Gato was stunned by Haku's reaction, never imagining that this man, who looked like a girl, could be so powerful.
In comparison, the ninjas he had hired at great expense were like three-year-old children.
So what level of strength was this guy who was now lying down?
What kind of enemy had they encountered?
Gato couldn't imagine it—he didn't really have much understanding of a ninja's true power.
Sensing all of this from a distance, Nojuro Ryun shook his head. Gato was supposed to be a wealthy man, yet he lacked even this basic insight. How was he any different from a child carrying cash through the streets?
However, this was precisely what gave Ryun an opportunity.
He put on a mask, used the Body Flicker Technique, and the next second, he appeared right before Gato.
Gato was startled, screaming as he stumbled backward, but he lost his footing and fell flat on the ground.
Seeing this, Haku, who had already been in control of the situation, immediately swung his blade at Ryun.
But Ryun merely deflected the sword in Haku's hand with a light parry from his kunai.
Although Ryun's current Strength stat was his biggest weakness, after applying the Strange Power technique, the sudden burst of power was not something Haku could contend with.
Startled, Haku immediately leaped back to position himself in front of Zabuza.
Zabuza struggled, trying to get up, and as he looked at Ryun's figure, a look of shock appeared on his face. He feared Ryun might be an ANBU from Kirigakure.
But when he saw that Ryun wasn't wearing the uniform of a Kirigakure-nin, nor did he have a forehead protector, he relaxed a little and asked in a low, hoarse voice, "Who are you?"
Ryun ignored him and instead looked at Gato, speaking in a frivolous tone, "I heard there's money to be made here?"
Hearing Ryun talk about money, Gato immediately lost his fear.
He stood up, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Ryun, and said, "How much do you want?"
"Whatever you're paying those two, I want double."
Gato was taken aback, a pained expression flashing in his eyes.
But in the end, he gritted his teeth and said, "I can give it to you, but you'll have to prove your strength first."
"I just defeated him, isn't that enough?"
"Not enough!"
Gato pointed at Zabuza and said, "You have to defeat him!"
Ryun turned his head to look at Zabuza with a knowing smile. Haku had already raised his alertness to the maximum, ready to unleash his signature Ice Release at any moment.
Ryun spread his hands and said, "He's already severely injured. Killing him has no value."
"Whether it has value or not isn't for you to decide; it's for me to decide!"
Gato immediately pulled out a cheque, wrote down the enormous figure of one hundred million ryō, and said, "Kill them, and then work for me for the next year. This money is yours!"
Ryun took the cheque. Well, Gato was offering too much.
Previously, Ryun had made a fortune by continuously selling false information at several exchange offices, nearly causing the entire ninja world to erupt into a premature great war, and he'd only made twenty million ryō from that.
But here Gato was, offering one hundred million ryō right off the bat. This guy was really loaded—
Of course, theoretically, this was supposed to be his salary for a year's work.
But Gato was about to die soon anyway, so this one hundred million ryō naturally became Ryun's money.
"Alright then, I'll do it."
Ryun pocketed the cheque. The moment he turned around, Haku had already begun forming hand seals, preparing to unleash his Ice Release.
But his body lost the ability to move, and before his eyes appeared the horrific scene of Zabuza being chopped to pieces by multiple blades.
Although he realized this was a Genjutsu, Ryun's powerful spiritual energy still put immense psychological pressure on him,
preventing him from dispelling the Genjutsu in time.
"Haku!"
"Move!"
Zabuza silently placed his hand on Haku's waist, trying to help him break the Genjutsu.
But the next second, he too fell victim to Ryun's Formless Wave, losing the ability to move.
Before his eyes appeared the doll-like face of Yagura, with a Sharingan spinning within his eyes.
A village's Kage being controlled by someone, and that same person crushing Zabuza with overwhelming power—it all turned Zabuza's ambition to assassinate the Mizukage into a joke.
He could only flee in panic like a whipped dog, dreaming of one day returning to Kirigakure to set the village right. But with his strength, how could he possibly achieve any of that?
Immense self-doubt caused Zabuza to slowly slump down, seemingly losing his fighting spirit. But just as Ryun's hand was about to touch his chest, Zabuza let out a guttural roar, baring his fangs as he lunged to bite Ryun.
This guy had actually bitten off his own tongue, using the pain to break free from the Genjutsu's control.
Unfortunately, in Ryun's eyes, Zabuza's desperate last-ditch effort was also just a joke.
