On the other side of the blockade.
The Director of the Belarusian Roma emerged from a sewage grate, her face a mask of restrained fury. She and her men had crawled through the stinking labyrinth of New York's underbelly to bypass the police lines. Since taking command of the Roma, she had never been this disheveled; as a woman who managed opera houses and valued the finer things in life, the stench of the sewers was an affront to her very soul.
But for Elder Hayate, she had endured it.
As they slipped onto the street near the Shiranui Agency, she saw the Bowery King's men already busy hauling away bodies. A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes—she wasn't the first to arrive—but she was relieved to see that John Wick's assessment was correct: the enemies were no match for the Elder.
She led her subordinates to Hayate and dropped to one knee, a gesture of absolute fealty. "Elder, the Roma have arrived. Forgive our delay."
Hayate looked at the dirt-streaked woman and her disciplined soldiers. "It's fine. Stand up. Did John Wick send you?"
"He did," the Director replied, rising. "He warned us of a potential hit. I am gratified to see you are unharmed and the threat neutralized."
Hayate nodded. Wick was proving his worth. Once this transition period was over, he might just bring the Roma closer into his inner circle. "The enemies are gone. Join the Bowery King's men. Help them scrub the scene."
"At once!"
The New York Continental
Inside the hotel, Sasuke Uchiha moved like a phantom. His Sharingan tracked every scuff mark and drop of blood on the floor. He knew this building well; Winston often treated him to desserts and delicacies in the administrative wing during mission briefings.
He sensed a group moving toward the manager's office.
"Lightning Style: Chidori!"
The darkness was instantly pierced by the blinding glare of electricity and the sound of a thousand chirping birds. Sasuke charged, the lightning in his hand tearing through the corridor. He didn't stop until the Chidori's chakra was spent, leaving thirteen charred bodies in his wake.
"23," he whispered.
Sowande, the Finger of the Hand leading the administrative assault, turned just in time to see a youth holding a handful of lightning. Before he could even process the sight, the lightning swept through his men.
Horrified by the boy's ability to manipulate pure electricity, Sowande didn't hesitate. He circulated his Chi for a full-body defense, but Sasuke was already upon him. A brutal whip-kick caught Sowande in the ribs.
The Chi armor shattered. Sowande was launched backward, crashing through a door.
"So, you're one of the leaders," Sasuke noted. He didn't give Sowande a chance to recover. He blurred forward, launching into the Lion Barrage. Having fought Madame Gao, Sasuke knew exactly how much force was needed to break a master's defenses without ending their life.
The remaining six Hand operatives drew daggers, terrified to use their guns for fear of hitting their own leader. They never got close. Sasuke flicked his wrist, and six shuriken hummed through the air, finding their marks in six throats simultaneously.
Sasuke planted a foot on Sowande's chest. The old man felt as if a mountain had dropped on him.
"What's your name?" Sasuke asked coldly.
Sowande coughed up blood, staring at the youth's crimson eyes. "You... you attack us without even knowing who we are?"
Sasuke increased the pressure. "Do I need to know a corpse's name to kill it? Speak. Name."
"Sowande... I am a founder of the Hand," he wheezed. "Whoever hired you, I will pay ten times their price. Just let me leave."
Before Sasuke could respond, a sonic boom echoed through the hallway. Rock Lee arrived, the "ball" of Bakuto still strapped to his back. He looked at the room full of corpses and pouted.
"Sasuke! I killed 29. What's your score?"
Sasuke glanced at the bodies, then back at Lee. He said one word: "Tie."
Sowande, seeing himself ignored, shouted, "Ten times! I'll pay ten times!"
Sasuke delivered a swift kick to Sowande's jaw, silencing the offer with another mouthful of blood. "You have the nerve to attack us and yet you don't even know who we are? Your courage outstrips your wisdom."
Sasuke knocked Sowande unconscious and hogtied him just as Lee had done with Bakuto.
Turning to the heavy vault door of the safe room, Sasuke struck it once, the sound booming like a temple bell. "Winston! It's over. Come out and clean up your mess."
Inside, Winston jumped at the sound. Recognizing the voice, he hit the release. The heavy locks groaned and clicked for a full minute before the door finally hissed open.
Winston looked out to see two teenagers—one carrying a human sphere, the other standing over his broken enemy. He bowed deeply. "My thanks to the Adjudicators. I will contact Charlie and his crew immediately to begin the cleanup here and at the Elder's location."
Sasuke nodded to Lee. "Let's go. Time to deliver the targets to Lord Hayate."
The two ninjas vanished into the darkness, leaving Winston standing alone in his lobby, staring at the carnage. He realized then that the power Hayate wielded wasn't just influence—it was a force of nature that had dismantled a centuries-old cult in a single night.