I do not own any of the Naruto or Kuroko no Basuke characters. Their ownership resides solely with Masashi Kishimoto and Tadatoshi Fujimaki.
Normal speech - "Kurama"
Flashback – kurama
Sound effects – kurama
Chapter 6
He sits there in disbelief as those around him jump up in excitement. He stares at everyone, unable to comprehend what just happened. As Shika pulls him up into a hug, realization finally sinks in. He was drafted straight into his dream team. The team he has supported since he watched his very first game of basketball.
Naruto finally returns all the hugs his friends and family are giving him. He picks up Himawari up and gives her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek before he has to make his way to steps of the stage.
Naruto is handed a LA Laker's cap as he walks up onto stage. He walks over to Mr Stern who is waiting for him with a Laker's top. He shakes Mr Stern's hand and holds one side of the top as they both turn and pose for the cameras.
After enough time has passed, he walks off stage and sees Shika talking to a man that he correctly assumes is his new General Manager. The GM and Shika look over as Naruto makes his way over to them.
"Naruto, my boy, I would just like to welcome you to the Laker's family. Its good to have you with us." The GM holds out his hand to Naruto who gives it an excited shake. "Now, first things first. We will be holding a press conference tomorrow to officially introduce you to the media as part of our franchise. After that we will be going over your contract and any obligations that we might need you to do. We know you are sponsored by Sony already so we will have to go over both contracts to make sure that there aren't any clashes due to the team's sponors. Pre-season training will begin in 10 days so no need to do anything to hectic until then, just make sure to stay fit. We would like for you to come in the day before so you can meet the rest of the staff. If you have any problems please don't hesitate to call me or the coach. If there are any business or media function that you have to attend we will let your agent know so you don't have to worry about that."
Naruto stands there stunned, still not fully realising that this is really happening to him. Shika looks at him and shakes his head in amusement.
"I'm sorry for his lack of responses, he's most likely still trying to process everything. Don't worry about it. I'll make sure his where he needs to be when he needs to be. We'll see you tomorrow, Sir."
The GM smiles and says he understands perfectly, before shaking Shika's hand and walking off to focus on the rest of the draft.
Shika grabs Naruto's collar and walks to the back of the building where the rest of their group are waiting for them. After giving more congratulations to Naruto they all jump in their respective cars and drive off to Jiriaya's house to have a proper celebration.
Naruto sits down in the chair seated in front of a bunch of microphones as Shika and the GM takes their seats on either side of him. Sitting in front of him is a room full of reporters all waiting to bombard him with questions.
"Naruto! What are your thoughts on being drafted into a Laker's team that is currently far from play-off material?"
"Do you see yourself becoming the new face of the Lakers with Kobe Bryant with injury?"
"Do you see yourself making it to the play-offs this season?"
"What is your ultimate goal now that you have made it this far?"
Naruto glances over at Shika and receives the go ahead to answer the questions however he sees fit. He takes a moment to compose himself and gather his thoughts before leaning towards the microphones and giving everyone of big grin.
"Its honestly a dream come true." Silence greets his statement as everyone besides Shika is completely baffled by his answer. "Whether players like to admit it or not, when we are young kids playing ball and pretending to be whoever we idolise at the time, our biggest dream is to get drafted into a team that hasn't been doing very well, become the face of said team, and then take that team to a level that others just simply can't reach. You all think that the Lakers won't make the play-offs?" The sea of reporters bare witness to the sudden change of intensity in Naruto's eyes. "The Lakers will make it to the play-offs this season with or without Kobe. My aim is to be the GOAT: the Greatest Of All Time. Better than those that came before me and better than anyone that comes after me."
Silence is all that's heard as the room full of reporters are stunned into speechlessness. One reporter gets over his shock quicker than the others and stands up to address Naruto.
"You really think you can become the GOAT? You really think that you are better than the likes of Magic Johnson, Oscar Robinson, MICHEAL JORDAN?! That has got to be one of the most disrespectful thing I have ever heard! How dare you sit there and-"
"Then leave." Once again the room is shocked by the response they receive. "What did you honestly expect me to say and do? Just sit back and relax now that I have made it to the big leagues? If that's what you think then it is YOU who is being disrespectful! I'm here to become the best. In fact, I want each and everyone of you to quote me right here, right now." Naruto stands up and stares down at the entire room. It is then that everyone watching him feels a shiver travel down their spine as the air around him becomes charged with bloodlust. "When I eventually retire from the game, there will be no comparisons; there will be no debates; there will be no what ifs. At the end of my career I will be standing at the very pique of the mountain on which you have put all your great and best players. When I'm done, each and every single person will have no doubts that I was the best to have ever played the game."
Naruto walks out of the conference room while the room bursts into pandemonium due to the statement just made.
The GM walks into the backroom to find Naruto standing in a corner by himself and Shika leaning against the wall next to the door, typing away on his phone with the biggest smirk on his face. As the GM opens his mouth to speak, Shika quickly grabs him and pulls him outside into the hallway.
