89 Chapter-88

Flash back:

A peculiar partnership emerged between Stain and Ronin after their initial encounter, with the anti-hero hiring the teenager for challenging assignments. These tasks often involved infiltrating dangerous locations, targeting major Yakuza gangs or other organizations that Stain sought to eliminate, preventing them from further exploiting their quirks and causing societal issues.

Ordinarily, Ronin wouldn't engage in such activities alone due to his recognition of personal limits. However, with Ronin's assistance, they acted across various regions, delivering a brand of justice that eluded professional heroes and authorities. Their current mission presented a more perilous target beyond their home.

(Tirana, Albania)

In the renowned winter forests of Albania, snow blanketed the landscape, creating a serene white expanse. A solitary livestock truck, driven by an old man with white hair and a thick beard, traversed a small road. In the truck's cargo area, Ronin and Stain sat facing each other, accompanied by sheep seemingly unbothered by their presence. The duo patiently awaited their destination. The black-hooded shinobi, preoccupied with a newspaper crossword puzzle, reluctantly concealed his identity, aware of society's consequences for his actions.

"Eight-letter word, our always friendly hero and neighbor..." Naruto pondered aloud, completing the crossword puzzle while wearing the discreet suit to maintain anonymity. Such precautions were essential for securing a peaceful future.

"Spiderman," Stain responded simply, seated in a corner with his eyes closed.

"You really like heroes and that kind of stuff, right? Do you know they're just fictional characters?" Naruto asked, expressing boredom after finishing the newspaper.

"They're more than that." Gaining the teenager's attention, Stain opened his eyes. "When I was just a brat... I remember my parents left me in an orphanage because of my 'peculiarity.' Everyone called me a villain when I barely knew how to speak. Everyone said... the way his quirk works is 'sinister'... all this gave me a bad, shitty life. Sometimes I thought about just throwing myself off a bridge to save myself the suffering." In the months of their partnership, the two murderers had developed a camaraderie, sharing their dark pasts.

Remaining silent, the shinobi observed his co-worker's lost gaze.

"But... I found a store that went bankrupt. In the garbage cans in the alleys, there were hundreds of American comics. I remember reading for hours... I learned the true meaning of being a hero with characters like Spider-Man, Captain America, the Punisher, and Daredevil. They taught me the values that I have, and from that moment, I dreamed of being a hero. But, as always, reality is hard and cruel." Staring through a small crack in the back of the truck at the arid, white landscape awaiting them, Stain sighed. "I tried to be a hero on my own without going to one of those damn academies, but I was treated like a criminal for my ways of doing things. I learned the hard way that even if you want to do the right thing, it doesn't mean that society will thank you or look favorably on what you do." Looking back at the teenager, he smiled heavily. "I had to see how hypocritical and corrupt people became heroes just as an excuse to use their powers freely and gain fame... that was the first time I felt so much hatred." He spoke with a darker look, which softened as he continued, "The only one who believed in me was All Might, the only one I recognize as a true hero." Cross-armed against the cold temperatures, Stain endured the climate.

Opening his jacket, Naruto produced a sheet of paper and threw it onto Stain's chest. Performing a hand seal, a layer of steam covered the surprised masked man, and the cold dissipated. Now enveloped in warmth from the mysterious paper, Stain felt relieved. "It's a trick that my mother taught me," Naruto explained, smiling slightly as he closed his eyes, leaning against the truck's metal wall.

"You waited until I was almost hypothermic to give me this thing?" Stain questioned skeptically, frowning at the teenager, who responded with a mocking smile.

"Nah, how can you believe that?" As the hours passed, both comrades patiently awaited their destination. Once the truck stopped, they disembarked, bidding farewell to the trucker, who wished them luck, leaving them in the snowy forest. Masked and walking through the snow, they pondered the purpose of their journey.

"Why did you make me travel halfway around the world?" Naruto finally asked, following Stain, who led the way. At the question, the man armed with swords stopped to survey their surroundings.

Veliki Trnovac, the leader of a group wreaking havoc throughout the country, proclaims himself the new messiah destined to elevate the nation. Involved in activities such as kidnapping, murder, and genocide against towns resisting his influence, he operates with impunity due to political constraints preventing foreign intervention. Any foreign 'Pro-hero' attempting action faces deportation and punishment.

Continuing their journey, Ronin and Stain ascended a hill, revealing a colossal mansion resembling a fortress. Guarded by hundreds of armed soldiers equipped with heavy weapons and anti-aircraft gear, the mansion stood as an impenetrable stronghold.

