Konoha: The Honored One

Tazuna ground his teeth together, his weathered hands clenched into tight fists. The Land of Waves was in peril, and all that remained of their hopes was the 20,000 ryō he had handed over to the Third Hokage for Team 7's protection.

Standing before him was Gojo—their only chance of survival.

"I'll give you fifteen million ryō," Tazuna finally said, his voice heavy with determination.

"But once the bridge is built, the Land of Waves will be able to pay that sum."

"The Fire Country's daimyo has already promised that once the bridge is finished, trade will boom, and wealth will follow." Tazuna continued, his voice firm, even as doubt lingered in the back of his mind.

"How long will that take?" Gojo asked casually, as if discussing the weather.

"A year—maybe more. The bridge will be finished by then." Tazuna replied, his tone unwavering.

"Alright then, I expect that fifteen million, in cold, hard cash." Gojo said, his face breaking into a smug grin.

Gojo wasn't worried. If they managed to complete the bridge, Tazuna's promise of prosperity wasn't far off. He was almost certain Tazuna wasn't lying.

"Let's revise the contract." Tazuna sighed in relief. Fifteen million was a heavy price, but for the future of his country, it was worth it.

"No need." Gojo waved off the suggestion with a flick of his hand, the smile on his lips turning dangerous. "If you breach our agreement, I'll tear down the entire Land of Waves. I'm serious."

Gojo's words were as casual as a lazy afternoon, but they carried the weight of an iron fist.

In the ninja world, there was no one more reliable than Gojo. After all, he had once caused a ruckus in the Hidden Cloud Village by simply by going after Tsunade to bring her back for medical aid—his antics had become the stuff of legend.

"Alright, now that we've reached an agreement." Gojo clapped his hands together and turned to Team 7, "Let's get to work."

He pointed lazily at Tazuna. "You kids need to help this old man out. After all, he's the one offering me fifteen million ryō."

The team exchanged glances, momentarily speechless. Gojo's ability to shift moods was almost as fast as a woman changing her mind.

Suddenly, through his Six Eyes, Gojo detected a glint of steel in the distance—a knife hurtling toward them at breakneck speed.

"Everyone, hit the deck!" Gojo barked.

His voice cut through the tension, and the team quickly dropped to the ground, albeit with varying degrees of grace.

"What the hell? First he extorts money from my grandpa, now he's yelling at us to get down?" Naruto grumbled, crouching low with an annoyed scowl.

A gust of wind whipped past them, and the knife flew overhead, slicing through the air with deadly precision.

It was aimed straight at Gojo's waist. But before it could hit, Gojo casually caught the blade with one hand, raising an eyebrow as he inspected it.

"What's this? A gift?" Gojo quipped, pretending to be surprised.

Through his Six Eyes, Gojo already knew the identity of the mysterious attacker. It was none other than Zabuza Momochi , the infamous A-rank rogue ninja, who was trying to make a dramatic entrance by using his sword to set the stage. But Gojo wasn't going to let him have that moment.

"Is this some kind of ninja drama? You must be Zabuza, right?" Gojo asked, completely unfazed.

Naruto's face drained of color as he realized just how close they had come to danger.

"What the hell? If Gojo hadn't told us to duck, we would've been toast!" Naruto stammered, trembling.

A thick mist began to roll in, and the air grew heavy with tension.

"Sasuke! Naruto!" Sakura cried out, unsheathing her kunai and standing protectively in front of Tazuna.

Sasuke and Naruto flanked Tazuna, both on high alert, preparing for the worst.

"Who… what's going on?" Tazuna asked, his voice shaky with fear.

"I didn't expect to run into the famous bloody ninja. A man of your caliber shouldn' be here." a cold voice rang out from the mist.

Out of the shadows emerged a tall figure, his face obscured by a cloth mask—Zabuza Momochi, a rogue ninja of legendary skill.

"Give me back my sword." Zabuza said, his eyes narrowing as he took in Gojo and Team 7. His killing intent was palpable.

"Okay, yeah, that's terrifying." Naruto muttered, his body stiff with fear at the sheer presence Zabuza exuded.

"This guy's dangerous!" Sasuke remarked, his Sharingan activated as he scanned the surroundings.

Even Sasuke, usually calm and collected, couldn't shake the tension in the air. His hands were twitching, and his body was taut with anxiety.

"Is he really an A-rank jonin? This guy is suffocating!" Sakura whispered, fear creeping into her voice.

This was the first time they were facing a true powerhouse like Zabuza—and it was clear they weren't prepared for this kind of opponent.

"I'll take it." Gojo said with an easy grin, spinning Zabuza's sword on his fingertip.

Zabuza's eyes widened with fury. "That sword is a priceless treasure! It's one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist Village!"

Gojo raised an eyebrow, twirling the blade nonchalantly. "Fool! I'm the Strongest. It'll be priceless once you're out of the picture."

The air grew even thicker as Zabuza's rage boiled over. "I'll make you regret that."

He formed a series of hand signs, and in the blink of an eye, Zabuza vanished into the mist.

"Watch out!" Naruto yelled, his voice cracking.

The mist shifted, and before they could react, Zabuza appeared behind them, kunai drawn, ready to strike.

But just then, Gojo's voice rang out, cool and unbothered. "Have you heard of 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch?'"

Zabuza's eyes widened in realization, but it was too late.

Gojo's hand shot out like lightning, landing a sharp slap across Zabuza's face. The sound of it echoed through the mist, and Zabuza was sent spinning through the air before crashing to the ground.

"What the hell? How could you slap me?" Zabuza growled, wiping the sting from his cheek as he rose to his feet.

"What just happened?" Naruto stammered, still trying to process what had just occurred.

Gojo ruffled Naruto and Sakura's hair, his grin as wide as ever. "Don't worry, it doesn't matter who the enemy is. I'm invincible. Now, let's finish this."

The team, still in shock, could only stare as Gojo cracked his knuckles, ready for the real battle to begin.