Chapter 26: The Diamonds Of The Land
Previously:
In silent agreement, both shinobi took off in the direction of the capital, where their enemy would be lurking.
Four Hours Later
Husband and wife arrived at the capital of the Land of Fire. It was a vibrant land, with almost no trace of shinobi; the ones that were present were guarding the Fire Daimyo.
Daimyo's Palace
Naruto knelt down before the royal leader of Hi no Kuni. "Daimyo-sama, my wife and I are here for the mission to retrieve Madame Shijimi's diamonds."
"Ah... I've heard much about you Naruto-kun," the old man spoke, "I trust that you'll be skilled enough to complete the mission?"
The blond bowed his head. "Of course. Though my wife will be taking charge."
The daimyo raised an eyebrow. "Ah, right. Your wife... Konoha no Nekokogo (Cat Empress of the Leaf). Your reputation precedes you, young lady," he said, nodding at Yugito.
"Thank you Daimyo-sama."
"Well, important information, I suppose. The thief was hired by Hinoko Kagetsu, a powerful criminal with many connections. My Shugonin Junishi suspect that the thief himself was none other than the Black Death of the Earth, however that needs to be confirmed as we cannot attack and capture the nukenin without evidence," the daimyo explained.
Naruto nodded. "Nothing we have not heard. We shall set off at once." The Fire daimyo waved a hand in dismissal and both ninjas disappeared.
"So where exactly will we find Kagetsu?" Naruto asked, hoping to prompt Yugito to respond and perhaps ease her promotion a little bit.
"Hmm... what do powerful criminals usually own? Territory... aha! A casino! That's where we'll find him," Yugito replied, snapping her fingers.
"Good thinking! But what casino exactly?" asked Naruto.
"If he's as powerful as they say, he probably owns every casino, Whiskers-kun," Yugito deadpanned.
"Right," her husband sweatdropped. "Come on," she said, tugging him by his arm towards the nearest casino available.
"Kanso!" she said, and her cloak and clothes disappeared, replaced by a black dress.
Meanwhile, Naruto had to use the conventional method to dress up. He wore an orange shirt with a white blazer over it, and covered it with a black coat, which concealed his weapons.
Blue Moon Casino
"Welcome!" the doorman greeted the couple. Naruto and Yugito entered the lavish hall, filled with a lot of noise as people shuffled tiles, cards and chips.
Naruto went to the counter and placed a hundred billion ryo on the table, causing the clerk's eyes to widen. He then accepted the money and produced two large suitcases, opening them slightly to reveal many chips within before closing them and handing them over.
Naruto took both suitcases and went over to a table which was currently having a game of poker.
Yugito sat down and began playing with the other people. Soon, it was between her and another guy on the table. The players betted on the guy as they did not support the "noob" who just joined the table but beat all of them. Only Naruto betted on his wife.
"Straight flush," her opponent declared smugly, revealing a Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight and Seven of Spades.
Yugito dramatically slid out her last card. A wide smile came over her face, and that was when he knew he was doomed.
"Royal flush!"
Yugito swept all the other players' chips to her side as they watched in disbelief.
"Keep this up and you'll get Kagetsu's attention," Naruto whispered to her as they headed to another table.
He was right, as after winning seventeen games, one of the casino staff approached them.
"Hinoko-sama wishes to speak to you. This way, please," the lady said, ushering them up a flight of staircases.
She slid open the screen door and gestured inside. Once the two stepped in, she closed the door.
In the room, there was Kagetsu himself and two of his henchmen whose identities were hidden by their hoods. He was smoking from a pipe at a table, on which there were cards.
"Uzumaki-san, I heard from my staff downstairs that you were very good at these casino games. May I have a game with you, Uzumaki Yugito?" Kagetsu asked.
She nodded and sat down at the opposite end of the table. Hinoko waved a hand to one of his henchmen, and ordered, "Get us both cups of Sprite."
Then he told the other one to deal the cards. Naruto's eyes morphed discretely into Rinnegan with six tomoe. "Rinbo: Hengoku," he intoned softly.
Shadows spread out in the world of Limbo to begin a search for the diamonds.
When they returned without anything, he was dumbfounded. Where exactly could he have hidden the diamonds?
Kagetsu's left hand man placed the glasses of cold drinks down on either side of the table.
Yugito watched the criminal boss intently, observing around for any diamonds.
It was already her turn so she turned her attention back to the game. After her turn, her eyes widened in realisation.
"Kagetsu could I drink from your cup?" "Why?"
"I'd like to see how Sprite tastes like with diamonds," she replied. Immediately, Naruto pulled her back from the chair, just in time to avoid a giant spike sprouting from the chair's base.
