Alright, here's the next chapter, and boy did I get a LOT of reviews for the last chapter.
So for now I am working more on my projects, and I'll be quite busy. So I appreciate it if you'd leave a review/comment down below.
The next update most likely will be my Avatar fic or my MHA one, as thanks to Grumpywolf I got some new energy back - shoutout to him.
Also, I am close to getting to finishing my Star Wars chapter, but due to timezones - it can take a week or two, if lucky.
Anyway, enjoy the fic.
Days Later
Some time had passed with new developments being announced. One of them was an announcement that was good news for Liberty City for once.
The bridges between the boroughs of Bohan, Dukes, and Broker, connected to Algonquin were allowed to be fully reopened soon for normal traffic, with the terrorist threat having been lowered, some normality would come back.
"About time those bridges will be open again, means business can finally ease up."
"Yeah, but the bridges to Alderney are still closed."
"You say that as if it was a bad thing."
The conversation got a little laughter among the men sitting inside a full-packed deli restaurant in South Bohan. Onoki 'the Fence Sitter' was talking with someone well dressed.
That someone sitting with him was Roy Zito, the current underboss of the Gambetti Crime Family, a young black-haired man who ran dry cleaning places across LC and was Jon Gravelli's "alleged" successor.
"So you know, Mr. Gorbaty, we've discussed it with Jon." The young thirty-five-year-old mobster was enjoying a prepared breakfast while he was talking to the old man, "He's in agreement and all, but wanted to know why you wanted this kid to have his back covered?"
"Two simple reasons, brat, and stop calling me by that," Onoki began to explain while finishing his soup with vitamines, "For one, this idiot has my granddaughter's attention and might actually give me a great-grandchild."
Zito couldn't help but chuckle, knowing how most mobsters were too busy with business, paranoia, and the feds, this guy like his boss was often more busy with his family than others would.
"You still talking about that?"
"Shut it, brat. That's all I want before the Big Bastard upstairs decides when my time's up." Onoki loudly with that language much to the dismay of the other customers, before he toned it down with his voice and continued, "The Uzumaki kid is hard-working, is not some flashy moron, and can handle himself and treats my granddaughter good."
"Uzumaki right? Like in Naruto Uzumaki."
"Yeah, that's him."
"...Is he-"
"He's Minato's oldest child."
That moment it became a sudden realization for the member of the Gambetti family, who stopped even taking a bite from his meal, he put the utensil down to discuss this subject further.
"It's been a long time since I heard that name."
"If you mean Minato, I can agree with you on that. He's been dead for nearly a decade." Onoki said while shaking his head as he continued, "For a biker from a shithole like Alderney, he was a decent enough man."
"Yeah, I remember," Roy agreed, looking kind of bothered, "I gotta be honest when he got whacked…"
"I know you and Minato were friends, I still recall," Onoki went further, "I remember when you and he were still little shitstains, him being a prospect cleaning bikes and you being an associate who had to do shitty collections - you both got each other's back."
Some bikers happened to drive by the deli, members of the Lost who were in a group, briefly interrupting the conversation due to their loud motors, once they were gone, the two continued to talk.
"I swear, if Minato didn't decide to migrate to Japan, he could've turned those bikers around."
"He instead started a chapter in Japan, right?"
"Yes I heard, but he tried to do it differently with his chapter-"
"Yet that is what got him killed."
Zito heard that and looked at the old man with an uncomfortable face, daring to ask.
"You really think one of Minato's own biker friends ordered a hit on him?"
Finishing his soup, Onoki looked at the Gambetti underboss.
"I'm 100% certain - and the moment the truth gets out, there will be blood on these streets like asphalt, I promise you that."
Meanwhile
Down in South Broker, only a couple of blocks away from Hove Beach and the studio in Rotterdam Hill, Naruto stood outside the entrance of the Native Engines garage on Gibson Street.
Standing outside on watch he was not putting his guard down, for good reasons with the same people who had put a price on his head being only a walking distance away, the blond was on high alert-
"Ruto."
