- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM CHapter 48
In the world of Naruto, the strength of a faction is not necessarily determined by the number of ninjas it has. Truly powerful ninjas can single-handedly destroy entire countries. Relying on raising a large number of orphans in the Land of Waves and training them into an army of ninjas is nothing but a pipe dream. Even if one Jōnin emerges from them in a few years, that would be considered fortunate.
Rather than wasting time on this, it’s better to focus on improving oneself and recruiting real talents like Zabuza and Haku into the organization. Leo is well aware that his main purpose in the small world is to enhance his own strength. Everything he does is with this premise in mind. If he loses sight of this goal, there’s no need for him to continue because, apart from his own strength, he can’t take anything else out of the small world.
After lunch, Leo and Sakura continued to guard Tazuna at the bridge construction site in the afternoon. As evening approached, a large ship bearing the character “Yuan” gradually appeared on the misty sea.
“Wow, that’s a huge ship!” Sakura exclaimed, pointing at the approaching vessel. Having lived in the village all her life, this was the first time Sakura had seen such a large ship.
“Looks like my friend has arrived!” Leo recognized the flag on the ship and confirmed that Matsukawa had arrived as planned.
The ship docked, and a middle-aged man led over forty strong men, carrying various construction tools, to Leo.
“My lord, I’ve brought the men.”
“Good, have them follow Mr. Tazuna’s instructions and get to work!” Leo nodded and then turned to Tazuna with a smile, saying, “Mr. Tazuna, this is my friend Matsukawa. You two can discuss the construction and trade matters, as I’m not familiar with those details.”
After introducing Matsukawa to Tazuna, Leo stepped back from their conversation. Meanwhile, Sakura approached Leo with a puzzled expression and quietly asked, “Brother Chuan, why does Mr. Matsukawa seem to respect you so much?”
If it were Naruto and Sasuke, they probably wouldn’t notice such subtle details and would only care about powerful ninjas, but Sakura was a perceptive person. She noticed that Matsukawa’s attitude towards Leo didn’t seem like that of an ordinary friend.
“Well, he does respect me a lot, probably because the money he used to start his business was borrowed from me back then,” Leo replied with a smile, not elaborating further.
Satisfied with the explanation, Sakura didn’t press further. She wasn’t malicious, just curious.
With the help of the professional builders brought by Matsukawa, the bridge construction progressed much faster. According to Tazuna’s calculations, the bridge could be completed in less than a month.
In the evening, Leo stayed on the docked ship to protect Matsukawa and his men, rather than returning with Sakura and Tazuna. With Kakashi around at Tazuna’s house, many things were inconvenient.
……
“Long time no see, Zabuza and Haku!” Leo greeted Zabuza and Haku, who were resting in the ship’s cabin.
“Hello, Mr. Chuan,” Haku greeted politely, while Zabuza snorted, “When do we kill Gato?”
“Let’s wait a bit longer. Let Gato lose his patience and attack first. If Kakashi and the others manage to kill him, all the better. If not, you two can finish him off,” Leo said, pouring himself a cup of tea.
Gato, despite being an ordinary person, was one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, not someone who could be easily killed. Leo worried that Kakashi might spare Gato to avoid affecting Konoha, so he had Zabuza and Haku as a backup plan.
“No problem. Here, take these,” Zabuza said, placing two scrolls on the table.
Leo opened the scrolls and was surprised, “These are the B-rank Water Dragon Jutsu and the A-rank Great Waterfall Jutsu!”
“I don’t like owing favors. Since the organization’s purpose is mutual aid, consider these jutsus and helping you kill Gato as repayment for the information and assistance you provided,” Zabuza replied coldly.
Leo needed high-level jutsus, and although Water Dragon Jutsu and Great Waterfall Jutsu weren’t particularly rare or secret, they were still valuable. Zabuza’s gesture showed his sincerity in joining the organization.
“Of course, if you have time to teach me these jutsus, that would be even better. I would pay for your instruction!” Leo said, pleased with the scrolls.
Four days later, Kakashi fully recovered, and two weeks later, Naruto and Sasuke completed their tree-climbing training. By then, the bridge was less than a hundred meters from the other side.
One morning, as usual, Tazuna and the workers were busy on the bridge while Leo, Kakashi, and the others chatted nearby. Suddenly, a short, middle-aged man in a suit, carrying a cane, approached from the far end of the bridge, followed by over a hundred armed men.
He arrogantly pointed at Tazuna, Leo, and the others, “Did you think you’d finish the bridge? That hiring a few Konoha ninjas would scare me? Hahaha, I waited until your hope was at its highest to crush it. I’ll show everyone that defying Gato leads to a terrible end. You’ll never escape my control!”
“It seems he couldn’t wait any longer,” Kakashi said, unfazed by Gato and his hundred mercenaries. He turned to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, saying, “Now, let’s see the results of your training.”
“Uh… just the three of us? Kakashi-sensei, you’re not helping?” Sakura asked, nervous.
The hundred mercenaries looked fierce and intimidating, making it hard to believe three freshly graduated genin could handle them. But before she could finish her sentence, Sasuke had already charged forward with a kunai, and Naruto quickly followed.
“Sasuke, you’re not taking all the glory. I won’t lose to you this time!”
“Believe in yourself, Sakura. They’re actually quite weak,” Leo encouraged with a smile, and Sakura finally mustered the courage to charge forward.