Author's Note:
Hello everyone! I'm back with my first chapter of 2024! I thank you all once again for liking this story so far. I have a lot of plans for it and can't wait to get more chapters released.
Anyways as some of you may know now, this story's cover art has changed! I thought that since Juri is my favorite fighter right now, and her new costume was released, I'd thought I'd get a new cover page for it.
For those wondering, this doesn't mean that Juri is automatically pairing with Naruto. It's similar to Chun Li in the first cover. I am simply using the cover arts to let you guys and myself see which girl looks best with Naruto.
Anyways the artwork was done by:
hayate_13
Please check him out on Fiverr!
Anyways, like I stated in the last chapter, the beginnings of the tournament start in this chapter. Some behind the scenes plot points will also get to shine, and I will do some light world building.
Despite SF 6 having a set story, with how things rippled from the last chapter, I will be doing some slight changes to the story. If you don't like that, I apologize right now.
All that said, please enjoy this next chapter of "A Ninja Doesn't Street Fight"! ^_^
Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is associated with Naruto, or Street Fighter. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto and Capcom respectively. Other than my OC's, all rights and characters/special appearances belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 9: The Many Ripples of the Orange Maelstrom
Private Jet, 6am, February 11, 2009
With Bosch:
The sudden movement of the area around Bosch startled him awake. With his black eyes snapping open, and a startled gasp released from his mouth, he begins to sit up quickly and take in his surroundings. Wh-where am I? Then, like a wave, the memories came back from last night. The encounter with that…woman, his utter defeat and humiliation, and his rescue by…
Bosch widens his eyes and begins to look around again, he notices that he is inside a rather expensive looking plane. As he continues to take in his surroundings, one man appeared in his mind.
Naruto. Y-you came. And you saved me? That's right, despite coming in and out of consciousness, he witness the whole fight. That assassin, who previous demolished him, was not only struggling against Naruto, but was actually losing to him for most of the fight.
It was incredible.
The speed, the power, the different techniques, it was like nothing he'd ever seen before. Whatever Naruto was doing, it was too much for that assassin to handle. Bosch knew that Naruto was strong, but he had no idea that he was THIS strong! Just what was he?!
Naruto… Thinking back on what he can remember of the fight, and how easily he disposed of the mercenary, he began to question…everything he thought he knew about Naruto. That… Chi didn't feel right. It was more potent, had a much rawer feeling. It was thick, enough to change the entire atmosphere of the fight once he activate it.
Don't even get him started on those techniques! The cloning?! That blue ball of energy, and his healing! Its almost like he isn't human. I've never seen anything like him. Not on T.V, nor in my travels. Just what in the world is Naruto?
It was incredible.
*Sliding Door* "Oh, Bosch, you're up I see. Did you sleep well?" From the sliding door that contains the bathroom, Naruto is seen walking out, drying his hands with a paper towel. He is still in his Kurama outfit, but his mask is down. He made his way to a recliner opposite to Bosch's couch, sat down and reached towards the middle table between the two and grabbed some peanuts while his goofy smile was plastered on his face.
The attendant came into the room, looking at Bosch, and quickly rushed to his side. "Oh young man, you're up? Don't move too much, I'll be right back to change your bandages." The attendant went back into the same room left to grab some medical supplies.
Bosch took this as his cue to sit up more. With a few grunts, he sat normally on the sofa looking at Naruto. Soon, the attendant came back and began to change his bandages. After a couple of minutes, she finished and left to go get some breakfast for them both. Bosch all the while continued to look at Naruto. He was about to speak but paused…
What is he supposed to say? Everything that transpired the night before almost seemed like a dream, or nightmare. Bosch had so many questions to ask, but he doesn't know how to ask them.
*Clears Throat* "Do you have any questions for me, Bosch? Well, I'm an open book" Naruto pauses as the attendant came back with another young lady that were carrying their breakfast. Their meals were a standard omelet, coffee and tea, potato sides, and toast with melted butter.
After they left their food, they went back. Giving Bosch his voice back, "What, happened at the very end? You two collided fists, and then…" The end of the fight was the most recent thing he remembers, and it was a bizarre event.
Naruto poured tea into his cup and began preparing it, "Honestly, I'm not too sure either. It's a technique that I was able to perform in the past, but due to changes, I was surprised I can still do it, ya know?" That memory exchanging was normally a technique he can only do with Kurama's Chakra, since most of his Chakra is still dormant, it caught him off guard.
It wasn't done properly, since only Juri's memories were seen, but with the knowledge now, Naruto is sure he can perform it better.
Naruto never noticed it, but while its not the same as it was before, Naruto is able to sense negative emotions to a certain extent. It requires more concentration and more Chakra, but overall, it's the same ability. He'll be looking into it more in near future.
"Changes? What type of changes?" Bosch noticed the way he stressed the word "changes". What is he talking about.
