Everyone was already here.
As mentioned earlier, since Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had already followed them this far, it was naturally impossible to drive them away directly. After Team Eight finished reorganizing and packing their supplies, the two teams officially merged, jointly taking responsibility for protecting Dazna as they continued toward the Land of Waves. For all of this, Dazna was naturally the happiest person present. With the payment of only a C-rank mission reward, he had effectively hired two full Konoha ninja teams, eight shinobi in total, and among them were two jōnin-level ninja. For Dazna, this was simply an unimaginable bargain. Naturally, he felt both excited and reassured. With the protection of these Konoha ninja, Dazna felt even more confident that the bridge would be completed smoothly and that he could lead the people of the Land of Waves onto the path of prosperity. As long as the bridge could be completed, his country would be able to escape the darkness and move toward a brighter future. This belief was deeply rooted in Dazna's heart.
Of course, Dazna's idea was not simple optimism—it could even be called naïve, or outright foolish.
If Naruto knew this, he would definitely sneer inwardly.
In the original story, if it hadn't been for Team Seven solving the problem directly, then Zabuza Momochi would not have been eliminated, and Gatō would still have remained just as arrogant and reckless as ever. That fat merchant even brought a group of ordinary thugs, foolishly believing they could deal with professional ninja, and ran out personally, only to be dragged to his death by Zabuza. But even if Team Seven protected Dazna, completed the bridge, and eliminated Zabuza, as long as Gatō himself survived, once Team Seven withdrew and returned to Konoha, Gatō could still reclaim control over the Land of Waves.
And frankly speaking.
Naruto genuinely felt that both of those people in the original story were incredibly stupid.
Whether it was Zabuza or Gatō.
Why insist on confronting Team Seven head-on?
Why obsess over assassinating Dazna at all costs?
Couldn't they simply wait until Team Seven returned to Konoha?
Or better yet, couldn't they just destroy the bridge without killing anyone?
A bridge like that—how many explosive tags would it really take to blow it apart?
Or was it really something that couldn't be resolved with a single A-rank ninjutsu from someone like Zabuza?
So this story clearly proves one thing.
Humans must understand the value of indirect tactics.
The prosperity of a country and its rebirth never depend solely on one structure or symbol. It depends on all of its citizens, and more importantly, on whether the leaders of that country possess the ability to guide it toward prosperity. Ultimately, it depends on people, not on a cold, lifeless bridge.
And in this world.
It was absolutely impossible for the Land of Waves to truly become strong.
But if the goal was merely to move toward a brighter and more stable future, that was actually very simple. If they were a little more rational and intelligent, they could firmly cling to the Fire Country, willingly act as a dependent ally, and focus on maintaining stability. The people of the Land of Waves would still have opportunities to live decent lives. After all, this was a small country without its own ninja village, incapable of training its own shinobi, and geographically trapped between two major powers. Relying solely on itself to achieve prosperity was nearly impossible, and the path to strength was effectively blocked. The Land of Waves wanted prosperity, but no one truly valued it. And if it wanted strength?
The Fire Country and the Water Country would unite and teach it a brutal lesson every single minute.
That was why Dazna's idea was fundamentally too simple, even foolish.
Of course, Naruto didn't care about any of this.
Even if he understood it completely, it didn't matter.
Naruto's current goal was Gatō's money. Zabuza could be considered a secondary objective, but even that was only a vague, provisional plan. Whether it could actually be achieved depended entirely on future developments. After all, plans were only plans, and reality rarely unfolded exactly according to human expectations.
Plans never keep up with change.
That was the truth.
"Gatō? Is that the famous wealthy merchant?"
Now that the group's arrangement was to protect Dazna until the bridge was completed, Team Seven naturally joined the escort formation as well.
After everyone finished organizing their supplies.
Under the joint leadership of the two jōnin, Kakashi and Kurenai.
Teams Seven and Eight proceeded together, protecting Dazna as they headed toward the Land of Waves.
Along the road.
Because the enemies encountered earlier were far stronger than expected.
Kiba looked at Dazna with curiosity and asked aloud.
"Why does that guy named Gatō hate you so much, old man? He even hired ninja to kill you."
Leaving aside the terrifying bandaged man they had just encountered.
Even the other two Mist ninja alone were already a serious threat. Although Kiba's academic performance had never been outstanding, he still possessed basic common sense. The existence of the Five Great Ninja Villages was fundamental knowledge in this world. No matter how one looked at it, Dazna was just a sloppy, drunken bridge builder. Why would a notorious wealthy merchant like Gatō spend such an enormous sum to hire ninja to assassinate him?
Kiba really couldn't understand it.
Dazna wasn't particularly handsome, didn't seem rich, and didn't look especially important. Was Gatō really so bored, or had his brain malfunctioned?
Especially that terrifying jōnin called Zabuza Momochi.
Even Kiba could clearly tell that the cost of hiring someone like that must have been astronomical.
A wealthy merchant.
A sloppy, drunken man claiming to be a bridge builder.
No matter how much Kiba thought about it, he couldn't make sense of it.
In response to Kiba's doubts.
Dazna gave a full and detailed explanation.
And he added plenty of emphasis and emotion.
"The most direct reason is that he fears the bridge I'm building. On the surface, Gatō is a legitimate shipping magnate. But what many people don't know is that he's actually a despicable criminal. More than two-thirds of his wealth comes from smuggling and illegal trade. He controls a large number of gangsters and wandering ninja, and many companies are either forcibly acquired or destroyed by him through underhanded means. Even some small countries are effectively under his control. That man is the true boss of the underworld. This time, he set his sights on the Land of Waves and wants to turn it into his private territory, his new center of wealth. That's why he fears this bridge. He wants to kill me and completely seize control of the Land of Waves."
When Dazna spoke of Gatō, his clenched teeth and furious expression conveyed genuine hatred. This caused Hinata, Sakura, and the others nearby to show sympathetic expressions, their sense of justice immediately stirred.
"So that Gatō guy is a big villain! Don't worry, Uncle Dazna! We'll definitely protect you and make sure you finish building the bridge!"
Kiba pounded his chest confidently and spoke with absolute certainty.
At that moment.
Kiba completely ignored the fact that if Kakashi hadn't arrived in time earlier.
Team Eight would have already been annihilated.
Dazna, naturally, wasn't foolish enough to point that out. Instead, he thanked Kiba enthusiastically, even showing admiration.
An experienced, world-weary old man like Dazna easily fooled an inexperienced genin like Kiba.
And that result was almost inevitable.
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