A/N: WARNING! Intense chapter! This is rated M for a bloody good reason!
Couple of things to address here; someone recently gave me a copy of Mass Effect (Legendary) Edition as a gift. I'll put in a word with Slifer, Ronin and Dylan; with luck -and Dark betaing when need be- we wight see some updates on that front again, despite the disaster that was Andromeda originally driving me away from the franchise.
Also, finally got around to seeing John Wick 4 a few days ago. Its given me a few ideas...but that ending...T_T
Why?! Why did it have to end like that...
*Sad Writer Noises*
As stated last chapter, this story remains M-rated, as requested. Hopefully the reviews don't dip too much because of it.
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on things. What was once a pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing, to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to think overmuch about the latter; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five?
But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
No questions to answer this time, too many spoilers lie ahead. With that said here we go. I've kept you waiting long enough.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes! They're merely tributes.
Anyone unfamiliar with Sasha from Cyberpunk, just search up "Let You Down" vica Youtube followed her name.
Real tearjerker and a proper shame what happened to the poor girl...
Also references to Silverhand and John Wick here.
"A wise man once said defeating your enemy isn't the only path to victory.
You simply need to make their victory so ugly, so painful, so utterly humiliating that they won't want it.
And when your enemy no longer seeks victory, then you have won. You have destroyed them, once and for all...
~?
Welcome to the Circus
"You've got a right pair on ya, kid."
"Thanks, I think...? Naruto looked up from the couch with a tilt of the head, not quite understanding the slang. "That supposed to be a compliment?"
"Something like that." Maine laughed, clapped him on the back and sat beside him. The sofa creaked beneath his bulk. "You look comfortable enough. Enjoying the new digs?"
He cast a quick glance for his surroundings "You mean this place?"
Wasn't a bad hideout as far as hideaways went; dim but not dark thanks to the lights, spacious, yet cool, while avoiding freezing. There was a neat little kitchenette built into the northernmost wall, well stocked with food, drink, anything a man could ask for. Someone had even gone so far as to install a shooting range through that door over there, one stocked with all manner of weapons and firearms besides. Despite his inherent dislike of the latter-and Becca's promise to teach him how to shoot-he was beginning to find his footing in this It was the perfect place to duck away for a few days; if ducking was what a man had in mind.
Not him. He didn't like the idea of hiding.
"Yeah," he stowed his grimace and offered a smile again. "Its not half bad."
Kurama sulked. "Still not big enough for me to stretch MY legs. Damn cramped city...
On that, they agreed. In truth this place was little more than a bolthole underground; somewhere to catch a bite to eat, rest his head for a bit and relax. For a man who could wear whatever face he wanted and disguise himself however he wished, this was akin to a game for him. A prank to surpass all pranks. His deeds against Arasaka -Arasucka!- were already making waves. Big waves. He was the talk of the city. Everyone now knew his work, his face, his name. Rebecca as well; she'd become damn near infamous for it.
She'd still been insufferably smug when she'd left this morning.
Wicked little gremlin
At least she understood the sanctity of pranks. They were sacrosanct between the prankster and the pranked; one did not simply explain them; that was akin to telling someone the meaning of a joke; it wasn't any fun if you had to spell it out for them; if anything that took the fun right out of it.
And he aimed to have great deal more fun yet.
-maybe you oughta take it easy for a bit; let the heat die down."
Or at least he did, until Maine's words poured so much cold water on his enthusiasm. He blinked, realizing he'd been spacing out. "Why?"
"You've been busy, kid." the big bruiser leaned back and tapped his forehead. "Too busy."
"Have I?" he scowled.
"Naruto."
"Maine." He lifted his chin to grin up at him and refused to budge. Not here. Not now. Not on this. "Is that why you came here? To make me stop?"
Dorio's partner sighed. "How many times have you hit Arasaka since that day. Be honest, now?"
"Dunno. How many fingers and toes ya got?"
"I get that you're mad, but buddy, you're no Johnny Silverhand-
Was that what he thought?
"Mad? No, no, no." Naruto laughed and cut him off with a shake of the head. "You don't get it.
"No?" Maine clapped his hands. "Enlighten men, then.
"This has nothing to do with me being angry." Because he wasn't. He was well past that. This wasn't about vengeance; not yet, the idiots weren't stupid enough to cross that line. This was about sending a message. "Those Arasaka mooks started this when they went after David and me; when they made us go into hiding to protect Gloria. I'm just teaching them the error of their ways." everywhere he could, whenever he would, wherever he could. "They took my peace and quiet, so now I'm gonna take things from them. They decide when this ends. Them. Not me."
