Chapter 2: Do or Die

Welcome to chapter two, where we turn up the action and the drama.

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter- if you want to access more chapters or see my full library, my is always open at

pa - tre - /on/ -DoT (forward slash)Pel853

I do not own Naruto or High School DxD

Koneko's Pov

Koneko Toujou watched as Naruto stepped through the curtains, his theme blaring around the arenas. She bobbed along for the theme, and watched as he came down the ramp.

Then he stopped to look around as he approached the ring and took one step onto the steel steps, and then stepped off the steel steps and walked towards here, where he greeted her with, "How do you do?" And gave her a pat on her beenie topped head.

She couldn't help but give him a small smile, as she wished him good luck. Then he finally made his way into the ring.

Koneko watched intently as he climbed the ropes and hoisted the belt with one hand up for all to see.

Then he got off and went to the other side, and she watched him hoist the belt with both arms as she heard the ringside announcer speak, introducing her schoolmate, "Introducing, from Kuoh Town, Japan. Measuring one point eighty five meters and weighing in at one hundred and two kilograms. The HardCore Champion, Naruto! U-Zu-Maki!"

Then the blonde wrestler got off of the corner and made his way to the center of the ring to wait for his opponent.

Afterall, it was a normally scheduled show, there shouldn't be any surprised right?

Money money money money, money

Everyone in the Arena started booing as the owner of the company made his way halfway down the ramp with a microphone in hand. He brought up the microphone but didn't speak, simply letting The crowd boo him for a bit.

Then Miyagi Kumo raised his hand and spoke, "Naruto, my boy! Fans of Kuoh Wrestling. I know what you are expecting, for everyone's favorite blonde to have an easy qualifying match for the Undisputed Championship… but unfortunately, there has been a change of plans,"

The venue once again erupted in boos, Koneko herself looked towards Naruto. Who looked absolutely shocked, looking around with wide eyes.

It was then she decided she did not like Mr Miyagi. Why was he doing this?

Then Mr Miyagi spoke once again, "You see, Naruto, Ryudo has raised the issue with me. He's already beaten you multiple times, so if you really want this title shot. I've decided, You will have to fight six matches, you need to win at least four matches for your title shot. And if you lose a single match be it by pinfall, submission, or countout. You lose your current title. No champion's advantage,"

once again the owner of the company paused, but this time for only a brief moment as the venue descended into silence, and he finally bade farewell, "Good luck, let the games begin,"

And as Mr Miyagi walked back up the ramp the music of another wrestler hit the arena. Koneko noted it was Toko Surabachi who came out, and he walked with purpose down the ramp and onto the ring.

He didn't even take the steel steps, simply sliding in. Running at his blonde opponent without waiting for the match to officially start. Not that it mattered, as his hubris led him to eating a boot to the face, and then the bell rang officially marking the start of the match.

Toko was quick to recover to his feet, raising his legs and pushing them upwards to pull himself from the ground in a kip-up. However at that time Naruto had already thrown himself on the ropes and propelled himself from them and transitioned into a sling blade forcing his opponent back into the ground.

However the blond wasn't done there nor did he tally too long as he picked up his opponent and pushed him into the corner. From there Naruto aggressively drove his shoulder into Toko's stomach multiple times.

And just as the brown haired opponent was doubling over, Naruto stood him up right and locked his arms around the ropes to keep him up right and just started raining precise blow after precise blow of punches and kicks into Toko's body.

Then he took a number of steps back putting at least three meters of distance between himself and Toko, and then ran at him, with five feet left the blond jumped and threw a superman punch at the brunette's face.

But Naruto did not let up on the offense, he pulled Toko by the arm and led him into the middle of the ring, the dazed and battered opponent had no choice but to go along, not exactly mentally present under such vicious beatdown.

Naruto then kicks Toko in the stomach, and grabs his head in a headlock. Before picking him up into a fireman's carry, he then hoisted Toko up and spun him around, making sure his opponent's leg cleared his head and slamming him into the ground in a FU.

The blonde followed up by pinning Toko's shoulders and lifting his right leg up. The referee quickly slapped his hand into the ring canvas once, then twice, and finally thrice.

And Naruto let go of Toko Surabachi, breathing somewhat heavily. He stood up, and waited for his next opponent.

Koneko was happy that the blonde had won the match, but she couldn't help but wonder how was a normal human, no matter how well trained and conditioned Naruto might have been, actually fight six matches in a row, he was just that, a human. How was he supposed to take on six other opponents back to back without some rest, or a break?

The next contestant to come out was more cautious than the more abrasive Toko Surabachi. After all, Hidon Yokasha was an excellent technical wrestler. Standing tall at two meters, and weighing in at a hundred and twenty plus kilos, he was more giant than man.

