Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.
Chapter 25:
...and gunfire breaks out
Kyoko was annoyed. She didn't show it of course. Years of being a detective had taught her to always hide her emotions. You never knew who could be watching. This led many to believe that she didn't feel anything. That she was something of an ice queen.
This couldn't be further from the truth.
Kyoko had plenty of emotions, just like any other person. But she always made sure to bury them, as her grandfather had taught her. In order to be the best detective, something like that was necessary.
But as already stated, this didn't stop Kyoko from feeling. And right now, she was definitely feeling annoyed.
Why?
Because she had to take Kirumi with her on her investigation. Hayama's request and all that nonsense.
It was an oversight on her part. Once she arrived on that island, she should have known that Hayama would want to know when she left and for what purpose. Even if she tried to lie, it wouldn't change anything. Hayama would still send someone with her. The recent attacks were enough of an excuse to justify this.
Kyoko still didn't like it.
"Let me make it clear right now." That's why, when the two girls arrived at the bar that morning, Kyoko faced Kirumi with a somewhat challenging look. "I'm not sure what your master ordered you to do, but if you try to interfere with my work, I won't hesitate to retaliate."
Was it an empty threat? Kirumi couldn't know. At the very least, the maid admired the way Kyoko was being upfront with her. It definitely saved a lot of trouble for the both of them.
"There is nothing for you to worry about, Kirigiri-sama." Kirumi didn't bat an eye to Kyoko's threat. "I am not here to get in your way. I'm merely here for support. If I can be of any assistance, please don't hesitate to rely on me."
It wasn't a lie. Hayama hadn't told her to do anything that might disrupt Kyoko's investigation. It was just the man being hopeful again, confident that no matter what Kyoko managed to discover his family would be found innocent.
Kirumi had no real thoughts on the matter. She only served.
Or so she told herself.
Kyoko kept her gaze on Kirumi for a few more moments, probably trying to see if she could find a lie in those words. When she was satisfied, she turned her focus back to the bar.
Silently, Kirumi hoped that Naruto was able to follow them here without any problem. She would have no way of knowing, though, especially now that they were going inside.
As the two stepped inside the bar, they found the place pretty deserted. Not surprising really, as the bar wasn't officially opened at this hour. They did see several drunkards passed out in booths, on the floor, and even one on the pool table.
How classy.
There was a single man standing behind the counter. He had dark skin and was bald and had a rather impressive physique. He was still in uniform, so it wasn't hard to deduce that he was the bartender.
"We're not open anymore." He didn't bother to look up from the glass cup he was holding. He sounded rather annoyed too. Maybe it was because he had to deal with all the drunks passed out in his bar?
Kyoko didn't care for this. She approached the counter with Kirumi in tow. "We're not here as customers."
At those words, the man finally looked up. When he saw them, he felt another headache coming.
"What the hell? Don't you kids know any better? Coming in here. What do you want? Trying to get me arrested?"
And his license revoked. Not a fun day for anyone involved.
"That all depends on your answers."
Kyoko's statement made the man sort of amused. "What are you saying, missy?"
"I'm here looking for information about one of your employees. His name is Watanabe Aito."
The man said nothing in response. He just looked at the two girls, almost like he was trying to see if they were real or not.
"Am I dreaming? That could actually work out for me. I don't want to work anymore. Last night was one hell of a-"
"Please, I'm not here to waste time." Kyoko wasn't interested in the man's rambling. "Whatever information you can give me on this person would be greatly appreciated."
The man leaned over the counter. "And what does that matter to you?"
"Do you really care?"
"When a random girl comes into my bar like she owns the place and starts asking about one of my employees, you bet I care."
So he was the owner. Good to know.
Kyoko knew she found the right man. "Your employee was involved in an assassination attempt last night. More specifically, he tried to kill me."
The man almost dropped the glass cup he was holding.
"You shitting me!?"
Was his reaction reassuring? Kirumi couldn't tell.
"That son of a bitch." The man almost collapsed on the counter as he held his head. "I knew he got involved with the wrong people. If only I pressured him to tell me everything…."
His mumbling wasn't lost to Kyoko. "You know something? About why he might have done this? Like, for example, who hired him?"
If she could just have that information…..
