Naruto : Transforming the Ninja World into a Harem World

Chapter 18: Heart of the Demonic Dragon III



An hour had passed since the intrusion into the Association's premises. The apparent calm reigning in Elysia's living room sharply contrasted with the likely turmoil shaking the organization at that moment. Comfortably seated on the couch, Akira faced Yumi, his eyes closed and his head casually resting against a cushion. Between his agile fingers, a thin wooden wand danced, twirling with hypnotic grace. The silence hanging in the room was broken by Yumi's composed voice.

"What will you do now?" she asked, her eyes scrutinizing Akira's impassive face.

Without opening his eyes, Akira replied calmly, "For now, we will wait for her to wake up." He was referring to Elysia, still unconscious in the neighboring room.

Yumi nodded thoughtfully. After a brief moment, she continued, "I see. And about the heart?"

At these words, a slight smile appeared on Akira's lips. He straightened up slowly, finally opening his eyes to meet Yumi's gaze. "As for Belthegus's heart, I will make something worthy of his status," he answered enigmatically, while retrieving the dimensional pocket containing their precious loot.

Observing Akira's enigmatic smile, Yumi seemed lost in thought. "I wonder..." she began, leaving her sentence hanging.

Intrigued, Akira looked up at her. "What? What is it?"

"Why do you seem so different from the Otsutsuki children?" Yumi asked, her tone indicating that she didn't really expect an answer. "We all live for the greatness of our clan, but you, it seems like the clan doesn't interest you much."

The question seemed to amuse Akira, who replied with a hint of disdain, "Why should I be interested in the clan?"

Yumi's eyes widened at this bold response. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips as she retorted, "Aren't you afraid? I could have you killed for treason."

The threat, far from intimidating Akira, only heightened his amusement. A mocking laughter escaped his lips, mixed with an exasperated sigh. "Why would you do that? Just like me, in your eyes, the clan is of no importance," he said, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "The only thing that ties us to the clan is the name, nothing else."

As they exchanged these laden remarks, the door suddenly opened. Elysia appeared on the threshold, her face marked by fatigue and confusion. Her eyes, still blurred with sleep, swept the room, stopping alternately on Akira and Yumi.

"What... What happened?" she asked in a hoarse voice, bringing a hand to her head as if to dispel the last traces of unconsciousness.

Akira and Yumi exchanged a quick glance before the young man spoke up. "You passed out," he explained simply.

Elysia frowned, evidently trying to piece together her memories. "I... I remember the weapons workshop, and then..." Her eyes widened suddenly as the events came back to her. "The chest! The stones! What have you done?"

Akira rose slowly, approaching Elysia with a confident stride. "We took what we needed," he replied calmly, his eyes locked with the young woman's.

"I see..." she acquiesced, shaking her head slowly, understanding the impossibility of turning back. "What are we going to do now?" she finally asked, her voice betraying a mix of resignation and curiosity.

"To begin with, you will have to gather your old team in full, and of course you should convince them to come," he said as he approached Elysia's ear and whispered threateningly, "otherwise, I will be forced to go get them myself."

"A-alright..." Elysia acquiesced somewhat reluctantly. "What will you be doing in the meantime?" she asked.

"Next," Akira continued, "I will go see someone, who will be very useful to me."

"I have to go now, see you later," Akira finished, turning around with his hands in his pockets.

***********

The dilapidated streets stretched endlessly, gloomy and silent under the gray sky. Buildings with decrepit facades rose on either side of the road, their broken windows gaping like empty eye sockets. The cracked asphalt was littered with debris, old newspapers, and trash carried by the wind. A light breeze made the dead leaves and papers swirl, the only movement in this frozen and abandoned landscape.

In this ghostly setting, Akira walked joyfully, a bag of steaming takoyaki in hand. His smile starkly contrasted with the surrounding desolation. He savored the enticing smell wafting from the package.

"Wow... it's always a pleasure to eat these," he exclaimed as he brought a piece to his mouth.

The umami flavor exploded on his tongue as he enjoyed the soft texture of the dough and the crunchiness of the octopus. A sigh of contentment escaped him as he continued on his way, apparently indifferent to the gloomy atmosphere around him.

