Naruto walked beside Tazuna, eyes scanning the streets with quiet observation.
Wave Country was… poor.
It wasn't like Konoha. No bright shops, no bustling crowds, no lively chatter of people moving about their day. Instead, there were hollow-eyed men slumped against buildings, dirty children in ragged clothes sitting in the shadows, thin hands clutching their knees. The streets smelled of salt and rot, the air heavy with the kind of silence that only came from a people who had lost too much. The shops they passed were nearly empty, shelves dusty, stocked with only the bare minimum. A single potato sat on display at one vendor's stand. 30 ryō.
Naruto blinked. That was robbery.
Tazuna sighed. "Now you see it, huh?" His voice was gruff, but there was something tired in it, something old and resigned. "This is what Gatō has done to us."
Naruto said nothing, listening.
Tazuna took a swig from his bottle, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "He came in a few years back, smiling like a businessman, promising 'development' and 'prosperity' and all that nonsense. Then he bought out all the shipping businesses, took control of trade, and jacked up the prices of everything. The rich got richer, the poor got poorer, and anyone who tried to stand against him—" He made a slicing motion across his throat.
Naruto glanced at the people around them, their downcast eyes, their slumped shoulders. The weight of oppression was visible in the way they moved, the way they barely acknowledged each other. A community that had given up.
Humans were so greedy. Always taking, always dirty. But shinobi? Shinobi were worse.
And then it happened.
A scream. A yelp. A little girl, no older than seven or eight, yanked off her feet by a burly man with a greasy ponytail and yellowed teeth.
"C'mon now, brat," the man sneered, dragging her forward despite her struggles. "Boss says we need some fresh faces. You'll make good entertainment."
No one moved.
No one interfered.
The market continued as if nothing was happening. Vendors averted their gazes. Bystanders shuffled away. The little girl thrashed, but she was too small, too weak.
Naruto stared, something deep and quiet settling in his stomach.
Should I help?
What if he attacks me?
The thought crossed his mind, an old instinct from lifetimes past. Fear. Prey animals never interfered in a predator's hunt, because that meant drawing attention to yourself. That meant getting killed next.
But he wasn't prey anymore.
He walked forward.
The man barely glanced at him. "Piss off, brat."
Naruto tilted his head. "Why do you want her for entertainment?" His voice was calm, almost curious. "I thought humans had TV. Or books. Or music."
The man blinked, then scowled. "What the hell is wrong with you? Get lost before I—"
Then he paused, finally getting a good look at Naruto. At his blank expression. At his glowing sapphire eyes.
"…The hell's up with your eyes?"
Naruto blinked. The little girl looked at him, desperate, pleading.
The man turned, dragging her again.
Naruto grabbed his wrist.
"Hey!" The man jerked, but Naruto's grip didn't budge. "I said fuck off, you little—"
Crack.
A scream tore through the market as the man collapsed, clutching his arm, bones jutting out at a grotesque angle. He convulsed on the ground, mouth open in a silent wail, body twitching uncontrollably.
The street froze.
Some gasped in horror. Others… smirked. Satisfied.
Naruto simply let go, watching as the man spasmed, his eyes rolling back. Then, after a moment, he stopped moving.
Naruto turned back to Tazuna, expression unreadable. "Tsunami said she needed garlic. Let's go."
Tazuna stared at him.
Then, slowly, he took another swig of his liquor.
"…Yeah," he muttered, exhaling. "Let's go."
And just like that, they walked away.