Stapleton Gym
8:05 AM
"Just cause you beat House doesn't mean you'll beat me." Sticky told the blond who stood in his corner of the ring. "We'll see about that." Naruto retorted as he got into his stance. "I'll do you a favour and actually fight you."
Sticky just huffed at the remark as he clenched his fist. "As if a punk like you could touch me."
"Alright then, Hajime!" Henry shouted out, thrusting his palm through the air. Sticky looking confused turned to Henry. "What the hell was that, Henry?" he questioned "It's Japanese for begin. "Naruto and D-Mob in unison informed the bald man.
"Sorry I just always wanted to say that." Henry chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Sticky went on the attack, dashing through the distance between him and Naruto. Trying to use his motion to his advantage, he tried a right hook strike aimed for Naruto's jaw. With quick reflexes, Naruto ducked under the strike and responded with a jab.
"Now that's a great counter." D-Mob commented getting a nod from Henry. "What'yu mean, D-Mob? It was only a jab." Blaze stated as D-Mob looked at him. "He's setting the tone of the fight, Blaze. Watch closely as he lures Sticky into his rhythm." Blaze not understanding what D-Mob said watched the fight closely.
Adding another jab from his left, Naruto ducked under another punch. Replying with a jab-cross, Sticky almost lost his balance as he used the ropes to catch himself. "You're making this too, easy Sticky." Naruto stated as Sticky gripped the ropes. "Shut up!" he thrust another hook but Naruto dodged it firing back a jab.
"Why's he only jabbing? That was a perfect time to send Sticky to the mat." Henry stated "He doesn't want to hurt Sticky." D-Mob stated "What he wants to do is earn his respect."
"His respect? Won't knocking him out, do that?"
"If he wanted he could've. What he wants to do is show him, he can last rounds with him."
Sticky shook away the last jab as he stared Naruto down angrily. "You're fast I'll give you that." Sticky replied as he tried for a body blow. Naruto quickly skipping back used his wingspan to reply with a jab-cross.
Sticky tried to shake the combo away but Naruto added a McNugget jab-jab-cross to the order. Being on the offense, everyone began to notice how Naruto was in such a rhythm as he used Sticky's head as a target practise. "Oh snap! Now I see it." Blaze spoke up. "He's so caught up in Naruto's rhythm he can't get out." Blaze stated.
"Exactly, that's why many boxers in this situation would be ridiculed by their trainers for not taking a minute to change their tactics. Sadly Sticky isn't a boxer." Henry spoke up. "For a brawler, it won't be long till my punches give out extreme damage, Sticky." Naruto informed the man as he ducked under his jab and leaned back from his right hook.
'Opening.' Naruto thought as Sticky had leaned in for his hook, replying with a quick jab-cross Sticky was irritated. "That's it!" he shouted "No more hands!" he tried to kick Naruto who quickly skipped backwards.
"Hey that's cheating!" Henry spoke from the sidelines. "Sticky stop being a hater and fight fair!" Blaze spoke up. "This is street fighting!" Sticky retorted as he tried to roundhouse Naruto's body only for his foot to be caught as he gifted a couple jabs for his telegraphed move.
"Ha! That'll teach him." Blaze chuckled as Sticky tried break free his foot from Naruto's grip but sadly the blond wouldn't budge. Not seeing a way forward, Sticky tried to kick Naruto with his standing foot only for the blond to catch his other foot from hitting his face. Now being sent to the floor with no legs, Naruto let go of the man's feet as he went to his corner.
"I'm a safe distance away, now." he stated "No need to hide, the dangers away. You can get up, now." Naruto smiled as Sticky seeing that cocky grin didn't waste time getting up. "Damn you!" he shouted as he ran at Naruto.
Few minutes later
Sticky sat down with an ice pack on his face. His right eye had been swollen shut by Naruto's punches. "I did tell you to guard your eye." Naruto spoke up as he tried to help Sticky who pushed him away. "Man get outta my face man! You know for a fact you cheated!" Sticky shouted back, as Naruto had his hands up in defense.
"But I did, you even replied 'No one asked you, blondy.'" Sticky huffed as he sat down on the steps of the ring. Blaze laughed at Sticky's misfortune while D-Mob and Henry shook their heads. The guy's stubbornness would be his downfall.
"Eh yo! D-Mob!" everyone turned to the door, to see the person who was entering was an African-American man who wore a blue basketball tank top, a white durag with a red headband, some black jeans and brown timberland boots.
"Doc." D-Mob greeted the man. "Did you do what I told you to do?" Doc approached his boss and nodded. "Ah huh, I got your friend in the Foundation." he replied. "The Foundation? You mean that backwater garage in the Bronx where all the hobos go to?" Henry spoke up. "The very same." Doc replied as he noticed how pissed D-Mob looked.
