Got another chapter out! I know this was something that was needed for a while now! Don't worry, this story is not dead or abandoned! I will continue to work on it and pump out future chapters!
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Feel free to review if you'd like, I encourage it!
Disclaimer: I don't own "Naruto" or "Scott Pilgrim," they belong to their respective owners.
Past Mistakes Come Forward
"His best friend?" Ramona asked with a raised brow. She had never heard of Lisa throughout her time dating the blonde. It was a rather confusing revelation if she was being honest.
Before the two could continue, a loud noise up on stage garnered their attention. The lights shined brighter and the crowd roared with approval. Both 'bands' were on stage, soaking up the attention. It seemed the battle of the bands would begin shortly.
People raised their hands, some holding beers, with excitement. People were looking around, ready for the show to begin. Suddenly, both bands were illuminated to the crowd of hundreds. The first up were two individuals standing next to each other
"Dude, look at their setup! It's… majestic!" The lead vocalist for Sex Bob-Omb said while eyeing up their musical equipment. He was more nervous than usual, given that he heard G-man was in the crowd. It didn't help that their opponents looked cool and confident.
"Stephen, get your head out of your ass! We need to focus!" Kim said in a loud whisper, watching as their opponents were harmonized with their movements. The twins moved as if they were one person, complimenting the symmetry theme they had.
Sex Bob-Omb wasn't terribly equipped but they seemed to be the lesser of the two on stage. Their equipment, while good, wasn't state-of-the-art or highly advanced. They were standing with their respective instruments and microphones they always used.
Their enemy's gear was some of the latest technology on the market. It was thousands of dollars in mixing and techno equipment. Knobs, levers, and buttons littered the synthesizer before the Katayanagi Twins. Panels of orange light filled up the space behind them, giving a menacing look.
Kyle Katayanagi was dressed in a white outfit with a red belt, sleeves, and gloves. He looked on with narrowed eyes and a frown on his face. He had blonde hair which Naruto could tell was dyed.
Ken Katayanagi was dressed in a leather outfit with black and red outlines. He had spiked gloves, a white belt, dark pants, and black shoes. He also held a gaze that promised he would win.
Both twins glanced at Naruto, looking him over before they looked over at Ramona. Sadly for the twins, Ramona didn't even spare them a glance.
Naruto was strangely quiet throughout this ordeal, his eyes scanning over the Katayanagi Twins.
An announcer was illuminated in the middle of the crowd. He held a microphone in his hand and a smile on his face, clearly excited for the showdown about to happen. "LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, PLEASE GIVE IT UP FOR THE BATTLE OF THE AMPS!"
Hundreds of people shouted at the top of their lungs, excited for the showdown. Eyes were darting and people were grinning. The highly anticipated event was garnering attention from many people. Many people in the audience were also recording with their smartphones.
"ON ONE SIDE, WE HAVE THE KATAYANAGI TWINS!"
People screamed in appreciation while the Katayanagi Twins nodded their heads in thanks while raising their arms in gratitude. They didn't speak much, but people could tell they were appreciative of the support with their body language.
"ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE SEX BOB-OMB!"
If possible, it felt like the crowd roared even louder. Whether it was because they wanted the 'underdog' to win or because they were drunk, Naruto couldn't tell. The lights were starting to bother his eyes given the spotlight was shining directly on them.
"NOW…LET'S START THE BATTLE OF THE AMPS…!"
With his final shout, the announcer walked away and allowed both opponents to soak up the attention. Everyone watched with baited breaths, excited to see the showdown happen. It was time for the battle of the bands.
In the air, everyone saw a message play. It was clear as day and bright enough for everyone to see. It only lasted a moment.
Sex Bob-Omb VS. the Katayanagi Twins
The Katayanagi Twins struck first.
Both brothers slammed their hands onto their keyboard synthesizer. They began to play rapid notes, causing multiple shock waves to come out of their speakers. They were in harmony without missing a beat, as if they had practiced this a million times before.
"What the fuck…!" Stephen shouted in his mind with wide eyes, unprepared for what he was seeing. He could see actual shock waves coming out of the Katayanagi Twin's speaker. The worst part was that they were coming straight for them.
Before the shock waves overtook Sex Bob-Omb, Naruto took this moment to quickly play a riff that rang out from their speakers. This riff was able to create a barrier that protected the band momentarily, lessening the damage from the shock waves.
A few of their amps fell while they struggled to stay on their feet. One of Kim's cymbals fell onto the ground, banging against the ground. Looking around, the band could see a few holes in the roof and walls of the building.
"So they can use their music to attack…" Naruto thought to himself with narrowed eyes. He had played his riff to test a theory he had, which was proven right. If manipulated the right way, they could attack or defend with their music.
It was similar to how he bested Todd in their bass battle. However, this time, it was on a much larger scale than he was used to.
Stephen looked on in worry, not sure what to do. He was beginning to doubt if they had made the right choice. Just by looking at their equipment, he was thinking they were far outclassed. He could admit the Twins were slightly intimidating with their harmony.
Naruto didn't let his friend ponder too long.
"Guys, we need to play strong and consistent. These guys are gonna swing at us with their music, so we need to fight back. The only way we can do that is by performing!" The blonde shouted out while keeping his eyes on the Katayanagi Twins.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's perform!" Kim shouted out while slapping her drumsticks together. Her fallen cymbal on the ground unfazed the drummer, eager to perform. "ONE, TWO, THREE…!"
Following her lead, Sex Bob-Omb began to fight back with their musical talents. Stephen gulped and stepped up to the microphone with nervousness filling his veins. Looking over, he saw Naruto giving him a confident nod while he played on bass.
Taking a deep breath, Stephen began singing loudly for everyone to hear, "I'm hearing voices….animal noises…"
Kim played the drums like her life depended on it. Every hit on the drum sounded clean while her foot worked the bass drum pedal. Her movements were fast and precise, not wasting a single moment. She continued onward, leading the band throughout the song.
Stephen started shaky at first, but he was starting to feel more confident as the song went on. He was starting to get into his rhythm while he played on his acoustic guitar. His fingers, which seemed stiff at first, were starting to flow naturally.
Naruto was probably the most focused out of the band. He played with a ferocity that stood out among the band. He kept his focus on the Katayanagi Twins while he played at a fast pace. His fingers strummed along the bass with precision and accuracy. The low tone accompanied Kim's drums and Stephen's vocals beautifully.
To their credit, it seemed that Sex Bob-Omb was putting up a fair fight. They weren't going to be intimidated into submission. They would fight for every inch in this musical battle.
"YES, SEX BOB-OMB!" Knives shouted out from the crowd, watching the band play their hearts out. "KEEP ON ROCKING!"
Young Neil stood beside the excited girl and shouted his enthusiasm. He could feel that this was going to be an epic showdown.
