Two months had passed since Naruto and Team 10 completed their mission to the Sand Village. During that time, life had been somewhat eventful for Naruto. He had attended numerous council meetings, especially with the Chunin Exams now only three months away. Construction on the stadium began just a week after his return. Tazuna brought workers from the Land of Waves and hired additional help from the Leaf Village to speed up the project. Naruto was genuinely surprised by the number of villagers who signed up to work under Tazuna. With more people working, the village's economy has grown significantly over the past two months, something the council was especially pleased with.
It was nighttime in the village, and Naruto was walking toward the commercial district. He enjoyed the cool night breeze against his face, taking in the lively scene around him. The village was glowing; shop lights lit up the streets, restaurants buzzed with activity, and couples filled the streets on evening dates. Naruto couldn't help but smile. The atmosphere was peaceful, warm, and alive. He continued walking for another five minutes before stopping in front of a two-story building. Looking up at the sign above the entrance, Naruto smiled proudly as he read the sign: Senju Shipping Co. As he stepped inside, his thoughts drifted back to the council meeting held the day after he returned from the Sand Village. It was during that meeting that he had secured the land for the building, among other things.
*Flashback: Council Chambers*
All members of the council were currently present inside the council chambers. The only empty seat was that of the Uchiha Clan. Naruto was sitting in his seat as the acting head of the Senju Clan, observing the various interactions of the council members. The Third Hokage had yet to arrive, so the session could not begin without him present. Across from him, the civilians on the council were whispering amongst themselves, mostly about useless things Naruto found unimportant. On the Shinobi side of the council, most of the Clan heads just sat there silently, or in the Nara clan head's case, resting his head on the table.
"Anyone got any idea what this meeting is supposed to be about?" Tsume Inuzuka asked loudly.
"The bridge builder from the Land of Waves recently arrived in the village, so I am assuming it's about the construction that needs to be done to the stadium," Naruto replied, looking down the table at the Inuzuka Clan's head. As he finished speaking, the side doors of the council chambers swung open, getting everyone's attention. Glancing behind him, Naruto saw the Hokage walking into the room, followed by his two advisors and Danzo. The Third Hokage took his seat at the center table while Danzo and his advisors sat on three smaller tables, which lined the far wall.
"Hello, everyone!" Lord Hokage said as he sat down. "Thank you all for coming. Hopefully, this will be a short council session today," he said, looking around the room, smiling at everyone.
"Hopefully we don't have any delays by people trying to kill me again," Naruto joked with a slight smirk tugging against his lips. The Third Hokage and a few members of the Shinobi council chuckled at Naruto's statement while sneaking glances at Danzo. The old war-hawk did not show any outward response, but they all knew he was seething on the inside.
"I'm sure we won't have anything like that happen this time, my boy," the Hokage said with a light chuckle. "But on with Today's agenda," he said, seriously getting everyone's attention. "The builder from the Land of Waves has accepted our commission to upgrade the Stadium," he said, glancing around the room.
"How much will it cost?" one of the merchants on the civilian side of the council asked. Lord Third took a drag from his pipe and exhaled a stream of smoke before he responded.
"It will cost about $12 million," the Hokage answered, surprising everyone.
"I take it that's his discounted price?" Naruto asked, looking at the Hokage.
"Correct, and he has agreed to hire those in the village willing to work as well," he replied as he leaned back into his chair. "Which should benefit the village to an extent," he added.
"The return we will receive in business from the chunin exams will at least double our investment," Inoichi said from down the table.
"I agree with Lord Yamanaka," Mebuki Haruno said from directly across Naruto.
"Anyone object?" Lord Third asked, looking around the room. Everyone remained silent, causing the aged Hokage to nod. "The only issue now is the raw materials," he said with a sigh. It would take a while for them to obtain the necessary amount of lumber from the various sawmills around the Land of Fire, which in turn would delay the start of construction.
"The Senju clan can provide all the lumber needed," Naruto said, seriously grabbing everyone's attention.
"Are you sure, Naruto?" Lord Third asked, looking at the young blonde.
"It's no problem for me," Naruto replied as he held his hand out in front of him. A moment later, a small wooden beam burst forth from his palm, extending to the civilian side. Everyone, barring the Hokage, had their eyes widened in pure amazement. This was their first time seeing the famed bloodline of the First Hokage. Granted, it was not anything special that Naruto was doing, but in the eyes of those who have only heard stories from their grandparents or read about it in textbooks, it was amazing to witness firsthand.
"Amazing," one of the civilians whispered out as she stared in awe at the wooden beam. The wooden beam broke off his palm, and Naruto caught it, holding it up for everyone to see.
"The lumber I would supply would be infused with chakra, making it stronger to withstand attacks during the exams, and it will overall last longer," Naruto said, passing the beam to the Hokage.
"He's right, Hiruzen," came the voice of one of his advisors, getting everyone's attention. Looking past the Hokage, everyone could see it was Koharu who spoke. "There are still buildings standing tall today that Lord Hashirama built," she said, causing Lord Third and her partner Homura to nod in agreement.
"What's your price?" Danzo asked gruffly, his tone cutting through the room's reverent silence, capturing everyone's attention for a brief moment before they all turned towards Naruto, who couldn't stop himself from smirking as he turned and looked at the Hokage.
"I only require two things," he began, causing a few people to raise an eyebrow at him. "First, I want a plot of land in the commercial district," he said, surprising some council members. Those who weren't surprised were already aware of Naruto's 'acquisition' of Gato Transports, now named the Senju Shipping Co.. "And secondly, I want exclusive say on who gets advertisement rights at the stadium for the chunin exams," he said, this time surprising everyone inside the council chambers.
*Flashback End!*
As Naruto stepped through the doors of the Senju Shipping Co., the faint scent of fresh wood and parchment greeted him. The interior was warm and earthy, with smooth wooden walls and support beams crafted from chakra-infused timber, a signature of his Wood Style. The floors gleamed with a soft lacquered finish, each step quiet and sturdy beneath his feet. To the left was a modest front desk, manned by a young clerk diligently sorting through scroll manifests and delivery ledgers. The clerk was actually one of Naruto's shadow clones, transformed to resemble a young woman. Behind them, a wall-mounted board displayed a rotating map of the Land of Fire with glowing pins indicating current routes, active shipments, and priority deliveries. The main floor was open and organized, lined with wooden shelving units stacked with sealed crates, scroll racks, and labeled storage boxes. Each bore the Senju clan crest, painted in green and gold. The right wall held a series of sliding cabinets filled with pre-written contracts, permit forms, and alliance documents. At the far wall, nestled between two tall wooden support pillars, was a reinforced oak door marked "Authorized Personnel Only." It led to the basement; a secure lower level used for preparing high-priority shipments. Only trusted employees had access to it, and the door was sealed with a subtle chakra-lock tied to Naruto's seal. A spiral staircase at the far end led to the second floor, where Naruto kept his office. The glass windows lining the upstairs floor offered a clear view of the commercial district, allowing him to stay connected to the village he loved. Everything about the space was functional yet refined, reflecting both the legacy of the Senju name and Naruto's personal touch. It wasn't just a shipping company. It was a declaration that the Senju Clan had returned, and it was building a future.
"Hey, Boss!" the disguised clone said in a feminine voice. It had honestly taken Naruto a few days to get used to hearing one of his clones sounding like that.
"Hey 'Rika'," Naruto replied with a smirk as he walked up to the desk. "How was business today?" he asked, leaning against the desk.
"Not too busy today," Rika replied cheerfully. "Had a few merchants stop by to inquire about our trading routes. I think business is going to be picking up soon," she said, earning a thoughtful nod from Naruto.
"Seems I need to see about getting you some help then," he said with a sigh. Finding someone he could trust to run things here for him was harder than he had first thought. Most people who sign up to work for him are more interested in his Clan and his bloodline. He had no doubt Danzo would try to sneak one of his people in to spy on Naruto's business. Danzo was the main reason Naruto had taken extra precautions with this new building. He added extra security seals to the basement and his office to severely punish anyone who would try to enter without his permission.
"That would be great!" Rika beamed, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow at her.
They're enjoying this way too much," Naruto thought, narrowing his eyes slightly at the clone.
