Naruto: The Outsider's Resolve: CH_227

“Sueo! Get me a drink!” said a tall and burly man who sat down behind his dirty and cluttered desk with his feet on the tabletop.

“Coming right up, boss!”

Bunji joined his fingers behind his head and looked around the police station run by his gang mates. Several months ago, he would’ve felt disgusted stepping into the place, but now he ran it like it was his house. The dogs who meddled in his business, trying to put him behind bars for doing ‘legitimate’ business, were no longer part of the police force. The dogs were kicked out, and the Renge Gang replaced them in the Bentetsu Street police station.

It was like a dream, but it was reality, and he absolutely loved it. He couldn’t be happier with where his life was. No more living in the dark when he could run his territory like he owned it.

He wasn’t sure about the shinobi when they invaded the city and took over, but when the masked men offered power and influence, Bunji was more than happy to comply with the new powers-to-be. It wasn’t his choice; his gang was under the larger Goharu Family. When the Goharu Family was given power, the Renge Gang got it as well.

“Here you go, boss.” Sueo handed the glass of neat whiskey to Bunji.

Bunji smiled as he took the first sip of whiskey at eleven in the morning at a police station. It was as thrilling as it could be.

As long as the Goharu Family continued to provide drugs to the shinobi and enforce their new laws, the Goharu Family and the Renge Family under them were part of the new court in the city.

If there was something he was dissatisfied with, it was that the Bentetsu Street police station no longer had any dogs—no one to make fun of and make their lives hell at the jobs they so much loved.

“Alright, boys!” Bunji addressed his people around the station. “It’s time for the weekly collection from our very willing citizens who need our protection from threats. I want the money on my desk before lunch!”

Bunji picked up his glass to bring it to his lips when he saw four figures dressed in white masks and full-length black hooded jackets enter the police station. They were dressed from top to bottom, but he could tell they were three women and one man.

He reached for his sword and was about to get up when he saw the group drag two of his men into the building and dumped them on the floor. They were stationed at the front entrance as guards.

“Hey, who the fuck—”

Before Bunji could complete his sentence, the man—who was a giant—walked to the nearest pillar, punched through the concrete, and ripped out the reinforced steel wire from the structure.

The entire building and the people went silent.

“Shut the fuck up and listen to what we say! A step out of the line and this will be your body” —he pointed to the broken pillar— “and this your bones” —he helped up the reinforced steel wire!” The man threw his fistful of wire toward Sueo, who stumbled while getting back into the room.

The wire bunch hit Sueo on the head, and he went down like a sack.

In mere seconds, the group of four had put the members of the Renge Gang on edge. They were still silent, but every muscle in their body was on the verge of a fight or flight response. But they stayed still because one demonstration of power was enough for everyone to understand they were dealing with shinobi.

“Where’s your boss?” asked one of the women.

A few eyes went to Bunji, who cursed under his breath.

The woman nodded to the other taller man and the second woman who started moving around, sticking what looked like paper tags on the walls and pillars around the building while the man who had punched through the pillar walked around the bullpen, staring everyone down like a hound who was ready to bite anyone who dared to move.

“Bunji, aren’t you?”

The masked woman pushed the junk off the table, sat down, and stared down at Bunji, who had his sheathed sword still in his grip, but the woman, who looked to be the leader, didn’t seem to mind the weapon in Bunji’s hands.

“The city isn’t very happy with your recent actions and choices, Bunji,” the woman said smoothly. “The citizens in this police station’s jurisdiction aren’t pleased with Renge Gang’s protection fund collection that you’ll have been doing. They feel like they shouldn’t have to pay extra to feel safe in their city—especially with the current economic situation—don’t you think it’s tough?”

“L-Listen, lady. You don’t want to do this. We are backed by—”

The leader slapped Bunji across the face. He spun out of his chair and crashed into the metal cabinet in the corner. She jumped off the table, pulled Bunji up his hair, and dumped him into his chair again before pouring his glass of whiskey on his face.

Bunji was shocked into silence. He didn’t even see the slap coming, and before he realized it, he was on the ground, and his head had made a dent in the cabinet.

“I know who’s backing you, but they aren’t here right now.” The leader grabbed Bunji’s hair and softly moved his head around. “So, let’s not start trying to intimidate using names. We are the only ones who can do that here. You see that guy there? He will punch through your chest if I tell him to,” she pointed to the man who was still roaming in the area aggressively as though waiting for someone to step out of line.

Bunji felt a phantom pressure in his chest, and he gulped when he saw the masked man staring right at him.

“So, this is how it’s going to play out. The Renge Gang will stop collecting money from the citizens in the name of protection. I don’t care if you don’t do your job as proper police because even I know that’s expecting too much—but if I hear that you’re going door to door collecting money, you’ll be the first to collect from your neck.

“Nod if you understand,” she asked.

Bunji stared at the woman. He was scared and knew he had no choice, but he couldn’t just fold in front of his men. Even though his eyes were focused on the woman, he could feel their gaze. So he didn’t nod… at least, not immediately.

The woman sighed deeply.

She placed her gloved palm on his chest, and Benji flinched when he felt a pressure grow on his chest every passing moment. The dainty palm grew heavier by the second, and Bunji felt like someone had placed a metal block on his chest. His breathing grew labored, and his chest moved up and down. He felt panicked as his eyes jumped from the hand to the woman’s face.

“Nod… if you understand.”

Bunji took a deep breath and forced himself not to nod quickly like a pigeon. He nodded slowly for his men to see.