"Its really not a good idea to distract him from his thoughts right now. He is still coming down from what we have dubbed his 'Kitsune Mode'."
"'Kitsune Mode'? What the hell is that?"
Shika puts his phone away and straightens his back as his face adopts a serious expression.
"Sir, you have to understand something very important Naruto. For as long as he has been playing basketball, he has only ever played to his full capabilities when someone has truly managed to enrage him. Even at UCLA, there we restrictions put upon him. To be honest, I don't think even he knows just what he's truly capable of."
The GM stands in front of Shika with a shocked expression before shaking his head and gathering his thoughts.
"Why did his coaches place so many restrictions placed on him? Surely they wanted him to push past his limits. It doesn't make sense to hold him back."
"Troublesome…" Shika takes an exaggerated breath before releasing it in a sigh. He drops his shoulders and assumes his lazy pose that people have come to expect of him and his father. He leans back against the wall and looks up at the ceiling as he addresses the GM. "Only Coach Obito Uchiha has ever placed restrictions on Naruto. Even then, it was only because he has known Naruto since he was a kid. Naruto has always, whether he has done it consciously or subconsciously, placed restrictions upon himself when playing against those that are around his age. It was more of a precaution as to not unnecessary injure himself playing at a pace his body wasn't ready for. Now that I think about it, he stopped showing people he's full capability when he started playing again after the death of his parents. Probably the only person to know what level he's at right now is Kakashi Hatake, he's surrogate brother."
Shika drops his head back down and eyes the GM. Even though Shika's expression hasn't changed, the GM can still see the excitement in his eyes and hear it in his voice as clear as day.
"What you just witnessed in the conference was the 'real' Naruto finally making a appearance. You thought Kobe Bryant was competitive? I'm sorry to say this but you are really going to have your hands full once Mr Bryant is back to full health. Naruto is just as much an alpha as Mr Bryant is, only difference being that Naruto still does not know his limits."
Both men then just stand opposite each other, each lost in his own thoughts until the door opens. The GM is further surprised at what he sees. The only similarities between the young athlete he spent years keeping track of and the young athlete standing in front of him was that they looked exactly the same.
Everything else was so different that he started to realise he might have made a huge miscalculation when drafting Naruto. The amount of pressure he was receiving from the young athlete standing in front of him was only comparable to the elite of the elite players in the league. Instead of drafting the next face of the Lakers, the GM was starting to believe he drafted in the player who would go on to drag the NBA into a new era whether it wanted to go there or not.
"Ehem." His brought out of his thoughts by the sound of someone clearing their throat. He looks up and it takes all of his self control to not flinch away from the intense gaze being put on him by Naruto. Even so, he can't help the involuntary gulp that slides down his throat. His mind flashes to a scene of him standing in front of a deadly predator. "I'll be at the training facility the day before practice officially starts, just as you asked. Shika can handle anything and everything you might need me for and will bring me any papers that might need my signature." Naruto turns around and walks down the corridor towards the exit of the building g while pulling out his phone. "Gai-sensei, its me. I'm gonna need you and Lee to clear your schedules for the next seven days. There's a move I wanna perfect before the start of the regular that I could really use your help with…"
Naruto's voice fades away as he walks around the corner. The GM then turns to see Shika walking back into the room.
"Troublesome blond… Well you heard my client." The gleam in Shika's eyes returns as he gives the GM a bloodthirsty grin. "Now the, what say you to us discussing the details of my Client's contract, Mr General Manager?"
The day before he had to be at the training facility found Naruto spending some much needed time with Himawari. They were in the kitchen bust making pancakes before Tsunade came home to scold them for eating unhealthily. Just as the put the last batch into the oven, Shika came walking in with a suitcase in hand.
"Uncle Shika!" Himawari screams in delight. She climbs down from her stool at the counter and attempts to give him a hug, only for Naruto to grab a hold of her.
"Not a good idea to get Shika's fancy suit covered in dough, Hime. Why don't you take Kurama and go get cleaned up before you give him a hug?" Himawari gives a cute pout before pulling Kurama out of a bowl of dough and running upstairs to wash up. "What brings your around, Shika? I thought I was only gonna see you tomorrow before we both went to the gym."
"Well, now that we are almost officially in the big leagues, as your Agent I had to make sure the we are connected to a good agency that will help us out if we ever have any trouble. I went around looking at all the top sport agencies around this side of the world and while some of them would have been an ideal choice, my dad and I decided to take a gamble and have you and I the first athlete and sports agent represented by Sony."
Shika places his briefcase on a clean spot atop the counter before taking out a bunch of papers and spreading them all out. Naruto wipes his hands clean before walking over to Shika.
"So what's all this then?"
