Toji glanced at the Shinigami, his tone half-amused, half-questioning. “So, should I be grateful because you helped me get Kakashi and Jiraiya off my back? Or should I be annoyed because you stopped the fight? I was actually enjoying myself.”
The Shinigami chuckled darkly. "Both, Toji. It's all a matter of perspective."
Toji smirked, then let out a low chuckle, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through his veins. The battle may have been interrupted, but it had been thrilling nonetheless. His mind wandered to Kakashi and Jiraiya, wondering aloud, “What do you think they’ll do about Danzo now that they know the truth?”
The Shinigami didn't respond, leaving Toji to his thoughts.
Toji turned his attention to finding Anko, who he'd hidden away before the battle began. As soon as she saw him approach, her eyes searched his face for answers.
"Did you kill them?" Anko asked softly, her voice steady but filled with tension.
Toji's expression darkened for a moment, his gaze hardening as if considering something grim. “Yes,” he answered flatly.
Anko’s breath caught, and she lowered her head, processing what that meant. Her heart sank at the thought of her comrades dead at Toji’s hands. But before she could spiral into grief, she felt a tug on her arm. Toji pulled her closer and began to laugh, his dark mood lifting instantly.
“Relax. I’m kidding,” he said with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the torment he’d put her through. “We had a fun little battle, but with Shinigami-Sama’s help, we managed to settle on a truce.”
Anko’s eyes flickered with confusion, then relief as she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she'd been holding. “So they’re alive?”
Toji nodded. “Yeah, alive. And don’t worry, Kakashi and Jiraiya won’t come after us again. At least, not anytime soon.”
Anko sighed in relief, though a trace of worry still lingered in her eyes. She knew that Kakashi and Jiraiya might not be their only problems. “What about Tsume and Kurenai?” she asked, biting her lip. “They might still turn you in.”
Toji shrugged nonchalantly, brushing off her concern. “I doubt they’ll betray me."
Anko nodded slowly, though the unease in her gut didn’t entirely dissipate. It was one thing to have a truce with two of the Leaf’s most powerful shinobi, but dealing with the emotions and loyalties of Tsume and Kurenai was another matter entirely. She wasn’t sure how long this delicate balance would last.
Still, for now, they were safe. Toji stood tall, a smirk playing at his lips, his mind already wandering to what lay ahead. He might not have gotten the full fight he wanted, but things were moving in the right direction. For him, at least.
Later
In the quiet of his apartment, Toji carefully held, Tsumiki. Suddenly he felt a sharp edge press against his neck, a chakra scalpel.
Without looking back, Toji addressed the intruder. "What do you want, Kabuto?"
Kabuto's voice was cold, tinged with suppressed fury. "I’m quite furious with you for backstabbing us, Naruto"
Toji smirked, his voice calm and unyielding. "That's a lie." His enhanced hearing had picked up on Kabuto's heartbeat, it was steady, devoid of genuine anger. "You were never loyal to Orochimaru to begin with."
Kabuto’s grip tightened on the scalpel for a moment before he sighed, the blade withdrawing. "I was forced to serve Orochimaru. If I didn’t, he would have killed me."
