I AM ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! Now, I've never done this before so bear with me.
REVIEW CORNER:
Mark1: thanks for the review. In regards to bringing in Danzo, Orochimaru, Homura, Kabuto, and the rest of the ninja cast, I only have this to say. HELL THE FUCK NO, maybe, he's not even in the original story, and double HELL THE FUCK NO! I ABSOLUTELY HATE Danzo, and Kabuto is just too much like the Joker for my taste. The rest depends on if others TRULY WANT them included. I hope this is good enough for you.
ON WITH THE SHOW!
"I'll read next kaa-chan." Naruto says with a smile. Kushina smiles back before handing the book over.
Bloodbath at Remeron
Naruto spoke to his companions. "We have two weeks that we're going to be in and out of this mansion. We need to map the building and the grounds around it out if we're going to protect that slime."
Shikamaru added, "We also need a copy of his itinerary if we're going to be guarding him Naruto. He and his secretary are very tight lipped about the subject."
Ino piped up, "He'll hardly talk to you two males Shika. I'll go since he has been harassing Hinata so much in his spare time."
The Nara questioned her with concern in his voice, "Are you sure Ino? You shouldn't have to perform a seduction mission to get his cooperation, especially since we need it to protect his life."
Ino said smugly, "I'm sure Shika; I have compromising pictures of him with that Senator's wife that might leak if he doesn't agree."
Naruto commented, "Ah, blackmail."
Ino said, "Blackmail is such a dirty word Naruto. I prefer extortion." And she slipped out the door.
Hinata growled, "I'm glad Ino is willing. If I had him try to put his greasy paws on me one more time, he might have a fatal accident."
Naruto offered, "Hang in there Hinata-chan; I don't mind guarding your room while you bathe. I'll keep you safe."
Hinata smiled, "Thanks Naruto-kun. I feel much better when you do."
Miraculously, Ino returned with the itinerary within an hour. It turned out that Counselor Wellbutrin was a real pussycat when threatened with losing his political career. Ino informed the others, "….And he didn't even make a pass at me! There are a few gaps in the schedule though."
"Ah blackmail. What a wonderful thing." Jiraiya says with a smile.
Hinata grumped, "The sleaze is probably making illegal deals or chasing any skirt he can find at those times."
Naruto nodded his head in agreement. "You're probably right Hinata-chan. But I'm sure it's the illegal stuff instead of sleeping around. He always takes women back to his room for those things."
Shikamaru quipped, "You noticed that too, Naruto? I guess you're more observant that I thought."
Naruto stared at the Nara and said, "Gee, thanks Nara. There's nothing like backhanded praise. I can be serious too you know."
Shikamaru spat out, "It was a joke, honest!"
Naruto said, "Let's get this map made. Shadow clone jutsu!" The he said to his small clone army, "Okay guys, let's map the grounds. Henge into those beaver-like critters running around outside and search everywhere for any sort of entrances or exits, secret or otherwise. After that, dispel every ten minutes and I'll draw a map of the place as the information comes to me."
"Good plan Naruto-kun." Hinata says, getting a beaming smile from her boyfriend.
Shikamaru took on a thinking pose and asked, "Alright, Naruto's got the outside covered, can you map the inside Hinata? Ino and I have to go and escort the Counselor to his next meeting."
Hinata said with false haughtiness, "Sure. Nothing can escape the all-seeing Byakugan."
Shikamaru nodded, "Good, we're counting on you. Come on Ino."
That left Naruto and Hinata alone for a little while. Hinata asked, "Naruto-kun, are you okay after popping out that many shadow clones without the nine-tails chakra? that was even more than the sexy jutsu raid in the red-light district on Cymbalta."
I'm starting to miss the furball." Naruto says with a sigh.
Naruto sighed, "I'm okay. I know it's strange but I really miss the old fur-ball, you know? I even miss his attitude. It seems I still heal as fast and have 3 kages worth of chakra but it just doesn't replenish as fast without Kurama. I miss the Toads too, even though I can still use the frog kumite and sage mode."
"What the hell happened to the toads gaki?" Jiraiya demands of Naruto, getting a shrug in return.
Hinata said as she hugged him, "I'm sorry Naruto-kun. Do you want to walk around with me as I map the mansion?"
Naruto returned her hug and said, "Sure Hinata-chan. I'd love to keep you company." With that, the young couple set to work.
A few miles away, two Twi'leks were scoping out the situation via binoculars. They were the Os'copi twins. The older brother Endo preferred up-close knife work while the younger sister Colo was more talented as a sniper. Unfortunately for her, this was going to be up close because a shield was up around the grounds of the mansion. They were going to have to slip in and take the counselor from Cymbalta out with blades instead of rifles.
"I'm glad to have a girlfriend like you Hinata-chan." Naruto says with a smile towards Hinata, who smiles back with a blush.
Endo commented, "It's a good thing we have an inside guy to let us in, Sis. Otherwise, this could be a real pain."
His sister responded, "The only ones feeling pain will be them Endo. I just wish this wasn't such a stealth mission. I'd rather just blast them from range. Our employer just had to have "friends" on his payroll inside there so we can't afford to kill anyone but Wellbutrin and his guards."
"Bitch." Most of the reader's mutter.
Endo smiled at her attitude. "It's no matter Colo; the boss said his guards are just some grunts from Cymbalta. If all goes well, we can kill him right under their noses and go cash our check. What do you think of those other two people the boss hired? He said they were just backup for us but I got a weird vibe from them; especially the woman."
The readers all frown at that before two flashes catch their attention.
Colo replied, "Our boss said they wouldn't get involved unless we failed Endo. We won't so it doesn't matter."
He asked worriedly, "Still, do you think they were Sith or something?"
Colo snapped, "Stop dwelling on things that are out of our control. Ever since you ran into that Force user years ago, you've been paranoid!" She sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, they gave me the creeps too. Those blank masks and the way they fade in and out of the shadows would make anyone unsettled. Just forget about them and focus. We're moving in tomorrow night after the Governor's party. A lot of the guests should be completely wasted by then so security won't be as tight as it should be."
"What the hell? Where am I?" A female voice comes from the flashes of light.
The next evening:
It was 7PM and the Governor's party was in full swing. The ninjas were tense. Their client kept slipping away for short periods and they had to leave their posts to keep him in view. Alcohol was flowing liberally and several people were already tipsy. The Governor himself was completely sloshed.
"This better not be one of your pranks Konohamaru!" A male voice says from the flashes.
Naruto quipped, "You think the old Gov has blood left in his alcohol stream Ino?"
Ino snarked back, "Well, he didn't spontaneously combust when he lit up that pipe so maybe….Damnit! there goes our wayward charge again. I'll go check on him." Ino dashed off.
On the other side of the room, something felt off to Hinata. She activated her Byakugan and started scanning the walls and floor below them. She signaled on her radio, "Naruto! The air duct in the basement just opened up."
Naruto's voice crackled over the radio. "The one with the massive security gate? Someone had to have a code to open that. Keep an eye on it Hinata-chan."
Hinata was focused on her task until her concentration was disrupted by a hand reaching for her ass. On instinct, she whipped out a kunai and said in an ice-cold tone, "Touch there and you lose your head." The now stone-sober partier quickly retreated after seeing a surgically sharp blade pointed at his neck. Hinata thought, 'Damn! I lost my concentration. The air duct is closing.' She radioed the others, "I lost focus for a minute. Someone could have slipped in!"
"Who the heck is that, Dattebane?" Kushina asks with a frown.
Shikamaru said calmly, "Let's assume someone did slip in and prepare for it. This night just got that much more complicated. Troublesome."
Naruto spoke up, "Look at the positive side! Anyone here could be a target; not just our client."
Hinata said in a flat tone, "….I don't think that helps much Naruto-kun."
Three hours later, the ninjas were conferring outside their client's room while he had "a private meeting" with some local criminals, er….politicians. Ino hissed out, "I'm surprised that he's sober enough to still make crooked deals! He spent his evening drinking like a fish and trying to grope us girls."
"I'ma kill him." Naruto vows, getting a giggle from Hinata.
Shikamaru groaned out, "Everyone but Naruto got groped at some point this evening Ino."
Ino's eyes lit up. "Even you Shika?"
The Nara replied, "I don't want to discuss it Ino."…. Shikamaru would never look at Rodians the same again. Banishing those thoughts away, Shikamaru turned to the others and instructed, "Hinata and Ino will guard the door while Naruto and I keep tabs on the stairwell down."
"Good plan Nara." Jiraiya says with a grin.
Endo and Colo bided their time until around 1 in the morning. Colo whispered, "Gods! His guards are watching every path. If we weren't hiding in the vents, we would have been spotted hours ago. I'll take the two female guards out at the door with my fletchette pistol Endo. You use your vibro-blade and take out the counselor once they are down. We can escape by backtracking the way we entered during the party."
"Do they really think they can escape the Byakugan?" Hinata asks with a frowning pout.
Endo nodded. "Alright, that's simple enough. What about the other two guards, Sis?"
She answered, "I'll take them out if they show up while you're inside the room. This pistol is silent so they won't be alerted until it's too late." The siblings quickly descended into the hall to get ready. Colo took point. "Go on my count," she whispered. "1, 2, 3, g-"
"Epic fail!" Jiraiya crowed with a grin.
Shikamaru's voice droned out, "Shadow possession jutsu, success."
Colo panicked. "I can't move! Do something Endo!" She shrieked.
Endo charged Shikamaru full force but was intercepted by Naruto with two kunai in his hands. Endo asked smugly, "So it's a knife fight you want? Fine!" And pulled out his twin vibro-blades…They clashed. Naruto was knocked back and it broke Shikamaru's jutsu in the process.
"Really Shika. You should have had better concentration then that." Ino says with a "harrumph" in her voice.
The now freed Colo turned her pistol on the two ninjas, only to hear Hinata call out, "Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" A compressed shell of chakra shattered Colo's arm and pushed her fletchette pistol back towards her as it went off. Endo watched in horror as his twin sister's head was blown off by the needle gun auto firing at point blank range. Her head-tails flew in opposite directions, showering Naruto and Endo in brains and gore.
The readers all wince at the description.
Endo cried out, "COLO!" As he watched her headless, writhing body collapse in the hallway. Endo snapped and screamed, "I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" The loss of his sister before his eyes was too much. He charged Hinata in an attempt to slay her but never made it that far. Naruto's wind enhanced kunai pierced his heart from behind. Endo was dead before he hit the floor….
"I hate needless killing." Naruto and Minato mutter at the same time.
Naruto said grimly, "That was messy; is anyone else in the vents Hinata?"
Hinata said somberly, "No Naruto-kun, it was just these two." She double checked with her Byakugan before she mentioned sadly, "It's a shame we've become so….desensitized to death."
Ino stated, "We were in a Shinobi War Hinata; it can't be helped. You know my clan specialized in psychology. If we weren't able to turn our hearts off during battle, we'd go mad with guilt. It's the only way we ninjas can survive."
Hinata nodded, "I know but it doesn't make me feel any better Ino."
Shikamaru stood back up and asked, "Was anyone hurt?" After receiving a chorus of "No's" he turned to Naruto. "Let's get this mess cleaned up with security. Those people should have responded to all the screaming immediately unless they were actually aiding those two assassins. Ino, go in and check on the counselor. Hinata, keep your eyes open in case anyone else shows up. Naruto and I will check these bodies. We're already covered in blood anyways so we won't be getting any dirtier looking for clues." It was going to be a long night….
"That's worrisome, if the security was actually working with the assassins." The male voice from before said.
Desyrel Wellbutrin shuddered at the memories of the horrible night. Ino had stormed in and woke him from his alcohol induced coma, to see if he could identify the two hit men. One look at all the blood and the headless Twi'lek girl and he lost all the food and drink from the previous day. He never wanted to see anything like that again….he had seen death….Now it was morning. The Governor's security teams were checking everywhere while his four guards kept watch over him with grim expressions. The counselor was assured he was safe by the Governor but he didn't feel that way. He still had a week's worth of negotiations to do but he didn't know if he was up to it….
"Most civies can't handle the blood and gore of our profession." The female voice from before said with a hint of sadism in her voice.
A melodious female voice said, "The Twi'leks are dead? I guess they weren't as good as they said they were….Never send amateurs to do a professional's job!" From behind an expressionless facemask. "Security will be tight now. This price of this job just doubled." She continued without preamble. The crime lord's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"Amateurs? They seemed like pros to me." Naruto said with a frown.
He yelled, "Doubled? I sent them in first because they would do the job for half the price of you two!" He was red-faced.
She said in a sickly-sweet voice, "Well, how bad do you want Wellbutrin dead? You can either pay us the original asking price for our silence on the matter and we leave….or double and we do the job….I hope you realized we're trying to run an honest business here. You know what happened to the last guy that crossed us…."
"Honest business? That's a riot." Tsunade says with a snort of amusement, getting laughs from the others.
The crime was sweating. The 'Two Shadows' had never failed a mission but no one knew who they were or where they were from. The gangster that double-crossed them was only identifiable by DNA -and it was obvious they left it to be found to make an example of him. He blustered out, "Alright double! But I want him dead, even if you have to chase him back to Cymbalta!" He was trying to save face by acting tough and they knew it.
"Just like Gato. All bark and no bite. Relying on others to do his dirty work." Naruto says with a scowl.
She asked her male counterpart, "What do you think?" He just nodded and she continued, "Okay, consider it done! Pleasure doing business with you." She laughed. The two melded back into the shadows and were gone.
"Was that really necessary?" Asked the blank masked male when they appeared on the roof.
"Of course, it was necessary. I just love playing the bad guy!" She said with a smile in her voice.
"What am I going to do with you?" He wondered out loud.
"I could think of a lot of kinky things, but right now we have a job to do. The quicker we get it done, the quicker we can leave this worthless rock."
"Agreed, let's get to work." With that, the pair took off.
Wellbutrin asked his secretary, "How soon can we leave for Cymbalta?"
His secretary replied quickly, "It was be two days before the ship is restocked and cleared for launch sir."
The counselor said worried, "As soon as the ship is ready, inform me; even with the Governor's extra security, I'm in danger. I want to leave as quickly as possible." The counselor was terrified for his life. Little did he realize what hell would be unleashed tomorrow….
"That's the end of the chapter, so who would like to…. Hey!" Naruto said before the book was swiped from him by a purple and tan blur.
Hope you all like the chapter. If you want Orochimaru to be brought in when he joins Naruto's side after Kabuto's betrayal then leave a REVIEW saying so.
This is Scheffinator signing off!