The Katayanagi Twins looked at each other before giving a sharp nod. They both slammed their fingers onto two buttons and twisted the same knob to the right. They then smashed two more buttons, increasing the bass and intensity of their music.
A high-techno rhythm shot out from their speakers. They produced shock waves like last time but they were much stronger this time. They flew forward, straight for Sex Bob-Omb's stage.
To their credit, Sex Bob-Omb stood their ground well. Their music formed a bubble-like barrier around their stage, blocking the incoming sound waves. They bounced off the barrier and blew the roof off of the building, causing some debris to fall from the ceiling.
The crowd roared, enjoying the show so far. They couldn't care less about the property damage and were more excited about the throwdown going on. Many people had written off Sex Bob-Omb as a joke, so it was amazing to see them hold their ground.
Ramona watched from the crowd with a calculated expression on her face. Her conversation with Lisa had been cut short so they two decided to just watch the showdown and speak after. Some debris from the ceiling landed near the girls but they didn't spare it a second glance.
As for the Katayanagi Twins, they were starting to get annoyed. With narrowed eyes, it was decided that they needed to step it up a notch. Kyle began to play the keys on their keyboard while Ken adjusted the bass and reverb with the other knobs.
Again, they shot forward with their attack. However, unlike the simple shock waves they had done before, they decided to attack with something special.
Two robots were manifested through the Twins synthesizer, manifesting in the air. They grew and floated in the air, hovering with differing expressions. Both Katayanagi Twins smiled in satisfaction, seeing their plan had worked.
Narrowing his eyes, Naruto saw that each robot had a respective name above each one. The one on the left was the smaller of the duo. It had small red eyes, a white coat of paint over the metal, and red outlines around its body. Above it's head floated the words, 'robot-01.'
To the right stood another robot, this one slightly taller. It was dark blue with red eyes and a red circle in the center of its forehead. Two metal pointed ears stood at the side of its head. It looked on with a blank expression. The words 'robot-02' floated above its head.
Both robots launched forward through the air without hesitation. They were aiming straight for Sex Bob-Omb without a care in the world.
"Oh shit!" Stephen gasped out in surprise, feeling slightly intimidated. Thankfully, despite his momentary lapse in singing, his bandmates made up the difference. They wouldn't allow the Katayanagi Twins to walk all over them.
Seeing the incoming attacks, Kim smiled and began to play even louder. Her drumsticks slammed into her drum set with passion and drive in her eyes. Changing her grip on the sticks, she began adding back beats without batting an eye.
As for Naruto, he decided to follow his drummer's lead. Stretching his fingers momentarily, the blonde decided to also switch up his playing style. Placing his hand so that his thumb was parallel to the strings, the blonde prepared. He began to strum his thumb down through the string and allowed it to catch on the upstroke. In other words, he was beginning to double-thumb his bass.
Not wanting to let his band-mates down, Stephen began playing his acoustic guitar with a ferocity rarely seen. Leaning forward, the lead vocalist of the band shouted into the microphone with closed eyes. Words came out smoothly while he followed the beat pattern of Kim's drums. It was clear he was playing with his soul and performing at his best.
Just as both robots were feet away from Sex Bob-Omb, they ran into the same barrier as before. However this time, something different happened. This time, they were also facing a massive floating bomb with a smirk. Sex Bob-Omb's mascot.
Both robots fired their lasers and projectiles at the bomb, but it bounced off harmlessly.
Seeing it wasn't working, both robots decided to fly around the bomb. They released more projectiles such as saw blades and lasers, which didn't do much to the bomb. At most, they could only see a few scratch marks. This surprised everyone in attendance as they didn't think a bomb of all things could be so durable.
"YEAH! KEEP ROCKING ON SEX BOB-OMB!" Young Neil shouted from the crowd with excitement. Seeing so much going down was thrilling for the young man, making him want to join the band even more.
Even though Neil's shout was loud, it was barely audible from the surrounding audience. Everyone at this point was shouting and screaming with glee. This battle had taken a wide
Kim, who was still swinging on the drums, could only look on with a wide grin. Even she couldn't believe how crazy the amp vs amp battle was going. She never thought something like this would happen, but she was getting excited!
The Katayanagi Twins grew frustrated and tried to get past this new obstacle. With a shout, they suddenly slammed their hands onto the synthesizer. With the press of a few keys and buttons, both robots stopped and fused.
Everyone in the crowd covered their eyes, watching as both robots kicked up a storm of dust while fusing. Ramona, Lisa, and Wallace in the crowd could only watch with curious stares. They didn't know what the Katayanagi Twins had in mind.
Once the dust settled, everyone could see a fusion of both robots. It had much broader shoulders, two gauntlets on both arms, red eyes, blue stripes along its torso, and a menacing stare on its face. Just like the previous two, the words 'robot-03' floated above its head.
Naruto narrowed his eyes at this development, feeling his fingers play without thought. His band was still playing heavily but he could tell this robot was much stronger than the previous two by a large margin.
He wouldn't let them attack first for once.
Suddenly, before the robot could move, it was Sex Bob-Omb who decided to attack this time. Their floating mascot shot forward with a smirk on its face. In response, the Katayanagi Twins had their final robot bring its arms up in preparation.
Without warning, two massive lasers shot forth from the robot's hands. They were blue, condensed energy, and shot forward at the bomb. The collision caused a rumble all around the venue, causing many to cheer in excitement. More debris fell around the crowd which only heightened the mood.
The shock wave produced from the impact caused all Sex Bob-Omb members to stumble slightly while the Katayanagi Twins braced themselves. Looking upward, they were shocked to see their mascot take the energy head-on with a snarl on its face. It seemed it hadn't exploded just yet.
Stephen decided to take the initiative and sing until his lungs started hurting. He had never pushed himself to this limit before, but he refused to be the dead weight of the band. With one hand grabbing the microphone stand, the lead vocalist closed his eyes and sang his heart out.
"All right Stephen!" Young Neil shouted out from the crowd, impressed at his friend's boldness. He was known for his nervousness and indecisiveness, but it seemed he was getting his rhythm.
Taking their singers' lead, both Naruto and Kim turned up their playing. Kim's hands were starting to hurt from the constant banging but she wouldn't dare give up in this moment. Sweat was rolling down her forehead and she was beginning to pant in exhaustion, but she kept going.
Naruto grits his teeth, feeling the strings digging into his fingers. He hadn't pushed himself this hard for this long in a while. Even his bass battle against Lucas didn't resort to such an extreme. They had been constantly playing at this pace for minutes at this point. It didn't sound like a long time until you were on stage, strumming like crazy nonstop.
Sex Bob-Omb's mascot roared, flying even further into the energy beam. Slowly but surely, it was beginning to make progress. First a few inches, then more, then a foot, then a few feet. At this rate, the bomb would make contact with the robot in seconds.
