Ch8

Nagato slowed halfway on his way back, why was he having this sudden uneasiness coiling up in his gut? Picking up the pace, he quickly headed up the stairs and suddenly stopped dead in track. His blood ran cold. The lock on the apartment door was broken.

'Kids.' Pulling his two guns out, he punched the wooden door open and aimed the guns in an empty room. His eyes quickly ran over the toppled furniture, not missing a couple of bullet holes decorating the sandy walls. The thought of what went down while he was absent was making his stomach turn. Quickly checking each room with no luck of anyone in them, Nagato stopped still when he saw a sheet of paper pined with a knife against the living-room wall. Tearing the note off, Nagato's eyes seethed as he read the crude message. Crumpling it, he marched to the exit.

'You knew this was coming, Pain.' was all the information the note provided.

Nagato just managed to step foot over the pedestal when he saw a small red light from his peripheral vision. Acting quick, he jumped back into the apartment at the same time as a gun fired and a bullet pierced his doorframe. Drawing his guns up, Nagato fired against the wall, taking the chance and blindly shooting at the assassin standing behind it. The silencers on his guns did little to keep it quiet as bullets went loudly through thin concrete walls and smashed the bits off.

Assailant quickly left his post and dodged the deadly shots firing just centimeters pass his face. Pulling out a hand grenade, he removed the safety pin and threw it into the apartment. The oval bomb hit the floor and that was all Nagato needed to hear to realize what it was. As it rolled in, Nagato jumped over the table and tipped it over just as the detonation went off.

The explosion caught the entire room on fire and forced the windows to shatter. Fire alarm switched on in the entire complex, blaring and alerting all residents. Nagato crawled out of his hiding spot and covered his mouth and nose; tick smoke spreading around the entire room was starting to hurt his lungs and eyes. This wasn't just a simple grenade, it was filled with some sort of chemical as well.

He blindly went for the exit, there he could faintly hear people scream and rush down the hallway. But again, his efforts to leave the apartment were denied when a man suddenly appeared before him and he was punched into the face. The man was bigger than him and stronger, he hailed Nagato back from the ground only to throw him against a wall. Nagato heard a distinctive crack as his back slammed against the concrete, and he could not tell whether it was the wall or did one of his bones break.

The man was back and grabbed him by the throat, hoisting him up and off the ground. Ceasing the guy's wrists, Nagato kicked his knee into the attacker's stomach. The grip on his neck loosened and Nagato took that chance to turn around and with a tight hold on the man's arms, he flipped the assassin over his shoulder. Still having a hold on one of his wrists, Nagato placed his foot against the man's shoulder and jerked the arm up, dislocating the shoulder. The man screamed, his yells slightly muffled by that bandana he wore over his mouth. Nagato stilled for a moment. Now having a bit of more focus in his vision, he realized that he recognized the man. "Zabuza."

The assassin drew up his gun. Nagato quickly ran away, dodging the bullets and hid into the kitchen. Looking at his guns, Nagato cursed, he was out of ammo. Instead he grabbed two of the butcher knives.

Zabuza grunted as he forcefully popped his shoulder back in place. "Come out, Pain. Let's settle this. We don't have much time before the cops show up."

Nagato appeared in the doorway without a moment's hesitation and threw a huge cutting knife with accurate precision. Zabuza barely had time to dodge, the blade cutting against his bicep. "Son of a bitch!"

having little time to recover, Zabuza gasped as Nagato ran straight at him and sliced his blade, not giving him a chance to rise his gun up or attack back. Nagato forced him all the way back until they were out in the hallway. Zabuza's back hit the wall and he quickly rolled to the side as Pain was about to deliver a finishing blow to his head. The knife pierced into the wall, but Zabuza's victorious look was short-lived as Pain suddenly wheeled around and punched him into the face with his foot. Zabuza was sent flying down the stairs.

Nagato pulled the knife from the wall and jumped after him, but his arm froze just millimeters away from slicing Zabuza's neck open. Both men stopped in their movements, breathing deeply and heavily. Nagato did not need to look down to confirm that he was being held at a gunpoint. Both of them and at the same time none of them were having an upper hand over the other. Zabuza might have a gun aimed at his chest, but Nagato could be just as swift with his hands. Though thoughts of calculating his following moves were the last on Nagato's mind right now, he needed answers.

"Impressive display, Pain." taunted Zabuza, "Getting all the better each fucking time I see you. But still not enough."

Nagato was not interested in playing word games. "Where are the kids?"

