Mana really didn't have to spend that much time in that random clothing store that she used as an excuse to withdraw from her best friend. Then again, clothing stores were the only place where Meiko would never look for you or join you so, in this case, the establishment had one additional reason for existence on top of its designated one.
It wasn't like spending time inside was all that pleasant, to begin with. Mothers guided their children away from sections which Mana acted interested in and the clerk kept giving the kunoichi the worried eyes that one stared at a person who was notorious shoplifter when they entered your store. While the woman had no reason to expect Mana to snag anything, she had plenty to think that the magician would start devouring orphans or engaging in blood rituals in the middle of the store, or whatever the villagers thought that she did for fun these days.
It was time to scram, to say that Mana had overstayed her welcome inside that store was assuming that she was welcome at some point at all. While colorful and flashy was definitely in season this year, all of the hung collections just whizzed past Mana as she rushed down the isles before a clack against the hardwood floor halted her progress.
A bright flare caught Mana's eye but by that time it was too late. A fiery tendril that appeared from a tattoo of a chain-like pattern decorating the arm of a tall, green-haired woman wrapped around Mana and restrained her in place. Another clack against hardwood came from behind but the fiery coil had the magician in too good of a bind for her to turn her head and acknowledge the existence of another kunoichi. Most of Mana's chakra went into not letting the flaming binds inflict too severe burns on her body. Mana disliked using chakra augmentation but when she got caught off-guard things couldn't have been helped.
These two were good. Mana had sensed their chakra signatures this whole time but there was nothing notable about a pair of ninja inside a ninja village. There was nothing significant or notable about their chakra, no definitive characteristic or trait to give their chakra signature any discernible color or feel. These two were just doing their jobs, whatever that was.
No headbands – no allegiances beside whoever paid them, no doubt. Time appeared to have slowed down, Mana knew that the second one would be going in for the kill. If that was indeed what these two were after. The first one's ability was flashy, even if the two were surprisingly quiet and subtle in their approach, managing to subdue Mana without alerting any civilians or the clerk present in the store. Striking just when Mana had been at the right angle so that their move wouldn't be seen.
It would not be the first one to finish her off. She was effective but too flashy. The green-haired one had already shown off her hand and it held an affinity for Fire Release ninjutsu and sealing combination. This was no common chain of fire, it had some sealing, dampening qualities to it. Mana could feel it, both her physical and mental strength sapping though she had plenty to spare so she'd not be begging for the coup de grace any time soon.
A press against Mana's back, not a sharp one, and not a drop of blood accompanied it. It was just a touch, though what worried the magician more was what remained after the hand moved away from her. It was an all too familiar "love tap" to anyone hanging around ninja circles. It was abhorrent to consider that the pair considered to blow Mana up in the middle of the store with unaware civilians. Just who sent these guys? It couldn't have been the Hokage, Lord Seventh, if he had any use in disposing of Mana, would have just sent her out on a perilous mission and made sure that she didn't defy those odds.
That was, after all, historically, the preferred method for village leaders of disposing of troublesome figures within their own ranks.
"The Diamond Hand is not done with you yet, Konoha's Sorceress. You might have left Jigoku, but today is the day you curse spiting the Middle Ring," a blue-haired kunoichi appeared from behind, revealing her face to Mana as she pressed her hand to the magician's mouth. "You did well by not screaming. There's no reason to drag all those civilians down with you, is there?"
Heat. Intense heat came from that woman's arm. Mana could see the glaring light from something that she was preparing illuminating the entire aisle line. So it was not just an explosive tag attached to her back that this woman meant to use to dispose of Mana but flames that she'd literally force into her mouth and her stomach. These guys knew an embarrassing amount about Mana's tricks. This ninjutsu-dampening infernal chain suppressed any illusions or ninjutsu Mana might have attempted and she lacked the physical strength to wrestle out.
A cascade of metallic thuds followed by a gurgling grunt distracted both Mana and her would-be assassin. The green-haired woman fell to the ground with thirty kunai sticking out from her back and a pair of bald men in black kimono holstering kunai dispensers over their shoulders. With the blazing chain no longer restraining Mana, the magician jumped up and swung her leg at the back of her assailant's head, knocking her down on her face before flipping back over to slam her calf into the back of the woman's neck in a reverse-guillotine drop. A move that would have paralyzed her for life.