"Anyway, I am going to check out some stuff downstairs," he said, pushing away from the desk and beginning to make his way to the door on the far wall. Arriving at the door, he bit his thumb and smeared some of his blood across the seal. He then placed his palm over the seal and channeled his chakra into it. The seal glowed faintly for a second before returning to its original state. Naruto then pulled the door open and made his way down to the basement.
The basement was primarily used for storing high-value cargo. Large crates lined either side of the space, each bearing the Senju clan symbol. Naruto stood in place for two minutes before he held up a half-snake seal in one hand and focused his chakra. From his back, a wooden copy of himself sprouted out and stood next to him. Naruto and his clone looked at each other and nodded before the clone made its way up the stairs and back out the door to the main floor. Naruto could hear his clone bidding Rika goodnight as it exited the shop. That clone would distract anyone who was keeping track of him while he conducted the business he came out to do tonight. At the far wall of the basement, Naruto placed his palm against the stone and channeled chakra into it. A large sealing matrix shimmered into view, glowing faintly before vanishing to reveal a concealed doorway. Opening the door revealed a tunnel on the other side, a tunnel made using the Earth Ninjutsu and reinforced with Naruto's Wood Release. Before entering the tunnel, Naruto weaved through three hand signs and concentrated intensely.
"Wood Style: Transformation," he murmured, forming the final hand sign. Roots rose from the floor, wrapping around him in a twisting cocoon. A soft puff of smoke followed, and when it cleared, a tall man with brown hair and black eyes stood in his place. Looking himself over, Naruto found the physical transformation to be satisfactory.
"Test… test," he muttered, his voice cracking slightly as he worked to mask his natural tone. "Ten tiny toads tiptoed through torrential thunder toward the Hokage's tower," he recited, his voice dropping deeper with each repetition. "Ten tiny toads tiptoed through torrential thunder toward the Hokage's tower." This time, it came out smooth and low, perfect. Smiling to himself, he pulled the hood over his head and stepped into the tunnel, closing the door behind him. The tunnel was long and poorly lit, and the sound of his steel-toed boots echoed throughout the tunnel. He walked for about fifteen minutes before arriving at the end of the tunnel. At the end, there was a ladder leading to the surface. He climbed the ladder and undid the security seals on the exit, then climbed out and resealed the exit shut. Looking around at his surroundings, he was currently in an alleyway between two abandoned warehouses. There was no light currently in the alleyway, and his black hooded coat ensured that he blended in with his surroundings.
Making his way to the entrance of the alley, he navigated the many obstacles that were scattered about in the alley. Stopping at the entrance, he looked out across the street at the alley on the other side before dashing across the street and into another dark alley. He continued this process, traveling only to his destination under the cover of darkness, using the alleyways as cover. He continued for about fifteen minutes before arriving in an alleyway in the Red-Light District. Stepping out of the alley, he began walking calmly through the street. The streets of the Red-Light District were not as well-lit as those of the commercial district; most of its lighting came from the various bars and brothels that lined the area. Naruto couldn't help but take in the sights all around him. The streets were filled with drunk civilians and shinobi alike, staggering from one side to the next. In certain parts, scantily clad girls stood outside of their respective brothels, trying to persuade men and women who walked past to join them inside for some entertainment. Naruto ignored all the offers he received and continued walking. He ultimately came to a stop in front of a lone brothel between two bars with a neon sign that read: 'Red Lotus'. Unlike the other brothels Naruto had passed on his way there, this one did not have any girls outside trying to seduce men, it did not have any loud music playing, and most of all, it did not appear as though there were any customers inside. Adjusting his hood and sneaking glances around him to check if anyone was paying attention to him, which they weren't. Naruto then walked up to the entrance and slid the door open.
"Oh! A customer!" came a bubbly voice greeting Naruto as he entered. Looking to his left, he saw a young woman in her early to mid-20s, with her hair tied up in a bun, wearing nothing but a loose robe over what appeared to be black lingerie. Naruto had to admit, she was pretty attractive. She was standing behind a small podium with a large ledger in front of her. "Would you be interested in some company tonight?" she asked with a smile. Naruto looked around the brothel and saw that, apart from the girls who worked there, he was the only person present. There was light music playing, but all around were the girls, some in more clothes than others, sitting around with bored expressions on all of their faces. "Sir?" the girl said, snapping Naruto out of his musing.
