《The story of a weak Shinobi》


 Prologue

    The story of shinobi was one of immense sacrifice as men and women of great power and will clashed to create the world we see around us today. The scars of those battles that redrew the borders of great nations are still visible to this day.


    The stories of great warriors like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara are told even today, a century after they''ve passed away. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    And if you want to hear their stories and the stories of brave warriors like them, then I suggest you go read a damn history book.


    This story is not about them, it''s about the life of a weak ninja, who never sought battles or accolades. Did he live up to his full potential? Probably not. But did he have fun living his life? You bet he did.

 Chapter 1

    Kenji Akio


    I was running through the forest, literally running for my life. If that merchant''s bodyguards caught up with me, I was as good as dead. Chances were that there would be at least one chunin among them. (ninja were divided into genin, chunin and jonin in the increasing order of strength).


    I was 18 years old and still a genin. I wouldn''t stand a chance against a squad led by a chunin. Why was I a genin at this age? Because I was weak and had a meagre chakra pool. I never wanted to be a ninja in the first place. But, being born in the Kenji clan in our shitty little hidden village meant that I didn''t really get a say in the matter.


    Our hidden ninja village was known as the hidden lotus village. I''d always thought the village should be named as Hidden dicks village, because that''s exactly what the elders of the village were. Even though our village was located at the ass end of nowhere in a small country that had no real power in the continent, the elders had no shortage of misplaced pride.


    I was deemed as an outcast by them for my healthy attitude towards sexuality. The fact that I was openly bisexual was just the cherry on top of the dessert of disgust I represented for them. Ninja were emotionless tools that were to be used by the village. That was the philosophy they lived by.


    The only reason they hadn''t outright murdered me was because of the value of our clan''s kekkei genkai. (kekkei genkai, or bloodline limit is a technique or characteristic that is unique to certain clan members). There were very powerful kekkei genkai like that of the Uchiha and Hyuga Clan''s, but ours was one of the most useless. Kekkei genkai in name only. A shitty kekkei genkai was still a kekkei genkai.


    My kekkei genkai was the ability to perform a special transformation jutsu.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    While a Normal transformation jutsu allowed you to mimic your physical appearance for a short period of time while consuming your chakra, my transformation allowed me to change form and while in the transformed state, I had the option to completely turn off my chakra signature.


    And I could stay in the transformed state almost indefinitely until I dispelled the jutsu.


    Even the best sensory ninja wouldn''t be able to tell me apart from a civilian.


    But, as soon as I try any jutsu or use the slightest bit of chakra, I can be sensed. It''s great for infiltration where civilians are allowed, but you couldn''t really do anything once you''d infiltrated without sending up the equivalent of a chakra flare.


    Like I said, a largely useless kekkei genkai. But, to hear my father tell of it you''d think we were running around with


    the best skill set. He''s fond of lecturing me to uphold the Clan''s pride and not to bring embarrassment with my perverted and sexually deviant ways.


    The Clan''s pride my ass. Our clan was infamous for infiltrating civilian refugees during war and carrying out attacks. Thousands of refugees were denied amnesty and died a gruesome death thanks to our clan. That was the real legacy of our kekkei genkai.


    Our village was nowhere close enough to the power of even a moderate hidden village of a small nation. But, that didn''t stop the village elders from having egos that rivalled the Kages. ( The heads of the 5 most powerful hidden villages).


    This leads them to pick missions without proper risk analysis and sending genin like me to do it, like what happened today. It wasn''t by skill, but by sheer luck that I survived today. I couldn''t keep doing this. I''d end up in a grave before long.


    Fuck being a ninja, fuck my village and fuck my father. I was gonna live and die on my own terms. The only question that remained was where to go. The hidden leaf village had managed to come out ahead in the last three great ninja wars. They had capable ninjas who protected the land of fire. I just had to find a good town away from too many ninjas.


    I took off my forehead protector and tossed it to the side of the road as I made my way to the land of fire.

 Chapter 2

    Kenji


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever felt more free as I made my way over to the land of fire. I wondered idly whether my village would actually bother with sending someone after me after I failed to return from the mission. Probably not. Even if they did, their chances of finding me were next to zero.


    I''d settled on going to the bustling town of Kurashiko. It was far enough from the approximate location of the hidden leaf and the feudal lord of the land of fire that the town wouldn''t be swarming with powerful shinobi. At the same time, it was far enough away from the borders that there''d be time to evacuate if any of the neighbouring nations decided to invade. I do hope that I''ll be long dead from old age before another great shinobi war breaks out.


    It took me 2 weeks to get there eventually. I managed to attach myself to a merchant caravan as a non ninja bodyguard. The trip was blissfully uneventful which made for such a welcome change of pace. I didn''t bother to build a friendship with anyone as I''d be disappearing as soon as the caravan entered the city. I did manage to extract some useful information about the city from my travel companions though.


    Upon arrival, I collected my wage and promptly disappeared into some back alleys. I made reasonably certain that I wasn''t being watched before changing form into a middle aged man. I rented an inn and decided to take a well deserved rest after my long journey.


    Kurashiko seemed like a nice enough City, almost untouched by the violence of ninjas. That was probably the reason why merchants loved this town. Business thrived when there was peace. I''d live here, make money and do all the things my father and the elders told me not to do and when I died it''d be in my bed, not because some lord I never met had a quarrel about something I''d never care about.


    With that determination, I fell into a peaceful slumber.


    Old lady Matsumoto


    It was late in the morning when I woke up as usual. That girl Nezu was already up and about as I could hear her moving around in the kitchen. Bless her, she was a good kid. It was a shame that she ended up working for me. Half an hour later, I made my way down to the kitchen.


    "Good morning Matsumoto San". Nezu squeaked. I nodded to her as I sat down for breakfast. She''d been with me for over 6 months and she was still pretty nervous around me. She really was too timid for her own good. That said, I didn''t go out of my way to put her at ease. In my line of work, a healthy amount of fear from my employees was a good thing. If they end up thinking you were soft, they''d walk all over you.


    I am Matsumoto. People had been calling me old lady Matsumoto for so long that it had pretty much become my name. I am the owner of Sin''s den, a hostess bar in the city of Kurashiko.


    You wouldn''t think it looking at me now, but I used to work here myself back in the day when I was a young girl.


    Those were the glory days. Back in the day, we used to have shinobis as bouncers. Nowadays all I had was little Jin. He was a big guy now, but I still remembered him running around in his diapers back when his mom was around. About 20 years ago, a new wing of the city was constructed. The city centre and traffic had gradually moved there. If only I''d relocated back then. But, I had too many memories in this place to give it up that easily. Now, I was almost broke as the business had dwindled over the years. Now, I couldn''t afford to relocate even if I wanted to.


    I''d prop this place up with my old bones as long as I was able. After that, oh well. Nezu was a nice girl. I hoped I''d be able to see her happy and be with someone who valued her before I closed my eyes. The chances of that happening while working in this profession was pretty slim.


    Besides Nezu, I''d only had one other girl working as a hostess.Her name was Mina. She was 32 years old. She was at an age when she should have been planning for her retirement in this profession. But, she was still neck deep in debt. Mina didn''t live here like Nezu, she had a husband and daughter back home. Her husband had been a reasonably well off merchant before some bad business decisions landed him neck deep in debt.


    Those debt collector bastards had cut off his left foot and right hand as punishment. They left a warning that they''d come for his head if he couldn''t repay them. That was how Mina had ended up working here. She was barely keeping up with interest payments as it was now. I really didn''t know how she was gonna manage.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Thinking about these things usually ended up giving me a headache. And it''s not like some magical solution was gonna pop up. I had just finished my breakfast and got up when Jin told me there was a man waiting to see me.


    I really hoped it wasn''t someone coming to seek charity


    People who knew me would tell you I generally wasn''t in a charitable mood this early in the day.


    I told Jin to show him into my office and inform him that I''d be there shortly. I was greeted by a middle aged man when I got to my office. He introduced himself as Matsu san. Based on his clothing, he definitely wasn''t a wealthy patron. This was gonna be another charity case. With a weary sigh I prepared to listen to the man''s story.


    He was a farmer in a village a couple day''s journey from Kurashiko. His wife was ill and his family had fallen into debt. He had no way to look after his family and was contemplating suicide when the eldest of his 3 daughters volunteered to come here to make money. So, here he was. He assured me that his daughter was beautiful and a hard worker.


    I told him that we didn''t really have enough customers to justify hiring another girl and if his daughter really was as beautiful as he said, he should try some of the hostess bars on the other side of town. They were always looking for new people.


    " You''re right Matsumoto San, I''ve made inquiries about those places. I know they pay well. But, I also know that those institutions are run by moneylenders and they treat girls like tools, suck them dry and throw them away into the trash when they''re done. I know I must seem like a bad father having to leave my daughter to this life. But, I do love her dearly Matsumoto San. You''re one of the few people in this city who run an institution like this with honour and integrity. That''s why I want to leave my daughter with you. I couldn''t bear it otherwise." He almost broke down in tears towards the end.


    I agreed to meet his daughter in the afternoon. He didn''t seem like a bad man. Much better than my father anyway, who sold me when I was 13, pocketed the money and never looked back. I''d decide after meeting the girl.


    Most likely, I''d have to turn him away. But, I couldn''t help but feel a little bit of pride. I may be almost broke. But I still had a name in this town those new and fancy bars would never have.


    Matsu San came by with his daughter Hana after lunch. He wasn''t exaggerating when he said that she was a beauty. She had a pretty face with long silky black hair that reached up to her waist. She was dressed in a typical peasant garb but her beauty shined through. She had a determined expression on her face.


    I told her father to wait as I took her to the next room to examine her. She only hesitated a little before stripping down to her birthday suit. She didn''t just have a beautiful face, she had a body to match. She had large, perky breasts that stayed up on their own while her waist was thin. Her hips flared outward, completing her perfect hourglass figure. Her ass was shapely and bubbly


    Any of the rich bars in the city would clamour to have someone like her in their employ. I told her father as much when we got back to the office.


    But Matsu San was insistent that his daughter should work for me. His daughter''s future and security was much more important than any short term gains, he said. I told him to wait as I sent Jin to fetch a sensory ninja to check whether either the father or daughter were shinobi imposters. You could never be too careful.


    After the check, I gave him the terms of his daughter working for me and had him sign a contract before I handed him 10000 Yon. Half of his daughter''s earnings would go to repayment of that debt till it was fully repaid. He was just glad that I didn''t charge exorbitant interest rates like those blood sucking moneylenders.


    I gave them their privacy and let them say goodbye in the office as I stepped out. Matsu San thanked me again and asked me to take care of his daughter before he left.


    I called Nezu over and told her to bring Hana up to speed. For now, I told her to show her to her rooms so she could rest up a bit. I was feeling a faint glimmer of hope as I sat back on my chair, smoking. Maybe, the days of Sin''s den were not over just yet.


    Hana


    Old lady Matsumoto introduced me to a girl named Nezu. She seemed nice enough. She had a pretty and kind face. She stood a couple inches shorter than me. I''d say she was about 5''3". She showed me to my room and I thanked her.


    " Thank you senior Nezu. I''ll be in your care".


    "No need to be so formal with me Hana. Just call me Nezu. I''m really glad to have some company around here." She replied with a kind smile.


    "You''d better go take some rest Hana, we open in about 4 hours. I''ll be sure to show you around and introduce you to everyone later". She said before she left.


    I entered the room and shut the door behind me. It was a small room with a single bed, wardrobe, table and chair. I went over and opened the window and found that it opened up to a view of the canal flowing through the city.


    I sat down on the chair with a sigh of contentment. A few blocks away, Hana''s ''father'' turned into a pile of mud in an empty alley as I released the mud clone jutsu. I''d stay as Hana Matsui for now.


    Why work to pay for your depraved activities when you could make money off it. Hehehe¡­

 Chapter 3

    Hana/ Kenji


    I had decided to scope out the dance bars around the town before making my approach. The hostess bars on the west side of the town were bustling with activity. It seemed like they had the richest clientele. Upon inquiry, I had found out that those places had a high turnaround of employees and they were primarily financed by moneylenders. Those guys were blood sucking leeches. I''d had enough of working for dicks to last me a lifetime, I wasn''t keen to do that again.


    That was how I''d found out about Sin''s den. The old lady Matsumoto who ran the place had a reputation of being tough but fair. I made a mud clone and used my kekkei genkai to turn my clone into a middle aged man while I changed into Hana. My kekkei genkai ensured that neither me, nor my clone had any detectable chakra on our body. Old lady Matsumoto had taken me in, given my ¡®father¡¯ 10000 yon. A tidy little sum as one day of staying at the inn cost about 50 yon. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d like it and continue to stay here, but I was definitely gonna stick around long enough to pay back the old lady her money.


    A couple hours later, Nezu came to get me. She helped me pick out something to wear. The dress was more like a bikini, but with a little more fabric that highlighted my ample bosom. She gave me a brief tour of the place and introduced me to the kitchen staff which consisted of two ladies. A big guy was in the kitchen. His katana was on the table next to him while he ate. Nezu introduced him as the bouncer Jin. He was the guy who we had to call if anything went wrong. While I was sure he could handle regular people, even a genin like me could make short work of him. She explained that the bar usually opened in the evening and closed early in the morning.


    As we were talking, a sexy older woman walked in wearing a risque outfit. Nezu introduced her as Mina San who also worked here. She seemed nice enough, though she wasn''t as upbeat as Nezu. Mina had no compunctions about explaining the more grisly aspects of the job in great detail. I guess she wanted to make sure that I was fully aware of what I''d have to do. I wanted to reassure her, but I was posing as a village girl. So, I couldn''t exactly tell her that I''d done things that''d make what she described look tame.


    Instead, I settled for reassuring her that I knew what was expected of me and was prepared to do it.


    The establishment consisted of a space open to the street with a bar where people could eat and drink. The cost of food and drink was pretty much the same as any normal restaurant there.


    The next room consisted of semi private stalls where customers could sit with girls. The cost of food and drink here was more than twice of what it was normally. If the customer wanted to spend some quality time with you, there were rooms available. It cost 100 Yon for half an hour with one of us. 200 for 1 hour and so on. Anything that was more than just sex, we could charge extra for. This included french kissing, oral sex and a few more kinky things.Stolen novel; please report.


    We opened at around 3PM. Though I had plenty of experience with men, this was the first time I¡¯d be doing it for money. It was still better than whoring yourself out to feudal lords as a ninja, in my humble opinion. Anticipation soon turned to boredom as no one actually came into our section of the bar. There was some light traffic in the section open to the streets, but no one came inside. It was only around 6 that the first customer came inside. It was a middle aged man who was one of Mina¡¯s regulars. A little while later, another customer came in who was attended to by Nezu since she was the senior among the both of us.


    It was a little after 7 that I had my first customer. It turned out to be a young guy with a medium build. I took his orders and passed them to the waiter while I entered the booth with him. I waited a little bit for him to start talking but he seemed a bit nervous, so I decided to take the lead.


    ¡°Hi there, I¡¯m Hana¡±. I said.


    ¡°H..Hi. My name¡¯s Haruto¡± he said hurriedly.


    ¡°Well nice to meet you Haruto. Is it just a coincidence that our name starts with the same sound or were we always meant to meet¡±. I asked with a smile.


    He laughed and blushed. It was a lame joke, but it helped break the ice as he opened up a bit more after that.


    It turned out that he was the son of a farmer visiting the town for a couple of days. He''d been sad because his girlfriend had left him recently for a merchant. He got more and more talkative and liberal with his use of expletives as he consumed more alcohol. I offered our comforting services before he got too drunk to not be able to receive it. He only had a light wobble as we headed to the back room. I asked him if he wanted any extras and he said he just had to taste my sweet lips. I gladly agreed to that for just 50 won extra. He paid the money to the waiter as we headed inside.


    He started kissing me as soon as we got into the room. Since he was feeling a bit wobbly, I helped him out of his clothes and sat him down on the bed. I started moving seductively as I started undressing. I only got as far as releasing my ample bosom from the bikini top before he jumped on them and started sucking on them like a baby. There was no real technique, but it felt nice. Then I pushed him down on the bed and got on top of him slowly rubbing his erect cock against my wet pussy lips.


    Our kekkei genkai had one notable feature. Since using chakra after transformation tended to give us away, we could make some minor modifications to our body during the transformation to give us an extra edge while in civilian disguise. My clan mostly used it for useless ninja purposes. I had used it to make modifications so that I''d have extra pleasure receptors in certain key areas.


    I wasn''t acting when I screamed out in pleasure as Haruto''s hard cock entered me. It didn''t take long for me to convulse into a mind blowing orgasm, coating Haruto''s dick with my juices.


    He tensed up soon as he released his load inside me. We laid together side by side in bliss as I just completed my first job in my new profession. I only had one thought on my mind ''I''m sorry I called you useless my dear kekkei genkai. I''ll never slight you again''.

 Chapter 4

    Hana


    Haruto was practically giddy with happiness and was almost bouncing by the time he left me. He promised to come back to see me again. I didn''t know whether he was actually going to keep the promise or not, but it sure felt nice to have people feel happy after I completed a job. That usually wasn''t the case with my old job.


    After Haruto, I entertained a group of 3 people with Nezu. While none of them went to the back rooms with us, they ran up a pretty impressive bar tab. We closed at about 2 in the morning. Nezu and I had dinner in the kitchen with old lady Matsumoto before we went up to our rooms. Old lady Matsumoto congratulated me on a good debut and said that I did well. I''d noticed peepholes in the ceilings of both the bar area rooms and the entertainment rooms. I guess she liked what she saw of my performance.


