Three days had passed since the "Shiranui Incident."
Shiranui Hayate stood in the lobby of the Agency, nodding in satisfaction as he surveyed the space. In just seventy-two hours, the interior damage had been fully repaired and the Agency was officially open for business once again. The efficiency of the Continental's specialized contractors was worth every penny.
"Boss, the experiments with the wax bath formula are complete. It works perfectly," Hotaru reported as she walked up to his side.
Hayate's face lit up with a smile. "Excellent. Since the formula is verified, convert one of the rooms into a recovery ward as soon as possible."
"The owner of the building next door is currently out of New York, Boss. They won't be back to negotiate until next week, so the full expansion might take a little time. However, we can repurpose one of our existing rooms in the meantime so anyone injured can begin treatment immediately."
"Fair enough," Hayate agreed. "See to it. I'm heading down to the storage room."
The storage room was located on the basement level—a reinforced vault Hayate had designed to hold cash, specialized weaponry, and equipment. Once inside, he gave a casual wave of his hand. The crates of gold and jewelry he had previously tucked away in his System Inventory materialized instantly on the floor.
He glanced at the rows of firearms and ammunition lining the walls. He shook his head slightly; over the last three years, he had found himself reaching for these "cold" weapons less and less.
Closing the vault, Hayate returned upstairs and found Umino Iruka sitting in the lobby. "Iruka, where are Sasuke and Lee?"
Iruka stood up immediately, offering a respectful bow. "Master Hayate, they are currently sparring in the training room."
Hayate chuckled. "I told you, Iruka, you don't need to be so formal. But when they finish, tell them the wax baths are ready. It'll help with their physical recovery."
Iruka beamed. "That is wonderful news, Master Hayate. While this world has incredible technology, their medical recovery is quite slow compared to what we're used to. Since we don't have a Medical Ninja on the team yet, this wax bath is a vital supplement."
Before Hayate could respond, Hotaru came running back into the room. "Hayate! I have news on John Wick, the man you asked me to keep an eye on."
She paused to catch her breath. "It happened exactly as you predicted. Santino D'Antonio personally led a team and blew up John's house."
She looked at him with a mix of awe and suspicion. "Boss... how did you know someone was going to burn his place down?"
Hayate simply smiled. He knew that once John fulfilled the Marker (Blood Pact) for Santino, the chain of events would lead to a violation of Continental rules, providing the perfect opening to intervene with the High Table.
"I just had a feeling," he replied cryptically.
Hotaru rolled her eyes at the deflection. "Fine. Now that the news is out, what's the plan?"
"We wait," Hayate said, his gaze turning mysterious. "We wait for the right moment."
On the other side of the city, John Wick arrived at the Continental Hotel, accompanied by his new Staffordshire Terrier. He walked straight to the front desk.
"I need to see the Manager," John said.
Charon looked at the battered legendary hitman. "It is a pleasure to see you again so soon, Mr. Wick. Shall I inform Winston of your arrival?"
John looked down at his dog, then back at Charon. "Yes. Thank you." He gave a soft command: "Stay."
As the dog sat obediently, John headed for the elevator. Charon picked up the phone. "Sir, Mr. Wick is on his way up." Hanging up, Charon looked at the dog and sighed. I wonder which fool was brave enough to provoke the Boogeyman this time.
On the garden terrace, John found Winston. His first words were clipped: "Where is he?"
Winston didn't answer immediately. He took his time seeing off another guest before turning to John. "Why are you here, John?"
"He burned my house down."
Winston's expression remained stony. "You refused his Marker. You're lucky he only burned your house. What were you thinking, John? Giving a soul like Santino D'Antonio a Blood Pact?"
"It was the only way I could get out," John replied.
Winston surveyed John's disheveled state. "Do you call this 'out'? What did you think would happen? Did you really believe this day would never come?" Winston paused, his eyes narrowing. "Lest we forget, you also gave a Marker to Shiranui Hayate just a few days ago."
John looked away, a flicker of frustration crossing his face at the mention of Hayate's name.
"What did Santino want?" Winston asked.
"I didn't ask. I just said no."
Winston shook his head in exasperation. "And if Hayate comes to you to collect on his Marker, will you tell him 'no' as well? Do you want to guess what happens if you play games with a man like that?"
John's voice was low but steady. "If Hayate asks, I will honor it. He saved my life."
Winston was momentarily speechless at the double standard. You refuse Santino's pact, but you're ready to run through fire for Hayate before he even asks?
Winston extended two fingers. "John, there are two rules that cannot be broken. One: No business on Continental grounds. Two: Every Marker must be honored."
"Do I have a choice?" John asked.
Winston's voice became grave. "To defy the pact is death. To kill the holder of the pact is death. To run is death. This is the life you chose, John. Only by doing what he asks can you earn your freedom back. After the debt is paid, if you want to hunt him down and burn his world to the ground, that is your business. But until then..."
"Rules," John muttered.
Winston smiled thinly. "Exactly. Without rules, we are no better than the animals."