Chapter 19: Dog Eat Dog? I'm the Professional!
At the end of the bridge, several thugs were still groaning. That previously arrogant tycoon, Gato, was trembling as he crawled out from the rubble.
His expensive sunglasses were gone, his eyes wide with terror as he watched the Blonde Youthapproach, his body shaking like a leaf.
"You... don't kill me! I have a lot of money!"
Gato scrambled backward on all fours, his voice cracking, "Let me go, and I'll give you all my money! You'll never be able to spend it all in your lifetime! I'll give you my company too!"
Naruto stopped in his tracks, looking at the obese man expressionlessly.
[Money? I do like money; after all, supporting wives in the future will be very expensive.]
[But, I don't like what others give me. I prefer... inheritance.]
[Especially a capitalist like you, who isn't even fit to be hung from a lamppost; your existence is a literal pollution of the air. We haven't even settled the bill for all that nonsense earlier that interrupted my view of beautiful legs.]
He tilted his head and snapped his fingers.
A Shadow Clone stepped out from the shadows behind him, holding a katana.
No fancy moves, just a swift, clean strike.
*Squelch.*
Gato clutched his throat, eyes wide, his pleas for mercy stuck in his windpipe. His wicked life, along with his reign over the Land of Waves, ended just like that.
The entire area fell into a dead silence.
The villagers in the distance hadn't reacted yet. The nightmare that had oppressed them for years was... gone just like that?
Naruto ignored the corpse and turned toward the man leaning against the guardrail, covered in blood.
Zabuza still held his broken blade, but the previous attack had shattered his internal organs. Had it not been for his strong constitution, he would be dead by now.
Even so, his eyes remained fixed on Naruto and Haku, who followed behind him.
"Cough, cough..."
Zabuza coughed up blood foam mixed with internal organ fragments. "Is this your mercy? Killing the employer and leaving a useless wreck like me... are you trying to humiliate me?"
Naruto stopped in front of Zabuza, hands in his pockets, a mysterious smile on his face.
"Humiliate? Don't be so sensitive, Mr. Demon."
Naruto shrugged. "I just think that while this good blade of yours is broken, it wouldn't be bad for guarding the house after some regrinding."
[What 'Demon'? Right now, he's just a tiger with its teeth pulled.]
[However... he's a real treasure. In this Ninja World where there's only muscle and no business sense, if you want to make money, you need a thug with a big reputation, ruthless methods, and who will be fiercely loyal as long as you give them a place to belong.]
[The Land of Waves is a good place. No interference from major nations, convenient sea transport... now that Gato is dead, the massive black market channels and shipping company he left behind are unclaimed property.]
[I want to turn this place into my back garden, my vault! In the future, whatever Konoha lacks, I'll ship it from here; if I want to buy intel that can withstand scrutiny, I'll have Zabuza handle it. This is the kind of vision a transmigrator should have!]
Zabuza couldn't hear these thoughts, but Haku, standing behind Naruto, heard them clearly.
Haku looked at the youth's back in surprise. She had thought Naruto was just lusting after her beauty, but now it seemed his ambition was terrifyingly vast!
A vault? A back garden? Controlling the underworld business of an entire nation?
[Moreover, it's perfect to throw this kind of complex, dirty work to them. As for me, I'll just play dumb in Konoha, count my money, and pick up girls... wouldn't that be wonderful?]
Naruto's mental abacus was clicking away, and the heavenly curtain even displayed a grand blueprint for the future Land of Waves to match the mood.
Standing there, Haku felt a mix of emotions. Was she being used as a tool? Yes. But why did this feeling of being needed feel warmer than simply being a tool for killing?
In that blueprint, she saw a busy but peaceful and stable life, even being able to wear beautiful clothes (though they were all to Naruto's taste). Mr. Zabuza wouldn't have to be hunted anymore and could work behind the scenes as a... security captain?
[Ding!]
[Detected that the host is building a massive "eating soft rice the hard way" business empire and attempting to control core combat power through a "honey trap."]
[Target character "Haku" feels a sense of stability and anticipation for this kept yet empowered future.]
[Reward issued (Haku): Administrative Management Ability LV1.]
Haku felt her mind clear significantly; terms that were once obscure and difficult to understand now clicked instantly. Looking at Gato's cargo ships not far away, a rigorous dispatch plan naturally emerged in her mind.
"Zabuza."
Naruto crouched down, his gaze level with Zabuza's. "I know you want to change the Village of the Bloody Mist. Relying on a clumsy method like assassinating the Mizukage won't work even if you do it a hundred times."
Zabuza's eyelid twitched. "What did you say?"
"You need money—massive amounts of it. Enough to buy up resources and intel for half the Ninja World; only then can you support a revolution."
Naruto pointed to the empty cargo ships behind him, then at Haku beside him.
"I want all of Gato's inheritance, but I'm too lazy to manage it. You and Haku stay and help me. From now on, you'll be the underground emperor of the Land of Waves. Pay me protection fees and provide intel regularly, and you can do whatever you want with the rest."
"As an exchange, Konoha will stop hunting you. Haku can also live like... well, a normal girl."
Zabuza fell silent. He looked at Haku nearby.
The child who once knew only how to kill now had a blush on her face, but beneath that maid-like submissive posture, there was a radiance he didn't understand.
"Master..." Haku spoke softly, nodding to Zabuza. "I want to... try that kind of life. And, Lord Naruto is right; this place... can become our home."
The word "home" completely swayed Zabuza.
Zabuza let go of his broken blade, leaned back, and lay on the concrete ground, looking at the blue sky revealed as the thick mist dispersed.
"Tch... a total defeat. Kid... no, Boss. Since you're offering this price, I'll leave my life with you for now."
The smile on Naruto's face grew wider until it was brilliantly bright.
"A smart man. Well then, a pleasure doing business with you."
He gave himself a big mental thumbs-up.
[Done! Picked up an elite Jonin as a lackey for free, plus an all-purpose soft-girl maid as a bonus. This trip to the Land of Waves was a massive profit!]
[Gato's money... let me think, should I first buy that limited edition hairpin Hinata liked? Ms. Ankoseems to like red bean soup; how about buying a whole street of dessert shops for her?]
[Sigh, this damn, restless sense of responsibility of mine. To support this group of wives as beautiful as flowers, I, Li Yi, have really exhausted myself.]
Hearing these thoughts, Haku, who had been slightly moved, almost tripped.
So, we're working our lives away managing a country just to be an ATM for your bunch of wives?
But for some reason, looking at the Blonde Youth, Haku couldn't help but smile.
A master like this... doesn't seem too bad.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for successfully recruiting Zabuza's forces and taking control of the Land of Waves.]
[Achievement unlocked: Have Your Own Power.]
[Rewards obtained: Land Deed for the Land of Waves, Key to Gato's Secret Vault, and...]
[A large amount of System Points!]
Naruto felt the weight of the key in his robe and almost couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud.
Nearby, Kakashi deactivated his Sharingan and watched the scene, remaining silent for a long time.
That dead last who only knew how to play pranks had, in just a few words, not only solved the immediate trouble but also swallowed the entire power structure of the Land of Waves? This skillful dog-eat-dog maneuver, this ability to manipulate hearts...
Is this really the same Naruto?
"Sensei..." Sasuke walked over, clutching his injured shoulder, staring at Naruto's back, and asked through gritted teeth, "Did that guy... drug us? Why would that Demon listen to that idiot?"
Kakashi sighed and placed a hand on Sasuke's head.
"I'd like to know that too... looks like I'll have to rewrite the report on him when we get back."