Naruto finishes preparing his tea and takes a light sip from it. *Sighs* "Bosch, before I continue talking, and I will tell you the truth, I have to know one thing: Why were you in London?" Naruto wanted to put his new discovery to good use and see if Bosch was showing/harboring any signs of negative emotions.
Bosch finches at the question. In all the noise in his head and the chaos of the night before, he nearly forgot why he was there in the first place.
Alright Naruto. I trust you now, I just hope you can forgive me. I've been preparing for this. Just tell him the truth.
"I-I was there to terminate my connections with the resistance group." He states trying his best to project his true feelings to Naruto. "Ever since we talked in that restaurant, I've been thinking a lot of what you said. About whether or not my actions have consequences that may affect my loved ones, and it allowed me to a take a step back see what I have done." He starts to shake. Thinking about it is one thing, but saying it is a lot harder on him.
He continued, "I realized that, while the group has the right intentions, we are doing, terrible things to people that are either not involved in the problem or have any idea as to what is really happening. The group has used me to do… things that I'm not proud of. *Chuckles* I had thought what WE, no, what I was doing was going to be for the good of my people, but like you said before, if I was to continue, I would not only put myself in danger, but also my sister, Yua, in danger as well." He didn't notice when he started crying, but felt the tears fall from his eyes and onto his lap.
He leaned down, unable to look at anything other than his resting bandaged hands in his lap. Flashes of blood, drugs, stolen items, and anything related to his past deeds appeared and disappeared from his vision in his hands.
Then he heard rustling from in front of him before a shadow appeared over him.
He looks up.
Eyes red with sadness and with tears looked up into concerned, but warm blue eyes. Naruto had his hand stretched out and in it, was a paper towel. Bosch took it and began to wipe his tears.
Naruto, went back into his seat, keeping the same supportive and soft smile all the while. They stayed in silence for about 2-3 minutes, allowing Bosch to recompose himself.
"The stolen bag, it contained funds from Mad Gear and a company that the resistance group's higher-ranking members thinks is involved with the Nayshall take over. I was to obtain the money and turn it in to those members. It was the last thing I was supposed to do before I told them I'm leaving. But then that… lady came in and supposably defeated them and the rest, well, you know what happened." Truly, he doesn't know if those two were still alive. Based on how this lady arrived. She felt way more powerful than the two he was meeting with.
After finishing his tale, he looked at the plate of food, still warm, with desire. He decided to take a bite out of the omelet. He hadn't eaten in a long time, and it felt good to get something in his system. Meanwhile, Naruto was silent still.
Hmm, I didn't sense any negative emotions, other than sadness. Ok Bosch, you passed the test. With that, Naruto waited until Bosch finished his omelet before continuing. Bosch ate about half of the omelet before he realized that Naruto was looking at him.
"I see. Well Bosch, thank you for telling me all this. And I for one, want to thank you for listening to me." Bosch was a little shocked at Naruto. "I was afraid that my advise would've fallen on deaf ears, but I'll be the first to say it, you did the right thing." Bosch's eyes widen even more. He didn't know how Naruto would react. Apart of was scared of being rejected by him as well.
Naruto continued, "I'm glad that I didn't lose another friend to the darkness in their heart." While Sasuke did recover, it was looking very bad for a long time.
Bosch, looking at his plate, hands began to shake as tears welled in his eyes again. They didn't fall, but moister was building. "Thank you, Naruto. For still being my friend." Bosch was so relieved and grateful that he was not rejected or abandoned by his only friend left.
Naruto than gets Bosch's attention by getting up and standing in front of Bosch "Alright Bosch, you trusted me and opened your heart, so now I will do the same. Before I continue, I want you to promise me that what I show you, stays between us for now. No one else knows about this and I'd like to keep it that way. Can you do this for me?" Naruto gained a slightly serious look on his face, catching Bosch off guard.
With the raise of an eyebrow, Bosch nodded his head, causing Naruto's face to change back into a more relaxed expression, but still had some weight behind it. Naruto than moves his closed fist in front of Bosch, "Like how you brought up, the technique that I used on Juri, even if it was an accident, allows me to transfer memories and emotions directly into each other. I will see everything in your memories, you will see mine. All we need to do is bump fists and hold them there."
Shocked was seen on Bosch's face. The level of trust that Naruto has in him must be super high to use such a powerful ability. He looked at the fist, hesitating on moving his fist as well. "Ar-are you sure that this is safe, or even trust me?" Bosch asked Naruto.
Naruto gave Bosch his trademark grin, "Of course, trust me. Its easier for you to see my story, in order to understand it." With that Bosch slowly started to raise his fist, not really sure what to expect.
Honestly, with how little he knows about Naruto, Bosch isn't sure what to expect. When their fists collide. A
t first nothing happened.
Than, whooh boy, was Bosch not mentally prepared for what he witnessed on that plane.
