Chapter 41: Gato’s Talent  

The whole way there, Gato was filled with unease and worry. After all, he was about to face top-tier ninjas from Konohagakure. 

"Ga… Gato!!" 

The moment the workers at the bridge saw him, their faces turned pale. 

Gato was really here. And not just him—he had brought the pirates with him too. 

Seeing Gato walking in front with a group of fierce-looking pirates behind him, the workers instantly knew things were bad. 

They turned and ran. 

Gato watched without the slightest reaction. These islanders had been under his control for so long that they had lost all courage to resist. 

Even if he taunted them, they wouldn't dare lay a finger on him. 

But those ninjas? They were different. 

"Hmph, useless islanders. If it weren't for those ninjas backing them, they wouldn't have the guts to stand up to me." 

Gato scoffed. 

Just the sight of him had sent them running—that gave him a small boost of confidence. 

Meanwhile, Kakashi's group had already heard the commotion from a distance. 

The workers, who had been busy with construction, stopped what they were doing, fear appearing on their faces. 

"Gato… That bastard really came." 

"And the whole Blade-less Pirates crew is with him." 

"Kakashi-sensei!" 

Naruto turned to Kakashi. 

If they wanted information about Shanks from the captain of the Blade-less Pirates, they would have to rely on Kakashi. 

"Let's see what they want first." 

Kakashi had already explained the situation with the Blade-less Pirates to everyone. 

Their captain was Zabuza, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, a high-level Jonin. 

Their vice-captain, Haku, was around Chunin level. 

The rest of the pirates were stronger than regular people, but against ninjas, sheer numbers wouldn't mean much. 

Overall, both sides were fairly evenly matched. 

As Kakashi was thinking, Gato finally came into view. 

Behind him, the Blade-less Pirates followed closely, stepping out into the open. 

The pirates stopped about a hundred meters away. 

Gato knew that this moment would decide whether he lived or died. 

"Tazuna, I can't believe you had the nerve to defy me. Do you have a death wish?" 

Gato's face twisted with anger, his vicious side fully on display. 

He was Gato, the ruler of the Land of Waves, a ruthless businessman who had controlled the region for over ten years. 

To the people of the Land of Waves, he was the greatest nightmare. 

The workers had only just begun to organize, but with Gato's words alone, many of them started to crumble inside. 

"Ga… Gato, he's mad." 

"This is serious, Tazuna. People are going to die." 

Many workers wanted to resist, but in reality, their will to fight wasn't that strong. 

After all, standing up to him could cost them their lives. 

"Gato, we won't let you do whatever you want anymore! 

As soon as we finish this bridge, you'll never control us again!"

Tazuna shouted angrily. He had a deep grudge against Gato. 

That was exactly why he never loosened his grip on the pickaxe in his hands. 

Even if everyone else backed down, he wouldn't. Not now. 

Seeing how determined Tazuna was, Gato felt pleased. If Tazuna made a move, his job would be done. And since it was just an old man attacking, his own life wouldn't be in danger. 

Good. Keep pushing him. 

"Hahaha, Tazuna, you know what happens when you make me mad, right? And when that happens, it won't just be you paying the price. Your family will suffer too." 

Gato smirked. By using Tazuna's family as leverage, he was sure he could make him lose control and fight to the death. 

It wasn't just Gato who thought this way. The pirates behind him all silently nodded in agreement. 

This was classic Gato—using a person's family to push them over the edge. 

Even in the past, Gato had never gone this far. Doing this was the same as forcing Tazuna into a corner with no way out. 

"If you have the guts to resist, then come at me, Tazuna! Either take me down or watch as your family suffers my wrath." 

But the moment Tazuna heard Gato's words, he snapped back to reality. 

Right… his family. 

He could die. But what about his grandson? What about his loved ones? 

In that instant, his resolve wavered. 

Clang! 

The pickaxe slipped from his hands and hit the ground. 

He… he never really had the courage to fight back in the first place. 

If he did, he wouldn't have spent the islanders' money drinking instead. 

He wasn't a hero. 

He was just an ordinary man from the Land of Waves. 

"Grandpa Tazuna!" 

"Naruto, figure out what the enemy is planning first." 

