Chapter Two
After putting his clothing back on, he was quickly told to join a group of other individuals. Everything had happened so fast with everything passing as a blur before his eyes, they must be pumping hallucinogens into the air of this underground facility, as he did not recall drinking so much. They were led through a series of long and narrow hallways until they had reached their destination. While they navigated through the long corridors, his mind wondered back to his risqué rendezvous with the woman from before. Was she a recruiter within this organization? However, he can't shake the fact out of his head that she began their interaction subtlety hinting for him to leave. Was she being held here against her will? Who was the girl with the domineering aura? So many questions, but after disappearing behind the curtains, the vixen who was just with him had disappeared entirely. He was now alone and in work mode.
He stood amongst others as they were gathered and told to stand as they presumably waited for somewhere to appear. His eyes carefully examined the people around him: able-bodied but broken spirits with lost causes. After careful analyzation, he concluded that he may be a tad older than most of the people here. Some of these people were obvious misfits, quite possibly even teenagers who ran away from home or had given up on their shinobi training. It came off as something of a sinister humour; this ring was no different than the ANBU, targeting gullible youths in order to mold them into the perfect tools. The more years he spends in the village's shadow, the more he find himself almost sympathizing with these underground organizations…they were almost identical.
His mind recalled all his younger teammates: Kinoe, Yugao, and then there was Itachi. What their lives could have been if they were never a part of the ANBU. Just like him, they were all nothing but children when they were thrusted into such a cruel world. The more helpless the better, the ANBU tended to target orphans. Children killing other children, that is the game all the village elders played with young lives as their pawns. What was so different between the ANBU than these people here? At the end of the day, it was always about obtaining a goal through the bloodshed and sacrifice of others. He was sure that the elders had something to do with the trafficking of illegal goods to other neighbouring villages. Other than assassinations, the ANBU were sent on safeguarding missions to oversee the transport of "assets". The village couldn't possibly be sustained with just the income coming from mission quotas. The elders may appear to care about the wellbeing of others, but in truth, they just want to eliminate the competition.
He shot his head back to the present upon sensing the slight vibrations of a group walking towards his direction. Judging by the differences in the foot steps there must be around a group of four individuals; three males and one female. The alpha must be present in this group as one sequence of footsteps particularly stood out to him. It was more grounded and heavier than the other males: either he was a very large man, or he was the most dangerous one here. One individual in the group walked with little pressure on the ground, almost like a glide; this person's movement was heavier than the presumed female. The presumed female's footsteps sounded like she was walking the straightest out of all of them, signifying that she may present a determined persona. Then there was the second heaviest set of footsteps; there was vibrancy in the steps, this individual must be a young male.
Just as expected, it did not take too long before the door behind them opened. Although he couldn't physically turn his head around to validate the accuracy of his prediction, but he could sense a very menacing chakra presence. The "alpha" exerted the most powerful aura while there were two others with less of a presence in their auras. Three of the four must be trained in the shinobi arts.
"Thank you all for gathering here." A soft but calculating voice spoke from within the group as they walked to the front of the room. The voice vibrated from the direction of the "graceful" strider.
Kakashi was able to verify his presumptions once the group was in front of him; he was correct. There was a total of four individuals in the group: three males and one female. The "graceful strider" who just spoke appeared to be a mild manner man given the tidy way he was dressed. He had long black hair which he kept in a neat low side ponytail with long and loosely tied bangs framing his slender face. He was soft-spoken with a composure and aura largely resembled that of Itachi Uchiha's; there was a dagger hidden behind a polite disposition.
The male next to him and off to the side was younger, just a lad. He wore simple civilian attire resembling that of any trendy teenager. His ashy mauve hair was arranged in a side sweep style with a few simple studded hair clips arranged in an ax-formation securing its shape. He had the most relaxed appearance with a mischievous grin permanently fixed with his smug disposition. With his striking grey eyes and fair skin, he could easily be labeled as a pretty boy. But he will not underestimate him, as the cruelness of his arrogant gaze only gives a sneak peak of what he may be capable of. Arrogance may be his eventual downfall.