The Katayanagi Twins, seeing this, turned up their knobs and slammed even more buttons, but it didn't make a difference. They were growing panicked as the seconds ticked by. At this point, they were beginning to worry.
While it was true the Katayanagi Twins were the better equipped of the two 'bands,' they were forgetting something.
Their expensive musical equipment was many things.
It was advanced.
It was impressive.
It was creative.
It was even more powerful.
But it lacked passion. And it lacked true heart from the artists using it. After all, a musical tool or instrument was only as good as the person playing it.
Sex Bob-Omb was nearly on their last legs, everyone could see that. Stephen's voice was starting to strain while Kim was puffing with each hit of her drumstick. Even Naruto was gritting his teeth while trying to keep his pace on the bass.
However, it was clear to all that they had harmony. They had teamwork. And they had heart.
In the next moment, everyone recording from the crowd erupted into 'aws' and 'ooh' from the explosion. Sex Bob-Omb's mascot had managed to reach the robot before erupting into a wide smile. With a loud bang, the bomb took out the robot and the equipment behind the Katayanagi Twins.
With this final explosion, everyone momentarily covered their eyes and ducked for cover as they could hear more debris fall. Once the smoke and dust settled this time, they could see that no one was seriously harmed.
Overhead, it was easy to see that the entire roof of the building had been blown off. The constant falling of debris had left a gaping hole. Everyone in the crowd could see the night sky above.
As for the Katayanagi Twins, they had exploded into respective piles of gold coins. Their equipment had tumbled around everyone, leaving a mess behind. It was clear the expensive musical instruments were no longer usable.
(K.O! Amp vs Amp Bonus! 6000 Points!)
Seeing that their opponents were finally defeated, Sex Bob-Omb crashed to the floor. Kim slumped over on her drum set, letting a tired smile spread across her face. Stephen fell onto his back, breathing heavily. Naruto decided to set his bass on a nearby wall and sit on the ground.
"SEX BOB-OMB!"
"SEX BOB-OMB!"
"SEX BOB-OMB!"
"Guys, do you hear that?" Kim said with a chuckle, getting sweat on her drums. "We finally have fans now."
"It's…about…time…" Stephen responded through tired breaths. He was still gasping for air and recovering from such a hard-fought battle.
Naruto just shook his head in amusement on the side. He laid his head back and took a few deep breaths. He hadn't played that hard for so long in a while.
They were tired, but it was so worth it.
Naruto walked off stage with a tired smile on his face. Kim and Stephen walked alongside him, joking and laughing. They were exhausted, but a sense of relief washed over all of them. As they were nearing the bottom of the staircase, they were approached by Young Neil and Knives.
"Holy shit man, you guys rocked! I mean, you really rocked out!" Young Neil said in an amazed voice, seeing stars in his eyes. In his eyes, the band he admired just proved why they're one of the best ever.
"He's right, you guys were amazing out there!" Knives added with a nod of approval. While she could admit Sex Bob-Omb was more of an Indie band, there was no way they could be ignored now after that performance. She had seen many people record the battle, so she assumed they would be making headlines soon.
"Thanks," Kim chuckled while looking up. "…it seems we did a little too good. We blew the damn roof off this place."
"Yeah, I'm tired…but I'm glad it's over…" Stephen blew out some air from his lungs. His nerves were fried and he was just glad to be off the stage at this point. Looking over at the duo, Stephen gave a half smile, "Do you think we could leave the cleanup to both of you? I know we usually help out, but I think we're all past our limit…"
"Of course! It's an honor!" Young Neil said instantly without hesitation. Knives nodded from the side, understanding that the band had just been through their toughest fight yet. They didn't mind helping out as much as they could.
With a quick wave from Knives, Naruto watched as the duo walked up the staircase to collect their musical equipment. With a small chuckle released from his lips, the bass player looked over to his friends.
"Well, I'm gonna go find my girlfriend in the crowd. I'll see you both later!" Clasping a hand on both of their shoulders, Naruto let a wide grin spread across his face. "…and thanks for kicking ass out there! WE did it."
He made sure to emphasize the 'we' in his statement. He wanted to let them know just how important they were up there on stage. It was just another moment that they felt like a close-knit band.
"Yeah, yeah," Kim waved him off with a blush and smile, "Just go find Ramona before we end up getting horded by fans."
"Wait really?" Stephen perked up at this moment, "You think we'll get people asking for our autographs? For mine?" He looked around frantically, seeing no one rushing toward them yet.
Kim just shook her head while Naruto laughed. Bidding them farewell for now, the blonde decided to part ways in the crowd to find his partner.
Walking away, Naruto excused himself while passing multiple people. The moonlight from above shined brightly, which allowed him to easily see everything inside the building. Looking far into the crowd, he saw Ramona's new hair color sticking out.
With a smile, the blonde made his way over to his girlfriend. Passing a few more people, he eventually reached his partner. Wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her up, he spoke into her ear.
"Guess who?" The blonde smiled, tightening his grip on Ramona. Before the woman could respond, a person on the side decided to perk up instead.
"Blondie!"
Momentarily dazed at the voice and nickname, Naruto gently set Ramona down and glanced over. Suddenly, he was tackled into a large hug while a girl squeezed tightly around his waist. Blinking out of his daze, Naruto was shocked at who he was seeing.
"Lisa?!"
Looking up from the girl, Naruto saw his girlfriend finally turn around. However, instead of holding an expression of anger or annoyance, she was smiling with a raised eyebrow.
Ramona looked on with amusement in her voice, "So you had a best friend I never knew about?"
"I-I…s-she…" Naruto tried to think of the words to say while Lisa was still attached to him. He looked down to see the girl gently release him and stand tall with a smile on her face.
The blonde sighed, knowing this was a long story. At that moment, he almost wished to be battling the Katayanagi Twins again. Anything was better than the monologue he was about to give.
30 Minutes Later
"So, that's how pretty much Lisa and I ended up as friends," Naruto ended his explanation while squeezing his girlfriend's hand. The trio had decided to step outside to avoid the noise of the crowd and some new fans who came up for Naruto's autograph.
Ramona was leaning against a brick wall while Naruto stood beside her. Lisa was silent throughout the explanation, occasionally pitching in here and there. She stood on the sidewalk as the moonlight lit up the area.
"Well, that certainly explains how she knew you…" Ramona chuckled, not really angry. She knew her boyfriend didn't keep Lisa a secret to hurt her, but simply because it had slipped his mind. Also, he knew she was in the States so seeing her out of nowhere didn't occur to him.
"Speaking of, why are you here Lisa? I thought you were still pursuing your acting career in the U.S.?" Naruto asked while rubbing circles around Ramona's hand.
