“I know where Gato’s assets are.”
“Da Shi, you bastard!”
Chizhao furiously pressed the remote control, and electricity once again ravaged Gato’s entire body. She sharply commanded, “Quiet down!”
【Bad Deed Progress +6】
Looking at the three powerful figures before him, Da Shi swallowed, then slowly began, “All of Gato’s assets are stored in the underground vault. I used to oversee them for him, so I know exactly where it is.”
Zabuza, who had been sitting silently on the sofa, suddenly stood up, exuding an undeniable aura of authority: “Then let’s not waste any more time here. Take us there immediately!”
In the dimly lit basement, Da Shi led the way, with Chizhao and Haku close behind. Zabuza brought up the rear, carrying Gato.
Soon, they arrived before a massive metal door. The edges of the door were perfectly sealed, without a single gap for prying eyes.
It was enormous, its height commanding a gaze upward, and its width sufficient to deter any unauthorized entry. The door’s lines were rigid, signifying an indestructible strength and stability.
A flickering electronic screen on the side of the door displayed complex characters, appearing and disappearing in the dim light.
“This is it.”
Zabuza threw Gato onto the ground, the tip of his Executioner’s Blade pointed at his eyes, his gaze fierce: “What’s the password?”
Seeing Gato stare with wide eyes, saying nothing, Chizhao walked up to him and slowly placed her finger on the button.
“Wait… wait a minute! I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!”
As Chizhao entered the password, the gears inside the vault door roared into motion. Immediately after, with a loud “boom,” the heavy door slowly opened, revealing an astonishing sight within.
In that spacious area, various common currencies from the market were piled high like mountains. Countless banknotes resembled rolling mountain ranges, extending from the ground to an infinite height.
The air was thick with a unique, pungent scent of paper and ink, making the already murky atmosphere even heavier.
Chizhao, who had never witnessed such a scene, slightly gaped in surprise. But then, remembering that all this money was extorted from the islanders, a hint of disgust rose in her eyes.
“Just how many heinous deeds did he commit to amass such astonishing wealth?”
Haku was also furious, striking Gato’s face with another punch.
“Even dying ten thousand times wouldn’t be enough!”
Zabuza, however, slowly walked inside, his sharp eyes picking up a stack of banknotes. His voice was low: “Discussing where this money came from is meaningless now. The key is where it should be used in the future….”
Zabuza turned to look at Chizhao, his eyes filled with grand ambition: “Just you watch, and see how I use this to rebuild a peaceful Land of Waves.”
Da Shi, standing outside, listened to their conversation and was instantly stunned.
They… they actually came for the peace of the Land of Waves?
Just as Chizhao was about to respond, a thunderous boom came from above, shaking the ground.
Immediately after, another deafening roar erupted. Even the sturdy ceiling was not spared, with cracks spreading like a spiderweb.
“What’s happening?!”
Facing the confused gazes of the others, Da Shi frantically shook his head, his voice tinged with helplessness: “I… I don’t know either.”
“Ga-ha-ha-ha, if anyone other than me touches the password, the self-destruct sequence will activate! None of you will get my money today, and none of you will leave here alive! Ha-ha-ha!”
Gato’s laughter was filled with madness, but he was knocked unconscious by a furious punch from Haku.
Damn it!
He hadn't expected Gato to be so cunning!
Continuous explosions echoed from above, accompanied by the constant collapse of rocks, instantly turning the spacious basement into a perilous place.
“Haku! Freeze these quickly!”
Zabuza’s voice came from inside the vault. Haku immediately ran in, placed his hands on the ground, and translucent ice crystals covered all the banknotes, enveloping the entire space in a chill.
Just as everyone thought the banknotes were safe, several gun muzzles suddenly emerged from various corners of the vault, spewing snake-like flames, and the temperature inside the space rapidly climbed.
“What?!”
Zabuza hadn’t expected the self-destruct program to be so extreme. He hoisted his Executioner’s Blade and began to slash at the gun muzzles.
But the flames were too fierce, making it impossible to get close.
Chizhao witnessed all of this, her heart filling with panic.
She suddenly turned and sharply shouted at the bewildered Da Shi beside her: “Da Shi! Go evacuate everyone else!”
“But…”
“Go now!”
Chizhao’s tone brooked no refusal. Da Shi dared not hesitate for a moment and stumbled away to escape.
Loud bangs, like thunder, exploded nearby. Rolling thick smoke, like a black dragon, rose into the air, quickly filling the entire underground space, and the acrid smell of gunpowder was suffocating.
Chizhao quickly pulled a Membrane Card from her card pouch and slowly unfolded it in her hand.
Calm down…
Calm down…
There must be a way to solve this.
Chizhao’s mind raced. Inside the vault, Haku continuously used Ice Release to cool the banknotes, while Zabuza still swung his blade, attempting to destroy the flamethrowers, but with little effect.
Should I absorb all the banknotes?
This thought flashed through Chizhao’s mind, but was immediately dismissed.
No…
Membrane Cards also disappear. Such a huge sum of money couldn't be used up in a short time, and future events were unpredictable.
“Bang!”
Another explosion struck, and a large rock fell beside Chizhao. She quickly jumped away to avoid the flying debris, but the broken earth caught her eye.
It was as if a certain idea was slowly connecting in her mind…
…Earth… Earth Release!
A flash of inspiration struck Chizhao’s mind.
She immediately pulled out two Membrane Cards, “Earth Release: Earth Pillar Spear” and “Nature: Rushing River,” and without hesitation, tore off the tempered film from the back, attaching the Earth Release Chakra behind the “Rushing River” Membrane Card.
Her breathing was rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but her gaze was exceptionally firm.
She stared intently at the Membrane Card in her hand, praying that things would proceed as she imagined.
The newly combined Membrane Card in her hand slowly began to glow. What was originally a rushing river scene, after a burst of light, transformed into a black, surging mud flow.
“Earth Release: Rushing Mud Flow”
It worked!
She dared not delay for a moment, gripping the Membrane Card in her hand and rushing towards the vault.
“Haku, continue to cover the banknotes with Ice Release!” she shouted loudly.
The temperature in the space was already comparable to a hot furnace, and the ice crystals before them had melted into a large puddle. Seeing Chizhao rush over, Haku, without asking why, used all his strength to cast Ice Release once more.
The moment the ice solidified, Chizhao threw the Membrane Card in her hand.
In an instant, an overwhelming torrent of viscous mud surged forth, tightly encasing the banknotes and ice, as if a giant mud monster had swallowed everything.
Chizhao quickly retrieved the Membrane Card and hid it in her card pouch.
Zabuza retreated to the side, watching this scene in astonishment: “What… what kind of Ninjutsu is this? Is it a Bloodline Limit?”
Chizhao had no time to heed Zabuza’s surprise. She intently watched the changes before her, ready to react to any sudden developments.
Flames raged within the room, attempting to consume everything. However, the mud flow encasing the banknotes, due to the sudden rise in temperature, rapidly hardened, forming an indestructible earth sphere that securely protected the vast sum of money within.
“This is truly incredible…”
“Rumble!”
A huge explosion interrupted Haku’s exclamation, and thick smoke had already rolled into the vault.
“Chizhao! Haku! This place is collapsing! Get out of here quickly!”
Zabuza picked up the stunned Gato from the ground, wielded his Executioner’s Blade to clear a path with unstoppable force, and led the two towards the exit.