Chapter 11: 11
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The butcher shop that the Shadow Broker wanted them to steal from turned out to be near the whaling factory. Where the whale oil is produced by electrocuting a still living whale to prolong the oil secretions to squeeze more of the precious fluid from each catch. And the runoff from the slaughterhouse into the water around the factory produces the largest and tastiest hagfish. Which means that they would have to be careful not to alert the guards that patrol the grounds.
"A simple mission," Sasuke repeated to himself as he stares at the two story butcher shop. The shop which also doubles as a restaurant is currently closed.
"As, I said it's never easy with the Shadow Broker," Jiraiya said as he watches Yamato and Kurenai enter the butcher shop through a second story window.
The ninjas waited and waited for the two to return but the two never came back out.
"It's been an hour something is wrong," Jiraiya said as he waves for Gai and Kakashi to follow him, leaving the others to wait and watch.
Entering the same window the trio found themselves in a bedroom and saw signs of a struggle and drag marks on the floor. Following the trail they saw it lead downstairs and into a walk in freezer. Nodding Jiraiya open the door while the other two younger ninjas covered him. Inside he saw both Kurenai and Yamato hanging from their arms from meat hooks, both have been gagged.
"Knew all, I had to do was wait and see if their friends would come to save them," a large heavyset man with short black hair, wearing a bloody apron said as he appeared behind the three ninjas. They also noticed that he's missing his right leg just below where the kneecap was, replaced by a peg leg.
"Do, I know you?" Jiraiya ask as held up a hand to stop Gai and Kakashi from attacking the butcher. He thought the voice sounds familiar but he couldn't place it.
"Come on Jiraiya, I might have given up dealing with ninjas for years now. But you can't tell me you have forgotten me. After all, I have gone into butchering as, I use to call myself," the butcher explains.
"Butcher you're still alive!" Jiraiya gasps seeing the butcher of ninjas still alive. As he always wore a gasmask back then he had never seen his face before but the voice is still the same.
"Then why are they still alive?" Kakashi ask having heard about the Butcher from his old teacher who was the only one who could fight him one on one without dying.
"I wanted to know why ninjas have broken into my home. Since they didn't recognized me when, I jump them. It couldn't be because you ninjas discovered that I have been living in Dunwall for the past 20 years give or take. So it must be something else. So why don't you three just tell me before, I decide to just kill you all," Butcher said.
"We're here to get a box for the Shadow Broker so he can give us information," Gai said seeing they have little choice. They might be three of the strongest ninjas but against the Butcher, it wouldn't be enough.
"Oh so you ninjas are looking for Naruto," Butcher said shocking them.
"How did you know?" Jiraiya ask.
"He's a regular customer for a couple of years before he change jobs from cleaning the slaughterhouse to that other job. Seeing that he looks just like Minato and I learned that he came from back east, it wasn't that hard to figure out who he is. Besides, I might have given up killing ninjas for money but I still have my old network and learned what happen to the Leaf village," Butcher explains.
"All we want is to get our ex-ninja back home where he belongs," Jiraiya said.
"He was never a ninja. Even if he was crippled, I been around you ninjas long enough to see the signs of training and he doesn't have any ninja training," Butcher stated crossing his arms.
"He was to attending the ninja school after he recovered. It was all setup while he was recovering to become a ninja like his parents," Kakashi said.
"Signing him up to being a ninja after what you people did to him. It's no wonder he hates you all," Butcher said remembering the look of hate when he ask Naruto if he came from a ninja village.
"We just came for the box. Please just give it to us and we'll be out of your way," Jiraiya said.
"Well, I would hate to explain to the watch about your bodies and wouldn't want to have my home be wreck in the fight," Butcher said as he walks away to get the box.
"You two get them out of here," Jiraiya motion to Kurenai and Yamato. The younger ninjas nodded and help the two down and all four headed for the door.
Jiraiya walk into the restaurant part of the shop to see Butcher sitting at one of the tables with a small metal box on the table. Jiraiya wondered if this was a trap but reminded himself that Butcher never needed a trap to kill his prey before. He sat down at the table and look across it at his old foe.
"All this to get a ex-ninja who clearly doesn't want to be a ninja back. He doesn't have the demon anymore in him so him being a weapon to defend the village wouldn't be the reason for this. It's something else, something important enough that you would risk being in the Isles and having to face the Whalers, all for a cripple young man," Butcher said.
