Explosions thundered across the sands. Dozens of kunai, trailing glowing explosive tags, rained down from the sky. They struck the various tents within the settlement, turning the camp into a chaotic mess of fire and screams.
Iruka, Lee, Sasuke, and Hotaru moved like ghosts through the camp. This was a zero-survivor operation. Even Pakkun was getting in on the action, striking down guards with his paws. Though not a primary combat summon, his sheer speed and explosive power as a Ninken were more than enough to overwhelm the average mercenary.
Hayate scanned the perimeter. A group of armed assassins began pouring out of a large central tent, rifles raised. He didn't give them a chance to aim. His hands blurred into a series of signs.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
He molded a massive amount of chakra in his chest and exhaled. A colossal sphere of reddish-brown flames, over ten meters in diameter, roared into existence. It streaked across the sand, slamming into the tent.
The fabric vaporized instantly. The assassins inside didn't even have time to scream before they and their shelter were reduced to ash.
Seeing how effective the Fire Style was in the dry desert air, Hayate didn't hold back. He launched five more Great Fireballs in quick succession. Within moments, the entire settlement was transformed into a literal sea of fire.
Not to be outdone, Sasuke activated his Sharingan. The crimson eyes whirled, tracking every micro-movement in the chaos.
"Lightning Style: Chidori!"
Lightning crackled in Sasuke's palm, screaming with the sound of a thousand birds. He became a bolt of living electricity, streaking through the ranks of the enemy. Everywhere he passed, men slumped to the ground, smoke rising from their charred chests. In one fluid movement, he claimed a dozen lives before coming to a halt.
Rock Lee was a whirlwind of physical destruction. He entered a state of "Infinite Dance," launching enemies into the air only for them to crash back down, lifeless. To these men, Lee was a force of nature—to touch him was to be broken, and to be hit was to die.
Iruka moved with more traditional efficiency, his kunai dancing across the throats of those who tried to flee.
To this squad of Shinobi, these men were pathetic. Despite their pistols and assault rifles, they couldn't land a single effective shot. Even those wearing high-grade ballistic vests found no protection against chakra-enhanced strikes and elemental ninjutsu.
Among the group, Hotaru appeared the most "normal," provided one ignored her supernatural gunplay and the way her bullets defied physics to curve around corners. In truth, there wasn't a single ordinary human in Hayate's entire team.
The Elder's forces were decimated in minutes. Resistance crumbled into a desperate, futile scramble for survival.
Seeing that the exterior threats were neutralized, save for a few stragglers, Hayate walked into the pavilion where John Wick was waiting.
Inside, John was standing over a seated Arabic man, his pistol aimed steadily at the man's head. Hayate smiled. "I told you, John. As long as you found him, we'd show up. I keep my word."
John Wick's expression remained stoic, though there was a hint of relief in his eyes. "The Boss's timing is impeccable. You saved me a finger."
Hayate knew that if they had arrived even ten seconds later, John's ring finger would have been a permanent souvenir for the desert.
Stepping toward the seated man, Hayate remarked, "So, you are the one. A holder of one of the twelve seats. The Elder of the High Table."
Outside, the gunfire faded into an eerie silence, broken only by the crackle of burning tents. The screams had stopped.
The Elder sat with remarkable composure. "I recognize you, Shiranui Hayate. A legend in the underworld, and recently, the man they call the Number One Assassin."
He looked up at Hayate. "Are you betraying the Table?"
Hayate offered a thin, dangerous smile. "Betraying? No. I'm simply planning to become a member of the Table. One cannot betray a body they intend to lead."
Because he had been focused on John, the Elder hadn't seen how the slaughter happened. He assumed Hayate had simply brought a massive army.
The Elder shook his head. "Hayate, you must know that the men outside were not the full strength of the Table. They weren't even my full strength. You cannot slaughter your way into a seat."
"Don't worry about that," Hayate laughed. "What I need from you is a guide. Take us to the headquarters. The real one."
He looked around the camp. This exposed gathering of tents was clearly just a forward outpost, not the sanctum of the world's most powerful shadow organization.
As the Elder prepared to respond, Hotaru, Iruka, and the others walked into the pavilion.
The Elder looked at the small group, then at the smoking ruins outside. He weighed his options quickly. "I can take you to the headquarters. But you must swear not to harm me."
Hayate raised an eyebrow. He hadn't even started the interrogation yet, and the Elder was already folding. Interesting.
"Deal. Lead us to the High Table headquarters. I have a high-level meeting to convene."
The Elder stood and walked out of the pavilion. He surveyed the carnage. Tents were reduced to blackened craters; others were still roaring with fire. He looked at the bodies, then back at the group.
"Only... five of you?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
He had nearly two hundred men stationed here. Even if they were sheep, five people shouldn't have been able to kill them all this quickly.
"Not five," Hayate corrected. "Five and one Ninja Hound."
Pakkun trotted in, leading a few camels. "Lord Hayate, I rounded up some camels that were trying to bolt. You'll need them for the journey."
The Elder froze. John Wick likewise stared at the pug. The dog had spoken. John remembered Hayate walking this dog back in the city—he and Helen had even commented on how cute the pug was.
"Thanks, Pakkun," Hayate said. "We're good here. You can head back."
"Call me if you need more sniffing done."
Poof!
In a cloud of smoke, Pakkun vanished into thin air.
The Elder's pupils shrunk. A talking dog was one thing, but seeing a creature vanish into nothingness was something else entirely. He looked at Shiranui Hayate with a newfound sense of dread.
"The journey is long," the Elder whispered. "Follow me."