Hey, chapter 2 here!
Please read, review and enjoy!
Sakura didn't ask him what happened to his shoes the next day, nor the during the week that followed. If Naruto asked her why she would've said that she didn't have the time; for once she was running around the apartment, cleaning everything left and right. Her mother was coming over. Oh joy.
Naruto hadn't seen or talked to Mebuki Haruno for quite some time now. Sakura usually briefed him after one of her visits and that was more than enough for him. Mebuki didn't like him and the feeling was mutual. She thought that he was a lazy, good-for-nothing bastard and he thought that she was a conniving banshee from the deepest circles of hell. Sakura tried her best to keep any meeting between the two of them peaceful, but neither party could refrain from at least making snide remarks. And that was something Mebuki excelled at.
The announcement that she would be coming over for dinner had startled the life out of Sakura. Her mother hadn't been to the apartment even once and she could already imagine Mebuki stepping inside, her brow furrowed to express her disgust. Why would her dear daughter live here in this shabby two room kitchen cabinet while she had a perfectly good home to return to?
It had lit a fire under Sakura's ass though, something which Naruto felt she very much needed. Up until now most of what she did consisted of telling him what to do. He had about given up on getting her to contribute to the household, but now that the witch was coming everything suddenly smelled lemon fresh, and nary a crumb to be found between the couch cushions.
And strangest of all: Sakura was happy. The day after Naruto had given his shoes to the strange girl in Konoha Park he had found his girlfriend up early, the bathroom already cleaned and the scents of breakfast drifting from the kitchen. Caught off guard by this change in his routine, Naruto had taken the news rather well. Although he couldn't quite tell why she would be pleased that her mother was coming to criticize every aspect of her life.
"I just want to rub her nose in it," Sakura had said, sliding three more sausages onto his plate. "We might not have much but at least we have something."
"Just yesterday you were worrying about Tsunade, though."
She had rolled her eyes at him, and then a smile had parted her lips. "Honey, if I had to live in a cardboard box, I would. It's okay as long as I'm with you."
That had killed most of his appetite. Thoughts of the day before had filled his head, images of Sakura crying as he told her that he just couldn't anymore, that it wasn't her but him, and all that bullshit that happens in the movies. Were they characters in a film she would get mad at him, and in the private theater in his head that was the most profitable outcome, but it was also just fantasy. If he broke it off with her she wouldn't get angry. She would only cry and that he couldn't handle.
He had looked at her back over his half-empty plate, noting the happy little skip in her step and the smile that he knew wouldn't falter as long as he kept his mouth shut. Still, his tongue was sometimes like a bullwhip, apt to lash out times when even he didn't expect it to.
"You know," he had said, poking a chunk of sausage onto his fork. "I've got something that you can rub her nose into."
Her eyebrows had formed into curious arches. "Do tell."
"I talked to Kakashi yesterday and asked him how the store was going. Says he's just about to fire every employee he's got because they keep screwing up on the job. One of his door-to-door guys turned the company car into a pile of screws. So I asked him if he could use any help, and he said yes."
Sakura's eyes had gone wide. A grin had formed on her lips. Naruto had sighed. Great, now she was really looking forward to her mother coming.
A week went by in a flash. Much sooner than he liked, Naruto found himself seated by his secondhand dining table, Sakura by his side and Mebuki glaring at him between bites of food. Mebuki had not said much about their living arrangements and for that Naruto was glad. He was hoping to keep the night relaxed and easygoing as well, though for now things could go either way.
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Sakura broke the silence, laying her fork aside and turning to her mother for good measure. "Naruto got himself a job starting tomorrow."
Mizuki did not seem impressed. "Oh, is that right?"
Naruto grunted in affirmation and continued eating. He would try his hardest to stay out of this one.
"Uh-huh," Sakura said. Naruto could hear the smile in her voice. "One of his friends, Kakashi, hired him to work in his store."
"Well isn't that fantastic."
"You don't make it sound convincing, Ma." Naruto always used the word to annoy Mebuki, knowing full well that he was the last person who was ever allowed to call her mother.
"So I should just be happy that my daughter is living in this shack of a home, hardly fed and unable to pay rent?"
