A/N: This chapter has long been in the makings and repeatedly shelved. Much to my shame. I feel like I was spitballing a bit with this chapter, but I hope you like it all the same. Reviews and feedback are always welcome. Thank you all for your continued support and patience.

Chapter Five: Laying the Groundwork. (Part One.)

Almost a week had passed since the assassination of Amanda Waller, and the disappearance of Naruto Uzumaki. The Bat Family worked tirelessly around the clock trying to locate the boy, but even with their vast experience, skills, information network, and the cooperation of the GCPD, Naruto was nowhere to be found in or outside of Gotham. It was almost as if he'd simply vanished altogether and dropped out of existence.

The legendary Caped Crusader was very good at finding people, but even he was baffled out how Naruto could have disappeared. And unless he acquired some kind of clue to help locate him, the case was stone cold for now. Having no choice but to shelve that particular case, the Batman turned his attention to three particular happenings that seemed to coincide with one another.

Firstly, there was an unsettling peace in Gotham now, after the unexpected death of Rupert Thorne and the re-incarceration of Joker after ODing on Titan, the streets had become eerily quiet. Aside from the occasional mugging or purse snatching, crime was almost nonexistent now since the Major gangs of Gotham were laying low for reasons unknown.

Secondly, a new Crime lord seemed to be on the rise known only as Minato 'The Kingpin' Namikaze. The Bat Family did all they could to investigate him, even quadruple checking every known database, in every government, and even the Dark Web, but not a single trace of him could be found. What was already known was that he had several Super Criminals in his pocket… and more recently there were rumors circulating that even more Villains were thinking about joining him and that he was or is soon-to-be in talks with the other Major Crime Lords of Gotham.

Typically, it was an extremely rare occurrence whenever Super Villains joined forces, and most usually it was in small groups that had a shared goal, though it most often ended in a double-cross. And even Luthor's Legion of Doom was only a loose affiliation that only worked together for the sake of standing against the JLA, and even then they usually conspired against each other for dominance. If someone powerful or charismatic enough could truly unite them, it could spell trouble on a major scale given how numerous Super Criminals were and their destructive capabilities.

Thirdly, the League of Assassins had been spotted repeatedly all throughout Gotham, and even the Demon's Head himself had been seen. Their movements were widespread and sporadic, almost as if they were searching for someone or something. But who or what could they be after?

And somewhere out there, possibly in the middle of Gotham city amidst the Chaos was one lost boy that was far from home. There was only one logical conclusion to start combing away at this building mess as quickly and efficiently as possible… it was time to call in some favors.

Meanwhile.

"Gentlemen… I have to say, I'm quite disappointed in all of you." Spoke the form of a certain blonde man as he stared down at the forms of some no-name thugs. Since the death of Rupert Thorne and his top men, there was of course a power vacuum in Thorne's organization, and so the Kingpin had to swoop in and take over as quickly as possible. Naturally, there were a few holdouts.

Some fools stayed loyal to a dead mobster, but most of them were simply greedy and thought they could strike out on their own or take over the organization for themselves. Their efforts… didn't end well. Common thugs didn't hold a candle to Super Criminals after all, and the Kingpin had some pretty tough customers in his arsenal.

These idiots tried to put up a fight, it didn't really do them much good since they were either pummeled by Quinn or Catwoman or frozen by Killer Frost. Ivy however was currently busy elsewhere with a different project. "I did give you the chance to willingly join up, I was even going to pay you more than Thorne did to show my generosity and understanding nature. But then you guys had to start making trouble." The Blonde man spoke the last part in a somewhat condescending tone, given that he had extended an olive branch to them, and they smacked it out of his hand.

The Kingpin preferred to exercise a measured approach. If negotiations failed, then he'd resort to more violent methods. The apparent 'boss' of the crew spat on floor at the Kingpin's feet and shouted angrily "Fuck you ya chink bastard!" At that, the Kingpin and his crew frowned deeply. Racism? Really? Not cool.

"Quinn, Frost. I'll leave these guys to you. I think Ivy mentioned something about needing fresh fertilizer. Cat? You're with me, we're due for a meeting." The blonde man spoke as he walked away with the Cat burglar following close behind. Fortunately this was the last of the holdouts, and now they were in full control of the late Thorne's turf. As they exited the building, the sounds of screams, blows landing, ice crackling and flesh tearing could be heard.

Outside, Neo Politan was patiently waiting by the car as she opened the door for them, allowing the two to enter inside, once they were in. Neo shut the door and made her way to the driver's seat to start up the limo. Inside the passenger area, the form of 'Minato' vanished in a puff of smoke as Naruto allowed himself a moment to relax.