    The girls who worked here got paid on a commission basis. 50% of the profits made in the bar tab of the customer plus 80% of the proceeds made in the back rooms. The money we got from whatever extra stuff we did in the room, we could keep for ourselves. Since I was 10000 yon in debt, 50% of all my earnings went to the house. It still left me with about 110 yon for the night''s work. This was definitely better than what I was getting paid as a genin. I went to bed peacefully, the first time in a long time, having made money without killing or maiming anyone.


    Old lady Matsumoto


    I admit that I was a bit worried about the village belle messing up on her first day. I thought she might break down crying from finally having to face the reality of what she had to do. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.


    Not only was she undisturbed by what she had to do, but she seemed to really enjoy it.


    ''That goes to show I guess. These pure and shy looking girls were not always what they appeared to be'' I thought. I was really glad that I was wrong though. It was much better for the business and for her if she could really enjoy what she did. It might have been a bit selfish of me, but I really hoped she stayed even after she finished paying off her debts.


    Nezu


    I woke up feeling really refreshed. I debated on whether to call on Hana to help me with breakfast. I decided I¡¯d let her sleep in since I figured she must be really tired last night. Therefore, I was surprised to see her in the kitchen steaming the rice and working on what looked like miso soup.


    ¡°Good morning Nezu¡±, She said with a warm smile.


    ¡°Good morning Hana. When did you wake up? I thought you might have been tired after last night.¡±


    ¡°I feel fine, Nezu. I don¡¯t usually sleep that much anyway, ``she said.


    ¡°Be careful Hana, don¡¯t ruin your health¡±. She was really beautiful, but you had to care for your looks. I had to admit that I was a little jealous of her breasts. She wasn¡¯t really wearing a sexy outfit but she looked really hot in whatever she wore.


    We chatted more as I helped her with cooking. She was really fast and efficient. Usually when I cooked, I tended to make a lot of noise and maybe knock a couple of things over. I was impressed by the purpose and fluidity of her movements as she cooked even as she paid attention to our conversation. Old lady Matsumoto joined us almost as soon as we¡¯d finished.


    ¡°Hana cooked breakfast today¡±. I told her.


    ¡°Oh? I was wondering why the clamour of utensils didn¡¯t wake me up today¡±. She said with a smirk as I scowled playfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I wouldn¡¯t have finished anytime soon without Nezu¡¯s help¡± Hana said.


    We chatted a bit and I told Matsumoto san that I planned to take Hana san out for shopping. She told me to make sure we didn¡¯t get into any trouble and to be back at least an hour before opening.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    I was really excited as I went up to change. It was really nice to have someone my age to go out with. I took her to the shopping district and showed her some of my favourite shops. Being from a small village, I thought she¡¯d be a bit overwhelmed with the sights in a big city, but she was really calm and collected. She was also really confident in her interactions with other people. I guess I didn''t really have to worry about her.


    We had miso ramen for lunch at one of my favourite places. Hana really enjoyed it too from the way she was putting away bowls and asking for seconds. I guess her boobs really needed a lot of nutrition. It was when we were about to leave that I saw two rough looking guys approach our table. I was feeling nervous and I saw that Hana already had her eyes on them, an unreadable expression on her face.


    ¡°Afternoon ladies.May I say that both of you look very fine today.¡±, one of the guys said with a grin that put me on edge. I was thinking of what to say to them when I heard Hana speak up


    ¡°Thank you. How are you guys doing?¡±.


    ¡°We¡¯re good, but our day could get a whole lot better with the company of two beautiful ladies¡±. He said as I saw his friend¡¯s eye wander toward my chest and stay there.


    "You guys look like fun. But I''m afraid we have to get to work soon, maybe you guys could come see us there".


    Hana said with a smile as she handed them Sin''s den card.


    "The company of beautiful ladies isn''t cheap, but worthwhile." She added with a sly grin as the two guys were looking over the card looking rather surprised.


    I had to hand it to Hana, she handled it like a pro. I usually ended up clamming up when guys paid attention to me outside our establishment. I had always felt like I was hiding a dirty secret when I was walking around the city. It made me uncomfortable to receive attention from men. Hana seemed like she had no problems with the job she did and had no problems with flaunting it.


    "Are you okay Nezu?" Hana asked with a worried expression on her face.


    "I hope you didn''t mind me being a bit forward with those guys. They didn''t exactly look like the type roaming around looking for true love". Hana said.


    "No..No Hana. I was actually amazed by how you handled that situation. I wish I could deal with situations confidently like you do. I tend to clam up when guys come up and talk to me in public." I said truthfully.


    "Do you not like the job that we do Nezu?" Hana asked. I slowed down my walk as I mulled over an answer.


    "I don''t dislike this job Hana. I think it''s the best job I could get based on my circumstances. But, I can''t deny the fact that most of the people out there consider what we do a disgrace" I said.


    We walked silently side by side for a bit before Hana talked again.


    "Who''s the leader of this nation, Nezu?" Hana asked.


    I looked up surprised at the sudden question.


    ¡°The feudal lord of the land of fire is in charge of the government while the hokage sama of hidden leaf village is in charge of the military¡±. I replied.


    ¡°Do you think the jobs that shinobi like lord hokage do are better than what you do?¡±.


    I stopped in my tracks and my mouth was hanging open as I stared at Hana.


    ¡°What are you saying Hana? Of course, it¡¯s better than what I do¡±.


    ¡°Is it Nezu?


    ¡°Yes, they fight against evil¡±.


    ¡°Do they? Has evil gone from this country then Nezu? Has the strong stopped preying on the weak in the land of fire?¡±.


    I wanted to say yes. But, I couldn¡¯t, not while I knew what those monsters did to myself, Mina and her husband. I stood there in silence.


    ¡°The shinobi don''t fight for good or evil Nezu, they fight for those with money and power. They use their overwhelming power to define what is acceptable and what¡¯s not regardless of good and evil. They¡¯re paid to defend what was deemed acceptable by those that pay them. They assassinate, betray and do unspeakable things to those around them. Yet, no one would ever say anything against them because they have the power to make them shut up.


    We don¡¯t kill anyone to make a living Nezu, we don¡¯t force anyone to come into our shop. All that we do is provide some comfort or distraction for the people who come to see us. That is not a great sin. Don¡¯t let anyone ever tell you otherwise Nezu. You have a right to take pride in your job, certainly more than any boastful shinobi¡± She said.


    I nodded numbly as we continued walking. I¡¯d never thought about it like that before. It might end up changing the way I viewed myself. One thing was certain though, Hana definitely wasn¡¯t just a blue eyed village girl.

 Chapter 5

    Botan


    I was hanging out with my friend Fuji when I saw her for the first time. She was with a friend as they both walked into a restaurant. She wasn¡¯t wearing anything too revealing or sexy, but the dark haired beauty with a hint of violet in her hair had a figure that could make even the lamest dresses look sexy. I asked Fuji to come with me as we took a seat inside the restaurant. The two girls were talking with each other animatedly. She had such a grace about her movements, it was mesmerising. Confidence was key with girls, so I walked over there with all the confidence I could muster as we introduced ourselves.


    The girl who was with her seemed really shy while she talked to us confidently. I was really surprised when she pulled out a card for a place called Sin¡¯s den. I¡¯d never have figured her for a girl that worked in a hostess bar. I was kinda sad that I probably wouldn¡¯t get to court her, but the prospect of having her voluptuous body for myself tonight was simply exhilarating. They left soon afterwards and I decided I¡¯d pay Hana a visit tonight.


    ¡°So, Fuji, you''re coming with me tonight man?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, I think I will buddy.¡± Fuji said with his eyes still locked on Hana''s friend¡¯s back. I nodded with just a little bit of unease. Fuji was a good friend to have, but he didn¡¯t exactly have the most stellar reputation when it came to women. It was only because of his connections that he¡¯d stayed out of trouble. He was very generous when it came to using his influence to benefit his friends, but I really hoped he wasn¡¯t gonna cause any trouble.


    It was late evening by the time we set out. I was a bit surprised to see that Sin¡¯s den wasn¡¯t located in the more prosperous part of the town where most of the hostess bars had set up shop. This bar was located in the east side of town that was much more run down. It wasn¡¯t exactly a bad neighbourhood, it simply paled in comparison to the more developed part of town. The entrance to the bar passed through a restaurant occupied with a couple of people. There was a big guy with a Katana at the door who let us in.


    The inside of the bar was dimly lit. The area was divided into separate rooms with large dark curtains covering the entrance. The place looked a lot better on the inside than outside. We found a server and inquired whether Hana was available.  He replied in affirmative before returning with Hana. Her outfit was much more risque than when we met outside. The bikini top that she was wearing highlighted her incredible buxom figure.


    She greeted us with a warm smile that lit up her beautiful face as she welcomed us. She called her friend Nezu over to join us on Fuji¡¯s request before we headed over to a room. Hana was as confident as ever when I talked to her. She inquired about my business, hobbies and interests and before long, I felt like we¡¯d known each other for a long time as opposed to having met just this morning. I was really surprised to find out that Hana was the daughter of a farmer and that she¡¯d spent most of her life in a small village. Her shy friend also seemed to be much more in her element as she chatted with Fuji. Fuji still had a weird look on his face as he stared at Nezu that worried me a little.


    We had a few rounds of snacks and drinks before she asked me if I wanted to go somewhere more private with her. I practically jumped up and followed her as she led us to the back rooms. I saw Fuji and Nezu following not too far behind us. I paid for 1 hour with her and extra for enjoying her sweet lips. It only cost 300 yon which was very reasonable considering the beauty that I was with.


    I started kissing her almost as immediately as she closed the door. Her lips tasted so soft and warm. I held her close to me as I embraced her. The smell of her hair was so addictive. She sat me down on the bed with a mischievous smile on her face as she slowly started removing her top. The sight of her standing there with her perfect supple breasts with pink nipples sent my already raging hard on into an overdrive. I was on her breasts in a moment and was sucking on it eagerly. So perfect, soft and voluminous.


    She ran her long slender fingers through my hair, holding me close to her and started moaning as I started to suck her nipples earnestly. Very soon, she pushed me down on the bed and was removing my clothes. As she took off my pants, I saw my penis pop out like a spring. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever been this hard in my entire life. She started kissing on my chest and was moving downward. I was practically writhing by the time she started kissing my shaft. When she took the tip of my penis in her mouth, it was too much as I climaxed uncontrollably.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Hana¡± I apologised. My cum was all over her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Botan¡±, she said with a smile before transferring some of my cum from her face to her fingers and then to her mouth before sighing contentedly.


    ¡®Oh my god, I love this girl¡¯ I thought before she cleaned herself and me before lying down beside me. It didn¡¯t take long for me to get hard again with her gorgeous body rubbing up against me. I got on top this time as I rubbed my dick against her pussy lips. She was really wet as she closed her eyes and let out a moan. She was either the best actress in the world or she was really enjoying this. I thrust my dick inside her tight pussy and started moving. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Watching her perfect boobs jiggle as I thrust more vigorously inside her was immensely satisfying. As I picked up speed, I could feel her arching her back. Just as I thought I couldn¡¯t feel any more pleasure, I felt the walls of her pussy contract around my dick. I grunted loudly as she also screamed out in pleasure. It was absolute bliss as I fell on top of her, with my dick still twitching and pumping my semen inside of her. I lost track of how long we laid there in each other¡¯s arms like that. We left the room just before our time was up and returned to our stall. Fuji and Nezu were already there having a chat. We had a couple more drinks before we said our goodbyes and left. I knew one thing for sure, I was definitely coming back here. I¡¯d been to my share of hostess bars and Hana was definitely one of a kind. I doubted any of the other bars in the city had a girl like her. It wasn¡¯t just about her looks, which were top notch. Her reactions were on another level.


    I used to treat my supplier¡¯s agents to a great dinner and drink before closing deals as a goodwill gesture. And in business, such kind of goodwill could go a long way. I usually took them to the Spotted kitty, but from now on, I decided that I was going to use Hana as my deal closer.


    I was lost in the thoughts of how I could use Hana effectively to improve business before I remembered I had Fuji with me. I asked him how it went and he said he was very intrigued by Nezu. As he said it, he had a very strange expression on his face that put me on edge. I silently resolved that I wouldn¡¯t be bringing this guy with me the next time I was visiting as we made our way back to our respective homes.


    Hana


    It had been two weeks since I¡¯d started working in Sin¡¯s den. Things were going well. I had made more than 2200 yon since I started working here.  As a genin, it would¡¯ve taken me more than 3 months to make that amount in the hidden lotus village. 2200 yon was technically only half my earnings since I was still paying off my debt to old lady Matsumoto. The best part was that I was making this money doing things that I enjoyed most of the time without hurting anyone. I was never going back to working as a ninja.


    Botan, whom I¡¯d met when I was out shopping with Nezu, was turning out to be a great customer. Not only did he pay me regular visits, he also brought his business contacts here as clients. And he was very generous with tips when his contacts left here happily. I might actually be the first person in our clan to use our kekkei genkai to do something that actually made people happy.


    Even though the business had picked up a little bit since I got here, there wasn¡¯t a huge increase in traffic. Our location was still far away from the centre of the town and as such, the traffic was low. This place was hanging on, but we¡¯d have to do something drastic if we wanted to really take off. Looking at the bright side though, we didn¡¯t have any shinobi customers due to our remote location.


    It had been a slow day so far when Botan¡¯s friend Fuji came and asked for Nezu. If there was one downside to meeting Botan, it was that we met Fuji along with him. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it, but that guy gave me bad vibes. I was assisting Mina with serving a group of customers when we all heard it. The sound that we all dreaded.


    There was a switch for an alarm provided in every private room in case any of the customers got aggressive. Old lady Matsumoto had demonstrated how to use it to me and familiarised me with it¡¯s sound. Right now, either Nezu was in trouble or the equipment was malfunctioning. I really hoped that it was the latter as I rushed towards the back rooms. Our bouncer Jin was faster as he overtook me and entered Nezu¡¯s room before me.


    My vision was partially obstructed by Jin¡¯s huge back. Jin had Fuji pinned against the wall while Nezu was on the floor sobbing. I immediately knelt down beside Nezu and looked at her face. Her lips were bleeding and she had what looked like the beginnings of a black eye. Nezu immediately hugged me and broke down in tears on my shoulder while I tried to control the murderous rage that was rising up inside me. Through the haze, I saw Jin dragging that piece of shit out of the room. Mina came into the room just as they left. I left Nezu with her after consoling her for a bit before I went after Jin.


    By the time I got there, Jin had already tossed the dirtbag into the dirty alley through the back entrance. Old lady Matsumoto was looking at the scene with barely concealed rage as I saw Fuji get up with a bleeding nose and mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this you old whore¡± Fuji was yelling at her.


    ¡°If you have half the sense that god gave to a farm animal, you¡¯ll get up, leave and never come back. Stick around any longer and you¡¯ll be needing people to carry you.¡± Old lady Matsumoto said. Her old lined face was contorted with rage as she said this.


    Fuji spat blood out of his mouth before taking a deep breath and saying ¡°You¡¯ll answer to Boss Kuro for what you¡¯ve done to me¡±. He sneered at old lady Matsumoto before limping his way down the alley towards the main road. I saw that old lady Matsumoto¡¯s face was filled with worry as she turned towards me.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Boss Kuro?¡± I asked her.


    She brought her face back to a neutral expression before she answered me in one word.


    ¡°Trouble¡±.

 Chapter 6

    Old Lady Matsumoto


    I was too old for this. But misfortune rarely ever gives you any consideration based on your age. Dealing with assholes had always been part of this job. The problem was when you had to deal with assholes who could strike back at you significantly. If there was a list of such assholes in this town, boss Kuro would top that list. He started out providing protection for rich moneylenders as they were building up the new part of town. He was a former shinobi and had good contacts with the hidden leaf ninjas assigned for the protection of the town.


    In time he became a force of his own, starting his own financing, gambling and prostitution business. He ruled with an iron fist and was able to come out on top in the fight for dominance of Kurashiko town''s underworld. There were still factions who resisted him but he was indisputably the man on the top. I had held out some hope that the idiot we tossed wasn''t actually affiliated with Kuro. But unfortunately, according to the information I received from my trusted contacts, that little fucker Fuji was Kuro''s nephew. I was already on his shit list owing to the fact that I had refused his advances to let him into my business. Add to that the charge of dishonour to his family, I wasn''t likely to get off easy.


    Had it been just me, I''d have told him to go fuck himself. But this business still meant something to people that I cared about. I was most worried about Mina. She may not be able to keep up with her payments if we were to shut down operations. If I knew of at least one hostess bar in the city that I thought she could survive in, I''d have sent her there. But, at her age, they''d use her and churn her out before long.


    The image of her little girl''s face was enough to make me swallow my pride.


    Even though I''d done nothing wrong, I''d sent a message via an acquaintance to Kuro''s people to tell them I was willing to negotiate a price for leaving us the fuck alone. I got the reply that Kuro agreed to it on principle but was reluctant to set a specific time.


    I''d played this game enough to know that it meant only one thing. He intended to make a show of his strength before having me sit down with him. Exactly what form that display would take, god only knew.


    Hana


    I knew that boss Kuro was bad news from the moment Old lady Matsumoto said his name. I''d find out just how bad in the following days.


    The bar had closed early that night after the incident. Nezu was pretty shaken up as I took her up to her bedroom. I consoled her as best I could. She told me that she''d felt weird about Fuji since day one. Tonight he had asked her to do something she really didn''t want to do and he''d shown his true colours. I couldn''t help but feel guilty about what happened. It was because of me that Nezu had come into contact with Fuji in the first place. I''d also gotten a bad vibe from Fiji but I''d ignored it in favour of all the business his friend Botan was bringing for me.


    I really hoped that Old lady Matsumoto would be able to handle this situation.


