Chapter 178: Zabuza is Shocked, Who On Earth Are You?!
Gatō stared in shock at Haku's reaction, never having expected this girl-like man to be so powerful. In comparison, the ninja he had spent a fortune to hire were like three-year-old children.
Then what level of strength does this guy lying on the ground have? What kind of enemy did they encounter?
Gatō couldn't imagine it. He had no real understanding of a ninja's strength.
Akiyama Makoto, who was sensing all this from a distance, shook his head. And Gatō is supposed to be a wealthy tycoon? He doesn't even have this little bit of insight. What's the difference between him and a child carrying a pile of cash down the street?
But this also gave him his chance.
He put on his mask, used the Body Flicker Technique, and the next second, he appeared in front of Gatō.
Gatō was so frightened that he shrieked and scrambled backward, falling unsteadily onto his butt.
Haku, who had just brought the situation under control, immediately swung his blade at him. But he just lightly blocked it with a kunai, and the sword was sent flying out of Haku's hand.
Although his 'Strength' attribute was his biggest weakness right now, after using the Chakra Enhanced Strength technique, the sudden burst of power was not something Haku could withstand.
Startled, Haku immediately leaped back, shielding Zabuza.
Zabuza also struggled to sit up. He looked at the figure with alarm, worried that he was an Anbu from the Hidden Mist. But when he saw that he wasn't wearing a Mist uniform or forehead protector, he relaxed and asked in a low voice, "Who are you?"
He ignored him and instead looked at Gatō. "I hear you can make money here," he said in a frivolous tone.
Hearing that he wanted money, Gatō was immediately no longer afraid.
He stood up, his eyes shining as he looked at him. "How much do you want?"
"Whatever you're paying them, I want double."
Gatō froze, a pained look in his eyes. But in the end, he gritted his teeth. "I can give it to you, but you have to prove your strength."
"I just defeated him. Is that not enough?"
"Not enough!" Gatō pointed at Zabuza. "You have to defeat him!"
He turned to look at Zabuza with a half-smile. Haku had already raised his guard to the maximum, ready to unleash his specialty, Ice Style, at any moment.
He spread his hands. "He's already seriously injured. There's no value in killing him."
"Whether there's value or not is not for you to decide. It's for me to decide!"
Gatō took out a check on the spot, wrote out the enormous sum of one hundred million Ryō, and said, "Kill them, and then work for me for the next year. This money is yours!"
Makoto took the check. He couldn't help it; Gatō was offering too much. In the past, he had sold fake intel to several bounty stations, nearly starting a premature Great Ninja War, and had only earned twenty million in total. But Gatō's opening offer was one hundred million. This guy was really rich.
Of course, in theory, this was his salary for a year. But Gatō was about to die, so this one hundred million was naturally his.
"Alright then. I'll do it."
He accepted the check. The moment he turned, Haku was already forming hand seals, preparing to release his Ice Style.
But his body suddenly lost the ability to move. Before his eyes, he saw the tragic sight of Zabuza being dismembered. Although he realized it was a genjutsu, Makoto's powerful spiritual energy still exerted immense psychological pressure on him, making him unable to dispel it.
"Haku!"
"Move!"
Zabuza, who had quietly placed a hand on Haku's waist to try and help him break the genjutsu, was also hit by the Formless Wave the next second and lost his ability to move.
The baby-faced Yagura appeared before his eyes, a Sharingan spinning within them. The Kage of his village was being controlled, and at the same time, was crushing him with overwhelming strength. This all made his idea of assassinating the Mizukage seem like a joke. He could only flee like a beaten dog, dreaming of a day when he could return to the Hidden Mist and right the village's wrongs. But with his strength, how could he possibly do that?
This immense self-doubt made Zabuza slowly lie back down, as if he had lost the will to fight. But just as his hand was about to touch his chest, Zabuza let out a roar, bared his fangs, and bit at him. This guy had actually managed to bite off the tip of his own tongue to break through the genjutsu's control.
Unfortunately, this desperate struggle was nothing but a joke in his eyes.
