Nami no Kuni, early morning.
The unfinished bridge stood tall over the sea, the ocean breeze carrying a salty, damp scent.
Tazuna-san was leading the workers through the final stages of the operation.
The scene on the bridge was completely different from a few days ago.
The rusted ropes that had once looked ready to snap at any moment had been replaced with brand-new steel cables.
The workers were dressed in uniform, thick work clothes, holding brand-new tools that had just been delivered.
More importantly, there was the change in the people's complexions.
Those construction workers, who were originally sallow and emaciated, now stood with their backs straight.
With fragrant meat-floss rice balls in their pockets, their eyes sparkled with a long-lost hope for life.
All of this stemmed from the "Nami no Kuni Mutual Development Foundation" established just a few days ago.
Although they didn't know who the boss behind the scenes was, it didn't stop everyone from being filled with gratitude toward them.
Suddenly, a layer of white mist rose over the sea without warning.
The mist thickened at an alarming rate, quickly swallowing the surrounding visibility.
"This feeling..."
"Everyone, get back!"
Kakashi instantly pulled up his forehead protector, his blood-red Sharingan staring intently into the depths of the thick fog, his muscles tensed.
Sasuke and Sakura also immediately drew their kunai, guarding Tazuna-san on either side.
"Kill them—!"
A cacophony of shouting suddenly came from the distance.
Tazuna-san's grandson, Inari, led a group of dark-skinned farmers armed with axes and harpoons onto the bridge.
Though their legs were trembling, their eyes revealed the madness of those driven to a dead end.
"We're going to fight them! We can't let them destroy our hope!"
Inari shouted loudly, his youthful voice carrying a hint of tragic heroism.
Even if it had only been a few days of eating their fill and seeing hope, they didn't want to go back to that once-bleak life.
The atmosphere of impending slaughter reached its peak.
Only Naruto stood calmly in the crowd, a faint, non-existent smile on his lips.
Thump, thump, thump.
Heavy footsteps rang out.
Zabuza's figure slowly appeared, carrying his giant blade.
Behind him followed Haku, along with a dozen subordinates with sharp gazes and steady auras.
"Prepare for battle!"
Kakashi barked, the light of lightning faintly beginning to flicker in his hand.
Zabuza stopped in his tracks.
He looked at the group of villagers in the distance holding farm tools with death in their eyes, then at Kakashi who was facing a formidable enemy, and suddenly felt like laughing.
"These fools actually still think I'm the biggest threat?"
"They have no idea that the person who is truly going to devour this country whole, not even leaving behind bone fragments... is standing right behind them, watching the show with an innocent face!"
Zabuza's gaze seemingly inadvertently swept over Naruto, forcefully suppressing the sense of absurdity in his heart.
Then, he spoke.
His voice was still slightly raspy, but unexpectedly devoid of killing intent; instead, it had a weirdly... official feel to it:
"Kakashi, put your eye away."
"Today, I'm not here to kill anyone."
"My purpose is only to deliver... an announcement from that lord."
Kakashi was stunned, the Chidori in his hand almost fizzling out.
Sasuke and Sakura expressions also changed from tension to confusion.
In their short shinobi careers, they had never encountered anything like this.
"Gato is dead."
Zabuza coldly spat out three words, as if stating an insignificant objective fact.
"What? Gato is dead?"
Tazuna-san cried out in shock.
Kakashi brow furrowed even deeper.
This rich man with a private army who had ruled Nami no Kuni for years like a nightmare... was now quietly dead?
"He died in an internal conflict caused by an uneven distribution of spoils."
Zabuza recited the script lines Naruto had taught him last night with a blank face.
Although he tried his best to appear natural, his tone was still stiff, like he was reciting an instruction manual.
"The Land of Waves is no longer ruled by him."
"All assets and debts have been fully taken over by the 'Nami no Kuni Mutual Development Foundation'."
The villagers looked at each other, caught between belief and doubt.
Zabuza took a deep breath and continued:
"The owner behind the foundation is a... philanthropist who advocates for order."
