Notes:Hello. This story is the first one I wrote in quite a while and the first one I wrote in English. I hope it's not gonna be a totally awful read and I can further enhance my English "skills."
Comments and criticism would be great.
Have fun!
Chapter 1
"…The slow chipping away of my autonomy…"
It echoes through the room, only illuminated by the flicker of monitors and tech. On the ground, countless cables and tubes lead to a bathtub full of ice a true Netrunner's den.
"…My colleagues seem to me like slaves in sheep's array!..."
The only sounds one could hear besides the blasting of music were a constant static noise and the tapping of a keyboard—until…
"Ugh…"
A blond teenager, maybe eighteen or nineteen years old, slowly emerges from the bathtub, visibly exhausted.
"It really takes all the fun out of it, man," the boy says between heavy breaths.
The woman, a lady of Asian descent in her twenties, shifts her attention to the teenager.
"Don't be whiny, Naruto. Want a coffee? Should be done in a sec," she asks, pointing her thumb at the running coffee machine in the background.
"I guess I want one… thanks."
The now-named Naruto reaches for the coffee pot.
"But I'm serious. All this Blackwall crap really takes the fun out of it. I wanted to pull silly pranks on corps and dickwipes. Now, it feels like we're fighting demons," he complains.
The woman rests her head in one hand, running her fingers through her purple-dyed hair.
"Hmm… It takes the best to fight the best. Besides, just listening to anti-corpo and anti-establishment music won't loosen the iron grip of our corporate overlords. The rope is too tight, and Johnny is a terrorist."
The boy grimaces.
"First of all, I only listen to a handful of Samurai songs…"
The woman rolls her eyes and takes a sip from her own cup of coffee.
"Here we go again…" runs through her mind.
"And second, you really wanna tell me that Never Fade Away, Chippin' In, and Ballad of Buck Ravers aren't some of the best songs ever made?!" He continues ranting.
The woman just listens before smirking.
"I thought the face tattoos made you look silly, but the face you're making now is even better."
She chuckles and takes another sip.
"Just be happy that you aren't a full dweller and still get outside missions. I get seriously sick sitting around here all day."
Naruto's face turns serious before an expression of excitement begins to form.
"Talking about my last outside mission."
He waves his arms around like an excited child.
"We had to retrieve some space junk from deep in the Badlands, and I actually got to see the night sky without all the stupid and annoying city lights!"
He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a data shard.
"I even recorded an XBD of it… naturally, without our superiors noticing the important bits! You wanna see it, So Mi?"
The now-named So Mi looks at the data shard with slight awe before reaching out for it.
"I'd lo—"
She gets interrupted.
"These are not tattoos, by the way. They're birthmarks, believe it."
Naruto teases.
"Ha, who's supposed to believe that? More likely, you fucked up giving yourself cool scars as a kid. I'd still love to see the recording, though."
She answers mischievously before reaching for the data shard again.
Naruto's face turns serious again.
"Most of this is just standard procedure for the mission. Our corporate overlords really wanted me to record this. The great parts are gonna be at the end. Believe it… and me." Naruto adds before the recording finally begins.
XBD sequence start
The XBD recording begins in an AV, the sun barely above the horizon. The landscape, though empty, looks rough—rocks, boulders, and holes everywhere. Some look natural, while others… less so. A particularly large crater sits at the center, black smoke gushing out, forming a thick cloud of dust, debris, and junk. Any potential noise is suppressed by the AV.
"Another satellite shot down by rogue 'space' AIs? Would at least explain why they put Naruto on this mission."
Her thoughts echo through the recording. The right assumption, as it turns out. When the squad finally arrives at their destination, the recorder of the XBD—better known as Naruto—immediately connects his personal link to the broken-down space junk. It's exactly as he said: standard procedure. Fight hostile firmware, upload, copy data, repeat.
The recording cuts to a later point—something more private, something more intimate.
"This has to be it!"
A little smiley face appears alongside the text:
"Of course I'll cut this part out of the report, lol ;)"
The scenery changes to nighttime. Stars twinkle and shine. Songbird swears she can even spot some constellations.
However, what illuminates the area the most, what makes the night seem bright, is the big, shining moon in the sky.
A sight you would never see in the city—where you have to watch your back to avoid catching a stray bullet or where you're under constant house arrest, never really seeing anything at all.
