Axel: Hey fellas, sorry to keep you waiting for this. I know you're all mad at me for not updating anything for the last… Forever! Man, college life is not as easy as it sound, I've been piled up with assignment that every time I want to write something, it just went past me!

Now, I appreciate it, really I do, that some of you become my readers despite my bad grammar. You have no idea what you guys meant to me. Now, this chapter marks the end of my hiatus, and my return as an author as I will try to update the rest of my stories, especialy the popular one.

*IMPORTANT NOTE*

Also, to make thing worse, it seems my government decided to put a 'Internet Positive' on Fanfiction, which make it inaccessible. It's made for blocking sites like Porn sites, which is nice and all, but for some reason they also blocked Fanfiction, and I'm not kidding. I somehow manage to went passed it with a trick, but it's annoying as hell.

Anyway, this chapter had been made a bit rushed since I felt so happy that some of my assignment had been done and I have some free time. I'm sorry for any error I made, and I thank you all for reading the story of this humble author.

Naruto: What kind of humble author called himself humble?

Axel: Shuddup! And aren't you supposed to be in the story?! Get out of here!

XXX

"Nothing is cooler and more attractive than a big comeback, and that'll be me."

Steven Adler

Shikamaru Nara is not in a good mood today.

But since he's been in this stressful job for quite some time now, having a bad mood is like a pre-required thing you must have.

Last night mission had gone haywire, with Naruto coming back without his objective in hand. But what made it worse was that the blond had encountered not one, but three 'Hot' assassins as Naruto put it, from the infamous group of killers, Night Raid.

Usually, a killer would hunt down the 'witness' of their crime until there's none left. Usually. But Naruto wore a mask, and he's a master when it comes sneaky stuff, but just in case he had told him to 'lay low' for now, just in case.

You could just imagine his expression when he was told to stay home for the day.

To make thing even worse, his source had told him that Night Raid had a large spy network under the Capital City. He hasn't know how large yet, but from the looks of thing it's larger than his.

Though it is to be expected, after all Night Raid are under the Revolutionist Army command, which has quite the resources, perhaps even more than the Empire itself.

The pineapple head just sighs at the troublesome thoughts and walks through the street grumbling. For some odd reason he isn't exactly surprised very much when Naruto encountered Night Raid, considering his weird Luck. Especially with girls.

And now, with Naruto told to stay home, probably escaped somewhere already, he's in charge of going shopping. The blond had wasted almost all their smoke bombs and limited flash, they must restock somehow.

So here he is, walking through the crowd heading toward his destination. Just like in every city, no one bats an eye at him; he's just an ordinary unimportant civilian after all.

Slowly but surely, the crowds diminished, and two minutes later, the black hair male is now walking at an almost empty street, with a person or two sometime passes by.

Cutting through a corner and into an alleyway, he came to a stop at a wooden door with a sign 'General Goods Store' hanging above it. The place itself looks dingy and worn out, as if showing the age of the building. Staring at it for several second, Shikamaru sighs and walks inside the store.

The doorbell jingle as he enters, and what greeted him is a large collection of goods ranging from herbs to even weapons hanging on the wall. There are even weird unknown things on a cupboard on the wall, like a jar fill with green goob with eyes floating inside and the like that will not be describe for safety reason.

The place is dusty, with cobwebs here and there near the corners of the store. Some old posters that aren't readable anymore sticking on the wall, like it's their absolute fate to be there.

Before Shikamaru can do anything else, a loud footstep was heard and the backdoor of the place open loudly.

"Welcome to my store! My name is Hanji and I'm the-"The owner, a brown hair woman wearing a pair of glasses, stop mid-sentence as she saw who had come in, "Shikamaru-kun! It's you!"

"Good afternoon, Hanji-san." Shikamaru responded.

Hanji Ackerman, the store owner of this humble abode. She and her husband run this place for several years already, though she may not look or act like it at the moment, she's a mad inventor creating whatever is inside her head, ranging from weapons or something outrageous, like sexy lingerie. But that's for another topic.

"It's been awhile! Come in!"

"I'm already inside."

Hanji just laugh at that jabs, "So what can I help you with? And where's that energetic friend of yours?"

"Just some of the usual please." He handed the store owner a piece of paper containing all he needed. "Naruto's staying at home right now after some… accident." Probably escaped somewhere by now, knowing him. "So I'm the one in charge of shopping."

"Oh my? I hope he's fine." Hanji said as she enters the backroom of the store to get the requests items, "What happened?" Her voice still heard from the back.

"Nothing too serious, just an accident at work." The pineapple hair answered while browsing the store wares. Though nothing much changes and he had seen it multiple times, the weird and unique things here always fascinate him.

"Hee… Don't tell me it's some accident with girls?"

"… More or less." Well, it involves a group of female assassins, but she didn't need to know the details.

