Kakashi, as well as Naruto and Sasuke, making him a match for three Shadow Level experts.

In the days that followed, Hirome would spend his time fishing on the construction bridge, casually protecting Tazuna and his crew as they worked. It was a leisurely existence.

Kakashi was there too, but his days were far from relaxed, with three youngsters under his care.

...

Bored out of his mind and without a single catch for the day, Hirome had long since given up on fishing and had fallen asleep with his rod in hand.

After all, without even baiting the hook, he hardly expected to catch anything!

"Lord Hirome, the day's work is finished. Please, head back to rest!"

A respectful young worker gently roused the slumbering Hirome.

"Oh, is it almost dark already? Thank you for the hard work. I'm heading back now!"

Lord Hirome gazed at the distant sunset, nodding with a smile to the young man who had awakened him.

"It's no trouble at all. We're the ones who should be thanking you, Lord Hirome. Your vigilance ensures our safety every day. Without you, we wouldn't dare to undertake this construction!"

Watching the young worker bow deeply with a respectful demeanor, Hirome, now accustomed to such gestures, lightly patted his shoulder and, shouldering his fishing rod, made his way back home.

Seeing that the bridge was nearing completion, Mr. Hirome figured the time was just about right. Kado was probably getting impatient, and the attack was likely to come within the next couple of days.

Upon arriving at Tazuna's house, he glanced at the food on the table. While it wasn't particularly lavish, it still looked tasty.

The members of Class 7 were nowhere to be seen; they must still be in training. Their dedication was truly admirable!

Since his friends hadn't returned, he wouldn't dream of eating alone, so he made his way to their training spot.

"Huff… Huff…"

When Mr. Hirome got there, he found them lying on the grass, utterly spent and breathing heavily.

Even Sakura, who usually took great care with her appearance, was sprawled out on the grass, completely disregarding her image.

"Looks like everyone's been training pretty hard!" he said as he approached and sat down near the three of them.

"Did anything happen today?" Sasuke asked, propping himself up as Mr. Hirome arrived. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Hirome.

"Nope, nothing at all. I had a good sleep! It's such a hassle, isn't it? Not being able to sleep at night," Mr. Hirome said with a teasing tone, then cast the God Level Healing Arts on the trio.

Instantly, their exhaustion vanished, and they felt reenergized.

They were no strangers to Mr. Hirome's formidable Medicine Ninjutsu.

Seeing their eagerness to resume training, Mr. Hirome quickly intervened, "Let's head back before the food gets cold."