    Old lady Matsumoto had told Nezu to take it easy for a couple of days and not to worry if Mina and I had to handle some extra work. It turned out that there was no need to worry. Both the restaurant outside and the bar had a lot less traffic compared to the day before. I barely made 70 yon by the end of the night. I was pretty sure that this was related to the incident that happened the day before. If the retribution was just us losing business for a little while, I could live with that.


    The trend of decreasing customers continued till day 4 when we had just 2 customers for the whole night. I knew of Mina''s situation at home. She had a whole family to look after and her husband''s life was dependent on her keeping this job. I lied and said that I wasn''t feeling very well and told her to attend to all the customers. She''d smiled at me appreciatively, letting me know that my act hadn''t fooled her, but she appreciated it all the same. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It was almost time for us to close up shop when one of the servers came screaming into the bar from the kitchen asking for Old lady Matsumoto and screaming about Jin. I ran to the kitchen door and exited to the dirty alley behind our establishment. I was rooted to the spot for a moment at what was in front of me. I saw Jin lying against the wall there with a small puddle of blood pooling beneath his massive form. His right leg was at an odd angle as he lay there gasping. Two of our kitchen staff were standing there screaming at the sight, unable to do anything.


    As much as I was shocked to see Jin this way, this wasn''t the first time I''d seen a friend or comrade in this condition. I grabbed a bunch of freshly laundered towels from the kitchen and rushed to Jin''s side. I told one of the kitchen staff Mei to stop screaming uselessly and made her sit down on the alley floor. I applied pressure on Jin''s wound to slow the bleeding. I shifted his position so that he was lying down on Mei''s lap so that he was more comfortable. I was reasonably sure that the stab wound had been made with a kunai (Throwing knife). His right leg seemed to be broken in multiple places. We needed to get him to a hospital soon.


    I turned around to see Old lady Matsumoto standing at the doorway with an expression of sorrow mixed with disbelief. Our eyes met as she understood what I wanted to say without even saying it. She immediately turned around and started barking orders to people to make sure that Jin got to the hospital safely. A few people scrambled to get Jin safely to a hospital. I wanted to go to the hospital with them, but Old lady Matsumoto told me to stay put. She went with him to the hospital after she arranged a couple of guards outside every door and we closed up shop.I had no doubts as to who was responsible for this. It was no mere coincidence that we found Jin in the exact same spot where he¡¯d tossed Fiji just a few days ago.  It looked like things were starting to get out of hand. I had left the life of a ninja because I never wanted to see another friend in the state that I¡¯d just found Jin in. And yet, it seemed that violence had followed me again.


    I felt my blood boil at the image of Jin lying in that alley. But, I couldn¡¯t give in to violence. If I started down a path of revenge, there was no telling where it¡¯d end and who¡¯d end up getting hurt. Old lady Matsumoto had managed to keep this business afloat for longer than I¡¯d been alive. I had to trust in her to solve this and prayed that Jin would be alright. Mina was shaken up and she was escorted home by one of the guards. Nezu was in a right state after she heard what had happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I should¡¯ve just done what he wanted and none of this would¡¯ve happened.¡± She sobbed,


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Nezu. Doing this job doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re a slave. You have every right to say no to something that you find uncomfortable. If it¡¯s anyone¡¯s fault it¡¯s that asshole Fuji¡¯s fault. I¡¯m sorry it was because of me that you met him¡±.


    ¡°Oh no. You couldn¡¯t have known Hana. You were just trying to bring in more business.¡± Nezu said with a watery smile.


    ¡°Then I guess we can both agree that it¡¯s not our fault and that Old lady Matsumoto is going to be able to resolve it soon. She¡¯s been running this business for longer than we¡¯d been alive. I¡¯m sure that she¡¯ll come up with a solution.¡± I said.


    Nezu nodded but continued to look a bit glum.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Jin will be fine, Nezu¡±.


    ¡°You really think so?¡± She asked with hopeful eyes.


    ¡°Yes, his wound wasn¡¯t that deep. He might have to rest up for a while but I think he¡¯ll be fine¡± I said with a reassuring smile.


    This seemed to cheer Nezu up a bit. I said good night to her and headed over to my room. What I neglected to mention to Nezu was that there was a very real chance that Jin might never regain the use of his right leg. I was still hopeful though. The hidden leaf village, and by extension, the land of fire had one of the best operating medical infrastructure in the continent, courtesy of one of the most famous medical ninjas in the world, Princess Tsunade. She was one of the three famous students of the third hokage and was widely known for bringing about radical improvements in medical infrastructure and treatment techniques for ninjas and commoners alike. In a very short list of ninjas who¡¯d done some actual good in the world, she was near the top.


    Just a couple minutes after I turned on the lights in my room, I could hear a sound coming from my window as if small stones were hitting it. I dimmed the lights and cautiously opened up the window to see a person wearing a hood standing near the embankment of the canal. As he saw me, he lowered his hood and lit a lighter close to his face. It was Botan. His face clearly showed that he was in some distress as he signalled me that he wanted to talk to me. Bringing him in with guards on all the entrances was extremely difficult. So I signalled him to wait as I made my way to the roof and exited the building under the cover of darkness. I wondered what exactly prompted him to seek me out in the middle of the night wearing a disguise. I guess I¡¯d find out soon enough.

 Chapter 7

    Botan


    ¡®I should have known better. I fucking should¡¯ve..¡¯.


    This was the thought running through my head as I made my way stealthily towards the Sin¡¯s den. I knew that Fuji was bad news. I should never have invited him to come with me when I went to visit Hana. But then again, I was always walking on eggshells around that guy, trying not to offend him. His connections had helped a lot with my business, but it also made him very dangerous to offend. He¡¯d come to me a few days ago saying that Sin¡¯s den had mistreated him and that his uncle was involved now. I could do little better than stand there and nod as he told me that I shouldn¡¯t visit the place or take my business partners there.


    If his uncle, boss Kuro was involved, it was only a matter of time before retribution was meted out. I¡¯d initially hoped that this would mean that their business would be shut down for a while, but tonight that fucker had come around boasting about how dishonour would be repaid in blood. My insides squirmed at the thought of something terrible happening to Hana. And worst of all, I would be the reason for her misfortune. I got Fuji out of my shop as fast as I could before closing up shop early and going home. I changed into a costume that covered my head and face and took the long way around to reach Sin¡¯s den. I had to warn Hana of the impending danger.


    I reached the place to find out that the bar was already shut and there were edgy looking guards standing at the entrances. I felt my dread redouble as I feared that I¡¯d been too late. I prayed that nothing had happened to Hana. I was walking around in a state of panic when I remembered that Hana told me her room had a view of the canal. I located her room¡¯s window and started throwing pebbles on her window. There was no response as I waited impatiently at the embankment of the canal for god knew how long. At long last, I saw the light come on in her room and I tried again.


    I let out a breath I didn¡¯t realise that I¡¯d been holding when I saw her beautiful face in the window. She signalled me to say that she was coming down. I was surprised to see her emerge from the shadows from the opposite direction that I was expecting. I had never known that Sin¡¯s den had an exit there.


    She came to a stop a few feet away from me before removing her hood.


    ¡°What do you want, Botan?¡± She asked.


    I was taken aback by the expression on her face. There was none of her usual cheerfulness or smile on her face as she addressed me. She might have been physically fine, but I felt that something irreparable had already happened. I felt a pang of guilt flare up over the relief that I¡¯d been feeling as I remembered that as far as she knew, Fuji was my close friend.


    ¡°I.. I¡¯m sorry Hana. I¡¯m sorry that I brought Fiji into your and your friend¡¯s life.¡± I said as I bowed my head in apology in front of her.


    She seemed to consider me for a moment before answering.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to defend your friend?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No..No.. God no. And you should know that Fuji is less of a friend and more of an acquaintance I¡¯ve had to keep close for my business interests. I¡¯ll admit that I turned a blind eye to the foul rumours that followed him because I didn¡¯t want to end up losing favour with his uncle. In this town that would mean that I¡¯d be out of business faster than you could snap your fingers¡±


    ¡°His uncle?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Boss Kuro¡± I saw her eyes widen slightly at the mention of his name.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Boss Kuro pretty much runs this town, although he¡¯s careful to keep out of the public eye. He¡¯s a powerful man. A former shinobi of hidden leaf village. That¡¯s why I came over tonight. To warn you about him. Fuji told me that they plan on doing something. I don¡¯t know the details, but Fuji implied that it involved spilling blood.¡±


    I had expected her to freak out once I gave this information. But there was no change in her expression other than the clenching of her jaw.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid your warning came a little too late, Botan,¡± She said.


    ¡°Why? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Blood has already been spilled here tonight.¡± She said in a grim tone.


    ¡°Oh my god. Is it¡­Is it Nezu? Is she okay?¡±.


    ¡°Nezu¡¯s fine. It was our guard Jin. He¡¯s in the hospital right now.¡±


    ¡°Is he okay?¡± I asked. I had to admit that I was a little relieved that Kuro¡¯s wrath hadn¡¯t fallen on Hana or Nezu yet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Botan. I hope he will pull through, but the chances of him coming out of this unscathed is slim.¡± She said with a tired sigh.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel that this was a different person standing in front of me now. The confident, energetic girl that I knew seemed to have been replaced by someone else. Her eyes had a sad depth to it that shouldn¡¯t have been there in someone who¡¯d lived a sheltered village life. At that moment, I was struck by how little I really knew of Hana. But still, I needed to help her.


    ¡°Hana, you may or may not have realised this yet, but your life is in acute danger. And it will stay that way as long as you¡¯re affiliated with Sin¡¯s den. I know that you probably have a debt to repay with the owner of this place. Please allow me to clear that debt so you can go free,¡±I said.


    Hana looked up at me and smiled for the first time that night. It was a sad smile. She stepped forward and took my hands. I was mesmerised as I stared into her violet eyes.


    ¡°Thank you Botan. It means a lot to me that you would offer to do this for me. But, debts aren¡¯t the only thing that is binding me to this place. I won¡¯t abandon my friends.¡± She said, as she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on my lips. Somehow, that simple kiss felt more tender and meaningful than anything we¡¯d ever done before.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Her eyes were steely and resolute and I knew that she would not waver. As she walked away from me and disappeared into the darkness, I was sad that she wouldn¡¯t accept my help. But I knew that I admired her more than anyone I¡¯d ever known.


    Old lady Matsumoto


    I''d maintained the outward appearance of calm around my employees through all that had happened, but inside, I was anything but. Jin was badly hurt. They''d rushed him straight into surgery at the hospital. I had to stay behind for a while to arrange protection for the girls before I could head over there. I called on a favour with boss Renji and offered to pay handsomely for him to send able men for the job.


    The surgery lasted till early morning and it took a few more hours after that for me to finally be able to see him. It took everything I had in me to not break down there as I saw his battered body infront of me. He was a 300 pound bulk of a man, but for me, he was still the same sweet toddler who loved to spend time with me when his mother was working. I''d foolishly thought that I could keep him from harm by keeping him close to me. I gripped the bed frame to keep myself upright as nausea threatened to overtake me. I couldn''t keep doing this anymore. Eventually, I was a failure. I just hadn''t been able to admit that to myself. The time when I could make any meaningful changes to the town of Kurashiko was long gone and it was never coming back. I had to focus on salvaging whatever I could. Sin''s den was just a building after all. It was the people that truly mattered.


    I got back home after posting a couple of people to stay with Jin. I sent Nezu and Hana away to stay in an empty house nearby Mina''s residence. I sent some money and assigned a guard to watch them from a distance. Mina''s house was well removed from the town near the woods. It wasn''t an area that the city bosses usually bothered with. They should be safe there for a while until things settled down. As soon as I arranged for the safety of my people and rested for a bit, I asked for a meeting with boss Renji.


    Renji operated the second most powerful organisation in the city. His father was the top man back when I first came here. His father was a good man and a long time patron of mine. Renji should have been the top man of Kurashiko, but his position had been usurped by Kuro. Renji''s continued support even after his father''s death was one of the main reasons why I was able to keep my doors open for this long.


    We met on the top floor of one of the funeral parlours that Renji owned. I liked the flower arrangement they had there. If things were gonna keep on going as shitty as they¡¯d been going, soon I¡¯d be giving them my own business. I was called into Renji¡¯s office without much of a wait. Renji was sitting behind his desk with two of his bodyguards flanking him. I was a bit surprised to see that his hair and moustache were completely grey now. God, that made me feel really old.


    ¡°Matsumoto san, It¡¯s been a while since we met face to face,¡± Renji said with a smile as he gestured towards a chair.


    ¡°Yes, It¡¯s been too long boss Renji¡± I replied with a smile as I took the seat that was offered.


    ¡°No need to stand on ceremony, Matsumoto san. We¡¯ve known each other for way too long for that. You can just call me Renji¡±.


    I smiled and nodded at him. He really had inherited his father¡¯s skill at making people feel at ease. Renji had more statesmanship in his little finger than Kuro did in his entire ruthless body.


    ¡°I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, Renji,¡± I said. His smile morphed into a serious expression as he nodded.


    ¡°Yes, so do I Matsumoto san. I had sent word to Kuro¡¯s people after what happened to Jin last night. It was just as I suspected. They were stalling the negotiation last week so that they could send you a strong message. Today morning, they were more than willing to send over their terms.¡± Renji said.


    This was perfectly in line with what I¡¯d expected from Kuro. It was just that I¡¯d never imagined they¡¯d go so far as to hurt Jin as badly as they did.


    ¡°What does he want?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s really playing up the dishonour to the family name angle for you chucking out that useless nephew of his. It¡¯s a clever ploy, as he can use this reason to keep myself and any of the other bosses from interfering. He can justify using any kind of force to defend his family honour, as if that ruthless son of a bitch and his family had any honour to begin with¡± Renji spat before composing himself and continuing.


    ¡°What I suspect he really wants is to have a toehold in your part of town. His organisation is like a shark. They have to keep moving and growing or they¡¯ll die out. They use and destroy too many resources. Kuro already has most of the prosperous part of the town. I think he and his cronies now want to make a move to newer pastures. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he sent his nephew to your establishment to elicit a response he knew he could use as a pretext for his takeover.¡±, Renji said.


    So, I was just a pawn that was being used in a greater power play. But, in the end, it didn¡¯t really matter why he was doing this. What was important was that I needed them to stop targeting my people.


    ¡°What are the terms they¡¯re offering?¡± I asked.


    Renji¡¯s face twisted into an ugly expression before he answered me.


    ¡°Those bastards want you to turn over Sin¡¯s den and it¡¯s employees to them. They want the girls to sign a contract that says they¡¯ll continue working at Sin¡¯s den for at least a year after the change of ownership. Defaulting on this contract carries an exorbitant monetary penalty. They also want any of the debts the girls owe to you transferred to them. They also had the audacity to say that, out of respect for your age and standing in the community, they¡¯ll offer you 50000 yon as compensation¡±.


    ¡°50000 yon?¡± I asked incredulously.


    ¡°I know, just the land that the property¡¯s sitting on is worth 10 times that amount. But, these are the terms they¡¯ve offered¡±.


    To be honest, that wasn¡¯t the part of the deal that scared me. If I handed over the girl¡¯s debts to them and had them sign a one year contract, they¡¯d become slaves in all but name. Their organisation would go through my girls like a scythe through a field. It was practically a death sentence rigged with a debt trap to make it slow and painful. There was no way I could agree to this.


    I composed myself before looking at Renji.


    ¡°Is there any way I could get out of this Renji? I am willing to give them the Sin¡¯s den for nothing as long as they leave my girls out of this. And if it¡¯s blood they want, I¡¯m willing to shed mine.¡± This would essentially leave me broke and on the street or dead, but I didn¡¯t really care at this point.


    Renji grimaced as he answered me ¡°I¡¯ll take your counter offer to them Matsumoto san. But I doubt that they¡¯ll go for it.


    I wish I was in a position to help you. I wish we were strong enough to go up against Kuro¡¯s organisation, but we¡¯re not.¡±


    Renji reclined back into his chair looking tired before continuing ¡°I feel like I¡¯m failing my father¡¯s memory every day. That bastard chips away at something that my father cherished every single day. And today, sadly, I have to watch that happen to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Renji. You¡¯ve always been a diligent and responsible son to your father. He used to speak often about how proud he was of you. Even if he were alive today, I doubt he¡¯d be able to do a better job than you, Renji¡± I said sincerely.


    ¡°Thank you for saying that Matsumoto san. It means a lot coming from you¡± Renji said with a genuine smile.


    ¡°How long do I have Renji?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve given you 10 days to decide before they start to go after you again.¡±


    10 days, I had ten days to figure out a way to save my girls. I was determined to find a way even if it was the last thing I ever did.

 Chapter 8

    Hana


    Nezu and I were on our way to a safe house near Mina¡¯s residence. Given the situation, I wasn¡¯t surprised that we were being sent there. I also knew that there was someone following us. It would¡¯ve caused me some concern if not for the fact that I¡¯d already seen him once, guarding Sin¡¯s den last night. I guessed that old lady Matsumoto was still a bit worried about us even though she assured us that we¡¯d be safe.


    The journey was rather uneventful otherwise. As we were nearing our destination, I spotted a little girl about 6 or 7 years old on the road ahead. She seemed to be pacing and running around with a nervous energy you saw in children when they were really excited about something. As soon as she saw us I saw her face break out into a huge smile as she ran towards us.


    ¡°Nezu nee saaan¡± She squealed as she ran towards us.


    Nezu dropped all her luggage and returned the hug with the same enthusiasm squealing ¡°Maya Chan¡± with equal intensity. I could see why Nezu was excited about coming to stay out here. It seemed that she was on great terms with Maya, Mina¡¯s daughter. After the excited squealing and the jumping up and down had subsided, Nezu seemed to remember that I was there with her and hurried to introduce me.


