Hunter of Assassins

Hunter of Assassins

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Naruto x ?

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''Normal Speech''

Inner Thoughts, Dialogue, Musical Lyrics, or reading passages from books and scrolls.

(Quick Notes and Messages or Echoes.)

(Dark over lapping echoes)

''Boss Summons, Demons, Dark beings speaking, Possessions, Demonic/Angry characters speaking as well as extremely Dark spells and Magic.''

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Story Start

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They retreated to Naruto's apartment under the flickering neon of the closed pawnshop. Sylvia had insisted. Her condo was under surveillance, she said, and she did not want eyes on either of them tonight. She keyed the door and pushed it open with her shoulder. The place smelled of old wood, metal polish, and the faint trace of the ocean that always found its way inside no matter how many windows stayed shut.

Naruto limped across the threshold and dropped onto the worn sofa. The night had left marks. He peeled the flak vest away slowly. The sash around his torso peeled with it, stiff and dark where blood had soaked through. The barbed wire gash across his ribs pulled with every breath.

Sylvia moved without asking. She knew where he kept the med kit. She brought it back, knelt in front of him, and opened it on the low table. The single lamp threw her shadow long across the floor. She worked in silence at first, soaking a cloth with antiseptic. When she pressed it to the wound he hissed through his teeth.

"You saved dockworkers who meant nothing to you," she said quietly. Her fingers were steady even when the cloth came away red. "Why?"

He kept his voice level. "Because someone has to."

"That simple?"

"Always is."

She cleaned around the edges with care, then reached for gauze. The bandage went on tight enough to hold but not so tight it cut circulation. Her knuckles brushed bare skin more than once. She did not apologize for it. When the binding was done she sat back on her heels and looked at him for a long moment. The light caught the line of her throat and the soft shape of her shoulders under her blouse.

She picked up the needle and thread for the shallow cut along his side. He reached for it out of habit. Her hand covered his.

"Let me," she said. Her voice had dropped, husky now, carrying a tremor that had nothing to do with the usual cool tone she wore like armor.

He let go of the needle.

She threaded it and leaned in close. The first stitch went in clean. He felt the tug more than the prick. Outside, sirens rose and fell somewhere in the city. A train horn answered from the docks, long and low against the wind. Inside the room the only steady sounds were the thread sliding through skin and the two of them breathing.

When she tied the final knot she stayed where she was. One hand rested on his side, fingers spread over the fresh bandage and the older scars beneath it. She traced one without thinking, following the raised line with her fingertip.

"Why spare Shinobu but not Bad Girl?" she asked.

He met her eyes. "Shinobu fought out of grief. Bad Girl fought because she liked how pain tasted. There is a line."

Sylvia gave a small laugh that did not quite reach her eyes. "Or maybe you just like the cute ones who need saving."

"Maybe."

She did not move her hand. "If I asked you to walk away from the Association once this is done… what then?"

He looked at her for a long moment. The answer came out steady. "World is still full of broken things. I would just find the next one that needs mending."

She shook her head, but the motion was gentle. Moisture gathered along her lashes. She blinked it back, but not fast enough.

"You are infuriating," she whispered.

He lifted his good hand and brushed the tear from her cheek with his thumb. The touch lingered. She leaned into it instead of pulling away. The space between them shrank. Her knee pressed against his leg. Her other hand came up to rest on his chest, careful of the stitches.

She kissed him.

It started slow, her lips soft and warm against his. He answered without hesitation, one arm sliding around her waist to draw her closer. She shifted forward until she was half in his lap, careful of his injuries, her body fitting against him. The kiss deepened. Her tongue brushed his. A quiet sound left her throat. His fingers spread across the small of her back, feeling the curve there, the warmth of her through the thin fabric. She tasted like the night air and something sweeter underneath. Her hands moved to his shoulders, then up into his hair, holding him to her.

