Chapter 30: Spoiled (Patreon)

Spoiled

The sun hung low in the sky as Team 7 stood at the edge of a bustling bazaar, waiting. The designated meeting spot was supposed to be a neutral, quiet place, but it seemed the person they were supposed to be guarding had other ideas.

Naruto squinted at the scene before him. A large man, round in the middle like a barrel, was seated comfortably on a lavishly decorated platform, fanning himself while surrounded by dancers. He was watching them with open admiration, taking bites of what looked like some kind of rich, oily food between bouts of laughter. His fingers gleamed with gold rings, and his clothing was so embroidered with fine silk and threads that Naruto was sure he weighed more than he looked.

Standing a little to the side was a younger boy, around their age, dressed in more subdued yet still expensive-looking clothes. He wasn’t paying attention to the dancers at all, merely standing with arms crossed, expression blank, watching the scene as if this was nothing new to him.

Naruto’s gaze, however, drifted to the small animal clinging to the boy’s shoulder. A monkey. Tiny, with intelligent dark eyes and a tail curled slightly around the boy’s neck. Naruto blinked. Huh. An animal.

Kakashi let out a slow, patient sigh, pulling his book from his pouch and flipping it open. “We’ll wait,” he said simply.

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets, looking completely unimpressed. Sakura, on the other hand, was shifting uncomfortably, watching the scene with barely concealed distaste.

Naruto, bored, kicked at a small rock on the ground.

Several long minutes passed before the entertainment seemed to reach its natural conclusion, and with one final, exaggerated laugh, the round man waved the dancers away. He wiped his mouth with a thick silk handkerchief, smoothed down his robes, and finally turned his attention toward them.

Kakashi took that as his cue, stepping forward and offering a polite nod. “Michiru-sama,” he greeted, voice calm and measured. “I am Hatake Kakashi, leader of Team 7. We have been assigned to escort you and your son back safely to your home.”

Michiru, the man, nodded as though this were an afterthought, barely paying attention as he adjusted the numerous bracelets on his wrist. His eyes flicked lazily over the team, disinterested.

The boy, however, straightened slightly, gaze sharpening.

Kakashi gestured to each of them in turn. “This is Sakura. This is Sasuke. And this is—”

Before he could finish, the boy’s arm shot up, finger jabbing straight at Naruto.

“You!”

Naruto blinked, pointing at himself. “Me?”

The boy nodded firmly. “Become my butler.”

There was a beat of silence.

Naruto tilted his head. “No.”

The boy’s brows furrowed. “Why not? I’ll pay you well.”

“I don’t want to,” Naruto said simply.

The boy looked genuinely perplexed. “But… it’s an easy job. You’ll get food, housing, and plenty of money.”

Naruto just stared at him. “Still don’t want to.”

The boy stared back. He looked between Naruto and his father as though expecting someone to step in and correct this absurdity. When no one did, his expression twisted slightly. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Naruto shrugged. “Does to me.”

The boy let out a frustrated huff. “You’re weird.”

Naruto hummed. “Probably.”

Sakura sighed, rubbing her temples. Sasuke looked vaguely amused, and Kakashi, as always, looked completely unbothered.

Michiru cleared his throat, finally seeming to take some level of control over the conversation. “My son, Hikaru, can be a bit… impulsive,” he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic about it. “You’ll have to excuse him. He’s not used to being denied.”

Naruto just blinked at him. “Huh.”

Michiru waved a hand dismissively. “Regardless, I suppose we should begin the journey soon. I trust everything has been arranged?”

Kakashi nodded. “Yes. We’ll be leaving immediately.”

Michiru made a small noise of approval before turning on his heel, moving toward a waiting carriage that looked just as lavish as he did. Hikaru followed, still glancing back at Naruto with mild suspicion, his small monkey chittering in his ear.

Naruto watched them go, then turned to his team. “Rich people are weird.”

Sakura let out a small, dry laugh. “No kidding.”