Silence stretched between them. He waited for Maine to respond. When he finally did, the older man caught him flatfooted.
...you're starting to sound like John Wick there, pal."
Naruto squinted. "Who?"
"He's somebody ya don't wanna be." Maine folded both arms before his broad chest and stared him down for the first time. "Way I here it, he was a lot like you. Nobody knew where he came from. He just...showed up one day. No cybernetics, nothing but his name, skill, and a pistol in his hand. Night City took something from him, and he decided to take something back. He kept taking, lives, guns, bullets, day after day. From the gangs, the corpos, everything and everyone that was wrong with this city."
...you don't say." Despite his best attempts, Naruto found his interest piqued. Sounded like a good friend to have. "Is this Wick fella still around?"
"Kid, no." Maine shook his head, startling him with his vehemence. "Don't. Guy's a ghost. A myth. A living legend."
He laughed at that. Legends were real. "Lemme guess...the boogeyman?"
"Close." a finger rose. "He was the one you sent to KILL the boogeyman. Nobody knows who he real he is. Someone once said he was the brother of 'ol Silverhand, because he looks just like him. Others, that he used to work for Arasaka back in the day. Heard he even tangled with Adam Smasher once. Damn near killed him, too."
Oh? He was proper curious now and a bit concerned. "What happened next?"
"Wick didn't stop. He made enemies...and one day, he vanished. No one ever saw him again." A large palm came down his shoulder. "I don't want that to happen to you...or David."
Naruto saw a chance to steer the conversation away from his crusade and pounced on it for all h was worth. "How's the kid doing, anyway?"
"Great." Maine's grin said he saw right through him. "He's getting along well with Lucy. Better than your love life, that's for sure."
His faced warmed. "...low blow."
"Maybe so. Becca's one thing, she'd jump you given half a chance, but...staying away from Gloria's just gonna make things worse for in the long run."
Naruto scowled a little at that. He wasn't so foolish as to think himself invincible in this world, but he knew he was a damn sight harder, better, faster and stronger than most. He could turn Night City into a charred crater if the mood struck. Not that it would, or that he should. Of course that didn't mean he was about to lower his guard anytime soon. Still, for someone to think that he was weak just because he kept people at arms length, it riled him more than he cared to admit.
"Kid, this is Night City. There ARE no rules here. If you like 'em both, just-
Naruto smashed his fist down on the sofa. "Maine."
The bruiser tilted his head. "Yeah.?
"HUSH."
"..."
"Have it your own way." He must've saw the flash of anger in his eyes; because the brawler steered the subject to safer waters. "Back to what I was saying; you've got Arasaka seeing red.
Naruto clicked his tongue "Good."
"You dyed that last Corpo orange and hung him by his toes!"
Oh, he remembered that one. Nasty bastard. Didn't regret it. "Meh, he lived."
Maine flung up his arms. "Not the point! This crusade of yours has to-
"Oi, now." A finger rose "You say stop, you're not gonna like what happens next."
"Ain't telling you to stop." Maine planted both palms on either side of him. "Just to slow down. Ease back for a day or two. Go after someone else." when he didn't object, his mentor grinned. "I've even got a nice juicy gig lined up for you."
"And I suppose you want me and Rebecca to handle it. ...
"No can do." Maine shook his head. "She's busy tonight. And this HAS to happen tonight, or not at all."
There was something more to this. Something he wasn't saying. "Alright. I'll bite. Who am I working with?"
Maine looked over his shoulder and whistled. The door swung open.
"This the guy?"
Naruto found himself sitting just a little bit straighter as a stranger sauntered into his apartment. For their part, the newcomer seemed just as interested in him. Bright blue-pink eyes blinked back at him within a pale face framed by dark hair and a small smile. She was a slender young woman, yet she moved with eerie grace, light on her feet. Her footsteps barely made a truly drew his eyes were the two strange whisker marks set on either side of her face, but he could tell those had something to do with implants, not natural.
She seemed friendly enough...
"Hmm." she regarded him for a long moment. "So you're the one getting Arasaka's tits in a twist." her eyes flicked up and down the length of him, considering him, judging his worth. "You certainly look like the one on all those wanted posters." When he didn't flinch beneath those piercing eyes, the small shade of a smile touched her face. "Maine's said great things about you; that you're fast and strong, apparently bulletproof to boot. How much of that is true?"
