Hero !

As the team and Haku prepared for the meeting with villagers, Tenzo couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation. He turned to Haku and asked, "Are you ready for this, Haku?"

Haku met Tenzo's gaze with a determined expression. "I'm ready," he replied, his voice filled with resolve.

Naruto, ever the spirited one, stepped forward with a confident grin. "Don't worry, Haku! We've got your back, and we're going to take down that witch together!"

Haku was touched by Naruto's words. His cheeks turned slightly pink, and he admitted, "Naruto, this is the first time I've had such a good friend. I don't quite know how to react."

Naruto chuckled playfully and clapped Haku on the shoulder. "No need to be shy, Haku! Friends stick together, no matter what. We're a team!"

Under the clear sky of the Land of Waves, Tenzo turned to Tazuna and inquired, "Tazuna-san, are the preparations ready?"

Tazuna, standing resolute, nodded in agreement. "Yes, everything's set. They're waiting for us."

With a sense of purpose, Team 7, along with Haku, and Tazuna made their way toward the heart of the village, where the villagers had gathered. As they walked, Inari, the young boy who had experienced a transformation of his own, hurriedly approached them. His determination shone in his eyes as he called out, "Wait! I want to come with you."

The group paused, and Naruto, who had come to appreciate Inari's presence, smiled at him. "Inari, you want to come with us?"

Inari nodded firmly. "Yeah, I want to protect the village too. Like kaiza before, I also want to protect this land."

Tsunami who had followed Inari, and Tazuna who had been watching from a distance, looked at each other with emotion in their eyes, proud of Inari's newfound determination.

Tenzo, understanding the significance of this moment, asked tazuna " what do you think? "

"Inari, are you sure ? "

"Yes ! I won't back off ! "

"Inari…you've grown up. Alright, let him come with us. Naruto, could you leave clones with tsunami ? "

Naruto agreed with a nod and created several shadow clones to stay behind with Tsunami, ensuring that the house would have additional protection in their absence.

With Inari now part of their group, they continued their journey to meet the villagers, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead and determined to protect the Land of Waves together.

As the group of villagers gathered in the center of their worn and weary village, there was a palpable sense of exhaustion and wariness in the air. Their faces bore the heavy burden of suffering, etched with lines of fatigue and despair.

Tazuna stepped forward, his voice steady yet filled with empathy. He began to explain why he had called upon them

 "Everyone," he began, "I called these shinobi here because they've come to help us. Our village has suffered for far too long, and we can't bear this burden alone any longer."

The villagers exchanged tired glances and nods, their responses a mix of resignation and the faintest glimmer of hope.

One of the villagers, an elderly man with weathered hands and a tired expression, spoke up. "We've endured so much hardship, Tazuna-san. We just want to live in peace and rebuild our lives. Even the help we are giving you with bridge is the most we could give, and the men are wary from the threat to their family"

Tazuna nodded, understanding the weariness in their voices and the weight of their experiences. "I know it's been difficult, but together with these shinobi, we have a chance to change our fate and protect our home."

Another, a mother with her children by her side, added softly, "Our children deserve a better future, free from fear and danger, but we are scared."

Tazuna nodded, understanding the weariness in their voices and the weight of their experiences. "I know it's been difficult, but together with these shinobi, we have a chance to change our fate and protect our home."

The villagers, while understanding the importance, remained hesitant. Naruto, frustrated by their hesitation, couldn't hold back his anger. "You can't just sit here and do nothing! We're here to help you, but you need to help yourselves too!"

An elderly man stepped forward, his voice shaky but determined. "You don't understand, young shinobi. We've been living in fear for so long that it's hard to find our courage again."

Inari, who had been quietly observing, couldn't stay silent any longer. He faced the villagers one by one, his gaze unwavering. "I understand how hard it is. But if you don't stand up now, when will you? We've been given a chance to change our fate, to protect the village and the people we care about. Don't let fear control you any longer. Be brave for your children, for your village, for yourselves."

Inari's heartfelt words seemed to resonate with the villagers. Their hesitation began to waver, and a renewed determination started to replace their fear. their emotions stirred by Inari's words, began to reminisce about Kaiza, Inari's step father. 

One of them, an elderly woman, wiped away a tear and spoke, "Kaiza was a brave man. He gave us hope when things were at their worst. If he were here today, he'd be proud of you for standing up like this."

Inari, touched by their words and the memory of his step father, nodded with determination. "I want to honor Kaiza's legacy and protect this village, just like he did."

"We never needed to be the strongest..we just need to have kaiza courage! "

Tazuna, watching the villagers slowly regain their resolve, felt a glimmer of hope. Proud of inari growth, and happy for the newfound courage and the assistance of the Team, Haku, and , they had a fighting chance to confront Gato and his forces and free their village from oppression.

Tenzo continued to explain the plan in more detail, emphasizing the importance of creating defensive borders around the village.

