Team Hot Wheels X Naruto
By AlxkendBlader
Now, for our favorite gadget dude, Brandon, to give us a disclaimer!
Brandon: Thanks, Alxkend! Team Hot Wheels: The Origin of Awesome! belongs to Mattel, whereas the Naruto franchise is owned by Masashi Kishimoto, the famous Japanese mangaka. Now, let's get on with this story!
Chapter 3.2: Konoha Ninjas come to Hot Wheels City! Part 2
It took them a few days, but both genin teams made it to a port where there is a ship that could take them to the western continents, where their mission is to take place.
As they boarded the seagoing vessel, which then sets sail for their destination, Ino Yamanaka remarks, "If everything goes right on this mission, then the others back home wouldn't believe the things we saw and the people we meet. This is exciting. It would've been better if Sasuke-kun's team came with us on this mission."
However, Shikamaru replies lazily, "Too bad, he's not," as he thought, "Good thing that troublesome Uchiha and his teammates weren't coming with us; more arguments between Ino and Sakura Haruno, over Sasuke's affections, while he ignores their advances and brood like there's no tomorrow."
The pale blonde-haired genin scoffed to herself, as Choji remarks while stuffing himself with potato chips, "I wonder if this foreign place we're going to would have some really good food."
Kiba Inuzuka laughs, "Is that all you ever think about, Choji? Food? No wonder you Akimichis are so big-boned!"
While it is known that he is a brash young lad, Kiba knows better than to call an Akimichi "fat" outright, because they generally hate being called that.
Indignant, Choji replies, "Hey, food's not the only thing I think about! I'm not that stupid! The reason why we eat so much is because we turn those calories into chakra for our clan techniques!"
[Meanwhile, at Team Hot Wheels' multi-purpose track]
We see the five drivers discussing on whether or not to let the ninjas that are assigned to guard them know of who they really are. However, Naruto draws up a very good point that it wouldn't matter, because either the genin or their senseis would get suspicious, and eventually find out that they are the members of Team Hot Wheels. They didn't know that Larry was also there, and was listening in on the conversation. He decides to make himself known, as he walks into view, much to their surprise.
"Larry," started Gage, "How long have you been here?"
The mechanic replies, "Long enough, Gage, long enough. I couldn't help but overhear your little talk about the ninjas getting suspicious, and Naruto brought up a very good point; they would figure you boys out eventually, and would want some explaining."
At this, Brandon asks, "But Larry, what if at least one of those ninjas is secretly loyal to Danzo Shimura and may report what they find out back to him? Then what? Him sending his ROOT ninjas to kidnap Naruto and/or steal the Cloud Engine for their leader to use as a weapon of war? Or…at least forcefully gain control of your lab and use your inventions?"
Larry replies, "Don't you worry, old Hiruzen never sends out anybody that is secretly loyal to that war-loving fool, Danzo, and he's not going to do so today."
Wyatt asks warily, "How can ya be sure, Larry?"
The mechanic replies, "If Sarutobi finds out that any of his ninjas have anything connecting them to Danzo, he'd do something about it ASAP. Plus, he did come out of retirement fast enough to stop those corrupt members of the village's government from gaining too much power. Speaking of corrupt people, Sarutobi said in the scroll he sent me after I sent him the message said that he's taken out the corrupt parts of the Civilian Council. Apparently, they've been doing some money laundering, bribery, extortion, and even selling information to enemy villages, the last one being an act of treason against Konoha. As a matter o' fact, selling critical information to the enemy is a BIG, BIG act of treason against any Hidden Village. During this council meeting, the Hokage himself ordered their arrest on the spot. However, we still have Danzo and those loyal to him to worry about."
Rhett remarks, "I guess even in something so well hidden from the rest of the world, there are some mean and nasty dudes out there doing whatever it takes to get what they want."
Larry nodded, crossing his arms with a serious look on his face. He thinks, "Danzo, no matter what stunt you pull, even if political, you'll never get what you want!"
It is then that Larry announces, "Our assigned quote-unquote "bodyguards" from Konoha are due to arrive tomorrow at the Port of Los Angeles. Me and Naruto will go and meet with them there, before bringing them to Hot Wheels City for their mission."
