"Alright Tazuna, clearly you aren't telling us something, why were those men attempting to assassinate you?"Kakashi asked.
"Well, I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore, the truth is I'm a threat." Tazuna said simply.
"Wait, you're a threat, to who?" Naruto asked. "You don't look very dangerous."
"I'm not a threat, rather the message I'm sending is."Tazuna explained.
"Well, would you explain everything, maybe it can help us with understanding our recent attack." Kakashi said.
"I suppose that's for the best, although I should say I don't have the needed money for a mission of this rank, hence my earlier deception." Tazuna said before closing his eyes."I guess the best place to start would be when he showed up."
"Who?" Hinata asked.
"Gato, the worst man to ever set foot in the Land of Waves." Tazuna answered.
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"Listen up, all of you." said a man with a samurai sword. "This area is now under the control of Mr. Gato, so you answer to him."
"What are you talking about?" asked an older lady.
"Yeah, why should we listen to someone we've never met?" asked a younger man before he suddenly was stabbed through the back by a second samurai.
"Does that answer your questions?" the man asked as he pulled out his sword.
"Well, it seems the introduction is already over, well I'm glad to tell you that 80% of all profit anyone makes is now my property." Gato said as he walked to stand in front of his two guards.
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"How could anyone be that heartless?" Hinata asked.
"That was just the beginning, and it was far from the worst thing he's ever done." Tazuna said. "He took the one thing we needed most, a sense of hope, that there would be a way out."
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"Listen up, we can't let Gato do what he wants." said a young man with a scar on his chin shaped like an x.
"Kaiza, we all know that, but we have no way to stop him." said an older man.
"Look, we can't give up, he can't kill us all. We can get our home back." Kaiza said.
"You're right, Gato has no power over us, we shouldn't give him anything." said another man.
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"Wait, it sounds like that Kaiza guy was a hero." Naruto said. "So why didn't Gato leave?"
"Hero, if only you knew how right you were." Tazuna said. "Kaiza was a hero, and he was a great man, until that day."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked. "It sounds like he was leading you all to get rid of Gato."
"That's right, what do you mean Mr. Tazuna?" Hinata asked.
"I mean that in the Land of Waves a hero is something that just doesn't seem to exist anymore." Tazuna said.
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"Mr. Gato sir, nobody is giving anymore of their profits, someone must be telling them not to." said one of his samurai.
"Should we take care of this 'Kaiza' boss?" asked the other samurai.
"Yes, but leave him alive and bring him to me, we should show these people what their hero deserves." Gato said.
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"What's going on, why did Gato ask all of us to come here?" asked a young woman.
"I don't know, but it can't be good." said another woman.
"Well, I'm glad you all decided to show up, it's come to my attention that you think you don't have to pay me, well I'm going to show you what happens to people who think that way." Gato said before showing Kaiza tied to a pole beaten and bloody. "This man thought it would be wise to defy me, well this is what he gets."
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"Gato's lackeys proceeded to cut Kaiza's arms clean off, and he personally killed him in front of all of us. That was the day that both the idea of a hero, and of hope, died. In our land." Tazuna said.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Kakashi said while his students remained silent.
"Kakashi sensei, we need to help these people." Naruto said suddenly. "I can't stand here and watch them lose all their confidence in heroes"
Naruto-kun, Hinata thought. "Naruto's right, they need hope that things can improve."
"Well, I guess it's a good thing you feel that way, because I do too." Kakashi said. "We'll make sure things improve."
"Thank you." Tazuna said.
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"Haku, leave this one to me, I'll handle this myself."Zabuza said before walking towards the door. "Oh, and before I forget, give Gato a message, tell him that he better have our payment. Otherwise he'll be my next target."
"Yes Zabuza." Haku said. "I'll let him know."
"Good, time for this bridge builder to meet the Demon of Kirigakure." Zabuza said as he left.
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"Alright, we should be there in a few hours." Tazuna said. "I really appreciate you helping my home like this."
"Don't think anything of it." Kakashi said.
"Yeah, besides someone needs to teach that Gato guy a lesson." Naruto said with a grin.
"Naruto, we shouldn't underestimate our opponents."Kakashi said. "If those two were after Tazuna, other people might be as well, and they could be even more dangerous."
"In that case we should be on our guard." Sasuke said.
"Sasuke has a point, hold on a second." Hinata said before performing hand signs. "Byakugan."
"Good idea, Hinata do you see anyone nearby?" Kakashi asked.
"Hold on, we're being surrounded by some kind of a fog."Naruto said as a strange mist began to surround them.
"This mist, it's full of chakra." Hinata said. "Someone's coming."
"Impressive little girl, I don't know how you managed to spot me, but I guess you're skilled, no wonder the bridge builder picked you as his bodyguards." said a man as he emerged from the mist. "Although I still promise you this, by the end of the day that man will die at the end of my blade."
"Just try it." Naruto said as squad seven prepared to fight.
(Squad seven have learned of Kaiza's story, or at least part of it, and now Zabuza is on the battlefield. Next chapter the battle with Zabuza will begin. As always any reviews or critique is appreciated.)