I got back to Tazuna's house around midnight. The place was dark except for one light in the kitchen.
Yamato was at the door. Arms crossed. Waiting.
"Where were you?" he asked.
"I was in the forest... Training a New jutsu."
«Lying mode active. Heart rate steady. Pupils normal.»
"Training huh?," he repeated.
"Yeah. Lost track of time."
He looked at me for a second. Then: "It's late. Don't do that again."
"Won't happen."
He stepped aside. Let me in.
Inside, Tsunami had kept dinner warm. Rice, fish, some vegetables. Everyone else had already eaten. I sat alone at the table. Ate in silence.
«He didn't believe you.»
Yah I can tell.
---
= Four Days Later =
The bridge was almost done.
You could see it from Tazuna's house now, a long curve of wood and rope stretching across the water. Naruto had been helping with shadow clones. Dozens of orange-clad kids carrying planks, hammering nails, and hauling rope.
Sasuke was on the bridge too. Practicing shuriken on a post. Keeping an eye on things.
Sakura was... Useful as ever. Probably thinking about Sasuke.
I was sitting at the edge of the bridge, feet dangling over the water. Doing nothing. It was nice.
«The bridge is 87% complete. At the current pace, it will be finished in two days.»
And Zabuza?
«No signs yet. But he will come soon.»
He probably doesn't know Gatō is dead.
«Correct. He is still fighting for a paycheck that no longer exists.»
That's... kind of sad, actually.
«It is. But he is still a missing-nin who has killed dozens of people.»
Yeah. Fair I guess.
Naruto jogged over. Sweat all over him. Happy.
"Hey! Why aren't you helping?!"
"well... I'm supervising."
"You're sitting on your butt!"
"Supervising is hard work."
"Are you sure"
He threw a hammer at me. I caught it. Threw it back.
"Get to work, lazy butt!"
"Make me."
He tried to grab my arm. I wasn't there. He stumbled. Almost fell off the bridge.
"WHAT THE!!"
"Supervising."
He glared at me. Then he laughed. Ran back to work.
---
The fog came out of nowhere.
One minute, clear skies. The next, thick mist. You couldn't see five feet in front of you.
«Chakra signatures detected. Two. Zabuza and Haku. They are here.»
I stood up.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked.
"Get Tazuna. Now."
He didn't argue. Ran toward the old man.
I pulled out a kunai.
The mist was cold and Damp. It stuck to your skin like wet cloth.
Then the blade came.
Out of nowhere. Spinning. Aimed right at Tazuna.
«Thought acceleration. 1000x. Gravity seals: off.»
My legs moved. Chakra burst from my feet. The world blurred.
I grabbed Tazuna by the collar yanked him sideways. The blade slammed into the wood where he'd been standing.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
I rolled with him behind a crate. Heart pounding.
That was close.
«Too close. .»
How is he even recovered? It's only been...
«It has been one full week since his battle with Kakashi. One day of travel. Two days of training. and Four days of bridge construction. He has had time to heal.»
Shit.
I looked around. Naruto was in position. Sasuke was moving toward the sound. Sakura was... behind a crate with Tazuna. Good enough.
Two figures emerged from the mist.
Zabuza. Big and Bare-chested. Sword on his back.
Then Haku. with a Hunter-nin mask on.
"Where's Kakashi the copy ninja?" Zabuza's voice echoed.
"Glaze on sight order?," I said. "anyways he's not here".
"Then this will be easy."
He ran and grabbed his blade which was stuck on the ground. Then he Swung it again.
I slammed my hands on the ground. Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall.
CRACK.
Earth rose between Zabuza and the me. His blade bit into the earth wall. Stuck for a second.
Enough time.
I threw explosive tags. Three of them. Scattered them. Zabuza jumped back. The tags went off.
Boom, boom, boom.
When the smoke cleared, Zabuza was staring at me.
"You're fast, kid."
"I'm Wally west."
"would you care to tell me your name kid?"
"my name's Jeff"
"..."
He blurred. Aimed his blade at my head.
«Dodge left.»
I moved. The blade passed my ear.
«Duck.»