Her chuckles could be heard, "Figures, his luck with girls couldn't be weirder." That statement is what Shikamaru could agree on any days, any age.

Hanji returns two minutes later carrying a large skin bag containing the things Shikamaru ordered. "Here you go. Oh, and I added some extras in there, so don't spend it all on one place, hm?"

Shikamaru just shook his head, "You say that to Naruto, he's the one using these the most. I'll pay with the usual way so-"

"Wait! Shikamaru-kun!" Hanji stopped the retreating male from moving. "There's something I want to show you."

Running to the back, she emerges carrying a large and long thing that's covered by a piece of cloth. From the looks of thing, it looks like a weapon.

"This, is my recent invention. Took quite a while to finished, but there's nothing impossible for me!" Hanji said with no little pride in her voice as she put the invention to the store table and uncover it. "But it'll be a waste to sell it to Imperial don't you think? I mean, those guys can't even shot a red fat bird that fly like… Like a turtle."

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he stares at the invention uncovered in front of him. "This is…"

Hanji smiles, "Shikamaru-kun, let me introduce you-" She presented the masterpiece she created.

"-This, is the Agony Crossbow."

Shikamaru stares at the large and heavy looking crossbow at the table. Just from the appearance of the ranged weapon one could already deduced that it is a heavy crossbow.

"A heavy crossbow?"

"What? No no, I prefer the term… 'Custom' Heavy Crossbow." Hanji corrected with gleams in her eyes, "AKA, Agony Crossbow!"

"Why Agony…?"

Hanji seems to be taken aback. "What do you mean, why?! Can't you see from the looks of this weapon that it'll cause massive agony on the target?" She made her point by taking out a large bolt from… somewhere, "Just take a look at this!"

Shikamaru just shook his head at the futility of debating with the mad scientist. "… You do know that I'm not much fan of a heavy crossbow, right? And knowing you people it'll cause quite the fortune."

"What?! We would never!" She seems to take slight offense to that.

Shikamaru just stares at her for several seconds, before sighing. "What made you think I want this thing, anyway? Isn't it more efficient to buy a rifle or something these days?"

"What?! That fire stick has no art at all! No challenge in using them!"

"Well that 'fire stick' is a standard weapon for range in the Capital Guardsmen."

Hanji let out a tch while muttering about 'a weapon with no beauty' and 'cheap materials'. "Fine, I'll show you why my creation is so much better than that automatic fire stick that those tin men uses." She picks up the crossbow with a faint grunt, then she draw the string as she put the bolt on the weapon, then she aim.

"Take a look at this, Shikamaru-kun." She saids as a sadistic smiles and weird gleams slowly appears on her face, "This, is the fruit of my creation."

Then she fire.

Shikamaru eyes widened when he felt the wind from the crossbow fire as the bolt launch itself past the wall Hanji targeted, piercing to the next room with ease. He could see the small hole on the wall.

"Hanji-san…"

"Hm~? What is it, Shikamaru-kun?" Hanji asks with a haughty voice, not hiding the fact that she's went beyond proud of the result.

"… You do know that you just made a hole on the wall, right? Wont your husband gets angry?"

The inventor eyes widened at the fact, "Oh shit!"

XXX

"I'm so booorreedd!"

A one very bored Naruto Uzumaki cry out to the world, earning a few odd looks from the people around him. Though, those who actually knew him just shook his head and continue what they're doing. It's just Naruto being Naruto, after all.

Just like Shikamaru had predicted, the blond had escaped from his home, completely ignoring Shikamaru advice to stay at home for the sake of 'just in case' situation. Of course, just in case situation isn't really inside Naruto's book.

Beside, all he can do inside that house is reading some old books that Shikamaru bought, play chest against that guy that will result in his absolute lost (Even with handicap), staring at the ceiling and tries to counts the numbers of cracks there, or sleeping. All of them aren't really that favorable right now.

But never mind that, the problem right now is that a bored Naruto is a 'troublesome' Naruto, as Shikamaru would've put it. So the people that knew him also stir clear of him, as they don't want to get involve in Naruto ways of healing his… boredom.

Usually it involves lots of destruction, chases and pissed off guardsmen.

And so Naruto walks through the street grumbling of what to do for the day. It was his day off at the work, after all, so he's bored as hell and didn't know what to do.

Except pulling pranks on the guards, but that'll be plan B for now.

"Oi Naruto, the heck you doing?"

Responding to the called, the blond turns around and sees a brown hair young man, wearing a grey jacket and brown shorts, with a fang tattoos in each of his cheeks, staring at him. In each of his hands are plastic bags, each filled with groceries.

"Oh, Kiba it's you. No wonder it smells like a wet dog around here."

"You bastard! What kind of guy that insulted his friend as a greeting!"

