Naruto Gojo

6

6: A Demon's Bargain

The walk to Tazuna's home was a silent, tense affair. Kakashi kept glancing at the blindfolded boy who had just casually broken reality, Sasuke was seething with a mixture of awe and bitter jealousy, and Sakura was simply trying to comprehend the sheer scale of power she had just witnessed.

Their arrival was a welcome break. A kind-faced woman with dark hair greeted them at the door.

"Father! Welcome back," she said, relief washing over her face before her eyes fell on the shinobi. "Who are these people?"

"Tsunami, it's good to see you," Tazuna replied, his voice still shaky. "They're Leaf ninja I hired. My protection."

The woman, Tsunami, bowed deeply. "Thank you for protecting my father. He can be... stubborn."

"It's no problem, Miss Tsunami," Kakashi said, offering a tired eye-smile. "I am Kakashi. These are my students: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura."

Naruto stepped forward, pulling his blindfold down, his smile charming and disarming. "I must say, you are very beautiful, Tsunami-san. Any man would be fortunate to have you."

A faint blush dusted Tsunami's cheeks. "Oh, well, thank you..."

"Hey! Keep your hands off my daughter, you brat, or else—" Tazuna started, his protective instincts kicking in.

Naruto's head turned slowly towards the old man. The charming smile remained, but it didn't reach his eyes. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. "Or else... what?" he asked, his voice a soft, silken threat.

Tazuna froze, the image of Naruto effortlessly dispatching a legendary Jonin flashing in his mind. He swallowed hard and decided that silence was the wisest course of action.

Their tense standoff was interrupted by a small boy running into the room. "Grandpa!" he cried, hugging Tazuna's leg before glaring suspiciously at the ninja. "Who are they?"

"Inari, these are the ninja protecting me."

The boy's face fell. "You should just give up, Grandpa! Gatō is too strong! He's going to kill you, and then he'll kill them too!" he shouted before running away in tears.

"I'm guessing Gatō killed someone close to him," Naruto stated, his tone matter-of-fact.

Tsunami's expression saddened as she recounted the story of Kaiza, the town's hero and Inari's adoptive father, who was publicly executed by Gatō for defying him, shattering the boy's hope and the town's will to fight.

(That Night)

After a quiet dinner, Kakashi cornered Naruto in their shared room. "Alright, Naruto. No more games, no more evasions. Tell me about your abilities."

Naruto sat on his futon, his back to his sensei. "It's a clan secret."

"A clan secret?" Kakashi pressed, his voice sharp. "The Uzumaki were known for sealing jutsu and massive vitality. Not... whatever that was on the battlefield."

"You'd be surprised what's hidden in a clan's bloodline, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied, his voice firm and unwavering. "Clans protect their techniques. The Uchiha protect their Sharingan, the Hyūga their Byakugan. I am an Uzumaki. I am protecting mine. I am not telling you anything."

Kakashi was taken aback, not by the refusal, but by the cold, irrefutable logic. This was not the defiance of a child; it was the assertion of a shinobi upholding ancient traditions. He knew this was a wall he could not break down tonight. He decided to let it go, for now.

The next morning, as they ate, Sasuke finally voiced the question burning in his mind. "Sensei, how do you have a Sharingan?"

Kakashi told them the story of his fallen comrade, Obito Uchiha. Sasuke listened, his expression unreadable, before turning his gaze to Naruto. "And what about you, dobe? Where did you get your powers?"