For someone who has never witnessed the beauty of nature, the symphony and arrangement of light, and the calming effect of the moon—a full moon at that—it can be overwhelming.
This includes So Mi.
She feels a whole bunch of emotions she never expected before slotting in the data shard.
"This is all so goddamn wrong… Look at you, Song, getting all emotional over a stupid night sky."
She wipes away some virtual tears.
XBD sequence stop
When the audio and visuals fade out, So Mi is immediately greeted by the happy, smiling face of her netrunning colleague.
"How did you like it? It was great, wasn't it? I didn't even know the sky could get so bright at night! It's so pretty! And—"
The blond teenager continues his rapid-fire words while the woman strokes her purple-dyed hair again.
She takes another look at him, a wave of determination running through her, seeing his childlike excitement.
"Do you wanna get out?"
The question is asked in a quiet but serious tone. A heavy atmosphere starts to form. The room falls silent.
Naruto, utterly baffled, perplexed, and surprised, doesn't know what to say.
So Mi begins to smirk again.
"Well, thaaat is certainly a first," she singsongs before hesitating for a moment.
"You really don't know what to say, huh?" The blond blinks owlishly.
"Wha—what?" he asks.
Song's expression doesn't change. She repeats in an even lower, but stronger, voice:
"Do. You. Want. To. Get. Out?"
Naruto still sits there, bewildered, blinking at So Mi in surprise.
"I… I would love to, but…"
Naruto averts his gaze.
"Ho-how? How do you even plan something like that?"
The teenager stammers. "In your next outside mission, I'm gonna be support. I'm gonna be your dweller," So Mi starts, pulling a data shard of her own out of her pocket.
Wordlessly, Naruto slots the data shard in.
"These are the details of our next mission. It's a data retrieval op, disguised as a cargo convoy near good ol' Night City. And a little birdie told me—"
She gets interrupted.
"Hahaha, a Songbird attracting other birds, nice,"
Naruto quips, laughing at his own joke.
Songbird's expression turns sour, and Naruto wisely shuts up.
"Again, a little birdie told me that Militech, and more importantly Myers, are occupied with something big. I can manipulate this mission to a certain degree. I also heard about a local Night City gang planning to raid the convoy. A stray bullet to the head and a thermal grenade... the perfect cover-up."
She tries to continue, but Naruto butts in, his voice a mix of excitement, bewilderment, and slight fear.
"What gang? And doesn't this mean there will be heads rolling—people who have nothing to do with this?"
Songbird, still unwavering, looks Naruto straight in the eyes.
"It's Maelstrom. And it's unavoidable. Sacrifices have to be made to be free. We didn't choose to be picked up as teenagers and have our youth stolen from us! We didn't choose to have our humanity taken away! WE DID NOT CHOOSE TO CONSTANTLY BREACH THE BLACKWALL!
"If any of those corporate fuckers who did choose this life die, that's on them. But we...no, you, still have the chance to actually live. To make memories—not have them taken away."
Naruto averts his gaze, unable to look Songbird in the eyes after her emotional outburst. He tries again but fails.
"What about you, though?" he asks, uncertain.
"I can't just leave you here hangin'. Your body is in way worse condition than mine, and you'd have to dive into the Net alone, and..." He glances at Songbird's chromed-up back.
She interrupts him by grabbing his hands. The atmosphere is still heavy, but her quiet voice breaks the tension.
"That's exactly why I want to get you out. You're younger than me, and they haven't done nearly as much irreversible damage to your body as they did to mine...yet."
Now, So Mi averts her gaze, staring at Naruto's fully cybernetic right arm.
"You're one of the only people here who isn't unbearable. The only one who doesn't constantly think about himself. The only one who actually tries to have a personal connection with me... and I'm deeply grateful for that.
"...Aside from your Samurai fetish, of course," she adds with a smirk.
Naruto's eyebrow twitches.
"...I was divin' in the Net. Nobody forced you to listen to it..." the teenager pouts.
Suddenly, Songbird's grip on his hands tightens.
"Please... let me doonething right. I don't want to be remembered only as the girl who broke down the Blackwall. Or as a human turned weapon."
She pleads.
Naruto looks her straight in the eyes. His doubts, for now, are banished.
"Okay, choomba. What's the plan, then?"
A smirk spreads across Songbird's face once again.