"Why in the hell would you go to that place no less, don't you know this crew has standards?" D-Mob questioned. "Look I know, D-Mob it's just you're guy is unproven. If we want to show off our new fighter he needs to earn some rep first." Doc replied as D-Mob sighed.
"Blaze." D-Mob called over the man. "You'll take Naruto over to the Foundation, alright? He'll most likely need someone to show him the way to the place."
"You got it." Blaze replied. "YOU KNOW WHAT! I'M GETTING OUTTA HERE!" Sticky shouted as he pushed Naruto away. Getting up he stormed past D-Mob and Henry. "Yo, Sticky are you good, man?" Doc questioned only to be replied with a thrown ice pack. "Shut up, Doc!" he shouted as he bashed the door of the gym behind him.
The guys watched as he vanished to the other side of the street. "What the hell happened to him and his eye?" Doc questioned "That'll be Naruto." Blaze pointed to the blond who approached the group and shook Doc's hand. "Hi, I'm Naruto. Pleasure to meet you." Naruto smiled as Doc chuckled. "There's no need for the formalities man, if a guy like you could make Sticky kick rocks. Man you've earned my respect, I'm Doc." he replied as the hand shake broke.
"Well, Naruto I gotta go with Doc right now. I still need to check on the rest of my crew. You and Blaze can stay in the gym and work with Henry. The Foundation opens at night time, but I'm sure Blaze can give you more details." D-Mob stated as he bid farewell, being followed closely by Doc.
"Naruto, can you please teach me some of your moves." Henry pleaded. "The fact you're even here is an honour...can you please be my sensei?" he bowed as Naruto chuckled. "Sensei? I'm no sensei, Henry. That'll be Jiraiya-sensei's job," he replied as Henry looked a bit saddened. "Though I can take you to him, just call me whenever you want to head for Japan."
"Really, you mean it!" Naruto nodded as Henry smiled. "Thank you Naruto san."
"Come on what did I say with the honorific?"
"Oh sorry."
"Though seeing as he'd most likely tear you apart first I guess I can help you get in shape."
"You mean, you want me to train with you?"
"Yeah, that way you're prepared for the trial." Henry clenched his fist. "When do we start." he said excited. "Yo, if we're training can I join in." Blaze stated "I want to do some twisting tiger moves like Bruce Lee, too." Naruto hearing that just chuckled. "If that's the case, you got a long way my friend." Naruto replied. "But then again you gotta start somewhere.
The Foundation
9:11 PM
"Alright listen up clowns." Skull a hispanic man with tattoes all over his upper body, wore shades, a white tank top and black pants as he spoke to the three fighters in front of him. "If you guys want to roll on our, crew you'll need to prove yourselves by fighting each other." Skull stated. "I can only take one of y'all so make it count." he finished.
The fighters that stood in front of him was Trick(an African American male streetfighter who wore, a black buttoned shirt, shades, black pants and a bennie.), BO (an African American martial arts enthusiast who wore a cross chain over his bare chest, a red bandana covering his lower face, cornrows and blue denim jeans.) and Nyne (an African American fighter who wore a bandana on his forehead, was barechested and wore black jeans.)
All of them hearing the news knew what they had to do.
Just outside the place Naruto and Blaze are seen as Blaze is seen groaning. "Ugh man." Blaze wheezed. "Naruto what kinda things did you put me up to." he complained as Naruto chuckled. "You said you wanted to be like Bruce Lee."
"Yeah, but stretching?! How does that help man?"
"You need to be nimble before all the flashy stuff. You wouldn't want to strain your muscles."
"So an entire day of stretching was needed?" Naruto nodded as Blaze sounded a bit doubtful. "Just what kinda moves do you have?"
"Strong and powerful moves, Blaze." Naruto replied as he patted his shoulder. "Strong and powerful moves."
"Well I gotta go to the bathroom, quick quick. You just head in there and tell the DJ you're here to fight."
Going in Naruto watched as Blaze went to the cubical behind the place. Speaking with the DJ Naruto was informed he'd be fighting Trick first.
The entire crowd made a big enough circle for the bout as they all chanted up a storm. Naruto keeping his composure looked at the man infront of him. "Well look what we have here? Another punk thinking he can fight. I'm gonna break you in half homeboy!" he shouted as Naruto just flicked for him to come at him.
"Alright gents! Let's rumble!" the DJ shouted as Trick rushed to Naruto and tried to grab him, the blond quickly feinting to the left from the attack, replied with a quick shot at Trick's throat. The man clenched his thoat as he had a hard time breathing, the blond using this chance didn't waste time delivering a straight punch into the man's midsection.
Trick's brain having a hard time getting oxygen just crashed for a second as it also had to process the pain of the punch. Crashing straight to the floor, Trick's body laid there on the cold floor as the crowd went wild at the quick knockout.
