The Return Journey

The Daimyo of the Land of Waves was a middle-aged man with a fat head and big ears, dressed in a lavish, loose-fitting kimono.

Upon seeing Zabuza enter, he quickly rose from his cushion, forcing a fawning smile onto his face.

"You are the representative of Gato Shipping... no, Dawn Shipping? Please, sit, sit!"

The Daimyo lightly fanned himself, gesturing for a nearby attendant to pour tea.

He harbored no suspicion about Zabuza's identity.

When Gato had visited before, this bandage-masked ninja, radiating killing intent, had followed behind him, leaving a deep impression.

It was just that back then, Gato had been accompanied by several samurai, whereas today, he was alone.

Zabuza did not take a seat. Instead, he got straight to the point, his voice low, "Let's dispense with the pleasantries. I'm here to inform you of something."

The Daimyo of the Land of Waves' obese body trembled slightly, his folding fan forgotten in his hand. "In... inform me?"

"Gato Shipping is now a thing of the past. All its rights, debts, contracts, and so on, are now inherited by Dawn Shipping," Zabuza stated, staring at the Daimyo of the Land of Waves as he spoke slowly. "This naturally includes the agreement you signed."

The Daimyo and the minister beside him instantly turned pale.

They certainly remembered that agreement.

Gato had paid a "vast" sum of money to buy out the rights to all maritime and most inland affairs of the Land of Waves, along with a promise of eternal "non-interference" from the Daimyo and his armed forces.

That money had already been mostly squandered.

Now that the owner had changed and Zabuza was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, were these rules still to be followed?

Upon hearing this, the Daimyo felt uneasy, intimidated by the faint killing intent emanating from Zabuza.

"The old agreement is void," Zabuza's voice was icy cold. "From now on, Dawn Shipping will pay you a fixed annual sum as compensation for your 'cooperation.' So, this is not a negotiation, it's a notification."

The Daimyo's face was covered in a fawning smile as he tried to gain more benefits, his voice trembling. "Well... esteemed ninja, you see, although our Land of Waves is small, it is still a proper country. Previously, Mr. Gato... he squeezed... no, the money earned from the commoners was split three-seven with us."

The Daimyo and ministers of the Land of Waves had heard that after the boss of Gato Shipping changed hands these past two days, they had started distributing money to the commoners and lifted the port blockade.

No wonder the three-seven split was suddenly canceled.

So they didn't want to earn money from the commoners anymore.

"Do you think you are in a position to negotiate?" Zabuza leaned forward slightly, his battle-hardened killing intent pressing down on the Daimyo until he could barely breathe. "You can sit here and enjoy your comforts not because you are some Daimyo, but because I, and Dawn Shipping behind me, temporarily allow you to sit here."

Zabuza casually rested his hand on the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō. "You can choose not to accept... if you still wish to continue breathing."

Of course, this was just to scare the other party.

Naruto had also said that the current Daimyo of the Land of Waves could not be killed for the time being.

After all, as a Daimyo, no matter how small the territory, he was still a Daimyo. Killing him would require finding the right opportunity.

As long as they continued to operate, in time, the Land of Waves would only recognize "Dawn Shipping" and forget about any Daimyo.

That was why Zabuza had personally come to the Daimyo's mansion today to "discuss" matters face-to-face.

The color drained from the Daimyo's face. He finally understood.

The other party wasn't here to negotiate at all; they were here to inform him that he had a new master and to throw him a bone.

Refuse?

He glanced at the large sword behind the man and the undisguised killing intent...

Accept?

Although humiliating, at least he could retain his current wealth and false prestige.

Having figured this out, the Daimyo hastily blurted out, "I... I understand. Everything will follow Dawn Shipping's instructions. We will absolutely not interfere!"

"You're being sensible," Zabuza said, taking out the prepared contract and pushing it towards the Daimyo. "Remember, from this day forward, Gato Shipping is a thing of the past. In the Land of Waves, there is only Dawn Shipping."

The Daimyo shivered under Zabuza's silent killing intent, nearly sliding off his cushion.

The samurai guards around him dared not step forward.