This match went a little bit longer than the previous match. Lasting just over eight minutes, and Koneko felt it had some great moments, but in the end the match ended with Hidon going to sleep on a submission sleeper hold.

But she could tell that Naruto had been tired by the end of the fight. But even still, he pushed on to win the third and fourth fight he needed to win in order to get his title shot for the Undisputed Championship, the third by pinfall, and the fourth by tap out.

And he was still looking strong going into the fifth match of the marathon. It left Koneko feeling like her schoolmate could actually pull it off, retain the Hard Core title and become the face of the company by winning the Undisputed Championship.

If she didn't know any better, Koneko would almost believe it that the blond was super human merely through his mere feat of enduring through the night.

And then the fifth fight started. As Naruto faced his newest opponent, a cruiser weight by the name of Ida Norio. At first the fight start going well, with both of them exchanging hooks onto each other's faces.

Then Ida Norio kicked Naruto in the stomach, and folded him up into a package pile driver. Koneko couldn't help but be a tad bit concerned at how devastating the move looked and the blond was left almost lifelessly on the canvas.

Ida went to pin him but Naruto was quick to kick out. He wobbled to his feet before running at the ropes, turning at the last second and bouncing off of them to propel him into his opponent, as he delivered a clothesline that had them both falling outside of the ring.

It was then that the match took a turn for the worse as Naruto struggled to get back into the ring. Eventually managing to hoist himself into the apron.

However Ida was not satisfied with the direction of the match apparently, and went to grab a steel chair. And he slid into the ring, pushing the referee away, and starting wailing on the blonde hitting him with chair shot after chair shot.

The bell was rung in disqualification for Ida Norio, but he didn't stop, as it took a team of Referees and other wrestlers for him to be pulled off of the blonde.

Koneko watched as Naruto was surrounded by referees and a team of medics, and couldn't help but find a new level of respect for him as he insisted on continuing to compete as he stood up, the other wrestlers vacating the ring itself with the extra referees and medics. And struggled to get to his feet, even when resting most of his weight on the ropes.

His last opponent, Roy Zaibatsu, stood on the other side reluctantly.

The bell rang, beginning the sixth and final match of the night.

And years later Koneko would come to describe it as torture. As Roy proceeded to unleash every move he knew, trying to finish the match quickly in the face of his tired and bruised opponent.

Whether it was a simple clothesline, a sling blade, or a series of vertical suplexes, wether it was a powerbomb, a DDT or a back breaker. But Naruto kept kicking out of the pin, or reached the ropes if he was forced into a submission hold.

By the end, Naruto couldn't even stand straight anymore, his stance was weird, as his legs were spread shoulder to shoulder and his body was leaning back, but he was yelling at Roy, "Come on! Finishing it! Do it!"

Roy did, going for a super kick. But Naruto blocked it, and transitioned into the RKO. Managed to land it successfully, but the way he screamed as his back bent on a weird angle was horrifying.

But somehow the blonde managed to gather himself enough to crawl towards his opponent and pin Roy.

The ref's hand smacked the canvas once, twice, but a fraction of a second before it smacked for the third time. Roy Zaibatsu kicked out.

The stadium arena was quiet. It was almost solemn, as even Koneko knew that was perhaps the last chance for Naruto Uzumaki to win.

Roy got to his feet, and dragged Naruto up by the hair, and locked the blond's head between his thighs, and locked his arms by the elbow behind his back, and hit a pedigree.

The white haired girl couldn't help but note, that Zaibatsu seemed somewhat subdued and docile while performing the spot, and really slow going into the pin.

Then the ref smacked the canvas once again. Then twice, and finally a third time.

The stadium erupted into cheers, As a new Hard Core champion was crowned. And what a fight it was, the longest match of the marathon at a total of fifteen minutes.

Naruto's PoV

He wiped the sweat from his eyes and laid in the ring for a couple of minutes. Taking in the cheers, taking in his buddy celebrating his well earned victory.

He wasn't expecting to be assaulted as he was by Ida. But that didn't mean he wasn't going down without a fight. He smiled as he watched the New Champion jump into the corner and show off his new belt.

It was time to close out the show, he pulled himself up one rope at a time until he was finally standing.

That's when the music for Ryudo hit.

And Naruto couldn't help but curse, as he asked himself, "What now?"

Ryudo walked down the ramp with a microphone in hand, and honestly Naruto didn't know what the hell his rival was up to. Why would he come out here? He was usually a man of few words.

"Roy Zaibatsu! Congratulations on becoming the new Hard Core champion," Ryudo said as he stepped into the ring, as the three men faced each other, "But this concerns mr title shot here, not you, so you can leave,"

Roy looked between them, as a referee handed Naruto a microphone. Naruto stood up a bit straighter, asking, "What the hell, do you want Ryudo?"