He had to admit that maintaining his 'Minato' persona was more exhausting than he anticipated. It would be an almost welcome relief when he no longer had to hide behind a mask, but at the same time… it was for the best that his true self be kept a secret. Danzo was still out there somewhere, potentially plotting something, and there was the possibility that the other Shinobi Nations would try and take advantage of his rogue status. But perhaps what he was most concerned with, was the fact that due to his criminal status, he may end up going against Gordon and the GCPD, and there were a number of good people among them.

If only there were a way he could work with them instead of against them… maybe if he played his cards right, there could be. "Something on your mind?" Selina asked him as she crossed one leg over the other, a sly smile on her face, the only response the whiskered teen gave was a shrug of his shoulders.

"Nervous?" She asked him, causing him to nod his head and reply sarcastically "Well it's not like I'm going to a meeting full of cutthroat gangsters and mob bosses. So no pressure." Naruto spoke since he had to meet with Two-Face, Penguin and the Ventriloquist. While they had been friendly to him and helped him find his footing, it was still an uncertainty that they would continue aiding him. It would be for the best to try and keep them on his side. After all, they knew this city and all the players better than he did, and it would be easier and faster to work with them and not against.

Selina then looked out of the corner of her eye and saw something, a very familiar figure. "Boss? Best put on your game face. I think we're about to have some company in a moment." She warned him, prompting him to nod and resume his 'Minato' facade. And not a moment too soon as a loud thud sound came from the limo's rooftop. The skylight window was smashed open as a caped figure descended, and in response Catwoman smiled and spoke two words "The Batman."

The Kingpin stiffened in his seat a bit, now finding himself face to face with the famed vigilante that numerous criminals feared and in some cases held a grudging respect for. The Legendary caped crusader himself. From the driver's seat, Neo lowered the partition and looked towards the Blonde man with a scowl "..?"

"Don't worry about it Neo. Just keep driving." He instructed her, largely because he didn't want to raise a fuss and he didn't want her to risk getting hurt if the Batman's reputation for broken bones and cracked skulls was anything to go by. The Kingpin cleared his throat and then asked calmly "Something I can do for you Batman?"

Instead of answering him, the vigilante turned towards Selina with his usual scowl, his eyes seeming to narrow a bit as he spoke "It's not like you to align yourself with Mob Bosses Selina."

"True. Though he did bail me, so I kind of have a bit of debt to work off. And so far, he's been treating me really well. Unlike someone I might know." The Cat Burglar spoke as she looped an arm around the blonde man's shoulder, a saucy grin on her face which seemed to widen a bit as the Batman stared her down. He guessed that she was trying to mess with him, likely trying to invoke some kind of reaction. He wasn't going to be playing that game with her.

He turned his attention to the mob boss himself and spoke "You've been credited for the death of Rupert Thorne." Wow. Talk about blunt. The Kingpin had to give the man credit, he certainly didn't waste any time.

"Being credited for, and actually doing the deed are two entirely different things." The disguised blonde spoke cooly, a little smirk on his face which faded when the Batman leaned in close, real close until his face was but inches away and the blonde felt a bit uncomfortable but he wasn't going to crack under the pressure.

"You were seen speaking to Thorne, making threats against him. And he was believed to be poisoned, most likely by Poison Ivy who has been seen associating with you according to certain sources." Batman spoke in a matter of factly tone, the blonde man frowned a bit at the mentioning of 'sources', though he came to the conclusion that the vigilante likely interrogated some of Thorne's (Now the Kingpin's) men before coming straight to him.

"I think the courts call that 'circumstantial evidence'. I'm sure that there was no shortage of people that wanted the man dead." The Kingpin answered with a shrug as the Vigilante continued staring him down. While Batman was truly intimidating… he wasn't as frightening as a certain Sunset genjutsu hence why the blonde was able to keep his cool.

The world's greatest detective said nothing since this new mob boss did bring up a valid point and argument, there were certainly plenty of others that would wish for Thorne's death. And while the Kingpin had reaped the spoils from Thorne's empire and had the obvious means to poison Thorne thanks to Ivy, there was currently no evidence to prove it. And word of mouth from a vigilante that worked outside the law wouldn't hold up in court.

The Batman straightened his posture, finally leaving the blonde's personal space as he spoke "Consider yourself on notice. I'll be watching you. Carefully. And everyone affiliated with you." In response the Kingpin mockingly gave a two-fingered salute as the Caped Crusader pulled out his grappling gun and fired it before zipping off out of sight.

The atmosphere seemed to relax as 'Minato' let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he'd have to be more careful in the future if he was going to continue to tangle with the likes of the Batman. Selina pursed her lips for a moment then spoke "A word to the wise? You should watch yourself. Batman is the kind of person that is suspicious of virtually everything and everyone. Not to mention he's a co-founder of the Justice League, which means he has connections to a number of other heroes that could make life difficult."

