You think you're the mantis stalking the cicada, with the oriole waiting behind? What are you thinking?!

"Hm? Where's Zabuza? Did he run away at the last minute?" Kado stared at Hao Shuai and the others standing on the bridge, but Zabuza was nowhere to be seen. He was momentarily stunned.

"You mean Zabuza? He's dead," Hao Shuai kindly explained.

"Dead? Heh heh heh heh, I knew Zabuza was a useless piece of trash! He was no good at all!" Kado sneered, then exclaimed with delight, "Good riddance! That saves me a hefty fee."

Hao Shuai was speechless.

He couldn't believe it. Kado was one of the richest men in the ninja world, yet he was this happy about saving a mere few million ryo?!

No wonder people said the richer you were, the stingier you became!

Kado was the perfect example!

"Still, that useless Zabuza didn't die for nothing. At least he fought you to a standstill. Hahaha~~~"

With that, Kado burst into laughter at Hao Shuai and Kakashi.

It wasn't entirely Kado's fault that he was so arrogant. He knew that a ninja's strength depended on Chakra, and a ninja who had run out of Chakra wasn't even as threatening as a martial artist.

Although Kado had constantly called Zabuza useless, he knew how strong Zabuza was. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hired him.

Now that Zabuza was dead, Kado figured Kakashi and Hao Shuai must have run out of Chakra, too.

As for the three little brats—Naruto and the others?

Kado hadn't taken them seriously from the start.

Hao Shuai merely gave Kado's scheming a disdainful smile. Kado was trying to play the mantis stalking the cicada, with the oriole waiting behind.

What Kado didn't know was that a hunter named Hao Shuai was waiting behind the oriole.

Why had Hao Shuai turned a blind eye to Haku's identity earlier and let Haku take Zabuza