A handful of shrieks splattered the white wall of silence. The handful of armed gangsters turned their heads toward the fleeing civilians though the last thing on their mind appeared to be the intent for any bodily harm upon them as the grunts turned back to Mana immediately. If they also meant to kill her, they chose a wrong approach as not only did they put themselves in the magician's way but they also continued to holster their dispensers over their shoulders.
"You guys aren't from the Diamond Hand, I presume," Mana muttered.
"We're not. Though given how we've just saved your hide, missy, you may as well make it easier for us and go see our boss," one of the handful of baldies in ceremonial robes said. They didn't sound like they were ordering Mana around. These guys were fully aware that she could beat all of them and just do whatever she wanted from this point on but they sounded more like they were asking her to accompany them home.
"I never thought that Hanada Katsuo would want to see me again," Mana admitted, recognizing the styling choice of the goons she was in the presence of.
"Yeah, yeah… That's very impressive and all, kid, boss said he wants to talk to you. He told us about this attempt to off you but he has no info on any subsequent attempts so you better come with 'cause we got no idea how many more broads like these the fatso might have ordered," another armed baldy croaked with Mana relaxing from her fighting stance and nodding in agreement to follow the armed bunch.
Sighing easier, the goons from the Hanada Zaibatsu hid their dispensers underneath their loose kimono and all headed toward the door in a close formation. The Police Force had reacted in a timely manner. Mana might have had trouble eluding their attention but this group of gangsters may not have been out on their first rodeo – all it took to remain unnoticed was to follow them closely. It wasn't like the Uchiha elite of the Police Force bothered themselves with disturbances of public order. It was not easy sensing even the smallest chakra traces from these Police Force officers that first rushed to the scene to scope out and examine the fallout.
All they would find would be minimal property damage inside the store, some skewered and singed clothes, a corpse riddled with projectile knives in her back and one paralyzed wanted criminal. Mana didn't have time to question them, know how they made it to Konoha or how they tracked her down though she had a nasty feeling that her recent slump in popularity and infamy played a pivotal role in explaining both those things.
Hanada Katsuo himself awaited for the return of the men he sent after Mana with the stage magician herself accompanying them by standing in front of a birdcage that comprised the majority of the room, staring up at a single, dark-amethyst colored crow flapping its wings inside and utilizing the room of space that it had to its fullest. The entire aviary appeared to be built to accommodate more the bird and its fortified domicile of silver bars and decorations rather than to host humans. The tycoon turned his head when the door to the aviary slammed behind the last man under his employ to enter.
"So, my men have succeeded in extracting you from harm's way, I am glad," he said.
"That's odd, recalling our collective experience, I'd have thought that you'd have been happy to read about my death in the morning news," Mana rolled her eyes. Often, she couldn't help herself but rewind the memory of casting an illusion on the man just to throw him off of the Mr. High and Mighty that he put himself on as a child. She would not doubt it for a moment that the man himself would have relived that memory though with spite boiling up inside him.
"Oh, nothing of the sort!" Hanada appeared almost amused by how off Mana was with her assessment. "You did save my life once, the lives of my family. I'd hate nothing more than for you to die a martyr before I could have repaid that favor. Being in so much debt to troublesome business partners is just all-around bad business."
So that's what it was. The patriarch of Hanada Zaibatsu didn't want Mana to die with him still indebted to her. It was that macho feeling of inferiority that haunted him, not something nobler than the joy of a good deed under his belt and being genuinely useful for something as someone of such wealth and renown. The fact that Mana might have confused his motivations for a second there and assumed he'd have cared about her life out of altruistic reasons now almost sickened her.
"Well, debt repaid. I don't see why it would have made you feel obliged to speak with me, unless you wanted to state our mutual independence and flaunt it in front of my face," Mana crossed her arms, pouting at the man.
This irritation of the magician's face inspired a sly smirk and amusement in Katsuo's own.
