"Mr. Tazuna, if it's just you building the bridge, I wonder when it will be finished!" Asuma, with a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth, took a deep drag and asked the elderly man who was busy working in the distance.
With Asuma's strength, protecting Tazuna was more than enough. As for Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, at Shikamaru's suggestion, they stayed behind at Tazuna's house to protect Inari and the others.
It was almost noon, and the sunlight pierced through the thin fog. Looking out from the bridge, the sea sparkled with white light, almost like a giant mirror. However, only Asuma and Tazuna were witnessing this view, as for the past two days, there had only been a handful of people helping Tazuna on the first day. After receiving warnings from Kado's men, no one had shown up since.
"The bridge of the Land of Waves..." Tazuna stopped his work upon hearing Asuma's words, wiped his sweat with a towel draped over his shoulder, and gave a hearty laugh, showing no sign of discouragement or disappointment. He looked towards the direction of his home and responded loudly, "It'll be finished soon!"
Asuma shrugged in response. Even with a full construction crew, this unfinished bridge would take more than a couple of months to complete. Clearly, Tazuna wasn't referring to this bridge.
As an experienced Jonin, Asuma was well aware of some of the actions of his subordinates, but he didn't want to interfere.
Kado's residence was located in a quiet forest area. This property, which Kado had forcibly taken, was once peaceful, but ever since he and his group of outlaws and thugs moved in, the tranquility had vanished.
Bang!
Kado, clearly agitated, paced around the room. A young maid trembled nearby, picking up a vase that Kado had smashed.
Two wandering samurais, each with a short sword at their side, lazily stood beside Kado. Their eyes occasionally wandered over to the maid's figure, but their lack of formal training was apparent. They were no more than low-level samurais, their manners barely surpassing that of common thugs.
"Damn ninjas!" Kado muttered under his breath, cursing angrily, "What's the deal with that Zabuza guy? What a joke! A famous Jonin, and yet he gets killed so easily! Such a waste of my time!"
Kado had hired Zabuza by chance, but the man had been rebellious from the start. Zabuza's interest in the country and his defiance made Kado uneasy. However, when news spread of Tazuna returning to continue building the bridge after Zabuza's death, Kado grew furious.
Kado's rule over the Land of Waves was illegitimate, and he used brute force to intimidate the citizens into submission. Tazuna's actions, though ineffective, were a sign of resistance and disrespect towards Kado. This could potentially spark a future uprising, and he would not allow this to fester, just as he had eliminated Kesha before.
"You, out!" Kado called out to the maid, who quickly fled the room.
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow I must take a group of my men by boat to the construction site to find Tazuna. Otherwise, there might be trouble. We'll outnumber those ninjas; they won't be a problem. If it comes down to it, we'll bribe them..." Kado muttered to himself as he noticed the two wandering samurais, then after a brief pause, he turned to them and ordered, "For insurance, you two go to Tazuna's house and bring his daughter and grandson back as hostages!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Inari!" Inari knocked desperately on the door, shouting loudly, but there was no response. "I know you're inside!"
The soundproofing of the simple wooden house was poor, and earlier, Inari had heard someone talking and moving inside, but now, after knocking, all fell silent.
"...Uncle Sanji!" After knocking a few more times, and receiving no answer, Inari slowly lowered his hand, ran to the window, and tried to peek inside. His small frame couldn't quite reach, but he was certain someone was inside. He called out loudly, "Are you just going to watch Zongyi Lang get sick? My dad fought against Kado for me and everyone else's future, and you're just going to let him suffer?!"
Inside the room, the faint smell of medicine lingered in the air. On the bed, a frail boy lay asleep, covered by thick blankets. He had a sickly red hue on his face, clearly ill. His parents sat beside him, looking despondent as they watched over him.
Under Kado's control, the availability of food and supplies had become scarce. Many fishing boats, which people relied on for food, were seized by Kado when he attempted to block the sea routes. This made it difficult for fishermen to even catch food, let alone live in an island nation where almost everything required boats.
Zongyi Lang, the boy in bed, had been hungry and tried to fish on his own, only to drown in the process. Though he was saved, he fell ill, and with no income and barely any medicine, he could only suffer through his sickness.
Inari's words easily reached a middle-aged man's ears. Years of life at sea had made him appear older than his age. Deep wrinkles etched his face, evidence of the harsh conditions he endured. His tall frame and loose clothing suggested that he had once been stronger, but years of hunger and worry had worn him down. Hearing Inari's shouting, he clenched his fists.
His wife, equally haggard, looked at him with concern. She instinctively reached out and grasped his clenched fist.
The man's jaws tightened as he looked at his wife. For a moment, he froze, then his gaze softened as he looked at her. His wife had aged far quicker than expected, and years of deprivation had taken a toll on her beauty. But her eyes, full of care and worry, made his heart stir. With a decisive look, he stood up suddenly.
"Sanji!?" His wife, shocked, asked, "What are you doing?"
"Keiko!" Sanji gasped for air, looking at his sick son and wife. With a hint of frustration in his voice, he said, "We can't go on like this. Zongyi Lang needs medicine, and we all need food."
Determined, he disregarded his wife's pleas and walked over to a large wooden chest in the next room. He rummaged through the contents, opened a hidden compartment at the bottom, and pulled out a bundle wrapped in cowhide paper. Inside was a hand crossbow and several bolts.
The crossbow had been crafted secretly by him and Kesha. Sanji checked it over, relieved to see it was still in working condition. His face darkened as he whispered, "I owe Kesha. He and Inari were right. If we don't fight back against Kado, we'll all die. I can't let Zongyi Lang suffer a life like this."
"I'm not a good husband, Keiko," Sanji muttered regretfully as he glanced at his wife and son, his voice rough. "But I want to be a good father."
Later that evening, after Tazuna finished his work and returned home, he was shocked to find a group of men gathered inside his house. Looking closer, he realized they were all fishermen from the area.
"Tazuna-san!" One of the fishermen spotted him and greeted him loudly. The others quickly followed suit. Tazuna had earned the respect of the people of the Land of Waves, both as an elder and for his ongoing resistance against Kado.
"What's going on here...?" Tazuna asked, his heart racing. He had an inkling of what was happening but dared not confirm it.
"Grandpa!" A small figure ran up to Tazuna and jumped into his arms, beaming with excitement. "Everyone gathered here to discuss how to resist Kado!"
"I see..." Tazuna murmured, looking around at the fishermen in his home. His eyes grew a bit moist—not from emotion, but from the realization that Kesha's death had been in vain. Kesha had foreseen this outcome and urged everyone to unite against Kado, but his efforts had failed. Now, after experiencing hardship, the people were easily convinced to take action. The contrast between the two situations weighed heavily on Tazuna's heart.
"Asuma-sensei!" At the edge of the group, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji quickly approached Asuma and Tazuna, greeting them warmly.
"I can't believe the people of the Land of Waves have suffered so much since Kado arrived!" Ino said sympathetically. After hearing the fishermen's accounts, she, Choji, and Shikamaru had a clearer understanding of the hardships the people endured. While the three of them had learned about the poverty of the country during their time here, hearing it directly from the fishermen was far more powerful.