Tazuna opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing, but couldn't squeeze out a single word.
"Sigh..."
The old man plopped back onto the ground, grabbed his sake bottle, and shook it. Finding it long empty, he could only set it aside in frustration.
"At this point, there's no hiding it anymore."
"You all know the Land of Waves, right? An island nation out at sea, surrounded by water. Everything we eat and use has to come and go by ship."
"Gato-that's the owner of the shipping company." Tazuna's voice sank. "With money and violence, he's seized complete control of the Land of Waves' shipping. Whether ships sail, whether goods come in, it all comes down to his say-so. The country? He's had it in the palm of his hand for ages. Anyone who dared oppose him disappeared, one after another."
"That bridge I'm building is meant to open a lifeline between the Land of Waves and the mainland. Once it's finished, Gato's monopoly won't mean shit."
"That's why he wants me dead." Tazuna tugged at the corner of his mouth. "He hired thugs and assassins, and now he's even hiring ninja."
Kakashi listened quietly, both hands in his pockets.
"Once ninja show up on an escort mission, it starts at B-rank," he said unhurriedly. "The pay is in a completely different league."
"I had no choice..." Tazuna smiled bitterly. "Every penny went into that bridge. I practically sold everything I owned just to scrape together the fee for a C-rank mission. All I could do was grit my teeth and conceal the details."
He spread his hands and forced a smile.
"All right, there's still time for you to turn around. Just chalk it up to being fooled by a lousy old man. If I die on the way-well, my