The Journey Home

The daimyo of the Land of Waves was a fat, middle-aged man with a wide face and ears, dressed in a lavish, loose kimono.

When he saw Zabuza enter, he hurriedly rose from his cushion and forced an ingratiating smile.

"You must be the new representative of Gato Shipping—no, Dawn Shipping, right? Please, have a seat!"

The daimyo gently waved his folding fan, signaling to a maid to come forward and pour tea.

He had no doubts about Zabuza's identity.

When Gato had visited before, this masked, bandage-wrapped ninja, brimming with murderous intent, had followed behind him and left a deep impression.

Back then, however, Gato had several samurai at his side. Today, Zabuza had come alone.

Zabuza didn't sit down. Instead, he got straight to the point, his voice low. "Skip the pleasantries. I'm here to inform you of something."

The fat body of the daimyo of the Land of Waves trembled slightly. He even forgot to wave the fan in his hand. "I-inform me?"

"Gato Shipping is history. All its rights, debts, contracts, and so on have now been inherited by Dawn Shipping." Zabuza stared at the daimyo of the Land of Waves and spoke slowly. "That naturally includes the agreement you signed with them."

The daimyo and the minister beside him turned deathly pale.

They certainly remembered that agreement.

Gato had paid a "huge" sum to buy out all maritime affairs and most inland affairs in the Land of Waves, along with the daimyo's promise that he and his armed forces would "never interfere."

They had nearly squandered all that money.

Now the boss had changed, and Zabuza had become the power behind the scenes. Would they still have to follow the same rules?

At Zabuza's words, the daimyo felt uneasy, intimidated by the faint killing intent emanating from him.

"The old agreement is void." Zabuza's voice was icy. "From now on, Dawn Shipping will pay you a fixed amount each year as compensation for your 'cooperation.' So this isn't a negotiation. It's a notification."

The daimyo plastered on a fawning smile, trying to get more out of the deal. His voice trembled. "Well... my lord ninja, you see, though the Land of Waves is small, it's still a proper country. Before, Mr. Gato... he squeezed—no, the money he earned from the common people was split with us, seven to three."

The daimyo of the Land of Waves and his ministers had already heard that after Gato Shipping changed hands these past few days, it had handed out money to the common people and lifted the blockade on the harbor.

No wonder the seven-to-three split had suddenly been canceled.

So the new owners didn't want to make money off the common people.

"Do you think you're still in a position to bargain?" Zabuza leaned forward slightly. His battle-hardened killing intent pressed down on the daimyo until he could barely breathe. "You get to sit here and live in comfort not because you're a daimyo, but because I—and Dawn Shipping behind me—are still allowing you to sit here."

Zabuza casually rested a hand on the hilt of Kubikiribōchō. "You can choose not to accept... if you still want to keep breathing."

Of course, he was only trying to scare him.

Naruto had also said that the current daimyo of the Land of Waves couldn't be killed just yet.

After all, no matter how small his territory, a daimyo was still a daimyo. They needed to find the right moment to kill him.

If they kept up their operations, then sooner or later, the people of the Land of Waves would know only Dawn Shipping and forget there had ever been a daimyo.

That was why Zabuza had come in person to the daimyo's residence to "discuss" things face-to-face.

All color drained from the daimyo's face. He finally understood.

The other man hadn't come to negotiate. He'd come to tell him that he had a new master, and would be tossed enough to get by.

Refuse?

Just look at the huge sword on the man's back and his undisguised killing intent...

Accept?

It was humiliating, but at least he could keep his current wealth and empty title.

Realizing this, the daimyo hurriedly blurted out, "I... I understand. We'll follow Dawn Shipping's instructions. We absolutely won't interfere!"

"You're smarter than you look." Zabuza took out the contract he'd prepared earlier, slid it in front of the daimyo, and said coldly, "Remember: from now on, Gato Shipping is the past. In the Land of Waves, there's only Dawn Shipping."

The daimyo shuddered under Zabuza's silent killing intent and nearly slipped off his cushion.

Not one of the samurai guards nearby dared to step forward.