"How intuitive of you, Uzumaki-san. I'm afraid that means I'll have to end you," the boss threatened, "I've been itching to do so anyways, after you made my casino lose so much money."
His right hand man lifted his hood, revealing himself to be Tsuchi no Kuroshi.
"Doton: Chidokaku (Earth Style: Mobile Core)!" the Black Death yelled as the crime boss and his left hand man ran away from the room through a secret exit.
The floor below them shook and lowered itself to the same level as the first floor, causing the whole second floor to collaspe due to lack of structural stability. The customers began fleeing in panic.
"Doton: Ganchuso!" Kuroshi cried, slamming his hands together. Spikes of earth shot out from the floor and towards them.
Yugito stepped before her husband, declaring, "Jikukan: Kanso!" The black dress was replaced by yellow armour, which disintegrated the spears with lightning when they came in contact with it.
The Black Death grumbled in annoyance. "Doton: Doryu Taiga (Earth Style: Great Mud River!" The casino floor turned into a rapidly flowing river of mud.
Naruto stuck his hand out just as it reached him. "Gakido: Fujutsu Kyuin!" A sphere of chakra enveloped him as he absorbed the doton jutsu and replenished his own chakra reserves, much to Kuroshi's shock.
"My turn! Katon: Goka Messhitsu!"
"Raiton: Raijinchu!" Yugito yelled, sending a stream of yellow lightning after it.
The powerful blast of fire was augmented by the extremely focused beam of lightning as it collided with the Black Death.
Where he once was, there was nothing left, not even a pile of ash. "Bunshin!" Yugito cried out in alarm as mud flew out from the floor towards them at high speed, morphing into the nukenin who had an earthen sword in hand.
"Shinra-" Naruto was cut short as the sword plunged into his stomach and exited through the other side of his body.
Kuroshi smirked in victory - that is, until Naruto melted into the exact same mud he was moments ago.
He turned around just in time to avoid a stab from Naruto's Raijin no Ken by clashing it with his own kunai. Unfortunately for the Black Death, the kunai was crafted rapidly using doton chakra, while Naruto's sword blade was made from pure raiton chakra.
The elemental advantage allowed his blade to cut right through the kunai and force Kuroshi back.
"Tsk. You're good..." the Black Death acknowledged. "You're not too shabby either. Your control with doton jutsu is good, you are able to form weapons out of earth quickly," Naruto analysed.
Yugito spoke, "I think you're forgetting about me." She lunged at him from behind, unsheathing her twin sabres to slash at the nukenin.
The man jumped up without even looking back, and flipped over her. "So you're a sensor-nin huh?" Yugito observed.
"You're smart," the man replied. Then he charged at her. Both clashed together in hand-to-hand combat, with Yugito having the upper hand as she was much more nimble and flexible. Apart from that, Kuroshi's expertise lied in ninjutsu.
The cat empress spun around, backhanding him with a last minute flick of her wrist as she smacked him in the face.
The nukenin tumbled across the casino floor, rolling to a stop at the other end.
As he stood up, he coughed up blood. "Strong too, Nekokogo... Doton: Chokajugan no Jutsu (Earth Style: Super Weighted Boulder Jutsu)!" Kuroshi called, launching a giant boulder at the two.
A skeletal black hand punched the boulder, shattering it. "What the hell is that?" Kuroshi murmured.
Black chakra manifested into a giant warrior from the torso up. "Tsukumo!" Naruto shouted. Susano'o's ribcage opened, launching a barrage of grey needles.
"Doton: Doryuheki!" the Black Death countered. A wall of earth rose from the floor, cushioning the impact of the chakra needles.
"Kamui!" Naruto activated the dojutsu, creating a vortex-like distortion which sucked in Kuroshi's wall.
It disappeared, and so did the Black Death himself. Suddenly, he reappeared behind the couple, delivering a roundhouse kick. It was useless, however, as it was deflected by Naruto's Susano'o.
The ethereal warrior slammed its right hand into the ground, smashing it and throwing the nukenin back.
As he flew in midair, Yugito delivered a fireball at him. "Iwa no Yoroi (Rock Armour)!" the Black Death called as he backflipped and landed perfectly on the floor while the fireball engulfed him harmlessly.
"Let's end this," Naruto said to Yugito, who nodded in agreement. Naruto cancelled his Susano'o and threw a barrage of kunais at Kuroshi, who knocked them away. However, they were attached to flashbangs with bright light and loud sound which blinded him and disrupted his balance.
