Do You Want to Witness the Power of a God?

"Who the hell are you?"

Gato did not feel any sense of impending doom. Instead, he focused on Izayoi's earlier disrespect, pointed at him, and shouted, "What are those idiots outside doing? An outsider got in and they didn't even know? What a bunch of trash."

Izayoi stroked the chin of his mask and sighed. "So it isn't the Hidden Mist Village's problem. Those shinobi have simply been domesticated by people like you until they've lost all their fighting spirit. That explains why a rogue ninja powerful enough to serve as a trump card in any of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, upon meeting a wealthy tycoon rich enough to rival a nation, wouldn't think of killing him and taking his fortune, but instead chose to make money as a hired hand."

At that, Zabuza Momochi's brow furrowed slightly. He instinctively glanced at Gato and suddenly felt that Izayoi's words made a great deal of sense.

"W-What are you talking about?"

Izayoi's words also woke Gato up, reminding him that he was merely an ordinary person. The people before him were shinobi who wielded extraordinary power—and rogue ninja wanted by major shinobi villages.

Realizing this, Gato stumbled back several steps in fright, then hurriedly shouted at Zabuza Momochi, "Zabuza, I'll give you Ten Million Ryo! Hurry up and kill this guy!"

"Wondering how I got in?"

Izayoi raised a hand toward Gato and chuckled. "With... this."

In an instant, Gato's body rose into the air and flew toward Izayoi.

Having lost control of his body, Gato cried out in panic, "Zabuza, save me!"

Whoosh—

Zabuza Momochi shoved Haku aside, spun with force, and hurled the Executioner's Blade.

The massive Executioner's Blade spun toward Gato like a Fuma Shuriken, cutting through the air with a piercing whistle.

Yes, the Executioner's Blade was not aimed at Izayoi, but at Gato.

More precisely, he intended to kill Gato and Izayoi together.

"He's my cash cow. I can't let you kill him." Izayoi smiled and raised his other hand.

The next second, the rapidly spinning Executioner's Blade abruptly stopped in midair, as though the space around it had frozen.

Seeing this power for the first time, Zabuza Momochi and Haku both changed expression, their pupils shrinking.

"There's someone who calls himself a god because he possesses power that no one can resist."

Izayoi gripped Gato by the throat with one hand and spread the fingers of his other, his smile full of amusement. "So, do you want to witness the power of a god?"

Before Zabuza Momochi and Haku could react, Izayoi softly spoke the name of a technique: "Shinra Tensei."

—Boom!

The invisible Repulsion seemed to distort space itself, draining the color from Zabuza Momochi and Haku until their bodies became monochrome like a manga panel, before they were finally swallowed by white light.

A heavy explosion erupted in the central region of the Land of Waves.

Thick Dust Mist rose into a Mushroom Cloud.

Many residents were startled by the blast. When they saw that the Mushroom Cloud had risen from Gato's residence, their faces filled with joy instead.

Some even clasped their hands together in prayer, hoping that something had happened to Gato—preferably that he had died in that explosion.

The Mushroom Cloud came quickly and dispersed just as quickly.

Before it could rise to its highest point, it was scattered by an artificial gale.

The villa had already become ruins. Izayoi floated in the air, holding Gato by the back of his collar.

The Tenseigan beneath his mask merely swept over the ruins before settling on one spot.

Izayoi then lightly waved his hand.

Gravity immediately moved aside the rubble, revealing Zabuza Momochi and Haku lying beneath the wreckage. Their bodies were drenched in blood, with multiple fractures and severe internal bleeding.

Both had lost consciousness, but they still had one last breath left.

"Shadow Clone Technique."

Izayoi descended to the ground, formed Hand Seals with one hand, and created a shadow clone.

After having the shadow clone treat Zabuza Momochi and Haku to keep them from dying so easily, Izayoi patted Gato's face. Gato had been scared senseless and could not utter a word. "Is all your money kept in the safe in the basement?"

"Y-Yes... yes, yes..."

Coming back to his senses, Gato seemed to have grasped his final lifeline. He nodded repeatedly. "All my money is hidden in the safe. I have money elsewhere too—lots and lots of money. As long as you spare my life, I'll give you all of it... Don't kill me. Please, don't kill me!"

By the end, Gato was weeping and sniveling, completely terrified out of his wits.

It was no surprise that he reacted this way.

To ordinary people, shinobi were lofty and powerful figures.

But to Feudal Lords, nobles, and wealthy men, shinobi were simply highly useful tools.

After becoming rich, Ronin, Rogue Ninja, and rogue shinobi had all become Gato's tools.

As long as he paid them, they would do anything.

If the rogue shinobi he hired succeeded, he achieved his goal.

If they died, he saved some money.

Whether they were Rogue Ninja or rogue shinobi, none of them had ever set their sights on his wealth.

Whether Gato or those nobles, they had all instinctively assumed that ninja would never betray them and would abide by professional ethics.

Even rogue ninja like Kakuzu, who loved money as much as his life, worked jobs while hunting Black Market targets to earn money, with no thought of robbery whatsoever.

Who would have thought there would be a lunatic like Izayoi—utterly unreasonable and completely devoid of professional ethics?

It was only natural that Gato would be scared out of his wits when facing such an opponent for the first time.

"There's another treasure stash?"

Izayoi's brows furrowed slightly. Then he poked a certain Acupoint on Gato's body, knocking him unconscious.

"Let's see how much money there is first."

Casually tossing Gato over to the Shadow Clone, Izayoi raised both hands and released Gravity. Countless fragments of stone floated into the air.

Very quickly, a stairway leading down to the basement came into Izayoi's view.

Izayoi had discovered the safe's location long ago. Otherwise, he would not have unleashed Repulsion so recklessly.

However, since there was no light source inside the safe, Izayoi had no idea how much was stored within.

That was why he had spared Gato.

Descending the stairs into the basement, Izayoi stood before a safe two meters tall and wide.

It was an all-metal safe, equipped with a combination lock.

Izayoi did not know the combination, nor did he wake Gato to ask for it.

He simply pressed a hand against the seam of the door. Then, with a thunderous bang, the safe door and its frame instantly caved in and shattered.

Controlling Repulsion, Izayoi blasted it several times in succession and removed the safe door.

The contents of the safe immediately appeared before Izayoi.

With the safe door no longer blocking it, dazzling light poured out from within, enveloping Izayoi like glowing clouds at dawn.

Izayoi stood before the safe with his hands on his hips.

If his pure white mask were removed, one would see that his Tenseigan had vanished, replaced by two enormous dollar signs in his eyes.

I'm rich!