They all stood in a loose circle around Gato's limp body—bloodied, bruised, but breathing. The man who had once controlled their lives with fear and coin was now just another defeated figure lying on a bridge he tried to destroy.
Naruto looked over the group with a reassuring calm.
"Don't worry," he said, eyes soft but firm, "I'll make sure he never troubles you again. You've taken back your freedom—now let me protect it."
The crowd turned to each other, hesitating. The silence wasn't fear anymore—it was processing, like a dream finally over.
Then they turned to Tazuna.
The old builder looked at Naruto—this red-haired, wounded shinobi who had changed everything.
Tazuna nodded. "All right, Naruto."
With a gesture, he waved the villagers to go home.
They obeyed, slowly, not out of fear but finally out of peace. Some helped each other walk. Some glanced back. A few patted Naruto on the shoulder as they passed, words failing them but gratitude heavy in their eyes.
Even the children, once hidden in corners, peeked out from behind legs and crates, watching the hero in black and red.
After the last of the villagers faded into the distance, Naruto stood still in the middle of the bridge, the wind tugging at his tattered clothes. Around him, the echoes of the recent battle were slowly silencing.
He knelt beside Gato again, that damn leech of a man who made a village bleed while he sat in comfort.
Naruto slapped him hard—once, twice—until Gato's face turned red like a tomato with a gambling addiction. The man groaned, dazed.
Karin winced. "Uhhh… Is this, like… normal?"Kakashi just shrugged. Sasuke turned his head. Haku looked slightly horrified. Even Zabuza, barely regaining consciousness, grunted in confusion.
"Wake. Up." Naruto's tone was light. Too light. That kind of calm that makes you sweat more than shouting ever could.
Gato's eyes flickered open. Pain. Then confusion. Then fear. Pure, primal fear. His limbs scrambled as he tried to scoot back—
Naruto raised a hand and casually flicked a tiny pebble.
CRACK. It whizzed past Gato's ear, fast enough to whistle. The speed? Insane. The intent? Terrifyingly precise.
"Hey. Come here." Naruto said, not moving, voice calm like a still lake hiding a whirlpool.
Gato froze. His instincts screamed run. His brain screamed submit. His pride? Long dead.
He didn't move.
So Naruto did.
In a flash, he was up and striding toward him.
"You're gonna remember this moment, Gato. Not for the pain. Not for the fear. But for the lesson."
Naruto grabbed his collar, pulled him close, their eyes inches apart.
"Never. Mess. With people who've got nothing to lose—but everything to protect."
He let go, and Gato slumped, shaking.
Naruto stared down at Gato, eyes sharp, voice calm but ice-cold."You shouldn't die easily," he said, crouching just enough to meet the trembling man's eyes.
"As someone who treated human life like it was less than ants… who turned families into corpses, children into orphans, and fear into a business model—you don't get the mercy of death."
Gato shivered, lips parted like he wanted to speak, but his throat was dry as dust. He tried to crawl back again, only for Naruto to place one foot in front of him.
"What do you guys say?" Naruto glanced over his shoulder.Karin folded her arms. Sasuke gave a disinterested shrug. Kakashi—ever the nonchalant ninja—lifted his book halfway like "your call, kid".
"Do as you wish," came the general vibe.
Naruto nodded slowly."Then… let's see."He placed a finger to his chin like he was solving a math problem, and Gato blinked at him like a deer in the headlights of a very philosophical truck.
"You've got money, right?" Naruto began, voice still unsettlingly light."You've got friends, too—connections, people just as rotten as you."He tilted his head, smiling."Why waste that?"
He leaned in closer."You're going to be useful. A spider to catch a whole web of corruption."
You'll help us expose them, catch them, and burn their empire down to the roots. And once we're done—then—you'll pay your price."
Gato swallowed hard."And if I don't?"
Naruto's grin twisted into something darker, more mischievous."Then I'll call the villagers back. I'm sure they'd love to give you a special massage."
Gato's entire body froze. A chill ran down his spine at the very vivid mental image.
"A-Alright! I'll help you!" he stammered, nodding frantically.
"Good," Naruto said, satisfied, straightening up with a nod.
He turned toward Zabuza, who was still lying unconscious nearby.
Haku sat beside him, still clutching his hand. Though the guilt hadn't left her eyes, there was now a trace of calm in her presence.
Naruto walked over, knelt down beside them, and splashed some cold water onto Zabuza's face.
The swordsman groaned, eyelids fluttering open as the cold bite of reality pulled him back to consciousness.
When Zabuza saw the red hair—too familiar, too distinct—his eyes snapped open fully.
Then, he quickly opened his eyes—only to see Naruto grinning at him like a devil.
Zabuza's mind raced, analyzing the situation in seconds. What had happened? What would this kid do now?
"I lost, didn't I?" Zabuza muttered, almost annoyed by the realization.
"Yup. And since I won the bet, that means you follow my command now," Naruto said, smug as ever.
Zabuza squinted. "When did we even place a bet?"
"Oh, let me help you remember," Naruto chuckled darkly, cracking his knuckles with exaggerated flair.
"Okay, okay! No more beatings—I swear, my body can't take another hit," Zabuza grunted, throwing his hands up in surrender.
"Good," Naruto smirked. "Then are you ready to follow my command?"
"Yes…" Zabuza grumbled, reluctantly.
"Great. Your job's not that hard," Naruto said, pointing straight at Gato, who flinched like a guilty raccoon. "Just look after him—and capture whoever he names. Simple."
Zabuza blinked, groggy and sore in places he didn't even know had nerves.
He glanced toward where Naruto was pointing—Gato, the once-mighty mob boss, now reduced to a shaking, shriveled mess of nerves and regret. The man was practically vibrating with terror like a malfunctioning washing machine on spin cycle.
Zabuza let out a long sigh, still lying flat on his back.
"So... babysitting, huh?"
Naruto crossed his arms, that devil-may-care grin still dancing on his lips. "Yup. That's it for now. But don't get comfy—I'll give you a new order soon enough."
Zabuza groaned like an old man who had just been drafted back into war. "Fine… what about my payment?"
Naruto casually tilted his head toward Gato, who was still shivering like a leaf in a hurricane. "You can take it from him. He's got plenty. Might as well start being useful."
Zabuza squinted at Naruto, suspicious. But before he could voice it, Naruto's expression darkened slightly, his voice turning cold.
"And don't even think about betraying me. I know you were the one who told Haku to fake her betrayal. Clever move... but I'm not some fool."
Zabuza's eyes narrowed, but he stayed silent.
"You know the law of the jungle, don't you?"
Naruto's chakra flared just enough to make the air feel heavy.
"The strong prey on the weak."
He stepped closer, gaze piercing.
"And right now, I'm the strong one. You? You're the one who lost. You will follow my lead. Understood?"
Zabuza looked up at him—bloodied, bruised, beaten—and finally gave a sharp nod. "Yeah. I get it."
Then his gaze shifted to Haku, who was still sitting quietly nearby.
"What about her?" he asked, his voice softer, maybe a little unsure.
Naruto looked at Haku, then back at Zabuza. "She's off-limits. She has her own life, her own choices now. You don't decide for her anymore."
Zabuza didn't argue. Maybe, for once, he understood