If Gato hadn't been so determined to distance himself from Shanks, Danzo might have actually suspected something.
But even after all the torture, Gato still insisted that he had nothing to do with Shanks. That level of loyalty only made it clearer—he must be deeply tied to Shanks.
Anyone else in his situation would have already broken under the pressure, but Gato was different. He was clearly a selfish, cowardly businessman who only sided with the strong.
Yet even after enduring both physical and mental torment, he still refused to admit any connection to Shanks. Did he really think Danzo was an idiot?
"Forget it. Keep an eye on him. Next, we spread the news—let the entire ninja world know about this."
Danzo waved his hand. He had already made up his mind—Gato was definitely one of Shanks' most trusted people.
"Danzo-sama… I really have no connection to Shanks or the Uzumaki clan…!"
Before Gato could finish, his mouth was sealed shut, and he was dragged away.
Watching him go, Danzo put away any remaining doubts he had about Shanks.
"A normal ninja would've been fooled by Gato. Even Genjutsu couldn't make him tell the truth, and physical torture didn't work either."
"But the most concerning thing… He's from the Uzumaki clan, yet he plays the role of a greedy merchant so convincingly. He's even better at deception than actual spies."
Danzo knew what the Uzumaki clan was capable of. Resisting basic Genjutsu was nothing for them.
For an average ninja, Genjutsu might work, but for someone from the Uzumaki clan? Not necessarily.
Meanwhile, Gato once again felt the chilling threat of death.
Shanks had already warned him—using the Uzumaki clan's name too recklessly could bring him trouble.
But to Gato, "trouble" wasn't something to be afraid of.
As a greedy businessman, if there was a 300% profit, he was willing to risk his life. And by borrowing the names of the Uzumaki clan and Shanks, he could rise to power in the underground black market.
This wasn't just a 300% profit—it was much, much more. So what if it was a bit dangerous?
But now things were different. This wasn't just a risky move anymore—his life was 100% in danger. At this point, only a fool would still take risks.
Was Gato being stubborn? No way. He was just trying to survive.
He was just a regular businessman—there was no way he would dare to associate himself with Shanks or the Uzumaki clan.
Gato wasn't an idiot.
Of course, neither was Danzo.
But the way they thought was completely different. From a ninja's perspective, Danzo's judgment of Gato made perfect sense.
Any ninja with a normal brain would agree with Danzo's reasoning.
But from Gato's perspective, he was just thinking like a businessman—immediately surrendering to protect his life and not worrying about anything else.
Was Gato smart? Not really. Compared to the real masterminds of the underground black market, he was nothing. He didn't have any deep schemes or strategies.
His only talent was making money—dirty money.
Other than that, he didn't have any real skills. In fact, he had a terrible flaw—he was really bad at avoiding trouble.
Otherwise, do you really think Kakuzu just randomly decided to use Gato to test the Akatsuki? No way. It was pure waste utilization—plus a little personal revenge.
It was just like when Zabuza tried to rob Kirigakure's treasury—on the surface, it looked like a bold and open move, but in reality, it was just him settling a personal grudge.
On the other side, Shanks and Shisui had planned to stay in Konohagakure for a few more days to wait for Gato. But after three days, there was still no news of him.
Left with no choice, Shanks and Shisui decided to move on.
They still had to find Danzo—there was no time to waste.
When it comes to revenge, there's no need to wait for the "gentleman's ten-year rule." If you can do it now, do it now.
The conflict between Shisui and Danzo wasn't just a simple personal grudge.
After all, Shisui was a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, and both of them had been close to the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Yet Danzo didn't care about any of that. He even cast aside his own reputation and directly targeted Shisui.
So, this wasn't just about getting his eye back.
It was much simpler than that—it was about revenge.
"Captain, there's no need to wait around this long. We can leave whenever we want."
"But this is the the famous Ichiraku Ramen! We finally got here, so why not stay a bit longer?"
Shanks muttered as he slurped down another bowl.
For the past three days, he had been practically living at Ichiraku Ramen, eating nothing but ramen nonstop.
To Shanks, this stuff was pure heaven.
Of course, Shisui felt the same way.
Shanks had been surviving in the wild for nearly a year, while Shisui had spent years living off bland, simple meals.
"I get that you want to enjoy it while you're here, but did you really have to finish off every bowl they had?"
Shisui rubbed his forehead, watching as Shanks kept eating.
Even as they walked down the street, Shanks was still stuffing his face with ramen from a huge bowl.
Thanks to Shanks' incredible appetite—and that ever-present chef's hat—Ichiraku Ramen had been overjoyed these past few days, feeling like their cooking had been officially recognized by the top chefs of the ninja world.
Teuchi, the owner, was so pleased that he even started teaching Shanks some of his cooking secrets.
And, of course, Shanks happily accepted, spending three days learning how to cook ramen.
"He finally left…"
"Who would've thought a chef could be that strong?"
"Yeah, even the two of us together couldn't beat him."
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Zobei and Kotarou sat there, battered and bruised, deep in thought.
Then, they turned toward Teuchi with eyes full of admiration.
"Master Teuchi!"
"Master Teuchi!"
Teuchi was stunned as the two suddenly dropped to their knees.
"..."
"If you're asking for credit, I can put it on your tab."
After a long silence, Teuchi finally spoke in a calm tone.
"No, Master Teuchi! Please teach us how to cook!"
"We can't accept losing to a chef like that! No matter what, we have to get stronger!"
Zobei and Kotarou had completely convinced themselves that they had lost purely because of their opponent's profession.
And honestly, that logic made perfect sense.
After all, look at Teuchi—he was the strongest chef in Konohagakure. Everyone who came to this place had to show him some respect.
At that moment, Zobei and Kotarou's eyes burned with passion.
As long as they became chefs, one day, they would defeat that man.
Meanwhile, Danzo had already arrived in the Land of Waves with Gato.
Looking at the Land of Waves, now built up like a military fortress, Danzo finally showed a satisfied smile.
"This place is still missing something."
"Danzo-sama, whatever it is… just tell me, I'll get it ready right away. Being able to serve you is my greatest honor!"
Gato, still tied up, kept struggling as he spoke.
"It's missing an execution platform—for the Uzumaki clan."
"Hahaha!! Spread the word, Gato. The Uzumaki clan members will be executed in three days.
Let's make Shanks experience the pain of losing his people once again."
---
You can read 50 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu