"You know you could've warned me, about your appearance." A tall lanky man, in his pajamas uttered as he gazed at the sight infront of his house. Having a few bandages on his face, he just bit his scarred bottom lip.

Five goons wearing balaclavas were swiftly taken out before they could do their mission, which mostly likely was to take him out. All of them having knives in the back of their craniums, he watched the man that did all this go up to one of them and retrieve his blade.

"Didn't want you to spook you. Seeing as, you know 'dead' people can't talk and all."

CRUNCH!

The sound of the masked man's skull dislodging filled the atmosphere.

"Yet here you are. Not a scab of rotten flesh on you. What do you want, Minato?" addressing his comrade. The man introduced, was dressed in black pants, military boots, an armoured vest and a black bennie which hid away his blond lanky hair.

"I got tired of hiding away, John."

"So, you got bored and decided to bother me?" the man called John retorted, as Minato shrugged his shoulders. "So, you're saying. Me dealing with this hit squad is seen as a bother to you?" he pointed at all the dead bodies as John huffed. "I know you too well, Minato. You're the last person to ever get tired of being free from this world we live in." John explained as he folded his arms. "Which only means one thing. You're planning something big aren't you?"

That cocky grin on the blond's face told John everything, and knowing who he was dealing with he wasn't going to like it.

"Ah huh. We're going to disappear for good me and you. This time we'll live in the shadows, John. Where no one will bother us, where we'll be free from all this." He pointed at the corpses, John staying silent just watched how fired up Minato's eyes glowed. Remembering the many speeches that his friend used to tell him ever since they were growing up in the orphanage, he couldn't help but wonder about such a place, a thought that had always stuck with him ever since he'd met the small peculiar blond.

'Could such a place even exist?' John thought but seeing how determined Minato was. He couldn't help but believe he'd find such a place. But at the same time would it be possible for both of them to find such a paradise? John didn't believe one second that he'd be able to disappear, not after all the things he did.

"The shadows?" John muttered as Minato nodded. "Will you quit it with that fairytale. There is no such a thing. It won't be long till we're found by the underworld." John explained as Minato caressed his chin.

"You're acting as if we'd be bringing attention to ourselves, John. I know we won't do such."

"What makes you sure of that? We're killers Minato, not civilians. We tried that and what did it lead us to? My wife being dead and your son 'fatherless'." He hissed, "We're the scum of the earth, who tried to play house and we failed in the end." He added, as the two fell into silence.

"Atleast you got a few more years to see Naruto grow. You have such memories while me…what do I have to look back to? A year in which I met Helen, two years of us being married and one year of her slowly dying…and…and…when she was gone…even in death she showed me love…" the words began to make John's throat swell. "She gave me something to love…something to take care of…I didn't even get a chance to think of a name for my pup and they took her away from me…all over a damn car!" John shouted as he began to tear up as Minato brought him into his embrace.

"Just let it out, John. Let it all out." He whispered.

"They took my wife's last sign of love from me! Nature took away Helen from me! The world took away everything from me!" John vocalized as he held tightly onto Minato's armoured vest.

"My innocence, my childhood, everything! What do I have now, Minato? What do I have now?" he asked desperately as he felt Minato repeatedly tap his back. "You still have me, John. You still have me." Minato uttered as feeling moved, John just continued to hold his brother close.

"I thought…I actually lost you too, man. I thought I actually did." Minato feeling guilt replied "I wish I could have told you, John. I really wish I did."

Remaining in each other's embrace. The two just stayed like that at the door frame.

As a few minutes elapsed, Minato gave John his bennie to wipe away his tears, as the latter could feel the sting in his eyes and the massive headache forming. Deciding to sit on the stoep, John gazed up into the sky and just sighed at the smell of fresh air.

It was a heck of a cool night in New York. The stars brought a sense of hope back into the man, who felt mesmerised by the sky's beauty. 'I guess it's true when they say crying alleviates stress from one's shoulders.' John thought, as he felt way better now than he did while sleeping.

Minato returning from the house with a tray, placed down he object beside John.

"Water?" he offered as he held up a glass he took from the tray. "Please." John replied with a raspy tone. Pouring it to the full, Minato also poured himself a glass as he too sat on the stoep.

"Never thought I'd ever see the stars like this ever since Helen passed." John began as Minato smiled. "I also thought I'd never gaze at them again when Kushina passed."

"Do you miss her?"

Minato just drank from his glass. "Everyday. It always hurts that I never got a chance to thank her for Naruto."

"Wish you weren't doing a job that day Naruto was born?" John asked as Minato nodded. "Thing is, he was born before it was his delivery date. On that day, I was meant to do my 'Impossible Task' in order to get out of the life." He explained as out of curiosity John asked. "What was your impossible task?"

"I'll share if you do." Minato replied, as he too was interested in what the latter did.

"Deal." John agreed "You know like how, Viggo's father has a seat at the High Table right?" Minato nodded.