They stayed like that for a while, breathing each other in, the fight and the blood and the city outside all pushed back for these few minutes. Her body was soft where it pressed against his. He felt the quick beat of her heart against his chest.

Heavy footsteps echoed up the stairwell.

They broke apart, breathing harder than before. Sylvia reached over and killed the lamp. The room went dark except for the faint gray light leaking through the cracked blinds. They listened.

Naruto stood, ignoring the pull of fresh stitches, and crossed to the door. He opened it.

Travis Touchdown leaned against the frame, helmet tucked under one arm, red jacket scuffed and torn in places, face split by a tired grin. He held up a six pack.

"Yo, ninja dude," he said. "Figured you would need a beer after Pink Chainsaw Barbie."

Naruto studied him for a second, then stepped aside. Travis walked in, spotted Sylvia adjusting her blouse in the dim light, and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh hey, Princess Peach. Mind? I come in peace."

Sylvia rolled her eyes but there was a small curve to her mouth. She moved to the window and pulled the curtains the rest of the way shut.

"I am more of a Rosalina," she muttered.

Travis popped a can, dropped into the nearest kitchen chair, and took a long drink. "Listen. Shinobu is safe. I knocked her out cold, didn't kill her. Kid has guts. Grudges too. She will probably come looking for me again once rehab spits her out." He tipped an imaginary hat. "Respect."

Naruto sat back down on the sofa, careful of his side. "Why come here?"

Travis leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Henry Cooldown. Guy is playing chess while the rest of us are playing checkers. He wants a showdown. You, me, flashy rooftop at dawn crap. Told me tonight. Whoever survives gets to face Dark Star." He shrugged. "I want number one. But Valentine offered me a ticket out. Power upgrades. The whole package." He jerked a thumb at his own chest. "I am not selling my soul to that bastard. So I figured maybe we tag team this one."

Sylvia laughed softly from where she stood near the counter. "An alliance in a death ladder. How novel."

Travis ignored the jab and kept his eyes on Naruto. "Cool or not?"

Naruto watched him. The cocky front was still there, but something sharper sat behind Travis's eyes now. The same choice Valentine had offered, the same refusal. Maybe the kid was starting to see the bigger picture.

"Fine," Naruto said. "Temporary partnership."

Travis whooped, then winced and grabbed his side. "Jeez. That girl swung a bat the size of Kansas. Pretty sure she cracked ribs."

"Sit still," Naruto said, already reaching for fresh bandages.

Sylvia smirked. "So, the boys play nice. I will arrange an unsanctioned double match." She raised an eyebrow at Naruto. "You sure you trust him?"

"For now," Naruto answered as he cleaned the cut on Travis's forehead. "Besides, if he tries anything I will feel it coming."

Travis chuckled around another sip of beer. "Dude, I would pay cash money to watch you wreck Valentine. Let us keep it simple."

They talked for a while longer. Travis told a story about a previous fight that involved a stolen motorcycle and three angry ex-girlfriends. Naruto listened, adding a dry comment here and there that made Travis laugh. Sylvia stayed close, refilling water glasses, occasionally resting a hand on Naruto's shoulder or letting her fingers trail along his arm when she passed. Small touches. Quiet claims. He answered them with glances that lingered, with the way his hand found hers for a second when she set a glass down.

Eventually Sylvia made a call from the corner of the room, voice low, arranging the match so it would count in the rankings. When she finished she came back and sat on the arm of the sofa, close enough that her leg pressed against Naruto's.

They rested. Travis dozed in the chair for a bit. Naruto and Sylvia sat in the quiet, her head against his shoulder, his arm around her waist.

Pink light crept across the horizon when they left the apartment. Naruto and Travis crossed Santa Destroy on foot, the morning air cool and carrying salt from the ocean. Gulls wheeled overhead, crying sharp and lonely. The streets were still mostly empty, shop shutters half raised, a few early workers already moving with coffee cups in hand.

