Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise that belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto; I do not own Heaven's lost Property, High School DxD or any other Anime I borrow themes from. The only thing I claim is my OC's and original Story Plot.


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys I'm back once more with an incredible chapter that I've quickly found myself surging with pride over. This chapter heavily focuses in on Naruto and Hinata's growing feelings for each other and how complex and existential they're becoming. The depths that they explore here and the massive amounts of character development both characters experience will be felt for years to come. Naruto and Hinata will bear witness to sides of each other that will expose their innermost thoughts and personalities. Questions will be asked as these sides of them have questionable origins, particularly in Hinata's case who receives the most character development. This chapter does the NaruHina ship a great service and it's all intertwined with Naruto's now personal vendetta and mission to see to the destruction of the criminal underworld and those that inhabit it freely.

Get ready for a fantastic chapter that can be talked about for a long time to come. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy!


Chapter 73

The Suppression of Crime

It was nighttime as the frantic running of a pair of footsteps could be heard running down the deserted alleyways of the lively town it resides in. A calmer pair of footsteps followed the first as the sound of trashcans falling over echoed out into the night sky.

"Please stay away from me!" The voice of a middle-aged man was heard as he was dressed in a somewhat expensive suit with jewelry on his hands could be seen falling to the ground with his pursuer stalking up to him without an ounce of remorse in his eyes. "We've got some business to take care of first scum." Naruto's voice sounded out as Naruto's small stature walked out of the shadows of the alley and into the moonlight revealing his form to the man who was actually a thug for a local crime syndicate. Naruto was dressed in his black jumpsuit for when he conducts his mafia activities but, in this case, he didn't have his black flak jacket on and instead he had on a nice pair of dress pants and shirt on with a blazer over it giving him a polished look to him without his treasured headband on.

He wasn't expecting to get into any kind of fight right now, so he didn't need any combat gear with him. His intimidation was the only weapon he needed as a thin layer of frost trailed off from his feet freezing the walls of the entire alley way coating it in a layer of ice which scared the civilian man half to death.

"Wait… wait! Wait! I know you're with the mafia kid. I'm sorry! I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes here. I'm just doing what I'm told." The thug pleaded as Naruto growled and slammed the older man against the back wall of the alley. "I'm not interested in your pathetic excuses. What I want to know is why is their illegal drugs and spice in this town? Not only that, but you thugs are out in broad daylight and the local police aren't doing a thing." Naruto questioned as the man tried to pry Naruto's grip lose from around his collar. "I don't know kid… I only do what my boss tells me to do." The man replied as Naruto narrowed his eyes at the squeamish thug in his grasp. "What is your name?" Naruto questioned simply as the man answered seconds later. "Hiroshi… Hiroshi Kanzaki."

Humming in thought Naruto peered into Hiroshi's eyes with an intimidating glare that paralyzed the older man on the spot. "Hiroshi… if I look through your pockets right now tell me honestly… am I going to find spice in there?" Naruto calmly asked as Hiroshi's face paled considerably at the question which for Naruto was all the confirmation he was looking for. "No… no way… I don't need that stuff. I've seen others with it around in the last few days but not me." Hiroshi denied with a terrible poker face as Naruto sighed in disappointment.

Freezing the thugs hands and feet to the wall behind him Naruto rummaged through all of Hiroshi's pockets until he finally reached the one he was looking for. Grasping what felt like a plastic bag Naruto pulled it out of the man's blazer and held it within his hand. Under the moon light Naruto looked into the bag and saw a reddish clay like colored grounded down powder that even inside the bag had a peculiar aroma to it that was far more distinct than the average smell.

A pointed look from Naruto was all it took for Hiroshi to start breathing hard as his face was etched with denial. "Oh, come on… it's not much… the rest of the guys I know have bigger bags filled to the brim with this stuff. I only wanted a little bit of it to see what it was all about. My boss gave it to me as payment." Hiroshi explained as Naruto punched the man in the throat causing him to start coughing violently. "Do you know what this stuff does to a person!?" Naruto growled out lowly with a dangerous edge that sent a shiver up Hiroshi's spine. "When the wrong kind of spice is introduced into the bodies chakra network, it can erode away the pathways to the point that a person dies in a short few years. Some mixes of the stuff can induce a Genjutsu like effect on the person's mind that is so potent and realistic that it can leave the user in a permanent coma after repeated use that no ninja can break the person out of. Is the high really that worth it?" Naruto berated as the man shivered at the amount of killing intent Naruto was both intentionally and unintentionally leaking out. Subconsciously, Naruto was drawing on some of his pent-up anger at the news he discovered about the matrons who worked at the orphanage when he was young. It was despicable and unforgivable in his mind.

"I know! I know! I'm sorry kid! I won't do it anymore. Please let me go!" As a civilian Hiroshi wasn't used to the killing intent generated by a shinobi… especially from one as strong as Naruto currently happened to be. The man was actually shaking pretty bad in Naruto's grip and while he never enjoyed causing pain to people Naruto was steeling his nerves and acting in the capacity as a mafia agent. This wasn't the first time he's had to be cruel with a civilian before and it was most definitely not going to be his last.

"Who do you work for? What's the name of the organization operating in this town?" Was Naruto's next question as Hiroshi clammed up almost immediately as revealing such sensitive and private information would surely mean death if it got back to his gang. Seeing the reluctance in Hiroshi's eyes was enough to anger Naruto further. That would mean he would have to hurt and scare the man more which was something he didn't particularly want to do. "Not going to answer huh… that's the wrong choice." Naruto patronized as he placed his hand against Hiroshi's stomach with a cold look in his eyes.

"Ice Style: Ice Prison Jutsu." With a whisper in the tone of death itself Naruto generated a thick sheet of ice from the palm of his hand that started to ever so slowly and deliberately crawl up the surface of Hiroshi's body. While it wasn't much in terms of the volume of ice itself it did nothing to detract from the sheer cold the thug was feeling. "So cold… it's so cold… please… oh god please… I can't say." Hiroshi begged as Naruto added more ice to his body. "Tell me." Was the only reply Hiroshi got as he held out for a moment longer before the cold started to get to him.

"We are a small local gang called the Fire Rats! But our distributor is from this big-time crime syndicate called the Black Sun." Hiroshi spilled as Naruto's eyes widened ever so slightly. The name Black Sun was very infamous in the criminal underworld. He learned about them in his first year of joining the Jasmine Dragon Mafia. They were a large-scale worldwide criminal enterprise who had puppet gangs operating in every country on the Elemental Continent. In their ranks they had skilled bandits, mercenaries, missing ninja and general chakra users, as well as the occasional supernatural creature. The organization exuded power and corruption of the highest order, but it was their business partner and affiliate that made them an incredible threat.

The Pyke Syndicate is a family owned criminal organization run by the Pyke Family. As it turned out Gatō and his shipping company was owned by the Pyke Family who used Gatō and his company to expand their territory and sell their most lucrative product which just so happened to be the illicit versions of spice that was a narcotic. The Pyke Family are the owners of the largest Spice Cartel in the world that distributes the addictive drugs to clients all around the world. They often have heavy dealings with the Black Sun Pirates who they often use to transport their cargo from destination to destination. The Pyke Syndicate aren't fighters and are instead businessmen with most of the members of the family not being fighters of any kind and all of them lacking chakra. Instead, they use the Black Sun who have many mercenaries and chakra users at their disposal to act as their muscle. In comparison while the Pyke's have a lucrative business and wealth the Black Sun have the man power, reach, and connections that the Pyke's need which has led to a formal alliance between the two factions that has benefited them for decades.

With this grim thought in mind Naruto now knew why crime was on the rise so quickly. Only a sophisticated and well-organized crime syndicate could strike so quickly once they saw an opening. It's only been a week and a half since the invasion and already the actions of this criminal organization has caught the attention of Dino. With the collective reach from the Black Sun and the product and business from the Pyke's it made total sense that they would jump out of their dark holes the second they sensed a shift in the tides in the world. It was like a game of Whack-a-mole. This was the time that crime would peek its head out now that they had an opening in the defenses of the world powers.

"Who is running the show in this town? The Black Sun are known to place down administrators to oversee operations in small towns that they are conducting operations out of. Who's the big boss calling the shots here in Firebend?" Naruto demanded as he was now close to a major breakthrough. Now that he knew it was one of the biggest crime syndicates in the entire world making their moves it made his job a lot easier and harder at the same time. He was going to need to send a message back to Dino right away after he completed his assignment here in Firebend. The mob boss would be able to handle the situation on a macro scale and help steer Naruto in the next direction he should be looking.

"I have a family here kid… I'm a local boy who was born in this town. If I tell you, they'll be dead." Hiroshi pleaded as Naruto silently lent his heart out to the man who honestly just got himself caught up in the wrong crowd in life. However, his choices were things he had to take responsibilities for. He got a pretty good grasp on the type of man Hiroshi really was which was why Naruto planned to scare the thug straight and steer him completely away from the life of crime. It pained him, but he was going to need to be extremely cold blooded with Hiroshi.