Sasuke simply huffed. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Kakashi closed his book with a soft snap, tucking it away before nodding toward the road ahead. “Alright then. Everyone, let’s move out.”

And with that, Team 7 began their mission.

—ToT—

The desert stretched out before them, endless dunes rolling beneath the weight of the sun. The air shimmered with heat, making the rock hills in the distance look like mirages. The caravan trundled along the worn path, wheels creaking as it rolled forward, kicking up small clouds of dust. Team 7 moved in a steady rhythm beside it, their steps even and controlled, their eyes always scanning the horizon for any signs of trouble.

Inside the lavish carriage, Michiru reclined against plush cushions, fanning himself lazily. He had been making idle conversation with Kakashi for a while now, mostly about trivial matters—his wealth, the political intricacies of his home, the food he missed—but eventually, the topic shifted.

“So, this Hokage system of yours,” Michiru mused, stroking his chin. “Is the title handed down within a family? Like a royal bloodline?”

Kakashi’s visible eye crinkled slightly, betraying a small smile. “No, not exactly. The Hokage title is given to the most suitable person. The strongest, the wisest. Someone the village can rely on.”

Michiru hummed, mulling over the information. “Interesting. And I assume someone already has their eyes on the position?”

Kakashi chuckled. “Naruto here wants to be Hokage too.”

Michiru turned his gaze toward the boy in question. “Is that right, boy?”

Naruto, who had been walking a few paces ahead, glanced over his shoulder. “Dattebane.”

Michiru blinked. “That’s… a yes, right?”

Naruto shrugged.

Michiru let out a chuckle. “Well, I must admit, it’s quite the ambition.”

Naruto didn’t reply. He just kept walking, hands in his pockets, eyes half-lidded as he observed the landscape. He had no interest in explaining himself to some prince who would never understand why he wanted the title in the first place. Hokage wasn’t about power. It wasn’t about wealth or prestige. It was about proving himself. About being someone worth acknowledging.

The conversation drifted away, and they fell into silence, the only sounds being the steady march of feet against sand and the occasional groan of the wooden wheels.

Up ahead, Hikaru, bored out of his mind, toyed with the small bow in his hands. The little monkey on his shoulder chittered at him, as if trying to dissuade him from what he was about to do, but the boy ignored it.

His eyes landed on Naruto’s headband, the gleaming metal plate standing out against the boy’s wild red hair. A target.

Smirking to himself, Hikaru lifted the toy bow and carefully aimed. He pulled back the small wooden arrow and let it fly, expecting to see it bounce harmlessly off Naruto’s forehead protector.

Instead, without even looking, Naruto’s hand shot up, fingers catching the arrow in midair with a speed too fast for Hikaru to comprehend.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then Naruto turned, his glowing sapphire eyes locking onto the boy with an intensity that made the air feel colder despite the heat of the desert. Hikaru’s breath hitched. For a split second, it felt like something ancient and hungry was staring at him. A thousand predators lurking just beneath Naruto’s skin, watching, waiting.

His little monkey screeched and clung tightly to his shoulder, fur bristling.

Sasuke, moving on pure instinct, stepped between them, his hand pushing Hikaru back ever so slightly. His dark eyes flicked toward Naruto, guarded. “You’re scaring him.”

Naruto blinked once, tilting his head. “He tried to kill me. Dattebane.”

Sasuke exhaled through his nose, shoulders relaxing just slightly. “It’s a toy arrow, Naruto. You won’t die from it.”

Naruto considered that for a second, then gave a small nod. “Oh. Fair.”

Casually, he tossed the arrow back at Hikaru, who caught it with slightly shaky hands.

The boy stared at Naruto for a long time, eyes wide, before muttering something under his breath and shuffling further into the safety of the caravan. His monkey kept a wary eye on Naruto, as if still sensing something strange.

Sakura let out a sigh, shaking her head. “Could you at least try not to make the kid cry?”

Naruto huffed, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. “Not my fault he’s weak.”

Kakashi sighed but didn’t say anything, merely flipping a page in his book as they continued onward.

