The night passed uneventfully, and by early morning, the group was back on the road. The team remained unchanged, with no additional members joining.
As for Nana, she seemed firmly attached to Kisame. No matter how hard Kisame tried to persuade her otherwise, she wouldn't budge.
In response to this, Naruto suggested that Nana go to work at Hana's Rose Tavern. This way, she and Hana would have each other for company.
Initially, Nana was unwilling, but Naruto convinced her with a single remark:
"A good wife should support the homefront when her husband is out working hard in the world, so that her husband has no worries."
Nana, not wanting to burden Kisame, reluctantly agreed to the.
The group set off southeast from the Land of Hot Water, heading toward their final destination… the Land of Waves.
As they traveled, Naruto floated in the air and asked curiously, "Kisame, do you really have no feelings for Nana?"
Naruto really couldn't understand it. Nana was clean in both background and character, beautiful, and independent. She was the kind of woman who would make any bachelor envious, a perfect match to bring home.
So he wondered why did Kisame seem so indifferent.
Kisame's response was straightforward, "She's a good girl."
"What kind of answer is that? I'm asking about your feelings for her, not her character!"
Naruto was somewhat speechless.
Kisame pondered briefly before replying, "I don't feel anything for her. We're from two different worlds. It's doomed from the start. I have no time or energy for romance. I'm a Shinobi, and that's all I need to remember!"
"Uh... okay..."
Naruto dropped the subject.
In hindsight, anyone familiar with the original work would know that while others abandoned their duties for personal matters, Kisame stayed true to his role as a Shinobi. He executed Ninjutsu with hand seals properly, and when his mission failed, he took his own life without hesitation.
Kisame embodied the true essence of a Shinobi, living and dying in the shadows!
By evening, the group reached the border of the Land of Waves.
"Let's push forward until we reach our destination. Or, if anyone's too tired, we can camp here."
Naruto suggested.
"No need to rest, let's keep moving."
Kakuzu was the first to reject.
Kakuzu was eager to reach Gato's wealth. Since they were so close, how could he pause now?
Naturally, the others unanimously agreed.
None of them wanted to appear weak, especially in front of Naruto. If they couldn't handle traveling, how could they hope to stay in his team?
"Hidan, what about you?"
Naruto specifically asked, with a playful smile on his face.
Naruto had noticed Hidan looking unusually drained earlier that morning, while Hana had been glowing with satisfaction. Clearly, Hidan had been 'busy' all night. So if he said he was tired, it would be understandable.
Hidan waved his hand and said without hesitation: "I'm fine. Let's keep moving!"
"Then, let's keep going!"
Seeing that Hidan was still full of energy, Naruto didn't press the issue.
'Perhaps this is the benefit of being immortal… the functional recovery is really terrifying.'
When the stars filled the sky, Naruto abruptly stopped, "Alright, I've sensed the Flying Thunder God's mark. Everyone, grab onto me."
He descended to the ground, and the group grabbed onto his clothing.
Expanding his Observation Haki to ensure the target area was clear, Naruto activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Whoosh!
In a flash of golden light, the group reappeared in a dimly lit room.
"Who's there!"
The startled voice came from a figure sitting at a candle-lit table, who immediately stood up.
"Relax, it's me."
Naruto said with a chuckle.
"Oh, Naruto-kun! Why didn't you let me know in advance? I would've prepared properly." (T/N: The Author made Zabuza called Naruto with -kun instead of -sama like his other servants and subordinates.)
Zabuza scratched his head awkwardly before stepping aside to offer his seat, "Please, take a seat, Naruto-kun. Haku! Go prepare a feast, quickly!"
"Yes!"
Haku responded promptly and disappeared from the room in a flash.
"Well, well, isn't this Zabuza? What's wrong, been so long you didn't recognize me?"
Kisame quipped sarcastically.
"Kisame? Why are you here?" Zabuza was startled, only now noticing Kisame's presence.
Kisame snorted, "If you recognize me, why aren't you greeting me?"
Zabuza didn't retort, his gaze fixed on the group behind Naruto. Each one of them exuded an intimidating aura, showing they're people not to trifle with.
"Kisame, do you really think you're someone important? Zabuza-san is hosting Naruto-kun, and you think you can be on equal footing with him?" Kakuzu snorted coldly.
"Did you take the wrong medicine? Why are you siding with outsiders?" Kisame retorted with a glare.
Itachi, ever composed, said indifferently, "Kisame, don't forget the purpose of this trip."
"Oh, I see now. Got it." Kisame let out a mocking laugh, "Kakuzu, you're really pitiful. The moment Zabuza gets rich, you start sucking up to him? Tsk tsk!"
"Say that again!"
Kakuzu stepped forward, black threads beginning to emerge from his body.
"Enough, cut it out. You're embarrassing yourselves."
Naruto interjected, waving his hand to end the bickering.
Kisame's arrogance and Kakuzu's obsession with money were deeply ingrained traits. Naruto knew it would be difficult to change them, so he resolved silently that the next time he went out, he wouldn't bring these two troublemakers unless absolutely necessary.
'Then again, now that I think about it, everyone in the Akatsuki was trouble in their own way. It was no wonder they were known as a group of outlaws.'
"All of you, behave yourselves. If you embarrass me again, I'll throw you all out!"
Naruto glared at them, and they instantly fell silent.
Seeing this scene, Zabuza was so frightened that he stood still, not daring to move.
He knew Kisame's temper all too well, so for Naruto to be able to shut Kisame down so decisively spoke volumes about his strength.
What's more, the three standing beside Kisame didn't seem any weaker than him, which only deepened Zabuza's shock.
This made Zabuza even more shocked.
"Zabuza, take a seat and relax. No need to be so stiff. I'm here to ask you something." Naruto said to Zabuza with a friendly smile.
Since all of Gato's assets were in Zabuza's hands, he was essentially a walking treasure trove in Naruto's eyes.
Compared to the annoying troublemakers behind him, Zabuza was far more appealing.
"Naruto-kun, please sit first. Ask whatever you like, I promise to answer truthfully and completely!"
Zabuza responded eagerly.
Despite his fierce appearance, Zabuza dared not act tough in front of Naruto. Moreover, if Naruto brought this many people just to ask questions, it must be something serious. He didn't dare hesitate and quickly sat down.
"Don't be nervous, it's nothing major. I just wanted to ask about the current financial situation."
Naruto said, patting Zabuza's shoulder.
Upon hearing this, Zabuza let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks to Naruto-kun's assistance, we've transferred all of Gato's assets under my name. Since I'm not familiar with finance, Kin and Gin have been managing it for the past few months. According to them, the assets have grown by three percent!"
"How much?" Naruto and Kakuzu exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide.
"Three percent... I know it's not ideal, but we'll keep working hard to double our assets." Zabuza hurriedly bowed to show his loyalty.
Naruto and Kakuzu looked at each other and couldn't help but gasp.
Naruto couldn't help but comment, "Zabuza, entrusting Kin and Gin was the right call. You clearly know nothing about finance. Alright, go get Kin and Gin, I want to talk with them."
"Yes!"
Zabuza was relieved and hurried to find Right away.
"Did you hear that?" Naruto patted Kakuzu on the shoulder.
"I did. Three percent… three percent growth!"
Kakuzu's voice trembled with excitement.
"What's so exciting about that?" Kisame said disdainfully.
Kakuzu snorted, "What would you know, you ignoramus? If you have 10,000 ryo, a three percent increase is just 300 ryo. But we're talking about Gato's wealth, which is massive. Let's estimate it at one trillion ryo, so a three percent increase means 30 billion ryo! Do you even comprehend how much 30 billion ryo is? That's money you couldn't earn in ten lifetimes!"
"That much?" Kisame was stunned.
"That much!" Naruto exclaimed, feeling thrilled. This was the power of compounding on a massive scale.
While Gato's wealth might not actually be one trillion ryo, any three percent growth on such a scale was impressive. And this was just over a few months, not even a full year.
Originally, Naruto's plan was just to have Kin and Gin transfer the assets within a year, even if it meant losing some in the process.
He never expected that not only had they successfully transferred all the assets, but they had also managed to achieve positive growth. It is a staggering surprise!
'Kin and Gin were true geniuses in finance!'