Naruto: Limit Breaker

Chapter 84: You Can Be Called Gato, I Can Be Called Gato, Everyone Is Gato

"Are you... Gato?"

The man before them had short silver hair, wore a pair of thin glasses, and gave off a calm, intellectual vibe. He didn't look like the shrewd, cutthroat businessman Ryosuke had expected—instead, he resembled a well-read scholar.

"Interesting…"

Ryosuke's eyes narrowed slightly. This Gato was different—very different—from the one he remembered. Even if it had been a few years since the original timeline, the change was far too drastic to ignore.

Thanks to the limiter constantly enhancing and accelerating his growth, Ryosuke—though still young—wasn't short. Standing among other shinobi, he didn't look out of place at all.

"Yes, I am..."

Gato smiled warmly and began approaching, extending a hand in greeting. But before he could get close, he was stopped—firm hands landed on his shoulders.

The three jonin he'd hired moved to block him.

"Gato," Akutagawa, one of the jonin, leaned in close and whispered, ignoring the fact that Ryosuke's group stood right beside them. "There's someone... significant among them."

He quickly filled Gato in on Hyuga Hizashi's identity and strength.

Meanwhile, Kinoshita and Atami, the other two jonin, stood silently, their guard up.

Originally, Gato had dispatched them to issue a soft warning to the Hyuga clan members handling diplomatic affairs in the Land of Waves. The goal was to negotiate a cooperative relationship that ensured a balanced distribution of benefits between ninjas and merchants.

That was the entire reason Gato had forked out an enormous sum to hire three A-rank rogue ninja.

But now... things had changed.

No one had anticipated a figure like Hyuga Hizashi, head of the Hyuga branch family, showing up in a backwater fishing village like this.

It was a serious complication.

There was no point in trying to posture or intimidate anymore. Hell, even future cooperation might have to be re-evaluated.

Two of the three had encountered Hizashi before—on the battlefield. They'd fought him... and lost.

Sure, they weren't about to abandon the mission just because Hyuga Hizashi showed up—but if Gato insisted on turning this into a direct confrontation? Then yeah, they'd probably bail.

After all, while they were strong, the group Hizashi brought with him looked formidable—at the very least, they were all chunin-level or higher.

And Gato side? Well... let's be honest, they were barely holding it together.

With both sides' elites being roughly equal in strength, the difference lay in the support—the backbone. And here, they were clearly outclassed.

This mission was starting to look suicidal.

You might earn the money... but you'd never get to spend it.

Despite the rising tension, Ryosuke and his companions didn't speak or step forward. They simply stood there, calmly waiting for Gato and his men to say whatever they needed to say.

Of course, at such close range, Ryosuke's team easily caught every word of Akutagawa's whispered report using perception-based ninjutsu.

Strangely enough, Gato didn't seem shaken by the mention of Hyuga Hizashi. He listened quietly to the report, nodded slowly, then—gathering his courage—stepped forward again.

He walked up to Hizashi and extended his hand.

"So, you're the famous Hyuga Hizashi. A true master in the ninja world. I've heard a lot about you."

"I'm hardly worthy of such praise."

Hizashi stared at Gato for a long moment. Then, his usual icy expression softened into the faintest smile.

"But you're impressive. Bold, even. No wonder you're considered a rich man in the ninja world. That kind of nerve deserves recognition."

He added dryly, "We heard your men say you didn't dare meet us. Honestly, we thought you were just some coward."

Gato chuckled at himself. "Truthfully? The moment I found out you were coming, I panicked. I've been anxious ever since. The second you all landed on the island, I was ready to flee."

He waved a hand dramatically, painting a picture of himself as a skittish rabbit in the woods, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of danger.

"If you so much as frowned at the people I sent, I had an escape plan ready. I've been watching every movement along the shore."

"…Is that so."

Hizashi's smile grew ever so slightly. "Then I must say—Mr. Gato is a rather cautious man."

But something stirred inside him.

Just moments earlier, while maintaining Byakugan like the others, Hizashi had felt a strange chakra fluctuation from Ryosuke—one that targeted him.

Under its subtle influence, Hizashi had found himself saying things… that didn't quite feel like his own.

It was like his words had been guided—puppeted, even.

Now, if he wanted, he could break free of the chakra's effects easily by circulating his own. But… he chose not to.

He was curious.

He wanted to see what Ryosuke was trying to do. And more importantly—what else he could do.

What was that technique?

Was it a Byakugan ability?

Hizashi's thoughts raced.

From the outside, it just looked like Hizashi was chatting with Gato. But in reality, Ryosuke was gently nudging his words, using Hizashi's body to speak.

"But I do have a question."

Hizashi—still under Ryosuke's influence—smiled in that signature way Ryosuke often did.

"Mr. Gato you seem different from the man I remember."

"You're taller than I expected. And you don't look anything like the Gato I've seen before."

That had been bugging Ryosuke from the start. This Gato was not the same one from his memories. Not even close. The scholarly appearance, the demeanor… it didn't add up.

Ryosuke knew he was taking a risk, using the Byakugan's illusion abilities to manipulate someone like Hizashi. But he had a read on the man by now.

Hizashi might've once resented Hinata and toyed with dark intentions, but Ryosuke didn't see him as an immediate threat anymore. More importantly, Hizashi didn't seem like someone who'd rebel against the Hyuga royal family.

From what Ryosuke had observed during their time together, Hizashi was constantly evaluating him—watching, analyzing.

"It sounds like… Lord Hizashi is quite familiar with our Transport Company," Gato replied, raising an eyebrow at the unexpected question.

He seemed genuinely caught off guard for a second, but recovered quickly, laughing lightly.

"But there's no need for confusion. Gato is just a title."

"A title?" Ryosuke echoed through Hizashi's mouth.

"Yes. In our company, Gato is the name given to the highest-ranking individuals," the man explained. "The ninja world is vast and volatile. Ordinary people trying to do business face constant danger."

"To safeguard our legacy and operations from collapsing when a single individual dies or vanishes, we established an internal rule—anyone appointed as the head of the Chamber of Commerce takes on the name Gato.'"

"There are three others with the same title as me. I've even met the one you're likely referring to, Lord Hizashi."

"…I see."

Given his past-life experience, Ryosuke understood the reasoning behind such a system. It wasn't all that different from corporations where CEOs could change, but the brand remained intact.

Still, he had doubts. And he planned to verify everything this so-called "Gato" said.

Because something still didn't sit right.

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