Chapter 33: The Shadow over Insumasu
Part 10: Gato Gato. Son of Gato. Grandson of Gato. Scion of Gato. The Best Character of this Fanfic.
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Now, I'm walking back to Gato City.
Itachi and Haku had decided to completely encased the Insumasu Town in a dome of ice to completely wall out the Hyakki Yakou. All they need to do after that is just have Itachi cull out the shadows that manifested within the town and they'll be solid. Poor Haku however would be stuck meditating for the whole week to maintain the upkeep of the ice dome. Its easier to just maintain the dome for the whole week then tire herself out making it every night.
Zabuza has a week to retrieve Konami. Too bad for him, Mariyo is the real bad guy in this version of the story. Isobu no Bowser is going to be so confused as for why Zabuza's going to go bankai on him, let alone why his name is Bowser now.
Outstupid Maneuvers Inc has gone international folks. The World shall know Stupid.
Man, I hope I didn't go insane like Nagato and proceed to make a terrorist organization and name myself as Moron as an ironic joke.
Behold the power of Lord Moron, beholder of the Bakagan. Founder of the S rank terrorist group, Aotsuki. The world shall unify under the banner of collective stupidity
I didn't expect that Youkai practiced the barbaric tradition of bridal kidnapping. But hey, good for me I guess. By the time Konami get sober from the foxnip roofie I put her in, she's gonna be so confused as to how she had become my waifu now.
Does this mean Hanabi Route is over? Or will this be a harem? Hmm…
Eh, let Future Hotaru deal with that. Honestly I just want to get rid of Konami coz her mindreading is going to be a hassle to work around with. I framed Bowser out of convenience, as well as a Super Mario joke. Didn't know there's a whole cultural context about it.
Was this why Kurama let Minato off eloping with Kushina? Coz that's how Youkai get married to begin with? That the dude was such a madlad that he managed to dodge out of Kurama's manhunt for a whole week as a mere chuunin?
Interesting.
"Hey, Hotaru!"
I was greeted by Naruto as I arrived to the clearing at the side of the city. Sasuke are training the Patrols to learn how to deal with the Hyakki Yakou's attack patterns. Good thing that Sasuke is the one with the brain here. He figured out that the shadow monsters has static attack patterns and with the Sharingan, he can henge and demonstrate their movesets.
"Smart right! We figured out that the shadow monsters is actually predictable if you know their attack patterns!"
"Yea. Once you know how it moves, it's nothing much."
"Yo, Hotaru.", Kakashi came over to greet me. "How's your day in the town? I bet you have solved everything!", Kakashi's sole visible eye shines with anticipation. Man, my superiors has an unhealthy high expectations of my competence. I work as a janitor for fucks sake.
"Well, I have a running theory, but nothing concrete. I want to talk to Gato this time. Also apparently I'm married now."
"HAAAHHHH??!!!!!", before Kakashi could ask me to clarify, Hanabi had stormed into our conversation as she overheard that I had gotten married.
"What did you mean you had gotten married?!!", Hanabi asked me incredulously.
"Oh. I kidnapped a fox girl."
"Wow. You worked fast. I was still in my planning phase to hook you two up like you wanted.", Naruto folded his arms. Appraising my competence.
"You kidnapped a Kitsune?!!", now Sasuke barged in. "Are you insane?! Do you remember what happened the last time someone kidnapped a Kitsune?! The Kyuubi happened!"
"That's right!", Hanabi chimed in. "So you should get rid of that hussy!"
"oh, no problem guys. I got everything covered. Besides its too late anyway. Konami should be at my cabin now, high up the clouds in foxnips."
"Hotaru.", Kakashi grabbed me by the shoulder. "Tell me. Is this part of your grand plan for world domination?"
"Kakashi, since when do I have plans?"
Kakashi nodded. "Oh good. I thought you were doing something smart as a political maneuver by taking away a member of a Dai-Youkai clan. If its just you being stupid as usual, then everything will worked out.", he nodded again and patted my shoulders.
"But Hotaru is too young to get married! And with a youkai at that! A youkai hussy!", Hanabi protested.
Sasuke grumbles. "You do know that you can't just live with minimal wage if you do get married, right, Hotaru? That means you have people to be responsible for. Are you sure you want that kind of responsibility?"
Damn it. I knew something was up when I didn't really feel that happy when I learnt that apparently youkai get married through the method of abduction. I knew I had miscalculated somehow.
"Eh. I'll worry about that when we get back. I'll just get divorced later. Now, you guys continue your training montage thing. I have to talk with Gato.