Naruto rose from his chair and knocked into the dining table, sending the wine glasses that Sakura had polished to a gleam to crash down on the floor. He felt a bout of curses rising in his throat, but at the last second he was able to stop himself. All he did was glare at Mebuki in the hope that she would catch fire.
"Now you listen here, Naruto," Mebuki said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I have no idea what my daughter sees in you, but for some reason she keeps crawling back, no matter what I say to her. But let me be clear: I will be watching. And if I see that you fail to give my Sakura the care she deserves, I will make it my business. Am I clear?"
Naruto did not answer her.
"Mom, please," Sakura pleaded, stepping up to stand between them. "There's no need to be so concerned. We'll be fine. We're happy together."
Oh, Sakura, Naruto thought. If only that was true.
Hatake Hard Drives and Computers was located on the very fringes of Konoha, in one of the smaller shopping districts where boarded windows and "FOR SALE" signs were an everyday sight. The view was much the same as in Naruto's neighbourhood, so he paid it little mind as he incorporated his morning jog into his new routine, one that consisted of him showing up for work five days a week.
Kakashi's business was going well despite the odds. Perhaps the Demon Fox Gang had something to do with that, but Naruto was sure that Kakashi would never sell anything that they had stolen, nor would he pay his bills with his earnings below the radar. He just wasn't that stupid. What wouldn't surprise Naruto, however, was finding out that he used his shop as a money laundering machine.
HHDC was nested between an empty storefront and a gym with an escalator, which was so ironic that Naruto walked into his first day of work breathless from laughter. Kakashi was already standing behind the counter with his chin in the palms of his hands. He looked bored.
"Oi, Kakashi," Naruto said, walking over. Both of them were wearing the official HHDC shirt with the store's abbreviated name spelled across the back. The colour palate was pleasing; most of the shirt was orange and that reminded Naruto of his beloved tracksuit.
"Naruto," Kakashi acknowledged him. "Excited for your first day?" He poured a cup of coffee from the thermos by his elbow and shoved it in Naruto's direction.
"Guess so," Naruto replied. He looked around to see if there were any other employees to overhear him. "But to be honest I'd much rather be running away from the Museum guards right now."
"Later," Kakashi said. "For now we just have to act like normal people with normal jobs, living in a normal world."
"And how do we do that?"
"You can start by stickering the DVDs," Kakashi said, and upon seeing Naruto's look of curiosity he added "And yes, all of them. We're starting a three for ten ryo sale today and I'm expecting it to do pretty well."
"You must be delusional. No one buys DVDs anymore."
"You'd be surprised how much porn I sell."
"I don't think I would."
Kakashi sighed. "Just get to work, you smartass."
As the morning progressed and Naruto's hands became increasingly stickier with every DVD that passed through them, business began to flourish. Even before any of his colleagues had arrived Naruto had assisted several customers.
His co-workers for the day didn't arrive until noon. There were three of them, all young and zit-faced and sluggish. They were two boys and a girl and two-thirds of them were pretty nondescript. One, however, stuck out like a sore thumb.
"Hey, new guy," the kid called. "What's your name?" He placed his elbows on the counter as if he owned it, a dumb grin contorting his lips. Brown hair shot up in strands from underneath a thick pair of strap-on goggles.
"Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto replied. He pulled a cookie from the pile by the thermos and unwrapped it, chewing it down with care and noting, with some amusement, that the boy did not like being ignored.
"Aren't you going to ask me my name?" the kid asked, huffing.
"I have a feeling that you're going to tell me anyway."
"My name is Konohamaru." He jotted a thumb a his chest to show his pride. "Grandson of Hiruzen Sarutobi, mayor of Konoha and trusted advisor of the King of the Land of Fire."
A laden silence settled over the store then. Konohamaru's friends stood by and observed. Perhaps this was the first time that someone didn't fawn over his heritage and they were curious to see how that would pan out. Kakashi was leaning against the doorframe behind the counter which would lead to the office. His brown eyes were half-lidden, betraying his boredom.
"Hmmm." was the only reply that Naruto gave him.
"Is that all you have to say?"
