Chapter one: Prologue. (Part one.)
Konoha, the village hidden in the Leaves. The first established Shinobi Nation which has produced some of the most famous and infamous Shinobi and Kunoichi in history. Some say that upon this village's conception and through Hashirama Senju's own willpower the dark chapter of the Bloody Clan Wars finally came to a close.
But an all-new chapter has arisen in the Village, the Kyuubi's Rampage. On October tenth,the Nine tails unexpectedly appeared within the village and destroyed a significant portion of the village, killing numerous Civilians and Shinobi until it was sealed away by the Yondaime, who had given his life in the process.
As far as the general populace was concerned, the Yondaime had slain the beast, though the various Shinobi knew otherwise since none of the Bijuu could be killed per se, at least not permanently since they'd reform again at some point.
Only a few days had passed as the village tried to recover from the shock and grievous losses that had been suffered, a weary Hiruzen was forced to retake the Hokage mantle and run damage control as quickly as possible lest Konoha becomes a target for any potential enemies that would try to take advantage of their weakened state. Especially since two of their best Ninjas unexpectedly died, both Minato and Kushina. And perhaps just as, if not more importantly… their child had been left behind and forced to carry the burden of the Bijuu. Largely because he was the only viable candidate that was even capable of containing the beast, but nevertheless it was still a burden that had been forced on him all the same.
Hiruzen knew he had to keep a lid on Naruto's Jinchuuriki status, but he also knew that it was only a matter of time before someone would try to leak this information, potentially as revenge against the Kyuubi itself or the child's parents. It wouldn't take much for people to put two and two together in regards to the boy's parentage, especially if he bore either one of their surnames.
At any rate, the newly born Naruto wouldn't be safe within Konoha's walls, not with the likes of Minato and Kushina's own personal enemies that would conspire against them. There were only two people that could take the child and raise him safely outside the village. Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin and named godparent for Naruto (by Minato only).
And Tsunade the slug Sannin who was part Uzumaki herself. Hiruzen began to frantically write letters to the both of them, demanding their swift return to Konoha without delay. Should they refuse to acknowledge this urgent situation then there would be… dire consequences. Once he was finished writing the needed letters, he summoned a pair of monkeys to hand-deliver them to their intended recipients, and with all haste the Summons departed as quickly as they had appeared.
The Sandaime slumped in his seat with a heavy sigh and glanced out his window. He thought about poor Naruto who was currently without any parents and hoped everything would be all right. For the time being, he was currently within the village orphanage until it was time for him to be placed in more secure hands. Naruto wasn't just a village asset, he was the child of two of the best Shinobi Konoha had ever known, and the Sandaime would be damned before he allowed anyone to taint or destroy him.
Meanwhile. Konoha Orphanage.
Outside the main village, teetering on the outskirts between Konoha and the nearby forests, the numerous sounds of wild animals could be heard, calling out towards the open skies. Wolves howled, owls hooted, and numerous other animals could be heard as well.
Meanwhile, inside the orphanage itself… no one could sleep with all the noise going on outside. The numerous children were huddled under their blankets, their ears perked up as they heard the sounds of wild animals closing in. And the staff were pacing on their rooms or down the halls restlessly as the noise perturbed them. Sure it was natural to hear some of the local wildlife every so often in the night, but this wasn't natural..
Meanwhile in one particular room, a young teenager with purple hair sighed as she stared out her window, her eyes fixated on the edge of the woods as she watched for any signs of wildlife, they were definitely making themselves heard tonight. "Damn. They're really going at it, aren't they? Think something has them all spooked?" The girl asked as she turned towards a crib in the corner, where her newest 'roommate' was sleeping soundly.
She approached it and found the form of an infant with blonde hair and whisker-like markings on his cheeks snoozing quietly. "Why can't all babies be like you? I don't see how you can sleep through all that fucking noise." She muttered in a slightly envious tone. From the time he had been placed in the same room with her, he had barely ever made a sound. While she wasn't familiar with babies, she knew that they were supposed to cry a lot. Not this one though.
As far as she was concerned, he was by far the best and only roommate she was willing to tolerate. For one thing, he didn't bother asking her personal questions about herself. Never asked how she ended up an orphan, never asked about how she came from the Red Light District, and he made no assumptions or judgments about her either. Even though she knew he couldn't understand anything at this moment, it was still nice to have him in the same room and just talk to him, even if he had no idea what she was saying. She still liked to think he was listening to some degree.
