Naruto: I, Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan Princess

Chapter 221 From now on, this place is called...

"That's just the way it is."

Lying flat on the coffin that sealed Hidan, Zabuza's bandages were even thicker. Hairi knelt to his left, treating his broken ribs while listening to him recount what happened five years ago.

Zabuza, whose body was covered in severe burns, had a complicated look in his eyes. Taking advantage of the moment when Hairi was treating him, he told her everything that had happened.

Kakashi and the others cleared the rubble from the ground and sat down around the two of them, craning their necks like curious children.

Although they were very familiar with Hui Li, her background and origins remained a mystery. All they knew was that she was a ninja from outside the village and that she and Guy were nominally father and daughter.

The reason it's said to be nominal is mainly because she has never acknowledged Akai's father status. She mostly addresses him as an equal, such as "Akai," and Hui Li makes all the decisions, big and small, in the family.

Even in terms of personality, Hui Li is more composed than A Kai.

Out of curiosity, they had asked Kai about the true nature of his relationship with Hui Li.

But Ah Kai, wearing an apron around his neck, looked bitter. He kept waving his hand while cooking, his eyes never leaving the gas stove.

It felt like I had lost something!
They guessed it might be due to heartbreak, and didn't press the matter further.

Until yesterday, when Zabuza revealed Hairi's identity as the orphan of the Bamboo Cutter, their doubts were slightly resolved. But today, they discovered that he could use the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, and all sorts of doubts resurfaced in their minds.

They were extremely eager to know which clan Hairi belonged to as a ninja, and how the bloodline of the Senju clan ended up in Kirigakure's Taketori.

Unfortunately, Zabuza was also unable to give them a clear answer.

"To save me, Haku agreed to become Orochimaru's subordinate. If you want to find Haku, you must first find Orochimaru's whereabouts."

Observing Hairi's expression, Zabuza looked somewhat nervous.

He traded Haku's information for the other party to save the Land of Waves. Originally, this was a very normal transaction, but due to the unexpected appearance of Hidan and Kakuzu, the difficulty of the mission changed drastically.

It's understandable to feel dissatisfied after going through so much trouble to receive such vague and uncertain news.

"Orochimaru possesses a legendary treasure left behind by the Sage of Six Paths..."

After a moment's hesitation, Zabuza decided to give Orochimaru another piece of information as a token of his friendship. He would tell everyone he met that Orochimaru possessed a treasure, and if he could attract a powerful enemy for Orochimaru, that would be one more.

Hui Li simply nodded.

She knew better than anyone what the so-called Six Paths Treasures were, and paid no attention to this belated clue.

As for Bai's whereabouts, she had actually guessed it long ago.

Given Orochimaru's personality, he would never let go of a rare Ice Release bloodline limit. Where else could Haku be but in Orochimaru's hands?

fair enough.

With the Land of Waves mission over, Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha is about to begin. Hakujiro might appear in the Kusagakure team, and then he can take them all out with Magnet Release: Tanuki!

While the group was talking.

A cacophony of voices could be heard in the distance.

Kakashi and the others looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the people of the Land of Waves had heard that there had been no movement for a long time and were rushing back with their Self-Defense Force weapons.

then.

Clang... Clang...

Standard weapons clattered to the ground, and the returning citizens of the Land of Waves stared blankly at the battlefield on Haili's side.

"This is……"

"how so!"

"The port, the square, all..."

Keisha and Tazna, carrying their weapons, squeezed out of the stunned crowd. Looking at the square, which seemed to have been trampled by a god and was full of cracks and pits, and the coastline that was about to disappear in the distance, the two of them were momentarily stunned.

This plaza was built by the wealthy Wave Kingdom with the full resources of the nation after the construction of the Hero's Bridge.

The value of the land itself is not considered; the materials used were top-quality Misty Tide Stones transported from the Land of Water. The transportation, material, and labor costs combined amounted to over 600 million. At the time, the Land of Waves simply could not afford this amount, and the outstanding project payment owed to the Land of Water was not settled until two years ago.

Now...it's all gone!

The mournful expressions on the faces of everyone in the Land of Waves were noticed by Hairi and the others.

To avoid angering Kairi, Zabuza cautiously observed her expression, only to find that she remained calm and composed as she treated him, as if the matter had nothing to do with her, if one ignored the small footprints that mysteriously disappeared in the earth-style fluctuations.

"Do you think we'll still get the final payment for the mission?" Naruto nudged Sasuke with his elbow, looking somewhat embarrassed.

I initially thought they could create a hero title similar to Zabuza's, but now it seems...

"Still thinking about that little bit of payment!"

"It's already good enough that they don't make us lose money."