Naruto climbed to his feet. "All of it.
As he looked on that small smile became a smug smirk.
"I'm Sasha." She offered him her hand. "Looking forward to working you."
...Naruto." he reached out and clasped it. Her grip felt weak, but he wasn't fooled for an instant. Who knew what kind of implants she had? "What's the job?"
"Its simple enough," she preened. "A raid on Biotechnica. Nothing big. We'll be extracting secret financial records on CHOOH2 and information on a new immunosuppressant prototype."
Kurama absolutely groaned in his mind. "Did...did you catch any of that? Because I didn't. None of it. At all."
He wasn't wrong; those terms certainly left Naruto's head pinning. "That last bit...went way over my head."
"Smash and grab, snatch some Corpo secrets." she let his hand go and poked his chest. "Think you can run with me?"
Cocky. Not quite as cocky as Becca -and really, who was?- but she'd learn. Ohhh, she'd learn
"If its running you're worried about, don't be. I can pull my weight."
Low laughter reminded him they weren't alone.
Sure enough, he looked back to find Maine wearing a shit-eating grin.
"Right then, just leave the two of you to hash out the details, eh?" he stood with surprising speed for one so large, tipped his sunglasses down and winked-actually winked!-at the two of them, then sauntered away. "I'll be in touch tonight~!"
(.0.0.0.)
As far as gigs went, it was simple.
BioTechnica Headquarters was a tall building, simple enough to find.
Then again, finding it wasn't the hard part. Getting in and out unscathed? That would be.
Sasha still felt confident enough in her scheme. Initially, she had wanted to go this alone, but Maine had been damn stubborn, and in the end she'd consented if only to get him off her back. Netrunners were dropping like flies these days. Couldn't hurt to have a bit of muscle to watch her back in case things went south.
.
..
...muscle, huh?'
Her gaze flitted to the young man walking beside her in the rain.
From what she'd heard of him, she'd half-expected this "Naruto" guy to be seen feet tall and carved of pure rock. He wasn't of course, but that didn't make her any less curious. Kid looked good in red and black, but not the monster the vids made him out to be. He had a third of Night City running scared, another seeing red, and still more hollering his name like he was the next Johnny Silverhand. She stood in a fourth category herself. Neutral. Time -and tonight!- would measure the weight of his worth in her eyes. Was he just a dumb bruiser? Or was there a keen mind behind those baby blue eyes?
He'd have the chance to prove himself soon enough because, surprise surprise, BioTechnica had guards.
"Two of them." she ducked behind cover and reached into her pack. "Just gimme a minute-
Naruto shot past in a streak of motion.
CLUNK.
Sasha's head snapped up and found him standing over their prone bodies.
"They're out." he sketched a shallow bow. "You coming?
She climbed to her feet with a sigh. "Showoff...
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all...
(.0.0.0.)
"Want me to break down the door?"
Sasha sashayed past him, huffing softly to herself.
"Lets try something a little more...subtle." She took a cord from her wrist and plugged it in. Almost a heartbeat later, the doors swung open. "See? Isn't that better"
Naruto found himself whistling, mildly impressed. "Neat little trick, there."
"You ain't seen nothing yet." she winked. "Wait here a sec."
Quick as a flash she darted inside, vaulted a desk and performed that strange wire-feat of hers once more. At least Naruto assumed she did; because not a moment later every camera seemingly went dead. Her mission accomplished she gave a soft whistle of her -teasing him perhaps?- and waved a hand over the desk. He sauntered in after her, eyeing the dead electronics. Not a bad tactic. He would've just speed-blitzed the place and been done with it-
"You're in?" Maine's voice crackled through his ear, causing him to jump. Blasted earpiece. Still wasn't used to it. "Alright in 'n out you two. That jammer ain't gonna hold forever."
"Yes, daaaad." Sasha rolled her eyes. "C'mon." she made for the elevator. "We're headed for the main office. Hope you don't mind cramped spaces."
Naruto very much did, but saying that was tantamount to admitting weakness. "Great...
They rode the elevator up, him with gritted teeth, Sasha humming softly chewing on a wad of gum. She blew a quick bubble as the doors opened and rushed out, leaving him to follow her. Darkened halls dimly lit by dull red lights awaited him, bearing a myriad of twists and turns besides. Sasha ignored them all.