The infant began to wiggle uncomfortably in his little bed and started to fuss, his roommate cringing since she had a feeling what was about to come… and she was correct when Naruto began to wail loudly. The purple haired girl sighed and muttered "Alright. What's the problem? Now you bust out crying? Please tell me you didn't shit yourself cuz I don't do fucking diaper changes." After she spoke, she caught something out of the corner of her eye from the window. She took a peek outside and saw flashlights off in the distance, coming from the path that led to Konoha.
She squinted her eyes a bit and saw a large crowd of people were approaching and a number of them seemed to be carrying pitchforks, shovels, baseball bats and other weapons. "That doesn't look good." She muttered to herself as her roommate's wailing intensified the closer the crowd got… which didn't seem to be a good omen.
"You sit tight. I gotta check this shit out." She spoke to the whiskered infant and then crept out of her room, tip-toeing her way towards the front door to figure out what the hell was going on. She heard the front door open and voices could be heard, one of them sounding quite angry.
"Where's the demon brat?!" Called out one voice, prompting the girl to peek around the corner to see what was happening as she saw the Orphanage Matron speaking to the head of the mob.
"Whatever do you mean? What's this about a demon brat?" The Matron asked in a clearly confused voice, her question earning some annoyed grumbling from the crowd outside.
"There's a kid here, a newborn with whisker-like markings on his cheeks. He's the newest carnation of the Kyuubi. We need to kill the monster before it can regain its true form." The head of the mob spoke, his voice sounding rather slurred, suggesting that he had been drinking. That bit of news surprised the purple haired girl.
She had been surprised when she was saddled with Naruto but she was aware that a flood of orphans had been brought in after the Kyuubi attack, so she never asked any questions. But still… aside from the whisker marks there didn't appear to be any indication whatsoever that he was the Kyuubi. In her eyes… he was just another baby.
"Sir. You're clearly intoxicated and in deep grieving. I suggest you go home and sleep off the booze." The matron suggested, while trying to maintain a facade of calmness, but the threatening looks from the lynch mob was making her slowly wilt under the pressure. Sensing that things were on a downward spiral, the purplette quickly sneaked back to her room, trying to move as quickly and quietly as possible as she locked the door behind her then opened the window.
She then scooped up the infant Naruto in her arms and whispered to him "Let's go little buddy. I got a bad feeling about those guys outside." She then began to slip her way through the open window, carefully placing one leg through and then she heard the door knob rattling, signaling someone was trying to get inside. Not wasting any time, she quickly hopped through the rest of the way and sped off with the infant in her arms, knowing full where there was only one place she could go to run and hide… the Red Light District.
Many people referred to it as the rotten underbelly of Konoha. A nesting ground for prostitution, gangsters, Shady dealings and so on. Some months ago,, The Uchiha Military Police had attempted numerous times to quell crime within the Red Light District, and each and every time they were ejected by the local Yakuza gangs who were perhaps the only forms of any true authority in the lawless district. Supposedly, the Hokage struck some kind of deal with the Yakuza after taking note of how much stronger and more organized they had become.
So long as they were left alone, then the Yakuza would keep major crimes from spilling into the rest of Konoha. It was a highly controversial deal, but a necessary evil since most if not all crime usually occurs within that particular district. It was definitely a rough side of town, but she knew it like the back of her hand. She knew the streets, and the people there, and she knew that if you knew the right people or said the right things, or went to the right place, it was very much possible to go completely incognito and, as she currently intends, to vanish off the map.
She ran as fast as her legs could carry her as she kept her grip on her current charge, his wailing quieting down as they progressed towards the village. She hoped that she had managed to give that mob from earlier the slip, and hopefully they were too emotionally compromised and drunk to track them down. It wasn't very long until the familiar sights of glowing neon signs came into view as she approached her intended Destination.
She almost sighed in relief as she observed prostitutes standing on street corners, speaking to potential clients, or Yakuza patrolling about with their katanas at the ready in case of trouble. Though it was likely they were also keeping an eye on the local hooked, who often requested protection from more… aggressive Johns in exchange for a small percentage of their earnings.
She shook her head to break herself of her musings and nostalgia and focused on more important things. She had no idea how long she would need to look after Naruto, and he was definitely going to need things like milk for starters. Fortunately she knew a cook at a local hotel that helped out kids from the streets in exchange for assistance with running errands and such. Perfect place to get some food for herself and her charge.
She then lightly jogged down the street to her new destination, which was actually sitting somewhere between the borders of the Red Light District and the rest of the village. After a few minutes, she arrived in front of a luxurious looking hotel, known as the Glass Unicorn which was exceptionally (in)famous. In spite of its luster and shine, it was actually a favored meeting point for numerous individuals that worked above and below board.
