The moment Fu Yamanaka's words fell, his body seemed to lose all support, slumping limply to the ground.
Seeing this, Chizhao quickly stepped forward, steadying Fu Yamanaka's shoulders, allowing him to lean against her and sit safely on the ground.
“I didn't expect this guy to be so easy to control.”
“Gato” slowly descended from above, pulling at his collar with a look of disdain as he walked.
After a long period of disguise and forbearance, Chizhao was finally able to shed the cold armor around her, relaxing her shoulders and gently resting her chin on the soft top of Fu Yamanaka's head in her arms, a relieved smile blooming on her face as she let out a long sigh:
“It's so good to see you all…”
The scene before “Gato” caused his body to freeze for a moment.
Seeing himself and Chizhao in such an intimate posture from a third-person perspective, a subtle emotion welled up in his heart.
Before Fu Yamanaka could savor the moment for another two seconds,
Sai, on the other side, unsuitably pulled his body into his own embrace, a harmless smile still gracing his fair face:
“I'm sorry we're late, but everything is fine now.”
Sai raised his right hand and gently patted Chizhao's head, the tender touch dissipating the pressure in her heart, turning it into shattered fragments that vanished without a trace.
A sudden pang of sourness assailed her nose, and Chizhao sniffled, rubbed her eyes, and whispered softly: “Thank you, Sai.”
Sai, having withdrawn his hand, still wore a gentle smile.
Indeed, what he had learned from Fu Yamanaka was very effective.
Her emotions calmed, Chizhao looked up at the “Gato” with a complex expression:
“Fu Yamanaka, quickly find the remote control on Gato and help me unlock this electronic collar.”
Remembering the task at hand, “Gato” immediately began searching himself.
Finally, from the inside pocket of the suit, he pulled out a small remote control.
“Gato” pressed the release button without hesitation, and with a soft “click,” the electronic collar on his neck finally loosened.
Taking off the electronic collar, she massaged her neck and stretched her muscles:
“Finally got this damn collar off.”
“What are you going to do next?”
Gazing at the appearance of “Gato” before her, Chizhao slowly walked forward, placed the electronic collar in her hand around his neck, and smiled faintly.
“Naturally, I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine.”
Gato, no longer controlled, slowly awoke from the ground. He suddenly sat up, only to see Chizhao squatting in front of him, gazing at him with a beaming smile.
“You're awake, Lord Gato.”
Gato looked at the two young men behind her with confusion; they stood on either side, scrutinizing him from above with an almost disdainful posture.
“You scoundrels! What in the world is going on?”
Chizhao's smile did not diminish. She gently raised the remote control in her hand and, under Gato's terrified gaze, pressed the button without hesitation.
Instantly, electricity coursed through Gato's body like snakes. He convulsed in pain, letting out a series of piercing screams.
“Ah—!”
【Bad Deed Progress +5】
The screams attracted Da Shi and the others who were waiting outside. They rushed in, pushing open the door.
“Lord Gato!”
What met their eyes was Chizhao's figure, remote control in hand, a villainous smile on her lips, and at her feet, the usually high and mighty Gato struggling in agony.
Seeing this, two ronin samurai furiously drew their swords and charged at Chizhao, but were instantly subdued by Fu Yamanaka and Sai.
Sai's gaze swept over the well-dressed subordinates, his voice as cold as ice:
“Should we kill them all?”
At these words, everyone shivered, instinctively backing away a few steps.
Releasing the remote control, Gato collapsed to the ground, continuing to convulse.
Chizhao turned to Da Shi, her tone firm yet indifferent:
“Our target is Gato alone. If you want to live, leave here now.” Chizhao kicked Gato on the ground:
“Following this kind of scum is simply a waste of life!”
The subordinates looked at the scene before them and fell silent, their expressions indicating they didn't know what to do.
Just then, Da Shi, who had been silent, suddenly looked up and shouted to Chizhao:
“Then, please allow me to follow Miss Qingniao!”
“Huh?”
Chizhao was stunned, not expecting such a turn. She confirmed again: “What did you say?”
“We grew up in an orphanage. Gato suddenly appeared and bought us, which is how we became his subordinates,” Da Shi's fists tightened slightly:
“We are homeless and have no one waiting for us. Although we know Gato is a bad guy, we truly have nowhere to go.”
After he finished speaking, the subordinates behind him also bowed in unison, shouting: “We are willing to follow Miss Qingniao!”
This…
Fu Yamanaka looked at the bewildered Chizhao with a headache: “What should we do?”
Gato struggled to sit up, spat on the ground, and cursed viciously:
“You ungrateful traitors! I should have killed you all and fed you to the dogs!”
“Shut up!”
Chizhao kicked Gato without mercy, temporarily ignoring Da Shi and the others.
Deciding to deal with Gato first, she looked up at Fu Yamanaka:
“Fu Yamanaka, can you check his memories? Captain Yamato's side probably needs information too, right?”
Fu Yamanaka nodded, walked towards Gato on the ground, quickly formed hand seals, and placed his right hand on his head:
“Mind Reading Jutsu!”
As a short time passed, Chizhao saw Fu Yamanaka's brow furrow, and even a drop of sweat rolled down his temple.
“Fu Yamanaka… are you alright?”
No sooner had she spoken than Fu Yamanaka suddenly opened his eyes and punched Gato in the face, sending him flying several meters.
Even the black glasses firmly attached to his face shattered into two halves and fell far away.
“This bastard! He's still running a human organ business!”
Hearing this information, even Sai, who was usually emotionally stable, couldn't help but frown.
“Chizhao, we need to go support Captain Yamato and the others. The shipyard is infested with many forces from the smuggling group. If they find out something happened to Gato, they will transfer all the drugs and human organs and continue their black industrial chain.”
So Gato was just a puppet?
“Fu Yamanaka, Sai, you two go support Captain Yamato first. After I deal with things here, I'll join you as soon as possible.”
Fu Yamanaka glanced around at the people still standing motionless, and nodded helplessly: “I understand. Be careful!”
“Wait, Fu Yamanaka!”
Under Fu Yamanaka's puzzled gaze, Chizhao put a flare into his hand: “Help me set this off when you go out.”
Although he didn't understand her intention, out of trust in her, Fu Yamanaka didn't ask further. He gripped the flare tightly and instantly vanished from sight.
With the blast of the flare, it wasn't long before Zabuza's voice came from behind the subordinates.
“Too slow! I thought Gato had tortured you to death!”
The numerous subordinates retreated in astonishment, and Zabuza and Haku's figures appeared in Chizhao's line of sight.
“Isn't this going according to plan? And luckily, it's going smoother than planned.”
Zabuza scrutinized Gato's subordinates on both sides, slowly walking further in.
Haku, meanwhile, quickly went to Chizhao's side to check her injuries. Seeing she was unharmed, he then looked at her neck, letting out a silent sigh of relief.
“That's great, you're safe.”
Seeing the two who should have been dead suddenly appear, Gato finally understood he had been tricked. He propped himself up and repeatedly backed away:
“You… you're even colluding with Zabuza now…”
Noticing Gato was still alive, Haku immediately drew several senbon and shot them at him.
Gato's screams once again filled the entire room.
“I told you, I wouldn't let you die easily…”
“Wait, Haku!” Chizhao immediately pulled back Haku, who was about to turn Gato into a pincushion:
“We still need to know where his assets are. It's not too late to kill him after we get his assets.”
“That's right,” Zabuza walked to the table, resting the Kubikiribocho on his shoulder: “His dog's life is mine to take.”
Even Zabuza had spoken, so Haku put away his senbon, temporarily suppressing the anger in his heart.