    ¡°So, you work in the same restaurant as mommy too?¡± She asked me with wide eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    For obvious reasons, Maya hadn¡¯t been told what it was exactly that her mom did. She was practically jumping with excitement as she grabbed on to both of our hands and led us to her house. She was really excited that we were staying for more than a single day. As I understood it, she never got enough playtime with Nezu when she came over.


    Mina came out of her house to greet us. It was a modest single storeyed house with a small herb garden surrounding it. The edge of the woods were not too far away from the property. Maya wanted us to come into the house immediately, but Mina convinced her that we had to get our luggage sorted and rest up a little before that could happen. Maya still wasn¡¯t willing to let it go, but a sterner reminder about her unfinished homework was enough to send her away. She still made us promise to come over as soon as possible before she finally left.


    Mina showed us to our accommodations. It was a house adjacent to her property. The house looked to be about exactly the same size as Mina¡¯s but there was no charming herb garden surrounding this property. She invited us to join her family for dinner before leaving us. The house had 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a hall and a kitchen. It was more than sufficient for the two of us. We put away our luggage, cleaned the house a little and took a bath before heading over to Mina¡¯s house for dinner.


    We were greeted at the door by an excited Maya standing in the doorway as if there was an invisible wall containing her. A smiling man on crutches was standing behind her. Nezu introduced him as Itsuki, Mina¡¯s husband. He was missing his left foot and right arm. I already knew about the circumstances of his injury. Nezu had warned me not to say anything about it, as Mina had been told that it was an illness that caused her father¡¯s condition.


    I asked why Maya was standing at the door like a caged bird.  Apparently, she¡¯d annoyed her mom so much that she was forbidden from setting foot outside the house. Mina was in the kitchen doing some dinner preparations. Nezu and I offered to help, but were told to just relax and enjoy ourselves. Little Maya was all too happy to have both of us all to herself. She was like a little chatterbox, always talking and rapidly asking questions. She didn¡¯t usually get to spend a lot of time with her mother, so she was over the moon that the ¡®restaurant¡¯ had decided to grant us a ¡®holiday¡¯.


    I hadn¡¯t interacted with a lot of children outside of my own ninja village, so I was almost as interested in little Mina as she was in me.


    ¡°You¡¯re really beautiful Hana onee san,¡± She said, stroking my hair.


    ¡°So are you Maya chan¡± I replied, patting her head.


    Maya was of the opinion that I was too pretty to be working in a restaurant. In fact, Maya¡¯s career advice was that all three of us should be actresses in films.


    ¡°What do you want to do when you grow up Maya chan?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be an accountant when I grow up¡±. Maya said proudly.


    I was a bit taken aback by her reply. It certainly wasn''t what I expected a 7 year old girl¡¯s dream job to be.


    ¡°Why do you want to be an accountant Maya chan?¡± I asked with genuine curiosity.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°My friend Kimiko¡¯s mom is an accountant. She works in a big firm in the city. Out of all my friends, Kimiko has the biggest house and her mom always buys her lots of stuff. When I grow up, I want to be able to take care of my parents like Kimiko¡¯s mom takes care of her. I¡¯m gonna build a big house, buy a lot of nice things and live there with my mom and dad.¡± Mina proudly declared.


    There was such confidence and conviction in her little eyes that it was hard not to be affected by her words. She was childish and innocent but at the same time had a depth to her that was difficult to fathom. At her age, the children of our ninja village were busy getting their heads stuffed with the toxic stuff they called ¡®the rules of being a shinobi¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a great accountant Maya chan¡± I said as I cupped her face in my hands and planted a kiss on her forehead, eliciting a radiant smile from her.


    Itsuki called us away for dinner soon afterwards. Maya insisted on sitting between me and Nezu during dinner. We all shared a laugh when Mina theatrically pretended to wail owing to the fact that her ungrateful daughter had abandoned her. I had never seen Mina being so happy and animated. She was like a different person around her family.


    Nezu and I helped Mina to clean up after dinner. By the time we headed back to our rooms, little Maya had curled up in her father¡¯s lap, fast asleep. I had to admit that I was a little jealous of her. Despite all her misfortunes, she had a loving family that really cared for her. I never had that growing up. I understood why Nezu liked little Maya so much. It was impossible not to like that little vibrant ball of energy.


    I was in a really happy mood as I went to bed that night, before I remembered the real reason why we were out here. I went into an uneasy slumber worried about what tomorrow would bring.


    Old lady Matsumoto


    I


    t had been two days since my face to face meeting with Renji. Jin¡¯s condition had improved a lot and his appetite was slowly returning. The doctors still couldn¡¯t say anything definitive about his leg, but were hopeful he¡¯d make a full recovery.


    Today, Kuro¡¯s organisation had finally replied to my counter offer of letting them have Sin¡¯s den in exchange for leaving me and my girls alone. They had agreed to raise my remuneration from 50000 yon to 70000 yon. But, they were unwilling to change the rest of their terms. They¡¯d increased the money they¡¯d be paying marginally to put on the show that they were negotiating in good faith.  And if I didn¡¯t agree to their deal within 8 more days, it¡¯d be open season on me and my people.


    I had an inkling that they might not accept my counter offer. Kuro¡¯s organisation was definitely the biggest game in this town, but there were bigger fish out there in the land of fire. Legitimate banks, which Kuro had no control over. I had already begun attempts to secure a quick loan against my property. If they come through, I¡¯d be able to secure at least 400,000 yon. That¡¯d be enough for us to make a run for it and give the girls a chance at beginning a new life. If I failed to secure the money, I was resolved to run anyway. Whatever fate awaited us out there couldn¡¯t be worse than what we¡¯d suffer from Kuro¡¯s hands. I wasn¡¯t sure that Jin would be well enough to travel, but we had to risk it.


    It was time for me to explain the situation to the girls. Whether I managed to secure the loan or not, we¡¯d have to leave here anyway. I suppose Hana had the option to go back to her family. But even that would be a little risky. It would be better if she laid low for a while with us.The only thing left to be decided was whether we¡¯d leave here with some seed money or as paupers.


    It took me a few hours to reach Mina¡¯s place. I had travelled out of town and changed carriages twice before going there. I was enthusiastically greeted at the door by little Maya. I couldn¡¯t suppress a pang of guilt that I¡¯d be responsible for uprooting this happy child and taking her on a perilous journey with us. I thought I hid my despair well in the company of Maya and Itsuki, but I got the distinct impression that Hana was seeing through me. I told Hana, Nezu and Mina that we needed to have a discussion and went to the adjacent house. Itsuki sat down with little Maya to help her with her homework as the four of us headed over to the nearby house I¡¯d rented for Hana and Nezu.


    I sat there for a moment facing the girls, trying to think of the best way to break the news to them. There was no good way to say this, so I told them everything that had happened so far and the only options that I thought were available to us. Nezu and Mina¡¯s faces were almost identical masks of horror as I explained our situation. They were in tears by the time that I was finished. Hana had maintained an attentive expression during my recital and was now thoughtful.


    ¡°Hana, you could go back to your family. If the bank pulls through, you¡¯ll have enough to settle your household debts. And don¡¯t worry about what you owe me. But, I¡¯d recommend you staying away from your family for a little while for their own safety¡±. I said.


    ¡°Matsumoto san, we got into this mess together. I intend to stay with you guys at least long enough to make sure you¡¯re okay¡± She said with confidence.


    I nodded at her gratefully before replying ¡°If you want to send word to your family discreetly, let me know. I think I can arrange that.¡±


    She nodded at me before turning to comfort Nezu, who was sobbing hard. Mina had already composed herself somewhat, wiping her tears away. I stepped closer to her as I took her hand in mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Mina. I know that this is the hardest on you. You have to uproot your whole family. Please forgive me, my child. I failed you¡±.


    ¡°No, no.. Don¡¯t say that Matsumoto san. You were the one who gave me a safe haven at a time when I thought I had nothing left. You¡¯re the reason my family¡¯s alive today and no matter what happens, I¡¯ll never forget that¡±.


    I couldn¡¯t help but tear up as I looked at the sincere expression on her face. It meant the world to me that she¡¯d forgive me. We hugged each other for a while before I made my exit.


    As I climbed back into the carriage, I felt like a heavy burden had been removed from my heart. The road ahead was perilous. But whatever happened, we¡¯d face it together, as a family.

 Chapter 9

    Hana


    It was almost daybreak as I was standing near the edge of the forest. I couldn¡¯t really sleep last night after Old lady Matsumoto left. I ended up getting up early and went for a walk outside. I¡¯d left a note for Nezu in case she woke up and got worried. Old lady Matsumoto had shared her plans with us last night and I¡¯d been feeling uneasy ever since.


    It was the first time in my life where I was around people I really felt connected to and cared for. They valued me for something other than my ability to kill. Now, it seemed like we¡¯d have to leave this place. And that was the best case scenario. I still wasn¡¯t sure that Old lady Matsumoto¡¯s plan was going to work out. Even if Kuro didn¡¯t control the major banks, it was possible that he might have people inside the bank who could pass him information. And once he came to know that she was trying to get away, the best case scenario was that we ended up having to flee to a foreign land with essentially nothing but the clothes on our backs, carrying an injured man with us.


    I felt like I was at a crossroads in my life yet again. I could sit back and hope that everything comes through with Old lady Matsumoto¡¯s plan or I could try and do something. But, I felt that if I took that step, my goal of leading a life free of any shinobi nonsense would slip further and further away. I still wasn¡¯t certain that I¡¯d be able to do anything meaningful. Kuro was a former shinobi himself and was rumoured to have other ninjas in his organisation. I stared at my own hands. I had felt much more comfortable and happy as Hana than I¡¯d ever felt as Kenji Akio. The mere thought of going back to my old form now filled me with dread.


    It was at this moment that I was shaken out of my reverie by a rustling sound coming from the fallen leaves. I stepped back and saw that the source of the sound was a large cobra slithering across the forest floor until it exited the forest and came into the meadow. It soon raised its head and was readying itself for a fight as it turned to the direction of the forest. It soon became clear who his opponent was as a mongoose came running out of the forest, coming to a stop a few feet away from the cobra.


    They started performing a deadly dance as the cobra lunged at the mongoose to strike it with its deadly venom. The mongoose was displaying brilliant agility as it dodged the cobra¡¯s deadly lunges and swiped at it as best he could. The dance came to an end as the mongoose finally bit the head off the cobra. But unfortunately, the cobra had managed to coil itself around the mongoose and land a few hits before finally being killed. The mongoose freed itself from the cobra and managed to take a few steps before collapsing on the ground with its leg twitching.


    I hurried over and picked up the mongoose. He was still breathing, but it was shallow and ragged. I carried the mongoose over to our house. A mongoose had a natural immunity to snake venom, but too much of it could end up killing him. I laid him at my table as I dug up a few herbs that I¡¯d picked in the last couple of days. As someone born in a clan that was infamous for infiltration and assassination, my knowledge of herbs and poisons were rather extensive. I¡¯d found a herb yesterday that acted as a good neurotoxin and cardiotoxin inhibitor. I located the areas where he¡¯d been bitten and started grounding the herb into a fine paste.


    This herb acted faster if it was imbued with some chakra. I activated my chakra as I applied the paste to his wounds. As I was applying the salve on the second bite, I saw the mongoose¡¯s eyes flutter open.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry little guy. You¡¯re gonna be fine¡± I said, running my hands through his fur.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    He looked up at me and let out a small sound as I moved on to the third bite site. I was surprised when I felt something like a chakra burn on my fingers as I was applying the medicine. I looked more closely at the site of the wound again. I couldn¡¯t find anything irregular there. It seemed unlikely, but it was possible that something in the venom might have reacted to the combination of my chakra and herbs.


    The little guy was fast asleep by the time I finished treating his wounds. I laid him down on my bed as I sat in a chair beside him. It was gonna take a while to know if my treatment had been effective. The mongoose was considered a sacred animal in most places and with good reason too.


    Mongooses were omnivores. They could sustain themselves on prey that were a lot easier to catch than venomous snakes. Yet, they did it anyway. A thankless job risking their lives as the hunters of silent killers.


    I heard Nezu moving around in the kitchen. I decided not to tell her about the little guy in the bedroom as I still wasn¡¯t sure that he was gonna pull through. I stepped into the kitchen and saw that she had more than enough things to be sad about already. Nezu¡¯s eyes were puffy and swollen. She had dark circles beneath her eyes and the tip of her nose was red. She looked like she¡¯d been crying all night.


    ¡°Are you okay, Nezu?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Hana. It¡¯s..It¡¯s just that I¡¯m really worried. I¡¯m worried that something bad is gonna happen to all of us and there¡¯s nothing¡­..absolutely nothing I can do to stop it. I¡¯m scared that I¡¯ll never hear Maya¡¯s innocent laugh again¡±. Nezu said as she broke down crying.


    I walked over to Nezu and held her close to me in a tight hug.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be fine, Nezu. Old lady Matsumoto has taken care of us so far. We have to believe in her. She will sort it out. Don¡¯t lose faith Nezu¡±. I told her as she continued sobbing into my shoulder.


    ¡®I understand now why the mongoose does what he does. Sometimes, you have to take on venomous snakes and put your life in danger so that the ones you love could live peacefully.¡¯


    Nezu calmed down after a little while and we had breakfast together. After breakfast, I went to check on my little patient. I was surprised to find that he wasn¡¯t on the bed. I searched the room and found that he¡¯d disappeared. He must¡¯ve left through the open window. If he was well enough to move that far, then it meant that he was perfectly fine. I silently thanked that little mongoose for inspiring me as I packed a few essentials into a small bag.


    I saw Nezu¡¯s eyes widen as I stepped out of my room with a bag in my hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Hana? Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, Nezu. If we¡¯re going to be away for a long time, there¡¯s some things I have to take care of with my family. I¡¯ll be back in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°But Old lady Matsumoto said that she could help you get word to your family. Shouldn¡¯t we contact her?¡± Nezu asked.


    ¡°No, this is something I have to do in person Nezu¡±


    I could still see that Nezu was extremely worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Nezu. I know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯ll be back in a few days, well before our deadline expires¡± I said with a smile. Nezu still looked a bit worried as I left.


    I had meant what I said to Nezu. I fully intended to come back. But whether I¡¯d be able to do that was another matter entirely.

 Chapter 10

    Boss Kuro


    I was sitting in my office, smoking my pipe. I had asked my guards to deny entry to everyone except for the ones I¡¯d already authorised. I smiled as I blew out smoke in concentric circles. Today¡¯s news was especially good. I had finally managed to iron out the details of a deal with a business partner I¡¯d been courting for a few months. It had to be kept a complete secret from everyone else as I couldn¡¯t risk any leaks. It was a dangerous gambit to be entering into business with him. If the authorities found out, they¡¯d just disappear me. But, he had the ability to multiply the power of my organisation tenfold. I was finally going to amass enough power to be able to push out all the other petty bosses and be the sole king of this city.


    Even my fairly useless nephew Fiji had made himself useful recently. Unlike usual, he¡¯d gotten into trouble with the right kind of people. Sin¡¯s den was going to be mine in just 2 more days. It was more than just the material value of the institution that excited me. It was pretty old and run down and I already had the top hostess bars of the city under my control. No, this was about a promise I¡¯d made to myself. Back when I was starting out, Sin¡¯s den had been the premium establishment in the city. I remembered waiting outside it¡¯s steps when I used to work as a bodyguard for one of the old bosses. I had made a vow that one day it¡¯d all be mine.


    It couldn¡¯t have come at a better time as the strength of my organisation was set to increase considerably. Sin¡¯s den was located smack in the middle of Renji¡¯s territory. After the acquisition, it wouldn¡¯t take long for me to start a war with him and wipe him out. Hopefully, that¡¯d be enough for the other idiots who call themselves bosses in this city to come to their senses and realise that there was only one true boss in this city. They¡¯d either bend or I¡¯d break them, like the old whore who owned Sin¡¯s den. I¡¯d gotten word that she was trying to arrange a loan from one of the major banks in the land of fire.


    She was trying to make a run for it. I¡¯d asked my contact at the bank to make sure that the negotiations were delayed enough for me to make my move. I already had people watching her whorehouse and that fatass we put in the hospital. The moment she tried to flee, my people would be on her. They had instructions to kill the old bitch and the fatass and take the girls. My nephew had told me about a new girl at her old decrepit whorehouse who was supposed to be quite a catch. I was looking forward to meeting her. I felt a stirring in my pants at the thought.


    I looked at the clock. 15 minutes left to go till that idiot Bakan was supposed to get here. He was supposed to bring me a girl from one of our establishments. If nothing else, he had a good eye for girls and brought me the ones that I would like. I needed to unwind and celebrate. In a few days, a war would start in the city. One that I was fully confident about winning. I just had to keep the authorities off my back.


    I was only 15 years old when I passed the chunin exams to rise from a lowly genin to a squad leading chunin. But after that, I felt like I¡¯d hit a glass ceiling. I was unable to rise to the rank of a Jonin. I completed all the missions that were assigned to me, but I was never promoted to the rank of a Jonin. The explanation given to me was that the casualty rate under my command was too high. It wasn¡¯t my fault that I was assigned to lead a weak squad of genins who couldn¡¯t stand up to the rigours of the missions that were assigned to us. Things soured and I quit being a ninja for hidden leaf village soon afterward. I was allowed to leave on the condition that I stayed within the confines of the land of fire as a law abiding citizen.


    I had kept to the first condition, but calling me a law abiding citizen would be bending the truth past the breaking point. I was careful to keep adequate distance from scandals that went public. And I made sure that those that wanted to air out their grievances about me in public never got the chance to do so. Hidden leaf didn¡¯t interfere much in the affairs of this town as it had always been traditionally under the direct supervision of the feudal lord. I had found that it was easy enough to exploit the power sharing arrangements between the hokage of the hidden leaf and the feudal lord of the land of fire to keep my operations going.