"*…*" Ronin whistled at the sight of the grand three-story building, fit for a king. "Who do you have to kill to get a place like that?" he asked calmly, assessing the watchtowers and guards strategically positioned around the property.

"To the President of Albania; this was one of his safe houses," Stain replied, rising to inspect his weapons and blades. Drawing a long katana, he looked at Ronin. "According to my contacts, only the president is dead; his family is held captive here. A wife and two children are the remaining hostages, and ensuring their safety is our top priority." Stain, rubbing his chin, began formulating a strategy.

"If we kill the guy, what doesn't ensure that someone worse takes control of the country? Instead of fixing things, we will be making them worse," Naruto stated seriously, crossing his arms. He understood the peril of creating a power vacuum that might be filled by an even more ruthless leader.

"The deceased president's wife will take his place. She is a fair woman who can guide the country; that's why ensuring her safety is crucial," Stain explained. He lowered his head to execute a maneuver with his sword. "I'll be in charge of infiltrating and rescuing the hostages. Do what you do best, Ronin," he directed, and with those words, both assassins went their separate ways.

"I always do it," Ronin replied, a cruel smile on his face. In a burst of speed, the Uzumaki vanished, leaving Stain to navigate the snow and infiltrate the safe house.

Within the mansion's walls, soldiers remained vigilant. Two dozen soldiers near the entrance became alert when a silhouette emerged from the snow. "Stop and identify yourself! Or we will be forced to open fire!" shouted one of the soldiers, pointing an AK-47 at the intruder, who pressed on undeterred.

Ronin, unfazed, raised twin dark-handled katanas in two explosions of smoke, triggering the soldiers to take defensive positions. Over forty soldiers assembled at the barricade, pointing their weapons at the hooded figure.

"Fire at will!!" Giving that order the shots did not wait, a rain of bullets were against the black hooded man who, moving his sword, looked up to show a brilliant Sharingan. Using the twin swords, all the bullets were cut or deflected by the shinobi who, by moving his arms so quickly, made it difficult to see them since they were now just blurs.

"..." passing the seconds the shots stopped leaving the teenager alone standing while he sheathed his swords, giving a sigh he closed the first door he had activated, taking his hand to his pocket he took out a kunia that had a wire tied to it that was covered in pieces of paper, "Time to act" throwing the Kunai had to run from one side to the other when the shots came against him again.

" huh?" One of the soldiers saw in confusion that the weapon that the invader threw hit against the doors and the papers that he was hanging from it began to burn with fire. No one prevented the gigantic explosion that completely obliterated the main entrance to the fortress, several soldiers were lost in the fireball that the explosion produced and others who survived could only see the smoke bombs that fell from all directions.

"Ahg!" The guards heard a scream, and one of them got cut in half by the swordsman, slashing everywhere to take them down.

"You!" A big soldier spat acid after removing his mask. Acting quick, the intruder used another soldier as a shield, letting him get hit by the acid.

"Ninja art... bloody blade dance," Naruto said amid a smoke cloud, swiftly cutting down 60% of the army with his blades.

In the mansion, Stain moved quietly through the hallways, watching the chaos Naruto caused. In the basement, he skillfully dealt with guards using his unique skills.

Entering a dark room, Stain found the family of the deceased ruler. With a nod, he directed them out, leaving them thankful. Exiting the building, he noticed it was shaking.

Without hesitation, Stain jumped out of a window, seeing a shower of red snow. Hundreds of bodies lay in the snow, remnants of the dictator's soldiers.

"You finished?" Naruto appeared, leaving the now-shaking building.

"The woman and children are safe. Did you take care of him?" Stain asked as Naruto secured a red scroll.

"Yes, we need to leave; this place is about to explode," Naruto replied. They teleported a distance away, witnessing the explosion erasing the mansion.

"Find anything interesting?" Naruto lowered his hood, observing falling snowflakes. "There's a community center run by nuns. They can make good use of these resources," he casually mentioned.

"They'll use them well, I'm sure," Stain replied, finding it intriguing that Naruto, who stole so much, donated most of it.

"I'll take some bills; I need a drink, and you too, friend. We did a good job," Naruto patted Stain on the back, smiling.

"If... I'm here." The two assassins walked through the snow, their destination uncertain but seemingly unimportant to them.

End of Flashback:

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