Making Trouble for Akatsuki

After sailing across the sea on Armored Dragon all night, Neji finally caught sight of land.

"This doesn't look like the Land of Fire. Isn't it just a bigger island?" Only after flying a circuit overhead did Neji realize that he had reached not the Land of Fire, but the island nation of the Land of Waves.

It was the very same small country secretly controlled by the wealthy merchant Gato in the original story.

The Land of Waves was tiny, just a small island nation, but the Gato Company, through which Gato secretly controlled it, was a renowned corporation in the shinobi world. Gato himself was fabulously wealthy.

In the original story, he was the one who hired Zabuza.

"Perfect! The next stage of my plan will take a lot of money." Neji sneered. He would feel no guilt about plundering someone like that.

Descending from the sky, Neji looked at Armored Dragon, who was waiting for orders. "Armored Dragon, enjoy yourself in these waters. Just don't disturb any other humans."

"Do you need my help, Father?" Armored Dragon asked.

"Not for now. Get some rest," Neji instructed.

"Understood." As Armored Dragon spoke, it slowly sank beneath the sea.

This island nation was so small that it was not even as large as some of the Land of Fire's major cities. Using his Byakugan, Neji found the country's wealthy merchant Gato with little effort.

His estate was lavish and luxurious, a world apart from the homes of the Land of Waves' other residents. Even the estate of the Land of Waves' Daimyō was less extravagant than Gato's.

Once he spotted Gato, Neji activated his Tenseigan with a thought, and a fist-sized golden Spiritual Bead appeared.

Neji aimed the Spiritual Bead at Gato, who was resting below, and released it.