The man focused back on them. Any semblance of playfulness he had was completely gone now. He couldn't be sure, but his gut instinct told him that Kyoko was involved with the police somehow. But a girl this young?
What a strange world this was.
"You might not believe this, missy, but most folks around here struggle to make it afloat. When you're desperate, the world has a strange way of sending vultures your way. If you catch my meaning."
Oh?
Kirumi was already sort of aware of this honestly. From what she heard speaking to other employees at the mansion, many people in this town weren't exactly rolling in money. It was supposedly one of the poorer areas of the whole country. That's why Hayama's party was almost like a godsend in some ways. With so many wealthy people gathered in one place, they brought in money as well as job opportunities to the people that needed it. Not that it lasted very long, but still.
Kyoko crossed her arms. "I'm not looking for double entendres. I want specific information. Your employee already killed someone before. At least. If you knew who put him up to this, then-"
"I don't know anything about that." He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and started to pull one out before lighting it. "The idiot wouldn't tell me anything. All I know is that he came into some money recently. Cash. Real big amount. The kind you don't get that quick through legal means. Wouldn't tell me where he got it. He was also excited about something else. Probably another job." He shrugged. "More than likely to kill you if I had to guess."
So heartwarming.
"You seem rather laid back about this," Kirumi pointed out, her tone accusatory. "Does it not bother you that you had a killer so close to you?"
The man didn't look bothered by Kirumi's words. "Not in the slightest. Like I already told you, a lot of people around here are always desperate to just stay alive. Do I regret not stopping him? Of course. But he wasn't a bad person. That, I'm sure of."
A victim of circumstance? Is that what he was getting at? Kirumi hated that sort of excuse.
But she didn't pursue the issue.
Kyoko was grateful for that as she still had other questions she needed answered.
"When did he start working here? Do you know if he was employed elsewhere? When did he come into town? Do you know if he might have lived somewhere else?"
"You're a real curious little gal, aren't you?" The man savored the cigarette. How anyone could, Kirumi didn't know. She wasn't a smoker. "I don't know anything about his past. Aito wouldn't talk about it. All I know is that he moved here around two years ago. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."
For normal people, this might seem like a dead end. For Kyoko, it confirmed several suspicious she already had. For one thing, there was no denying that this Aito person was a professional assassin. Moving here and working at this bar was more than likely just a front for him. Now, he could have done this for two reasons. Either he moved here of his own volition, or someone ordered him to. This was the real tricky part for her. Kyoko couldn't know for sure if Aito was part of a bigger organization or if he was a lone wolf, so to speak.
'Maybe if I visited where he stayed I could find out….'
It was a long shot, as Kyoko was certain he would have gotten rid of anything major. But better than nothing, right?
Those thoughts faded when the man spoke again.
"You don't have to answer, since I can already put it together…..but Aito is dead, isn't he?"
From the way Kyoko spoke about him in the past tense….it wasn't hard to read between the lines.
Kyoko stared back at him, her face betraying nothing.
What else could she say but the truth?
"Yes."
There was nothing more to it than that. Did Kyoko hate Aito for what he had tried to do? She couldn't answer that. She hadn't really thought about it. It wasn't that she had dismissed it from her mind. It just wasn't important. All that mattered was the mission right now.
It was almost like the man took a punch to the stomach, but he took it standing.
"I see."
The answer was expected, but it still hurt.
There was a somber silence between them, but that soon ended when the sound of gunfire exploded outside.
Looks like things were about to get more interested.
"The FN P90 is one of the most widely used sub-machine guns at this time. It was first developed in Belgium but is now used by over forty nations throughout the world, with many different variants. It is totally rad!"
That last part wasn't something you might typically hear in a lesson about guns, but Naruto was used to Sonia's little quirks by this point.
The blond made sure to remember all he could as the princess showcased said gun to him. It wasn't the only one she had.
Inside the classroom they were in, which they had reserved for today, Sonia had brought it in all the guns she was acquainted with. Which, believe it or not, happened to be more than Naruto had first guessed.
He had to wonder for a moment if bringing all these weapons in was legal, but he quickly dismissed that thought. Even if it wasn't, Hope's Peak Academy would make it so.
How Sonia got them was a different story. Being a princess had its benefits, that's for sure.
