Chapter 5

Naruto's senses sharpened as he and King made their way toward the harbor district, the area where the Mad Gear Gang had recently taken up residence in a warehouse. The tension in the air was palpable, the weight of anticipation making every step feel heavier. It was clear that King was cautious, her every movement precise, but Naruto could feel a subtle undercurrent of unease. The Mad Gear Gang, despite being a mere shadow of its former self, still commanded a certain degree of danger, especially in the underworld of Tokyo.

The gang had once been a formidable force in Metro City, led by the ruthless businessman Belger, who had made a fortune off the suffering of others. He had controlled the city's crime syndicates with an iron fist, and though he had portrayed the Mad Gear Gang as a refuge for disillusioned youth, the truth was far darker. Belger's empire had been built on extortion, violence, and racketeering, with its tendrils reaching into nearly every aspect of the city's life, from its slums to its transport systems. They were a force to be reckoned with until the day they crossed paths with Mike Haggar, the newly elected mayor, and found themselves caught between the fists of Cody and Guy, who had taken it upon themselves to rescue Haggar's daughter, Jessica.

The downfall of Mad Gear was swift. In the end, Belger was eliminated, and the gang's vast influence crumbled. The members scattered, each seeking their own path, whether it was in wrestling, law enforcement, business, or worse, trying to revive their old violent ways. The gang's remnants found themselves in a precarious state, their power diminished, but their resolve remained. They had taken root in Tokyo, where they had sunk into the underworld once again, dabbling in illegal wrestling matches, street fights, and shady dealings with criminal organizations like Shadaloo and NEST.

As Naruto moved alongside King, his mind was busy processing the signals around him. The area was rife with energy, the strong vibrations of various individuals scattered across the harbor. He could tell, even without seeing them, that these weren't ordinary thugs—they had some form of power behind them. The Mad Gear members, though far from their peak, still carried a weight of violence with them, and they were clearly attempting to rebuild, to reclaim a bit of their former glory.

Naruto knew he couldn't afford to be careless. He had been in plenty of battles before, but something about the situation felt different. The Mad Gear Gang may have been down, but they weren't out, and it seemed they had learned from their past mistakes. They were moving quietly now, taking covert actions to avoid attracting attention, but Naruto could still feel the tension. This was no longer a gang trying to make a name for itself—it was a desperate group of former criminals who had tasted power and were trying to recapture it.

He glanced at King, who was leading the way. She was calm, collected, but there was a flicker of concern in her eyes. She knew how dangerous it could get. She had seen this kind of desperation before. These were people who were no longer trying to conquer the city; they were trying to stay relevant. The fact that they were now in league with other dangerous entities, like Shadaloo and NEST, meant they were not to be taken lightly.

Naruto didn't want to rely on his clones for this encounter—not yet, at least. His clone-based fighting style had served him well in countless battles, and with each passing day, he felt it becoming more refined. But he was still in the early stages of developing this style. It was still raw, still evolving, and even though it was powerful, it required immense amounts of chakra. Jiraiya, in the past, had told him that once the style matured, no one could rival him in combat. But Naruto wasn't there yet. It was a part of him, but it was also a part of his growth—a tool he would continue to hone, but not use recklessly. There were other ways to assess the situation.

As they neared the warehouse, Naruto's eyes scanned the area. The signals of varying strength, the fluctuations in the air, the subtle shifts in energy—it all pointed to a potential confrontation. He wasn't just walking into a gang's hideout; he was stepping into a brewing storm. The question wasn't whether there would be a fight—it was how big the fight would be. Would it be a small skirmish, a chance to test his strength and show the remnants of the Mad Gear Gang that they were no longer in control? Or would it escalate into something far more dangerous, something that could lead to the gang's revival?

Naruto's confidence shone through as he declared his intention to go solo. King, ever the perceptive fighter, regarded him with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. She had seen many young warriors with high spirits and unshakable confidence, but the real test came when the fight was upon them. The remnants of the Mad Gear Gang may have been fewer in number, but the core members were formidable. They had grown stronger since their initial defeat, each battle refining their power and pushing them to the limits of their abilities. In the world of combat, you either perished or evolved, and those who had survived Mad Gear's fall were now far from the same ragtag group they had once been.

"I am confident in my instincts and you are watching my back so I got no worries. We are friends now," Naruto assured her, a genuine warmth in his words.

