The shadows

ch 25

It was in the early afternoon that Naruto decided to go out. He didn't bother changing clothes. Instead, he used a cheap cologne. He picked up his accordion and headed to the busier streets. There was a square with a small fountain in the marketplace.

Naruto put a small pouch for collecting coins near his foot and started playing music. He tried to keep them upbeat and cheery—something to lift the mood and for people to be able to dance with.

To him, plating music was not just a simple art. He was trying to gather an audience, and soon it was a success. He also started moving around, twirling with the beat of the music and bouncing with his steps.

Music could be used as a shinobi skill. The movements of the fingers and keeping the timing of the notes were beneficial when it came to fighting against shinobi. It helped with more fluid hand signs and their speed.

It also helped a lot with concentration and multitasking. There were so many helpful shinobi skills one could improve just by learning instruments. Of course, Naruto was capable of shadow clones, so he had to learn multiple.

He was subtly looking through the crowd. He tried to memorize the faces of the people that could be important. Merchants, business owners, and people with financial or social standing.

He played for a while. Finally, it was time for him to go, so he finished his song and bowed. There was a cheer from the people. He took his pouch and walked through the crowds gathering donations.

He spent a while longer going through street vendors and trying local foods. He had to act as ordinary as possible. He returned to the inn in the early evening to take a shower and change his clothes.

He found the scroll Torune left in his room. Part of the reason he went to the marketplace was to see Torune so he could follow him back to the hotel and leave him the scroll.

Of course, Torune could always leave a kikaichu on him to track him, but they weren't fully aware of the sensor's ability and couldn't risk it with Naruto's position. While it was okay for Torune to use small amounts of chakra around the city since it was unnoticeable, the amount of chakra needed for the tracking could be triggering high-level sensors.

Naruto doubted that the man's skill was so great, but it wasn't a risk he was willing to take. So they chose this method of communication. The scroll contained the name and locations of some bars.

They already knew most of the bars Machi frequented, but Naruto needed a place where he could perform as an artist. Thankfully Machi only preferred high-end establishments that offered other services as well.

There wasn't a way to accurately plan where he would go each night, so they just had to go by trial and error. Plus, not all establishments would accept a foreign performer. There were only two bars in the list that matched their needs, so Naruto decided to choose one that he passed across in his adventure around the city.

He used some time to prepare himself. He did his hair and wore some clothing to show a bit more skin. More cleavage. Of course, he didn't want to wear something too revealing and destroy the mystery.

He put on some makeup and cheap accessories to finish his look. Since he would have a higher chance of singing, he brought a lute instead of the accordion. He checked everything once more before leaving for the night.

The bar he chose was located north of the marketplace. It was a massive building without windows. The sign on top of the door said " Red Lotus" in golden letters. There was a bouncer in front of the door.

Naruto used every lesson in seduction he had to make himself look appealing. He went to the bouncer with slow steps swinging his hips as he walked slightly. He kept himself up with confidence—shoulders back and chest up. Chin high, and He kept his eyes half-lidded. The bouncer raised an eyebrow at him.