Chapter 6: We Are All Humans
A/N: It seems like people enjoyed the previous chapter, if the reviews are anything to go by. Since that is the case, thanks so much for those of you that reviewed, and thank you to those that have read my stories and have enjoyed it so far. I hope that you continue to enjoy this story and its progression.
By the way, I don't know how many of you read the Extra Chapter, 23.5, but that just made me soooo sad. So, here's to my sadness.
Information on the Story: Chi reinforces a body with physical energies and amplifies a person's strength, speed, and other physical related abilities. However, the drawback is that it is extremely taxing on one's body, not matter how much one trains. Legend has it that a person was able to go through fifty Chi uses in one hour, but he was in bed the next day.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Akame ga Kill. Oh well. My plans of overthrowing the authors and obtaining their ownerships are slowly dissipating. Slowly…
Chapter 6 START
"Woah! This is so much fun!" Tatsumi cheered with both arms in the air, his eyes closed in glee. Chelsea, the new member of Night Raid, giggled light-heartedly.
"You're so pure, it's surprising that you are a killer as well."
"I know right?" Leone said from the front of the Manta Ray. She cheered once, whooping loudly. "This is so much fun!"
"Urgh…" two people groaned. Mine and Lubbock were on their last legs of enduring the pain in their stomachs. "This isn't that good."
Unlike the rest of the group, Susanoo, Akame, and Najenda were silent. Naruto was sleeping (as expected), and Yuna (Mimi's new name), was watching him quietly and carefully. The blond had drifted off to the land of unconsciousness the moment he laid down on the Manta Ray, and he was currently sleeping with an extremely peaceful expression despite the speed and height they were currently traveling.
It's surprising to think someone with a past as his was so nonchalant, but then again, they were Night Raid. They all had their little quirks.
But there was a problem. Naruto didn't remember. Anything.
Akame tapped her fingers against her thigh, thinking carefully about what had been revealed last night.
XShuyaX
(Flashback: Previous Night)
"So, Chelsea-san, explain how you know Naruto." Said girl nodded her head once.
"Of course. His family was a part of the clan that my family was in at the time."
"Naruto was part of a clan?" Mine asked incredulously. Chelsea nodded, albeit barely.
"He was…but his family was on the very bottom since they were assumed to be nomads. They joined before Naruto was born. Only about two years after his parents joined our clan, they had Naruto, who was born on the same day as my birthday. That's how I heard about him."
"What's his birthday?" Akame asked. It wasn't that it was an important question. But there was reasoning behind her asking about the unimportant detail.
"October Tenth. You don't trust me?" the girl replied, a cheerful half-smirk on her lips. Akame shook her head, denying the joking accusation.
"Naruto doesn't know his own birthday. When I talked to him about his past, he said he only remembers small snippets. His words, not mine." Chelsea paused, her eyes showing an analytical gaze as she calmly stood in the middle of the silence.
"I see…does he remember his parents?"
"Barely. He said after one of the missions, he suddenly remembered a few memories and that they died. That's all." Everyone else was listening intently; Naruto's past was something no one else other than Akame and Chelsea knew, apparently, and Chelsea was possibly Naruto's…friend (?) in the past.
"Then he won't remember me," the auburn-haired girl sighed out. "However, what happened in the past, I do remember." She paused again, recalling the events of the past. "I was like Naruto's older sister in the past, taking care of him whenever his parents went out to take care of other things, like hunting for food or meetings with the elder. Since I wasn't really old enough nor strong enough to hunt, I was asked to take care of Naruto.
"Honestly, I thought it was really, really stupid of his parents to ask me to take care of his son. They were the bottom of the clan, asking someone in the upper ranks to take care of their so-called 'worthless' child."
"Then why'd you accept?" Tatsumi blurted out in pure curiosity. The same question was on everyone else's mind. "I mean…you said he was 'worthless', right?"
"No, I never said that. My parents and the rest of the clan thought that. I just thought that their request was stupid since my parents were going to say no anyway."
"What made them say yes?" Leone asked.
"They didn't."
"What?"
"Of course my parents said no. I snuck out, obviously." Chelsea took this moment to sigh deeply. "My parents were such hard-asses, never letting me do anything." Then, she grinned. "But I don't regret sneaking out of the house that night and meeting his parents and little Naru-chan. He was the cutest four-year-old I've ever seen, and so pure. And he was so lively also, always smiling and cheerful. I don't think I've ever seen him not smile other than in his sleep."
"That's not our Naruto."
"Yup, you got the wrong one."
"Definitely the wrong one."
"You guys say what you want, but I'm certain that that is Naruto. How many people can you tell me that you know in your whole system of connections and through random meetings that have blue eyes, blond, spiky hair, three whisker marks on each cheek, and an abnormal amount of talent in learning hand-to-hand combat?"
Silence.
"I…don't think I've ever actually seen him use hand-to-hand once. I've seen him use a sword," Tatsumi inputted.
"Same here," Leone stated.
"And he's not even very good with it," Mine pointed out.
Akame remained silent.
Chelsea shook her head.
"How strong was he when he was five?" Najenda asked. The auburn haired girl smirked.
XShuyaX
(Flashback: Ten years before)
"Sea-chan (pronounced: see-ah). Sea-chan!" A younger looking Chelsea turned around to face the person calling her. She was wearing a red plaid skirt and a black top with long sleeves, which were folded up to her elbows. Her eyes still held their signature cheeky look, but her smiles were true.
"Hey, Naru-chan! What's going on?" she asked, looking at the young blond, who was giggling with an abundance of energy as he ran up to her and hugged her, his head barely reaching her waist. He tilted his head up and faced her with a huge grin, his eyes closing in happiness.
"Hi!" She couldn't help but smile back and giggle a little. Naruto was so innocent. The way he greeted her every day made it seem like she was returning from some long trek, but he saw her every day for nearly eighteen hours.
"Hi. How are you today, Naru-chan?" she asked good-naturedly.
"Great! I'm going to be awesome when I grow up! My Tou-san and Kaa-chan just started teaching me how to fight! It's soooooo cool!" he stated, nearly gushing. He threw his arms out wide to emphasize how cool it was, but he was still leaning against the older girl. She bent on her knees so that the two were at an equal height.
"Really?" Naruto nodded his head once seriously.
