The mist-covered sea bridge was littered with fallen men in black robes.
"Y-You… Morton?"
At Tazuna's hesitant question, the man kneeling in surrender flinched, pressing his forehead even harder against the ground, as if afraid to meet his gaze.
Kakashi, observing the situation, quickly deduced that these men were likely people Tazuna knew from the Land of Waves. He shot a glance at his team, signaling them to stand down—though the warning was mostly for Hikari, reminding her not to slaughter indiscriminately.
Naruto and Sasuke naturally sheathed their weapons, while Hikari was preoccupied with studying the thick fog beneath the bridge. She had no interest in some groveling civilian. The upheaval in the Land of Waves had caused the disappearance of the Ice Release user she was most concerned about, so men like Morton or Raiga meant nothing to her.
If enemies showed up, she'd just crush them—no need to overthink it.
If this were a game, she'd already be mashing the skip button.
Morton didn't answer Tazuna's question, but his silence spoke volumes.
Finally encountering someone familiar brought Tazuna a flicker of relief—but seeing Morton's bowed head and the enemy's black robes, reality soon set in.
"Morton, why are you with these rogue ninja? Did you surrender to Gato?"
"I didn't!"
The man's head snapped up at the accusation, his face twisted in fury. Now, the group could see his features clearly—bruised eyes, a bloodied nose, the face of a man in his twenties.
"Then why are you wearing their uniform?"
Even Naruto, the most thickheaded of them all, didn't buy his excuse, pointing at the standardized black garb with disdain. Sasuke's blade hovered halfway out of its sheath, ready to strike if Morton made a single wrong move.
Sensing the danger, Morton swallowed hard but still insisted:
"Boss Raiga locked Gato in a coffin! The Land of Waves belongs to the Black Ops now! I just joined them—I didn't surrender to Gato!"
"You—!"
Tazuna was left speechless by Morton's shameless justification.
Thanks to the Great Hero Bridge, the Land of Waves had finally connected to the outside world, bringing economic growth—and with it, unsavory characters. The ninja threats had been handled by Zabuza, but ordinary pirates and bandits were another problem.
Tazuna's son-in-law, Kaiza, had reformed the self-defense force to protect the country from Gato's thugs. Morton had been one of them—a supposed guardian of the nation. Yet now, he had betrayed them all!
Naruto and Sasuke stared at Morton with open contempt.
Instead of resisting the invaders, he had joined them—even attacking Tazuna, the one who had gone to seek help. People like him were worse than the enemy.
"Let's just kill him."
"Agreed."
As the saying goes, "Keep good men company, and you shall be of the number." Spending too much time around Hikari had rubbed off on Naruto and Sasuke—their attitudes had hardened.
Morton's face flushed red with anger, his fear momentarily forgotten.
"Even that powerful water-style ninja ran from Boss Raiga! You have no idea how strong he is! If he rules the Land of Waves, we'll never have to fear scum like Gato again!"
"Yeah!"
"The 'Hero Ninja' abandoned us—of course we'd seek a stronger protector!"
The other surrendered men, who had been silent until now, murmured in agreement. They had clearly been brainwashed by this twisted logic, genuinely believing they were doing the right thing.
Tazuna studied their faces—he didn't know their names, but they looked familiar. They must have been part of the self-defense force too. The thought of Kaiza's unknown fate made his blood boil.
Emboldened by their support, Morton's bruised face twisted into a smug grin.
"That so-called 'hero' ran away and left us to die! These Konoha ninja will finish their mission and leave—then what? We'll be on our own again!
But now, with the invincible Boss Raiga ruling the Land of Waves, no one will dare bully us! Isn't that a good thing?
Uncle, you should send these ninja back to Konoha and join the Black Ops with us. You're a bridge builder—Raiga won't kill you. Together, we can make the Land of Waves prosper!"
Now, Morton was the one trying to persuade Tazuna to surrender.
And the most unsettling part? Kakashi found some logic in his words.
From the Land of Waves' perspective, sandwiched between the Land of Fire and Water, it was a natural trade hub. Economic growth brought not just wealth but predators like Gato.
Without their own ninja force, the country was defenseless. Team 7 couldn't stay forever—Zabuza had vanished, and Raiga's rule might actually provide some stability.
"No, my family is still—"
"That's easy!" Morton cut him off with a laugh. "You're the famous bridge builder! This sea bridge needs your expertise for maintenance and expansion. Just convince Kaiza to stop resisting Raiga, and he'll surely spare your family!"
"I—"
Under Morton's relentless persuasion, doubt flickered in Tazuna's eyes.
Gato was no longer a threat. If Raiga truly released Tsunami and the others, and protected the Land of Waves like Zabuza had, it'd be far better than spending millions to beg Konoha for help.
Zabuza and the Konoha ninja were just hired hands—but if Raiga took over, he'd rule the Land of Waves. A ruler would defend his own territory fiercely. The more Tazuna thought about it, the more sense it made.
Seeing Tazuna's hesitation, Naruto and Sasuke exchanged uneasy glances.
If the client gave up, what happened to their mission?
Sasuke had an extra concern—his coveted sword was still out of reach. Returning empty-handed would make this trip pointless.
But how could they stop Tazuna? The truth was, they had no solution.