"Well I just landed a big gig but I don't start shooting until a month from now. I had some things to take care of in Toronto and it just so happened to line up with your next big event, so I wanted to drop by! Sorry for not announcing it, I wanted it to be a surprise…" Lisa rubbed the back of her head with a nervous smile. She didn't want to ruin her best friend's relationship.
Ramona looked on and didn't feel angry in the slightest. She could tell Lisa didn't mean any harm and was truly looking to support her friend. The 'old' version of Ramona might've lashed out in jealousy or hurt, but being with Naruto had started to slowly change her. She didn't rush to conclusions and allowed her boyfriend to explain.
She was serious about improving herself while being with the blonde.
"I apologize! Like I said, I didn't want to cause any problems!" Lisa said again with a half-smile.
This time, it was Ramona who spoke up. Standing up off the wall, she looked on with a small smile. "Don't freak out, all's forgiven. No harm, no foul." She then squeezed her boyfriend's hand, finding his smile of appreciation to be cute.
It felt nice when your best friend and girlfriend got along well.
"Looks like I was worried about nothing…" Naruto thought as he saw Ramona and Lisa converse. At first, he was worried Ramona might lash out against him or Lisa and ruin any first impressions. However, it seemed he was worried over nothing.
As the two girls talked, they began to bond over a very familiar subject. Embarrassing their favorite blonde.
Hearing the two girls giggle, Naruto broke out of his stupor to catch the tail end of their conversation.
"…I know right! His cheeks puff out sometimes when he's playing! It makes him look like a chipmunk!"
"Chipmunk? I don't look like a chipmunk while I'm playing! I don't even puff out my cheeks…!" Naruto fired back with a red blush of embarrassment on his face.
"Look, he's doing it right now!" Lisa pointed out with laughter soon following her statement. Ramona glanced over and also broke out into a fit of giggles.
"Man…whatever…" Naruto crossed his arms while mumbling under his breath. However, in reality, he was happy the two girls were getting along after the air was cleared.
"Oh, before I forget!" Lisa perked up while reaching into her pocket. Pulling out her cell phone, she began to scroll through a few things. Once she found what she was looking for, she showed the screen to the lovers. "I found a few new bars downtown! I know Blondie here isn't much of a drinker, but I was thinking we could go bar hopping! I thought it would be something fun to do while I'm here!"
"You know…I wouldn't mind going for a few drinks…" Ramona thought with an honest shrug. She didn't mind partaking in alcohol from time to time and it had been a while since she last drank casually. She would've probably been more hesitant if she didn't get along so well with Lisa.
"Ehh, I guess I don't mind then," Naruto confessed with a chuckle. While he didn't drink too often, he could make an exception for Lisa. She didn't live in Canada anymore and it would be nice to spend time with her before she left.
"But let's make Naruto pay for all the drinks," Lisa wiggled her eyebrows in amusement while signaling towards Ramona. "I know his royalty checks are still coming in, so he's got the moolah for it!"
Ramona laughed, finding Lisa's personality to be contagious. She was just a ball of fire and was always ready to do something. While their personalities clashed on the surface, she was beginning to see the girl as a friend. It was as they said, opposites attract. Maybe it was the same reason she was drawn towards Naruto.
Just before the group could finalize their plans, they heard a set of footsteps walking towards them. Glancing over at the entrance to the venue, they saw multiple people walk out at once.
Young Neil, Knives, Stephen, Kim, and another man walked towards the group. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the unknown man, feeling uneasy all of a sudden. Feeling his hand clenched, Naruto saw his girlfriend squeezing his hand. Showing his support, he also squeezed back gently.
"Ahh, just the man I was looking for! The final member of the Sex Bomb band!" The man walked forward, dressed in a black blazer and dark undershirt. His pants were black and his shoes were dark brown. He wore thick-rimmed glasses and dark hair that covered a portion of his face. "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Gideon Graves! Also known as G-man!"
Gideon then glanced over at the rest of the band members, "I was inside when I watched your live show! I gathered all the bandmates but noticed you were missing, so we decided to-"
"It's Sex Bob-Omb."
"-find..what?" Gideon blinked, not expecting to get cut off. It was so sudden that it threw him off his train of thought.
"The name of our band, it's Sex Bob-Omb. You said Sex Bomb." Naruto clarified with an even tone of voice. While he personally hated the name of the band, he wasn't going to let anyone disrespect it.
Coughing into his fist, Gideon nodded, "Right, Sex Bob-Omb, sorry about that. Anyway, I'm sure you know that I run a massive music company?"
"I've heard about you, yes." Naruto agreed while looking over at his friends behind Gideon. For some reason, Kim and Stephen were strangely silent while Knives and Young Neil seemed to be lost in thought.
Lisa squirmed uncomfortably behind her friend, finding this conversation to be tense. She didn't know what was going on, but she didn't like it. Walking up beside Naruto, she stood with her best friend in support.
"Careful babe…" Ramona whispered into his ear at this exact moment, "…he's my most recent ex. The final one."
Naruto then stood on alert, finding this encounter to be strangely suspicious. He tensed up, ready for anything thrown at him. However, he wasn't ready for what came next.
"Well, I was so impressed with your win over the Twins back there, that I wanted to offer Sex Bob-Omb a record deal! I know I couldn't decide without everyone's approval, so we came to find you and see what you thought!" Gideon said in an overly cheerful tone. The moonlight reflecting off his glasses almost gave a sinister look to his smile.
Naruto felt his heart thump loudly in his chest, processing the words he just heard. Looking over at his bandmates momentarily, he could see they were avoiding his gaze. Glancing back over at Gideon, he asked, "Did Kim and Stephen agree to it?"
"Of course they did!" Gideon said as if it were the simplest thing in the world, "We just need you on board and Sex Bomb can go to the next level! Imagine real music connections, high-end equipment, and all the fans in the world!"
Naruto noticed he said their band name wrong once again.
Reaching into his coat pocket, Gideon retrieved a packet and pen. Upon closer inspection, Naruto could tell the stapled documents were a record deal contract. Stamped at the top were the bolded words: "RECORD DEAL CONTRACT: SEX BOMB."
Pushing the packet and pen forward, Gideon smiled, "All you need to do is sign and everything I promised will be yours!"
"No."
"Glad you could-…did you just say no?" Gideon paused, retracting his hands. Nobody had ever said no to him before, especially when he was using his powers. It made him wonder if Naruto was unaffected by his abilities or if he just didn't want to sign to a label.
"I said no, I don't want to sign any record deal," Naruto shook his head with a firm stare. The bass player knew that Gideon was bad news just from being around him. He would rather be underground than enter the mainstream with Gideon's backing.
"Naruto, think about this man!" Stephen stepped forward, slightly pushing Gideon out of the way. "I usually let things like this slide with you, but c'mon man! We're so close to achieving what we've wanted for so long!"
Stepping forward to meet his friend, Naruto shot back with his words, "No man, this is what you've always wanted."