"Both his parents gave up their lives to save the village. He will be fully healed and be train as a ninja," Jiraiya said.
"Really now? How can you train someone when they're that old to be a ninja? It takes years of training while a child is growing up to be able to do what you ninjas do. Or you really think you can really train someone who's been crippled for most of his life to become a ninja. Of course since he does come from a powerful bloodline you may just be after him so you can use him as a breeding tool. After all without that fast healing he gotten from his mother's line he wouldn't even be able to walk around. That power has already been maxed out just keeping his body going," Butcher pointed out. (1)
"No Naruto will come to love the village as his parents once did," Jiraiya said.
"It's your guilt for not being there for him that is making you do all this. You just want to be forgiven by him for not being there for him. His parents put their son's welfare in your hands as well as that teammate of yours. Tell me what was it like seeing his small broken body after you learned what happen? That the only time you actually cared about your godson is when he was on death's doorstep for you to actually come to see him. I'm many things but what you did to him just by not doing anything for him. I can only wish that, I could have come up with something like that when, I was younger and still killing ninjas," Butcher said to Jiraiya who is taken aback from what was said to him.
"What is in the box?" Jiraiya ask wanting to steer the talk away from Naruto. He hasn't written a book since that day he saw what his carefree choice of life did. He should have been there for his godson but he chose to abandon him to his fate in the village that only saw him as the demon fox.
"I would have thought that you of all people wouldn't ask questions about a mission," Butcher said seeing Jiraiya doesn't want to talk about Naruto.
"Yes, I wouldn't but when it's dealing with you, I would be a fool not to. The Shadow Broker sent us to get the box and since you're the one who has it. Whatever is in the box is very important to be stolen from you. Even with you missing your leg, you're still are the most feared warrior that ever came out of the Element Country," Jiraiya said.
"Yes even Madara and his group knows better then to steal from me. But then again Pain is the one who is pulling the strings. He is your old student after all," Butcher said.
"Wait Pain is an old student of mine?" Jiraiya ask shock.
"Oh you didn't know. I leave that bit of information for you to find out yourself. As, I was saying after, I got bored with the Element Countries, I decide to setup shop here. I did well for awhile unlike you ninjas which the Whalers pick off easily enough. But I finally met my match and ended up losing my leg. As for the box it's something that once belong to the witch Delilah Copperspoon, she was a powerful witch before she disappeared. The box can't be open or be destroyed. I tried both and nothing I came up with could either open or destroy it. It's something, I found while wondering around in the sewers," Butcher explains. "I am surprise that the Shadow Broker knew that, I had it but then again that's what the broker does best."
"There's someone here who beaten you?" Jiraiya ask as only Minato could fight him on an even level.
"Yes there is. As you might have already know that with pistols being the standard issue for the watch around here, I couldn't just go around slaughtering people like, I did back home. One head shot would kill me. I had to fight smart till, I tried to kill the Spymaster. She single handedly outfought and overpowered me in combat. After which, I hanged up my gear and started running this shop," Butcher said.
"I would had expected the Whalers," Jiraiya said making note that it's the Spymaster of Dunwall who beat Butcher.
"Oh them. I made a deal with them. Which is the reason why for the past couple of years no ninja is able to operate here," Butcher said.
"You taught them how to fight like you," Jiraiya stated his hands forming into fists.
"Yes, I taught them. They're much more skillful in dealing with you ninjas now. And in return they taught me how to survive here and deal with firearms. It's much tougher to dodge bullets then you would think, not to mention the lightning those machines shoot out. Then there are the machines that watch everything and the guardians. Don't ever try to fight one hand on. Even with Tsuande natural super strength, she can't be able to beat one. Besides she is around your age and without your chakra flowing through your body. You're body wouldn't be able to handle the strain with what you ninjas do," Butcher said to him. (2)
"Any weakness?" Jiraiya ask.
"They don't operate well when it rains. And the lightning machines that are outdoors are always turned off for reasons that don't need to be said. It's getting late your team should give the broker the box before nightfall. There are things that even, I wouldn't want to face unless, I had to, that come out at night down there," Butcher said.
"Before, I go. The Spymaster how did she beat you?" Jiraiya ask.
