Chapter 2: Two Worlds, One Table

The scent of rust and oil filled an old warehouse in Bucharest.

The clock showed 3:17 AM.

Hermione Granger sat on the floor, her hands shaking—and not from the cold. The server in front of her hummed softly; the final firewall was seconds from collapsing.

If she succeeded, she would know who "Kitsune" truly was. If she failed, the Ministry of Magic would hang her for trespassing on Muggle assets.

Three seconds before she breached the system, the lights died.

“Don’t touch that keyboard.”

The voice came from the shadows. Calm. No anger. But it was enough to turn Hermione’s blood to ice.

She reached for her wand.

“Who are you?”

Red emergency lights flickered on. It was just enough to see the silhouette of a man sitting on a steel container four meters away.

Messy blonde hair. A plain black shirt. No weapon. No magical aura.

Yet, the space around him felt heavy, as if the air itself refused to draw near.

“The one you’re looking for,” he answered. “I’ll only ask once. Do you want a system that is fair, or a system that works?”

Hermione furrowed her brow. “That’s a stupid question.”

“No. It’s the question everyone runs away from answering,” the man countered. He hopped down slowly. There was no sound when his feet hit the floor. “A fair system is slow. A system that works is dirty. Which do you choose?”

Hermione stood up, her wand leveled at his chest.

“I am Hermione Granger. I don’t choose 'dirty'.”

“Good,” the man said with a thin smile. “I’m Naruto. And I just gave you the chance to get a little dirty.”

He tossed a small file onto the floor.

Hermione picked it up and opened it.

40GB of data. The names of the Minister for Magic, Pureblood family heads, and bank accounts in the Cayman Islands. Evidence of corruption, extortion, and the illegal trafficking of magical creatures.

If this went public, the Ministry would crumble tonight.

“You’re insane,” Hermione whispered. “Why give this to me?”

“Because you’re the only one who will read all 40GB before going to sleep,” Naruto said. “And because I want to see what you do when you have the power to destroy the people you respect.”

He turned to leave.

Hermione stopped him. “If I publish this, everyone will hunt you!”

“True,” Naruto replied, already at the door. “But after that, we’ll talk again. Don’t die before then.”

The door closed.

Hermione was left with a decision that could change her life forever.

2 hours later. An abandoned warehouse, New Jersey.

Logan burst in like a storm, his adamantium claws already unsheathed.

In front of him stood Naruto. No combat stance. Hands in his pockets.

“Xavier told me to bring you in alive,” Logan growled. “But I don't listen to orders when you smell this much like filth.”

“The smell is because I’m cleaning up other people’s messes,” Naruto retorted. “Including Xavier’s.”

Logan lunged.

There were no screams. No explosions.

The fight was more like a cat against a snake. Logan was fast and brutal, every slash intended to kill.

Naruto didn’t strike back. He evaded. He used pipes, crates, and the ring of metal to shatter Logan’s focus.

Logan’s rage boiled over. “Stand up and fight like a man!”

Naruto pinned him against a wall with a single fluid motion, a small blade pressed against Logan’s throat.

“You want me to fight like a man? Like the men you killed because you were following someone else’s orders?”

Logan froze.

Naruto leaned in and whispered: “Genoshan. Ask Xavier why he stayed silent four years ago.”

He released Logan and stepped back three paces.

“You can kill me now. But by tomorrow, five major corporations will collapse. And you’ll never know why.”

Logan didn't move. Naruto vanished into a thin haze of smoke.

All that remained was the scent of blood and a question Logan couldn't get out of his head.

London. 6:03 AM.

Hermione published the file.

Every Ministry of Magic server went down.

The big names began to fall.

She sat at her desk, hands still resting on the keyboard. Her office door was kicked open. Seven Aurors marched in.

“Drop the wand. You are under arrest for high treason.”

Hermione didn't resist.

Not until she saw Naruto standing right behind the Aurors.

“You’re late,” she said.

“I waited for you to finish your work,” Naruto replied. He placed a cup of coffee on Hermione’s desk. “Sleep. I need you at full strength.”

The lead Auror raised his wand. “Stupefy!”

Naruto didn't flinch. A shadow blurred across the room. All seven Aurors collapsed simultaneously. No sound. No blood.

Hermione stared at him. “Did you kill them?”

“Just sleeping,” Naruto said. “I don't like dirty work if I can avoid it.”

He held out his hand.

“I’m giving you a choice. Run with me, or die a hero. Choose fast. I don’t like repeating myself.”

Hermione looked at the file on the screen. Her parents' names were on the protection list.

She grabbed a second thumb drive from her drawer.

“If I run, I stop believing in 'good' people.”

“Good,” Naruto said. “The good people died a long time ago.”

He took Hermione’s hand.

The world spun.

When Hermione opened her eyes, they were on a rooftop overlooking London. Rain fell softly.

Below, the entire city was waking up to the realization that the system had collapsed.

Naruto looked at her.

“Welcome to the real world, Hermione.”

[End of Chapter 2]

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