In a forest in the Land of Waves, Sasuke Uchiha kept glancing at the delicate-looking youth. "No matter how I look at it," he finally said, "I can't imagine you're a companion of that Zabuza guy..."
Zabuza Momochi had a ferocious face, wore strange clothes, and carried a weapon that looked incredibly fierce. Haku, on the other hand, was dressed in neat, well-fitting clothes, had a delicate and beautiful appearance, and carried himself with a gentleness like flowing water, purer than most women.
The two of them were truly worlds apart.
"I am not Lord Zabuza's companion." A faint blush appeared on Haku's face as he lowered his eyes. "I am just a tool for Lord Zabuza to use for trivial matters."
Naruto Uzumaki nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that heartless guy really does seem like the type to treat his companions as tools..."
"I'm very satisfied with that." The youth bit his lip and offered a small smile. "I am a monster. I only survived because Lord Zabuza took me in."
"It seems there are quite a few monsters in this world," Naruto said, stunned by the comment. A wry smile crossed his face as he tried to comfort Haku. "But, I bet that guy probably treats his 'tools' as real companions, right?"
"Eh?"
"Alright, let's talk about Gato first," Kakashi Hatake interrupted, cutting their exchange short. He asked for intelligence on Gato, and the delicate-looking youth told them everything he knew in great detail.
Compared to Zabuza, Haku seemed to have no concern for his own dignity. Everything he did was to ensure the safety of the Demon of the Mist.
After listening, the jonin leader turned his head, looking somewhat surprised. "I get the feeling you're different from Zabuza. You really hate that Gato guy, don't you?"
"Because Gato was too disrespectful to Lord Zabuza," Haku explained, spreading his hands. "Actually, Lord Zabuza hates people like him too, but if we anger or kill Gato, it's very likely to attract the official Hunter-nin force from the Mist Village."
He continued, "Gato's relationship with the Mist Village is strange. On the surface, he's a major merchant supported by the village and gets a lot of resources from the Land of Water. But privately, he also harbors rogue ninjas from the Mist. We don't dare risk startling the snake in the grass."
Haku's intelligence was indeed more detailed than they could have hoped for.
"Even if you don't make a move against Gato, the Mist's Hunter-nin will catch up with you sooner or later," Kakashi noted, thinking of the Executioner's Blade in Zabuza's hand. He sighed. "And you're being targeted by the Hunter-nin force because that Zabuza fellow was once one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, right?"
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" Naruto asked.
"They're a Jonin squad formed by ninjas who can use the seven unique chakra blades forged by the Mist Village..." Kakashi explained, then rolled his visible eye. "It sounds very powerful, but the first generation of the Mist's Seven Swordsmen was defeated by a friend's father right after they were formed, during an invasion of Konoha."
Haku praised, "That ninja must have been very strong..."
Kakashi pulled down his headband, covering his eye. "Well, something like that. He was probably a very strange genin, but he also paid with his life..."
It wasn't easy to think back on it. It was precisely because of that man's sacrifice that his own son was saved, and the dignity of taijutsu specialists was redeemed. After that, no one in Konoha dared to look down on them again. Most importantly, the sacrificed ninja used his life to awaken his son, causing him to transform completely into a man who dared to act and take responsibility.
Haku was at a loss for words. "..."
It was one thing for an elderly genin to appear and defeat Lord Zabuza, but there was an even more outrageous genin who could fight one-on-seven against jonin of the Seven Swordsmen's level?
Is there something wrong with Konoha's system?
-----
The sky gradually darkened.
This peculiar team arrived near Gato's mansion. They stopped and hid themselves, looking at the two large men standing guard outside the door.
Haku held two senbon tightly in his hand and said in a low voice, "You're investigating Gato because you want to eliminate him and change the situation in the Land of Waves?"
"That's part of the reason," Kakashi admitted, scratching his head. "We also need to find out other information, like his shipping company and sea routes."
The first reason was just a bonus. Of the entire Team 7, only Kakashi truly understood the broader situation. Konoha was bound to clean up Gato's operation in this country eventually, and they might as well complete the task while they were here.
The second requirement was the most important. They had to find a ship and a safe sea route to evade potential pursuit from their enemies.
"Is that so? Then let's sneak in first." Haku turned, and the senbon in his hand shot out, striking the necks of the two guards.
Just as the men fell, Kakashi and Haku flickered forward, appearing beside them to carefully support their bodies before they hit the ground.
Kakashi touched one of the men's necks and confirmed he was still alive. "What a soft-hearted little guy..." he said in a low voice.
"..."
The delicate youth lowered his head in embarrassment. Although he followed a ruthless ninja like Zabuza, he rarely killed.
After they slipped into Gato's courtyard, the guards patrolling the corridors were silently taken down by Haku one by one. It seemed that since Haku and Zabuza were ninjas, Gato didn't bother arranging such miscellaneous tasks for them.
"Shh..."
Haku pointed a finger at a lit window, signaling that it was Gato's bedroom, and landed lightly by the window sill.
The members of Team 7 followed his steps, eavesdropping on the conversation inside. That Gato guy was clearly more ambitious than they had imagined.
"President Gato, the next shipment from the Land of Water will have to wait a few more days. The Mist Village has been conducting stricter inspections recently..."
"I've already found a merchant guild in the Land of Fire to take the goods, and now you're telling me I have to wait? Are you waiting for the Land of Fire merchants to give up on us?"
"No one would be that stupid, right? We're the only guild that can transport the Land of Water's specialties past the Mist Village's blockade..."
"Hmph, what about Zabuza Momochi? Didn't he say he would assassinate that old bridge builder? Why is there still no news?"
"He should have already set out with his attendant. Zabuza is one of the second-generation Seven Swordsmen! How could he possibly fail?"
"Still, don't be careless. I heard Konoha ninjas have appeared in the Land of Waves. This isn't good news. We must find a way to control a new country..."
"We've already gathered many thugs and ronin, just as you instructed. We were planning to send them to the Land of Hot Water to lay an ambush for the Hot Water Village, but there's been a small accident recently..."
"No accident can change the plan! The Land of Hot Water is in a perfect location. If we can control it, we'll reap dozens of times the wealth we have now! At that time, I'll be the richest man in the entire ninja world!"
"But, according to our insider, the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, has been staying in the Hot Water Village recently. We don't know if he has sensed our plan..."
Crack!
Naruto heard that name again. His heart trembled, and his foot crushed a roof tile, instantly alerting the people in the room.
Before anyone inside could even make a sound, Kakashi knew they had been discovered. He simply kicked open the window and flipped into the room.
In any case, they had already obtained some very helpful intelligence.
-----
Bonus:
Zabuza Momochi: I heard your Konoha system is unreasonable!
Third Hokage: How so? Where did you hear that? Who told you? Don't believe rumors!
Zabuza Momochi: Why are you so nervous? I have evidence!
Third Hokage: Where's the evidence from? Who gave it to you? Our system was all made by Danzo!
Zabuza Momochi: ???
Third Hokage: You tell me first, how is our system unreasonable?
Zabuza Momochi: You have a guy in Konoha who kicked our village's first generation of Seven Swordsmen so hard they became a running joke, and he's still a genin!
Third Hokage: For that problem... shouldn't you look for reasons within yourselves?
Zabuza Momochi: What do you mean? Are you looking down on our Mist Village?
Third Hokage: You should know... Konoha Genin Might Duy, Konoha Chunin Uchiha Obito, Konoha Jonin Uchiha Shisui... which one can you beat? Tell me, should I send a ninja academy student or the Hokage himself next time?
Zabuza Momochi: You just wait