[One day later, at the Port of Los Angeles]
We see the ship carrying Teams 8 and 10 arriving at the port, as it is then docked. Larry and Naruto had just shown up when the ship came to port, and show up they did…in style. Because neither the tow truck nor the Power Pipes could accommodate enough passengers, they had to use one of their other automotive creations; a custom-built stretch limousine based on the design of the Excelsior Stretch, a fictional car from the video game Vigilante 8: Second Offense. This limo not only features a luxurious interior with features, such as an on-board mini-fridge that is very well-stocked, a flat-screen HDTV with a Capcom CPS Changer (1) video game console hooked up to it, air conditioning, and comfortable leather seating, but it also boasts some neat stuff to benefit the driver, as well as a variant of the Cloud Engine, dubbed the "Shield Engine", which creates a protective energy barrier upon the driver's mental command, just in case there were any attacks during a drive. Not only that, but there is also a racing-style spoiler on the back of the vehicle, as well as an air scoop on the front, and a stylish, custom car-style paint job.
They parked the limo, which they named the Livin' Large (2), and came out of it as they waited for the two squads to get off the ship. The two teams did indeed disembark from the ship, before noticing the strange, elongated vehicle waiting for them, along with two people; one, an older man with a black skin tone and a whitened afro with a labcoat and a mechanic's jumpsuit complete with a cap, and a young boy about the genins' ages with blonde hair and baby-blue eyes and distinctive whisker-like markings on his cheek, wearing an orange tee with a flaming circle symbol on it (it is also seen on Larry's cap), along with a pair of blue jeans, and red/white sneakers. On his hands he wears a pair of fingerless gloves with studs on them.
Larry greets, "Hey, you eight must be the genin squads the Hokage sent here. The name's Larry, Larry Fredrickson. With me is Naruto Uzumaki-Fredrickson, my adoptive son," also introducing the blonde jinchuuriki, as he waved with a cheesy grin.
"Now," started Naruto, "Seeing as this is your first time in a place outside the Elemental Countries, we thought we'd take you to Hot Wheels City…in style," before pointing to the Livin' Large.
They soon got inside the limousine, and both adoptive father and son smiled at the reaction of eight strangers in a strange land outside of what they are used to.
"This is quite…luxurious if you think about it," remarks Kurenai as she leaned back in her seat, "And these seats are actually quite comfortable," as her compatriots voiced their agreement.
Asuma asks, "No argument. Did you really have to go this far for us?"
"Hey, we've got to be gracious hosts to you, your fellow jonin, and your students, Sarutobi-san," replies Naruto as he takes a turkey sandwich out of the mini-fridge along with a fruit punch juice box, "If you're hungry after that trip over here, let me know, and I'll get something for you from the mini-fridge."
It is then that Hinata timidly requests a cinnamon roll, if they have any.
Naruto smiles kindly to her, "We have some cinnamon rolls, so I'll get you one," before reaching into the mini-fridge, and pulling out a cinnamon roll, along with a small carton of milk with a drinking straw, and a napkin. He hands them to her, before asking, "Alright, anybody else want something from the mini-fridge?"
As the drive back to Hot Wheels City went on, Naruto got to know the shinobi better, while Larry kept a look-out for anything that may ruin things. Thankfully, everyone made it safely to the city, with the ninja marveling at the twisting, looping, and cork-screwing orange track as they arrived to Larry's Garage.
"Here we are, my place," started Larry, as he shows the genin squads around, "This garage is where I repair people's cars if they get damaged or if something's wrong with them. Plus, it helps that being an automotive mechanic is a fairly well-paying job. Now, make sure you and your genin squads do their job covertly, without making too much of a scene. Don't let anybody know that you guys are ninjas, you wouldn't want any bad guys coming after you."
He then gives each squad a map of the city, before explaining, "These maps are to help you find your way around Hot Wheels City. You wouldn't want to be lost without them, now do ya?"
"No way," started Ino confidently, "Asides from our mind-based jutsus, we Yamanakas also pride ourselves on photographic memory! I can memorize this map, no problem," as she then begins to look over the map given to her squad.
"Do you know any good eating spots in this city?" asks Choji as he chows down on a bag of potato chips as usual.
"Troublesome," thought Shikamaru, before asking somewhat suspiciously, "So, what were those last attackers really like?"