The desks had all sorts of weapons piled on them. From simple handguns to even machine guns.
Incredible.
"You were trained to use all of these, Sonia?"
"But of course!" The blonde was more than happy to showcase this as she picked up one of the handguns. If Naruto could remember correctly, its name was something like Smith & Wesson….?
'I hope I got that right.'
He was slowly getting it.
"My kingdom doesn't manufacture any firearms. That is why we make sure to stay up to date with the production of weapons. We don't want our military to fall behind."
To tell the truth, this was the first time Naruto was truly acknowledging the fact that Sonia was indeed a princess. All this talk about military and whatnot. It definitely showed him that Sonia wasn't like the others here. Well, Fuyuhiko might compare. Sonia's duties were on a grander scale, though.
'Although it's not everyday you see a princess be trained in combat.'
It sort of broke that weak princess stereotype, didn't it? But again, Naruto didn't mind this side of her. If anything, he would be lying if he didn't admit that it was kind of attractive. Seeing Sonia holding a gun with such confidence had a certain charm to it.
Naruto couldn't put it into words. He just liked it. But that was the norm with him, wasn't it? Attracted to girls who could defend themselves, that is.
'Probably got it from dad.'
It was the only way to explain it, especially since he ended up with someone like Kushina.
But that wasn't important right now.
"How cool."
A third voice spoke up. Naruto and Sonia weren't alone in the classroom. Surprising to the whiskered blond, Chiaki had decided to tag along with them, saying she wanted to be a part of the lesson for today.
"I've only ever seen guns in video games before. There's a different feel to them in person."
Ooooorrr maybe he shouldn't be all that surprised.
"Guns are dangerous." Sonia set the handgun back on the desk. "I believe it is wise to get acquainted with them to understand that."
Hmm. Was that why her kingdom pushed for a course in firearms? Naruto could see the logic behind it.
Sonia then looked at Naruto with a curious gaze. "I am rather surprised to hear that your village doesn't have weapons. How do you defend yourself?"
"We do have weapons. Just not like these."
The closest his dimension came was probably canons. But these so-called guns were on far different scale.
"I see." Sonia smiled. "Well, it can't be helped. I don't mind teaching you what I know. I can't say you'll be an expert, but…."
Naruto shook his head. "I don't need to go that far. Maybe later, when I have time. For now, I just want to make sure I know enough so that I'm not caught off-guard."
He didn't want to be caught unprepared like when he was taking that practice test.
Flexing her arm, Sonia smiled some more and said, "You got it! Becoming more acquainted with weapons is one of the requirements, so it's definitely a plus."
Requirements? What requirements?
"Uh, what are you talking about, Sonia?"
"Not to worry. We can discuss that later!"
Naruto and Chiaki looked at one another before shrugging.
Oh well. It was time for more training.
Naruto was sure he had learned a lot thanks to Sonia, but still. There was nothing quite like getting shot at for real. To know that someone was actually trying to kill you…..it got the blood pumping to say the least.
And now. He wasn't a battle-loving maniac, honest.
Thanks to his instincts, Naruto was already running across the rooftop as the assassin unleashed a barrage of bullets on him. His trench coat could protect him, true, but Naruto wasn't taking any chances. A bullet to the head and he was done for. Easy as that.
Naruto wasn't going to risk it.
"Ohohoho, what speed!" The assassin looked to be enamored by Naruto's skills. "I thought this was going to be boring, but it looks like I can have some fun with ya!"
Naruto wasn't able to respond as he kept running. The rooftop didn't have any cover for him to use, so he was stuck running for the time being. He just needed an opening.
Not that he had to wait for too long as the rain of bullets soon stopped. That was the problem with guns. Once you ran out of bullets, you were exposed. The perfect opening Naruto needed.
Having already been anticipating this, Naruto didn't waste anytime in rushing toward the assassin. He didn't hold back his speed, but even so the assassin was still able to react in time to evade the strike that was coming. Not fully, though, as Naruto was able to slash through the military vest he had on. The slash wasn't deep enough unfortunately, so the man's flesh was spared.
As the assassin jumped back to get some distance, he whistled in appreciation.
"Tough knife you got there. Never seen anything like it. And that speed. Managing to graze me like that. Not bad."