When he mentioned the word philanthropist, Zabuza's facial muscles couldn't help but twitch.
He felt as disgusted as if he had swallowed a fly.
"He has decided to inject capital into Nami no Kuni, and the construction of the bridge will continue."
"In addition, the foundation will use thirty percent of the future port profits to establish a public welfare trust, so that every household in Nami no Kuni will enjoy year-end dividends."
There was a dead silence on the bridge.
Then, there was the buzzing sound of discussion.
"Thirty percent of the profits... how much money is that?"
"Is it for real? Is there really such a good thing?"
"It must be true! People from the Mutual Aid Society have been giving out rice at the docks every day for the past two days, and it's all good rice! Not the moldy rice they used to sell!"
Cheers began to brew in the crowd.
Instead of his doubts lessening, Kakashi broke out in a cold sweat.
"This... how is this possible?"
This method of taking over a country's heart without shedding blood and establishing a long-term bond of interests... was definitely not something an ordinary merchant could do.
"How could there be such an investment in this world that asks for nothing in return? Who exactly is this philanthropist?"
Zabuza glanced secretly at Naruto, who was acting as if nothing was wrong and even pretending to be surprised, and snorted coldly:
"The boss's name isn't important. What's important is that he values the potential of this country."
"Tazuna, from today on, you are the chief engineer of the bridge. This is the back pay owed to you."
A heavy envelope was thrown by Zabuza, landing precisely in Tazuna-san's arms.
"He doesn't like bloodshed."
Zabuza turned around, his back to the crowd, leaving one last sentence:
"He prefers... win-win."
When he said win-win, the corners of Zabuza's eyes twitched wildly.
He couldn't stay any longer and immediately led his subordinates into the thick fog.
At the moment of departure, Haku looked back.
Those pure eyes took a deep look at Naruto.
A hint of reluctance showed in his eyes, and then his figure dissipated into the mist along with the others...
Another week passed.
A cheer that reached the clouds erupted from the cross-sea bridge construction site.
The bridge was completed and officially named: Great Naruto Bridge.
At this moment, wine and joy flowed across the bridge.
Tazuna-san held Kakashi hand and thanked him repeatedly, while the villagers danced happily nearby.
And in the guard post not far away, those nukenin who once killed without blinking were now dressed in dark gray professional attire, wearing armbands, maintaining order with expressionless faces.
This scene was full of magical realism.
The current residents of Nami no Kuni had completely accepted the rule of the foundation.
The Daimyo far away had been intentionally or unintentionally ignored.
In their eyes, this foundation that gave money, food, and dignity was the true master here.
"The mission has been successfully completed, Kakashi."
Naruto stood on the shore, the sea breeze blowing through his blond hair.
He looked at the crowd seeing them off in the distance, a gratified smile on his face.
Kakashi looked at Naruto profile, the strange feeling in his heart growing heavier.
This mission was far too inexplicable.
From beginning to end, there was a weird aura everywhere.
"Naruto."
Kakashi looked at the people not far away and finally asked the doubt in his heart:
"Don't you find all of this strange?"
"It's like someone arranged the development of the story behind the scenes."
"Even a killer like Zabuza actually became a maintainer of order?"
However, no matter how smart Kakashi was, he never imagined that the so-called director behind the scenes was standing right beside him.
But Kakashi had too many doubts in his heart, so he poured them out to Naruto beside him.
Facing Kakashi questioning, Naruto just pushed up his glasses.
"People change, Kakashi."
Naruto tone was gentle, without a hint of abnormality.
"When you can get the corresponding reward without shedding blood, who would want to live a life on the edge of a blade?"
Kakashi was silent for a moment.
He looked at the joyful commoners in the distance, then at the nukenin who had "returned to the right path."
In the end, he only let out a sigh.
"Yeah... regardless of the process, at least the result is good."
Kakashi waved to the people in the distance.
He turned around, his back looking a bit lonely.
"Let's go, back to the village."
"The mission is over."