His steps led him to a jewelry store, or what remained of it. The faded sign hung crookedly above a dusty and empty shop window. The shelves inside, once gleaming, were now empty, except for a few abandoned display cases. At the back of the room, a massive counter almost occupied the entire space, topped with a tarnished mirror.

The man headed towards a hidden door, briefly disappearing into what seemed to be the back room. The sound of crumpled plastic bags could be heard, then he reappeared, empty-handed. With his back to Akira, he asked wearily:

"What does a young man like you want from me?"

Akira wasted no time beating around the bush. "I want you to make me a sword," he declared simply.

A heavy silence fell in the room. The man remained motionless, as if petrified by this unexpected request. Slowly, he turned to face Akira, his face a mask of disbelief mixed with suspicion.

"A sword?" he repeated, as if unsure he had heard correctly. "Are you kidding me, kid?"

Akira shook his head, his face turning serious. "Not at all. I need a sword, and I've been told you're the best for that... Hernandez."

At the mention of that name, the man started. His shoulders tensed imperceptibly, and a shadow crossed his face. He stood still for a moment, lost in his thoughts, before slowly turning towards Akira.

"Where did you hear that name?" he asked in a low, almost growling voice. Then, shaking his head, "No, that's not even the question... What do you want?"

His tone betrayed both annoyance and a hint of curiosity, as if he hesitated between chasing away the intruder and learning more.

A mischievous smile played on Akira's lips as he took another bite of takoyaki. "Isn't it obvious?" he replied, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

The man stared at him for a long moment, apparently trying to unravel the mystery of this young man who had appeared out of nowhere. Finally, without a word, he turned and opened the door to the jewelry store. He was about to close it behind him when Akira intervened, blocking the door with his foot.

"You're not even offering me a glass of water, old man?" he teased, his smile widening.

A flash of anger crossed the man's eyes, quickly replaced by resignation. He let out a deep sigh, as if bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. After a moment of hesitation, he opened the door wide, allowing Akira to enter before carefully closing it behind them.

The interior of the shop was as dilapidated as the exterior had suggested. Dust covered the surfaces with a fine gray film, and the air was heavy with a stale smell. The once shiny display cases were empty, except for a few abandoned showcases. At the back of the room, a massive counter almost occupied the entire space, topped with a tarnished mirror.

The man headed towards a hidden door, briefly disappearing into what seemed to be the back room. The sound of crumpled plastic bags could be heard, then he reappeared, empty-handed. With his back to Akira, he asked wearily:

"What does a young man like you want from me?"

Akira wasted no time beating around the bush. "I want you to make me a sword," he declared simply.

A heavy silence fell in the room. The man remained motionless, as if petrified by this unexpected request. Slowly, he turned to face Akira, his face a mask of disbelief mixed with suspicion.

"A sword?" he repeated, as if he wasn't sure he had heard correctly. "Are you kidding me, kid?"

Akira shook his head, his face becoming serious. "Not at all. I need a sword, and I was told that you're the best for that... Hernandez."

Upon hearing this name, the man jumped. His eyes narrowed, examining Akira suspiciously. "Who told you about me?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"You're pretty well-known, aren't you?" Akira shrugged. "The important thing is that I'm here, and I need your services."

Hernandez - for it was indeed him - remained silent for a moment, thinking. His gaze shifted from Akira to the door, as if he was considering throwing him out. Finally, he let out a resigned sigh.

"Listen, kid," he began wearily, "I don't know why you're here, or what you think you know, but that time is over. I don't make swords anymore, not since... a long time ago."

Akira didn't seem surprised by this refusal. "Since Belthegus?" he said with a small smile.

"..." Those words seemed to strike Hernandez right in the heart. His face darkened, and a glint of pain passed through his eyes.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..." sighed Akira as he scratched the back of his head. "Listen, old man, I don't care about what happened and I don't need to know. But you're going to make me that sword."

After a moment of silence, Hernandez spoke: "Very well," he said in a hoarse voice. "We'll get started. But I'm warning you, kid, I don't guarantee anything."

Akira nodded. "We'll see," he said. "Let's go."


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