"We need to establish defensive perimeters," he stated firmly, "to ensure that we have time to react and protect the village. We can't let Gato's forces breach our defenses easily."

Continuing, he added "We also need to identify any gathering places or hideouts that Gato's men might be using. Have any of you noticed any suspicious activity or locations where they seem to congregate?"

Several villagers exchanged glances, and one elderly man stepped forward. "There's a cave to the northwest of the village," he said. "I've seen some of Gato's men entering and leaving it. It's a hidden spot, and they seem to be guarding it."

Tazuna nodded. "That's valuable information. We'll investigate that cave. In the meantime, we should also set up traps and obstacles along potential routes of attack. Anything to slow down their advance and give us an advantage."

"Are there any other locations that you've noticed where Gato's men might be gathering or operating from?" Tazuna asked, hoping to gather more intelligence to bolster their defensive strategy.

A middle-aged woman stepped forward this time. "There's an abandoned warehouse on the eastern outskirts of the village," she mentioned. "I've seen some of them going in and out of there. It's away from the main road, so it might be a good place for them to hide."

Tazuna nodded in appreciation. "Thank you for sharing that. We'll check the abandoned warehouse as well. It's crucial that we know all their potential hideouts."

The villagers continued to provide information about various locations, some of which had been suspected but not confirmed as hiding spots for Gato's men. Tazuna made a mental note of each one, determined to ensure that their defensive preparations covered every possible angle.

With the additional information in hand, Tazuna and tenzo, along with the assistance of Haku and team 7, finalized their plan to secure the village, destroy the circles, and investigate the suspected hideouts. 

The tired and wary villagers showed resilience as they worked together to protect their home, their hope rekindled by the determination of their allies.

Tenzo, clapping hand, started "Alright, enough planning. Leave the circle destruction to when we kick Gato men attention away. In meanwhile, we count on you to guard the village until we are done fighting in the bridge. Let's start by kicking gato men from the town. Naruto, sasuke, i count on you to make easy work of them "

"Alrighty, leave it to me, Yamato-sensei! "

"Easy work "

A day later, Inside the cave mentioned by the villagers, the witch sat behind Zabuza, her arm embracing him possessively. Her eyes were fixed on the other cultists who were gathered around a mysterious circle with a stone placed at its center. They chanted in unison, their voices echoing through the eerie surroundings.

The witch's expression was one of elation and confidence. She believed that her sinister plan was drawing closer to fruition. With Zabuza under her control and the cultists working diligently to enact her dark rituals, she was certain that nothing could stop her from achieving her malevolent goals. 

As the cultists continued their chanting, the witch leaned closer to Zabuza and spoke in a hushed, sinister tone, "Zabuza, my dear, soon this land will be ours, and the power we will wield will be unimaginable. The sacrifices made in the name of Jashin will grant us dominion over all. You will be the instrument of my will, and together, we shall bring this world to its knees."

Zabuza, his eyes glazed over from the mind control, simply nodded in compliance, unaware of the sinister plan unfolding around him, totally under control. 

Hearing footsteps, the witch halted her words. Standing up, she saw gato getting in with two of his henchmen 

Gato, his impatience growing, approached the witch, his tone filled with irritation, "Hey witch, When will you deliver what you promised me? My men are having a hard time dealing with those shinobi snooping around. I just received news that they got kicked out of town, and now they're too scared to do anything! I've provided everything you asked for, and I demand my immortality!"

The witch, maintaining her composure, responded with an eerie calmness, "Patience, Gato. The ritual is nearly complete. Immortality is within your grasp, but you must allow me to finish my work."

"As for those shinobi..leave them. We are almost done here anyway "

Gato, unable to contain his frustration, grew even ruder, "I've waited long enough! I want it now!"

"Grrrr…."

Under the witch's influence, Zabuza's menacing expression intensified,his aura heavy with promise of blood, but the witch quickly intervened, her voice laced with a veiled threat, "You would do well not to rush me, Gato. Immortality comes with a price, and I assure you, you do not want to incur my wrath."

Two of Gato's men stood trembling, their faces filled with fear as they observed the unsettling exchange between their leader and the enigmatic witch.

Gato, sweating ,but still irritated, questioned the witch's decision to leave Tazuna alive. "Why did you let that old man live and go to konoha ? We could have avoided the whole situation if you killed him before. "

The witch, with a sinister grin, explained, "I need the despair of the Land of Waves people. Their hope was on the verge of being realized with the completion of the bridge. I find immense pleasure in shattering a person's hope when they believe salvation is near."

"Huh…fair enough. I guess in another situation i would do the same to establish full dominance "

Gato, sharing the witch's sinister intentions, nodded in agreement. 

"Don't forget who helped you realize your goals until now..i helped you hide from those shinobi monsters until today. Don't make me regret it. "

As Gato departed, he warned the witch not to betray him and acknowledged his role in concealing her true plans.

The witch returned to Zabuza's side, gracefully seating herself on his lap as she continued to observe the ritual with eager anticipation.