Shooting his head sideways, he both surprised himself and Jermaine who nearly thought he would get the bad end from his far eastern friend who he saw was uneasy.
"Yo, ease up, man," Jermaine said with both hands up and walked out of the garage, "I ain't going to pop you, chill."
"Sorry, Jermaine," Naruto sighed, watching the road, looking at the bypassing cars, "It is just we're only a few blocks away from…you know."
"Yeah, but no need to worry about that, word on the street about that bounty of yours is hot money, nobody's gonna touch that contract," Jermaine said while pulling out a cigarette to smoke, "Especially with that Rascalov fella, not even local hitters want to take it."
"Really?"
"Yeah really, no kidding," Jermaine said taking a puff from his lighted stick. He went on, "After what he took over from Faustin - nobody outside Hove Beach wanna work with him, see him as a cold motherfucker, dropping his best friend like nothing is not sitting well with many - and backstabbing the hired gun who's now hunting Spanish Lords? They know better than to take that hit."
"Hired gun?" Naruto sounded confused, "Niko you say? Spanish Lords?"
"Yeah, word on the street is he clapped Lyle Rivas, chop shop mechanic linked to them eses," Jermaine explained to his friend, "Hunted him down to Francis before he crashed his ride and got popped in the head - and only a day later his entire crew got taken out when Niko stole that fool's ride, leaving three car loads of dead Lords - that man's crazy."
Hearing this for the first time Naruto was surprised himself. He's been only busy for two straight days with the studios and hasn't called anybody and now he hears from his mechanic about Niko taking contracts from someone.
"Who contracted him?"
"That dude in East Hook who owns a garage - Brucie Kibbutz I heard, crazy guy who keeps talking about juicing," Jermaine replied and then asked him, "So what about you? What have you been doing?"
"Well…"
Flashback
*SLAP!*
*Getting hit all over again, Naruto could only stand there and take the beating that was given to him by his sister, who wasn't happy meeting him in a place like this that was now both their workplace.
"AH! What the shit!"
"You disappear for nearly a year, and the first I hear from you is coming out of my Boss' private bath in nothing but a towel and with a Pornographic actress hanging off your arm! What is wrong with you?!" Narumi yelled at her brother as Konan, also clad in nothing but a towel and her hair down, stood beside Naruto with a raised eyebrow.
"You know her?" she asked her blonde co-star.
"Yeah, she's my sister. But why is she here doing porn?!"
"I'm not!" Narumi yelled red-faced. "I'm an editor!"
"If you two are not done yelling at each other, go to my office and wait. This is a place for relaxation." Ling interrupted, glaring at the trio from her bath. "Or you can all get out."
The Trio then left the sauna room and headed to Ling's office, still clad in nothing but towels. Narumi couldn't help but check out Konan's body outlined by her towel. Sure, she'd seen her naked when she edited her videos, but there was something to be said about seeing something in the flesh rather than through a screen.
"Had a good look?"
Narumi flushed at being caught with the question Konan gave, embarrassed at first but then saw the bluenette's relaxed expression.
"Relax, at least you're not a stalker. Those are a pain in the ass," she spoke while taking a seat. Naruto stood behind Konan as Narumi stared.
"Sooo... Why are you doing porn?" she asked her brother bluntly.
Naruto just sighed and replied, "Well, quite simply, I need the money, and I only got this job because the usual guy got hurt, and they couldn't delay the shoot."
Narumi snorted at his explanation. "Heichi's hurt? Serves the asshole right. But seriously, how did you end up in LC?" Narumi went on to talk, "Last I'd heard, you were drifting around after what happened at the funeral. Then you turn up doing porn, Anko reappears-"
"Wait, Anko's here in LC?" Naruto asked, surprised.
"Yeah, she's one of the starlets of the studio, but that's not the point." Narumi tried to speak further, "It's just been a strange time recently, and I feel like something strange is going on."
Naruto when finished hearing his sister out, chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.