"What else do you want me to say?" Naruto asked, crumbling the cookie wrapper into his fist. "Do you want me to tell you that I will worship the ground that you walk on? Do I need to kiss your little toes before they enter a room? Do I need to wipe your ass for you so you won't get shit on your fingers?"
Konohamaru seemed to be taken aback by this sudden outburst. Naruto looked at him with squinting eyes. This boy wasn't hard to decipher. Born into a succesful and wealthy family, he believed that the world was his and his alone, ready to give in to whatever desire he might have. He was completely oblivious as to how the world actually worked. Naruto wouldn't mind teaching him.
"N-No, what?" Konohamaru said. "It's just that-"
"It's just that you're used to everybody kissing your ass because your parents have some money and your grandfather has a famous face. I get it. You don't have to explain these things to me, Konohamaru, I'm not stupid."
"I never called you stupid."
"Then what's with the tone?"
"I, I..."
"Okay, okay, listen," Naruto said. The other boy and the girl leaned in close, hoping to see Konohamaru take a reaming, or at least be put in his place. Chances were that they thought he was too big for his britches as well. "You have no idea how lucky you are to have the life you have. You probably grew up and had breakfast every day, dinner every night and a hundred presents for Christmas each year, right?"
Konohamaru said nothing.
"Just as I thought. Well let me make it clear to you; not everyone is as privileged as you are. I grew up in an orphanage and I was lucky if I got food even once a day. I didn't get any presents for Christmas, or my birthday. If I didn't get the living hell beat out of me before noon I called it a good day. The first time I actually had some money was two years ago. Meanwhile you don't even know the value of it.
But I can teach you something about that if you want. I guess your parents forced you to get this job to learn the value of money and hard work, but it doesn't look like it's having a lot of effect. Maybe you should come to my place sometime. I can show you around all two of the rooms that I own. You can even stay for dinner. I'll make us a nice peanut butter sandwich with some tapwater at the side. You interested?"
The boy held his silence.
"Or would you rather have caviar?"
"I didn't mean t-"
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said. "You didn't mean to offend me, you didn't want to rub anything in. Good for you. But just take it as a lesson: Not everybody is waiting to kiss your ass until it shines like a diamond. You got that?"
"Y-Yes sir."
"Good. Now go clean the toilets and do it well. If I see skidmarks when I go in there I'll make you lick them out."
Konohamaru's eyes wandered behind Naruto, finding Kakashi's. The little bugger was probably hoping that the man would tell him that Naruto did not have that kind of authority, but he was sorely mistaken. Grumbling, he went about the task assigned to him.
Two more hours passed until Kakashi beckoned Naruto over to him. "It's time to go," he said, peering into the store to check if they weren't being listened in on. He then called for the other employees present. "Moegi!"
The girl shot up from whatever work she had been doing. "Yes, Kakashi?"
"Naruto here has just been assigned his first out-call and I want to go with him to show him the ropes. Can I trust you to take care of the store while we're gone?"
Moegi gave a sharp nod, her eyes sparkling with what Naruto interpreted as gratitude. Not strange, considering that Konohamaru was an ever present shadow hanging over her and all of her achievements.
"Okay, and Udon, you're second in command." The second boy, his face mostly covered by thick spectacles, nodded also.
"Alright, Naruto, I guess we are good to go. Follow me."
Kakashi hadn't yet bought a new company car and that was a good thing. the out-call he had been talking about was nothing more than a front for their true intentions. Kakashi parked his red, nondescript vehicle two blocks away from Konoha's Museum of Natural History and shut it off.
"There," he said, looking around the street. "I might have to get rid of this baby once we're done." He said this with a melancholic sigh, as if he were sad that this bucket of bolts would soon retire.
"So what're we going to do?" Naruto asked. His mood had been tempered for most of the day, but now that he was once again investing his time in the Demon Fox Gang he could feel his excitement grow.
"We're going to pose as members of the press and we want to write an article on the Museum and it's current exhibits. We'll take photos of whatever we can to prepare ourselves for when we make our actual move. Also, if possible, we'll want to tip the higher-ups that the building needs some repairs." Kakashi pulled a bag from the backseat and rummaged through it to pull out a stack of papers and two cameras. He handed half of the stack to Naruto.