This guy…..what kind of personality did you have to have to act all easygoing at a time like this?
As it turns out, Naruto wasn't in such a laid back move, something the unnamed assassin learned firsthand as the blond charged for him again.
"Woah there!" Already knowing he wasn't going to be able to reload in time, the assassin didn't hesitate to toss the gun away and pull out his combat knife from its holster.
Naruto saw this, but he didn't hesitate. The two met right in the middle of the rooftop, kunai clashing against knife. Here, Naruto learned something else that was interesting.
This guy was no lightweight. He had superb upper body strength.
"Stripping me of all my weapons." The assassin let out a fake cry. "Whatever am I going to do now?"
Naruto saw the remaining pistol that he still held, so he wasn't falling for that one.
"The charge is going to be extra now, though. Dealing with you wasn't part of the job."
"So you're here to kill Kyoko."
Like that wasn't obvious already.
"That's correct. Which is why we don't have to fight."
"Says the guy who tried to kill me just now."
"Ah, fair point." Even though his bottom face was covered, Naruto could still tell the man was grinning. "Couldn't resist, though. It's not everyday you see someone like you. Speaking of which, just what are you doing here?"
"Right now? Stopping you."
"Ahahaha, is that right? I guess trying to talk my way out of this one isn't going to cut it, hm?"
What else did he expect?
"Well." If he could, the assassin would have shrugged. "What can you do?"
No more words were said as the two broke off their initial clash for just a moment before they rushed back in for round two. Only now, it wasn't just a single exchange. This time, the two went in with several attacks, slashing at one another with unrelenting force. Just one cut was all they needed. They were sure of it.
As the kunai and knife continued to meet more and more forcibly, sparks began to fly between them.
Naruto started to see that his training with Peko had paid off considerably as he reacted perfectly to every attack the assassin threw his way. Before, he wasn't bad with a kunai. But he was no Sasuke in this area.
"T'ch." Naruto heard the annoyed clicking of the man's teeth as their clash continued. He probably wasn't enjoying the kunai-versus-knife struggle this had turned into. His moves would indicate otherwise, as he kept up with Naruto just fine.
The two moved like blurs across the rooftop, ducking and pouncing. It was a sight to see.
It wasn't long before he found an opening through the man's attacks. As he had done so far, Naruto was able to block the incoming knife strike with his kunai, but he didn't stop with a simple block. The blond managed to knock aside the man's hand that was holding the combat knife while simultaneously pulling out a second kunai from his sleeve. He had a clear path right for the assassin.
From an outsider's perspective, it looked as if Naruto was going to kill him. But the blond and assassin both knew that wasn't the case.
For one thing, the Uzumaki wasn't targeting a vital point. That was enough for the assassin to understand what Naruto was trying to do.
'Trying to disable me, huh?'
Probably to interrogate him. But the assassin couldn't have that. Being captured wasn't part of the job here.
That's when Naruto found out that he was also under attack as the man pulled out the pistol he still had with his other hand. As he had reacted almost in unison with Naruto, the two were pouncing on the other at pretty much the same time. Under these circumstances, Naruto knew he was at a disadvantage. The pistol made sure of that.
That's why, as annoying as it was, Naruto was forced to retreat just as the assassin began to fire a few rounds from the pistol. The masked blond ducked before rolling back just as the man continued to fire on him. One bullet managed to graze his trench coat, but it was no big deal.
With his rolling, Naruto was able to put just enough distance between himself and the man who fired off the remainder of his shots.
The assassin couldn't help but laugh some more. "You have excellent moves there, kid! Oh yeah, you definitely remind me of her!"
Grunting, Naruto came to a stop just as the man ran out of bullets again.
"Should I even ask?"
"No. Because our fun is about to be interrupted."
Naruto didn't need to question what the man was talking about as he heard the sirens in the distance.
"I think it's about time we both got out of here. Unless we want to spend the night behind bars."
The man made a point. Trying to explain himself to the police would be too much of a headache. He didn't want to be stuck in another police station again. That would just ruin everything. And Naruto was pretty aware by now that he wasn't going to be able to restrain the man before the police arrived.
'I hate it when the bad guy is right.'
But just in case….