"Yeah, I do have to admit, I've seen some shit the last seven months I've been here." He mussed his hair. "I mean... If you told me a year ago I'd be a Cab Driver, as well as a Nightclub driver, and a Porn Actor, I'd have thought the Iraqi desert heat had gotten to you."
Hearing that, Konan's eyes roamed Naruto's chest and arms.
"You were a soldier?"
"Private contractor, so technically a Mercenary. In the end, they fucked me over, so I'm broke, hence the jobs." Naruto said turning then to his sister, "I knew you were here in LC a few weeks ago Narumi, I... ran into someone stalking you. Made him stop too."
"Wait, that creepy Russian guy? He stopped stalking me a few weeks ago, so thanks." Narumi said, sounding relieved.
Not knowing that Naruto had helped kill the man who ordered those pics and threatened the other guy. This was perhaps best not mentioned. Alongside the other criminal activities.
"So aside from fucking Konan, what are you up to lately? Maybe we could have lunch sometime?"
Naruto shrugged as Konan gave a small smirk.
"Well, my cab got written off recently, and the Depot also went up in flames, so I'm currently taking any job I can until I can save up for a new ride. I'd be happy to do lunch, I know an Irish bar in Steinway…"
"I know the place. I've been there with the family I'm staying with."
"Great. I'll call you sometime about it once I can get my situation improved somewhat."
"Oh, and what about poor little me?" Konan added, her smirk telling Naruto she was merely teasing him. "Are you telling me I'm just a one-night stand?"
Both Uzumaki siblings found themselves blushing with tints on their cheeks. Both out of embarrassment, but for Narumi it was to see her brother getting flirted on by the normally stoic Konan.
"W-well we could also go out sometime if you'd like?" replied Naruto with a slight stutter of surprise. "Just a drink and all, could not hurt."
Konan smiled genuinely. "I'd like that. But as you said, once you're in a better place."
"You all done?" came the voice of Ling from the door.
The three face her only to find her completely nude and walking to her desk. Catching all three, even the porn actress, off guard by their boss's willingness to walk in the nude - in her proper form that perhaps could rival the Japanese woman herself.
"Yes I'm naked, and no I do not care if you see. This is my office and no one will tell me what to do here."
Giving a light glare to the trio, Ling began opening the top drawer of her desk. Pulling out a small wad of cash before splitting it in two, she tossed the larger wad to Konan, and the smaller wad to Naruto.
"Naruto, as agreed, your five hundred fee plus a little extra for filling in on short notice. Your royalties will be deposited in the usual account at the end of the month."
Naruto quickly counted his wad to find seven hundred and fifty dollars.
"Konan, the two thousand as agreed plus a little extra for working with a relative unknown. Royalties in your usual account at the end of the month."
"Is it okay if we sign Naruto to an exclusivity agreement? With Heichi out of action, we need another man on set if required. And I highly recommend Naruto for the role. And I'm sure some of the girls will be... most appreciative... of his talent and skill." Konan suggested with a saucy smile at Naruto.
Narumi merely facepalmed, not wanting to hear Konan flirt with her brother as Ling seemed to contemplate the idea.
"We'll see. If we do, we'll contact you Naruto. As it is, we'll see how the video does once someone has finished editing..." Ling said giving a pointed look to Narumi, who took the hint, flushed face and all.
"Sorry Boss. Naruto, I'll call you later." Narumi left the office.
Flashback ends
"Had a little reunion, nothing much," Naruto responded, turning to his friend, "So, what about my ride?"
"Sorry man, the ride's done." Jermaine simply shook his head as he gave the details, "Bucket reached its limit and the bullet holes are on parts we can't replace."
"Teme…"
"I can send it to a chop shop for you, give you something in return, like a G or two, but anything but that I can't help you on this." Jermaine told him plainly, "I'll set your stuff up from the car and call in a cab."
Naruto sighed and told him to do it as the mechanic walked back inside his workplace, the cabless cab driver pulled up his phone and began calling someone.
"Brucie…you there?"
Meanwhile
Alderney
Inside the clubhouse' garage, Obito was seen at the bar talking to the two girls Temari and Tenten. All three laughed about something that got the interest of Angus who just rolled himself right in on his wheelchair.