They reached Saint Claudius Cathedral and climbed the scaffold on the east tower. Metal rungs were slick with dew. Their boots rang softly on the way up. At the top the roof tiles glistened. The belfry rose above them, old stone dark against the brightening sky.

Henry Cooldown waited there. Slim in a navy suit and charcoal overcoat, hair slicked smooth by the wind. A beam katana hummed in each hand, one crimson, one indigo, the plasma edges flickering like caged lightning.

He looked genuinely pleased. "Splendid. Two for the price of one."

Travis swung his own beam katana in a loose circle. "Mind if we skip dinner and get straight to third base?" He winked. "That means arteries, in case you are feeling proper today."

Henry's mouth twitched. "Your vulgarity is only outdone by your mediocrity." His gaze slid to Naruto. "But you… you are an enigma worth unsheathing steel for."

The sun cleared the jagged skyline, a burning disc that painted every blade copper gold.

Naruto drew his hybrid nodachi. The beam edge woke with a clean white blue glow. Travis powered his sword, magenta plasma flaring bright. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.

The bell tolled six times, deep and solemn. On the seventh stroke Henry moved.

He went for Travis first, crimson blade sweeping low and fast. Travis parried, sparks showering from the clash. The indigo sword came right behind it, arcing for Naruto's ribs. Naruto twisted aside, caught the strike on his nodachi, and answered with a quick riposte that forced Henry to pivot hard. Stone chips flew where Henry's heel dug in for balance.

They moved across the rooftop in a lethal braid. Travis fought with wild energy, mixing beam katana slashes with sudden wrestling lunges and heavy footwork that shook the tiles. Naruto flowed between strikes, disciplined arcs blending with sudden bursts of speed that left faint blue trails in the air. Henry fought like a man solving a living equation, every step measured, every angle anticipated before it opened.

Travis tried a Tiger Suplex, grabbing for Henry and heaving. Henry slipped the hold like water, spun, and drove a knee into Travis's ribs. The younger man hit the roof hard, skidding a few feet.

Naruto stepped in before Henry could finish it. Blades locked, faces close. Henry's breath stayed calm. His eyes were bright.

"Join me, Naruto. Together we could end Valentine."

Naruto shoved off, breaking the lock. "I end threats my way."

Travis pushed back to his feet, wheezing. "Little help here, man!"

They had talked it through on the walk over. Simple plan. Travis lunged high, feinting at Henry's head. Naruto dropped low and channeled wind into a rising slash. The gust caught Henry's coat and yanked him off balance. Travis's beam katana clipped the shoulder, burning fabric and skin. Blood welled.

Henry touched the wound, looked at the red on his fingers, and sighed. "Messy."

He sheathed both swords for a heartbeat. Then he drew an antique pistol with a pearl handle and aimed at Travis. The trigger clicked. No bullet. A puff of violet dust burst into Travis's face instead.

Travis choked on it. His limbs jerked once, twice, then gave out. He dropped, sword extinguishing.

"Neuro silencer," Henry said, eyes still on Naruto. "Temporary. I prefer clean tests."

He drew only the crimson katana and saluted. "Your move."

They clashed hard. Steel rang. Beams snarled. Naruto's speed let him press in close more than once, his blade coming within inches of Henry's guard. Henry's footwork kept shifting the fight toward the roof edge, forcing Naruto to watch his footing on the slick tiles. One wrong step and the drop to the street below would end it.

Naruto formed a Rasengan in his free hand, the swirling blue orb spinning fast and loud. Henry reacted instantly, throwing a flash pellet to the tiles. White light burst, blinding for a second. A slash followed. Naruto felt it nick his forearm. Blood flicked across the stone.

He rolled clear, vision still starred. Henry came after him, red blade descending like a falling star.

Naruto answered with a vortex slice. Wind roared off the nodachi and sheared away the upper lip of the bell tower. Rubble tumbled down the side in a rattling cascade. Henry leaped back, coat flaring wide, the first real retreat of the fight.