"Apologies," he replied in his deep voice with a slight bow. "I am here to see the Madame of this establishment, actually," he said smoothly. The girl eyed him carefully for a few seconds, trying to get a better look under his hood, before she responded.
"Sorry, Sir," she said, smiling sweetly with a smile that Naruto knew was fake. "Lady Yoru is quite busy right now," she said smoothly. Naruto smirked under his hood before he brought his hand up and rested it on top of the ledger she had in front of her. When he removed his hand, a small stack of cash was left resting there.
"That's unfortunate," he said smoothly as he removed his hand. "Do you think she will have time for me this evening?" he asked lowly. The girl's eyes widened at the sight of the cash, and she immediately looked around to see if anyone saw. She breathed out a sigh of relief as no one seemed to have seen the cash; all the girls on the floor were focused on the mystery hooded man rather than her, and from the way Naruto was standing, he blocked the view of the podium. She quickly snatched the money from the ledger and tucked it away, where Naruto could only imagine.
"Right this way, Sir," she said with a smile, stepping out from behind the podium. She began leading Naruto further into the brothel. As they walked through the open floor of the brothel, girls would try to seduce Naruto, offering themselves to him even though none of them could see what he looked like. Naruto followed the girl through a series of corridors and up a slight set of stairs to the second floor, where they arrived at a long hallway lined with numerous rooms on either side. At the end of the hallway was a large, double door, well-decorated with two men standing outside as guards. Naruto assumed that behind those doors was the madame of this brothel; he was proven to be right in his assumption when the girl began leading him down the hallway towards those doors. As they got closer, his attention turned to the two men standing guard at the door. Judging from the amount of chakra they currently have, he surmised that they are both former shinobi.
"Judging from their chakra levels, they could barely pass a chunin," he thought as he studied the men from under his hood. The two likely did not have what it takes to become chunins and decided to quit the shinobi life. Being bodyguards is likely paid better than D-rank missions. With their level of skill, Naruto was not worried about being discovered to be under a transformation jutsu. It was the reason he used the Wood Release version of the transformation jutsu; it would be difficult for most jonins to discover it, much less two failed genin. As they approached the door, the girl turned to Naruto and spoke.
"Please wait here a moment," she said with a smile and a bow before turning around and walking through the large double doors, leaving Naruto alone with the two bodyguards. Naruto stood there in silence while the two men guarding the doors were trying to size him up, trying to intimidate him with their body language. He shook his head and ignored the two. He instead began focusing on the chakra signatures around him, wanting to ensure there were no unwanted listeners present to eavesdrop on his conversations. Currently, there are only three people other than himself with a chakra pool large enough to be considered a shinobi. Two of them were standing guard at the door, and the other was within the room that lay behind the doors. After waiting for about five more minutes, the doors swung open once more, and the young woman exited, leaving the doors open behind her. "The Lady will see you now," she said with a bow. Naruto nodded and made his way towards the room, walking between the two guards, not sparing them a glance. As he entered the room, he closed the doors behind him and scanned the room.
The air inside was still faintly perfumed with jasmine and sandalwood, but the scent was old, clinging to the fabric rather than freshly burned. The lighting was dim, cast by a single half-functional paper lantern that buzzed softly in protest. The room still clung to the remnants of its past elegance. The once-pristine plum-colored drapes lining the walls were now faded and fraying at the edges, their golden embroidery dulled with age. A few sections sagged slightly where the hooks had come loose. The floor creaked beneath even the lightest steps, the polished wood worn thin in the places she paced most often. At the center of the room was a small rectangular table with two couches on either side. Standing behind the far couch was the madame of the Red Lotus, the Lady Yoru. She was in her early thirties, with long, black hair that flowed down past her hips. She wore a beautiful red kimono with golden embroidery that flowed with her curves. Even though her brothel was in a tough state of affairs, her beauty still shone through.
"I take it you are the mysterious gentleman who wishes to meet with me?" she asked, breaking Naruto out of his surveying. "So much so that he is willing to pay a large sum of money just for an audience," she added, holding up the small stack of money Naruto had used to bribe the hostess. He chuckled at the sight of the stack.