The Kingpin hummed in thought at that, having seen several newspaper articles and news reports on television, one Top tier hero could be a problem, but a veritable army or coalition of super heroes? He definitely wanted to avoid that. Speaking of the news, he remembered seeing something about what Warden Sharp guy having committed suicide in Arkham. A real shame. He had hoped to extract his pound of flesh from that bastard and discover more about what he was doing and who he was making deals with.

Well, that was out of his hands now, it was best to focus on what he could do. And right now, it was to continue settling in and establishing himself in Gotham. He couldn't afford to lose his cool or get lazy, he still had a long way to go yet. He glanced out the window and sighed a bit, feeling a little homesick if he were honest. Not because he missed the village of Konoha itself, but because he missed his friends there.

Anko, Kurenai, Hana, Neko, the Sandaime, Konohamaru, Ino, Hinata, he hoped to someday see them again, but he suspected that may be a long way off. His musing was broken when he felt something soft press against his cheek and took notice that Selina had kissed him on the cheek, a sultry smile on her face as she spoke "A little something for good luck."

He relaxed and gave a warm smile in thanks, he was certainly gonna need it.

A little later, the Iceberg lounge's basement.

The sounds of loud cheering and blows landing could be heard as the Kingpin walked through the basement, numerous sets of bleachers being occupied by numerous people, from the looks of them they all appeared to be gangsters and thugs that are likely affiliated to the mob bosses present. From the looks of it, it appeared that an underground fight ring was going on as some grunts pummeled away at each other, likely trying to impress their potential employers.

The mob bosses in question could be seen sitting in a private box, giving them a perfect birds-eye view of the violent brawls and separating themselves from the chaos below as the audience cheered, jeered or made bets on who would win. The disguised Uzumaki paid no mind to this as he, Neo and Catwoman circled around to the private box where the others were waiting for them.

"Ah, The Kingpin finally arrives. Fashionably late it would seem." The Penguin greeted in a jovial tone as he sipped some champagne with both Two-face and Peyton doing the same… the latter not having her other Half Scarface present, thank Kami. The Jinchuuriki smiled as he replied "Sorry about that, had to finish up with the last of the holdouts, and I had a brief run-in with your famed Batman."

The three mob bosses tensed up at the mentioning of their long-time foe as they stared at the blonde, and judging from his currently undamaged appearance, it seemed he had been spared a beating from the Batman. It was quite shocking to be honest. "Surprising. You don't look like you had the stuffing beaten out of you." Two-Face muttered as he rolled his trademark coin across his knuckles.

"You got me there. I think he was trying to spook me, make me slip up and say something incriminating. Maybe he was also sizing me up. Can't say for sure. But I can tell he's not the kind of person you want to mess with." The disguised Mob Boss as he took his seat next to the Ventriloquist who poured him a glass of champagne and gave him a flirtatious wink as well.

"Count yourself lucky that you're not in a full-body cast then." Harvey spoke in a half-joking and half-serious voice, earning some chuckles from the others as 'Minato' took a sip of his drink. The penguin then tipped his top hat and asked "All that aside old bean, now that you have finished claiming the late Thorne's turf and your Amanda Waller is no longer chasing you, what happens next?"

The others all looked at the young mobster in quiet anticipation since that had been the number one question on their minds and were very much eager to see his reaction. 'Minato' dropped his disguise for the moment and relaxed into his seat as he pondered for a moment on what he wanted to say, or more likely how he was going to say it. He then asked no one in particular "How long have you been in the criminal enterprise? How long have you been a mob boss?"

The other bosses exchanged glances at one another as both Selina and Neo stood off to the side, listening in quiet interest. Finally, the Penguin responded "We have been at this for quite some time dear boy. What's your point?"

"I'm getting to that. How long have you guys been conspiring against each other and other mob bosses? How many times have you attempted to do your own thing? How many times have you fought against each other over certain disputes only to lose more than you gained?" The whiskered teen continued to ask them, earning some thoughtful expressions from them. His words slowly clicking in their minds as they started to see what he was getting at.

Sure they sometimes worked together, through alliances of convenience or mutual benefit, but more often than not they were often trying to outdo or outplay one another to try and climb ever higher. And most often… it didn't work out due to their own erroneous judgement or through the intervention of the legendary Bat family.

"By my figuring, it's only a matter of time until we're inevitably at each other's throats for some reason or another. But instead of being constant rivals… we can be partners. All working together towards a common goal." Naruto spoke with a large grin, his words earning some chuckles from the other bosses.

