A/N: Hey everyone, There is an IMPORTANT A/N at the end so please give it a read. Besides that, I hope you enjoy the chapter as it ends the year of 2073

Chapter 12: A Cyberpunk Christmas Part 3

December 23rd 2073

V, the violet-haired street kid, felt her body twitch, the unexpected movement jolting her awake. She wasn't great at remembering her dreams; in fact, she usually forgot them the moment she returned to the world of the living. Yet, the dream that caused her body to twitch was different.

In the dream, she found herself in what seemed like a sewer system, but the atmosphere was strangely warm. Despite the setting being something that would typically be considered disgusting, it felt like someone's home, and it was clear that they had taken great care of it.

What truly unsettled her, though, was when she looked into the darkness. Instead of pitch black, she saw large red eyes staring back at her—eyes that perfectly embodied the essence of predation. The sight almost made her scream in panic, but then an odd mixture of fear and comfort washed over her, the strange combination of emotions compelling her to stay silent.

Then, within that pitch blackness, a grin appeared, with teeth as large as she was. Slowly, the mouth opened, and to her surprise, words came out. The issue was, she couldn't remember the words. It was as if her mind refused to acknowledge them. She felt like they were truly important, but she couldn't recall what was said.

Minutes passed as she pondered that dream before she finally decided to push it to the back of her mind. She opened her eyes to see orange curtains and an arm wrapped around her chest. Quickly, she remembered what had happened last night, and a smile appeared on her lips—until she felt the soreness in her body and let out a groan that hinted at both her exhaustion and pleasure.

Last night had been a surprise for her, to say the least. She knew Naruto was a virgin, and even though she wasn't, she had still only slept with one other guy... and a female, but that was beside the point. The point was, she wasn't as experienced in sex as others might be, but still, Naruto had surprised her with how well he did in the sheets.

Yes, he needed some guidance at first, but after that, it was like a switch had flipped inside the blonde's head, and he became possessed by an animal. Not that she was complaining; if anything, it was probably the best night she'd had in a very long time.

Not just that, but she had to double-check with the blonde to see exactly what chrome he was truly running. When she asked him, he commented that it was just the arm. Yet, with how long he lasted, she was sure he had a synthetic heart and lungs.

"How'd you sleep?" came a sleepy whisper near her ear, sending a chill down her spine.

"How did you know I was awake?" V asked as she cuddled deeper into her mainline's arm and body.

"I felt you twitch, and your breathing changed," Naruto explained sleepily.

V, upon hearing the explanation, turned her head to look at him and arched an eyebrow. "You could hear my breathing change?"

Naruto nodded, his eyes still closed, and replied with a smirk. "Yeah… You stopped snoring."

V scoffed and threw Naruto's arm off her. "I don't snore, asshole," she said, faking offense.

Naruto opened his eyes and watched as V's back was turned towards him. She was now sitting up on the edge of the bed, her naked back facing him as she stretched her arms in the air. Naruto sat up on the bed and couldn't help but ask the question that plagued most, if not all, men. "Did I do well?"

V froze mid-stretch and slowly looked back at Naruto. As she made eye contact with the blonde, she broke out into laughter, causing the shinobi to blush and look away in embarrassment.

"Sorry if it was that bad," Naruto apologized, feeling humiliated that he had performed poorly in bed. It was his first time, but he hadn't expected it to be that bad that she would laugh at him.

A minute passed before V's laughter subsided, and Naruto felt the weight on the bed shift. Before he could turn to see what V was doing, he felt her arms wrap around his chest as her breasts pressed into his back.

"You were amazing, you idiot," V softly said into the blonde's ear before gently pressing a kiss on his cheek, which slowly turned into more as Naruto turned his head so their lips could connect.

Their kissing soon grew heated as V snaked her way around Naruto and onto his lap. Both had mentally acknowledged that a repeat of last night was about to play out. That was until V heard a sound that caused her to freeze.

Instantly, she pulled back from Naruto and looked towards where the sound had come from. "Naruto… Is that what I think it is?"

Naruto, having grown accustomed to the sound currently occupying V's attention, let out a hum as he kissed her neck.

"Naruto!" V exclaimed louder, pushing the blonde's head away from her neck.

