"Hello, I'm Phil Coulson. I'm here to entrust you with a mission..." Coulson began, expecting to see a familiar face. However, instead of Su Xiuyu, the person on duty today was a long-haired man he didn't recognize. His hair nearly reached his waist.
Coulson had seen plenty of strange individuals—America was full of monsters and oddities—so a man with long hair wasn't particularly unusual. Still, something about this one felt different. Unlike Su Xiuyu's calm, approachable demeanor, this man radiated a colder, more imposing presence.
"So it's you. I've heard about you from Xiuyu. But I don't like your fake smile," Uchiha Madara said flatly, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
Coulson's practiced smile faltered. The bluntness caught him off guard. Weren't Easterners supposed to be more reserved?
Still, Coulson didn't let it show. As a seasoned agent, he maintained his composure. However, his companion Brock Rumlow couldn't hold his tongue.
"You're being quite disrespectful to our agency—The Strategic Homeland—"
Madara lifted a single finger. That was all it took. An invisible force surged through the room, pinning Coulson and Rumlow to the ground. The pressure came from all directions, overwhelming every cell in their bodies. Their instincts screamed in fear.
"You have no right to act arrogant in front of me. Just shut up. I may not like fake smiles, but I hate empty provocations even more. That was your first strike. You'll get one more chance."
The pressure vanished, and both men gasped for air as if they had just surfaced from deep underwater.
Neither spoke. Neither needed to. Rumlow, despite his usual impulsiveness—something that had always defined his role in the Thunderbolt Team—knew he had crossed a dangerous line. He'd only provoked the man on Alexander Pierce's orders, trying to gather intel. And now he had a taste of it—barely survived it.
Whatever technique had just been used on them, neither of them could identify it. Thankfully, they were wearing micro-cameras; the footage might provide clues later.
"I apologize, sir. It was a misunderstanding," Coulson said quickly. Rumlow stayed quiet, but the look in his eyes was sharp and angry.
"Oh? Interesting," Madara muttered. With a flicker in his Sharingan, he cast a subtle genjutsu. In less than a second, he had seen through Rumlow's true identity—Hydra agent, spy, and saboteur. Every memory, every detail... exposed.
"Rumlow, apologize," Coulson ordered, noticing Madara's gaze lingering.
Rumlow blinked, as if waking from a dream. His body moved instinctively, his lips murmuring an awkward apology. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but something about Madara's presence unsettled him to the core.
Madara said nothing more on the matter. Exposing Rumlow's identity? Not his problem. Let them rot in their own internal chaos.
"What's the mission?" Madara asked, ready to move on.
"It's another investigation into vampires. It may involve combat," Coulson replied.
"A-rank. Payment: 25 million. After tax."
"Sir, the fee is different from last time," Coulson pointed out.
"Last time it was Uchiha Chisato, wasn't it?" Madara said. "Chisato isn't in New York. She's on vacation. This time it'll be someone else from the Uchiha clan. Price changes accordingly."
Coulson didn't argue. Even if the fee exceeded what he'd earn in a lifetime, it wasn't his money. The higher-ups wanted results, and they were willing to pay for them.
"Fine. We accept," Coulson said, signing the mission scroll.
These commissions were still done through traditional scrolls from the Shinobi world—modern communication just wasn't secure enough. With Stark's AI tech growing more dominant, the internet was practically his playground. Old-school ninja scrolls, on the other hand, were nearly impossible to crack. Outside of the Ancient One, no one on Earth could open one.
This time, the agent assigned was Uzumaki Asaoka.
Over the years, Asaoka had grown into a confident and capable young man. Though Su Xiuyu remained the Uzumaki clan's current head, Asaoka was his clear successor. Strong, disciplined, and already a veteran of numerous missions.
"Asaoka, you'll handle this mission," Madara ordered.
"Understood," Asaoka replied, as calm and collected as ever.
The three set off once more to track down the vampires.
On the New York subway, Asaoka sat quietly, though clearly distracted. Across from him was a tall, busty American girl—blonde, blue-eyed, and wearing a low-cut camisole that barely held her in. Her sheer size, combined with her revealing attire, made Asaoka adolescent self extremely flustered.
He averted his gaze quickly, his face slightly red. But her perfume lingered in the air, tickling his nose.
Coulson noticed Asaoka discomfort but chose not to comment. After all, Madara had already warned him once, and Asaoka wasn't exactly talkative. Coulson still hadn't figured out how to break the ice with him.
"Coulson," Rumlow muttered quietly, "We just dropped a fortune hiring a kid. You really think Nick will be satisfied with this?"
If this had been the first time, Coulson might have doubted it too. But after witnessing Uchiha Chisato's abilities—and especially after today's encounter with Madara—he knew better. Never underestimate someone from the Uchiha Agency.
Before Coulson could respond, Asaoka spoke.
"Don't worry. I may look young, but I have extensive mission experience. Even if this turns into an S-rank assignment, I'll handle it."
His voice was calm, confident. No boasting—just facts.
And just like that, Rumlow went silent.