King Street, Manchester, England,
7am, With Juri:
Despite it being morning, it appears that the rain from the previous night has yet to stop. Normally, this, combine with the winter chill, leads to those wonderful mornings where the bed is irresistible.
At a modest looking hotel, we see several workers getting ready for the day. The front desk has receptionists gathering paperwork, valet attendants getting into position, and many housekeepers running around the different hallways. One room in particular has a "Do Not Disturb" sign hanging from the doorknob.
The room itself is rather luxurious, after all it is one of the hotel's more expensive rooms. The wooden floors shined as a traditional red carpet rested near the door entrance. In the rather large room, one large king-size bed, with fancy red coversheets was seen in the middle of it, facing a large flat-screen TV that was mounted on the wall above a wooden desk/storage containing the room's bar.
*Inhale* *Exhale*, *Light snores*. In the bed, we see a certain mercenary, sleeping with a very peaceful smile on her face. She looked so calm and relaxed at the moment, the exact opposite of how she is when she is conscious. The covers of the bed enveloped all of her body, only leaving the top of her head exposed to the cold morning air.
*BEEP**BEEP**BEEP**BEEP**BE-* *SLAM!*, *Groans*
Juri, by instinct alone, hit the top of the clock, stopping it from going off again. She didn't even bother to uncover herself, mainly deciding to stay in the warm cocoon that is her blanket. It felt so nice under the sheets. Oh, how she wished for a couple more minutes of this bliss. It had been so long since she slept this well. No nightmares, no memories, no negative anything. It was calm, peaceful, dare she say it. She was happy.
She then opened her eyes staring at the ceiling when a sudden jolt of memories came back to her. The fight, the loss, and, and… and.
What did he do? Juri wasn't an idiot, for most of her adult life, she always struggled to sleep. The constant nightmares and rage wouldn't stop. Yet, like a cork getting unplugged, all of those things were released and vanished. She hadn't slept this good in AGES.
As she gets more of her bearings, she begins to sit up letting the covers fall over her shoulders. A shiver all over her body makes her look down and look at the state of her attire or lack thereof. She began to look around and sees that she is in a room that she does not recognize.
I swear to fucking God, if that bastard did something to me, I'll castrate him! Examining her body to see if any… activities were done to her without consent, she began to scan the room as well. Thankfully, nothing naughty was done. With a sigh of relief, she then place the sheets over her shoulders to cover her body as she slowly got up.
The room for the most part, was left untouched. Other than the bed she was sleeping on, everything else was spotless. When Juri was unable to find her clothes, she decided to look in the closet, but they weren't there. She shivered slightly as her bare feet slapped against the wooden floors, reminding her of the temperature/weather. She then pivoted from the closet and into the bathroom.
The bathroom itself was quite nice, a very spacious area with a large circular bathtub and sink. Taking a look at herself in the mirror, she can see that her hair was undone as well.
Resting on the toilet seat, she sees a bundle of clothes and a stack of papers with her bike keys next to it. Making her way to the clothes, she grabs the note(s) and began to read.
"Juri, don't worry about anything bad happening. I'm not that type of person. Your clothes were ripped to shreds during our fight. Which is why you can't find them; I threw them out. Under this note are some clothes that I had on me that you can wear. They are clean, so don't worry." She paused and looked down at the clothes.
It was a simple orange hoodie and grey sweatpants (Naruto's casual outfit when not on missions during the Last Movie). The only part(s) of her outfit that seems to be still intact were her spikey bracelets and her foot protectors. She scoffed at the awful color choice. Orange wasn't exactly matching her aesthetic. She then went back to reading the note.
"Listen, if you made it this far into the note, I wanted to let you know that I am sorry. Not for the beating, that you totally deserved. What I'm talking about was what happened during that last attack" Juri paused again, thinking back to that moment. When her fist contacted his, and then, all of those painful memories came roaring back.
Did, did he do that on purpose?! Is this guy implying that he saw those memories as well!?
"I completely forgot that I was able to do that. Ya know, look into other's memories, and feel their emotions. That was an invasion of privacy and I'm sorry for it." Well that at least confirmed part of her suspicion. She doesn't know if he is lying, but based on her interaction with him, Kurama seems to be the kind of person that struggles to lie. She doesn't know why, but she feels like she understands Kurama a lot more now.
"You've probably haven't had decent sleep in a long time, right? I performed a special technique related to massages and Chi manipulation. When I saw what I saw, and how miserable you've been, I… I couldn't let you live like that. That pain, can truly eat away a person's sanity, I should know, I almost went down that road a long time ago as well." Suddenly, she felt moister build in her eyes.
What the hell?! Stop crying Juri! What is happening?! Why? Why is my body not listening to me! She felt and saw a tear leave her eye as it fell on to the paper in her hands. All the while her grip on said note tighten as she continued to read.