"You won't be seeing them if you don't answer me. Trust me I'm far scarier than whoever your boss is." Naruto insisted as he started to spread the ice across Hiroshi's entire body with the deadliest glare on his face. It was time to scare the man straight. Digging deep within himself Naruto pulled on his Yōki to the point it crossed a mental threshold within his body. Naruto's hair immediately turned pure white with icicles frosting over his hair to form a makeshift crown of icicles around his head with two longer icicles sticking up to form horns. His cerulean colored eyes darkened to navy blue dark chips of empty coldness that held no warmth for the man at his mercy. Like his hair Naruto's skin turned deathly pale while his hands frosted over with claw like icicles growing over his hands. A frigid cold breath of air escaped Naruto's mouth as he slowly breathed out after feeling his transformation overtake him. He was tightly containing the Yōki within his body so that it wouldn't leak out and cause snow to fall on the town, but it did nothing from stopping the storm clouds from rolling in above them.

This was the first time Naruto successfully even attempted to activate his Winter Fairy King Mode. The time in the Forest of Death fighting against Orochimaru was completely accidental as this transformation was unlocked after Orochimaru tampered with his Eight Trigrams Seal. In this form Naruto was for all intents and purposes a full-blown demon. He couldn't access an ounce of his chakra right now and without having to see it he knew that Eva who was resting in her usual abode had undergone her own transformation in response to his as well.

This was a transformation that Naruto's wanted to work on as its affects manifest whenever he access's the chakra from the Nine Tailed Fox. The temperature in the entire area plummets as storm clouds roll in and produces a snow storm that blankets everything around Naruto and the entire area that he is in. These are the exact same effects that was currently happening now that he has his Winter Fairy King Mode activated. Yōki was powered more so by your emotions and will power than anything else which perfectly explained why this transformation mixes with that of the Nine Tails Chakra whenever he uses it. The Fox's chakra contained an infinite well of negative energy and emotions attached to it not to mention just a tremendous amount of potent power all together. Naruto's Yōki would naturally latch onto this and manifest itself at the same time.

On its own Naruto theorized that this mode on its own was just as strong as his Version 1 Cloak, but just without the added benefits of having a Jinchūriki Cloak. Not to mention the access to chakra and its benefits. With just the pure Yōki at his command Naruto wasn't completely sure what he was capable of doing but the one confirmed thing he knew for certain would improve or at the very least be drastically more powerful is his Ice Style. While it could be categorized as a Kekkei Genkai because of the fact the Sharingan couldn't copy it and no one else could replicate it to the exact point in which he has developed it, in reality all of this was achieved because of the fact Naruto's chakra reserves were of a hybrid nature with his Yōki heavily mixed in which has only increased over the years.

Staring into the soul of Hiroshi Naruto concentrated as much killing intent as he was willing to bring to bear on the man as he knew that if he added too much it could involuntarily cause the man to have a heart attack or any other kind of medical emergency if not worse.

"Who is in charge here Hiroshi… you don't have a lot of time left before you die of hypothermia and I can promise you this… I'll be here for every second of it until you draw you last breath. The life of crime isn't for you." Naruto said in the coldest tone he's ever used which was colder than the ice forming on Hiroshi's body. Tears started to cascade down the grown man's face as he let out struggled and stifled breaths of cold air. He could feel his vitality leaving him by the minute and even he knew it wouldn't be long before he died.

"It's the mayor… his name is Oshimo Ringo! He's been the mayor here for well over 6 years!" Hiroshi admitted as Naruto halted the ice advancing on the poor man's body. 'That means he's been in place not only since the time my team and I came here a few months ago to solve the disappearances of the townspeople but even before I originally met Hitomi and saved her all those years ago. It would explain why there is so much supernatural activity in this town. It's allowed under the supervision of this Oshimo guy. The Black Sun must be bringing these guys in under protection and allowing them to roam free and do as they please.' Naruto theorized with an inkling of shock coming to his mind as this lieutenant was an implant that was deep undercover from before he ever set foot in this town for the very first-time years prior.

Frowning visually Naruto looked into Hiroshi's eyes with one last question in mind. "If they are distributing drugs and spice on the black market here then that means they must have a cache or storehouse to hold the entire supply, right? Where is it?" Naruto ordered as Hiroshi squeezed his eyes shut in pain and regret. "Tell me and I promise you I'll let you go. You don't have to die here tonight." Naruto said in a more tender voice as Hiroshi struggled to reveal the last of the information he knew. Images of his own family flashed before his eyes as he came to a decision that he hoped not to regret.

"The only building in this small town with enough empty space to hold any large cargo is the local school building. It has an empty warehouse storage shed out back that is big enough to hold the shipment of crates that the Black Sun moved in a few days ago." Hiroshi admitted as a silent gasp of mortification left Naruto's mouth.

'The school… they used a school to hide their drugs and contraband? That's where Hitomi works now as a teacher. How… how dare these bastards do such a thing!' Naruto seethed in his mind as his fist shook in fury. His breath was coming in at ragged intervals like he was hyperventilating. The rage that was building up inside of Naruto was starting to burn at his soul. It was despicable to do such a thing without any conscience or regard for the people of the town. Whether or not the crates were secure wasn't the issue. It was the sheer principal of the fact that they chose to hide their loot on school grounds where children are. That meant that a lot of unsavory characters often trespassed on school grounds to conduct the dirty business of the criminal underworld. Even if some of the staff of the school wasn't in on it, that still meant the children were surrounded by nothing but scum.

Taking a very long and labored breath to calm his frazzled nerves Naruto started to melt the ice on Hiroshi's body by channeling a small dosage of Iris's holy aura. A beautiful golden fire enveloped Naruto's hand as he healed and stabilized Hiroshi's body before it could go into shock. "I hope you leave this life of crime behind Hiroshi because I'm far to kind hearted for my own good. If it was any other member of the mafia that came across you… you'd be dead now." Naruto said in disappointment that was aimed at the man who dropped to his hands and knees after his body was unfrozen from the wall behind him.

"I'm sorry… I have to feed my family! This is the only life I know." Hiroshi cried as Naruto stared down at the man with sympathy and sadness in his eyes. "Here… take this." Naruto mumbled as he unsealed a small case from one of his arm tattooed seals that had a small stack of money inside it. It was more than enough to get someone started on a new life as long as they spent it wisely. "Start over with your family. By the time I'm finished… this town will be cleaned up and you can live an honest life. If you want to start out with a basic job, then go to Ember Café on main street. I know a person who works there that I can put in a good word with for you. But don't ever return to this life style again. From one father to another." Naruto whispered out softly as he walked away from the distraught man before he could stop him.

Hiroshi was left speechless as the heavy case filled with cash was left in his hands. He had so much he wanted to say to the boy who just accosted him in the middle of the night, but the words wouldn't come out no matter how hard he tried. Right as Naruto left his vision two simple words finally managed to slip out of the perplexed and grateful man's mouth. "Thank you."


Ember Café / Firebend Town

It was the next day for Naruto in Firebend town and it was going to yield many interesting things for him and his group. He found himself in Ember Café which was the local popular restaurant that Hitomi works a part time job at when she's not teaching at the only school in town.

Hinata and the girls decided to tag along while Jiraiya apparently went off to meet a contact. Allegedly would be the word Naruto would use to describe the Toad Sage's actions as deep-down Naruto knew Jiraiya was peeping on the women at the local bathhouse. If he wasn't so focused and emotionally consumed by the important and somewhat personal mission he was on right now he would march down to the bathhouse and expose the Sannin in front of everyone so that he would be jumped by the furious women right, then and there. The thought was very tempting to do but Naruto was keeping one of his eyes on Chaos to make sure she didn't sneak off to go join Jiraiya. The last thing Naruto wanted was for his little apocalyptic Angeloid of death to become a shameless pervert like his mentor.

The two were steadily developing a close bond with each other ever since they first met, and Chaos was extremely impressionable. Especially concerning taboo subjects that she instinctively knew were bad and things Naruto would never approve of. As of now the tiny terror was content with just latching onto his back in her favorite spot but he wouldn't put it past the deceptively intelligent child to pull a fast one on him. Her instincts and desires to cause trouble for him and those around them was something Naruto as her father couldn't underestimate. As things stood, Naruto had his hands full on a daily basis… and this current assignment wasn't making things any easier on him.

"Have you been here before Naruto?" Hinata asked as Naruto calmly held her hand and led her into the posh and very well received Ember Café that is one of the most popular social spots in the entire town. "Yes, I came here with my team when we had a mission here a few months ago before the Chūnin Exams. I know the waitress that works here, and I met her many years ago on a mafia assignment. You'll love her, she's an old friend of mine." Naruto replied with a certain tone of enthusiasm in his voice that intrigued Hinata who by now was comfortable and unfazed by the fact Naruto was holding her hand. It was a gesture she knew she could easily get used to as time goes on and they had already moved passed their typical embarrassed stutters for the morning when he first grabbed her hand.

Encouraged by the good word Naruto was putting in for both the establishment and one of its workers Hinata picked up her pace ever so slightly as they entered the medium sized café and sat at a nearby table. They had a clear view of the main door with the windows on the front wall providing them with an unobstructed view of the main street in case of emergency. At the same time, they weren't so close to the large panoramic windows that a potential enemy could pick them off with a sneak attack. Their training and instincts as shinobi were blossoming and developing at a steady pace as time went on but the close duo had a large head start on most of their classmates given their shared past and backgrounds.