The desert was an ocean of endless gold, the wind shifting the dunes in slow, crawling waves. Each step felt heavier, the heat pressing down on them like an invisible weight. The caravan trudged along, the wooden wheels creaking, the sound of their travel blending into the dull hum of the desert wind. The distant hills cast long shadows, stretching over the sand like reaching fingers.

Naruto, who had been walking lazily ahead of the group, suddenly stopped. His shoulders stiffened slightly, and his head turned ever so slightly to the right. His sapphire eyes glowed unnaturally as they scanned the area beyond the next dune.

The moment he paused, Team 7 followed suit.

Kakashi glanced at him, his relaxed posture never faltering, but his tone carried a quiet seriousness. "What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto’s gaze remained locked ahead, his voice flat. "Thirty enemies on the other side of this dune."

The words sent a ripple through the group. The servants stiffened. Michiru and Hikaru, seated in the carriage, exchanged worried glances. Hikaru clutched his small monkey a little tighter.

Kakashi’s eye narrowed slightly. "Armed?"

"Yes, dattebane."

Sasuke’s pulse quickened. He had been itching for a fight, a chance to test himself again. His fingers flexed instinctively, his Sharingan activating at the mere anticipation.

Sakura, on the other hand, swallowed hard. She wasn’t weak, but thirty enemies were a lot. The last time they had fought numbers like that, things had gotten messy.

Kakashi’s tone remained neutral. "If they attack, then we attack. Otherwise, we keep moving."

Naruto, arms crossed, watched the dune in silence. He could feel them moving. The tension in the air was shifting. The wind carried their footsteps, their eager breaths. They weren’t going to wait long.

Michiru gripped the edges of his seat. "Can’t we just… pay them to leave us alone?"

Naruto snorted, finally shifting his gaze to the prince. "Bandits don’t work like that. You give them money, they take it, then they take your life too. Dattebane."

Hikaru shivered at the way Naruto spoke—so casual, so blunt, like death was just another part of the journey.

Then Naruto exhaled through his nose. "They're moving. They're coming up the dune now."

That was it. That was the only warning before the inevitable.

Sakura, standing closest to Naruto, glanced at him. "You do it."

Naruto blinked at her. "Why?"

"It’d be easy and fast."

She wasn’t wrong. They all knew it. If Naruto wanted to, he could kill them all in seconds. The desert itself would obey him. The ground would split. The sand would swallow them whole. The air would crush them.

But Naruto didn’t like killing. It was an annoyance. A necessary evil, sometimes, but an annoyance nonetheless.

Still, he hated wasting time. And these bandits? A waste of time. He could already imagine the trouble they’d bring. The longer this dragged out, the later his next nap would be.

Sasuke, catching onto the conversation, scoffed. "No. I want to fight."

Naruto stopped, tilting his head slightly. "Okay."

And just like that, he stepped back.

At that moment, the bandits crested the dune. Thirty men, faces wrapped in cloth, crude weapons gleaming under the sun. Their leader, a broad man with jagged scars, pointed at the caravan and shouted something unintelligible.

Then they charged.

Sasuke was already moving. His Sharingan flared, tracking every movement with perfect clarity. He dashed forward, meeting the first attacker with a kunai, his blade clashing against rusted steel before he twisted his wrist, knocking the weapon aside and slamming his palm into the man’s chest. The bandit choked, stumbling back as Sasuke leaped past him, already engaging the next.

Kakashi moved with practiced ease, his presence a blur. One moment he was standing by the caravan, the next he was behind two of the bandits, striking their pressure points before they could react. They crumpled instantly.

Sakura, nerves steadying, pulled out explosive tags. She threw them in quick succession, each one landing precisely where they needed to. The explosions rocked the sand, sending bandits flying back, disoriented and scrambling.

Naruto?