Ryun gently tapped him, using the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist acupoint tapping method, and Zabuza was completely paralyzed.
Then, a glow from the Mystical Palm Technique lit up in Ryun's hand. Seeing this light, Zabuza was stunned.
Ryun was going to heal him?
And indeed, that's what happened. Under Ryun's treatment, in just a few breaths, Zabuza's most severe injuries were healed. He now had sufficient fighting strength again.
But this time, he didn't act rashly, because he knew he was no match for Ryun.
He calmly looked at Ryun, as if waiting for him to pronounce his fate.
Instead, Ryun turned to look at Gato and said, "See, I healed him. This way, you don't have to lose a capable subordinate. He and I can both protect your safety."
"Pretty good deal, isn't it?"
Gato stared at Ryun, dumbfounded. He had given Ryun one hundred million to kill someone, and this was the result?
Gato immediately flew into a rage, "I told you to kill, not to heal!"
"Give me back my cheque, or else—"
"Or else?"
Ryun tilted his head slightly, then stepped aside.
Zabuza understood, sat up, grasped the hilt of the Executioner's Blade in both hands, and looked at Gato as if he were already a dead man.
Gato's hair stood on end. He finally understood the situation and quickly said, "Haha, alright, alright, you've thought of everything!"
"Since you're so capable and can also heal, you'll just have to work for me from now on! Zabuza, I'll increase your and your subordinate's employment fee by another ten million ryō. Let's just pretend today's incident never happened, how about that?"
Zabuza didn't answer, instead looking at Ryun.
Ryun shrugged and said, "What are you looking at me for? Turning down money, are you brain-dead?"
Only then did Zabuza nod, before lying back down on the bed. This signified that the conflict was over.
Gato and his men fled in disgrace, and Ryun didn't even spare him another glance.
That guy would definitely try to get revenge somehow, but now, aside from worrying about Obito making a move, Ryun wasn't afraid of anyone else's sneak attacks or reprisals.
Once Gato and his group had run far away, Ryun finally released his control over Haku.
Haku let out a soft moan and collapsed beside the bed. This kind of delicate, weak appearance was exactly why people always mistook his gender.
"Haku, are you alright?"
Zabuza asked, his speech slightly slurred. Hearing this, Haku immediately replied, "I'm fine, Zabuza-san. Is this person... an acquaintance of yours?"
Zabuza also looked at Ryun, needing an explanation.
Ryun didn't beat around the bush either, and said, "You guys were actually after Gato's fortune, weren't you?"
Zabuza and Haku remained silent. Outmatched in strength and with their scheme seen through, what could they possibly say?
"No answer, I'll take that as confirmation. As it happens, I'm after his fortune too. But don't worry, I'm not here to take the money from you."
"You two are ninjas. Recklessly killing an employer would invite the condemnation of the entire ninja world. But I'm different; I'm not a ninja. I can take over everything Gato has."
Zabuza couldn't help but ask, "With strength like yours, you're not a ninja?"
"That's right, I have the strength, but I'm not a ninja, and certainly not a missing-nin. I don't work for any ninja village."
"Is that clear enough?"
Zabuza suppressed the doubts in his heart. For now, he had no choice but to believe what Ryun said.
"You mean... you want to cooperate with us?"
"You could say that. After I take over everything Gato has, I'll continue to employ you."
Zabuza frowned and said, "Just that condition? What's the difference between that and us continuing to work for Gato?"
"The difference is, with me around, you won't die at the hands of Kakashi. And also, in the future, I plan to do business with the Land of Water and Kirigakure, to open up trade routes between the Land of Water and the mainland."
"At that time, whatever you want to do, it'll be much more convenient. How about that condition?"
Zabuza shot up from the bed, looking at Ryun warily. Even Haku once again prepared to fight to the death.
Zabuza said in a sinister tone, "You know who we are?"
"The Executioner's Blade is the best calling card. You don't exactly try to hide your identity, do you?"
"And besides knowing who you are, I also know what you want to do. Coincidentally, that aligns with my goals too. A secluded, isolated village like Kirigakure isn't good for business."
Ryun's calm and composed demeanor made Zabuza abandon any thoughts of resistance.
He couldn't win, not at all.
He still didn't even know how Ryun had managed to trap him and Haku in a Genjutsu.
Even if the Genjutsu wasn't particularly strong, a moment's control was enough for them to be killed outright.
Zabuza took a deep breath and said, "I have one last question. Who are you?"
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