"Yeah, and I'll become strong enough so that I can protect everyone." He paused. "At least, that's what my parents told me to do." The little blond began to scratch his cheek and looked up to the right with a confused expression. "I don't see how I need to protect anyone yet…everyone is really strong, so where would I be?"
Chelsea poked the blond's forehead, making him bring both hands up to the spot she had pushed. He glared at her. She just giggled with her eyes closed in amusement; a little boy glaring at her. Cute.
"So if I'm in trouble, would you protect me?" His glare dropped so quickly, as if water had been doused on him.
"Of course!" he promised. "There's no way I would let anything happen to you! That's a promise, 'ttebayo!" This time, she straight up laughed. That trademark verbal tic was so cute.
"Hahaha! You better." His grin widened.
"Promise!" he shouted, throwing his closed hand forward with only his pinky up.
She met his and it shook.
"Oh, is Chelsea-san making a promise to little Naruto?" a male asked. Both children turned and noticed the blond's parents walking over to the duo.
"Maybe she's making a lifelong vow so that we can have grandchildren! Oh, I'm so happy, Minato-kun, Sochi-kun, Chelsea-chan!" Kushina squealed. Minato sweatdropped.
"Let's…not get ahead of ourselves." He grinned. "Naruto, let's continue from yesterday. And Chelsea-san, we don't mind if you stay and watch, if you wish to stay."
"I appreciate the offer. Thank you," she said, standing and bowing once to the family. The two parents nervously chuckled.
"You don't have to bow, you know?" Minato chuckled out.
"That's right…you are higher in status, regardless of age." Kushina stated.
"I will respect who I believe have earned my respect," Chelsea replied quickly. She looked down when she felt a tugging on her hand and saw Naruto looking at her with dreamy eyes.
"You're…going to watch me train?" She nodded. "Yay!" he shouted, jumping for joy and leaping to his parents. "Let's start now! I wanna start training now!" he ordered (read: whined) as he tugged on his parents' hands.
About ten minutes had passed, and Kushina was sitting beside Chelsea in a comfortable silence on a mat as Naruto and Minato trained outside in the sun, the dirt comfortable and perfect for training purposes.
The little blond was shouting every time he threw a punch or kick, copying his father perfectly…or so he thought. To Chelsea and Kushina, it was a perfect comedy. The father was extremely fluid and graceful in every motion, not wasting a single movement. The son, on the other hand, was completely off-balance and constantly over-reaching.
However, within the span of a single month…Naruto became perfectly coordinated with his father. And he wasn't stuck on the basics either; his parents called him a genius at the rate he was learning as a five year old, a child who shouldn't have achieved maximum motor control. He was already learning intermediate moves and counters, and he was able to surprise his father and mother with his ingenuity in random, yet calculated movements. Random, but very creative and actually feasible and usable in real combat.
And every time Naruto grinned when he got praised, Chelsea would smile as well. He would grow up to be a strong boy. He was already learning how to use weapons!
XShuyaX
(End Flashback: Return to Previous Night)
"He's much better at hand-to-hand than most of you would think. Or all of you, for that matter. Probably because none of you actually forced him to fight to his full potential."
A moment of silence.
"I tested him when he first joined; he wasn't all that impressive." Chelsea shook her head at Najenda's point.
"No, you didn't force him enough, then. You have to bring to the point he feels like he would die. But, it doesn't matter. I don't understand why he lost his memories…unless the event was so traumatic that he sealed it away."
"Sealed what away?" Akame asked harshly.
"His memory of the Imperial Army. They invaded, pillaged, burned, killed, raped, and destroyed everything. I lost my whole family in when they came, and I became a slave and eventually worked under the viceroy that I murdered. Over ninety-percent of us died, and they had no mercy for children. So I assumed that he had died. But…" she looked over at Naruto, who was sleeping peacefully on the lap of the girl with large ears, almost longingly, "he's alive."
XShuyaX
(End Flashback)
When Night Raid all jumped off the Manta Ray (other than Naruto; he was carried off by Yuna), the transportation assistance flew up and away in the direction of the Revolutionary Army Headquarters.
"Woah…this place is so bare," Tatsumi mumbled. Najenda nodded in agreement, a wide grin splitting her face.
"That's right; it's perfect for training since it's full of Danger Beasts."
Speaking of Danger Beasts…behind the group of Night Raid was a giant Danger Beast just eyeing the group, getting ready to eat them. At least, that was what it seemed like to the group once they noticed it. In all honesty, all it was doing was spectating the group and watching their interactions.
Such a poor 'danger beast', being taken out like that. It would be an albino for years to come, despite the fact it was considered a 'black sheep' by its kind for its constant efforts to try and interact with humans. The irony of it all.
"That's great and all," Tatsumi began, completely ignoring the beast they had just taken down. "But what about our base? And what abilities do those two have?" he asked curiously.
"I have a Teigu, don't worry, Tatsumi-chan," Chelsea told him playfully. Najenda coughed, garnering the attention of the rest of the group.
"Susanoo…is a special Teigu himself." An evil glint entered her eyes. "Show them your power!"
"Osu!" the horned Teigu responded with a passionate fire in his eyes. A few minutes later, the group watched him with deadpans as he chopped trees and began cooking.
"…He's doing household chores?" Lubbock asked rhetorically.
"…That's what it looks like." Tatsumi stated in the same mental state as Lubbock. Najenda began to chuckle.
"You don't understand how powerful this is. He is a professional cook, and his mind is filled with cooking and fighting! He is the perfect Teigu!"
The only one impressed was Akame.
XShuyaX
(Location: A Few Miles East of the Capitol)
"Why did you follow me?"
Naruto was walking through the large expanse of dry earth, his white jacket slung over his shoulder as he tiredly went through the area. Yuna was beside him, her back straight and her eyes alert, a clear contrast from the blond.
"It's my job to follow you."
"It's not your job," the blue-eyed teen sighed out. "You know what, do whatever you want. You know where I'm going, right?"
"The Capitol," she replied quickly. "But why are we heading towards the Capital when the rest of your group is trying to make their base." Naruto turned his head to face her and gave her a blank look.
"Do you actually think I would have helped them? Most likely, I would have slept through the whole thing," he stated honestly. Yuna widened her eyes in shock once she realized that he wasn't lying. The boy that saved her was extremely lazy! The respect she had for him was going down slowly. "Besides, although I'm not really all that interested in the Capital, there are some things I want to check out and maybe buy as well."
