Naruto: Cautious Ninja

This explained why the place looked so devoid of life and in such a state of decay. Nothing and nobody was getting any water. The sheer size and height of the structure was also keeping a lot of the rain clouds from drifting over the lands. Everything, including the sky, was being held back by that towering blot on the landscape. It seemed impossible, but it was exactly as it appeared.

This determination to keep all of that water back just to get money from all the people in the country was unthinkable. Who would do this?

"This land used to be so full of life. Food was plentiful, the money flow was good, and people were happy. Boy, you should have seen this place when it was at its best. It was like paradise," Hanare said before shrugging. "Oh sure we talked about projects like creating small dams, reservoirs and stuff; like setting up a power station to generate energy through water and building a bridge to the other side to provide another path to the other countries… but all of that talk was put to rest when that man showed up." The farmer then shook her head. "Damn Gato. The people couldn't stop him in time and because of their dithering they're now suffering under his heel."

"That bastard…"

"No shit," Hanare replied, glaring hatefully at the monster towering over the dead river.

"Why doesn't somebody do something about him?" Naruto asked while glancing up at the farmer leaning against the entrance. "Where are the armies, the mobs, the shinobi? This is a whole country isn't it? Why doesn't somebody stop him or call for help?"

"No one can stop him or do anything about him because Gato is as much a monster as that gigantic wall of his," Hanare stated with a frown. "The person you're talking about here is one of the most powerful men in the world. He's conquered lands and felled opponents using only his resources. They are insurmountable. He doesn't just control the water and power in this land; he's also eliminated the daimyo as a threat to his operation here."

"What?"

"The country's leader has been all but dethroned. The money the lord once owned all went to Gato to pay for power and for water, and even that wasn't enough. Gato taxes everyone in the country to the point that he basically owns everything and everyone," Hanare said, gesturing to her farm. "Those who can't make a living or pay him are either kicked out, flee, or put to work under the boss, whether by their consent or not. Gato also wants my land to set up a factory because there are precious resources stored underground and is constantly sending envoys to my front door to negotiate. It's only a matter of time till he starts sending his other lackeys to… 'persuade' me."

"Persuade… you mean… intimidate you?" Naruto asked with wide eyes.

"Intimidate, torture, kill, beat, drug, break every bone in my body, whatever," Hanare listed with a careless shrug, as if none of that bothered her. "I'm just one person up against an entire army. Gato's not only a powerhouse in the industrial and economical world; he also has thousands of workmen under his wing. On top of that, he doesn't just have people who run his branches. That's just a front. Mercenaries, pirates, drug lords, criminal organizations and shinobi… he's got a whole underworld dancing to his fiddle."

Oh great, so this Gato man wasn't just a billionaire and magnate, he was also a criminal. The fact that apparently he was also such a big face in the world of business meant that nobody, not even the shinobi villages, could do anything about him. He was too big a symbol, too high up in the world, too much of a commodity. That was quite an intimidating thought.

Not only that, but the fact that Naruto was told that the guy hired shinobi to do some of his dirty work also put a bit of knot in his throat.

Just what the hell has been going on over here this entire time? How did the people of this region let things get this far?

"It was all quick, just so you know," Hanare said, stepping out of the doorframe and taking the binoculars from the boy as he gazed attentively out at the desert that was once a river. "Before anyone could do or say anything Gato had already bought out half of the country's industry. This place has now become one of the many assets under his control."

"So there are more countries out there under his boot?" Naruto asked, feeling his anger rise and his fist start to shake. "There are more people out there being controlled by him? Being bullied by him?"

It was an old story. Naruto had been on the receiving end of a lot of grief, displeasure and hostility his entire life. He knew exactly what that was like.

"Yes. And we're not the first either," Hanare replied with a firm gaze. "I'm sorry to have to tell you all of this, since you're new here. This place is dying. There's not much left. The people who stay in this country are either hanging on by a thread or have nowhere else to go." She then nodded down the road towards the dried up river. "You can go to the main village and see for yourself if you like. But I recommend that you get out of this country as soon as you can, unless you want to get spotted and taxed by Gato's 'collectors' for entering their territory. We're actually quite fortunate that he hasn't hired any shinobi to watch this place, since it's so far out of the way of any hidden villages."

She was about to step back inside, but noticed that Naruto was still glaring angrily out at the river. Hanare held onto the door handle and looked back at him, a little surprised to see him shaking so much. After a while of intense silence she breathed out and turned to face him.

"You may as well let it go. There's nothing you can do here. You're just one person, kid…"

"The hell I'm not going to do something about this bullshit," Naruto snapped, glancing over his shoulder at the stunned farmer. "And I'm not just some random kid either."

Hanare blinked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Then what are you, squirt?"

The jinchuriki smirked and raised his thumb up to poke at the goggles on his forehead. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be Hokage some day!" He then stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled. The woman jumped a little when the swallow that had previously been inside suddenly flew right by her head and landed on the blonde boy's shoulder.

Hanare looked to see her guest was still looking back at her with a wide grin.

"A future Hokage can't just stand back and watch a whole country die right in front of him. He's got to take action, dattebayo, no matter how stacked the odds are against him," Naruto exclaimed before taking off at full sprint for the river. "It's time for me to raise hell!"

Startled, Hanare jumped forward and called out for him. "Hey! Wait! Stop, Naruto! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"The hell I am!" the blonde called back with a wave. "I'm the hero of this story! There's no way I'm going to get killed! Believe it!"

After seeing the youngster disappear and the trail of dust he left behind settle, the terrified looking farmer leaned back with a worried gaze slapped across her face. She furrowed her brow and bit her lip anxiously.

"Please… don't do anything stupid, squirt."

If he somehow lived through to tomorrow… somehow, she would eat her own boots…

OOO

Riverside village…

It was a quick run especially for the bundle of energy that was Naruto, who came into the village hoping to see a lot of people walking around. Indeed there were a few, a lot more than what he was expecting to see after hearing the whole story of this place from Hanare, but after taking some second glances and looks there were only two sorts he was able to make out.

First there were the villagers themselves, all looking ragged, worn out and broken. Everyone he saw from this group looked awful, something that had the jinchuriki stop in his tracks and drink in for a solid minute.

He could pretty much guess that their current states of appearance were all thanks to this Gato bastard.

The second lot of people that he could see walking in amongst the civilians, judging from their crude uniforms, menacing appearances, weapons, and the fact that a lot of them were walking around in packs, Naruto identified them as the boss's cronies. This pretty much made up the black and white population that was once a thriving riverside village. The whole thing was built on a wharf meant to stand above the flowing river, but was now a dry puddle in the middle of a dying land.

Even the vegetation that once surrounded the village had grown thin from lack of hydration. It was horrible.

"How can this place not get any rain?" Naruto wondered, looking up towards the dam he could see over the rooftops and the rainclouds caught behind it. "Is it really because of that thing? Is it some kind of curse that's keeping the skies empty?"

If it was then the blonde was definitely going to have to find a way to break it. He'd made this vow while he had been running down the hillside to get to this place, and he intended to follow-through with his goal no matter what.

Looking around him at the dilapidated buildings and spirit worn people a second time, Naruto could see that he had his work cut out for him.

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