[Leaving the Land of Waves — Morning After]
The storm had passed.
In the pale morning light, the village buzzed with life once more — hammers rang against wood, sails were hoisted, and merchants returned to long-abandoned stalls. Bit by bit, the shadow Gatō had cast was lifting.
Team 7 and Team 10 stood gathered at the newly build bridge — packs secured — eyes lifting toward the stone bridge that now stretched across the waves like a silent promise.
Their mission was over. The tide had turned. The Land of Waves would no longer kneel.
Naruto stood a little apart from the others, hands resting on the new stone rail of the bridge. His charcoal cloak stirred faintly in the breeze as he stared out toward the vast sea, deep in thought.
The faces of the rescued women, of Haku and Zabuza, of the villagers cheering beneath the rising sun — they played through his mind, vivid and sharp.
Behind him, voices began to rise.
A crowd had gathered at the base of the great bridge — villagers, craftsmen, mothers with children in their arms. Gratitude shone in every face, mingling with the hope of something new.
Tazuna stepped forward, voice steady despite the emotion that roughened its edges.
"This bridge… was built by many hands," he said. "By those who refused to bow to Gatō's cruelty. By shinobi who fought Gato, so that we might stand free again."
He looked toward Naruto — gaze firm, words ringing clear.
"And by one boy… who reminded us what hope looks like."
A ripple passed through the crowd.
One of the women Naruto had rescued stepped forward, voice soft but sure.
"We should name it." She glanced toward the stone beneath their feet. "So we never forget."
Murmurs rose.
"Bridge of Freedom.""Bridge of Courage."
Each voice carried meaning, yet none felt whole.
Then — old Genji, the village's eldest craftsman, stepped forward with surprising strength.
His voice cut through the murmurs:
"Naruto's Bridge."
A hush swept the crowd.
All eyes turned to the boy in grey, still standing silently at the rail — wide-eyed at the sudden weight of the moment.
"He gave us this dawn," Genji continued. "Let his name carry it forward."
For a heartbeat — stillness.
Then — a swell of cheers, rising raw and real:
"Naruto's Bridge!""Naruto's Bridge!"
The chant echoed off stone and sea.
Naruto flushed, rubbing the back of his neck, uncertain.
"I… I didn't do it alone…" he tried to say.
But the crowd would not relent. The voices carried the name across the waves, sealing it into the bridge's very bones.
[Private Moment — Asuma & Naruto]
As the cheers slowly faded and the teams prepared to depart, a calm voice spoke from beside him.
"Not used to being the hero yet, huh?"
Naruto turned — Asuma stood nearby, arms crossed, unlit cigarette resting between his fingers. His gaze was thoughtful — not mocking, but steady.
Naruto exhaled softly, a half-smile tugging at his lips.
"I didn't plan for any of this. I just… couldn't let it stand."
Asuma nodded.
"That's the difference."
Asuma continued — voice low, words deliberate.
"There's a line between hoarding power to take revenge… and using it to protect others. You've already crossed that line — in the right direction."
Naruto looked away.
"I just… didn't want anyone to get hurt. "
A quiet beat passed.
Asuma's voice softened.
"That's the heart of a true shinobi, Naruto. Don't forget it."
The words lingered — simple, but weighty.
Naruto glanced up again — eyes meeting Asuma's with resolve.
"I won't."
[Departure]
Soon, the teams began their march — stepping onto the great stone bridge that would now bear Naruto's name.
Villagers lined the railings — waving, calling out blessings as the shinobi passed.
Naruto walked — steps steady, cloak billowing in the wind.
The cheers rang in his ears, yet a quiet warmth settled in his chest. Not pride — something deeper. A knowing that, for once, he had truly helped change something.
Behind him, Shikako followed — her gaze lingering on Naruto's back for just a moment longer than the others.
Her heart was a tangle of feelings — pride, frustration, something else she wasn't ready to name yet.
Ahead, the road to Konoha awaited.
Naruto inhaled deeply, eyes narrowing in determination.
More roads. More battles. More to protect.
And this time — a name to carry with him.
Naruto's Bridge.
A beginning, not an end.
[On the Road — Toward Konoha]
The path wound through tall forests and rolling hills, the sea now far behind them.
Naruto walked with his cloak fluttering lightly — the last few days etched deep in his mind.
Ahead, Asuma led the group, talking quietly with Kakashi.
Team 7 and Team 10 traveled together — the air lighter than it had been for days.
Shikako often glanced toward Naruto — arms crossed, thoughtful.
Sasuke kept silent, eyes sharp — already lost in his own thoughts.
It was mid-morning when a faint ripple of chakra brushed against Naruto's senses.
He paused instinctively — eyes narrowing.
A moment later, movement ahead.
Four figures appeared on the forest road — another shinobi team approaching.
Team Baki.
A tall, tan shinobi led them — flanked by three younger genin.
One in black — stoic, carrying a large fan.
Another — grinning slightly, staff in hand.
And between them — a boy with crimson hair, a gourd strapped to his back.Gaara.
As the two groups neared, both jōnin signaled a brief halt.
The path here was narrow — polite to let each other pass.
Asuma and Baki exchanged nods — wary but civil.
Baki spoke first.
"Team from Konoha."A faint smile."We're returning from diplomatic rotation in the west. Headed for Sunagakure."
Asuma nodded.
"We have completed our mission. Now on way to Konoha."
For a moment — standard shinobi courtesy.
Then — without warning — Gaara's gaze shifted.
Locking directly onto Naruto.
Naruto blinked — caught mid-thought — but something in the boy's eyes rooted him in place.
A weight.A depth of loneliness — and of power — that Naruto felt without words.
Gaara's voice was low — calm as still water.
"You… are just like me."
The words hung in the air.
Naruto's breath caught.
That same eerie presence — the same chakra resonance he had felt before.
In Dead Man's Cut — Kaigan.
But this… was clearer. More alive.
Gaara's gaze held for a moment longer — unreadable — then turned away.
Without another word, he walked on, Team Baki following.
Naruto stood frozen — mind racing.
But the moment passed.
Asuma glanced back once — then motioned forward.
"Let's go."
The Konoha teams resumed their march.
Naruto said nothing.
But Gaara's words echoed in his mind.
"You… are just like me."