"Such as?" Yuna said, trying to egg him on and explain.
"Gauntlets. Maybe arm guards as well." Naruto brought a hand to his chin as he looked up to the clear blue sky above, a thoughtful expression taking over. "I'm thinking about a sword as well, but I'm not very proficient with the blade. Maybe a small dagger would be better for me: I'll be able to hide it in my sleeves. But into order to always keep it inside my clothes, I'll need to buy new clothes and sew out spots, which would take a long time for me."
"I can sew." The blond didn't turn his head this time, but he had an incredulous tone in his face. "I'm not lying."
"Can you please not listen to my heartbeat to notice my emotions, please?"
"How did you know that I was checking your heartbeat? Your facial expressions are just as obvious."
"I don't know. Those ears are pretty helpful for hearing lies though, right?" Naruto asked, a blank expression taking over immediately.
"As well as a few other convenient uses. At least to your expectations, I hope."
"Can we stop talking as if we're different in status or something? I feel really uncomfortable." He stopped walking, so she stopped as well. Naruto turned around his whole body to face her, so she did the same. He stared at her in the eyes for a few moments, and she felt her mental fortitude breaking down slowly under his penetrating gaze. "I'm your partner," he finally said, breaking the silence. A wind passed as another silence took over. "Your comrade and a fellow assassin." He turned toward the Capital, which was visible just barely in the edge of the reaches of his vision. "Between us assassins who chose this life, we have nothing to make us higher or lower than another. We kill, and we live for as long as we can with this lifestyle. We all have reasons for being involved in this life, but we are here."
"…What's your reason?" Yuna asked quietly. Naruto continued to stare off at the Capital.
"I don't know. Right now, I'm fighting to help someone else achieve their dream. Hopefully, I find something to fight for myself."
XShuyaX
(Time Skip: Two Hours)
Two hours of walking and occasional jogging (and piggyback riding) resulted in the pair strolling about the Capital. Yuna was getting a decent amount of looks of interest from the populace for her attractive looks and figure as well as her exotic ears.
Naruto, on the other hand, were getting glances of disappointment or anger. Here he was with a girl, and a pretty one, no less, and he's slouching and trudging through the streets as if walking were the most difficult and troublesome thing that mankind had ever thought up of. Sad for women, disgraceful for men.
"So," Yuna began, looking around the streets as they passed multiple stores and street vendors. "What exactly are we looking for?"
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really care. As long as the store has what I need, then we'll be fine."
"How do you know that they have it?"
"We don't." Yuna gave him a hard stare, which the blond didn't even twitch to respond to.
"Did you even think about this situation before coming to the Capital?"
"Of course I did. I just didn't think of a solution before coming here." He shrugged again, which earned him an even harder glare. "Besides, the longer we stay here, the more time we get to relax and not work at the new base."
"…You're a really lazy person, aren't you?" Her first impression of him had made her reluctant to believe that he was actually a lazy individual, but his continuous signs of tiredness and laziness were quickly changing her conceptions of him.
A nod in response; talking required too much energy.
"…I would describe it as conserving energy, if you would please." Naruto took a moment to look around the area. "Huh, there's the store." Yuna looked in the direction that the blond began to walk to. It was a random weapon's shop that was clearly labeled as "Traditional and New Weapons". In all honestly, it looked pretty plain on the outside; nothing really warranted her attention.
"So you did have something in plan? Why didn't you just say so?"
"Who knows?"
The inside was a different story. It was a pretty large establishment, filled with weapons of all kinds. The store even held guns, with were a rarity and quite expensive since it really was a new invention. The two walked around the store, eyeing a few things and finding plenty of interesting weapons, but the blond stopped at two areas.
"This is it." He picked up a throwing star made of heavy metal. "Kind of heavy, but I should be able to use it. Sheele recommended this to me?"
"Who is Sheele?"
"…" Naruto continued to stare down at the metal weapon in his hand. He called over a helper in the store and asked for five hundred throwing stars, an extremely stupid order since he wouldn't even be able to carry that much weight.
Once that was dealt with, and his order was all placed in a wooden box, Naruto walked to a different aisle, looking at specific daggers.
"Sheele was a member of Night Raid."
"She died, you mean."
"…Yes. She died." He paused in his amble, staring at a certain group of daggers. "A 'kunai'. I believe this is what I'm looking for as well." Naruto pulled out a book from his pocket, one that he had taken from Sheele's room.
"Do you miss her?"
"…Yes. I have nothing else to remember her by other than the short time we had together and the books she owned, which I have read multiple times over." He grabbed the metal kunai. "Ah, this feels right. Shop owner, I'll have two hundred of these please!"
Yuna sweatdropped.
"Do you even have the money for this amount of stuff?"
"Of course. And very soon, I'll have the manpower to carry them as well," Naruto gloated, his back to her as his smile turned into a somewhat disturbing smirk. He hefted a bag filled to the brim with gold coins…
"…You took their money."
"…For a good purpose. I needed a weapon as well."
"Seven hundred is not one weapon."
"…"
"Your heart is beating faster."
"…"
"Um…"
The two turned to the shop assistant, who had come to count out the number of kunais and shurikens and gave the blond and girl an irritated stare.
"Yes?" the two asked as one, drawling out the end so it sounded like a hiss.
"That'll be sixty gold coins."
"…I'll buy some clothes, too."
"…Please hurry. You are disturbing the rest of our customers."
XShuyaX
(Location: Capitol)
Naruto and Yuna walked outside of the store into the afternoon light. This was the time when the majority of the people were out walking the streets, cheerfully chattering away or enjoying the rest of the day as the sun fell over the mountains, creating a sense of fulfillment and tiredness. It was a good time to relax.
Naruto was dressed in his new clothes, which were long pants that were surprisingly slack, an orange shirt with multiple spools and strings that wrapped around his upper body, and a long, black overcoat that had two pockets on the outside, but probably tens on the inside.
"So, you decided to leave the majority of the order back at the shop and carry the rest on your body? Do you even know how to use them?"
"Of course I do."
"Your heart rate increased again." At that, Naruto donned his uncaring expression and slouched his shoulders, becoming indifferent to everything. "Wow. Your heart rate actually decreased! I'm impressed."