It didn't take more than thirty seconds for a waitress to find them and just as Naruto expected it was his good friend Hitomi who's eyes lit up in happiness once she saw who she would be serving for the day. It was a welcomed and pleasant surprise since she knew that living the life of a shinobi would prevent Naruto from simply stopping by the same place twice for long periods of time unless he was stationed in the area. Hitomi resigned herself to the fact she would never have a set-in stone schedule on when she could expect visits from her little blond hero. She just had to count her blessings and be grateful for every meeting they would get. If only she knew what the future would have in store for her.

"Naruto! You're back again. It's great to see you." Hitomi smiled enthusiastically as she reached out and gave Naruto a hug that he returned amicably. Hinata took this brief moment to take in Hitomi's appearance and the young Hyūga Heiress bashfully and gracefully blushed a bit at seeing the very beautiful and attractive young woman before them. Hitomi had grown her jet-black hair out a bit to reach her lower back with bangs framing her heart shaped face. Her doe like brown eyes held the same enthusiasm in them now that it also held the last time Naruto came. Hinata humbly thought Hitomi's eyes were very beautiful and a focal point of her attractiveness. When you look at her face you're immediately drawn into her eyes where they can easily pierce into your soul.

As a young adult and a female one at that Hitomi was nearing the end of her final growth spurts with her being 20 in a half years old. With that being said she did add an extra inch to her height since the last time Naruto saw her which currently puts her at 5'9 which was on the upper end of average for a female to reach as far as height is concerned. With the well-balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, she's lived with for the last 4 in a half years since Naruto first saved her life, Hitomi has been able to get the most out of her body and develop properly.

Hinata's young eyes were drawn to the rest of Hitomi's body as she took in the voluptuous figure the young adult had and Hinata couldn't help but blush as she compared it to the fact she started developing earlier in comparison to her classmates and other girls her age. Hinata couldn't fathom growing up to develop a curvaceous and voluptuous figure like the woman before her. She didn't have a mother to talk to with about these feminine subjects, so she's been settling for Shoko and Anko as the substitutes in her life whenever she could. Her well defined chest and flared hips was something Hinata spied Naruto discretely scanning over which caused Hinata to subconsciously shrink in on herself. She knew her best friend was becoming interesting in females as evident by the new evolution of their growing relationship, but this was a clue into Naruto's preferred taste. Hinata just wasn't sure if she could match up, luckily for her she wasn't the overly jealous type, so she was able to banish the tightness that grew in her chest at seeing Naruto's eyes discreetly panning over the young woman's body away within a few moments.

The two were old friends and had a lot of history together. He told her about Hitomi a long time ago and the backstory that she had and his involvement with it. It made Hinata feel proud that Naruto was risking his life to save others even at such a young age. He truly believed in helping others.

Unknown to Hinata who was musing in her inner thoughts in a distracted state Hitomi also subtly panned over Hinata and studied the mood and aura around her and Naruto. Her woman's intuition was as sharp as any other and so she immediately could deduce that the two young adolescent children were extremely close with one another. How close…? Hitomi was itching to find out.

"You brought a friend along with you too? And what I can only assume are those children you told me about the last time you were here with your team?" Hitomi pressed as Naruto smiled and formally introduced Iris and Chaos to Hitomi who gushed at the cute display the twins made. As a teacher she was used to dealing with children but right away Hitomi could instinctively tell from the depth of her soul that something wasn't quite right with Iris and Chaos. Her dark past with supernatural creatures informed on her instincts and intuition as she felt something was off about the two children… it was like they weren't human.

"Hitomi… this is my best friend Hinata Hyūga." Naruto grinned as Naruto subconsciously grabbed Hinata's hand from across the relatively small table which brought the young kunoichi out of her musings as she saw that her hand as per usual these days was connected to Naruto's who had an absentminded expression on his face which indicated to Hinata that also as per usual Naruto performed this action subconsciously.

A small knowing smile crossed Hitomi's face at this cute display as she knew that it was only a matter of time in Naruto's case. He mentioned Hinata a lot when they last spoke. After Naruto and Sasuke solved the case of the missing children in town and destroyed the Tengu Demon nest Naruto spent the rest of the day catching up with Hitomi since their initial conversation was abruptly cut short with Sasuke's emotional outburst and distress.

"It's nice to meet you Hinata. Naruto's spoken so much about you. He never stops." Hitomi grinned as she watched both children blush abruptly at each other as the implications were received. 'He's spoken about me that much that it created this first impression within miss Hitomi?' Hinata squeaked in her mind as Naruto attempted to defuse the situation while wildly waving his arms. The signature giggles that were coming from Chaos's mouth wasn't helping his mood as he could feel the mocking and amusement in every sound the tiny terror made. It was joined in by Iris who wore a look of amusement on her face as she watched her father squirm under the typical teasing and manipulations of female companions.

"Aww. Oh, I get it! How could I have not seeing it sooner. You're on a date aren't you… and you brought the girls along too. That's so cute." Hitomi cooed in feminine excitement as Naruto's face changed colors from a light peachy tan to full blown cherry red. Hinata was in much the same boat but as a female and as a Hyūga she was able to easily pick up on the slight change and inflection within Hitomi's voice which indicated that this was an overly exaggerated act. Hinata didn't exactly know how to quite feel about that as she hoped the older woman wasn't maliciously doing this to tease and make fun of them. Whatever thoughts Hinata initially had were wiped away as she spied Hitomi giving her an encouraging and supportive wink out of the corner of her eye that held nothing but mischievous feminine charm.

"Wait! I wasn't thinking this was a date yet! I still haven't properly asked Hinata out yet. It has to be special." Naruto stuttered in embarrassment as Hinata giggled in response to this. "It doesn't have to be a true date if you're not ready yet Naruto. To be honest I don't think I'm quite ready either." Hinata softly stated as she watched Naruto nervously scratch the back of his head in his distinct nervous twitch he's been known for.

A warm smile came to Hitomi's face as she watched Naruto and Hinata interact with each other. They were laughing and joking with each other while discussing potential topics for a real first date and with Iris and Chaos adding their own opinions to the conversation it made for a very warm and pleasant atmosphere around the table. "I take it this is going to become the norm for us isn't it." Hitomi questioned with a joking tone that got the younger children's attention. "What might that be?" Naruto blinked in confusion as Hitomi gave him a knowing look.

"Every time you come into my life it's always business-related Naruto. You came here last time because your team had a mission and the first time we met it was because you took down the gangs in our town and saved my life. So, sweetie what is it going to be this time?" Hitomi giggled as Naruto thought over her statement and couldn't help but chuckle a bit as the waitress had a strong point. It was always business before pleasure with their friendship.

Knowing what needed to be done the smile on Naruto's face slowly faded away as he gave Hitomi his familiar serious face. "Hitomi… I need you to tell me about the school you work at." Naruto said as Hitomi's facial expression started to change as well. She knew it was time to be serious now.


Firebend Town – Municipal Learning Academy

It was nighttime now and two figures could be seen outside the local small-town school across the street from the high-rise walls that surround the complex. It was one of the biggest plots of land in the entire town and so it had a large wall surrounding its property with the school building and all of its amenities inside of it.

"Hinata this is as good a time as any to try and practice with your Byakugan. We left Iris and Chaos back at the hotel for this very reason." Naruto suggested as he turned to his partner in crime who nodded in agreement. Naruto was dressed in his pitch-black jump suit that he wears for his mafia operations and Hinata had switched out her outfit for black clothes as well. Naruto decided it would be best to leave Iris and Chaos back at their hotel room under the watch of Jiraiya as Hinata needs the time to practice using her Byakugan and if Iris is constantly right next to her all day it would defeat the purpose of their training. At least in this particular scenario. As for Chaos… well… Naruto just didn't want Chaos going off and causing havoc and destruction. His daughter wasn't the best for these types of situations, especially when she was still under the effects of the negative energy he was giving off from the previous night when he interrogated Hiroshi Kanzaki.

"Ok… I'll give it a try." Hinata mumbled as she closed her eyes and concentrated. Opening them up again Hinata's lavender colored eyes changed to a vibrant golden hued color with a faint iridescent flower shaped design around the pupil. Almost immediately afterwards Hinata's head turned in the direction of the hotel building across town like a magnet which caused Naruto to frown as this was what he was expecting to happen. 'The attractant of Lady Sōkyoku's Divine Energy is so strong. I'm going to have my work cut out for me.' Naruto thought to himself as he reached over and nudged Hinata's shoulder to grab her attention.

"Can you concentrate?" Naruto inquired as Hinata turned to look at him and instantly found herself unable to look away. While he was a little distracted and flattered to have his crush staring at him Naruto also knew that this couldn't be allowed to persist. "Concentrate Hinata. Try to reduce the amount of Holy Grace flowing through your system right now. The more you have in you the greater the attracting affect it will have on your psyche to seek out external sources. You have to build up your will and resistance." Naruto encouraged as he watched Hinata take slow breaths while molding her chakra. It was very stressful and demanding of her as she tried to contain and reduce the flow of Holy Grace in her chakra pathways. It was so potent, not to mention it was carrying with it a burning sensation to her body as her Chakra Network has been getting used to the Yōki her body can naturally produce now.