Often catering to the wealthy elite, or the powerful crime lords of the underground who would meet up for negotiations since it was considered to be neutral territory. At any rate, this didn't really matter much to her, not when she had the little one to look after. She crept along the side alley, sticking to the shadows to avoid being seen by potentially curious folks. A teenage street kid carrying around a baby was often a red flag certain types of criminals look for.
It wasn't long before she arrived at the back door that connected to the kitchen and she then gently knocked on it, hoping the cook would answer, she waited for a bit as Naruto fussed quietly in her arms, his little body wiggling about causing her to mutter "Yeah. I know Junior. I'm hungry too. Just hold on for a bit and I'll see about feeding ya." As if in response, the whiskered infant quieted down, as if understanding her… or maybe he liked her voice or something.
After a few moments of waiting, She knocked once more, and then a little window in the door slid open revealing a set of amber eyes that almost glowed like fire. "What do you want?" Asked a female voice on the other side, her tone suggesting that she was wary of strangers and extremely cautious.
"Yo. Names Revy. Is the usual cook in tonight?" The purple haired teen asked, trying to keep her tone polite since she didn't wanna risk scaring off this girl, was she a new hire or something?
After a few moments of hesitation, the girl behind the door replied "No. It's just me. I… I'm the only one that works here. All the others were let go." At her words, Revy muttered a series of curses under her breath.
The teenage purplette then held Naruto up high enough for the girl to see "Please! I have a kid with me! He needs food!" While she wasn't the begging type, she knew full well that violence and intimidation wouldn't work in this situation. The set of amber eyes stared at the infant in sympathy, his sapphire blue eyes opened a bit and he seemed to smile at her, which was more than enough to melt even the most icy of hearts.
Needless to say… it didn't take much for the amber eyed girl to break and speak "Come in. Be quick." The little window slid shut with a small click, followed by the sounds of locks opening and finally the door swung open, granting Revy and her infant companion entry. The fiery purplette quickly rushed in as the door was shut again behind her as the amber eyed girl locked it back before making her way over to a very well stocked pantry.
"Have a seat. I'll get whatever you need then you can go." The black haired teen muttered as she quickly snatched up some baby formula, and began to prepare it for the infant so he would have some much needed nutrition.
"Appreciate the help. What's your name?" Revy asked as she leaned against the nearby wall, gently rocking Naruto in her arms all the while she was grateful that there was baby formula available. She guessed it was kept around in case any guests had babies with them.
"My name is Cinder… that baby… is he your sibling?" The now identified Cinder question out of innocent curiosity. Truthfully she hadn't really seen much less interacted with many infants, and this particular one was giving her warm and fuzzy feelings whenever she caught a glimpse of those blue eyes of his.
"Sibling? Nah… he is my… roommate I guess. His name's Naruto by the way. And is pretty much the quietest kid I've ever met. Barely makes a peep unless he needs something." Revy spoke as Cinder began to mix the formula together, once she was sure it was mixed properly she began to heat it up for the blonde child.
"That so? Sounds like a nice kid… where are you two from?" The black haired girl asked, though she had a small guess when Revy mentioned something about being 'roommates'.
"The Orphanage, over near the outskirts. What about you? You been here long?" Revy asked to continue the conversation since any awkward silence would just make her feel uncomfortable, plus it was a good way to pass the time till Naruto's formula was ready.
"An orphanage huh? I grew up in one too, and I've only been here a month or so. I was originally from Kusa." Cinder explained, now knowing why she felt a certain kinship to this girl, even so… she couldn't stop her fingers from drumming impatiently on the counter.
"What happened to all the staff? You said they were all let go." Revy asked, though she had a strong gut feeling that she wasn't going to like the answer.
Cinder pursed her lips, a conflicted look on her face showing that she was afraid to answer. Instead she murmured some kind of unintelligible response and quickly grabbed the bottle of milk? Allowing for some of the liquid to drip onto her skin to make sure it wouldn't burn his little throat. Once the droplet made contact with her skin, she was certain that it'd be fine for him to drink. "Here. I'll feed him for a bit while you get whatever supplies you need." She offered with a kind smile as she looked at the infant, a small sparkle in her eye suggesting that she almost desperately wanted to hold him.
The purplette smirked a bit and gently handed him over to the raven haired girl "Fine. Keep an eye on Naruto for a bit." Revy spoke and then grabbed a plastic bag to help carry any needed items. She prioritized taking diapers and formula for her charge since he would be needing them, she sure as hell wasn't looking forward to any potential diaper changes, but it was only a matter of time before she had to bite the bullet and just do it… and damn this was a well stocked pantry.
