Naruto:Suna Shinobi

Hirito decisively pulled Maroni in front of him, using him as a shield, forcing the armed men to hesitate. As expected, the suited men stalled, their fingers hovering over their triggers. "Move," Hirito ordered coldly, pressing the barrel of his gun against Maroni's temple. "Get out of his way! Get out of his way!" Maroni shrieked, his voice trembling with panic. His men hesitated for a second before they finally parted, creating a path for Hirito and his gang.

Maroni gasped, his tongue heavy in his mouth. "Wh… wha… what did you do to me? Why… why…?" Hirito smirked, lowering his gun slightly but keeping his grip firm. "Feeling weak? Tongue going numb? Limbs losing strength? Nausea setting in?" he mused aloud, watching as Maroni struggled to keep his body upright. "These are classic symptoms of cobra venom—nerve disruption, muscle paralysis, eventual respiratory failure. You'll be completely conscious, unable to move, as death slowly creeps in. Judging by the dosage I gave you, I'd say you have… two, maybe three hours to live." Maroni's eyes widened in sheer terror. "S-Save me… I'll do anything… anything you want… just, please…!" he stammered desperately.

"Tell your men to back off and stop following us," Hirito instructed, his tone turning icy. "Otherwise, you die here and now." Maroni, barely able to form words, nodded frantically. He struggled to turn his head and yelled with all the strength he had left, "STAND DOWN! DON'T FOLLOW US!" His men exchanged nervous glances, but seeing their boss in such a miserable state, they obeyed, stepping back cautiously.

From the distance, a group of figures approached quickly—Aman, the accountant, and several of Hogg United's members, all armed and alert. "Boss! What happened? Are you alright?" Aman asked, his gun aimed at Maroni's men. "Nothing much," Hirito replied nonchalantly. "Tie him up and load him into the car." One of his subordinates, a guy with a flamboyant cockscomb hairstyle, grinned and quickly removed his belt, using it to bind Maroni's hands.

"Ahem, Mr. Walter," a familiar voice interrupted. At the entrance of the restaurant, Penguin stood with a few of his men, watching the scene unfold with an amused smile. "I assume you understand that causing trouble in my establishment isn't ideal, yes?" Hirito didn't even blink. He tapped Maroni's head lightly with the barrel of his gun. "He started it," he said flatly.

Penguin let out a chuckle, adjusting his monocle. "Shall we say… one million dollars?" he proposed, raising a single finger. Hirito scoffed. "Two million?" Penguin raised a second finger. "No, twenty million." Hirito's expression twisted slightly. "Wait a moment," he said, smirking. "Maroni is worth way more to Harvey Dent. The Two-Face Gang just looted Gotham Savings and Loan— they're sitting on a pile of cash right now."

Penguin hesitated. His men exchanged glances, weighing the risk. "Hurry up," Hirito pressed. "The poison I gave him won't last forever. If he dies, he's worth nothing to anyone." Maroni was already starting to foam at the mouth, his body twitching slightly. Desperation flickered in his eyes. "T-Two… million! I'll pay… just… g-give me the antidote!" he gasped out.

Penguin's grin widened. He waved a hand, signaling his men to step aside. "Pleasure doing business with you, as always," he said smoothly. Hirito shoved Maroni into the backseat of the car, where Cockscomb kept watch over him. Aman settled into the driver's seat, while Hirito opened the glove compartment, retrieving a syringe filled with the antidote. Without hesitation, he jabbed the needle into Maroni's neck. "You'll be fine in five minutes," he said.

Maroni muttered something under his breath. Hirito frowned. "What was that?" Cockscomb leaned in closer. "Uh… Boss, I think he's saying… he can't hold it anymore?"

A sudden, foul odor filled the car. Hirito's nose wrinkled in disgust. Maroni had lost control of his bowels. "Ugh," Aman groaned. "Open his damn window! And next time, I'm getting a bulletproof car." "Good call, boss," Aman agreed, covering his nose. "Damn it, old man! What the hell did you eat?!" Cockscomb gagged, hanging his head out the window.

Burnley Central Warehouse, Gotham City – Mr. Freeze's Lab

The massive cold storage unit had been repurposed into Victor Fries' laboratory, a sterile, frozen domain where icy mist constantly lingered. Harvey Dent leaned against a steel counter, his brow furrowed as he watched Victor work. "Are we really going to use this stuff?" Two-Face muttered.

Victor held a vial of Titan Venom, studying it under dim lighting. "This compound accelerates steroid production in the human body," he explained. "The electron microscope you provided doesn't have the necessary magnification to reveal the molecular structure. We're relying on chemical inference to reconstruct it."

Harvey rubbed his temples. "The microscope I gave you cost hundreds of thousands of dollars! Isn't that enough?" "You're a lawyer," Victor replied dryly. "You wouldn't know that a high-end atomic-level TEM electron microscope costs upwards of two million dollars. What you gave me is outdated."

Harvey scowled. "Then what the hell am I supposed to do?" "I suggest you look to LexCorp in Metropolis," Victor said. "They may have discarded models. Word is they've upgraded to sub-nanometer microscopes."

"I'll handle it," Harvey muttered, making a note. "Speaking of which… where's Pupet Master? He mentioned some supernatural method that could repair frozen cells and slow nerve damage. Any word from him?"

Victor's cold, blue eyes narrowed. "If what he claims is real, I'd happily trade him the schematics for my freeze technology. If it means saving Nora…" His voice trembled slightly. "For Nora, I would give everything."

Harvey didn't reply. Deep down, he envied Victor's devotion. Unlike himself, Victor still had a clear goal, a person he was fighting for. But for Harvey… it was all just survival now.

Just then, Harvey's phone buzzed. He answered it immediately. "Walter? What do you want?" Victor perked up slightly, his interest piqued.

"Mr. Harvey," Hirito's voice drawled through the receiver, "I've got Maroni in my hands. Care to negotiate?"

Harvey's breath hitched. Maroni?! "How much?" he asked instantly.

Hirito chuckled. "No rush. He was working for Falcone, trying to turn me against you. Also, you've got a traitor in your ranks. My information has been leaked."

Harvey's grip tightened around his phone. A traitor?

Hirito continued, "That info alone is worth a hefty price, don't you think?"

Harvey's voice turned sharp. "I'll rob the Gotham First National Bank this afternoon."

(End of this chapter)

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