The papers consisted of a press pass and a fake ID, not to mention a driver's lisence and insurance info. Sai had really outdone himself. With these they would be able to walk around the Museum without anyone bothering them. They had changed their working clothes for something more casual, though Kakashi had forbidden him to wear his tracksuit.
"Remember," Kakashi said. "We're taking photos and we're asking some questions. After that we get out. Don't do anything reckless."
Naruto couldn't help but smirk. "You know I never do."
They stepped out of the car and walked the two blocks down to the Museum. Kakashi did not enjoy the silence, it seemed.
"What was that with you and Konohamaru?" he asked. His tone of voice didn't betray his curiosity, but Naruto knew better.
"Why, you have a soft spot for the kid?" Naruto asked, then waved the question away. "Never mind. I just thought that he needed to be put in his place. I mean you saw the way he carried himself, right? Like the world is not good enough for him?"
"He tends to do that, yes."
"Well I won't have it. That kid has no idea what life is actually like. Everything is handed to him on a silver platter and he expected everyone to be fine with that. Well not me."
Kakashi sighed and stuffed a hand into his pocket. "Maybe you're right. Beware though, Sarutobi may be a good mayor for this city, but he has a special place in his heart for his grandson. Like it or not, but Konohamaru has political ties all over town."
Naruto smirked. "And you never thought to recruit him for the Gang?"
"Of course I have, but I immediately realized how stupid that would be. If anyone can get the info to the right sources, it's that boy."
"Eh, I guess you're right. But just to let you know, I refuse to have him order me around at work."
'That's why you're his superior."
They rounded the corner and the Yamanaka coffee cart came into view. Kakashi was focused on other matters, though.
"That's the warehouse?" he asked.
Naruto followed his gaze and gave a confirming grunt. If all went well Gaara would set it alight in the days to come. Then his own eyes went to the front of the Museum. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noted Choji's absence. At least that meant that he didn't have to lie to cover up his lies.
Once inside they were immediately greeted by a young girl with pretty blonde hair. She offered them a tour around the premises, but they declined after showing her their press passes. The girl was curious as to what they would be writing about and Kakashi told her that they were hoping to push an article about the many different facets of history that the Museum delved into. The girl replied that this seemed fascinating to her and that she would be keeping an eye out on the newspaper. They thanked her for her time and they beelined through the halls, scouring for their target.
The Dagger of Five Winds was located in the middle of the building. It had a room all to itself, bar the few paintings that hung along the wall on rusty nails. Naruto took a good look around him, not even using his camera; Kakashi would snap all the photos they needed to pull of their heist.
The room was large and spacious. The case that held the Dagger stood in the middle and it was kept away from curious hands by thick, velvety, red rope. There were no windows for Naruto to jump out of once he made his attempt to steal it, so that meant that he had to run quite a while to get out of the building. There were airducts above them, but Naruto assumed that they would provide the way in, not the way out. Escaping the Museum could prove to be a chore.
"Look." Kakashi pointed at the glass case. The Dagger was inside. It was ancient; the steel blade was crumbling with rust and the leather that had been wrapped around the handle was greased and falling apart. The only thing that made the Dagger remarkable, apart from it's historical and economical value, was the large ruby in the butt cap.
That wasn't what Kakashi wanted Naruto to see, though. What was important here was the case it was in. Inside, on the top left and the far back of the case was what appeared to be a steel square meant to keep the case together. That wasn't its purpose; it was actually the trigger plate that would set off the alarm if anyone tried to steal the Dagger.
"It looks like it ties in with the system used throughout the Museum," Kakashi whispered to him. "I don't see any additional precautions, so that probably means that they will be relying on security guards throughout the night."
"That's positive," Naruto reasoned. "I can outrun guards any day of the week. If we can shut off the system I can probably get out without anyone noticing it. They won't know the Dagger is gone until someone gets fired for it the next day."
"Leave that bit to me," Kakashi said. "I'll let Asuma know when we make the hit so he can keep Konoha's Police Department at bay. He'll make sure that everyone he can spare is busy fighting the fire that Gaara's going to start."