"Once again, you missed by a mile. I see prison made you a tad out of touch, no worry, I'm sure the hours you spend at the Training Grounds every day will soon rectify that," Hanada Katsuo shrugged to himself, looking all too proud of his superior position in this conversation.
"Are you following me?" Mana's face turned sour.
"Why, Mana… Don't bore me this much with that surface-level palaver. I'm aware of you. After all, when a man crosses the road, he looks both ways unless he longs for a lengthy year of recovery," Katsuo faked a yawn.
"Uh-huh… So if you're not here to show off all the roads you've crossed, why did you want your goon squad to bring me here?" Mana crossed her arms again, skeptical of whatever intentions Hanada Katsuo had for her.
"I couldn't help but notice that you've been struggling. As you might recall, I've made a lot of investments into the Konoha Hospital and most of its facilities depend on my finances rolling them. This effectively renders them as good as mine and I couldn't help but notice a large influx of money into one patient – Nakotsumi Tsukumo, your father if memory serves?" Hanada Katsuo spoke with all the elegance of a man that had spent the night polishing his speech in front of a mirror.
Mana didn't respond. Despite being fully clothed, it felt as if a cold breeze brushed against her skin stripped bare and nobody had laid a finger on her yet. It wasn't usual practice to let somebody funnel money into a prolonged extension of the life of a hopeless case patient though since the doctors and medical ninja permitted it, what remained of the Nakotsumi family relied on that permission and slight bending of the rules. How could Mana not have realized that this had Hanada Katsuo's hands all over it?
Maybe Jigoku truly had her all out of touch?
"What do you want?" Mana wanted to sound less beaten and whiny than she did.
"Oh, you're assuming I'll ask you of something dirty, some tasteless robbery or murder so that I permit the hospital wings that I own to extend your father's life? You're really disappointing me with how unaware you are of whom you're speaking to… I'm almost inclined to believe you had sharper instincts as a child," Hanada Katsuo shrugged, mocking Mana's misery again. "If I wanted something, I'd get it, if I wanted something through illegitimate means, I'd find a way to bend the rules to get it. I don't need some chick with milk still on her lips that's never robbed or killed anyone to engage in useless thuggery for me. Why would I want you to do anything for me when you're already paying me an arm and a leg for my show of mercy?"
"So far we've dismissed a whole lot of reasons why I am not here, and I'm yet to hear one that nails it," Mana couldn't hide how relieved she felt by the snuffing of the nauseating idea that she'd have to choose between letting her father die and possibly having to kill someone for Hanada Katsuo.
"Well, I have to admit, kicking you down a curb or two has been satisfying in its own right. Though I've been wondering if you're running low on coins after filling my pockets every week?" Hanada Katsuo scratched the brown goatee on his chin.
"I've been promoted to special jounin. Missions I get pay me twice what I used to get paid," Mana shrugged. She had no doubts on her mind that she was sounding as defensive as she felt deep down but that was just her poor skill in concealing emotion.
"Maybe, though those magic shows don't pay nearly as well, do they? Let's be honest, that was always the crux of your income anyway. I do tend to agree with my son that as far as being a ninja goes – you're just roleplaying," Hanada Katsuo tightened the loop around Mana's throat.
"I've no idea about that stuff. My mom's been managing my money, I'm not very good with that. I've never was," Mana brushed the topic off.
"Oh, so you've got no idea how much money you've been making this whole time then? I bet that made signing it all away for the village shills easier than it had any right to be. You see, Mana, I am not unlike many men you know in the field of ninjutsu. I too favor power though my power doesn't translate in the fireballs I can breathe out of my mouth. The power I crave is the things that I can get done without leaving my bed in the morning. A miner that mines the most coal out of all is powerful, certainly, but I'd rather own the mine." Hanada Katsuo began pacing around Mana like a spider that sighted the fly in its vicinity though had not prepared a web for it yet.
"You want me to work for you. You want to own the Konoha's Sorceress brand," Mana, being the odd case of fly she was, weaved the web and tied herself in it because the spider was taking too long.