I ducked. A kick sailed over my head.
«Body Flicker back. Now.»
I vanished. Reappeared twenty feet away.
Zabuza's eye twitched.
"You're annoying."
"That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all week."
---
While I was dancing with Zabuza, Haku was fighting with the others.
Ice mirrors. A dome of crystal around Naruto and Sasuke.
"HEY!" Naruto punched the ice. Didn't break. "LET US OUT!"
Haku appeared in one mirror. Then another. Then another.
Senbon flew out, Naruto took one in the leg. Grunted. Didn't fall.
Haku threw more senbon. Aimed for Sasuke.
Naruto stepped in front of him.
THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.
Naruto went down.
"NO!!!" Sasuke yelled then his eyes changed. a Tomoe spun in his irises.
«sasuke's Sharingan is activated.»
Finally.
---
I disengaged from Zabuza. Hopped back. Created distance.
"Hey, Zabuza."
"What?"
"Why are you doing this?"
"Money obviously. Gatō has a lot of it."
"He had a lot of it. Not anymore."
Zabuza stopped. "What?"
I reached into my storage seal. Pulled out the scroll. Unsealed it.
Gatō's head rolled out. Eyes wide. Hs Mouth open.
Zabuza stared at it.
"Where did you..."
"I took care of him. Days ago. You've been fighting for a dead man's paycheck."
Silence...
Even Haku stopped.
Zabuza looked at me. Then at the head. Then back at me.
"You're serious?."
"Dead serious. Pun intended."
He was quiet for a long moment.
Then: "Haku. Stop."
The ice mirrors shattered. Haku stepped out. Looked at Zabuza. Tilted their head.
"We're leaving," Zabuza said.
"Leaving?" Haku's voice was soft and Confused.
"There's no point. The client is dead."
He picked up his blade. Sling it over his shoulder.
"Kid," he said, looking at me. "What's your real name?"
"Ryū."
"I'll remember that, Hmph."
He turned. Walked into the mist. Haku followed behind him.
The fog began to lift.
---
= The Aftermath =
Kakashi and Yamato arrived two minutes later. Looking around at the chaos.
"What happened?" Yamato asked.
"Zabuza happened," Naruto said from the ground. He was bleeding. But smiling.
"You're late," Sasuke said.
Yamato and Kakashi saw Sasuke's sharingan.
"We came as fast as we could... you awakened your sharingan??!."
"Hm, this idiot tried to protect me."
Naruto laughed. Winced. then Held his leg.
"Sakura," Kakashi said. "Bandages. Now."
She snapped out of it. Ran to her pack.
I stood at the edge of the bridge. Watching the mist disappear.
«You didn't show them Gatō's head.»
They Didn't need to know.
«You could have taken credit.»
Well I already did took his credit....
---
The clones came back two days later.
Five of them. Each loaded with storage scrolls. Money. Gold. Deeds.
"Nineteen billion," one reported.
I sealed everything into my tattoo.
«Total assets: 42 billion ryo.»
That's... a lot.
«It is. What will you do with it?»
Not sure yet. But I have ideas.
---
= The Bridge – Final Day =
Tazuna put the last plank in place. Stepped back. Looked at his work.
"The Hope Bridge," he said. (A/N: I don't think tazuna would realistically name the bridge the great Naruto bridge in this scenario)
I stood at the edge of the bridge. Looked at the water.
«One more thing.»
Yeah?
«The people of Wave are still poor. Gatō stole everything from them.»
...alright alright I know where you are going with this.
I created a shadow clone. Pulled out 2 billion ryo. Sealed it in a pouch.
"Take this to Tazuna's house. Leave it on the table. Put a note: 'For the town's rebuilding.' Don't get caught."
The clone nodded. Ran off.
«That was generous.»
It's not generosity. It's theft redistribution.
«That is not even a real term.»
It is now.
---
END CHAPTER 32
Xx-----xX
A/N: with this the wave arc is done. Leave some power stones and if you don't... The Chinese Communist party won't like you anymore... :)
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Btw if you want to read some advance chapters then check out my P@treøn, links in the synopsis.