She made for a door at the end of the corridor. Another one of her "tricks" opened it just like the others.
From there they entered an office with a terminal against a great glass window, allowing a near-panoramic view into Night City below. Naruto felt his mood sour all the more at the sight. Wasn't much of a view, really, not the kind he was use to. Skyscrapers, skyscrapers, and more skyscrapers. All these buildings crammed together made him sick. He longed to tear them down. Even now he could sense all the pain and agony and misery in the city, so much so that he had to close himself off from it once more.
But he couldn't now, could he? Not completely. Not entirely.
A muscle jumped in his jaw.
"Damn place...
"Alright," Sasha strutted past him and shrugged off her pink jacket revealing the skin-tight black bodysuit beneath as she sank into the desk chair, "Keep an eye on my body." She took a visor from her pack and set it over her eyes. Pink light danced before her eyes and he thought he caught a holographic "Hi!' written within as she looked to him. "I'll be right back."
...sure?" He flicked her a halfhearted thumb's up, curious to see what came next.
She went limp in the chair. A moment passed. Then another. Then:
"Niiice!" Maine's voice drawled in his ear. "She's got the data. Now haul ass 'fore anyone catches you."
Sasha wasn't moving.
Naruto fumbled and touched a finger to his ear. "Uhh...Maine? She's still in the chair. Is that supposed to happen?"
"Sasha?" Maine's voice crackled with a hint of concern. "You alright-shit! Jammer's down!" there could be no denying the panic in his tone now. "Get outta there! We already got what we need! Security's gonna be on your ass in a minute!"
"..."
What was he missing here?
Naruto nudged her. "Oi! Sasha! What're you doing?"
Her eyes snapped open. One hand reached up and tore her visor free. The other touched a finger to her earpiece.
"Sorry." She whispered softly. Sadly, almost.
Maine's voice rose. "DON'T YOU DARE-
The line died in a crackle of static.
Naruto caught her wrist as she stood. "Have you lost your mind?"
He expected a struggle. Resistance, at the least.
Instead, he received something else.
Sasha slumped in his grasp.
"Securicine." she rattled off the name, face blank, eyes gone glassy. "Its a product BioTechnica made; one they've been using for awhile now. Painkillers...with undisclosed side effects." a brief blink as she seemed to recall what she'd read or seen from memory. "Gradual neurodegeneration. Side effects will not be disclosed to the public. Product will not be pulled from the market." she bit her lip so hard it bled. "I should've known. I shoulda know...those bastards...those absolute bastards...after all this time...!"
"You're not making any sense!"
"Don't you get it?!" His words seemed to reactivate Sasha; in an instant she was in his face, shouting at him, railing, struggling in his arms. "THEY KILLED MY MOTHER! She took those pills for pain! They rotted her brain! Literally! Until she died! And I didn't even know! Until now!"
...well, damn.
Her words numbed Naruto; so much so that he lost his grip on Sasha's wrist. The second he did she dove back to the desk. Out came the wire from her hand again; this time plugged into an adjacent socket. The screens before them changed, indicating an upload. A slow one.
"What're you doing?"
"Uploading this to N54 News." Sasha's face was writ with cold fury as she wrapped the cord tight around her wrist. It left her enough slack to move, but bound her to the desk all the same. That didnt' stop her from taking the charges out her satchel. "I'm gonna take those assholes down; make 'em all pay, then blow this office to bits." her eyes met his. "With or without you."
Naruto didn't budge.
"There's still time. You can run, if you like."
...run? her words were a thorn, pricking painfully in the side of his pride. He crossed both arms before his chest. "Who's running?"
Some unidentifiable emotion flashed through Sasha's gaze. "You don't have to do this."
Yes, he did. He knew he'd never forgive himself if he walked away now.
And so he lowered his arms, walked to the door, and waited.
His patience was soon rewarded.
Someone detonated a breaching charge on the other side and burst open in a rush of flame. Three soldiers waded through, guns in hand. Robot drones.
Sasha yelped and ducked behind the desk, grabbing something from her belt as she fell. Naruto heard a soft click; then a grenade whistled up over the desk and through the air, spraying smoke in their faces. He heard the trio pause, no doubt taking a moment to let their optics adjust to the haze.
They were still adjusting when he burst through it, shining like the sun.
"Rasengan!"
