When Haku heard that, his expression finally softened. "Then, Mr. Zabuza, I'll help you keep those three troublesome kids occupied when the time comes!"
This time, Zabuza did not refuse. He nodded. "I still don't know who that Ninja is, but he's definitely a tough opponent. I'll leave those kids to you!"
Meanwhile, Uchiha Yin and the others arrived at Tazuna's home with him. From a distance, they saw a child standing there, his face gloomy. He did not seem particularly happy that Tazuna had returned.
Sakura Haruno had meant to greet him properly, but the child merely glanced at them, turned, and ran off. At last, a woman came out and looked at Tazuna. "Father, you're back!"
The woman was Tazuna's daughter. She warmly prepared food for them, and over the meal, Hinata Hyuga asked her what Tazuna was working on.
Tazuna's daughter froze for a moment. Then she set down what she was holding and explained, "The Land of Waves used to be fairly prosperous. But Gato came here and monopolized all trade by water, leaving us with no way to make a living!"
Her expression suddenly turned proud. "But my father and my husband built that bridge together. It's the hope of the Land of Waves. Once it's finished, we won't have to depend on Gato anymore. We can go back to the way things were!"
Her expression changed again. "But because of that, something happened to my husband. Gato is despicable. My father still hasn't given up, though. He wants to finish the bridge and bring peace back to the Land of Waves. But as you've seen, Gato is willing to pay Ninja a fortune to kill my father and protect his profits!"
Hinata Hyuga said nothing, but the outrage on her face was clear. It