The weird about the two was the kind of camaraderie that they had quickly obtained. They had barely known each other for one day, and yet they acted surprisingly comfortable around each other, throwing barbs and insults, most of them jokingly. Once Yuna had actually accepted that Naruto was an extremely lazy person, she found that it was more amusing than anything else. That could be why she found herself so relaxed around him. Another part of this could be reasoned with the fact that Naruto had saved her from Dr. Stylish. And yet another part of it could be attributed to another fact: their personalities went well together. But the main thing was that they both were somewhat lost. Naruto was following Sheele's beliefs and Akame's dream, but not whole-heartedly because he was still in the transformation phase, still changing his beliefs and cementing what he truly wanted. Yuna, on the other hand, had lost her guide and was alive and was told that she was 'free', but that word had little importance to her since she had never known life other than being 'owned'. Freedom had never even crossed her mind.
She had stated this honestly to him when he had first woken up and had stuck to his side. He told her that there was no need for her to feel any kind of need to pay him back or anything of the sort, but she told him that this was out of her own accord and will. She was a follower. Naruto found this statement troubling, however. That statement…it made him think about himself and what made him really an individual. Until he found his answer, he would continue to stick with the girl and Night Raid.
"Whether or not I'm lying, I don't really care. You could always help me out, you know." Yuna giggled.
"You're asking me to be an accomplice?"
"They're just lies. It's not like it's a crime to lie." Not like other crimes. "Besides, I'm looking for something."
"What is it?" To answer her question, the Naruto's blue eyes suddenly darted into a book he had pulled out from somewhere hidden in his body (she still has no idea how he does that, although she has only known him for a day).
"Let's see. According to Sheele's hit list book, there should be some fishy people on this district…or more specifically, this street. It's the meeting area for some shady group." Naruto's and Yuna's expressions both turned serious. "The hit we're looking for is named Bach, a wealthy individual who makes a good chunk of money by finding pretty girls and enslaving them. What happens is that he treats them well, and then when they think they found a good master, they are broken in."
"Is it torture? How does he make his money?" Naruto put away his book and began to twirl a kunai in his finger, the digit through the loop and he spun the dangerous weapon as if it were an amusing toy.
"Transactions. And the girls are the goods. Like I said, they are treated well…but then they are broken in by the people that want them. So do me a favor and keep on the lookout. If you hear anything suspicious, tell me immediately," he told her. She nodded, donning a calculative look. It was time for business.
"Just wondering, Naruto. Why Bach? Why not anyone else?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders.
"Because he was the first one on the list."
"How many are on the list?" That question made Naruto pale.
"I saw the last page and it said 'to be continued', and then I noticed she had four other books of hit lists. Funny thing is that the first book had one-hundred twenty-seven hits by itself. I guess the Capitol is way more corrupt than I thought," he chuckled nervously. Yuna turned to stare at him with a disbelieving glance.
"You're telling me you want to go through all of them?" she asked incredulously. He shook his head in clear denial.
"No. The main reason why I decided this one was okay was because that it was convenient. I needed weapons, so I needed to go to the Capitol, and also because the weapons store is very near the vicinity of the hit area. What's also a big plus is that today is supposed to be one of those transaction days."
"I see…Sheele is amazing is she has that kind of information on so many." Naruto didn't respond for a while.
"Yeah…she really was amazing," he agreed calmly with the taller girl. Suddenly, the girl stiffened, something he noticed immediately. "You heard something?"
"I heard his name. Bach," she confirmed. Yuna closed her eyes, focusing solely on her hearing. "They are in the third building near the corner of the street to our left. And if my assumption is correct, the transaction has begun."
The breaking in had begun.
Well, there would be a different kind of breaking in happening right now.
XShuyaX
(Location: Nondescript Building)
"What is this?" one of the bound girls asked, her arms held behind her back as she struggled to be let free. However, the grip on her wrists was much too powerful for her frail body, shown as she winced in pain when the iron grasp tightened to emphasize her to stop her struggling. The girl had pink hair that went down to her lower back and pink eyes and even pink clothes to boot, showing her love for those colors. Her eyes, which had shown so much trust before for what she believed to be a kind master, now showed worry and immediate distrust. The Capitol was supposed to be a great place, right? So why was this happening to her and her friends?
"This? Oh, it's a simple business matter, really." Air, the pink haired girl widened her eyes in fright.
"A business transaction?" A different girl asked, Luna. This one had short, cropped blue hair. The top of her head was covered by a blue hood with bunny-like attachments. Her eyes, which were quiet and dull before and only showing glee when her friends smiled, now showed hatred. This whole situation was occurring because their village was in debt to the Capitol. And yet, even though they knew the taxes were exorbitantly high, they didn't think that corruption was the main reason for this.
"And you are the goods," Bach nodded. "You see, these men," he swept his arms to showcase the multitude of men standing behind him in business clothes. "…they have a certain fetish for seeing pretty girls in their happiest moments…and then breaking them. Strange fetish, I think," he shrugged his shoulders, "but it gets me money. And a lot of it."
"And you thought we wouldn't fight back? Think again!" The last girl shouted, suddenly breaking out of her captor's grip and executing a quick flip to kick the man behind her in the head. It failed. She found herself caught in a different grip and upside down. Bach simply chuckled and shook his head, as if watching a small child misbehaving before him.
"I knew you would fight back, but these people had it all figured out, you see? The ones holding you are quite skilled in the arts of fighting. The people standing around are just as skilled, so there's no point thinking you can run if you can't even beat one. Besides, there are even men out on the lookout for any suspicious looking individuals, so you won't be receiving any help. Sorry, but this business trade is as good as over." He smirked. "Oh, and by the way, you can be a bit harsher to that girl," he told the man who had almost got kicked on the crown of his head. The girl with orange hair with a boyish attitude, Fal, began to scream when the man, who nodded his head in return, slowly began to press her legs in the wrong direction.
"So…I guess I don't count as suspicious, do I now?"
Yuna facepalmed. What in the Capitol was Naruto doing? He was an assassin! Why was he letting them know he was there? No matter, it wasn't her fault if he died; she was outside, crouching to look inside next to four dead guards. Naruto had taken care of them with surprising ease. They hadn't even noticed him.
"I mean, that's nice and all." The man pressing Fal's legs stopped, but he didn't let her go from her upside-down state. Bach turned around to face the man…teen, as did the rest of the men in the room. His eyes narrowed at the blond standing before him with a bored expression.