    Leaving the hidden leaf village had turned out to be one of the best decisions that I¡¯d ever made. My monthly income now was much more than what I¡¯d have made as a successful Jonin in a year. I could do pretty much all I wanted and give a free reign to my cravings in this town, as long as I made sure that the spotlight never fell on me.


    I was awoken from my recollections by a knock on the door. I looked at the clock. Good, Bakan was on time.


    ¡°Get in,¡± I said.


    I saw Bakan enter the room followed by a blonde girl. She was very pretty. As soon as our eyes met, she looked down.


    ¡®A reluctant, submissive girl. Just the way I like it.  Good. I knew there was a reason I kept that idiot on my payroll¡¯ This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    I gestured to Bakan to leave the room. He bowed before exiting the door through which he entered. He¡¯d stay in a nearby room till I called on him to take away the girl.


    ¡°Step forward girl¡± I said.


    She stepped forward reluctantly, finally coming to a stop a couple of steps away from my desk.


    ¡°Strip down to your underwear¡± I said.


    She started taking off her clothes, still not meeting my eyes till she was in her underwear.


    ¡°Keep your hands to your side. Turn around once. Slowly and then take off your underwear too.¡± I said.


    I took her in fully as she obeyed my command. She had a killer hourglass figure with perfect shapely tits and a bubble butt. I felt myself get hard in expectation of what was to come.


    I got up from my seat and walked over to her. She still had her head down, not meeting my eyes. She was a head shorter than me. I grabbed her chin and lifted her face up to meet my eyes.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Kaya,¡± She replied.


    I hit her across her cheek in a backhand slap, causing her to land on the floor. She looked up at me with abject fear in her eyes. She was bleeding from her lip. I felt my dick throbbing heavily at the sight. I grabbed the collar that was on my desk and knelt down beside her.


    ¡°Tonight, you¡¯re not Kaya. You¡¯re my pet bitch¡± I said, dangling the collar in front of her eyes.


    ¡°Do you understand me bitch?¡± I asked


    ¡°Ye..Yes, ¡° She replied.


    I hit her across the face again, eliciting a whimper.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you do. Bitches can¡¯t talk. They only bark. Do you understand?¡±


    She nodded at me with tears in her eyes. I smiled as I put the collar around her neck. I stood up holding the leash attached to my hand while she was on the floor on all fours.


    ¡°Now bark, my little bitch¡±, I said.


    ¡°Woof woof¡± came the reply.


    I tugged on the leash and she followed me to my chair behind the table on all fours. I lowered my pants before sitting down. My underwear looked like a tent by this point.


    ¡°Go ahead, obedient bitches lick their master¡±.


    She pulled down my underwear and my cock sprang forth, hitting her in the face. She only hesitated for a second before she started licking my penis up and down going all the way down to my balls. I grabbed her silky golden hair and forced my penis down her throat till he choked. I held her in that position till the point she was struggling for her life.


    Eventually, when I let her go, she collapsed on the floor gasping for breath. I didn¡¯t let her rest for long before I grabbed her and placed her in a cowgirl on chair position. I lined up my dick with her pussy and pressed her down into it. She was really tight. Her pussy was something special. I felt as if there were ridges inside her that made me feel extra good as I fucked her. A slap on her butt had her moving up and down rhythmically as I eased into a blissful heaven.


    I felt that there was something building and spreading from the tip of my penis. It was just a moment later that I realised that something was wrong. A hot searing feeling was spreading throughout my body like lightning, locking my entire body in place.


    No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t move a single muscle in my body. I tried to scream, but I found that there was no noise coming out of my throat. The only noise in the room was her thighs hitting mine as she rode my penis. I looked up in horror to see her previously tear stained face morph into a sinister smile.


    She got up from my lap and removed the collar from her neck, letting it drop to the floor.


    ¡®No..No this can¡¯t be happening to me. Who the fuck was she? What did she do to me?¡¯


    My eyes seemed to be the only part of my body that I could move. I looked at her frantically, trying to find any answers.


    She casually leaned over my desk to grab the letter opener before coming back to sit on my lap again, facing me.


    If only I could find out what she wanted. Maybe there was still hope. I was sure I could pay her way more than what she was paid to kill me. I had 1 million yon in cash in the safe by the corner. I tried to signal to her with my eyes towards the safe.


    She glanced at the safe before smiling and coming closer. This was good. I was sure we could come to a deal. I waited for her to speak as she came closer.


    ¡°Woof Woof¡±


    I felt something cold against my throat followed by searing pain as my lifeblood drained from me.

 Chapter 11

    Hana


    I was cleaning myself up a little in the bathroom in Kuro¡¯s office. I had left the door open and I could still see him sitting there on his chair with his throat slit. I¡¯d been a bit shocked when I had to experience just how much of a sick fuck he really was, but other than that, everything had gone according to plan. In the end, all it had taken was a loose lipped underling to cause Kuro¡¯s demise. I recalled my mud clone in the form of Bakan back into the room.


    I had identified Bakan bringing girls to Kuro from different hostess bars. Bakan was not a ninja and it had been relatively easy to extract information from him. The real Bakan was in his apartment, tied up and drugged. He wouldn¡¯t wake up until tomorrow morning. I¡¯d forgotten how scarily effective I could be when I had reliable information. I hadn¡¯t actually planned to cut it this close to the deadline to perform the assassination. But, Kuro had cancelled his plans to call girls into his office yesterday and the day before yesterday.


    I exited the bathroom and saw Kuro¡¯s corpse again. He had a look of utter disbelief on his face. He¡¯d been caught with his pants down, literally. For some reason, I felt like laughing at the lame joke in my head. If the rumours around town were to be believed, the man had been a chunin with a power rivalling that of a Jonin level ninja. In the end, it didn''t matter.


    There was something that I always felt was quite stupid about most of the chunin exams that I¡¯d attended. The final stages always involved one on one fights between candidates. In most of the conflicts that I¡¯d ever known, that hardly ever happened. Usually, one party was dead before they even discovered that another party was involved. It was stealth and preparation that mattered the most. Although, it would have been difficult to set a public exam based on that.


    I¡¯d decided to use a paralytic toxin that only affected bodies with a well developed chakra network. Since my kekkei genkai allowed me to have the chakra network of a civilian, the toxin wouldn¡¯t affect me. My clan members typically used this toxin on themselves while in disguise and transmitted it via blood using vectors. But, any poison that could be transmitted by blood could also be transmitted by sex. I¡¯d placed it in areas where I was sure Kuro¡¯s dick might go.


    My clone and I made our way out of the building without any issues. The ninjas guarding the checkpoint let us through with only a cursory examination. I was careful to keep up the appearance of a distraught girl who¡¯d been used by Kuro till we were out of sight. According to his usual schedule, we had a couple of hours before Kuro¡¯s office would be checked by his subordinates. The toxin essentially froze the chakra network of a ninja, making it impossible for even a sensory ninja to detect his death for a few hours. There was more than enough time for me to go take care of that asshole Fuji if I wanted. But, I decided against it.


    Kuro had a lot of enemies, so it was anybody¡¯s guess as to who¡¯d kill him. But, if I carried out a strike against his nephew on the same night, that might serve to narrow the suspect pool enough that attention might get focused on the Sin¡¯s den incident. I ditched my mud clone at a secluded spot at the banks of the canal and got rid of any way my scent could be traced. I walked back into town as Kenji Akio. There was just one more thing left to do tonight before I headed back.


    Boss Renji


    I was sitting in my office with a drink in one hand and the monthly balance sheet of our organisation on the other. It told a story of steady decline. Most of the city¡¯s leadership was now in the hands of Kuro and his organisation was encroaching on our territory more and more everyday. Kuro¡¯s organisation should have been killed in the crib. But back then, I was still dealing with taking over the organisation after my father¡¯s death. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Now, I wasn¡¯t sure if Kuro could be taken down if all the bosses in the city decided to join hands against him. In a couple of days, Kuro would take over Sin¡¯s den. It was a stab in the heart for more than one reason. It has been one of the most favourite places to visit for my late father. He¡¯d asked me to take care of Matsumoto san before he passed. Sin¡¯s den was also located at the heart of my territory. I wasn¡¯t naive enough to believe that Kuro would be idle after taking over the bar. It would soon become the centrepiece for Kuro¡¯s operations to undermine our power. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that some great change was coming.


    I was pulled back into reality by the knock on my door. Sugu stepped in with an envelope.


    ¡°What is it, Sugu?¡± I asked


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, boss. This was found pushed in through the bottom of the door. I had our mail screening team go through it and open it slightly to verify there were no traps¡± he said as handed over the envelope to me.


    ¡®Urgent - for Boss Renji¡¯ was written on the cover of the envelope.


    I opened the envelope and did a double take as I read the contents.


    ¡®Kuro is dead. Move fast¡¯


    There was nothing else on the paper except a chakra seal. A chakra seal enabled a ninja to sign a note and imbue it with his/her unique chakra signature. Normally, I would have dismissed a letter like this out of hand. But, this one had indeed been signed by a shinobi. A check with the sensory ninja in my employ confirmed that this didn¡¯t belong to any of the chakra signatures that she was familiar with and she knew almost all the shinobi who worked for Kuro.


    ¡°Sugu, send Jiro over to Kuro¡¯s office to check. He practically lives there. Also, assemble our top strike team and tell them to be on standby¡±.


    Sugu went out to carry out my instructions. I didn¡¯t let myself believe it yet, but if true, this could be the end of Kuro¡¯s entire organisation. He was a paranoid fuck who never trusted his lieutenants with crucial information. All the political connections and majority of the capital of the organisation would become useless without Kuro. He had purposely designed his organisation to not be able to function without him at the helm. He had done all this to ensure the loyalty of his subordinates.


    Jiro was the stealthiest person under my employ. He should be able to get confirmation if Kuro really was dead. If he had met his demise at the hands of an assassin, I needed to try and get to the safe in his office. It was possible that it contained a treasure trove of information that compromised the politicians affiliated with Jiro. If I could get my hands on that, I could practically take control of this city. It was the longest 40 minutes of my life as I waited for word to come back from Jiro.


    When Jiro confirmed that Kuro was indeed dead, I almost broke into a dance then and there. There was even more good news. It seemed that there were fewer guards on duty tonight and that they seemed unaware that Kuro was dead. Now was our chance. I immediately gave the strike team the go ahead to take down Kuro¡¯s guards and retrieve the safe itself. The safe had to be opened in a controlled environment by experts. There was every chance that it was rigged in some way.


    After I gave the orders, I went to the hanging picture of a wolf on my wall. I removed it to open a hidden compartment behind it. I took out the most expensive bottle of alcohol I owned. I¡¯d waited for more than 20 years to open this bottle. I poured myself and Sugu a glass and toasted the unnamed shinobi who had finally put an end to the biggest menace this town had ever seen.

 Chapter 12

    Old lady Matsumoto


    I was tired, all the way down to my bones. I couldn¡¯t sleep much last night. It has been a few days since I¡¯d gotten a good night''s sleep. At the beginning, I was really hopeful that we¡¯d be able to get away with enough capital for us to start over somewhere. But, that hope was dwindling by the hour. There was only one day left till our deadline expired. There had been some bureaucratic mix ups and delays at the bank that had to be squared away. The loan officer had assured me that they¡¯d be cleared up soon, but it was starting to look like it wouldn¡¯t happen on time.


    Even if I did get the money, there were other problems. Jin was feeling a lot better, but was not really in a condition to travel. In fact, him moving too much could result in undoing a lot of his recovery. To add to my problems, as if there weren¡¯t enough, that girl Hana had taken it upon herself to go visit her family in person. I¡¯d told her I could get word to her family discreetly but she¡¯d taken off without asking me. She¡¯d left a few days ago and still wasn¡¯t back yet. It might just have been that she decided to leave and wanted nothing more to do with us. But, Kuro could still track her down and there wouldn¡¯t be a thing I would be able to do to help her if that happened after we left. I really hoped that she was coming back, for her own sake.


    I decided to pour myself a drink. It wasn¡¯t even noon yet, but I felt like I really needed a drink. I didn¡¯t have much time left. Waiting till tomorrow for the deadline to expire was dangerous. I had to make a move today. I heard a knock on my door.


    ¡°Enter,¡± I said in a tired voice.


    ¡°This just came for you¡±, the guard stationed at the door said as he handed me an envelope. I thanked him and waited for him to leave before opening the letter. I let out a sigh of relief as I read the contents. It was from Nezu, informing me that Hana had returned. That girl had made it. Even just a few hours later would have been disastrous. I intended to give her a stern talking to. But, that could wait until we managed to get out of here.


    I rang the bell and had my guard send a message to the people who were arranging our transportation. I also sent a message for Hana, Nezu, Mina and her family to get ready. I¡¯d pick up Jin myself. We needed to be moving come nightfall. They¡¯d be taking us to the land of lightning. Neither the shinobi from hidden leaf or the businessmen from the land of fire held much sway over there and the Raikage was a strong man. The land of lightning was said to be relatively stable. For most of my life, I¡¯d kept a bad opinion of the land of lightning. They were the enemies of the land of fire for all the wars I¡¯d known. Now, it would end up serving as a refuge for me in my old age.


    With what I¡¯d be paying for our safe passage, we would be almost penniless by the time we got there. But, I couldn¡¯t afford to wait around for the money from the bank to arrive. I had to act soon. An hour later, I was preparing to move when I heard another knock on the door. The door opened to reveal Sugu, who I knew was the top aide of Boss Renji.


    ¡°Good morning Matsumoto san¡± he said in a chipper voice. He looked a bit tired but very happy.


    ¡°Good morning Sugu. Can I offer you a drink?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, thank you Matsumoto san¡±.


    ¡°So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Sugu?¡±


    His facial expression told me that it certainly wasn¡¯t to give me any bad news. I didn¡¯t dare to hope but I could really use some good news right now.


    ¡°I just came by to discuss a few things with you Matsumoto san. First of all, let me convey the apologies of boss Renji for not being able to come and meet you personally. He is rather busy at the moment. He really wanted to tell you the news himself¡±. Sugu said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright Sugu. What news?¡±


    ¡°Boss Kuro is dead,¡± he said simply.


    ¡°Huh..wait.. WHAT?¡±


    ¡°Kuro is dead, Matsumoto san. It happened last night¡±.


    I felt myself sagging back into my seat, releasing a breath I didn¡¯t realise that I¡¯d been holding. I was so overcome with emotion as I felt the tension that had been building up these past few weeks drain out of me. I didn¡¯t know when it started, but I found myself laughing so hard. Sugu joined in with a smile of his own.


    ¡°How? Who did it? Was it you guys?¡± I asked after I regained my composure.


    ¡°He was found with his throat slit in his office last night. And no, it wasn¡¯t us. Although, I wish it had been us that finally did him in. We still don¡¯t know who did it, but we intend to take full advantage of the situation. Most of the power of Kuro¡¯s organisation depended on his personal strength and connections. With him gone, they¡¯re hobbled and we¡¯re moving in. That¡¯s why Boss Renji couldn¡¯t make it. I expect we¡¯ll be busy for the next few days till things settle down¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    He took a pause before continuing


    ¡°What this means for you Matsumoto san, is that you¡¯re off the hook. Kuro¡¯s organisation is going to be a bit too busy in the coming days to do anything about you. But, We¡¯ll keep our guards posted here, just in case. You have the full support of Boss Renji Matsumoto san. Rest easy now, because from now on he¡¯s not gonna let anyone bother you or your people. We¡¯re gonna take back this town and restore the glory of our organisation.¡± Sugu¡¯s tone was fully confident as he said this.


    ¡°Thank you, Sugu. I¡¯ll never forget this¡± I said with some emotion in my voice.


    ¡°No, I think we should be the ones thanking you Matsumoto san. We have been trying to get rid of that bastard for more than 20 years and just as he was coming after you, he ended up dead at the hands of some mysterious assassin. Boss Renji¡¯s father used to say that you were like a lucky charm. We¡¯re starting to think that he wasn¡¯t exaggerating.¡± Sugu said with a smile as he made his exit.


    I returned his smile and sank back into my chair as he made his exit. I poured myself another drink as I savoured the flavour. This had to be the best turn of luck I¡¯d had in my lifetime. I wondered whether I should go out and buy a lottery ticket right now. Kuro was finally gone and if Renji could strike fast and dismantle his organisation, he would become the undisputable top boss of the city like he was born to be. Since he now considered me closely affiliated with him, our fortunes could go up along with him.


    I grabbed a sheet of paper from my desk. I had to inform the girls about this as soon as possible. We no longer had to run. Everything could go back to the way it was. No, things would be even better now that  Kuro was gone. It seemed that Hana had returned just in time to receive the happy news.


    ¡®Wait, Hana disappeared for a few days and came back just after Kuro was killed. Could she have had something to do with this?¡± I thought.


    I laughed myself silly at the thought of a girl like Hana having to do something with killing a man like Renji. It had to be at least a Jonin class shinobi who killed him.


    ¡®Ancestors, I was getting paranoid in my old age.¡¯


    I was still smiling as I finished writing the letter to the girls telling them that everything was going to be alright. Everything was going to get better.


    Mina


    I was doing some last minute packing. We had received a message from Old lady Matsumoto to be ready to move soon. I had already finished packing the essentials we would need to take with us a couple days ago. We were to leave the rest of our more unwieldy things packed here and Matsumoto san would try and get it to us at a later date. I wasn¡¯t sure that that was actually going to happen. So, I¡¯d tried to take most of Maya¡¯s stuff with us as we left. She¡¯d have to go through enough with being uprooted from here. The least I could do was make sure she didn¡¯t lose most of her stuff.