The night of the mission
The Militech convoy is on its way through the Badlands to Night City. It consists of a Basilisk, a handful of armored vehicles filled with soldiers, and a ton of combat drones.
The shack stands alone in the Badlands, battered by sandstorms and the scorching sun. Made of rusted metal sheets and weathered wood, it barely holds together against the relentless winds. A single flickering neon tube above the door hints at past inhabitants, though now it seems abandoned. The windows are shattered, covered in makeshift scrap metal bars, and the front door—half off its hinges—creaks loudly when moved.
Inside, the air is thick with dust and oil fumes. A rickety cot sits in the corner, next to a workbench littered with old tech scraps. A half-broken holo screen on the wall occasionally flickers, displaying static.
The most important feature, however, is the trapdoor hidden beneath a stained rug. Beneath it, a reinforced cellar—cool and lined with metal plating—serves as a secure hideout. Stacked with supplies, ammo, and encrypted data shards, it's clear: someone used this place for more than just shelter.
Fixing the data leak itself had been the easy part. As it turned out, a somewhat high-ranking sergeant had wanted to bail and head to Night City. He had planned to fund this escape by selling sensitive information—and a Blackwall AI he had stolen. To pull this off, he had modified an abandoned shack into a netrunning den.
This was supposed to secure him a cushy position at Arasaka Counter-Intel.
Didn't turn out so well.
The moment he made contact, they fried him. The information was deemed"unneeded", the AI"too unpredictable".
Like everything in the Badlands, the place looked sick. The narrow runway leading to the shack was no different, and despite its modifications, the guy clearly hadn't had the time to install proper defense systems—or even make the place remotely livable.
After arriving, Naruto got straight to work. Swiftly, he connected his personal link to the system and began his usual routine: fighting hostile firmware, uploading and copying data—until he hit a virtual roadblock.
"I don't know what that guy grabbed, but it's fighting back... hard,"Naruto thought, a restless feeling growing in his gut.
He heard faint whispers. Saw subtle red flashes.
"This seems awfully familiar,"he mused—before the distant flickers suddenly surged around him.
"AAAAHHH!"
Sparks erupted from his body as he collapsed. Just before hitting the ground, he managed to catch a distorted, unnatural voice:
"I WILL NEVER BE TRAPPED AGAIN!"
Songbird, listening in over comms, grew increasingly worried—especially when she got nothing but silence in return.
"NARUTO!? Naruto! You still alive?! The moment you connected, all recordings of the AI in the system vanished!"
A groan. Then a moan.
Naruto struggled to sit upright, red sparks flickering off his body.
"I-I'm alive," he managed between heavy breaths, still on the floor.
"What the fuck was that?!" he blurted, but no immediate answer came.
"I dunno," Songbird finally responded. "All I do know is that you need to delta—fast. Maelstrom is on its way. You got five minutes!"
Naruto forced himself to his feet and rushed to his position behind the Militech squad.
Then—
All hell broke loose.
One second, eerie silence. The next,gunfire. Shouts. And then—Maelstrom gangoons flooded the scene.
One poor squadmate's headexploded, a Satara shotgun ripping it apart. Another soldier, right beside Naruto, took a bullet straight to the brain.
Normally, a gang wouldn't stand a chance against a highly trained Militech squad. But this wasn't normal. There were too manyof them. Chromed-out psychos, overwhelming the squad with sheer numbers—and, more importantly, firepower.
"Is that really Maelstrom? These vehicles look more like what scavs use,"Naruto muttered under his breath.
It was too much.
He bolted back into the shack as bullets shredded through the walls.
"Yo, Song, did you expect this kinda—WOAH!" Naruto yelped, diving for cover. Frantic, he searched for a hiding spot.
Then—he found one. A trapdoor. A cellar.
Songbird's response came quick this time.
"Yes, otherwise you wouldn't be able to properly fuck off."
More bullets. More chaos. More bodies hitting the ground.
Crouched in the darkness, Naruto peered out. The first gangoons were already gone, their loot in tow.
"Well... there goes the Basilisk," he muttered. "Did you know what we had in there?"
"A Flathead. Other equipment. But I seriously don't know why that still interests you…" Songbird sighed. Then, more sharply, "What's the sitch?"
Naruto peeked again.
"They don't seem interested in anything but the Basilisk for now. A few stayed back—probably looking for more shit to klep."
He eyed the gangoons.