"Well he promised me he'd make his father have the High Table allow me to leave, seeing he was his 'favourite son' or whatever he called it. I had to help Viggo with taking out all of his oppositions in New York City. The leaders of the Mafia, Yakuza, Irish Mob and the Triads. The hard part was that I had to do it all in one night." John said as he then chuckled at the utterance of 'hard'.

"Thing is he didn't know I knew he'd ask me for such a task seeing he was still new to the city, and he wanted to gain territory."

"And let me guess one of those groups were unfortunate to have been killed with a pencil?" Minato stated as John raised his brows in confirmation. "That would be the Mafia. I found them at one of they're hangouts and I didn't feel like using a gun for my first job."

"So you're trying to tell me, you not feeling like firing lead, was the reason you're now remembered for that last job?"

John just sipped his glass. "Yes."

"Well, that was one hell of an explanation." Minato concluded as he also took a sip of water.

"So, are you going to share your story?" John asked as Minato finished drinking his glass and placed it onto the tray. "For my task I had to kill an opponent for the Bratva seat on the High Table."

"Oh, let me guess, it was a job from Viggo's old man?" Minato nodded. "See how closely connected we are to those guys?"

"It's more than I'd like."

"Me too, John. But anyway, the elections for the seat were to take place on the 11th of October in Moscow. The opposition was set to fly out to Moscow from Saint Petersburg, and I needed to find out which plane it was he'd be using."

"So they didn't identify to you which plane this man would be flying with?" Minato nodded "I think that was part of the whole making it an 'Impossible Task' but it didn't matter since one of my investments helped me find the correct hanger."

"Investments?" John said confused as he looked at Minato only to see that mischievous grin of his, quickly putting two and two together. "You've got to be kidding me. You did your so called 'investment' for information?"

"Sadly, nothing comes for free, my friend. Believe me when I say. I could've used other methods, but sometimes it's better to just use a woman's heart against them. How useful they are when they are wrapped around your finger."

Flashback

"Ah, ah. That was only four rounds, lover. Still six more to go."

The year was 1996 and a younger Minato Namikaze, found himself in the city of Saint Petersburg. Currently gazing out of his hotel room's window into the city. The weather as always was harsh with many of the trees rustling on the street below. The clouds were uninviting and dull, as their darkness warned for the pending winter snow. However, in the room he currently was in, there was a sense of vibrant warmth. With the flames at the fire blaze engulfing the wood to form heat, Minato took a big sigh.

Slowly bringing his pants up to cover his legs. He turned back to the woman that uttered those words. What waited for him was a sight, many men would die for.

Stunning as always his contact seductively bit her bottom lip. "Or are you beginning to have a hard time keeping up?" she asked as she folded her arms underneath her bosom.

"Look Svet, I wish I could do this longer, but I'm running out of time." He added as he picked up his shirt and began to button it. "But why the rush?" she stated as she turned to the clock on the wall. "There's still two hours before he leaves. That's plenty of time." She whined as she got of the bed, in full nudity.

Quickly going up against Minato, she pressed her bosom against his chest. Interrupting the latter from fully buttoning his shirt. Watching her look up to him, Minato watched as she tipped on her toes and whispered into his ear. "Think of all the things we can do in that time. Things that even Raz could dream doing with me." She gracefully caressed her hand on his abs and surprised the man once she licked his ear.

'This girl would be the death of me.' Minato thought as maybe if it was before he found out about Naruto, he would've obliged. But his yearn for freedom was far too strong for lust to make him procrastinate.

"Tempting but no."

The answer just made Svetlana pout as she also decided to dress up. "I don't know what happened to you, Minato. All of a sudden you just changed on me. You used to be fun around, and now…I don't even know. Tell me what's the problem? Am I nothing to you now?"

"No, it's not you Svet. I just need to get this task, done. Can I please have his location?" he asked as Svet spoke once more. "I'm not giving it to you, until you tell me what's wrong!"

"There is nothing wrong, I just want to get this task done." Minato said calmly while Svet beginning to get irritated began jumping to conclusions.

"There's another woman, isn't it? That you want to run off with, once you've gotten you freedom?"

"The freedom, yes. The woman, no. There is no woman." Minato stated some of the truth. Svet just scoffed at the answer and began wearing her clothes. "You think you can lie to me. I can see through your eyes, Namikaze. They don't lie. You don't look at me the same. Who is she!"

'Well this just got tricky.' Minato thought as he internally groaned. "Svet, just calm down. There's no other woman. Can I please have the man's location?"

"Location, location, location. That's all you ask about, not about my emotions!" her voice began to boom. "Can you please calm down, people in the hallway might hear you." Minato pleaded as Svet just stormed to the leather chair in the corner where her furry coat sat.