    ¡®The least I could do¡¯, it seemed to be the only thing I was able to do for my daughter these days. It ate at me. I couldn¡¯t even share my feelings with my  husband as it would only make him feel worse. I didn¡¯t have the heart to see Itsuki¡¯s face droop as he would take all the blame on himself for what was happening to us. We still hadn¡¯t told Maya the truth. We¡¯d told her we were going on a staff tour from our restaurant for a few days and kept her home so that she wouldn¡¯t tell her friends. I¡¯d told her school that she was sick and would be absent for a few days.


    Nezu was the only one I could tell my problems to. She was almost as sad as me about when we¡¯d have to finally break the news to Maya. Hana had gotten back today morning. For a while there, I really thought she¡¯d left us. She seemed to be the one who was least affected when we got the news that we¡¯d have to move soon.


    It seemed that she had accepted what would happen and had squared things with her family. She seemed to be in a much healthier place and was handling the situation much better than me or Nezu.


    I was trying to figure out where to put one of Maya¡¯s toys when Nezu came barreling into the room. She almost tackled me to the ground as she jumped up and hugged me.


    ¡°Nezu..¡± I said indignantly


    ¡°Mina, we¡¯re saved. We don¡¯t have to leave.. Yay..¡± She said before hugging me tighter.


    ¡°Nezu, What are you talking about?¡± I asked, feeling bewildered.


    ¡°We just received a message from Old lady Matsumoto. Boss Kuro is dead. He was killed last night. We don¡¯t have to go anywhere".she said.


    I was overwhelmed as tears of joy came into my eyes.


    ¡°Oh my god. Is it true? Is it really true Nezu?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, Mina. We¡¯re safe¡± Nezu said with tears in her eyes. I saw through my blurry vision that Hana was standing in the doorway with a smile on her face. I hugged Hana as well before heading out to find my husband and daughter. We were huddled in a family hug for a long time, both me and Itsuki showering a confused Maya with kisses.


    It was much later, after all the excitement had subsided that I realised something didn¡¯t add up. Hana had been way too calm. Right now and earlier when we received the news that we had to get ready. She¡¯d been away for the last few days and only got back this morning. And just as she¡¯d come back, we¡¯d gotten the news of Kuro¡¯s death. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had something to do with this or at the very least, acquainted with someone who knew something. It had also surprised me how quickly she¡¯d taken to our work despite leading a sheltered life in a far off village.


    I felt that there was definitely something that she was hiding from us. But, I knew that she had been nothing but exceptionally kind and friendly to me and my family. And if she had some secrets, that was her own business. Even if she did have something to do with getting rid of Kuro, that was a good thing. I wasn¡¯t about to go look a gift horse in the mouth.


    The only person who seemed disappointed in the recent developments was my little daughter.


    ¡°The staff tour¡¯s been cancelled?¡± She had asked with an adorable pouty face.

 Chapter 13

    Asuna


    My partner Kazu and I were on the move. We weren¡¯t exactly thrilled to get this assignment, but orders were orders. We moved through the forest at a conservative pace. There was no need to hurry. It wasn¡¯t like we were chasing after a rogue Jonin or something. Kazu was keeping his sharingan active as we travelled, scanning for danger. I¡¯d switch with him in 3 hours so that we could conserve our chakra.


    Kazu and I were proud members of the Uchiha clan. The source of our clan¡¯s power was our kekkei genkai. Sharingan. A power that awakened in the eye of the talented members of our clan. I had managed to activate my sharingan when I was only 15 years old. Kazu did it at 17. We were both part of the Uchiha police force and we had the tough job of policing the shinobi of hidden leaf village. It was a job that could only be done by the uchiha, one of the two founding clans of the hidden leaf village.


    One of the founding clans, history and supposed respect. These were really the only things that the Uchiha had going for at the moment. The truth was that our clan¡¯s power and role in the village had continued to diminish ever since the Uchiha Madara incident. It was the first hokage Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara that established the hidden leaf village together. But, once Hashirama was chosen as the first hokage, Madara had wanted the Uchiha to leave the hidden leaf. The Uchiha clan had refused to follow. The Uchiha were tired of pointless bloodshed at that point. Madara had returned later after subjugating the nine tailed fox using the power of sharingan and fought the first hokage. The legendary battle that followed had resulted in Madara¡¯s death.


    Nowadays, I found myself wondering whether we had been right in not following Madara that day. Konoha had four hokages and none of them had come from the Uchiha. In fact, if you looked at all the important decision makers at the top of the village, none of them came from our clan. The Uchiha was in charge of the police force, that was about it. Even when it came to policing, our powers were diluted. We weren¡¯t allowed to arrest or question members of the ANBU black ops without permission from the office of the hokage.


    The first, second and third hokage had made sure that they weren¡¯t succeeded by Uchihas. I had high hopes that things would change under the leadership of the fourth hokage Minato. I had known him personally at the ninja academy. I admired everything about him, except for his choice in women. Whatever possessed him to marry that ugly red haired violent bitch, I¡¯ll never know. Not like there weren''t better candidates in our class.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Putting that aside, I had high hopes for a new beginning for the Uchiha under Minato. He was the first hokage who wasn¡¯t directly connected to the first hokage or his brother, the second hokage. That dream had ended abruptly two years ago when the nine tailed fox attacked the village and Minato was killed. I still had a hard time believing it. Minato, who was said to be the strongest hokage, the hero of the third great ninja war, killed by a dumb rampaging beast. It was no secret that there were hardliners in the village who objected to the open and welcoming way Minato treated the Uchiha. It wasn¡¯t really a stretch to think that they may have used the incident to get rid of Minato as the hokage.


    The aftermath of the incident had left no doubts as to what the leadership¡¯s new policy was to the Uchiha. Using the connection that Uchiha Madara once had with the nine tails, they had placed the suspicion on top of the Uchiha. It didn¡¯t matter to them that the Uchiha had fought alongside everyone and given up their lives to protect the village. My own brother had died defending the village in the ninetails incident.


    Nowadays, the clan was more isolated from the village than it had ever been in the history of the hidden leaf village. I felt that sending us away on this bullshit assignment was a part of the continuing harassment.


    We were headed to a city called Kurashiko. It was a 5 days trip from the hidden leaf village to the city. It was a commercial city that had little to no importance militarily. Apparently, someone named Kuro, a businessman who was a former shinobi of hidden leaf, was killed there a few days ago. We were meant to investigate and submit a report. I had no idea what good that was going to do. He was probably killed by an assassin hired by a rival faction and the assassin would already have a week¡¯s head start by the time we got there. In terms of shinobi time, that was practically aeons. Unless you acted fast, it was very difficult to catch a shinobi criminal.


    So, here we were, heading to a town that didn¡¯t really matter to investigate a criminal that was most likely not in the country anymore while our clan was being muzzled. I wondered how long the Uchiha could keep their silence. Everyone had a breaking point and I feared that the Uchiha were reaching theirs

 Chapter 14

    Boss Renji


    It had been a truly hectic week for me and my organisation, but an extremely satisfying one. As expected, Kuro''s organisation was like a snake with it¡¯s head cut off without him at the helm. Our strike team had managed to lift the safe from Kuro¡¯s office without much trouble. It had taken experts another 3 days to undo all the traps and open it safely. It was well worth it. The safe contained a treasure trove of information along with not a small amount of cash and bonds. But, the most important thing was a file that Kuro had kept on the judges and all members of the city leadership that was on Kuro¡¯s payroll.


    My lieutenants and I had met with each of them individually and they were made to understand where their loyalties should lie, now that Kuro was gone. Once it was clear to everyone that we now had Kuro¡¯s political clout along with a lot of his capital, three of Kuro¡¯s top lieutenants had approached us to join our organisation rather than try and seek any retribution. A few of his lesser lieutenants had decided to go off on their own and try to become bosses themselves. They weren¡¯t a real threat as their power was very limited and they were far from forming a united front.


    Altogether, it had been a relatively peaceful transition of power as we took the reins of this city firmly in our hands. It seemed that there were only a precious few within Kuro¡¯s organisation willing to risk their life to avenge their boss.


    I shifted slightly in my carriage as we hit a bump in the road. I was on my way to Sin¡¯s den. The place that was once my father¡¯s favourite establishment. Sin¡¯s den was reopening today after Kuro had forced them to shut down. Matsumoto san had invited me as a guest of honour to celebrate a new beginning. I felt that I should have been the one honouring her. Even though she didn¡¯t have anything to do with Kuro¡¯s demise, it had been just before Kuro was trying to clamp down his teeth around her throat that this miracle had happened.


    I stepped out of the carriage as soon as my bodyguards told me it was safe to do so. I took in the view and I almost didn¡¯t recognize the place at first glance. I had extended a line of credit to Matsumoto san and it seemed like she hadn¡¯t been idle. The old sign had been replaced with a new one with neon lights. The place now looked like a top class establishment rather than the rundown hovel it was a fortnight ago. A fresh coat of paint, some woodwork and a few well needed repairs had done wonders for the place.


    I was greeted at the door by Matsumoto san who led me to a table at a prominent position in the establishment. I was served wine by a dark haired beauty with purple eyes. In the past, people had often accused me of being a difficult man to please when it came to women. There was some truth to that statement if I had to be honest. But I had to admit that this girl was certainly eye-catching. It wasn¡¯t just that she was a pretty girl with a perfect figure. There was something about the way she moved and dressed that I found very alluring.


    I stared into her violet eyes as I thanked her after she poured me the drink. She acknowledged my thanks with a smile and a nod before backing away gracefully. I found myself watching her perfectly formed ass as she walked away from me. I was brought back to reality when Matsumoto san came to stand near me. Most of the people here were people from my own organisation along with a few friends. There were also a lot of new girls working here. They had come from a few of the hostess bars run by Kuro. I directed them here to Matsumoto san when they had come to me.


    Matsumoto san tapped her glass and suddenly the soft music that had been playing died down.


    ¡°Good evening friends. We¡¯re gathered here today to celebrate the reopening of Sin¡¯s den, an institution that has stood the test of time.¡± She said as people around us cheered.


    ¡°But, even more important than that, we''re here to celebrate the banishment of a demon that has plagued this town for more than two decades. And in his place, this town will be led by a man who was born to do it.¡± An even louder cheer followed her words as people erupted in applause. I raised my glass slightly in acknowledgement of Matsumoto san¡¯s kind words.


    ¡°Boss Renji, all of us who are gathered here would like to extend our thanks to you for your tireless efforts against Kuro¡¯s evil organisation all these years and congratulate you on your final triumph.¡± Matsumoto san said before raising her glass and yelling.


    ¡°To boss Renji¡±.


    ¡°To boss Renji¡±, everyone chorused before taking a sip from their drinks. I raised my glass towards the crowd and took a sip before setting my glass down.


    Matsumoto san stepped back and looked at me. It was my cue to say something. I stood up with my drink in my hand before facing everyone in the room.


    ¡°My dear friends and comrades. It has been a long and arduous journey for us these last few years. I¡¯ll admit that there were a lot of moments when I genuinely doubted whether I was worthy of my father¡¯s legacy. But, through all the trying times, the people in this room never stopped believing in me. That was the only reason I was able to move forward, one step at a time. I thank Matsumoto san for her kind words, but she¡¯s wrong. Tonight is not about me, it¡¯s about all of you who stood by me and believed in me. To all of you.¡± I said as I raised my glass towards everyone in the room.


    ¡°Hear hear¡±, people yelled before taking another drink.


    ¡°Now, enough talking. Let the drinks flow in the company of these heavenly women. Let the party begin¡± I said as the music resumed and my people led a few girls to the dance floor while some others retired to more secluded spots. I had told Matsumoto san earlier that I¡¯d be footing the bill for tonight¡¯s celebrations. It was important for a good leader to acknowledge the contributions of his subordinates. That was a lesson that Kuro had never learned. That was the reason why his organisation crumbled so easily as soon as he died. It was true that people had to fear you, but they also had to respect you.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Matsumoto san stepped closer to me as she whispered in my ear.


    ¡°Would you like me to arrange some entertainment for you Boss Renji?¡±


    I had originally planned to leave as soon as my speech was done. My people would never truly relax if their boss was in the same room. But, the girl I met earlier had really caught my eye and stirred up my desires.


    ¡°Who was the girl who served me my drink?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh. That was Hana. Would you like to spend some time with her?¡± Matsumoto san asked.


    ¡°Yes, but in a more private setting¡±. I replied.


    Matsumoto san nodded before beckoning Hana over to join us.


    ¡°Hana, Please take Boss Renji up to the Kage suite and keep him company¡± She told her. Hana nodded and then turned to give me a dazzling smile before leading us towards the stairs.


    My bodyguards stopped us and performed a search of the room before letting us in. The Kage room turned out to be a richly furnished room with a large bed. There was a glass door at the end which led to a bathroom. There was also a large sofa and a table in the room. An unopened bottle of wine and some snacks were arranged on top of the table.


    ¡°Hello sir, I¡¯m Hana. Would you like to have a drink, sir?¡± Hana asked as she came to a stop near the table. She had a soft, musical voice that I found to be very pleasant.


    ¡°Hi Hana. Yes, I think I¡¯ll have one¡± I replied before taking a seat on the sofa. Hana smiled as she opened the bottle and poured me a drink. She handed it to me with both hands while sitting with a posture that could rival a princess. She was definitely more than just a pretty face on a buxom figure.


    ¡°Thank you Hana. And let me apologise for taking you away from all the young boys downstairs to spend time with an old man. I hope you don¡¯t mind it too much¡± I said.


    ¡°Not at all Boss Renji. Age is just a number. I believe that there¡¯s more to being an attractive man than just age. You¡¯re more of a man to me than any of the guys downstairs. So I should be the one thanking you for choosing me instead of you apologising to me sir¡± She said with a smile.


    ¡®Clever girl¡¯ I thought before returning her smile. She had managed to flatter me greatly without being too cloying or clingy. She offered me some food and more drinks as we talked some more. There was a certain intelligence and manner in her body language and utterances that I found much more alluring than her physical appearance.


    ¡°Boss Renji, I had wanted to thank you for a while now. Without your help, I¡¯m sure most of us would have ended up dead or worse at the hands of Kuro¡¯s men. Thank you. Thank you for helping out Old lady Matsumoto and by extension, all of us,¡± she said.


    ¡°No need to thank me dear. Matsumoto san and I go back a long way. In fact, I regret not being able to help her out more when she needed it. In the end, there wasn¡¯t much I could do before some fortuitous turn of events¡± I admitted.


    ¡°It may not have felt like much to you, but it mattered a lot to us¡± she said in a tone that conveyed sincerity.


    ¡°Alright, if it mattered that much to you, I can think of a few ways that you can repay me.¡± I said as I smiled and pulled her closer to me.


    She gave me a shy smile before locking eyes with me and moving closer. I noticed that she had a faint floral smell that was very seductive before her soft lips felt mine. She moaned lightly as I kissed her more intensely. My hands began exploring the supple curves of her body as my tongue explored her mouth. I felt her shudder a little with excitement as my hands slowly caressed her flat tummy as they made their way further down.


    She let out a soft moan as my fingers caressed her underwear. I had been with a fair share of women in hostess bars. Most of them had a tendency to over exaggerate their reactions and that had the effect of turning me off. Hana wasn¡¯t screaming, but her moans felt genuine and that turned me on further. Before long, Hana was lying on the bed, robbed of all her garments. Her body was truly a sight to see. Her almost gravity defying breasts were the centre of attention for me. I pulled down my pants to expose my erect member. Hana was on it in a flash.


    She had a playful expression on her face as she slowly licked me up and down my shaft before taking me in her mouth fully. Her technique was excellent. She kept eye contact with me whenever she could while she was sucking my cock. I felt that I would explode inside my mouth too soon if she kept this up. I grabbed her chin and had her look up at me before inserting my thumb into her mouth. She moaned softly as she sucked on it with vigour.


    I pushed her down into the bed before getting on top of her. I rubbed the head of my penis against her soft folds, eliciting a twitch. I slowly pushed myself into her tight pussy as she moaned and grabbed my arm for support. The view of having this beautiful girl beneath me with her eyes closed and biting her lips made me go into overdrive. I thrust deep inside her as she screamed. Her womanhood was on a whole other level. I felt that my member was getting rhythmically squeezed from many directions inside her vagina. The palpitations inside her soon reached a crescendo as her body tensed up and she had an orgasm.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to climax inside her as we collapsed into each other feeling spent. I looked deep into her violet eyes as I kissed her. I fucked her twice more before finally leaving an hour later. It had been the best sexual experience I¡¯d had in a long long time. I said my goodbyes to Matsumoto san downstairs. I didn¡¯t forget to praise Hana and leave her a generous tip with her.


    I was feeling really happy as I stepped into my carriage, back to my house. I was definitely going to be visiting a lot more. One of my bodyguards handed me a note as I stepped into the carriage. I recognized the seal, it was from one of my agents in the city leadership.


    My cheerful expression evaporated as it was replaced with a scowl as I perused the contents of the note.


    ¡®Why the fuck was the Uchiha police force coming here?¡¯.

 Chapter 15

    Hana


    I returned to the party shortly after boss Renji left. He was much better in the sack than I imagined. I could tell that the man had a lot of experience and that showed in his performance. He had made me cum 4 times. My kekkei genkai helped greatly in that regard, but I couldn¡¯t deny the skills of that silver fox. I only had light duties assigned to me after I had gotten back. Boss Renji had left me a tip that was more than what I¡¯d make in 3 nights combined. I managed to find a few moments to talk to Mina and Nezu during the party as well. We didn¡¯t chat for long as they were both very busy. There was no way we could¡¯ve handled all the traffic by ourselves. But, there were a lot of new faces here. And by what Old lady Matsumoto said, Boss Renji intended to help us in a big way to expand our business and clientele. The recent turn of events meant that Renji¡¯s men would have a lot of money to spend.


