Ten days later...

Those days were grueling for Naruto as he had to suppress his fury to carry out his mission. He had to endure witnessing the hell these people were subjected to.

Each day, they were forced to rise before the sun graced the horizon. Some were roughly dragged out of the dungeons as they still struggled to adapt to the long hours of labor and minimal rest.

The tasks themselves could be labeled as torture for some. There were two options: toil in the coal mines, where they descended into underground tunnels for excavation. The temperature down there could soar to 45°C, and the dust that hung in the air made breathing painful and perilous. It wasn't surprising if some never emerged from those mines.

The second job was perhaps even more grueling. They had to work in the massive forges located in the industrial zone. Loading coal into the roaring furnaces to stoke the fires and keep them burning hot was the norm. The temperature often soared to 54°C. More than one prisoner would faint under these conditions, succumbing to dehydration and the relentless labor.

A brief respite came shortly after noon. Everyone gathered in the fortress's center on a concrete plain, a clear measure to prevent earthbenders from using their powers. During this break, a meager ration of food and water was distributed. It was no surprise to witness fights among the prisoners over these meager provisions. Naruto found some solace in seeing that the responsibility of distributing food and water was entrusted to the younger children. He couldn't bear to think about these youngsters working in the grueling environments of the coal mines or the fiery forges.

Yet, the children were still burdened with tasks like moving heavy equipment and attempting to aid exhausted prisoners. Seeing children as young as five struggling to drag carts filled with steel or rushing to provide water and assistance to their fellow captives was an image that would haunt Naruto forever.

Women faced even greater challenges. A few days prior, Naruto had worked alongside a 16-year-old girl as his assistant. She was slender with bright green eyes, struggling to lift the coal into the forges. Naruto had to lend a hand when she fainted from exhaustion.

He had to witness the guards take the girl away. They claimed to have a "better" purpose for such a "pretty" girl. That had been the last time Naruto saw her. He didn't even know her name, and the thought of her fate made him sick.

Naruto had contemplated abandoning this infiltration mission numerous times, considering creating an army of clones to eliminate every Fire Nation soldier. But...

"Why don't they resist?" Naruto posed this question to a group of earthbenders during their break. The Uzumaki needed answers.

"..." The eldest among them was a weathered, muscular old man with a long white beard, adorned with scars from past battles. His missing right eye served as evidence of his experiences. He responded with another question in a hollow, resigned tone, "Why fight a battle you know you can't win?"

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Naruto was incensed by this response. Clenching his fists, he surveyed the people around him, men and women who appeared weary and demoralized. Many had lost everything – friends, family, their homes. They had nothing left.

"Is that all?" Naruto asked, his voice strained.

"I lost my son in the last revolt we attempted a few years ago," the old man said calmly, his gaze shifting to a woman beside him cradling a small infant of just a few months old. "I can't ask anyone to risk what little we have left within these walls."

"Then you'll just sit around doing nothing? Allowing one by one to die here?"

The old man remained unfazed, sitting in silence, his gaze cast downwards.

Naruto walked away from them, leaving them to their desolation. Over the past ten days, he had interacted with many, and none of them seemed interested in fighting. Their sole desire was to survive and protect what little they had within these walls. This was evident in Miho, a boy Naruto had met, strong and determined, fitting qualities of an earthbender. However, Miho was solely focused on caring for his younger sister, a sweet girl who managed to smile occasionally despite the grim atmosphere.

Perhaps this was the reason they were all brought here. The lack of separation between children and adults, or family members, seemed like part of a sinister plan to keep control by holding loved ones hostage.

This place shattered all hope of escape.

*Bang*

Naruto let out a sigh as he gripped the shovel used to load coal into enormous metal furnaces. According to what some of the slaves had told him, these furnaces were used to produce metal, which would then be transported to the Fire Nation's capital to create advanced war machinery, giving them an advantage in the ongoing conflict.

The truth was, Naruto wasn't very interested.

"Mr. Naruto…" The blonde was jolted from his thoughts when someone tugged at his pants. Looking down, he saw a bucket of water held by small hands, belonging to Suni, the girl with the mark of seven on her cheek. "It's for you, sir." It was quite a feat for the little girl to smile and address him as "sir" in the midst of the infernal heat and their profuse sweating.

"Thank you." Although it felt strange for them to call him "sir," it seemed the girl had a lot of respect for him because of his assistance on their first day. Returning the smile, he sat down for a moment to drink water and rest briefly. Following his lead, the little girl settled beside him, gazing ahead. "Has anything new happened?" he asked, trying to break the tense silence.

"Well... I made some friends." She smiled and began to recount how she had met other children her age who did similar tasks, bringing water and assistance to the other prisoners. The fact that she smiled as she shared this brought a faint smile to Naruto's face.

"That's good." He gently ruffled the girl's hair.

"Mr. Naruto..." Looking down, the Shinobi saw the little girl wearing a somber expression. "Will we never get out of here?" Her question caught in his throat. "Miho doesn't want to say it because he doesn't want to make me feel bad... but I know that no one leaves this place, and sooner or later, we'll all die here." Her voice grew more fragile and weaker with each word.

"..."

"I… I want to go home." With tears threatening to spill, the girl wiped her eyes and quickly picked up her bucket. She had to continue working to avoid punishment.

"Suni…" The girl with the mark on her cheek paused when a hand gently rested on her shoulder. Looking up, she met Naruto's bright blue eyes. "I promise you that you will return home… both you and your brother. You will return to your home, I promise." He swore with the best, most reassuring smile he could muster.

"…" Silently, Suni nodded and left in silence. Just in time, a guard approached and nearly knocked her over, causing Naruto's gaze to darken.

"Hey, you! Keep working, you damn bastard!" The firebender who pushed the girl pointed his spear menacingly at her, urging her to continue working.

"I'm done…" Naruto's response was dry as he dropped the shovel, meeting the soldier's disbelieving eyes as the empty coal container clanged to the ground.