"Loyalty...good," he thought to himself. He then reached into his coat, pulled out a small tag with seals drawn on it. He reached behind him and slapped the tag over the seam where the two doors meet before channeling some chakra into the tag. Yoru's eyes widened in shock when she saw what Naruto was doing.
"Explosive tag!" she thought in a panic before flicking her wrist, launching two kunai in Naruto's direction. Without looking, Naruto skillfully caught both kunais with one hand, surprising her. Just then, runes began spreading out from the tag on the door, covering the entire room before they all disappeared. Naruto then turned to the woman and took off his hood, revealing his "face."
"There, now we can talk," he said smoothly as he walked forward and took a seat on the couch nearest to him, placing the two kunais on the small table in front of them. He looked up at the woman still standing behind the sofa, staring at him with a slightly terrified look on her face. After seeing how easily he caught her kunais, she realized that the man in front of her was much more skilled than she was. "Please, have a seat," he said smoothly, gesturing for her to take a seat across from him.
"Who are you?" Yoru asked as she carefully walked around and sat down across from him. "And what do you want?" she asked, her eyes glancing at the tag he placed on the door. At first, she thought it was an explosive tag, but it appears to be something else entirely, something she was unfamiliar with. "And what's that tag you placed on my door?" she asked nervously.
"You sure have a lot of questions," Naruto said with a chuckle. "But I suppose it's only natural," he added, folding one of his legs over the other. Yoru was unnerved by how calm he was; she had no control over the current situation, and he was aware of it. "You can call me Mr. Black," Naruto said with a smirk. "And as for that tag," he turned and looked at the tag stuck to the doors. "It's a privacy seal. I did not want this conversation to be overheard," he said, surprising her and piquing her curiosity.
"So no one outside can hear anything that is happening here?" she asked while staring at the tag with interest.
"That is correct," he replied with a nod. Her curiosity was immediately replaced with terror as she realized that if he were to attack her, no one would hear her screams. Getting a good idea of the thought that was running through her mind, Naruto spoke up. "Be at ease, I mean you no harm," he said calmly in an attempt to get her to relax.
"What is it exactly you want?" she asked carefully, eying the man in front of her with suspicion. Naruto smiled at her before he replied.
"I have a proposition for you," he said as he reached into his coat and pulled out a small sealing scroll. He unrolled the scroll in front of the table between the two and unsealed its contents. After a small puff of smoke, a black briefcase appeared on the table between the two. Naruto opened the latches on either side of the case and opened it, revealing that it was filled with cash. Yoru's eyes widened at the amount of money that was in front of her. Never in her life had she seen such a large amount of money in one place, not even when her business was at its peak. "That's $500,000," Naruto said, shocking her once more.
"With that much, I could pay back some of the money I owe," she thought, staring into the briefcase, losing herself in the allure of all that money. Naruto then slammed the lid of the briefcase shut, snapping her out of her trance.
"Seems I have your attention," Naruto said with a smile.
"What is it exactly you want from me?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I want to employ your services," he said smoothly with a smirk. "You get to keep that cash, and all you have to do is provide me with information on some of the people who request your little establishment when I ask for it," he finished, causing her to chuckle.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but there isn't exactly a line outside the door of people rushing to spend their money here," she said in a slightly frustrated tone.
"I'm well aware of that," Naruto replied calmly with a smile. "That will change," he added, causing her to raise an eyebrow at him.
"Oh? And do tell, how exactly is that going to change?" she asked, raising her voice slightly. Her confidence had grown dramatically since she saw the money in the briefcase and heard Naruto's proposal. The fear she had a couple of minutes ago was no longer there.
"Simple, we just put your competitors out of business," he stated, causing Yoru's eyebrow to twitch slightly. It bugged her how carefree he was about her situation. He made it sound like it was such an easy thing to do, putting her biggest competitors out of business. "Do you want to know why your competitors are having so much success while you are having none?" he asked in a calm voice.
"Because they let their clients do whatever they want to those girls," she spat out in a disgusted tone. "I would never let one of those drunk rich bastards harm one of my girls," she said, staring at him fiercely.