Naruto closed the distance in a blur. He swung for a decapitating cut. Henry parried. Naruto released the nodachi with his left hand mid swing, let momentum carry it, and grabbed Henry's sword arm at the wrist. He locked the joint and wrenched, spinning Henry hard. The crimson blade clattered free.

Henry elbowed back, sharp and desperate. Naruto ducked, planted a foot behind Henry's heel, and hurled him into the bell.

The bell rang with a thunderous CLANG that shook the whole tower. Pigeons exploded from their nests in a white storm of wings and frantic cries. Henry staggered, hands going to his ears.

Naruto caught his nodachi and charged again. Henry pulled a second pistol, this one loaded. He fired. Naruto tilted his head. The bullet grazed his ribs, hot and shallow. Blood ran.

Then the beam edge met flesh. Naruto's strike cut through the pistol, through Henry's wrist, through coat and bone in one unbroken line. The severed hand dropped. The stump cauterized instantly under the plasma. Henry gasped, clutching the smoking end of his arm. Blood sizzled where it hit the hot blade.

He sagged against the bell, breath ragged, eyes still sharp with something like respect.

"Well calculated," he said.

Naruto raised the sword.

Henry lifted his remaining hand, palm out. "Finish it. You have earned rank two. But know this. Valentine plays for a higher throne. He will unleash Project Shatterglass tonight if Dark Star falls. That means worlds burn."

Naruto's grip tightened. "Then stand with me."

Henry chuckled. Blood stained his teeth. "Too late. My sins were welded in long ago." His gaze drifted skyward where the gulls still wheeled. "Strike."

Naruto let out a slow breath. The sword fell.

Henry died with that faint, almost smile still touching his mouth.

Travis coughed and stirred a minute later. He pushed up on one elbow, saw Naruto standing over the body, and gave a weak grin.

"Lemme guess," he rasped. "Rank two now?"

Naruto offered a hand. Travis took it and let himself be hauled upright.

"Yeah," Naruto said. "But Valentine is moving. We need Dark Star alive long enough to get answers."

Travis wiped dust from his face and laughed once, short and rough. "Dark Star is a myth. Cosmic cult garbage."

"He is still my next fight," Naruto answered. He looked out over the city. The sun sat fully above the skyline now, turning the clouds the color of old blood. Somewhere down there Valentine was already setting pieces in motion.

He turned to Travis. "You in?"

Travis wiped more dust away and gave that same tired, cocky grin. "Bro, I was born in. Let us go smash some glass."

Below, Santa Destroy woke up. Sirens, car horns, music spilling from an early bar, the steady human noise of the city rising with the day. Above, the dawn kept bleeding across the sky.

Naruto tightened the sash on his katana. The blade hummed in time with the steady drum in his chest. Two battles left. Dark Star. And the man pulling every string.

This time he would not walk into it alone.

Sylvia met them at the base of the tower when they climbed down. She had a car waiting, engine idling. She took one look at the blood on Naruto's side and the way Travis favored his ribs, then opened the back door without a word. They piled in. She drove them away from the cathedral while the city kept waking around them.

In the back seat Travis cracked another beer he had somehow kept cold and handed it over. Naruto took it. Sylvia glanced at them in the rearview mirror, her eyes soft for a second before the usual cool mask slid back into place.

"Dark Star's next," she said. "Association already confirmed the match. Tonight."

Naruto nodded. "We will be ready."

Travis raised his can in a half salute. "Damn right we will."

Sylvia reached back with one hand and found Naruto's fingers. She squeezed once, quick and fierce, then returned her hand to the wheel.

The car rolled on through the waking streets. Somewhere ahead, Dark Star waited. Somewhere beyond that, Valentine prepared his endgame.

Naruto watched the city blur past the window, Sylvia's warmth still lingering on his hand, Travis's steady presence at his side.

He was not dancing alone anymore.