Naruto: Cautious Ninja

Before he could start on anything though he had to find the village mayor or leader; whoever was in charge that wasn't under Gato's payroll. The blonde moved with purpose down the road, avoiding eye contact with the thugs, including the ones dining in the nearby bars and stands, yet still managing to attract quite a lot of attention from the weary and exhausted villagers.

It was uncomfortably quiet in this place.

"This is really depressing, Swift-chan," Naruto murmured, earning a tweet of agreement from the swallow on his shoulder.

While walking down the main road the blonde suddenly became aware of a commotion taking place not too far from where he was. Looking across the street the jinchuriki saw a small group of people standing outside a building and looking down. For what reason Naruto had no idea until his ears picked up the distinct sound of a sweet melody filling the air. Blinking, he approached to find out exactly what it was.

He was pleasantly surprised when he saw a girl with dark pink hair closely resembling red in color sitting against the wall and playing a flute. She was entrancing the people around her with her performance, earning coins for her efforts and playing a song that was so charming it almost drew Naruto himself into the realm of enchantment. However, instead of becoming completely mesmerized like the rest of the villagers surrounding her appeared to be, he instead smiled warmly and listened in from a distance.

Though the jinchuriki didn't know it thanks to his proximity with her, the young street musician was captivating her audience with a genjutsu that was only effective at a certain range, so she was in no danger of being found out by any perceptive onlookers. However, this definitely explained the number of people gathered around her and swaying to the heavenly notes flowing from her piece. She had lured them in and trapped them like flies in a web.

The girl appeared to be around Naruto's age, maybe a year older. She had lovely hair, a fair face, and beautiful brown eyes, yet covering this delicate exterior was the dirt and grime from an appalling environment and an ill-fated lifestyle. She was also dressed in worn out clothing that was tattered and filthy, something the jinchuriki figured she had attained from a long time of living out on the streets.

It was a familiar sight. Naruto understood this himself from his own experience; days which when he was down on his luck for the longest times.

When the flute music faded and the girl lowered her instrument, the few people standing around her dropped coins into her hat and slowly left the scene one after the other. It was when the crowd had finally dispersed Naruto was permitted a clear view of the tired looking girl, huddled up against the wall and clutching her flute to her like it was her only lifeline.

He was about to go over as well, but was unable to when he was suddenly shoved aside by a group of large men walking past him. The jinchuriki looked up in surprise.

"Hey! Brat!" one of the four men that came to stand around the girl shouted, forming an intimidating wall before her with their hands on their weapons. "Wow… that was some beautiful music there. The boys and I were really touched. However…"

"We're sorry to say this, but you're playing on our turf," another of the group exclaimed, leaning down further to leer at the urchin staring back at them with a vacant expression.

"You can't set up shop here and expect to kick down your profits. There's a fee that's charged to all freelancers in this town. Everyone has to pay it," a third stated, nudging his companion in the side and earning a snicker from the rest of his crew. "It's uhh… the law."

"You can understand us, right?" the leader asked, grinning as he placed his hand against the wall and keeping his eyes fixed on the adolescent musician. "Cough up… say… eighty percent of what you've made today and we'll be on our way. I can promise that you won't have any trouble from us."

Hearing this had Naruto scowl and clench his fists tightly. The more he watched the thugs crowding her, the more his jaw seemed to stiffen and his teeth start to bear. The bird on his shoulder sensed the rise in his frustrations, which had her ruffle her feathers in alarm before taking off to perch on a nearby roof.

She knew what was coming and didn't want to be anywhere near the vicinity when shit started to hit the fan.

"Well? Say something, brat," the lead brute exclaimed.

"You can talk can't you?" his second asked, kneeling down and grabbing the girl by the head, forcing her to look up at him. His grin widened when he felt the girl fight. "You know, you're quite the cutie underneath all those bangs. I bet you'd make a fine catch when you're older."

"That's an excellent observation, mate," the leader chuckled, leaning further down when the girl's head was forcefully turned his way. "Oh yes, a fine observation. How would you like to come with us? I'm sure the boss can find a fantastic position for you on the market."

The girl gritted her teeth and shook her head as best she could, but was strained from the right-hand thug's grip in her locks. "Hell no! Leave me alone!"

"Hmm? What was that? I don't think I heard you right." The leader reached down and grabbed the sword at his waist. "Did you say 'please cut out my tongue if I don't start cooperating with you? Was that it?"

"Piss off!" the girl snapped, throwing her head out of the other man's grip and rolling out of the way. Making sure to grab the money she made, spilling some coins in the process, she tried to make a run for it. Her escape attempt however was rewarded by her hair getting grabbed from behind before she was violently thrown up against the wall. She cried out when she hit the bricks and was held there with her arm locked over her head. "OW! LET ME GO!"

"You know, it's not nice to play and run!" the second said with a smirk, raising the girl off the floor a little more so that she was dangling like a lure. "We should teach you a lesson about respecting authority."

"Oh yes," the group's boss exclaimed, drawing his sword and holding it out. He tapped it against her hand in a threatening manner. "We should cut off some of your fingers. If we do that then maybe you'll start singing a different tune."

"NO!" the girl cried out, tears brimming in her eyes when she felt her arm being squeezed even harder then before and her body being thrust further up the wall of the building by the boss's crony. She gritted her teeth and held both her flute and money tightly to her with her only free arm. "H-Help… someone…"

"Or better yet, how about I break your flute and your fingers," the second said, watching his companion swing his sword around and prop it against his shoulder, allowing some breathing room. The man holding up the girl grabbed the girl's hand holding both her instrument and coins. "Come on… damn it… cough it up!"

"NO!" the girl shouted tearfully, thrashing her hand about in an attempt to fight off the mercenary, but to no avail.

Just as the villagers watching on the streets began to worry for the girl's safety and the men came even closer to relinquishing her of her precious items, the world snapped.

CRACK!

The sound of a sharp thud echoing throughout the entire area silenced all bystanders and antagonists. The redhead being held against the wall was suddenly dropped to her feet when her captor unexpectedly jumped several feet into the air.

With his head cocked upwards and blood flying free from his mouth, the thug climbed three full heights off the ground before beginning an incredibly painful descent, his companions looking up at his curling form in bewilderment.

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