He lightly tapped him. Using the Hyūga's tenketsu-striking method, he was completely immobilized.
Then, the light of the Mystical Palm Technique glowed in his hand. Seeing this, Zabuza was stunned.
He's... healing me?
And that was exactly what he was doing. Under his treatment, in just a few breaths, Zabuza's most severe injuries were healed, and he already had enough strength to fight. But this time, he didn't move rashly, because he knew he was no match for him. He looked at him calmly, as if waiting for him to pronounce his fate.
But he just turned to Gatō. "See? I've healed him. This way, you don't have to lose a capable subordinate. He and I can protect you together."
"Isn't that a great deal?"
Gatō stared at him, dumbfounded. He had given him a hundred million to kill them, and this was the result?
He was instantly furious. "I told you to kill them, not save them!"
"Give me back my check, or else—"
"Or else?"
He tilted his head slightly, then stepped aside.
Zabuza understood, sitting up and gripping the hilt of his Executioner's Blade, looking at Gatō as if he were a dead man.
Gatō's hair stood on end. He finally understood the situation. "Hahaha! Good, good! You're so thoughtful!" he said quickly.
"Since you're so strong and can even heal people, then you can just continue to work for me! Zabuza, your and your subordinate's employment fee will be increased by another ten million! We'll just pretend today never happened, how about it?"
Zabuza didn't answer, but looked at him.
He shrugged. "What are you looking at me for? Are you an idiot for not taking money?"
Only then did Zabuza nod, and then lay back down on the bed, indicating that this conflict was over.
Gatō and his men fled in disarray. Makoto didn't even spare them a second glance. This guy would definitely try to get revenge, but right now, apart from being a little wary of Obito, he was no longer afraid of anyone's sneak attacks or revenge.
After Gatō's group had run far away, he finally released his control over Haku.
Haku let out a soft groan and fell over the side of the bed. This weak appearance... no wonder people always mistook his gender.
"Haku, are you alright?" Zabuza's words were muffled.
Hearing him, Haku immediately replied, "I'm fine, Lord Zabuza. Is this... an acquaintance of yours?"
Zabuza also looked at him, needing an explanation.
He didn't beat around the bush. "You're after Gatō's fortune, aren't you?"
Zabuza and Haku didn't speak. Their strength was inferior, and their plot had been seen through. What else could they say?
"If you don't answer, I'll take that as a yes. As it happens, I'm also after his fortune. But don't worry, I'm not here to steal your money."
"You two are ninja. Rashly killing your employer will attract the wrath of the entire ninja world. But I'm different. I'm not a ninja. I can take over everything of Gatō's."
Zabuza couldn't help but say, "With your strength, you're not a ninja?"
"That's right. I have strength, but I'm not a ninja, and I'm certainly not a rogue ninja. I don't serve any hidden village."
"I think I've made myself clear, haven't I?"
Zabuza suppressed the doubt in his heart. For now, he could only believe what he said.
"You mean, you want to cooperate with us?"
"You could say that. After I take over everything of Gatō's, I will continue to employ you."
Zabuza's brow furrowed. "Just that? Then what's the difference between that and us continuing to work for Gatō?"
"The difference is, with me, you won't die at Kakashi's hands. And in the future, I plan to do business with the Land of Water and the Hidden Mist, to open up the trade routes between the Land of Water and the continent."
"At that time, no matter what you want to do, it will be much more convenient. How about that condition?"
Zabuza shot up from the bed, looking at him warily. Even Haku was once again ready to fight to the death.
"You know our identities?" Zabuza said, his voice grim.
"The Executioner's Blade is the best name card. And it's not like you're trying to hide your identity, are you?"
"And I don't just know your identities. I also know what you want to do. As it happens, that's my goal too. An isolationist Hidden Mist Village is not good for business."
His calm and composed demeanor made Zabuza give up any thoughts of resisting. He couldn't win. He simply couldn't win. He didn't even know how he had put him and Haku under a genjutsu. Even if the illusion wasn't strong, that momentary control was enough for them to have been killed.
Zabuza took a deep breath. "I have one last question. Who are you?"
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 200 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you