"This is all the contracts you have to decide on so far, besides the main one you'll be receiving from the team tomorrow. The first batch is for your personal brand that will be outside of the team's brand. Basically, you'll be wearing your own shoes and socks and such things." Shika places two stacks of paper in front of Naruto and hands him a pen. "I narrowed it down to two choices: Nike or Adidas. I knew you wouldn't pick Jordan, for obvious reasons."
Naruto glances through both contracts before putting them down to focus on Shika.
"I know you have an idea of who I should go for Shika. So tell me what you think."
"Troublesome… Nike would be the obvious choice. They are currently the leading brand in sports wear and all that stuff. They are also offering you more money. The drawbacks are that they already of a bunch of superstars to their name. Honestly, they just wouldn't have enough time and resource's to put an appropriate amount of attention on you. Even if you do climb all the to the top of their list, you would just be taking over someone else's spot at the top, not creating your own. Adidas may not be able to compete with Nike right this moment but I have seen some of their ideas for some break through products. If you sign with them you would get a lot of attention, especially if you play as well as you said you would. You would literally be changing the controlling powers in the league; dragging the entire NBA into a new era."
Naruto glances at the stack of papers once more before grabbing a pen and singing for Adidas. Shika looks over it to make sure everything is in order before putting it in his briefcase and sliding another stack of papers in front of Naruto.
"This is the Sony contract. I won't go into all the details but basically you will be getting and will have to advertise all the latest products that they send your way. Also, it details the details in there concerning them representing us and us basically starting an entirely new branch for the company. There's a section in there about Hima-hime as well." At Naruto's raised eyebrow, Shika flips through the contract until he finds what he is looking for before sliding it back across the counter. "They basically want Himawari to be the face of a new branch of their company that focuses on the younger generation. She will of course be paid but I put in the stipulation that all the money would be out into a trust found that I already went ahead with and set up." Shika grabs the contract again and turns to the last couple of pages. "This is the most important part of the contract. It basically tells you that you shall be the face of their brand here in the USA, as well as the proverbial doorway into our 'community' we have established here."
Naruto tried to read through some of the details of the contract but couldn't understand most of what was being said. Eventually, he just signed where he was supposed to. Trusting Shika's intelligence way more than his own.
"Now that that's all done, we can speak about tomorrow." Naruto perks up instantly at the mention of his first visit to the team's HQ. "There won't be a conference but you can expect a lot of reporters to be there after the statements that you mad. You will first have a medical examine to determine that everything is okay and to get your official stats. After that you'll sign your contract. I already went over everything. Don't be expecting a lot of money since you are only a rookie. After that it'll be a shoot around with the rest of the team…" Shika trailed off as he noticed a gleam appear in Naruto's eyes. "Ruto, what are you planning to do tomorrow?"
"I'm planning to finally test my limits and how far I can push them."
"…troublesome blond."
Naruto and Shika stepped out of the car and into the parking. Walking to the front of the building they are greeted by the GM who takes them through the front doors to give them a tour of the place.
At the end of the tour both young men were impressed with the place. They stopped outside what they soon found out to be the doctor's office. The GM walks in and after a minute calls them in.
"Guys, let me introduce you to the main guy taking care of the players on the roster. We just call him Doc. He, along with his team standing around here, will be doing the evaluation and you, Naruto. The results will be your official stats for this season. While that's busy happening, Shika and I will be going over your contract one last time before you sign."
With that, Shika and the GM walked out the office and left Naruto to the mercy of Doc and his assistants. They just about finished reading over the contract when Naruto and Doc walked in. Naruto sat down next Shika as Doc went over to give the GM and paper report while summarising the main points.
"Overall, he is in remarkable shape. He grew a few inches so he's now standing at 6ft 3 inches. He's most impressive physical traits are his speed and incredible explosive power. He already has a vertical of over 41 inches. I have no idea about his handles or shooting capabilities but im sure you'll find that out for yourself later."
The GM takes the report and clips it to the rest of the contract before placing it in front of Naruto.
"The basic outline is the standard rookie contract that will be renegotiated at the end of your first season. You are guaranteed 10 minutes whenever you are on the roster for a game unless we planned beforehand to rest you. There are a couple team commitments that shall be expected of you. Anything else, I'm sure your agent can fill you in on those."
Naruto stares at the pen and paper in front of him. Just one last signature and he'll finally be able to begin his campaign of becoming the GOAT. He glances at Shika and can see the excitement in his eyes. This is what they have both worked for. Naruto picks the pen up and signs on the dotted line with a confident stroke. All four men stand up as they all shake hands. The GM addresses both men in front.
"Welcome to the Laker Family boys!"
hey and here is the next chapter. sorry for the long wait :D okay so this is shorter than the usual cause i wanted to get all the contract stuff out of the way before we get into the actual playing of the game. no, naruto will not have multiple women to sleep with. no, it won't be instantly sleeping with each other. AND NO I WILL NOT TELL YOU WHO SHE IS! i'll be updating at least once a week if i'm not to busy with studies. so leave a comment and let me no what you think
P.S. fuck you to the anonymous review comment person thing