"What?" Naruto asked, opening his eyes and looking at V.

"Is that a cat?!" she asked, her excitement growing.

Naruto looked at V, confused, before realization dawned on his face. "The CAT!" he said, excitement taking over as he nearly screamed in V's face.

"Why is there a cat in your room?" she asked, already climbing off Naruto's lap and grabbing his shirt to throw it on herself.

"Well… he's your present," Naruto explained, as he reached down and grabbed some boxers to put on.

"My… My what?" V asked, completely stunned by what she had heard. She was well aware of the requirements needed to obtain a cat, as well as the significant cost involved.

"I remember hearing how you always wanted a cat… So I went and found this little guy," Naruto said as he walked over and scooped up the animal.

"What—where—him?" V asked, still unable to process what Naruto was telling her.

Naruto let out a small chuckle as he turned and gently placed V's present into her arms. "From what David told me, he was called Mr. Kibbles, unless you think he deserves a different name."

V accepted her present in her arms and carefully stroked the cat's head, causing the animal to lean into her hand and let out a soft purr. "No, no, that's a good name for him. I like it."

Naruto watched as V sat down and kept petting the cat. Her eyes refused to leave the feline's body as she stroked its fur, even as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"V?" Naruto asked, sitting down next to her and placing his hand under her chin, causing her to look at him, her eyes full of tears but with a smile on her lips.

"Sorry, sorry… I love the gift, don't think I don't," she started, as she moved her head to look back at the cat. "It's just… No one's ever gone this far to get me a gift like him, and to make it worse, I feel like my gift to you is going to be just an insult now."