"Bach, I did not realize that there would be difficulties in our business." That was his main buyer, a total nutjob, but the one with the most money. He had a dog with him, one he adored as was going to use to violate Air, but it could be used as a combat tool if necessary. Bach himself had seen the use of that dog in good order.
Bach forced a measured grin on his face so as to quell suspicion. "Do not worry. This should be dealt with quickly. After all, it's only one man…a boy! Your men should be able to hand him with ease." Bach tried to state for assurance. The three girls, who had found themselves in the possible grace of a savior, almost immediately lost their faith in the boy. However, what he said next brought back their hopes with even more violent fervor.
"Yeah, you can say that to your four dead bodyguards outside." Well, that quenched Bach's fake confidence and assurances quite quickly. "I mean, you called them bodyguards who were checking out for suspicious people, but why is it that they let me walk up to them and slit all of their throats without one noticing?" Naruto asked with an indescribably tired tone. He almost yawned. Almost.
But in no way was he tired. He had set himself in a somewhat disadvantageous situation, letting the group know he was there and that he had broken in. Naruto almost chuckled to himself when he thought that. Oh, how great was it to play with words. Breaking in girls, breaking in the building to ruin their day. No big difference.
But he digressed. There were around twenty men inside the building, each trained in their own art of fighting and probably with their own weapons as well. Good thing he had his own…that he had just bought today and he no real experience with. He mentally threw reason out the window and smirked. No time like the present, right?
"Well…even if you took them out, you're probably an assassin. But now that you've shown yourself, you won't be able to handle all of us in the open." However, just to make sure, he wanted to get things going. "You can do what you want to the girls. You can take out her eyes if you want," Bach told the man holding Luna. "And you can break her legs," he ordered to the man holding Fal. However, right when they began to follow through with their orders, they fell to the ground. All three girls, who had been in an inescapable grip just moments before, nearly stumbled or fell, in Fal's case, from their sudden lack of captors. Fal, who almost hit the ground crown-first, found herself held up by the blond, who had disappeared from the entrance of the building to deep within the center of the large establishment.
'How the…when did he get here?' She thought mentally. It was inhuman to move that fast! But honestly, those thoughts at the moment didn't matter. What held actual value was the fact that the girls felt that they could trust him. They could put their faith in him and hope for their freedom. Luna was right. They should have never trusted Bach.
Naruto was found himself surprisingly not that tired from that burst of Chi. He had expected to be trembling on the legs and barely hiding his weakness, but that didn't seem to be the case, something he was thankful for. From here on out, everything was a mind game. Just like when he first met Night Raid and had pretended to place seals all around the room that could destroy everything within the split second, he had to do the same thing now. Squeeze out everything he can to psych out his opponents and take the advantage. He had done this first by acting indifferent and bored, and next by making it seem easy to kill the four men outside (it actually was; he literally walked up to them and slit their throats). Then, his use of Chi was his next act to make the men realize that what they were up against was not just a boy, but a trained fighter that had much more power than a normal human. Which was true, but only to a certain extent. He knew using Chi like that freely, or even four more times, would tire him out to the point he could barely stand for the next hour. The rest of this fight, he would have to go through with it without calling upon his reserves unless necessary.
And yet despite how strong he felt at this moment, he knew that even with this speed, Akame would be able to stop him. So would Leone, as would Mine, Tatsumi, Lubbock, Susanoo, and all the others. He needed to get stronger. But for right now…
"Ah ah ah," Naruto called out chidingly, placing Fal on the ground and then placing his index finger up, moving it from side to side. "I wouldn't do any sudden actions if I were you. And no weird orders and I promise I won't kill you." The blond smirked as he raised a bloody kunai up to his face, the very one that had just killed three more people that list that were now face-down on the ground with their blood running along the floor. "I promise~."
"K-kill him!" Bach ordered. That was what Naruto was waiting for. No promises to keep, and it's not like he would've followed through with it anyway. The men all charged at him as one, but he noticed through their sunglasses their hesitance and fear of him, despite being just a boy.
"Just a moment, girls," he told them with bravado, as if the incoming men weren't even worth noticing. He ducked under one's punch and stabbed that man in the stomach and immediately threw the dead body into one of his comrades. So slow… "Since you ordered them to kill me, I guess you'll all have to die, right?"
"Bach, we should escape!" the buyer hissed, clutching the leash that held his dog tightly. The young, corrupted man nodded quickly, a few nervous beads of sweat going down his face. The moment that the man proposed to run, however, the entrance suddenly slammed shut. Naruto smirked, thanking Yuna for a job well done. Simply closing it wouldn't send a message. Slamming it shut the moment someone spoke of an escape so that there were no escape routes…if that wasn't sending message, he doesn't know what was.
"New promise!" Naruto stared in a cheerful tone. His eyes were closed in fake glee as he stabbed yet another person and slit a different person's throat, dodging two attacks at the same time, retaliating with his kunais, one on each hand. He was moving...dancing through Akame's hand to hand style, just pulling back a few inches so that instead of his fists striking the opponents, it was the blades digging in through the lethal points. His expression suddenly darkened and became ghastly. "None of you are leaving alive," he told them in a tone that could crack the coldest of ice.
Throughout the massacre, Naruto was transforming. It was still easy to take care of the men charging at him without abandon, but as time progressed, it became more and more simple. His movements became smoother and more fluid, and he felt more comfortable. Something about his ever changing fighting style felt right. It felt good.
Bach was now trembling, staring at the boy who was cutting through the trained men with ease, like a hot knife through butter. When it seemed like the blond was caught between three, he simply jumped, spun once and kicked all three of them, and while still in mid-air, threw three star-like objects that struck true to each of their foreheads. And another time when he thought he was about to die, he was so put down and even more frightened when they began to throw their weapons at him: swords, wooden sticks, dense objects, a random morning star. And yet…he dodged every one.
Air widened her eyes, about to scream out in warning. Naruto had missed one, who was about to throw a knife right to the back of his head. However, by the time she would've shouted, it would've reach him, as the blade was spinning its deadly dance, its sharp curve glinting in the afternoon light as it shot forward in the air.
Bach nearly cheered…until he saw the blond spin around, notice the knife, duck under it, and let it fly and hit one of his own men. Then, when he stood straight up again, he scoffed and scratched the back of his head.