"You really think it's that easy boy? We just start getting all buddy-buddy and everything's all sugar and rainbows?" Harvey asked in a slightly sarcastic tone as he casually flipped his coin.

"Why can't it be? On your own, I think you guys have reached your limits, but if we pool our strengths and resources together… the sky's the limit. You all have your own gangs, your own territories and whatnot. Instead of fighting over scraps, we can be something greater, stronger, better." The young boy spoke, earning the attention of the other bosses.

He made it all sound so simple… and yet for some reason, they couldn't help but hang onto his every word and find that they actually believed it. For many years they had fought and competed with one another through gang wars and shady dealings, and when they weren't fighting or plotting against each other, they were trying to kill the Batman only to be foiled at every turn. But if they worked together… they could indeed be something more.

Harvey stared down at his coin in an open palm, almost as though he were debating with himself and his other half, the Penguin gained a thoughtful expression as he stroked his chin, finding the idea to be rather intriguing. And finally Peyton glanced over towards the corner where a duffel bag waited, which contained Scarface, the bag was slightly zipped open revealing one of the eyes the puppet that seemed to be angrily staring at her, almost daring her to do something stupid.

"Well, you've been unusually successful so far, and I'm interested in seeing how this goes. So for the time being, we'll play along and make a judgement call based on the results." Both Harvey and Two-face spoke in turn, coming to a rare consensus as they pocketed the coin, with the Penguin and Ventriloquist nodding in agreement since that seemed fair.

"The fact that you're considering it is a good sign. Now here's what I'm thinking, with the Warden of Arkham dead there's a major power vacuum now, and there's also the fact that Elections are coming up… as shown by the damn political advertisements that keep appearing everywhere." The young blonde mentioned since he hated those kinds of advertisements that showed up on the tv.

"If somehow or other, we can gain control of Arkham, and the mayor's office, well… that can give us a lot of leeway, now wouldn't it?" Naruto asked with a grin, after all, if they controlled the prison and mayor's office, it would be much easier to secure releases for certain inmates, loosen regulations, and who knows what else that may be able to do.

"An intriguing prospect to be certain. I myself have attempted to get elected as mayor, but it ultimately failed." The Penguin admitted as he took a sip of his beverage. Were it not for the fact that he was a known criminal, he likely would have tried again, albeit more carefully.

"But our young friend here is new blood. The 'Kingpin' hasn't been arrested for any crimes as of yet, and if he is careful… he might just be able to squeak through." Harvey spoke, a little smile on his face since he knew the law inside and out, and he was quite familiar with election campaigns due to his time as the former DA.

Naruto's persona as the 'Kingpin' was quite intriguing, he was young, mysterious, handsome, all good qualities. Now he just needed a clever or slightly embellished backstory, some charity work and whatnot, and he could very well become the youngest mayor in Gotham, not that everyone would know his actual age of course. It could still work.

"Right, we have to think bigger. We can't let any past or current grievances get in our way. From today on, we shall be an alliance, we shall be comrades-in-arms. We are no longer just four mob bosses with four gangs and four territories. We are a council now. Working together, we shall attain greater heights than we ever would alone." Naruto spoke with a large grin, his voice sounding certain and charismatic.

"Council huh? And who's the top boss of the council? You big boy?" Peyton asked with a sultry wink, earning a small chuckle from the whiskered teen.

"With the four of us, right now? There is no 'Top boss'. But if and when we recruit more to our inner circle, we can hold an election or something. For now, consensus or majority rules when it comes to big decision making. You can still do your own stuff if you want or need to, but double crossing isn't allowed nor can you endanger the interests of anyone that are part of our organization or council. We can't afford to turn on each other for any reason, and that means no trying to kill each other, no blackmailing, and no selling out. Agreed?" Naruto asked as he crossed his arms, earning nods of consent from the other bosses.

"To the Kingpin!" Cobblepot shouted in his agreement as he raised a glass to their young associate, with both Two-Face and Peyton doing the same as they too shouted "To the Kingpin!" With that said and their toast done, they were now officially an alliance. Their moment was interrupted by the sounds of even louder cheering and loud painful screams echoed from the fighting arena outside.

Naruto donned his 'Minato' form again and looked out the window with his associates to see what all the commotion was about. In the center of the ring was a woman with chalky white skin, black hair, red eyes, and black markings around her eyes that made her appear like a punk rocker or a certain heavy metal band. She was standing over a number of other grunts who were now sporting twisted limbs or their heads were cracked open like shattered watermelons.

"My… she's quite the bruiser." The Penguin noted, recognizing some of the men who were dead or injured, and he knew for sure that those guys weren't pushovers in fisticuffs. The woman in question angrily growled and beat her chest, letting out a loud roar as she shouted "Who else wants some?!"