"Whatever you got me, I'll love it more than anything," Naruto reassured V as he wrapped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her into a hug as she unconsciously stroked her new pet.

~~~SCENE~~~

December 24th 2073

"It might actually snow this year," Judy said to herself as she buzzed the doorbell to the main entrance of her friend's apartment building. The temperature had dropped to a staggering twenty-five degrees, a rarity in the near-desert of Night City.

Only a minute passed before the double doors slid open to reveal a very happy blonde wearing what appeared to be a hideous synthetic wool sweater with a rough design of the infamous samurai band, along with a Santa hat. "Jude! You made it just in time!"

"I thought I was going to be late for a minute," replied Judy as she stepped into the building, instantly welcoming the warmth of the interior.

"Nah, we aren't opening gifts for another few minutes… Hey, where's Eve?" Naruto asked as he peeked his head out of the door to see the cleared and empty street.

Judy let out a tired sigh before replying, "She was busy… She didn't tell me much, but basically was hired by some Arasaka Corpo."

Now, old Naruto would have just shrugged off what Judy had said, but the new, relationship-focused Naruto recognized the Latina's tone. "Hey, you're with friends. Let's get to the others, and you can see what Sasuke and I got you," he replied in a soft tone, placing an arm around her shoulders.

Hearing the promise of a gift piqued Judy's interest just enough to catch her attention. "You two got me a gift?"

"Well, yeah, we got all of our closest friends gifts," Naruto said as he stepped out of the elevator with the green-haired Mox and headed towards the fourth floor, AKA the first floor of the Party Room.

"Look who made it, guys!" Naruto called out as the doors opened to reveal the rest of the small party.

Judy glanced at the others who had arrived and wasn't too surprised. She might not have known most of them well, but she had briefly met some during her visits to the boys, or heard Naruto and Sasuke talk about them from time to time.

The party consisted, of course, of Naruto and Sasuke, along with Rita, V, Jackie, Misty, Vik, Gloria, and David. While it wasn't a large gathering, it seemed to comprise the majority of the two's closest friends or neighbors. Judy also knew that some more of the Moxes were invited, like Suzie Q, Mateo, and Anna, but they were unable to make it due to personal reasons.

"I'm surprised you made it, Jude," Rita said happily as she cuddled into Sasuke's side.

"Same here— Dude…" Judy said before breaking out into laughter upon finally noticing what Sasuke and Rita were wearing. This caused Sasuke to groan, which in turn prompted Rita to shoot him a glare.

It appeared Naruto wasn't the only one wearing a sweater, as Judy realized that everyone else seemed to be adorned in hideous sweaters with specific designs.

"Don't worry! I got you one too!" Naruto said, emerging from somewhere around a corner and holding up a sweater that caused Judy's laughter to stop almost instantly.

"No… No fucking way am I wearing that," she said upon seeing the ugly sweater, which depicted the Mox's logo with random designs of the tools and tech she was always fiddling with in the basement of Lizzie's.

Fast forward five minutes, and Judy now sat next to Rita and Sasuke with the sweater on as she mumbled into a cup of synthetic cocoa. "Isn't so funny now, is it?" whispered Sasuke so quietly that only Judy could hear.

The green-haired Mox wanted to reply, but was silenced as Naruto clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone! Now I know Sasuke and I told you this was just another smaller and more personal Christmas party. Which it is, but we went ahead and got everyone gifts!"

"Now you're just trying to make us feel bad…" said Vik, though he quickly added, "But, I wouldn't mind seeing what it is."

Naruto chuckled as he picked up wrapped gifts one by one and handed them out, a smile never leaving his face.

It was then that Rita turned and looked at Sasuke. "Has your brother always been like this during Christmas?"

Sasuke shook his head as he stared at the blonde, a small, sad smile appearing on his lips unknowingly to him. "Naruto and I were never really able to celebrate the holidays… This would actually be the first year we had people willing to spend time like this," Sasuke said, his mind replaying the years when he kept to himself after his clan's death, along with knowing how Naruto's holidays were due to Kurama and the village's view of him.

Rita leaned into Sasuke's embrace, finding solace in the warmth of his shoulder instead of words. They shared a quiet moment of comfort while Naruto bustled around, distributing gifts. V wore a serene smile, gently stroking the cat in her lap.

"Looks like everyone's got their gifts. Let's see what we've got," Naruto announced, his gaze sweeping the room.

The group began to unwrap their presents at their own pace. David was the first to reveal his, his gasp betraying a mix of surprise and delight. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked eagerly.

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a knowing look, preparing for David's reaction. Meanwhile, Gloria, still holding her gift, asked, "What's all the excitement, Mijo?" Having been briefed on the contents earlier, she had been deeply touched by their gesture. Despite her offers to repay them, Naruto and Sasuke had kindly declined, insisting it was a gift, plain and simple.