"Is it working." Naruto asked after a minute of Hinata focusing. "It's not getting that much better. Divine Energy is so untamable. My chakra can barely budge it within my pathways. It's so solid and heavy." Hinata explained with a certain tone of astonishment and disbelief in her voice. Divine energy was a very powerful source to be dealing with and even the small drop of it that came from Sōkyoku was so potent that it was pushing Hinata's chakra off to the side like it wasn't even there. If it were any other person who received Sōkyoku's power they would have exploded immediately from the sheer indomitable power of the energy. Hinata only survived due to the fact Sōkyoku placed special circumstances around the introduction of her energy into Hinata's body.

"Here let me help a bit for the time being. It won't be much, but it will have to do for now." Naruto reassured as he reached out and placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder and began extracting the excess amounts of Sōkyoku's grace flowing off of Hinata's body.

*Pulse*

Again.

Naruto felt a small pulse that reminded him of a heartbeat from deep within Hinata's body when he interacted with Sōkyoku's grace from inside of her. The thing that confused Naruto the most was that the source of this disturbance wasn't originating from Sōkyoku's energy. It was something else that was inside of Hinata that was being cradled and protected by Sōkyoku's divine grace. It was truly bizarre in Naruto's opinion as Sōkyoku's energy was acting as a bridge connecting Naruto's subconsciousness with whatever this presence was as he couldn't detect it under normal circumstances without interacting with the powerful Goddess's power. 'What in the world is that? Is there something inside of Hinata that's been there since before Lady Sōkyoku's energy entered her body. What is it?' Naruto probed as he had so many questions he'd liked answered as this was an unknown phenomena that affected Hinata directly. He wanted to ensure that she was safe.

Blinking a few times to adjust herself Hinata found it a little easier to see around her as the powerful attracting nature of Sōkyoku's divine energy was a little more bearable to be around now. Standing next to Naruto was like staring into the sun for Hinata on any given day but ever since she started having these sensitivity issues the problem was a hundred times worst. With Naruto's assistance just now, Hinata's vision was so whitewashed and distorted by the blinding presence of grace inside of his body.

"Did that help?" Naruto smiled as Hinata slowly shook her head in the positive. It wasn't a solution to her problem, but it was a good temporary fix. "Ok, scan the building and the back shed so we can see what we're working with here." Naruto requested as Hinata nodded in affirmation. Expanding the radius of her vision Hinata washed it over the entire compound of the school and began searching the entire plot of land with a fine comb of micro vision and clarity that would leave the entirety of the Hyūga Clan in awe. The level of detail and vibrancy of Hinata's vision was so potent that it was actually causing her to strain her eyes as she started to blink rapidly to alleviate the stinging and burning sensation in her eyes.

This level of clarity and detail was too much stimulation for Hinata's brain as she closed her eyes and began to rub them. She saw much more than she's ever been able to see before. She could literally see the life energy that every individual blade of grass on the school's playground was giving off as well as the millions of small bugs and insects that roamed the plot of land. It was overwhelming as everything was alive around Hinata and she could see it all. She could see the sheer essence of life in every direction and it was over stimulating to say the least.

"Are you ok?" Naruto perked up in concern as he saw the negative reaction Hinata was having. Sweat was breaking out across her skin and the tensing of the muscles in her face and temple told Naruto that she was suffering through a potent migraine headache. "Yes… I just need a minute. But I found a secret cellar door in the old shed behind the school on its playground. There's an underground basement room in there that has a large amount of cargo crates." Hinata revealed as she leaned back into Naruto's embrace who took the previous initiative by wrapping his arms around her. He could tell that using her new eyes took a lot out of her.

"Great… you did a great job Hinata, so we can take a quick break. Then we'll go in." Naruto praised as he massaged Hinata's temples getting the girl to release a comforting sigh. Her head was pounding like a drum as her brain was attempting to process and deal with the large quantity of information her Byakugan had just given it.

Five minutes later Naruto and Hinata entered the back-storage building on the school and descended into the hidden storage room that they confirmed to have large shipping crates filled with tightly packed paper packages of Sansanna Spice that immediately filled the large storage room with its intoxicating aroma. "This is the stuff." Naruto growled with an edge to his voice. A glare was on his face as he counted close to 24 crates of this contraband in the room with them. With such a quantity it was blatantly obvious to Naruto that the bosses of the Black Sun were intending for Firebend Town to be a major distribution center to the neighboring towns and the Hidden Leaf that was only a few miles away. The amount in this room was way more than what the town could deal with. The excess amounts had to be being transported to other nearby settlements and towns.

"You told me it interacts with the chakra network of a human being and causes Genjutsu like hallucinations in the victim. While internally the victims chakra network is slowing corroded away overtime from overuse." Hinata questioned with a frown in place as she examined one of the many brown paper bag wrapped packages in the crates. It weighed a pound in her hand, so the heiress could only imagine the volume of powder actually inside of the package. "Yes… but that is just with Sansanna. It's the most common version in the world. The rarer versions of spice cause different affects to the body. It has a very strong addictive property to it as the chakra within a person's body reacts strongly to the mineral. One version of spice has ingredients that can be found in the solider pills shinobi take to replenish their chakra and stamina in battle." Naruto explained as he placed his hand in a cross shaped hand sign.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu." Naruto intoned as he created exactly 48 clones in the room with them. He did another count of the crates and came up with the number of 22 in total. Assigning two clones to a crate Naruto sent the last two clones back to the surface where they took off to find a suitable location to transport the cargo to. "We can't destroy the boxes here as it would attract to much attention. Especially since we don't know any Fire Style Ninjutsu to burn them. It's safer and also cleaner if we move them to a remote area." Naruto reasoned as Hinata nodded in agreement. The two Genin acted as escorts for Naruto's large collection of clones as they each picked up a large crate and carried it back to the surface using their combined efforts as the shipments were quite heavy, especially for kids like them to pick up.

It took some time but Naruto and Hinata with the assistance and labor from the clones were able to transport the entire shipment of spice out of the town undetected and to a remote cave in the hills that surrounded the town. Packing the crates all close to each other the clones dispersed leaving Naruto and Hinata alone with the large shipment. "Now we can get rid of it." Naruto insisted as he placed paper tags on a bunch of the crates with Hinata doing the same. Standing back Naruto created a barrier of ice around the stack to protect them both.

With a final nod between the partners they detonated the paper bombs destroying the crates of spice in a large fireball. A raging fire bloomed to life before the two young kids as they watched the spice burn to destruction within the wooden crates that acted as their premature coffins. "That felt good." Naruto softly spoke as the fire reflected off of his blue eyes which was a sight Hinata took in with appreciation. "It's not over quite yet. We still have to stop the mayor. There will be a lot of trouble when the sun rises tomorrow, and he finds out that the entire stash is gone. He might take out his anger on the town. It could get ugly." Hinata stated with a logical conclusion that Naruto agreed wholeheartedly with.

"I agree… which is why he's going down tonight. Thank you for your help Hinata, but this next part is something I can do on my own." Naruto insisted as he fully planned to mercilessly interrogate and torture the despicable mayor for all of his deplorable crimes and actions. He didn't want Hinata to witness that dark side to him or see such graphic violence. That wasn't a side to him he wanted his best friend to see. Understanding what Naruto was trying to do Hinata smiled a very small and dim smile as she reached out and held Naruto's hand for a change.

"It's okay Naruto… you don't have to shield me from the dirtier aspects of your work. We're shinobi… we're expected to do exactly what you're about to do on a regular basis. I won't think any different of you if you hurt this man. You've never given me a reason to ever fear you… and you never will." Hinata soothed as Naruto's voice got caught in his throat. He was self-conscious about performing such acts around her. He didn't like to admit it but his personality changes when he's interrogating and torturing someone. It becomes far darker and he knows that it's not a simple act he's putting on. It's a side effect of Eva's demonic heritage. It influences his psyche and personality behavior. That darker side to him was a major turn on and source of excitement for Eva as she's confirmed it with him in the past, but he didn't want to show that side of him to Hinata due to their strong bond of friendship.

"Are you sure… this isn't something that I feel comfortable doing. To be honest, I hate having to hurt people. No matter who they are." Naruto mumbled in discomfort as Hinata nodded her head in understanding. "It scares me to… I hate hurting people. But as a shinobi I'll one day be expected to do something horrible like this. I have to be ready." Hinata insisted with a brave face that impressed Naruto as he knew deep down Hinata had a deep drive to improve herself and be a better shinobi.

It swelled Naruto's heart with pride to know Hinata wanted to improve so badly and it was a definite confidence boost to know that she was willing to accept him and all of his sides. "Ok… let's go then." Naruto encouraged as the duo traveled under the cover of the night to the mayor's office.


Firebend Town / Government Administration Building (Mayor's Office)

Entering from the roof was the most logical option to take as Naruto had Hinata scan the building with her Byakugan once more as he wasn't going to pass up on an opportunity to train Hinata. It wasn't terribly late so there was still staff members in the administration office of Firebend town and the mayor himself Oshimo Ringo was in his office finishing up his paperwork. Hinata saw armed guards stationed throughout the building who didn't look like professional officers but instead thugs and mercenaries. It certainly confirmed Hiroshi's confession that the mayor wasn't an innocent man.

