Chapter 40: Gato – Oh, So This Is How You Want to Play?  

Meanwhile, Zabuza had no idea that Itachi and Kisame were heading toward the Land of Waves. 

One reason was that the Land of Waves wasn't exactly peaceful right now. 

The other reason was that there were quite a few pirates outside the Land of Waves. 

These pirates wouldn't attack the land itself, but with so many of them around, communication had become more difficult. 

On top of that, Zabuza was very clear about his own position—he was just an ordinary pirate. 

He had no big ambitions. 

At least for now, he didn't seem to have any. 

Collecting protection fees was one thing. As for what happened in the Land of Water, that was purely a personal grudge. 

So for now, Zabuza's focus remained on the Land of Waves. 

After all, just Naruto and his group alone were worth paying attention to. 

If anything major happened, Zabuza wanted to be ready to escape. 

"The leading ninja is Kakashi?" 

After spending seven days gathering information, Zabuza had finally gotten all the intel he needed.

During these seven days, he and Kakashi never met, but since Kakashi interacted with so many people, gathering information about him was still quite easy. 

"The team members are Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto." 

"Captain, is there anything special about these three?" 

Gato ran over eagerly. Even though he wasn't a member of the Blade-less Pirates, all the money they looted was kept with him. Holding onto that money made him anxious, constantly worrying that he might end up dead just for having it. 

Right now, Gato was stuck in a situation where he had to pay protection fees to the Blade-less Pirates while also working for them. 

He was literally paying to work. 

"Other than this Haruno Sakura, the other three are quite special," Zabuza said. 

By now, all the members of the Blade-less Pirates had gathered, including Haku, who was quietly listening on the side. 

"First, there's Kakashi. He's known as the Copy Ninja. Most Ninjutsu techniques—he only needs to see them once to learn them. And his strength is at the elite jonin level. More importantly, as an elite jonin of Konohagakure, Kakashi is strong enough to pose a threat to a Kage." 

Zabuza's tone was serious. That was the power of an elite jonin from Konohagakure—strong enough to be a real danger to a Kage. 

At this point, Kakashi's strength might not seem overwhelming, but he definitely had the potential to threaten a Kage. 

After all, some Kage-level ninjas looked strong on paper but still ended up dying quietly in their own villages. 

"Besides that, Kakashi's father was the legendary Konohagakure White Fang—a swordsmanship genius of his time, one of the absolute best. His reputation was so great that it even overshadowed the fame of the Three Sannin." 

That was the real reason Zabuza took Kakashi seriously. 

The name of Konohagakure's White Fang was simply too well known—especially to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. 

Compared to Hatake Sakumo, what were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure? Just a bunch of nobodies. 

That man could charge into an enemy stronghold alone or with just a small squad. Meanwhile, the Seven Swordsmen of Kirigakure? They ganged up on a single Konohagakure genin and still ended up losing several of their own. 

Embarrassing. No, beyond embarrassing! 

"So what you're saying is... Kakashi's real strength lies in his swordsmanship?" 

Haku asked, puzzled. 

Everyone here had seen Zabuza's swordsmanship firsthand. Once it reached a certain level, it became an absolutely terrifying force. 

And if Konohagakure's White Fang was the strongest sword ninja of the previous era, then as his son, Kakashi must have inherited some incredible sword skills. 

"I'm not sure, but it's very possible." 

"Besides that—" 

Zabuza hadn't even finished speaking. 

Everyone froze. 

Wait, what? There's more? 

The buffs they'd already heard about were insane enough! 

The son of the greatest sword ninja of the last era, with elite jonin strength, and the title of Copy Ninja. 

Just those three things alone were already beyond what a normal person could even imagine. 

"I think I mentioned this before—the Yellow Flash. The man Shanks called Kizaru." 

Zabuza said, glancing at his subordinates. He had told them quite a few stories before.

"He's the one who's on the same level as Aokiji and Akainu, and even got recognized by Four Emperors Shanks?" 

"That's right. 

Kizaru, also known as the Golden Flash, moves like a flash of light on the battlefield. He was the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure and Kakashi's teacher." 

Everyone was stunned after hearing Zabuza's words. 

No one expected an ordinary Jonin from Konohagakure to have such a strong background. 

At this moment, Gato was already thinking about running away. The reason was simple—he couldn't afford to mess with this guy. 

And Zabuza? He probably couldn't either. 

"As for Uchiha Sasuke... The Uchiha clan was once the strongest ninja clan in Konohagakure. A few years ago, the entire clan was wiped out, and the one responsible was likely Uchiha Itachi, a rogue ninja who defected from Konohagakure." 