The daimyo could only fumble for a pen and sign the contract without even reading it, then shakily press down the seal of his office.

Zabuza took one copy of the contract, gave a cold glance at the nearly fainting daimyo and the ministers and samurai who didn't dare utter a word, then turned and strode away.

The meeting had concluded smoothly and perfectly.

However, Zabuza didn't leave the daimyo's residence in the Land of Waves right away.

Instead, following Naruto's intelligence, he quietly hid outside the estate.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before...

Two and a half hours later...

A samurai in ragged clothes, unable to conceal his nervousness, sneaked toward a side gate of the estate, looking for a chance to slip inside.

Just as he tiptoed toward the daimyo's residence, a tall figure blocked his way.

Zabuza looked down at the man, who was so terrified he nearly lost his soul. His low voice held a trace of mockery, though it sounded more like he was talking to himself.

"Naruto was right. You haven't given up. You're still trying to join forces with the daimyo of the Land of Waves. Too bad you won't get the chance."

The man's eyes widened in terror. He hadn't even gotten the chance to beg for his life when—

"Whoosh!"

A flash of blade.

Zabuza had already swung Kubikiribōchō. His strike was decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

The man fell to the ground, his life suddenly extinguished.

Zabuza flicked his wrist, shaking off the scant blood on the blade. He gave the corpse, already growing cold, a cold glance, sheathed the sword on his back, and vanished as suddenly as he had appeared.

Only a silent corpse, its identity impossible to determine, remained beside the side gate.

In the days that followed, Team 7's escort mission remained as peaceful as before.

Naruto also used the scroll he had previously given Zabuza to communicate with him in secret, remotely directing the reorganization of "Dawn Shipping" and the situation in the Land of Waves.

With Naruto's precise instructions and Zabuza's swift, decisive actions, they continued rapidly purging Gato's remaining loyalists within and beyond the Land of Waves, using the list they had obtained earlier.

They also relied on both money and force to steady the middle managers who had yet to choose a side.

Naruto especially emphasized taking over the accounts and customer lists. The ledgers recording Gato's shady dealings with merchants from various countries and with the daimyo were secretly sealed away.

At the same time, Zabuza began reorganizing the gangs Gato had left behind, promoting a group of new leaders who were relatively obedient.

He also recruited new members in the Land of Waves, gradually replacing Gato's former employees.

The butler who had previously served in the Land of Waves also became the public face of Dawn Shipping.

Using Dawn Shipping's public identity, they sent carefully worded letters to the various powers that had dealings with Gato, assuring them that business would continue as usual and operations would become more orderly. This temporarily eased their concerns.

A transfer of power that should have shaken the world was quietly completed with astonishing speed and efficiency, thanks to Naruto's near-omniscient intelligence and meticulous planning.

It had all happened in the shadows.

On the surface, the Land of Waves was flourishing.

Construction of the bridge proceeded without further obstacles, advancing by leaps and bounds each day.

Since Sasuke had already received Naruto's guidance, he had no problems with Taijutsu or Chakra control.

So, under Kakashi's instruction, he quickly learned Lightning Release nature transformation and mastered Chidori.

The people received their compensation, the markets grew busier by the day, and smiles returned to their faces. They credited it all to the bridge's construction and Dawn Shipping's "kindness."

As for the daimyo of the Land of Waves?

In the face of Dawn Shipping, he had no status or authority left to speak of.

At last, the bridge was completed on schedule, stretching magnificently across the sea.

At the completion ceremony, Tazuna gazed at the bridge, built through so much effort and sacrifice, his eyes glistening with tears. Overcome with emotion, he said to everyone, "This bridge is no longer just a road to the outside world. It's also a path to hope for the future. Of course, we couldn't have done it without all of you and Dawn Shipping's help. I've decided to name this bridge Dawn Bridge."

Naruto also found it strange. Why had Gato gone to such lengths to stop Tazuna from building the bridge?

Why not just hire ninjas to blow it up after it was finished?

With the mission complete, Team 7 began their journey home.

As he left the Land of Waves, Naruto glanced back at the country, which was gradually coming back to life, and thought, The first step toward changing the shinobi world is over.