Cinder for her part couldn't help but smile as Naruto greedily suckled away, gulping down the milk with gusto as the amber eyed girl kept a careful grip on his tiny form. "So… why did you take him away from the Orphanage? Did something happen?" She asked out of concern since it seemed strange for a pair of orphans to be wandering around at this hour.
From the pantry, Revy's voice answered "Some lynch mob showed up. They were looking for the kid. They had it in their heads that he was the 'reincarnation of the Kyuubi' or some shit." At her response, the black haired girl couldn't help but stare at the blonde infant's form with a confused expression.
"All I see is a baby." Was Cinder's only response since it didn't make any sense to harm a baby. That aside, the Kyuubi was dead… right? Still, if there was indeed people out there that would harm an infant… she couldn't in good conscious send him back out there. "Revy, right? If you need me to… I think I can shelter you and Naruto-kun, for the night at least." She offered, prompting the purple haired girl to poke her head out from the pantry doorway and consider her offer.
It was kinda cold out, and it probably wouldn't be good for Naruto to sleep outside or without proper warmth. This Cinder girl didn't seem to have any ulterior motives and she was already probably sticking her neck out for them as it was, so for the kid's sake she gave a small nod of agreement.
"I should warn you though… you CAN'T be seen no matter what. The madame and her daughters are pitiless and cruel, if they find you and Naruto-kun, there's no telling what could happen." Cinder warned her, prompting Revy to nod in understanding since this wasn't the first time she'd encountered such people. And she strongly doubted it'd be the last.
They fell into a tense silence as Cinder finished feeding the infant in her arms and handed him back to Revy. After instructing the purplette to stay put, she retreated out of the kitchen area for a few moments and then returned with a large cart with a white sheet covering it. "Hide in here and keep quiet. I'll try to be quick." Cinder instructed prompting Revy to nod as she slid into the bottom part of the cart with her infant charge's body pressed against her budding chest, the foodstuffs she took from the pantry nestled between her legs in a bag.
"All right sport. Just stay quiet for a bit." Revy whispered to him, only to receive a smile from the infant as he seemed to be making a silent giggle. Cinder began to gently push the cart forward, the wheels making an annoying squeaky noise as it began to roll in the desired direction.
The Amber eyed girl knew this would be risky, but she knew that none of the hotel patrons ever gave her so much as a sideways glance. She may as well have been invisible in their eyes. And perhaps more importantly, the hotel was a big place, so if she avoided crossing paths with the Madame and/or her daughters, then everything should be fine.
She took a deep breath as they neared the end of a hallway and entered the main lobby area, and fortunately there was only a scarce few patrons that were idly chattering away, too absorbed in their conversations or their own personal bubbles to pay any real attention. And better yet, no Madame in sight. Cinder began to move at a brisk pace, trying to go as quickly as possible but not breaking into a full run with her cart and the 'contraband' hidden inside.
She smiled to herself as she turned towards the hallways that led to the basement, just a little ways more and they'd be home free… until a man stepped out in front of her with a small frown, forcing her to stop in her tracks to avoid hitting the man. She was worried for a moment that her sudden stop may have jostled Revy and Naruto too much, but they didn't make so much as a sound.
The amber eyed girl swallowed a bit and tried to crack a smile, but she was so nervous her lips could only twitch. She had seen this man on several occasions, and while she couldn't remember his name, she knew full well about his affiliations. He always had at least a dozen bodyguards with him, always dressed in an expensive tailored suit, and he had a certain pin in his lapel, signifying his allegiances… this man was a Yakuza.
"Pardon me, but do you know where the Madame is?" The Yakuza asked politely, his arms over his chest. No room for doubt that this man was trying to be patient with her, and was running out of patience with the Madame herself.
She cleared her throat and squeaked out "I don't know where she is at this current moment, but if you like… I can find her for you?" She asked at the end, forcing herself to put on her best smile. He gave a brief 'hmm' and his gaze wandered about across the lobby and towards the upper floor.
"Strange." He muttered out loud, prompting Cinder to tilt her head and ask "What's strange sir?" In response the man grimaced a bit, his gaze seemingly piercing through her as his chest swelled and he seemed to appear even taller now as he straightened his back.
"A big and luxurious hotel like this, and I have only ever seen you milling about each and every time I visit. I'm curious… where is the rest of the staff?" He asked her, his question making the amber eyed girl stiffen in fear, knowing that she wasn't supposed to speak too much to any guests, much less say anything incriminating.
Before she could form a coherent response, the Yakuza looked down towards his feet and saw a shiny red apple was resting there. His eyes flicked between her and the apple a few times before he reached down and picked it up before placing it atop the cart she was pushing "That's all right. You have said enough young lady. Have a nice evening." He spoke calmly before turning on his heel and walking away with his hands clasped behind his back.