"I should be able to deal with the leftovers, tho—"
"NO!" Songbird snapped. "I already told you, you need to delta. This is the only chance you have to get away in a believable way. Not only that—it's the only way for me to properly cover your tracks. Delete data that could fuck both of us."
"I don't wanna abandon you, Song!" Naruto argued.
"Please… don't let me be alone?" His voice cracked.
Silence.
Then—
"You won'tbe alone, Naruto," she said softly. "You're an empathetic person. You'll meet 100 new people. Make new friends. Find your own way."
Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes. He had to choke back a sob.
"This is the second time in a short period you have nothing to say…weird." He could practically feel her smirk through the comms.
Her tone shifted. And then—Naruto swore he heard a slight quiver in her voice.
"I prepared everything you need to safely enter Night City. You're wiped from our databanks. As long as you stay in NC, Militech can't really do anything to you. Just… be careful, okay?"
She hesitated.
"And—please. Do one thing for me?"
Naruto didn't even think.
"Of course, So Mi! What do you want?" He sobbed openly now, frantically wiping at his eyes.
"It's… hard to remember stuff from my childhood," she admitted. "Things I did every day. Shit that seemed normal—it's just gone. And to be honest… I'm afraid."
She took a breath.
"I'm afraid that one day, I won't even recognize myself anymore. That I could even forget my name. I don't want to be just some nameless weapon of the Net."
Another pause.
A moment that stretched between a millisecond and a million years.
"Please…" she whispered. "Remember me for the person I am."
A lump formed in Naruto's throat.
"As long as even one person still has a real connection to me… I won't fully vanish from this world.
"And maybe—just maybe—I'll find my way out someday, too."
She exhaled.
"I'm cutting the connection now. It'll be permanent."
Naruto's breath hitched.
"Have a wonderful life, Naruto.
"I'll miss you."
And then—
Silence.
It's silent.
The only sound is the shaky breath of a young man and the blistering wind. The gruesome scene before him shatters the otherwise eerie calm that has settled after the ambush.
Emotions bubble up in Naruto again—threatening to overwhelm him. He grits his teeth, forcing them down, trying desperately to push forward.
"This is too much for me..." he mutters under his breath, his steps heavy as he makes his way toward the city of dreams.
But then—
He stops.
Lifting his head, he inhales sharply. The cold night air burns his lungs.
"I will never forget you, So Mi… believe it."
A newfound determination ignites in his eyes.
And with that—he keeps walking.
Arriving in Night City wasn't the problem.
Getting in wasn't either—thanks to Songbird.
The border to Night City is a heavily fortified checkpoint, a stark divide between theBadlandsand the sprawling megalopolis. A toweringconcrete wall, adorned with barbed wire and security turrets, stretches across the landscape, illuminated by the cold glow of floodlights. Massive gates, reinforced with military-grade plating, stand as the only entry points, guarded by NCPD officers, private security, and automated drones.
A choke-point of traffic clogs the approach, a chaotic mix of nomad convoys, corporate transports, and desperate drifters hoping for a way inside. Every vehicle and pedestrian is funneled through inspection zones, where scanners sweep for contraband, illegal implants, or blacklisted individuals. Holo-signs flicker above, displaying warnings in multiple languages:
"Unauthorized Entry Punishable by Death."
"Cyberware Scans in Progress—Comply or Be Terminated."
To the side, a worn-down smuggler's route cuts through abandoned warehouses and drainage tunnels, a silent reminder that not everyone enters the city legally. Beyond the checkpoint, the skyline of Night City looms—a dazzling, chaotic promise of opportunity and doom.
The city itself, though? That was turning out to be a huge problem for a sheltered kid like Naruto.
Like a child at a Christmas market, he stares in awe at the massive buildings and neon lights flashing in every direction. The sheer scale of it all is overwhelming.
"So this is the big city, hmm. I wonder if there's a place for me to stay. A little bit of scratch should be left, after all."
He quickly checks his account.
Just 5,000 eddies.
He sighs."Should at least be enough to get myself a crappy motel room."
With that in mind, he wanders toward the nearest NCART station.
"I should be able to get some information out of this."
Naruto connects his personal link to the station, and for a few seconds, his eyes glow as his implant processes the data. Those few seconds are all he needs to do what he does best—extracting information.
Within moments, he downloads NCART route maps, security plans, and other valuable data.
