In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

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“Wow, Sasuke really pulls some weight, huh? Even the genius of the Hyuga Clan is here.”

Naruto muttered as they rushed.

"Hmph." Neji glanced at him coldly but said nothing.

Back during the Chunin Exams, Naruto had forfeited and didn't get to fight with any of the Konoha 12, but it wasn’t a secret that Team 7 had taken down the Sunagakure’s Jinchuriki.

"Naruto, stop talking too much." Kiba grinned mischievously and added fuel to the fire with ill intent, "You can't even beat him."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, you who stole Akamaru's dog food." Naruto shot back, landing a few verbal jabs of his own, "You've probably lost the ability to communicate with humans, huh?"

"If things go wrong, Akamaru will just settle down, while you're still a single loser."

"Damn it! Do you want to fight?" Kiba's defense was easily shattered.

"Naruto, enough. We're all on the same team." Choji interjected, his eyes squinting in a friendly manner as he turned around to diffuse the situation.

"Fine."

"Why do you listen to Choji so much? Damn it!"

"Because Choji eats chips and grilled meat, not dog food." Naruto snorted, giving Kiba a disdainful look. Then, he mouthed silently, "Idiot."

"Can you actually eat dog food?" Lee, who is at the back of the team, asked curiously.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing." Shikamaru, the team leader, opened his tired eyes, already feeling a headache coming on, "This mission is important. If we fail, we’ll probably get chewed out when we get."

"The existing clues don't indicate that Sasuke was kidnapped. It’s possible that Sasuke…"

Shikamaru's expression turned serious as he glanced sideways at Naruto. After a moment of silence, he spoke cautiously, "Has defected."

"That kind of thing has little to do with us." Naruto was the first to break the silence, "We just need to bring Sasuke back. As for other things, we don't have to worry about it."

No one else spoke, not even the usually lively Kiba.

Despite their bickering, they all deeply cared for their companions. If they were to face a defection among their own, it would be hard to handle.

But Naruto seemed unaffected, even looked completely indifferent.

He did value the bonds with his companions, after all, humans are social creatures with emotions. But when it came to the village’s interests, that was a different story. It wasn't that he despised the village, it was just that Konoha wasn’t worth risking his life for.

He was fine with making normal efforts, but risking his life? Not so much. After all, he had no desire to be the so-called savior.

It was like this: If the village never gave him shelter, then he’d rather run naked in the rain, enjoying himself while irritating others.

In his mind, the village was like a large guild in a game. He joined the guild and contributed his labor or resources, so the village should return the favor with corresponding resources.

Maybe it was because he brought a worker's mindset from his previous life, but Naruto had always carried a certain resentment. More importantly, he did not need the resources provided by the village, as having the system was enough.

In other words, he was just an ordinary Shinobi enjoying the convenience brought by the village. Beyond completing missions and defending the village, he wouldn't do anything else.

Unless, of course, there were enough benefits.

Based on this, Naruto had clarified his responsibilities and obligations: Treat his companions sincerely, enjoy life, be kind to others, and simply be a good person.

After a few seconds of silence, Naruto spoke again.

"Actually, I’m really upset that Sasuke would do something like this! I have to bring him back."

This time, the response was perfect.

Shikamaru, Choji, and Lee all chimed in to comfort him, automatically ignoring Naruto’s previous shocking statement. They assumed he was just trying to stay composed, thinking that deep down, Naruto must be really hurting.

In fact, in Naruto's mind, Sasuke is just a tsundere colleague. It's a bit embarrassing to say this, but to be honest, he crossed over late, so he didn't have such a deep bond with Sasuke.

"I'm fine." Naruto spoke the truth in his heart.

Seeing this, Shikamaru and Choji didn’t say anything more, and the group continued on their way in silence.

About half a day later…

Neji was the first to spot their target. With his Byakugan activated, he accurately pinpointed the enemy’s location. There is a reason why the Hyuga Clan's Shinobi are so popular, as their advantages in pursuit missions was undeniable.

"There are four of them, one of them is carrying a sealed barrel. Sasuke should be inside the barrel."

"Don’t act rashly, follow my lead." Shikamaru instructed after a moment of thought, "I'll restrain them, then Naruto, Lee, Choji, and Neji, each of you take one opponent. Kiba, since you’re quick, you’ll be responsible for taking Sasuke back."

"Try to injure them seriously, and then we’ll retreat."

Everyone understood the plan. Except for Kiba, the others each picked a target. Given his absolute defensive capabilities, Neji chose Kidomaru, and Choji chose the fat Jirobo given the size.

In the end, only Sakon, Ukon and Tayuya were left for Lee and Naruto. Then, Naruto spoke to Lee earnestly, "You should choose first."

Without hesitation, Lee chose Ukon and Sakon. Reluctantly, Naruto ended up with Tayuya.

"At least leave me someone who can put up a fight!" Naruto pretended to complain.

"It's okay, just let me have this one this time. I don't want to fight with a girl." Lee comforted Naruto and said seriously, "I'll treat you to ramen when we get back."

"Deal!" Naruto readily agreed.

Last time he had mooched off of Lee, he had unlocked an option related to the Flying Thunder God Technique, so he has always remembered it. Because of that, whether it was ramen or pickled radish, as long as it’s with Lee, he was up for it.

Hearing this, Lee turned and gave Naruto a thumbs-up, flashing a set of perfectly straight, white teeth.

"Alright, that's enough." Shikamaru was disgusted by the interaction of the two people burning their Youth, and interrupted, "Get ready to move. Once I make my move, you guys go in immediately!"

"Understood." Everyone responded.

Shadow Imitation Technique!

Shikamaru's Ninjutsu suddenly activated, and the thin, narrow shadow moved along the tree trunks toward the four enemies. Just as it was about to reach the four’s feet, Kimimaro, who looked pale, descended from the sky.

With a loud bang, the ground was shattered.

The thin shadow was disrupted and instantly nullified. Shikamaru and the others had no choice but to leap aside to avoid the shockwave that tore up the ground, leaving a long trench in its wake.

Dense dust clouds expanded in all directions, and everyone except Neji lost their vision in an instant.

"Fall back!" Neji shouted the simplest command.

Everyone, including Shikamaru, didn’t dare to hesitate and quickly jumped back. With their vision obscured by the dust, Neji’s decision was perfectly reasonable.

Naruto did have a Wind Release Ninjutsu, but unfortunately, it was just Blade of Wind. If it was a large-scale Wind Release Ninjutsu like Temari’s, he could’ve cleared the dust with a single swing.

The six people from Konoha quickly leaped out of the dust cloud’s range. When the dust finally settled, only Kimimaro remained, watching them indifferently.

"Damn it! We can’t let them get away like this!" Shikamaru shouted, "I'll stay behind, Naruto, you guys go after them."