Water—it was everywhere Sora looked, there was practically no end to it. It made sense, seeing as they were on a boat, rowing across the canal, but she hadn't expected the boat to be so small. She sat fairly close to Kakashi, her arms and legs pulled up to her chest as she watched the water warily. It had better not get any ideas...like splash into the boat or something.
"This fog is thick." Sakura whispers. "You can't see anything."
Naruto, who is sitting at the front of the boat, sniffs to himself. He was probably still upset about her and Sasuke saving him back against the Demon Brothers.
"The bridge isn't far now." The man rowing the boat reassures them. "Our destination is just ahead. The Land of Waves." Just as he says this, Sora could see the beginnings of a giant unfinished bridge through the fog, the sight becoming more and more clear the closer they got. Naruto stands up excitedly, rocking the boat and Sora flinches as water splashes against her arm. She scoots closer to Kakashi, her shoulder squishing into his, and he looks down at her curiously.
"Hm? What are you doing, Sora?"
Thankfully, Sora is spared from answering when Naruto exclaimed loudly, "Whoa! It's huge!"
"Be quiet!" The rowman hisses at him. "I told you, no noise! Why do you think we're traveling like this, huh? Cutting off the engine and rowing? Moving through the dense fog, so they don't see us."
Naruto slaps a hand over his mouth.
"Mr. Tazuna." Kakashi says, looking over at the bridge builder, his voice grave. "Before we reach the pier, I want to ask you something."
Tazuna doesn't look surprised. In fact, he looked like he had been expecting the confrontation.
"The men who are after you," Kakashi continues. "I need to know why. If you don't tell us, I'm afraid I'll have to end this mission when we drop you ashore."
They all turn to him, waiting for his answer. After all that they had gone through to protect him from those Hidden Mist Chunin, the least that drunk old Bridge Builder could do was give them a reason to continue protecting him.
Tazuna exhales. "I have no choice but to tell you. No. I want you to know the truth. Like you said, this is beyond the scope of the original mission. The one who seeks my life is a very short man, who casts a very long and deadly shadow."
"A deadly shadow?" Kakashi questions. "Hm. Who is it?"
"You know him. At least, I'm sure you've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world, the shipping Magnate, Gato."
"Huh?" Kakashi looks like he hadn't been expecting that at all. "Gato? Of Gato Transport? He's a business leader, everyone knows him."
"Who, who?" Naruto leans forward eagerly. "What? What?"
"Gato is a very powerful tycoon from a famous company, that's true, but below the surface, with the same ruthless methods he uses to take over businesses and nations, he sells drugs and contraband, using gangs and ninja.
"It was one year ago when Gato first set his sights on the Land of Waves. He came to our island and used his vast wealth to take control over our transport and shipping. Anyone who tried to stand in his way simply...disappeared. In an island nation, the man who controls the sea, controls everything—finance, government, our very lives. But there is one thing he fears: the bridge. When it is complete, it will join us to the land and that will break his control. I am the bridge builder."
"So that's it." Sakura voices all of their thoughts out loud. "Since you're building this bridge, you're standing in this gangsters way."
"That means, those guys we fought in the forest." Sasuke continues. "They were working for Gato."
YOU ARE READING
The Last Rose (Naruto Fanfic)
Fanfiction❝-run you clever girl. And remember. You couldn't save them.❞ IN WHICH SORA ICHIHARA discovers the meaning of trust and bonds. And maybe even love.