Being armed with machetes, hatchets, and spears weren't the traditional weaponry of a civilian town under the protection of a shinobi village. This was damning evidence that was proof enough for an individual in an investigative position like Naruto. He needed solid proof of the mayor's guilt and he was slowly but surely obtaining it as time goes on. Even on the slim chance that the mayor was innocent… Naruto was still going to have a very long chat with the man for allowing these criminals to roam free in his town.

Taking the lead Naruto lead Hinata to the mayor's office where they slipped in without any of the guards in the building being aware of their presence. Reaching the room undetected Naruto and Hinata slip inside without a single sound and observe the apparent mayor of Firebend Town, or at the very least the current one that has been responsible for the crime plaguing their peaceful home.

Black, short hair clumsily hangs over a skinny, lively face. Bright black eyes, set wickedly within their sockets, read over the reports in his hand with a certain amount of indifference. A bottle of heavy liquor was on his desk and his entire office was decorated with his sense of décor which included a lot of decorative weapons hanging up in display cases around the room. In his past fallen debris left a mark reaching from the left side of his forehead, running towards his upper lip and ending under his left eye. Oshimo was physically well built and a taller stature of around 5'11 which put him far above the height of both Naruto and Hinata. There's something mystifying about him, perhaps it's a feeling of arrogance or perhaps it's simply a feeling of hospitality. But nonetheless, people tend to follow him, while secretly despising him.

"Fūinjutsu: Privacy Seal." Naruto whispered as he placed his hand against the far wall of the room and a small kanji printed itself onto its surface. It glowed for a brief moment before the entire room became sealed off from the outside world as sound, smell, and sight were eliminated from penetrating the room or escaping it. Now that it was time to strike Naruto took a deep breath before unleashing his chakra into the room which drastically caused the temperature in the room to plummet to well below freezing level as frost built itself up on the furniture drawing Oshimo's attention to Naruto and Hinata who appeared out of seemingly thin air.

"How? Who the hell are you!?" Oshimo was quick to jump out of his seat in fright as he felt a shiver go up his spine at the death glare he was receiving from Naruto. "Sit down Oshimo Ringo… we need to talk." Naruto commanded with a potent blast of killing intent that caused the disguised mayor to fall back into his chair in fear. "How did you get in here? Where are my guards?" Oshimo questioned as he spied Hinata hanging back while Naruto approached his desk. "Your guards won't be coming to save you. It's just you and us now." Naruto patronized as he grabbed the papers off of the mayors desk and skimmed them over with a critical eye that narrowed in disgust.

"These are the deeds to the school and several other buildings in town. And these are manifests of the trade shipments that come into town, including the secret shipment of spice that you hid." Naruto said aloud as he put the pieces to the puzzle together in his mind. Oshimo was going to buy the school and its land and more than likely shut it down permanently. The entire facility could be used to store anything the Black Sun wanted. With its high walls and extensive interior, the complex could even be used as a makeshift fort or base for a large bandit tribe of mercenaries to occupy. It supported Naruto's theory that the Black Sun could potentially use Firebend Town as a distribution center for the surrounding region, including the Hidden Leaf which was only a few miles away. This was unacceptable in Naruto's mind as the town would turn into a rat hole if bandits and mercenaries were eventually allowed to move in under the leadership of Oshimo.

"How did you know all that? Who are you?" Oshimo questioned as his heart started to beat out of his chest. He never expected to be found out so quickly after the death of the Third Hokage. He was informed that the Hidden Leaf were pulling back their shinobi and re-assigning them to more defensive oriented deployments in case of further invasions. They weren't actively patrolling and investigating small towns like this for everyday crime which they could effectively weed out on their own.

"My name isn't important, but you should know that I'm a member of the Jasmine Dragon Mafia and you're overstepping your bounds Mr. Ringo. You're in my territory and I don't want your business in this town." Naruto growled as Oshimo felt his heart skip a beat. If the mafia was involved, then that meant a credible obstacle and threat was now facing the Black Sun. "What do you want with me… I'm just the mayor of this town." The undercover agent squeaked out which actually managed to spike Naruto's temper as he let out an irritated snarl.

"How dare you even try to deny your guilt when the proof is right here on your desk." Naruto yelled as he slammed his hand down on the wooden desk causing it to shake. "Those documents mean nothing. Spice is a common material in our world and as mayor I'm entitled to presiding over the documents of the buildings in my town. These accusations cannot hold up to scrutiny." Oshimo countered in outrage as he stood to his feet and glared at Naruto and Hinata who didn't flinch back at the older man.

"You're lying… my eyes can detect these things. It's despicable that you would infect this town with your contraband. You'll destroy the lives of these people… especially the children if it ever gets to them. How can you live with yourself?" Hinata spoke up for the first time and Naruto was surprised to detect real anger and disgust in his usually docile best friends voice. Hinata was genuinely repulsed and angered by this man. Oshimo growled in offense to these accusations as he waved his arms in retaliation.

"I live just fine girl! I sleep soundly at night as well. You have no proof for any of the claims you hold and the slander on my name will not be tolerated. The mafia will pay for this transgression!" Oshimo yelled as Naruto turned away from the man to gather his composure. A frown marred Hinata's covered face as both her and Naruto were wearing traditional masks to cover their faces and identities.

"We know about the stash of Sansanna Spice that you hid in the cellar beneath the school. We just came back from destroying the entire shipment of it." Naruto stated in a pointed tone that caused the temperature in the room to drop further than what Naruto's power previously did. "You what?!" Oshimo whispered in disbelieve that soon gave way to rage as his façade that he was keeping up completely broke in the face of this new development. "Do you know what you've done you damn kids!" Oshimo roared in anger as he reached underneath his desk and pulled out a large machete that he attempted to swing at Hinata who painfully saw the telegraphed attack coming from a mile away.

With a fluidity that Naruto would come to marvel at years later Hinata flowed around the sloppy swing by the outraged mayor and blasted several of his chakra points in the blink of an eye. The sharp weapon fell out of Oshimo's hands as Hinata launched a full palm strike into the older man's chest launching him back into his chair with a painful wheezing cough. "I see you've dropped the ridiculous charade. Good. Because I'm done playing with you now." Naruto insisted as he walked around to the side of Oshimo's desk and glared down at him with such a potent dosage of killing intent that the man started to shake in his seat.

"Put your hands on the table now." Naruto commanded in a dark tone that caused Hinata to lightly flinch in fright and surprise as she knew she was now going to bear witness to the side of Naruto he didn't want her to see. Seeing the hesitation in Oshimo's face Naruto grabbed both of the man's hands and placed them on the edge of the desk. The suspense was killing him as Naruto froze over Oshimo's hands. "Let's play a little game now. You're going to tell me everything you know about the Black Sun and any other operations in towns in the surrounding area." Naruto ordered as Oshimo tried to pull back on his arms but with his hands frozen to the desk he was essentially stuck in place. The coldness of the ice was another factor he had to contend with as the ice produced by Naruto's energy was much colder than naturally formed ice.

"I won't talk boy! You have no idea just what you're dealing with. The Black Sun isn't to be trifled with. Our reach is as infinite as our strength. One agent from the mafia can't oppose us." Oshimo sneered as he attempted to spit in Naruto's face but seeing this Hinata quickly slapped the man's face away causing his spit to stain the glass of one of his display cases. "Don't try that again or else." Hinata threatened as she poked several places along Oshimo's arms causing them to go limp in response.

Keeping his composure from seeing Hinata acting so aggressively Naruto focused back down on Oshimo who was continuing to struggle. "You don't seem to understand. This isn't an option. I will get what I came for and you will suffer for your crimes. The Black Sun means nothing to me. You're holding on to some delusion that you can survive my questioning until help arrives but it's not coming. So, let me shatter that pathetic notion of yours." Naruto said in the most bone chilling voice Hinata's ever heard from him as his eyes grew dark with hatred and darkness swirling around in them.

Faster than the eye could blink Naruto's fist came crashing down on one of Oshimo's frozen over fingers shattering the appendage into a million pieces causing Oshimo to scream out in terror and mortification. Since his hands were frozen over he couldn't actually feel the pain his finger just experienced but it didn't change the fact that he could visibly see his finger shattered. "Now do you see Mr. Ringo. You never had a choice in this matter… just like you never gave the people of this town a choice before you brought in your drugs and crime." Naruto growled in anger as he roughly grabbed the man by the collar of his expensive suit. "So, you see Mr. Ringo you will be answering all of my questions and you'll do it now before I lose my patience!" Naruto roared as he slammed his hand down and shattered another one of Oshimo's fingers causing the man to scream in horror.

Hinata took a deep breath to keep her composure as she watched her best friend and first love act in a way she would have never thought him capable of. This was the side he didn't want her to see. It was an eye opener for Hinata who wanted to grow to accept every side of her closest friend. This was something she would need to accept. It was also something she may one day have to do to someone else.

Oshimo Ringo's screams permeated the administrative office of the Mayor for well over an hour that went unnoticed and unheard of from the rest of the staff who never once came to check in on the leader. Unfortunately for him and conveniently for Naruto and Hinata the mayor had cleared his schedule of all appointments and interruptions as he was secretly overseeing the logistics of the large shipment of Sansanna Spice that had just arrived the previous night. It was little over a week and a half almost two weeks since Hiruzen's death and the failed invasion of the Hidden Sand and Sound Villages. The Black Sun wanted to move as fast as possible to secure a footing in the underworld and so they moved as much of their product as they possible could with the time they had. It was a substantial shipment that was hidden beneath the school and it costs over 20 million ryō in street value to produce that much spice. It was extremely profitable to the crime organization and the fact Naruto had single handedly destroyed all of it was a massive blow to the Black Sun Criminal Syndicate.