"I'm already giving you the box. Do you want me to hold your hand as well. Besides you need to find Naruto as he's the only one who can either save or destroy the ninja world," Butcher smirks at Jiraiya surprising him with what he knows. "Don't give me that look. After all it's me and finding out things that, I shouldn't is just something that, I do."
Jiraiya said nothing else as he left the shop. Butcher look out the window from where he sat towards the figure that has been watching from an alleyway a few blocks down the street. The machines that allow people to see far and even listen in on people talking, makes him feel out of his element. But he left that life behind while the ninjas and whalers continue to do what they do.
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In a alleyway -
"I still can't believe that Butcher is still alive after all this time," Anko said remembering all the fallen ninjas that have died at his hands.
The other ninjas are helping Kurenai and Yamato recover from their fight with Butcher. They told them the moment they started looking around, Butcher pop out of nowhere and knock them out before they knew what hit them. Next thing they knew they were hanging in a freezer till they were found and saved.
"He is missing his leg," Sasuke pointed out.
"There isn't time," Jiraiya said holding the box they came for.
"He just gave it up?" Kakashi ask not liking how easy it is.
"Yes but we shouldn't look a gift horse in it's mouth. We need to get to the broker before nightfall. So everyone get up and let's go," Jiraiya ordered.
"Hold it right there!" a familiar young woman dress in a paper bag said aiming her pistol at them. All around them the same girl gang that had tried to kill them appeared on the roof tops all armed. (3)
"What this again?" Sakura ask holding up her hands along with the others seeing that they're completely surrounded.
"Don't worry we're not after your heads this time. We'll just take the box," the pigtail redhead said as she walks up to Jiraiya and takes the box from him. Behind her are a group of her gang backing her up.
"Why do you want it?" Jiraiya ask holding his hands up not wanting to find out the hard way if he's able to dodge a hail of bullets in a tight space.
"Oh this it's just something that everyone has been looking for. The money we'll get from this is worth more then all of you. But then again why not add some more cash," the redhead said as she pulls the trigger.
Acting fast Jiraiya grabs her gun hand and force it upwards sending the bullet into the air, before kicking her into the bag wearing woman. The other Leaf ninjas quickly toss down smoke bombs ruining the aim for the women on the roof tops who couldn't fire without fear of killing one of their own. When the smoke cleared all they saw were the down bodies of their gang members and the Leaf ninjas missing.
"Quick grab them and let's go before the watch gets here," the Bag woman said as she helps up the redhead.
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Down a few blocks -
The ninjas rested on top of a building recovering from that ambush. They all knew they were lucky that those women cared enough about their fellow members not to fire down at them under the cover of smoke. They all quickly rush the gang members on the ground knocking them down and fleeing before the smoke cleared.
"Alright we're going to be on guard till we get the box to the broker. If those girls are after the box then it means others will be after it as well," Jiraiya said to the group.
"At least the watch aren't after us," Sasuke said.
A rail car blowing it's horn got their attention. Looking over the side they saw a large rail car stopping and a group of watchmen came out along with some guardians.
"Alright people from the call we got, The Rags gang had a run in with some ninjas. I want everyone to be on the look out for both groups. Guardians will be looking for the ninjas while the rest of you be looking for the Rags," the captain said to the group.
"Well at least the Whalers aren't after us," Sasuke said to the others who were giving him stares.
Sensing danger behind them the Leaf ninjas all turn around to see a group of Whalers appearing behind them.
"Well at least the guardians aren't here," Sasuke said as he and the others prepare to fight.
The sound of metal on stone got their attention behind them. Turning their heads they saw 4 guardians pulling themselves up on the roof of the building using grappling arms and their powerful legs to leap onto the building.
"Well at least...," Sasuke began to say but was cut off.
"Stop talking!" the Leaf ninjas shouted at Sasuke.
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Author's Notes -
1 – As you readers have pointed out that Naruto even without the fox would still have healing powers. But everything has a limit and his natural healing is all tapped out just keeping his broken body from failing. Naruto shouldn't even be alive at this point without that healing power his body has.
2 - Tsuande does have super strength even without using chakra. But it doesn't change the fact that she's over 50 at this point and since she drinks all the time her body wouldn't be in good shape. Since she doesn't work out every single day like that old guy who was into fitness, her strength has been dulled with time. It's only thanks to chakra that she is able to still push her body around without tearing or breaking something.
3 - Does anyone know who the paper bag wearing woman is?
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Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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