Soft, delicate light quietly penetrated the glass window, gently scattering across the room's floor, forming dappled patterns of light and shadow.
Beyond the intersection of light and shadow, in a shaded area, Chizhao sat silently on the edge of the bed, looking with disdain at the suit sent by Gato's subordinates.
It seemed this bastard wanted her to abandon her Ninja identity and become his obedient servant.
Suppressing the anger and resistance in her heart, she took a deep breath, picked it up, and gently rubbed the not-too-bad fabric with her fingertips.
At least this proved that Gato was starting to trust her, bringing her one step closer to completing the mission.
With mixed feelings, she removed her damaged clothes and, enduring humiliation, put on the suit.
When Chizhao tied her tie from memory and looked at herself in the mirror, a sense of incongruity clung to her skin like a swamp, making her uncomfortable.
She had indeed grown accustomed to a Ninja's attire.
This appearance looked strange no matter how she viewed it.
She took out her hair tie, bound her hair, re-tied her Ninja tool pouch to her thigh over the suit pants, kept her important sōran blade on her back, and tucked her forehead protector inside her clothes.
Chizhao's fingertips touched the cold electronic collar, and her emerald eyes were covered with a layer of icy frost.
She took a step and finally opened the door.
The moment the door opened, the subordinates guarding outside simultaneously focused their gaze on Chizhao.
One of them paused slightly, then quickly adjusted his attitude, bowing respectfully: “Miss Aobane, Master Gato is already waiting for you.”
Chizhao glanced indifferently at the man who was half a head taller than her; judging by his attitude, her status must have risen considerably since the battle where she “killed” Zabuza.
To maintain her cool and powerful image, Chizhao's emotionless voice cut through the air:
“Lead the way.”
Another silent subordinate politely raised his arm in a gesture of invitation:
“Please follow me.”
Chizhao nodded, took a step, and slowly followed behind.
“Tch! Just a stinky brat… what an attitude…”
Just then, a discordant complaint came from behind, like a sharp blade cutting through the quiet air.
The anger accumulated in Chizhao's heart instantly ignited, and she unhesitatingly turned around, quickly approaching the man.
Using her height advantage, she turned and powerfully delivered a high kick to the man's chin, instantly lifting him off the ground.
The subordinate spat out blood, falling miserably to the side, while the other subordinate, who was leading the way, stood far away, watching everything in surprise, not daring to step forward.
Chizhao bent down, grabbed his collar, and blood from his mouth dripped down his neck into his clothes, staining his white shirt red.
“I hate people who gossip behind my back the most. If there’s a next time, I’ll rip out your tongue!”
【Bad Deed Progress +4】
Her fierce eyes terrified the subordinate, who nodded frantically with tears in his eyes.
Too… too terrifying…
After this small incident, Chizhao's cold, unapproachable image instantly spread widely among Gato's subordinates.
They couldn't help but feel a greater sense of apprehension towards this Ninja girl.
When Gato saw Chizhao in the suit, his dark eyes, hidden behind black lenses, gleamed with cunning.
“Oh! It suits you well, Aobane.”
Chizhao looked up and saw Gato sitting comfortably on the sofa, with two sword-wielding ronin standing beside him.
On the table in front of him lay the Kubikiribōchō and the Hidden Mist mask, and he looked at her with satisfaction.
Chizhao bowed slightly, saying against her will:
“It is my honor to serve Master Gato.”
“Hahahaha, very good, now go and kill Tazuna for me!”
Chizhao's eyebrow twitched for a moment, and she quickly lowered her head, her attitude sincere: “
To be honest, Master Gato, I expended too much Chakra fighting Zabuza today. I hope you will allow me to rest for a few days before I go to take Tazuna’s head.”
“What?! You’re useless!”
Gato stood up and threw the mask from the table to the ground, where it slid to her feet.
Staring at the half-broken Hidden Mist mask, Chizhao secretly gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
After venting his emotions, Gato lit a cigar, took a deep puff, and slowly exhaled, his attitude softening slightly:
“Alright, seeing as you’ve worked so hard, I’ll agree. Now get out and rest.”
