5

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Broken 5 –

In the city of Dunwall the scars of the plague years still show. In the Rudshore Financial District where the entire district was flooded due to poor levy maintenance, parts of it are still flooded. The government has tried to take back the flooded areas but with the rats and river krusts making it their breeding ground and that the water seem to refuse to give up what it has taken, some parts of the old district was left alone. In the closed off flooded areas, has become a maze of tangle ruins of buildings, where gangs have taken up shop in or those too poor to go anywhere else. The entire area has become like a spiders web where the people who made it their home have built makeshift bridges to go from one building to another.

The city watch have abandon that area after all attempts of reclaiming what the flood waters have taken failed. Leaving it a lawless place where the people of Dunwall avoided. Tales of the people who made it their home and the strange creatures who had wondered into the flooded city. Homeless and fugitive residents who made the flooded district their home often disappear. The gangs that run wild and the animals that are found in the district took care of them. It's also a place to find the black market of the city where everything is brought or traded. For the flooded district still has abandon items that are worth something to someone in them if one looks hard enough.

One section is the flooded Greaves Whaling Refinery, that has become the new base of operation of the Whalers. The refinery was abandon by it's owner after learning it couldn't be retaken and was left to rot as a new one was built on higher ground. The whale tanks were drain by the watch after the failure in draining the water, but some of the oil could still be found in the old refinery which is used to power the base.

The base serve as a training ground for the Whalers as well as where they get their missions from. The other islands now have their own branches of the Whalers but all serve under a single leader, with older members serving as the elder leaders under him. One of the elders is a man name Daud who in his youth was known as 'The Knife of Dunwall'. He was the one who killed the late empress and once lead the Whalers. But that change when Corvo had sneak into their old base and stole his key from him without him even knowing he was there till he was gone. He step down from leadership and gave it to his second. He has watched as the Whalers grow into what it is now. He doesn't have any leadership role besides being a trainer but he's been called upon when the current leader needs his knowledge he has gain over the years.

"Teacher the leader wants to speak with you," one of the Whalers said appearing next to Daud.

"Fine," Daud said teleporting away. With so many new Whalers showing up over the years, Daud doesn't bother learning names anymore. He's not as strong as he once was but still has the skills and his mind. But that is to fading. He has a hard time remembering things and once his mind is gone so would his usefulness as a Whaler. (1)

Daud appeared in the chambers of the current leader of the Whalers. She's was a homeless child when she joined the order and raise in the ranks till she became the new leader. She isn't much to look at with the hard life she lived, but her body is strong and mind sharp. And that's all that matters in being a Whaler.

"You called?" Daud ask her as she stood over the hole that lead to the flooded basement of the building. She had lifted the cover off and is lowering a man down into it by rope. He's bond and gagged with his eyes lock on the things waiting for him in the flooded basement.

"What can you tell me about the Toad Sage?" she ask.

"His brother tried to set himself up here in the Isles and was killed by us," Daud answers.

"He came here looking for someone and found him. His name is Naruto Rook and while we couldn't hear what was said it's clear that this Naruto was from the Leaf Village," she explains as she loosen her grip on the rope sending the man falling before he stop.

"Is he a runaway ninja?" Daud ask as he has encountered missing ninjas before.

"He was never a ninja from what we can tell. We been spying on him and he hasn't notice us once," she said looking down at the hanging man.

"He might just be acting," Daud said as some ninjas act like their less skilled then they are.

"He's crippled and from the medical reports we took from his doctor. He's suffering many crippling injuries that should have left him bedridden but somehow his body is able to heal faster then normal but can't heal the crippling injuries themselves. His muscles aren't fully developed as he reported he became crippled at the age of 6. He's been needing the use of braces to be able to move around," she explains. (2)

"What do you want me to do?" Daud ask.

"I'm interested why someone like the Toad Sage would come all the way here to see a cripple man. This Naruto wasn't too please in seeing him and it look like the Toad Sage was trying to get him to agree on something. It has to be important as no ninja would ever willingly come to our lands. Like this Sand Ninja who thought he be able to catch the missing ninja who ran to the Isles. Operating on our land isn't something we take kindly of. Sure if you were body guarding we would have just let you do the job only killing you after you stayed while the person who hired you has left to return home. But you thought you could just try to kill a missing ninja in Dunwall no less, you're sadly mistaken," she said letting go of the rope. The Sand nin made a splash as he hit the water, followed by the sounds of ripping flesh and snapping bones.

"I will talk to him and see why the Toad Sage wanted to see him," Daud said.

"You're just going to ask him?" the leader ask.

"Sometimes just asking a person is easier then sneaking around," Daud said as he teleported away.

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Author's Notes -

1 – Being a badass old person happens a lot in fiction but few times do they ever show what aging would really do. Sure some old people still have sharp minds but others minds grow dull as do their bodies.

2 - The muscles that Naruto needs to be a ninja have become atrophied from years of not using them fully. The arm and leg braces allows Naruto to move but also lessen the strength his muscles need to be used. As anyone who had their legs or arms cast for a year or more would have lose muscle mass after so long without really using said limb.

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