Without a moment's hesitation she continued on towards the basement, her heart thundering in her chest as she tried to process what had just happened. A large part of her hoping that the brief interaction she had with the Yakuza wouldn't come back to bite her. And what did he mean that 'she said enough'? She didn't even say anything at all.
Sighing to herself, she pushed those thoughts aside and quickly unlocked the basement door and shoved the cart inside along with its precious cargo. Cinder then gave the all-clear, allowing Revy to crawl out from her hiding place with Naruto comfortably snoozing in her arms. "That guy… do you think he caught onto us?" The purple haired girl asked, having overheard the conversation that Cinder had with him.
She had to admit, when that apple rolled out from her lap when the cart came to a sudden stop… she felt like her heart could have popped inside of her chest from fear of being caught. The black haired girl shrugged her shoulders and replied "If he did, he didn't really say anything about it." At that, Revy could only sigh as she grabbed one of the foodstuffs she had snagged from the pantry and began to eat to quit her rambling stomach.
"You can stay here for the night. There are plenty of blankets, pillows, and futons down here for you to use and I'm the only one that comes here." Cinder spoke, gesturing towards the bedding supplies nearby, earning an appreciative look from the purplette. Before she could begin gathering the needed bedding… Naruto quickly woke up and began to make some fussing noises. And then came a very particular smell.
"Oh shit." Revy grumbled, fearing that this moment would come… and it had. At the very least, she was glad that it was in an isolated area. Cinder pursed her lips as she too realized what was going on and asked "Revy-san? Do you… know how to…" before she could finish her sentence, the purple haired girl quickly shook her head negatively since she had little to no experience with other children, least of all infants. And she had no idea how to change a damn diaper.
"Well… how hard can it be?" Cinder asked with a half-hearted smile… a few minutes later, the two girls were struggling in the art of diaper changing. In fact, they could almost swear that the whiskered infant was smiling mockingly at them as they struggled through their current ordeal.
"Son of a bitch! How can a little baby take such a huge dump in their damn britches?" Revy cursed with a scowl, having placed the soiled diaper in the corner for the time being until it could be properly disposed of.
"Which ends the front and the back?" Cinder asked as she flipped the fresh diaper around in her hands, inspecting it carefully since she didn't want to place it on backwards and cause Naruto any accidental discomfort.
"How the fuck should I know? They look the same!" The purple haired teen grumbled, causing her amber eyed compatriot to sigh and proceed to place the new diaper beneath Naruto so she could begin placing it on him. The blonde didn't put up much resistance as Revy carefully held his legs in place, allowing the amber eyed girl to concentrate on her work.
"Almost got it." Cinder muttered as she managed to stick a safety pin through the fabric and finally managed to get the diaper on the infant Uzumaki. "Done. Finally." The black haired girl muttered, feeling more exhausted than usual due to that little ordeal.
"Yeah… but it sure as shit won't be the last time we gotta do this." Revy grumbled with a sigh, if that damn baby wasn't so cute, she would have 'noped' her way out of this.
"Don't say shit." Cinder whined in annoyance since she didn't want to hear it for the next few hours. Her request earning an apologetic look from the purple haired teen. The raven haired girl then sighed as she spoke "He should be okay now. You try to get some sleep, I need to head back or the Madame may get suspicious." At her words, Revy gave a tired nod as she began collecting some of the bed supplies nearby to get comfy for the night.
As she did so, Cinder gave a quiet goodbye and left, allowing her new associates to gain some measure of privacy and so they could sleep in peace. With any luck, they would be out of here by morning and everything would go back to its usual routine… but did she actually want to go back to her regular routine? Truthfully, she would say 'no' in a heartbeat, but the world, much like the numerous people living in it, weren't of a kind hearted nature.
Meanwhile. A private suite.
A lone sigh could be heard as a masculine figure stood outside on the balcony, his eyes scanning the numerous buildings and streets of the village. From an early age, this man had been introduced into the realm of the Yakuza, and was certainly no stranger to its inner workings.
For the Yakuza, there are three essential things you need to make it in the criminal underground. First off, was money, a fairly self-explanatory facet since one would need money to grease the wheels and keep everything running like clockwork, plus with enough money, it was possible for new, better and more lucrative opportunities become available.
Secondly, was power. Again, it was somewhat self-explanatory since no self-respecting Yakuza can survive in this world by being weak. And there was but one universal truth to the realm of both Yakuza and Shinobi… only the strongest had the right and ability to make any great changes.