    I¡¯d never really thought that things would work out so well. There was no trace of what had happened to Kuro leading back to me, except for the chakra seal that I¡¯d left with Renji. That was just a precaution in case I needed to call on boss Renji¡¯s generosity in the future. I was pretty sure that he wasn¡¯t going to share that with the authorities, and even if he did it¡¯d be impossible for them to locate me with that.


    Kuro had almost managed to throw a wrench into the life that I was trying to build for myself, but with some course correction, I was back on track. I was feeling pretty good about my life when I made my way into my bedroom. It turned out that I was feeling a bit too relaxed. It was only after I closed my door that I noticed a movement near my bed. I whirled around and grabbed a kunai strapped under the table in a single motion before crouching low.


    I saw a sudden movement as something small jumped onto my bed. I did a double take as I beheld a mongoose standing up on my bed on its hind legs. Not only that, this particular mongoose looked familiar.


    ¡°Hi there, remember me? You saved my life a couple of weeks ago. Sorry I took off without saying anything. Anyway, hi¡±


    ¡®What the hell? Am I trapped in a genjutsu?¡¯ was my first thought.


    (Genjutsu- A Ninja art that affects the mind of the victim) .


    I must be, the only other explanation was that I was losing my mind. There was no way that there was a talking mongoose on my bed. I bit down hard on my lips till it started bleeding. It was a technique to try and snap myself out of any genjutsu that I got caught in.


    ¡°Why are you biting your lips? Is that a human greeting thing that you people do? It looks really inconvenient¡± It said while regarding me with a cocked head. Either the genjutsu was really strong or I really was hallucinating.


    ¡°Um¡­ you¡¯re talking¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re noticing that now. Wow, you¡¯re really slow for a human ninja¡± It said.


    ¡°Mongooses are not supposed to be able to talk¡± I said, trying to reason with my hallucination.


    ¡°Normal mongooses don¡¯t. But I¡¯m special, as you can probably tell. The name¡¯s Moisk. Nice to meetcha¡± It/he said.


    ¡°Hello Moisk, what do you want?¡± I asked.


    ¡°To thank you of course. I might have been a goner if it wasn¡¯t for you helping me out¡± He said as he extended his hand towards me.


    I stood there staring like an idiot before I realised that the mongoose Moisk wanted to shake hands with me. Well, if he could talk, it was hardly surprising that he wanted to shake hands. I stepped forward and extended my hand to him.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯m Hana by the way. Nice to meet you, Moisk".


    ¡°Thank you Hana, I owe you my life and I intend to repay my debt¡± He said before swiping his claws on my hand and drawing blood.


    I yelped and jumped back. ¡°What was that for?¡± I asked, outraged.


    ¡°To pay you back of course. They need your blood to perform the reverse summoning jutsu¡± He said as if it should have been obvious.


    ¡°They? Who¡¯s they? Reverse summoning? What the hell are you talking about?¡± I asked. He ignored my question as he looked around.


    ¡°Ah, they¡¯re calling us back now?¡± He said.


    ¡°Calling us back where? What the hell¡­¡± I never got to finish my sentence as I felt a sudden pull on every part of my body before darkness engulfed me.


    When I opened my eyes, we were no longer in my bedroom. I was on the floor looking up at a tunnel that was at least a hundred foot tall. There were two mongooses standing guard on either side of the tunnel. Unlike Moisk, these guys were 50 foot tall monsters.


    ¡°Welcome to the eternal burrow. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re the first human to come here in a hundred years. Congrats¡± said Moisk.


    ¡°I feel so honoured¡± I said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.  I still hadn¡¯t ruled out the genjutsu or hallucination theory ,but they seemed more and more unlikely as time progressed. At this point I would have gladly taken genjutsu over what actually seemed to be happening. It seemed that a mongoose had actually dragged me over to god knows where infront of a hole that seemed to contain monsters that could stomp me into paste without even noticing.


    ¡°Come on¡±, he said as he moved in front of me to lead me into the tunnel.


    Needless to say, I wasn''t particularly interested in going down the tunnel.


    "How do I get back?" I asked.


    "They''ll send you back after they meet you"


    "And yet again, I ask. Who''s they?". I was starting to lose my temper.


    "My father and the great elder sage".


    "Tell them I accepted your thanks. Can I go now?" I asked.


    "Aw. Don''t be like that. It''d be kinda rude to leave without meeting them", said the guy who dragged me here without my permission.


    I really wanted to tell him to go stuff it, but the fact was that I had no idea where I was and I needed the help of these people to get back. Aggravating them would definitely be a bad idea.


    I decided to follow my little guide as he led me deeper and deeper into the so-called ''eternal burrow''. The tunnel was rather more well lit than I thought. I could see many regular sized burrows branching off from the main tunnel. As we went deeper, the tunnels branching off got bigger and bigger.


    "So, how''d you find me?", I asked as my mental faculties were slowly returning to me. This was a rather important question I''d forgotten to ask in the sheer surprise of meeting Moisk.


    "Ah, when you were using your chakra to treat me, I wasn''t sure whether you were trying to save me or harm me ya know. I was pretty out of it at the time. So I placed a small seal inside your chakra network that enabled me to track you. Sealing techniques are one of our specialists" he said proudly.


    "And what would have happened to me if you had died?" I asked.


    I saw Moisk fidget slightly before answering "In that case, my dad may or may not have come calling".


    I stared at him incredulously. If this little fucker had died, I might have been squished flat by one of those giant mongooses outside.


    "Why didn''t you release the seal once you got back alright?"


    ¡°Then I wouldn''t get to express my gratitude and give you a reward for saving my life," he said.


    He and I apparently had very different ideas on what a reward entailed. Given the choice, I was going to ask him to never bother me again. That would indeed be a great reward.

 Chapter 16

    Hana


    We walked a bit farther before he came to a stop in front of a twenty foot tall tunnel.


    ¡°Faaaaather, She¡¯s here¡± Moisk yelled.


    Moments later a huge head emerged from the tunnel.


    ¡°This is my father, Mangru. Father this is¡­.um..What was your name again?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You brought her all the way here without even asking her name?¡± Mangru yelled as Moisk cowered. When he drew up to his full height, Mangru was about 100 foot tall. His head almost touched the ceiling of the tunnel.


    ¡°My¡­. My name is Hana¡± I said.


    He turned and regarded me. ¡°Hello Hana. You have my gratitude for saving my idiot son¡¯s life¡±, he said seriously. I could only nod in reply as I craned my neck to look up at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what Moisk has told you. But, you¡¯re the first human to step in here in 100 years. We stopped trusting humans, especially ninjas, a long time ago. Any rewards or help my son may have promised you will only materialise after the great elder sage has finished examining you.¡± He said in a serious tone.


    ¡°She knows that¡±, Moisk piped up.


    I turned around to stare at him incredulously. I really had saved the life of an idiot. He hadn¡¯t bothered to mention shit to me and was now acting like he had.


    ¡°Good, then follow me,¡± Mangru said as he started walking ahead of us.


    I really wanted to hit that idiot Moisk. But, I felt that it might not be the best idea to do that infront of his 100 foot tall father.


    I was fuming silently as we progressed further downwards through the tunnel. We reached our destination as the tunnel opened up to reveal a circular room that was at least 400 foot high at its highest point. There was a large pool in the centre of the room that was filled with something that I couldn''t tell was liquid or gas. However, the thing that caught my eye the most was a huge mongoose lying on a cushion at the far end of the room. There were many guards flanking him. This, I assumed, was the great elder sage they were talking about.


    As soon as we came within a hundred feet of the giant cushion, Mangru and Moisk stopped and bowed. It seemed like a good idea to copy them, so I did.


    ¡°Great elder sage, I bring you the human shinobi to whom my family owes a debt of gratitude¡±, he said before turning to me.


    ¡°Hana, this is the great elder sage of the eternal burrow¡± Mangru said.


    I performed a short bow again as a huge head with a cap on top turned in my direction.


    ¡°Welcome to the eternal burrow, Hana¡±.


    I was surprised to hear a deep feminine voice emerge from the great elder sage, but the power behind those words were undeniable as I felt it reverberate through my very being.


    ¡°Tha¡­ Thank you for having me here¡±. I managed to stammer out.


    ¡°Moisk here was very insistent about having you over. I¡¯m very glad that I get to meet you Hana¡± the elder sage lady said.


    ¡°Before we can do anything for you Hana, the great elder sage will perform a check on you. We have to be sure you won¡¯t misuse anything that we give you.¡± Mangru said.


    ¡®Checks, what checks? Am I gonna have to go through some trials and tribulations for a reward that I don¡¯t want? Hell no¡¯ I thought


    ¡°I think there¡¯s been some misunderstanding. I don¡¯t want any rewards. Moisk has already said thank you and the fact that you invited me to see this great place is more than enough¡±. I said.


    ¡°You stand in front of the great elder sage, where few humans have ever stood and you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t want any rewards?¡± Mangru asked incredulously.


    ¡°Saving the life of someone in front of you is as natural as breathing for me and I don¡¯t wish to be rewarded for something like that.¡±I said. I also really wanted to just get the fuck out of here.


    ¡°You are a very curious shinobi Hana. But, don¡¯t worry my checks won¡¯t take long. Just look at me¡± the sage lady said.


    I looked up to stare into her eyes, which were about the size of my whole body. I could see a spiral pattern inside her eyes. This pattern seemed to be moving as I stared into it. I felt my body grow lighter and lighter until I was floating weightlessly among stars.


    I felt like I was there for an eternity and also just second at the same time before I returned to my own two feet. I looked around confusedly as the sage lady leaned back into her cushion.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding into your mind Hana. But you are indeed a very curious ninja. Even though Hana wasn¡¯t the name you were born with, it is the name and form you feel at home with now. You also have very interesting tastes and a very interesting life Hana.¡± The sage lady said.


    ¡®Wait, did she just do what I think she did? Did she just read my mind? What the fuck?¡¯ I thought.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Again I apologise Hana. But, we can¡¯t blindly trust shinobi. It¡¯s a lesson we learned a long time ago¡±.She said as if sensing my discomfort and outrage.


    ¡°Then I guess I don¡¯t have to waste my time explaining why I¡¯m not very interested in whatever it is that you¡¯re offering,¡± I said.


    ¡°I respect your commitment to leading a peaceful life, Hana. I truly do. But, choosing a path of weakness may not get you to your goal. In my experience, making war is easy enough. But, it takes greater strength to achieve peace and keep it. You¡¯ve already had to use the strength you thought you wouldn¡¯t need to save the ones close to you. Do you really think it wouldn¡¯t happen again? What if you fall short the next time?¡± She asked.


    I considered her words. What she said made it sound like she intended to give more than just a small gift.


    I couldn¡¯t deny the truth of her words, but in my experience, nothing in this world was for free.


    ¡°What do you want from me in return?¡± I asked.


    The sage lady laughed before replying ¡°Honestly, Hana, as you are now, there¡¯s nothing much you can do for us. All we ask is that you keep whatever you see here a secret and also just inform us if there¡¯s anything out there that would threaten our existence. We don¡¯t involve ourselves in the affairs of Nations and have no interest in taking any sides in any shinobi wars.¡±


    She had a point. I couldn''t really think of a way that I would be valuable to these powerful beings. Guess they really just wanted to thank me. But, I needed  to clarify some things first.


    ¡°You know that I value anonymity. So I can¡¯t take anything with me that would lead to my detection¡± I said..


    ¡°I understand. We want to aid you in your path Hana, not hinder it.¡± sage ady said.


    I nodded in acknowledgement of her words.


    ¡°What is it exactly that you want to give me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯d like to offer you a summoning contract,¡± the sage lady said.


    I was taken aback by her offer. Summoning contracts with powerful beasts was one of the characteristics of an S-rank shinobi. But, I was just a genin and with my level of chakra, It was doubtful if I could summon even a mongoose as small as Moisk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how useful that¡¯ll be,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°I understand your concerns. We¡¯ll help you train so that you can derive benefit from this¡± She said.


    I pondered over the offer. If nothing, their reverse summoning might give me a chance to make a quick get away in a sticky situation.


    ¡°Alright, what do I have to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Extend your left hand Hana¡± She said.


    I saw her lift her own hands towards mine until the tip of her claw was above my hand. I felt a sharp pain as a seal formula emanated from the point along with some of my blood. The sage lady waved her hand and a large scroll appeared in front of me.


    ¡°Now, take your blood in the palm of your right hand and make an impression inside the square¡± she said.


    I did as she said and felt a rushing sensation pass through me.


    ¡°Congratulations Hana. You have made a successful summoning contract with us. The first shinobi to do so in a century.¡± She said,


    ¡°Thank you. Great elder sage,¡± I said as I bowed to her.


    ¡°The seal on your wrist acts as a dimensional storage compartment that has the dimensions of a cube with a side of 5 metres. The seal to access it only becomes visible if you pass your chakra through there.I have taken the liberty of placing a scroll inside it. Whenever you need to come back here, you can place your blood on the scroll and pass your chakra through it. We¡¯ll summon you here instantly. Make sure you come back when you can as you still need more training before you can make full use of the summoning contract.¡± She said,


    Wow. This was turning out to be much better than I¡¯d expected. A dimensional storage unit and a way for a quick get away. Not to mention, the offer of additional training. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there had to be something I was missing here. But, for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t figure out what they could possibly get out of me. So, for the time I thought it¡¯d be prudent to just graciously accept their gift.


    ¡°Thank you for these gifts, great elder sage,¡± I said with a bow.


    She nodded before saying ¡°We¡¯ll meet again soon¡±. I felt a sudden pull, just as I¡¯d felt in my bedroom earlier. I found myself back in my room an instant later. Everything looked normal. I wondered if I hadn¡¯t really imagined all that. I looked at the clock to see that I¡¯d been gone for an hour.


    Wow, that had actually happened. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight bit of unease as I stared at the now unblemished spot in my arm where she¡¯d touched me.


    Mangru


    I held my tongue till the girl disappeared. As soon as she did, I turned to the great elder sage.


    ¡°What did you just do?¡± I asked, barely able to keep a growl out of my voice.


    ¡°We¡¯ve kept away from ninjas for a century and you just handed over a summoning contract to that girl. Why on earth would you do that? When you said you wanted to meet the girl who saved Moisk, I never thought you¡¯d go this far. And if you really wanted to have a contract with a ninja, why would you pick someone as weak as her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer the latter part of your question first, Mangru. Would you rather train a weak ninja with a good heart who¡¯ll owe everything she has to us or a strong and ambitious ninja who¡¯ll just look at what we give as something that¡¯s due to him?¡± , she asked.


    ¡°I suppose the former is preferable. But what makes you think that someone as weak as her would ever be useful to us?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen inside of her Mangru, she has a lot of potential to grow and become not just useful, but valuable for us¡± she said.


    ¡°And to answer your first and more important question Mangru, there is a reason why I¡¯ve decided to invite a ninja back into our burrow. I¡¯ve been gripped with an uneasy feeling as of late. There''s something coming. Something big that will happen in the shinobi world that¡¯ll affect us in a big way. I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯ll happen in 2 years or 2 decades, but I know that we can no longer afford to keep our heads buried in this burrow like we¡¯ve done for the last century. We need someone on the outside instead of just relying on our allies on Mount Myoboku.¡± she said with a sigh.


    ¡°Even if she has the potential, there is no guarantee that she¡¯ll pursue power or actually grow strong¡± I said.


    ¡°True, but that¡¯s a gamble I¡¯m willing to take. She has a good heart that yearns to protect those close to her. The shinobi world is a cruel place that''ll force her into action sooner or later. I believe that she can be the shinobi we need at this hour¡±. The great elder sage concluded as she leaned back into the cushion for a nap.


    I still had great doubts about her plan as I made my way back to my burrow. But, the great elder sage had led us for centuries and I had learned to trust her wisdom.

 Chapter 17

    Asuna


    The mattress that I was lying down on was super soft and I felt that my head could simply melt into the pillow. We¡¯d arrived in the town of Kurashiko yesterday to investigate a murder that had happened a week ago. They¡¯d put up Kazu and I at one of the finest hotels in town. The food had been excellent, the rooms were luxurious and had a bathroom that was bigger than my whole apartment back in the hidden leaf village. The town leadership was sending a pretty clear message in my opinion.


    ¡®Enjoy your stay at our town, conclude your investigation without causing anyone trouble and please fuck off¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t really blame them for wishing that. This was a commercial town that hardly saw any violence out in the open. If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t want a bunch of ninja investigators rooting around in my business either. But, we were here and we had a job to do. I sat up in my bed and went through all the information he had so far.


    The victim was a former hidden leaf ninja named Kuro. He had left the hidden leaf more than 2 decades ago and had started a business in this town. It was a widely known secret that Kuro acted in the capacity of a mob boss in this town until last week. He was found in his office a week ago with his throat cut and his safe looted. The town leadership and police force seemed eager to chalk it up to a robbery attempt gone bad, but even a dumbass like Kushina Uzumaki, the stupidest girl in our class, could have told you that it didn¡¯t make any sense. They¡¯d have to be the stupidest robbers in history to go and target the office of a mob boss in town, even if they assumed he wasn¡¯t there.


    It was pretty obvious to me that this had been the work of a rival. They¡¯d obviously hired a ninja skilled enough to take out someone like Kuro. From the background report that we had received, Kuro was a Jounin class ninja even though he never actually attained the rank. But, that was due to problems in his character evaluation, not due to a lack of strength. The only real issue here was to check whether the underworld in this town was consorting with dangerous foreign ninja.


    I wished that we had a body to examine, but they had apparently found a will made by Kuro stating that he wanted to be cremated, conveniently destroying any evidence that we might have found on the body. So far, we hadn¡¯t found anyone willing to share anything more than widely known information. The only lead we had so far was a message from someone claiming to be Kuro¡¯s nephew, who supposedly had information the town leadership and police weren¡¯t willing to share.