Immediately, Naruto placed a hand on Yugito's back. She disappeared in an orange flash and reappeared before the disoriented nukenin, drawing a sabre and slashing him in the chest with a backhand grip.
Next she tossed the sword into the air, flipping it such that it landed in her hand in a forehand grip. However just before it landed she cried, "Kanso!"
Blue light shimmered over the sabre, replacing it with a rapier. With a fluid thrust, it penetrated through the already damaged armour and pierced through his body.
"Uh," he groaned as he vomited blood. Naruto flashed up to him, placing a hand over his forehead. "Ningendo: Kyukon no Jutsu," he intoned.
A bluish glow enveloped the nukenin as his soul became visible and tangible to Naruto's hands. Grabbing its head, he tugged the soul free from its body with little resistance as the man was weak in his current state.
All the nukenin's memories flowed into his head. "Well, Majoko Torin, you're guilty as charged for entering the Land Of Fire with criminal intention. I would've executed you in typical shinobi fashion, however it seems that has already been done. Sayonara," Naruto spoke to the dead man.
The corpse was decapitated for its bounty. Yugito swapped her sabre back and sheathed it while Naruto sealed the head away into a storage seal.
"Now we have to find Kagetsu," Yugito informed her husband. He nodded. "Kagura no Shingan!"
"Being a civilian, his chakra signature is weak but is still unique..." Naruto reported, "He's heading towards a warehouse nearer to the outskirts of the capital. Moving pretty fast, too. It appears that he's on horseback with his left hand man behind him, on another horse."
Yugito accepted the information. "We'll have to intercept him, he probably left with the diamonds as well. Let's cut across the forest and ambush him on the path," she suggested, referring to a map she had.
"Let's go!" Naruto ordered before dashing out of the half-destroyed casino with Yugito close behind. The couple pulled on their hoods to better conceal themselves as well as to keep their hair out of the way while running to reduce air resistance.
They ascended the nearest building, free running across the rooftops and gradually, came to the forests surrounding the capital.
"By the way, how did you know the diamonds were in the drink?" Naruto asked.
Yugito replied, "Simple science. Diamonds don't float in water, ice cubes do. I noticed that, and that was how I found out."
"She's definitely getting that promotion," thought Naruto as he jumped onto another treetop.
"He's close," the sensor-nin warned his wife as they approached a deserted path, lined with trees on both sides.
Both climbed up a tree adjacent to the path and pressed their bodies to a branch overhanging the path.
Naruto readied a rope, tying a noose. The thundering sound of horses galloping became louder, and soon they were visible, roughly ten metres away.
The shinobi flashed through field signals, gaining of nod from Yugito. He stuck out three fingers, then two, then one.
Kagetsu rode by unharmed just as Naruto threw down his noose with supernatural accuracy, catching the henchman - who was riding behind - by the neck.
The blond jumped down from the branch, creating a pulley system which lowered him to the floor while pulling the poor guy off his horse and hanging him by the branch in the process.
As the man was being hung, Naruto used the momentum from the rope to swing himself up and mount the horse.
The henchman gave a sharp cry just before dying, alerting Hinoko to their presence.
The kingpin was frightened immensely by the skilful and efficient way his lackey had been assassinated. Anxiously, he whipped his horse and it brought him away.
"Ikuzo, Yugito!" Naruto cried, whipping his own horse. It neighed as its second rider, Yugito, landed on its back. The horse stood on its hind feet before galloping after the crime boss.
Soon, the forest disappeared and they came to a huge, blank land with only one thing on it - an abandoned warehouse.
Kagetsu dismounted his horse and ran through the warehouse's doors. Naruto and Yugito jumped off the horse thirty seconds later, in hot pursuit. The Kyuubi jinchuuriki entered the desolate room.
A single chair was sitting in the middle of the room, the rest of the warehouse was lit up by lamps at the back.
About seventy men emerged from the back of the warehouse, where ladders led to a platform which made up the second floor.
Naruto sat on the chair in reverse, propping his hands on the top of the chair back. He looked unamused.
"Go on! Toast your noble boss..." Naruto incited, "Or you can do better: Leave him, this will be your only chance."
The crooks tensed, but soon their faces became determined as they brandished their weapons.
"He's the source of our income! We'll never leave Hinoko-sama!" a loyal henchman cried. "Well then," Naruto started, pulling off his black hood to reveal a shock of blond hair and fearsome, crimson eyes with spinning commas.
"You asked for it."
Author's Notes:
Naruto is so badass xD. The next chapter will be coming soon, but as I progress through the school term, I have more and more tests coming up so unfortunately, I need to study. Please be patient and review constructively!
Until tomorrow,
Ja Ne