Asuma Sarutobi was a very valuable asset to the Demon Fox Gang. He was the top dog of the Konoha Police Department and he kept the Gang briefed on everything related to them. It was Asuma's job to keep the police of the Demon Fox Gang's tail, or otherwise steer the investigation in the wrong direction. And Naruto may hve joked about recruiting Konohamaru, but truth of the matter was that it wasn't necessary. Asuma was Konohamaru's uncle, so the political ties were already there.
Turning his attention back to the Dagger Naruto saw something that made him nudge Kakashi with his elbow. When the man inquired what was wrong, Naruto pointed at the plaque in front of the case. The following had been printed on it:
The Dagger of Five Winds is an ancient weapon found at an archeological site thirty miles away from Konoha. The Dagger was uncovered in a cave that is believed to be an old refuge for the Neanderthals, judging from the bones found and the paintings that had been inscribed onto the wall. Curious is that the Neanderthals did not have the resources nor the knowledge to craft a weapon as intricate as the Dagger, yet no signs are to be found of who is responsible for the Dagger's existence. The Dagger is believed to be over fifteen hundred years old and is valuable solely for its historical significance.
And below that:
The Dagger of Five Winds will be moved to an undisclosed location as of the seventeenth of September.
Kakashi cursed under his breath. "That's tomorrow," he said. "There is no way that we can take it before that."
Naruto thought deep and hard, something that wasn't always his strong suit, and got an idea.
"Kakashi, if you could get into the system to shut down the alarms, couldn't you find out where the Dagger is being moved to?"
"Of course I can," Kakashi replied. "The problem is that we have to start from scratch."
"Don't worry about that," Naruto said. "Once we bring this baby home you won't even remember how much work it cost."
Kakashi rolled his eyes and stuffed his hand back into his pocket. "I guess you're right. That does mean that activity is going to be low for a little while."
Naruto grinned and pulled out his lower lip into a childish pout. "Aw, c'mon Kakashi, can't you do it today? I want to have something to do. I'm bored."
"I know you are," Kakashi sighed. "And fine. I'll look up where the Dagger is going today, but I expect your full cooperation in doing so. And I want you to be serious about your work in the store. Chances are that you won't be working for me very soon anyway, so you might as well make the best of it."
"Do I still get to boss around Konohamaru and those other two brats?"
"You may."
Naruto smiled. "Excellent."
"Are you getting anywhere with this?"
"If you stay quiet, I just might."
"Oops, sorry. Try harder."
"Do I need to set Gaara loose on you?"
"As if that'd work. That boy loves me dearly."
Kakashi sent a mocking glare Naruto's way, then relented. "Unfortunately that's the truth."
They were in the office at Hatake's Hard Drives and Computers. Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon had already left, Naruto lagging behind with claims that he would be helping Kakashi do the bookkeeping. As soon as the youngsters had left Kakashi set about hacking the Museum's database. He was moving along without any problems thusfar, but that was to be expected. It wasn't without reason that Kakashi had opened an electronics store. The man had a gift. Naruto suspected that Kakashi would be able to hack the security system to the King's palace with nothing but a calculator.
Kakashi gave a cry of triumph, causing Naruto to almost drop the radio he had been holding. Kakashi had helped him kill time by starting to teach him the basics of electronics. If Naruto stayed to work with him for a year, he had said, he'd be able to fix anything from a radio to revolving door.
"Are you in?" Naruto asked, looking over Kakashi's shoulder.
"Oh yes," Kakashi said, smiling. He cracked his knuckles in a cliché fashion before pounding into his keyboard, searcing for any information that might tell them more about where the Dagger might be relocated to. After about two minutes of this he gave another cry, this one even more pleased than the last.
"Where's the Dagger going?" Naruto asked. He expected to hear that a Museum in another country had bought the thing, but this was not the case.
"The Dagger was bought by Hiashi Hyuuga."
"Hyuuga?" Naruto asked, stupified. "That's Neji's last name. Are they by any chance related?"
"I have no idea."
"Let me check," Naruto said. A quick use of the search engine on his phone provided him with basic information about Hiashi, as well as a photo. "Hiashi Hyuuga is the owner of the international conglomerate responsible for supplying the majority of the world's hospitals with medical supplies. Hyuuga's other activities include philantrophy and afternoon golf."
He showed Kakashi the photo of the man they now had to rob.