One person crept up behind her, a crowbar in hand as he took a swing at her… only for the weapon to bounce off her head harmlessly as the man stumbled back. With a growl, the white skinned woman quickly turned to face him and swung with a powerful right hook, the blow connected with the man's jaw causing a sickening crack sound… and then his lower jaw was almost instantly torn off. He lifelessly fell to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut as the woman spat on his body.

Gaining a look of interest, the Kingpin descended from the private box of his allies and approached the woman with his hands in his pockets, his movements slow and deliberate so that she wouldn't perceive him as a threat or mistake him for a potential combatant since he had a feeling it would be a very bad idea to throw fists with this lady. Seeing him approach, the brute of a woman crossed her arms and asked "The hell do you want fancy man? You wanna go a round? Didn't end too well for these guys. And if you're one of those kinds of guys that think you can pay for my body, I'll fucking rip off your dick and shove it up your ass."

The Kingpin couldn't help but chuckle a bit, the threat reminding him of his dear friend Anko if someone ever tried getting into her pants. A threat of castration was usually enough to scare off any potential creeps. "Actually, I believe that I want to hire you. I'm in need of people with certain talents, and you're obviously very good at cracking open skulls. You interested?"

"Sure." was the white skinned woman's reply as she scratched her rear end, her quick reply catching the Kingpin off-guard since he was expecting more… negotiations to be involved. "That was an awfully fast response."

"What can I say? I'm not picky, if the cash is good and I get to beat up people, it's cool. And if it doesn't work out, I can go back to underground fights and stuff. And you're the first person not to crack some kind of heavy metal joke straight out of the gates. Names Xiomara Rojas, but I go by Crush. What am I supposed to call you? And if you say something like 'call me Daddy' I'll rip off your balls and make you chew on them. Slowly. Like a cow chewing cud. Get me?" The crimson-eyed woman spoke with a scowl.

The more this woman talked… the more Naruto liked her. She was tough, fierce, and she wasn't exactly modest. In a lot of ways, she did indeed remind him of Anko. "You can call me whatever you want, I'm not big on being all formal if it's not necessary. But in public, I'm Minato Namikaze, and currently in the criminal underground, I'm known as the Kingpin." He replied with a sincere smile, earning a small grin from Crush.

"Cool. You seem like you might be an okay Boss, Boss." Crush spoke as she scratched her nose a bit, earning a small nod from the blonde. "I try my best to do right by my people… and color me curious, but what's with the…" He tried to ask at the end only to be cut off by the thuggish woman.

"The rocker getup? Well, it sure as shit isn't makeup. The white skin and black markings? Completely natural. Red eyes too, so no contacts. And if you ask me if my pussy and/or asshole is white or black, I'll take a syringe and start shooting ghost pepper sauce down your pisser. Got it?" She asked, her constant threats of castration earning some snorts from the blonde as he found it rather humorous.

"You find that funny?" She asked him with slight annoyance, though she had to admit… it wasn't often that someone wasn't intimidated by her threats, especially since she was more than capable of backing them up. Her new boss shook his head and answered back "Sorry. Didn't mean to laugh, but your threats reminded me of someone I had a certain fondness for. You're a lot like her actually."

"This better not turn into a sappy romcom or some shit. But whatever, if you need me to bust down some doors or kick the shit out of some unlucky douchebag, I'm your gal." She spoke and then held up an open palm, hocked up some saliva and spat in her own hand before extending it to him. He smirked and spat into his own hand and then grabbed her open hand for a firm shake, a small squish sound being heard.

With that done, Crush asked "So Boss. What comes next?" At her question, the Kingpin paused for a moment as he looked up to his allies, a large grin on his face as he slowly nodded to them, the answer to Crush's question being quite simple really. "Now… we get to work."

Some days later.

"Nothing. Not a single thing?" Asked the form of Commissioner Gordon as he paced around his office, his favored pipe in hand as he had finished reading over the reports supplied by his officers. He had been working with Batman and his other allies to find information on suspicious activities, such as any missing Arkham inmates, the activities of this 'Kingpin', and perhaps most importantly in Jim's eyes, finding the missing Naruto. A kid his age shouldn't be out on his own, especially not in a harsh and unforgiving city like Gotham.

As it stood now, it was almost impossible to remember Gotham's Golden age, much less if it ever had one. City Hall was utterly corrupt and continuously stagnating, Criminals all but controlled the streets in numerous parts of the city, and of course came the matter of the Super Criminals that could flatten the city if the Bat Family weren't there to stop them. As much as they had done for this city, they could only make so much progress by punching out random crooks. Not that Gordon would say that to any of their faces.