The assassin found himself rolling out of the way next as Naruto unleashed a barrage of shuriken on him. But he didn't just evade them. As Naruto had done so earlier with one of the bullets, the unnamed man managed to block one of the shuriken with his combat knife, perfectly highlighting his superb reflexes.
Naruto hated that too.
The assassin didn't seem to mind. If anything, he was once again amused by Naruto's reaction. "Ha, testy aren't we?'
That was one way to put it.
There was a bit of a stare off between them. Naruto was almost tempted to use his wire, but he was sure the man could cut right through it with his combat knife.
The stare off couldn't last forever, though, and it was the man who turned away first.
However, just before he made his escape, the assassin made sure to throw a wave Naruto's way.
"It was nice facing you, kid. But know this. I won't be so unprepared next time."
With those parting words, the assassin picked up the discarded sniper rifle before jumping down from the rooftop.
'If I could follow him…..'
Naruto considered that option for just a moment before deciding against it. Trying to fight in public would only lead to more similar results, and he was sure the assassin would know if he was being followed back to wherever it was he was staying. He gave off that kind of aura.
'You won't be the only one who's ready next time.'
Now Naruto knew. There was a powerful enemy out there. He wasn't going to be letting his guard down anytime soon.
It was hard for Naruto to say what happened after that. He didn't know what Kyoko and Kirumi did after his fight, but he had a feeling that it was Kyoko who called the cops. It was something Naruto would have wanted to avoid, but there was nothing he could do about it.
If only the cops hadn't arrived so quickly, maybe he could have apprehended that guy. Then maybe he could have some answers.
If only.
The blond had retreated back to the docks to change back into his butler disguise while ditching his other uniform for now. He didn't know if that assassin would return again, but that concern faded from his mind when he saw Kyoko and Kirumi heading back to the docks as well.
'So soon.'
Had Kyoko discovered something?
Naruto had no way of knowing yet. Either way, after seeing Kyoko and Kirumi hitch a ride on the boat they came in on, he had no reason to stay in the mainland so he had the other boat take him back as well. Not through the main entrance of course.
On the way, Naruto felt a stinging pain coming from his back. More specifically, his upper back. It was right where the assassin had first shot him. The only direct shot if he recalled. As he had been in a hurry, Naruto hadn't bother to check himself over for any injuries he might have gotten from that little scuffle while he was changing.
Looks like he had another troublesome thing to take care of.
That's what the blond was thinking once he returned to the island. Along the way, he noticed a rather big vessel nearby. What was it called?
A yacht?
Probably right.
Naruto made sure to remember that as he walked back to the mansion. He wanted to get in touch with Kirumi right away, but dealing with the annoying pain came first.
He marched to his room, where he quickly discarded the coat and shirt. He was left shirtless, and using the mirror in the room he was able to get a good look at his back. Sure enough, he saw the red spot right where the assassin had first shot him. The bullet might not have been able to pierce his trench coat, but it definitely left a little present behind.
'Troublesome.'
It probably ended up like this because it was a direct hit. Definitely some good information to take into account for future battles.
'Now how to get rid of this-'
His train of thought ceased when the door to his room was opened, with Kirumi emerging from the other side.
"Uzumaki-sama, I have-"
She paused when she saw what he was doing, taking note of the red mark on his skin. Right away she knew what he was doing.
She stepped into the room.
"Do you require assistance?"
Naruto beamed.
Yes, please!
"Thanks for this, Kirumi. I had no idea where this stuff was. Probably would have taken longer too. You're a life saver."
"I believe you're exaggerating, Uzumaki-sama. This is basic treatment."
"Better than what I can do."
"You never learned? I figured someone like you would know the basics, fighting and all."
"Ha, unfortunately no. I did have one good friend who was the best healer, though."
And now there was Mikan. How lucky was he?
Kirumi seemed to find more humor in his words as she applied some cream on his irritated skin. She was also looking to leave a pad to help keep the cream and moister in. Supposedly that would help. Not that Naruto knew for sure. He was just letting the maid do her thing.
Naruto was still without his shirt, not needing it right now.
The two stayed in Naruto's room. Naruto sat on the edge of the bed with Kirumi standing over him to apply the ointment in order to stop any itching and help sooth the damaged area. Beyond that, they would need to go to a hospital, but Naruto didn't think that was necessary. The damage wasn't that severe.