"Don't start this crap again…" Stephen growled out, causing many in attendance to raise their eyebrows. They knew that Stephen rarely cursed in anger, especially to one of his closest friends. Kim, Knives, and Young Neil watched with surprised expressions at the tension beginning.
"I didn't mean for this to happen…but I can still work this into my plan…." Gideon thought off to the side, smiling at the tension rising. He didn't expect for this to happen, but he could still get value out of this confrontation. He let his arms fall to the side while he watched the argument play out.
He quietly let The Glow play out, with none the wiser. Oh, how he loved his powers.
"Listen, man, this is something WE want!" Stephen poked Naruto's chest, causing the blond to frown. He was beginning to lose his temper if Stephen kept on pushing his buttons. "Now I'm saying this because we're friends, but for once, put aside what YOU want!"
"What I want?" Naruto scoffed, releasing Ramona's hand, "What do you mean by that, huh? You're acting as if I'm being self-absorbed!"
"You are! If you cared about the band, you'd see the value in this!" Stephen shot back with a firm stance. Normally, he would not be confrontational at all. He was a very passive man after all. But they were too close to achieving their end goal and it was time to see reason in this situation.
"You don't want to go there…" Naruto warned with a low growl from his voice.
Stephen narrowed his eyes, "Or what?"
"Fine, I'll tell you how it is then," Naruto straightened himself, looking into Stephen's eyes. They were nearly chest-to-chest at this point. "All the instruments we play with, ALL of them, were purchased by me! Kim's drums, your guitar and microphone, everything! I knew we didn't have all the money in the world, so I pitched in! I didn't even ask for anything in return! SO DON'T ACT LIKE I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS BAND!"
Stephen clenched his fist in response, "Don't hold that against US-"
"No, it's time for YOU to listen." Naruto interrupted his friend with a snarl. "I've compromised so much for this! The stupid fucking name we have, I went with it because you chose it! I poured money, time, and effort into this band. For crying out loud Stephen, I had to snap you out of your paranoia before so many gigs! You were ready to call it quits at times, but I wanted to help you stay on track!"
"Hey guys, maybe we should just calm down and…" Young Neil tried to step up and cool things down but Stephen brought an arm up, indicating to back down. He wasn't done saying his piece.
"It's true I get spooked before big events, but don't act like a record deal is something new! We've been talking about this for a while now!"
"Yes, 'cause a record deal went so well before! Remember our old band back in college? Kid Chameleon? It was a record deal that broke everything apart with that one!" Taking a deep breath, Naruto tried his best to show restraint. "…if you want to sign a record deal, fine. But don't take it with this Gideon guy, I can just tell he's bad news. I mean for fuck's sake, he got the name of the band wrong on the actual contract! Does that sound like someone who cares about your success?"
Stephen shook his head with narrowed eyes, "Don't place your ex's trauma on this record deal! What happened with Envy won't happen here! Gideon is giving us what we want right now! This one is different, some name mistake on paper won't change that! I'm sorry you can't see that!"
"Hey! That was uncalled for!" Lisa of all people said, finding that to be too far. It wasn't fair to bring Naruto's trauma from Envy's record deal into this argument.
Naruto found this to be the last straw. His patience had been waning thin the entire time, but it was over with at this point. He decided to speak what was on his mind. "So what I did out there, playing alongside you and Kim, meant nothing? You were both ready to sign up without at least talking to me about it?"
"We ARE talking to you about it! That's why we're here!" Stephen nearly shouted, his face turning red. He threw his hands in the air, clearly frustrated.
"No, you're here for approval…not agreement," Naruto said while grinding his teeth in anger. "You and Kim are already on board, you didn't want to talk to me before taking the damn deal!"
"Listen, man, isn't this what you also want? You went to college for music and business, this combines the two! Just fucking take the deal!" Stephen puffed out, tired of the argument already.
"I did go to college for that," Naruto admitted while eyeing the man in front of him, "…but you also know that I wanted this to be something we could have fun with! I warned you that if we ever signed a record deal, I couldn't promise to stick around much longer."
"So then make your choice…cause we've made ours…" Stephen said in a low whisper. Looking over, he gestured for the documents from Gideon. The man handed them over along with a pen. Looking at the packet, Stephen signed his name where there were multiple blank lines. It was clear each line represented space for one of the band members.
Handing the documents over to Kim, the drummer felt all eyes on her. With some hesitation, she finally grabbed the packet from Stephen's hands. Taking the pen into her hand, she looked on with thought.
Glancing up at the blonde's expression, Kim couldn't help but feel sad. She was good friends with Naruto and Stephen, but she could tell this argument was something that would cause a rift. Naruto looked at her with a neutral expression but she could feel his disappointment.
Biting her lip, Kim finally decided to sign her name right under Stephen's. She held back the tears that almost broke from her eyes, finding the decision to be incredibly hard. The pen felt like it was made out of stone as she slowly wrote her name.
Handing the documents back to Gideon, the G-man himself smiled in satisfaction. He turned with a small smile on his face, "Last chance to sign up? You sure you're good?" He presented the documents and pen with a mocking grin.
Instead of answering, Naruto looked over at the girl he saw as a sister. "Knives, can you please grab my bass and pack it up for me? If you could drop it off by my apartment I'd appreciate it, the front door's unlocked."
"Yeah, that's fine," Knives said in a whisper, still reeling in from what was happening. In her eyes, it seemed like the band was practically splitting up. She couldn't tell how they could go from having fun and looking amazing on stage to getting into a fight shortly after.
Looking back at his former bandmates, Naruto shook his head. "I hope you both have fun working for Gideon, cause I quit. Keep all the musical instruments, I just want my bass."
"Well that's a shame…" Gideon shook his head while clicking his tongue, "I hope you don't hate me for taking your band away, it's not personal." Gideon then chose this moment to walk down the sidewalk, planning to process the documents.
Just before he turned the corner, the G-man let a smile spread across his face. "Also, sorry for forming the Seven Evil Ex's League, that one is personal. I hope they didn't cause you much trouble in your relationship with Ramon!"
Giving a final wave over his shoulder, the G-man walked away while laughing to himself. Naruto watched him leave with narrowed eyes and a want to beat him up.
The group then heard the front door slam open and out walked Wallace. The man looked around before his eyes settled on the blonde. Walking over, Wallace held out a half-empty beer in his left hand. "Naruto, we gotta find somewhere else to drink. This place is serving piss beer with no kick!"
Looking around at the awkward silence, Wallace blinked a few times, "Did I walk in on something?"
Ramona took this moment to grab her boyfriend's hand. Tonight had just turned the shit scale up to 1000.
"Ahh man…I'm starting to feel the buzz…" Naruto groaned on the bar's counter. He, Lisa, Ramona, and Wallace had decided to do some downtown bar hopping. At the moment, he was starting to feel the beers adding up.