"Nah, I only did it for you, since, you know, you're a good friend." The blond said while averting his eyes from the brown hair young man.

Kiba Inuzuka was not amused one bit. "That makes it worse! And you're bad at lying damn it!"

Before Naruto could retort at that and make the Inuzuka more pissed, he spotted a white ball of fur from the corner of his eyes and he knew exactly what it was. "Akamaru!"

The little puppy known as Akamaru bark and run toward the blond, stopping right in front of him with its tail waggling. Naruto crouch down and begins to pamper the little puppy.

"Who's the good boy? Who is it? Yes you are! What a good boy!" Naruto coed the little puppy as the animal bark in happiness at the pampering the blond are giving, "You're a good boy, right? Not ugly like your master. Yes you are!"

"Oi. Did you just insult the dog owner while he's within ear range?"

"Who's the goo-"

"Listen to me damn it!"

After like two more minutes of pampering, the blond finally stop and notices the white plastic bags in his friend hands.

"What's those for?"

"Hm? This? Chouji asked me to buy something." Kiba answered when he noticed where Naruto's staring. "Damn lazy glutton can't even walk to the store himself…"

Naruto chuckles at that, "Well, maybe his body fat had finally affected his legs or something."

"Better not let him hears you, he'll pulverize you." Then Kiba added, "Literally."

Naruto nodded his head while shivering slightly at the memory of Chouji's 'pulverizing' technique when the blond accidentally let lose the forbidden 'fat' words around him. If wasn't for the fact he had felt it first hand, he wouldn't believe someone like him could do that.

Speaking of Chouji, he hasn't been at his fa-Umm… Big bone friend place for quite a while. "You know what, Kiba? I think I'm going to accompany you." He said as if being accompanied by him is a blessing or something.

Kiba raised an eyebrow, "… You're that bored? Don't you have anything better to do? Like, playing chest with Shikamaru or something?"

Naruto's answer came in the form of a look that clearly said 'You kidding me, right?'.

"…. Nevermind."

"Good, so now, let's go!"

"Huh-? Hey wait damn it! I can't sprint while carrying this!"

XXX

The Red Light District,

A place within the capital for lonely men and even married one to seek pleasure of all kind, event he bodily pleasure of sexual interaction. One could find all kind of establishment lining up in the district offering all kind of different pleasure, for those who can afford it, of course.

Among the fine establishment, stand a Bar called 'The Butterfly', though just calling it a 'bar' is a bit of an insult to the fine establishment. The place is also a 'hostess' bar that also provides special kind of 'services'. We shall leave that to the reader's imagination.

The place itself is a two story building with large space, which was filled mostly with tables for customers that wants to hang around the place, perhaps accompany by the fine females the place provide. In the middle of the room is a bar, fill with all kind of drinks from alcohols to non-alcohols, serves by train bartender to fill your drinking needs.

The place is clean too, which make it much better than your average hostess clubs or bars.

And this place is Kiba's and Naruto's destination.

As he steps inside the establishment, Naruto smiles at the familiar place greeted his sight. The door bouncer, a large bald guy, quickly recognizing who he is, nodded his head to the blond in greeting, which he returns. He also waves back toward some of the hostess who greeted him, some of them even blow him a kiss, which he return with a shook of his head.

"Damn it Naruto!" Kiba said as he finally catches up to the blond, panting as he tries to catch up his breathing. "I told you to wait!"

"Man Kiba, you've become so slow now."

"I'm carrying bags of groceries damn it!"

"Bah, excuses, excuses." Naruto said as he shrugs the brown hair male excuses and walks toward the middle of the room.

Kiba just growl and heads toward the back of the room, nodding his head to the bouncer first, of course.

Sitting down on the bar, he was greeted by a bartender who seems to be cleaning a cup. Though why every time he came here he always sees the bartender wiping a cup or two, he never knows. Maybe it's a bartender tradition or something?

"Can I help you with something, dear customer?" The bartender asks.

"Some cold ginger milk, please."

The bartender paused, "Uhm… Ginger Milk?"

"Yup."

Before the bartender could say anything else, another figure came into view carrying a large mug a quarter filled with golden liquid. He put the mug in front of the blond and pours a white liquid to the mug, filling it to the bream. Its milk of course, so please gets your head out of the gutter.

"It's been awhile, Naruto." The figure said as he shush the bartender who bows his head and go to other customer needed his service. "And please don't weird out my new employee like that; they tend to have stresses dealing with customer like you."

"Oi, what do you mean by that, Chouji?"

Chouji only shook his head, "So what brings you here today?"

"Oh you know," The blond thief took a sip at his drink, "Haven't been to my friends place in a while, so decided to visit."

"… You're that bored?"

"… How do people keep knowing that?"

