Kuchiki shook his head, smiling as he reached out to the blooming table.
"Nah, it's not exactly Wood Release. I call it Flower Release."
He plucked a small blossom from the wooden surface and rolled it between his fingers.
The petals opened fully, glowing faintly before fading into dust.
"Pretty, right? But that's all it is—just pretty."
Joshiro sighed and waved his hand. He'd clearly seen this show before.
"Mr. Byakuya, please. My tables can't handle another performance."
"Alright, alright," Kuchiki chuckled, rubbing the surface once.
In an instant, the blooming wood returned to normal.
Jin, leaning back with his cup, smirked at the scene.
"You a ninja or something?"
"Ninja?" Kuchiki scratched the back of his head. "You mean, like the guys breathing fire and the ones doing those hand signs, right? Maybe. Kinda. I guess I can do stuff like that, but I couldn't tell you how."
Land of River had always been on the poorer side of the map—hiring a shinobi used to be reserved for big-name clients.
But now, after the power shifts and instability, Blackpool Town was in an even deeper pit.
So when a Nakatani stumbled upon Kuchiki—lazy, aimless, but able to casually mold chakra into plants—he saw a jackpot.
Most of the gangs in town were still swinging swords and packing outdated guns.
Having a shinobi—even a half-aware one—was a massive step up.
It gave the Nakatanis the edge over the Hyoba.
Even if Yoichiro had a bigger squad, their side didn't have anything close to a chakra user.
So, tensions were at a boiling point.
Crossing the street dividing their turf was asking for trouble. Most people didn't dare.
Jin raised an eyebrow. "So… if it comes down to it, are you helping the Nakatanis against the Hyoba Clan?"
Kuchiki tilted his head. "Yeah, maybe. They've been good to me. But if it gets messy? I might just skip town."
He chuckled awkwardly, clearly not the ride-or-die type.
Jin laughed too. "At least you're honest."
Kuchiki's face grew more serious for a moment.
"Because I know this isn't the end. I can feel it—there's a voice in my head, always whispering. Telling me to find someone. Telling me to go somewhere."
Jin's curiosity sparked again. He leaned in. "Where? Who are you supposed to find?"
Kuchiki looked straight at him. "Sunagakure. Find the Kazekage. Let the desert winds guide me."
Jin nearly spit out his drink.
The Kazekage?!
You've got some voice in your head telling you to talk to our boss?
Who the hell are you?
Before Jin could press further, the tavern curtain rustled.
Hyoba Yoichiro, stepped in with a polite smile and a couple guards at his back.
He bowed slightly. "Ah, sorry to intrude, Mr. Jin. I'm Yoichiro. Seems my men got a little careless earlier. I've… disciplined them."
Outside, the screams of the punished echoed as three thugs dangled from a tree by their feet.
Jin nodded coolly. "No harm done."
"Still, please let me make it up to you," Yoichiro said quickly. "Come to my family's lounge. The wine's good, and the company's better."
Jin pretended to hesitate, then stood. "Why not."
He gave Kuchiki a casual wave. "Later."
"See you," Kuchiki replied with a lazy smile.
Joshiro muttered to himself. "Another one walking to his grave."
The Nakatani Yu arrived just in time to see Jin's motorcycle vanish across the line dividing their turf.
His jaw clenched.
"Damn it."
He turned to Kuchiki, who was still sipping sake.
"That guy just now… how strong do you think he is?"
Kuchiki blinked. "No clue. Never fought him."
Yu's eye twitched. Fair enough.
Kuchiki held out his hand. "Got any cash?"
Yu sighed and handed over some money. Kuchiki immediately paid for his food, pocketed the change, and wandered off whistling.
Yu grumbled but didn't stop him. Kuchiki was annoying, yes—but also too useful to ditch.
Meanwhile, upstairs in Hyoba's lounge—
Jin lounged on a velvet cushion, arms around a hostess, sipping sweet wine.
Hyoba Naburo, patriarch of Hyoba Clan himself sat opposite, his son, Yoichiro, to the side. A carefully chosen beauty poured drinks for all three.
After a few rounds, Naburo leaned in. "So, Mr. Jin. What brings you to Blackpool?"
Jin lazily tapped his chest. "Just needed to disappear for a bit. Things got… complicated back home."
Naburo thought: 'Sounds like someone pissed off the wrong people.'
"And your future plans?"
"Broke as hell, to be honest," Jin said, laughing. "Need to earn some quick cash. Then we'll see."
Naburo's eyes lit up. "If you're a shinobi, I could help. Plenty of work for someone with your skills."
Jin scoffed, gently nudging the girl off his lap.
He stood, strode to the window, and flung it open.
Then, with casual flair, he pulled his pistol.
Three quick shots.
Outside, the ropes holding the punished men snapped.
