ALL NOVEL Chapter 66: Gato's Vault
Chapter
67: Gato's Vault
"Ah ah ah ah ah!" Gato let
out a cry of fear, rolling and crawling to escape.
"Hey, where do you think you're
going?" Naruto had already targeted Gato. Before Gato could take a step,
Naruto captured him with one hand. Gato struggled, his limbs flailing.
"Don't kill me, don't kill me,
ah, don't kill me!" Gato screamed loudly as Menma walked closer. Gato's
expression was one of extreme shock and disgust. His lower body became wet as
he lost control.
"Is this guy really that
cowardly?" Naruto said in surprise.
"Sometimes, the so-called evil
is just this kind of person, Naruto. There's nothing surprising about it,"
Menma said calmly.
"Oh? Is that so? But Menma, why
are you so cruel? These people are just hired by Gato, right? Can't we just
knock them down? Why kill them? They are not hostile ninjas," Naruto
asked, frowning as he noticed the scarlet color on Menma's body and the corpses
lying in a pool of blood nearby.
"Oh? Well, I didn't hold back
just now. It was indeed a bit too much. I will pay attention to it in the
future," Menma nodded slightly.
This submissive attitude, completely
different from his previous demeanor, stunned Naruto. He had been prepared for
Menma to refute him and was ready to argue. But Menma's sudden change in
attitude left Naruto unable to react.
Is this a bad thing? No, it should
be a good thing, right? After all, Menma agreeing with him was a good thing.
But was it really? At that moment, Naruto felt an inexplicable sense of
distance from Menma. The intimacy he had felt deep in his heart seemed to
disappear. This feeling was like an illusion, giving Naruto an indescribable
sense of irritability.
Menma, however, had no intention of
caring about Naruto anymore. "The mission is completed. Please bring this
guy to Kakashi-sensei. Once the final information is confirmed, we can
successfully complete this mission, and Tazuna-san and the others can rest
assured."
Menma extended his right hand,
dragging Gato like a dead dog towards the bow of the ship where Kakashi-sensei
was. Naruto, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, followed Menma's footsteps
back to Kakashi-sensei.
Although Gato's behavior showed he
was not a tough guy, Kakashi-sensei still used genjutsu to torture him,
ensuring the final result was clear. This mission had nothing to do with the
Land of Water and the Hidden Mist Village. It was all Gato's doing. Zabuza had
been hired by Gato using his personal funds. With the confirmation that
Kirigakure had not extended its influence to the Land of Waves, Kakashi-sensei
was completely relieved. If the Mist Ninja had taken action, Konoha would have
had to respond, possibly leading to a new ninja war.
"It seems there is no need to
worry about the follow-up. So, Kakashi-sensei, can this guy be left to me to
handle?" Menma asked after Kakashi's torture.
"Oh? Well, of course, you can
handle it as you wish, Menma," Kakashi-sensei chuckled, nodding in
agreement. He took out a sealing scroll from his arms and threw it to Menma.
Kakashi-sensei saw this as
completely normal. Including previous killings, he didn't think there was
anything wrong. Since Gato and his men had stood in front of them with
hostility, they were proper enemies. Killing the enemy was as ordinary as
eating and drinking water for a ninja. Instead, some of Naruto's attitudes and
practices seemed inappropriate to Kakashi-sensei. Ninjas could have a certain
degree of kindness, but it must not affect their judgment. Ultimately, it could
have a bad impact on themselves and their peers.
"Well, then I'll come as soon
as I can, Kakashi-sensei," Menma said, stepping forward. While Kakashi's
illusion was still in effect, Menma asked what he wanted from Gato and then
took him back, walking towards the interior of the cabin.
"Let's go back first, Naruto.
Leave this to Menma," Kakashi-sensei said.
"Eh? Yes, Brother
Kakashi," Naruto nodded subconsciously, following Kakashi-sensei back to
the bridge.
After the two left, the ship that
had stopped because of Kakashi-sensei and the others set sail again, but it
turned around and headed in the opposite direction. After about an hour of
high-speed sailing, the ship arrived at a small island directly north of the
main island of the Land of Waves.
"Are you sure it's here? You
should know the consequences of deceiving me, Mr. Gato," Menma said
coldly, pushing Gato, who had regained consciousness but still looked pale, out
of the cabin.
Hearing Menma's cold words, Gato
shuddered, nodding hurriedly. "Please believe me, Master Menma. Most of my
assets are here. I have never deceived you."
"Well, that's good. Let's go.
You lead the way," Menma nodded lightly.
"Yes, yes, please come this
way, Master," Gato said in a flattering tone, nodding and bowing. The two
walked one after the other towards the only magnificent building on the island.