"What a handy tool."
"Never thought this guy would turn out to be such a creep. Guess it's true—looks can be deceiving. No wonder he never shows his face."
"With how much he looks like Kakashi-sensei, no surprise his mind's just as dirty too."
A few people huddled together, quietly gossiping about Zabuza, while the innocent Kakashi pretended not to hear anything, his expression completely unchanged.
It was their first time flying, and both Zabuza and Haku felt nervous yet thrilled inside. But every time they saw Haku following behind Zabuza like a shy bride, Sakura and the others couldn't help but feel intense annoyance—this couple act was seriously too much to take.
Seeing Kakashi forced to eat a full serving of romantic "dog food" from Make Out Paradise, he couldn't stop muttering under his breath. He never imagined that someone like Zabuza—who looked untrustworthy from the start—could unintentionally win over a cute girl so completely that she'd stick by him devotedly. This was absolutely ridiculous.
Without wasting much time, the group quickly reached the Land of Waves.
The Land of Waves was an island nation surrounded by ocean on all sides. Due to Gato's ruthless exploitation, its people had fallen into extreme poverty and were too terrified to resist. The bridge Dazuna was building wasn't just meant to inspire courage and encourage rebellion—it also aimed to connect the island with the mainland. Once completed, it would allow locals to trade their goods and improve their lives.
As they traveled, what they saw made Sakura and the others fall silent. Poverty, despair, numbness—that's exactly what the people here radiated.
All along the way, the residents of the Land of Waves they encountered were frail and thin, looking like even the lightest breeze could blow them over. Pale-faced and hollow-eyed, some wore ragged clothes. Street vendors were rare, and most shops were closed down.
"Are these people really this poor?"
Zabuza frowned. He'd only been hired by Gato, and honestly didn't know much about the actual conditions in the Land of Waves.
"Gato monopolized everything in this country. He controls everyone's life. That's why this once tolerable place has become a living hell!" Dazuna gave a bitter smile. "Gato is rich enough to hire rogue ninjas and gangsters. Anyone who dares to oppose him gets beaten mercilessly. My son-in-law Kaisha resisted Gato's tyranny—and paid for it with his life."
Dazuna clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on his arms, pure hatred burning in his eyes.
"Gato does have some other wandering ninja and warriors working for him, but they're weak. None of them are any match for me. Not worth worrying about at all."
Zabuza scoffed disdainfully. Although Gato was rich, he was extremely stingy. Hiring even a single jonin like himself was already the maximum Gato could bear financially. Hiring another jonin? He just couldn't stomach coughing up that kind of cash.
"Although Gato's organization appears mighty to ordinary people, for me, bankrupting him would be a piece of cake," Sakura said. "But even if we eliminate Gato, it won't change anything. The people of the Land of Waves have already lost heart spiritually. To change things, they've gotta find their courage again!"
Sakura looked at the skeletal frames hunched by the roadside, frowning involuntarily. Their biggest problem? It's all in their heads. If they couldn't rediscover the courage to resist, even eliminating Gato wouldn't solve anything—another 'Gato' would inevitably emerge. Truly, only they could help themselves.
Chapter 142: Zabuza Gets Seriously Depressed
"Although Gato's organization doesn't rank highly in the shinobi world, it's still quite massive. Bankrupting them isn't that simple!" Zabuza didn't entirely believe what Sakura had said. Gato might not be among the top merchants, but he was still well-known and wealthy enough to dominate an entire country. How could such a man be taken down so easily?
"Have you heard of the Haruno Corporation?" Sakura suddenly asked.
"Of course I've heard of it. It's a recently emerged corporation supposedly built upon the food industry before investing in numerous other fields. In the entire shinobi world, its assets rank among the highest. They're seriously rich!"
As a rogue ninja, Zabuza naturally needed to stay informed to avoid inadvertently offending someone important and getting himself killed. Naturally, famous major financial conglomerates in the shinobi world were on his must-know list.
"My name is Sakura Haruno." She pointed to herself proudly.
"I know your name is Sakura Haruno. Didn't you introduce yourself already?!" Zabuza initially sounded confused, but suddenly his voice caught in his throat. His eyes widened dramatically as he stared at Sakura. "Haruno… Haruno…"
"The chairman of the Haruno Corporation is my father, and it was I who single-handedly built up its early development!" As she recalled the first couple years of starting up, Sakura couldn't help but feel bitter. Back then, she was merely a four- or five-year-old girl who innovated dishes with Mr. Ichiraku every day, helped her parents start their very first big business, connected them with The Third for protection, and endured all sorts of hardship. Fortunately, hard work paid off, and today, the Haruno Corporation had risen to become one of the wealthiest organizations in the shinobi world, controlling countless lives through economic influence.
"Holy hell!" Zabuza exclaimed loudly in shock. So the person he followed turned out to be a high-ranking figure indeed! With the Haruno Corporation's current power, as long as it didn't recklessly provoke the Five Great Shinobi Villages, even the Five Villages wouldn't dare offend it lightly.
"Have you heard of the Celestial Society?" Sakura asked again.
"Celestial Society?"
"You mean the Celestial Society? The one mostly into publishing and investing?" Zabuza was still trying to wrap his head around the idea of a Haruno Corporation heiress. He reflexively answered without thinking. "The Celestial Society, which suddenly emerged two years ago, might have a strange name, but its power is formidable—not at all inferior to the Haruno Corporation! Especially its publishing arm and newspapers are now sweeping across the entire shinobi world. Make Out Paradise can now only be found in Celestial Society bookstores. However, that novel they're promoting called Wrong Love, although it has outsold Make Out Paradise and topped the charts, feels kind of... weird. The story revolves around love between men, and I just can't figure out why it sells even better than Make Out Paradise!"
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