People like Waller for instance, often got away with their less-than-legal antics. Many on the force believed she had gotten what she deserved, and as loathe as he was to admit it, Gordon shared their sentiments. Gordon believed himself to be a practical sort of man, it was tough to balance out personal morality and the letter of the law while maintaining one's integrity. If Waller hadn't been shot dead, it was more than likely that she would have walked out of prison the next day.

After her death, the US Government predictably denied that Waller was a part of any agency and insisted that she acted alone and that Cadmus was a rogue organization which would now be officially hunted and shut down. In other words, they denied everything and were now running damage control to clean up their own mess. One of the few Cadmus agents that got away relatively unscathed was one Iman Avesta who had aided in the Gordon's rescue and alerting the police to Waller's location.

She had been fully cooperative and helped reveal the locations of numerous black sites that weren't supposed to exist. A few of them in Gotham to which Gordon had his people working on in order to ensure any evidence or dangerous materials didn't 'vanish' unexpectedly. There was no telling if some people might try to take it for themselves or sell it on the black market. God he hated government spooks and cloak and dagger stuff. As for Avesta herself… she was doing quite well for herself here on the GCPD's roster and had proven a very reliable assistant for the Commissioner.

His musing was interrupted when he heard a knock at the door, prompting him to call out "Come in." He hoped it was one of his officers coming in to give him some kind of good news, especially about Naruto. Barbara seemed awfully worried and broken up since the kid vanished into thin air. Instead, he was greeted by a man with blonde hair and a strange looking girl that seemed to have a unique looking color scheme of white, pink and brown… like a certain kind of ice cream.

"Can I help you sir?" Gordon spoke in a professional manner, the man in question grinned as he replied "I was actually hoping to help you Commissioner. My name is Minato Namikaze, though some people refer to me as 'The Kingpin', and this young lady is my associate Neo." At the mentioning of his epithet, Jim stiffened up as he crossed his arms.

Either this guy was bold, or crazy to walk right into his office. If he tried anything funny, the entire GCPD would rain hellfire on him. "The Kingpin eh? Word is you're the newest Crime Boss to hit Gotham. That you've got Super Criminals in your pocket, and that you murdered Rupert Thorne. You here to confess your crimes or something? Because that would make things much easier for both of us." The Commissioner spoke sternly, earning some chuckles of amusement from the blonde man.

"That's kinda funny since I have nothing to confess. I hired the so-called 'Super Criminals' as private security, Gotham can be a dangerous place after all. Anyone with an axe to grind with Thorne could have killed him, and I just so happened to be at the top of the list since I spoke with him personally. For both of these reasons I have been labeled as a 'Crime Boss'. But I assure you, I seek legit enterprises." 'Minato' spoke in a cordial manner, not letting on that he'd chosen the epithet for himself, and naturally it spread around almost like wildfire, and for some reason Gordon couldn't help but ask himself if those words sounded natural or rehearsed.

"That so? What kind of 'legit enterprises' are you aiming for?" Jim asked as he slowly lowered himself into his seat since he keeps a spare gun inside of his desk. The blonde man smirked as he answered "How about 'Mayor'?"

Jim wanted to scream in outrage and punch something, another crook that wanted to be Mayor. Just great. At the very least he was up-front about his motivations. "Oh yeah? Why should you, of all people, be mayor?" Gordon asked suspiciously as the suspected Mob Boss sighed and set himself into an open seat across from the Commissioner.

"Would you believe me if I said that I was a victim of an unjust system? That I was falsely accused of a crime I didn't do? And I don't mean about Thorne's death. Regardless of my innocence, that 'crime' followed me around like my shadow, and the people in charge made my life hard and miserable for it because they could. Even though I wasn't responsible, they tormented me and tried everything in their power to destroy me, just because they could.

I look at this city… and it reminds me of home. I see good people, powerless and unable do anything about their situation. I see police trying to fight the good fight. And I see politicians and bureaucrats eating away at this city, like maggots feasting on a rotting corpse. I want to change all that. I want to make things better. To give people a fair chance, to give them more and better opportunities. That's what I want." At the end of the Kingpin's speech, Jim couldn't help but feel… moved.

He could easily tell that this man meant every word that he had said, and he would do everything in his power to carry through on his promises. Before the Commissioner could form a response 'Minato' snapped his fingers, prompting Neo to plant a briefcase on Gordon's desk. Jim glanced at the duo before cautiously opening the locks with a click and then lifting the lid to peer inside. The contents appears to be files… on numerous lawyers, judges, and politicians suspected to have mob ties, but couldn't be arrested due to lack of evidence.