"It written on your face and you suck at lying." Chouji said nonchalantly, "So what happened? Shikamaru ban you for going out again or something?"

"Yeah. That worrywart said I shouldn't come out yet in case of Night Raid hunting me down or something." Naruto answered while looking around the place. It still impress him that his friend managed to secured a place like this. It was like yesterday the four of them are-

"Oh yeah, heard about it from Shikamaru." Chouji grab an empty cup and started to wipe them clean like all the other bartenders. "Bad luck for you meeting them like that."

"Yeah…" Then his blue eyes stop at a certain spot in the club, "Who's that midget guy?"

Rising an eyebrow, Chouji look at where the blond is staring, a midget man with white hair wearing a black suits, who's laughing with several girls on his side. "Oh him. He's Gato, from the Gato Trading Corporation that handle trades for the capital, quite a legitimate business." Then he added, "… If you don't count murdering, black mailing people and bribing the guard's crimes, of course."

Naruto let out a 'tch', "Is it too much of a hope to find a benevolent successful merchant in this hell hole of a city?"

"There are, but you won't find many in this city." Chouji answered, "Also, that remind me. Naruto, come with me to the back."

"What?" Naruto turns his head to see Chouji walks out of the bar and heads into the back door, "Oi! I said wait!" Gulping down what remained of the ginger milk; Naruto quickly went after his friend in haste and interest of what it might be.

Hell, it might be a mission or something!

With that happy thought in mind, the thief walks toward the back, with the exterior of the bar slowly replaced by the wooden and slightly darker place. Long hallways with doors going god knows where filled his vision, with staff's walks here and there doing what they're doing.

Following Chouji to one of the farthest room, a wooden door with the sign 'Boss' hanging in front of it, the owner grip the handle and open the door, entering with the blond not far behind.

The room was not too big, nor was it too small. But it is big enough to house a wooden desk with a boss-like chair behind it, a pool table, a mini-kitchen, and several sofas around. There are several decorations also accompanying the place, like a tiger rug and bear head attached to the wall.

"Take a seat." Chouji said as he walks toward his desk, sitting down and grabbing several files.

Rising an eyebrow, he took a seat on the sofas directly in front of Chouji's desk. "So what's up?" The blond asks while helping himself on the bowl filled with candies on the coffee table in front of him.

Chouji hums for several seconds as he reads the files in his hand, then he threw one of them to the blond, "Read it."

Grabbing the file, Naruto begins to reads whatever contained inside the damned paper. After mumbling for several seconds, the blond eyes begin to rise. "… This is…"

"It's a report on a new drug that's been circulating in the Red Light District." Chouji's explains, "They called it 'Smoker' or something. Like the name, it's a smoke drug that has high illusion properties."

"Like that mushroom thing?"

"Yeah, but much worse." Chouji continues, "The drug had a very potent addictive element, and a very fatal side effect. Once you've been hooked, you won't be able to get out easily, and the side effect will make you lose any kind of sanity left in you but getting more drugs."

"Is it that bad?"

"Yeah."

Dropping the file, Naruto looks at Chouji, "So what do you want me to do?"

Leaning back to the chair, Chouji answers, "You know I hated drugs more than anything. Though I run business in the Red Light District and some of our methods aren't that legal, we never, ever deal in drugs. It's a poison that can turn nations and it's populace to the brink of extinction."

"My source told me that Gato Shipping Corporation may perhaps be the one that smuggles in these drugs. So I want you to infiltrate the Corporation HQ, enter his office and perhaps find any written contract or something inside a safe."

Naruto let out a hum, "But will there be even a written contract? I mean, it's an illegal stuff, even for this accursed city."

"I'm sure there'll be one. Bastards like him just love their written contract." Chouji then added, "If you can't find one, then I'm sure you can find something else there… Like some coins or something similar."

"… And what make you think the old dude even keep all his fortune and contracts in the safe inside his office? I mean, isn't that a bit cliché and simple?"

"The guy keeps bragging about it when he's drunk here."

"…"

"…"

"… You got a deal."

XXX

It was night time when Naruto return to his 'hovel'. And just like he predicted, Shikamaru was there, reading some papers about something while grumbling to himself.

"I'm home~" Naruto announced his present.

"Welcome back." Shikamaru responded, "I should've known you'll leave anyway." He commented.

The blond grin sheepishly, "Shishishi, sorry about that, Shikamaru. I'm just bored, you know?"

Shikamaru just grunted in acknowledgement of the blond reasoning. Working with him for a while, he just isn't surprise anymore if the blond just put himself in danger for stupid reason like that.

"Hey Shikamaru, I think I got ourself some jobs." Naruto fish out a piece of paper from Chouji and gave it to the pineapple head, "Here, read it."

Pausing whatever he was doing, the black hair male grab the piece of paper and begins to scan the content, "Is this from Chouji?"

