Watching Sasuke and Naruto once again hurl words at each other in their usual heated exchange, Kakashi could only sigh and rub his forehead helplessly. Still, despite his exasperation, the white-haired jonin couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and satisfaction in his heart.
Their words might've been harsh, but the underlying truth was something that made Kakashi genuinely happy.
Sasuke hadn't abandoned Naruto just because he gave up training his ultimate technique—instead, he was pushing Naruto to work hard and train alongside him, using an aggressive approach to motivate him. As for Naruto, despite his rude mouth, he hadn't turned down Sasuke's challenge.
That meant he hadn't lost his drive, even if he had stopped practicing his ultimate technique.
From the current situation, at least these two weren't a concern anymore. Which left the most troublesome one.
"Speaking of which, where's Hinata?"
Lifting his head, Kakashi squinted slightly. He hadn't intended to monitor Hinata, but her tendency to run off on her own was starting to become a cause for concern. After all, dangerous individuals like Zabuza were still in the country. If Hinata ran into someone like him alone, it would be a serious issue.
"I'm right here. Quit fussing already. What are you, a daycare?"
Before Naruto and Sasuke could reply, a crisp voice rang out at the door. Hinata had just pushed it open and stepped inside. Having just come out of the bath, Kakashi let out a small sigh of relief. "I know it's annoying to hear, but you're really important now. In a place with enemy presence, you shouldn't be moving around alone."
"But reconnaissance and detection are also a ninja's duties, right? Out of the four of us, I'm the only one with the Byakugan. That makes me the best suited for the job."
Hinata brushed off Kakashi's lecture with ease. The white-eyed girl took off her shoes as she spoke and casually tossed a netted bag full of food onto the floor beside her. The items clearly weren't from around here—they had to have come from the capital.
"Sigh… I don't even know whether I'm lucky or unlucky to have students like you."
Not trying to assert any sense of teacherly authority, Kakashi picked up the net bag with a relaxed demeanor and naturally took out a bottle of sake. Since none of the three students were old enough to drink, it was obvious who this had been bought for.
"Heh… With reliable and powerful students like us, what more could you possibly have to complain about?"
With a smirk, Hinata walked straight over to the sofa and plopped down. Judging from the confident spring in her step, she was clearly in a very good mood.
"Ugh, damn you, Sasuke! Next time, I'm not going easy on you!"
Naruto stomped out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around him, visibly annoyed. Sasuke, following behind, said impatiently, "Yeah, right. I beat you until my hands hurt, and you still have the nerve to say something like that. Truly shocking."
There was no doubt about it—last night's fight between Naruto and Sasuke had ended in a double KO. Since neither used their ultimate techniques—like Sasuke's Amatsu-no-Habakiri—the battle had remained a clash basics without big finishers.
Still, both of them had gone too far. The wounds on their bodies clearly showed that they'd used tools like shuriken and close-range moves such as Sonic Blade and Silent Palm—small-scale kill moves.
"I'm glad you two have plenty of energy, but you need to be more alert now."
Leaning back on the sofa, Hinata raised her chin slightly, her tone gaining a subtle edge.
"Last night, some ronin were killed in the capital of the Land of Waves. The bodies were found in horrifying condition. Considering that someone like Zabuza, a rogue from the Bloody Mist, is still on the loose, it's likely other dangerous individuals are in the area too."
"So from now on, we're going into alert mode."
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Zabuza was in a foul mood—not just because his burns were healing and constantly itching, but also because of the infuriated man standing in front of him: Gato.
"You swore up and down you were one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist! And not only did you lose outright, now you can't even guarantee my safety! What good are you?!"
Short, fat, and ugly, Gato embodied every cliché of a villainous merchant. The tiny sunglasses perched on his face only added to his clownish appearance. His luxurious suit and gold-tipped cane tried to present an air of nobility, but instead made him look more like a bloated penguin.
"What happened, exactly? Zabuza-san is still recovering, so tell me instead."
Standing by Zabuza's side, Haku furrowed her brow. As disgusting as Gato was, he was technically their employer, so cleaning up his messes was part of the job.