"The pain you've suffered, the rage that was left to stew, the loneliness… It was almost unbearable. Sorry, I don't want to pity you, but I… I did help you. My technique doesn't have a name yet, but It's supposed to relieve all negative emotions from one's head. Providing them peace of mind. I wish I could remove your pain permanently, but for now I did my best to make the effects last as long as possible. You should feel more at peace for the next few days/weeks."
*Sniffs*Why… why did you do this you fucking idiot. I'm your enemy. Is this… some game to you. Are you playing with me fucker!? *Sniffs* How could someone this stupid and naïve exist. If she didn't see him with her own eyes, she would've thought this was a faker.
"I have a feeling that we will meet again. I don't know when, but I do hope that possibly, we can put our past aside and maybe start something new. Afterall, I did mercenary work for some time as well. Despite you going after my friend, I can't blame someone simply doing their job. But, if we do meet again, I'd like to fight you, but as a possible ally rather than an enemy. Take care Juri." -Kurama.
With that, Juri collapsed to her knees as more tears fell from her eyes. For once in her life, she felt peace. She can't recall a time since her childhood that she's felt anywhere near as calm or as, well, as happy as she does right now.
All of her walls. Walls that withstood several close calls. One's that been in place for years, crumbled as she releases more tears. At this point, she can't tell if her tears are from joy or from her years of pent-up pain.
But damn did it feel good to let it out!
Juri stayed like this for a bit more, before finally getting her bearings. After a quick bath, she put on the clothes that were given to her. They were clearly his since they are much bigger on her.
Plus, he forgot about underwear. Great, now she has to worry about riding her bike while going commando. She finished putting on her stuff, grabbed her keys, and left the room. As she made her way to the receptionist desk to ask for her bike. The damn blonde kept appearing in her mind. What bugged her more and more, is that she can't help by feel happy, Happy! Every time she pictures him.
Once she got her bike, off she went, to report a mission failure, but she didn't care, not at the moment, or will she for a while. All that was left in her head was that stupid, naïve, simple-minded blonde, who out of nowhere, managed to break down her walls around her heart.
You better keep your damn promise, Kurama. We'll meet again. Under what circumstances, she doesn't know. But she can't wait. With a smile, she raced off towards her client's hidden location to break the bad news. And to also hopefully, break some skulls.
Metro City, S.I.R.N. Building,
Same day, 8am, With Dr. Icarus Skowronek:
*Knock* Knock* "Dr. Skowronek, Mr. CEO will be arriving at the top floor in a minute." A science intern came in to see Dr. Skowronek, looking over some plans on his desk. He had on some thin circular glasses before looking up from his plans to acknowledge the intern.
"Thank you for the update. I'll be out there to greet him soon." With a nod, the intern walked out, happily accepting the thanks. Skowronek rolled up the blueprints for one of the many projects under him, put away his glasses in his coat pocket, and began to head out to the elevator doors.
As he made his way, he heard some whispers from many scientists and construction workers, "Did you hear, the CEO and boss of S.I.R.N. is coming today!" "Wait are you serious!? Aren't they like, you know, secretive with their identity, why now?" "I don't know, all I can say is that many are guessing that he is friends with Dr. Skowr-" That last part was cut off as Skowronek himself, turned the corner.
He hadn't put much thought in it himself, why was the CEO revealing himself now of all the possible times?
Eh, Skowronek is a scientist, not a psychologist, what the CEO does with his identity is not his business.
As he saw the doors appear in his vision, Skowronek slowed down and simply decided to have a seat at a nearby empty desk. No sooner than a minute later, the doors to the elevator started to make noise. Soon, they open to reveal the guest of the hour.
For starters the man was rather tall, standing at a respectful 6ft 3in. He had on a beige Trench coat and matching fedora. In his hands was an elegant and expensive looking cane. The man's face shows an elderly, but powerful man, with finely trimmed white facial hair to go with his still thick white full head of hair to match that is also braided.
Underneath the trench coat was a sophisticated and bold orange/red vest, over a white dress shirt with a white jabot and green gem placed under his chin. He had matching orange/red dress pants with expensive looking white dress shoes. On his hands are black leather gloves, as well as a medallion like accessory rested on his left pec.
This man's presence demanded respect and complete control. Many around the room stopped to both admire and gaze upon the man. This can be for a number of reasons, perhaps it due to his aura, or it could be his impressive physique, or the many elegant items on his person. Regardless, the moment this man walked into the room; it went silent. A slight chill ran down everyone's spines, as the man began to survey the room. His eyes eventually landed on Skowronek.
Skowronek, on his part, didn't react too much, simply he got up from his chair, and got closer to the man. With a humble smile, Skowronek began to welcome their CEO.
"Hello Mr. CEO, I do hope your travels went smoothly. I do apologize for the state of the room, renovations are still underway. Forgive us for the mess." He placed one hand behind his back and the other crossed over his body to rest over his heart and then bowed towards the man.