"Bold of you to assume I want anything from you," Ryudo said, pausing for one moment, before speaking up, "Actually, why do you keep coming back begging for more title shots? I've beaten you again, and again, and again. And now you don't even have your hard core title. Why don't you just quit?"

Naruto took one painful step forward, then another, until he was face to face with his rival, as he looked to the side, where he saw Koneko. Then he brought his microphone up and said, "You know what man? You aren't the first to ask me that. Hell, you aren't even the first to ask me that today,"

He pointed at the white haired girl, "You see her? With the white hair? She goes to my school, and she came up to me today, and asked me that same question. Why did I keep challenging you, when you beat me so many times? Why don't i quit,"

"You mean the one with your stupid beenie and your stupid shirt?" Ryudo replied pointing at her, "Man she's stupid enough to spend money on your merchandise, but at least she's smart enough to know you can't beat me. So quit,"

"I ain't gonna quit," Naruto replied , "I was just assaulted by one of your Butt buddies. And I still won five out of the six matches, and still gave the audience here a fight they will never forget. Am I wrong about that, citizens of Kuoh?"

The crowd erupted into cheers following his question, and the cheer and acclaim went on for a minute or two before Naruto spoke up again, "And you think I am gonna quit? Let me tell you something man… I CAN'T fucking quit. It's not in the histories of Naruto Uzumaki to quit. I can't fucking quit, because fighting is the only thing that makes me happy and fulfills me. Fighting is how i tell my family that i love them,"

Naruto paused again, licking his lips before continuing pointing at the championship belt on his rival's waist, "Fighting for that belt, is the best way i can express to my parents that i will make enough money so they ran retire and spend the rest of their time in this earth with each other and with their sons, not working for a corporation that doesn't care about them. Fighting for that belt is how i can tell my little brother, I am gonna provide for him the best life and the best education i didn't get to have,"

He stepped closer to Ryudo and stated, "Because fighting on this ring, in front of all these amazing people. That is the only thing that fulfills a hole in my heart I've had since I could remember. Call it a sickness, call it an addiction, whatever you want, but I can't stop. And I will do anything and everything to get that belt around my waist!"

Ryudo smirked, and brought his own microphone up, "What makes you think imma give you a title shot? I'm not obligated, you already exhausted the rematch clause. You don't have anything I want, I've beaten you time and time again, and again. You don't even have the Hard Core championship. I'm tempted to give Roy here a title shot. But you're not getting it,"

Roy shook his head vehemently, holding his new title securely saying no over and over again.

"You will give me a title shot," Naruto said looking at Ryudo with a sinister look, "Because if you don't give me a title shot. Any match you have, every dinner, every break, everytime you go to sleep. I will be there, and I will be there to kick your ass, again, and again, and again, until you give me my title shot. Because I'm telling you, I can't quit!"

"Fine," Ryudo finally gave in, "You are a fucking addict, who needs his fix. But you know what Naruto, I'm gonna fix this addiction for you. Next saturday, I'll give you a title shot. But if i am putting this title on this line, it ain't fair for you to not put something up. So next week, when we fight. If you don't win, if you don't beat me. Your career is over… you can't go to any other promotion either, or take a sabbatical. If I beat you, you stop fighting, forever. What do you say, are you willing to put your career on the line for this belt?"

Naruto raised his microphone again, not even hesitating, as he spoke, "I'll raise you the stake. Since you have set the terms, my career, for your belt. I will face you, inside a cell. Everything goes, and it doesn't stop, until pinfall. No submission, no disqualification, it ends when I pin you, and become the new undisputed champion!"

The blonde threw the microphone onto the canvas and limped towards the rope. Lying down and rolling onto the apron and then going into the ground.

Roy, who Naruto guessed must have been feeling some type of way, came up next to him, and slung the blond's arm over his shoulder. And as the two walked around the ring, Naruto made brief contact with Koneko.

"Hey, Roy, you mind bringing me over to the girl i mentioned," Naruto asked.

The new champion agreed, "Yeah man, whatever you ask,"

They stopped in front of the white haired girl, and Naruto said, "Thanks for being a fan, little white. I will get you some vip passes for next Saturday,"

"Thanks, Naruto-san," Koneko, replied.

Naruto and Roy kept walking towards the ramp and towards the curtain. But when they were most of the way up towards the ramp, Naruto said, "Let's hold up the championship, let them see their new champion,"

And they did, Roy grabbed the championship on the left side and Naruto on the right and they lifted it up for all to see. They left too much cheer from the audience.

And as the curtains closed behind him, Naruto just felt exhaustion and nerves at the implications of what Ryudo had stipulated.