Naruto barely moved. He stayed close to the caravan, arms still crossed, watching as enemies got too close—then he moved just enough. A lazy punch here, a casual flick there, but each one sent a man flying back like they had been hit by a boulder. One came at him with a knife—Naruto stepped aside and smacked him on the head like he was swatting an insect, sending the man spiraling into the sand. Another lunged with an axe—Naruto kicked the weapon from his hands and sent him tumbling ten feet away.

To Michiru and Hikaru, it was mesmerizing.

These were shinobi. These were the warriors of the Hidden Leaf. Fast, precise, impossibly strong.

Michiru gripped the edge of his seat again, his fear momentarily forgotten. "Incredible…"

Hikaru, however, could not take his eyes off Naruto. The others were skilled, but Naruto? He was something else. He wasn’t even trying. He barely looked interested, like he was swatting away flies instead of fighting armed men. And those eyes. Those glowing sapphire eyes.

A shiver ran down Hikaru’s spine.

The fight dragged on longer than it should have, mostly because Sasuke was enjoying himself too much. His Sharingan read their movements before they could act, and his counters were swift, almost cruel in their precision. It was only when Kakashi gave him a pointed look that he finally finished off the last bandit.

And just like that, it was over.

Naruto yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Took fourteen minutes. Dattebane."

Sasuke rolled his shoulders, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. "Felt shorter."

Sakura sighed, wiping some sweat from her forehead. "That’s because you weren’t the one throwing explosives."

Kakashi gave a small nod, his tone relaxed. "Good work, everyone."

Michiru clapped his hands together. "That was marvelous! Truly! I’ve never seen such skill before!"

Naruto, uninterested in praise, simply turned back toward the road. "We going, or what?"

And just like that, the journey resumed.

The road stretched long and unchanging, the golden dunes rolling endlessly beneath the orange sky. Their journey had been mostly quiet after the bandit attack, save for the occasional grumble from Michiru about the discomforts of traveling through the desert. Hikaru remained as he always was—bored and unimpressed, barely engaging with anyone unless forced. The caravan continued on, the wooden wheels creaking against the packed sand as the sun slowly began to sink toward the horizon.

Then, something caught their eye in the distance.

A burst of colors, flickering lights, and the faint sounds of laughter and music carried through the dry air. It stood out against the monotony of the desert, a swirling pocket of life and energy. As they got closer, the sights became clearer—striped tents, wooden stages, game booths, performers juggling flaming torches, acrobats flipping through the air, and a massive metal cage where something large moved inside.

A traveling circus.

Michiru's eyes widened, his plump hands gripping the edge of the carriage window. "Oh! A carnival! A circus! This is splendid!" His excitement was almost childlike, his face lighting up in a way that had been absent since the journey started.

Kakashi, walking beside the caravan, glanced at him. "We're on a mission. We should keep moving."

Michiru waved a dismissive hand. "Nonsense! A little entertainment won't hurt anyone! We need rest! And I simply must see the show!"

Hikaru sighed, looking unimpressed, but he said nothing as his father clapped his hands together in excitement.

Kakashi, after a brief pause, sighed and turned to the others. "Well, a short break won’t hurt. But no trouble."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "We attract trouble, dattebane."

Kakashi didn’t even argue that. It was just a fact at this point.

Regardless, they pulled into the carnival, the caravan stopping near the entrance. Performers in elaborate costumes welcomed them, twirling and flipping as they led them deeper into the circus grounds. The air was thick with the smell of roasted meat, sweet caramel, and burning torches. Laughter echoed from every direction, the sounds of drums and flutes creating a lively rhythm that made the place feel almost unreal.

Michiru, eager as a child, immediately purchased front-row seats for the main performance, ensuring they had the best view of the grand show.

The main tent was enormous, its roof stretching high into the night sky. Inside, rows of seats encircled a massive stage where the performers dazzled the audience with feats of acrobatics, magic tricks, and trained animals. Fire-breathers sent waves of flame into the air, tightrope walkers balanced impossibly high, and a group of clowns engaged in chaotic slapstick that had the younger spectators howling with laughter.

Then came the archery performance.