They dropped to the ground in perfect sync.
Everyone in the room stared.
Jin holstered his gun and turned, smirking.
"Who needs ninjutsu when you've got a gun?"
Naburo and his son clapped eagerly.
Clap, clap.
"Incredible..."
A sharpshooter like that? Naburo had seen his share of skilled gunmen, but nothing like Jin. Not even close.
The way he moved, the way he shot—it was like something out of a movie. Or straight from the Hidden Villages.
If he had someone like Jin on his side, there'd be no reason to fear those lazy rogue ninjas hanging around Yu's crew across the street.
With newfound confidence, Naburo bowed slightly, speaking with urgency.
"Mr. Jin, please. Help me."
Jin raised an eyebrow.
"Help you with what exactly?"
Naburo launched into a tirade about Nakatani Yu's tyranny.
"That bastard runs the liquor trade on this side of the city. Uses thugs, ex-bandits, and dropout ninja to push people around. The townsfolk? They suffer every day."
He looked down in shame.
"We've tried to stand up, but we're no match for his goons. Please... help us fight back."
Jin sipped his drink casually, eyes unreadable.
"Fightin'. Killin'... sounds like a hassle."
Naburo saw the hesitation and leaned in.
"I'll make it worth your while. Once Yu's gone, I'll pay."
Jin swirled the wine in his glass, pretending to think. He already knew his answer.
"How much?"
"Fifty thousand ryo. What do you say?"
Jin raised 1 finger.
"A hundred. Not a ryo less."
Naburo hesitated, his wallet already weeping.
Jin glanced lazily toward the window. "Something tells me Yu would pay up faster."
"Alright, alright! A hundred thousand!"
Jin smiled.
"Then let's start with a deposit."
Grimacing, Naburo handed half of the money.
"The rest comes after you take down Yu."
"Sounds fair."
Then Jin stood, grinning like a fox.
"Alright, who wants to show me a good time? Let's see who this money belongs to!"
He tossed a handful of coins into the air.
The young women around him burst into laughter and cheers, diving after the money.
The atmosphere in the brothel turned festive in a heartbeat.
Naburo and his son quietly slipped away.
At least the money stayed in their own establishment.
Outside, Naburo's expression darkened.
Yoichiro leaned in, whispering.
"Dad, once he kills Yu, we poison him. Save us the final payout."
Naburo grunted approval.
"Yes. Good idea. We'll deal with him afterward."
Yoichiro grinned.
Soon, the car, the guns, the brothel—everything—would be his.
The next two days, Jin lived like a king inside Naburo's brothel. Wine, women, and laughter.
But he never forgot his mission.
After enjoying himself thoroughly, he approached Naburo one evening.
"Hey, Naburo. When's the war starting?"
Naburo scratched his head.
"Still waiting. I've got something coming in... a secret weapon I paid big money for from Hidden Leaf Village. Should be here in two days. Then we move."
"Oh?" Jin's interest piqued. "What is it?"
Naburo gave a smug little smirk.
"You'll see when the time comes."
Jin's smile thinned.
So you're hiding things from me now? Alright then.
That night, Yoichiro was found dead in his quarters. Torn clean in half.
The only clue? A single red flower placed neatly in the corner.
Naburo went berserk.
He stormed through the brothel, eyes bloodshot.
"Call everyone! I don't care if it's midnight! We're going to burn Yu to the ground!"
The sudden shift in tone rattled the entire town.
Across the street, Yu got the news.
"Brother! Yoichiro's dead. Naburo thinks we did it! They're rallying their men!"
Yu slammed his fist down.
"I didn't kill him! Damn it! Who's framing us?!"
But with no Jonin here, no ANBU, and no Kage to appeal to, he knew the streets would decide the truth.
Yu grit his teeth.
"Fine. If he wants a war—he's got one. Get everyone ready. Arm them all."
Both gangs began mobilizing.
From sunrise to late afternoon, the town braced for war.
Weapons were distributed, street traps laid, old rivalries reignited.
Then the call rang out:
"Move out!"
"Move out!"
From opposite ends of the street, both sides advanced.
Shops were abandoned. Windows slammed shut. No civilian dared peek.
The two groups met in the center—tense, armed to the teeth, and one spark away from chaos.
Jin stood between them, watching both sides like a spectator at an arena.
Blades, guns, and chakra tools flashed in the sunlight.
He smiled.
"Perfect. Everyone's here. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down one by one."
He had killed Yoichiro.
After two days of probing and watching, Jin had figured it all out. The town was a tumor—two rival gangs choking the life out of it.
He would be the cure.
And today, he planned to cut both out—clean.
_______________________________
Word count: 1608
Comment below on what you think so far.
Also, if you're interested in reading some advanced chapters, you can support me on my patreon.
patreon.com/Rai_jin
Thanks for reading guys.