Sasuke said with great displeasure, "Wasn't this decided ages ago? Let's not waste any more time."
When was this decided?
Why didn't I know?
Damn it, I'm a member of Team 7 too...
Once again, Sakura felt left out.
—Land of Waves—
A certain hideout.
"The Demon Brothers failed..."
Zabuza's expression darkened. He hadn't heard from them in a long time. The Demon Brothers might not have been much, but they were among the few forces he had left after defecting from Kirigakure.
"They failed?!"
The short, pudgy Gato complained unhappily, "I thought they were some kind of powerful ninjas, but they failed anyway. If I'd known, I wouldn't have tried to save that little bit of money. I should've hired ninjas from a major hidden village..."
Ninjas from major hidden villages had good reputations and high success rates, so naturally they charged a lot.
Ninjas from smaller hidden villages came next. The worst were rogue ninjas like Zabuza, who had only been in the business for a few years. Their reliability was anyone's guess, and who knew whether they might kill their employer while they were at it?
The risk was high, but the price was low.
There was a way to charge more, though: take on jobs over and over until you built up a good reputation.
Kakuzu was a perfect example. He'd been in business for nearly a century, and his appearance fee surpassed that of a Jonin from a major hidden village.
"Shut up!"
Zabuza held Kubikiribōchō against Gato's neck and said coldly, "You said the target was just an ordinary person, but your false information has now gotten two of my men killed... Tell me, how do you want to die?"
I don't want to die!
You get what you pay for. Gato deeply