Just as Larry was about to reply, Naruto comes in as he tells his adoptive father, "Hey dad, Gage and the others are here. How's about me and the boys show the genin around Hot Wheels City?"
The mechanic nodded, as he then tells the improve tour group, "A'right, now be careful!"
Just as the boys and genin left, Larry explains to Kurenai and Asuma in a serious voice, "I didn't want to scare your genin into askin' you to abort this mission, but the ones who came after Naruto, were ROOT ninjas, sent over here by a certain bandaged elder. This is serious stuff! The reason why I sent the mission request is that when more ROOT ninjas show up, Naruto wouldn't have to take them on alone, just in case whatever Danzo sends out next time, they'd pull something dirty."
Asuma gasped, "ROOT ninjas, are you sure?! I thought dad ordered elder Shimura to disband ROOT! Looks like Danzo isn't about to give up on his war-hungry ways that easily."
Kurenai nodded in agreement, as she remarks, "I'm not sure if I want to know what may happen to Hinata if they capture her along with Naruto. She's too frail for whatever Danzo puts his ROOT ninjas through."
[Meanwhile]
We see Naruto and the gang enjoying themselves at the boardwalk amusement park after going around the city. As for the blonde himself, we currently see him with Hinata on the Ferris wheel, enjoying the view of the cove.
He notices that something seems to be bothering her, so he asks her in concern, "Hey, Hinata, what's wrong?"
She shook her head before replying meekly, "No. Everything is fine."
Unconvinced, Naruto assures her, "Whatever that's bothering you, don't hide it to the point of it tearing you apart from the inside. You can tell me what's wrong, I'll understand."
Hinata nodded sadly, as she explained that when she was a little kid, Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds, signed a peace treaty with Konoha. However, that was just a set-up for an attempt by the village to steal the secrets of the Byakugan, the Hyuga clan's signature ocular ability. The ambassador attempted to kidnap Hinata, only to be killed by her father, the clan head. The Hidden Cloud Village demanded her father's body as compensation for the death of their ambassador. Her uncle, Hizashi Hyuga, sacrificed himself in the clan head's place. All of these events caused a rift between the main family and the branch family. Plus, it didn't help that the clan elders are so prideful of the old traditions that they've become little more than spoiled old men and women only caring about the clan's reputation, and stubbornly refusing to change with the times. Then, her mother died shortly after giving birth to her younger sister Hanabi, and her father began acting cold towards her. As a matter of fact, a majority of the main family looked down on her for being gentle and kind-hearted, even Hanabi. It didn't help that she doesn't want to hurt anybody from her own family. In addition, her cousin from the branch family, an older boy named Neji, who was Hizashi's son, had come to hold a grudge towards her, blaming her for his father's death, while becoming a fate-obsessed prodigy.
Naruto felt sympathy for Hinata, before pulling her into a comforting embrace, gently sweeping his hand on her back. She became flustered at his act of kindness, before proceeding to softly sob on his shoulder. With each tear she had shed, Hinata felt the internal conflict within her heart easing bit by bit. As the blonde comforted Hinata, he couldn't help but notice her beauty, especially with those whitish-lavender eyes that seem to scream innocence, along with her dark blue hair. Her timid blushing when she gets embarrassed, he thought, made her look all the more adorable. It made him want to kiss her, but he has his self-restraint.
After Hinata stopped crying, she said to Naruto with a genuine smile, "I'm not sure if I could thank you enough for your kindness, Naruto-kun," and without even stuttering this time!
He smiled tenderly, "It's no problem, Hinata-chan," as they continued enjoying the view. As Hinata relaxed in Naruto's embrace, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he is, especially the way he smiled kindly at her, along with the whisker marks on his cheeks, the brilliant yellow of his hair, and the ocean blue of his eyes. Making him more appealing to her is how nice he treated her, and the way he defended her honor when some vain and obnoxious teenaged girl insulted her eyes during the tour around the strange city. All of these qualities made the Hyuga heiress' heart flutter like a graceful butterfly.
Right after they got off of the Ferris wheel, they are met with the last kind of people his age that he'd want to meet; the local popular kids. Ever since he was eleven, they had been trying to get him to join their social clique and away from Gage, Wyatt, Rhett, and Brandon, but he had refused every time.