"Damn! We just started and we already have a winner! Give some love to our winner! Naruto!" he shouted through the speaker as the crowd cheered. "Man that guy was weak." Bo spoke up as he had Trick's unconcious body dragged away from the fight. "Tell the medic, they should splash him with some water." Naruto told the bystander who would take care of Trick.
"Come on bitch! Stop acting like a nurse and step up!" Bo called out Naruto as he pointed infront of him. "Let me show everyone just what kind of fluke you are."
"Here we go again! Everybody place your bets!" the DJ shouted out.
Bo tried to punch Naruto with a right cross, but quickly grabbing his hand the blond twisted it to the side making Bo lean a bit. Quickly hitting the man's knee, he made him kneel with one leg still planted on the ground. "This might hurt a bit." Naruto told Bo as much to his surprise the blond it him with a chop to the back of the head sending him crashing down.
"Damn! Another quick ending! My man is cleaning house!"
"Man that boy had no skills," Nyne spoke up. "Hey, chump!" the man shouted at Naruto from the crowd. "Me and you. Now!" he boasted as Naruto nodded. "Alright." he got into his stance. "Let's bogie." he smirked as Nyne rushed him. "I'm getting that spot on Crow's crew!" he shouted sending a right hook that the blond dodged.
Sending a body blow with his left, Naruto cupped his hands as they acted as a mitt that blocked Nyne's attack. 'Crow?' Naruto thought confused. "Isn't that the guy that David was talking about.' the blond was broken out of thought when Nyne did a cheap shot and headbutted him.
"Aargh!" Nyne hissed in pain as he held his forehead. "You headbutted me?" Naruto stated confused as he rubbed his forehead lightly. "What the hell?! Why is your forehead so damn strong!" Nyne complained. "I guess that's what happens when you cheat." Naruto replied as Nyne felt his anger boil.
"Shut it!" Nyne launched himself at the blond who grabbed his right hand as he tried to punch Naruto with his left only for the blond to grab his left as well. Quickly turning the man around, the blond put his foot on the man's back as he began to add force.
"Submit!" Naruto shouted as he continued to add force. "Oh damn! Nyne is in trouble now!" the DJ shouted as the crowd continued to make noise. Nyne just felt like his hands would be shredded out of their sockets. "Submit!" Naruto shouted once more. "N-never!" Nyne shouted. "I ain't giving up on my dream to be on Crow's crew."
"Is being on this Crow guy's crew more important than your arms?"
"And what if it is? You got a problem with that?!"
"Actually I do. The fact your mom put you through school just for you to say that you want to be on Crow's crew is a little disappointing." Nyne hearing this just laughed. "Before you judge me why don't you look at the mirror, you're also the one that's fighting for a spot." Nyne spoke up. "Fighting for a spot?"
"You see that guy over there with the shades, he's a member of Crow's crew and he's recruiting." Naruto turned to the direction and made contact with Skull who had his arms folded. "Only problem is." Nyne felt that Naruto's grip had lossened. "He'll be recruiting me." Nyne broke loose and tried a quick backhand that the blond quickly grabbed as he hit Nyne with a chop to the neck sending him out as well.
"Well that's night night, for Nyne!" the DJ chanted "Give it up for your last man standing! Naruto!" the entire crowd chanted wildly as the three bouts were really entertaining, even if they were short many of them were going home with some nice cash.
Naruto got $3,000 from the DJ who told him they were his earnings from all three fights. The blond put all the cash in his pocket as he headed out the door with the spectators, he was about look for Blaze when Skull approached him. "That was quite a spectacle you held out there, man." Skull stated getting Naruto's attention.
"Thanks." he replied "Do you know who I am?" he questioned as Naruto nodded "I was told your part of Crow's crew, is that right?"
Skull nodded "Yes, you were told correctly." Naruto watched as Skull analyzed him. "So tell me, Naruto. How would you like to be an enforcer for Crow? You could make a lot of money or even get some girls, if your a man that likes that over money."
"What kind of guy are you, Skull?" the man chuckled. "I'm all about the dinero hombre."
"Well I don't fight for money. So I kindly decline your offer."
"Decline? You know you can't decline Crow, ese." Skull stated "Why not? Are you know going to force me to join you?"
"No. It's just I just texted my boss that I found the right guy, so he expects me to come back with someone. Seeing as you took out the competitors I hand picked. You'll need to take their place."
"Sorry to tell you this, Skull." the two turned to see Blaze returning. "He's with us." Blaze stated as he stood beside Naruto. "Huh, if it isn't Blaze...you're running with that dog, D-Mob ese?" he looked at Naruto. "Bad choice man, bad choice." Skull stated as he took his leave.
"Those punks!" Blaze stated in anger "They already muscling into our territory, we gotta inform D-Mob." Blaze stated as he and Naruto left the Foundation parking lot.