Zabuza took out a bounty poster. Information on rogue ninjas from different villages could be found on the black market, and Itachi's details were right there. 

"The Uchiha clan possessed a special Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan. The exact abilities are unknown, but I can tell you one thing. I once ran into Itachi after he joined the Revolutionary Army. I didn't fight him, but he managed to escape from Shanks unharmed." 

"So, keep an eye on that Uchiha kid too." 

Zabuza hadn't found much information on Sasuke, but he clearly remembered the time Kisame appeared alongside Itachi. 

And the fact that Itachi could walk away unscathed after encountering Shanks was enough to prove that his strength was far above Zabuza's. 

Though what Zabuza didn't know was that Itachi's so-called "escape" was just him using a crow to spy on Shanks. 

Shanks noticed, slashed the summoned crow in half, and that was it. 

The two of them never even faced each other. 

If they had, with that cloak Itachi always wore, Shanks—unless he was an idiot—would have immediately figured out who he was dealing with. 

But for the pirates, it was a completely different story. 

Shanks was a Four Emperor, someone their own captain had to look up to. 

And yet, an Uchiha actually managed to get away from him unscathed? 

"Hiss—!!" 

Everyone took a sharp breath, and even Gato started trembling. 

"V-Vice Captain, could you turn off your ability...?" 

The crew, shivering from the cold, reminded him in a low voice. 

"Huh? Oh, s-sorry!" 

Haku quickly apologized. Just hearing all this information was making him nervous, and his power had activated on its own. 

"As for the last one, Uzumaki Naruto... 

We've confirmed that's his real name. 

He doesn't have red hair, but he's most likely a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, so we should be careful around him too." 

After hearing their captain's words, the pirates felt even more pressure. 

The ninjas they were up against this time were no joke. 

"That means we've got a tough fight ahead of us, boys." 

"Are you ready?" 

"Ready, Captain!" 

"Let's show those ninjas the spirit of real pirates!" 

"Yeah! Fighting strong opponents is what being a pirate is all about!" 

"..."

As Zabuza stood up, the pirates all responded in unison. With their captain here, what was there to fear? 

Strength didn't mean they were afraid. Only those truly strong were worthy of facing the Blade-less Pirates. 

"But… why do we have to fight?" 

Haku spoke up at an awkward moment. 

"We only took protection money from Gato, right? They haven't even threatened Gato." 

Well, that was just how straightforward Haku was—kind and gentle. As for avenging their crew members? Even Zabuza knew that excuse wouldn't hold, at least not in front of Haku. After all, they had already beaten those people up too. 

"Yeah, Captain, I think we don't need to fight either." 

Gato quickly nodded. These guys were pirates, and this was how they operated? If they caused big trouble and then ran off, wouldn't he, the lord of the Land of Waves, be left to clean up the mess? 

"They haven't threatened me at all. I don't think I need protection." 

Gato couldn't help but appreciate Haku's kindness. Vice-captain, you're the only decent one in this crew! 

Hearing Gato speak, Zabuza turned to look at him. Why did this guy seem so punchable all of a sudden? 

Gato immediately felt guilty. Hey, I wasn't the one who said that—the vice-captain did! Why do you look like you're about to beat me up? 

"That's right, Captain. We're pirates with principles." 

"How about we just throw Gato over there and let them beat him up? That way, we'll have a reason to fight." 

"..." 

The pirates quickly caught on. If they were going to act like pirates, they might as well go all the way. 

Zabuza's eyes lit up. Right! Gato was annoying, and he had grudges with the villagers. If they handed Gato over, surely Haku wouldn't object, right? 

"Gato…" 

The moment Zabuza spoke, Gato understood. 

He got it. 

He hadn't done anything, yet he was the one getting screwed over. 

And look at the vice-captain—he was the one who kept stopping the captain, even accidentally injuring him in battle, yet nothing ever happened to him. 

Fine, fine, you all want to play like this? Everyone spoils the vice-captain, huh? 

Alright then, I have my pride too. 

"Vice-captain, you have to save me. Don't let those villagers beat me to death!" 

Gato resigned himself to his fate. As long as he didn't die, it was fine. 

"Don't worry, Gato," Haku reassured him. 

"If you get beaten up, we'll definitely protect you." 

Hearing Haku's promise, Gato put on his sunglasses and walked forward without hesitation. 

" Gato, you're going the wrong way. It's this way…" 

Haku's voice came from behind him. 

Gato froze mid-step, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. 

The next second, he felt dozens of murderous gazes on his back. 

Without even lowering his foot, he twisted his body in the air and turned in the right direction, heading straight for the bridge.

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