"Fine, but add another thirty million per person." Not knowing what he was thinking, in any case, Kakuzu agreed to Gato's request.
"Good! But they must die miserably!" Gato said through gritted teeth. Stingy as he was about money, he actually forgot his fear of Kakuzu because of the expense.
"I'll take their heads to exchange for the bounty." After saying this coolly, Kakuzu left. However, although Kakuzu spoke so indifferently, he was actually blooming with joy inside.
Killing Zabuza would get him money, plus he could take his head to the underground black market to exchange for bounty. This deal wasn't a loss - guaranteed profit.
But thinking about it, how much was this ninja called Zabuza's bounty worth?
Zabuza, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, owner of the cleaver sword. Mm, if I remember correctly, this guy's head is only worth ten million ryo, right? Why so little? Oh, only Mist Village's bounty - so stingy.
Fortunately, there were two bounties to collect - still not bad.
"Damn Zabuza, it's all because you're useless that I lost ninety million! And that Tazuna who opposes me, that dead old man! It's all your fault! You all deserve to die! Best if you all fight to mutual destruction and all die, then I won't have to pay!" After Kakuzu left, Gato's mood became very bad.
No wonder - making a miser take out large amounts of money as bounty was no different from taking a knife to him.
But he didn't dare default on Kakuzu's payment - he just said it verbally. He deeply knew how terrifying Kakuzu, the most prominent man in the underground black market, was.
Once someone hired him to kill, then afterward wanted to default on payment. Then... that person's entire family, including the hired ninjas, were all killed.
With this precedent, even if Gato was unwilling, he had no choice.
"Excuse me, is that Mr. Gato ahead?" Just when Gato was displeased, several men in black clothes suddenly appeared in front.
"It's me, so what? Get lost, or I'll kill you - a bunch of poor bastards." After sizing up the three, Gato cursed angrily.
Reading people was a merchant's most basic ability. Because the Uchiha trio had no money, their clothes were already worn very old, so Gato saw through it at a glance.
But although he had the ability to observe a person's wealth, he didn't have the ability to observe a person's strength.
So if you don't seek death, you won't die - why don't you understand?
"As long as the person is alive." Musashi looked indifferently at Gato's arrogant appearance before him and said to Sou.
"Got it!" Uchiha Sou cracked his knuckles continuously with a "crack crack" sound, walking toward Gato with a rogue smile.
"Poof" - before Gato's two wandering swordsman bodyguards could react, their heads were severed.
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"If my estimation is correct, tomorrow is the day Zabuza attacks again. I estimate his injuries have healed pretty much by now." In the yard outside Tazuna's house, Kakashi explained to his three students.
"I'll handle Zabuza. You deal with that masked guy. Don't underestimate him - with that precise control of acupoints, that masked guy very likely has elite chunin strength, or even more likely special jonin."
"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. Just leave that guy to me." Naruto patted his chest guaranteeing. Even if the opponent was special jonin, Naruto was very confident he could handle it.
Moreover, even Sasuke, if going all out, had strength not inferior to ordinary elite chunin. So tomorrow facing Zabuza's two people would definitely be no problem.
What? You're asking about Sakura? Well, even though her mindset had changed, after only seven days of special training, she was still ordinary genin level.
Just stand outside without causing trouble and be a cheerleader.
"We have no problem, but what about you, Kakashi-sensei? Are you really okay facing Zabuza? You should know you two fought evenly before. If the opponent hadn't been caught off guard by the Sharingan, you two would at most end in mutual destruction." Naruto very directly stated the key point.
Sasuke and Sakura nodded in deep agreement.
"Cough cough..." Kakashi awkwardly scratched his face. It seemed his students all thought he was unreliable - he had to salvage some face.
"Don't worry, sensei still has a trump card technique not yet used."
"..." Feels unreliable somehow, the three thought simultaneously.
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Seaside mornings generally had heavy fog, but today's fog was even heavier than usual.
"They're here." Standing on the nearly finished bridge, Kakashi staring at one side of the dense fog slowly opened his eyes.
"Sakura, protect Tazuna. Leave the rest to us." Naruto said.
"Mm." I also want to fight alongside you, but I'm really too weak.
Unlike the original story, Naruto had no interest in Tazuna's family affairs, so Inari was still that cowardly guy who hadn't gained courage from Naruto.