Next, was the man he assumed to be the alpha. A tall and sturdy built man with toned physique dressed in a simplified combat attire. A decent number of weapons were strapped to his sides: kunais, shurikens, and a wakizashi. He remained stoically silent as he towered over the rest of the group, merely observing the new group of recruits before him. There was no doubt that this man should be a skilled shinobi, at least a jonin level if not higher. It is doubtful that he is the boss of the operation given his age, usually it takes years of experience to be able to take over an underground ring. From the information he was given before his departure, the elders warned him that this organization is deeply rooted and may be hard to take down.
Finally, the female in the group as the same girl who had just previously told him to "get presentable or get lost". She stood silently amongst the other men with observant lusciously lashed framed violet eyes. Now upon a closer inspection with better lighting, she couldn't be older than 18. The soft waves of her warm chestnut locks carelessly draped against her body. Her attire was that of any civilian, a simple black tank-top with a mid-drift cut and an a-lined black skirt with thick stockings underneath. She wore a simple black choker on her long and slender neck. Despite her young age when compared to the rest of the men up there with her, she presented a calm and elegant presence; it seems that she holds an important status after all.
"I will try my best to keep this short so that you all could retire early." The mild-manner man spoke again as his wise eyes scanned the crowd.
It was troubling to figure out who held the higher authority between the mild-mannered man or the silently stoic individual. The rest of the group remained respectfully quiet when the mild-mannered man spoke, but it was the other man who came first in terms of chakra presence. Perhaps are they the right and left hand of the true ringleader?
"Now that I have all your attention, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify one thing. We do not care for your past, regardless of what circumstances had driven you all here, we will only judge you by the character you display from here on out." He was an engaging speaker with a silver tongue. With just a few words, he was able to capture the awe of almost everyone of the new recruits.
Was he the only one who was not debriefed? He had no idea how the others were selected as he headed straight here after his heart-racing activities. On the other hand, that can't be the initiation activity…right?
"However, everything is not groundless, we do have certain expectations we require you all to adhere to. The most imperative expectation is your loyalty. Blood is thicker than water, swear yourselves to us and we will care for you as family. You will all be subjected to strict supervision and will be required to report to us with every step you take outside of this facility. Those who violate our simple rules will be shown no mercy and be terminated on the spot."
"Terminated? Like we will be kicked out?" a young man asked from the row in front of him.
"hehe." The fashionable mauve haired youth chuckled.
"No." The mild-mannered speaker answered.
"You will be slain on the spot." The youth chimed in with glee in a high and youthful teasing tone.
"Wh…what?!" Another person from the crowd called out in confusion.
"Honestly, it depends on who you get." The youth chirped with delight as he walked towards the last person to speak.
"Someone like Hiro nii-san may show mercy and kill you on the spot." He looked back and grinned at the stoic alpha from his group.
"Someone like Izanagi nii-san may give you a head start before finishing the job." He glanced back at the mild-manner speaker.
He stopped in front of the young man.
"Then what about you?" The young man attempted his best to put up a strong front.
Like a sly fox, the youth smirked at the trembling man before him.
"Hikaru." The young girl softly spoke for the first time since her arrival here; it was a warning but also a plea.
Like a flash of lightening, the youth now known as Hikaru disappeared from his spot. With just his speed alone would qualify him to be of jonin level. The last person he had seen with the ability to travel so lightly to be undetected and fast was Minato-sensei, the late Yondaime Hokage.
"If you think naughty thoughts about Nana-chan then I'll gut you alive on the spot!" Hikaru exclaimed as he appeared behind a different recruit finally confirming his cruel nature.
With a sharp kunai in his hands and ready to deliver a fatal strike to the jugular, Hikaru was stopped by Hiro's firm grip just in time before a tragedy could occur. The young man named Hikaru was more than just a pretty face and fashionable youth. There was blood frenzy in his eyes, a sight that Kakashi had grew accustomed to since he joined the battlefield at a young age.
"Hikaru. Enough." Izanagi gave a firm warning calmly as Hiro escorted Hikaru back to the front. The young man who had almost lost his life now collapsed onto the ground shaking with terror.
The girl, Nana, gave a stern glare at Hikaru who responded to her coldness with a smug smirk and a flirtatious wink. She only gave him another look of utter disbelief before ignoring him completely.
