Zabuza Momochi: The Idea of Not Beheading Again!
Kaito rushed all the way to the construction site, where he found Kakashi. Without hesitation, he handed over the scroll in his possession.
To Kaito's surprise, Kakashi unsealed the scroll but only took half of its contents.
"You're really not taking all of it?" Kaito asked, clearly puzzled by Kakashi's decision.
Kakashi glanced at the enormous sum and shook his head. "There's about 500 million ryo in each scroll. Taking half is already more than enough."
Kaito raised an eyebrow and took a peek at Kakashi's ledger. Seeing the absurd string of numbers, Kakashi wondered if he was seeing things.
"Thirty billion ryo?!" Kakashi exhaled sharply, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Kaidō was that rich?"
"Indeed," Kaito confirmed with a slight nod. "As agreed, an 80-20 split. These scrolls belong to you."
Despite the massive fortune, Kaito remained unfazed. To him, reputation mattered far more than money.
"Forget it," Kakashi said, waving off the offer. "This is more than enough for me to live comfortably. There's no need to be greedy."
With that, Kakashi returned the ledger to Kaito. Seeing that Kakashi was firm in his decision, Kaito didn't push further. He stowed away the scroll and prepared to leave. There was still one last matter to attend to—Zabuza.
Upon arriving at the safe house, Kaito immediately noticed that Zabuza and Haku were preparing to leave.
"Hm? Where are you going?" Kaito asked, eyeing their packed belongings.
At the sound of his voice, Zabuza instinctively positioned himself in front of Haku, his grip tightening on the bandaged hilt of Kubikiribōchō. His voice was wary as he responded, "Didn't you say that if I paid the right price, you'd let us go?"
Kaito chuckled at Zabuza's caution. "Relax. I was just thinking that if you keep wandering aimlessly like this, you're bound to run into trouble sooner or later."
Zabuza's grip didn't loosen. His mistrust was evident, and Kaito could see the hesitation in his eyes.
"We've always survived like this," Zabuza replied. "What's the problem?"
Kaito shrugged. "You really don't think a life constantly on the run is exhausting? Living without a stable home? Don't you ever get tired of it?"
A flicker of something—hope?—flashed across Zabuza's face before he quickly buried it beneath a sigh. "Of course, I want a stable life. But I'm an ex-Mist shinobi. No village will accept me."
Kaito smirked. "Maybe you're looking in the wrong places."
"What if I told you, I hired you as a mercenary?"
Hearing Kaito's words, Zabuza was momentarily stunned. Though he wasn't certain of Kaito's full strength, he knew one thing for sure—this man was stronger than him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been forced to retreat during their last encounter.
But if Kaito was truly that powerful, why would he need to hire him? Zabuza narrowed his eyes, suspicion flickering across his face.
Kaito noticed his doubt and smirked.
"You're wondering why someone stronger than you would bother hiring you, aren't you?"
Zabuza gave a slight nod. He was genuinely curious about Kaito's motives.
"Simple. I don't want to reveal my full strength." Kaito crossed his arms before adding, "Besides, I can offer you something invaluable—the right to live in Konoha. No more wandering, no more being hunted down."
Zabuza's eyes flickered with interest, but he remained silent.
"Think about it. After this mission, you and Haku can come with us to Konoha. You won't have to live as a rogue shinobi anymore."
Zabuza glanced at Haku, his expression unreadable. The boy had endured a harsh life, constantly on the move, never knowing peace. If what Kaito said was true, then perhaps...
But was Kaito trustworthy? Could he really provide sanctuary in a village that had once been his enemy?
Seeing Zabuza's hesitation, Kaito patted his shoulder. "Of course, I won't force you. If you don't want to take the offer, you're free to leave now. That's my promise to you—I don't go back on my word."
Zabuza turned back to Haku, his grip tightening into a fist. The thought of giving the boy a stable life was too tempting to ignore. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine. I'll work for you. But can you really guarantee I'll be able to live in Konoha?"
"That's a promise," Kaito affirmed before tossing a storage scroll to Zabuza.
"There's 500 million ryō in there. Use it however you see fit. If you need more, come find me. This mission will wrap up soon. After that, you can return to Konoha with us."
With that, Kaito turned and walked away, leaving Zabuza standing there, staring at the scroll in his hands—contemplating a future he had never imagined possible.