"Hmph! Bring it in!"
Gato had clearly snapped. He wasn't known for his courage, and in recent days, several of his ships had run aground in what were supposed to be safe waters. He was already on edge, and what happened last night must've pushed him past his breaking point. Otherwise, he'd never have deigned to visit Zabuza personally.
Two samurai carried in a stretcher from outside. Despite trying their best to stay composed, their faces betrayed sheer terror.
Haku and Zabuza exchanged glances and walked over to remove the white sheet covering the stretcher. The moment they did, a pungent stench spread through the room.
It was a blend of burnt protein and thick, metallic blood.
Zabuza, who had smelled more blood than most men ever would in their lifetimes, immediately recognized it. Different wounds produced different scents—blood from limbs, torsos, necks, and arteries all varied. But the one he smelled now? It was the kind that only came from cutting someone completely in half with a large blade and letting the blood erupt in a single explosive gush.
"I've given up expecting much from you two, but you could at least tell me what the hell killed these guys!"
Gato turned away to wipe his sweaty forehead, though it was clear the sweat had never stopped flowing since this morning.
Even Haku couldn't help but frown upon seeing the body—because it was absolutely grotesque.
It was likely a tall ronin, but his body now looked like a balloon that had exploded from the inside. Eight savage wounds were torn open on the front of his torso, resembling claw marks from a demon. Around the charred holes, the blackened remains of internal organs and intestines clung together in a horrifying mess.
It was as if a firebomb had been detonated inside his body, blasting the guts and entrails out through those eight holes.
"The villagers say they were killed by demons! I don't care who did it—I just want you to protect me!"
Gato was clearly scared out of his wits. For all his ruthlessness, he was still a businessman—and businessmen could be some of the biggest cowards. The repeated incidents of his ships sinking had already made him uneasy.
The rumors among the people of the Land of Waves—that Gato was finally facing divine retribution—were weighing heavily on him. He'd done enough wicked things to earn it.
And then came these corpses, found early this morning.
Nine in total—all of them Gato's hired ronin. The alley where they were discovered looked like a slaughterhouse. Every body had the same gruesome wounds: eight massive holes in the torso, their insides charred and blown apart from within.
"Zabuza-san, I don't think this is the work of a Mist hunter-nin squad. But I've never seen wounds like these before either."
Haku's tone remained calm, but the faint flicker of fear in her beautiful eyes was undeniable. Even after seeing so much death and horror, these corpses were something else entirely.
"I can tell… But I'll be fully recovered by tomorrow. We'll take care of that old man for you then."
Zabuza's eyes were icy cold as he stared at the mutilated body. As a ninja, analyzing corpses for information was second nature—but this kind of kill method was completely new to him.
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"Eh? Hinata, why'd you call us out here? Weren't we supposed to be on high alert?"
Naruto, arms behind his head, followed Hinata lazily, while Sasuke trailed alongside, frowning slightly. Kakashi hadn't come with them because he was probably passed out in the room after finishing the strong sake Hinata had brought back.
And the place Hinata brought them to was… strange. It looked like a dock, but not one used by regular citizens. The thuggish-looking samurai standing guard made it pretty clear this was a private cargo port. Given the state of the Land of Waves, it was obviously owned by Gato.
"Aren't you even curious where I went last night?"
Turning around, Hinata lifted a lock of hair from her cheek. The sea breeze lifted her bangs and fluttered her clothes, and the subtle smile on her lips—paired with her Byakugan eyes—suddenly gave her a mysterious allure that made both Sasuke and Naruto fall silent for a moment.
"Tch~ You can go wherever you want. Not like we care," Sasuke muttered, looking away.
"Y-Yeah! Totally! But uh… where even is this place?" Naruto chimed in quickly.
"Last night, I specially trained a forbidden move from the Nanto Seven Sacred Fist style. The results? A total success."
Ignoring their attempt to change the subject, Hinata's smile sharpened into a razor's edge.
"And since you two are my friends, out of our deep friendship—I'd like to show you something…"
"With the help of some… materials here."