"Don't think you're in any position to demand answers."

Nagato's teeth clenched and he narrowed the blade against Zabuza's skin, same as Zabuza pushed the gun deeper into Nagato's chest, his index finger held tense against the trigger. "The kids, Zabuza. Who took them?"

Zabuza fleered at the other male's desperation. Never did he think he would see Pain trying so hard to keep his cool, and all because of some meek children no less.

"Should have kept a better eye on them, Pain."

Nagato's eyes flashed. There was a distant pop and Zabuza pulled the trigger. Nothing happened… Before Zabuza managed to comprehend what had happened to his gun, he saw Pain ready to slice his neck open. It took Zabuza only a millisecond to realize that the bastard had somehow neutralized his gun from firing and the dangerously sharp knife was about to taste his blood. He would've been fucked if someone hadn't appeared behind Pain and knocked him unconscious.

Zabuza looked at the one who interfered; it was Waraji, Gatou's bodyguard.

"Took you fucking long enough, Zabuza." the goon sneered, his right hand resting a wooden pole on his shoulder, the tool he used to hit Pain in the back of his head.

"Shut your mouth. No one asked your sorry ass to butt in." pushing Pain's unresponsive body off, Zabuza covered the (what would have been fatal) cut on his neck and inspected his disabled gun. All the bastard had done was put the safety on, preventing the gun from opening fire. "What a pathetic move." Zabuza grit his teeth. Despite the low trick, it was pissing him off beyond belief. "Little fuck."

…

Gatou drummed his fingers together in anticipation as two, plus one unconscious, men entered the base. The intimidating man pulled the unresponsive body from his shoulder and dropped him in front of the small businessman.

"Ah, such a pleasing sight." said Gatou. Using his cane, he turned the orange haired man's face to the side, inspecting the young face of the trash that had more than once gotten in between his dealings and ruined his chances to be known between the crime lords. "Hanzou is offering a very nice price for your skin. But who am I to miss such an appealing opportunity and not use you as a good starting trophy to build my own empire?"

Zabuza snorted, Gatou thinks that just because he has Pain in his grasp now he was going to be recognized in the underworld as a forbidding force to be reckoned with. "Don't make me laugh." Turning on his heels, Zabuza made his exit.

"What did you say to me?"

Zabuza looked over his shoulder, "You're but a worm in the eyes of many."

"You piece of shit!" pulling out his gun, Waraji threatened to fire it at Zabuza. "Suggest you watch what you say, if you don't-…" What Waraji didn't expect was for his wrist to be ceased, the gun knocked off his hand and an elbow slammed against his nose. With a yell of pain, Waraji dropped to the ground, holding his broken, bleeding nose.

"Your men alone are pathetic, Gatou. And you think that you can build an empire?" Zabuza smirked at the frowning businessman. "You'll die before you even set up one block." Casting one last glance at Pain, Zabuza grinned before he turned and walked away. "I have no more ties to you, Gatou. My debt has been paid."

Gatou's men were ready to jump Zabuza for his insults but Gatou told them to leave him be, he had what he needed and there was no more use for Zabuza.

"Bring the scum to the chamber." With a nod the men took Pain into the basement.

…

Unlocking the heavy doors to the basement, Zouri stepped aside to let the men drag Pain in and throw him into one of the cells.

Upon contact with the ground, the captive let out a loose groan of pain. He was slowly waking up from the comatose state. Zouri smirked and stepped into the cell. Fisting his fingers into the orange mane, he pulled Pain's head up, "Worth every fucking second."

That's where Zouri made his mistake. Nagato's eyes opened and he moved. Zouri gasped as a hand grabbed the back of his head and he was head-butted into the face.

Retrieving the gun from Zouri's jacket, Nagato used the man's body as a shield while sparing no bullets to kill the rest of the goons in the basement.

"Worth shit." Dropping Zouri to the ground, Nagato threw the empty gun away and took another one from a dead goon's limp fingers. A sudden clicking sound made him look up.

Zouri had come to, aiming a gun at Pain's back. "Don't move, mother fucker!" gasping in a shaky breath, Zouri cautiously approached Pain. "What the fuck are you getting so worked up about anyway? Children? Hahah… what do you, an assassin, care so much about a couple of weak shits? I thought you'd be happy that someone's finally getting rid of them for you."

Nagato had an answer to that question, he had an answer to that question since the beginning of it all, it's just that he refused to acknowledge it. But that was not something he was going to grace Gatou's poor excuse for goons with; all they will receive from him is a bullet to the head.