"Not to worry Doctor, I know the difficulties and challenges I've placed on you and your team, their nothing to apologize." With that, he picked up his cane and began to walk closer to Skowronek.
"Now then, shall we go to your office to start with out meeting then?" The CEO asked, giving Skowronek the cue to lift his head. "Of course. Please, follow me." With that both the CEO and Skowronek made their way to the doctor's private office.
Once both were in, Skowronek flipped one of the four switches near the door. It activated privacy mode, leading to his windows to darken, and for noise cancelation to affect the room from an outside. Meaning that no one will hear or see them during this meeting.
The CEO moves to sit behind Skowronek's desk, much to the doctor's annoyance but kept it hidden, and took off his hat, and rested his cane against the back wall. He leans back into the chair, almost like he was testing it out.
"Well Dr. Skowronek, I believe we have much to discuss." He stated while pulling out a smoking pipe and began to light it up.
"Of course, Mr. CEO." He responded, pulling one of the chairs from the side of the room to sit in front of the man.
*Chuckles* "Icarus, I'd like to believe we are well past the formalities. Afterall, you've been a great asset to me and the others for such a long time." He takes a puff from his pipe as he tries to bring a more calming atmosphere to the room.
"Of course, excuse me Johan. I'm just not used to switching between titles all that much." Johan Petrovic, the man that many call CEO, actually prefers to go by his initials, JP to those he respects. Of course, Skowronek is one of those he respects.
JP, after releasing some smoke, looks back at the doctor, "No worries, at the very least I can say you are good at keeping up appearances." He then pulls out a small notebook from his jacket pocket. "Now then, shall we begin?" Skowronek nodded his head, resting his arms on his lap.
After flipping through a few pages, JP then stopped at a where he wanted. "Alright, so I would like to receive some updates on the Copycat Fighter program. I would also like to see if we have a marketing plan set for them anytime in the near future." He then pulled out a rather expensive brown and silver fountain pen.
"Alright then. For starters, we've made great strides in Copycat Fighter Program. We have found the bugs and glitches within the programing. While there are still a couple smaller issues, the overall status of the program is steadily improving. We've also managed to add the new features into the newer model." Skowronek took a pause to see that JP was writing down some things,
"I see. How close are we to releasing them to the public." He then takes a puff from his pipe again.
Skowronek shakes his head, "For now, I don't know when or how we can properly showcase them. After the recent controversies with Dr. Lloyd's drone services and their glitches, our image did take a little bit of a tank in recent months." While the man is an incredible asset to their image, the glitches that come with his work have cause a bit of a problem.
*Inhales*, *Exhales* " I see. I've been getting notifications from those incidents." JP is now tapping his pen on the pad, trying to brainstorm on this problem. "Well, I do believe I have a solution to our current problem." This got Skowronek to look at him with curiosity. "What is it?" He states, leaning in to pay attention,
"In a couple days, I do believe that new Stadium is opening up with a Novice Tournament where new fighters will try to put themselves on the map. A lot of wealthy and established fighters will be present in the crowd." Skowronek, was now catching on to what JP is suggesting.
"I believe we can use this tournament to showcase our new robot. We can register one of our A.I robots as a fighter, with a manager, explaining to the world what they are, and who made it." Skowronek nodded his head. This was brilliant. The tournament far away enough to make more adjustments to the current model.
This will also provide them the proper showcase to the world of what these A.I bots can do. There publicity issue is essentially taken care of with it. "Who will be the manager?" This is important. It can't be Lloyd, he's not too invested in this project, and only has information of the A.I bots that he himself has filtered.
JP looked at Skowronek with a slight smile. "Why, I believe you will be the perfect candidate. While yes, you've been behind the scenes, you can simply say you are a scientist representing the company. This way, you can hide your identity, and still provide only the necessary information about these bots.
Perfect, this plan is both brilliant and efficient. Leave it to JP to come up with a way to maximize all opportunities.
However,
"JP, will we be gathering, "Data" from these fighters?" The new features, all center around syphoning fighter's style and Techniques. This involves both collecting blood samples, and absorbing Chi. All for a smoother and faster way of programming the A.I.
"Hmm, honestly, due to it being a novice league, I'm not too sure that there will be any great fighters. I will say that there are quite a few extraordinary fighters attending the event as spectators. Specifically, Chun Li." Skowronek's eyes widen in realization.
Chun Li, famed detective, and a throne to Shadaloo in the past. She was a top priority in gathering more data. Most of the bots that were programed with her current data have failed to even replicate a percentage of her abilities. If she is there, they can possibly get some more data.
"I see what you mean, alright then JP, I'll be sure to get some A.I bots ready in time for the tournament." JP took another puff from his pipe, before nodding at the response. He closed the book, put his pen away, and began to stand up. "Wonderful. I am please to hear about that. Well then, with that, I have no further updates. Please either have a team prepare a presentation or a document detailing the promotions of these A.I bots, such as features, benefits, and what industries can benefit from them."