-------------
Brock Rumlow had only approached Coulson to ask for some information, but now he stood frozen, speechless. Even from a distance, Hill had overheard them. Rumlow could only pretend as if nothing had happened.
Coulson, observing the quiet young man, noticed he didn't seem difficult to get along with. He stepped forward and positioned himself in front of Hill, subtly blocking the view of the typical all-American girl nearby, helping the shy youth avoid further awkwardness.
Uzumaki Asaoka appeared to recognize the gesture. He responded with a polite smile.
"Doesn't seem like a bad kid... just shy," Coulson thought. "Maybe this mission won't be as hard as I expected."
Suddenly, the boy who had been timid moments ago tensed up and warned, "Be careful. Something's coming—a beast."
Coulson blinked. "A beast? In the subway?" He thought he must have misheard. Sure, New York subways had rats, but a beast?
His confusion lasted only a second.
With a thunderous snarl, a massive wild wolf lunged out of the shadows. Its matted fur bristled with grime, and from its gaping maw glinted scarlet fangs. A wave of rot and blood hit Coulson's nostrils.
"Oh, shit!"
Coulson cursed instinctively and ducked. The wolf's claws slashed inches above his throat. It was easily larger than any North American gray wolf he'd ever encountered.
As he braced for the killing blow, Coulson found himself staring at the beast's claws—stopped mid-air, trembling. The creature suddenly howled in pain.
He turned his head.
Uzumaki Asaoka had grabbed the beast by its tail and, with a wrenching twist, ripped it clean off. The young man followed up with a brutal kick, sending the wolf crashing against the subway wall.
The train screeched to a halt at the next station. Screams erupted. Gunshots echoed. As the subway doors hissed open, passengers bolted in panic.
Left behind in the chaos were Coulson, Rumlow, a dozen giant wolves—and Asaoka.
The wolves paused. Their glowing eyes scanned the scene, heads tilting as if they were communicating. Then, with a guttural chorus of growls, they pounced.
Coulson and Rumlow drew their pistols and opened fire. Their aim was precise—trained hands, years of experience. But it wasn't enough.
Bullets tore through fur and muscle, but the wolves kept coming, barely flinching.
Asaoka frowned at their lackluster defense.
"If I don't act, they'll be torn apart," he muttered.
In a blur, he vanished.
In the next instant, he reappeared in front of the alpha—then launched into a dazzling barrage of strikes. His movements were sharp, fluid, surgical. He kicked, flipped, and struck, sending werewolves flying across the car. But even after the punishment, the beasts rose again, snarling.
Then—BANG!
A new gunshot rang out.
One of the werewolves staggered as a bullet struck its chest. It clutched the wound, trying to dig the projectile out. But silvery liquid oozed from the injury, and its movements slowed. It collapsed, convulsing.
Asaoka didn't react. He could sense the new arrival wasn't targeting him.
One by one, the werewolves dropped under the woman's fire.
"Silver bullets!" one of the remaining wolves shouted before they turned and fled.
Coulson and Rumlow froze.
They spoke... They're intelligent. Not just animals. Werewolves. The realization hit like a brick.
Vampires had already shown up recently. It wasn't that surprising anymore.
Of course, Coulson thought wryly. If we've got vampires, of course werewolves would show up too. Should've seen that one coming.
The remaining wolves retreated into the shadows, shifting back into human form as they disappeared down the tunnels.
Only in the New York subway, Coulson thought. Lucky there aren't cameras everywhere here... or this would be front-page news tomorrow.
The woman who had gunned them down—Selina—began to back away. She hadn't planned to intervene, but the sudden attack forced her hand. Now that the wolves were gone, it was time to vanish before someone tried to stop her.
She had been tracking werewolf activity for weeks. Their movements were increasing—and something bigger was behind it. She needed answers.
"Drop your weapon!" Coulson shouted.
Even he and Rumlow could tell Selina was no ordinary civilian. Anyone capable of taking down multiple werewolves single-handedly had to be special—possibly one of the targets on their list.
But Selina didn't even acknowledge them.
With a graceful spin and leap, she dodged their bullets. Shots ricocheted harmlessly around the train car.
Even Rumlow's sharp aim couldn't keep up.
"Well," Coulson muttered, watching her disappear, "that could've gone better."
Uzumaki Asaoka bent down and picked up the severed tail.
"At least we didn't leave empty-handed," he said dryly. "We've still got a souvenir."
Coulson grimaced. "It's still warm... but you're right. Might be useful. We can run DNA tests, maybe get something out of it."
"But now the trail's cold?"
"Not exactly," Asaoka replied. "I can still find that woman."
"You tagged her with a tracker?" Coulson looked surprised. "But you barely got near her."
"I'm a ninja," Asaoka said with a smirk. "I don't need gadgets to track someone. You agents rely too much on tech."
That wasn't really an answer, but Coulson figured he didn't want to know. Not yet, anyway.
"So... how do we follow her?"
Asaoka stared at him like he was stupid. "We walk, of course. Or, better yet, you drive. You do have a car, right?"
Coulson sighed. "Fine. Let's get moving. I have a feeling this night's just getting started."
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