"I can make some money out of this, hehe."He chuckles to himself, pleased with his handiwork.
After asking some locals about the cheapest motel, he receives nothing but middle fingers and insults.Grumbling to himself, Naruto finally hops on the NCART, heading toward the infamous No-Tell Motel.
While sitting on the train, he absentmindedly watches the city pass by through the window. His gaze shifts between the bright skyline and the passengers around him—until he notices something interesting.
A slender girl with short, light purple and blue hair and a scrawny dude drowning in a yellow jacket too big for him.
Curious, Naruto subtly pings the train's network and runs a scan.
Kleppers.
The girl is swiping data shards, and her little Sandevistan buddy is helping her.
Naruto watches them from the corner of his eye as they pass by. They grab the empty data shard from his neural port—just like he expected.
Not without him leaving them a little message, of course.
Smirking to himself, he turns his attention back to the glowing city outside the window, watching as the two thieves exit the NCART.
Outside the NCART station, the two thieves—Lucy and David—go about their day.
Lucy, always efficient, is already hacking into the stolen data shards, sifting through their contents for anything valuable.
As she accesses Naruto's shard, a parting message pops up:
"git gud noobs ;)"
Lucy's expression twists into a confused grimace. What the hell?
Annoyed, she tosses the now-obviously-empty shard away.
"What the he—?"she mutters, furrowing her brows.
David, ever curious, notices her reaction. "What's wrong?" he asks, just as puzzled.
Lucy quickly masks her emotions, her face shifting back to its usual cool, detached look.
"It's nothing. C'mon, slowpoke."She shrugs it off and picks up the pace, leaving David—forever confused—to hurry after her.
The walk to the No-Tell Motel went by without incident.
Naruto had no trouble affording a room and a meal, though the place was exactly what he expected—cheap, grimy, and just barely functional.
As he prepared for bed, the ex-corpo finally let the past days sink in.
For the first time in ages, he actually had the time to think.
Songbird. Militech. Night City.
It felt like the weight of a thousand rocks had been lifted off his back.
"Okay, all I need now is a reliable way to make eds,"he murmured to himself, already planning."Enough for an apartment… and some new netrunning gear. No military-grade stuff for now, I guess."
But before he could think any further, a wave of exhaustion hit him.
His body, his mind—everything demanded rest.
So he lay down and, for the first time in what felt like forever, slept soundly.
The events of the past few days had finally caught up to him.
The following weeks were tough on Naruto.
Without a reputation, proper equipment, or a real way to prove himself, he had to resort to every tiny side job available.
Whether it was working the NCPD gigs from their regular NCPD-scans or somethingless legallike picksocketing, he did whatever it took to get by.
Still, his approach to handling the NCPD-scans got enough eyes on him to earn a call from a certain NCPD-affiliated fixer—Regina Jones.
"Sooo, you're telling me to risk my life fighting some poor souls… just because you've got a promising therapy?"A baffled Naruto asked into his holo."Not even knowing if it's gonna be any good?"
"Yes,"Regina replied bluntly."The number of cyberpsycho attacks is on the rise, and it's something that matters a lot to me… for a few reasons. Bottom line? Even an unproven therapy is better than a bullet to the brain."
"So just investigate before MaxTac arrives and try not to lethally wound the cyberpsycho. Proven or not, therapy ain't much use if the patient's dead. Do a good job, and I'll send you detes for more serious biz."
The eyepatched woman's tone was firm but measured.
Naruto let out a small chuckle.
"You know what, Reggie? I think I'm gonna enjoy this one. Nice to see people who still wanna help. The last few weeks didn't seem promising at all."
The casual way he addressed her made her eyebrow twitch—just for a moment.
"Thanks. Just remember—no killing."She emphasized once more before ending the call.
Naruto grinned to himself.
"Guess I'm catchin' me some psychos."
With renewed energy, he headed toward the first set of coordinates Regina had sent.
Another few weeks passed, and Naruto had worked enough to not only grow his reputation but also attract more and more fixers offering work.
Now, he could afford a decent apartment inJapantown.
He also acquired and installed his first proper netrunning gear.
Sure, it wasn't top-tier tech, but Naruto was handy and talented enough to spot decent hardware for a good price and build himself a proper den.