JP grabbed his hat and made his way towards the door. "It was nice talking with you, I now have a meeting with Dr. Lloyd." He then looks at Skowronek, "I'm putting a lot of faith in you for this plan, please try not to disappoint me." With that, JP left the room.
Tch, oh don't you worry. After this successful plan, I'll make sure you give me the respect I deserve. For now, Skowronek has to act obedient. His own pet project isn't anywhere near done, until then, he'll oblige to the will of JP. He also hopes that this little arrangement can help push him further up the ranks.
Patience Dr. Skowronek. Time is all you have to worry about. Your name WILL be respected very soon. With a sinister grin, Skowronek flipped the switch to his office and left to start on the plans for the up incoming tournament.
Metro City, Beat Square,
12pm, Naruto's Apartment Complex,
With Naruto and Bosch:
To say that the morning was eventual would be an understatement. It took a bit of time for Bosch to recover from the ability that Naruto used, and to say he was confused would also understate the massive amount of confusion and disbelief he felt.
First off, how can someone even be THIS OLD. Naruto, based on his memories, was thousands of years old. In a time when humans were not only more powerful, but the world was also different.
Not to mention, that the Moon's damage, something that scientists have tried to explain, was caused by NARUTO! How was he able to get up there and survive!
No matter how you spun it, it was almost impossible to believe, and he would've checked himself into an asylum. But what made it true to him, was that he also saw his own memories. This meant that everything that he saw in Naruto's head, was real.
The technique took about 30 minutes to finish, mainly so that Naruto can regulate the flow and not overload Bosch. For the rest of the flight, both just…talked. I mean, why wouldn't they?
Their minds, memories, and emotions were completely exposed to one another. They have nothing to hide from each other. Both Naruto and Bosch knew that this will ultimately lead to their bond to grow even stronger.
Bosch never thought he be so calm or … excited to talk and enjoy the company of someone. This is how they spent the rest of the plane ride, simply talking about each other's past, mostly Naruto since his life, for a lack of better term, was more adventurous and entertaining.
Soon the plane made it back in the States, and both got off and took the bus back to Beat Square. Now that they are back in Metro City, Naruto decided to head to the B.B.T.C. Training Center to meet up with Luke. As they departed to the Training Center, Naruto sent a text message to Luke to see if he is present. To his surprise, he was not.
Luke apparently is at the home of a new student of his. He was a foreigner that wanted to learn more about self-defense but was also asking if he can stream at the facility one of those days.
Luke has always had a side hobby of PCs and gaming, so learning about his new student's career, caused him to be excited. Luke ask if he would like to collaborate for a stream, long story short, that is what Luke is doing now.
Luke messaged Naruto, asking him if he would like to come to the stream as well since Luke talked about him a lot. Since Naruto wanted to talk to Luke in person, he agreed.
Imagine his surprise when the address that Luke sent him, was very familiar.
And this is where we find both Naruto and Bosch, standing in front of the door to Naruto's first friend, Zack. Bosch is still very much injured, but since all of his wounds are dressed, he'll need to simply rest up. Using Naruto as support, the two fighters arrived at the front door of the apartment.
*Knock*, *Knock*, *Knock*.
A couple of seconds later, footsteps were heard and the person to answer the door was none other than Luke himself. Dressed in his casual clothes, his bright smile changed almost instantly seeing that Naruto was not alone.
"Bosch!" Quickly, Luke helped Naruto get Bosch settled on the living room couch. Once Bosch was placed, Luke began to fire off questions at them both.
For the next few minutes, both Naruto and Bosch took turns explaining everything that has happened. From the run ins with Mad Gear, to their encounter with Juri, and even Bosch's decision. Of course, both of them left out Naruto's past and true identity, since Bosch understood that Naruto still wanted to keep that a secret.
Luke, overloaded with information, decided to run to the fridge in the kitchen, and take out a can of beer. After a few sips, Luke looked back at them, and sighed.
*Sighs* "Well. Normally this is the part where I would lecture you both about the dangers and consequences of your actions," Luke takes a final sip from his beer before crushing it in his hand, "but that'd be the pot calling the kettle black." He looks at Bosch and smiles softly.
"It may have been later than it should've been, but I'm glad that you ended up making this decision. Its both better for you and your loved ones." He padded Bosch on his right shoulder, a little too roughly causing Bosch to gasp slightly in pain. "Oops, sorry, forgot you were injured." He rubs the back of his head with a sheepish grin on his face. Naruto let out a snort, finding his instructor's actions humorous.
With all of that out of the way, Luke turned back to Naruto, "And you Naruto, good job on sticking with your friend. Wish I had someone like you when I was younger having my back. *Chuckles*. He then got curious.
