Naruto : Shadow King

[Shika's POV]

One could build up an instinct to predict when life has something in store for them. Life has screwed me enough times to know that this was one of those times.

When that merchant gave him money he could feel that something wasn't right. Say it is an instinct or just the way the entire thing was playing out.

First, he doesn't even notice that there is a girl travelling with them and then she runs away the first time she gets. 

If that wasn't enough then it also turned out that the fat merchant gave him more money to bring her back. 

So here I was, looking for the said girl but I couldn't find her anywhere. The thought that the merchant lied to me came into my mind but I could find no reason why would he do that. 

To run away? Possibly but I still had my shadow clone keeping a watch on the caravan.

None of them were shinobi, so I doubt they could outrun a shinobi anyway so their running away sounds far-fetched. 

So the real question is if the girl really do exist then where is she? 

"Wuff..." And that was when I heard my dog started barking. 

"You got her scent...?"

"Wuff..." 

"Awesome, take me to her..." I smiled eager to find the girl and resume this mission. 

Turns out that I was wrong. Even after going after her scent for another 10 minutes, I couldn't reach up to her. This was really strange.

"I'm I dealing with a Kunoichi here ?" I can't help but wonder. 

Seeing that walking in a forest wasn't fast enough I decided to take the matters to the sky. Summoning Nue I directly went up to the sky and took the broader look around the area. 

Took me some time but I finally found a figure running away. 

"Okay, Kunoichi for sure..." I rolled my eyes, now this mission was getting borderline troublesome. 

Part becuase this kunoiche wasn't from Konoha. I could say because no Konoha Shinobi will take the ground over jumping over the trees, our training does a way that we are inherently faster jumping on trees compared to on foot when in a forest.

A non-Konoha Kunoichi came out of a cavern which came from Konoha and was heading towards the capital. 

It's pretty suspicious if I have to say anything.

I thought about it again and then finally decided.

---

"You brought her back." The fat Merchant called out as he ran towards me while I brought a girl who was bound by my ropes and her mouth sealed, trashing around, trying to escape. 

"Yeah, good runner this one. Had to work extra hard to capture her. Keep sprouting something nonsense as you said." I said while looking at the girl who looked in her 16 or 17 glaring daggers at me. 

"Good, here is your reward." The merchant smiled and tossed another 20,000 Ryo at me. With the earlier 20k Ryo, I now have almost double the price of this escort mission. Don't even have to pay tax on this money to the village since it's under a table deal.

However...

"I don't know, all that nonsense sounded legit. I might wanna take her back to the village for a little identification seeing what she was saying. Would you mind if I report her back to the village? Won't take much time..." I smiled while slowly tossing the money pouch in my hand like testing its weight. 

The fat man at this glaring at me, looked like he was constipating. 

"Here, keep your mouth shut about this." Ultimately the man took out another pouch from his ropes and tossed it at me. This time the weight felt almost twice as the last pouch. Around 30k Ryo If I make a generous estimate. 

"About what ?" I asked and the man's glare intensified, 

Just as he was about to say something most likely to reprimand me or argue about not spending more money. I said this cutting him off. 

"There is nothing to talk about at all. Just help a helpless girl and bring her back." I shrugged and tossed the girl at the Merchant who too nodded. Understanding my underlying message that I had nothing to do with her. 

And thus the journey continued.

---

Only after one more day that I realise that something was strange, though we were still moving towards the capital but we were taking the longer route. I kept my mouth shut making sure to be observant. 

Soon the party stopped in a tavern near the capital of the land of Fire. There was no reason to stop when we were so close but they stopped nonetheless. 

"We gonna stay here for some time." The fat merchant said, making everyone act swiftly while making me confused. Why stop outside the capital but not enter it? 

"And you Shinobi, your work is done here. We can take it from here on." Said the man. 

"Are you sure, though the capital is near but I was paid to escort you to the capital. You want me to stop here ?" I don't get why the man wanted to stay there but since he wanted to I didn't ask why. 

"Yes. You have been a tremendous help, thank you." Said the man as he came closer and shook my hand before immediately letting it go and turning around like he no longer recognised my existence there. 

This was sudden but since I was done here and the client no longer needed my service then it was my time to get going. 

[POV END]

---

The merchant caravan stayed there without moving out for the entire day, nothing happened. Everything was uneventful. 

Only the night that something happened. 

"Boss there is no one there. We used the password but got no response ?" Said one of the men to the fat merchant. 

" What's going on, are you sure you went to the right location ?" Asked the man as he grits his teeth together. 

"Yes, there is no one there ?" Reponse the man with a helpless tone. 

"Damn it..." The fat man roared out and snapped open the door. He went directly to the place where he kept the girl in bondage. 

"Wake up you bitch, tell me who are you and what relationship you have with that man from the capital?" Shouted the merchant as he roughly grabbed onto the girl's neck. 

The girl was jolted awake. 

"What...? What are you talking about? I did nothing, ple...please let me go." The girl shuttered seeing the man holding her neck and tears started to appear in her eyes. 

"Tsk, I'll sell you to the slave market if no one came to buy you after I went through all this trouble to get you from Konoha." Shouted the man with saliva flying out of his mouth. 

The girl looked completely horrified. She wanted to break free but couldn't do anything. 

Another day passed like this and the fat merchant now was getting anxious. He came back to the girl once again but this time it seemed that since he was getting this anxious and out of patience he had started to drink. 

He was completely drunk. 

"Bitch, where is the man who wanted you kidnapped? Tell me why he went so far as to offer so much money to kidnap you ?" He slurred as he entered the room where the girl was kept. 

Quivering the girl stayed where she was, not moving from her place. 

The man kept on cursing until he suddenly stopped, he looked at the girl with a side glance and kept his eyes on her. 

His eyes roamed all over her body until he finally stood up and went up to her. 

"Seems like I have no other option but to sell you to the slave market..." Same the man as he grabs onto the girl's face with a gleam in his eyes.

His thump sensually rubbed the girl's lips as the girl saw the man's pants start to bulge. 

She had an idea what was coming. 

"How about I take a look at the goods before that..." The man had a sinister grin on his face as he roughly grabbed the girl, by his movement it looked like he was about to tear open the clothes which she was wearing only for her hand to be stopped a few inches away. 

"Alright, that's all I'm ready to take..."