The Demon of Konoha

XI

A few days had passed and as usual Naruto had left a few clones at the house before Team 7 and Tazuna left for the bridge to start the day's work. Naruto would send shadow clones around the bridge, and now that he had mastered wall walking, he hid some in the trees. Naruto and his clones would also help with unskilled labor so that workers could focus on the parts that required precision and accuracy. This was often carrying stones, metal beams, dry cement, and other materials and rotating the cement mixer continuously. Kakashi had instructed Sasuke and Sakura to keep watch in case any undesirables slipped past Naruto's clones, and he himself was also alert despite being seemingly engrossed in his erotica.

However, today was different. It wasn't too long after the day had started that all the Naruto's suddenly perked up. The original warned the rest of his team, Tazuna, and the workers, "Tsunami-san and Inari were going to be kidnapped by some sword-wielding guys! My clones managed to kill them." The clones suddenly perked up again, "A clone got dispelled. A group of maybe fifty guys with weapons are headed this way, led by a tiny man in a business suit! You all stay here, I'll go. I'll leave one clone here. If he goes away, that means I've been defeated." And with that the Naruto's rushed in the direction of the start of the bridge. Sasuke and Sakura became more alert and started actively patrolling the bridge. The workers and Tazuna were now wary and had slowed down the work to be ready for an attack.

Five minutes passed, and another five and another five. The clone that had been left behind was still there, still moving materials like it normally would. Soon the clone stopped what it was doing and ran over to Kakashi, "We have eliminated the group. The leader identified himself as Gato shortly before he was killed."

"Maa, Naruto, you shouldn't be killing people senselessly," Kakashi advised, his concern unshowing.

"I didn't. Those killings were senseful. Have you seen the town, sensei? Kids get hand-me-downs or ill-fitting clothes, mothers sell themselves to feed their kids, men get high to avoid the fact that they can't provide for their families or themselves! And even if we put them in jail, Gato's rich enough to post bail and do this kind of thing again in some other place!" The clone rambled. "They haven't done anything to have to live like this. In constant fear, wondering if there is enough for another meal. I wonder if Gato has paid off the daimyo to run this village into the ground. Would make a whole lotta sense, wouldn't it? I mean why else would a man trying to help his village come to us. Shouldn't the daimyo or some other authority of the Land of Waves come to us to deal with the situation?"

"The boy's super right. We've been trying to get the daimyo to look over here. Messages were unreturned, men were sent back once they said our village's name. We've had our suspicions, but there's nothing you can do," Tazuna grimly stated, "Daimyos nor Kages can interfere with each other's governance unless it directly affects their own."

"Alright," Kakashi simply replied.