"Commendable," Naruto replied with a nod. "But that is not the reason," he stated, surprising her slightly. "Unlike you, all of your competitors are in good favor with the civilians on the council," he said thoughtfully. Naruto had done his research before coming here. He knew everything about Lady Yoru, her competitors, and the small power struggle currently occurring within the Red-Light District. "All we need to do is remove their support on the council and get you in the good graces of someone on the council," he stated with a confident smirk.
"You make it sound so easy," she said sarcastically, earning a chuckle from Naruto.
"Oh, but it is easy," Naruto replied confidently, "I can get you an in not just with the council but with someone on the shinobi side of the council," he stated, causing her eyes to widen in shock. She knew all too well that it was the shinobi who ran the village; they had the final say on everything. Although there were civilians on the council, they were merely there to offer their opinions on matters; they held no sway whatsoever.
"So let me get this straight," she began, leaning forward a bit. "You are going to pay me $500,000, put my competitors out of business, and get me in the good graces of one of the clan heads on the shinobi council, and all you want in return is information?" she asked in a suspicious tone. It all sounded too good to be true in her mind.
"Don't be ridiculous," Naruto replied in a serious tone. "Do you think I am giving you that $500,000 out of the goodness of my heart?" he asked, tilting his head to one side. Yoru bit her lips and cursed herself internally as a feeling of dread washed over her. "That money is to buy you out," he stated in a calm voice. Her eyes widened slightly as realization hit her. "You will continue to work here as the madame, of course, but I will be the one in charge," he stated with a smirk.
"And what makes you think I will even agree to any of this?" she asked, causing him to grin at her. His confident grin unnerved her; it sucked all the confidence she had a few moments ago right back out of her. She now felt more like a wounded animal before a ferocious beast.
"You'll agree," Naruto replied confidently as he leaned forward and opened the briefcase once more, giving her a view of all the money. "Because in all honesty, you don't have any other options," he said. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist in anger and frustration. She was well aware of her situation more than anyone else, but to have it thrown in her face like this and used as a tool for negotiations made her blood boil. "I know how much debt you've racked up trying to keep this establishment of yours open. I also know that at this point you won't be able to keep the doors open much longer," he stated as he brought his hand up to his chin as if she was thinking. "I'd venture a guess that you have less than a month before you will have to close this place down for good," he said, looking around at the room. She didn't say anything; she couldn't. She just sat there, staring at the man in front of her, powerless.
"I-i could make it work," she whispered. Naruto shook his head sympathetically at her before he responded.
"No," he said softly. "No, you can't," he said, causing her to bite her lip. "Once this place shuts down, your girls are going to find another place to work easily with your competitors. And then it'll be just you that's left," he stated, laying out her future before her. "And then what are you going to do when the debt collectors come to collect?" he asked, staring at her intently. She had no response for him. "I'm offering you a way out of the hole you're in, a chance to breathe easily again," he said as he leaned forward. She said nothing, just stared at the briefcase of money in front of her in a trance as a million thoughts rushed through her head. All she could think about was what she would have to do to pay everything back if the brothel closed its doors, or what they would do to her. The thoughts sent a shiver down her spine.
"The girls..." she thought as her mind drifted to the girls who worked for her. A lot of them were in difficult situations of their own, and she knew what would happen to them if they went to work for one of the other brothels. They would be abused, beaten, and forced to do all sorts of depraved acts by the drunken bastards who frequent those places. "I can't let that happen," she thought as she gripped the fabric of her kimono. "I can't!" she repeated to herself.
"My girls will be looked after?' she asked, her eyes glancing up to meet his.
"That will be up to you," Naruto responded, noticing the conviction in her eyes. "As I mentioned, you will still be the madame," he stated, leaning back into the couch. "Of course, that means you will get a 30% cut from everything we earn here," he added with a smile. She was surprised by that piece of information as she had not expected him to give her a cut of the profits. She had initially expected that he would pay her a salary or something similar.
"I'll do it," she said with conviction in her voice as she stood up from the couch. She did not trust the man in front of her one bit. At times during this whole interaction, he downright terrified her, but right now, he was the only lifeline she had, and she seriously doubted another would come in time. Naruto looked up at her and chuckled before motioning for her to sit back down.