And finally, and perhaps most importantly… Respect. Any Yakuza will tell you that one's reputation means everything, for it can gain you both respect and fear. Any signs of weakness and one's reputation could shatter in an instant, and any respect you held would evaporate. By gaining and maintaining the respect of those that live above and below board, it can be very possible to rule with great efficiency.
And he, Daigo Dojima, Chairman of the Tojo Clan, wasn't lacking in those three venues. This village provided many opportunities, for there were numerous people willing to put themselves under the umbrella of the Tojo clan. Many youths seeking a purpose in life, or down-on-their-luck outcasts needing protection, and so on and so forth.
Before the arrival of the Tojo clan, there were numerous gangs infesting the Red Light District of this village. All claiming to be Yakuza. However, they were but a cheap mockery of true Yakuza. The resident gangs were little more than common thugs and street punks, waving around a name they had no true knowledge of, shaking down and tormenting people for petty cash or their own sick amusement.
Suffice it to say… the Tojo clan put a swift stop to all of that and showed the local gangs the true might of real Yakuza. The resident thugs were either mercilessly crushed, or absorbed into the families belonging to the Tojo clan… depending on how receptive they were to their newfound education.
With their foothold secured, they began to systematically dismantle operations that were dubbed unacceptable by their standards, such as drugs or human trafficking. Sure, there were some that slipped through the cracks, but for the most part, they had effectively and almost completely wiped out such cruel and inhumane practices. And thanks to the deal they struck with the village leader, the Hokage, in conjunction with their deeds and code of honor made their presence much more welcome by the local populace, barring certain individuals.
On another note, this Hotel left a bitter taste in Daigo's mouth. Why? Because it was clear that the practice of slavery, or at least forced labor was happening here. He'd seen similar tricks like this before. The owners of an affluent business taking an orphan kid, or some other person in what can only be described as being in a 'hopeless situation', and then forcing them to do all the labor to avoid paying wages to any staff members.
It was Despicable. While it could be said that the Yakuza often engaged in morally questionable activities, (often depending on the family and its leadership), there were still practices that were strongly frowned upon, and slavery was definitely on that list.
And there was no room for doubt in his mind that the Madame would need to be taught a lesson… painfully if need be. His musing came to an end when the door to his suite opened, revealing the Madame herself who had responded to his summons. A smile was plastered on her face that held a certain warmth to it, but her eyes held annoyance in them from being summoned out of the blue. There was no room for doubt that while this woman has her 'business face' very well practiced, she was truly a rotten person on the inside. The kind of individual he had encountered on numerous occasions.
"Good evening sir, is there something I can assist you with?" She asked in a professional tone, at her question Daigo laced his fingers together, his eyes glancing towards his ever present bodyguards who all stood by, ready to protect their boss when need be. While Daigo doubted the Madame was a true threat, caution was always a necessity all the same. Especially for a high ranking Yakuza.
"That depends. I find the environment of this establishment to be in poor taste." The Tojo Clan's chairman spoke in a tone of immense dissatisfaction, his eyes catching a small twitch on the corner of the hotel owner's mouth.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." The Madame spoke in confusion, his ambiguous complaint leaving her uncertain of the nature of the problem. Daigo slowly rose from his seat, his arms crossed over his chest as he gave her a scathing sneer.
"Bluntly put, I do not enjoy doing business with someone that employs slavery or forced labor. While everyone else chooses to ignore this, I have taken notice that only a singular individual performs all the chores in this establishment. I have observed her scrubbing the floors, making food deliveries, cleaning the bedrooms and so forth without any assistance." Daigo spoke, his eyes glaring daggers at the Madame.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken sir. The girl you have so mentioned is my adopted daughter and she is assisting me and her stepsisters in running this establishment. Nothing more." The hotel owner spoke calmly, though to the Yakuza it sounded like some kind of rehearsed excuse from a script than a genuine reply.
Not to mention this only further cemented the Chairman's suspicions. "Right. You 'adopted' her then forced the vast majority of labor onto her. I'm guessing when no one's looking you probably torment and abuse her for even the slightest mistakes, or perhaps for your own twisted amusement." He spoke in an even tone, the woman's posture stiffening, signaling him that he had hit the nail on the head.
"What does it matter to you? This isn't your concern." She grumbled defiantly. Daigo had to suppress a small chuckle from that… because it was very much his concern.
"I very strongly disagree." Daigo spoke while trying to suppress a smile, he gestured to one of his men who quickly stepped forward and produced a folder which held a single sheet of paper. The paper in question being a contract signed by the Madame.
"As per the contract that you signed of your own free will, In exchange for our protection from certain individuals and organizations, you also agreed to adhere to any and all changes and… well, it's all there in black and white." Daigo spoke, deciding not to go over all of the jargon in the fine print.
