#26 - Chapter 26: First Murder Cardo Company
"What about these two?" Sakura asked, looking at the Demon Brothers tied to the tree.
"To prevent them from escaping and causing us more trouble, we can only deal with them here."
With that, Kakashi looked at Naruto and Sasuke, "You guys want to do it?"
Now that the mission had progressed this far, he felt it was necessary to further train their courage.
A ninja isn't just about having the determination to kill, they also have to actually kill!
If one is indecisive, it will not only complicate the mission but also put themselves and their comrades in danger!
Of course, the reason he didn't ask Sakura was because he felt she wasn't ready yet.
After receiving Kakashi's instructions, Naruto directly pierced one of them through the chest with a laser beam.
His face was expressionless, like a demon who disregarded life.
But that wasn't actually the case.
If one could measure his heart rate, they would know that Naruto's heart wasn't as calm as his appearance suggested.
Killing someone and fighting with all your might are two different concepts.
Especially when killing someone who can no longer resist...
Sasuke was a bit better than Naruto because he had survived a pile of dead bodies when he was very young, so killing wasn't something he needed to mentally prepare for.
A kunai was thrown, piercing the other person's brain.
His expression and his mind didn't fluctuate at all!
Kakashi checked the Demon Brothers' breathing and, after confirming they were dead, said, "Let's go!"
Before leaving, Sakura glanced at the corpses of the Demon Brothers, feeling very uncomfortable, and felt like she would have nightmares tonight!
As Kakashi had guessed, she was far from ready!
......
Next, everyone hurried on and finally arrived at the port before noon.
However, because it was close to the sea, the fog was thick here, making it difficult to distinguish between day and night.
"Here!"
Tazuna found his companion at the port and called him over.
This was a middle-aged man dressed in plain clothes, wearing a top-shaped hat.
His simple face was covered with wrinkles, but he didn't look like he was the same age as Tazuna.
"Finally here, I was about to leave if you guys didn't come."
"Sorry for the trouble."
Tazuna said, asking everyone to get on the boat together.
After everyone was seated, the small boat slowly left the port and headed towards the Land of Waves.
"Mr. Tazuna, you can tell us now, right? If you don't tell us the whole story, we don't rule out the possibility of abandoning the mission as soon as we reach the shore. After all, I need to be responsible for my teammates," Kakashi said lightly.
"Alas~"
Tazuna sighed and slowly said, "The beginning of the matter is because an extremely terrible person has set his sights on me."
"Who?" Sakura asked.
"Gato."
"Gato?"
Hearing this name, Kakashi's pupils shrank slightly, obviously this name represented a remarkable person.
"Is it Gato of the Gato Company?"
"Yes, it's that Gato, one of the world's leading tycoons!" Tazuna sighed again, "On the surface, he is the big boss of a shipping company, but behind the scenes, he uses thugs and ninjas to trade drugs and contraband, ultimately aiming to devour other companies and countries, a real scum!"
"About a year ago, Gato set his sights on the Land of Waves. He used violence and financial power to run amok, instantly monopolizing the country's maritime traffic and transportation."
"For island countries like the Land of Waves, monopolizing its sea control is equivalent to controlling all of its wealth, politics, and people."
"Now the only thing Gato fears is this bridge that has been under construction for a long time!"
"I see, so Mr. Tazuna has become that Gato's stumbling block!" Sakura said thoughtfully.
"The ninjas we encountered before should also have been sent by this Gato," Sasuke also said.
"If I were Gato, I would wait for you to build the bridge and then control the bridge. That way, I wouldn't have to spend money hiring ninjas to deal with you, and I could get a bridge for free to collect protection fees!" Naruto said.
"......"
Everyone looked at Naruto, their eyes full of disbelief.
"Naruto, it's a good thing you're not the boss of the Gato Company, otherwise the Land of Waves would be in danger!" Sakura said.
"I think someone like him is dangerous even if he's not the boss of the Gato Company," Sasuke said.
Naruto glanced at the two of them, and they immediately shut up.
"Cough cough!"
Kakashi coughed twice, interrupting the awkward atmosphere, "Gato... Mr. Tazuna, I still have one thing I don't understand. Since this mission is so dangerous, why did you hide the truth and hire us?"
"Why else? Of course, because I'm poor."
Naruto, who had always been poor, could resonate with Tazuna on this point.
"That's right, the Land of Waves is a very poor country. Even the feudal lords don't have much money, let alone me."
Tazuna suddenly pretended to be sad, "Forget it, if you cancel the mission after landing, I will definitely be killed before I get home."
"But you don't need to worry too much. After I die, I'll just leave behind my eight-year-old grandson who will cry all day long."
"......"
"Ah, and my daughter will hate the Leaf Village ninjas for the rest of her life and live alone until she dies!"
"But it doesn't matter, it's not your fault anyway. Who told me I couldn't afford it?"
"......"
The four were speechless, while Kakashi touched the forehead protector on his head, looking quite troubled.
After thinking for a while, Kakashi finally said helplessly, "I guess there's no other way. Let us continue to protect you until the bridge is built."
"Ah, really? Thank you so much."
Tazuna said without emotion, then secretly made a 'V' sign to his companion behind him.
"Hey, don't think we can't see you," Naruto said speechlessly.
"Hahaha, don't mind these little things, don't mind it, hahahaha!" Tazuna, who had been discovered, scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
"I really can't do anything with you," Sakura said, hanging her head, feeling a little helpless.
Of all the people on this boat, she was the least willing to participate in this mission.
But Tazuna was too cunning and rogue.
Her unextinguished kindness would not allow her to ignore such a pitiful old man!
"We're here!"
Tazuna's companion suddenly said, "It seems we haven't been discovered yet, Tazuna."
"Thank you for your hard work!" Tazuna said.
Watching the boatman leave, the group set off again.
However, Kakashi was a little worried along the way.
The Demon Brothers were Chunin. After those two were defeated, the next ninja to attack would definitely be a Jonin!
Relying on him alone would probably be a bit troublesome.
Although Naruto's strength was very strong, his lack of combat experience was his weakness, so Kakashi couldn't completely trust him as a Jonin.
Even if Naruto possessed the power to defeat him!