)))))))))))
Gato Gato. First name Gato, last name Gato. He is the son of Gato, who is the son of Gato, who is also the son of yet another Gato. Gato the First was said to lay the first brick for the foundation of Uzushio.
As I had expected, Gato here is no longer the same one dimensional plot device to justify Zabuza presence in Wave. He has backstories. He has character depth. He has his own goals and dreams.
This is the great man that I finally remembered that I sold the Hyuuga's slavery business to.
"Mr Gato! Its great to meet you again!", I greet Gato, laying the 'to' in Gato a lil bit thick there.
"oh, it's you Mr Makoto! Why are you here instead of leading the Hyuuga clan?"
"Oh, I retire from the position. Not really my passion you see."
Gato nods in understanding.
You see, there is a reason why I didn't think I sold the slavery business to the Gato of Wave arc. Canon Gato was a short balding guy with hardly much of a plot presence. He was just some dude made to be hated. A shallow background villain character. No one read the Wave arc for Gato. Y'all read it to see if Zabuza and Haku join Konoha or not. Those two bozos only have 3 options, die, join Konoha, or the less common route, get sent off to be Terumi Mei lapdogs.
Just you wait, Mei. I will figure out a new name for you. The Writer always figure something out eventually.
There's over 300k naruto fanfics but I am not aware of any fics that expanded Zabuza and Haku as a far more major villain characters. If there's any, I had never read it.
So, when I met the owner of Gato Group, I have zero idea this was the guy that supposed to be the foundation of Wave arc.
Dude has chiseled jawlines, well trimmed daddy beard and a buff body barely fit into his suits. How the fuck I was supposed to know that Gato Gato is that Gato?!! Dude is a fucking DILF. Not that I am gay.
"Please, just call me Makoto. It's a bit a chore to add a Mr every time."
"Only if you call me Gato."
We both laughed. Hahaha, No one will figure out if we're being formal or friendly. His name is Gato Gato lmao.
"Anyway, Gato, I need to ask you of how your development project goes before the Hyakki Yakou began to appear."
Gato's good mood simmers down.
"Have a seat, Makoto. It's going to be a long story.
(((Gato Gato, Founder of Gato Group)))
When I was young, I dreamed of becoming the next Uzukage.
I was but a simple child, son of builder who was son of another builder. We have been a family of humble builders that work across constructions within Whirldpool Country.
Uzushio was a city of shrines, housing many altars dedicated to the gods. The Uzumaki clan was a clan of Youkai Slayers, who with their prowess in the arcane arts had lead them to subjugate many evil youkais.
However, the story goes that Lord Kurama of the Central Plains had taken an Uzumaki as a bride and abducted her from her ancestral home. Whether that is true or not is unknown, because the Dai-Youkai that ruled over the sea, Lord Gyuuki and Lord Isobu, using the Ninja Villages they had created, Kumogakure and Kirigakure, had invaded Uzushio to get rid of their mortal enemy, the Uzumaki clan once and for all, using the rumor as pretext for invasion.
Whatever remains of the Uzumaki had went into hiding in the mainland, and Lord Kurama had intervene and sent Kumo and Kiri back to where they're belong. I was fortunate to reside in Insumasu at the time. Too far away to be directly affected by the invasion.
I used to want to be a ninja, serving the Uzumaki lords to protect the people from the threat of Youkai. However, as I seen my nation fall into shambles, I see that what this country need is not a warlord. What it needs is a builder!
So I took the hammer of my ancestors and begun to build.
That is the birth of Gato Constructions, the continent most prolific civil engineering company.
I saw how devastating Ninjutsu can be used for destruction, but I also see its potential. With Doton, you can create quality bricks on demand, and manipulate earth directly to cut intensive labor requirements. With Suiton, you can provide clean water that's not available in arid regions. With Katon, you can use clean flames that does not pollute the environment to fuel industry. Ninjutsu can do so much good in the world, however there is a problem.
Ninjutsu is gatekeeped by the Ninja Villages.
I tried for years to collaborate with ninja villages. I presented countless proposals to so many Clan Chiefs to show them there is ways to use their arts for things other than murder. Benificial things. I argued in many forums over the idea of Chakra Industrial Revolution, where Chakra is used no longer as a weapon, but as a tool to build a better world.
However, my dream is not shared by many. The World of Ninja is one that is thrived on conflict and chaos. Why would ninjas want to build a better world? This wartorn world of ours, is the better world for them.
So, I take another path. If I am to be made an outcast of the Shinobi World, then who's better for me to ally with but the other outcasts of Shinobi World?
