Multi-Anime, I Stand at the Forefront of Popularity Supremacy

Hanabi then looked at Tazuna. "Uncle Tazuna, the Land of Waves is almost out of funds, isn't it? And it's not just you; even your Daimyo is in the same situation."

"So, you've seen through it..." Tazuna's expression turned grim.

"Building a bridge is a complex undertaking, but you're only asking us to protect you for about a month. That tells me your bridge is nearing completion, just needing that final push," Hanabi said. "From another perspective, the funds you've raised for its construction must be nearly depleted."

"...Is that how it is?! That Gato fellow, he planned this from the very beginning?!" Tazuna immediately understood what was happening.

Deliver a fatal blow just as the bridge was about to be finished.

This was Gato's modus operandi as a cunning merchant.

"Gato? I recall he's a merchant who got rich overnight through the shipping industry."

Kakashi had also heard Gato's name.

"That's right. On the surface, he runs a shipping company, but in secret, he uses illicit means and ninja to traffic controlled substances, encroaching on other businesses and countries. He's a truly wicked villain," Tazuna said. "The Land of Waves is a victim. With his wealth and violence, he quickly gained control of all sea transport on the island. The Land of Waves is a nation composed of many small islands. Controlling maritime transport is tantamount to conquering the country."

Hanabi added, "So, if the bridge you're building, Uncle Tazuna, is completed, it will allow travel between countries without being constrained by Gato—that's what you were thinking, isn't it?"

"Of course," Tazuna nodded.

"But have you considered that the bridge... could still be destroyed by Gato?" Hanabi asked.

"He—how could he dare?" Tazuna's eyes widened.

"Why do you assume he wouldn't dare? Don't view such people from the perspective of ordinary individuals. For such unscrupulous merchants, if the profit exceeds three hundred percent, they would dare to trample on everything in the world." [???] [Hey, Old Ma, Old Ma] [A ghost, a ghost...] [Admin, ban him quickly!] [Damn it, Hanabi, what are you doing, Hanabi, stop it!] [LOL] [Tazuna is still too naive] [Naive, naive, naive] [How dare you assume he wouldn't dare?] [I can tell the people of the Land of Waves are very simple. At first, I thought it was moral coercion, but it turns out they really don't understand anything.]

"This mission is definitely not as simple as a C-rank mission," Hanabi stated.

"But I'm out of money. Forget about commoners like me; even the Daimyo can't afford it..." Tazuna sighed, carrying his own unspoken burdens.

"Yes. Not at the moment," Hanabi said. "But that might not be the case in the future."

"The future?" Tazuna was confused.

"If the bridge can be completed, transportation between the Land of Waves and other countries will become more convenient. And convenient transportation means easier travel. In other words, the future Land of Waves will have the money. By using future tariffs as collateral, it can alleviate the immediate crisis." [Damn, reverse cultivation technique?] [East India Company, right?] [LOL] [Hey, the boomerang is here after all]

"Is this the right way to do it?" Naruto, having finished bandaging his wounds, also walked over. "Can't we just help Uncle finish building the bridge directly?"

"Naruto, Hanabi already said that even if the bridge is completed, it could still be destroyed." Kakashi said. He had a blind spot regarding this earlier, but after Hanabi pointed it out, Kakashi also realized the issue.

"Take out that Gato guy?" Sasuke asked?

"What if there's a second one?" Naruto tilted his head. He asked casually, not understanding the implications of his question, but Sasuke fell into silence.

"Therefore, let's sign a loan agreement," Hanabi said. "If the Land of Waves can provide future income as a guarantee, Konoha's Hyuga Clan can provide you with a loan. As for the mission rank... well, we'll assess it based on the danger we ultimately face, how about that? You don't need to pay cash anyway."

"Konoha..." Tazuna was a bit stunned.

After several moments of thought, the old man finally understood.

"Th-thank you very much!"

"Hanabi, how can you ask for money?" Naruto still held his simple beliefs. Besides, the Daimyo's wife had already given them a considerable reward.

However, Kakashi sighed, "Naruto. Hanabi's point is that the loan for the Land of Waves is from Konoha's Hyuga Clan. If other forces take an interest in the Land of Waves, it means they'll have to consider Konoha, or at least the attitude of the Hyuga Clan."

"Simply put, it's using your own clan's name to protect the Land of Waves from other villains. Idiot," Sasuke explained to Naruto in simple terms. [I'm actually Naruto] [Damn, it's really a thousand layers of deception, so that's how it is] [Expanded the influence of the clan and the village, it's still an open strategy] [Does everyone remember Hanabi's discussion with the Third Hokage earlier? Was that what they were talking about?] [So this is the boomerang after all?!] [The clown is me]

[My wife is kind-hearted and can't stand to see people suffer.]

After resolving the subsequent issues, the Ghost Hand brothers looked at Kakashi, "How do you plan to deal with us?"

"I'm fine with anything, Hanabi, what do you think?"

Kakashi had the composure of a strong individual. The original novel stated that Kakashi let the Ghost Hand ninja go.