"Well, well, well, what's going on here?" The blond biker asked, "Obito, you flirting with girls of this age now?"
"Nah, Angus, just talking," Obito said pointing out at the bun-haired brunette and the sandy blonde, "Would you believe it that Tenten and I found out Temari knows my nephew?"
"You mean that crazy troublemaking kid Naruto you speak off? I wouldn't be surprised by one bit," Angus said before asking, "How so?"
"Naruto and I were in the same battalion in Merrweather, stationed up Baghdad," Tenten replied and looked at her friend with a devilish smirk, "And guess who saved her ass when her chopper got shot down?"
"Bullshit…"
"I know, it sounds like a coincidence, but no - it was my nephew Naruto and his unit came out first to save Temari here when her chopper got shot down by an RPG," Obito smiled in pride as he turned to the American girl, "Not only that, he stopped her bleeding in the middle of a gunfight."
Temari's eyes looked away and said, "Well, it was nothing."
Flashback
Iraq
Gunfire was erupting around the crash site of an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter that was scattered around some farmland in the countryside, with it currently being surrounded by multiple insurgents who were firing small arms fire and a few with technical machine guns.
Fighting alone inside the cockpit was Temari, banged up with an open headwound and both her legs broken from the crash, she was firing back with only her sidearm which was a BF92 semi-automatic pistol with the limited ammo she could reach for, with her co-pilot not responding to her calls the girl from Las Venturas was on her own now.
"Damn it all." Temari shouted in anger, "Damn you all!"
The insurgents continued to advance to her position? one was spraying his rifle at her cockpit, too close if you asked the pilot who spotted him.
"Back off!"
Temari fired at the insurgent and dropped him after the fifth shot forced the terrorist to go down before she fired at the others who followed the first one and began to find some cover.
Searching for her targets, Temari picked carefully, firing once or twice at someone she could hit, she was not going to be captured alive, not by these people, let alone to have her head cut off or worse.
Bullets bounced off left and right to her that barely hit her, with the insurgents coming closer, she was running out of ammo fast with how much she was firing. Another insurgent came gunning for the crashed chopper, hitting Temari in the shoulder with a round going through.
"SHIT!"
Temari dropped her piece as then the insurgent was about to reach her-
*POW!*
A blast sent the insurgent back with a hole shot right through the man's chest, with some of the blood splattering over her face and hair.
"Bleh, gross!"
"Clear the areas of these fuckers!"
Opening her eyes, the US pilot found herself getting the rescue party, which weren't US Forces but some guys she didn't expect at all but knew were in the area - military contractors of Merryweather.
The insurgents began running off while several Humvees were seen approaching the technicals that were getting ripped apart by the 50. Cal's that were mowing them down.
"Ma'am, you okay?"
Out of the corner of her eyes, the sandy blonde pilot found herself facing another blond, this time a guy younger than her and had a more sunny color hair that was spiky, with the guy carrying a Mossberg 500 shotgun that was used, her eyes met the blue ones of the guy wearing a Merryweather uniform.
"Uzumaki, status report?"
"One pilot responding, another unconscious," Naruto responded while checking the unresponsive pilot, "Need a medevac."
"Right."
Naruto then turned to her, "Hey, you alright?"
"Not…really." Temari grunted and mentioned, "My legs are messed up."
"Let me help you out," Naruto said with a cheeky smile, "I'll buy you a cold one once we are safe."
Flashback Ends
"And from that part onward I and Naruto became friends," Temari told them the story while holding her glass drink, "He kept visiting me from time to time in the hospital before I got sent back to the States, and we lost contact since."
"Until we found out he's in LC," Tenten mentioned to her friend happily, "And it will be nice to see him again."
"Cheers on that." Temari and Tenten toasted on that.
"Wow, your little nephew has no short amount of stories of doing shit in a warzone," Angus said sounding impressed by the stories he heard about the kid, turning to Obito, "Who knows, perhaps he came across Johnny's brother - he's also in Iraq."