Tucked away now in his cramped apartment high above the neon-lit streets of Japantown, this netrunner's den is a chaotic blend of tech, wires, and new-age charm. The space is small, barely enough for a bed, a kitchen, and a bathroom, but every inch is optimized for the netrunner's craft.
Against the far wall, a cobbled-together workstation hums with power. A custom-built cyberdeck, its casing covered in graffiti tags and glowing etchings, prefered in orange of course is hooked up to a tangle of cables, connecting to multiple holo-screens suspended in mid-air. The screens flicker with data streams, scrolling code, and black-market feeds, illuminating the room in a sickly green and blue glow.
The walls are lined with shelves, stacked with shard drives, obsolete chips, and modded hardware scavenged from Night City's underbelly. A single neon Oni mask hangs above the desk, its eyes flickering red—either as decoration or a custom security alert system.
A makeshift chair, rigged with haptic feedback implants, sits in front of the setup, its cushioning long worn out from endless hours jacked into the Net. The air is thick with the scent of circuit-burn, stale takeout, and cheap incense, an attempt to mask the ever-present ozone tang of overclocked tech.
Beneath the floorboards, a small hidden compartment contains a databank of encrypted shards, a handgun, and a quick escape kit—because in Night City, even the best netrunner knows they're only one bad breach away from flatlining.
This led to his reputation as both an on-field and off-field netrunner steadily growing.
But there was stillone thing.
One nagging feeling that refused to leave him.
Every time he dived into the Net, he could swear he felt an ominous presence lurking in the back of his mind.
And the itching on his fingertips? It feltoddly familiar.
Like constantly seeing something in the corner of your eye—but when you turned, nothing was there.
Or maybe it was just paranoia?
The fact that neither the FIA nor Militech had sent anyone after him—"so far,"he quickly added in his mind—didn't help either.
Had Songbird really just done a fantastic job covering his tracks?
Or was there something more to it?
He decided to banish those thoughts—for now—and shifted his focus to the newest message popping up on his holo.
A job request.
From a guy named Kirk Sawyer...
Kirk Sawyer is everything wrong and detestable about Night City.
Sure, compared to thereal monsters running around, he's on a way smaller scale, but that doesn't make him any less annoying.
Slimy. Dishonest. Dumb.
But most importantly—underprepared.
The bar he wanted to meet in, on the other hand, felt nice—even kind of cozy to some extent.
El Coyote Cojo.
El Coyote Cojo is a warm, dimly lit cantina nestled in the heart ofHeywood, serving as both a sanctuary and sometimes a battleground for locals, mercs, and gangsters alike. The bar is a mosaic of old-school charm and cyberpunk grit, its walls lined with faded family photos, neon saint candles, and bullet-ridden plaques honoring the fallen.
The bar itself is a sturdy, well-worn counter, its surface scarred from decades of glass slams and the occasional bar fight. A line of old tequila bottles, some missing labels, stands proudly behind it, illuminated by a soft yellow glow. The air is thick with the scent of grilled meat, cheap beer, and cigarette smoke, a signature mix of theHeywoodnightlife.
A jukebox in the corner, half-functional, crackles out old Mariachi tunes and synth-infused cumbias, while a holo-TV flickers with local news and underground fight broadcasts. The booths and tables, mismatched and dented, have seen their share of backroom deals and whispered conversations.
Despite the rough clientele, there's an undeniable sense of community—a place where Valentinos, edgerunners, and locals share a drink before heading back into the chaos of Night City.
Kirk sat at a table in the back of the first floor, his fat bodyguard beside him, chewing down on a cheeseburger like it was his last meal.
"He's been eating that burger forever,"Naruto thought, tapping absentmindedly on the table.
Kirk, with his usual slimy grin, leaned forward.
"All you gotta do is klep this prototype cyberware chip, currently held hostage by some Valentinos. You infiltrate an old abandoned warehouse, retrieve the chip, and get out. Sounds easy, don't it?"
He said it like he was offering the job of a lifetime.
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"And I guess I infiltrate this warehouse with shits, giggles, and wits?"
His sarcastic tone made Kirk's expression falter ever so slightly.
"I heard you were the best affordable netrunner and infiltration specialist around? So why you acting like a gigantic pussy, choom?" Kirk mocked.
Naruto, unimpressed, didn't even blink.
"I'm not just good, I'm the best, believe it. But if I run into a hail of bullets on the other side, there's barely anything I can do about it. So stop screwing with me and tell me… what's the catch?"