So Hanabi also smiled, "Of course, we'll let them go."

"Is that okay?" Kakashi asked.

"There aren't just these two ninja around; there are others hiding and observing. So, silencing them wouldn't serve any purpose."

"Besides, this is Konoha's territory. Kirigakure ninja wouldn't easily set foot here. From that perspective, you must be rogue ninja, right?"

"Ah, no, I heard there was a coup in Kirigakure. You yourselves probably don't think you've betrayed Kirigakure."

These people were Zabuza's subordinates.

From Zabuza's perspective, he was staging a coup and intended to fight back, but he never intended to completely defect from the country.

"So, I'm even more curious why you became Gato's subordinates. This is too amusing."

"Gato... what do you mean?!"

The Ghost Hand brothers were stunned. No, they were panicked; they had also thought of a possibility.

"Well~ he's just a shipping merchant, nothing special," Hanabi chuckled.

"You're really just letting them go?" Sasuke was still confused.

Kakashi patted Sasuke's shoulder, "Listen carefully. This is a mission, not a chance for revenge for your parents' deaths. Since the other party is here for their job, stopping them from achieving their goal is enough."

[With so little money, why risk your life?]

[Kakashi: Actually, I'm just living my life.]

[Hanabi, you layered onion, I suddenly thought, Apart displayed a world map, the Land of Water is on the sea and it's quite large, and Gato controls maritime transport...]

[Holy crap, is Gato the Black Hand?]

[No wonder those two ninja panicked.]

[The remnants of a coup, hired by their former enemy's Black Hand to be thugs, how tragic can it get?]

[Joy, so much joy.]

[This is worse than killing them.]

Hanabi laughed even more happily.

Whether Gato was the Black Hand of the Land of Water and Kirigakure, Hanabi didn't know.

However, Gato could be.

Even if Gato wasn't, it could be said that he was an unknowingly controlled Black Hand.

In any case, as long as the readers had that impression, it was enough.

The truth wasn't important; what mattered was whether this drama was exciting.

And as Team 7 set foot on the Land of Waves, this good show was finally about to begin.

Author's Notes:

A 3K chapter~ Requesting all kinds of votes...

Gotta go finish the backlog Orz

The image of Honkai: Star Rail Hanabi + Red Rope from chapter 43 was censored. You can search "Who is it, Hanabi?" on EX to see it.

Actually, I've been looking for good pictures of Hanabi Hyuga, but either they can't be posted, or they're Western-style. Tsk, it's so difficult.

Chapter 46: Zabuza: So I was like this?!

To avoid Gato's eyes and ears, Team 7 departed by boat late at night, arriving at the outskirts of the Land of Waves in the morning and entering the Land of Waves through an underground waterway.

After disembarking at a dock midway through the waterway, the group hurried towards the town.

This dock was located in the wilderness, and not far ahead was a dense jungle, with the surroundings being very dim.

After a night's rest, Naruto had already regained his usual energetic demeanor.

Upon entering the Land of Waves, he was jumping around, "maintaining vigilance." Except for Hanabi, who was constantly smiling, the other three looked at Naruto with sweat beading on their foreheads.

"There!"

After staring at the bushes for a moment, Naruto suddenly pulled out a shuriken and threw it.

"And then what?" Kakashi was getting impatient.

Naruto had already been making a fuss for a while, first about a mouse, then a frog.

"Your aim is so bad, don't randomly throw shuriken where people might be moving, it's too dangerous!"

If any bystanders were injured, it would be troublesome for him, the Jonin leading the mission.

"And then—of course, we'll use the Substitution Technique to escape."

Hanabi's words left Kakashi speechless.

[Damn]

[This is intense right from the start]

[Kakashi: Seriously, talking to Hanabi is exhausting]

[A lucky guess?]

[Hahaha]

Hanabi had spent a night here, while the audience had already reached episode nine.

This was the beginning of episode nine. However, since Hanabi was currently undergoing a test, the final reward would be given all at once as "payment" after the event concluded.

"What is it, what is it?" Naruto immediately darted over. Pushing aside the bushes, he saw a fainted, snow-white rabbit.

"A white snow rabbit. But it's spring now, so a snow rabbit's fur should normally be brown. If it's white, it means this is a snow rabbit raised indoors." Kakashi grew cautious. "That's right, this is a snow rabbit used for the Substitution Technique. Someone was hiding here just now, and after being attacked, they used the snow rabbit as a substitute, trying to make us think it was just an ordinary rabbit."

This was one of the normal uses of the Substitution Technique, to make the enemy believe it was just a small animal or something when their position was about to be exposed.

"Everyone, get down!"

Just then, Kakashi suddenly shouted.

Kakashi, Tazuna, Naruto, and Sasuke immediately dropped to the ground.

And at that moment, a huge object, making a sound as it spun and whistled, rushed towards them. The object was at chest height for everyone.

Then, in the next instant, countless red ropes were released, ensnaring the spinning object. The two collided, producing a sound like metal clashing against metal.

[Here it comes, the Chains of Heaven LOL]