"You attracted a lot of attention today."
Naruto turned a bit sheepish. "So you heard the gunfire."
"Kind of hard to miss, Uzumaki-sama." Kirumi sighed a little. "You are reckless, aren't you?"
Yeah, basically.
"What even happened? By the time Kirigiri-sama and I joined the police, no one was there."
So they searched the rooftop?
"There was another assassin. This was one a lot tougher than the last one too. He's the one who left me with this parting gift."
That made sense.
"So they came again." Kirumi was a bit surprised. She would have thought the mastermind would wait a bit more before making their next move. Were they really that desperate?
"Did you find anything interesting?"
She didn't ask "did you stop them?" Kirumi could kinda guess what had happened on her own based on Naruto's words.
"No. I can't say I did."
Naruto openly frowned, not that Kirumi could see it.
"What about you guys?"
It was Kirumi's turn to frown. "The bar wasn't really much help as far as I can see. However, Kirigiri-sama inspected that rooftop you fought on. That is where you two fought, right?"
"Yeah."
"She thought so as well. She and the police found a weapon there, as well as many shell casings. It must have been quite a firefight."
Only one person was doing the shooting, though.
'Hm, I guess they must not have found my shuriken then.'
Lucky him?
"Kirigiri-sama showed great interest in the gun and the shell casings. That is why we returned so quickly. She said she needed to make some calls." Kirumi then added, "She kind of suspected that another assassin was after her, and that you stopped them. That's why she felt better returning. Just in case."
It had saved Naruto some trouble, so he was happy with that.
'Looks like I need to speak to Kyoko again.'
He had no idea what lead she was following now, but if it helped solve this case quicker then he wanted to be a part of it.
A natural silence followed after, as Kirumi finished "patching" him up so to speak. As she did, Kirumi picked up on a rather peculiar detail. Naruto's back was free of any scars or anything that would indicate that he was a fighter.
How odd.
"Have you been in many battles, Uzumaki-sama?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow at the sudden question.
"Why do you ask?"
"Color me curious. Your skin does not belong to that of a warrior. It's in perfect condition I say. No scars or anything."
Apart from the red spot of course.
Naruto stopped himself from chuckling, his eyes darkening just a bit. "Let's just say I used to be able to heal very quickly."
Kirumi's lips thinned. "I see."
Such a non-answer.
Kirumi wanted to ask more, but she could tell that he wasn't going to expand on his answer.
Frustrating? Quite so.
Well, scars or not, Kirumi could see that Naruto's muscles spoke a different story on his background. These muscles weren't that of a model or even a weight lifter. No, these were the kind of muscles that were meant to be used. Regularly. They were very well-defined, almost as if the muscles had muscles of their own.
How very strange yet fascinating at the same time.
At the very least Kirumi could confirm that fighting had played a very big role in Naruto's life.
"Since you asked me a question, can I ask one in return?"
Oh?
"Well, if we're returning favors, I can't say I'll give you the answer you want. But sure. Ask away."
Was she pouting?
Naruto couldn't tell, but he was too curious to back down.
"Do you and Hasashi have a romantic relationship?"
If only Naruto had turned around, then he wouldn't have missed the look of surprise that flashed on Kirumi's face. She masked it quickly, but not completely.
"What makes you ask something like that?"
"I sort of overheard your conversation with him last night. It wasn't on purpose, and I apologize. But…."
It had happened, and nothing was going to change that.
If they were romantically involved, Naruto couldn't help but cringe at the idea. Kirumi probably wasn't even fifteen yet. Was Hasashi taking advantage of her? Using his position to try and force her into a compromising situation.
"You have the wrong idea." Kirumi stepped back, finished with her work. "He merely wants me to help him with his ambitions."
"Sounded more personal to me than that."
Naruto could now turn to face Kirumi directly, and he saw that his question had upset her quite a bit. But he still wasn't going to back down.
"He might have….confessed his feelings, perhaps," Kirumi said slowly, unsure of what to admit and what not to.
"Just because you're working here doesn't mean you have to put up with his advances."
Especially when she clearly wasn't responsive to them.
"The boundaries have been set."