“That’s nice,” the leader said. She then turned to face her team, who had regrouped in the bullpen.

“It’s done,” said the man.

“Alright, gentlemen! We’re going to exit the building now, so form a line. Let’s hurry on this and not be stupid, or you’ll die. Come one, let’s get it moving!” the woman spoke.

Bunji’s men looked at him for direction. He nodded to them, got up, and walked to the middle of the bullpen. Some men immediately fell into line behind him, others hesitated out of fear, but seeing the masked group staring at them, they too quickly joined the queue.

“Boss, what’s happening?”

“Shut up! Just do what they’re doing, or do you want to die here?” Bunji whisper-yelled at the man behind him.

In less than thirty seconds, fifteen men of the Renge Gang had formed a line like a bunch of elementary school kids.

“We’re going to give all of you a little makeover, so stand still and close your eyes!” the leader announced.

The masked group took out spray canisters and started to spray down the gang members in a metallic blue color. In less than a minute, everyone was fully covered in blue, and were left coughing because of the smell and fumes from the color and canisters.

“We don’t have much time, so move out.”

The Bentetsu Street police station was built on a spacious lot a little distance off the main road. There weren’t any other buildings next to the road—there was an empty lot behind it and a short road between the station and the main road.

The masked group led the gang outside the police station onto the short road that joined to the main road. They made them lay down on their stomachs with their arms flat by their sides. All of them except Bunji.

He was in front of his man and watched as the masked men stuck the paper tags; he had seen them sticking around the building onto everyone’s napes.

“W-What is that?” he asked as the leader stuck one on his neck.

They were also putting blue posters on their backs, but they slipped out of his mind because of the words he heard next.

The leader grabbed his collar and pulled him down. She whispered into his ear: “These are bombs.” Bunji flinched, and his heart started to race once again. “I can detonate them at any moment, and if you don’t want it to happen, you will do as I say? Nod if you understand.”

Bunji promptly nodded.

“I want you to keep standing here and your men lying down there. If any one of you moves or tries to escape, these bombs will go off, and your necks will explode… Boom,” she whispered, making Bunji’s knees almost buckle. “So, it’s in your best interest to follow my orders. Nod if you understand.”

Bunji nodded again. He was holding his tears back, but he couldn’t stop his entire body from trembling. He couldn’t care less about his men seeing him like this. He didn’t know if the woman spoke the truth, but he had no choice but to believe her. Maybe a slip of paper in the hand of a shinobi could be a bomb.

“Before we bid you farewell, I have one more thing to tell you,” the leader said to Bunji.

The next words she said were an address that Bunji recognized instantly. His eyes turned into saucers as he stared at the woman. It was the address of a shop he owned in an area very deep away from the nearest main road. The shop itself wasn’t that important, but the things inside were very important to him and the Renge Gang.

“We also don’t like your main business, so we will clean your inventory.”

“N-No, you can’t do that. Please don’t do that,” Bunji begged.

He was lucky to hit it off with a group of shinobi to whom he had sold drugs. They had found him again in a few days and bought more than the last time, and then it became a weekly affair. It seemed that the group of shinobi had become drug providers to the entire shinobi army, and in turn, the Renge Gang had turned into their suppliers.

There were a lot of drugs and loose cash in that shop. And even though there were seven people protecting and working in that shop, they were as good as not being there against shinobi. The Renge Gang couldn’t afford to lose their inventory and cash.

If he lost his inventory, he would be unable to fulfill his client’s demands, and they would turn to someone else, which would shutter his business. He also wouldn’t be able to buy more because he had already taken a line of credit from the Goharu Family, and they wouldn’t give him more, and they would put pressure on him to pay them back.

He was fucked.

“I suggest going into hiding,” she whispered into his ear. “Now, keep standing here and watch what will happen if your gang goes against anything I said today… You can leave when you get the signal; don’t worry about not getting it; you’ll know what it is.”

Bunji wanted to beg them to leave his inventory and money alone, but the masked group left him alone with his men, who called to him, asking if they could get up. He stared at them, wondering what he should say to them.

“… Keep lying down,” he said.

He had to run. He had some money at his home; he could bribe the guards and get out of the city. As long as he got out of the city, the Goharu Family wouldn’t be able to get to him because of the city’s lockdown imposed by the shinobi.

“Just keep lying—”

BOOM!

The ground rumbled as the sound of explosions ripped through the air. The force hit Bunji’s back, pushing him forward. It wasn’t enough to make him fall, but he still did because he felt weak after what he had heard. His men were trembling on the ground in fetal positions as explosions continued to happen. They yelled and screamed in fear.

BOOM!

He turned back to see an explosion rip through the police station, and a jet of fire roared into the sky. Smoke rose from the building as more and more explosions destroyed chunks of the building. It quickly started to crumble on itself. He flinched when a large piece of debris flew into the air. For a moment, he thought it would reach them, but the group was far enough that no large debris reached them.

He sat there numbly as he saw the destroyed building.

The same explosions that were making short work of the building were attached to his neck.

That thought terrified him so much he stopped thiking about running away.

BOOM!

———

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AN: That was a long break.

Now, Takuma wasn't in this scene. The four were— Anko (Leader), Daiki (the guy who punched through the wall),  Iori (the explosion tag expert), and Kameko (the extra one)

For the next chapter, do you want to see the "robbery" at the shop or do you want me to skip it and move forward to the aftermath—and how this came to pass.