Disembarking…!!

Team 7 decides to keep guarding Tazuna despite the danger, and because they are now staking their lives on him, he admits why he hid the truth about the job. The Land of Waves has been squeezed into poverty by a businessman named Gatō, who keeps the region under his thumb to protect his smuggling operations. Tazuna believes a bridge linking his homeland to the mainland could break that grip, which is exactly why Gatō wants him dead. He confesses he could only scrape together enough money for a C-rank request even though the work truly rates a B-rank. The moment the group reaches the shore, the assassin Zabuza Momochi ambushes them.

Team 7 commits to protecting Tazuna after learning the mission is more dangerous than stated. Tazuna reveals that Gatō controls the Land of Waves through poverty and smuggling. Tazuna explains his bridge is meant to free the country, making him Gatō's target. He admits he could only pay for a C-rank despite the true B-rank risk. Zabuza Momochi attacks the team upon their arrival.

The chapter opens the Land of Waves prologue and appears in Volume 2, released by Viz as Going Ashore. On its final page Zabuza is drawn wearing a Konoha forehead protector by mistake, an error that carried over uncorrected into the collected volume.