"Perhaps, but you'll have to ask him about it." Obito replied to Angus, "But he didn't talk much about the things he went through once he got back home."
"Obito."
The four turned around to see it was Terry who was calling him out.
"You need to go - mandatory run with Brian."
Obito asked, "Where to?"
"Broker, we're about to get a buyer."
Broker
In BOABO, right in Brucie's place, the bald bodybuilder was doing exercises on the floor while on the couch sat Roman who was browsing through the internet with his laptop as he was speaking with Naruto.
"I'm sorry, Naruto, but until I have word from the insurance company, I cannot give you a replacement car." Roman said to his cab driver, sounding pessimistic, "And I doubt they even want to…"
"As expected," Naruto sighs, scratching his head, "I'll be needing something to go around."
"Maybe a rental car but those bastards keep the prices too damn high."
"I'll try to search for an answer," Roman said, about to open a new tab when he heard the door open.
Niko walked in and spotted his cousin and Naruto whom he greeted then.
"Hey."
"Hey, man."
"N," Naruto bumped fists with his Slavic friend and asked. "You here with a car?"
"Yes, it is parked outside." Niko said looking at Roman's laptop screen, curious what it was, "Why? You need help?"
"Perhaps a drive to Bohan could not hurt?" Naruto suggested, leaning against the couch while standing next to Niko, "My cab's done, it is in Jermaine's place."
"I'll give you a ride, no worry."
"HEY!" Brucie barged into the conversation, fully strung up muscles he flexed. "Hit me!"
"What?"
"Come one, either of you!" Brucie repeated. "Hit me!"
Niko turned around for a brief moment before he then slammed his fists into Brucie's six-pack-
*PUNCH!*
"Ooh!" Gasping, Brucie managed to stay on his feet with his hands lowered, "Motherfuckers…"
"Brucie, sit." Naruto advised him, "Before you get yourself into more unwanted injuries."
"Right, listen to Naruto for once," Roman said in agreement before turning to his cousin, "Niko, you wanna go on a date?"
"Ehh…"
"Come on. What's wrong with you?"
"Okay." Niko gave in and walked over to his cousin with the laptop, "Who is she?"
Roman's shit-eating grin widened as he mentioned, "That's the thing, it's a guy."
"Fuck you." Niko told him and turned to Naruto who was holding back a grin, "And fuck you too."
Naruto raised his hands in defense, "Don't look at me."
"No. Dude, listen!" Brucie shouted, having recovered from the hit, he explained, "The cousin of that guy you killed, Lyle Rivas, owes me a lot of money. And the dick won't pay. Instead, he's said he's going to have me killed, that bitch. Hi-ah!"
Having then just smashed his head against the head, the bald bodybuilder's head started to bleed and this was the final straw for Roman of all people.
"Brucie, you got to chill. For real."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Brucie waves off, sweeping the blood off his forehead.
Naruto shook his head, those bull shark steroids were going to get him messed up, but that was a problem for another time as he listened to what was being discussed.
What was it about a guy's cousin Niko had taken out who needed to be whacked, some guy who owed Brucie a lot of money and had threatened to have him killed, and the plan was to lure him out on a date to then move on him first by using the dating site LoveMeet and arrange one.
"No offense, guys - but this idea rubs me the wrong way." Naruto commented, "Who's this guy anyway?"
"Some Puerto Rican guy who's a cockhound named Tom Rivas," Brucie replied, giving some details while whipping the blood off his head, "That's his real name, but the bastard goes by the name French Tom."
The first name didn't ring any bells, but once that second name was said, Naruto turned his head around and asked.
"French Tom?"
"Yeah, that's his pseudo name, I don't know." Brucie responded, wondering, "Why? You know him?"
Recalling that name, also came to some memories.
Flashback
"OUT!"
When Naruto emerged from the homosexual nightclub Hercules through the front door, a woman's cry could be heard. Having just hauled out a customer who has long caused trouble for the establishments, the employees, and most significantly, the owner.
"You can't do this to me, I'm Tony's-"
"Tony said bye, and I won't repeat myself - OUT!"
