The tip of the blade dipped slightly, and a drop of water slid down its length.
With a soft tap, it struck the bridge deck.
The fifty or sixty samurai instantly fell silent.
Every gaze was fixed on that blade.
Gato stared at the unsheathed Tachi, his Adam's apple bobbing.
He looked at its owner, then at the Demon beside him, standing with his weight resting on his sword.
A terrifying thought suddenly shot through his mind.
"Zabuza!!"
"You ungrateful bastard-you dare betray me?!"
"I paid to hire you! And now you're siding with these Konoha brats?!"
"What happened to your rules?! Your pride?!"
Gato roared between ragged breaths, spittle flying far from his mouth.
At that point, his eyes darted around, and his tone abruptly changed:
"...It's not too late to come back!"
"Kill these two brats right now, and I'll let bygones be bygones-you'll still get paid!"
Gato delivered those words loudly and urgently.
Money was probably the last card he had left to play.
Zabuza let out a derisive snort.
He was just about to speak-
When a hand reached across in front of him.
"Gato."
Hayashi took half a step forward, the tip of his Tachi scraping softly across the bridge deck.
He spoke in a clear voice:
"Didn't you just say yourself-"
"That what you really wanted was to kill both Zabuza and Haku here?"
"You were shouting about killing them a moment ago-what gives you the nerve to talk about 'betrayal'?"
A rustle of unease spread through the samurai.
"That does make sense."
"Wasn't he the one shouting about killing them?"
"Shh, keep it down. Do you have a death wish...?"
Gato was momentarily left speechless.
Though only for a brief instant.
"I-I changed my mind! Is that not allowed?!"
"I paid