This unfortunate timing on Oshimo's side was his ultimate downfall as Naruto squeezed out every single drop of information from the man who had his spirits broken after enduring Naruto's torture course. He was trained by the best in the mafia as well as being personally tutored by his surrogate older sister Anko Mitarashi who is the lead interrogator and torture specialist in the I&T Department of the ANBU Black Ops Division. He had experience in this field that most fresh Jōnin didn't even have. A civilian like Oshimo Ringo never stood a snowball's chance in hell of ever holding out against Naruto's inquisition.

Coming to the end of his session Naruto wiped the dripping blood off of his hands as he stared on impassively at Oshimo's unrecognizable and battered form. He was brutalized and mutilated in vicious ways as Naruto subconsciously took out his pent-up anger and aggression from his early childhood out on the criminal administrator who was poisoning this beautiful town with the filth of his organization. He was going to hunt down every single associate and accomplice tied to Oshimo in the entire town and take them all out. That was a promise he intended to fulfill tonight as he would use the cover of night when most of his targets were asleep to round them all up without much resistance. By tomorrow morning Firebend Town would be purged of every single criminal hiding in its shadows.

"I think we're done here Hinata… we've got everything out of this piece of garbage." Naruto coldly spat as he cleaned off his hands and compiled the lists of papers with his handwriting on it. On the sheets of papers detailed a large list of names of the accomplices and associates associated with Oshimo and the Black Sun. On the other papers were very detailed paragraphs detailing specific subjects of interest compiled into notes for future reference. He got every drop of information out of Oshimo who was barely conscious at this point.

Hinata was on the other side of the room staring out of the window of Oshimo's office with a faraway stare in her eyes. She witnessed a side of Naruto she could never forget… and not because of the fact she watched him do what he did to his victim… but for the intoxicating and alluring temptation of also joining in that Naruto's actions caused. Hinata actually found herself using her Gentle Fist on Oshimo to cause him pain. He even answered a few of her own questions when she got "creative" with her family's ancient Taijutsu style. She wanted to be sick to her stomach for inflicting such pain onto another human being but with the more secrets that Oshimo continued to spill over the course of that long and never-ending hour that had each one of them being worse than the last Hinata quickly found her compassion and inhibitions melting away.

As of now… the Hyūga Heiress didn't feel a shred of remorse for the living piece of garbage behind her. The secrets that he had to share with them and the atrocities that he and his organization participated in were beyond her young mind to comprehend. She desperately wanted to cry even now but her tears wouldn't fall during the entire session. Her tears were in a state of disbelief along with her heart at the things she heard. She didn't even want to remember half of the things she learned from the man who has participated in levels of depravity and inhumane injustices that would even put some demons to shame.

She couldn't look at Naruto any different now considering she gave into her own instincts and inflicted pain on the man that she could never see herself doing to another human being. It was an experience that would stick with her for the rest of her life. '…Yet why? Why do I not feel remorse or disgust at my own actions… Why do I feel like I was meant to punish him? It feels like I'm righting a wrong of this world by confronting this man. There's this feeling in my chest that's burning. I feel a strange yet satisfied sense of justice in helping Naruto do what he did. Why does it feel like this man was fated to be stopped today?' Hinata agonized within her mind as she couldn't ignore the strong and heavy feeling in her chest that she did the right thing on an instinctual level. She didn't feel any remorse for her actions even though she knew that she acted a bit out of character in her personality. It was like she wasn't fully in control.

"You can't leave me here… the Black Sun will kill me." Oshimo whispered out through busted lips. His lungs were heavily damaged during his ordeal and he could barely speak but seeing that Naruto and Hinata were now done with him he wanted to find out his fate. Blowing out an aggravated exhale of air Naruto turned back around to face Oshimo who he thought was long since unconscious. "The Black Sun are the least of your worries scum. By tomorrow morning this entire town will be purged of you and every piece of trash in every possible corner and shadow this town has. All of your messengers that travel to and from the towns will all be caught. Every person you've ever been connected to will go down in one fell swoop. I won't let any harm befall this town ever again." Naruto reassured as Oshimo weakly and half-heartedly glared up at Naruto with the little non-existent strength he had left.

"This is a way of life like any other kid. These people are our profit to pillage from. The weak fall prey to the strong and those in power. So, what if we are exploiting them. If not us, then somewhere down the line someone else would do it. You think that you're righteous and just with your actions when you've chosen a profession that enables you to harm and torture others." Oshimo challenged out weakly as he used the last of his strength to say the last thing on his mind.

Unfortunately for him… it would be his last words.

Seething in rage Naruto walked around the side of Oshimo's desk and wound his leg back before lashing out with a vicious chakra enhanced kick that was so powerful that not only did it break several bones in Oshimo's rib cage, but it ripped his arms off of his wrists and hands that were still frozen to the desk. Oshimo's body rag dolled and fell over in his chair as he weakly screamed out in pain as he looked up to see that both his arms were stumps with his hands and upper half of his wrists still attached to the desk that was thrown across the room by Naruto who lashed out with one hand and using his other leg stomped down on Oshimo's already caved in chest causing the man to spew out a geyser of blood from his mouth that he started to choke on.

"Don't you dare speak as if you are innocent or have any grievances. I didn't choose the life I live now… this life chose me and if it allows me to rid the world of scum like you then I'll gladly be the monster you think I am. I can see it in your eyes right now. You think of me as nothing more than a monster that has come into your life and ruined everything you've worked hard to obtain. Well, I'll tell you one final thing before you die… If all of your hard work was built on a mountain of corpses and the river of blood of those you've stepped on, then you deserve to be visited by a monster like me." Naruto said in the most detached and acidic tone he's ever used in his entire life as he generated one of his swords made of ice and poised it to plunge into Oshimo's skull.

"Wait Naruto… let me." Hinata spoke up quietly which stopped the blond-haired mafia agent in his tracks. Turning to his partner and newfound love in surprise Naruto saw the detached and void look in Hinata's usually vibrant lavender colored eyes. Walking up to the man Hinata couldn't help the foreign feeling of justice that was burning brightly within her soul that was driving her with a sense of purpose. Something within her was calling for the wrongs of this world to be righted and the heiress was finding herself giving in to those inner desires.

'I don't know what this feeling is… but it feels like a heartbeat inside of me… it feels warm and familiar. I feel like I need to punish this man for everything that he's done. Like it was his inevitable fate to meet this end all along. I feel like Neji just thinking like this, but it almost feels like fate, like I was always meant to do this.' Hinata absentmindedly thought to herself within the confines of her own mind as she held up her finger that was illuminated by a vibrant golden rippling wave of energy that startled Naruto completely out of his comfort zone as he immediately sensed the Holy Aura within the energy rolling off of Hinata's finger. Hinata's powerful golden Byakugan pulsed into existence as she stared down at the man who was about to be judged.

"You've done far too much in this lifetime to be allowed to live. It is your fate to die here today so that others may life in safety. No longer will anyone ever be hurt by you or your actions. You've been judged… this is your fate." Hinata said in a holy tone that vibrated the very walls of Naruto's soul as Oshimo saw his entire life flash before his very eyes right before Hinata lunged forward and jabbed her finger right into the center of the defunct mayor's skull causing a golden ripple of energy to cascade out from the center of impact killing the criminal instantly.

Naruto's breath hitched in his throat as he watched his sweet and kind Hinata brutally and mercilessly strike down the man before them. Of course, this didn't include all of the things she did to him in the last hour but other than that this was her very first kill. She executed this man for his crimes and a certain unknown weight settled down in Naruto's heart as he stared into Hinata's golden hued Byakugan eyes that shined with a righteous and pure sense of justice and surprisingly enough love that he was speechless beyond his comprehension. This wasn't the Hinata he's known for half of his life. Or maybe… he had awakened an inner side to his first love that even he wasn't aware existed. It was Hinata yet at the same time it felt like it was someone else… someone older yet so much like Hinata that the similarities had to be there.

'What have I done… did I do this? Was this inside Hinata all along? Like it is inside of me? This darkness… but why does this not feel like darkness? Why do I get the strangest sensation that this feels like righteous justice? Like fate struck this man down today and not Hinata? I don't believe in fate and after everything I did for Neji I doubt I ever will. But what is this feeling in my chest? It feels like I wasn't completely right… but not completely wrong either about my beliefs.' Naruto questioned within his mind as he tentatively reached out and placed a hesitant hand on Hinata's shoulder that brought the young Hyūga out of the trance she seemed to be in.

"Hinata…?" Naruto stuttered in uncertainty as the familiar warm lavender colored eyes of Hinata turned towards him in attention as her powerful new Byakugan faded out of existence with the pulsating veins around her face and eyes. Her full attention was back on Naruto now who was trying to form words in his mouth, but nothing was coming forth. "I'm sorry." Was Hinata's abrupt and unwarranted reply as Naruto retracted his hand back in confusion. "Huh?"