The man who had been ejected was a Puerto Rican man with a striking face and black hair. Today was the day this bastard's luck ran out. He had been in a relationship, either intimate or sexual, with Tony, abusing it to the fullest extent, and he had been nothing more than a leech on the man's mind.
Two guards came out of Hercules as backup, seeing the new guy was handing it.
"You bastard, you ruined my best shirt!" French Tom shouted in anger, standing back up and throwing threats, "Don't think I'll let this go by - Tony will hear about this!"
"Who do you think gave me the okay to throw you out?" Naruto warned him, "Now go away - you're no longer welcome in the clubs, Rivas."
"Don't ever, EVER, call me by that name!" Tom said pointing his finger at the blond, "I swear to God I will-"
*PUNCH!*
Not given the chance to finish what he said, French Tome got hit across the face by Naruto who knocked him out in front of the public, with those standing in line being surprised by that single move.
"Teme, look what you made me do," Naruto growled.
Holding his hand that smashed his head in, Naruto turned to his colleagues and to the patrons waiting outside addressing them with the best smile he could give.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hercules."
Flashback ends
Thinking of that moment, Naruto was frowning as he answered the question still hanging in the air.
"I'll take the hit."
"Huh?" Brucie sounded confused, "You what?"
"I'll do the hit, with Niko." Naruto said turning to his friend, "Let's go, N. We're going to do this at the internet café."
Niko nodded and followed the blond going out of the room, leaving both Roman and Brucie confused about what just happened.
Outlook Park
Later in Outlook, Naruto was standing at the phone booth waiting for his turn, glancing inside the café where he saw Niko finishing up the arrangements that needed to be made on LoveMeet.
Because for this job, they needed some help because it didn't take a genius hitman to figure out that an arrangement through the internet could connect them to the hit. Even if Niko agreed to be the bait, they needed to close any traces the cops could find.
Once the man inside finished his call, Naruto took his turn and walked inside the phone booth, pulling out the piece of paper he was given some time ago, he was about to dial in-
*TRING!*
The phone went off before Naruto could dial in, and was hesitant at first before he picked it up and put it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"You tried to dial in the same number, didn't you?"
"It is you…the creepy guy."
"While I appreciate your honesty I'd still suggest you be a little more careful with those characterizations, hm, but I suppose that's a fair statement for you to say about me. Anyway, I suspect you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes, I need your help-"
"With the French Tom contract, correct?"
Naruto was surprised this guy knew about it and was about to hang up…
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but your friend isn't the only one having put a hit on this guy - some even higher than your friend is putting out but your friend's plan is the clumsiest there is by setting up a date through LoveMeet to lure him out of his hideout. A trail like that can get even the most rookie detective of the LCPD to pin a murder case on you. So what do you want from me?"
Noticing the voice was distorted, I got Naruto to ask.
"What's with your voice?"
"Taking precautions, of course, I don't want to be tracked down myself given your former employer Mr. Shimura. But let us get to business - what do you wish for me to do?"
"Right…I need you to erase the search history of LoveMeet once the date is set."
"Hmmm, that's easy, just need to crash the site and keep it down for a couple of hours after the date is set - I can erase your friend's profile and tracks but it is going to cost you."
"As in?"
"I'll take the reward of the other contract that is on this guy, you can split the other contract."
"Okay…" Naruto said, about to hang up, "I'll keep in touch-"
"Of course, after this is done, I require someone for some work across the bridge, but that is for another time."
Naruto agreed on these terms, "Alright."
"See you soon."
*CLINK!*
Once finished Naruto hung the phone back and exited the booth, just as Niko was coming out.
"And?"
"It is done, waiting for a response now," Niko told him, asking, "What about you?"
"It's settled, you don't have to worry about the LCPD asking you for a date," Naruto replied before suggesting, "Let's go to Bohan now."
"Sure, where to?"
"The projects next to Manny's place - a friend of mine lives there."
And that is it, for now, hopefully you guys liked it.
See you all next time.
Peace!