"Yeah," The blond responded while taking a seat at a nearby chair. "He wanted us to do some job for him. Kinda interesting too, so I thought we should give it a go."

Shikamaru didn't respond to that but solely focused on the paper, "This is… Infiltrating the Gatou Corporation?" The pineapple head looks at the blond, "Isn't that a bit too risky?"

"Since when did we take words like 'Risky' on our books, hm?" Naruto said with a grin, "Nothing impossible for the Crimson Fox, after all. He can steal anything!"

"And yet, he cannot steal a girl's heart." Shikamaru casualy said while staring at his friend with a lazy stare.

A simple sentence, and yet Naruto felt like he was pierced by thousands of arrows and blades through the heart. "Ugh… Low blow, Shikamaru… Low blow…" Naruto whispers while holding his wounded heart. No matter how much he wants to deny it, it's the truth. It was like something out there destined him with zero skill with girls.

Naruto reputation with girls actually quite well known to people that knows him, with his luck almost hitting the marks zero. For some reason, whenever he wants to go near a girl, something bad happened that made the girl lose interest. Hell, only Ayame, who pitied the blond, would go on a date with him, though the blond shook his head with a sad 'no' when she volunteer, his pride demanding it.

There's also his dense personality that made him blind with females feeling, but like hell he told him that.

Shikamaru sweat drop when Naruto goes depress as he crouch down to the floor, a black cloud hanging above his head.

He sighs, slightly regretting jabbing at the blond like that. "Alright already, just give me two days."

Quickly recovered from his wounded pride, Naruto gives his friend thumbs up, "Now that's what I'm talking about! Dattebayo!"

Shikamaru waves his friends off, "Yeah, yeah, it's not like I can't say no if you already made up your mind. After all, the Crimson Fox can't moves without its shadow lurking."

XXX

It was a cold place, and she could just feel the dread and fear inside the place. But her eyes stare at the sight she hated, perhaps not only her, but all the other inside the place.

They were all seated in a stadium like seats, circulating the main arena down below. All of them had good views of what was happening down there, and all she could do was to tighten her grip on her companion.

Down below in the arena, stood six combatants, their short stature marks them as just kids. All of them wear the same cloak that 'They' gave it to you when you become one of them.

Out of six, five of them held weapons of all kind, sticks, staffs, knuckles and even a dagger. While the sixth person, who is the only one standing in the opposite of them, held nothing at all.

All around her, she could hear whispers and whimpers, as they stares at the kids who will fight, and kill each other. It was then, that from the corner of her eyes she spotted 'Them', the people that responsible for all of this. 'They' stood in the highest place of the arena, where they hid nothing of their stature.

One of 'Them' raises their hand, and yelled out;

"Begin!"

All five combatants' charges toward the sixth one, all of them knowing he is the most dangerous of them all.

And they're not wrong.

It was swift and fast, the five of them doesn't even have a chance. The first to go down was the staff user, who receives a counter uppercut when he failed to land a hit, and the sixth combatant grab his staff, and begins to take down the other four.

It was a one sided battle.

When all of them hit the floor, the sixth combatant drops his weapon to the floor with a loud 'clank', and his gaze lies upon his downed enemy.

A laughter echoes through the stadium, and one of 'Them' quickly let out a command that scars through our heart.

"Kill them all."

The sixth combatant didn't respond, his body shaken in disagreement of the command. None of the audience dares to voice something, as a wrong word might end their life here and there.

"… If you don't kill them, I will kill five people in the audience."

Murmurs broke out and fears spreads across the audience. She holds her companion slightly harder, her red eyes stares at the child on the arena, with slight hope that he will finished them off. After all, finishing knocked out people aren't that hard, all he has to do was-

The young kid looks up, and all of her trains of thought shatter to millions of pieces.

His face, it was of pure horror and agony, as if doing this alone is a torture so hurt that he cant take it. Tears streams down from his eyes, his face begging for someone to just end it all.

It was a mortifying face, and it breaks everything she's thinking right then and there.

*Crunch*

Akame's crimson eyes snaps open as she snaps her gaze toward the sound of footsteps, her sword ready to cut down anything that she deems hostile.

"Calm down, it's only me."

Akame calm herself when she realize who it was, her short boyish style silver hair, the metals hands and her black suits can't be mistaken for someone else.

"Welcome back, Boss."

Najenda smiles at one of her best assassin as she waves her hand in greeting, her eyes then moves toward the large roasted bird above the large fire that Akame must've built. "Evil bird huh? Nice catch." She then walks to the other side of Akame and sat down.

Akame didn't really care where her boss sat at, all she cares right now is the roasted food that seems to be done by now. Without wasting another seconds, she quickly pluck some meat from her meal.

"Did you dream of something, Akame?"

