37 The Demon's Lesson in Silence

The next morning, Naruto watched Izumi and Uzumei exercise their bodies. He did not trust having that doctor around, but he didn't feel like having the Konoha Hospital taking a look at them until he had steps prepared. Along with them, he spotted at least thirty other male and female warriors who had been imprisoned within the cells. It turned out that Uzumei had decided to release those who would follow under the boy's rule.

Rather unorthodox, but he didn't mind. The others who refused would stay in their cells for his use. Naturally, this wasn't a small group of people, and Naruto had a feeling he would have a headache shifting through the memories of even these chunin, genin/ and former jonin shinobi and kunoichi. He would have to save such matters for later.

In the meantime, he did have a laugh watching Izumi practice with some of the bodyguards as her training partners. Naturally, she held nothing back, but Naruto wasn't so soft on her that he didn't allow them to hit her back. What good was training if the dummies never retaliated? Of course he made sure she wasn't hurt too badly. Said training dummies would be in a lot of pain of they damaged his goods.

Unfortunately, he couldn't exercise the offensive capabilities of his power, at least not with the walking piles of flesh in front of him, but the supportive and defensive capabilities were actually quite interesting. So far, he hadn't been given a headache and the excess blood which had had drained seemed to finally be settling.

He did feel oddly stronger. It was a rather nice feeling. For one, it felt like he didn't have to commit so much of his strength to restraining Yugao anymore. Sometimes he hardly felt he was restraining her at all."My Lord...I have completed my exercises," Uzumei said which drew his attention.

He noticed she had been given quite the sweat, but moved on. "Good, now then, you do know the group you freed are your responsibility, correct?" He asked. She quickly assured him that she knew they were her responsibility and her consequence. Should she fail punishments would be in order.

"Yes, my Lord. They fight well. They do hold a hatred for Konoha shinobi as well, but I believe that to be more for those who kept them here than for the general populace. Others express desire to return home. I only told them I would make no promises," she remarked. Naruto snorted. Of course they would want to return home, but he had other plans for them.

"Well, that's going to have to wait. It'll be in another week when the organization reports state that the Red Dragon was overtaken. No doubt I've created a power struggle. It'll be worth it to see how the other organizations fare trying to undermine us. Now then, Uzumei-chan, I need you to run a small errand for me," Naruto spoke.

"I understand," she replied. She watched Naruto write upon a slip of paper before handing it to her. He then threw her a wallet he had found. It held enough money. Whose it was he really didn't care. He watched her dismiss those who were working and rushed off to complete her task.

Truth be told, Naruto shouldn't have been surprised that there was a pit of death below the bar. No doubt many people seemed to gamble upon events such as this, but it made for excellent training where they couldn't surface to do the same. Also, one might be thinking it was foolhardy to place an amnesiac in charge of...freed slave maintenance, but Naruto had a good feeling about her. That woman was going to surprise him.

Now as for the second one...he sighed when he watched her take down another guard. Something had happened with Izumi. She seemed a lot angrier these days. When she returned yesterday with the smell of blood on her hands, he hadn't investigated. Then again, he did see why Sasuke's clansmen were so fearsome.

Though her previous life might have said differently, Izumi seemed very taken to the training he had provided her. She was already receiving instruction from Santa Yamanaka. Hopefully by the time he would begin his training with the Sandaime then things would start to get interesting.

"N-Naruto-sama," The blonde turned around and noticed one of the guards with a letter in his palms. "This was delivered just now. It's about the recent cargo that was just shipped," he said. Naruto took the letter. He narrowed his eyes. He then exhaled.

"Fine, everyone go home. But, aside from the Yamanaka, you all better be back here at night time. Izumi, you're with me. I think it's time we paid a small visit to the others. If I recall, we do have a representative from the area that ship was lost in. Besides, it also gives me a chance to discuss some...interesting negotiations down the line," Naruto claimed. Izumi grumbled, but given that the training session had been deemed over then there was not much for her to complain about.

She left the training area, took herself a refreshing shower, and quickly met up with Naruto in the lower caverns. He noticed those who Uzumei had deemed not releasing. If there was one thing that Naruto had to praise the Red Dragon for then it was at least capable of categorizing their merchandise based on priority. "If I may ask, what do you plan to do with them?" Izumi asked.

Naruto chuckled as he walked past those of uninterest to him. "Let's answer your question with another question. What...should I plan to do with them?" Naruto asked. Izumi thought this over for a moment. Naruto never slowed his walk and waited for her to answer.

Naruto had to say...he could sympathize with Shikamaru a bit more now. All this thinking, there had to be times where one just wished to be lazy. It was nice, but...it was definitely not his style. Then again...having so many memories and experiences flooding his head was rather disorientating.

"I suppose since they were of the group who refused to work for your cause then you'll find some other use for them. You have many political figures down here and even some other shinobi who still resist. Your central focus would be around them?" Izumi asked. Naruto's smile widened.

After two minutes passed, Naruto in front of a cage. He stared down at a man. The man glared up at him. He covered himself with a barely recognizable hideously torn blanket. "I told t-that bitch from before that I would r-r-rather die than help dishonorable people like you! A-A-A child like you will not last long in the world of men," he said all the while shivers ran down his body from the cold.

Izumi glared at the man as well, but Naruto seemed hardly concerned. "How about we put that statement to the test. I don't need to last in a world of men. I just need to last in my world…," Naruto paused and opened the cell doors. He stepped before the man with his hand extended. Both the man and Izumi watched blood seep from the blonde's open pores before fashioning itself into a blade. He pointed it at the man's throat.

"And do you know what kind of world that is?" Naruto asked. The man fell silent. Though he was cold, the blade of blood felt very warm. It almost felt like...it was alive. In fact, his eyes stared down, he could see tiny spears piercing from the blade as if transforming it into a weapon of unseen horror. They poked at the man's neck. His own life essence spilled forth.

"A world where I get to see the hope and life drain away from from everyone...just like Konoha taught me. Just like...I can teach you!" His voice, a lull that dulled the senses. He took the blade away and turned around while the merely stared at him. His voice and resolve gone.

"Izumi, take him and prepare him for what we discussed earlier this morning. Anbu-neechan should be heading back soon and we'll need TalksALot-san here to get ready. Also...break one of his arms," Naruto ordered. The man gasped in shock as Naruto walked out of the cell. The young boy turned to the quivering man. His eyes teemed with the color of red.

"Perhaps it will teach you to not call my girls names from now on. That should be the first lesson for a Water Daimyo's son: choose your own words carefully," Naruto spoke and walked away. He turned around a corner and the blood curdling screams which filled the jail cell made him smile. His eyes turned to each prisoner.

Each of them looked away from him, the very blood within their veins racing from fear. No doubt the other prisoners were quite quick to lose their bravado. After all, animals tend to learn their place when the ones with the most bite are dealt with.

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