A setup was arranged where a moving target slid across a wire, and the challenge was to hit the bullseye from a distance. Several participants from the crowd had tried—and failed—to land a perfect shot.

Hikaru was pushed forward by one of the performers. "Why don’t you give it a try, young prince?"

He blinked, then frowned. "I don’t see the point."

But Michiru, excited by the spectacle, encouraged him. "Go on, Hikaru! Show them your skills!"

With an exasperated sigh, Hikaru took the bow. He was given three arrows, and as the target began to slide across the wire, he notched one and took aim.

The first arrow missed.

The second landed just shy of the bullseye.

The third? A perfect hit.

The crowd erupted into applause, clapping and cheering at the unexpected success. Hikaru, though pretending not to care, couldn’t hide the small smirk that crept onto his face. Michiru, of course, was beaming with pride, clapping so hard his rings clattered.

Naruto, standing off to the side, let out a quiet hum of approval. "Huh. Not bad."

Hikaru turned his head slightly, meeting Naruto’s unreadable gaze. He didn’t like how those glowing eyes always seemed to peer right through him. It made his skin crawl. So instead of responding, he simply turned away, pretending not to notice.

Meanwhile, Naruto had found something far more interesting than the show itself.

The animals.

Near the edge of the performance ring, large cages housed a variety of creatures—elephants swayed their trunks, a gorilla sat watching the humans with quiet curiosity, a lion paced back and forth, and then, in the largest cage of them all, was something truly strange.

A sabre-toothed tiger.

Naruto blinked. He had never seen one in real life before. He had read about them—ancient predators, long extinct, creatures of legend. And yet, here it was, alive, breathing, its massive fangs gleaming under the lantern lights.

Without hesitation, Naruto wandered over to the cage.

The others noticed him moving, but none of them were quite prepared for what happened next.

He crouched down, resting his arms on his knees, and looked at the tiger. "Yo."

The tiger let out a low rumble, its ears flicking forward. The lion in the next cage watched, and even the gorilla tilted its head.

Naruto tilted his head, mirroring the tiger. "Hungry?"

The tiger grumbled again. Naruto reached into his pouch, pulled out a small ration bar, and held it up. The crowd around them fell into stunned silence as the massive beast leaned forward, sniffing the air, then—very carefully—took the offering from Naruto’s fingers.

People whispered.

The performers exchanged nervous glances.

Even Team 7, who were used to Naruto’s odd quirks, couldn’t deny the way the air shifted around him when he interacted with animals. It was like they spoke a language none of them could hear.

The gorilla made a noise. Naruto glanced at him. "Yeah? You too?" He tossed another piece of food into the cage. The gorilla caught it effortlessly.

The lion huffed. Naruto flicked him a piece as well.

By now, the audience had stopped watching the show entirely. They were watching Naruto.

Hikaru, arms crossed, scowled. "Freak."

Sakura elbowed him. "Shut up. It’s cool."

Michiru, on the other hand, was absolutely enchanted. "Incredible! Absolutely incredible! A boy who speaks to beasts!"

Naruto, still casually feeding a literal sabre-toothed tiger, side-eyed him. "I don’t talk to them, dattebane. I just… get them."

But it was too late. Michiru had already made up his mind.

"I must have it."

Sasuke frowned. "What?"

Michiru stood, eyes shining with an almost ridiculous level of excitement. "I must have this circus!"

Kakashi rubbed his temples. "Michiru—"

"How much?" Michiru interrupted, turning to the owner.

The circus master, a wiry man with a curled mustache, blinked in surprise. "Y-You wish to… purchase the entire circus?"

"Yes!" Michiru declared. "Whatever the price, I shall pay it!"

And just like that, the deed was done.

Within the hour, Michiru was the new owner of an entire traveling circus, and Naruto, whether he liked it or not, had somehow played a part in making it happen.

As they left, Michiru could be heard laughing to himself. "A marvelous investment! Simply marvelous!"

Hikaru, however, just grumbled, still glaring at Naruto as they resumed their journey.