BANG!

…

"The hell was that?" one of the four guards looked up at a sudden ruckus happening behind the closed doors.

"Oi! Go check it out." One of them ordered the other.

The terrified children sitting huddled in the dirty room's farthest corner also took notice. There were bullets fired and people yelling. Kyuubi looked away from his scared brother to the men guarding them. The men hesitantly stood with their guns at ready and stared at the door cautiously while one of them moved outside.

It went silent for a moment before there was a loud intake of breath and a snap. All could distinguish the sound of a body hitting the floor right after. The guards stilled their breath, as if expecting a force to come storming in at any minute. And it did, the doors to the room were slammed open and multiple shots were fired. As ready as they were, the men didn't even have a chance to hit their target before bullets pierced their vital areas.

Stepping into the room, Nagato fired another shot at the groaning man lying before him and step over the now dead body.

Recognizing their guardian, Naruto escaped his brother's hold and ran straight to Nagato, his eyes teary and lips trembling. Nagato dropped to his knee and embraced the boy tightly. He looked up at Kyuubi and reached out his hand. Kyuubi hesitated a bit but then too could no longer hide the fear and longing he felt and embraced Nagato with all his might. All that pressure Nagato had felt finally left him and he relaxed, his boys were safe. Brushing his fingers through the redhead's hair, Nagato lightly cupped the boy's cheek and looked at his sobbing face. Whatever Nagato wanted to say suddenly left his mind completely when he spotted an ugly bruise on Kyuubi's left cheek.

Kyuubi flinched when his godfather ran a finger over the swelling flesh. Nagato's eyes turned void and scary, Kyuubi had never seen such a look before. What it told could not be named by one or two words; and what Nagato felt at that moment could not be described. They dared touch his kid and whoever did that was not going to die quickly.

Nagato rose to his feet. "Come. We're going now. Stay close behind me." Nodding, the boys did as he said.

…

"What do you mean he escaped?!" boomed Gatou's angry voice. Receiving news of half of his men slaughtered in less than a couple of minutes and his 'prize to glory' escaping was anything but good news. He knocked out the messenger with his cane and turned to his bodyguard, his blazing eyes screaming at him to take care of this mess. "Waraji!"

With a distinct grunt, the heavy man went to fulfill his duties, but as he opened the office doors his eyes crossed. A gun was pointed at his face and a feral look in the punk's eyes holding it spoke of no forgiveness.

Nagato fired.

Gatou jumped in his seat and gaped as his bodyguard's blood splattered from the back of his skull and onto the office floor. With sweat gathering at his dimples, Gatou quickly started fiddling with his desk drawers, searching for his gun. But as he was reaching for the weapon, a bullet pierced his wrist. "AAH!"

Marching towards the screaming man, Nagato grabbed Gatou's head and slammed it against the desk, keeping it still with a gun pressed tightly against the businessman's nape. Gatou was trembling in fear, his mind already expecting the worst. "No please… I didn't do anything to you…"

The cane that had fallen down told Nagato otherwise. The end of the stick was the exact shape and form of the imprint that was left on Kyuubi's cheek. Nagato's teeth clenched in rage, he had to restrain himself from beating the living shit out of the man who dared cross his path and dared hurt his kids. He did not have time to waste on this poor excuse for human being. But he refused to just shoot the man without giving him a taste of his bitter vengeance.

Gatou squeaked in fear as he was suddenly pulled by his hair across the desk and onto the floor. All the stuff from the desk came along; cigars rolled, documents flew about and a bottle of brandy crashed upon the contact with the ground, its liquid splashing all around Gatou's expensive suit. But that was the very least of his worries, as not a moment later a shot rang out and Gatou stilled feeling nothing at first before an agonizing pain shot all the way from his groin and he screamed. Pain had shot him in the dick.

Taking the lighter that had fallen by his feet, Nagato ignited it. Alcohol burned good.

…

Naruto and Kyuubi kept silent throughout the entire time Nagato had hid them away in the supply closet and had gone to 'pay some dues'. The boys were strictly against the idea of being left alone again, but Nagato's tone told them there was not going to be any room for arguments this time around. Before he went, Nagato told them to consider this a game of hide and seek, but this was nothing like it… this whole situation was nothing they had experience before at all, it was on a whole new league and it was very scary and terrifying.

The boys gasped when the poorly lit room was opened and they stilled their breath, but relaxed when Nagato's voice called them out. "Boys?"