"Pace yourself babe…" Ramona warned out while gently rubbing his back. However, she knew the real reason he was drinking heavily tonight was because he was still coming to terms with what happened earlier. She was only on her second margarita of the night.
Lisa and Wallace were both on the other side of the blonde. The blonde's roommate was drinking a hard whiskey while Lisa decided to have a coke and rum. The two had met and bonded in the short time they had known each other. It seemed Lisa was perfect at making new friends quite easily.
"I know…I'm sorry…" Naruto mumbled into the counter, feeling like complete shit. Not only did he argue with one of his friends, but he also just quit the band he'd been playing in for a while.
"Don't be sorry dummy, you're allowed to feel like this…" Ramona chuckled, knowing that nobody could smile all the time, "…but I just don't want you to go overboard with alcohol. Just take it slowly."
"She's got a point," Wallace pointed out from the other end, raising a beer in the air. "Take it slow man, we don't want to get kicked out of this nice bar because you puked your guts out."
"Gee, thanks Wallace…I'm glad you care more about getting kicked out than me throwing up…" Naruto dryly responded.
Wallace shrugged, putting the beer to his lips.
"It's okay Blondie," Lisa added her own two cents while slowly sipping her drink. "I know tonight didn't end up how you wanted, but at least you still have us!"
"You know what, you're right!" Naruto slowly perked up with a drunken smile. "Those bastards back there might have thrown away what we have, but at least I still have you all."
"Don't get soft on us now, you know sentimental stuff makes me sick," Wallace added while waving the bartender over. After ordering another beer, the man looked back at his drunk roommate.
"Enough about me," Naruto said while placing both hands on the bar's counter. "How's your acting career going so far Lisa? I think you said you landed a big gig earlier?"
The blonde then leaned back in his chair, holding Ramona's hand. The others decided to hear Lisa's response, ready to learn more about the girl.
Setting down her drink, the girl smiled brightly. "Yes! I had an audition for this movie I've been wanting to break into! I thankfully got the part not too long ago! My role is being the main character's sister, so I'll have plenty of screen time! I'm hoping this can bring me into the mainstream!"
"Just be careful in case you get there. I've heard there's a lot of creeps and weirdos in the movie industry out there," Wallace warned in a serious tone. The man was many things, but he did truly care about the safety of his friends.
"Oh trust me, I've heard the rumors," Lisa nodded with a serious expression on her face. "I've faced a few weirdos already, but thankfully my talent agent is good at preventing situations like that."
"You don't need me to kick anyone's ass, right?! No one's touched you inappropriately or something?" Naruto asked, hearing this information. In the background, Ramona shook her head with an amused chuckle leaving her lips. Leave it to her boyfriend to act this way while drunk.
Lisa giggled behind her hand, waving off the blonde's concerns. "No I'm fine Blondie, but thank you for worrying. I'm in good hands where I'm at."
Before the conversation between the group could continue, they heard an announcement from a nearby bartender.
"Excuse me patrons, but we will be closing in 10 minutes! I repeat, 10 minutes! Close all tabs and please exit immediately! Thank you!"
"I guess that calls our night…" Naruto grumbled, slightly bummed out. He was at least wanting to down a few more beers before they called it quits.
"Damn, we've been here for that long already?" Wallace said to himself, looking at this watch. They had arrived at this bar around 10 PM and it was almost 2 AM. The four hours had gone by rather quickly in his opinion.
"Don't worry Blondie, I'll be in town for a few more days so we can still hang out before I fly out," Lisa pointed out with a smile. She quickly sipped the remaining contents of her drink, feeling a slow buzz begin to crawl up on her.
Getting up from their stools and paying their tabs, the group began to slowly escort themselves out into the cold Canadian night. The fresh air and wind hit the blonde's face, causing him to breathe in with a smile. It helped his senses and dulled the heat in his face.
"So what's the rooming situation looking like?" Wallace asked while zipping up his coat. "Cause I don't think our apartment could fit another person."
Lisa suddenly felt her eyes go wide, "Oh no! I forgot to book a hotel while staying here! I was too eager to see Blondie perform it slipped my mind!" She dreaded having to find a hotel at 2 in the morning.
"Don't worry about it, I have some couches you can crash on if you'd like," Ramona offered while adjusting her hand gloves.
"If you don't mind, I'd really appreciate it! I'm so sorry for being a bother!" Lisa exclaimed with a grateful smile. She was really happy Ramona was willing to do this for her.
"Wow babe, you're being so nice right now…it's kind of a turn on…" Naruto drunkenly whispered into his girlfriend's ear. His hot breath felt nice on Ramona's ear, causing a small blush to spread across her face.
"So this gets you hot and bothered? Having manners?" Ramona nearly giggled back to her boyfriend, finding it amusing how he was acting. She couldn't fault him for his urges given she got hot and bothered while seeing him fight. Everyone had their preferences.
"Alright love birds, I'd rather you both not fuck in the street," Wallace pointed out while yawning, feeling the night catch up to him. "Let's get a move on while the girls head to Ramona's." He looked at his roommate who nodded.
Giving Ramona a quick kiss on the cheek, the blonde gave both girls a farewell before joining Wallace down the street. He would be excited to see them tomorrow when the buzz wore off and he was sober.
"Take good care of him, Wallace!" Ramona shouted out with a smile. The man simply raised a thumbs up in the air as they walked down the street towards their apartment. She could occasionally see Naruto stumble, who would then be caught by Wallace.
It was nice to see both men tolerate each other in their own way.
"Anyway, let's head back to my place. I'll show you the way," Ramona pointed out while walking down the street in the opposite direction. Her place was a bit further than Naruto's, but it wasn't too long of a walk.
"Thank you again for doing this, it means a lot to me," Lisa said while walking beside Ramona. She tucked some blonde hair behind her ear and let the moon illuminate their path.
"Of course," Ramona nodded as they walked in comfortable silence. "If I'm being honest, I also did it partly for Naruto."
"Really? How so?" Lisa tilted her head to the side, curious as to what the girl meant. She didn't quite see the connection.
"He's already had a rough night as it is. He won a battle of the bands just to get into an argument with one of his close friends, quit the band he's been playing in for a while and got drunk to numb it. I didn't want him to have to worry about anything else if I could help it."
Lisa's eyes widened, understanding what Ramona was saying. The blonde had already gone through a lot tonight and it was clear he tried his best to bottle it all up. Even in high school, the bass player didn't like mentioning to others when he had problems. However, Ramona had picked up on his body language and known him long enough to know he was under a lot of stress.
Given that she couldn't find a hotel for the night, Ramona knew he would stress about her safety. Even if drunk, he would dedicate the time to finding her a place to stay. Even if it was 2 AM on a cold night. Lisa realized that if Ramona could have him worry about one less thing, she would.