"That was close," he mused. "But you know, if you didn't scream out when you threw that knife like a little girl, maybe it would've worked." He stuck out his tongue and raised another one of his shurikens – from where, Bach and his men from the "Enthusiasts" had no idea – and threw it with so much intensity that it disappeared into the man who had thrown the knife. Not a single piece of the metal was visible. "Well…that's one I'm not retrieving," he stated nonchalantly.
"What…what the hell are you?" Bach cried out. Naruto turned around to face the man in the orange jacket and pinstripe tie with an expensive yellow suit with suspenders.
"None of your business," he replied in a bored tone. "Honestly, I didn't really want to be here, but you guys just had to be in the area, and just had to somehow tick off one of the people I considered precious. Just saying, although not really important since you'll be dead in a few minutes, but you guys were first in her hit list book. You should be proud."
"W-what?"
"Hmm…there are only five of you left." Naruto was pointing out the guards. "If you don't mind, would you let me go up to Bach and that little buyer over there with the dog? You know, the one that was about to let that little beast ravage one of those girls over there, and let me kill them both? Pretty please? You'll get to live a little longer through your insignificant lives and maybe not get caught for a few years," he reasoned. The remaining five looked at each other through their shaded glasses, not mouthing a word or speaking a single syllable, but the body language was clear. They did not want to fight this assassin.
Naruto stayed still, smiling all the while. Inside, however, he was cursing. He wasn't necessarily tired, but he should've been spending this time walking around the Capitol, sipping on some nice drinks of taste checking some food. Generally, he should've been relaxing, not saving some girls who had the same misconception of the Capitol when he first came to this corrupted Empire. But…what was this feeling rising in his closed chest? It felt good. He turned to the girls, who were all looking at him with eyes of hope. He just couldn't bear himself to let them down. Turning back to the group of five, who were consulting each other through shady looks, only one stood their ground.
"Bach, if I kill him, will you reward me?"
"I'll give you everything you want!" was the hasty response. The man nodded his head. Naruto quickly assessed what he assumed was his final opponent. A muscular man who seemed to be a cut above the others and confident in his abilities to fight. Other than that, there was nothing really to note that was different about him. Every one of the guards seemed to have some kind of beard and their own weapon.
"I don't exactly see what the point of you fighting is," Naruto said nonchalantly, acting as if this would be the easiest battle in the world. Not even a battle actually. Just a massacre. Sometimes, getting under a person's skin or messing up their psych ends a fight and determines the result before it even begins.
"Because I can win," the man said confidently. The blond assassin shifted his gaze from the ceiling above to the man in front of him through the corner of his eyes, barely even looking at him. His body language spoke confidence, but Naruto didn't see why. He watched as the guard in front of him pulled out a knife and spun it twice in his hand before charging at the blond.
Naruto decided to humor that man and rushed forward at a much more calmly, looking into the man's sprint. Right when they were about to meet, the man's grip on his knife suddenly slackened, something Naruto noticed immediately as he reacted by sliding on the floor. A knife sailed right above his head, cutting through a few locks of hair.
When the blond had finished sliding, he ended up right behind the man by going under the legs of his opponents. As he got to his feet, Naruto cut the tendons that on the back of the foot, possibly one of the most painful areas of slice. The man roared in pain, dropping to his knees as the pain was too much to bear standing. He was dead a moment later, a kunai three inches deep into the back of his skull. A person with his back to his opponent and on the floor was a dead man. Common knowledge.
Naruto stared at the man on the ground, now deceased, for a few more moments. He wasn't sure why he was so comfortable with these weapons. The shuriken and kunai, that is. He knew that his parents trained him since he had glimpses of memories training, but he wasn't sure for how long or how well he was actually trained. He was just following what his body told him and reacting on instinct, and that seemed to be working well. If he was speaking honestly, however, none of these men could even hold a candle to Tatsumi. If he had to assess them as a whole, they were all jokes. Fakes. Trained in the arts of fighting his foot. Despite how comfortable he may feel with the new weapons, he probably wouldn't even last two minutes against Akame going at him with seventy percent.
"Any last words?" Naruto said, his cerulean eyes still stuck on the final opponent's back. "Bach and that random piece of shit buyer over there, I'm talking to you," he continued when nothing was said.
"I…I repent for my wrongs! I did what I did because I used to be a slave! See!" Bach tore open his shirt, revealing a mark that signified his previous life as a slave, not as a rich, wealthy individual. Naruto didn't even turn around. "I promise to change! I'll live my life and help people and actually be a good master."
"Really?"
"Really!" he nearly screamed, tears edging around his eyes as he feared death. He couldn't die! Not now!
"I see…well…I won't be the one killing you, nor that buyer over there." The sound of metal hitting the cement floor echoed throughout the closed building. Everyone still alive in the room eyed the three kunais on the ground right next to the blond. "I can understand if you don't want to do the deed," he said, speaking to the girls, "but if you want to, now is your chance."
The three girls understood immediately. He was giving them a chance to kill Bach and the sick geezer next to him. Fal hesitantly began to walk to the blond in front of her, eyes on the metal weapon on the ground.
"Fal, what are you doing?" Air hissed quietly to her friend. Although Bach had planned on doing the worst of the worst to her, she couldn't imagine herself killing someone, even someone as corrupt and ill-natured as her soon-to-be-dead master.
"I'm…I'm going to kill him," the orange-haired tomboy stated slowly with a shaky voice, unsure of what she was really going to do. Was she really going to do the deed, though? She walked up to Naruto, a few feet away from the very teen that had saved her. Looking up at him, she realized that he was the same age as her based on facial features; there was still some baby fat, but his eyes showed boredom and indifference to everything. Was that what an assassin was? She couldn't imagine herself being in a situation like that.
"If you don't want to do it, that's fine as well. Either way, he's dying today," Naruto stated calmly. Fal nodded slowly…then suddenly dropped to her knees and began to sob. She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill a person either, no matter how much they were about to do wrong to her because they weren't able to and haven't done it yet. She didn't want to be a murderer.
Naruto looked at the girl before him with a small amount of empathy. He could understand her, in a way. But at the same time, he couldn't. Here, she was given the choice. He never had one, fighting because he needed to live and survive. He joined Night Raid partly out of his sheer stupidity and laziness, and also partly out of necessity since he had seen their base and would be forced to work for the Revolutionary Army regardless. But he decided that at least, at the very least, he would be someone that could be noteworthy in strength so that for the bright future of the Capitol ahead in Akame's dream, people like him, lazy, stupid, or just indifferent, they could do what they wanted. They could sleep as much as they wanted, laze around home as much as they wished, do whatever their heart desired.
