"Kazeka, your potions are seriously outrageous..."
Kiba Inuzuka stared at Kazeka, dumbfounded.
"Setting aside how bizarre it is, in a way, it really is terrifying!"
"My original intention was just to use it to mess with Haku's state of mind, and maybe even threaten him into surrendering.
"But I didn't expect Haku to actually accept this gender..."
Kazeka was starting to doubt himself a little, too.
"Looks like this world is the problem after all!"
"Kazeka, I have to ask you something..."
Sasuke had agreed in a rush of enthusiasm to go to Kazeka's Laboratory and undergo experiments.
But after Naruto's warning and seeing what had just happened, Sasuke couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive.
"You don't have any experiments planned for me that would change my gender, do you?
"And I heard you once put an Infant Monster in someone's crotch. You're not going to do that to me too, are you?"
"Don't worry..."
Kazeka reassured Sasuke.
"That gender-changing potion was a failed product. As for the Infant Monster, I deliberately punished that idiot who tried to take advantage of me.
"I'm past the amateur stage of randomly replacing parts of people's bodies. My experiments are much more efficient now!"
While Kazeka explained and Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, Zabuza was having a headache over Haku.
His obsession was to complete Gato's job and get the seed money, then expand his forces and find a chance to take revenge on Kirigakure, giving its people a better future.
However, seeing Kakashi's reinforcements arrive, he was also considering retreating.
But to his surprise, after a fight, Haku hadn't just changed in temperament—his personality had changed too!
After probing him with a few questions, Zabuza realized Haku had gone completely off the rails!
When he'd been with Haku before, he'd felt that Haku's gaze was strange, but since they were both men, he hadn't paid it much attention.
Only now, thanks to Kazeka's potion, did he realize just how obsessed Haku had become with him!
"I treated you like a subordinate, and you wanted to climb into my bed!"
"Kid, can you turn Haku back to normal?"
Keeping his distance from Kakashi, Zabuza glanced at Haku, then looked at Kazeka.
He did want to complete Gato's job, but turning Haku back to normal was far more important.
"I do have a way to turn Haku back into a man, but it'll take a lot of surgery, and Haku's cooperation will be crucial..."
Kazeka didn't refuse. After all, Haku cooperating with the surgery meant Kazeka could conduct plenty of experiments on him afterward.
And Kekkei Genkai ninja were very valuable test subjects.
Whether Haku was willing or not was a problem for Zabuza to worry about!
"Good. If you can do that, then this job, I—"
"Zabuza, what are you doing?!"
Before Zabuza could finish, Gato finally arrived with a huge crowd of Rogue Ninja.
He took one look at the wreckage and at Tazuna, who was unharmed under Sakura and Hinata's protection, and flew into a rage.
"I hired you to kill Tazuna, not to come here and toss out a few random jutsu.
"Look at yourself! Do you think you've earned the money I paid you?"
"They have Konoha Ninja with them, and there are quite a few of them..."
Zabuza wasn't a talkative ninja. Given the situation, he was about to refuse Gato's job to his face.
"This job—"
"I don't care who they are! You accepted the job, so get your ass in gear and finish it!
"I'm giving you another half an hour. Hurry up and kill every last one of them!"
Gato had already begun to gamble. He believed that if he killed everyone here and covered his tracks, Konoha wouldn't be able to do anything.
His eyes were venomous, and his words hissed like a snake.
"If you dare disobey me, I'll make your life hell.
"I'll spread the word all over the black market that you refuse to carry out jobs and ruin your reputation among the Rogue Ninja.
"I'll make sure you never work in this line of business again!"
Zabuza was a missing-nin, and without missions from his village, jobs from the black market were crucial.
The black market valued its reputation, perhaps even more than the ninja villages valued theirs when it came to missions!
Being unable to make a living among the Rogue Ninja or on the black market would be a devastating blow to Zabuza!
Under normal circumstances, that would indeed have been the case!
Seeing the sudden killing intent in Zabuza's eyes, Gato suddenly felt a chill run down his back.
Gato was so stupid it beggared belief. He'd thought of plenty of things, but the one thing he hadn't considered was that Zabuza could turn the tables.
If Zabuza personally wiped out Gato's forces, he might suffer some consequences, but they'd be nothing compared to the damage Gato could do by targeting him with everything he had!
And more importantly, Kazeka had gotten involved too!
"Ah, so you're Gato. You said you hired Zabuza, but it seems payment was due only after the job was done.
"There's just one problem." Kazeka looked at Gato with a mischievous smile.
"When I came here, I passed by your stronghold and saw four Rogue Ninja trying to sneak away.
"When I asked around, I found out that some do-gooder thief had paid your stronghold a visit.
"He stole everything you owned—even the land deeds and contracts.
"So it looks like you can't pay Zabuza after all. That means you're the one breaking your agreement!"
"You think making up a few lies will scare me, you idiot!"
Gato didn't believe Kazeka at all.
"I set plenty of sealing traps at my base, and the people I left behind send us regular updates..."
Gato turned to one of the Rogue Ninja beside him, ready to mock Kazeka again, but then he noticed the man looked grim.
What the man said made Gato tense up.
"Lord Gato, the four people guarding the base haven't contacted us in a while.
"Nothing had ever happened before, so I let my guard down. I only just realized..."
Hearing his subordinate's words, Gato began to panic.
His funds had dried up, and he barely had any money left. That was why he'd wanted to seize the Land of Waves and recoup his losses!
He was confident he could handle the badly wounded Zabuza and Haku, but he wasn't so sure he could take them on in perfect condition.
And he'd also have to face Konoha Ninja whose strength was no less than Zabuza's...
"Don't worry. Konoha is a place full of justice and peace. We wouldn't lay a hand on someone who's publicly a businessman. But..."
Seeing Gato's expression relax slightly, Kazeka began to smirk.
"I just saw an assassination bounty on the black market. The target seems to be you!"
Gato: "..."
Before you continue