The snow softly crunched under their footsteps as they slowly made their way to Ramona's apartment. Lisa was beginning to see Ramona in a new light, a more positive light. It was clear that the girl held strong feelings for her friend if not love. It was nice to see if she was being honest.
"Thank you Ramona…" Lisa said with her eyes looking up at the night sky. "…thank you for being there for Blondie. I know he sometimes doesn't talk about his problems, but you clearly care for him. I think he picked right with you."
Ramona smiled as they walked slowly, "I don't think he picked right with me, I think I picked right with him." She was just lucky that Naruto had given her a second chance when he did. She wouldn't deny she made her fair share of mistakes early into their relationship, but it was the blonde's kindness that allowed her to truly make up for it.
Eventually, the duo would make it to Ramona's apartment without issue. They spent the night chatting, getting to know one another, and bonding over memories they shared with Naruto. By the end of the night, Ramona's apartment was filled with laughter and giggles.
It felt nice to have another friend in her life.
The Next Day
Naruto groaned, feeling the rays of sunlight hitting his face. Squinting his eyes, he slowly got up and stretched out. He looked down to see that he was still dressed in the clothes he wore yesterday and needed a shower.
Thankfully, he wasn't feeling a headache or hangover from last night. Reaching down for his phone, the blonde was surprised to see that it was still alive. He didn't leave it charging overnight but it still had about 20 percent left of battery life.
Opening it up, he saw a few text messages from Lisa and Ramona. Scrolling up, Naruto saw that the two girls had decided to spend the day shopping. His girlfriend told him to let her know once he was awake so he could join them.
Opening up Lisa's messages, the blonde smiled to see both girls buying their respective outfits. Lisa had sent him photos of her outfit and Ramona's outfit. Lisa had purchased a yellow sundress and headband, while Ramona purchased a black skirt, dark shirt, and a choker. He chuckled at their clashing dress styles.
He sent out a text message to his girlfriend, notifying her he was finally awake. Putting his phone down for now, the blonde decided to freshen himself up. Looking over by the front door, the blonde could see his bass guitar in its casing. It seemed Knives had dropped it off last night after all.
Shaking his head from those thoughts, Naruto decided to put a pause on it for now. He walked into the bathroom, turning on a hot shower for himself. The steam from the water quickly formed condensation on their bathroom mirror.
After scrubbing all the dirt and sweat from yesterday off his body, Naruto turned off the pouring water. He wrapped a towel around his waist and looked into the mirror, seeing it all fogged up from the heat of the water.
The blonde wiped one hand on the mirror, revealing his image in the reflection. He stared at himself, getting lost in thought.
The actions of leaving Sex Bob-Omb were beginning to weigh heavily on him. It felt weird to suddenly break his routine of practicing with the band nearly every day. He didn't know if he was even still on good terms with Kim or Young Neil at this point.
It felt like the band had split up and people were forced to take sides. Despite this, Naruto held no resentment for Kim in her decision to sign onto the record deal. If she wanted to take this direction in her career, he wouldn't hold it against her. He just hated how it all turned out in the end.
Maybe he could have used other words. Maybe they could have talked it out differently the night before. However, all these 'what ifs' would only weigh down his mind. All he could do from this point forward was live his life and move on.
"Maybe I just need to find my own music…my own band…" Naruto pondered while eyeing himself in the bathroom mirror. While this seemed like a simple thought at first, the blonde starting put more effort into it. He felt like this was a turning point in his life, something he needed to do.
He didn't want to share a crappy apartment anymore. While he enjoyed Wallace's company, it was time for him to move out on his own. He needed his own space, his own life…his own music. His previous conflicts with bands such as Kid Chameleon and Sex Bob-Omb occurred with other members. Maybe it was time to try his hand at producing everything himself.
Thankfully, the blonde had enough money saved up to move out and rent another apartment. He and Wallace were on a month-to-month lease, so he didn't have to worry about breaking the lease. It would also allow Wallace his own space, which he knew his sassy friend would appreciate.
Perhaps he had gotten too content with what he was used to. The more these thoughts raged in his head, the more he was beginning to think it was time for a change. Glancing over at his bass by the front door, the blonde remembered why he was still doing music.
He wouldn't lie, making money from his music would be nice. It was these thoughts that brought him back to what Stephen said. The more he calmed down from the argument, he could see Stephen's point of view. Taking a record deal made sense, however, the blonde just couldn't take it from Gideon. Deep in his gut, Naruto just felt uneasy around that guy and didn't trust him at all.
However, Naruto truly did just want to make music right now for fun. Making a career out of it would be incredible, but he wanted to express his passion for it. The dedication to the craft meant so much more than dollar signs at the moment.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto made his decision. It was a rather drastic one, but he could feel that deep down, he wanted this. He wanted a change in his life, he wanted to make a positive shift.
Dressing himself into dark pants, sneakers, and a tan sweater, Naruto picked up his phone. After shooting a few more texts to his girlfriend who was enjoying her shopping trip, he decided to call his dad.
After a few rings, Minato Namikaze picked up the phone on the other end. It was the weekend so he wasn't working at the moment.
"Hey Dad," Naruto began, tracing his fingers on his bass guitar's case. He felt the cool steel edges of the case as his thumb ran over it.
"Hey son, what's up!?" Minato asked loudly over the phone, a snowblower being heard in the background. It was clear the man was moving snow out of the driveway or yard of his house.
"I think I want to move out of where I'm at. Do you still have Teuchi's number?"
It was the beginning of a change.
One Week Later – With Naruto
The blonde heaved the last box into his new apartment, setting it down on his kitchen counter. It had been a hectic last few days, but he was finally moved into his new apartment. Wallace had been surprised at first but understood the blonde's decision. They were both grown men with respective lives after all.
Ramona and Lisa had been surprised too, but they eventually came around to his decision. They had both helped the blonde move into his apartment, taking various boxes as well. They had left earlier in the day to grab some food and bring it back into the blonde's new apartment, hoping to make it a great move-in day.
The blonde had even told his parents about Ramona, causing them to want to meet his girlfriend. They had plans to go out to dinner later in the week and formally introduce her to them. He was very excited for this next step in their relationship if he was being honest.
However, he was also glad that both girls were bonding so well. Especially since Lisa's flight was scheduled to leave in a few days, so her time to leave was slowly approaching.
Looking around, Naruto couldn't help but appreciate the size of his new apartment. It was on the first floor so he didn't have to go up any stairs. Furthermore, it was a two-bedroom apartment which allowed him to dedicate the extra room to a recording studio. He was serious about making his own music from this point forward.
All the paperwork, deposit, and everything else was handled very quickly so he could move in as soon as possible. It just so happened that this apartment complex was owned by one of his father's friends, named Teuchi.