Maybe that's what he was fighting for. A mix between Sheele's and Akame's dream, a future that he could protect and create. A future for the next generation so that they wouldn't have to the live this life that he was living and falling deeper and deeper into.
He was a murderer.
Nothing he stated or argued would change that truth. It was plain, it was cold served, but it was truth, and that's how the truth comes. Cold, hard, and served when no one really wants or needs it.
Naruto bent over and dropped to one knee, placing a warm hand on the girl's shoulder, lending her as much empathy as he could. It wasn't much, but at least he tried. When she looked up with red eyes, he gave her the smallest of smiles and a quick nod, as if telling her that 'it's alright'. He grabbed two of the kunais and placed them inside his clothes, hiding them from view. Then, with the last one, he grabbed it and began to twirl it as he slowly stood up, his back to Bach, who was on the floor.
At this moment, Naruto was the executioner. He was the towering person of death, deciding judgment upon Bach. And when he turned around, his cold, determined blue eyes dead set on the good-looking man, the ex-slave knew it was over. Those eyes…those cold eyes showed no remorse or regrets for what was about to happen. To him, all he was may have been another death or kill added to his list. Just another addition. He killed the majority of his men and had broken their will to fight, so what were just two more people? Nothing. Just another addition.
"I guess I lied...I will be the one killing you. Good luck in the hell that is not the Empire."
And Bach departed from this world, his eyes open and lifeless as he fell back, slack and useless. The man next to him watched him fall, then turned to Naruto, who was staring at him with the same cold eyes that had been crushing Bach just moments before. The blond walked up to the cowering man with the whimpering dog with measured steps. When he was directly above him, he bent down to one knee again, but he had no sympathy this time, no warm hand on the shoulder. Instead, cold steel stabbed straight through the man's glossed dress shoes. The man screamed. Naruto's eyes never left the buyer's face.
"As for you…you're going to tell me where your base is and the rest of your connections."
XShuyaX
(Time Skip: Two Hours)
"Why are we even looking for him again?" Tatsumi mumbled, bored out of his mind. They had all walked to the Capitol after working for nearly five hours on the construction of their new base, which went quite quickly. They already had a structure up, so they just reconstructed it and dropped off their gear before going to the Capitol. Naruto had left a nice message behind, telling them where to go if they even wanted to find him.
At first, they didn't feel the need to. Akame was the only one who actually finished the letter and turned the letter around, going through all the checks. The first page had only a quarter of it filled, but it was filled with basic information: he was going to the Capitol. The second page had one sentence but held the most important detail: he had stolen a decent portion of their money.
And now, they had checked out Naruto's purchase from the weapons store that he had so kindly pointed out his in letter and was now supposed to wait for him at a restaurant that had cakes, smoothies, and other desserts. He even had the specific name of the restaurant down in which they were currently residing at a round table with lavish cushioning and lighting.
"He took our money!" Leone whined.
"Less booze for you, then. That's good," Mine coughed out.
"But Mine, that also means less desserts and clothing for you," the busty blonde shot back. That got the pink-haired girl to change attitudes quite quickly.
"I'll shoot that idiot!"
"Then I'll stab you~" Chelsea cheered in a tone quite out of place when compared to her statement. She was munching on a cheesecake that she thought looked good on the menu, and it was actually quite delightful.
"Anyway…I don't see why Naruto would buy shurikens and kunais. We went through multiple stores and walked around the area, and there were hundreds of better possible kits and weapons. Why those two?" Tatsumi asked Najenda and Akame specifically, as he was eyeing the two.
The white haired ex-general just tilted her head and looked over to Akame. The red-eyed girl shook her head silently, not knowing the answer either.
"He was actually very proficient with those tools, Tatsumi." The teen turned his head to face Chelsea, who was now starting on a different cake. "Wow, this one is actually really good, too."
"You mean when he was younger?" he asked. She nodded, not wanting to talk. The cake was too enjoyable. "But that was years ago! What good would that do now?"
"What good is a sword to Naruto, who had no prior experience with a longer weapon? He's all about close combat…extremely close combat. Besides, the weapons he chose matches his versatile fighting style. When he was younger, he wasn't strong, but he had the form down and was able to hit six out of ten targets with both of those weapons."
"Again, that was years ago," Lubbock pointed out. "And six out of ten isn't that impressive." Chelsea smirked.
"Sorry, six out of ten on the dot. He hit ten out of ten when it came to within the circle's range."
"…What?" Mine blurted out. Naruto…was a genius at targets? That was…insulting. Demeaning. What the heck?
"Why did he buy that many then?" Najenda asked the auburn haired girl, trying to move the conversation along. She could sense the jealousy and envy rising. Naruto was more than she had expected…but also much less. How the hell could someone so lazy be so talented? She shook her head; that was all in the past. The Naruto in the present couldn't win against Tatsumi if they both went all-out: Tatsumi would win hands-down within a minute.
"Because they are expendable and he doesn't expect to return to that store in a long time. He probably doesn't want to be traced or recognized again," Akame noted, looking to Chelsea to see if that was the correct assumption. The nod proved her correct.
"…Wait, he's smart, too?"
"…Wow, you guys aren't holding back at all, are you?" someone asked from behind Akame, who had noticed his presence the moment the door opened. Chelsea had a half-smirk and waved at Naruto, who just gave her a blank look. "And you seem to know me surprisingly well…do I know you?"
"No…" she kept her ever present smirk plastered on her face. Naruto didn't believe that, but he went straight on with his schedule.
"So…who are the girls?" Najenda asked, asking what was on everyone's mind. The three girls he had saved were with him, and Naruto gave a shrug. They all sweatdropped; that was a very bad answer.
"I killed their master." Even worse answer.
"…You did what?" Najenda asked. The blond dug a pinky into his right ear and stared at it, looking for any hidden treasures.
"Yup."
"…You…did a hit?" she said disbelievingly. "Without prior approval or even notice?"
"I guess…and now these girls can't stay in the Capitol or else they'll probably be accused of killing their master." The blond suddenly found himself in a neck chokehold as Akame held him tightly, her blank expression boring into his.
