Beside him, Alexandra's face twisted with rage upon hearing Murakami's immediate capitulation. "Murakami! How dare you—"
Ignoring him, Murakami looked up at Hayate, who remained unmoved. "Lord Hayate, I am willing to lead the entire Hand to swear fealty to you. The Dragon Bone offers eternal life, but it requires a specific ritual to harness. I will give you everything—the methods, the remaining essence, and my loyalty."
Seeing Murakami abandon all pride and reveal the Hand's deepest secret, Alexandra's face turned ashen. He realized the era of the Five Fingers was over. He, too, sank to one knee, lowering his head in a submissive posture.
"Lord Hayate... I also surrender."
By now, Sasuke, Shizune, and Iruka had finished cleaning up the remaining stragglers. They moved in, surrounding the two kneeling leaders.
Hayate turned to Iruka. "Bind them."
Elsewhere in New York
The Bowery King and The Director of the Belarusian Roma had mobilized their forces. A fleet of vehicles was currently racing through the city toward the Shiranui Agency.
At the New York Continental, the sudden assault had initially forced the assassins into a retreat. However, after Charon cut the hotel's power, the darkness became an ally. Utilizing their intimate knowledge of the hallways and secret passages, the Continental staff and the resident assassins began a lethal counter-attack.
Winston had significantly reinforced the hotel's security after his last encounter with the Adjudicator. His elite guards were now cutting through the Hand footmen like a hot knife through butter.
If not for the presence of Sowande and Bakuto, the Hand forces would have been routed long ago. As it stood, the battle was locked in a bloody stalemate, with both sides suffering heavy casualties in the pitch-black corridors.
Forest Hills, Queens
The personnel responsible for the blockade heard the explosions and gunfire fade into silence. They didn't move. Their orders were simple: "counter-terrorism exercise." They were to hold the perimeter and keep civilians out. What happened inside the "exercise zone" was none of their business.
In front of the ruins of the Shiranui Agency, Iruka had secured the two prisoners. He forced them to their knees before Hayate and then hurried back into the wreckage of the building to salvage what equipment he could.
Hayate stepped forward and tapped Alexandra on the cheek with a mocking rhythm. "The Hand has five fingers. Aside from Madame Gao, whom I've already dealt with, where are the other two? Where are Sowande and Bakuto?"
The two prisoners exchanged a look before Murakami spoke. "They led the strike against the Continental Hotel."
Hayate felt a wave of relief. This saved him a trip to Japan. "Sasuke, Lee—head to the Continental. Bring Sowande and Bakuto back alive. Eliminate everyone else."
"And stay off the main grids. Avoid the cameras where you can."
"Understood!" the two replied simultaneously. In a blur of speed, they vanished. Hayate didn't bother telling them to take a car; after the RPG and Minigun fire, his garage was likely a graveyard of twisted metal.
Hayate turned back to the two prisoners. His voice was cold and calm. "You had a bold plan. Split your forces, shell my home, and dismantle my allies at the same time. You must have been very confident."
He glanced at the discarded RPG launcher and the armored truck wedged into a storefront across the street. "Did you really think this scrap metal would be enough?"
Alexandra's jaw tightened. If I knew this wouldn't work, would I have used it? he thought bitterly. If we weren't in the middle of New York, I wouldn't have used RPGs—I would have used missiles. In Japan, I could have secured a tactical nuke to erase you.
But as it stood, he hadn't just failed to join HYDRA; he was fighting to keep his head.
"Look up," Hayate commanded.
The two lifted their heads.
"Now, let's talk about my losses," Hayate said. "My price is simple. Give me the Dragon Bone."
The silence lasted exactly three seconds. Hayate's patience evaporated. He unleashed his chakra, a terrifying, physical pressure that slammed the two elders face-first into the pavement.
Under the weight of his aura, Murakami found it difficult to breathe. Alexandra gasped, "Lord Hayate... our personal supply is gone! That is why we sent Gao to New York—to find the source buried here!"
Hayate didn't argue. He kicked a fallen katana into the air, catching it effortlessly.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
In the blink of an eye, the blade blurred. Alexandra was carved into a dozen pieces. Hayate then kicked the trembling Murakami several meters away.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive sphere of flame erupted, engulfing the remains of Alexandra. Under the intensity of Hayate's amplified chakra and the mastery of his skills, the heat was enough to melt stone.
When the flames died down, Alexandra was nothing but a pile of scorched carbon.
Hayate looked at Murakami, whose eyes were wide with primal terror. "I suspect," Hayate said slowly, "that even the Dragon Bone cannot resurrect a pile of charcoal."
Murakami stammered, "How... how do you know our secrets? Madame Gao would never have told you..."
Hayate smiled. "The Dragon Bone isn't your secret. Don't forget where your order originated."
At the mention of K'un-Lun, Murakami stopped questioning. If Hayate had ties to the mystical cities, he knew everything.
"Now," Hayate leaned in, "tell me where the Hand's true hoard is. Did you bring it to New York in those leather cases, or is it still in your headquarters in Japan?"