Naruto asks them with an uninterested tone, "What do you losers want this time?"
The Hyuga heiress was curious. Who are these arrogant-looking children? And obviously, Naruto is hardly any friend of theirs, judging by his tone towards them.
One of them asks irritably, "Why do you keep refusing to join our little club, and ditch those other four losers?"
The blonde replies, "It's for a few good reasons; #1: Popularity contests are for weenies, like you. #2: Compared to you guys, Gage and the others are true friends, and not those who are full of themselves. #3: You do nothing but boasting and bragging, looking down on other people and only caring about your reputation. #4: Having rich parents doesn't give you a good enough excuse to oppress other kids and ruin their social lives, you insecure brats! #5: Remember when I knocked out your stupid bouncer?"
It is then that Gage, Wyatt, Brandon, and Rhett, along with the other genin came by, as Kiba asks Hinata, "So, what's going on, Hinata?"
The shy young teammate of the Inuzuka clan member replies, "Naruto-kun is confronting some arrogant kids, who had apparently tried recruiting him into their social clique several times but had failed. Now he's calling them out on their vices."
Gage, recognizing the popular kids, groans, "Ugh, we know these guys. They're always bragging about how better they are than everyone else here in the city because their parents are stinkin' rich. They tried a lot of times to get Naruto away from us, but that's never gonna happen. Plus, they always using their money to buy popularity in school."
Before a popular girl could screech at the blonde for not only refusing their offer but also insult them, she notices the genin, and asks Naruto in a condescending tone, "Oh, and who are these guys?"
Thinking up a good-enough cover story on the fly, Naruto replies, "They're foreign exchange students from Japan, and we're trying to make their experience here in Hot Wheels City as enjoyable as we can. It would be appreciated if you jerkwads don't try to spoil things for us," as he crosses his arms.
He then turns to the others and says to them, "Come on, let's get back to the garage so we won't put up with their nonsense."
They soon arrived back to the garage, and thankfully, without incident. Little did they know what tomorrow may hold for them…
Chapter 3 End
In the next chapter of Team Hot Wheels X Naruto, Naruto, along with the genin, finally confront a group of ROOT ninjas, all poised to try and take the blonde demon container back to their master, the war-hungry Danzo Shimura. During the resulting conflict, Gage, Wyatt, Rhett, and Brandon in their Team Hot Wheels guises arrive to provide back-up. Will they defeat their emotionless assailants, or would Danzo finally have the weapon he's long sought to use against the Hokage? Find out in the next chapter of Team Hot Wheels X Naruto!
Be sure to review if you find the time to. Oh, and constructive criticism is a must!
EDIT (8/15/14): Fixing a mispelling! Oh, and BTW I'm gonna take down the Exciting News chapter.
#1: In case you didn't know, the Capcom Power System Changer (CPS Changer for short) was a video game console by Capcom released only in Japan back in 1994 in the fifth generation of game consoles. It was Capcom's answer to the Neo-Geo, in which it is a home console with arcade quality games. The CPS Changer is based on the hardware of the Capcom CP System, which is the hardware that classics like Street Fighter II, Forgotten Worlds, Final Fight, and Strider Hiryu ran on in the arcades. The main console itself was a small black unit that has two SNES-type controller ports (and it can even use SNES controllers). Each game cartridge is huge, larger than the main console unit of the Neo-Geo AES. That's because the CPS Changer game cartridges are actually arcade motherboards put in plastic casings and programmed for home use (Speaking of the plastic casings, they're based on those used by CP System Dash motherboards.) However, the physical design of the CPS Changer main console unit prevents users from plugging other arcade motherboards into it, without a modification or two. The system and games were also only available by mail order. Plus, they sold for a relatively high price during those times, but not as high as the Neo-Geo AES. The CPS Changer didn't do too well, and support for the system was dropped in 1996. There were only eleven games released for it, one of which being a back-ported version of Street Fighter Alpha.
#2: Essentially, this is a disclaimer that the Livin' Large is something that I made up for this story, and in fact, NOT a real Hot Wheels car or a car featured in Vigilante 8: Second Offense.
EDIT (9/21/14): Fixing a misspelling among a few adjustments