Chapter 143: Gato's Recklessness [Part 1] (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

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Zabuza walked along the road, looking up at the sky, feeling infinitely desolate. A group of twelve-year-old kids were actually doing better than him. Even that orphan named Lee had a powerful person supporting him. On the other hand, he couldn't even surpass someone who always had adult books in hand. Life had truly become unbearable.

"Oh, by the way, speaking of Guy-senpai, he holds a grudge against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist from Mist Village!" Sakura suddenly remembered Guy's father and said, "You might not know much about it, but Juzo Biwa, the previous wielder of Kubikiribocho, knew about this. During the Third Great Ninja War, Guy-senpai encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist on a mission. To save Guy-senpai and his team, Guy-senpai's father, Might Duy, chose to open the Eight Gates Formation, allowing Guy-senpai and his teammates to escape. However, Guy-senpai's father sacrificed his life, burning his life force completely, resulting in his death. But the battle was fruitful. Four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist died on the spot, and the remaining three were heavily injured and fled..."

"Konoha was responsible for the deaths of the previous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" Although Zabuza didn't know the true story behind those events, he was aware that four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist died at the same time. It caused quite a sensation in Mist Village at the time, but nobody knew who killed them, and the surviving three remained silent, never speaking of it.

"Well, this is a childhood photo of Guy-senpai. The person beside him is his father, Might Duy!" Sakura took out a photo from her ninja tool bag. It was a copy from Guy's home, the only photo of him and his father. "By the way, Guy-senpai's father, Might Duy, was a Genin until the day he died!"

"Damn, does Konoha's Hokage have a screw loose? He managed to kill four and severely injure three members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist who were surrounding them. Are you telling me he was a Genin? Is the Third Hokage senile or something?"

Knowing the skill level of the previous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Zabuza's eyes twitched at Sakura's words. This was too damn ridiculous. You're telling me these guys are Genin? If all Konoha's Genin were this strong, they would have already unified the entire ninja world.

"That's the reality. How should I put it? Konoha's ranking system is somewhat different from other ninja villages. In normal ninja villages, it goes Genin, Chunin, Jonin, Kage. But in Konoha, it goes Genin, Chunin, Jonin, Kage, and then there's the Eternal Genin. Let's put it this way, in Konoha, not many are ordinary people if they can become Eternal Genin!"

Sakura shrugged and said, "For example, besides Might Duy, who was a Genin his whole life in Konoha, there's also a person known as Eternal Genin, Old Man Kosuke. In terms of strength, he's considered top-notch among the Jonin. After all, he learned ninjutsu from the Second Hokage and was taught by the Third Hokage. He also went on missions with the Fourth Hokage. Although he has disabilities, he's still a formidable individual!"

"How exactly does Konoha determine ninja ranks?" Zabuza's heart was filled with tears. Konoha must be toxic. How come all their Genin are monsters?!

"Who knows? As long as the Hokage thinks you're ready to rank up, you can rank up. If the Hokage doesn't think so, then there's nothing you can do!" Sakura didn't know how to explain further. Konoha's ninja ranking system was, in some ways, truly bizarre. Most of the people called 'Eternal Genin' or 'trailing behind' were not simple. Take Might Duy, for example. He could kill four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Or Kosuke, who was considered top-notch among the Jonin. Or Jiraiya, who was once known as 'trailing behind.' Uchiha Obito, too. And Naruto and Sasuke, the Genin who saved the ninja world. Huh, come to think of it, Konoha's ninja ranks and their nicknames do seem toxic.

"Authoritarian Hokage..." Zabuza sneered, feeling a sudden sympathy for the Third Hokage. I wonder if he knows about all the hidden powerhouses in Konoha?!

As they walked, the desolate scenery of the Land of Waves made everyone feel a bit uneasy. The feeling of losing hope in the world weighed heavily on their hearts like a big stone.

Tazuna's house in the Land of Waves was quite decent, but it was a bit remote. Around Tazuna's house, there were hardly any other houses to be seen.

"Tsunami, I'm back..."

Tazuna pushed open the door and called out, feeling relieved. After all, the people behind him were not to be trifled with. He didn't dare to say much along the way. Now that he was back home, he felt somewhat at ease.

"Father..."

A young woman walked out of the house. When she saw Tazuna safe and sound, her expression relaxed. "Are these the ninjas who escorted you back, Father?"

"Yes..." Tazuna looked a bit embarrassed. These people indeed had impressive abilities, but their overwhelming presence made him hesitant to approach.

"Thank you all for escorting my father back!" Tsunami bowed gratefully.

"We are ninjas. Perfectly completing missions is our pursuit and our duty!" Sakura sighed softly and said, "In the coming days, we might be a bit of a bother. We'll stay here for some time and might need to borrow a few rooms. We might become your temporary neighbors!"

"Oh, it's okay. We happen to have a few guest rooms. I'll go tidy them up..." Tsunami hurriedly waved her hand to go and prepare the rooms but was stopped by Sakura.

"No need to tidy up the rooms. I'll build a temporary house here!" Sakura quickly formed several hand seals and then slammed her hand on the ground. "Wood Release - Four Pillar House Technique..."

A wooden house emerged from the ground. These past few days, they had been using this technique to build houses and sleep outdoors. Sakura had become quite skilled in using it.

"We might be a bit of a bother in the coming days. We hope you understand!" Sakura and the others walked into the house, leaving Tsunami in shock and Tazuna secretly pleased.

"Thank you..." Tazuna expressed his heartfelt gratitude. He had already given up hope. If Sakura and her team had just escorted him and left, he wouldn't have been able to build the Great Bridge, and the Land of Waves would have been doomed. But he hadn't expected such a turn of events. Sakura actually chose to stay voluntarily.

"Don't misunderstand. We're only staying here to practice in this quiet place for a while. It has nothing to do with you!" Sakura said expressionlessly, though Kakashi and the others secretly smiled.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 144: Gato's Recklessness [Part 2]