This country had no army, no elite ninja.
Just a self-defense force of ordinary people. Against even low-level rogue ninja, they stood no chance.
The Land of Waves had survived this long only because it was too poor and small to attract attention—until Gato saw its potential for smuggling.
But now, with the Great Bridge and five years of development, the Land of Waves was becoming a trading hub rivaling the Land of Fire's ports. Its economy had soared—but its military strength remained pitiful.
Strong economy, weak defense.
A perfect target for predators.
Team 7 couldn't stay indefinitely. There was no easy fix.
Whatever Tazuna decided, it was for the Land of Waves' sake. They had no right to interfere.
Time ticked by.
The mist thinned slightly, letting in faint sunlight. The bridge, once filled with screams and clashes, was now eerily silent.
Morton's persuasive whispers, Tazuna's conflicted expression, Kakashi and the boys standing helplessly—
Hikari, finally snapping out of her fog-study, took in the scene with confusion.
What the hell happened?
She listened to Morton's spiel, piecing things together.
The irony. Naruto, the king of Talk No Jutsu, had been out-talked by some nobody.
Faced with this turn of events, Hikari was equal parts amused and resigned.
They were hired ninja. If the client canceled the mission, so be it. If Raiga could actually protect the Land of Waves, maybe it wasn't a bad outcome.
Most importantly, she hadn't cared much about the mission to begin with—she'd only come for the Ice Release user. Since that lead was dead, it didn't matter. If Tazuna wanted to continue, she'd beat Raiga into submission. If not, no skin off her back.
"Uncle, Kaiza just doesn't get it. But you've traveled the world—you know how things work.
Boss Raiga said anyone who joins the Black Ops can learn chakra control! The strong can even become officers and learn ninjutsu! Imagine—our own ninja force! We wouldn't need outsiders like that coward Zabuza!"
Tazuna's face was a storm of emotions—the future of the Land of Waves, the bridge, ninja… Finally, under Morton's expectant gaze, he nodded.
"Fine… maybe you're right."
"See? You're a wise man!" Morton's swollen eye crinkled in triumph.
Tazuna sighed, turning to Hikari and the others. His wrinkled face seemed to have aged a decade in moments.
No words were needed—his choice was clear.
"Tazuna, you can't—"
"Naruto." Kakashi cut him off. Seeing Hikari and Kakashi's silent disapproval, Naruto clamped his mouth shut.
"I'm sorry you all came all this way for nothing."
Tazuna's voice was heavy with guilt. He had begged them to save his country, only to surrender now. He didn't know how to face them.
Digging into his bag, he pulled out two thick wads of cash and shoved them into Naruto's hands.
"This is the rest of the payment. It's not enough, but it's all I have. The rest belongs to everyone—I can't take it. I'm truly sorry."
"Think carefully."
Hikari's voice was icy. "Raiga isn't merciful. He might still kill you and your family. By then, it'll be too late for regrets."
"Tazuna, what if they betray you?" Naruto and Sasuke chimed in.
"They won't."
Tazuna shook his head with stubborn pride. "The Great Bridge is the Land of Waves' lifeline. Only I know its inner structure. Without me, it'll crumble. They won't risk killing Kaiza or the others—they need me."
Naïve.
Ninja weren't profit-driven like Gato. They didn't bargain.
But Hikari said nothing more. You can't save those hell-bent on destruction.
Sasuke's face darkened. He'd really wanted to see that legendary sword.
"Konoha ninja, this is now an internal matter of the Land of Waves. Your services are no longer needed."
Morton, now victorious, began shooing them away. He stressed "internal matter", framing Raiga's takeover as a domestic affair—none of Konoha's business.
Hikari studied Morton with newfound interest.
At first, they'd dismissed him as just another civilian. Yet with a few words, he'd derailed their mission.
Ever since mastering the Reverse Eight Gates, her growing power had made her arrogant—she'd stopped seeing ordinary people as relevant.
But Morton was a wake-up call. Even Kaguya had been sealed by carelessness. Hikari might be nearing Kage-level, but the ninja world was full of seals, forbidden techniques, and traps. Arrogance would be her downfall.
This small failure was a cheap lesson.
"You all, guard the bridge. I'll take Uncle to see Boss Raiga."
"Yes!"
The Black Ops members scrambled to their feet, reclaiming their weapons and sealing off the bridge. Morton helped Tazuna limp away into the mist.
Soon, the enemy forces had vanished.
Only two corpses remained on the bridge. Naruto stared blankly at the cash in his hands.
"Kakashi-sensei… what do we do now?"
Kakashi could only sigh.
"Mission success isn't just about strength. It takes strategy, adaptability… and luck.
Zabuza's protection made the people of the Land of Waves complacent. What seems like madness now is just the consequence of that dependence.
Until they find the will to fight for themselves, no one can save them. Maybe one day, when they're ready, our help will mean something."
"Pathetic."
Sasuke sheathed his sword with a cold scoff. The others nodded silently, turning back toward the Land of Fire.
Team 7's first high-rank mission—failed.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Their footsteps faded into the distance.
Beneath the Great Hero Bridge, the unnatural fog clung stubbornly to the stone pillars, refusing to disperse.
Support me by leaving a comment, review and vote
visit my P****on at belamy20