Chapter 5: Mission from Kingpin
On the porch of her Japanese-style house in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, Naori sat calmly. The soothing view of the night enveloped her, accompanied by a gentle, cold breeze. In her hand, she held the long smoking pipe given to her by Wilson Fisk—Kingpin—several days ago.
The gleaming green jade mouthpiece touched her lips, red like cherries. With slow movement, she lit the pipe using a wooden match, letting the white smoke enter her lungs.
Her beautiful, pale lavender eyes stared blankly at the small garden filled with bamboo plants and a koi pond. The soft trickle of water from the stone fountain could be heard gently, creating an atmosphere of harmony that was hard to find amidst the bustle of New York. She exhaled the white smoke from her mouth, painting abstract patterns in the cold night air.
To her right, a large white suitcase lay open, revealing its strange and mysterious contents. Inside, there were pieces of ivory-colored bones. At first glance, they appeared to be ordinary animal bones, but their unusual shape and the strange aura emanating from them made Naori certain that these were no simple objects.
According to information from Fisk, these bones were part of a dragon skeleton—an ancient relic that was one of the most prized treasures of the The Hand organization. This shadowy ninja organization involved in organized crime kept many dark secrets, including the supernatural powers they used to build their shadow empire.
Naori slowly closed the suitcase and slid it beneath the table. She knew the value of the object was immense, even though, until now, even Fisk's best scientists had failed to find a way to utilize them. Months of research had only revealed that these bones had an extraordinary density and emitted some sort of mysterious energy that had yet to be identified.
"Fisk is really frustrated," Naori muttered as she took a deep breath from her pipe. She knew Fisk wasn't the type to give up easily, but the large losses incurred from the fruitless research had eventually led him to hand the bones over to Naori.
In return, Fisk asked for Naori's help in confronting The Hand. A task that was far from simple.
Naori slowly stood, letting her pipe rest on the edge of the porcelain ashtray decorated with cherry blossom paintings. She walked into the house, passing through the living room with the softly glowing digital tatami floor beneath her feet. This house was her little oasis—a blend of traditional Japanese architecture with a touch of modern technology.
In her simple yet elegant study, Naori sat at a low wooden desk piled with documents. Among the stacks of papers were Fisk's research notes and a map of a location suspected to be one of The Hand's main headquarters. She flicked through the notes with her fingertips, reading carefully.
According to one of the documents, The Hand used these dragon bones in ancient rituals to strengthen their forces. There were indications that these bones were also linked to the Resurrection Elixir—a mysterious substance that was at the core of The Hand's power. If true, this was an incredibly valuable object, and Naori would have no hesitation in acquiring more.
Naori leaned back in her chair and massaged her temples. "Why is it always me who has to go into these snake pits?" she thought, giving a small smile. But behind her smile, there was unease. She knew this task was not just about proving her skill as a mercenary. It was a battle against an organization that would stop at nothing, even using mystical powers to achieve their goals.
Why had she been getting such a bad feeling lately? Yesterday, she had to face terrorists, and now ninjas. And don't tell her that someday she'll face monsters or even aliens!
Naori could not act recklessly; she didn't know how strong the ninjas in this world were. Especially Madame Gao, an executive of The Hand, rumored to have lived for hundreds of years. If her power was on the level of a Kage, Naori swore she would kill Wilson Fisk if he didn't offer her additional compensation!
The cold wind blew again through the sliding door left ajar. The soft chime of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts. Naori stood, straightened her simple yet elegant gown, and walked toward the front door.
There stood a young man in a neat black suit—one of Fisk's couriers. He handed Naori a large brown envelope without saying much.
"From Mr. Fisk," he said briefly before bowing and leaving.
Naori opened the envelope after returning to her study. Inside was a new report on The Hand's activities, including the suspected location of their next ritual in an old warehouse in Chinatown. The report also mentioned that Fisk had an informant within The Hand who was ready to provide assistance if Naori managed to infiltrate their territory.
"Alright," Naori murmured as she leaned back in her chair. She relit her pipe and inhaled deeply.
"The smoke is calming. Maybe this is a good sign," she said while watching the white smoke rise slowly into the air, as if preparing herself for the mission ahead.
That night, Naori spent her time studying every detail of the report, strategizing, and preparing to infiltrate the darkest shadows of New York. For her, this was not just about money or reputation. It was a challenge—and Naori always enjoyed a challenge.