"This..." Kakashi breathed. "This must be family of Neji's. The resemblance is too great to ingore."
"Thought so." Naruto zoomed in on the man's face. "That must be why Neji wants out. You told him about the Dagger a few weeks ago, didn't you?"
"I did," Kakashi confirmed. "I was so proud of fixing my own assignment that I couldn't help but share."
"And Neji probably knew that Hiashi was buying the Dagger. If we found out it would mean that we could end up blowing his cover."
"That, or Neji is feeling sudden guilt."
"I doubt that."
"Me too," Kakashi agreed.
Naruto took another look at the photo and suddenly a light went on in his head. Without further ado he searched the internet to find out of Hiashi had any children. Two names came up, Hinata and Hanabi. Both of the named were headed with a recent photo of the two girls.
Hinata's face was unmistakeable.
immediately his mind filled with questions. For startes, why hadn't he seen the girl's resemblance to someone who he worked with on a regular basis? Granted, Neji's eyes were far more demanding than hers. and the violet in them was more prominent, but still. Perhaps it was just because it never mattered to Naruto until now. Secondly he wanted to find out why Hinata found in necessary to sneak out of her house. She had told him that her father worried about her a lot, so maybe Hiashi kept her near him at all times to prevent her from becoming a target. Hiashi Hyuuga was rich. And people did the most horrible things for money, whether that was murder, rape, extortion. Kidnapping a young woman was child's play in comparison.
"I know this girl," Naruto said. He showed Kakashi the picture on his phone.
"Hiashi's daughter?" Kakashi asked, his eyebrows rising. "How did you get to meet her?"
"I happened to come across her in Konoha Park. She said she fell asleep on a park bench and that her father would be worried if she didn't get home soon."
Kakashi gave this information some thought. He grabbed Naruto's phone without warning, searching for further photo's of Hinata. After some time he motioned for Naruto to look at something.
"See this?" he said, pointing at a photo of Hinata in a salmon-coloured evening gown. "Notice the man behind her?"
Naruto did. It was a guy in suit and tie with round shades covering up his eyes. Kakashi swiped through some more photos and pointed the same guy out in every one of them.
"There is no doubt in my mind that this is Hinata's bodyguard." Kakashi locked Naruto's phone and gave it back to him. "We might have an opportunity here."
"Please explain," Naruto said, not getting any of it.
"Well, what if this bodyguard of hers happens to be taken out of commission?"
"She'd need a new one."
"Precisely. And this bodyguard would have to be inside her house when she is, right?"
"I guess so."
"So what are we going to do?"
Naruto finally got the gist of it. "Kill the bodyguard and replace him with one of our own guys?"
"Bingo."
"But who do we use? We can use Gaara for the killing, obviously, but who is capable enough to pull this off?"
The way Kakashi looked at him was enough of an answer.
"Oh, no way," Naruto said. "Not doing it. Nu-uh."
Kakashi went into tactical warfare straight away. "Just think of what Sakura would say."
Part of him wanted to tell Kakashi that pleasing Sakura wasn't his job, but that could backfire in multiple ways. Besides, despite the growing distance between him and the girl, seeing her smile still made him smile. Love was hard to kill, even in its absence.
"Besides," Kakashi went on. "You said you already met her anyway, so chances are that she'll want to be protected by a familiar face."
"I only met her once, though."
"And did anything happen then to have you stand out to her?"
"Well," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head and grinning like a moron. "I did give her my shoes."
"I don't even want to know what that means."
"It means exactly what I said."
"...Right. Anyway, sending you is easily our best move. Hinata knows you, so she will likely be drawn to you. Perhaps she feels she owes you something because of the shoes. And it also puts pressure on Neji to hire you, because you have the means to expose him for who he really is."
Naruto mulled this over and concluded his train of thoughts with a nod. "I guess you're right."
"That is usually the case."
"Shut up." Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Now how about you get to work so I can get to work."
"Yes Mother."
"I thought I told you to shut it."
Hinata Hyuuga lived in a giant mansion just a mile outside the centre of the city. Naruto eyed the building from a nearby rooftop. Gaara stood next to him, dressed in as much black as he himself was. It was a little annoying; unfortunately orange wasn't a colour that helped with being inconspicuous.
