Sneaky Sneaky

The rest of the week went by fast. Kisara decided to join, of course and all was well…somewhat… she was still pouting at Kenichi.

That weekend, Kenichi was going to start learning Blacksmithing from Shigure. When the time came, Shigure and Xander were standing in front of a forge inside Ryozanpaku that he was seeing for the first time.

"What kind of weapon would you like?" Shigure asked Kenichi as she started taking her kimono off

Fighting with monumental effort to maintain his sanity, Xander replied in a somewhat strained voice "how about extendable wrist mounted hidden blades"

Shigure paused her wearing of a leather apron as she looked at Kenichi oddly "how?" she asked

Xander took out a piece of paper he had already prepared with plans on it that detail the build of his trusted weapon.

In his life as Alexander Lavelle Harris, Xander always preferred the axe as a main weapon. It was big, it was strong and most importantly it was lethal and for many years, he went without a secondary weapon.

It wasn't until he played the Assassin Creed games that he decided to on what he wanted his secondary weapon to be. They were the complete opposite to axes. They were slim, small and, without proper enchanting, fragile.

Good thing he had a witch for a friend and the entire R&D department of the watchers to develop a functioning model. It is the most recent (relatively) of that model that Xander is currently showing to Shigure, who had childlike wonder in her eyes.

Xander chuckled at the sight of the excited Shigure. Not much is change, just a small glint in her eyes, but it was enough.

It was time to build his new/old weapon. It won't be the enchanted silver version but it will do.

Another two days and another skill [Basic Blacksmithing_7(45%)]. Shigure had Kenichi forge a small metal piece into a leaf over and over again, while she worked on the blades. She only had Kenichi help her when she was stuck on some of the mechanical aspects of the weapon, like the retraction mechanism and such.

By the end of the day, Xander had new arm guards, with the blades in them "This is amazing, Shigure-sensei. It's just like imagined it to be" he beamed a childlike smile in her direction causing her to return it with a more reserved one

Kenichi then went and showed off his new arm guards to his fellow disciples, intentionally boasting about his beautiful sensei, if only to see the small red tinge on Shigure's otherwise cold face.

---

It was at the dinner time of Sunday that Xander got a phone call. It was from the publishing company.

Closing the phone Xander returned to his dinner. As they finished he spoke "I need the next week off" he informed his masters

"Why?" Akisame asked

"Someone leaked several chapters of Naruto online. A whole year's worth" he explained calmly, but his masters weren't so calm

"What? What will happen to the manga? Will it be discontinued? Will they stop printing? I'm going to kill the bastards" was the varied questions and reactions from Xander's masters

"You're kenichi?" Ryuto asked, and judging by the looks on the other Disciples, it'll be a long night

---

Next morning, publishin company J, executive Meeting Room

Everyone was quiet as Xander was figuring out what to do with the bowing old man in front of him. Apparently, his spoiled grandson decided that the world should know about how he 'Knew' the writer of Naruto, and when asked to prove it, he sneaked into his grandfather's office and released all the chapters there on some social media or another.

And so, the sins of the son or in this case, grandson.

"Just get up old man, you're making me look like a villain" Xander sighed

"not until you forgive me" he responded, but Xander wasn't going to be played like that. He was once an old man as well

"What I don't get, is why you had the chapters at home" Xander asked the still bowing man

The man flinched "I uh… well it's um…"

"Spit it out old man" Xander snapped

The old man snapped standing in attention "My granddaughter is a huge fan… so I" he finished with a 'what can you do' shrug

Sighing in annoyance Xander waved the man off "I expect compensation in the form of shares" looking at the man eagerly nodding Xander continued "and if you give me the right amount, I might just give you a way to profit off of this and give you the first four chapters of my new manga"

With the eager looks he was getting, Xander couldn't help but think 'I'm becoming a filthy capitalist'

---

Xander left the company late afternoon, it was around the time school let out, and he skipped. He was wearing a long-sleeved leather jacket as winter was coming.

As he made his way towards an abandoned ally to enter his ID for light training along the way, one of his Ghosts picked up something

Something he didn't like.

---

Isshinsai Ogata has invested too much in Ryuto to let him go just like that, so what is the logical thing to do?

Kidnap him of course. It's what psychopaths do, so why not Ogata. The process is simple, knock him out when he's alone, do it quick enough to avoid him responding and run away like a little bitch.

Xander's mind continued to narrate the events that his Ghost witnessed. It was a nervous tick of his like laughing when facing danger, and lashing out in anguer when feeling fear.

Ogata took Ryuto to some warehouse near the docks. It seems that he was planning to smuggle Ryuto out while he was out.

