I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

What Can Ninjas Protect?

As the bandits blocked the road, a disheveled samurai rushed forward, loudly announcing his name.

However, the bandit leader paid him no mind and immediately hurled a kunai. The blade struck the samurai, causing him to stagger back, wincing in pain. The other impoverished warriors hesitated, retreating toward the convoy with wary expressions.

Naruto observed the bandits in the distance, then glanced at the samurai, who shot him a knowing look. A small smile formed on Naruto's lips.

Over the past half-month of traveling, he had encountered numerous bandits. At first, he had assumed that the Land of Fire's security was merely lax, but he soon realized that banditry here was an organized system.

The so-called "caravan guards" and the bandits were clearly in league, creating an endless cycle of raids on travelers.

Wealthy towns near shinobi villages could afford to hire ninja teams to deal with these problems, but smaller settlements lacked the funds to request missions from the Hidden Villages. These people had no choice but to endure the bandits' plundering, unable to mount any effective resistance.

This fraudulent scheme—where samurai and bandits worked together—had been disrupted by Naruto's unexpected presence.

Realizing this, Naruto casually picked up a stone from the ground, channeled wind chakra into it, and flicked it toward the bandit leader. A sharp burst of air pressure knocked the man unconscious, stunning the rest of the bandits, who had been preparing to attack.

Naruto stepped forward and rummaged through the leader's belongings, eventually finding a worn forehead protector. A missing-nin?

Turning to the caravan leader, Naruto instructed, "They're still alive. Send them to the nearest town's security post. The authorities will know what to do."

The caravan leader, having just witnessed Naruto's overwhelming power, nodded respectfully. He had never seen a shinobi of this caliber.

Naruto, however, had no interest in the man's flattery. He simply accepted the offer of a private carriage and took the lead at the front of the convoy.

As they traveled, Naruto mused aloud, "Yondaime, it looks like the Land of Fire is safe enough. There's no real need for shinobi to guard these roads."

Namikaze Minato hesitated before responding, "Ninjas are mercenaries, Naruto. The people who can't afford to hire us have no protection. But… there are still some shinobi who act out of a sense of justice."

Naruto chuckled softly but said nothing more.

He understood the reality: shinobi were indeed mercenaries. Without money, they wouldn't serve the common people. At most, a wandering ninja might step in against injustice on a whim, but that wouldn't fix the root of the problem.

And because ninja villages functioned as military organizations, rogue shinobi often became local threats themselves.

Even a low-ranked genin possessed enough power to terrorize a village, let alone an experienced rogue ninja.

The strangest part, Naruto thought, was how these mercenary groups controlled the military strength of entire nations, while the daimyōs—the supposed rulers—had limited influence over them.

The Nobility's Path

After several hours, the convoy halted again—not due to bandits this time, but because of a passing noble from the Land of Fire.

According to tradition, commoners were expected to step aside and bow in respect when nobles passed.

As the noble's palanquin came into view, the passengers and caravan leader immediately lowered their heads in deference. Even the previously arrogant samurai followed suit, their posture more precise than the average commoner.

Unlike ordinary travelers, this noble had shinobi bodyguards—proof of his wealth and influence.

Naruto, reclining in his carriage, did not bow.

Fortunately, the noble's guards failed to notice him, and the group passed without incident.

Watching the noble disappear into the distance, Naruto smirked and commented, "Fourth Hokage, looks like some people in the Land of Fire can still afford ninja services. I guess we shinobi are only here to protect the wealthy, huh?"

Minato's expression darkened, and he found himself reluctantly agreeing with Kurama's cynical perspective.

Naruto's sharp wit hadn't come from him or Kushina. It was something he had inherited from the Nine-Tails itself—correcting that worldview would be far harder than Minato had expected.

An Unexpected Encounter

The convoy pressed forward, only to stop again a short while later.

This time, there was no sign of bandits—only a bloodied path ahead.

The noble's palanquin, which had passed earlier, was now split cleanly in two. Blood pooled around the wreckage.

The noble's shinobi bodyguards lay lifeless, their faces frozen in expressions of shock.

But what truly terrified the convoy members was the presence of the assassin who had done this.

He had not fled.

Instead, he sat on a thick tree branch, gripping a massive, serrated sword. He gazed at the convoy with shark-like teeth bared in a grin.

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

Black hair. Jagged teeth. A beheading sword.

At first, he thought of Zabuza Momochi—but something was off. Zabuza should have had Haku by his side, and he wouldn't be wearing the signature black-and-red cloak of the Akatsuki.

A voice in Naruto's mind confirmed his suspicions.

"Naruto, that's Loquat Jūzō—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist," Minato cautioned.

Naruto instantly recalled who he was: a rogue Kirigakure ninja, one of the few who had managed to escape the massacre at the hands of Might Duy.

Just my luck, he thought. I take a simple escort mission, and I run into an Akatsuki member.

Before he could analyze the situation further, Jūzō vanished from his perch, appearing in midair as his massive blade swung down toward Naruto.

Naruto sidestepped, and the carriage behind him was sliced in half.

His eyes glinted as he unsheathed a katana from his waist, its blade shimmering with wind chakra.

A sharp gust surged forward, slashing toward Jūzō. The rogue ninja's grin faltered as he barely managed to block the attack, dodging sideways at the last second.

"I didn't expect a powerhouse like you to be hired as a noble's bodyguard," Jūzō mused, tilting his head.

Naruto frowned. "I'm just traveling. The convoy happened to be going my way, so I decided to stick around."

Jūzō scratched his head, then sighed. "I see. I thought you were hired to protect that noble, or that you were after the bounty yourself."

With a nonchalant swing of his blade, he severed the noble's head and prepared to leave.

Then, as if on a whim, he turned back.

"By the way, you're pretty strong. Ever thought about joining my organization? The pay's great, and the benefits are even better."

Naruto shook his head. "Not interested."

"Shame."

With that, Jūzō truly left. He wasn't foolish enough to start a fight with someone whose strength he couldn't gauge. His priority was completing the mission, not engaging in unnecessary battles.

As Naruto watched him disappear, he considered taking action—but dealing with Jūzō would take time, and White Zetsu could be watching. It wasn't worth the risk.

The convoy resumed its journey.

This time, the passengers and guards looked at Naruto with a mix of awe and reverence. Even the samurai, who had once acted arrogantly, spoke to him with obvious deference.

If not for Naruto, they would all be dead.

But Naruto had no interest in their flattery.

He retreated into his mindscape, gazing at Minato.

"Well, Fourth Hokage… It seems ninjas can't even protect the nobles of the Land of Fire. So tell me—what exactly can ninjas protect?"

Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters