Zabuza's Hideout
Inside a small wooden room, Naruto sat silently on a creaky chair, arms crossed and brows furrowed.
He was facing Haku, who sat calmly on the opposite side. Neither of them spoke at that moment.
Naruto was still sulking from the earlier "sparring session" with Zabuza. Well, calling it sparring was generous, it was more like a one-sided beating.
Not that he was sad about the pain itself. What annoyed him was how unreasonable it all was.
Now, with Zabuza out of the room, Naruto finally felt a bit more relaxed.
But then he heard raised voices outside arguing. Curious, he leaned closer to the door and peeked through the gap.
Outside, Zabuza was facing a short, shady-looking man in a black suit and round sunglasses. His slicked-back, cream-colored hair made him look slimy at first glance.
Naruto instantly didn't like him.
The man was Gato.
"You failed to kill the bridge builder again," Gato barked, voice dripping with scorn. "What the hell am I paying you for?"
Even before Kakashi's team took the mission, Zabuza had sent his men to kill Tazuna—but through sheer luck, the man had escaped.
This was now the second time Zabuza had failed to kill him, so Gato did have some reason to be furious.
Gato slammed his hand on the table between them. "Demon of the Mist? Hah. Is your reputation fake? You can't even kill an ordinary person, let alone a ninja."
Gato continued pacing, voice growing louder. "If I'd given that money to anyone else, I'd already have the guy's head on my desk. You're wasting my time and my patience."
His voice turned colder. "Screw up again, and I'll make sure you regret ever signing on."
Zabuza clenched his fist under the table but said nothing. Although he was angry, Gato was the one providing him money, he couldn't achieve his ambition without it.
Just then, Haku entered the room, calm as always but carrying an air that made Gato immediately pause.
He remembered the last time, Haku had nearly broken Gato's arm. If Zabuza hadn't stepped in, it might've been worse
Gato was visibly tensed For a moment, the room went silent.
He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket. "Fine. Two more days. You better bring me that corpse."
He turned to leave, but threw a final warning over his shoulder.
"Screw up again, and I'll cut off your payment. Don't come begging I won't give you a single ryo."
"There are plenty of ninja like you out there. Don't think you're irreplaceable."
With a smug smirk, Gato and his men left the house.
Naruto, still watching from behind the door, was fuming. After Gato left, Haku let him into the room where Zabuza was still seated.
If Haku hadn't stopped him, Naruto might've charged out earlier to confront Gato himself.
"Why are you working for a scumbag like him?! That guy's a total jerk!" Naruto shouted.
Zabuza raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. Naruto kept going.
"He's hurting innocent people! He even killed Tazuna's son don't you feel even a little bad working for someone like that?!"
Haku spoke softly, trying to defuse the tension. "Naruto… Gato pays us. And that money is important for Mr. Zabuza's goal."
"We're already rogue ninja. This kind of work is all we can get."
Naruto clenched his fists.
"That doesn't mean you have to help him!" he snapped. "If he's the villain why not just rob him instead of doing his dirty work?!"
Zabuza blinked.
That… was actually a solid point.
For a moment, both Zabuza and Haku were silent, genuinely considering the idea.
Though Zabuza viewed shinobi as tools, the method didn't matter to him as long as the goal was achieved.
And Gato? Gato was just a civilian. Rich as hell, yes but weak.
He ran a massive shipping company spanning multiple nations and could throw millions at mercenary missions without blinking.
He'd even bribed officials in several countries to control them from the shadows.
But in the end, he was just a lamb fattened for slaughter.
Even with an army of hired thugs, what could he do against someone like Zabuza?
Zabuza leaned back, deep in thought.
That brat might've said it as a dumb outburst but it could work.
If I take all of Gato's wealth for myself… I'd have enough funds to launch my coup.
That bastard is one of the wealthiest men in the world. His fortune could fund an entire war.
Zabuza glanced at Naruto again.
"…Maybe I should keep this loudmouth around a little longer."
Naruto, still fuming, didn't realize he had just accidentally planted the seeds for Gato's downfall.
"Haku, come outside. I have an important matter to discuss," Zabuza said as he stepped out of the hideout.
