In a dense forest somewhere, several bizarre company buildings stood.
"What the hell is going on? I spent a fortune hiring you, and you can't even handle a small team of people?"
In a dimly lit room that perfectly matched a villainous atmosphere, a short but imposing man paced back and forth with his arms crossed, looking clearly dissatisfied, "What's with the Demon Brothers and that so-called rising Jonin? They're all useless!"
In the shadows at the corners of the room, several cold and imposing figures stood or sat, listening quietly and facing the employer's outburst with calm indifference.
The short man, wearing sunglasses and exuding the demeanor of a mafia boss, was none other than Gato, the employer of these Ninjas tasked with killing Tazuna.
" By tomorrow, that bridge builder will be able to travel by water. In another day, he'll reach the Land of Waves! Do you know how much money I'll lose if that damn bridge gets built?" Gato continued his rant, then looked at the Ninjas in the shadows. The other party remained motionless, an oppressive killing intent seething in the darkness. Gato felt a slight chill, but immediately felt assured with the thought of the numerous bodyguards he had hired. After all, many of them were stronger than these Ninjas in terms of sheer size and muscle.
The two groups were distinctly divided in the dim room. Gato adjusted his sunglasses, feeling awkward as the other side remained unresponsive to his speech. After a moment, he coughed, prompting a thug to pour him some water. After gulping it down, someone finally spoke.
"Don't worry. We'll complete the mission. Just have the money ready." A deep, raspy voice sounded, exuding a faint but palpable malice.
Gato suppressed a shiver, imagining how terrifying it would be to hear that voice on a dark, stormy night, "It's normal for Demon Brothers and Kurohane to fail. After all, the Ninja Team hired by the other party has two people who are not easy to deal with."
"It's a pity about Kurohane. He'd been with us for a long time." Another unfamiliar male voice chimed in casually. The poor-quality light briefly flickered, revealing four distinct figures in the corner, three of whom held differently shaped swords.
"Yeah, but it's better for him to die, and as it means more shares for the rest of us... Zabuza, among those five Konoha's Ninjas, the leader is the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi, right? You also recognize the other one?" The voice said happily, and then sounded a little confused afterward.
Zabuza reclined on the sofa with his massive Kubikiribocho beside him, and said leisurely, "I had read this person's record when I was in Kirigakure's assassination force. He used to be the captain of Konoha's ANBU. "
"Oh, does he have a nickname?" A tall, slender man holding a long sword asked with interest.
"'Aurora', Raiden Hattori!"
If Logan were present to hear this nickname given by the Ninja World, he would definitely have a lot to say about it.
"Well, this is getting interesting." A burly man carrying a sword similar in size to the Kubikiribocho chuckled.
The final figure, a delicate-looking person wearing a mask, remained silent, standing behind Zabuza. His presence contrasted sharply with the surrounding environment.
Gato, standing at the front, felt his eyebrow twitch. Although his nominal subordinates had started talking, their conversation quickly veered off-topic, ignoring him entirely and engaging in their own discussion.
"Hey, are you even listening to me? Are you tired of living?" Gato roared, slapping his thigh in anger.
"Hmm?"
Four pairs of eyes, filled with immense pressure, turned coldly toward him, and Gato immediately swallowed the string of curses he had been about to unleash, " You... do you still want the payment for the job?"
"Haha, this time, we'll take action personally. They're as good as dead." Zabuza said confidently, waving his hand dismissively, "After all, we were once known as... the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!"
—
The Land of Waves is located in the waters east of the Land of Fire, connected to the vast mainland by various waterways and land routes, giving it a somewhat isolated feel.
It was originally a peaceful, self-sufficient place, far removed from conflict. However, a few years ago, the arrival of the evil and terrifying international businessman Gato turned this once tranquil nation into a desolate and dying land.
"Evil and terrifying, ruthless and merciless, richer than nations, and capable of controlling the rise and fall of organizations and governments..." Logan muttered indifferently as he followed the group on their escort mission. He recalled that this was how the original work described Gato, but based on the actual situation, such description was clearly nonsense.
After all, in the background story of this Land of Waves arc, Gato was the ultimate boss, but his appearance was pathetic. As a mere mortal, he was killed by a near-dead Zabuza, who bit down on a kunai, despite being heavily guarded by thugs. It was quite underwhelming.
"The fog is so thick." Sakura remarked as she walked in the middle of the group, looking around at the dense fog that had suddenly appeared.
After the Ninja attack, it was clear that this mission was no longer suitable for Genin to work on. However, Naruto's persuasive speech swayed Kakashi's decision. After some consideration, Kakashi signaled to the other Jonin in the team and signaled that if they really wanted to continue the mission, then the burden of ensuring their safety will fall on him and Logan.
Logan expressed his support, and Kakashi then looked at the other two students in the team. Sakura, who was hesitant at first, also voted in favor after seeing Sasuke agreed. Finally, Tazuna gave a tearful narration, sealing the deal. Thus, Team 7 proceeded to the Land of Waves.
Now they were nearing their destination, with the weather gradually becoming more coastal. The group boarded a boat that had come to meet them.
With nothing else to do, Tazuna shared some geographical trivia. Half an hour later, they successfully navigated a secret passage filled with aquatic plants and landed ashore.
This was technically within the Land of Waves. At their current pace, they would reach Tazuna's home by tomorrow. From there, their mission would be to protect him until the bridge was completed.
In theory, that was the plan, but Logan knew Zabuza would attack midway. The others remained vigilant as they walked, not letting their guard down.
Thanks to Kakashi's psychological preparation, the three students knew more Ninjas would appear, and this was just the calm before the storm.
In the forest, Naruto walked nervously at the front of the team, feeling suffocated in his heart. He was determined not to perform poorly again and was set on proving himself stronger than Sasuke.
"There!" Naruto suddenly shouted, hurling a shuriken as soon as he spoke.
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