The Daimyo could only frantically grab a brush and, almost without looking, sign his name on the contract and shakily affix the Daimyo's seal.

Zabuza took one copy of the contract, cast a cold glance at the nearly comatose Daimyo and the ministers and samurai who dared not make a sound, and turned to leave with large strides.

The meeting ended smoothly and perfectly.

However, Zabuza did not leave the Daimyo's mansion of the Land of Waves directly.

Instead, he stealthily lurked outside the mansion perimeter, as per Naruto's intelligence.

As expected, it wasn't long after.

Two and a half hours later.

A samurai, dressed in tattered clothes that couldn't hide his panicked expression, furtively approached the side entrance of the mansion, looking for an opportunity to sneak in.

Just as he was tiptoeing towards the Daimyo's mansion, a tall figure blocked his path.

Zabuza looked down at the man, who was now terrified out of his wits, his low voice laced with a hint of mockery, though it sounded more like he was talking to himself.

"Naruto was right. You still haven't given up, trying to collude with the Daimyo of the Land of Waves. Too bad you won't get the chance."

The man's eyes widened in terror, his plea for mercy left unspoken.

"Thwack!"

A flash of the blade.

Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō swung out, his movements decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

The man fell to the ground, his life force abruptly extinguished.

Zabuza's wrist flicked, shaking off the minimal bloodstains on the blade. He indifferently glanced at the rapidly cooling corpse on the ground, sheathed his sword, and vanished, as if he had never been there.

Only by the side door, a silent, unidentifiable corpse remained.

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

Meanwhile, Naruto utilized the scroll he had given Zabuza earlier to conduct secret communications, remotely controlling the reorganization of Dawn Shipping and the situation in the Land of Waves.

Under Naruto's precise instructions, coupled with Zabuza's swift and decisive actions, they continued to rapidly purge Gato's remaining loyal forces within and outside the Land of Waves, based on the previously provided list.

Simultaneously, by employing both money and force, they stabilized the wavering mid-level managers.

Naruto also specifically emphasized taking over the accounts and client lists, secretly sealing the ledgers that recorded Gato's illicit dealings with merchants from various countries and the Daimyo.

At the same time, Zabuza began reorganizing the criminal organizations left behind by Gato, promoting a group of relatively obedient new leaders.

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

The former butler of the Land of Waves became the public face of Dawn Shipping.

Externally, under the guise of the apparent Dawn Shipping, cautious letters were sent to all parties who had dealings with Gato, emphasizing that business would continue as usual and operations would be more regulated, temporarily calming external doubts.

A power transition that should have shaken the region was quietly completed with unimaginable speed and efficiency, thanks to Naruto's near-omniscient intelligence and meticulous planning.

All of this happened in the shadows.

On the surface, the Land of Waves presented a scene of prosperity.

The bridge construction project faced no further obstacles, progressing at lightning speed.

Sasuke, having already received guidance from Naruto, had no issues with his Taijutsu or Chakra control.

He quickly learned the nature transformation of lightning under Kakashi's tutelage and mastered Chidori.

The citizens received compensation, the markets became increasingly prosperous, and smiles reappeared on their faces. They attributed all of this to the bridge construction and the "benevolence" of Dawn Shipping.

As for the Daimyo of the Land of Waves?

In front of Dawn Shipping, he had no status or power whatsoever.

Finally, the bridge was completed on schedule, majestically spanning the sea.

At the completion ceremony, Tazuna gazed at the bridge, which embodied their hard work and sacrifice, tears shimmering in his eyes. He emotionally said to everyone, "This bridge is no longer just a path to the outside world, but a beacon of hope for the future. Of course, it would not have been possible without your help and the assistance of Dawn Shipping. I have decided to name this bridge the Dawn Bridge."

Of course, Naruto found it strange why Gato had gone to such lengths to prevent Tazuna from building the bridge.

Instead of simply hiring ninja to blow it up after it was built?

With the mission complete, Team 7 embarked on their journey home.

As they left the Land of Waves, Naruto glanced back at the gradually revitalizing land, thinking to himself, "The first step in changing the ninja world is over."