Gaara was excited and that was anything but surprising. "Come on, Naruto!" he cried. "Let's go now! The Mother of the Moon wants to see blood!"
As serious as Gaara's murderous intent was, it made Naruto laugh. Twisted as it may be, this was their usual set up and in Naruto's mind it registered as just another day at the office. Yes, he was about to kill someone, but he had long since been blunted to the feelings of remorse that came with it.
"Yeah, I suppose there is no sense in waiting any longer," Naruto agreed. he pulled the ski mask over his face to conceal it and jumped down the next roof over. Gaara was right behind him as he ran across the length of the roof, feeling free for the first time in a long while. The night was cold and the air cut at the exposed bridge of his nose, but a smile formed nonetheless. This was what made him feel alive.
This was his destiny.
The Hyuug Mansion was gated but that posed little of a problem. Naruto and Gaara moved towards the side of the building without being spotted. Luck was on their side that night, because they stumbled upon an open window. They granted themselves access to the house and moved without hesitation, looking for the man with the round shades.
Kakashi had done an amazing job at finding out who the guy was. His name was Ebisu and he had been trained to be a bodyguard for the rich and famous. He had been quoted to want to live and die doing his job and he was about to have his wish granted.
Even in the darkness of the night Naruto could see the decorations that were present all over the house. He noted expensive vases and tapestries and paintings. Still, they weren't worth nearly as much as the Dagger.
They cleared the length of the hall they were in and stopped at the corner. The stretch of hallway around it was a deadend, but they had already found who they had been looking for. Two men in suits flanked a purple door on either side. Ebisu was a little in front of them to form a triangle position.
Gaara spoke to him in the lowest of whispers. "You take out Ebisu and I'll get the other two. Do you have the note?"
Naruto tapped his pocket to confirm this. He nodded.
"Great," Gaara said. He pulled something from his own pants, something that jingled. Naruto recognized the sound of coins clacking together.
The guards in the hall heard it too, exactly according to plan. "What's that?" the one on the right side of the door asked.
"I don't know," Left replied. "But I'm not waiting here to find out."
"Leave some for me, though," Ebisu said. "It's been too long since I've broken a bone."
"You guys stay back," Right said. He began to pace forward at a crawl, his hand on his hip where a revolver rested beneath the layers of clothing.
Gaara took one of the coins and threw it at a vase along the length of the hall. It shattered into a million pieces and acted as an incentive for Right to turn around. This was the signal they had agreed on and Naruto and Gaara dashed into the hall. It took some time for the guards to see them with their black clothes on and by then it was already too late.
Gaara screamed at the top of his lungs as he charged, Naruto using his back for cover. Gaara blasted right past Ebisu and pulled a long switchblade from his pocket, brandishing it and swinging it down in a high arc. It pierced the flesh behind Right's clavicle and turned him into a fountain of blood. Left screamed at this sudden appearance of death, but Gaara threw the knife this time and sent it straight into the man's forehead. Gaara's job here was done. The boy stood still to observe Naruto, meanwhile dipping his hands in the blood of his victims, using it to scrawl tiny words and markings along his arms, humming a mantra for the Mother of the Moon.
Naruto, meanwhile, was having no trouble evading Ebisu's attacks. When Ebisu realized that close combat wasn't going to cut it and reached for his revolver, Naruto stepped behind him and snapped his neck with a simple flick of his wrists. Ebisu was dead before he hit the ground.
The two boys stood there for a while. Naruto enjoying the sensation of his heart pounding in his throat and Gaara mumbling away. They only moved when they heard a door shriek.
Hinata was standing in the doorway, her arms in front of her breasts to shield herself from the cold. Her lavender eyes were questioning and roamed around the hall to retrieve the source of the ruckus. When she saw three dead bodies and two home invaders she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Gaara moved quickly and silenced her with his hand. Naruto pulled the note from his pocket, folding it and setting it down in the pool of already congealing blood by Left's head. Sai had forged the handwriting on it and it stated something very specific.
The girl blew our cover tonight. Next time we'll kill her too. The Demon Foxes are everywhere.
Gaara and Naruto ran for all they were worth.