Najenda's question caught her off guard as she paused munching on her meat, "… Just the past." She answered simply and she continues her activity.

Najenda let out a hum as she continues to stares at the fire. She knew herself that Akame past aren't something one might say 'pretty' or anything, in fact it's pretty brutal, being raised as an assassins.

Akame herself was in her own train of thoughts while munching on her dinner. Why now, of all time she dreamt of him? Why him, the boy that held such an agonizing expression it wrecked her heart?

"Yoo! Akame!"

Snapping herself out of her train of thought, she moves her gaze toward the familiar tone of a certain busty blond of her group, walking toward him with their 'potential' recruit walking in tow.

She didn't know what to think of this 'Tatsumi'. His sword skill isn't really bad, but it's not enough to take down people with her skill level. But he isn't a bad choice, and they really need more numbers among them.

But one thing she know, she won't share her food with him if he won't join them.

XXX

"Thank you! Come again!"

The satisfy customer waves his hand in thanks as he exit the restaurant. Now, this is what Naruto would call a dream job, making the heavenly food of ramen and serving them to fellow ramen lover, and getting paid for it, as well!

Life couldn't be better.

It's been two days since Naruto had taken on Chouji's job, and Shikamaru still looks for information about their target. He would just prefer going at it as quickly as possible, but his friend always insist of doing some digging first, and the fact information could make his life easier can't be change.

Naruto train of thought was cut short when Hans, with a couple of Imperial Guards he never seen before, walks inside the place. From the exhausted looks on their face they must've done a double shift or something.

Teuchi, who walked out of the kitchen, spotted the group, "Yo Hans, why do you look like you haven't slept for a week?"

Hans sighs and he and his co-workers sat down, "Well, when you had been ordered to do a triple shift since last night you'll have faces like me." He put his head on the table, "Can you give us some seafood ramen? And some sake? Please?"

When Teuchi didn't hear any complaint from Hans companions about the order, he order Naruto to prepared them while he goes to the back to fetch the sake.

"Hey Hans, why would they order you to do a triple shift? I mean, you didn't do anything weird, did you?" It was Naruto this time.

Hans raised his head to look at the blond chef, "You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Our Imperial Guard Captain, Ogre was killed last night by the Night Raid."

Naruto paused in shocked at that, but he manages to calm himself and continue on his work. He's not really a news person, so he doesn't update himself on the news about what had happened these days.

"Maan, the higher ups was pissed when it happened. They ordered us to do Triple Shift, TRIPLE FUCKING SHIFT! Those guys are heartless to us little people…." Hans moans his fate.

"But at least you got a promotion, Hans." One of his companion said, "Look at us! We didn't get anything!"

Now that gained Naruto's attention. "You got a promotion?"

Hans sighs, "Yeah, I'm a Lieutenant now, so show some respect brat, cause this mighty Hans finally stand in the upper echelon!" He proclaimed while somehow manage to get some of his energy out.

"They probably picked you since there's lack of manpower in the Guards." It was Teuchi, who had returned from the back carrying a tray of sake.

"Oi Teuchi! Why do you shut down your old friend like that!"

Naruto smiles faintly while pouring the ramen to their bowls. The news of Hans finally standing up among the higher ups is quite the good news. Although the man is an annoying bastard, he actually cares for the people, especially the people in the poor district. That means that there will be at least several more guards around the district to keep the people safe from muggers and the likes.

Though he has nothing to worry about even if there's like a division stationed in the district, Crimson Fox won't be capture that easily, especially by pesky guards.

Naruto train of thought was broken when Shikamaru enters the premise and sat down, he nods his head at the blond, and Naruto smiles turns into a grin.

Looks like he'll have a show time tonight.

XXX

Crimson Fox, in all his glory stood above the rooftop of a building in the Red Light District, his cold blue eyes stares toward a large building with the sigh 'Gato Corp.' hanging above the entrance, with guards hanging all around.

"Alright, for this operation we're working together with Chouji and Kiba. The perimeter of the target is well guarded by guards, though they're just some mercenaries, they're pretty well equipped."

The thief then quickly silent run through the roof, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, his steps is almost silent, despite him running on a noisy roof.

"The place is too well guarded to confront head on, even on the night. That's why a distraction is needed, and Kiba seems keen enough to provide you with one. Those mercenaries may be numerous, but a mindset already plants itself on their heads that 'Nobody is sane enough to try to steal from Gato', so when the distraction is happening you will strike quickly."

Naruro came to a stop at the nearest rooftop of the building, his eyes scans around the guarded area. True to Shikamaru words, breaching through here without ample distraction would be annoying.

