Chapter 28: The New Owner of the Executioner's Blade
Land of Waves.
Uchiha Yi's knowledge of this place was limited to knowing that a wealthy man named Gato resided here.
Originally, he had planned to borrow some money from him. But as it turned out, Gato had not yet arrived in the Land of Waves at this time.
There was no way he'd waste time going out of his way to find him.
Oh well!
This discovery caused Yi to lose interest in this country; after all, it was just a small, impoverished land without much scenery or anything to enjoy.
As he walked toward the dock, he saw a row of fishing boats lined up.
He glanced around and spotted an older man with his pant legs rolled up, wearing a straw hat, and smoking a pipe while sitting on the bow of a fishing boat. The man looked about fifty or so. Walking over, Yi asked, "Hey, old man, how much would it cost to get to the Land of Water?"
"No boats here are going to the Land of Water!"
The old man shook his head and immediately refused.
"Why not?"
Yi had a guess but wanted to confirm.
"The Land of Water is closed off!" the old man sighed, a hint of helplessness in his tone. "The ninjas over there won't let us get close. It's not that I don't want to earn your money, young man, but I simply can't."
"Do you know of any way to get to the Land of Water?"
Yi wasn't surprised by this answer and continued his questioning.
"Nope! Try asking around with someone else," the old man replied with another shake of his head.
From the old man's response and his own knowledge of the story, Yi could be certain.
Obito had most likely already taken control of the Fourth Mizukage and initiated the Bloody Mist policy in the Hidden Mist Village.
Of course, Yi had no interest in getting involved.
His main reason for going to the Land of Water was to collect the soul points needed for his system!
With enough soul points, he could quickly grow stronger and establish himself in the shinobi world, preventing an unfortunate end like some unlucky member of the Nara clan, crushed by a barrage of large-scale ninjutsu.
Though he wouldn't go as far as to kill for the sake of gathering soul points, he had no issue collecting souls from others' victims.
With the chaos in the Mist Village, Yi naturally didn't want to miss this chance.
He had only asked around to confirm the situation in the Land of Water before deciding on his course of action.
Since he now had a good idea, there was no reason to hesitate.
Just as he was about to dispel his shadow clone to relay the message, he noticed a familiar figure walking straight toward him.
"Hey, kid! I heard you want to go to the Land of Water. If the price is right, I wouldn't mind giving you a ride!"
The man was wrapped in bandages, carrying a huge sword, and had a fierce expression. Yi immediately recognized him as Zabuza Momochi, the "Demon of the Hidden Mist," an early boss character known as a killer of rookies.
Seeing the Executioner's Blade in his hand, Yi was surprised it had reached him so quickly.
He'd heard that Juzo Biwa had recently died, and the Akatsuki's internal channels had confirmed that Itachi had taken his body and the Executioner's Blade.
No one knew where Itachi had buried it—Zetsu wasn't interested, and no one else knew.
Yet, by some twist of fate, the sword had found its way to its second owner, just as in the original storyline.
It was almost as if it was meant to be.
"You don't look like a good person."
"You wouldn't happen to be the bandit king who's known around here for looting, pillaging, and general lawlessness, would you?" Yi asked, feigning fear with a mischievous smile.
"Kid, I don't have time to explain myself!" Zabuza raised a brow—well, the space where his brow would be—and said impatiently. "Thirty thousand ryo, take it or leave it."
Yi's playful mood vanished when Zabuza refused to banter. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a bundle of bills and tossed it over.
Zabuza took the money, counted it, and confirmed the amount before nodding and gesturing for Yi to follow him.
Of course, Yi could have used Fire Style: Teleportation to reach his destination instantly.
But he wasn't in a rush—he wasn't a nine-to-five worker, after all.
"Hey, kid!"
"What's your purpose in going to the Land of Water?"
Anyone heading there in times like these couldn't be an ordinary person. Since Zabuza hadn't yet defected from the Hidden Mist, he didn't want a shady outsider coming to stir up trouble in his homeland.
"To watch the show."
Leaning casually against the ship's railing, Yi replied dismissively.
"As long as you're not causing trouble, I don't care about your reasons!"
Zabuza didn't press further, though it wasn't clear if he believed Yi. With only a brief reminder—or warning—he stopped paying attention to him.
"You're Zabuza Momochi, right?"
After taking in the seascape for a while and growing bored, Yi asked casually.
"You recognized me right away, didn't you?" Zabuza replied without surprise.
"I heard that the Mist Village has reinstituted the Bloody Mist policy. So, as a Hidden Mist ninja, what are you planning to do?"
Yi gave a slight smile.
"None of your business!" Zabuza snapped. "It'll be over soon, anyway."
After saying this, Zabuza's resolve seemed to solidify.
"I see!"
"Oh, and if you ever find yourself without a place to go…"
"You could consider joining the Akatsuki!"
Yi could guess Zabuza's intentions and had no plans or desire to stop him.
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