"Whether those people should live or not... you who've been undercover here for so long probably know better than I do."
That's what Hatake Satoru said to them not long after Haku woke up.
Even though the main goal was to kill Gato and move the money, leaving those thugs alive would just cause more trouble.
Senbon and the executioner's blade tore through the crowd, and the whole building was quickly soaked in blood.
"Ahh!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!"
"We were just doing what we were paid to do!"
Cries for mercy and screams echoed in the dark. The two of them cut down everyone like demons from the Hidden Mist.
Haku was usually soft-hearted and didn't like killing,
but after spending so long in this place, he clearly understood—none of these people deserved to live.
They begged for their lives in front of the strong but slaughtered the weak without a second thought.
Countless people had died at their hands.
Gato could only watch as the two of them cut through his men like it was nothing.
He tried to crawl onto a small boat to escape by sea, but Zabuza stomped it over with one foot.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Gato fell flat on the wooden boards, looking up at Zabuza in horror.
"You two—you two were supposed to be dead!"
"I'll give you money! As much as you want! Just don't kill me! Please!"
"Let me go! I've got money, women, power—anything you want! I'll give you all of it!"
Gato shakily pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and waved it in front of Zabuza and Haku.
"Pfft!"
Zabuza let out a mocking laugh.
He didn't know exactly what that Anbu had done, but after Haku recovered, they went back to the warehouse a few times.
Almost all of Gato's assets had already been cleaned out.
That Anbu was even more ruthless than them—faking documents, copying handwriting, stealing seals.
While Gato was busy hiring thugs, that person and Haku did everything they could in secret.
"Forget it. You don't have enough money to buy your life anymore."
Zabuza raised his blade and brought it down. Blood splashed all over the boat.
Some jumped into the sea, others were killed on the spot. All the armed forces that had been stirring up trouble in the Land of Waves—along with Gato, a world-class tycoon—were wiped out.
After Zabuza left, Hatake Satoru stopped by to take a look.
It looked less like an assassination and more like a massacre.
From the way it was done and how brutal it was, it felt like deep hatred had been held in for a long time.
Those two probably had a lot of pent-up anger toward those people.
Even after Zabuza left, the bloody mist around Gato's place lingered for a long time.
Once Gato and his armed group were gone, trade between the Land of Waves and the Land of Water returned to normal.
All of Gato's businesses and current deals were taken over by Kirigakure Village.
As for the smuggling and illegal trade, Hozuki Mangetsu had already sent people to break it up and clean it out.
Gato's crimes slowly became public, and most people came to hate him deeply.
Since the Land of Water had worked with him before, they sent a large team to help rebuild the bridge.
After all, the Land of Waves forming ties with the Land of Fire would also benefit them.
The Land of Water relies mostly on tourism, and if it becomes easier for people from the Land of Fire to visit the Land of Waves, they'll be able to get more visitors too.
No matter how you look at it, this was a deal with no risk and all profit.
After the bridge was finished, Team 7's mission was also a success.
"Thanks to you all, the bridge was completed so quickly."
"I'm really going to miss you after you leave. Take care of yourselves."
The time spent building the bridge created a strong bond between the people of the Land of Waves and Team 7.
"Thanks for everything."
Kakashi had one hand in his pocket, eyes curved like a crescent moon as he smiled.
To be honest, they didn't do that much. It was mostly Naruto's shadow clones that helped a lot during construction.
Zabuza had been taken away by the hunter-nin, and as for Gato's men—no one knows who they messed with, but they were all wiped out.
Actually, once Gato's people were gone, they could have left right away.
But since the kids seemed to be having fun, Kakashi decided to stay a few more days.
"Alright, Uncle Tazuna. Now that there's just a bridge between us, I'll come visit often!"
Naruto squinted and smiled cheerfully as he spoke.
After saying goodbye to Inari, the four of them headed back toward the Land of Fire, watched by the townspeople standing on the bridge.
The Naruto Bridge was officially completed.
Hatake Satoru sat on top of a building near the entrance of the Land of Waves' side of the bridge, looking down at Team 7 walking away with their backs to him.
The three kids were noisily crowding around Kakashi.
Hatake Satoru untied the thin strap behind his head and took off the Kirigakure mask he had been wearing.
To avoid being recognized, he had let his hair down and even removed his eye-cover while wearing the mask.
His short silver hair brushed lightly against his lashes in the breeze. Gone was the playful look—he now looked like a young man with a slightly dangerous charm.
His long, pale eyelashes twitched a little, and then his ice-blue eyes sparkled under the clear sky like crystal.
Hatake Satoru curled his thin lips slightly, showing a hint of a satisfied smile.
"...The results of this test weren't bad. But at this point, they're just barely good enough to take the Chunin Exams."
"I wonder... what kind of future will you all show me?"
...
Land of Fire, Konohagakure.
Inside the Hokage's office.
There were two letters on Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk. The time for the biannual Chunin Exams was almost here.
The major nations were starting to stir—it was a rare chance to quietly assess each other's power.
As expected, Sunagakure, a fellow allied village, had sent a letter, and Hiruzen wasn't surprised by that.
But there was another letter from a different village.
"Hmm..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a breath of smoke and picked up the other letter from the desk.
After the Third Great Ninja War, Kirigakure Village had kept to itself and avoided conflict.
That village had always been distant and rarely got involved with others.
Tourism was allowed, but if you tried to ask about their internal affairs, forget it—their information security was tight.
They knew very little about Kirigakure, and that village was known for its secret techniques and Kekkei Genkai.
If they really took part in the joint Chunin Exams, it would be a great chance to learn more about them.
And their goal was clearly written in the letter.
"They want to use this chance to form diplomatic ties... That's not like them at all."
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