Bluntly put, if he finds something that he didn't like in the Glass Unicorn, he could easily force the Madame to change it. If she refused his wishes, then he would be free to take legal action against her. The proprietor fumbled over and began reading it over, muttering to herself all the while, her form paling until she was white as a sheet upon her realization that she was essentially in a stranglehold.
She sputtered for a second, her eyes panicked showing that her mind was racing a mile a minute, likely trying to come up with a way to weasel her way out of this predicament. "I'm… I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding. A mistake." She spoke quickly, fumbling over her words.
"Really? Just a minute ago you said that it 'wasn't my concern'. What exactly am I misunderstanding? Where am I mistaken?" The Chairman asked with a deepening scowl, while in his mind, he knew he had this woman hunched over the proverbial chopping block. All he had to do next was deliver the final blow to cut off the head of the snake.
Daigo turned to one of his men and spoke "Bring the girl." Without hesitation, his subordinate nodded and gave a bow before departing. As they waited, the Madame tried to cup up with excuses but each time she opened her mouth one of Daigo's men would tell her to shut up, knowing that their boss wasn't interested in excuses.
After a short while, the form of Cinder appeared, escorted by the subordinate sent to retrieve her. The raven haired girl seemed almost like a deer caught in the headlights, likely terrified that she was in trouble for something… until she noticed that her 'stepmother' seemed quite terrified herself.
Before she could even question what was going on, the form of Daigo, the very man she had encountered earlier while smuggling Revy and Naruto approached her and spoke "Good evening young lady." His tone was polite and respectful, the amber eyed girl felt a dry lump in her throat and tried to mutter some kind of greeting, but only some choking sounds came out.
The Chairman spoke in a calm tone "Don't worry. You're not in any trouble. I just want you to clear something up for me. Have a seat." At his words, he gestured to an open seat, causing Cinder to jerk her head into a nod and set herself into it. Trying her best to relax, but inside she couldn't but feel terror induced by the uncertainty of the situation.
"Can I offer you something to drink?" Daigo asked politely, hoping that a beverage might calm her. She mumbled something that sounded like 'water please', causing Daigo to snap his fingers and ordered a glass of water for the amber eyed girl.
A few seconds later, Cinder was sipping from her beverage, the cool and refreshing drink helping to settle her down. "What's your name girl? I don't believe I asked for it earlier." Daigo asked as he set himself down in his own seat, his demeanor showing patience as he waited for her response.
"Her name is…" The Madame tried to speak but a sharp look from the Yakuza Chairman cut her off and silenced her. The 6th Chairman then responded "I wasn't talking to you. I was asking the girl. Speak out of turn again, and my men will start breaking your bones." He threatened her, making the hotel owner's mouth clamp shut. In regular circumstances, he wouldn't condone harming a woman… there were times when exceptions needed to be made.
The amber eyed girl cleared her throat and spoke up "My name is Cinder." At this, Daigo narrowed his eyes a bit and asked "Is that a play on 'Cinderella'?" At his question the raven haired girl stiffened up and gave a scowl, which confirmed his suspicion.
Talk about a sick joke. A young girl treated as a slave by her step-family. He then clasped his hands behind his back and asked the girl "Indulge me… are you being mistreated?" At his question, Cinder's eyes briefly flicked over to her 'stepmother' who was giving a look that could be translated as 'shut your mouth or else' but behind her eyes… Cinder could see terror in them.
Throughout her time here, Cinder had been perpetually powerless. The Madame used this damn shock collar on her almost daily, like it was her favorite toy, Cinder had been starved, beaten, electrocuted, whipped, and so on for so long now… but now she was in a position of power. And perhaps more importantly, in a position to get some sweet and delicious revenge.
"The word 'mistreated' is a gross understatement. This woman is one of the worst kinds of people. I could spend all night and all day telling you about everything she and her daughters have done to me and I still couldn't cover it all." She replied darkly and then ripped the 'necklace' off of her neck, exposing the scar tissue and electrical burn markings around her throat. "This… this is what she does to me." Cinder finished, pointing towards the scarring.
The Madame let out a screech of anger and hate as she lunged towards the raven haired girl, the woman's hands reaching out as if she were going to attempt to strangle Cinder, but Daigo's men reacted with time to spare as they leapt forward and piled onto the Hotel's now former proprietor. One of them pulled out several rolls of tape and the men began to start wrapping the Evil Stepmother up from head to toe in tape so she couldn't move or escape anywhere.
