Naruto: Troublesome Ninja Haruta

Chapter 17: New Rewards, Summoning Kabuto Yakushi!

Haruta's words left everyone in stunned silence.

No one could refute what he said. In fact, the more they thought about it, the more terrifying it became—because what Haruta said made complete sense.

From a ninja's perspective, things were entirely different from a village's perspective.

A ninja only needed to focus on fighting, whereas a village had to consider far more factors...

Leaving Yuugao behind to watch over things, Haruta and Shisui stepped outside after Pakura fell into silent disbelief.

"You... were you lying to her?"

Shisui hesitated for a while before finally asking curiously.

"No, I told you, that was just my speculation."

Haruta shrugged nonchalantly.

"But I think it's very likely that things will develop this way. Sunagakure can't afford to drag this out for too long.

War isn't just about manpower—it's also about financial resources. I've heard that the Fourth Kazekage had to personally pan for gold. Do you know what that means, senpai?"

"It means... the daimyo has cut financial support to Sunagakure?"

Shisui, despite being a Uchiha and sometimes a bit slow on certain matters, still understood some things.

"Exactly. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in such a dire situation."

Haruta nodded as he gazed at the silver moonlight illuminating the land. He then turned back with a smile.

"The harsh environment of the Land of Wind forces them to import large amounts of supplies, which costs money. Training ninja costs money. War costs even more money. So..."

"They will likely do as you predicted—end one conflict to focus entirely on Iwagakure, ensuring the Third Tsuchikage doesn't act recklessly!"

At that moment, Shisui fully understood. But as he looked at Haruta, his gaze shifted slightly.

How the hell did this guy think of all this?

Back in Konoha, he had been completely shut down by Haruta's reasoning. Though he hadn't taken it personally, he had definitely felt uncomfortable at the time.

But now, looking back... wasn't it true that Haruta had already grasped what others—including even the elders of the Uchiha clan—had misunderstood about the Hokage's intentions?

"Haruta-kun, where exactly were you trained before?"

Shisui, impressed but also incredibly curious, couldn't help but ask. However, he quickly realized something.

"Wait... if it's inconvenient, you don't have to answer."

"Then I won't."

Haruta nodded decisively. Shisui, having been in the Anbu for a while, knew better than to press further.

"Alright. So, what's our next move?"

Shisui didn't dwell on it. Being in Anbu had taught him that there were some questions better left unasked. He quickly shifted the topic.

"Your guess is very likely correct, but we don't have enough solid evidence yet, so..."

"No rush. Pakura probably doesn't know much either. To be safe, senpai, you should interrogate her yourself."

Haruta stroked his chin. While Shisui was technically the team leader, he wasn't exactly the most reliable.

But that was perfect.

Haruta wanted him to just give orders. If things went south, he could take the fall while Haruta handled everything else.

As for Pakura, Haruta already had a plan. It wasn't fully formed yet, but she was definitely important.

"Senpai, it's best to keep Pakura alive. She might be even more useful later."

"Hmm."

Shisui nodded seriously.

"If things play out as you predict, then she absolutely must live. She could be the key to peace!"

"..."

Haruta pursed his lips.

Now he understood why Shisui had foolishly told Danzo about his Mangekyō Sharingan.

This guy... really was missing a few brain cells.

But Haruta didn't bother explaining further. With a casual wave, he turned and walked outside.

"Then I'll leave it to you, senpai. I'm going to scout the area and see if I can find a water source."

"Be careful, and thanks for the effort."

Shisui nodded. He fully trusted Haruta now. After giving a brief reminder, he turned and went back inside.

Haruta, meanwhile, wandered through the ruined village—likely one of the many slaughtered by Sasori. At the same time, he pulled up his system interface.

> [Mission Completed: Gather useful intelligence from Sunagakure and Kirigakure ninja.]

[Mission Rating: C]

"...?"

Looking at the screen, Haruta was confused.

He had sensed the system notification earlier but hadn't checked it until now. And now that he did—this was a big one.

Hadn't he just guessed the intel rather than actually gathering it?

"This is really the epitome of 'it doesn't matter how you complete the mission, just that you do'..."

Haruta smirked. Since his intel was 100% accurate, it technically counted as mission completion.

That being the case, he felt even more confident about his upcoming plans.

If he pulled this off, Lord Danzo's name would be legendary in Sunagakure…

> [Reward Acquired: 1 Free Attribute Point]

[Due to causing unpredictable consequences, Special Reward Acquired]

[Scorch Release Experience & Insight]

"Scorch Release Experience & Insight?"

Haruta frowned slightly. But after examining the details, he immediately understood what the reward was.

He couldn't inherit a Kekkei Genkai, but there were two types in the ninja world.

One type was genetic—innate bloodline limits passed down through families. Examples included the Uchiha's Sharingan, the Hyūga's Byakugan, the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku, and the Senju's absurd physical constitution.

These came from Ōtsutsuki ancestry or mutated chakra fruits.

The other type was a Kekkei Genkai achieved through chakra fusion, which could be artificially developed.

Haruta had long considered this path—it was his only viable option. And now, he had received a crucial advantage.

This reward gave him Pakura's personal experience and insight when using Scorch Release, which would significantly aid him in mastering it himself!

"This is an incredible reward..."

Haruta's eyes gleamed.

With this, he could drastically cut down on training time and improve his fusion efficiency.

After all, this was a proven formula—he just had to follow the blueprint.

"Still, I'll need more help moving forward."

Although excited, Haruta knew what he had to do next.

Refocusing, he took out a scroll and recorded some information inside.

Forming a series of hand seals, the scroll soon vanished before his eyes. Then, he gazed into the distance.

"Hurry up... I'm waiting for you."

Haruta muttered.

The technique he had just used was something he had obtained by chance during a mission for Root—one where he had wiped out an entire family.

As for the other person who knew how to use this technique...

It was none other than a future Dream Master, one of the ninja world's ultimate masterminds, a prime example of a villain-turned-sympathetic character, and someone who had screwed over Haruta as a child—

Kabuto Yakushi!

Although they had a history—like, say, Kabuto completely screwing him over in Root, which led to Haruta beating him senseless at the training grounds on a regular basis—

They had grown up together in the orphanage. And Kabuto, feeling a bit guilty, had maintained a relatively okay relationship with him.

More importantly, Haruta recognized Kabuto's potential.

That's why he had given him this communication technique.

Not only could it be used to send updates about Nono Yakushi's situation in Konoha, but it also helped strengthen their bond.

And now, this technique... might just prove even more useful than before.