Mastering the Elements - Chapter - 25

Harry Pottaru had never been one to get involved in the affairs of shinobi villages. Wars, power struggles, feuds over land and legacy—none of it concerned him. He had lived long enough to see the patterns of greed and bloodshed, repeated in different worlds, different eras.

And yet—

This time, it was personal.

Danzo Shimura had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed.

It wasn’t about Konoha. It wasn’t about justice.

Danzo had put a bounty on his son’s head.

He had sent assassins to hunt down Itachi—his own blood, the child he hadn’t even known about for years.

And not just that.

Danzo had sent men to kidnap and possibly kill Naruto, the boy who had wormed his way into Harry’s heart with his loud, boundless energy and stubbornness.

That was enough.

Danzo Shimura was a dead man.

Harry sat at the Pottaru household’s courtyard, calmly sipping a cup of tea.

Across from him, Itachi sat in silence, staring at the worn map Harry had placed between them.

It showed various trails, hideouts, and possible routes that Danzo might have taken after escaping Konoha.

"Do you understand why you’re coming with me?" Harry finally asked, breaking the silence.

Itachi looked up.

His emerald-green eyes, an inheritance from his father, were sharp and calculating.

"To gain real combat experience," Itachi answered smoothly. "To fight against shinobi who won’t hold back like those in Konoha’s training grounds."

Harry nodded.

"Exactly. Training is one thing. Real battle is another. You’ve faced strong enemies before, but a fight for survival is something else entirely."

Itachi held his father’s gaze, unwavering.

"And Danzo?"

Harry’s expression darkened, though his tone remained casual.

"Danzo made it clear that he’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants. He tried to have you killed. He sent men after Naruto. He’s not going to be allowed to live after that."

There was no hesitation in his voice. No anger, no self-righteousness—just a statement of fact.

Itachi gave a small nod, accepting this.

"Then I’ll come with you."

Harry smirked.

"Of course you will. I wasn’t asking."

Mikoto was not worried.

Not because she didn’t care—she cared deeply—but because she knew.

She knew what Harry was capable of.

The village didn’t know what kind of power Itachi’s father possessed, but she did.

And with Harry as his guardian, there was no one in this world who could truly harm Itachi.

Still, she stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Itachi’s shoulder before they left.

"Listen to your father," she said, her voice firm but affectionate.

Itachi nodded.

"I will, Mother."

Then, Naruto pouted loudly, standing with his arms crossed.

"It’s not fair, dattebayo!" Naruto grumbled, glaring at Itachi. "Why does he get to go on a cool journey with Uncle Harry, and I have to stay here?!"

Harry chuckled, reaching down to ruffle Naruto’s hair, making the boy scowl harder.

"Because you still have a long way to go, kid," Harry teased.

Naruto huffed, crossing his arms tighter.

"I could help! I know the substitution technique perfectly! I can be really useful!"

Harry smiled, kneeling down so he was eye-level with Naruto.

"You have a different mission, Naruto."

Naruto frowned. "What?"

Harry pointed toward Mikoto, who raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"You’re in charge of keeping an eye on your mother while we’re gone."

Naruto blinked, confused.

"Mom doesn’t need me to protect her!"

Harry shrugged. "Maybe not. But she’d be lonely without us here. So it’s your job to make sure she’s happy. And that means listening to her, training, and not causing trouble."

Naruto squinted suspiciously at him.

"You’re just saying that so I don’t get mad."

Harry grinned.

"Maybe. But it’s still your job."

Naruto considered it for a long moment—then finally sighed, nodding reluctantly.

"Fine. But you owe me a super cool training session when you get back!"

Harry laughed, ruffling Naruto’s hair one last time.

"Deal."

And with that, he and Itachi turned to leave.

The hunt for Danzo had begun.

Harry and Itachi moved swiftly through the forests of Fire Country, covering vast distances with ease.

Danzo had fled months ago, but tracking him was not impossible.

His bounty had spread across the underground networks—every rogue shinobi, mercenary, and criminal organization wanted a piece of him.

Harry and Itachi traveled through small villages, hidden outposts, and underground black markets, using every bit of information they could gather.

At a tavern in the Land of Rivers…

A drunken mercenary slurred about seeing an old, bandaged man with a group of missing-nin in a hideout near the border.

At a trading outpost…

A rogue bounty hunter let slip that Danzo had been recruiting shinobi with kekkei genkai—an attempt to rebuild his forces.