A long pause formed between the young and so far, unofficial brand-new couple as Naruto tried to form words in his mouth once more. "That was very scary huh? I didn't feel like myself just then. Is that how you feel when you have to close off your heart to do your job. Is that how you feel when you kill and act in the name of the shinobi and mafia?" Hinata asked quietly as she shrunk in on herself with tiny tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Naruto's breath hitched in his throat as he closed the distance between him and Hinata. Wrapping his best friend in a tight hug Naruto allowed Hinata to feel his rapidly beating heart that was pounding against his chest.

"Yes… this is how I feel every time I do my duty. I close off my heart so that I don't ever hesitate. I always tell myself that even though there will never be a justification for taking another person's life or for hurting them that if I don't do it then they will go on to continue to hurt the innocent. My actions no matter how terrible will save a life somewhere that will be negatively impacted by the target I face. I have to believe and convince myself that my actions have benefits… ones that I can see right in front of me and those that I can't see." Naruto wisely spoke as he spoke from his heart to give Hinata the truth and nothing but the truth. He would never dare lie to her and especially not now when it looked like she needed him now more than ever.

"It's strange to hear you say that when in my heart for some reason I don't feel like I have to convince myself of my reasonings or purpose. I felt like I was doing the right thing the entire time. Like I was just and unflinching in my right to help you. It felt like it was Mr. Ringo's fate to die today. I felt his life leave the second I touched him with my finger. He's gone." Hinata whispered as Naruto tightened his grip on Hinata who buried her face in his chest. 'She's saying the same thing I was thinking in my head. This can't possibly be a coincidence. No… with the way my life is, and with what I know now… this isn't a coincidence. I just have to figure out what this means for Hinata.' Naruto resolved in his mind as he wasn't going to go down the road of simply blaming Lady Sōkyoku for once again meddling in his life. That problem was for the most part laid to bed with the reconciliation between him and Iris. He knows he still needs to talk with Lady Sōkyoku soon to have a face to face resolution between them, but still continuing to blame her won't solve his problems and make him feel better. He knows this is all a part of her plan… he's just willing to play along with it for now.

"This was your first kill… and it happened after such a long and violent build up. It will get better with time and I'll be here with you every step of the way. This is why I didn't want you to come along. I didn't want this for you." Naruto softly stated in remorse as he nuzzled his face into Hinata's neck which was a pleasant sensation that momentarily distracted her from the turmoil in her heart.

"It's ok Naruto… for some strange reason I feel lighter now… like this was supposed to happen. I don't fully understand it and I do feel horrible about what I just did but I can't bring myself to cry or scream or do anything right now. I'm scared yet I can't act on it." Hinata squirmed within Naruto's embrace as the blond-haired boy felt himself tear up. "Then I'll cry for you Hinata… I don't mind." Naruto sobbed as he let himself open all of his closed off mental barriers as the floodgates opened up within him.

Naruto cried as he felt himself wash away the pain and resentment he was harboring for the patrons that worked in the orphanage with him when he was a toddler. The drug abuse that they turned to too alleviate their grief turned Naruto's early life into a living hell on earth. He suffered trauma no child should have to endure and was rendered homeless and severely emotionally stunted and mistrustful and paranoid as a child growing up. They permanently scarred and ruined a portion of his soul with their actions but now he felt himself letting that pain go. He cried out his frustration and mortification at all of the atrocities and crimes he learned Oshimo and the Black Sun committed and the actions the so-called mayor took with this town by smuggling in illegal drugs to poison the streets of their community.

With how small Firebend Town is and with the massive volume of drugs that they destroyed in the storage facility it wouldn't have taken long at all for those drugs to make their way to the children of the school where the Spice was being held in the first place. The way of life for these people would have been all but destroyed in a few short weeks if the Black Sun were left unchecked here. It made Naruto worry for other small towns and villages in the Land of Fire that were befalling the same fate that Firebend Town was. It made him determined to see to the liberation of the other towns on the list he was given. He was going to check back with Dino after his mission was over to see if he could be granted permission to participate in the other assignments concerning the Black Sun. This was now a fight he wanted to be a part of for the sake of the innocence around the country. It was a daunting thought to know that this was also happening in the other countries around the world and that the Black Sun were involved with it all.

Naruto let out everything he held bottled up in his heart as his actions led to Hinata finally being able to overcome the strong mental barrier in her mind as she began to cry as well. Naruto did the only thing he was meant to do as he held his partner in his arms. He wished Eva was here to help cheer Hinata up, but he had left her with the girls and Jiraiya. He didn't trust the old pervert not to corrupt Chaos's already warped and twisted mind with more of his perversion. For now, it was left up to him to calm Hinata down and so that was what he did as he took Hinata to the roof of the administration building where they would have privacy. He had a clone clean up Oshimo's body and sealed it in a storage scroll which was going to a fate ever associate of Oshimo was soon going to face.

"Feel better now?" Naruto whispered as he held Hinata in his lap with her back pressed against his chest. He was leaning against an air conditioning vent on the roof while the two kids stared up into the night sky that was filled with bright stars that could be seen with a clarity that was granted to them by the lack of pollution the cities and towns in their world created. Almost all of the towns and villages in the Land of Fire were built within thick forests that sucked away any minor amount of pollution that the industrial buildings in the towns create. Everywhere you would look you would see thick bundles of trees billowing out into the air despite the fact you were in the middle of a town. There wasn't a single 'concrete jungle' like settlement anywhere in the Land of Fire, not even the capital of the country was a large mess of buildings. Everywhere no matter how deep you were within the downtown of a settlement had thick roving forests of trees that integrated the entire village into the surrounding area of nature.

In the Land of Fire there was no separation between nature and urban settlements. They were seamlessly integrated into one. Looking up into the clear sky filled with billions of stars Naruto felt himself relax alongside Hinata who let herself go limp in Naruto's embrace. "Yes… I truly needed that more than I would ever know. Thank you, Naruto." Hinata sincerely thanked as she rubbed the top of her head into Naruto's chin causing him to wrinkle his nose in joyful discomfort as some of Hinata's hair was tickling his nose.

"Of course, any time Hinata." Naruto softly stated as he squeezed her tighter to his chest causing his counterpart to blush in comfort. "You never wanted me to be exposed to such a dark walk of live. I see what you mean now… it was so intoxicating that I allowed myself to join in with you. It's a dangerously fine line that you walk when you close off your heart and do such cruel things to people… yet at the same time they do far worse to others. Sometimes with even the single stroke of a pen." Hinata preached softly as Naruto hummed in agreement.

"You know what they say… the pen is mightier than the sword. I heard old man Third say that line once when I was growing up. I didn't understand what it meant at the time, but I do now. Evil doesn't always have to be power personified in a vessel. It often comes in the form of subtle actions and words that no Ninjutsu can fight against. I can't take back what you just experienced but… this is what I was so ashamed and self-conscious about you being exposed to. I guess… I was trying to preserve this perfect image of me within your mind." Naruto confessed as Hinata perked up a bit in understanding.

"I've always accepted you for who you are Naruto. No one is perfect… not me, not you, not even Iris despite everything... or maybe because of everything. I love every part of you… even the ones I've yet to see. That's what loved ones do for one another right?" Hinata encouraged with a soft smile and an even softer stutter as she nuzzled herself into Naruto's neck this time who blushed happily at the affection he was receiving as well as the words his partner was speaking to him.

"Right… it will get better with time Hinata. One day you may have to walk down this path as any shinobi is expected to do and now you'll be ready. I'll try to be more open with you from now on. I won't hide this side of me from you from now on if that's what you want. Maybe if I don't then I can accept that part of myself and no longer be so ashamed of it. I'll never like hurting people but maybe my conscious can be cleared if I start to move forward." Naruto proposed in thought as Hinata nodded her head in agreement.

"I'm with you… but tonight isn't over yet. We have to save this town and finish what we started. I know you won't rest until the job is done." Hinata probed as Naruto nodded his head in agreement. "Yes… I can't stop now." Naruto insisted as he looked up into the night sky with a determination in his eyes that Hinata had long since fallen in love with. It was a defining quality of Naruto's persona. "I'm with you… I don't want to stop here." Hinata insisted in her own right as Naruto looked down at his counterpart in surprise.

"No… Hinata you've done enough, more than enough really for a lifetime. You don't have to follow me any further. I can easily finish the rest of this up on my own." Naruto retorted in a medium of overprotectiveness as he didn't want Hinata continuing to lurk around the darkness that his actions would entail. She's done more than enough for one night. He didn't want her pushing herself. Her soul was tainted enough to last a lifetime.

"I can't do that Naruto, I'm sorry… but I can't stop here. We're in this together and I don't want to give up. You taught me to never give up. I want to be by your side no matter the place your journey takes you. You're no longer alone in sharing your burdens with just Eva. I'm here now or did you forget we're now a couple? You've made me strong enough to bear any burden you may have." Hinata insisted as she twisted around a bit in Naruto's embrace to face him who was staring into her eyes with his soul open for Hinata to see.

"I… I can't stop you… not, anymore can I?" Naruto whispered in awe as Hinata's eyes glowed in amusement and self-pride. "No… not anymore. I may not be as strong as you physically… but in my heart, I'm ready to walk besides you from now on. Besides… I can't pass up on an opportunity for you to continue my training. My condition needs to have progress made with it or my father's going to kill you remember." Hinata reminded Naruto with a small giggle as Naruto audibly gulped in fear.

