The night in the Land of Waves was quiet.
Uehara Naraku sat in the luxurious leather chair that used to belong to Gato. The desk in front of him was piled high with ledgers and stacks of Ryo bills.
"Gato was richer than I thought" Uehara muttered counting a stack of cash. "He had nearly 50 million Ryo in liquid assets stored in the vault. And that is not counting the value of the shipping fleet."
He leaned back looking at the ceiling.
"But money alone won't kill Kakashi Hatake. The mercenaries outside are useless against a ninja of his caliber. If I want to complete the hidden missions and get the maximum rewards I need the main actors to be at their best."
He opened his System Interface.
[Store: Consumables]
[Health Potion: Restores 150 Health over 15 seconds. Price: 50 Gold.]
"Cheap and effective" Uehara grinned. "I think it is time to pay a visit to my favorite employees."
He purchased two potions. Two red glass vials materialized in his hand glowing with a faint magical light.
"System locate Zabuza Momochi."
A ping sounded in his mind. A marker appeared on his mini map showing a location deep in the forest a few miles away.
"Found you."
Uehara stood up grabbed his raincoat and vanished into the night.
In a hidden wooden shack deep in the woods Zabuza lay on a futon his body covered in bandages. He was pale and breathing shallowly. The battle with Kakashi had drained him completely and the fake death technique Haku used had taken a toll on his body.
Haku sat beside him grinding herbs in a mortar.
"Zabuza san" Haku whispered. "You need to rest for at least a week. Your body cannot handle another fight so soon."
"We don't have a week" Zabuza gritted his teeth trying to sit up but failing. "That kid... Uehara. He took over Gato's company. If we don't move soon he might hunt us down."
"I am already here" a cheerful voice came from the doorway.
Haku spun around instantly throwing three senbon needles.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
An invisible barrier blocked the needles in mid air. They fell harmlessly to the floor.
Uehara stepped out of the shadows holding a paper umbrella.
"Is that how you greet your new boss?" Uehara asked shaking his head. "I bring gifts and you throw needles. Very rude."
"You..." Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "How did you find this place?"
"I have eyes everywhere" Uehara lied tapping his temple. "I came to check on your condition. And honestly Zabuza san you look pathetic. The Demon of the Mist defeated by a bedsheet."
"Watch your mouth!" Haku stood up protectively.
"Relax" Uehara walked over and placed the two red vials on the small table. "I am not here to fight. I am here to invest."
"Invest?" Zabuza looked at the glowing red liquid. "What is that? Poison?"
"It is medicine" Uehara explained. "High quality alchemical potion. It will heal your wounds and restore your stamina. Much faster than those weeds you are grinding."
Zabuza hesitated. He looked at Uehara trying to find any sign of deception.
"Why?" Zabuza asked. "Why help me? You defeated me. You took Gato's money. What do you gain from healing me?"
"Entertainment" Uehara replied simply. "And profit. You see Zabuza san I want you to fight Kakashi again. But in your current state you would die in five minutes. That would be boring."
He pushed the vials forward.
"Drink it. Heal up. And then go to the bridge. Finish your fight."
Zabuza looked at the potion. He was a desperate man. He had nothing left to lose.
"Haku give it to me."
"Zabuza san it could be..."
"Give it to me!"
Haku uncorked the vial and helped Zabuza drink it.
The effect was miraculous.
Within seconds color returned to Zabuza's face. The pain in his chest vanished. His chakra network which had been sluggish began to flow like a raging river.
"This is..." Zabuza sat up ripping off the bandages on his chest. The deep bruising was gone. "Incredible. I feel... stronger than before."
[Side Mission Complete: Heal Zabuza Momochi.]
[Reward: 100 Gold Coins.]
Uehara smiled. The investment paid for itself instantly.
"Good" Uehara said. "Now for the second vial. Give it to the boy. He looks tired too."
Haku hesitated but after seeing Zabuza recover he drank the second potion. His fatigue vanished instantly.
Zabuza stood up flexing his muscles. He picked up the Executioner's Blade.
"So" Zabuza looked at Uehara with a complex expression. "You healed me so I could fight Kakashi. Do you want him dead?"
"I want chaos" Uehara corrected. "I want you to attack the bridge builders with everything you have. Force Kakashi to use his Sharingan. Force the Nine Tails kid to get angry. Make it a spectacle."
"And what will you be doing?" Zabuza asked.
"I will be watching" Uehara walked to the door. "And maybe... if things get too one sided I might step in. But I haven't decided whose side I will take yet."
He stopped and looked back.
"Oh and Zabuza san. Don't die. You still owe me a rematch fee."
With that Uehara disappeared into the mist.
Zabuza stared at the empty doorway.
"That kid is a monster" Zabuza muttered. "He treats us like pieces on a Shogi board."
"What should we do Zabuza san?" Haku asked.
"We do what we always do" Zabuza's eyes burned with renewed killing intent. "We fight. We kill the bridge builder. We kill Kakashi. And then... maybe we kill that kid too."
In the forest Uehara listened to the wind.
[Main Mission Update: The Battle of the Great Naruto Bridge.]
[Objective: Participate in the final battle.]
[Reward: Random Item Component.]
"Excellent" Uehara grinned. "The stage is set. The actors are ready. Now I just need to wait for the curtain to rise."
He looked towards the direction of the bridge.
"Come on Naruto. Show me the power of the Nine Tails. My Nashor's Tooth is hungry."
…..
Author Note
Hi guys! Thank you for reading my fanfiction.
I wanted to let you know that I'll be releasing bonus chapters for Power Stones. Here are the goals:
15 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
30 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
50 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
75 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
100 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
Thanks for the support!