And then—

At a remote mountain temple…

A group of mercenaries recognized Itachi on sight.

And they attacked.

The mercenaries were skilled—Jonin-level, hardened by years of surviving outside the system.

They came at Itachi from all angles, weapons flashing, ninjutsu exploding in bursts of fire and lightning.

Itachi reacted instantly, his Sharingan whirling to life.

One came from the left—Itachi sidestepped, driving a kunai into his exposed ribs.

Another tried a water jutsu—Itachi countered with a wall of roots, deflecting the attack.

The third came too fast, and for a brief moment, Itachi realized—

He might not be fast enough.

But before the strike could land—

The enemy vanished.

Replaced by a log.

Harry stood where the man had been.

"Not bad," Harry mused, flipping his wand lazily between his fingers. "But still too slow."

The remaining mercenaries hesitated—only for a storm of black chains to erupt from the ground, ensnaring them all.

Itachi watched in awe as his father made a simple flicking motion, and the men collapsed unconscious.

"You did well," Harry said, turning back to Itachi with a smirk. "But you’re not finished yet."

Itachi blinked. "I—"

Then, behind him—

The first mercenary he had stabbed slowly rose to his feet, blood dripping from his side—

And lunged.

Itachi turned—too slow.

But this time—

He didn’t need Harry to save him.

With instinctual precision, Itachi spun—

And his blade found its target.

The mercenary froze, eyes wide, as Itachi’s kunai pierced his heart.

Silence.

Then—

He collapsed.

Dead.

Itachi stood over the lifeless body, his expression unreadable.

Harry watched him carefully.

"It never gets easier," he said quietly.

Itachi took a slow breath, then turned to his father.

"I know."

Harry smirked.

"Good. That means you’re still human."

Itachi nodded.

And together, father and son continued their journey.

Danzo would not escape them.


Ever since Itachi and Uncle Harry left, the Pottaru household felt empty.

Naruto had always been loud, always energetic—but now, there was no one to annoy at home.

Mikoto was always kind, but she was also busy.

And without Itachi to spar with, without Harry to show him new cool techniques, Naruto found himself…

Lonely.

But then—

There was Hinata.

And her seven ninja rabbits.

Hinata had been overjoyed when she received the summoning contract from Naruto at her birthday party.

And she didn’t hesitate to practice using it.

"Are we fighting?!" Gekko, the spiked mace wielder, had asked, twitching with excitement.

"No, I just wanted to—"

"Who’s the target?! Let’s go!"

"Wait, wait—!"

Before Hinata could stop them, the rabbits charged forward, smashing through an entire training post in a single coordinated attack.

Naruto had been watching from the side, wide-eyed.

And then—

He grinned.

"That… was awesome!"

Hinata sighed, placing a hand to her forehead.

"Naruto-kun, I don’t think I can control them very well yet."

Naruto grinned widely, eyes sparkling.

"That’s perfect! Let’s spar!"

And that was how Naruto started training with the ninja rabbits.

At first, it was chaotic.

The ninja rabbits were merciless fighters, and they treated every sparring session as if it were life or death.

Naruto had barely managed to dodge the twin swords of Sajin, only to get kicked by Hanzo’s nunchaku straight into a tree.

"Oi, kid! You gotta react faster!" Hanzo had shouted.

"I did react!" Naruto groaned, picking himself up.

"Not fast enough."

Over time, however, Naruto adapted.

The ninja rabbits were fast, but Naruto was learning to predict their movements.

Their attacks were precise, but Naruto was developing a knack for countering.

And most importantly—

They weren’t holding back.

Unlike the shinobi in Konoha, who saw him as a kid, the ninja rabbits treated him as an equal.

And Naruto loved it.

But more than the training, there was something else Naruto loved the most.

The rabbit-drawn cart.

The first time he saw it, Naruto had been skeptical.

"Why would rabbits need a cart?" he had asked.

Shirohime, the leader of the rabbits, had smirked.

"Because sometimes, we gotta move fast."

And then—

Naruto had gotten in.

And the moment the rabbits took off, he had screamed in pure joy.

The rabbit carriage was lightning fast.

It moved like a blur, leaping over trees, dashing through forests, twisting and turning so sharply that even roller coasters would be jealous.

Naruto’s laughter echoed through the air every time they took off.

"Faster!" he’d yell, gripping the sides of the carriage.