"It's an old gaming console that's supposed to hold all of the biggest games from the century..." David exclaimed, his eyes fixated on the console. "Thank you guys... I remember mentioning it to Naruto, but I didn't think..."

"Don't mention it," Sasuke interjected, a hint of discomfort crossing his features as he recalled the effort involved.

Next was Gloria as she carefully tore away the wrapping paper of a smaller item, revealing a chip. Confusion flickered across her face as she glanced between the boys. Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly, offering a sheepish smile. "We weren't sure what you'd like, so we thought a year pass to a spa might be nice. It's in Japan town, and the reviews from female customers seemed pretty good."

Gloria's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the unexpected gift. While not extravagant or rare, the thought of a year's worth of massages nearly made her squeal with delight. The desire for a massage had always lingered in the back of her mind, but between her demanding work schedule and tight finances, the opportunity had never presented itself—until now. Moving into their new apartment had marked a turning point, shifting them from scraping by on sixty-hour workweeks to a more comfortable life where forty hours provided for their needs.

Realizing how swiftly everything had turned for the better in just two weeks, Gloria felt a wave of emotion welling up inside her, threatening to spill over. Hastily, she brushed away the tears, not wanting to dampen the joyous atmosphere. Naruto, noticing her swift gesture, felt a pang of anxiety, fearing that Gloria might not appreciate her gift. "Gloria, if it isn't what you want, we can-"

Before Naruto could finish his sentence, Gloria shook her head, offering a small laugh. "No, it's fine, Naruto, honestly, it's amazing. Thank you for the gift."

A sigh of relief escaped Naruto as he redirected his attention to Vik, who was now opening his gift. As Vik beheld his present, a bottle of O'Duggan whisky, he couldn't contain his laughter. "Where did you guys find this? I've been searching everywhere for a bottle."

With a grin, Naruto nodded towards Jackie. "You can thank our Latino brother over here." He jabbed a thumb in Jackie's direction, acknowledging his part in the thoughtful gift.

"The boys came to me a couple of days ago and asked if I knew where to find one. Luckily, we had one in storage, never used because no one liked the stuff," Jackie replied with a nonchalant shrug and a grin, earning a playful slap on the chest from Misty at his choice of words.

"It's an acquired taste, one I've been trying to find for ten long years!" Vik chuckled, setting the bottle down gently.

Next, Judy unwrapped her gift, her eyes widening in surprise. "Woah... How did you guys know?" she inquired, holding up a record jacket with the title, 'Californication.'

"Sasuke remembered how you said the quote on your arm was from your favorite song. So we just looked up the quote, found the song, and then tracked down the album," Naruto explained.

"Thanks, you two..." Judy responded, struggling to express her gratitude for the heartfelt gift. Though to others it might have seemed like a simple record from a defunct band, it held special significance for her. Seeing it in its physical form was more than she could have hoped for—it was one of her favorite albums.

Jackie eagerly tore open his gift to find a book titled "Men at War." "I was actually about to get this book," he exclaimed with a wide grin, inspecting his present.

"I always see you reading that other book before gigs. So when we were brainstorming gift ideas, we stumbled upon this one on a shelf. It had the same author's name, so we figured you'd enjoy it," Naruto explained, receiving a nod of agreement from Sasuke.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy it. I've been searching for a physical copy of this for a while now," Jackie commented, his excitement palpable.

Lastly, Misty unwrapped her gift to find a book titled "The Principal's Understanding of Chakras." "Do you like it?" Sasuke inquired, observing Misty's reaction with a raised eyebrow.

"Definitely. I've been eager to delve deeper into how auras and chakras function," Misty replied, casting a meaningful glance at both boys. They couldn't help but notice the knowing look in her eyes, as if she had caught on to their intentions from the start.

From the day they first met Misty, Naruto and Sasuke harbored a sneaking suspicion about the spiritually attuned girl. Every conversation with her seemed to confirm their hunch. She would casually mention their "auras," offering insights eerily accurate to their true emotions or recent events, things she couldn't possibly have known.

For example, she once remarked on Sasuke's aura, noting how it seemed as though he had nearly succumbed to the old hatred and pain he had been working to overcome. This comment came just a day after they had retrieved the plans for their swords.

"Thank you both for the book," Misty said with an innocent smile, though there was a knowing glint in her eyes that wasn't lost on the two shinobi.

After the gifts had been exchanged, the small gathering evolved into a comfortable night of conversation, laughter, and revelry in what Misty called "the holiday spirit." It wasn't until the clock struck eleven that they collectively decided to bid farewell and head home, carrying with them the warmth of friendship and the memories of a joyous evening.