Gato Group is now a sanctuary to all those that was deemed rogue ninjas.
I took in many ronins and nukenin into my cohorts, and show them the better way. I show them that they can live a life where they wont be mere murderers. Those poor folks found new life under my company, and began the expansion of my now, great conglomerate.
Of course, my rise to power is seen as a threat to the Five Great Villages. I had lost count how many times I had almost died from assassinations. I had lost many comrades along my here. But eventually, here we are in Gato City. Uzushio reborn.
I had taken in many Ronin and Nukenin to make up the force of this Hidden Village of mine. A sort of survival through technicality, you might say.
By establishing Gatogakure, the Village hidden in Gato, I crowned myself as the Gatokage. By default, me and my cohorts are protected under the treaty laws. The Hidden Villages can no longer openly oppress us.
And for awhile, we are happy. I buy out the Hyuuga's slavery company and recruited talented and good people from the stock and released the others. Through that, I raised a civilian population that is loyal and deeply appreciated Gato City. Through the combination of my business prowess and loyal and productive civilian, we are about to make a brand new city. We are about to show the world what it could become.
And then, the Hyakki Yakou appears. My people are slaughtered by the hundreds. My business halted, and my progress was snuffed.
Tell me, Makoto Hotaru of the Leaf.
Who profits from this tragedy?
Who has to lose from the emergence of a new power in the Sunrise Sea?
Who, in history, once mutilated and pillaged Whirlpool of its splendor? Leaving only Wave behind?
Think, Makoto Hotaru.
Who else can make monsters out of ink?
(((Hotaru)))
"Sai."
"Sai who?", Gato asked me, confused.
What? You're the one who asked me. As far as I am aware, Sai is the only kid around the block that can draw with ink and make it go Pokemon. Killa B had Ink Clones I think, but that's about it.
He wasn't very creative about his ink powers.
"Nevermind, Gato. Obviously this is the work of an enemy ninja. Particularly someone from the Gyuuki clan."
Gato nods.
"Yes. Who else but Kumogakure could be behind all this? They're the only ones I know that associated with Squid Youkai"
Pretty sure Gyuuki was an Ox- Octopus scylla hybrid but I digress. No actually Gyuki, or the Ushi-Oni is supposed to be a giant spider with the head of an ox. I guess a spider-ox with 8 butts would be too weird even for Masashi Kishimoto so he changed it up to a Minotaur but with octopus tentacles for an ass.
"Don't worry, Gato. Now that I have all the context I need, I can make my move now."
Gato eyes glinted from behind his sunglasses.
"So, the famed Makoto Hotaru that took over the Hyuuga clan has finally decide to make his move? I can't wait to see how you will solve the Hyakki Yakou crisis."
"oh, don't you worry about that. If anything, I already made my move before I even came back here."
(((At the inn in a nondescript port town, 50km away northward from Gato City)))
"Lord B, we had intercepted a package from Insumasu town"
Samui hands over The Box to Killer B in their room they rented in the inn.
"I see there is a box here,
What is in the box,
Show me what is in the box."
Killer B, Master of a Thousand Haiku, commands Samui with his eloquent poetry talents.
Samui admires the man, even if she will never reach the majesty of Killer B'e poetic prowess. Not everyone can talk in Haiku 24/7 like Master B. He is one with the Haiku. The Chosen One.
Samui opened the box, and they found a kitsune child, giggling in heaps of foxnips, cradling a white-blue bunny.
And there's a letter in it.
"Read the letter Samui,
Read it loud for me,
Let us hear it's content."
Samui nods in affirmation.
"You have activated my trap card, hold on, Master B. This letter is…"
"Keep on reading the letter,
The enemy knows,
So let us hear his taunts."
"Alright, Master B. 'You have activated my trap card. As of now, I had sent letters to the Kurama clan through many channel over the abduction of Kojima Konami. You are now accessory to the Makoto Hotaru Conspiracy of making Kojima Konami my fox girl waifu. Come to Gato City tomorrow at 12pm sharp so that we may discuss terms for cooperation over ink… whoops, I mean orange juice and some poetry. Here's one from me.
Get your ass here asshole,
I want my girl back,
She's mine, get your own fox girl.'"
Killer B went silent. And had a quite chuckle.
"Master B?"
"I see we have new poet,
In this dull island,
Let's go meet this new friend."
"Understood, Master B. I shall call Karui and Omoi."
Killer B continues to chuckles. So a mere Konoha brat want to challenge him on some Haiku Duel? Fine.
He is always open for new challengers.