"Slow down," he said as he motioned for her to sit. "There is still a catch that you have to be aware of," he admitted, making her nervous. "I need to make sure my interest in all this is protected. And by interest, I mean my involvement in what's about to transpire," he stated, folding his arms across his chest. "I can't have you suddenly developing cold feet and running to the authorities or having my involvement slipping out somehow," he said in a serious tone while staring at her with icy eyes. "That's where this comes into play," he said, flicking his wrist, producing a small piece of circular paper with an intricate seal drawn on it.
"What is that?" she asked in a fearful voice as she stared at the paper he held in his hand. She may not have been a kunoichi for long, but she was one long enough to know the dangers of seals.
"I call this the Deadman's Oath Seal," he stated as he stared at the seal. "This will prevent you from speaking, writing, or otherwise communicating any matters concerning what we spoke about here today, and any future dealings we conduct together," he stated with a smile as he stared at the shocked woman. "If you try to communicate to anyone about anything I deem to be restricted information, this seal will automatically activate, inflicting severe pain and temporary paralysis," he said coldly as the air in the room suddenly shifted and his eyes became colder. "The more you resist the seal and try to spill any secrets, the more pain you will be in until the seal triggers the termination mechanism, killing you," he said, causing her eyes to widen in horror as she stared at the little piece of paper in Naruto's hand. "So, still want to join me?" he asked with a mock chuckle. She hesitated for a long while before she spoke.
"I-i do," she stuttered out. If there were other options available to her, she would have taken them, but right now, all she had was the beast sitting across from her.
"Wonderful," Naruto said cheerily as he stood up with a wide smile. Seeing him stand up, she jumped to her feet, not knowing what he was about to do. "No need to panic, just need to put this on you," he said, gesturing to the seal in his hand.
"W-where does it need to go?" she asked, clearly still nervous about the whole situation.
"At the back of your neck," Naruto replied as he walked around the table towards where the woman was standing. She slowly nodded and turned her back to him, something that terrified her. He walked up to her, sliding his hand under her long flowing hair, pulling it aside. He placed the paper just over the nape of her neck, right where the brain stem was located, and channeled his chakra into the paper. Yoru felt a burning sensation at the very same spot as the seal engraved itself into her skin. Removing the paper, he saw the seal visible on the back of her neck before it slowly faded into her skin, disappearing from view. "All done," he said as he stepped away from the woman. She brought her hand up to her neck and rubbed the spot where the seal was imprinted, but she couldn't feel anything there.
"So what now?" she asked, turning to him to see him putting his hood back on, getting ready to leave.
"Now, you fix this place up," he said, looking around at the worn-down office. "And pay off some of your debt," he added, glancing at the open briefcase on the table. "You also might want to put that somewhere safe," he said, causing her to shut the case and seal it inside the same scroll Naruto unsealed it from.
"Right," she said, tucking the scroll into her kimono. Naruto nodded to her from under his hood and turned to leave.
"I'll be in touch," he said, walking up to the door, about to rip the tag off of it.
"Wait!" she yelled out, stopping him. "How will I contact you?" she asked. He turned his head to the side and replied.
"You don't," he said, bluntly surprising her. "I'll contact you if anything comes up," he added, turning back to the door.
"What if there is a problem?" she asked, stepping closer to him. Naruto turned around and stared at her coldly.
"I am about to make you the queen of the Red-Light District and one of the biggest players in this village," he stated, stopping her in her tracks. "I suggest you figure out how to rule," he said before turning around and ripping the tag off the door. He then swung the door open, startling the two guards outside. Without another word, he just left, leaving a stunned Yoru standing in place. Naruto walked down the hallway and back down the stairs in long strides. As he exited the brothel, he tucked himself into a nearby alleyway and disappeared via the body flicker technique.
*Senju Compound*
Naruto appeared inside the main house of the compound in a swirl of leaves. When he appeared, he saw the clone he had made earlier standing in the kitchen preparing dinner. Smiling at the clone, he dropped the transformation and returned to his normal appearance. Nodding to the original, the clone walked up to Naruto and extended his arm. Naruto took his arm before it turned into wood as he began to reabsorb the wood back into his body.
"Another productive day in the books," he said to himself as he walked over to finish the dinner the clone had started preparing.
**Chapter End**
That's another chapter in the books, Folks! The Chunin Exams start in the next chapter.
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