---
Looking into Ye Dou's eyes, Dazna replied guiltily.
"It means that the information you provided to us doesn't match the actual situation. They're all Chūnin from Kirigakure. According to regulations, this is no longer within the scope of a C-rank mission. We have the right to abandon the task," Kakashi said coldly.
Dazna panicked at this.
He had just witnessed the scene earlier: without the white-haired ninja in front of him and the other boy with the sword, he would have been slaughtered by the Demon Brothers (Mōju Kyōdai) without mercy.
This made it even clearer to him — without the help of these Konoha shinobi, there was no way he could complete the bridge.
However, he truly had no money left. On his trip to Konoha, the waterway fees, tolls, and even the task deposit had squeezed everything he had.
Desperate, he started pouring out the truth about the dire situation in the Land of Waves, playing the emotional card, and praying for their sympathy.
Kakashi wasn't a heartless person, but he was also not someone who would gamble with his students' lives.
At that moment, he had already decided: they would return to the village and report the escalation of the mission.
"Don't worry, old man! We'll definitely protect you until your bridge is finished!"
Before Kakashi could say a word, Uzumaki Naruto shouted out loud.
Naruto Uzumaki — a boy full of truth, goodness, and kindness, always positive and brimming with energy.
The only flaw was that he sometimes lacked a clear grasp of reality, believing too much in ideals.
He never considered whether he had the strength to resolve the situation, or whether his choices would cause unnecessary danger to the team. He simply wanted to help those in need.
"Even though he's been treated unfairly since childhood, he's still so eager to help others," Ye Dou muttered to the mongoose beside him.
"This... is what makes Naruto great."
Ye Dou understood well the appeal of Naruto's personality.
Orphaned at birth, the son of Konoha's heroes, yet treated like a monster by the very village his parents died to protect — scorned, isolated, feared.
Yet despite all this, Naruto remained optimistic, stubbornly fighting against his fate.
It was a kind of resilience that easily resonated with others, evoking the feeling:
"When others, who have suffered more, work so hard, what excuse do you have to slack off?"
Ye Dou had once been deeply moved by this spirit, but reality was cruel — it couldn't be overturned by a few passionate speeches.
Moreover, as Kishimoto Masashi subtly revealed later in the manga, sheer determination wasn't enough. Naruto's heritage — the Uzumaki bloodline and his hidden lineage as the Fourth Hokage's son — made him extraordinary by birth.
Kakashi was slightly moved as well. He himself wanted to help Dazna.
Turning to Uchiha Sasuke and Ye Dou, he asked, "What about you two? What do you think?"
"Hmph. If the dead-last isn't afraid, how can I back down?"
Sasuke Uchiha crossed his arms proudly.
It wasn't about money for him. After the downfall of the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke held the wealth of the entire Uchiha estate — he was a true young master.
What drove him forward was the desire to grow stronger, strong enough to one day defeat Uchiha Itachi.
"Ye Dou?"
"I have no objections," Ye Dou said calmly.
He had left the village with a goal, and he wouldn't be shaken by a change in difficulty.
"Alright," Kakashi nodded. "In that case, the mission continues."
"But," he added sternly, glancing at the unconscious Demon Brothers, "this is no longer a C-rank mission. It has escalated to at least B-rank or higher. Everyone, be on high alert."
Thus, the group once again set off toward the Land of Waves.
---
[Meanwhile, at another location — Zabuza Momochi]
"I paid you a fortune to deal with a simple bridge builder, and you failed!"
Kaidō, the tyrant of the Land of Waves, roared in fury.
In a misty, forested area of the Land of Waves stood a large, egg-shaped structure — the temporary hideout of Momochi Zabuza, the "Demon of the Hidden Mist."
After his failed coup against the Fourth Mizukage (Yagura), Zabuza had gone underground, biding his time.
"Tch, shut up," Zabuza growled, dragging his massive Kubikiribōchō (Executioner's Blade) across the floor with a screech.
He swung the blade down hard in front of Kaidō, who flinched and stumbled back.
"My men failed. This time, I'll go myself. I'll cut down that bridge builder personally."
"Fine! Just make sure you kill Dazna!" Kaidō barked, trembling with fear, and quickly fled the hideout.
When the room fell silent again, a masked youth — Haku — stepped forward and spoke hesitantly.
"Zabuza-sama, are you sure? Dazna has hired strong shinobi. I heard... there's even a Sharingan user among them."
"Who do you think I am?" Zabuza snorted, brandishing his blade.
"I am the Demon of the Hidden Mist. I won't let a few brats stop me."
There was a fierce confidence in his voice.
Moreover, Zabuza knew he needed money.
After the failed assassination of the Mizukage, he had been branded a traitor. Without allies, without a village to support him, everything — food, weapons, information — required money.
And if he wanted to one day gather strength, raise an army, and return to overthrow the brutal regime of the Blood Mist Village, he needed far, far more.
The five great ninja villages were not easily toppled.
But Zabuza had never given up on that dream.
---
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