Naruto:The Hidden God

||Chapter-12|| {Refined}

3rd person pov:

The Shinobi world, also known as the Cardinal World, isn't just a realm of Shinobi but also one teeming with monsters—goblins, ogres, slimes, dragons, wyverns, and many more. These creatures appear randomly, mostly in quiet, desolate places where no people dwell. They are ranked by their threat level, from F-rank to SSS+, though monsters above S-rank are rarely seen.

As Naruto and his team, along with Tazuna, head toward the Land of Waves, night begins to fall.

“It’s already night. Let’s camp here,” Naruto suggested, and the group agreed. Kakashi wanted to talk with Naruto, so they headed a bit away from the others to speak in private. Naruto leaned his back against a tree while Kakashi did the same against another.

“How are things going?” Kakashi asked casually.

“Good, although I am a little concerned,” Naruto replied with a sigh.

“I see. I won’t pry since it might be private, but if you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask,” Kakashi offered while pulling out his book.

“I see,” Naruto murmured, gazing at the sky. ‘It’s a light orange,’ he thought as the sun dipped below the horizon.

“Sensei... Naruto, camp’s ready,” Kiyomi called as she approached them.

“I’ll take the first watch. You two go ahead,” Naruto said.

“Wake me up after three hours, then I’ll take over,” Kakashi instructed. Naruto nodded, and Kakashi added, “Come soon. I’ll cook.” With that, he headed back to the camp, which was out of sight from where they stood.

Once Kiyomi arrived, she sat beside Naruto. He glanced at her before closing his eyes.

“Nice wind, not too strong, not too weak,” Kiyomi remarked.

“Yeah,” Naruto responded, eyes still closed.

“Was killing those two guys really okay? Won’t their families miss them?” Kiyomi asked softly.

“Nah, it’s fine. Besides, they were criminals. They killed their parents and had no wives, so it’s alright,” Naruto answered without hesitation.

“I see... but killing their parents is still... a bit...” Kiyomi trailed off, unable to find the right words.

A heavy silence fell between them, but it was broken when Naruto spoke again.

“Go on,” Naruto prompted as the same mysterious woman from before appeared.

“Forgive me for disturbing you,” the woman spoke, kneeling before Naruto.

“Who is she—” Kiyomi began, but Naruto cut her off.

“What did you find?” he asked, his tone sharp.

“Sir, those two brothers were indeed sent by Zabuza Momochi. It also seems Zabuza was hired by a businessman named Gato. He is currently one of the richest men alive,” the woman reported.

“I see. Hmmm. You are free to go now, but let me know if you find anything more,” Naruto said, waving her off.

“As my lord wishes,” the woman replied before disappearing into thin air.

“Who was she?” Kiyomi asked, bewildered.

“Hm. A subordinate,” Naruto replied simply.

“I see. How many subordinates do you have?” Kiyomi inquired again.

“Many. I don’t know the exact count,” Naruto answered nonchalantly. Silence lingered once more.

After a few moments, Naruto broke the quiet. “If I talk about my subordinates' manpower... I could probably take over Konoha in five to ten minutes.”