"You all must forgive Hikaru-kun. If you get to know him, he is in fact a very agreeable person. We are all very protective of Nana-chan, so we will all react the same way if we sense that she is subjected to any ill intentions. So please, treat everyone with respect and we will do just the same." Izanagi chuckled to ease the tension in the room.
Perhaps due to witnessing what could potentially happen…no what will most definitely happen, everyone had instinctively avoided eye contact with Nana. Who is this girl? Why were the others so protectively of her? Izanagi, the voice of the group, addresses her as ojou-chan. The stoic Hiro had stood protectively beside her ever since they walked into the room. Then there was Hiro, who would kill someone just for looking at her for a little too long. Was this a power move or tactic to lead the new recruits into thinking that she was more than she was? Was she really that important, or were they just trying to divert attention from the real mastermind behind it all?
Judging by the tone of voice and the distance stood between them, non of them are blood related. The girl, Nana, may be the only female in the inner circle if not the youngest individual. However, the real question lies in how someone of low chakra level and of the youngest age be given such a prominent position within the organization. Perhaps she is a blood relative of someone in a higher position?
"Izanagi nii-san, you are always such a downer. The best way to convey a message is through action. It burns a permanent image into the mind." Hikaru pouted with childish annoyance.
"I understand where you are coming from, but then again, we don't want to ruin a good first impression by straight out murdering people on the first day." Izanagi cooed back and brushed Hikaru's commentary away.
The way Hikaru heeded Izanagi's words shone a new light on their power dynamics. In terms of ranking, Hikaru must be of lower status than Hiro and Izanagi.
Izanagi now looked to the group before him, overhearing murmurs of worry amongst the group.
"Those who wish to leave please do so now, if you decided to stay then please remember what we just discussed today. Think carefully, because once you decide to stay then you will stay for life." Izanagi concluded with a coy smile.
A few were hesitant after just witnessing the deadly event, but they eventually decided to remain in their spot. At times like this, leaving now or later would always result in death anyways. The young man who was just on the ground was helped up by Nana, much to Hikaru's discontent as he stood behind Hiro with malicious eyes.
Either Hikaru and Nana are in a relationship or it is a one-sided adoration on Hikaru's part.
"Thank you, ojou-san." The young man carefully worded, after remembering Izanagi's firm warning about, as his cheeks flushed up. The young man's eyes lingered briefly on Nana as she offered her hand to pull him up.
"Just calling me Nana is fine." She replied in a monotone before walking back to rejoin her group. The young man continued to gaze at her while standing there in awe.
Kakashi's eyes followed Nana. What is her relation to the underground ring? She was nothing like the girls in the club; she had a different presence. The others seem to hold her with high regard, could she be a family member to the boss? Although not exquisitely beautiful, the proud way she carried herself gave off an icy allure. She remained quiet but still diligently observant while she listened in on the conversation occurring within her group. She stood straight with an excellent posture while the occasional tilt of her head added a feminine touch. For the first time, he was unable to comprehend an individual he had interest in; it was hard to decipher exactly how she relates back to this organization. She had the lowest chakra reading of anyone here (barely none!), but she was able to stand amongst the three men. This girl presented a cold exterior, but her eyes showed a glimmer of kindness when she went out of her way to help the young man up. Who was she?
Catching eyes, they both find themselves locked in a gaze. Given the amount of years he had spent under specialized training and experienced gather under the ANBU, this was one of the rare times where he could not read someone just by looking at their eyes. Her violet eyes stared him down without an ounce of emotion in them. His heartbeat slowed down as her violet gaze continued to draw him in. Had she realized that he was not here for the reasons he had stated to the women before? Was he discovered?
"Very well then. I am proud to accept new brothers and sisters into our family. This will be all for tonight, you should all retire and rest. The gentlemen will follow Hikaru-kun and the ladies will follow Nana-chan, they will show you all to your resting quarters and give you a more detailed breakdown of house rules." Thankfully, Izanagi was able to break their moment of intense eye contact.
As the others start to migrate in the direction of their new groups, Izanagi leaned close to Hiro and whispered into his ear. He was unable to hear or lip-read what was conversed, but he understood that Izanagi was especially interested in one of the men walking towards Hikaru. The precision of Izanagi's eyes reminded Kakashi of the sanin Orochimaru. It would not surprise him if Izanagi turned out to be experimenting with human bodies just like the infamous sanin.