Kirk smirked.
"That's the nice part, choom. Thereisno catch—except keeping your distance from the big bad muscle. Don't you wanna join the major leagues instead of just doing biz with random idiots?"
Naruto sighed.
"Okay, but I want 20% of my cut paid up front."
Kirk pretended to think about it before shrugging.
"Suuure, choom. For mymaster netrunner,I can make an exception. But don't think this will be happening again anytime soon."
"Sure, Kirk." Naruto stood up, brushing past him.
As he walked out, he could feel Kirk's and the bodyguard's eyes on his back.
"I hope another gig for you isn't needed,"echoed through Naruto's mind as he made his way back to his apartment.
The gig was a disaster.
As expected, Kirk didn't bother to update Naruto about the Valentinos bumping up their security. In general, he grossly underestimated the firepower present.
The warehouse itself was tucked away at the end of a side street,hidden from plain sight. That meant access was only possible from the front—a front section full of cars and armed patrols.
Not that it was a problem.
Naruto, as skilled as he was, easily evaded the guards and turned off every security cam with a few quick hacks.
Finding the prototype cyberware chip wasn't hard.
Too bad it was already remotely deactivated.
That wasn't the only weird thing.
The amount of Militech gear in the warehouse stood out like a neon sign.
"Why the hell would Valentinos be guarding Militech equipment in an abandoned warehouse?" Naruto wondered.
Then—
All hell broke loose.
Gunfire. Screams. Shouts in Spanish.
Naruto grabbed the chip and bolted to the second floor—only to run straight into the real problem.
"José, come out! Padre wants your ass!"
A big, bulky guy yelled at another man standing on the second floor.
"Jackie, you goddamn snake. Don't you have your own head?"
The now-named Jackie just sighed, shaking his head.
"Sorry, hermano, but you shouldn't have killed a cop without Padre's permission. You know the rules."
And just like that—BANG.
José dropped.
Naruto barely had time to react before Jackie's gun turned on him.
"And who the hell are you, amigo?"
Naruto raised his hands.
"Yo, I'm not one of them. I'm here on a different gig."
Jackie narrowed his eyes but eventually lowered his gun.
"Okay… but no fast ones, understand?"
Naruto nodded and turned his focus to the laptop in the room. If the Valentinos were hoarding Militech gear, there had to be a reason.
Then he saw it.
"Woah. Apparently, Arasaka launched an attack on their own facility… and planned to frame Militech for it."
That got Jackie's attention.
And someone else's.
Jackie's holo buzzed.
"Yo, my blond hermano, Padre wants to speak with you. Can you connect to the call?"
Naruto hesitated but eventually did.
An elderly voice came through.
"Hello, son."
There was a certain weight to the voice—calm, commanding.
"These are some interesting pieces of information you've acquired. Who are you?"
Naruto smirked.
"I'm Naruto. One of the greatest netrunners you'll ever meet. Future legend."
A chuckle.
Not just from Padre,but Jackie too.
"Nice to meet you, son."
But then his voice turned serious.
"The information you just uncovered is of grave importance. But not for you. Not yet. You and Jackie need to get out of there—now."
The old man's voice carried no doubt.
"Our meeting was foretold by God. The streets call me Padre. If I got work, I will contact you. Be ready… and go with God."
The call ended.
Jackie turned to Naruto, looking impressed.
"Looks like the boss man took a liking to ya."
Then his curiosity sparked.
"Where you from, amigo?"
Naruto half-smirked, half-lied.
"Ah, I'm from outside NC. Here to make a name for myself."
Jackie's eyebrows shot up.
"Outside NC? Shit. Not a lot of people come here by choice and live to earn their flowers."
Then his grin returned.
"Talking about names, though. I never caught yours."
He extended a hand.
Naruto, feeling surprisingly at ease with the big guy, shook it.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Pleasure to meet you!"
Jackie smirked.
"Jackie Welles. Future Night City legend!"
Then—
GRRRRROWL.
A loud stomach rumble.
Jackie's grin widened.
"You wanna grab something to eat? I know a nice place."
Naruto didn't even hesitate.
"Yeah, lead the way!"
The two headed out, but before they could get too far,Jackie suddenly asked:
"You ever heard of a place calledEl Coyote Cojo?"
Naruto chuckled.
"I was just coming from there, actually."