Momochi Zabuza

The boat cut through layer after layer of thick fog as Kakashi Team finally escorted Tazuna to the unfinished bridge in the Land of Waves.

Mist swirled all around, like a fairyland, the bridge appearing and disappearing within the haze.

As the vessel slowly approached the shore, Kakashi's calm, steady voice rang out: "Mr. Tazuna, before we dock, there's something I need to ask. Who attacked you, and why? If you won't answer, our mission ends the moment you step ashore."

Faced with Kakashi's questioning, Tazuna lowered his head in silence, his brow furrowed deep.

After an inner struggle, he spoke: "It looks like I have no choice but to tell you. No—please, hear me out. As you said, this job is probably beyond the scope of your mission. The truth is, my life has been marked by an incredibly dangerous man."

Kakashi frowned. "An incredibly dangerous man? Who?"

Tazuna continued: "You've probably heard his name. The shipping company tycoon—a man called Gato."

Kakashi's face showed shock. "What? Gato? The owner of the Gato Company? I've heard he's one of the richest men in the world."

Naruto couldn't help being curious—or rather, he was curious about everything now. "Who? Who? What? What?"

Tazuna closed his eyes, pain flickering across his face. "That's right. On the surface, he's the boss of a shipping company, but behind the scenes, he uses thugs and ninja to traffic drugs and contraband. He even takes over other companies and countries, doing every shady deal imaginable."

He went on: "About a year ago, that man set his sights on the Land of Waves. With his wealth and violence, he ran rampant, instantly monopolizing all sea traffic and transport on the island. For a country like the Land of Waves, whoever controls the sea controls all its wealth, politics, and people. Right now, the only thing Gato fears is the completion of this bridge."

Sakura rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I see. So the bridge-builder here is standing in Gato's way."

Sasuke glanced at Sakura. "Then those ninja we ran into before must be Gato's dogs."

Naruto mused to himself: "One of the richest men in the world? Then the ninja he can hire are definitely no pushovers. This is getting more interesting."

Just then, Kakashi spoke up: "But I really don't get it. Your enemy is dangerous enough to deploy ninja. Why hide the truth and hire us?"

Tazuna looked at Kakashi frankly. "The Land of Waves is an extremely poor country. Even the daimyo has no money, and I'm even more destitute. I couldn't afford the high reward for a B-rank or higher mission. If you cancel the mission the moment we land, I'll definitely be killed before I reach home."

He sighed and continued: "But it's fine. Even if I die, my adorable eight-year-old granddaughter will just cry all day. And my daughter—she'll hate Leaf Ninja for the rest of her life and live alone. But then again, that's not your fault."

What a sob story mixed with a guilt trip. Tazuna's words made the expressions on Kakashi and the others turn complicated. They exchanged glances. Kakashi scratched his forehead protector and gave a wry smile. "Fine, no helping it. We'll keep protecting you."

Tazuna wore a look of triumph. "Oh, I'm truly grateful."

As the boat moved slowly forward, the surrounding mist gradually fell behind. Thanks to the boatman's skilled handling, they finally arrived safely in the heart of the Land of Waves.

When the vessel docked steadily at the shore, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't encountered any ninja along the way.

They stepped onto the soil of the Land of Waves and began exploring this unfamiliar environment.

But a pair of sharp eyes was watching them from the shadows.

Perched on a large tree by the roadside, Momochi Zabuza lay in wait, his form blending perfectly with the leaves, nearly impossible to detect.

No matter how well he hid, though, he couldn't fool two pairs of eyes.

Kakashi, with his wealth of experience, pinpointed Momochi Zabuza's location.

And Naruto saw right through Momochi Zabuza—down to his underwear.

Reborn as Naruto, Gojo Satoru hadn't expected the Six Eyes to be reborn with him, taking on an even more concealed form. "Naruto's" signature bright blue eyes looked the same on the outside, but inside, they had fully transformed into the Six Eyes.

The Six Eyes granted Gojo Satoru abilities beyond imagination.

360-degree long-range vision—he could see behind him, see from far away without any blind spots, much like the Byakugan.

It could see through an opponent's techniques and directly track or predict Chakra trajectories. It allowed the user to perform precise Chakra manipulation, very similar to the Sharingan. Blocking his line of sight didn't hinder his vision at all.

So, before the current Naruto, nothing was secret. Hiding was impossible.

Neither Kakashi nor Naruto immediately exposed Momochi Zabuza. Instead, they chose to wait and see.