"They can hear as much as they want, Namikaze! Since all you care about is your stupid woman, here!" she dug into her furry coat's pocket and in a furious rage she crushed the piece of paper in it and threw it straight at Minato. As the paper bounced off his chest, he opened the palm of his hand and directed his arm right underneath the paper, allowing it to fall into it.

"Whoever she is will never give you the type of love, I gave you!" with that she stormed right out of the room.

End of Flashback

"Okay so other than the lady you ditched for fatherhood. Can you get to the point on how you killed your target?"

"Oh that? Easy, I just simply went to his location, found a vantage point, used my sniper rifle and got him."

"That's it? That's the impossible task?"

"I mean he was on a moving train when I got his location but yeah. That was it." John hearing the first part just looked at Minato dumbfound. "What?" Minato asked confused "Is there something on my face?"

John just sighed at the remark. "If you're being nonchalant about how you killed that man, I won't make a fuss about it." He stated as he gulped down the rest of his glass. "Hit's the spot." John sighed in relief as Minato nodded. "You've got some nice spring water in there. I never knew you bought water."

"It wasn't me, it was Helen." John explained as Minato smiled. "I see why you loved her, she had good taste." He complimented as John shrugged as then reality struck once his gaze landed on the corpses of the hit squad.

"I think we should do something about these bodies, don't you think?" Minato looked at the sight and agreed.

"I have a plan on getting rid of them, but you won't like how it goes." He stated "What makes you say that?" John asked. "Remember when I said we'd disappear?" he replied as he got up from the stoep and stretched his limbs a bit.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"You're not going to like this next part." He explained as John just looked skeptical. "What's wrong with this next part?" Minato just dug into his pocket and took out a lighter.

DING! DONG! DING! DONG!

The toll of the bell belonging to Summerville's local church could be heard even at the outskirts of the town.

Currently parked under the shelter of a gas station. John found himself wiping away dirt from the windshield of the blue pickup truck he and Minato used to drive down to Florida.

The calm ocean breeze that tasted of salt, was something John felt at peace with. It totally one-upped the industrialization air back in New York City.

Out of his pajamas, John dressed in casuals which included a white undershirt that had black stripes going through it horizontally, a denim jacket with it's twin themed jeans to go along with it. Black running shoes and to top it all of a maroon cap.

Hearing the toll of the station market's door, John looked over the van to see Minato walking out speaking on the phone while in his other hand holding a filled up plastic bag.

"You owe me big time for this, Minato." Speaking on the phone, was the companion of both Minato and John, Marcus.

"Don't worry Marcus, the moment all of this is done, the next Comicon we're going." Minato promised as he could picture the childish grin on Marcus' face.

"And I'll be sure to remind you of that promise."

Having briskly walked across the station, he arrived at the van just in time to see John put back the wiper into it's bucket.

"Oh, no doubt Marcus. Just make sure you go a little easy on the Green Goblin, this time." Minato stated as John hearing this groaned

"Yeesh, you could tell him that again." He added remembering the last time they went to that event.

"John seconds me on you being cooler next time." Minato told Marcus who the latter heard huff.

"Why won't you both understand, it's called staying in character. You guys will end up making that sentence my motto the more you ask me to break character."

"It's just that the last time, you scared a lot of kids of."

"They should learn to fight their fears. Who said Comicon, was for children anyway?"

"Yeah, I hear you Marcus. But thanks for the van, again. See you soon."

"Alright, happy hunting guys."

Dropping the call, Minato pocketed his phone and looked at John. "He said he's thankful you're finally free from 'our' world."

"Oh yeah." John stated sarcastically "At only the cost of a $2 Million home, that had all my wife's stuff in it."

"I said I was sorry. There was no other choice, the house needed to burn down."

"You could've given me some time. There was some stuff I still needed."

"You have your wedding gallery."

"I could've packed some clothes, now I'm over here dressed like some southern truck driver."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing."

"Minato look at me…I've never dressed like this." He complained as he took off his cap.

"It's the beginning of the new you. No more dodging bullets wearing a bloodied suit. Plus you shouldn't be complaining, I've seen guys we're clothes more ridiculous down here."

"Oh and like what?"

"White cloaks. Need I say more and explain them in detail?" John just kept silent at the remark and just sighed heavily after getting the message.

"You should've atleast allowed me to pick my clothes." He muttered. "I wanted to surprise, take them as a birthday gift for all the birthdays I've missed since we haven't been together." The two decided to hop back into the van with John being in the driver seat.

"Some gift giver, you are." John sarcastically remarked.

"Hey, beggars can't be choosers." Minato replied as John started up the car. "So where are we going?" John asked.

"The local hill. It's a place we can get a view on everything that happens around here. I'll direct you."

"Alright then." John concluded, as he pulled down the emergency break.

VROOM!

Allowing the car to roll out of the garage, the van touched the asphalt and continued down the road passing by the local town's welcome sign.

Welcome to Summerville!
The Pride of the Sunshine State!