~~~SCENE~~~

As the last of the guests departed, the residents of the apartment building dispersed to their respective spaces. Gloria Martinez, feeling the weight of four years' worth of stress lifted from her shoulders, decided to retire for the night. With bills and financial worries no longer haunting her, she embraced the luxury of simply resting.

Meanwhile, David, buoyed by the excitement of his new gaming console, abandoned any notion of sleep. Instead, he sought to connect his console to the TV in the communal "Party room," a request to which the two shinobi readily agreed. With eager hands, he set about configuring the setup, eager to dive into his virtual adventures.

As for Sasuke and Rita, they retreated to the privacy of their own room. "Sooooo..." Rita began, flopping onto Sasuke's bed with a playful grin.

Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle at her antics, turning to face his girlfriend. "I didn't forget about your gift," he assured her, prompting a curious spark in Rita's eyes.

Unfortunately, before Rita could utter a word, Sasuke interjected once more, "But you can't get them until after Christmas day."

"Them?" Rita inquired, her curiosity piqued as she raised an eyebrow.

Sasuke remained silent as he sat down beside Rita, pulling out his phone. Rita watched with confusion as he navigated through his device until he turned the screen to face her, revealing its contents.

As Rita's eyes landed on the screen, they widened in disbelief. "You're lying..." she gasped.