Daigo let out a deep sigh, that sounded somewhat tired but at the same time it held a sense of satisfaction. "Men, take the Madame and her children down to the hotel's basement and lock them in there. We'll sort out what to do with them later." Daigo ordered, his words earning a panicked look from Cinder.
"Not the basement!" She blurted out then clapped a hand over her mouth. Her words earning a look of curiosity from the Chairman who asked "Why not? Are you hiding something in there? Something you don't want other people to see? I take it isn't a hidden stash of goodies, yes?"
Knowing she had accidentally exposed herself and potentially her friends, Cinder gave a slow nod since it was too late to take back her words or make some kind of excuse. "All right then. Men, find someplace else to dump this woman and find her spawn too. I'm not done with them." Daigo instructed, prompting his men to start dragging the Proprietor away.
"It would seem that the Hotel is in need of new management." The Tojo Clan's Chairman spoke, his eyes now locked onto Cinder who had a triumphant smirk on her face as she watched her 'stepmother' being taken away.
"I think you're right sir. If you don't mind… I think I'll give those three a taste of their own medicine. Let the punishment fit the crime and all that. And… you're not going to ask about what's in the basement?" She asked at the end with a raised eyebrow.
The Yakuza Chairman thought for a moment, and quickly agreed with the girl's idea for a punishment. He then responded to her question "Why would I? It's not my business. If it isn't anything dangerous then I see no point in sticking my nose into it. At any rate, arrangements shall be made so that ownership of the hotel and the previous owner's finances are all transferred to you, you can expect the paperwork in the morning." He answered with a shrug, earning a relieved smile from the raven haired girl, she then gave a polite bow and exited the room. An almost broken smile spreading across her face as a myriad of emotions flooded through her.
She was free. She was finally free. And now, everything was hers. The hotel, the money, all hers now. Was Karma actually rewarding her for her good deed earlier? She wasn't certain, but now that the constant threat looming over her has now been subdued, she felt like she could do anything she wanted.
For now, she decided to start with moving Revy and little Naruto to more comfortable quarters. And later? Well, she was looking forward to giving her 'step-family' a taste of everything she had been put through. Unknown to Cinder though, a chain of events had been set off due to numerous circumstances, her earlier kindness included.
Meanwhile. Konoha Orphanage.
"What do… you mean… he is GONE?!" The Hokage roared angrily, his eyes fixated on the empty crib which formerly contained Naruto. The Orphanage matron bowed apologetically and explained that the mob had broken in to do harm to the infant, but he and his roommate Revy had already vanished.
The matron suspected that Revy escaped with the infant in order to protect him, once the lynch mob had left, she called the Hokage immediately. The Sandaime sighed and muttered an apology for yelling at her since there was little she could have done in such a situation, but now he was furious at himself for his negligence.
He had feared that by keeping the boy close or by placing him under special protection then people would catch on about his significance. However it seems that in his efforts to obscure the boy through anonymity, he had unintentionally left the boy in even greater danger. There was only a handful of people that the Sandaime had revealed the presence of the latest Jinchuuriki, but he neither gave a location nor specifically named the newest Kyuubi container. Hiruzen couldn't help but feel guilty and blame himself for this situation.
Someone likely figured it out all the same and publicly leaked the boy's identity. But who? Hiruzen wanted to blame his old rival Danzo, but he knew that while Danzo was an amoral Warhawk, he wasn't a fool. There was no way Danzo would risk an invaluable military asset like the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, least of all when there were no other viable containers. At any rate, there was no time for speculation. He would find the leak at a later time once the children were safe.
"Where would this Revy go to hide?" Hiruzen asked the Matron, to which she replied that she'd most likely go to the Red Light District, earning a disgruntled groan from the Sandaime since that place was the home of the Tojo clan. This matter would need to be handled delicately and with discretion. He would need to get in contact with the Tojo Clan's chairman, Daigo Dojima and properly explain the situation.
With any luck, Daigo would be reasonable about it. Though for some reason… Hiruzen couldn't shake the feeling that something big was going to happen.
End chapter one.
Guest characters:
Daigo Dojima (Yakuza game series.)
Cinder (Rwby Series.)
Revy (Black Lagoon series.)
Explanation of Yakuza hierarchy:
In simple terms, the Tojo clan is a loose conglomerate of multiple families. Each family is headed by a Patriarch, and the Patriarchs all answer to the Chairman, the Chairman being the absolute authority of the Tojo Clan as a whole.
The Tojo clan's main rival being the Omi Alliance.
Next potential update:
Bound Together Paradox.
Keys to the Kingdom.
Challenge fic by XXX777 (More details later.)
Masters and Chains.
Persona Kitsune.