King smirked, shaking her head with a wry smile. "Heh, get back from the fight, and we'll see if we're friends." The young man was a curious mix of carefree and capable, with an easygoing demeanor that belied his potential. He hadn't shown any real negative traits so far, but in the underworld of fighting, that could quickly change.

"It's a promise," Naruto said, flashing a wide grin before leaping toward the warehouse, leaving King watching with a growing sense of intrigue.

In that moment, King witnessed something extraordinary. Naruto didn't just jump—he flew. His leap covered more than 100 meters, and in a seamless motion, he landed at the entrance of the warehouse, making it look effortless. It wasn't as if such a feat was impossible, but the sheer ease with which he did it, without any damage to the ground beneath him, struck her as remarkable.

King's thoughts raced. 'I thought he had bad control, but this is high-level Ki control.' She had seen her fair share of fighters in her time, but the precision and control Naruto exhibited were something beyond what she had expected. It was a technique that high-level warriors learned when their power became too great—damage mitigation.

In the warrior world, when fighters reached a certain threshold of power, their strikes could level cities and shatter the earth beneath them. There were methods to handle this, techniques that allowed fighters to mitigate the damage their own power would inevitably cause. Some enhanced their attacks, creating an environment that could withstand the shockwaves. Others, like Naruto, had the ability to directly enhance the surface they were standing on, absorbing the shock and preventing destruction. King had witnessed this ability in select warriors, and it seemed Naruto had mastered it.

'He most likely did the enhancement technique. There's no way he could have done the first one...' King thought to herself. The first technique, which required complete control over the environment, was something that only the most elite warriors could use—rare, difficult, and extremely dangerous. But Naruto had used the second technique, enhancing the environment to handle the power he unleashed.

What amazed King further was the subtlety of Naruto's control. Despite the immense force his jump would have generated, he had avoided causing any destruction. It was a basic ninja technique, a code of life for them. Every ninja learned to control the impact of their movements to avoid unnecessary devastation, and Naruto, with his vast chakra reserves, had mastered this balance. His speed was a testament to this training. His maximum speed, which was above Mach 100, could cause massive destruction with just the air pressure and friction alone, but Naruto had learned how to mitigate that effect, using chakra to cancel out the damage. It was the mark of a disciplined and experienced warrior.

King's mind lingered on this realization. Naruto wasn't just a powerful fighter. He had the wisdom to wield his power responsibly, and that was something rare in a world filled with those who craved destruction and chaos. His level of control was something she hadn't expected, and it made her rethink her initial assessment of him.

In the past, Naruto had indulged in his abilities, enjoying the thrill of his strength. He had run at full speed across deserts, watched the air catch fire from the heat of his movement, and seen the ground turn to glass beneath him. It was a fascinating, almost intoxicating experience. But over time, he had learned to temper this fascination, focusing instead on mastering control and meditation. It was Jiraiya who had guided him down this path, preparing him to learn Sage Mode and pushing him to deepen his understanding of nature and its balance. Naruto's wind control, in particular, had reached impressive levels, and he had only just begun to tap into the true potential of his chakra.

As he prepared to face the remnants of the Mad Gear Gang, Naruto wasn't just relying on his power. He was relying on his discipline, the wisdom he had gained from years of training and the lessons learned from the path of the sage. His strength was more than just brute force; it was about control, precision, and understanding. And it was this understanding that would see him through the fight ahead.

King watched him with newfound respect, realizing that Naruto wasn't just another overconfident fighter—he was someone who truly understood the responsibility that came with power. And as she took a step back, watching his back as he entered the lion's den alone, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for the young man who had already proven himself to be much more than what he appeared at first glance.

Naruto's gaze swept across the men in leather clothing standing in front of him. He had just arrived at the wharfs, one of the primary Mad Gear bases in Tokyo. The air was thick with the scent of the ocean and the low hum of city traffic in the distance. The thugs blocking his way were clearly tough, but Naruto could sense the arrogance in their stance, a far cry from the kind of fighters he was used to.

"Who are you? Don't you know this is our turf?" one of the men barked, a sneer twisting his lips. His voice was laced with condescension as if he believed Naruto was some clueless outsider who had stumbled into a dangerous place.

