34 Chapter 34

A lot had happened as we were preparing to leave.

At around 6 in the morning, Tazuna and I made our way over to build the bridge. I had sent my golem over to the beach to devour the bodies. My golem couldn't technically digest food, but it could break the bodies down faster with nature chakra.

Those bastards didn't deserve burials after all.

Last night, Mei and her shinobi had picked up the Executioner's Blade along with Haku, who had more life in her eyes but was still visibly upset and left for the Land of Water.

Creating the bridge wasn't too hard. Tazuna showed me some schematics on how he wanted it built and all I had to do was follow them. I used wood clones to gather sage chakra as I sprouted massive wood beams from out of the water beneath the bridge. From there I created the actual bridge itself along with the rest of the supports Tazuna instructed.

Rinse, repeat.

I grew tired as I did it so I took a soldier pill. It boosted my chakra reserves and helped me finish the rest of the bridge. Sure I'd be fucking exhausted in three days, but it was more than worth it.

I finished the bridge in a measly three hours.

What would have taken months took a single eighth of a day.

Tazuna had called my wood release "bullshit" I agreed with his sentiments, but fuck him, I deserved it.

After the bridge was complete, I told Tazuna about Gato and Atsuko's heads in my seals. I offered to give them to him, but he was disgusted by the prospect of seeing either of their disgusting faces.

With that out of the way, there wasn't much else left for us to do. I still had plans on starting up my company here but didn't have the money to invest on me. All of it was back in the Senju treasury in Konoha, so we'd have to head back before I could get started on that.

"You got steam coming out of your ears, you thinking hard there, brat?" Anko asked from behind me as she drew a smiley face in the dirt.

"I am," I admitted, not bothering to give her any details. She stuck her tongue out at me with a cute pout as she stood up.

We were just about getting ready to leave. All the jonin were gathered here with me, we were just missing Naruko and Satsuki.

They were somewhere in the town looking for a gift for Hinata. They had asked me to come along with them and I intended to, but Anko had held me back, wanting to talk with me.

"You really are an anomaly." She grinned, breaking the stick in her hand. "Ao of the Byakugan was no slouch and you killed him. Leaves a girl wondering; what's your secret?"

"Hard work and plenty of juice."

"Fine, don't answer me. Just know, I'll get my answers one way or another." She stood up, dusting off her knees.

I wasn't even lying. I just work hard, eat a lot, and hydrate. I was also luckily born with the strongest kekkei genkai in history. There wasn't some ungodly training plan I was subscribed to or anything…

Yet.

I'm sure that once we get back, Hiruzen is gonna work my ass to the bone, and hopefully, he'd allow my girls to partake in such unholy training.

The amount of strength we could gain from that body-flickering training he had put me through was astronomical. I honestly wondered how many different training exercises he had created over his long life.

If there was a man to go to for strength or advice, it was him. An old man in a profession where men die young.

I suppose going to Danzo would be a viable option as well.

…But fuck Danzo.

"We're done!" Naruko announced, walking over with a paper bag in hand. Satsuki stood beside her with her own bag.

"Then it's time to head back." Kakashi sighed tiredly. He still wasn't at one hundred percent, it had only been a single day after all, but he was more than capable of traveling around at chunin speeds.

Maybe.

"I must say, this was quite the eventful mission, but I may have to ask Lord Hokage to refrain from handpicking me for one like this." Ebisu fixed his glasses as he began to walk the length of the bridge.

"It wasn't that bad, you're still alive after all." Yamato-sensei pat the man on his back, following him.

"So what did you get?" I asked with a curious peak into the bag. Naruko pulled it away from me, giving me a wary glance.

"You're not allowed to know yet, I got something for you as well."

Oh? I raised an eyebrow at the girl. It was very rare that Naruko got gifts for me, but when she did, they were usually praiseworthy.

Like an Ichiraku coupon.

The holy artifact that the God of Bowls creates only so often. To receive such a thing is the highest honor, and is treated as such.

If she wasn't telling me, it must be really good. I looked over at Satsuki, the girl giving me a smirk.

"I got something for you as well, and I'm not telling you either."

"Fine, be all secretive." I snorted, following the retreating jonin across the bridge. We made it across the bridge and back to the mainland before we heard the familiar voice of Tazuna.

"Wait!"

All of us turned around to see Tazuna, his family, and most of the town.

They came to a full stop in front of us before giving us full 90-degree bows.

""Thank you very much, for everything you've done.""

They all said in sync. Honestly, it was a good feeling to help people and be thanked for it.

"No problem, Mr. Tazuna!" Naruko grinned, giving the man a thumbs up. The old man stepped towards us, stopping just in front of Naruko to shake her hand.

"She's lying." I jabbed a thumb at the blonde. "It had been nothing but problems for us since the moment we got here, but we're alive, and that's all that really matters." It was the honest truth, no beating around the bush, and my mood grew at the smiles growing on the townspeople. Honesty always held greater merit than lies hidden behind a smile, even if Naruko was one hundred percent genuine.

We were still shinobi after all, and it was clear these people hadn't forgotten that.

"Konoha will be in touch, Mr. Tazuna. Your crime still holds true. Expect to be recalled to the village one day." Kakashi's eyes narrowed, Tazuna giving an understanding nod, his smile tightening a bit.

"Let's hope Lord Hokage is in one of his…chill moods when we get back." Satsuki whispered under her breath. Ah yes, the greatest of chill moments. When there's more smoke in his lungs than air in the room. Quite fun those times are.

"So, got a name for the bridge?" I asked, actually curious. While I would be happy with something like 'The Great Naruko Bridge,' I would also be extremely offended. We all put in a lot of work during this mission, but I dealt with most of the major factors and built the fucking bridge.

Call me a horse, because I carried this operation.

Tazuna paused before laughing hard. The rest of the town giggling and chuckling behind him. He wiped a tear out of his eye as he gave me a straight face.

Or tried to at least.

"We decided to honor our town's new history. The battleplace in which you fought the shinobi has been marked as 'Dragon's Pass.' The trail of footsteps your creation left behind, and the destroyed trees being called, 'The Great Golem's Path.'"

Oh that sounded badass! I could already see my name in their history books. The genin who fought a jonin off with the might of a giant!

"Oh, and of course we couldn't forget your little…stunt."

Oh no.

"Which is exactly why we decided to name the bridge, 'The Great Bridge of Everlasting Love'!"

Oh god no No NO NO! WHAT THE FUCK!

"Thank you, Lei, for you have shown us that with the great power of love and will, anything can be done, now go forth, return to your land and we will sing tales of your legendary love story!"

The town couldn't restrain their laughs, while the Konoha jonin snorted at my expense. Anko was playing it up laughing and slapping my back as if it was the funniest joke she had heard in her life, but I could tell she was full of shit.

God please kill me…Or him. Either will work fine.

"Yeah yeah, I'll send my clone back in a couple days." I waved him off, hoping the laughter would come to an end and my words had my intended effect. The laughing populace had dropped down to several stray chuckles.

I took several steps away from the bridge and deeper into the mainland, hoping it would be the sign to everyone that we were leaving, the jonin following behind me as well as Satsuki.

"It's been so nice meeting most of you, I'll be back another time so I can meet the rest of you!" Naruko waved as she began to walk away.

Then everything changed.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand, like an internalized instinct of danger. With a flex of my sensory chakra, I felt a large mass of condensed chakra heading straight at us at incredibly high speeds.

Straight at…

"Naruko!" I shouted, moving my absolute fastest to make it to her, there was no way I would, and as the air beside me whipped, blood flew in the air and a body dropped.