Kakashi and Sasuke said in unison, "Although we don't know how much this plaza is worth, it's definitely more than our mission reward. We might not even make any money from this mission and might even lose money!"
"My lords, have you dealt with the enemy...? It was Zabuza-san!"

Keisha, as the captain of the Self-Defense Forces, bypassed the ravine-filled square and walked up to the crowd.

His gaze first fell on Gray, whose hands were emitting green light, but then he noticed Zabuza lying in the coffin, and his tone instantly became excited.

"Yes, Keisha."

Zabuza, who was covered in sweat, barely managed to greet Kaisa, proving himself to be a true tough guy.

"You were already... how did you get so badly injured?" Keisha wondered. Zabuza had been missing for a long time, so how could he suddenly appear in the Land of Waves and be mixed up with the Konoha ninjas?

At this moment, realizing that there was no danger here, Tazna, with his right arm bandaged, led the villagers over at a jog.

"It's Zabuza... He didn't run away..."

"Could he be the enemy?!"

"Nonsense!"

Hearing the murmurs in the crowd, Naruto finally couldn't help but step forward. The two ninjas who had been chasing Zabuza had been dealt with, and he couldn't let the true hero be smeared!
"Zabuza disappeared because..."

Naruto, who already had a loud voice, became even louder as he tried to prove Zabuza's innocence, causing the ground to tremble.

He rattled off the reasons for Zabuza's disappearance and his contributions during the mission.

"If Mr. Zabuza hadn't left, your country would be like this now!" he said, pointing to the devastated port square, making the onlookers blush.

The person who initially said Zabuza had escaped was filled with shame and quickly stepped forward to bow and apologize to Zabuza.

The people of this land of waves are generally of decent character and moral quality.

Those of very poor character had long since joined the Black Hoezu Clan and died in the aftermath of the battle between Kairi and Kakuzu.

In addition, the fighting here is fierce and the tremors are obvious, yet these people are still willing to take up their weapons and go to the battlefield. They are brave people who have been tested by many trials.

Apologies and expressions of gratitude poured in.

Seeing the misunderstanding cleared up, Kakashi and the others smiled, but Zabuza, the person directly responsible, remained expressionless.
"It's alright, I'm just carrying out the mission that Keisha gave me!" His implication was that he didn't care at all about what the people of the Land of Waves thought of him.

Zabuza's cold words immediately dampened the lively atmosphere, but fortunately, the people of the Land of Waves were already used to his icy demeanor and didn't care. They were completely immersed in the joy of seeing Gato and the other enemies defeated and the hero who protected the Land of Waves return.

Only Hairi noticed the 'pleasant' emotional glow constantly emanating from Zabuza's head beneath his cold exterior.

Tch, another arrogant tsundere!

"Aqiu!"

Sasuke, whose hair was still wet, suddenly sneezed. He looked around suspiciously but didn't find anything unusual, assuming that he had just caught a chill from going into the sea.

"All right."

The emerald light gradually dimmed, and Gray finally healed Zabuza.

He was severely injured, with burns covering 70% of his body, lacerations to his heart and meridians from being violently dragged, and even residual toxins from years ago in his lungs. The broken ribs were just the least severe form of injury.

That's how I met her.

Zabuza did feel much lighter, and his chakra flowed through his heart without the stagnation he had experienced before.

"Thank you."

He bowed deeply to Hui Li with all his heart to express his gratitude: "If you need anything in the future, you can find me in the underground black market. I can do assassinations, intelligence gathering, tracking, and so on. The sooner the better, I don't know how long I will live!"

Hui Li nodded in agreement.

Clang!
Zabuza shouldered his Executioner's Blade and turned to walk toward the coast.

"Wait a minute, Mr. Zabuza!" Keisha quickly called out to Zabuza, "Are you leaving again?"

Upon hearing Keisha's voice, Zabuza, with his Executioner's Blade on his shoulder, turned and looked back. The salty sea breeze whipped his short hair wildly, and the golden sunlight illuminated his figure completely.

The joyful cheers of the people of the Land of Waves gradually faded, and their eyes showed anticipation as they looked at the figure standing in the golden afterglow.

They hope their heroes will continue to protect the Land of Waves.

"Kado is dead, and I have fulfilled my promise to protect the Land of Waves."

"But……"

Keisha was about to persuade him further, but Zabuza shook his head, interrupting him:
"Your family has been rescued, but I have another important family member waiting for me far away. I must go find her!"

After saying that, he didn't even look at the people of the Land of Waves. He carried the giant ninja sword and headed towards the churning sea. His figure grew thinner and thinner until, in the blink of an eye, he seemed to disappear into the sea like a wisp of mist.