He caught the first dead center in the chest with the spiraling sphere; it rocketed back out of the room before its compatriots could even hope to react. By the time they realized their peril, it was too late. Bullets spattered harmlessly against his face and chest as he waded in to grab them by their heads. A flick of his wrists smashed them together, rendering them so much scrap metal. They crumpled like toy soldiers and fell at his feet.
Two more stepped up beside their fallen fellows, only to find their guns torn from their hands. He kicked one away, grabbed another by the arm and flung them over his shoulder. They hurtled past the desk and struck the window, shattering it in an instant. The drone didn't scream as it fell to its deaths. Machines never did. One punch put the other down.
"See?" He grinned back. "That wasn't so hard."
Sasha poked her head out. "What the hell are you...?"
Bullets crashed into his back, drawing an annoyed grunt from him.
More mechs came to avenge their fallen brethren. One after the other. Good, he wasn't satisfied yet.
Machines didn't think. They didn't feel. They weren't to be mourned. They just broke beneath his fists. Shattered, like so much glass. It was madness. Sweet glorious madness. He fought through swarms of drones not in minutes but seconds, battering them down, hammering them apart, tearing them asunder, all while their bullets ripped harmlessly at him. Rip. Yes, that was the word.
Rip and tear.
And then Sasha was there, vaulting over his shoulders like a cat. Idly he noticed claws sprouting from her finger; claws she soon put to devastating use. She slashed the head clean off one drone, caught the head of a second between her thighs, wrenched her body back and slammed it down near the broken window. A pink-and-black pistol tore free from its holster. It spat once. The mech didn't rise again.
"Huh, neat." Laughter burst out of him as she savaged the sole remaining mech with another swipe of her hand. "Kitty's got claws."
Sasha stood and giggled a little at that; it was a tired, exhausted sound. "...thanks for staying with me until the end."
Warm lips ghost the outer lobe of his left ear. A hand settled itself against his back. He heard her whisper.
"Bye-bye, Naruto. I had fun."
Then she pushed.
He fell.
Time unwound in slow motion as his body pitched forward out the window. Naruto saw every raindrop silhouetted against the night sky, felt the hammering of his heart. A soft chime reached his ears a moment later. Every fiber of his being tensed as realization dawned.
The explosives.
Sasha meant to die here.
She knew he would survive the fall. The same couldn't be said of her and the explosion.
The chime faded. A dull thump rattled the building.
Fire lit his world orange.
"Idiot!"
There was no time to think or plan, only to react, and he had less than three seconds...
.
..
...all the time in the world.
He kicked off the surface of the building, channeled chakra to his feet and surged back up through the broken window. Sasha wasn't facing him. She didn't see him coming, didn't even know it was him until he grabbed her by the shoulders. The faintest glimmer of shock had only just began to manifest upon her pale face when spun her around and wrapped her body in his Kurama's cloak. He saw the precise instant her body shimmered red and gold, shielding her from what was to come.
Then he kicked backward, launching them away. Fire kissed his feet as his ears rang. The explosion hit a moment later and launched them clear into the air.
For a single blessed instant they hung there, suspended in the air.
Then gravity grabbed them. Hard.
CRUNCH.
Breath burst from his lungs as his back struck something - a car?- and broke his fall. He heard Sasha gasp in his arms. Again now, as they tumbled free.
They'd landed on an abandoned road, a raised one leading out of the city. He managed to glimpse that much between the pouring rain and his own pain. By the sage, the pain. It was enough to make a man blackout. He almost did for a minute there. Steeling himself, he closed his eyes against it and willed his back to heal, muscles mending, spine growing strong once more. He wasn't sure how much time passed between now and then. It felt like seconds. Could've been minutes for all he knew...
"I did it, mom." someone sighed. "I got the bastards...just a little longer now...
When next he opened his eyes, Naruto found Sasha standing on the edge of that raised road, gazing up at the burning BioTechnia building.
"You asshole." she wouldn't look at him. "Why didn't you let me die...? It would'v been so much easier..."
She was standing way too close to the edge for his liking. "Sasha...could you step back?"
"Why?" She turned to face him at last. "I'm fine where I am."
Those blank eyes said otherwise. His heart twisted at her pitiful expression. She really hadn't expected to survive this. She'd been thoroughly prepared to die. And now that she hadn't.
"I said step back." he pushed himself to his feet, grabbed her wrist and tugged her away.
Sasha didn't like that. Not one bit. "Let me go! What're you doing?!"