    I laid on the bed for a few more minutes before I got up and dressed. It was almost time for me to meet Kazu down at the lobby. When I got down there I found that Kazu was already waiting for me at the lobby. When Kazu dressed in plain clothes, it really was ¡®plain clothes¡¯. I seriously doubted that anyone would be able to pick Kazu out of a police lineup after seeing him only once. Everything about his appearance seemed to make you want to gloss over him. Even though lacking in the appearance department, Kazu was a pretty reliable guy. He had the trust and respect of Fugaku Uchiha, the chief of the Uchiha police force.


    ¡°Good morning Kazu. Did you sleep well?¡± I asked. I got a nod in reply.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡±, another nod in reply. I knew Kazu well enough by now to waste time trying to elicit a halfway cheerful response from him. So, we exited the hotel lobby to the street and started walking toward the municipal building. Kazu stopped for a bit as we crossed a beautiful bridge on our way to the city centre. Our shadow clones continued walking towards the municipal building with the people tailing in pursuit. We had picked up on people following us as soon as we had stepped into the town. I wasn¡¯t really worried about them. I was more worried about anyone skilled enough that we would have missed them.


    Swiftly and stealthily, we made our way to the meeting place to meet our informant. We were there 2 hours earlier than the agreed time, but we had to make sure we weren¡¯t stepping into a trap. The fact that any deeper look into Kuro¡¯s death was unwanted by the town was glaringly obvious. It was a remote chance, but the assassin that did the job on Kuro might have been kept on retainer to deal with the fallout from any investigation into his death.


    The meeting place was near an abandoned farm a couple of miles outside of town. We activated our sharingan and searched the area for any hidden traps or unwelcome visitors. Once we had secured the surrounding area, Kazu retreated into the woods nearby to watch the approach of our informer. About 10 minutes before our appointed time, I got the signal from Kazu that someone was approaching. Our system of communication was almost impossible for anyone to make out without having sharingan, so Kazu could continue to update me till our informant reached us.


    I could make out someone approaching after a couple of minutes. The person was wearing a hood and the body language suggested that it was a guy. From the look of the undeveloped chakra network on his body, this was most certainly a civilian. But, as soon as he came into view, I received another signal from Kazu indicating that there were people following him. This could either be a trap or our informant was being watched without him knowing. I tensed up a bit as he came within a few feet of me. I kept an eye out for any signals from Kazu about this being an impending ambush.


    ¡°Are..Are you the uchiha investigator?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, I assume you''re the one who sent us the message. Who are you?¡± I asked.


    He seemed to hesitate before finally removing his hood to reveal the tense face of someone who was close to my own age.


    ¡°My name is Fuji. Boss Kuro was my uncle.¡± He said.


    He was either a really great actor or he was genuinely nervous and was risking his life to give information to us. I performed the hand signs required behind my back to activate the seal I placed in the ground before his arrival. The seal formed a cone of silence that distorted the sound waves exiting the affected area.


    ¡°What do you have for us, Fuji?¡± I asked, deciding to get straight to it.


    ¡°I¡­I know who killed my uncle. There¡¯s things that the police and the town leadership aren¡¯t telling you¡± he stammered out.


    ¡°Yeah, we figured as much. So, who was it that killed your uncle?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My uncle was a great businessman and there have always been people in town jealous of his success¡±. He started.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Cut the crap Fuji, We know Kuro was a mob boss. Stop trying to paint him as a saint and get on with whatever you came here to say¡± I said curtly.


    Fuji¡¯s face flushed in anger and embarrassment for a moment before he regained his composure.


    ¡°You¡¯re still interested in finding out who killed him despite all that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here¡± I said dryly as I waited for him to actually give me a useful piece of information.


    ¡°There are two people in this town who are responsible for my Uncle¡¯s death. Boss Renji and that old hag Matsumoto¡±, he said.


    ¡°Do you have any evidence for that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, but they¡¯re the ones behind this¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Are either of them ninjas capable of murdering your uncle?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Then how can you be so certain that they were the ones who murdered your uncle?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Boss Renji is certainly rich enough to hire ninjas to do the job. I believe that he has a few in his employ already. But, I think that old hag Matsumoto has more to do with my uncle¡¯s death than Renji¡± he said.


    ¡°Why? Is she even more rich and powerful compared to this Renji guy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, She¡¯s just the owner of a hostess bar that was nearly bankrupt a couple weeks ago,¡± he said.


    ¡°So, if she¡¯s not as rich nor as powerful as Kuro, why would you suspect her to be the main culprit?¡± I asked. His arguments weren¡¯t making much sense so far.


    ¡°Because, Boss Renji has been trying to get rid of my uncle for the last 20 years and I doubt that he was somehow able to pull it off last week when his organisation had been at its weakest in two decades. Not without some outside help. That¡¯s where Matsumoto comes in. About 3 weeks ago, I was mistreated at Sin¡¯s den, the hostess bar owned by Matsumoto and my uncle was going to make her pay for insulting our family. My uncle would have taken over her business had he been alive for two more days. Just as Matsumoto¡¯s deadline was about to expire, my uncle got killed. That¡¯s too much of a coincidence. I know that old hag may look weak from the outside, but she¡¯s been in this town for ages and has connections. She must have called in some favour to make this happen¡± he said.


    ¡°What exactly were you doing at Sin¡¯s den before you were mistreated?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing, I was just there with a friend and they just started accosting me.¡± he said far too quickly. That was definitely a lie.


    ¡°Putting that aside, your theory is that an impoverished brothel owner and a mob boss who wasn¡¯t able to get rid of your uncle for 20 years joined forces and took him out by calling in a favour from a mysterious benefactor. That about sums it up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I know that you think it¡¯s ridiculous, but there¡¯s something you don¡¯t know about how my Uncle¡¯s body looked when he was first found,¡± he said.


    ¡°Were you there when his body was found?¡± I asked. If he¡¯d actually seen the body, that information was much more useful than his ramblings so far. I wished he¡¯d led with that first.


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t there when the body was found. But, soon after my uncle was killed, his office was attacked and his safe stolen. One of the guards, in the course of fighting the assailants, barricaded himself in my uncle¡¯s office before being forced to make a hasty exit through the window. He saw the state my uncle¡¯s body was in. He was probably the first one to see him after he was killed¡±, he said.


    ¡°Wait. The robbery happened after Kuro was killed?¡± I asked. He scoffed before answering.


    ¡°The police probably told you that my uncle was killed in a robbery attempt. That¡¯s a bald faced lie. My uncle was dead before the rather noisy and public attack on his office to take his safe. I have no doubts that Boss Renji was behind the robbery, but the assassination was done before that¡±. He said.


    I was silent for a bit as I considered his words. I already knew that the ¡®robbery gone bad¡¯ theory put forward by the local police was probably bullshit. Fuji¡¯s information merely corroborated it. What I really needed was any clues that might have been left behind on his body. I could care less about which rival boss or brothel owner had paid to finish off Kuro. This investigation was more about the ninjas who actually carried out the deed and the method they used.


    ¡°What was it that the guard found strange about your uncle¡¯s body?¡± I asked.


    ¡°When he was found, he was sitting ramrod straight on the chair. Even though his throat had been cut, his head was held straight as if he was frozen in place.¡± Fuji said with a pained expression.


    I might have given a fuck about his suffering if his sainted uncle hadn¡¯t been a mob boss who had people killed on a regular basis.


    ¡°What else?¡± I prodded further. I had the feeling that he was holding something back.


    Fuji seemed to be struggling with himself on whether to share any more information with me. He finally seemed to have reached a conclusion a few moments later as he sighed.


    ¡°He was found with his pants down and an erect penis¡± Fuji said in a rushed, small voice while he avoided eye contact with me. I could now see why he had directected most of the blame towards the brothel owner. There seemed to be a good chance that a working girl might have been involved. Or, the ninjas involved could have disguised themselves.


    ¡°You mentioned that Boss Renji had ninjas in his employ and given the fact that you said that your uncle¡¯s organisation had been stronger a week ago, I assume that your uncle employed ninjas as well?¡± I asked.


    He nodded in reply, still not quite looking me in the eyes.


    ¡°Do you know if he employed sensory ninjas to guard his office?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied.


    That could rule out certain possibilities.


    ¡°Is it possible for me to speak to this guard who found your uncle¡¯s body?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, he left town like a lot of his other guards after boss Renji took over. I don¡¯t have any way to contact him¡± he said.


    Daamn. First hand account would have been better, but it seemed that that wouldn¡¯t be available in this case.


    ¡°Is there anything else you want to tell me?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head in reply.


    ¡°Okay, you can leave now. And you better lay low for a while. Break this talisman if you want to contact us again¡± I said as I handed him a basic signalling talisman. We would need to verify the validity of his information before we acted on it, but it did give us a starting point.


    He nodded and turned before stopping and turning back to face me once more.


    ¡°I know that you and almost everyone in this town probably thinks that my uncle deserved what happened to him. But, at least for us, his family, he was a good man. Please find out the people responsible for this and bring them to justice¡±, he said.


    I nodded to him before he turned and walked away.


    I guess it¡¯s true what they say ¡®every man thinks his geese swans¡¯.

 Chapter 18

    Boss Renji


    I was right most of the time, but just a few times I wouldn¡¯t have minded being wrong. I had thought that the Uchiha investigators would be a pain in my ass and by the looks of it, they were well underway. Our spies had detected one of the investigators meeting with Fuji, that useless nephew of Kuro. Unfortunately, the people I had hired to watch Fuji weren''t exactly the brightest of the bunch. So, like idiots, they had come straight back to me with glee to report that there had been a meeting, the contents of which they had no idea about.


    ¡°So, you decided to come to me as soon as the meeting was done?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes boss¡± replied idiot no 1 with a proud smile.


    ¡°While you were making your way over here, did you ever pause to wonder where the second Uchiha investigator was?¡± I asked, barely restraining myself.


    ¡°Well..No, sir. He wasn¡¯t there. It was just that lady meeting with Kuro. We didn¡¯t see the other guy anywhere nearby¡± Idiot no.2 replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you where he was. FOLLOWING YOU TWO IDIOTS. AND NOW YOU¡¯VE LED HIM STRAIGHT TO ME YOU MORONS '''' I yelled, finally losing my cool.


    They seemed to be at a loss for words as they stared at each other with open mouths.


    I resisted the urge to throw something from my desk as I told them to get out before slumping back into my chair. Losing to Kuro¡¯s organisation for the last few years had meant that I often had to scrape the bottom of the barrel when it came to recruiting talent. Now, the results were on full display. I had to do a major restructuring soon and fill our ranks once again with competent people.


    Sugu entered the room as soon as I rang the bell.


    ¡°Sugu, we¡¯ll be moving some of the more sensitive documents to another location. As of tonight, this office shouldn¡¯t contain anything that points to anywhere other than our legitimate businesses.¡± I said.


    ¡°Got it sir,¡± Sugu replied.


    ¡°Also make sure that we have a more competent team watching Fuji. At least 1 ninja¡±


    ¡°Are we removing him from the picture sir?¡± Sugu asked.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s too hot to touch right now. He¡¯s already made contact with the investigators. They probably already know our location by now. We¡¯ll shift to a new safe house.¡± I said.


    Sugu nodded and left to carry out my instructions. Now, there was a competent aide. Sugu had been in my service for more than a decade. A real diamond in the rough he was. I sighed as I sank back into my seat. I had already known that there¡¯d be trouble when the Uchiha police force got involved in the incident. For the life of me, I couldn¡¯t figure out why they were involved with Kuro¡¯s murder investigation. Then again, as influential as I was in this town, I wasn¡¯t privy to the dark secrets and schemes of the ninja world.


    There was something strange about Kuro¡¯s organisation¡¯s accounts that was still bothering me. For the past few months, Kuro had been diverting a huge quantity of his organisation¡¯s resources somewhere. Even his top lieutenants had been unaware as to the reason why. They¡¯d gotten nothing out of Kuro except some vague guarantees that their organisation would grow stronger. Kuro might have finally chewed off something he couldn¡¯t swallow with some foreign shinobi and gotten himself killed in the process.


    If that was indeed the case, the fact that I was tipped off and took action based on that could make me look like an accomplice of whatever scary organisation Kuro was associating himself with in his lust for more power. In any case, I needed to look more closely at what Kuro was doing in the months leading up to his death. Ignorance was definitely not bliss in this case. I needed to be prepared for whatever that was coming.


    Hana


    I was relaxing in a carriage as it moved along the city streets. I was in a complete haze yesterday after I got back from meeting the mongoose sage. I still wasn¡¯t sure if I should take up their offer or just ignore it. I had quit my previous life because I didn¡¯t want to lead the life of a ninja. I wanted to avoid going back into it in any way possible. But, unlike my life as Kenji Akio, Hana had people to protect and cherish. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about what would happen if I fell short next time. If I didn¡¯t take this opportunity, I could end up regretting it when it was too late. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    I exhaled as I tried to clear my mind and focus on the job at hand. Boss Renji had sent a carriage to bring me to his place. Considering what he paid last time, I could probably settle my debt with Old lady Matsumoto in a couple of months. I was growing fond of the silver fox as well. He had a physique and vigour that belied his age.


    A few minutes later, we stopped in front of a two-story house close to the business district. The house was indistinguishable from the others on the street. Boss Renji had a reputation of being a careful man who didn¡¯t show any flash. I was led inside by the bodyguard that had accompanied me from Sin¡¯s den. The house was well furnished, but not in excess as I took in the living room. I was led to a sliding door on the right corner of the hall into a changing room. Boss Renji was already there in a bathrobe waiting for me.


    ¡°Good evening Hana¡± he said as soon as the bodyguard had left us and closed the door.


    ¡°Good evening Boss Renji¡± I said with a bow that gave him a decent look at my ample bosom with my low cut top.


    ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d like to join me for a bath¡± he said, gesturing towards a door that obviously led to the bathing area.


    I nodded yes and Boss Renji left me to get changed into a bathrobe. I was a bit taken aback at the sight that greeted me as I crossed the double door into the bathing area. It looked exactly like a natural hot spring with steam rising out of a circular pool located at the centre of the room. It seemed impossible that there would be a natural hot spring here in the middle of the city.


    Boss Renji saw my look of confusion and smiled before saying ¡±There are heating scrolls placed beneath the pool. I pay shinobi to charge it on special occasions like this one. Do you like it, Hana?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s amazing¡± I said genuinely before he stepped closer and kissed me. It started out as a soft kiss that morphed into something much more carnal and fierce. By the time we pulled away, I was grinding my body against his while he was squeezing my butt.


    Soon, we found ourselves in the water with our bodies entwined with each other. He was sitting down on the shallow end of the pool with me sitting in his lap. I loved the way the water caressed my skin and pushed me to even higher levels of arousal. I had to close my eyes and bite my lips as he started nibbling on my erect nipples, eliciting a gasp from me as he bit down gently. Renji lifted me up from his lap and carried me to the other end of the pool where he laid me on my back. There was soft and loamy soil there that cushioned me as he started pounding away.


    Each of his thrusts sent waves of pleasure coursing through my body. I opened my eyes to see him ravenously eyeing my form as he descended on my breasts again. The moans that were coming out of me started to rise in pitch as Renji grabbed hold of my waist and pushed me deeper and deeper into his cock. The pressure inside me started building until I felt that my body was almost paralyzed before I climaxed. Like a dam bursting, pleasure coursed through me, leaving me utterly spent in the pool. But my rest lasted only for a moment as Renji continued his pounding. The stimulation of his penis pounding my pussy just after cumming was too much. I was involuntarily pushing against Renji as my senses were getting overwhelmed.


    Far from being discouraged, this seemed to spur him on more as I felt his dick twitching inside of me as he climaxed. I was riding the waves of my second orgasm when Renji finally collapsed on top of me before planting a firm kiss on my lips. We laid there for a little while before rousing ourselves to wash the dirt off our bodies at the deep end of the pool. Drinks and snacks were brought on floating trays for us to enjoy as we sat together and enjoyed it.


    ¡°That was great Hana, your company really is a great stress buster¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I could be of service. Though, I am sorry to hear that you¡¯re stressed. Is everything alright?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It appears that the dust hasn¡¯t quite settled with Kuro¡¯s death yet¡± he said.


    ¡°Is there something we should be worried about?¡± I asked with growing trepidation.


    ¡°No, nothing to worry about. But, just tell Matsumoto san that a couple of investigators might be coming by to inquire about Kuro¡¯s death¡±.


    I was under the impression that Boss Renji had already managed to take over the city leadership. So he was unlikely to be worried about any investigations from them. Unless,


    ¡°Who are the investigators? Are they from this city?¡± I asked, trying to keep my tone as neutral as possible.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re two ninjas from the hidden leaf village. From the Uchiha police force to be exact, If they do come around, just tell Matsumoto san to stick to the truth. That she has no idea about who it was that killed Kuro. Matsumoto san is intelligent enough to understand this without being told, but give her a heads up anyway¡± he said.


    I nodded with a smile while my insides were roiling.


    ¡®Fuck, fuck fuck fuckitty fuck¡¯ I thought as I kept my face straight.


    Thankfully, I was able to leave shortly after while I strained to keep up my pleasant demeanour. My face contorted into a worried expression as soon as the carriage door closed behind me. The Uchihas were one of the founding clans of the hidden leaf village and headed the police force there. The worst thing about them was their kekkei genkai, the sharingan, which allowed them to see through ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu. I wasn¡¯t sure that my disguise would hold in front of the scrutiny of sharingan.


    Back in my village, my father used to boast that our kekkei genkai was good enough to fool the sharingan and the mighty Uchiha. I fervently hoped that it wasn¡¯t an empty boast as I somehow managed to get back to Sin¡¯s den without throwing up.