Kakashi followed the rest of the men as they gathered around Hikaru. Not wanting to waste his precious resting time any longer, Hikaru led the men out of the room first. As Kakashi followed the lineup, he realized the Nana had never taken her eyes off him. She continued to trail him with her violet eyes. Not wanting to stir up suspicion, Kakashi turned his eyes away and walked deeper amongst his group, soon disappearing amongst the crowd of people.
As he walked down the narrow and dimly lit corridors, he can't help but to let his mind wander. Normal girls her age does not display such an icy demeaner, unless they are seriously psychiatrically damaged killing machines. Regardless, she must have had her fair dealings with death to remain so calm amongst her groupmates. She was not a simple person, given the amount of respect shown to her even amongst the men standing with her, she must be the closest link he has to get closer to the root of this underground operation.
"Hikaru-san-"
"Hikaru is fine." Hikaru interrupted a young man who attempted to address him with honorifics.
The sudden reply from Hikaru in a completely changed tone from before had stunned the fellow groupmates altogether.
"I said, just Hikaru is fine. I'm not fancy or elegant like Izanagi-san." Hiakru spoke again as he stretched his arms up followed by a yawn.
"Hikaru." The young man spoke again.
"Yes?" Hikaru chirped as he turned his head around to look at the young man.
"Does our past really not matter? You would just accept a bunch of misfits like us without any questions?" He was hesitant to finish his sentence. A sense of humiliation and shame filled the undertone of this youth's voice as his eyes averted to the ground.
"Does it really not bother you that some of us may have troubled pasts?" Another man added from the back.
"What we could be capable of?" Spoke another.
Hikaru continued to grin upon hearing everyone's concerns.
"Not all of us out strong and shinobi trained, how could we be of use then?" A rather lanky youth asked in a soft voice.
Having reached their destination, the male resting quarters, Hikaru stopped and turned to face the rest of the group. A sincere expression replaced the psychotic image he had just displayed not too long ago.
"First of all, we mean what we say. Just as Izanagi-san mentioned, blood is thicker than water; give us your undying loyalty and we will bleed for you just as you will for us. Give us any reason to doubt you, then you will be terminated without question on the spot." Hikaru's eyes glanced over everyone in the group. He seemed to be the type to have their trust easily earned, but at the same time also have ties easily broken with a single mistake.
"Secondly, not everyone's value is based on their strength. There will be a separation of tasks which will be designated to those who best suit them. Family is situated on bettering everyone within it; we will assist you all to flourish just as master had done for me." So, the one Hikaru referred to as master should be the boss of it all; he is the one Kakashi is after.
"Lastly, do not assume that you have the worst past. Everyone ended up here because of something they could not alter. Even the most innocent looking person here could have committed the most unforgivable of sins. If you think that you had it bad, there is always someone who had it worse. It is not about what you did, it is about what you will do. Everything is justified here, as long as you do in for the cause of the master and this family." Hikaru mentioned the master again.
"Master? Who is he?" Someone managed to ask the question that was burning in Kakashi's head.
"The master is our savior. He gives new meaning to the abandoned and the forgotten. Trust us and we will return it to you by the tenfold. You will all work your way up and if you are lucky then you will meet the god who is responsible for all of this. In no time, you all will be reborn and find purpose in life again; because this is what he does, and why he is our master." Hikaru's eyes looked euphoric as he spoke about the mastermind behind this all.
So Hikaru was once a lost soul who was supposedly saved by this person. He seemed to be so deeply fascinated with this person with the way he spoke of them. For someone appearing to be so narcissistically inclined and cruel to form such an idolization of them, the master that he speaks of must pose a high level of intelligence. So, this may not just be an underground drug ring, this may also be a cult.
Oh, Kakashi had never regretted any mission as much as this. Drugs are tolerable, but he can't deal with mad-shit crazy people. He hated cults. Anything but missions with cults. This was going to be one hell of a time. He had accepted a mission to investigate a drug-dealing underground cult. This was supposed to be an escape from the craziness of the village, but it seems that he actually voluntarily gotten himself involved with more than he could bargain for.