Chapter 48: Journey to the Land of Waves
Thunder roared and crackled like a chorus of a thousand birds, electric sparks bursting fiercely from the hands of the black-haired boy!
"Chidori!"
Sasuke's speed, enhanced to the extreme by the invigorating power of lightning nature chakra stimulating his body cells, pushed him to his absolute limit. His eyes, sharp and intense, gleamed with a sudden flash of crimson — the unmistakable glow of the Sharingan awakening.
"What?!"
The tall man with his face wrapped in bandages was taken aback. Seeing the boy charge toward him wielding a nearly hair-raising jutsu, he didn't hesitate. He ignored Kakashi, who was still trapped by the Water Prison technique, and hastily retreated!
But then...
"Sasuke!"
A clear, pure voice rang out behind him. Zainichi, the towering figure, twisted slightly and glanced backward with his peripheral vision.
The blonde-haired boy he had previously looked down on was now charging at him, clutching a brilliant blue sphere of chakra!
That swirling orb of chakra, spinning rapidly like a miniature typhoon compressed tightly in his palm, was another advanced jutsu!
"Are these two really just Genin from Konoha?!"
At this critical moment, Zainichi couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"Naruto!"
The black-haired boy roared fiercely, sending a massive surge of lightning hurtling toward Zainichi!
Suddenly, an almost imperceptible ringing sound echoed faintly.
From the shadows, several thin, barely visible senbon needles zipped toward both Naruto and Sasuke!
Beside the old man Danaaz, Sakura's sharp eyes immediately caught the incoming needles. Without hesitation, she pulled out four shuriken from her ninja pouch.
Indeed, under such a crisis, even Zainichi's servant couldn't resist striking back at Naruto and Sasuke.
With the help of extraordinary strength, the shuriken's speed skyrocketed, cutting down the senbon mid-air like a scythe through dry grass!
"Master Zainichi!"
At that moment, a figure dressed in deep blue dashed rapidly toward Naruto and Sasuke. But Kakashi, who had just escaped from his chakra-depleting imprisonment, was ready and blocked his path.
"Get out of my way!"
Ignoring Kakashi's attacks, the boy pressed forward. A kunai grazed his side, drawing blood, but still, he pushed on relentlessly toward Zainichi.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment as hot blood splattered onto Sasuke's face.
This sudden, unexpected youth had intercepted Zainichi's deadly Chidori!
Sasuke's hand plunged deep into the boy's chest. He could feel the scorching warmth of blood and a fearless determination — a will to protect Zainichi at any cost.
"Shiro... good job."
Zainichi glanced at the boy in front of him, said no more, and quickly turned his attention to Naruto, who was charging with his Rasengan ready.
Raising his massive executioner's blade high, Zainichi prepared to strike.
His large stature and long limbs, combined with the sheer length of his blade, meant that he could easily cut Naruto down the moment the Rasengan came within two body lengths.
But suddenly, Zainichi staggered. His sword wavered violently, shaking his hands from the immense force.
A giant shuriken slammed into the ground just beside him, the impact sending a blast of white smoke into the air before shrinking back to a normal-sized throwing star.
Zainichi had no time to see who threw it.
Naruto had already reached him, Rasengan in hand!
"Rasengan!"
The technique created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, slammed heavily into Zainichi's chest.
The rapidly spinning chakra tore through his skin, muscle, and bone like a whirling tornado.
Even a high-level ninja like Zainichi could not withstand such a blow.
Whipped around by the force of the Rasengan, Zainichi flew backward, crashing into the ground some meters away.
Sakura watched the entire scene with calm detachment.
The deaths of Zainichi and Shiro didn't ruffle her much.
She had spent four years in the ANBU under Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders and had risen to ANBU squad leader — a position she didn't achieve by luck or connections.
What she'd faced was far worse than this.
Now, Zainichi's defeat before he could even retreat meant the "boss" of the Land of Waves mission was already taken care of.
All that remained was to wait for Danaaz to finish building the bridge.
As for Kado, the man behind Zainichi — Sakura knew him well…
---
Several Days Later
Late at Night
Sakura stepped into a lavishly lit, secluded villa.
Two rows of men dressed sharply in black suits greeted her with crisp salutes.
Behind her, Kakashi's face was clouded with mixed emotions.
"Hehe, Lady Haruno..."
The leader was a short man clad in an immaculate white suit, holding a jeweled scepter.
This was Kado.
A wealthy and influential businessman.
Although his methods were somewhat underhanded, his business acumen was undeniable.
At least during Sakura's previous resource battle, he had a keen sense of danger and had wisely avoided a seemingly tempting but actually deadly trap.
And now, the Land of Fire was indeed partially under his influence.
"I won't say much," Kado said smoothly, "Once the bridge is finished in the Land of Waves, you'll quietly collect your toll fees. But you're squeezing too hard."
"You understand what I mean, don't you?"
Sakura's eyes remained calm and unyielding.
This man thought only of money, but his business smarts had saved him once.
Still, a black-hearted merchant like him — obsessed with cash but lacking strength — was merely a fat sheep raised by the Land of Fire.
He could be slaughtered when needed to solve urgent problems.
"Yes, yes, I understand, Lady Haruno. Anything else you need?"
Kado's face was full of ingratiating smiles, nodding obediently before the twelve-year-old girl.
"Nothing else. I just came to remind you."
Sakura waved her hand to leave but then paused.
Her emerald eyes, as clear and cold as a precious gem, fixed coldly on Kado.
"One more thing: after I leave, find a chance to kill that old man Danaaz."
"As for his family and the others... leave them alone."
Leaving those chilling words behind, Sakura and Kakashi vanished into the night.
---
Danaaz had falsified the mission's rank, disguising an A-rank operation as a C-rank one.
No matter the excuse, this was something no ninja village could tolerate.
Such precedents could never be allowed to stand.
Especially since he squandered the mission reward — which had been pooled by everyone — on drinking and carousing.
This old fool was simply courting death.
If it were the other four villages — Wind, Thunder, Water, and Earth — Danaaz's entire family wouldn't have survived.
All would have been executed without mercy.
Danaaz had only survived because Sakura had shown mercy.
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(End of chapter)
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