"Saving your life." He growled.
"I don't want you to!"
"Tough." he didn't dare let go of her now, for fear she'd fling herself over the edge. "Whatever you're feeling, its okay. Let it out."
Her hand cracked across his face, snapping his head to the side. Naruto let her.
"This is Night City!" She raged, slapping him again. "Everyone dies here! Even you! EVERYONE! Why couldn't you let me go out on my own terms?! I don't have anything left to live for anymore! WHY COULDN'T YOU-
He caught her wrist as she wound up to slap him again. This close he could feel the anxiety bleeding off her, so much water from a broken sieve. She was a broken mess. Adrift. Bereft. Without a purpose.
"Then give her one."
"I won't die." he patted her head with his free hand, fingers running through her damp hair. "And I'll give you a reason to live. That's a promise. So don't worry, alright? Everything's gonna be okay."
He saw the exact moment Sasha's resolve broke. She hiccuped. Sobbed, really. A lone tear ran down her cheek, nearly invisible in the air. "Liar...
"Nope." he beamed at her. "I've died before. Wasn't for me."
Her laughter was weak. "I...you...you can't just say no to death!"
"You kidding me?" he laughed with her. "That's the only thing we say to death. Not today! And I never go back on my word. Sooo...you wanna vent?"
Sasha took a deep breath. And then:
"Mother fucker bitch shit whore!"
Kurama whistled in his head. "Not bad."
"I hate them." She wasn't done. Far from him. "I hate, hate, HATE those BioTechnica bastards! If it weren't for them, my mom...
He let go of her wrist and gripped her shoulder. "I know what its like to lose a parent, ya know.
She stared at him for a long moment. "You do, don't you?"
More than she knew. "Feel better now?"
"Oddly enough, yes." She turned back to the burning building office high above them. Not a soul inside. No one to see it burn but them and the broken drones. "This'll bring those bastards down, right?"
"It will."
"And if it doesn't?"
An idea dawned. ...gimme a minute."
He walked to the edge of the road and held out a hand toward the building.
This was stupid. Foolish. He knew he shouldn't be doing this. And yet Kurama didn't argue with him.
"Watch."
Sasha made a baffled noise. "What're you-
Kurama's skull swelled around him. His body blazed gold once more, blue eyes bleeding read as gigantic jaws opened wide upon either side of him, the sudden act of which had Sasha scrambling back with a yelp. He gave her a quick glance, smiled, then looked back to the building. Black light burst between his fingers. Small at first, then it began to grow. He held the Tailed Beast Bomb between his hands for a moment more, letting it form slowly so she could see it, all of it, every bit of it.
A fourth of his full strength should be more than enough to bring down a building.
With a shout, he let it fly.
The BioTechnica building didn't so much explode as it did burst; he struck the tower right at its foundations, obliterating them in a single blast. With nothing to hold it up, it buckled under its own weight. Floor after floor. Level after level. Not satisfied, he blasted the structure again, quickening its collapse. It began to burn despite the rain, the flames reaching high and hot. The entire structure crumbled in less than a minute.
Naruto watched the towering mushroom cloud rise into the sky and smiled.
"There." limned in the flames, he turned to face Sasha once more. "Think that'll slow 'em down?"
She opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again, lips moving now as she tried and failed to find words.
He felt a burst of some unidentifiable emotion form in her heart. By the time he managed to make sense of it, it was almost too late.
Sasha stepped in. Grabbed him by the collar, seizing the fabric in an ironclad grip. Naruto caught her wrist in his hand. Her eyes met his, lashes still damp from the rain. He could've stopped her, then. He had all the time in the world and she was waiting, giving him in an out...
.
..
...he let go of her wrist, let her draw him and press her mouth to his.
It was different than Becca. She'd surprised him back at Arasaka, all energy and ferocity and mad giggling, the two of them high on a good prank. Sasha simply closed her eyes, stood there and held on for dear life-clung to him really-awaiting his response, whatever that might be.
Eventually, he gave her an answer.
She drew away, starting intently at him.
"My place?" it was as much a question as a plea. "Or yours...?"
(.0.0.0.)
The apartment door crashed open.
Naruto stumbled backward, gripping Sasha's waist with one hand, the other tangled up in her hair, pulling her closer as her tongue tangled with his. Her own were too busy with his belt and jacket; she tore the latter, gave up on the former when it wouldn't budge, and wrapped her legs around his.