Leaving Naruto inside, Haku followed, a little curious about Zabuza's intentions.
"What do you think of that brat's idea just now? I think it's feasible. We could gain a massive amount of wealth in a short time."
"I agree," Haku nodded.
Zabuza grinned. "Good, good. Then let's go right now and kill him. The sooner we do it, the better. I can't wait to get my hands on that money."
The thought alone made Zabuza giddy. With that kind of wealth, he could fund another coup in the Hidden Mist. And this time, he was confident he'd succeed.
"Mr. Zabuza, what about Naruto?" Haku asked cautiously.
Though Naruto's idea had inspired them, Zabuza now seemed ready to toss him aside. Haku, however, was hesitant.
He saw a shadow of himself in Naruto someone lost, struggling, yet kind. Harming him didn't sit right.
"That blond brat? Let him stay there for a while. We'll spare him for his good idea." Zabuza was in an unusually good mood, intoxicated by the thought of easy riches.
Haku let out a quiet sigh of relief.
The two quickly set out, moving with high speed toward Gato's caravan. They caught up with him easily he hadn't gotten far.
"Zabuza, what are you doing here?" Gato barked. "Shouldn't you be preparing for the battle? Why are you wasting time?"
Zabuza didn't reply. He stepped forward, face shadowed, tone low.
"Gato, I've had a change of plans."
The cold edge in Zabuza's voice sent a chill down Gato's spine. Something felt very wrong.
Zabuza's eyes gleamed with menace, and the air was thick with killing intent.
Ahhhh!
A scream tore through the air.
Gato spun around to see his men falling one after another. Although Haku didn't kill them, he still made all of them unconscious.
"Zabuza! Stop him! Call him off, or you won't get a single penny from me!"
Zabuza sneered.
"Gato, don't you want to know my new idea?"
He leaned in close, voice dropping into a sinister whisper.
"It's to kill you... and take all your money. Isn't it brilliant?"
Gato's face drained of color.
"You can't do that! You're a ninja! You work for money!"
SHHK—
Zabuza's blade pierced Gato's chest in one swift motion.
"Shut up."
Those were the last words Gato ever heard.
With Gato dear and his goons unconscious, Zabuza wasted no time. He rushed toward Gato's estate.
Upon arriving, the first thing he did was corner Gato's secretary.
"You," he growled, grabbing the man by the collar. "Tell me everything where's the money?"
The man trembled. "D-Don't kill me! I'll tell you everything! Sir Gato had... a lot.
Two billion ryo! In cash, gold, jewels, and more—scattered across multiple hideouts!"
Zabuza's eyes widened his tough facade cracked as greed overtook him.
"Two... billion?" he echoed, voice shaking.
"Yes! He has a map! I have it! Please, spare me, great ninja-sama!" The secretary shakily pulled a folded map from his coat.
Zabuza snatched it, vanishing instantly in a blur.
"Haku, take care of the rest. I'm going to check the hideouts."
The secretary panicked further as Zabuza disappeared. Desperate to stay alive, he made another offer.
"Wait! There's more! Mr. Gato had properties across different nations! Worth over a hundred billion! Spare me, and I'll give you the land deeds too!"
Haku paused.
A hundred billion? That was no joke. But he didn't care for that kind of wealth. He was Zabuza's tool—nothing more.
Besides, selling such land would take years. Still, he couldn't let it fall into the hands of criminals again.
"Can you transfer ownership?" Haku asked.
"Yes! I manage all of them! I can transfer them to anyone you choose!"
The man was throwing every card he had to survive.
Haku thought for a moment. "Alright. I want you to transfer every deed to a boy. I'll bring him here soon."
The secretary sighed in relief. "At least I'll live..."
Haku had decided: All of Gato's lands would go to Naruto.
First, it would ensure no other tyrant could rise with that power. Second, it had all started with Naruto's idea.
If Zabuza ever found out what Haku had done, he'd definitely beat the crap out of him.
"Bastard! That's a hundred billion! If you didn't want it, give it to me!"
But Zabuza had no clue what Haku was doing. He was too busy basking in the sight of gold, jewels, and vaults filled with ryo.