Then his gaze moves toward the sky, where the crescent moon is showing itself accompanied by the stars all around it. Then, as if being signaled he had arrived, a fire work blows itself on the sky, sparkling it with its red colors

Then more and more fireworks blow itself on the sky, it was all peaceful until some of the fireworks came down toward the building ground and blows themelf near the guards, and that's Naruto cue to moves.

When the guards are all panicking and pissed off at the random fireworks that blew up near them, Naruto slipped off by using the shadows of the night, his silence steps made him like he was a passing wind.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong, Kirk?"

"No… just thought I see something moves back there…"

"Seriously? You must've imagining thing or something. Nobody is crazy enough to steal from Gato."

"…. I guess…"

"Once you've passed through the guards, there won't be much else obstacle at the back. Just pick the lock, and get in. Though be careful, once you're in you're on your own."

After making sure no one was here, the blond took out his pick lock and begins to pick the iron door, which is a simple thing to do as the door unlocked itself with a 'Clink'.

Nodding to himself, Naruto steps inside the dark building. It's a good thing he's adapted at moving through the dark, or else he might hit the wall or accidentally hit the alarm or something.

"Now, the main office is in the third floor, more specifically the top floor of the place. You're lucky it's not a ten floor building or something, seems that Gato doesn't like height too much or something. "

Manuvering himself in the building proves to be quite the easy task, though he had to avoid some of the patrolling guards inside the building. Fortunately, he brought his lucky armament to counter this sort of guards.

The baddass movable box!

Yes ladies and gentleman, one of Naruto most pride armament to counter patrolling guards is a box, or as Naruto had called it, Baddass-Box!

So, the blond quickly uses the box as a cover and sneakily walks through the patrolling guards as they thought it was just some kind of random box.

Those idiots guards, really.

After reaching the stairs, the blond removed his cover and proceed to climb to the third floor, which is not that high at all. Searching for Gato's office is quite easy as well, seeing as it was in the middle of the hallway, with the sign 'Gato's Office' hanging on the door.

Using his trusty lockpick once again, Naruto easily unlocked the door with ease. Entering the room, Naruto came face to face with a fancy office that corrupted business man usually has in every stories, complet with his own fireplace, animal rugs and animals head hanging on the wall.

Yup, cliché villain alright.

Finding the secret safe that Gato contained is even easier, seeing as a large painting of a tall Gato hanging behind his desk, it didn't take a genius to guess that the safe is behind that.

Removing the safe, Naruto came face to face with a small steel safe, quite common thing rich people have.

"Hoe… It's quite the newest model he had here… Not bad. But unfortunately…" Naruto took out his trusty pick lock, the thing that always accompanies him no matter where he goes. "I've learned the way of opening this thing." With an evil laugh, Naruto begins to pick the safe.

It took him quite a while before the satisfying sound of 'clink' was heard. "Man, it's more complicated than I thought… Welp, here's the booty." With a smile, he opens the safe and begins ransacking it.

"Let's see… Oh! Gold! And Jewelry! This Gato guy has a pretty nice taste… Aha! Papers!"

Taking out his objective, Naruto begins to scanned it, just in case it's not some brother bill or something that Gato tries to hide. The last time he brought that kind of thing to Shikamaru instead of his target, he gets an earful from the pineapple head. Taking out a stick, the thief smack the bottom of it to the wall and the stick started to glow bright. He should thank that mad scientist sometime, her invention always helps him, and maybe he could give her and her husband some ramen or something.

"Hm… Drugs… Ah, here it is. Yup, it's about that new drug alright. Chouji's right, bastard like Gato really like his receipt-Hm? What's this?" His eyes scans through the paper, as his expression turns to sour, "… Slaves delivery? Tomorrow Night from here? That means…"

Naruto let out a 'tch' as he think about his situation. For one thing, his mission already a success, with him holding the requested item in his person, on the other hand, Gato probably held a bunch of slaves in this building to be shipped tomorrow night.

Now, if he tries to… 'Steal' the slaves from Gato, it'll be risky as hell, but if he succeeded in doing so, the outcome would be…

"Remember Naruto, once you get those papers, get out quickly. Don't get sidetrack by anything."

Naruto groans at his heroi-Uh, greedy tendency of stealing people properties. With another 'tch' and pray to his ancestor that Shikamaru wouldn't kill him after all of this is over, Naruto begins his next emergency mission against Gato.

Steal one of his most precious investment, his slaves shipment.

XXX

In a dark lid room, a shadowy figure is seen sitting down on couch, his large muscular body marks him as a male and one could see a large blade leaning against his shadowy figure.

This figure slowly opens his closed eyes when he senses someone entering the dark room.

"… What is it, Haku?"

Another figure, this time a feminine one, slowly emerges from the dark corner of the room.

"We have an intruder, Zabuza-sama." The feminine figures said with a melodious voice, perfectly accompanying the figure. "I've sense him wandering closer into the basement; he's hiding his present… Quite impressive."