Kakashi and the others exchanged wistful glances.

They naturally knew what the other was going to do, which made their mood even heavier.

Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, is no small fry. Zabuza's journey there is likely to end badly, but looking at his resolute back, everyone understands that no one can stop that man's steps!

"It's alright, he can't find Orochimaru anyway."

Hui Li quietly comforted the dejected group, explaining that based on the timeline, Orochimaru was most likely hiding in the Land of Wind, preparing to assassinate the Fourth Kazekage. After the assassination, he would then launch the Konoha Crush plan.

At least until the Chunin Exams are over, Zabuza has little hope of finding Orochimaru, unless he's really unlucky... Thinking about Zabuza's incredible luck in bumping into the zombie duo on the vast ocean, Hai Li suddenly hesitated to make a judgment.

The people of the Land of Waves were disappointed but could understand that others were going to save their families; however, the sorrow in their eyes was impossible to hide.

The Land of Waves, now wealthy, is coveted by others. Zabuza has left, and it's unknown when he will return. Once these powerful Konoha ninjas also leave, a new Gato will likely emerge.

"..."

Keisha, Tazuna, and the few Wave Country officials captured by Raiga Kurosuki huddled together, seemingly discussing something. Soon, the two nodded cautiously and headed towards Team 7.

"First of all, thank you..."

A few official words and expressions of gratitude were meaningless. Looking at the flickering eyes of the two people, Hui Li understood that they probably had some requests that were difficult to say aloud.

"Just say what you have to say!"

Kakashi, seeing the officials from the Land of Waves constantly looking around, naturally understood that they had probably come with a mission, and said it directly.

Keisha and his companion exchanged a glance and finally voiced their request:

"Although the enemy has been eliminated, this square has been destroyed..."

coming!

Naruto and Sasuke's hearts skipped a beat. Although they had helped the other side eliminate the enemy, they had also caused tremendous damage. One thing at a time, normally they would be required to make corresponding compensation. This mission might even cost them a lot of money.

"The enemy's ninjutsu was too powerful. We did our best to stop it and brought the disaster to a halt. If it hadn't been dealt with in time, the Land of Waves might have been destroyed!"

Kakashi is skilled at shifting blame and has mastered the art of language.

While secretly pinning the blame on the enemy, they also managed to claim credit for themselves.

As a Jonin, he was very experienced in dealing with these petty and trivial matters. While speaking, he would occasionally glance at Hui Li and the others, as if he were conducting some kind of social practice instruction.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Haigaku gave him a thumbs up, showing their strong approval of the captain's abilities.

"Yes...yes, thank you for your help!" Tazuna and the other nodded knowingly, then stated their purpose:

"What we mean is that this plaza needs to be rebuilt. To thank you for your help to the Land of Waves, we'd like to name the new plaza 'Konoha Plaza.' What do you think?"

The two rubbed their hands together as they spoke, their expressions revealing a hint of embarrassment.

Naruto and Sasuke couldn't contain their joy; what boy wouldn't want to be called a hero?
But Hui Li and Kakashi frowned.

These words sound very nice, using the name of the plaza as a way to thank Hui Li and the others for their help, but the implication of using the name of Konoha is quite clear.

Without Zabuza's protection, the Land of Waves is like a lamb to the slaughter, and Konoha is undoubtedly the best safe haven.

From now on, anyone entering the port of the Land of Waves must first come to 'Konoha Plaza', where they can listen to stories of the Konoha ninjas bravely defeating their enemies and protecting the Land of Waves. If they cross the sea bridge, they can also hear tales of legendary heroic ninjas...

These people are really cunning!
But then they thought, isn't this just how the weak survive?
If there were other ways, who wouldn't want to protect their country honorably?
“We can discuss using our names, but we can’t make decisions about the name ‘Konoha’,” Kakashi said firmly.

"unless……"

Seeing the disappointment in their eyes, Hui Li gave them a glimmer of hope:
“Send a representative with us back to Konoha. As long as we can get the Third Hokage’s approval, we’ll not only accept your name, but we can even print the Konoha symbol on your bridges.”

"Excuse me."

The two nodded apologetically, and then gathered with the people from the Land of Waves to discuss the matter.

Hui Li knew that the other party was thinking of offering benefits to Konoha in order to gain Konoha's protection.

The amount of money involved in such transfers of benefits between countries is enormous, and the negotiations take a long time, but it has nothing to do with these ninjas.

With the deaths of Raiga Kurosuki and Ranmaru, the loss of Kakuzu's consciousness, and Hidan's capture, the Land of Waves, though facing a huge price, has a chance to gain the protection of Konoha.

Only then did the mission in the Land of Waves truly end!

(End of this chapter)