"Still though, defeating Juri is not something that I can ignore. She is a top tier fighter, and a dangerous one at that. For you to beat her Naruto, if you guys are telling the truth, than you solidified my opinion." Naruto raised his brow and look again rested his hand, this time on Naruto's shoulder,
"Naruto, you've been by far my most impressive student in the history of my program. No matter what I threw at you, you absorb it faster than a sponge. I can't be prouder." He then turns to Bosch, "And don't worry Bosch, your still in my program, so one day you can catch up as well. Of course, we'll need to wait." Luke stated, poking Bosch in the ribs, in a friendly way, only to cause Bosch to gasp in pain again, but the three fighters simply laugh it off.
*Door Opening*, *footsteps, footsteps*. "Hey Luke, what's taking so lon- Naruto!?". As a familiar voice was heard approaching them, Zack was coming out of what appeared to be his room, only to be stunned at the sight of his friend. He made his way over, with a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Hey man how's it been?" Zack than looks at Luke, "You didn't tell me that the student was Naruto." Luke, being slightly shocked at the revelation, spoke again,
Looking at Naruto and Zack, he asks, "Wait, you two know each other?" Zack than explained how they met, and how Naruto is a frequent on his streams whenever he travels in Metro City. Naruto than asks why Zack was taking classes with Luke,
"Well, to be honest, it started as a way to create content for my channels, but then, Luke and I kind of hit it off as friends. He's really good at games and has his own PC building business as a side hustle. Naturally, he had questions on how to start streaming, and we decided to collab from there." Luke nodded his head at the answer.
Luke was always somewhat of a geek at heart, he loved gaming, and watching different types of cartoons and shows. He always felt that he would be good at streaming, and it was partially why he created his own side hustle, he just didn't know how to start.
Getting back on track, Zack continued, "Anyways, right now, we were just playing "The Many Gangs of Beasts" (Author's note: Gang Beasts) but I have extra controllers, if you guys want to, we can have a free-for-fall?" He suggested Causing Luke to agree with him, simply due to enjoying the goofy fighting game.
Both Naruto and Bosch looked at each other and nodded their heads, though Bosch did hesitate a little, both due to him wanting to hide his identity, but also since he doesn't really play games at all.
Luckily, or unluckily depending on who you ask, Zack had a solution and handed him a make-shift cardboard box mask with bits of graffiti on it, (Note: it's the same one that he wears after he is kidnaped in the real game). With that solved for now, they all went back into Zack's streaming room to continue the stream.
Zack's Living Room, Same day
3:00pm, with Naruto, Bosch, Luke, and Zack:
After a fun afternoon playing what is arguably the stupidest fighting game Naruto has ever seen, all four of them were seen handing out in the living room, waiting on the food they ordered to arrive and enjoy some T.V. While Naruto, Bosch, and Luke were seen sitting in the living room, Zack was in his room finishing his stream.
"Man, that was a blast. Who knew such a derpy game can be fun." Luke stated as he looked between Naruto and Bosch, who were sitting on the recliners to the side of the couch he is sitting in.
Bosch, for the most part, is still holding onto his side, likely due to the pain medications waring off. Naruto was simply looking at both his instructor and his friend.
Suddenly, a door is heard to be closed, and Zack came into view as he walked into his kitchen. From the kitchen he spoke, "Man, I can't thank you all enough. I had so much fun today, and on top of that, it was one of my most successful streams in a long time!" He then asked is anyone wanted something to drink. Luke asked for another beer, Naruto asked for water, and Bosch a cola.
"No worries, man, you are a very entertaining guy. I can see why your so famous and popular." Luke, for the most part, knew that it was going to be his name that is going to carry his streaming career, but he will still need to learn to be, well, fun to watch.
"Hmph, frankly I was struggling more than actually enjoying myself." Bosch stated while looking somewhat annoyed. He wasn't familiar with video games, so he didn't exactly preform the best.
"Aw, c'mon man, at least you had fun, right?" Zack asked as he joined them in the living room, handing out all the drinks, "And besides, your few wins got huge reactions from the viewers. They had your back!" Zack then puts the drink up to his mouth as he takes some sips.
"*Sigh* I guess you have a point; it was pretty fun." A small smile formed onto his face. Naruto and Luke both smiled in response as well, since both knew that Bosch really needed some time to destress.
"Anyways, Luke, I hope that we can continue to collaborate together. I hope that you picked up some tips and things that I do to make a great stream. I can send you my list of equipment I used when I started, most still hold up very well in today's market." Luke smiled in response, but before he could reply, the T.V played an interesting announcement.
"Greetings everyone! I'm your lovable and cheerful streamer and host, Eternity!" An individual dressed in a blue suit vest with pink highlights, with no shirt under it, black dress shorts, white gloves, colorful blue and pink socks, and black dress shoes with a golden buckle.
They also had short blue hair, a nice amount of makeup, golden hoop earrings, and a black thin chocker. While their build appeared to be skinny, they actually had a lot of definition, similar to a track and field athlete.
(Author's Note: Due to no solid source revealing eternity's gender, I will use they/them pronouns until I figure it out.)