It seemed there was no opportunity to get close to Gato today.
Chizhao straightened up, her gaze inadvertently glancing at his clothes pocket, then turned to leave.
“Wait.”
Gato stopped Chizhao, casually tossing his cigar into the ashtray. His dry, lecherous voice came through the swirling tobacco smoke:
“Tomorrow, a new batch of fresh seafood will be delivered to the base. Go with a few men to inspect it for me. If you find anything that’s not fresh or if there’s any shoddy work, I don’t need to say more, do I?”
Seafood?
Chizhao's heart stirred, recalling Fu Yamanaka's mention of fishing.
Could it be…
After a moment of thought, she respectfully turned her head down and accepted the task.
“I understand, Master Gato.”
A faint smile played on Chizhao's lips, and her eyes, fixed on the ground, gleamed with determination.
If Fu Yamanaka was here, everything would become simple.
The next morning, when Chizhao walked out of her room, four or five subordinates naturally followed behind her, including the one she had disciplined yesterday.
Chizhao merely glanced at him, and he immediately tensed up, becoming stiff.
Suddenly finding it amusing, Chizhao stopped and looked up to ask him, “What’s your name?”
He paused, then nervously replied, “My name… my name is Da Shi.”
“Da Shi… that’s a very memorable name indeed.”
With that, Chizhao turned and continued walking forward.
Outside the base gate, wooden carts laden with fresh seafood were neatly lined up, awaiting Chizhao's inspection.
Looking at the ragged, emaciated fishermen, Chizhao felt an indescribable pang of sorrow and sympathy.
So she bypassed them directly, quickly walking towards the back, searching for a familiar figure.
Sure enough, the faces of Fu Yamanaka and Sai soon appeared in her sight.
They also noticed Chizhao, now dressed in a suit. A flicker of surprise crossed their eyes, but it was quickly masked by their gentle gazes.
Suppressing the urge to embrace them, she instantly switched to a flawless acting mode, her face like frost, as she slowly walked towards their wooden cart.
As she drew closer, Fu Yamanaka and Sai finally noticed the conspicuous black collar around Chizhao's neck. It gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight, and they both understood what it was almost simultaneously, their brows furrowing slightly.
Just as Chizhao was about to lift the cover and ponder a reason to bring them into the base,
Fu Yamanaka suddenly grabbed her wrist, looking at her with firm eyes: “I have a secret about this island to tell Master Gato, and I hope you can take me to see him.”
Unexpectedly, Fu Yamanaka would actively cooperate with her. Chizhao was stunned for a moment, not reacting.
But seeing Da Shi and the others approaching, she quickly regained her composure and continued her act.
“Why should I trust you? What if you pose a threat to Master Gato?”
Fu Yamanaka anxiously pulled Sai, who was standing nearby, over, and pleaded with tears in his eyes:
“My family has lived on this island for generations. Now only my brother and I are left, and he is gravely ill and will soon die. I want to use my family’s last secret to save my brother’s life!”
After Fu Yamanaka’s moving speech, everyone present was deeply affected, men and women alike.
It turned out that Fu Yamanaka was also a skilled actor, which made Chizhao feel a sense of respect.
Chizhao forcefully shook off his hand, looking at him with cold eyes, her tone filled with warning:
“I don’t care about your dying brother. If you dare to deceive Master Gato, you will die just like him.”
And so, naturally, accompanied by Da Shi, Chizhao led Fu Yamanaka and Sai directly to Gato.
Gato sat up from his reclining position, curiously scrutinizing the two uninvited guests:
“Aobane, what is this?”
“Master Gato, these two are natives of the island who wish to tell you a secret about it, so I brought them to see you.”
Upon hearing it was about a secret of the island, Gato's interest was instantly piqued: “What secret? Tell me quickly!”
Fu Yamanaka subtly gestured to the people around, and Gato immediately understood, waving his hand, and his ronin guards retreated.
Suddenly, only four people remained in the room, including Chizhao.
“Now you can speak, right?”
“That is…” Fu Yamanaka spread his hands, circled his index finger and thumb, aimed them at Gato, and whispered, “Mind Body Switch Jutsu!”