"As always your right." Naruto joked with a nervous chuckle as Hiashi metaphorically held Naruto's life within his hands. The father was seriously overprotective of his two daughters which was something Naruto had mad respect for considering he was fanatical about Iris and Chaos. That sentiment now extended to his new children as well which was why he could understand where Hiashi was coming from. Hinata's current medical condition was something that needed to be rectified. He wasn't going to rest until some progress was made.

"There was another reason why I don't want to go back to the hotel just yet." Hinata said in a peculiar tone of voice the sent a pleasurable shiver up Naruto's spine. This was Hinata's playful and mischievous tone of voice. "Oh… and what might that be?" Naruto played along although he was about to wish he hadn't. Smiling a coy smile that was rare on her face Hinata giggled into her hands with a knowing look that gave Naruto goosebumps. "With all of the darkness swirling around your heart and everything that we've been through today. What do you think that's done to Chaos?" Hinata hinted with a giggle as Naruto's skin turned bone white as the simple ramifications became clear to him.

With everything that has transpired today, the little Angeloid was sure to have absorbed an obscene amount of negative energy from Naruto throughout the day. She had to be like a ticking time bomb by now that was ready to explode. That thought terrified Naruto more than his impending doom of returned to the village to face Hiashi. Dealing with Chaos in one of her uncontrollable rampages was a task no one could handle. Not even him.

As if right on cue a huge tremor shook the town as a billowing cloud of miasma and smoke filled the air. A huge explosion rocked the hotel building the group was staying in and the familiar feeling of the chaotic miasma permeating the air was a dead giveaway to who was responsible. Chaos was out of control now.

Turning to Hinata with amusement dancing in his eyes Naruto grinned at his untitled girlfriend. "You knew… didn't you?" A grin was his immediate reply as Hinata coyly pointed to her eyes with a playful laugh. "I turned my Byakugan on as soon as we got to the roof for a brief moment. I just wanted to check in on the girls." Hinata laughed in a lighthearted tone that caused a warm and caring smile to work its way onto Naruto's face. A look of contentment and love was staring Hinata in her lavender colored eyes and a small shy blush worked its way onto her face in response.

"You're amazing… you know that, right?" Was Naruto's love filled response that caused the blush to darken and spread across Hinata's face. "I know… but I'd love for you to tell me that more often." Hinata cheekily quipped back as a challenging grin formed on Naruto face. "Oh… I plan too." Naruto whispered as he leaned forward and planted a soft love filled kiss on Hinata's lips that left her breathless and as still as a statue. "First, we've got to take care of our wild daughter, then we can clean up this town. You think you can handle that Hinata?" Naruto challenged as he looked to Hinata who regained her composure. 'Our child… I guess Iris and Chaos are like my children. I've been in their lives almost since the time they've been born. Our child huh?' Hinata thought to herself with an inner smile that could light up the world if given the chance. A burning resolve was now in Hinata's heart as she turned to give her loving partner her full attention.

The most confident smile Naruto's ever seen worked its way onto the normally shy and reserved Hyūga's face. This was a version of Hinata Hyūga who was ready to take on the whole world if need be and not flinch. "I can handle it… believe it!" Hinata grinned as she surged out her chakra and released her seal keeping her Yōki in check. Cerulean colored water rippled out from her body and formed around her hands as surprisingly enough a golden hued ripple like wave of energy vibrated off of Hinata's body in a soft hum that mesmerized Naruto. "We won't be getting any sleep tonight Hinata." Naruto pointed out in a final warning as his partner turned to him with confidence pouring out of her. "I wasn't planning on it." Was the Hyūga Heiress's strong reply as Hinata ignored the stinging pain of having both Holy Aura and Yōki active in her body at the same time as she punched her fist into her open palm in defiance.

"Let's do this." Was Naruto final reply as his Accelerated Cloak activated around his body for the first time since his climactic fight on Hōrai Island. He was ready to jump back into the fray once more… but now he knew he truly had Hinata not watching his back or chasing after him… but fighting by his side where she truly belonged and that thought made the Nine Tails Jinchūriki's heart swell with a love he was beginning to get used to.

This was a new chapter in Naruto's life… and he was prepared to move forward with Hinata and his new family by his side. Crime was going to be on the run and Tsunade couldn't hide forever. Naruto Uzumaki was coming.


To be continued...

[The Search for Tsunade Arc]


Jutsu Library

1.) Ice Style: Ice Prison Jutsu - This technique allows the user to infuse their chakra with ice on the ground and bring it to the surface. The user can then trap their opponent within the ice by controlling its movements and completely surrounding them in the ice. It is strong enough to withstand basic Fire Release techniques, because the ice has already been infused with the user's chakra. The user can also surround themselves with the ice prison to act as a shield. Additionally, any piece of ice that Naruto is controlling can be used to immobilize a target. If he hits you with ice from any Ice Style Jutsu then he can freeze you in place.

2.) Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu - The Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu is the advanced version of the Jutsu and creates hundreds of clones instead of just the average number.

3.) Fūinjutsu: Privacy Seal - A seal that allows the user to conceal an area and cut off both sound and light from escaping the area. It is perfect as it allows private meetings to take place without the worry of easy droppers. The seal is typically formed on a small sheet of paper that is then stuck to a nearby surface to engulf the area in its effect.


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys how was that? I've found myself another chapter to add to my collection of most favorite. With the start of the chapter beginning like a scene out of a movie with Naruto calmly stalking Hiroshi Kanzaki a local thug and interrogating him in the middle of the night in a dark alleyway. We learn a great deal from this conversation as Naruto reveals his more darker soul when it comes to doing the dirty work of the Mafia and by extension a Shinobi as they are expected to be capable of interrogating a target. Hiroshi reveals the existence of a large shipment of Spice being stored within the property of the local school which greatly angers Naruto who also learns that the mayor is the ring leader and proxy commander of all the thugs who are a part of an international crime syndicate that opposes the Mafia called the Black Sun. (Props to anyone who can figure out where they are from.) Naruto scares Hiroshi straight with a frightening display of his Winter Fairy King Mode that he managed to summon voluntarily for the very first time. In the end Naruto changes Hiroshi's perspective on life by giving him a second chance to start over by getting him on his feet.

The next day comes with Naruto taking Hinata and the girls on a pseudo date to Ember Café where they meet Hitomi once more. Hinata sizes up Naruto's longtime friend and marvels at how beautiful she is while also stealing glances at her mature body. A body Hinata also notices Naruto peeking glances at which is a very informative experience for the young girl who wants to know more about her partner and his developing tastes. After a small teasing session by Hitomi who is helping the young couple grow closer together Naruto finally broaches the topic he wanted to discuss with her.

That night Naruto and Hinata stake out the school building and Naruto helps the girl train with her Byakugan which proves to be a lot harder than they both first thought. Once more with Naruto's assistance he feels a presence resonating within Hinata's body that startles Naruto. What is it and has it always been their? Finding the secret stash of spice in the basement Naruto and Hinata destroy it all dealing a serious blow to the Black Sun and Pyke Family as a whole. Hinata expresses her desire to see the whole mission through to the end with Naruto who finds it extremely hard to refuse the girl who has such a profound sway over him.

Naruto and Hinata interrogate Oshimo Ringo the mayor of Firebend Town who is an agent of the Black Sun. We see Naruto's brutal methods at play here as he tortures Oshimo by shattering his frozen over fingers in a brutal display that actually shakes Hinata to her core. In the end Oshimo reveals everything he knows but not before Hinata in a surprising twist is tempted by Naruto's display and actually joins in on his job which surprises Naruto more than anything. After Oshimo foolishly utters his last words he has his hands torn from his body when Naruto brutally kicks him from his chair while his hands were still frozen to the desk. Naruto prepares to execute Oshimo but in the most surprising twist yet Hinata steps in seemingly under a trance and mercilessly kills Oshimo using a strange Divine technique. She does this all the while reciting a prayer of sorts while referencing fate.

The chapter winds down with Naruto comforting Hinata who reveals how she feels after performing her first kill and in such startling fashion. Naruto cries for Hinata who initially couldn't control her own emotions. In an act of self-cleansing Naruto is finally able to put his past behind him with the matrons of the orphanage who ruined his early childhood and about the atrocities that the Black Sun have committed.

Naruto and Hinata share a sweet and tender moment under the star filled night sky on the roof of the administration building as he comforts her and reassures Hinata that her actions weren't evil. Hinata in turn returns Naruto's kind words and affections with ones of her own as the two take another large step in their budding relationship by confessing to each other their dark insecurities and ultimately accepting them. Naruto initiates a passionate kiss with Hinata to confirm the new level of their relationship as Hinata shows Naruto her playful and teasing side by revealing the fact Chaos is now on a rampage due to the excessive amount of negative energy he was generating with the actions he took today. The chapter ends with the couple standing together ready to finish what they started now closer than ever.

This was a major step for both Naruto and Hinata as characters and it will shape them for the future of the story. Not only in the aspects of their shared romantic relationship but simply as friends who share a bond and as individual characters on their own. This is a major milestone for the two and the future is now set in stone for what is to come.


Next Chapter: Chapter 74 (Fated Reunions and Revelations)


That's the end of Chapter 73 I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.

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Published: 10/11/2018