"Yeah, but does he know that?"
"A maid can't insult her master, Uzumaki-sama." Kirumi shook her head. "Even if I work directly for Akira-sama, his children are-"
"That's a load of crap, and you know it." Not mincing his words as usual, Naruto stood up so that he could see her eye-to-eye. Well, he was actually taller than her, but never mind that. "You said before that a maid is nothing without her master, but that isn't true. A maid is only a position. What matters is the person that's inside. And based on what I heard last night, there's a definitely a person in you."
It was quite painful for the blond, but he was reminded of Haku and the words he had said all those years ago. Peko was in that category too. About being nothing but a tool. Kirumi was trying to put on a similar act, but this time Naruto was able to see through it rather easily. It was because he had overheard that conversation the previous night.
He pressed on. "You have a dream of your own, right?"
Kirumi flinched somewhat. "So. You overheard that as well."
Naruto looked away for a moment. "Yes. I apologize for that too. But it definitely helped me get to see the person in you."
"Even though I merely wish to serve another?"
"It didn't sound that way to me." Naruto smiled. "Otherwise, you would have accepted Hasashi's proposal. You're looking for something more special than that, right?"
Kirumi froze. She was sure she hadn't shared any details to the short answer she had given Hasashi. Then how could Naruto know….?
"Call it a hunch of mine." Crossing his arms, Naruto nodded to himself. Like a little kid who had answered a question correctly. "I don't think you would have said something like that if there wasn't a strong reason behind it."
"You don't know me well enough to say something like that," Kirumi argued weakly. To her it was weak anyway.
Naruto hummed. "I guess that's true too." He then smiled again. "But I think I'm right. You want to find someone special. To create a special bond with another. It doesn't sound like the standard maid-master relationship to me."
Saying it like that only made Kirumi's cheeks burn.
"Y-You're too shameful, Uzumaki-sama. Saying something like that so boldly….."
Oh wow, was she stuttering? This was a rare treat.
"I've been told that a lot." Especially as of late. What was up with that? "Anyway, I don't know the specifics, but I can tell you that you're not just a tool. Besides, do you want to diminish the role of a maid to just that? I thought you of all people would have more pride in your work."
Kirumi didn't get it. First he said she wasn't just a maid, but now he was saying that she should embrace that she was one?
"I don't really understand you…."
That was putting it mildly. He had to be most confusing person Kirumi had ever met.
"Hm, really?" Naruto didn't seem to mind, probably because she wasn't trying to insult him. "Don't sell yourself short is what I'm saying. Whether you want to be a maid or whatever. And don't give up on finding that special one. I can't say if you'll ever find that person, but if you give up on that dream then it definitely won't come true."
Dreams were precious like that. That's what Naruto believed anyway. He had fought a whole war to preserve that, so yeah. It was something he felt strongly about.
Something flashed inside Kirumi's eyes, but Naruto couldn't tell what it was. It was gone too quickly for him to decipher it.
"What is your dream, Uzumaki-sama?"
His dream? That was an easy one.
"Peace."
Kyoko already knew he was coming. She didn't even see him enter her room but she could tell he was there.
"You're late."
Wearing his gear again, Naruto dropped into the room from the open window to find Kyoko sitting on the bed with her arms crossed.
"Someone's pouty."
Kyoko didn't look amused. "What happened out there?"
Naruto shrugged, silently thanking Kirumi for the ointment. It definitely felt soothing.
"What do you think? Someone was coming after you. Again."
"So you were there."
"Of course I was."
Naruto glanced out the window. Unlike his, Kyoko's offered a nice view out to the sea. He could see the yacht he noticed earlier in the distance.
Kirumi had already explained to him what the deal with that was before he came here. It was actually Hayama's. During the day, he took out his guests out on it for a "fishing trip." Only that they apparently didn't fish but just drank, talked, and gambled the day away.
How entertaining.
"Well, even if it wasn't intentional, I must thank you for the new lead you provided me with," she said after a moment of silence.
Naruto crossed his arms. "And about saving your life?"
Wasn't that more important than some lead?
Here, Kyoko came to a pause. She started to openly study him, like he was some sort of puzzle to her. In retrospect, Naruto supposed he was.
"I can't help but wonder about that."
Wonder about what?