"Take that as a gift Commissioner, a little something from me to you. No strings attached whatsoever." The Kingpin spoke with a smile before giving a quick two fingered salute as he exited the office with Neo waving 'bye-bye' as she followed close behind her boss. Under normal circumstances, Gordon wouldn't accept anything, least of all a bribe, from suspicious sources.

But this? This was a silver bullet. Without the legal support the numerous mobs and gangsters were receiving it could severely cripple organized crime. He couldn't ignore this, and it didn't seem like this 'Kingpin' was hiding any ulterior motives since he seemed rather up front about his intent. It was time to scramble the GCPD, they had some arrests to make.

Meanwhile. Outside the Iceberg Lounge.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Muttered the form of Dinah Laurel Lance, better known as Black Canary who had successfully infiltrated the Iceberg Lounge. She was no stranger to undercover jobs… but she didn't like being a hostess in this joint. Forging the documents and references to get her hired was easy enough, plus her martial arts skills made her a shoo-in since the Penguin's staff was required to be capable of handling themselves in case of trouble. Understandable given the clientele.

For some reason, Batman seemed utterly convinced that something big was happening here. According to his intelligence, both Two-face and the Ventriloquist were coming here much more frequently than normal… and the Kingpin was also rumored to be a patron here. And admittedly, his hunch was proven correct since Dinah frequently overheard the other waitresses gossiping about the man, most often about how handsome he looked and hoped they could give him a 'full course service'.

The things they whispered to each other would make even the most seasoned prostitutes blush read. For now though, she had to suck it up and monitor the situation, as soon as she found anything important or incriminating she was going to bail. "Oi! How about another round here?" Shouted the form of one Harley Quinn… for crying out loud this was her sixth drink. Just how much could she take?

Dinah had to suppress a grimace as she put on her poker face and replied "Be with you in a minute sweetheart." Before going to get another bottle of booze for the bimbo clown. Though out of the corner of her eye, Dinah scanned the table that Harley was sitting at as she took in the other people sitting with her.

Catwoman, renowned thief and rumored love interest of Batman. Poison Ivy, a plant obsessed metahuman that could freely manipulate plant life. Killer Frost, an ice using Heat Vampire. And finally an unknown thug of a woman that seemed to be a little too into the Heavy metal scene, but she seemed like a heavy hitter.

According to the other waitresses, they're apparently the Kingpin's 'private security', in short, hired muscle. Still, it seemed kind of strange how one suspected mob boss could control some highly skilled and potentially unstable criminals, emphasis on unstable in Harley's case. Unfortunately, just because he had hired repeat felons that doesn't necessarily mean that he was automatically a criminal himself. She would have to keep a close eye for any evidence of foul play.

After retrieving the next round of booze for the group, she approached their table with the sweetest smile she could muster "Here you are ladies. Anything else I can get for you?" She asked at the end, putting on her best 'customer service' voice, her question earning a round of 'no thanks' from the ladies present.

For a quick moment, Dinah was having an internal bait with herself on if she should try and probe these ladies for information on their boss or just walk away and keep acting normal… the former part was gaining ground since these ladies were the best source of information available "If you don't mind my asking… what's your boss like? I'm new here and all the other waitresses act like the Kingpin is a major heartthrob or something." She asked with a smile.

"Ooh, so you want the deets huh? Well, Mistah K is a major sweetheart. Just the other day he took me and Ivy Shopping and he was such a gentleman the whole time. I almost cream myself every time he praises me and…" Harley rambled on for a bit and then started listing off some sexual fantasies she wants to try with her boss, some of which involving whipped cream and strawberry or chocolate icing. Waaaaaaaay too much information for Dinah, and not helpful for her investigation.

All the while, Crush had her boots kicked up on the table, a cigarette in her mouth as she stared at the blonde woman with a sneer. "Hey, shorty. Don't you have someplace better to be?" She asked gruffly, her arms crossed beneath her bust as Dinah stiffened up and realized that she had lingered too long listening to Harley's nonsense.

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry. You're right. I should be going now." Dinah spoke rapidly, mentally cursing herself for her blunder as she quickly retreated in order to avoid a scene… and then felt a hand roughly grab her shoulder. The Black Canary stiffened up, her instincts telling her to roundhouse kick the offender, but she suppressed it and slowly looked over her shoulder, and found that the one called Crush was now basically towering over her.

"You smell weird to me. Like you've been on edge all night, and your body screams that you're spoiling for trouble. And now you're fishing for info about the boss man? I don't like you one little bit." Crush spoke, voicing her suspicions as she leaned in close and inhaled the blonde woman's scent. "You're starting to sweat." Crush noted her hand tightening around Dinah's shoulder.