"Is that so?" The large male stood up, cracking his neck, "It's been ages since anyone stupid enough to infiltrate this shitty place." He grabs into his large sword and shoulders it with ease, "Well, let's greet that brave bastard, shall we? That damn midget Gato did pay us to guard those shipments." And if Haku commend this intruder of hiding his present, he must be decent enough fight.

"Hai, Zabuza-sama."

XXX

Just like the law of all villain to put their office at the top floor, most of them also abide to the rule of putting their numerous and valuable illegal cargo in the basement of their office.

It's just common sense though.

After exploring the first floor of the building, the blond managed to find the staircase to the basement, guarded by three well-armed guards.

That's pissed off drunk.

So Naruto, being the baddass smart genius he is, he once again used his most effective device of all time.

The Baddass-Box!

"… Hey *Hic* Joe did that *hic* box just move past *hic* us?"

"*Hic* what box *hic*?"

"… Nevermind. *hic*"

"Shuudduupp both of *hic* ya… I'm trying tooo sleep hereee *hic*."

Yup, the best guards they are.

After walking past them and go down the stair, the blond take away his cover and came face to face with a large metal door, again. The blond just groan and complaint about businessman loving large metal door for some reason.

But of course, a large metal door is no match for Naruto lock picking skill.

After hearing the satisfying 'clank' of the door opening, the blond walks inside, not before closing the door, though., least he wants is some bastards accidentally spotting him coming here.

What greeted him was a large arena like room, with large space and almost nothing inside. However, despite it being dark and almost devoid of stuffs, he could just barely heard the sounds of humans whimpers and breathing.

Walking near toward the sounds, the blond came headfirst into a metal bar, causing quite a loud sound from the impact.

"Ouch…" While rubbing his forehead, the blond took out another glow stick and light it.

Naruto eyes twitch when he saw inside the cell. People, of all age and genders, all huddles up against the far wall with rags as their clothing's. Fear not hidden within their eyes as they stare at him with the same emotion.

Then from the corner of his eyes, he spotted a pile of something piling up in the corner, only now his nose smells the familiar and yet distasteful smell.

It's the smell of dead body.

Emotion starts to rise up within the blond, dark emotion that he prefer to kept forever within him.

Kill

The thief winced as he holds his head in sudden pain as memory of the past came back to him.

Kill

All that blood, all of that lifeless body…

KILLKILLKILL

His breathing becomes hazard as his headache become stronger.

KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL

"SHUT UP!" Naruto yelled out, startling everyone in the room. Only when the headache gone and he catch up he breath the blond realized he just screamed out toward nobody. When he shifted his blue eyes toward them, they flinch in complete fear of what the thief will do to them, even some of the children started to cry.

Damn it, this is one of the reasons why he doesn't really like his scary crimson fox mask, it tend to scared children and some adults. But on the other hand, it's cool as hell and it fits him perfectly.

"I am Crimson Fox," Naruto introduced himself to the slaves, and when most of them perks up he realize most of them do knew him. Well it can't be help, considering he's the most bad ass freaking overlor-Uhm, Thief, yes. "From now on, you are all my stolen goods. So if you want to get out of this shit hole, do as I say and don't say anything, alright?"

Most of the nodded their heads in fear.

"Good, now-"

When Naruto heard a whizzing sound from his side, it was his reflexes that saves him. His body instantly ducked down, just in time to see a large sword whizzing past where his head was and stuck itself to the far wall.

"Hoo… So you dodged it."

Naruto snapped his head toward the source, finding a large muscular man with grey cameo pants and bandages covering his mouth. Oddly enough, he doesn't wear a shirt. Beside him stood a girlish figure wearing a green haori with white trimmings and around his waist a brown sash with a fringed trail wrapped around his waist twice.

The blonds eyes widened. "Y-you…"

"Hoo… So you know of me, thief?" The man asks with hints of smugness in his voice.

"You have no eyebrow!" Naruto plainly pointed out while pointing at his enemy in a surprised voice.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… I'm going to enjoy killing you, bastard!" The eyebrow less man proclaimed.

"This is the first time, in my entire life, being threatened by an eyebrow less man." Naruto said with amazement at himself for some reason. "You experienced something new every day."

Lots of tick marks appears on Zabuza head, "You little… Fine then, you little shit! Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Mist shall kill you!"

"Demon of the mist has no eyebrow? Man, what a letdown." The thief said with a sighs.

"YOU!"

In all of Haku's life, this is the first time seeing Zabuza, who can keep cool of himself most of the time, this fired up.

To be continued

Well guys, here's chapter two. I know I'm evil ending it here, but I really want to put this chapter, and I'm just that evil.

Now, expect more updates from me in the near future, I don't which one I will update…

Anyway, review please! This time I hope I can respond to it.