Teuchi owned a local ramen stand with his daughter, Ayame. The Uzumaki-Namikaze family often visited the establishment while the blonde was growing up. It allowed Kushina to feel a touch of home while Minato enjoyed the cuisine himself.
While Naruto did prefer his mother's home-style cooking in the end, Teuchi's stand was a close second. Eventually, Naruto heard from his father that Teuchi inherited an apartment complex from a close friend of his. Apparently, the friend had passed away from natural causes and left all his assets to Teuchi in his will.
The man didn't have a wife or kids when he passed, only a best friend in the ramen stand owner. When Teuchi took over the apartment complex, he began renovating and expanding the brand. Nowadays, he stays as the landlord while his daughter runs the ramen stand.
Thankfully, Minato had Teuchi's number saved so he could negotiate a special exception for Naruto to move in rapidly. It also helped that the bass player paid the deposit, and first month's rent, and provided everything else right away.
After receiving everything needed to move in, Teuchi had given Naruto his two-bedroom apartment keys. As a show of good faith for being a family friend, the old man didn't charge Naruto too much in monthly rent.
Yawning, Naruto couldn't help but shake his head with a wide grin. It had been a sudden decision on his end to move out, but he didn't regret it. This would give him the opportunity to take charge of what he wanted for once.
While Naruto began unpacking boxes and moving things around, his mind shifted back to a few days ago. Shortly after Naruto had begun negotiating his move-in date with Teuchi, he received a surprising email.
He had received an email from Lucas Lee's manager. After uploading the fight between him and the movie star online, it received thousands of views. However, once Naruto's clash against the Katayanagi Twins was uploaded online, it went viral.
Once people made the connection that the person who beat up Lucas Lee was the same person in the viral video that blew the roof off a building, Naruto became something of a minor celebrity. Lucas Lee's manager had emailed him asking if he could freely distribute and monetize off of Naruto's fight video.
In return, he promised to sign a check with some serious dollar signs behind it. After shrugging, Naruto emailed back that it was fine with him. He didn't have any knowledge of staying viral online. In case the hype around him died in the next few months, at least he could make some money from it now.
While he was sure Lucas Lee's manager was probably making more money off the deal, he was just happy to receive the funds. In case he did ever want to take his appearance online seriously, at least this would give him the momentum needed to put his name out there.
After depositing the funds into his bank account, Naruto was feeling pretty good. He had enough money to move into his new apartment, pay for installing a mini music studio in his apartment, get more musical equipment, and buy necessities while still having a large sum of money left over.
He was in a very good place financially.
Of course, Naruto also planned to use some of this money and take Ramona out on another date. His girlfriend deserved it after being so amazing the past week. She was nothing but supportive and understanding lately. If he was being honest, she was his rock this past week while leaving Sex Bob-Omb.
Out of all the previous members, only Knives had visited him. The girl had come to his old apartment, apologizing for not seeing him earlier. He had waved off her concerns and was just glad she was okay after that awkward night.
Knives had explained that while Sex Bob-Omb was still running, it felt empty without the blonde there. She had stopped attending their band rehearsals, leaving only Young Neil as the roadie of the group. The Asian girl decided to focus on her studies and stay around her brother figure.
If she wasn't studying for an upcoming exam at the moment, she would probably be hanging out with them throughout the night.
Taking a seat on his couch with an 'oof,' Naruto leaned back and smiled. He was tired and sweaty from moving in all day, but it was worth it. Everything was in and it was only a matter of days before he could arrange all of his furniture.
Just as he was enjoying the peace and quiet, Naruto heard his phone ring. Looking at his phone, he realized it was a call from his girlfriend. Smiling, Naruto answered the call and put the phone to his ear.
"Hey babe, what's going on-"
"Hello, Mr. Uzumaki."
Naruto's blood ran cold as he heard the voice on the other end. It wasn't Ramona or Lisa.
It was that bastard, Gideon Graves.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm calling from Ramona's phone. All I'll say is that I've taken the time to…" Gideon waved his hand around the air, finding the right words to say, "…restrain your girlfriend and friend for the moment. A little extreme, but I needed your attention after all."
"…What do you want, Gideon?" Naruto said in a deadly serious tone, a million thoughts running through his mind.
"Me? I just want one thing!" Naruto could almost see Gideon's smile on the other end of the phone. "I'm hosting an event at the Chaos Theater tonight and I would just love it if you could come!"
Hearing no response, Gideon continued on. "Just come around 8 PM, when it starts, and we can talk then. In the meantime, Ramona and your friend will be safe! You have my word!"
The blonde narrowed his eyes, wanting nothing more but to smash in Gideon's face. "Why are you doing this, Gideon? What do you get out of it?"
There was a momentary pause and for a second, Naruto feared Gideon would just hang up. However, to his surprise, the man answered his question. It was a low whisper, but the blonde caught the words clear as day.
"…because if I can't have Ramona, no one CAN!"
The call suddenly dropped, causing Naruto to tightly grip the phone in his hand. Just when everything was looking up, right when they were all going to celebrate his move-in with some fun times, this jackass had to ruin everything.
He would show up at the Chaos Theater.
Not for Gideon, but for Ramona and Lisa.
Oh man, we are BACK! It's been a while since I've updated this story but I am so happy to do so! I know it's been literal months, but I have not given up at all!
I hope everyone likes the direction the story is going so far. I'm very excited for what's to come in future chapters. I plan to do my own thing while also staying true in the Scott Pilgrim universe.
Also, I hope you like the Katayanagi Twins battle. Instead of focusing on the twin dragons like in the movie or the robots in the comics, I combined both. I thought it was a nice nod to the original source material while also exploring new avenues with previous ideas.
Onto some reviews:
Lord Mau Shinji 500: Glad you enjoyed this version a lot! I try my best to make it appealing while also making the in-universe things work!
TrexPyrus: I didn't want to make Naruto a clown in this one or dumb, so I decided to go with decisions that would make sense given his backstory & character. I'm glad you appreciate it as well!
Jebest4781: Appreciate the support!
Saint14inches: Your review really made me smile in appreciation! I'm glad that this one is your favorite crossover between both universes, it means a lot! The depth I put into it is something that I try my best at! Hopefully, this update is something that you like as well!
Martin GuzGal: I'm glad you think I know how to handle these crossovers well! I usually do my research on any missing pieces of lore I have or go back and actually read up on it myself. Thank you for the kind words!
Guts2606: I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying this story and my other one as well! I'm hoping you enjoy the latest update as well!
To everyone who's commented and left behind such great feedback and support, thank you all! It does make my day reading these reviews and it's a big part of why I won't let this story die! I want to finish it and give the audience a fleshed-out story!
I have so many things I'm gonna do in the upcoming chapters! Stay tuned for it all!
Please review if you'd like, I encourage it!
Until next time!
~ Cheers!