"Let me show you how powerful I am."
"Haah!!!"
Every swing of Zabuza's Executioner's Blade easily claimed a life.
Although Gatō's men were numerous, none of them could even touch Zabuza.
Meanwhile, the massive blade effortlessly split their bodies in two.
As time passed, the stench of blood in the air grew heavier and heavier. At last, Gatō's subordinates completely broke down.
"This guy isn't human—he's a demon, a devil!"
"Run! If we keep fighting, we'll all be killed!"
"The ones in front, get the hell out of the way! Don't block my path!"
Watching Gatō's men lose all will to fight, Zabuza sneered.
This was far too easy—much easier than when he slaughtered all his classmates back then.
Thinking of that, his hands rapidly formed seals.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A towering wave over ten meters high surged up from the ground before crashing down violently onto Gatō's men.
With just one strike, the remaining thugs were smashed to pieces, their bones shattered. The blood that had pooled into streams on the ground was washed away completely.
"Hmph."
Zabuza slung the Executioner's Blade over his back and slowly walked toward Gatō.
At this moment, Gatō no longer had any of his previous arrogance. He dropped to his knees and began kowtowing desperately.
"Lord Zabuza, don't kill me, don't kill me!"
"As long as you spare me, I'll pay you however much you want!"
"N-No, I'll give you everything I earn from now on! Just please don't kill me!"
Seeing Gatō beg like a dog, disgust flashed in Zabuza's eyes.
He said coldly, "Whether you live or die isn't up to me. It depends on Lord Yuzuru."
Hearing this, Gatō froze.
"Lord… Yuzuru?!"
He suddenly looked toward the quietly seated Uchiha Yuzuru, his heart erupting into turmoil.
The person he had thought looked somewhat familiar… was actually Uchiha Yuzuru!
Even though he controlled the entire Land of Waves, he was nothing compared to someone like Yuzuru.
This was a man who had the potential to unify the entire world.
He had tried many times to establish contact before, but never found a way. So why was Yuzuru here now?
And why was he together with Zabuza?
Countless questions flooded Gatō's mind, but he knew this wasn't the time to think about them.
Like a dog, he crawled on all fours toward Yuzuru, his face plastered with a fawning smile.
But before he could speak, a pair of crimson Sharingan made him lose consciousness.
After a while, Yuzuru used the secret technique he had obtained from Hanare to read Gatō's memories.
If he hadn't seen it himself, he wouldn't have believed it.
Gatō's wealth could rival that of a nation.
As expected of one of the richest merchants in the shinobi world—his methods of amassing wealth were downright horrifying.
At the very least, Yuzuru had never seen someone as utterly insane as Gatō.
With a thought, sand surged forward and engulfed Gatō's body.
"Sand Binding Funeral!"
Under immense pressure, Gatō was crushed into a bloody paste.
After finishing everything, Yuzuru stood up.
"The matters in the Land of Waves are basically settled. With Gatō's memories, taking over should be simple."
"Zabuza, go to Kirigakure and join Mei Terumi. I'll have someone inform her in advance."
Hearing the order, Zabuza didn't hesitate at all and immediately nodded.
Just as he was about to leave, Yuzuru spoke again.
"Wait a moment."
He took out a scroll from the Kamui space and tossed it to Zabuza.
"This contains some Water Release techniques. I've simplified the hand seals—take some time to study them."
Zabuza immediately dropped to one knee, his face filled with joy.
These improved techniques were priceless, each worth a fortune. Receiving so many at once, he could barely contain his excitement.
After all, ninjas were known for high attack and low defense. In battle, whoever launched their attack first had the advantage.
Like when he fought Naruto and Sasuke earlier—a single Water Dragon Bullet Technique required him to form over forty hand seals, while Naruto and Sasuke only needed four.
A tenfold difference—something no amount of speed could make up for!
The more Zabuza thought about it, the more excited he became. He directly kowtowed.
"Lord Yuzuru, my life is yours from now on!"
Yuzuru waved his hand dismissively.
"That's enough. I still have things to do—I'll be going."
With that, he activated Kamui and disappeared on the spot.
Zabuza carefully opened the scroll in his hands. After just one glance, he couldn't look away.
Now more than ever, he felt how lucky he was to have latched onto Yuzuru.
Even the smallest thing Yuzuru casually gave was enough to benefit him for a lifetime.
He had definitely picked the right side!
————
————
In a seaside village, Tazuna led Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara back to his home.
"Tsunami! Tsunami!"
After calling out twice, a black-haired woman hurried out.
Seeing Tazuna, joy flashed across her face.
"Father, you're back! Gatō didn't give you trouble, did he?"
Tazuna snorted.
"Gatō hired ninjas to assassinate me, but they all failed."
"I've made it this far thanks to these three."
He then introduced Naruto, Gaara, and Sasuke to Tsunami.
Tsunami bowed deeply, her expression full of gratitude.
"Thank you, honored ninjas. Without you, my father might not have survived."
Naruto waved his hand casually.
"Uncle Tazuna is our client. Protecting him is our job."
After a brief exchange, Tsunami led everyone into the main hall.
"You must all be exhausted from the journey. I'll go prepare some food right away."
With that, she headed to the kitchen.
Not long after, a small boy wearing a hat pushed the door open and walked in.
When he saw Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara, he paused for a moment before speaking with hostility.
"Who are you people?"
Tazuna quickly explained, "Inari, these three are ninjas from Konoha. They're here to protect me while I build the bridge."
Inari snorted.
"Grandpa, why do you insist on building that bridge? Can't we survive just fine as we are?"
"And besides, can these three brats really protect you?"