'Dammit Brain, again with the puns' Xander cursed his… Brain as he returned to his parkour exercise of get to the docks ASAP. Not being a complete idiot, he called Ryozanpaku and told them in no uncertain words "If you don't make it there in time, I will take Ogata's eyes, hands and feet"

---

Once Xander reached the warehouse, he started with one of the first techniques Shigure taught him [presence concealment] an incomplete skill for sure, but still works.

Xander approached one of the warehouse windows and as quietly as possible opened it and entered. Xander then immediately climbed up and positioned himself upside down by grabbing the metal beams running below the ceiling. As he went further inside he started to hear two people talking.

"-deal, So now I get to join Yomi, right?" a familiar voice said

"No" a colder voice responded

"Wha-" the voice was cut with the sound of splurging liquid hitting the floor, followed by an omenus thud

Xander tried, but he really couldn't find it in himself to care for Loki. He was a piece of shit and just because he wouldn't kill him, didn't mean he would cry for him.

Xander approached slowly, with controlled breath to ensure he remains undetected. Xander saw Ryuto tied to a metal chair but otherwise, unharmed.

Deciding to save his friend, Xander made a plan. He only had one shot at this, and he needed it to succeed or he was dead meat.

Prepared for the coming encounter, Xander let go of the beam, directly above Ogata.

As if sensing the bloodlust, Ogata immediately turned to face Xander's dropping form. Noticing Xander's bloated cheeks and cocked back right hand, he immediately reacted as one would to an obviously less skilled combatant.

He moved his right to block the assumed needles inside the young man's mouth and his left hand to block the incoming blow from the right.

It happened, exactly like Ogata assumed, except for the cold feeling he had around his right hand side stomach area.

Pushing Xander away, Ogata moved his right hand to notice no needles, just spit and hidden from him, by his own right arm, was a stab wound caused by a hidden blade… probably.

"You're quite skilled" Ogata began but quickly stopped as he saw the young man moving to stab Ryuto with the wrist blade that injured him

Moving quickly, he was right behind the Young man, with a left handed hammer strike ready to shatter the spine of whomever it hits, all of a sudden the young man turned at outstanding speed, moving his left arm to block the strike.

That feeling hit Ogata again, only this time, it was on his left hand side 'he had another' he thought, surprised

Accepting his injury, Ogata pushed his strength into his strike, he was taking the young man's arm for it but he was to be shocked a third time… he was weaker.

Unable to comprehend what is going on, Xander took the chance to grab the extended left arm of Ogata and flip him face first into the concrete.

*BOOM* *crack* *Ding*

Seeing Ogata out and the danger mitigated, Xander allowed himself to quip "I would crack a joke, but cracking your face will do"

The only response he got was a groan of utter pain. Ogata was not in a small hole in the floor, being slowly filled by his blood. If no one moves him, or by some miracle he moves himself, he will drown in his own blood.

Fortunately/unfortunately the entirety of the Ryozanpaku roster showed up at the scene mere seconds after the exchange, minus Apachai and the other Disciples

"like clockwork" Xander quipped, still riding the high of taking down a grand master. So what if he cheated, stronger opponent means you need to even the odds, simple.

As if rehearsed Kensei went towards Loki and Akisame went towards Ogata. It kinda pissed Xander off how neither medical expert went for their disciple even if he looked ok, but what can you do.

"He's dead" Kensei said in a saddened tone

"Mine's alive. Couple stab wounds, cracked skull and damaged spine, but alive" Akisame spoke in a relieved tone

"And your unconscious disciple?" Xander asked with narrowed eyes

"Shigure and Sakaki are with him" Akisame responded with a wave "I taught both of them how to preform basic diagnosis and treatment"

"He's fine, just knocked out" Sakaki responded from his side, where Ryuto was

"Good, please reach out to your government contacts, let them know that we have one of Yami's saint fists" Sasaki responded with a nod to Akisame's request and pulled out a phone

"The government?" Kenichi asked

Akisame nodded "Sakaki usually works with them, and they have facilities made to hold grand master level martial artists. The only problem is, they lack the power to arrest grandmasters in the first place" Akisame explained

Kenichi nodded in understanding "and since we have the power but lack the cage, we catch and they keep"

"Exactly" Akisame nodded with a proud smile. He liked a smart disciple

By the time the call ended, Kensei had used his pressure point mojo to stop Ogata's bleeding. It took ten minutes for a chopper to reach them, at which point Sakaki put Ogata in a fireman's carry and jumped to the roof then to the chopper, removing the necessity of landing.

A minute later, the police show up.

Xander couldn't help but sigh "Great start of my break week huh"

Inciting a couple grins from his masters