Sasuke shook his head, his expression earnest. "I talked to some of the Moxes, and they all said you've been talking about getting something like this for a while-"

Before Sasuke could finish his explanation, Rita lunged at him, pressing her lips to his in a passionate kiss. The force of the moment caused Sasuke's phone to slip from his grip, landing on the floor with the screen still illuminated. The advertisement for a subset of "gorilla arms" cyberware glowed on the screen—a feature Rita had long coveted. Though weaker than the popular and basic Gorilla arms, they were designed to be sleek and as organic-looking as possible.

~~~SCENE~~~

"Ready for your gift?" V asked in a shy tone, her nerves betraying her uncertainty about Naruto's reaction. Despite knowing him for a couple of months and dating him for almost a month, she still wasn't sure what to expect. She had anticipated a small, generic present—perhaps a book she had mentioned or a record album. Maybe even some clothes.

What she hadn't expected was a cat—the one thing she had dreamed of owning since she was a little girl. She vividly remembered begging her mom for one at the age of five, only to be met with the harsh reality that it wasn't possible. Yet here she was, with the guy she had just started dating presenting her with exactly that.

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed eagerly, his excitement palpable as he bounced on the balls of his feet, his gaze fixed on his girlfriend.

"Okay... Um, close your eyes," V instructed nervously, silently praying that Naruto wouldn't be disappointed. With measured movements, she placed Mr. Kibbles, on the bed, where he promptly settled down for a nap. Then, she slipped into the spare room where she had hidden Naruto's gift, ensuring he wouldn't catch a glimpse.

After a tense minute passed, V nervously regarded the gifts she had laid out on the bed in front of Naruto. "Okay, you can open your eyes now," she said reluctantly.

As Naruto's eyes slowly opened, they landed on his girlfriend, who seemed to be avoiding his gaze. Eventually, his attention shifted to the gifts laid out before him on the bed.

"Are these all mine?" Naruto asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Yeah," V confirmed, her apprehension palpable as she awaited his reaction, unable to bring herself to meet his eyes.

"Wow... I don't think I've ever gotten this much at once before," Naruto whispered, his tone filled with awe. In that moment, any lingering fear in V dissolved as she gazed at her mainline, a smile spreading across her face.

As V observed Naruto's reaction, she was surprised to see not disappointment, but rather a look of awe spreading across his face, reminiscent of a child marveling at a trove of presents. Puzzled by his reaction, she glanced down at the array of gifts, trying to understand why Naruto seemed so taken aback.

Watching as Naruto drew closer, V held her breath as he began to inspect the gifts she had chosen for him. His eyes lit up as he first laid eyes on a box of a dozen instant ramen bowls. "I found out that the Ramen place we go to also makes instant ramen," she explained, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Nodding in acknowledgment, Naruto reached for the next gift—a record of Samurai's greatest hits. V provided a brief explanation before he moved on to the assortment of shirts she had selected for him. She remained silent as he examined each one, his eyes scanning the designs before he proceeded to the next item.

After he set down the final shirt, Naruto's attention turned to the last gift, and he raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "A fox plushie?" he asked, eyeing the soft toy in front of him. A pang of emotion stirred in his chest as it reminded him of Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. However, this plushie had only one tail, a far cry from Kurama's nine.

"I don't know, I saw the plushie in a store and didn't think much of it until I noticed its whisker markings, which reminded me of your birthmark. Then, I just had this gut feeling that I should buy it," V explained quickly, her nerves escalating as she wondered if her gift idea had been a mistake.

A few seconds of tense silence passed, the only sound being Mr. Kibbles' soft snores. Finally, a small sound escaped Naruto, and V glanced at him, expecting to see amusement or disappointment. Instead, she saw tears glistening in his eyes.

"Naruto?" V asked, her concern mounting as she wondered what had prompted this sudden emotional shift. "I'm sorry if the gifts weren't the best... I've never been the-"

Before she could finish, Naruto spun around and enveloped V in a tight hug. Startled, she felt his cybernetic and organic arm wrap around her, holding her close. Naruto chuckled, his voice trembling with emotion. "They're perfect, all of them are perfect, V. Thank you..."

A/N: First the usual: thank you everyone for giving the chapter a read, I hope you liked seeing what gifts the two boys got their closest friends for christmas.

NOW, I know no one is going to like what I'm going to say, but I am going to take a break from this story for a month or so. If you notice my updates are becoming less frequent to the point I am going to do what I did with ASR (my other story).

To be blunt, I burnt myself out HEAVILY on this story and instead of stepping back I tried to push through and basically shot myself in the foot. What I plan to do is take some time to properly set up the next arc or even next few chapters of this story so I know exactly what to go on about. Because I have the broad points, but as i keep writing this story the smaller and finer details keep getting fucked up. Which I am losing my mind over and the last thing I want to do is turn this into a whole plot hole mess that people end up dropping 20 chapters in.

I am truly sorry about this and I hate to disappoint you all that take your time to read my work.

On a random note, I have been messing around for a very long time now with a My Hero Academia X Naruto story. That story is actually the original inspiration for this story. But I had gotten so hooked on 2077 again my brain was creating non-stop ideas of this story. It has about give or take ten chapters or so but was written so long ago I have to go back and edit the shit out of it to fix any plot holes and well terrible writing. If you are all interested in that story just say so in the reviews and I will consider posting some of the chapters as testing the waters. It's a bit more light hearted and fun than Code Shippuden.

TIME FOR REVIEWS:

FrassYourTass - Thank you Thank you

Samuel Santillan - Sasuke loves Naruto but he will always bet against the man. Uhhh, That is up for debate on pairings. But I do have one for Gloria in the works.

BookWorm1540 - A fight with Maine and Naruto you say?

Ravage88atlas - Everytime I post a chapter I get worried i'll get some bad reviews lol, but it is the life of an author. And V teasing Gloria might leave many things for the reader to think about.

Almevo - I can't say much for any of that lol, just know I am reading what you're saying.

Laxard - Naruto has Talk No Jutsu while V has Bed No Jutsu. And an obvious weakness to Naruto, and don't worry. I never really enjoyed the idea of borging out characters, there of course will be cyberware but nothing intense and uncanny.

Spellbat - V could have been serious or not. Only time will find out, and with Maine and the Edgerunners seeing the two boys are the growing and possible legends to be of NC. Why wouldn't maine offer them a job.

Guest - Reading that honestly made my day. And I hope when i can get back into my grind I can keep that spot in your heart.

Sniperbro1998 - Maine's a smart man… until it comes to cyberware, so it should all be fine… unless he has an episode around the two. And for Yorinobu… that's my bad, I literally remembered so much after I made that comment, I had just forgotten as 2077 seems like they're tryna make him seem evil as you're literally working with everyone that's against him.

David Saville - I am a Panam simp so don't worry. She will make an appearance… it's just some very important things have to happen first.

frankieu - Naruto is many things, and an accidental flirt is one of them. It seems his idiotic nature and confidence combined makes him a ladies man to most.

DD-Returns101 - I listened to the songs and they are good, but I am a bit confused on the other part.

Porrochimaru - I always appreciate the kind words, and thank you. I had planned for the Edgerunners to meet Naruto and Sasuke randomly. And decided this would be best, to see how the Martinez family and Edgerunners met in different circumstances is always interesting.

Sorry if I confused you, but Nah, Naruto was a virgin until that christmas party lol. And the bet was to see if Naruto would finally get lucky or not. V inviting Gloria was just her very teasing nature that is even shown in the game.

I plan on doing a mix of big jumps and small jumps. Also by the way so we'll get the best of both.

The Seventh Path - Sorry I had to disappoint you man. Lucy is a great character and deserves the world, but unfortunately Naruto is destined for other slightly insane females.

Arbiter3670 - Rebecca is a wildcard in my opinion. She might have fallen in love with David, but it doesn't mean she doesn't find the "Hotter brother" more appealing as a boy toy for the time being.

R-king 93 - Thank you very much

EvilKidz - Sasha deserves the best. Just like every girl in 2077.

The1whoknox - I hope you enjoyed more happy and wholesome stuff. Don't worry though, the action is going to continue in the coming chapters.

Qtar1984 - I KNOW I KNOW I AM SORRY, FORGIVE ME! On a serious note. Thank you though for helping me jog my memory, it made me remember more things and end up brushing up on some more lore.

Artemuis - once again, you are great.

Mr E Guest - I will mention their summons within the next chapter or so. I keep forgetting to post these small BUT CRUCIAL DETAILS. And it's really starting to drive me insane. And thank you for enjoying the story, I hope this one suited your needs.