"I guess our past dealings have made quite transparent," Hanada Katsuo laughed out. There was a hint of an exposed nerve in that laughter. With Mana being so direct with her acknowledgment of his interest, it did not inspire him with the best of feelings for the future. "Just like ninja strive to learn the techniques that make them the most powerful, I aim to acquire the assets that generate me the most income with the least risks and costs. As a sign of goodwill, I'll tell you the secret to doing good business for free. Business is all about having as many assets as possible with as few costs as you can escape with. People write entire books and lecture cycles about it but that's pretty much it. Assets, assets, assets…"
"People aren't assets," Mana pouted.
"Now I know your mother truly was the one doing the accounting for you…" Hanada Katsuo grinned. "Here's my offer, take it, or continue wriggling and writhing. Stay an immature crawler until you roll over or hatch and take flight, the choice is yours. There will be conditions, you'll work when I say, you'll do the tricks I tell you to do and perform to crowds I gather. You'll use the props I personally acquire for you and you'll look how I tell you to look,"
Mana looked down and bit her lip. Hanada Katsuo spun a mighty yarn though he still very much hated her guts and it wasn't even that deep down. He hated them on a far shallower level. He'd have valued her as his "asset", sure, but he'd make sure to mock her and bully her every step of the way for daring to humiliate him and put him into her debt all those years ago. Without a doubt, he'd stuff her into something skimpy or goofy and force her to perform comedy gags and humiliate herself and perform from inside a cage just like the one he held his one-of-a-kind amethyst crow in.
What was the most frightening – she'd have been fine with that. She could even see the logic in that. The village hated her guts, both the rich and the poor so it made sense to charge an arm and a leg for her humiliation and then demean herself in front of the people that wanted her besmirched. Though she'd never had to worry about her father getting to live one more week… In the end, no matter how many eggs she has to crack at her face, no matter is she has to wear a funny-bunny costume while riding actual ninja rabbits or if she'd get dunked into pools of cherry jam because some rich, snotty-nosed brat said so, she'd never have to spend nights anxious. She'd be able to help mother with shouldering so much burden with just a café that had fallen out of public favor.
Hanada Katsuo's laughter cut through the tense silence. The moment that Mana's eyes met his, she realized that he was just fucking with her. He never expected her to take up the offer and work for him, he just wanted her resigning to that position in her mind before him. He always intended to shut her down the moment her lips moved to take up on his offer.
"Now we're square. You accepting whatever I had in mind for your performances as a priceless canary in my cage. Resigning to being a laughingstock of the entire village elite. May as well have knelt before me and kissed my boots. That's fine. I never thought you'd take the offer for real, though… If you mean to surprise me…" Hanada Katsuo made a mocking face and shrugged.
"So, are we done here now?" Mana pouted her cheeks in a misguided attempt for them not to flush with red.
"Quite," Hanada Katsuo nodded, his men moved aside and let Mana pass, hurrying out of her way as the tales of how she led the Shukuba Security to demolish the entire organized crime ring in that pleasure town still lived in their minds and they did not share their master's delusion of the legitimacy of their enterprise. "I'd hope it was as good for you as it was for me, though… The opposite was the entire point."
The cool brush of the breeze against her cheeks could not have washed over her soon enough. The district of lush, lumpy hills atop of the Hokage Mountain where most of the rich and powerful figures of the village had erected their estates and mansions was like a ghost town this time of the evening but that absence of a living soul felt somehow more comforting and welcome than her own home village.
Spiteful gazes from those who feared her or knew better than to take her life and attempts at her life from those she's wronged in the past were all that she had to return to. Maybe she was exaggerating, there was still mother, Meiko… A few of her past acquaintances were too likely still connected with bridges that were still unburnt but… With all that, she's experienced daily living in that village, Mana kind of began to want to burn all those bridges down.
To think that she had suffered through the worst pain that the human body could go through for six whole months, craving for a return home, return to normalcy only to begin looking back to Jigoku when she actually did return. A place where she was just a sniffing dog and a number to throw herself in front of trouble for her ringleader but a place where she had a role at all. A place that at least let her foster an illusion of belonging. At least Nereigen wanted her there as his servant. Being wanted as a servant, even a slave, at that moment felt better than being rejected in one's totality.