Ch. 34

--Zach POV--

After laying some ground rules with Naruto, curfew, bedtime, and other expectations for him, I could see him second-guessing his decision. But, that ship had sailed right after he made his deal, that's the power of ramen. One thing he started to sweat bullets on is waking up early to start training with me. That's going to be fun, maybe I can get Guy and Lee to join in, I think I could make them some kick-ass workout tools. Maybe even bribe them with some nice Kung-Fu movies.

We exited the workshop and saw Tsunade and Shizune "looking busy" right outside. They looked at us in surprise like they didn't expect to see us there. I tried not to facepalm too hard, but it was of no use.

Tsunade: "So?"

Zach: "He's willing to live with us to start!"

Giving her a thumbs up and the biggest grin I could. She just laughed at me and took out a scroll and tossed it to Naruto, who caught it and looked at it strangely.

Tsunade: "Storage scroll for all your stuff. Zach will help you pile everything, and you'll have to use the scroll because he doesn't have chakra. Hurry up because I need to talk to him, ya hear me Naruto?"

Naruto: "Yeah, yeah, grandma, we'll make it in a jiffy."

Smack!

Naruto looked at me in shock after I smacked the back of his head.

Zach: "Be respectful, she's been nothing but nice to you. You can call me an old man all you want, but it's safer than sorry to just call a woman ma'am. That way you're not insulting them on accident and pissing them off."

He nodded to my sagely advice, I really hoped it stuck, but I'm not counting on it. Rome was not built in a day, and you can't change Naruto in a minute. After getting the scroll, Naruo and I head off to get his stuff. 

The walk over was uneventful other than people giving Naruto the stink eye and looking at me sideways. But he seemed used to it, and I just didn't care, what did they know? Once we reached his house, I followed him up and went into the apartment.

As we were packing everything up, someone banged on the door.

Male ???: "NARUTO YOU OWE RENT FOR THIS WEEK!"

I cocked my head to the side, thinking that didn't sound right. This was an apartment, not a motel; it should be monthly payments. Turning to Naruto, I gave him a questioning look.

Zach: "Have you always paid weekly?"

Naruto shook his head side to side.

Naruto: "No, the manager came to me when I became a genin and said the arrangement has changed."

That was fishy as hell. I got up and walked to the front door and opened it. As I opened the door, I could see a short, fat slimy man who's greasy hair made Snape's look clean. 

Zach: "What do you want?"

Man: "I want my rent the monster owes!"

I laughed at him.

Zach: "Oh? So when did an apartment become a weekly fee? Most of them I know have a monthly payment of the same price you're asking weekly. So care to explain?"

The man started to bluster at me and get on his high horse. I almost busted out laughing at this doughboy, he must think he has some serious backing to do this to me.

Man: "Ha! Why should I explain it to you? I'm a part of the Civilian council, and we okayed it, where is the monster going to live? We've got him blacklisted from all the other apartments! HAHAHAHA!"

Yeah, going to have to deal with all of this shit real soon. But right now, I'm gonna teach some asshole a valuable lesson. Looking down at the smug grin the man has, I started to get really pissed off.

Grabbing the man's shirt, I twisted it to strengthen the fabric around my clench fist. He started to struggle a bit, but I was strong enough to hold the grip. Lifting him up, I walked forward towards the balcony railing and lifted him over it and dangled him in the air two stories up. By this time he was struggling as much as he could and grabbing onto my arm for dear life.

Zach: "My name is Zachary Briggs. Tell the council to try and do something to me, as of now, Naruto is living with me. Have a nice trip."

Then I let go of his shirt causing the man to fall and scream along the way. Unfortunately, he landed feet first and I heard a couple of loud cracks of bones breaking. That put a smile on my face along with the screaming coming from down below. Dusting my hands off, I went back inside to help Naruto finish up. 

Reaching the front door, I could see Naruto staring at me with stars in his eyes for standing up for him. I couldn't help but smile at the simple child and ruffled his hair as I passed. He closed the door behind me and started to give me a play-by-play of what I did. It was funny seeing him embellish the story so much, but hey whatever makes him happy and pliable I'm ok with.

It only took us an hour to finish up packing his stuff and have Naruto poof it all into the scrolls. Man, I need to figure out a way to store stuff. Maybe I should figure out how to do storage rings, I guess I should start studying the library that Hecate left me in my mind. 

As we made our way back home, we were getting even more dirty looks than before. Guess news travels fast in this shit hole, a lot of work to do to fix this place. Man, I don't want to be separated from Tsunade, I've been spoiled with being by her side the last couple of months. 