Peeking from their hiding spot, brothers quickly scurried towards their godfather, taking his hands, the boys marched to catch up with their guardian's steps. Nagato was in a hurry to get them out, not even letting them stop to stare at the bodies that lay around in pools of blood nor at the door through which layers of smoke came from, along with someone's agonizing screams of despair.

Finally reaching the hall leading to the exit, Nagato pushed the handle and opened the door. But just as the door cracked opened for them to escape, Nagato was met with a man standing in between him and the exit – a gun pointing at him. Zabuza snickered, "Too easy." he said and shot Nagato into the chest. Naruto and Kyuubi gasped as their godfather went down, blood soaking his shirt and his breath wheezing out in harsh gasp. Naruto grabbed for Nagato, shaking him and begging him to get up.

Zabuza stepped into the room and closer to Pain's body. Boys stared at the man in fear, retreating as he came closer.

"I knew you couldn't be tied down. Gatou was a fool for even trying but who was I to miss such a fool's given opportunity? Killing two birds with one stone, I'd say. What more could I ask for?" Zabuza heaved Pain from the floor and threw him across the room. Checking his gun, Zabuza tsk-ed at the empty case and threw the useless weapon away and rolled up his sleeves. "Guess we'll do this the old-fashioned way."

The boys flinched, watching helpless as the scary man started beating up their godfather. Kyuubi was trembling but once his eyes spotted a gun in one of the dead goon's hands his body moved. Prying the cold lifeless fingers off, he took the cold weapon.

Nagato gasped and hissed as another punch was delivered to his gut before he even managed to fully stand on his feet. "Don't look like you didn't expect this, Pain. Your selfish reign is over!"

"STOP IT!" Before Zabuza executed his finishing blow, a yell from behind him ceased his movements, as well as his mind when he turned to stare at one of Pain's brats pointing a gun at him.

Nagato's eyes focused on Kyuubi and his mouth agape. 'No. Put the gun down!' One image he never wished to see again was a child holding a gun.

"What the hell is this?" Zabuza had the gall to smirk. "A bratty hitman?"

"L-let him go," Kyuubi ordered him, his voice shaking as much as the heavy gun in his small hands.

"Hah. Hahahahaha." Zabuza was really amused, "And if I don't? What then?"

"I… I will… I will…"

"Shoot me?" he offered helpfully, before turning back to gasping punk on the ground and pressing his foot on the bullet pierced chest.

Nagato screamed as pain shot throughout his body. Tears fell down Kyuubi's cheeks. "P-please. Wh-why are you hurting him? What do you want?"

Zabuza glared, "Not very perceptive, are you? I want him dead! Believe me, this bastard is VERY hard to kill!" he yelled and suddenly slammed Nagato's head against the floor, causing Kyuubi to flinch in fear and Nagato lose half of his consciousness.

Turning around, Zabuza approached the redheaded brat. Kyuubi tried to keep a firmer grip on the gun but that only made his hands shake even more.

Naruto looked at his brother in despair, he was scared of the man who looked three times their size. "Kyuubi."

"Put the gun down, you little shit." said Zabuza.

Nagato cursed and clenched his teeth. His body was betraying him at the worst situation possible. Bruises, cuts, broken bones along with that burning hole in his chest were preventing any cooperation.

Kyuubi stepped back. "I'm n-not afraid of you."

The bandana around Zabuza's mouth curled as his grin spread behind it. "Oh? So you say, but your eyes are scared and wide. Do you truly believe that you're going to win against me?"

"I…"

"Give me the fucking gun!" yelled the man and made a grab for Kyuubi.

Nagato's eyes widened, "Kyuubi, NO!"

Kyuubi closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against the trigger. He gasped and opened his eyes as a warm substance suddenly splash against his face and hands. His eyes looked up to see a heavy body hitting the floor in front of him. Blood was slowly coming from the man's stomach and covering the entire floor including Kyuubi's bare feet.

Zabuza's eyes were staring at the redhead in surprise before he hit the floor and his focus sank into darkness.

Kyuubi's entire body froze upon the time. Wide purple eyes dilated as they stared at the man he had killed. His body shaking and cold sweat sending deep chills down his entire skin.

Nagato lowered his head and clenched his teeth. He was too late, he had failed. He knew exactly what the boy was feeling and he knew damn well what that was doing to the boy now. But worst of all was that he knew that he could do nothing to take it all away from him. 'Damn it. I'm sorry… Minato.'

Kyuubi's breath suddenly hitched and he screamed.