no and Chōji had already discreetly planted explosive tags on the ships. After all, Gato's subordinates were nothing more than ordinary thugs—completely incapable of detecting the duo's presence.
As Gato and his large group of henchmen stormed onto the bridge and confronted Asuma, Shikamaru had already made his way beneath the structure. That was when he noticed two of Gato's cargo ships docked at the harbor. The men left behind on the vessels panicked at the sight of Shikamaru leading a crowd of armed villagers.
Before they could react, Ino and Chōji emerged from the shadows and performed hand seals. The explosive tags on the ships detonated instantly!
"BOOM!"
With a thunderous explosion, intense flames erupted from both ships. The blast split them in half, sending flaming wooden planks flying. The ships' remains began to burn and crackle as the explosion's shockwave killed or incapacitated most of the guards onboard. The few who survived stumbled and fell as the vessels started to sink, struggling helplessly as they were dragged into the sea.
Burning debris and mangled bodies rained into the water. Some of the surviving crew flailed on the surface, crying out for help. The people of the Land of Waves—following Shikamaru—looked on in horror, shaken by the brutality before them. Fear and hesitation crept across their faces.
Shikamaru frowned. He hadn't expected these fishermen to be so mentally fragile. Life at sea usually bred hardy, brave souls. He turned to the boy in Ino's arms—Inari. During the explosion, Ino had shielded Inari from the carnage, turning his head away so he wouldn't witness the bloodshed and shredded corpses.
"Inari!" Before leaving home, Inari had strapped a small iron pot over his head like a helmet, making him look slightly ridiculous. Shikamaru gently patted him. When the boy turned around, Shikamaru pointed to the bridge just ahead and spoke solemnly: "Gato is right there. Your father and grandfather once stood before him alone—but they failed. Now it's your turn to lead the people of the Land of Waves and face him together!"
"Heroes in stories always arrive a little late." Shikamaru's tense expression softened into a faint smile. "Now it's your time to step onto the stage!"
Hero? Inari stared blankly at Shikamaru, then at the terrified faces around him. Fear and weakness were written plainly across them. Just as Shikamaru said, what they needed now was a symbol—a hero. And that hero wasn't Shikamaru. It was Inari—the boy who inherited the legacy of resistance from his father and grandfather. He represented the next generation of the Land of Waves.
"For the freedom, dignity, and lives of ourselves and our families—everyone, raise your weapons and fight to protect the Land of Waves!" Inari's face was taut with determination. His immature voice cracked from shouting, but no one laughed. They listened—and then, all at once, raised their voices in thunderous agreement.
Throughout history, many famous speeches weren't eloquent in themselves—but when timed perfectly with the moment and the people, they sparked overwhelming responses.
"Thud!"
Asuma drew his kunai. The burly man he'd been holding instantly collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Blood pooled beneath the corpse.
Gato's eyes widened, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He discreetly backed away two steps toward his henchmen, already regretting standing so close to the front lines.
Moments earlier, Gato had secretly ordered one of his men to provoke Asuma and shove him aside from guarding Tazuna. But the moment that man reached out, Asuma reacted with such speed that Gato didn't even catch the movement—only saw his subordinate stabbed through the heart by a single kunai. Asuma hadn't even flicked ash from his cigarette.
"BOOM!"
Another explosion roared from the harbor. Flames shot into the sky, drawing everyone's attention. Gato and his men turned to look—eyes widening as they realized the explosion came from where their ships were docked!
"Go check the harbor!" Gato shouted urgently to a tall, thin subordinate wearing a jumpsuit and carrying a twin-bladed sword on his back.
The man obeyed instantly—not just to show respect to Gato, but because he was terrified of being ordered to fight Asuma. The brutal efficiency of the Jonin's earlier kill had shaken even the most arrogant of the thugs.
The explosion had barely distracted Asuma. He took another slow drag from his cigarette, eyes calm and dismissive—completely unbothered by Gato's forces. Packed together like this, one Fire Style jutsu could easily incapacitate over half of them.
That's the terror of a ninja. In Shikamaru's past life, the destructive power of large-scale weapons rendered human wave tactics obsolete. Military formations shifted from tight clusters to dispersed squads. The same logic applied to ninjutsu. Large-area destructive techniques—like artillery fire—couldn't be countered with sheer numbers. And thanks to their mobility and flexibility, shinobi could adapt even in skirmish scenarios, making them the ultimate all-purpose soldiers.
"You're a Leaf shinobi? I'm Gato—you've heard of me, I'm sure." Gato forced a smile, though his voice trembled. The earlier explosion still made him uneasy. "How much did that pauper Tazuna pay you? I'll triple it if you kill him for me."
"Oh?" Asuma exhaled a smoke ring, eyeing Gato with a glint of amusement.
Gato felt a chill in his gut. At that moment, the scout he'd sent earlier came running back, drenched in sweat.
"Boss!" the man panted. "A group of armed villagers from the Land of Waves has surrounded the harbor road! We're blocked!"
"How many?!" Gato asked, heart sinking.
"A bit more than us!" the scout replied, trying to stay composed.
"We can handle that…" Gato muttered, wiping his forehead. He turned back to Asuma and raised his right hand, palm up.
"Five times the pay. Just stay out of this!"
Gato knew the villagers were not the real threat. The danger lay in the ninja at their helm. It was a variation of a classic battle formation used by samurai before their decline—one that Gato had relied on time and time again. But this time, it was a shinobi leading the charge.
"Mr. Gato." Asuma's expression darkened. He flicked the lit end of his cigarette off with his fingers and spoke with cold finality:
"A Leaf shinobi is nothing like the stray dogs you hire. You came here to kill Mr. Tazuna?"
"…Then go to hell."