???: "NARUTO YOU IDIOT!?"

That shrill voice sounds very familiar. Looking over, I saw Naruto looking around with a worried expression. Before I knew it, a pink-haired kid came out of nowhere and gave Naruto a good wallop on his head. Which sent him into a squat rubbing the top of his head where she hit him.

Sakura: "WHY ARE YOU MAKING TROUBLE FOR THE CIVILIAN COUNCIL? YOU KNOW MY MOM IS A PART OF IT, AND SHE SENT ME HERE FOR AN EXPLANATION! ALSO, WHERE IS TSUNADE THAT YOU PROMISED TO BRING BACK TO HEAL MY SASUKE?!"

I already didn't like this chick before I met her, and every word she spoke affirmed my belief in it. Turning back to Naruto, I gave him a questioning look.

Zach: "You're in love with this?"

His only reply is a chuckle and scratching the back of his head.

Sakura: "THIS?! I HAVE A NAME, AND IT'S SAKURA HARUNO! YOU MUST BE THE ONE WHO SIR SAITAMO TOLD MY MOM ABOUT!"

Zach: "You know you don't have to yell right?"

Sakura opened her mouth to retort before closing it again and got red in frustration. 

Zach: "That's what I thought. We are busy, so if you'll excuse us." 

With that, I motioned to Naruto, who just nodded his head and followed beside me. My "ignore the screaming girl-jutsu" did not work out too well. She ran out in front and glared at us with her hands balled up in fists and on her hips. 

Sakura: "You know my mom sent me where to get compensation for Mr. Saitamo. She said it is a lot of money, so you better be ready to pay up!"

Zach: "Nah, I'll pass."

Sakura: "Who do you think you are? You're a nobody and the Council will deal with you! Naruto, you need to come with me and beg for forgiveness. I know you don't have a lot of money!"

She was really starting to piss me off, and I could see Naruto hesitating and wanting to follow her instructions. Placing my hand on his shoulder, he looked up at me, and I shook my head. He nodded in understanding it was worth it.

Zach: "If this council has a problem they can find me by the Wandering Inn. Tell them they are ants to me."

With that, I ushered Naruto past the annoying little girl and we walked away. He turned his head around to see how she was reacting. I didn't even give her a second look, let them come. Squeezing his shoulder to let him know it was going to be ok we continued walking.

Zach: "So, after that display do you still like her?"

Naruto: "Why wouldn't I? She's looking out for me!"

Zach: "Really? If she was looking out for you, do you think she would have asked what happened? Instead of accusing us and trying to make us pay for everything? If she was looking out for you, do you think she would have welcomed you back before asking about you bringing Tsunade to fix 'her' Sasuke?"

That caused the boy to frown in thought, and I just let him think. We slowed our pace so he could think things through and made a couple of wrong turns along the way. As we arrived in the area where the compound and Wandering Inn were, we saw a huge group of people with a familiar fat greasy man in a wheelchair. 

With a sigh, I steered us around the group and made it all the way to the front gate of the compound before they caught sight of us. Before I could get us in the group rushed over followed by a dirty blonde hair lady that looked like Sakura's mother from the anime. 

Dirty Blonde: "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! FIRST YOU HURT MR. SAITAMO HERE! THEN YOU REFUSE TO PAY FOR THE MEDICAL BILL!"

Zach: "I take it the majority of you are this 'Civilian Council', so let me ask who do you think you all are? With your ok, Mr. Saitamo here has been extorting a 12-year-old little boy for the last couple months."

Dirty Blonde: "I'm Mebuki Haruno Chairman of the Civilian Council, and I will not be talked down to like that by a mere civilian!"

Before I could retort about how she's dodging the question, unlikely back-up arrived. Jiraiya had walked out of the Wandering Inn. He looked at the mob of people trying to surround us, jumped in, and stood next to Naruto.

Jiraiya: "What's going on here?"

Before the Naruto World's version of Karen could ask for a manager, I cut in.

Zach: "Stubs over there -Point to Saitamo in his casts and wheelchair- has been extorting Naruto for rent money ever since he's been a genin, all with the council's approval. Naruto, of course, didn't know any better and has been paying what he should pay monthly on a weekly basis. They're trying to coerce me into paying reparation to the slimebag because they're a bunch of corrupt pieces of shits."

Jiraiya just nodded his head and turned to the mob with an evil grin, I just matched his. But before we could do anything someone appeared in front of the man in the wheelchair, I'm so done with him I'm not even gonna remember his name.

Tsunade: "Oh really now?"

SLASH!

He-who's-name-shall-not-be-remembered's head slowly slid off his neck.