The blonde heroine bit her lip to suppress a gasp of pain, her fight-or-flight instincts kicking in full force now. This Crush person was onto her, and it seemed that her cohorts were also watching her suspiciously now, and seemed to be waiting to see how she would react. Dinah knew… that one wrong move, and her cover was blown now, if it wasn't already that is. Crush leaned in close to the blonde woman's ear and whispered "You wanna know about the boss? Best ask him yourself. But I don't think he's the kind looking for one night stands you bitch." Wait… what now?

"Get the fuck out of my sight you hussie, or I'll show you what a real fisting is. And you won't like it." Crush spoke as she clenched her fist, making her leather gloves squeak and her knuckles crackle as she released the undercover heroine. Almost robotically, Dinah walked away, her body stiff and her heart thundering inside her chest at the close call. It seemed like she was mistaken for some random girl that wanted to get into their boss' pants… while she didn't like that idea, her cover was safe for the moment at least.

She stopped for a moment when she heard a masculine voice speak "Now Crush, is that any way to treat a lady?" Dinah slowly turned and found her target, the man himself, the Kingpin speaking to the white skinned woman. The punk in question snorted and replied "Didn't seem like a lady to me. Seemed like some horny bitch looking to get some brownie points or shit."

Dinah had to suppress a groan at that, being a heroine didn't give her much room for relationships or sex… but that was rude as hell. "I'll be the judge of that. That aside, it's not nice to bully people without good reason." The blonde man spoke as he patted Crush on the shoulder before approaching Dinah herself.

This was it. First contact. She was now meeting her target. She just had to play it cool, learn what she could about him, and get out. He smiled at her and spoke "Minato Namikaze, the Kingpin, at your service. My sincerest apologies for my security team. I hope Crush didn't hurt you. They can be a little overzealous and a number of girls here have tried to make a pass at me, believe it or not." Oh she could believe it, a handsome face and gentlemanly demeanor like that could make almost any woman swoon. But she wasn't going to let herself be duped that easily.

"It always pains me to see harm done to a woman. I think I should make it up to you for this. Maybe a nice dinner?" The blonde man offered which caused the Black Canary to smile, it seemed like she was having a stroke of good luck. Dinner would be a good chance to get him alone and probe for more information. Relevant information this time.

"I'd like that sir. Treat me well and I'll show you a good time." She spoke and then paled when she realized what she had said. Where the hell did that last part come from? That… wasn't something she would say to some random guy. The blonde man seemed to take it in stride as he spoke "Forward. I like that, though if you're seeking a fling, I'm not that kind of guy."

"No! No! No! I didn't mean it like that! I just said the first thing that popped in my head! I'm not some loose girl or anything like that!" She responded frantically, by god what the hell was wrong with her? She was Black Canary! A world class martial artist and heroine that could throw down with the best of them, and here she was acting like a nervous schoolgirl at prom!

"Ah. I can understand that. Sometimes I talk without thinking myself. Where and what time should I arrange for your pickup?" He asked her, making her sigh in relief at how understanding and patient he was.

"Pick me up at six in front of my apartment?" She asked, earning a nod from 'Minato' as she scribbled down the needed address which was actually a safehouse provided by Batman, not that her target needed to know and gave it to him. "I don't think I got your name miss." The blonde man inquired as he pocketed the slip of paper that had the needed address.

"My name is Alaina. I look forward to seeing you again soon." She spoke, giving her false name as she left in a hurry, largely because she needed to get back to work… and for some damn reason she felt suffocatingly hot under the collar. When she departed, the blonde man smirked as he turned to his subordinates with a large grin.

This was only the beginning, there was still much more to do and much more to come. "Ivy, how goes that project I asked you to do?" 'Minato' asked as he approached their table with Crush trailing behind him.

"It's all coming together quite nicely. The first batches should be ready soon, due in no small part to my powers. You quite surprised me with this idea of yours." Poison Ivy spoke with a sensual smile. Her boss chuckled a bit since he himself was a bit surprised by it, as he responded "Indeed. A friend of mine once told me that you've gotta plan ten steps ahead of your opponent. I figured it was time to take some initiative."

"Oh boy, oh boy! I can't wait for this! Mayor Hill is gonna crap himself when you pull out the big guns! I can't wait to see that bitch of a mayor get blown away!" Harley spoke, almost jumping in her seat as she giddily clapped her hands.

Unknown to them, Dinah had earlier placed a listening device under the table. It was pretty easy given how many times she had to go to and from that particular table. And everything they were saying was being fed directly to both the Bat-Computer, and Oracle's clocktower. Needless to say, the next few days… might be the most important in the history of Gotham city.

End Chapter Five.