Getting to her feet, Kyoko made her way closer to him. It made Naruto sort of uncomfortable if he was being honest. It felt like he was being stalked or something.
When she stopped, the girl was closer to him than she had been ever before. Apart from the time he tackled her of course. Was it because she was more comfortable with him? Or maybe because she was confident he really wasn't going to kill her?
Naruto couldn't say for sure.
Then, she spoke again.
"Why did you save me again? That isn't part of your job, right?"
As far as she knew.
"The situation was different from last night," she continued. "You happened to be there when I was attacked. But now, it's almost like you went out of your way to protect me."
"What? Was I supposed to just let you get killed?"
"Most people would."
"I'm not most people."
Kyoko frowned. Naruto saw the suspicion in her eyes, even though she tried not to show it. "What is your true motive? Really?"
At this, Naruto kept silent. She was already suspecting him? Again?
'What the hell, man.'
He was sure he hadn't raised any more flags!
Or maybe that was just her personality? To doubt others until there was absolutely no room left for suspicion?
"I already told you why I'm here."
That's all Naruto could say after staying quiet. It probably wouldn't do anything, but it's all he had at the moment.
Sure enough, Kyoko wasn't convinced, not a bit. But further bickering would be pointless. She understood this, which is why she was quick to move on.
"In any event, I suspect we may finally have our true answer by tonight."
Naruto perked up when he heard this. "True answer" could only mean one thing.
The mastermind.
"Are you sure?"
Just what had she found out?
Keeping her stoic look, Kyoko followed Naruto's example and looked out the window. She too saw the yacht in the distance.
"Yes. I just need something from you first."
Naruto was ready for anything.
At last, things were finally coming to a head.
"She's not dead."
"I'm aware. I was there."
"Why is she not dead? Weren't you supposed to be the best? That's what I paid you for."
"That's what it says on the brochure."
"This is not a joke. I already had one failure. Even though I was promised he was one of the better ones, he still died."
"You can't blame the kid. Turns out the girl has a protector watching over her."
There was silence. How amusing. So they didn't know?
"What are you talking about?"
"Why do you think I wasn't able to do it?" This time, that is. "Yeah, looks like someone put a watchdog over her. A very dangerous one too. It's no wonder your first choice couldn't do it."
That cult had some impressive assassins amongst their ranks, but this masked blond was something else.
More silence. He would have laughed. He only held himself back because he really wasn't in the mood to hear more whining. If he did, he was sure he would kill the client instead. And that wasn't good for business, as he'd learned over the past year.
"I see. I never considered that option. I guess that's what happens when you try to be cheap."
Indeed.
"That's why I'm asking for double the agreed amount. Otherwise, I'm out."
There was no real reason for the demand. The man was more than happy to do this job for free now that he knew he could have some fun with it. But money was money, and he had bills to pay.
Well, not bills exactly. But you get the drift.
"If her protector was able to stop you, then I suppose it can't be helped."
Hey now, the brat didn't stop him. He was only forced to fall back for a bit. Now that he knew someone like that was involved, he could bring out his real toys. Things wouldn't end the same way for a second time.
"How are you planning on doing this? I doubt she'll be that exposed again."
"Why don't you leave that to me, hm? I left behind a little trail for her to follow. If she's as good as you say, then she'll be right where I want her."
"What did you say? If this can be traced back to me, then-"
"Stop complaining. It won't matter I tell you. She'll be dead in a few hours. You have my guarantee."
He ended the call after that, leaving him in nothing but silence and the darkness of the room he was in. The only light visible was the one coming from the lamp on the table, but it was very faint. Which worked just fine for him. He had long since gotten used to this solitary lifestyle.
'Now, boy. Let's see how good you really are.'
The man stepped closer to the light, just enough to see that he was not wearing his mask at the moment. This left his neck exposed, revealing a very noticeable wolf tattoo to the world.
It was time to go hunting.
I wonder how many will know what cult I'm talking about….well, one person already brought up the character it points to. So I'm sure a good number of you will figure it out.
This was more of a setup chapter, aside from the initial fight, hence the shorter length than normal.
Hmm. Funny. A 9,000 word chapter is the standard for this story. Weird.
Hope it was enjoyable.
Till next time.