They appeared to be standing at the front entrance of the newly built Mike Haggar Stadium. They are then seen spinning a pink and blue microphone that also had a pink ribbon on it.
"Are you a fighter looking for their next challenge? Perhaps your passing through on your journey towards strength, or perhaps your someone looking to build a legacy. Well good news, in 3 days, we will be hosting the very first Novice Tournament." This got all four men to look at the T.V more attentively.
"In celebrating the Grand Opening of our wonderful new stadium, I, Eternity will be hosting this tournament and invite all rookie or experience fighters, who have little to know tournament experience to come down and participate. The winner of this tournament will get a cask prize of $500,000! And a trip to Nayshall to join the largest tournament of the year later! While stating this, they began to move around, and dance at the end of every sentence, while picture appeared behind them from different parts of the stadium.
Luke already had prior knowledge of this, since they personally invited him to go as a VIP, so he wasn't too caught off guard. This was actually something he was going to recommend Naruto. However, this makes it much easier.
"In honor of this grand opening, this tournament will be giving out tickets at 50% off for all first-time buyers! With Concession stands, food, entertainment, celebrities, elite fighters, and of course, a kid's corner. It's the perfect event for anyone that loves fighting. Of course, due to it being the season of love, we have special merch for those that want show that special someone in their lives their real feelings." With that, Eternity covers the camera, causing the image to change to show several contact information and links for both fighters, and spectators.
"Most important! Fighters, February 12, 2009, is the last day to register as a fighter. So don't waste time! For my spectators, tickets can be purchased on the official Mike Haggar Stadium website, as well as all ticket apps." Eternity than walks in front of the stock image and looks at the camera, "So, come on down to a moment of history here in Metro City. I can't wait to meet everyone. This is your fav ETERNITY signing off! SEE YAAA! With that, the commercial lingers on the information, before changing.
"Wow, they have Eternity as the host. That is awesome!" Everyone looked at Zack, who seemed slightly starstruck. "Wait you know them, Zack?" Naruto asked as he is still new to the world of the internet. Just cause he knows how to navigate it; doesn't mean he likes it.
"Eternity is one of, if not, the biggest streamer on my platform. They are essentially doing what I do, but on a larger scale. They write songs, play games, and stream IRL They are also the manager and sponsor of several different fighters that compete in tournaments around the world." After hearing Zack's explanation, it's no wonder as to why the selected them to host the tournament.
Bosch then turns to Luke, "You don't seem too surprised Sensei?" Luke than rubbed the back of his head, placing a sheepish look on his face, "Well actually, they personally invited me to attend as a VIP guest." He then shows off his 5 tickets to them.
Luke than continues, " If you all want to, we can go together." He then looks at Naruto, "Though I actually recommend you to actively participate." Naruto then, pointed at himself in slight disbelief.
"Me, how come?" Luke was going to respond, but Bosch beat him to it, "Why wouldn't you? Your crazy good at fighting. You'd win the whole tournament for sure. Plus, many people are going to be watching." Bosch was told by Naruto that he feels more comfortable at revealing is true powers so long as its under the Kurama name. This way, Naruto can get learn more about the world and establish connections.
Catching the hint, Naruto nodding, before placing his fingers on his chin in a thinking pose. "Well, it would be nice to start somewhere. B-but I don't know how to even begin?" After stating this, like a bolt of lightning, Zack, appeared in front of Naruto with excitement written all over his face.
"Don't worry! If you want, I can become you Manager! You already have a great stage name, a nice fighting costume, and likeable personality. I can take care of the technical stuff, and set up fights/tournaments for you to participate in." Naruto thought about it more before looking at the excitement and support from everyone in the room.
*Sighs* "Alright! I'm in. Let's do this." This got a round of cheers from the rest. Before looking at Bosch, "Are you sure you're ok with it?" He wanted to make sure Bosch was included, since their relationship is very strong now.
Bosch offers a soft smile and a nod, "Definitely, I'm in no condition to participate, but I will be cheering for you from the stands." With that, Naruto and the rest began to discuss the up incoming tournament.
It appears that Kurama is going to the main stage!
End Note:
With that concludes Chapter 9. I hope you all enjoy it!
Sorry for a delay in posting, I got caught up in some IRL business that took much of my attention. The chapter is going to be a holiday special. Meaning that it won't be cannon to the main story but will something fun related to the characters of SF 6 and Naruto.
Anyways again, thank you all so much for the comments, the follows, and the favorites, this story is a lot bigger than I originally had it being. So thank you all for your continued support.
I've noticed some of you have questions in regard to Naruto's power canonically compared to SF characters. On my bio, I have my response to that and other general questions other may have.
Again, thank you all for the support, next chapter is going to be purely fun, so I hope you all like it. I'll try my best to get Chapter 10 out as soon as possible. With that See you all later.
Bye! ^_^