"Hold on, brat!" Gekko would yell back, before making the wildest turns possible.

Hinata, who was watching from afar, was horrified.

"Naruto-kun, be careful!" she called, wringing her hands.

"Relax, Hinata-chan!" Naruto whooped, standing up in the cart.

And then—

He immediately fell out, tumbling through the dirt.

The rabbits skidded to a stop, looking down at him.

"You good, kid?" Sajin asked.

Naruto groaned, then sat up—

And grinned.

"That. Was. AWESOME!"

Hinata just sighed.

"Naruto-kun, please don't die."

But Naruto wasn’t just having fun.

He was getting stronger.

The ninja rabbits were masters of weapons, and soon, they started teaching Naruto how to fight with different styles.

Gekko taught him how to wield a mace, though Naruto preferred lighter weapons.

Hanzo helped him practice with nunchaku, though Naruto kept hitting himself in the face.

Sajin taught him how to throw kunai with precision, improving his aim.

Mizuhana introduced him to water-style evasion, though Naruto just ended up soaked.

And after weeks of training, Naruto was improving faster than ever.

"Not bad, brat," Hanzo admitted after a sparring session.

"You’re getting there, kid," Sajin agreed.

Naruto, panting, grinned proudly.

"Of course! I gotta be strong! I’m gonna be Hokage one day, dattebayo!"

The ninja rabbits just grinned at each other.

"Hokage, huh?" Shirohime smirked. "Well then, we’ll make sure you train twice as hard."

Naruto froze.

"W-wait—twice as hard?!"

The rabbits cracked their knuckles.

"You said it, kid!"

Mikoto watched Naruto’s new training routine from the sidelines, feeling a sense of pride and amusement.

He had been so lonely after Itachi and Harry left—

But now?

He was growing.

He was learning.

And most importantly—

He was happy.

She chuckled softly as Naruto once again flew off the rabbit carriage, tumbling through the dirt with a loud “OOF!”

Hinata sighed.

"Naruto-kun, please… don’t die."

Mikoto just smiled.

"That boy… he’s going to be unstoppable one day."

The day had started like any other for Naruto.

He had woken up early, as usual, with his energy buzzing through his veins, ready to take on the day. His training session had been intense, but productive, and after a quick breakfast, he had made his way to the academy.

There, he’d had his usual squabble with Kiba—something about Naruto’s “loud mouth” and Kiba’s “distracting presence.”

And then there was Midori Uchiha, always looking at him like he didn’t belong, always too good for a simple talk or friendly challenge. Her high-and-mighty attitude, as usual, made Naruto grind his teeth.

But despite the usual frustrations, the day had carried on like any other.

After class, Naruto had grabbed a meal at the ramen stand, and Hinata had left early, excusing herself for some Hyuga clan business—something that Naruto knew was part of her duties as the heir.

But now, on his way back home, as he passed by the local hot spring, Naruto's peaceful day suddenly took a very strange turn.

The hot spring was a relaxing retreat, frequented by many of the villagers, especially after long, hard days.

However, it wasn’t just the soothing mist or the soft steam that caught Naruto’s attention this time.

It was a man.

A man who seemed out of place in the familiar village of Konoha.

Naruto noticed him from the corner of his eye as he walked past the bathhouse. The man had long white hair that flowed like the clouds, a stark contrast against his odd clothing. His attire looked foreign, something Naruto had never seen before.

And then—

There was the headband.

It was unlike any headband Naruto had ever seen.

Instead of the usual Leaf emblem, the headband had something different—something strange.

It had a symbol of oil, something Naruto couldn’t immediately recognize. And as he watched, the man seemed to be peeking through the wall, carefully examining the hot spring through a small hole.

Naruto’s instincts flared.

This wasn’t right.

This man didn’t belong here, not in the heart of Konoha. And the way he was spying on the bathhouse, clearly invading privacy, made Naruto’s blood run cold.

Suddenly, Naruto’s mind flashed back to the words Harry had said to him earlier—

"You have a duty to protect your mother."

Harry had never used those exact words before, but the message was always the same.

Protect Mikoto.

Harry’s voice rang in Naruto’s ears as the image of his adoptive mother flashed in his mind—Mikoto, the one who had cared for him, raised him, and made him feel like he belonged.

No one, no one was going to harm her.

Naruto’s heart pounded in his chest. The stranger was still looking through the hole, clearly unaware of Naruto’s presence.

He had to act.

Now.