"You don't know what you just did, did you?" His indifferent expression matched hers.
"No, I don't. And honestly, I don't really care." She stared at him, then to his clothing.
"Why is there blood on your clothing?" Naruto raised his eyebrows. His clothes were black, so how did she notice that? "There's too much blood for one person. Why is there that much blood on your clothing?"
"Yeah, you smell pretty bad right now," Leone quipped.
"…I killed his guards, too? And all of the connections as well." Naruto found himself suddenly released from her grip and on the receiving end of a surprise pat on the shoulder and one of her rare smiles.
"…Well done, then." Naruto's confused expression increased.
"You killed all of the evidence, and there is nothing that they could point to. The Revolutionary Army? Maybe. Night Raid? Maybe. But those are all conjectures. The Empire wouldn't be able to make heads or tails out of the killer. Just like how Zank the Beheader could have been assumed to have been linked to Night Raid, your actions could have been done by someone with an elaborate plan. No one will know how you are yet," Najenda explained. "Who did you kill, anyway?"
"Bach and the "Enthusiasts." That got a rise from the group as a whole.
"So that's why those three are here," Leone commented, all business now. She turned to the three girls. "What do you plan to do now?" All three of them turned to Naruto, who pretended not to notice their gaze on him.
"…" Naruto remained silent.
"…That lucky bastard," Lubbock mumbled. He received a kick under the table from Mine.
"I…" Air began, pausing when she felt all the assassins' gazes on her. She hitched a breath, nervous and choking on air, but calmed down when she felt the blond's hand hold one of her fingers behind the cushioned chairs and out of view. Grasping at whatever courage she had at that moment, she continued. "I would like to be a spy or a part of your information network inside the Capitol, if possible, please!" she said, bowing low. He let go. Her two friends did the same, bowing in complete sync.
"Do you understand the risks you're taking by just talking to us at this moment?" Lubbock asked. He was the one most informed and skilled at obtaining information. Leone and Akame were good, but he was the best in the group.
Air, Fal, and Luna all straightened their backs and nodded once with conviction.
"We understand what the risks are," Air stated truthfully.
"However, we don't mind taking those risks to create a better Capitol in the future," Fal told them confidently.
"…If he didn't save us…I don't know what would've happened, so we want to do what we can to save others that might go through things like what we almost went through," Luna whispered shyly, barely getting her piece out. She dug his face into the collar of her jacket, the bottom half of her face disappearing into the depths of her clothing.
"Fine, it's your choice," Lubbock told them. Suddenly, he leaned forwards on his seat. "Just wondering, did he actually save you three?" Nods. "Are you sure it was him and not someone else?" Nods again, but this time with narrowed eyes and confused expressions. "Okay, just making sure. That guy," Lubbock pointed to Naruto, who was whistling a jaunty tune, "is the laziest and also the weakest of our group, so I wasn't really sure if he did it."
"Eh, but he's really strong!" Air argued, her eyes wide with surprise. The other two girls nodded their heads as one; first impressions seemed to make them have certain preconceptions about the blond, much like Yuna had. Lubbock shrugged his shoulders.
"But if you insist…I'll believe it with fifty percent conviction."
"Thirty percent here," Leone cheered to Naruto, raising a cup of water.
"Twenty here," Tatsumi grumbled.
"One percent," Mine told him off honestly.
"Ninety-nine," Chelsea said coolly.
"I don't care," Naruto told them, stopping the next person from throwing out a number. He eyed the rest of the group, Susanoo, Najenda, and Akame included. "And you guys are assholes. You aren't getting your money back."
"…One hundred."
XShuyaX
(Location: Night Raid's New Base)
Naruto was in his (Tatsumi's) orange bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling. He had been thinking about things for the past few minutes, since he had just entered the sheets a few minutes ago. In all honesty, he would've loved to be asleep at the moment, but these plaguing thoughts wouldn't let him. He needed someone to talk to.
At that moment, the door opened and Akame walked in, her nightwear already on. His blue eyes locked onto her red orbs as she entered, a pillow in her grasp.
"Yes?" he asked. She silent walked deeper into the room until she was sitting at the edge of his bed.
"How are you feeling?" she asked. He closed his eyes; she probably knew how he was feeling. How strange, really. Despite being the most indifferent member of the group, she was the one who understood him the most. Maybe it had to do with their personality and perfectly syncing natures. Who knows?
"I don't know, honestly," he told her, his eyes still closed. I know what is right and wrong, and what the group was about to do with the girls was definitely wrong. What they did to previous girls was definitely wrong as well." He paused and opened his eyes, staring at her. "But that doesn't make me right. It doesn't put me in the department of justice and righteousness."
"But do you think it would be better if those girls died?"
"…No, I wouldn't prefer that kind of ending or result." Akame nodded.
"Sometimes, certain measures have to be taken to prevent an even worse end. Killing someone that has done egregious deeds is wrong, but letting that person rampage through the streets and do whatever he pleases is worse if you have the power to stop him," she told him. Naruto quietly agreed.
"I still don't feel convinced that what I'm doing is the right thing. And honestly…I don't think I ever will…" Akame gave him a hard look. Then, she surprised him once again that day by touching one of the spikes of hair and combing it back as he continued to lie in bed. He tensed at first, but slowly relaxed to her touch.
"Whether you are doing the right or wrong thing, Naruto…you need to find your will and conviction first. Before Night Raid, I was lost, and Leader-sama helped me find my road. Now you need to find yours."
"Hai-hai," he mumbled half-heartedly, yawning and ready to sleep. When he lost consciousness a minute after, she continued to stay by his side, pulling back his hair and staring at him for a few more minutes before leaving his room quietly.
"Good night, Naruto…and may you find your conviction soon."
She shut the door.
Chapter End.
A/N: Well, this is…different. I actually had around 2,500 words today, and since I wasn't the one driving in the car and didn't have practice for swimming today, I just wrote. Then I just got really into it and wrote nonstop and ended up finishing the chapter in one go. I suddenly feel so powerful…
Maybe another chapter in less than a week? …Maybe not. Who knows.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I enjoyed writing this one, so I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoyed it (writing, that is). And again, as always, I ask you with a cherry on top to leave a review and hopefully a criticism. I want to improve as much as possible so that the next chapter, you find the story even more interesting.
Cheers!
KenzoXShuyita