Kakashi knew exactly what Naruto wanted to say. 

But the people of the Land of Waves had already lost the will to resist. 

This… this was the way of the world. 

Kakashi had seen this scene play out too many times before. 

He was numb to it now. Or maybe he had just grown up. 

"A true shinobi doesn't let an enemy's words shake their mind." 

Kakashi's words calmed Naruto down. 

This wasn't something he had taught Naruto and Sasuke over the past seven days, but it wasn't too late now. 

Meanwhile, Gato was stunned. 

Even Tazuna didn't dare to attack him—wasn't this bad news for him? 

"Gato! Move on to the second plan!" 

Zabuza's voice came from nearby. 

The first plan had clearly failed. 

But just because the villagers wouldn't lay a hand on Gato didn't mean the shinobi wouldn't either. 

The second plan? 

Gato felt his stomach twist. 

Taunting a shinobi? He wouldn't dare. 

But he also couldn't go against Zabuza's orders. 

In the next moment, Gato steeled himself and went all in. 

"Kakashi, son of Konoha's White Fang, you're just a—" 

Gato was about to say "a useless failure" when, in that instant, he met Kakashi's gaze.

Kakashi's eyes were filled with cold indifference, as if he didn't even see Gato as a person—just a corpse. 

At that moment, Gato's instincts screamed at him—he was going to die. No doubt about it. If he dared to mock this man, he would absolutely be killed! 

A chill ran down Gato's spine, and the terrifying feeling made him instantly change his words. Even his tone shifted into something more flattering. 

"A genius like you must have inherited your father's incredible sword skills. As expected of a Jonin from Konohagakure." 

After speaking, Gato let out a sigh of relief. That was close. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he might have been dead already. 

On the other hand, Kakashi had clenched his fists tightly. 

Even with all his self-control, for a moment, he almost lost it. 

Gato's words kept echoing in his mind. 

"You must have inherited your father's incredible sword skills." 

"You must have inherited your father's incredible sword skills." 

"..."

Mockery—blatant, shameless mockery. And coming from Gato's groveling tone, it was even worse than an insult. 

But Gato had no idea what he had just done. If he couldn't mess with the stronger ones, he could at least pick on someone smaller, right? 

That brat over there—yeah, the arrogant-looking one. 

"Hey, kid, what are you staring at? I'm talking to you. Your Uchiha clan is nothing but—" 

Before he could finish, his eyes met Sasuke's icy gaze. 

Sasuke wasn't thinking much about it—he remembered what Kakashi had said earlier. No matter what the other person said, he wouldn't let it affect him. 

But to Gato, that cold stare was dangerous. And with the Uchiha clan's history as the most powerful ninja family in Konohagakure, messing with him was a bad idea. 

No. He couldn't afford to provoke this one either! 

Once again, Gato's instincts kicked in, and his words took a sharp turn. What was meant to be an insult became flattery. 

"All of you Uchiha are geniuses. Even Uchiha Itachi, who joined the Revolutionary Army—I admire him so much." 

That's right! If he praised the Uchiha, everything would be fine. Time to find someone easier to mess with. 

However, Sasuke, who had been mentally prepared for an insult, froze when he heard Gato's words. 

"Admire him…" 

"Admire… Itachi…" 

At that moment, all reason vanished. 

"Die!" 

Sasuke lunged at Gato. Before he even reached him, a kunai had already pierced through Gato's thigh, and blood sprayed out. 

Kakashi followed right behind. Since Sasuke had already made a move, there was no reason to hold back. 

Gato hadn't even processed what was happening. Wait—he had just been complimenting them! Why was he suddenly feeling such intense killing intent from both of them? 

"Help—!" 

Before he could finish, Sasuke was already in front of him. His crimson Sharingan eyes burned with killing intent. 

The kunai in his hand didn't hesitate—he drove it straight toward Gato. 

Bang!

In the next moment, Gato was sent flying. A pair of frost-covered hands blocked Sasuke's kunai. 

Tiny ice shards scattered from the hands, landing on Haku's long hair, which swayed in the wind. 

Above Haku, Zabuza and Kakashi's weapons clashed. 

The fight was about to begin! 

---

You can read 50 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu