Gomibako Japan, May 29
With an almost bored sighed, Naruto pulled the black hood of his military grade parka further over his head, leaving the department of yet another local agency for what was probably the third time that month. Making sure his face mask was also secured over his nose and that his sunglasses still covered his eyes, Naruto shouldered the basic black back pack on his back and walked forward through the blisteringly cold night of the small urban city, heading towards the slums. It was probably the ninth or tenth city of the same nature that he had come across in his travels through Japan.
As he went about his work, Naruto always made sure to stray away from the larger like Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Hiroshima while profitable ventures also held significantly more risk than the smaller cities he made it a habit of traveling too.
The jobs Naruto completed were something he had become accustomed to doing in the Shinobi Nations: bounty hunting. Across the world of man (and of shinobi) there were criminals (and enemies of the state) that were just too slippery for the government to catch. Whether they were just paranoid hermits or multinational crime bosses, there were people the law couldn't (or in some cases wouldn't) touch. And that's where bounties came into play. Law enforcement groups would specify a reward for information leading to the capture of elusive targets, but a much larger prize could be received in return for the fugitive's capture or proof of their elimination.
Naruto snorted, 'Back in the Elemental Nations half these people wouldn't even be worth a bounty. Bandits would probably kill them.'
Naruto reached his destination, pushing open the door of the rundown motel room he had purchased for the next few days. It was no lavish affair, a threadbare queen bed, a tv that didn't have color, a small chair, and a dresser with a bathroom outside at the end of the walk way.
No palace, but enough to keep him satisfied as he concluded his business in the city.
With a sigh, Naruto dropped his backpack off to the side shook off his parka, revealing a tight black long sleeve shirt underneath which was connected to his face mask. Naruto ran a hand through his spiky blond hair, pondering where he was going to go next. Lowering the mask, Naruto breathed out, watching as his breath turned the air in front of him a hazy white. Removing his sunglasses, Naruto blinked twice as his cerulean blue eyes adjusted to the artificial light of the room. Kicking off the boots he wore when attempting to keep his identity hidden, Naruto fell back on the bed with a sigh, pulling the covers over himself.
This new world, this new planet he had called home begrudgingly for the last year, was an interesting place. Battles between criminals and the law often turned into wars of grand proportions between heroes and villains.
Naruto snickered lightly as he turned to his side and closed his eyes. To him, the concept of heroes and villains was extremely played out. At the end of the day, what was the point of being either? Choosing a life of being a hero leads to a 'heroic' death, slander from the people, and a whole lot of unnecessary sacrifice. Choosing a life of being a villain just seemed to always end just as badly. So long ago Naruto decided to simply stop putting up with the concept of good and evil all together. Naruto lived a life of preserving his own interests (mainly staying alive and out of a metahuman prison), making money, and being left the hell alone.
As a bounty hunter, Naruto had access to all of those things. He got to use his skills as a shinobi without having the law up his ass, he often got the feeling of satisfaction that came with taking low lives off the street, and best of all (as long as he made sure to move around often enough) no one saw it fit to bother him.
'Tomorrow it's south, time to get the hell out of here while I still have the chance, 'Naruto thought as he closed his eyes.
The next morning came quickly, much to Naruto's irritation. He stood and stretched, not even bothering worrying about changing clothes. Mentally cursing the sun, Naruto trudged over to his back pack and brought it back to the bed, smoothing out the covers a bit before dumping its contents onto his resting place.
His sour mod was instantly brightened when he saw the multiple stacks of rubber banded yen, as well as the small sealing scroll that he carried with him at all times. Taking the scroll first, Naruto unfurled it, placing it on the floor. A minor application of chakra caused a small puff of smoke, which dissipated to reveal a stack of similarly small scrolls.
Fishing through the pile, Naruto absentmindedly wondered if he should start putting different colored clasps on them to make the search go quicker.
Finding the one labeled 'Money' Naruto unrolled it and sat it on the floor. Picking up his money stack by stack, he arranged it neatly on top of the scroll, save for two bundles. Placing a hand on it, Naruto channeled the necessary chakra and sealed it away.
He proceeded to place his scrolls back in his traveling scroll, which he tossed in his backpack. The only reason Naruto even kept the backpack in the first place was to hold his 'ghost' attire as he called it. Folding up his parka, he placed it in the bag. Rummaging through another section he removed a black hoodie, a black beanie, and a red scarf. Traveling around these colder regions it wasn't at all suspicious to be wearing attire that covered his whole body, but it was suspicious to be wearing all black. In Naruto's experience it was also best to not look like the guy who had carried an unconscious minor yakuza boss into the station the night before: too many questions, too many cops, too many problems. Pulling the hoodie on, Naruto wrapped the scarf around his neck, pulled on his boots, and exited the motel with his bag on his back and some money in his pocket.
After stopping by a local market and grabbing a quick fresh breakfast (for a wonderfully low price nonetheless), Naruto trudged his way to the local bus station. Within fifteen minutes, Naruto was onto a new city.
Suddenly, he sneezed, much to the ire of the old lady sitting next to him. Naruto absentmindedly rubbed his nose, 'Doesn't that mean someone's talking about me?...Nah, couldn't be.'
Famous last words.
It was the dead of night when Naruto snuck out of his hotel room through the open third story window three days later. He had treated himself this time, having gotten a room with a bathroom (with a working tub) and an actual heater. Unnecessary comforts, but accepted ones.
When Naruto went out on a hunt, he always broke out his attire from the time he spent on the roads of the Elemental Nations. A black hooded shirt with a lining of grey fur around the hood, black ANBU style pants, and his open toed ninja sandals. Over his clothing he wore matte black ANBU style chest armor, a kunai holster on each thigh, as well as a kunai pouch and a shuriken pouch on his left and right hip respectively. In an x across his back he bore dual ninjatos.
The final piece of his ensemble was a porcelain mask, painted to depict the image of a fox with a painfully wide sinister grin, with red highlighting. It was far different from the rather lackluster ANBU masks back in Konoha, and Naruto was rather proud of it, which is why he had commissioned so many extras (he had to fill all those scrolls with something).
Moving quickly to a nearby rooftop, Naruto began to traverse the city's rooftops with practiced ease, making sure to stay far enough from the edge that cars wouldn't see him. It wasn't that he didn't want to be seen… actually, that's exactly what it was.
Arriving to his destination, Naruto came to a stop. It was a simple building, a bar with a large neon sign in the seedy part of town. While the large sign indicating that this was the type of establishment where you could sate all kinds of vices, there was a catch: members only.
This was indicated by the large deadbolted metal door that prevented entry, as well as the bars on the windows. And so Naruto was given a choice. Either go in loud, or find a way to sneak in quietly.
Naruto pondered for a moment, before shrugging. 'Let's get wild.'
Nurunuru "Slips" Yaro sighed as he leaned back in his chair, throwing his head back with a content smile on his face. It was good to be a yakuza boss in a small city like this. Relatively small amounts of competition, no real trouble from the local police out of fear of retaliation, a simple struggle free life. 'Life is good,' he thought.
Though for the thin, wispy haired man, the source of his content came from the woman currently under his desk between his leg giving his second head some mental stimulation.
Slips loved his office. It was in the far back of his club, where no sounds of ruckus could reach him. To make sure he wouldn't be disturbed during activities such as the ones he was currently undertaking, he had even had the room sound proofed. And with his jazz going in the background and a bottle of sake in his hand, nothing could go wrong.
Or at least that was what he thought until the body of one of his bouncers came flying through his oak door.
"What the fuck?" Slips shouted, pushing the woman away with his legs and reaching in his desk, pulling out a small handgun and pointing it into the hallway.
A masked man stepped through, a short sword in one hand and a rumpled up piece of paper in the other.
"Nurunuru 'Slips' Yaro… my my someone's been a bad boy. Gun running, racketeering, larceny, conspiracy, prostitution, drug pedaling, public indecency…. Defrauding the elderly? Come on man that's not even cool." Naruto tsked under his mask, shaking his head.
Slips centered the gun on Naruto, "Who the fuck are you?!"
"Oh, I'm nobody important. I'm just the guy who personally kicked the shit of every single bouncer, bodyguard, and thug in the front room, back rooms, and the bathroom! Sticky situation that was… but I," Naruto finally got a look at the yakuza's state of dress, and moved the hand with the paper to cover his eyes, "do you mind?"
"Huh?" Slips finally realized his state of undress. Flushing with embarrassment, he quickly pulled his pants up with one hand, keeping his gun trained on Naruto. "Now answer me, who the fuck are you and what do you want?"
Naruto rolled his eyes behind his mask, "I'm the easter bunny mother fucker. Now," Naruto's voice lost its jovial tone as he began to leak killer intent, "this is how this is gonna go. You're gonna put down your gun and come quietly. If you don't I'm going to break both of your legs and drag you out of here. You're choice."
A single bead of sweat ran down Slips face as his life flashed before his eyes. The hand with the gun with it shook, slowly lowering.
Naruto purred predatorily, "Good boy."
This seemed to snap Slips from his state of fear, and he quickly raised the gun, much to the dismay of the woman still hiding under the desk in front of him, "Die you piece of shit!"
Naruto sighed, 'Atleast once I want someone to surrender peacefully.' And with that, he blurred out of sight as the gun went off.
LB
A handful of hours later, Naruto entered his hotel window, back in his ghost attire, whistling a jaunty tune. His bag was once again full of money, and the city was just a bit safer for it. He usually only needed one win, but a double was always welcomed.
As he entered the room, he could tell something was off. Sitting his bag down to the side, Naruto equipped one of the extra kunai he kept in the lining of his parka. "Come out, I know you're there."
"You're well trained, how could you tell I was here?" The voice was gruff and deep, belonging to a man at least twenty years his senior. Stepping out of his bathroom was a man with at least half a head of height on him, wearing a cowl of a dark grey Kevlar suit.
"I smelled self righteous trespasser, now care to explain to me why Batman of all broke into the room of a minor at 2 AM in the morning?" Naruto asked, kunai still at the ready. With the window to his back, he still had the option to bolt at any time, so he wasn't too worried. He also felt deep down that if push came to shove and survival was on the line, the headline in the paper the next morning would be the story on how the Batman died.
"You know about me, "It was a statement, an observation more than a question.
"Who doesn't? You've achieved international stardom. 'Batman this, Batman that, blah blah blah'," Naruto snarked back.
Batman didn't rise to his comments, "You're young for a mercenary. How old are you?"
"First of all, I am not a mercenary. I am a contracted retrieval specialist, "Naruto replied, raising one finger, "Two, that's not any of your business, so if you could do me a favor and see your way out? I have money to recount, that clerk was kind of suspect."
"You appeared a year ago, taking out small crime syndicate leaders, as well as other known criminals all around the country you avoid straying into larger cities where the bigger fish lie. Why is that?" Batman questioned, though he was sure he already knew.
Naruto shrugged ,"Too much press, too many cameras, too much work. Big city guys are all about their underground networks and multi headed chains of command and all that hoopla. Out here, these small time guys are just easy pickings."
"I see," Batman's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly," you're greed is what drives you."
"Yes sir, you got that right," Naruto replied without batting an eye.
"With whatever abilities you have used to take down the criminals you have, you could be making a difference, a real difference." Batman stepped forward," I want to propose to you a chance to use your powers for good, and not just to fill your pockets." Raising his hand, he stuck it out to the boy, "Work with me."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't really feel like giving up on making money just yet. Now get the hell out." Naruto took off his back pack, at this point confident Batman wasn't going to attack him, and began entering the money it contained on the bed.
Eying the boy, Batman decided to take a different approach," Then instead of working with me, work for me. I'll pay you a stipend for every mission you complete under me." It was likely the best way to entice the boy.
Naruto paused, a stack of yen in his hand, and slowly turned to Batman, his eyes narrowing," How much money are we talking here?"
Batman had to resist the sudden urge to smirk victoriously,' Almost too easy.'
Mount Justice, August 8
The sounds of Zeta Tubes firing to action broke the assembled group from the rather awkward air of silence that had permeated the mission room to that point. "Recognized Kid Flash, B-0-3."
"The Wall-man is here," Wally exuberantly announced himself. He was clearly dressed for the beach, wearing yellow and red swim trunks and flip flops with his arms being almost over burdened by the sheer load of beach essentials he was carrying." Now let's get this party sta-"
Unfortunately for Wally, the handle of the beach umbrella he was carrying got caught up in his quickly moving feet, sending him careening forward onto his face, sending the beachball he was holding bouncing over the shoulder of the Batman, who was giving the teen a disapproving look.
"Wall-man, huh? Love the uniform. What are your powers exactly?" A blonde girl in a green suit with the midriff exposed spoke up with some snark, brandishing her green bow.
Kid Flash took that moment to notice the uncertain looks on the faces of his friends, and also take notice of Green Arrow's presence." Uh who is this?"
"Artemis, your new teammate," the new girl replied before anyone else could.
"Kid Flash, never heard of you." Wally responded with a deadpan.
Green arrow stepped up from his position in line with the other League members," Uh, she's my new protégé." He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Well what about the old one?" Wally questioned, still not reading the room completely.
"Recognized, Speedy B-0-6."
"Well for starters," the former side kick of Green Arrow stepped out of the Zeta Tubes, wearing a much more mature uniform," he doesn't go by Speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow."
"Roy," Green Arrow awkwardly beckoned to the teen he had spent years fighting crime with," you're looking-"
"Replaceable." Red Arrow finished, overlooking Artemis.
"It's not like that, you told me you were going solo," Green Arrow pointed out to Roy.
"Then why waste time finding a sub? Can she even use that bow?"
"Yes," Artemis stepped up towards the boy who used to hold her position," she can."
"Wait who the hell are you?" Wally asked in exasperation.
"I'm his niece"/"She's my niece." Artemis and Green Arrow replied in a rush manner simultaneously.
"Another niece?" Robin snarked.
"But she is not your replacement. We've always wanted you on the team, and we have no quota for archers,"Aqualad tried to extend a hand to the former Speedy, who scoffed at it.
"And if we did, you know who we'd pick," Kid Flash hinted not so subtly.
Artemis cocked her hip and rolled her eyes," Whatever Bay Watch, I'm here to stay."
"You came to us for a reason,"Aqualad chose to continue to speak business with Red Arrow instead of engaging in a battle of jibes.
"Yeah, a reason named Dr. Serling Roquette."
Robin pulled up an image of a blonde woman in a lab coat," Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City, vanished two weeks ago."
"Abducted two weeks ago," Red Arrow corrected," by the League of Shadows."
"Woah, you want us to rescue her from the League of Shadows?" Robin questioned, his excitement at the prospect of a mission visible.
"I already rescued her from the shadows," Roy stepped forward and accessed the computer, bringing up an image of what looked to be a small robotic flea," Only one problem. The shadows had already coerced her into making a weapon. Doc called it 'The Fog'. Comprised of millions of microscopic robots. Nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path. Concrete, steal, flesh, bone, but their true purpose is theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer, and deliver it straight to the Shadows, providing them with weapons, strategic defense, cutting edge science and tech."
"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, powerbroking," Artemis summed up." Yeah, sounds like the shadows."
"Like you know anything about the Shadows," Wally sneered.
Artemis just smirked, which frustrated Wally," Who are you?!"
Red Arrow continued, ignoring the outburst all together," Roquette is working on a virus to render the Fog inert."
"But if the Shadows know she can do that…,"Robin trailed off.
"They'll target her," Roy finished." Right now she's off the grid, I stashed her at the local highschool's computer lab."
"You left her alone?!" Green Arrow asked incredulously.
"She's safe enough for now," Red Arrow replied.
"Then let's you and I keep her that way," Green Arrow suggested.
"You and I? Wouldn't you rather take your new protégé?"
Before Green Arrow could respond, Batman silenced him with a hand on the shoulder. Green Arrow sighed, before stealing his reserve and replying," You brought this to the team. It's their mission, which means it's her mission too."
"Then my job's done," Red Arrow replied haughtily.
As he walked in to the Zeta Tubes, he called out," Computer, it's Red Arrow, B-0-6. Update."
And then he was gone.
"Before you all head out, you have another teammate going with you on this mission," Batman drew everyone's attention.
"Another newb? Not feeling it," Wally crossed his arms and looked away.
"You don't have a choice," Batman replied flatly. "He should be arriving any moment if he knows how to follow instructions."
"Recognized, Guest, Authorization 0-2."
"Jeez that's a weird feeling," a new voice called out. Naruto stepped through the porter in full gear, mask over his face with his hood up. Looking through the room, he took in the looks on everyone's faces," alright who died?"
"Your late," Batman leveled a flat glare at the boy, who shrugged.
"First time I've ever had to use a Zeta Tube, gotta give me some margin of error. I hit one button wrong and ended up in Kansas."
Wally snickered, which caused Robin to elbow him in the side," What, that's hilarious!"
"Thanks, I like you…,"Naruto turned and took in his attire,"...Bay Watch?"
Artemis broke out laughing, and even the still glum members of The Team had to crack a small smile as Wally glowered. "I hate you."
"And I'm soooo torn up about it," Naruto replied sarcastically, the eye roll audible if not visible.
"If you're done," Batman interjected.
"Sorry sorry, the names Kitsune." Naruto took a bow, before standing back up straight. "I specialize in anything scrooge mc Bat over there pays me to do."
The Team (and Artemis) blinked," Pays?"
Howdy, probably shouldn't be making a new story considering I'm behind on updates but this is one of the ideas from the old account I didn't want to let die so here it is. From here on out I'm probably just gonna update based on review count so uhhhh yeah do that.
Kishi