Naruto glanced around at the ragtag group of thugs, his expression cool and collected. Behind them was the warehouse, its broken windows and graffiti-tagged walls telling the story of the gang's rise to power. It was a far cry from the world Naruto had known, but it didn't faze him. The Mad Gear gang had taken over the local turf, running roughshod over other gangs. He had heard enough about them to know they were not to be underestimated—but neither was he.

"I'm here to meet Poison. Why don't you bring her out?" Naruto said, his voice unwavering and full of confidence. He had heard about Poison's reputation—a fighter known for her agility, cunning, and ruthless fighting style. She was the new leader of Mad Gear, and Naruto was eager to see just what kind of fighter she was.

One of the men smirked, and his tone turned venomous. "Kid, you should've left when we asked. It seems today you'll be swimming with the fishes." His words were cold, an implicit death sentence. He motioned to the rest of the group, signaling them to take Naruto down.

The thugs, armed with steel knuckles, pipes, and daggers, rushed toward Naruto, eager to tear him apart. The once-proud Mad Gear gang was now a shadow of its former self, but that didn't stop them from taking out their frustrations on anyone who dared to challenge them. The gang had grown bolder with the backing of some mysterious supporters, and their power had corrupted their judgment.

Naruto, however, was unfazed. He stood perfectly still as the thugs closed in on him. His eyes narrowed, and his mind was already working, calculating the movements of each of the men. To him, their actions were nothing more than a slow-motion sequence. He had faced far worse, and the light speed at which his mind processed their attacks gave him an advantage that these thugs could never comprehend.

'Should've just listened,' Naruto thought with a hint of disappointment. Without even needing to move from his spot, he launched into action. In the blink of an eye, he was surrounded by fallen bodies—each thug had dropped like a ragdoll. The fight was over before it even began. There was no struggle, no challenge—just an overwhelming display of speed and skill that left the thugs unconscious on the ground. It was too one-sided to be called a fight at all.

"Bravo, that was marvelous." A voice interrupted the silence, its tone dripping with mock admiration. Naruto turned toward the source of the voice, his keen senses already tracking the presence of others.

Standing in the shadows, clapping slowly, was a woman in scanty attire. She wore high heels and carried an air of casual confidence as though she had seen it all before. Beside her were five other figures, each one more imposing than the last.

There was Roxy, Poison's twin, her appearance almost identical to her sister's, save for the bright orange hue of her hair. She wore a black peak cap, a tank top that revealed her midriff, and cutoff red jean shorts, paired with black high-heeled shoes. Her stance was relaxed, but there was a quiet intensity in her eyes. She, like Poison, carried a pair of handcuffs as a sign of her readiness for battle.

Next to her stood Sodom, a tall man dressed in traditional samurai armor. His face was obscured by a kabuto mask, but his blue eyes were visible, cold and calculating. His outfit was adorned with the kanji for "death" on the front, and in his hands were a pair of jitte, weapons he had mastered over the years. The way he held them suggested decades of experience, and his presence radiated authority.

Then there was Rolento, a muscular, athletic man with an intimidating scar running down his face. His solid white eyes and sharp jawline made him look like a man on a mission, and his military fatigues, red scarf, and chest harness filled with grenades gave him a dangerous edge. His green staff and grenades were ready for action, a sign that he was more than just a pretty face.

Abigail, one of the giants of the gang, towered over the others at 3 meters tall. His massive frame looked like something out of a comic book, with tire shoulder bands and chains hanging across them. His dreadlocks framed his face, and his tire-track marked trousers made him look like a walking wrecking machine. He had a presence that could crush anything in his path.

Finally, there was Hugo, another hulking giant who was similar to Abigail in size but wore a pink leopard-print tank top and black studded wristbands. His long, messy black hair bounced with every step, and the thick chain hanging from his waist completed his fearsome look. He and Abigail were the physical powerhouses of the group, and together they were nearly unstoppable.

This was the core of Mad Gear, a gang with a reputation that stretched across the city and beyond. The members, having risen from humble origins, were now ready to make their next move in their criminal empire. They were no longer the small-time crooks they once were—they had become powerful figures in the underworld, and it was clear that they would stop at nothing to maintain their influence.

Naruto took in the sight of them, his calm demeanor never wavering. These were no ordinary thugs—this was a real fight, and he was ready. He had faced far worse in his time, and today would be no different. With a smirk, he took a step forward, ready to face the Mad Gear gang head-on.