Secondly, Naruto hadn't collapsed in the deep forest from training to be discovered by Haku, so there was no encounter - thus he currently didn't know Haku.
"Yo, Kakashi, today let's settle this." Zabuza, shouldering his cleaver sword, pointed at Kakashi.
"Haku, those two brats shouldn't be a problem for you, right? Be careful - those two guys are strong."
"Don't worry, Zabuza-san." Haku in the white mask said firmly.
"Zabuza, you really are alive. That youth really was a fake Mist Hunter-nin." Kakashi's dead-fish eyes looked at the two and said slowly.
"Less nonsense, come on!"
The pairs faced their respective opponents.
However, as a ninja, Zabuza so openly challenging Kakashi to a duel - was this really okay? Naruto world ninjas were truly different from ordinary ninjas - mm, ninjas who valued bushido.
"Naruto, let me handle this guy first." Interrupting the eager Naruto, Sasuke stared intently at Haku.
This opponent was currently most suitable for him - although stronger than himself, the strength gap was limited.
"Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors" - multiple ice mirrors condensed around Naruto and Sasuke, surrounding the two. The masked Haku's figure continuously appeared in those ice mirrors.
Having seen Zabuza and Naruto's previous battle, Haku deeply knew that without using full strength, he probably couldn't defeat the two.
Facing Naruto's massive shadow clone army, even Haku with his kekkei genkai felt very troubled.
Although he could manifest more ice senbon, he didn't think Naruto's shadow clones' skills would fail to dodge his casually thrown senbon unless going all out every time.
But his opponent didn't seem to be that boy in white divine robes, but rather this youth in dark blue short sleeves.
Out of caution, Haku still activated his kekkei genkai jutsu.
"Ice Release? This jutsu is... kekkei genkai? And this guy can actually make one-handed seals. Sasuke, be careful - his strength definitely isn't simple." After witnessing Haku's jutsu, Naruto's eyes narrowed.
The opponent was strong.
"That's right, this is my ability. So you have no chance of winning - surrender."
"Hahaha, Kakashi, Haku's strength definitely isn't as simple as you imagine. He's my most useful tool. His strength is very close to mine. Your subordinates will be killed by him very soon." Although Zabuza's mouth continuously attacked Kakashi with words, trying to disturb his mental state, actually Zabuza himself understood.
Haku was too kind - he fundamentally couldn't kill people.
However, Kakashi wasn't disturbed by Zabuza at all. He knew among his subordinates was an even more terrifying genius - or rather, a monster.
"Tch, surrender? Kekkei genkai? You think only you have this kind of thing?" A pair of crimson eyes emerged from Sasuke's pupils.
Sharingan. Looking at the surrounding ice mirrors, the tomoe in his eyes began spinning crazily.
"You can't see through my technique. I myself can move between several ice mirrors at light speed. Since you won't surrender, I can only kill you."
Haku's figure continuously changed in the ice mirrors. Even with Sasuke using Sharingan, he momentarily couldn't find Haku's true body. Then countless senbon continuously shot from the ice mirrors.
"Water Release Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death"
"Damn! So fast!" Sasuke somewhat awkwardly dodged large numbers of senbon, but some still successfully penetrated Sasuke's body.
However, whether intentionally or not, these senbon all avoided Sasuke's vital positions.
"Damn, Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" This was the C-rank Fire Release jutsu Sasuke used most and was best at.
Fire melts ice - Sasuke tried to use this technique to break Haku's Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors.
A huge fireball collided on ice mirrors. The effect was indeed good. Although somewhat forced, it still broke one mirror.
But unexpectedly, within several breaths, a new ice mirror condensed at that position again.
"It's useless. My Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors don't consume much chakra to condense. Moreover, the speed is very fast. But you probably can't use many more jutsu, right?" Haku's voice came from countless mirrors. Even by voice, one couldn't distinguish where the opponent actually was.
"Wrong, very strange. I actually don't sense any killing intent? Why don't I feel any malice at all? What does this guy mean?" Naruto, arms crossed, frowned looking at the surrounding ice mirrors. Too strange - from the beginning until now, Naruto couldn't sense any malice from the opponent.
You should know even when Kakashi attacked him, he could at least detect some.
Unless the opponent had no intention of harming them at all.
But the opponent was someone brought by Zabuza - how could this be?
(End of Chapter)
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