"Are you going again today?"
At the dinner table, seeing Kaiza set down his bowl and chopsticks, his wife Tsunami raised her head and couldn't help asking.
"Of course I'm going," Kaiza replied. "If Gato keeps being this unscrupulous, everyone's life will only get harder!"
Before Kaiza could say more, Tazuna thumped his cup on the table in support of his son-in-law's righteous anger.
"Exactly! If we just swallow it, Gato will squeeze us to death sooner or later," Tazuna snorted. He turned to his grandson. "Isn't that right, Inari?"
"Grandpa is right! I also support Uncle Kaiza!" Inari said loudly, puffing out his chest.
Tsunami quietly refilled Tazuna's cup with sake and piled more food into Inari's bowl, trying to block both their mouths at once. Then she turned back to Kaiza, worry written all over her face.
"But lately Gato's been barking again," she said. "He's brought in a lot of new thugs. If something happens, you mustn't rush in blindly. You have to protect yourself first."
"Don't worry." Kaiza gave her a reassuring smile. "In terms of numbers, we actually have more people on our side. I'm not the only one who opposes Gato. This is the common wish of everyone in the Land of Waves."
He clenched his fists, full of determination.
"There shouldn't be anything to worry about…"
Tsunami still didn't look reassured.
Outside, the rain fell in a fine curtain, pattering against the wooden walls.
"I'm full too," Inari said, pushing back from the table. "I'm going to look for Pochi. Pochi was taken home to play by my new friend. I want to bring him back while the rain's still light."
Pochi was the puppy he'd raised himself. His "new friend" naturally referred to the little girl with white eyes who lived in the manor to the north.
"Where do you think you're going in such heavy rain?" Tsunami scolded, her tone sharp out of worry.
Inari gave her a guilty little grin, eyes darting toward the door.
"Oh, let him go, it's fine," Tazuna said, waving his hand with a grin. "Just make sure you come back quickly, Inari."
"Okay!"
Inari grabbed his umbrella, slipped on his sandals, and dashed out into the drizzle.
Tsunami watched his small back disappear. As a mother, she could see at a glance what her son really wanted—to see with his own eyes what was happening at the dock, where Kaiza was going to confront Gato's men.
But the situation was already so tense that it could turn into a real fight if anything went wrong.
And that kind of place was definitely not somewhere a child should be.
After eating and drinking his fill, Tazuna went to his study.
A large blueprint lay spread across the desk—a detailed sketch of a bridge that did not yet exist.
"The hearts of the people are almost there…" Tazuna muttered as he picked up his pen again.
He had never told anyone about his plan to build a bridge.
It wasn't time yet.
The people's disappointment in Gato needed to accumulate until it overflowed. Only then would they be willing to shoulder the cost of building a bridge themselves.
Rather than praying Gato would one day voluntarily give up his control of the sea routes because of public pressure…
…it would be far better to pull the plug entirely—to build a bridge that directly connected the Land of Waves to the outside world.
Only then would the shipping channel cease to be a lifeline controlled by one man.
Tazuna's pen scratched steadily across the paper.
At that same moment, in a hidden manor belonging to Gato Shipping, the air felt thick and heavy.
"President… are you still going to the dock?" a subordinate asked nervously.
"What's going on?" Gato snapped, slamming his cane on the floor.
"Those villagers blocked the dock again to protest," the man stammered. "They even detained several of our ships that were about to head out. There were too many of them, and the brothers didn't dare stop them…"
"Hmph?"
Gato raised his eyebrows, fury twisting his face. He slammed his cane down again.
"These people… they're rebelling against me! Against the very people who feed them!"
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
"Gato Shipping runs honest business during the day…" Gato muttered darkly. "And when it comes to making money, night business is even more profitable…"
By day, his shipping company transported legitimate goods.
At night, the same routes carried smuggled cargo, lining his pockets even more.
And now, all of that was being threatened by a mob of "ungrateful" islanders.
"Hey, didn't you say someone was going to kill you?"
An indifferent voice suddenly cut through the room.
"It's been a few days and I haven't even seen the shadow of this so-called killer. Are you trying to trick me?"
A man with short black hair sat on the sofa, the lower half of his face and neck wrapped in bandages. Even sitting still, his presence was like a drawn blade.
It was the missing-nin from Kirigakure, the Demon of the Hidden Mist—
Zabuza Momochi.
Gato felt his back go cold.
Up until now, no killer had appeared.
The death ship incident might have been nothing more than an accident. He'd panicked, convinced that someone had targeted him, and hurriedly hired a missing-nin for protection at a high commission.
And now… nothing had happened.
Just thinking about that possibility made Gato's whole body ache.
"Do we really have to settle the payment with him after seven days…?" he thought miserably.
Aloud, he forced a smile. "I—I offended some people while integrating this country's shipping resources," Gato explained, rubbing his hands together. "They were jealous of how big my business was, so they hired a killer to get rid of me…"
Zabuza leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
"I don't care what your reasons are," he said coldly. "I can't guard you for the rest of my life. In the next seven days, no matter whether this killer shows up or not—"
He stood.
"—you still have to settle the commission with me. Understand?"
The massive Executioner's Blade appeared in his hand and came to rest coldly against Gato's neck. Even with Zabuza's mouth wrapped in bandages, Gato could smell the faint metallic stink of blood when he spoke.
"Y–Yes, of course, of course!" Gato stammered, sweating.
"You think if no one comes to kill you, you can save the fee?" Zabuza's voice dropped even lower. "Who do you think I am—some cheap thug?"
He tilted the blade just enough for Gato to feel it bite into his skin.
"Who do you think I, Kijin Zabuza, am?"
Gato's legs nearly gave out.
"N–No, I wouldn't dare…"
Zabuza withdrew the blade, turned, and walked toward the door.
It was raining lightly outside. He picked up his straw rain hat, paused at the threshold, and spoke without looking back at the three men in the room.
"We'll be watching you in secret," he said.
He tilted his head slightly.
"And as a man, you have to choose a way of living you won't regret."
His body dissolved into water and vanished.
"President!!"
Another subordinate rushed in, panting.
"What now?!" Gato barked, still in a foul mood.
"The people blocking the dock… they're getting more and more worked up!" the man blurted. "Their morale is skyrocketing. If this keeps up, the hearts of the people will completely turn against us!"
If this so-called killer really existed and had been lurking all this time…
…then for so many days, remaining this calm—
"The killer is a little too calm," Gato thought, teeth grinding.
He suddenly felt a cruel idea take shape in his mind.
If there is no killer…
"…then we'll just create one," he whispered.
Anyway, he couldn't stand the thought of paying Zabuza so much money for nothing.
"Who is the leader of those rebellious people?" Gato asked abruptly, eyes narrowing.
"It's Kaiza, sir," the subordinate answered at once. "Kaiza, the hero of the Land of Waves."
Gato smiled slowly, a vicious glint in his eyes.
"Good," he said softly.
Out in the rain, heading toward the dock with an umbrella clutched in both hands, Inari ran as fast as his short legs could carry him.
He wasn't just worried about Pochi.
He wanted to see Uncle Kaiza—to see with his own eyes how the man he admired faced down Gato.
In Inari's mind, Kaiza's words still echoed clearly:
"For me, what's really important—no matter whether it's painful or sad—I have to keep working for it," Kaiza had said. "Even if I lose my life, I'll protect it with both hands to the very end."
"That's the way of living I won't regret."
"Ohhh…"
Just remembering it made Inari's blood boil with admiration.
He gripped the umbrella tighter and ran into the deepening rain.
PS :
Pochi – Inari's puppy.
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