They barely made it into the bed.
He tripped backwards onto it and Sasha rode him all the way down, straddling his waist, lips leaving his at last as she reared back. He made a frustrated nose...until she reached up behind her shoulders. Her back bodysuit fell away, pooing at her hips, exposing the creamy skin of her bosom to his wanting eyes.
His throat went dry.
Idly, he saw her scars.
Sasha covered them absently with one arm and looked away, cheeks pink. "Sorry."
"Don't be." he tugged her arm down. "We all have 'em."
"...!"
That remark sparked something in her; something wild, feral, desperate. She tore off the rest of her clothes...followed by his, with a bit of help. Her body was cold, child by the rain, but that they solved that problem soon enough between the sheets. Within moments she settled her self atop him and began to move.
Slowly. Taking her sweet time. Tormenting him with every movement, every smile, every lingering kiss, the absolute temptress. He repaid her in kind. His hands came up to cup the swell of her breasts, causing her breath to hitch into a reedy little gasp, one that soon became a moan as he pushed himself up to kiss her fully. Her hands weren't idle either; she pulled him closer, all but grinding against his lap now, pushing away every barrier as she rode him harder, faster, without restraint.
On and on they went at it until, her cries growing sharper, until...
Sasha broke first and cried out, arching her neck back.
Naruto's world burst into soul-shattering white.
A/N: Still getting back into the swing of writing the steamy bits. Sorry about that.
And just like that, Rebecca has more competition.
Next chapter title: An Eye For an Eye.
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story, and others. If folks don't enjoy this, it will remain, but won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? Well, it won't be continued. I'm working two jobs -might need a third soon!- so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy.
So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And because its a habit!
POTENTIAL PREVIEWS.
If this story stays off the ground.
If not...well. Suppose it depends on you.
Some of them are pretty far out, others are closer than you think...
(Previews)
Sunlight.
He blinked.
So that's what it feels like.
...you're warm."
Naruto sputtered a little.
Apparently she liked to cuddle.
You're still angry about BioTechnica, aren't you?".
Yup."
"Yuuup."
He rolled over.
"You said they were corrupt; that everyone working for them was corrupt, right?"
"I did...
Good. No need to feel guilty about this, then."
Let me show you how I do things."
Click.
What was that noise?
Click. Click.
Blast it, there it was again!
Click. Click. Click!
Exasperated, he stalked toward the sound and found its source. Yanked off the tarp.
A crudely-drawn smiley face starred back at him, attacked to...
"Oh."
The world burst into flame.
Becca took a deep breath. "This means war."
Sasha strutted away, hips swaying.
"Then war it is~!"
"Maine?"
"M'fine." he wiped a beat of sweat from his brow. "Just got a headache."
Gloria sratched at her arm. Damn thing still itched like hell.
Someone knocked on her door. "Miss Martiniez?"
Her blood ran cold. "Yes...?"
David snapped into existence behind him, eyes blazing. "Too slow, choom."
A body hit the floor with a wet spatter. This time they didn't get up.
Naruto clapped. "Good, good! You've gotten better."
"Hear you bee askin' about me."
"Hello~! Is this Arasaka~? I'd like to make a withdrawal~!"
"We're having a moment here!"
"You don't seem to understand. This city belongs to the people. Not the gangs. Not the corporations. And certainly not you."
"I have an army!"
"Do you, now?" A golden finger pointed to the sky. Explosions rippled outward as each hovercraft died in a roaring fireball.
Naruto tilted his head.
We have a Kurama."He grinned. "Your argument is invalid."
"I won't let you...get away...with this!"
Blue eyes snapped into red.
"I WON'T LET YOU!"
"I'll always remember that day. The day the sky turned black. You could see it for miles around...
"Adam Smasher, was it?" he stepped over the corpses, uncaring of the blood, and lifted his chin to glare up at the machine man. "Not a bad name. Gives me an idea. Wanna hear it?"
The lumbering titan growled down at him. "And who the hell are you supposed to be, meatsack?"
Blue eyes boiled seven shades of searing scarlet, snapping into furious slits.
No. No freakin' way. He wasn't gonna...
.
..
...he was gonna.
"NARUTO SMASH!"
EDIT: Hey, you made it! Thanks for reading!.
I worked really hard on this, and I never have enough time to write these days, even so, I wanted to make folks happy...T_T
So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Looking forward to hearing from you all when I get back from work~!
R&R~!